Seven Days, May 1, 2024

SCUFFLE SCUFFLE

Winooski’s bargain real estate attracted a diverse group of residents for years. Now they’re being squeezed out.

BY DEREK BROUWER & ALISON NOVAK,

PAGE 26

DANSKO DAYS

Meet Jeff from Dansko

Meet Jeff from Dansko

5/3 Friday Colchester 1 to 6PM

5/3 Friday Colchester 1 to 6PM

5/4 Saturday Shelburne 10 to 4PM

5/4 Saturday Shelburne 10 to 4PM

5/5 Sunday St Albans 11 to 4PM

5/5 Sunday St Albans 11 to 4PM

Campus Encampments

Student activists erected encampments at Middlebury College and the University of Vermont on Sunday to protest the war in Gaza and vowed to stay put until their demands are met.

ey called for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions, divestment from companies supplying the military campaign and immunity for all student protesters, among other items.

UVM students are also protesting their May 18 commencement speaker, Linda omas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations who, in February, vetoed a resolution calling for a humanitarian pause to Israel’s attacks in the Gaza Strip.

“We all feel a duty to humanity to stop this genocide,” a third-year UVM student told Seven Days. “Our university has financial ties to the occupation of Palestine, and that’s what we’re here for.”

A rally on Monday brought a few hundred students to UVM’s Andrew Harris Commons, where more than 50 tents had been set up. Demonstrators spent the afternoon making signs and waving flags as their peers walked to and from class. In Middlebury, where an encampment had grown to more than 60 tents, students were planning art installations and “student-led teach-ins on Palestine,” according to Patrick Oliver, a student spokesperson.

A wave of pro-Palestinian student activism has swept the nation following the arrest of students at Columbia University in New York City last week. Some demonstrations have intensified as universities issue deadlines, threaten to suspend participants and bring in cops.

e Vermont colleges have indicated that they will allow the encampments to remain for now, though they’ve sent slightly different messages.

A statement from Middlebury College made no mention of discipline, saying it was focused on “dialogue and our educational mission.”

“Right now, the students are peaceful and complying with protest policies,” the college said.

UVM administrators, meanwhile, notified students on Monday night that they were violating several university policies and would face increasing sanctions, including fines, if the encampment remains in place. “It is my sincere hope that the demonstration will remain peaceful and that those participating will avoid further disruption to campus,” wrote Patty Prelock, the university’s provost.

Shortly before that message went out, campus police installed a portable temporary surveillance tower near the encampment.

For ongoing coverage of the protests, visit sevendaysvt.com.

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DEAN 2.0

Former Vermont governor Howard Dean is apparently considering another run for the o ce, two decades after his last term ended. Yeeeeehaawwww!

NOTCH-ING A WIN

VTrans will install obstacles on the approach to Smugglers’ Notch to discourage large trucks from trying to drive the narrow, winding road. Anything to stop “stuckages.”

FISH TALE

Vermont wildlife o cials are stocking waterways with the Eagle Lake strain of rainbow trout to compare it with the Erwin-Arlee strain. Try and spot the di erence!

DATA DIVE

UVM Medical Center infectious disease specialists say they’ve seen a huge increase in dangerous group A strep infections. Most of the a icted are intravenous drug users.

That’s how much a former server at a Bradford restaurant will receive in damages after being fired for refusing to share tips with a manager.

TOPFIVE

1. “Burlington Budget Deficit Balloons to $13.1 Million” by Courtney Lamdin. Higher-thananticipated insurance costs and a calculation error resulted in the surprise figure.

2. “A Room of Her Own: In Shelburne, a Backyard Cottage Provides Both a Haven and a Gathering Place” by Melissa Pasanen. Kismet Cottage is every girl’s dream playhouse — all grown up.

3. “Scott Official Pushes Back on Former State Board of Ed Chair’s Testimony” by Alison Novak. e governor’s chief of staff denied the administration had meddled in a past appointment of an education secretary.

4. “A Former MMA Fighter Runs a Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Cabot” by Rachel Hellman. After feeding the baby squirrel, Bryeanne “Bone Breaker” Russillo tends to her cows and other animals.

5. “UVM, Middlebury College Students Set Up Encampments to Protest War in Gaza” by Rachel Hellman. An updated version of this story appears on this page.

@metallidan

At breakfast. Couple of classic VT dudes in adjacent booth. Told server to take back the maple syrup, and pulled out a quart of their own. Proudly proclaimed, “we’re not snobs, but we make our own.” Maybe one of the most Vermont moments of my life.

MENTAL FITNESS

A high school snowboarder has earned a scholarship to the University of Vermont after winning a business pitch challenge for her nonprofit, which helps athletes overcome the mental health pressures associated with highly competitive sports.

Pippa Scott, a 17-year-old junior at Killington Mountain School, beat nearly 150 teams from seven countries and 27 states to win the inaugural Vermont Pitch Challenge. She started her nonprofit, Ride for Mental Health, in 2022 after the suicides of three friends.

e nonprofit raises money to fund suicide-prevention programs for coaches. Scott travels around the U.S. speaking at

athletic events about her own experience with mental health challenges, including an eating disorder. Scott, who grew up in Killington and Mendon, also interviews professional athletes on a podcast about how mental health has affected their lives.

“It’s to try to normalize struggling,” Scott said. “It’s important to get the help you deserve.”

e Vermont Pitch Challenge attracted more than 220 students in all. On April 4 at UVM, Scott pitched her nonprofit to a panel of judges. She beat finalists from the U.S. Virgin Islands, Florida, Pennsylvania and New York.  e challenge, organized by undergraduate admissions and the university’s entrepreneur club, was the first UVM has held for high school students.

e grand prize was for four years’ free tuition, though Scott isn’t sure whether she’ll attend UVM. She’s also applying to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., and hopes to become a naval pilot.

She said showing young people that the athletes they idolize don’t have perfect lives encourages those who are struggling to reach out for help. Later this month, she’ll attend a wellness fair at a high school in New York’s Hudson Valley, where she’ll spend the day leading students through meditation and other activities.

“At the end of the day, I’ll talk about my own experience and let them know that no matter what, they always have someone to talk to, as long as I am here,” Scott said.

For more information, visit rideformh.org.

ANNE WALLACE ALLEN

COMPILED BY SASHA GOLDSTEIN & MATTHEW ROY

Pitch Challenge winner Pippa Scott

e University of Vermont encampment

FLOWERING BASKETS

THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

Paula Routly

Cathy Resmer

Don Eggert, Colby Roberts

NEWS & POLITICS

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Ken Ellingwood, Candace Page

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

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ARTS & CULTURE

Dan Bolles, Carolyn Fox

Margot Harrison

Chelsea Edgar, Pamela Polston

Alice Dodge

Chris Farnsworth

Emily Hamilton

Jordan Barry, Hannah Feuer, Mary Ann Lickteig, Melissa Pasanen, Ken Picard

Alice Dodge, Angela Simpson

Katherine Isaacs, Martie Majoros, Elizabeth M. Seyler

DIGITAL & VIDEO

Bryan Parmelee

Eva Sollberger

James Buck

Je Baron

Don Eggert

Rev. Diane Sullivan

John James

Je Baron SALES & MARKETING

Colby Roberts

Robyn Birgisson

Michelle Brown, Logan Pintka, Kaitlin Montgomery

Carolann Whitesell

Oliver Frank ADMINISTRATION

Marcy Stabile

Matt Weiner

Andy Watts

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Jordan Adams, Justin Boland, Alex Brown, Chelsea Edgar, Erik Esckilsen, Steve Goldstein, Amy Lilly, Rachel Mullis, Bryan Parmelee, Mark Saltveit, Jim Schley, Carolyn Shapiro, Casey Ryan Vock CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

Luke Awtry, Daria Bishop, James Buck, Tim Newcomb, Jeb Wallace-Brodeur FOUNDERS

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[Re “Sparrow Art Supply in Middlebury Finds a New Nest,” April 17]: The article about the lovely Sparrow Art Supply shop in Middlebury noted that it’s the only art supply shop in Addison County, and it isn’t. Recycled Reading in Bristol also has a fabulous selection of art supplies, as well as musical instruments, books and toys.

MILK MAN

Thank you for your excellent piece on Monument Farms’ chocolate milk [“How Now, Brown Cow: Monument Farms Dairy’s Chocolate Milk Inspires Devotion,” April 17]. I’m near the top of the list of fans of Monument Farms milk products, especially its chocolate milk. Pleasantly surprised to see Melissa Pasanen covering such a Vermonty story. As a former food editor of the Tampa Times back in the late ’60s and early ’70s, I always enjoy and appreciate her articles.

For the past 60 years, I have been a musician and bandleader, writing songs about Vermont and the living of it. Vermont Secretary of Agriculture Anson Tebbetts asked me to write a song about “fake milk.” I hope it brings a smile. We are getting radio airplay nationally all over the Western swing community.

Rick Norcross BURLINGTON

BAD FOR AG

[“Vermont Communities Tackle Budgets, Bridges and Bonds on Town Meeting Day,” February 21] referred to H.706, a bill seeking to ban neonicotinoid insecticides. Rep. Robin Chesnut-Tangerman, the bill’s sponsor, said: “It really reflects what I’ve been hearing from everyday Vermonters regarding this bill.”

As a farmer and former legislator, I am incredibly concerned about that statement. I learned he did not consult with farmers when H.706 was drafted, completely surprising them. House legislators also ignored state experts.

Mary Pratt NEW HAVEN

Vermont’s Agricultural Innovation Board, established by legislators to inform ag policy, determined that more research is needed before banning neonics. The Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets supported the board’s findings. It analyzed hives, finding practically no traces of neonics among them, rightly questioning how a neonic ban could support bee health. Despite expert testimony and evidence, the House’s ag committee passed H.706 to the Senate. Neonicotinoids are essential for Vermont ag, which supports 50,818 jobs and $8.45 billion in economic impact statewide. Neonics are especially important to dairy farmers, whose silage corn and soybeans can be destroyed by seedcorn maggots without neonics. There’s no effective alternative. Seed-coated neonics, planted underground, also help reduce insecticide spraying, which would hurt our record number of honeybee colonies. If Vermont legislators keep restricting ag without acting on experts’ input,

CORRECTIONS

Last week’s story headlined “Reining Champions” incorrectly identified the status of Emma von Ballmoos as an equestrian. She competes as an amateur rider.

The news story about Rep. Emily Kornheiser, “Taxing Work,” gave the wrong amount for the property tax increase that the House Ways and Means Committee backed last year to provide school lunches to all public-school students. The property tax increase is 3 cents.

Voters have seen the man behind the curtain, ignoring the denials of the teachers’ union and management.

Staff salaries, accounting for threequarters of education costs, are determined at various local levels through closed-door union negotiations, which probably explains the difference in salaries and quality among the various districts. And school budgets have been substantially hijacked over the years by the strong influence of special interest advocates. Sen. Dick Sears (D-Bennington) has suggested that school spending decisions, made at the local level, got the state into this predicament.

Class sizes and student-teacher ratios are also determined by negotiations at the local level. School districts have used years of featherbedding to bloat staff positions with job titles unheard of 30 years ago, all undoubtedly “essential,” all under local control.

This initiative aims to aid elderly individuals, as well as families and caregivers looking after their aging loved ones, through a series of four videos that can be accessed at any time.

The video series delves into various topics including finding a higher level of care, providing functional and medical support for loved ones at home, and supporting the caregiver.

agriculture here would likely further decline and fracture. If we value local farms, we must protect them, not take away their tools. Our Senate should listen to our experts rather than push ahead with this bill, which most farmers oppose.

Harvey Smith NEW HAVEN

RICH TAPESTRY

I really appreciated the acknowledgment of the phenomenal fiber artists at Studio Place Arts in Barre [“Darned Tough,” April 10] and, of course, I especially appreciated Eva Sollberger’s “Stuck in Vermont” segment on the quilters [“Grateful Thread,” April 10]. She always has her finger on the pulse of what’s happening. I am hoping these articles signal a course correction on seeing and reviewing the multitude of wonderful fiber artists in Vermont. It is about time they have their hard work acknowledged and praised.

Susi Ryan ESSEX JUNCTION

WHAT’S WRONG WITH EDUCATION

In March, Alison Novak reported that residents rejected school budgets in 29 of about 95 Vermont school districts [“Vermont Voters Reject School Budgets in 29 Districts,” March 6]. Vermont-NEA president Don Tinney attributed the rejection to events over which “local school boards have no control.” Others have also publicly absolved school boards of responsibility.

School districts and supervisory unions also blame health care costs for driving spending increases. Vermont Auditor Doug Hoffer has proposed “reference-based pricing,” which establishes a fair price for a particular medical service. It is estimated that reference-based pricing would eliminate approximately 40 percent of services of higher-priced providers.

The Agency of Education states that costs for special education and mental and behavioral health have also increased substantially in recent years. In New York State, these needs are funded separately from property taxes.

Robert Wood HOLLAND

‘DOOR ON FIRE’

[Re “Police Search for Man Who Set Fire at Sen. Bernie Sanders’ Burlington Office,” April 5, online]: I am appalled and probably naïve to think that someone who would set fire to Sanders’ office would

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NEWS+POLITICS 14

House Rules

An Act 250 bill would fast-track approval of downtown housing while protecting natural areas

Burlington Budget Deficit Balloons to $13.1 Million

Reading the Room

Aggressive behavior, increased drug use at Burlington’s downtown library prompt calls for help

36 A Penny Saved

Burlington’s favorite brunch is now at Deep City

Gov. Scott Keeps Saunders as Ed Secretary After Senate Rejects Her FEATURES 26

Late Loomers rough arts such as weaving, older Vermonters reflect on their lives and losses

ARTS+CULTURE 42

Back in Style STRUT! fashion show returns after a four-year hiatus

Sounding O

Adam Tendler and the VSO to premiere Vermont composer Nico Muhly’s first piano concerto

Shaina Taub’s Su s Earns Six Tony Nominations, Including Best Musical Welch Wants to Help Vermont Theaters ‘Still Struggling’ Post-Pandemic Beasts of Burden

Amalia Angulo’s drawings both suggest and question a “peaceable kingdom”

In ‘Painting the Town,’ Julie Davis Pays Tribute to Johnson Landmarks

Beyond the Beer ree questions for Cory Swafford of Waterbury’s Blackback Pub

Find a new job in the classifieds section on page 78 and online at jobs.sevendaysvt.com.

COVER DESIGN REV. DIANE SULLIVAN • IMAGE DARIA BISHOP

Mozart, Mazzoli & Muhly

Missy Mazzoli

7: 30 PM

Sinfonia For Orbiting Spheres

Nico Muhly

Sounding ( World Premiere)

Josquin Des Prez

Mille Regretz

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Requiem in D minor, K. 626

FLYNN CENTER, BURLINGTON

Tickets & information at vs o . org /events

This concert is conducted by VSO Music Director Andrew Crust & is preceded at 6:30 p.m. by a free pre-concert discussion with Crust & VSO’s guest artists for insight into the evening’s program.

and join Music Director Andrew Crust and host Helen Lyons as they talk through and share music from the upcoming season. classical radio, or stream online at vermontpublic.org, VSO ANNOUNCES ITS 2024-25 SEASON!

featuring Adam Tendler, piano the VSO Chorus, and vocal soloists Visit vso.org

MAGNIFICENT

WEDNESDAY 1-SUNDAY 5 GREEN LIGHT

ONGOING

Tourist Attractions

e Bryan Memorial Gallery in Jeffersonville presents its “Legacy 2024 Collection ” a celebration of some of the latest artists in a long line of painters who have come to Vermont and New England for inspiration. From a bold, abstract depiction of flowers in bloom to a wide, sweeping view of mountains, sunsets and covered bridges, the landscapes in this exhibit depict the Green Mountain State in all its glory.

SEE GALLERY LISTING AT SEVENDAYSVT.COM/ART

Northern Stage’s New Works Now Festival, a celebration of new works by emerging playwrights, concludes with Kelvin Grullon and Literature to Life’s adaptation of e Great Gatsby at Barrette Center for the Arts in White River Junction. Actor Bryce Foley stars in this innovative one-person show that breathes new life into the Jazz Age classic and asks big questions about the cost of the American dream.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 62

FRIDAY 3

Banjo Berserk

e Kruger Brothers close out the Vergennes Opera House’s season with a rollicking good time. e band’s classic acoustic Americana repertoire — by way of the brothers’ native Switzerland — fuses folk and classical traditions for a fresh, skillful sound. Proceeds benefit the All Access Project to build an elevator in the opera house.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 64

FRIDAY 3

Going Gaga

e revived First Friday series at South Burlington’s Higher Ground Showcase Lounge presents TOP2BTM: Lady Gaga “ e Fame Monster.” A track-by-track drag and burlesque show marking the 15th anniversary of the beloved pop album is sandwiched between two big, queer dance parties soundtracked by DJ GAYBAR.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 64

SATURDAY 4

Booked Up

At the Vermont Book Awards, Vermont Humanities and other local literary organizations honor the many exceptional wordsmiths who call the Green Mountain State home. e swanky ceremony and reception at Vermont College of Fine Arts’ College Hall in Montpelier honors this year’s nominees for fiction, creative nonfiction, children’s literature and poetry.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 66

SATURDAY 4

Chip Off the Old Block

Beloved local party band the Grift curates an infectious intergenerational show featuring local kid prodigies at Middlebury’s Town Hall eater. Among the Addison County Youth All-Stars are 11-year-old Grift scion Sam Bierman and flatpicking mentee Evan Jennison, who are both educated in the theater’s Rock-It Science program.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 63

SUNDAY 5

Home Run

e housing solutions nonprofit hosts its annual COTS Walk to support its mission to end homelessness. Beginning in Burlington’s Battery Park, fundraisers walk 3.6 miles, visiting shelter locations along the way to see how their donations support shelter and other services for their unhoused neighbors. e trail ends with live music, Ben & Jerry’s, and family-friendly fun.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 66

Winooski, My Town?

The Winooski roundabout was still a gleam in some urban planner’s eye in January 2003 when my wife, Ann-Elise, and I bought our first house in the Onion City. With help from the local land trust, we got a three-bedroom, 1,100-square-foot home on lower North Street for just $118,000 — cheaper than anything we could have found in Burlington.

We were among the homebuyers who flocked to Winooski because we were priced out of the big city. Seven Days noted the trend in a package of stories later that year with the headline: “Is the Onion City Becoming Burlington’s Brooklyn?”

I wrote about the demographic shift Ann-Elise and I were part of: lifelong residents moving out; a fresh crop of twentysomethings, LGBTQ residents and recently resettled refugees moving in.

WE COULDN’T AFFORD TO BUY OUR HOUSE NOW.

Most of our neighbors on North Street had been there for decades — in some cases, their whole lives. For example, Jan and Steve Pickering, who lived across the street. Reporting my piece, I marched over, introduced myself and asked if I could interview them. They graciously invited me in, and I learned that Jan was of French Canadian descent and one of nine kids who had grown up in the small house she and Steve then occupied. Like many of our neighbors at the time, they were Catholic.

I DOUBT

PEOPLE LIKE OUR OLD NORTH STREET NEIGHBORS

COULD, EITHER.

I asked what they thought of all the newcomers to Winooski — in particular, the gay ones like me.

“It’s their lives,” Jan said. “If this is the way they want to live it, great for them.” Steve was more taciturn. “To each his own,” he said.

It was a bold question — Vermont’s civil unions debate was recent history — but Jan and Steve were unfazed.

After our kids, Graham and Ivy, were born — in 2006 and 2008, respectively — Jan and Steve watched out for them. So did Aline Gamelin, from down the block, and Lyle Remick Sr., also from across the street. Like surrogate grandparents, they cooed over the kids in their Halloween costumes and gave them special treats. After every snowstorm, Lyle cleared our sidewalk and driveway with his snowblower, without being asked, often before I had gotten out of bed.

In 2010, Ann-Elise and I started looking for a bigger place. We wanted to stay in the neighborhood — we loved living in a small, walkable community with a diverse array of perspectives. Around the corner, we found another three-bedroom brick house. When I peeked inside, I saw freshly painted white walls and gleaming wood floors. It had 1,800 square feet of indoor space and a huge side yard.

I learned later that the house had been in the same family for generations. An electrician and his wife had bought, gutted and fixed it up; they also cut back the brush in front where a homeless man had

been squatting. The new owners sold it to us for $280,000 — a stretch, but we made it work.

We stayed in touch with our beloved North Street neighbors, but Aline, Steve, Jan and Lyle have all since died. Most of the single-family homes on our old block have turned over, some more than once.

The downtown has changed, too. Gone is the empty parking lot, replaced by the roundabout that opened to tra c in 2006 and is now ringed

Windows, the multi-venue music festival that debuted in 2011. Among the dozens of bands on the bill is Afro-pop group A2VT, whose 2012 hit “Winooski, My Town” celebrates the inclusive nature of our small city.

But Winooski is less inclusive than it used it be: Proximity to all these amenities — and Burlington — has driven up rents and home prices, forcing some residents, and new refugees, to move elsewhere. Derek Brouwer and Alison Novak document the trend in this week’s cover story: “‘We’re Leaving’: Winooski’s Bargain Real Estate Attracted Diverse Residents for Years. Now They’re Getting Priced Out.”

by a wide range of restaurants. My go-to gift shop, Golden Hour, is there, too. It sells some cheeky items that would have made Jan and Steve blush.

Though Graham is technically a senior at Winooski High School, he’s in the early college program. He’s finishing his first year of classes at the Community College of Vermont, a short walk from our house; its campus opened here in 2010. This weekend, Winooski welcomes back Waking

Our family has witnessed this migration, too. Two of the Nepalese families we knew departed in recent years for better prospects and cheaper housing in Ohio. My coworkers look to Ferrisburgh and St. Albans for their first homes.

According to Zillow, our modest abode, built in 1850, is now worth over half a million bucks, almost double what we paid for it.

I’m happy that our real estate investment has appreciated, but I’m also unsettled by what it means for our neighborhood. We couldn’t a ord to buy our house now. I doubt people like our old North Street neighbors could, either. Who can pay these sky-high prices?

Airbnb hosts, apparently: Alison and Derek note that the number of houses and apartments being used as short-term rentals in Winooski has tripled since the pandemic. There’s one bordering our property. My parents have reserved another on Weaver Street for the week of Graham’s graduation. A few years ago, that property was a shambles, occupied by an elderly woman to whom Ann-Elise delivered Meals on Wheels. Now it’s a wellappointed three-bedroom with a big yard — exactly the kind of place that’s impossible to buy or rent in Winooski these days.

It’s a shame nobody lives there.

Cathy Resmer

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BUCK

Aerial view of Winooski

Graham and Ivy Resmer with Lyle Remick Sr. on the first day of school in August 2017

Cathy Resmer and Ann-Elise Johnson with Graham and Ivy Resmer on their doorstep in December 2010

Burlington Budget Deficit Balloons to $13.1 Million

House Rules

An Act 250 bill would fast-track approval of downtown housing while protecting natural areas

BY KEVIN MCCALLUM • kevin@sevendaysvt.com

For the past four years, whenever lawmakers sought to make significant reforms to the land-use and development regulations in Act 250, their e orts have gone nowhere. Various bills seeking to modernize the 1970 law have stalled in committee, died when e orts to reconcile competing House and Senate versions fizzled, or been vetoed by Gov. Phil Scott.

This year, however, following months of work by three di erent study committees, optimism for a breakthrough is growing. A bill gaining traction would marry the sweeping reforms that environmental groups have long wanted with a suite of measures to boost housing production.

ENVIRONMENT

The reforms would streamline the construction permitting process; increase protections for forests, headwaters and

river corridors; and slash red tape for new housing near downtowns.

Those closely following the progress of the bill, H.687, say it could incentivize housing construction around downtowns while making it harder to build sprawl that threatens sensitive natural areas.

“My sense is that it will make it across the finish line, one way or another,” Chris Cochran, director of Community Planning & Revitalization at the Department of Housing and Community Development, told Seven Days.

Gov. Scott remains skeptical. He would prefer that the housing incentives, which he supports, be kept separate from e orts to expand environmental protections, which he does not.

“It should be a surprise to no one that I will not accept any bill that makes it harder, slower or more expensive to build housing,” he said during a press conference last month.

The Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee has merged major elements of an Act 250 reform bill that passed the House in March with a housing production bill, S.311, that stalled in the Senate. The result is H.687, a mammoth bill that takes up 182 pages.

“It’s head-spinning,” Sen. Alison Clarkson (D-Windsor) acknowledged to colleagues.

The pressure to act is intense. Responding to last year’s devastating floods and addressing the housing crisis are among the top legislative priorities this session. The bill attempts to tackle aspects of both.

Advocates say that despite Scott’s veto threats, his deputies are working behind the scenes to solve both technical and philosophical issues, an indication that a compromise can be hammered out.

STORY & PHOTO BY COURTNEY LAMDIN courtney@sevendaysvt.com

For months, Burlington officials had been forecasting a $9 million deficit heading into the next fiscal year. Last ursday, that number grew to $13.1 million.

Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak delivered the bad news at a city hall press conference, where she was flanked by department heads. Higherthan-anticipated insurance costs and a calculation error are to blame for the $4 million difference, she said.

e spending squeeze is the first major challenge for the newly elected mayor and could make it harder for her to enact some of the public safety reforms she promised on the campaign trail. Mulvaney-Stanak pledged to work with her team and the city council to adopt a balanced budget before the next fiscal year begins on July 1.

City officials first identified the deficit in December. At that point, they expected annual revenue to decline by $4 million, mostly due to the end of federal coronavirus aid. Expenses were also growing, including $3.4 million more to pay employees and another $1.6 million for non-personnel items. But officials had forgotten to include the cost of employee benefits in their calculations, according to the mayor. She acknowledged that an error was made but praised Chief Administrative Officer Katherine Schad, who helps craft the budget, for flagging it.

At the press conference, Schad outlined some possible ways to close — but not eliminate — the gap. Schad said the city can raise $1.8 million by enacting the 3-cent public safety tax that voters approved on Town Meeting Day. e city could raise another $1 million by doubling the gross receipts tax, from 2 to 4 percent, for hotels. e city still has about $2 million in unspent coronavirus aid, Schad said.

e city has also said it expects to find additional savings in an ongoing efficiency study of several departments.

Many of those ideas were already being considered even before the budget gap widened. But officials hope to find enough money to avoid employee layoffs. “ at will be one of the last options we’ll consider,” Mulvaney-Stanak said. ➆

Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak

Reading the Room

Aggressive behavior, increased drug use at Burlington’s downtown library prompt calls for help

Librarians at Burlington’s Fletcher Free Library are doing far more these days than just shelving books. They’re monitoring security cameras, trying to distinguish naps from drug overdoses and employing something called “verbal judo” to calm agitated patrons.

The downtown library has always been the proverbial “community living room,” open and free to all. That’s long made it a

leave. That’s a change for library director Mary Danko, who’s been on the job for seven years.

“Before, we used to say to people, ‘Hey, don’t forget you’re [trespassing],’ and they’d be like, ‘Oh, I forgot,’ or they’d leave,” she said. “Now, they’ll be like, ‘Well, what are you going to do about it?’”

As the problems mount, the library has asked city officials for more money to beef up security and address other needs.

Whether the city, which is grappling with a $13.1 million budget deficit, can provide extra funding remains an open question.

“We’re just not trained for this,” library staffer Melissa Hutson told Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak at a special Library Commission meeting last month. “We want to help everybody, but we get to a point where we don’t know what to do here.”

MELISSA HUTSON

welcoming place for a contingent of homeless people, some of whom spend much of their day on library grounds.

But a new wave of drugs and spiking rates of homelessness have presented new, and more frequent, challenges for staff. They regularly find people sleeping in alcoves and using drugs in the bathrooms — then encounter resistance or even aggression when they ask patrons to

Library staff have tried to keep up by learning new skills, including verbal judo, a nationally recognized technique that diffuses tension through gentle conversation. Some know how to administer Narcan to reverse overdoses, though they also call 911. They provide patrons with “harm reduction packs” that include drug testing strips and flyers describing the health risks of intravenous drug use. And in recent years, some staff members

PHOTOS

Mary Danko

“I think we’re pretty close,” said Jon Groveman, policy and water program director of the Vermont Natural Resources Council. “If you just look at the facts, there are only a couple of issues that I see that are really in dispute.”

Under the bill, some housing projects would be exempt from Act 250 review, but for how long remains an issue. Developers complain that Act 250 is an expensive, time-consuming impediment to construction and that it’s often coupled with a local review that covers much of the same ground.

The bill Scott backed, S.311, proposed sweeping exemptions for new housing development through mid-2029. The massive H.687, meanwhile, contains narrower exemptions that only run until mid-2027. The time frame is shorter because the bill is only meant to bridge the gap until areas targeted for development can qualify for permanent exemptions from Act 250 review.

As written, the bill would allow housing projects of up to 75 units to skirt review until July 1, 2027 — if they are located within half a mile of a state-designated downtown or development district, areas that have been designated as ripe for additional development.

Projects of up to 50 units would also be exempted from Act 250 if they are on less than 10 acres and fall within a quarter mile of an approved village center, a common designation meant to keep communities vibrant. Projects with a ordable units, which the state considers a priority, would continue to be exempt in appropriate areas, regardless of their size.

Currently, Act 250 review is triggered depending on the type or size of project proposed, such as the number of homes. Act 250 supporters argue that approach has helped preserve the state’s rural character by limiting large-scale development. Critics charge that it has contributed to the housing shortage.

The location, not the size, of a project should be what triggers Act 250 review, according to a 2023 study commissioned by lawmakers. It recommends that local review processes be considered, too.

“If towns can prove they have good zoning and planning programs and infrastructure to support development, we don’t need Act 250 to apply there,” said Groveman, who served on the 17-member committee that drafted the report.

The group proposed dividing the state into three tiers. Tier 1, the least restrictive, would be the designation for places where the state wants to encourage development, such as downtowns and areas with the water and sewer capacity to handle

growth. Act 250 review would be eliminated in such places.

Tier 2 would encompass most of the state. The permit process would remain largely as it is today, though new rules would require review of projects that include construction of roads.

Tier 3 would be the most restrictive designation, reserved for ecologically sensitive places such as headwaters, wetlands and intact forest blocks. Any project, regardless of size, would trigger an Act 250 review.

This tension between relaxing Act 250 in developed areas while toughening it elsewhere is at the heart of the fight over the land-use law.

Julie Moore, secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources, agrees that Act 250 needs an update but says the bill fails to strike the right balance, given the housing crisis.

“I think the current version is too heavy on conservation and not heavy enough on housing,” Moore said.

would qualify for the more limited ones, according to data from the Vermont Natural Resources Council.

To boost housing immediately, interim exemptions in the bill open the door to substantial new housing, said Sen. Chris Bray (D-Addison). Under the bill, a town such as Bristol could see a “very significant expansion” of the amount of land covered by such exemptions.

out of the court and back to a dedicated, quasi-judicial board would speed up the process and restore Act 250 to its roots as a “citizen-friendly process.” Instead of a judge on a bench, Vermonters “sitting a table at a local grange hall” would consider cases, he said.

FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE ITS INCEPTION, WE SEEK TO PERMANENTLY RELAX ACT 250 JURISDICTION IN SIGNIFICANT PARTS OF THE STATE OF VERMONT.

REP. SETH BONGARTZ

Lawmakers str ess that scaling back Act 250 review in developed areas is a significant concession and would represent a historic regulatory rollback.

“This bill has been years in the making,” Rep. Seth Bongartz (D-Manchester) told colleagues.

“For the first time since its inception, we seek to permanently relax Act 250 jurisdiction in significant parts of the state of Vermont.”

Communities with the appropriate infrastructure, robust local zoning and environmental protections could win permanent exemption from Act 250 for all development. Smaller communities meeting certain criteria could get limited exemptions from Act 250.

Dozens of communities could qualify for the permanent exemptions, while nearly 100

“It goes from being a couple blocks downtown to being the entire village,”

Bray said he has spent a lot of time looking at maps to get a sense of the bill’s impact and has concluded that the interim exemptions would dramatically increase the areas where projects of up to 75 units could be developed without Act 250 review.

Scott worries that change would only complicate the process, increasing uncertainty and driving up the cost of housing, his spokesperson Jason Maulucci said. Bongartz counters that professionalizing the board would enable it to make precedent-setting decisions on complex environmental policies.

The environmental court judges today don’t do that, but the former board did, and its decisions resonate to this day. They include rulings, such as one addressing a resort in Quechee, that clarified what the law means when it describes “undue adverse impact on the scenic, natural beauty and aesthetics of the area.” Similar decisions have upheld key principles regarding the preservation of open space and protection of wildlife habitat.

Since it no longer hears appeals, the existing Natural Resources Board is largely administrative and, Bongartz said, inconsequential. Enabling it to issue rulings that clarify the law would bring badly needed consistency to the process, Bongartz said.

“I want a board that goes to bed thinking about this and wakes up thinking about this,” he told Seven Days

Whether the professional board should handle appeals remains a key sticking point, however. Bray said on Tuesday he is open to an amendment to study what would be the ideal appellate venue.

“There’s a very large opportunity for towns that are interested to take on and support and facilitate and move faster on more housing,” he said.

The bill would also change how the Act 250 program is administered and how appeals

Reforming Act 250 wouldn’t, by itself, solve the housing crisis. Workforce shortages, high costs of land and building materials, and local zoning restrictions all contribute to high costs. That’s why the bill contains provisions unrelated to Act 250, including tax incentives and zoning changes.

Act 250 applications are each vetted by one of nine volunteer district commissions. Since 2004, appeals of decisions are heard in the environmental division of the Superior Court. Before then, appeals were heard by a statewide board made up of a paid chair and eight volunteers. The bill proposes a return to that system, except with a smaller, professional board. The fivemember body would operate more like the Public Utility Commission than a court.

One that would require denser zoning — up to 12 units per acre in areas with utilities — is raising concerns among planners and other municipal o cials that the state is e ectively stripping local control, said Ted Brady, executive director of the infl uential Vermont League of Cities & Towns. Similar provisions limiting local say over parking requirements and the conversion of motels and hotels to permanent housing are also worrisome, because they override local planning e orts, Brady said.

But in the end, the bill would help get housing built, and Brady said it’s clear that opposing it at this juncture is futile.

Bongartz argues that moving appeals

“You don’t want to get in front of that bus and get run over when we’re trying to address a humanitarian crisis,” he said. ➆

Gov. Scott Keeps Saunders as Ed Secretary After Senate Rejects Her

BY ALISON NOVAK & KEVIN MCCALLUM

A closely watched confirmation vote on Tuesday for education secretary nominee Zoie Saunders ended with the Vermont Senate rejecting her — and Gov. Phil Scott immediately appointing her as interim secretary.

Saunders had already started the job on April 15, but she still needed the Senate’s sign-off. The governor’s move circumvents the legislature and effectively installs Saunders to the position indefinitely.

“I’m confident she is the leader we need as we move forward,” Scott wrote in a statement announcing Saunders’ interim appointment, sent just minutes after the Senate action. “In her short time at the Agency, she has identified challenges, which she is already addressing, including mobilizing support to help stabilize operations in the field in collaboration with education leaders.”

Scott’s decision defied the will of the Senate, where 19 members had voted against confirming Saunders and just nine had voted in her favor. Before the vote, several senators gave impassioned speeches about why they’d vote against Saunders, a Florida school administrator who has spent the bulk of her career working for a privately held, for-profit charter school management company. Many lawmakers cited an unprecedented number of calls, emails and text messages they’d received from constituents urging them to reject the nominee.

Sen. Becca White (D-Windsor), who voted no, said she was “surprised by the immediacy” of the interim appointment, a sentiment shared by Sen. Alison Clarkson (D-Windsor), who also voted to reject Saunders.

“He’s clearly not taking our quite thoughtful debate into account,” Clarkson said of Scott.

As soon as Scott picked Saunders in March, residents, lawmakers, the state teachers’ union, the Vermont Principals’

and School Boards associations, and the Democratic and Progressive parties all raised concerns about her qualifications for the $168,000-a-year leadership position.

Saunders has never worked as a teacher, principal or superintendent and had held her most recent job, as chief strategy and innovation officer in Broward County Public Schools, for just three months.

On the Senate floor ahead of Tuesday’s vote, Sen. Ann Cummings (D-Washington) said she had never seen such an “intense, well-organized lobbying effort.”

“That kind of intensity makes it very difficult to make an impartial decision,” she said, noting that some of the messages appeared to be form letters. Cummings ultimately said she would vote no, reluctantly.

Sen. Ruth Hardy (D-Addison) said she thought the response from constituents “was incredibly authentic and personal and not toxic at all. People were speaking from the heart. People were speaking out of the love of their public schools, out of the love of their communities.”

Hardy also noted that when she interviewed Saunders, the nominee was not able to explain the state’s school finance system. Saunders also did not present a strong vision for public education, Hardy said.

“I’m frankly proud of our constituents, proud of the people in Vermont who wrote to us and showed up today who want us to improve schools and do right by public education in Vermont,” Hardy said.

Several senators expressed concern with the reception Saunders had received from Vermonters.

“I am appalled by the way this woman has been treated,” Sen. Terry Williams (R-Rutland) said.

But Sen. Nader Hashim (D-Windham) said the last several weeks had amounted to “a long and rather awkward” job interview.

“Being found underqualified for a job is not a personal attack,” Hashim said.

Despite the rejection, Saunders, for the time being, isn’t going anywhere. She’ll serve as interim secretary and can do so through February 2025, when all gubernatorial appointees are up for reappointment, Scott spokesperson Jason Maulucci said after the vote.

Interim appointees are not subject to legislative confirmation.

Scott could also wait until after the Senate adjourns for the year and appoint her to the permanent job, something Maulucci said Scott is considering. The law states that if a person is appointed when the legislature is not in session, that person “may validly function in that office during adjournment until the Senate convenes at the next regular, adjourned, or special session.”

If Scott did that, the Senate likely would not weigh in quickly. The permanent appointment would last until February 2025, setting Saunders up for another bruising appointment fight next year.

“We think she’s the right person for the job,” Maulucci told Seven Days ➆

Gov. Phil Scott and the Saunders family

have spent part of their Thanksgiving holiday providing patrons prepackaged turkey dinners.

But staff say compassion only gets them so far. Library rules forbid a wide range of behaviors and levy the harshest punishments for fighting, threatening people and using drugs. People can be kicked out for as long as 180 days, though they can appeal. Last year, library staff issued trespass notices that barred more than 175 people from the grounds. They are on track to reach that number again in 2024.

Police calls are also up. Officers have responded there 132 times this year — about 100 more than during the same period in 2023, data show. In one of the more serious incidents, a patron headbutted a security guard, giving him a concussion.

The library has paid for private security for nearly a decade, but until 2023, the arrangement was only part time. Now, a guard from Chocolate Thunder Security is on duty every hour the library is open, including weekends, which costs $135,000 a year. Guards patrol the stacks and stairwells every 15 minutes, then walk the building’s perimeter, picking up used needles.

For the past couple of months, the police department has loaned the library a pair of staffers known as community service liaisons for a few hours every week to help connect people to social services. Library staffers who would otherwise be designing new programs are instead taking shifts at a desk placed outside the bathrooms to discourage people from using drugs.

Wyatt, a Chocolate Thunder security guard who didn’t want his last name published due to safety concerns, got the library gig after a previous stint as a seasonal employee in City Hall Park,

another hot spot for illegal activity. At the library, Wyatt said, he can detect drug use in the bathroom by ear: the rustle of someone digging in a bag, the crinkle of tinfoil, the sound of a syringe hitting the tile floor. Last year, police and EMTs responded to more than a dozen overdoses on library property, data show.

A few weeks ago, Wyatt was on break when he heard a radio call about an overdose in the men’s bathroom. He rushed upstairs and recognized the man as a patron who greeted him every day. The man, who had turned blue, was revived after his friends dosed him five times with Narcan.

I’M IN A LIBRARY. I SEE THE FULL SPECTRUM OF HUMANITY.

WYATT

Wyatt knows there’s been a surge in such scenes. “But it’s another thing entirely to see it happen and affect somebody firsthand,” he said. “Honestly, that’s probably the toughest part of this job. Because I’m in a library. I see the full spectrum of humanity.”

On a recent afternoon, a young person lugging a backpack, blanket and bedroll worked on an art project in the atrium while an older man wearing a ballcap read a newspaper a few tables over.

Another day, teenagers on school break played Uno upstairs. Outside, a woman with a mental illness was talking to people who weren’t there.

It’s unclear if the library’s changing nature is discouraging visitors. Both the number of visitors and total books checked out have fallen since the pandemic, but Danko said the trends

Reading the Room « P.15

Wyatt from Chocolate Thunder Security

can’t be pinned on public safety concerns alone. More people than previously are using ebooks instead of borrowing them in person, and the library’s New North End branch, which opened in 2021, has peeled off some patrons who would otherwise come downtown. Meantime, youth program attendance is at an alltime high.

Collin Morris, who is homeless, comes to the library every day to read, search for jobs or just pass the time. One day last week, Wyatt suggested he apply for a position with the city parks department.

“These guys helped me out a lot, honestly,” Morris said as his service dog, Simba, napped at his feet. “I’m not used to it. I’m from New York, [where] nobody wants to help you. But it’s nice here. It’s relaxing.”

to $13.1 million, largely due to a clerical error and higher-than-anticipated health care costs. Mulvaney-Stanak, department heads and city councilors have to balance the budget before July 1, when the new fiscal year begins.

At a press conference about the budget woes, Mulvaney-Stanak assured the public she’s committed to community safety, including hiring more police officers. She also shouted out the library, saying the city needs to “[address] security and support” for its staff.

Those staffers are adjusting to a new reality, one where a single day can involve handing out trespass notices and attending a weekly sing-along with toddlers. They’re also looking toward the future. Fletcher Free is preparing to launch a $35 million capital campaign to renovate the

“You have all the other stuff that goes on here, too,” added his friend, Norm Bushway, who said he’s in recovery. He gestured toward people loitering at the entrance, some clearly under the influence.

“Yeah,” Morris said. “That’s the shitty part.”

At their meeting with the mayor last month, library commissioners asked for another security guard to patrol on weekends and for an on-site social worker, explaining that the library had recently lost out on a grant that would have paid for one. They also asked for more security cameras and suggested other boards and commissions meet there to witness the library’s struggles. Danko said she hopes state lawmakers will pass H.72, a bill that could allow Burlington to open a site for people to use drugs under supervision. If the bill fails, Danko said, “we are the safe injection site.”

Mulvaney-Stanak was moved by the entreaties but made no promises, citing the tough budget year ahead. Just last week, the mayor announced that the city’s expected $9 million deficit had ballooned

building with an outdoor terrace, bathrooms on every floor and meeting rooms, including one where patrons could meet with social workers and health care providers.

“I so believe in the power of public libraries, [and] I’m so committed to making sure that that’s always going to be available,” Danko said. “For me, this is just what we’ve got to do ... Every day we’re going to make it work.”

As Danko packed up one night last week, a confrontation was brewing outside. A security guard had asked a homeless woman, Amber Sanders, to leave after seeing her in the restroom with an unlit cigarette — and again when she tried using the public phone in the library foyer. Sanders stomped out of the building and stuffed items into her backpack, spewing expletives.

Underdressed for the weather in a tank top and capris, she braced herself against the quickening wind and pondered where she’d go next.

“I’ll figure it out,” she said, “as we all do.”

Wiping away tears, she picked up her bag and walked down the street. ➆

Boss Moms Super Moms Plant Moms Fur

Norm Bushway (left) and Collin Morris

FEEDback

think about the folks working there. They were not injured, but it must have been terrifying to see the door on fire. People need to rein in their craziness, cut back on rhetoric and treat others civilly. We are a nation that used to respect di erences, but now we take violent action when we perceive the slightest di erences. That firebug needs to take o his wool cap, cool his head and thank his lucky stars that no one was injured.

Virginia Small CLARENDON SPRINGS

Editor’s note: Two days after the fire, police arrested 35-year-old Shant Michael Soghomonian. Seven Days reported it in an online story on April 7 headlined “Man Charged With Arson at Bernie Sanders’ Burlington O ce.”

‘DEMOCRATIZE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT’

Some in the Vermont hunting/trapping/ angling community are upset that S.258 is potentially poised to become law [“Wild Bill: Long at Odds With Vermont’s Fish and Wildlife Board, Activists Would Like to Strip Its Powers,” February 28]. If folks simply took the time to read the content of the bill, rather than feeding o their paranoia, they’d quickly see that the bill is something everyone should be able to get behind. It’s hard to understand their outrage at the possibility of actually working with “bunny huggers” — a term recently lobbed at wildlife advocates by a Fish and Wildlife Board member.

Hunting, trapping and fishing are managed by the Fish and Wildlife Board. Composed entirely of hunters, anglers and trappers, appointed through an utterly opaque process, it makes regs to satisfy the desires of its members — the regulated regulating themselves. Commissioner Chris Herrick claims they take public input. They do — for two minutes exactly, in a room bristling with hostility and disdain. As for taking suggestions or complaints seriously, Herrick likens it to raising his children, to whom he listened but didn’t always accede.

The bottom line is that those opposing S.258 have had all the power for decades. Now that they’re confronted with a bill that seeks to better democratize wildlife management, they don’t like it. Perhaps if the board, and also Gov. Phil Scott, had operated more equitably and inclusively in the past, there wouldn’t be such support for this change. But here we are, and we’re not going away.

