Seven Days, January 25, 2023

Gov. Phil Scott’s administration wants to sell a state building at 108 Cherry Street in downtown Burlington and move hundreds of workers to Waterbury. e plan would mean a developer could snag some prime real estate in the heart of the Queen City. Located near the ongoing CityPlace Burlington development, the property, which includes a three-story, 110,000-square-foot office building, has been assessed at $29 million.

State offices across Vermont have been underutilized amid a pandemic-era embrace of hybrid working models, said Jennifer Fitch, commissioner of the Department of Buildings and General Services. Some 400 people worked there before the pandemic; now, a much smaller number report to the office.

Meanwhile, Fitch said, Agency of Human Services officials have long wanted to consolidate Department of Health offices at the state complex in Waterbury, believing that it would foster a greater collaboration between various departments.

“All of those considerations went into: ‘Do we continue to invest in this building?’” Fitch said.

State officials have long been concerned about the building’s underground parking garage, noting how de-

MESSAGE DELIVERED

Kathy Hoffer was in Montpelier for a lunch date with three friends on January 17 when she stopped to admire a shiny red Alfa Romeo that was parked on State Street. Luxury Italian sports cars are rare in pragmatic central Vermont, where drivers tend to favor Subarus and pickup trucks, especially in winter.

“We all started saying, ‘ at’s a really nice-looking car,’” Hoffer said.

e quartet looked closer and noticed that the car’s Vermont license plate read “UNVAXXD,” the term generally used to describe people who have foregone the COVID-19 vaccine or other inoculations. To the left of the plate was a small silver decal that read “White Privilege Edition.”

e four friends started wondering about the car owner’s motives and reflected on their own perspectives on vac-

emoji that

BIG CHILL

Dartmouth Health is implementing a hiring freeze as it looks to close a $120 million budget gap, the Valley News reported. Brrr.

TRUE CRIME?

The Vermont Department of Public Safety plans to publish a statewide “heat map” that displays the number of calls to police in an area. The idea is hotly contested, too.

2.6 percent

That’s Vermont’s unemployment rate as of December — one-tenth of a percent higher than the previous month.

TOPFIVE

MOST POPULAR ITEMS ON SEVENDAYSVT.COM

1. “New Owner Seeks Restaurant Tenant for Sand Bar Inn Site” by Melissa Pasanen. A new restaurant and eight townhomes are going up on the prime South Hero site by the causeway.

2. “Towns Across Vermont Are Beginning to Regulate Short-Term Rentals” by Rachel Hellman. e housing crisis has prompted communities to consider stricter rules.

3. “Montréal’s Hydrothermal Spas Dole Out Hot and Humid Relaxation” by Jen Rose Smith. e city has an impressive collection of Nordic-style spas.

cades of road salt and poor drainage have damaged the structure’s concrete platforms.

In 2019, a consultant’s report considered more than a dozen options for the property — including a potential sale — but ultimately recommended that the state spend roughly $12.5 million to repair the garage. e building’s central location and proximity to the new bus station make it “extraordinary well-positioned” to serve the public, that report said. Its occupants include Department for Children and Families staff.

AHS would maintain some offices in the Burlington area in the event of any sale, agency spokesperson Rachel Feldman said, though the agency isn’t yet sure where. As for the garage, Fitch said, the state will hold off on any major repairs for now.

Legislative approval is required for a sale, and it could be months before any decision gets made. Scott pitched the idea in his annual capital budget request, which lawmakers typically don’t sign off on until late in the session.  e administration has also proposed selling 110 State Street in Montpelier, which currently houses the Department of State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs.

Read Colin Flanders’ full story at sevendaysvt.com.

FOWL WARNING

Hunters, take note: Duck blinds need to be removed from Lake Champlain by February 15 — before the ice starts quacking up.

WRECKING STALL

Demolition of the old Burlington High School is now scheduled for February to give Monsanto’s parent company a chance to walk through the building. Clock’s ticking.

cination, which became a political flash point during the pandemic. Approximately 80 percent of the U.S. population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. But for some of those who have refused the protection, it’s become a point of pride.

Unrelated to the coronavirus, the phrase “white privilege,” which has become mainstream in the past decade, is often used to describe the unearned advantages of being a white person. Many on the left see it as a reminder of sometimes unconscious bias. But some on the right have derided the phrase, calling it “woke” or overstated.

4. “European-Style Belleville Bakery Opens Doors in Burlington” by Melissa Pasanen. At 217 College Street, Burlington’s newest bakery has moved past takeout-only.

5. “Allegations of Racism Scuttle Vermont Girls’ Basketball Games” by Alison Novak. Alleged racist taunts have disrupted scheduled high school games.

tweet of the week

@mattalltradesb

Weird temperature factoid for Burlington, Vermont. Over the two days Jan 22-23, the temperature never varied by more than 3 degrees. (Ranged between 28 and 31) #vtwx

“We began to think maybe this person was just making fun of everything we were so offended by,” said Hoffer, who snapped a photo of the car and shared it with Seven Days

On the car’s back window she noted a third message: one “Question Authority” bumper sticker.

In a 2021 story, Seven Days described the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicle’s process for reviewing and approving vanity plate applications. Its guidelines ban religious messages — but not political ones — along with words or acronyms that are insulting, sexual, profane, racist, misleading, in poor taste, violent, or refer to alcohol or drugs.

In recent years, the DMV has rejected AZZKCKR, BOOBS, DEZNUTS, MILFYW and HELLYAH.

e UNVAXXD plate passed muster because it’s not in any of those categories, according to the DMV’s Shannon Fassett, chief of information and processing at the DMV. “ ere is no restriction it would fall into,” she said.

ANNE WALLACE ALLEN

DELEGATING AUTHORITY.

publisher & editor-in-chief Paula Routly deputy publisher Cathy Resmer AssociAte publishers Don Eggert, Colby Roberts

NEWS & POLITICS editor Matthew Roy deputy editor Sasha Goldstein consulting editors Ken Ellingwood, Candace Page stAff writers Derek Brouwer, Chelsea Edgar, Colin Flanders, Rachel Hellman, Courtney Lamdin, Kevin McCallum, Alison Novak, Anne Wallace Allen

ARTS & CULTURE coeditors Dan Bolles, Carolyn Fox AssociAte editor Margot Harrison Art editor Pamela Polston consulting editors Mary Ann Lickteig, Elizabeth M. Seyler Music editor Chris Farnsworth cAlendAr writer Emily Hamilton stAff writers Jordan Barry, Melissa Pasanen, Ken Picard, Sally Pollak proofreAders Carolyn Fox, Angela Simpson AssistAnt proofreAders Katherine Isaacs, Martie Majoros

DIGITAL & VIDEO digitAl production speciAlist Bryan Parmelee senior MultiMediA producer Eva Sollberger MultiMediA journAlist James Buck

DESIGN

creAtive director Don Eggert Art director Rev. Diane Sullivan production MAnAger John James designers Jeff Baron, Kirsten Thompson

SALES & MARKETING director of sAles Colby Roberts senior Account executives Robyn Birgisson, Michael Bradshaw Account executives Michelle Brown, Logan Pintka events & ticKeting MAnAger Katie Hodges legAls, life lines And super reAder coordinAtor Kaitlin Montgomery personAls coordinAtor Jeff Baron

ADMINISTRATION business MAnAger Marcy Stabile director of circulAtion & logistics Matt Weiner circulAtion deputy Andy Watts AssistAnt to the publishers Gillian English

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jordan Adams, Benjamin Aleshire, Justin Boland, Alex Brown, Annie Cutler, Steve Goldstein, Margaret Grayson, Amy Lilly, Bryan Parmelee, Mark Saltveit, Jim Schley, Carolyn Shapiro, Travis Weedon

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS Luke Awtry,

HOLY HYPOCRISY

[Re “Burlington Allows Parish to Demolish Historic Cathedral,” January 11, online; Feedback, January 18]: So the Catholic church, which condoned and covered up the rape and sexual abuse of children within the walls of working churches worldwide, is now concerned that future use of its abandoned church might besmirch the sacredness of the edifice?

If there is a hell, does it have a special corner for church hypocrites?

Dan DeWalt NEWFANE

‘SACRED’ PROPERTIES?

[Re 05401 Magazine ad, page 55, January 18]: Now the Catholic church is concerned about sordid events taking place on its sacred properties???

Gwen Shervington BURLINGTON

HOUSING PROBLEM IS A ‘SYMPTOM’

[Re “Housing Bills Take Aim at Local Control in Vermont Towns,” January 16, online]: How does building more houses make them more affordable?

The Vermont legislature seems to think that loosening local development rules to allow more housing development will somehow produce more housing that is affordable.

Housing will always sell to the highest bidder, as in any market. The most likely outcome of the legislature’s approach is a larger volume of housing still unaffordable and a loss of local zoning control in the process. Real estate is a regional market. Building more housing will make more houses available to higher bidders from out of state, continuing to price people out of the market.

Unaffordable housing is a symptom, not the disease. Wages are too low, and unless someone brings money to the table as wages, housing subsidies or other incentives, the problem will persist.

I anxiously await explanation from one of the legislators quoted in the article of how building more housing makes it more affordable.

Johnathan Drew UNDERHILL

Y NOT FIX IT?

[Re From the Publisher: “‘Wellness’ Check: Burlington,” January 18]: Bravo, Paula Routly, for recognizing the symbolism in the old Y — as she poignantly states, it reflects everything the city of Burlington has become in the past five years. Our city needs more than a new buyer to fix the many ills — and, unlike with a building, the many problems plaguing Burlington can’t simply be bulldozed and replaced with something new. Many are fleeing and avoiding downtown Burlington, like the former Y members who have found gyms in the burbs.

Mayor Miro Weinberger and those with realistic goals and strategies had better waste no more time in turning this crumbling city around.

Nancy Berger SHELBURNE

‘CRIME CITY’

Recently, I watched a young man in a retail store stuff a pair of gloves into his sling bag. Luckily, he was stopped by a sales manager, who relieved him of his ill-gotten gain. The manager later told me that shoplifting, to say nothing of breaking and entering, is “totally out of control.”

Car and bike theft is also on the rise. In one recent case, a thief disarmed the security system of a late-model vehicle, hot-wired its ignition and took off. The locked car had been parked on a downtown side street on a Saturday evening.

Add to this a spike in homicides, at least 50 cases of gunfire in 2022 alone, rampant graffiti, blatant drug use and aggressive panhandling. It’s no wonder the Queen City now looks like Crime City.

There are, of course, many reasons for all this illegal and antisocial behavior. In my opinion, however, much can be traced to encouragement by Burlington’s naïve city council in defunding police in 2020 and, to this very day, refusing to support our police department, as well as the coddling of crooks by Chittenden County’s gullible state’s attorney — all of which have given a giant green light to bad guys.

Yes, let’s help people who are committing these crimes reform their lives. But let’s not forget that sociopaths and psychopaths are oftentimes beyond shortterm help. They need to be separated from society until they have proven that they will never again act like wolves preying upon innocent lambs.

Jack Scully COLCHESTER

HYPERBARIC DELIVERED RESULTS

[Re “Applying Pressure: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Breathes New Life Into Treating Long COVID and Other Ailments,” January 18]: Last winter I received hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatment at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center on the advice of my urologist at Central Vermont Medical Center because of serious bladder damage caused from radiation treatment 14 years ago. Called radiation cystitis, this Food & Drug Administration-approved medical condition’s HBOT treatment

was totally picked up by Medicare. I was passing blood in which clots formed, requiring regular ER visits, continuous use of a catheter and hospital stays. After 55 HBOT treatments, which ended last April, I am now completely free of all of those symptoms.

The oxygen level was at 2.4 atmospheres, which did require the use of special gowns; no glasses, in my case; and no electronic devices. The treatments lasted two hours each, and all you could do was watch a television (that was outside the chamber) or sleep during the treatments. But I’ll take that any day for the results I received!

Leighton Wass ADAMANT

HATEFUL PORTRAYAL

[Re “Backstories, Sidebars and FollowUps 2022: Sketchiest Source,” December 28]: This type of reporting is the reason I’ve gone from weekly anticipation of your new issue to picking it up only to use it for lighting the kindling in my firepit. Hate has no home here. Vermont has always been a live-and-let-live state.

Ellen Stone DANVILLE

IN DEFENSE OF ‘MARTIN’

Open letter to Days music editor Chris Farnsworth: I am wondering why you wrote your recent article “Backstory: Sketchiest Source,” which focused on ridiculing a man you hardly knew who reached out based on a special edition about UFOs. Many readers might have been curious to know what he had to share. Instead, the article highlighted a lack of respect for Vermonters and a lack

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FRIDAY 27

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 64

FRIDAY 27 & SATURDAY 28

Fusion Reaction

Project creator and director Megan Buchanan and her collaborators present Regenerations: Reckoning With Radioactivity, an interdisciplinary performance at Brattleboro Museum & Art Center. Fusing dance, live music, poetry and projections, the work explores the environmental impact of nuclear energy in Vermont and beyond and draws inspiration from BMAC exhibit “Renate Aller: The Space Between Memory and Expectation.”

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 64

SATURDAY 28

Long-Term Memory

Jewish Community of Greater Stowe hosts a Holocaust Survivor’s Memoir Book Reading + Reception as part of Vermont’s first annual Holocaust Education Week. Marion Hecht commemorates her late mother, Erika, an Austrian Holocaust survivor, longtime Vermont resident and founding JCOGS member, with excerpts from her memoir Don’t Ask My Name: A Hidden Child’s Tale of Survival

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 64

TUESDAY 31

Tundra Tales

North Branch Nature Center’s virtual speaker series Naturalist Journeys 2023 continues with a presentation by Lake Superior Chippewa ethnobotanist Simone Whitecloud. Dr. Whitecloud examines the roles that plants play among the Inuit of southern Greenland, from medicine and food to rituals and decorations.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 67

WEDNESDAY 1

How Do You Fondue?

Adventure Dinner gets funky with a Fondue Pop-Up Party at Haymaker Bun in Middlebury. It’s first come, first served at this rollicking gouda time, featuring Jasper Hill cheese dip with fresh bread and pickles for dunking; shareable apps such as cheese boards and Tater Tot waffles; and plenty of cocktails and mocktails. Takeout is also available for preorder.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 68

ONGOING Gear Shift

At “Whir, Clank, Beep,” a new group show at Barre’s Studio Place Arts, the future is now. More than 30 artists — including Kathleen Kolb, Tom Batey, Tina Escaja, John Brickels and Lynn Newcomb — use art and sculpture to explore machines in all their simple, complex, real and fantastical glory.

SEE GALLERY LISTING ON PAGE 50

Jolly Good Cello

Quarantine-era virtual concert favorite Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center returns to Middlebury College’s Mahaney Arts Center — live, this time. The fabulous foursome fills Robison Hall with the soulful strains of some of classical composer Franz Schubert’s greatest works, including Fantasie for Violin and Piano in C Major; Piano Trio in B-flat Major, No. 1; and the piano duet Fantasie in F Minor.

Seeking Words of Wisdom

When someone dies and their loved ones want to announce it in Seven Days, we receive an email. The obituary form arrives in my inbox and those of a few other colleagues. We contact the sender and respectfully edit the narrative. I’m proud of the way we help tell the stories of the people who have shaped this state.

Increasingly, though, these notifications fill me with trepidation. I open each one knowing it could reveal sad news about someone I loved or admired — something that, now that I’m 62, is happening with greater regularity. Of the 17 people memorialized in the January 11 issue of Seven Days, I knew three.

The gentle bassist Mark Ransom, who kept the beat for so many Burlington bands, drove himself to the emergency room and died there at the age of 72. I had great respect for the late Ann Curran, even though she once turned me down for a job at Vermont ETV, the precursor to Vermont PBS and now Vermont Public; I didn’t have a television at the time, so I failed the brilliant test she devised to determine if I actually watched the channel. Nonetheless, she stayed in touch and encouraged me throughout my career, even becoming a Seven Days Super Reader.

Thoughtfully, Mary Kehoe called to let me know that her sister, Beth Danon, had succumbed to cancer, before I read it on my computer screen. Good friends in the early days of the paper, Beth and I lost regular touch when she moved from Winooski to Hinesburg. She was a partner in a busy law practice there, representing people with disabilities and others who would not have been able to pay for proper legal representation; then as now, the paper afforded me very little time to maintain friendships.

As soon as I heard Mary’s voice, my heart sank. I had no idea Beth was sick, so the news of her death, at 68, was a shock. The grief was compounded by the selfish regret that I didn’t spend more time with her, that I took her for granted. I thought she would be here forever.

Listening to her friends and family remember Beth at the memorial service on Saturday at the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington, I ached for the collective loss. Their stories synced up beautifully, describing a woman of political action who listened deeply, laughed loudly and gave much more than she received.

Among the speakers was her stepfather, U.S. Sen. Peter Welch, who married Beth’s mom, the late Joan Smith, in 1976, when she was a single parent of five kids.

Those siblings, along with Beth’s beloved nieces and nephews, gave her a moving send-off, complete with renditions of “Lean on Me” and “Let It Be.”

I’d like to believe the Beatles, but will there be an answer? Fortunately, I’d already planned a winter vacation; for the next two weeks, I’ll be getting out to see some people I love while I can still hear their stories, in their own words. No time to wait.

Paula Routly

Routly will be away until February 8; her next column will appear in the February 15 issue.

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Beth Danon

COURTESY OF LIBBY DYSART

VERMONT SPENDING PROPOSAL

LAW ENFORCEMENT

Crime Pays

Burlington police officers land a lucrative side gig

BY COURTNEY LAMDIN & KORI SKILLMAN

Off-duty Burlington police officers are providing private security for a Queen City condo complex — even as the police union, chief and mayor have repeatedly complained about a staffing crisis within the department.

Members of the Burlington Police Officers’ Association report for their eighthour overnight shifts at the River Watch condos in marked city cruisers, wearing their department-issued uniforms, badges and guns. They make $81 an hour, more than twice an entry-level officer’s rate of pay, according to a contract obtained by Seven Days

The arrangement allows one neighborhood to receive enhanced police service because its residents can pay for it, while

people elsewhere in the city say officers have been slow to respond to calls for help. The police union and acting Chief Jon Murad have both blamed the decline in service — and a recent spike in some crimes — on a 2020 city council decision to reduce staffing at the department.

The condo contract began in the fall, around the same time that city officials and downtown business owners were raising the alarm about rising crime, including fatal shootings. The climate was worrisome enough that the city hired off-duty Vermont State Police troopers to patrol the Church Street Marketplace late at night.

Among the residents at the 215-unit complex off Riverside Avenue is City Councilor Zoraya Hightower (P-Ward 1),

who was one of the leading proponents of the police cuts. In an interview on Monday, Hightower said she only learned of the arrangement recently and thinks it raises ethical issues.

“Why are we paying officers to patrol private [neighborhoods] when the whole city needs officers?” she asked. “It seems like the Burlington Police Officers’ Association is now profiting off of people’s feelings of insecurity, which seems very problematic.”

Mayor Miro Weinberger is also concerned with the situation, which he learned about on Monday from Seven Days. Weinberger said it’s common for

Audit Finds Burlington District Finances ‘Rife With Errors’

BY KEVIN MCCALLUM kevin@sevendaysvt.com

Burlington’s effort to upgrade its waterfront has been plagued by millions of dollars in financial mistakes that will require the city to pay the state nearly $200,000 in tax revenue.

That’s according to a scathing new audit of the financing tool used by the Queen City to revitalize its lakefront for more than a quarter century. The Waterfront Tax Increment Financing District, formed by the city in 1996, allowed it to borrow nearly $16 million for infrastructure projects such as Waterfront Park, the skate park, bike path improvements and renovations of the former Moran Plant.

TIF districts, as they are known, allow cities and towns to pay for projects with the increased property tax revenue from the resulting revitalization of the area.

A report released on Monday by state Auditor Doug Hoffer found that between 2010 and 2021, poor record keeping, high staff turnover and the administrative complexities of the district led to many errors. Hoffer called on lawmakers to make the districts simpler to manage and more accountable to taxpayers.

“This was one of the most difficult audits my office has ever conducted,” Hoffer said in a press release. “Managing the complexities of this TIF district proved challenging even for the largest municipality in Vermont.”

Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger, whose administration has tackled waterfront improvement projects, acknowledged “major errors” in the administration of the district.

“The City regrets these errors and will take prompt action to resolve them completely,” he wrote in a statement.

Among the many errors, Hoffer calculated that the city shortchanged the state education fund by $197,510. The audit also found the city had improperly used the district to pay for $173,056 to rehabilitate the waterfront bike path. ➆

Cyclists on Burlington’s bike path ROB DONNELLY

BY KEVIN MCCALLUM • kevin@sevendaysvt.com

In January 2021, Vermont declared itself the first state in the nation to install a battery backup system in its Statehouse. The new batteries replaced an aging propane generator in the Statehouse basement and stored enough juice to run the building’s lights, computers and elevators for up to four hours during an outage.

Gov. Phil Scott hailed the achievement as evidence of “out-of-the-box thinking, common sense and collaboration,” saying “Not only is this a cutting-edge solution that reduces both carbon emissions and costs, but it also increases reliability.”

Four months later, the state’s insurance company offered a different description of the lithium-ion battery packs: fire hazard. If the $400,000 system ever ignited, the resulting blaze would be extremely difficult to extinguish, Continental Casualty warned.

“That’s a situation where if you had a fire and it’s uncontrolled, it would burn down the entire Statehouse,” Jennifer Fitch, the commissioner of Buildings and General Services, told Seven Days

The walls of the historic gold-domed building are hung with irreplaceable artwork. From January to May, the Statehouse is filled with lawmakers and staff; year-round it is a popular destination for tourists and schoolchildren. All of those factors played a role in the decision to remove the batteries in late 2021.

Plans are now under way to reinstall the batteries — originally placed in the basement to protect them from the weather — in a safer location outside the Statehouse.

The episode underscores the challenges Vermont faces as it tries to transition from fossil fuel energy systems to newer but often less understood alternatives.

“We were being early adapters,” said Rep. Curt Taylor (D-Colchester), who served on the House Corrections and Institutions Committee, which signed off on the battery installation.

Lawmakers and building officials apparently failed to heed early warnings about the potential fire danger and opted for the basement location in part to sidestep the cumbersome Statehouse bureaucracy.

Erik Filkorn, an official in the Department of Buildings and General Services, told lawmakers in 2018 that putting the batteries outside would have triggered a review by the Capitol Complex Commission. The five-member body is charged with overseeing the architectural and aesthetic integrity of the historic capitol complex.

Rep. Alice Emmons (D-Springfield), longtime chair of the corrections committee, told colleagues at the time that such

KEVIN

A generator at the Vermont Statehouse

Lawmakers Approve New Pesticide Rules for Vermont

BY KEVIN MCCALLUM kevin@sevendaysvt.com

Vermont lawmakers signed off on new pesticide rules last Thursday over the objection of environmental groups who say they fall short of the tighter restrictions needed to protect people and pollinators.

The Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets hadn’t revised its rules for the storage, application and reporting of pesticides used in the state for more than 30 years, so some groups were hopeful for sweeping changes.

But the revamp missed the mark for many, and lawmakers with oversight of the rulemaking process also expressed frustration.

Lawmakers delayed a decision on the new rules three times last year. Just as the agency had worked though concerns expressed by the Department of Environmental Conservation over groundwater safety, the Department of Health raised a red flag over the spraying of aerial insecticides meant to control mosquito populations.

A compromise now requires the agriculture officials to consult with the health department before issuing permits for such spraying. The agency agreed it would not issue permits if health officials felt the practice posed “a significant public health risk.”

Agriculture officials argued that the updates were substantive, would help protect people and the environment, and would not go another 30 years without an update.

The new rules contain additional restrictions to protect bees, whose populations are widely believed to be in decline due partly to pesticide exposure. Applicators will now be required to apply pesticides “during periods or conditions of least exposure,” such as early morning, late evening or when winds are less than 9 miles per hour. In addition, the rules call for 50foot buffer zones around foraging sites for pollinators and avoiding spraying fungicide on flowering plants when they are in bloom.

A number of environmental groups, including the Vermont Natural Resources Council, Audubon Vermont, Sierra Club and Lake Champlain Committee, said many of the changes were the bare minimum required. They argued that, in the face of climate change and species decline, the state should clamp down more.

They note, for example, that the rules do not address the use of seeds pretreated with pesticide, which constitute the overwhelming majority of seeds planted in the state. ➆

officers to provide security at school sporting events and other large, public gatherings. But he draws a distinction between those and ongoing patrols for a private neighborhood.

He thinks the police union contract does, too. The three-year pact, signed in July, allows officers to work “street or private events” for a special overtime rate, but it’s silent on long-term moonlighting gigs. The mayor has asked Murad to ensure that the department doesn’t renew the River Watch agreement until he reviews the matter.

“I want to understand how widespread contracting like this has become, and I want to make a definitive decision quickly about whether this is the kind of thing that can continue,” Weinberger said.

“To have the possibility of different communities being able to pay for a different level of police services — that’s not the way we want to police,” he added.

Murad did not return several requests for comment. Weinberger said the acting chief didn’t sign off on the contract — a lieutenant did — and that he was unsure when Murad learned about the arrangement.

River Watch residents first asked for private security last spring after a rash of thefts and break-ins at the development, issues that were largely attributed to guests of one problem tenant, who has since been evicted. Minutes from an emergency condo association board meeting last April describe the residents’ fears.

“Owners shared experiences about finding their cars being broken into or attempted break in [ sic ], encountering persons overdosed in an elevator, acting strangely in parking garages, and a general feeling of not being safe at the Property,” the minutes say.

Residents also aired their concerns on Zoom calls with Weinberger and Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George and complained that officers weren’t showing up when called.

Their experience isn’t unique. Staffing woes have plagued the Queen City department since the June 2020 vote to reduce the size of the police force through attrition. Officers left faster than expected, plunging the department into what Murad and Weinberger have called a staffing crisis.

Councilors have voted to reverse the cuts, and the department is rebuilding its ranks. Officers’ salaries now start at $71,000 a year, and new recruits receive a $15,000 bonus. Meanwhile, Murad has said officers will always respond to the most serious calls but may be delayed — or not even respond — when less serious

situations arise. Dispatchers often tell callers to make reports online.

River Watch resident Sam Arnold was alarmed by a dispatcher’s response when she dialed 911 last July after she began filming a man she suspected was casing her vehicle. The man charged at Arnold, who ran into the elevator just as the door closed. Trapped inside with her niece, Arnold could hear the man screaming and threatening her with a weapon.

The dispatcher told Arnold she wouldn’t send an officer unless someone was hurt or bleeding. Seven Days confirmed that the call occurred but could not verify the dispatcher’s response.

“Should I go buy a gun? Would, in that case, they show up?” Arnold said. “You actually have to shed some blood to get somebody’s attention.”

The following month, a man wielding a knife chased a maintenance worker who had told him he couldn’t park in a certain area. Residents told Seven Days that police issued the man a no-trespass order, but he returned a few days later. When a resident confronted him about trespassing, the man threatened to climb up to her balcony and shoot her.

The resident, who asked not to be named due to concerns for her safety, said police did respond but only removed the man from the property after he became aggressive.

The condo association initially sought help from multiple private security companies, according to board member Chandar Hall. The board also contacted Colchester and South Burlington police, state troopers, and the Chittenden County Sheriff’s Office, but all declined because they didn’t have the capacity to take on the work, she said.

Burlington, apparently, did.

The contract calls for two officers to be on duty between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., seven days a week. The shifts are voluntary, but the agreement says “all efforts will be made to fill the position.”

It’s unclear how often officers take the special patrols. Officer Joe Congdon, the police union’s spokesperson, estimated that about half the shifts have been filled; he said he’s signed up several times because of the good pay.

Congdon likened the arrangement to other off-duty assignments, such as working the S.D. Ireland Saint Patrick’s Day parade. He referred questions about other private security details to the union’s “business agent,” Officer Sergio Caldieri, who did not respond to an interview request.

Brian Stark, the condo board’s treasurer, wouldn’t share how much the association has paid for the union’s services, saying the deal is between two private entities. Stark said he sees no issue with

Acting Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad

the contract and noted that River Watch has hired an off-duty officer for Halloween night for several years.

“Characterizing it as officers patrolling a single neighborhood when the entire city is seeing a police staffing shortage is a little misleading,” Stark said in a follow-up email. “These are officers who have worked their full work week of scheduled shifts and are voluntarily picking up some extra work on the side.”

But City Councilor Joe Magee (P-Ward 3), who chairs the council’s Public Safety Committee, called on the department to stop the practice until the staffing emergency is over. Like the mayor, Magee said there’s a difference between one-off patrols and a regular neighborhood watch by off-duty cops.

Charles Nemeth, director of the Center for Criminal Justice, Law and Ethics at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, said private police forces have become more desirable since the “defund the police” movement. Police unions likely see these side jobs as a way to boost morale amid “all this anti-police rhetoric,” Nemeth said.

Moonlighting by police was commonplace well before the defund movement. A study published in the University of Illinois Law Review in 2017 found that 80 percent of U.S. police agencies that took the survey allowed the practice, and many reported benefits from doing so. But the same study also said officers who regularly work second jobs can become fatigued, which can affect their judgment and behavior, among other issues.

CITY COUNCILOR ZORAYA HIGHTOWER

“To have an ongoing contract, especially when the city is paying additional money to contract with the Vermont State Police for additional resources because we’re told we don’t have enough, that concerns me very deeply,” he said.

Weinberger said the city would rather pay overtime to Burlington officers and that the police union was offered — but declined — the downtown weekend shifts. He said he plans to meet with union members and city attorneys about the River Watch contract in the coming days to “get to the bottom of this quickly.”

Burlington Police Commission chair Stephanie Seguino agrees that the issue needs more study.

“It is especially concerning since we have heard repeatedly over the last two years from acting Chief Murad about the decline in the number of officers, leading to delays in police responses to community requests for assistance,” she said in a statement. “How private contracts such as these impinge on the availability of officers to work at their primary job at BPD is an important question that should be looked into.”

Other cities have found the practice to be problematic, or at least worthy of scrutiny. A September 2022 investigation by ProPublica found that the proliferation of private police companies has created disparities between neighborhoods that can afford public safety services and those that can’t.  Chicago has noticed the same dynamic, and in 2021, the city’s mayor called for better monitoring of these lucrative side gigs. An earlier U.S. Department of Justice report found that a significant number of alleged police misconduct cases in the Windy City occurred while officers were on second jobs, the news website Axios reported.

River Watch resident Jake Schumann, a Progressive running for the East District city council seat this March, said he’s concerned that the city can’t hold Burlington cops accountable while they’re on condo duty. The contract says the city isn’t liable for “bodily injury, property damage, or wrongful death that may arise from the actions of officers” on the job.

Schumann warned against hiring Burlington police officers during the Zoom meeting with George, the prosecutor, in September.

Burlington police are “failing to serve our community’s needs,” Schumann said then, according to a video recording of the meeting. “By giving them this supplemental work opportunity, we’re rewarding them for failing to do their jobs adequately.” ➆

Greens Houses

Amid a housing crisis, some eye golf courses for development

For years, Alex Kourabanus dreamed of building a bigger golf course. His family paid $825,000 for nine holes in Williston at a fire-sale auction in 2002, following the sudden closure of Marty Keene’s Family Golf World. Kourabanus promptly reopened the business as Catamount Country Club and nurtured a long-term vision of adding a back nine.

Then came the 2008 financial crash, and instead of growing, Catamount Country Club was fighting to stay open. But Kourabanus had a backup plan: The club’s manicured fairways also represented 60 developable acres in suburban Chittenden County.

“I knew that my next direction was to try to sell the land,” Kourabanus said.

It took almost a decade, but in 2019, with housing increasingly in demand, he finally found a local development partner in Chris Senesac. Construction on the first phase of a 138-unit, mixed-income subdivision of single-family homes, duplex, triplexes and fourplexes is scheduled to begin this fall. Kourabanus, meanwhile, will continue to operate the country club with a few golf holes.

Though some golf courses, especially high-end ones, continue to operate successfully, many have been strained in recent years by soaring expenses and flagging interest in the sport. At the same time, the land is increasingly valuable, and Vermont’s urgent need for new housing appears to be reducing public opposition to converting sand traps into subdivisions — that is, until one golferlawmaker put forward legislation this month to ban the practice.

Catamount Country Club is one of several Vermont courses that has been eyed for housing in recent years. In 2016, the former owners of Kwiniaska Golf Club in Shelburne sold half the course to Snyder Homes, which is building more than 90 single-family homes and townhouses starting at $700,000 each. The City of Montpelier, meanwhile, is fleshing out plans to redevelop the defunct Montpelier Elks Country Club after residents voted at Town Meeting Day last year to purchase the 130-acre property. Initial sketches suggest the city could help create as many as 530 new mixed-income units there — a huge tally for a municipality with very little inventory.

The 16,000-plus golf courses across the U.S. outnumber Starbucks coffee shops, the National Golf Foundation notes. Courses sprouted like weeds in the two decades preceding the 2008 recession. Since then, more than 1,000 courses have closed, the New York Times recently reported using the foundation’s data. More accessible “value-priced” courses have been hardest hit by industry pressures, according to the foundation.

The pandemic gave the industry a needed boost, but among the 60-plus courses operating in Vermont, “you’ve got a little bit of the haves and the have-nots,” said David Soucy, a longtime professional golfer, course manager and former state senator who represented Rutland County until 2019. For the upper-tier private clubs, such as Burlington Country Club and Dorset Field Club, “it’s old money, and there’s no real worry,” Soucy said. Semiprivate clubs in areas with ample competition have

BY DEREK BROUWER • derek@sevendaysvt.com

somewhat shakier prospects, but Soucy doesn’t foresee an “epidemic” of closures anytime soon.

Still, the economic outlook for local public courses worries Rep. Woodman Page (R-Newport). The state’s short golf season and aging population don’t bode well for the sport, he said.

Earlier this month, Page, who golfs recreationally, introduced a bill that would help preserve existing courses in a roundabout way: by banning the building of houses on them. His bill, H.15, would designate and regulate courses as “protected green space areas” where development is restricted. In addition to trying to relieve

Page acknowledged that his bill is unlikely to garner many votes during a housing crisis; the Vermont Housing Finance Agency contends that the state must add 40,000 units by 2030. And few Republicans would endorse legislation that limits private property rights.

“It’s an outrageous bill that makes it even harder to run a business,” said Soucy, who organized “golf day” events for lawmakers on the Statehouse lawn when he was in the Senate.

Page said he devised his proposal after seeing what’s happened with the former Montpelier Elks Country Club. The nine-hole course, which opened in 1902, shuttered

A local nonprofit approached city officials the

ation center at the site, Montpelier community and economic development specialist Josh Jerome said. Officials, though, sensed a more ambitious opportunity. Voters approved a $2 million bond last March that, combined with $1 million in city recreation

funds, financed a municipal purchase of the entire rolling parcel.

Since the idea of buying the course first surfaced, Jerome said, residents have pushed for the city to locate housing and public recreation on the site.

Montpelier hired a consultant to quickly come up with a master plan while pandemic-era funding to promote housing development is still available. A series of public meetings to gather feedback kicks off on January 28.

VERMONT’S URGENT NEED FOR NEW HOUSING APPEARS

INTO SUBDIVISIONS.

“I don’t think there’s going to be a lot of NIMBYs regarding this particular project,” Jerome said.

Residents’ decision to purchase the property will give them significantly more say in what happens on the sizable chunk of land. Jerome said the city is navigating how best to balance housing and recreational amenities. The site is located about two miles from the city’s downtown, and more than half the land is forested. Unlike downtown Montpelier, the former course is not located in a flood plain, a common barrier to housing development in central Vermont.

Perhaps the most urban golf course in Vermont is located in the city with some of the most chronically expensive housing. Burlington Country Club, a member-owned, private club with a dress code — and where state authorities once broke up an illegal poker game — occupies roughly 150 acres next to the University of Vermont campus and the high-end Hill Section.

The notion that the city would be better served by a different use of that land is an occasional subject of idle chatter among some residents. Former Democratic city councilor and prolific Twitter user Ed Adrian is among those who have contemplated whether housing might be the “highest and best use” for the country

club land. Adrian compared the club to the former Burlington College property, which Farrell Properties is redeveloping as a complex of more than 700 housing units on roughly 22 acres.

“You have this sort of tabula rasa you could work from,” he said.

Member-owned clubs are unlikely to close absent financial ruin, which Burlington Country Club’s most recent nonprofit tax returns suggest is not imminent. And, unlike a majority of Queen City homeowners, the country club, classified as a commercial property, isn’t facing the added pressure of higher property taxes; its bill decreased by more than 40 percent in 2021 following a citywide reappraisal. Another sign of the long odds: Michael Monte, CEO of the affordable housing developer Champlain Housing Trust, told Seven Days his organization hasn’t inquired about repurposing the property and does not have an opinion about whether the city would benefit from housing development there.

The club’s general manager didn’t respond to an interview request, nor did Brian Pine, director of the city’s Community & Economic Development Office.

In an interview, Adrian, an attorney by day, mused that the city could try to use eminent domain, the process by which the government can seize private land for public use, to force a sale of the course. Given that housing-desperate policy laboratories such as California have yet to pursue that route, Adrian said, “I think we’re a little bit away from that here.”

Kourabanus, of Catamount Country Club, said he will “miss a lot of the people” once his “blue-collar” club downsizes in 2024. When that day comes, he intends to continue operating the club with just three holes. By adding different tee locations and approaches, Kourabanus wants to re-create a six- or nine-hole experience on the reduced acreage. And he’s pleased that the planned housing development includes dozens of units that qualify as “affordable” under Williston town regulations.

“Hopefully young families will stick around Vermont instead of taking off, because they’re going to have a project there that’s going to be available to all types of financial situations,” he said. ➆

TO BE REDUCING PUBLIC OPPOSITION TO CONVERTING SAND TRAPS

Former St. Albans Officer Acquitted of Assault in Taser Case

BY DEREK BROUWER • derek@sevendaysvt.com

A former St. Albans police corporal was acquitted of assault last Friday in a trial over his use of a stun gun to arrest a suspect.

A jury in Franklin County found Mark Schwartz, the department’s Taser instructor at the time, not guilty following a day of testimony, including from Schwartz himself. Superior Court Judge Martin Maley presided over the trial.

The verdict came nearly four years after the 2019 incident, which Seven Days surfaced publicly in 2020 as one in a string of excessive-force complaints made against officers of the St. Albans Police Department. The Vermont Attorney General’s Office filed the misdemeanor criminal charge against Schwartz in 2021.

Schwartz, responding to a report of an unruly bar patron who had broken a glass door, pulled up to Vincent Ford as the man was walking along a downtown sidewalk. Ford walked away from Schwartz toward a bicycle when he saw the blue light of Schwartz’s cruiser but stopped as the officer sprinted toward him and com-

Schwartz’s attorney, Robert Kaplan, cast the charges as politically motivated in the wake of nationwide protests in 2020 against police brutality. The officer did nothing wrong, Kaplan argued. His client was merely “trying to protect the very community that he’s now sitting in front of.”

“It’s a sad day when being a police officer means that being second-guessed renders you a criminal defendant in a courtroom,” Kaplan told jurors.

Schwartz testified that Ford’s actions in the seconds before being Tased indicated that he was not going to comply with orders.

“His intentions were to get on that bike and ride away, but I interrupted his decision-making process,” Schwartz said under cross-examination. “So now he has to decide what his next move is. So he says, ‘What’d I do?’ to buy himself a little bit of time.”

The defense also presented expert testimony from Steven Ijames, a former assistant police chief in Springfield, Mo., who consults on police practices. Ijames said Ford’s stationary position constituted “active resistance” to the officer’s commands.

The state did not present any expert witnesses to counter Ijames’ position, nor did Ford testify.

Vermont State Police Det. Sgt. Drew Cota, who reviewed evidence for the state, testified that Ford was no longer fleeing or resisting when Schwartz Tased him.

manded him to get on the ground. Ford asked, “What’d I do?” just before Schwartz stunned him, sending him to the concrete. The encounter unfolded in a matter of seconds.

The key question before the jury was whether the force used to arrest Ford exceeded what a reasonable law enforcement officer would have applied under similar circumstances.

The Attorney General’s Office said Schwartz’s conduct ran contrary to department and state policies governing the use of Tasers, which are considered less-thanlethal weapons but can lead to injury or death. Prosecutors Paul Barkus and Robert Lees noted that Ford was not fleeing or acting violently when he was struck with the incapacitating electric shock. They emphasized that Schwartz gave Ford mere seconds to comply with commands.

Ford “needed to be arrested” that night, Barkus said during his closing argument. “But he needed to be treated like everybody else, treated humanely, treated by law enforcement who follows the rules.”

Schwartz was one of three former St. Albans police officers who have been charged with assault for their conduct against suspects. Former sergeant Jason Lawton recently pleaded guilty to assaulting a handcuffed woman in a holding cell. Maley sentenced him in December to three months in prison.

An assault case against former corporal Joel Daugreilh, accused of pepper-spraying a handcuffed teen in the same holding cell, is still pending. In that case, Ijames provided the state with an opinion describing Daugreilh’s actions as inappropriate.

In trial testimony, Schwartz compared policing in St. Albans to the “Wild West.”

The former officer, who resigned from the department in March 2020 amid an internal investigation, testified that he left law enforcement because it was exacting an “unbelievable toll” on his life and health.

“You change fundamentally as a person,” he said. “There’s no time to decompress. There’s no time to, you know, explore your emotions and how you feel about these things.” ➆

Short Circuit « P.15

a review could set the project back many months and increase costs.

“It seems so much easier to put these racks down in the basement,” Filkorn testified.

That’s where a 1960s-era backup generator was located, but it was too small and unreliable for the building’s modern needs. Between 2015 and 2017, the Statehouse had lost power six times, including once because a squirrel got into an electrical transformer. The generator kept some critical systems running but not others, such as computers.

That prompted the state to hire Randolph-based engineering firm DuBois & King to design several options, including more powerful fossil fuel generators and, at lawmakers’ request, battery storage systems. The firm and Buildings and General Services officials eventually concluded that a battery system could do the job.

Lawmakers approved $450,000 for the project in 2018, instructing the buildings department to evaluate the options and notify the chairs of the relevant House and Senate committees “prior

backup.”

The seemingly simple basement solution, however, ignored a growing body of evidence that such systems can pose a significant fire risk. Overheating lithium-ion cells can trigger a chemical chain reaction known as thermal runaway that may cause a battery array to combust. For more than a decade, there have been reports of laptops, hoverboards, electric cars and even commercial airliners being set on fire by overheated batteries.

Just last year, a shipping container full of batteries ignited at electric-aviation pioneer Beta Technologies’ South Burlington headquarters. It took firefighters 30 minutes and “copious amounts of water” to extinguish flames that shot as high as 40 feet.

Capitol Police Chief Matthew Romei warned lawmakers and building officials during a committee meeting in 2018 that it would require foam fire retardant, not just water, to extinguish a fire in a large battery system.

But when the Statehouse battery pack was being designed, there was nothing in the building or fire code preventing it from being installed in a basement, Fitch, the

Body cam footage showing Mark Schwartz’s arm extended with a Taser during the incident

FILE: LUKE EASTMAN

buildings commissioner, said. There still isn’t.

The National Fire Protection Association, which publishes fire codes often adopted by public agencies, released standards for battery backup systems in September 2019, just before construction began. The association recommended that systems not be installed belowground due to the potential fire danger.

“I think that the national code was new for everybody,” Fitch said.

Emmons, the House committee chair, said last week that she didn’t recall any safety concerns being raised at the time the project was approved.

Montpelier Fire Chief Robert Gowans wasn’t consulted beforehand — and didn’t like what he saw when he finally toured the installation. The batteries were only reachable via a single, long hallway, he said.

“It would have been very difficult and unsafe for firefighters to get to that room,” Gowans said. “That was my biggest concern.”

IT WOULD BURN DOWN THE ENTIRE STATEHOUSE.

JENNIFER FITCH

Rep. Butch Shaw (R-Pittsford), vice chair of the corrections committee in 2018, was an early skeptic. A certified electrician, Shaw was concerned that the batteries would last just a few hours and was also troubled by the fire risk. He only came around after building officials assured him the project would receive any necessary fire permits. He said he doesn’t know if that ever happened.

Shaw said he thinks his committee did its due diligence. “We make decisions and we have to live with them, and sometimes we bump into things that are unforeseen,” he said.

One of the advantages of the battery system was that, in addition to lowering fossil fuel emissions, it could be used by Green Mountain Power, the state’s largest power utility, to reduce electricity costs. Utilities are increasingly turning to large battery arrays that can be charged when power is cheap and discharged during periods of peak demand. This reduces the need to buy power on the open market

when prices are higher. This “peak shaving” can reduce power costs.

The state hired Barre-based electrical contractor Norway & Sons to complete the work. It brought on Northern Reliability of Waterbury to build the 250 kWh battery, which is as powerful as three Teslas.

Installation started in September 2019 but took longer than expected because of pandemic supply chain challenges, Fitch said. Work was wrapped up in June 2020, and the system became operational in the fall.

Within months, the utility reported that the battery successfully kept the Statehouse operational during a winter storm power outage. The batteries worked as designed and powered critical systems such as fire sprinklers and elevators.

The following month, an inspector for Continental Casualty toured the Statehouse and took issue with the battery’s location. The firm warned that such systems “present a severe fire hazard to the structure and occupants.” The company told Buildings and General Services officials the best solution was to move the batteries, but if they chose to keep them in place, they’d have to make major upgrades to the room and fire suppression equipment.

The batteries were hauled out in November and taken to Northern Reliability’s facility in Waterbury, where they are hooked up to the grid and continue to perform their peak-shaving function, Fitch said.

Building officials are now waiting for an enclosure to be delivered so the batteries can be installed in the Statehouse parking lot, likely this summer after the legislative session is complete, Fitch said. Last May the Capitol Complex Committee approved the design for a green box tucked behind a hedge.

The project team worked well to overcome the challenges, Fitch said, and the state does not consider anyone to have dropped the ball or failed to meet their contractual obligations.

Today a rented portable diesel generator parked outside the Statehouse’s west wing provides backup power. It sits on a trailer behind a chain-link fence beside the bronze statue of the state’s first governor, Thomas Chittenden.

Gov. Scott said on Tuesday that the setback was “unfortunate” but he still views battery storage as an important part of the state’s energy future.

“We took that one on the chin, but we’ll do better next time,” he said. ➆

STATEHOUSE

Scott Outlines His Biggest Budget Proposal

Ever: $8.4 Billion

BY KEVIN MCCALLUM • kevin@sevendaysvt.com

Gov. Phil Scott proposed the largest state budget in history last Friday — $8.4 billion — even as he warned that Vermont needs to prepare for the fast-approaching day when the torrent of federal stimulus funding coursing through the state’s economy runs dry.

In his annual budget address, the Berlin Republican encouraged lawmakers to work with his administration on onetime investments that would pay future dividends — such as broadband, affordable housing, and water and wastewater infrastructure — instead of expanding programs that might be cut in tighter budget years ahead.

Improvement Program, which issues grants to landlords to get rental properties renovated and back on the market. He said the program has already helped lift 300 families out of homelessness.

Scott seeks an additional $1 million for Our Healthy Homes, a program focused on ensuring that older residences — mostly mobile homes — have clean drinking water and working wastewater systems.

Applications for the current year’s grant program far outstripped funding, officials have said.

But housing advocates who’ve been used to far larger investments in housing in recent years, including $100 million last year alone, said they were underwhelmed.

“I guess the word that I would use is a little disappointed,” said Chris Donnelly, director of community relations at Champlain Housing Trust.

Climate change is another area where Scott and lawmakers will likely continue to clash. While the governor cited the need to help Vermonters reduce their use of fossil fuels to heat their homes, his budget proposal includes little additional funding for that effort.

“We know these windfalls won’t last forever, which is why we were thoughtful, deliberate and very disciplined when we put together this year’s budget,” the fourterm governor said.

What Scott characterized as careful, conservative budgeting, however, struck some Democrats as falling short of the bold investments needed to address affordable housing, childcare and the climate crisis.

Scott’s plan to add $56 million for childcare was roundly panned as insufficient. Administration officials said the funding boost could help 4,000 additional kids get the care they need.

“I am concerned that this is not a long-term solution,” House Speaker Jill Krowinski (D-Burlington) said after the governor’s remarks, though she stressed that she looked forward to seeing details of his plan.

Krowinski and other lawmakers have set their sights far higher, especially following a report by the RAND Corporation that found the state would need to spend $179 million to $279 million annually to create a high-quality, affordable childcare system that fairly compensates workers.

“What the governor proposed is a fraction of what’s needed,” Rep. Mike McCarthy (D-St. Albans) said.

Many lawmakers are already talking about raising taxes if necessary to fix the system, an idea Scott opposes.

On the housing front, Scott identified two programs for expansion. He wants $20 million more for the Vermont Housing

“Doing this strategically, with the understanding we can’t hurt the very people we’re trying to help, will ultimately get us where we all want to go faster and with much less conflict,” he said.

Some of Scott’s initiatives involved how not to spend money — at least not right away. He proposed setting aside about $150 million in surplus funds to meet future needs.

He also proposed $17 million in tax relief by expanding tax exemptions for senior citizens and the working poor. And, as he has several times before, Scott argued that military pensions should be exempt from state taxes. This time, though, he stressed the measure as a tool to expand the workforce by attracting well-trained veterans to Vermont.

“It’s long past time to make it possible for them to start second careers here, and not in one of the 38 other states that don’t tax military pensions like we do,” he said to a standing ovation from Republican lawmakers and others.

Throughout his speech, Scott returned to the theme he outlined in his inaugural address earlier this month of bridging the opportunity gap between urban and rural areas. He backed that up with initiatives he said would help rural areas attract the economic development they need. This includes $10 million to help groups such as regional development corporations build the kinds of facilities that might attract new businesses; $3 million to finish the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, which many hope will boost tourism in the northern part of the state; and $10 million to expand processing capacity of agricultural businesses. ➆

JEB WALLACE-BRODEUR

Gov. Phil Scott

FEEDback

P.7

of overall curiosity, since it was an article about not following up.

