Seven Days, December 24, 2014 by Seven Days

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Presents

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FRIDAY

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SEASON

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JAN

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THE LAST YEAR IN REVIEW COMPILED BY MATTHEW ROY & ANDREA SUOZZO

TOP BLOG POSTS OF

2014

1. “Winooski Bistro’s Bacon Sign Ignites Internet Storm” by Mark Davis. Sneakers Bistro took down its “Yield for Sneakers Bacon” sign after a request from a Front Porch Forum post, setting off a wave of anti-Muslim internet harassment. 2. “In Vermont, Even Righteous Anger Is Friendly” by Ethan de Seife. A man whose wallet was stolen at the Burlington YMCA posted a very polite note requesting it be returned — and he got it back! 3. “Seth Rogen Comes to Burlington on May 1” by Margot Harrison. The Canadian funnyman hosted a private screening of his newest movie, Neighbors, for a University of Vermont fraternity. 4. “VLS Professor and Legal Commentator Cheryl Hanna Dies” by Paul Heintz. The much-loved professor and prominent Vermont legal analyst committed suicide in July.

Ta-Ta, 2014

ou are what you click. Or are you? Like most media websites, Seven Days’ buzzes loudest when we write about tragedy, controversy and new places to eat. Quirky Vermont stories — on subjects from chocolate vaginas to unfinished castles — generate plenty of likes on Facebook. But there’s a lot more to living in Vermont, and 36,000 people pick up Seven Days each week to find out what. Every issue of our print newspaper can educate and inform multiple readers for seven days — until the next one comes along. For those inky-fingered folks, we’ve compiled our own superlative story list for 2014. Want to revisit any one of these? You can find them on our website, sevendaysvt.com.

Most Surprising Story: Incumbent Gov. Shumlin barely beat Scott Milne, the dark-horse Republican challenger – by 2,434 votes. Story We Spent the Most Money On: Sen. Bernie Sanders and his maybe run for president. We sent reporter Paul Heintz to Iowa and spent months scanning old print stories — and gathering audio files of Bernie “singing” classic protest songs — for our digital resource, Bernie Beat.

Story Outlining the Most Epic Customer Service Fail: The Vermont Health Connect website is still not entirely functional more than a year after Gov. Shumlin called problems with its rollout “a nothing-burger.” Biggest Cultural Coup Covered: Bolton cartoonist Alison Bechdel won a MacArthur “genius” grant; in 2015, she’ll see the musical adaptation of her graphic memoir, Fun Home, open on Broadway.

5. “Hello, Ello: Seven Things to Know About Story With the Most Compelling the Burlington-Based Protagonist: As Mark Davis reported, ‘Anti-Facebook’” by Sen. Dick Sears, who cochairs the legislaKathryn Flagg. The tive committee charged with reforming social network that the state’s Department for Children and went viral earlier Families, was a foster child with experience this year is based in in the child welfare system. Burlington. Wait, is anybodyT3294_R&D still on Ello? Ad_SevenDays_Final.pdf 1 7/16/14 2:07 PM

GM-OH, SHIT

Vermont passed a gutsy GMO-labeling bill but now has to defend it — against big guns in federal court. We may be Frankenfucked.

SLOW BERN

Sen. Bernie Sanders spent a lot of 2014 traveling to key presidential states. Also cracking smiles and talking about his grandkids. Decision time is coming.

WEED INDEED

Vermont pot proponents passed legislation to commission a study — expected in January — on the potential risks and benefits of legalization. Do hold your breath.

MAJOR SURGERY?

Lower-thanexpected tax revenues and escalating education and social services costs have led to a $100 million state budget gap. Closing it might hurt a little.

TOPTEN

PRINT STORIES WITH MOST HITS OF 2014

1. “Cheryl Hanna’s Suicide Confirms Mental Health Problems in Vermont” by Matthew Roy. The law professor’s suicide drew attention to mental health stigma, access to guns and a shortage of psychiatric beds in the state. 2. “To Prevent Further Tragedy, Burlington Tries Dispatching a Clinician Instead of a Cop” by Mark Davis. The Burlington Police Department began dispatching mental health professionals. 3. “WTF: Vermont’s Maple Penis Sign? Chocolate Vaginas?” by Ken Picard. We dig deep into the origins of some highly suggestive logos. 4. “WTF: Georgia’s Unfinished Castle?” by Ken Picard. The castle, complete with a turret for surveying the landscape, hit the market at the low, low price of $925,000. 5. “Winooski’s Waterworks to Open in November” by Alice Levitt. A new incarnation of the much-loved abovethe-falls favorite finally opened in midDecember (see Food News, 12/17/14). 6. “WTF: How Can Barre and Montpelier Be Equidistant From Mile Marker 47 on Interstate 89?” by Corin Hirsch. If you drive Vermont’s interstates frequently, you probably have some questions. We’ve got answers. 7. “Arcade and Ale House to Open in South Burlington” by Corin Hirsch. Tilt Classic Arcade and Ale House opened this year, a welcome gift to all the nostalgic Vermont gamers and arcade-lovers. 8. “New Restaurants Replace Old Favorites in Williston and Essex” by Alice Levitt. The Burlington area lost Three Tomatoes Trattoria and the Belted Cow Bistro, but gained a new burger joint in Williston and a new location for Burlington’s El Gato Cantina. 9. “WTF: Is Mike Myers Now a Vermonter?” by Ethan de Seife. The Wayne’s World star is rumored to have bought a house in Colchester, and we had fun imagining a discussion with the movie star. 10. “A Cabot Family Makes the Case for ‘Unschooling’” by Kathryn Flagg. The Hewitt brothers don’t do math homework, write book reports or attend lectures. Their classroom is the 40 acres of their family’s homestead.

12.24.14-01.07.15

Have you got good taste?

SEVEN DAYS

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Story With the Happiest Ending: Montpelier entrepreneur Bo MullerMoore, the “Eat More Kale” guy, finally got his trademark after years of fighting with fast-food chain Chickfil-A, which argued the phrase was too similar to its motto, “Eat Mor Chikin.”

Story With the Most Persistent Protesters: Vermont Gas pipeline project opponents have staged demonstrations and occupied buildings. One woman chained herself to the Vermont Gas HQ.

facing facts

7/21/14 3:45 PM

LIKE A VIRGIN. E D I T O R I A L / A D M I N I S T R AT I O N -/

Pamela Polston & Paula Routly

/ Paula Routly  / Pamela Polston  

Don Eggert, Cathy Resmer, Colby Roberts   Matthew Roy   Margot Harrison   Meredith Coeyman   Xian Chiang-Waren, Mark Davis, Ethan de Seife, Kathryn Flagg, Alicia Freese, Ken Picard   Paul Heintz   Dan Bolles    Alice Levitt   Hannah Palmer Egan   Courtney Copp    Andrea Suozzo   Eva Sollberger    Ashley DeLucco   Cheryl Brownell   Matt Weiner  Carolyn Fox, Marisa Keller    Carolyn Fox - Rufus DESIGN/PRODUCTION   Don Eggert   John James   Rev. Diane Sullivan   Matthew Thorsen  Brooke Bousquet, Britt Boyd,

Bobby Hackney Jr., Aaron Shrewsbury,

   Neel Tandan SALES/MARKETING    Colby Roberts    Michael Bradshaw  

Julia Atherton, Robyn Birgisson, Michelle Brown, Logan Pintka  &   Corey Grenier  &   Ashley Cleare  &   Kristen Hutter

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS Caleb Kenna, Matt Mignanelli, Matt Morris, Marc Nadel, Tim Newcomb, Susan Norton, Oliver Parini, Sarah Priestap, Kim Scafuro, Michael Tonn, Jeb Wallace-Brodeur, Steve Weigl

12.24.14-01.07.15

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FEEDback READER REACTION TO RECENT ARTICLES

FARE NOT

With all the rancor about taxi laws, Uber, etc., it’s annoying — if not improper, inappropriate or illegal — that a Vermont state cop is allowed to live his civilian life by driving around in a retired-but-stilllettered New York yellow taxi that looks authentic enough to mislead the public [Off Message: “City Attorney Says Uber Is Breaking the Law in Burlington,” October 22; Daily 7: “New York Taxi’s Retirement: A Quiet Life on Country Roads in Vermont,” December 1]. A civilian could not get away with driving a retired state cop cruiser that was still lettered “Vermont State Police.” Dan Cohen

BURLINGTON

MISSING MOVER

[Re “Breakthrough Dance,” November 5]: I am puzzled at the lack of inclusion, or any mention, of the contribution to dance at Bennington and in the larger world of dance made by the late Judy Dunn. Her partnership with Bill Dixon and association with the Judson Dance Theater, her membership in the Merce Cunningham company, her tenured professorship of dance at Bennington and her role in founding the Black Music Division headed by Dixon, etc., make her perhaps the crucial figure in dance at Bennington in the past 50 years. Bob Green

BURLINGTON

TIM NEWCOMB

DOWNHILL FAST

In the early 1960s a childhood friend from Montpelier by the name of Butch built a proto bobsled that looked very similar to the “traverse” in your ravine article [“Researching the Ravine,” December 3]. It was a good mile run if we were able to make the first and only turn, about 200 yards from the top point on the road. Half the time whoever was steering would catch the front right runner in the snowbank — and off we went. All of us teenage boys and girls who were holding on to each other would slide off and into the bank on the other side of the bend. Not sure how fast we went, but it was faster than one drove in the summer. We did not want to fall off by the time we pitched over the main, very long hill. Sadly, there is hardly a place left in Vermont where the road crew forgets to sand the hard, snow-packed hill road until early the next day. I truly miss those days of traversing. Most parents today would not allow it; they’d be afraid someone would get hurt. We loved it. I often wish that those of us still alive could make just one more run. I’m betting most would give it a shot. I’m 66 and would do it on a moment’s notice. Gene Sweetser

ESSEX TOWN

COOKIE QUEUE

[“Vermont’s Seven Best Cookies,” December 6]: I have to add a recommendation for the

wEEk iN rEViEw

macaroons at Nunyuns on the corner of North and North Champlain streets. They are delectable and gluten free. I love them so darn much. Laura Hale

burlingTOn

wAtcH Your LANguAgE

Alice Levitt described a drink as “a girly-girl drink” [“Sensory Satisfaction,” December 10]. Just what did she mean by this? What do people mean when they use this term, “girly-girl,” and when they describe things that don’t have any gender in gendered terms? All too often there’s a kind of put-down implied, and even if no judgment is intended, the act of gendering objects only serves to reinforce gender stereotyping. Yet so much damage continues to result from any kind of gender stereotyping. We already have too many restrictions placed on gender expression and gender identity. So let’s leave our drinks alone, and, for that matter, let’s support and respect all children, adolescents and adults to be themselves — to selfidentify, act, feel, dress, express and, yes, even choose a drink — without judgment. Jackie weinstock

SOuTh burlingTOn

wHY VotE?

samswoodfurniture.com

geoffrey cobden

Weybridge

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DON’T BE SHEEPISH!

crEAtiVE SoLutioN For BurLiNgtoN coLLEgE

[Re Off Message: “Mayor Supports Mixed Housing and Open Space on Burlington College Property,” November 25; Off Message: “Burlington College Land Sale May be Moving Forward,” November 20; “Going, Going, Gone? Who Will Get the Land Around Burlington College?” November 5]: Given that Burlington College is overextended and COTS needs more space, wouldn’t it make sense for the college to move back to its old building and COTS could, instead of damaging a historic neighborhood, use the $6 million to rehab the former orphanage? COTS could partner with other entities — perhaps even the City of Burlington. We could chip in and possibly team up to conserve a gorgeous plot of open land for a bargain price. Even a developer whose current legacy is that of having conscientious integrity might want to be creatively involved in helping to preserve the land rather than gobble it up.

Ring in the New Year with us!

styling.

(But 2015 is the Year of the Sheep, so maybe you DO want to be sheepish. who knows? Just c’mon down.)

for all.

ivan goldstein

burlingTOn

12/10/14 4:40 PM

I’ve got a good feeling about this. FRI 12/26

FUNKWAGON 4PM-11PM!!!! DJ CON YAY 9PM DJ CRAIG MITCHELL 11PM

SAT 12/27 DJ RAUL 6PM / SOULSTICE 7PM DJ MASHTODON/DJ REIGN ONE 11PM SUN 12/28 TAR IGUANA 7PM DJ CRAIG MITCHELL 10PM MON 12/29 DJ MASHTODON 8PM TUE 12/30 DJ CRAIG MITCHELL 8PM WED 12/31 FUNKWAGON 2PM STICKS AND STONES 7PM DJ CON YAY 9PM DJ MASHTODON 11PM THU 1/1 CLOSED TO RECUPERATE!

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136 Church Street, Burlington Check our website for more dates

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feedback 7

The police state is one of the largest U.S. industries. Even Vermont police departments

wheeling.

372 N. Winooski Ave.

SEVEN DAYS

PoLicE StAtE oF miND

thinking.

from your friends at

12.24.14-01.07.15

colin Flood

burlingTOn

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

SEVENDAYSVt.com

I must take issue with a recent cartoon in Seven Days [Newcomb, December 10]. In it, the cartoonist Tim Newcomb makes the trite and tired pronouncement that people who don’t vote for their rulers have no right to complain about what those rulers do. The idea that the 60 percent of Americans who don’t vote are just lazy and incomprehensibly stupid is in fact a lazy, though unfortunately common, thoughtterminating assumption of the liberal class. Let me direct you to a recent Princeton University study that found, “When the preferences of economic elites and the stands of organized interest groups are controlled for, the preferences of the average American appear to have only a minuscule, near-zero, statistically nonsignificant impact upon public policy.” Perhaps those of us who don’t vote are actually better informed than those dupes who still do. I’d rather organize other workers, tenants, students and landowners for concrete changes in our immediate circumstances than throw my vote into the trash can known as a ballot box.

have acquired significant military material [“Up in Arms,” December 3]. There is construction money for police stations, courthouses, and public and private jails. What is the payroll for our local, county, private and state police? Then there are jail guards, bureaucrats, probation officers, counselors, motor vehicle enforcement, etc. How about the many federal law enforcement agencies? You will see this overlap at U.S. airports. Spies listen to our phone calls and intercept our emails. Soon you will see a drone over Vermont. All of this costs, and since the rich will not pay their fair share, education and social services continue to be underfunded. So intergenerational poverty, ignorance, racism and fear will go on. The police state is thus assured of future customers.

12/16/14 6:36 PM

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12/12/14 2:51 PM

contents

LOOKING FORWARD

DECEMBER 24, 2014-JANUARY 07, 2015 VOL.20 NO.17 44

NEWS 14

Catching Up:

Year End: Seven Days reporters update news stories from 2014

ARTS NEWS

Vermont’s Drive-Ins: And Then There Were Three

BY MARGOT HARRISON

FEATURES 38

BY AMY LILLY

BY MARK DAVIS, ETHAN DE SEIFE, KATHRYN FLAGG, ALICIA FREESE, KEVIN J. KELLEY & KEN PICARD

Opera Theatre of Weston’s Secret Weapon? A Classic Story Made New

Lyric Theatre Company Prepares to Buy a $1.3 Million Home

Feathered Friends Forever: A Founder’s Legacy Lives On at the Birds of Vermont Museum BY ETHAN DE SEIFE

Life Stories

Year End: Remembering Vermonters who died in 2014 BY SEVEN DAYS STAFF

Name Game 2014

Year End: Are descriptive monikers coincidence or fate? BY KEN PICARD

Picture This: Gifts to the Hood Museum

Supper Superlatives

Food: The best things to happen to Vermont food in 2014 BY ALICE LEVITT & HANNAH PALMER EGAN

BY PAMELA POLSTON

BY XIAN CHIANG-WAREN

Best Bite of 2014

Food: Pascolo Ristorante

COLUMNS + REVIEWS 12 37 65 69 74 89

Fair Game POLITICS Hackie CULTURE Soundbites MUSIC Album Reviews Art Review Ask Athena SEX

SECTIONS 11 52 62 64 74 80

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Music: The local scene weighs in on the best records of 2014 BY DAN BOLLES

Kisonak and Harrison at the Movies 2014

Film: Our critics sound off on what sucked and what didn’t

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BY MARGOT HARRISON & RICK KISONAK

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Stuck in Vermont: Whether he’s warming laps at Pillsbury Manor South senior community or learning how to read with kids at the library, registered therapy cat van Gogh is unusually calm with people, says his handler, Elizabeth Llewellyn.

Underwritten by:

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THURSDAY 1

The Right Note

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When conductor Daniel Bruce wields his baton at the Green Mountain Mahler Festival, music lovers are in for a treat. This fifth annual New Year’s Day concert unites esteemed vocalists with GMMF chorus and orchestra members, whose interpretation of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony raises funds for the Vermont Family Network.

COMPI L E D BY COU RTNEY COP P

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 58

THURSDAY 1

Hitting the Road Lace up those running shoes! Folks looking to begin anew on January 1 can literally start the New Year off on the right foot, thanks to FirstRun. This 27th annual road race through downtown Burlington encourages costumes and welcomes athletes of all ages. A kids’ fun run paves the way to a 5K that culminates in food, awards and a raffle. SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 58

WEDNESDAY 7

A Close Look When Georgia O’Keeffe died at age 98, the illustrious painter known for her depictions of the American Southwest left behind a catalogue of artwork that numbered in the thousands. James Maroney, an independent art dealer formerly with Christie’s and Sotheby’s, appraised O’Keeffe’s estate and highlights her best work in an eye-opening lecture. SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 60

CELEBRATING IN STYLE

SEE CALENDAR SPOTLIGHTS ON PAGE 52 AND CALENDAR LISTINGS ON PAGE 57

Class Act If you’re heading to the ArtsRiot New Year’s Eve Party, you’d best break out your finest duds. This shindig is a black-tie affair — and rightly so. When Kat Wright & the Indomitable Soul Band perform, the least you can do is dress for the occasion. Burlington’s queen of soul belts out big tunes while revelers sip bubbly and dance the night away. SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 57 AND SOUNDBITES ON PAGE 67

SATURDAY 27

Sleigh Bells Ring

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 54

SEE REVIEW ON PAGE 74

Meticulous Masterpieces The works in “Preoccupied” give new meaning to an eye for detail. Artists Wylie Sofia Garcia, Adrienne Ginter, Xavier Donnelly and Dianne Shullenberger invite viewers into intricate explorations of fiber art, hand-cut paper, pen-and-ink drawings and mixed media. Marrying precision and creative vision, these pieces demand a second look.

MAGNIFICENT SEVEN 11

ONGOING

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They may be named Comet, Prancer and Blitzen, but the four-legged friends at Vermont Reindeer Farm have their feet planted firmly on the ground. Swapping the North Pole for Northeast Kingdom digs, the animals travel to Burlington, where a modified petting zoo doubles as a classroom. There, visitors learn about the antlered beasts’ connection to local wildlife and Santa.

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Fare thee well, 2014. As this year winds down, First Night festivities in Burlington and St. Johnsbury rev up. Local and regional performers lend their talents to dance, theater and musical acts for the entire family. Featuring old favorites alongside newcomers, diverse lineups of entertainers cap off with brilliant fireworks displays. Here’s to 2015!

WEDNESDAY 31

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WEDNESDAY 31

FAIR GAME

Cheers!

A Shum-Dinger of a Year

f you’d told us a year ago that Gov. PETER would come within 2,500 votes of losing reelection and then abandon his signature policy priority, we wouldn’t have believed you. But that’s why we didn’t go into fortune-telling. Indeed, 2014 was a fascinating year in Vermont’s little political world — and a brutal one for the state’s two-term Democratic governor. In November, the seemingly invincible politico nearly fell to an utterly unknown travel agent. A month later, Shumlin shocked the state by abandoning his quest to implement the nation’s first single-payer-style health care system. Of course, that’s not all that went down this year. To refresh your memory, we’ve compiled our list of the top 10 political stories of the year, presented in loose chronological order: SHUMLIN

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Drug Czar

Shumlin threw out the usual script last January by opening the 2014 legislative session with a 34-minute State of the State address focused entirely on what he called “a rising tide” of opiate abuse in Vermont. 11:32 AM Thus began a statewide — and then nationwide — conversation about a tough problem with no easy solution. Some questioned whether Shumlin exaggerated the magnitude of the so-called “epidemic.” Others wondered whether he was cynically courting national headlines or distracting Vermonters from his broken health insurance exchange. Still more wondered whether he was giving this tourist-dependent state a bad rap. But most praised him for tackling an important issue that could have been swept under the rug. By the end of the session, legislators had provided more funding to drug treatment centers, stiffened penalties for traffickers and expanded diversion programs for low-level offenders.

Still Waiting

After telling the nation last March that he was “prepared to run for president of the United States,” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) spent the rest of the year edging ever closer to a race. He traveled to New Hampshire in April for the first of seven campaign-style events in the first-in-the-nation presidential primary state. The next month, he took to Iowa for the first of four trips to the Hawkeye State, which holds the first presidential caucuses. Sanders still hasn’t said whether he’ll run, but he’s indicated he’d be more likely

12/19/11 12:10 PM

OPEN SEASON ON VERMONT POLITICS BY PAUL HEINTZ

to do so in the Democratic primary than as an independent. With former secretary of state HILLARY CLINTON almost certain to run — and to crowd out other top-tier candidates — Sanders is well poised to serve as her leftie foil, so long as Sen. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-Mass.) doesn’t. The Iowa caucuses are a little more than a year away. So if Bernie’s serious, expect an announcement early next year.

School Daze

Discontent over rising property taxes boiled over on Town Meeting Day. On the first Tuesday in March, 35 towns and cities, including Burlington, voted down their school budgets — more than have done so in a decade. Vermont politicians clearly got the message — but legislative remedies proved elusive. The House spent months crafting a proposal to consolidate school districts, but its leaders couldn’t quite say whether the bill would actually save money. After narrowly passing the House in the closing days of the session, the proposal died an inglorious death in the Senate. The debate grew louder last fall, as tax bills arrived in mailboxes, and became central to legislative and statewide campaigns. Weeks before Election Day, House Democrats pledged to take swift action next year to address it. In December, a study group appointed by House Speaker SHAP SMITH (D-Morristown) released a trio of proposals to overhaul the education finance system. Whether any of them will pass political muster — and actually reduce the tax burden — remains to be seen.

Taking Care of Business

Vermont’s political leaders typically tackle the toughest bills in the first year of the legislative biennium and studiously avoid controversy in the lead-up to evenyear elections. That maxim mostly held true in 2014, which many referred to as a “caretaker” session. But that doesn’t mean nothing got done. In fact, legislators achieved a number of liberal priorities by the time they adjourned in May. Among them? A higher minimum wage, mandatory labeling of genetically modified food, universal prekindergarten, childcare unionization, shoreland protection, expanded net metering and even a ban on cellphone use while driving.

No Corren-ation

In June, former Burlington legislator Dean Corren became the first candidate in a

decade to qualify for public financing in his bid for lieutenant governor. Days later, Democrat JOHN BAUER dropped out, citing his inability to qualify for the $200,000 in public campaign cash. That set up a fascinating one-on-one race between two-term Lt. Gov. PHIL SCOTT, a Republican, and Corren, a Progressive. Throughout the summer and fall, the two candidates waged a thoughtful and (mostly) civil campaign. Though Corren managed to secure the Democratic nomination in the August primary, many top Ds endorsed Scott or sat out the race.

GOV. SHUMLIN’S NEAR-LOSS WILL UNDOUBTEDLY WEAKEN HIM AS HE ENTERS HIS THIRD TERM.

In the end, it wasn’t even close. Scott defeated Corren 62 to 36 percent, reestablishing the lieutenant governor as the beleaguered Vermont Republican Party’s biggest star.

Agency of Holy Shit

It was a tough year for the Agency of Human Services — the sprawling bureaucracy that oversees everything from prisons to welfare to health care. The agency’s Department for Children and Families came under intense scrutiny after the deaths of two young children under its supervision, allegedly at the hands of family members, in February and April. Several reviews found that understaffing and mismanagement at DCF contributed to the tragedies. Commissioner DAVE YACOVONE left the department — apparently voluntarily — in September. Meanwhile, the agency’s Department of Vermont Health Access struggled to get the state’s health insurance exchange, Vermont Health Connect, working properly (more on that below). Perhaps as a result, Shumlin stripped DVHA Commissioner MARK LARSON of his responsibility for the exchange, though Larson still leads the department. The biggest blow came in August, when Shumlin summarily fired agency secretary DOUG RACINE, the former lieutenant governor and two-time gubernatorial candidate. He was replaced on an interim basis by Department of Health Commissioner HARRY CHEN and then, in December, by Capstone Community Action executive director HAL COHEN. With massive budget cuts on the horizon (again, see below), you can be sure that

Got A tIP for PAul? paul@sevendaysvt.com

Vermont’s largest and most complex state agency will make next year’s list, too.

Miracle Milne

A projected $100 million gap in next year’s budget will surely dominate the dialogue in the coming legislative session.

Minority Report

Shumlin wasn’t the only who had a tough Election Day Democrats lost a dozen seats in the state legislature — and Vermont’s U.S. Senate delegation was stripped of several key positions. After Republicans took the Senate, Sen. Patrick LeaHy (D-Vt.) was booted from the president pro tem’s office and lost the chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sanders lost the top spot on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, though he was elevated to ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee. National races hit Shummy hard, too. The chairman of the Democratic Governors Association had hoped his candidates would win big races in Florida, Wisconsin, Georgia and Kansas, among others. They didn’t. Instead, they lost deep-blue states like Massachusetts, Maryland and Maine. Shumlin handed over the DGA reins to Montana Gov. Steve BuLLock in December, leaving him free to, well, focus on his own political career.

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If there was one political issue that dominated 2014, it was health care reform. As it did last year, the federally mandated insurance exchange known as Vermont Health Connect continued to disappoint. It suffered from contractor woes, change-of-circumstances backlogs and security issues, before going offline entirely in September for two months. There’s no question that Vermont Health Connect’s woes complicated Shumlin’s task of financing his ambitious single-payer health care proposal. But most Vermonters were nevertheless shocked when the governor abandoned the plan entirely, saying the numbers just didn’t add up. As he announced the news at a crowded Statehouse press conference on December 17, Shumlin conceded that this was “the greatest disappointment of my political life, so far.” That’s for sure. m

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FAIR GAME 13

For much of the spring and summer, economic development officials worried IBM might shutter its Essex research and manufacturing facility — one of the state’s largest employers. In October, Emirate of Abu Dhabi-owned GlobalFoundries acquired Big Blue’s semiconductor division and pledged to keep it open for the “foreseeable future.” Vermont’s economy may have dodged that bullet, but it continued to struggle in other ways. Personal income tax collections have come in under expectations every month since April, indicating that many Vermonters still aren’t feeling the effects of the nation’s slow-moving economic recovery. That’s left a significant hole in the state’s coffers. Shumlin and legislative leaders were forced to cut $31 million from this year’s budget in August, and they’re currently contemplating another $17 million in midyear cuts.

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Throughout the spring, Vermont’s top Republicans took a pass on challenging Shumlin: Scott, former lieutenant governor Brian DuBie, Rep. HeiDi ScHeuermann (R-Stowe), Campaign for Vermont founder Bruce LiSman and former senator and auditor ranDy Brock. On filing day in June, the last man standing was a travel agency owner from Pomfret: the virtually unknown Scott miLne. The political novice sorely lacked fundraising, messaging, policy and organizing chops. But in a year when Shumlin’s declining popularity trumped all, none of that seemed to matter. Surprising nearly everyone, Milne came within 2,434 votes of becoming the first challenger since PHiL Hoff in 1962 to unseat an incumbent Vermont governor. Theories of why Shumlin did so poorly were legion: Liberals thought he’d turned on them; independents were upset over property taxes and health care reform; some just plain don’t trust the guy. The story wasn’t over on Election Day. After declining to concede, Milne called on the legislature five weeks later to exercise its constitutional right to install him as governor when it convenes in January. Though Milne’s unlikely to prevail in that Democrat-dominated venue, one thing’s for certain: Shumlin’s close call will severely weaken him as he enters his third — and possibly, but not certainly, last — term.

The whole team at Leunig’s Bistro thanks you for your presence in 2014 and wishes you the best of the season!

Catching Up

Seven Days reporters update news stories from 2014 By M ark D avis , E t h a n de S ei f e , K at h ryn Fla gg, A licia Freese , K evin J . Kelle y & K e n P icard

emember Dick Sears, the state senator who told Seven Days about how he’d been born in prison, got adopted and spent his adult years looking for his biological family? Sears shared his story with Mark Davis as he drove to statewide hearings on the troubled Vermont Department for Children and Families.

Or “the Barbaras” of Addison County, who sued neighbors and town officials for discrimination in a nasty lawsuit? On closer examination, Kathyrn Flagg found the conflicts were much more complex — and interesting — than the lesbian couple alleged. Our reporters crisscrossed Vermont last year pursuing such stories, many of which other media ignored, missed or glossed over. Looking back, it’s fair to say they have an eye for quirky — we found a 1987 album that

featured Bernie Sanders singing folk songs — and aren’t afraid to go in depth. But it’s the nature of stories to unfurl — no matter how well they may be documented at a particular point in time. As 2014 drew to a close, we looked back to find out what happened to some of the people and issues we wrote about in the paper and on the blog over the course of the year. Read on. m

Private Prisons, Public Documents: A Magazine Gets the Inside Scoop Prison Legal News is a national monthly magazine for incarcerated people and their families. More than two years ago, it set out to learn how Corrections Corporation of America, a private company that houses roughly 500 Vermont inmates at prisons in Kentucky and Arizona, handled complaints about inmate injuries and health problems. In May 2012, the magazine filed a public records request asking CCA for copies of health-related grievances and resulting settlements specific to its Vermont prisoners. CCA initially ignored the request, and then, when the magazine sued, refused to turn the records over. The Tennessee-based company argued that as a corporation, it was not subject to Vermont’s public records law, which generally allows for access Lee Adjustment Center in Beattyville, Ky. to government records. Prison Legal News countered that because CCA operates under a state contract, it is essentially a governto almost every single record it wanted ment entity that is answerable to the public. after CCA decided to hand them over Last January, Prison Legal News survived before a judge ruled. PLN editor Wright a preliminary challenge to its lawsuit, but several hurdles remained before it could said his magazine obtained records from gain access to the records. A courtroom loss, 14 incidents. In each, Vermont inmates said editor Paul Wright, would make it nearly filed legal complaints for injuries they impossible for the public to learn about the said they suffered inside CCA prisons. living conditions of Vermont inmates in CCA Wright said the records show that inprisons.

Jan

14 LOCAL MATTERS

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UPDATE: Score one for the fourth estate. Prison Legal News gained access

mates who suffer serious injuries often settle for seemingly small amounts of money — often without ever hiring an attorney.

paltry sum can seem like a lot of money.” Prison Legal News has scored similar wins in cases against prison companies in Texas and Tennessee. Wright said the magazine plans to publish all of the Vermont records in the coming weeks, along with an accompanying story. “We fought long and hard,” Wright said. “We publish everything.” The only downside, Wright said, is that CCA’s decision to capitulate before a trial means there was no judicial ruling on Vermont’s public records law and whether CCA is subject to it. Dan Barrett, staff attorney for the Vermont branch of the American Civil Liberties Union, which represented Prison Legal News, said he is spoiling for another legal fight. “The position we take is that public agencies can’t contract around the public records act,” Barrett said, adding he’s “happy to file suit again” if another organization requests records. “We’re definitely looking for a ruling on the issue in Vermont.” Asked to comment, CCA spokesman Steve Owen said in a prepared statement, “Transparency is a critical part of the relationships we have with our government partners and the taxpayers they serve. We comply with all applicable open records laws and share information freely with our government partners.” courtesy of charles bertram/lexington herald-leader

CORRECTIONS

Among the settlements handed out by CCA, Wright said: One Vermont inmate got $25,000 as a result of an alleged staff assault; another, who allegedly waited three years for a hernia operation, received $45,000 for medical neglect; and a case of “deliberate indifference” was settled for $4,000. “They’re good at minimizing their liability and expenses,” Wright said of CCA. “For people that don’t have a lot of money, what is objectively a

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Feds Push for Cleaner Lake Champlain Last winter, when much of Lake Champlain was still iced over, state officials and representatives from the U.S. Environmental protection Agency waded into the murky issue of cleaning it up. The problem? Too much phosphorus is running into the lake, both from so-called “nonpoint” sources — think roads and farm fields — and wastewater treatment plants. At this point, cleanup is no longer optional. in 2011, the EpA revoked the state’s plan to manage the flow of nutrients and pollution into Lake Champlain because it was deemed inadequate. The EpA is overseeing the drafting of a new plan, called the Total Maximum Daily Load, or TMDL, which will detail the amount of phosphorus the lake can safely absorb and the ways the state can limit runoff. Too much phosphorus in the water fuels the toxic algae blooms that grow every summer. At a February meeting with lawmakers, Stephen perkins, with the office of ecosystem protection in the EpA’s Boston office, gave Vermont some good news and some bad. Even if the state went “full bore” on its proposed efforts to clean up the lake, perkins said, two sections of the lake — the Missisquoi Bay and a section of the south lake — would still have too much phosphorus to be considered healthy. The good news: “in those remaining segments, there’s a prayer of getting there,” perkins said, emphasizing that positive outcomes were possible only if Vermont was ready to get aggressive about its cleanup efforts.

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UPDATE: In November, the state released its Clean Water Initiative, outlining the ways it plans to curb phosphorus pollution in the lake. The highlight reel includes putting in place new ag standards; treating stormwater runoff from developed areas; installing pollution controls along state and local roadsides; investing in wastewater treatment plants; and restoring natural habitats, such as river and stream channels and wetlands. But when the EPA toured Vermont in November, it was with this sobering news: Vermont needs to cut the amount of phosphorus it’s dumping into Lake Champlain by 36 percent, according to the feds, in order to comply with the Clean Water Act. In some sections of the lake, the phosphorus runoff needs to be cut by more than 50 percent. That said, Perkins believes that there’s a lot of “momentum” behind lake cleanup efforts heading into the new year. He said the EPA will allow the state some flexibility in implementing a new TMDL — while still remaining firm on the outcome. “We haven’t handed them a straightjacket, but certainly there’s some challenging reductions to be made,” said Perkins. The next step: The EPA plans to identify the milestones by which it will grade Vermont’s efforts to clean up the lake. One of the first big tests, Perkins said, is the governor’s budget. Perkins said both the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Agency of Agriculture will need more boots on the ground to enforce new regulations. How will Vermont pay for all that? In November, the Shumlin administration suggested two new sources of revenue to fund water quality initiatives: a perparcel fee on new development and a 1 percent increase in the state’s fertilizer tax. There might be other ways to drum up money, too. A report out this month from the Vermont EPSCoR Adaptation to Climate Change in the Lake Champlain Basin project found that 65 percent of Vermonters said they’d be willing to pay $40 a year to improve the health of Lake Champlain, either as part of a water utility tax or an added fee on vehicle registrations. The researchers estimated that could raise more than $15 million per year.

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— K . F.

CATChing Up

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Family Wants a South End Deli With the Works In the service of journalism, we spent a day hanging out at the bustling Pine Street Deli, trying to fight off hunger pangs as we watched the lunch-hour chaos unfold. A South End institution, the deli is run by Michael Alvanos, whose Greek parents established a toehold in the area by running the old Parkway Diner in South Burlington. Eight years ago, the Alvanos family closed the diner, purchased Red Roberts, a store that had long occupied the northeast corner of Flynn Avenue and Pine Street, and rechristened it as a deli and convenience store. Christine and George Alvanos saw potential in the sleepy South End, and they were quickly proven right. Since they moved in, Burton Snowboards and Dealer.com set up shop in the neighborhood, bringing hordes of employees. Funky arts shops, studios and eateries have opened at a steady clip. The South End Art Hop brings 30,000 visitors to the area over Labor Day weekend. And every afternoon from 11 a.m. to well past 1 p.m., the neighborhood’s diversity is on full display at the deli’s lunch counter.

feb

UPDATE: The Alvanos family is doubling down on the South End. In the fall, they filed for permits for a massive expansion.

The family wants to knock down the deli and build a three-story mixeduse building in its place. A new deli would occupy the first floor, along with another commercial space, perhaps for an office or an art studio. Nine apartments would take up the second and third floors. The old building, Michael Alvanos said, is in desperate need of renovations that would be too costly. “The building is a pain in the ass to maintain and keep going,” said Alvanos, who backed a city zoning change that allows for more mixed-use development in the South End. “Imagine taking one of those old houses, and having 500 to 700 customers a day come through the place.” If they secure permission from the city, the family hopes to knock the building down sometime in the fall of 2015, and to reopen eight months later. They believe file: tim neewcomb

LAW

‘Barbaras’ Lawsuit Drags On Amid Lakeshore Drama In early March, Barbara Ernst and Barbara Supeno filed a lawsuit in Addison Superior Court alleging discrimination and outright harassment on the basis of sexual orientation by town officials and neighbors. The couple, known as “the Barbaras” by many in town, alleged that selectboard chair Jeff Kauffman and others had repeatedly made prejudicial zoning decisions, retaliated against the couple for a discrimination complaint they’d filed with the Vermont Human Rights Commission and unfairly increased the valuation of their property. The accusations attracted some local and national headlines. But when Seven Days headed to Addison to scope out the scene, the story that emerged was far more complicated. Town officials denied any harassment or prejudice. Town records showed long-standing conflicts over development and zoning decisions on Fisher Point Road, where Ernst and Supeno lived amid several modest lakeside camps. The dispute, some officials and residents said, wasn’t about bias, but about the accumulation of ill will between neighbors of different classes and backgrounds who were bickering over fences, rights of way, trespassing and efforts to improve properties.

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UPDATE: Court documents are flying back and forth in the case, which is now before the Vermont District Court. The defendants deny virtually all of the Barbaras’ charges, and claim lack of knowledge or sufficient information about others. The defendants also filed multiple motions to dismiss — one of which, pertaining to a small section of the overall lawsuit, was granted. Early on,

selectboard chair Kauffmann and his wife, Carol, even requested their own “compensatory damages,” alleging that Ernst and Supeno “scoured the internet to find information about us, and caused a negative stereotype within the media, our community and school district.” The case is tied up in an appeals court, waiting for a ruling on one motion. Ernst and Supeno’s lawyer, David Bond, predicts a drawn-out fight; he expects the case won’t be argued until 2016. In the meantime, there’s still drama on Fisher Point Road, where Ernst and Supeno live. Last spring, Ernst and Supeno lodged a number of complaints with the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources alleging wastewater and water violations at a neighbor’s property. Gary Kessler, the director of the compliance

file:ashley conti

REAL ESTATE

the South End will continue to grow and their investment will pay off. “My mom and dad, in 2005, they saw the opportunity down here. I remember my mom saying, ‘This is the up-and-coming area,’” Alvanos said. “They’re still bullish on the South End. We’re optimistic.”

— M .D .

and enforcement division at the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, responded, saying the complaint had been investigated, no violations were found and the case was closed. In turn, Ernst and Supeno emailed other state officials asking them to stop “Gary Kessler and the DEC officials you work with from continuing to retaliate against us and harass us for reporting these failed systems.” “We’ll find something if there’s something to find,” Kessler told Seven Days. “There really was no violation. It was just a false alarm, and a five-alarm-fire false alarm.” Neighbors responded with complaints of their own to DEC, alleging that Ernst and Supeno were in violation of water and wastewater permits at one of two homes they own on Fisher Point Road. Neighbors also complained that Ernst and Supeno were advertising their second rental home as having more bedrooms than allowed in the home’s wastewater permit. Ernst and Supeno originally turned away the DEC employees charged with investigating their neighbors’ claims, threatening to call the police, according to an affidavit later filed by one of the DEC employees. The investigators returned in September, accompanied by two state troopers, and found evidence of three water and wastewater violations, according to an emergency order issued by the environmental division of Vermont’s superior court. The court ordered the women to cease using the town water supply until the violations could be fixed and to stop renting their second home as anything but a one-bedroom cottage. Kessler said Ernst and Supeno applied earlier this month for the necessary permits for the property. — K .F.

2014updates

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— A. F.

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UPDATE: The St. Anthony Church project is on pause, and for that, you can thank — or blame — the pope. According to Brian Pellicano, a pastoral associate and director of faith formation at the parish, it’s up to the bishop to decide what happens with church property. And the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington has been without one since November 2013, when its former chief, Salvatore Matano, was named bishop of the Rochester, N.Y., diocese. “Without a bishop, we can’t do anything,” Pellicano told Seven Days. Why is Burlington still bishop-less a year later? Appointments are usually made in a year’s time, Pellicano said. “But it’s really up to the Vatican.” In the meantime, an “apostolic administrator” is in charge, but according to Pellicano, “he basically will maintain the status quo of the diocese.” Bob Bouchard of Pizzagalli Properties confirmed that the project will stay shelved, at least until there’s a new bishop. His company did talk to neighbors as promised but never went back to the DRB. Neighbors said they hadn’t heard anything since.

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Last spring, a A statue of Jesus proposal to build a between St. Anthony’s four-story rectory and parish hall apartment complex on a quiet plot occupied by the St. Anthony Church stirred panic among Burlington’s South End residents. neighbors worried that a 52-unit project — which one person described as a “big, ugly monstrosity” — would disrupt their neighborhood, towering over the area’s mostly single-family homes. After decades of attending services at St. Anthony’s, parishioners had become attached to the historic brick church, which the development proposal would have repurposed. Several spoke up in favor of preserving it as place of worship. Rev. Richard O’Donnell, better known as “Father Rich,” told Seven Days he was simply exploring options when he and pizzagalli properties submitted drawings to the Burlington Development Review Board for preliminary feedback. But O’Donnell, the pastor of a merged parish of St. Anthony and Christ the King churches, also explained that the cost of keeping up the church, built in 1902, was a burden for the cashstrapped parish, and there weren’t enough Catholics in the South End to justify two places of worship. in response to the backlash, pizzagalli developers postponed the hearing in front of the DRB and agreed to meet with the neighbors.

mar

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An Iconic Mad River Valley Inn Has New Owners For more than 25 years, Waitsfield’s Inn at the Round Barn Farm has been a cultural magnet and economic driver in the Mad River Valley. In 1986, Jack and Doreen Simko, longtime visitors to Vermont from Somerset, N.J., purchased the 19th-century farmhouse and 12-sided barn from local dairy farmers. After investing more than $300,000 in renovations, they opened the inn in August 1990 and began to host events. It soon became the Mad River Valley’s preeminent venue and helped establish Vermont as a major wedding destination. The couple’s daughter, AnneMarie DeFreest, took over the business in 1994.

mar

But DeFreest developed cancer in her leg and struggled through treatments to manage the inn. The cancer “came back with a vengeance” as a brain tumor in July 2013, just weeks before DeFreest was supposed to go to court to dispute a back tax bill. Instead, she decided it was time to sell the inn. DeFreest sought buyers who could not only afford her price but shared her community-minded business ethos.

UPDATE: DeFreest found the buyers she was seeking: longtime friends Kim and Jim Donahue of Wayne, N.J. In fact, Jim Donahue was with DeFreest the first time she set foot on the property in the ’80s, and he has stayed at the inn more than 100 times. “I never, ever expected it would be these two people,” admits DeFreest. The haggle-free deal closed in June

AnneMarie DeFreest

file: jeb wallace-brodeur

real estate

for an undisclosed sum, and the Donahues contracted with DeFreest to manage the inn for three years to ease their transition. DeFreest is excited that the couple plan to bring back many community events and activities that had fallen by the wayside due to her illness, including concerts, high school art shows, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Also in the works is a line of specialty foods, including Round Barn chocolates, a concept DeFreest cooked up with her longtime chef, Charlie Menard. Best of all, DeFreest reports that her brain tumor has “stabilized.” “As long as I feel good,” she adds, “that’s all that matters.” — K .P.

file: jeb wallace-brodeur

AGRICULTURE

First Seeds in Vermont’s Budding Hemp Industry Hemp activists scored a big victory in 2013, when Gov. Peter Shumlin signed into law a bill that legalized the cultivation of cannabis sativa, a relative of marijuana that can be used to make food, fuel and fiber. The problem is that the state law regulating hemp — which lacks tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, in the concentrations necessary to produce a high — doesn’t match up with federal regulations that still classify it as an illegal, controlled substance. So would-be hemp farmers faced a conundrum: They couldn’t find seeds. In advance of this year’s growing season, farmers scoped out their options. Some considered smuggling in seeds from Canada, where farmers have been legally cultivating hemp since 1998. Some went online. Others considered harvesting and storing seeds from the feral hemp plants that already grow in Vermont. Why the eagerness to plant hemp? It’s one of the oldest cultivated crops in the world — and it could be a moneymaker for Vermont farmers and entrepreneurs. The farm advocacy group Rural Vermont and the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund estimate the controversial crop could bring in up to $3,000 an acre. Johnny Vitko of Warren envisioned feeding his chickens hemp seed. Most farmers weren’t worried about a Drug Enforcement Administration bust; the feds had bigger fish to fry, they reasoned, than shaking down farmers trying to grow a non-psychotropic plant.

apr

18 LOCAL MATTERS

SEVEN DAYS

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UPDATE: State law requires hemp farmers to register with the Vermont Agency of Agriculture. Seventeen did so this

Johnny Vitko

year, according to Tim Schmalz, who oversees the agency’s hemp registry. He isn’t sure how many of them actually got seeds in the ground, however. A survey last summer by Vermont Public Radio showed that at least five of the farmers opted out of growing, with some citing fear of the federal prohibition. Middlebury entrepreneur Netaka White wasn’t worried, though. He and business partner David McManus are behind Full Sun Company, which aims to source seeds regionally for the production of local canola, sunflower, flax, soybean and, yes, hemp oils. Last spring, White wanted to go big. He was looking for 50-pound bags of

seed. Then reality set in — no one could get their hands on that much seed — and White settled instead for a small package of mail-order seeds from Europe. On Mother’s Day, he seeded a roughly 100-square-foot patch of his home garden with organic hemp seeds. By early summer White had 30 or so robust plants nestled beside his kale. All told, he harvested about one pound of “nice, dark, healthy seeds” to take him into next year. He has enough to plant 4,000 square feet next year, which should yield about 70 pounds of seeds. By 2016, he should have five acres under cultivation; if all goes according to plan, that year he’ll

harvest two and a half tons of hemp seeds. Starting next year, White will outsource the growing to two farmers in the region. He’s not alone in his homegrown approach; White knows of a handful of other small growers who put a few plants in the ground last spring with visions of much larger crops within two or three years. “To really build or grow an industry from nothing, we had to scratch and scrape and use whatever tricks of the trade we could,” said White. “What’s a few more years at this point?” — K .F.

2014updates CO UR

Deirdre Hey

UPDATE: Hey has gotten into more trouble since her April altercation with Winooski police. A federal grand jury indicted her on charges of conspiring to sell heroin and cocaine. In court documents, authorities alleged that Hey confessed to having ties to at least six groups of outof-state drug dealers who used her apartment as a base of operations. Prosecutors say that Hey was inside her apartment when she brokered a deal to sell a stolen assault rifle and a handgun to two New York City men.

VERMONT TECH IS FOR DOERS.

Facing up to 20 years in prison, Hey was awaiting trial in the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility in South Burlington and did not respond to a request for comment. According to court documents, she had a successful back operation — at taxpayer expense — and now spends much of her time in a wheelchair. Her attorney asked a judge to release Hey so that she could have the intensive physical therapy she needs to get back on her feet. But prosecutors objected to the request, and a judge denied it. Hey’s attorney, Frank Twarog, said that she was struggling with back pain, and has to use a walker when she’s not in the wheelchair. “You don’t quite get the care you’d get,” outside of the prison health care system, he said. “She is not as far along in her recovery as she would be if she was not in jail.” S

E D EpA R T M E n

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Customs and Border protection provided apr U.S. Winooski police with a helicopter in the predawn raid that busted Deirdre hey, 47, on charges of selling heroin. The cops also claimed that hey had allowed new York City dealers to use her apartment as their hQ. A few weeks later, hey admitted to Seven Days that she used and sold heroin. She seemed proud that she could carry on a lucid conversation in her Winooski apartment just hours after getting high. But hey argued that she was a small-time dealer, unworthy of so much attention. her gas had been shut off, and she was using the electric stove to heat water for bathing and washing dishes. “if i’m so big-time, you’d think my bills would be paid,” hey said. “i am not a conduit for people coming from out of state.

Wi n

Jailed Winooski Heroin Dealer Struggling With Health Problems

TESY Of

CRIME

i’m not, and i don’t know how they get that. Yes, i have made some mistakes, and i admit what i have done. But i am not some big-time dealer. i have nothing.” hey said she had no plans to stop using heroin, which she said helped ease pain from a degenerative disk condition in her back.

— m .D .