Lisa Jablow BRATTLEBORO

‘POLITICS

AT ITS WORST’

[Re “Wild Bill: Long at Odds With Vermont’s Fish and Wildlife Board, Activists Would Like to Strip Its Powers,” February 28]: S.258 would change the Fish and Wildlife Board’s authority from rulemaking to advisory, put authority in the F&W commissioner, add nonconsumptive users to the board and outlaw hunting coyotes with hounds.

The bill, as passed from the Senate, looks nothing like the bill introduced in January. Following hearings, and calls against this bill, the original bill did not have enough votes to pass. So, like in the days of smoke-fi lled rooms, arms were twisted, the bill was changed just the day before crossover, and it passed with no chance for the public to react before the vote. Politics at its worst!

Problems with this bill:

• F&W sta are scientists, not policy geeks. The current board listens to the public and gathers scientific information from sta before implementing new rules.

• What happens when the governor appoints a bad commissioner?

• How would adding anti-hunters, -trappers and -fishers — aka nonconsumptive users — to the board improve wildlife management? This legislature wouldn’t mandate adding a misogynist to the Commission on Women.

• This bill would also eliminate hunting coyotes over bait. Farmers hunt over animal carcasses, particularly those killed by predators. The Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee cited relying on science when developing this bill, yet this committee did not listen to any science or F&W sta supporting this change.

The Senate forgot the bad decisions of the 1960s by the legislature that allowed them to manage wildlife.

Jerry D’Amico ROXBURY

BETTER WAY TO BEAT BIG OIL

Given the crushing financial losses caused by flooding in Vermont, it is only right to get the fossil fuel companies to help pay recovery costs [“Vermont Senate Advances Bill to Make Big Oil Pay for Climate Crisis,” April 2]. But even if they take a one-time hit to the bottom line, the fossil fuel companies will keep right on selling and profiting from their polluting products.

What these companies really would feel would be legislation placing a carbon fee on every pound of CO2 their products emit and distributing all the fees directly to individual consumers — known as a “carbon fee and dividend” program. Fossil fuel sales would drop as businesses responded by becoming more energye cient and developing new sources of clean, renewable energy. These innovations not only would lead to reduced greenhouse gas emissions but also would provide abundant, a ordable and reliable clean energy, driving us faster toward less carbon pollution.

This carbon fee would be a ordable for ordinary Americans, as the money collected from fossil fuel companies would be given as a dividend, or “carbon cash back” payment, to every American to spend with no restrictions. This protects low- and middle-income Americans who might otherwise bear a disproportionate burden during the transition to clean energy.

We need U.S. Rep. Becca Balint, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Peter Welch to work in Congress to establish a carbon fee and dividend program now.

Bob Warrington BURLINGTON

H.289’S HIDDEN COSTS

[Re “A Debate About the Cost Is Dogging a Renewable Energy Bill,” March 22, online]: You know when politicians like Rep. Mark Mihaly (D-East Calais) and his ecoconspirators such as private equity-powered Renewable Energy Vermont draft a bill, benefits will be way overstated and costs way underestimated. For Vermonters, H.289 is like buying a used car on Craigslist: You never know what is really under the hood. What we do know is that this bill would cost each of us a lot more than the quoted sales price, at a time when we all are getting hit with increased real estate and other taxes and costs, without any letup on the horizon. This headlong rush into new green energy, especially with in-state production, doesn’t look at total costs, which are absent from the discussion. The ecological costs of significant land disruption, and its e ects, with all the construction chaos involved, seem lost in the sales spiel. This whole process looks like a replay of the electric vehicle mantra, in which green cars are always wonderful. The EV rollout has had loads of issues, ranging from manufacturing to imported materials costs to infrastructure problems. H.289 would also likely have significant and unforeseen costs in its rapid implementation. However, the cost overrun would be paid by you, both in your monthly bill and visually when you drive around the state and see pastures turned into massive solar farms and hilltops covered in windmills.

Richard Silc STAMFORD

ZONING STAFF SAYS ‘NO’

[Re “Burlington City Council Approves Rezoning Plan to Boost Housing Supply,” March 26, online]: S.100, which the legislature passed in 2023, made Burlington pass this new ordinance, BTV Neighborhood Code. I don’t think the Burlington City Council should get any victory-lap credit here. The city is not for housing, and the personnel in the departments of planning and permitting and inspections have created an environment of “no” for 25 years. If you want change, start with an ordinance overhaul and reduction and replace the zoning sta .

Jon Maguire BURLINGTON

A climate rally in Burlington last July

lifelines

OBITUARIES

Sarah Francisco

OCTOBER 3, 1974APRIL 16, 2024

WILLISTON, VT.

Sarah Olivia Francisco, an incredible wife, loving mother, sister, daughter, friend, teacher and so much more, died unexpectedly and all too soon on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, at her family’s home in Williston, Vt. She was 49.

Born on October 3, 1974, in West Allis, Wis., Sarah was raised in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., where she made many of her closest lifelong friends and fell in love with her high school sweetheart — and later, husband — Steve. ey both attended the College of Saint Rose and, following graduation, moved to Vermont to begin their professional careers. After brief stints in Massachusetts and California, they returned to Vermont, where they established themselves as fixtures in the community.

Sarah’s tireless dedication to the field of speech therapy yielded two degrees and, over the course of the past two decades, allowed her to touch the lives of countless students and families at the schools in which she worked. When she started working at Champlain Valley Union High School, she became much more than a speech therapist. She befriended students and teachers alike, regardless of their role or whether or not they were one of her own students. It’s through that work and her inclination to be everyone’s friend that she became so well-known and liked in the community. It’s also where she selflessly shared the ideals she held most dear — such as perseverance; taking care of anyone and everyone; being kind, encouraging and accepting; and, most of all, spreading joy — with so many others. And even

OBITUARIES, VOWS, CELEBRATIONS

though she excelled in her role, her curiosity and unwavering desire to keep learning always shined through; she had recently passed the Praxis exam to become certified as an art teacher.

Yet as proud as Sarah was of all that she and Steve accomplished in their professional lives, she took the most joy from the incredible family that they created together and the values and qualities that make Olivia and George who they are. “Hold on! Let me get my ‘Proud Mama’ T-shirt,” she would often say, as each of her kids passed yet another milestone in sports, academics, volunteering or even just being great kids. When thinking of Sarah, there are few things that people remember more than her kindness, encouragement, acceptance and, most importantly, her limitless joy. Her smile was a beacon of joy and kindness, and she was a vibrant and constant presence in the lives of all of those she knew and loved. She reveled in sharing her quick wit and sense of humor and never hesitated to help support, care for and encourage everyone she knew. As a virtuoso hostess and entertainer known far and wide for throwing unforgettable parties and holiday celebrations, she set a bar so impossibly high that anyone who ever attended one will certainly think of her every time they plan even the smallest of events.

Sarah was in constant motion, living and thriving in the present, while also planning for a future that included even more travel adventures with the family, running her 14th marathon in November, welcoming the two special people that Olivia and George care about into the family as if they were her own, starting a new chapter with Steve as empty nesters, and watching her children transition into and through college, and she was quietly excited about the prospect of becoming a grandmother one day.

Sarah is survived by her two children, Olivia and George Francisco; her husband, Steve Francisco; her brother, Nick Neilio; and her father, Bill Neilio. She was predeceased by her mother, Margaret “Peg” Neilio. Her passing is truly devastating and one that feels insuperable at times. If you feel like losing Sarah leaves a tremendous hole in a world that will now be without her energy, joy and love, know that you are not alone. It is OK to feel the weight of this loss, just as it’s also OK to realize that Sarah would want us all to be brave. ough she is no longer with us, she lives on in more than just memories. Her love of travel will undoubtedly carry on through the adventures her family and friends will continue undertaking in her honor. Her joyfulness and warmth will be ever present in everyone she’s met, worked with and laughed with, as we all strive to see and touch the world the way she did. And most importantly, her legacy will live on in Olivia and George, who learned enough from her in their 21 and 17 years to last their lifetimes.

A celebration of Sarah’s life will be held on Sunday, June 2, 2024, 11 a.m., at Champlain Valley Union High School, 369 CVU Road, Hinesburg, VT. All family, friends, students and families are welcome.

Stephen Henry Lotspeich

NOVEMBER 18, 1952APRIL 24, 2024

GREENSBORO, VT.

Stephen Henry Lotspeich, known to family, friends and colleagues as Steve, died on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, in Berlin, Vt., at age 71. Steve was born on November 18, 1952, in Cincinnati and married his wife, Judith Taipa Lotspeich, on June 27, 1981, in Dayton, Ohio. After graduating from Goddard College in Plainfield, Vt., Steve took his master’s in landscape architecture from the University of Virginia. He and Judith moved to Vermont for his job as town planner, and eventually the planning and zoning director, for Waterbury, until his retirement this past March 30.

Steve and Judith had three children, Cholena, Yana and Anshe. He adored his children and his activities with them, especially outdoors. Steve loved everything about the beautiful fields and woods

surrounding him at their home in Waterbury Center, which he and Judith designed, and at their family farm in Greensboro. He loved animals and birds, hiking, backcountry skiing, canoeing, organic gardening, and anything to do with wood: cutting and splitting firewood for heat and using woodworking tools to create toy airplanes, bowls, furniture and other beautiful objects. He was also a potter. Steve loved music and was a talented guitarist and banjo player. He wrote many songs and played in several local folk and bluegrass groups. He

performed around Waterbury for children at the library, the farmers market and at festivals. He also loved singing in the choir at the Waterbury Congregational Church. Judith and Steve shared many adventures and a deep love for one another.

Steve’s hard work and generous spirit were recognized formally with many awards at work and much appreciation from family, friends and his community. He is survived by, and deeply missed by, his wife, Judith; children, Cholena, Yana and Anshe; granddaughter, Hunter; sister, Sylvia Lotspeich Greene; and brother and sister-in-law, Charlie Lotspeich and Phyllis Woolf.

A service celebrating the life of Stephen H. Lotspeich will be held on Saturday, May 18, 2024, 4 p.m., at the Waterbury Congregational Church. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Nature Conservancy or the American Friends Service Committee would be appreciated. To send online condolences, please visit perkinsparker.com.

RETIREMENT

Powell & Fleming Retire

After 30 years of practicing naturopathic medicine/acupuncture at 33 Main Street in Burlington, Dr. Donna Powell and Dr. Molly Fleming are retiring at the end of May. Esti Bakty, ND will be assisting our patients and keeping our phone number. We have truly appreciated being part of this community. Let the healing power of nature guide you!

OBITUARIES

Eugene Hallman

SEPTEMBER 19, 1950-APRIL 18, 2024 RICHMOND, VT.

Gene (“Geno”) Hallman of Richmond, Vt., passed away on April 18, 2024, at the University of Vermont Medical Center, surrounded by the love of his family.

Gene was born and raised in Pennsylvania, the son of Eugene and Rosemary (née Dougherty) Hallman. ey filled Gene’s early life with love and were deeply involved in his upbringing, providing carefree summers at the shore, camping trips, ocean fishing and scouting. ey taught him to love the outdoors, especially the ocean, and throughout his life Gene maintained a love of the ocean and a responsibility to its health. ey instilled in him the values of honesty, leadership and responsibility and, above all, taught him the absolute importance of relationships and family. ese principles guided his entire life.

Gene attended Mansfield State College to pursue a degree in elementary education, but his education was cut short when he was drafted for Vietnam. He sustained injuries during his basic training that prevented him from serving overseas, and after his recovery he launched his career in the early and burgeoning field of computer technology, traveling throughout the country for Sperry Univac, where he worked as a systems analyst. He made his dearest lifelong friends from his work there and began his participation in the “ski club.” Gene and his friends would travel weekly from Pennsylvania to Sugarbush to ski from dawn to dusk, while renting a ski house in the Mad River Valley. He became an expert skier and was able to ski in the French Alps at Chamonix.

and was able to work as a long-term sub, as his health allowed. When his mobility declined, he worked locally at Smugglers’ Notch and is remembered there by staff and guests for his gentle presence and hospitality.

Delores “Dee” Howe

JUNE 23, 1937-APRIL 17, 2024 HINESBURG, VT.

Gene believed in giving back to his community and always found a way to volunteer. In Dallas he volunteered at the Scottish Rite for Children hospital and then in the ERs in Massachusetts hospitals. These shaped his desire to pursue his EMT licensure, and he went on to become the head of the Mad River Valley Ambulance. He was very active in Special Olympics Vermont and served as executive director and also directed the summer games. He volunteered in organizing the first Vermont City Triathalon. He was a eucharistic minister at St. Mary’s in Cambridge, Vt., and provided visitation for the sick and homebound. Gene looked forward each year to his week relaxing at his beloved Eagle Camp in South Hero and always managed to volunteer to set up camp for the season. When he could no longer do any physical work, he still found a way to participate. As he became even more physically limited, he found a way to volunteer by doing mapping for the USGS online from home.

He met his future wife, Sharon (Pepe), when they both worked on the set construction crew for a Lyric eatre production, and they married in 1991. Children soon followed, and his life’s magnum opus became parenting his sons, Eric and Ben. He was a steady presence in their lives and found great comfort watching them grow to be fine men. Gene adored their partners and was in love with his new grandson, Hudson. His family brought him much comfort in his final months.

With the final lyrics of “King of the Road” wafting in the springtime air, our beloved Delores B. Howe crossed into the loving hands of our savior to reside in that spiritual mansion, that house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

Delores “Dee” was born to Ollie (Brown) and Jesse Corliss on June 23, 1937. She was raised in Bristol, Vt., with her four siblings and graduated from Bristol High School in 1955. Dee married her first husband, Rodney B. Churchill, in 1955.

As anyone who met her knows, Dee’s proudest achievement in her life was raising her six boys. (“All boys? No girls? She must be a saint!”) A saintly achievement, indeed.

roughout his travels, Gene always knew he would settle in Vermont, and he finally made a permanent move in the ’80s and sought work in Vermont doing a variety of computer-related jobs for Universal Microsystems, McCauliffe and, finally, the State of Vermont, where he was the Health and Human Services Agency’s data processing chief. He went on to work as chief of computer services for the State of Vermont and then director of the Government Consulting Group. He worked briefly as the executive director of economic development for northern Vermont until illness prevented him from working. He was proud to finally complete his elementary education degree through the Norwich University Adult Degree Program

Gene is survived by his wife, Sharon; his sons, Eric (and wife Tiffany) and Ben (and partner Abbie Zani); his grandson (and namesake), Hudson Eugene; his sister, Catherine Grosshanten (and husband Gary); his nephew Sam Grosshanten (and partner Amy Golden); his niece April Fish (and husband Joel Tyson); and his grandniece and grandnephew Allie and Logan Fish. He also leaves his father-inlaw, Anthony DaSilva, and his sister and brother-in-law, Beverly Pepe and Charlie Roy. He was predeceased by his parents and his nephew Gary Grosshanten Jr. e family invites everyone to an informal gathering of family and friends and celebration of Gene’s life on Saturday, May 18, 5 p.m., at the Richmond Free Library.

Dee pursued many interests and passions throughout her life. In her forties, Dee enrolled at Goddard College in Plainfield, Vt., and earned a bachelor’s degree. Dee was devoted to her community as a Cub Scout leader, member of the Eastern Stars, and — especially important to her later in her life — a foster grandparent in the Richmond and Hinesburg Elementary Schools. She was affectionately known to her beloved students as Grammy Dee. Dee had many jobs throughout her life: She was a hot-lunch lady at Richmond Elementary, a school bus driver, a bank teller, a licensed nursing assistant and a caseworker at Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity.

While she was proud of her work, Dee found her true joy in sharing simple moments and life experiences with those she loved. She loved long visits, sharing a cup of hot chocolate and her stories. She loved animals (especially her beloved dog, Blanco), volunteering, traveling and everything Vermont — from back-road drives to swimming holes, creemees, the Tunbridge Fair and hiking Camel’s Hump. (Her last summit attempt was on her 70th birthday with her entire family!)

Dee married her second husband, Bill Howe, in April 1994. ey lived together first in Tunbridge, then Hinesburg, Vt. ey completed a mission in Texas with their church and road-tripped through the U.S. on their way.

Dee was a prolific knitter and seamstress. She lovingly created cherished Christmas stockings, afghan blankets and “Ski Vermont” hats for her friends and family. Dee loved sweets and baked many specialties, including chocolate delight, whoopie pies and cherry-cheese dessert. She also cooked family favorites, including chicken gravy and biscuits and shepherd’s pie.

Dee loved music. She had a beautiful voice, sang in the church choir, and loved listening to her children’s and grandchildren’s concerts and attending concerts of all kinds at the Flynn theater. Dee passed away peacefully and surrounded by family on April 17, 2024, two months shy of her 87th birthday. Her wide community of friends and family will dearly miss her beautiful smile, sense of humor and boundless generosity. She is survived by her children: Rodney and Madine Churchill, Oscar Churchill and Audrey Arpin, David Churchill, Nigel and Barbara Churchill, Herb and Laurie Churchill, and Francis Churchill and Molly Dugan; 15 grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; her brother Ed “Sonny” and Kit Corliss of Woodstock, Vt.; and many cherished sisters- and brothers-in-law and nieces and nephews.

Dee was a devout Mormon and found faith in the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS). e love, support and joy she found within her church family meant the world to her.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to causes dear to Dee’s heart: the Foster Grandparent Program through the United Way of Northwest Vermont (unitedwaynwvt.org) or the Humane Society of Chittenden County (hsccvt.org).

Visiting hours will be on Saturday, May 11, 4 to 7 p.m., at Gifford Funeral Home in Richmond, Vt. A memorial service will be held on Monday, May 13, 11 a.m., at the LDS church at 73 Essex Way, Essex Junction, VT.

David Jordan

AUGUST 19, 1937APRIL 19, 2024

SHELBURNE, VT.

David “Dave” Jordan, a resident of Wake Robin in Shelburne, Vt., passed away peacefully on April 19, 2024, after complications from a fall.

Dave is survived by his wife of 62 years, Nicola H. Jordan, as well as his son Dean Jordan and his spouse, Adriana, and grandson Ryan; and his son Bret Jordan and his spouse, Jennifer, and grandchildren, Madeleine, Charlotte and William.

Dave was born in Ashtabula, Ohio, on August 19, 1937. He attended grade schools in 10 cities across the country, from Chicago to Richland, Wash., because of his father’s work on the Manhattan Project. He finished high school in Wilmington, Del., and in 1959, he graduated from the College of Wooster in Ohio before earning a PhD from Ohio State in 1965. After college, Dave became an organic chemistry professor at SUNY Potsdam in Potsdam, N.Y., where he lived and taught for over 30 years before retiring in 1996 to devote more time

Eva Curtis Clough

NOVEMBER 2, 1951APRIL 23, 2024

ESSEX, VT.

Eva Curtis Clough, 72, of Essex, Vt., passed away on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at her home, surrounded by her children and grandchildren.

Eva was born on November 2, 1951, in St. Albans, Vt., the daughter of the late Asa and Eva Therrien Curtis. On October 25, 1975, Eva married David Clough, who predeceased her. Eva worked at Essex Elementary School, was a dedicated Girl Scout leader and served on the Essex Community Historical Society board of directors.

Visiting hours were held

to his passion for building, fixing and painting, as he was skilled in both woodworking and watercolors.

He also spent many hours researching genealogy and set up a website focused on specific parishes in Finland, through which he maintained contact with relatives and friends.

Dave was enthusiastic about tennis and golf throughout his life and had a lifelong love of the Adirondacks that began with family vacations in his youth and continued with his support of environmental causes as a “northern” New Yorker for many years. Known for his sharp mind and dry wit, Dave will be dearly missed by his family and friends.

on April 29 at Minor Funeral Home, 237 Route 7, Milton, VT. A funeral service was held on April 30 at Apostolic Cornerstone Church, 72 Route 15, Jericho, VT. For a complete obituary notice and to leave online condolences, please visit minorfh.com.

Elizabeth “Betsy” Catanzaro

AUGUST 18, 1947APRIL 17, 2024

BURLINGTON, VT.

The amazing life of Elizabeth “Betsy” Catanzaro came peacefully to an end while she was asleep at the University of Vermont Medical Center, with her husband and her son at her side. A very sad day for all who knew and were touched by her love and kindness.

Betsy was born and raised in Lancaster, Pa., the daughter of Florence and Kenneth Friend.

After graduating from McCaskey High School in 1965, Betsy answered her “calling” and followed in her mother’s footsteps at Abbington Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in Abbington, Pa. For more than 45 years, Betsy passionately and skillfully cared for infants and children, the disabled, and the elderly in hospitals in Washington, D.C.; Colorado; Vermont; and Massachusetts, including more than 35 years as a home health and hospice nurse in Framingham, Mass.

Peter and Kristin, and sharing that joy with her parents, siblings, niece, nephews, extended family and close friends. Summer vacations and family reunions at Lake Wallenpaupack in the Poconos were a staple. She was a winter-sports enthusiast and joined a curling team while ski bumming in Aspen, Colo., in the early 1970s. Betsy loved to travel and journeyed with her family or friends to countless destinations across the globe, including Japan, Hong Kong, Hawaii, Alaska, Bermuda, the Caribbean, Italy and Norway. She also greatly enjoyed getting away with her husband and close friends to her condo in Bonita Springs, Fla., where walking the beaches and collecting shells was a passion passed on from her mother. But her favorite destination was always returning home.

Betsy retired from nursing in 2013. That year Kristin and her husband, Christopher, presented her with her first grandchild, Hallie Elizabeth. Her grandson, Evan Patrick, was born in 2016. They became the very essence of her being. She was hands-on and quite an amazing grandma. Hallie and Evan would tell you so.

Although nursing and caring for others was her calling, her family was her essential life. She balanced career and home life seamlessly. Betsy grew up in the shadow of her two older brothers and among a literal throng of aunts, uncles and cousins. Her great happiness was raising her two children,

Timothy J. Chant

AUGUST 19, 1963FEBRUARY 25, 2024

WARWICK, R.I.

Timothy J. “Timmy” Chant, 60, of Warwick, R.I., a beloved husband, father, brother, educator, coach and friend, passed away on February 25, 2024. He shared 31 years of marriage with his best friend and wife, Kirsten (Carter) Chant; together they raised two sons, Brady and Drew. Born in Kingston, N.Y., on August 19, 1963, Timmy

Betsy returned to reside in Vermont in 2017, after 40 years at the same house that she and her husband built in 1977 in Ashland, Mass. Family and friends were the core of Betsy’s retirement. Frequent trips to Maine to share and participate in the thrill of the grandchildren growing up and

was the youngest of seven children born to the late William S. and Patricia

enjoying family vacations and holidays together, including Uncle Pete, were her lifeblood. Dinners and libations, hanging out at Ken’s on Church Street, walks on the bike path, and chatting sessions with her friends were routine. Sitting in the living room or on the deck of her townhome on the shore of her cherished Lake Champlain, enjoying the ever-changing panorama and sunsets, was her solace. Betsy loved Vermont.

Betsy always put everyone else first. In every facet of her life, she was the very definition of selflessness. Betsy’s loss will be felt deeply. If you wanted a remarkable and caring nurse, mom, grandma, sister, cousin, aunt or friend, Betsy would be your choice.

Betsy is survived by her son, Peter Michael Catanzaro, of Marlborough, Mass.; her daughter, Kristin Marie Meaney, and her husband, Christopher Meaney, of Falmouth, Maine; her grandchildren, Hallie and Evan; her brother Joseph Friend and his wife, Carol, of Lancaster, Pa.; her brother Neal and his wife, Georgine, of Northport, Fla.; her niece, Shauna Worobey, and her husband, Phillip, of Mansfield, Texas; her nephew Kenneth Friend and his wife, Kristen, of East Amherst, N.Y.; her nephew Andrew Friend and his wife, Brittany, of Pasadena, Md.; and her mother-in-law, Mary Brandt of Ocala, Fla., whom Betsy held in a special place.

She is also survived by her husband of 48 years, Angelo, who has had the ultimate joy and privilege of sharing this world with such an amazing woman. Somehow, I found the perfect wife and life partner. Thank you, Betsy. You will be missed.

A celebration of her life will be held in July in Burlington.

(Brady) Chant. He grew up in Moretown, Vt., and graduated from Harwood Union High School. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Vermont and his graduate degree from the University of Rhode Island. He enjoyed and excelled in athletics and was an inspiring educator and coach in Westwood, Mass., where he served as the district’s health and wellness director.

Timmy is survived by his wife, Kirsten; his sons, Brady and Drew; his siblings and their spouses, Catherine

Chant and Stephen Belitsos, Barbara and Paul Colton, Elizabeth Chant and Jill Burley, Paul and Anne Chant, and Dan and Jodie Chant; his sister-in-law Suzanne Chant; his parentsin-law, Dana and Jane Carter; his brothers-in-law and their spouses, Kevin and Margaret Carter and Scott and Christina Carter; 17 nieces and nephews; and many friends. He was predeceased by his brother Stephen Chant. For the full obituary, please see thequinnfuneral home.com.

lifelines

OBITUARIES

Jan Latrobe Abbott

APRIL 11, 1941-APRIL 13, 2024

ESSEX JUNCTION, VT.

Jan Latrobe (Timmerman) Abbott, 83, died on April 13, 2024, at Birchwood Terrace Rehab and Healthcare in Burlington, Vt., after a courageous 10-month battle with glioblastoma brain cancer.

She received a BA degree in 1963 and an MA in 1968, both in French, from Middlebury College, and she attended the Middlebury German Summer School in 1990. She also took and audited courses in education, German and Spanish at the University of Vermont and in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) at Saint Michael’s College. At Middlebury, she made many lifelong friendships with professors and classmates, worked on the stage crew for theater productions, and joined the hiking club.

After meeting fellow hiker Harris Abbott, of Burlington, in 1960, at a Green Mountain Club

Intersectional Camp Week at the Mount Norris Boy Scout Reservation, they were married in Mead Memorial Chapel at Middlebury College on August 18, 1963, beginning an enduring 60-year partnership of opposites, with a love of mountains, nature, joining, teamwork and organizing outings. Her romance with Vermont had begun while skiing with her father and at Middlebury; marriage brought commitment to a man and to the state, not one that some Vermonters were prepared to recognize. e Burlington Free Press titled the engagement announcement, “New York Girl Will Be Married to Harris Abbott.”

She taught seventh- and eighthgrade French from 1963 to ’67 in the current Fleming School building in Essex Junction, and after what she referred to jokingly as a “24-year maternity leave,” taught K-12 ESL in all the Essex Junction schools from 1991 to 2001. A transplant to Vermont herself, she helped immigrant students learn English and delighted in introducing them and their families to American holiday customs. She sourced Halloween costumes for them and invited them to her house to carve jack-o’-lanterns to take home. It

OBITUARIES, VOWS, CELEBRATIONS

thrilled her to be an “honorary grandmother” at the wedding of a former student. Working part time during her child-raising years, she tutored French and German IBM wives in English, worked as a reporter and copy editor from 1983 to ’89 at the Essex Reporter, and from 1973 to ’85 worked as an interviewer and supervisory field representative on sample surveys for the U.S. Bureau of the Census. rough this Census Bureau work, her knowledge of the backroads of Vermont came to equal that of her husband. She enjoyed having an active social life, excelled at organizing and was a committed volunteer. She made many friends in the process; these friendships sustained her through her final year. At various times, she served as president of the Essex League of Women Voters, the Burlington and Bread Loaf sections of the Green Mountain Club, and as a director of the Green Mountain Club. She and her husband were both endto-enders on the Long Trail, and after 50-plus years’ involvement with the GMC, they received the Honorary Life Member award. Work in the Essex League of Women Voters allowed her to meet a stimulating group of other transplants to Vermont, contribute to maintaining the integrity of elections and increasing voter registration and turnout, and learn about local politics. By agreeing to run for a local election and taking on leadership roles in various organizations, she continued a family tradition of challenging gender stereotypes and expanding the scope of roles for women. Other volunteer work included support for Vermont Public Radio and Television; seven years as a Flynn Spirit; three years monitoring parent-child visits at the Chittenden Regional Correctional Center; more than 16 years delivering Meals on Wheels; service on the program committee of EEE, the senior lecture series in South Burlington; and on various committees at the First Unitarian Universalist Society in Burlington.

During a dream year off from college, spent traveling around Europe and working in the foreign department of Deighton Bell, a university-oriented bookstore in Cambridge, England in 1961 and ’62, she made many lifelong British friends. More friendships arose

from hosting foreign teachers who came to the U.S. through exchange programs. She made other European friends from teaching English to the Essex Junction IBM families. An avid traveler and devourer of atlases, maps and guidebooks, she visited six continents with her husband and friends and would have added sailing through Drake Passage to Antarctica to the list had illness not intervened. Her other interests were reading, learning, politics, crossing things off lists, corresponding in three languages, gardening (lots of transplanting), cooking, entertaining, music, theater, cycling, hiking, snowshoeing, swimming and water aerobics, cross-country skiing, and walking her family’s dogs. She was a devoted friend, as well as a daughter, daughter-in-law, wife, mother and grandmother. As an only child, she rejoiced in having family: both her husband and his family, their children and grandchildren, and her extended Timmerman family. She was always planning ways to enrich her children’s lives through trips, hobbies, education, cultural events and sports and made many personal sacrifices to fund these projects. If she had a regret in her last months of a life well lived, it was that she would not see her grandchildren grow up and be there to support them.

In addition to her husband, Harris, the man she called her “rock,” she leaves a daughter, Deborah Abbott, of Essex Junction and Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia; son, Christopher Abbott, of Glastonbury, Conn., and his wife, Michele Newton, and grandchildren, Marcus, Harris and Cora; and daughter, Marilyn Abbott Aldrich, and her husband, LTC Scott Aldrich, of Essex Junction, and grandson, Marrack eodore. She also leaves behind many cherished cousins and friends here and abroad who faithfully wrote, called, visited and provided meals during her illness.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 8, 2024, at the First Unitarian Universalist Society at the head of the Church Street Marketplace in Burlington.

Contributions in her memory may be made to the Green Mountain Club, 4711 Waterbury-Stowe Rd., Waterbury Center, VT 05677 (greenmountainclub. org/donate-to-green-mountain-club), Vermont Public, PO Box 57, 365 Troy Ave., Colchester, VT 05446-0057 (vermontpublic.org/support-us), or the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington, 152 Pearl St., Burlington, VT 05401 (uusociety.org/ donate).

Rev. Dr. Nancy Hester Bloomer

JUNE 13, 1939-APRIL 3, 2024 ESSEX JUNCTION, VT.

e Rev. Dr. Nancy Hester Bloomer, 84, of Essex Junction, Vt., died peacefully on April 3, 2024. She was born on June 13, 1939, in Binghamton, N.Y. She was the daughter of Ruth (Hester) Bloomer and Ronald Bloomer.

Nancy is survived by her daughters, Carol Farley (Mike) and Sarah VogelsangCard (Jay), along with her three grandchildren, Eliza Farley, Alex Farley and Zarek Vogelsang-Card. She is also survived by her sister, Susan Rice, and her beloved dog, Zoey. She was preceded in death by her brother, Peter Bloomer.

Nancy graduated from Buffalo Seminary in Buffalo, N.Y., which she credited with sparking her passion for learning and where she made some of her most enduring friendships. She attended Sweet Briar College and obtained her BA, MA and PhD in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Later in her career, Nancy moved with her family to New York City and earned her master of divinity from the General eological Seminary. She was ordained as an Episcopal priest in 1987. Over the years, she served at several parishes in Vermont and New York and taught English at local colleges in the Burlington area.

Nancy was a gifted writer, particularly of poetry, a talented preacher and a caring teacher. She was intellectually curious, and it would not

have been unusual to find her reading and discussing German Romantic writers with one friend, the latest bestseller with another and Harry Potter with her grandson. Over the years, she studied Greek, Latin, Hebrew and German for linguistic enrichment. She loved music and played the piano and the organ. She enjoyed nature in all forms, found solace in meditation and derived great joy in her garden. Nancy was an artist who designed beautiful quilts and often gave them as presents, using her recipients’ favorite colors and styles. She also taught her grandchildren to knit and sew. Nancy loved animals, and throughout her adult life she always had a faithful canine companion by her side.

A memorial service will be held on June 14, 11 a.m., at St. James Episcopal Church in Essex Junction.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Friends of Silence (friendsofsilence. net) or the National Wildlife Federation (nwf.org).

To send the family personal condolences, please visit sheafuneralhomes.com.

Lucile Boedy

APRIL 2, 1920-APRIL 10, 2024

BURLINGTON, VT.

Lucile Hamrin Boedy, of South Burlington, Vt., died of old age from a life well lived.

She is the last remaining Smith of Wayne, Ill., whose ancestors left Corinth, Vt., in 1837 to travel the Erie Canal and begin a pioneer life on the new frontier.

Lucile was born on April 2, 1920, in Waterloo, Iowa, to Richard and Helen (Smith) Hamrin, during the final year of Woodrow Wilson’s presidency. When she was 2, they moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where Lucile spent the next 50 years.

She graduated from Coe College and walked to class daily, wondering what it would be like to live in a dorm they could ill-afford. She found like-funded friends while eating sack lunches in the library basement and endured their teasing of her lettuce-protruding sandwiches; nonetheless, they remained lifelong friends. She majored in sociology, but it was music that remained her lifelong major, and she became a professional accompanist, played church organ and offered private lessons.

Frances A. Villemaire

MARCH 20, 1920APRIL 16, 2024

BURLINGTON, VT.

Frances A. Villemaire, RN, age 104, a longtime resident of Winooski, Vt., passed peacefully on April 16, 2024, in Burlington, Vt.

Frances was born in St. Albans, Vt., on March 20, 1920, the daughter of the late Louis and Catherine (LaBella) Fortuna. She was a graduate of Holy Angels Parochial School, Bellows Free Academy and Fanny Allen School of Nursing. She was married in St. Albans on May 10, 1952, to Edmund N. Villemaire, who predeceased her on July 19, 2004.

Frances had a great love for nursing. She was employed at several local

A beautiful woman, Lucile was off-campus candidate for homecoming queen and had many suitors. As one left having brought ice cream, he passed another with more. “We’ll have to get an electric icebox if this keeps up,” her father marveled. Lucile met her husband, Elmer, during an MYF event at church. Dating others soon fell away to only Elmer, until WWII separated them. “What do you like in him more than others?” her mother questioned. “He is so much fun to be with,” was Lucile’s reply. “Well, there are other things in life besides fun.” Mother was right, and the young couple combined them all. ey married in 1945, with a nervous groom

finishing the reception holding only tea. ey moved to Ames, Iowa, for four years and then settled in Cedar Rapids for the next 23 years. She and her husband raised and loved three sons. She is survived by her sons and their spouses: David (Susan) (Valerie) of Burlington, Vt., Randy (Sharon) of Somerset, Ky., Richard (Kathy) of Gulf Shores, Ala.; her granddaughter, Jennifer; and her great-granddaughter, Sarah, of Irvine, Calif.

Lucile introduced her sons to family camping, hiking and fishing, which they continue to this day. ey introduced her to scouting, large bull snakes in her car’s trunk, the challenge of

nursing facilities, served as a private-duty nurse for many years and finished her nursing career at the Converse Home.

She was a communicant of St. Stephen’s Catholic Church in Winooski and a member of the Sisters of Providence Associates prayer group, as well as a member of the Winooski Senior Citizens.

Frances is survived by her son, Dr. John E. Villemaire, and his wife, Charlotte Greenhalgh, of Keene, N.H.; daughter Kathryn V. Anger and her husband, Joseph, of Cape Coral, Fla.; daughter Mary V. Guerin and her husband, Jeffrey, of Colchester, Vt.; seven grandchildren, Jennifer, Keith, Joe, Justin, Michael, Amelia and Evelyn;

training raccoons and the pleasure of juggling piano lessons with homemade meal preparation.

When the space industry compressed, the family moved to Lyndhurst, Ohio. e couple retired and traveled extensively throughout the world, with friends and church and Elderhostel programs.

After Elmer’s passing, Lucile provided a warm, welcoming place to stay for guests with hospitalized family members through Hospitality Homes. Her guests provided Lucile with wonderful stories of life back home, in both this country and from others. Several maintain contact to this day. She remained active in her local church; leading a faith-filled life was important to Lucile.

In 2008, at the urging of her sons, she sold her home of 39 years. She packed her trunk with canned food too precious to throw out, insisted on driving herself through a Cleveland snowstorm for the first hour in her Buick — now sporting a customized, lowered rear hot-rod look — and headed to Vermont. She loved her new apartment

10 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her husband, Edmund Villemaire; her twin brother, Peter A. Fortuna; her sisters, Anna Depaul and Nancy Raine; and her brother Col. James Fortuna.

A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated

at Harborview in South Burlington, Vt., and appreciated the other vibrant women and men who accepted support while maintaining their independence.

Special thanks must be made for her relationship with Fran Sheridan. Together, they gave each other love and joy neither had thought possible after losing their spouses.

Lucile transferred her PEO membership to Chapter C and joined other women in celebrating, educating and motivating the lives of women worldwide.

Even as memory loss nibbled at Lucile’s freedom, she maintained her graciousness, curiosity and cheerfulness with those around her. Her family is grateful for the care and stimulation she received in her last three years from the memory unit staff of Gardenview at the Converse Home.

Lucile will be interred with her husband and ancestors at Little Woods Cemetery in Wayne, Ill.

A service of remembrance will be held on May 9, 11 a.m., on Zoom and at St. Paul’s Cathedral, 2 Cherry St., Burlington, Vt., followed by a buffet lunch.

on Tuesday, May 28, 1:30 p.m., at St. Francis Xavier Church in Winooski. Burial will follow at St. Stephen’s Cemetery in Colchester. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Converse Home, 272 Church St., Burlington, VT 05401. At Frances’ request, there will be no visiting hours.

IN MEMORIAM

Brian Bing

1962-2024

A memorial service for Brian Bing, who passed away on February 10, 2024, will be held on May 11, 11:30 a.m., at the First Congregational Church in Burlington. Please visit awrfh.com to read Brian’s full obituary.

Gregory Peters

1945-2024

Forever in our hearts. Please join friends and family for a celebration of life service for Gregory B. Peters (November 22, 1945-February 10, 2024) on Friday, May 10, 2024, 11 a.m., at Charlotte Congregational Church, Charlotte, Vt. Reception gathering to follow.

Eli Howard

FEBRUARY 10, 1988MAY 1, 2020

Holding you forever in our hearts.

Cailyne Crowder called Winooski home. She had moved to the upper half of an old duplex on Lafountain Street in 2015 because the $1,150 rent, cheaper than what she’d pay in Burlington, suited her budget as a single mom. The lower cost of living enabled her to open Atlas Hair Studio, a downtown salon where she built a loyal clientele.

While raising her son, Crowder met and married Dakota Burr, whom many locals know by his deejay name, DJ Dakota. The Black couple decorated their kitchen with a framed photo of Malcolm X alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and a sign that read, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” They exchanged garden vegetables with neighbors and regularly visited one who’d su ered a stroke. Then, last December, their landlord sold the duplex. The buyers gave Crowder and Burr four months to leave. The couple were thrust into a rental market far more expensive than the one Crowder had navigated a decade earlier. The few open units in Winooski had high rents despite cramped living quarters. They expanded their search to all of Chittenden County and, still feeling discouraged, decided to look outside Vermont.

Winooski’s bargain real estate attracted a diverse group of residents for years. Now they’re being squeezed out.

We’re Leaving

Burr worked a day job for an airline company and had the ability to transfer to Charlotte, N.C., where apartments are much cheaper. Burr, 42, and Crowder, 40, are Vermont natives who don’t know anyone in North Carolina, but last month they put down a security deposit and reserved a 22-foot truck. Neighbors helped them load up their belongings.

enough to accommodate families with several children also made the city a convenient location for resettlement agencies to place refugees from Africa and South Asia. But in recent years, zoning changes have spurred construction of hundreds of studio and one-bedroom apartments along main thoroughfares. Roughly 8,000 people now live in Winooski, more than during its

I feel like that foundation of who we are — being a welcoming, working-class community — is eroding.

MAYOR KRISTINE LOTT

“We’re moving away from all of our families,” Crowder said at the end of a full day of hauling boxes.

“Starting over,” Burr phrased it.

Winooski’s modest homes and lower rents have long attracted first-time homebuyers and low-income families. The supply of relatively cheap apartments large

early 20th-century heyday as a mill town, making the 1.4-square-mile riverside burg one of the most densely populated cities in northern New England.

In a state that’s 94 percent white, nearly 20 percent of Winooski residents are Black, Asian or multiracial. The community has embraced its distinctive demographics,

touting itself as Vermont’s “Opportunity City.” Teenagers sometimes refer to it simply as “our town,” a reference to “Winooski, My Town,” the anthemic song about Winooski’s diversity, released in 2012 by local Afro-pop group A2VT. The city lacks a chain grocery store but has an assortment of ethnic markets. Winooski’s K-12 school system, the only majorityminority district in Vermont, offers culturally sensitive curricula and language support that students learning English would likely not receive in other Vermont towns. Noncitizens have the right to vote in city elections.

Once thought of as Burlington’s grittier blue-collar neighbor, Winooski has developed a fresh identity as a vibrant community. The city’s push to redevelop its commercial district has produced trendy shops and restaurants around the downtown rotary. But many residents and city leaders worry that a rapidly transforming housing market is spurring gentrification and undermining the city’s inclusivity. Rents and property values have soared. Dozens of homes have been converted into Airbnbs or broken up into smaller, more profitable apartments. Homeownership rates, already low in

Winooski, dropped to just 30 percent in the 2020 U.S. Census.

These trends have hit the city’s lower- and moderate-income residents — especially new American families — the hardest. The school population has declined, and refugees are rarely resettled in the Onion City anymore. Some residents, including Crowder and Burr, are being squeezed out.

After a decade of encouraging new housing in key corridors, city officials are searching for ways to preserve and increase

‘TINY, TINY UNITS’

Around the corner from Crowder and Burr’s former apartment, dozens of other Winooski residents are being displaced. Landlords Rick and Mark Bove have told these tenants they must leave a 24-unit town house-style complex at 300 Main Street to make way for a new development with 69 apartments. Most of the new units, according to submitted plans, will be smaller and more expensive to rent.

“financially viable,” Mark Bove told Seven Days in an email. This time, rather than sending legally binding eviction notices, the Boves appear to have verbally encouraged tenants to leave and, in some cases, provided relocation assistance, advocates say. Mark Bove said their rental company has “worked very hard to make transitions as easy as possible for the current residents.”

City leaders and local housing agencies say the market in Winooski is too tight to accommodate so many displaced families.

2016, hoping to spur new, denser construction, the city adopted zoning rules along East Allen Street, Main Street and Malletts Bay Avenue that streamlined permitting and removed red tape. The city dubbed the areas “gateway districts.”

The strategy worked: More than 500 new housing units have already been created or permitted. Developers have knocked down old, single-family homes and duplexes to cram much larger, modern apartment buildings in their footprints.

the supply of affordable housing suitable for larger families. They are grappling with a difficult and urgent challenge: how to align the profit-driven regional housing market with the city’s social values.

“I feel like that foundation of who we are — being a welcoming, working-class community — is eroding,” Mayor Kristine Lott said.

Outside the Lafountain Street duplex last month, Burr said he didn’t know what to expect in North Carolina. Then again, he didn’t know what the future held for Winooski, either.

“It’s not going to be the Winooski it’s been for the last 10 years,” Burr said. “The people that made this place fun and safe and vibrant — we’re leaving.”

The Boves’ redevelopment plan follows a yearslong tussle that city officials believed had been resolved in a way that would allow residents to stay. A few months after Seven Days and Vermont Public reported in 2021 on substandard conditions at Bove rentals, the brothers sent eviction notices to all 300 Main tenants, explaining that they planned to renovate the units and raise rents to market rates. That threatened to displace numerous refugee families, including 29 school-age children. Public outcry followed, and the Boves rescinded the eviction notices, saying they would instead renovate the units without displacing lowincome occupants.

Last fall, they changed course again. The renovation plan was no longer

When organizers with Burlington Tenants United, a renters’ union, met with residents in January, more than half of the units had been vacated. Some tenants had moved to other towns in Chittenden County. Tenants organizer Grace Pfeil said several immigrant families have left Vermont.

“There is absolutely no reason why this displacement needs to happen,” Pfeil said. “It’s a choice that’s being made so that the Bove family can increase their profits.” The project, she said, is “really destructive to our community. And it’s also part of this larger picture, which is gentrification.”

The townhouses at 300 Main are in one of three city corridors where Winooski has fast-tracked large-scale redevelopment. In

Yet most of the new apartments are studios and one-bedroom units for people with at least a middle income. The number of three-bedroom units in the gateway districts would have actually decreased since 2016 if not for one heavily subsidized project that Champlain Housing Trust built in 2022, which includes 18 three-bedroom condos. The plan the Boves submitted for 300 Main calls for three such units, plus 10 middle-income studios.

Local developer Nate Dagesse and his wife, Jacquie, have built more than 160 of the new units in Winooski. Their five mixed-income and upscale buildings

Winooski from above

‘We’re

don’t include any three-bedroom apartments. With current construction costs, the numbers don’t pencil out, Nate said: “We’re looking at tiny, tiny units.”