Vermont has a unique culture of respect for our human brothers and sisters, no matter how different they seem from us. This is what makes Vermont Vermont. I might not eat meat or want to kill animals, and my neighbor might be an avid hunter. But I know that he is essentially a decent human being doing his best in the world. I want to connect with him, and I want him to feel welcome to connect with me. Of course, just like anywhere, there are people who make bad choices that might harm others, but we like to give people the benefit of the doubt.

Your viewpoint seemed designed to fuel divisiveness, but we’re not interested in that. We’re more interested in how we can support one another in our daily lives.

I hope you will choose to follow up with Martin and see what he has to say, and perhaps even apologize. If you decide to check out his story, I’ll go with you if you need a friend.

‘BREATH IS LIFE’

[Re Feedback: “COVID Conspiracy?” December 21; “Chronic Condition: COVID Long-Haulers Struggle With Debilitating Symptoms, Few Treatment Options,” November 30]: Several readers wrote in recently to question what might be causing long COVID. I am curious about that, as well.

Respirators used by health care workers during long shifts are known to cause precisely the same symptoms as long COVID, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: tiredness/fatigue, difficulty thinking/ concentrating, headache, dizziness, fastbeating/pounding heart, symptoms that get worse with exertion, chest or stomach pain, difficulty breathing/shortness of breath, pins and needles/tingling feeling, and rash.

Perhaps some cases of long COVID are caused by wearing masks? At the very least, wouldn’t masks be likely to make matters worse? There has been a lot of attention focused on long COVID, but why are we not assessing and addressing the same serious and debilitating symptoms when they are caused by wearing PPE?

Since 2020, I’ve been conducting the Vermont Mask Survey, gathering evidence of the harms people are experiencing as a result of wearing masks. I’ve also been asking public

officials at every level — school boards and selectboards, the Agency of Education, the Department of Health, the legislature — to conduct a costbenefit analysis of the use of masks in response to COVID-19. For some reason, officials at every level have chosen to skip this crucial step in public health.

The subject of masks has been made confusing. However, the truth is simple: Breath is life.

Amy Hornblas MARSHFIELD

‘HI, MR. LEAHY. MY NAME IS CHRIS’

The late Seven Days political columnist Peter Freyne used to refer to Patrick Leahy as “St. Patrick,” but this is not an ode to Freyne; I have a true St. Patrick story to share. I wish I could say it was a decision to vote for him over thencongressman Richard Mallary because of Marcelle Leahy’s perfect Québécois French during the 1974 campaign. I grew up in a Republican household in St. Albans, so it was hard to vote for a Democrat.

Twenty-three years ago, I took my sons Christopher, Michael and Gregory to spend a week exploring Washington, D.C. We boarded the flight in Burlington, and Chris, obviously the son of his newsjunkie dad, immediately noticed senator Leahy finding his seat, in coach.

I had taught my sons to always introduce themselves with a handshake and an introduction. Chris, my amazing Down syndrome son, always took it to heart. He approached the senator, with hand outstretched, and said, “Hi, Mr. Leahy. My name is Chris.” They shared a few minutes of conversation, and then Chris took his seat.

Senator Leahy was gracious, but not for me, just for Chris. I thank our dear senator for the incredible memory.

Jeffrey Waite SHELBURNE

Susie Guran NEW HAVEN

lifelines

OBITUARIES

Bertrand Muzzy

JANUARY 12, 1937OCTOBER 3, 2022

BAKERSFIELD, VT.

Bertrand Muzzy, master carpenter, cabinetmaker, forester, gardener and storyteller, died on October 3, 2022, at the age of 85. He was buried sort of according to his wishes, in a plain pine coffin built for the occasion by friends and gently lowered into the ground on the land he loved and nurtured in Bakersfield’s Lost Nation Valley. His preferred method of disposal was to have been “thrown over a bank,” left for the crows to pick him apart. e town fathers demurred, so he settled reluctantly on the next best thing.

Life was rarely a matter of settling for Bert, aka “Uncle Grumpy,” who lived fully on his own contrarian terms. He was always generous with his formidable forestry, horticultural, woodworking, engineering and carpentry skills; with his time; and with his love — all in equal measure. His circle of friends was wide and eclectic, as was evident at any of his yearly June solstice gatherings, which attracted farmers, preachers, photographers, hipsters, bikers, sailors, lefty polemicists, loggers, plumbers,

Robert Snyder

JANUARY 26, 1945JANUARY 10, 2023

DELRAY BEACH, FLA.

Robert Allyn Snyder, a thoughtful leader with great inner strength and determination who was always ready for the next adventure, passed away on January 10, 2023.

Born in Evanston, Ill., the eldest of six, Bob had a love of hockey that took him to the University of Vermont, where he played varsity hockey for four years and graduated in 1968. While in Burlington, he met the love of his life, Patricia. ey were married in 1968 and recently celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary in September 2022.

In 1976, Bob and Pat

OBITUARIES, VOWS, CELEBRATIONS

hair and beard blowing in the wind like an Old Testament prophet. is apparition then dropped his pants and in a remarkable display of agility, presented his bare ass straight-up for the chief executive of Vermont’s edification. According to a reliable witness aboard the copter, the governor immediately “cracked up.”

senators, electricians, writers, mechanics, nuclear engineers, roofers, carpenters, professors, the occasional recidivistic Trotskyite, musicians, artists, doctors, lawyers and some possibly on the other side of the legal fence. ey were all dear to him through many decades.

Bert was strong in his likes and dislikes, as anyone who knew him could attest. Among his most rabid dislikes were low-flying aircraft, which Vermont governor Richard Snelling discovered on a helicopter tour of flood-ravaged Franklin County in July 1984. Gazing down upon the sad remains of Bert’s legendary gardens, he noticed an obviously livid man, shaking a fist, long wild

Included among his many strong likes were ribald stories, good beer, fine bud, eccentrics of all manner and form, smart women, cats, music, and elaborate cussing. If there were an Olympic cussing competition, Bert would have been in line for the gold. e moments of epic profanity were usually inspired during his work as a master carpenter, and one associate timed him at more than three minutes of uninterrupted cursing, embracing every manner of human deviance, bodily functions, assorted orifices and theological damnation — all while barely taking a breath. Such episodes are well documented but unfortunately never recorded for posterity.

As unlikely as it may seem to those who knew Bert, he came into this world the customary way, born on January 12, 1937, in Chittenden, Vt., to

Bertrand and Marjorie (Perry) Muzzy. He graduated from the University of Vermont with a degree in forestry, which he put to excellent use throughout his long life. Of his years at the university, Bert said, “ e best thing I learned was how to learn.” And for the rest of his life, learn he did, about everything: astrophysics, metaphysics, nuclear physics, architecture, horses, poultry, philosophy, engineering, history, literature, agriculture, the occult, arcane ancient civilizations and so much more. His knowledge was vast, broad and deep, as was his library.

He leaves behind a brother, Robert; a niece, Wilberta; a nephew, Terry; his cat, Barney; and many others who loved him. He improved everything he touched, which has made his exit all the sadder for us privileged to have shared so many years with this essential, irreplaceable man.

A celebration in Bert’s honor will take place at his former residence in Bakersfield on Sunday, June 18, two days before the solstice. No doubt many a glass will be hoisted over his gravesite. ere might even be an unveiling of a headstone, a suitable design and epitaph for which are yet to be determined.

Carolyn Fernandez

AUGUST 6, 1922-JANUARY 18, 2023 NORTHFIELD, VT.

Carolyn Wakefield Fernandez, born on August 6, 1922, no longer young and filled with days, died at age 100 on January 18, 2023, in her Northfield home, surrounded by her loving sons and other family members. She will be remembered for her innumerable accomplishments and contributions to the community, as well as her elegance, wry wit and impeccable taste.

Raised in Morrisville by her mother, Ethel Wakefield, she graduated from People’s Academy in 1939 before attending Vesper George School of Art in Boston, where she studied art appreciation and clothing and interiors. For six years, she worked for Windsor Art Galleries as a window dresser and purchaser of fine art objects.

She then became an assistant buyer in the antiques department at Jordan Marsh, where she received a certificate in merchandising. Later, she was an instructor of art history, art appreciation and clothing at Vermont College in Montpelier.

She met the love of her life, handsome World War II veteran Sergeant Julio (Cheezie) Fernandez, whose parents, Arsenio and Jovita, had immigrated to the central Vermont area from Santander, Spain, only decades before. Raising her three sons, Vincent, now of Richmond, Vt., and Stephen and Peter of Northfield, she made for her beloved family a comfortable and stylish home.

Planning Commission and the board of directors at Champlain College.

roughout the years, Bob enjoyed skiing, sailing and spending time on Martha’s Vineyard. He was the commodore of the Edgartown Yacht Club and served the club as the house committee chair, cruise committee chair, trustee and secretary treasurer. Bob also served as the president and board member of the Vineyard Preservation Trust.

grateful for the many years we were graced with his love, laughter and passion for life. Bob is survived by his beloved wife, Pat; his daughter Kerolyne; son, Chris, and daughter-in-law, Elizabeth; and grandchildren, Tanner and Marley. He was preceded in death by Bob and Pat’s daughter Sarah.

started Snyder Homes, a successful home building business in the Burlington area that received America’s Best Homebuilder Award. While serving as president of Snyder Homes, Bob also served on the Regional

Bob loved sailing aboard Resolute. Whether cruising the Edgartown Outer Harbor, the Caribbean with friends or to Cuttyhunk with his grandkids, Bob was happiest on the water.

Although we grieve his absence, we’re so very

A celebration of Bob’s life is planned for June 16 at 1 p.m. in Shelburne, Vt., at the All Souls Interfaith Gathering, and on June 25 at 1 p.m. in Martha’s Vineyard at the Edgartown Yacht Club.

For those wishing to honor his legacy, please consider a donation in his name to the Vineyard Preservation Trust, P.O. Box 5277, Edgartown, MA 02539.

From 1981 to 1985, Carolyn assisted in the evaluation of over 450 antique quilts for the Vermont Quilt Festival; she became a member of the board of trustees and the chair of the search committee in 1983. Carolyn also studied dated quilts and textiles in the collection of the Shelburne Museum as a certified art dealer and appraiser with the Vermont Antiques Dealers’ Association and member of the New England Appraisers Association.

Her buttermilk doughnuts, sold at the family market from the ’60s to the ’80s and in later years at other local businesses, were a much-celebrated town tradition. In addition to her professional accomplishments, Carolyn was an avid traveler, sojourning to Spain with her lively sistersin-law, Nina Fernandez-Platt, Irene Fernandez-Anderson and Julia Fernandez-Popowski, all married to high-ranking military officers. She also visited other parts of Europe, including Italy, Austria and Switzerland, with her daughterin-law Jennifer and granddaughter Lisa.

She is survived by her three sons, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. e Fernandez family would like to thank Carol Patterson, Carolyn’s personal health attendant, and the rest of the excellent staff at Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice for their endless love and tireless care.

A celebration of Carolyn’s life will be held in the spring at the Methodist Church in Northfield. Further details will be made available by Kingston Funeral Home at memorials. vtfuneralhomes.com/carolyn-fernandez/5124050/index.php.

John O’Dowd 1949-2022 SHREWSBURY, VT.

John O’Dowd died suddenly on December 10, 2022. He went for a walk with his beloved wife on a beautiful sunny day and didn’t come back. We are heartbroken by his sudden absence and comforted that he did not suffer or linger. Renamed by his grandson as “Bop,” he became “Bop” to all. A northern transplant with deep southern roots, Bop grew up on the beaches of South Carolina, loved barbecue and his mama, and was forever on the quest for a proper glass of unsweetened iced tea. Proud of his military education (the Citadel) and service in the army (Ranger School, 82nd Airborne Division and the JAG core), John was an open and progressive thinker who supported public services and justice.

Following his military service, John was a private-practice defense attorney, became an author, earned a black belt in karate, and was an advocate for the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Richard Brandenburg

FEBRUARY 21, 1935JANUARY 13, 2023 DENVER, COLO.

It is with deep sadness that the family of Dr. Richard George Brandenburg, 87, announces his passing on January 13, 2023, in Denver, Colo., with his family by his side. He is survived by Maxine Newman Brandenburg, his spouse of 65 years; his daughters, Suzanne (married to Keith Oleson) of Denver, Colo., and Cynthia (married to William Vespa) of Jericho, Vt.; his four grandchildren, Kurt (married to Devonie), Sarah, Maria and Joey; and his great-granddaughter, Vivienne. He is also survived by Maxine’s sister, Carol (married to John Fox). His sagaciousness and generosity shaped the world for the better, and he will be greatly missed.

Born in Oak Park, Ill., on February 21, 1935, as the only child of George and Florence (Ream) Brandenburg, Dick

A lawyer through and through, John loved to argue, debate, rile and question. While he wasn’t aiming to hurt feelings, our Bop wasn’t particularly concerned with causing offense. Outgoing, outrageous and loud, with a quirky sense of humor, Bop wasn’t for the faint of heart but always found his champions. Beneath all the bluster lived a remarkably kind and sensitive soul. This was most apparent with his grandson and granddaughter, whom he shamelessly adored.

He gloried in their growth, intelligence and development. In return, they were among Bop’s fiercest advocates and vocal cheerleaders. As an accomplished writer, it was particularly important to him that his grandchildren read avidly, think deeply, and write with style and intelligence. Still in the game, Bop wrote a daily haiku, was part of a community writing group and had embarked upon a new novel.

John was a survivor. He endured a brain tumor, two brain surgeries and their aftermath, hearing loss, thyroid cancer, and A-fib. Through it all, he was supported and cared for by his wife of 52 years. They loved, fought, raised great kids, traveled the country and the world, created a beautiful home, and took care of each other to the end. He loved his wife, his children, their respective spouses and his grandchildren, and he particularly loved it when they were all together. The eldest of five children, John loved all of his siblings fiercely, even when

it was ugly. Predeceased by his mother, whom he missed every day, and his youngest sister, John is survived and remembered fully, and ultimately fondly, by his wife; his son and daughter and their respective spouses; his grandson and granddaughter; his grand-dog; two sisters; one brother; and an extended network of friends, neighbors, cousins, nieces and nephews.

In conclusion, vote, think, speak your mind, TANSTAAFL, shut the door!, love ya mean it, never underestimate an old man from the Citadel, duct tape, cutoff sweatpants. We sure do miss the crazy old turtle.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in memory of John O’Dowd to the Shrewsbury Community Church (with a memo for the Helping Hand Fund), c/o Treasurer Karen Lorentz, 1300 CCC Rd., Shrewsbury, VT 05738; or to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Burlington, 16 S. Winooski Ave., Burlington, VT 05401, or visit rmhcvt.org and click the “Donate” tab.

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graduated from Oak Park High School and earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees from Cornell University. His subsequent professional work represents a lifetime’s worth of achievement in industry, government and higher education. He was an educator, administrator and leader, with a focus on engineering, management, business administration, health care and biomedical ethics.

His career included faculty and administrative appointments

at Carnegie Mellon University, SUNY-Buffalo, the University of Denver, the University of Vermont, Dartmouth College and Arizona State University, as well as positions at Lockheed Martin, the Carborundum Company and the state government of Vermont. In addition, Dick was widely published, served innumerable boards and agencies, received many awards and accolades, and remained active in his professional fields well beyond retirement. He never stopped being a leader, and he spent his later years serving his newfound community at Balfour Riverfront Park as the inaugural president of its resident’s association.

Dick had a lifelong interest in aeronautical engineering. He was a voracious reader of aviation history, kept up with aerospace advances and enjoyed a dedicated workshop space in every home that he and Maxine lived in, where he built hundreds of intricate model airplanes.

Throughout his life, Dick modeled leadership, integrity and

service. Perhaps the greatest impact of his life’s work was the way he mentored others, enabling them to be the best, most complete version of themselves. None of this would have been possible without the constant companionship of his wife, Maxine. Their mutually supportive and loving relationship allowed each of them to build highly successful professional lives while raising a family, at a time when dual-career families were rare. Together, they were a role model for their children and grandchildren as to what is possible when two people commit their lives to better themselves, each other and the world. Their combination of commitment, curiosity, competence and love created a beautiful and purposeful life.

The family will honor Dick’s memory at a private memorial service at a later date. Donations can be made in his name to Wings Over the Rockies (wingsmuseum. org) or the Voices and Faces Project (voicesandfaces.org).

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When Becca Balint woke up on the pullout couch of a Washington, D.C., Airbnb on Friday, January 6, she found herself stubbornly unchanged into a congresswoman. She gently roused her two sleeping kids, 12-year-old Sarah and 15-year-old Abe, to say goodbye, then walked the mile or so to her new apartment, where she put on the dark blue suit in which she would, for the next 18 hours, remain congresswoman-elect.

For three days, Balint, a Democrat, along with her 433 colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives and much of the American public, had been captive witnesses to a tableau of historic dysfunction. A faction of far-right Republicans refused to back the GOP pick for speaker of the House, U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), forcing a mind-numbing sequence of roll-call votes — the most since 1923, when the House took nine ballots to elect a leader. With the speakership held hostage, Balint and her fellow House members couldn’t be sworn in, rendering them powerless to legislate, help their constituents, authorize federal spending or otherwise constitute a functional chamber.

MS. BALINT

STORY BY CHELSEA EDGAR • PHOTOS BY JAMES BUCK

On several fronts, Balint was in limbo. She hadn’t finished moving into her new place, a one-bedroom a few blocks from the Capitol that she’d scored for the unheardof-in-D.C. price of $1,500 a month. When I met her there that Friday morning, a listing tower of empty Wayfair boxes sat on the curb. She had so far managed to acquire a bed, a rug, and a convertible sofa and chair for her kids to sleep on when they visit her during school breaks — in Abe’s assessment, Balint said, “kind of bare bones.”

Very little about Balint’s life in her first days on Capitol Hill was within her control. Her schedule was dictated by the timing of roll-call votes; without a speaker, there were no legislative committees, which meant she had no idea what kind of policies she would be working on. (Her assignments haven’t been finalized, but she is seeking seats on the financial services and agriculture committees, she said, to work on housing-related issues and advocate for Vermont farmers.)

Balint, a student of Buddhism, tried to find the lesson in the chaos. “This is all a great exercise in impermanence,” she said at one point during the week. But compared to the joyous mood surrounding her victory in November, when she

became the first woman and openly gay person elected to represent Vermont in Congress, her time in Washington was o to a grim start.

The 54-year-old former middle school teacher from Brattleboro had served eight terms in the Vermont Senate, rising to majority leader, then president pro tempore, of the chamber. She’d defeated

found herself at the mercy of a Republican majority that couldn’t get its act together to elect a leader.

Her parents and older sister had been in D.C. earlier in the week, hoping to see her sworn in. But by Wednesday, day two of the speakership stalemate, they’d had to go home. “It’s so incredibly frustrating,” Balint told me on the third speakerless day. She had just emerged from another roll-call vote, looking like an unwatered plant. “It feels like we’re getting a glimpse of the next two years.”

By Friday morning, Balint’s only o cial action on the House floor had been shouting the name of the Democratic nominee for speaker, U.S. Rep. Hakeem Je ries (D-N.Y.), 11 times.

a better-known challenger, lieutenant governor Molly Gray, in the Democratic primary last August, and she easily won the general election against her Republican opponent. She arrived in D.C. with a list of issues she was eager to work on — a ordable housing, the mental health care crisis, reproductive rights. Now she

That day, she would have to shout “Je ries!” four more times. Finally, just before 2 a.m. on January 7, after 15 roll-call votes, McCarthy would be elected speaker and Balint would be sworn in at last, with her daughter crocheting a stu ed animal by her side. The excruciating fight for the gavel brought some of Washington’s ugliest features into sharp relief — the backroom dealing, the ego-driven pursuit of power — and with a slim Republican majority beholden to its most extreme wing, Balint

now faces two years in which her party is unlikely to accomplish much.

But she still believes she can lay the groundwork for long-term progress, she said, by building relationships with people “who are just as exasperated as I am.” And in her brief tenure on the Hill, the spunky charisma that helped lift her to victory in Vermont already seems to be making an impression on her peers in Congress, according to her predecessor, U.S. Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.).

“I see my House colleagues all the time, and they’ll say, ‘We really, really like

your replacement,’” Welch told me in mid-January.

Balint, a former coxswain on the Smith College rowing team, tends to greet people she knows as if they have just returned from a voyage at sea. This habit extends to people she encounters on a near-daily basis, including the security guard stationed by the main entrance of the Longworth House Office Building, where her congressional office is located. The guard was one of the officers on duty at the Capitol Hill hotel where Balint and other newly elected House members

stayed during their orientation in November. When she reported to Longworth for her first day on the job, Balint said, he recognized her and showed her which door to use.

Several times over the course of the week I spent with Balint in D.C., I heard her squawk with delight when she left Longworth and saw him standing there — “It’s youuuuuuu! ” — to which the guard would respond, in similar fashion, “Heyyyyyyy!” Balint can be so enthusiastic about human beings that I occasionally found myself wondering if she actually exists in some parallel dimension, where people are statistically less disappointing.

But Balint is also a pragmatist, and her experience in the Vermont legislature and in life, she said, has taught her that all cooperative human enterprise turns on relationships. “When I was running, some of my detractors would say, ‘You’re not gonna be able to do what you did in Vermont in Congress,’” Balint said. “Well, I have to say — Congress is a people place, just like any other place.”

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

A few hours before the House was scheduled to take its first vote for speaker, on January 3, Balint arrived at her Longworth office, wearing the blue velvet blazer in which she hoped to begin her term in Congress.

In the preceding weeks, she’d been in the spotlight for receiving more than $26,000 in campaign contributions from

disgraced cryptocurrency mogul Sam Bankman-Fried and his associates. Balint was one of dozens of Democratic and Republican candidates who benefited from an influx of cash from the likes of Bankman-Fried, now accused of illegally funneling tens of millions of dollars to campaigns and political action groups in the 2022 midterms. Balint has maintained that she did not solicit the contributions and that her staff has set aside the donations as they await legal guidance on how to proceed.

But by the time Balint fastened her gold-plated House member pin to her lapel, the Bankman-Fried scandal had been eclipsed by fresh intrigue: McCarthy’s bid for speaker, widely expected to be a doozy, and the curious case of newly elected U.S. Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), who concocted virtually his entire biography. On Tuesday morning, as Balint careered from one interview to the next in the Capitol, no one pressed her on crypto; instead, she was asked to weigh in on McCarthy (“no integrity”) and Santos (“no self-dignity”; “should step down.”)

In the Cannon Rotunda, where dozens of news crews had camped out among the Corinthian columns, Balint told WPTZTV that she hoped to join forces with moderate Republicans to address the nation’s mental health crisis. Her mood was ebullient. She was breaking barriers; she was ready to hustle. “My heart is bursting in the best way,” she said. “I love meeting new people.”

Afterward, Balint debriefed with her chief of staff, Megan Garcia, and her communications director, Sophie Pollock, about what she should do with her hands while she was on camera, one of the many considerations of her new life. “I have to remember not to do this” — Balint emphatically placed a hand over her chest — “because the microphone’s here, and it goes krrrrrrr. So maybe I should just not grab my solar plexus.”

Then Balint and Pollock descended in an elevator into the bowels of the Capitol and walked to a tiny, stuffy room lit by overhead fluorescent lights, where more TV crews awaited. As Balint was miked up for an interview with WCAX (“You’re definitely our cheeriest,” one of the producers remarked), she spotted a familiar face.

“Greg! Good morning, good morning!” Balint effused to a young bearded guy in a navy blazer, Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), a fellow first-time House member from Austin. Back on camera, hands clasped in front of her at the six o’clock position as if she might, at any minute, start churning butter, Balint was asked how she planned to keep making history.

U.S. Rep. Becca Balint on the House floor

MS. BALINT goes to WASHINGTON

“ Love that question,” Balint said. “I want Vermonters to always recognize me — as the person I was as a teacher, and that’s who I was as a legislator and as leader of the Senate in Vermont. Unfortunately, that’s not true for so many politicians in this country. So I might make headlines simply by being myself.”

Around 11:30, back in her Longworth office, Balint scarfed down half a club sandwich and spent a few final moments with her family before she was due on the House floor.

“Can I get a picture of you with our children?” asked Balint’s wife, Elizabeth Wohl. “Of course!” Balint said. She squeezed onto a leather sofa between Sarah and Abe, beaming. Then, she had to find her phone (“You always have to have your phone,” Garcia reminded her, to which Balint replied, a little glumly, “Yeah, I know”) and say her goodbyes. “I don’t know when I’ll see you again!” she called to the gaggle of staffers and supporters in her office. “We’re living history!” Her parents, who would watch from the House galleries, wished her luck.

As Balint made her way through the underground tunnel between the House office buildings to the Capitol, she ran into a fellow first-year, U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.). Balint swooped in for a hug, provoking a small grimace from someone walking in the opposite direction.

‘SCRAPPY LITTLE DYKE!’

In mid-November, Balint and the other newly elected Democratic women attended an orientation event at a Capitol Hill restaurant, hosted by the Elect Democratic Women PAC. The chair, U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), summoned the group to the front of the room and asked them to introduce themselves using only three words. There were at least 100 people in attendance, including a couple dozen senior members of Congress. Without hesitation, Frankel said, Balint jumped to the front of the line and yelled, “Scrappy little dyke!”

This pronouncement, according to witnesses, had the effect of an exploding tube of confetti. “It was just hailed,” said Salinas, the Oregon representative, who was among the newcomers at the event. “I think it was a watershed moment for a lot of the freshmen women, who were maybe a little more reluctant to put on their true selves.”

Balint, who worked for nearly a decade at a wilderness camp in Plymouth before she became a middle school teacher, has spent most of her professional life defusing adolescent awkwardness and its grown-up manifestations. But for Balint,

Rep. Balint greeting Rep. Andrea Salinas (in white pantsuit)

Balint and her wife, Elizabeth Wohl, with kids Sarah and Abe

that moment also presented an opportunity to take back a word that had often been used against her. She grew up with few LGBTQ role models in politics, she said, and for a long time, she didn’t think it would be possible for someone like her to hold elected office. Now, as a congresswoman, she could turn that feeling of powerlessness on its head.

“I was like, OK, what can I say that will just be, like, totally me, irreverent, that will give everybody else permission to say whatever?” she said. “The haters are out there. But if I use their word, I take away its power.” Since then, Balint told me, several queer House members and staffers have privately thanked her for proudly embracing her identity.

As a first-time representative, Balint has a penchant for getting noticed — a potential asset for Vermont, one of seven states with just a single delegate. Holding a leadership role in the House someday, she said, is “not part of my vision for the work that I want to do here.” But she has already assumed some official duties — as a cochair of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, vice chair for new members in the House Progressive Caucus and deputy whip for New England Democrats — that will allow her to get to know more of her colleagues, and for them to get to know her.

“Becca’s got a very dynamic personality,” Frankel said. “I can just tell, watching her interaction with caucus members on the floor. She’s young enough, if she likes the job, to be here for a while and to be a leader. She’ll be a shining star.”

BALINT IN THE BARDO

Day three of speaker misery, Thursday afternoon: Balint yelled Jeffries’ name for the seventh time with a gusto that, at one point, moved Jeffries to text her to express his gratitude. Then she ducked out of the chamber to steal a few minutes with her wife and kids before she would be summoned back to shout it again — and

again, and again, and then five more times after that.

She had dark circles under her eyes from doomscrolling the night before. As she trudged through the underground tunnels of the Capitol to meet her family in the visitor center lobby, Balint looked like a soul who had been granted temporary leave from the most boring circle of hell.

No one seemed to know when they might be released from this paralysis; even more troubling, Balint said, was that the GOP dissenters, most of whom have denied the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election — including Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) and Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), two of McCarthy’s most strident antagonists — didn’t seem the least bit troubled.

“When you see people up close who actually don’t care if we have a functioning government, who would be perfectly happy bringing everything to a standstill — that’s bleak,” Balint said.

Just then, we passed a security guard in the corridor outside the visitor center, and Balint suddenly sprang to life. “I haven’t forgotten!” she said to the officer.

At issue, Balint explained to me, was Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, which Sen. Welch had apparently promised the guard. But Welch had already returned to Vermont, and Balint was determined to make good on his commitment. “I just gotta figure out the transport!” she shouted as we walked away.

TAKING THE MIC

As a new member of Congress, Balint has had to absorb an extraordinary amount of information, ranging from the mechanical (e.g., how to lower the podium on the House floor, of particular relevance to the five-foot-tall Balint) to the technological (e.g., how to use an app called DomeWatch, which “sounds like something from SNL,” as Balint put it, and tracks House floor votes in real time) to the peculiar (e.g., in the House cloakroom, you can, though this seems inadvisable, procure a hot dog).

During orientation, Balint said, U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) pulled her aside and led her into the statuary hall of the Capitol building. There, Fernández showed Balint how, by punching a secret code into a keypad hidden behind a marble pillar, an unmarked door would open to reveal a private lounge exclusively for women members of Congress. In this Hogwartsian nook, known more formally as the Lindy Claiborne Boggs Congressional Women’s Reading Room, you can nap on a chaise lounge, or take a Zoom call, or gently disassociate into the gilded portraits of congresswomen past.

U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy confronting GOP members of Congress who voted against him for speaker of the House

But Balint’s main learning curve over the next two years will be figuring out how to maneuver in a legislative body led by people who seem chiefly interested in disrupting the normal functions of government. She said she has no illusions about how easy it will be to find moderate Republicans willing to cross party lines in support of safeguarding abortion rights or canceling student loan debt. “I knew what I was getting myself into,” Balint told me. But even if her advocacy doesn’t pay off this session, Welch said, it will bear fruit — perhaps very small fruit, but nonetheless fruit — down the road. “So much of legislation is working hard to build a base of support,” he said.

With a much-compromised McCarthy finally in the speaker’s seat, on January 9, Balint and the rest of the House Democrats voted against a Republican rules package that, among other things, authorized the creation of a special committee to investigate the investigators who investigated Donald Trump and his allies. Two days later, House Republicans passed a bill called the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which would impose up to five-year prison sentences on health care providers who do not try to preserve the life of a viable fetus after an abortion — an extremely rare scenario in which laws against infanticide would already apply.

The measure is expected to die in the Democrat-controlled Senate. But for Balint, who gave her first House floor speech in opposition to the bill, it was an important reminder of why she’d run for Congress.

“On my side of the aisle, the folks who were lined up to speak — it was like an amazing mosaic of America. And over on the Republican side, it was all men, white men over 65, until the very end, when one older white woman came over,” Balint said. “Just sitting there, having to hear some of them talking about our bodies, it’s hard not to give into sort of fear and loathing, because it is so personal.” But in those moments, she said, she’s found a mantra that helps her zoom out: “I am the voice of the people who aren’t here.”

After the House adjourned that day, Balint and a group of Equality Caucus members went to a recording studio for a night of karaoke. Actually, Balint clarified, someone drove her there — one facet of this highly managed existence, she said, that feels “infantilizing” to her. “Like, I lead wilderness trips, and now I need people constantly telling me, ‘You’ve got to go to this room. This is the floor. This is how you get there. Let me know if you need me to pick you up!’”

But in the karaoke lounge, Balint was in her element. She sang Dolly Parton to

a midwestern congresswoman’s Kenny Rogers in a rendition of “Islands in the Stream”; she performed Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” and Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” accompanied by all the midwesterners in the room. At one point during the evening, U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids (D-Kan.), whom Balint has long admired, said to her: “You’re so fun.”

For Balint, those moments of exuberance are a spiritual necessity. “We are facing a very cynical, extremist element, and we have to find our joy, or else we’ll become embittered and burnt out,” she said. “And then we’re not gonna be able to fight the good fight.” ➆

Rep. Balint talking with staff members Sophie Pollock (left) and Megan Garcia

THURSDAY, FEB 2

6:15–9:00PM

FRIDAY, FEB 3

5:30PM–7:30PM

SATURDAY, FEB 4 • PARTY IN THE PARK 11:00AM–3:00PM

Full Tilt

Flipping out at the IFPA Vermont State Pinball Championship

BY STEVE GOLDSTEIN • sgoldstein@sevendaysvt.com

Outside a nondescript building the color of old paste in South Burlington, one could clearly hear what many consider the most glorious sound in the world: steel ball hitting bumper after bumper. As a newcomer entered a room the size of a shipping container, the pinging, the bells and the clicking of flippers — the holy shit! clamor of nearly two dozen pinball machines — offered a welcome ravishment of the senses.

Peering through the low lighting, one could see figures hunched over machines, using hips, hands and contorted torsos to prolong the journey of a silver metal ball among the musical, high-scoring way stations of the game before it inevitably hurried out of play. The ball’s value begins when the plunger shoots it into the active field and ends when it drops past frantic flippers into the drain.

This was the Big One: the IFPA Vermont State Pinball Championship. On Saturday, the competition brought together the state’s 16 top-ranked pinball players, male or female. The winner would go on to the North American Championship Series, to be held in March in De Pere, Wis., under the auspices of the International Flipper Pinball Association. The state tourney, held at the clubhouse known as the Pinball Co-op, began with an open tourney that was followed on Sunday by a first-ever women’s championship.

To qualify for the tournament, aspiring pinball wizards accumulate points throughout the year by playing games at

any venue against opponents registered with the IFPA, which establishes players’ rankings. Six of the 16 top-ranked players could not make it to Saturday’s competition, including a former multiple-year champion, so alternates took their places.

“This kind of situation really opens the field,” said Jody Stahlman, the Vermont IFPA representative and open championships coordinator. “Anything can happen in pinball. People have off days. People have great days. It’s a spinning steel ball players try to control with little plastic flippers.”

This is the first year that the IFPA has designated Stahlman to run the event. The 56-year-old former middle school teacher is also the highest-ranked woman among the 16 finalists. And she has a very handson role in keeping the co-op running: Stahlman organizes “repair nights,” when members are invited to come in and help fix machines that have problems.

The co-op opened in 2016 after the beloved Tilt Classic Arcade and Ale House in South Burlington went dark. Mike and Allison Havens, married pinball players and teachers at Burlington High School,

had some rental space in an industrial park on Williston Road near Kennedy Drive. Mike invited players to join the co-op, bring their tables (as pinball machines are called) and flip to their hearts’ content.

Now, the space holds 23 gleaming machines with names such as Jurassic Park, Twilight Zone and the Big Lebowski. Toward the back is the game that online pinball community Pinside ranks No. 1 (as of this writing): Godzilla, an $8,000 creation of art, sound and dexterity. (Pinball humor: The Lord of the Rings pinball machine doesn’t take quarters. It only accepts Tolkiens.)

Between the absence of some topranked players and the vagaries of a steel ball bouncing off bumpers, Stahlman said the state championship results could be wild. And they were, as a trio of alternates pulled first-round upsets.

That included 11th seed Emily May, who won the best-of-seven round against sixth seed Stahlman in six games. Fourteenth seed Mat Barewicz beat third seed and former Vermont state champion Bill McHugh in an exciting seven-game round.

And 16th seed Alex Yeager beat top seed Connor Shlatz. For a 16th seed to beat a first seed is rare. According to Stahlman and Mike Havens, this may be the first time it has happened in the history of the co-op.

The players’ body movements — banging the table just enough to keep the ball from draining, manipulating the flipper to catch the ball just so before it drained — showed that they knew exactly how far

Allison Havens and others playing pinball between tournament rounds

Preston Francisco competing at the Vermont State Pinball Championship

to push a machine before they got penalized. Concentration was etched on many faces, none more than that of Preston Francisco, who appeared to be doing acting exercises. Some players rubbed their sweaty hands on pant legs to keep them flipper-fresh.

ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN IN PINBALL.

JODY STAHLMAN

Many of the contestants have been playing since adolescence. Nathan Crosby, a computer tech from Montpelier, said he was 10 when he played his first pinball game on a Space Shuttle table at the Berlin Mall. “I didn’t even know how to work the flippers,” Crosby confessed, “so I just hit the plunger three times and watched each ball drop through into the drain.”

Barewicz, a state economist who lives in Montpelier, said he was about 6 years old when his teenage brothers brought home a battery-powered pinball game that they played on the kitchen table.

The state championship matches went on all day Saturday. Losing players continued competing in the consolation bracket. As the winners were narrowed down, the tension rose.

At stake, besides a trip to the North American championships and bragging rights, was the princely first-place prize of $117. All 16 players would get payouts, ranging from $70 for the runner-up to $8 for places nine through 16. The prize money comes from a percentage of dues that co-op members send to the IFPA.

In the final, best-of-seven match to decide the champion, Eric Marz led Mike Havens, three games to one. Havens then won two games, tying the score and sending the title match to a seventh-game tiebreaker.

As the lower seed, Marz got to choose the machine for this showdown. He picked Paragon, a 1979 table manufactured by Bally. Down 200,000 points with his last ball remaining, Marz rocked a miracle ball to overtake Havens, 252,630 to 175,730.

Legends have been written about less. ➆

INFO

Find the Pinball Co-op on Facebook.

From left: Mat Barewicz, Emily May, Eric Marz, Nathan Crosby and Mike Havens watching the live stream of a game

Jody Stahlman giving a tournament update

Coming of Age

Antiques dealer Brian Bittner steps up with a new showroom of old objects

BY AMY LILLY • lilly@sevendaysvt.com

Once upon a time, “going antiquing” meant edging through a packed and poorly lit space, trying to discern the treasures among the detritus. It was fun, but it was also dusty and cold.

Many antiques stores of that type in Vermont have closed over the past two decades as the business has moved to group or consignment shops, vintage stores, estate sales, and online sites. But there is still a pleasure in handling something valuable before buying it. A remarkably young antiques dealer in Shelburne has stepped in to fill the void — and remake the experience of antiquing in the process.

Last week, Brian Bittner, 36, opened an antiques showroom in a building on Shelburne Road that also serves as warehouse and offices for his business, Bittner Antiques. The 1,000-square-foot showroom is carved out of a 6,000-square-foot building from the 1980s. Bittner spent the past year and a half renovating the space and making it energy-efficient.

The showroom is not just warm and dust-free; it’s rectilinear and white with a polished concrete floor, not unlike a gallery in a museum designed by Renzo Piano. Instead of being part of labyrinths of objects, each item is given its own reverential space.

A single George Nakashima New Chair from the early 1950s sits on a broad white pedestal three feet high in the center of the room. Another plinth shows off a rare 1890s salesman’s model of a metal maple-sap evaporator. The back wall displays original 19th- and 20th-century paintings by Vermont-based artists, including Charles Heyde, Francis Colburn, Luigi Lucioni and Emile Gruppé.

A built-in glass-fronted showcase holds smaller treasures, including an earthenware figurine from the Tang dynasty (618-907); the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City owns a similar piece. A glass-topped case contains watches, bottles of “medicinal” cocaine from the early 1900s, Tiffany jewelry and coins. Pre-1920s postcards, each in a plastic sleeve, line minimalist shelves beside the door.

through the Vermont woods by horse. The wooden highway signs for Burlington that hang above the entrance were used as barn flooring by a former transportation department employee after the state replaced them with metal signage. The shelves of antique-looking books in the hallway are merely old price reference guides, which emerged in the 1940s, Bittner said.

These days, Bittner researches pricing on subscription websites such as worthpoint.com, askart.com and liveauctioneers.com, he added. He warns customers to stay away from websites such as 1stDibs, where pricing is “arbitrary.”

Bittner grew up in the antiques business, long before the advent of online transactions. He was a runner at his grandfather Jack Bittner’s auctions, delivering items to winning bidders.

Jack, who “was known as a very fair, funny, kind” person, Brian recalled, started in the antiques business in the 1960s and opened Yankee Ingenuity Antiques in Brattleboro within a few years. Only one of Jack’s 13 children, George — Brian’s father — went into antiques. George still buys and sells at flea markets and antiques shows, as well as online from his Chester home, where Brian grew up.

Bittner went to college in Greensboro, N.C., but left behind that “sprawling city” and his studies after a year. He moved to Burlington at age 20, taking up antiques as a way to support rock climbing. Over time, the balance shifted, and he enrolled in a 10-day auctioneering program at Missouri Auction School, which his grandfather had also attended. There, he practiced saying “rubber baby buggy bumper” in rapid repetition.

Soon Bittner was trading in enough antiques to fill two rented warehouse spaces in Williston, a barn in Underhill and his own home. After buying a house in Shelburne five years ago with his fiancée, Rhiannon Kim, he began thinking about “getting everything under one roof.”

Bittner found his current building, across the street from the Lighting House, in April 2021. It was originally the home of Applied Graphics — an early Apple store — then a Bond Auto Parts. Eventually, it was purchased by the Pecor family, who planned an Aveda salon school but ended up splitting the space into seven units. Bittner bought the building and its two-acre lot from the Pecors for $1.1 million. He made the decision in 24 hours, he said, beating out a developer who planned to demolish the structure for housing.

Bittner, a tall and lean former rock climber, had an easy, unassuming air as he led a Seven Days reporter around the building. While he chatted about the Vermont painters — he found the Colburn works through a family whose elder relative had been a colleague of the painter’s at the University of Vermont — he never mentioned the Pablo Picasso limited-edition etching or the Thomas Hart Benton lithograph hanging beside them.

At a private opening last Thursday, the dealer-curator laughed when confronted with this oversight. “I feel like every piece in here is interesting,” he said.

Beyond being knowledgeable about each piece, Bittner has a lively interest in the stories behind them. That maple-sap evaporator is one of the two or three earliest in existence, he noted; the salesman would have carted it

Since then, he has replaced the building’s outdated oil boiler with an energy-efficient natural gas one, installed seven heat pumps, upgraded the HVAC systems, replaced and insulated the exterior siding and interior ceiling, swapped in LED lighting, and knocked down most of the interior walls. (Global Maritime Transportation Services remains a tenant.)

The cost of renovations so far has totaled more than $500,000, of which $70,000 came from a Rural Energy for America Program grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Bittner won a second REAP grant for a planned rooftop solar array that will provide all the building’s electricity by this summer.

Bittner sources most of his stock from Vermont residents through house calls and appointments. He conducts about a third of his sales on eBay. He also attends the thriceyearly Brimfield Antique Flea Markets in Massachusetts, the country’s oldest outdoor antiques event. The New Hampshire Antiques Dealers Association — an exclusive coterie of 59 dealers who will have indoor booths at the

Brian Bittner

2023 annual New Hampshire Antiques Show — recently accepted him as a member. And he sells through private sales and auction consignments at Christie’s and the like.

At the Shelburne showroom, which is open Wednesdays through Saturdays, he’ll dedicate Thursdays to walk-ins who are looking to sell items. Ten percent of the first two weeks’ sales will be donated to Vermont Releaf Collective, a Montpelier organization connecting BIPOC people with the state’s land and agriculture.

It’s a big step to open an antiques showroom in the current market. Longtime dealer Greg Hamilton, who has operated Stone Block Antiques in Vergennes since

1997, recalled during a phone call that 25 years ago there were so many antiques stores on Route 7, “you could spend all day getting from Burlington to Rutland.” That number has decreased dramatically.

Hamilton has known Bittner since 2008, when Bittner joined the Vermont Antiques Dealers’ Association; Hamilton said he “made” Bittner take his place as president when he stepped down. (Bittner served from 2016 to 2019.) Geared toward brick-and-mortar store owners, VADA folded in August 2021 due to dwindling membership.

“Brian is really stepping up his game,” Hamilton said. “It would be very difficult for him if he didn’t have contacts and a track record.”

He is also “young and personable,” Hamilton noted, and “his interest lies in art and silver and jewelry and watches and fine things, which lend themselves to a gallery setting. And he doesn’t buy brown furniture” — as 19th-century wood furniture is known in the business — “because it’s hard to sell; people don’t want it anymore.”

Bittner also benefits from his solid reputation, according to Shelburne antiques appraiser Lori Scotnicki.

“Brian’s integrity is top-notch — in a business that can have some questionable characters,” Scotnicki said. “I have

assisted Brian on house calls, and as an appraiser, I know he is giving the client as much money as he possibly can. He never undercuts. I think that’s why he’s been so successful.”

Bittner has two equally young full-time employees. Ray Garneau, 34, the operations manager, specializes in antique books, which he used to buy and sell at Strand and Ursus Books & Gallery in New York City. Online sales specialist Molly Finkel, 33, comes from another generational antiquing family in Philadelphia.

Bittner also employs Rick Heh part time. The coin specialist has run Rick’s Coins out of his Underhill home for the past 15 years. The pair met when Bittner brought a coin collection he had acquired to Heh’s house; they spent 10 hours going through it, Heh said.

Garneau said he is excited to see a set of John James Audubon’s The Quadrupeds of North America — “illustrated by extraordinary, really stunning colored prints” — headed to the showroom floor, which he helped design. But he’s especially looking forward to interacting face-to-face with people in a business in which he has worked largely online and by phone since he was hired in summer 2020.

“A big thing about this business is how personal and emotional it is,” particularly when inherited items are involved, Garneau said. “People are looking to get the best deal, but they also want to feel that we care about the thing they’re bringing in to sell. That’s very much what Brian does, with warmth and care and trust.” ➆

INFO

Learn more at bittnerantiques.com.

PHOTOS

food+drink Early Birds

Three ways to brunch at the Grey Jay in Burlington

BY JORDAN BARRY jbarry@sevendaysvt.com

Honey Road executive chef and co-owner Cara Chigazola Tobin is a big birder. In March, when she and general manager and co-owner Allison Gibson announced their plans to open a daytime restaurant, Chigazola Tobin explained its avian name, the Grey Jay.

“It’s my favorite bird,” she said. “They’re really curious and friendly, [and that] spoke to the vibe of what we want this place to be: It’s brunch, but it’s a little different.”

Throughout the summer and fall, Burlington brunch fans kept a birder’s careful watch on 135 Pearl Street. They were waiting for the Grey Jay to bring the space back to life. From 1983 through 2006, it had been the home of the city’s only LGBTQ+ bar, first called Pearls, then 135 Pearl. More recently, the storefront housed Papa John’s, then Lion Turtle Tea.

On December 7, the Grey Jay’s doors finally flew open. The restaurant offers seated dining Wednesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and takeout Wednesday through Friday during the same hours.

Honey Road regulars will recognize aspects of the breakfast, brunch and lunch spot: eastern Mediterranean flavors and ingredients, a helpful glossary on the menu, excellent service, a great sign, very cool bathrooms, and the best kale salad in town. The Grey Jay is also the dedicated home of pandemic-era takeout favorites from its sister restaurant, such as chicken shawarma sandwiches and pastry chef Amanda Wildermuth’s decadent doughnuts.

“You walk in here, and you can tell that it’s us,” Chigazola Tobin said on a recent afternoon at the Grey Jay. “But you can tell it’s not Honey Road. It’s its own thing.”

In fact, the only dish you can find on both menus is that kale salad, with its crispy quinoa crunch, feta, red onion, fennel, apple and tahini-yogurt vinaigrette.

The two restaurants do share several staff members. Gibson works behind the scenes, and Chigazola Tobin designs the menus and travels up and down the Church Street Marketplace to support the

FIRST BITE

teams at both restaurants. (Avery Buck, former sous chef at Burlington Beer and Stowe’s Doc Ponds, runs the Grey Jay kitchen day-to-day.) Wildermuth now manages the pastry program for the Grey Jay as well as Honey Road, and Dana Parseliti helps oversee both front-of-house teams.

The two restaurants’ décors and personalities are as distinct as their menus. While Honey Road has a “pink and sparkly nighttime vibe,” Chigazola Tobin said, “the Grey Jay is natural, earthy and energetic.”

The 38-seat, daylight-filled space holds numerous houseplants, lamps and fabrics in shades of green, as well as hardwood floors and tables that evoke the habitat of the namesake bird.

Though renovation delays pushed back

the launch of the Grey Jay, its ultimate timing was poetic. It opened the same week that longtime Burlington breakfast staple Penny Cluse Café closed for good.

Compared with Penny Cluse’s menu — and most American breakfast menus — the Grey Jay’s is short. That’s by design, Chigazola Tobin said. She modeled it after menus she encountered during her travels in the Middle East: Breakfast might be hummus in Lebanon or soup in Egypt.

“I was a little nervous to offer this smaller menu. It’s not this huge list of choices that we’re used to as Americans,” she admitted.

The one-page food menu is divided into sweets, snacks and brunch sections. It features eggs and toast in decidedly Middle Eastern forms, including Tunisian

deviled eggs ($7); simit toast (a sesametopped Turkish bread) with whipped feta, chopped salad and pickled egg ($12); and an egg-and-cheese breakfast sandwich (from $12) on a sesame bun with a green hot sauce called zhoug and optional lamb sausage. Eggs also come poached in the two most popular dishes: a falafel Benedict ($16) and tomatoey shakshouka ($16).

Customers order the breakfast items all day long, Chigazola Tobin said, and some opt for lunchier lamb burgers ($16) and grilled chicken shawarma ($16) right when the Grey Jay opens.

On my first visit in January, even though I’d come with a plan, I was struck by indecision: It was noon, and the fried eggplant

Tahini French toast, pastries, crispy potatoes, falafel eggs Benedict and spiced tahini iced coffee

JAMES BUCK

SIDEdishes

SERVING UP FOOD NEWS

Intervale Center Ends Its Food Hub Consumer Program

By the end of March, the INTERVALE CENTER in Burlington will shut down the part of the INTERVALE FOOD HUB program that consolidates local foods for weekly pickup or delivery to consumers. TRAVIS MARCOTTE, the nonprofit’s executive director, said the Food Hub will continue to sell some locally sourced products to wholesale accounts, such as the VERMONT FOODBANK and Sodexo US, which runs the University of Vermont’s dining services.

Currently, members of the Food Hub select from bundles or pick items from a weekly list that might include locally raised mushrooms, vegetables, dairy and meats; Vermont-crafted tofu and tempeh; or seafood fished sustainably in Alaska by a Vermont-based fisherman.

When the program launched 15 years ago, the Food Hub delivered orders to members’ workplaces, such as the UVM Medical Center. Home deliveries started in 2017. During the pandemic, demand skyrocketed, but it has since settled down to about 230 member orders per week, Marcotte said.

In Marcotte’s words, the original aim of the Food Hub was “to connect consumers and farmers in new ways and fill some of the gaps where smalland medium-scale farmers and food producers weren’t necessarily being

served well by [existing] infrastructure.” The nonprofit’s research showed that producers and consumers wanted more direct ways to reach one another.

A decade ago, when TONY NAPLES launched STARBIRD FISH, the Food Hub was critical to building his business, he said. It has remained a steady and significant account, bringing in about 15 percent of his total sales.