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Catching Up « P.19

FILE: MATTHEW THORSEN

TRANSPORTATION

Time for Burlington’s ‘Bicycle Moment?’ Cyclists roll cautiously along Burlington’s North Avenue, one of the city’s few main, north-south thoroughfares that is bikeable year round. The suburban section north of the Route 127 intersection is a series of accidents waiting to happen, but we confined our “WTF” query to: “Why is there an intermittent bike lane on Burlington’s North Avenue?” Northbound through Burlington’s Old North End, North Avenue offers a convenient bike lane for cyclists. Southbound, not so much. The lane peters out around Washington Street, and cyclists are on their own, squeezed between traffic and parked cars. In response to that and other problems, Burlington’s Department of Public Works commissioned a North Avenue corridor study of the flow of cars, bicycles and pedestrians between North Street and Plattsburg Avenue.

JUN

UPDATE: Next year, the DPW will add an unbroken bike lane from Plattsburg Avenue to Washington Street. “That’s as far as we can get it in the short term,” said Nicole Losch, transportation planner at Burlington’s DPW. The DPW’s long-term goal, Losch said, is the construction of a dedicated, continuous bike lane that would be protected from traffic by a physical barrier. That would entail the relocation of large sections of curb — a lengthy, costly process. Meanwhile, Losch and Jason Van Driesche, director of advocacy and education for Local Motion, Burlington’s “people-powered transportation” group, agree that a grassroots bike movement is gaining steam. Losch referred to the robust citizen participation in the corridor study, and also to an overall sense that the city’s “bicycle moment” may have arrived. “It seemed that every meeting had more and more people,” she added. The project “just kind of snowballed.” Another instance: the success of the inaugural Open Streets BTV event in September, during which three miles of city streets were closed to motor vehicles. Losch mentioned several upcoming DPW projects: new pedestrian signals, crosswalks, and sidewalks, and a realignment of the city’s bike path. One stretch

20 LOCAL MATTERS

SEVEN DAYS

— E.D .S .

Smart Parking? New Meters, New Ideas for Queen City Spaces

credit cards and cellphones. Ultimately, the goal was to create a comprehensive parking system that was environmentally and fiscally sustainable.

When Nate Wildfire, assistant director of Burlington’s Community & Economic Development Office, began asking people in 2013 how they felt about parking in the city, he soon learned that “parking is emotional.” Tourists got frustrated when they couldn’t find public garages. Business owners got annoyed about constantly having to make change so motorists could feed parking meters. And their customers griped when they couldn’t find nearby parking. Wildfire and other city planners made another curious discovery: Many public perceptions about parking in Burlington — notably, that there was a lack of available spaces — were wrong. On any given day, hundreds of parking spots weren’t occupied. Officials concluded that what Burlington needed wasn’t more parking but smarter parking. So in the summer of 2013, Wildfire — along with Kelly Devine, executive director of the Burlington Business Association, and Chapin Spencer, the city’s public works director — assembled a coalition of public and private entities to tackle Burlington’s parking issues in a holistic way. From those conversations, the city council established a Downtown Parking Advisory Committee. Next, the city commissioned several parking studies: one to assess the state of Burlington’s publicly owned garages; another to analyze residential parking issues; and a third to explore new approaches for moving commuters in and out of downtown more efficiently. The city also explored high-tech solutions, such as parking meters that can be operated with

UPDATE: Starting on November 1, city workers replaced dozens of coin-operated downtown parking meters with new smart meters that accept both coins and credit cards — and display operating instructions in different languages. The city also raised on-street parking fees and extended nighttime enforcement until 10 p.m. to boost parking turnover. Initially, the smart meter rollout had snafus. Some vertically challenged drivers complained that the meter heads were too tall for them to read; public works fixed the problem by shortening the poles. Since then, says the business association’s Devine, “The response from the business community has been overwhelmingly positive.” Those changes are just the tip of the iceberg. At a

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November 19 meeting attended by about 100 people FROM BIKES in Burlington City Hall, TO PLOWS independent parking consultants presented the findings of their studies, offered recommendations and took suggestions from the public. One of the more significant recommendations was to create a centralized parking district that would standardize rates, policies and signage citywide. Spencer acknowledged that some policy recommendations will “engender community DRIVE-BY GUY conversations” — read: generate controversy. Suggestions included TWO-WHEEL WOES charging city residents for onSPACE RACE street parking permits; adding parking enforcement on Sundays; varying rates by time of day, week and month; eliminating the mandate that developers build off-street parking; and creating financial incentives for owners to share their private spaces with the public. “These are all manageable problems,” as Spencer pointed out. “And they can all be changed.” Expected next year: Smartphone apps to pay for and add time to parking meters remotely. DPW’s Cha pin Spencer refl on his roa ects d roles

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has already been rebuilt; another will soon be constructed anew. Also coming: the first bicycle and pedestrian “master plan,” which the city will start developing soon, with help from consultants, including a top-to-bottom reconsideration of nonmotorized transportation needs. Mayor Miro Weinberger, who often walks to work, called the master plan “a game-changer.” Improved biking infrastructure, he said, promotes health and appeals to those who work at the tech companies that he views as increasingly important to Burlington’s economy. The North Avenue corridor study didn’t go far enough, Weinberger said, because it examined the street in isolation. “I think it’d be a very different conversation if we were talking about having a true, interconnected bike-lane system throughout the city,” he said. “That’s a whole new transportation system.”

TIGHT SPOT

Parking problems in Burlin gto are real an n perceive d d, the city is but getting in gear wi th studie s and new solution s

Profile of

WTF is up

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a garage

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about par

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— K .P.

2014updates

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Sen. Dick Sears was born in prison to a mother he never knew. The Bennington County Democrat lived in three foster homes before he was adopted. Later in life, he spent decades searching for his biological family. He eventually found a long-lost sister living in Massachusetts — and the two have become close. A senator for 22 years, 18 of which he’s chaired the influential judiciary committee, Sears has been a source in countless news stories about victims of unfortunate circumstances. But until he shared his own story with Seven Days, few knew how relevant his personal history was to his legislative work. Case in point: This summer, Sears and the Committee on Child Protection hosted public sessions across the state to hear from Vermonters who interact with the Department for Children and Dick Sears Families — the same state agency that would have concerned itself with his welfare when he was a child. Two toddlers were killed in their homes earlier this year while under DCF supervision. Sears is in charge of coming up with legislation to better protect kids who are as vulnerable as he once was.

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UPDATE: Sears said the Seven Days story surprised some lawmakers who have served alongside him for years. Lots of old friends — and people he counseled during his 30-year stint at a youth residential center — tracked him down. “It’s been really positive,” he said of the reaction. Meanwhile, the controversy surrounding DCF has intensified. No report yet from the Committee on Child Protection, but two outside reports issued in recent months have taken the agency to task for bungling the two child-fatality cases and suggest dozens of substantive improvements. Sears said that he and Sen. Claire Ayer (D-Addison) plan to unveil a bill in early January designed to reform DCF and improve the state’s ability to protect endangered children. It promises to be one of the most-discussed pieces of legislation in the session. While they are still honing the specifics, Sears said, the bill seeks to ensure that DCF caseworkers do not prioritize family reunification over the health of a child, and that supervisors will have more time to monitor their caseworkers, among other initiatives. Sears said he hopes to wrap up committee hearings in January and have the legislation on the Senate floor by early February — a relatively breakneck pace for such a major bill. But Sears, a wily Statehouse operator, is confident he can get it passed. “I think the overall concept is fairly universally supported,” he said. “There are certain functions of government that we have to provide, and one of them is protecting kids.” Sears has a couple of other matters to tend to before the legislative wrangling begins. Sometime between Christmas and New Year’s Day, he plans to head to Massachusetts to visit his sister.

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In the Pipeline Battle, a Temporary Ceasefire For more than a year, Jane Palmer had been a vocal critic of the Vermont Gas pipeline that would carry natural gas from Chittenden County south to Middlebury — through the farm where she and her husband, Nate, live in Monkton. Like other pipeline critics, she felt the company wasn’t treating landowners fairly, and that fracked natural gas was the wrong energy solution for Vermont. Palmer decided her message wasn’t getting through. So she went to the gas company’s South Burlington headquarters, knitting needles in hand, and staged a “knit-in” along with four other women who were demanding to meet with company execs. When the office closed for the night, Palmer refused to leave. South Burlington police arrested her and charged her with trespassing. Palmer’s arrest came after months of protests, heated hearings and controversy over the pipeline, which is divided into three phases. The first, stretching from Chittenden County to Middlebury, earned approval from the Vermont Public Service Board last December. The second, which would carry gas to the International Paper plant in Ticonderoga, N.Y., is still under consideration at the PSB. The third would take gas from Middlebury to Rutland. “We’re reluctant activists — because they’ve forced us to be,” said knitter Mary Martin, a Cornwall resident whose home is along the proposed route of the second phase of the pipeline.

A “knit-in” at Vermont Gas headquarters in South Burlington

jul

“Nobody is listening, and that’s why we feel we have to make a point,” said Palmer. “This is what it’s come to.”

UPDATE: Vermont Gas dropped the charges against Palmer — while she and her husband were trying to set up a meeting with company reps. Several months later, 64 people occupied Gov. Peter Shumlin’s office in an organized sit-in to protest the pipeline. State police dropped the charges against all of them in early December. The Shumlin administration is taking an increasingly active role in the pipeline controversy. After a

file: kathryn flagg

ENVIRONMENT

series of meetings with landowners and activists, it sent a letter to Vermont Gas in late November asking the company to stop further landowner negotiations until March 2. The company agreed to put on the brakes — spokesperson Beth Parent said they won’t initiate any eminent domain proceedings for the time being — but didn’t commit to a date. Meanwhile, there’s another kink in the pipeline: In September the PSB decided to postpone the proceedings on phase two of the project until next year because of ongoing concerns about cost overruns on phase one, and because the company had failed to obtain federal approval to bring gas to New York State. Palmer and her husband still haven’t reached an agreement over an easement that would allow Vermont Gas to build its pipeline across their land. Parent said earlier this month that the company had reached agreements with about 80 percent of the 221 landowners on the route, and was in active negotiations with another 15 percent. Parent said that construction on phase one isn’t running behind schedule — yet. “We were hoping to get to Severance Corners by the end of next summer,” she said, acknowledging that, come spring, the company may have to reassess its construction timeline. — K .F.

TRANSPORTATION

The Queen City’s taxi industry has been in overdrive all year. Benways, the biggest and best-known cab company, shut down in July, leaving the roads open for competitors. Even before the shakeup, one Burlington airport commissioner compared the taxi situation to the Wild West, referring to an absence of city oversight. A new company called Big Brother Security Programs quickly picked up some Benways customers — particularly those with special needs. Billing itself as a private car service, the company claimed it didn’t have to abide by city taxi law. Officials disagreed but didn’t immediately crack down. Taxi administrator Isaac Trombley said the company was at “the top of our list to discuss.” At the same time, existing cab companies expanded their fleets. And Uber, the rapidly expanding ride-share app, started advertising for local drivers. Its spokesperson insisted the company was merely conducting market research, but traditional taxi drivers, with whom Uber competes, were anxious. The creators of an e-hailing app called ZabKab, which caters to registered taxi drivers, were also eyeing the market. City councilors didn’t anticipate tech-based ride services when they rewrote the city taxi ordinance in 2011. Mayor Miro Weinberger’s administration promised to come up with updated and enforceable rules of the road.

file: matthew thorsen

Fare for Some: Burlington’s Changing Taxi Scene

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UPDATE: Taxi enforcers summoned Big Brother in for questioning in November. Armed with printouts of state and federal statutes, company cofounder Shelley Palmer made his case defiantly: He claimed that the taxi panel had overstepped its legal authority by attempting to regulate his company. The officials listened respectfully, and a lawyer with the city told Palmer they’d review his argument. As of our deadline, there had been no ruling on the case. Uber — which has clashed with many cities over regulations — launched in Burlington two months later. After what he described as a cordial meeting, Weinberger asked the company for a time-out until city officials developed a temporary operating agreement.

But the other night Seven Days hired a courteous Uber driver for a ride to Radio Bean — evidence that the company has been ignoring the mayor’s request. The app regularly shows that drivers — locals who’ve signed up with Uber — are on call to chauffeur passengers. City attorney Eileen Blackwood said the temporary operating agreement is still a work-in-progress. She was not aware of any enforcement actions taken against Uber. Just a few weeks ago, ZabKab, the app that hails traditional taxis, officially launched in Burlington. The city has made good on its promise to issue recommendations for improving taxi enforcement. In September, the city attorney’s office proposed moving the taxi administration from the airport to city hall and — possibly — creating a part-time position for enforcing the rules. Changes are scheduled to take effect early next year.

— ‘ A .F.

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Hit by a Bus: South End Business Agrees to Sell to CCTA

11/20/14 10:57 AM

Officials at the Chittenden County Transportation Authority say it needs more room for a growing fleet of buses. More than a year ago, it expressed interest in buying property adjacent to its current garage on industrial parkway. negotiations with Ryan Brothers Electric went nowhere. The family that owns the company, which has been in business for three decades, didn’t want to leave its home in Burlington’s South End. So CCTA went to court in november 2013, seeking to take the Ryan’s property by eminent domain. CCTA, which is chartered by the legislature as a municipality, invoked a little-used law designed to allow the state to seize farmland to construct the interstate highway system. Michael Ryan, who runs the electric company, asked a judge to throw out CCTA’s eminent domain petition. “My client is very upset and disappointed. he would really like to stay where he is,” Ryan’s attorney, Liam Murphy, told Seven Days. “What CCTA is willing to pay for his property and what he can replace it for are two very different things.”

aug

SEVENDAYSVt.com 12.24.14-01.07.15 SEVEN DAYS

UPDATE: In November, Ryan agreed to sell his building and land to CCTA, with a move-out date sometime in 2015. But that doesn’t mean he’s happy. “Life is too short,” he said. “We could stay here for another two years. But then they don’t pay me anything, and I have huge lawyer bills. In the end, nobody wins.” Officials at CCTA said the Federal Transit Administration, which provided grant money for the project, still needs to sign off before the deal is finalized. Interim CCTA general manager Paul Bohne said he expected that to happen within weeks. Meantime, Bohne declined to disclose the sale price of the property. So did Ryan. Whatever it is, Ryan said it’s not nearly enough to cover the cost of buying a new home for the business, or building a new headquarters from the ground up. Commercial property is scarce and expensive in Burlington, and Ryan fears he will have to move to an outlying community, potentially losing his Queen City customer base. “I agreed to an amount. I didn’t want to, but it’s come to the point where you can’t fight,” Ryan said. “I would much rather stay here.”

LOCAL MATTERS 23

— m. D .

CATChing Up

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Catching Up « P.23

The Vermont State College system, which educates about 10,000 Vermonters every year, has long suffered repeated strikes from a double-edged sword: declining enrollment and diminished state support. Vermont currently provides just 18 percent of VSC’s budget; the rest comes from the rising cost of tuition. Gov. Peter Shumlin signed legislation to increase the state’s contribution — but the law was never implemented, and the state budget has since been slashed. The schools — Castleton, Lyndon and Johnson state colleges, Vermont Technical College, and Community College of Vermont — have developed creative programs to attract and retain students. Some have also cut programs or staff — or both — to survive. Outgoing VSC chancellor Tim Donovan rejected the notion of consolidating the state schools, in part because every campus is a major economic driver. There has been some talk of privatization — and Vermont Technical College has a smallscale partnership with Comcast — but several VSC presidents told Seven Days they viewed that option with reservation, if not outright disapproval. Administrators acknowledged that without more state funding, the system may be forced to abandon its mission: to

SEP

a hands-on way.” He continues, “When you UPDATE: Fall enrollment was look at the industries down at all five schools in the that drive the Vermont Vermont State College system economy, Vermont Tech compared to last year. The total graduates play an outsize number of students has dropped role.” Smith also points roughly 5 percent, to around out that though overall 8,928 full-time equivalents. enrollment may be down, At the end of October, Dan certain keystone programs Smith, who had served for seven have seen upticks — the months as interim president of number of nursing stuVermont Technical College, was dents, for instance, has named the school’s president. risen by 13 percent. About a month later, Smith anThere’s other leadership AN EX-GOV’S SELF-LUV ART HOP STRUTS IN DEGREES OF DISHONESTY nounced eight faculty layoffs. news, too: Jeb Spaulding, Smith said the cuts were who has served as Gov. necessary to stabilize the Peter Shumlin’s secretary school. of administration, will move Overall, he said in a phone interview, “I am still into the chancellor’s office in bullish on the college. We are doing all the things that January. Because he does not yet represent the VSC people wish that higher education did: We’re career- system, Spaulding declined to comment. — E.D .S . oriented, our students get great jobs and we teach in BY ETHAN DE SEIFE | PAGE 30

Paul Heintz on the

PAGE 18

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Funky and fab, the

PAGES 22, 25, 78

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A Vermont firm grades

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online educations

At the same time, the city was trying to resolve a legal battle from 2012, when six pro-life protesters sued Burlington in federal court over the buffer zone. The women lost, but the case was under appeal at the time of the Supreme Court ruling, which effectively deflated the city’s argument. One sticking point remained: who would pay the plaintiffs’ legal fees.

SEVENDAYSVT.COM 12.24.14-01.07.15 SEVEN DAYS 24 LOCAL MATTERS

COLLEGE TRY Are Vermont’s belea guered state schools still fulfi lling their public mission?

FILE: MATTHEW THORSEN

make college education affordable to Vermonters of all income levels.

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Vermont State College System: New Chancellor, Same Struggle

VERMON T’S INDEPE NDENT VOICE

EDUCATION

Protesters at Planned Parenthood

LAW

Buffers and Bubbles: A Legal Quandary for Burlington and Planned Parenthood In late June, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the buffer zone that kept protesters away from abortion clinics in Massachusetts. By ruling that no-protest areas infringed on free speech, the justices effectively eliminated the 35-foot one that used to exist around Burlington’s Planned Parenthood. In response, the Queen City’s clan of pro-lifers crossed St. Paul Street, bringing their message to within roughly 15 feet of the health clinic’s front door. More protesters showed up, and patients began feeling intimidated and harassed, according to Jill Krowinski, the head of the local Planned Parenthood chapter. The protesters — who call themselves sidewalk counselors and usually pray outside the clinic two days a week — maintained they’ve never been anything but peaceful. The Burlington City Council unanimously pledged to find an alternative to the buffer. Planned Parenthood pushed for a “bubble zone” that would prevent protesters from approaching within eight feet of patients unless they obtained consent. But city attorney Eileen Blackwood said the Supreme Court had given mixed signals about the constitutionality of that approach, and protesters said they’d likely test it in court.

SEP

UPDATE: The city and the plaintiffs are still haggling over who will pay the latter’s attorney fees. Burlington recently filed a motion asking the court to decide, according to Blackwood. In late October, the council set aside the bubble zone proposal in favor of a more cautious approach: Councilors banned harassment outside of reproductive health clinics. They authorized police officers to keep protesters at least 25 feet away from clinics for as long as 12 hours and to levy heavy fines — up to $800 — on offenders as punishment. “While we are disappointed that we couldn’t have something stronger,” Krowinski said, “it was something out of the control of the mayor and city council.” Councilor Chip Mason explained, “What we did try to do was sort of craft the middle line.” If it didn’t work, councilors promised they would go back to the drawing board. If you assumed harassment was already illegal, you’re right. Some of the behavior described in the ordinance would likely fall under the category of disorderly conduct, Blackwood said, but, she pointed out, the revised ordinance clarifies which types of behavior aren’t permitted and adds specific penalties for violations. What counts as harassment? Approaching in a threatening manner, using abusive language or violent gestures, touching someone without their consent, or continuously attempting to engage with someone who’s made it clear they’re not interested. More importantly, is the ban on these behaviors, which took effect November 19, working? Krowinski said it’s too soon to say, but Planned Parenthood is monitoring the situation closely. “So far there have been no problems whatsoever,” said Agnes Clift, one of the regular protesters and a plaintiff in the unresolved lawsuit. “We’ve been able to continue our activities as we’ve always done in the past.” Between two and 15 protesters still show up twice a week, according to Krowinski. And, as women on both sides pointed out: The police haven’t been called to St. Paul Street since the law passed. — A .F.

CATCHING UP

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Catching Up « p.24 POLITICS

Bernie Beat’s First Viral Scoop: Sanders’ Forgotten Folk Album

UPDATE: The songs were dismissed as fluff and national media outlets turned their attention to Sanders’ positions on the Federal Reserve and Asian free-trade agreements. HAHAHAHA, kidding! The story went viral, earning play in the Washington Post and the New York Times and on the Huffington Post, Fox News, MSNBC and eventually local media outlets. Lockwood decided to capitalize on the buzz. He remastered and reissued the album just in time for the holiday season, and believes it could end up as BurlingTown Recordings’ all-time biggest seller. Lockwood declined to provide hard numbers, but said he has had to restock

courtesy of todd lockwood

By now, almost everyone knows Sen. Bernie Sanders is mulling a run for president. Digging deep into the archives, Seven Days unearthed long-forgotten news that in 1987, while serving as Burlington’s mayor, Sanders recorded an album of folk hits, including “We Shall Overcome,” “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” and “This Land is Your Land.” Todd Lockwood, a local musician who conceived and recorded the unlikely project, recalled that he sold a few hundred cassettes back in the late 1980s, many to Republicans who offered them as gag gifts. At the urging of Seven Days, he uploaded the original tracks on SoundCloud to coincide with the launch of Bernie Beat, our online guide to Sanders’ quirky, colorful career. The digital project hosted links to the crooning and also put it in context. We described Sanders as having a “guttural, Brooklyn-strained-through-a-wood-chipper

sep

accent,” and noted that he didn’t sing so much as he “read/preached the key lyrics with as much rhythm as he could muster,” while a couple dozen Vermont musicians sang behind him, “We Are the World”-style.

supplies at four Burlington stores that are now selling the CD — Phoenix Books, Burlington Records, Pure Pop,

HEALTH

Brant Goode

Vermonters Fight Ebola in Liberia As Ebola raged across West Africa, a handful of Vermont health care workers quietly left for Liberia to help. One of them was Brant Goode, a nurse epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who’s been stationed at the Vermont Department of Health for the last five years. Goode left in September on a three-week mission to teach people — in particular, health care workers — how to avoid contracting the disease. Two University of Vermont doctors later followed Goode’s lead. Majid Sadigh, an infectious disease expert, and Margaret Tandoh, a trauma surgeon and Liberian native, also left for West Africa. Both were pictured in a full-page ad in the New York Times that featured four Ebola-fighting doctors.

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photos courtesy of americares

12.24.14-01.07.15 SEVEN DAYS 26 LOCAL MATTERS

UPDATE: By the time Goode returned from Liberia, he had already signed up for another Ebola-related mission: directing a safety-training course for health care workers heading to West Africa. Goode is stationed in Alabama at least through March, but he briefly returned to Vermont in November and squeezed in a lunchtime slideshow for a roomful of health department coworkers. In Liberia, he told them, he spent most of his time in a region that includes the massive Firestone rubber plantation. He had to get permission from local leaders to show key community members how to handle Ebola patients, including how much distance to maintain, how to handle soiled linens and what to wear when cleanMajid Sadigh ing up vomit. Driving was difficult, according to Goode — Chinese road construction companies had abandoned the work, leaving treacherous ruts and giant puddles. He witnessed power outages, insufficient cell service and widespread shortages of medical resources. Goode acknowledged that the work had been draining. “There were moments when I cried. I would go back to my room and just lose it, and I was not the only one,” he said. But it could have been worse. “I did not have to tell children that their parents had

file: matthew thorsen

SEVENDAYSvt.com

Margaret Tandoh

and the Peace and Justice Center. The album is also available for digital download on Amazon and Google Play, and Lockwood hoped it would be offered on iTunes by mid-December. The track that has been the most downloaded is, by a wide margin, “This Land is Your Land,” Lockwood said. “That, in an unexpected way, has the makings of a cult hit of a sort,” Lockwood said. “It’s so different. It’s just coming from left field.” Lockwood gave the senator’s Burlington office a heads-up when he decided to reissue the album. He said he hasn’t heard from Sanders. “I don’t see how it could hurt them,” Lockwood said. “If anything, if Bernie decides to run, I think it will add an angle to his campaign that no other candidate will have. There’s something real about this project.” — M .D .

died. I had colleagues who did, and you can imagine what that’s like.” Dr. Sadigh arrived back in the United States on December 14 and planned to spend his holiday in “selfconfinement,” limiting contact with others. Along with Dr. Tandoh, who could not be reached for comment, he had helped establish a treatment unit in the port city of Buchanan. In an email, Sadigh noted that by the time he left, Ebola cases in cities were waning, and the majority of beds in treatment units were empty. Some of the challenges he encountered: trying to decipher chlorinesoaked medical records; tolerating insects inside a protective full-body suit; and witnessing a 3-year-old watch her mother succumb to Ebola. Still, Sadigh described the actual work as straightforward: “Collectively, we place urinary catheters or change diapers of terminally sick patients. We draw blood and handle blood samples, urging patients to eat … For all our training, the list of practical skills is modest … The larger task that we quietly perform is paying mind that our patients die with comfort and dignity from an otherwise devastating disease.” — A .F.

fiLE PHOTOS: MATTHEW THORSEn

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HOUSING

A Hole in the Ground Was His Home Over the course of three chilly fall days, nearly 80 volunteers fanned out across Burlington collecting information about the city’s homeless population. Part of the national 100,000 Homes Campaign, the goal was to identify the most vulnerable, including those not taking advantage of emergency shelter services, and, ultimately, to get them help. The organizers emphasized that they could not promise to provide anyone a place to live. Seven Days followed one group to a wooded area, where a man named Wayne Latulippe had spent the previous four months constructing an elaborate earthen shelter. Latulippe, who agreed to participate in the survey, said he was content in his current abode and planned to stay there through the winter.

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LOCAL MATTERS 27

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UPDATE: Approximately one week Wayne Latulippe later, Seven Days got a tip that Latulippe was moving and arrived to find him dismantling his cliffside den. He said that Burlington cops had ordered him — along with several other homeless people who lived nearby — to leave. Upset but defiant, Latulippe said the eviction had “lit a fire under him.” He planned to leave Burlington and build a teepee. What exactly led to Latulippe’s displacement? Police Chief Mike Schirling said he could not confirm whether they’d responded to a call about Latulippe. But Schirling did say that Burlington College — which owns the land Latulippe built on — made a complaint about homeless encampments on its property the week before the 100,000 Homes Campaign took place. Police visited the encampments and later contacted social workers to offer services to the people living there, according to Schirling, who said he found no record of police actually ordering an eviction. Burlington College did not respond to an interview request. Latulippe could not be reached for this story. He was one of 210 homeless people that the 100,000 Homes Campaign surveyed in Burlington. According to the data collected, 141 of them had been homeless for more than a year.

12/5/14 1:02 PM

2014updates

Catching Up « P.27

Chittenden East Supervisory Union

EDUCATION

Approval of School District Merger May Signal Statewide Trend On Election Day, voters in the five towns that make up the Chittenden East Supervisory Union weighed in on a proposal to streamline the decision-making process for the district’s six elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school. The bid to reduce the number of Chittenden East education board members from 66 to 15 was sweetened by the promise of property tax relief if the “yes” side prevailed. First-year savings for the four-year-long tax break were projected to average about $75 per $100,000 in assessed value of homes. In a district with total enrollment of 1:40 PMabout 2,600 students, supporters said consolidation would enhance efficiency, reduce operating costs and possibly prevent the future closing of elementary schools with fewer than 100 students. The ballot item did not call for school mergers. Opponents questioned whether anticipated budget savings would actually

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UPDATE: A 2-1 majority approved the proposal, with voters in Bolton, Huntington, Jericho, Richmond and

Underhill casting 4,228 votes in favor and 2,005 against. All the towns except Huntington, which voted no, backed the plan by large margins. Under state law, Huntington’s school board will thus remain in existence and separate from what is termed a “modified union district.” Michael Marks, an attorney who chaired a study committee that recommended approval, said recently that the voters’ verdict “gives us an opportunity to work together in a school district that’s right-sized.” “I believe in community control of schools,” Marks added, “but there can be community stretching beyond a town’s boundaries. School districts have got to be large enough to achieve efficiencies.” He suggested that the outcome could inspire voters in other parts of Vermont to undertake board consolidation efforts, perhaps leading eventually to actual mergers of some of Vermont’s smallest schools. — K .J .K .

HISTORY

28 LOCAL MATTERS

SEVEN DAYS

12.24.14-01.07.15

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Bull Market for Ye Olde Vermont Documents Several documents related to early Vermont history were recently offered for sale at Swann Auction Galleries in Manhattan. The items came from the collection of Milton R. Slater of Sleepy Hollow, N.Y., who died earlier this year. Swann’s experts judged the most significant piece to be a 1791 declaration by the United States Congress certifying Vermont’s admission to the Union as the 14th state. The act of Congress bears the signature of Thomas Jefferson, who at the time was U.S. secretary of state. Other Vermontiana on the auction block included a deed signed by Ethan Allen and a letter signed by his brother, Ira.

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UPDATE: Most of the documents sold for prices that were well above what Swann had estimated. The Vermont statehood declaration, one of 28 copies signed by Jefferson, went for $32,500; Swann had forecast that it would fetch between $15,000 and $25,000.

The 1774 land deed signed by Ethan Allen sold for $13,750, more than triple its high estimate. A 1779 letter bearing the most famous signature in U.S. history — that of Declaration of Independence-endorser John Hancock — earned $20,000; Swann had predicted it would go for between $8,000 and $12,000. The lowest estimate had been $200 to $300 for a land grant signed in 1782 by Thomas Chittenden, the state’s first governor. Despite its poor condition, it sold for $1,430. The estimated price range proved accurate for an 1808 letter signed by then-U.S. secretary of state John Quincy Adams notifying the editors of the Vermont Republican in Windsor that their newspaper had been chosen to publish U.S. congressional documents; it sold for $1,375. The letter signed by Ira Allen in 1806 failed to reach the estimated price of $2,000 to $3,000, instead selling for $1,500. — K .J .K .

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Vermont’s Drive-Ins: And Then There Were Three B y m ar g ot harr i so n

SEVENDAYSvt.com 12.24.14-01.07.15 SEVEN DAYS

2014 Update

Peter Trapp, Fairlee Motel & Drive-In Theater

those, they say. “But once we started going [to drive-ins] as patrons, we became very involved with them,” Gerhard says, “and we thought, How about running one?” To operate the Randall on weekends, they commuted more than 100 miles from Newmarket, N.H., where Gerhard works as a web developer. “Now I’m the one making payments on this projector,” Gerhard says ruefully. “We’ve been looking for other drive-ins or even land to build our own. We’ve been contacted by a few drive-ins much further away.”

Lyric Theatre Company Prepares to Buy a $1.3 Million Home b y x i an c hi an g-ware n

yric Theatre Company, a pioneer in Burlington’s theater scene, has produced biannual musicals on the Flynn MainStage for more than 40 years — since before the Flynn existed as a nonprofit entity and performing-arts center. Now entering its fifth decade, the community-theater group has staged 85 musicals and has hundreds of volunteers on its roster. Though Lyric is “tied at the hip” to the Flynn, as former Flynn Center executive director Andrea Rogers described it to Seven Days in March 2014, the company has never had a permanent space to call home. Over the years, members have rehearsed scenes and dances, created hundreds of thousands of props, and stored myriad costumes and set pieces in rented

spaces throughout Chittenden County. When we profiled Lyric last spring, the company was in the throes of rehearsing Les Misérables and slightly more than halfway through a capital campaign. The goal: $1.4 million to purchase its current administrative building and rehearsal space on Leroy Road in Williston. Now, having raised just shy of $1 million as of press time for this issue, Lyric’s board of directors is prepared to make the leap in the first week of the New Year. “We’re a go!” exclaimed Lyric executive director Syndi Zook in a phone call last week. “It’s happening.” Lyric’s board has made the call to purchase the building now and take advantage of low interest rates, Zook added. The building’s price tag is $1.3

Matthew Thorsen

30 STATE OF THE ARTS

Bethel’s tiny Randall Drive-In, report that the property’s owner has declined to renew their seasonal lease. In early October, Gerhard says in a phone interview, they received a letter asking them to vacate, taking their lease-to-own digital projector with them. It’s a blow to the pair, who had done “a lot of renovations” at the drive-in, says Franz, including repairing and painting the screen and overhauling the concessions. In May, their Kickstarter campaign for a digital projector raised about $22,000 — enough for a down payment. “We really did get community support behind us,” says Gerhard. He notes that the 140-car theater had four sold-out nights in 2013 — rare in recent decades. On the Randalls’ Facebook page, the couple’s announcement that they would not return drew more than 50 comments lamenting the loss. Many noted that the drive-in would have difficulty surviving in coming years without digital projection. Although Gerhard and Franz had recently purchased new 35mm equipment, the switch to digital became imperative when “we had a hard time getting film this past season,” says Gerhard. They changed over in the third week of June. Some people inherit drive-ins; others, like Trapp, get into the business because of fond childhood memories of outdoor cinema. Gerhard and Franz don’t have

FILE: courtesy of Michael Fisher

n our 2014 Summer Preview issue (May 21), staff writer Ken Picard asked, “Is the Curtain Rising or Falling on Vermont’s Drive-Ins?” The owners of Vermont’s four drive-in movie theaters faced three choices, he wrote: convert to digital projection (at approximately $80,000 per screen), gamble on the continued availability of 35mm film prints, or close. With major Hollywood studios announcing the phaseout of film, the owners of the state’s indoor theaters have already bitten the bullet and gone digital. But it’s an even bigger commitment for drive-ins, which are seasonal businesses with erratic attendance. “You need good weather with a great movie,” says Peter Trapp of the Fairlee MOTEL & Drive-In THEATER. “It’s the luck of the draw.” Since Picard’s report, Vermont has lost one outdoor movie option. As the St. Albans Messenger reported in July, that town’s 66-year-old drive-in “has seen its last picture show.” What of the other three drive-ins? The one-screen Fairlee went digital last summer, while at Colchester’s fourscreen Sunset Drive-In THEATRE, owner Peter Handy plans to take things slow. Meanwhile, Adam Gerhard and Regina Franz, the New Hampshire couple who were in the process of converting

Syndi Zook, Lyric Theatre Company

Their preference, they say, would be to continue running the Randall. At press time, owner Scott Corse had not responded to requests for comment on his plans for the property. “We want the Randall to survive regardless of who runs it,” Gerhard says. “We wish [Corse] the best of luck, even if we can’t be there.” In Colchester, Handy is busy running the Starlight Inn, the year-round, moviethemed motel that he opened in May next to his Sunset Drive-In. He says he has no intention of closing the theater, which his

million. The remaining $100,000 of the capital-campaign total, she explained, will be poured into renovations of the space, including updating the electrical and plumbing systems. When all is said and done, Lyric “will have a dedicated area for each function of musical theater, all under one roof,” Zook said. “We’ll have a dedicated area for cast rehearsal, a dance floor with mirrors. We’ll have a dedicated area for costumes and for storage of the thousands of costumes that we’ve created. And we’ll have a dedicated area for props and sets, to build and store them so we won’t have to tear them apart [after shows.] We’ll be able to keep them and use them again and lend them out to community groups and schools.” Renovations will also create administrative offices and an archive of photos, posters, dramaturgical research, and videos from Lyric’s long production history. The Flynn Center’s current board of

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family has owned since 1948. But when it comes to digital conversion, Handy adds, “We want to wait. We’re going to feel it out.” That could mean converting one projector for the coming season. “We’re in denial about this digital thing,” Handy says with a hearty laugh. Studios, he points out, “have been saying for years that this is the last year of film. It hasn’t happened yet.” Case in point: Last summer, a 35mm print of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy “had tremendous legs for us,” Handy says. In PET ER the fall, when new prints became harder to obtain, the drive-in “picked up the slack” with retro programming. Cars lined up for Steven Spielberg’s E.T. the Exrta-Terrestrial (1982), which “behaved like a first-run feature for this time of year,” Handy says. He promises more classic flicks next year, though “not as a steady diet.” Down in Fairlee, Trapp joins other theater owners in lamenting a slow year for the film business and increased competition from “people downloading the movies.” His digital equipment isn’t cheap — a successful May Kickstarter contributed $38,000 — and it came with a “learning curve,” he says. But once

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Trapp figured out how to stop burning out bulbs prematurely, he was happy with the “brighter picture” and “crisper” sound. “It’s like night and day,” he says. While new technology keeps drive-ins alive, the key to their future may lie in their power to evoke the past. Retro diner chain Johnny Rockets recently announced a partnership 20-70% OFF with USA Drive-Ins, an STOREWIDE Indiana company with plans to open a whopping 200 new drive-ins by 2018. Bloomberg Businessweek suggested in October that T RAPP drive-ins have become a “relic of Americana,” just like Johnny Rockets’ décor. And that’s a selling point. “For families and groups in the summer, it’s 115 college st burlington vt | 658-4050 the nostalgia that drives the drive-in,” Trapp says. HOURS SUN 12-5 SAT 10-6 MON But if Vermonters want the option 10-7 TUES 10-5 of movies under the stars, they’d better Closed 26th & 1st exercise it. “If you have a local drive-in, you really need to attend it,” Trapp says. With three theaters left, that’s a hard8v-marilyns122614.indd 1 12/15/14 8V-LeZot070914.indd 10:50 AM message to ignore. m

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lyrictheatrevt.org

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INFo

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Lyric has continued to stage two big Broadway musicals on the Flynn MainStage each year — and that won’t change after it purchases the building in Williston, Zook emphasized. “We’ll continue to perform shows at the Flynn, but we need a place to make it!” she said. “I keep calling [the building] a creation space. When I call it a production space, people get confused.” Lyric wrapped its fall production, The Producers, in November. Next spring it will stage the musical version of Legally Blonde. Once the building is purchased in January, Zook hopes to conclude the capital campaign by summer. “Then renovations can begin over the summer, and we can begin occupying the building by next fall,” she said. m

7/8/14 4:18 PM

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directors raised the money for creating the archive and donated it to Lyric as a gift. Lyric’s first show was How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, performed in 1974 in what’s now the Flynn Center For the PerForming Arts. At the time, the art-deco building on Burlington’s Main Street was an underutilized movie house with a crumbling basement floor and no plumbing. Lyric’s founding members brought in Porta-Potties, laid planks across the mud in the rehearsal room and put on a show. From those humble beginnings, two Burlington theater powerhouses emerged. In 1980, Lyric launched a fundraising campaign to buy the Flynn, initially sharing its board of directors with a new nonprofit formed to manage the venue. Over time, the Flynn developed its own board and purchased the building.

stateof thearts

Opera Theatre of Weston’s Secret Weapon? A Classic Story Made New B y a my li lly

12.24.14-01.07.15 SEVEN DAYS 32 STATE OF THE ARTS

Opera

[Opera] may suffer economically, but

these grander forms of expression are part of who we are.

music — “The librettist is always second banana,” he quips — and, second, staying faithful to Burnett. “I love her book,” says the writer. Yet Harrison confronted a real linguistic challenge, he recalls. “You don’t know whether or how much to retain the 19th-century feel of the original. You can’t indulge fully in a pastiche of an old style of language, nor can you let fly with your own vernacular.” What he came up with, during bicoastal exchanges over a period of years — including one 17-hour phone conversation — always seemed to work for Gasser, Harrison recalls. “I felt [Gasser] would have set the phone book to music without any trouble,” he jokes. Harrison cites the “simple and pared-down” libretto of Britten’s The Turn of the Screw, another opera based on a literary work of an older era, as “the greatest ever written.” Though Secret was a first for him, the librettist has had a lifetime of opera appreciation. His mother’s sister had a BBC opera program he listened to as a child, and she took him to see operas regularly, requiring first that “before you went, you sat down with the libretto in your hands and listened to the whole opera on LP all night.” Opera lovers on that order are dwindling, and some opera companies are struggling to survive, including Vermont’s own Green Mountain Opera Festival, which has canceled its 2015 season. According to Messier, OTW’s private donations are down this year, but its corporate gifts and grants are up, most likely because of the ambitious prospect of staging a promising new opera. Gasser opines that opera “will never really die. [It] may suffer economically, but these grander forms of expression are part of who we are.” With young audiences as its target, Opera Theatre of Weston may be keeping that expression alive in Vermont. As Harrison points out, “There was no end of kids in San Francisco, and you hope maybe this is the way opera can survive.” m Courtesy of Opera Theatre of Weston

SEVENDAYSvt.com

t’s not often that a new opera pre- production — plus a squirrel, a fox, mieres at the San Francisco Opera, a faun and a crow. then heads straight to Vermont. Yet The opera was commissioned by the Opera Theatre of Weston has man- David Gockley, the country’s most aged to accomplish just that with The prominent champion of new opera. Secret Garden, an SFO-commissioned As general director of the SFO — 2013 opera based on the beloved 1911 and, before that, of Houston Grand novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The Opera — Gockley commissioned a OTW will produce a revised version of host of works now integral to the The Secret Garden for its East Coast pre- repertoire, including Mark Adamo’s miere at three post-holiday matinees in Little Women and John Adams’ Rutland and Weston. Nixon in China. Lise Messier, who founded OTW with Gockley presumably took a leap fellow voice teacher Nan Nall in 1999, says by commissioning Gasser, a Bay she couldn’t resist the idea of staging the Area composer with wide-ranging opera when she spotted the SFO listing musical abilities but no previous at the back of the national magazine experience writing opera. Reached Opera News. OTW exists to bring opera at his Petaluma, Calif., home, the to children, and the classic story seemed 50-year-old calls himself “a classithe perfect vehicle. In Burnett’s novel, cal composer, among other things.” two spoiled and neglected 10-year-olds, Gasser, also a pianist, writes everyMary Lennox and her cousin Colin thing from jazz compositions to the Craven, befriend each other and discover Broadway-bound musical Benny Soprano Lora Rachel Davidson a passion for living through the healing and Joon to an oratorio on Booker power of nature. Wright (an African American Typically, the company produces waiter at a whites-only restaurant operas with children’s parts, such as in the mid-’60s South, whose outspoken- performances with librettist Harrison, Mozart’s The Magic Flute and Noye’s ness had tragic consequences). Gasser expanded that theme into an Fludde by Britten, so that young audi“[Gockley] knew I had a penchant for aria for the OTW production and made ences can see their peers onstage. But writing for voice,” Gasser recalls. He adds several other changes to help the music The Secret Garden, written (and billed) that the director’s only requirement was “communicate more directly.” as a “family-friendly” opera rather than that the family opera be based on a story Harrison introduced his own revia children’s one, in the public domain. sion: Unlike the novel, the OTW prohas no singing parts Gasser may have duction begins in England and flashes for kids; even the been uniquely quali- back to Mary’s time in India. Harrison’s 10-year-olds are sung fied to compose an background is the stage. The son of two by an adult soprano opera that would Hollywood actors — Rex Harrison, who and tenor. Messier appeal to modern played Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady; admits the opera has ears. For eight years, and Lilli Palmer — he has a staggering list “the most demandbeginning in 1999, of plays, novels, musicals and BBC radio ing score we’ve ever he analyzed and dis- and television works to his credit. But, as worked with.” She has sected “tons and tons” with Gasser, The Secret Garden was his engaged professional of music of every first foray into opera. singers, most of them genre for the streamHarrison declares during a phone call N ol an Gasser , composer former students, from ing service Pandora, from his Woodstock, N.Y., home that the around the country — assigning each piece experience of writing an opera libretto including New York City soprano Lora a set of musical attributes from among made him realize the form is “a higher Rachel Davidson, who will sing Mary. hundreds in the service’s complex algo- order of artistic accomplishment” than The absence of young performers rithm. “It gave me a window into musical he’d been used to. That’s because the didn’t seem to matter to the reportedly construction and the potential of musical actors also have to sing and the crew is packed audiences in San Francisco, expression,” Gasser says. much larger. “There are stage managers where reviewers noted the uniformly With The Secret Garden, Gasser aimed for both sides of the stage,” Harrison rapt attention of younger listeners. But for accessibility, though he also hopes his marvels in his native British accent. to maintain OTW’s mission of “opera score will “stand up to the repertoire.” Of The composer and librettist met serenfor kids with kids,” Messier and Nall the three brief, piano-accompanied ex- dipitously at a performance in California: created five animal parts with the per- cerpts from the opera (which is scored for Harrison was narrating a symphony mission of composer Nolan Gasser and 10 instruments) that Gasser posted on his by Gasser commissioned by Harrison’s librettist Carey Harrison. Local children website, one is particularly simple, direct brother-in-law. As The Secret Garden will play the robin — a central character and sure to reach children effectively: the librettist, Harrison took the approach of, in the book and a dancing part in this theme. After viewing the San Francisco first, not getting in the way of Gasser’s

INFO The Secret Garden: Sunday, January 4, 2 p.m., at Paramount Theatre in Rutland; and Saturday and Sunday, January 10 and 11, 2 p.m., at Weston Playhouse. $15-30. paramountvt.org, operatheatreofweston.com

Got AN ArtS tIP? artnews@sevendaysvt.com

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Carved birds by Bob Spear

Feathered Friends Forever: A Founder’s Legacy Lives On at the Birds of Vermont Museum

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12.24.14-01.07.15 SEVEN DAYS STATE OF THE ARTS 33

guide the nonprofit museum. “Bob had written out his vision a few years ago,” Talmage says, “and was pretty specific about what he was hoping for.” That vision includes keeping the museum a small-scale enterprise, hosting programs and exhibits that emphasize the craft of woodcarving, and maintaining the trails that meander over 40 of the museum’s 100 acres. Still, some changes are in the works, says Talmage. The museum staff plans to solicit the works of other woodcarvers, and hopes to enter into a partnership with the nonprofit organization New England Woodcarvers. And a plan is afoot to construct a bird blind in Spear’s honor near a pond on museum grounds, pending board approval. Talmage notes that, in the two months since Spear died, she’s often been asked if the museum will endure. Indeed it will, she says, in large part owing to Spear’s own efforts. “Bob and the board set up [the museum] 27 years ago so that it would last longer than everyone involved,” she says, “and they did a great job with that.” Spear, for instance, formally donated all his carvings to the museum, a legally independent entity, to forestall quibbles over ownership. Studies have found that regular interaction with the natural world is beneficial to human health, Talmage points out. In that regard, she says, the Birds of Vermont Museum is as relevant as ever. m

SEVENDAYSVt.com

ob Spear, cofounder of Huntington’s Birds of Vermont museum, always considered his remarkably lifelike wooden bird sculptures to be purpose-built. A lifelong conservationist and educator, Spear maintained that his 500-plus sculptures were designed to inform museum visitors — especially young ones — about the natural world, and to instill in them an appreciation for it. Yet, as Seven Days wrote on February 12, Spear’s work might justifiably be considered trompe l’oeil art, as well: His wooden birds look more realistic than many works of taxidermy. Spear never viewed himself an artist, but that’s no reason not to view his carvings as artworks. Spear died in October at age 94. Though he’d stepped back from museum administration — and from carving — in recent years, he remained a member of the museum’s board until just before his death. And he could often be found by the museum’s large groundfloor window engaged in his favorite activity: bird-watching. erin talmage, executive director of the BOVM, says that, for museum staff and supporters, Spear’s passing was more of an emotional issue than an administrative one. “Everybody’s very sad, and it feels like the end of an era,” says Talmage, who knew Spear for 20 years. “But the museum itself was prepared for [his death]. I miss him a lot, but, to be honest, watching him decline was, for me, harder than his actual death.” When Spear cofounded BOVM in 1987, he laid out its educational and conservationist mission, which continues to

INFo Until April 30, the Birds of Vermont Museum is open by appointment only. 900 Sherman Hollow Road, Huntington, 434-2167. birdsofvermont.org

stateof thearts

Tune in to The Point on New Year’s Day for some great old music … it’s

Every song from every album and all the singles they put out while they were active … all in alphabetical order …

That’s The Beatles A to Z starting at 8 am New Year’s Day on The Point!

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104.7 & 93.3 BURLINGTON

34 STATE OF THE ARTS

93.7 MIDDLEBURY 104.7 & 100.3 MONTPELIER 95.7 THE NORTHEAST KINGDOM 103.1 & 107.7 THE UPPER VALLEY

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Art

COuRTESy OF HOOD muSEum OF ART

AtoZ!

PicturE thiS

“Manufacturing #16, Bird Mobile,” Zhejiang Province, Edward Burtynsky

It was a very good year for the hood MuseuM of art. In 2014, the Dartmouth College institution received two major donations of artwork from alums. The college was already an art lovers’ destination, offering such attractions as the stunning “The Epic of American Civilization” mural by José Clemente Orozco in the Baker Library. Exhibits included the likes of Picasso prints, aboriginal paintings, and the recently closed “Witness: Art and Civil Rights in the Sixties.” The gifts of contemporary photography from Nancy and Tom O’Neil (class of ’79) and of European and American art from the late Barbara J. and David G. Stahl (class of ’47) add nearly 160 pieces to the Hood’s permanent collection. It’s not every day — or year — that a college art museum can boast such acquisitions. The Stahl collection, assembled over three decades, “expresses some of the chief interests, preoccupations and viewpoints of the collectors,” according to the museum. Those would include interests in music, social justice, spirituality and the human condition, and “an abhorrence of war, social intolerance and totalitarianism.” The Stahls’ collective eye led them primarily to prints, whose “strong thematic links” lend themselves to object-based teaching that is important to the Hood’s mission as an academic museum.

