Central Vermont best of
FALL 2019 VOLUME 7, NO. 4
COMMUNITIES AND LIFESTYLE IN THE HEART OF THE GREEN MOUNTAINS
SMUGGLERS’ NOTCH DISTILLERY ENTHUSIASTS TOAST
THEIR AWARD-WINNING SPIRITS
A HEALTH CARE JOURNEY BCBS GUIDES THE WAY WITH INTEGRATED HEALTH
TO YOUR
SPECIAL SECTION
â—„ USE YOUR OUTSIDE VOICE.
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Contents FEATURES
BANKER 36 COLDWELL CLASSIC PROPERTIES OWNER SUE ALDRICH DOES FOOD NETWORK’S “THE GREAT FOOD TRUCK RACE” BY SUZANNE PODHAIZER
HEALTH CARE 56 AJOURNEY INTEGRATED HEALTH DEPARTMENT AT BCBS GUIDES THE WAY BY MARTA TURNBULL
DEPARTMENTS
Contents 15 PUBLISHERS’ NOTE 16 ONLINE HUB 18 CONTRIBUTORS
30 34
20 OCCASIONS
49
22 OUT & ABOUT
BY CASSIE HORNER
CHEERS
28 SMUGGLERS’ NOTCH
50 44
50 alla vita Where Life Tastes Better
BY JAY MURRY
52 BODY LOUNGE An Oasis of Luxury BY MOLLY RITVO
TAKE A HIKE
62 FRINGE SALON AND LASH BAR Looking and Feeling your Best
GOOD TIMES
44 RANCH CAMP BY MARK AIKEN
SPECIAL SECTION
DISTILLERY
34 ONION RIVER OUTDOORS
TO YOUR
WHAT’S HOT
80 BURGER BARN
BY PHYL NEWBECK
84 WATERBURY WORKS: AN
UPDATE ON THE MAIN STREET RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT CALENDAR
87 ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT 95 AD INDEX 96 LAST GLANCE
64 COPING WITH PAIN AND ANXIETY
CBD Retail Shops Offer Exciting Alternatives BY TOM BRANDES
68 IMAGINE YOGA Yoga. Meditation. Peace 70 BLISS HEALING ACUPUNCTURE AND NATURAL HEALTH Optimize Your Overall Well-being
72 ALIGN TO HEALTH Meet Dr. Steve Sobel, Chiropractic Neurologist
74 LYME DISEASE UPDATE IN VERMONT From Central Vermont Medical Center
76 RIVER STREET WELLNESS A Whole Approach to Living Well
78 NORTHFIELD SAVINGS BANK Your Financial Health by the Numbers
best of
Central Vermont FALL 2019 | VOLUME 7 NO.4
COFFEE TABLE PUBLISHING 32 Hermit Thrush Lane South Burlington, VT 05403 PUBLISHERS
Robin Gales John Gales Bob Frisch COPY EDITOR
Jennifer Goss Duby ART DIRECTOR
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 Central Vermont wants to hear from our readers. Correspondence may be addressed to letters to the editor, Best of Central Vermont, 32 Hermit Thrush Lane, South Burlington, VT 05403. Advertising inquiries may be made by emailing ctpublishing@comcast.net or coffeetablepublishing@ comcast.net. Best of Central Vermont is published quarterly by Coffee Table Publishing, LLC, ©2019. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. Best of Central Vermont accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, artwork, or photographs.
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BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | FALL 2019
PUBLISHERS’ NOTE
Fall!
W
ho does not love fall? It’s the time of year that instills a certain peace and brings to a close another beautiful cycle of growth in Vermont. And what a way to end it. Oranges, reds, browns. Hay stacks, pumpkins, and some of the coolest looking squash you’ve ever seen. So how do we approach a season with all of that? By featuring some of the best stories and things that Central Vermont offers. Let’s start with introducing you to Community Harvest of Vermont. This program is dedicated to letting not a single pound of food grown in Vermont go to waste, by distributing it to those in need. Speaking of food, did you know that Montpelier is home to the latest Food Network’s Great Food Truck Race Team? Sue Aldrich and team took on the other food trucks in their appropriately named rig, Make it Maple. Find out how she did as we spotlight this special lady. Also in the fall issue we bring you a special section called To Your Health. It’s a brief look at the various health and wellness options that are available in the area. Imagine Yoga in Barre shares their unique approach, and Fringe Salon and Lash Bar in Barre fills us in on lash extensions and much more. Acupuncture, Chiropractic, even team approaches are all featured. We show you Ranch Camp in Stowe, where they combine bikes, burgers, and brews. And it works to perfection! Plus we take a look at the new facility of Smuggler’s Notch Distillery. Enjoy the fall everyone. To many, it’s their favorite time of year. We can’t argue with that!
Publishers
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IT’S THAT TIME AGAIN, FALL BULB GARDENING
Learn how to purchase, plant, store and keep up on the maintenance of all your bulbs for your fall gardening. Go to www.bestofcentralvt.com
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NATURAL SUGAR VERSUS ADDED SUGARS
Sugars are one of the most important health conversations today. A diet filled with too many added sugars is associated with weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Learn more at www.bestofcentralvt.com.
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BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | FALL 2019
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contributors
CASSIE HORNER is a writer, editor, and publisher, and the author of Lucy E.—Road to Victory, a historical novel. Her roots in Vermont go way back almost 200 years and inspire her love of the natural world and history. She lives in Plymouth, Vermont, with her husband and three dogs—an English Shepherd and two Dachshunds.
MOLLY RITVO is a freelance writer who lives in Burlington 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.
JAY MURRY 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.
MARK AIKEN is a freelance writer and trail runner from Richmond, Vermont. When not writing, he trains with his endurance-athlete wife, Alison. Together they are engaged in the ultimate endurance sport—parenting.
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BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | FALL 2019
Stowe, Vermont
Discover, Dine, Stay & Shop
The Body Lounge
Red Barn Realty of Vermont
Commodities Natural Market
1799 Mountain Road Red Barn Shops Stowe, VT
1878 Mountain Road Stowe, VT
512 Mountain Road Stowe, VT
(802) 253-4994 www.redbarnvt.com
(802) 253-4464 www.commoditiesnaturalmarket.com Open 7 Days
Stowe Public House & Bottle Shop
Idletyme Brewing Company
(802) 253-7333 www.bodyloungevt.com
BunyaBunya Boutique 1799 Mountain Road In the Red Barn Shops Stowe, VT
109 Main Street Stowe, VT
1859 Mountain Road Stowe, VT (802) 253-4765 www.idletymebrewing.com
(802) 585-3699
(802) 585-5785 www.stowepublichouse.com
The Bench
Tres Amigos
Ferro Estate & Custom Jewelers
492 Mountain Road Stowe, VT
1190 Mountain Road Stowe, VT
91 Main Street Stowe, VT
(802) 253-5100 www.benchvt.com www.facebook.com/benchvt/
www.tresamigosvt.com
(802) 253-3033 stowe@ferrojewelers.com www.ferrojewelers.com/stowe
OCCASIONS
Feast of Fools A celebration of laughter, food, and community
M
ontpelier will soon have something new to brag about. For more than a decade, Burlington has hosted each August the annual celebration of street theater called Festival of Fools. Featuring performers from around the world, the festival offers free, live entertainment for all age groups. And now, Montpelier is getting its own festival. Called Feast of Fools, the event debuts Saturday, September 28, with a launch party beginning at 5pm in the 60 State Street Lot in Montpelier, Vermont. Produced by Woody Keppel, co-founder of Burlington’s Festival of Fools, this year’s Feast of Fools will be a sneak peak of the full festival coming in August 2020: the best in local food truck cuisine highlighting Vermont agriculture and the vibrancy of professional street theater all set in beautiful downtown Montpelier in the peak of foliage season. Bring the whole family or enjoy an adult night out on the town—from grilled cheese to cocktails, there’s something for everyone. The festival will feature an outdoor circus, comedy shows, and live music by the humorous Hokum Brothers. On the banks of the Winooski River and steps away from the Vermont State House, this is an evening to celebrate the end of another gorgeous Vermont summer. There is no entrance fee, but street performers rely on donations to support their work and travel all over the world, so bring cash. Join Feast of Fools for one last night out before the snow falls! Learn more at vermontfeastoffools.com.
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www.bestofcentralvt.com 21
OUT & ABOUT | BY CASSIE HORNER
Community Harvest of Central Vermont
A
n estimated 14.3 million pounds of vegetables and berries grown in Vermont are not eaten or sold by farms. This staggering number was reduced by 38,722 pounds in 2018, thanks to the gleaning efforts organized by Community Harvest of Central Vermont based in Berlin. All of this, plus an additional 11,954 pounds from Willing Hands in the Upper Valley, was donated to over 9,000 Central Vermonters in need of food. “The work we do is to recover some of that food,” says Allison Levin, executive director of Community Harvest of Central Vermont. “We are trying to recover the million pounds in Washington County. Our goal is to get healthy food to people.” The organization was founded in 2014 after Levin’s interest in gleaning led her to volunteer for an initiative led by the Montpelier food shelf run by Just Basics. “I thought it was a great idea to glean and give but it’s a lot more complicated than that,” she explains. “You need to organize so there is not further waste and the food gets to the people who need 22
BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | FALL 2019
it.” To fill that niche effectively, she interned with Theresa Snow of Salvation Farms in Morrisville. Snow has a lot of experience with gleaning. The time with Snow enabled Levin to set up a new program, Community Harvest of Central Vermont. Its success depended on ample volunteers, the right containers and vehicles, and connections to organizations serving people with food needs. In the pilot year, Community Harvest partnered with Dog River Farm in Berlin where volunteers went to glean. Today, the organization works with over 40 farms and individuals. “Each partnership with each farm is unique,” Levin says. Food recovery involves volunteers signing up for specified gleans on specific farms. For example, Levin might get a call from a farmer who tells her he will be mowing a corn field in two days, giving her time to organize gleaning. Food recovery also involves picking up food from farm stands or markets, and gleaning at farmers markets at the end of the selling time. After the food is gleaned or picked up, it is transported to a big cooler in a small structure
built by volunteers at Rogers Farmstead in Berlin. “The cooler is set at 37 degrees. We keep food as fresh and nutritious as possible,” Levin says. Volunteers make a weekly delivery to the 15 to 20 sites Community Harvest
Opposite, top: A volunteer gleans brussels sprout greens at Kettle Song Farm in Worcester. Opposite, bottom: Gleaned apples from Liberty Orchard in Brookfield. Above: Some of the 22,389 pounds of winter squash gleaned since 2014. Below: Volunteers glean beets at Dog River Farm in Berlin.
partners with, ranging from food shelves to after-school and senior meal programs. “There is more room for growth,” Levin observes. “We have a waiting list of places needing food. We are looking to get more of the community involved. We need more businesses and organizations to financially support what we’re doing to help address food insecurity needs.” For more information about Community Harvest of Central Vermont, visit Community
HarvestVt.org. People interested in volunteering can register online.