The recent email informing him of the program’s end “was surprising and sad,” Naples said. That news, combined with challenges selling through local retail outlets, is forcing Naples to rethink his operation.

“I will probably have to shift to direct-to-consumer [sales],” he said. “The Intervale enabled me to not do that.”

The Intervale Center’s decision reflects its shifting priorities, Marcotte said. The nonprofit will focus on efforts to address food access and insecurity; on water quality and climate change issues that affect agriculture; and on farm viability through its business planning team, which works with about 150 Vermont farms every year.

“As an organization looking to strengthen the food system,” Marcotte said, “it’s just a question of: Where are the greater needs in our community?”

Melissa Pasanen

sabich (an Israeli-style sandwich, $15) at the table next to mine looked great. So did the lavish Turkish Breakfast ($32), a tower of plates loaded with dips, jam, citrus, pickles, olives, deviled eggs, focaccia-like mana’eesh and a simit. And how could I forget the doughnuts (from $5)?

“We imagined all sorts of scenarios,” Chigazola Tobin later told me. The menu may look short compared to a diner’s multipage tome, “But it’s actually more options, in a way, because there are just so many ways you can do it.”

Maybe you’re in the mood for a spiced Turkish coffee ($4, made with beans from Vivid Coffee Roasters) and a saffronpistachio sticky bun ($6) — in and out in 15 minutes. Or perhaps you’d like a snack or two? Or the entire snack menu?

Based on observations during my single visit — and Chigazola Tobin’s advice — I came up with three ways to navigate a daytime meal at the Grey Jay. Don’t worry, they’re all hits.

Wing It

I’m not a morning person, even with the promise of brunch. Typically — and pretty boldly, for a place I knew would be busy — my husband and I rolled up to the Grey Jay at noon on a Saturday. It was packed, and I was expecting a long enough wait to run all my errands.

Cue my surprise when the host quoted 20 to 25 minutes for a table for two. Wait, that’s the wait? Replacing errands with a Church Street stroll, we killed 20 minutes easily before a text announced that our table was ready. The Grey Jay was still packed and accordingly loud when we returned. It was brunch, after all, and the tables were turning and burning.

For a first visit — and with just two of us — my planned strategy was to hit each category: a doughnut from the sweets section, crispy potatoes with hot pepper labne ($12) as a snack and classic brunch mains. I chose the eggs Benedict, which included the traditional poached eggs, spinach and hollandaise but was served on a much more interesting falafel base with a touch of tahini. My husband went for the tahini French toast ($14), a chunky slice topped with halva and subtly flavored with orange blossom. The mound of potatoes was probably more than we needed for a side, but their crispy edges and fluffy insides had us finishing them anyway.

The only downside to our midday risktaking was that we missed the doughnuts. Wildermuth’s sweet treats were a hot ticket at Honey Road’s takeout window in 2021, and it’s no different here: They were sold out. The cardamom banana bread ($4) was a lovely substitute.

We sat at a two-top table along a greenaccented banquette. The best seats in the house, Chigazola Tobin said, are the low bar seats along the huge front windows. During the week, if you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders walking from his parking spot in the back lot to his office.

The Grey Jay doesn’t take reservations, so planners may want to show up on the early side. But, with short waits and a menu full of things I’d happily eat, it works for procrastinators and those of us who prefer to sleep in, too.

Stick to the Nest

One way to ensure that you get the doughnuts — in flavors such as passion-fruitand-olive-oil-filled, glazed blood orangesumac, and apple butter old-fashioned — is to order a box on the Grey Jay’s website. Just as they did during the pandemic days of Honey Road’s takeout window, customers can preorder online and pick up a box filled with doughnuts or other pastries on weekend mornings. (Ordering opens at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday; supplies are limited.)

Wednesday through Friday, the Grey Jay’s takeout is ideal for lunch. The whole menu is available for online or in-person ordering, so you can take a falafel salad or lamb burger back to the office.

“I never imagined takeout being a big breakfast situation, except for the pastries and breakfast sandwich,” Chigazola Tobin said. “But lunch, that’s perfect stuff to go.”

In the Middle East, wraps full of falafel or shawarma are lunchtime on-the-go staples. “They’re messy,” she said with a laugh. “There’s so much tahini that it’s falling all over the place. But it’s so good.”

Bring the Flock

The ultimate Grey Jay experience, though, requires reinforcements. While I happily brunched with my husband, we watched in awe as the four-tops around us dove into their Turkish Breakfast towers, halloumi biscuits, maple-rose granola, kale salads, shakshouka, coffees, mimosas and Bloody Marys. That’s how to do it , I thought, turning only slightly green with envy.

Chigazola Tobin reassured me that two people could handle the Turkish breakfast, “if you were pretty hungry and that’s all you got.” But why sacrifice? When four people share, most of the menu is achievable in a single meal. And what is brunch if not an opportunity to catch up with friends, fill every inch of a table with food, and sip a boozy beverage or two? ➆

INFO

The Grey Jay, 135 Pearl St., Burlington, 495-2916, greyjayvt.com

Takeout lunch of a lamb burger, chicken shawarma and coffee

Turkish Breakfast tower, shakshouka, kale salad and boozy beverages

PHOTOS: JAMES BUCK

Heady Delights

Stowe’s Alchemist Beer Café pours a one-of-a-kind menu

BY MELISSA PASANEN • pasanen@sevendaysvt.com

During a recent visit to the Alchemist’s new beer café, my table of three was savoring the brewery’s bracingly tart Wild Child Kriek cherry sour and a mind-blowing, foam-crowned, cask-pulled version of Heady Topper when we noticed that the guests beside us were seated in a recycled church pew. Thirty feet above us, an artist hand-painted a ceiling mural.

The vestibule of the Stowe brewery is not quite the Sistine Chapel, but to beer lovers from around the globe, it is a holy place. Like pilgrims, they flock to the source of Heady Topper, the iconic, hazy double IPA that consistently ranks among the top beers in the world.

like that layer of CO2 in the can, preserving those essences and keeping the beer a little bit fresher for longer.”

The result is “a beer that is widely known and loved, but in a completely unique format,” Rumrill

said. bal descrip

Compared with canned Heady, the “standout difference is going to be the mouthfeel: It has a very creamy texture, very smooth,” he said. “There’s still all that classic, pithy citrus. It’s still beautifully balanced with those nice British malts … all the flavors you know and love in that extremely crushable body.

“Overall, it’s beautifully dank,” Rumrill concluded, using a descriptor from which Kimmich has never shied. Amen to that. ➆

shut-

From the 2016 opening of the Alchemist’s second production brewery until March 2020, visitors could sample three beers on tap, including Heady. The pandemic shut down allowed for a renovation. In late October, the café quietly launched with an extensive selection of Alchemist brews available nowhere else.

From Thursday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., the café offers its headliner cask-pulled Heady Topper ($5 for 12 ounces). Everything else comes in cans or bottles. Sixteen-ounce cans range from the well-known Focal Banger American IPA ($6) to the rare port barrel-aged Knuckle Dragger imperial milk stout ($15). Aged sours nurtured personally by Alchemist cofounder and head brewer John Kimmich include Wild Child Golden (from $30 for 375 milliliters) and Petit Mutant, made exclusively with wild yeast and Vermont sour cherries (from $25).

Limited “nibbly bits” include beer-cheese dip with bagged pretzels ($5) and capicola-and-Parmesan-stuffed pretzel rolls from Jeffersonville’s Two Sons Bakehouse ($8). Guests are encouraged to bring food from local restaurants and delis — and to make reservations. Those who don’t book ahead for the roughly 40 seats might luck into a standing table. A planned expansion will double capacity by fall.

The word “café” was a fallback, explained Alchemist marketer Shane Rumrill. Without a tap system, “We couldn’t call it a taproom,” he said. “Tasting room” was out because tastings are only offered during prebooked tours. “Bar” didn’t feel right for a spot dedicated to beer, though the menu includes a little wine, a couple batched cocktails (coming soon) and nonalcoholic beverages.

But who cares what it’s called when you can drink Heady there in a completely new and delicious way?

Since late 2011, the Alchemist’s flagship IPA has been sold almost exclusively in cans, which famously demand that you drink directly from them in order to retain aroma and flavor by reducing the beer’s exposure to oxygen. So, what’s with the glasses of Heady at the café?

Rumrill explained that the Heady served this way is slightly younger and less carbonated than batches destined for cans — and the action of pulling each beer from a caskerator generates a very dense, fine head. The large foam cap “acts

Shane Rumrill pulling a Heady Topper from the caskerator

The Alchemist Beer Café

A freshly poured Heady Topper

Rolling in Dough

Boxcar Bakery is on track in Essex Junction

BY JORDAN BARRY jbarry@sevendaysvt.com

After a busy first three months, Boxcar Bakery owners MK and Stacey Daley thought the first week of January would be slow. They were wrong. Apparently, their customers echoed the thinking behind our Bakery Month series: More pastries, please. And cakes. And flourless chocolate mousse-cake-pie-tortes. (I’ll explain that one later.)

The Daley sisters-in-law opened their bright retail bakery and café in a window-filled corner of Essex Junction’s new Park Street Apartments building in October. Since then, Boxcar has drawn dedicated regulars who stop in all day long — for morning croissants and coffees, afterschool cookies, or take-home treats.

“The community has been amazing,” Stacey said. “We don’t know what they did before. But they love us, and it’s an honor to be part of their daily lives.”

During my visits on consecutive Monday mornings, MK and the friendly front-of-house staff took several orders for “the usual,” though usually with an extra slice of cake from the new winter menu or a bonus peanut-butter-cup cookie.

As a new customer, I was wowed by the showy Boston cream croissant cups ($5); the long, delicate cinnamon twists ($3.25); and the plump ham-and-cheese croissants ($5.25). The latter are speared with tiny cornichons and easily the cutest croissants I’ve ever seen. I left covered in flaky crumbs, as one should when eating a well-made croissant. The ham and cheese — an early hit, Stacey said — offered a hearty smear of whole-grain mustard as a hidden surprise.

While Stacey, 47, now lives in Essex Junction, the cinnamon twist is a nod to her southern Vermont hometown. She grew up eating a puffpastry version from Chester’s now-closed Baba à Louis Bakery.

MK, 45, is originally from Milton and now lives in Richmond. “We love our Vermont roots,” she said.

That shows in Boxcar’s ingredients, which include King Arthur Baking flour, Cabot Creamery butter, produce from local farms, Vermont Artisan Coffee & Tea, and maple syrup from family friends at Templeton Farm in East Montpelier. The bakery also gives back, collecting donations for the Essex High School food drive and donating leftover pastries to Aunt Dot’s Place, a food shelf in Essex.

A fully staffed team of 10 helps Stacey and MK keep Boxcar running, from creating new drinks (try the peppermint matcha) to designing the cake menu. Thanks to their input and skills, Boxcar is now open every day except Tuesday, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Daleys are restaurant industry pros with complementary specialties: MK runs the front of house, and Stacey runs the kitchen. They previously worked together at Guild Tavern in South Burlington and Sweet Simone’s in Richmond. While technically sisters-in-law (Stacey married MK’s brother), they’ve known each other for 25 years.

“If she thinks I need a snack, she’ll tell me I need a snack,” MK said. “With that depth of friendship and sisterhood, I can tell when she needs a snack, too.”

Stacey is a “chocolate-chip-cookie-for-dessert person,” she said; Boxcar’s version is a little salty and doesn’t have too much chocolate, just how she likes it. MK’s current favorite is the chocolate-mousse torte — she recently brought home two slices to share with her wife and promptly ate both.

“That’s my hot ticket right now, but I can’t seem to get the name,” MK said with a laugh. “I ask customers, ‘Have you tried our flourless chocolate mousse-cake-pie-torte?’ Then I just point them to it.”

Whatever it’s called, I’ll have two, too. ➆

Owners MK (left) and Stacey Daley

Sara Casper holding a tray of maple-pecan sticky buns and cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting

PHOTOS: DARIA BISHOP

Ham-and-cheese croissants speared with cornichons

Mister Foods Fancy Offers Winter Takeout in Burlington

Instead of hibernating for the winter, MISTER FOODS FANCY has swapped its food truck for twiceweekly takeout from its prep kitchen in Burlington’s Old North End.

PAUL TROMBLY hit the road with his vegetarian food truck in June 2022, serving smothered crispy potatoes, broccolini tostadas, fried halloumi and curried falafel burgers at FOAM BREWERS, Truck Stop, Summervale, and other Burlington-area venues and events all summer long. From late January through April, a rotating menu of Mister Foods Fancy’s Middle Eastern-inspired, veggie-forward sandwiches, sides and sweet treats will be available for pickup on Wednesday and Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., at 336 North Winooski Avenue in Burlington. Additional weekend pop-ups are in the works.

“Essentially, it’s to help us get through the winter months,” Trombly said. “But after two days of doing it, [I can say] it’s nice not to have to load a truck. It’s just here.”

Customers can place day-of pickup orders online or in person; preorders are not available. The menu features both à la carte options and meal kits, which include a sandwich or main dish, two sides,

and a sweet. Trombly is also offering winter takeout memberships for the meal kits, with four- and 10-week subscriptions that resemble local farms’ pay-ahead CSA programs.

Mister Foods Fancy is not allowed to offer on-site dining in the prep kitchen, which occupies Unit 2 of the former Salvation Army building. The team has warmed up the front of its bare-bones space with a counter, chairs for waiting customers and a record player, but, Trombly said with a laugh, “It’s still maybe the strangest place you’ll ever get takeout.”

On Instagram: Seven Days: @7deatsvt; Jordan Barry: @jordankbarry; Melissa Pasanen: @mpasanen.

Jordan Barry

Snap

barbecue falafel burger, smothered crispy potatoes and veggie burger from Mister Foods Fancy

Paul Trombly

culture THEATER

Class Act

Town Hall eater and Middlebury College performers collaborate on Fun Home

BY COLLEEN GOODHUE

When the crisp fall air returns every September, so does the question Doug Anderson gets from his community members in Middlebury: “Have you chosen the winter musical yet?”

As artistic director of Town Hall Theater, Anderson has directed the popular Winter Term Musical, a collaboration with the Middlebury College Department of Music, for 15 years. During the fall term, student actors learn and rehearse the music with Middlebury faculty member Carol Christensen. In January, students — orchestra pit musicians and actors alike — leave campus to bring their talents to the community. The orchestra, conducted by Middlebury grad Ronnie Romano, has three short weeks to learn the music. All the students rehearse twice a day and, on a professional timeline, stage a high-quality musical at the historic downtown theater.

“I’m not sure any other small-town theater and college have this kind of cooperative venture,” Anderson wrote in an email to Seven Days.

The musicals have been so polished

that these January shows sell out fast. This year, tickets for the four-night run were snapped up in just 12 hours, Anderson said.

The rush may be partly due to homegrown enthusiasm. This year’s production, running Thursday, January 26, through Sunday, January 29, is Fun Home, the 2015 Tony Award winner for Best Musical. It’s based on Vermonter Alison Bechdel’s 2006 graphic memoir, Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic.

The memoir chronicles Bechdel’s experience as a young queer person growing up in a funeral home in rural Pennsylvania — as well as her complex relationship with, and growing understanding of, her father. The story touches on themes of queerness, gender identity and family dysfunction in a dark, sometimes humorous way.

“ Fun Home is the first musical to

foreground lesbian relationships,” Anderson said by phone.

Bechdel, who lives in Bolton, is also known for her now-retired comic strip, “Dykes to Watch Out For,” and the sometimes misunderstood Bechdel Test, a form of media criticism that asks whether a film features two women talking to each other about something other than a man.

Zack Maluccio, 22, is a senior theater and economics major from New Orleans who plays Bruce, Bechdel’s father, in this production of Fun Home. He learned of Bechdel when he read her graphic memoir as part of a first-year seminar at Middlebury College. He considers performing in the musical a full-circle moment in his education.

Anderson contextualized the play, Maluccio recalled, helping students born in the 2000s better understand the era in which the story takes place. They

learned that being out as a gay person in rural Pennsylvania in the 1980s “was a huge risk at the time, and one that usually didn’t pay o ,” Maluccio said. When the musical opened on Broadway, in spring 2015, “it was still before the Supreme Court had federally legalized same-sex marriage,” he added. “It is utterly unbelievable at times just how slow progress can be.”

For the Winter Term Musical, Anderson said he and Christensen select plays that are not only musically challenging but also tackle important topics.

“Musicals aren’t just escapist,” he said. “They deal with serious issues and are ahead of the curve as far as what’s happening in society. In these 15 years, we’ve educated the student body and the town of Middlebury. They’ve gotten a survey of why the musical matters.”

Jonathan Isham Jr., of Cornwall, has been to numerous Winter Term Musicals with his family over the years and said he bought Fun Home tickets the moment they became available. An economics and environmental studies professor at Middlebury, Isham believes the relevancy of the musicals is a draw for audience members.

He and his family appreciated seeing Les Misérables during the 2014 Ukrainian Revolution of Dignity, Ragtime in an era of racial justice protests and Company after the death of Stephen Sondheim, Isham said.

It’s special “that, in the dark of winter, there’s this beautiful performance over a few days,” he explained.

Other past Winter Term Musicals include The Light in the Piazza , Cabaret and Urinetown . Last year Maluccio portrayed Robert in Company and cherished the experience of performing downtown in Town Hall Theater.

“It’s an invaluable experience for a student to feel a connection to the town,” Maluccio said. Middlebury is a very “mysterious thing” for first-year college students, he explained. As he’s grown older and spent more time in the community, he’s fallen in love with the town and gotten to know more residents.

“I do credit Town Hall Theater as really bolstering that connection,” he added.

Maluccio also noted that some students show a lack of respect for the community at times and that it can take only “a few jerks” to sour opinions of the college.

“It can sometimes stain the relationship between college and community,” he said. “In a way, getting to do shows like this is this bridge.”

Anderson believes similar “friction” exists between residents and students in many small college towns. He lauds Middlebury College president Laurie

Doug Anderson

e student cast of Fun Home

COURTESY

IT’S AN INVALUABLE EXPERIENCE FOR A STUDENT TO FEEL A CONNECTION TO THE TOWN.

ZACK MALUCCIO

Patton for helping to ease Middlebury’s tensions since her inauguration in 2015. He noted that she often addresses community groups and encourages students to work and volunteer at local nonprofits.

Although there is an economic divide between lower-income residents and the students, who pay more than $60,000 a year in tuition, the town benefits from the college, Anderson said. In addition to being the town’s largest employer, the college fuels the local economy and

hosts a wide range of cultural experiences that are open to the public, including the Middlebury College Performing Arts Series.

Yet Anderson knows many people who won’t go to campus. “Somebody will say to me, ‘I had no idea there was so much talent up at the college’ because they literally haven’t been exposed to the students,” he said.

The Winter Term Musical is a chance for the students to come down the hill, he said. After each show, they remain onstage with the lights up to greet audience members. Anderson loves seeing the interaction between community members and students.

“It’s my proudest moment,” he said. ➆

culture

In two performances this weekend, the works of composer Erik Nielsen and poet Rajnii Eddins will celebrate the influence of African American artists and activists on U.S. history and culture. The compositions in “We’re All in This Together,” to be presented in Richmond and Montpelier, are connected by a longtime commitment to racial and social justice, the composer said. The works on the program are dedicated to people such as singer, dancer and civil rights activist Josephine Baker; baritone saxophonist Harry Carney, who played in the Duke Ellington Orchestra; and Breonna Taylor, a Black woman who was shot and killed by police officers in Louisville, Ky., in March 2020.

All Together Now

MUSIC

Nielsen, 72, studied composition at Bennington College and has composed opera, choral music, chamber music, orchestral pieces and solo work. In a phone conversation with Seven Days , the Brookfield resident called himself an “eclectic” composer influenced by the Renaissance, the Beatles “and everything in between.”

“I like to say that I’m a ‘kitchen-sink’ composer,” Nielsen said. “Everything including the kitchen sink goes into my music.”

Eddins, 42, a poet and teaching artist who lives in Burlington, said Nielsen asked him last year if he’d like to collaborate on the program. He plans to recite new, original poems that recognize the dedicatees of Nielsen’s music. He’ll also read work that speaks to a “larger theme of consistent, abundant and vital contributions of Black people’s work and energy that is too often undermined and overlooked or relegated to lesser value,” Eddins said.

Eddins’ readings will alternate with the performances of Nielsen’s compositions — five pieces for solo instruments and a quintet — by local musicians.

“There’s always power in the word itself,” Eddins said. “But I think, combined with music, it can give that language brand-new life in multiple dimensions that opens doorways to new altitudes of light that were unattainable before.”

Nielsen wrote the ensemble piece, “This Time,” in 2022 for the five instruments featured in the solo compositions: piano, violin, flute, tenor saxophone and baritone saxophone. He customized the piece for the tenor player, Dan Liptak, by writing parts for clarinet and bass clarinet, too.

Liptak, the band teacher at Crossett Brook Middle School in Duxbury, plays all three instruments in the one-movement quintet. “The cool thing about working

Vermont composer and poet offer music and words in celebration of Black culture

BY SALLY POLLAK • sally@sevendaysvt.com

with a living composer is that they can tailor what they write for the player,” Liptak, 36, said. “And this is a case in point.”

Due to the unusual instrumentation of the piece, Nielsen said he had “a little bit of trepidation about how well the instruments would work together.” He was concerned that the potential volume of the reed instruments might overwhelm the sound of others.

But the instruments “balanced out really well,” he said. The higher pitch of the violin and flute allows them to be heard.

Nielsen composes at the piano with pencil and paper. He uses this method for any instrument or combination of instruments he’s writing for.

“I’m a real old-school guy in that way,” Nielsen said.

He recently attended the first

Erik Nielsen

rehearsal of the quintet, which consists of Alison Cerutti (piano), Jane Kittredge (violin), Hilary Goldblatt (flute), Liptak (tenor saxophone, clarinet and bass clarinet), and Kyle Saulnier (baritone saxophone).

Such a session can be a “dangerous thing” for both composer and musicians, according to Nielsen. The composer could be anxious hearing his piece played live for the first time, and the players “don’t want the composer anywhere around,” Nielsen said. “They want to get in and get their hands dirty and make some sense of the piece.”

But this rehearsal was a “lovely” occasion, he said: “It’s very gratifying how hard [the players have] worked on it.”

African American music and musicians have interested Nielsen for decades, he said, from jazz to blues to popular releases on the Stax and Motown record labels. Some of his earlier work paid tribute to that influence, including a movement in his 2000 collaboration with writer David Budbill, the opera A Fleeting Animal But his recent compositions articulate more “overt” nods to Black music, Nielsen said.

“I’m not being imitative,” he said. “I’m conjuring from my own experience and from my background and from my listening background … those sounds from myself that are giving those pieces an identity.”

Several pieces in “We’re All in This Together” were written during the pandemic. Nielsen was particularly stirred by the recent period of racial reckoning in the nation, brought on by incidents of police violence against people of color.

“I felt that I needed to say something about what was going on,” Nielsen said.

In his three-movement piece for tenor sax, “Long Time Comin’,” the second movement is based on the rhythm of the speech that Martin Luther King Jr. delivered after the March 1965 civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala., Nielsen said. In that speech, King repeats the phrase: “How long? Not long.”

“It has this very musical cadence,” Nielsen said.

The other movements in “Long Time Comin’,” called “Funk” and “Swing,” are directly influenced by African American music, particularly jazz, Liptak said. He’ll play the piece at the upcoming shows.

“Harmonically,” he said, “you can almost picture a jazz quartet playing with the tenor saxophone on this.”

The program “is done in a really authentic way,” Liptak said. “It’s paying

homage to all of this music that we all love, but it has Erik’s spin on it.”

The sliding-scale admission to “We’re All in This Together” will benefi t the Clemmons Family Farm, a Black-owned farm in Charlotte. As Nielsen and Eddins look forward to the performances, both artists suggested that the very act of making and performing art can help build community and bring people together.

“I hope that people find inspiration and empowerment in the creative expression shared amongst the performers,” Eddins said. “And that it gives people some added insight into the need to work together, collectively, for justice and freedom and peace.” ➆

INFO

“We’re All in is Together,” Friday, January 27, 7 p.m., at Richmond Free Library and Saturday, January 28, 7 p.m., at Christ Episcopal Church in Montpelier. $25 suggested donation. eriknielsenmusic.com

I HOPE ... THAT IT GIVES PEOPLE SOME ADDED INSIGHT INTO THE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER, COLLECTIVELY, FOR JUSTICE AND FREEDOM AND PEACE.

RAJNII EDDINS

Art vandalism happens. The reasons vary: Some offenders get a thrill out of anonymous destruction, or they want to take an artist’s creations down a notch. Others just dislike the art on display. But sometimes art vandals are trying to make an impassioned point.

appreciation of compositional technique, and ultimately in what artists from Stieglitz to Piet Mondrian, when their techniques were met with harsh criticism for deviating from current norms, have referred to as the real purpose of art: evoking a bone-shaking truth in one’s soul,” he wrote.

ART

That was the case at Champlain College in Burlington over the holiday break. In the student-run Stair Nook Gallery, senior Jaime Klingsberg, a creative media major, had installed his final project for a class last semester on professional practices: a projection slideshow of 30 landscape images created using AI technology that he had modified.

Over the break, Klingsberg got an email from his professors and Champlain College Art Gallery director and curator Wylie Garcia: Someone had stolen the thumb drive from the projector and written “AI” in a circle with a slash through it in black marker on the wall where the images had been projected. A smaller message below it read: “AI IS THEFT!”

Klingsberg’s artwork was part of the class’ larger exhibition, called “Unconscious Imagination,” the rest of which was upstairs in the main gallery. To Klingsberg’s knowledge, his was the only work on display that used AI. Before the new semester began, staff painted over the vandalism and reinstalled the work as a laptop slideshow in the main gallery.

The issue of AI and art has recently seized widespread attention with the availability of open-source text-to-image generators — such as DALL-E, Stable Diffusion and Midjourney — that allow users to instantly create images from text prompts. These generators are trained on millions of text-image pairs drawn from the internet, many from art created by hand but stripped of attribution.

Klingsberg used Stable Diffusion, he said, installing it in a way that “gave me more freedom to tweak the settings and … some of the ways it reacts to the prompts.”

The student, who also draws, paints and composes electronic music, said he was “not totally surprised” by the vandalism.

“Especially recently, I’ve seen a lot of news about people being upset about AI art,” he said. “A lot of it [is] from artists. I sympathize with artists’ [claims that] people using AI are able to take other people’s ideas. But I think people do that with or without AI.”

In an opinion piece defending AI art that he wrote and seeks to publish, Klingsberg likened his position to Alfred Stieglitz’s 19th-century defense of photography as an art.

“My AI art is founded in my understanding and love for the history of art, my

Defacing the Issue

AI art exhibition vandalized at Champlain College

BY AMY LILLY • lilly@sevendaysvt.com

Garcia, director and curator since November 30, agreed that the vandalism incident “made sense.” AI is “definitely a hot-button topic,” she said, citing a recent Instagram trend in AI-generated self-portraits and “so many articles being written about this.”

Burlington City Arts will tackle the subject in an exhibition titled “Co-Created: The Artist in the Age of Intelligent Machines,” opening February 10, and a panel discussion on the ethical implications of AI on March 26.

Garcia, a painter who specializes in canvases filled with colorful flower blooms, said she doesn’t know enough about AI to be for or against it. Regarding the main objection about intellectual property theft, she noted that, as an artist, “the way I’ve gathered my info is through observation of other people’s work, things that are out there” — a process not far from AI training.

Klingsberg, who will graduate from Champlain with a fine arts degree, noted that his AI art is informed by his study of art history.

His landscapes, which range in style from painterly to photographic to fantasy-like, often feature a foregrounded human figure who surveys the scene with their back to the viewer — a compositional device known as a Rückenfigur. Klingsberg took a famous exemplar, Caspar David Friedrich’s 1818 painting “Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog,” and used the first three words of its title as a prompt to generate landscapes by the thousands. (Other prompts he used included “a bunch of text about symmetrical lines.”) He selected the best 30 for display.

“I think artists using AI have a responsibility to use it in a creative way,” Klingsberg said. Much of what is being made is “not interesting,” he continued. “There’s a lot of focus on making superrealistic things — on whether AI can make hands properly or a dog that looks like it’s doing what a normal dog does. [But] there are ways to use [AI] to create an interesting abstraction that’s artistic. That also takes a lot of work and technique.”

Garcia said the college is working on a response to the vandalism and the larger discussion of AI in creative output — a subject that affects many of Champlain’s students in game design, music and more.

“I feel badly that Jaime’s work was vandalized,” she said, “but at the same time it allows us to open up a conversation [about AI] and explore all sides of it. It’s important to stay curious around it.” ➆

The vandalized wall at Champlain College’s Stair Nook Gallery

AI art by Jaime Klingsberg COURTESY OF MAYA

IMAGES COURTESY OF JAIME KLINGSBERG

art

Drawing From the Past

At the Southern Vermont Arts Center, Gail Winbury’s abstract works invite reflection

BY AMY LILLY • lilly@sevendaysvt.com

The Elizabeth de C. Wilson Museum at the Southern Vermont Arts Center is imposingly lofty: Its main 3,000-square-foot exhibition space rises to a vaulted ceiling 40 feet overhead. Yet New Jersey artist Gail Winbury’s exhibition, “The Girl Who Drew Memories,” holds its own in the room with large-scale, mainly 48-by-60-inch abstract canvases on one side and 50 smaller collages on the other.

REVIEW

Winbury, a practicing psychologist and coach, has also been a full-time artist for the past 15 years and began showing her work in 2010. The oil paintings on view are the majority of a series of 15 made between 2018 and 2020 titled “The Other Side.” Each painting tackles a childhood memory and its accompanying mood and emotions, whether terrifying or blissful. The abstract expressionist works are large and gestural with an emphasis on color, and the paint is thickly applied, textured and scraped.

Winbury’s abstract collages were born of necessity: Her studio at a 2015 residency at the BAU Institute in Otranto, Italy, lacked running water, making brush cleanup difficult. So, she turned to available materials — art magazines, catalogs and masking tape — and began making collaged compositions. They grew to include tissue paper, beads and other materials.

Though technically a solo show, “The Girl Who Drew Memories” can more accurately be called a collaboration of Winbury and curator Alison Crites, the arts center’s manager of exhibitions and interpretive engagement.

Bringing her training in the latter specialty to bear, Crites asked seven local poets to spend four weeks writing a poem in response to a Winbury painting of their choice. The resulting poems are printed in a format nearly as large as the paintings and artfully taped beside the visual works that inspired them.

The poets — David Crews, James Crews (no relation), Robbi Hartt, Rachel Michaud, Charles Rossiter, Michelle Wiegers and Berta Winiker — worked on their poems without knowing much about Winbury or even the paintings’ titles. (The exception is David Crews’ poem “Door Open/ Space

Song” written in response to Winbury’s “Door Open”).

The result of this curatorial choice is that the viewer is engaged in several exercises at once: absorbing a visual work, interpreting a poem, deciding how the poem responds to the artwork and formulating one’s own response to the artwork. (Another pursuit might be judging whether the poems stand on their own despite being secondary to the art in this context.) This reviewer found the process challenging, but a free booklet reproducing the paired poems and paintings affords more leisurely study.

Winbury states in a short biographical film on view at the show that abstract art “has the capacity to communicate experiences that we can’t put into verbal language.” But poetry is different, the artist explained during a phone call.

“I think really good imagistic poets paint, too — with words,” she said.

According to her artist’s statement,

Winbury was impressed with the poets’ responses and even “wept at the beauty and poignancy” of their poems.

While giving Seven Days a tour of the show recently, Crites said of her curatorial choice, “Upon reflection, it was a huge leap of faith for both Gail and the poets” — that is, for Winbury to be so open to ceding interpretation of her work to poets, and for the poets to trust their own interpretations after being given little context.

Another work of literature inspired Crites to coin the exhibition’s title, “The Girl Who Drew Memories.” The phrase echoes the title of a Japanese fairy tale that was the artist’s favorite when she was a child: “The Boy Who Drew Cats,” which inspired the exhibition’s final painting, “Her Favorite Fairytale.” In the story, a boy shunned for drawing cats on walls ends up saving a community from the rat-ghoul that has been terrorizing them when his cat drawings kill the ghoul in the night.

Crites encourages viewers to write about their own favorite childhood stories at a “response station” — an old card catalog stand provided by Winbury, whose mother was a librarian. On it sits a copy of Winbury’s treasured book of Japanese tales. (Crites found the copy on eBay.)

Winbury whimsically labeled the stand’s 15 drawers with phrases such as “Open Me,” “King and Queen” and “Meow” and populated some drawers with vignettes using small figurines or cutouts. Viewers can deposit their written responses in drawers of their choice.

On the collage side of the exhibition, Winbury and Crites grouped her works thematically: “Family,” “Travel,” “Play” — even “Non-Representational,” though many of the collages could fit in that category. And Crites created a maker station stocked with materials where visitors can create their own collage postcards.

“Childhood” by James Crews and “Surrender” by Gail Winbury

Winbury’s use of the third person in her painting titles — “She Hid in Small Places,” “She Sat on His Shoulders,” “Her Sweater” — is meant to “allow viewers to enter the painting, to reflect on their own childhood memories,” Winbury said by phone.

It’s also a distancing mechanism. While her art making is therapeutic to a certain extent, this series was a way for Winbury to put some painful personal memories at arm’s length.

“It felt very good; I can talk about the paintings and the memories in a much more dispassionate way,” she averred.

Winbury even marshals materials to obscure those memories. In “The Fear Monger,” she used oil, cold wax, pigment stick and sumi ink to create a composition in which angular swaths of black outline and surround rough, vaguely figural shapes. In an artist’s statement that Winbury provided for an earlier exhibition of her “Other Side” series, she explains her use of cold wax, a dense paste: “Creating a veiled distance, cold wax reveals, distorts and shields history.” By layering and obscuring color and line, the statement continues, “it is as if truth is surely hidden or tucked away.”

Crites said she and Winbury decided not to make the exhibition about the artist’s personal history.

“It’s really important to her — an aspiration of her work — that others’ memories are evoked,” Crites explained.

Yet it surely does no harm to know, as Winbury revealed to Crites, that the blue slashes composing the face of one looming figure in “The Fear Monger” is a reference to Winbury’s memory of her father’s lips turning blue in anger. More vivid contextual details such as that one would have gone far to cement this intriguing painter’s works in visitors’ memories.

Gail Winbury, “The Girl Who Drew Memories,” is on view through February 25 at Elizabeth de C. Wilson Museum, Southern Vermont Arts Center, in Manchester.

NEW THIS WEEK

barre/montpelier

‘WHIR, CLANK, BEEP’: Artworks and assemblages by more than 30 artists that explore simple, complex and fantastic machines. KENNY HARRIS: “Envisivivarium,” a site-specific installation that presents the universality of mythology through illustrative, sculptural and theatrical experiences.

VERMONT SURFACE DESIGN ASSOCIATION: “Transformation: Material, Environment, Us,” fiber artwork by Sarah Ashe, Cari Clement, Judy Dales, Rosalind Daniels, Jennifer Davey, Elizabeth Fram, Eve Jacobs-Carnahan, Marya Lowe, Kris McDermet, Jane Quimby, Heather Ritchie, Leslie Roth, Dianne Shullenberger, Fern Strong, Sharon Webster and Betsy Wing . “Transformation” panel discussion: Friday, February 3, noon, with Dianne Shullenberger, Jane Quimby and Heather Ritchie; Leslie Roth facilitates. January 25-March 4. Free. Info, 479-7069. Studio Place Arts in Barre.

PATTY CORCORAN & MASON YOUNG: “Shared Spaces,” multimedia landscape paintings and abstract wood sculptures, respectively. Reception and artist talk: Friday, February 3, 4-8 p.m. January 31-March 24. Info, 262-6035. T.W. Wood Gallery in Montpelier.

stowe/smuggs

ESPERANZA CORTÉS: Sculptures, paintings and installations by the Colombian-born artist, whose work considers social and historical narratives, colonialism, and the politics of erasure and exclusion. Reception: Thursday, January 26, 5-7 p.m. January 26-April 8. Info, 253-8358. The Current in Stowe.

KATHY BLACK: “Expanding Universe, Collapsing Time,” paintings that incorporate landscape, still life, maps and writing to explore our changing understanding of the universe. Reception: Wednesday, February 1, 7 p.m. February 1-March 8. Info, 635-2727. Red Mill Gallery, Vermont Studio Center, in Johnson.

middlebury area

‘MAGENTA’: More than 50 local artists contribute works in this vibrant hue in a variety of mediums. Reception: Friday, January 27, 5-7 p.m. January 27-March 11. Info, 989-7225. Sparrow Art Supply in Middlebury.

‘PORTALS’: Photographs that feature an architectural element — a gate, doorway, window, mirror or tunnel — that frames, isolates or adds a new dimension to the image. Reception: Friday, January 27, 4-7 p.m. January 26-February 24. Info, photos@ photoplacegallery.com. PhotoPlace Gallery in Middlebury.

upper valley

JOHN R. KILLACKY: “Flux/Flow/Elegies,” an intermedia installation featuring three video pieces: a premier of one inspired by the Fluxus movement of the 1960s; a collaboration with choreographer Eiko Otake speaking to the artists’ dead mothers; and an abstract work with tears. Reception: Saturday, February 11, 7-8:30 p.m. February 1-28. Info, 295-6688. Junction Arts & Media in White River Junction.

ART EVENTS

ART SOCIAL: Artists and community members are invited to celebrate new shows: “Whir, Clank, Beep”; “Envisivivarium” by Kenny Harris; “Draw It”; and “Transformation: Material, Environment, Us” by the Vermont Surface Design Association. Performance by Sally Fox Jazz Trio. Masks are required. Studio Place Arts, Barre, Saturday, January 28, 3:30-5 p.m. Free. Info, 479-7069.

‘Snow Show’

If you’re a fan of the Hall Art Foundation who eagerly awaits its opening in the spring, your wait is over — early. This winter, one of the buildings on the Reading campus is open for a timely exhibition titled “Snow Show.” Even while rejoicing in the actual show of snow this week, flake aficionados can appreciate artistic renderings of the white stuff.

“Snow Show” is a modest exhibition of 11 paintings and one photograph. It’s almost a given that any Hall exhibition would feature international artists, and that is the case here: Swede Anna Bjerger; Tokyoborn, Los Angeles-based Yutaka Sone; German Georg Baselitz; Americans Neil Welliver, Lee Friedlander, Dan McCarthy and Neil Jenney; and the rather peripatetic Peter Doig, who was born in Scotland, formerly lived in Canada, currently lives in Trinidad and has traveled extensively. All but Welliver are living artists.

Sone, represented here by three paintings, might be called a conceptual descendant of Vermont’s Wilson “Snowflake”

Bentley. According to a gallery description, Sone took a homemade microscope and an assistant photographer to California ski resort Mammoth Mountain and methodically studied snowflakes and their patterns. Then, with a chilly palette of whites and blues, he painted variations of his own.

Sone’s 18-by24-inch “Untitled” depicts a very large snowflake and several smaller ones hurtling toward the viewer like asteroids, only prettier. A mountainscape with numerous trails appears in the background, beckoning skiers.

Doig’s painting “Alpine Hotel” could not be more different. Gallery text notes that his work frequently incorporates autobiographical details inspired by the many places the artist has lived or visited. This work includes a swath of brutalist architecture — referencing Le Corbusier — a mountainside and a shadowy figure at the bottom. Though painted in a sunny yellow, “the setting may be reminiscent of the

long Canadian winters of Doig’s childhood,” reads the gallery text. It offers this quote from the artist himself: “I often paint scenes with snow because snow somehow has this effect of drawing you inwards.”

Friedlander’s black-and-white photograph differs distinctly from his more characteristic urban scenes. “Tetons” features a snow-covered birch grove at close range and in overcast light. The netlike tangle of branches, frozen in a silver gelatin print, can read as an abstraction — or as a view privy only to an off-piste skier. “Friedlander seemingly encourages the audience to step into the frame, push the branches aside and explore what lies beyond,” the gallery surmises.

McCarthy’s painting “Wasatch” offers a somewhat more comical take on winter. As the gallery text notes, the New York artist’s works often feature “childlike, smiley-faced creatures that are slightly unsettling.” Here, a presumably human figure stands at the bottom of the picture plane, visible from the

chest up. He or she is encased in a brown hooded snowsuit and goggles — unless those are very large eyes. In the background, pointy mountains streaked with white ski trails jut into a pink sky.

The Hall Art Foundation presents these and other inventive takes on winter through February 26. “Snow Show” invites coming in from the cold.

"Untitled" by Yutaka Sone

FAMILY ART SATURDAY: All ages participate in a make-and-take art activity that connects with current exhibit “Bill McDowell: Roxham Road to North Elba.” Materials provided. BCA Center, Burlington, Saturday, January 28, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 865-7166.

OPEN STUDIO: Make art alongside other artists, socialize, get feedback and try out new mediums. No experience required; art supplies provided. Hosted by the Howard Center Arts Collective, whose members have experience with mental health and/or substance-use challenges. ONE Arts Center, Burlington, Monday, January 30, 12:30-2:30 p.m. Free. Info, artscollective@ howardcenter.org.

PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY: OLD, NEW & YOU: A drop-in event to demonstrate how traditional film is different than digital, with currently exhibiting photographers Paul Van de Graff and Gerald Davis. They share tips about how lighting affects portraits and how to take better portraits with a camera or phone. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, Saturday, January 28, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

TALK: GORDON HAYWARD: The painter and garden designer discusses design elements based on his book Art and the Gardener. Next Stage Arts Project, Putney, Sunday, January 29, 4 p.m. $10 suggested donation. Info, 387-0102.

TALK: MARCO YUNGA TACURI: The photographer discusses his project “Los Longos del Barrio: A Portrait Project About Ecuadorian Immigration” and images in the current exhibition. Vermont Center for Photography, Brattleboro, Thursday, January 26, 6 p.m. Free. Info, 251-6051.

VISITING ARTIST TALK: BETH CAMPBELL: Known for her drawings, sculpture and architectural interventions, the New York-based artist choreographs spaces, crafts uncanny objects and maps possible futures with text-based drawings and mobile forms. Red Mill Gallery, Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, Monday, January 30, 7-8 p.m. Free. Info, 635-2727.

ONGOING SHOWS

burlington

ART AT THE MALTEX: Paintings by Pievy Polyte, Shannon O’Connell, Nancy Chapman and Ashley MacWalters and photography by Brian Drourr and Robert Fahey. Through April 8. Info, 865-7296. The Maltex Building in Burlington.

BILL MCDOWELL: “Roxham Road to North Elba,” color photographs that challenge viewers to consider complex ideas around borders, migration, privilege and racism. Info, 865-7166. MATT LARSON: Acrylic paintings by the local artist. Info, 865-7296. VALERIE HIRD: “The Garden of Absolute Truths,” small interactive theaters, hand-drawn animated videos, paintings and drawings by the Burlington artist that utilize familiar childhood stories to examine current power inequities. Through January 28. Info, 865-7166. BCA Center in Burlington.

‘BLACK FREEDOM, BLACK MADONNA & THE BLACK CHILD OF HOPE’: Designed by Raphaella Brice and created by Brice and Josie Bunnell, this mural installed for Burlington’s 2022 Juneteenth celebration features a Haitian-inspired image of liberation. Through June 18. Info, 865-7166. ‘VOICES OF ST. JOSEPH’S ORPHANAGE’: An exhibition that tells the stories of former residents of the Catholic-run institution (1854-1974) and their accomplishments. A project of the St. Joseph’s Orphanage Restorative Inquiry and Vermont Folklife Center. Through February 18. Info, 863-3403. Fletcher Free Library in Burlington.

‘CONNECTIONS’: Howard Center Arts Collective presents an art installation of painted mailboxes and mosaics, inviting viewers to reflect on the benefits of old-fashioned mail delivery and to consider whether mailboxes have become relics of the past. Through July 31. Info, artscollective@howardcenter.org. Howard Center in Burlington.

KEILANI LIME: “Silver & Gold,” paintings on canvas with a metallic element that represents overcoming difficult times. Proceeds of sales go toward the costs of brain and spinal cord surgeries. In Honor Leather studio, Suite 103, by appointment. Through February 1. Info, 355-2855. The Vaults in Burlington.

‘LARGE WORKS’: A group exhibition of works measuring between two and six feet by artists of all ages working in all mediums. Through March 10. Info, spacegalleryvt@gmail.com. The Soda Plant in Burlington.

‘PROCESS’: A capstone exhibition of seniors in graphic design and visual communication at the college. Through January 30. Info, 865-8990. Champlain College Art Gallery in Burlington.

‘SMALL WORKS’: An exhibition of works 12 inches or smaller in a variety of mediums by local artists. Through January 27. Info, spacegalleryvt@gmail. com. The S.P.A.C.E. Gallery in Burlington.

‘UNCONSCIOUS IMAGINATION’: Eleven students from the Creative Media Professional Practices II class present their unique takes on dreams in a variety of mediums. Through January 30. Info, 865-8980. Champlain College Stair Nook Gallery in Burlington.

chittenden county

‘ABENAKI CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE VERMONT COMMUNITY’: A series of murals designed by Scott Silverstein in consultation with Abenaki artists Lisa Ainsworth Plourde and Vera Longtoe Sheehan and members of Richmond Racial Equity; the 10 panels celebrate the Abenaki origins of practices still important to Vermont culture. Through May 31. Info, radiate.art.space@gmail.com. Richmond Town Hall.

ART AT THE AIRPORT: Oil paintings of cows by Stephanie Bush and hand-cut paper scenes from the natural world by Adrienne Ginter Skywalk corridor. Through March 15. Info, 865-7296. Burlington International Airport in South Burlington.

BRECCA LOH & KRISTINA PENTEK: Abstracted landscape paintings and color photographs, respectively. Curated by Burlington City Arts. Through February 14. Info, 865-7296. JC WAYNE: “Oracle of Future Beauty,” eco-friendly palette-knife paintings and other mediums that express stories of unseen and seen energies in the natural world.

Artist talk: Sunday, January 29, 2-3 p.m. Through February 28. Info, poartryproject@gmail.com. Pierson Library in Shelburne.

EMILY BISSELL LAIRD: “Lake Stories,” an exhibition of 30 paintings, a photo collage using images from the artist’s grandmother’s journal from 1916, and video that all explore the holographic nature of time and place. By appointment. Through January 29. Info, 338-0695. High School Campus, Lake Champlain Waldorf School, in Shelburne.

MARVIN FISHMAN: A retrospective of 2D work in a variety of genres by the Charlotte artist. Through March 14. Info, gallery@southburlingtonvt.gov.

South Burlington Public Art Gallery.

MATT RUSSELL: “Chilltown Takeover,” architectonic perspective drawings in mixed media by the senior art and design major. Reception: Saturday, January 28, 5-6 p.m. Through February 3. Info, bcollier@ smcvt.edu. McCarthy Art Gallery, Saint Michael’s College, in Colchester.

CHITTENDEN COUNTY SHOWS » P.52

‘OUR COLLECTION: ELECTRA HAVEMEYER WEBB, EDITH HALPERT AND FOLK ART’: A virtual exhibition that celebrates the friendship between the museum founder and her longtime art dealer, featuring archival photographs and ephemera, a voice recording from Halpert, and quotations pulled from the women’s extensive correspondences. Through February 9. Info, 985-3346. Shelburne Museum.

PAUL VAN DE GRAAF & GERRY DAVIS: An exhibition of photographic portraits using a modern digital camera and 8-by-10-inch Deardorff film camera, respectively. Through January 28. Info, 846-4140. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall.

‘SILVER GLOW’: An annual winter exhibit featuring the works of 12 regional artists. Through January 31. Info, 985-3848. Furchgott Sourdiffe Gallery in Shelburne.

‘WELCOME BLANKET’: A collection of quilted, crocheted and knitted blankets handmade by community members to be gifted to new American neighbors. Immigration stories and welcoming messages from the makers are also on display. Through February 23. Info, 355-9937. Heritage Winooski Mill Museum.

barre/montpelier

HEIDI COMJEAN: Playful, nature-inspired folk art. Through February 9. Info, 225-6232. Filling Station in Middlesex.

JONI CLEMONS & TERRY J. ALLEN: New mixedmedia assemblages and porcelain tableware, respectively. Through February 14. Info, 456-8770. Adamant Co-op.

MEMBERS SHOWCASE: An exhibition of artworks by Karen Schaefer, Preya Holland, Paul Markowtz, JC Wayne and others. Through January 31. Info, info@ cal-vt.org. Center for Arts and Learning in Montpelier.

PHILLIP ROBERTSON & ED EPSTEIN: Relief prints and charcoal drawings, respectively, by the Vermont artists. Through February 28. Info, 229-6206. North Branch Nature Center in Montpelier.

RICHARD MOORE: “Urban Revision,” digital inkjet prints on birch bark. Through January 29. Info, 603-491-0943. The Front in Montpelier.

WAYA USDI: Digital art, pen and ink, and painting. Through February 13. Info, 479-0896. Espresso Bueno in Barre.

stowe/smuggs

ANDREA PEARLMAN: “Two Thousand Light Years From Home,” abstract oil paintings, drawings and hooked rugs that express plastic space, volume and movement. Through January 26. Info, 635-2727. Red Mill Gallery, Vermont Studio Center, in Johnson.

MEG MCDEVITT: “Iterations,” a solo show of drawings, sculptures and textiles by the Vermont artist and educator. Reception: Sunday, January 29, 2-3 p.m. Through March 11. Info, 646-519-1781. Minema Gallery in Johnson.

ROSS CONNELLY: “Protest,” black-and-white photos from demonstrations in Washington, D.C., 1967 through 1969. Through February 10. Info, 635-1469. Julian Scott Memorial Gallery, Northern Vermont University, in Johnson.

SCOTT LENHARDT: An exhibition of graphic designs for Burton Snowboards created since 1994 by the Vermont native. Through October 31. Info, 253-9911. Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum in Stowe.

mad river valley/waterbury

KIMBERLY HARGIS: “Close to Home: Photography From a 30-Mile Radius,” images from the natural world and human community around Thetford. Through March 31. Info, 244-7801. Axel’s Frame Shop & Gallery in Waterbury.

