WINTER 2019/2020
VOLUME 13 NO 1
HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
CREATING AN EPICENTER FOR PEACE ADJACENT TO AUSCHWITZ
STERLING COLLEGE
FERTILE FIELDS FOR PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION
GOLDEN OPPORTUNITIES SPOT THE MANY CHANCES FOR HUGGS TO HELP MAN’S BEST FRIEND
four seasons
Contents winter features
42 GOLDEN OPPORTUNITIES
Spot the many chances for Huggs to help man's best friend.
BY JAY MURRY
58 FERTILE FIELDS FOR PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION
Sterling College’s School of the New American Farmstead launches professional certificate programs.
BY KATIE LAVIN
74 HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
Creating an epicenter for peace adjacent to Auschwitz.
BY LORI LUSTBERG
COVER PHOTO BY REBECCA SILBERNAGEL COURTESY OF SPOT THE DOG AND GOLDEN HUGGS RESCUE PHOTO THIS PAGE BY OLGA ITINA
32
19 PUBLISHERS’ NOTE
66
20 ONLINE HUB 22 CONTRIBUTORS 24 GATHERINGS Great winter fun for a great cause.
26 PETS & PEOPLE News, products, and furry facts.
28 ART SCENE Burlington Paint & Sip Studio. BY DIAN PARKER
50
32 HOLIDAY TREATS Making Memories, Gingerbread Style.
80
36 GREAT FINDS A Little Something for Everyone at A Little Something. BY MOLLY RITVO
50 OUTDOORS The Ice Whisperer. BY PHYL NEWBECK
66 DINING OUT Vermont Pub & Brewery. BY MEL ALLEN
69 BRIGHT IDEAS UVM's Ski Area Management. BY MARK AIKEN
80 SPOTLIGHT Vermont on Ice. BY MARK AIKEN
86 AROUND TOWN What's new with the Flynn?
88 HAPPENINGS A calendar of events.
95 ADVERTISERS INDEX
96 LAST GLANCE
Contents departments
16 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
54 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Holiday Shopping Shopping and fun things to do in the local Burlington area.
21 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Shelburne, Vermont Discover, Dine, Stay & Shop
Coffee Table Publishing, LLC 32 Hermit Thrush Lane South Burlington, VT 05403 www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
PUBLISHERS
Robin Gales John Gales Bob Frisch CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Deb Thompson COPY EDITOR
Jennifer Goss Duby ART DIRECTION/DESIGN
Robbie Alterio ADVERTISING DESIGN
Hutchens Media, LLC WEB DESIGN
Locable ADVERTISING
Robin Gales (802) 299-9086 John Gales (802) 558-2719 coffeetablepublishing@comcast.net Keep us posted. Best of Burlington wants to hear from our readers. Correspondence may be addressed to Letters to the Editor, Best of Burlington, 32 Hermit Thrush Lane, South Burlington, VT 05403. Advertising inquiries may be made by emailing ctpublishing@comcast.net or coffeetablepublishing@comcast.net. Best of Burlington is published quarterly by Coffee Table Publishing, LLC, ©2019. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. Best of Burlington accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, artwork, or photographs.
18 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
PUBLISHERS’ NOTE
S
Happy Winter
o how do you cope with those Vermont winters? It’s something we ask ourselves every year. The answer is very simple. Winter in Vermont is one of the most beautiful, vibrant, and enjoyable times of the year. You just have to know where to look. This issue is filled with ideas and information to help make this season in the Champlain Valley special. Let’s start with the Full Stride Adult Hockey program. We look in on how playing hockey is something for all ages—even those who haven’t laced up in a while. We give you the entire rundown of all of the winter fundraising and events for Camp Ta-Kum-Ta, a special place where kids with cancer can just be kids. Meet Bob Dill, Ice Whisperer, the go-to source for the latest ice conditions on the lake. If Bob’s not teaching ice safety, he’s scouting locations for local skaters. For some indoor activity to stay warm, we spotlight A Little Something, on the Shelburne Road, and Burlington Paint and Sip, downtown. Also, learn about the history of Vermont Pub and Brewery. Many say it’s where the craft beer scene in Vermont got started. We’ll warm your heart telling you about Golden Huggs dog rescue and Mark Brooks, founder of Spot the Dog. We also shine the light on Nina Meyerhof, a committed humanitarian doing incredible work around the world. There’s so much more to discover in this issue, so we’ll leave you to it. Grab something warm to sip, wrap up in your favorite snuggly blanket, and remind yourself that winter in the Champlain Valley is truly unique.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!
John and Robin Gales Publishers
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK!
@bestofburlingtonmag Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 19
ONLINE HUB
WINT
ER 201
9/2020
WWW.BESTOFBURLINGTONVT.COM VO LU
ONLINE EXCLUSIVES
NO 1 ME 13
TURE HE FU R PEACE FOR T ENTER FO HOPEING AN EPICSC WITZ H ION CREAT TO AU EGE IONAL EDUCAT CENT COLL ADJA LINGDS FOR PROFESS STER E FIEL FERTIL GS TO R HUG ES FO HANCD C Y N A FRIEN THE M SPOT MAN’S BEST HELP
GO
ES
NITI ORTU
OPP LDEN
HOLIDAY WINE
Toast the holidays with our favorite festive wines. Find them at www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
SIGN UP TODAY!
eNewsletter SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER
What does our newsletter include? • A summary of our most popular articles and comments from our readers • Local event listings from our calendar • Special offers from Best of Burlington and local businesses • Exclusive insights into upcoming features and articles, and much more . . .
Join the conversation online... www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
GAME DAY CHILI Find hearty, warming chili recipes at www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
“LIKE” US ON FACEBOOK 20 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
Follow us on Instagram @bestofburlingtonmag
Feel free to drop us a line at ryan@bestof burlingtonvt.com, or share your comments on our site or on social media. You might even see your name in our next issue.
9 JANU
CLICK ON our online calendar to see local events happening in our community, and you can add your own event free!
Discover, Dine, Stay & Shop
Shelburne, Vermont Jamie Two Coats Toy Shop 54 Falls Road In the of the Village Shelburne, VT (802) 985-3221 Open daily 10am–6pm
Spalon Euphoria
Yoga Roots
145 Pine Haven Shores Suite 2022 Shelburne, VT
Daily Yoga • Workshops Teacher Trainings
(802) 276-5275 www.spaloneuphoria.com
(802) 985-0090 www.yogarootsvt.com
Shelburne & Williston, VT
Explore Shelburne
Shelburne Tap House
Village Wine and Coffee
2989 Shelburne Road Shelburne, VT
5288 Shelburne Road #1 Shelburne, VT
(802) 985-4040 www.shelburnetaphouse.com
A Little Something Gifts, Jewelry, and More! Shelburne Bay Plaza 2989 Shelburne Road Shelburne, VT (802) 985-9909 www.alittlesomethingvt.com FB: A Little Something (Gifts)
this Winter Season!
Dutch Mill Family Restaurant and Catering 4309 Shelburne Road Shelburne, VT (802) 985-3568 www.dutchmillvt.com Mon–Sun 7:30am–2pm
(802) 985-8925 www.villagewineandcoffee.com Mon–Sat 7am–6pm Sun 8:30am–4pm
Shelburne Museum 6000 Shelburne Road Shelburne, VT www.shelburnemuseum.org
contributors MOLLY RITVO
Molly is a freelance writer who lives in Burlington, Vermont, with her husband and daughter. She holds a BA from Tufts University and an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College. Molly is writing a novel as well as a collection of essays on motherhood. Learn more about Molly at mollyritvo.com.
LORI LUSTBERG Lori is a financial planner at Pathway Financial Advisors in South Burlington and is the finance columnist for Vermont Woman newspaper. A (recovering) attorney and divorce mediator with a hopeless love of writing, Lori is co-author and editor of the e-book Divorce and Separation Vermont: A Practical Guide to Making Smart Decisions, available at www .divorcebookvermont.com. In her spare time, Lori can be found trying to get her college-age son to answer her texts.
MARK AIKEN Freelance writer Mark Aiken has played hockey his entire life and loved covering Dan McFall’s Full Stride hockey program for this issue. Mark plays pickup every Monday night and plays in the annual Full Stride Queen City Classic. When he’s not writing or skating, he runs with his endurance athlete wife. Together, they engage in the ultimate endurance sport—parenting.
PHYL NEWBECK Phyl is a former flatlander from New York City. She lives in Jericho, where she has learned to stack a mean pile of firewood. When not skiing, skating, bicycling, swimming, or kayaking, she writes for several local publications. Phyl is the author of Virginia Hasn’t Always Been for Lovers: Interracial Marriage Bans and the Case of Richard and Mildred Loving.
22 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
JAY MURRY Jay wears a trio of hats on any given day. He is a published freelance writer whose previous work has been featured in Marathon & Beyond and Ultrarunning magazines; the sports play-by-play “Voice of the Bears” at Washington University in St. Louis; and a specialeducation paraprofessional at Fort Zumwalt West High School in O’Fallon, Missouri.
GATHERINGS
Great Winter Fun for a Great Cause Camp Ta-Kum-Ta, where kids can be kids
O
ne of the things that cancer steals from young people dealing with the disease is the opportunity to be “just a kid.” Between appointments, treatments, tests, and the fatigue and other side effects of treatment, it becomes difficult to engage in things like the sports, activities, games, and other pastimes that make up playtime. The mission of Camp Ta-Kum-Ta in South Hero, Vermont, is to provide challenging, extraordinary experiences in a safe and loving environ-
24 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
ment for children who have or have had cancer and who live in Vermont or are being treated in Vermont. Camp Ta-Kum-Ta may be well known for their summer program, but they also
provide weekend experiences for siblings, families, and parents of kids dealing with cancer. Throughout the year, they have a mix of fundraising events and programs in which kids who
have or have had cancer and their families are invited to the camp for enriching experiences. HOLIDAY PARTY FOR CAMPERS AND THEIR FAMILIES This day-long party on December 8 gives campers and their families the opportunity to participate in activities like visiting with Santa, enjoying a hot chocolate bar, and making crafts. WINTER WEEKENDS Winter Weekends are filled with all the fun and friendships of the summer residential program but are only a weekend long. Campers will have the opportunity to try great outdoor activities like snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, ice skating, and sleigh rides. Middle Campers: January 10–23 Youngest Campers: February 7–9 Oldest Campers: March 13–15 FUNDRAISING EVENTS In order to continue their mission to provide extraordinary, enriching experiences for kids dealing with cancer, Camp Ta-Kum-Ta has a number of fundraisers. The two largest are the KOOL 105 Ta-Kum-Ta-Thon and Ice Golf. THE KOOL 105 TA-KUM-TA-THON This is a week-long radiothon from December 9 to December13 that offers four ways to donate: Call: KOOL 105 between 5am and 10am at (802) 863-1051 or (800) 501-9565. Go Online: At www.takumta.org/donate. Bring It In: Hand deliver your donation to KOOL 105, located at 70 Joy Drive, South Burlington, Vermont. Share: Spread the word among your friends! Share posts from the Camp Ta-Kum-Ta and KOOL 105 Facebook pages from December 9 to 13. Throughout the week, KOOL will feature radio interviews with the campers, staff, and volunteers who make Camp Ta-Kum-Ta
such a special place. Every year, Camp TaKum-Ta is met with overwhelming support from our community. ICE GOLF Ice Golf on February 1 adds a fun winter twist to a classic golf tournament. The nine-hole golf course is on the frozen surface of beautiful Lake Champlain. Teams of four will play in a scramble format starting at Bayside Beach. Cost is $50 per person or $200 per team, and all proceeds benefit Camp Ta-Kum-Ta. Registration starts at 11am. Shotgun start at 12pm. For information, go to www.takumta.org/event. In addition to their major annual fundraisers, Camp Ta-Kum-Ta also benefits from the Rí Rá Santa 5k. Sponsored by Rí Rá Irish Pub in Burlington, this fun 5k features runners who race in Santa suits. It starts and finishes in front of Rí Rá on Church Street at 10am on Sunday, December 1. A portion of proceeds will benefit Camp Ta-Kum-Ta. For information, go to www.santa5k.ca/site-ontario1 /Ri_Ra_Santa_5K.html. YANKEE SPORTSMAN’S CLASSIC This exhibition January 17 through January 19 at Champlain Valley Expo highlights Vermont’s outdoor sporting community and features seminars, speakers, vendors, and kids’ activities, with a portion of proceeds benefiting Camp Ta-Kum-Ta. Find information at yankeeclassic.net. All year round, Camp Ta-Kum-Ta strives to create enriching experiences for Vermont kids dealing with cancer so they have a chance to just “be a kid.”