Some of the highlights among these 118 pieces are old-master prints by Albrecht Dürer and Rembrandt, 19th-century depictions of opera subjects by Henri FantinLatour, images of social unrest by Käthe Kollwitz, and satirical political images by Honoré Daumier. Early20th-century German expressionist prints also express social criticism. By contrast, the O’Neils’ gift of 39 photographs by 17 artists skews toward the late 20th century and early 21st. Collectors for more than two decades, they donated to the Hood trendsetting large-scale color images and aerial environmental shots, as well as photos in traditional genres such as portraiture. The works by internationally recognized photographers — including Edward Burtynsky, who was exhibited at the shelburne MuseuM alongside Ansel Adams in 2010 — will be used to enhance “the museum’s ability to teach contemporary art and a wide swath of subjects across the curriculum,” states museum director Michael taylor. Works from both of the donated collections will appear in future exhibits at the Hood, according to museum staff. PA m E L A P O LS TO N

iNFo hoodmuseum.dartmouth.edu

drawn+paneled

Novel graphics from the Center for Cartoon Studies

SEVENDAYSvt.com 12.24.14-01.07.15 SEVEN DAYS

Jonathan Rotsztain is a writer, artist and one-half of Halifax, Nova

Scotia-based graphic design duo ALL CAPS Design. rotsztain.com; allcapsdesign.com

ART 35

Drawn & Paneled is a collaboration between Seven Da ys and the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, featuring works by past and present students. These pages are archived at sevendaysvt.com/center-for-cartoon-studies. For more info, visit CCS online at cartoonstudies.org.

THE STRAIGHT DOPE BY CECIL ADAMS

Dear Cecil,

I usually don’t dare step into the abyss that is cryptozoology forums, but I recently discovered that one common counterargument to the skeptic’s claim of a lack of evidence for Bigfoot is that we’ve never found bear bones in the wild, either. Supposedly the forest climate, flora and fauna break down carcasses to such a degree that the odds of finding one of a relatively rare apex predator would be near nil. So: Is it possible that a population of apes in some very isolated area of the western U.S. or Canada wouldn’t have been detected at this point? How large would the population have to be to be self-sustaining, what kind of range would they need and is there a pocket of the North American wild where they could hide out? Joe Christianson extremely sneaky biped is unlikely — mostly because its caloric needs would require it to frequent too large an area for it to go unspotted forever. We’ll do a quick rundown: The cryptozoological consensus has it that Bigfoot is a primate, possibly some distant cousin to early man. Judging from the habits of other large primates (including humans), we’d expect Bigfoots to live on a mostly vegetarian diet of fruits, tubers, bark and leaves. They’d require 20 to 40 calories (and 100 milliliters of fresh water) per kilogram of body weight per day. Given an estimated body weight of 180 kg (around 400 pounds), we can guess Bigfoots must consume at least 3,600 calories a day. Keep in mind that’s conservative: Orangutans, who only weigh around 100 pounds, eat between 2,500 calories, in lean times, and almost 8,000 when food is plenty. Assuming food supplies permit, primate groups may

keep to a small range of maybe a few hundred acres. But the bigger the species, generally speaking, the more foraging room they need per head — a western lowland gorilla can account for 350-plus acres of its own and walk more than a kilometer a day in search of food. So unless the Bigfoots happened on some unusually wellstocked turf, they’d often be out and about hunting calories. The number of Sasquatches necessary for a viable population depends on what your goals are. From a short-term genetic-diversity standpoint, there’d need to be something like 50 breeding Bigfoots — but even then you’d still have a lot of first-cousin reproduction going on. To maintain any decent chance of genetic viability long term would probably take at least 10 times that many. Where might this large theoretical community of Bigfoots reside? A 2009 study (designed to demonstrate some limits of

software-based analysis) used a large collection of Bigfoot data — 646 records of alleged auditory and visual encounters plus footprints — to run an ecological-niche computer model. The model concluded that Bigfoot should be present throughout the mountain ranges of western North America, but predicted that the effects of climate change would likely drive it further north and into higher elevations, away from the coastlines. Perhaps more important, though: Plugging reports of black bear sightings in the Pacific Northwest into the same modeling software indicated that the bears should share exactly the same habitat. Since they also exhibit a similar size, poundage and full-body

INFO

Is there something you need to get straight? Cecil Adams can deliver the Straight Dope on any topic. Write Cecil Adams at the Chicago Reader, 11 E. Illinois, Chicago, IL 60611, or cecil@chireader.com.

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36 STRAIGHT DOPE

SEVEN DAYS

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SEVENDAYSVT.COM

feel you, Joe. Cryptozoology can be a cruel discipline, full of bitter old scientists with ruined reputations and plenty of internet anger. Sixty-five-plus years of keeping hope alive — Bigfoot prints first hit the news in 1958 — can take quite a toll on the psyche. This is not to say that the whole idea of an as-yet-undiscovered large mammal somewhere in North America is completely foolish. The Vu Quang ox of Vietnam and Laos wasn’t identified until 1992; the first live specimen wasn’t caught until ’94. The blue-testicled lesula monkey (whose delicate visage evokes a Renaissanceera Jesus) remained unknown to science until 2007. GQ ran an article this fall about an elusive hermit who had been living without human contact in a Maine forest for 27 years, subsisting on stolen Twinkies. The list goes on. Sadly, however, the existence of an enormous and

coiffure, the well-honed deductive mind might therefore conclude that people are commonly mistaking black bears for celebrity sightings of Bigfoot. None of this has stopped Bigfoot believers, who every so often have actually managed to get Sasquatch-preservation ordinances on the books in parts of Washington State. But let’s keep the obvious in mind here: In all recorded history, a single confirmed Bigfoot fossil, bone, hair or flesh sample has never been found. DNA testing on alleged remains of Sasquatches and yetis has been proven to come from cows, porcupines or occasionally the extremely odd-looking serow, but nothing previously undiscovered. As for the bear-carcass argument: Yes, bear carcasses are rare finds, but plenty of welldocumented examples have turned up, as well as enough fossils to support a theory of their evolution and reconstruct their migratory patterns. Could there be one lonely Sasquatch wandering around, the last of its species, just living out the days until its uncelebrated demise? Possibly. But if the final Bigfoot falls in a forest and no one is there to see it, will all those bitter cryptozoologists be vindicated? It’s doubtful.

4h-plannedparenthood122614.indd 1

12/11/14 11:43 AM

hackie a vermont cabbie’s rear view bY jernigan pontiac

The Big Not-So-Easy

“

“I think there’s a new one started up called Isis. But we were the first. Our thing is throwing these elaborately decorated shoes. For months in advance, we all meet up to work on ’em. There’s usually about 30 of us at any one of these get-togethers, and we have a ball, let me tell you. The basic shoe itself is manufactured in China, but we do all the embroidery and beadwork. On Mardi Gras, the crowds line up 10, 20 deep for a chance at one of our shoes. The things are coveted. Our floats are amazing pieces of art, too.” “Oh, man,” I said. “I think New Orleans culture is America’s jewel — the music, the food, the people. I once saw a show about the Mardi Gras Indian tribes, these groups of African American men who dress up and parade in their own fantastic take on Native Americans. It being New Orleans, a distinct musical tradition is also part of the whole performance. It’s all so beautiful to me, and you couldn’t make it up. It’s like some gorgeous dream world.” Brenda was nodding her head. “We have mad love for the Mardi Gras Indians, and their thing is all done in homage, out of respect. You know their motto, right? ‘Don’t bow, don’t know how.’ That right there is the spirit of the Mardi Gras Indians.” “Do you also attend the famous jazz festival?” “Are you kidding me, darlin’? My first one was during a chance visit in 1987, and I haven’t missed it since. Certainly not since I moved there permanently in ’95. That music is the air I breathe.” Brenda paused to chuckle before adding, “Yes, sir — the hot, moist, humid air.” “Boy, I could use some of that moist, humid air right about now. The dry, freezing air is already beginning to wear me down, and it’s still December.” Brenda said, “I’ll see what I can do. I had a great talk with my cabdriver to the airport this morning. He

referred to himself as an ‘old-school, coon-ass driver.’ I know the term ‘coon-ass’ sounds racist, but that’s how many Cajun men refer to themselves, especially the older generation. I mean, it’s not mine to say, but, to my ears, it feels like a point of pride, at least when used among the Cajuns.” “Yeah, I know what you mean. Every ethnic group has labels like that. It’s cool to use one if you’re a member of the tribe. If you’re not, I wouldn’t.” In Hinesburg, we took the diagonal onto Silver Street, 10 minutes — give or take — from our destination. Brenda turned to me to speak, and I could tell she was being thoughtful. “Here’s the thing about New Orleans,” she said softly, “and the reason I love it so. There’s space in that city for every type of person. You simply can’t be too weird or eccentric for the Big Easy. That’s why Katrina couldn’t kill the place. We all need it too much to let it go.” We drove in relaxed silence the remainder of the way, just listening to the wet snow splashing under the wheels, gazing out at the weighted, white-coated evergreens lining the road. I thought about how lucky Brenda was to have found a place to live that so embodied and expressed her spirit. I’m lucky that way, too. I found Vermont 35 years ago — the Big Not-So-Easy. I really like that nickname, I thought, and smiled to myself. But I won’t be printing up any T-shirts. Nope, I think I’ll keep it between me and Vermont. m

This woman was The opposiTe of a weT blankeT.

All these stories are true, though names and locations may be altered to protect privacy.

INFo hackie is a twice-monthly column that can also be read on sevendaysvt.com. to reach jernigan, email hackie@ sevendaysvt.com.

SEVENDAYSVt.com

ell, this might be forward of me,” I said to my customer, Brenda White, who was sitting beside me and enjoying the ride, “but your hair is simply fabulous. There’s no other word for it.” I knew that compliment might come across as stereotypically gay, and I was fine with it. Under the right inspiration, I’d venture to say there’s a gay man in every one of us, male and female alike. Brenda’s hair was a whipped halo of beauty, simultaneously stylized and earthy as all get-out. I couldn’t name the shade of red, only that it was as if a candy apple had exploded atop her head. Every woman has her signature element, and this was clearly Brenda’s. “Thank you for that, darlin’,” Brenda said. “That’s the thing about New Orleans — it’s always humid, and that frizzes up my hair. And you can’t wear anything made of wool. It would be like donning a wet blanket. When I moved there from Delaware 20 years ago, eventually I had to throw out every one of my beautiful wool dresses. But I considered it a small price to pay.” We were en route to Monkton, where Brenda would spend Christmas with her sister’s family. The driving conditions were not ideal, but more slushy than icy, thank goodness. If New Orleans is the Big Easy, Vermont is the Big Not-So-Easy. Safety being the first priority of any cabbie worth his salt, I drove slowly and deliberately through the gray afternoon, all the while basking in my customer’s sunny disposition. This woman was the opposite of a wet blanket. “So tell me about your new life in New Orleans. What a change from the East Coast.” “Oh, you got that right, honey. I was born to live down there. It was always in my soul. I have a cute condo in the French Quarter, and I sell real estate for a living. And for Mardi Gras, I ride with an all-women krewe called the Muses.” “Awesome!” I said. “Are there other all-women krewes, or is yours the only one?”

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Life Stories Remembering Vermonters who died in 2014 B y S ev en D ays S ta f f

ore than 5,100 people died in Vermont in 2014, according to the Vermont Department of Health. Some of them — such as former senator Jim Jeffords, Vermont Law School professor Cheryl Hanna and poet Galway Kinnell — made headlines. Most didn’t, living largely out of the public eye. But each one had friends, loved ones and, in many cases, careers or interests that contributed to the civic, economic and cultural fabric of the state. Some of the deceased have already been featured in this paper, with obituaries in our Life Lines section. But for this

year-end issue, Seven Days writers researched their own accounts of some remarkable Vermonters who died in 2014. Woven throughout this collection of miniprofiles are several familiar narratives — among them the rise of a local tech company, the tragic consequences of heroin addiction, the loss of rural traditions and the defiant persistence of free spirits. In sharing these stories, we aim to honor the memories of those who died, and to deepen readers’ understanding of the diverse and extraordinary array of people who call Vermont home. m

“I’ve Climbed the Next Mountain” One March day a few years ago, when southern Vermont was covered in snow, Shanti Brubaker got a call from Anne Mausolff, her then-octogenarian friend. “She calls me up and says, ‘I want you to come over and take pictures of me. I’m jumping off the house today,’” Brubaker recalls. So she drove to her friend’s octagonal home in Andover. After Brubaker arrived, Mausolff clambered onto the roof and then leapt, joyfully, into the high snow banks piled near the side of the house. Then she did it again. An eightysomething woman jumping from a roof for fun might seem unusual, but Brubaker wasn’t surprised. Mausolff was a fiercely independent woman, friends say: smart, well read, strong in mind and body. She built her house herself, with help from her father and friends; she lived there alone for 38 years, much of that time without running water. Her 90th birthday present to herself? Her first hot water heater. Mausolff moved to West River Valley Senior Housing in Townshend just a few months before she died on June 8 of natural causes. She was 91. By all accounts, Mausolff led an unusually full life. Born in Boston, she spent her childhood traveling frequently, attending boarding schools and skiing in Europe. At 18, she became a Roman Catholic nun. She left the

vocation at 43, went to graduate school for a degree in library sciences and then spent a few years as the art librarian at Smith College. She was a first aid and mountaineering instructor for the National Ski Patrol and a certified Nordic ski instructor. In her free time, Mausolff cultivated a number of hobbies, among them the study of ancient religions, calligraphy, Reiki and dowsing. She belonged to local poetry and writing groups, and painted watercolors and pastels. A talented calligrapher, she’d teach her friends’ young grandchildren to write their own names with flair. Mausolff spent much of the last three decades adventuring with her close friend Edna Northrup. The two met in the early ’80s when the widowed Northrup went with friends on an inn-to-inn cross-country-ski trip in Vermont. Mausolff was their guide. The two hit it off almost immediately. At the time, Mausolff was 500 miles shy of hiking the entire 2,160-mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail. Northrup had always wanted to hike the AT, so she accompanied Mausolff on the final stretch. Then the two started over together at the beginning. It’s a tradition for thru-hikers to adopt a trail nickname. Northrup took “the Druid,” Mausolff, “the Shaman.” Privately, the women referred to themselves as “the pixies in their sixties.”

She used a chainsaw until she was 88,

at which point she switched to splitting her firewood with an ax.

Anne Mausolff jumping off the roof of her house

Courtesy of Shanti Brubaker

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Anne Mausolff, March 3, 1923–June 8, 2014

Prominent Passages

Lola Aiken 1912-2014 The wife of the late senator George Aiken ran his Washington, D.C., office and served on numerous boards after his 1984 death. George Shumlin 1925-2014 Shumlin was a World War II veteran, founder of Putney Student Travel and the father of Gov. Peter Shumlin. Marion Milne 1935-2014 A former state legislator and founder of Milne Travel, Marion Milne was also the mother of Republican gubernatorial candidate, Scott Milne. She died during his gubernatorial campaign. Galway Kinnell 1927-2014 Sheffield resident Galway Kinnell penned more than a dozen books of poetry, and received both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award.

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Cheryl Hanna 1966-2014 A popular Vermont Law School professor, Hanna was the go-to legal analyst for local media; her death shined a spotlight on suicide and mental health treatment in Vermont.

“His pediatrician told me, don’t expect anything because he’s too small,’” his mother recalls. “But he survived.” Allen, who grew up in Rutland, was the only African American student at Rutland Town Elementary School. Yet Pamela says that Jason’s race was never an issue for him or his friends. In fact, she says, he was such a popular student and strong athlete that, when he decided to attend Mill River Union High School in North Clarendon rather than Rutland High School, many of his friends — and several of their parents — tried to convince him to change his mind. Allen’s father, Bobby, was also a police officer, though he never got to see his son become one. The elder Allen died in 1998 of lung cancer while Jason was still at Siena College studying psychology. At the time, Pamela says, she never suspected her son would follow his father’s path. After graduating college, Allen returned to Rutland and got a job working in nutrition at Rutland Regional Medical Center. Though he worked there only a short time, he made an impression on his coworkers. During his final stay at the hospital earlier this year, so many staffers visited his room, his mom remembers, a maintenance man brought up extra chairs to accommodate them all. The visitors dearest to him were his wife and “soul mate,” Danielle, and their daughters, Arianna, 12, and Malia, 4. Pamela says Jason and Arianna had a regular “father-daughter thing” volunteering at a local homeless shelter. As she recalls, for months a man there would talk to Arianna but not to Jason, because he was a cop. But her son never gave up on him. “One day Jason said to me, ‘You remember that guy I was talking about?’” she says. “Well, he’s finally talking to me now!’”

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Bob Spear 1920-2014 Prolific carver Bob Spear cofounded the Birds of Vermont Museum in Huntington, which houses hundreds of his hand-carved and -painted birds.

Jason with daughters Malia and Arianna

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K at hryn Fl a gg

Senator Jim Jeffords 1934-2014 When he left the Republican Party in 2001 to become an independent, Jeffords infuriated conservatives and became a liberal folk hero.

Jason Allen had a knack for touching people’s lives in a positive way. That’s not a trait people typically associate with police officers, his mother, Pamela Allen, says with a chuckle. But her son’s easy smile, infectious laugh and ability to always seek out the good in people — even in those he arrested repeatedly — may explain why he was, in her words, “so good at winning people over.” That’s not just a mother’s rosy view of her son. Allen worked for the Rutland County Sheriff’s Department for 13 years; he was 35 when he died of liver cancer on October 18. Shortly after his death, a lieutenant from the sheriff’s department stopped by her house and told her about a family that had given him and Jason “a whole lot of trouble” over the years. “[The cops] were constantly at their house, constantly,” she recalls. But one day, after a member of that family collapsed, Sgt. Allen did CPR on the man until the ambulance arrived. “The family never forgot that,” Allen says. “Today, they’d give him the shirt off their back.” It’s not hard to find others who felt a deep affection for Allen. Michael Philbrick, now an officer with the Montpelier Police Department, was a cadet at the Vermont Police Academy when he met Allen, who worked there part-time as a trainer. Philbrick, a sixfoot-four former Marine who’d served in Iraq, was at first intimidated by the shorter but muscular man who was his drill instructor. But as Philbrick got to know Allen, he soon realized his instructor was just “a great big teddy bear.” Today, Philbrick considers Allen a mentor and role model. In February, two months after Allen was diagnosed with cancer, several of his coworkers organized a fundraiser for him and his family in Rutland. According to the benefit’s Facebook page, hundreds attended the event. An additional fundraising page set up to help his family defray medical costs logged $10,551 in donations. Shortly before the benefit, Rutland County Sheriff Stephen Benard told the Rutland Herald that he’d never received a single complaint about Allen. “In my 35 years’ experience,” Benard noted, “I’ve never had that with a deputy or any other officer I supervised.” Evidently, Allen began making lasting impressions on people from an early age. According to his mother, Allen was born two months prematurely and weighed just 2 pounds, 6 ounces. He spent the first few months of his life in the neonatal unit in Burlington.

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After they finished the AT, the pair went on to hike the 46 high peaks in the Adirondacks, and then the 111 highest mountains in the Northeast. Many of them lacked trails, so Mausolff and Northrup used compasses and altimeters to navigate their climbs. “The two of us would just head off and take whatever time we needed,” Northrup recalls. “We knew how to pace ourselves. We knew how to take care of ourselves. It was just a wonderful experience.” The pair hiked and skied together for decades. Mausolff, who never married or had children, folded herself into Northrup’s large family. For 30 years, she spent every Christmas at the Northrup home, with Northrup’s five children and numerous grandchildren. Northrup describes her friend as a remarkable, one-of-a-kind woman. “You don’t find Annes growing on a tree, I’ll tell you,” she says. “I could not replace Anne, and I would not try, because [our friendship] was too special.” Well into her later years, Mausolff would load her backpack and walk the streets of Andover to stay fit, though she preferred to get her exercise splitting wood. She used a chainsaw until she was 88, at which point she switched to splitting her firewood with an ax. Mausolff chose the inscription for her gravestone a few years ago. The simple marker rests by a stone wall at the edge of a cemetery bordering the property where she lived for nearly 40 years. It reads: “I’ve climbed the next mountain for a new view.”

Vermonters publicly mourned these newsmakers this year; in some cases, their deaths sent ripples across the nation and beyond.

Jason Richard Allen, August 9, 1979–October 18, 2014

Courtesy of Jason Allen’s Family

Courtesy of Rutland County Sheriffs Department

Jason Richard Allen

“So Good at Winning People Over”

Life Stories « P.40 “Carolyn Had Her Eyes on the Horizon” on the horizon,” she says. When the team met with clients, Dever recalls, “She was the one saying, ‘Here’s an opportunity for you to transform your business in the next five years.’” Edwards, who grew up in Williamstown, didn’t have a technical background. She majored in psychology at the University of Vermont, recalls her younger sister, Sandy Begin. In the 1970s, she and her then-husband, Jim Edwards, moved to Boston, where Carolyn worked in the personnel office at General Radio. When the couple returned to Vermont a few years later, Edwards took a human resources job at UVM before ending up at Digital, where she managed a technical team. She and her husband divorced in 1988.

Carolyn with sons Zachary and Trenton

She may not have known how to configure a server, but Edwards was always “very focused and very determined,” says Begin. Dever concurs. As CEO, Edwards scoured Fortune and Forrester Research looking for new ideas and trends. Her efforts paid off, says John Evans, a former client. Now senior adviser to UVM’s president and provost, Evans was dean of the College of Medicine in the 1990s. He worked with C2 to help the medical school integrate computing technology into its learning environment. Evans describes Edwards as

COURTESY OF C2

In the rapidly evolving informationtechnology field, the only constant is change. Carolyn Edwards, CEO of Colchester-based C2, knew that as well as anyone. Until she died in October of fallopian tube cancer, the 64-year-old South Burlington resident helmed one of the state’s best-known IT services firms. C2’s 55 employees design, develop and support IT systems for businesses including Vermont Teddy Bear Company, Orvis and National Life Group. Edwards led the company from the very beginning. She was one of four cofounders, who met while working for Digital Equipment Corporation’s Burlington office. When Digital announced it was leaving the state, Edwards, Martin Thieret, Todd Kelley and Melissa Dever decided to stick around and start a consulting company. They’d use the relationships with national technology vendors they’d developed at Digital to help local companies with their computing needs. In 1993, they launched their new venture, then called Competitive Computing. Each of the partners had a unique skill set, says Dever, vice president of engineering. Edwards contributed the strategic vision. “Carolyn had her eyes

COURTESY OF CAROLYN EDWARDS’ FAMILY

Carolyn (Storrs) Edwards, June 6, 1950–October 19, 2014

Carolyn Edwards

“a strong, visionary and unassuming leader” who always did her homework. Edwards, he says, would show up for their meetings with “a 40-slide PowerPoint presentation.” He would routinely ask her to skip ahead to the final slide, outlining how C2 would execute the project. “I don’t know whether there really were more than a couple of slides,” he says. “When I once asked her about it, that twinkle came to her eye and there was a little laugh.” Evans says C2 helped the school develop technological tools to make its curriculum more interactive. He

“He Was Always a Pretty Big Risk Taker”

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Christina Scott-Smith wasn’t wild about naming her only son Christopher. She loved the name, but not the inevitable shortening of it to “Chris.” She needn’t have worried about that. Days after she gave birth, a young family member struggled to pronounce “Christopher.” It came out sounding more like “Critter.” The nickname stuck. Teachers, friends, relatives, even his parents adopted it, using it well past the age when boys usually insist that pet names be discarded. He was Critter to everyone, for all 21 years of his life. When Critter was 9, Scott-Smith and her husband, Jason, gave him his first motorized dirt bike. He was so excited, he cried a little. He practiced riding it on friends’ courses in town, and in nearby Bethel. On weekends, Critter competed in races in Derby, Vt., and Canaan, N.H., soaring on his green-and-black Kawasaki bike

and shaking off ugly spills as if they were minor inconveniences. “He was so competitive,” Scott-Smith says. “It was a huge adrenaline rush. He was always a pretty big risk-taker. It’s just how he was made.” Critter also played basketball, baseball and football at Hartford High School. But a couple of dirt-bike wrecks left his knee damaged. He was in pain, but was reluctant to have surgery. “He didn’t want to miss any sports or racing,” his mother says, “so he wanted to hold out as long as he could.” By 2011, his senior year, the pain was too much, and he agreed to an operation. The surgery led to two developments that would forever alter Critter’s life: He gave up dirt biking, and he took prescription Percocets to ease his pain. Courthouse dockets in Vermont are littered with defendants whose drug problems began with a seemingly

COURTESY OF CHRISTOPHER SCOTT-SMITH’S FAMILY

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Christopher “Critter” Scott-Smith, June 26, 1993–October 2, 2014

Christopher Scott-Smith

innocuous pain-med prescription. Critter’s family believes that’s what happened to him. And his mother wonders if the loss of dirt biking left him searching for a new thrill. Critter became a heroin addict. “I was very naive about it,” Scott-Smith admits. “I don’t know what I was supposed to be looking for when it started. He was that risk-taking, adrenaline-type guy.”

Critter got clean, then relapsed and, about a year ago, got clean once again. Throughout that time, he lived at home in White River Junction, and joked with his mother that he had no intention of ever leaving. He worked as a carpeting and flooring subcontractor. He had a girlfriend and liked hanging out with his parents: When they went to barbecues with their friends, Critter

Cathy Resm er

“Everyone He Taught Will Carry a Piece of Harold With Them” Harold Luce, October 11, 1918–August 13, 2014

simply taught himself to play with the other hand,” wrote Luce’s protégé, Adam Boyce, in a biography of the musician for the Vermont Folklife Center. As a teenager during the Great Depression, Luce began learning his craft from famed Vermont fiddler Ed Larkin. Luce later became a fixture in the regional square-dance circuit and

With him went one of the last living links

to an era when square dances regularly happened in barns, grange halls and farmhouse kitchens.

dan b o l l es Life Stories

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was a nationally renowned practitioner of New England fiddling — a distinctive traditional style with largely Celtic and French roots. In 2004, through the Folklife Center, he received the Governor’s Heritage Award, which honored his decades of teaching and performing throughout the Green Mountains. Luce was also something of an inventor. He designed and built several contraptions that would allow him to simultaneously play the fiddle with

his hands and play the piano, guitar or banjo using foot pedals. This enabled him to call dances as a one-man band. “I tried playing that thing once,” says Boyce. “Let’s just say it didn’t go so well.” Boyce, 47, is also a fiddler and caller, and a member of the Ed Larkin Contra Dancers. According to him, Luce taught hundreds of students over the years. Now, Boyce is one of the last local practitioners of what is known as Eastern Barn Dance style of square dancing. Popular from the 1930s into the 1950s, the style occupies a niche within the diminishing square-dance community. Now it’s primarily found in Vermont at a dance Boyce calls monthly at the grange hall in tiny West Newbury (he also calls monthly dances in Wentworth, N.H.). Boyce admits the future of the Eastern Barn Dance style in the Green Mountains is uncertain. Still, he believes Luce’s legacy will live on in the fiddling of future generations, even if the music isn’t quite the same. “The main thing Harold taught was to find your own style, your way of doing things on the fiddle,” says Boyce. “But everyone he taught will carry a piece of Harold with them.”

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A reporter once asked Harold Luce what it would take for him to stop playing the fiddle. After a thoughtful pause, Luce responded in his dry, Yankee drawl, “I don’t know … Death, I guess.” He was right. In August, the 95-yearold fiddler and dance caller played the last dance of his 80-year tenure with the Ed Larkin Contra Dancers. Four days later Luce promenaded to the great barn dance in the sky following unexpected complications from a surgery. With him went one of the last living links to an era when square dances regularly — and sometimes spontaneously — happened in barns, grange halls and farmhouse kitchens, and featured now-obscure dances with names like the Portland Fancy. Luce grew up working on his family’s farm in Chelsea. In the 1930s he married Edith Keyes, who passed away in 1997. The couple raised six children in Brookfield, and ran a farm. Luce also worked for 25 years at a machine-tools factory in Windsor. But music defined him. Case in point: Luce continued fiddling even after a mowing accident claimed two fingers from his right hand. Luckily, it was his bowing hand; though losing them from his fingering hand might not have stopped him from playing, either. “Harold himself has said that if it had been his left hand, he would have

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m ark dav i s

Harold Luce

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tagged along, playing horseshoes and cards like he was one of the gang. “He was 21,” his mother says. “He was living in the day.” Critter died at home on October 2, police say, after using a mix of heroin and Fentanyl, a deadly opiate that causes decelerated breathing and respiratory arrest, and is nearly impossible to detect. He was one of nine Upper Valley residents to overdose on Fentanyl in the fall. Police say it’s unlikely that he had any idea the heroin was spiked with the deadlier drug. His family still doesn’t know what went wrong. “He had been good for a long time,” Scott-Smith recalls. “We saw him every day. I was shocked.” In fact, his parents had been encouraged when Critter announced he wanted to ride his dirt bike again. He wasn’t going to compete as intensely as he did in his teenage years, but he wanted to be back out on the track. He had been tinkering with his bike in their basement, hoping to get it ready for the summer. It’s still there.

Courtesy of Harold Luce’s Family

describes Edwards as an uncommonly good consultant, who made the ideas she presented seem like they were his. “She took the time and effort to understand who we were, what we were trying to accomplish, and work with us to build the solution,” he says. “Having heard from other businesses, I don’t think that was unique to us. It was the way she worked and who she was.” When she wasn’t working, Edwards loved getting out on the water. She owned a sailboat and enjoyed bringing her two boys, Zachary and Trenton, to Cape Cod. Lisa Ventriss, executive director of the Vermont Business Roundtable, recalls a speech Edwards gave to a group of “emerging leaders” in 2010 that combined both of her passions. In it, Edwards, who was a Roundtable member and served on the board for five years, compared starting her business to swimming in the ocean. “She said you can either be crashed by the waves or you can learn how to ride them,” Ventriss recalls. “You have to anticipate the next trend and ride over the turmoil, or be crashed. There’s always going to be that next wave.”

Life Stories « p.41 “Don’t Cry, Kid, I’m Fine”

Roger Boucher, July 26, 1956–November 30, 2014 Courtesy of Mickey Clifford, floral designer, Price Chopper supermarket, St. Albans

Roger Boucher could have incited disgust or indifference. For 16 years, he lived beneath a highway overpass in St. Albans, and later within the concrete culverts on an industrial site. He was mentally ill, starting up conversations that ricocheted between topics such as government mind control, magnetic forces and extraterrestrials. Boucher had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia as a young man in Mastic, N.Y., on Long Island. But Roger, as everyone in town knew him, was not only tolerated — he was treasured in St. Albans. His dozens of friends worried about him in freezing temperatures, enjoyed long talks with him and often tried to give him food, clothing or money. But they say he refused every offering. Instead, Roger gave to them. At the St. Albans Free Library, one of his favorite hangouts, he jumped up to help every time a staffer carried a stack of books. He held open doors and addressed all women as “miss” or “ma’am.” A skilled mechanic, he fixed many a conked-out car. If he found a lost wallet he’d return it, never accepting a reward. When Angela Bernard’s daughter broke her arm, he insisted on buying the cast-clad 7-year-old an ice cream cone.

As for sleeping outside in sub-zero temperatures, he told a friend,

Roger Boucher eating at the St. Albans Price Chopper

“You just get used to it.”

Roger was tall and tough looking, but his friends describe him as kind and gentle. If he got riled up about cosmic rays or the portal he perceived in the beveled glass window at the library, a quiet shushing or touch on the arm calmed him. He occasionally washed up in the bathroom at the library or at the Hannaford supermarket, but left no trace. Few knew his last name until he died. A long life in the cold, coupled with distrust of doctors and hospitals, finally led to a fatal respiratory infection. He was 58. Many had heard how Roger landed in St. Albans. A carpenter who had run his own sheeting business, he was headed to Canada when he was stopped at the border because he lacked proper documents. Instead of going back home, Roger stuck around. Until his memorial service earlier this month, Roger’s friends didn’t realize the extent of his fan club. Nearly 200 people filled the Heald Funeral Home, spilling out of the room where the service was held. That’s when his St. Albans family met Roger’s real one — four sisters still living on Long Island who loved and missed him and had begged him to come home. They last saw him in 1998, just before their mother died. “He would always say to me,

“She’s an Old Warhorse” Smaller families are the norm these days, but much larger broods were common back in 1918. Winifred “Winnie” Bean, born into a farming family that year in Newport Center, was one of 13 children. Later, she and her husband, Clifford, had seven children of their own. Bean, who died on March 31 at age 95, was the matriarch of a clan that included 29 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren and 18 great-great-grandchildren. They all called her “Grandma Bean.” A fixture at family gatherings, Bean attended every baby shower, birthday party and graduation — and there were many. In recent years, her granddaughter, Kelly Bean Cheney, hosted elaborate barbecues at her home. Bean, a “people person” to the core, never missed one. Arriving several hours early with her trademark baked beans, she’d march into the house and say, “Give me something to do.” Bean’s son, Virgil, used to say, “‘Don’t worry about her; she’s an old warhorse,’” Cheney quips. Her tireless work ethic kept Bean employed until her early eighties. A seamstress for more than 50 years, she

retired from Decorator’s Delight in St. George. Owner Vicki Lambert remembers her as a devoted employee who created custom patterns and window treatments with ease. “She was like a walking saint,” recalls Lambert, though her sweetness was tempered with spunk. Bean measured just five feet, two inches, but, forever feisty, she commanded respect. “She was little, but nobody took advantage of Winnie. You didn’t tangle with her,” Lambert adds. The two remained close after Bean’s retirement; fabric remnants from Decorator’s Delight filled Bean’s sewing room and fueled her passion for quilting. Bean made a one-of-a kind quilt for each grandchild, great-grandchild and great-great grandchild — a total of 87, if you’re counting. Her generosity extended beyond family, whether offering needy individuals a place to stay without passing judgment or contributing to various charities. Native American organizations held a special place in her heart. One reservation thanked Bean for her contributions by sending a handmade Navajo blanket, which she proudly displayed in her home.

Courtesy of Winifred Bean’s Family

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Winifred “Winnie” Bean, December 8, 1918—March 31, 2014

Winifred Bean

Dedicated to New Mothers and Babies ‘Don’t cry, kid, I’m fine,’” said Yvonne Raimondi, his younger sister, through sobs. She spoke to him three times a week on his cellphone, and he’d worry if she missed a call. Al Salzman, a retired St. Albans City School art teacher, described Roger as “indomitable,” braving snowstorms and harsh winds on the rusty bike he rode all over town. At the library, he’d bury himself in scientific and technical papers and talk about architecture. His discussions revealed “a poetic, paranoid mind that had the need to communicate,” Salzman said during his eulogy. Wendy Stous said she and her husband, David, tried to keep tabs on Roger. She was relieved to learn that he had an income — government disability checks — and a storage unit with a few belongings. He often collected empty bottles for the deposit money. But when someone brought him bottles to redeem, he’d insist they split the proceeds, remembered Linda Ryan, executive director of Samaritan House homeless shelter in St. Albans, who spoke briefly at the memorial service. Roger declined to stay at the shelter. He once told Ryan, “I’m not homeless. I choose to live this way.” As for sleeping

outside in subzero temperatures, he told a friend, “You just get used to it.” mind Only a handful of homeless people in and around St. Albans are like Roger, refusing a warm bed, Ryan said. But the number of homeless individuals and body families that came through Samaritan House last year increased 35 percent, from 136 in 2012 to 183. After Roger’s death, Wendy and David Stous went to his most recent birth camping spot to gather his things. “He had a book bag full of papers,” Wendy Stous said. The couple laundered his bedding and picked up his bike, which www.AppleMountain.net they would like to have bronzed and 30 Church St. Burlington 658-6452 installed in front of the library. 1 MILL ST, SUITE 236 AT THE CHACE MILL Mon-Fri 9:30am-9pm • Sun 10am-5pm Dave McWilliams, who works at the PRENATALMETHOD.COM | 802. 829.0211 city’s wastewater treatment plant, suggested to the mourners a different kind 12/8/14 12v-applemtn122614.indd 10:29 AM 1 12/8/14 of tribute: “We each should do one nice12v-PrenatalMethod121014.indd 1 thing for someone else before the end of the year.” Friends had noticed the decline in his Presents health. Library staff told Roger they were concerned about him. He would respond, “Thank you, miss,” recalled children’s liveatnectars.com librarian Sarah Allerton at the memorial #NECTARSVT #TOPHATVT service. “But I think a lot of us,” she said to the crowded, tearful room, “would like to say, ‘No, sir. Thank you.’”

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Cheney negotiated Bean’s release to her home in Burlington, where she died. Family members agreed that it was just like Bean not to share a death date with Clifford, who died on April 1, 1993. Dying on March 31 was Bean’s final, determined act. Afterward, Bean’s family spent three months going through every inch of her home. Among the treasures they discovered were 1,800 silver dollars, hoards of jewelry and Bean’s lifetime fishing license, buried deep within her sewing room. Cheney, an avid fisherwoman, now keeps that license with her. While fishing last summer, Cheney invoked her grandmother to help her “put the biggest fish on the line.” Then she reeled in a 12pound, 3-foot-long northern pike. That day on the lake was one of many when Cheney felt her grandmother’s presence. “I can still hear her giggle,” she says.

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Voted #1

c Ar o lYN S h Ap ir o

Find these two “Life Stories” in the online version of this article at sevendaysvt.com. Elaine Dates, 1942-2014 Laura Fishman, 1937-2014

What was the secret of Bean’s agedefying energy? Anyone who asked would receive her standard reply: “I didn’t smoke, I didn’t drink and I didn’t fool around.” For Bean’s 95th birthday, Cheney baked her grandmother’s requested spice cake with cream-cheese frosting tinted pink. She notes that Bean “licked the spoon like a kid” while she made the frosting. Later, dozens of well wishers at Holy Cross Church in Colchester sang “Happy Birthday” to the congregation’s oldest member. That same day, Bean showed Cheney the dress in which she wished to be buried. It was one that her late husband had loved. The months after that were hard; Virgil, who lived with Bean, died three weeks after her birthday. Then a heart attack landed Bean in the hospital. In March, she was transferred to Starr Farm Nursing Center, where her condition declined.

Always Local. Always Vermont.

Name Game 2014 Are descriptive monikers coincidence or fate?

by Ken p i c a r d

SEVENDAYSvt.com 12.24.14-01.07.15 SEVEN DAYS 44 FEATURE

michael tonn

re people destined to a certain fate because of their given names? That question has been kicking around for centuries, at least since Samuel Alexander Mudd, a 19th-century physician and slave owner, was imprisoned for conspiring with John Wilkes Booth to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. Because Mudd was the doctor who treated Booth’s broken leg after his infamous leap to the stage at Ford’s Theatre, his name was later attributed (incorrectly, it turns out) to the expression, “Your name is mud.” Still, for those of us in the news biz, it’s hard to ignore the karmic connection that seems to link people’s names and their chosen professions, habits, hobbies, destinies or personal proclivities. Linguists — and word geeks such as yours truly — refer to these names as “aptronyms” due to their aptness for the people to whom they belong. Some aptronyms throughout history include telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell; the lesser-known Bell Labs employee, D.H. Ring, who pioneered early cellular phone technology; and Thomas Crapper, who popularized and improved upon (but didn’t invent) the indoor flush toilet. In years past, I’ve pointed out some aptronyms that became so well known, the names barely required further explanation. They included serial sexter Anthony Weiner, gardener and food writer Michael Pollan and Bush-era secretary of education Margaret Spellings. Last year brought us U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power. This year, national press corps journalists were introduced to President Obama’s new press secretary, Josh Earnest, whose name must leave some reporters wondering: Is he joking or is he serious? What’s in a name? For some, a lucrative career. Locally, John Flint is the owner of a business in Stowe called Pyramid Stone Works. Hadley Stock owns a market in Manchester, Vt., called the Farm Store, which stocks mostly local foods. And Matt Canning landed the enviable job of beer concierge at Hotel Vermont in Burlington. Talk about karma in a can. It’s not just people but places that occasionally seem to possess a destiny based on their names. Earlier this year,

Peter Bumps:

driver who allegedly rearended a vehicle on July 14 in Rutland, then fled the scene. Bumps was later apprehended and issued a citation for leaving the scene of an accident, driving with a criminally suspended license and for having no insurance on his vehicle.

Jourdan Buck:

On July 21, the 17-yearold Waterford youth swerved her 2002 Volkswagen Bug to avoid striking a deer, veered off the road and crashed into a clump of trees. (Had Seven Days originally reported the story, the headline surely would have read: “Buck Swerves to Avoid Deer, Crushes Bug.”)

Angel Means: director of the Visiting Nurse Association’s end-of-life services who oversees Vermont’s largest hospice and palliative-care program. (An angel with means, indeed.) Morgan True:

reporter for the online news outlet VTDigger.org.

Garth Lenz: international award-winning

photographer.

Eric Hacker: Leach Farms, an Enosburg Falls dairy farm, admitted to violating Vermont’s water-pollution laws and agriculturalpractice regulations, for which its owners agreed to pay $40,000 in civil penalties. And more than a few clients of Marriage Quest, an intensive couples and sex counseling retreat in Cabot, must surely stop and ponder their counselors’ street address, on Deeper Ruts Road. But no aptronym this year beats the incredibly apt name Don Popadick. On April 29, the 62-year-old Canadian man was arrested and charged with an indecent act after repeatedly flashing his junk at visitors of Mooney’s Bay Park in Ottawa. For owning that moniker, Popadick earns the honor of 2014 Aptronym of the Year — hands down. Here are some of the 2014 runners-up: “Ran3dy” C. Bright: According to a Vermont

State Police press release (which doesn’t explain why the suspect’s first name includes the numeral 3) the 50-year-old owner of ForNORA Energy Solutions of Saxtons River was hired to perform

an energy audit and weatherization in a private residence. On October 27, police allege that Bright secretly hid a small video camera in the homeowner’s upstairs bedroom, for which he was later cited for suspicion of voyeurism. (Evidently, the accused was randy but not so bright.)

information-security expert at Green Mountain Power.

Anthony Speed: St. Johnsbury resident accused, on January 12, of stealing a purse containing cash and prescription narcotics. Michael Snow: Colchester contractor who handles local snow plowing.

and Mark Frier: co-owners of the Reservoir Restaurant & Tap Room in Waterbury and the Bench in Stowe. (I recommend the fries.)

Robin Kitchens: 24-year-old St. Johnsbury resident charged in January with domestic assault. (Alas, it wasn’t a home burglary charge involving the theft of blenders and microwave ovens.)

Robbi Handy Holmes:

Joseph Moodie: The 34-year-old homeless

Chad Fry

Realtor.

South Burlington

Chris Bell: director of Vermont’s Emergency Medical Services and the Office of Public Health Preparedness. Dale Crook: director of field services for the Vermont Department of Corrections. Sample: associate professor at Champlain College who teaches computer music and sound.

Eric

man was arrested at the Comfort Inn in St. Johnsbury and charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly using profanity in front of other hotel guests, including small children, and knocking on the doors of other hotel patrons. Moodie was later arrested for a second time for disorderly conduct in Concord, Vt. Chambers: a 39-year-old St. Johnsbury man charged with unlawful

Buster

mischief for deliberately damaging the cables for the satellite TV at a private residence. ED RouNDS:

a Burlington gun enthusiast who in March voted against three city gun-control measures, all of which failed.

thElmA louiSE Bloom:

mother of John Irving Bloom, aka Joe Bob Briggs, a nationally syndicated film critic.

cRYStAl ShippER:

In the ancient Celtic Book of the Dun Cow, the hero is wooed by a goddess who whisks him away to an “earthly paradise beyond the sea” in a magical crystal ship that belongs to the sea god Manannán. On April 1,

Vermont State Police arrested a Crystal Shipper, 29, in Bellows Falls and charged her with harboring a runaway juvenile from Massachusetts. mARkuS kAARmA: The Missoula, Mont., man was accused of setting a trap for intruders by intentionally leaving his garage door open and placing a purse in clear view. Kaarma was charged with first-degree murder after he shot to death 17-year-old Diren Dede, a German high school exchange student who’d entered the garage. In his defense, Kaarma invoked Montana’s “castle doctrine,” which justifies the use of deadly force in defending an occupied dwelling — or a decoy purse.

mARtiNE AND louiSE FokkENS: These 71-year-old Dutch twins retired earlier this year after 50 years of working as prostitutes in Amsterdam’s red-light district. According to the UK’s Daily Mail, the twins entered the sex trade before they were 20 to escape violent relationships, and now claim to have serviced more than 355,000 men. Louise, a mother of four, says the redlight district isn’t what it used to be and now lacks a “sense of community.”

This year’s anti-aptronyms include: mitchEll-loVE: a 63-year-old Saxtons River resident who reported to police on New Year’s Eve 2013 that her

JANicE

residence had been egged by an unknown vandal. (Where’s the love?) JENNiFER StRAit:

a Burlington woman charged in July with domestic assault for allegedly hitting her husband for spilling the last of their marijuana. (As spousal mistakes go, this one’s not exactly dire, Strait.) ERic FRiEND: a Bristol man charged on May 21 with allegedly assaulting his significant other. m

Contact: ken@sevendaysvt.com

SEVENDAYSVt.com 12.24.14-01.07.15 SEVEN DAYS FEATURE 45

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food

Supper Superlatives The best things to happen to Vermont food in 2014 BY AL IC E L E VIT T AND H ANNAH PAL ME R E GAN

FILE: MATTHEW THORSEN

hat are you eating this year? To some of our readers, that may seem like an odd question. Dinner is dinner, right? But Seven Days’ food writers spend hours in search of stimulating sustenance, probing from fine dining to greasy spoons for news you can use about what to eat in Vermont. We put our bodies on the line every day for this mission. The casualties — two waistlines and one gallbladder, so far — reflect a lifestyle that sometimes resembles a buffet line. Plumbing the abundance our great state has to offer makes us a fickle lot. Our new favorites come and go as quickly as restaurants open and close in the grueling food and beverage biz. So at year’s end, it’s a pleasure to share our collective knowledge and summarize the year that was. From Alice’s hunger for perfect pasta to Hannah’s cocktail consumption — and to our desire to see certain trends bite the dust — here are our thoughts on the 2014 dining scene.

Best Menu Reinvention Alice: Bayview Eats, Colchester

Since 2011, Bayview Eats has been a good place for a sandwich and a brownie. But in 2014, chef Jonathan Turner brought a carefully honed culinary expertise to the little Malletts Bay café. The standard menu showcases the Louisiana native’s bayou-inflected comfort food, such as mac and cheese flavored with andouille, or pulled pork with black beans and dirty rice. But Turner especially shines with his specials. One night, I enjoyed an appetizer of perfectly rendered, bourbon-glazed pork belly. Another evening brought coffee-rubbed sirloin tacos. In fact, uncommon tacos seem to have become Bayview’s calling card. My favorite special yet was a pair of braised-lamb tacos that lit up my mouth with a mint-parsley gremolata and a tangy local feta.

Best Meal

SEVEN DAYS 46 FOOD

Hannah: The Daily Planet, Burlington

Junction’s lamb chop with beets

Seared scallops at the Bench

Hannah: The Bench, Stowe

Halfway through my first meal at the Bench, opened in September by Waterbury Reservoir Restaurant & Tap Room owners Chad Fry and Mark Frier, I started to feel a familiar glow that only comes around so often. This is the best meal I’ve had at a restaurant in months, I caught myself thinking. The beer list was superb and went well with the comfort-food offerings on the menu. A plate of springy,

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Alice: Junction, Essex

Overall, I had a good but mixed experience at the Essex Culinary Resort & Spa’s latest stab at fine dining, Junction. But the chef’s-table dinner that put me in the hands of chef de cuisine Michael Clauss was a revelation. I hate to use that word, but it’s true. From a bloomy cheese accented with seaweed aioli, sesame seeds and beet syrup to polenta with saffron butter and pickled mushrooms, the five-plus courses Clauss fed me opened my mind to a new world of flavor combinations. Many of his creations wouldn’t have worked on paper, but on my tongue, they made me rethink what does and does not go together. That’s fine dining at its best.

succulent seared scallops, served with just a bit of beet and a light parsnip purée, was one of the most satisfying dishes I’d encountered all year. A whopping plate of poutine, slathered in beer-soaked brown gravy, was all that a poutine could aspire to be. Even though the kitchen mangled my entrée and I had to send it back, everything else was perfect, from the ravioli alla vodka to the pillowy, housemade marshmallow s’more that bade us farewell.