MIREILLE CLAPP: A retrospective of artworks by the late artist and mechanical/industrial engineer, featuring mixed-media wall sculptures and

freestanding abstract pieces of welded metals. Through March 25. Info, 496-6682. Mad River Valley Arts Gallery in Waitsfield.

middlebury area

FROBERTAN (FRAN BULL AND ROBERT BLACK): “We’re All at a Party Called Life on Earth,” a carnivalesque art installation of painted sculptures that celebrates humanity, harmony and diversity. Through February 18. Info, 382-9222. Jackson Gallery, Town Hall Theater, in Middlebury.

SARA KATZ: “Inner Landscapes,” new abstract paintings that explore botanical forms. Through January 31. Info, 458-0098. Edgewater Gallery at the Falls in Middlebury.

‘SOLACE’: Artworks by Anne Cady, Bonnie Baird, Jessica Parker Foley, Chelsea Granger, Julia Jensen, Hannah Sessions, Pamela Smith, Susanne Strater and Carla Weeks that respond to the question, “What do you turn to?” Through January 31. Info, 877-2173.

Northern Daughters in Vergennes.

CALL TO ARTISTS

2024 SOLO EXHIBITION

PROPOSALS: AVA’s exhibition committee of artists, art curators and art professionals seek proposals for solo shows from artists with strong connections to New Hampshire, Vermont and the greater New England region. Details at avagallery. org. Deadline: March 31. AVA Gallery and Art Center, Lebanon, N.H. $50. Info, 603-448-3117.

‘ALL THE FEELS’: The S.P.A.C.E. Gallery in Burlington invites artists to submit work that exudes emotion for a February 3 to March 25 exhibition. How do you feel during the creation process? Does the content of your work bring joy, angst, humor? We all want to feel connected and artwork bridges many paths. Apply at spacegallervt.com. Deadline: January 28. Online. Info, spacegalleryvt@gmail.com.

‘BEACON OF LIGHT’: This social commentary exhibit invites artists to challenge viewers to consider our day, our options and what our country represents or could embody moving forward. Show dates: March 15 to April 29. Deadline: January 28. Details at studioplacearts.com. Studio Place Arts, Barre. $10; free for SPA members. Info, submissions. studioplacearts@gmail.com.

‘BOTANICAL’: PhotoPlace Gallery is looking for images created in the landscape, garden or studio that capture the spirit and character of plants, as well as our intimate connection to the plant world. All capture methods and processes are welcome. Juror: Lee Anne White. Details and application at photoplacegallery.com. Deadline: February 13. Online. $39 for first five images; $6 each additional image. Info, photos@photoplacegallery.com.

CREATIVE SECTOR GRANTS, ROUND 2: Awards of up to $200,000 are available to creative sector organizations and businesses, including sole proprietors that can

rutland/killington

JUST IMAGINE: A HOLIDAY GIVING MARKET: Handcrafted wares including pottery, stained glass, jewelry, photography, ornaments, dolls and original works by more than 30 Vermont artists. Through January 29. Info, 247-4956. Brandon Artists Guild.

MEMBERS’ EXHIBIT: Works in a variety of mediums fill the mansion in themed galleries: “Resolutions,” “Frozen” and “Breathe Deep.” Through March 3. Info, 775-0356. Chaffee Art Center in Rutland.

upper valley

ABRAHAM DUNNE: “Finds on a Hartland Farm,” relics compiled by the Sharon Academy freshman. Through March 31. Info, info@mainstreetmuseum.org. Main Street Museum in White River Junction.

‘I NEVER SAW IT THAT WAY: EXPLORING SCIENCE THROUGH ART: This self-curated exhibition of mixed-media works by artists, sculptors, photographers and crafters on the museum staff considers science from fresh perspectives. Through January 31. Info, 649-2200. Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich.

demonstrate economic harm caused by or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Funding amounts are based on 2019 operating revenue and can be used for any regular operating expenses, such as payroll and benefits, utilities, rent, and insurance. Details and application at vermontartscouncil.org. Deadline: February 28. Online. Info, 402-4409.

CVRAN 2023 MARCH ARTS MARATHON: The Central Vermont Refugee Action Network invites artists to commit to a daily creative practice making paintings, sculptures, photographs, drawings, fabric art or other. The artists’ sponsors receive daily copies of the artwork. Funds raised help CVRAN assist 19 asylum seekers and nine Afghan refugees with housing, living expenses and legal fees. Sigh up at cvvran.org. Online. Through February 28. Free. Info, nicolamorris@mac. com.

DIANE GABRIEL VISUAL ARTIST

AWARD: Burlington City Arts announces the opening of the application period for this annual award provided by the family of the late Burlington artist (1947-2017). The awardee receives a prize valued at $2,500, with their work showcased via BCA promotion and social media. Details and application at burlingtoncityarts.org. Deadline: March 17. Online. Info, jobrien@ burlingtoncityarts.org.

‘HOW YOU SEE IT’: The gallery is hosting a fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Club of Vergennes and is accepting submissions for an exhibit of work from artists under the age of 18. Each artist can submit up to three pieces of either 8-by-10 inches or 12-by-16 inches in size. Rolling submission through February 17; drop off at the gallery. Northern Daughters, Vergennes. Free. Info, 877-2173.

KATIE ROBERTS: Artworks in a variety of mediums by the nature artist, who is inspired by plants, animals and weather. Through February 28. Info, 359-5000. Vermont Institute of Natural Science in Quechee.

MEMBERS HOLIDAY PRINT SHOW: Prints by studio members, original prints on handmade greeting cards and small matted prints for sale. Also online at tworiversprintmaking.org. Through January 30. Info, 295-5901. Two Rivers Printmaking Studio in White River Junction.

RICH FEDORCHAK: “Other Worlds,” mixed-media collage and video art that explores a utopian future and the role of art in healing the violence of the 21st century. Through January 31. Info, 295-6688. Junction Arts & Media in White River Junction.

northeast kingdom

‘COMING CLEAN’: An exhibition that considers bathing practices throughout time and across cultures, including religious immersion and ritual purification, bathing as health cure, methods of washing in extreme environments, and much more. All kinds of bathing and scrubbing implements are on display.

‘ONE + ONE IS MORE THAN TWO’: This show is about multiple artworks by an artist that relate to each other as a group, in some cases using repetition of pattern, form, shape, color and comparative imagery. Show dates: May 10 to June 24. Deadline: March 25. Details at studioplacearts. com. Studio Place Arts, Barre. $10; free for SPA members. Info, submissions.studioplacearts@gmail. com.

RFQ FOR STOWE STREET

ALLEY: Revitalizing Waterbury and a host of volunteers have been working for more than a year to reclaim and transform an alley that is central to Waterbury’s historic downtown district. The committee is looking for artists to create a medallion and a gateway to the alley; deadlines are April 1 and March 15, respectively. Details at revitalizingwaterbury.org. Online. Free. Info, karen@revitalizingwaterbury.org.

‘SPARK!’: The Birds of Vermont Museum’s 2023 art show seeks works that tell the story of your spark as it relates to birds, birding, conservation, science, art, love or something else. Up to three works of art in almost any media, by new or returning artists of any age, may be submitted. Details at birdsofvermont.org. Deadline: March 20. Online. Info, museum@ birdsofvermont.org.

VERMONT STUDENT WILDLIFE ART CONTEST: The second annual contest and exhibition is open to all Vermont students in grades 7-12. The top 40 entries will be exhibited at the Highland Center for the Arts in Greensboro; 10 of those will be awarded cash prizes. Details and application at vtwildlifeeducationfund. org. Deadline: March 17. Online.

VERMONT WATERCOLOR SOCIETY: Members are invited to submit works on the theme of “Emergence” for a juried spring exhibition at the Emile A.

Gruppe Gallery. Nonmembers may join the association and submit, as well. Details and entry form at vtwatercolor.org. Deadline: February 28. Online. Info, 673-8087.

‘WHAT MAKES A LAKE?’: Another Earth is seeking submissions from Vermont artists and current or former residents of photography, cyanotypes, drawings, writing, video stills, field recordings and historical images that are in some way connected to Lake Champlain. Those accepted will be included in a visual guide to what makes a lake, published in spring 2023. Details and submission instructions at another-earth.com. Online. Through January 31. Info, anotherearthsubmissions@gmail. com.

‘THE WONDER OF LIGHT’: The gallery is soliciting artwork for a February exhibit that depicts the strong influence of light: highlights, shadow, dramatic effects, mood. Any medium is acceptable. Interested artists can submit two images for consideration at melmelts@yahoo.com. Deadline: January 30. The Satellite Gallery, Lyndonville. $20. Info, melmelts@ yahoo.com.

WRIF

EMERGING

FILMMAKERS: In March, the 18th White River Indie Film festival will precede feature films with selected shorts. All self-identifying emerging filmmakers who are residents of Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine or Québec are eligible to submit. Those selected will be notified of screening date/time prior to the festival. Three will be awarded cash prizes. Details and submission form at uvjam.org. Deadline: March 4. Online. Free. Info, 295-6688.

Through April 30. Info, 626-4409. The Museum of Everyday Life in Glover.

LARRY GOLDEN: “Larger Than Life,” nude figure studies by the Northeast Kingdom artist and educator. Hanging mosaic lamps by Mary Tapogna highlight the work. Through January 30. Info, 229-8317. The Satellite Gallery in Lyndonville.

OPEN AIR GALLERY: Outdoor sculptures by 14 area artists line a 1.8-mile trail open to cross-country skiers and snowshoers. Through March 26. Free. Info, 533-2000. Highland Center for the Arts in Greensboro.

VICTORIA MATHEISEN: Recent landscape paintings in oil. Through March 8. Info, 525-3366. Parker Pie in West Glover.

‘WINTER BLOSSOMS’: Floral art by Benjamin Barnes, Sachiko Yashida Zahler and Robert Chapla. Through February 25. Info, 748-0158. Northeast Kingdom Artisans Guild Backroom Gallery in St. Johnsbury.

brattleboro/okemo valley

‘WE FEEL OUR WAY THROUGH WHEN WE DON’T KNOW’: A group exhibition of works by Mariel Capanna, Oscar Rene Cornejo, Cheeny CelebradoRoyer, Vessna Scheff, Gerald Euhon Sheffield II and Lachell Workman, guest-curated by Michael Jevon Demps, that address themes of community, memory, dissonance, displacement, intimacy and loss. Through February 12. ALISON MORITSUGU: “Moons and Internment Stones,” watercolor paintings of rocks gathered by the artist’s grandfather while he was imprisoned at the Santa Fe Internment Camp during World War II paired with oil paintings of the moon. Through February 12. JUDITH KLAUSNER: “(De)composed,” sculptures of objects usually considered ruined, meticulously crafted from a

child’s modeling medium, expressing a reevaluation of the under-appreciated. Through March 4. MADGE EVERS: “The New Herbarium,” works on paper using mushroom spores and plant matter as artistic mediums. Through February 12. OASA DUVERNEY: “Black Power Wave,” a window installation of drawings by the Brooklyn artist, inspired by images of Chinese Fu dogs, the cross and the Yoruba deity Èsù. Through May 6. RENATE ALLER: “The Space Between Memory and Expectation,” an immersive installation of large-format photographs of mountains, glaciers, trees, ocean and other natural landscapes, plus an assemblage of lichen-covered rocks from the West Brattleboro home of artists Wolf Kahn and Emily Mason. Through February 12. Info, 257-0124. Brattleboro Museum & Art Center.

‘HEROES & VILLAINS’: Artwork by Clare Adams, Thomasin Alyxander, Debi A. Barton, Jean Cannon, Len Emery, Mindy Fisher, Corinne Greenhalgh, Gregory Damien Grinnell, Su Lin Mangan, Charles Norris-Brown, Gretchen Seifert and Linda Udd. Through March 4. Info, 289-0104. ‘IN AWE, COEXISTENCE AND MINDFULNESS OF LIFE’: An exhibition of paintings by Vermont artists Judy Hawkins, Carol Keiser and MC Noyes. Through February 11. Info, artinfo@canalstreetartgallery. com. Canal Street Art Gallery in Bellows Falls.

JAMES MULLEN: “Luminous Edge,” 72 vignette paintings from the artist’s “Pilgrim” series that investigate iconic sites of the 19th-century American landscape. Reception: Friday, January 27, 4:30-6:30 p.m. Through March 3. Info, 387-6249. Michael S. Currier Center, Putney School.

‘SNOW SHOW’: Paintings in a winter theme by eight artists in the Hall collection. Through February 26. Info, info@hallartfoundation.org. Hall Art Foundation in Reading.

manchester/bennington

GAIL WINBURY: “The Girl Who Drew Memories,” large-scale abstract paintings and collage. Through February 25. Info, 367-1311. Southern Vermont Arts Center in Manchester.

randolph/royalton

‘CREATIVE COLLABORATION: THE ART OF DEBORAH AND MICHAEL SACKS’: Printmaking and photography by the married artists. Artists’ talk: Sunday, February 19, 2 p.m. Through March 19. Info, 889-9404. Tunbridge Public Library.

VERMONT ARTISTS GROUP SHOW: Thirteen featured artists present paintings, drawings, photography, basketry and more. Through January 29. Info, artetcvt@gmail.com. ART, etc. in Randolph.

online

‘ACTION FIGURES: OBJECTS IN MOTION’: A virtual exhibition from the Shelburne Museum that explores the theme of movement and action in art. Through April 30. Free. ‘RIGHT UNDER YOUR NOSE’: The Shelburne Museum presents children’s printed textiles from the collection of J.J. Murphy and Nancy Mladenoff, featuring 21 playful, colorful handkerchiefs with motifs including insects, alphabets, circus clowns, shadow puppets, the solar system and a lumberjack beaver. Through May 13. Info, 985-3346. Online.

outside vermont

‘UNCONDITIONAL’: A group exhibition about dogs and other beloved pets. Reception: Friday, February 3, 4-5:45 p.m. Through February 11.

15TH ANNUAL HIGH SCHOOL EXHIBITION: Ceramics, drawing, mixed media, painting, photography, sculpture and wearable art by students from 14 schools in Vermont and New Hampshire. Awards chosen by Matt Neckers of Eden, Vt. Awards celebration: Friday, January 27, 4:30-6 p.m. Through February 10. Info, 603-448-3117. AVA Gallery and Art Center in Lebanon, N.H.

‘DIANE ARBUS: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1956-1971’: Nearly 100 black-and-white prints shot by the late American photographer primarily around New York City.

Through January 29. ‘SEEING LOUD: BASQUIAT AND MUSIC’: The first large-scale multimedia exhibition devoted to the role of music in the work of the innovative American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, organized in collaboration with the Philharmonie de Paris museum. Through February 19. ‘VIEWS OF WITHIN: PICTURING THE SPACES WE INHABIT’: More than 60 paintings, photographs, prints, installations and textile works from the museum’s collection that present one or more evocations of interior space.

Through June 30. Info, 514-285-2000. Montréal Museum of Fine Arts.

NELSON HENRICKS: Immersive video installations by the Montréal artist in which visual and sound editing create a musical dynamic, and which explore subjects from the history of art and culture. Through April 10. Info, 514-847-6226. Montréal Museum of Contemporary Art.

PARK DAE SUNG: “Ink Reimagined,” 23 ink paintings, some on view for the first time in the U.S., by the renowned Korean artist; curated by Sunglim Kim, Dartmouth College associate professor of art history. Through March 19. Info, 603-646-3661. Hood Museum, Dartmouth College, in Hanover, N.H. ➆

music+nightlife

S UNDbites

News and views on the local music + nightlife scene

BY CHRIS FARNSWORTH

Puttin’ on the Ritz

Being the music editor can occasionally feel a little like being Sloth from The Goonies. If you’re not familiar with the 1985 RICHARD DONNER-directed classic, there’s a character named Sloth that the bad guys keep chained up in a basement, feeding him Baby Ruth candy bars to placate him.

Now, there are certainly no bad guys chaining me up (unless you count student debt — hiyo!) and my coworkers thankfully stopped throwing candy at me after a stray Snickers bar killed the o ce iguana, Queen Elizardbeth. (I’m kidding, we don’t have an o ce iguana — anymore.)

Still, whenever I creep out from my nocturnal desk, squinting at the sun and hissing at the sounds of birds, to cover something slightly out of my normal bounds as a music journalist, it feels a little like the uncultured side of the culture team has been unleashed.

Case in point: Last week, our intrepid and highly sophisticated food writer Melissa Pasanen let me ride shotgun as she journeyed to Burlington’s South End to check out the Paradiso Hi-Fi Lounge, the newest venture from Dedalus Wine Shop founder Jason Zuliani. The place serves a lot of functions, with tasty food and killer cocktails (and a Miller High Life on the menu for

lowbrows, such as myself), but its real draw is its stateof-the-art sound system and vintage vinyl collection. Be sure to check out Pasanen’s piece in next week’s issue to get all the details and hear about our night at Paradiso!

Maybe it was the venison tartare, maybe it’s just the creeping hand of age turning the hair around my temples gray, but all that high-society living made me feel like taking Soundbites on a classier run this week. And it doesn’t get much classier in these parts than the VERMONT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, which performs a show titled “Electric Dreams” on Saturday, February 4, at the Flynn Main Stage in Burlington.

The event o ers a wildly varied program conducted by ANDREW CRUST. The Lima Symphony Orchestra music director is the VSO’s final candidate in its search for its own music director.

The evening begins with a performance of Canadian composer JOCELYN MORLOCK’s Oiseaux bleus et sauvages, a symphonic showcase for the flute, and also features the Vermont premier of Ficciones Composed by Latin Grammy Award winner ROBERTO SIERRA and inspired by a short-story collection of Argentinean writer and poet JORGE LUIS BORGES, the piece was actually co-commissioned by the VSO. At the heart of the music of Ficciones is a virtuoso solo from six-string electric violinist TRACY SILVERMAN. The New York-based musician is considered the world’s foremost expert on his instrument. He

was called “the greatest living exponent of the electric violin” on BBC Radio and has been lauded by composers such as TERRY RILEY and Grammy Award winner JOHN ADAMS.

The night wraps up with a performance that the

VSO describes as “one of the most passionate and profound works in the Romantic orchestral repertoire.” The orchestra will perform Russian composer PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY’s Symphony No. 5, a work early American reviewers once considered too violent, or even crude. I won’t reach back over a century to argue with the fine folks at the Musical Courier or the Boston Evening Transcript (who labeled the symphony “pandemonium” upon hearing it in 1892), but I think it’s safe to say that ol’ P-Tchaik got the last laugh.

Pop over to flynnvt.org for tickets and more information on the VSO’s performance of “Electric Dreams.”

Organized Chaos

I know one classical concert isn’t exactly o setting the 10 or so GRATEFUL DEAD tribute nights that happen every week in the local music scene, so don’t worry: I’ve got even more high-class music for those in search.

One of the absolutely coolest venues in the state is Brattleboro’s Epsilon Spires. The converted church hosts a regular event called the Lunchtime Pipe Organ Series, which invites an assortment of musicians to play the venue’s majestic Estey pipe organ, which was built right in Brattleboro in 1906 at the Estey Organ factory. (In addition to that series, the venue also often invites musicians to score classic films on the organ, such as a live version of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1929 thriller, Blackmail, planned for March 18.)

For the lunch series, DR. JUSTIN MURPHY-MANCINI takes the seat at the old Estey on Wednesday, February 1, at noon for a truly wide-ranging organ performance. Starting with 17th-century composer DIETERICH BUXTEHUDE and moving through the works of Franco-Lebanese organist NAJI HAKIM and American EMMA LOU DIEMER, Murphy-Mancini explores medievalstyle poetic forms “with an emphasis on timbre as the meaning-generating dimension of the music,” according to his press release.

“Every piece on the program is a set of variations of one kind or another, allowing for the instrument’s great variety to be communicated by composers throughout history,” the Massachusetts-based musician wrote. “The concert will show o the many di erent colors and sound combinations possible only on the organ.”

Note to those visiting Epsilon Spires in the winter for the first time: The old church is heated by an environmentally friendly system. While most of the church is cozy enough, the sanctuary, where the organ series is held, is kept at a lower temperature to protect

Tracy Silverman

Dr. Justin Murphy-Mancini

the vintage instrument. So be sure to wear layers at the show, people!

Don’t get me wrong: I’ll be right back in a dark club packed with undulating bodies full of booze and narcotics before too long. It’s my element, after all. But, thankfully, Vermont’s music scene is wildly varied and unpredictable. It pays to remember that and step out of your comfort zone occasionally to catch live music you might not otherwise. Just maybe iron that shirt before you go out, all right?

BiteTorrent

Two folk-rock acts from Rutland are making longdelayed returns to the stage. GEORGE NOSTRAND’s band, GEORGE’S BACK POCKET, and PHIL HENRY AND THE NEWS FEED are playing on Saturday, February 4, at the West Rutland Town Hall. The venue last hosted both bands

in February 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down live music.

“The 2020 show seems like a decade ago,” said Nostrand, who also operates A Sound Space, a Rutlandarea recording studio and rehearsal space. “I think we’re at the point where it’s important for people to get out and experience live music again.”

It will be a welcome return to the stage for both bands.

The 2023 Farmers Night Concert Series has kicked o at the Vermont Statehouse. Taking place right in our fair state’s house of government, the series features live music, comedy and spoken-word performances every Wednesday night through mid-April, and admission is free.

On January 25, the series hosts YOUNG TRADITION VERMONT, a collection of young musicians playing an assortment of folk music. The Vermont Symphony Orchestra performs on February 1. For the full list of acts and more information, visit legislature.vermont. gov. ➆

Phil Henry and the News Feed

CLUB DATES music+nightlife

live music

WED.25

Bluegrass & BBQ (bluegrass) at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Crooked Coast (rock) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

Jazz Night with Ray Vega (jazz) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

Jazz Sessions with Randal Pierce (jazz open mic) at the 126, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

J.D. Tolstoi (funk, jam) at Bent Nails Bistro, Montpelier, 7:30 p.m. Free.

Live Jazz (jazz) at Leunig’s Bistro & Café, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Lotus (jam) at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, 8 p.m. $25/$30.

Nostranders, Phantom Suns (rock) at Monkey House, Winooski, 8 p.m. $5/$10.

Wednesday Night Dead (Grateful Dead covers) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7 p.m. $5.

THU.26

Acoustic Ruckus (bluegrass) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 8 p.m. Free.

Alex Stewart Quartet and Special Guests (jazz) at the 126, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

AliT (singer-songwriter) at Filling Station, Middlesex, 6 p.m. Free.

Christopher Peterman Quartet (jazz) at the Venetian Soda Lounge, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free. Crooked Coast (reggae, rock) at Pickle Barrel Nightclub, Killington, 8 p.m. $10/$15.

D Davis & Bob Wagner (blues, folk) at Hugo’s Bar and Grill, Montpelier, 7 p.m. Free.

Danny Coane & the Statehouse Bluegrass Band (bluegrass) at Bent Nails Bistro, Montpelier, 7:30 p.m. Free.

Elizabeth Begins (singersongwriter) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 6 p.m. Free.

Fabulous Wrecks (covers) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 5 p.m. Free.

Grace Palmer and Socializing for Introverts (rock) at Red Square, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

Jon Spencer & the HITmakers, Bloodshot Bill (garage rock) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $17/$20.

Neighbor (jam) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 7 p.m. $20.

The Owl Stars (folk) at Black Flannel Brewing & Distilling, Essex, 6 p.m. Free.

People I Love, Fish Hunt, Lily Seabird (solo) (indie rock) at Monkey House, Winooski, 8 p.m. $5/$10.

Sam Atallah (jazz) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

Creature Feature

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.

Please contact event organizers about vaccination and mask requirements.

TUE.31

Free.

Big Thief, Buck Meek (indie rock) at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, 8 p.m. $35/$40.

Bluegrass Jam (bluegrass) at Taps Tavern, Poultney, 7 p.m. Free.

Breanna Elaine (singersongwriter) at Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Waitsfield, 5 p.m. Free.

Dead Set (Grateful Dead tribute) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 7 p.m. $10.

Honky Tonk Tuesday with Pony Hustle (country) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 9 p.m. $10.

Jo Squared (acoustic) at Bent Nails Bistro, Montpelier, 7:30 p.m. Free.

WED.1

Bluegrass & BBQ (bluegrass) at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Brooklyn’s SUNDUB combine classic reggae grooves with horn-powered soul to create a sound that is highly danceable and rarely predictable. The quintet formed after its members met at a weekly reggae night residency. Following their 2019 dub-infused debut, Burden of Love, they released last year’s Spirits Eat Music The latter displayed impressive range as the band incorporated jazz and R&B into its songs and collaborated with the likes of Jamaican singer Lutan Fyah and Morgan Heritage’s Peetah Morgan. SunDub play the Higher Ground Showcase Lounge in South Burlington on Saturday, January 28, with local support from the REFLEXIONS and ANDY LUGO

FRI.27

Andy Pitt, Bad Luck Bliss (singersongwriter, rock) at Bent Nails Bistro, Montpelier, 7 p.m. Free.

Bob Gagnon (jazz) at Jericho Café & Tavern, 7 p.m. Free.

Chris Lyon Band (folk) at Moogs Place, Morrisville, 8:30 p.m. Free.

Dave Mitchell’s Blues Revue (blues) at Red Square, Burlington, 2 p.m. Free.

The Dirty Looks Band (covers) at the Old Post, South Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

Footworks, the Red Newts (Celtic, country) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 6 p.m. Free.

Jiggawaltz (funk, rock) at Monopole, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 p.m. Free.

Kristian Montgomery and the Winterkill Band, A Day Without Love (country) at the Underground, Randolph, 8 p.m. $15. Info, 431-6267.

Local Songwriters Show (singer-songwriter) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7 p.m. Free.

Monachino, Jarrett & Hill (country) at Hugo’s Bar and Grill, Montpelier, 7 p.m. Free.

Neighbor (jam) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 7 p.m. $20.

On Tone Music (singersongwriter) at Taps Tavern, Poultney, 6 p.m. Free.

Peter Wayne Burton (DJ) at Gusto’s, Barre, 6 p.m. Free.

Shane Murley Band (folk, rock) at Stone Corral, Richmond, 7 p.m. Free.

Toast (covers) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 9 p.m. Free.

Tom Caswell (blues) at Red Square, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

Troy Millette & the Fire Below (folk rock) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

Vermont Bluegrass Pioneers (bluegrass) at Whammy Bar, Calais, 7 p.m. Free.

Xander Naylor (jazz) at Bleu Northeast Kitchen, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. Free.

The Zoo (covers) at Pickle Barrel Nightclub, Killington, 8 p.m. Free.

SAT.28

Alexander Stewart Quartet (jazz) at the Venetian Soda Lounge, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

The Apollos, Nostranders (rock, surf rock) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 9:30 p.m. Free.

CATWOLF, Burly Girlies (rock) at Monkey House, Winooski, 8 p.m. $5/$10.

Corner Junction (bluegrass) at 14th Star Brewing, St. Albans, 6 p.m. Free.

Dana Robinson (acoustic) at the Den at Harry’s Hardware, Cabot, 6 p.m. Free.

Danny & the Parts (Americana) at Alfie’s Wild Ride, Stowe, 7 p.m. Free.

Dave Roberts, the Bar Belles (singer-songwriter, rock) at Bent Nails Bistro, Montpelier, 7 p.m. Free.

The Dirty Looks Band (covers) at Gusto’s, Barre, 9 p.m. Free.

Greg Baumen (singer-songwriter) at Hugo’s Bar and Grill, Montpelier, 7 p.m. Free.

Half Lucid (rock) at Monopole, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 p.m. Free.

John Daly Band (singersongwriter) at Stone Corral, Richmond, 7 p.m. Free.

Larkspurs (folk) at Whammy Bar, Calais, 7 p.m. Free.

Left Eye Jump (blues) at Red Square, Burlington, 2 p.m. Free. Neighbor (jam) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 7 p.m. $20.

Oldtone String Band (bluegrass) at Jericho Café & Tavern, 7 p.m. Free.

Phantom Airwave (funk) at Red Square, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

The Rowdy, Posted (covers) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 8 p.m. $5.

Shellhouse (covers) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 9 p.m. Free.

SunDub, the Reflexions, Andy Lugo (reggae) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 7 p.m. $12/$15.

Tiffany Pfeiffer Carr (jazz) at Bleu Northeast Kitchen, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. Free.

Uncle Jimmy (Americana) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 5 p.m. Free.

The Zoo (covers) at Pickle Barrel Nightclub, Killington, 8 p.m. Free.

SUN.29

Chicky Stoltz (Americana) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 1 p.m. Free.

Sunday Brunch Tunes (singersongwriter) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 10 a.m.

The Disco Biscuits, Karina Rykman (jam) at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, 8 p.m. $45/$49.

Fresh Pressed Wednesday with Casey, Leone & Sturcke, Bad Milk, Quiz Kid (indie) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 9 p.m. $5/$10.

Jazz Night with Ray Vega (jazz) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

Jazz Sessions with Randal Pierce (jazz open mic) at the 126, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

Live Jazz (jazz) at Leunig’s Bistro & Café, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Mac Saturn, Billy Tibbals (rock) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $15/$18.

One Time Weekend (funk, rock) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 8 p.m. $10.

Wednesday Night Dead (Grateful Dead covers) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7 p.m. $5.

djs

WED.25

Queer Bar Takeover (DJ) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 7 p.m. Free.

THU.26

DJ Chaston (DJ) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 11 p.m. Free.

DJ Two Sev (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, midnight. Free.

Mi Yard Reggae Night with DJ Big Dog (reggae and dancehall) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 9:30 p.m. Free.

Sunday Night Jazz with Steve Goldberg & Friends (jazz) at Butter Bar and Kitchen, Burlington, 6 p.m.

Molly Mood (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

Vinyl Night with Ken (DJ) at Taps Tavern, Poultney, 6 p.m. Free.

Vinyl Thursdays (DJ) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 5 p.m. Free.

FRI.27

Beach Party! (DJ) at Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Waitsfield, 4 p.m. Free.

DJ Craig Mitchell (DJ) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

DJ CRWD CTRL (DJ) at Monkey House, Winooski, 9 p.m. Free.

DJ Kata (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

DJ LaFountaine (DJ) at Gusto’s, Barre, 9 p.m. Free.

Guest Selector: Ryan Forde (DJ) at Paradiso Hi-Fi Lounge, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

SAT.28

DJ A-Ra$ (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, midnight. Free.

DJ Raul (DJ) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

DJ Rice Pilaf (DJ) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, noon. Free.

Guest Selector: DJ Wobblyhead (Jeff Baumann) (DJ) at Paradiso Hi-Fi Lounge, Burlington, 8 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.

TUE.31

Local Dork (DJ) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

open mics & jams

WED.25

Open Mic (open mic) at Monopole, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 p.m. Free.

Open Mic with Danny Lang (open mic) at Taps Tavern, Poultney, 7 p.m. Free.

THU.26

Open Mic (open mic) at Whammy Bar, Calais, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Open Mic (open mic) at Orlando’s Bar & Lounge, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

Open Mic Night (open mic) at Parker Pie, West Glover, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Open Mic/Jam (open mic) at Moogs Place, Morrisville, 7 p.m. Free.

SUN.29

Open Mic Night with Justin at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 7:30 p.m.

WED.1

Irish Sessions (Celtic, open mic) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

Lit Club (poetry open mic) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Open Mic (open mic) at Monopole, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 p.m. Free.

Open Mic with Danny Lang (open mic) at Taps Tavern, Poultney, 7 p.m. Free.

comedy

WED.25

Roar! Showcase (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. $5.

Standup Comedy Open Mic (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

THU.26

Hannah Berner (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 & 9 p.m. $27.50.

FRI.27

Hannah Berner (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 & 9 p.m. $27.50.

SAT.28

Hannah Berner (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 & 9 p.m. $27.50.

TUE.31

Comedy Open Mic (comedy) at the 126, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

trivia, karaoke, etc.

WED.25

Trivia Night (trivia) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Trivia Night (trivia) at Stone Corral, Richmond, 7 p.m. Free.

THU.26

Are You Smarter Than a Bird Nerd? (trivia) at the Public House, Quechee, 6:30-8 p.m. Free. Info, 359-5000.

Karaoke Night (karaoke) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7 p.m. Free.

Trivia & Nachos (trivia) at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski, 6 p.m. Free.

Trivia Thursday (trivia) at Spanked Puppy Pub, Colchester, 7 p.m. Free.

SUN.29

Karaoke (karaoke) at the Venetian Soda Lounge, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

TUE.31

Karaoke with DJ Party Bear (karaoke) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 9:30 p.m. Free.

Trivia Night (trivia) at the Depot, St. Albans, 7 p.m. Free.

Tuesday Night Trivia (trivia) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

WED.1

Trivia Night (trivia) at Stone Corral, Richmond, 7 p.m. Free. ➆

REVIEW this music+nightlife

Saturn People’s Sound Collective, Saturn People’s Sound Collective

(SELF-RELEASED, DIGITAL)

Composer and multi-instrumentalist Brian Boyes isn’t afraid to go all out. Witness his massive, musically complex Saturn People’s Sound Collective. Featuring more than 20 musicians, the ensemble debuted at the 2013 Burlington Discover Jazz Festival. Perhaps due to the logistical nightmare involved in assembling almost two dozen of the area’s best musicians at the same time, it took Boyes a decade to release the group’s debut, self-titled LP. It was worth the wait.

Poised at the intersection of big band music and cosmic post-rock, Boyes’ band/orchestra is su used with power and precision. The former viperHouse member has created a sprawling, vibrant

Kevin Kareckas, Oh Jen!

(SELF-RELEASED, DIGITAL)

What do John Legend, Nelly, the Cascades and the Spaniels have in common? Probably nothing, except for the fact that Kevin Kareckas covers their songs on his new EP, Oh Jen! The Vergennes-based artist’s fourth record features five songs, four of which are covers.

The lone original is the title track. “Oh Jen!” is an easy-listening pop-country song that tells the true story of Kareckas’ wedding ring. The songwriter employs typical pop-rock instrumentation: acoustic rhythm guitar paired with twangy electric ri s, straightforward bass lines and percussion accented by a shaker.

record that soars across a map of sounds and genres while featuring one of the finest collections of Vermont musicians ever assembled.

Saturn People’s Sound Collective was culled from two live performances taped at Burlington’s Tank Recording Studio in August 2022. In front of a studio audience, Boyes and his crew laid into the album’s 10 tracks with equal parts high energy and lockstep tightness.

The album opens with a cover of former David Bowie saxophonist Donny McCaslin’s art-rock jam “What About the Body.” The tune gives the band’s horn section a chance to cut loose over drummer Dan Ryan’s propulsive beat, kicking o the record with a jolt of power.

The group moves seamlessly into “Reflections — Part 1,” a swinging, high-octane jazz tune that showcases vocalist Nina Sklar as well as Dan Liptak’s clever work on the bass clarinet. Boyes conducts his collective into the

instrumental “Reflections — Part 2,” which concludes with the full force of the band harnessed into an unstoppable groove machine.

“Juneteenth” features a spoken-word performance from Burlington poet Rajnii Eddins. “The times are calling for the iron in our blood, / The unsheathing of our tongues not to draw it,” Eddins intones as the band lays down a darkly funky backing track.

The theme of social justice runs

strongly through the record and is something of a passion for Boyes. An educator at the Cabot School, he created the student program SoundCheck, a collection of Vermont high schoolers writing and performing music to address the issues of racism and injustice.

Much of the album is instrumental. Songs such as “everEarth” and “Aspect” are worlds unto themselves, full of musical twists and intricate interplay. The list of musicians on the record is so long that it would take half of this review just to name them, but Boyes’ compositions o er all of them moments to shine, whether it’s Connor Young’s trumpet, Xander Naylor’s guitar work, or vocals from Amber deLaurentis, Stefanie Weigand, Cintia Lovo and Sklar.

Saturn People’s Sound Collective is as impressive a record as you’ll find in the Green Mountains, full of dynamic compositions and virtuosolevel musicianship. Check it out at saturnpeople.bandcamp.com.

CHRIS FARNSWORTH

di erent sounds o er variation, though they are not exactly cohesive — which could also be said for the record as a whole.

However, the song’s five-minute running time also gives Kareckas room to depart from the standard pop-rock formula. The bridge shifts tempos and takes on a reggae vibe, while the outro features a jazzy saxophone solo by southern Maine artist Dave Miller. These

The story behind “Oh Jen!” adds a compelling element to the song. Kareckas found a ring in a field when he was a child and later used it as his wedding ring — only to discover that the ring’s original owner was his uncle. In a live version of the track that appears on his full-length 2022 album Bridge Freezes Before Road, Kareckas relays this backstory in his introduction to the song. (He also reveals another wholesome tidbit: Miller, the saxophonist, was Kareckas’ middle school band conductor.)

The rest of the record consists of cover songs. Kareckas’ vocals on “Beyond” don’t quite live up to Legend’s sultry, soulful singing on the original — in

fairness, few would. Kareckas’ take on Nelly’s “Just a Dream” is more fun, with harmonized, layered vocals and spacey electric guitars and keys. His versions of these songs might hit better heard live in a bar than on a record.

Kareckas finds his groove with the last two songs, the Cascades’ “Rhythm of the Rain” (the record’s strongest track) and the Spaniels’ “Goodnite Sweetheart Goodnite.” Stripped down to just guitar, some percussion and vocals, these two tracks have a natural ease to them that makes for a pleasant listening experience and better examples of Kareckas’ talents.

Oh Jen! is a quirky EP that leaves something to be desired, but there is promise in Kareckas’ storytelling and songwriting.

Oh Jen! is available on all major streaming platforms.

ANNIE CUTLER

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Seven Days is now recording select stories from the weekly newspaper for your listening pleasure.

Listen to these stories and more:

Towns Across Vermont Are Beginning to Regulate Short-Term Rentals

Some Lawmakers Say Vermont Should Consider a Milk-Price Premium to Help Struggling Dairy Farmers

Vermont’s Childcare System Isn’t Working for Providers or Parents. They Hope Help Is on the Way. 28 MINS.

A Call-Taker Advises the Anxious During a Shift on Vermont's Suicide-Prevention Hotline 16 MINS.

A Soccer Fan Tries to Enjoy a World Cup With Blood on Its Hands 10 MINS.

A Burlington Chef with Abenaki Heritage Makes His Own Harvest Meal 12 MINS.

Life Stories: Musician Pete Sutherland Was a ‘Unifying Force’ 15 MINS.

Book Review: ‘The New Power Elite,’ Heather Gautney 11 MINS.

How Family-Owned Vermont Rail System Became the Little Economic Engine That Could 33 MINS.

Suresh Garimella Has Helped UVM Emerge Stronger From the Pandemic. But Who Is He, Anyway? 31 MINS.

Med School Students Say Dissecting Donated Bodies Provides Lessons Beyond Anatomy 13 MINS.

Berlin Cop Who Murdered His Ex Previously Spoke of Killing Her, Colleague Says 11 MINS.

Indoor Fun and Games Go Beyond Bowling at Colchester’s Refurbished Spare Time 12 MINS.

Warning Shots: Burlington’s Immigrant Community Seeks Solutions to the Gun Violence That Is Claiming Youths 32 MINS.

Life Stories: Willem Jewett ‘Was a Real Doer’ 11 MINS.

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Press play! You can pause at any time, skip ahead, rewind and change the speaking speed to suit your needs.

on screen

One of Japan’s most renowned working directors, Hirokazu Koreeda won the Palme d’Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival for Shoplifters. For his latest film, Broker, Koreeda traveled to South Korea to work with acclaimed actors Song Kang-ho, who played the lead in the Oscar-winning Parasite, and Bae Doona (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Cloud Atlas).

Screening at Catamount Arts, Merrill’s Roxy Cinemas and the Savoy Theater through January 26 (check their websites after that), Broker uses whimsy and humor to approach a dark subject: What happens to society’s unwanted children?

The deal

In the dead of night, a young woman named Moon So-young (pop star Ji-eun Lee) enters a church in Busan. Tearfully, she places her infant son Woo-sung on the floor in front of the “baby box” provided for parents who choose to give up their children, no questions asked.

Meanwhile, two other parties are covertly observing her actions. Police detective Soo-jin (Bae) wants to entrap a pair of brokers who she believes are plucking infants from the baby box and selling them on the adoption market. She tails young church employee Dong-soo (Dong-won Gang) as he drives Woo-sung to a laundry shop run by his older friend Ha Sang-hyeon (Song).

Soo-jin and her partner stake out the shop, hoping to catch the two men in the act of exchanging money for the baby. But things get complicated when the young mother returns to the church and demands her child back.

Will you like it?

Hollywood struggles when it attempts to tell stories about the socially marginal. Too often, well-intentioned “issue” dramas become exaggerated miserabilist fables that deny poor people their full humanity.

Koreeda’s no-fuss, observational approach offers an antidote to misery porn, as he showed with Shoplifters and shows again in Broker. It would be so easy to make the central characters objects of our pity: So-young is a runaway with a history of sex work; Dong-soo was raised in an orphanage and yearns for the parents he never knew; Sang-hyeon is a divorced dad with an ailing business who drives

REVIEW

everywhere in a wreck of a van. Everyone in the movie, even the middle-class detective, is a little broken in some way.

And yet everyone is surprisingly kind and resilient, too. When So-young discovers the two brokers’ scheme to sell her baby, instead of calling the cops (whom she has reason to avoid), she tags along with Dong-soo and Sang-hyeon to make sure that Woo-sung gets a good home. On the road trip that ensues, the four of them visit an orphanage where they acquire a fifth companion, a soccer-loving kid named Hae-jin (Seung-soo Im), who stows away in the van and demands that they adopt him.

In most movies, this would be a situation ripe for pathos or cutesiness. But here it’s so studiously underplayed that it becomes genuinely moving. Young Haejin clearly senses paternal potential in the two brokers, who care tenderly for their would-be merchandise and soon grow nearly as reluctant to part with the infant as his mom is. As the stern detective tries to manipulate the criminals into selling Woo-sung so that she can arrest them, it’s she who becomes the “broker” — but she eventually reveals a softer side, too.

Koreeda gets major mileage out of a scenario of found family — here, a group

of misfits who come together to give one another the support they haven’t found in conventional family structures. It’s a trendy trope but an undeniably resonant one.

Broker has to be the most feel-good movie ever made about human tra cking, and sometimes it dips dangerously close to sentimentalizing its subject. We may find ourselves wondering why two people as decent as Dong-soo and Sang-hyeon took up this profession in the first place. Koreeda adds a couple of gangster characters to remind us that not all criminals are as scrupulous as our protagonists, but they feel like distractions in the unnecessarily convoluted cat-and-mouse plot.

Longer and twistier than it needs to be, Broker is ultimately less compelling as a crime drama than as a rambling road trip movie. Its strength lies in leisurely, atmospheric scenes that give the actors’ fine performances room to breathe.

I found myself wishing we could spend more time in the orphanage, where Koreeda unveils a subculture of kids and adults quietly striving to build meaningful lives even as they mourn their parents’ absence. The filmmaker takes a stand against alienation and hopelessness by portraying a chosen family that gives each of its

an

message of a rmation: “Thank you for being born.”

MARGOT HARRISON margot@sevendaysvt.com

IF YOU LIKE THIS, TRY...

AIR DOLL (2009; rentable): Koreeda previously worked with Bae on this strange little urban fairy tale in which she plays an inflatable sex doll who comes to life, gets a job, falls in love and discovers that it’s not so unusual to be hollow inside.

SHOPLIFTERS (2018; Amazon Prime Video, Kanopy, Pluto TV, plex, Vudu, rentable): If you liked Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, definitely check out Koreeda’s Palme d’Or winner. It profiles a found family living on the margins in Tokyo with tenderness and humor.

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON (2013; IFC Films Unlimited, AMC+, Kanopy, tubi, rentable): Koreeda has said Broker emerged from the research on adoption that he did for this drama about the dilemmas that ensue when a couple learn that the boy they’ve been raising as their son was actually switched at birth with their biological child.

members

explicit

COURTESY OF NEON

Koreeda tells another moving story of outcasts forming a found family in his Palme d’Or nominee.

NEW IN THEATERS

INFINITY POOL: A couple’s island vacation turns into a surreal, dystopian nightmare in the latest horror flick from Brandon Cronenberg (Possessor), starring Alexander Skarsgård, Cleopatra Coleman and Mia Goth. (117 min, R. Essex)

LIVING: Bill Nighy received an Oscar nomination for his performance as a civil servant in 1950s England who decides to change his life after receiving disturbing news in this remake of a Japanese classic, directed by Oliver Hermanus. (102 min, PG-13. Savoy)

CURRENTLY PLAYING

AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATERHHH1/2 Director James Cameron returns to Pandora for this sequel in which Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his family face a new threat. (192 min, PG-13. Big Picture, Bijou, Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Palace, Roxy, Star, Stowe)

BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVERHHH1/2 In Marvel Comics’ fictional African kingdom, the Wakandans mourn King T’Challa and protect their nation from new threats. (161 min, PG-13. Majestic)

BROKERHHHH In South Korea, two men take advantage of a church drop-off for unwanted babies to sell the children for adoption in this acclaimed drama from Hirokazu Koreeda. (129 min, R. Catamount [ends Thu 26], Roxy, Savoy; reviewed 1/25)

THE DEVIL CONSPIRACYHH A biotech company has satanic plans for the shroud of Turin in this horror flick directed by Nathan Frankowski. (111 min, R. Majestic)

EOHHHH1/2 This Oscar nominee from director Jerzy Skolimowski explores modern Europe from the point of view of a donkey. With Sandra Drzymalska and Isabelle Huppert. (86 min, NR. Savoy)

THE FABELMANSHHHH A teen in midcentury Arizona sets out to become a filmmaker in Steven Spielberg’s acclaimed autobiographical drama, starring Michelle Williams and Gabriel LaBelle. (151 min, PG-13. Majestic, Palace, Playhouse, Savoy, Welden; reviewed 12/14)

A MAN CALLED OTTOHH1/2 In the American adaptation of Fredrik Backman’s best seller A Man Called Ove Tom Hanks plays a widower in need of a new lease on life. Marc Forster directed. (126 min, PG-13. Big Picture, Bijou, Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Palace, Paramount, Roxy, Star, Welden)

M3GANHHH1/2 A robotics engineer (Allison Williams) makes the bad decision to introduce her young niece to her new lifelike creation in this viral horror flick. (102 min, PG-13. Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Palace, Roxy, Star, Stowe, Welden)

MISSINGHHH1/2 Storm Reid plays a girl who must use digital sleuthing to find her mom (Nia Long), who disappeared on a Colombian vacation, in this thriller from Nicholas D. Johnson and Will Merrick. (111 min, PG-13. Essex, Majestic, Palace)

PLANEHHH Gerard Butler plays a pilot who makes a successful crash landing only to find more trouble on the ground in this action thriller from JeanFrançois Richet. (107 min, R. Bijou, Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Palace)

PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISHHHHH Antonio Banderas again voices the titular cool cat in this animated adventure in which Puss seeks to restore his nine lives. (100 min, PG. Bijou, Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Palace, Paramount, Star, Stowe, Welden)

SKINAMARINKHHH1/2 Two young children wake to find their parents gone and their home a prison in Kyle Edward Ball’s low-budget horror film, which is already gathering a cult following. (100 min, R. Palace)

THE WHALEHHH Brendan Fraser plays an obese, shut-in English teacher at a critical life juncture in this drama directed by Darren Aronofksky, based on Samuel D. Hunter’s play. (117 min, R. Catamount, Essex, Majestic, Marquis, Roxy, Savoy; reviewed 1/18)

WHEN YOU FINISH SAVING THE WORLDHHH Jesse Eisenberg makes his directorial debut with this comedy-drama in which Julianne Moore and Finn Wolfhard play a mother and teenage son. (88 min, R. Roxy)

WHITNEY HOUSTON: I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODYHH1/2 This biopic from Kasi Lemmons traces the R&B singer’s rise to megastardom. Naomi Ackie stars. (146 min, PG-13. Marquis, Welden)

OLDER FILMS AND SPECIAL SCREENINGS

CESAR CHAVEZ (Catamount, Wed 25 only)

FATHOM’S BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: ROMAN HOLIDAY 70TH ANNIVERSARY (Essex, Wed 25 only)

OPEN THEATERS

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

BIG PICTURE THEATER: 48 Carroll Rd., Waitsfield, 496-8994, bigpicturetheater.info

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

*PALACE 9 CINEMAS: 10 Fayette Dr., South Burlington, 864-5610, palace9.com

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

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

SAVOY THEATER: 26 Main St., Montpelier, 2290598, savoytheater.com

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

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

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

Note: These capsule descriptions are not intended as reviews. Star ratings come from Metacritic unless we reviewed the film (noted at the end of the description). Find reviews written by Seven Days critic Margot Harrison at sevendaysvt.com/ onscreen-reviews.

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PURSUANT TO VSA 32 H739, Sec. 21(b) THE COMMISSIONER OF BUILDINGS AND GENERAL SERVICES IS HEREBY AUTHORIZED TO SELL THE BUILDING AND LAND LOCATED AT 14-16 BALDWIN STREET IN MONTPELIER PURSUANT TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF 29 V.S.A. §166(b).

This property is being publicly advertised until February 03, 2023

A BID PACKAGE containing information about the property and sale procedures may be obtained online at bgs.vermont.gov/propertymanagement/sale. Informational packets will NOT be distributed via facsimile or email. The property will be open for inspection by potential bidders on January 25, 2023, from 10:00 AM until NOON and 2:00 PM until 4:00 PM.

Bids must be received no later than 2:00 P.M. on February 03, 2023. Any bids which have not been: (a) delivered, and (b) time and date stamped by the Department of Buildings and General Services Property Management Division, 133 State Street, 5th Floor, Montpelier VT 05633-5801 by 2:00 P.M, February 03, 2023, will not be opened and shall be unilaterally rejected. All accepted bids will be reviewed to determine compliance with the stated requirements. The State shall complete its review and notify the winning bidder by February 10, 2023. The property shall be sold to the bidder who submits the highest bid conforming to the requirements contained in the Notice of Bid Requirements and Sale Procedures and subject to the conditions and requirements contained in 29 V.S.A. §166. The State reserves the right to reject any and all offers. Electronic bids will NOT be accepted.