ONLINE EXTRA Become a volunteer! Learn to clean & sort, glean, deliver. Do outreach and education programs with Community Harvest of Central Vermont. Learn more at www.bestofcentralvt.com.
www.bestofcentralvt.com 23
OUT & ABOUT
N
ext time you’re in Montpelier, take a walk to the State House and look up, way up, to the top of the gold dome. Posed gracefully there is the new statue—an allegory to represent Agriculture—installed in November 2018. She is the third such statue, joining the fascinating history of her predecessors. The first statue, installed in1859, was created of Vermont pine by Larkin Mead who later gained fame as a sculptor. “At the time, the drum of the dome where the windows are was painted a grayish color to match the granite,” says Jack Zeilenga, Assistant State
Curator. “The dome was not gilded until 1906. Prior to that it was red in keeping with the Italian Renaissance-inspired building.” This first statue lasted 80 years. By 1938, it was rotted badly enough it was feared it would fall off. It was removed but then the challenge was how to replace it in post-Depression
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BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | FALL 2019
New Statue Tops the STATE HOUSE
Opposite, left: Larkin Mead’s 1859 statue, heavily rotted, prior to its removal from the dome. Opposite right: The new statue of Agriculture, installed atop the State House dome in November 2018. Top: Dwight Dwinell’s 1938 statue being removed in spring 2018. Above: Woodcarver Chris Miller carved the new statue of Agriculture at the Barre Granite Museum during the summer and fall of 2018. Photos courtesy of the Vermont State Curator’s Office.
Vermont when money was tight. “Dwight Dwinell, Sergeant-at-Arms, who was 83 years old, said he had experience with whittling and carving,” says Zeilenga. “He carved the head of the second statue and two local carpenters carved the body. It was not as artistic as Mead’s. It was more folk art than fine art but you couldn’t tell from a distance.” Eighty years later, the second statue had become very water-logged. As part of a larger project involving roof repairs and regilding the dome, it was removed. The state sought proposals from artists, with a goal of recreating Mead’s 1859 statue as much as possible using his sketches and a few old images. Jerry Williams of Johnson made a clay model and
Chris Miller of Calais carved a new 14.5-foot statue out of sustainably harvested mahogany. He did all the carving at the Barre Granite Museum so people could watch him work. It was a very public project. “We hope it will last longer than 80 years,” Zeilenga says. “We determined the right type of paint to best preserve it.” It also can be unbolted so it can be easily brought down for periodic inspections. As for the Dwinell statue, the body is in a warehouse drying out. The head is with a conservator being professionally dried out and touched up. The hope is to eventually display the statue to the public at the Vermont History Museum in Montpelier. www.bestofcentralvt.com 25
OUT & ABOUT
Undergraduate Research at
NORWICH UNIVERSITY
M
allory Dutil—member of the class of 2020 with a triple major in engineering, chemistry, and environmental biology—spent a summer fellowship studying the impact of water scarcity on nations in the Middle East. Her goal was to discern how water scarcity, a problem affecting over 2 billion people globally, connects with politics and unrest. Shawnae Evans, class of 2021 with a major in neuroscience/ chemistry, focused her research on the attachment of dopamine to Vitamin B12 to deliver a target drug to the brain to potentially better treat Parkinson’s Disease symptoms. This is just a sample of the Norwich University students participating in the Undergraduate Research Program. Its director, Amy Woodbury Tease, explains that students have a few different research opportunities, with the summer fellowship program the largest. There are 15 to 25 summer fellows doing individual research under mentors, some working on projects with the mentor’s lab. “The projects are self-designed and rigorous,” she says. “There are six- and ten-week fellowships, each with stipends. Students present their research on campus during the year.” One special event takes place in April and celebrates research students and the culture of research at Norwich University. Students from the three colleges—liberal arts, science and math, and professional schools—are eligible to apply 26
BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | FALL 2019
for a fellowship. “I am very invested in there being an interdisciplinary conversation so students see different perspectives,” says Woodbury Tease. “There are different issues across the disciplines.” For example, one student tackled the question of what a criminal justice system would look like in a new society on Mars. Another student traveled to the National Archives in Washington, DC, to recover information about Civil War veterans affiliated with Norwich University. “I think our program is very important at Norwich University because it is one of the more visible high-impact practices,” Woodbury Tease says. “There is hands-on learning which empowers students as doers. There is the curiosity
Clockwise from top left: Dillon Zites researches improvements to cancer treatments and was chosen to represent Vermont at the annual Council on Undergraduate Research session on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, in April. Professor Karen Hinkle works with a student in the lab. Shawnae Evans performs research aimed at treating Parkinson’s Disease symptoms. A research student works out a problem on the whiteboard.
factor of asking questions without specific answers and the collaborative aspect. This builds community.� For more information, visit norwich.edu /undergraduate-research. www.bestofcentralvt.com 27
CHEERS | BY JAY MURRY
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At the new distillery, tasting room, and events center on ten acres along the banks of the Lamoille River in Jeffersonville. Photo by Homer Horowitz.
SMUGGLERS’
BLUES? Not Here!
Enthusiasts Toast the Award-Winning Spirit(s) of Smugglers’ Notch Distillery
O
f all the songs that are sung at Smugglers’ Notch Distillery, you won’t hear Glenn Frey’s Smugglers’ Blues. There is no collective lamenting about the sterling vodka, whiskey, gin, and maple products from Smuggler’s Notch.
SPIRIT AWARDS Smugglers’ Notch Distillery (SND) had its vodka placed in the 2018 Top 10 US Craft Vodka Distillers List of the USA Today Readers’ Choice Awards; and SND won Double Gold awards in the 2016 San Francisco World Spirits Competition for its Straight Bourbon and Litigation Wheat Whiskey. That’s just the short list of the awards that SND has received since its inception in 2006. Thus, residents and guests of Vermont don’t have to www.bestofcentralvt.com 29
depend on imports (smuggled or otherwise) from Kentucky, Tennessee, or even Scotland to sample the best in distilled spirits. They can savor the internationally-acclaimed creations directly from Vermont-based Smugglers’ Notch Distillery.
“VERMONT’S MOUNTAIN SPIRIT” It’s a slogan of Smugglers’ Notch Distillery, and that spirit dates back to Vermont’s 30
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role in early American history. The actual notch is a mountain pass that was a lively smuggling transit for over 100 years. It helped get around a US embargo of British goods in 1807, and it was a hub of moving banned alcohol products during Prohibition in the 1920s. Jeremy Elliott, the “son” part of the SND father-son co-ownership team, says he and his father Ron “wanted to capture the heritage and the history of this
mountain pass.” Ron Elliott adds that from the very beginning of the business, “All of our labels on the back told the history of Smugglers’ Notch. We played on the story and kept telling it to our customers because they were intrigued.” Now, because of the success of Smugglers’ Notch Distillery, it has become a part of the area’s vivid reputation and SND an oasis for connoisseurs of craft distilleries.
On location at Smugglers’ Notch and SND. Above photo by Homer Horowitz. Photos opposite and below by Craig Orsini.
SMOOTH WATER, SMOOTH SPIRITS You can’t have an oasis without water, and Smugglers’ Notch Distillery gets its water from Edwards Spring, which flows from Mount Mansfield. That spring water provides the wet foundation for the distillery’s array of spirits. Jeremy, a former research chemist, says the spring water has a unique viscosity—“I feel like there’s some mineral content in there that really defines our spirit.” Ron adds, “It does have a unique smooth taste to it, and that smoothness is identified in every single one of our products.” When the name of the distillery game is smoothness, Smugglers’ Notch Distillery has a spring water card to play that few others www.bestofcentralvt.com 31
Above: Jeremy and Ron Elliott, the father-son ownership team. Above, below, and opposite: On location at Mount Mansfield and SND. Photos by Craig Orsini.
possess. No wonder why its menu of distilled spirits wins so many awards!
WIDE WORLD OF SPIRITS Smugglers’ Notch Distillery boasts a wide variety of spirits that provides the thrill of victory to those who sample them. Along with its regular vodka, SND was the first distillery in the US to produce and offer its certified Gluten Free Organic Vodka. Two types of gin are available—one for martinis, the other for gin and tonic drinks. Bourbons (including maple), rye, whiskey, and rum are on the bill of fare. And, there are several flavors of bourbon-aged (non-alcoholic) maple syrup to enjoy. Yet, there is no danger of SND spreading itself too thin, because Ron says customers keep clamoring for more. “They say ‘I can 32
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believe one or two would be smooth, but every one of your products is so smooth and great.’ It hasn’t hurt us.”
FATHER-SON ALCHEMY As a result of their joint success with SND, Jeremy says every morning he feels “positive energy coming from the walls.” His father Ron gave up retirement after three weeks because “there’s nothing greater than having the opportunity to work with your son.” ✿
SMUGGLERS’ NOTCH DISTILLERY 5087 Vermont Route 15 Jeffersonville, VT (802) 309-3077 www.smugglersnotchdistillery.com
ONLINE EXTRA Why not enjoy one of these cocktails on a fall crisp afternoon. Go to www.bestofcentralvt.com.
www.bestofcentralvt.com 33
TAKE A HIKE
GREAT GEAR
for the great outdoors Onion River Outdoors in Montpelier has got you covered for your outdoor adventures.
MOUNTAIN HARDWEAR HATCHER The Hatcher vest is the next evolution of wool apparel. With a traditional wool look on the outside and soft fleece on the inside, the Hatcher offers comfort and style. A moisture wicking backer, drop tail, and hand warmer pockets add to its functionality. This vest is a favorite layering piece for whatever weather fall brings.Â
PATAGONIA NINE TRAILS PACK 14L This day pack is great for all your adventures on the trails. Featuring a two-liter hydration bladder and enough pockets and storage compartments to organize layers, food, maps, and cameras, this lightweight pack will keep you prepared and on the move. 34
BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | FALL 2019
OBOZ SAWTOOTH
GOOD TO-GOÂ GRANOLA This is a shop favorite for days out on the trail. Based in Maine, Good To-Go creates meals and snacks from clean ingredients. This granola is vegetarian and gluten-free, and full of raw nuts and seeds, blueberries, and figs. Real New England maple syrup gives it just the right sweetness.
KATADYN BEFREE WATER FILTRATION SYSTEM The BeFree 0.6LÂ water filtration system uses the EZ-Clean Membrane to remove water, cysts, and sediment. To use, just fill the flask and the membrane does the work. With a 59g filter and collapsible flask, the BeFree is convenient, lightweight, and very portable.
This classic waterproof mid-height boot is comfortable enough to wear on every day dog walks, but stands up to the rigors of backpacking. The B-DRY waterproof/breathability system lets sweat out while protecting the foot from mud and rain. The Oboz proprietary insole, asymmetrical collar, and supportive heel cup deliver on fit and feel.
DARN TOUGH WOOL SOCKS Made right here in Vermont, these socks are going to be a make-or-break difference in your enjoyment on the trail. Wool keeps your feet warm and dry and the structured design is comfort defined. Darn tough offers a lifetime warranty on their products, so these really are a lifelong purchase! www.bestofcentralvt.com 35
BY SUZANNE PODHAIZER
Paulette, Charlie, and Sue meet their marvelous Make It Maple food truck. Photo courtesy of The Food Network.