The Dagesses have had no trouble finding takers for these small spaces. Their tenants, Nate said, tend to be young and mid-career professionals. Roughly half relocated to Winooski from other states.

Officials had hoped that the flurry of construction on the main drags would ease housing pressures in other neighborhoods, where zoning rules are more restrictive. But house prices citywide have shot up 34 percent over the past five years. The market has remained hot, in part because the median price of a Winooski home — $375,000 last year — is still among the lowest in Chittenden County. Yet advertised rents in the city are on par with those in Burlington, where the average home cost nearly $500,000.

The number of short-term rentals in Winooski has tripled since the pandemic. There are now 80 or so listings on Airbnb, many occupying homes or apartments that were previously rented long-term.

Some Airbnb listings tout the city’s proximity to Burlington. Others market Winooski itself as an attraction. One chic local outfit, the Traveling Bohemian, entices guests with a custom map of downtown Winooski that features icons for local bars, a cannabis dispensary, tattoo parlors and salons — including Crowder’s hair studio.

The block where Crowder and Burr lived hosts at least six short-term rentals. Another, abutting 300 Main Street, sleeps 10 guests and costs more than $400 per night on Airbnb.

Meanwhile, lower-income residents are struggling to find apartments where they can use federal subsidies that can only be applied to units with rents that are under certain price points. Dozens of Section 8 vouchers available through the Winooski Housing Authority go unused each year due to the lack of affordable units.

That shortage, plus rising costs, has virtually halted the flow of refugees into the city. In 2014, the local office of the resettlement agency U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants placed 32 refugee households in Winooski. In the past three years, just 12 households have been placed there, according to agency data.

Winooski offers a “really wonderful environment” for refugees, Amila Merdzanovic, executive director of the group’s Vermont office, said. But recently, “the affordable part sort of became — what’s the right word? — an illusion.”

‘MY TOWN’

As the sun went down on the 19th night of Ramadan, more than 200 children, parents and teachers gathered in the Winooski Middle and High School cafeteria for a community iftar, or break-the-fast meal, to mark the holiest month for Muslims. Middle and high school students, some wearing traditional headscarves and tunics, took turns sharing what the holiday meant to them.

It’s “not just about food,” one said. “Ramadan is a time to forgive and understand … a time we can all sit together.”

Muslim attendees dispersed to classrooms to pray, then guests filled their plates with an assortment of homemade dishes — mounds of rice, tangles of

noodles, chicken in savory sauces and triangles of baklava.

High school senior Nick Ferdinand, one of the Muslim students who spoke at the event, said the school district had held an iftar for the past three years but this one was the biggest yet. He noted that the school district had recently hosted a celebration of Holi, a Hindu festival. Revelers packed the gymnasium to enjoy the tradition of covering one another in brightly colored powder. He said he was proud to live in a place where he and others could share their traditions at school.

“I feel like Winooski is building something … We’re making things better for everyone,” Ferdinand said. “‘Winooski, my town.’ That’s it. That’s our motto.”

Nowhere is the city’s embrace of its

It’s hard to worry about academics when students are struggling to have a home.

MOHAMED DIOP

cultural diversity more visible than in the Winooski School District, where more than one-third of roughly 770 students are learning English. The district’s seven multilingual liaisons provide a critical bridge between home and school — assisting refugee families with interpretation services, helping them fill out paperwork, and accompanying them to appointments or grocery shopping. Students participate in a district anti-racism steering committee formed in 2020 after George Floyd’s murder.

Superintendent Wilmer Chavarria and multilingual learner programs director Mohamed Diop, who hail from Nicaragua and Mauritania, respectively, regularly visit other school districts to share advice for working with English language learners and their families.

But in recent years, district leaders say, housing instability has impeded students’ ability to learn. The administrators worry that if students are forced to move out of the city, they may not get the specialized support Winooski provides. And if fewer families live in the city, the school may lose

Community iftar at the Winooski Middle and High School

Student self-portraits at Scout coffee shop

JAMES BUCK

funding that allows it to maintain robust services for English language learners.

At the heart of the district’s newly renovated K-12 campus is a spacious atrium with a community health center and the Necessity Store, where students and their families can pick up free food, clothing and toiletries. The building boasts modernized classrooms, sleek common spaces, and a new performing arts center and gymnasium. The upgrades were funded by a $57.8-million bond that voters approved in 2019. In the bond proposal to the community, the school district pointed to projections that enrollment would grow by 15.2 percent in the next decade.

But since then, the district has lost approximately 100 students, and projections now indicate Winooski will likely lose upwards of 100 more in the next decade. Should that happen, the district figures it would have to cut 15 percent of its staff.

Chavarria worries about a citywide reappraisal due to be completed this summer. Higher property assessments could lead to tax increases and more residents being displaced. The reappraisal and declining enrollment are likely to erode the benefit the school district has reaped from Act 127, a state law that steers additional state aid to districts such as Winooski, with many English language learners and low-income students.

School district administrators see their community under threat — and they’re

speaking out. In December, the school board unanimously passed a resolution in response to the renewed risk of families being told to leave 300 Main.

Board members called on the Boves to “abide by [their] commitment not to displace Winooski residents” and urged elected officials to adopt policies “that preserve, protect and produce housing” that meets the needs of refugees and immigrants.

The ongoing housing crisis, the board wrote, is disproportionately affecting Winooski’s refugee and immigrant families. “Therefore these governmental entities each bear responsibility to take urgent action to remediate this harm.”

‘I’M REALLY SUFFERING’

School administrators say they never envisioned housing case management as part of their job description, but they had to step up.

“It’s hard to worry about academics when students are struggling to have a home,” Diop, the multilingual programs director, said.

In October, the district and local organizations held workshops in Somali, Swahili and English to teach residents about their rights as tenants.

Patrice Lumumba, the school district’s wellness coordinator and a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo himself, said more and more students and

would contact the Burlington Housing Authority to try to find the family a new place to live.

“We’re in a very tight housing market,” Davis told the woman, “so I can’t give you a timeline.”

Winooski high school students Noblette Irakoze, 17, and Pascaline Furaha, 18, know firsthand the stress that comes with housing insecurity. The Congolese friends lived in the same refugee camp in Burundi before coming to Winooski in 2018 and 2019, respectively. They’ve each been forced to move several times since.

Irakoze said her family of six was abruptly kicked out of a house they had lived in for three years after getting behind on rent. Lumumba helped them find a new place to live in Winooski. It is affordable, she said, but very cramped. The thick marijuana smoke that wafts in from a neighboring apartment is also hard to bear, she said.

families have been coming to him for help with housing issues.

So last fall he appealed to superintendent Chavarria for more help. Working with the city, the district obtained money from the state’s Agency of Human Services to hire a part-time housing case manager. Jennie Davis, who also works part time in the Champlain Valley School District, helps families with the daunting task of finding a new place to live or, in some cases, keeping their homes. In six months, Davis has worked with 37 Winooski families. More than half spoke limited English.

In a private study carrel in the school’s library earlier this month, Davis discussed housing with a Winooski mother of six who wore a hijab and appeared to be on the verge of tears. Multilingual liaison David Nyanda sat between the women to provide Swahili interpretation.

The mother told Davis that her home was in major disrepair and unsafe for her children. The landlord, she said, had not responded to her pleas to fix the problems. Despite her full-time job, she said, the $2,400 monthly rent was too expensive, and she’d gotten behind.

“I’m really suffering,” she said. “I don’t have peace.”

Davis helped the woman figure out that she already had a housing voucher that could pay part of her rent. Davis pledged to ask the Winooski Housing Authority to help cover back rent. And she said she

The resettlement agency initially placed Furaha, her father and five siblings in a two-bedroom apartment at 300 Main Street. A fire forced them out two months later, and the agency moved them to a four-bedroom unit that had roaches and flooded when it rained. Community volunteers helped the family find motel rooms to stay in and eventually secured them a new place, but that landlord soon evicted them. They are struggling to afford their current three-bedroom apartment, even though Furaha’s older brother and father work. Furaha said her brother is preparing to move out so the family can qualify for a housing voucher.

“I feel like a lot of African parents, they wish to go back to Africa,” Furaha said. “Even though life was kind of hard, we were not really struggling with housing like how we are in America.”

Both young women said the school district has supported them and their families.

“They are willing to sit and listen to your problems,” Irakoze said.

Furaha plans to go to the Community College of Vermont next year, then hopes to attend the University of Vermont and eventually law school so she can help others who are struggling, she said.

TAPPING THE BRAKES

When Lott was elected Winooski’s mayor in 2019, she believed new housing in the gateway districts would ease a citywide shortage and prevent prices from skyrocketing.

She doesn’t think so anymore.

“I think that we need to actually slow down,” Lott said. ‘WE’RE

Noblette Irakoze and Pascaline Furaha JAMES BUCK

‘We’re Leaving’ « P.29

If Winooski continues along its current path, the mayor now says, ongoing redevelopment in the gateway districts will displace more residents without providing the housing that working families need.

Facing criticism for failing to prevent displacement at 300 Main, city officials have begun looking for ways they can gain more control over future projects. Still, officials worry the tiny city’s government can’t effectively address the housing crisis on its own. Others warn that stymieing growth would make matters worse.

The mayor now convenes a monthly housing roundtable with city staff, area housing agencies, community organizers and school district officials. It formed in response to the initial eviction threat at 300 Main in early 2022.

In April 2023, the city hired a social worker, Jazmine Hurley, as its first fulltime housing initiative director. Hurley’s first order of business: figuring out how to rein in the explosion of short-term rentals. Hurley said she tried to draft regulations that would balance “supporting our renter-heavy, lower-income, diverse, vulnerable population” with the fact that city government has limited staffing available to enforce new rules.

City councilors approved the regulations in February. Airbnb operators will soon have to pay an annual licensing fee that the city will invest in housing initiatives. The fee for “non-owner occupied” rentals is $1,400 per year. The ordinance gives the city council the authority to cap the number of “non-owner occupied” short-term rentals, which it is expected to do next year.

More regulations are in the works. Last week, the Winooski Housing Commission continued its early-stage efforts to draft a policy of inclusionary zoning, which mandates that new buildings include affordable units. The city is also exploring

We cannot get family-size housing built without some kind of help or funding.

MAYOR KRISTINE LOTT

how it can require developers to replace the housing units they demolish. The City of Burlington has versions of both regulations, passed to slow gentrification that was occurring in the 1980s, during the administration of then-mayor Bernie Sanders.

Winooski Mayor Kristine Lott

Winooski officials are also studying whether they can create incentives for the development of three-bedroom apartments. Not everyone is optimistic the for-profit market will deliver on that goal.

“Solving that problem,” Winooski Housing Authority executive director Katherine Decarreau said, “is probably going to fall to groups like us and Champlain Housing Trust.”

But affordable housing requires public investment, and licensing fees from shortterm rentals won’t be enough. Officials have been seeking more state support. Lott said she’s particularly frustrated that the state doesn’t invest in appropriate housing for the refugees that Vermont resettles — people whom the state also needs to alleviate its labor shortage.

“We cannot get family-size housing built without some kind of help or funding,” Lott said.

Some worry, however, that city officials’ anxiety over preserving and expanding the supply of affordable three-bedroom apartments is missing the forest for the trees. Last year, Winooski added no new housing units — in fact, it lost three. The city still needs more housing of all types, landlord Ryan Smith said.

“That stinks that we’re losing a bunch of two- and three-bedroom condos for a larger building,” Smith said of the 300 Main redevelopment, “but there’s a need for more units overall.”

Smith, who also co-owns the Monkey House bar on the downtown rotary, said gentrification concerns are being “a little overstated.”

“We’re doing some things right,” he said.

Smith said some in Winooski still tend to equate family housing with detached single-family homes. He’d like to see larger apartment buildings permitted throughout the city — not just in the gateway districts.

‘WINOOSKI STRONG’

Crowder and Burr expected that the sale of their house would cause their $1,200 rent to go up. The real estate listing for the Lafountain Street duplex led with that promise: “Big upside to current rent.” There was a reason for that — their former landlord had hardly ever increased it.

When the purchasers, a younger couple, closed on the house in December, Crowder said she went outside to introduce herself. She was surprised to learn that she’d need to find a new place to live.

The buyers “just showed up and claimed their property, essentially,” Crowder said.

The new owners, who soon moved in downstairs, told her only that they wanted to start a family in the home they’d purchased for $420,000, Crowder said. The parties negotiated a four-month move-out schedule. The new owners did not respond to interview requests.

As Crowder and Burr scrambled to look for other rentals in Winooski, they

encountered prices exceeding $2,000 per month. Burr kept coming back to the same question: “Who can afford that?”

In mid-April, when they were already loading up their moving truck, two threebedroom flats became available for rent in the neighborhood. A 1,000-square-foot unit in an older Main Street home was listed for $2,775 per month. On Lafountain Street, a 1,100-square-foot apartment in a rambling multiunit building was going for $2,900, utilities included.

The latter unit was owned by Smith, the co-owner of Monkey House, who has 20 or so rentals in Winooski. Smith bought the Lafountain Street property in 2016 and has since upgraded the plumbing, heating systems and kitchen. “All sorts of people” have rented units in the building, he said, including a Nepalese family. Smith came up with the $2,900 monthly price, he said, by looking at similar rentals in the area.

“I tried to price it where I thought it would rent,” Smith said.

Admission is free all day. Join us!

Celebrate the exciting new season! Experience inspiring new exhibitions and visit the beloved galleries, buildings, and gardens that make Shelburne Museum a place like no other.

Saturday. May 11, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Free admission, live music, art making activities, garden and gallery tours, and more.

The rents that Crowder and Burr encountered in Winooski couldn’t compete with rates in North Carolina. There, the couple said, they will be paying about $1,700 for a three-bedroom, twobath apartment in Charlotte. Their new complex has a gym — and a pool.

They are excited to start a new life in a more affordable place. But Crowder still hasn’t figured out how to walk away from the hair studio she ran for seven years in Vermont’s “Opportunity City.”

Her studio’s front window looks across Main Street toward Four Quarters Brewing, where the “Winooski Strong” emblem — a circle of linked arms in different skin tones — is displayed prominently outside. “It’s my little space,” she said of her salon. “I love that place so much.”

For the next several months, Crowder, who can fly for free thanks to her husband’s job, plans to return to Winooski periodically to cut hair. Working with her clients, she said, is more than a business: “I didn’t want to just pick up and leave.” ➆

JAMES BUCK

Parc Terrace, a newer building on East Allen Street

Your stu over to HULA May 4th!

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Join SEABA in welcoming talented designers and their models to the runway!

This Saturday, May 4th from 4-7pm.

Meet and greet with our fabulous designers immediately following the show:

CASA X BELLCATE

Clover Chapel

Fine Forager Arts / Dakin Fuller

Freak Flag Productions / Julian Barritt

Jess Rodrigues

Killerjeanne / Gerald Fitzpatrick

Old Kids Apparel / Je erey Steele

Street Fairy

Tonya Whitney

2C designz

Zimi Collections

Late Loomers

rough arts such as weaving, older Vermonters reflect on their lives and losses

BY HANNAH FEUER • hfeuer@sevendaysvt.com

On Wednesday mornings in Shelburne, five women gather to weave fibers symbolizing the tapestries of their lives. During a recent session, Nancy Rissler, 67, finished weaving a series of letters at the base of her loom, representing the first initials of her mother’s 11 siblings.

“Putting in the yarn, taking out the yarn, deciding what colors — it sort of reflects how we do life,” Rissler said. “[It’s] empowering that you can reflect.”

This is Weaving Your Story, a free weekly course at Shelburne Craft School for people over the age of 60 and clients of Age Well, a nonprofit resource center serving northwestern Vermont. Participants create a work of fiber art that represents the people, memories or milestones of their lives.

The course is part of a larger e ort to help seniors stay active and connected. The Vermont Arts Council awarded $5,150 to support the class, one of 17 “creative aging” projects it’s funding this year for a total of $72,100.

Across the state, older adults participate in activities designed specifically for their age group, from a songwriting and singing residency in Canaan to a weekly memoir writing group in Middlebury. The goal is to address many older adults’ feelings of isolation by providing social engagement through the arts, according to the arts council.

Lin Warren, 71, is another weaving student. As a senior living in South Burlington, she said, “There’s just a million things you can do.” She’s pursued other opportunities organized by Age Well, such as tai chi. “I’ve been loving it.”

Bradie Hansen, a psychotherapist by day, conceived of the weaving class, which she teaches. She discovered the meditative benefits of fiber arts after spinning wool before bed helped cure her insomnia. She took a course called Weaving a Life, which focuses on the therapeutic aspects of weaving, with Maine-based artist Susan Barrett Merrill. Inspired by Merrill’s work, Hansen started integrating weaving into her private therapy practice in 2018. Last spring, she started teaching Weaving Your Story in Shelburne.

Weaving “helps your nervous system metabolize whatever it is that you’re going through,” Hansen said. “You can use it in all kinds of ways to explore: How am I relating to the world, to myself, to other

people, to the things that are coming my way?”

While weaving can be meditative for people of any age, the class is ideal for

often integrate a late loved one’s article of clothing, such as a sock or necktie, into the tapestry.

“Sometimes people are like, ‘What do I do with all these things? I don’t want to get rid of them, because that’s so hard,’” Hansen said. “But when they can have something else to do with it, that then also becomes really precious. It’s really transformative.”

A tapestry can also represent stories passed down through generations.

seniors because they have a wealth of life experience to draw upon, said Hansen, who is 50. The medium can also be a way to process grief, she added. Students

Helen Calvelli

Weaving Your Story class

SIT BACK AND RELAX.

Some retired people want to hang ‘em up, and some are just getting warmed up. The people at Wake Robin are definitely in the latter camp.They’re busy, curious, and part of a dynamic Life Plan Community in Shelburne, VT. Come see for yourself. Wake Robin. It’s where you live.

WE’RE ALL KIND OF TRANSITIONING AND TRYING TO FIND OUR SPACE IN THIS TIME WHEN KIDS DON’T NEED US ANYMORE.

SHARI MULLEN

For example, at a dance decades ago, women tossed one of their shoes into a collective heap. The men each selected a shoe and searched for the woman with the corresponding footwear, who would become their dance partner for the night. Rissler’s father selected her mother’s red shoe. The two were married three months later.

“Isn’t that amazing?” Rissler asked. “Now it’s all [through] the internet.”

To memorialize the meet-cute, she wove an image of a red shoe into her tapestry.

Shari Mullen, 60, created a tapestry depicting Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains, which she said represents her emotional connection to Vermont’s landscape. Beyond the calming effects of weaving, she said, the class has helped her connect with other women her age.

“We’re all kind of transitioning and trying to find our space in this time when kids don’t need us anymore,” she said.

“It’s kind of hard to be both needed and not needed.”

Hansen said the therapeutic aspect of the course arises from weaving in a communal space. During the two-hour class, the women immersed themselves in their weaving projects but also kept the conversation flowing.

“I wanted it to be more free-form, and I just totally trust weaving to let us do that,” Hansen said. “The process of interlocking fibers with each other is, in and of itself, meaningful.”

Weaving is rich with metaphors for life, Hansen explained. The loom, which provides structure for the tapestry, must be stable enough to hold all the yarn — just as individuals need a strong foundation to navigate life’s hardships, Hansen said.

Warren has always drawn strength from nature, so she’s creating trees with branches representing different periods of her life. She’s also going to weave in an item from her childhood collection of ribbons.

“I’m old, so I have to make a lot of branches,” Warren joked.

The class reminds her to keep living life to the fullest as she ages. She said she plans to invite the weaving group to socialize at her house after the course ends.

“There’s a big world out there,” she said, “and if you’re a senior, don’t let it go by.” ➆

INFO

The next session of Weaving Your Story runs Wednesdays, May 8 through June 26, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Shelburne Craft School. Free.

For 125 years, we’ve been using business as a force for good.

Mascoma Bank and the Mascoma Bank Foundation have donated more than $11 million to local nonprofit organizations since 2019, and it’s our customers who made that possible.

As a thank you, we invite you to come celebrate! Join us for light refreshments, fun giveaways, and drawings for special prizes from local businesses.

South Burlington - 1185 Shelburne Road

Tuesday, May 7, 10am-2pm

Burlington - 431 Pine Street

Wednesday, May 8, 10am-2pm

Find out about future celebrations

food+drink

A Penny Saved

Burlington’s favorite brunch is now at Deep City

BY JORDAN BARRY • jbarry@sevendaysvt.com

The most beloved home fries in Burlington are back. The heaping mound of perfectly griddled potatoes topped with melted cheese, salsa, sour cream and green onions have a new name — and a new home. But they’re still a Bucket-o-Spuds.

The iconic Penny Cluse Café dish’s new name, House of Spudology, is a nod to that new home: Deep City, the restaurant attached to Foam Brewers. A year and a half after closing the landmark breakfast and lunch spot he co-owned with his wife, Holly Cluse, Charles Reeves is now the brewery’s food director, working closely with the team behind Foam and House of Fermentology. And while he initially told Seven Days that he wouldn’t be “opening up Penny Cluse” at the restaurant near the waterfront, he sort of did.

FOOD LOVER?

Deep City’s brunch — served Friday through Monday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. — lacks

some of the sandwiches and simpler breakfast options Penny Cluse served during its nearly quarter-century run, from 1998 to 2022. “But it’s all the hits,” Reeves said. “The aesthetic is the same, and some of the recipes are exactly the same.”

So was my order on Deep City’s opening weekend in mid-April: the aforementioned spuds ($9), which I accidentally ordered by their previous name; one large buttermilk pancake ($5) and a chile relleno with

INFO

Deep City, 112 Lake St., Burlington, 800-1454, deepcityvt.com

salsa ranchero ($5) to share; and huevos verdes ($16). My only new addition, appropriately beer-filled for the setting, was a michelada ($10), now made with Foam’s Tranquil Pils lager.

I usually skip a restaurant’s opening weekend to give the team time to settle in

Huevos verdes, fresh fruit cup, griddled gingerbread pancake, biscuits and gravy, michelada, and House of Spudology home fries

and work out the kinks. But I had confidence in the pairing of Reeves and Foam — especially with longtime Penny Cluse floor manager Anastasia Evans helming the front of house and Maura O’Sullivan, Penny’s kitchen manager, helping Reeves while she works to open her new Burlington restaurant, Majestic, this summer. When friends asked if we’d like to join them for an early Sunday meal, it was a no-brainer.

Like Penny Cluse, Deep City is walk-in only. We arrived with the highchair crowd around 8:45 and were quickly seated. The dining room is smaller than Penny Cluse was — 50 seats versus 68 — but the lake-view patio will add space for 35 in May, once weather and staffing allow.

from service-industry friends. (It’s more for snacking than budgetary purposes, but we were broke, so it ticked both boxes.) This time, I shared a table pancake with my 10-month-old son, who is just starting to learn how glorious such things can be. He was a big fan.

FIRST BITE

I GOT A LITTLE CHOKED

UP OVER MY CHILE RELLENO.

Foam’s sister restaurant first opened in March 2020, then closed in November 2023 due to lingering pandemic-era challenges and short-staffing in the kitchen. Deep City was a dinner spot, serving dressed-up pub food such as burgers, vegan poutine, and a ranch-andromaine salad that sustained me through the early part of the pandemic.

Somehow, though, the space seems like it was always designed for brunch. Sunlight streams in through huge windows and bounces off the high ceilings, exposed brick and wooden beams. The kitchen — visible past a big bar — gets so much light that Reeves said it can be hard to judge the height of the flames on the stove.

“I’ll have to wear sunglasses,” he joked.

The energy of the space was bright during my early morning visit, too. Evans enthusiastically greeted longtime Penny Cluse customers, one after another. I waited in my fair share of lines on Cherry Street over the years but was far from a regular — especially compared to the fans who eulogized the restaurant in poetry, prose and art in these pages ahead of its closure in late 2022.

Looking at the familiar menu, I thought back to eating tofu scram with my late grandmother and hungover biscuits and gravy with my five college roommates. And then there was the time I learned the genius of ordering a pancake for the table

Based on the response in the restaurant that day and on social media, there seems to be an overwhelming sense of relief that Reeves did open up Penny Cluse. Tasting all that history again — and how it holds up, even in a new setting — I got a little choked up over my chile relleno.

The consistency, Reeves said, is largely due to how he thinks about food.

“I’m a documenter,” the chef explained. “If I change a recipe, I update my recipe card. I like to be methodical.”

He also predicted that the new Deep City would draw a crowd, which, so far, it has. “We had to open with a menu that was going to work,” he said. “This is not the time for me to be super experimental. This is the time for me to land the ship.”

As things get rolling and summer produce season approaches, Reeves thinks the menu will expand. Now that dishes such as the biscuits and gravy ($7 for the starter-size BAG and $16 for the version with eggs and home fries, still called the Penny Cluse) are back — along with gluten-free gingerbread pancakes, which Penny Cluse stopped making four or five years ago — “there’s no rational way I can remove them,” he said.

That means Reeves will continue to spend a good chunk of his time making the much-loved herb cream gravy — gallons per day.

I’d skipped the biscuits on my first visit and decided that was reason enough to go back. When I texted a friend asking if she’d be up for Friday breakfast at Deep City for “the return of Penny Cluse,” I didn’t immediately realize my mistake. She showed up 15 minutes late, having first gone to Cherry Street. A farm-totable dinner restaurant called Frankie’s launched in mid-April in the former

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Penny Cluse space, but thankfully it wasn’t open for brunch.

When she arrived, I ordered the BAG and another batch of the spuds. The latter dish, Reeves said, is the latest in a long line of potato piles that mark his career. In San Francisco, he worked at Boogaloos, where the dish was called Temple of Spuds, inspired by Spuds-o-Rama at another city brunch spot, Spaghetti Western. He’s changed the seasoning mix over the years, but in its recent evolution from

WE ALL MISSED PENNY CLUSE MASSIVELY. TO HAVE THESE OPTIONS BACK IS PRETTY INCREDIBLE.

JON FARMER

a “bucket” to a “house,” Reeves said, it’s stayed the same.

“Home fries have gone to a dark place culturally,” he continued, lambasting the now-common over-fried square version. When he started at Deep City, Reeves eighty-sixed the fryers. The spuds are cooked on the griddle, browned with onions and finished with herb butter, “as they should be,” he said.

Some of the name changes come from the fact that, while he’s in charge, this isn’t Reeves’ restaurant. He was 56 when he and Cluse decided to close their restaurant to spend more time with family, after working in the kitchen 50 hours per week and running the business another 15 hours on top of that. Here, even though his role as food director encompasses more than Deep City’s brunch, there’s somebody else to print menus and do payroll.

“They’re set up, they’re smart and they’re savvy,” Reeves said of his new employers. “Foam has a great thing going on.”

The brewery celebrated its eighth anniversary over the weekend with a big bash. Early last Friday morning, Foam cofounder and creative director Jon Farmer called me before heading into Deep City for a light breakfast of biscuits and gravy — his first sit-down meal at the restaurant since it reopened.

“We all missed Penny Cluse massively,” Farmer said, naming the huevos rancheros and verdes as among his favorite dishes.

“To have these options back is pretty incredible.”

Deep City had offered brunch occasionally over the years, he said, “but we were spread too thin with dinner, and I always

thought it would be a dinner restaurant first.”

When Reeves and Foam cofounder Dani Casey pitched the rest of the team on the current brunch concept, Farmer continued, “it clicked for everybody that this could be the best use of the space.”

Only serving brunch leaves the restaurant open for nighttime events and overflow for live music and comedy shows at the brewery — a win-win.

Spirits are high at 112 Lake Street, Farmer said. Reeves is also revamping the menu on the taproom side, and the team is considering opening the Foam taproom

before noon on weekends to let customers enjoy coffee or beer if there’s a wait for brunch.

Working with Reeves and his tight-knit team has been “a dream,” Farmer said. “I mean, he’s hilarious and professional at the same time.”

The return of Penny Cluse has been a dream for Reeves, too.

“The end of Penny Cluse was emotional. People were coming in, giving hugs and being like, ‘Oh, my God. I can’t believe it,’” Reeves recalled. “This is the whole thing in reverse: People are coming in, giving hugs and being like, ‘Oh, my God. I can’t believe it.’” ➆

Clockwise from top: Foam Brewers food director Charles Reeves, Deep City at brunch, biscuits and gravy

SIDEdishes

SERVING UP FOOD NEWS

Burlington’s Blue Cat Steak & Wine Bar Closes

BLUE CAT STEAK & WINE BAR closed in April after an 18-year run at 1 Lawson Lane in Burlington. Owner MARIASHA GIRAL announced the news in a goodbye letter printed in Seven Days but otherwise declined to comment.

As of last week, the only other confirmation of Blue Cat’s closure was its status as “permanently closed” on reservation site OpenTable. There were no signs at the cozy alleyway steakhouse — where tables were still set — or on its website, voicemail or social media.

Giral and her late husband, Ozzy, opened Blue Cat in 2006, the same year they moved to Vermont from New York City. In 2008, they shifted the menu

from Italian-inspired panini and pasta to classic steakhouse dishes, including shrimp cocktail, tru ed foie gras, filet mignon, steak au poivre and rib eye. The wine list featured 300-plus options from around the world.

Giral continued to operate the restaurant after her husband died unexpectedly in 2016 at age 36.

“While my husband and partner, Ozzy, has passed, I’d like to include him in this goodbye, as well,” she wrote in the closure announcement. “He was a leader in our tucked-away wine bar as well as the community and enjoyed it more than anyone else possible.”

Jordan Barry

In Montpelier, Enna to Serve Gelato; Dairy Creme for Sale

A Montpelier cone has been passed. SHANNON BATES, chef-owner of the globally inspired deli ENNA at 14 State Street, will add gelato during new daily afternoon and early evening hours starting on May 6. Bates bought some of the equipment from Chill Vermont Gelato, which operated a few storefronts away at 32 State Street from 2012 until last summer.

Both businesses were severely damaged by July’s flooding. While Enna reopened on November 6, Chill Vermont Gelato owner ALEC LONG decided against reopening the spot, which he bought in 2022 from its original owners.

“Chill sustained serious damage and after considering options I decided that it made sense to pass the torch,” Long wrote in an email. As he and Bates worked together on a fall fundraiser for the Capital City’s restaurant sector, they discussed her purchase of the gelato equipment that was untouched by the flood.

“I knew that Enna would make a great new home for gelato in Montpelier,” Long said.

Bates, a Woodbury native and Culinary Institute of America graduate, opened Enna in July 2021. The deli serves a weekday, counter-service lunch menu of sandwiches, salads and curry. “I had the space and the perfect venue to add gelato,” Bates said.

The chef said she is looking forward to experimenting with “fun, exciting flavors” while keeping some Chill favorites, such as pistachio, rosewater and mango. She dreams of combining locally grown basil with lemon and deploying curry spices such as cardamom and cinnamon.

In other Montpelier ice cream news, the DAIRY CREME at 320 State Street is for sale for $650,000, packaged with its o -season counterpart, a wood pellet business. The landmark creemee stand traces its roots back to the 1940s, when the structure was an A&W in Middlesex. That building was moved in the late 1950s to make way for Interstate 89. The equipment came from a Dairy Queen on Montpelier’s River Street. CLIFF and LAURIE DODGE, who are 66 and 62, respectively, have owned the Dairy Creme since 1997 and plan to retire. They said they will run the stand until they find a buyer and will open this Saturday, May 4.

Melissa

Beyond the Beer

ree questions for Cory Swafford of Waterbury’s Blackback Pub

BY MELISSA PASANEN • pasanen@sevendaysvt.com

Blackback Pub in Waterbury has long been a starred stop on Vermont’s beer tourism map. Its impressive tap list always includes half a dozen choices from Greensboro’s Hill Farmstead Brewery alongside other noteworthy American brews, plus Belgian exemplars such as the barrel-aged Rodenbach Grand Cru sour red ale.

Aside from Blackback’s legendary nachos ($14) — loaded with two cheeses, bacon and scallions and laced with maple-chipotle sauce — the beer has largely overshadowed the food. But chef and co-owner Cory Swafford is working to change that.

Sneakers Bistro in Winooski, and Pro Pig in Waterbury, where he rose to executive chef.

Last October, after almost a decade of ownership, Lynn Mason and Dave Juenker sold Blackback to its general manager, Ehren Hill, and Swafford, a 50-year-old career cook who has plied his trade at many landmark restaurants. His résumé includes stints at Leunig’s Bistro & Café and A Single Pebble in Burlington,

Since Swafford started at Blackback in late summer 2022, he has gradually overhauled the menu. Notably, the chef, who eats vegan at home, has added several vegan options. His broccolini with gochujang peanut sauce and tamari peanuts ($9) and chickpea fritter gyro ($17) with sumac onions and a housemade version of the fermented mango condiment called amba are as compelling as his Tunisian-inspired chermoula chicken sandwich ($18). Swa ord runs the busy kitchen with sous chef Joseph Wallace and three line cooks. (If you spy Swa ord on a break, ask the former professional card magician to do a trick.) On nights o , the chef and his wife have friends over for roasted broccoli Reubens with homemade sauerkraut, followed by spirited rounds of some of their 2,000 board games. (Ricochet Robots is a favorite.)

Seven Days chatted with Swafford about how he unexpectedly became a professional cook, his decision to go vegan and those famous pub nachos.

Have you always loved to cook?

I had never cooked anything other than chicken Alfredo for one girlfriend in my teens. I was not looking to be a cook. I was actually with a roommate in Burlington 28 years ago [when] he was interviewing at a Friendly’s restaurant, and I was sitting there waiting for him. The general manager came out and pointed at me and said, “Hey, do you need a job?”

I did need a job, and it turned out I loved it. I thrived on the energy in the kitchen.

What prompted you to go mostly vegan at home?

Being the chef at [Pro Pig], I was eating fistfuls of brisket and pork every day. I was getting into my mid-forties, and I needed to make a change. I went to get life insurance and had a full physical and bloodwork done, and it wasn’t very favorable. I couldn’t change at work, so my wife and I made the change at

home. I dropped tons of weight, and I felt more energetic.

When I started, we’d batch-cook on Sundays: crockpot beans and rice, veggie burgers, simple things. I’d make big salads at home with oil-free dressing to bring to work.

I do a lot of Indian cooking at home, like palak paneer with tofu instead of paneer, butter chicken but using seitan for chicken and cashew cream instead of dairy. I just choose a region of the world and kind of go wild with it for a while.

You’ve changed up most of Blackback’s menu, but the pub nachos remain.

That [dish] is a legend all its own. I wouldn’t even dream of taking that away from anybody. It’s sweet and salty. It’s rich with the blue cheese and that little bit of heat from the chipotle. It will be here forever. ➆

This interview was edited and condensed for clarity and length.

INFO

Blackback Pub, 1 Stowe St., Waterbury, 244-0123, theblackbackpub.com

Cory Swafford

Above: Chermoula chicken sandwich, cold ramen noodles, broccolini and pub nachos

Back in Style

For 18 years, Gerald “Fitz” Fitzpatrick traveled to war zones, building and fitting prosthetics for people maimed by land mines. His work for the International Committee of the Red Cross took him to Angola, Ethiopia, India, South Sudan, Myanmar and other countries.

Before that, he had jobs in carpentry, restaurants and plumbing. He taught metalworking in the Peace Corps in Morocco and welded in shipyards. But he didn’t expect to add fashion designer to his résumé. Now that’s he’s retired — splitting his time between Champlain, N.Y., and his hometown of Columbus, Ohio — Fitzpatrick, 68, is making wearable art out of scrap metal, leather and plastic, materials he sources frugally.

“I dumpster dive,” he said.

Employing tools typically used to restore vintage cars or aircraft, he cuts and shapes metal into corsets, hoopskirts and wide-brimmed hats that have a cosplay, kink or boudoir vibe. His fashions, he acknowledged, are not for everyday wear.

make STRUT! a stand-alone event in the spring.

Art Hop spans 100 venues and draws as many as 25,000 people. STRUT! requires its own meticulous planning. “We just felt that it needed — it deserved — its own weekend,” said Christy Mitchell, executive director of SEABA, which orchestrates both events.

Rather than two shows in a tent behind the Maltex Building, the new STRUT! will be one expanded event at Hula. WCAXTV anchor and executive producer Darren Perron will emcee. Audience members will be invited to linger after the 90-minute show and get a drink, meet the designers and shop their favorite looks.

STRUT! typically features emerging and mid-career designers. Aside from sharing a preference for reusing materials, this year’s designers comprise an eclectic lineup. Selftaught Williston artist Tonya Whitney, 52, makes her STRUT! debut with wearable sculptures influenced by 1980s pop culture: three papier-mâché headpieces — including Veronica from the Archie’s Girls: Betty and Veronica comics — and two life-size cardboard paper-doll outfits inspired by the movie Pretty in Pink

Twenty-eight-year-old Burlington designer Madeline Ruby Wood makes her Clover Chapel brand of dresses from vintage handkerchiefs and antique doilies. “Inspired by all things enchanted and ethereal,” as she wrote in an email, they often look like flowers or snowflakes.

Three models outfitted in his apparel and accessories will walk the runway on Saturday, May 4, at STRUT!, the South End Arts + Business Association fashion show returning to Burlington after a four-year, pandemicinduced hiatus. Fitzpatrick is one of 11 designers in the show.

Like many of the pieces hitting the runway this year, STRUT! has been upcycled. Organizers have taken the most beloved elements of the old event, which

ran from 2006 through 2019 as part of the South End Art Hop, and fashioned them into something new.

Most noticeably, they’ve separated it from Art Hop, their 31-year-old, wildly popular September weekend festival, to

Dakin Fuller, who started picking up shards of red taillights o the ground at age 17 “because I thought they were pretty,” pieces together secondhand, donated and found materials to create “gender-diverse, post-apocalyptic thrift” clothing. Fuller’s signature style features an explosion of color with a lot of pockets.

Now 38 and the owner of Fine Forager Arts, the Burlington artist also makes jewelry. (Look for car taillights and reflectors, shaped and smoothed, dangling on earrings and necklaces.)

South Burlington teacher Julian Barritt credits his mother, a longtime art teacher, for showing him how to use materials in an unconventional way. “Every time I begin a project, I have my heyday with sequins, beads, and flashy fabrics,” Barritt, 25, writes in his artist statement. The STRUT! audience will likely be thanking Barritt’s mother, too, when his bedazzled Freak Flag Productions line hits the runway. It includes a graduation gown he calls “Show Your Inner Sparkle” and a hazmat suit with a face shield titled “Slip Into Something More Comfortable: Authenticity.”

Heather Fromkin’s 2Cdesignz marry art with botany. The 50-year-old Barton sculptor started sewing during the pandemic and is working to incorporate live plants

From left: Mary Sundermeier, Chantelle Taylor and Alanna GibsonRex modeling metal fashion created by Gerald “Fitz” Fitzpatrick

Hazmat suit by Julian Barritt

into swim- and sun-wear. “It’s kind of a science project,” she said. Expect moss.

Kaltuma Bulle’s 4-month-old Street Fairy Upcycle fashions meld streetwear, grunge and punk with a little “fairy-core,” which she defines as “boho-styled, cool clothing that is very feminine and just cute and short and flowy.”

Stars appear on many of the 21-yearold Burlington designer’s garments. Distressed strands of fabric dangling from short skirts add postapocalyptic/mummy energy. Bulle hand-sews stu ed denim spikes onto the outer seams of her “dino pants,” and she reincarnates old crocheted afghans as pants and balaclavas.

When Bellcate School arts and culture teacher Alex Sanchez got word in late February that her students were accepted

to the show, the school added STRUT! to its curriculum for the fourth quarter. She and her students scrambled to turn a gym closet “into what is now, like, the tiniest fashion design studio probably in America,” Sanchez said.

Eight students, ages 14 to 21, at the Essex middle and high school have collaborated to design, sew and model five outfits for an athleisure line they’ve named Nuro Essentials.

SEABA director Mitchell aims to build a mentorship component into STRUT! next year to help new designers learn about the fashion industry, such as how to source materials sustainably and take a line into production. She wants to help

FRI, 5/10 7PM

Shyam Nepali’s HIMALAYAN DREAMS

SAT 5/11 7PM

GENTICORUM & Young Tradition Touring Group

SUN 5/12

Family Jam (10AM -12PM) & Contra Dance (1:30 - 3:30PM)

SAT 5/11 10AM –1PM

Student/Mentor Showcase at the Burlington Farmers Market

•

•

Papier-mâché creations by Tonya Whitney

A dress created by Madeline Ruby Wood Jacket from Katarina Lisaius’ Zimi Collections

Nico Muhly and Adam Tendler grew up a 30-minute drive apart on Route 14. Muhly, the renowned composer, was born in Randolph and spent his summers in Tunbridge while attending school in Providence, R.I. Tendler, a sought-after pianist, was born in Barre and went to Spaulding High School.

Yet they didn’t meet and become friends until a decade ago in New York City, where they both live. And it took the Vermont Symphony Orchestra to bring the two men, both 42, back to Vermont for their first home-state collaboration. On Saturday, May 4, at the Flynn Main Stage in Burlington, Tendler and the orchestra will perform the world premiere of Muhly’s first piano concerto, Sounding

The work is part of a program that spans the centuries, from an early 16th-century Renaissance chanson by Josquin des Prez to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s beloved 1791 Requiem in D Minor to a piece by Missy Mazzoli, Muhly’s nearly exact contemporary.

The piano concerto commission puts the VSO and its co-commissioner, the New Jersey Symphony, in distinguished company. Muhly operates at music’s cutting edge, in the classical world and beyond. Premieres of his commissions in the last year alone include the soundtrack of an immersive exhibition in London by artist David Hockney; a collaboration with choreographer Benjamin Millepied of Los Angeles Dance Project on a performance in Paris; and a reorchestration of the first great opera, Claudio Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo, for the Santa Fe Opera in New Mexico. He’s also worked with the likes of indierock musicians Björk, Grizzly Bear and Joanna Newsom.

When the VSO asked Muhly a year and a half ago to write a piano concerto specifically for Tendler, the composer happily agreed.

“First of all, the Vermont Symphony — that’s awesome,” enthused Muhly, whose commissions also include two operas for the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

Muhly talked rapidly and animatedly during the interview, emailing entire orchestral scores and sound files to a reporter while chatting away. He spoke from a Los Angeles hotel room, where he was composing his second piano concerto for the San Francisco Symphony.

Composing for Tendler, his friend and fellow Vermonter, added to his excitement for the project, Muhly explained. “Commissions can often feel very abstract, like, ‘Write a piano concerto!’ and you think, Why?” he said. “This was something for somebody.”

Muhly took the opportunity of the

Sounding Off

Adam Tendler and the VSO to premiere Vermont composer Nico Muhly’s first piano concerto

BY AMY LILLY • lilly@sevendaysvt.com

Vermont-centric commission to go all in on the Green Mountain State. Sounding honors another former Randolph resident, Justin Morgan (1747-1798), a horse breeder, hymn composer and town clerk who is best known for breeding the state’s official animal, the Morgan horse. Muhly described Morgan as “a Randolph celeb

CLASSICAL MUSIC

who’s also a really interesting character in that New England way” of working several disparate jobs.

The 12-minute work has four connected movements based on the Morgan hymns “Amanda,” “Montgomery,” “Huntington” and “Sounding Joy.” (That last one gave Muhly his title.)

The composer not only drew from the hymns’ melodies but also paid particular attention to their lyrics — not surprising for someone who obtained a bachelor’s degree in English at Columbia University while earning a master’s in composition at the Juilliard School.

The composer described the hymns’ verses as “violent, aggressively penitential [and] focused on a wrathful god.” Morgan’s setting of “Amanda,” for example, uses Isaac Watts’ 1719 versification of one of the psalms that begins with the bleak line, “Death, like an overflowing stream...” In turn, Muhly said, his piano concerto “is aggressively orchestrated. There are moments the orchestra is kind of violent.”

Judging from the MP3 file, the work is also by turns poignant and solemn, melodic and surprising in its harmonic choices. The finale does not end in a big clash; Muhly tends to create drama through “micro-narratives,” as he wrote in a 2017 piece for the New York Times, rather than “a Romantic sense of ebb and flow leading to a climactic moment.”

Reached by email while he was traveling abroad, Tendler described Muhly’s music as “innovative and yet in dialogue with centuries of traditions. Harmonies are voiced with absolute care, the textures are complex but clear.” (A Times review of the Millepied collaboration said the composer writes “serious contemporary music, accessible and youthful.”)

Tendler, who earned his bachelor’s degree at Indiana University Bloomington’s Jacobs School of Music, has developed a reputation for championing new music since moving to New York in 2009. He has collaborated with Muhly on multiple projects; most recently, the pianist commissioned Muhly and 14 other composers (including Mazzoli) to compose works for solo piano as a tribute to Tendler’s late father.

Muhly’s other compositions for Tendler include several that the pianist played during two solo performances of an all-Muhly program with Waterbury’s TURNmusic, on April 11 and 14, as part of Tendler’s VSO residency.

Muhly has played piano since age 8, though he joked, “I wouldn’t pay to see myself play.” Still, the two musicians collaborated closely on Sounding. Muhly typically composes by moving between paper and the composition software Sibelius. For the piano concerto, he sometimes consulted with Tendler on a daily basis: “I’d send him eight bars; he’d send me a video of him playing it and say, ‘Can we try it like this?’”