Bids shall be sent or delivered to:

Thomas Chagnon, Real Estate Manager I Department of Buildings & General Services 133 State Street, 5th Floor, Montpelier, VT 05633-5801

Jennifer M.V. Fitch, Commissioner Buildings and General Services, Montpelier VT

Dated January 03, 2023

JANUARY 25-FEBRUARY 1, 2023

WED.25

activism

MIGRANT JUSTICE: A guest speaker from the local labor rights organization educates patrons about the experience of Vermont farm workers.

Deborah Rawson Memorial Library, Jericho, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 899-4962.

business

QUEEN CITY BUSINESS NETWORKING

INTERNATIONAL GROUP: Local professionals make crucial contacts at a weekly chapter meeting. Burlington City Arts, 11:15 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 829-5066.

community BUILDING

SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITIES: Vermont Public and Vermont Family Network host a virtual panel of experts on the topic of building inclusive environments for people with autism. 7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 876-5315.

CURRENT EVENTS: Neighbors have an informal discussion about what’s in the news.

Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30 a.m.noon. Free. Info, 878-4918.

dance NATIONAL CHOREOGRAPHY

MONTH CHALLENGE: Vermont Dance Alliance hosts a virtual check-in for those attempting to create choreo every day in January. Attendance at two gatherings required to participate in February 10 showcase. 7:30-8:45 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, alxcbb@ gmail.com.

etc.

LIFE STORIES WE LOVE TO TELL: Prompts from group leader Maryellen Crangle inspire true tales, told either off the cuff or read from prewritten scripts. Presented by Dorothy Alling Memorial Library. 2-3:30 p.m. Free; preregister; limited space. Info, 878-4918.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘AMAZON ADVENTURE 3D’: Viewers experience 19thcentury explorer Henry Bates’ journey through the Amazon rainforest. 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.

BOOK FLICKS: Bibliophiles enjoy the 2013 adaptation of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

‘CESAR CHAVEZ’: Michael Peña stars as the famed labor leader who unionized California farm workers and helped organize the Delano grape strike of 1965 through 1970. Catamount Arts Center, St. Johnsbury, 6 p.m. Free. Info, 748-2600.

‘DEAD RINGER’: The late rock star Meat Loaf and his civilian doppelgänger reckon with fame in this fictionalized documentary that has only been screened two or three times since its completion. Essex Cinemas & T-Rex Theater,

Essex Junction, 7-9 p.m. $8-12. Info, 660-2600.

‘MYSTERIES OF THE UNSEEN WORLD 3D’: Sparkling graphics take viewers on a mindbending journey into phenomena that are too slow, too fast or too small to be seen by the naked eye. 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.

‘RIGHT TO HARM’: Sustainable Woodstock virtually screens this documentary on the public health impact of factory farming and the government’s failure to regulate it. Free. Info, 457-2911.

‘SEA MONSTERS 3D’: An adventurous dolichorhynchops travels through the most dangerous oceans in history, encountering plesiosaurs, giant turtles and the deadly mosasaur along the way. 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.

‘UNDER THE CLOAK OF DARKNESS’: A documentary about Vermont’s migrant Mexican farm workers brings labor issues to light. Waterbury Public Library, 6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

‘WINGS OVER WATER 3D’: Sandhill cranes, yellow warblers and mallard ducks make their lives along rivers, lakes and wetlands. 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.

games

SWITCHY GAME NIGHT: Regulars BYO board games or choose from Switchback’s selection for an evening of fun and brews with friends. The Tap Room at Switchback Brewing, Burlington, 5-7 p.m. Free. Info, 651-4114.

WINTER TRIVIA ROUND 4: FAMOUS VERMONTERS: History buffs bust out their knowledge in the hopes of advancing to the championship round. Courtesy of the Vermont Historical Society. 7-8 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 479-8500.

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.

COMMUNITY CANDLELIT YOGA: Yogis of all levels find peace and community in a cozy scene. Wise Pines, Woodstock, 5:30-6:45 p.m. Donations accepted. Info, 432-3126.

INFUSING YOGA & WRITING INTO YOUR PRACTICE OF SELF-CARE: Kristen Miranda leads a workshop that fuses the practices of mindful movement with meditative writing exercises. BYO journal and mat. Presented by KelloggHubbard Library. 6-8 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 223-3338.

language

IRISH LANGUAGE CLASS: Celticcurious students learn to speak an Ghaeilge in a supportive group. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

music

MUSIC OF ANOTHER WORLD: THE KULTURBUND ORCHESTRAS: This first in a series of presentations on the music made under the constraints of the Third Reich focuses on a Berlin symphony. ADA accessible. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 1:152:30 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

ZACH NUGENT UNCORKED: The sought-after guitarist plays a weekly loft show featuring live music, storytelling and special guests. Shelburne Vineyard, 6-9 p.m. Free. Info, 985-8222.

outdoors

NATURALIST JOURNEYS 2023: JILL PELTO: A climatologist and painter explains how art can communicate science concepts. Presented by North Branch Nature Center. 6:30-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 229-6206.

SMUGGS 55+ SKI CLUB: Seniors who love to ski, snowboard and snowshoe hit the slopes after coffee and pastries. Smugglers’

Notch Resort, Jeffersonville, 9 a.m.-noon. $30 for annual membership. Info, president@ smuggs55plus.com.

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.

MICHELOB ULTRA SKI BUM RACE SERIES: Teams of amateur skiers and snowboarders test their skills and speed at one of 10 downhill bouts. Killington Resort, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. $60; $250 per team. Info, events@killington.com.

tech

RECORDING AUDIO: Attendees learn the ins and outs of capturing sound in the field, from microphones to booms to dealing with potential pitfalls on location. RETN & VCAM Media Factory, Burlington, 3-5 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister. Info, 651-9692.

theater

‘’BOV WATER’: Dartmouth College alum Celeste Jennings weaves together the stirring stories of four generations of Black women in a new play. Barrette Center for the Arts, White River Junction, 7:30 p.m. $17.75-67.75. Info, 296-7000.

words

CRYSTAL WILKINSON: The NAACP Image Award-winning author of Perfect Black and The Birds of Opulence reads from her work. Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, 7-8 p.m. Free. Info, 635-2727.

LYNN STEGER STRONG: The acclaimed author reads from Flight her new novel about the tensions that arise between siblings during their first Christmas without their mother. Norwich Bookstore, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 649-1114.

THU.26

crafts

KNIT FOR YOUR NEIGHBORS: Yarnsmiths create hats and scarves to be donated to the South Burlington Food Shelf. All supplies provided. ADA accessible. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 3-6 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.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘AMAZON ADVENTURE 3D’: See WED.25.

BANFF CENTRE MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL WORLD TOUR: Lovers of adrenaline and the outdoors experience three nights of high-climbing thrills, with a new

slate of adventure films each evening. Davis Center, University of Vermont, Burlington, 6 p.m. $15-20. Info, 658-3313.

‘THE BOOK OF DUST’: Filmed live at London’s Bridge Theatre, this fantastical production adapts the follow-up to Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy. Catamount Arts Center, St. Johnsbury, 7 p.m. $6-15. Info, 748-2600.

‘MYSTERIES OF THE UNSEEN WORLD 3D’: See WED.25.

‘THE QUARRY PROJECT’: A 40-minute film captures last summer’s sold-out, site-specific dance theater performance at Wells Lamson quarry. Q&A follows. Norwich University, Northfield, 5:30-7:30 p.m. $5 suggested donation. Info, 485-2423.

‘RIGHT TO HARM’: See WED.25.

‘THE SANCTITY OF SPACE’: Three climbers attempt the first crossing of Moose’s Tooth Traverse in Alaska in this daring documentary. Q&A with subject and codirector Freddie Wilkinson follows. Alexander Twilight Theatre, Northern Vermont UniversityLyndon, Lyndonville, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 626-6413.

‘SEA MONSTERS 3D’: See WED.25.

‘WINGS OVER WATER 3D’: See WED.25.

food & drink

CHICKEN MARBELLA: Underhill chef Audrey Bernstein demonstrates how to cook a winter dinner packed with flavor. Presented by City Market, Onion River Co-op. 5:30-7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, info@ citymarket.coop.

WPP COMMUNITY DINNER: Local chef Laita Hakima cooks a delicious Moroccan meal for pickup. Presented by Winooski Partnership for Prevention. O’Brien Community Center, Winooski, 4:30-6 p.m. Free; preregister; limited space. Info, 655-4565.

music

MIKAHELY: The Malagasy musician astounds on the guitar and the bamboo valiha. Willey Memorial Hall, Cabot, 7-9 p.m. $12-15. Info, 793-3016.

outdoors

LIZ DERSTINE: The record-holding Long Trail trekker inspires listeners to work toward their own adventuring goals. Presented by Green Mountain Club. 7-8 p.m. Free. Info, gmc@greenmountainclub.org.

politics

THOUGHT CLUB: Artists and activists convene to engage with Burlington‘s rich tradition of radical thought and envision its future. Democracy Creative, Burlington, 6-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, tevan@democracycreative.com.

seminars

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.25

burlington

BABYTIME: Librarians bring out books, rhymes and songs specially selected for young ones. Pre-walkers and younger. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

CRAFTERNOON: Crafts take over the Teen Space, from origami to stickers to fireworks in a jar. Ages 11 through 18.

Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 4-5 p.m. Free. Info, 540-2546.

STEAM SPACE: Kids explore science, technology, engineering, art and math activities. Ages 5 through 11. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 5-6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

chittenden county

AFTERSCHOOL ACTIVITY: CRAFT: Handy kiddos get creative after class. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 2-3 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

BABYTIME: Teeny-tiny library patrons enjoy a gentle, slow story time featuring songs, rhymes and lap play. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

COMICS CLUB!: Graphic novel and manga fans in third through sixth grades meet to discuss current reads and do fun activities together. Hosted by Brownell Library. Essex Teen Center, Essex Junction, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

LEGO BUILDERS: Elementary-age imagineers explore, create and participate in challenges. 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.

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.

barre/montpelier

CHESS CLUB: Kids of all skill levels get one-on-one lessons and play each other in between. Ages 6 and up. KelloggHubbard Library, Montpelier, 3:30-5 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

FAMILY GAME NIGHT: After a community dinner, families stay on for a friendly round of board games or cards. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 6:15-7:15 p.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.

MAGIC THE GATHERING & CRAFTS: Kids play card games or get artsy at a weekly get-together. Ages 8 through 15. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 3-6 p.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.

mad river valley/ waterbury

LEGO CHALLENGE CLUB: Kids engage in a fun-filled hour of building, then leave their creations on display in the

All in the Family

What better time to introduce the kids to the joys of chamber music than at a family-friendly, family-performed concert? Capital City Concerts founder and Grammy-nominated flutist Karen Kevra takes the stage alongside her violinist son Owen Kevra-Lenz for a show aiming to bridge the gap between classical and folk traditions from around the world. Audience

chittenden county

LEGO TIME: Builders in kindergarten through fourth grade enjoy an afternoon of imagination and play. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 3-4 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

MIDDLE SCHOOL MAKERS: COOKING: Students in grades 5 through 8 make delicious homemade pizza. ADA accessible. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 4-5:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, nliuzzi@southburlingtonvt.gov.

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.

PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: Books, songs, rhymes, sign language lessons and math activities make for well-educated youngsters. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 10-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

barre/montpelier

FUSE BEAD CRAFTERNOONS: Youngsters make pictures out of colorful, meltable doodads. Ages 8 and up. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 3:30-5 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: Energetic youngsters join Miss Meliss for stories, songs and lots of silliness. KelloggHubbard Library, Montpelier, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

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

JUBAL HARP & SONG: Judi Byron plays folk ditties, rhymes, and counting and movement songs for babies, toddlers and preschoolers to sing and dance along to. Waterbury Public Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

PRESCHOOL PLAY & READ: Outdoor activities, stories and songs get 3- and 4-year-olds engaged. Waterbury Public Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

FRI.27

chittenden county

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: Imaginative players in grades 5 and up exercise their problem-solving skills in battles and adventures. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

library all month long. Ages 9 through 11. Waterbury Public Library, 3-4 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 244-7036.

upper valley

PEABODY AFTERSCHOOL FUN FOR GRADES 1-4: Students make friends over crafts and story time. George Peabody Library, Post Mills, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 333-9724.

northeast kingdom

TWEEN BOOK CLUB: Book lovers ages 10 through 14 share their favorite recent reads at this monthly meeting. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 4-5 p.m. Free. Info, 745-1391.

THU.26

burlington

PRESCHOOL YOGA: Colleen from Grow Prenatal and Family Yoga leads little ones in songs, movement and other fun activities. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

FRIDAY KIDS’ MOVIES: Little film buffs congregate in the library’s Katie O’Brien Activity Room for a screening of a G-rated movie. See southburlingtonlibrary.org for each week’s title. ADA accessible. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 3-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

COURTESY OF CALEB KENNA

Society and the League of Local Historical Societies & Museums lead a lunchtime discussion of best practices for museum educators. Noon-1 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 479-8500.

theater

‘AND BABY MAKES SEVEN’: An expecting lesbian couple and their best friend and sperm donor must banish their three imaginary children from the apartment before the baby arrives in this studentperformed play. Hepburn Zoo, Hepburn Hall, Middlebury College, 7:30 p.m. $5. Info, 443-3168.

‘’BOV WATER’: See WED.25, 7:30 p.m.

‘FUN HOME’: SOLD OUT. The Middlebury College Department of Music presents the Broadway adaptation of Alison Bechdel’s blockbuster graphic memoir. Town Hall Theater, Middlebury, 7:30 p.m. $10-22. Info, 382-9222.

words

EVENING BOOK GROUP: Readers discuss Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law by Haben Girma in a relaxed round-robin. Virtual option available. ADA accessible. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 6-7 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

LUNCH WITH LIBBY: Patrons learn to use a library app to download free e-books and audiobooks to their devices. BYO lunch; drinks and desserts provided. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, noon-1 p.m. Free; preregister; limited space. Info, 878-4918.

A VISITING WRITER CRAFT TALK WITH CRYSTAL WILKINSON: The writer, poet and essayist talks shop with listeners interested in the art of writing. Mason House Library, Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, 10-11 a.m. Free. Info, 635-2727.

WENDY WILLIS BALDWIN: A New Hampshire author launches her debut novel about two estranged sisters who must live under the same roof again. Norwich Bookstore, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 649-1114.

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

FRI.27 community

INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY: Eliza and Emma Doucet, along with their fellow Mount Abraham Union High School 10th graders, present their second annual evening of education and commemoration. Childcare provided. Holley Hall, Bristol, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, info@ holocaustmemorial-vt.org.

dance

‘REGENERATIONS: RECKONING WITH RADIOACTIVITY’: Megan Buchanan’s interdisciplinary performance incorporates poetry, dance, music and visual elements to explore the impact of nuclear power on the planet. Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, 6 p.m. $5-10; free for students. Info, 257-0124.

‘VALOROUS SKY’: Dance Company of Middlebury examines the nature of relationships through movement. Dance Theatre, Mahaney Arts Center, Middlebury College, 7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 443-3168.

fairs & festivals

SNOWLIGHTS 2023: Guests are captivated by colorful lights, fire jugglers, ice carvers and the boogie-worthy beats of Latin dance band Mal Maïz. See calendar spotlight. Highland Center for the Arts, Greensboro, 5:30-8 p.m. $15-30. Info, 533-2000.

WATERBURY WINTERFEST: Folks enjoy winter activities galore, from wassailing to snow soccer to live music. See waterburywinterfest. com for full schedule. Various Waterbury locations, 4-7:30 p.m. Free; some activities require preregistration. Info, waterbury. winterfest@gmail.com.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘AMAZON ADVENTURE 3D’: See WED.25.

BANFF CENTRE MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL WORLD TOUR: See THU.26.

‘MYSTERIES OF THE UNSEEN WORLD 3D’: See WED.25.

‘RIGHT TO HARM’: See WED.25.

‘SEA MONSTERS 3D’: See WED.25.

‘WINGS OVER WATER 3D’: See WED.25.

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.

language

SOCIAL HOUR: The Alliance Française of the Lake Champlain Region hosts a rendez-vous over cocktails. Armory Grille and Bar, Burlington, 5:30-7 p.m. Free. Info, btvescargot@gmail.com.

JAN. 27 & 28 | FAIRS & FESTIVALS

music

SAT.28 community

HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR’S

MEMOIR BOOK READING +

Robison Hall, Mahaney Arts Center, Middlebury College, 7:30 p.m. $525. Info, 443-6433.

‘WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER’: Poet Rajnii Eddins teams up with Erik Nielsen and other local musicians for an evening celebrating the influence of Black American culture. Donations benefit Clemmons Family Farm. Richmond Free Library, 7-8:30 p.m. $25 suggested donation. Info, 276-9906.

outdoors

OWL PROWL: Hikers snowshoe through the forest searching for nocturnal neighbors. BYO flashlights or headlamps. Vermont Institute of Natural Science, Quechee, 5:30-7 p.m. $11.5013.50; preregister; limited space. Info, 359-5000.

SNOWSHOE ROMP: Trekkers traverse candlelit trails, featuring hot chocolate, bonfires and snowshoe demonstrations. BYO flashlight or headlamp. North Branch Park, Montpelier, 5-8 p.m. Free. Info, 225-6736.

theater

‘AND BABY MAKES SEVEN’: See THU.26, 2 & 10 p.m.

‘’BOV WATER’: See WED.25, 7:30 p.m.

‘FUN HOME’: See THU.26.

Snow in the Dark

RECEPTION: Marion Hecht leads a program commemorating her late mother, longtime Vermont resident and author of Don’t Ask My Name: A Hidden Child’s Tale of Survival. Virtual option available. Jewish Community of Greater Stowe, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 253-1800.

crafts

AN AFTERNOON OF SURREALIST COLLAGE: Local artist and radio host Wendy M. Levy guides attendees through a session of highly conceptual cut-and-paste. BYO materials encouraged but not required. Epsilon Spires, Brattleboro, 2-5 p.m. $15; preregister. Info, 401-261-6271.

dance

‘REGENERATIONS: RECKONING WITH RADIOACTIVITY’: See FRI.27.

REGGAETÓN DANCE PARTY: Movers and shakers enjoy Puerto Rican grooves from DJ Chele, hot empanadas from Nando’s Moon & Stars, and company around a bonfire. Main Street Museum, White River Junction, 8 p.m. $10. Info, info@mainstreetmuseum.org. ‘VALOROUS SKY’: See FRI.27.

fairs & festivals

BROOKFIELD ICE HARVEST AND WINTERFEST: Community members celebrate the frigid season with ice block cutting, skating, broomball and other winter fun. Floating Bridge, Brookfield, 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Free. Info, 276-3260.

The snowy grounds of Greensboro’s Highland Center for the Arts glow in every color of the rainbow at Snowlights, a whimsical, artful shindig that injects some warmth and light into a deep winter weekend. Attendees dance all evening to the groovy Latin strains of Mal Maïz, ooh and aah at the fire jugglers, and watch snow sculptors do their thing in real time. And when those fingers and toes start feeling frozen, guests head into the café for hot drinks, nourishing nosh and scrumptious sweets by the fire.

SNOWLIGHTS 2023

Friday, January 27, and Saturday, January 28, 5:30-8 p.m., at Highland Center for the Arts in Greensboro. $15-30. Info, 533-2000, highlandartsvt.org.

FREE ICE FISHING DAY & FESTIVAL: New and seasoned anglers with or without a license learn the basics of snagging swimmers from freezing waters.

Silver Lake State Park, Barnard, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 505-5562.

SNOWLIGHTS 2023: See FRI.27.

WATERBURY WINTERFEST: See FRI.27, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘AMAZON ADVENTURE 3D’: See WED.25.

BANFF CENTRE MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL WORLD TOUR: See THU.26.

‘MYSTERIES OF THE UNSEEN WORLD 3D’: See WED.25.

‘THE QUARRY PROJECT’: SOLD OUT. See THU.26. Fox Market and Bar, East Montpelier, 6-8 p.m. Info, liv@foxmarket.store.

‘SEA MONSTERS 3D’: See WED.25. ‘WINGS OVER WATER 3D’: See WED.25.

WOODSTOCK VERMONT FILM SERIES: ‘ART & KRIMES BY KRIMES’: A 2021 documentary examines the life of Jesse Krimes, an artist who smuggled his murals out of prison and had to learn to adjust to his newfound fame upon his release. See calendar spotlight. Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, 3 p.m. $12-15. Info, 457-2355.

food & drink

JANE AUSTEN TEA: Regency revelers jam out at a Victorian-style tea party complete with scones, clotted cream, finger sandwiches and tea cakes, while learning about the teatime traditions of Austen’s era. Governor’s House in Hyde Park, 2-4:30 p.m. $40; preregister. Info, 888-6888.

CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER: Classical connoisseurs celebrate the work of Franz Schubert with three of his most significant chamber works. Live stream available.

games

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.

music

FOREIGNERS JOURNEY: A supergroup, fronted by American Idol star Constantine Maroulis, breathes new life into hits from the golden age of stadium rock. Barre Opera House, 7:30 p.m. $39.50. Info, 476-8188.

‘MUSIQUE DU SOLEIL’: Synth musician Ben Luce delivers a sweeping sonic and visual concert. Donations benefit the American Solar Energy Society. Alexander Twilight Theatre, Northern Vermont UniversityLyndon, Lyndonville, 6:30 p.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, 626-6271.

RECYCLED PERCUSSION: One man’s trash is another man’s treasure when the America’s Got Talent finalists rock out on blenders, barrels and beyond. Lebanon Opera House, N.H., 3 & 7:30 p.m. $37-47. Info, 603-448-0400.

THE ROUGH & TUMBLE: An Americana duo gets audiences laughing and crying with its vivid songwriting. York Street Meeting House, Lyndon, 7 p.m. $15-20. Info, 748-2600.

VERMONT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ENSEMBLE: Friends of the library Letitia Quante and Emily Taubl play a world-class program of works for violin and cello. ADA accessible. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, noon-1 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

‘WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER’: See FRI.27. Christ Episcopal Church, Montpelier, 7-8:30 p.m.

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.

outdoors

FAT BIKE ROUNDUP: Cyclists of all abilities hop on all-terrain bikes and set off on guided rides with the Addison County Bike Club. Rikert Nordic Center, Middlebury, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. $30; preregister. Info, 388-6666.

theater

‘AND BABY MAKES SEVEN’: See THU.26.

‘’BOV WATER’: See WED.25, 6:30 p.m.

‘FUN HOME’: See THU.26.

words

JUDITH CHALMER AND SCUDDER PARKER: Two poets read from their newest collections and discuss their inspirations and methods. Adamant Community Club, 3-5 p.m. Free. Info, 454-7103.

POETRY EXPERIENCE: Local wordsmith Rajnii Eddins hosts a supportive writing and sharing circle for poets of all ages. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 1-3 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

SUN.29

fairs & festivals

WATERBURY WINTERFEST: See FRI.27, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘AMAZON ADVENTURE 3D’: See WED.25.

‘MYSTERIES OF THE UNSEEN WORLD 3D’: See WED.25.

‘SEA MONSTERS 3D’: See WED.25.

‘WINGS OVER WATER 3D’: See WED.25.

WOODSTOCK VERMONT FILM SERIES: ‘ART & KRIMES BY KRIMES’: See SAT.28.

food & drink

WINTER FARMERS MARKET: Shoppers sip a local beer while browsing local bites at this wintertime hub for local growers, bakers and crafters. Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski, noon-3 p.m. Free. Info, 391-9120.

health & fitness

KARUNA COMMUNITY

MEDITATION: A YEAR TO LIVE (FULLY): Participants practice keeping joy, generosity and gratitude at the forefront of their minds. Jenna’s House, Johnson, 10-11:15 a.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, mollyzapp@live.com.

music

GREGORY ALAN ISAKOV: The Colorado-based horticulturistturned-musician woos audience members with Grammynominated jams. The Flynn, Burlington, 8 p.m. $42.25-52.75. Info, 863-5966.

LVIV NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA OF UKRAINE: Awardwinning conductor Theodore Kuchar leads the storied ensemble in Beethoven’s Symphony

JAN. 28 & 29 | FILM

Artwork in Progress

Artist Jesse Krimes spent his years in prison making art and smuggling it to friends on the outside, including individual pieces of a 40-foot mural that he would not see in its totality until his release. Now, Krimes is both a working artist — sought after by collectors all over the world and with pieces in the Museum of Modern Art, Palais de Tokyo and beyond — and a staunch advocate for his fellow former convicts. A new documentary, Art & Krimes by Krimes, sheds light on his struggle to adapt to life after prison and how he is using art to change the conversation about our criminal justice system.

WOODSTOCK VERMONT FILM SERIES: ‘ART & KRIMES BY KRIMES’

Saturday, January 28, and Sunday, January 29, 3 p.m., at Billings Farm & Museum in Woodstock. $12-15. Info, 457-2355, billingsfarm.org.

No. 7, Brahms’ Tragic Overture and Bruch’s “Emperor.” Lyndon Institute, Lyndon Center, 7 p.m. $15-52; free for kids 18 and under. Info, 748-2600.

RECYCLED PERCUSSION: See SAT.28, 3 p.m.

theater

‘’BOV WATER’: See WED.25, 5 p.m. ‘FUN HOME’: See THU.26, 2 p.m.

words

REN HURST: A life coach launches her nature-centered self-help book, The Wisdom of Wildness: Healing the Trauma of Domestication. Phoenix Books, Rutland, 2 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 855-8078.

MON.30

agriculture

VERMONT FRESH NETWORK 2023 ANNUAL MEETING: Farmers and chefs connect to network and discuss their overlapping

industries. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. $20-30; preregister. Info, 434-2000.

business

CEDRR LEGISLATIVE BREAKFAST: Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region members meet up with local lawmakers over pancakes. Southside Steakhouse, Rutland, 7:30-9 a.m. $20; preregister. Info, 773-2747.

crafts

FIBER ARTS FREE FOR ALL: Makers make friends while working on their knitting, sewing, felting and beyond. Artistree Community Arts Center Theatre & Gallery, South Pomfret, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, theknittinkittenvt@ gmail.com.

KNIT FOR YOUR NEIGHBORS: See THU.26.

etc.

SMALL TALK ANTIDOTE // DIALOGIC CIRCLES: Life coach Maris Harmon facilitates

biweekly virtual philosophical discussions designed around collective support. 6-7:30 p.m. $10; preregister. Info, maris. harmon@gmail.com.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘AMAZON ADVENTURE 3D’: See WED.25.

GEORGE WOODARD: The filmmaker talks about movie magic and his storied career. KelloggHubbard Library, Montpelier, 6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

‘MYSTERIES OF THE UNSEEN WORLD 3D’: See WED.25.

‘SEA MONSTERS 3D’: See WED.25.

‘WINGS OVER WATER 3D’: See WED.25.

food & drink

HART’S KOREAN AND FILIPINO: Flavorful fried chicken, ramen, udon, steamed buns and lumpia are doled out at this pop-up kitchen. Tiny Community Kitchen, Burlington, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. & 4-8 p.m. Cost of food and drink; preregister; limited walk-ins available. Info, 272-1886.

health & fitness

ADVANCED TAI CHI: Experienced movers build strength, improve balance and reduce stress. Holley Hall, Bristol, 11 a.m.-noon. Free; donations accepted. Info, jerry@ skyrivertaichi.com.

LONG-FORM SUN 73: Beginners and experienced practitioners learn how tai chi can help with arthritis, mental clarity and range of motion. Holley Hall, Bristol, 11 a.m.-noon. Free; donations accepted. Info, wirlselizabeth@ gmail.com.

WALK-IN VACCINATION CLINIC: Folks six months and older drop by to get the jab, whether it’s their first dose or third booster. Fletcher Free Library New North

End Branch, Burlington, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

YANG 24: This simplified tai chi method is perfect for beginners looking to build strength and balance. Congregational Church of Middlebury, 3:30-5:30 p.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, wirlselizabeth@gmail.com.

holidays

IMBOLC CELEBRATION: Locals celebrate the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox with a guided meditation set to harp music. Waterbury Public Library, 5-5:45 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 244-7036.

words

ADDISON COUNTY WRITERS COMPANY: Poets, playwrights, novelists and memoirists of every experience level meet weekly for an MFA-style workshop. Swift House Inn, Middlebury, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, jay@zigzaglitmag.org.

TUE.31

community

CURRENT EVENTS

DISCUSSION GROUP: Brownell Library hosts a virtual roundtable for neighbors to pause and reflect on the news cycle. 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 878-6955.

dance

SWING DANCING: Local Lindy hoppers and jitterbuggers convene at Vermont Swings’ weekly boogie-down. Bring clean shoes. Beginner lessons, 6:30 p.m. Champlain Club, Burlington, 7:309 p.m. $5. Info, 864-8382.

fairs & festivals

WATERBURY WINTERFEST: See FRI.27, 8 a.m. & 7 p.m.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘AMAZON ADVENTURE 3D’: See WED.25.

‘THE BIRDCAGE’: A gay couple scrambles to straighten up when their son brings home the daughter of a conservative senator in this 1996 classic. Film House, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free. Info, mariah@mainstreetlanding. com.

‘MYSTERIES OF THE UNSEEN WORLD 3D’: See WED.25.

‘SEA MONSTERS 3D’: See WED.25.

‘WINGS OVER WATER 3D’: See WED.25.

health & fitness

THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC: WHERE DO I FIT IN?: Free Narcan is available at this info session about harm reduction, overdose, emergency naloxone use and medication mixing dangers. Latham Library, Thetford, 6-7 p.m. Free. Info, 785-4361.

SUN 73 TAI CHI: An outdoor, allweather group meets weekly for gentle, therapeutic movement. Ida Boch Park, Bradford, 10 a.m. Free. Info, gscottgrahamstephens@ gmail.com.

WALK-IN VACCINATION CLINIC: See MON.30. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington.

language

FRENCH CONVERSATION GROUP: Francophones and Frenchlanguage learners meet pour

parler la belle langue. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 5-6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

music

NORTH COUNTRY CHORUS REHEARSALS: New singers are invited to join the Alan Rowedirected choir for its spring season. Registration fee due February 7. Morse Center for the Arts, St. Johnsbury Academy, 7:15-9 p.m. $20-40. Info, 748-5027.

outdoors

NATURALIST JOURNEYS 2023: SIMONE

WHITECLOUD: A Lake Superior Chippewa ethnobotanist examines the roles plants play among the Inuit of southern Greenland. Presented by North Branch Nature Center. 6:30-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 229-6206.

talks

SPENCER PRIZE IN ORATORY 2023 GRAND CHAMPIONSHIP: Student speech club competitors vie and verbalize for the grand prize in honor of the late professor emeritus John Spencer. Robison Hall, Mahaney Arts Center, Middlebury College, 7:30-9 p.m. Free. Info, 443-5912.

tech

EDITING ESSENTIALS

WORKSHOP: Experts cover workflow and production tips that make video editing a breeze regardless of what program you use. RETN & VCAM Media Factory, Burlington, 1-3 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister. Info, 651-9692.

words

IN-PERSON BOOK CLUB: Selfhelp lovers discuss The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brené Brown. Purple Sage, Essex, 6 p.m. $10. Info, 646-206-0514.

J. M. COETZEE BOOK

DISCUSSION: The Burlington Literature Group reads and unpacks the South African Australian novelist’s Age of Iron and Disgrace over six weeks. 6:30-8 p.m. Free. Info, info@ nereadersandwriters.com.

NONFICTION BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP: The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett takes readers on a deep dive into the truth of income inequality. Presented by Latham

Library. noon-1 p.m. Free. Info, 785-4361.

WINTER 2023 BOOK

DISCUSSION GROUP: The Rokeby Museum presents a book club discussion of Teaching White Supremacy: America’s Democratic Ordeal and the Forging of Our National Identity by Donald Yacovone. 6 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 877-3406.

WED.1 activism

MIGRANT JUSTICE: A presentation educates patrons about the local labor rights organization, its ongoing Milk With Dignity program and the experiences of Vermont farmworkers. St.

Johnsbury Athenaeum, 7-8 p.m. Free. Info, 748-8291.

agriculture

FIRST WEDNESDAYS:

STEVEN R. HOFFBECK: The author of The Haymakers: A Chronicle of Five Farm Families gives a humorous, insightful look into the history of hay. Presented by Vermont Humanities and Manchester Community Library. 7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, pvignola@mclvt.org.

business

QUEEN CITY BUSINESS NETWORKING INTERNATIONAL GROUP: See WED.25.

fairs & festivals

WATERBURY WINTERFEST: See FRI.27, 5-8 p.m.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘AMAZON ADVENTURE 3D’: See WED.25.

FILM AND MEDIA CULTURE SENIOR PROJECT SCREENING: Student filmmakers unveil a diverse array of final projects. Dana Auditorium, Sunderland Language Center, Middlebury College, 7:30-10:30 p.m. Free. Info, 443-3190.

‘MYSTERIES OF THE UNSEEN WORLD 3D’: See WED.25.

‘SEA MONSTERS 3D’: See WED.25.

‘WINGS OVER WATER 3D’: See WED.25.

food & drink

ADVENTURE DINNER FONDUE

POP-UP PARTY: It’s first come, first served at this rollicking gouda time featuring Jasper Hill cheese dip, shareable apps and plenty of cocktails. Takeout also available for preorder. Haymaker Bun, Middlebury, 4:30-9:30

FAMI LY FU N

barre/montpelier

WINTER STORY TIME & PLAYGROUP: Participants ages 6 and under hear stories, sing songs and eat tasty treats between outdoor activities. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.

rutland/killington

‘MAGIC ROCKS!’: Illusionist Leon Etienne brings a punk sensibility to his jaw-dropping, family-friendly show. Paramount Theatre, Rutland, 7:30 p.m. $19-39. Info, 775-0903.

upper valley

KEKLA MAGOON: The award-winning author launches her newest YA novel, The Minus-One Club, which follows a grieving Black teen in his search for community and meaning after his sister’s death. Norwich Bookstore, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 649-1114.

STORY TIME: Preschoolers take part in stories, songs and silliness. Latham Library, Thetford, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 785-4361.

northeast kingdom

ACORN CLUB STORY TIME: Kids 5 and under play, sing, hear stories and take home a fun activity. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 10-11 a.m. Free; preregister; limited space. Info, 745-1391.

SAT.28

burlington

FAMILY ART SATURDAY: Artists of all ages make a collage based on the current Bill McDowell photography exhibit. BCA Center, Burlington, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 865-7166.

p.m. Cost of food and drink. Info, 248-224-7539.

games

WINTER TRIVIA CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND!: The best of the best test their knowledge of Green Mountain State history, geography, nature and more. Courtesy of the Vermont Historical Society. 7-8 p.m. $5-10; preregister. Info, 479-8500.

health & fitness

CHAIR YOGA: See WED.25.

language

IRISH LANGUAGE CLASS: See WED.25.

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.

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.

chittenden county

BABY BRUNCH: Parents who signed up for a personalized bookplate for their 2020 through 2022 babies meet up to see the personalized books over refreshments. Preregister by January 27. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Free; preregister. Info, 846-4140.

BOOKER’S COLORFUL SNOWFLAKES: Little crafters drop by and make snowflakes to decorate the picture book room with. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

LEGO FUN: Wee builders of all ages construct creations to be displayed in the library. Children under 8 must bring a caregiver. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 1-3 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

SATURDAY STORIES: Kiddos start the weekend off right with stories and songs. Ages 3 through 7. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

barre/montpelier

CAPITAL CITY CONCERTS: FOLK MEETS

CLASSICAL: Mother and son musicians Karen Kevra and Owen Kevra-Lenz weave together musical traditions from around the world in a family-friendly showing. See calendar spotlight. Unitarian Church of Montpelier, 1-2:30 p.m. Free. Info, contact.capitalcityconcerts@gmail.com.

stowe/smuggs

MUSICAL STORY TIME: Song, dance and other tuneful activities supplement picture books for kids 2 through 5. Morristown Centennial Library, Morrisville, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 888-3853.

middlebury area

BUILD A QUINZHEE WITH THE MIDDLEBURY AREA LAND TRUST: Arctic engineers learn how to build a traditional snow shelter. BYO shovel.

lgbtq

THRIVE QTPOC MOVIE NIGHT: Each month, Pride Center of Vermont virtually screens a movie centered on queer and trans people of color. 6:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, thrive@pridecentervt.org.

music

ART THROUGH BREATH FINAL SHOWCASE: Music students weave together genres and disciplines. Mahaney Arts Center, Middlebury College, 7-9 p.m. Free. Info, 443-5696.

ZACH NUGENT UNCORKED: See WED.25.

outdoors

SMUGGS 55+ SKI CLUB: See WED.25.

sports

GREEN MOUNTAIN TABLE TENNIS CLUB: See WED.25.

MICHELOB ULTRA SKI BUM RACE SERIES: See WED.25.

Wright Park, Middlebury, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. Info, 388-1007.

MAGIC SHOW: Magician Alyx Hilshey brings her formidable supernatural skills to an all-ages matinee. Vergennes Opera House, 2-3:15 p.m. $5-25. Info, 877-6737.

northeast kingdom

SATURDAY CREATIVE FAMILIES

INITIATIVE: ‘TIME OUT’: The Rural Arts Collaborative leads artsy activities for creative kids ages 6 through 12 while parents socialize over tea and coffee on the second floor. Grass Roots Art and Community Effort, Hardwick, 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, info@ruralartsvt.org.

MON.30

burlington

STORIES WITH SHANNON: 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

SOLAR POWERED BUGS: Kids learn all about renewable energy and build their own robotic insects. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 5-6 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

northeast kingdom

ACORN CLUB STORY TIME: See FRI.27, 2-2:30 p.m.

TUE.31 burlington

PIZZA & PAPERBACKS: Teen bibliophiles discuss their latest reads over a slice. Ages 11 through 18. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 5-6 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

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.

talks

FIRST WEDNESDAYS:

LORI YEARWOOD: A journalist explores what it means to take a subject’s trauma into account. Presented by Vermont Humanities and Rutland Free Library. 7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 773-1860.

FIRST WEDNESDAYS:

RAFFI ANDONIAN: An author and TV presenter offers four questions for communities to consider when debating the value of monuments and other historic sites. Presented by Vermont Humanities and Brownell Library. 7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 878-6955.

theater

‘’BOV WATER’: See WED.25, 7:30 p.m. ➆

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.

PLAYGROUP & FAMILY SUPPORT: Families with children under age 5 play and connect with others in the community. Winooski Memorial Library, 10-11 a.m. Free. Info, 655-6424.

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.

SEA SHANTIES: Kids channel their inner sailors and learn old-timey work songs. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 3-4 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

TODDLERTIME: Kids ages 1 through 3 and their caregivers join Miss Alyssa for a lively session of stories, singing and wiggling. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

barre/montpelier

PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: See THU.26.

stowe/smuggs

CRAFTERNOON: A new project is on the docket each week, from puppets to knitting to decoupage. Ages 6 and up. Morristown Centennial Library, Morrisville, 3:30 p.m. Free. Info, 888-3853.

PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: Kiddos ages 3 through 5 share in stories, crafts and rhymes. Morristown Centennial Library, Morrisville, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 888-3853.

mad river valley/ waterbury

ISSUES AND IDENTITIES BOOK GROUP: Using current and past Golden Dome Award nominees, readers ages 9 through 12 discuss social issues like

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

race, gender and disability. Waterbury Public Library, 3:45-5 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 244-7036.

northeast kingdom

HOMESCHOOL HISTORY FAIR: Home students create and share a unique display on whatever a time period, historical event or past person they wish. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 10-11:30 a.m. Free; preregister; limited space. Info, bhatfield@stjathenaeum.org.

WED.1

burlington

BABYTIME: See WED.25.

CRAFTERNOON: See WED.25.

POKÉDEX SCAVENGER HUNT: Throughout the month of February, Pokémon catchers of all ages search for the creatures hiding throughout the library. Winners, announced in March, receive prizes. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington. Free. Info, 540-2546.

STEAM SPACE: See WED.25.

chittenden county

BABYTIME: See WED.25.

CRAFTERNOON: Little artists color posters of knights, princesses and dragons to decorate the youth area. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

PLAY TIME: See WED.25.

barre/montpelier

CHESS CLUB: See WED.25.

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.

upper valley

PEABODY AFTERSCHOOL FUN FOR GRADES 1-4: See WED.25. K

Readers help pay for the production of this award-winning weekly newspaper. Thousands have made one-time or recurring donations to sustain Seven Days since the beginning of the pandemic. Their support — along with advertisers’ — allows us to keep delivering breaking news and thoughtful long-form journalism to Vermonters. Support local journalism — make a contribution today! If you like what we do and can a ord to help pay for it, please become a Seven Days Super Reader. Your donation will help to keep our community informed and connected. Join the Super Readers at sevendaysvt.com/super-readers. Or send a note (and a check) to: Seven Days c/o Super Readers PO Box 1164 Burlington, VT 05402 Contact Kaitlin Montgomery at 865-1020, ext. 142 or superreaders@sevendaysvt.com.

Seven Days on the press in Mirabel, Québec

classes

THE FOLLOWING CLASS LISTINGS ARE PAID ADVERTISEMENTS. ANNOUNCE YOUR CLASS FOR AS LITTLE AS $16.75/WEEK (INCLUDES SIX PHOTOS AND UNLIMITED DESCRIPTION ONLINE). SUBMIT YOUR CLASS AD AT SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POSTCLASS.

craft

Waterbury. Info: 203-400-0700, sevendaystickets.com.

artAFTERSCHOOL DRAWING CLUB: Come explore your love of drawing and nature with your classmates and friends! Each session will be inspired by a new theme, from animals to insects to flowers, guided by the group’s interests. Along the way, participants will try different art materials — and even make some themselves — with time to work on individual projects. All that’s needed is curiosity and creativity! The Drawing Club will follow the HUUSD schedule and weather cancellations (announced for any students who aren’t in that district). No specific number of sessions is required; sign up for the dates that work for you! Every Mon., Jan. 23-Feb. 20, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Cost: $25/session materials fee incl. all art & natural history materials. Please register no later than the previous Thu. so Rachel can prepare your child’s materials. Location: Grange Hall Cultural Center, 317 Howard Ave., Waterbury Center. Info: info.acrossroads@gmail. com, 244-4168, sevendaystickets. com.

DAVIS STUDIO ART CLASSES: Discover your happy place in one of our weekly classes. Making art boosts emotional well-being and brings joy to your life, especially when you connect with other art enthusiasts. Select the ongoing program that’s right for you. Now enrolling youths and adults for classes in drawing, painting and fused glass. Location: Davis Studio, 916 Shelburne Rd., S. Burlington. Info: 425-2700. davisstudiovt.com.

WATERCOLOR & COLLAGE CLASS: Join us for a relaxed, social time making art. Classes are small: limit five students. You will be guided in an artistic process combining watercolor and collage. Includes all art supplies, a delicious bagged lunch from Breadloaf Kitchen and a complimentary glass of mead for participants 21-plus years of age. Sat., Feb. 11, 10:30 a.m. Cost: $150/5-hour class. Location: Golden Rule Mead, 8 Elm St., Middlebury. Info: Alice Eckles Studio, 310-9364, aleckles@ gmail.com, aliceecklesstudio. com.

LADDER-BACK CHAIR MAKING

Learn the fundamentals of ladder-back chair making and make your own two-slat chair! We will use the drawknife and spokeshave to shape our parts, bend wood with steam, finish with milk paints, and weave a Shaker tape seat. Open to all skill levels. Mar. 26-31, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. 6-day class, all tools & materials provided.

Location: Chairmaker’s Workshop, Charlotte. Info: Eric Cannizzaro, 360-528-1952, ericcannizzaro. com.

culinary

CAKE JAR WORKSHOP: In this workshop, we will learn how to make a delicious vanilla sponge cake and creatively layer our jars with fun frostings/fillings to each baker’s preference! Each baker will take home six jars and the recipes to make them at home. Recipe can be gluten-free. Tue., Feb. 21, 6 p.m. Cost: $40.

Location: Red Poppy Cakery, Waterbury. Info: 203-4000700, sevendaystickets. com.

VIRTUAL BAKING WORKSHOP: CINNAMON ROLLS: You will receive an ingredient list, list of supply needs and the Zoom class info via email five to seven days prior to the event or within 24 hours of your purchase. If for some reason that email does not come through, please reach out to janina@redpoppycakery. net prior to the class time. Sat., Feb. 18, 9 a.m. Cost: $25. Location: Red Poppy Cakery online. Info: 203-400-0700, sevendaystickets.com.

language

JAPANESE LANGUAGE CLASSES: The Japan America Society of Vermont will offer four levels of interactive Japanese language Zoom classes in spring 2023, starting the week of Jan. 30. Please join us for an introduction to speaking, listening, reading and writing Japanese, with an emphasis on the conversational patterns that occur in everyday life. Level 1: Tue., Level 2: Mon., Level 4: Thu., Level 5: Wed. Cost: $200/1.5-hour class for 10 weeks. Location: online, Info: Japan America Society of Vermont, 865-9985, jasvlanguage@gmail.com, jasv.org/v2/language.

SPANISH CLASSES FOR ALL AGES: Premier native-speaking Spanish professor Maigualida Rak is giving fun, interactive online lessons to improve comprehension and pronunciation and to achieve fluency. Audiovisual material is used. “I feel proud to say that my students have significantly improved their Spanish with my teaching approach.” — Maigualida Rak. Location: online, Info: 881-0931, spanishtutor. vtfla@gmail.com, facebook.com/ spanishonlinevt.

martial arts

AIKIDO: THE POWER OF HARMONY: Discover the dynamic, flowing martial art of aikido. Learn how to relax under pressure and cultivate core power, aerobic fitness and resiliency. Aikido techniques emphasize throws, pinning techniques and the growth of internal power. The circular movements emphasize blending movements rather than striking. Visitors should watch a class before joining. Starting on Tue., Jan. 17, at 6 p.m. for adults; youths, 4:30 p.m. 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.

GMMAC INCLUSIVE MARTIAL ARTS: Green Mountain Martial Arts Collaborative (GMMAC) offers martial arts that will strengthen your body and your mind. We foster a collaborative community for a diverse range of individuals. Our practices include Muay Thai, Brazilian jiu jitsu, Filipino and Thai combat arts. First class is always free! Membership, drop-in, private training. See our website for rates.

discounts available. Safesport-, IBJJF- and USA Boxing-certified instructors. Go at your own pace in an inclusive environment. First class is free! Mon.-Fri. 5-8:30 p.m. Cost: $15/day pass or membership. Location: Combat Fitness MMA, 276 E. Allen St. #8, Winooski. Info: Vincent Guy, 343-3129, vteguy25@gmail.com, combatfitnessmma.com.

VERMONT BRAZILIAN JIUJITSU: We offer a legitimate Brazilian jiu-jitsu training program for men, women and children in a friendly, safe and positive environment. Julio Cesar “Foca” Fernandez Nunes; CBJJP and IBJJF seventh-degree Carlson Gracie Sr. Coral Beltcertified instructor; teaching in Vermont, born and raised in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil! A two-time world masters champion, five-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu national champion, three-time Rio de Janeiro state champion and Gracie Challenge champion. Accept no limitations! 1st class is free. Location: Vermont Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 55 Leroy Rd., Williston. Info: 598-2839, julio@bjjusa.com, vermontbjj.com.

yoga

YOGA NIDRA IN THE SALT CAVE: This workshop combines the deep healing and restoration of two complementary wellness practices: yoga nidra and the salt cave. Explore how relaxing and rejuvenating these two practices can be when combined together. Yoga nidra is a sleep-based guided meditation that allows students to relax deeply and heal their body on the physical, emotional and mental levels.

Yoga nidra takes us into deep relaxation and then, while in this state, we use a variety of techniques to train our mind to be still and balance out the tensions we accumulate in daily life. One session of yoga nidra is equal to three or four hours of sleep. Dry salt therapy of the salt cave, also known as halotherapy, benefits adults and children alike, as well as athletes and animals.

music

DJEMBE & TAIKO DRUMMING:

FOCACCIA ART WORKSHOP: In this workshop, you will tackle making focaccia bread dough and decorate it your own way with various herbs, veggies and cheeses. You’ll go home with an eight-inch-square pan of focaccia art and the recipe to make it again on your own at home. Tue., Feb. 28, 6 p.m. Cost: $45.

Location: Green Mountain Martial Arts Collaborative, 274 N. Winooski Ave. #3, Burlington. Info: 316-8896, info@ greenmountainmartialarts.com, greenmountainmartialarts.com.

Location: Red Poppy Cakery,

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS: Boxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, kickboxing and personal training/ fitness in one place! Beginners to seasoned competitors, we have a program for you. Family

JOIN US!: New classes (outdoors mask optional/masks indoors).

Taiko Tue. and Wed.; Djembe Wed.; Kids & Parents Tue. and Wed. Conga classes by request! Schedule/register online.

Location: Taiko Space, 208 Flynn Ave., Suite 3G, Burlington. Info: 999-4255, spaton55@gmail.com. burlingtontaiko.org.

Halotherapy is beneficial for overall wellness by removing the toxicity from the respiratory system, improving the function and appearance of the skin, and boosting the immune system. You will be welcomed to the salt cave and begin with a gentle stretch before relaxing your body on a mat over a bolster. Then you will be guided on a yoga nidra meditation for approximately 45 minutes. Wake up refreshed, rejuvenated and with new tools to move through the world with less stress and more peace. Bring a blanket to cover yourself and warm cozy layers and socks for this restful and restorative practice. There will be no refunds issued once payment is made for this workshop. Thank you for supporting our small businesses and being a part of our community. Xoxo. Sun., Jan. 29, 10 a.m. Cost: $60. Location: Purple Sage, 21 Essex Way, Suite 224, Essex. Info: 646-206-0514, sevendaystickets.com.

OF

Humane Society

COURTESY

SUMMARY: Arya is a lover of cuddles, snuggles and occasional hiding time, and she will be most successful in a quiet and calm home. Arya is currently living her best life with one of our amazing fosters, as the shelter environment was a little too busy for this sensitive lady. If you are interested in adopting, please fill out an adopter profile and give us a call. We will arrange for adoption counseling and a meet and greet.

CATS/DOGS/KIDS: Arya has lived with cats, dogs and children, but she may prefer a home without other cats or young children.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS: Arya is currently on a prescription urinary diet to manage her feline idiopathic cystitis. Her adopter will be sent home with a two-week supply of food and should follow up with a vet.