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RACE
FINISH When Realty Meets Reality TV
A few minutes into the most recent season of the Food Network’s “The Great Food Truck Race,” with a colorful Ferris wheel in the background, nine teams line up on the Myrtle Beach boardwalk eagerly awaiting the details of their first challenge. There are vegan chefs from Los Angeles, caterers from Virginia Beach, and at one end of the line is a trio sporting dark red T-shirts and lime green aprons emblazoned with the words “Make it Maple.” www.bestofcentralvt.com 37
Above: Maple Ginger Glazed Chicken Banh Mi Sandwich. Right: Warm Maple Dumplings with Fresh Cream and Lime Zest. Photos courtesy of Jeb Wallace-Brodeur.
BRINGING VERMONT TO THE PEOPLE The “Make it Maple” crew, unsurprisingly, hails from Vermont. Inside of their TVissued food-truck, painted with tumbling, five-pointed leaves in autumnal colors, they begin cooking syrup-glazed hot dogs to serve to the judges of the first challenge. Unlike most of the teams on the show, nobody on “Make it Maple” is a profession-
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“You need to be an insane extrovert for both. I love to meet people, and I love that I can make money by meeting people and selling them houses. I love to have a challenge and to win.”
al chef. Sue Aldrich is a Montpelier-based Realtor who owns her own Coldwell Banker franchise, Paulette Fiorentino is a retired kindergarten and first-grade teacher who dabbles in catering, and Charlie Aldrich is Sue’s energetic, 23-year-old son, who fired quips at the camera every time it pointed his way. “He can’t cook to save his life,” Sue says of Charlie, “but he’s a baby-faced piece of eye-candy, and he sings a lot.” Paulette adds: “Every night we’d go to our hotel room and sing about what happened that day.”
WHEN THE PARTY’S OVER The songs didn’t last for long. Team “Make it Maple” was knocked out of the competition in the season’s first episode, and the trio returned to their daily lives. “We made a maple Banh Mi, and nobody was buying it,” Sue explains. Their customers were unfamiliar with the Vietnamese sandwich, and she admits, serving a dish with an unfamiliar name was a tactical error. The team’s maple dumplings, on the other hand, “sold like crazy,” Paulette notes.
REALTY AND REALITY The brief stint on TGFTR wasn’t Sue’s first experience appearing on reality TV. Last year, she made it onto HGTV’s “House
www.bestofcentralvt.com 39
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Opposite, top: The “Verbano” Maple Roasted Pork with Vermont Cheddar, Ham, Pickle, and Maple Mustard. Opposite, below: Maple Dumplings with Blackberries and Cream. Photos courtesy of Jeb Wallace-Brodeur. Above: The team clowning around on set. Photo courtesy of The Food Network.
Hunters,” a show that is more closely linked to her chosen profession: matching up her clients with their dream homes. “I love selling houses because it’s so varied,” she explains. “I’ve moved into owning my own business, and I love it.” What are the similarities between realty and reality TV? “You need to be an insane extrovert for both,” she says. “I love to meet people, and I love that I can make money by meeting people and selling them houses. I love to have a challenge and to win.” “She’s insanely curious,” Paulette says of Sue, with whom she has been friends for 20 years. “She goes into homes, meets people, and learns the story of the home. She has no social anxiety. The woman just loves being out there and being social.” When it came to the competition, Paulette continues, “I brought a level of organization to what we were doing, a
www.bestofcentralvt.com 41
Above: Sue Aldrich, photo courtesy of Coldwell Banker. Right: The team hamming it up, photo courtesy of The Food Network. Right: Photo by Paillette Fiorento-Robinson.
touch of OCD. She can be a little cutthroat. It was a good balance.” What did Sue’s Vermont clients and friends think of her chance at Food Network fame? “Seventy percent of the people I told were like, ‘Reality TV? How horrible!’” she says with a giggle. Although they both profess to have loved the experience of being on TV, one of the things that proved hard for Sue and Paulette was being perpetually recorded during the “hurry up and wait” moments between challenges. 42
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“They can hear what you’re saying at all times,” Paulette says. “Those quiet conversations you think you’re having.” At one point, when the athletic blondes from “The Brunch Babes” started doing gymnastics in front of their truck, attracting a crowd, Paulette muttered curses at them under her breath: “Those brats...we can’t compete with that.” Immediately, producers descended upon the “Make it Maple” truck to capture the hot take. When they learned that they had made it onto the show, Sue and Paulette implemented a training regimen that consisted of watching old episodes and critiquing them. “What would we have done with tamarind and a bag of potato chips?” Paulette would ask. “We watched those old episodes, we had taste testing parties, we cooked a lot.” If they had ended up with the $50,000 prize, both women say they would have used the money to do good in the community. “My dream was to use the money, if we won, to expose kids to healthy food,” Paulette explains. “That’s where the maple came in,” Sue says. “To use maple instead of white cane sugar. Food literacy is something I believe in.”
FANTASTIC AND SURREAL Although she admits that restaurant life is not for her, Sue is glad that she competed on TGFTR, and hopes that the team gets called back, alongside other teams that lost, for a shot at redemption. “We made really great connections, and humanity was celebrated through this healthy competition with food,” Paulette says. “When we lost,” Sue continues, “three or four other teams burst into tears.” Overall, she says, “it was a fantastic and surreal experience.” Now, though, Sue is back to making connections with people by helping them buy and sell houses, rather than slinging maple dumplings. And the lucky folks who get to work with her know that they have a legit TV star on their dream team. ✿
COLDWELL BANKER CLASSIC PROPERTIES 3336 Airport Road Berlin, VT www.vtclassicproperties.com realtor@vtclassicproperties.com
www.bestofcentralvt.com 43
GO OD TIME S | BY MARK AIKEN PHOTOS BY MARK AIKEN E XCEP T WHERE NOTED
Ranch Camp FINDS ITS NICHE
P H OTO CO U R T E S Y O F R A N C H C A MP
SERVING UP FOOD, DRINKS, AND BIKES
T
he original Ranch Camp in Stowe was a forest cabin where loggers and later Civilian Conservation Corps work crews cutting the original ski trails on Mount Mansfield in the 1930s made their base. Another incarnation had Ranch Camp serving as a rustic ski lodge (complete with hard cots, a blanket, and beans for dinner) for the earliest recreational enthusiasts coming to Stowe to ski. Eighty-five years later, Stowe entrepreneurs, artists, and trail-building advocates Evan Chismark, Nate Freund, and Ryan Thibault decided to open a unique eating establishment. They called it Ranch Camp. “The
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Ranch Camp is located on Stowe's iconic Mountain Road, and backs to one of Vermont's most popular mountain bike trailheads at Cady Hill Forest.
www.bestofcentralvt.com 45
original Ranch Camp was the original base camp,” says Evan. “A place where you could refuel both body and brain, tune your equipment, rest up, and then head back out.” What makes the 2019 version of Ranch Camp unique? For one, it fits all of the descriptions Evan describes. And it fills a distinctive niche: Ranch Camp is at once a restaurant, a bar, and a bike shop. In case you are wondering how—or why—anyone would combine food and drink with bicycles, and how the three would interact, the venture has been a guided discovery for the partner-owners too. They knew they wanted some combination of bike shop/ bar/tap room, but “We didn’t know exactly how it would work on a day to day basis,” says Evan, who with his partners opened Ranch Camp in June 2018. “But we quickly realized that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts—the food, the bar, and the bikes. The three parts combined make each part great.”
A UNIQUE NICHE I’m not sure how many bike shop-barrestaurants there are in the world. Evan thinks 46
BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | FALL 2019
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for a moment. “There is this place in North Carolina called the Hub,” he says, referring to a bike shop outside of Asheville that has a bar nestled in back. Stowe’s version is three equal parts. The main entrance opens into a bicycle repair shop with a display of high-end bicycles for sale and hanging tools covering a wall. Walk past the bike area and you enter the bar—a solid counter in front of ten stools featuring local beers, wines, and ciders. Left at the bar brings you to a retail shop with biking accessories; right puts you in the sit-down restaurant. Bicycle art, photography, and signage— Education is Important But… Bikes is Importanter and Ranch Camp is my spirit animal—makes up the décor throughout. “We wanted to be like a ski base lodge,” says Evan. “We thought it would be a cool model for mountain biking.” Indeed, Ranch Camp’s location neighbors Cady Hill, a Stowe Land Trust-conserved forest with a popular
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Opposite, top: A passion for all things bike related is woven into the fabric of Ranch Camp, as evidenced by the outdoor upcycled art that surrounds Ranch Camp. Opposite, below: A tasty burger and a beer are a great diversion while your bike is being serviced. Photo courtesy of Ranch Camp. Below: Co-owner Evan Chismark.
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Coffee Table Publishing, LLC 32 Hermit Thrush Lane South Burlington, VT 05403 Or conveniently pay online using Paypal at www.bestofcentralvt.com.
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Ranch Camp is a full service bike shop with sales, rentals, a high-end demo fleet, and some of the best mechanics around.
network of mountain biking trails, and bikers can access the trails from the parking lot of Ranch Camp. For Evan, the former executive director of the Stowe Trails Partnership, a nonprofit that stewards local trails, the community aspect of the establishment is a most compelling piece. “We wanted to create a hub for the biking community,” he says. “And it’s really happening.”
STOWE MAKES IT WORK In case you are thinking of running out to open your own bike shop/bar/restaurant in your town, you might want to pump the brakes. “Stowe has a unique community that supports trails, healthy food, and local brews,” says Evan. The food menu at Ranch Camp includes fresh, seasonal ingredients and many gluten-free and vegetarian options—along with food for carnivores. “Our chef Joe Rock created a menu that is stealthily healthy,” remarks Evan. Stealthy, he says, because customers don’t always expect food that tastes so good to also be vegan, gluten-free, or just 48
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good for you. “People in Stowe expect good food,” says Andrew Volansky, an architect from Stowe, who is an avid mountain biker and regular frequenter of Ranch Camp. “At Ranch Camp you get great food, plus any staffer can give you any information you need about Stowe’s bike trails.” The community aspect of Ranch Camp starts with the staff; Evan says they are talented, passionate, and hard-working. “There’s a great vibe,” explains Andrew. “They seem to have the right staff and the right locals.” Although Ranch Camp is just over a year old, Andrew feels like there’s great traction. “It’s really blossomed into a social center.”
A CERTAIN VIBE “It’s hard to articulate what makes Ranch Camp so special,” says Andrew. “It’s a certain vibe that comes from having the right place and the right people. It just sort of feels like the place to be.” Indeed, just over a year since opening, Ranch Camp has become a true
gem in a town full of gems. Ranch Camp has amazingly good food, a lively bar, and a bike shop that serves bikers of all kinds. Ranch Camp even offers a bike consignment to help cyclists upgrade their rides. “Anyone who has ever tried to sell a used bike knows it’s time-consuming,” says Evan. “Letting us do it for you is helpful.” And you can put your earnings towards a new bike. Stowe is a community of active people with high standards for food and drink. You don’t need to be a cyclist in order to enjoy the Ranch Camp vibe. “People are coming because they like good food,” says Evan. That might be after a big ride or just a big day at the office. Beers, burritos, and bikes are a unique combination. Ranch Camp is made by and for those who appreciate unique.