Burlington’s Daily Planet has been a downtown standby for decades. For much of that time, its menu remained largely the same — Maura’s Salad, a great burger, solid cocktails. But in recent years, the kitchen has been a bit of a revolving door, and each new chef left his or her mark on familiar dishes. The DP experience became inconsistent at best, though no less beloved. Then, in September, longtime owner Copey Houghton decided to shake things up and brought in a young, ambitious chef. Justin Bigelow, who comes from a fine-dining background, wiped the slate clean. Bigelow’s menu blends haute cuisine and comfort food (think rack-of-lamb “lollipops” and pumpkinfennel bisque scattered with popcorn dust) without

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falling into a black hole of pub-fare mediocrity. Food is both accessible and impeccably prepared using techniques a mere burger-flipping cook could never imagine. Portions are smallish and prices cheap, so diners can snack on several dishes. And at the Planet, in contrast to so many other “small plate” joints, the principle plays out well in practice. Head in on a weeknight, order five or six dishes, and mix and match bites. Whether it’s about the food or not, conversation will follow.

Alice: Wood-fired ovens

ALL

VEG

A This cooking method went hip when ER TH L big names such as Guild Tavern and AL Burlington’s Hen of the Wood opened with wood-fired kitchens. Now, a restauBREAKFAST LUNCH BRUNCH rant can’t seem to open in Vermont withWEEKDAYS 8-6 | WEEKENDS 8-4 out a woodshed, whether it sports a fiery ONE MILL STREET | BURLINGTON | 540-0110 grill, an oven or something in between. This year, La Boca Wood Fired Pizzeria in Burlington, the Bench in 16t-pingala112614.indd 1 11/24/14 11:17 AM Stowe and Waterworks Food & Drink in Winooski were just a few of the new restaurants turning out fire-kissed fare. I’m not complaining, but wood cooking is no longer special enough for an eatery to pin its concept on. It’s almost not worth mentioning anymore, joining local sourcing of ingredients as a good “trend” that has become part of the very definition of a Vermont restaurant.

new Books

Alice: Bunbury EAT

Bunbury EAT

cOurtesy OF bayview eats

Bayview Eats

Daily Planet

Since 1995 I can’t say that beer lines didn’t exist in Vermont before 2014, but this year, 14 ChurCh St • Burlington,Vt Green Mountain brewheads seemed CrowBookS.Com • (802) 862-0848 more willing than ever to stand in line to buy beer. After closing its cannery retail space in late 2013, Waterbury’s 16t-crowbookstore101613.indd 1 10/11/13 2:47 PM the Alchemist held its first truck sale in February 2014. On that cold winter day, people shuffled into files to buy cans of Heady Topper and limited-release specialty brews off the back of a truck. The brewery has been holding similar sales almost monthly since then. With the Alchemist’s can-sale success, combined with the widespread availability of mobile canneries (which allow Live Music brewers to can on-site without ponying up cash and space to install their own can12/30: Fohr Sessions ning lines), Vermont saw a surge in singleday can releases. This spring, Fiddlehead Brewing jumped on the can wagon (a deExpanded cision I fully support), releasing colorful tins of Matt Cohen’s stellar Hodad Porter. Food Menu! Green tallboys of Second Fiddle followed, and beer fans have been lining up outside Great Deals the brewery periodically for an array of brews ever since. on Champagne In Greensboro Bend, folks from near and far continue to line up weekly (as for New Year’s Eve they have done for many moons) for in our Retail Shop! whatever’s on draft at Hill Farmstead Brewery. In September, they did the same at Mad River Glen for a reprise release of Double Dose IPA, brewed by 126 College St., Burlington Otter Creek brewer Mike Gerhart and Sean Lawson of Lawson’s Finest Liquids. vinbarvt.com Throughout the summer, Lawson’s Wine Shop Mon-Sat from 11 12.24.14-01.07.15

cOuresy OF matt sargent

Matt Sargent of Phantom

Your LocaL Source

Hannah: Beer lines

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cOurtesy OF Daily planet

Hannah: Phantom

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Wine Bar Mon-Sat from 4 supper superlatives

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I appreciate Matt Sargent’s open-book candor and his ideas about responsible sourcing and using the whole animal. But what I really love is his fun, take-noprisoners approach to cooking. The dude was a contractor for half a lifetime and switched to cooking because he felt like it. So his ideas about food are flexible, with a few exceptions: He wants things to be good, affordable for an average Vermonter (say, someone making a carpenter’s — or writer’s — salary), and not too self-serious. Sargent’s Phantom food truck was a hit on the summer food-festival circuit, and made regular appearances in the Mad River Valley and at Shelburne Vineyard. One cool spring night at Phantom, I enjoyed a bowl of turkey-meatball soup with pickled onion and a gorgeous shaved-fennel salad. For dessert? Homemade Cracker Jacks. The truck may have been a fleeting pleasure, though. On December 21, Sargent soft-opened a bricks-and-mortar Phantom restaurant in Waitsfield. With an ever-changing local menu (including wines and beers) and a who’s who of the Vermont food, beverage and nightlife scenes already signed up to collaborate

Biggest Trend

Best Food Truck The moment I tried Bunbury EAT’s Caribbean poutine, this contest was over. Soft, sweet plantains crunched, then melted in my mouth along with a layer of cumin-redolent split-pea gravy. Finished with cheese and crisp-edged pulled pork, this dish from a mobile eatery was better balanced than fare you’d find coming out of most fine-dining kitchens. Indeed, everything I’ve tried at the truck was outstanding. The tangy, spicy curried Vermont Chevon goat is flavor personified, whether served with coconut-tinged rice and peas or chewy roti flatbread. Sadly, the owners were forced to sell the truck after this year’s Champlain Valley Fair. They continue to vend sans truck.

with him on wine dinners, live music and other events, the new spot is sure to keep the Phantom spirit alive.

12/15/14 12:58 PM

food Supper Superlatives « p.47 courtesy of 14th star brewing

fans filed into queues at the Waitsfield Farmers Market. Then, of course, there were the brewfests. In Burlington, the Vermont Brewers Festival sold out in an improbable 11 minutes, and the lines for the most popular breweries were close to 100 yards long at their peak. But, as ladies waiting for the loo have known for decades, when people gather to enjoy something they love, there’s no better place to enjoy friendly banter with a stranger than in line. And so much the better with a beer in hand.

Best Trend Alice: Housemade pasta

I’ve always had a weak spot for housemade pasta. It used to be something of a rare treat, reserved for a fancy night out. But this year, I started seeing it on menus I could enjoy without waiting for a raise. Even once-pricey restaurants are now cutting the costs of their house pastas — Bluebird Tavern’s latest menu offers gnocchi or bucatini for $14 a plate. I’ve made no secret of my addiction to Pascolo Ristorante’s tagliatelle dishes. Trattoria Delia, long a place to find a homemade pasta dish or two, unveiled a menu in August that featured homemade noodles exclusively. For a carb lover, things couldn’t get much better.

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Hannah: Craft cocktails

In the past few years, Vermont has started to warm to the tipple. Perhaps it’s due to the rapid growth of the local distilling industry, or maybe the wild and crazy brewing industry has opened our minds to the vast variety of forms an alcoholic beverage can take. Maybe it’s all (or none) of those things, but the important part is this: Local cocktails are improving. We’re warming to bitters — thank you, Urban Moonshine, for bringing artisanal aromatics to Burlington — and to amari and deeper, darker, herbal flavors, tonics, infusions and other fun stuff. And restaurants are taking note. Though outposts such as Prohibition Pig, Bluebird Tavern and Hen of the Wood have had great cocktail programs for a few years now, in 2014 we passed the tipping point: Every new restaurant hoping to make a splash is putting serious thought into its cocktail list. And that is a trend worth celebrating.

48 FOOD

Best Cocktails Hannah: The Gryphon

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: The cocktails at Burlington’s Gryphon

Matt Kehaya, Steve Gagner and Dan Sartwell of 14th Star Brewing

are just right. At the town’s newest classy-but-not-super-fancy restaurant, bartenders Niall McMahon and Kat Funk put out fun, creative, unpretentious and just plain tasty drinks. They pay homage to the classics — Manhattans, Old Fashioneds, sours and juleps — with updates that keep things current for the modern palate.

Trend That Needs to Die Alice: Canelés

This may be the most spoiled, pretentious thing I say all year, but I’m done with canelés. Sorry, but only the best and the brightest can properly execute the custardy mini Bundt-shaped pastries. I have had superior ones in Vermont (looking at you, Little Sweets!), but I’ve also seen enough burnt bottoms and dry insides to say, “Let it go, bakers.” Even at its best, the canelé is not a sweet I crave. Making a perfect one is so difficult that conquering the recipe gains you bragging rights. I get it, but that doesn’t mean I want to eat yours.

Hannah: Comfort food

Don’t get me wrong: I love comfort food. Everyone does. It’s the culinary equivalent of a heavy, cozy blanket or a grandmotherly bosom, safe and warm and snuggly and, OK, comforting. What’s not to love?

But here’s the thing. Most comfort food is stuff you or your mom (or grandmother) might cook: mac and cheese, grilled cheese (with or without tomato soup), chicken soup (with or without star-shaped pasta), spaghetti and meatballs, meatloaf. In this domain, Mom’s recipe will always yield the best, most comforting version of the dish. So eating it at a restaurant kind of defeats the purpose. Let’s live a little, hey? That’s not to say I haven’t enjoyed several cheffy takes on comfort classics in the last year — I have, and I’ll go back for them again, maybe even crave them. But after a while, it all just starts to blur together. There are only so many ways to make an $8 crock of mac and cheese stand out, and the existing stable of restaurants is doing a fine job. If you’re one of the chefs or restaurateurs who opened a comfort-food spot in the past year, thank you. I applaud you and have probably snuggled up to a few dishes at your restaurant. With winter upon us, I look forward to doing so again soon. But if you’re a chef or restaurateur looking to open yet another new American comfort-food joint, please don’t. Leave that to the guys doing it already, and dare to look outside the

comfort zone. Titillate your diners with something that strays from the beaten path; give us something to talk about. There’s an old adage that says dinner at its best is just a tasty form of foreplay. If that’s true, let’s remember: Safe is not sexy, and grandmotherly bosoms never turned anyone on.

Best New Foodie Haven Alice: Middlebury

I used to dread going to Middlebury when Costello’s Market, which supplies me with porchetta sandwiches, wasn’t open. But this year, Midd got its culinary act together in a big way. Things started changing in early 2014 with the opening of chef Michel Mahe’s burger shrine, the Lobby. Its creative menu of upscale classics turned into burgers brought a muchneeded sense of fun to the Middlebury dining scene. The Diner, which replaced Steve’s Park Diner, followed suit with a menu that revitalized greasy-spoon basics. It boasts dishes such as Cap’n Crunch-and-coconut-crusted French toast and a pita filled with gingery Korean beef. This is a town that went from zero to serving Mexican finger food in the movie theater. Good on ya for embracing the joys of eating, Middlebury!

Hannah: Barre

Biggest Bummer

Every time I speak with the guys at 14th Star Brewing, I hang up the phone with a warm, fuzzy feeling. Usually, I turn to Alice (yes, we sit next to each other) and say something like, “I just love those guys … They’re such awesome guys!” Granted, I tend to say things like that a lot, because my job puts me in touch with many wonderful people doing inspiring things. That said, the St. Albans brewery gets the 2014 gold star for do-gooding. Not only is 14th Star veteran-owned and -operated (thank you, brewers, for your service!), but brewery founder Steve Gagner seems to make every effort to serve his community. That might mean that Gagner, who was recently named president of the Vermont Brewers Association, brews a special beer for his alma mater, Norwich University, and donates 100 percent of the profits to the school’s fundraising campaign. Or the brewers might sponsor fundraisers for the local food shelf, as they did on December 18, or decide to keep the menu limited at their expansive new hometown taproom in downtown St. Albans, so as not to compete with nearby restaurants. In all these instances, 14th Star’s success offers proof, in case anyone needed it, that virtue and generosity are often handsomely rewarded.

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Hannah: One-barrel breweries

Call me a snob, but I’m not going to write about your one-barrel brewery. You’re a homebrewer, and that’s great, but it’s not news. Unless you’re the next big thing — which you might be, and I truly, honestly hope you are. But if you’re that good, you should start with a bigger system. If you can’t afford a bigger system, find investors! Take out a small business loan! Wait a year or three to start your production brewery. Once you’re properly set up, people are going to want your beer. And then I’ll want to write about you. m

(It looks so good!)

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FOOD 49

Contact: alice@sevendaysvt.com, hannah@sevendaysvt.com

Take 10 off

• Authentic Italian Food •

What We Promise Never to Write About Again Alice: Trader Joe’s

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At this time last year, I was hoping 2014 would be full of Middle Eastern cuisine. Wisam Altameemi’s Arabic Supermarket, which opened in Colchester in January, was slated to start serving three meals a day in its café early this year, and I was a faithful regular at Farah’s Place in Burlington. Then it all collapsed like a bedouin tent. Farah’s closed in January after two and a half years in business. Meanwhile, Iraq native Altameemi fought to open a dining spot in his one-stop Colchester market. It never materialized. The source for spices, halal meats and my favorite kohl eye pencils shuttered in the fall, leaving me (and all Middle Eastern food lovers) bereft.

Hannah: 14th Star Brewing

12.24.14-01.07.15

Alice: Middle East atrophy

Best Samaritans

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Now that storefronts are finally filling up in the Granite City’s refurbished commercial strip and a brand-new state office building is bringing new bodies to town, food businesses are starting to move in. The opening of Cornerstone Pub & Kitchen in late 2012 heralded a tasty change for downtown. The newcomer expanded on a foundation built by Espresso Bueno (home to some of the finest coffee in central Vermont), Asian Gourmet (which serves pan-Asian fare with panache) and the super-solid downtown L&M Diner. This past summer, Culinary Institute of America grad Dustin Smith opened the Morse Block Deli, which serves up fantastic locavore soups and sandwiches. Rumor has it that Smith is working on a series of farm-to-table pop-up dinners. Meanwhile, Ellie & Shirl’s Simply Delicious owner Chris Conti started pouring fine wines in her sweets shop in Barre’s old train depot. One driver of the culinary development is cheap real estate. Barre’s blighted reputation makes nearby arable land more affordable than elsewhere in central Vermont. Lower in-town rents, fueled by decades of empty storefronts, mean food entrepreneurs can afford to set up shop on Main Street. Finally, Barre boasts one of the best farmers markets in the state, where the area’s vibrant farm and food folk meet weekly all summer long. It’s small, but every tent offers something awesome, from basic meat and produce to goat offal to whole geese to gooseberries to heirloom cucumbers to herbs to baked goods. With a community-supported food co-op in the works and more farms taking root in the hills around town, the scene in Barre is only going to get better.

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Best Dish FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS, THANKS FOR A WONDERFUL 2014!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 50 FOOD

File PhOtOs: matthew thORsen

or years, when readers asked me where to stop for a meal on Church Street, I told them to keep walking. It’s no surprise that Burlington’s main drag generally NUTELLA & MAPLE hasn’t been inspirational to me; as a critic, I’m most 17 Park St • Essex Jct. • 878-9333 excited by the undiscovered spots that exceed my expectations DINE IN OR TAKE OUT and offer something I can’t find anywhere else. Church Street, Tu-Th 11-8 • F & S 11-9 • Closed Sun & Mon with its high traffic and steep rents, attracts just the opposite: Full menu www.cafemediterano.com restaurants sure to please as many diners as possible. No need to travel to Montréal, Boston or Jeremy Bentham, the father of modern utilitarianism, even Europe... we’re just minutes away! posited that the best course of action is one that will create “the greatest happiness of the greatest number” and lead to suffering for the fewest. In 12v-cafemeditarano111914.indd 1 11/13/14 12:58 PM gustatory terms, I’m often the one suffering in those cases. However, this year Church Street welcomed a crowd pleaser I can agree on. Pascolo Ristorante has earned my stamp as the best new local restaurant of 2014. Very few eateries in Vermont can satisfy my whole clan. My brother is a classic adult picky eater whose daily diet consists primarily of MorningStar Farms’ Chik Patties, broccoli and chocolate-chip cookies. But he’s a fan of Pascolo’s pizza Margherita. My mom is a vegetarian who lost her sense of smell to a chinning bar as a tween. The slippery chew of the restaurant’s housemade pasta provides enough texture to bring her back on a regular basis. 112 Lake Street • Burlington Grandma is an 88-year-old world traveler who’s eaten her www.sansaivt.com way across every continent but Antarctica. She has a reputation for being jaded, but she moons over Pascolo’s classic Caesar and lunchtime sandwiches. 12v-SanSai010913.indd 1 1/7/13 2:08 PM As for me? Just read this article. Picking the best new restaurant wasn’t easy. A close runner-up was the Lobby in Middlebury, with its dramatic riverside setting and menu of upscale fare transformed into burgers. I also wrestled with the possibility of calling this “The Year of the Diner” and splitting the love between South Burlington’s Parkway Diner and the Diner in Middlebury, for their perfect versions of classics and uncommon creations, respectively. But Pascolo triumphed. It’s a place to which I’m happy to direct tourists and locals, foodies and fussy eaters alike. Here’s why.

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I’m a carbohydrate craver who adheres to the Paleo diet in most of my off-hours, so Pascolo’s pasta is my dirty little secret. It haunts my dreams — and my waking nightmares of buying new, bigger jeans. When I indulge, it’s no easy feat to pick my poison, as it were. The bucatini carbonara, which vibrates with unexpected lemon that cuts through its eggy, cheesy, fatty delights, has left the building for the moment. I miss it. But chef Kevin

Pane frattau

Bucatini carbonara

food

THE CLASSIC

ITALIAN. BRING IN THIS AD FOR 15% OFF

YOUR ENTIRE PURCHASE Sprouse has crafted a menu full of other things I want to eat. The housemade pappardelles usually win. If I’m doing noodles, I want them wide and chewy. Which is better? The funghi version, with its wood-roasted mushrooms and Marsala-sweetened truffle cream, fills the void left by the now-discontinued pappardelle con funghi that I loved for more than a decade at Trattoria Delia. With its piney notes of rosemary, Pascolo’s dish trumps even that one. But sometimes I prefer a bit of housemade sausage, bolstered by a rich fennel cream and sage: the pappardelle finocchio. I can’t make Sophie’s choice here. Both are Pascolo’s best dish, pasta Nazis be damned.

What Else to Eat

I almost said “seasonal salad” when I was considering the best dish. Since Pascolo opened in May, I’ve enjoyed everything from shaved, raw asparagus with mint to beets with house ricotta. This is a Farmhouse Group restaurant, after all. Fresh and seasonal is the name of the game, and I will play by whatever

What to Drink

Wine director Alex Moran chooses bottles exclusively from Italy. Glasses are divided by color, while bottles, ranging in price from $28 to $300, are organized by region. With a little digging, you can match your dinner to a wine from the same region for optimal terroir indulgence. But sticking only with vino or one of the six birri on tap would be a shame, because Sean McKenzie’s cocktail program does an excellent job of fusing mostly Italian spirits with Vermont flavors. How about a Befana, which mixes vermouth, amaro and Bénédictine with cranberry shrub, a sweetened vinegarbased syrup?

Expires January 31, 2015

• Choose from over 20 types of bagels and 15+ cream cheeses made fresh in-house daily. • Breakfast sandwiches available all day. • Uncommon Grounds coﬀee, soups, salads, pastries & more!

Open 6am-4pm Mon-Sat and 7am-4pm on Sundays 1166 Williston Road, South Burlington (next to Gadue’s) www.thebagelplacevt.com • 802-497-2058 4t-thebagelplace122614.indd 1

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What to Look For

Since its days as Sweet Tomatoes, even before the name changed to Three Tomatoes Trattoria, the brick-laden basement space has been an appealing one. Yes, it exudes dusky Euro romance to the nth degree, and the new, centrally placed bar fosters conviviality. But the open kitchen that’s always been visible has never put on a better show than it does on Pascolo’s watch. The wood-fired oven, which has turned out pies for a quarter-century, still does its duty, rewarding those who snag a seat within viewing distance. But the best spot in the house is the one to the left of the original Three Tomatoes dining room. There, if you’re lucky, you’ll see a cook turning out miles of noodles, a sight that yields a pleasure as hypnotic as watching the crayon factory on “Sesame Street.” Even if you don’t score a table with a view, dinner is entertainment enough. m

SEVENDAYSVt.com

Housemade pasta

rules they put forth. Some may complain that the salads are small and pricey. I’m cheap, and I still say the concentrated flavors are worth it. The more budget-friendly pizzas are worth a mention, too. I’m particularly fond of the pane frattau, topped with a pair of runny-yolked eggs that engulf the covering of crisp pancetta.

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INFo Pascolo Ristorante, 83 Church Street, Burlington, 497-1613. pascolovt.com 4t-nectars122614indd 1

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calendar

DECEMBER 26, 2014-JANUARY 7, 2015

community

OPEN HEART CIRCLE: A safe space for men and women encourages open sharing that fosters gratitude, reflection, affirmation and more. Sacred Mountain Studio, Burlington, 5:45-7:45 p.m. Donations. Info, 922-3724. REMINISCE GROUP: Participants ages 70 and up chat about their early memories. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 12:452:15 p.m. Free. Info, 223-2518.

dance

BALLROOM & LATIN DANCING: VIENNESE WALTZ: Samir Elabd leads choreographed steps for singles and couples. No partner or experience required. Jazzercize Studio, Williston, introductory lesson, 7-8 p.m.; dance, 8-10 p.m. $6-14. Info, 862-2269.

etc.

ILLUMINATE THE LAKE: Visitors celebrate winter, animals and lights at this one-ofa-kind exhibit. See echovermont.org for details. ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center/Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Regular admission, $10.50-13.50; free for kids 2 and under. Info, 877-324-6386.

SEVEN DAYS

12.24.14-01.07.15

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film

WARREN MILLER'S 'NO TURNING BACK': The biggest names in skiing tackle daunting peaks in this adrenalinepumping tribute to 65 years of mountain culture and extreme filmmaking. Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum, Stowe, 7 p.m. $12; limited space. Info, 863-5966.

games

BRIDGE CLUB: Strategic thinkers have fun with the popular card game. Burlington Bridge Club, Williston, 10 a.m. $6 includes refreshments. Info, 651-0700.

health & fitness

AVOID FALLS WITH IMPROVED STABILITY: A personal trainer demonstrates daily exercises for

seniors concerned about their balance. Pines Senior Living Community, South Burlington, 10-11 a.m. $5-6. Info, 658-7477. LAUGHTER YOGA: Breathe, clap, chant and giggle! Participants reduce stress with this playful practice. Bring personal water. The Wellness Co-op, Burlington, noon-1 p.m. Free. Info, 999-7373. LIVING STRONG GROUP: A blend of singing and exercising enlivens a workout. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 2-3 p.m. Free. Info, 223-2518. YOGA CONSULT: Yogis looking to refine their practice get helpful tips. Fusion Studio Yoga & Body Therapy, Montpelier, 11 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 272-8923.

holidays

'AN ALMOST VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS': Musicians and puppeteers join forces onstage in The Nativity, Saint George and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Sandglass Theater, Putney, 3-4:30 & 7-8:30 p.m. $1316. Info, 387-4051. 'A CHRISTMAS CAROL': Miserly Mr. Scrooge gets unexpected Christmas Eve visitors in Northern Stage's adaptation of Charles Dickens' tale. Briggs Opera House, White River Junction, 2 & 7:30 p.m. $2055. Info, 296-7000.

COURTESY OF NIMBLE ARTS

FRI.26

Sassy and Classy

kids

Middle Eastern dance meets mayhem and mischief when the Hypzotique Bellydance Circus performs. Directed by E.K. Narey, the St. Johnsburybased troupe distills flamenco, burlesque, hip-hop and gypsy folkloric dance into a unique, ever-evolving style. Joined by members of Anam Caravan, the Raq-ettes and the Heather Morris Celtic Dancers, the eclectic entertainers turn vaudeville on its head. Live music, showgirls and plenty of pranksters — led by Narey’s sinister sidekick Jingo the Dark Clown — keep audiences on the edge of their seats. Madcap antics aside, these polished performers present a sophisticated show to remember.

EARLY BIRD MATH: One plus one equals fun! Youngsters and their caregivers gain exposure to mathematics through books, songs and games. Richmond Free Library, 11 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 434-3036. MUSIC WITH DEREK: Movers and groovers up to age 8 shake out their sillies to toe-tapping tunes. Buttered Noodles, Williston, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 764-1810.

outdoors

SLEIGH RIDES: Giddy up! Weather permitting, horses trot folks over snowcovered open fields. Rides leave every half hour; seats are first come, first served. Shelburne Farms, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. $8-10; free for kids 2 and under. Info, 985-8442.

FRI.26

FIRST NIGHT ST. JOHNSBURY: HYPZOTIQUE BELLYDANCE CIRCUS Saturday, December 31, 6 and 7 p.m., at Fuller Hall, St. Johnsbury Academy. $10-20 First Night wristband. Info, 748-2600. firstnightstj.com

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DEC.31 | HOLIDAYS

he’s just 22 years old, but Francesca Blanchard has seen plenty of the world. Born in France, the singer-songwriter moved to Vermont at age 11, and her passport boasts stamps from India, Egypt, Kenya, South Korea, Thailand, Guatemala and Mauritania. International travel exposed Blanchard to cultural experiences that would later inform her bilingual songwriting — a mix of French and English that bears the mark of one wise beyond her years. Pouring her heart into delicate melodies written for the acoustic guitar, the rising talent launched a music career with her 2011 EP Songs on an Ovation and continues to blossom.

Defying Gravity Identical twins Elsie Smith and Serenity Smith Forchion do everything together — including feats of breathtaking aerial acrobatics. The award-winning performers’ high-flying act snagged them gigs with Cirque du Soleil and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, among other companies. After traveling the world, the two began teaching in Brattleboro and soon realized they had the recipe for success, founding their company, Nimble Arts, in 2003. Today the sisters head the New England Center for Circus Arts, known for producing top performers such as the trapezists, jugglers and contortionists featured in “Ruckus: A Cirque Spectacular.”

DEC.31 | HOLIDAYS

FIRST NIGHT BURLINGTON: FRANCESCA BLANCHARD Saturday, December 31, 9-9:40 p.m., at First Unitarian Universalist Society in Burlington. $5-20 First Night button; free for kids under 3. Info, 863-6005. firstnightburlington.com

FIRST NIGHT ST. JOHNSBURY: NIMBLE ARTS Saturday, December 31, 8 and 9 p.m., at Fuller Hall, St. Johnsbury Academy. $1020 First Night wristband. Info, 748-2600. firstnightstj.com

SEVEN DAYS

COURTESY OF CRICKET BLUE

COURTESY OF FRANCESCA BLANCHARD

Best of Both Worlds

12.24.14-01.07.15

Laura Heaberlin and Taylor Smith perform under the moniker Cricket Blue, but the Burlington-based folk duo, which formed in 2013, is anything but chirpy. The pair met at Middlebury College, where they studied philosophy and literature. Those subjects figure prominently in introspective music that Vermont Public Radio’s Peter Biello says “has a deceptive simplicity to it.” Cricket Blue’s self-titled debut EP established Heaberlin and Smith as skilled songwriters with a knack for storytelling. Taking the stage with just a pair of acoustic guitars, they easily wrangle themes of love, mythology and friendship into tightly knit, soaring harmonies.

DEC.31 | HOLIDAYS

CALENDAR 53

FIRST NIGHT BURLINGTON: CRICKET BLUE Saturday, December 31, 7-7:40 p.m., at First Congregational Church in Burlington. $5-20 First Night button; free for kids under 3. Info, 863-6005. firstnightburlington.com

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Perfect Complement

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calendar FRI.26

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talks

Growing Older Discussion Group: Andy Potok leads a dialogue that addresses thoughts and fears about aging. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 223-2518.

SAT.27 comedy

'Two Fifty and a Snicker': Chris Woolsey and Julia DiFerdinando elicit big laughs in their original sketch comedy, complete with live musical accompaniment. North End Studio B, Burlington, 7-8:30 p.m. $15. Info, 373-4703.

community

Women's Circle: Those who identify as women gather for readings, discussion and activities. The Wellness Co-op, Burlington, 5-6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 888492-8218, ext. 302.

etc.

54 CALENDAR

SEVEN DAYS

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Illuminate the Lake: See FRI.26, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Large Birds of Prey Performance: Resident raptors from the Vermont Institute of Natural Sciences delight avian enthusiasts young and old. The Schoolhouse, Sugarbush Resort, Warren, 4-5:30 p.m. $7-12. Info, 800-537-8427. Vermont Reindeer: Visitors learn the history of Santa's signature animals and how they connect to other wildlife in the region. ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center/Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Regular admission, $10.50-13.50; free for kids 2 and under. Info, 877-324-6386.

film

Warren Miller's 'No Turning Back': See FRI.26.

food & drink

Chocolate Tasting: Sweets lovers sample treats while learning about how cocoa is grown and produced. Nutty Steph's Granola & Chocolate Factory, Montpelier, 2-3 p.m. Free. Info, 229-2090. Middlebury Winter Farmers Market: Crafts, cheeses, breads, veggies and more vie for spots in shoppers' totes. Mary Hogan Elementary School, Middlebury, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 989-7223. Rutland Winter Farmers Market: More than 50 vendors offer produce, cheese, homemade bread and other made-in-Vermont products at the bustling indoor venue. Vermont Farmers Food Center, Rutland, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 753-7269. Wine Tasting: New releases of Argentine red blends please discerning palates. Trapp Family Lodge, Stowe, 4-6 p.m. $20; preregister. Info, 253-5742.

health & fitness

Prenatal Yoga & Barre: Moms-to-be prepare their bodies for labor and birth. Prenatal Method Studio, Burlington, 10:30-11:30 a.m. $15. Info, 829-0211. R.I.P.P.E.D.: Resistance, intervals, power, plyometrics, endurance and diet define this high-intensity physical-fitness program. North End Studio A, Burlington, 9-10 a.m. $10. Info, 578-9243.

holidays

'A Christmas Carol': See FRI.26.

kids

Saturday Drop-In Story Time: A weekly selection of music and books entertains children of all ages. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 264-5664. Spanish Musical Playgroup: Little ones up to age 5 join Constancia Gómez for stories, rhymes and songs en español. Crafts and snacks with Natasha round out the fun. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

outdoors

Bird Monitoring Walk: Adults and older children don binoculars and keep an eye out for feathered fliers. Birds of Vermont Museum, Huntington, 8-9:45 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 434-2167. Sleigh Rides: See FRI.26, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Snake Mountain Winter Wonderland: Old-growth forests, frozen glacial ponds and an expansive view of the southern Champlain Valley make for a memorable outing. Contact trip leader for details. Snake Mountain, Middlebury, 9 a.m. Free; preregister; limited space. Info, 233-8091.

seminars

3D Printing, Designing & Scanning With Blu-Bin: Instruction in basic programs teaches attendees how to build digital models of their ideas. BluBin, Burlington, noon-1:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 345-6030. Digital Video Editing: Final Cut Pro users get familiar with the most recent version of the editing software. Prerequisite of VCAM Access Orientation or equivalent, or instructor's permission. VCAM Studio, Burlington, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 651-9692, bill@vermontcam.org.

theater

'Ruckus: A Cirque Spectacular': Highflying theatrics come to life via the awardwinning troupe of trapezists, jugglers and contortionists. Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center, Stowe Mountain Resort, 7 p.m. $20-46. Info, 760-4634.

SUN.28

community

OK ABC Practice: A: Who am I? B: What do I want to be? C: How can I change the world? An open meeting explores these inquiries. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 4:45-6 p.m. Free. Info, 989-9684.

etc.

outdoors

film

MON.29

Illuminate the Lake: See FRI.26, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Warren Miller's 'No Turning Back': See FRI.26, Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center, Stowe Mountain Resort, 7 p.m. $12. Info, 760-4634.

food & drink

Sunday Breakfast: Rise and shine! Pancakes, scrambled eggs, corned beef hash, sausage gravy and biscuits await. Proceeds benefit veterans and their families. VFW Post 309, Peru, N.Y., 9 a.m.noon. $8. Info, 518-643-4580.

health & fitness

Nia with Suzy: Drawing from martial arts, dance arts and healing arts, sensorybased movements inspire participants to explore their potential. South End Studio, Burlington, 9-10 a.m. $14. Info, 522-3691. Sunday Sangha: Community Ashtanga Yoga: Students of all ages and skill levels hit the mat to breathe through a series of poses. Grateful Yoga, Montpelier, 5:40-7 p.m. $1-20 suggested donation. Info, 224-6183.

holidays

Breaking Up Christmas: Cajun Solstice Dance: Katie Trautz and the Green Mountain Playboys channel the best of the bayou with toe-tapping tunes. Cabot Town Hall, 3 p.m. Donations. Info, 563-2279. Christmas Concert: Greg Smith, Ann Rowell and Jan Van Mynen present a seasonal program for voice, piano and organ. Shelburne United Methodist Church, 1:30-2:30 p.m. Free. Info, 985-3981. Vajrasattva: New Year's Purification Retreat: Those looking to shed negative karma and welcome 2015 anew join venerable Tenzin Chogkyi for an introspective getaway. See milarepacenter.org for details. Milarepa Center, Barnet, 5 p.m. $247.50-275; preregister. Info, 633-4136.

kids

Kids Yoga: Yogis ages 3 through 7 gain strength and balance while learning how to focus and relax. Grateful Yoga, Montpelier, 4:15-5:15 p.m. $12. Info, 224-6183. Russian Play Time With Natasha: Youngsters up to age 8 learn new words via rhymes, games, music, dance and a puppet show. Buttered Noodles, Williston, 11-11:45 a.m. Free. Info, 764-1810.

language

Dimanches French Conversation: Parlez-vous français? Speakers practice the tongue at a casual drop-in chat. Local History Room, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 4-5:30 p.m. Free. Info, 363-2431.

Sleigh Rides: See FRI.26, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

dance

Boot Camp for Dancers: Intermediateto-advanced dancers hone their skills under the direction of Hanna Satterlee. Contemporary Dance & Fitness Studio, Montpelier, 3:30-4:45 p.m. $16. Info, 229-4676.

etc.

Illuminate the Lake: See FRI.26, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

film

Warren Miller's 'No Turning Back': See FRI.26.

games

Bridge Club: See FRI.26, 7 p.m. Tabletop Game Night: Players ages 14 and up sit down to friendly bouts of Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride and more. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 5:30-7:45 p.m. Free. Info, 264-5660. Trivia Night: Teams of quick thinkers gather for a meeting of the minds. Lobby, Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 7-9 p.m. Free. Info, 651-5012.

health & fitness

Avoid Falls With Improved Stability: See FRI.26. Living Strong Group: See FRI.26, 2:303:30 p.m. Prenatal Yoga & Barre: See SAT.27, 12:15-1:15 & 5-6 p.m. R.I.P.P.E.D.: See SAT.27, 6-7 p.m.

holidays

Vajrasattva: New Year's Purification Retreat: See SUN.28, 5 p.m.

kids

ChildLight Yoga for Kids: Budding yogis ages 4 through 8 hit the mat for a stretching session. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 865-7216. Intergenerational Dessert Book Discussion: Readers in grades 6 and up consider Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden's Joe Golem and the Drowning City over sweet treats. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 264-5660. Kids Yoga: A fun-filled class for students ages 8 through 12 encourages focus, creativity and teamwork. Grateful Yoga, Montpelier, 4:15-5:15 p.m. $12. Info, 224-6183. Music With Peter: Preschoolers up to age 5 bust out song-and-dance moves to traditional and original folk tunes. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 11 a.m. Free; limited to one session per week per family. Info, 878-4918.

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music

Beginning Piano Lesson: Guided by Kim Hewitt, students of all ages try their hands at the black-and-white keys. Compass Music and Arts Center, Brandon, 3:30-5 p.m. $15; preregister for 30-minute time slot. Info, 989-1694. sLeigh Rides: See FRI.26, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

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community

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MON.29

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TLC nURsing assoCiaTes hoLiday oPen hoUse: Folks learn about the organization's in-home services for people of all ages, physical conditions and cognitive abilities. TLC Nursing Associates, West Lebanon, N.H., 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 735-1123. TUesday VoLUnTeeR nighTs: Folks pitch in around the shop by organizing parts, moving bikes and tackling other projects. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Bike Recycle Vermont, Burlington, 5-8 p.m. Free. Info, 264-9687.

dance

inTRo To TRiBaL BeLLy danCe: Ancient traditions define this moving meditation that celebrates creative energy. Comfortable clothing required. Sacred Mountain Studio, Burlington, 6:45 p.m. $13. Info, piper.c.emily@gmail.com. 'The nUTCRaCkeR': The Sugar Plum Fairy twirls across the stage in this Bolshoi Ballet production, broadcast to the big screen. Catamount Arts Center, St. Johnsbury, 7 p.m. $6-18. Info, 748-2600. swing danCe PRaCTiCe session: Twinkle-toed dancers get familiar with the lindy hop, Charleston and balboa. Indoor shoes required. Champlain Club, Burlington, 7:30-9:30 p.m. $5. Info, 448-2930.

etc.

iLLUminaTe The Lake: See FRI.26, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

film

knighTs of The mysTiC moVie CLUB: Cinema hounds screen campy flicks at this ode to offbeat productions. Main Street Museum, White River Junction, 8 p.m. Free. Info, 356-2776.

food & drink

wine TasTing: Cheers! Locavores mingle with Stuart Timmons of Farrell Distributing over newly released Vermont reds. Trapp Family Lodge, Stowe, 4-6 p.m. $20; preregister. Info, 253-5742.

games

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gaming foR Teens & adULTs: Tabletop games entertain players of all skill levels. Kids 13 and under require a legal guardian or parental permission to attend. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 5-7:45 p.m. Free. Info, 865-7216.

health & fitness

afRo Jazz & yoga woRkoUT: An inspired session combines dancing and yoga sequences with floor work and hand weights. Contemporary Dance & Fitness Studio, Montpelier, 5:15-6:45 p.m. $16. Info, 229-4676. genTLe yoga wiTh JiLL Lang: Students get their stretch on in a supportive environment. Personal mat required. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918. inTRo To yoga: Newcomers discover the benefits of aligning breath and body. Fusion Studio Yoga & Body Therapy, Montpelier, 4-5 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 272-8923. nia wiTh sUzy: See SUN.28, North End Studio B, Burlington, 7-8 a.m. $13. Info, 522-3691. PRenaTaL yoga & BaRRe: See SAT.27, 12:15-1:15 & 4:30-5:30 p.m.

holidays

'The aPaRTmenT': Business plans go hilariously awry in Billy Wilder's 1960 romantic comedy starring Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. Film House, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free; first come, first served. Info, 540-3018. VaJRasaTTVa: new yeaR's PURifiCaTion ReTReaT: See SUN.28, 5 p.m.

kids

ChiLdLighT yoga foR kids: See MON.29. TeCh TUesdays: Youngsters tackle e-crafts, circuits and programming after school gets out. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 223-4665. ToddLeR sToRy Time: Tykes up to 3 years old have fun with music, rhymes, snacks and captivating tales. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 10:30-11 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 264-5660.

language

fRenCh ConVeRsaTion gRoUP: Beginner-to-intermediate speakers brush up on their language skills. El Gato Cantina, Burlington, 4:30-6 p.m. Free. Info, 540-0195. PaUse-Café fRenCh ConVeRsaTion: French students of varying levels engage in dialogue en français. Panera Bread, Burlington, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, 363-2431.

outdoors

sLeigh Rides: See FRI.26, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

words

wRiTeR's CiRCLe: Lit lovers of all skill levels put pen to paper in an encouraging environment. The Wellness Co-op, Burlington, 5:30-7 p.m. Free. Info, 888492-8218, ext. 300.

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DaVE kEllEr'S nEW yEar'S EVE ExtraVaganza: Folks bid adieu to 2014 with the Starline Rhythm Boys, the community Dave Keller Band, Mad Taco fare, Three PEEr SuPPort CirClE: A confidential, penny Taproom brews and a Champagne welcoming space allows participants to toast at midnight. Montpelier City Hall converse freely without giving advice or Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.-1 a.m. $10-15. Info, solving problems. The Wellness Co-op, 229-0492. Burlington, 5-6 p.m. Free. Info, 777-8602. firEWorkS & torChlight ParaDE: Sugarbush employees light up Lincoln etc. peak at this sparkly New Year's Eve Dog ParaDE: Costumed canines tradition. Sugarbush Resort, Warren, 7 welcome the new year with barks and p.m. Call for price. Info, 800-537-8427. wagging tails alongside their human firSt night Burlington: Folks of companions. proceeds benefit pAWSitive all ages cap off 2014 with circus arts, pantry. Gate House Base Lodge, theater, music, dance and fireworks Sugarbush Resort, Warren, registration, at this substance-free fête. See 2 p.m.; parade, 3:30 p.m. $10. Info, firstnightburlington.com for details. 583-6349. Various downtown Burlington locations, illuminatE thE lakE: See FRI.26, 10 noon-midnight. $5-20 First Night button; a.m.-5 p.m. free for kids under 3; some some shows require additional $5 tickets. Info, food & drink 863-6005. CoffEE taSting: Sips of Counter Culture firSt night St. JohnSBury: More than Coffee varieties inspire side-by-side 50 acts perform at a citywide celebration comparisons of different regional blends. of the arts that ends with a dazzling Maglianero Café, Burlington, noon. Free. fireworks display. See firstnightstj.com for Info, 617-331-1276, corey@maglianero. details. Various St. Johnsbury locations, com. 4 p.m.-midnight. $10-20 wristband. Info, WEDnESDay WinE DoWn: Oenophiles 748-2600, info@firstnightstj.com. get over the midweek hump with four franCESCa BlanCharD: The welldifferent varietals and samples from Lake traveled rising talent captures her life Champlain Chocolates, Cabot Creamery experiences in original songs, performed and other local food producers. Drink, in both French and English. See calendar Burlington, 4:30 p.m. $12. Info, 860-9463, spotlight. First Unitarian Universalist melissashahady@vtdrink.com. Society, Burlington, 9 p.m. $5-20 First games Night button; free for kids under 3. Info, 863-6005. BriDgE CluB: See FRI.26, 9:15 a.m. hyPzotiquE BEllyDanCE CirCuS: health & fitness Dancers, live music, showgirls and aCro yoga: partner and group work pranksters are the perfect recipe for taps into the therapeutic benefits vaudevillian antics. See calendar of modified acrobatics. Yoga spotlight. Fuller Hall, St. Mountain Center, Montpelier, Johnsbury Academy, 6 & 7 5:45-7 p.m. $15. Info, p.m. $10-20 wristband. Info, 324-1737. 748-2600. r.i.P.P.E.D.: See MON.29. marko thE magiCian: Sleight-of-hand tricks rEfrEShing VinyaSa delights audience members yoga: A lively practice of all ages and give way to a builds strength and flexibility F M AR hypnosis show. Auditorium, while improving stamina, KO TH E M A G I CI A N Montpelier High School, 4:30 & circulation and range of motion. 5:45 p.m. $5; free for kids 5 and under. Contemporary Dance & Fitness Studio, Info, 223-9604. Montpelier, noon-1:15 p.m. $16. Info, 229-4676. nEW yEar'S EVE CElEBration: Familyfriendly crafts pave the way for a ham holidays dinner and a musical performance artSriot'S nEW yEar'S EVE Party: by Hearts & Souls. Bethany Church, Revelers don formal attire for a year-end Montpelier, 3 p.m. $25-30 for dinner and bash featuring Champagne pours and live concert. Info, 622-0376. music by Kat Wright & the Indomitable nEW yEar'S EVE ConCErt: Hannah Soul Band. ArtsRiot, Burlington, 8 p.m.Beth Crary and Hillary Stewart team up midnight. $15-20. Info, 540-0406. with the Fiddleheads and the Highland CriCkEt BluE: Armed with a pair of Weavers for a spirited show. proceeds acoustic guitars, the Burlington-based benefit the Gillett pond Save the Dam folk duo brings introspective tunes to Fund. Richmond Congregational Church, the stage. See calendar spotlight. First 7:30 p.m. $10 suggested donation. Info, Congregational Church, Burlington, 7 p.m. 434-4565. $5-20 First Night button; free for kids under 3. Info, 863-6005.

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Happy new Hair!

calendar WED.31

« p.57

New Year's eve CoNtra DaNCe: Folks in clean-soled shoes ring in the New Year to tunes by Cuckoo's Nest and calling by Ruth Sylvester. Tracy Hall, Norwich, beginner session, 7:45 p.m.; dance, 8 p.m. $5-15; bring a snack to share. Info, 1 large, 1-topping pizza, 2 liter Coke 785-4607. product, 1 dozen boneless wings New Year's eve DiNNer & theater: Broadway star Alisa Endsley offers cabaret-style entertainment after a 2 large, 1-topping pizzas & 2-liter Coke product gourmet dinner. Middlebury Inn, 6:30 p.m. $85 includes admittance to the Town Hall Theater party; cash bar. Info, 382-9222. Plus tax. Pick-up or delivery only. Expires 1/31/15. Limit: 1 offer per customer per day. New Year's eve PartY & Fireworks: Colorful light bursts bloom in the sky Text “3bros” to 30321 to join our VIP Loyalty Program as a festive opening act for musical for exclusive giveaways & deals! <m e ns r oomvt.c om> 106 main st. performers the Grift. Foeger Ballroom. Jay 802.864.2088 973 Roosevelt Highway peak Resort, 9 p.m. $10; for ages 18 and Colchester • 655-5550 up. Info, 327-2596. Lad ies in vited www.threebrotherspizzavt.com New Year's eve roaD raCe: Athletes end 2014 on a high note and pound the pavement in a 5K. See cvrunners.org for 12v-ThreeBros122614.indd 1 12/11/14 12v-mens122612.indd 10:40 AM 1 12/6/12 2:45 PM details. pavilion Building, Montpelier, registration, 12:30-1:45 p.m.; race, 2 p.m. $10. Info, gregw.cvr@gmail.com. New Year's eve sYmPhoNY Gala: The Vermont Symphony Orchestra kicks off the New Year in style with dinner, dancing and big-band hits. Sheraton Hotel & Conference Center, South Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $175; cash bar; preregister. Info, 863-5966. Nimble arts: Awe-inspiring aerial acrobatics propel a circus act to remember, led by identical twins Elsie Smith and Serenity Smith Forchion. See calendar spotlight. Fuller Hall, St. Johnsbury Academy, 8 & 9 p.m. $10-20 wristband. Info, 748-2600. olD laNterN New Year's eve CelebratioN: Revelers welcome 2015 with Top Hat Entertainment, tasty fare and midnight toast. Old Lantern, Charlotte, 8 p.m. $37.50; for ages 21 and up. Info, 863-5966. a roCkiN' New Year's eve: Revelers groove to live tunes by the Doughboys, then usher in 2015 with a Champagne toast on the porch at midnight. Town Hall Theater, Middlebury, 8 p.m. $15; cash bar. Info, 382-9222. timbers New Year's eve CelebratioN: Diners ring in 2015 in style with a slope-side feast, followed by live music and plenty of revelry. Timbers Restaurant, Sugarbush Resort, Warren, 6 p.m.-midnight. prices vary; preregister. Info, 583-6800. vajrasattva: New Year's PuriFiCatioN retreat: See SUN.28, 5 p.m. a verY merrY miDDleburY: Festivities PER MONTH throughout the month of December transform the town into a winter wonderland for the whole family to enjoy. See experiencemiddlebury.com Now through the end of 2014, start unlimited conversations for details. Various Middlebury locations, for only $15 a month (usually $30). prices vary. Info, 377-3557.

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kids

oPeN-sourCe harDware workshoP: Tinkerers ages 10 and up learn about circuits and more when assembling kits from SparkFun electronics. Ilsley public Library, Middlebury, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free; preregister; limited space. Info, 388-4095. PresChool musiC: Kids ages 3 through 5 sing and dance the afternoon away. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 1-1:30 p.m. Free. Info, 264-5660.

language

eNGlish as a seCoND laNGuaGe Class: Beginners better their vocabulary. pickering Room. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, 865-7211. iNtermeDiate/aDvaNCeD eNGlish as a seCoND laNGuaGe Class: Students sharpen grammar and conversational skills. Administration Office, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, 865-7211.

music

aN iNtimate eveNiNG with james taYlor: SOLD OUT. The Grammy Awardwining folk troubadour performs a benefit concert for the Spruce peak Arts Center Foundation. Spruce peak performing Arts Center, Stowe Mountain Resort, 8:30 p.m. $175-1,000. Info, 760-4634.

outdoors

sleiGh riDes: See FRI.26, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

thu.1 holidays

vajrasattva: New Year's PuriFiCatioN retreat: See SUN.28, 5 p.m.

music

GreeN mouNtaiN mahler Festival: Community singers and strings players deliver a grand performance of Beethoven's Ninth benefiting the Vermont Family Network. Elley-Long Music Center, St. Michael's College, Colchester, 3 & 5 p.m. $10-25. Info, 862-5966.

outdoors

sleiGh riDes: See FRI.26, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

sports

First ruN: Athletes of all ages start 2015 off on the right foot on a 5K course through downtown. See runvermont. org for details. Memorial Auditorium, Burlington, registration, 9:30-10:45 a.m.; kids fun run, 10:30 a.m.; 5K, 11 a.m. $5-35. Info, 863-8412.