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.

HSCC PET HELPLINE

Are you experiencing challenges with your pet? HSCC is here! If you are looking for help and resources in managing behavioral issues, contact our free Pet Helpline at helpline@hsccvt.org or give us a call at 802-862-0135, ext. 29.

CLASSIFIEDS

check req. $2,950/mo. Info: 802-363-7887

HOUSEMATES

housing ads: $25 (25 words) legals: 52¢/word buy this stuff: free online

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 x120

on the road CARS/TRUCKS

CASH FOR CARS

We buy all cars! Junk, high-end, totaled: It doesn’t matter. Get free towing & same-day cash. Newer models, too. Call 1-866-5359689. (AAN CAN)

DONATE YOUR CAR FOR KIDS

Fast, free pickup. Running or not. 24-hour response. Maximum tax donation. Help fi nd missing kids! Call 1-855-504-1540. (AAN CAN)

SHARE CONDO W/ SPORTS FAN

In So. Burlington. Share a condo near Kennedy Dr. w/ avid sports fan in his 30s who enjoys CNN, video gaming & the outdoors. $650/ mo. all incl. + cooking 1 meal/week & sharing a bit of conversation.

Private BA. Info: info@ homesharevermont.org, homesharevermont.org.

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. Melinda, 864-7999.

housing FOR RENT

BURLINGTON ROOM

FOR RENT

Burlington Hill Section. Single room, on bus line. No cooking. No pets. Basic linens provided. Incl. basic utils. Info: 802-862-2389.

HILL SECTION IN-LAW, PETS OK

Fully furnished 2-BR, 1-BA, private entrance. Large fenced backyard. Close to UVM, hospital, downtown, I-89. All utils. incl. Mo.-to-mo. lease. $2,800. Call 802-238-8102. Avail. now.

HISTORIC 3-BR DUPLEX 2,000-sq.ft., bright, beautiful. 3-BR, 2-BA. Fully renovated. W/D. Off-street parking. Avail. Feb. 1. NS. Serious inquiries. Refs., credit

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

ser vices

EDUCATION

ATTN: ACTIVE DUTY & MILITARY VETS

Begin a new career & earn your degree at CTI! Online computer & medical training avail. for veterans & families. To learn more, call 866-243-5931, Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-6 p.m. ET. Computer w/ internet is req. (AAN CAN)

FINANCIAL/LEGAL

CREDIT CARD DEBT RELIEF!

Reduce payment by up to 50%. Get 1 low affordable payment/mo. Reduce interest. Stop calls. Free no-obligation consultation. Call 1-855761-1456. (AAN CAN)

HEALTH/ WELLNESS

PSYCHIC COUNSELING

Psychic counseling, channeling w/ Bernice Kelman, Underhill. 40+ years’ experience. Also energy healing, chakra balancing, Reiki, rebirthing, other lives, classes & more. 802-899-3542, kelman.b@juno.com.

HOME/GARDEN

A GREAT PAINTER

Mason’s Painting Service is a fully insured painting business. Interior & exterior painting & staining as well as pressure washing. Call or email for a free estimate! 802-673-5687, masonspaintingservice@ gmail.com.

BATH & SHOWER UPDATES

In as little as 1 day! Affordable prices. No payments for 18 mos. Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & military discounts avail. Call 1-866-370-2939. (AAN CAN)

COVERED HOME REPAIRS

Don’t pay for covered home repairs again!

NEED AN ELECTRICIAN?

Provost Son and Daughters Electric is your go-to for all your electrical needs! Call 802-891-9958 or send us an email to provostsdelectric@ gmail.com.

SAFETY UPDATES FOR BATHROOMS

BathWraps is looking for calls from homeowners w/ older homes who

are looking for a quick safety update. ey do not remodel entire bathrooms but update bathtubs w/ new liners for safe bathing & showering. ey specialize in grab bars, nonslip surfaces & shower seats. All updates are completed in 1 day. Call 866-531-2432. (AAN CAN)

WATER DAMAGE TO YOUR HOME?

Call for a quote for professional cleanup & maintain the value of your home. Set an appt. today. Call 833-6641530. (AAN CAN)

MOVING/HAULING

LONG-DISTANCE MOVING

Call today for a free quote from America’s most trusted interstate movers. Let us take the stress out of moving! Call now to speak to 1 of our quality relocation specialists: 1-855-7874471. (AAN CAN)

buy this stuff

APPLIANCES/ TOOLS/PARTS

SNOW TIRES FOR SALE

Four snow tires, studded. e size is 215/60r16 & the make is Nokian. 1 season only, $300. Contact: 802-872-8560.

ENTERTAINMENT/ TICKETS

TROOP 658 SPAGHETTI DINNER

Spaghetti dinner benefi ting sea base crew, Feb. 4, at the Bagel Café in Burlington. See bsatroop658.org for info.

MISCELLANEOUS

4G LTE HOME INTERNET

Get GotW3 w/ lightningfast speeds + take your service w/ you when you travel! As low as $109.99/mo. 1-866-5711325. (AAN CAN)

BCI WALK-IN TUBS Now on sale! Be 1 of the 1st 50 callers & save $1,500! Call 844-5140123 for a free in-home consultation. (AAN CAN)

DISH TV $64.99 $64.99 for 190 channels + $14.95 high-speed internet. Free installation, Smart HD DVR incl., free voice remote. Some restrictions apply. 1-866-566-1815. (AAN CAN)

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)

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

American Residential Warranty covers all major systems & appliances. 30-day risk free/$100 off popular plans. Call 855-7314403. (AAN CAN)

INTERIOR PAINTING SERVICE

South Burlington-based painter seeking interior projects. Quality work, insured w/ solid refs. On the web at vtpaintingcompany.com or call Tim at 802-373-7223.

JOSH REYNOLDS

DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK:

Fill the grid using the numbers 1-6, only once in each row and column. e 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.

WANT MORE PUZZLES?

Try these online news games from Seven Days at sevendaysvt.com/games.

of

Put your knowledge of Vermont news to the test.

NEW ON FRIDAYS: See how fast you can solve this weekly 10-word puzzle.

NEW EVERY DAY:

Guess today’s 5-letter word. Hint: It’s in the news!

GMT, Submariner & Speedmaster. Call 888320-1052. (AAN CAN)

buy this stuff

SPECTRUM INTERNET

AS LOW AS $29.99

Call to see if you qualify for ACP & free internet. No credit check. Call now! 833-955-0905. (AAN CAN)

WANT TO BUY

ACT 250 NOTICE MINOR APPLICATION 4C03398C 10 V.S.A. §§ 6001 - 6111

music INSTRUCTION

GUITAR INSTRUCTION

Essex Junction, VT 05452 802-261-1944

stephanie.monaghan@vermont.gov

PLACE

SEVENDAYSVT.COM/LEGAL-NOTICES OR CALL 802-865-1020, EXT. 110.

For more information contact Stephanie H. Monaghan at the address or telephone number below.

Dated this January 18, 2023.

PAYING

TOP CASH FOR MEN’S SPORT WATCHES

Breitling, Omega, Patek Philippe, Heuer, Daytona,

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.

On December 22, 2022, RHTL Partners, LLC, Attn: Abel Toll, 684 Portland St., St. Johnsbury, VT 05819 filed application number 4C0339-8C for a project generally described as installation of exterior signage at the South Burlington Mazda dealership. e project is located at 1795 Shelburne Rd. in South Burlington, Vermont. e application became complete on January 17, 2023. is application can be viewed online by visiting the Act 250 Database: (https://anrweb.vt.gov/ ANR/Act250/Details.aspx?Num=4C0339-8C).

No hearing will be held and a permit will be issued unless, on or before February 8, 2023, a party notifi es the District 4 Commission in writing of an issue requiring a hearing, or the Commission sets the matter for a hearing on its own motion. Any person as defi ned in 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c) (1) may request a hearing. Any hearing request must be in writing, must state the criteria or sub-criteria at issue, why a hearing is required, and what additional evidence will be presented at the hearing. Any hearing request by an adjoining property owner or other person eligible for party status under 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1)(E) must include a petition for party status under the Act 250 Rules. To request party status and a hearing, fill out the Party Status Petition Form on the Board’s website: https://nrb.vermont.gov/documents/ party-status- petition-form, and email it to the District 4 Offi ce at: NRB.Act250Essex@vermont. gov. Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law may not be prepared unless the Commission holds a public hearing.

For more information contact Stephanie H. Monaghan at the address or telephone number below.

Dated this January 18, 2023.

By:/s/ Stephanie H. Monaghan Stephanie H. Monaghan District Coordinator 111 West Street

PUZZLE ANSWERS

FROM P.73

ACT 250 NOTICE MINOR APPLICATION 4C069211A 10 V.S.A. §§ 6001 - 6111

On January 9, 2023, Lawrence & Brigit Robinson, P.O. Box 418, Charlotte, VT 05445 and Kiona & Lincoln Heath, 231 Meadowside Drive, Charlotte, VT 05445 filed application number 4C0692- 11A for a project generally described as: 1) after the fact approval of a one-bedroom accessory dwelling unit at 295 Meadowside Drive; and 2) a boundary line adjustment between 231 and 295 Meadowside Drive to satisfy a boundary setback violation. e project is located at 231 and 295 Meadowside Drive in Charlotte, Vermont. e application became complete on January 18, 2023. is application can be viewed online by visiting the Act 250 Database: (https://anrweb.vt.gov/ ANR/Act250/Details.aspx?Num=4C0692-11A).

No hearing will be held, and a permit will be issued unless, on or before February 10, 2023, a party notifi es the District 4 Commission in writing of an issue requiring a hearing, or the Commission sets the matter for a hearing on its own motion. Any person as defi ned in 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c) (1) may request a hearing. Any hearing request must be in writing, must state the criteria or sub-criteria at issue, why a hearing is required, and what additional evidence will be presented at the hearing. Any hearing request by an adjoining property owner or other person eligible for party status under 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1)(E) must include a petition for party status under the Act 250 Rules. To request party status and a hearing, fill out the Party Status Petition Form on the Board’s website: https://nrb.vermont.gov/documents/ party-status- petition-form, and email it to the District 4 Offi ce at: NRB.Act250Essex@vermont. gov. Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law may not be prepared unless the Commission holds a public hearing.

By:/s/ Stephanie H. Monaghan Stephanie H. Monaghan District Coordinator 111 West Street Essex Junction, VT 05452 802-261-1944 stephanie.monaghan@vermont.gov

BURLINGTON PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

Burlington Comprehensive Development Ordinance Amendment

ZA-23-02: Inclusionary Zoning

Pursuant to 24 V.S.A. §4441 and §4444, notice is hereby given of a public hearing by the Burlington Planning Commission to hear comments on the following proposed amendments to the City of Burlington’s Comprehensive Development Ordinance (CDO). e public hearing will take place during the Planning Commission meeting on Tuesday, February 14, 2023, with the hearing starting at Time Certain 6:45pm. You may access the hearing/meeting as follows:

To join virtually from a Computer, please click this URL to join, and enter the Webinar ID if prompted: Link: https://zoom.us/j/93943167252 Webinar ID: 939 4316 7252

To join virtually by phone, dial this number and enter the Webinar ID when prompted: Number: +1 312 626 6799 Webinar ID: 939 4316 7252

To join the meeting in person: Sharon Bushor Room, Room 102, City Hall, 149 Church Street, Burlington, VT 05401

Pursuant to the requirements of 24 V.S.A. §4444(b):

Statement of purpose:

e purpose of the proposed amendments are as follows:

FROM P.73

• ZA-23-02: is amendment modifi es the General Requirements for Inclusionary Units to allow for greater fl exibility in providing affordable housing. Specifi cally, the amendment creates alternative compliance pathways to meeting the bedroom mix and unit size requirements in developments where the project’s market rate units’ fl oor area and bedroom mix differ signifi cantly from demand for affordable housing unit types.

Geographic areas affected: ese amendments apply to the following areas of the city:

• ZA-23-02: All areas and zoning districts within the city.

List of section headings affected: e proposed amendments modify the following sections of the Burlington Comprehensive Development Ordinance:

• ZA-23-02: Modifi es Sec. 9.1.8 and Sec. 9.1.14

e full text of the Burlington Comprehensive Development Ordinance is available online at www.burlingtonvt.gov/DPI/CDO. e proposed amendment can be reviewed in hard copy posted on the first fl oor of City Hall, 149 Church Street, Burlington or online at https://www.burlingtonvt. gov/DPI/CDO/Amendments

e City of Burlington will not tolerate unlawful harassment or discrimination on the basis of political or religious affiliation, race, color, national origin, place of birth, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status,

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veteran status, disability, HIV positive status, crime victim status or genetic information. The City is also committed to providing proper access to services, facilities, and employment opportunities. For accessibility information or alternative formats, please contact the City Planning department or 711 if you are hearing or speech impaired.

CITY OF BURLINGTON IN THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-THREE AN ORDINANCE IN RELATION TO CDO— PARKING MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENTS AND TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT ZA# 22-07

ORDINANCE 8.04

Sponsor(s): Ordinance Committee

Public Hearing Dates:

First reading: 09/27/21

Referred to: Ordinance Committee Rules suspended and placed in all stages of passage: Fifth reading: 01/09/23

Action: adopted Date: 01/09/23

Signed by Mayor: 01/17/23

Published: 01/25/23

Effective: 02/15/23

It is hereby Ordained by the City Council of the City of Burlington as follows:

That Appendix A, Comprehensive Development Ordinance, of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Burlington, be and hereby is amended by amending Sections 4.4.1 (d) 5, Development Bonuses/Additional Allowances; 4.4.5 (d) 4. C., Residential Occupancy Limits; 4.5.3 (c) 6, Parking Requirements; 4.5.6 (c), District Specific Regulations: Mouth of the River Overlay; 5.1.1 (c), Permitted Uses; 5.1.1 (d), Conditional Uses; 5.3.6 (c), Changes to a Nonconforming Lot; 5.3.8, Rebuilding After a Catastrophe; 5.4.12 (a), Mobile Home Parks; 8.1.3, Parking Districts; 8.1.4, Existing Structures; 8.1.5, Existing Structures-Change or Expansion of Use; 8.1.6, Affordable Housing and Historic Buildings Exemption; 8.1.7 Non-Conforming Residential Structure; 8.1.8, Minimum Off-Street Parking Requirements; Table 8.1.8-1, Maximum Off-Street Parking Requirements; 8.1.9, Maximum Parking Spaces; Table 8.1.9-1 Maximum Off Street Parking Requirements; 8.1.12, Limitations, Location, Use of Facilities; 8.1.15, Waivers from Parking Requirements/Parking Management Plans; 8.1.16, Transportation Demand Management; 8.3.3, Institutional Parking Management Plans; 8.3.4, Review and Approval of Institutional Parking Management Plans; and 8.3.5 Review and Approval of Applications for Future Development, thereto to read as follows:

Sec. 4.4.1 Downtown Mixed Use Districts (a) – (c) As written.

(d) District Specific Regulations

1-4 As written

5. Development Bonuses/Additional Allowances

The following exceptions to the allowable base building height and FAR as provided in Table 4.4.1-1 above may be approved in any combination subject to the maximum limits set forth in Table 4.4.1-2 below at the discretion of the DRB. The additional FAR allowed shall correspond to the proportion of the additional building height granted to the maximum available.

A. Public Parking

A bonus in excess of the base height and FAR allowance in Downtown Waterfront – Public Trust District may be permitted at the discretion of the DRB for the provision of public parking as follows:

(i) As written.

(ii) 10-feet of additional building height and corresponding FAR may also be permitted, independent of subsection (i) above, where no less than 25 parking spaces or an additional ten percent (10%) above the minimum spaces required pursuant to Sec. 8.1.8, whichever is greater, are made available to the general public at all times.

(iii) – (iv) As written.

B. – F. As written.

Sec. 4.4.5 Residential Districts

(a) – (c) As written.

(d) District Specific Regulations

The following regulations are district-specific exceptions, bonuses, and standards unique to the residential districts. They are in addition to, or may modify, city-wide standards as provided in Article 5 of this ordinance and district standards as provided above.

1. -3. As written.

4. Residential Density A. –B. As written.

C. Residential Occupancy Limits In all residential districts, the occupancy of any dwelling unit is limited to members of a family as defined in Article 13. Notwithstanding the following, the minimum square footage requirements shall be reduced by ten (10%) percent in situations where the residential premises are owner occupied.

Subject to Conditional Use approval by the DRB, a dwelling unit may be occupied by more than four (4) unrelated adults if it contains at least twenty-five hundred (2,500) square feet excluding its attic and basement pursuant to the following:

(i) If in a RL district, the dwelling unit also contains at least an additional two hundred fifty (250) square feet and two (2) onsite parking spaces, plus one (1) additional parking space per adult occupant in excess of four (4); or, (ii) If in a RM district, the dwelling unit also contains at least an additional two hundred (200) square feet and two (2) onsite parking spaces, plus one (1) additional parking space per adult occupant in excess of four (4).

iii) If in a RH district, the dwelling unit also contains at least an additional 150 square feet and two (2) onsite parking spaces, plus one (1) additional parking space per adult occupant in excess of four (4).

In considering a request relating to permitting a greater number of unrelated individuals residing in a dwelling unit within a residential zoning district, no conditional use permit may be granted unless all facilities within the dwelling unit, including bathroom and kitchen facilities are accessible to the occupants without passing through any bedroom. Each room proposed to be occupied as a bedroom must contain at least one hundred twenty (120) square feet.

5. -6. As written. ***

Sec. 4.5.3 RH- Density Bonus Overlay District (a)-(b) As written.

(c) District Specific Regulations: RH- Density Bonus Overlay: 1.-5. As written.

6. Parking Standards Requirements In addition to the parking standards requirements found in Article 8, the following shall also apply within this Overlay:

There shall be at least one parking space per residential unit (exceptions for senior and affordable housing, as outlined in Article 8, shall apply). There shall be an affirmative finding by the DRB that the proposed development provides adequate parking for its residents and non-residential uses. At least seventy-five (75%) of the parking spaces required after any waiver shall be provided onsite as structured parking spaces. Any structured parking shall be concealed by the structure or the building so that it is not visible from the street (the entrance and exit may be visible).

7.-9. As written.

Sec 4.5.6 Mouth of the River Overlay District (a)-(b) As written.

(c) District Specific Regulations: Mouth of the River Overlay: 1. Uses

A. Exception for Non-Residential Marine and Recreational Uses Small-scale non-residential marine and recreational uses in the Mouth of the River Overlay shall be allowed as follows: (i)-(viii) As written.

(ix) To the extent that additional parking is provided required the parking standards for Shared-Use Districts shall apply pursuant to Article 8; (x)-(xi) As written.

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Sec. 5.1.1 Uses

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Except as otherwise provided by law or by this ordinance, no land or structure in any district shall be used or occupied except as specified under the provisions of this ordinance and the requirements of the zoning district in which such land or structure is located as specified in Article 4 and in Appendix A-Use Table. (a)-(b) As written.

(c)

Permitted Uses

A permitted use is allowed as of right in any district under which it is denoted by the letter “Y”; in Appendix A- .Use Table. Permitted uses are subject to such requirements as may be further specified in this ordinance such as but not limited to dimensional and intensity limitations, performance and design standards, and parking requirements standards

(d) Conditional Uses

A conditional use is listed in any district where denoted by the letters “CU” in Appendix A - Use Table. Such uses may be permitted by the DRB only after review under the conditional use provisions provided in Article 3, Part 5, such further restrictions as the DRB may establish and such additional requirements as may be established by this ordinance such as but not limited to dimensional and intensity limitations, performance and design standards, and parking requirements standards

(e)-(i) As written.

Sec. 5.3.6 Nonconforming Lots Development may occur on a non-conforming lot only in the following manner: (a)-(b) As written.

(c) Changes to a Nonconforming Lot No change shall be permitted to any nonconforming lot which would have the effect of increasing the density at which the property is being used, or increasing the structure located upon such lot, if the dimensional requirements and standards, including parking of the underlying zoning district are not met as a result thereof. Allowance of adaptive reuse and residential conversion bonuses shall be an exception to the foregoing standards. A lot shall be considered nonconforming if there is not sufficient parking, as determined by the standards provided in Article 8. In such cases where a parking waiver or waivers may be or have been legally granted, such a waiver shall be considered superseded by the standards provided in Article 8. not be considered to increase the degree of non-conformity. ***

Sec 5.3.8 Rebuilding After Catastrophe

If the structure housing a nonconforming use or a nonconforming structure is damaged by fire, explosion, or other catastrophe, and no government investigation determines that the damage resulted from the owner’s intentional conduct or gross negligence the use may be restored or the structure rebuilt subject to the following provisions:

(a)-(c) As written.

(d) Noncompliance, in terms of dimensional regulations or parking requirements shall not be increased beyond what existed prior to the catastrophe and, where physically possible, shall come into compliance; (e)-(f) As written. ***

Sec 5.4.12 Mobile

Home Parks

In addition to the applicable provisions of Site Plan Design Standards in Art 6, Part 2, and Article 10 Subdivision Review (if applicable), the following additional regulations shall be applicable to any application involving a Mobile Home Park. The provisions of Art 3, Part 5 for Conditional Uses shall also apply to applications involving new or expanded Mobile Home Parks.

(a) Mobile Home Parks

Regarding the establishment and operation of a Mobile Home Park: 1-5. As written.

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6. One (1) on-site parking space shall be required per individual Mobile Home.

7-9. As written with renumbering.

(b) As written.

***

Sec. 8.1.3 Parking Districts

The demand for parking is highly dependent on the context within which a given use or structure is located. Factors such as proximity to other related uses, availability of public transportation and alternative forms of and supports for transportation , the density of land uses, and the ability to share parking with nearby uses are all factors which influence the demand for individual and dedicated off-site parking. For the purposes of this Article, the following three (3) Parking Districts as illustrated in Map 8.1.3-1 are hereby created:

(a) Neighborhood Parking District:

This parking district establishes the baseline of parking requirements throughout the city encompasses the primarily residential neighborhoods of the city where the demand for off-site parking is largely dependent on the needs and characteristics of and transportation resources available to an individual site or land use.

(b) Shared Use Parking District: This parking district reduces the requirements from the baseline standards recognizing recognizes that opportunities exist to share parking demand between related nearby land uses, and that travel to and between these uses may not be strictly automobile dependent.

(c) Multimodal Mixed-Use Parking District: This parking district recognizes that eliminates the minimum on-site parking requirements of Sec. 8.1.8 recognizing the opportunity for extensive sharing of parking demand between nearby mixed land uses makes travel to and between proximate land uses largely independent from an automobile; and that an array of non- vehicular transportation modes, public parking facilities, and frequent transit service greatly reduces the need for independent on-site parking for individual land uses.

This Parking District includes all properties in the following Zoning Districts:

(a) Downtown Core (FD6)

(b) Downtown Center (FD5)

(c) Downtown Waterfront – Public Trust (DW-PT) (d) Neighborhood Activity Center (NAC)

(e) Neighborhood Mixed Use (NMU)

(f) NAC – Riverside (NAC-R)

(g) NAC – Cambrian Rise (NAC-CR)

This parking district also includes the properties located at 0 and 52 Institute Road.

With the exception of those properties subject to Part 3 - Institutional Parking Management Plans, this Parking District also includes all properties with street frontage on the following major thoroughfares to a maximum depth of 200-ft.:

(a) North Avenue from Battery Park to Plattsburg Avenue

(b) Colchester Avenue

(c) Pearl Street

(d) North Winooski Avenue

(e) Riverside Avenue from N. Winooski Ave to Colchester Ave

(f) Battery Street

(g) Main Street

(h) College Street to South Williams Street

(i) Pine Street

(j) Saint Paul Street

(k) Shelburne Street

Map 8.1.3-1 Parking Districts As written.

Sec. 8.1.4 Existing Structures

Any structure or land use lawfully in existence prior to the adoption of this ordinance shall not be subject to the requirements of this Article as long as the kind or extent of use is not changed, and provided further that any parking facilities now

(a) Exemptions: The following shall not be included in the maximum number of allowable spaces required by this section:

single structure or parcel of land located in a Neighborhood or Shared Use Parking District, the total requirement for off-street parking shall be the sum for all individual uses unless it can be shown that the peak parking demands are offset and spaces can be shared (for example: retail and residential, or theater and office uses) as evidenced by a shared parking analysis utilizing the most current edition of the Urban Land Institute’s Shared Parking Report, the ITE’s Shared Parking Guidelines, or other comparable and industryrecognized publications.

(d) Single Story Structures in Shared Use Districts: In the event that a single story structure is proposed to be located in a Shared Use District, the total requirements for off-street parking shall be calculated as for a Neighborhood Parking District. This provision does not apply to single story structures existing and occupied as of the effective date of this ordinance.

(e)Joint Use of Facilities:

of participation (including parking utilization if applicable).

2. TDM Strategies: In addition to compliance with the on-site Bicycle Parking requirements found in Article 8, Part 2, each TDM Program must incorporate TDM strategies to minimize the amount of parking demand associated with the project. At a minimum, a TDM Program shall select no less than two (2) of the following TDM strategies, which shall be selected and filed with the Administrative Officer on an annual basis:

a. Maintain an ongoing and active membership in a Transportation Management Association (TMA);

b. Provide GMT Transit passes to all residents and employees at a minimum discount of 50%;

c. Provide a free car share membership to all residents and employees;

pursuant to Sec. 2.7.8 of this ordinance no zoning permit or certificate of occupancy may be granted without a TDM Program in effect.

Guidelines regarding compliance with these TDM requirements shall be developed and provided to applicants by the Administrative Officer.

***

Sec. 8.3.3

Institutional Parking Management Plans

An Institutional Parking Management Plan shall include the following:

(a) A narrative that outlines how the proposed parking management plan addresses the specific needs of existing and anticipated development and effectively satisfies the intent of this Article and the goals of the Municipal Development Plan.

for such use, and be signed and/or the space painted with the 311 words “Alternative Fueled Vehicles Only.” 312 4. ADA Accessible Parking Parking spaces specifically designed, located and reserved by persons according 313 to the standards in the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as administered by the Dept. of Public 314 Works. 315 5. Institutional Parking Parking spaces, provided by institutions, that have been approved as part of a plan 316 per the standards of Article 8, Part 3: Institutional Parking Plans 317

1. Public Parking: Spaces provided and available for use by the public shall not be counted towards the maximum. Such spaces shall be available to the public at a minimum of nights and weekends, and be signed or marked accordingly;

2. Carpool, Vanpool, and Car-Share Parking: Spaces dedicated for vehicles participating in a carpool, vanpool, or car-share program shall not be counted towards the maximum. Such spaces shall be reserved for such use, and be signed or marked accordingly; and,

3. Alternative Fueled Vehicle Parking: Parking spaces dedicated for vehicles operating on primarily alternative fuels including but not limited to electric, natural gas, and hydrogen shall not be counted towards the maximum. Such spaces shall be reserved for such use, and be signed and/or the space painted with the words “Alternative Fueled Vehicles Only.”

4. ADA Accessible Parking: Parking spaces specifically designed, located and reserved by persons according to the standards in the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as administered by the Dept. of Public Works.

5. Institutional Parking: Parking spaces, provided by institutions, that have been approved as part of a plan per the standards of Article 8, Part 3: Institutional Parking Plans

6. Driveways: Parking for residential uses within driveways compliant with the standards of Sec. 8.1.12 (b), Front Yard Parking Restricted and Residential Driveways.

7. Waiver of Maximum Parking Limitations. Parking in excess of the maximum parking limitation of this section, may be waived by the DRB pursuant to the following requirements:

A. The applicant requesting the waiver shall also provide: (i) a peak demand parking study for two similar uses in the area; and, (ii) a TDM Plan pursuant to the requirements of Sec. 8.1.16

B. The following additional review criteria shall be addressed regarding how: (i) The need for additional parking cannot reasonably be met through provision of on-street parking or shared parking with adjacent or nearby uses; (ii) The proposed development demonstrates that its design and intended uses will continue to support high levels of existing or planned transit and pedestrian activity; and,

(iii) The site plan indicates where additional parking can be redeveloped to a more intensive transit supportive use in the future.

Secs. 8.1.10 – 8.1.11 As written.

Sec. 8.1.12 Limitations, Location, Use of Facilities

(a)Shared Parking for Off-Site Use: Parking may be used by onsite or offsite users. Parking may not be the primary use of any property unless it is approved as such with a zoning permit where allowed.

(b)As written.

(c) Shared Parking:

In the event that a mix of uses occupy a

The required parking for two (2) or more uses, structures, or parcels may be combined in a single parking facility if it can be shown by the applicant to the satisfaction of the DRB that the use of the joint facility does not materially overlap with other dedicated parking in such facility, and provided that the proposed use is evidenced by a deed, lease, contract, reciprocal easement, or similar written instrument establishing the joint use acceptable to the city attorney.

(c) As written.

Secs. 8.1.13 – 8.1.14 As written.

Sec. 8.1.15 (Reserved)

Sec. 8.1.16 Transportation Demand Management (a) Purpose: This section requires the implementation of a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Program for certain projects for the purpose of advancing the goals of the City’s land use and transportation plans, and promoting public health, safety, welfare, and protection of the environment by:

• Reducing parking demand; • Reducing car ownership; • Reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT), single occupant vehicle usage and congestion; and, • Increasing transit use and non-motorized travel;

d. Provide a free bike share membership to all residents and employees;

e. If not already provided through a TMA membership, provide residents and employees with a shuttle service, guaranteed ride home program, or ride to a nearby transit center.

3. Parking Management: Where on-site or off-site parking is also made available: a. Conduct parking utilization studies at least annually for a period of 7 years from receipt of a Certificate of Occupancy; b.With the exception of permanently affordable housing units, the cost of parking shall be un-bundled from all residential and nonresidential leases and deeds and made available at a market rate;

c.Where parking spaces are made available to offsite users, parking spaces may be made available by a renewable lease, provided the term of any lease does not exceed one (1) year; and, d.Priority parking spaces: when on-site parking is provided, the following must be located in closest proximity to a primary building entrance and/or public street frontage: 1. ADA Accessible spaces; 2. Bicycles, scooters, and motorcycles spaces; 3. Car-share: where 1 space must be offered for projects with 20 or more residential units, subject to an agreement with a car-share provider; and, 4. Carpool and/or Vanpool vehicles: where more than 20 spaces are available for non-residential uses. In such cases, 5 spaces or 5% of the parking spaces on site, whichever is less, must be reserved for carpool/vanpool use before 9:00 AM on weekdays.

(b) Information specifying the current and anticipated numbers over the ensuing 5 year period for: number of students of all academic programs (full-time, part-time, commuter, on-campus, off-campus, and continuing education), faculty and staff (full-time and part-time), patients and visitors being served by the institution.

(c) An analysis of the anticipated parking demand by user group, time of day and/or demand by use and parking provided to meet that demand currently and anticipated over the ensuing five-year period;

(d) Information specifying the number and composition of the institution’s vehicle fleet, where these vehicles are regularly kept, and designated “service vehicle-only” parking;

(e) Strategies used to reduce or manage the demand for parking which may include but are not limited to:

1. Policies which restrict and/or prohibit the bringing of vehicles to the institution for various users or groups of users;

2. A telecommuting program;

3. Programs and employee and student subsidies to encourage the use of public transit, car-share, walking, and bicycling;

4. Implementation of a shuttle service system serving off-site parking;

5. Implementation of a parking permit system to allocate parking throughout the system; and, (f) Implementation of a monitoring, compliance and enforcement system to measure and ensure compliance with the plan.

Sec. 8.3.4 Review and Approval of Institutional Parking Management Plans (a) Plan Approval

Such a plan shall require review and approval by the DRB, after consultation with the planning commission, and after a public hearing. In order to approve a proposed Institutional Parking Plan, the DRB shall find:

For projects that were issued permits with TDM requirements prior to January 31, 2023, an administrative

amendment may be requested to align the

with the TDM requirements set forth herein. (c) Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Program: A TDM Program shall include each of the following elements at a minimum:

1. Outreach and Education:

a. Designation of a Transportation Coordinator who directly, or indirectly through membership in a Transportation Management Association, shall be responsible for each of the following:

1. Prepare and always make available to all residents and employees informational and educational materials regarding available TDM strategies and opportunities for increased use and participation;

2. Organize and host an annual meeting for all and employees to present and discuss available TDM strategies, and opportunities for increased use and participation;

3 2. Preparation and dissemination of an annual travel survey of all residents and employees; and,

4 3 . Record-keeping and reporting to City upon request of all TDM activities offered and rates

4. TDM Agreement: Each TDM Plan shall include a signed commitment to and acknowledgement of each of the following on a form provided by the Administrative Officer: a. Commitment to ongoing implementation of the TDM requirements as set forth above; b. Acknowledgement that the project has no claim to the ongoing availability of nearby on-street public parking, and that, as is the case with other on-street public parking, the City retains the right to charge for, restrict or remove such on-street parking at any time;

c. Acknowledgement that failure to maintain transportation demand management as required above is a violation of this ordinance, and understanding that, pursuant to Sec. 2.7.8 of this ordinance, no zoning permit or certificate of occupancy may be granted until any such violation has been remedied; and, d. Commitment to notify any subsequent owners and tenants in writing of their obligations under this section as part of any purchase and sale and/or lease agreements.

Review and Enforcement: The Administrative Officer shall be responsible for determining compliance with the TDM Program requirements as set forth above, and ongoing implementation shall be included as a condition of any discretionary or administrative permit required for development subject to the conditions of this Section.

Failure to maintain a TDM Program as required above shall be a violation of this ordinance, and

a. the proposed Institutional Parking Plan adequately serves existing and proposed development and user groups by the institution(s); b. the proposed Institutional Parking Plan effectively meets the intent of this Article and the goals of the municipal development plan.

Such a plan, if approved by the DRB, shall be applicable for a period not to exceed five (5) years, and may be amended as necessary pursuant to the requirements of this Part. The DRB may approve one extension of up to six (6) months so long as the extension is requested prior to the Plan’s expiration.

(b) Annual Reporting

The institution shall provide a report annually to the administrative officer regarding the implementation and performance of the approved plan and any significant changes in the size or makeup of user groups, parking supply, travel by mode for user groups, availability and utilization of parking management strategies, anticipated development activity, and any other conditions impacting supply and/or demand.

Failure to submit such annual report shall be a violation of this ordinance.

Sec. 8.3.5 Review and Approval of Applications for Future Development

Legal Notices

Pursuant to Sec. 2.7.8 of this ordinance, no zoning permit or certificate of occupancy may be granted for projects which will impact the supply of or demand for parking without an approved or amended plan. Projects such as routine maintenance, repair, equipment installation, walkways, landscaping, installation of public art, and the like are exempt from this requirement so long as they do not result in a change of use, habitable area, or parking facilities upon which a plan’s supply and demand calculations are based.

(a) In reviewing any application for development from a post-secondary educational or medical institution within the Institutional district, the DRB shall find that the proposal is included and addressed within an approved Institutional Parking Plan and that the proposal is consistent with the approved Plan.

(b) Any development proposed by a post-secondary educational or medical institution within the Institutional district that is not included and addressed within an approved Institutional Parking Plan shall only be approved pursuant to the underlying parking requirements of Parts 1 and 2 of this Article and upon approval of an amendment to an approved plan.

and In addition to application requirements specified in Article 3 and this Part, the Institutions(s) shall submit an amendment to an approved plan that addresses how the development is consistent with or modifies supply and demand calculations and applicable TDM strategies contained in the approved Plan. Amendments may be in the form of an addendum that addresses any relevant sections of an approved Plan. The amendment shall be approved by either the administrative officer or DRB based on the underlying application type. Such developments shall be reflected in subsequent annual reports submitted to the administrative officer, and future plan updates.

tm/KS: Ordinances 2023/Zoning Amendment—ZA 22-07, Minimum and Maximum Parking Requirements and TDM Sections 4.4.1 (d) 5, 4.4.5 (d) 4. C., 4.5.3 (c) 6, 4.5.6 (c), 5.1.1 (c) and (d), 5.3.6 (c), 5.3.8, 5.4.12 (a), 8.1.3 - 8.1.8, Table 8.1.8-1, 8.1.9, Table 8.1.9, 8.1.12, 8.1.15, 8.1.16, and 8.3.3-8.3.5 1/9/23

CITY OF BURLINGTON IN THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-THREE A REGULATION IN RELATION TO RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE TRAFFIC COMMISSION— SECTION 17.

DESIGNATION OF PARKING METER ZONES.

Sponsor(s): Department of Public Works Action: Approved Date: 1/18/2023

Attestation of Adoption: Phillip Peterson, PE Public Works Engineer, Technical Services Published: 01/25/23

Effective: 02/15/23

It is hereby ordained by the Public Works Commission of the City of Burlington as follows: That Appendix C, Rule and Regulations of the Traffic Commission, Section 17, Designation of parking meter zones, of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Burlington is hereby amended as follows: Section 17 Designation of parking meter zones.

(a) As written.

(b) Thirty (30) minute zones. The following streets or portions of streets are hereby designated as thirty (30) minute parking meter zones: (1)-(2) As written.

(3) On the south side of King Street in the first space west of South Champlain Street. Reserved. (4)-(22) As written.

(23) On the north side of King Street in the first space west of South Champlain Street. Reserved. (24)-(27) As written.

(c)-(e) As written.

(f) Ten (10) hour zones. The following streets or portions of streets are hereby designated as ten (10) hour parking meter zones: (1)-(16) As written.

(17) On the north side of King Street, the second,

third, fourth and fifth spaces in the first five spaces west of South Champlain Street, between South Champlain Street and Battery Street.

(18) On the south side of King Street, the second, third, fourth and fifth spaces in the first and third through fifth spaces west of South Champlain Street, between South Champlain Street and Battery Street. (19-21) As written (g) As written.

** Material stricken out deleted.

*** Material underlined added.

TD: BCO Appx.C, Section 17 1/18/23

CITY OF BURLINGTON IN THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-THREE RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE TRAFFIC COMMISSION— SECTION 3 STOP SIGN LOCATIONS.

Sponsor(s): Department of Public Works Action: Approved Date: 1/18/2023

Attestation of Adoption: Phillip Peterson, PE

Public Works Engineer, Technical Services Published: 01/25/23 Effective: 02/15/23

It is hereby Ordained by the Public Works Commission of the City of Burlington as follows:

That Appendix C, Rule and Regulations of the Traffic Commission, Section 3, Stop sign locations, of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Burlington is hereby amended as follows:

Section 3 Stop sign locations.

Stop signs are authorized at the following locations:

(1)-(123) As written.

(124) At the intersection of Pine Street and Cherry Street, causing all traffic on Pine Street to stop.

(125)-(319) As written.

** Material stricken out deleted.

*** Material underlined added.

TD: BCO Appx.C, Section 3 1/18/23

CITY OF BURLINGTON IN THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-THREE AN ORDINANCE IN RELATION TO COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT

ORDINANCE PUBLIC ART ZA#22-09 ORDINANCE 8.05

Sponsor: Office of City Planning, Planning Commission, Ordinance Committee Public Hearing Date: 01/09/23

First reading: 08/15/22

Referred to: Ordinance Committee Rules suspended and placed in all stages of passage:

Second reading: 01/09/23

Action: adopted Date: 01/09/23

Signed by Mayor: 01/17/23 Published: 01/25/23 Effective: 02/15/23

It is hereby Ordained by the City Council of the City of Burlington as follows: That Appendix A, Comprehensive Development Ordinance, of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Burlington be and hereby is amended by amending Sections 3.1.2, Zoning Permit Required, and 13.1.2, Definitions, to read as follows: Sec. 3.1.2 Zoning Permit Required

Except for that development which is exempt from a permit requirement under Sec. 3.1.2(c) below, no development may be commenced within the city without a zoning permit issued by the administrative officer including but not limited to the following types of exterior and interior work: (a) – (b) As written.

(c)

Exemptions

The following shall be exempt from the

requirements of this Ordinance and shall not be required to obtain a zoning permit: 1. – 18. As written.

19. Public art on private property shall not be required to obtain a zoning permit. If the art does not meet the standards below, it shall not be displayed.

a. The installation meets applicable building code for wind load, structural stability, mounting and any anchoring, to protect public health and safety; b.The specific installation shall not be obscene, threatening based on characteristics that are protected under antidiscrimination laws, represent hate, or contain fighting words or incite violence; c. If mounted on a historic structure, shall be installed so as to avoid damage to historic materials and shall be removable without causing permanent damage or diminish the integrity of the structure. If mounted to a masonry building, the fasteners shall penetrate mortar rather than masonry units so as to be repairable.

d. Within the Form Districts, the proposed art may not cause or increase any non-conformity to required dimensional standard under Section 14.4.13, Urban Design Standards (including, but not limited to Façade voids, transparency of glazing) nor under Section 14.3.13 Shopfront (Ground floor façade voids.)

e. Any public art installation shall not obstruct any path of ingress or egress, nor any identified ADA accessible route.

f. Any public art installation shall comply with all standards and factors set forth in existing City Bylaws and city and state ordinances.

Sec. 13.1.2 Definitions

For the purpose of this ordinance certain terms and words are herein defined as follows: Unless defined to the contrary in Section 4303 of the Vermont Planning and Development Act as amended, or defined otherwise in this section, definitions contained in the building code of the City of Burlington, Sections 8-2 and 13-1 of the Code of Ordinances, as amended, incorporating the currently adopted edition of the American Insurance Association’s “National Building Code” and the National Fire Protection Association’s “National Fire Code” shall prevail.

Additional definitions specifically pertaining to Art. 14 planBTV: Downtown Code can be found in Sec. 14.8, and shall take precedence without limitation over any duplicative or conflicting definitions of this Article.

Public Art: Public art is a general term for forms of community expression. Public Art may be located in the public domain (rights-of-way), or on private property yet available for community viewing. Public art may be cast, carved, built, assembled, or painted, and include murals, sculpture, memorials, integrated architectural or landscape architectural work, painting, tapestry, mosaics, ceramics, stained glass, community art, digital new media, Earthworks, assemblage, installation art and performance. Installations may be transient or permanent.

* Material stricken out deleted. ** Material underlined added. tm/KS: Ordinances 2022/Zoning Amendment – ZA 22-09, Public Art Secs. 3.1.2 & 13.1.2 9/9/22

NORTHSTAR SELF STORAGE WILL BE HAVING A PUBLIC AND ONLINE SALE/AUCTION FOR THE FOLLOWING STORAGE UNITS ON FEBRUARY 9, 2023 AT 9:00 AM

Northstar Self Storage will be having a public and online sale/auction for the following storage units on February 9, 2023 at 1124 Charlestown Road, Springfield, VT 05156 (Units S57, S100), 3466 Richville Road, Manchester Center, VT 05255 (77) and online at www.storagetreasures.com at 9:00 am in accordance with VT Title 9 Commerce and Trade Chapter 098: Storage Units 3905. Enforcement of Lien Unit # Name Contents

Bobbi Kuzawski Household Goods

NOTICE OF FIRST & SECOND PUBLIC

ON PROPOSED CHARTER CHANGE FOR MARCH 7, 2023 CITY OF WINOOSKI

Due to State Law (17 V.S.A. Section 2645) two public hearings will be held so residents can learn more about the voter-backed petition below that may result in a change to the Winooski’s City Charter. These meetings are open to all.

• Thursday, January 26, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. at Claire Burke Council Chambers-Remote and In- Person Attend online: https ://us06web.zoom. us/j/84364849328

Attend by phone: 1 646 558 8656 Webinar ID: 843 6484 9328

Attend in person: Winooski City Hall (27 West Allen Street)

• Saturday, February 4, 2023 at 11:00 at the O’Brien Community Center 32 Mallett’s Bay Avenue (In-Person only)

WINOOSKI JUST CAUSE EVICTION CHARTER CHANGE-VOTER

BACKED PETITION- 3/7/23

Shall the Charter of the City of Winooski, Acts of 2013, No. M-9, as amended, be further amended to give the City Council the power to provide by ordinance protections for residential tenants from evictions without ‘just cause’ by adopting and adding a new subsection 304(b)(13) to read as follows:

“304(b)(13)(A) To provide by ordinance protections for residential tenants, as defined in Chapter 137 of Title 9 of the Vermont Statutes Annotated, from eviction without ‘just cause’ where just cause shall include, but is not limited to:

(1) a tenant’s material breach of a written rental agreement, (2) a tenant’s violation of state statutes regulating tenant obligations in residential rental agreements, (3) non-payment of rent, and (4) a tenant’s failure to accept written, reasonable, good faith renewal terms.

(B) Such ordinance shall exclude from ‘just cause’ the expiration of a rental agreement as sole grounds for termination of tenancy. In addition to the exemptions in Chapter 137 of Title 9, the ordinance shall exempt from this provision, subject to mitigation provisions, sublets and in-unit rentals as well as the following properties but not limited to:

(1) owner-occupied duplexes, and triplexes; (2) those being withdrawn from the rental market, including properties to be occupied by the owner or an immediate family member as a primary residence; and (3) those in need of substantial renovations which preclude occupancy.

(C) Such ordinance shall include provisions that: (1) mitigate potential negative impacts on tenants and property owners, including but not limited to requirements of adequate notice and reasonable relocation expenses, (2) provide for a reasonable probationary period after initial occupancy, and (3) limit unreasonable rent increases to prevent de facto evictions or nonrenewal, although this shall not be construed to limit rents beyond the purpose of preventing individual evictions.

(D) The ordinance shall define what is ‘reasonable’ and ‘adequate notice’ in defining just cause and shall require that landlords provide notice of just cause and other legal requirements as part of the rental agreement.”?

Jennifer

Willingham, City Clerk January 17, 2023

SEVENDAYSVT.COM/CLASSIFIEDS »

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

The Burlington Housing Authority is preparing its Annual Plan for the fiscal year July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024.

A public hearing to obtain comments regarding the proposed Annual Plan will be held on Tuesday, March 14th, 2023 on Zoom at 3:00 PM. Details will be available at www.burlingtonhousing.org

Written comments should be sent to:

Steven Murray, Executive Director

Burlington Housing Authority 65 Main Street, Suite 101 Burlington, Vermont 05401

Copies of the proposed plans will be available at BHA’s 65 Main Street Administrative offices on January 28, 2023. Supporting documents will also be available for review.

Equal Housing Opportunity

PRIVATE AUCTION OF STORAGE UNIT CONTENTS

In accordance with VT Title 9 Commerce and Trade Chapter 098: Storage Units 3905.

Enforcement of Lien, Champlain Valley Self Storage, LLC shall host a live auction of the following units on or after 9am 2/11/23:

Location: 2211 Main St. Colchester, VT 05446

William Himan, unit #1011: household goods

Shavon Greene, unit #673: household goods

Location: 78 Lincoln St. Essex Junction, VT 05452

Valentino Anderson, unit #102: household goods

Paul Santiago-Doane, unit #007: household goods

Auction pre-registration is required, email info@ champlainvalleyselfstorage.com to register.

PROPOSED STATE RULES

By law, public notice of proposed rules must be given by publication in newspapers of record. The purpose of these notices is to give the public a chance to respond to the proposals. The public notices for administrative rules are now also available online at https://secure.vermont.gov/ SOS/rules/ . The law requires an agency to hold a public hearing on a proposed rule, if requested to do so in writing by 25 persons or an association having at least 25 members.

To make special arrangements for individuals with disabilities or special needs please call or write the contact person listed below as soon as possible. To obtain further information concerning any scheduled hearing(s), obtain copies of proposed rule(s) or submit comments regarding proposed rule(s), please call or write the contact person listed below. You may also submit comments in writing to the Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules, State House, Montpelier, Vermont 05602 (802-828-2231).

Privacy of Consumer Financial and Health Information.

Vermont Proposed Rule: 23P001

AGENCY: Department of Financial Regulation

CONCISE SUMMARY: The Department of Financial Regulation’s rule on “Privacy of Consumer Financial and Health Information” establishes limitations on how insurance companies, other entities that offer insurance to Vermont consumers, and insurance agents share consumers’ financial and health information. The rule is being amended to modernize and streamline how annual notices identifying these privacy practices are provided to consumers. Instead of delivering an annual privacy notice to consumers individually, entities and agents who meet specific criteria will have the option to provide the notice on their website. This rule amendment will make the requirements for the provision of annual privacy notices consistent with federal law and with similar requirements, established in other rules, for entities regulated by the Banking Division. This rule amendment also makes technical corrections and clarifies what to include in the federal model privacy form should an entity elect to use that form as its privacy notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Karla Nuissl, Department of Financial Regulation, 89 Main Street, Montpelier, VT 05620 Tel: 802-8282910 Email: Karla.Nuissl@vermont.gov URL: https://dfr.vermont.gov/about-us/legal-generalcounsel/proposed-rules-and-public-comment.

FOR COPIES: Diane Sherman, Department of Financial Regulation, 89 Main Street, Montpelier, VT 05620 Tel: 802-622-4358 Email: diane. sherman@vermont.gov.

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

VIRTUAL PUBLIC HEARING

The State of Vermont’s Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) will be holding a virtual/in-person public hearing to get input from Vermont residents before writing its U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Consolidated Plan Annual Action Plan for 2023.

The hearing will be held on Friday, February 10, 2023, from 3:30 - 4:00 p.m. The in-person location will be at DHCD, 1 National Life Drive, Davis Building, 6th floor, Montpelier.

To participate electronically, go to: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/ meetup- join/19%3ameeting_NGFiMWYxNzY tNjQxNy00MjA4LTg1ZmEtN2ViYjk3MDNiNG Qx%40thread.v2 /0?context=%7b%22Tid%2 2%3a%2220b4933b-baad-433c-9c02- 70ed cc7559c6%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22c7bef8 ee-5aed-420b-9d94-3ef05024d84f%22%7d

Meeting ID: 265 143 537 278 Passcode: kuRXvn

The purpose of the hearing is to listen to residents’ views about the state’s housing, economic development, homelessness, public facility and service, and non-housing community development needs, as well as ideas for grant activities the State should consider funding for the next program year (July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024). The Department also seeks feedback on how the programs funded by HUD under past plans performed in meeting the State’s goals.