Calling Sounding “an epic concerto in a miniature form,” Tendler noted that its most unusual element was “how Nico

Nico Muhly

treats the Justin Morgan hymns,” which he described as “stately and almost angular.” Those aren’t characteristics “I’d ever ascribe to Nico’s nuanced and supple music,” he said.

For Muhly, hymns are not an unusual place to start a composition. As a boy, he sang in an Anglican choir — an experience that awakened his interest in composing — and he often cites hymns by 16th- and 17th-century English composers Thomas Tallis and William Byrd as deep influences. But tackling Morgan’s hymns was a challenge.

“The harmonic language, the modes, the cadences are so different from what I normally work with. Justin Morgan hymns don’t overlap a lot with the Anglican tradition,” he said. The process was “like ‘Top Chef’ — like, ‘Hey, I’ve got this thing! Who’s got celery?’”

Crust, 36, said he first conducted Muhly while earning his master’s in 2011, “but I’ve been aware of his music forever,” particularly through Muhly’s crossover collaborations with singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens and folk singer Teitur Lassen — not to mention the New Yorker profile that came out when Muhly was all of 26.

Sounding, Crust added, “uses someone else’s material and expands on it. Counterintuitively, that really shows his own voice.

IT’S HARD TO RESIST NICO’S MUSIC.

ANDREW CRUST

“Each of the hymns are there, but he treats the orchestra like a synthesizer. He really pushes color to its limit,” he continued, referring to the ways Muhly mines and combines each instrument’s unique timbres. “It sounds both modernist and accessible at all times.”

Budding Vermont composers in grades six through 12 participating in the VSO’s MasterClef competition may learn about such approaches to composing. The students can compose a work in any genre based on Morgan’s “Montgomery.” Muhly, VSO artistic adviser and project conductor Matt LaRocca and singersongwriter Moira Smiley will help the finalists workshop their music and select winners the day before the concert.

VSO music director Andrew Crust was studying Sounding himself when Seven Days reached him by phone.

“It’s hard to resist Nico’s music — it’s so versatile and engaging,” Crust said. “It’s so well structured that no matter what experimentation he does with form or harmony, you feel there is a cohesive whole. That’s the sign of a really great composer.”

Unlike the multitude of Mozart’s Requiem recordings, there is no recording of Sounding to which Crust can refer, the conductor pointed out. Instead, he’s looking forward to getting feedback from Muhly himself, who will attend rehearsals. “There’s nothing like working with a living composer,” Crust said.

For his part, Muhly, who attends every premiere of his work that he can, said Saturday’s will be special, especially given the home-state audience.

“I can’t wait,” he said. “A new piece is never not fun, and it’s doubly fun with friends.” ➆ INFO

“VSO at the Flynn: Mozart, Mazzoli and Muhly,” Saturday, May 4, 7:30 p.m., at the Flynn Main Stage in Burlington. $8.35-59. flynn.org, vso.org

Adam Tendler

THEATER

Shaina Taub’s Suffs Earns Six Tony Nominations, Including Best Musical

BY MARY ANN LICKTEIG • maryann@sevendaysvt.com

, the musical created by Waitsfield native Shaina Taub, received six nominations on Tuesday for the 2024 Tony Awards, including one for Best Musical.

at 13. e Outsiders, a musical adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s novel of the same name, garnered 12 nominations.

Taub, 35, wrote the book, music and lyrics for the show, which chronicles the final, turbulent years of the women’s suffrage movement. She stars as Alice Paul.

in that musical as Lorraine Baines/McFly. Colchester native Merritt David Janes plays Strickland, the Hill Valley High School staffer turned principal. e show takes Hunt back to Winter Garden eatre and the stage where she made her Broadway debut at age 23 as Sophie in Mamma Mia!

Suffs, one of 15 new musicals on Broadway this season, opened on April 18 at the Music Box eatre with Hillary Clinton and Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai as coproducers. Rachel Sussman and Jill Furman are lead producers.

In all, 36 plays and musicals were eligible for the 2024 Tony Awards.

Taub was nominated for Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score.

BY MARY ANN LICKTEIG • maryann@sevendaysvt.com

U.S. Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) was in Burlington on April 24 to acknowledge the value of Vermont’s nonprofit theaters and the continued struggle they face to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. He pledged his support with proposed legislation that would provide $1 billion annually to professional nonprofit theaters nationwide for five years.

eaters, Welch said during a press conference in the lobby of the Flynn, were among the first institutions to close when the pandemic hit. “And then they were the last, in many ways, to come back,” he continued, because many prospective audience members didn’t feel comfortable returning. Many still haven’t. Welch was a lead sponsor of the Save Our Stages Act of 2020, which helped keep performing arts organizations afloat during the pandemic.

Earlier this month, Welch introduced the Supporting eater and the Arts to Galvanize the Economy (STAGE) Act of 2024 with U.S. Sens. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and Jack Reed (D-R.I.). U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal (DConn.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) have signed on as cosponsors, and U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) has introduced a companion bill in the House of Representatives. e grants, Welch told the handful of Vermont nonprofit theater representatives in attendance at the Flynn, would “help

Nikki M. James, who plays Ida B. Wells, was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical.

Suffs other nominations went to Leigh Silverman for direction and Paul Tazewell for costume design.

Best Musical is “generally the prize with the biggest economic impact,” according to Michael Paulson of the New York Times e other musicals vying for that honor are Hell’s Kitchen, Illinoise, e Outsiders and Water for Elephants

Back to the Future: e Musical, which features two Vermont actors, earned two nominations: Roger Bart, for his performance as Doc Brown; and Tim Hatley and Finn Ross, for their scenic design.

Winners will be announced at the David H. Koch eater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City on Sunday, June 16. Academy Award winner and Tony-nominated actor Ariana DeBose will host for the third time. “ e 77th Annual Tony Awards” will be broadcast on CBS and live-streamed on Paramount+ starting at 8 p.m. ➆ INFO

Hell’s Kitchen, Alicia Keys’ comingof-age musical, and Stereophonic, David Adjmi’s play about an up-and-coming rock band (featuring original music by Will Butler, formerly of Arcade Fire), tied for the most nominations received

Learn more at suffsmusical.com and tonyawards.com.

Welch Wants to Help Vermont eaters ‘Still Struggling’ Post-Pandemic

make certain that you get to the other side of this, because you’re still struggling, through no fault of your own.”

His appearance came just days after White River Junction- and New York City-based JAG Productions announced its closure, citing those very same postpandemic pressures.

Joining Welch were Flynn executive director Jay Wahl, Vermont Secretary of Commerce and Community Development Lindsay Kurrle, Vermont Arts Council executive director Susan Evans McClure and Northern Stage producing artistic director Carol Dunne.

While several spoke of the intrinsic value of the arts — Wahl called them “the oxygen of humanity” — Kurrle attached numbers to their economic impact.

Citing a national report by the nonprofit Americans for the Arts, Kurrle said that in 2022, 1.4 million people attended arts and culture events put on by nonprofits in Vermont. One million of those were state residents.

“When looking at spending by patrons,” Kurrle continued, “the breakdown shows Vermonters attending cultural events spent $36 million in addition to the cost of admission,” often supporting local businesses. Out-of-staters spend more per capita than Vermonters, Kurrle said.

More than 10,000 Vermonters worked

Morrisville native Liana Hunt, Taub’s friend since their days acting together as children in Lyric eatre productions, stars

in the arts and culture sector in 2022 — a figure from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis that includes for-profit employers, Kurrle said, adding, “ at same study found the creative sector contributed ... $1.1 billion to the Vermont economy, which is almost 3 percent of our state’s GDP.”

Nationwide, the nonprofit arts sector generated $151.7 billion in direct spending by organizations and attendees in 2022, and $29.1 billion in tax revenue, according to a statement from Welch’s office. It supported 2.6 million jobs.

Northern Stage director Dunne noted the growth of her White River Junction theater. It started in 1998 with $5,000, she said, “and maybe 100 people came to see seven plays.” e budget grew to $4 million, Dunne said, and in 2019, more than 50,000 people attended Northern Stage productions.

COVID-19 caused a decline in donations and a 40 percent drop in ticket sales. Dunne said, “We’ve asked ourselves over the past couple of years in the theater: Is this an existential crisis facing us? Are we going to go out of existence? Or is this where we need a longer runway for our emergence?” e support she sees from Northern Stage patrons and in the proposed new law has persuaded her, she said, that “this is a runway issue.”

If the bill becomes law, the Department of Commerce would administer STAGE Act grants. ey could be used for rent, payroll, staging expenses, maintenance, marketing and workforce development. ➆

Learn more at welch.senate.gov.

From left: Susan Evans McClure, Lindsay Kurrle, U.S. Sen. Peter Welch, Carol Dunne and Jay Wahl at the Flynn

Shaina Taub

designers “succeed after the event,” she said.

The owners of two STRUT! sponsors — Robin Blodgett of Stash garment fabric store in Burlington and Sophie Hood of Little Bird Sewing Studio in Williston — attended a recent meeting to offer their expertise to this year’s designers. But the meeting may have proven most useful to Mitchell, who ran STRUT! only once before COVID-19 shut it down. She brought her own slate of last-minute planning details to the gathering.

For example, she told the group, which also included SEABA board members, she’d been asked a question she wasn’t sure how to answer: Are models allowed to have their kids with them backstage?

For board member Morgan Bailey, the answer was clear. The former Los Angeles-based costumer and stylist, who has worked on many TV and movie sets, immediately saw the hazards: curling irons, safety pins, needles, metal objects. She listed them like they were swings and merry-go-rounds on a death-trap playground, then answered, “No, no, 100 percent not.”

Details continued to pop up: procuring steamers, ensuring that models have shoes and can actually walk while wearing their garments, getting waivers for underage models, establishing a check-in time early enough for everyone to get ready, designating a showrunner to tell each model when to walk — “I can say ‘go,’” board member Thea Heck o ered — and keeping the whole thing to 90 minutes.

The runway is 48 feet long, so Mitchell measured a 48-foot loop through her

kitchen, dining room and living room.

“I’ve just been walking it, timing it,” she told the group.

Metal designer Fitzgerald, who has participated in several fashion shows, said, “You plan for this stu , but something always happens.”

Sewing instructor Hood, a costume maker, showed the group the emergency kit she’ll bring: scissors, a tape measure, a Tide stain-remover pen, pre-threaded needles and safety pins, opened and stuck in a cushion, ready to be deployed.

Others at the meeting suggested supplements: baby wipes, a hair dryer (to remove any wet spots after the baby wipes and Tide pen remove other spots), and, finally, that go-to fix for amateurs and professionals alike: duct tape, in multiple colors. ➆

Kaltuma Bulle’s Street Fairy Upcycle fashions

Necklace by Dakin Fuller of Fine Forager Arts

on screen

Challengers ★★★★★

Italian art-house director Luca Guadagnino (Call Me by Your Name, I Am Love, Bones and All) returned last weekend with a film in a subgenre that has rarely been seen on the big screen in decades: a smart romantic drama about driven professionals. In this case, they’re competitive tennis players. Scripted by playwright Justin Kuritzkes, Challengers is also the rare sports drama that isn’t a biopic.

The deal

In 2019, two estranged friends face o at an ATP Challenger Tour tennis match in New Rochelle, N.Y. Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) is a pro with big endorsement deals, but lately he keeps losing. His wife and coach, former prodigy Tashi Donaldson (Zendaya), entered him in the event hoping for an easy victory to boost his confidence.

She couldn’t have guessed Art would end up playing his childhood friend and doubles partner, Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor) — who, as it happens, was Tashi’s boyfriend back before an injury ended her own career. Low on cash and down on his luck, Patrick needs this win perhaps even more than Art does.

As the match proceeds, the action on the court alternates with flashbacks to the events that brought Art, Patrick and Tashi here. It all started on the fateful day when both then-teenage friends watched the young champion play and fell in love with her.

Will you like it?

A caveat: Knowing nothing about tennis, I came to Challengers for the juicy drama. Apparently, so did its director. “I’m going to say something that I shouldn’t say,” Guadagnino told Little White Lies, “but I’m not a great tennis watcher … It’s quite boring to me.”

Screenwriter Kuritzkes is better versed in the sport, but what really inspired him was its fodder for operatic conflict. “Sports fans are drama queens,” he told GQ, defying the traditional association of athletics with straight-and-narrow masculinity.

The film plumbs that inherent drama and then some. What initially attracts the two boys to Tashi isn’t just her aggressive playing but the piercing scream she utters when she makes the crucial point. At a party that night, she asks them why they

REVIEW

play the game. Unsatisfied with Patrick’s fl ippant answer — that it’s better than getting a job — she sternly tells them that “Tennis is a relationship,” a meaningful back-and-forth with one’s opponent that isn’t so far removed from romance. She then illustrates her analogy by guiding the boys into an almost-threesome, largely depicted in a masterful single shot, that leaves them hot, bothered and fired up to beat each other on the court.

Tashi’s credo becomes the movie’s leitmotif: game as relationship, relationship as game — but a respectful, deadly serious game with high stakes. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ soundtrack underscores the comparison by giving the same pulsating techno beats to the sex scenes, the tennis matches and the psychological warfare among the three leads.

With its close focus on ever-shifting power dynamics — like rapid volleys over the net — Challengers is the Dangerous Liaisons of sports movies. It’s romantic but not a romance, in that it doesn’t depict any one couple as fated or necessary. Sure, scru y, insouciant Patrick has hallmarks of the “bad boy,” and the chemistry between him and Tashi is palpable. But he’s too arrogant (and, perhaps, selfdestructive) to let Tashi micromanage his career. So it’s the more easygoing Art who becomes her salvation after catastrophic

injury leaves her craving an outlet for her energy.

O’Connor sinks his teeth into the role of Patrick, playing him with intensity and physicality. Faist shows all the fiery charisma he promised in West Side Story, and Zendaya commands the screen (despite being a little less believable as the older Tashi). While the men may be competitors, the screenplay depicts them as complementary — “fire and ice,” they were called in their doubles days — and Tashi clearly loves aspects of them both.

There’s nothing new about such complex entanglements, familiar from the golden age of Hollywood melodrama. We still see these “adult” relationships in streaming dramas, which give them more space to unfold.

But it feels fresh and exciting these days to find romantic intrigue in the pressurecooker format of a theatrical feature. Challengers doesn’t have many hours to explore its characters, so it paints them in sure, telling strokes. And the tennis action, too, is anything but boring.

Guadagnino and cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom give us enough of the expected objective view of gameplay to render it comprehensible, and then they mix things up — shooting one exchange from the point of view of a player, for instance, and another from the point of view of the ball

itself, careening over the net. It might make you seasick, but it’s worth it.

Challengers doesn’t reinvent anything: It’s a blast from the past powered by its creators’ formidable inventiveness and the dynamism of young, attractive actors. But sometimes that’s enough to score the match point.

MARGOT HARRISON margot@sevendaysvt.com

IF YOU LIKE THIS, TRY...

CARNAL KNOWLEDGE (1971; Prime, rentable): Guadagnino and Kuritzkes name this Mike Nichols classic as an inspiration: It follows two friends, played by Art Garfunkel (the “nice” one) and Jack Nicholson (the heel), through college into adulthood and marriage.

WIMBLEDON (2004; rentable): Paul Bettany plays a cynical older tennis player who takes a last shot at competition and sparks romantically with an up-and-comer (Kirsten Dunst) in this rom-com set on the court.

“NAOMI OSAKA” (2021; Netflix): This docuseries profiles the young Japanese tennis star who brought public attention to the physical and mental stress that athletes weather with the ups and downs of their careers.

ree tennis champs play the game of love (and hate) over 13 years in Luca Guadagnino’s propulsive sports drama.

NEW IN THEATERS

DRAGONKEEPER: A girl must find a dragon’s egg to save ancient China from an evil emperor in this animation from directors Jianping Li and Salvador Simó, with the voices of Mario Gas and Lucía Pérez. (99 min, PG. Essex, Marquis)

THE FALL GUY: Ryan Gosling plays an injured Hollywood stuntman who must track down a missing movie star in this action comedy from David Leitch (Bullet Train), also starring Emily Blunt. (126 min, PG-13. Bijou, Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Marquis, Paramount, Roxy, Star, Sunset)

MARS EXPRESS: A detective and an android investigate a murder in this adult animation set on Mars in the 23rd century, directed by Jérémie Périn, with the voices of Léa Drucker and Mathieu Amalric. (88 min, NR. Roxy)

TAROT: Those tarot readings you thought were an innocent and enlightening pastime? In this horror flick, they can unleash evil. Olwen Fouéré and Avantika star. Spenser Cohen and Anna Halberg directed. (92 min, PG-13. Essex, Majestic, Sunset)

CURRENTLY PLAYING

ABIGAILHHH Criminals who kidnap a gangster’s cute ballerina daughter get a rude awakening in this horror flick. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (Ready or Not) directed. (109 min, R. Majestic, Sunset)

THE BEASTHHHH Léa Seydoux plays a woman who visits her past lives to purge herself of emotions in this sci-fi romance from director Bertrand Bonello. (146 min, NR. Roxy, Savoy)

BOY KILLS WORLDHH1/2 A bereaved young man (Bill Skarsgård) trains to become an instrument of bloody vengeance in this action thriller. (115 min, R. Essex, Paramount [ends Sat], Roxy, Welden)

CHALLENGERSHHHH1/2 A love triangle among three tennis pros (Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor) makes sparks fly when two of them face off years later in this drama from Luca Guadagnino (Call Me by Your Name). (131 min, R. Bijou, Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Roxy, Star, Stowe, Welden; reviewed 5/1)

CIVIL WARHHHH Journalists race toward a Washington, D.C., threatened by rebels in this dystopian action thriller from Alex Garland, starring Kirsten Dunst and Wagner Moura. (109 min, R. Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Marquis, Roxy, Stowe, Sunset; reviewed 4/17)

DUNE: PART TWOHHH1/2 The saga of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and the spice planet Arrakis continues. (166 min, PG-13. Capitol, Majestic; reviewed 3/6)

FALLEN LEAVESHHHH Two lonely working-class residents of Helsinki (Alma Pöysti and Jussi Vatanen) drift toward romance in this drama. (81 min, NR. Savoy; reviewed 1/17)

GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIREHH1/2 A new generation of ghostbusters joins the old one to fight an evil force that threatens Earth with a new ice age. (115 min, PG-13. Bijou, Majestic, Marquis, Paramount, Sunset, Welden)

GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIREHH1/2 The two legendary monsters square off again in this action adventure from Adam Wingard (Godzilla vs. Kong). (115 min, PG-13. Essex, Majestic, Marquis, Sunset)

KUNG FU PANDA 4HHH Po (voice of Jack Black) must train his warrior successor in this animated adventure. (94 min, PG. Bijou, Capitol, Majestic, Welden)

THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFAREHHH British special ops fight the Nazis in this action flick loosely based on Operation Postmaster. (120 min, R. Capitol, Essex, Majestic)

MONKEY MANHHH1/2 In this action thriller set in Mumbai, Dev Patel (who also directed and cowrote) plays a young man who goes on a revenge crusade against the oppressors of the powerless. (121 min, R. Playhouse, Stowe)

PROBLEMISTAHHH1/2 An aspiring toy designer takes a job with an eccentric New York artist in this comedy. (104 min, R. Savoy)

UNSUNG HEROHH This inspirational biopic tells the story of a family’s rise in the Christian music industry. Star Joel Smallbone codirected with Richard L. Ramsey. (112 min, PG. Essex, Majestic, Star)

WICKED LITTLE LETTERSHHH The women of a small town investigate to see who has been sending profane missives in this comic period piece. (100 min, R. Roxy, Savoy)

OLDER FILMS AND SPECIAL SCREENINGS

ALIEN 45TH ANNIVERSARY (Sunset)

ISRAELISM (Savoy, Sun only)

THE MUMMY 25TH ANNIVERSARY (Essex, Wed 1 & Thu only)

SPIRITED AWAY (STUDIO GHIBLI FEST 2014) (Essex, Wed 1 only)

STAR WARS: EPISODE 1 — THE PHANTOM MENACE 25TH ANNIVERSARY (starts Fri: Essex, Majestic, Roxy, Star, Sunset)

OPEN THEATERS

Catamount Arts’ theater is currently closed until further notice. (* = upcoming schedule for theater was not available at press time)

BIG PICTURE THEATER: 48 Carroll Rd., Waitsfield, 496-8994, bigpicturetheater.info (closed through May 6)

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

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

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

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

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

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

MERRILL’S ROXY CINEMAS: 222 College St., Burlington, 864-3456, merrilltheatres.net

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

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

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

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

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

SUNSET DRIVE-IN: 155 Porters Point Rd., Colchester, 862-1800, sunsetdrivein.com

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

Beasts of Burden

Amalia Angulo’s drawings both suggest and question a “peaceable kingdom”

BY ERIC SUTPHIN

The phrase “grin and bear it” seems a little masochistic. The expression is a prompt to not only accept hardship but to smile while enduring it. “Big Bear,” the current exhibition by Amalia Angulo at Kishka Gallery & Library in White River Junction, features seven new 18-inchsquare colored pencil drawings. As Angulo describes in her artist’s statement, the “bear” in the title refers to both the animal and the physical and emotional burdens a person might carry.

REVIEW

Some works in the show hint at trauma, while others seem Edenic; the double meaning of the show’s title points to this persistent dichotomy. Once a viewer scratches the surface of these tender drawings, a thicket of linguistic and psychological content emerges.

Angulo was born in Cuba, moved to the United States at age 14 and currently resides in New York’s Hudson Valley. In recent years, she’s become known for drawings and paintings that frequently feature corpulent figures (mostly women) with ear-to-ear grins that are at once ecstatic and maniacal. The female figures in her current show wear more subdued smiles that transmit a feeling of calm.

In Angulo’s verdant and trippy universe, rotund, starry-eyed figures prance amid foliage with a variety of beasts. The animals who inhabit these drawings generally seem benevolent, like

guardians of their human counterparts. Given that the creatures are apex predators — the only exception being a horse in one drawing — the figures are always outmatched in strength and size.

In “Woman With a Big Brown Bear

in the Woods,” the bear towers over the woman. She stares ahead as the bear glances to the left, seemingly keeping watch over his companion. Angulo’s figures are rendered solid and monumental, like Paleolithic goddesses, yet the

hulking animals often make them seem fragile in comparison. Though humans and animals appear to exist in harmony, it isn’t entirely clear that the kingdom is peaceable.

In her artist statement, Angulo alludes

"Woman and a Horse"

"Woman and a Lion”

to the “family and social dynamics” that influence her work. In “Woman and Big Bear,” a wide-eyed woman with long, golden hair stands shoulder to shoulder with a grinning bear. The animal seems to embrace the woman with its left paw and scratches her in the process. We don’t see the scratch, but blood drips from its claws. While the two appear to coexist peacefully, the hidden injury suggests that sometimes even those closest to us can inflict pain and that the deepest wounds are often invisible.

ROTUND, STARRYEYED FIGURES PRANCE AMID FOLIAGE WITH A VARIETY OF BEASTS.

Angulo discussed her “deep and intense” connection to nature and how her current life in rural New York reflects this ideal. Throughout her work, animals, plants and humans are given the same formal treatment, which contributes to a sense of harmony.

CARSIE BLANTON

SUNDAY, MAY 12 | 7 PM

Carsie Blanton is a songwriter with hooks, chutzpah, and revolutionary optimism. Her songs encompass a wide range of genres, from sultry pop to punk-tinged Americana.

Featuring the WonderArts Holiday Market, this outdoor festival celebrates the magic of the season. Stop in for unique eats, warm up by toasty fires and shop local for the holidays!

Angulo’s technique adds an element of tranquility to the work. The colored pencil is built up in layers, giving the curvilinear, bulbous forms a sense of volume. The soft, uniform application of pigment makes the images lush and vibrant.

The artist’s Arcadian fantasies recall the works of postimpressionist Henri Rousseau and the German expressionist Paula Modersohn-Becker. In a recent interview with Juxtapoz Magazine ,

In “Woman and Lion,” the heads of a rosy-cheeked woman and a dark-eyed lion emerge from dense green vegetation. Everything in the scene is balanced, from the little yellow sun that is perfectly framed by a sweeping tree limb to the lyrical striped leaves that frame the right edge of the drawing. The two heads are the same size and the woman’s hair and lion’s mane echo each other. The sense of ease, and the underlying potential for danger, are suspended in a state of duality that echoes throughout the exhibition. ➆

“Big Bear” by Amalia Angulo is on view through June 1 at Kishka Gallery & Library in White River Junction. kishka.org

"Woman and a Big Bear in the Woods"

In ‘Painting the

Town,’ Julie Davis Pays Tribute to Johnson Landmarks

BY PAMELA POLSTON • ppolston@sevendaysvt.com

A classic prompt for aspiring wordsmiths is “write what you know.” For Burlington-based artist Julie Davis, it’s “paint what you see.” That’s why she captured on canvas the village of Johnson, its notable architecture and scenic rivers during a 2013 residency at the Vermont Studio Center. Those images, and others she created more recently, comprise the aptly named exhibit “Painting the Town: Iconic Landmarks of Johnson, Vermont” at Minemå Gallery.

The venue itself is apropos. Minemå is a petite, one-room gallery inside the Vermont Studio Store, which for decades has served resident artists at VSC and student artists at Vermont State University up the hill. Minemå’s broad storefront window looks out at the white church, VSC’s Red Mill Building and the bridge over the Gihon River depicted in Davis’ paintings. The building housing the art supply store itself is the subject of another work.

One painting depicts a structure that no longer exists: Power House was a dilapidated hulk next to a covered bridge on Route 100C. “They had to take it down,” Davis said in a phone interview. “They were afraid it was going to fall into the river. That was devastating to me.”

A lot of structures that she’s painted over the years are now gone, Davis lamented. The artwork endures as a testament to the state’s rural infrastructure and identity.

Studio store owners Kyle Nuse and Michael Mahnke “helped form the idea of the icons of Johnson and painting the town,” Davis said. “I didn’t really think ‘icon’ when I painted them. I was painting buildings. It was part of my growth.”

Davis, a Vermont native, is a self-taught plein air painter whose devotion to her craft has taught her how to look, how to manipulate paint in all kinds of weather and, along the way, how to distill her subject to an evocative essence. “Naturalistic expressionist” is what she calls her style. Emotion rides in on her active brushstrokes — swooshes of paint that convey a feeling as much as a visual record.

In “White Church,” the New England staple and an adjacent bridge are ostensible subjects, but Davis painted the scene like a memory, as if history itself were present as a lush, enveloping haze.

The artist’s palette is bolder in a small, square painting titled “Red and Purple Barns.” The deep red and grape hues of the barns collide with a shouty green field and a sky in multiple expressions of blue. Executed with a palette knife, the strokes are broad and urgent.

“I remember looking at the landscape and saying, What’s interesting here is the bright colors,” Davis said. It was a sunny but cold spring day, she recalled, so she worked quickly. “I stopped and said, There’s my first abstract painting.”

Over the past decade, Davis has returned numerous times to Johnson — including to rent a studio space at VSC after the July 2023 flood. Though she’s back in Chittenden County, her love for the town’s built and natural environments endures. So does its vibe: “The most important thing about Johnson is the kind of people it attracts,” Davis said. “Sophisticated artists, young students dreaming of art careers, artists from all over the world seeking a retreat from their daily lives. It truly is magical.” ➆

INFO

“Painting the Town: Iconic Landmarks of Johnson, Vermont” by Julie Davis is on view through June 8 at Minemå Gallery in Johnson. A talk with the artist and Johnson Historical Society vice president Mary Jean Smith is Sunday, June 2, 2 p.m. minemagallery.com

CALL TO ARTISTS

3RD ANNUAL PRINTMAKING INVITATIONAL: Interested artists are invited to email a bio and images of up to five prints completed in the last two years for an upcoming exhibition. T.W. Wood Gallery, Montpelier, through June 14. Info, info@twwoodgallery.org.

‘NATURE’S PALETTE’: The Chandler Center for the Arts in Randolph seeks artists age 18 or older in any 2D or 3D medium for an upcoming exhibition. Application and info at chandler-arts.org. Deadline: May 3. Online. Info, gallery@chandler-arts.org.

OPENINGS + RECEPTIONS

2024 ANNUAL MEMBERS EXHIBITION: A showcase of works in a variety of mediums by more than 100 artists. Reception: Friday, May 3, 5-9 p.m. The S.P.A.C.E. Gallery, Burlington, May 3-June 21. Info, spacegalleryvt@gmail.com.

2024 STUDENT ART SHOW: An exhibition of artworks in a variety of mediums by students from area schools. Reception: Monday, May 6, 3-5:30 p.m. The Current, Stowe, May 6-June 4. Info, 253-8358. ANNA YAKUBOVSKAYA: “Embracing the Ephemeral,” paintings on silk and paper by the Russian-born, Vermont-based artist. Reception and artist demonstration: Saturday, May 11, 2-5 p.m. Frog Hollow Vermont Craft Gallery, Burlington, through May 30. Info, 863-6458.

ANNE SARCKA: “An Exuberant Journey,” paintings, collages, drawings and other work by the Vermont artist. Third Floor Gallery. Studio Place Arts, Barre, May 1-June 15. Info, 479-7069.

‘ART IT UP’ SILENT AUCTION: The annual art auction featuring a variety of artworks and other items benefits SPA programs. View and bid in person in the Second Floor Gallery, or online. Studio Place Arts, Barre, May 4-June 7. Info, 479-7069.

ART RESOURCE ASSOCIATION: A 49th anniversary exhibit of works by more than 30 member artists. Reception: Wednesday, May 15, 3-5 p.m. Vermont Statehouse Cafeteria, Montpelier, through May 31. Info, paragraphics@pshift.com.

CAROLINE LOFTUS: “Blackbird,” an MFA exhibition of lumen photography. Closing reception and talk: Friday, May 17, 3-5 p.m., with Caroline Loftus and Chelsea Parfumi at the Susan Calza Black Box Gallery. Julian Scott Memorial Gallery, Vermont State University-Johnson, May 7-18. Info, phillip.robertson@vermontstate.edu.

CHASE SCHOMP: “Big Woodshop Energy,” a solo exhibition of custom, handmade, wood surfboards, skis, snowboards and art objects as part of a senior capstone project. Reception: Thursday, May 2, 7 p.m. McCarthy Art Gallery, Saint Michael’s College, Colchester, through May 2. Info, bcollier@smcvt.edu.

DELUXE UNLIMITED: “Choice Cuts,” an exhibition of collage art by the Montpelier artist. The Drawing Board, Montpelier, May 4-31. Info, deluxeunlimited@ gmail.com.

ELISE WHITTEMORE: “Black Quilts,” monoprints with hand stitching by the Vermont printmaker. Reception: Thursday, May 2, 5:30-8 p.m. Soapbox Arts, Burlington, May 2-June 15. Info, info@ soapboxarts.com.

ERIN JENKINS: “Meander,” linocut relief prints and handmade sketchbooks that emerged from wandering, recording and remembering. Reception: Friday, May 3, 5-8 p.m. Harmony Collective Artist Gallery, Brattleboro, May 2-June 4. Info, 490-3676.

= ONLINE EVENT OR EXHIBIT

From top: “Red Mill II”; “White Church, Johnson”; “Red and Purple Barns”

‘GLANCING IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR’: A pop-up exhibit featuring artworks made from flood-soaked bricks recovered in the SPA basement, by students from Spaulding High School, Barre Middle School, and the Design & Fabrication program at the Central Vermont Career Center. Studio Place Arts, Barre, May 1-4. Info, 479-7069.

JACK KENNA AND MILES SHELTON: “Circles & Squares,” recent paintings that riff on pop art and readymades by the Brooklyn-based artists. Closing party: Friday, May 3, 4-8 p.m. Hexum Gallery, Montpelier, through May 17. Info, hexumgallery@ gmail.com.

KATE FETHERSTON: “Field Notes: An Essay,” birdsong-inspired abstract paintings by the Montpelier artist. Reception: Friday, May 3, 4-7 p.m. The Front, Montpelier, May 3-June 2. Info, info@ thefrontvt.com.

KEN RACHLIS: “At Your Doorstep,” landscape photographs by the Richmond photographer. Reception: Wednesday, May 8, 5-7 p.m. Pickering Room, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, May 1-31. Info, 863-3403.

‘THE LIFT OF BLUE’: A group exhibition of 59 artists supporting mental health awareness, in collaboration with West Central Behavioral Health. Reception: Friday, May 3, 5-7 p.m., with refreshments and live music by Spencer Lewis. AVA Gallery and Art Center, Lebanon, N.H., May 3-June 29. Info, 603-448-3117.

MAGNOLIA SINISI: “New Forms Collection,” an exhibition of screen-printed designs on reused clothing, part of a senior capstone project. Reception: Friday, May 10, 3 p.m. McCarthy Art Gallery, Saint Michael’s College, Colchester, May 7-10. Info, bcollier@smcvt.edu.

‘PORTRAIT: SELF AND OTHERS’: An exhibition of photographic portraits that explore a deep emotional response from the viewer, juried by Aline Smithson. Reception: Friday, May 3, 4-7 p.m. PhotoPlace Gallery, Middlebury, May 3-24. Info, 989-7556.

RORY AND WOODY JACKSON: “Uncle Woody and Me: Family Ties,” paintings by Woody Jackson and his nephew Rory Jackson, on the 50th anniversary of Woody’s first art exhibition. Reception: Friday, May 24, 5-6:30 p.m. with artist talk by Woody Jackson, introduced by Rory Jackson. Edgewater Gallery on the Green, Middlebury, May 3-June 11. Info, 989-7419.

SHANTA LEE AND DAMON HONEYCUTT: “Dark Goddess: Sacroprofanity,” photographs, items from the permanent collection and digital sound installation. Bennington Museum, through August 11. Info, 447-1571.

‘VIOLACEOUS’: An exhibition of works by more than 50 artists spotlights the many shades of the color purple. Main Floor Gallery. Studio Place Arts, Barre, May 1-June 15. Info, 479-7069.

‘WINDOW ON VERMONT’: Textile works by members of the Green Mountain Chapter of the Embroiderers’ Guild of America. Reception: Sunday, May 5, 1-3 p.m. Emile A. Gruppe Gallery, Jericho, May 5-June 9. Info, 899-3211.

‘WINGED WONDERS’: The Vermont Student Wildlife Art Expo, works by local students grades 7 to 12 that aim to promote conservation. Highland Center for the Arts, Greensboro, through May 5. Info, 533-2000.

ART EVENTS

COFFEE CHAT: STORY QUILT PROJECT: An introductory meeting with quilting instructor Lisa Therrien to learn about a free series of quilting workshops for older adults beginning on May 22. Winooski Senior Center, Wednesday, May 1, 10 a.m.-noon. Info, 655-6425.

2024 ART SHOW: Artworks by students displayed outside, along the wooded paths next to the school, or indoors in the dining hall. Rock Point School, Burlington, Friday, May 3, 5-7 p.m. Free. Info, 863-1104.

CCV DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY CLASS SHOWCASE: Photographs by students from Intro to Digital Photography at the Community College of Vermont’s White River Junction campus. Reception: Friday, May 3, 5-6 p.m. Junction Arts & Media, White River Junction, Friday, May 3, 5-6 p.m. Info, 295-6688.

ART SOCIAL: Meet the artists, enjoy the new exhibitions and make a purple portrait with the Drawing Machine by Joe John. Studio Place Arts, Barre, Saturday, May 4, 4:30-6 p.m. Free. Info, 479-7069.

SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY PARTY: A celebration with a May the Fourth Be With You theme, including Star Wars crafts for kids, refreshments, live music, artist demonstrations and 14th Star Brewery beer tasting. Milton Artists’ Guild Art Center & Gallery, Saturday, May 4, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Info, 891-2014.

BIPOC MAKER NIGHTS: WOODWORKING: Hosted in partnership with the Root Social Justice Center, affinity spaces for anyone who identifies as Black, Indigenous or a person of color to create community around woodworking. Bring a woodworking project to repair or make. HatchSpace, Brattleboro, Mondays, 5:30-8:30 p.m., through May 19. Free. Info, 552-8202.

ART SWAP: An opportunity to buy second-hand artwork and/or bring in pieces to sell. Drop off May 1-4. Axel’s Frame Shop & Gallery, Waterbury, May 8-11. Info, 244-7801.

WORKSHOP: EXPLORING THE POWER OF COLOR IN ART AND DESIGN: Jason Bemis, from the American Institute for Color and the Environment, leads a discussion and exercise around color and its influence on design and art. Limited seating, reservations available. Chaffee Art Center, Rutland, Wednesday, May 8, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 775-0356. ➆

LEGAL NOTICE

To all former clients of the law firm Mickenberg, Dunn & Smith, PLC (f/k/a Mickenberg, Dunn, Lachs & Smith, and comparable names), located at 110 Main Street, Burlington, Vermont (“Mickenberg Dunn”): Consistent with its Record Retention Policy, Mickenberg Dunn currently is in the process of destroying file records for clients whose representation ended more than seven (7) years ago. If your representation by Mickenberg Dunn ended on or before December 31, 2017, your records will be securely destroyed. That destruction will take place no later than June 1, 2024, or seven years after the Firm’s representation of you ended.

If you would like to retain your file or any portion of it, please contact Sheryl at sheryl@mickdunn.com or call 802.658.6951. If Mickenberg Dunn has not heard from you by June 1, 2024, your file will be securely destroyed.

Find, fix and feather with Nest Notes — an e-newsletter filled with home design, Vermont real estate tips and DIY decorating inspirations. Sign up today at sevendaysvt.com/enews.

VERMONT COMMONS SCHOOL

music+nightlife

we have a much better awareness now of our own capacity and what we can actually do. And that’s let us go a little bigger this year than last.”

With that awareness, the crew has painstakingly expanded the festival again. Waking Windows returns to venues throughout Winooski this Friday to Sunday, May 3 to 5.

S UNDbites

BY CHRIS FARNSWORTH

Wake Up Call: Waking Windows Returns (Again)

Things were looking pretty dismal for the state of music fests in Vermont this time last year. The Burlington Discover Jazz Festival had been cut in half, Grand Point North was MIA, and Waking Windows was rumored to be disappearing.

Easily the coolest thing to happen to Winooski since the town almost went all Buckminster Fuller in the ’70s and covered itself in a dome, Waking Windows has been bringing killer lineups of indie rock and underground music to the Onion City since 2011. The pandemic threw a pretty big wrench into that, causing the fest to skip two years before returning belatedly to celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2022 with a blowout lineup headlined by DINOSAUR JR. and JAPANESE BREAKFAST

But by the following year, life changes and other factors had the Waking Windows brain trust of BRIAN and ALI NAGLE, PADDY REAGAN, NICK MAVODONES, and MATT ROGERS doubting the fest could continue.

“There was a point last year where we were really talking about just throwing a barbecue in the rotary with a few bands on a Saturday,” Brian Nagle told me by phone from his Winooski home. “We were all just spread so thin. Ali and I had just had a kid, Matt has kids and started at the Flynn [where he is programming director], Paddy is working with UVM and the Lane Series — all of us had so much more going on, as adults.”

News and views on the local music + nightlife scene

Not holding the fest in 2023 didn’t sit right with Nagle, though. So he pushed the crew to stage a smaller, locally focused version of its annual music and culture showcase.

“Putting on a community music event where I live is so, so important to me,” he said. “I love going to Montréal or Boston to see shows, but this is my home. This is where I’m raising my daughter. I want there to be music and art like this happening right here, which is partly

why we started this whole thing in the first place.”

It was a fortuitous decision, and not just for the fans who got to take in the smaller Waking Windows last year. After years of scaling up and drawing bigger bands and crowds, putting on the downsized event showed Nagle and company that it could be done.

“Up until 2022, it was always about expanding, adding more venues, seeing how big we could grow,” Nagle said. “But

While the giant outdoor stage that housed acts such as REAL ESTATE, DAN DEACON and NONAME in past years is gone, the fest welcomes back venues that missed out in 2023, including Last Stop Sports Bar, Mandarin, Four Quarters Brewing and Autumn Records. New spaces such as Standing Stone Wines and Specs join the Monkey House, McKee’s Pub & Grill, and Mule Bar, as well as pop-ups in empty spots such as 45 Main, former site of the Archives arcade bar.

They’ll host a massive collection of acts, from headliners DEATH, ROUGH FRANCIS and LADY LAMB to touring acts YONATAN GAT and HELLO SHARK. As always, the festival’s backbone is made up of stellar Vermont bands: Festival veterans such as BARBACOA, EASTERN MOUNTAIN TIME and WREN KITZ will join FREEWAY CLYDE, GREG FREEMAN, REBECCA RYSKALCZYK and a host of other local-ish acts.

“We want fans to see that their local bands sound just as good up on those stages as the touring acts,” Nagle said. “You see that, and you can get a real sense of appreciation for how good we have it here with our music scene.”

This year’s Waking Windows also includes a Drag Queen Story Hour on Saturday afternoon in the rotary kids’ zone; the Page Burner Reading Series at Specs, Standing Stone Wines and Scout & Co.; and standup comedy showcases at Standing Stone Wines and Four Quarters. A free bicycle checkup on Saturday at bike shop Winooski Wheels is followed by a concert by RUDA and MARCIE HERNANDEZ

“Putting together Waking Windows is always a massive challenge for us,” Nagle revealed. “But I still love doing this as much as ever. I’m just as hungry to discover and show o new music as I was in 2011.”

The past few years have taught Nagle and his fellow Waking Windows founders that they can still assemble one of the biggest weekends of music in Vermont every year — as long as they understand their limits and don’t overreach them.

“Participation is preservation,” Nagle said. “We can have this vibrant music scene so long as we support it. And that’s not just for festivals; that goes across the board.”

ey Hate Change

Brian Nagle

On the (Waking Windows) Beat

You read that right: This is an allWaking Windows music section. We’ll catch you up on Vermont music news next week. This week is about helping you navigate the goings-on in Winooski for the 12th annual fest.

Faithful readers of the section might recall my advice from Waking Windows past: Abandon a plan. Once again, I urge you to let yourselves wander. Winooski is a small town. You’re not going to blow an ACL trudging around the rotary, and the chances of you discovering your new favorite band are pretty high.

That said, it’s not a bad idea to focus on a few shows you just can’t miss. While anything on the Rotary Stage will be fair game, it’s pretty common for the more intimate venues, such as the Monkey House, to fill up quickly.

In that spirit, here are three shows I’m prioritizing this weekend. Feel free to join or make your own path!

REORDER NARCOTIC, FRIDAY, 8:50 P.M., AT THE MONKEY HOUSE: Those keeping stats on Waking Windows will notice that a certain band has played the fest every year: SWALE. The Burlington-based indie rockers were in danger of blowing their

Eye on the Scene

Last week’s live music highlights from photographer Luke Awtry

streak this year after realizing not all of their members were available. But Swale guitarist and vocalist ERIC OLSEN saw an opportunity. Along with longtime collaborator and BLUE BUTTON bandmate JASON COOLEY, he put together a project the two have been dreaming about since 2002: REORDER NARCOTIC.

“I wanted to do this massive, GLENN BRANCA-style guitar orchestra,”

DAD?! AT DESPACITO IN BURLINGTON, SATURDAY, APRIL 27: After just over a year of writing this mini column, it’s time I introduced you to DAD?!. Yes, the band’s name ends with an interrobang, the seldom-seen love child of a question mark and an exclamation point. I believe that requires it to be said with a slight head tilt and the kind of low-to-high vocal inflection reserved for moments of deep questioning. Full disclosure: Dad?!’s lead guitarist is Seven Days music editor CHRIS FARNSWORTH. When I expressed interest in writing about Saturday’s Despacito show, Chris chuckled and said I probably couldn’t — so I went over his headstock for approval and got it. The band consisted of little bro PAT FARNSWORTH on rhythm guitar, JOEY BOWLING on bass, JEFF LABOSSIERE on drums and LILY SICKLES up front, swapping between vocal, hand percussion and drama-queen duties. These sons and daughters have all been doing this for a long time, so maybe it’s the cumulative hearing loss that makes them turn it up to 11. More likely, it’s the pure joy of playing rock and roll with best friends. Whatever it is, I’m real proud of you, Dad?!.

Olsen said, referencing the late avantgarde composer and guitarist. Branca famously convened entire orchestras of electric guitars, bringing in some of New York City’s best six-string samurai, such as SONIC YOUTH’s THURSTON MOORE and PAGE HAMILTON of the hard-rock band HELMET

Olsen has organized a Vermont version, drafting an eye-popping lineup of local guitarists: LUKE AWTRY (DOGFACE, ANDRIANA & THE BANANAS), Cooley, JOHN FLANAGAN (the WET ONES!), AMANDA GUSTAFSON (Swale), JULIAN HACKNEY (Rough Francis, Death), LAUREN COSTELLO (OUZKXQLZN) and ZACK MARTIN (CARRIGAN). They’ll be supported by two drummers: URIAN HACKNEY (Death, IGGY POP) and JEREMY FREDERICKS (Swale, BLOWTORCH). Swale and Rough Francis bassist TYLER BOLLES holds down the low end.

“Everyone in Swale ended up being available after all,” Olsen pointed out with a laugh. “So we’re all doing this. That still counts — the Waking Windows record stands!”

Do I have any clue how that many guitars will sound together? Hell, no. But with this kind of talent involved, it promises to be a beautiful cacophony.