RANCH CAMP 311 Mountain Road Stowe, VT (802) 253-2753 ranchcampvt.com
TO YOUR
A look at local choices for diet, exercise, health options and more
TO YOUR
WHERE LIFE TASTES BETTER
E
xtra virgin olive oil, or EVOO for short, has been used in the Mediterranean area as part of the daily diet for generations, and is an important ingredient in what has become known as the healthgiving Mediterranean diet. Extensively studied, olive oil has been shown to have a number of health benefits. At alla vita, an olive oil taproom and trattoria, the motto is
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“where life tastes better,” and the goal is to provide fresh, flavorful products to enhance the quality of people’s lives. In Italian, alla vita is a toast that means “to life.”
GOOD FOR THE HEART Monounsaturated fats protect against the buildup of arterial plaque, a substance that can lead to the
blockages that eventually result in heart attacks. As a source of monounsaturated fats, olive oil lowers LDL (the “bad” cholesterol) and preserves the levels of HDL cholesterol, the “good” cholesterol that reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke. Certain components of olive oil such as polyphenols and oleic acid, a fatty acid, are responsible for lowering blood pressure. Rich in antioxidants such as vitamin E and phytonutrients, olive oil can help prevent certain cancers. Phytonutrients have been shown to inhibit tumors and reduce the risk of cancer of the breast, colon, prostate, and skin. The compound oleocanthal occurs naturally in olive oil and has anti-inflammatory properties, and chronic inflammation has been linked to negative health outcomes
for the brain, heart, and other organs. Olive oil increases insulin sensitivity, minimizing the amount the body needs to produce and lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes.
GOOD FOR THE TASTE BUDS Aside from all this good health news, perhaps the best thing about olive oil is that it tastes good. In sauces and pestos, bruschettas and marinades, as an ingredient in bread or a topping for it, olive oil brings flavor to any meal, and “to life.”
ALLA VITA 27 State Street Montpelier, VT (802) 225-6526 allavitavermont.com www.bestofcentralvt.com 51
TO YOUR
“As the saying goes, ‘do what you love,’ and I love sales and all of the products I carry at The Body Lounge,” says owner Beth Gadbois. “I have tried everything in this store. For it to be here, I have to love it.”
BY MOLLY RITVO
An Oasis of luxury at the
BodY Lounge W
hile the Mountain Road in Stowe is often congested with pedestrians, cars, bikers, and runners, there are many gems along its path offering relaxation to visitors as well as residents. One such spot is the Body Lounge. Sandwiched between BunyaBunya Boutique and Yellow Turtle in the Red Barn shops, the Body Lounge has been a fixture in Stowe for the past 15 years. Owner Beth Gadbois has created an oasis of uplifting aromas and peace. Beth first opened the Body Lounge in 2005 on Sunset Street. She relocated a few years later to Main Street and made the move to her current location at 1799 Mountain Road in the Red Barn Shops three years ago. Featuring luxury bath, body, and skin care products as well as a few other quirky items including candles, incense, and several lines of irreverent greeting cards, Beth’s boutique is filled
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with color and joy. It’s also not cluttered, even though her assortment of bath gels, salts, soaps, balms, and lotions is impressive. The store is gracefully arranged with an upscale and slightly vintage vibe. A collection of jewelry sits atop suitcases. Everything feels deliberately curated, which is due to Beth’s creative direction.
MORE THAN JUST SOAP “While our core is natural and organic body and bath products, we are a quirky gift shop,” Beth explains. “Well, maybe it’s more that I am rather quirky and snarky and when I buy for the store, that is reflected in the products I choose. We have some of the funniest cards around as well as a lot of novelty socks.” Beth carries unusual products that are not found in major chains, grocery stores, or even inside another store along the Mountain Road. “I try to buy from
This page, clockwise from left: A sample of the hundreds of sock styles. A nice variety of men's products can be found. A plethora of candles and Vermont coasters. CBD-infused caramels.
Shoppers delight their senses with rejuvenating aromas, quirky gifts, and luxurious bath and body items
www.bestofcentralvt.com 53
Above: The shop is filled with a large selection of unique gifts including natural body and bath products. Right: Sugar scrub cubes. Opposite: Natural non-GMO shower gel.
unique sources,” she explains. “When people come in and tell me this is an awesome place to shop and that we have so much variety that they need more time to see it all, then I know we have hit the mark.” One of Beth’s most popular products are those from her arnica line. “Arnica is a flower that has been used in traditional healing for hundreds of years to relieve sore muscles and achy joints,” she says. She has been making her arnica cream, lotion, oil, salt, and stick formula for about eight years and wholesales it to more than 175 business. “There is nothing better than making something that takes people’s pain away,” Beth adds. When asked what gives her the most joy, Beth smiles and remarks: “Hands down when our customers tell us that our products have changed their lives for the better. We carry natural and organic products that have cleared up people’s skin and scalp issues after years of discomfort and struggle.” Other products that Beth count as favorites include Blinc mascara, white pine candles (which smells like a sweet forest, Beth promises), Deep Steep’s rosemary mint body wash, MGA Skin Rescue cream (“life-changing”), Pangea face products, Duke Cannon’s Smells Like Victory Soup, Bidwell Botanicals maple body scrub, Mason Pearson hair brushes, and Lily Hill CBD. All of the products she offers are highly scrutinized. “I have tried everything in this store. For it to be here, I have to love it,” says Beth.
INVESTING IN SMALL HANDCRAFTERS Beth spends a lot of time researching products, visiting trade shows, enjoying samples, and asking for customer recommendations. The majority of the CBD products are sourced from Vermont producers. “The remaining products usually need to come from 54
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small handcrafters or be something that is really unique and fun,” she adds. With a background in public relations and marketing, Beth is also a property manager. She lives in Stowe with her partner Chip Dillon and her cat, Meowser McWhiskers. She is a mom of two sons, Jacob, 19, and Ethan, 21, and manages to find time to volunteer and is a trustee for North Country Animal League. Beth noticed that luxury, natural, and organic bath and body products were hard to find in Stowe 15 years ago. “I thought the community might like to see those types of products in a more boutique-like setting,” she recalls. “Their popularity has increased over the years. As the saying goes, ‘do what you love,’ and I love sales and all of the products I carry at the Body Lounge.”
HONORING COMMUNITY Beth also is thankful for the community she has around her. She feels connected to her customers and has enjoyed having “Wind Down Wednesdays,” a community and family event featuring food trucks and music in front of her store this summer. As the sun sets on the summer season and Beth prepares for fall, she is ready to embrace another busy period. “I want people to come in and laugh at the cards, find an amazing pair of socks, and love how the place smells. I want people to have fun and feel taken care of by me and my staff,” she says. “There really is something for everyone in my 1,300 square foot store and we want to help you find it.”
BODY LOUNGE 1799 Mountain Road Stowe, VT (802) 253-7333 bodyloungevt.com www.bestofcentralvt.com 55
BY MARTA TURNBULL PHOTOS COURTESY OF BCBS OF VERMONT UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED
A Health Care Journey Integrated Health department at BCBS guides the way
When Danielle De Longis and Dawn Tatro see each other for the first time, the warmth between them is palpable. “It’s you!” Dawn says as soon as she hears Danielle’s voice, and the two hug like old friends. Although Dawn and Danielle have never before met face-to-face, they have been part of each other’s lives for four years. Danielle is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Case Manager in the Integrated Health (IH) department at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont. Dawn is a
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Opposite: Blue Cross member Dawn Tatro and Integrated Health Case Manager Danielle De Longis. Right: Blue Cross headquarters in Berlin, Vermont.
Blue Cross member. She was offered Danielle’s assistance after her daughter Jenna required treatment for opioid use disorder.
OFFERING SUPPORT “I got a letter telling me that Danielle would be my case manager, and I left it on my counter,” Dawn says with a laugh. “At the time, I didn’t know what a case manager was!” But as Jenna’s substance issues persisted, the family’s need for information and resources grew. Eventually, Dawn called Danielle for help and together they navigated one of the most difficult journeys of Dawn’s life: her daughter’s long and ultimately fatal struggle with opioid addiction.
“Integrated Health is here to help guide members who need assistance in navigating the complex system of agencies and services that encompass health care today.” The Integrated Health department at Blue Cross is staffed by skilled health care providers: doctors, nurses, social workers, mental health clinicians, even an in-house pharmacist. Those who work directly with members have completed specialized training and education to become Certified Care Managers, a national certification for those who help individuals navigate the sometimes complex—and for many people, intimidating—world of health care. There are special IH programs dedicated to navigating pregnancy and birth (called Better Beginnings), transitions of care (such as transitioning from intensive inpatient care back to an outpatient setting), mental health and substance use disorders, cancer and other
chronic conditions, and end-of-life care. “It’s an amazing team,” Danielle says.
EACH PERSON MATTERS IH’s care navigation assistance is customized to the needs of each member. One person’s case might be resolved within a single phone call while someone navigating a more involved health care
journey, like Jenna, might need guidance and support for months or even years. These members might be receiving care across a number of facilities and providers; IH’s case management services can help patients improve coordination between those care locations and bridge any unintended gaps that might occur while moving between multiple facilities and providers.
www.bestofcentralvt.com 57
Above: Saint John’s Church will become a recovery center in Johnson. Right: Jenna and Dawn Tatro. Photos this page courtesy of the Tatro family.
“Integrated Health is here,” says Kate McIntosh, MD, Senior Medical Director and Director of Quality at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont, “to help guide members who need assistance in navigating the complex system of agencies and services that encompass health care today. We help inform them of services and opportunities, and we empower them to ask the questions they need to ask of their providers and care facilities along the way.” In certain situations, as in Jenna’s case, a member of the department might reach out to offer individual assistance. But Dr. McIntosh is quick to point out that any Blue Cross member who needs help with their health care is welcome to use IH’s services—all they have to do is call. Some members connect with IH before a big event, like a planned surgery; some reach out after a new diagnosis, like kidney disease or diabetes; still others just need a hand finding a nearby primary care physician. The team welcomes them all. “Anybody can come to Integrated Health!” she says. “We’re here for any Blue Cross member who feels they need help navigating the sys58
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tem. It’s not about the severity of the diagnosis. It’s about the member. There’s no judgment.” Dawn remembers running through a long list of questions and concerns on that first phone call with Danielle. “I was asking, ‘Can you help with this? Do you help with that?’” To her disbelief, the answer to each of her questions was “Yes.” “This is what we do,” says Danielle. “Our job is to get you the help you need, no matter
what your health issue.” “Danielle made a plan for us,” Dawn says. “She found us resources, doctors, facilities that I didn’t even know existed. I could spend hours looking for certain numbers. Danielle knew the way to the resources.” “When Jenna was really struggling, we’d have team meetings to figure out what we could do, what we could offer to keep her alive,” Danielle says. “That was the goal.”