The Plan outlines priorities for the use of approximately $10.5 million in federal funds provided to the State for the Community Development Block Grant, HOME Investment Partnership Program, and Emergency Solutions Grant program, and $3 million awarded to the State from the National Housing Trust Fund to develop housing that is affordable to extremely low- and very low- income households. The Plan also serves as Vermont’s application to HUD for these funds. The goals of the Plan are to provide decent affordable housing, assure a suitable living environment, and expand economic opportunity for Vermont’s citizens.

Accommodations for persons with disabilities and interpreters to meet the needs of non-English speaking persons will be made available upon request. Requests for accommodations should be directed to Arthur Hamlin at (802) 828-3749 or emailed to arthur.hamlin@vermont.gov by 4:30 p.m. on Monday, February 6, 2023. For the hearing impaired please call (TTY#) 1-800-253-0191.

More information is available on the Department’s website at http://accd.vermont.gov/housing.

PUBLIC HEARING WINOOSKI DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD

A public hearing will be held by the Winooski Development Review Board on Thursday, February 16, 2023 beginning at 6:30 p.m. to consider the following:

Show and tell. View and post up to 6 photos per ad online.

Open 24/7/365. Post & browse ads at your convenience.

Development Regulations. The subject property is located in the Residential C Zoning District.

This hearing will begin at 6:30pm. Members of the public that are interested in participating in this hearing can do so by attending in person at Winooski City Hall, 27 West Allen Street, Winooski, VT; or electronically by visiting https://us06web. zoom.us/j/88142251103; or by calling (301) 715 8592 and using Webinar ID: 881 4225 1103. Toll charges may apply.

Members of the public interested in participating in the above captioned hearing are requested, but not required to make their intentions known by completing the public comment request form located on the City’s website at https://www. winooskivt.gov/FormCenter/Human-Resources-6/ Public-Comment-Request-Form-61 at least 24 hours in advance to ensure this information is included in the record of the hearing. This will also allow the chair to recognize participants to provide testimony at the appropriate time during the hearing.

The Development Review Board will hold a public hearing on this matter before rendering a decision. Decisions of the Development Review Board can be appealed by “interested persons” (as defined by 24 V.S.A. § 4465) to the Environmental Division of the Vermont Superior Court.

Questions or comments on this matter can be directed to Eric Vorwald, AICP, City of Winooski Planning & Zoning Manager by calling 802.655.6410 or visiting Winooski City Hall at 27 West Allen Street during normal business hours. Information related to this matter can also be viewed at Winooski City Hall during normal business hours or on the City’s website at www. winooskivt.gov.

STATE OF VERMONT SUPERIOR COURT DOCKET NO. 23-ENV-00004 ENVIRONMENTAL UNIT

In re: Colchester Administrative Decision 218 Lower Mountain View Drive

NOTICE OF APPEAL

NOW COMES Appellant and Interested Party R.L. Vallee, Inc. (an abutter to the project and recognized interested person and party) by and through its counsel and by and through their counsel, MSK Attorneys, and hereby appeals, pursuant to 24 V.S.A. §4471 and 10 V.S.A. Ch. 220 to the Vermont Superior Court, Environmental Division, the Town of Colchester Development Review Board’s Decision dated December 23, 2022 attached hereto. This decision is a companion decision to the Act 250 Jurisdictional Appeal currently on appeal by Costco to this Court in Docket No. 22-ENV-00084.

The property subject to this appeal is located at 218 Lower Mountain View Drive in Colchester, Vermont. Vallee owns property that abuts this property and is affected by this decision. Vallee’s property access is blocked, and/or partially blocked by traffic generated by Costco from its use of 218 Lower Mountain View Drive. The decision affects and concerns the generation of traffic and therefore affects Vallee’s interests, protected by zoning regulations, in safe ingress and egress and the prevention or reduction in undue and adverse traffic conditions. Appellant participated in the Development Review Board Proceedings and thus Appellant have a right to appeal pursuant to 24 V.S.A. §4471 and 24 V.S.A. §4464 and 10 V.S.A. §8504.

Extra! Extra! There’s no limit to ad length online.

Alexander LaRosa, Esq., ERN 5814 275 College Street, PO Box 4485 Burlington, VT 05406-4485

Phone: 802-861-7000

Email: ajlarosa@mskvt.com

Attorneys for R.L. Vallee, Inc.

STATE OF VERMONT SUPERIOR COURT PROBATE DIVISION CHITTENDEN UNIT DOCKET NO.: 22-PR-06911

In re ESTATE of JAMES NELSON

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

To the creditors of: JAMES NELSON, late of Hinesburg, 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 19, 2023

Signature of Fiduciary: /s/ Angela LaForest

Executor/Administrator: Angela LaForest, c/o Suzanna Miller, Esq., P.O. Box 220 N. Ferrisburgh, VT 05473, 802-777-8297, smiller@millerestatelaw.com

Name of Publication: Seven Days Publication Date: 1/25/2023

Name of Probate Court: Vermont Superior Court, Chittenden Unit, Probate Division Address of Probate Court: PO Box 511, Burlington VT 05402

TOWN OF COLCHESTER

PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING Pursuant to Title 24 VSA, Chapter 117, the Colchester Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, February 21, 2023 at 7 P.M. at the Colchester Town Offices, 781 Blakely Road, for the purpose of considering amendments to the Colchester Development Regulations.

The proposed amendments are as follows: a. Update and clarify sections pertaining to water and wastewater infrastructure, as necessitated by warned changes to Chapter 8 of the Colchester Code of Ordinances [2.04E, 2.05J, 2.07E, 2.14, 2.15, 3.06B, 3.07B, 4.05E, 7.03C, 7.04E(3), 9.02B(1), 9.05A, 9.05G, 9.05H, 9.07C, 10.14, 11.01, 11.02, 11.03B, 11.04A, 11.05A and 12];

b. Reorganization of application requirements for Site Plan, Conditional Use, and Subdivision applications; add language regarding responsibility of adjoining landowner notifications [8.05D, 8.05G, 9.04D, 9.04E, and Appendix G];

c. Add language regarding required setbacks from public infrastructure [2.07, 2.19C, (2.15 and 11.02 also relate to this purpose but are already included in ‘a’ above)];

d. New definitions, including “Appurtenances,” “Degree of Encroachment” and “Footprint” [Article 12].

e. Add to Appendix B a figure illustrating “Degree of Encroachment.”

of Decision of the Zoning Administrator –115 Barlow Street

Appeal

Petitioners have submitted an appeal to a decision of the Zoning Administrator related to the issuance of a zoning permit for the demolition of a structure located at 115 Barlow Street. The petitioners have met the standards for consideration as an interested person as outlined in 24 V.S.A. § 4465. The appeal will be reviewed against the standards of Sections 4.1 and 4.4 of the Unified Land Use and

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: In order to participate in this appeal, you must enter an appearance in the Vermont Environmental Court within twenty-one (21) days of receiving this Notice of Appeal. Notices of Appearance should be mailed to Jennifer Teske, Court Office Manager, Vermont Superior Court—Environmental Division, 32 Cherry Street, Suite 303, Burlington, VT 05401. Respectfully submitted this 17th day of January, 2023.

MSK ATTORNEYS

By: /s/ A.J. LaRosa, Esq.

These are a summary of the proposed changes. Copies of the adopted and proposed regulations can be found at the Town Offices at 781 Blakely Road and may also be reviewed online at http:// www.colchestervt.gov. To participate in the hearing, you may 1) attend in person or 2) send written comment to the Colchester Planning Commission via USPS at the address herein or via email to Cathyann LaRose, clarose@colchestervt.gov.

COLCHESTER PLANNING COMMISSION

Publication date January 25, 2023

Legal Notices

TOWN OF RICHMOND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW

BOARD AGENDA

FEBRUARY 8, 2023 AT 7:00 PM

Location: 3rd floor meeting room Richmond Town Offices, 203 Bridge Street Richmond VT 05477

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82607801509?pwd =TnJlSHNScUI0NjZMTjEvbmhSN0FVdz09 Meeting ID: 826 0780 1509 Passcode: 241149 Call-in: +1 929 205 6099 US (New York)

Application materials may be viewed at http:// www.richmondvt.gov/boards-minutes/ developmentreview-board/ before the meeting. Please call Tyler Machia, Zoning Administrator, at 802-434-2420 or email tmachia@richmondvt.gov with any questions.

Public Hearings:

SKP2023-01 Bradley & Karin LaRose Parcel ID#WO0156

Applicants are requesting Sketch Plan review for a two-lot subdivision. Lot 1 would be 1.3 acres Lot 2 would be 2.5 acres.

CU2023-01 Gary & Jean Bressor Parcel ID#BR0401

Applicants are requesting Conditional Use approval to make several changes to their property. These changes include the following, an additional 82 square feet to the second floor of the building, a first floor 5’ by 6 1/2’ room for a half bath, door hood to keep water off exterior door, patio, building stairs from patio to existing sidewalk, widening sidewalk to accommodate a vehicle and changing the approved connector between the two parts of the duplex.

CU2023-02 Joe Goodspeed Parcel ID#CL0150

Applicants are requesting Conditional Use approval for Phase Three of the previously approved expansion of the CAT facility. Phase Three consists of a 7,160 square foot service bay. The previous DRB approval for the project expired.

SP2023-01 Sherry Doane Parcel ID#PS0023

Applicants are seeking Site Plan approval for an exterior remodel of the former TD Bank property located on 23 Pleasant Street. Applicants are proposing changes to the landscaping and parking as well as changes to the exterior of the building.

SUB2023-01 Scott Baker Parcel ID#DG1500

Applicants are seeking to amend their approved subdivision. These changes include bringing the driveway grade into compliance with the Richmond Zoning Regulations, adjustments to the building envelopes on the lots and additional changes to the type of structures to be built.

Support Groups

A CIRCLE OF PARENTS FOR MOTHERS OF COLOR

Please join our parent-led online support group designed to share our questions, concerns & struggles, as well as our resources & successes!

Contribute to our discussion of the unique but shared experience of parenting. We will be meeting weekly on Wed., 10-11 a.m. For more info or to register, please contact Heather at hniquette@pcavt.org, 802-498-0607, pcavt.org/ family-support-programs.

A CIRCLE OF PARENTS FOR SINGLE MOTHERS

Please join our parent-led online support group designed to share our questions, concerns & struggles, as well as our resources & successes!

Contribute to our discussion of the unique but shared experience of parenting. We will be meeting weekly on Fri., 10-11 a.m. For more info or to register, please contact Heather at hniquette@pcavt.org, 802-498-0607, pcavt.org/ family-support-programs.

A CIRCLE OF PARENTS W/ LGBTQ+ CHILDREN

Please join our parent-led online support group designed to share our questions, concerns & struggles, as well as our resources & successes! Contribute to our discussion of the unique but shared experience of parenting. We will be meeting weekly on Mon., 10-11 a.m. For more info or to register, please contact Heather at hniquette@pcavt.org, 802-498-0607, pcavt.org/ family-support-programs.

AL-ANON

For families & friends of alcoholics. Phone meetings, electronic meetings (Zoom) & an Al-Anon blog are avail. online at the Al-Anon website. For meeting info, go to vermontalanonalateen.org or call 866-972-5266.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

Do you have a drinking problem? AA meeting sites are now open, & online meetings are also available. Call our hotline at 802 864-1212 or check for in-person or online meetings at burlingtonaa.org.

ALL ARTISTS SUPPORT GROUP

Are you a frustrated artist? Have you longed for a space to “play” & work? Let’s get together & see what we can do about this! Text (anytime) or call 802-777-6100.

ASSOCIATION SUPPORT GROUPS

ALZHEIMER’S

Support groups meet to provide assistance & info on Alzheimer’s disease & related dementias. They emphasize shared experiences, emotional support & coping techniques in care for a person living w/ Alzheimer’s or a related dementia. Meetings are free & open to the public. Families, caregivers & friends may attend. Please call in advance to confirm the date & time. The Williston Caregiver Support Group meets in person on the 2nd Tue. of every mo., 5-6:30 p.m., at the Dorothy Alling Memorial Library in Williston; this meeting also has a virtual option at the same time; contact support group facilitators Molly at dugan@cathedralsquare.org or Mindy at moondog@burlingtontelecom.net. The Middlebury Support Group for Individuals w/ Early Stage Dementia meets the 4th Tue. of each mo., 3 p.m., at the Residence at Otter Creek, 350 Lodge Rd., Middlebury; contact Daniel Hamilton, dhamilton@ residenceottercreek.com or 802-989-0097. The Shelburne Support Group for Individuals w/ Early Stage Dementia meets the 1st Mon. of every mo., 2-3 p.m., at the Residence at Shelburne Bay, 185 Pine Haven Shores, Shelburne; contact support group facilitator Lydia Raymond, lraymond@residenceshelburnebay.com. The Telephone Support Group meets the 2nd Tue. monthly, 4-5:30 p.m. Prereg. is req. (to receive dial-in codes for toll-free call). Please dial the Alzheimer’s Association’s 24-7 Helpline, 800-2723900, for more info. For questions or additional support group listings, call 800-272-3900.

ARE YOU HAVING PROBLEMS W/ DEBT?

Do you spend more than you earn? Get help at Debtor’s Anonymous & Business Debtor’s Anonymous. Wed., 6:30-7:30 p.m., Methodist Church in the Rainbow Room at Buell & S. Winooski, Burlington. Contact Jennifer, 917-568-6390.

BABY BUMPS SUPPORT GROUP FOR MOTHERS & PREGNANT WOMEN

Pregnancy can be a wonderful time of your life. But it can also be a time of stress often compounded by hormonal swings. If you are a pregnant woman, or have recently given birth & feel you need some help w/ managing emotional bumps in the road that can come w/ motherhood, please come to this free support group led by an experienced pediatric registered nurse. Held on the 2nd & 4th Tue. of every mo., 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the Birthing Center, Northwestern Medical Center, St. Albans. Info: Rhonda Desrochers, Franklin County Home Health Agency, 527-7531.

BETTER BREATHERS CLUB

American Lung Association support group for people w/ breathing issues, their loved ones or caregivers. Meets on the 1st Mon. of every mo., 11 a.m.-noon at the Godnick Center, 1 Deer St., Rutland. For more info call 802-776-5508.

BRAIN INJURY SUPPORT GROUP

Vermont Center for Independent Living offers virtual monthly meetings, held on the 3rd Wed. of every mo., 1-2:30 p.m. The support group will offer valuable resources & info about brain injury. It will be a place to share experiences in a safe, secure & confidential environment. To join, email Linda Meleady at lindam@vcil. org & ask to be put on the TBI mailing list. Info: 800-639-1522.

BRAIN INJURY ASSOCIATION OF VERMONT

Montpelier daytime support group meets on the 3rd Thu. of every mo., at the Unitarian Church ramp entrance, 1:30-2:30 p.m. St. Johnsbury support group meets on the 3rd Wed. of every mo., at the Grace United Methodist Church, 36 Central St., 1-2:30 p.m. Colchester evening support group meets on the 1st Wed. of every mo., at the Fanny Allen Hospital in the Board Room Conference Room, 5:30-7:30 p.m. White River Jct. meets on the 2nd Fri. of every mo., at Bugbee Senior Center from 3-4:30 p.m. Call our helpline at 877-856-1772.

CANCER SUPPORT GROUP

The Champlain Valley Prostate Cancer Support Group will be held every 2nd Tue. of the mo., 6-7:45 p.m. via conference call. Newly diagnosed? Prostate cancer reoccurrence? General discussion & sharing among survivors & those beginning or rejoining the battle. Info, Mary L. Guyette RN, MS, ACNS-BC, 274-4990, vmary@ aol.com.

CELEBRATE RECOVERY

Overcome any hurt, habit or hang-up in your life w/ this confidential 12-step, Christ-centered recovery program. We offer multiple support groups for both men & women, such as chemical dependency, codependency, sexual addiction & pornography, food issues, & overcoming abuse. All 18+ are welcome; sorry, no childcare. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; we begin at 7 p.m. Essex Alliance Church, 37 Old Stage Rd., Essex Junction. Info: recovery@essexalliance.org, 878-8213.

CELEBRATE RECOVERY

Celebrate Recovery meetings are for anyone struggling w/ hurt, habits & hang-ups, which include everyone in some way. We welcome everyone at Cornerstone Church in Milton, which meets every Fri. from 7-9 p.m. We’d love to have you join us & discover how your life can start to change. Info: 893-0530, julie@mccartycreations.com.

CENTRAL VERMONT CELIAC SUPPORT GROUP

Last Thu. of every mo., 7:30 p.m. in Montpelier. Please contact Lisa Mase for location: lisa@ harmonizecookery.com.

CEREBRAL PALSY GUIDANCE

Cerebral Palsy Guidance is a very comprehensive informational website broadly covering the topic of cerebral palsy & associated medical conditions. Its mission is to provide the best possible info to parents of children living w/ the complex condition of cerebral palsy. cerebralpalsyguidance.com/cerebral-palsy.

CODEPENDENTS ANONYMOUS

CoDA is a 12-step fellowship for people whose common purpose is to develop healthy & fulfilling relationships. By actively working the program of Codependents Anonymous, we can realize a new joy, acceptance & serenity in our lives. Meets Sun. at noon at the Turning Point Center, 179 S. Winooski Ave., Suite 301, Burlington. Tom, 238-3587, coda.org.

DECLUTTERERS’ SUPPORT GROUP

Are you ready to make improvements but find it overwhelming? Maybe 2 or 3 of us can get together to help each other simplify. 989-3234, 425-3612.

DISCOVER THE POWER OF CHOICE!

SMART Recovery welcomes anyone, including family & friends, affected by any kind of substance or activity addiction. It is a science-based program that encourages abstinence. Specially trained volunteer facilitators provide leadership. Sun. at 5 p.m. The meeting has moved to Zoom: smartrecovery.zoom.us/j/92925275515.

Volunteer facilitator: Bert, 399-8754. You can learn more at smartrecovery.org.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SUPPORT

Steps to End Domestic Violence offers a weekly drop-in support group for female-identified survivors of intimate partner violence, including individuals who are experiencing or have been affected by domestic violence. The support group offers a safe, confidential place for survivors to connect w/ others, to heal & to recover. In support group, participants talk through their experiences & hear stories from others who have experienced abuse in their relationships. Support group is also a resource for those who are unsure of their next step, even if it involves remaining in their current relationship. Tue., 6:30-8 p.m. Childcare is provided. Info: 658-1996.

EMPLOYMENT-SEEKERS SUPPORT GROUP

Frustrated w/ the job search or w/ your job? You are not alone. Come check out this supportive circle. Wed. at 3 p.m., Pathways Vermont Community Center, 279 N. Winooski Ave., Burlington. Info: Abby Levinsohn, 777-8602.

FAMILY & FRIENDS OF THOSE EXPERIENCING MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS

This support group is a dedicated meeting for family, friends & community members who are supporting a loved one through a mental health crisis. Mental health crisis might include extreme states, psychosis, depression, anxiety & other types of distress. The group is a confidential space where family & friends can discuss shared experiences & receive support in an environment free of judgment & stigma w/ a trained facilitator. Wed., 7-8:30 p.m. Downtown Burlington. Info: Jess Horner, LICSW, 866-218-8586.

FAMILY RESTORED: SUPPORT GROUP FOR FRIENDS & FAMILIES OF ADDICTS & ALCOHOLICS

Wed., 6:30-8 p.m., Holy Family/St. Lawrence Parish, 4 Prospect St., Essex Junction. For further info, please visit thefamilyrestored.org or contact Lindsay Duford at 781-960-3965 or 12lindsaymarie@gmail.com.

FCA FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP

Families Coping w/ Addiction (FCA) is an open community peer support group for adults (18+) struggling w/ the drug or alcohol addiction of a loved one. FCA is not 12-step-based but provides a forum for those living the family experience, in which to develop personal coping skills & to draw strength from one another. Our group meets every Wed., 5:30-6:30 p.m., live in person in the conference room at the Turning Point Center of Chittenden County (179 S. Winooski Avenue, Burlington), &/or via our parallel Zoom session to accommodate those who cannot attend in person. The Zoom link can be found on the Turning Point Center website (turningpointcentervt.org) using the “Family Support” tab (click on “What We Offer”). Any questions, please send by email to thdaub1@gmail.com.

SEVENDAYSVT.COM/CLASSIFIEDS »

KINSHIP CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP

FIERCELY FLAT VT

A breast cancer support group for those who’ve had mastectomies. We are a casual online meeting group found on Facebook at Fiercely Flat VT. Info: stacy.m.burnett@gmail.com.

FOOD ADDICTS IN RECOVERY ANONYMOUS (FA)

Are you having trouble controlling the way you eat? FA is a free 12-step recovery program for anyone suffering from food obsession, overeating, under-eating or bulimia. Local meetings are held twice a wk.: Mon., 4-5:30 p.m., at the Unitarian Universalist Church, Norwich, Vt.; & Wed., 6:30-8 p.m., at Hanover Friends Meeting House, Hanover, N.H. For more info & a list of additional meetings throughout the U.S. & the world, call 603-6301495 or visit foodaddicts.org.

G.R.A.S.P. (GRIEF RECOVERY AFTER A SUBSTANCE PASSING)

Are you a family member who has lost a loved one to addiction? Find support, peer-led support group. Meets once a mo. on Mon. in Burlington. Please call for date & location. RSVP mkeasler3@ gmail.com or call 310-3301 (message says Optimum Health, but this is a private number).

GRIEF & LOSS SUPPORT GROUP

Sharing your sadness, finding your joy. Please join us as we learn more about our own grief & explore the things that can help us to heal. There is great power in sharing our experiences w/ others who know the pain of the loss of a loved one & healing is possible through the sharing. BAYADA Hospice’s local bereavement support coordinator will facilitate our weekly group through discussion & activities. Everyone from the community is welcome. 1st & last Wed. of every mo. at 4 p.m. via Zoom. To register, please contact bereavement program coordinator Max Crystal, mcrystal@ bayada.com or 802-448-1610.

GRIEF SUPPORT GROUPS

Meet every 2nd Mon., 6-7:30 p.m., & every 3rd Wed. from 10-11:30 a.m., at Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice in Berlin. The group is open to the public & free of charge. More info: Diana Moore, 224-2241.

HEARING VOICES SUPPORT GROUP

This Hearing Voices Group seeks to find understanding of voice-hearing experiences as real lived experiences that may happen to anyone at anytime. We choose to share experiences, support & empathy. We validate anyone’s experience & stories about their experience as their own, as being an honest & accurate representation of their experience, & as being acceptable exactly as they are. Tue., 2-3 p.m. Pathways Vermont Community Center, 279 N. Winooski Ave., Burlington. Info: 802-777-8602, abby@pathwaysvermont.org.

HELLENBACH CANCER SUPPORT

Call to verify meeting place. Info, 388-6107. People living w/ cancer & their caretakers convene for support.

INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS/PAINFUL BLADDER SUPPORT GROUP

Interstitial cystitis (IC) & painful bladder syndrome can result in recurring pelvic pain, pressure or discomfort in the bladder/pelvic region & urinary frequency/urgency. These are often misdiagnosed & mistreated as a chronic bladder infection. If you have been diagnosed or have these symptoms, you are not alone. For Vermontbased support group, email bladderpainvt@gmail. com or call 899-4151 for more info.

KINDRED CONNECTIONS PROGRAM OFFERED FOR CHITTENDEN COUNTY CANCER SURVIVORS

The Kindred Connections program provides peer support for all those touched by cancer. Cancer patients, as well as caregivers, are provided w/ a mentor who has been through the cancer experience & knows what it’s like to go through it. In addition to sensitive listening, Kindred Connections provides practical help such as rides to doctors’ offices & meal deliveries. The program has people who have experienced a wide variety of cancers. For further info, please contact info@ vcsn.net.

A support group for grandparents who are raising their grandchildren. Led by a trained representative & facilitator. Meets on the 2nd Tue. of every mo., 6:30-7:45 p.m., at Milton Public Library. Free. For more info, call 802-893-4644 or email library@miltonvt.gov. Facebook.com/ events/561452568022928.

LGBTQ SURVIVORS OF VIOLENCE

The SafeSpace Anti-Violence Program at Pride Center of Vermont offers peer-led support groups for survivors of relationship, dating, emotional &/ or hate-violence. These groups give survivors a safe & supportive environment to tell their stories, share info, & offer & receive support. Support groups also provide survivors an opportunity to gain info on how to better cope w/ feelings & experiences that surface because of the trauma they have experienced. Please call SafeSpace at 863-0003 if you are interested in joining.

LIVING THROUGH LOSS

Gifford Medical Center is announcing the restart of its grief support group, Living Through Loss. The program is sponsored by the Gifford Volunteer Chaplaincy Program & will meet weekly on Fri., 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., in Gifford’s Chun Chapel. Meetings will be facilitated by the Rev. Timothy Eberhardt, spiritual care coordinator, & Emily Pizzale MSW, LICSW, a Gifford social worker. Anyone who has experienced a significant loss over the last year or so is warmly invited to attend & should enter through the hospital’s main entrance wearing a mask on the way to the chapel. Meetings will be based on the belief that, while each of us is on a unique journey in life, we all need a safe place to pause, to tell our stories &, especially as we grieve, to receive the support & strength we need to continue along the way.

MARIJUANA ANONYMOUS

Do you have a problem w/ marijuana? MA is a free 12-step program where addicts help other addicts get & stay clean. Ongoing Wed., 7 p.m., at Turning Point Center, 179 S. Winooski, Suite 301, Burlington. 861-3150.

MYELOMA SUPPORT GROUP

Area Myeloma Survivors, Families & Caregivers have come together to form a Multiple Myeloma Support Group. We provide emotional support, resources about treatment options, coping strategies & a support network by participating in the group experience w/ people who have been through similar situations. 3rd Tue. of every mo., 5-6 p.m., at the New Hope Lodge on East Ave. in Burlington. Info: Kay Cromie, 655-9136, kgcromey@aol.com.

NAMI CONNECTION PEER SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS

Weekly virtual meetings. If you have questions about a group in your area, please contact the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Vermont, program@namivt.org or 800-639-6480. Connection groups are peer recovery support group programs for adults living w/ mental health challenges.

NAMI FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP

Weekly virtual & in-person meetings. ASL interpreters available upon request. If you have questions about a group in your area, please contact the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Vermont, info@namivt.org or 800-639-6480.

Family Support Group meetings are for family & friends of individuals living w/ mental illness. If you have questions about a group in your area, please contact the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Vermont, info@namivt.org or 800-639-6480.

NARCONON SUNCOAST DRUG & ALCOHOL REHABILITATION & EDUCATION

Narconon reminds families that overdoses due to an elephant tranquilizer known as Carfentanil have been on the rise in nearly every community nationwide. Carfentanil is a synthetic opioid painkiller 100 times more powerful than fentanyl & 1,000 times stronger than heroin. A tiny grain of it is enough to be fatal. To learn more about carfentanil abuse & how to help your loved one, visit narconon-suncoast.org/drug-abuse/ parents-get-help.html. Addiction screenings:

Show and tell. View and post up to 6 photos per ad online.

Open 24/7/365. Post & browse ads at your convenience.

Narconon can help you take steps to overcome addiction in your family. Call today for a no-cost screening or referral: 1-877-841-5509.

NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS is a group of recovering addicts who live without the use of drugs. It costs nothing to join. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using. Info, 862-4516 or cvana.org. Held in Burlington, Barre & St. Johnsbury.

NARCANON BURLINGTON GROUP

Group meets every Mon. at 7 p.m., at the Turning Point Center, 179 S. Winooski Ave., Suite 301, in Burlington. The only requirement for membership is that there be a problem of addiction in a relative or friend. Info: Amanda H. 338-8106.

NEW (& EXPECTING) MAMAS & PAPAS! EVERY PRIMARY CAREGIVER TO A BABY!

The Children’s Room invites you to join our weekly drop-in support group. Come unwind & discuss your experiences & questions around infant care & development, self-care & postpartum healing, & community resources for families w/ babies. Tea & snacks provided. Thu., 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Bring your babies! (Newborn through crawling stage.) Located in Thatcher Brook Primary School, 47 Stowe St., childrensroomonline.org. Contact childrensroom@wwsu.org or 244-5605.

NORTHWEST VERMONT CANCER PRAYER & SUPPORT NETWORK

A meeting of cancer patients, survivors & family members intended to comfort & support those who are currently suffering from the disease. 2nd Thu. of every mo., 6-7:30 p.m., St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 11 Church St., St. Albans. Info: stpaulum@myfairpoint.net. 2nd Wed. of every mo., 6-7:30 p.m., Winooski United Methodist Church, 24 W. Allen St., Winooski. Info: hovermann4@comcast.net.

OPEN EARS, OPEN MINDS

A mutual support circle that focuses on connection & self-exploration. Fri. at 1 p.m., Pathways Vermont Community Center, 279 N. Winooski Ave., Burlington. Info: Abby Levinsohn, 777-8602.

OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS (OA)

A 12-step program for people who identify as overeaters, compulsive eaters, food addicts, anorexics, bulimics, etc. No matter what your problem w/ food, we have a solution! All are welcome, meetings are open, & there are no dues or fees. See oavermont.org/meeting-list for the current meeting list, meeting format & more; or call 802-863-2655 anytime!

PONDERING GENDER & SEXUALITY

Pondering Gender & Sexuality is a twice-monthly facilitated mutual support group for folks of any identity (whether fully formed or a work in progress) who want to engage in meaningful conversations about gender, sexuality & sexual orientation, &/or the coming-out process. Discussions can range from the personal to the philosophical & beyond as we work together to create a compassionate, safe & courageous space to explore our experiences. The group will be held on the 2nd Sun. & 4th Tue. of every mo., 1-2:30 p.m., either virtually or at Pride Center of Vermont. Email pgs@pridecentervt.org for more info or w/ questions!

POTATO INTOLERANCE SUPPORT GROUP

Anyone coping w/ potato intolerance & interested in joining a support group, contact Jerry Fox, 48 Saybrook Rd., Essex Junction, VT 05452.

QUEER CARE GROUP

This support group is for adult family members & caregivers of queer &/or questioning youth. It is held on the 2nd Mon. of every mo., 6:30-8 p.m., at Outright Vermont, 241 North Winooski Ave. This group is for adults only. For more info, email info@ outrightvt.org.

READY TO BE TOBACCO-FREE GROUPS

Join a free 4-5-week group workshop facilitated by our coaches, who are certified in tobacco treatment. We meet in a friendly, relaxed & virtual atmosphere. You may qualify for a free limited supply of nicotine replacement therapy. Info: Call 802-847-7333 or email quittobaccoclass@

Extra! Extra! There’s no limit to ad length online.

uvmhealth.org to get signed up, or visit myhealthyvt.org to learn more about upcoming workshops!

RECOVERING FROM RELIGION

Meets on the 2nd Tue. of every mo., 6-8 p.m., at Brownell Public Library, 6 Lincoln St., Essex Junction, unless there’s inclement weather or the date falls on a holiday. Attendees can remain anonymous if they so choose & are not required to tell their story if they do not wish to, but everyone will be welcome to do so. The primary focus of a Recovering From Religion support group is to provide ongoing & personal support to individuals as they let go of their religious beliefs. This transitional period is an ongoing process that can result in a range of emotions, as well as a ripple effect of consequences throughout an individual’s life. As such, the support meetings are safe & anonymous places to express these doubts, fears & experiences without biased feedback or proselytizing. We are here to help each other through this journey. Free.

SCLERODERMA FOUNDATION NEW ENGLAND Support group meeting held on the 4th Tue. of every mo., 6:30-8:30 p.m., Williston Police Station. Info, Blythe Leonard, 878-0732.

SEX & LOVE ADDICTS ANONYMOUS 12-step recovery group. Do you have a problem w/ sex or relationships? We can help. Shawn, 660-2645. Visit slaafws.org or saa-recovery.org for meetings near you.

SEX ADDICTS ANONYMOUS, MONTPELIER Do you have a problem w/ compulsive sexual behavior? A 12-step program has helped us. SAA Montpelier meets twice weekly at 6 p.m: Mon. virtual meeting, details at saatalk.info; Thu. faceto-face at Bethany Church, Montpelier, details at saa-recovery.org. Contact saa.vtrecovery@gmail. com or call 802-322-3701.

SEXUAL VIOLENCE SUPPORT

HOPE Works offers free support groups to women, men & teens who are survivors of sexual violence. Groups are avail. for survivors at any stage of the healing process. Intake for all support groups is ongoing. If you are interested in learning more or would like to schedule an intake to become a group member, please call our office at 864-0555, ext. 19, or email our victim advocate at advocate@ sover.net.

STUTTERING SUPPORT GROUPS

If you’re a person who stutters, you are not alone! Adults, teens & school-age kids who stutter, & their families are welcome to join 1 of our 3 free National Stuttering Association (NSA) stuttering support groups at UVM (join by Zoom or in person). Adults: 5:30-6:30 p.m., 1st & 3rd Tue. monthly; teens (ages 13-17): 5:30-6:30 p.m., 2nd Thu. monthly; school-age children (ages 8-12) & parents (meeting separately): 4:15-5:15 p.m., 2nd Thu. monthly. Pomeroy Hall (489 Main St., UVM campus). Info: nsachapters.org/burlington, burlingtonstutters@gmail.com, 656-0250. Go, Team Stuttering!

SUICIDE SURVIVORS SUPPORT GROUP

For those who have lost a friend or loved one through suicide. 6:30-8 p.m., on the 3rd Tue. of every mo. Maple Leaf Clinic, 167 N. Main St., Wallingford, 446-3577.

SUICIDE HOTLINES IN VT

Brattleboro, 257-7989; Montpelier (Washington County Mental Health Emergency Services), 2290591; Randolph (Clara Martin Center Emergency Service), 800-639-6360.

SUPPORT GROUP FOR WOMEN

who have experienced intimate partner abuse, facilitated by Circle (Washington Co. only). Please call 877-543-9498 for more info.

SURVIVORS OF SUICIDE

If you have lost someone to suicide & wish to have a safe place to talk, share & spend a little time w/ others who have had a similar experience, join us on the 3rd Thu. of every mo., 7-9 p.m., at the Faith Lighthouse Church, Route 105, Newport (105 Alderbrook). Please call before attending. Info: Mary Butler, 744-6284.

Assistant Professor, Social Work

For

SUNY

OPERATIONS

SUPPORT

True North Wilderness Program is seeking Operations Support persons. We are filling one full-time, year-round position and one full-time, seasonal position that starts May 1. 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 including 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.

Please apply at: truenorthwilderness.com

Lane Press prints, binds, and mails high-quality magazines for publishers nationwide. We’re widely known for our quality and cra smanship, and we’re looking for dedicated, collaborative, friendly employees to join our team.

WE HAVE IMMEDIATE NEEDS FOR:

Bindery Production Crew

Entry Level, All Shi s Available

Work on our bindery production line, performing tasks to complete magazine binding and prepare finished magazines for shipping. This is a fun, fast-paced, and active role – your shi will go by quickly!

Shi s: 7am-3pm, 3pm-11pm, 11pm-7am. Pay range: $18-$19.80/hour

Pressroom Trainees

Entry Level, All Shi s Available

Learn to perform technical, manual, and machine tasks in our pressroom. Assist in the set-up, maintenance, and operation of web presses, as well as stacker and roll-stand units.

Shi s: 7am-3pm, 3pm- 11pm, 11pm-7am.

Pay range: $18-$19.80/hour

General Maintenance Technician

3rd Shi

Maintain, troubleshoot, and repair controls, mechanical and electrical aspects of manufacturing equipment, and facility systems. Basic plumbing and carpentry skills desired.

Shi : 11pm-7am.

Pay rate: Commensurate with experience.

Lane offers competitive wages and comprehensive benefits to all full-time employees.

Learn more & apply: careers.lanepress.com

Lane Press is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

DIRECTOR FOR ALUMNI AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT

The Institutional Advancement department at Saint Michael’s College is inviting applications for the Director for Alumni and Family Engagement position. This position will report to the Executive Director of Institutional Advancement and will serve as a member of the Institutional Advancement management team to assist with departmental goal setting, organizational planning, and strategy development to realize operational and philanthropic goals. This role will develop and oversee a robust, multi-faceted alumni and family engagement program designed to build and sustain lifelong relationships with a large number of constituents who support the College’s philanthropic, enrollment, career education, and engagement goals. The successful candidate will leverage their deep understanding of campus culture, the student experience, and the community its members strive to create to build new and strengthen current alumni and donor relationships. For a complete job description, benefits information, and to apply online, please visit: bit.ly/SMCDAFE 4t-StMichaelsCollege012523.indd 1

Tourism Specialist

Part time, per diem: $16.25/hr

The Williston I-89 Welcome Centers are looking to hire part-time and/or per diem employees with great customer service skills. Duties will include some custodial tasks and physical tasks including snow removal. Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds. Hours of operation are 7am to 7pm. You must be able to work weekends & some holidays.

To apply or learn more about the position, email nicole@vermont.org

RESPITE SUPPORT NEEDED!

VERMONT PUBLIC IS HIRING!

We are Vermont’s unified public media organization (formerly VPR and Vermont PBS), serving the community with trusted journalism, quality entertainment, and diverse educational programming. Current

Do you like swimming, live music, singing, good food, or just getting out and having a good time? If you said yes to any or all of these things this may be the perfect opportunity for you!

An adventurous blind and hearing-impaired man in his 30s is looking for respite hours outside of his usual supports, during some evenings and weekends as needed. The main goal of this role would be assisting this man in engaging in new and fun experiences.

*Please be aware this is not a regular shift, it would be based on the needs of the individual.

Pay is $18/hour, having a valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle is required for accessibility purposes, and you must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19.

Reach out to 802-860-1366 to discuss more details and the hiring process.

LINE COOK

We believe a strong organization includes employees from a range of backgrounds with different skills, experience, and passions.

To see more openings & apply: vermontpublic.org/careers.

Must be able to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Vermont Public is a proud equal opportunity employer.

(Full-time opportunities. Come grow with us!)

The Line Cook is responsible for the preparation of nutritious, high quality meals in a high volume environment. External candidates are eligible for a one-time signing bonus of $4,000.

How we support our team: Preferred schedule; evening shifts end by 8:30pm; every other weekend o ; higher pay for evening/weekend shifts (option to work all weekends to earn more); tuition reimbursement to support education and advancement; great benefits — including health insurance, retirement savings, counseling services and wellness; opportunities for career advancement within the organization; paid sick time, holidays and vacation.

Learn more and apply: uvmhealthnetworkcareers.org/linecook_sevendays

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

POST YOUR JOBS AT JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM FOR FAST RESULTS,

CONTACT MICHELLE BROWN: MICHELLE@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

United States Probation Officer

SOCIAL WORKER

Wake Robin, Vermont’s premier senior living community, is expanding again! We are seeking a full-time Social Worker to join our Health Services team.

The Social Worker is a key member of the Health Services team and reports to the Director of Health Services. The successful candidate must be able to identify and plan for the social and emotional needs of Wake Robin residents and their families. The Social Worker is responsible for ensuring that the medically related emotional and social needs of the residents are met and maintained on an individual basis in accordance with policies and procedures, and current state and federal regulations.

The Social Worker must demonstrate:

• Leadership skills, Effective communication

• Problem-solving, Staff management

• A demonstrated knowledge of geriatric care, as well as assessment skills and familiarity with a variety of health screening tools is required.

Education and Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree (or advanced) in Social Work

• At least 2 years of case management in clinical or long-term care facility

• Experience working with geriatrics preferred

• Pay starts at $24.64

• Must be vaccinated for COVID

Apply at: lgiza@wakerobin.com

Wake Robin is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Rhino is hiring like crazy to meet the summer demand for all our delicious products and we need you to join us! If you are hired in an hourly role for our Production, Distribution, Maintenance and Sanitation Teams, Rhino will pay YOU $2,000 on your 6-month anniversary!

Check out our website for all our job listings, which include:

Production 3rd shift, $18.50/hr.

Sanitation 2nd shift, $18/hr.

Maintenance Techs 1st & 3rd shifts, $20-$35/hr DOE

Earn some “Dough” at Rhino Foods!

Please see more on these openings on our career page at rhinofoods.com/about-rhino-foods/jobs-and-careers.

*Rhino Foods does run sex offender checks on all employees

The U.S. Probation Office in the District of Vermont currently has a vacancy for a U.S. Probation Officer. U.S. Probation Officers work for the federal court system and conduct bail and presentence investigations, prepare comprehensive bail and presentence reports, and provide supervision and support for individuals subject to federal community supervision. The position is classified as hazardous-duty law enforcement and has a maximum age of 37 at appointment. A Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university in an approved field of study is required. Prior to appointment, applicants considered for this position must successfully undergo a full background investigation, medical examination, and drug screening. The salary range for this position is from $56,125 to $109,374 (CL-27 to CL-28) and starting salary is dependent on qualifications. For further information on the position and its requirements and application instructions please visit vtp.uscourts.gov/career-opportunities. The deadline for complete applications is the close of business on February 17, 2023.

The U.S. Probation Office is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

FOOD SERVICE WORKER

Assessing & Finance Administrative Assistant

The Town of Shelburne

Responsibilities include: Maintaining the Grand List, providing support for the Town reappraisal, assisting the public with property tax and utility questions and receiving/processing tax and utility payments.

For a complete job description and list of qualifications: shelburnevt.org/237/HumanResources

Submit letter of interest and resume to: scannizzaro@ shelburnevt.org

Resumes accepted until the position is filled. E.O.E.

Full-time,

Per-Diem Opportunities available for Food Service Workers. We’re happy to o er a new hourly wage starting at $16.30/ hour. Shift di erentials up to $6.15 per hour.

Learn

Join Our Auto Auction Team

OPEN POSITIONS:

FINANCE MANAGER/ CONTROLLER

Vital Communities, a regional nonprofit located in White River Junction, VT, seeks a full time Finance Manager/Controller responsible for finance, accounting and budget operations for Vital Communities, which has a $3.4 million annual budget, complex program offerings and diverse funding sources that include state, federal, corporate and foundation funding. The person filling this role will work closely with the leadership team and the Board’s Finance Committee, and will supervise the Finance Coordinator. This position also supports financial and compliance aspects of Administration functions (development, human resources, CRM, office management, and outsourced IT) and works closely with Program staff.

Full job description at vitalcommunities.org/about/join-our-team/ Email resume and cover letter to hr@vitalcommunities.org Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

• Friday & Saturday Auto Auction Staff: Want to make a quick buck in your free time? We’re looking for multiple part-time auction day staff. Our needs range from computer savvy auction clerks to car enthusiast auction assistants - a huge plus if you can drive stick! Free coffee & snacks!

Hours average 7AM-1PM at a competitive flat rate.

Thomas Hirchak Company is an at will employer. See details at: THCAuction.com WANT TO APPLY?

Email Us: Eric@THCAuction.com or drop by our auto office today at 298 James Brown Dr., Williston 802-878-9200 or 800-474-6132

seeks a full-time Administrative Assistant to support the Assessing Office and provide customer service for the Finance Department.

We want you to work with us at our bustling auto auction in Williston!

Manufactured Home Improvement and Replacement Program

Home Repair Technical Assistance

Specialist

The Home Repair Technical Assistance Specialist will primarily administer technical and application assistance to park residents who have unmet needs that affect habitability leading to unsafe and unhealthy housing living conditions and/ or displacement. This position requires supporting applicants through their financial assistance request process including followup support, referral and reporting services as needed.

Please visit cvoeo.org/careers to submit cover letter, resume, and three work references.

Bookkeeper/ Finance Manager

The Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District (Winooski NRCD) is seeking to contract with an experienced bookkeeper to manage the organization’s accounting, record keeping, and financial reporting.

Since 1940, the Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District has promoted the wise use, sustainable development, and conservation of our District’s natural resources. We connect residents with education and technical assistance to implement on-the-ground projects to improve water quality, soil health, and wildlife habitat.

For full job description & information on how to apply: winooskinrcd.org/news-and-events/take-action/volunteer/jobs/

FULL-TIME BREAD BAKER

Customer Service Representative

Have you been looking for a challenging job with opportunities for growth and great benefits? Then at Champlain Broadband we have the job for you! Our Customer Sales and Service Representatives are responsible for customer service experience related to services for video, high speed internet and telephone for residential and commercial customers.

We are looking for people to provide an exceptional "Champlain Broadband customer experience" that is second to none.

Opportunities for advancement, a robust benefits package, and a friendly atmosphere await. Apply today for a chance to join the Champlain Broadband family! bit.ly/BTVtelecomCSR

NOW HIRING

NOW HIRING

CHIEF COORDINATOR

CHIEF COORDINATOR

NEK Broadband is seeking a Chief Coordinator This role will be responsible for ensuring that staff members, working groups, committees, and contractors are staying on-task and kept informed and coordinated This position serves a key role in keeping a geographically-diverse organization running smoothly The successful candidate will be someone who embraces the NEK Broadband mission, and thrives in a fast-paced, "startup" environment

NEK Broadband is seeking a Chief Coordinator. This role will be responsible for ensuring that staff members, working groups, committees, and contractors are staying on-task and kept informed and coordinated. This position serves a key role in keeping a geographically-diverse organization running smoothly. The successful candidate will be someone who embraces the NEK Broadband mission, and thrives in a fast-paced, "startup" environment.

GROW WITH US

GROW WITH US

VIEW THE FULL JOB DESCRIPTION AT NEKBROADBAND ORG/CAREERS TO APPLY SEND YOUR RESUME AND COVER LETTER TO CAREERS@NEKBROADBAND ORG

For over 20 years, Red Hen has been providing great jobs in the food industry. We are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and a strong sense of belonging in the workplace.

We’re looking for an individual who enjoys work that exercises both body and mind and is interested in pursuing the craft of baking at our bakery in Middlesex. Professional food experience is required. Our breads range from hearty whole grain loaves to baguettes and are all made with locally-grown grain. We offer great pay and a benefits package that is virtually unheard of in the food business.

If you are interested, please contact Douglas Clendaniel at douglas@redhenbaking.com

Lead Program Specialist

Community & Economic Development Office

The City of Burlington has received U.S. Housing & Urban Development funding through the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes since 2003 and is currently in their 6th grant cycle. This funding supports the Burlington Lead Program (BLP) to reduce lead hazards and create healthier homes for low-income families in Burlington and Winooski. The Lead Program Specialist I is responsible for providing project management support to the BLP. The Specialist primarily works in enrollment, relocation, finance and general operations of the BLP. The Lead Program Specialist I must work closely with all Lead Program Staff. This position is funded through July, 2024 with the City committed to seeking continuation funding.

The ideal candidate for this role will have a Bachelor’s degree or at least 4 years’ professional experience in a related field and experience in historic preservation, environmental sciences, community development or construction management.

The person in the role must have effective communication skills with property owners and occupants to obtain sensitive and personal financial information. Demonstrated organizational skills with attention to detail are vital to the success of this position.

NEK Broadband is a Communications Union District (CUD) building Lightning Fast Local Internet throughout the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont & Wolcott. Interviews will commence on January 18th, and applications will be accepted until January 31st (or until the position is filled).

NEK Broadband is a Communications Union District (CUD) building Lightning Fast Local Internet throughout the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont and Wolcott

The City of Burlington is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applicants who can contribute to our growing diversity. We offer a comprehensive benefits package and $27.41 - $30.55 per hour for this role.

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

Vermont Dept of Taxes MULTIPLE OPENINGS

There has never been a better time to bring your values and talents to the collaborative team at the Vermont Department of Taxes. The rewarding work we do supports this brave little state and helps shape its future. We work with proven, dynamic technologies to fund initiatives that preserve the environment, build vibrant communities, strengthen families, and so much more. Discover new opportunities, learn new skills, and solve problems with our dedicated and supportive team.

FRONT OF HOUSE MNGR Working with our F&B Director, we are looking for a FOH Manager to lead our talented Restaurant & Tavern teams, ensuring utmost quality & productivity. Related experience necessary.

We currently have the following openings:

· Tax Audit Examiner II, III, IV

· Tax Compliance Officer I, II and III

· Tax Compliance Section Chief

· Seasonal Financial Specialist II and III

Learn more about our department and our mission, goals, and core values - and why a job at the Vermont Department of Taxes may just be the best job you’ve ever had. Contact: tax.vermont.gov/careers

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

City of Barre, Vermont (pop. 9,052)

DIRECTOR OF IT

Sheehey Furlong & Behm, an established, growing law firm located near the Burlington waterfront, is accepting applications for a Director of IT.

The Director of IT will:

• Manage, direct, and implement the firm’s IT operations and infrastructure,

• Provide efficient and effective technologies and technical support services to the end user,

• Provide technical support, tools and guidance to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the firm,

• Lead development and implementation processes for the organizations IT systems and department,

• Collaborate with firm leadership to establish the firm’s technical vision and lead all aspects of the firm’s technological development.

The ideal candidate will have experience in a law firm environment; however, it is not a requirement. Candidates should be familiar with Microsoft Office, document management systems, and email systems. Preference will be given to candidates familiar with O365, Worldox, Mimecast and other legal industry specific programs and tools such as Relativity, Juris, iPro, and Westlaw. Salary will be commensurate with experience and will include a comprehensive benefits package. Please forward your cover letter and resume to hiring@sheeheyvt.com

The City of Barre invites applications from experienced, dynamic, energetic and self motivated individuals to fill the following positions:

PUBLIC WORKS

• Director of Public Works

• Assistant Director of Public Works

• Chief Operator Wastewater Treatment

• Water Distribution Foreperson

• Maintenance Technician

• Light Equipment Operator (CDL)

• Laborer

PLANNING, PERMITTING AND ASSESSING

• Assessor (full time, contractor)

• Planner or Associate Planner

• Permit Administrator

For more details about these positions or to apply visit the City of Barre website located at www.barrecity.org/hr/

Please submit a City of Barre Application or resume to Rikk Taft, City Hall, 6 North Main St, Suite 2, Barre, VT 05641. Electronic submissions can be sent to rtaft@barrecity.org.

The City of Barre is an equal opportunity employer (EOE). Women, Minorities and Veterans are encouraged to apply.

Sales & Marketing Person

Logical Machines in Charlotte, Vt is looking for an energetic sales and marketing person to join our team. You must be a team player, willing to think outside the box, a self starter, and have a good sense of humor.

Job responsibilities include (but are not limited to) growing our sales, helping expand our online marketing presence, and working directly with customers and distributors. This is an in person job and will require some traveling.