Fri.2 dance

boot CamP For DaNCers: See MON.29, 5-6:15 p.m.

LIST YOUR EVENT FOR FREE AT SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POSTEVENT

QUEEN CITY TANGO PRACTILONGA: Dancers kick off the weekend with improvisation, camaraderie and laughter. No partner necessary, but clean, smoothsoled shoes required. North End Studio B, Burlington, 7:30-10 p.m. $7. Info, 877-6648.

etc.

SNOW FARM WINE DOWN: Live music and local beer and wine served up in a pastoral setting make for an ideal end to the workweek. See snowfarm.com for details. Snow Farm Vineyard, South Hero, 6 p.m. Cost of drinks. Info, 372-9463.

film

WARREN MILLER'S 'NO TURNING BACK': See SUN.28.

games

BRIDGE CLUB: See FRI.26.

health & fitness

AVOID FALLS WITH IMPROVED STABILITY: See FRI.26. LAUGHTER YOGA: See FRI.26. YOGA CONSULT: See FRI.26.

kids

food & drink

BURLINGTON WINTER FARMERS MARKET: Farmers, artisans and producers offer fresh and prepared foods, crafts, and more in a bustling indoor marketplace with live music, lunch seating and face painting. Memorial Auditorium, Burlington, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 310-5172. CALEDONIA WINTER FARMERS MARKET: Fresh baked goods, veggies, beef and maple syrup encourage foodies to shop locally. Welcome Center, St. Johnsbury, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 592-3088. CAPITAL CITY WINTER FARMERS MARKET: Root veggies, honey, maple syrup and more change hands at an offseason celebration of locally grown food. Montpelier City Hall, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 223-2958. CHOCOLATE TASTING: See SAT.27. RUTLAND WINTER FARMERS MARKET: See SAT.27. WINE TASTING: Tasters sip nebbiolo, a red wine originating in the mountains of Italy's famed Piedmont region. Trapp Family Lodge, Stowe, 4-6 p.m. $20; preregister. Info, 253-5742.

health & fitness

EARLY BIRD MATH: See FRI.26.

lgbtq

FIRST FRIDAY: DJs and drag acts make for a memorable queer dance party. Higher Ground, South Burlington, 9 p.m. $5-10. Info, 877-987-6487.

talks

GROWING OLDER DISCUSSION GROUP: See FRI.26.

BETTER HEALTH NUMEROLOGY FOR CHRONIC & RECURRING HEALTH ISSUES: Jessica Moseley explores the ancient art of finding meaning and potential in different number combinations. Community Room, Hunger Mountain Co-op, Montpelier, 1-2:15 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 223-8000, ext. 202. PRENATAL YOGA & BARRE: See SAT.27. R.I.P.P.E.D.: See SAT.27.

The Forget Me Not Shop, Johnson Golf and Ski Warehouse, West Lebanon Green Mountain Visitor Center and Café, Waterbury Harpoon Brewery, Windsor Lake Champlain Chocolates, Waterbury Center Lenny’s Shoe and Apparel, Barre, Williston, St. Albans and Plattsburgh Littleton Bike and Fitness, Littleton NH Moose River Lodge, St Johnsbury Omer And Bob’s, Lebanon Outdoor Gear Exchange, Burlington

YOGA TOTS: YogaFit instructor Jessica Frost leads little ones ages 3 through 6 in poses that focus their energy and relax their minds. Community Room, Highgate Municipal Building, 9 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 868-3970.

music

CO U

RIPTON COMMUNITY COFFEEHOUSE: Local performers warm up the microphone for an acoustic set by vocalist Rani Arbo and guitarist Greg Ryan. Ripton Community House, 7:30 p.m. $3-10. Info, 388-9782.

outdoors

FULL MOON SNOWSHOE HIKE: Nature lovers explore Montpelier's hillsides by lunar light. Snowshoes and hot chocolate provided. North Branch Nature Center, Montpelier, 7-8:30 p.m. $5-10; preregister. Info, 229-6206.

SkiRack, Burlington Slopestyle Ski and Ride, Montpelier Sunshine Boutique, St Johnsbury The White Market at their two locations in Lyndonville, and in St Johnsbury 104.7 & 93.3 BURLINGTON 93.7 MIDDLEBURY 104.7 & 100.3 MONTPELIER 95.7 THE NORTHEAST KINGDOM 103.1 & 107.7 THE UPPER VALLEY

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BURLINGTON WESTIE DANCE: Movers and shakers in futuristic threads groove to a fusion of blues and West Coast swing. North End Studios, Burlington, introductory lesson, 6:30 p.m.; workshop, 7 p.m.; dance, 8-11 p.m. $7-10. Info, burlingtonwestie@gmail.com. 'DOWNTON ABBEY' DANCE PARTY: Fans of the popular PBS series dress as their favorite character and hit the dance floor for an evening of fancy footwork. The Wilburton Inn, Manchester, 6:30-10 p.m. F RA $40; cash bar. Info, 362-2500, NI AR BO bedandbrunchpr@gmail.com. SHAKE-OFF DANCE PARTY: Revelers groove to DJed tunes at this sixth annual benefit for Vermont Access to Reproductive Freedom. Union Station, Burlington, 8 p.m.-1 a.m. $12-100 suggested donation; cash bar. Info, 355-3910.

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NEW THIS WEEK!

6, 2014 December 2 arming w s ether he’

Wh ury Manor laps at Pillsb y r communit South senio ad re to ow or learning h n the Willisto with kids at y ap er th d tere library, regis ly al su u n u is h cat Van Gog eople, says calm with p Elizabeth his handler, Llewellyn.

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DECEMBER 10, 2014 Burlington High School alum Kate Wetherhead, who appeared on Broadway in Legally Blonde, recently taught up-and-coming Vermont students how to ace an audition.

12.24.14-01.07.15

DECEMBER 03, 2014 Eva Sollberger got unstuck for a trip to two Montréal “cat cafés” with blogger Sachie Tani of “My Cat Goma.”

NOVEMBER 26, 2014 If playing soccer while bouncing around in a giant inflatable ball sounds like fun, this Bubble Soccer video is for you. Eva Sollberger joined staff writer Ethan de Seife for an epic battle of the balls.

SEVEN DAYS

MaNsField ridge HiKe: Adventure seekers strap on snowshoes for a difficult 9-mile trek to the summit of Mount Mansfield. Contact trip leader for details. Underhill State park, 9 a.m. Free; preregister; limited space. Info, 899-9982. sleigH rides: Giddy up! Weather permitting, horses trot folks over snowcovered open fields. Rides leave every half hour; seats are first come, first served. Shelburne Farms, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. $8-10; free for kids 2 and under. Info, 985-8442.

seminars

sponsored by:

vcaM OrieNtatiON: Video-production hounds learn basic concepts and nomenclature at an overview of VCAM facilities, policies and procedures. VCAM Studio, Burlington, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 651-9692.

MON.5

community

Public HeariNg: The Williston Selectboard hosts a meeting about proposed amendments to existing bylaws, followed by an examination of town budgets for the years 2016-2021. Meeting Room, Williston Town Hall, 7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 878-0919.

games

bridge club: See FRI.26, 7 p.m.

health & fitness

avOid Falls WitH iMPrOved stability: See FRI.26. PreNatal yOga & barre: See SAT.27, 12:15-1:15 & 5-6 p.m. r.i.P.P.e.d.: See MON.29.

kids

games

sHriNers suPer biNgO: players with five in a row win big at this monthly meetup. Champlain Valley Exposition, Essex Junction, 12:30-5 p.m. $30 for 12 cards. Info, 434-2055.

alice iN NOOdlelaNd: Youngsters get acquainted over crafts and play while new parents and expectant mothers chat with maternity nurse and lactation consultant Alice Gonyar. Buttered Noodles, Williston, 10-11 a.m. Free. Info, 764-1810. Kids yOga: See MON.29. stOries WitH MegaN: Captivating tales entertain budding bookworms ages 2 through 5. Robert Miller Community & Recreation Center, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 865-7216.

health & fitness

outdoors

suN.4

community

OK abc Practice: See SUN.28.

Nia WitH suzy: See SUN.28. suNday saNgHa: cOMMuNity asHtaNga yOga: See SUN.28.

kids

Kids yOga: See SUN.28. russiaN Play tiMe WitH NatasHa: Youngsters up to age 8 learn new words via rhymes, games, music, dance and a puppet show. Buttered Noodles, Williston, 11-11:45 a.m. Free. Info, 764-1810.

language

diMaNcHes FreNcH cONversatiON: See SUN.28.

music

sWiNg NOrtH big baNd: The 18-piece band brings jazz standards and reimagined carols to "Swinging Epiphany Celebration." St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Newport, 4 p.m. $10. Info, 334-7365.

outdoors

sleigH rides: See SAT.3.

theater

'tHe secret gardeN': Opera Theatre of Weston adapts Frances Hodgson Burnett's timeless tale for the stage. paramount Theatre, Rutland, 2 p.m. $1530. Info, 775-0903.

Full MOON sleigH ride: Weather permitting, families join pat palmer of Thornapple Farm and his team of draft horses for an excursion across open acres. Shelburne Farms, 5:30, 6:05 & 6:40 p.m. $8-10; free for kids 2 and under; preregister. Info, 985-8686.

tue.6 business

busiNess visiONiNg FOr tHe NeW year: Small-business mentor Jason pugliese helps professionals craft a wellconsidered vision statement. Community Room, Hunger Mountain Co-op, Montpelier, 5:30-7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 223-8000, ext. 202.

community

elleN MarsdeN: The UVM biologist discusses the health of lake trout in Lake Champlain at Central Vermont Trout Unlimited's open meeting. Holiday Inn, South Burlington, 7-9 p.m. Free. Info, ghagwood@gmail.com. tuesday vOluNteer NigHts: See TUE.30.

dance

iNtrO tO tribal belly daNce: See TUE.30. sWiNg daNce Practice sessiON: See TUE.30.

games

gaMiNg FOr teeNs & adults: See TUE.30. 2v-stuck-lovn122414.indd 1

12/17/14 11:33 AM

liSt Your EVENt for frEE At SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POSTEVENT

health & fitness

Intro to Yoga: See TUE.30. JazzercIse LIte: Adults ages 50 and up break a sweat in a supportive environment. Essex Junction Senior Center, 8-9 a.m. $3-3.50. Info, 876-5087. JuIcIng for WeIght Loss & VItaLItY: Suzy Harris of Cedar Wood Natural Health Center identifies common challenges, then shares body-specific plans for reaching personal health goals. Eco Bean + Juice, Burlington, 5:30-7 p.m. Free. Info, 863-5828. nIa WIth suzY: See TUE.30. Pee-Wee PILates: Moms engage with their babies in a whole-body workout. Prenatal Method Studio, Burlington, 10:30-11:30 a.m. $15. Info, 829-0211. PrenataL Yoga & Barre: See SAT.27, 12:15-1:15 & 4:30-5:30 p.m.

kids

creatIVe tuesdaYs: Artists exercise their imaginations with recycled crafts. Kids under 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 3-5 p.m. Free. Info, 865-7216. hIghgate skater tots: Tykes up to preschool age lace up their skates and glide across the rink. Highgate Sports Arena, 10 a.m. & 2 p.m. Free. Info, 868-3970. MusIc WIth Mr. chrIs: Singer, storyteller and puppeteer Chris Dorman entertains tykes and their parents. Buttered Noodles, Williston, 10-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 764-1810. storIes WIth Megan: See MON.5, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 865-7216. tech tuesdaYs: See TUE.30.

Wed.7

Peer suPPort cIrcLe: See WED.31.

dance

shantaLa shIVaLIngaPPa: The master of the classic Indian dance Kuchipudi elevates her craft to visual storytelling. Moore Theater, Hopkins Center, Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H., 7 p.m. $17-40. Info, 603-646-2422. coffee tastIng: See WED.31. WednesdaY WIne doWn: See WED.31.

games

BrIdge cLuB: See FRI.26, 9:15 a.m.

engLIsh as a second Language cLass: See WED.31. gerMan-engLIsh conVersatIon grouP: Community members practice conversing auf Deutsch. Local History Room, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, 865-7211. InterMedIate/adVanced engLIsh as a second Language cLass: See WED.31.

“grEasE” sing-a-long-a

1/1 TH

1/2 FR

1/18 SU

JohannEs string quartEt with frEd child

“Beethoven and Bartók” MainStage

young tradition rEunion concErt

w/Cricket Blue, Eric George, 1/20 TU tragically hip Addie Herbert, Chris MainStage Dorman, Hannah Fair 1/22 TH National Theatre Live FlynnSpace 1/3 SA

“trEasurE island”

young tradition rEunion concErt

w/Irregulars and Les Poules a Colin plus special guests 1/23 FR FlynnSpace

talks

aLLen kooP: The Dartmouth College professor considers the history, traditions and legends of the Appalachian Mountain Club's hut system in New Hampshire. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 7-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, 748-8291. JaMes MaroneY: In "Georgia O'Keeffe: A Critical Look," the former head of American paintings at Sotheby's and Christie's auction houses evaluates the artist's best works. Norwich Congregational Church, 7-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, 649-1184. PaM Pearson: The director of the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative outlines the impact of global warming on the Earth's ice- and snowcovered regions. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 7-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338. reeVe LIndBergh: Reflecting on four decades of her mother’s musings, the author and daughter of aviator Charles presents "Rowing Against Wind and Tide: The Journals and Letters of Anne Morrow Lindbergh." Rutland Free Library, 7-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, 773-1860. roseMarY gLadstar: The renowned herbalist examines the history of herbalism and its role in health care today. Ilsley Public Library, Middlebury, 7-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, 388-4095. susanne cLaxton: The philosophy scholar shares her wisdom in "The Examined Life." Goodrich Memorial Library, Newport, 7-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, 334-7902. m

BEEthovEn’s ninth symphony

Matt Karas

Elley-Long Music Center

sports

PreMIer fLoor hockeY League: Experienced players aim for the goal in a competitive setting. The Edge Sports & Fitness, Essex, 7-10 p.m. $80; preregister. Info, 355-4588.

Tracy Love

1/8 TH

mat frasEr & JuliE atlas muZ

1/24 SA

“The Freak and the Showgirl” FlynnSpace 1/10 SA

“stand up, sit down, & laugh”

1/25 SU

vso mastErworks vyo wintEr concErt

vyo chorus & concErt choral

1/28 WE VT Stage Company

pridE of nEw york

1/30 FR

“or”

FlynnSpace (1/28-2/15)

All Souls Interfaith Gathering 1/17 SA

MainStage

Elley-Long Music Center

1/16 FR

“grEasE” sing-a-long-a

MainStage

FlynnSpace

1/13 TU

Palace 9 Cinemas

camillE a. Brown & dancErs MainStage

on salE and coming soon

craig ferguson l dennis mcneil l capitol steps l disney’s “Beauty and the Beast”

tErri lynE carrington quartEt MainStage

solo workshop

“Assigned Allies” UVM Recital Hall

JuvEnilE livE

Venue Nightclub

802-86-FLYNN l 153 Main St., Burlington 2v-flynn122614.indd 1

12/13/14 12:26 PM

CALENDAR 61

eatIng WeLL on a Budget: From smart shopping to meal planning, a weekly workshop with Frances Fleming of UVM Extension highlights ways to save and get healthy. Community Room, Hunger Mountain Co-op, Montpelier, 5:30-7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 223-8000, ext. 202. InsIght MedItatIon: A supportive environment allows for a deeper understanding of Buddhist principles and practices. Wellspring Mental Health and Wellness Center, Hardwick, 5:30-7 p.m. Free. Info, 472-6694.

language

SEVEN DAYS

health & fitness

Meet rockIn' ron the frIendLY PIrate: Aargh, matey! Youngsters channel the hooligans of the sea during music, games and activities. Buttered Noodles, Williston, 10-10:45 a.m. Free. Info, 764-1810. storY tIMe & PLaYgrouP: Engaging narratives pave the way for art, nature and cooking projects. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.

camillE a. Brown & dancErs

12.24.14-01.07.15

food & drink

tErri lynE carrington

kids

SEVENDAYSVt.com

community

PrenataL Yoga & Barre: See SAT.27, 12:15-1:15 & 5-6 p.m. r.I.P.P.e.d.: See MON.29.

classes THE FOLLOWING CLASS LISTINGS ARE PAID ADVERTISEMENTS. ANNOUNCE YOUR CLASS FOR AS LITTLE AS $13.75/WEEK (INCLUDES SIX PHOTOS AND UNLIMITED DESCRIPTION ONLINE). SUBMIT YOUR CLASS AD AT SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POSTCLASS.

art

NEW YEAR OPEN STUDIO SERIES: Feel the joy and wonder of creative expression. Join us for one or all four inspirational Open Studios. Express, explore and create your own way to set your 2015 New Year’s intentions in color, clay or collage. Engage the positive power of your imagination and bring in the New Year. Sun., 1-4 p.m., Jan. 4, 11, 18 & 25. Cost: $180/4 classes or $50 per open studio session. Many materials provided. Location: Expressive Arts Burlington, 200 Main St., suite 9, Burlington. Info: Topaz Weis, 862-5302, topazweis@gmx.net, expressiveartsburlington.com.

burlington city arts

62 CLASSES

SEVEN DAYS

12.24.14-01.07.15

SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Call 865-7166 for info or register online at burlingtoncityarts.org. Teacher bios are also available online. CLAY: WHEEL THROWING: This class is an introduction to clay, pottery and the ceramics studio. Students will work primarily on the potter’s wheel, learning basic throwing and forming techniques, while creating functional pieces such as mugs, vases and bowls. Students will learn various finishing techniques using the studio’s house slips and glazes. No previous experience necessary. Option 1: Thu., Jan. 29-Mar. 19, 12:30-3 p.m. Instructor: Chris Vaugh. Pair with Mixed Level Wheel. Option 2: Thu., Jan. 29-Mar. 19, 6-8:30 p.m. Instructor: Chris Vaugh. Pair with Mixed Level Wheel. Option 3: Wed., Apr. 1-May 20, 6-8:30 p.m. Instructor: Jeremy Ayers. Cost: $280/person; $252/BCA members. Incl. your 1st bag of clay & 30 hours/week in open studio hours to practice. Extra clay sold separately: $20/25-pound bag. All glazes & firings incl. Location: BCA Clay Studio, Burlington. CLAY: MIXED LEVEL WHEEL THROWING: Mixed Level Wheel supports students across a range of skill and experience levels. This eight-week course is rooted in fundamentals and encourages individual projects. Demonstrations and instruction will cover centering, throwing, trimming and glazing, as well as forms and techniques determined by students.

Option 1: Thu., Jan. 29-Mar. 19, 9:30 a.m.-noon. Instructor: Jeremy Ayers. Option 2: Thu., Apr. 2-May 21, 9:30 a.m.-noon. Instructor: Jeremy Ayers. Option 3: Thu., Apr. 2-May 21, 6-8:30 p.m. Instructor: Chris Vaughn. Cost: $280/person; $252/BCA members. Incl. your 1st bag of clay & 30 hours/week in open studio hours to practice. Extra clay sold separately: $20/25-pound bag. All glazes & firings incl. Location: BCA Clay Studio, Burlington. COMMUNITY LANTERN-MAKING WORKSHOP: Play an important role in Burlington’s 150th birthday celebration! Join artist Gowri Savoor and make a magical willow and tissue-paper lantern. Participants are invited to return on February 21 at 4 p.m. to be part of a special festive event at City Hall. All materials provided. Not suitable for children under 4; children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Space limited, registration required. Option 1: Sat., Jan. 17; Option 2: Sat., Jan. 24; Option 3: Sat., Jan. 31, 10 a.m.3 p.m. Incl. 1-hour lunch break. Location: BCA Center, Burlington. CONTEMPORARY FIGURE PAINTING: Intermediate and advanced painters, revitalize your painting practices with a contemporary approach to the figure. Work from live models, explore a variety of contemporary techniques with water-soluble oils and get supportive feedback. Figure drawing experience is helpful. BCA provides glass palettes, easels, painting trays and drying racks. Material list online. Instructor: Gail Salzman. Weekly on Wed., Jan. 28Mar. 18, 1:30-4:30 p.m. Cost: $360/ person; $324/BCA members. Location: BCA Center, Burlington. DESIGN: ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR: Learn the basics of Adobe Illustrator, a creative computer program used to create interesting graphics, clip art and more! Students will explore a variety of software techniques and create projects suited to their own interests. Class is aimed at furthering individual design software skills. Bring a Mac-compatible flash drive to the first class. Instructor: Jeremy Smith. No experience necessary. Weekly on Mon., Feb. 2-Mar. 16 (no class Feb. 16), 6:308:30 p.m. Cost: $205/person; $184.50/BCA members. Location: BCA Center, Burlington. DROP IN: ADULT WHEEL: Learn the basics of wheel-working. Through demonstrations and individual instruction, students will learn preparing and centering the clay and making cups, mugs and bowls. Price includes one fired and glazed piece per participant. Additional fired and glazed pieces are $5 each. No registration

necessary; space is limited; first come first served. Instructors: Julia Berberan and Iris Stein. Weekly on Fri., Jan. 23-May 22, 8-10 p.m. Cost: $14/participant; $13/BCA members. Purchase a drop-in card & get the 6th visit for free. Location: BCA Clay Studio, Burlington. DROP IN: FAMILY WHEEL: Learn wheel and hand building techniques at BCA’s clay studio in a relaxed, family-friendly environment. Make bowls, cups and amazing sculptures. Staff will give wheel and hand-building demonstrations throughout the evening. Price includes one fired and glazed piece per participant. Additional fired and glazed pieces are $5 each. No registration necessary. All ages. Instructors: Julia Berberan, Alex Costantino and Iris Stein. Weekly on Fri., Jan. 23-May 22, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Cost: $8/participant; $7/BCA members. Purchase a drop-in card & get the 6th visit for free. Location: BCA Clay Studio, Burlington. DROP IN: LIFE DRAWING: This drop-in life drawing class is open to all levels and facilitated by local painter Glynnis Fawkes. Spend the evening with other artists, drawing one of our experienced models. Please bring your own drawing materials and paper. No registration necessary. Instructor: Glynnis Fawkes. Weekly on Mon., Jan. 26-May 18 (no class Feb. 17), 6:30-8:30 p.m. Cost: $10/participant; $9/BCA members. Purchase a drop-in card & get the 6th visit for free. Location: BCA Center, Burlington. DROP IN: POLLYWOG ART: This popular drop-in program introduces young children and parents to artistic explorations in a multimedia environment that is both creative and social. Participants will create paintings, sculptures, prints and more, with a variety of changing projects to keep everyone engaged! Parents must accompany their children. All materials provided. No registration necessary. Ages 6 months-5 years. Instructor: Zoe Barracano. Weekly on Thu., Jan. 22-May 21, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Cost: $6/child; $5/BCA members. Purchase a drop-in card & get the 6th visit for free. Location: BCA Center, Burlington. DRAWING: Learn a variety of drawing techniques, including basic perspective, compositional layout, and use of dramatic light and shadow. Students will work mostly from observation and use a variety of media including pencil, pen and ink, ink wash, and charcoal. Comics and illustrations may be incorporated. No experience necessary. Material list online. Instructor: Marc Nadel. Weekly on Wed., Jan. 28-Mar. 18, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Cost: $224/person; $201.60 BCA members. Location: BCA Center, Burlington. DROP IN: FIRST NIGHT: Join us on First Night to explore BCA’s exhibition “Preoccupied,” to watch some international award-winning short films from the Vermont International Film Festival and to try some hands-on art activities in our education studios. No registration necessary. All ages. Free. Wed., Dec. 31, 1-5 p.m. Location: BCA Center and BCA Clay Studio, Burlington.

JEWELRY: INTRO TO JEWELRY: Learn the basics of creating metal jewelry. Techniques covered will include sawing, piercing, filing, annealing, soldering, texturing, cold connections, basic hollow construction, ring sizing and more, so that students can create at least two completed pieces. Instructor: Rebecca Macomber. Weekly on Tue., Feb. 3-Mar. 17 (no class Mar. 3), 6:30-8:30 p.m. Cost: $210/person; $189 BCA members. Location: Generator, 250 Main St., Memorial Auditorium, Burlington. JEWELRY: STONE SETTING: BEYOND THE BASIC BEZEL: Want to know how to make different kinds of settings for your gemstones? This class will cover a variety of stone setting techniques for your cabochons and faceted stones. Basic metalsmithing skills are strongly recommended. Basic tools and materials provided. Additional material fees will depend on individual projects. Limited supply of stones available for purchase. Pair with Bangles or Chasing and Repousee. Prerequisite: Intro to Jewelry or relevant experience. Instructor: Rebecca Macomber. Weekly on Thu., Feb. 5-Mar. 12, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Cost: $210/person; $189 BCA members. Location: Generator, 250 Main St., Memorial Auditorium, Burlington. OIL PAINTING: Learn how to paint with nontoxic water-soluble oils. Discover a variety of painting techniques and learn how to apply composition, linear aspects, form and color theory to your work. This supportive class will balance studio time, gentle group discussion and critique. BCA provides glass palettes, easels, painting trays and drying racks. Material list online. Instructor: Linda Jones. Weekly on Tue., Jan. 27-Mar. 24 (no class Mar. 3), 6-8:30 p.m. Cost: $280/person; $252/BCA members. Location: BCA Center, Burlington. PHOTO: DIGITAL SLR CAMERA: Explore the basic workings of the digital SLR camera to learn how to take the photographs you envision. Demystify f-stops, shutter speeds, sensitivity ratings and exposure, and learn the basics of composition. Bring your camera and owner’s manual to class. Pair this class with Adobe Lightroom 4 for a 12-week experience, and learn the ins and outs of photo editing and printing. Instructor: Dan Lovell. No experience necessary. Weekly on Wed., Feb. 4-Mar. 11, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Cost: $170/person; $153/BCA members. Location: BCA Center, Burlington. PHOTO: MIXED LEVEL DARKROOM: Take your work to the next level in this eight-week class! Improve your printing and film processing techniques and discuss the technical, aesthetic and conceptual aspects of your work. Cost includes a darkroom membership for the duration of the class for outside-of-class printing and processing. Prerequisite: Intro to Black and White Film and the Darkroom or equivalent experience. Instructor: Mary Zompetti. Weekly on Wed., Feb. 4-Apr. 1 (no class Mar. 11), 6-9 p.m. Cost: $295/ person; $265.50 BCA members. Location: BCA Center, Burlington.

PRINT: WOODBLOCK PRINTING WITH COLOR: This class will explore a variety of techniques for woodblock printing with color. The class will start with basic two-color prints and progress to multiple woodblocks and colors. The class is designed to explore a range of printing possibilities. Akua, nontoxic, soy/water based inks will be used. All materials included. Instructor: Gregg Blasdel. Weekly on Mon., Feb. 2-Mar. 16, 6-8:30 p.m. Cost: $210/person; $189 BCA members. Location: BCA Print Studio, 250 Main St., Burlington. PRINT: PRINTMAKING: This introductory class will teach techniques such as block printing with linoleum, collograph (a low-relief intaglio technique) and drypoint etching. Students will also be encouraged to explore these techniques and have fun experimenting. Cost includes over 25 hours per week of open studio hours for practicing, and all basic supplies and equipment for each printmaking technique. Instructor: Katie Loesel. Weekly on Wed., Feb. 4-Mar. 11, 6-8:30 p.m. Cost: $210/person; $189 BCA members. Location: BCA Print Studio, 250 Main St., Burlington. SILKSCREENING: Torrey Valyou, local silkscreen legend and coowner of New Duds, will introduce you to silkscreening and show you how to design and print T-shirts, posters, fine art and more! Cost includes over 25 hours per week of open studio time for practicing, use of studio chemicals, class ink and equipment. Students must provide their own screens and design materials; please see student materials list online. No experience necessary. Weekly on Thu., Jan. 29-Mar. 19, 6-8:30 p.m. Cost: $280/person; $252/BCA members. Location: BCA Print Studio, 250 Main St., Burlington. YOUTH: PAINTING: Spend an afternoon painting at BCA! Learn many techniques including splatter painting, watercolor, bubble painting, collage and more. All materials provided. Registration required. Instructor: Kim Desjardins. Ages 6-12. Sat., Feb. 7, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Cost: $25/person; $22.50/BCA members. Location: BCA Center, Burlington.

craft

theshelburnecraftschool.org

985-3648

STILL LIFE, BEGINNER (NIGHT): Instructor: Evelyn McFarlane. Simple forms and colors of basic still life setups will be the inspiration for this beginner’s course. We will start with basic drawing techniques, discuss materials, practice with mixing accurate colors and

learn how to apply paint in a step-by-step format. 8 Mon., 5:307:30 p.m., Jan. 26-Mar. 16. Cost: $235/person (members: $211.50, nonmembers: $235, material list & syllabus). Location: Shelburne Craft School, Shelburne.

dance DANCE STUDIO SALSALINA: Salsa classes, nightclub-style, on-one and on-two, group and private, four levels. Beginner walk-in classes, Wednesdays, 6 p.m. $13/ person for one-hour class. No dance experience, partner or preregistration required, just the desire to have fun! Drop in any time and prepare for an enjoyable workout. Location: 266 Pine St., Burlington. Info: Victoria, 5981077, info@salsalina.com. DSANTOS VT SALSA: Experience the fun and excitement of Burlington’s eclectic dance community by learning salsa. Trained by world famous dancer Manuel Dos Santos, we teach you how to dance to the music and how to have a great time on the dance floor! There is no better time to start than now! Mon. evenings: beginner class, 7-8 p.m.; intermediate, 8:15-9:15 p.m. Cost: $10/1-hour class. Location: North End Studios, 294 N. Winooski Ave., Burlington. Info: Tyler Crandall, 598-9204, crandalltyler@hotmail. com, dsantosvt.com. LEARN TO DANCE W/ A PARTNER!: Come alone or come with friends, but come out and learn to dance! Beginning classes repeat each month, but intermediate classes vary from month to month. As with all of our programs, everyone is encouraged to attend, and no partner is necessary. Private lessons also available. Cost: $50/4-week class. Location: Champlain Club, 20 Crowley St., Burlington. Info: First Step Dance, 598-6757, kevin@firststepdance. com, firststepdance.com.

drumming DJEMBE IN BURLINGTON AND MONTPELIER!: Learn drumming technique and music on West African drums! Burlington Beginners Djembe class is on Wed., 7-8:20 p.m. Djembes are provided. Montpelier Beginners Djembe class is on Thu., 7-8:20 p.m. $22/drop-in. New session starts in Jan. Please register online or come directly to the first class! Location: Taiko Space & Capitol City Grange, 208 Flynn Ave., suite 3G, & 6612 Route 12, Burlington & Montpelier. Info: 9994255, classes@burlingtontaiko. org, burlingtontaiko.org. TAIKO DRUMMING IN BURLINGTON!: Come study Japanese drumming with Stuart Paton of Burlington Taiko! Beginner/Recreational Class on Tue., 5:30-6:20 p.m. Accelerated Taiko Program for Beginners on Mon., 7-8:20 p.m. Taiko Training Class for Beginners on Wed., 5:30-6:50 p.m. Kids and Parents Class on Tue., 4:30-5:20 p.m. New sessions start in Jan. Register online or come directly to the first class! Location: Taiko Space, 208 Flynn Ave., suite 3G, Burlington. Info: 999-4255,

class photos + more info online SEVENDAYSVT.COM/CLASSES

classes@burlingtontaiko.org, burlingtontaiko.org. TAIKO DRUMMING IN MONTPELIER: Learn Taiko in Montpelier! Weekly on Thu., Montpelier Beginning Taiko class, 5:30-6:50 p.m., $72/4 weeks, and Montpelier Kids and Parents’ Taiko class, 4:30-5:20 p.m., $48/4 weeks; $90/parent + child. New sessions start in Jan. Please register online or come directly to the first class! Location: Capital City Grange, 6612 Route 12, Berlin. Info: 999-4255, classes@burlingtontaiko.org, burlingtontaiko.org.

empowerment COMING OF AGE: MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS: Mothers and daughters (ages 11 to 14) use this creative forum to explore their changing relationships as daughters transition from childhood into the circle of women. Bond, play, dance, story-tell, make art together in celebration of our womanhood. Weekly on Sat., 9:3011:30 a.m., Jan. 10, 17 & 24, & Feb. 7, 14 & 21. Cost: $130/mother/daugher pair for the 1st 3 sessions w/ the option to extend, or sign up for all 6 sessions for $210. All materials incl. Location: Expressive Arts Burlington, 200 Main St., suite 9, Burlington. Info: Topaz Weis, 8625302, topazweis@gmx.net. Introduction to Alchemy: Learn how you are living alchemy and discover what transformations lie ahead for you in this experiential workshop derived from Carl Jung’s insights and theories. This course is a prerequisite for the Edible Alchemy course that will be offered in spring term. Led by Sue Mehrtens, teacher and author. Jan. 8, 15, 22 & 29, 7-9 p.m. Cost: $60/person. Location: Jungian Center for the Spiritual Sciences, 55 Clover La., Waterbury. Info: Sue, 244-7909.

MASTER GARDENER 2015 COURSE: Learn the keys to a healthy and sustainable home landscape as University of Vermont faculty and experts focus on gardening in Vermont. This course covers a wide variety of horticultural topics: fruit and vegetable production, flower gardening, botany basics, plant pests, soil fertility, disease management, healthy lawns, invasive plant control, introduction to home landscaping and more! Registrations will be accepted by credit card online or by phone through the UVM Extension Master Gardener Program office. A downloadable registration form also is available on the website if paying by check. Weekly on Tue., Feb. 3-Apr. 28, 6:15 p.m.-9 p.m. Cost: $395/person incl. online Sustainable Gardening book. Printed copy can be ordered for an additional $55. Noncredit course. Location: VIT Studios, Bennington, Brattleboro, Johnson, Lyndon, Montpelier, Middlebury, Newport, Randolph Ctr., Rutland, Springfield, St. Albans, White River

Wisdom of the Herbs School: Now interviewing for our eightmonth Wisdom of the Herbs 2015, a unique experiential program embracing the local herbaceous plants, trees and shrubs, holistic health, and sustainable living skills, valuable tools for living on the Earth in these changing times. Apr. 25-26, May 23-24, Jun. 27-28, Jul. 25-26, Aug. 22-23, Sep. 26-27, Oct. 24-25 and Nov. 7-8, 2015. Tuition $1,750. VSAC non-degree grants available, please apply soon. Location: Wisdom of the Herbs School, Woodbury. Info: 456-8122, annie@ wisdomoftheherbsschool.com, wisdomoftheherbsschool.com.

language ANNOUNCING SPANISH CLASSES: Join us for adult Spanish classes this winter. Our ninth year. Learn from a native speaker via small classes, individual instruction or student tutoring. You’ll always be participating and speaking. Lesson packages for travelers. Also lessons for young children; they love it! See our website or contact us for details. Beginning week of Jan. 12 for 10 weeks, w/ Feb. break. Cost: $225/10 classes of 90+ min. each. Location: Spanish in Waterbury Center, Waterbury Center. Info: 585-1025, spanishparavos@gmail.com, spanishwaterburycenter.com. Alliance Francaise Winter Warm-Up!: Is learning French part of your 2015 resolutions? The Alliance Francaise can help: six-week French classes designed to meet you where you are in your learning of French. Let’s put French into action with a variety of classes such as French for Travelers, conversations about current events, virtual travels to francophone destinations and more. This mini-session will get you ready for your next full-term class. One Winter Warm-Up also available in Montpelier. 6 weeks starting Jan. 12. Cost: $135/course. Location: Alliance Francaise Center, 123 Ethan Allen Ave., Colchester. Info: Micheline Tremblay, 881-8826, michelineatremblay@gmail.com, aflcr.org.

meditation Learn to Meditate: Through the practice of sitting still and following your breath as it goes out and dissolves, you are connecting with your heart. By simply letting yourself be, as you are, you develop genuine sympathy toward yourself. The Burlington Shambhala Center offers meditation as a path to discovering gentleness and wisdom. Shambhala Café (meditation and discussions) meets the first Saturday of each month, 9 a.m.-noon. An open house (intro to the center, short dharma talk and socializing) is held on the third Friday of each month, 7-9 p.m. Instruction: Sun. mornings, 9 a.m.-noon, or by appt. Sessions: Tue. & Thu., noon-1 p.m., & Mon.Thu., 6-7 p.m. Location: Burlington Shambhala Center, 187 S. Winooski Ave., Burlington. Info: 658-6795, burlingtonshambhalactr.org.

pregnancy/ childbirth Prenatal Method Studio: Prenatal and postnatal yoga and fitness classes blending yoga, barre and Pilates. Childbirth education class series and weekend intensives. Yoga Alliance Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training Program. Book groups, new mom playgroups, pregnancy circle teas. Supporting women and their partners in the management and journey of pregnancy and childbirth. Every day: lunchtimes, evenings & weekends. Cost: $15/1hour prenatal or postnatal yoga class. Location: Prenatal Method Studio, 1 Mill St., suite 236, at the Chace Mill, Burlington. Info: 8290211, beth@prenatalmethod.com, prenatalmethod.com.

tai chi Snake-Style Tai Chi Chuan: The Yang Snake Style is a dynamic tai chi method that mobilizes the spine while stretching and strengthening the core body muscles. Practicing this ancient martial art increases strength, flexibility, vitality, peace of mind

Yang-Style Tai Chi: The slow movements of tai chi help reduce blood pressure and increase balance and concentration. Come breathe with us and experience the joy of movement while increasing your ability to be inwardly still. Wed., 5:30 p.m., Sat., 8:30 a.m. $16/class, $60/mo., $160/3 mo. Location: Mindful Breath Tai Chi (formerly Vermont Tai Chi Academy and Healing Center), 180 Flynn Ave., Burlington. Info: 7355465, janet@mindfulbreathtaichi. com, mindfulbreathtaichi.com.

writing Social Media 101 for Writers: Author and editor Angela Palm will teach participants will learn how to create dynamic profiles on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Tumblr. Develop engagement strategies and timelines to launch online platforms. See your audience and connections skyrocket! Participants should bring their own laptops to class. Weekly on Wed., 6-8 p.m., Jan. 14-Feb. 4. Cost: $120/4 2-hour sessions. Location: The Writer’s Barn, 233 Falls Rd., Shelburne. Info: Wind Ridge Books of Vermont, Lin Stone, 985-4202, lin@windridgebooksofvt.com, windridgebooksofvt.com/ writing-workshops. The Art of The Short Story: Pushcart Prize nominee and author of a new novel, Shape of the Sky, Shelagh Connor Shapiro is teaching a short-story workshop. Participants will explore the art of story writing through exercise, reading and discussion, focusing on such subjects as character, setting, plot, point of view and narration. Weekly on Mon., 6-8 p.m., Jan. 5-Jan. 26. Cost: $120/4 2-hour sessions. Location: The Writer’s Barn, 233 Falls Rd., Shelburne. Info: Wind Ridge Books of Vermont, Lin Stone, 9854202, lin@windridgebooksofvt. com, windridgebooksofvt.com/ writing-workshops. Writer’s Boot Camp: Is your writing stuck in neutral? Beginning in January, Michelle Demers will hold a Writer’s Boot Camp to exercise the writing muscles and help participants lift their writing back into shape. Demers welcomes writers of all interests and experience to give their writing practice the kickstart it needs. Weekly on Thu., 6-8 p.m., Jan. 15-Feb. 19. Cost: $175/6 2-hour sessions. Location: The Writer’s Barn, 233 Falls Rd., Shelburne. Info: Wind Ridge Books of Vermont, Lin Stone, 9854202, lin@windridgebooksofvt. com, windridgebooksofvt.com/ writing-workshops.

yoga Burlington Hot Yoga: Try something different!: Offering creative, vinyasa-style yoga classes featuring practice in the Barkan and Prana Flow Method Hot Yoga in a 95-degree studio accompanied by eclectic music. Ahh,

the heat on a cold day, a flowing practice, the cool stone meditation, a chilled orange scented towel to complete your spa yoga experience. Get hot: 2-for-1 offer. $15. Go to hotyogaburlingtonvt. com. Location: North End Studio B, 294 N. Winooski Ave., Burlington. Info: 999-9963. Evolution Yoga: Evolution Yoga and Physical Therapy offers a variety of classes in a supportive atmosphere: Beginner, advanced, kids, babies, post- and pre-natal, community classes and workshops. Vinyasa, Kripalu, Core, Therapeutics and Alignment classes. Become part of our yoga community. You are welcome here. Cost: $15/class, $130/class card, $5-10/community classes. Location: Evolution Yoga, 20 Kilburn St., Burlington. Info: 8649642, evolutionvt.com. Honest Yoga, The only dedicated Hot Yoga Flow Center: Honest Yoga offers practice for all levels. Brand new beginners’ courses include two specialty classes per week for four weeks plus unlimited access to all classes. We have daily classes in Essentials, Flow and Core Flow with alignment constancy. We hold teacher trainings at the 200and 500-hour levels. Daily classes & workshops. $25/new student 1st week unlimited, $15/class or $130/10-class card, $12/class for student or senior or $100/10-class punch card. Location: Honest Yoga Center, 150 Dorset St., Blue Mall, next to Sport Shoe Center, S. Burlington. Info: 497-0136, honestyogastudio@gmail.com, honestyogacenter.com. Laughing River Yoga: Highly trained and dedicated teachers offer yoga classes, workshops and retreats in a beautiful setting overlooking the Winooski River. Class types include Kripalu, Vinyasa, Jivamukti, Kundalini, Yin, Restorative and more. 300hour teacher training begins in January. Join us in Costa Rica February 28-March 7. All bodies and abilities welcome. Classes 7 days a week. $5-14/single yoga class; $120/10-class card; $130/ monthly unlimited. Location: Laughing River Yoga, Chace Mill, suite 126, Burlington. Info: 3438119, laughingriveryoga.com. Yoga Roots: Yoga Roots provides a daily schedule of yoga classes for all ages and abilities. We aim to clarify your mind, strengthen your body and ignite your joyful spirit through classes such as Prenatal Yoga, Gentle Yoga, Anusurainspired all levels, Restorative and Heated Vinyasa Flow! On our new Winter schedule try Sacred Space w/ Pam, Sunday mornings, 7:45-9 a.m. or Therapeutic Vinyasa w/ Lakshmi, Tuesdays, noon. Special Series for de-stressing: Sunday Vespers-Sound Healing w/ Dorothy Stone and Melinda Kinzie, 3-6 p.m., December 21 w/ special guest Zacciah Blackburn. Gift Certificates available at the studio and online! Location: Yoga Roots, 120 Graham Way, Shelburne Green Business Park behind Folino’s. Info: 985-0090, yogarootsvt.com.

classes 63

Contemporary Dance: Looking Deeper: This intensive

gardening

herbs

VERMONT BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU: Classes for men, women and children. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu enhances strength, flexibility, balance, coordination and car- dio-respiratory fitness. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training builds and helps to instill courage and self- confidence. We offer a legitimate Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu martial arts program in a friendly, safe and positive environment. Accept no imitations. Learn from one of the world’s best, Julio “Foca” Fernandez, CBJJ and IBJJF certified 6th Degree Black Belt, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor under Carlson Gracie Sr., teaching in Vermont, born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil! A 5-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu National Featherweight Champion and 3-time Rio de Janeiro State Champion, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Mon.-Fri., 6-9 p.m., & Sat., 10 a.m. 1st class is free. Location: Vermont Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 55 Leroy Rd., Williston. Info: 660-4072, julio@bjjusa.com, vermontbjj.com.

and martial skill. Beginner classes Sat. mornings & Wed. evenings. Call to view a class. Location: Bao Tak Fai Tai Chi Institute, 100 Church St., Burlington. Info: 8647902, ipfamilytaichi.org.

SEVEN DAYS

flynn arts

Winter/Spring Classes in Dance, Theater, and Music: For all levels, enrolling now for classes starting the week of January 19. Our adult and teen classes cover a breadth of styles and techniques, offering points of departure for a rookie to explore something new, or fascinating in-depth experiences for a performing arts veteran who wants to expand his or her toolkit or knowledge base for a more expressive life. Location: Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, 153 Main St., Burlington. Info: 865-4548, flynnarts.org.

Stone Wall Workshop: Introductory stone wall workshop for homeowners and tradespeople promotes the beauty and integrity of stone. The one-day, hands-on workshop focuses on basic techniques for creating dry-laid walls with an emphasis on stone native to Vermont. Workshops are held inside warm greenhouses in Hinesburg. Sat., Jan. 10, Feb. 14, & Mar. 7 & 21, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Cost: $100/1-day workshop. Location: Red Wagon Plants, 2408 Shelburne Falls Rd., Hinesburg. Info: Queen City Soil & Stone, Charley MacMartin, 318-2411, macmartin@igc.org, queencitysoilandstone.com.

martial arts

12.24.14-01.07.15

Peace, Pacifism and the Prospects for Our Future: Learn how we can work toward a peaceful world in this course that draws on the wisdom of Thoreau, Gandhi, King, Eisler, Galtung and others. Led by Sue Mehrtens. Jan. 6,13, 20 & 27 & Feb. 3, 10 & 17, 7-9 p.m. Cost: $75/person. Location: Jungian Center for the Spiritual Sciences, 55 Clover La., Waterbury. Info: Sue, 244-7909.

Exploring Connections: Grounding: The Exploring Connections workshop series uses movement and metaphor to explore the expressive body, incorporating movement fundamentals as well as drawing and writing to explore the relationship between movement and personal expression. Our goal will be to facilitate a lively interplay between inner connectivity and outer expressivity to enrich your movement potential, change ineffective neuromuscular movement patterns, and encourage new ways of moving and embodying your inner self. Instructor: Sara McMahon. Fri., Jan. 2, 5:45-7:45 p.m. Cost: $22/ person. Location: Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, 153 Main St., Burlington. Info: 652-4548, flynnarts.org.

Jct., Williston. Info: 656-9562, master.gardener@uvm.edu, uvm. edu/mastergardener.

SEVENDAYSvt.com

Jung and Our Western Tradition I: This course examines C.G. Jung in the context of the intellectual and cultural currents from the pre-Socratics to the 17th century. Led by Sue Mehrtens. Jan. 7, 14, 21 & 28, Feb. 4, 11, 18 & 25, & Mar. 4. Cost: $90/person. Location: Jungian Center for the Spiritual Sciences, 55 Clover La., Waterbury. Info: Sue, 244-7909.

is designed to support and strengthen the skills and community of practicing contemporary dancers and dance-makers in our region. Each intensive will focus on different aspects of the skills at the core of strong and compelling performers and performances. Using improvisational structures, the aim will be to strengthen our capacity to be fully awake, aware and able to respond to our constantly changing “world,” be it the studio, the stage, a specific site, or our community. Instructor: Polly Motley. Sun., January 11, 1-4 p.m. Cost: $30 Location: Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, 153 Main St., Burlington. Info: 652-4548, flynnarts.org.

music

SCAN THESE PAGES WITH THE LAYAR APP TO WATCH VIDEOS OF THE ARTISTS

The Best Around

SEE PAGE 9

The local scene weighs in on the best records of 2014 B Y DA N BOL L ES

PETE RAHN, LAKE SUPERIOR, PISTOL FIST

TEXT HERE CAROLINE O’CONNOR, VEDORA

NONLOCAL: Kaleo, Kaleo

NONLOCAL: The Barr Brothers, Sleeping Operator;

The Cush, Transcendental Heatwave. Says O’Connor: Yeah, I know, the Cush live in Texas now. But they’ll always be locals around here. NONLOCAL: The War on Drugs, Lost in the Dream

MARC SCARANO, BLACK RABBIT

Says Scarano: Three-chord rock in the tradition of all my favorite 1970s punk and New Wave bands. Ex Hex is also my nomination for show of the year, at the Monkey House in October.