Integrated Health by the Numbers IH assisted 3,500 Blue Cross members in 2018 MOST COMMON ISSUES: Chronic illnesses such as diabetes, asthma, hypertension, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and congestive heart failure Acute and catastrophic injuries such as head injuries, amputations, spinal cord injuries, and multiple traumas Cancer Mental health and substance use disorders Transgender services Terminal illness Hospital discharge planning Pregnancy and postnatal wellness Neonatal complications IH case management is highly personalized to the needs of each individual member and their unique health care situation, but on average, most members work together with a Certified Care Manager for one to three months.
She recalls an instance when Jenna called her from out-of-state, in crisis, on a Friday, and the whole team stayed late securing authorizations and approvals, racing the clock to get her admitted to a treatment facility before offices closed for the weekend. Dawn remembers the day well. “With Danielle, Jenna always knew she was more than a number,” Dawn says. “They care. They understand that each person and situation is unique. They go above and beyond. I tell everybody that.” “As a health plan, we have a uniquely broad view of the member as a whole—of their entire journey,” Dr. McIntosh says. “That vantage point makes us distinctly well-suited to the work of helping an individual manage the complexities of their care.” www.bestofcentralvt.com 59
“Because we have the ability to see the whole picture of an individual’s care,” adds Sara Korrow, a Clinical Operations Manager for Integrated Health, “we can meet you exactly where you are—in mind, body, and spirit—and help you get the care you need.” Before the relapse that led to the end of her life in early 2019, Jenna was sober for almost 60 days. During that time, she told Dawn that she wanted to help others who were struggling with addiction. “She knew how lucky she was,” Dawn says. “She knew that other people didn’t have the same resources she did.”
GIVING BACK Dawn and her husband Greg have pledged to carry on that work in Jenna’s memory. Together, they founded Jenna’s Promise Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting people in recovery. They decided to purchase St. John’s Church in the heart of Johnson village and turn it into a recovery center. It was the family’s church for many years, and the space remains deeply meaningful to the Tatros.
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Jenna Tatro. Photo courtesy of the Tatro family.
“We want to give it back to the community,” Dawn says. She describes the foundation’s vision for the space, which includes hosting sober events and providing affordable office space to mental health counselors and other care providers. There are plans underway to offer job and life skills trainings. The Tatros’ long-range vision includes employment programs, sober housing, and transportation assistance to help people in recovery in the rural area reach treatment appointments and support services that are often located many miles away. “We want to break down barriers and stigma and bring people in recovery together with the rest of the community,” Dawn says. “You need to have community. You need to have support. “What you gave me,” she says, turning toward Danielle, “I want to give that back.” Learn more about the Jenna’s Promise Foundation at jennaspromise.org. Learn more about Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont’s Integrated Health services at bcbsvt.com. ✿
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF VERMONT 445 Industrial Lane Berlin, VT (800) 247-2583 www.bcbsvt.com www.bestofcentralvt.com 61
TO YOUR
Fringe Salon and Lash Bar
A
Looking and Feeling your Best
s busy as we all are, looking and feeling your best can be daunting at times. Finding a salon that offers everything you enjoy and need is a win. Fringe Salon and Lash Bar tries to anticipate your needs. Fringe Salon is a full-service salon for women, men, and children that provides the services of haircuts, styling, hair color, highlights, balayage, waxing, and Novalash volume lashes. If that’s not enough, Fringe Salon now offers a full lash bar. Tanja Semprebon is a volume certified lash artist. Novalash is a glamourous new way to extend the length and thickness of your natural lashes. The NovaLash technique will not damage your natural lashes, allowing them to grow and thrive with the extensions. Lash extensions are a convenient and beautiful alternative to the tedious daily use of mascara. You can go from mild to wild, like hand dipped and crystallized lashes—maybe a fun idea for the upcoming holidays. And coming soon, facials and microblading! CBD products in a salon? Absolutely! Fringe carries creams and serums, as well as hair products with CBD. CBD contains antioxidants and fatty acids that promote healthy hair. If you have any questions about their CBD products, don’t hesitate to ask. They’ll be happy to explain the benefits.
FRINGE SALON & LASH BAR Central Vermont Shopping Plaza, Suite#6 Barre, VT Open Monday–Friday Evenings & Weekends by Appt. (802) 505-4015 (802) 249-2269 62
BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | FALL 2019
www.bestofcentralvt.com 63
TO YOUR
BY TOM BRANDES
Coping with Pain and Anxiety
CBD Retail Shops Offer Exciting Alternatives
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I
n the last six months, cannabidiol (CBD) retail shops have sprouted in Vermont like mushrooms following a rain. CBD is among the more than 100 chemical compounds in the cannabis plant, and anecdotal evidence suggests it helps people deal with anxiety, pain, and sleep issues. Despite being a close chemical cousin of THC, the cannabidiol that gives people a high, CBD cannot provide a similar high no matter how
much is consumed. Here’s a look at three CBD retail shops. Elevated State VT in Stowe sells a variety of CBD products including tincture bottles (which are used by placing a drop under the tongue), pain topicals (ointments applied to reduce pain), and gummies (think CBD-infused gummy bears) for pain. According to owner and founder Erik St. Croix, these products are popular because
Opposite: The one-of-a-kind hempcrete countertop at Elevated State VT. Left, top: Tasha's Treats for dogs are named for Tasha, who loves to welcome everyone to the shop. Left, below: The pet section at Elevated State VT continues to expand.
people are sick of mediocre results. CBD products provide comparable relief from pain, inflammation, and anxiety without the side effects associated with many supplements and FDA-approved products. “I wasn’t getting relief from neck pain so I tried vaping and tincture drops under the tongue,” says St. Croix. “Vaping provides fast relief in 30 seconds but the benefits are gone in two hours; a tincture takes 20 minutes to affect pain but provides longer term moderate relief.” St. Croix sees CBD becoming a regular product that competes with other supplements in the future, and believes new products such as inhalers will deliver CBD in the future. He got into the business because he saw how CBD helps people, and began growing medicine for a family member who was dealing with cancer, but is now in remission. Seeing those results made St. Croix a believer. Meanwhile just a half mile from Ben & Jerry’s Factory in Waterbury, CBD Vermont’s most popular products include roll-on topicals, tinctures, oils, balms, beeswaxes, creams, and dog treats. Not surprisingly, owner Doug Bell believes they’re popular because they work. “The main conditions people use CBDs for are pain, anxiety, and sleep,” says Bell. “I have a bad shoulder that wakes me up at night. Using a tincture helps me relax and get back to sleep. I also use topicals for my hands.” According to Bell, CBD oils provide a sense of calming—an effect similar to meditation. He believes CBD products have huge potential and today’s products are just the beginning. Products from this year’s cannabis crop will be all organic when they arrive in his shop later this year. Bell feels strongly that cannabis products will provide new opportunities for Vermont farmers and he’s excited about the possibilities to help keep struggling farms going. “I came out of retirement to start a business to help struggling farmers produce a product that’s organically raised and that can reduce www.bestofcentralvt.com 65
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runoff into our lakes and streams,” adds Bell. “This is a community business and we’re doing our best to help customers with pain, anxiety, and sleep issues.” Finally, CEO Meg Burns and her business partner COO Mark Drutman operate Green Hut in Waterbury. Green Hut operates as a store-within-a-store in the Craft Beer Cellar owned by Drutman. Green Hut offers only Vermont-grown products of the highest quality. The shop’s top selling CBD products include extracts, balms, chocolate bars, and dog bones. “This is a power-to-the-people movement that has grown into a major industry in Vermont and a windfall crop for dairy farms,” says Burns. Interestingly, Burns believes the future depends on moderate regulation to create more accurate dosing, and better extraction methods. She believes regulations will create universal standards and best practices, which will be good for the nascent industry. Ultimately Green Hut strives to be the source for local, craft, sustainable CBD products—like a Whole Foods Market model for CBD. The firm doesn’t offer products that can be smoked or vaped, and only buys from farms and suppliers with sustainable and/or organic practices.
ELEVATED STATE VT 407 Mountain Road Stowe, VT (802) 253-HEMP (4367) www.elevatedstatevt.com
CBD VERMONT 1930 Waterbury Stowe Road Waterbury Center, VT (802) 882-8377 www.cbdvermont.com
GREEN HUT 3 Elm Street Waterbury, VT (802) 882-8570 www.greenhutcbd.com www.bestofcentralvt.com 67
TO YOUR
Imagine Yoga studio in Barre, Vermont, is dedicated to mindfulness and mindbody interventions for peace and well-being. Established in February 2018, Imagine Yoga strives to offer affordable and convenient classes for every level of practitioner.
Imagine Peace And Well-Being VINYASA YOGA Imagine Yoga offers several types of yoga for all bodies. Vinyasa Flow is offered multiple times a week. Vinyasa is a style of yoga in which practitioners move smoothly into different poses using breath work and teacher guidance. These classes are good for someone who has a basic concept of yoga practice. Each class will be creatively designed to harness inner balance and collective energy to bring more ease into the mind and body which translates to more ease in the world off the mat. Opportunities for individual support, assists, or requests can be made to evolve the class into its own unique design. Ashtanga Yoga is a modified series of postures passed down from Sri Pattabhi Jois. This class brings breathwork and body work into unification while participants diligently practice the same series of postures, cultivating a deeper meditative state. The postures are taught in a progressive system that builds more stamina and strength every time 68
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you take the mat. Research shows us that focused breathing, such as the method used in Ashtanga Yoga, can influence autonomic nervous system functions including heart rate variability and cardiac vagal tone.
YIN YOGA AND MEDITATION Yin Yoga and Meditation is the most popular class at Imagine. This class is geared toward yogis looking for more of an inner experience. Class will focus on easy, seated poses that
are held longer. There will be meditation interwoven throughout the class, including moments of stillness and silence. This is a good class for a beginner or an advanced yogi looking to access the yin rather than the yang qualities of their yoga practice. Yin Yoga and Meditation offers deep relaxation and physical postures that can reduce autonomic sympathetic activation, muscle tension, and blood pressure, improve neuroendocrine and hormonal activity, decrease physical symptoms and emotional distress, and increase quality of life. Imagine also offers Buti Yoga, which incorporates shaking or tribal dancing which helps relieve restricted muscle tissue and stimulates release and the healing of traumatic stress in our tissues and our energies. Buti Yoga is known for its dynamic synergy drawn in from the class and music beats made for moving your hips. The Kids Yoga class gives young people the opportunity to learn the basic practices of yoga.
PHOENIX COMMUNITY PROGRAM Imagine Yoga participates in the Phoenix program, which is a national program that promotes an active sober lifestyle for people in addiction recovery. The Phoenix is free to the public and provides a safe and confidential place to practice and find support in recovery. Imagine offers weekly Phoenix yoga classes. Regular yoga practice provides benefits to mind and body. “When you practice ease and contentment on the mat, you are better equipped to practice ease and contentment off the mat.” Classes at Imagine Yoga are open to all bodies, from those just learning about yoga to the very experienced.