Camp Ta-Kum-Ta PO Box 459 77 Sunset View Road South Hero, VT (802) 372-5863 www.takumta.org Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 25
PETS AND PEOPLE SPONSORED BY BEVS
Choose Holiday Plants Carefully Take care when bringing winter plants into your home if you have pets. Some types of decorative plants are toxic to dogs and cats, according to petmd.com. In some cases, only mild indigestion will result; in other cases, the toxicity can lead to more serious health problems, and even fatalities. Know which plants are safe and which ones are not. POINSETTIA The poinsettia plant’s brightly colored leaves contain a sap that is irritating to the tissues of the mouth and esophagus. If the leaves are ingested, they often cause nausea and vomiting, but it would take a large amount of the plant’s material to cause poisoning, and most animals (and children) will not eat such a large enough amount because of the irritating taste of the sap. HOLLY AND MISTLETOE These popular holiday plants, along with their berries, have a greater toxicity level than the poinsettia. Ingesting these plants may include vomiting and diarrhea, excessive drooling, and abdominal pain. Mistletoe can cause severe intestinal upset, as well as a sudden drop in blood pressure, breathing problems, and even hallucinations, exhibited by unusual behavior. If your pet ingests a large enough amount of these plants, seizures and death may follow. The leaves and berries of holly and mistletoe plants, even the dried plants, should be kept well out of your pet’s reach or kept out of the home altogether. AMARYLLIS The beauty of this holiday flower is matched by its toxicity. Amaryllis contains noxious substances which
26 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
Praise Instead of Treats Good news for hefty pets! Researchers say that many dogs actually prefer praise from their guardians to being given a food treat. At Emory University in Atlanta, over a dozen dogs were studied using brain imaging to evaluate their reactions to behavioral experiments. Turns out that most of them enjoyed being told how good and smart they were over being given a treat. Heap on the warm fuzzies!
cause salivation, gastrointestinal upset and pain, decreased appetite, lethargy, and tremors in both cats and dogs. The bulb of the plant is believed to be even more dangerous than the flowers and the stalk. THE CHRISTMAS TREE The oils produced by fir trees can be irritating to a pet’s mouth and stomach, causing excessive vomiting or drooling, and the needles may cause gastrointestinal irritation, obstruction, and puncture. The water used to keep Christmas trees fresh can be noxious, so don’t let Rover or Fluffy drink it. Bacteria, molds, and fertilizers can cause your pet to become extremely sick with only a few laps. CHRISTMAS CACTUS Fortunately, the leaves and flowers of the Christmas Cactus (or its relative, the Easter Cactus) are not toxic to dogs. Despite your best efforts, if your pet does manage to ingest any of these plant materials, call your veterinarian or poison control immediately.
Did You Know? Grapes, raisins, macadamia nuts, onions, and garlic are some of the most dangerous foods for dogs, according to the US Food and Drug Administration. And if you sometimes use peanut butter to get your dog to swallow a pill, be sure that xylitol is not on the list of ingredients, as this too is harmful to canines.
The Eyes Have It Have you always heard that cats can see in complete darkness? If so, you’re not alone. Actually, our feline friends don’t possess this superpower, but they do need only one-sixth of the amount of light that we do, making their night vision far better than ours.
Pamper Your Pet The holidays are upon us, and since we consider our pets family members, we want to leave gifts they’ll love and enjoy under the tree. Here are the top picks from caninejournal.com: • Benebone Bacon Flavored Wishbone Chew Toy • Haute Diggity Dog Muttini Bar Collection • KONG Air Squeaker Tennis Balls • KONG Rubber Dog Chew Toy • KONG Rubber Flyer Frisbee • KONG Wild Knots Bears Durable Dog Toy • Mammoth Floss Chews Cottonblend Color 3-Knot Rope Tug • Nylabone Dental Dinosaur • Nylabone Galileo Natural Nearly Indestructible Bone • Outward Hound Hide-A-Squirrel Dog Toy
ONLINE EXTRA Find safe decorating tips for pet owners online at www.bestofburlingtonvt.com.
Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 27
ART SCENE BY DIAN PARKER PHOTOS COURTESY OF BURLINGTON PAINT & SIP STUDIO
THE VIBRANT AND FUN ATMOSPHERE OF CREATION
Burlington
Paint & Sip Studio
Everyone is creative, whether they are aware of it or not. As we all know, children are innately creative because they play, and play is creative. As adults, we work and work and then take vacations, shrinking our time to play down to the least important priority.
Artist instructors celebrate the grand re-opening of Burlington Paint and Sip Studio under new ownership. Opposite, top: Come as a group, grab your bestie, or bring your visiting relatives. Bottom: Girls night out!
28 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
T
HE PAINT & SIP CONCEPT offers a place to play for adults—as well as children—in a fun and relaxing way, allowing participants to tap their inner creativity and allow it to flow. The classes give you an opportunity to create a painting while enjoying wine and other beverages—a splendid combination for your playful self to flourish. In a party atmosphere, these gatherings are a way to put your critical self away and allow the inner artist to emerge and express. The Paint & Sip franchise was founded in Houston, Texas, in 2009 and has rapidly grown. You can now find classes in almost all major cities as well as in many small towns. White River Junction and Derby, Vermont, along with several locations in New Hampshire, now also have Paint & Sip businesses in operation. DISCOVER YOUR INNER ARTIST Burlington Paint & Sip Studio in downtown Burlington has been partying since 2015. Two of the artists teaching the classes since 2015, Claire Giroux-Williams and Megan Winward, bought the business a year ago and now run a thriving and exciting place where they invite everyone to come
Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 29
Right: Celebrate an anniversary, a birthday, or the fact that it’s Friday! Opposite: Starting around the age of six, kids are usually able to sit through a two-hour class.
and create. “My favorite thing about teaching at Paint & Sip Studio is seeing the joy on people’s faces at the end of class after having had such a good time,” Megan says. Here’s the really cool part of this endeavor: Everyone makes a complete painting on canvas in the class and then takes their painting home. “Leaving with a painting that symbolizes how much fun they had is so exhilarating and satisfying,” Megan says. An instructor leads the class step by step through the painting process, giving each participant an apron, a table easel, a canvas, brushes, and paint. Each class offers a different composition that everyone in the class can paint; classes are two hours long. There is one instructor for classes under 15 people and two instructors for more. The only thing
30 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
required for these classes is to come with an open mind and be prepared to be wowed by your own creativity. A variety of drinks is available: red or white
wine, a selection of craft beers, or cider, and before you know it, you’re painting a vase of flowers, or your pet, or a beach at sunset. When the class is over, you walk out of the class in a
glow of creation, with a 16- by 20-inch acrylic painting under your arm. PLAN A PARTY Burlington Paint & Sip Studio also offers group classes for up to 45 people, as well as private parties from 13 to 45. The possibilities are unlimited for the types of parties you can arrange: kids’ parties with karaoke, birthdays, holiday parties, bachelorette parties, paint your pet parties, date nights, bridal parties, corporate parties, and fund raisers. It’s a great way to get out of the office and have fun with your colleagues. Burlington Paint & Sip Studio also offers classes in painting on wooden door hangers, canvas totes, ceramics, making collages, and pouring paint. From abstract to realistic paintings, it’s your choice. Burlington Paint & Sip Studio can also travel to bring you private parties. Recently they hosted a birthday party at a hair salon. They will travel to homes and businesses where you can bring in your own food, such as pizza, potluck dinners, and birthday cakes. For businesses, this can be a great way for team building and promoting camaraderie in the workplace. “I love when people come to the classes saying they don’t have a creative bone in their body, or haven’t painted in decades,” Megan says, “and to see them leave feeling surprised and accomplished for what they didn’t think they could do. Everyone can paint. We pride ourselves in helping people get in touch with their creative side in a very welcoming, fun atmosphere.”
Burlington Paint & Sip Studio 29 Church Street (Entrance on Cherry Street) Burlington, VT (802) 540-2090 www.burlingtonpaintandsip.com Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 31
HOLIDAY TREATS
MAKING MEMORIES,
gingerbread T
STYLE
ake time out from the holiday hustle and bustle to spend some quality time with your family. There’s no better project this time of year than constructing and decorating a gingerbread house with your little ones. You can buy a kit that includes everything you’ll need, or you may decide to bake your own gingerbread for your house. No matter which option you choose, one thing is for sure—you’ll be creating wonderful memories for everyone involved. 32 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
Bake a Gingerbread House A FASCINATING HISTORY According to Tori Avery of PBS’s The History Kitchen, the term gingerbread simply meant “preserved ginger” in medieval England and wasn’t applied to the cookies and cakes we know until the 15th century. Ginger root was first cultivated in ancient China, where it was commonly used as a remedy to soothe nausea. Ginger is still used today to relieve stomach ailments. The first known recipe for gingerbread came from Greece in 2400 BC, according to Rhonda Massingham Hart’s Making Gingerbread Houses. Chinese recipes were developed during the 10th century, and by the late Middle Ages, Europeans had their own version of gingerbread. The hard cookies cut into animal and human shapes were a staple at medieval fairs in England, France, Holland, and Germany. Gingerbread houses originated in Germany during the 16th century. The elaborate creations, decorated with foil in addition to gold leaf, became associated with Christmas. Their popularity increased when the Brothers Grimm wrote the story of Hansel and Gretel, in which the characters stumble upon a house made entirely of treats deep in the forest. Gingerbread arrived in the New World with English settlers. Molasses, which was less expensive than sugar, soon became a common ingredient and produced a softer cake. The first American cookbook, American Cookery by Amelia Simmons, includes recipes for three types of gingerbread, including the soft variety baked in loaves. Find out more at pbs.org.
Courtesy of King Arthur Flour YIELD: MAKES ENOUGH DOUGH FOR A 10” X 7” HOUSE
The dough you bake to make gingerbread houses contains more flour than gingerbread cookie dough, and it is edible. The extra flour makes this dough sturdier to hold up your construction projects. INGREDIENTS Dough 6 Tbsp butter O cup buttermilk 1 cup brown sugar K cup molasses 1 large egg 5 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp ground cinnamon K tsp salt Construction icing 3 large egg whites K tsp cream of tartar 4 cups unsifted confectioners’ sugar Food coloring, optional Peppermint oil, lemon extract, vanilla extract, or the flavor of your choice, optional, to taste PHOTO COURTESY OF KING ARTHUR FLOUR
INSTRUCTIONS To make the dough: 1. In a large saucepan, heat the buttermilk and butter until the butter is just melted; remove from the heat. 2. Add the brown sugar and molasses, then beat in the egg. 3. Whisk the baking soda, spices, and salt with 1 cup of the flour. 4. Add this to the wet mixture and mix until incorporated. 5. Add flour 1 cup at a time until you have a smooth, stiff dough. It should be stiff enough to be flexible, and neither crumbly nor sticky. 6. Divide the dough in half, flatten each half, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 7. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 8. Using a quarter of the dough at a time (return the unused portion to the refrigerator), roll the dough V” thick on a piece of parchment. 9. Cut your construction pieces as needed, pulling away the scraps to be re-rolled. Transfer the dough, parchment and all, to a baking sheet. 10. Bake the dough for 10 to 12 minutes, until set and very lightly browned at the edges. 11. Remove from the oven and trim any rough edges while the pieces are still warm. Cool completely before using for construction. To make the royal icing: 1. In a large bowl, whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar until foamy. 2. Sprinkle in the sugar gradually, whipping all the while. The more you whip the icing, the stiffer it’ll be and the faster it’ll harden up. 3. Cover the bowl of icing, taking out only as much as you’ll need immediately. The easiest way to store the icing for long periods of time is in a plastic pastry bag or zip-top food storage bag. TIP: If you want to “paint” with the icing, use food coloring to create different colors and thin the icing with a few drops of water so it will flow. NOTE: This gingerbread is quite plain, as it’s not really designed to be eaten. For bolder flavor, double the amounts of cinnamon and ginger, and increase the amount of salt to 1N teaspoons.