Says Thompson: Hands down the best hip-hop album ever to come out of Vermont. (Editor’s note: Yup.) NONLOCAL: Prince, Art Official Age

ALEX BUDNEY, NECTAR’S, SETH YACOVONE BAND, FAMILY NIGHT BAND

ERIC OLSEN, SWALE

RYAN OBER, RYAN OBER AND THE LOOSE ENDS, THE HORSE, LED LO/CO

JUSTIN BOLAND, WOMBATICUS REX, SEVEN DAYS CONTRIBUTOR

NONLOCAL: St. Vincent, St. Vincent

Everyone

SCOTT LAVALLA, THE LYNGUISTIC CIVILIANS

JOHN FLANAGAN, MUSICIAN, SEVEN DAYS CONTRIBUTOR

NONLOCAL: CunninLynguists, Strange Journey

Says Flanagan: These Windsor gents’ allsystems-go energy seems to have burnt off any homespun residue that often coats — and sometimes wrecks — well-intentioned local endeavors. They throw way down and write them straight. No mercy required from the listener. I visit their Bandcamp page to stream Carlton plenty. (Dear Carton, I probably owe you some money.) NONLOCAL: Tomorrows Tulips, When

Says Olsen: It’s like melodic alchemy. They’re level-12 wizards. NONLOCAL: Hiss Golden Messenger, Lateness of Dancers

SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Damon Albarn, Everyday Robots

LOCAL: Anders Parker, There’s a Bluebird in My Heart;

KYLE THOMPSON, DJ FATTIE B

LOCAL: Pours, Pours

LOCAL: The Write Brothers, Take Flight

LOCAL: Lowell Thompson, Stranger’s Advice

LOCAL: Smooth Antics, Smooth Antics

KELLY RIEL, GORGON, STICKSHIFT RECORDS, GIRLS ROCK VERMONT

Volume Three

NONLOCAL: Pushin’ it 2 the Limit, Pushin’ it 2 the Limit

RYAN MILLER, GUSTER

LOCAL: Screaming Skull, MMXIV

MICHAEL ROBERTS, WOODEN DINOSAUR, THE REAR DEFROSTERS LOCAL: Alpenglow, Chapel EP

NONLOCAL: Hiss Golden Messenger, Lateness of

Dancers 12.24.14-01.07.15

LOCAL: Waylon Speed, Kin

LOCAL: Screaming Skull, MMXIV NONLOCAL: Ex Hex, Rips

SEVEN DAYS

THIS WITH LAYA SEE PAGE

WITH LAYAR SEE PAGE 9 PAT ORMISTON, JAPHY RYDER, INVISIBLE HOMES

LOCAL: Boomslang, Boomslang

DANNY COANE, THE STARLINE RHYTHM BOYS LOCAL: Barbacoa, Italian Medallion

Says Coane: Bill Mullins has the touch, tone and great melodic sense for this style of instrumental guitar music. Bill’s the king around here! NONLOCAL: Noam Pikelny, Noam Pikelny Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe ROBERT RESNIK, HOST OF “ALL THE TRADITIONS,” VPR; SEVEN DAYS CONTRIBUTOR LOCAL: Bob Amos & Catamount Crossing, Sunrise

Blues

NONLOCAL: Yusuf Islam, Tell ’Em I’m Gone PHIL YATES, PHIL YATES & THE AFFILIATES LOCAL: The Vacant Lots, Departure 64 MUSIC

e here at Seven Days spend a lot of time listening to local music. It often makes us wonder what the musicians who make that music tune in to. So each year we email local musicians, club owners, booking agents and other assorted scenesters to find out what music, local and otherwise, rocked their worlds over the previous 12 months. Here’s what they YOUR SCAN said. THIS PAGE SCAN

Says Yates: They still count as local, right? NONLOCAL: The New Mendicants, Into the Lime

LOCAL: Swale, The Next Instead NONLOCAL: EDJ, EDJ

REUBEN JACKSON, HOST OF “FRIDAY NIGHT JAZZ,” VPR LOCAL: Steve Blair Septet, Ostinato

NONLOCAL: Billy Childs, Map to the Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro MATT BURR, GRACE POTTER & THE NOCTURNALS

LOCAL: Caroline Rose, I Will Not Be Afraid

NONLOCAL: The War on Drugs, Lost in the Dream; Sturgill Simpson, Metamodern Sounds in Country Music

LOCAL: Waylon Speed, Kin

NONLOCAL: Vulfpeck, Fugue State

LOCAL: The Write Brothers, Take Flight

NONLOCAL: That Handsome Devil, Drugs and Guns for

LOCAL: Carton, Carlton

DAVE KELLER, DAVE KELLER BAND

LOCAL: Pitz Quattrone, Movin’

NONLOCAL: Gregory Porter, Liquid Spirit CRAIG MITCHELL, DJ

LOCAL: The DuPont Brothers, Heavy as Lead NONLOCAL: Prince, Art Official Age

BOBBY HACKNEY JR., ROUGH FRANCIS, SEVEN DAYS

SEAN WITTERS, INVISIBLE HOMES

Screaming Skull, MMXIV NONLOCAL: Thee Oh Sees, Drop

Says Witters: The production and vibe on this album is so cool. “Blood on Your Bootheels” unites rockabilly strut with a critique of white privilege that seems impossible in the genre, but which feels completely natural. Caroline Rose speaks truth to power in surprising and necessary ways. NONLOCAL: Johnny Marr, Playland

LOCAL: Swale, The Next Instead; Death, III;

MARK DALY, MADAILA

LOCAL: Caroline Rose, I Will Not Be Afraid NONLOCAL: Sylvan Esso, Sylvan Esso

LOCAL: Caroline Rose, I Will Not Be Afraid

THE BEST AROUND

» P.66

undbites

Got muSic NEwS? dan@sevendaysvt.com

www.highergroundmusic.com

B y Da N BO ll E S

WED, 12/31 + FRI, 1/2

COUrTESy Of kaT wrIghT & ThE INDOMITaBlE SOUl BaND

Kat Wright & the Indomitable Soul Band

It Was a Very Good Year

» p.67

We 31

TWIDDLE SOULE MONDE

Su 28

MOON HOOCH GNOMEDAD

JANUARY Sa 3

POP-UP! A QUEER DANCE PARTY DJ ROB DOUGLAS, DJ LLU

Tu 6

FOUR YEAR STRONG EXPIRE, HANDGUNS, HEART TO HEART

Sa 10

Mo 12

104.7 THE POINT WELCOMES

PARTICLE KARMA TO BURN SIERRA, NEEDLE DICK & THE BUG FUCKERS

Tu 13

THAT 1 GUY DJ FEELS GOODMAN

Tu 20

DR. DOG YELLERKIN

UPCOMING...

JUST ANNOUNCED

1/23 WILD CHILD 1/23 JOHN BROWN’S BODY 1/24 VERMONT BURLESQUE FESTIVAL 1/25 FRONTIER RUCKUS

@HIGHERGROUND

2/5 JOE RUSSO’S ALMOST DEAD 2/20 ALPENGLOW / AND THE KIDS 3/5 JD MCPHERSON 3/8 SUICIDE SILENCE @HIGHERGROUNDMUSIC

INFO 652.0777 | TIX 1.877.987.6487 1214 Williston Rd. | S. Burlington STAY IN TOUCH #HGVT

4v-HigherGround122414.indd 1

MUSIC 65

for up-to-the-minute news abut the local music scene, follow @Danbolles on Twitter or read the live Culture blog: sevendaysvt.com/liveculture.

Sa 27

SEVEN DAYS

SOUNDBITES

DECEMBER

12.24.14-01.07.15

ambitious lads from Signal Kitchen. A bit more upscale and with a wider focus on locavore food and art in addition to music, the debut edition of WYSIWYG was a promising, if not quite overwhelming, event. If nothing else, it was interesting to see how AlEx lAlli and his SK crew used the space, in comparison to previous Precipice setups. Answer: quite awesomely, thank you. In fact, it’s likely music festivals were just about the only things that went right at Burlington College this year. Something to watch in 2015: how the impending purchase of that parcel of land will impact future events there. Should someone erect, for example, condos on that spot, Oakledge Park might make for a suitable alternative, as we learned when bENJY ADlER and his Skinny Pancake pals held the firstever Eat by Northeast festival there in September. Though more of a food festival with a side of music, EXNE was intriguing — and free! When I spoke to Adler at Grand Point North the weekend before EXNE, he was already wishing he’d bulked up the musical lineup. In retrospect, I’d agree that more rocking would have been welcome. I’d also suggest not scheduling the fest the

THE WRONG REASONS

SEVENDAYSVt.com

Welcome, friends, to the last Soundbites column of 2014. With New Year’s Eve looming, there is certainly a lot to get to. But before we look forward, let’s take a moment to look back and close the book on some of the stories that shaped the past year in local music. 2014 was the year of the music festival. From May to September, hardly a weekend passed without some outdoor hootenanny or another, many of them new, in Burlington and various locales around the state. So ubiquitous were festivals that it caused some of us — OK, me — to wonder if the region might be experiencing a bit of festival fatigue by late September. Still, it’s hard to complain about too much of a good thing. Some highlights: The fourth incarnation of the Waking Windows music and arts festival in May was the biggest and best yet. Transforming downtown Winooski into one giant, hazardously circular nightclub, the four-day blowout delivered more than 100 cutting-edge acts of local, regional and national renown. And all for $20, or less than your average ticket to see, say, a PiNk FloYD or SublimE tribute band. So successful was the fest that the two primary architects behind it, ANGioPlAStY mEDiA and mSR PRESENtS, merged into a single entity of unrivaled radness, wAkiNG wiNDowS PRESENtS.

That crew has been responsible for a remarkable number of great shows since, such as a NEutRAl milk HotEl two-night stand, FutuRE iSlANDS, NElS cliNE AND JuliAN lAGE, Ex HEx and DiARRHEA PlANEt — the last of whom was recently named the best live act of the year by the scribes at Paste magazine. (A quick aside: A good number of the 25 bands on that list played in Vermont this year — though we’re still waiting on kANYE and AlicE cooPER. If you’re one of those people who complains that nothing cool ever happens here, shut up.) While Waking Windows expanded its scope, another local fest, the Precipice, contracted. And it was a smart move by the folks from Radio Bean. Though smaller than the previous year by about half, the fourth annual Precipice was probably twice as much fun, which is saying something. Condensed to two facing stages and array of food and crafts booths in the field behind Burlington College, the Precipice retained its mysterious and eclectic feel but was far more intimate — it was sorta like hanging out at the Bean, but outside. The Burlington College grasslands was also the site of another festival, WYSIWYG, produced by the

THE DEVIL MAKES THREE JOE FLETCHER &

12/14/14 7:33 PM

music

The Best Around « P.64 JUSTIN GONYEA, DOOM SERVICE, GET STOKED! RECORDS

LOCAL: Gorgon, Secret; Tyler Daniel

JUSTIN CROWTHER, WAYLON SPEED, SEVEN DAYS CONTRIBUTOR

LOCAL: Envy, Distorted Greetings

SEVENDAYSVT.COM 12.24.14-01.07.15 SEVEN DAYS

RYAN CLAUSEN, NECTAR’S, DEAD SET TUESDAYS

LOCAL: The Precepts, This Is How It

Must Be

NONLOCAL: Tauk, Collisions MATTEO PALMER, GUITARIST

KNAYTE LANDER, VICIOUS GIFT, BUCH SPIELER MUSIC

BRIAN CLARK, ANACHRONIST

Says Lander: This collection of songs stands up to almost any heavy-metal record from 1981 to the present day. Driven and executed with enough power that the album has already been picked up by Alone Records overseas. I have to mention Chalice as my favorite “local” record before the band soon finds [itself ] on Top 10 lists across the world. Vermont hail! NONLOCAL: Röyksopp & Robyn, Do It Again

LOCAL: Masako, Call of the Mountains NONLOCAL: Coldplay, Ghost Stories

BRIAN NAGLE, DJ DISCO PHANTOM, WAKING WINDOWS PRESENTS

Twiddle at the Higher Ground Ballroom in South Burlington on Saturday and Sunday, December 27 and 28, with local organ-groove outfit SOULE MONDE.

NYIKO BEGUIN, NYIKO

FRI.26

LOCAL: Pours, Pours

NONLOCAL: Future Islands, Singles

LOCAL: Anders Parker, There’s a

Bluebird in My Heart NONLOCAL: New Bums, Voices in a Rented Room BRENDAN DANGELO, WHAT DOTH LIFE

LOCAL: Violette Ultraviolet, Exiles

Says Dangelo: This music reminds me of Vermont. It’s beautiful, well worn and lies in a crosscurrent of lonely backwoods rambling and someone waxing poetic in their smoking lounge. NONLOCAL: Liz Phair, Exile in Guyville LOCAL: Caroline Rose, I Will Not Be

NONLOCAL: Shabazz Palaces, Lese

GARY LEE MILLER, WRITER, SEVEN DAYS CONTRIBUTOR

LOCAL: Mark LeGrand, Burn It Down

Says Miller: Favorite local album

prowess, the quartet draws on elements of jazz, classical and bluegrass, with firm footing

and Breathe

MICHAEL CHORNEY, MICHAEL CHORNEY & HOLLAR GENERAL

Majesty

TWIDDLE have become

one of the state’s best-known musical exports. Known far and wide for improvisational

NONLOCAL: tUnE-yArDs, Nikki Nack

BRYAN PARMELEE, POURS

LOCAL: Swale, The Next Instead

Jam On Since forming at Castleton State College in 2004,

in reggae, funk and rock, to form a kaleidoscopic sound they call “hi-def shred.” Catch

LOCAL: Elephants of Scotland, Execute

Afraid; Swale, The Next Instead NONLOCAL: Hard to pinpoint. Sturgill Simpson, Sylvan Esso, Future Islands, Alt J, Mac DeMarco, Logic, the War on Drugs…

Pours, Pours NONLOCAL: Future Islands, Singles

SAT.27, SUN.28 // TWIDDLE [JAM]

JEFF MARGOLIS, HOT NEON MAGIC

ALEX CROTHERS, HIGHER GROUND LOCAL: Swale, The Next Instead;

66 MUSIC

that didn’t happen: The one that is inside Brett Hughes’ beautiful mind waiting to come out. 2015, pretty please? NONLOCAL: Sturgill Simpson, Metamodern Sounds in Country Music

Says Crowther: It’s from 1995, so I’m not sure it counts. But I recently discovered them and thought they had some great songs. I also imagined they would’ve gone pretty far if they would’ve stayed together. (Editor’s note: They did! The key members of Envy moved to Boston and became the Red Telephone. They are still together.) NONLOCAL: Hop Along, Get Disowned

LOCAL: Chalice, Chalice

NA: NOT AVAILABLE. AA: ALL AGES.

COURTESY OF TWIDDLE

Bean, Repetition Vol. 1: The New & Very Welcome NONLOCAL: Violent Sons, Nothing As It Seems; Courage Cloak, Courage Cloak

CLUB DATES

LOCAL: All of them. A big hooray to

those who make albums. NONLOCAL: All the ones made with no other reason than music in mind.

burlington

SCAN THIS PAGE WITH LAYAR SEE PAGE 9

BENTO: Open Improvisation Jam, 10 p.m., free.

BLEU NORTHEAST SEAFOOD: Tiffany Pfeiffer (neo soul), 8:30 p.m., free. CLUB METRONOME: Back to the Future Friday (’90s/2000s dance party), 9 p.m., $5. FINNIGAN'S PUB: DJ Jon Demus (reggae), 10 p.m., free.

(acoustic rock), YOUR 5 p.m., free. House on Fire (rock), 9SCAN p.m., free.

TEXT barre/montpelier HERE

CHARLIE O'S: Made in Iron (Iron Maiden tribute), 10 p.m., free.

TH WITH LA SEE PAG

NUTTY STEPH'S: Cooie DeFrancesco & Friends (blues), 7 p.m., free. SWEET MELISSA'S: Honky Tonk Happy Hour with Mark LeGrand, 5 p.m., free. Live Music, 9 p.m., free.

JUNIPER: Matty Parillo Trio (jazz), 8:30 p.m., free.

WHAMMY BAR: Penny Arcade (blues, jazz), 7 p.m., free.

THE LAUGH BAR AT DRINK: Comedy Showcase (standup comedy), 7 p.m., $7.

stowe/smuggs area

NECTAR'S: Seth Yacovone (solo acoustic blues), 7 p.m., free. Blues for Breakfast (Grateful Dead tribute), 9 p.m., $5. RADIO BEAN COFFEEHOUSE: Kids Music with Linda "Tickle Belly" Bassick & Friends, 11 a.m., free. Max Grazier (acoustic indie), 7 p.m., free. Sam Robbins (acoustic pop), 8 p.m., free. Keiti Botula (indie folk), 9 p.m., free. The Wonderbeards (folk rock), 10:30 p.m., free. Julian Chobot (jazz), midnight, free. RED SQUARE: Funkwagon (funk), 4 p.m., free. Soulstice (reggae), 7 p.m., $5. DJ Craig Mitchell (house), 11 p.m., $5. RED SQUARE BLUE ROOM: DJ Con Yay (EDM), 9 p.m., $5. RÍ RÁ IRISH PUB & WHISKEY ROOM: Supersounds DJ (top 40), 10 p.m., free. RUBEN JAMES: DJ Cre8 (hip-hop), 10 p.m., free. ZEN LOUNGE: Salsa Night with Jah Red, 8 p.m., $5. D Jay Baron (hip-hop), 10 p.m., $5.

chittenden county

BACKSTAGE PUB: Karaoke with Jenny Red, 9 p.m., free. THE MONKEY HOUSE: Disco Phantom & Friends (eclectic), 9:30 p.m., free/$5. 18+. ON TAP BAR & GRILL: Leno, Young & Cheney

MOOG'S PLACE: Curtis Evans Kile (rock), 9 p.m., free. RIMROCK'S MOUNTAIN TAVERN: DJ Rekkon #FridayNightFrequencies (hip-hop), 10 p.m., free. RUSTY NAIL: Brother Jocephus and the Love Revolution (funk, soul), 9 p.m., $8.

middlebury area

TWO BROTHERS TAVERN LOUNGE & STAGE: UNDUN (rock), 9 p.m., $3.

northeast kingdom

PHAT KATS TAVERN: Live Music, 9 p.m., free. THE STAGE: Karaoke, 8 p.m., free.

outside vermont

MONOPOLE: Live Music, 10 p.m., free. MONOPOLE DOWNSTAIRS: Happy Hour Tunes & Trivia with Gary Peacock, 5 p.m., free.

SAT.27

burlington

BLEU NORTHEAST SEAFOOD: The Trio (acoustic), 8:30 p.m., free. SAT.27

» P.68

UNDbites

GOT MUSIC NEWS? DAN@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

COURTESY OF MADAILA

Madaila

Nye 2015 and

Grundlefunk

Listening In A peek at what was on my iPod, turntable, eight-track player, etc., this week.

STURGILL SIMPSON Metamodern

Sounds in Country Music

SPOON They Want My Soul

New Year's Eve 9PM-2AM, $20 Drink Specials • Door Prizes Fireworks on the Patio Black Tie Optional. Plaid Tie Encouraged. Onesies Celebrated

SAM AMIDON Lily-O

MIRAH Changing Light

JOE PURDY Eagle Rock Fire

skinnypancake.com

60 Lake St, Burlington 540-0188 8v-SkinnyPancake122414.indd 1

MUSIC 67

New Year’s Eve is typically overrated. But I have high hopes for this year, because an unprecedented amount of ball-dropping local awesomeness is on tap to help ring in 2015. Seriously, check this out. Following in the footsteps of GRACE POTTER & THE NOCTURNALS and

Snow Ball

SEVEN DAYS

Auld Acquaintances

RUBBLEBUCKET, folk-punk Brattleboro natives the DEVIL MAKES THREE headline NYE at the Higher Ground Ballroom. (Pro tip: Show up early for Providence expats JOE FLETCHER & THE WRONG REASONS, who are currently making waves in vintage-country circles in Nashville.) Moving west, the Monkey House has outlaw dirt rockers WAYLON SPEED 01 02 Gang of Thieves — a band I’d wager might soon inherit that prestigious HG Ballroom NYE slot themselves. They’re joined by local 01 09 Kina Zoré stoner-metal acolytes — and occasional surf rockers — VULTURES OF CULT. 01 16 Soule Monde Radio Bean — da musical scene! — hosts Burlington’s sons of DEATH, ROUGH FRANCIS, and the BRASS BALAGAN, two of 01 17 Green Mountain Playboys the most entertaining live acts around, Cajun Dance Party albeit for wildly different reasons. (Full disclosure: RF’s BOBBY HACKNEY JR. is a 7D 01 23 Lynguistic Civilians employee.) If you’re wondering why KAT WRIGHT TEXT “unity” to 30321 to get our weekly music updates! & THE INDOMITABLE SOUL BAND aren’t at the Bean, the joint where the band got its W W W . P O S I T I V E P I E . C O M 8 0 2 . 2 2 9 . 0 4 5 3 start, it’s because they’re at ArtsRiot for a Champagne-cork-poppin’ formal. And speaking of excellent local soul The Skinny pancake preSenTS 1 12/12/14 4:53 PM and R&B, you could do worse than to 8v-positivepie122414.indd check out a pair of exciting newcomers in SMOOTH ANTICS and GRUNDLEFUNK at the Skinny Pancake. Indie-rock fans will want to be at Nectar’s, which hosts DJ STEAL WOOL, VILLANELLES, PAPER CASTLES and ascendant PBR&B outfit MADAILA — formerly known as PLATO EARS and DALY and, as of this writing, still currently known as Madaila. Meanwhile, the irie-inclined can get a special dose of MiYard Reggae Night upstairs at Club Metronome. FeaT uring So, yeah. That’s one hell of a New Year’s Eve, right? Enjoy it. Be safe. And Smooth Antics we’ll see you in 2015. 12.24.14-01.07.15

FILE: MATTHEW THORSEN

“Jazz Curmudgeon,” went to the great jazz club in the sky in December. Enigmatic guitarist and vocalist KIP MEAKER died in August, leaving behind a legacy of monster riffs and devilishly wry one-liners. In April, WAYNE BEAM, a fixture at more nightclubs than we can count, passed suddenly. We’ll miss his warm, goofy, gap-toothed grin. And in January we lost BEANO PARKER, cofounder of punk pioneers the WARDS, considered by many to be the first punk band in Vermont. By the way, you can catch the surviving members of the Wards at Radio Bean in Burlington on Sunday, December 28. On August 30, Burlington celebrated the first A-Dog Day, in honor of the late ANDY WILLIAMS, the beloved DJ, artist and skateboarder who passed away following a yearlong battle with leukemia in late December 2013. The citywide bash was a party fit for a king. It will be interesting to see how the organization that bears his name and was responsible for the celebration, the Friends for A-Dog Foundation, continues to grow and expand on its mission in the coming year. We miss ya, Andy. In other news: Canada eased restrictions on foreign bands performing in small venues, making it easier than ever for Vermont acts to cross the border legally. Longtime area bassist MARK RANSOM, now based in Hawaii, was diagnosed with, and then beat, throat cancer. DROWNINGMAN, the best-known hardcore band in VT history, reunited. SPIT JACK, possibly the most infamous punk band in VT history, broke up. And GRACE POTTER sang the national anthem at the NFL Pro Bowl, which, all things considered, was probably the best thing to happen to the NFL this year.

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weekend following GPN — see festival fatigue, above. Still, the reintroduction of Oakledge as a festival venue — many years ago it was home to the Vermont Reggae Festival — was itself a stroke of brilliance. Moving on, 2014 saw the passing of several notable folks in the local music scene. L.J. PALARDY, the longtime WRUV DJ and beloved, if notoriously cranky

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DEAD SETGRATEFUL DEAD TRIBUTE 9PM plus 3-5pm Apres Ski - Zach Nugent & Devon Noel of Dead Set WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 31 • NEW YEARS EVE

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know how to party. That makes sense, given that the band hails from New Orleans.

The instrumental funk ensemble incorporates all manner of Crescent City music into its explosive, groove-heavy sound. But most importantly, it embodies the wild, good-times spirit of the Big Easy. Naughty Professor play Nectar’s in Burlington on Saturday, January 3, with locals JAPHY RYDER. SAT.27

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CLUB METRONOME: Retronome with DJ Fattie B (’80s dance party), 9 p.m., free/$5. FRANNY O'S: Karaoke, 9 p.m., free. JP'S PUB: Karaoke with Megan, 10 p.m., free. JUNIPER: Gold Gheng (eclectic), 9 p.m., free. MANHATTAN PIZZA & PUB: MC Topic (hip-hop), 9 p.m., free. Aleck Woogmaster & Ivy Estelle, Bless the Child, Mertz, Maiden Voyage (hip-hop), 9 p.m., free. NECTAR'S: Justin Panigutti (rock), 7 p.m., free. Grippo Funk Band with Jen Hartswick and DJ Rekkon (funk), 9 p.m., $5. RADIO BEAN COFFEEHOUSE: Acoustic Brunch with Erin Cassels-Brown, noon, free. The Snaz (indie rock), 7:30 p.m., free. Seanyit (neo soul), 9 p.m., free. And the Kids (glitter Popsicle crisis), 10:30 p.m., free. Eames Brothers Band with Matt Burr (mountain blues), midnight, free. RED SQUARE: Mashtodon (hip-hop), 11 p.m., $5. RED SQUARE BLUE ROOM: DJ Raul (salsa), 6 p.m., free. DJ Reign One (EDM), 11 p.m., $5. RUBEN JAMES: Craig Mitchell (house), 10 p.m., free. ZEN LOUNGE: Throwback Classics with DJ Atak: Bree Lemay & Lexa Rae Birthday Celebration (hip-hop), 9 p.m., $5.

chittenden county

BACKSTAGE PUB: Bill (rock), 9 p.m., free. HIGHER GROUND BALLROOM: Twiddle, Soule Monde (jam, funk), 8:30 p.m., $15/17. AA. HIGHER GROUND SHOWCASE LOUNGE: Dwight & Nicole, the DuPont Brothers, Thunderbolt Research (roots, soul, indie folk), 8 p.m., $15/17. AA. THE MONKEY HOUSE: Miss Massive with Jason Lee (live DJs), 9 p.m., $3. ON TAP BAR & GRILL: Contois School of Music Band (rock), 5 p.m., free. In Kahootz (rock), 9 p.m., free. VENUE NIGHTCLUB: Saturday Night Mixdown with DJ Dakota & Jon Demus, 10 p.m., $5. 18+.

barre/montpelier

BAGITOS BAGEL & BURRITO CAFÉ: Irish Session, 2 p.m., donation. CHARLIE O'S: Mad Mountain Scramblers (bluegrass), 10 p.m., free. NUTTY STEPH'S: Jazzyaoke with Larry Damon's Z-Jazz & You, 7 p.m., free. SWEET MELISSA'S: Live Music, 9 p.m., free. WHAMMY BAR: Lewis Franco & the Brown Eyed Girls (swing), 7 p.m., free.

stowe/smuggs area

MOOG'S PLACE: The Growlers (blues), 9 p.m., free. RUSTY NAIL: Dead Set: A Grateful Dead Jam, 9 p.m., $7.

mad river valley/ waterbury

THE RESERVOIR RESTAURANT & TAP

SCAN PAGE ROOM:THIS Gang of Thieves (funk rock), 10 p.m., free. WITH LAYAR SEE PAGE 9 middlebury area

CITY LIMITS: City Limits Dance Party with DJ Earl (top 40), 9:30 p.m., free.

northeast kingdom

THE PARKER PIE CO.: Howie Cantor (Americana), 8 p.m., free. PHAT KATS TAVERN: The NEKTones (rock), 9 p.m., free. THE STAGE: Turnip Truck (rock), 6 p.m., free. Milkbone (rock), 8 p.m., free.

outside vermont

MONOPOLE: Live Music, 10 p.m., free.

SUN.28 burlington

CLUB METRONOME: Sundae Soundclash: Open Decks (house), 9 p.m., free/$5. 18+. FRANNY O'S: Kyle Stevens' Happiest Hour of Music (singer-songwriter), 7 p.m., free. Vermont's Next Star, 8 p.m., free. THE LAUGH BAR AT DRINK: Comedy Open Mic (standup comedy), 8 p.m., free. NECTAR'S: MI YARD Reggae Night

with DJs Big Dog and Demus, 9 p.m., free. OLDE NORTHENDER PUB: Open Mic, 7 YOUR p.m., free. SCAN

RADIO BEAN COFFEEHOUSE: TEXT WITH LA Acoustic Brunch with Britt HERE 11 a.m., free. Pete SEE PAG Kusserow, Sutherland & Tim Stickle's Old Time Session, 1 p.m., free. Cam Will (indie folk), 7 p.m., free. Robin Reid aka Talking Lake (folk), 8 p.m., free. Home for the Holidays Pickin' Party (bluegrass), 9 p.m., free. Kiki's Lost Nation (rock), 10:30 p.m., free. The Wards (punk), 11:30 p.m., free. RED SQUARE: Burritos (ska, funk), 7 p.m., free. THE SKINNY PANCAKE (BURLINGTON): Bluegrass Brunch Scramble, noon, $5-10 donation. Spark Open Improv Jam & Standup Comedy, 7 p.m., $5-10 donation.

chittenden county

BACKSTAGE PUB: Karaoke/Open Mic, 8 p.m., free. HIGHER GROUND BALLROOM: Twiddle, Soule Monde (jam, funk), 8:30 p.m., $15/17. AA. PENALTY BOX: Trivia With a Twist, 4 p.m., free.

stowe/smuggs area MOOG'S PLACE: John & Friends (folk), noon, free.

SUN.28

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GOT MUSIC NEWS? DAN@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

REVIEW this

For the Records Recapping the top local recordings of 2014

TOP 10

VERMONT-MADE RECORDINGS OF 2014 ANDERS PARKER, There’s a Bluebird in My Heart BARBACOA, Italian Medallion CAROLINE ROSE, I Will Not Be Afraid THE DUPONT BROTHERS, Heavy as Lead INVISIBLE HOMES, Song for My Double

B Y D A N BOL L ES

POURS, Pours THE PRECEPTS, This Is How It Must Be SWALE, The Next Instead WAYLON SPEED, Kin THE WRITE BROTHERS, Take Flight

(Disclaimers: Swale bassist Tyler Bolles is the younger brother of Seven Days music editor Dan Bolles. Waylon Speed drummer Justin Crowther is an occasional Seven Days contributor.)

MUSIC 69

AN INDEPENDENT ARTIST OR BAND MAKING MUSIC IN VT, SEND YOUR CD TO US! GET YOUR MUSIC REVIEWED: IFDANYOU’RE BOLLES C/O SEVEN DAYS, 255 SO. CHAMPLAIN ST. STE 5, BURLINGTON, VT 05401

the Burlington Bread Boys introduced us to — and reacquainted us with — kazoocore on a pair of rambunctious outings. Fiddler Katie Trautz was busy in 2014, delivering a humble gem with Brattleboro’s Wooden Dinosaur and a sweet turn with her folk duo Mayfly. In a similar vein as the latter, a new record from PossumHaw was worth the wait. It was a slow year for jazz, but educator and guitarist Steve Blair delivered a master class on jazz-rock fusion with his septet. In R&B, Smooth Antics introduced a seductive new voice in neo-soul, siren Stephanie Heaghney. Meanwhile, Nicole Nelson reminded us she’s still “the voice” to be reckoned with in Vermont on a shiny new record with her rootssoul duo Dwight & Nicole. Gone but not forgotten, Vermont expats were busy in 2014, too, highlighted by the deconstructed folk of Sam Amidon and the psychedelic ear candy of the Cush, to name but a couple. Did we miss anything? Probably. And that’s partly the point. More great music was made in Vermont in 2014 than anyone could possibly keep up with. That makes choosing a list of the “best” local records problematic. But choose we must. So here are 10 local records that especially stood out, to our ears, in 2014. Call them the best if you like. But we prefer to think of them as simply fine representatives of yet another spectacular year in Vermont music.

SEVEN DAYS

moved to New York City, the future of Vermont hip-hop looks bright, as evidenced by solid releases from the likes of Boomslang, Agent Slacker and promising young newcomer Blunder. The Lynguistic Civilians partied hard with the Mangroves. Onetime Manifest Nexto Me MC Michael Morelli made a welcome return as Enemy Self. Scene chronicler Justin Boland — the founder of the website Vermont Hip Hop News and a Seven Days freelancer — prodded the boundaries of high-concept hip-hop with a new Algorhythms release. And the entire community rallied around a fallen hero on a comp for the late, great DJ A-Dog. Vermont’s singer-songwriters enjoyed a strong year, as well. Joe Adler proved he’s many things to many scenes on his star-studded “solo” record. Jenke Arts founder Tommy Alexander said goodbye to Vermont with his sharpest record to date. Meanwhile, Chicago and NYC transplant Rachael Ries said hello to her new neighbors in Montpelier. Jake Brennan found love with Violette Ultraviolet. And Cam Will holed up for the winter to produce a stark masterpiece. As always, folk and Americana figured prominently. On the twangier side, alt-country songwriter Lowell Thompson took advice from strangers, while honky-tonk hero Mark LeGrand burned it all down. In bluegrass, Bob Amos set the bar. But releases from the Bondville Boys, the Modern Grass Quintet and Something With Strings were not too far behind. Though more old-time than bluegrass,

12.24.14-01.07.15

fourth decade, the Phab Phour were still en fuego. Local prog rock proved multigenerational. Elder statesmen Elephants of Scotland took a deep breath and executed. Meanwhile, new kids on the block Coquette teased listeners by melding elements of King Crimson with Zappa and Fugazi. Proving he might be a genre unto himself, music-scene cornerstone Colin Clary scored with new releases from indie-pop tweety birds the Smittens and his bedroom-pop duo with Dana Kaplan, Let’s Whisper. Never mind Clary’s own strong solo record. Speaking of indie rock, Montpelier’s Anachronist were as enigmatic as ever on a full-length loaded with classic guitar jangle. Windsor’s Carton introduced us to “neobrutalism.” On the synthy end of the spectrum, electro-pop auteur NYIKO delivered a multisensory, multimedia stunner, while newcomer Guthrie Galileo shot for the stars on his debut. Rounding out the year in local rock, Gang of Thieves summoned lightning and thunderfunk to deliver a timeless treatise on funk rock. Wave of the Future made like a tree and got outta here with 1.21 jiggawatts of electric dance punk. Middlebury’s Crazyhearse were still crazy good after all these years. Though rock remains king in Vermont, there may soon be a challenger to the throne: hip-hop. 2014 was a banner year for local rap releases, headlined by myriad projects from Aztext cofounder, battle rap champ and scene guru Learic. Though he’s since

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n this article last year, we posited that 2013 would go down as one the finest years for recorded music in Vermont’s history. We also suggested that the quantity and quality of that year’s musical bounty was not an anomaly — it was a trend. Green Mountain music in 2014 did little to dispute that assertion. Once again, the volume, virtue and variety were simply overwhelming. Looking forward to 2015 with expected releases from the likes of Villanelles, the Aztext, Francesca Blanchard, Death and Madaila, among others, Vermont-made music shows no signs of slowing down. To wit… Pundits around the country have lately suggested that rock music is on the wane, but Vermonters have apparently not gotten the memo. Once again, rock releases of varying sonic stripes dominated the local landscape. In the heavy-music scene, Doom Service gave us something to believe in. Gorgon divulged a loud, lascivious punk secret. Carraway made us pine for poppunk makeout sessions and dashboard confessions. Black Rabbit blew shit up with dynamite and power chords. Central Vermont punksters Sorry Mom apologized, but not for rocking hard. Chalice shredded with metal malice. And don’t look now, but it seems that rumors of the demise of jam bands in Burlington were, ahem, fishy. The Bumping Jones proved peppy and playful on their debut. Binger beckoned us down the rabbit hole. Squimley and the Woolens fired off a pair of jamtastic 2014 records. And as they entered their

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Email UVMVTC@UVM.EDU or visit UVMVTC.ORG

CLUB METRONOME: metal monday: Amadis, made in Iron, 9 p.m., $3/5. 18+.

NECTAR'S: medaila, Villanelles, Paper castles, DJ Steal Wool (indie rock), 9 p.m., $6/10.

FRANNY O'S: Standup comedy cage match, 8 p.m., free.

RADIO BEAN COFFEEHOUSE: Burritos (ska, funk), 4:20 p.m., free. Alicia & tom (jazz), 6 p.m., free. Paul Boffa and April caspari (indie pop), 7 p.m., free. New Year's Eve with Rough Francis, Brass Balagan (punk), 10 p.m., free.

burlington

HALFLOUNGE SPEAKEASY: Family Night (rock), 10:30 p.m., free. JP'S PUB: Dance Video Request Night with melody, 10 p.m., free. NECTAR'S: The Dead Set: 'Reckoning' (Grateful Dead tribute), 9 p.m., free/$5. 18+.

THE SKINNY PANCAKE (BURLINGTON): Kidz music with Raphael, 11:30 a.m., $3 donation.

chittenden county

THE MONKEY HOUSE: Entrance to trains (rock), 8:30 p.m., $3. ON TAP BAR & GRILL: open mic with Wylie, 7 p.m., free.

stowe/smuggs area

MOOG'S PLACE: Seth Yacovone (solo acoustic blues), 7 p.m., free. Dead Sessions Lite (Grateful Dead tribute), 9 p.m., free.

TUE.30 burlington

CLUB METRONOME: Dead Set with cats Under the Stars (Grateful Dead tribute), 9 p.m., free/$5. HALFLOUNGE SPEAKEASY: DJ tricky Pat & Guests (D&B), 10 p.m., free. JP'S PUB: open mic with Kyle, 9 p.m., free. LEUNIG'S BISTRO & CAFÉ: Dayve Huckett (jazz), 7 p.m., free. MANHATTAN PIZZA & PUB: Bingo!, 9 p.m., free. NECTAR'S: Gubbulidis (jam), 8 p.m., free/$5. 18+. RADIO BEAN COFFEEHOUSE: Sammi & Johnnie (folk), 7 p.m., free. Aya Inoue Duo (folk rock), 8 p.m., free. Joe Adler & Eric Segalstaad (Auld Lang songs), 9 p.m., free. Honky tonk tuesday with Brett Hughes & Friends, 10 p.m., $3. RED SQUARE: craig mitchell (house), 10 p.m., free. ZEN LOUNGE: Killed It! Karaoke, 9 p.m., free.

chittenden county

THE MONKEY HOUSE: cornelius the Third (rock), 8:30 p.m., free. ON TAP BAR & GRILL: trivia Night, 7 p.m., free.

barre/montpelier

BAGITOS BAGEL & BURRITO CAFÉ: The People's café (poetry), 6 p.m., donation. CHARLIE O'S: Karaoke, 8 p.m., free. SOUTH SIDE TAVERN: open mic with John Lackard, 9 p.m., free. SWEET MELISSA'S: Live music, 5 p.m., free.

stowe/smuggs area

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MOOG'S PLACE: The Jason Wedlock Show (rock), 7:30 p.m., free. Dead Sessions Lite (Grateful Dead tribute), 9 p.m., free.

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middlebury area

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1/13/14 5:19 PM

ARTSRIOT: NYE with Kat Wright & the Indomitable Soul Band (soul), 7:30 p.m., $15/20. CLUB METRONOME: NYE miYard Reggae Night with DJs Big Dog & Jon Demus, 9 p.m., $6/10.

RED SQUARE: mashtodon (hip-hop), 8 p.m., free. 12/15/14 12:52 PM

burlington

MON.29

RADIO BEAN COFFEEHOUSE: Lisa Ann moroz (Americana), 7 p.m., free. miss massive Snowflake (pop), 8 p.m., free.

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WED.31

TWO BROTHERS TAVERN LOUNGE & STAGE: Karaoke with Roots Entertainment, 9 p.m., free.

MANHATTAN PIZZA & PUB: Disco Phantom (eclectic), 9 p.m., free.

RED SQUARE: Funkwagon (funk), 2 p.m., NA. cats Under the Stars (Jerry Garcia Band tribute), 7 p.m., NA. ZEN LOUNGE: Resolution! NYE with DJs craig mitchell & Atak (house), 8 p.m., $20.

chittenden county

HIGHER GROUND BALLROOM: The Devil makes Three, Joe Fletcher & the Wrong Reasons (Americana, country), 10 p.m., $35/40/50. HIGHER GROUND SHOWCASE LOUNGE: moon Hooch, Gnomedad (live electronica), 9 p.m., $20/25. AA. THE MONKEY HOUSE: Waylon Speed, Vultures of cult (rock), 9 p.m., $12. ON TAP BAR & GRILL: NYE with Justice (rock), 9 p.m., free. VENUE NIGHTCLUB: NYE Bash with 95XXX and Eagle country 97.5, 9 p.m., $15/20. 18+.

barre/montpelier

NUTTY STEPH'S: Bacon Wednesday NYE, 7 p.m., $20. SWEET MELISSA'S: Wine Down with D. Davis (acoustic), 5 p.m., free. coquette, Smokin' Js (rock), 9 p.m., NA.

stowe/smuggs area

MOOG'S PLACE: Dead Sessions Lite (Grateful Dead tribute), 9 p.m., free. RUSTY NAIL: Last Kid Picked (rock), 9 p.m., $20/25.

mad river valley/waterbury THE RESERVOIR RESTAURANT & TAP ROOM: torpedo Rodeo (surf punk), 10 p.m., free.

middlebury area

BAR ANTIDOTE: Discolicious (disco), 9 p.m., NA.

northeast kingdom

PHAT KATS TAVERN: Live music, 9:30 p.m., free. THE STAGE: micah carbonneau (singersongwriter), 6:30 p.m., free. NYE with Eye 91 (rock), 9 p.m., free.

outside vermont

MONOPOLE: Lucid's All Night NYE Party (rock), 10 p.m., free.

THU.1

burlington

BENTO: classics Vinyl clash (eclectic), 10 p.m., free. RADIO BEAN COFFEEHOUSE: Joe Fletcher (country), 5 p.m., free. Jazz Sessions with Julian chobot, 6:30 p.m., free. Shane Hardiman trio (jazz), 8:30 p.m., free. Kat Wright & the Indomitable Soul Band (soul), 11:30 p.m., $5.

chittenden county

PENALTY BOX: Karaoke, 8 p.m., free.

northeast kingdom

THE STAGE: Jay Natola (solo guitar), 7 p.m., free.

SAT.3

burlington

FRI.2

BLEU NORTHEAST SEAFOOD: Andrew moroz (jazz), 8:30 p.m., free.

BENTO: open Improvisation Jam, 10 p.m., free.

FRANNY O'S: Karaoke, 9 p.m., free.

BLEU NORTHEAST SEAFOOD: James Harvey trio (jazz), 8:30 p.m., free.

JP'S PUB: Karaoke with megan, 10 p.m., free.

CLUB METRONOME: Back to the Future Friday (’90s/2000s dance party), 9 p.m., $5.

NECTAR'S: John Daly trio (folk rock), 7 p.m., free. Naughty Professor, Japhy Ryder (funk), 9 p.m., $5.

FINNIGAN'S PUB: DJ Jon Demus (reggae), 10 p.m., free.

RADIO BEAN COFFEEHOUSE: Acoustic Brunch with Bear connelly, noon, free. Less Digital more manual: Record club with Disco Phantom, 3 p.m., free. Anna may Acoustic Duo (folk), 7 p.m., free. Ben cosgrove (instrumental folk), 8 p.m., free. castle creek (folk), 9 p.m., free. Daniel ouellete and the Shobjin (new wave), 10:30 p.m., free. The toes (dysfunctional family punk), midnight, free.

burlington

JUNIPER: Jamie Bright (singer-songwriter), 8:30 p.m., free. THE LAUGH BAR AT DRINK: comedy Showcase (standup comedy), 7 p.m., $7. NECTAR'S: Seth Yacovone (solo acoustic blues), 7 p.m., free. cats Under the Stars, Funbridge (Jerry Garcia tribute), 9 p.m., $5. RADIO BEAN COFFEEHOUSE: Kids music with Linda "tickle Belly" Bassick & Friends, 11 a.m., free. Audrey Houle (pop country), 7 p.m., free. APEX (jazz-funk, world rock), 8 p.m., free. Juliana Reed (folk), midnight, free. RED SQUARE: Funkwagon (funk), 4 p.m., free. DJ craig mitchell (house), 11 p.m., $5. RED SQUARE BLUE ROOM: DJ con Yay (EDM), 9 p.m., $5. RÍ RÁ IRISH PUB & WHISKEY ROOM: Supersounds DJ (top 40), 10 p.m., free. RUBEN JAMES: DJ cre8 (hip-hop), 10 p.m., free. ZEN LOUNGE: Salsa Night with Jah Red, 8 p.m., $5. D Jay Baron (hip-hop), 10 p.m., $5.

chittenden county

BACKSTAGE PUB: Karaoke with Jenny Red, 9 p.m., free. HIGHER GROUND BALLROOM: The Devil makes Three, Joe Fletcher & the Wrong Reasons (Americana, country), 9 p.m., $35/40/50. JERICHO CAFÉ & TAVERN: carol Anne Jones & Will Patton (Americana), 7:30 p.m., free. THE MONKEY HOUSE: Brian Gatch, Zephrus, twa corbies (rock), 9 p.m., free/$3. 18+.

barre/montpelier

CHARLIE O'S: mertz, Zach crawford, Aleck Wogmaster & Ivy Estelle (hip-hop), 10 p.m., free. NUTTY STEPH'S: Latin Friday with Rauli Fernandez & Friends, 7 p.m., free. POSITIVE PIE (MONTPELIER): Gang of Thieves (funk rock), 10 p.m., $5. SWEET MELISSA'S: Honky tonk Happy Hour with mark LeGrand, 5 p.m., free. Live music, 9 p.m., free.

stowe/smuggs area

MOOG'S PLACE: Dave Keller Band (soul, blues), 9 p.m., free. RIMROCK'S MOUNTAIN TAVERN: DJ Rekkon #FridayNightFrequencies (hip-hop), 10 p.m., free.

middlebury area

CITY LIMITS: toast (rock), 9 p.m.

northeast kingdom

PHAT KATS TAVERN: Satta Sound (reggae), 9:30 p.m., free. THE STAGE: Karaoke, 8 p.m., free.

MONOPOLE DOWNSTAIRS: Happy Hour tunes & trivia with Gary Peacock, 5 p.m., free.

RUBEN JAMES: craig mitchell (house), 10 p.m., free.

chittenden county

HIGHER GROUND SHOWCASE LOUNGE: Pop-Up! A Queer Dance Party (house), 9 p.m., $5. THE MONKEY HOUSE: Dino Bravo, the mountain Says No, Black Rabbit (rock), 9 p.m., $3. ON TAP BAR & GRILL: The Benoits (Vermonticana), 5 p.m., free. Smokin' Gun (rock), 9 p.m., free. VENUE NIGHTCLUB: Saturday Night mixdown with DJ Dakota & Jon Demus, 10 p.m., $5. 18+.

barre/montpelier

BAGITOS BAGEL & BURRITO CAFÉ: Irish Session, 2 p.m., donation.

Glass blown by Super Phunk

NEW PRODUCTS COMING IN FREQUENTLY CARRYING VAPORIZERS INCLUDING: PAX, G PEN & MAGIC FLIGHT

Northern Lights 75 Main St., Burlington, VT 864.6555 Mon-Thur 10-9; F-Sat 10-10; Sun 10-8

w w w .n o rt h e rn lig h t sp ipes . c om Must be 18 to purchase tobacco products, ID required

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Northernlightsvt 11/24/14 10:53 AM

SWEET MELISSA'S: Live music, 5 p.m., free. Seth Yacovone trio (blues), 9 p.m., free. WHAMMY BAR: 2 cents in the till (folk), 7 p.m., free.

stowe/smuggs area

MOOG'S PLACE: Eames Brothers Band (mountain blues), 9 p.m., free. RUSTY NAIL: Pink talking Fish (Phish, Talking Heads and Pink Floyd tribute … seriously), 9 p.m., $10.

mad river valley/waterbury

THE RESERVOIR RESTAURANT & TAP ROOM: Paul cataldo (jazz), 10 p.m., free.

middlebury area

CITY LIMITS: city Limits Dance Party with DJ Earl (top 40), 9:30 p.m., free.

northeast kingdom

THE PARKER PIE CO.: Granite Junction (bluegrass), 8 p.m., free. THE STAGE: Ana D'Leon (singer-songwriter), 6 p.m., free. tritium Well (rock), 8 p.m., free.

SUN.4

burlington

FRANNY O'S: Kyle Stevens' Happiest Hour of music (singer-songwriter), 7 p.m., free. Vermont's Next Star, 8 p.m., free. THE LAUGH BAR AT DRINK: comedy open mic (standup comedy), 8 p.m., free. NECTAR'S: mI YARD Reggae Night with DJs Big Dog and Demus, 9 p.m., free. OLDE NORTHENDER PUB: open mic, 7 p.m., free. SUn.4

» P.72

MUSIC 71

outside vermont

RED SQUARE BLUE ROOM: DJ Raul (salsa), 6 p.m., free. DJ Reign one (EDM), 11 p.m., $5.

HAVE A SUPER PHUNK-E SEASON!!! ILLADELPH, JM FLOW, EVO, DELTA 9, LOCAL AND 802 ARTISTS

12/15/14 6:22 PM

SEVEN DAYS

RUSTY NAIL: Hot Neon magic (’80s new wave), 9 p.m., $8.

RED SQUARE: $5. Zach Nugent & Devin Noel (groove), 7 p.m., free. mashtodon (hip-hop), 11 p.m., $5.

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12.24.14-01.07.15

WHAMMY BAR: Broken String (bluegrass), 7 p.m., free.

JUNIPER: matty Parillo trio (jazz), 8:30 p.m., free.

SEVENDAYSVt.com

ON TAP BAR & GRILL: Nerbak Brothers (blues), 5 p.m., free. Phil Abair Band (rock), 9 p.m., free.