IMAGINE YOGA 14 N. Main Street Barre, VT (802) 458-0635 www.imagineyogavt.com
ONLINE EXTRA Do you know what Reiki is? Learn all about Reiki and all the wellness benefits it offers at Imagine Yoga with Amy Fordham–Duff The Reiki Guru at www.bestofcentralvt.com. www.bestofcentralvt.com 69
TO YOUR
Optimize Your
OVERALL Well-being
70
BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | FALL 2019
Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls. —Joseph Campbell
H
ealth has physical, mental, and emotional aspects. Skillful healthcare providers guide you to your most optimal overall well-being. Suzanna Bliss, founder of Bliss Healing Acupuncture and Natural Health in Montpelier, is such a practitioner. Suzanna loves solving the riddle of her patients’ health challenges and providing effective, compassionate care to help them regain and maintain peak health and vitality. Suzanna has cared for the Vermont community for 30 years. She started out selling homemade herbal products at farmers markets. In 1996, she opened Rooted Wisdom Wellness Shop and School in Stowe. There she formulated herbal remedies, provided health consultations, authored articles and books, and lectured. Since 2000, she has taught healthrelated seminars and college courses. Suzanna blends her herbal and nutrition expertise with specialties in Japanese, Orthopedic, and Master Tung acupuncture, cupping, Gua sha, and moxibustion. In 2018, she collaborated with skilled professionals on a medical service trip to northeastern Nepal. She continually strives to broaden and deepen her knowledge and hone her techniques so she can successfully help more patients address a wider range of conditions. Because acupuncture is holistic, it is extremely effective for the treatment of stress, depression, aging, pain, recovery from surgery or accidents, sports injuries, and chronic conditions as well as providing fine-tuning to enhance function and performance.
BLISS HEALING ACUPUNCTURE AND NATURAL HEALTH Suzanna Bliss, MEd, MAc, LAc, DiplAc 81 River Street Montpelier, VT (802) 272-0402 blisshealingvt.com suzanna@blisshealingvt.com www.bestofcentralvt.com 71
TO YOUR
Align to Health
A
lign to Health is the chiropractic neurology office of Dr. Steven Sobel, located in Montpelier. Dr. Sobel is the only board-certified chiropractic neurologist (DACNB) in central Vermont and one of only three in northern New England. Chiropractic neurologists are trained to treat neurological and musculoskeletal conditions without the use of drugs or surgery. Like other medical specialists, they must pass rigorous written and practical board exams. Dr. Sobel has completed over 1,000 hours of advanced postdoctoral study. DACNBs successfully treat concussions, TBIs (traumatic brain injuries), vertigo, dizziness, balance issues, headaches, sports and motor vehicle accidents, and neuro-degenerative disorders. The strategies also effectively prevent age-related decline and increase performance. Your care begins with a thorough neurological exam to determine functional imbalances. Then, Dr. Sobel develops an individualized treatment plan to promote neuroplasticity so that your brain and body can function in harmony. Care consists of therapeutic exercises to stimulate and balance brain functioning, chiropractic manipulation to target areas of the nervous system, and nutritional support to reduce inflammation, help restore optimal fuel delivery, and support healing. 72
BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | FALL 2019
The doctor of the future will give no medicines, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause of disease. —Thomas Edison
We love Vermont beers, wines, ciders and spirits! We love BINGO! So we're combining them to play BREWVIEW BINGO. from the Send us a pic at the As you complete each Pub k Dec r pe Up ER WINDJAMM as you're square send us an lnstaRestaurant, of Send us a pic n e ctio d, Send a pic tim sele next Williston Roa enjoying the Woodchuck Send us a pic Woody the TDOOR R BAR Route Burlington gram @brewviewvt and GE OU th r n at BUR Sou you Bar 're at of you er in the Cider Send us a pic urch Street 15, Colchest K CIDER GEAR on Ch visit to WOODCHUC make sure you hashtag, in Burlington TAP HOUSE ge Street, han RNE Exc LBU SHE d, Middlebury Shelburne Roa #brewviewbingo. Send Shelburne when you us ANY 5 pics from the Send us a pic LE PIG IST visit the WH nt m at Vermo while you're tasting roo board and receive a $20 Grab a pic te n Rou ctio , sele 're ffee the enjoying while you Artisan's Co r checking out Grab a pic Send us a pic at bury Cente LIC HOUSE, at 100, Water at STOWE PUB in Stowe stopping in the patio gift certificate from et the g r Stre on win in you B's Bre Ma of e on Charli IDLETYME Send us a pic d in Stowe Tavern in the Company, Mountain Roa a local restaurant. visit to The we and Spa in ian Road, Sto ort unt Res Mo ex Ess Essex VT Complete a row of pics the of Send us a pic up line craft beer and receive a $40 gift as you're the bar pic ove a us ab d Sen the E Pub FREE checking out ry at CORNERSTON , nto from certificate. Fill the entire incredible inve TDOORS, and Kitchen Send us a pic CE OU re A ER Bar r at SP ONION RIV Main Street, the new ba of et, Langdon Stre Send us a pic D Caledonia card and win a $100 by Hill r r elie CB Bar Montp your visit to facility in Spirits new te 100, Vermont, Rou nter Montpelier. Gift certificate to a local Ce y bur ter Wa restaurant, and be from the of the Indian pic eligible to win $500 a d us a pic us Sen d Sen CK NS at WOODSTO next time new SAXTO Motorcycle Send us a pic HOUSE BARLEY, of the DISTILLERY HOPS AND in Gift cards! Send us a pic of the visit PUBLIC k you toc in m ods w Wo RANT AT ible vie Tasting roo
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sam love BINGO! and Spirits! We ingo. Wines, Ciders BrewView Bingo. , wb ers vie Be ew nt g, #br We love Vermo combining them to play e you hashta t and make sur taurant So we’re sample @brewviewv from a local res ram e tag cat tifi Ins an cer t send us eive a $20 gif cate te each square board and rec t cards! $40 gift certifi As you comple win $500 in gif 5 pics from the row of pics and receive a be eligible to Send us ANY taurant, and Complete any res al loc a t card to gif 19 0 30/ $10 11/ s win ire card Contest end Fill in the ent
ALIGN TO HEALTH 1 Blanchard Court Montpelier, VT (802) 229-6800 drsobel@aligntohealth.com www.bestofcentralvt.com 73
TO YOUR
Robbie – should the list at Best Ways to Avoid Lyme have numbers? What about the numbered list in the section after that? Should it have num-
SHAYNE FOLEY, PA-C
Prevention and Treatment Advice from Central Vermont Medical Center
bers/no numbers? Also, if ths is too long I can cut it. -jgd
L
yme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in the United States. Shayne Foley, a Physician Assistant at Central Vermont Medical Center, explains what to look for and what you can do to prevent Lyme disease. Bites from ticks occur most commonly in the late spring and summer, but can occur during other seasons also. Once bitten, the process of Lyme disease transmission requires the deer tick to be attached to the skin for at least 48 to 72 hours. If a tick is removed promptly, usually less than 36 to 48 hours after embedding in the skin and before the tick becomes engorged (filled with blood), there is about a 99 percent likelihood of NOT acquiring Lyme disease. Ticks that have not embedded into the skin cannot transmit Lyme or other tick-borne illnesses.
SYMPTOMS OF LYME DISEASE The first phase of the disease, called Early Localized, commonly occurs within one month of a tick bite. Symptoms include rash, fever, swollen glands, muscle and joint aches, joint swelling and/or redness, headaches, neck stiffness, and a generalized fatigue or sense of not feeling well. The most well-known symptom of Lyme disease is the Erythema Migrans rash, often referred to as a “bull’s-eye” due to its appearance. The other symptoms can be rather non-specific, so it is best to see a health care provider if symptoms consistent with Lyme disease develop.
HOW LYME DISEASE IS DIAGNOSED The diagnosis of Lyme disease can be made in a variety of ways, including clinically or through laboratory testing. 74
BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | FALL 2019
ABOUT LYME DISEASE TREATMENT OF LYME DISEASE If the determination has been made to treat confirmed or suspected Lyme disease, antibiotics are a very effective treatment in all stages of the disease. The antibiotic Doxycycline is the preferred treatment, given that it has excellent efficacy in treating Lyme disease, no suspected antibiotic resistance, and treats some other tick-borne illnesses as well.
Under certain circumstances, Doxycycline can be used as a prophylaxis, or preventative treatment strategy.
WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF A TICK BITE Should prevention not be enough and you get a tick bite, the following steps are recommended:
BEST WAYS TO AVOID LYME DISEASE Prevention is still the best way to avoid Lyme disease. Although there is a good prognosis for people treated for Lyme disease, the best method of treatment is to avoid it in the first place. • Avoid areas with high grass and leaf litter • Minimize skin exposure by tucking pants into socks • Wear light-colored clothing to easily spot ticks • Use effective and safe tick repellents (to be sure, speak with a health care provider or pharmacist before purchasing) • Perform tick checks immediately upon returning from an area suspected to harbor ticks • Shower within a few hours of being outdoors • Put clothing in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill any ticks present
1. Remove the tick with fine-tipped tweezers. 2. Place the tick in an enclosed container. 3. Attempt to identify if the tick is a deer tick. 4. If it is a deer tick and has been present for more than 36 hours, see a healthcare provider within 72 hours of tick removal.
CENTRAL VERMONT MEDICAL CENTER 130 Fisher Road Berlin, VT (802) 371-4100 www.cvmc.org www.bestofcentralvt.com 75
TO YOUR
River Street Wellness in Montpelier brings four health care practitioners together in one location to care for the whole body and mind of patients looking for treatment of pain or illness or looking to improve overall wellness. ERIC SILVERS, CMT
JOSHUA SINGER, LAC
Licensed acupuncturist Joshua Singer founded River Street Wellness as a collaborative because of his understanding of the value of an integrative model of care. He began his journey to become a health care provider as a pre-med student at Emory University. While on a break from school, Joshua traveled extensively, exploring what medical care is like in other parts of the world and ultimately becoming a practitioner of Oriental Medicine with a Master’s from Oregon College of Oriental Medicine. Licensed in the state of Vermont to perform acupuncture, Joshua has used the tools of Chinese medicine to care for central Vermonters for over 15 years.
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Eric Silvers completed his first certification course as a massage therapist in 1999 at the Arizona School of Integrated Studies, and after completing two years of acupuncture study in California, he moved to Vermont. In 2014, Eric further developed his craft by completing the 1,025-hour Hellerwork Structural Integration certification course. Hellerwork Structural Integration is a unique bodywork modality that uses deep tissue work, movement education, and awareness dialogue to treat dysfunction such as pain, poor posture, and restricted mobility.
STEPHANIE WAWRZYNIAK, ND
Stephanie worked for 20 years as a pharmacist before she found her true calling as a doctor of naturopathic medicine. Once she earned her doctoral degree from National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon, Stephanie returned to her home state of Vermont to practice as a naturopathic primary care physician. With her background in pharmacy, Stephanie is able to help patients manage their prescriptions and take a more natural approach to their health.
JACOB RUSCZEK, PHD Jacob views psychotherapy as a place for increasing self-awareness. Often, we don't fully understand why we go about our lives as we do, and why we have the difficulties that we have. Without adequate self-awareness, we tend to unwittingly repeat the same patterns. It is only when we understand ourselves as we truly are that we become free to choose new possibilities..