ONLINE EXTRA Learn how to make the house pieces, cut them out, and construct at www.bestofburlingtonvt.com. Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 33
There are plenty of kits to choose from online. We found several kits from WILTON—they have gingerbread houses, barns, and even an entire gingerbread village!
These two kits from wilton pack a lot of fun in a box! • Pre-baked and ready to build • Includes everything you need including candy, yellow fondant, white ready-touse icing, green and red icing tubes, decorating bag and tip, and instruction sheet.
34 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
GREAT FINDS BY MOLLY RITVO PHOTOS COURTESY OF A LITTLE SOMETHING
Something FOR EVERYONE AT
A LITTLE
SomethinG
36 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
Below: There are lots of treasures to browse at A Little Something. Right: Owner Deidre Senior.
Lovely gifts and two beautiful dogs create a joyful shopping experience Sandwiched between the Shelburne Meat Market and Reflections Hair Salon in the Shelburne Plaza rests a gem of a gift store called A Little Something. Deidre Senior of Shelburne opened the store in October 2010 and has been finding joy ever since. “I love the many friends I have made since opening,” Deidre says happily. “I am so lucky to have loyal customers who return again and again, year after year. Whether they are shopping for a gift or are looking for some jewelry, accessories, or clothing or are looking for thoughtful greeting cards, they shop here consistently.” Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 37
A carefully curated assortment of purses, wallets, and gifts can be found at A Little Something, including work from local designers and small businesses from around the US and the world.
Walking into A Little Something feels like walking into a warm, light-filled living room. There’s a sense of ease and calm in the cream walls and from the glow of the bright chandelier hanging from the ceiling. However, it is mostly Deidre’s welcoming presence that makes her customers feel at home. Also part of the welcoming committee are Deidre’s large golden retrievers, Macushla, 12, and Bently, 18 months, who rest by the door and eagerly lift up their heads to welcome visitors. “Our customers know that they get both puppy therapy and retail therapy here,” Deidre says. “My goal is to take the stress out of gift shopping. I want folks to be excited with their purchases and to laugh at the funny cards and coasters we carry. We also offer beautiful free gift wrapping, which is super helpful to folks.” UNIQUE SELECTIONS A Little Something is filled with jewelry, some very elegant and some more bohemian chic for the younger generation. Deidre’s jewelry cases are tastefully arranged, and she keeps the cases open so her customers can see the designs up close. Deidre also sells scarves, a selection of comfortable clothing (she raves about a pair of bamboo pants that can easily be dressed up or down), housewares, bags, and candles. Each product is carefully chosen by 38 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
Deidre, who is particular about the companies with whom she works. “We work only with small companies or local or independent designers,” she explains. “I love to talk with folks about the amazing talent we have showcased in our shop. Every product I carry has a story. There’s a person with an idea, a passion, and a skill behind
everything you see.” Deidre explains that some of the jewelry she sells is custom made especially for A Little Something. “I made a conscious decision to work with companies that don’t mandate how much of any product I have to order,” she adds. A Rhode Island native, Deidre first came to Vermont to attend Trinity College. She briefly
moved back to Rhode Island but remembers that the pull of Vermont was too strong. After working retail on Church Street, she eventually worked several years in human resources at a small business. When she first became a mother in 1998, she stayed home with her kids while working part-time as a rep for a jewelry company. “All of these experiences unknowingly prepared me to open A Little Something and make it successful,” she says. BALANCING MOTHERHOOD AND WORK While Deidre’s kids were growing up, she wanted meaningful work, but also wanted to be able to “be home in the evenings for all the ferrying and parenting my kids needed,” she explains. Her kids were playing sports and had afternoon and evening practices and homework. “I wanted to do something, but I needed to be independent,” she recalls. After a friend told her about a nearby jewelry store that was
for sale, Deidre checked it out. “I went and looked and thought, ‘I could do this!’” She did her homework and created a detailed business plan. “Once I had a plan, I bought the business assets to create A Little Something!” Before she officially opened her doors, Deidre asked her friends for support. “I asked them if they thought I could really do it,” she says. “I was really unsure and had never taken such a risk. I started to compare myself to someone I knew who was a very successful entrepreneur. One of my friends stopped me mid-sentence and said ‘the only difference between you and her is that she’s not afraid.’ That was a game changer for me. I decided to stop being afraid of risks or failure and instead to simply not be afraid.” Today, Deidre says her jewelry lines remain a customer favorite as well as being her favorite items to procure. “I know so many of the artists on a personal level. When a designer tells me that they’ll get started on the necklaces ‘right Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 39
after lunch,’ I appreciate that these items are made by hand by a real person,” she adds. Deidre recently added some select clothing for her boutique. “We’ve been getting really nice feedback about the clothing we carry. Everything is chosen for its quality, uniqueness, and giftability,” she explains. Deidre works only with small clothing manufacturers who produce unique clothing. “I look for things that are easy to wear, have a good price point, and are sized small, medium, large, and extra large, because they will work for a broader population.” PROUD PARTNERSHIPS Because Deidre isn’t brand new to the area, many designers reach out to her to be featured in A Little Something. She travels and attends trade shows to look for new vendors. “If someone’s work is good and they come across as reliable and passionate about their products, that’s a great sign,” she explains. “There are so many talented folks out there and they want to work with us and believe in our value proposition. That makes me feel really proud to partner with them.” 40 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
Above: The inventory is always changing at A Little Something, so visit often. Below: Shop dogs Macushla, age 12, and Bentley, 18 months, love to greet customers and come to work several days a week.
While she does know a lot of people who shop exclusively online, Deidre says that she doesn’t worry about Amazon.com because she offers a personal “community-infused experience” and remains committed to supporting her community. “We host coat drives for our neighbors in need and we support local artists and designers, as well as local newspapers and radio,” Deidre says. “Amazon will never have the opportunities to support dozens of really meaningful and effective local nonprofits, clubs, and schools the way local businesses can.” She has also hired many local teenagers as they enter the job market and some still work at A Little Something during their college vacations. Some who study fashion merchandising help Diedre with merchandising at her store. When she is not busy tending to A Little Something, Deidre enjoys spending her free time with her kids (who are both in college) and her husband, as well as cooking for friends and family. Besides her family, Deidre’s passion for her work is palpable. Even when she isn’t at her store, Deidre is probably thinking about it. And she hopes you’ll visit her and her dogs soon! “When you choose to shop at A Little Something, you’re doing so much more than making a purchase,” Deidre says, flashing her bright smile. “You are buying something unique that reflects the care you took in buying a special gift. We hope you enjoyed the personal attention from the folks who are passionate about making your shopping experience fun, efficient, and successful. If you haven’t visited us, make time to do so. I think you may be pleasantly surprised.”
A Little Something Shelburne Bay Plaza 2989 Shelburne Road Shelburne, VT (802) 985-9999 alittlesomethingvt.com Monday–Saturday 10am–5pm Sunday 12pm–4pm
ONLINE EXTRA Find 10 Gift Ideas online at www.bestofburlingtonvt.com.
Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 41
BY JAY MURRY PHOTOS COURTESY OF SPOT THE DOG, GOLDEN HUGGS RESCUE, AND REBECCA SILBERNAGEL PHOTOGRAPHY
Golden
Opportunities
42 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
SPOT the many chances for HUGGS to help man’s best friend
PHOTOS THIS PAGE ©RSILBERNAGEL
Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 43
Clockwise from below: GHR foster pups wear a bandanna and a collar from Spot the Dog. Brigitte hugs her chocolate Lab Bode, a rescue from Northern Vermont. A yellow Lab and a chocolate Golden enjoy the snow. Golden Huggs Rescue volunteers—it takes a village.
There’s an old saying that describes a positive relationship or movement: “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” It has its origin in ancient Greece, from Aristotle’s Metaphysics: “…many things have a plurality of parts and are not merely a complete aggregate but instead some kind of whole beyond its parts.” That implied synergy exists between two businesses—Spot the Dog and Golden Huggs Rescue, Inc. The two entities regularly combine forces to greatly enhance dog safety and well-being, well beyond the original aspirations and expectations of each. The whole of their efforts certainly is much more than the sum of their individual parts. 44 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
PART 1: SPOT THE DOG Great developments are born from necessity. In the case of Spot the Dog, its name and subsequent product development originated from a need to keep the family dog safe, according to Mark Brooks, the CEO and founder. He says the genesis of the business occurred around 1994, when he and his wife Mary Powell moved with their dog to Vermont from New York City. “Mary was worried specifically about hunting season, and it led to a creation of a dog safety vest. That is where it all began.” Mary is the co-founder of Spot the Dog and has been the CEO of Green Mountain Power. She designed the first orange reflective vest to protect their
dog, and Spot the Dog now has reflective bandannas and collars to go along with the vests. The next step was to create a product that would provide year-round income and sustenance for Spot the Dog. Since Mark is a classically trained Swiss chef, he banked on his experience to create a treat for humans and their dogs. “I created a product called a Yaff Bar, an energy bar I created for people but with a perk—customers could share it with their dog, if they wanted to.” From there, Mark has worked to meld safety with fun in the production of the stylishly reflective vests, bandannas, and collars in addition to Yaff Bars. As the website of Spot
ŠRSILBERNAGEL
the Dog indicates, Mark and Mary strive to strengthen the bonds between dogs and their owners, family, and friends. Along the way, they have discovered that they can do so more effectively by partnering with Brigitte Ritchie. PART 2: GOLDEN HUGGS, INC. Brigitte founded Golden Huggs, a rescue organization that helps find new homes for stray, displaced, and owner-relinquished dogs. Brigitte began her quest to rescue dogs around 2004, when she wanted to rescue a Golden Retriever as a gift to herself after recovering Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 45
Friends Mark Brooks and Brigitte Ritchie collaborate at Wag It Forward, a great event sponsored by Pet Food Warehouse.
46 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
WHY CHOOSE YAFFBARS? Spot the Dog makes a tasty, clever, healthy treat—the YaffBar. All YaffBar ingredients have been chosen to be delicious for people but with the added bonus of being dog-safe, containing no caffeine, no sugar, and no additives. Yaff is an Old English word meaning to bark. “We want all of our friends, those with two legs and those with four, to ‘Yaff out loud’ with us and celebrate the first delicious and wholesome treat hand-crafted for people and their dogs,” says Spot the Dog co-founder and YaffBar inventor Mark Brooks. Check out these yummy flavors: P-NUTTY BUDDY YAFFBAR The lip-smacking Banana Peanut Butter YaffBar® is packed with protein, potassium, and fiber. It’s not just good for you, it’s good for your dog too. Share it after a run or a game of fetch or just because it’s 10am and it feels like snack time. BLUEBERRY CRISP YAFFBAR Go for blueberries and puffed rice baked to perfection in the nutritious Blueberry Crisp YaffBar®. This bar is delicately sweet and full of protein, vitamins, and antioxidants to keep both you and your four-legged companion energized and healthy. HONEY CRAN NUTTY YAFFBAR Wholesome ingredients like almonds and cranberries are just what you need—and crave—when you’re on the go during a busy day or a long hike. The Honey Cran Nutty YaffBar® is loaded with sweet and tangy goodness, fiber, and vitamins to keep you satisfied. We know it’s super tasty, but don’t forget to share your YaffBar® too!
Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 47
EXCITING NEWS! Spot the Dog’s reflective bandannas are included in this year’s Oprah’s Favorite Things holiday gift list. Both “Puppy Plaid” and “The Flip” reversible bandannas made the list.
from breast cancer. Brigitte discovered that the process was very difficult, explaining “When I found my dog, it was in Louisiana. He had three legs, having been hit by a car and left on the side of the road, and he had heartworms.” In the midst of this journey, Brigitte would find out what “kill shelters” were. After joining another person for a driving tour of parts of the southern US, she became determined to keep dogs out of those facilities by bringing them north. “We went home and thought that we would tell all our friends and raise some money to help get some dogs up here. Even if we did one dog a month, we could change the lives of 12 dogs a year. I wanted to make a difference.” An attorney in Burlington challenged her to do more than just one dog a month and even offered to do the legal work necessary to get the rescue operation up and running. That provided the impetus to create a rescue in Brigitte’s preferred image. “We never wanted to be huge. We wanted to be personal. We wanted to be small enough that we would feel like a family.” Brigitte concludes that it’s not about her, Golden Huggs, or her volunteers. “It’s more about the dogs and the stories they tell, and the impact of how the dogs have changed people’s lives.” CANINE COLLABORATION In order for the dogs to make positive changes in people’s lives, there has to be a tremendous collaboration in place to give the dogs an optimal chance. Enter the collaboration of Mark Brooks and Brigitte Ritchie. Spot the Dog contributes 10 percent of its sales to Golden Huggs and its rescue operation. Mark explains why he and Mary aligned with Brigitte: “I believe in human connection, and she was intrigued with what we did at Spot the Dog, so there was always a nice connection, a comfortable connection that wasn’t just about business. It was also about friendship.” Brigitte adds her perspective, saying, “It is the wonderful story of the for-profit business helping the not-for-profit business. They’ve come as a 48 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
partner to us. They’ve gotten wonderful dogs and it’s motivated them to say ‘How can I help?’” Mark believes that the collaboration with Brigitte will be very strong as it continues into the future. “I see a significant portion of our growth honestly aimed at supporting what they do. It’s not as if there are fewer strays or fewer fostered dogs around. Golden Huggs is still going to need support. Spot the Dog will have to remain interesting and develop fun items so Golden Huggs can have a huge impact on people’s lives.” 1 + 1 = 2,250 Mark says Golden Huggs rescues an average of at least 150 dogs per year. Multiplied by 15 years, Golden Huggs has helped save 2,250 dogs. When you add Spot the Dog to Golden Huggs, 1 + 1 = 2,250. The whole is indeed greater than the sum of its parts. Most importantly, the lives of dogs and their humans are a whole lot better as a result of that equation.
Spot the Dog PO Box 433 South Hero, VT (802) 372-3160 www.spotthedogvt.com
Golden Huggs Rescue, Inc. PO Box 299 Waitsfield, VT info@goldenhuggs.org www.goldenhuggs.org
ONLINE EXTRA Meet dog photographer extraordinaire Rebecca Silbernagel, who rescued her three dogs from Golden Huggs. During January, her project photographing legislators with their pets will hang in the Vermont State House cafeteria.
Clockwise from far left: Even calves love being protected. Brigitte with pretty Sadie, a Goldlen Retriever rescue from Tennessee. Mark clowns with his Golden Huggs rescue dogs. Brigitte hangs out in the Spot the Dog truck. Charlie, a rescue from Kentucky, looks dapper in his bandanna.
Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 49
OUTDOORS BY PHYL NEWBECK
Bob Dill first started going out on the ice in the 1970s with a homemade iceboat. These days, he’s more likely to be wearing skates, but the 71-year-old Burlington resident has become the local go-to guy for learning what dangers to look out for if you venture out on the ice. Bob teaches an ice safety course in the community education program at Champlain Valley Union High School. He also runs a website called Lake Ice, which provides information for anyone interested in heading out on the ice for boating, skating, fishing, or any other activity.
50 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
The Ice
Whisperer
Jumbled ice on the west side of Outer Mallets Bay, Lake Champlain. Photo by Phyl Newbeck.
Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 51
Clockwise from above: Port Henry, southern Lake Champlain. Testing a skimmed-over hole. On the ice at Lake Placid. Photos by Kevin Boyle. Loon rescue, Inland Sea, Lake Champlain. Photo by Phyl Newbeck.
SEEKING SPEED ON ICE AND LAND Bob was part of a group of DN boaters (the boats are named because their design was the result of a boat building project sponsored by the Detroit News) who raced locally and at national events. He organized the DN World Championship held on Lake Champlain in 1989, which attracted racers from as far away as Russia. After hitting a high of 62 mph on his ice boat, Bob decided to switch to land yachts because they have a more comprehensive program for speed sailing. In 1994, Bob and fellow Vermonter Bob Schumacher built the Wood Duck and took it to the Mohave Desert. On the second day of trials the boat went 71 mph shortly before tipping over in a 55 mph gust. In 1995, Bob took the lessons learned and designed and built the Iron Duck. It took four years of tuning and luck with the weather to be ready. The existing record was 94.7 mph. Over two days in March 1999, Bob and Bob ran 80 runs with 60 of them over the old record. Bob Schumacher skippered it on the fastest run at 116.7 mph, making it the fastest sailing craft 52 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
in the world, a record that stood for 10 years. Bob Dill’s fastest speed was 114 mph. These days, Bob has put away his boats in favor of ice skates. Although he initially went out on the ice with a pair of homemade skates made from Rollerblade boots, he has since switched to Nordic skates, which consist of back country cross-country ski boots with free-heel blades. “I wonder why I didn’t do it earlier,” he says. “My new Swedish skates were much more comfortable, faster, and easier to skate with.”
SPREADING THE WORD The Nordic skating community relies on a LISTSERV where skaters (including those on figure, hockey, and speed skates) spread the word on where the ice is strong enough for recreation. Now retired, Bob has become the group’s unofficial scout, heading out in late November to look at higher elevation ponds in New York. “From there we often go south of the Champlain Bridge or to smaller bodies of water in Chittenden County like Shelburne Pond,” he says. “After that, there might be ice
at Missisquoi Bay and around Alburgh and then Inner and Outer Mallets Bay around New Year’s.” In good ice years, the lower part of the Inland Sea will freeze, as well as some of the bays in Charlotte. In exceptional years, one can skate from Vermont to New York across the broadest part of the lake. Bob’s website is an outgrowth of some safety articles he wrote when he was part of the iceboat racing scene. In 2010, three people died when their snowmobiles went through the ice at Lake Dunmore, and Bob credits that tragedy with spurring him to do more to help people recognize when ice is unsafe. “The purpose of the site is to give people a source for information on how ice behaves and to learn what gets you into trouble,” he says. In addition to providing basic information on how to “read” ice, the site provides details on the science behind those observations and talks about hazards like gas holes and pressure ridges. Some of the skaters who scout early or late season ice wear wet suits or even dry suits. Bob recognizes that not everyone is willing to go that far, but he does recommend wearing some kind of flotation device like a life jacket. He considers inflatable life jackets risky because of the potential for entrapment if they inflate in a confined space. Bob further suggests that skaters carry poles and recommends the sharply pointed poles specifically designed for Nordic skating. In addition to being helpful for propulsion, particularly on windy days, and for crossing pressure ridges, skaters can gauge the thickness of the ice by trying to puncture it with the pointed ends. Bob also recommends helmets, knee, elbow, or hip pads, a change of clothing in a waterproof bag, ice claws, and a throw rope as part of a skater’s basic equipment. Foot traction is helpful for getting to and from the ice since most cross-country boots have relatively slick soles. ICE-TRAPPED CRITTERS Although his website is designed for humans, Bob has been involved in the rescue of several animals trapped on the ice. He
was part of a crew that saved eight loons which were trapped in a small section of open water on Lake Champlain as the ice began closing in on them, and he also saved a dog at Lincoln Pond. One memorable rescue involved a deer on Shelburne Pond that had given up trying to raise itself from the ice. Bob and a few friends managed to get the tow rope he always carries underneath the fallen animal, and they slowly pulled the deer to the edge of the pond where it was able to walk under its own power. Loons, dogs, and deer can’t read the Lake Ice website, but people can, and Bob hopes they’ll make use of it and stay safe on the ice this winter. NOTE: Bob says attempting to rescue wild animals on the ice should be done only by a properly equipped team who knows the risks and regulations. Bob’s website is http://lakeice.squarespace.com. The Vermont Nordic Skating LISTSERV is at https://groups.google. com/forum/#!forum/vtnordicskating. Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 53
All that Glitters
Shopping & Fun Things to do in the Burlington Area!
Dear Lucy Burlington’s one-stop shop for the latest styles in footwear and handbags, right on Church Street! Featuring Frye, Dansko, Hunter, UGG, Bogs, Pajar, Sorel, Bos & Co, Korkease, Sofft, Steve Madden, and more! Can’t decide? Grab a gift card for that special someone. They’ll be delighted! 38 Church Street Burlington, VT (802) 862-5126 www.dearlucy.com
Spalon Euphoria Give yourself a little pre-holiday pampering with a facial, massage, pedicure, and more to help you look and feel your best this holiday season. Our unique approach to spa, wellnesss, and beauty allow us to design an experience tailored specifically to YOU! Looking for the perfect gift that always fits? A gift certificate to Spalon Euphoria is the solution. Stop in, call, or visit our website to schedule your appointment. Gift certificates can be conveniently purchased and printed off via the website. 145 Pine Haven Shores Road Suite 2022 Shelburne, VT (802) 276-5275 www.spaloneuphoria.com Mon 3pm–7pm; Wed–Thu 11am–7pm; Fri 11am–6pm Closed Tue, Sat, Sun
Shelburne Vineyard Winery and Tasting Room
Come join us for a taste and tour and let us share our adventure growing grapes and making awardwinning wines in northern Vermont. Then, stay a while with a glass of wine up in our cozy loft overlooking the vines. While you’re here you can shop for holiday gifts and Gift Cards or talk with us about planning your own personal or corporate celebration with us. And be sure to check out our concert and public event schedule on our website or at Shelburne Vineyard on Facebook. We’re open 7 days a week, all year, and we hope you’ll stop by for a visit or two. 6308 Shelburne Road Shelburne, VT (802) 985-8222 www.shelburnevineyard.com Open 7 days a week all year Nov–Apr 11am–5pm; May–Oct 11am–6pm
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Bare Medical Spa + Laser Center For the love of skin, we are committed to providing you with the healthiest and most beautiful skin possible! Skincare, Bodycare, Hair Removal, Botox, Dermal Fillers, Coolsculpting, Vein Removal, Tattoo Removal, Lashes & Brows, and much more. Visit our website for our complete list of services and gift card options for this holiday season. Start the new year feeling and looking your best. 95 St. Paul Street Suite 110 Burlington, VT (802) 861-2273 www.barevt.com Mon–Fri 9am–6pm; Closed Sat–Sun
Morse Farm
Petra Cliffs
Whether you’re sharing the taste of Vermont with friends and family across the country or across the street, Morse Farm has a selection of the finest Vermont products in gift combinations for any budget. Stop by or shop online. Sure, there’s the finest Vermont maple syrup you’ll ever taste, but there’s so much more to choose from. Looking for a corporate gift that makes an impression? Contact Morse Farm for a quote on Vermont Maple Syrup packaged with your company’s logo.
Petra Cliffs Climbing Center and Mountaineering School focuses on climbing and mountain-related education and recreation, accessible to all ages and abilities. We offer premium instruction and services through experience-based education in an inspiring atmosphere for families and friends to gather for a challenge and fun. Petra Cliffs is also home to an indoor ropes course for birthday parties, teams, and groups.
1168 County Road Montpelier, VT (800) 242-2740 maple@morsefarm.com www.morsefarm.com
105 Briggs Street Burlington, VT (802) 657-3872 www.petracliffs.com
ECCO Clothes Boutique ECCO, Burlington’s original designer boutique, has been your favorite store with top brands for almost 30 years! From denim to dresses, boots to stilettos, ECCO has it all! Premium denim lines like J Brand, AG, Paige, Mother, DL1961, and Citizens of Humanity; tops by Velvet, Bella Dahl, and Greylin; basics by James Perse and Michael Stars; dresses by French Connection, Adrianna Papell, Susana Monaco, and Amanda Uprichard; shoes from Steve Madden, Seychelles, and Dolce Vita; and handbags by Latico and Day & Mood. From basic to anything but, ECCO has you covered, including a great selection of denim for men too! Visit ECCO on the Church Street Marketplace in the heart of Burlington. 81 Church Street Burlington, VT (802) 860-2220 www.eccoclothesboutique.com
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Green Envy
Vermont Singing Drum
Comfortable, contemporary clothing for the way you live. Tops & tees, rompers & jumpsuits, sweaters & knits, dresses, bottoms, athleisure, denim, outerwear, shoes, accessories, handbags, jewelry, and all of your favorite brands including Brochu Walker, Citizens of Humanity, Mother, Golden Goose, Dolce Vita, Seven For All Mankind, Lilla P, Rossignol, Rag & Bone, Equipment, Theory and Kempton & Co. Stop in today for all of your holiday shopping.