CLUB METRONOME: Retronome with DJ Fattie B (’80s dance party), 9 p.m., free/$5.

music

CLUB DATES na: not availABLE. AA: All ages.

courtesy of emperor x

tue.6 // Emperor X [experimental pop]

He Deafened Me With Science Before media outlets from the New Yorker to Pitchfork were singing his praises, Chad Matheny was a science

teacher. Perhaps that background helps explain his approach to music making as Emperor X. Since 1998, Matheny has been probing the outermost boundaries of the sonic universe, creating mind-bending experimental-pop suites that question the very nature of sound. Or, as the Huffington Post put it in a review of his latest record, Western Teleport, his music is “one of the most creative things I’ve ever heard.” Emperor X teleports into the Monkey House in Winooski on Tuesday, January 6. sun.4

« p.71

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RADIO BEAN COFFEEHOUSE: Downfall Country with Andrew Stearns & Shay Gestal, 1 p.m., free. Andy Moroz (jazz), 7 p.m., free. Clare Byrne (folk), 9 p.m., free. Loose at the Root (funky groove rock), 10:30 p.m., free. THE SKINNY PANCAKE (BURLINGTON): Bluegrass Brunch Scramble, noon, $5-10 donation. Spark Open Improv Jam & Standup Comedy, 7 p.m., $5-10 donation.

chittenden county

BACKSTAGE PUB: Karaoke/Open Mic, 8 p.m., free. PENALTY BOX: Trivia With a Twist, 4 p.m., free.

northeast kingdom

SEVEN DAYS

12.24.14-01.07.15

THE STAGE: Open Mic, 5 p.m., free.

MON.5

burlington

FRANNY O'S: Standup Comedy Cage Match, 8 p.m., free. HALFLOUNGE SPEAKEASY: Family Night (rock), 10:30 p.m., free. JP'S PUB: Dance Video Request Night with Melody, 10 p.m., free. NECTAR'S: Family Night Band (rock), 9 p.m., free/$5. 18+. THE SKINNY PANCAKE (BURLINGTON): Kidz Music with Raphael, 11:30 a.m., $3 donation.

chittenden county 72 music

ON TAP BAR & GRILL: Open Mic with Wylie, 7 p.m., free.

stowe/smuggs area

MOOG'S PLACE: Seth Yacovone (solo acoustic blues), 7 p.m., free.

middlebury area

TWO BROTHERS TAVERN LOUNGE & STAGE: Karaoke with Roots Entertainment, 9 p.m., free.

TUE. 6

WED. 7

CLUB METRONOME: Dead Set with Cats Under the Stars (Grateful Dead tribute), 9 p.m., free/$5.

HALFLOUNGE SPEAKEASY: Wildlife Wednesday (trap, house), 9:30 p.m.

burlington

HALFLOUNGE SPEAKEASY: DJ Tricky Pat & Guests (D&B), 10 p.m., free.

JP'S PUB: Pub Quiz with Dave, 7 p.m., free. Karaoke with Melody, 10 p.m., free.

JP'S PUB: Open Mic with Kyle, 9 p.m., free.

JUNIPER: Tom Cleary & Amber deLaurentis (jazz), 8 p.m., free.

LEUNIG'S BISTRO & CAFÉ: Dayve Huckett (jazz), 7 p.m., free. NECTAR'S: Gubbulidis (jam), 8 p.m., free/$5. 18+. Dead Set: A Grateful Dead Jam, 9 p.m., free/$5. 18+.

LEUNIG'S BISTRO & CAFÉ: Paul Asbell Trio (jazz), 7 p.m., free. MANHATTAN PIZZA & PUB: Open Mic with Andy Lugo, 9 p.m., free.

RADIO BEAN COFFEEHOUSE: Gua Gua (psychotropical jazz), 6:30 p.m., free. Josh Brooks (country), 9 p.m., free. Honky Tonk Tuesday with Brett Hughes & Friends, 10 p.m., $3.

NECTAR'S: VT Comedy Club Presents: What a Joke! Comedy Open Mic (standup comedy), 7 p.m., free. Abbie Morin, Cricket Blue, DJ Late Night (folk), 9 p.m., $5/10. 18+.

RED SQUARE: Craig Mitchell (house), 10 p.m., free.

RADIO BEAN COFFEEHOUSE: Dinner with Zack DuPont (indie folk), 6 p.m., free. Irish Sessions, 9 p.m., free.

ZEN LOUNGE: Killed It! Karaoke, 9 p.m., free.

chittenden county

THE MONKEY HOUSE: Emperor X (experimental pop), 8:30 p.m., $10. ON TAP BAR & GRILL: Trivia Night, 7 p.m., free.

barre/montpelier

CHARLIE O'S: Karaoke, 8 p.m., free. SOUTH SIDE TAVERN: Open Mic with John Lackard, 9 p.m., free. SWEET MELISSA'S: Live Music, 5 p.m., free.

stowe/smuggs area

MOOG'S PLACE: The Jason Wedlock Show (rock), 7:30 p.m., free.

barre/montpelier

BAGITOS BAGEL & BURRITO CAFÉ: Karl Miller (jazz), 6 p.m., donation.

THE SKINNY PANCAKE (MONTPELIER): Cajun Jam SCAN THIS PAGE with Jay Ekis, Lee Blackwell, Alec Ellsworth & WITH LAYAR Katie Trautz, 6 p.m., $5-10 donation.

SEE PAGE SWEET MELISSA'S: Wine9Down with D. Davis (acoustic), 5 p.m., free. Open Bluegrass Jam, 5 p.m., free.

stowe/smuggs area

THE BEE'S KNEES: Heady Topper Happy Hour with David Langevin (piano), 5 p.m., free. MOOG'S PLACE: Lesley Grant & Friends (country), 8 p.m., free. PIECASSO PIZZERIA & LOUNGE: Trivia Night, 7 p.m., free.

middlebury area

CITY LIMITS: Karaoke, 9 p.m., free. TWO BROTHERS TAVERN LOUNGE & STAGE: Trivia Night, 7 p.m., free.

northeast kingdom

THE PARKER PIE CO.: Trivia Night, 7 p.m., free.

RED SQUARE: DJ Jack Bandit (hip-hop), 11 p.m., free.

THE STAGE: Donovan & the Doc (folk), 6:30 p.m., free.

THE SKINNY PANCAKE (BURLINGTON): Josh Panda's Acoustic Soul Night, 8 p.m., $5-10 donation.

outside vermont

ZEN LOUNGE: Zensday with DJ Robbie J (house), 10 p.m., free.

OLIVE RIDLEY'S: So You Want to Be a DJ?, 10 p.m., free. m

chittenden county

THE MONKEY HOUSE: Ebn Ezra (rock), 8:30 p.m., free/$3. 18+. ON TAP BAR & GRILL: Chad Hollister (folk rock), 7 p.m., free.

MONOPOLE: Open Mic, 10 p.m., free.

YOU TEX HER

venueS.411 burlington

StoWE/SMuggS ArEA

51 mAiN At thE briDgE, 51 Main St., Middlebury, 388-8209 bAr ANtiDotE, 35C Green St., Vergennes, 877-2555 citY limitS, 14 Greene St., Vergennes, 877-6919 tourtErEllE, 3629 Ethan Allen Hwy., New Haven, 453-6309 two brothErS tAVErN louNgE & StAgE, 86 Main St., Middlebury, 388-0002

rutlAnD ArEA

picklE bArrEl Nightclub, Killington Rd., Killington, 422-3035

Media

Season Sponsor

P E R F O R M I N G

uPPEr VAllEY

brEAkiNg grouNDS, 245 Main St., Bethel, 392-4222

nortHEASt kingDoM

browN’S mArkEt biStro, 1618 Scott Highway, Groton, 584-4124 muSic box, 147 Creek Rd., Craftsbury, 586-7533 pArkEr piE co., 161 County Rd., West Glover, 525-3366 phAt kAtS tAVErN, 101 Depot St., Lyndonville, 626-3064 thE pub outbAck, 482 Vt. 114, East Burke, 626-1188 thE StAgE, 45 Broad St., Lyndonville, 427-3344

outSiDE VErMont

moNopolE, 7 Protection Ave., Plattsburgh, N.Y., 518-563-2222 NAkED turtlE, 1 Dock St., Plattsburgh, N.Y., 518-566-6200. oliVE riDlEY’S, 37 Court St., Plattsburgh, N.Y., 518-324-2200 pAlmEr St. coffEE houSE, 4 Palmer St., Plattsburgh, N.Y. 518-561-6920

www.flynncenter.org or call 802-86-flynn

6h-flynn122614.indd 1

12/13/14 1:24 PM

Burlington LOWER BUTTON PRICES FOR FIRST NIGHT 2015

ENJOY BURLINGTON’S 32ND ANNUAL NEW YEAR’S EVE FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS Presented by

CHAMPlAin iSlAnDS/ nortHWESt

chow! bEllA, 28 N. Main St., St. Albans, 524-1405 SNow ShoE loDgE & pub, 13 Main St., Montgomery Center, 326-4456

A R T S

Adults

Kids

(Ages 13+)

(Ages 3-12)

($20* on December 31)

Thanks to the support of Free Press Media.

$15*

$5*

Students

(with valid student I.D.)

$10**

Ticketed Performances $5*** (These shows require a ticket in addition to a button.)

Vermont Youth Orchestra, Circus Smirkus, Burlington Taiko, The Bluegrass Gospel Project, Ray Vega

ENJOY PERFORMANCES BY KAT WRIGHT & THE INDOMITABLE SOUL BAND • CRICKET BLUE • FRANCESCA BLANCHARD GRUP ANWAR • MYRA FLYNN • TENORES DE ATERÚE • THE DUPONT BROTHERS VPR’S ‘50S SOCK HOP WITH JOEL NAJMAN • A2VT • STEADY BETTY • 8 CUERDAS • GREGORY DOUGLASS • JERNIGAN PONTIAC • THE LEATHERBOUND BOOKS • MAPLE JAM ME2 ORCHESTRA • PAUL ASBELL • THE STARLINE RHYTHM BOYS & MANY MORE! * Vermont and local sales tax Included. ** Student buttons are only available in person at the First Night Burlington box office, 230 College Street, Burlington. Sales tax included. *** Includes $1 Flynn or Memorial preservation fee. Sales tax also included.

ORDER YOUR BUTTONS & TICKETS • FIRSTNIGHTBURLINGTON.COM • (802) 863-6005 Visit our mobile web site on your smart phone and build your personalized New Year’s Eve schedule at firstnightburlington.com! 3v-firstnight121714.indd 1

12/15/14 2:52 PM

MUSIC 73

bEE’S kNEES, 82 Lower Main St., Morrisville, 888-7889 clAirE’S rEStAurANt & bAr, 41 Main St., Hardwick, 472-7053 mAttErhorN, 4969 Mountain Rd., Stowe, 253-8198 moog’S plAcE, Portland St., Morrisville, 851-8225 piEcASSo, 899 Mountain Rd., Stowe, 253-4411 rimrockS mouNtAiN tAVErN, 394 Mountain Rd., Stowe, 253-9593 thE ruStY NAil, 1190 Mountain Rd., Stowe, 253-6245 SuShi YoShi, 1128 Mountain Rd., Stowe, 253-4135 SwEEt cruNch bAkEShop, 246 Main St., Hyde Park, 888-4887 VErmoNt AlE houSE, 294 Mountain Rd., Stowe, 253-6253

MiDDlEburY ArEA

Fri., Jan. 10 at 8 pm, FlynnSpace

Autumn Spencer Ashley Watson Kendall Farrell Sean Hunter Williams Josie Leavitt

SEVEN DAYS

bAckStAgE pub, 60 Pearl St., Essex Jct., 878-5494 gooD timES cAfé, Rt. 116, Hinesburg, 482-4444 highEr grouND, 1214 Williston Rd., S. Burlington, 652-0777

bAgitoS bAgEl & burrito cAfé, 28 Main St., Montpelier, 229-9212 cApitAl grouNDS cAfé, 27 State St., Montpelier, 223-7800 chArliE o’S, 70 Main St., Montpelier, 223-6820 ESprESSo buENo, 248 N. Main St., Barre, 479-0896 grEEN mouNtAiN tAVErN, 10 Keith Ave., Barre, 522-2935 guSto’S, 28 Prospect St., Barre, 476-7919 kiSmEt, 52 State St., Montpelier, 223-8646 mulligAN’S iriSh pub, 9 Maple Ave., Barre, 479-5545 North brANch cAfé, 41 State St., Montpelier, 552-8105 NuttY StEph’S, 961C Rt. 2, Middlesex, 229-2090 poSitiVE piE, 20 State St., Montpelier, 229-0453 rED hEN bAkErY + cAfé, 961 US Route 2, Middlesex, 223-5200 thE SkiNNY pANcAkE, 89 Main St., Montpelier, 262-2253 South SiDE tAVErN, 107 S. Main St., Barre, 476-3637 SwEEt mEliSSA’S, 4 Langdon St., Montpelier, 225-6012 VErmoNt thruSh rEStAurANt, 107 State St., Montpelier, 225-6166 whAmmY bAr, 31 W. County Rd., Calais, 229-4329

big picturE thEAtEr & cAfé, 48 Carroll Rd., Waitsfield, 496-8994 thE cENtEr bAkErY & cAfé, 2007 Guptil Rd., Waterbury Center, 244-7500 ciDEr houSE bbq AND pub, 1675 Rte.2, Waterbury, 244-8400 cork wiNE bAr, 1 Stowe St., Waterbury, 882-8227 hoStEl tEVErE, 203 Powderhound Rd., Warren, 496-9222 purplE mooN pub, Rt. 100, Waitsfield, 496-3422 thE rESErVoir rEStAurANt & tAp room, 1 S. Main St., Waterbury, 244-7827 SliDE brook loDgE & tAVErN, 3180 German Flats Rd., Warren, 583-2202

“STAND UP, SIT DOWN, & LAUGH”

12.24.14-01.07.15

CHittEnDEn CountY

bArrE/MontPEliEr

MAD riVEr VAllEY/ WAtErburY

SEVENDAYSVt.com

242 mAiN St., Burlington, 862-2244 AmEricAN flAtbrEAD, 115 St. Paul St., Burlington, 861-2999 ArtSriot, 400 Pine St., Burlington AuguSt firSt, 149 S. Champlain St., Burlington, 540-0060 bENto, 197 College St., Burlington, 497-2494 blEu NorthEASt SEAfooD, 25 Cherry St., Burlington, 854-4700 brEAkwAtEr cAfé, 1 King St., Burlington, 658-6276 brENNAN’S pub & biStro, UVM Davis Center, 590 Main St., Burlington, 656-1204 church & mAiN rEStAurANt, 156 Church St. Burlington, 540-3040 club mEtroNomE, 188 Main St., Burlington, 865-4563 thE DAilY plANEt, 15 Center St., Burlington, 862-9647 DobrÁ tEA, 80 Church St., Burlington, 951-2424 DriNk, 133 St. Paul St., Burlington, 951-9463 EASt ShorE ViNEYArD tAStiNg room, 28 Church St., Burlington, 859-9463 fiNNigAN’S pub, 205 College St., Burlington, 864-8209 frANNY o’S, 733 Queen City Park Rd., Burlington, 863-2909 hAlflouNgE SpEAkEASY, 136 1/2 Church St., Burlington, 865-0012 Jp’S pub, 139 Main St., Burlington, 658-6389 JuNipEr At hotEl VErmoNt, 41 Cherry St., Burlington, 658-0251 lEuNig’S biStro & cAfé, 115 Church St., Burlington, 863-3759 mAgliANEro cAfé, 47 Maple St., Burlington, 861-3155 mANhAttAN pizzA & pub, 167 Main St., Burlington, 864-6776 muDDY wAtErS, 184 Main St., Burlington, 658-0466 NEctAr’S, 188 Main St., Burlington, 658-4771 pizzA bArrio, 203 N. Winooski Ave., Burlington, 863-8278 rADio bEAN coffEEhouSE, 8 N. Winooski Ave., Burlington, 660-9346 rASputiN’S, 163 Church St., Burlington, 864-9324 rED SquArE, 136 Church St., Burlington, 859-8909 rÍ rÁ iriSh pub, 123 Church St., Burlington, 860-9401 rubEN JAmES, 159 Main St., Burlington, 864-0744 SigNAl kitchEN, 71 Main St., Burlington, 399-2337 thE SkiNNY pANcAkE, 60 Lake St., Burlington, 540-0188 VENuE Nightclub, 5 Market St., S. Burlington, 338-1057 thE VErmoNt pub & brEwErY, 144 College St., Burlington, 865-0500 zEN louNgE, 165 Church St., Burlington, 399-2645

hiNESburgh public houSE, 10516 Vt., 116 #6A, Hinesburg, 482-5500 JEricho cAfé & tAVErN, 30 Rte., 15 Jericho, 899-2223 moNkEY houSE, 30 Main St., Winooski, 399-2020 moNtY’S olD brick tAVErN, 7921 Williston Rd., Williston, 316-4262 oAk45, 45 Main St., Winooski, 448-3740 o’briEN’S iriSh pub, 348 Main St., Winooski, 338-4678 oN tAp bAr & grill, 4 Park St., Essex Jct., 878-3309 pArk plAcE tAVErN, 38 Park St., Essex Jct. 878-3015 pENAltY box, 127 Porter’s Point Rd., Colchester, 863-2065 rozzi’S lAkEShorE tAVErN, 1022 W. Lakeshore Dr., Colchester, 863-2342 ShElburNE ViNEYArD, 6308 Shelburne Rd., Shelburne, 985-8222

FlynnSpace Comedy Series

Carefully Constructed

art

“Preoccupied,” Vermont Metro Gallery

here’s no devil in the details that abound in “Preoccupied,” a show at the BCA Center’s Vermont Metro Gallery. Instead, there’s beauty and bedazzlement in the 40 works by four artists who share an affinity for intricacy. Attention to detail is so fastidious in some of the pieces on display that they bear the hallmarks of obsession. “Preoccupied” may be putting it mildly in regard to the ink drawings by Xavier Donnelly and the fabric collages by Dianne Shullenberger. Adrienne Ginter’s hand-cut paper compositions also reflect a meticulous, timeconsuming work method. Wylie Sofia Garcia’s swirling arrays of dots, stripes and curlicues were made by a hand that appears to be simultaneously freewheeling and exacting. Donnelly, a clearly precocious 22-year-old, exhibits the sensibility and style of a medieval miniaturist. His densely detailed drawings of cityscapes must have taken many, many hours to complete. A few of his pieces consist of thousands of individual buildings packed tightly together, with roads and rivers providing streaks of visual relief from the intense figuration. Both realistic and fanciful, these drawings were executed as though the artist were hovering high above the scene, perhaps in a blimp anchored in the sky. Palm trees line the streets of a few of Donnelly’s cities. Those may be a byproduct of the Burlington-raised artist’s current residence in Lebanon, where he’s interning at the Beirut Art Center. Donnelly also has a predilection for classical architecture. It appears most clearly in “Façade,” a grouping of freestanding false fronts; and in a trio of etchings of ancient structures. He likewise pays homage to noble building in “Small City,” which, despite its title, appears to depict a part of Paris, with its characteristic mansard roofs. The snowy landscapes that Shullenberger conjures out of layered, finely stitched fabric fragments reveal a technique no less rigorous than

“Small City” by Xavier Donnelly

74 ART

SEVEN DAYS

12.24.14-01.07.15

SEVENDAYSVT.COM

REVIEW

BOTH REALISTIC AND FANCIFUL, THESE DRAWINGS WERE EXECUTED

AS THOUGH THE ARTIST WERE HOVERING HIGH ABOVE THE SCENE.

“Spring” by Adrienne Ginter

“Winter Thaw” by Dianne Shullenberger

Donnelly’s. The Jericho-based artist’s depictions protrude slightly from the center of larger, framed surfaces — an effect that isolates the image and subtly induces viewers to scrutinize it closely.

They’ll be impressed by the way Shullenberger arranges bits of materials to produce familiar pastoral scenes. “Broken Pine at Big Manistee,” the name of a river in Michigan where

Shullenberger summers, is too pretty in that gauzy, impressionist style that has become common among Vermont artists. “Trapped” is far sharper and more appealing in its representation of a pair of trees that list leftward in a presumably wicked wind. Shullenberger excels at conveying the wavy shapes of shadows, as in “Red Ossiers.” The small willows’ delicate branches are repeated in thinner, darker forms etched into a snow bank. One of the virtues of the Vermont Metro Gallery is its geographic inclusiveness. Were it not for this venue, Burlington-area audiences might never get to see works by southern Vermont artists such as Ginter. And they’d be missing a lot. “I work to incorporate an extreme amount of detail to tell not only the macro, but the micro stories in a scene,” Ginter explains in an artist statement on the BCA website. “This gives the viewer a greater sense of depth, not only visually but narratively.” Exactly so. The Brattleboro-based artist deploys her hand-cut paper in receding layers that also make use of color gradations to heighten perspective. In “Snake in the Garden,” for example, Ginter places a thick entanglement of yellowish fronds in the foreground, pale-green budded plants in the middle distance, and a still-paler array of flowers and birds against a black backdrop. A snake coils around a tree limb, dangerously close to an unattended nest of eggs. Trained as a painter, Ginter deftly varies her palette of cut papers, producing in “Harmony-Blue” a twilit scene of distant mountains and closer-up bare trees that cast riotous reflections on what appears to be a pond. Among two quartets of smaller pieces — one set done in dark shades, the other in mostly primary colors — the highlight is “Red Sea Fan.” In this depiction of coral, medium perfectly matches image. “Spring,” however, rates as Ginter’s biggest attraction, both in size and visual bravado. This study in violet and mauve is dominated by a tree that seems connected to a castle turret, accessible by a winding staircase. Alongside this odd combination, a dandy and damsel do a genteel jig. There’s a strong hint

Art ShowS

NEW THIS WEEK burlington

CHarlES lySogorSKI: paintings, prints and drawings by the Vermont artist. January 1-31. info, 318-2438. Red square in burlington.

“Pillow Fort” by Wylie Sofia Garcia

kEViN j. kEllEY

f ‘WE arE THE SouTH ENd’: A group exhibit by local artists and business owners, celebrating the creative vitality of the neighborhood. Reception: Friday, January 9, 5-8 p.m. January 1-31. info, 859-9222. sEAbA Center in burlington.

‘arT From THE HEarT’: Artwork by volunteer artists and pediatric patients from the university of Vermont Medical Center. A program of burlington City Arts. Through December 31. info, 865-7166. City hall gallery in burlington.

malTEx group SHoW: Art by steve Diffenderfer, nissa Kauppila, Carol boucher, John snell, Tracy Vartenigian burhans, Krista Cheney, Amy hannum and Kimberly bombard. Curated by burlington City Arts. Through April 30. info, 865-7166. The Maltex building in burlington.

bob SEamaN: “being in order,” the artist’s first solo show, a collection of art that reinvents and repurposes everyday, familiar objects. Through December 31. info, 660-9005. raSTHrEE: “being in order,” mixed-media art that reinvents and repurposes familiar objects into odd compositions, bending relationships and meanings. Through December 31. info, 338-6459. The gallery at Main street landing in burlington.

marTIN boCK: “healing Art,” sculptures and paintings of shamanic objects by the burlington author and artist. Through January 31. info, 865-7211. Fletcher Free library in burlington.

middlebury area

‘rECENT gIFTS From THE aNdy WarHol FouNdaTIoN’: Ten vivid prints by the late pop artist including portraits of Chairman Mao, goethe, sitting bull, ingrid bergman and Queen ntombi of swaziland. January 6-April 19. info, 443-3168. Middlebury College Museum of Art.

HalEy bISHop: “nightly Doodles,” illustrations and watercolor paintings by the Vermont artist. Through December 31. info, 488-5766. Vintage inspired lifestyle Marketplace in burlington.

arT EvENTS FIrST FrIday arT: Dozens of galleries and other venues around the city open their doors to pedestrian art viewers in this monthly event. see Art Map burlington at participating locations. burlington, Friday, January 2, 5-8 p.m. info, 264-4839.

oNgoINg SHoWS burlington

‘aNImal poWEr’: paintings of horse-powered transportation and agriculture in Vermont by multiple artists. Through February 28. info, 652-4500. Amy E. Tarrant gallery, Flynn Center, in burlington.

INTy muENala: “Mishky way, Vía Dulce, sweet path,” an exhibit of new contemporary paintings that reflect traditional values of the Kichwa (Quechua) people of the Ecuadorian Andes, which the artist also finds in Vermont culture. Through January 31. info, 363-4746. Flynndog gallery in burlington. jamES voglEr & CarolyN CroTTy: Abstract paintings by Vogler and mixed-media by Crotty. Curated by sEAbA. Through February 28. info, 859-9222. VCAM studio in burlington. jaNE aNN KaNTor: Abstract, mixed-media panels by the Charlotte painter. Through December 31. info, 660-9005. Dostie bros. Frame shop in burlington.

maTTHEW THorSEN: new work by the Vermont photographer. Through December 30. info, 318-2438. Red square in burlington. ‘THE polITICal CarTooNS oF jaNE ClarK broWN’: More than 150 political cartoons about Vermont, national and worldwide issues by the late artist and author. The cartoons were published in the suburban list, a former Essex Junction newspaper, between 1968 and 1975. Through December 30. info, 865-7211. pickering Room, Fletcher Free library, in burlington. ‘prEoCCupIEd’: ornate, detailed artwork in various mediums by Adrienne ginter, wylie garcia, Xavier Donnelly and Dianne shullenberger. Through January 24. info, 865-7166. Vermont Metro gallery, bCA Center, in burlington. ‘SEaba FolIo 2003 projECT’: original prints by 22 of Vermont’s finest artists. Through February 28. info, 859-9222. The pine street Deli in burlington. uvm mEdICal CENTEr group SHoW: Art by Michael sipe, Cameron schmitz, David griggs, Michael Farnsworth, phil laughlin and Jane Ann Kantor. Curated by burlington City Arts. Through April 30. info, 865-7166. uVM Medical Center in burlington. vErmoNT group pHoTograpHy SHoW: Vermont portraits, landscapes and abstract images by eight fine-art photographers. Through December 27. info, 658-3074. uncommon grounds in burlington.

lEaH vaN rEES: paintings inspired by the natural world. Curated by burlington City Arts. Through February 28. info, 865-7166. Courtyard Marriott burlington harbor. buRlingTon shows

iNFo “preoccupied,” bCA Center in burlington. Through January 24. burlingtoncityarts.org/ vermont-metro-gallery/preoccupied

lyNNE rEEd: “Edgewalker paintings,” an exhibit of Japanese Enso-inspired paintings by the burlington artist. Through March 6. info, 233-6811. Revolution Kitchen in burlington.

bCa loCal SalE 2014: Affordable artwork in a variety of mediums by Vermont artists. pETEr HEllEr: Fantastical abstract paintings by the noteworthy Morrisville painter, who passed away in 2002. Through January 24. info, 865-5355. bCA Center in burlington.

‘CIvIl War objECTS From THE uvm CollECTIoNS’: heirloom items donated to the museum from America’s Civil war period include correspondence and ephemera, quilts, medical items, fine and decorative art and more. wilbur Room. Through May 17. info, 656-0750. Fleming Museum, uVM, in burlington.

Fall TErm STudIo arT ExHIbITIoN: students exhibit work produced during the fall semester, including drawings, photography, paintings and sculptures. January 6-20. info, 443-3168. Johnson Memorial building, Middlebury College.

lINda SmITH: storybook-style paintings by the former elementary-school teacher. Curated by sEAbA. Through February 28. info, 859-9222. speeder & Earl’s: pine street in burlington.

ViSuAl Art iN SEVEN DAYS:

art listings and spotlights are written by pAmElA polStoN and xiAN chiANg-wArEN. listings are restricted to art shows in truly public places.

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gEt Your Art Show liStED hErE!

if you’re promoting an art exhibit, let us know by posting info and images by thursdays at noon on our form at SEVENDAYSVt.com/poStEVENt or gAllEriES@SEVENDAYSVt.com

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here of New York art star Kara Walker’s silhouetted forms, which are also fashioned from cut paper. But Ginter isn’t imitating anyone in her charming pieces in “Preoccupied.” Garcia’s ink-acrylic-and-graphite abstractions, by contrast, owe a heavy debt to Australian aboriginal art, which often employs patterns and shapes similar to those in the work of this Burlington artist, who grew up in Texas. Also like many aboriginal artists, Garcia uses carved wood panels as the surface for some compositions. Her palette of gray, brown and white is, however, much more subdued than the vivid color choices of contemporary aboriginal artists. That is not to say that these pieces by Garcia, who has previously focused on installation, fabric-based and performance art, are derivative. With plenty of aesthetic merit, Garcia’s work succeeds on its own terms, as does the entire show. It’s a visually rich reward for all who venture to the BCA Center’s fourth floor.

INNovaTIoN CENTEr group SHoW: works by Ashley Veselis, James Vogler, Jamie Townsend, Kathryn Jarvis, longina smolinski, lori Arner, Robert green and scott nelson on the first floor; Jean Cherouny, Jeanne Amato, laurel waters, lyna lou nordstrom, Michael pitts and Tom Merwin on the second floor; and Camilla Roberts, Chance Mcniff, Janet bonneau, Krista Cheney, laura winn Kane and wendy James on the third floor. Curated by sEAbA. January 1-31. info, 859-9222. The innovation Center of Vermont in burlington.

aNN ClayToN barloW: “Alternative landscapes,” photographs by the Vermont artist. Through February 14. info, 923-3088. hinge in burlington.

art

Peter Fiore is an award-winning oil painter, celebrated for his ability to capture light in lush, vivid hues. A native of the

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Northeast, Fiore says he’s most inspired by the fields and meadows near his home in Pennsylvania. “I am interested in making the

simple profound, always searching for that universal moment in the world around us,” he states on his website. “I used to think that I had to travel far to find interesting motifs, but now I just walk out my door and it’s all there.” An exhibit of Fiore’s stunning seasonal landscapes is on view at Green Mountain Fine Art Gallery in Stowe through January 10. Pictured: “Winter Sunset Walk.” burlington shows

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chittenden county

David Fortuna: “Lost & Found,” a pop-up gallery of works by the Vermont artist. Through January 1. Info, 238-9696. Round Church Corners in Richmond. ‘Dreams and Hallucinations’: A juried exhibit of surrealist photographs from national and international artists. Through December 28. Info, 777-3686. Darkroom Gallery in Essex Junction. Gary Hall, Maurie Harrington & Elizabeth Nelson: Photographs by Hall and paintings by Harrington, Skyway; works by Nelson over the Escalator. Curated by Burlington City Arts. Through December 31. Info, 865-7166. Burlington International Airport in South Burlington. Gilbert Myers: Watercolors by the Williston artist. Through December 31. Info, 899-3211. Emile A. Gruppe Gallery in Jericho. ‘Homefront & Battlefield: Quilts and Context in the Civil War’: More than 70 rare Civil War-era textiles including quilts, Confederate and Union flags and the noose reportedly used to hang John Brown are on view. Through January 4. ‘Natural Beauties: Jewelry From Art Nouveau to Now’: Nearly 300 works from the

likes of Tiffany & Co., Harry Winston, Cartier and others illustrate the fascination with nature, and our evolving relationship to it, in jewelry design. Through March 8. Info, 985-3346. Pizzagalli Center for Art and Education, Shelburne Museum. Michelle Ennis Jackson: Watercolor paintings of nature and the changing seasons by the Essex Junction artist. Through February 28. Info, 985-8222. Shelburne Vineyard.

f ‘Nine Artists: Mary Reed & Students’: A collection of oil paintings by Milton Artists Guild instructor Mary Reed and her students. Reception: Friday, January 9, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Through January 31. Info, 862-5724. LCATV in Colchester. ‘Reverence and Risk: Surveying the Past and Mapping a Future’: Paintings of the gritty side of Vermont by the late Northeast Kingdom artist Robert Klein, plus works by 18 other artists. Through January 31. Info, 985-3848. Furchgott Sourdiffe Gallery in Shelburne. Scottie Raymond: “150 Minutes,” a show of mixed-media works informed by the artists of the Beat generation, by this year’s Wall to Canvas winner. Through December 31. Info, 658-2739. The ArtSpace at the Magic Hat Artifactory in South Burlington.

Shanley Triggs: “I Love Vermont,” watercolors by the local artist. Through December 31. Info, 777-3710. Milton Municipal Complex. Trevor Sullivan: Vermont landscapes and other scenes painted on upcycled window panes by the Burlington artist. Through December 31. Info, 985-8922. Village Wine and Coffee in Shelburne. ‘Visions of the Seasons’: New paintings by Carolyn Walton; pastels by Athenia Schinto; jewelry by Tineke Russell; landscapes by Betty Ball, Helen Nagel and Gail Bessette. Through January 31. Info, 985-8223. Luxton-Jones Gallery in Shelburne.

barre/montpelier

‘1864: Some Suffer So Much’: With objects, photographs and ephemera, the exhibit examines surgeons who treated Civil War soldiers on battlefields and in three Vermont hospitals, and the history of post-traumatic stress disorder. Through December 31. Info, 485-2183. Sullivan Museum & History Center, Norwich University, in Northfield. Aaron Stein: Mixed-media artwork created from vintage license plates, matchbox cars, tires and more by the Burlington artist. The deli serves up automobile-inspired menu options in conjunction with the exhibit. Through December 31. Info, 479-7069. Morse Block Deli in Barre.

call to artists ‘Birds of a Fiber’: Do you create with fibers? Do you have a thing for birds, science or conservation? Birds of Vermont Museum in Huntington invites submissions of up to three pieces of artwork in all mediums for a summer 2015 show. Limited space for 3D works. Info, 434-2167. Deadline: March 1. Birds of Vermont Museum, Huntington. Info, 434-2167. Creative Competition: For this artist competition and exhibit during monthly First Friday, artists may drop off one display-ready piece in any medium and size to Backspace Gallery, 266 Pine Street in Burlington, between noon and 6 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday. Entry $8. During the First Friday reception, 5-9 p.m., viewers can vote on their favorite work; the winning artist takes home the collective entry money. The work remains on view for the duration of the exhibit. More info at spacegalleryvt.com.

Bhakti Ziek: “Études,” a collection of intricately woven wall hangings. Through December 31. Info, 828-3291. Spotlight Gallery in Montpelier. ‘Celebrate!’: The gallery celebrates local artists with a group show of arts and crafts by more than 75 of its members. Through December 27. Info, 479-7069. Studio Place Arts in Barre.

Art ShowS

‘Art From the Heart’ Dive into the spirit of the season with this

heartwarming exhibit of artwork by pediatrics patients from the University of Vermont Medical Center. Displayed in Burlington’s City Hall Gallery, “Art From the Heart” is an annual display of a Burlington City Arts program by the same name. Coordinated by local artist Rebecca Schwarz, the program provides hospitalized children and

mon-sat 10-6; sun 10-5 | 802.863.2221

their caregivers with art supplies and brings volunteer artists into hospitals. “Every day hospital spaces are transformed into temporary art studios by caring volunteers,”

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Schwarz writes. “Dreams are found and expressed with materials, ideas and devoted time.” Through December 31. The pictured work is by a 7-year-old patient.

neySa ruSSo Felt tapeStry exhiBit: Designs inspired by medieval Europe, ancient embroidery and designs of the Renaissance in handmade felt by Plainfield artist Neysa Russo. Through December 31. Info, 249-4715. Bagitos Bagel & Burrito Café in Montpelier.

lauren Stagnitti: “In a Moment,” infrared photographs printed on aluminum and other mediums by the local artist. Sarah leveille: “Whimsy,” acrylic paintings by the Morrisville painter that bring farm scenes to life. Through January 4. Info, 888-1261. River Arts in Morrisville.

ShamuS mccaFFrey langloiS: “Liminality: Totems and Lovers, Clowns and Villains,” recent sculptures, paintings and drawings by the gallery cofounder that interprets and explores the transitional spaces or boundaries between experience, desire and transformation. Through January 23. Info, 552-8620. gallery SIX in Montpelier.

memBerS’ art Show anD Sale: A selection of artworks in a variety of mediums on the inside; a festival of lights on the outside. Through December 28. Info, 253-8358. Helen Day Art Center in Stowe.

tiBetan BuDDhiSt thankgaS: Hand-painted thankgas. Through January 30. Info, 223-1431. Tulsi Tea Room in Montpelier.

stowe/smuggs area

‘Slope Style’: Thirty-five fully accessorized vintage ski outfits, with a special section of the exhibit dedicated to Vermont ski brands. Through October 31. Info, 253-9911. Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum in Stowe.

mad river valley/waterbury

axel’S gallery & FrameShop holiDay group Show: Sculpture, collage, ceramics, fused glass, pastel and oil paintings by local artists. Through January 3. Info, 244-7801. Axel’s Gallery & Frameshop in Waterbury. Ben Frank moSS & varujan BoghoSian: “Collage, Drawing, Painting,” works by the abstract and collage artists. Through February 14. Info, 767-9670. BigTown Gallery in Rochester. MAD RIVER VALLEy/WATERBuRy SHOWS

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‘gemS’: More than 100 paintings, photographs, sculptures and mixed-media pieces that do not exceed 8 by 10 inches in size. ‘lanD & light & water & air’: The annual exhibit of landscape works features more than 100 New England painters and a corresponding photography exhibit. Through December 28. Info, 644-5100. Bryan Memorial Gallery in Jeffersonville.

peter Fiore: “Intuitive Light,” new landscape paintings by the renowned artist. Through January 10. Info, 253-1818. Green Mountain Fine Art Gallery in Stowe.

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w. DaviD powell: “Everything Must Go 3.0,” large paintings, prints, mixed-media and woven pieces by the Vermont artist. Through December 31. Info, 828-0749. Vermont Supreme Court Lobby in Montpelier.

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‘lanDScape traDitionS’: The new wing of the gallery presents contemporary landscape works by nine regional artists. Through January 1. Info, 253-8943. West Branch Gallery & Sculpture Park in Stowe.

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Daniel Barlow & Scott Baer: “Green Mountain Graveyards,” a photography exhibit that explores the evolution of historic gravestones and funerary art in Vermont. Through April 1. Info, 479-8519. Vermont History Museum in Montpelier.

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Chris Stearns: Images by the Waterbury photographer. Through December 31. Info, 496-5470. Three Mountain Café in Waitsfield. Susan Bull Riley: Oil and watercolor paintings of Vermont’s botany, birds and landscapes by the East Montpelier artist. Through December 31. Info, 496-6682. Vermont Festival of the Arts Gallery in Waitsfield.

middlebury area

‘Charity & Sylvia: A Weybridge Couple’: Artifacts, letters, poems, artwork and more chronicling the lives of Charity Bryant and Sylvia Drake, who lived together as a “married” couple in the early 19th century, and are the subject of a new book. Through December 31. ‘Holiday Trains’: The annual Midd-Vermont Train Club exhibit features an electric train layout for all ages. Through January 5. Info, 388-2117. Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History in Middlebury. Hannah Sessions: “Fleeting Light,” paintings of farm animals in the late afternoon. Jill Madden: “Treescapes,” paintings that explore seasonal transformations in the mountains and on the coast. Through December 31. Info, 458-0098. Edgewater Gallery in Middlebury. ‘Jackson Gallery 2014 Holiday Show’: Original, handmade fine arts and crafts by 18 local artists. Through December 31. Info, 388-1436. Jackson Gallery, Town Hall Theater, in Middlebury. ‘Small Works Show’: A group show of affordable petite works by local artists. Through December 31. Info, 453-3188. WalkOver Gallery & Concert Room in Bristol. ‘Winter Nights’: Eight area artists exhibit seasonally compatible work in a variety of mediums: Karla Van Vliet, MP Landis, Bert Yarborough, Paul Bowen, Yinglei Zhang, Lily Hinrichsen, Klara Calitri and Rachel Baird. Through December 30. Info, 800-2493562. ZoneThree Gallery in Middlebury.

rutland area

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‘The Art of Giving’: One-of-a-kind gifts by local artists Mary Cliver, Barb DeHart, Barbara Gutheil, Sarah Hewitt, Jill Kleinman, Sara Longworth, Cristina Pellechio, Kristen Varian and Andrea Varney. Through January 11. Info, 247-4295. Compass Music and Arts Center in Brandon. Sean Dye: “Visions of Addison,” paintings of Addison County by the founder of Creative Space Gallery in Vergennes. Through January 10. Info, 468-6052. Castleton Downtown Gallery in Rutland.

champlain islands/northwest Pat Burton, Natalie Larocque Bouchard & Maggie Young: Paintings, photography and jewelry by the Vermont artists. Through December 31. Info, 933-6403. Artist in Residence Cooperative Gallery in Enosburg Falls.

upper valley

‘The Art of Wilderness’: An exhibit of Vermont and New Hampshire wilderness photographs, organized by the Upper Valley Sierra Club. Through January 3. Info, 763-7094. Royalton Memorial Library in South Royalton. David Laro: “Superman 3,” assemblage that explores Americana and pop culture. Through December 31. Info, 295-0808. Scavenger Gallery in White River Junction. ‘Fibrations!’: Fiber creations by more than a dozen renowned New England artists. Through March 30. Info, 885-3061. The Great Hall in Springfield. ‘Kunstkamera: The Tricentennial Anniversary of the Peter the Great Museum’: Artworks and artifacts in a variety of media that celebrate the great Russian institution. Through January 31. Info, 356-2776. Main Street Museum in White River Junction.

Hannah Sessions Vermont native Hannah Sessions — who, with her husband, runs Blue Ledge Farm in Leicester — splits her time between farming and artmaking. In “Fleeting Light,” currently at Edgewater Gallery in Middlebury, Sessions captures

her goats and chickens during “that late, fleeting, afternoon light that is both magical and intoxicating,” as she writes. Sessions’ richly contrasted oil paintings certainly do justice to “golden hour” light, though viewers may find themselves distracted by Sessions’ adorable farm animals. Through December 31. Pictured: “Red Chicken With Green.”

Marc Beerman: Photographs of landscape, birds and nature. Through January 5. Info, 359-5001. VINS Nature Center in Hartford. ‘Tunbridge: Then and Now’: A collection of more than two dozen photographs of Tunbridge, Vt., displayed as diptychs, comparing views of the town from 100 years ago to today. A collaboration between Tunbridge Historical Society president Euclid Farnham and Valley News photographer Geoff Hansen, who took the recent photographs. Through January 4. Info, 889-9404. Tunbridge Public Library.

northeast kingdom

2nd Tuesday Exhibit: Eight Vermont artists who meet monthly to make and talk about their work are exhibiting some of it together: Janet Van Fleet, Cheryl Betz, Alex Bottinelli, Mark Lorah, Maggie Neale, Elizabeth Nelson, Kathy Stark and Ann Young. Through January 2. Info, 748-2600. Catamount Arts Center in St. Johnsbury. Harriet Wood: Gestural, abstract paintings by the Vermont artist. Through December 30. Info, 472-5334. Hardwick Inn. ‘Toothbrush’: From “twig to bristle,” an exhibit of artifacts and images detailing the history of this expedient item. Through December 31. The Museum of Everyday Life in Glover.

manchester/bennington

Margaret Lampe Kannenstine: “Nocturnes: Variations on a Theme,” acrylic paintings of night skies by the Vermont artist. Through December 30. Info, 447-1571. Bennington Museum.

outside vermont

Allan Houser: Five sculptures by one of the best-known Native American artists are installed outside the museum in the Maffei Arts Plaza, representing his 3D work from 1986-1992. Through May 11. Info, 603-635-7423. Hood Museum, Dartmouth College, in Hanover, N.H. ‘From Van Gogh to Kandinsky: Impressionism to Expressionism, 19001914’: More than 100 paintings and an equal number of drawings and prints, augmented with photograph and media of the time, reveals the cross-currents of modern art at the turn of the 20th century in France and Germany. Through January 25. ‘Warhol Mania’: Fifty posters and a selection of magazine illustrations by Andy Warhol offer a brand-new look at his commercialart background. Through March 15. Info, 514-285-1600. Montréal Museum of Fine Arts.

Le Studio Georgeville Christmas Sale & Show: A wide array of arts and crafts by more than two dozen area artists. Through February 1. Info, 819-868-1967. Le Studio de Georgeville in Georgeville, Québec. ‘Pan: A Graphic Arts Time Capsule, Europe 1895-1900’: Prints from the German publication PAN, the first art magazine of the 20th century, that illustrate the tension between avant-garde and conservative artists in fin-de-siècle Europe. Through January 11. Info, 518-564-2474. Burke Gallery, Plattsburgh State Art Museum, N.Y. Strand Center Holiday Members Show: More than 20 artists show diverse works in photography, sculpture, painting, pastels, ceramics, stained glass, printmaking and drawing. Through January 2. Info, 518-563-1604. Strand Center for the Performing Arts in Plattsburgh, N.Y. m

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movies

Kisonak and Harrison at the Movies 2014 Our critics sound off on what sucked and what didn’t b y Rick K i s ona k and Mar got H arr i s o n

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have seen the future and it is wet. It smells a little like burning rubber, too. I’m sure you’ve been keeping up with the latest trends in movie theater design, so you’re well aware that 3D is yesterday’s news. The multiplex of tomorrow will feature seats that shake you like a moviegoing martini, scent machines, 270-degree screens, headrests that blast jets of air to simulate bullets, and water. Lots of water. Mist squirted from the seat in front of you and rain that falls from the ceiling. The film palaces of the future (some cities already have them) will be more amusement park than art house, for a single reason: Young people — the industry’s lifeblood — are staying home in droves. Compared with last year, attendance by 18- to-24-year-olds is down 17 percent, according to the Motion Picture Association of America. Ticket sales have plummeted by 13 percent among 12- to-17-year-olds. That’s cause for panic when you consider that, of 2014’s 10 top-grossing films, four were comic-book movies and two were based on toys. It’s not like Hollywood isn’t trying. Talk about the age of extinction: Things are only going to get dumber as the industry attempts to lure lost viewers away from their Xboxes and iPhones. So we should all enjoy the few movies still made for actual grown-ups and cinema lovers while we can. R ICK KI SO N A K

Believe it or not, some grown-ups like some comic-book movies. Even me. I’m more concerned that offbeat movies that might appeal to twenty- and thirtysomethings, like Snowpiercer and Frank, are banished to video on demand while art houses focus on the senior audience with The Hundred-Foot Journey and the like. “I’ll just wait for Netflix” has become a refrain among younger cinephiles, and it shows. M A R GOT HARR I S ON

Birdman

Most Stellar Performance

RK: Michael Keaton in Birdman is probably the favorite in this category right now. It was great to see him back and at the top of his game. The bugaboo for the guy who launched a thousand superhero movies is that lots of other performers turned in career-best work, too: Eddie Redmayne in The Theory of Everything, Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler, Timothy Spall in Mr. Turner, Amy Adams in Big Eyes and The Judge Julianne Moore in Still Alice. (And if there were an Oscar for Best Stoner, Joaquin Phoenix would be a shoo-in for Inherent Vice.). But the more front-runners I see, the less I feel any holds a candle to a performance I saw way back in March: the unexpectedly, triumphantly glorious one Ralph Fiennes

gave as the perfumed concierge in The Grand Budapest Hotel.

and Michael Douglas in the even lamer And So It Goes.

MH: It’s all about slimeballs for me this year. Two performances haunt my dreams: Jake Gyllenhaal as the creep with a camcorder in Nightcrawler; and J.K. Simmons as the music teacher in Whiplash, with his split-second lurches from bonhomie to psychopathic rage. He made the line “Not quite my tempo” as scary as “I’ll be back.”

MH: Returning to my slimeball theme: As the antagonist of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Jamie Foxx suffered from an underwritten, nonsensical role. But he didn’t improve things by overplaying it to the cheap seats.

Most Annoying Performance

RK: First, everybody in Jersey Boys. Robert Downey Jr. way overdid his patented wisecracking smart-aleck thing in The Judge. Everybody in The Other Woman. And, man, did Josh Brolin and Kate Winslet get on my nerves in the ultra-lame Labor Day. However, no one was more annoying than Diane Keaton

Best Comedy

RK: It was a really good year for comedy. The Lego Movie was awesome. As were Top Five, 22 Jump Street, Grand Budapest, Chef, A Million Ways to Die in the West (why more people didn’t find that a million laughs is beyond me), Filth and parts of St. Vincent. I’m going to be alone on this, I know, but for my money nothing was as funny as The Trip to Italy. I hadn’t seen 2010's The Trip, so a whole new world was opened up to me. I now consider Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon the gods of improv.

At thE moViES

mh: Filmmakers across the pond for the win! The movie that made me laugh the hardest this year was Frank, from Irish director Lenny Abrahamson. Which was also one of the more disturbing films I saw. Also great: Lego, The Boxtrolls and Listen Up Philip. And, yes, I’m that undiscerning slob who liked Neighbors.

Activity franchises would be wise to start making retirement plans.

The Lego Movie

mh: I want to see more from Damien Chazelle, who made Whiplash such a kinetic experience; and from Justin Simien, whose screenplay for his debut Dear White People had a lashing satirical wit.