RIVER STREET WELLNESS 301 River Street Montpelier, VT (802) 225-6634 www.riverstreetwellnessvt.com
www.bestofcentralvt.com 77
TO YOUR
Your Financial Health by the
Numbers
To stay on track, set goals
STEPS TO BUILDING CREDIT START WITH A JOB.
M
SHOW THAT YOU CAN HOLD A JOB AND EARN MONEY.
any Americans shy away from forming a financial plan. Some turn a blind eye to their financial health, believing that financial planning is for the independently wealthy. Others may feel that the process is too complicated and confusing. But having a plan is a clear way to OPEN keepA your financial health CHECKING in the pink. ACCOUNT. In her 41 years at Northfield Savings Bank, Deb Kerin MANAGING SHOWS has seen a lot. As the Vice President of THIS Community YOU HAVE EXPERIENCE Banking for Central Vermont, HANDLING Deb oversees MONEY. the branch network in Central Vermont while managing the Barre office. To build your financial health at any stage of life, Deb has the following recommendations.
OPEN A SAVINGS ACCOUNT. SAVING ON A REGULAR BASIS SHOWS 20s YOURFINANCIAL This isRESPONSIBILITY. the time when it’s important to establish your
credit history and start building a budget. Usually, things aren’t too complicated yet and you don’t have many expenses, so pay your credit card in full and on time. While APPLY it seems away, if your job offers a retirement FOR far A CREDIT CARD. plan, you should jump in and start saving, even if it’s a small amount. START BY MAKING SMALL PURCHASES AND 30sPAY YOUR BILL YOURALWAYS TIME.you’re most likely becoming established in At this ON stage,
your career, maybe getting married or starting a family. By now, you’ll have a credit history and you’re probably looking
THERE’S NO BETTER TIME THAN NOW. 78
BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | FALL 2019
to buy a house. This is when making sound financial decisions is truly important. You’ll want to carefully weigh needs versus wants, and most importantly—spend within your means.
YOUR 40s Now is a good time to save more aggressively. Maybe you want to upgrade your home or your car and take vacations; whatever your dream is, having a strong savings plan in place will help you achieve your goals.
YOUR 50s The thought of retirement is starting to enter your mind. You don’t want to have debt when you get to that point, so now is the time to be working your debts down and planning ahead so you can retire when you’re ready.
YOUR 60s This is when most people retire. It’s important to really understand what expenses you have and how much you’ll need on a monthly basis. Getting these things in line will help you enjoy retirement to the fullest. Financial planning doesn’t have to be complicated. The important thing is to set goals so you can keep your financials hale and hearty. It is important to be invested in your financial success, no matter what stage of life you are in. Northfield Savings Bank and Northfield Investment Services offer products and investment options to help you plan in yourself and your future. Northfield Savings Bank is FDIC insured and is an Equal Housing Lender. www.bestofcentralvt.com 79
WHAT 'S HOT | BY PHYL NE WBECK
BURGER BARN Not Your Ordinary Burger
A
t first blush, it’s just another food truck and a stationary one at that, tucked behind a physical therapy office in Jeffersonville. Closer inspection reveals that there is nothing ordinary going on here. Behind Burger Barn’s modest exterior lies a cornucopia of options—mostly beef burgers but also vegetarian patties, seafood, and side dishes—which are enjoyed from May through October. The toppings are varied but all the beef comes from one source: Boyden Farm, a non-GMO verified operation just a few miles down the road. 80
BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | FALL 2019
Boyden boasts a “birth to butcher” growing process. Their cows start on a high-grass diet and finish out their lives with grain. Burger Barn’s Kierstin Colaceci has always been interested in food. She is a graduate of the culinary program at the Essex Technical Center and worked at the Cambridge General Store which was run by her family. The Burger Barn is a family affair since the truck is owned by her boyfriend Judson Gravel, a veteran of Burlington restaurants, including time at Sweet Tomatoes. The couple was inspired to start
Clockwise from left: Burger Barn friends Chris and Katrina Achilles enjoy a meal with their kids. In a rare moment when she’s not behind the grill, Kierstin pops outside the food truck for a quick photo. Bailey, one of the friendly window servers, takes an order.
their venture after talking to friends who owned a small farm and sold burgers at the Burlington Farmers Market. The two originally purchased beef from Stony Pond Farm in East Fairfield and began to cook at the Williston and Mills Riverside Park (Jericho) Farmers Market roughly a dozen years ago.
FINDING A PLACE TO CALL HOME Cooking at farmers markets was rewarding but the couple didn’t enjoy having to pack up all their equipment, including a hot grill, on a weekly basis. They found a spot in Fairfax to park their truck, but the location was less than ideal. Colaceci grew up in Cambridge and continues to live there, so the couple headed home. After a year at a temporary location, they found the Jeffersonville spot where they park their bright green, yellow-trimmed truck. Kierstin says she and Judson have www.bestofcentralvt.com 81
Clockwise from top: Signature burger the Nutty Goat is topped with chèvre cheese, maple-encrusted walnuts, caramelized onions, bacon, and mayonnaise. The Teddy Salad is a gluten-free option. Everyone loves coming to the Burger Barn on a sunny day.
thought about a more permanent brick and mortar location but there are no current plans to do that. Burger Barn started out with nine different burgers but that number has expanded to 38, not including occasional specials. Every item on the menu can also be made with a vegetarian patty. At first, the couple added seasonal burgers like the Ethan Allen which was a fall special thanks to the apple slices atop the beef, but most became so popular that they were added to the menu full time. Now, the Ethan Allen is one of the three best sellers, together with the Alamo and the classic bacon cheeseburger, but Kierstin says the Burger Barn’s signature creation is the Nutty Goat which has chèvre cheese, maple-encrusted walnuts,
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caramelized onions, bacon, and mayonnaise. There is also a small seafood menu including shrimp, clams, and a salmon burger. “We cook all of our bacon in the oven and the hardest part is keeping up with the bacon requests,” Kierstin says. “Seventy-five percent of the burgers we sell are bacon cheeseburgers with a few extra ingredients on them.”
MORE THAN JUST BACON Many of the Burger Barn’s creations have geographic themes like California Uber Alles, Texas BBQ , Minuteman Philly, Icelandic Saga, Oahu BBQ , El Alamo, Tuscany, and Nuts about Thai. For those partial to cheeseburgers, the Burger Barn has a list of 14 different cheeses, many of which are local. They offer a variety of condiments in dispensers just outside their truck. Kierstin only serves one burger size. She says parents are often initially disappointed there is no children’s menu, but after they eat, they return to the truck beaming to tell her that this was the first time they have seen their child eat an entire burger. Vegetables are also available at the Burger Barn, but they appear under the heading of “fried stuff” and include zucchini, cauliflower, and dill pickles. Although the couple has four additional employees, theirs are the faces most people see. “It’s basically a mom and pop shack,” Kierstin says. Her personal favorite is the Garlic Burger which she describes as a simple cheeseburger with roasted garlic. When she’s not cooking, Kierstin is busy raising two four-year-old twins. Otto enjoys eating burgers, but for now, Rolf is happiest when he can help cook them. “I just like making people happy,” says Kierstin. “I have people come up to me and say it’s the best burger they ever had.” Although many patrons are local, others come from Burlington or beyond. Kierstin reports that there is a couple from Shelburne who visit them twice a week. The Burger Barn has never advertised, so all their visitors come solely based on recommendations from others. “We aim to make a delicious product,” Kierstin says, “and to make people happy. It’s a labor of love.” ✿
BURGER BARN 4968 Vermont Route 15 Jeffersonville, Vermont (802) 730-3441 www.facebook.com/BurgerbarnVT www.bestofcentralvt.com 83
WATER WORK S
Waterbury Works
An Update on Waterbury Main Street Reconstruction Project 84
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T
he Waterbury Main Street Reconstruction project is rolling along on all cylinders, with work progressing on three segments of the project. Segment 1 stretches from the railroad bridge to Stowe Street, and won't see any work until 2020. Segment 2 runs from Stowe Street to Park Row. Segment 3 goes from Park Row to Batchelder Street. Segment 4 starts at Batchelder Street and goes south of Demeritt Place. Segments 2, 3, and 4 are in various stages of work.
FULL DEPTH RECONSTRUCTION The Main Street project is a “full depth reconstruction,” including replacement of the municipal water and sewer infrastructure. Built in the early 1900s, the original water and sewer lines have lasted long past their sell-by date. Some
water pipes are even made of wood. Naturally, the original infrastructure was not built with 21st century water and sewer needs in mind. Thanks to a gift by a local resident to the historical society, the original hand-drawn sewer plans from 1899 have come to light. At five pages long, they are dwarfed by the current plans which run to more than 400 pages. They show that the sewer lines originally fed into the Winooski River, as was standard practice at that time.
UNDERGROUNDING THE UTILITIES The amount of cables, communication lines, and high-speed internet infrastructure is another modern reality the original design couldn’t account for. As part of the reconstruction project, utilities in the core of the downtown are being placed underground.
Opposite and below: During the second week in July, Revitalizing Waterbury held its annual ArtsFest, which was a big success even with construction nearby. Bottom: Each cable company and electric company gets its own conduit for the undergrounding of the utilities.
www.bestofcentralvt.com 85
Above: At the NQID (Not Quite Independence Day) parade, always the weekend before the 4th of July, Waterbury reconstruction contractors J.A. McDonald had a big showing in the parade and let kids climb all over their equipment afterwards. Right: Two nights of all night construction reduced the impact on travelers at a busy intersection.
PROGRESS SO FAR A new sewer line, water main, and storm water drainage have been completed in segments 3 and 4. Work is currently taking place on a new sewer line and storm drains in Segment 2. Paving and new sidewalks in Segments 3 and 4 will be completed in October of this year. Landscaping in these areas will be done in the spring. The project began in April and is projected to be completed by July 2021. Work will be done approximately from 6am to 6pm on weekdays. Updates on the project are posted on Waterbury’s Front Porch Forum, announced on WDEV, and printed weekly in the Waterbury Record. For the most up-to-date information, visit WaterburyWorks.com. 86
BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | FALL 2019
FALL 2019 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR
VERMONT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
SEPTEMBER 21 Brubeck for Two
SHARON ROBINSON AND JAIME LAREDO
Opening the September Season, special guest conductor Sarah Hicks
The VSO joins leaf peepers on the road in late September, visiting intimate and historic venues across the state with their “Made in Vermont” chamber orchestra tour. Please see website for more details.