KATIE VON SCHLEICHER, SATURDAY, 4:15 P.M., AT ROTARY PARK: New York City-based singer-songwriter KATIE VON SCHLEICHER turned heads with her 2023 release, A Little Touch of Schleicher in the Night. The album showcased a songwriter capable of crafting witty and gorgeous dream pop on topics ranging from the anxiety of being left behind to regrets that she didn’t take nudes of herself when younger. The album’s guiding

Katie Von Schleicher

music+nightlife

CLUB DATES

live music

WED.1

Adirondack Jazz Orchestra (jazz) at Olive Ridley’s, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 7 p.m. Free.

BBQ and Bluegrass (bluegrass) at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Bent Nails House Band (blues, rock) at Bent Nails Bistro, Montpelier, 8 p.m. Free.

Dead/Not Dead (tribute) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7 p.m. $10.

Elita, Andriana & the Bananas (indie) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $15/$18. Jazz Night with Ray Vega (jazz) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

Jazz Sessions (jazz) at the 126, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

Jeff & Gina (acoustic) at Two Heroes Brewery Public House, South Hero, 6 p.m. Free.

Live Jazz (jazz) at Leunig’s Bistro & Café, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Ryan Hanson (acoustic) at 14th Star Brewing, St. Albans, 6 p.m. Free.

Vireo, Sweet Petunia, Super Blue, Sheepskin (indie folk) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 8 p.m. $10.

Wednesday Night Dead (Grateful Dead covers) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7 p.m. $5. Wheatus, Troy Millette (indie) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 8 p.m. $20/$25.

Willverine (electronic) at the Wallflower Collective, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. Free.

THU.2

Bob MacKenzie Blues Band (blues) at Black Flannel Brewing & Distilling, Essex, 6 p.m. Free. COOP, Cal Humberto, Baby Fearn & the Plants (indie) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 8 p.m. $10/$15. Frankie & the Fuse (rock) at Red Square, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free. Friedman and Quigley Duo (jazz) at Hugo’s, Montpelier, 7:30 p.m. Free.

Jennings & McComber (singersongwriter) at Filling Station, Middlesex, 6 p.m. Free.

Lincoln Sprague (jazz) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 5 p.m. Free.

Lovecraft (jazz) at Bent Nails Bistro, Montpelier, 8 p.m. Free.

Nobby Reed Project (R&B, swing) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 6 p.m. Free.

Tom Bisson (singer-songwriter) at Stone’s Throw, Waterbury, 6 p.m. Free.

Find the most up-to-date info on live music, DJs, comedy and more at sevendaysvt.com/music. If you’re a talent booker or artist planning live entertainment at a bar, nightclub, café, restaurant, brewery or coffee shop, send event details to music@sevendaysvt.com or submit the info using our form at sevendaysvt.com/postevent.

Gift of Gab

Australian rockers the CHATS broke out with the 2017 viral hit “Smoko.” Featuring the young band — clad in shorts and sporting mullets — celebrating the sanctity of the smoke break, the video clip exploded across YouTube, eventually garnering over 20 million views. Upon seeing the video of the Aussie teens, Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme immediately booked the Chats to open for his band on tour, which led to stints playing with Iggy Pop. They signed a major-label deal in 2019, with their most recent record, Get Fucked, continuing their run of hard-hitting “shed rock,” as they dub it.

The Chats play the Higher Ground Ballroom in South Burlington on Sunday, May 5, with openers DIRTY FENCES and PAINT FUMES

FRI.3

90 Proof (covers) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 9 p.m. Free.

Alex Stewart (jazz) at Bleu Northeast Kitchen, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. Free.

Atom & the Orbits (rock) at Bent Nails Bistro, Montpelier, 9 p.m. Free.

Blackwater, Rose Asteroid (rock) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 9 p.m. $10.

Bob Gagnon (jazz) at Stone’s Throw, Richmond, 6 p.m. Free.

Camp Saint Helene, Katy Hellman, Mary Esther Carter (indie) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $10.

CAB3, Max Wareham & the Bluegrass National Team (Americana) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7 p.m. $18/$20. Chad Hollister (Americana) at Whammy Bar, Calais, 7 p.m. Free.

Dave Mitchell’s Blues Revue (blues) at Red Square, Burlington, 2 p.m. Free.

David Marchant & Rob Church (jazz) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 8 p.m. $5. Dirtwire, Will Evans (electronic, experimental) at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, 8 p.m. $20.

Jabbawaukee (jam) at Orlando’s Bar & Lounge, Burlington, 9 p.m. $5.

King Me (covers) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 5 p.m. Free.

Mean Waltons (bluegrass) at Poultney Pub, 6 p.m. Free.

Neil Gillespe (acoustic) at Olive Ridley’s, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 6 p.m. Free.

Patti Casey and Colin McCaffrey (jazz) at Hugo’s, Montpelier, 7:30 p.m. Free.

Phil Abair Band (covers) at the Old Post, South Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

Ralph Covert, Michael Hartigan (singer-songwriter) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 7 p.m. $10.

Rap Night Burlington (hip-hop) at Drink, Burlington, 9 p.m. $5.

RAQ (jam) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 8 p.m. $20.

Ray’s Used Cars (Americana) at Two Heroes Brewery Public House, South Hero, 6 p.m. Free.

Sarah Bell (singer-songwriter) at Bent Nails Bistro, Montpelier, 7 p.m. Free.

Timothy James (acoustic) at Gusto’s, Barre, 6 p.m. Free.

Two for Flinching (acoustic) at 1st Republic Brewing, Essex, 6 p.m. Free.

Waking Windows Festival (indie, DJ) at Specs Café, Winooski, 5 p.m. Free.

Waking Windows Festival (indie) at Monkey House, Winooski, 5 p.m. $15.

Waking Windows Festival (indie, DJ) at Autumn Records, Winooski, 7 p.m. Free.

Waking Windows Festival (indie) at Standing Stone Wines, Winooski, 7 p.m. Free.

Waking Windows Festival (indie) at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski, 7 p.m. Free.

Waking Windows Festival (karaoke) at Last Stop Sports Bar, Winooski, 9 p.m. Free.

Waking Windows Festival (DJ) at McKee’s Pub, Winooski, 9 p.m. Free.

Waking Windows Festival (hiphop, EDM) at Mandarin, Winooski, 10 p.m. Free.

SAT.4

90 Proof (covers) at 14th Star Brewing, St. Albans, 6 p.m. Free.

Blues Over Easy Band (blues, swing) at Bent Nails Bistro, Montpelier, 8 p.m. Free.

The Bootleg Band (rock, blues) at Olive Ridley’s, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 9 p.m. Free.

CAB3 (Americana) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 9 p.m. $15/$20.

Dave Keller Band (R&B, swing) at Gusto’s, Barre, 9 p.m. Free.

Elizabeth Begins (covers) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 9 p.m. Free.

Hot Neon Magic (’80s tribute) at Low Bar, Vergennes, 8 p.m. Free. Info, 877-2555.

John Lomax III, the Speckers (folk) at Brick Meeting House, Westford, 6:30 p.m. $20.

Jordan Sedwin (jazz) at Bleu Northeast Kitchen, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. Free.

Krishna Guthrie (folk) at Whammy Bar, Calais, 7 p.m. Free. Lagrogg (rock) at Monopole, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 p.m. Free.

Left Eye Jump (blues) at Red Square, Burlington, 2 p.m. Free.

Live Music Saturdays (live music series) at Dumb Luck Pub & Grill, Hinesburg, 7 p.m. Free.

The Mallett Brothers, Jamie McLean Band (folk rock) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7 p.m. $20/$25.

McMaple (covers) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 9 p.m. Free.

Minced Oats (bluegrass) at the Den at Harry’s Hardware, Cabot, 7 p.m. Free.

Moondogs (rock) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 11:30 p.m. $10.

Puppy Angst, Dogs on Shady Lane, Neato, Armanodillo (fuzz pop) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 8 p.m. $12/$15.

RAQ (jam) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 8 p.m. $20.

Waking Windows Festival (reading series) at Scout & Co., Winooski, noon, Free.

Waking Windows Festival (indie, DJ) at Autumn Records, Winooski, noon. Free.

Waking Windows Festival (indie, DJ) at Last Stop Sports Bar, Winooski, 10:10 p.m. $5.

Waking Windows Festival (indie) at Monkey House, Winooski, noon. $20.

Waking Windows Festival (indie) at Standing Stone Wines, Winooski, 1 p.m. Free.

Waking Windows Festival (indie) at Rotary Park, Winooski, 2 p.m. $55.

Waking Windows Festival (indie, DJ) at 41 Main Street, Winooski, 5 p.m. $10.

Waking Windows Festival (indie) at Winooski Wheels, Winooski, 5 p.m. Free.

Waking Windows Festival (hiphop, EDM) at Mandarin, Winooski, 10 p.m. Free.

Waking Windows Festival (indie) at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski, 9:30 p.m. $15.

SUN.5

Andrew Cushin, Max Muscato, Jesse Taylor (singer-songwriter) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $15/$18.

Bluegrass Brunch (bluegrass) at the Skinny Pancake, Burlington, noon. Free.

The Chats, Dirty Fences, Paint Fumes (garage rock) at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, 6:30 p.m. $27/$32. Keep Flying, McAsh (punk, ska) at the Underground, Randolph, 4:30 p.m. $15.

RAQ (jam) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 8 p.m. $20.

Sunday Brunch Tunes (singersongwriter) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 10 a.m.

VT Jazz Ensemble (jazz) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 5 p.m. $20.

Waking Windows Festival (indie) at Monkey House, Winooski, noon. $15.

Waking Windows Festival (indie, DJ) at Autumn Records, Winooski, noon. Free.

Waking Windows Festival (indie) at Standing Stone Wines, Winooski, 2 p.m. Free.

Waking Windows Festival (DJ) at Onion City Chicken & Oysters, Winooski, 2 p.m.. Free.

Waking Windows Festival (indie) at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski, 2 p.m. Free.

Waking Windows Festival (open jam) at McKee’s Pub, Winooski, 6 p.m. Free.

MON.6

TWRP, Trey Magnifique, nelward (synth rock) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $25/$32.

TUE.7

Big Easy Tuesdays with Jon McBride (jazz) at the 126, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free. Bloodroot Gap (bluegrass) at Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Waitsfield, 5 p.m. Free.

Bluegrass Jam (bluegrass) at Poultney Pub, 7 p.m. Free. Dobbs’ Dead (Grateful Dead tribute) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 9 p.m. $10/$20.

Elijah Berlow, a Box of Stars, Cam Gilmour (folk) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 7 p.m. $10.

Honky Tonk Tuesday with the Hogtones (country) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 9 p.m. $10.

PACKS, DARI BAY (indie) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 7 p.m. $14/$16.

WED.8

BBQ and Bluegrass (bluegrass) at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Cathedral Bells, Rew (indie) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 7 p.m. $12/$15.

Giovanina Bucci (singersongwriter) at 14th Star Brewing, St. Albans, 6 p.m. Free.

SUN.5 // THE CHATS [GARAGE ROCK]

Job of the Week

The Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival [MNFF], celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year, is seeking a new Executive Director to guide the Festival into its second decade.

Our goal is to hire a new Executive Director by August 1 or sooner, with his/ her/their duties commencing in September 2024, following an introduction at the Festival in late August. The MNFF is a highly successful and selective regional film festival buttressed by robust community support.

The position of Executive Director is a full-time, year-round job, with significant emphasis on the five-month period of peak responsibility between April 15 and September 15, during which time the Executive Director must be in residence in the greater Middlebury area. The ideal candidate for this position must have extensive experience managing or holding a leadership position in a non-profit arts or cultural organization (6 – 8 years); be able to juggle myriad organizing, scheduling and recruiting tasks; exhibit strong interpersonal skills for engaging the community, Festival sponsors and stakeholders; o er clear evidence of fundraising ability; and demonstrate a love and appreciation for films and the art of filmmaking.

For complete job description, salary range and a full list of duties, please visit middfilmfest.org/employment-opportunities. Please e-mail a letter of application, resume, and three references with their contact information to elizabeth@middfilmfest.org by May 31, 2024.

The Scoop on New

Filmmakers Festival

From MNFF’s Producer Lloyd Komesar

How did the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival get started?

LK: After working at Disney for 25 years, I pitched the idea for MNFF to experienced filmmaker Jay Craven at the Brandon screening for his movie Northern Borders. Jay came on board as Artistic Director, and 15 months later we launched the festival. Since its inception in 2015, MNFF has grown steadily into the successful and unique event that it is today.

What are the responsibilities of the Executive Director?

LK: To continue this legitimate, level playing field, solely for first- and second-time filmmakers from around the world who are on the cusps of their careers. e E.D. will ensure we do not compete with A-list, celebrity-driven films. e essence of our festival is its family feel – a collective experience, held in a lovely setting with support from key players in our community.

music+nightlife

live music

WED.8 CONTINUED FROM P.57

Jazz Night with Ray Vega (jazz) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

Jazz Sessions (jazz) at the 126, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

Live Jazz (jazz) at Leunig’s Bistro & Café, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. Free. Moon Hooch, Teddie X (dance, jazz) at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, 8 p.m. $20/$25. Otter Creek, Danny & the Parts, Mirabelle Skipworth (bluegrass, Americana) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. $10.

Wednesday Night Dead (Grateful Dead covers) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7 p.m. $5. Willverine (electronic) at the Wallflower Collective, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. Free.

WED.1

Local Dork (DJ) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

THU.2

DJ Chaston (DJ) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 11 p.m. Free.

DJ Two Sev (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 11 p.m. Free.

Vinyl Night with Ken (DJ) at Poultney Pub, 6 p.m. Free.

FRI.3

Boogie Lights (DJ) at Monopole, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 p.m. Free.

DJ Craig Mitchell (DJ) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

DJ JamStar (DJ) at Olive Ridley’s, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 9 p.m. Free.

DJ Kata (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

DJ Taka (DJ) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 11 p.m. $10/$15.

DJ Two Rivers (DJ) at Gusto’s, Barre, 9 p.m. Free.

First Friday: TOP2BTM (drag) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $15/$22.

Waking Windows Festival (DJ) at Mule Bar, Winooski, 5 p.m. Free.

SAT.4

Aquatic Underground (DJ) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 11 p.m. $10.

Blanchface (DJ) at Manhattan Pizza & Pub, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

DJ A-Ra$ (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, midnight. Free.

DJ CRE8 (DJ) at Einstein’s Tap House, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

DJ Raul (DJ) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

HAVEN (DJ) at MothershipVT, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

Matt Payne (DJ) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

Molly Mood (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

FRI.3 & SAT.4 // CAB3 [AMERICANA]

Three of a Kind

Formed in 2006, CABINET quickly rose to be known as one of the best bluegrass and roots bands on the scene. After a few hiatuses and sonic shifts, the Pennsylvania-based group has mutated over the years, adding psychedelic rock and Americana to its sound. Its most recent LP, The Sugarhouse Sessions, took on blues and jazz influences, even featuring Levon Helm’s daughter, singer-songwriter Amy Helm, on several tracks. CAB3 is the touring outfit of Cabinet, featuring original members Pappy Biondo, Brian Gorby and Dylan Skursky flying the band’s flag in the Green Mountains. They play Zenbarn in Waterbury Center on Friday, May 3, and Radio Bean in Burlington on Saturday, May 4.

The Taylor Party: Taylor Swift Night (DJ) at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, 8 p.m. $25/$30.

Waking Windows Festival (DJ) at Mule Bar, Winooski, noon. Free.

SUN.5

Mi Yard Reggae Night with DJ Big Dog (reggae and dancehall) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

Waking Windows Festival (DJ) at Mule Bar, Winooski, noon. Free.

TUE.7

The Vanguard - Jazz on Vinyl (DJ) at Paradiso Hi-Fi, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

WED.8

Local Dork (DJ) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

open mics & jams

WED.1

Bluegrass Jam (open mic) at Stone’s Throw, Richmond, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Irish Sessions (Celtic, open mic) at Burlington St. John’s Club, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Open Mic (open mic) at Monopole, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 p.m. Free.

Open Mic with Danny Lang (open mic) at Poultney Pub, 7 p.m. Free.

The Ribbit Review Open-Mic & Jam (open mic) at Lily’s Pad, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

THU.2

Open Mic (open mic) at Whammy Bar, Calais, 7 p.m. Free.

Open Stage Night (open mic) at Orlando’s Bar & Lounge, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

FRI.3

Red Brick Coffee House (open mic) at Red Brick Meeting House, Westford, 7 p.m. Free.

SUN.5

Olde Time Jam Session (open jam) at the Den at Harry’s Hardware, Cabot, noon. Free.

MON.6

Open Mic (open mic) at Despacito, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

Jeff Leeson, Levi Mabe (comedy) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 7 p.m. $25/$30.

Residency: Unscripted (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 9 p.m. $5.

FRI.3

Comedy Night with Max Higgins (comedy) at the Den at Harry’s Hardware, Cabot, 8 p.m. Free.

Ian Karmel (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. $25.

Tina Friml and Friends (comedy) at Town Hall Theater, Middlebury, 7:30 p.m. Free.

SAT.4

Ian Karmel (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. $25.

SUN.5

$5 Improv Night (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 p.m. $5.

Comedy Showcase Night (comedy) at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski, 6 p.m. Free.

TUE.7

Free Stuff! (comedy) at Lincolns, Burlington, 9:30 p.m. Free.

WED.8

Residency: Unscripted (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 p.m. $5.

Standup Comedy Open Mic (comedy open mic) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 8:30 p.m.

trivia, karaoke, etc.

WED.1

Karaoke Night (karaoke) at Drink, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

TUE.7

Open Mic Night (open mic) at Drink, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

WED.8

Irish Sessions (Celtic, open mic) at Burlington St. John’s Club, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Open Mic (open mic) at Monopole, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 p.m. Free.

Open Mic with Danny Lang (open mic) at Poultney Pub, 7 p.m. Free.

comedy

WED.1

Good Tape (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 p.m. $5.

Standup Comedy Open Mic (comedy open mic) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 8:30 p.m.

THU.2

Ian Karmel (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $25.

Trivia Night (trivia) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Trivia Thursday (trivia) at Spanked Puppy Pub, Colchester, 7 p.m. Free.

FRI.3

Karaoke (karaoke) at McKee’s Pub & Grill, Winooski, 9 p.m. Free.

Karaoke (karaoke) at the Depot, St. Albans, 9 p.m. Free.

Karaoke Friday Night (karaoke) at Park Place Tavern & Grill, Essex Junction, 8 p.m. Free.

Karaoke Night (karaoke) at Babes Bar, Bethel, 7 p.m. Free.

Karoke with DJ Big T (karaoke) at McKee’s Pub & Grill, Winooski, 9 p.m. Free.

SUN.5

Sunday Funday (games) at 1st Republic Brewing, Essex, noon. Free.

Sunday Funday Karaoke (karaoke) at Pearl Street Pub, Essex Junction, 3 p.m. Free.

Venetian Karaoke (karaoke) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

MON.6

Trivia (trivia) at the Filling Station, White River Junction, 6 p.m. Free.

TUE.7

Godfather Karaoke (karaoke) at the Other Half, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

Karaoke Tuesdays (karaoke) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

Karaoke with DJ Party Bear (karaoke) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 9:30 p.m. Free.

Karaoke with Motorcade (karaoke) at Manhattan Pizza & Pub, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

Music Bingo (music bingo) at Stone Corral, Richmond, 7 p.m. Free.

Musical Bingo (trivia) at Orlando’s Bar & Lounge, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

Trivia Night (trivia) at Stone Corral, Richmond, 7 p.m. Free.

Venetian Trivia Night (trivia) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

Wednesday Team Trivia (trivia) at Einstein’s Tap House, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

THU.2

Karaoke (karaoke) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

Karaoke Night (karaoke) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7 p.m. Free.

Trivia (trivia) at 1st Republic Brewing, Essex, 6 p.m. Free.

Trivia (trivia) at Jericho Café & Tavern, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Trivia (trivia) at Highland Lodge, Greensboro, 7 p.m. Free.

Trivia Night (trivia) at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski, 6 p.m. Free.

Trivia Night (trivia) at McGillicuddy’s Five Corners, Essex Junction, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Taproom Trivia (trivia) at 14th Star Brewing, St. Albans, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Trivia Night (trivia) at the Depot, St. Albans, 7 p.m. Free.

Trivia Tuesday (trivia) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 7 p.m. Free.

Tuesday Trivia (trivia) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

WED.8

Karaoke Night (karaoke) at Drink, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

Musical Bingo (trivia) at Orlando’s Bar & Lounge, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

Trivia Night (trivia) at Stone Corral, Richmond, 7 p.m. Free. Venetian Trivia Night (trivia) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

Wednesday Team Trivia (trivia) at Einstein’s Tap House, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free. ➆

music+nightlife

REVIEW

Big Homie Wes, Let Me Vent Please

(SELF-RELEASED, DIGITAL)

Anyone paying attention to Vermont’s growing hip-hop scene knows Big Homie Wes as an institution. From his start as a young, hungry open-mic rapper, he’s evolved into a show promoter and touring artist, building a circuit throughout New England and Canada. All along, he’s remained a humble student of the game, creating opportunities for other aspiring local MCs.

Given how hard he grinds, you’d think Wes would have plenty to get o his chest. Yet there is surprisingly little venting on Let Me Vent Please. His new album finds the rapper satisfied to the point of sounding bored, even as his achievements and horizons have continued to grow.

grit, Big Homie Wes is living well from his hard work these days, and most of these new songs are a celebration of his own hustle. They’re also quite short, clocking in at less than two minutes — a verse, a deadpan hook, and then it’s on to the next one.

Wes is an outlier in Vermont rap. Most of the artists around here are heavily influenced by the stamp that New York City put on the genre in the ’90s. Wes, by contrast, who hails from Texas, brings a distinctly chopped-and-screwed approach to his music. His delivery follows suit; he’s languid and low-key on the microphone. Whether you find that hypnotic or grating is a matter of taste. Personally, I’ve always dug it. It’s never sounded like an a ectation or an act, just how the dude is in real life: big, chill and frequently stoned.

slap as hard as anything else on Spotify, and his vocals sound superb.

That triumph raises an inevitable question: “What’s next for the Big Homie?” This is a portrait of an artist feeling too large for his small pond. Some kind of breakthrough seems urgently necessary, but it’s hard to guess what form that might take. Perhaps it’s a Rick Ross-style LP packed with guest features.

Or maybe it’s just a whole LP of fully realized songs like the two that close this album. “Find Out ft Samuel Guihan” makes the most of Guihan’s work on bass guitar to create a lush, smoked-out radio anthem. “Whenever” is a trap banger that features some of Wes’ best verses.

influence, HARRY NILSSON, would approve.

With an almost aggressive level of charm and tongue-in-cheek lyrics (check out her recent NPR “Tiny Desk Concerts” appearance, where she works in lyrics shoutingout DWAYNE “THE ROCK” JOHNSON), Schleicher’s music moves from whimsical to emotionally heavy moods, often in the same song.

While his 2019 release, Contraband, was a work of claustrophobic, drug-tra cking

McAsh, Evolved Long Enough

(WHAT DOTH LIFE, DIGITAL)

McAsh have not dropped an album in 24 years. The ska band’s last full-length appeared in 2000, just one year after it formed while in high school. Since then, the Windsor outfit has experienced multiple reimaginings and a few reunions — including a virtual one during the pandemic to release “Oi (Dang),” a single about lockdown frustrations. The group has even had some meltdowns, according to its Bandcamp page. Now McAsh step into “middle age and median wage” to release Evolved Long Enough, a clever collection that even non-ska fans should enjoy.

Let Me Vent Please is the most professional product to appear so far in the self-taught producer and engineer’s catalog. The beats are often sparse, but they

safe, while Britney Spears’ well-being was in doubt. For elder millennials, the song resonates with nostalgia, recalling a collective awareness of impending struggles for the pop star — if not for the generation as a whole.

With drummer Timmy Knapp and bassist Chi Chi holding down the rhythm section, most of Evolved Long Enough delivers the classic upbeat tempo and lively horn sound of third-wave ska. In that regard, this album feels very ’90s, but the witty, often hilarious lyrics — and their subject matter — are unmistakably now.

On “Mouth,” vocalist Ryan Hebert — a cofounder of Windsor collective and label What Doth Life and a member of many of its bands — reminisces about being 16, when “our backs didn’t hurt and our knees didn’t creak.” He sings about how former MTV VJ Carson Daly assured him he was

“This Medical Debt” describes the hell that is navigating the U.S. medical system — a topic about which guitarist and saxophonist Kiel Alarcon learned all too much after being disabled by the rupture of a spinal tumor. The mood is less cheerful as the track delivers a commentary on toxic masculinity, specifically the pressure on men always to appear strong.

On “GMO’s,” McAsh mock far-rightwing conspiracy theorists, citing fears of 5G cellular networks and declaring that

So, critiques aside? Big Homie Wes doesn’t need to change a single damn thing. Equally money-minded rappers such as Too Short and Curren$y have been making the same album for their entire careers while only getting richer for it. No matter where this road takes him, Big Homie Wes has indisputably paved his own lane.

Let Me Vent Please is available on all major streaming platforms.

JUSTIN BOLAND

“skinny polar bears are crisis actresses, who reassigned their gender to appease satanic abortionists.” The song includes a clip of disgraced pundit Alex Jones, who stoked fear of GMOs and was ordered to pay $1.5 billion for calling the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut a hoax.

Contributing to the album’s tonguein-cheek vibe is the brief track “(An Endorsement).” A Gov. Phil Scott impersonator declares McAsh the one band that unites Vermont, commending them for skanking the state to freedom “when jam bands held our radio waves hostage” and claiming that Ben & Jerry’s was originally called Ben & Jerry’s & McAsh.

Clearly, McAsh enjoy having fun. “Cochlea-Cola” is chock-full of chicken puns. And “Unicorn” — a “one-horned love story” — proclaims, “You’ve been horny all your life.” It was released as a single ahead of the album on April 9, in honor of National Unicorn Day.

Fun and kitschy but with plenty of depth, Evolved Long Enough demonstrates that McAsh have evolved into an intelligent force.

Evolved Long Enough is available on all major streaming platforms and at whatdothlifevt.bandcamp.com.

GINA TRON

THEY HATE CHANGE, SUNDAY, 9:20 P.M., AT THE MONKEY HOUSE: Sonically, THEY HATE CHANGE are all over the map. Hailing from Tampa, Fla., the hiphop duo draws influences from the state’s flourishing ’90s rave scene. VONNE PARKS and ANDRE GAINEY work in tandem as dual producers and MCs, laying down East Coast-style raps over UK- and Ibiza-flavored beats and Chicago footwork. It makes for a synthesis of classic and modern hip-hop and EDM, su used with clever, music-nerd lyrics. According to Nagle, the Waking Windows crew tried to book THC for years before landing them this year. Better late than never! Check out their latest EP, Wish You Were Here…, to see why they were so coveted and get a preview of their show at the Monkey House. ➆

Listening In

(Spotify mix of local jams)

1. “A LA MESA” by Rivan

2. “MUD STRUT” by the Wet Ones!

3. “TSY TAN-TSITSIKA” by Mikahely

4. “TO BE ALONE” by No Fun Haus

5. “THERE’S NEVER BEEN A MOMENT” by the Wormdogs, the Red Newts

6. “WISH WE TALKED STILL” by Hello Shark

7. “FISHEYE” by Will Keeper

Scan to listen sevendaysvt. com/playlist

calendar

MAY 1-8, 2024

WED.1

activism

DISABLED ACCESS & ADVOCACY OF THE RUTLAND AREA (DAARA) MONTHLY ZOOM MEETING: Community members gather online to advocate for accessibility and other disability rights measures. 11:30 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 779-9021.

MAY DAY: Workers of all stripes celebrate International Workers’ Day alongside local unions and labor activists, with live music, speeches and food from People’s Kitchen. Battery Park, Burlington, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, hello@champlainvalleydsa.org.

business

QUEEN CITY BUSINESS NETWORKING INTERNATIONAL GROUP: Savvy businesspeople make crucial contacts at a weekly chapter meeting. Burlington City Arts, 11:15 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 829-5066. WORKING IN YOUR FLAME: THE ART OF BALANCING MULTIPLE BUSINESSES AND LIFE: A Women Business Owners Network Vermont webinar focuses on keeping the fire of motivation burning. 8:30-10 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 503-0219.

crafts

JEWELRY MAKING WITH CASEY: Crafty folks string beads together to create teardrop earrings. Ages 7 and up. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3-4:30 p.m. Free; limited space. Info, 878-6956.

YARN CRAFTERS GROUP: A drop-in meetup welcomes knitters, crocheters, spinners, weavers and beyond. BYO snacks and drinks. Must Love Yarn, Shelburne, 5-7 p.m. Free. Info, 448-3780.

dance

WEST COAST SWING DANCING:

People pair up for a partner dance and move to every genre of music. Bring clean shoes. North Star Community Hall, Burlington, lessons, 7 p.m.; dance, 8-9:30 p.m. Donations. Info, team@802westiecollective. org.

education

TEACHERS WHO WRITE CONFERENCE: K through 12 educators from across Vermont learn how to incorporate writing into their teaching and build their own writing practices. Willowell Foundation, Monkton, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. $110. Info, hdogwp@gmail.com.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘FUNGI: THE WEB OF LIFE

3D’: Sparkling graphics take viewers on a journey into the weird, wide world of mushrooms, which we are only just beginning to understand.

Northfield Savings Bank 3D Theater: A National Geographic Experience, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 10:30 a.m., 12:30, 2:30 & 4:30 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $14.50-18; admission free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.

‘GREAT WHITE SHARK

3D’: Viewers learn the true story behind one of our most iconic — and misunderstood — predators. Northfield Savings Bank 3D Theater: A National Geographic Experience, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, noon, 2 & 4 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $14.50-18; admission free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.

‘LA RONDINE’: Soprano Angel Blue and tenor Jonathan Tetelman star in Puccini’s bittersweet love story, streamed live from the Metropolitan Opera. Star Theatre of St. Johnsbury, 11 a.m. $16-25. Info, 748-2600.

‘OCEANS: OUR BLUE PLANET

These community event listings are sponsored by the WaterWheel Foundation, a project of the Vermont band Phish.

LIST YOUR UPCOMING EVENT HERE FOR FREE!

All submissions must be received by Thursday at noon for consideration in the following Wednesday’s newspaper. Find our convenient form and guidelines at sevendaysvt.com/postevent

Listings and spotlights are written by Emily Hamilton Seven Days edits for space and style. Depending on cost and other factors, classes and workshops may be listed in either the calendar or the classes section. Class organizers may be asked to purchase a class listing.

‘TINY GIANTS 3D’: Through the power of special cameras, audiences are transported into the world of the teeniest animals on Earth. Northfield Savings Bank 3D Theater: A National Geographic Experience, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 11 a.m., 1 & 3 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $14.50-18; admission free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.

food & drink

WHAT’S THAT WINE

WEDNESDAYS: Aspiring sommeliers blind-taste four wines from Vermont and beyond. Shelburne Vineyard, noon-6 p.m. $15. Info, 985-8222.

health & fitness

CHAIR YOGA: Waterbury Public Library instructor Diana Whitney leads at-home participants in gentle stretches supported by seats. 10 a.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

language

BEGINNER IRISH LANGUAGE CLASS: Celtic-curious students learn to speak an Ghaeilge in a supportive group. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, noon-1 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

ELL CLASSES: ENGLISH FOR BEGINNERS AND INTERMEDIATE STUDENTS: Learners of all abilities practice written and spoken English with trained instructors. Presented by Fletcher Free Library. 6:30-8 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, bshatara@ burlingtonvt.gov.

3D’: Scientists dive into the planet’s least-explored habitat, from its sunny shallows to its alien depths. Northfield Savings Bank 3D Theater: A National Geographic Experience, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 11:30 a.m., 1:30 & 3:30 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $14.50-18; admission free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.

INTERMEDIATE IRISH LANGUAGE CONVERSATION AND MUSIC: Speakers with some experience increase their fluency through conversation and song. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 863-3403.

SPANISH CONVERSATION: Fluent and beginner speakers brush up on their español with a discussion led by a Spanish teacher. Presented by Dorothy Alling Memorial Library. 5-6 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, programs@damlvt.org.

music

FIND MORE LOCAL EVENTS IN THIS ISSUE AND ONLINE:

art

Find visual art exhibits and events in the Art section and at sevendaysvt.com/art. film

See what’s playing at theaters in the On Screen section.

music + nightlife

Find club dates at local venues in the Music + Nightlife section online at sevendaysvt.com/music.

Learn more about highlighted listings in the Magnificent 7 on page 11. = ONLINE EVENT

ECOGATHERINGS: Sterling College hosts online learning sessions digging into big ideas such as joy, rage, climate change, mutual aid, food and art. See ce.sterlingcollege.edu for upcoming topics. 6-7:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, ecogather@ sterlingcollege.edu.

sports

GREEN MOUNTAIN TABLE

TENNIS CLUB: Ping-Pong players swing their paddles in singles and doubles matches. Rutland Area Christian School, 7-9 p.m. Free for first two sessions; $30 annual membership. Info, 247-5913.

talks

1A LIVE WITH JENN WHITE: VERMONT HOUSING STORIES AND SOLUTIONS: The NPR host moderates a panel and invites audience members to ask questions. Essex Cinemas & T-Rex Theater, 7:30-9 p.m. $15-20. Info, 540-6882.

ANYA BRICKMAN RAREDON: The president of Affordable Housing Institute shares ideas for expanding affordable housing options. Live stream available. Yestermorrow Design/Build School, Waitsfield, 6:30-8 p.m. Free. Info, 496-5545.

theater

NEW WORKS NOW FESTIVAL:

‘THE GREAT GATSBY’: Kelvin Grullon adapts an American classic into an innovative, one-actor experience. Barrette Center for the Arts, White River Junction, 7:30 p.m. $5-40. Info, 296-7000.

‘ROCHESTER LIGHT AND POWER’: Love triangle hijinks meet women’s empowerment in turn-ofthe-century rural Vermont in this musical comedy from the White River Valley Players. Rochester School, 7:30 p.m. $15-18. Info, 767-4632.

‘TICK, TICK ... BOOM!’: Vermont Stage presents an autobiographical musical by Jonathan Larson, the late creator of Rent Black Box Theater, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $34-64. Info, 862-1497.

MODERN DAY MUSICIENNES: Librarian and musician Lois Price introduces guests to the music of modern female American composers such as Florence Price and Amy Beach. ADA accessible. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 1:15-2:30 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

STUDENT RECITAL: University of Vermont music students prove their chops in a variety of genres. University of Vermont Recital Hall, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 656-3040.

seminars

AARP VT: LEARN THE BASICS OF BIKE MAINTENANCE: Cyclists learn the basics of keeping their rigs riding smoothly from AARP VT and Old Spokes Home experts. Old Spokes Home, Burlington, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 866-227-7451.

SEWING (AND QUILTING) TOGETHER: Library staff lead a friendly monthly meetup for needlesmiths. ADA accessible. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 4-6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

environment

SPRING SPEAKER SERIES: SPENCER KARINS & MADDY ZIMMERMAN: Two researchers give an address titled “Drones Over Troubled Waters: Monitoring Harmful Algal Blooms and Aquatic Invasive Species With Drone Technology.” Virtual option available. Community Sailing Center, Burlington, 5:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 864-2499. etc.

NIGHT OWL CLUB: Astronomers and space exploration experts discuss the latest in extraterrestrial news with curious attendees. Presented by Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium. 7 p.m. Free. Info, 748-2372.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘FUNGI: THE WEB OF LIFE 3D’: See WED.1.

‘GREAT WHITE SHARK 3D’: See WED.1.

HIRSCHFIELD THURSDAYS: ‘MAMBAR PIERRETTE’: A free-spirited seamstress navigates poverty and patriarchy in this 2023 Cameroonian film. Dana Auditorium, Sunderland Language Center, Middlebury College, 6:30-10 p.m. Free. Info, 443-5844.

‘OCEANS: OUR BLUE PLANET 3D’: See WED.1.

‘TINY GIANTS 3D’: See WED.1. food & drink

DESTINATION DINNER:

AMERICAN CHINESE TAKEOUT: Dumplings, fried rice, sweet and sour soup, sesame cookies, and General Tso’s tofu delight taste buds. Highland Center for the Arts, Greensboro, 5-7 p.m. $6-20; preregister; limited space. Info, 533-2000.

THU.2 business

MIDDLEBURY SPRING JOB FEST: Addison County job seekers meet with prospective employers. Middlebury Recreation Center, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 388-4921.

crafts

KNIT FOR YOUR NEIGHBOR: All ages and abilities are invited to knit or crochet hats and scarves for the South Burlington Food Shelf. All materials are provided. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 2-5 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

KNITTING GROUP: Knitters of all experience levels get together to spin yarns. Latham Library, Thetford, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 785-4361.

FREE WINE TASTING: Themed wine tastings take oenophiles on an adventure through a region, grape variety, style of wine or producer’s offerings. Dedalus Wine Shop, Market & Wine Bar, Burlington, 4-7 p.m. Free. Info, 865-2368.

games

DUPLICATE BRIDGE: A lively group plays a classic, tricky game with an extra wrinkle. Waterbury Public Library, 12:30-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 244-7223.

WEEKLY CHESS FOR FUN: Players of all ability levels face off and learn new strategies. United Community Church, St. Johnsbury, 5:30-9 p.m. Donations. Info, lafferty1949@ gmail.com.

FAMI LY FU N

Check out these family-friendly events for parents, caregivers and kids of all ages.

• Plan ahead at sevendaysvt.com/family-fun Post your event at sevendaysvt.com/postevent.

WED.1

burlington

FAM JAM: Vermont Folklife hosts a tuneful get-together for musicians of all ages and skill levels. BYO instruments. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 6:307:30 p.m. Free. Info, ytv@vtfolklife.org.

STEAM SPACE: Kids in kindergarten through fifth grade explore science, technology, engineering, art and math activities. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

TODDLER TIME: Librarians bring out books, rhymes and songs specially selected for young ones 12 through 24 months. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

chittenden county

BABY TIME: Parents and caregivers bond with their pre-walking babes during this gentle playtime. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:3011 a.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

BABYTIME: Caregivers and infants from birth through age 1 gather to explore board books and toys. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

PLAY TIME: Little ones build with blocks and read together. Ages 1 through 4. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 1010:45 a.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

READ TO A DOG: Kids sign up for 10-minute time slots to practice their literary skills and share stories with Emma the therapy dog. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free; preregister; limited space. Info, 846-4140.

mad

river valley/ waterbury

QUEER READS: LGBTQIA+ and allied youth get together each month to read and discuss ideas around gender, sexuality and identity. Waterbury Public Library, 6-7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 244-7036.

TEEN HANGOUT: Middle and high schoolers make friends at a no-pressure meetup. Waterbury Public Library, 3-6 p.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

THU.2 burlington

BABYTIME: Pre-walking little ones experience a story time catered to their infant interests. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

GROW PRESCHOOL YOGA: Colleen from Grow Prenatal and Family Yoga leads

There Is No Try

May the Fourth be with you! Jedi knights, aliens, space princesses and Star Wars fans young and old flock to Come Alive Outside’s annual Jedi Trails shindig. All recruits to the galactic Resistance enjoy free hot dogs, meet real-life storm troopers and take part in activities for all ages. The main event: a nail-biting race through the Pine Cone Adventure Forest in search of 800 mini Baby Yodas, R2-D2s and Han Solos that need rescuing. Kids keep or trade the figurines they find.

JEDI TRAILS

Saturday, May 4, 1-3:30 p.m., at Pine Hill Park, Giorgetti Athletic Complex in Rutland. Free. Info, arwen@comealiveoutside.com, comealiveoutside.com.

little ones in songs, movement and other fun activities. Ages 2 through 5. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

chittenden county

MIDDLE SCHOOL MAKERS: Students in grades 5 through 8 make delicious homemade dishes. ADA accessible. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 4-5 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140. MUSIC AND MOVEMENT WITH MISS

EMMA: The star of “Music for Sprouts” and “Mr. Chris and Friends” leads little ones 5 and younger in singing, scarf play and movement. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 10:30-11:15 a.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

PRESCHOOL MUSIC WITH LINDA

BASSICK: The singer and storyteller extraordinaire leads little ones in indoor music and movement. Birth through age 5. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

PRESCHOOL PLAYTIME: Pre-K patrons play and socialize after music time. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library,

Williston, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

STORY TIME: Little ones from birth through age 5 learn from songs, crafts and picture books. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 10-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

stowe/smuggs

WEE ONES PLAY TIME: Caregivers bring kiddos 3 and younger to a new sensory learning experience each week. Morristown Centennial Library, Morrisville, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 888-3853.

mad river valley/ waterbury

PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: Games, activities, stories and songs engage 3through 5-year-olds. Waterbury Public Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

FRI.3

chittenden county

LEGO BUILDERS: Aspiring architects enjoy an afternoon of imagination and

SAT.4 burlington

FAMILY PLAYSHOP: Kids from birth through age 5 learn and play at this school readiness program. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

STORIES WITH GEOFF: Little patrons of the library’s new location enjoy a morning of stories and songs. Fletcher Free Library New North End Branch, Burlington, 11:15-11:45 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

chittenden county

SATURDAY STORIES: Kiddos start the weekend off right with stories and songs. Ages 3 through 7. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 10-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

TRACEY WEST: The author of the best-selling Dragon Masters children’s series reads from the newest installment and signs books. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 11 a.m.-noon. Free; preregister. Info, nliuzzi@ southburlingtonvt.gov.

middlebury area

THE GRIFT & ADDISON COUNTY YOUTH ALL-STARS: Vermont’s favorite party band shares the stage with little prodigies from the theater’s Rock-It Science program. See calendar spotlight. Town Hall Theater, Middlebury, 7 p.m. $5-25. Info, 382-9222.

rutland/killington

JEDI TRAILS: Star Wars fans of all ages take to the forest in search of 800 lost Baby Yodas and R2-D2s. See calendar spotlight. Pine Hill Park, Giorgetti Athletic Complex, Rutland, 1-3:30 p.m. Free. Info, arwen@comealiveoutside.com.

outside vermont

‘PETER AND THE WOLF’: City Center Ballet presents an all-ages adaptation of a beloved fairy tale in this narrated, 25-minute dance performance. Lebanon Opera House, N.H., 2 p.m. $10. Info, 603-448-0400.

play. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 3-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

MUSIC TIME!: Little ones sing and dance with local troubadour Linda Bassick. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 1010:30 a.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

OPEN BARN DAY: Families take self-guided tours of resident horses, donkeys, pigs, goats, sheep, ducks and turkeys. Merrymac Animal Sanctuary, Charlotte, 3-6 p.m. $15. Info, merrymacfarm@gmail. com.

rutland/killington

MUTTS GONE NUTS: Hilarious pups and their hapless humans give a stupendous show for all ages. Paramount Theatre, Rutland, 7:30 p.m. $2-25. Info, 775-0903.

upper valley

STORY TIME: Preschoolers take part in tales, tunes and playtime. Latham Library, Thetford, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 785-4361.

SUN.5

burlington

‘ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED!’: Vermont Youth Orchestra virtuosos celebrate springtime with joyful works by Dvorak and Sibelius. The Flynn, Burlington, 3 p.m. $22-25. Info, 863-5966.

MASKS ON! SUNDAYS: Elderly, disabled and immunocompromised folks get the museum to themselves at a masks-mandatory morning. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 9-10 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 864-1848.

upper valley

YOUTH-LED OPEN MIC NIGHT!: The stage belongs to the kids at this all-ages display of talent. Main Street Museum, White River Junction, 6 p.m. Donations; preregister to perform. Info, info@ mainstreetmuseum.org.

health & fitness

HOWARD CENTER COMMUNITY

EDUCATION SERIES: SUBSTANCE USE AND OUR COMMUNITY: Medical and clinical experts discuss what local organizations are doing to help those impacted by surging opioid-use disorder. Live stream available. Dealer. com, Burlington, 6:30-8 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 488-6912.

MINDFUL MOVEMENT WITH BECKY: SUPREMELY STRONG: Inspired by Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s workout routine, movers use resistance bands and weights to tone muscles. Waterbury Public Library, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Free; preregister; limited space. Info, 244-7036.

language

ITALIAN CONVERSATION GROUP:

Semi-fluent speakers practice their skills during a conversazione with others. Best for those who can speak at least basic sentences. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, noon-1 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

lgbtq

POP-UP HAPPY HOUR: Locals connect over drinks at a speakeasy-style bar. Hosted by OUT in the 802. Lincolns, Burlington, 5:30-7 p.m. Free. Info, 860-7812.

music

JAZZ GUITAR ENSEMBLE & POST-BOP ENSEMBLE: Student musicians play tunes to jive to from Horace Silver, Bobby Watson and others, including two undergraduate composers. University of Vermont Recital Hall, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 656-3040.