Lamest Comedy

RK: Last year I nominated The Conjuring because, surely, they had to be joking with those super-hokey, old-school scares. This year, I’ll make the same crack about its follow-up, Annabelle. I didn’t see a more laughable attempt at horror all year. As for actual attempts at comedy, I’d have to call this a tie between Rob Reiner’s aforementioned mess And So It Goes and Woody Allen’s Magic in the Moonlight. You know something’s wrong when you wish you could make Emma Stone disappear. mh: That Awkward Moment. I don’t mind sloppy, half-improvised dude humor (see: Neighbors). I do mind when Zac Efron, who was hilarious as Seth Rogen’s antagonist in the latter film, tries to be Seth Rogen. Laughs were few in this attempt at a rom com for dude-bros.

Biggest Letdown

RK: Foxcatcher. I admire the hell out of Bennett Miller’s previous films (Capote and Moneyball) but am still scratching my head after four viewings of his latest. It’s 134 minutes long and never quite gets around to having a point.

Biggest Surprise

RK: That a writer-director as masterful as Paul Thomas Anderson made as colossal a misstep as Inherent Vice. It’s 148 minutes long and never finds a tone that works or a story line that holds our interest. Thomas Pynchon novels have long been considered unfilmable. They still are. mh: As a Pynchon and Anderson fan, I concur, but I wasn’t that surprised. I was surprised to find myself loving a film featuring a talking CGI raccoon (Guardians of the Galaxy). Superhero flicks run the gamut, but in this one, smart-ass humor and old-fashioned storytelling won the day.

Film So Forgettable I Didn’t Remember Reviewing It Until Doing This Year-End Review

RK: I swear I’m not making this up: To aid my recollection, I scanned the Seven Days archives and found a review I’d written in July of Third Person from Paul Haggis. With zero memory of the film, I read the closing words I’d written about it: “2014 is barely past its midpoint, but, my friends, we have a winner: Haggis’ latest is a lock for worst movie of the year. It’s a crashing bore with the tagline ‘Watch Me.’ Don’t.” I can’t remember a second of it. But it sounds bad.

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RK: I wasn’t blown away by much in St. Vincent, but newcomer Jaeden Lieberher impressed the hell out of me as the kid. He must’ve blown Bill Murray away as well. Murray recommended Lieberher for Cameron Crowe’s 2015 project, so we’ll get to see the pair share the screen again, hopefully to less formulaic effect. mh: I first noticed Miles Teller in Rabbit Hole (2010). But after The Spectacular Now and now Whiplash, he’s poised to be the next John Cusack — a pricklier, more complex version of the standard geek hero.

Best New Name to Watch Behind the Camera

RK: This one’s a toss-up: Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook and Ana Lily Amirpour’s A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night both pretty much rewrote the modern horror playbook. Both women wrote and directed their films. With new talents like these establishing themselves, the hacks behind The Conjuring and Paranormal

mh: Which of the top 10 biggest hits of 2014 is least likely to be fondly remembered in years to come? (Critic Nathan Rabin has dubbed such films “forgotbusters.”) I’m going with the noisy, pointless sequel-to-the-reboot that is The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (No. 9).

Most Inexplicable Flop

RK: Snowpiercer has been an awards magnet from Asia to Beantown. Yet the awards-season conversation barely mentions it, and it’s way down at No. 129 on Box Office Mojo’s list. You know what’s inexplicable? A film as visionary, beautifully executed and just plain fun as this one selling only $4 million worth of tickets. Hard to believe this comes from the Weinstein Company. Where’s Harvey when you need him? mh: Word is, Weinstein wasn’t happy that director Bong Joon-ho wouldn’t let him recut the film. We’re lucky Snowpiercer MOVIES 2014

» p.82

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mh: I have a stellar memory for cinematic crap, but can’t say I remember a whole lot about Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. Chris Pine was … a spy. Kenneth Branagh had a bad Russian accent. Something something, car chase, good guys won. I think.

RK: I’d like to point to a most inexplicable trend. No fewer than three low-budget religion-based films made Box Office Mojo’s year-end list of top 100 grossers. Between them, Heaven Is For Real (No. 30), God’s Not Dead (No. 43) and Son of God (No. 44) took in more than $211 million. That’s not counting Noah (No. 26), with $101 million, or the recently released biblical blockbuster Exodus: God and Kings. By contrast, Best Picture frontrunner Boyhood was way down at No. 88. Maybe director Richard Linklater should pray for an Oscar bump.

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mh: Steve Carell playing a billionaire birdwatcher who asks his friends to call him “Golden Eagle” isn’t enough of a point? My biggest letdown was Interstellar. Parts of it thrilled and inspired, but as soon as Anne Hathaway started talking about how love is the fifth dimension, it was all over for me.

Most Inexplicable Hit

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disturbing developments, and that can work greatly to a horror film’s advantage. A close second in this category: Unbroken.

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mH: Blue Ruin is a tight, unpredictable thriller with a vivid setting, reminiscent of Blood Simple. It’ll look great on the résumés of lead Macon Blair and director Jeremy Saulnier.

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even played in Vermont (thanks, Savoy Theater!). In a similar vein, The Raid 2 is a nonstop, over-the-top action flick that blows movies like The Equalizer out of the water. But it has subtitles, so it was down at No. 151.

RK: I’ve got to go with Birdman. Alejandro González Iñárritu’s trippy show-biz satire is a stylistically fearless rush, surreal one moment and satirical the next. I haven’t seen a film this year with half as much to say about what it means to be an artist, much less the nerve to ask whether art even matters in a world where movies based on comic books and giant toys can generate more money than some nations’ entire economies.

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mH: I much preferred the screenplay for another hyperverbal film about another hyper-self-conscious artist: Listen Up 12:33 PMPhilip, starring Jason Schwartzman as a young novelist who spews toxic, egodriven venom at everyone he encounters. Why do I prefer it to Birdman? Because writer-director Alex Ross Perry revels in his antihero’s jerkiness and doesn’t try to make him into a martyr. And it’s funnier.

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Best Omen of Civilization’s Impending Downfall

RK: I repeat: Of 2014’s 10 top-grossing films, four were comic-book movies and two were based on toys. I’m surprised this didn’t make it into the Senate intelligence committee’s torture report. mH: If Spandex-clad superheroes could topple civilization, I think we’d all be living in caves by now. But you know what could, just maybe, topple civilization? People trashing movies they haven’t seen yet on Twitter. Or spoiling said movies once they have seen them. Or tweeting about said movie during the freaking movie.

Best Movie With No Movie Stars

RK: I was pleasantly stunned to discover that Oculus is one of the most smartly made, conceptually inventive supernatural thrillers in years. The cast is made up of professionals, but none is well-known enough to distract from the story’s

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mH: The Giver took a chilling little dystopian fable and made it as much as possible like every single other teen-oriented blockbuster in which pretty young people defy draconian social norms to make out.

Most Formulaic, ClichéInfested Screenplay

RK: If I Stay featured Chloë Grace Moretz as a teenager wrestling with the kinds of questions characters in multi-hanky Weeknights on melodramas are wont to face: Will she get tV and online into Juilliard? Can she and her boyfriend get more inFo or Watch online at make things work? Should she wake up vermont cam.org • retn.org ch17.tv from her coma or go toward the light now that everybody in her family has been killed? Believe it or not, the script gives Say you saw it in... 16t-retn122414.indd 1 12/12/14 12:25 PM pretty much equal weight to these issues. This script certainly made me want to run toward the light: the red light of the sevendaysvt.com sevendaysvt.com exit sign. mini-sawit-black.indd 1

Worst Movie With an All-Star Cast

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RK: George Clooney doesn’t blow it often, but when he does, the guy blows it big. For The Monuments Men, he recruited some of the most beloved actors of our time. The problem was the script. Its ho-hum ode to the importance of great paintings and statues was as much fun as an art-appreciation class. It turns out the best-laid plans— even George Clooney’s — can sometimes lay the biggest eggs. mH: Have you ever wondered what would happen if Tina Fey, Jason Bateman, Adam Driver and Jane Fonda all belonged to one wacky family? This Is Where I Leave You showed us. Too bad the perfect storm of dysfunction was a crashing bore.

Who We’d Like to See More of at the Movies

RK: Jack Nicholson and Gene Hackman have stopped making films, and I wish they’d reconsider. You know who I realized I miss the other day? Peter Fonda. It’s not like he’s retired. Since appearing in 3:10 to Yuma back in 2007, he has kept busy doing TV, video games and direct-tovideo indies. Tarantino or someone should give this dude the comeback he deserves. mH: How about more people of color? Maybe in a wider range of roles? Maybe even in biblical spectaculars and the like? Idris Elba needs to be a huge star yesterday.

At tHE moViES

Call for Proposals

Questions? Email epscor@uvm.edu, phone 656-7931, or visit us on the web at uvm.edu/EPSCoR

Two Funding Opportunities for VT Small Businesses NEW THIS YEAR! Vermont EPSCoR Pilot Projects

Funding opportunity for Vermont small businesses, in partnership with university faculty, to develop projects that are aligned with the current VT EPSCoR RII Track-1 grant, Research on Adaptation to Climate Change in the Lake Champlain Basin (RACC). • Maximum amount of each grant in $10,000 • Deadline for submission: January 28, 2015 • Full submission details may be found at uvm.edu/epscor/redir/pilot

Vermont EPSCoR Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Phase (0) GSR Solutions releases findings from a feasibility study on a sustainable distillate fuel production facility in Chittenden County (l to r) Mark Blanchard, Ray Albrecht, Matt Cota, Clark Hinsdale III, Anju Dahiya, co-founder of Burlington-based GSR Solutions, and Phase (0) awardee, Todd Campbell and Rich Altman

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Who We’d Like to See Less of at the Movies

RK: Godzilla handily gets my vote. Every few years he’s given a makeover, and some studio spends a fortune convincing us he’s the next big thing. But when has the old fire breather failed to let us down? mH: Curmudgeons complaining about kids today and their social media. From Birdman to Woody Allen and Aaron Sorkin movies to Men, Women & Children, this get-off-my-lawn-ing happens a lot at the art house. Look, the internet is here to stay. Let’s deal with it.

Best Documentary

mH: For some reason, I saw almost no docs this year. But I’m looking forward to catching The Overnighters, which screened at the Vermont International Film Festival.

Worst Picture

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mH: I was so happy to avoid that one. Thanks for biting the bullet. My choice is Jason Reitman’s latest drama, in which a lot of A-list Men, Women & Children misbehaved on the internet, and every imaginable after-school-special cliché was aired. Oh, and Emma Thompson narrated the whole thing. From outer space.

Best Picture

RK: Awards seasons have rarely been as wide open as this year’s. With each new ceremony or critic group’s announcement, a new movie seems to emerge as the most likely to succeed. A Most Violent Year (zzzz), Birdman, Boyhood, Gone Girl, Interstellar, Selma, The Imitation Game, The Theory of Everything and Unbroken have all been called the one to beat. And they all have their merits. Fall releases tend to receive preferential treatment, but sometimes the most exceptional piece of cinema pops up months before anyone has Oscar on the brain. Case in point: If somebody made a movie more impressive than Wes Anderson’s eighth, The Grand Budapest Hotel, I didn’t see it. It’s a joyride, a flight of high-grade fancy, and a ripping, spectacularly acted roller coaster of a yarn. mH: You think your choice is out of the awards running? Mine is miles out. This year brought us many movies about the travails of artists in an unfriendly world — Birdman and Whiplash, most prominently — but none got under my skin like Frank. It’s a quirkfest about a naïve young songwriter who joins a band of weirdos, except it’s not. The movie shifts course midstream to make us question everything we think we know about the crazy/suffering-artist trope. And it has Michael Fassbender crooning a song to a carpet tuft. Surely that deserves some sort of award? m

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Men, Women & Children

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RK: There was no shortage of big-screen boners this year, but let’s call it a draw between the aforementioned Third Person and Transformers: Age of Extinction.

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RK: The year had some pips, Life Itself and Jodorowsky’s Dune among them, but none has a prayer of taking the doc-of-the-year title from Laura Poitras’ masterful and mind-blowing Citizenfour, a real-time record of the days leading up to Edward Snowden’s historic revelations.

Everybody knows these films suck, yet practically everybody sees them anyway. The fourth in Michael Bay’s series inspired by Hasbro toys sucked a lot. It may be the crappiest, stupidest movie ever made.

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NEWS QUIRKs by roland sweet Compiler’s note: Chronicling human folly gets harder every year because as foibles proliferate, the odd seems commonplace. These unbelievable-but-true news stories, however, stand out as the year’s quirkiest.

Caught Stupid

When the police officer who stopped Douglas Glidden, 25, in Livermore Falls, Maine, found marijuana in his vehicle, Glidden insisted the pot couldn’t be his because he had stolen the car. (Franklin Sun Journal)

When Guns Are Outlawed

Sheryl Claffy, 60, told police in Albuquerque, N.M., that her daughter, Cara Claffy, 35, hit her over the head with an electric vibrator during an argument (Smoking Gun) Police arrested Christine O’Keefe, 53, after her daughter, Jessica Caldwell, 25, reported that the mother smacked her in the face with “a used diaper.” (Smoking Gun) German authorities warned that two women were robbing “mostly older women” by hypnotizing them. Police official Sandra Mohr said a 66-yearold Russian woman reported that the women “told her that they would read her fortune, but the next thing she knew she was back home sitting in an armchair, and all her jewelry and valuables had vanished.” (Britain’s Daily Mail)

Hoping to make solo diners feel less self-conscious, Tokyo’s Moomin Café began seating them at tables across from giant stuffed animals representing characters from a Finnish picture book series. (Time)

Fetishes on Parade

Lonnie Hutton, 49, tried to have sex with an automatic teller machine at a bar in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Police officers who found Hutton waist-down naked said that when they took him outside and ordered him to sit at a picnic table, he “exposed himself again and engaged in sexual intercourse with the wooden picnic table.” (Nashville’s WKRN-TV) Edwin Tobergta, 32, was arrested for having sex with a pink pool float in Hamilton, Ohio. Police said it was his third arrest for the same act, although with different pool floats. (Louisville, Ky.’s WLKY-TV)

What Could Go Wrong?

Intending to calm students before final exams, St. Louis’s Washington University had a petting zoo bring several animals to campus for students to cuddle. One was a 2-month-old bear cub, which promptly bit and scratched at least 18 students. (Reuters)

Mensa Rejects of the Year

Rescuers needed a stretcher to carry a tourist who hurt his ankle while climbing one of Scotland’s highest mountains in his flip-flops. One of the

injured man’s companions was barefoot; the other was wearing sneakers. The three men explained they wanted to reach the top of Aonach Mor to experience snow for the first time. (BBC News)

Success Breeds Failure

Hoping to attract riders, city buses in Saint John, New Brunswick, began offering free wireless internet service. It then announced it was discontinuing the service after it became so popular that the cost tripled. “We had a lot of people streaming and downloading very extensive files, and the usage got very high,” transit commission general manager Frank McCarey said. (CBC News)

ness to subdue him by “punching, kicking and pouring soup over my body.” (Wilmington’s News)

For the Record

When Willie Hubbard called 911 to report a carjacking after he witnessed a woman getting thrown to the ground by a man who then drove off in her car in DeKalb County, Ga., the operator informed him it wasn’t a carjacking but a theft. The two then hotly debated whether the crime was a carjacking or a theft, delaying police response for more than 30 minutes. (Atlanta’s WAGA-TV)

Edwin Tobergta, 32, was arrested

Lesson Learned

for having sex with a pink pool float in Hamilton, Ohio. It was his third arrest for the same act.

Danielle Shea, 22, admitted phoning bomb threats to cancel Quinnipiac University’s spring graduation ceremony because she didn’t want her family to discover that she wasn’t graduating. She had accepted money from her mother for tuition but never enrolled. (New Haven Register)

Litigation Nation

Nigel Sykes, 23, sued the pizzeria he admitted robbing in Wilmington, Del., claiming that employees who tackled him and wrestled his gun away during the hold-up used “unnecessary” rough-

Harry BLISS

Capitalizing on the Past

AOL reported it still has 2.4 million dial-up internet subscribers, paying an average of $20.86 a month. Since its dial-up business costs little to operate, 70 percent of its revenue is profit. (Washington Post)

DIY Law and Order

Police forces in England and Wales began asking crime victims to carry out their own investigations after having their car stolen or property damaged by looking out for potential fingerprint evidence, checking for witnesses and searching second-hand websites for their stolen property. (Britain’s Independent)

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Fran Krause

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

REAL fRee will astRology by rob brezsny decembeR 25-31

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

When he was 37 years old, actor Jack Nicholson found out that Ethel May, the woman he had always called his mother, was in fact his grandma. Furthermore, his “older sister” June was actually his mom, who had given birth to him when she was 17. His relatives had hidden the truth from him. I suspect that in 2015 you will uncover secrets and missing information that will rival Nicholson’s experience. Although these revelations may initially be confusing or disruptive, in the long run they will heal and liberate you. Welcome them!

aRies

taURUs

(April 20-May 20): beetles are abundant and ubiquitous. scientists have identified more than 350,000 species, and

gemiNi (May 21-June 20): Auguste escoffier (1846-1935) was an influential french chef who defined and standardized the five “mother sauces.” but he wasn’t content to be a star in his own country. At the age of 44, he began his “conquest of London,” bringing his spectacular dining experience to british restaurants. He thought it might be hard to sell his new clientele on frogs’ legs, a traditional french dish, so he resorted to trickery. on the menu, he listed it as “nymphs of the Dawn.” According to my reading of the omens, this is an example of the hocus-pocus that will be your specialty in 2015. And I suspect you will get away with it every time as long as your intention is not selfish or manipulative, but rather generous and constructive. caNceR (June 21-July 22): The entomolo-

gist Charles P. Alexander (1889-1981) devoted much of his professional life to analyzing the insect known as the crane fly. He identified more than 11,000 different species, drew 15,000 illustrations of the creatures and referred to his lab as “Crane fly Haven.” That’s the kind of single-minded intention I’d love to see you adopt during the first six months of 2015, Cancerian. What I’m imagining is that you will choose a specific, well-defined area within which you will gleefully explore and experiment and improvise. Is there a subject or task or project you would have fun pursuing with that kind of intensity?

leo (July 23-Aug. 22): In Don DeLillo’s novel

Underworld, Cotter Martin is a young boy living in new york in the 1950s. The following description is about him. “In school they tell him sometimes to stop looking out the window. This teacher or that teacher. The answer is not out there, they tell him. And he

always wants to say that’s exactly where the answer is.” I propose we regard this passage as one of your themes in 2015, Leo. In other words, be skeptical of any authority who tells you where you should or should not be searching for the answers. follow your own natural inclination, even if at first it seems to be nothing more than looking out the window.

ViRgo (Aug. 23-sept. 22): “It is always im-

portant to know when something has reached its end,” writes Paulo Coelho in his book The Zahir. use this advice heroically in 2015, Virgo. Wield it to clear away anything that no longer serves you, that weighs you down or holds you back. Prepare the way for the new story that will begin for you around your next birthday. “Closing circles, shutting doors, finishing chapters,” Coelho says, “it doesn’t matter what we call it; what matters is to leave in the past those moments in life that are over.”

libRa (sept. 23-oct. 22): “on some nights I still believe,” said rascal journalist Hunter s. Thompson, “that a car with the gas needle on empty can run about 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio.” In 2015, I invite you to adopt some of that pushit-to-the-edge attitude for your personal use, Libra. Maybe not full-time; maybe not with the same manic intensity that Thompson did. rather, simply tap into it as needed — whenever you’ve got to up your game or raise your intensity level or rouse the extra energy you need to achive total, wondrous, resounding victory! The coming months will be your time to go all the way, hold nothing back, and quest for the best and the most and the highest. scoRPio (oct. 23-nov. 21): twenty miles

long, the onyx river is the longest body of moving water on the continent of Antarctica. Most of the year it’s ice, though. It actually flows for just two or three months during the summer. Let’s hope that continues to be the case for the foreseeable future. It would be a shame if global warming got so extreme that the onyx melted permanently. but now let’s talk about your own metaphorical equivalent of the onyx: a potentially flowing part of your life that is often frozen. I’d love to see it heat up and thaw. I’d love it to be streaming and surging most of the time.

And in 2015, I think that’s a distinct possibility. Consider making the following declaration your battle cry: “I am the flow Master!”

sagittaRiUs (nov. 22-Dec. 21): “The best way to keep a prisoner from escaping is to make sure he never knows he’s in prison.” That quote is attributed to both russian author fyodor Dostoevsky and russian author Aleksandr solzhenitsyn. regardless of who said it, I urge you to keep it in mind throughout 2015. Like all of us, you are trapped in an invisible prison: a set of beliefs or conditioned responses or bad habits that limit your freedom to act. That’s the bad news. The good news is that in the coming months, you are poised to discover the exact nature of your invisible prison, and then escape it. aQUaRiUs

(Jan. 20-feb. 18): “Meupareunia” is an english word that refers to a sexual adventure in which only one of the participants has a good time. I’ll be bold and predict that you will not experience a single instance of meupareunia in 2015. That’s because I expect you’ll be steadily upgrading your levels of empathy and your capacity for receptivity. you will be getting better and better at listening to your intimate allies and reading their emotional signals. I predict that synergy and symbiosis will be your specialties. both your desire to please and your skill at giving pleasure will increase, as will your understanding of how many benefits you can reap by being a responsive partner.

Pisces (feb. 19-March 20): “be good and

you will be lonesome,” said Mark twain. Do you agree? I don’t — at least as it applies to your life in 2015. According to my understanding of the long-term astrological omens, you will attract an abundance of love and luck by being good — by expressing generosity, deepening your compassion, cultivating integrity, and working for justice and truth and beauty. That doesn’t mean you should be a pushover or doormat. your resolve to be good must be leavened by a determination to deepen your self-respect. your eagerness to do the right thing has to include a commitment to raising your levels of self-care.

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(March 21-April 19): “Hell is the suffering of being unable to love,” wrote novelist J.D. salinger. using that definition, I’m happy to announce that you have a good chance of avoiding hell altogether in 2015. If there has been any deficiency in your power to express and bestow love, I think you will correct it. If you have been so intent on getting love that you have been neglectful in giving love, you will switch your focus. I invite you to keep a copy of this horoscope in your wallet for the next 12 months. regard it as your “Get out of Hell free” card.

they are always discovering new ones. In 2011, for example, they conferred official recognition on 3,485 additional types of beetles. I’m seeing a parallel development in your life, taurus. A common phenomenon that you take for granted harbors mysteries that are worth exploring. something you regard as quite familiar actually contains interesting features you don’t know about. In 2015, I hope you will open your mind to the novelties and exotica that are hidden in plain sight.

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12.24.14-01.07.15

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Women seeking Men

looking for a friend All new to this. Trying to move on. Looking for a friend to maybe go out to dinner and a movie; for a walk; to the beach; maybe dancing. lookingforfriend2014, 58, l smart, funny, generous and adventurous I’m short, cute and curvy with an open heart. I’m honest and loyal, no drama or regrets, and kind of quirky. I house sit for animals, love to walk dogs, and am a positive and generous person. Geeks and outdoorsmen are cool; control freaks are not. Let’s meet for coffee or drinks, crack jokes and see what happens. misscheviousangel, 37, l Long-Legged Sweet Afro Lady I am a lioness, looking for the king of the jungle. I have long legs, puffy soft Afro, midnight-brown eyes. Mom of one separated for two years, moved on for good. My heart is one of gold with a marshmallow center. precious44, 44, l young at heart, dancing, drumming, earthy Looking always on the bright side. Humanitarian. Love learning and laughter! spiritwithin, 60, l

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Sexy, silly, fun and adventurous I am a youngish 43-year-old lover. I derive a great deal of enjoyment from helping others. I am attractive, although no beauty queen. I believe my sparkling personality and witty intelligence make me more beautiful than any picture can ever capture. I care deeply for all living creatures, which also makes me sensitive and perhaps a bit naive. karenann, 43, l Adventurous, friendly, intelligent Friendly, open, blunt, dedicated. I love laughter. I am rather stubborn and adventurous. Want to go away for a weekend? Give me five minutes to pack and make arrangements. I would love to talk about the latest movie/TV show/ NPR segment. We can go for a hike or sit and watch movies. What would you like to do today? lookingforopus, 43, l Different drummer, hopeless romantic My values might be described as traditional with a hippie flair. :) I think “young” and still enjoy most of the things I did when I was younger. I enjoy learning, history, museums, books, theater, spirituality. I love animals too much to eat them, thus I’m a vegetarian. Some of my favorite activities are hiking, skiing, kayaking, swimming, taking drives, music. naturgirl, 58, l Brooklyn Expat in Wonderland Hi! I just moved to the most rural place ever from Brooklyn to learn cheese making. I love Vermont, but I have yet to meet that special someone with whom to revel in its beauty and cuddle up when the cold comes. I am music-obsessed, laugh-obsessed, wine-obsessed, word-obsessed and pizza-obsessed. Let’s hang out and do fun stuff together. SweetLo, 34, l Great sense of humor I’m an optimistic, shy (before I get to know you), love-to-laugh person. I have two great girls who I enjoy spending time with. I’m looking for an honest, caring person to spend my time with. MsIndependent, 43 active, outdoors, creative I enjoy gardening, brewing beer, baking, making dog treats, refinishing furniture. Also love getting outside to walk, run, bike, hike, ski, waterski, sail. Looking for a genuine, caring, responsible guy who loves the outdoors. Not interested in drama types or smokers. You must be fit, active, comfortable with your own life and financially stable. Watching sports, except NASCAR, is a requirement. vtsaab, 55, l

romantic, fun, passionate I am a fun-loving woman who is looking to spend time with someone who enjoys life. I am kind, compassionate and a romantic at heart. I enjoy dinners out, the theater, movies and walks along the lake. I love spending time at the ocean. I would love to meet you for a cup of coffee and conversation, to start. jackiel, 59, l

I like the adventure You and I and a bottle of red wine. Thoughts? Antonio1984, 30, l

one of a kind I love life to the fullest; laughter, spontaneity, exercise, travel and adventure fill my days. Fitness and laughter are keys to my physical and mental health. I appear much younger than my age. I’m an avid skier; Stowe and Alta are favorites. I love sunshine and being outside, on the water, in the water, on the mountains, around the mountains! gottarun2day, 60, l

Gentleman Public, Naughty Boy behind doors Strong, independent, well-traveled, well-educated, open-minded, creative entrepreneur with a very successful career in IT and designing new business solutions. Seeking to complete my MBA, and I am seeking an intelligent, well-educated woman with ambitions who knows how to carry herself as a classy woman but who also has not forgotten how to be an attractive woman! AdventureSeeker41, 46, l

Men seeking Women

Sincere qualities hard to find I’m just looking for an honest and sincere woman with traditional qualities. It doesn’t seem like much to ask, but these basic traits are hard to find. I’m an easy-going, loyal, downto-earth guy who wants to dedicate my life to the right girl — someone who likes to laugh, explore, cuddle, and just make the best of life and be happy. Singlevtguy74, 40, l Looking for new adventures I’m not exactly sure what to write here. I’m looking to meet new people and have some new experiences. A relationship isn’t the goal, but if it went that way, that would be fine, too. I’m open to women of all kinds. Looking forward to chatting with you all soon. JustANewBoy2295, 29, l Folk music lover I’ve retired from several professions in order to work hard at writing, making documentary films and reading history. I enjoy fabulous friends and family, and am physically fit and financially secure. I closely follow the Ohio State Buckeyes. My best pal is Golden Retriever Kleio. Carlitos, 82, l movies, lakes and snow Looking for a honest person who likes to hang out and watch TV/movies but also enjoys skiing and a night out on the town. boredboarder, 22, l friendly, kind, fun-loving, honest I built my post-and-beam house 25 years ago, have two small ponds, a lazy cat, some chickens and a noisy goose. I am a landscaper for two very nice places in South Woodstock. I love nature photography, kayaking, bike riding and visiting the coast of Maine. Looking for a partner to enjoy life and all of nature’s great gifts. 2ponds, 57, l Listening interested learner A lover of working hands with the land and all the aspects of the sometimes not-so-simple life. A lover of a hard days’ work behind and the low-key social encounters in free time. A dedicated learner of creative endeavors and a free-spirited navigator through life’s high mountain paths. Peace and harmony. Naturefarmer64, 25, l Love Critters I stand within an invisible tiger that spits white fire. I kill ideas that flaunt excessive possessives. I dream of tender touches from ocean sirens from islands of magnificent suns. KinkyURCHIN, 25, l

reggae roots chillin’ Off-beat, divorced art teacher; father of two college-age young adults looking for a woman to hang out with. Let’s dye some tablecloths or go for a hike. vtal, 45, l

Looking for a real woman Let’s face it: We’ve nothing to lose, but possibly a fantastic friendship to gain. It’s virtually impossible to get to know someone purely by a photograph or a few words of description. It takes a lot more than that. peter094, 39, l Looking For A Best Friend I want her / I need her / and someday, someway I’ll meet her. / She’ll be kind of shy / But real good looking, too / and I’ll be certain she’s my girl / by the things she’ll like to do. / Like walking in the rain / And wishing on the stars up above / And being so in love. ShyGuy05401, 59 open, adventurous, passionate seeker I’m an athletic, fit, open and kinda crazy adventurer who sees the best in everyone’s intentions and seeks connections of the heart and soul, as well as the physical. adventure_us, 29, l Stellar feller searches for bella Filler: Single, divorced dad. Two kids (10 and 5) live with me. Fully employed. Literate. All important physical bits accounted for. Special skills: I can cook, clean, dress myself and others, teach, learn, navigate, wander, exude or recline, create many things of many media with varying results. Important part: Want to like a lady and want her to like me. Superfly76, 38, l Looking to meet great people I am looking for new friends and to hang out with people on the weekend. I haven’t been to Vermont in four years, since graduating college, and I love the Vermont landscape and culture. We all have one life to live, and I want to meet great people and have a lot of cool adventures. NewMosaic1987, 27, l Salty Sailor Seeks Siren Still searching for the lovely sea goddess to share adventures and romance. Does she exist? Travel, dog walks, hikes and the gym fill the calendar, plus fun encouters with friends. CapnZee, 54, l

Men seeking Men

I’m a very kind-hearted person Hi. I’m 51 years old and disabled, but not like you think. I still get around some with a cane. I would like a nice guy to take care of me and I take care of him. I can’t wait for the right person. tittytommy, 51

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Women seeking?

Wanting it Hi. I’m looking for a friends-withbenefits kind of relationship. I’m want to stimulate my sexual side and follow those desires. LoverLover, 25 Have a little fun Looking for men or a couple (male/ female, female/female) for fun, sweaty, sexy play. Need people I actually like for it to be really fun, so hit me up for coffee or a beer, and let’s see if we get along. FWB, casual encounters, start slow and see what happens. Open to LTR if it grows that way; not a requirement. 123Go, 48 Fun, flirty female Professional woman looking to have some fun and try new things. Bi-curious, so would be interested in having her first time with a couple. New to this whole thing, but always read this page in Seven Days and thought about wanting to give it a try. develizabeth, 27 Girl Next Door — More Behind Closed Doors Single woman wanting openminded, confident, dominant male who knows what he wants and can communicate it. Looking for casual but passionate get togethers. Open to more serious endeavours when/ if warranted. vtgirl1975, 39, l Lady4aLady Hi there. I’m just one lady looking for another lady to fool around, spend some time with, get to know a little, but mostly for some fun and some play. I’m open to all ideas and all ladyventures! Lady4aLady, 24

Naughty LocaL girLs waNt to coNNect with you

Looking for new adventures Looking for people who would be interested in some casual, reoccurring fun. No strings, no drama; just fun. :) JustIncredible2295, 29, l Guy seeking dominant woman Hey, y’all. Just moved to Burlington, and looking for a headstrong female friend. I’m pretty open-minded in terms of what kind of relationship it would be. I am a chill guy who is into feminism, social justice and music, among other things. Looking to learn more about the kink scene in Burlington. HMU, let’s see where it goes. greenmtnboy19, 19, l Adventurous, Down-to-earth, Fit, Curious, Open-minded Just looking to hook up with someone not on my normal radar. Something new and exciting, that’s what really gets my stomach churning, in a good way. I’m just naturally curious, living in Burlington, looking for a new adventure! hstewart123, 25, l Just wanna hook up Just looking for discreet interactions. Blank_mind, 21 happily married seeks weekly dalliance Handsome, athletic, devoted man looking for icing on the cake. Friendship and sex without stress. Not even a secret from his understanding wife. Fixer, 52 I Just Want to Watch I am in a happy, monogamous relationship, and have no interest in being touched by or touching you. But I have a strong fantasy of watching you and touching myself. Looking for straight and lesbian couples with an exhibitionist streak. Justwanttowatch, 27, l

Hot couple looking for fun Fun, hot couple, DD free, looking for a sexy woman to join us for some fun. Bisexual woman and straight guy. We’re looking for a woman who wants safe, consensual sex. If you’ve been searching for some adventurous fun, we’re your couple! AvtGirl88, 26, l Sensual adventure with sexy couple We are an awesome couple with a desire for adventure. We are easygoing, healthy, professional and looking for a like-minded woman to play with us. We love music, dancing, socializing and good people. Life is good, and we want to enjoy it! RosaLinda, 28 cum sprayer, exhibitionist, dirty secrets My husband and I are looking to fulfill our fantasies. We are an easygoing, great couple that likes to let loose and have some good, dirty fun. I like to be watched (like for a peep show), and he likes me being watched. I like mystery and masks, and he likes dirty and aggressive. Looking for couples, groups and voyeurs. crow, 41 D/s looking for Third We are a dominant/submissive couple looking for another submissive female to join us. I am very submissive and bisexual in nature. My master is a wonderful dom who knows how to take care of his slave(s). We are looking for a raunchy girl who is open-minded and definitely into both of us! DDF; 18 to 35. Master D and slave H. slave2Him, 32 fill my need I’m a very imaginative lover. I’m looking for: 1. a cisgender man I can restrain while fucking him; 2. a cisgender woman good at fisting; or 3. a fellow trans (TS/TG/CD/MTF/FTM/intersex) for all kinds of fun, even vanilla sex. I’m in an open relationship and need more people who can please my front hole. Please me and I guarantee I will please you! wet_deep_man, 29 fun times Want to have a good time and experience others. Want to be fucked while my girlfriend watches and joins in. First time trying bi experience; not sure, but want to try. Disease-free and only want the same. tpiskura, 47

I’ll cut right to the chase. My husband and I really enjoy anal sex. I need a lot of foreplay, and it always kind of hurts at first, but once we get going, it feels really good and makes me climax. I have two questions for you, though. The first is, why does this feel good and give me orgasms? I don’t get the anatomy of this. It seems to me there is nothing in there that should feel this good. Secondly, what are the long-term effects of anal sex? My husband would have it all the time if I let him, but I try to keep it to once a month due to the fact that it takes a lot of time to warm me up and sometimes I’m just not into the initial pain involved. I’m also afraid that, if we do it too frequently, the long-term effects could be negative. Please shed some light on this subject for me. I’ve been way too shy to ask my doctor about this.

Thanks,

Apprehensive About Anal

Dear Apprehensive,

First question first: How is it possible to orgasm from anal sex? This anatomy lesson is brought to you from sexualhealth.com and my own gynecologist. (Side note: I think you should really try to open up to your doctor. He or she is a professional health care provider whose job is to reserve judgment and remain confidential. It’s paramount to your long-term health and safety that you express any concerns directly to your doc.) OK. Back to the lesson. Orgasms are made possible by hypersensitive nerve endings, which, when stimulated, send impulses to the brain and spinal cord, resulting in those delightful climaxes you know and love. Your genitals contain several different nerves, which is why you feel different sensations when you’re stimulated in different places. When it comes to anal sex, you’ve got several feel-good nerves working for you, including the pelvic nerve running to the rectum and the pudendal nerve to the muscles surrounding the anus. So your orgasms back there are perfectly — and anatomically — normal. Mystery solved. As for negative effects: Fecal incontinence (loss of bowel control) is the most common concern, but you’d have to engage in daily, rough anal sex to experience significant weakening in that area. However, studies show that if you or your partner has been exposed to any high-risk strains of HPV, it can increase your chances for anal cancer. HPV is extremely common, while anal cancer is quite uncommon. Get tested, just to be safe. Have a frank chat with your gynecologist, and he or she will be able to address your fears. And if anal sex hurts, consider more foreplay and definitely more lube. Your husband may be so excited about the coming attractions that he’s speeding through the previews. Ask him to go slow — really slow — especially upon entering. But there’s no reason to deny yourselves the pleasures of the back door. Being able to orgasm in different ways is an anatomical perk. Enjoy it.

Yours,

Athena

Need advice?

You can send your own question to her at askathena@sevendaysvt.com

personals 89

Poly Couple on the prowl We are a pretty chill duo who are adjusting to life in rural Vermont. Our past lives included more poly possibilities, so we are trying to extend our network to meet fun people and play a little. DD-free, both are athletes and going for a hike would be just as fun as tying up the wife. Both would be best. ;) Poly_Peeps, 32, l

Dear Athena,

SEVEN DAYS

Tie you up I’d like to meet a submissive woman looking to explore our sexual fantasies Min together. I am caring, sensitive and 18+ graduate-educated. I’m looking for a woman who is equally stable, open and willing to satisfy me. I know I ladyinwaiting want to do the same for you. It would Looking for someone to1talk with, be great to meet for a drink and see 1x1c-mediaimpact050813.indd 5/3/13 4:40 PM exchange texts and phone conversations how things go. Singlefin7, 26 — even possibly some erotic massage. I am a very sexual person and would like bi bottom seeks hung african to explore my boundaries. mlg7513, 24 I’m only attracted to black men with very thick tools. I am bottom only and sub slut love to swallow, but mainly I need to I am a little looking for a daddy dom stop this ache of need inside my tight to control me. I want to be punished butt. I can host. I am clean and need and praised. Use me for your pleasure, you to be. Any size or shape or age is make me submissive to you and fine; just be hung and showered, please. leave me bruised. Ideally an ongoing Describe your tool. Bottom4u, 42, l DD/lg relationship. Aftercare is a must. submissivegirl, 20, l

sex toy gallery awaits you! Professional couple seeking woman for added pleasure in bed. We enjoy good music, good sex and a good buzz. If you are not into MILFs, I am not your type. sharethelove, 29, l

12.24.14-01.07.15

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Playful Sadist Looking to Learn I moved to Rutland about a year ago. I have always been interested in learning about and engaging in sexual domination, and hope to one day own a slave (or a few). Thing is, where do you start? How do you learn to train, and what does it take to be a good master? oliverursus, 26, l

Other seeking?

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Looking to fill a hole I miss sex. I’ve put on weight due to a medical condition that I’m working on fixing, but I have a nearly insatiable appetite. Young men (under 36 y/o) in shape who know how to please a woman with curves like mine need only apply. FemUVMStudent, 26, l

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Read how Mark proposed to Jennifer at:

Stormy Weather KindneSS You: Good people of Vermont. Me: One of thousands of commuters. I was headed home from a job that cumulatively over time decreases faith in humanity. I got stuck in the storm and was helped by random people whose faces I never saw. After all of the chaos, one of them still shouted, “Get home safely!” Faith restored. Thank you. When: Wednesday, december 10, 2014. Where: Winooski roundabout. you: man. me: Woman. #912620 the Love of my Life I’m in love with you / Shooting stars brought us together / I knew from the start / Nothing would break us apart / I wanna stay with you forever / Our bond, unbreakable / Loving anything more, I’m incapable / All I want for Christmas is you / Hugs, kisses, holding you, too / When the time’s just right / I’ll hold you tight / You’re my queen of the night. When: Saturday, august 31, 2013. Where: my dreams. you: Woman. me: man. #912619 honKy tonK Woman You are tall; have long brown hair; wore green plaid, jeans, boots; and sat up in the corner with friends for a few songs before donning a red beanie and ducking out into the snow. I was the lone wolf in blue catching your glance across the room. You have such a beautiful smile! Take two? When: tuesday, december 9, 2014. Where: radio Bean. you: Woman. me: man. #912618

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richmond marKet I hadn’t been so coy since my high school prom, but there I was at the market last Friday when I felt joyous. Our connection was heartfelt, but I was too nervous to help you to your car with all that liquor you had purchased. Let’s go on a winter adventure with a Thermos of tea! When: friday, december 5, 2014. Where: richmond market. you: Woman. me: man. #912614

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fine Wine From time to time I pass by your retail window on the way through the park. Quietly I peer in with the hope of catching a glimpse of your infectious smile; instantly it makes my day better. Let’s grab a bottle of that fine wine off the wall and get lost for a while. When: Sunday, november 30, 2014. Where: Burlington. you: Woman. me: man. #912617 hung LiKe JeSuS at oge I’m a recovered Catholic schoolgirl and have the hots for you! You have long brown hair and soft amber eyes — actually, you look a bit like Jesus. You provided some exceptional customer service in the bike section, and I can’t help but wonder how your bedtime service compares. When: Wednesday, december 10, 2014. Where: oge. you: man. me: Woman. #912616

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Brendon outSide of red Square Your kindness in paying for the cashless women, wanting to show our bachelorette a good time, is much appreciated. Thank you for being awesome and reassuring us that selfless men still exist. When: Saturday, december 6, 2014. Where: red Square, Burlington. you: man. me: Woman. #912613 Straying LittLe dog Me: little black dog briefly separated from my human on wrong side of busy road. You: an angel in an SUV, with quick reflexes, attentively driving on said road. Thank you for watching out for my carelessness. I owe you my life. When: friday, december 5, 2014. Where: Swift Street near east Woods. you: Woman. me: man. #912611

don’t, don’t you Want me... You were the attractive brunette in the gray dress who danced the night away rocking to the ‘80s. You liked that I was smiling. Maybe we should have a drink someplace where your right ear isn’t being blasted out by the speaker. When: Saturday, december 6, 2014. Where: Positve Pie, montpelier. you: Woman. me: man. #912610 it’S gettin’ hot in here... ‘90s night. Dem curls. Glad we could both pick on my excessive layers. I could tell we were similarly insane in the membrane. Let’s meet up off the stage sometime? When: friday, december 5, 2014. Where: metronome. you: man. me: Woman. #912608 SmiLing Hey, Piper: Glad we found each other. Love, Alex. When: Thursday, october 16, 2014. Where: in my best dreams. you: Woman. me: Woman. #912607 hottie at KeyBanK Your deep brown eyes captured me. I wished I could make a deposit every day. I will love you always, even if now is not our time. Be well, have fun and smile. When: tuesday, december 2, 2014. Where: KeyBank downtown. you: Woman. me: man. #912606 gorgeouS man Jogging You stopped to warn me about something. You had a beautiful smile. You left but returned soon after, stopped, smiled at me. You are still on my mind. Wanted to talk with you more but couldn’t; had bus to catch. If you remember me, please email. Tell me what I was doing on path and what you warned me about. When: Wednesday, october 22, 2014. Where: Burlington Bike Path near beach. you: man. me: Woman. #912605 my morning coffee You came and sat next to me while we waited for our orders. Tall, brunette and lovely (but wearing gloves, so I could not see if you had a ring). Unfortunately for me, my order arrived sooner than I wanted but not early enough for the caffeine to kickstart my brain, and I left without asking your name. When: friday, december 5, 2014. Where: Starbucks Williston road at 8:30. you: Woman. me: man. #912604 Sexy Brunette gray SuBaru I let you merge in front of me. You flashed that stunning smile and I wanted traffic to stop so that I could come say hi. Unfortunately it didn’t, so I want you to know that if you had gone off the road, I totally would have stopped to share some body heat until the tow truck arrived. Haha, JK ... but seriously. When: Thursday, december 4, 2014. Where: near exit 10. you: Woman. me: man. #912603 you cut my cord... Never before did I realize that watching someone cut cord with a heat knife at the climbing counter could be so attractive. The acrid, burning smell embarrassed and excited me, reminding me of the burning inside me. When: tuesday, december 2, 2014. Where: outdoor gear exchange. you: man. me: Woman. #912602 Let’S coordinate. Your beard. My beanie. When: monday, december 8, 2014. Where: Burrrrlington. you: man. me: Woman. #912612

hanKering for the Perfect fit Your desk overlooks the shoe department. I am the one looking at shoes every day, working up the courage to find out if you are as gay as you look or just outdoorsy. My anxious dog pooped on your Astroturf and you cleaned it up really sexy. Later you told me a poop joke and I thought we had a real spark. When: monday, december 1, 2014. Where: oge. you: Woman. me: Woman. #912600 handSome feLLa in Burton mini Cat-and-mouse on I-89. I think you followed me off the Barre exit just to say hi. I was too flattered to know what to do before the light turned green. I was running late, but instantly regretted not grabbing a coffee and exchanging numbers. If I’m not dreaming, get in touch and we can try again. When: tuesday, december 2, 2014. Where: i-89. you: man. me: Woman. #912599 Le Bete et La BeLLe Je vous ai vu à nouveau la nuit dernière. La même agitation je reçois toujours quand je suis près de vous. Tous mes sens en éveil. Goût et parfum côté, souhaitez-vous faire de notre amour ensemble; voulez-vous me épouser? #10/12 When: tuesday, december 2, 2014. Where: Williston. you: Woman. me: man. #912598 Smc firSt-year cLaSS Prez I have thought long and hard about how to make things right. Maybe this isn’t the best way for an apology, but it is most certainly a clever way to at least get your attention. Maybe you will be so generous to allow me to take you to dinner, and maybe a movie afterwards if I’m lucky enough? When: Wednesday, november 12, 2014. Where: St. michael’s college. you: Woman. me: man. #912597 divorced, from WeStPort, conn. Me: corporate counsel for IBM in the ‘80s on Halloween at your house, noticing the absence of a home PC. You: an Intel commercial showing guys in Tyvek suits in a lab assembling semi-conductors to P-Funk. We’re: not likely to find a bearded Chinese man, another tax dollar for R&D or employment with IBM innovations in Vermont. When: tuesday, december 2, 2014. Where: Briefcase on microfiche. you: Woman. me: man. #912596 xxxmaS queen miLf Hey, hottie sporting flannel-lined leggings outside with your three kids hanging Christmas lights the day after Halloween, decorating trees in every room and baking enough cookies for the entire neighborhood. Let’s Christmas carol in the nude while enjoying a cup of holiday cheer! You: red hot mama with Xmas fever. Me: Speedo Santa ready to rock around the Christmas tree! When: Saturday, november 1, 2014. Where: hangin’ in the hood. you: Woman. me: man. #912595

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Again this year, the 9:56 Hunger Mountain Coop packed and 12/15/14 AM donated $45,000 worth of food!

Annual Holiday Grocery Pack Thank you to everyone who made it possible!

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To our community partner:

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To our Coop Member-Owners and shoppers who donated at the registers during November and December. To our vendors, who generously donated healthy and organic foods:

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Albert’s Organic, American Flatbread, Amy’s Kitchen, Bob’s Red Mill, Chex Finer Foods, Chunks of Energy, Country Choice Organic-Grain Millers, Crofters Organic, Dancing Deer Baking Co., Grandpa Brands Company Soap, Great Eastern Sun, Gringo Jack’s, Haddon House Food Products, KeVita Sparkling Probiotic Drink, La Panciata Bakery, Lake Wood Organic, Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods, Mom’s Best Cereal, Namaste Foods, Natural Specialty Sales, Nature’s Path Foods, Once Again Nut Butters, Runa Tea, Scott Farm, TruRoots Vermont Coffee Company, Vermont Village Applesauce, and Yogi Tea. To our volunteers, who helped put it all together:

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Alison Partridge, Barb Dall, Beth Ann Rinehart, Carrie Bailey, Carter Klenk-Morse, Cheryl Tetreault, Cynthia Hartnet, Daniel Dickerson, David Gorges, Deb Kerin, Ellen Weigle, Eme Scherbatskoy, Jerry Zeankowski, Jesse Hollow, Jon Scherbatskoy, Ken Ruth, Laura Ruth, Liam Barrett, Meg Scherbatskoy, Nubia Fuller, Rachael Beuchler, Robin Gorges, Stephanie Smith, Tom Brock, and Whit Dall. To the fantastic organizations, which helped to distribute all the food:

Barre City Elementary, Barre Town School, Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice, Family Center of Washington County, Montpelier Food Pantry, Montpelier Senior Activity Center, Union Elementary School, Vermont Council on Aging, and Washington Elves Program.

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623 Stone Cutters Way, Montpelier, VT 802.223.8000 www.hungermountain.coop 12/16/14 10:09 AM

12/17/14 11:08 AM

WORK IS LOVE MADE VISIBLE. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy. For if you bake bread with indifference, you bake a bitter bread that feeds but half man's hunger. And if you grudge the crushing of the grapes, your grudge distills a poison in the wine. And if you sing though as angels, and love not the singing, you muffle man's ears to the voices of the day and the voices of the night.

Khalil Gibran Thanks for a wonderful year at Healthy Living Market and Cafe! May the New Year be one of wellness, peace, joy and one big celebration of togetherness! DORSET STREET, SOUTH BURLINGTON, VT × . . × WWW.HEALTHYLIVINGMARKET.COM 1t-healthyliving122614.indd 1

12/12/14 10:49 AM