Artistic custom steel drums handcrafted to perfection in sight & sound, that anyone can play. Used for personal growth, healing, balancing day to day stresses, therapy, meditation, creativity, and music. Choose the “Zen” series that provides a traditional style of sound with tank drum overtones or the “Bliss” series that provides a dreamy sound and crisper tones. Personalize it on the bottom with our FREE engraving; a great gift for any occasion. Visit us in the heart of Burlington’s Arts District.
3 Main Street Burlington, VT (802) 540-2070 1800 Mountain Road Stowe, VT (802) 253-2661 www.shopgreenenvy.com
4 Howard Street Burlington, VT (802) 448-4223 www.vermontsingingdrum.com
Jess Boutique
Come in for a tasting experience you won’t forget! Explore our wide selection of extra virgin olive oils from around the world, balsamic vinegars from Modena, Italy, and other locally produced specialties. Our knowledgeable staff is eager to help you pick out a gift or try something new for yourself.
Jess is a beautiful designer boutique on the Church Street Marketplace. This holiday season make someone you love feel special with bags from Botkier, cashmere from White and Warren, a stunning dress from Ted Baker, or amazing jewelry from artisans around the world. Jess has everything you need to make your holidays sparkle.
86 Church Street Burlington, VT (802) 489-5276 www.saratogaoliveoil.com
98 Church Street Burlington, VT (802) 660-4004 www.jessboutique.com
Sun–Thu 11am–7pm Fri 11am–8pm Sat 10am–8pm
Mon–Sat 10am–8pm Sun 11am–6pm
Saratoga Olive Oil
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Mirror Mirror Located in the heart of downtown Burlington, we are your premier source for beauty, from the inside out. Discover our newest treatment, Hydrafacial, the only patented technology to cleanse, extract, and hydrate. Looking to try something new with your skincare regimen or add fun makeup to your bag? Our staff will help you find the perfect look you’ve been searching for this holiday season. 3 Main Street Burlington, VT (802) 861-75006 www.mirrormirrorvt.com
Whim Boutique Istanbul Kebab House Offering Burlington’s only rooftop dining, Istanbul Kebab House in downtown Burlington takes you to Istanbul and back with every bite. Delicious and healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner, and takeout, all made with 100 percent fresh Turkish ingredients. A truly authentic Turkish dining experience. 175 Church Street Burlington, VT (802) 857-5091 www.istanbulkebabhousevt.com
The place to go for carefully curated designer tees, denim, loungewear, everyday basics, and accessories to put it all together. Featuring BB Dakota, Chan Luu, Hudson, Blank NYC, Chaser, Z Supply, Sundry, and many more. 62 Church Street Burlington, VT (802) 658-6496 www.whimboutique.com Mon–Sat 10am–8pm Sun 10am–6pm
Slate
Home • Kitchen • Decor • Lifestyle • Stationery & More Breathe deeply and enjoy a sensory shopping experience with no expectations. Surrounded by gorgeous product made by ethical and sustainable vendors, and assisted by a friendly staff, look around to be inspired, choose the perfect gift, or discover something for yourself or your home. SLATE is a place to shop local. Give the gift of timeless treasures while supporting talented artisans from around the globe. 89 Church Street Burlington, VT (802) 540-6850 www.slatehome.co Mon–Thu 10am–7pm Fri-Sat 10am–8pm Sun 10am–6pm
BY KATIE LAVIN PHOTOS COURTESY OF STERLING COLLEGE
58 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
Fertile Fields Professional Education
3
Sterling College’s School of the New American Farmstead launches professional certificate programs
P
rofessional certificate offerings for those in the sustainable food landscape are few and far between. Now, Sterling College’s School of the New American Farmstead, after five years of offering nationally acclaimed courses focused on cutting-edge topics in food, farming, and craft, will fill the gap starting in 2020. The School of the New American Farmstead has unveiled professional certificate offerings for cheesemakers, farm and garden educators, sustainable food craft producers, and dietitians. “Education is in need of this particular type of pathway,” says Philip Ackerman-Leist, Dean of Professional Education at Sterling College.
A student participating in the Italian Sustainability Tour for Registered Dietitians picks grapes for making wine and grappa in the vineyards at Brunnenburg Castle in the village of Dorf Tirol, Italy.
EVOLUTION With its successful one-week course model, the school created opportunities for hobbyists, entrepreneurs, and professionals to gain hands-on experience with expert instructors leading the courses. “However, we found that students wanted more than a one-off course, but as working professionals, they have limited time to devote to years of schooling,” Dean Ackerman-Leist says. “This certificate model allows us to offer expert education Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 59
Below and top: Students create a set of handmade tools, learning from master blacksmith Lucian Avery. Center: Students in the Make a Chair from a Tree course work at shaving horses, using draw knives to get the legs of their chairs just right. Bottom: Sterling College students and faculty pose with honored guest Dr. Vandana Shiva during her day-long workshop at Sterling on her “Northeast Earth Journey” tour advocating for poison-free food and farming.
in a time frame and at a price point amenable to working professionals while also embedding them into a network of peers who can continue to support one another for years beyond the courses themselves.” He adds that students seeking a professional certificate have a range of experience and include both introductory level hobbyists looking to get into a new career as well as industry professionals wanting to expand their skills, grow their networks, or gain required credits. “Sterling was quick to recognize the need for this kind of education,” Dean Ackerman-Leist notes. “I would attribute that not just to the fact that this college has a history of being nimble and adaptive but particularly due to its long 60 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
history of experiential, hands-on education. Unlike so many other colleges, Sterling didn’t buy into the academic model of putting theory on a pedestal above experience.” CHEESE CONSIDERED FROM FIELD TO PLATE Building on the success of its flagship course, Fundamentals of Artisan Cheese, the Artisan Cheese Professional Certificate offers an innovative pathway for cheese professionals to earn an internationally recognized certificate in the theory, methods, and safety issues that allow small- to medium-scale cheesemakers to transform high-quality milk into some of the world’s best cheeses. Although courses can be taken à la carte, the six courses proceed in a logical and preferred sequence, starting with Cheesemaking 101 and typically ending with one of two business courses. “Making cheese is, of course, central to what we teach,” the dean adds, “but your first batch may be your last if you can’t efficiently sell it.” VERMONT AS A CLASSROOM While the School of the New American Farmstead has brought national and international instructors to Vermont, it also has a roster of Vermont-based instructors who are leaders in their field. Collaboration with regional businesses and organizations like the Cellars at Jasper Hill in Greensboro and the Center for an Agricultural Economy in Hardwick is also an essential part of the school’s “classroom.” “The citizens of the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont have worked together to craft a living economy out of the hills and valleys of a remote region that harbors all of the best things about rural America: neighbors helping neighbors, ecologically minded communities, and endless entrepreneurial imagination,” Dean Ackerman-Leist says. “The commitment to a rural way of life has to be linked to appropriately scaled successful businesses, and the region surrounding Sterling has wisely decided that the future of food is here, and it’s here to stay if everyone shares that goal.” The Sustainable Food Craft Certificate for Culinary Professionals program reflects this future of food by leveraging Sterling College’s Vermont campus as a living laboratory. The campus farm includes an edible forest, orchards, acres of gardens, and livestock, and provides 20 Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 61
Above: Students in the Artisan Cheesemaking course tour the cellars at Jasper Hill with owner and founder Mateo Kehler. Right: Students roll and laminate their pie dough in the Empowered Bread, Pies & Pastries course taught by Tara Jensen of Smoke Signals Baking.
percent of the food for the College’s nationally recognized Dunbar Dining Hall. Courses in this certificate cover topics such as artisan breadmaking and grains, natural cheesemaking, fermentation, charcuterie, plant-forward nutrition, and more. BEYOND VERMONT: KENTUCKY, FRANCE, AND ITALY Dean Ackerman-Leist cites partnerships as critical to a thriving educational environment, and the growth of the School of the New American Farmstead means a growth in collaborations in Vermont, Kentucky, and internationally. Students who sign up for the Professional Education Certificate for Educational Farms & 62 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
Learning in Italy Mary Purdy of Seattle was one of the registered dietitians who studied sustainability, nutrition, and heritage foods this fall at Brunnenburg on the tour. “I’ve been a clinical dietitian, counseling patients for 12 years, and with the current environmental crisis and climate change, I’ve been really interested in how we as dietitians can be involved with sustainability and the climate crisis,” she says. “I was seeking some kind of vocabulary that I could use to help myself understand and help others understand agriculture, eating habits, and working the land in general. I haven’t really had access to understanding what sustainability in action looks like.” She found it in Italy and says “My mind is full of incredible information. I have had access to amazing people who are doing amazing things in the world of sustainability.” In addition to more sessions of the sustainability tour, a new course taught by author and wood-fired oven baker Richard Miscovich is slated for the summer at Brunnenburg, with a focus on artisan baking and heritage grains.
Garden Managers program will benefit from the partnerships that Sterling has cultivated in two areas of the country—Vermont and Kentucky. The school offers two six-month cohorts per year, and the program offers managers the chance to hone their skills and better their operations and educational impact. Each cohort will begin and end with four-day residencies in Craftsbury and Kentucky, complemented by six months of online cohort interaction with assignments, webinars, and guided forums. Utilizing both its instructional sites in Craftsbury Common and Henry County, Kentucky— home to the Wendell Berry Farming Program of Sterling College—Dean Ackerman-Leist says that students will benefit from Sterling’s Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 63
Above: Measure twice, cut once. Center, from top: Students prep perennial beds for a Permaculture Market Garden during class with designer and author Zach Loeks. Smiles abound on the Italian Sustainability Tour for Dietitians at Brunnenburg Castle. Tasting the finished savory pastry products in Tara Jensen’s Empowered Bread, Pies & Pastries course.
More About the School The School of the New American Farmstead is the professional studies offering at Sterling College. Founded in 1958 in Craftsbury Common, Vermont, Sterling College advances ecological thinking and action through affordable experiential learning, preparing knowledgeable, skilled, and responsible leaders to face the ecological crises caused by unlimited growth and consumption that threatens the future of the planet. Enrollment is limited to 125 students. In addition to the School of the New American Farmstead, Sterling is home to the Wendell Berry Farming Program, accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, and is one of only nine colleges and universities recognized by the US Department of Education as a “Work College.” 64 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
community connections, expert faculty, and long history of managing a large, complex educational farm operation. Moving beyond the United States, some of the courses offered in the Artisan Cheese Professional Certificate will be taught off-site at the esteemed Academie MonS/Formation MonS, an affinage business and educational institution in France. After two successful pilot sessions of a Sustainability Tour for Dietitians in 2019, the school is expanding opportunities for registered dietitians to earn their continuing professional education credits (CPEU) by offering courses at Brunnenburg Castle and Agricultural Museum in northern Italy. LEARNING BY—AND BEYOND—THE BOOK The School of the New American Farmstead works in partnership with Chelsea Green Publishing, featuring the company’s awardwinning authors as instructors. As a result, students have unusual access to authors of some of the most relevant and compelling books on creating a sustainable future. As part of the school’s expansion, several Chelsea Green authors will participate in online webinars to complement the hands-on training and classroom experience of the certificate program. Dean Ackerman-Leist is excited about the expanded options from the School of the New American Farmstead. “This is the future of professional education,” he says. “This is how professionals can go forward in reshaping both their businesses and their local food systems.”
School of the New American Farmstead Sterling College PO Box 72, 16 Sterling Drive Craftsbury Common, VT (802) 586-7711 sterlingcollege.edu/school-of-the -new-american-farmstead Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 65
DINING OUT BY MEL ALLEN
66 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
Vermont Pub and Brewery
Standing the test of time A LITTLE HISTORY, DELICIOUS PUB FARE, AND OF COURSE BEER!
W
hen having a conversation about the history of brewing in Vermont, invariably Greg Noonan of Vermont Pub and Brewery (VPB) will enter into the conversation. While many might stop in at the convenient spot on the corner of Saint Paul and College Street in Burlington for a bite to eat or to listen to local music on the outdoor stage, others make a pilgrimage to seek out what is practically a working museum to pay homage to the vast brewing history it represents.