RODRIGO Y GABRIELA: The Mexico City duo displays skill and spirituality in their virtuosic guitar playing. The Flynn, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $50.30-60.78. Info, 863-5966.

outdoors

FREDERICK M. WISEMAN: Listeners learn about the long history of Abenaki hunting and fishing techniques. Presented by the Vermont Abenaki Artist Association. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 557-7202.

québec

FESTIVAL ACCÈS ASIE: The annual Asian Heritage Month extravaganza features art shows, film screenings, play readings, food tastings and more. See accesasie.com for full schedule. See calendar spotlight. Various Montréal locations. Prices vary. Info, 514-298-0757.

sports

BEGINNER PICKLEBALL CLINIC:

AARP VT and Vermont Senior Games invite newbies to learn the sport from certified pro coach Nick Petterssen. Green Mountain Community Fitness, Barre, 5-7 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 866-227-7451.

talks

ANDY REICHSMAN: The Marlboro filmmaker tells the story of how he became the first person to ever reclaim art, stolen from his family by the Nazis, from the Croatian government. Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, 7 p.m. $10; free for members. Info, 257-0124, ext. 101.

theater

NEUKOM FESTIVAL: ‘THE GREAT GATSBY’: See WED.1.

‘ORLANDO’: The Middlebury College Department of Theatre presents Sarah Ruhl’s riveting adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s gender-bending novel. See calendar spotlight. Wright Memorial Theatre, Middlebury College, 7:30 p.m. $5-15. Info, 443-6433.

‘ROCHESTER LIGHT AND POWER’: See WED.1.

‘TICK, TICK ... BOOM!’: See WED.1.

FRI.3

bazaars

RUMMAGE SALE: Sales of books, toys, clothes and gifts benefit the United Church of Fairfax’s mission work. Fairfax Community Center, 1-6 p.m. Free. Info, 849-6313.

community

ALCHEMY TO INNOVATION: THE FIDDLEHEAD FLING GALA: A posh party featuring drinks, desserts, a live auction and interactive experiences benefits the museum’s educational programming. Montshire Museum of Science, Norwich, 6 p.m. $150. Info, 649-2200.

KALEIDOSCOPE: A STEPS

SOCIAL: Steps to End Domestic Violence hosts its second annual benefit party, featuring refreshments by Cafe Mamajuana, live music, a silent auction and speeches by local advocates. Isham Family Farm, Williston, 6-9 p.m. $60. Info, 658-3131, ext. 1093.

crafts

FIRST FRIDAY FIBER GROUP: Fiber-arts fans make progress on projects while chatting over snacks. GRACE, Hardwick, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, info@ruralartsvt. org.

fairs & festivals

GREGGFEST: Copilot and Coral Moons are among a roster of rockers and hip-hop artists set to take the stage at this 10th annual musical memorial for student Jake Gregg, who lost his life to leukemia. Stonehenge Lot, Vermont State University-Lyndon, Lyndonville, 7 p.m. $8-10; free for VTSU students. Info, 748-2600.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘FUNGI: THE WEB OF LIFE 3D’: See WED.1.

She-Woolf

The Middlebury College Department of Theatre presents Sarah Ruhl’s riveting adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s genderbending novel Orlando. Written as a love letter to Woolf’s lesbian lover, Vita Sackville-West, the story follows the titular English nobleman as he wakes up one morning to find himself mysteriously transformed into a woman. What follows is a phantasmagorical journey through centuries, cultures and the infinite complexities of gender, as Orlando meets Queen Elizabeth and Alexander Pope, discovers the joys of femininity and gender nonconformity, and loses and finds herself over and over again.

‘ORLANDO’ Thursday, May 2, through Saturday, May 4, 7:30 p.m., at Wright Memorial Theatre, Middlebury College. $5-15. Info, 443-6433, middlebury.edu.

‘GREAT WHITE SHARK 3D’: See WED.1.

‘OCEANS: OUR BLUE PLANET 3D’: See WED.1.

‘PAST LIVES’: Two Korean childhood friends reunite and rediscover complicated feelings in this 2023 Oscar-nominated drama. Stone Valley Arts, Poultney, 7 p.m. Free. Info, stonevalleyartscenter@ gmail.com.

‘TINY GIANTS 3D’: See WED.1. games

MAH-JONGG: Tile traders of all experience levels gather for a game. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 1-3 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

health & fitness

GUIDED MEDITATION

ONLINE: Dorothy Alling Memorial Library invites attendees to relax on their lunch breaks and reconnect with their bodies. Noon-12:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, programs@ damlvt.org.

lgbtq

FIRST FRIDAYS: TOP2BTM: LADY GAGA ‘THE FAME MONSTER’: Emoji Nightmare and DJ GAYBAR celebrate the seminal album’s 15th anniversary with a trackby-track drag and burlesque extravaganza and “Just Dance” party. Higher Ground Showcase

Lounge, South Burlington, 7:30-11 p.m. $15-22. Info, 652-0777.

RPG NIGHT: Members of the LGBTQ community gather weekly to play games such as Dungeons & Dragons and Everway. Rainbow Bridge Community Center, Barre, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, 622-0692.

music

ALASDAIR FRASER & NATALIE

HAAS: The Scottish fiddler and Californian cellist team up to deliver driving rhythms and groove-worthy jigs. Chandler Center for the Arts, Randolph, 7-9 p.m. $10-45. Info, 728-9878.

COLCHESTER COMMUNITY

CHORUS SPRING 2024 CONCERT:

The Chittenden County choir’s spring concert celebrates island-inspired music by Vaughan Williams, Norman Luboff, and Rodgers and Hammerstein. Colchester High School, 7:30-9 p.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, 233-8236.

FRIDAY NIGHT PIANO: A performance of piano rolls from the 1900s through the present — and from ABBA to Led Zeppelin — entertains as audiences eat snacks around the firepit. Main Street Museum, White River Junction, 5-10 p.m. Free. Info, info@mainstreetmuseum.org.

THE KRUGER BROTHERS: The contemporary Americana trio — by way of Switzerland — jams the night away. Vergennes Opera

House, 7:30-9 p.m. $35-40. Info, 877-6737.

UVM LANE SERIES: YASMIN

WILLIAMS: The self-taught fingerpicker, body percussionist and composer astounds on the guitar. University of Vermont Recital Hall, Burlington, 7:30-9:30 p.m. $6.50-34. Info, 656-4455.

outdoors

SPRING BIRDING: Folks of all interests and experience levels seek out feathered friends in flight. All supplies provided. North Branch Nature Center, Montpelier, 7-9 a.m. Free. Info, 229-6206.

québec

FESTIVAL ACCÈS ASIE: See THU.2.

tech

MORNING TECH HELP: Experts answer questions about phones, laptops, e-readers and more in one-on-one sessions. ADA accessible. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 846-4140.

theater

‘ABBEY’S BOX’: Dance, clowning and earnestly romantic storytelling combine into a moving story of self-actualization in this one-woman show by debut artist Abbey Glover. Artistree Community Arts Center, South Pomfret, 7 p.m. $15-20. Info, 457-3500.

‘I LOVE YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE’: The Borderline Players present a frantically romantic rendition of the musical comedy that stands as one of the longest-running off-Broadway plays in history. Haskell Free Library & Opera House, Derby Line, 7 p.m. $10-30. Info, artisticdirectorblp@ gmail.com.

NEUKOM FESTIVAL: ‘THE GREAT GATSBY’: See WED.1, 11 a.m. & 7:30 p.m.

‘ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST’: The Lamoille County Players bring this classic drama, set in a psychiatric hospital during a dark time in America for mental health care, to life. Hyde Park Opera House, 7 p.m. $15-20. Info, 888-4507.

‘ORLANDO’: See THU.2.

‘ROCHESTER LIGHT AND POWER’: See WED.1.

‘TICK, TICK ... BOOM!’: See WED.1.

SAT.4

bazaars

RUMMAGE SALE: See FRI.3, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

cannabis

MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU: Smoke blows freely and aliens of all kinds party together at this Star Wars-themed costume party for cannabis lovers. The Barns at Lang Farm, Essex, 6-10 p.m. $65. Info, 829-8316.

crafts

ZINE MAKING WORKSHOP: Kason Hudman of the PJC shares the history and technique behind this art form combining collage, writing and printing. Peace & Justice Center, Burlington, 1-3 p.m. Free. Info, 863-2345.

dance

CITY CENTER BALLET 25TH

ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION:

The local dance troupe celebrates two and a half decades of professional dance with an evening of excerpts from The Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland. After-party follows. Lebanon Opera House, N.H., 7 p.m. $12.50-50. Info, 603-448-0400.

FIRST SATURDAY WESTIE

SOCIAL: Beginners, new members and experienced West Coast Swing dancers are welcome. North Star Community Hall, Burlington, lessons, 7 p.m.; dance, 8-10:30 p.m. $15 suggested donation. Info, 488-4789.

MILONGA WITH LIVE MUSIC BY TRIO TANGO NORTE: Participants put their best feet forward in a lively social dance. Artistree Community Arts Center, South Pomfret, beginners’ lesson, 6 p.m.; dance, 7 p.m. $15-30. Info, 457-3500.

MONTPELIER CONTRA DANCE:

Dancers balance, shadow and do-si-do the night away to gender-neutral calling and live tunes by Stomp Rocket. Capital City Grange, Berlin, beginners’ lesson, 7:40 p.m.; dance, 8-11 p.m. $5-20. Info, 225-8921.

environment

GREEN UP DAY: Volunteers across the state pick up litter and beautify their communities. See greenupvermont.org for town-specific details. Various locations statewide. Free. Info, greenup@greenupvermont.org.

FOMO?

Find even more local events in this newspaper and online: art

Find visual art exhibits and events in the Art section and at sevendaysvt.com/art. film

See what’s playing at theaters in the On Screen section.

music + nightlife

Find club dates at local venues in the Music + Nightlife section online at sevendaysvt.com/ music.

Learn more about highlighted listings in the Magnificent 7 on page 11.

= ONLINE EVENT

etc.

STRUT! FASHION SHOW: The former Art Hop tradition gets its own weekend when creative threads from nearly a dozen local designers hit the runway. Hula, Burlington, 4-7 p.m. $30-50. Info, 859-9222.

fairs & festivals

GREGGFEST: See FRI.3, 6:30 p.m.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘FUNGI: THE WEB OF LIFE 3D’: See WED.1.

‘GREAT WHITE SHARK 3D’: See WED.1.

‘OCEANS: OUR BLUE PLANET 3D’: See WED.1.

‘STAR WARS: EPISODE VI —

RETURN OF THE JEDI’: Fans mark May the Fourth with a screening of the classic conclusion to the original space opera trilogy. Artistree Community Arts Center, South Pomfret, 7 p.m. $8-10. Info, 457-3500.

‘TINY GIANTS 3D’: See WED.1.

food & drink

2024 WATERBURY ONESIE

PUB CRAWL: Barflies don their favorite one-piece PJs for an allnight, town-wide tropical drink extravaganza. Various Waterbury locations, noon-5 p.m. $35. Info, pjfarr1@yahoo.com.

CAPITAL CITY FARMERS

MARKET: Meats and cheeses join farm-fresh produce, baked goods, locally made arts and crafts, and live music. Capital City Farmers Market, Montpelier, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 272-6249.

SIMPLE ROOTS 10-YEAR

ANNIVERSARY PARTY: Barflies celebrate ten years of beers with games, trivia, tacos and the release of a new pale ale. Simple Roots Brewing, Burlington, 3-9 p.m. Free. Info, 399-2658.

games

BEGINNER DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: Waterbury Public Library game master Evan Hoffman gathers novices and veterans alike for an afternoon of virtual adventuring. Teens and adults welcome. Noon-4 p.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

CHESS CLUB: Players of all ages and abilities face off and learn new strategies. ADA accessible. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

health & fitness

AUTISM WALK: Families hit the pavement in support of Autism Alliance of Northeastern New York. Costumes encouraged. Clinton County Fair, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free. Info, 518-354-7000.

Want to memorialize a loved one?

We’re here to help. Our obituary and in memoriam services are affordable, accessible and handled with personal care.

lifelines

Post your obituary or in memoriam online and in print at sevendaysvt.com/lifelines Or contact us at lifelines@sevendaysvt.com or 865-1020 ext. 121.

Need Help?

Are you searching for a like-minded friend to help tackle chores and tasks? Do you seek a companion to join you in hobbies and activities? Our caregivers, seniors themselves, show up ready to exceed expectations on a schedule that meets your needs.

See how we can help today by visiting shsvermont.com or calling 802-474-2079

COMMUNITY YOGA CLASS: An all-levels session offers a weekly opportunity to relax the mind and rejuvenate the body. Wise Pines, Woodstock, 10-11 a.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, 432-3126.

holidays

COMMUNITY BELTAINE: The Green Mountain Druid Order celebrates Gaelic May Day with magical ceremonies, a potluck feast and a fire-lit bard session. Bring potluck dishes and offerings for the bonfire. Dreamland, Worcester, 2-10 p.m. Free. Info, fearnessence@gmail.com.

SPRING TEA & SWEET TREATS: Visitor sip warm drinks and sample old-fashioned candy while hand-making cards, wreaths and flowerpots for Mother’s Day. Chaffee Art Center, Rutland, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 775-0356.

lgbtq

PRIDE HIKES: COMMON GROUND CENTER: All ages, orientations and identities are welcome on a springtime jaunt past bubbling creeks, rolling hills and blooming ephemerals. Common Ground Center, Starksboro, 1-3 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, sarah.hooghuis@ audubon.org.

music

37TH ANNUAL COMMUNITY CELEBRATION WITH KAT

WRIGHT: Burlington’s Buell Street Dismas House and Winooski’s East Allen Dismas House celebrate another successful year with an evening of music, talks and volunteer awards. Elley-Long Music Center, Saint Michael’s College, Colchester, 6:30-9:30 p.m. $50-150. Info, 658-0381.

FOLK MUSIC JAM: Neighbors circle up, back porch-style, and take turns choosing a song to play together. Listeners welcome. Pope Memorial Library, Danville, 10 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 684-2256.

GENTICORUM: World music melds with traditional Québécois, folk and Celtic sounds. Burnham Hall, Lincoln, 7:30-10 p.m. $15-25. Info, 349-3364.

THE GRINDING STONE: A trio of Vermonters plays original tunes and traditional folk songs, incorporating unconventional instruments such as the bouzouki and harmonium. Seven Stars Arts Center, Sharon, 7-9 p.m. $20-25. Info, 763-2334.

LITCHFIELD MEMORIAL

CONCERT: HAUSNER AND KAPLAN: Acoustic roots tunes honor the memory of longtime Friends of the Library president Christine Litchfield. Aldrich Public Library, Barre, 2-3:30 p.m. Free. Info, 476-7550.

‘MOZART, MAZZOLI AND MUHLY’: The Vermont Symphony Orchestra closes its season with 21st-century classical works, the world premiere of a new commissioned concerto and Mozart’s beloved Requiem. Flynn Main Stage, Burlington, 7:30-9:45 p.m. $10-59. Info, 863-5966.

‘NECESSITY SCREAMS (A MUSICAL PERFORMANCE)’:

Singers, fiddlers, cellists, percussionists, clarinetists and trumpeters are invited to participate in this primal howl of a performance. Bread and Puppet Theater, Glover, rehearsal, 2 p.m.; performance, 3 p.m. Donations. Info, 525-3031.

PLAY EVERY TOWN: Prolific pianist David Feurzeig continues a four-year, statewide series of shows in protest of highpollution worldwide concert tours. Shrewsbury Community Meeting House, Cuttingsville, 4 p.m. Free. Info, 505-5281.

SHY HUSKY: The Vermontfounded rock band kicks off its tour alongside the Benjis from Providence, R.I., and Jake McKelvie and the Countertops from Worcester, Mass. Main Street Museum, White River Junction, 7 p.m. $10 suggested donation. Info, info@mainstreetmuseum.org.

THE SOUND INVESTMENT JAZZ

TENTET: Music lovers enjoy the best of a century of jazz music. Robison Concert Hall, Mahaney Arts Center, Middlebury College, 7:30-9:15 p.m. Free. Info, 443-3288.

québec

FESTIVAL ACCÈS ASIE: See THU.2.

sports

KENTUCKY DERBY DAY SOCIAL AND DANCE: Spectators stream the most exciting two minutes in sports, followed by drinks, dancing and a best-dressed competition. Proceeds support Porter Hospital. Kirk Alumni Center, Middlebury College, 5-7:30 p.m. $60. Info, 343-1475.

theater

‘I LOVE YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE’: See FRI.3.

‘A MURDER MYSTERY’: The audience plays the part of the detectives in this thrillingly interactive play by British crime writer Ann Cleeves. Deborah Rawson Memorial Library, Jericho, 7-9 p.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, 899-4962.

NEUKOM FESTIVAL: ‘THE GREAT GATSBY’: See WED.1, 2 & 7:30 p.m.

‘ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST’: See FRI.3.

‘ORLANDO’: See THU.2.

‘ROCHESTER LIGHT AND POWER’: See WED.1.

‘TICK, TICK ... BOOM!’: See WED.1, 2 & 7:30 p.m.

words

FRIENDS OF ILSLEY LIBRARY

BOOK SALE: Books of all genres for all ages go on sale, and all proceeds fund library programming. Cash or check only. Middlebury Town Offices, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 388-4095.

LIZ KERIN: A critically acclaimed author celebrates the launch of her latest novel, First Light. Speaking Volumes, Burlington, 1-3 p.m. Free. Info, 540-0107.

VERMONT BOOK AWARDS: The Green Mountain State’s finest poets, novelists and nonfiction

STARTS MAY 2 | QUÉBEC

Asian Fantasia

Canada’s longest continuously running Asian Heritage Month arts festival, Festival Accès Asie, returns with a bang, featuring four weeks of cultural offerings from across the Asian continent and diaspora. Attendees of every taste find something to marvel at, from art exhibits and Syrian dance to Bengali music and Cambodian cooking classes. This week, an opening cocktail party kicks off the festivities with Indian and Mohawk movement rituals; cellist Fili Gibbons presents a multimedia performance about ancient China’s semi-mythological Great Flood; Iranian artist Mana Rouholamini discusses her perspective on water and stone; and the 2022 documentary Je Suis Ici follows five newcomers to Montréal as they learn French together.

FESTIVAL ACCÈS ASIE

Opens Thursday, May 2, at various Montréal locations. See website for full list of events and venues. Prices vary. Info, 514-298-0757, accesasie.com.

authors are recognized at a reception worthy of the history books. College Hall, Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpelier, 7 p.m. $35100; cash bar; preregister. Info, info@vermonthumanities.org.

SUN.5

bazaars

FIRST SUNDAYS FLEA & FARMERS MARKET: Antiques and locally made goods populate

a bustling, eclectic bazaar. Enosburg Opera House, Enosburg Falls, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 933-6171.

community

HUMAN CONNECTION CIRCLE: Neighbors share stories from their lives and forge deep connections. Pickering Room, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 3-4:30 p.m. Free; preregister; limited space. Info, humanconnectioncircle@ gmail.com.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘THE FARM BOY’: Waterbury Center director George Woodard presents a feature film based on his parents’ love story, set during World War II. Cash or check only. Grange Hall Cultural Center, Waterbury Center, 2 p.m. $10. Info, 1940farmboy@gmail.com.

‘FUNGI: THE WEB OF LIFE 3D’: See WED.1.

‘GREAT WHITE SHARK 3D’: See WED.1.

‘OCEANS: OUR BLUE PLANET 3D’: See WED.1.

‘TINY GIANTS 3D’: See WED.1.

health & fitness

COMMUNITY MINDFULNESS

PRACTICE: New and experienced meditators are always welcome to join this weekly practice in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hahn. Sangha Studio — Pine, Burlington, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, newleafsangha@gmail.com.

COTS WALK: Fundraisers walk 3.6 miles, visiting Committee on Temporary Shelter locations along the way to see how their donations support shelters and other services for their unhoused neighbors. Battery Park, Burlington, 1-5 p.m. Free. Info, 864-7402.

KARUNA COMMUNITY

MEDITATION: A YEAR TO LIVE (FULLY): Participants practice keeping joy, generosity and gratitude at the forefront of their minds. Jenna’s House, Johnson, 10-11:15 a.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, mollyzapp@live. com.

music

WESTFORD MUSIC SERIES: HOWLING WATERS: Rockabillies enjoy some classic, lively bluegrass courtesy of this outstanding trio. Westford Common Hall, 4-5 p.m. Free. Info, 879-4028. québec

FESTIVAL ACCÈS ASIE: See THU.2.

theater

crafts

YARN CRAFTERS GROUP: See WED.1, 1-3 p.m.

fairs & festivals

ALL SPECIES DAY: Locals honor the awakening of spring with song, dance, puppetry and a parade to the Vermont Statehouse. Hubbard Park, Montpelier, noon-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, janice@ alltogethernowvt.org.

‘AND THEN THEY CAME FOR ME: REMEMBERING THE WORLD OF ANNE FRANK’: In honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day, Vermont Stage presents a multimedia performance combining video interviews with Holocaust survivors with staged scenes from the lives of Anne and her loved ones. Jewish Community of Greater Stowe, 4-6:30 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister. Info, 253-1800.

‘I LOVE YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE’: See FRI.3, 3 p.m. NEUKOM FESTIVAL: ‘THE GREAT GATSBY’: See WED.1, 2 p.m. ‘ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST’: See FRI.3, 2 p.m.

‘ROCHESTER LIGHT AND POWER’: See WED.1, 2 p.m.

Festival musician Ziya Tabassian

Dr. Garcia graduated from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, and has a special interest in utilizing Homeopathy, Botanical Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine. She loves providing general naturopathic care,spinal manipulation, and Dry Needling. Having been born and raised in NYC to a Puerto Rican family, providing holistic care to people of color is especially important to her.

Check out our website: vermontnaturalfamilymedicine.com and fill out the New Patient Intake Form to see Dr.Garcia! The goal of naturopathic medicine is to treat the whole person and heal the root cause of an illness, not just stop the symptoms.

‘TICK, TICK ... BOOM!’: See WED.1, 2 p.m.

words

LESLEY PETERSON: A Jane Austen Society speaker investigates Jane Austen’s theatrical influences. Temple Sinai, South Burlington, 1-3 p.m. Free. Info, jasnavtregion@gmail.com.

MON.6

dance

WEST AFRICAN DANCE AND DRUM CLASS: Participants learn songs, rhythms and moves from across the African diaspora. Ages 13 and up. Wilson Hall, McCullough Student Center, Middlebury College, 5-6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 443-3168.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘FUNGI: THE WEB OF LIFE 3D’: See WED.1.

‘GREAT WHITE SHARK 3D’: See WED.1.

‘OCEANS: OUR BLUE PLANET 3D’: See WED.1.

‘TINY GIANTS 3D’: See WED.1.

food & drink

WEST ASIAN & MEDITERRANEAN FUSION POPUPS WITH THE HEALER CHEF: Foodies delight in the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavors of hummus, Iranian stew, seitan kebabs and more. Pickup or dine-in options available. Stowe Street Café, Waterbury, 5-9 p.m. $8-32. Info, 882-8229.

games

MONDAY NIGHT GAMES:

Discounted wine by the glass fuels an evening of friendly competition featuring new and classic board games, card games, and cribbage. Shelburne Vineyard, 4-7 p.m. Free. Info, 985-8222.

lgbtq

BOARD GAME NIGHT: LGBTQ tabletop fans bring their own favorite games to the party. Rainbow Bridge Community Center, Barre, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, 622-0692.

music

DROP-IN KOREAN DRUMMING:

Participants learn samulnori percussion techniques. No experience needed. Freeman International Center, Middlebury College, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 443-5832.

québec

FESTIVAL ACCÈS ASIE: See THU.2.

TUE.7 community

CURRENT EVENTS DISCUSSION GROUP: Brownell Library holds a virtual roundtable for neighbors to pause and reflect on the news cycle. 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 878-6955.

crafts

LEARN TO CROCHET AND KNIT: Novices of all ages pick up a new skill. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 5-6 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6955.

dance

SWING DANCING: Local Lindy hoppers and jitterbuggers convene at Vermont Swings’ weekly boogie-down. Bring clean shoes. North Star Community Hall, Burlington, beginner lessons, 6:30 p.m.; dance, 7:30-9 p.m. $5. Info, 864-8382.

environment

ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS: Volunteers learn how to remove invasive plants in an environmentally friendly way. No experience necessary. Shelburne Farms, 8:45 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. Info, breezybeegardens@gmail.com.

FAMI LY

FU N

MON.6

burlington

PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: Bookworms ages 2 through 5 enjoy fun-filled reading time. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

chittenden county

chittenden

county

CRAFTYTOWN: From painting and printmaking to collage and sculpture, creative kids explore different projects and mediums. Ages 8 and up, or ages 6 and up with an adult helper. ADA accessible. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 3-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

MUSICAL STORYTIME WITH MS. LIZ: Infants and toddlers ages 4 and under wiggle and dance along to songs and rhymes. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: Little ones enjoy a cozy session of reading, rhyming and singing. Birth through age 5. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

READ WITH SAMMY: The Therapy Dogs of Vermont emissary is super excited to hear kids of all ages practice their reading. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

upper valley

STORY TIME WITH BETH: A bookseller and librarian extraordinaire reads two picture books on a different theme each week. Norwich Bookstore, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 649-1114.

TUE.7

burlington

SING-ALONG WITH LINDA BASSICK: Babies, toddlers and preschoolers sing, dance and wiggle along with Linda. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

WED.8

burlington

STEAM SPACE: See WED.1.

TODDLER TIME: See WED.1.

chittenden county

BABYTIME: See WED.1.

MOVIE MATINEE: Film lovers have a family-friendly afternoon at this screening of an animated favorite. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3-4:45 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

PLAY TIME: See WED.1.

mad river valley/waterbury

LEGO CHALLENGE CLUB: Kids engage in a funfilled hour of building, then leave their creations on display in the library all month long. Ages 6 through 8. Waterbury Public Library, 3-4 p.m.

(INCLUDES SIX PHOTOS AND UNLIMITED DESCRIPTION ONLINE). SUBMIT YOUR CLASS AD AT SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POSTCLASS.

culinary

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE

PIZZA: We’ll make a chocolate chip cookie recipe in giant form so we can top it with your choice of ganache, buttercream, caramel, white chocolate, fun candies, sprinkles and more! We will also get the chance to eat a slice during the class, then you’ll take home your whole cookie pizza. Tue., Jun. 4, 6-7:15 p.m. Cost: $65. Location: Red Poppy Cakery, 1 Elm St., Waterbury Village Historic District. Info: 203-4000700, sevendaystickets.com.

CUBAN NIGHT: Join us for Latin flavor and fun! Janina will teach her family recipes for ropa vieja, yucca con mojo and a Vermont twist on a Cuban classic for dessert — maple flan. You’ll learn to make all three recipes, and we’ll finish off the class by having dinner together to enjoy all our hard work. Fri., May 17, 6-8 p.m. Cost: $100. Location: Red Poppy Cakery, 1 Elm St., Waterbury Village Historic District. Info: 203-400-0700, sevendaystickets.com.

kids

PLAYFUL MINDS WORKSHOPS: Playful Minds Workshops are a series of fun-filled and enriching

themed experiences that support creative expression through exploration. From arts and crafts to interactive storytelling to music and movement to cooking, there will be something for every child to enjoy and learn from. For children ages 4 to 6. Weekends through early Jun. Cost: $60/3-hour workshop. Location: Camp Meade, 961 Route 2, Middlesex. Info: Planetary Art Institute at Camp Meade, Annie Sklar, 279-3148, hello@planetaryartinstitute.org, campmeade.today/artprograms-and-store/p/ playful-minds-workshop.

martial arts

AIKIDO: THE WAY OF HARMONY: Cultivate core power, aerobic fitness and resiliency. e dynamic, circular movements emphasize throws, joint locks and the development of internal energy. Not your average “mojo dojo casa house”; inclusive training and a safe space for all. Scholarships and intensive program are available for serious students. Visitors are always welcome! Adult basic classes 5 days/ week. Membership rates incl. unlimited classes. Contact us for info about membership rates for adults, youths & families. Location: Aikido of Champlain Valley, 257 Pine St., Burlington. Info: Benjamin Pincus, 951-8900, bpincus@burlingtonaikido.org, burlingtonaikido.org.

music

MUSIC LESSONS: EASTMAN/ MCGILL: Offering voice lessons for all ages and piano, clarinet and saxophone lessons for elementary school-age children. Worked professionally for 20 years and settling in the Burlington area. We come to work on technique but will have a fun time building up the repertoire list and energetic, confident spirit! Private lessons. Cost: $45/ hour; $25/half hour. Location:

Sommerfield Studio Room, 79 Sommerfield Ave., S. Burlington. Info: Geoffrey Penar, 598-8151, gpenar@gmail.com.

nature

MUSHROOM HUNTING ONLINE

CLASS: Join the Mushroom Forager for our 2024 Mycophile Membership and online class series. Each month of the Northeast mushroom hunting season (May through Oct.), members enjoy an interactive class focused on safely pursuing highlight mushrooms currently fruiting. Members receive colorful handouts and other benefits to pursue favorite edibles as the season unfolds. Live online classes will take place on the following 2024 dates, starting at 7 p.m.: May 9, Jun. 13, Jul. 11, Aug. 8, Sep. 12, Oct. 10. Membership packages start at $175. Location: Online. Info: Jenna Antonino DiMare, 413-374-4670, info@ themushroomforager.com, themushroomforager.com.

yoga

POSTPARTUM DOULA

TRAINING: Serve women and families in your community during a time of huge transition and growth by becoming an Ayurveda postpartum doula. You will learn about pregnancy, birth and postpartum through the lens and language of Ayurveda while receiving training in traditional postpartum care practices, balanced with practical understanding for modern women. May 13-17, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Cost: $1,195/weeklong workshop w/ VSAC grants avail. Location: e Ayurvedic Center of Vermont, 34 Oak Hill Rd., Williston. Info: Allison Morse, 872-8898, info@ayurvedavermont.com, ayurvedavermont.com.

HELP SEVEN DAYS REPORT ON RURAL VERMONT

Having a reporter on the ground in a community makes a di erence.

Unfortunately, there are fewer journalists covering rural Vermont than there used to be. That’s why Seven Days applied to Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in newsrooms around the country — and helps fund their work.

In June 2022, RFA corps member Rachel Hellman joined the Seven Days news team. Her beat: Vermont’s small towns. Since she was hired, Rachel has written more than 120 stories in 84 of them.

We’re excited to announce that Rachel is staying at Seven Days for another year— and we need your help to fund her reporting!

Rachel Hellman’s piece “Taking Care” should be read by all. I live in Bradford, and there are several towns in the area that employ community nurses, a most valuable and costsaving program. I wish there were more, and perhaps her article will help make that happen.”

— GARY MOORE, BRADFORD

Report for America supports corps members for three years, but each year the organization pays a little bit less to encourage newsrooms to seek community support. This year — year three — we need to raise $50,000.

Fortunately, we’ve got a big head start — we’ve already raised $30,000 from Vermont Co ee founder Paul Ralston and two very generous anonymous donors.

Join them and dozens of others who funded the first two years of our rural towns beat — make a one-time, tax-deductible contribution to our spring campaign by May 17.

Rachel has many more stories to write. With your help, she’ll get to report them.

Want to send a check?

Make it out to Report for America and put “for Seven Days” in the memo. Mail it to:

Report for America Seven Days Campaign c/o e GroundTruth Project, Lockbox Services 9450 SW Gemini Dr, PMB 46837 Beaverton, OR 97008-7105

If you send a check, please let us know it’s coming. Contact Gillian at 802-865-1020, ext. 115, or gillian@sevendaysvt.com. All contributions to Report for America are tax-deductible. Contributions do not influence editorial decisions.

Seven Days Pet Memorials

Do you want to memorialize your pet in the pages of

? Visit sevendaysvt.com/petmemorials to submit your remembrance.

Martin Budbi

Roethlein • 2005-2023

Sweetest Purring Tiger

To the sweetest soul we’ve known: We are so grateful we found you and you hopped into our car, purring. Sorry we couldn’t find your first people, but it’s our good fortune that you joined our family. Rest in peace, Sweet Boy.

— Love, Ri, Nadine and Mia

petmemorials@sevendaysvt.com

housing » APARTMENTS, CONDOS & HOMES on the road » CARS, TRUCKS, MOTORCYCLES pro services » CHILDCARE, HEALTH/ WELLNESS, PAINTING

buy this stuff » APPLIANCES, KID STUFF, ELECTRONICS, FURNITURE music »

INSTRUCTION, CASTING, INSTRUMENTS FOR SALE jobs »

NO SCAMS, ALL LOCAL, POSTINGS DAILY

Humane Society of

Chittenden County

Zayda

AGE/SEX: 1-year-old spayed female

ARRIVAL DATE: March 4, 2024

SUMMARY: Zesty Zayda is full of life! Zayda is a scent hound mix, and she’ll thrive with a family who gets her and loves her for who she is: an energetic and active girl who doesn’t quite know how big she is, driven mostly by her nose. She’s a smart girl and loves playing in water and going for hikes. She’d be happiest having room to run on a long line, and she may be too vocal for an apartment or shared walls. Visit Zayda at HSCC to see if she could be your new best friend!

DOGS/CATS/KIDS: Zayda has been around other dogs and has done well. She needs a home without cats. She has lived with kids and may do well with others.

Visit the Humane Society of Chittenden County at 142 Kindness Court, South Burlington, Tuesday through Friday from 1 to 5 p.m. or Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 862-0135 or visit hsccvt.org for more info.

DID YOU KNOW?

A “sniffari” walk is a great way for dogs to burn off excess energy! Dogs enjoy the freedom of getting to explore at their own pace and sniff all the wonderful smells they encounter, and it requires a lot of brainpower, which makes this activity a great option for mental exercise.

Sponsored by:

CLASSIFIEDS

on the road

CARS/TRUCKS

2013 CHEVY SILVERADO

Extended cab. 86,450 miles. 5.3-liter v8. 4WD towing package. Clean, no rust. Winter tires on, rims incl. Spray-on bedliner. Sirius XM radio & bluetooth connection. Asking $16,500/OBO. Contact 802-233-2795.

housing FOR RENT

1-BR IN ESSEX, INCL. UTILS.

Immaculate, well-built, mother-in-law/independent apt. attached to

large country home in Essex. Surrounded by nature & forest on main road. $1,600 incl. utils. Text 802-373-4035.

ROOMY 3-BR OR 1-BR AVAIL. NOW 1-, 2-, 3-BR avail. now. Great locations in Burlington, Vt. From $1,000-$1,900/mo. Call Joe’s cell: 802-318-8916.

HOUSEMATES

HOUSEMATE WANTED IN WINOOSKI

1-2 roommates to share pleasant Winooski home. $900/BR. Full walk-out cellar, W/D, DW, off-street parking, lawn service. Large, sunny backyard. 2 BR avail. w/ shared BA. Text Chris: 802-578-7526.

RENT-FREE HOMESHARE

Share lovely home w/ active 85-y/o woman in Swanton. No rent w/ utils. contribution in exchange for companionship & light help around the house. Private BA. NS. Call 802-863-5625 or visit homesharevermont. org for application. Interview, refs. &

housing ads: $25 (25 words) legals: 52¢/word buy this stuff: free online

background checks req. EHO.

SHARE HOME W/ PIZZAZZ!

E. etford: Artist/ gardener & teen son seek compatible guest to share large home w/ lots of character. Furnished room, shared BA, no additional pets; $650 all incl. Call 802-863-5625 or visit homesharevermont. org for application. Interview, refs. & background checks req. EHO.

VEGETARIAN HOMESHARE

Share Montpelier home w/ independent senior woman. Seeking vegetarian, substance-free renter. $650 + utils. Call 802-863-5625 or visit homesharevermont. org for application. Interview, refs. & background checks required. EHO.

OFFICE/ COMMERCIAL

OFFICE/RETAIL SPACE AT MAIN STREET LANDING on Burlington’s waterfront. Beautiful, healthy, affordable spaces for your business. Visit mainstreetlanding. com & click on space avail. Call Owiso, 802-338-7641

DONATE YOUR CAR TO CHARITY

Running or not! Fast, free pickup. Maximum tax deduction. Support Patriotic Hearts. Your car donation helps veterans! 1-866-5599123. (AAN CAN)

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 and similar Vermont statutes which make it illegal to advertise any preference, limitations, or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, handicap, presence of minor children in the family or receipt of public assistance, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or a discrimination. The newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate, which is in violation of the law. Our

services: $12 (25 words) fsbos: $45 (2 weeks, 30 words, photo) jobs: michelle@sevendaysvt.com, 865-1020 x121

print deadline: Mondays at 3:30 p.m. post ads online 24/7 at: sevendaysvt.com/classifieds questions? classifieds@sevendaysvt.com 865-1020 x115

FREE AUTO INSURANCE QUOTES

For uninsured & insured drivers. Let us show you how much you can save! Call 855-569-1909. (AAN CAN)

HEALTH/ WELLNESS

CAREGIVING

RESPITE FOR SPECIAL NEEDS

Work wanted. We do respite for special needs adults. Weeknights, weekdays & overnights. Call Denise at 802-598-1375.

CLEANING

CHASE CLEANING SERVICES

You know what would make cleaning more fun? A maid! I can offer you personal & quality service. I have competitive rates w/ over 10 years’ experience. Reliable & trustworthy. Great refs.! Come home from work knowing that your house has been thoroughly cleaned. Just relax: Your housework has been taken care of! Currently servicing Chittenden County. Call 802-355-6929 or email rd8chase@gmail.com.

CREATIVE

ART CAMPS AT MRV ARTS

Mad River Valley Arts offers camps in comics, mural art, shibori indigo, nature-inspired design stitching, photography & mixed media, & macrame & fi ber arts. Register at madrivervalleyarts.org/ summer-camps. Contact executive director Sam Talbot-Kelly at 802-4966682 or email info@ madrivervalleyarts.org.

FINANCIAL/LEGAL

$10K+ IN DEBT?

Be debt-free in 24-48 mos. Pay a fraction of your debt. Call National Debt Relief at 844-9773935. (AAN CAN)

DISABILITY BENEFITS

You may qualify for disability benefi ts if you are between 52-63 y/o & under a doctor’s care for a health condition that prevents you from working for a year or more. Call now! 1-877247-6750. (AAN CAN)

PSYCHIC COUNSELING

Psychic counseling, channeling w/ Bernice Kelman, Underhill. 40+ years’ experience. Also energy healing, chakra balancing, Reiki, rebirthing, other lives, classes & more. Info, 802-899-3542, kelman.b@juno.com.

HOME/GARDEN

AGING ROOF? NEW HOMEOWNER? STORM DAMAGE?

You need a local expert provider that proudly stands behind its work. Fast, free estimate. Financing avail. Call 1-888-292-8225. Have the zip code of the property ready when calling! (AAN CAN)

BATH & SHOWER UPDATES

In as little as 1 day! Affordable prices. No payments for 18 mo. Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & military discounts avail. Call 1-866-370-2939. (AAN CAN)

LOCKSMITH 24-7

We are there when you need us for home & car lockouts. We’ll get you back up & running quickly! Also, key reproductions, lock installs & repairs, vehicle fobs. Call us for your home, commercial & auto locksmith needs! 1-833-237-1233. (AAN CAN)

PEST CONTROL

Protect your home from pests safely & affordably. Roaches, bedbugs, rodents, termites, spiders & other pests. Locally owned & affordable. Call for service or an inspection today! 1-833-237-1199. (AAN CAN)

WATER DAMAGE

CLEANUP & RESTORATION

A small amount of water can lead to major damage & mold growth in your home. Our trusted professionals do complete repairs to protect your family & your home’s value! Call 24-7: 1-888-290-2264. Have zip code of service location ready when you call! (AAN CAN)

WANT TO BUY

MEN’S WATCHES WANTED

Men’s sport watches wanted. Rolex, Breitling, Omega, Patek Philippe, Here, Daytona, GMT, Submariner & Speedmaster. Paying cash for qualifi ed watches. Call 888-3201052. (AAN CAN)

TOP CASH FOR OLD GUITARS

1920-1980 Gibson, Martin, Fender, Gretsch, Epiphone, Guild, Mosrite, Rickenbacker, Prairie State, D’Angelico & Stromberg + Gibson mandolins & banjos. Call 877-589-0747. (AAN CAN)

MISCELLANEOUS

BROWN LEATHER TRAVEL CASE

Leather portfolio travel case holds cash, passport, coins, credit/debit cards, pens, headphones, etc. Asking $20. Smoke- & pet-free home. Call 802-578-4160.

DIRECTV SATELLITE TV

Service starting at $74.99/mo.! Free install. 160+ channels avail. Call now to get the most sports & entertainment on TV. 877-310-2472. (AAN CAN)

PETS

CFA MAINE COON KITTENS

2 adorable males avail. in 2 weeks: 1 red tabby, 1 red silver tabby. $2,750. Pet homes only. CFA registered cattery. Contact fourfeathersofhampton@yahoo.com or see @fourfeathersofhampton on Facebook.

INSTRUCTION

GUITAR INSTRUCTION

Berklee graduate w/ 30 years’ teaching experience offers lessons in guitar, music theory, music technology, ear training. Individualized, step-by-step approach. All ages, styles, levels. Rick Belford, 864-7195, rickbelford.com.

GUITAR LESSONS VIA ZOOM! Personalized guitar lessons. Learn songs of your choice & build skills along the way, all from your own home. Beginners welcome! Contact 802-559-1319 or personalizedlessons@ gmail.com. Info, personalizedguitar les sons.com.

readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. Any home seeker who feels he or she has encountered discrimination should contact:

HUD Office of Fair Housing 10 Causeway St., Boston, MA 02222-1092 (617) 565-5309 — OR — Vermont Human Rights Commission 14-16 Baldwin St. Montpelier, VT 05633-0633 1-800-416-2010 hrc@vermont.gov

for

on May 4 in Burlington. 18+, inclusive, alternative, volunteer. No experience needed. Contact fi tzfoot@gmail.

Using the enclosed math operations as a guide, fill the grid using the numbers 1 - 6 only once in each row and column.

WANT MORE PUZZLES?

Try these online news games from Seven Days at sevendaysvt.com/games.

Put your knowledge of Vermont news to the test. NEW ON FRIDAYS:

CALCOKU BY

JOSH REYNOLDS

DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK: HH

SUDOKU BY JOSH

REYNOLDS

DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK: HHH

Fill the grid using the numbers 1-6, only once in each row and column. The numbers in each heavily outlined “cage” must combine to produce the target number in the top corner, using the mathematical operation indicated. A one-box cage should be filled in with the target number in the top corner. A number can be repeated within a cage as long as it is not the same row or column. ANSWERS ON P. 76

Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each 9-box square contains all of the numbers one to nine. The same numbers cannot be repeated in a row or column.

See how fast you can solve this weekly 10-word puzzle.

IN ACCORDANCE WITH VT TITLE 9 COMMERCE AND TRADE CHAPTER 098: STORAGE UNITS 3905.

Enforcement of Lien, West Street Rentals LLC shall host a live auction of the following unit on 05/16/24 at 4:00 PM:

Location: 170 West St, Essex Jct., VT 05452

Grey Barreda, unit #11: household goods

Contents sold as is, and need to be removed within 48 hours at no cost to West Street Rentals LLC. Purchase must be made in cash and paid in advance of the removal of the contents of the unit. A $50 cash deposit shall be made and will be refunded if the unit is broom cleaned. West Street Rentals LLC reserves the right to accept or reject bids.

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

SEEKING INPUT ON APPLICATION TO HUD FOR PRESERVATION AND REINVESTMENT INITIATIVE FOR COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT (PRICE)

COMPETITION MAY 16, 2024, AT 6PM

VERMONT HOUSING & CONSERVATION BOARD (VHCB) OFFICES 58 EAST STATE STREET; MONTPELIER, VT 05602

Vermont to Apply for $15M in Federal Funding to Support eligible Manufactured Housing Communities (MHC’s)

The Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) is preparing to submit an application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Preservation and Reinvestment Initiative for Community Enhancement (PRICE) Main Program seeking $15 million in funding. Interested parties can learn more about the funding opportunity at https:// www.hud.gov/_offices/comm_planning/PRICE or by accessing the Federal Register for Funding Opportunity FR-6700-N-99. If awarded, ACCD intends to sub-grant the funds to the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board (VHCB) to address critical infrastructure needs in non-profit and cooperatively-owned manufactured home communities. In accordance with the rules governing

the PRICE program, this notice announces a public comment period, commencing Monday, April 29th and ending on Friday, May 17th.

All documents and materials submitted with the PRICE application will be made available for public viewing as of April 29th on the ACCD website at https://accd.vermont.gov/ community-development/current-intiatives.

Questions and comments regarding this application may be submitted by email to housing-funds@ vhcb.org or through participation in the public hearing on Thursday, May 16th at 6:00 pm. For the hearing impaired, please call Bonnie TTY: 1-800-253-0191.

The hearing will take place in person at VHCB’s offices at 58 East State Street in Montpelier and will also be accessible by Zoom.

Those interested in joining the meeting via Zoom can visit vhcb.org/PRICE for details or register at bit.ly/PRICE-Zoom.

ACT 250 NOTICE

APPLICATION 4C1140-5 AND HEARING

10 V.S.A. §§ 6001 – 6111

Application 4C1140-5 from Town of Hinesburg 10632 VT Route 116 , Hinesburg, VT 05461was received on September 12, 2023 and deemed complete on April 17, 2024. The project proposes to amend Condition #27 of LUP #4C1140-3 to allow the Town of Hinesburg (the Town) to close the connector road to Farmall Drive with a moveable barrier and remove the restriction on left turns out of and into the connector road; and to allow the Town to construct phase one of the Town Common planned for Lot 1, which includes site regrading and drainage improvements, landscaping, and pavilion construction. The project is located at VT Route 116 in Hinesburg, Vermont.