SEPTEMBER 26
Castleton University Fine Arts Center, 7pm
SEPTEMBER 27
Brattleboro Music Center, 7:30pm
SEPTEMBER 28
Middlebury, Mahaney Arts Center, 7:30pm
SEPTEMBER 29
Derby Line, Haskell Free Library and Opera House, 3pm
VERMONT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 2 Church Street Burlington, VT (802) 864-5741 www.vso.org
OCTOBER 10
Randolph, Chandler Music Hall, 7:30pm
OCTOBER 26
South Burlington, Higher Ground, 7:30pm
OCTOBER 6
Greensboro, Highland Center for the Arts 3pm
www.bestofcentralvt.com 87
FALL 2019 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR
SPRUCE PEAK PERFORMING ARTS CENTER SPRUCE PEAK CHAMBER MUSIC
JAMES CORDEN
VITALY
SEPTEMBER 17 at 7pm Margaret Atwood: Live In Cinemas HD
OCTOBER 11 at 10am Walk Two Moons
SEPTEMBER 18 at 1pm Margaret Atwood: Live In Cinemas HD
OCTOBER 13 at 7pm Spruce Peak Chamber Music: Occupied Berlin
SEPTEMBER 26 at 3pm National Theatre Live In HD James Corden in One Man Two Guvnors 88
BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | FALL 2019
OCTOBER 17 at 3pm National Theatre Live In HD Frankenstein with Benedict Cumberbatch
OCTOBER 19 at 3pm Opera Company of Middlebury, Tosca OCTOBER 26 at 3pm and 7pm Stowe Mountain Film Festival NOVEMBER 5 at 10am Go Home Tiny Monster
FALL 2019 | &ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR SUMMER 2019 | ARTS ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR
DAVE KELLER: SOUL & BLUES BASH
NOVEMBER 7 at 11am Rhapsody in Black NOVEMBER 21 at 2pm The Met Opera Live in HD Turandot NOVEMBER 23 at 7pm Emergency 1st Responders Soul & Blues Bash NOVEMBER 29 at 3pm and 7pm Vitaly: An Evening of Wonders
SPRUCE PEAK PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 122 Hourglass Drive Stowe, VT www.sprucepeakarts.org www.bestofcentralvt.com 89
FALL 2019 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR
MONTPELIER ALIVE
Outdoors Farmers Market 9am to 1pm
SEPTEMBER 5, 12, 19, 26 Hunger Mountain Coop Brown Bag Concert Series Noon to 1pm
SEPTEMBER 21 Scrag Mountain Music Musical Scavenger Hunt All day event
SEPTEMBER 28 Feast of Fools Launch Party 5pm
MONTPELIER ALIVE 39 Main Street Montpelier, VT (802) 223-9604 www.montpelieralive.org
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BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | FALL 2019
SEPTEMBER 29 Montpelier Fall Festival All day event
OCTOBER 18 Moonlight Madness 5pm to 9pm
OCTOBER 31 Enchanted Forest & Trick or Treating See website for times
NOVEMBER 29 Flannel Friday All day event
DECEMBER 6 Art Walk
See website for times PHOTO BY JEB WALLACE-BRODEUR
EVERY SATURDAY THROUGH OCTOBER
LOST NATION THEATER OCTOBER 3–OCTOBER 20 PRIDE & PREJUDICE,
The outspoken Elizabeth Bennet faces pressure from her mother to secure a suitable marriage. But is marriage suitable for a woman of Elizabeth’s intelligence and independence? Literature’s tale of latent love has never felt so theatrical, or so full of life, as it does in this effervescent adaptation. Thurs–Sat, 7:30pm & Sundays, 2pm
OCTOBER 15–OCTOBER 26 THE ART OF STORY TELLING See website for times
39 Main Street Montpelier, VT (802) 229-0492 www.lostnationtheater.org
FALL 2019 | &ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR SUMMER 2019 | ARTS ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR
STOWE ASSOCIATION SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER 13 Stowe Farmers Market Sundays 10:30pm to 3pm SEPTEMBER 21 Stowe Foliage Art on Park & Blue Ribbon Apple Baking Contest All day event SEPTEMBER 21 Von Trapp Brewing Oktoberfest 11am to 7pm OCTOBER 11 Stowe Foliage Arts Festival 10am to 5pm
STOWE ASSOCIATION 51 Main Street Stowe, VT www.gostowe.com askus@gostowe.com
OCTOBER 26 Stowe Mountain Film Festival 3pm to 9pm
www.bestofcentralvt.com 91
FALL 2019 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR
BARRE OPERA HOUSE VIENNA BOYS CHOIR
SEPTEMBER 28 Big Bad Voodoo Daddy 8pm
OCTOBER 4 Jimmie Vaughan 8pm OCTOBER 5 Eagle Mania 7:30pm OCTOBER 12 Medium Lauren Rainbow 7:30pm PRESLEY, PERKINS, LEWIS & CASH
OCTOBER 20 Vienna Boys Choir 3pm OCTOBER 26 Presley, Perkins, Lewis & Cash 7:30pm NOVEMBER 1 Ranky Tanky 7:30pm NOVEMBER 23 Sierra Hull & Noam Pikelny with Stuart Duncan 7.30pm
BARRE PARTNERSHIP OCTOBER 31 Trick or Treating downtown 5pm NOVEMBER 30 Small Business Saturday, Christmas Tree Lighting and Parade www.barrepartnership.com
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BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | FALL 2019
BARRE OPERA HOUSE City Hall 6 N. Main Street Barre, VT (802) 476-8188 www.barreoperahouse.org
NORTH BRANCH NATURE CENTER SEPTEMBER 18 Digital Nature Photography 101 5:30pm to 7:30pm SEPTEMBER 20 Friday Morning Fall Bird Walks 9am SEPTEMBER 21 Wild Edibles—Apple Edition 9am to 1pm OCTOBER 3 Anatomy of a Pond by Adelaide Murphy Tyrol Gallery reception, 5:30pm to 7pm OCTOBER 6 Photography for Naturalists Workshop 8am OCTOBER 9 Saw-whet Owl Public Banding Demo 7:30pm to 9pm NOVEMBER 16 Black Ash Basketmaking 9am NOVEMBER 17 Black Ash Basketmaking 1pm
NORTH BRANCH NATURE CENTER 713 Elm Street Montpelier, VT info@northbranchnaturecenter.org www.bestofcentralvt.com 93
FALL 2019 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR
OTHER NOTEWORTHY EVENTS SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER 14 The Great Corn Maze Open Daily SEPTEMBER 29 Vermont Pumpkin Chuckin’ Festival, Stoweflake 11am to 4pm
OCTOBER 5 Jay Peak Oktoberfest See website for details
OCTOBER 5 Baking with Pumpkins The Garage Cultural Center, Montpelier 2pm to 4pm
OCTOBER 5 Open Studio Weekend, Stowe All day
OCTOBER 19 Pumpkin Smash Tournament, Barre Town
OCTOBER 27 The Tiny House Festival
Sugarbush Resort, See website for details
OCTOBER 27–29 Fall Family weekend in Middlebury, VT NOVEMBER 2 Granite City 5k for Veterans, Barre Gates open at 8am
NORWICH UNIVERSITY CELEBRATES 200 YEARS! SEPTEMBER 18–22 2019 Homecoming Weekend Norwich University SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 Founder’s Day Celebration Norwich University SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26 Celebrate 200! Gala in Washington, DC NOVEMBER 14–15 Sullivan Museum & History Center Traveling Exhibit, Boston, Faneuil Hall SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16 Celebrate 200! Boston Celebration
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best of
Central Vermont ADVERTISERS INDEX Align to Health............................................................................................................................................................ 61 alla vita..........................................................................................................................................................................25 Ann Roche Casual Furniture....................................................................................................................................27 Arbortrek........................................................................................................................................................................4 Artisans’ Gallery......................................................................................................................................................... 15 Artisans Hand.............................................................................................................................................................25 Bare Medical Spa...........................................................................................................................................................1 Bliss Acupuncture...................................................................................................................................................... 61 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont..........................................................................................................................7 Body Lounge......................................................................................................................................................... 19, 27 BrewView Bingo..........................................................................................................................................................73 BunyaBunya Boutique............................................................................................................................................... 19 Burlington Furniture......................................................................................................................Inside Back Cover Burlington Marble and Granite............................................................................................................................... 13 Burlington Mattress.................................................................................................................................................. 83 Central Vermont Medical Center...........................................................................................................................75 Close to Home............................................................................................................................................................. 11 Cody Chevrolet.......................................................................................................................................................... 95 Coldwell Banker/Classic Properties..................................................................................... Outside Back Cover Commodities Natural Market................................................................................................................................. 19 Cornerstone Pub and Kitchen...................................................................................................................................5 Culligan Water Systems.............................................................................................................................................2 Cushman Design Group........................................................................................................................................... 61 CW Print + Design.................................................................................................................................................... 93 Delicate Decadence...................................................................................................................................................55 di Stefano Landscaping...............................................................................................................................................3 Evergreen Gardens of Vermont.............................................................................................................................. 14 Ferro Estate and Custom Jewelers......................................................................................................................... 19 Fringe Salon and Lash Bar....................................................................................................................................... 93 Harvest Market...........................................................................................................................................................67 Idletyme Brewing Company.................................................................................................................................... 19 Imagine Yoga...............................................................................................................................................................75 J. Morgan’s Steakhouse/Capitol Plaza................................................................................................................ 43 Ladder One Grill......................................................................................................................................................... 51 Landshapes..................................................................................................................................................................67 Mayo Health Center.................................................................................................................................................. 71
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Midstate Dodge............................................................................................................................................................8 Montpelier Alive......................................................................................................................................................... 21 Montpelier Orthodontics.........................................................................................................................................55 Morse Farm................................................................................................................................................................. 43 Moruzzi’s Restaurant and Speakeasy....................................................................................................................23 Nelson Ace Hardware............................................................................................................................................... 41 Northfield Savings Bank........................................................................................................................................... 17 Onion River Outdoors.............................................................................................................................................. 39 Outdoor Gear Exchange...........................................................................................................................................33 Peregrine Design/Build............................................................................................................................................. 91 Pink Colony Boutique................................................................................................................................................ 51 Rebel Heart .................................................................................................................................................................77 Red Barn Realty of Vermont............................................................................................................................. 19, 47 Red House Builders................................................................................................................................................... 59 Revitalizing Waterbury............................................................................................................................................ 85 Richard J. Wobby Jewelers..................................................................................................................................... 59 River Street Wellness............................................................................................................................................... 39 ROAM.......................................................................................................................................................................... 63 Sarducci’s Restaurant and Bar...................................................................................................................................9 Shelburne Museum................................................................................................................................................... 79 Slate...............................................................................................................................................................................77 Spruce Peak Performing Arts..................................................................................................................................73 Sterling College............................................................................................................................. Inside Front Cover Stowe Public House................................................................................................................................................... 19 The Automaster............................................................................................................................................................6 The Bench Restaurant............................................................................................................................................... 19 The Carriage Shed..................................................................................................................................................... 79 The Store...................................................................................................................................................................... 41 Total Fitness Equipment.......................................................................................................................................... 63 Tres Amigos................................................................................................................................................................. 19 Vermont Artisan Coffee and Tea............................................................................................................................23 Vermont Kitchen Design by Bouchard Pierce Candlelight.............................................................................. 71 Vermont Kitchen Design by Bouchard Pierce Wolf...........................................................................................33 Wagner Hodgson Landscape Architecture........................................................................................................ 66 Wake Robin.................................................................................................................................................................60 Windows and Doors by Brownell........................................................................................................................... 14
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BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | FALL 2019
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