VPB’s humble facade belies the fact that it is often hailed as the genesis of all craft beer currently flowing in Vermont. VPB was the first legal brewing operation in Vermont’s modern history. Its start was preceded by two years of Greg Noonan pushing for laws to allow small scale brewing. He rallied an unlikely group of lawmakers and home brewers to stand beside him, and their ultimate success allowed Greg to open VPB in 1988. Some things don’t stand the test of time well, but it’s a testament to Greg’s vision that both the beer menu and food menu have seen Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 67
Head brewer Scott Gawitt (right) and assistant brewer Owen Seymour add late addition whole leaf hops to Bombay Grab IPA. Below: Vermont Smoked Porter. Bottom: Forbidden Fruit with the Vermont Cheese Sampler.
little change. The not quite British and not quite American pub fair combined with a beer menu that ratchets from mild gateway beers to wild yeast beers has rabid fans who would bemoan attempts at changing either. It’s also a testament to their founder that a crowd of brewers recently gathered to craft a very special smoked porter, 30 years to the day after it was first made, making it the 2000th batch brewed at VPB. It’s almost unbelievable that at that time, the beer industry celebrated mild-mannered watery beer that was “aged in the bottle” and insisted that people didn’t want beers like the light, fruited sours and heavier Irish stouts VPB was brewing. Yet it’s that independent thinking, and small batch handcrafting, that still finds favor in this region. Next time you’re in Burlington, stop in to Vermont Pub and Brewery, have a conversation with the knowledgeable staff about a place that’s equally historic, current, and well crafted. And take a growler of almost any beer they serve to go. You won’t be sorry you did.
Vermont Pub and Brewery 144 College Street Burlington, VT (802) 865-0500 vermontbrewery.com 68 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
BRIGHT IDEAS BY MARK AIKEN PHOTOS COURTESY OF UVM
UVM’s Ski Area Management Preparing graduates for the workforce, Vermont style
Students learn about modern lift technology at Stowe Mountain Resort.
O
NE GOAL OF ANY COLLEGE
or university should be to prepare students for success in the workforce. Meanwhile, political leaders in Vermont have for years championed the importance of attracting and retaining young Vermonters and others to stay, work, and live in-state. For University of Vermont students
in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, there is at least one class that accomplishes both. The course, taught by UVM senior lecturer Dave Kaufman, is called Ski Area Management, known to generations of UVM students as PRT 157. “PRT” stands for Parks, Recreation, and Tourism, the degree
that has, over the years, gone through several monikers like “Recreation,” “Recreation Management,” and “Parks, Recreation, and Management.” Vermont may not compete with Silicon Valley (or even, for example, Boston) for post-collegiate jobs in technology and other fields, but one field Vermont has quite well covered is the recreation industry. Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 69
Right and below: Students learn about risk management and ski patrol (mountain rescue) as part of their Stowe experience. Opposite: Dave practices what he preaches on a regular basis.
And with over 20 alpine resorts (and even more Nordic ski areas), skiing plays a big role in Vermont recreation. A SOPHISTICATED BUSINESS “Ski areas are more sophisticated than you think,” says Molly Mahar, a graduate of Ski Area Management class and the current president of Ski Vermont, the nonprofit trade association that supports Vermont ski areas in legislative and legal issues, economic affairs, and promotion (the existence of such an organization begins to shed light on the complexities of the business). “People think that ski area jobs are minimum wage positions that college students work on weekends.” On the contrary, she says, there are also career positions for IT professionals, human resources experts, accountants, and plenty of room for entry positions to evolve into management. Generations of students at all levels have demanded the answer to this simple question: “What does this subject matter have to do with me?” One reason why Dave loves teaching Ski Area Management is that students love taking it. “It is no secret that the majority of the UVM community has a passion for the outdoors,” says Dave. Many of them strive to break into the outdoors business. In PRT 157, students study what it really takes to make these surprisingly complicated businesses go, they meet the people doing ski area jobs on the job, and they learn what they need in order to land those jobs. A LEGENDARY CLASS AND TEACHER Emily Lapuski, marketing manager at Dakin Farm in Ferrisburgh (not a ski area, but, like a ski area, with very busy seasons), graduated from UVM in 2014 with a degree in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism. “I chose Vermont because I knew I wanted to go into the outdoor industry,” she says. “I saved PRT 157 until my senior year because I knew I was going to love it.” Like his students, Dave’s passion for his subject matter shines brightly. Dave worked at Mount Snow in Dover, Vermont, in just about every capacity possible—marketing, 70 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
sales, lifts, snowmaking, ski school, ski patrol, rentals—from 1973 to 1978. “Dave is a legend at UVM,” says Emily. “I knew I was going to enjoy going to the ski areas and learning through personal experiences. And it seemed like Dave was best friends with every industry person he brought in.” Dave’s enthusiasm and energy are infectious. “I skied every month this year,” he says. He grins, leaving me to figure out that he skied on man-made snow at Sugarbush in November and May. He skied all over Vermont and beyond all winter. In the summer, he water-skis on a lake near his summer home in the Adirondacks. “I ‘skied’ 35 times this summer!” he laughs. HANDS-ON LEARNING School starts early for PRT 157 students. A spring semester course, Dave’s students return from their holiday vacations a week ahead of all other UVM courses each January. “It’s a deal we cooked up with Stowe,” says Dave, expressing appreciation that Stowe has hosted students for a week every January for the past 20 years. “The point is to learn from today’s experts in the field,” says Dave. A bus transports PRT 157 Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 71
Above: Students learn about terrain park creation, management, and safety. Below: Detachable 4-person chairlifts are very complicated machines, as students learn when they enter the motor and gear room. Opposite: Dave spends time indoors too, here in his office at the Rubenstein School at the University of Vermont.
students from campus to the resort each morning. Each day, members of the Stowe team— managers and employees from accounting to grooming and from ticket selling to snowmaking—talk to students and take them around resort facilities. During the week, students have seen the inside of a snowmaking pumphouse and a lift control room. They have met with ticket sellers and accountants, toured the summit first aid building with a ski patroller, observed terrain parks with park rangers, and met with a ski school manager. “The people at Stowe were so excited and passionate about what they were doing,” remembers Emily. “It would have been hard not to get pulled in.” 72 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
Keep in mind that Dave’s students aren’t just there for information; they are also passionate skiers and snowboarders. They bring their equipment, because some of the tours and talks happen on the snow. They get a window at the end of the day to make a few runs before the bus heads home (and, for the record, Dave stresses that they ski under control and in bounds. “We’re very firm on this,” he says). The true class “overachievers” don’t just settle for runs after class. Some students shove a sandwich in their pocket and make runs during lunch. “You could get three runs in during lunch,” says Dave. “If you’re fast enough.” Either way, the days at Stowe are long and tiring. “And memorable,” adds Emily. Ski Area Management is a highly specified course in UVM’s Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources. Its subject matter reflects an interest shared by many students at the college and a business that is vital to Vermont’s economy. Next January, when you pass a UVM bus heading toward Stowe Mountain Resort, you’ll know it’s students from PRT 157. “Most of my students have majors in the Rubenstein School and Business minors or Business majors and Rubenstein minors,” says Dave. “Either combination can get you a job in ski area management.”
Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources University of Vermont 81 Carrigan Drive Burlington, VT (802) 656-2911 www.uvm.edu/rsenr
Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 73
BY LORI LUSTBERG PHOTOS COURTESY OF NINA MEYERHOF
Hope For The Future
Creating an epicenter for peace adjacent to Auschwitz When Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany in 1933, numerous anti-Semitic laws were enacted. Jews were forced out of government and public service jobs and banned from public schools and other public venues. By 1937, Nazis began seizing Jewish-owned properties and businesses. But it wasn’t until Kristallnacht, the fateful night of November 9–10, 1938, also known as the “Night of Broken Glass,” that Nazi policies turned violent. That night, Nazis destroyed synagogues, vandalized Jewish businesses, schools, and homes, and murdered dozens of Jews. After Kristallnacht, among worsening conditions, many Jews fled Germany, seeking asylum in other countries. Prior to Kristallnacht, Gerda and Hans Meyerhof had seen the writing on the wall and escaped to Czechoslovakia, eventually making their home in the United States.
W
orld War II began on September 1, 1939, when Nazi Germany attacked Poland. On October 6, Poland fell to the combined forces of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. The Nazis quickly converted a former army barracks near the town of Oswiecim, Poland, into a concentration camp, which they called Auschwitz (German for Oswiecim). They soon expanded 74 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
Auschwitz to include slave labor camps, gas chambers, crematory ovens, and the medical facilities where physician Josef Mengele performed his notoriously inhumane medical experiments. Within five years, over a million people were murdered at Auschwitz. Since 1947, the Polish government has maintained the site as a museum and memorial, which nearly two million people visit every year.
A PEACEMAKER IS BORN IN THE MIDST OF TRAUMA In May 1942, Gerda gave birth to daughter Nina. Gerda later told Nina that, on the day she was born, Gerda’s mother was deported to Auschwitz, where she was gassed to death. Many of Hans and Gerda’s family and community were murdered at Auschwitz.
Top: Nobel Peace Laureates gather at the 17th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Mexico, September 2019. Dr. Nina Meyerhof and Domen Kocevar attended as VIP invitees. Right: Dr. Nina Meyerhof and Domen Kocevar at the World Dignity Forum (WDF), February 2019, in California. They are WDF Solutionaries. Bottom: At the 17th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, youth human rights activist Mohamad Aljounde is presented with the Turner Prize for Social Change for his winning project. Dr. Meyerhof has worked tirelessly in support of youth activism. Opposite: Dr. Samuel Jacobs-Abbey presents Dr. Nina Meyerhof with the 2019 JacobsAbbey Global Institute for Leadership Studies Lifetime Achievement Award, Alexandria, Virginia, October 2019.
Nina Meyerhof, who now lives in South Burlington, went on to receive two master’s degrees and a doctorate in education, becoming Dr. Nina Meyerhof. In 1990, Nina founded Children of the Earth, a nongovernmental organization with a mission of “inspiring and uniting young people through personal and social transformation to create a peaceful and sustainable world.” An internationally renowned speaker, author, and visionary thought leader, Nina has garnered numerous awards for her work toward peace, including the Mother Theresa Award, the Citizen’s Department of Peace Award, and the International Educators Award for Peace. And, although she has been to nearly one hundred countries and seen war-torn lands and sites of devastation, nothing could prepare her for the deeply personal and visceral experience of her first visit to Auschwitz in 2014. Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 75
Above: Dr. Nina Meyerhof was the 2019 recipient of the Jacobs-Abbey Global Institute for Leadership Studies’ (JAGILS) Lifetime Achievement Award. Below: In October 2019, Dr. Samuel JacobsAbbey presents Dr. Nina Meyerhof a portrait in her honor as she receives the JAGILS Lifetime Achievement Award.
NINA MEYERHOF’S TURNING POINT At Auschwitz, Nina stood inside a gas chamber where victims had been poisoned with Zyklon B, their fingernail marks still on the walls. She walked past the crematory ovens and the “death wall,” where, after having been forced to strip naked, people were gunned down by a Nazi firing squad. As Nina flipped through the books containing the names of those who had been murdered there, she recognized the names of several not-so-distant relatives. Reliving the horror that millions had experienced was deeply traumatic for Nina. She walked away from Auschwitz “shattered,” with nowhere to go to process what she had just gone through. At the same time, her life’s work as a 76 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
peace worker began to take on new meaning, as she felt like she had been “brought back to the point of origin.” The next phase of her work began as she envisioned a simple bench near Auschwitz, a place where visitors could sit in quietude to reflect on and process what they had just experienced at the death camp and museum.