A public hearing is scheduled for May 29, 2024 at 9:00AM at the Hinesburg Town Lower Level Conference Room, located at 10632 VT Route 116 Hinesburg, VT 05461. A site visit will be held before the hearing at 8:30 AM at the site. Directions to the site: Please park along the side of Farmall Dr.;

the Commission will meet at the existing barricade located on the connector road to begin the visit.

This application can be viewed on the public Act 250 Database online (https://anrweb.vt.gov/ANR/ Act250/Details.aspx?Num=4C1140-5 ). To request party status, fill out the Party Status Petition Form on the Board’s website: https://nrb.vermont.gov/ documents/party-status-petition-form, and email it to the District 4 Office at: NRB.Act250Essex@ vermont.gov.

If you have a disability for which you need accommodation in order to participate in this process (including participating in the public hearing), please notify us as soon as possible, in order to allow us as much time as possible to accommodate your needs. For more information, contact Kaitlin Hayes, District Coordinator before the hearing date at the address or telephone number below.

Dated April 24, 2024

By: /s/ Kaitlin Hayes Kaitlin Hayes

District Coordinator 111 West Street Essex Junction, VT 05452 (802) 622-4084

kaitlin.hayes@vermont.gov

STATE OF VERMONT SUPERIOR COURT PROBATE DIVISION CHITTENDEN UNIT DOCKET NO.: 24-PR-00826

In re ESTATE of Brian Blais NOTICE TO CREDITORS

To the creditors of: Brian Blais, late of Colchester, Vermont

I have been appointed to administer this estate. All creditors having claims against the decedent or the estate must present their claims in writing within four (4) months of the date of the first publication of this notice. The claim must be presented to me at the address listed below with a copy sent to the Court. The claim may be barred forever if it is not presented within the four (4) month period.

Dated: April 23, 2024

Signature of Fiduciary: /s/ Christine Blais Dewitt

Executor/Administrator: Christine Blais Dewitt, c/o LMC Law, PLLC, 85 Prim Rd, STE 402A, Colchester, VT 05446

john@lmcvt.com (802) 465-1410

Name of Publication: Seven Days Publication Date: 5/1/2024

Name of Probate Court: State of VermontChittenden Probate Division

Address of Probate Court: 175 Main Street , Burlington, VT 05401

WARNING ESSEX WESTFORD SCHOOL DISTRICT SPECIAL MEETING MAY 7, 2024

ESSEX WESTFORD EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY UNIFIED UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT #51

WARNING OF SPECIAL MEETING

The legal voters of the Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union School District #51 (hereafter “Essex Westford School District”) comprising the voters of the City of Essex Junction, the Town of Essex (outside of Village), and the Town of Westford are hereby notified and warned to meet at their respective polling places on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, from 7:00 am at which time the polls will be open until 7:00 pm. at which time the polls will close, to vote by Australian ballot on the following article:

ARTICLE 1 Shall the voters of the Essex Westford School District approve the school board to expend $93,929,553 which is the amount the school board has determined necessary for the ensuing fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024?

POLLING PLACES:

The voters of the Essex Westford School District, residing in their respective city and towns, will cast their ballots from 7:00 am-7:00 pm in the polling places designated for their community as follows: Town of Essex: Essex Middle School in the Town of Essex Town of Westford: Westford School in the Town of Westford City of Essex Junction: Champlain Valley Expo Blue Ribbon Pavilion in the City of Essex Junction

Upon closing of the polls, the Australian ballots shall be transported by the Board of Civil Authority to a central location where ballots will be commingled and counted under the supervision of the Clerk of the Essex Westford School District, who will then tabulate the final results (pursuant to 16 VSA Section 741-742).

The legal voters of the Essex Westford School District are further notified that voter qualification and registration relative to said Annual Meeting shall be as provided in Section 706u of Title 16 and Chapters 43, 51, and 55 of Title 17, Vermont Statutes Annotated.

PUBLIC INFORMATIONAL HEARING

Said persons and voters are further notified and warned of an informational hearing on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, at 7:00 pm at Essex High School Library to present the article to be voted on by Australian ballot on May 7, 2024.

NOTICE

OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The CDI Development Fund, Inc., in collaboration with the Cooperative Development Institute, is seeking proposals for the purchase and placement of four new Energy Star homes on lots in the ANDCO Mobile Home Cooperative, located in the town of Highgate, VT. Two of the lots are cleared and ready for site work (includes leveling, grading, placing a new slab or expanding the existing slab, checking and upgrading utility hookups as needed), and two of the lots contain homes that are currently inhabited, requiring some additional steps (move-out, hazmat testing and removal, home demolition) prior to site work. Interested contractors / MH dealers should read through the full RFP, including the RFP Scope of Work and Submission Requirements. Proposals should include itemized

costs for the known work (as shown in Attachment A), as well as estimated costs for any additional expenses not include in the RFP Scope of Work. This project is made possible by through federal funding of a set amount that cannot be increased. The winning contractor is required to provide price guarantees for their final and best offer, as well as a performance bond and payment bond, both in the amount of 100% of the contract price. The full RFP and attachments can be found here: https://cdi. coop/notice-of-request-for-proposals/.

STORAGE UNIT SALE

The contents of storage unit 02-00204 located at 48 Industral Ave, Williston VT, will be sold on or about the 9th of May 2024 to satisfy the debt of Anthony Labounty. Any person claiming a right to the goods may pay the amount claimed due and reasonable expenses before the sale, in which case the sale may not occur.

TOWN OF WESTFORD REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL: TOWN WIDE SOLID WASTE

The Town of Westford is requesting quotes for the town wide collection of residential and commercial trash, recycling, and food residuals for July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2026.

Mail or hand deliver quotes to Town of Westford, Attn: Holly Delisle, 1713 Vermont Route 128, Westford, VT 05494 by 4:30pm May 9, 2024, for consideration.

Notification of successful entity will be made by June 13, 2024, and a contract mutually acceptable to both the Contractor and the Town will be executed prior to June 30, 2024.

CITY OF ESSEX JUNCTION

DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD

PUBLIC HEARING

MAY 16, 2024

6:30 P.M.

This meeting will be held in person at 2 Lincoln Street in the conference room and remotely. The meeting will be live-streamed on Town Meeting TV.

Visit www.essexjunction.org for meeting connection information.

• JOIN CALLING: Join via conference call (audio only):

Dial 1(888) 788-0099 (toll free) Meeting ID: 839 2599 0985 Passcode: 940993

PUBLIC HEARING

Variance application for a 177 square foot storage shed built 3.4 feet from side property line at 17 Rotunda Avenue in the R-2 District, by Debra Diamond, owner.

This DRAFT agenda may be amended. Any questions re: above please call Terry Hass – 802-878-6950

STATE OF VERMONT SUPERIOR COURT

PROBATE DIVISION CHITTENDEN UNIT

DOCKET NO.:23-PR-02586

IN RE ESTATE OF LEO W. RICH, SR. NOTICE TO CREDITORS

To the creditors of: Leo W. Rich, Sr., late of Essex Junction, Vermont.

I have been appointed to administer this estate. All creditors having claims against the decedent or the estate must present their claims in writing within four (4) months of the date of the first publication of this notice. The claim must be presented to me at the address listed below with a copy sent to the Court. The claim may be barred forever if it is not presented within the four (4) month period.

Dated: January 26, 2024

Signature of Fiduciary: /s/ Tina McGrath

Executor/Administrator: Tina McGrath, 35 Grove St., Essex Junction, VT 05452 email: tinainvt0404@gmail.com phone: 802-809-1440

Name of Publication: Seven Days

Publication Date: 05/01/2024

Name of Probate Court: State of VermontChittenden Probate Division

Address of Probate Court: 175 Main Street , Burlington, VT 05401

CITY OF BURLINGTON WATERFRONT TIF DISTRICT - LEGAL NOTICE

The City of Burlington issued its Waterfront TIF Note in the principal amount of $18,840,000 on June 21, 2023, to fund public improvements and related costs attributable to projects serving the Burlington Waterfront Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District, as approved by the voters at a special meeting held November 8, 2016. As part of the City’s continued efforts to obtain the best terms and lowest cost for the financing of such public improvements, the City intends to refinance such existing indebtedness in May 2024. Such indebtedness is expected to be repaid from TIF increment and, to the extent such increment is insufficient, from the pledge of the credit of the City. The City is in the process of soliciting proposals from qualified financial institutions and expects to sell notes or other evidence of indebtedness to a qualified financial institution on or about May 31, 2024. For further information, contact Ms. Darlene Bayko, 149 Church St., Burlington, VT 05401.

TOWN OF WESTFORD SELECTBOARD NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Pursuant to 24 V.S.A. Chapter 117 and the Westford Land Use & Development Regulations, the Selectboard will hold a public hearing to consider amendments to Chapter 320, Section 326 of the Westford Land Use & Development Regulations. This hearing will be held at the Westford Town Office and via ZOOM at 6:30pm on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Public comment at this hearing is welcomed and encouraged. The proposed amendments to the town’s Land Use & Development Regulations include:

• Add internally illuminated signage for commercial properties to Section 326.D (Exempt signs) with specific provisions including:

o Maximum square footage and quantity

o Prohibition of movement, flashing, blinking, etc.

o Prohibition of branded product advertisement

o Illumination limited to business hours

• Remove Section 326.C(8)

• Amend Section 326.C(9) to add the phrase “free-standing.”

• Amend Figure 3-11 (Maximum Sign Area and Height) to include internally illuminated interior signs.

• Adds Figure 3-11-A: Sign Area Calculation

• Add definition for internally illuminated signs. Copies of the full text of the proposed amendments to the Westford Land Use & Development Regulations are available at the Westford Town Office, 1713 VT Route 128, and Westford, Vermont or may be viewed on the Town of Westford website at https://westfordvt.us/documents/ planning-zoning/

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8 5650659626?pwd=djlaZ2ljUmlDVkpTRExTbWlaZ WV5Zz09 Meeting ID: 856 5065 9626 - Passcode: DA68bw

(Or dial: 1 646 558 8656: Meeting ID: 856 5065 9626 - Passcode: 538062)

For information call the Town Offices at 802-878-4587.

PURSUANT TO THE VERMONT SELF-STORAGE FACILITY ACT SEC. 2.9 V.S.A CHAPTER 98 UNITS WILL SOLD BY SEALED BID.

Viewing by appointment. Call us at 802-891-9374 to schedule.

Appts for viewing and sealed bidding will be 5/16 9:00 am-4:30 pm

Bid will be opened on 5/16 at 4:45 pm. Winning bidder will be notified by phone.

10x10 – Penny Butchino, Jason Casey, Holly Cota 10x20 – James LaChance

Storage unit will be sold as one lot.

All winning bidders will be required to pay a $100.00 Deposit which will be refunded once unit is left empty and broom swept clean.

The winning bid must remove all contents from the facility by the end of the weekend corresponding with date of bid acceptance at no cost to ez access self storage. We reserve the right to reject any bid lower than the amount owed by the occupant. We reserve the right to remove any unit from the auction should current tenant bring his or her account current with full payment prior to the start of the auction.

Storage Unit Address: 387 Route 7 South, Milton, Vermont

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING TOWN OF UNDERHILL DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD (DRB)COMBINED PRELIMINARY & FINAL SUBDIVISION AND BOUNDARY LINE ADJUSTMENT REVIEW AND CONDITIONAL USE REVIEW

Monday, May 20, 2024 Site Visit at 141 Pokerhill Road @ 5:45 PM | Hearing @ 6:30 PM at the Underhill Town Hall, 12 Pleasant Valley Road, Underhill, VT

The Underhill Development Review Board will hold a combined Preliminary and Final Two Lot Subdivision and Boundary Line Adjustment Review per Section 7.5 & 7.6 and consider a Class 3 wetland setback waiver as a Conditional Use per Section 5.4 of the Town of Underhill Unified Land Use & Development Regulations adopted March 1, 2011 and last amended March 3, 2020. The subject property is located at 141 Pokerhill Road on the west side of Pokerhill Road. The property is owned by Luc & Amy Dandurand, Eli Dandurand is the applicant. The proposal considers a minor Boundary Line Adjustment with 155 Pokerhill Road, property owned by Anthony & Dorothy Marek and to subdivide a +/-9.33-acre lot for a single-family residence (Lot 2) remaining land (Lot 1) is +/-48.2 acres, west of Pokerhill Road. The property is split by the Soil & Water Conservation Zoning District and the Rural Residential Zoning District. A site visit will take place at 5:45 PM and the hearing will commence at 6:30 PM at the Underhill Town Hall, 12 Pleasant Valley Road, on Monday, May 20, 2024. The hearing will also be accessible via the GoTo-Meeting platform.

Application submittals, including information to access the public meeting via the Go-ToMeeting platform or by telephone, may be obtained on the Town’s website calendar under May 20, 2024 or by contacting the Zoning Administrator. The hearing is open to the public. Pursuant to 24 VSA § 4464(a)(1)(C) and 4471(a), participation in this local proceeding is a prerequisite to the right to make any subsequent appeal. If you cannot attend the hearing, comments may be made in writing, prior to the meeting, and mailed to: Brad Holden, Interim Zoning Administrator, P.O. Box 120 Underhill, VT 05489 or emailed to: bholden@underhillvt.gov.

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

POST YOUR JOBS AT: JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POST-A-JOB PRINT DEADLINE: NOON ON MONDAYS (INCLUDING HOLIDAYS) FOR RATES & INFO: MICHELLE BROWN, 802-865-1020 X121, MICHELLE@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

YOUR TRUSTED LOCAL SOURCE. JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Vermont Tent Company is currently accepting applications for the following positions for immediate employment and future summer/fall employment starting in May. Full time, part time, after school and weekend hours available for each position. Pay rates vary by position with minimum starting wage ranging from $19-$23/hour depending on job skills and experience. We also offer retention and referral bonuses.

• Tent Maintenance

• Tent Installation

• Drivers/Delivery

• Load Crew Team

Interested candidates submit application online: vttent.com/ employment. No phone calls, please.

• Loading and unloading trucks at customers’ locations, Booska Warehouse, and other areas within the state.

• Heavy lifting of furniture, boxes, hot tubs, pianos, safes, boilers, and others items as needed in accordance with moving industry.

• Running areas as needed, box deliveries, equipment deliveries, light truck maintenance.

• Operating forklifts, loading and unloading of delivery trucks, box orders.

Local Movers & Drivers

• Equipping trucks with all necessary equipment before leaving the yard.

• Pre-trip inspections before operating any Booska owned vehicle.

• Wood working, building crates, rigging, hoisting furniture.

• Pack jobs.

• Paperwork on moves, Bill of Ladings, Inventories, and other paperwork as needed.

• Performing the work in a safe and friendly maner.

The position is responsible for overseeing integrated programs for pregnant and parenting individuals and children in a nonprofit residential setting while also managing community programs for families Responsibilities include grant management, evaluation of evidence-based program outcomes, financial oversight, policy advocacy, and managing department employees

Director of Music

Let’s Make Beautiful Music Together

The First UU Society of Burlington is searching for our next Director of Music who directs our adult choir, plays the piano, and collaborates to create an engaging, spiritual worship service. Our congregation is interested in a range of musical styles and is looking for someone who loves what they do and loves helping us find and express the music within us. Facility with AV/ tech a must. Experience with the organ: a plus. We are an organization with a mission you can feel great about. Let's find out if we are a good fit.  Work on-site on Sunday mornings and one evening per week (choir rehearsal), plus some remote hours.

Please go to uusociety.org/information/employmentopportunities to see the full job description. Send an email with your résumé to career@uusociety.org.

Distribution & Receiving Coordinator

Feeding Chittenden has an immediate opening for Distribution and Receiving Coordinator. The Distribution and Receiving Coordinator will distribute food directly to food shelf visitors, work with volunteers and organize the distribution and receiving rooms.  Receive donations, manage donation log and pick up donations as needed. Maintain required documentation related to client’s eligibility and confidentiality, prepare statistical reports of Food Shelf use, provide information and outreach assistance to people in need & make referrals to other service providers as appropriate.

If you have an Associate’s Degree in human services, social work, or other related field and/or equivalent work experience; knowledge of food stamp eligibility; are familiar with services of other community social services and their eligibility requirements, have experience with database entry and Microsoft Office; effective verbal and written communication skills, (bilingual abilities are a plus) we’d like to hear from you!  Must have a valid driver’s license, clean driving record, access to reliable transportation and willingness and ability to travel within CVOEO’s service area.

When you come to work for CVOEO you’re getting so much more than a paycheck! We offer a great working environment and an excellent benefit package including medical, dental and vision insurance, paid holidays, generous time off, a retirement plan and discounted gym membership.

Apply: cvoeo.org/careers. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Experienced, Skilled Woodworker

RED HOUSE BUILDING

is currently seeking an experienced, skilled carpenter to join our wood shop team. This is a full-time position with flexible scheduling, benefits, and hourly pay based on skill level. The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 5 years experience with milling, cabinet construction, shop safety, and comprehensive use of machinery. This position is primarily based at our wood shop in Colchester, but job site installations are also included in the responsibilities.

If you are a reliable, motivated, and skilled person who is interested in being a part of unique, custom home building then please submit your resume to info@ redhousebuilding.com

FARM TO PLATE NETWORK MANAGER

Join our team to strengthen VT's food system. Responsible for supporting the Network's focus areas of: food access, healthcare and community health, workforce development and education systems, racial equity, farmland access and land use planning, and community development.

FT salary between $63-66k, great benefits, casual but professional hybrid work environment, and an organizational culture where people feel valued, are energized, and can support forward-thinking solutions to our food system and climate challenges.

VSJF is an E.O.E. committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and a strong sense of belonging in the workplace.

PLEASE READ full job description here: vsjf.org/about-vsjfvermont/job-openings

Send cover letter & resume to jobs@vsjf.org by 5pm 5/13/24.

Maintenance

Operator

CSWD’s Maintenance Department supports operations through maintenance and transporting materials. This position does a variety of tasks, including basic electrical/ plumbing/carpentry, mowing, plowing, landscaping, front-end loader and skid steer operation, basic vehicle maintenance and materials transport.

A minimum of two years’ general maintenance experience and/ or driving required. Full-time position. $22-$24/hour with an excellent benefit package. CDL a plus, but not required.

For more information on the positions and CSWD, visit cswd. net/about-cswd/job-openings

Submit application or resume to Amy Jewell: ajewell@cswd.net This position is open until filled.

Apprentice Line Worker

Morrisville Water and Light is seeking a qualified, reliable, safety minded individual(s) to fill an Apprentice Line Worker vacancy(s). This position will be responsible for assisting in the installation, repairing and maintenance of overhead and underground electrical lines and equipment in a safe and effective manner within the established guidelines of industry work practices.

Applicants must also be able to meet the physical demands of the position, live within 30 minutes of the office and be in an on-call rotation. More detailed description is available at mwlvt.com/job-openings

Submit cover letter and resume to Morrisville Water & Light, 857 Elmore Street, Morrisville, VT 05661 or dheller@mwlvt.com. No phone calls please. E.O.E.

Full-time Electrician

The Facilities Department at Saint Michael’s College is inviting applications for a full-time Electrician. This position supports the department in maintaining a comfortable, safe, and efficient environment by providing timely responses to issues and ensuring all campus systems are fully operational. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to inspecting, maintaining, repairing, replacing, and testing all electrical and fire alarm systems and components throughout campus; coordinating annual inspections and repairs with contractors; planning and implementing renovation/upgrade/repair projects; and addressing daily work orders. This position will require regular work hours, as well as occasional on-call evening, weekend, and holiday times. The salary range for this position is $30-$32 per hour.

For job description, benefits and to apply, please visit: bit.ly/SMCELE

4t-StMichaelsCollegeELECTRICIAN050124.indd 1

4/25/24 4:39 PM

Conservation Crew Leader

Work outside this summer and make a difference. Complete paid training, then co-lead youth crews: 4 weeks in Rutland, 4 weeks in Woodstock. Hands-on projects will improve parks and forests.

Dates: May 27 – August 10

Schedule: Mon - Fri, full time. Not a camping position.

Compensation: $705 – $750/week Age requirement: 21+

Apply: www.vycc.org/positions

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

NOW HIRING

SERVE VERMONT COMMUNITIES

Front Desk Manager/ Receptionist

We

are Hiring: Sleep Technician

$60/hour | Housing Included

$60/hour Housing Included

13-week contract with possible extension Flexible schedule: 2 to 3 nights/weekyour choice!

13-week contract with extension Flexible schedule: 2 to 3your choice!

ECO AMERICORPS is accepting applications for the 2024-25 program year. Members serve at host sites across Vermont with a focus on projects to improve water quality and ecosystem function, reduce waste, and address climate resiliency in Vermont. We are seeking highly motivated individuals with a background in natural or agricultural sciences, environmental studies, conservation, engineering, government/policy, communications or other related fields. Preference may be given to applicants with a college degree. Full-time: 40 hours per week, September 17, 2024-August 15, 2025. Benefits include

• Living allowance of $26,000

RPSGT Certification required

RPSGT Certification

To apply, send resume to jlarock@chsi.org, or call Jill LaRock at 802-888-8228.

Full-time HVAC Technician

The Facilities Department at Saint Michael’s College is inviting applications for a full-time HVAC Technician. This position supports the department in maintaining a comfortable, safe, and efficient environment by providing timely responses to issues and ensuring all campus systems are fully operational. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, inspecting, maintaining, repairing, replacing, and testing all HVAC systems and components throughout campus; coordinating annual inspections and repairs with contractors; planning and implementing renovation/ upgrade/repair projects; addressing daily work orders; and participating in an on-call rotation for 1-week every 4-5 weeks. This position will require regular work hours, as well as occasional on-call evening, weekend, and holiday times. The salary range for this position is $30-$32 per hour.

For job description, benefits and to apply, please visit: bit.ly/SMCHVAC

Road Commissioner

Town of Bolton

The Town of Bolton is recruiting a Road Commissioner to oversee year-round road maintenance, including snow removal, construction, and repairs. Manage administrative tasks such as budgeting, record-keeping, and grant applications. Coordinate with agencies and the public on highway-related issues. Essential duties include overseeing highway staff, ensuring equipment maintenance, and communicating with the Select Board and Town Administrator. Requires a high school diploma or equivalent, with experience in road construction and maintenance preferred. Must have strong communication skills, ability to work independently, and ability to withstand varying weather conditions. Full-time position with occasional evening, weekend, and holiday work during emergencies. Competitive benefits package included.

• Health insurance

• Professional training and networking

• $7,395 Segal Education Award Application deadline is May 10, but applications may be accepted on after the deadline. To view open positions, apply, and learn more about ECO AmeriCorps visit ecoamericorps.vermont.gov.

We’re excited to announce that our Aon Insurance Managers team based in Burlington, VT is expanding and seeking a Front Desk Manager/Receptionist. If you're an enthusiastic and personable administrator with front-office experience, then this opportunity is perfect for you.

Please visit bit.ly/4b4wZfu for a full job description and to apply now.

Interested candidates should email resumes to townadmin@boltonvt.com or call 802-434-5075 ext. 224 to hear about alternate avenues to apply. Additional details are available on the Bolton website.

Are you a strategic leader with a desire to close the opportunity gap in Vermont?

SEEKING A DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

Join us as our Director of Strategic Initiatives to help drive change in VT communities. The director oversees members of the Grants & Community Impact team, collaborates with diverse stakeholders to create community impact strategies, and sets departmental goals for impact and success.

If this sounds like a good fit for you, visit VERMONTCF.ORG/CAREERS for a complete job description and instructions for applying.

Manager - Community Health Programs Development

The Vermont Foodbank seeks a self-motivated, energetic Manager-Community Health Programs Development. This full time non-exempt hybrid position reports to the Director Community Health Programs. The primary components of this position include working primarily on Vermont Foodbank (VF) community impact programs including VT Fresh, Community Kitchen Academy (CKA), and Vermonters Feeding Vermonters (VFV). This position will work closely with the Director Community Health Programs and VF network partners to meet the needs of these communitybased programs to promote community wellness and dignity as it relates to access to fresh produce, nutrition, education, and food security. This position has responsibility for direct service education, community engagement and partner capacity building, in addition to project and grants management, planning, evaluation, reporting, and program development of the VT Fresh, CKA and VFV teams and programs. Hourly position: $28.61/hr (Approx. $59,500 annually). For information and to apply, visit: vtfoodbank.org/employment/ current-openings. Submit an application with resume/cover letter attached.

Accounting Manager

The Accounting Manager keeps the company’s books current, including day to day A/P and A/R transactions, monthly banking, and inventory reconciliations. The Accounting Manager will work with a third party accounting company to ensure accurate payroll processing and tax preparation. The position provides fiscal insights to the company’s General Manager.

Qualifications:

• Accounting software experience

• Financial report writing

• GAAP accounting

• BS degree in accounting, finance, or business administration preferred

Full details: catamountsolar.com/ about-us/solar-industry-jobs

Send resumes to: jarred@catamountsolar.com

General Assembly

IT User Support Specialist

The Legislative support offices are currently hiring. The nonpartisan offices are an interesting, challenging, and exciting place to work. You will be part of a highly professional and collegial team that is proud of, and enthusiastic about, the mission of the state legislature.

v To apply, please go to 'Career Opportunities' at legislature.vermont.gov.

Facilities Superintendent

The City of South Burlington is looking for a skilled and motivated professional to lead and oversee our building maintenance and facilities team. Manage critical complex systems, including HVAC, lighting, security, and other systems. Functional areas of responsibility include contract management, safety, security, energy efficiency, team and project management, purchasing, budgeting, and scheduling staff.

Minimum Qualifications:  Bachelor’s degree, preferably in facilities management, construction management, public works administration or a related field plus five years of experience with building and facilities management, including contract management, and at least two years of supervisory experience required. An equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.

Apply now or learn more: governmentjobs.com/careers/southburlington

Maintenance Technician – Skilled

Immediate opening for a skilled technician with mechanical, plumbing & heating, construction and electrical knowledge. This position will include day to day building needs for Williston Central & Allen Brook School.

• Full time, full year - 7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

• Preference will be given for certified/licensed HVAC, Electrical or AC Technician.

For further information contact Ron Larivee, rlarivee@cvsdvt.org Email resume directly to Ron Larivee or apply online to: schoolspring.com - job# 4491999 or cvsdvt.org/jobs

CVSD is an equal opportunity employer. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), immigrants, women, and LGBTQ+ candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. Visit CVSD’s Equity Policy: bit.ly/CVSDdei.

The Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival [MNFF], celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year, is seeking a new Executive Director to guide the Festival into its second decade.

The Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival [MNFF], celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year, is seeking a new Executive Director to guide the Festival into its second decade.

Our goal is to hire a new Executive Director by August 1 or sooner, with his/ her/their duties commencing in September 2024, following an introduction at the Festival in late August. The MNFF is a highly successful and selective regional film festival buttressed by robust community support.

Our goal is to hire a new Executive Director by August 1 or sooner, with his/her/their duties commencing in September 2024, following an introduction at the Festival in late August. The MNFF is a highly successful and selective regional film festival buttressed by robust community support.

The position of Executive Director is a full-time, year-round job, with significant emphasis on the five-month period of peak responsibility between April 15 and September 15, during which time the Executive Director must be in residence in the greater Middlebury area. The ideal candidate for this position must have extensive experience managing or holding a leadership position in a non-profit arts or cultural organization (6 – 8 years); be able to juggle myriad organizing, scheduling and recruiting tasks; exhibit strong interpersonal skills for engaging the community, Festival sponsors and stakeholders; o er clear evidence of fundraising ability; and demonstrate a love and appreciation for films and the art of filmmaking.

For complete job description, salary range and a full list of duties, please visit middfilmfest.org/employment-opportunities. Please e-mail a letter of application, resume, and three references with their contact information to elizabeth@middfilmfest.org by May 31, 2024.

The position of Executive Director is a full-time, year-round job, with significant emphasis on the five-month period of peak responsibility between April 15 and September 15, during which time the Executive Director must be in residence in the greater Middlebury area. The ideal candidate for this position must have extensive experience managing or holding a leadership position in a non-profit arts or cultural organization (6 – 8 years); be able to juggle myriad organizing, scheduling and recruiting tasks; exhibit strong interpersonal skills for engaging the community, Festival sponsors and stakeholders; offer clear evidence of fundraising ability; and demonstrate a love and appreciation for films and the art of filmmaking.

MNFF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.

For a more complete job description and a full list of duties, see the job description at https://middfilmfest.org/employment-opportunities/.

Veterinary Technician

We are seeking a full time veterinary technician to join our team of dedicated animal care providers in Shelburne VT. We are the only holistically focused, full-service veterinary clinic in the area, offering one hour patient care consults. We have an excellent clientele, who are fun to work with, and highly motivated to give their animal companions the best care. We offer holistic nutrition, herbal medicine, acupuncture, chiropractic, surgery, dental care, dental radiography, digital radiography, ultrasound, laser, and stem cell therapy. We are seeking a Veterinary technician who has experience in surgery, anesthesia, and patient care along with a strong work ethic, and a willingness to learn about holistic medicine. The applicant must be skilled in placing catheters, monitoring anesthesia, and maintaining surgical equipment.

Our compensation package is competitive with the best in Vermont; hourly wages between $20-$30 per hour, two weeks paid vacation, one week personal/sick leave, 6.5 paid holidays, health care contribution, Simple IRA match to 3%, service discounts and wholesome, "home-made" lunches provided three days a week. Come learn a different way of practicing preventative holistic medicine in a full serve clinic.

These are the qualities we are looking for in our employees:

• Highly motivated, self-starting

• Mature, responsible/reliable

• Professional, good communicator

• Team player, strong work ethic

Salary: $20-$30 /hour. Compensation commensurate with experience.

To Apply: Please send us your resume and a cover letter telling us why you are interested in working at Qi and why you are the right person for us. Please note: we will not consider anyone who does not take the time to write a good cover letter! Send resumes: therese@Qivet.com.

Full-time Plumber

The Facilities Department at Saint Michael’s College is inviting applications for a full-time Plumber. This position supports the department in maintaining a comfortable, safe, and efficient environment by providing timely responses to issues and ensuring all campus systems are fully operational. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, inspecting, maintaining, repairing, replacing, and testing all plumbing systems and components throughout campus; coordinating annual inspections and repairs with contractors; planning and implementing renovation/upgrade/ repair projects; addressing daily work orders; and participating in an oncall rotation for 1-week every 4-5 weeks. This position will require regular work hours, as well as occasional on-call evening, weekend, and holiday times. The salary range for this position is $30-$32 per hour.

For job description, benefits and to apply, please visit: bit.ly/SMCPLU

CULTIVATION MANAGER

The Cultivation Manager oversees indoor cultivation at our facility in Essex, Vermont. This position develops cultivation plans in conjunction with the Head Grower and is responsible for the ongoing management of yield at assigned grows.

Qualifications:

• Must be 21 years or age or older

Youth Coach positions available.

3 Shifts to choose from. Some include a $5,000 sign on bonus!

Scan the QR code to view job descriptions & apply.

• Minimum 2 years’ commercial cultivation strongly preferred

• Minimum 3 years of supervisory experience

Route Service Representatives

RSR’s drive a delivery truck along an established route, and will service, deliver, and pick up a variety of linen, uniforms, floor matting, and other rental products within an existing customer base. RSRs are the face of our company to our customers.

Foley Services fosters a workplace built on respect, hard work, and achievement.

Scan QR code for more information about our open position!

Visit foleylinen.com/employment-opportunities for more information or to apply!

Send resumes to: megan@magicmann.com. Are you ready for a new career? Look no further! We’re hiring!

Foley Services is an equal opportunity employer.

• Bachelor’s degree in Plant Biology, Botany, Agriculture, Genetics or closely related field (or equivalent combination of knowledge and experience)

• At least 1 year working in horticulture

• Working knowledge of a wide range of cannabis strains; ability to detect and differentiate strains during various growth and bloom stages

• Basic understanding of Integrated Pest Management

• Knowledge of Nutrient Delivery systems

• Knowledge of cannabis genetics and associated nutrient requirements

• Experience in a fast-paced start up environment

Benefits:

• Paid time off, Paid sick time

• Health Insurance (Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont)

• Employee discount

• Staff samples

• Paid training and development

Schedule: Monday-Friday; Occasional night and weekend commitments

Pay: Based on experience

Trusted, local employers are hiring in Seven Days newspaper and online. Browse 100+ new job postings each week.

Assoc. Financial Advisor

FLORAL MERCHANDISER

MILTON, Part time

3 mornings per week (Tuesday, Friday, Sunday) approximately 15-20 hours. Fun and flexible job, perfect for a creative person who likes to work independently

Please contact Nathalie at the number below: 518-420-3786

2h-SimplyReady071421.indd

OUTPATIENT THERAPIST

Sales Associate (Keyholder)

Join Ten Thousand Villages in Burlington as a Retail Sales Associate! We are seeking part-time keyholders with weekday and weekend availability for our Church Street location. If you want to directly connect the Ten Thousand Villages mission and products with customers in a friendly work environment, apply today! Customer service skills a must, previous retail experience preferred. Hourly rate starting at $18.00. manager.burlington@ tenthousandvillages.com

Multiple Positions Open

PCC is hiring for multiple positions, including a Chief Financial Officer, Software Quality Assurance (QA) Analyst, and an experienced Web Developer to join our team. Check out our careers page (www.pcc.com/careers/) for more details regarding each position. While you are there, you will also see information on our unique benefits (AAA, cellphone, internet, 401(k), low-cost health insurance premiums, and more). To apply, please email a cover letter and resume to jobs@pcc.com with the specific job title in the subject line.

NKHS is seeking a dynamic Outpatient Therapist with strong clinical skills in mental health and addictions to join our team. Conduct screenings, assessments, and provide therapy sessions for adults with co-occurring conditions.

WHY WORK FOR NKHS?

Quality Care: Prioritize well-being, promote hope, healing, and support.

Impactful Work: Make a difference in nearly 4,000 lives annually.

Holistic Approach: Comprehensive programs address mental health and substance use challenges.

Collaborative Environment: Join over 450 committed employees in improving lives.

Beautiful Location : Enjoy scenic Vermont while contributing to community wellness.

Competitive Compensation : Including health, dental, retirement plans, and more.

Equal Opportunity Workplace : Valuing diversity and inclusion.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master's degree in counseling, social work, psychology, or related field.

• Dual licensure as an LADC and LCMHC preferred.

• Experience with co-occurring disorders preferred.

SALARY & BENEFITS:

• Competitive Salary: $52,603.20 plus, depending on experience.

• Tuition Reimbursement.

• Health and Dental Insurance.

• Generous Paid Time Off.

• Outstanding Employee Wellness Program.

NKHS is an equal opportunity workplace. Apply now at NKHS.org to make a positive impact in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom.

Direct Support Professional

Why not have a job you love?

Provide direct supports to individuals with intellectual disabilities or autism in their home, the community or their workplace. This is a great entry level position to human services and for those looking to continue their work in this field. Starting wage is $20/hr with a sign on bonus of $1,000 at 6 months.

Benefit package includes 29 paid days off in the first year, comprehensive health insurance plan with premium as low as $13 per month, up to $6,400 to go towards medical deductibles and copays, retirement match, generous signon bonus and so much more.

And that’s on top of working at one of the “Best Places to Work in Vermont” for six years running. Make a career making a difference and apply today: staff@ccs-vt.org

Business Associate

As a member of the Student Government Association (SGA) team, the Business Associate will provide key management and operationalization of critical business functions. Responsibilities including management of the online payment platform, administering purchasing card and fleet card programs, reconciling expenses, and managing communications regarding revenue and expenses. The Associate responds to inquiries and supports student leaders in navigating business processes, collaborates on financial reporting, administers purchasing processes, and other business needs. As a member of the Business Office, the Associate will adhere to federal, University, and SGA policies, procedures, and guidelines, and perform other administrative functions. Our staff support and promote a safe and inclusive environment while supporting the mission and philosophy of the Department of Student Life, the Division of Student Affairs, and the University of Vermont. This is an 11-month position.

The University of Vermont is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other category legally protected by federal or state law. The University encourages applications from all individuals who will contribute to the diversity and excellence of the institution. Submit your application online uvmjobs.com/postings/72078.

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

Administrative Coordinator

Work in collaboration with Vermont Center on Behavior and Health (VCBH) Director and Principal Investigators. Responsible for personnel, operations, financial and business activities and services for the research grant portfolio. Perform budget management, lab procurement and management, as well as operational and protocol development/oversight for research centers. Coordinate with the Psychiatry Department Administrator, or the HR Specialist position, to manage needs for personnel, effort reporting, institutional cost sharing, and salary distribution changes. Work closely with UVMMC and Psychiatry department to ensure consistency of changing aims, research effort and other administrative activities that cross institutions. Administratively supervise team and functionally supervise and approve time/schedules and purchasing cards for multiple trainee associates and research staff. Apply at uvmjobs.com/postings/71674

Community Bankers

BUILDERS | MAKERS | DOERS®

There is no better time to join our Team!

Northfield Savings Bank, founded in 1867, is the largest LOCAL BANK in Vermont. We are committed to providing a welcoming work environment for all. Consider joining our team as a Community Banker at our Marketplace or Richmond location!

Relevant Skills:

• Customer Service, Cash Handling (we’ll train you!)

• Even better… if you have prior banking experience, we encourage you to apply!

• If you are 18 or older and have a high school diploma, general education (GED) degree, or equivalent, consider joining the NSB Team!

Opportunity for Growth

NSB has training opportunities to engage employees and assist with professional development within our company. The average years of service for an NSB employee is 9! If you’re looking for a career in an environment that promotes growth, join our team!

What NSB Can Offer You:

• Competitive compensation based on experience.

• Well-rounded benefits package, Profit-Sharing opportunity.

• Excellent 401(k) matching retirement program.

• Commitment to professional development.

• Opportunities to volunteer and support our communities. Work-Life balance!

Please send an NSB Application & your resume in confidence to: Careers@nsbvt.com

Local Operator Baby Gear Rental

Looking for an energetic individual to run the Burlington location for our baby gear rental service! Part time work for supplemental income.

No previous experience necessary. Must have vehicle and storage space for the equipment. Delivery hours are typically between 8am & 5pm. If interested, please email lisa@babysaway.com or call 800-571-0077

Immediate Openings

School Bus Drivers, Route Drivers, and Substitute Drivers

MOVING PROFESSIONALS

Orange Southwest School District Randolph, Braintree, Brookfield

Come join the OSSD Transportation Team. Great hourly wage with a flexible schedule.

Immediate Openings For:

School Bus Drivers

Route Drivers

Contact Craig Russell, Transportation Coordinator - 24 Central Street, Randolph, VT 05060 (802) 728-9276

crrussell@orangesouthwest.org

Local moving company looking for movers! Previous experience is not required. We will train the right candidates! Applicants must have a valid driver’s license, have the highest level of customer service and work well in a team atmosphere. Competitive wages!

Or apply at: schoolspring.com/ jobdetail?jobId=4510062

Equal Opportunity Employer

Please call 802-655-6683 for more information or email resume to:

Jennifer@vtmoving.com

YOU AND YOUR WORK MATTER

When you work for the State of Vermont, you and your work matter. A career with the State puts you on a rich and rewa rding professional path. You’ll find jobs in dozens of fields – not to mention an outstanding total compensation package.

GRANT S MAN AGEMENT SPECIALIS T – MONTPELIER

The Department of Housing and Community Development seeks an enthusiastic and creative team player with excellent organizational, administrative, and communication skills to assist and support state and federal grant programs that create vibrant communities where people love to live, work, and play. DHCD is remote work friendly. For more information, contact Richard Amore at richard.amore@vermont.gov. Department: Commerce & Community Development. Location: Montpelier. Status: Full Time, Limited Service. Job ID #49976. Application Deadline: May 13, 2024.

EN VIRONMEN T AL PROGRAM MAN A GE R - LAKE S AND POND S – MO NTPEL IER/HYBRID RE MO TE

We’re looking for an experienced environmental manager to join our team of dedicated and knowledgeable water resource professionals. The Lakes and Ponds Program Manager oversees the administrative, planning, and policy work of the program. The program protects and restores the health of Vermont lakes, and the public uses they support through outreach, water quality monitoring and assessment, and regulatory programs. For more information, contact Bethany Sargent at bethany.sargent@vermont. gov. Department: Environmental Conservation. Location: Montpelier/Hybrid Remote. Status: Full Time. Job ID #49315. Application Deadline: May 22, 2024.

MEDICAL LICENSING & OPERA TIONS ADMIN IS TRATOR – WATERBURY

This position offers a variety of duties: supervising Medical Board licensing staff and business functions, contracting, scheduling and supporting meetings, and maintaining the Board webpage. It’s not an IT job but requires someone proficient with technology. The position is ideal for a person who enjoys a variety of challenging responsibilities that offer a lot of room for learning and growth in a hybrid work environment with the opportunity for some remote work. For more information, contact David Herlihy at david.herlihy@vermont.gov. Department: Health. Location: Waterbury. Status: Full Time. Job ID #49987. Application Deadline: May 9, 2024.

E.O.E. / Member FDIC Learn more at : careers.vermont.gov

State of Vermont is an

Substitute Drivers

Orange S.W. School District: Randolph, Braintree, Brookfield

Join our Transportation Team. Earn a great hourly wage with a flexible schedule.

Contact Craig Russell, Transportation Coordinator 24 Central Street Randolph, VT 05060 (802) 728-9276

crrussell@orangesouthwest.org

Or apply at: schoolspring.com/ jobdetail?jobId=4510062

Equal Opportunity Employer

Housekeeper

We're seeking a full-time housekeeper to keep a home impeccable for two individuals. Your duties encompass daily cleaning, laundry, changing linens, and preparing meals. Organizing spaces and managing supplies.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Daily cleaning and maintenance

• Preparing meals

• Organizing personal space

• Managing all aspects of entire residence's operation

• Managing household supplies

QUALIFICATIONS:

• At least 3 years of housekeeping experience

• Good communication/work ethic

• Excellent time management skills

• Fluent in English

• Honest, self-motivated and detail oriented

• Driver's license (bonus)

• Valid passport: may be asked to travel on rare occasions

Resumes to: imak74@hotmail.com

Do you have a knack for donor stewardship and want to make a difference in VT communities?

SEEKING A DIRECTOR OF DONOR IMPACT 4t-VTCommunityFoundationDIRdonor041724

The Vermont Community Foundation is looking for a Director of Donor Impact to oversee our impact strategy, co-create marketing campaigns, and provide excellent service for our fundholders. Bring a growth mindset to help drive charitable impact on our Philanthropy team!

If this sounds like a good fit for you, visit VERMONTCF.ORG/CAREERS for a complete job description and instructions for applying.

Operations Support

True North Evolution is seeking a full-time, year-round Operations Support person. The ideal candidate is an adaptable team player with a positive attitude who is willing to work both indoors and outdoors performing a variety of tasks associated with the logistics of running our program. Tasks include food packing and rationing, gear outfitting, transportation, and facilities maintenance. Candidates must be willing to work weekends and occasional evenings. A clean and valid driver’s license is required. Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits offered. Benefits include health, dental, vision and accident insurance, an employee assistance program, a Wellness Fund, student loan repayment reimbursement, and a SIMPLE IRA.

Program Manager

True North is seeking a Program Manager to join our team. The ideal candidate is an adaptable team player, with a positive attitude and leadership skills who is willing to work both indoors and outdoors. The Program Manager will be working closely with all departments at True North to help facilitate daily programming for the students, coordinate and execute schedules, supervise and train guides (direct care staff), and support the therapeutic goals for students. Candidates must be willing to work weekends and occasional evenings. Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits offered. Benefits include health, dental, vision, accident insurance, an employee assistance program, SIMPLE IRA, access to an employee wellness fund, and opportunity for student loan reimbursement.

Office and Medication Administrator

True North is actively hiring for an Office and Medication Administrator who can assist in day-to-day office administrative tasks, organize and pack student medications, and effectively communicate and collaborate with parents, doctors, and various True North departments. The ideal candidate is an organized, flexible team player with a warm and friendly personality. This is an inperson, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. position. Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits offered. Benefits include health, dental, vision, accident insurance, an employee assistance program, SIMPLE IRA, access to an employee wellness fund, and the opportunity for student loan payment reimbursement.

For more information, visit: truenorthevolution.com/careers. Relocation stipends available on a case by case basis.

Daycare Director

ROOTS DAYCARE is seeking a knowledgeable and experienced Daycare Director to lead our sta of 20+ childcare providers. We are a private center, housed within the company campus of Vermont Information Processing. Our ideal candidate will have excellent leadership skills in addition to being child-focused, creative, and passionate about early childhood education.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Oversee day-to-day functions and supervise all sta members

• Hire and train new sta members

• Manage classroom schedules, attendance and waitlists along with the Assistant Director

• Support teachers in providing enrichment for children’s social, physical, and academic development within our program

• Assure consistent compliance with all State of Vermont Center Based Child Care regulations, including coordination of annual licensing, maintenance of emergency evacuation planning, health and other inspections, and maintenance of files according to state requirements

• Collaborate with lead teachers to supervise, guide and encourage children’s learning and development

• Communicate with parents regularly on their child’s daily progress and well as relevant updates to the center’s schedule, policies and practices.