ONE HUMANITY INSTITUTE In 2015, while attending the Parliament of World’s Religions, Nina met Slovenian religious scholar Domen Kocevar and told him of her burgeoning vision. Soon after, the two co-founded One Humanity Institute—City of Hope (OHI). Today, OHI is guided by an
international team of visionaries, leaders, and community builders. Its vision has expanded to encompass a multidimensional international peace center with spaces for meditation, formal and informal education, research, conferences, offices, an interactive museum, a villa, a garden, and a restaurant. Under OHI’s vision, Auschwitz will remain untouched. Visitors will, as they always have, learn about and experience the horrors of the Holocaust. OHI will provide spaces for them to reflect on their experience and process their thoughts and feelings upon leaving Auschwitz. Beyond that, OHI will encourage and inspire visitors to become part of its mission to build a future for humanity based on “the values of understanding, freedom, equal dignity, justice, equity, harmony, compassion, and forgiveness.” OHI seeks to shift the focus from the horrors of the past to a peaceful, sustainable future. As notable OHI supporter Jane Goodall put it, “The very word, Auschwitz, is synonymous with one of the darkest chapters of our human history. Thus there is no more fitting place for creating a peace center to educate of the unimaginable that we are capable of. But a center that will also teach about our capacity for love and compassion. A place where people can be inspired with a vision of a world where we live together with respect for each other and co-creation. A world of sustainable peace. “A place for peace education and an environment where the more than two million visitors a year will be encouraged to build a new future together and will leave empowered to be the change they want to see in the world and to spread the message of ‘never again.’ Only together can we open the door to this new future. It’s time.” Peace and Sustainability Education programs are a large part of OHI’s plan. As is an EnVisionarium—an interactive, innovative museum of the future—where, through stateof-the-art technology that includes virtual Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 77
Left: Dr. Nina Meyerhof and Dr. Samuel Jacobs-Abbey with recipients of the 2019 Dr. Nina Meyerhof Leadership Award. Below: Dr. Nina Meyerhof at the United Nations General Assembly celebrating the 20th anniversary of the United Nations High-Level Forum on the Culture of Peace with event organizers in September 2019.
78 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
reality, visitors will be able to explore scenarios, make choices, and create and generate solutions and see the results, thus enabling people to experience their power to contribute to a just and peaceful world and to help create a better future. At 77, Nina devotes all of her time and energy to OHI. She has returned to Poland several times since her first visit to Auschwitz and has met with fundraisers, dignitaries, government officials, and volunteers there and in many other countries. In September, she and Domen Kocevar were VIP attendees of the 17th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Mexico, where they continued to garner support and visibility for OHI. Spending time with Nina, seeing her in action and hearing her speak of her life’s purpose, is like being in the presence of a bright light that illuminates the darkness around it. To borrow a George Bernard Shaw quote posted on OHI’s website, “Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got a hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.”
Dr. Nina Meyerhof South Burlington, VT (802) 862-1936 (802) 578-6990
One Humanity Institute —City of Hope www.onehumanity.institute
Children of the Earth www.coeworld.org Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 79
SPOTLIGHT BY MARK AIKEN PHOTOS COURTESY OF FULL STRIDE HOCKEY
VERMONTERS A
on Ice Thousands are learning and participating in Full Stride Hockey
80 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
group of adult hockey players, fully padded and equipped with sticks and pucks, stands in a circle around Dan McFall. Dan has vast knowledge about skating and the game of hockey, plus he is a captivating and motivating coach. Everyone pays rapt attention as Dan covers his plan for practice, the ensuing scrimmage, skills, drills… when, suddenly, CRASH! One of the players in the group, seemingly for no reason, comes crashing down and lands in a heap on the ice. There’s a brief silence and then everyone starts to crack up. “We’re not laughing at the person,” says goalkeeper Kristen Talley. “It could have been any one of us.” She explains that similar, unexplained, spontaneous human blow-ups are common in the Full Stride Adult Instructional Hockey League, where complete beginners learn to skate and play. Fortunately, she says, the environment is encouraging, and everyone supports one another—although sometimes you have to laugh. The instructional league is for adult hockey beginners. Full Stride is a Burlington-based hockey organization owned by Dan, with leagues and programs for every age and ability.
Opposite: The Benders and the Ice Breakers from the Beginner division battle it out. This page, clockwise from left: A goalie waits for the action to start. Dan pauses before the Youth Learn to Skate & Learn to Play Hockey programs begin. Ice Pack versus Dump n’ Chase from the Novice Division.
Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 81
Above: Girls 4 Hockey: The CC Division champions from the 2019 Champlain Shootout Women’s tournament. Below: Wally’s versus 68’s from the Silver Division. Opposite: Participants in the Adult Learn to Skate program.
A TALE OF THREE CAREERS Dan McFall grew up in Buffalo, New York, where his dad managed two rinks. Dan would call his best buddy to come skate with sticks and pucks during times when nothing was scheduled. “We were true rink rats,” Dan remembers. After four years at Division I hockey powerhouse Michigan State University (where, he jokes—not altogether kidding—he majored in Hockey with a minor in Business), his playing career continued in the semipro ranks in Sherbrooke, Quebec. During this time, he visited Burlington on a rare day off. “I remember thinking, ‘This is a nice area,’” he says. While at Sherbrooke, Dan got “the” call; he found himself suiting up for the Winnipeg Jets in the National Hockey League. His NHL career was fleeting; he participated in a total 82 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
of eleven games over a period of two years during which time he’d be called up, sent back to Sherbrooke, called up again, and so on.
“Everything happened so quickly,” says Dan. The highlight of his NHL experience, he says, was lining up against the Edmonton Oilers
(universally considered the greatest team ever assembled) and Wayne Gretzky himself. And, yes, Dan recorded an assist in that game. After hockey, Dan moved to Vermont and worked construction for a decade. “Which is why I’m doing this,” he says, referring to his third career—running hockey leagues and instructional programs for thousands of Vermonters for the past 21 years. “I was working on a roof,” he says. And he recalls thinking of his other skill set—skating, puck-handling, and playing hockey—and wondering if he could somehow parlay those into a third career. THE RIGHT TIME In the late 1990s, Dan thought of his dad, who—in addition to managing the rinks in Buffalo—had also coached and run adult hockey leagues. “I think I hit it at just at the right time in Vermont,” says Dan. There were no real adult leagues, but there were lots of hockey players. Since then, thousands of adults have participated in Full Stride leagues and annual Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 83
Pete Olson with players in the Youth Learn to Play Hockey program.
tournaments (for example, the Champlain Shootout attracts nearly 50 women’s teams each April), but perhaps the most rewarding aspect for Dan has been teaching the multiweek Learn to Play hockey sessions and the adult Instructional Hockey League, which together serve as a feeder program for his leagues—a quite sustainable business model. “The million-dollar question,” says Dan, “is always: ‘How do I lift the puck?’” Many adults wish they had played hockey as kids. Take Kristen, who like Dan grew up in Buffalo: “I never played,” she says. “But growing up in Buffalo you get disowned by your family if you don’t watch hockey.” Kristen, like many Full Striders, learned from Dan to skate and play. Completely hooked, she joined the Instructional Hockey League— another multi-week program coached by Dan and his team—which consists of skills, drills, and scrimmages. “It is an incredibly encouraging and supportive atmosphere,” Kristen says. “I’m
84 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
learning from someone who played at the highest level… and here I am falling on my butt.” Like many grads of the Instructional League, Kristen and her new friends formed their own team and are now chasing wins in the Full Stride “D” division. “We are a team,” Kristen says. “It’s really cool.” HOCKEY IS EVERYTHING Dan McFall—from the time he could walk through his playing career at MSU, Sherbrooke, and Winnipeg—has spent literally years of his life in hockey rinks. You would think coming to the rink to work with beginners might get old. “Sometimes it’s a little tough coming in the door of the rink—especially when the weather’s great outside,” he admits. “But that always goes away once I’m on the ice. The eagerness of the players—they really want to learn—means a lot to me.” Dan doesn’t run Full Stride alone. Probably the most difficult part is staffing timekeepers and referees for all of the games. One ref, Pete Olson, works full-time for Full Stride scheduling leagues and programs, running the leagues and programs with Dan, and often reffing games. “Can you believe we do this for a living?” says Pete. Then he reflects: “I have learned so much from Dan McFall.” Dan can get philosophical when he thinks about hockey. “It has filled my whole life,” he says. He met his wife Allison, who also helps run the business, when she participated in Learn to Play Hockey. “All of my closest friendships and relationships I established through hockey,” he says. “Once you’re on a hockey team, you automatically have 15 new friends,” agrees Kristen Talley. For 21 years, Dan McFall has been supporting, building, and organizing hockey leagues, tournaments, teams, and programs in Vermont. The result has been lots of new friendships and relationships— and an increased quality of life for thousands of hockey-loving Vermonters.
Full Stride 8016 Williston Road, Suite 101 Williston, VT (802) 857-5604 www.fullstride.com Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 85
AROUND TOWN
WHAT’S NEW WITH THE FLYNN? A Vermont Partnership
T
hanks to a recent partnership between the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts and Burlington International Airport, air travelers arriving in Vermont’s largest city will be greeted by a sensational sight. Nestled into a wall in the baggage claim area is an art deco-inspired mock proscenium, with a marquee proclaiming “Flynn, est. 1930.” The proscenium frames three digital screens, which display stills and video highlighting everything the Flynn has to offer: events and performances but also arts education, community outreach efforts, and featured programs. Since its founding in 1981, the mission of the Flynn has been to promote the enjoyment, understanding, and development of the performing arts in Vermont through diverse and engaging artistic experiences. “We are thrilled to have this unique platform to raise awareness among Vermont residents and visitors alike about all the performances, classes, workshops, camps, and community outreach happening as part of the Flynn,” says Flynn, Executive Director Anna Marie Gewirtz. “Programs like the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival are a major source of pride for this community and an attractive offering for those visiting Vermont, so we are excited by the possibilities of this new forum.” 86 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
COMMUNITY SUPPORT The project was made possible with support from the Pomerleau Family Foundation. “The Flynn is at the heart of Vermont’s performing arts programming and education,” says Ernie Pomerleau of Pomerleau Real Estate. “They allow collaboration between students, artists, and the community every day, inspiring creative ideas for both young and old. Arts can touch a life in profound ways, and what better way to help travelers, the community, and businesses than to embrace
art as you enter the state of Vermont through the Burlington International Airport.” Edgeworks Display of Williston, Vermont, built the installation and additional support was provided by Mood Media.
Flynn Center for the Performing Arts 153 Main Street Burlington, VT (802) 652-4500 www.flynncenter.org
Improvements to the Guest Experience At 90 years young, the Flynn is moving with the times and, starting with the launch of the 2019–2020 season, instituting some significant changes to improve guest experience. Food and drinks purchased at concessions will now be allowed into the MainStage theater. But fear not. Thought has been put into how to protect the venue’s beautiful new seats. Executive Director Anna Marie Gewirtz says, “I am passionate about continuing to provide the most enjoyable guest experience possible at the Flynn, rivaling that of the historic theaters on Broadway. The Flynn will continue its commitment to stewarding our beautiful, historical building. Knowing we just invested in beautiful new seats in 2014, many of which proudly bear the names of our community members and their loved ones, we wanted to make sure we were as prepared for this change as possible. When spills do occur, we now have hand-held cleaning machines to use immediately following the show.” ALLEVIATING CONGESTION
Changes have also been made to alleviate congestion in the lobby and at will call and concession lines. The Amy E. Tarrant Gallery will be open before shows and during intermissions, and new point-of-sale systems at the bar and concessions have helped reduce wait times there. Print at home/mobile ticketing has reduced lines at will call. In order to reduce single-use waste, beverages allowed in the MainStage need to be in a Flynn souvenir cup, which comes with a sealable lid and can be purchased for a one-time charge of $2. The sturdy souvenir cups are recyclable, BPA free, and dishwasher safe, making them perfect to reuse many times. Coffee purchased at the Flynn can also be brought into the theater in lidded cups.
Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 87
WINTER HAPPENINGS | CALENDAR OF EVENTS
VERMONT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
TRAVELING HOLIDAY POPS!
The VSO is thrilled to welcome Chelsea Tipton as guest conductor for a program of musical comfort and joy! The concert features the Bronze Ambassadors, the award-winning student bell ringers from Newport who captured our hearts in 2017. AND the audience has a chance to sing along with the handbells! Get in the mood for the season by ringing in the holidays with your VSO. DECEMBER 13
TRAVELING BASS QUINTET
The VSO Brass Quintet joins forces with Counterpoint, guestconducted by Kevin Quigley, to ring in the holidays in style. Selections range from a brass arrangement of a Bach chorale to popular tunes like “Sleigh Ride,” “Let It Snow,” and “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” The program also includes a carol singalong, and traditional favorites by Robert De Cormier. Don’t miss out on this seasonal treat—a perfect blend of brass, voices, and good cheer.
Barre, Barre Opera House, 7:30pm
DECEMBER 17
DECEMBER 14
Warren, United Church, 7:30pm
Burlington, Flynn Stage, 7:30pm
DECEMBER 18
DECEMBER 15
South Pomfret, Artistree’s Grange Theatre, 7:30pm
Rutland, Paramount Theatre, 3pm
DECEMBER 20 Newport, United Church, 7:30pm
VERMONT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 2 Church Street Burlington, VT (802) 864-5741, (800) VSO-9293 ext. 10 www.vso.org 88 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
DECEMBER 21 Grafton, Grafton Community Church, 5pm
DECEMBER 22 Manchester, First Congregational Church, 4pm
WINTER HAPPENINGS | CALENDAR OF EVENTS
TASTE TEST
Enjoy an interactive presentation in a casual, intimate setting. VSO violinist Jane Kittredge and Executive Director Ben Cadwallader will present entertaining insights into the composers and works featured at the VSO’s upcoming Flynn Center concert. It’s a unique and informal experience where you’re free to ask questions and chime in with ideas as together we explore works by Wagner, Berg, and Mendelssohn. JANUARY 21 Burlington Deli/126, 7:30pm
JANUARY 22 David M. Wilson Memorial Farmers’ Night Concert Montpelier State House Chambers, 7:30pm
MORE VSO PERFORMANCES DECEMBER 31
Burlington Does Broadway Flynn Center MainStage, 7:30pm
JANUARY 25
Love, Leila, and Luther Flynn MainStage, 7:30pm
JUKEBOX
Paramount Theatre, 3pm
This innovative chamber music series, curated by Vermont composer Matt LaRocca, features a sliding-scale payment option and a singular concert experience. Soprano Mary Bonhag is back again for a mid-winter evening with the JukeBox quartet.
FEBRUARY 22
JANUARY 17
JANUARY 26
Love, Leila, and Luther Star Wars and Beyond, The Music of John Williams Flynn MainStage, 7:30pm
JukeBox, Rutland Merchants Row, 7:30pm
JANUARY 18 JukeBox, Burlington ArtsRiot, 7:30 Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 89
WINTER HAPPENINGS | CALENDAR OF EVENTS
FLYNN THEATER
BÉLA FLECK & TTHE FLECKTONES DECEMBER 7
DECEMBER 23
FlynnSpace, 8pm
MainStage, 7:30pm
Green Mountain Cabaret
Fiddler on The Roof
DECEMBER 7
DECEMBER 31
MainStage, 8pm
MainStage, 7:30pm
Béla Fleck and the Flecktones
Burlington Does Broadway
DECEMBER 8
JANUARY 6
MainStage, 2pm & 7pm
MainStage, 9:30am
A Charlie Brown Christmas
The One and Only Ivan
DECEMBER 12
JANUARY 8
MainStage, 10am
MainStage, 7:30pm
Daniel Bernard Roumain
Waitress
DECEMBER 13
JANUARY 11
MainStage, 6:30pm See website for additional dates & times
MainStage, 10am
Warren Miller’s Timeless DECEMBER 14
Holiday Pops
MainStage, 7:30pm
DECEMBER 15
OrchestraPalooza MainStage, 4pm
DECEMBER 17
Vermont Abenaki Artists
MainStage, 9:30am See website for additional dates & times
DECEMBER 21
Vermont’s Own Nutcracker
Family Dance Party JANUARY 16
William Shatner
MainStage, 10am and 7:30pm
JANUARY 22
Damien Sneed’s We Shall Overcome MainStage, 7:30pm
JANUARY 23
Gabriela Montero MainStage, 7:30pm
JANUARY 24
Warriors Don’t Cry
2pm, See website for additional dates & times
MainStage, 9:30am See website for additional dates & times
DECEMBER 21
JANUARY 25
Flynn Show Choirs
FlynnSpace, 4pm See website for additional dates & times 90 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
VSO Love, Leila, and Luther MainStage, 7:30pm
WILLIAM SHATNER
RACHEL NEVILLE, DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM
FLYNN THEATER 153 Main Street Burlington, VT (802) 86-Flynn www.flynncenter.org
JANUARY 25
Stand Up, Sit Down & Laugh FlynnSpace, 8pm
JANUARY 28
Greensky Bluegrass MainStage, 8pm
FEBRUARY 4
Nick Jr. See website for additional dates & times MainStage, 6pm
FEBRUARY 5
Che Malambo
Spruce Peak Performing Arts in Stowe, 10am
FEBRUARY 6
The Wood Brothers MainStage, 8pm
FEBRUARY 8
TURNmusic with DBR FlynnSpace 8pm
FEBRUARY 9
MOMIX
MainStage 7pm
FEBRUARY 13
Rainbow Fish
MainStage, 9:30am See website for additional dates & times
FEBRUARY 14
Alicia Olatuja
FlynnSpace, 6pm See website for additional dates & times
FEBRUARY 16
VYO Winter Concert MainStage, 3pm
FEBRUARY 22
VSO Star Wars & Beyond MainStage 7:30pm
FEBRUARY 29
Malpaso Dance Company MainStage 8pm
MARCH 2
Altan
FlynnSpace, 7pm
MARCH 3
Finding Neverland MainStage, 7:30pm
Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 91
WINTER HAPPENINGS | CALENDAR OF EVENTS
SHELBURNE MUSEUM
DECEMBER 7–8
Deck the Halls
Celebrate the creative spirit of the holiday season! Museum Grounds, 10am–3pm
DECEMBER 8
SHELBURNE MUSEUM 6000 Shelburne Road Shelburne, VT www.shelburnemuseum.org
JANUARY–MARCH 11
Joni Sternbach, Eben + Elizabeth from the series Surfland, 2016 Courtesy of the artist and Von Lintel Gallery
Brick House Open House
FEBRUARY 1–AUGUST 23
4pm
Carved Wooden Dog with Upholstered Seat
DECEMBER 10
FEBRUARY 1
Evening with Yoga Roots Pizzagalli Center, 5:30pm
JANUARY 11
Artist Afternoon Time Lapse: Contemporary Analog Photography Pizzagalli Center, 2pm
JANUARY 26
Documentary What Remains: The Life and Work of Sally Mann Pizzagalli Center, 2pm
EXHIBITS DECEMBER–JANUARY 12
Decoys in the Shelburne Museum Joel Barber & Modern Day Decoy 92 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
Tinkle, 1883 Creature of Comfort: Animals in the House
BURLINGTON CITY ARTS 135 Church Street Burlington, VT www.burlingtoncityarts.org
BURLINGTON CITY ARTS
NOVEMBER 13
Art and Conversation with Sandy Sokoloff 9:30am
NOVEMBER 13
Gallery Talk: Dr. John Seyller, Professor of Art History 6pm
NOVEMBER 23
Family Art Saturday 11am
DECEMBER 13
Holiday Artist Market 4pm
Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 93
PHIL HANLEY
CHURCH STREET MARKETPLACE
VERMONT COMEDY CLUB Friday Shows at 7pm Saturdays and Sundays 7pm & 9:30pm
DECEMBER 4
Tracy Nolan Roast DECEMBER 5, 6, 7
Emo Philips DECEMBER 8
Second Sunday Sing Along Show Tunes 6pm
DECEMBER 11
Indie Rumble DECEMBER 12, 13, 14
Jay Larson
DECEMBER 15
Holidaygasm Comedian Party 6pm
DECEMBER 18
Indie Ramble DECEMBER 19, 20, 21
Marina Franklin DECEMBER 27, 28
Phil Hanley DECEMBER 31
Deanne Smith Please see website in late December for 2020 shows & times.
Join us on the Top Block of Church Street for fun rides in holiday carriages pulled by miniature horses from the Green Mountain Miniature Horse and Donkey Club. Find the miniature horses every Saturday from 11:00am–3:00pm. Rides are free. DATES AND TIMES Friday, Nov 29, 2019 11:00am–3:00pm Saturday, Nov 30, 2019 11:00am–3:00pm Saturday, Dec 7, 2019 11:00am–3:00pm Saturday, Dec 14, 2019 11:00am–3:00pm Saturday, Dec 21, 2019 11:00am–3:00pm
NOVEMBER 29
Small Business Saturday, Shop local all day Starts at dusk 5pm
NOVEMBER 29
VERMONT COMEDY CLUB 101 Main Street Burlington, VT (802) 859-0100 www.vermontcomedyclub.com 94 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
CHURCH STREET MARKETPLACE Burlington, VT (802) 863-1648 www.churchstmarketplace.com
Santa Parade and Lighting on Christmas Tree Noon and 5:30pm
FEBRUARY 1
Winter Lights and Ice Sculptures
ADVERTISERS INDEX A Little Something............................................................ 21, 25 Bare Medical Spa + Laser Center.....................................1, 55 Burlington Country Club........................................................ 78 Burlington Emergency and Veterinary Services...............27 Burlington City Arts................................................................. 31 Burlington Furniture................................... Inside Front Cover Burlington Harbor Hotel........................................................ 84 Burlington Marble and Granite............................................. 17 Burlington Mattress................................................................ 85 Burlington Paint and Sip Studio........................................... 47 Catamount Physical Therapy/Fitness Options................ 47 Chroma Optics.......................................................................... 41 Church Hill Landscapes.......................................................... 71 City Market............................................................................... 68 Culligan Water Services...........................................................2 Cushman Design Group........................................................ 79 Davis and Hogdon Associates..............................................73 Dear Lucy............................................................................ 15, 54 Dutch Mill Family Restaurant and Catering...................... 21 Ecco Clothes Boutique....................................................... 3, 55 Fetch the Leash......................................................................... 18 Flynn Theater............................................................................ 39 Four Seasons Sotheby’s International Realty.................... 13 Green Envy............................................................................5, 56 Healing Winds.......................................................................... 12 Hickok and Boardman Realty.................. Outside Back Cover Inspired Closets........................................................................ 41 Istanbul Kebab House.............................................................57 Jamie Two Coats....................................................................... 21 Jess Boutique........................................................................9, 56 Kiss the Cook............................................................................ 63 Landshapes............................................................................... 65 Marketplace Fitness............................................................... 79 Mirror Mirror........................................................................ 5, 57 Morse Farm ..............................................................................55 NurseGrown Organics........................................................... 93 Outdoor Gear Exchange......................................................... 71 Pauline’s Café........................................................................... 95 Petra Cliffs..................................................................................55 Play Dog Play............................................................................ 45 Radiance Wellness Spa.............................................................7 Red House.................................................................................. 91 Saratoga Olive Oil Company.......................................... 18, 56 Shelburne Museum.................................................................. 21 Shelburne Tap House....................................................... 21, 85 Shelburne Vineyard Winery and Tasting Room............... 54 Shen Yun.....................................................................................10 Slate .................................................................................... 45, 57 Spalon Euphoria................................................................. 21, 54 Stern Center for Language and Learning............................ 19 Sugarbush Resort.................................................................... 65 Sweetwaters American Bistro.............................................. 83 The Automaster..........................................................................4 The Essex Resort and Spa...............................................35, 93
For more information about print and online advertising opportunities, contact John or Robin Gales at (802) 558-2719 or email coffeetablepublishing@comcast.net.
The Residents at Quarry Hill/Shelburne............................. 11 Tina’s Home Design...................................................................6 Tom Moore Builders...................................Inside Back Cover Total Fitness Equipment......................................................... 61 Vermont Handcrafted Furniture Design...............................8 Vermont Kitchen Design by Bouchard-Pierce Candlelight.......63 Vermont Kitchen Design by Bouchard-Pierce Wolf....................77 Vermont Real Estate Company............................................. 31
Vermont Singing Drum.......................................................... 56 Villa Playa Maria Resort.........................................................23 Village Wine and Coffee......................................................... 21 Wake Robin............................................................................... 30 Whim Boutique.................................................................. 57, 77 Windows and Doors by Brownell........................................ 83 WND&WVS.............................................................................. 61 Yoga Roots................................................................................. 21
Winter 2019/2020 | Best of Burlington | 95
LAST GLANCE
Snow is falling— it’s time to play!
96 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
COFFEE TABLE PUBLISHING, LLC 32 Hermit Thrush Lane South Burlington, VT 05403