• Maintain a clean and tidy classroom consistent with health and safety standards

• Provide performance reviews and professional development opportunities to sta

REQUIREMENTS:

• 5 years of relevant childcare experience (preferably with children under age 5)

• High School Diploma or GED (Associate Degree with a major in Early Childhood, Child or Human Development, Elementary Education or Child & Family Services is preferred)

• Qualified as a Teacher Associate as defined by the State of VT’s Child Development Division (Director Step (1) Certificate or applicable college credits)

• Excellent knowledge of appropriate practices in early childhood development

• Demonstrated leadership skills

• E ective and strong communication skills, written and verbal

• Willingness to work flexible hours in order to meet the needs of the program

• At least 20 years of age per the State of Vermont’s requirements

• Ability to lift 25-30lbs & squat, kneel, sit on the floor, see, hear and speak with children and families to ensure the health and safety of each child

BENEFITS YOU’LL ENJOY:

• BlueCross BlueShield health insurance

• 3 weeks of paid time o , 6 paid holidays & 4 paid floating holidays

• Paid Parental Leave

• ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan)

• 401k and Profit Sharing

• Health Savings & Flexible Spending Accounts

• Life and Disability Insurance

• Various onsite amenities including fitness centers, dedicated health clinic and cafe

Apply here: public.vtinfo.com/careers or reach out to careers@vtinfo.com

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

POST YOUR JOBS AT: SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POSTMYJOB

PRINT DEADLINE: NOON ON MONDAYS (INCLUDING HOLIDAYS) FOR RATES & INFO: MICHELLE BROWN, 802-865-1020 X121, MICHELLE@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

Adaptive Sailing Coordinator

The Northeast Disabled Athletic Association (NDAA) seeks the right person to lead our 2024 adaptive summer sailing program. Located at the Moorings in Malletts Bay, we are looking for someone who likes to work with persons with disabilities and knows how to sail. Must be organized, a competent sailor with good motorboat skills, comfortable with launching, rigging and maintaining two sailboats and an inflatable, and instructing and scheduling sailors and volunteers.

This position is weatherdependent from June to September and will require two full days a week. This is a great position for a student or retiree who wants to be outside, near the water and loves to help people enjoy sailing. Stipend available.

Send resumes to: pstanden@smcvt.edu

Engaging minds that change the world

Seeking a position with a quality employer? Consider The University of Vermont, a stimulating and diverse workplace. We offer a comprehensive benefit package including tuition remission for on-going, full-time positions.

Program Specialist - UVM Extension’s Northwest Crops and Soils Team - #S5031PO - UVM Extension’s Northwest Crops and Soils Team is looking for a Program Specialist to provide financial, program, and administrative support to the Northwest Crops and Soils team. This is a 1.0 FTE, 12 month fully benefitted position that is expected to work out of the UVM Extension Field Office in St. Albans. The Program Specialist will work with the Sponsored Projects Administration and grant Principal Investigators to manage project expenses, serve as the financial manager for the 40 +/- grants, gift accounts and income and expense accounts, and provide general administrative support for the team.

The successful applicant should hold a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and have two to four years of related experience, or the equivalent combination of education and experience. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite applications, including extensive knowledge of Word, Excel and Access/database structure highly desirable. Familiarity with education and research. Interest in agriculture and agronomy.

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until suitable candidates are found. The University is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of the institution. Applicants are encouraged to include in their cover letter information about how they will further this goal.

For further information on this position and others currently available, or to apply online, please visit www.uvmjobs.com Applicants must apply for positions electronically. Paper resumes are not accepted. Open positions are updated daily. Please call 802-656-3150 or email employment@uvm.edu for technical support with the online application.

Seven Days Issue: 5/1

Due: 4/29 by 11am

New GRAD RN program helps ensure success!

Size: 3.83” x 5.25”

Cost: $476.85 (with 1 week online)

Kick-start your nursing career at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH) with our innovative Nurse Residency Program. Designed for passionate new grads, the program offers wrap-a-round support for long-term career excellence. Beginning in summer 2024, full-time positions will be available in departments such as Med Surg, Emergency and more. Applicants need a Vermont or multi-state RN licenses, BLS certification, and to be a graduate of an accredited nursing program. Program pillars include Leadership, Patient Outcomes, and Professional Roles. New grads are provided daily support and collaborative guidance. Join NVRH for competitive compensation, benefits, and a supportive environment where patients, community and employees thrive. St. Johnsbury, Vermont.

Apply now at www.nvrh.org/careers.

NFI VT is a private, nonprofit, specialized service agency within the Vermont statewide mental health system. We are a healing organization, grounded in trauma-informed care. We are hiring for Full-Time, Part-Time and Relief positions. Regular positions of 30+ hours per week are eligible for our generous benefits package, which includes competitive salary and tuition reimbursement.

Please apply at: nfivermont.org/careers

NFI VT is an Equal Opportunity Employer and, as such, prohibits discrimination against any employee or applicant based on race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, ethnic background, disability, or other non-work-related personal trait or characteristic to the extent protected by law.

The University of Vermont is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

Building Systems Manager

Building Systems Manager needed for small company in Waitsfield.

Familiarity with HVAC systems, carpentry, electrical and plumbing systems.

Email for more info hr@creativemicro.com

Maintenance Tech

Seeking worker for full time position immediately. Must be able to lift 75 lbs and must be reliable. Having a valid driver’s license is a must but job is on the bus line. Hours are mostly Monday through Friday, may need to work some weekends and some nights during special events. Hours are flexible.

Experience with carpentry a plus. Small maintenance job knowledge needed. And must be able to do physical labor. Call Alan at 802-363-8488.

2v-CreativeMicro050124.indd 1 4/26/24 11:47 AM

Program Director

Green Mountain Support Services’ (GMSS) HCBS Program Director demonstrates strong commitment to GMSS’ mission and person-centered support and is a vital member of the agency’s senior leadership team. This position is responsible for the effective planning, provision, monitoring, and documentation of HCBS services across the agency’s Brain Injury, Developmental Services, and Adult Family Care programs. The Program Director ensures compliance with agency, DAIL, and Medicaid regulations and creates an inspirational and collaborative work environment that reflects outstanding leadership, skillful communication, and a focus on continuous staff development.

Benefit package includes: flexible schedule, generous paid timeoff; comprehensive health, vision, and dental insurance plans; retirement savings including employer match; opportunities for professional development; a fantastic team environment and much more. For a full job description and to apply online, visit us at gmssvt.org or at 93 James Rd, Morrisville, VT.

Location: Hybrid, based out of Morrisville, VT

Compensation: $76,000 – 86,000

Direct Support Professional (DSP)

Green Mountain Support Services’ DSPs make a difference every day by providing 1-to-1 support to help individuals reach their goals in a variety of settings. The scope of the DSP’s job involves implementing individualized support plans in ways that maximize independence and qualify of life. No two DSP positions are the same. DSPs may provide community-, employment-, or home-based support, and can have the opportunity to learn specialty skills including intensive medical or behavioral support. Full and part-time positions are available. $17.50 – $21.00/hour and a competitive benefits package. For a full job description and to apply online, visit: gmssvt.org or 93 James Rd, Morrisville, VT.

Burlington Housing Authority (BHA)

Are you interested in a job that helps your community and makes a difference in people’s lives every day? Consider joining Burlington Housing Authority (BHA) in Burlington, VT to continue BHA’s success in promoting innovative solutions that address housing instability challenges facing our diverse population of low-income families and individuals.

We are currently hiring for the following positions:

Assistant Property Manager: Serves as a critical member of our property management team. This position is responsible for assisting the team of Property Managers in the day to day operations of BHA’s property portfolio. This position assists with leasing apartments, move in and move outs, maintaining accurate tenant files and assist with tenant complaints, collection of rents, lease violations, property inspections, vacant unit checks, delivery of resident notices and certifications, and other duties related to property management.

Building Operations Technician:

Performs general maintenance work in BHA owned and managed properties. This includes building exteriors, common areas, apartments, building systems, fixtures, and grounds. Our Building Operations Techs are required to participate in the on-call rotation, which covers night and weekend emergencies.

Housing Retention Services – Site Based: Responsible for supporting those who have mental health and substance use challenges and/or who have moved from homelessness to Bobbin Mill, Wharf Lane, and other BHA properties. The position works closely with property management and other site-based staff to identify challenges and respond with appropriate direct service and coordination of community services, with a goal of eviction prevention and facilitating a healthy tenancy.

Offender Re-entry Housing Specialist:

Provides support to men and women under the VT Department of Corrections supervision from prison back to Chittenden County. The ORHS focuses on high-risk men and women who are being released from jail and graduating transitional housing programs and in need of permanent housing. The ORHS provides intensive retention and eviction prevention services and works collaboratively with the Burlington Probation and Parole Office. Additionally, the ORHS works with various case workers, ReEntry staff and the Administrative Staff from the VT Department of Corrections and the

broad network of COSA staff as necessary throughout Chittenden County.

Find more info about these career opportunities at burlingtonhousing.org

BHA serves a diverse population of tenants and partners with a variety of community agencies. To most effectively carry out our vision of delivering safe and affordable housing to all, we are committed to cultivating a staff that reflects varied lived experiences, viewpoints, and educational histories. Therefore, we strongly encourage candidates from diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals, and women to apply. Multilingualism is a plus!

Our robust benefit package includes premium medical insurance with a health reimbursement account, dental, vision, short and long term disability, 10% employer funded retirement plan, 457 retirement plan, accident insurance, life insurance, cancer and critical illness insurance.

We provide a generous time off policy including 12 days of paid time off and 12 days of sick time in the first year. In addition to the paid time off, BHA recognizes 13 (paid) holidays and 2 (paid) floating cultural holidays.

Interested in this career opportunity? Send a cover letter and resume to: humanresources@ burlingtonhousing.org

Human Resources

Burlington Housing Authority 65 Main Street, Suite 101 Burlington, VT 05401

Find more info about these career opportunities at burlingtonhousing.org

BHA is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Living With Loss: A Gathering for the Grieving

WED., MAY 1 ONLINE

FOTW Trail Clinic Night

WED., MAY 1

SAXON HILL TRAILHEAD, ESSEX

Rochester Light and Power

MAY 1-5

ROCHESTER SCHOOL AUDITORIUM

Shifting Adjustment Workshop

THU., MAY 2

OLD SPOKES HOME, BURLINGTON

2024 Waterbury Onesie Pub Crawl

SAT., MAY 4

WATERBURY

STRUT! Fashion Show

SAT., MAY 4

HULA, BURLINGTON

Kentucky Derby Day Social and Dance

SAT., MAY 4

THE KIRK ALUMNI CENTER AT MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE

May the Fourth Be With You

SAT., MAY 4

THE BARNS AT LANG FARM, ESSEX

An Evening With Kat Wright

SAT., MAY 4

ELLEY-LONG MUSIC CENTER, COLCHESTER

Effortless Romance: Easy-Date Night Dinner

SAT., MAY 4

RICHMOND COMMUNITY KITCHEN

SUN., MAY 5

Early Birders Morning Walk

BIRDS OF VERMONT MUSEUM, HUNTINGTON

Spring Wildflowers Progression II

SUN., MAY 5

BIRDS OF VERMONT MUSEUM, HUNTINGTON

Keep Flying w/ special guests Better ings and McAsh

SUN., MAY 5

THE UNDERGROUND, RANDOLPH

West Asian & Mediterranean Fusion

Pop-Ups With the Healer Chef

MON., MAY 6

STOWE STREE CAFE, STOWE

Mandarin Conversation Circle

TUE., MAY 7

VERMONT CHINESE SCHOOL, SOUTH BURLINGTON LIBRARY

Bulbs: Planting in Spring for Summer Color

THU., MAY 9

HORSFORD GARDENS & NURSERY, CHARLOTTE

Bicycle Brake Adjustment Workshop

THU., MAY 9

OLD SPOKES HOME, BURLINGTON

Breanna Elaine Band w/ Bird Boombox

FRI., MAY 10

THE UNDERGROUND, RANDOLPH

Basic Flowers Class for Mother’s Day

SAT., MAY 11

RED POPPY CAKERY, WATERBURY

Onion River Chorus

SAT., MAY 11

UNITARIAN CHURCH OF MONTPELIER

fun stuff

“Dad! Toss me the phone charger!!”

JEN SORENSEN

HARRY BLISS

KRISTEN SHULL

JULIANNA BRAZILL

TAURUS

(APR. 20-MAY 20)

I don’t casually invoke the terms “marvels,” “splendors” and “miracles.”

Though I am a mystic, I also place a high value on rational thinking and skeptical proof. If someone tells me a marvel, splendor or miracle has occurred, I will thoroughly analyze the evidence. Having said that, though, I want you to know that during the coming weeks, marvels, splendors and miracles are far more likely than usual to occur in your vicinity — even more so if you have faith that they will. I will make a similar prediction about magnificence, sublimity and resplendence. They are headed your way. Are you ready for blessed excess? For best results, welcome them all generously and share them lavishly.

ARIES (Mar. 21-Apr.19): The world’s record for jumping rope in six inches of mud is held by an Aries. Are you surprised? I’m not. So is the world’s record for consecutive wallops administered to a plastic inflatable punching doll. Other top accomplishments performed by Aries people: longest distance walking on one’s hands; highest number of curse words uttered in two minutes; and most push-ups with three bulldogs sitting on one’s back. As impressive as these feats are, I hope you will channel your drive for excellence in more constructive directions during the coming

weeks. Astrologically speaking, you are primed to be a star wherever you focus your ambition on high-minded goals. Be as intense as you want to be while having maximum fun giving your best gifts.

GEMINI (May 21-Jun. 20): In accordance with astrological omens, I recommend you enjoy a celebratory purge sometime soon. You could call it a Cleansing Jubilee or a Gleeful Festival of Purification or a Jamboree of Cathartic Healing. This would be a fun holiday that lasted for at least a day and maybe as long as two weeks. During this liberating revel, you would discard anything associated with histories you want to stop repeating. You’d get rid of garbage and excess. You may even thrive by jettisoning perfectly good stuff that you no longer have any use for.

CANCER (Jun. 21-Jul. 22): Graduation day will soon arrive. Congrats, Cancerian! You have mostly excelled in navigating through a labyrinthine system that once upon a time discombobulated you. With panache and skill, you have wrangled chaos into submission and gathered a useful set of resources. So are you ready to welcome your big rewards? Prepared to collect your graduation presents? I hope so. Don’t allow lingering fears of success to cheat you out of your welldeserved harvest. Don’t let shyness prevent you from beaming like a champion in the winner’s circle. PS: I encourage you to meditate on the likelihood that your new bounty will transform your life almost as much as did your struggle to earn it.

LEO (Jul. 23-Aug. 22): Ritualist and author Sobonfu Somé was born in Burkina Faso but spent many years teaching around the world. According to her philosophy, we should periodically ask ourselves two questions: 1) “What masks have been imposed on us by our culture and loved ones?” 2) “What masks have we chosen for ourselves to wear?” According to my astrological projections, the coming months will be an excellent time for you to ruminate on these inquiries — and take action in response. Are you willing to remove your disguises to reveal the hidden or unappreciated beauty that lies beneath? Can you visualize how your life may change if

you will intensify your devotion to expressing your deepest, most authentic self?

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sep. 22): If human culture were organized according to my principles, there would be over eight billion religions — one for every person alive. Eight billion altars. Eight billion saviors. If anyone wanted to enlist priestesses, gurus and other spiritual intermediaries to help them out in their worship, they would be encouraged. And we would all borrow beliefs and rituals from each other. There would be an extensive trade of clues and tricks about the art of achieving ecstatic union with the Great Mystery. I bring this up, Virgo, because the coming weeks will be an ideal time for you to craft your own personalized and idiosyncratic religious path.

LIBRA (Sep. 23-Oct. 22): Hidden agendas and simmering secrets will soon leak into view. Intimate mysteries will become even more intimate and more mysterious. Questions that have been half-suppressed will become pressing and productive. Can you handle this much intrigue, Libra? Are you willing to wander through the amazing maze of emotional teases to gather clues about the provocative riddles? I think you will have the poise and grace to do these things. If I’m right, you can expect deep revelations to appear and long-lost connections to reemerge. Intriguing new connections are also possible. Be on high alert for subtle revelations and nuanced intuitions.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): It’s fun and easy to love people for their magnificent qualities and the pleasure you feel when they’re nice to you. What’s more challenging is to love the way they disappoint you. Now pause a moment and make sure you register what I just said. I didn’t assert that you should love them even if they disappoint you. Rather, I invited you to love them because they disappoint you. In other words, use your disappointment to expand your understanding of who they really are and thereby develop a more inclusive and realistic love for them. Regard your disappointment as an opportunity to deepen your compassion — and as a motivation to become wiser and more patient. (PS: In general, now is a time when socalled “negative” feelings can lead to creative breakthroughs and a deepening of love.)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I assure you that you don’t need “allies” who encourage you to indulge in delusions or excesses. Nor do I recommend that you seek counsel from people who think you’re perfect. But you could benefit from colleagues who offer you judicious feedback. Do you know any respectful and perceptive observers who can provide advice about possible course corrections you could make? If not, I will fill the role as best as I can. Here’s one suggestion: Consider phasing out a mild pleasure and a small goal so you can better pursue an extra-fine pleasure and a major goal.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I invite you to take an inventory of what gives you pleasure, bliss and rapture. It’s an excellent time to identify the thrills that you love most. When you have made a master list of the fun and games that enhance your intelligence and drive you half-wild with joy, devise a master plan to ensure you will experience them as much as you need to — not just in the coming weeks, but forever. As you do, experiment with this theory: By stimulating delight and glee, you boost your physical, emotional and spiritual health.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Aquarian author Lewis Carroll said, “You know what the issue is with this world? Everyone wants some magical solution to their problem, and everyone refuses to believe in magic.” In my astrological opinion, this won’t be an operative theme for you in the coming weeks, Aquarius. I suspect you will be inclined to believe fervently in magic, which will ensure that you attract and create a magical solution to at least one of your problems — and probably more.

PISCES (Feb. 19-Mar. 20): Which would you prefer in the coming weeks: lots of itches, prickles, twitches and stings? Or, instead, lots of tingles, quivers, shimmers and soothings? To ensure that the latter types of experiences predominate, all you need to do is cultivate moods of surrender, relaxation, welcome and forgiveness. You will be plagued with the aggravating sensations only if you resist, hinder, impede and engage in combat. Your assignment is to explore new frontiers of elegant and graceful receptivity.

In 2022, the Lanpher Memorial Library in Hyde Park installed a "wind phone" — a nonoperational rotary phone with a heart in the center of the dial — to allow patrons to "call" those who have died. Originating in Japan, wind phones have spread around the world. Many community members have utilized the cozy space, including Emily Neilsen (pictured) and former representative Kate Donnally.

FIT, KIND, RETIRED ADVENTURER

Recently widowed retiree looking for adventure. I am completely housebroken — cooking, washing, ironing, sometimes picking up. Looking to travel to the 13 states I haven’t been to and the Canadian Maritimes. I am involved in city board activities and military service orgs. Love dining out and theater or a good movie. arbycow, 82, seeking: W, l

Respond to these people online: dating.sevendaysvt.com

WOMEN seeking...

EMBRACING THE LAYERS OF LIFE

I laugh and love with gusto and have a skeptic’s mind. Very comfortable living in the depths and layers and do not thrive in the shallows. I value intellect and humility. I love color, being in the beauty of our world, and experiencing the gifts that can be found in joy, grief, laughter, intimacy and the complexities of being human. LoveBlueReds 55, seeking: M

OLD-FASHIONED PISCES

Left-handed native Vermonter. Enjoy cooking, reading, writing, dinners out, dancing, hiking, biking, spending time with family and friends. Have two Persian cats. Can be insanely cute and affectionate. Go above and beyond for my special guy. Can dig in the dirt but dress for any occasion. Love the beach, ocean, NASCAR, antique cars. If any of this sounds good, say hello! PassionPisces60 60, seeking: M, l

GENUINE, THOUGHTFUL, PASSIONATE

Solo tiny-farming in the hills is sublime, but this unscripted homesteading comedy could use more characters: a partner in permaculture, a paddling companion, a cross-country/backcountry ski buddy, Scrabble challenger. Some other favored pastimes: sailing, reading, Champlain Islands camping in fall, vegetarian cookery, making you laugh. Life is good. Just missing someone special to share the journey. nordicbette242 53, seeking: M, l

WANT TO RESPOND?

You read Seven Days, these people read Seven Days — you already have at least one thing in common!

All the action is online. Create an account or login to browse hundreds of singles with profiles including photos, habits, desires, views and more. It’s free to place your own profile online.

l See photos of this person online.

W = Women

M = Men

TW = Trans women

TM = Trans men

Q = Genderqueer people

NBP = Nonbinary people

NC = Gender nonconformists

Cp = Couples

Gp = Groups

THERE’S MUCH MORE TO DO!

Looking for someone to share adventures and laughs, long talks and quiet times, dinners out and dinners in. I live a busy, fun but not fancy country life. I love to travel and have new experiences. Hoping to find someone to join me. warmandgentlelady, 70 seeking: M, l

GENUINELY HAPPY, SEEKING SAME

Easygoing, life-loving sixtysomething in search of a man comfortable in his own skin who loves deep conversations. All the usuals apply: Must love dogs. It’s the way to my heart, for sure. Must also love the outdoors, and not in a fanatic way. Enjoy being in nature. And finally, for now anyway, must love a good belly laugh. Joyful, 64, seeking: M, l

CUTE OLD CHICK!

I am compassionate, still a thrill seeker (I just zip-lined in Costa Rica), curious about the world and using the Google machine to search for answers. My bucket list is long. Get your passport out and let’s go!

70 years young, originally from Vermont, retired, enjoy long walks, gardening, biking, anything on water, eating sushi. ExoldVermonter 70 seeking: M, l

LIVING THE NEXT CHAPTER

Hello. I am looking for someone to spend this next chapter of life with. I enjoy taking walks, going for rides on the back roads with no destination in mind. I love the ocean. It’s my happy place. I enjoy going out for a meal now and then but am just as content to stay in. My grandchildren are my joy. Ajb 60, seeking: M, l

A FRESH START

I’m smart, work hard and want someone who can help me play hard. I’m not looking to meet “soon,” nor do I want an instant relationship (I just got out of one), but I am open to it if the right person comes along. I feel like I just woke up from a long nap — entertain me! Freshstart 57, seeking: M, l

CREATIVE WOMAN

SEEKS LIBERATED MALE

I want a guy who was raised by a liberated mother. I am creative, witty, talented, graceful and devilish. Someone once said I think out of both sides of my brain — organized and artistic. I once auditioned for and was selected to sing backup for the Shirelles. People think I’m fun to be with. Maybe you will, too. San2Lus 74 seeking: M, l

HARDWORKING, INDEPENDENT

TEACHER, GARDENER

Recently divorced after 25 years. Looking to rediscover fun! I am a hardworking, independent and very active person. Big gardener. Like to be outside, hanging with friends and family. Enjoy going out for dinner/drinks/ dancing or hanging out at home. Pretty easygoing. La, 54 seeking: M, l

SMART, SELF-AWARE, KIND SEEKS SAME Smart, self-aware and kind seeking same. AnneShirley, 48, seeking: M

BIODYNAMIC, SAGACIOUS ARTIST

Desire meaningful conversation, companionship, laughter and love. I am family- and community-minded with philanthropic tendencies; broadly studied in history, art, science and spirituality; well traveled and influenced by world cultures. I lead a conscientious, healthy lifestyle and keep a clean home, hands and heart. Retired, actively pursuing my passions and enjoying my grandchildren. Are you similarly inclined? Eruditee 60, seeking: M, l

INTROVERTED EXTROVERT TO DANCE

Are you a grown-up and still curious, playful, inquisitive, ever learning? I thrive outdoors in every season and relish reflective company, solitude and togetherness, sharing ideas and inspiration, and desires to love in a way that we feel free. I see that many of us here wonder how to describe themselves. Aren’t we all more than we can say? esmeflying 60, seeking: M, l

NATURE GIRL

New to the area and looking for friends and dates for the first time in my life. I feel weird even doing this (does everyone say that?). I’m in my 50s but slim and fit and honestly look younger than I am. Prefer slim, tall men but honestly don’t care much as long as you’re open-minded, fun and a good conversationalist. Highmeadows, 58, seeking: M, W, NC

HONEST, EASYGOING, STRAIGHTFORWARD

Vermonter retired from dairy farming, looking for a friend to share lunch, to get to know each other — what likes and dislikes we have in common, and what type of relationship we are looking for together. retired70, 76 seeking: M

LOYAL, DEPENDABLE, DIFFERENT, LOVING

I am a mature, single woman of color who is open-minded, real and comfortable in my uniqueness. I am looking for white mature man for companionship and friendship. I value peace and joy and am not interested in any drama. Mami8 40, seeking: M

LIVING LIFE HUMBLY AND LOVINGLY

Would love to share what life has taught me through experiences. Traveled a lot and now like to go on long drives around Vermont hills. Looking for another soul in a physical form to laugh, eat, hike, swim, hold hands and watch the sunrise. Ahh285 55, seeking: M, W, l

MEN seeking...

LAID-BACK, OLD-SCHOOL AND LOVING LIFE!

I’m a man with many interests who never likes to be bored, and I’m looking for a partner or new friend to share my life with and experience new things together. New foods, new sights, new sounds and new conversation topics. I have a lot of love to give, so I hope we can meet and see where things go. Edb9432, 42 seeking: W, l

NERDY GUY, GREAT DAD JOKES

Newly single guy in Chittenden County looking for great banter, inside jokes and amazing sex. A romantic at heart, I thrive on spontaneity and getting lost in our intimacy, if only for a night. Chad724 25 seeking: W, Cp, l

CASUAL BUT RESPECTFUL, FUNNY

You will always find me making plans as if my life were eternal, at the grocery store choosing my fresh products or enjoying a red wine, the aroma of garlic and basil while I cook. I don’t participate in any social network. My private life is exactly that: private. I want to receive what I give: sincerity and respect. Azzurro60 63 seeking: W, l

OLD-SCHOOL

Looking for wife-material woman who enjoys outdoors and helps around the house. I am honest and loyal. Someone who is not religious but desires to grow spiritually. Hockeyman 42 seeking: M

RETRO GROUCH

Quiet, more than a bit worn at the edges and lost inside my own head at times but warm, kind and thoughtful inside. My tolerance does run out with hypocrisy and mean-spiritedness. I am by no means the stereotypical male, and I never got the attraction of team sports. wanderling 66, seeking: W, NC, l

LAID-BACK, ORALLY BI, KINKY

Looking for kinky friends for friendship and more. Looking for people close to central Vermont. Looking for women, men and trans. I like to be involved in threesomes and group sex. If you are a man with a full beard, I’m not interested. It’s a really big turnoff for me. Sorry. looking67, 56, seeking: M, W, TM, TW, Q, NC, NBP, Cp, Gp, l

EVERY DAY ABOVE GROUND IS GOOD

Active, athletic, open-minded, optimistic and positive. Seeking longterm relationship with a like-minded woman. Davidus, 60 seeking: W, l

NEW TO THIS

In great shape. Look much younger than my age. Hardworking homeowner who enjoys the outdoors, good food, traveling, riding my Harley, weekends on the boat. Any real adventure. Midvte, 53, seeking: W, TW

SUNNY SIDE OF LIFE

I have built a new house, new life in the NEK. I’m a young 67, active and always busy doing something, whether it’s work or play. Now that the house is done, it’s time to be outdoors creating my gardens and yard. I’m looking for a positive, happy, possibly nude gardener and creator that complements my own creative energy. MRO67, 67 seeking: W, l

DOWN-TO-EARTH

Hi. I’m looking for someone who likes to smile. I enjoy gardening, riding motorcycles, metal detecting, boating. I enjoy a cozy night at home with that special someone, maybe sitting around a fire. brian69 55, seeking: TW, l

SINGLE CAT OWNER

Longing for someone to spend time with, eating amazing lunches or dinners and maybe having long car or camping trips. melvin4503, 72, seeking: W, l

KARAOKE SINGER

Single, new in Vermont. Seem female. Enjoy karaoke, comedy, poetry. 30 to young 60 y/o, please reply. Albert1, 70, seeking: W, l

NATIVE VERMONTER LOOKING FOR FUN

I’m 48, 250 pounds, working on it. Just a laid-back Vermonter looking for fun. I am in a complicated relationship, but I will send a picture if you would like — just ask. I’m fun, adventurous and enjoy nature. I’ve been told that I’m kind and friendly, but that is subjective and something you would have to determine for yourself. jjay1120 48, seeking: W

PASSIONATE YET KINKY

I am a 61-y/o male who wants to meet someone to become FWB who is open-minded, not afraid of trying new things sexually. I am looking for a trans woman, female or trans male. Looking4sez 61 seeking: W, TM, TW

LAID-BACK

I am easygoing and just looking for a companion. AJ 55, seeking: W

TRANS WOMEN seeking...

RECENTLY RELOCATED, ADVENTUROUS, FREE SPIRIT

I’m a gorgeous, white, 100 percent passable trans lady who is 57 and could pass as 30 — yes, 30! I long for love, laughter and romance, along with loving nature. I want a man who’s all man, rugged, handsome, well built but prefers a woman like myself. It’s as simple as that. We meet, fall in love and live happily ever after. Sammijo 58, seeking: M, l

FABULOUSLY FUTCH

Tall, smart trans woman looking for my people. I live in Middlebury. Any background in punk or politics is a plus — let’s make some noise! sashamarx, 54, seeking: M, W, TM, TW, Q, NC, NBP, Cp, l

GENDERQUEER PEOPLE seeking...

BABY BUTCH SEEKS GUIDANCE

(Not sexual or romantic.) If you’re queer, an activist or anything of the like, I would love to connect! I’m a genderweird (truly) babydyke butch, and I desperately want to learn from older queers. As much research as I’ve done on gay history, I always want to learn more and connect. If there are any other butches out there, please reach out! antweed, 18, seeking: TM, TW, Q, NC, NBP, l

LET ME WRITE YOUR STORY

Truly just here to explore everyone else. Dating weirds me out, and sex is so intimidating, so just let me be your friend. I promise I’m actually kinda cool. orion_nebula, 28, seeking: M, W, TM, TW, Q, NC, NBP, l

COUPLES seeking...

LOOKING FOR FUN PEEPS

Fun, open-minded couple seeking playmates. Shoot us a note if interested so we can share details and desires. Jackrabbits, 60, seeking: W, Cp

FUN COUPLE LOOKING FOR EXPLORATION

We are a secure couple who enjoy the outdoors, good wine, great food, playing with each other, exploring our boundaries and trying new things. We are 47 and 50, looking for a fun couple or bi man to play and explore with us. We are easygoing, and we’d love to meet you and see where our mutual adventures take us. vthappycouple, 50, seeking: M, Cp, Gp

ORB OF IMMEASURABLE BEAUTY

I’ve seen you around, but when you passed in front of a mass of incandescent plasma, I felt an alignment and harmony of bodies like never before and I saw you in a new light. I’ve been thinking of you ever since. Hit me up if you want to grab a sandwich together sometime. When: Monday, April 8, 2024. Where: in the sky. You: Gender nonconformist. Me: Man. #915992

STOWE SKI INSTRUCTOR AND REMOTE

We rode Valley House because Super Bravo stopped running. You were hoping to get to Blueberry Hill to ride your bike. You: from Waterbury, went to American U. Me: Annapolis, Guilford in Greensboro, worked at Green Mountain Club. Guy to my right on quad very loud persistent annoying talker. Are you “Sharon” the love? I want to know more. When: Saturday, April 27, 2024. Where: Sugarbush Valley House lift. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915991

MICHAEL HURLEY DISTRACTION

You: gorgeous butch(?) with alive eyes offering food at the show. Me: nonbinary queer in Carhartt jacket taken by your smile and attention. Do you eye-gaze all the gays? I was prepared with a handful of verbal inanities after the show to linger in your presence, but you had disappeared! Wanna try and linger longer sometime? When: Tuesday, April 23, 2024. Where: Michael Hurley show, East Fairfield. You: Group. Me: Nonbinary person. #915990

APARTMENT CLEANING

I cleaned your apartment in 2023. You were moving out of it. I ripped out your carpet on the stairs. Super rainy day. I thought you were both very cute but didn’t want to be forward and tell you that I’d love to be your third wheel. When: Tuesday, August 1, 2023. Where: Pearl. You: Couple. Me: Man. #915987

RED HEAD AND TIGER BODY

Devastating, darling, just one of kind. At comedy improv, you sat so close but had someone else sit on your lap. We drank; we sang. We got up to play improv games together. at sparkle in the eye, echoes of an Irish wild ancestress! You know I know. I know you know. We know we know. Remembering the good times. When: Saturday, March 30, 2024. Where: Hugo’s, Montpelier. You: Woman. Me: Woman. #915989

ASHLEY AND OLIVIA

We met at the Richmond playground the week of April 8. I thought I had your number in my phone, but now I can’t find it. Since you’re from Hinesburg, I don’t know if we’ll run into you again without making a plan. Playground meetup late afternoon on April 30 or May 2? —Emily and Ellis. When: ursday, April 11, 2024. Where: Richmond playground. You: Group. Me: Woman. #915988

ARANDAS IN MONTPELIER

I was running late for work; you were paying for your gas. Gazes met; quick and charming smile. I got to the counter to pay; you came back in and sheepishly said a once-in-a-lifetime thing just happened: You tried to take the pump with you. I like to think our brief connection flummoxed you into your first pump drive-away. Single? When: Tuesday, April 16, 2024. Where: Arandas in downtown Montpelier. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915986

CHARLIE AT THE CO-OP

You might build floating shelves for your tiny kitchen, and you liked my smile. My kitchen is big and in need of a sous chef (though maybe we could take turns being head chef). Let’s make scrumptious meals together and fend off the crudeness of reality with the culinary arts. Bon appétit! When: Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Where: City Market. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915984

I’ve always been really thin. I’d love to have more curves, but no matter what I do, I can’t seem to gain weight. I’ve even talked to my doctor about it, but it’s just the way my body is. I know a lot of people think that’s a good problem to have, but I don’t. I hate it when people make comments about my body, like saying I’m so lucky to be skinny. It’s not just people I know — even total strangers say things to me. How can I get them to stop?

SAILING ON WITHOUT A WORD

I noticed you early in the cruise: tall, gray hair, dark jacket, 60s-ish. You sat on the deck in the stern, middle section, for a few minutes. I wish I had been braver and chatted with you. I was wearing a teal Patagonia jacket, gray hair in a ponytail and solar glasses. When: Monday, April 8, 2024. Where: Spirit of Ethan Allen eclipse cruise. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915983

MEMORIES OF MY FAVORITE KIDS

Anthony, Rowan, Xanny and Princess Liah, I’m sorry I failed you when you were young. I should’ve worked harder to remain in your lives. I wish I could’ve watched you grow up, into the amazing adults you were always destined to become. You owe me nothing; just wanted to send you some love in case you needed it. XO Seerah. When: Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Where: in my happiest memories. You: Group. Me: Woman. #915982

BLUE HAIR, DON’T CARE

Blue hair, Supercuts stylist. Something about the look in your eyes made me want to get to know you. It was a glow of confidence and beauty. I gave you a wave on my way out. If you’re interested, I Spy back. When: Saturday, April 6, 2024. Where: Williston. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915981

FATHER AND DAUGHTER AT AL’S

You were tall and potentially handsome (too far away to tell), standing outside, in line for a creemee. For some reason you were facing the road. I was headed home on a bus and wearing a navy bandanna. We glanced at each other before the light changed. I wonder what was on your mind. Hope you enjoyed your day together. When: Friday, April 5, 2024. Where: outside Al’s, the weekend of the eclipse. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915980

MILTON HANNAFORD

CHECKOUT LINE

We were standing next to each other in different lanes. I made a comment that it was as busy as I had ever seen it, and you said it must be the solar eclipse. You got through your lane a cart ahead of mine. If you see this message, I would like to get together sometime and chat some more. When: Saturday, April 6, 2024. Where: Milton Hannaford checkout line. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915979

De P. Teet,

ARE YOU THE QUEUE?

You laughed. You liked the word “queue,” found it quaint. Asked me, “Do you come here often?” You kept brushing your hands all over me! Long-bearded man, rough-handed construction man. Foxy Market was so busy that night. We had to fly, my friend and I, to Barre. You have my number? ose breeze-block dogs, give me a call! When: Friday, April 5, 2024. Where: East Montpelier. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915978

YOU SANG ‘COME OUT TO PLAY’

How did you know my true wild name? Clever, bravo! You see my beauty! I’ll play on this brand-new day. e sun is up, with an eclipse. Time to make a move. I’m wearing that daisy chain, eyes wide open. Looking up, as the light goes to dark. Sing to me. I want to hear your heart’s desire sung. When: ursday, April 4, 2024. Where: central Vermont. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915977

GOOD MEASURE CONNECTION

You came to my show. We made lots of eye contact throughout and chatted afterward. I loved your dance moves and long hair. You were tall, named Austin and originally from the Carolinas. You commented on my eye shadow and left before I could ask for your number. Let’s go dancing together sometime? When: Saturday, April 6, 2024. Where: Good Measure Brewery. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915976

FOUR OF MY FAVORITE KIDS

About 20 years ago, I had the honor and privilege of loving and caring for four wonderful children. I left my whole heart with them when that job ended. I’ve missed them every day since. I love you, Anthony, Rowie, Xanny and Princess Liah. If you ever need anything, I’ll help you in whatever ways I am able. Love, Seerah. When: ursday, August 1, 2019. Where: Cabot Ct., Burlington (many years ago). You: Group. Me: Woman. #915974

KEVIN FROM 20 YEARS AGO

Kev, thank you for “ e Office.” It’s brilliant and amazing. I was way too burdened by life to realize exactly what you had done for me. A few years ago, the dust settled and it became clear. at show will always belong to us. One day I hope we get credit for it. Take good care of yourself. Sarah. When: ursday, August 1, 2019. Where: Cabot Ct., Burlington (many years ago). You: Man. Me: Woman. #915973

It’s amazing to me that, in this day and age, people haven’t yet learned that commenting on another person’s body is just plain never OK. But here we are. With friends and family who say something about your size, be absolutely honest and let them know that it makes you uncomfortable and you want them to stop. If you’re straight up with them, they should understand that you really mean it.

HEALTHY LIVING BARISTA

You served me a latte with almond milk. You: beautiful smile, jeans and black top. Would love to chat. Sigh. When: Saturday, April 6, 2024. Where: Healthy Living, Williston. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915975

LOVELY CUSTOMER AT DELI

You were waiting for your sandwich beside the table where I was eating, and you left an impression on me. You were wearing a long, dark green coat, a light olive-green dress and dark stockings. You had a winter hat on with a pompom on top. I think I overheard the deli staff call you “Caroline.” I’d love a chance to introduce myself over a cup of coffee. When: Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Where: Top of the Block Sandwich Shop. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915972

HANDSOME HANDYMAN

I spy a tall, dark-haired hunk often fixing up the house next door. Wondering if you wanted to grab a Caprese sandwich at City Market sometime soon? When: Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Where: N. Prospect St., Burlington. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915971

SNACKY CLUSTERS GOT YOUR ATTENTION?

Handsome guy. Your gorgeous eyes definitely got my attention. I’d really like to know if there’s a chance I could meet you for dinner, lunch, breakfast, bag your groceries, carry your bags to the car? Don’t be shy; your eyes weren’t. When: Monday, March 25, 2024. Where: Trader Joe’s. You: Man. Me: Man. #915970

EVERYTHING SHE DOES IS MAGIC

Were you singing to me? You were fingering those bass strings expertly at open mic night. I raised my glass in your honor, a salute to your bravery. Later you were standing beside me, waiting to seal your instrument back into its large case! You radiated heat, a tantalizing “come hither” vibration. You could ask for my number. Why not? When: ursday, March 21, 2024. Where: the Whammy Bar. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915969

TRUE NORTH

I spy, out of the corner of my eye, someone driving by. It feels like we’re strangers passing like ships in the night. I give way when all I want is to be overtaken. When: Saturday, March 16, 2024. Where: central Vermont. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915967

No human being is entirely comfortable in their own skin. What one person may consider a compliment may just make the other more aware of an insecurity. ere are many reasons why a person’s body is the shape and size it is. And it’s no one’s business but their own. Gaining or losing weight can sometimes be the result of illness, stress or a number of other things that aren’t polite to comment on. Unless you know for certain that a person has been working on slimming down or bulking up and wants external validation for it, zip your lips.

Something no one should ever say is: “You look great. Have you lost weight?” Instead, how about saying: “It’s great to see you. Love your outfit.” It’s fine to compliment someone on their jeans, but not so great to comment on their genes. Ya dig?

e next time a stranger makes a comment, try simply saying, “How ’bout we don’t talk about my body?” It may feel like you’re being snippy, but you know what? at’s OK. If someone says something that makes you feel icky, it’s absolutely fine to nip it in the bud. You’ll also be teaching them a quick lesson in civility.

Good luck and God bless, The

Anyone able to liven up away from this state? SWF, mid60s, NS, DD-free, seeks guy(s) or gal(s) also set to haul off Vermont’s phonies map! Love radical, non-predator people and pets. #L1750

24-y/o independently wealthy male looking for two young partners of any kind for some double ramming. Bipolar but will do my best to treat you amazingly. #L1751

I’m a man in my late 60s, seeking a female. Seek female with some desire and passion for a relationship. Many interests. Let’s talk. See phone number, please. #L1748

Come dance with me in the gazebo. Nice guy, 5’10, 195 pounds. 74 y/o but looks younger, new to the market. Seeks a good woman/partner 55 to 75 y/o to love and be loved by. Very attentive and affectionate, likes to have fun and travel. 420 friendly. #L1749

I’m a GM, early 60s, looking for playtime friends. Can be long- or short-term. Nice guy, easygoing and fun to be with. #L1745

He needs it bad, and she needs it more: ISO ideal M/F couple in need of attentive oral assistance to complete their lovemaking pleasure. Mature M welcomes your thoughts. #L1747

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I’m a gay male, 65 y/o, seeking gay men for new friendships. Outgoing, fun, loving person seeking meaningful connections. “Best friend” kinda guy here! is is not an ad for sex; friendship only. Looking forward to hearing from you. #L1746

Woman, 63. NEK, single, work full time. Healthy, adventurous, curious, kind. Seek male friend to hang out with, explore, share conversation, meals. Not into divisive politics. Definitely into nature/beautiful surroundings. If romance happens, that would be wonderful. #L1744

70, young-looking, good shape. Enjoy karaoke, singing, comedy. Seek female, 45 to young 70s. I am 5’9, hazel eyes, 163 pounds, black hair. #L1743

I’m a SWM, early 60s, island dweller seeking a SF. Do you like shots of tequila and getting caught in the rain? Do you like walks in the islands and the taste of Champagne? Do you like making love at midnight in a sweet summer sweat? Do you like any of these items? Come with me and escape. Active. Athletic. Adventurous. #L1742

I’m a 73-y/o male desiring a woman in her 70s or 80s to experience together the joys of a sensuous relationship. Phone number, please. #L1741

Int net-Free Dating!

to these messages with real, honest-to-goodness le ers. DETAILS BELOW.

Very active, elderly gent who lives alone seeks a lady with similar interests to share his lovely home. Splendid views, huge deck, paved highway, free TV and Wi-Fi. I enjoy snowmobiling, antiques, classic cars, parades, long rides, eating out, flowers and community involvement. Seeking a woman who enjoys the same. #L1738

I’m a SWM seeking a bi male and bi female for fun times. Clean, nonsmoking, drink ok. Any age, race. Nudist, movies, porn. Send phone number. #L1739

NEK prince, 74, seeks princess. I’m very attentive, sweet and good-looking, seeking the same in a woman, 60 to 74. Writer a plus. Don’t need a maid; want a partner to love and be loved by. Nice home on romantic property. No Trumpers. #L1737

Not a romantic/sexual request! Young, handsome woman seeking butch mentor (25 to 45) for guidance in selfexpression, strength and intersocietal relations. #L1735

Describe yourself and who you’re looking for in 40 words below: (OR, ATTACH A SEPARATE PIECE OF PAPER.)

I’m a

AGE + GENDER (OPTIONAL) seeking a

AGE + GENDER (OPTIONAL)

I’m a 67-y/o woman seeking a 55- to 76-y/o man. I am looking for a man to enjoy inside and outside — one who finds time to be a companion, is not a couch potato, and enjoys the outdoors, traveling, golf, fishing, etc. Leave your cell number. #L1733

I’m a woman, 80 y/o, seeking a man, 70 to 80 y/o. I want friendship as well as a companion. Also like the outdoors in the summer. Swimming, boating and just reading at home. Like going out to eat once in a while. #L1734

Let’s do some things — coffee at Black Cap Coffee, dinner, Green Mountain Film Festival, music at Hugo’s or Bent Nails Bistro. Woman, early 70s, seeking man of similar age to explore common interests. #L1732

I’m a 62-y/o female who wants a male companion to have fun with, maybe go for some drinks or smoke a bowl. Young in spirit, but I’m not into the romantic part of relationships anymore. Simply looking for a goofy friend to take me out on the town. #L1730

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