Learn more about our company by visiting: logicalmachines.com

Send your resume with a brief cover letter to sarah@logicalmachines.com

ELMORE STORE OPERATOR

The Elmore Community Trust (ECT) is seeking motivated and committed individuals to operate the historic Elmore Store in beautiful Elmore, Vermont starting May 1st, 2023.

Perched on the shores of Lake Elmore, the store is one of the only commercial businesses and the primary central meeting place in town. The Elmore Store is a beloved and vital part of the community, housing the Post O ce, a pizza maker, two residential rental units, and providing a variety of goods and services to residents and travelers alike. In recent years it has also hosted numerous successful community and music events which have contributed tremendously to our rural town.

For more details about this opportunity, please visit: elmorecommunitytrust.org/ operator

Join a growing team at an innovative, nationally-recognized organization charged with creating affordable housing, building community, preserving historic assets, and conserving our lands.

Housing Stewardship Coordinator

Evaluate, monitor, and support the long-term sustainability of housing developments across the state. Bring your excellent analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills and assist the network of non-profit organizations creating housing for Vermonters and revitalizing our communities.

Clean Water Program Director

Are you knowledgeable and passionate about clean water, agriculture and land conservation? The Clean Water Program Director works with state and local partners on water quality projects in the Memphremagog Basin help achieve Vermont's clean water goals.

VHCB offers an excellent benefit package and is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Candidates from diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. To read position descriptions and apply, visit vhcb.org/about-us/jobs. Positions will remain open until filled.

Victim Services Specialist

Community Justice Center

This position is responsible to provide direct service, case management, resource coordination, referral and advocacy services for victims of crime and/or harm, separate from, and in support of, other programs; and to recruit, train and supervise program volunteers and interns when needed. The position is based in Burlington Police Department.

Our ideal candidate will have Bachelor’s degree in Human Services or related field, plus 2 years of relevant experience, or 6 years of a combination of education and experience in victim advocacy, case management, or other pertinent discipline required. Background in restitution work is a benefit. The person in this role will work with police officers and have demonstrated knowledge and familiarity with crime victim issues and demonstrated knowledge of restorative practices.

Additional skills include; a commitment to solving workplace conflicts utilizing restorative processes and the ability to understand the criminal justice system and the variety of experience of victims within it. Strong cultural competency and experience in working with diverse populations with strong analytical skills are also vital to the success in this role.

The City of Burlington is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applicants who can contribute to our growing diversity. We offer a comprehensive benefits package and an hourly rate of $27.41 - $30.55 for this role.

To learn more and to apply: bit.ly/BTVcommJustice

AM

SOFTWARE DEVELOPER

Union Mutual Insurance Company is currently looking for a Software Developer to join our team.

Primary focus is on Guidewire’s InsuranceNow platform that is a fully implemented and mature product. Our development team delivers a full suite of enhancements to our employees, agents, and insureds. The team is highly collaborative, and you will contribute to analysis, communication and programming efforts across a variety of web-based technologies. You will work alongside a wellestablished team of developers, dedicated testers, and business subject matter experts that encourages quality over quantity.

To apply, email resume and cover letter to resumeHR@unionmutual.com

Accounting Clerk / Staff Accountant

Vermont Public Power Supply Authority

The Vermont Public Power Supply Authority, located in Waterbury Center, Vermont is seeking an Accounting Clerk or a Staff Accountant to join our team. This position will support the Finance department and Controller in various financial aspects of the organization.

Essential functions include but are not limited to processing business transactions such as posting cash receipts, accounts payable entry, processing vendor payments and reimbursements, account reconciliations and maintaining various sub-ledgers.

Proficiency in excel and computerized accounting software is required with an AS in Accounting (or equivalent experience) and a minimum of three years’ related experience preferred. Candidate should have strong problem solving, computer, and organizational skills. Demonstrated knowledge of fund and grant accounting is preferred.

VPPSA is building a team of professionals who are passionate about helping Vermont towns meet their energy needs. If you are a team player and enjoy a fast-paced collaborative environment we want to hear from you.

Please send resumes and salary requirements to: Vermont Public Power Supply Authority, PO Box 126, Waterbury Ctr., Vermont 05677 Attn: Amy Parah, or to aparah@vppsa.com. The position will be open until filled.

Housing Program Manager

Community & Economic Development Office

This position is responsible for managing the City’s affordable housing programs within the Community & Economic Development Office. This position will oversee the administration of Burlington’s housing grant programs and enforce a range of City ordinances listed below. This position will collaborate closely with the City’s Racial Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (REIB) Department & key non-profit partners, in support of racial equity & affordable housing programs.

Our ideal candidate will hold a Bachelor’s Degree in planning, public administration or a related field (equivalent training and experience may be substituted for educational requirements) and minimum of 5 years of experience in the development and/or financing of nonprofit affordable housing. Knowledge of budget development and administration, including capital development budgeting and grant administration.

Requirements for this position include; grant writing experience, basic project development skills such as working knowledge of the zoning process, building permit process and City government processes in general.

The City of Burlington is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applicants who can contribute to our growing diversity. We offer a comprehensive benefits package and offer a salary $76,085.60 - $84,908.55 annually.

To learn more about this position and to apply: bit.ly/CEDObtv

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

DISTRICT MANAGER

The Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District (NRCD) seeks to fill its full time District Manager position. The District Manager is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the District, ensuring adequate progress towards the goals and objectives of our 5 year strategic plan, providing supervision, mentorship and support to the other District staff, and implementing innovative projects and initiatives to advance our mission.

Since 1940, the Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District has promoted the wise use, sustainable development, and conservation of our District’s natural resources. We connect residents with education and technical assistance to implement on-the-ground projects to improve water quality, soil health, and wildlife habitat.

For full job description & information on how to apply: winooskinrcd.org/news-and-events/take-action/volunteer/jobs/

Development Director

Help us grow! Are you a non-profit fundraising leader looking for your next adventure? Do you have a passion for Vermont and strengthening ties between land & lives?

We are seeking a Development Director with demonstrated expertise in non-profit fundraising who can:

• Lead and implement a coordinated fundraising strategy across multiple programs and funding sources

• Create effective approaches to engaging supporters and growing revenue

• Collaborate up, down, and sideways to advance fundraising goals

Learn more and apply at vlt.org/employment. The position will remain open until 2/13/23. The annual starting salary is $76,500 and includes a generous benefits package.

The Vermont Land Trust is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We honor and invite people of all backgrounds and life experiences to apply.

Delaney Meeting & Event Management is

hiring!

Delaney Event Management, one of the premier event management companies in Northern New England, is looking for a qualified professional to join our team as a full-time Meeting Planner.

This is an early career to mid-career level position and the ideal candidate will have at least some experience in project management and/or leadership role, as well as a strong work ethic and ability to integrate into an established group of event professionals on our team.

This salaried, full-time position will include evening & weekend time at events and will also include travel in and out of Vermont. The first year of employment will include a comprehensive training and onboarding plan to ensure success.

For full job description, visit: delaneymeetingevent.com

Arborist Trainees

Lucas Tree Experts, a leader in the tree care industry, is looking for motivated individuals to join the team as an Arborist Trainee. Multiple positions available, no experience in the tree industry necessary!

Are you looking for a company that provides a pathway for career advancement opportunities? Lucas Tree Experts provides FREE on-thejob training for those willing, able, and interested in learning this skilled trade. Motivated individuals can build a strong foundation for their future career all while obtaining multiple pay raises and opportunities to advance from within.

Why Lucas Tree?

• Free On-the-Job Training (Including CDL)

• High weekly earning potential with regular overtime

• Safety and bonus incentive packages

• Safety first culture

• Paid time off and paid holidays

• Competitive benefits package: health, vision, and dental insurance

• 401(k) with company match

• Annual earning potential of $40,000 - $48,000

Come work for a company that offers advancement opportunities and a great quality of work life! Contact: HR@lucastree.com

Treasurer

The Town of Fairfax is seeking to fill the position of Treasurer. This position serves as a financial officer for the Town and works within a small team to deliver excellent customer service to the community. This position has excellent benefits including VT Municipal Retirement and a competitive compensation package. Relevant degree or equivalent experience in accounting, finance, and/or bookkeeping required. Training is available.

To review the entire job description and download an application visit: fairfax-vt.gov/jobs. Mail your cover letter, application & resume to: Town of Fairfax, Attn. Town Manager, 12 Buck Hollow Road, Fairfax, VT 05454.

This posting will remain active until the position is filled. The Town of Fairfax is an E.O.E.

Operations Manager

CVFiber is seeking an Operations Manager for oversight of network operations and Internet service delivery. CVFiber is a Communications Union District (CUD) building a 1,200-mile fiber network in Central Vermont. The successful candidate will be someone who embraces the CVFiber mission of bringing fiber to rural Vermont, and thrives in a fast-paced, “startup” environment. View the full job description at cvfiber.net or follow the link here: cvfiber.net/2023/01/cvfiber-is-hiring-an-operations-manager/

Send your resume and cover letter to careers@cvfiber.net

Applications will be accepted until February 14th or until the position is filled.

DISABILITY LAW ATTORNEY

Vermont Legal Aid seeks a full-time Disability Law Attorney to work out of our Rutland office.

We encourage applicants from a broad range of backgrounds, and welcome information about how your experience can contribute to serving our diverse client communities. Applicants are encouraged to share in their cover letter how they can further our goals of social justice and individual rights. We are an equal opportunity employer committed to a discrimination-and-harassment-free workplace. Please see our Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion: vtlegalaid.org/commitment-diversity-inclusion

Responsibilities include individual and systems advocacy in a variety of forums on behalf of persons with disabilities. Case work is primarily in the area of disability-based discrimination, special education, government benefit programs, guardianship, and other areas concerning individual rights.

Starting salary is $59,800+, with additional salary credit given for relevant prior work experience. Four weeks’ paid vacation and retirement, as well as excellent health benefits. Attorney applicants must be licensed to practice law in Vermont, eligible for admission by waiver, or planning to take the February Vermont or UBE bar exam. In-state travel in a personal vehicle required.

Application deadline is February 3, 2023. Your application should include a cover letter and resume, bar status, writing sample, and at least three professional references with contact information, sent as a single PDF. Send your application by e-mail to hiring@vtlegalaid.org with the subject line “DLP Staff Attorney January 2023.”

Please let us know how you heard about this position. See vtlegalaid.org/dlp-attorney-january-2023 for additional information and job description.

BACKPACKING GUIDES

Wildland Trekking is seeking experienced backpacking guides who want to work in the Northeast this summer. Applicants must hold a WFR or be willing to obtain prior to start date of June 6th. Previous experience backcountry guiding required. Trips will originate from Jefferson, VT.

Areas we guide in New England include: VT's Green Mountains, NH's White Mountains and Acadia National Park. Join us for the opportunity of a lifetime to experience three distinct ecosystems and terrain in which to call your office.

To apply, please visit: wildlandtrekking.com/ employment-opportunities/

Administrative Assistant

Join our team! The new Administrative Assistant position will support the Interpretation and Translation program and the Field Office Director by coordinating administrative functions including managing day-to-day scheduling, responding to inquiries, preparing documentation, compiling reports, and working with staff, clients, and community partners.

This position requires handling matters expeditiously and proactively and following through on projects to successful completion, often with deadline pressures.

For more information and to apply, visit: bit.ly/USRefugeeAdminAsst

New Year, New Job? Come join us at HOPE, where your work will make a di erence!

Homeless Services Coordinator, Full Time: work with persons experiencing homelessness, assisting them to access services including mainstream benefits, health care, and more; increase income and resources; and overcome barriers to stable housing. Must have experience with persons who have substance use disorders and mental illness, as well as a familiarity with services.

Data Entry Specialist, Part-Time: enter datapoints into a CloudBased Homeless Information Management System. Must be detail oriented and accurate.

Resale Associate, Full or Part Time: assist with accepting donated goods for resale; pickups and deliveries; minor repairs; and cleaning. Must have excellent customer service and communication skills, ability to work as a team, and be able to stand, lift and carry items.

Compensation includes very competitive wages, medical, dental and life insurance, generous paid time o , matched retirement

We o er a supportive team environment, where you can feel good about coming to work each day. Equal Opportunity Employer.

cover letter to receptionist@hope-vt.org, or Personnel, 282 Boardman Street, Ste 1A,

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION

The City of St. Albans is recruiting for a new member of the leadership team. The Director of Finance and Administration is responsible for all financial and administrative matters in the City. Primary focus areas include budget development and financial management; personnel management for both union and non-union employees; and integration of daily business management functions. City budgets total $13 million with 68 employees, 50 of whom are unionized. The City anticipates applicants with public sector management experience, and is open to non-traditional candidates as well. A detailed position description is available at stalbansvt.com/jobs

The anticipated starting salary is between $90,000 and $115,000 depending on qualifications and experience and includes significant retirement and benefit programs. Initial review of resumes is planned for January 30, 2023.

ADVANCED PRACTICE NURSE

CSC / Second Spring provides compassion, hope, and excellent clinical care for individuals who have serious psychiatric challenges. In many states, our patients would be confined to a hospital setting. CSC wraps them with a level of care and support that makes residential life in the community possible, and frequently creates highly-fulfilling experiences that are a bridge to greater independence.

CSC has a unique opening for an advanced practice nurse to become a key clinical leader for our mission-based non-profit. The APRN will serve as prescriber for our 27 residential patients, while collaborating with other clinical leaders and providing education and expertise supporting a broad range of staff. Primary care experience is valued, but not required. The role is supported by an excellent, experienced psychiatrist who works with CSC multiple hours per week (including rounds, 1:1 clinical supervision of APRN, and real-time consultation as needed).

Job Type: Full-Time Position with a minimum of 12-18 hours onsite.

Pay: $110,000.00 - $135,000.00 per year

Benefits:

THE NURSE AIDE TRAINEE PROGRAM

(LNA Training Track)

Have you always been a caretaker by nature? Perhaps you are a nursing student, former LNA, HHA or PCA? This is an opportunity to make a difference (and a paycheck), up close and personal, helping to take care of loved ones at Elderwood at Burlington. Apply today to our PAID Nurse Aide Trainee Program.

The Nurse Aide Trainee Program (LNA Training Track) provides insight into the direct care role by providing the opportunity to train alongside our clinicians, completing tasks for our resident population. Apply as a Nurse Aide Trainee and be slotted into the next available Nurse Aide Training Program to become a LNA. Next class is starting soon!! Apply today so you will not be left out!

Nurse Aide Trainee (LNA Training Track) Overview:

• Elderwood's LNA Training course will last for approximately five weeks, 9 AM - 3 PM Mondays and Wednesdays (times may vary slightly). Until you are officially slotted for training, you will be designated on a specific shift as a Nurse Aide Trainee.

• First four weeks are classroom training; fifth week will be the clinical portion.

• Once you pass, your status (and pay) will be adjusted from Nurse Aide Trainee to LNA.

• Elderwood will pay for the LNA certification test as well as any applicable onboarding requirements, including but not limited to PPD and Physical for eligible candidates.

• Training is PAID - you will be clocked in as a Nurse Aide Trainee during training hours and get paid while you train!

Don't delay! Apply Now! elderwoodcareers.com/

Legal Assistant

Monaghan Safar PLLC, a Burlington law firm, has an immediate opening for a full-time legal assistant in an exciting and welcoming environment. Responsibilities include supporting the firm’s litigation attorneys in producing legal filings and correspondence, proofing documents, reception, and general office assistance. Competitive salary (starting range of $20-$23 per hour) and comprehensive benefits including health insurance, dental, vision, and 401(k). The ideal candidate has excellent computer, organizational and interpersonal skills. Interested persons please email a cover letter & resume to mcain@msdvt.com

FULL AND PART TIME FRONT DESK CLERKS

2nd shifts. Shifts are 3pm-11pm. Looking to hire immediately. Apply in person: 1016 Shelburne Rd., South Burlington, VT 05403 or email: travelodgeburlingtonvt@gmail.com Travelodge071322.indd 1 7/11/22 3:05 PM 7spot.indd 1 10/29/19 12:12 PM

DEAN OF ADMINISTRATION

This position is the chief financial officer and principal advisor to the President on all matters related to the management and oversight of business and financial affairs of the college. The Dean of Administration is an integral member of the finance team for the Vermont State College System and has shared responsibility for system-wide budgeting and fiduciary matters. Part of the President’s executive leadership team, this position provides leadership, management, and a future-focused vision for finance, budgeting, student accounts, safety and security, and facilities. The Dean of Administration ensures CCV has the proper operational controls, procedures, and systems in place to maintain financial strength and operating efficiency.

We are looking for a dynamic and engaging executive to provide leadership, management, and a future-focused vision to ensure CCV is at the forefront as an educational innovator. We seek a proven leader, with a positive, no-nonsense approach and experience in managing business finances as well as operations.

If you are looking for a role that engages all aspects of an organization, manages day-to-day and global issues, and can provide leadership and a vision to accelerate CCV’s mission-driven role in education, please apply online at ccv.edu/learn-about-ccv/ employment/. This position is suitable for partial remote work; the incumbent may perform some work from home but will be expected to report to a CCV Center two or more days per week. Occasional in-state travel will be required.

CCV values individual differences that can be engaged in the service of learning. Diverse experiences from people of varied backgrounds inform and enrich our community. CCV strongly encourages applications from historically marginalized and underrepresented populations. CCV is an Equal Opportunity Employer, in compliance with ADA requirements, and will make reasonable accommodations for the known disability of an otherwise qualified applicant.

Shared Living Providers

Seeking Shared Living Provider in Chittenden County for a 62-year old man with a great sense of humor who loves watching sports, fishing, and car rides. The position would require assisting with meal preparation, some personal care, and providing medical supervision as the client has some mobility issues that make him a fall risk. The client can be left alone for up to 5 hours, but cannot be left alone overnight. The ideal SLP(s) would be a patient, clear communicator. The client would thrive in a home that is single floor with no steps and a handicap accessible bathroom. Children or pets in the home is okay. Compensation: $45,000 tax-free annual stipend plus room and board and contracted supports.

Contact arakowitz@howardcenter.org or 8023072705.

Seeking Part-time Shared Living Provider in Chittenden County for a woman in her 30’s. Ideal candidate will be able to provide clear boundaries, clinical support while helping the client develop independent living skills and integrate into the community. Ideal candidate does not have young children. Compensation: $50,000 tax free annual stipend for part time schedule plus room and board.

Contact mgeary@howardcenter.org or 802-488-6553.

howardcenter.org • 802-488-6500

CONTROLLER

Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) is recruiting for a new Controller. Formed in 1974, VHFA’s mission is to finance and promote affordable, safe, and decent housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income Vermonters. As one of Vermont’s leading non-profits in the affordable housing sector, the Agency needs an experienced, innovative individual to provide the principal accounting support to the Chief Financial Officer.

The Controller at the Agency is an independent manager responsible for all accounting functions of the Agency. In particular, the Controller is responsible for annual budget preparation and subsequent monitoring and reporting, quarterly financial statements, the Agency’s annual audit and day to day management of the Agency’s bank accounts, bank lines and construction lending activities.

A minimum of seven years of direct accounting or auditing experience is required, as is experience in the preparation of financial statements and the management of annual audits, preferably in a nonprofit or quasi-governmental environment. A CPA is desirable. We are looking for someone with a high degree of computer literacy, especially finance and accounting packages and Microsoft Office products. Consistently named one of the “Best Places to Work in Vermont”, the Agency offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package. The salary range for this position is $90,000 to $105,000. For a detailed job description and benefits overview, please see the Careers section of VHFA.org. To apply, send cover letter, resume, and references to the Human Resources Department at HR@vhfa. org. Please consider including in your cover letter a description of how your unique background and experiences would contribute to the diversity and cultural vitality of VHFA. Applications will be processed as they come in, with interviews starting January 30th. Position will remain open until filled. VHFA is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse workplace. We highly encourage people from historically underrepresented groups to apply including persons with disabilities, LGBTQ+ and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.

Executive Director

Inclusive Arts

Vermont seeks a full-time Executive Director to lead its dynamic team of artists and administrators.

A minimum of three years’ experience in a senior management position of a nonprofit organization is required. This is a fulltime, salaried position with benefits. Anticipated salary range is $55,000 – $70,000 depending on experience.

Submit a resume, cover letter, and three references to inclusiveartsvermont.org by 2/17/23.

Executive Director

HSVT uses its comprehensive and client-driven screening and matching process to successfully match individuals seeking housing (guests) with homeshare hosts, often seniors or persons with disabilities, who have a room to share. In exchange, hosts receive companionship, assistance with household chores, and/or some rental income. This dynamic organization addresses the growing need for affordable housing while providing support to hosts and guests in a human and caring way.

Scope & Size: $620,000 budget; 6 staff – 3 full-time and 3 part-time; staff work in concert with a well-trained corps of volunteers to process over 700 new applications and support nearly 100 matches each year.

Location: Burlington, VT; a satellite office in Montpelier, VT serves the mid-Vermont region.

Salary Range: $75,000-$85,000 plus a benefits package that includes 100% premium coverage for both dental and health insurance, a 403(b) retirement plan, and generous paid vacation and holiday time off.

Desired credentials:

• Bachelor’s degree is required

• Minimum 3-5 years in leadership and management is required

• An understanding of the unique dynamics of nonprofit organizations

• A track record in raising funds through grant writing, donor contributions, planned giving, and events

• Demonstrated passion for HSVT’s mission of improving lives through homesharing and helping people age in place

Questions or referrals: Contact Executive Search Consultant Catherine Bradshaw at cbradshaw@eostransitions.com

To view the position & apply: eostransitions.applicantpool.com/jobs/

Local Childcare Coordinator

Part Time

International childcare program consultant needed!

Cultural Care Au Pair is looking for part-time local consultant. Are you a passionate, empathetic person, looking to make a difference? Do you enjoy meeting people from other cultures and do you find yourself connecting well with different personalities?

Cultural Care Au Pair is looking for local childcare consultants (LCCs) in Montpellier area.

To learn more: culturalcare.com/lp/ lcc-recruitment/

Director of Nursing

EOE. Positions are open until filled. To apply, send cover letter & resume to:

CLERICAL SUPPORT STAFF

Vermont Legal Aid seeks a highly organized team player, with a desire to further our mission, for a full-time position in Montpelier, VT.

We encourage applicants from a broad range of backgrounds, and welcome information about how your experience can contribute to serving our diverse client communities. Applicants are encouraged to share in their cover letter how they can further our goals of social justice and individual rights. We are an equal opportunity employer committed to a discrimination-and-harassment-free workplace. Please read our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion: vtlegalaid.org/commitment-diversity-inclusion

Responsibilities include general office management and secretarial duties (answering phones, client contact, data entry, typing, file/document/database management), as well as supporting the work of multiple attorneys and paralegals. Experience as a legal secretary or formal secretarial training is preferable. Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite required. Fluency in French, Spanish, Swahili, Kirundi, Somali, Arabic, Nepali, or Burmese is a plus.

See vtlegalaid.org/montpelier-support-staff-2023 for additional job description.

Base salary is $38,480 with salary credit given for relevant prior work experience. Four weeks paid vacation, retirement, and excellent health benefits. Application deadline is February 3, 2023. Send cover letter, resume, and contact information for three references as a single PDF file with the subject line “Support Staff Jan 2023” to David Koeninger, Deputy Director, c/o hiring@vtlegalaid.org. Please tell us how you heard about the position.

Are you a nurse in search of a position that brings joy and fulfillment personally and professionally? The Converse Home, an Assisted Living Community located in downtown Burlington, is searching for a Director of Nursing.  The Converse Home is a non-profit with a volunteer Board of Directors and is the longest-running community in the state, recently celebrating 136 years of service.  We are well known for our warm, welcoming, and home-like atmosphere.  This is a wonderful opportunity for the right person to join a rare community!

Director of Nursing (DON) Responsibilities

include but are not limited to:

• Work with Co-Executive Directors and Assistant Director of Nursing (ADON)/ Nurse Educator, and leadership team, to ensure resident healthcare needs are met while treated with respect, dignity and great quality of care.

• Direct the nursing program, including implementing new policies and procedures when necessary.

• Supervise, develop and provide leadership in day-to-day operations to licensed, and unlicensed, direct care/nursing staff. Work with ADON to coach staff on best care practices.

• Supervise and work closely with the ADON/ Nurse Educator to ensure education compliance in accordance with state regulations. Ensure the nursing department is compliant with all local, state, and federal regulations.

• Use strong leadership and communication skills to communicate with the leadership team, staff, families, residents, vendors and providers.

• Develop the nursing department budget, and work with Co-Executive Directors to navigate and troubleshoot budget parameters.

• Supervise the maintenance and audit of resident charts and reviews documentation performed by the care staff.

• Collaborates with ADON in creating resident care plans, proactively managing care and services for each resident, and ensuring care staff follows policies and procedures.

• Participates in pre-admission screening of prospective new residents and report findings to the prospective resident team.

Requirements:

• This position requires a candidate who has solid Med-Surge background and operations management experience, a strong understanding of skilled nursing standards of care, and federal and state regulations. A high level of professionalism, detail-oriented, strong verbal and written communication skills, and compassionate leadership qualities are must-haves.

• This position requires occasional travel/driving. May require occasional weekend, evening, or night work to ensure adequate staffing levels, and share on-call and shift supervisor duties.

• Must have a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing, a valid Vermont Registered Nurse license.

• Prefer a Master of Science in Nursing. Valid driver’s license

• The Converse Home offers a competitive salary and excellent benefits including medical, dental, life insurance, retirement & vacation time. Come join a great team & love where you work!

The Converse Home is an Equal Opportunity Employer

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

JAG Productions, a nonprofit theatre company centering Black storytelling, seeks a full time Director of Development to add to our staff and to support the organization’s growth. Applicants must value and be willing to support Black and Black queer storytelling.

Director of Development Job Responsibilities: Implement and execute an annual fundraising plan to meet fundraising goals; Manage portfolio of donors; Provide leadership to the development team; Prepare and present regular reports on progress towards fundraising goals; Plan and execute special events; Manage grant writing and identification of new grant opportunities; Generate donor communications, newsletters, and an annual report; Manage box office functions; Assist in creation of print, digital and social media content; Network and maintain regular correspondence with donors.

Director of Development Qualifications/Skills: Applied understanding of basic fundraising principles and development best practices; Strong prospect identification and qualification skills; Excellent writing, editing, and proofreading ability; Strong interpersonal, verbal communication, and presentation skills; Database and spreadsheet proficiency; Working knowledge of office applications; Experience with online fundraising, email marketing, and internet research.

Education and Experience Preferences (Please note that these are preferences, not requirements. All interested individuals are encouraged to apply.): Bachelor’s or Master’s degree; Five years of fundraising or non-profit experience; Previous management experience; Proven track record of meeting fundraising goals and securing major gifts.

Compensation and Working Conditions: Work arrangements can be flexible and will be discussed with the final candidate; Some nights and weekends are required during fundraising events and occasionally during performances; $55,000 - $60,000 annual salary; Health care stipend; Leave and paid holidays; Annual paid one week sabbatical; Relocation stipend available.

To apply, submit a cover letter, resume, and three professional references to info@jagproductionsvt.com with “Director of Development Application” in the subject line.

Employment Case Manager

The Jump On Board for Success (JOBS) case manager position is responsible for providing flexible and participant-centered case management services for teens and young adults. The case manager helps program participants develop the skills needed to live independently while focusing on employment and education goals. The position is ideal for someone with strong communication skills, knowledge of adolescent development, and an understanding of Vermont’s education, vocational training, and human services systems. Preference will be given to applicants with a relevant college degree and work experience with individuals with emotional or behavioral disabilities.

LRC is a team-oriented, non-profit organization based in Hyde Park. Consider joining the LRC team if you’re interested in a workplace that promotes employee well-being and is known for its inclusive and collaborative work environment. The hourly pay rate is between $21.33 and $22.44. A uniquely generous benefits policy provides $12,000 annually for each employee to pay for the benefits they need, such as: medical, dental, vision, and supplemental insurance, and retirement. Additional benefits include 27 paid days off and 17 paid holidays, pre-tax dependent care deductions, paid family medical leave, an annual training stipend, and life insurance.

To be considered for this position, applicants are asked to send a cover letter highlighting their relevant skills and experiences, and a resume, to: info@lrcvt.org

Applications will be accepted until position is filled. LRC is an E.O.E.

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

POST

BROWN, 802-865-1020 X121, MICHELLE@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PREVENTION SERVICES – BURLINGTON

The Vermont Department ofHealth’s Division ofSubstance Use Programs has an exciting opportunityto be part ofleading substance use prevention services in Vermont. The Assistant DirectorofPrevention Services position serves in the critical role ofproviding support to the DirectorofPrevention Services to establish and implement a vision forsubstance use prevention statewide. Formore information, contact Traci Sawyers at traci.sawyers@vermont.gov. Department: Health. Location: Burlington. Status: Full Time. Job Id #45367. Application Deadline: January29, 2023.

FEDERAL FUNDING PROGRAM SPECIALIST I/II/III – MONTPELIER

The Vermont Department of Health’s Division of Substance Use Programs has an exciting opportunity to be part of leading substance use prevention services in Vermont. The Assistant Director of Prevention Services position serves in the critical role of providing support to the Director of Prevention Services to establish and implement a vision for substance use prevention statewide. For more information, contact Traci Sawyers at traci.sawyers@ vermont.gov. Department: Health. Location: Burlington. Status: Full Time. Job Id #45367. Application Deadline: January 29, 2023.

FEDERAL FUNDING PROGRAM SPECIALIST I/II/III – MONTPELIER

The VT Dept. of Public Service is pleased to announce an opportunity to join our team in advancing state energy policy as a Federal Funding Program Specialist to develop, implement, and oversee federally funded grant programs; undertake stakeholder engagement to inform program design; create budgets, establish program targets, and monitorresults. This position is eligible fortelework. Please Note: This position is being recruited at multiple levels. Ifyou would like to be considered formore than one level, you MUSTapplyto the specific Job Requisition. Formore information, contact Melissa Baileyat melissa.bailey@ vermont.gov. Department:Public Service. Location: Montpelier. Status: Full Time,Limited Service. Job Id #46046 forlevel I, #46047 forlevel II, and #46012 forLevel III. Application Deadline: February16, 2023.

GRANT PROGRAMS MANAGER – MONTPELIER

EQUAL OPPORTUNIT Y & ACCESSIBILIT Y MANAGER – MONTPELIER

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY & ACCESSIBILITY MANAGER – MONTPELIER

The Vermont Department ofLaboris looking forsomeone withstrong program development and management skills to build ourstatewide Equal Opportunityand Accessibilitytechnical assistance and compliance program. We are looking forward to welcoming a new team memberwhose focus will be to increase equity in, and access to, our programs! For more information, contact BethMeyer-Ehrichat beth.meyer-ehrich@vermont.gov. Department:Labor. Location: Montpelier. Status: Full Time. Job Id #45528. Application Deadline: January29, 2023.

CUSTODIANS, MECHANICS, HVAC SPECIALIST – MONTPELIER

The Vermont Department of Labor is looking for someone with strong program development and management skills to build our statewide Equal Opportunity and Accessibility technical assistance and compliance program. We are looking forward to welcoming a new team member whose focus will be to increase equity in, and access to, our programs! For more information, contact Beth Meyer-Ehrich at beth.meyer-ehrich@vermont.gov. Department: Labor. Location: Montpelier. Status: Full Time. Job Id #45528. Application Deadline: January 29, 2023.

CUSTODIANS, MECHANICS, HVAC SPECIALIST – MONTPELIER

The Department ofBuildings & General Services is seeking to fill manypositions within the historic Montpelier complex and surrounding area. We are looking for Custodians, Maintenance Mechanics, HVAC Specialists, and a Central Heat Plant Operator. Positions require successful completion of background checks. Formore information, contact Jonathan Rutledge at jonathan.rutledge@ vermont.gov. Department:Buildings and General Services. Location: Montpelier. Status: Full Time. Job Id #’s 46075, 45973, 46071, 46073, 46072, and 45972. Application Deadline:February12, 20203.

FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATOR I – WATERBURY

WHERE YOU AND YOUR WORK MATTER...

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PREVENTION SERVICES – BURLINGTON

The Dept. of Public Service is seeking a Grants Program Manager to join our team in advancing state energy policy. The Managerwill: oversee federal funds and ensure compliance with policies and guidance; solicit applicants, evaluate proposals, and oversee work ofconsultants, utilities, and otherentities; manage awards including grant writing, program development, on-site compliance monitoring, financial auditsmanagement, and environmental review. Position is eligible fortelework. Formore information, contact Melissa Baileyat melissa.bailey@vermont.gov. Department:Public Service. Location: Montpelier. Status: Full Time, Limited Service. Job Id #46013. Application Deadline: February16, 2023.

The VT Dept. of Public Service is pleased to announce an opportunity to join our team in advancing state energy policy as a Federal Funding Program Specialist to develop, implement, and oversee federally funded grant programs; undertake stakeholder engagement to inform program design; create budgets, establish program targets, and monitor results. This position is eligible for telework. Please Note: This position is being recruited at multiple levels. If you would like to be considered for more than one level, you MUST apply to the specific Job Requisition. For more information, contact Melissa Bailey at melissa.bailey@ vermont.gov. Department: Public Service. Location: Montpelier. Status: Full Time, Limited Service. Job Id #46046 for level I, #46047 for level II, and #46012 for Level III. Application Deadline: February 16, 2023.

The Department of Buildings & General Services is seeking to fill many positions within the historic Montpelier complex and surrounding area. We are looking for Custodians, Maintenance Mechanics, HVAC Specialists, and a Central Heat Plant Operator. Positions require successful completion of background checks. For more information, contact Jonathan Rutledge at jonathan.rutledge@ vermont.gov. Department: Buildings and General Services. Location: Montpelier. Status: Full Time. Job Id #’s 46075, 45973, 46071, 46073, 46072, and 45972. Application Deadline: February 12, 2023.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY & ACCESSIBILITY MANAGER – MONTPELIER

Large business office withopportunityforcross-training and advancement. This position will be assigned multipleProbation & Parole offices and will be responsible formonitoring and presenting budgets foreach ofthese assigned locations. All corresponding accounts payable (AP), accounts receivable (AR) as well as account maintenance forSupervised Individuals. This position serves as the lead employee expense coordinatorfortheirsites and acts as the lead Mobile Device Admin for all DOC. Formore information, contact Tatum LaPlant at tatum.laplant@vermont.gov. Department: Corrections. Location: Waterbury. Status: Full Time. Job Id #46129. Application Deadline: February1, 2023.

CORRECTIONS PROGRAMSERVICES CHIEF CLINICAL SPECIALIST –WATERBURY

GRANT PROGRAMS MANAGER – MONTPELIER

The Vermont Department ofHealth’s Division ofSubstance Use Programs has an exciting opportunityto be part ofleading substance use prevention services in Vermont. The Assistant DirectorofPrevention Services position serves in the critical role ofproviding support to the DirectorofPrevention Services to establish and implement a vision forsubstance use prevention statewide. Formore information, contact Traci Sawyers at traci.sawyers@vermont.gov. Department: Health. Location: Burlington. Status: Full Time. Job Id #45367. Application Deadline: January29, 2023.

FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATOR I – WATERBURY

AOT PROCESS AND PERFORMANCE ANALYST I – BARRE

The Vermont Department ofLaboris looking forsomeone withstrong program development and management skills to build ourstatewide Equal Opportunityand Accessibilitytechnical assistance and compliance program. We are looking forward to welcoming a new team memberwhose focus will be to increase equity in, and access to, our programs! For more information, contact BethMeyer-Ehrichat beth.meyer-ehrich@vermont.gov. Department:Labor. Location: Montpelier. Status: Full Time. Job Id #45528. Application Deadline: January29, 2023.

FEDERAL FUNDING PROGRAM SPECIALIST I/II/III – MONTPELIER

This position has the primaryresponsibilityforthe implementation ofcognitive behavioral and life skill interventions. Services are both recommended and required forindividuals underthe supervision and/orincarcerated populations, particularlyforthose withconvictions offelonyinterpersonal violence. This role acts as a peermemberofa multi-disciplinarycentral team and is responsible for program development in boththe Probation and Parole field offices and fourCorrectional Facilities. For more information, contact Kim Busheyat kim.bushey@vermont.gov. Department:Corrections. Location: Waterbury. Status: Full Time. Job Id #46087. Application Deadline: February 12, 2023.

PUBLIC HEALTH INSPECTION MANAGER – BURLINGTON

The VT Dept. of Public Service is pleased to announce an opportunity to join our team in advancing state energy policy as a Federal Funding Program Specialist to develop, implement, and oversee federally funded grant programs; undertake stakeholder engagement to inform program design; create budgets, establish program targets, and monitorresults. This position is eligible fortelework. Please Note: This position is being recruited at multiple levels. Ifyou would like to be considered formore than one level, you MUSTapplyto the specific Job Requisition. Formore information, contact Melissa Baileyat melissa.bailey@ vermont.gov. Department:Public Service. Location: Montpelier. Status: Full Time,Limited Service. Job Id #46046 forlevel I, #46047 forlevel II, and #46012 forLevel III. Application Deadline: February16, 2023.

The Dept. of Public Service is seeking a Grants Program Manager to join our team in advancing state energy policy. The Manager will: oversee federal funds and ensure compliance with policies and guidance; solicit applicants, evaluate proposals, and oversee work of consultants, utilities, and other entities; manage awards including grant writing, program development, on-site compliance monitoring, financial audits management, and environmental review. Position is eligible for telework. For more information, contact Melissa Bailey at melissa. bailey@vermont.gov. Department: Public Service. Location: Montpelier. Status: Full Time, Limited Service. Job Id #46013. Application Deadline: February 16, 2023.

The Vermont Department ofHealth has an exciting opportunityto be on the front lines ofprotecting public health in Vermont. The successful candidate will provide leadership and management for the field team conducting a varietyofpublichealth inspections offood safetysystems, general sanitation practices, and environmental conditions in the Food & Lodging Program. Formore information, contact ElisabethWirsing at elisabeth.wirsing@vermont.gov. Department:Health. Location: Burlington. Status: Full Time. Job Id #46062. Application Deadline: February 9, 2023.

GRANT PROGRAMS MANAGER – MONTPELIER

CORRECTIONS PROGRAM SERVICES CHIEF CLINICAL SPECIALIST –WATERBURY

The Dept. of Public Service is seeking a Grants Program Manager to join our team in advancing state energy policy. The Managerwill: oversee federal funds and ensure compliance with policies and guidance; solicit applicants, evaluate proposals, and oversee work ofconsultants, utilities, and otherentities; manage awards including grant writing, program development, on-site compliance monitoring, financial auditsmanagement, and environmental review. Position is eligible fortelework. Formore information, contact Melissa Baileyat melissa.bailey@vermont.gov. Department:Public Service. Location: Montpelier. Status: Full Time, Limited Service. Job Id #46013. Application Deadline: February16, 2023.

CORRECTIONS PROGRAMSERVICES CHIEF CLINICAL SPECIALIST –WATERBURY

This position has the primary responsibility for the implementation of cognitive behavioral and life skill interventions. Services are both recommended and required for individuals under the supervision and/or incarcerated populations, particularly for those with convictions of felony interpersonal violence. This role acts as a peer member of a multi-disciplinary central team and is responsible for program development in both the Probation and Parole field offices and four Correctional Facilities. For more information, contact Kim Bushey at kim.bushey@vermont.gov. Department: Corrections. Location: Waterbury. Status: Full Time. Job Id #46087. Application Deadline: February 12, 2023.

PUBLIC HEALTH INSPECTION MANAGER – BURLINGTON

This position has the primaryresponsibilityforthe implementation ofcognitive behavioral and life skill interventions. Services are both recommended and required forindividuals underthe supervision and/orincarcerated populations, particularlyforthose withconvictions offelonyinterpersonal violence. This role acts as a peermemberofa multi-disciplinarycentral team and is responsible for program development in boththe Probation and Parole field offices and fourCorrectional Facilities. For more information, contact Kim Busheyat kim.bushey@vermont.gov. Department:Corrections. Location: Waterbury. Status: Full Time. Job Id #46087. Application Deadline: February 12, 2023.

PUBLIC HEALTH INSPECTION MANAGER – BURLINGTON

The Vermont Department of Health has an exciting opportunity to be on the front lines of protecting public health in Vermont. The successful candidate will provide leadership and management for the field team conducting a variety of public health inspections of food safety systems, general sanitation practices, and environmental conditions in the Food & Lodging Program. For more information, contact Elisabeth Wirsing at elisabeth.wirsing@vermont.gov. Department: Health. Location: Burlington. Status: Full Time. Job Id #46062. Application Deadline: February 9, 2023.

The Vermont Department ofHealth has an exciting opportunityto be on the front lines ofprotecting public health in Vermont. The successful candidate will provide leadership and management for the field team conducting a varietyofpublichealth inspections offood safetysystems, general sanitation practices, and environmental conditions in the Food & Lodging Program. Formore information, contact ElisabethWirsing at elisabeth.wirsing@vermont.gov. Department:Health. Location: Burlington. Status: Full Time. Job Id #46062. Application Deadline: February 9, 2023.

AOTis seeking a Process and Performance Analyst to join the agency’s Performance Section. This position supports the Agencyin planning, coordination, and development ata professional level involving program evaluation, data analysis, and spatial analysis ofAOTdata. You will be responsible forboth independentlyand collaborativelydeveloping data visualizations ofvarying complexity and size. Project management and facilitation skills are preferred. Formore information, contact Kyle Opuszynski at kyle.opuszynski@vermont.gov. Department:Transportation Agency. Location: Barre. Status: Full Time, Limited Service. Job Id #46110. Application Deadline: February 5, 2023.

CUSTODIANS, MECHANICS, HVAC SPECIALIST – MONTPELIER

The Department ofBuildings & General Services is seeking to fill manypositions within the historic Montpelier complex and surrounding area. We are looking for Custodians, Maintenance Mechanics, HVAC Specialists, and a Central Heat Plant Operator. Positions require successful completion of background checks. Formore information, contact Jonathan Rutledge at jonathan.rutledge@ vermont.gov. Department:Buildings and General Services. Location: Montpelier. Status: Full Time. Job Id #’s 46075, 45973, 46071, 46073, 46072, and 45972. Application Deadline:February12, 20203.

PUBLIC GUARDIAN – BURLINGTON

Large business office with opportunity for cross-training and advancement. This position will be assigned multiple Probation & Parole offices and will be responsible for monitoring and presenting budgets for each of these assigned locations. All corresponding accounts payable (AP), accounts receivable (AR) as well as account maintenance for Supervised Individuals. This position serves as the lead employee expense coordinator for their sites and acts as the lead Mobile Device Admin for all DOC. For more information, contact Tatum LaPlant at tatum.laplant@vermont.gov. Department: Corrections. Location: Waterbury. Status: Full Time. Job Id #46129. Application Deadline: February 1, 2023.

FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATOR I – WATERBURY

AOT PROCESS AND PERFORMANCE ANALYST I – BARRE

The Office ofPublicGuardian seeks an independent, energetic, and organized person to protect and monitorthe legal and human rights ofindividuals undera court-ordered guardianship. This position covers a caseload ofindividuals withdevelopmental disabilities orage-related cognitive impairments in Chittenden, Addison & Franklin counties who require assistance & judgment fordecision-making in several life domains. We offera flexible work environment withthe opportunityto telework. For more information, contact Francesca Creta-Merrill at francesca.cretamerrill@vermont.gov. Department: Disabilities Aging & Independent Living. Status: Full Time. Location: Burlington. Job Id #45976. Application Deadline: February 1, 2023.

Large business office withopportunityforcross-training and advancement. This position will be assigned multipleProbation & Parole offices and will be responsible formonitoring and presenting budgets foreach ofthese assigned locations. All corresponding accounts payable (AP), accounts receivable (AR) as well as account maintenance forSupervised Individuals. This position serves as the lead employee expense coordinatorfortheirsites and acts as the lead Mobile Device Admin for all DOC. Formore information, contact Tatum LaPlant at tatum.laplant@vermont.gov. Department: Corrections. Location: Waterbury. Status: Full Time. Job Id #46129. Application Deadline: February1, 2023.

AOT PROCESS AND PERFORMANCE ANALYST I – BARRE

AOT is seeking a Process and Performance Analyst to join the agency’s Performance Section. This position supports the Agency in planning, coordination, and development at a professional level involving program evaluation, data analysis, and spatial analysis of AOT data. You will be responsible for both independently and collaboratively developing data visualizations of varying complexity and size. Project management and facilitation skills are preferred. For more information, contact Kyle Opuszynski at kyle.opuszynski@vermont.gov. Department: Transportation Agency. Location: Barre. Status: Full Time, Limited Service. Job Id #46110. Application Deadline: February 5, 2023.

PUBLIC GUARDIAN – BURLINGTON

AOTis seeking a Process and Performance Analyst to join the agency’s Performance Section. This position supports the Agencyin planning, coordination, and development ata professional level involving program evaluation, data analysis, and spatial analysis ofAOTdata. You will be responsible forboth independentlyand collaborativelydeveloping data visualizations ofvarying complexity and size. Project management and facilitation skills are preferred. Formore information, contact Kyle Opuszynski at kyle.opuszynski@vermont.gov. Department:Transportation Agency. Location: Barre. Status: Full Time, Limited Service. Job Id #46110. Application Deadline: February 5, 2023.

PUBLIC GUARDIAN – BURLINGTON

The Office ofPublicGuardian seeks an independent, energetic, and organized person to protect and monitorthe legal and human rights ofindividuals undera court-ordered guardianship. This position covers a caseload ofindividuals withdevelopmental disabilities orage-related cognitive impairments in Chittenden, Addison & Franklin counties who require assistance & judgment fordecision-making in several life domains. We offera flexible work environment withthe opportunityto telework. For more information, contact Francesca Creta-Merrill at francesca.cretamerrill@vermont.gov. Department: Disabilities Aging & Independent Living. Status: Full Time. Location: Burlington. Job Id #45976. Application Deadline: February 1, 2023.

The Office of Public Guardian seeks an independent, energetic, and organized person to protect and monitor the legal and human rights of individuals under a court-ordered guardianship. This position covers a caseload of individuals with developmental disabilities or age-related cognitive impairments in Chittenden, Addison & Franklin counties who require assistance & judgment for decision-making in several life domains. We offer a flexible work environment with the opportunity to telework. For more information, contact Francesca Creta-Merrill at francesca.cretamerrill@vermont.gov. Department: Disabilities Aging & Independent Living. Status: Full Time. Location: Burlington. Job Id #45976. Application Deadline: February 1, 2023.

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PREVENTION SERVICES – BURLINGTON

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

BURLINGTON HOUSING AUTHORITY (BHA), located in Burlington, VT, is seeking candidates to continue BHA’s success in promoting innovative solutions that address housing instability challenges facing our diverse population of extremely low-income families and individuals. Join us and make a difference in our community!

RAPID REHOUSING SPECIALIST provides assistance to community members who are without housing and have barriers to locating and securing housing in the community. This grant funded position works closely with our Rental Assistance department and Chittenden County Coordinated Entry and is a part of a skilled team that focuses on assessment, intervention, and service coordination of at-risk households.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Responds to referrals from Coordinated Entry to assess need for housing search services and level of support needed to secure housing

• Provides direct retention services which may include home visits, supportive counseling, making referrals on behalf of household, accompanying member(s) of household to appointments, providing/coordinating transportation when needed, coordinating services which may benefit the household, and work to stabilize the housing as necessary

• Coordinates services which are beyond scope of housing search and makes appropriate referrals back to housing retention team or other agencies when necessary

• Supports households in meeting with landlords and attending showings in BHA’s service area

• Support the household’s awareness of resources, increase overall resiliency, and promote stability and proactivity over crisis management

• Collects and maintains required data and case notes in centralized database

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Bachelor’s degree required in human services or related field. Previous experience in direct service and advocacy preferred. Exhibits effective verbal and written communication skills. Knowledge of the social services network is preferred. Proficiency with Microsoft Office and internet navigation required. Excellent time-management skills and the ability to work independently are required.

To learn more about our organization, please visit: 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!

BHA offers a competitive salary, commensurate with qualifications and experience. We offer a premium benefit package at a low cost to employees. Benefits include 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 and access to reduced cost continuing education. We also offer a generous time off policy including paid time off, sick, and 13 paid holidays. And sign on bonus of up to $2,000.

If interested, please submit your resume and cover letter to:

HUMANRESOURCES@BURLINGTONHOUSING.ORG

BHA is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Workforce Development Manager

The Dept. of Business and Workforce Development (BWD) Workforce Development Manager is responsible for conceiving, structuring, launching and managing workforce training programs for the City of Burlington. This work focuses on creating, sustaining and retaining a viable workforce that supports current and future business and industry.

The Department of Business and Workforce Development supports both small and large businesses through a variety of projects including recruitment, retention and workforce support. The goal of the department is to create a thriving environment for employers and employees within the City.

Our ideal candidate will have a bachelor’s degree in economic development, economics, community development or related field and 2 years of related experience.

Excellent communication, strong attention to detail & willingness to take initiative are the vital skills necessary for success in this role.

We encourage applicants who can contribute to our growing diversity. We offer a comprehensive benefits package and the salary range for this position is $76,085.60 - $84,908.54 annually.

For more information and to apply: bit.ly/BTVbwd23

The City of Burlington is an equal opportunity employer.

fun stuff

HARRY BLISS

JEN SORENSEN

CALCOKU

JULIANNA BRAZILL

RYAN RIDDLE

AQUARIUS

(JAN. 20-FEB. 18)

Greek writer Nikos Kazantzakis (1883-1957) was nominated nine times for the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature but never won. He almost broke through in the last year of his life, but French author Albert Camus beat him by one vote. Camus said Kazantzakis was “a hundred times more” deserving of the award than himself. I will make a wild prediction about you in the coming months, Aquarius. If there has been anything about your destiny that resembles Kazantzakis’, chances are good that it will finally shift. Are you ready to embrace the gratification and responsibility of prime appreciation?

ARIES (Mar. 21-Apr. 19): Noah Webster (1758-1843) worked for years to create the first definitive American dictionary. It became a cornucopia of revelation for poet Emily Dickinson (1830-1886). She said that for many years it was her “only companion.” One biographer wrote, “The dictionary was no mere reference book to her; she read it as a priest his breviary — over and over, page by page, with utter absorption.” Now would be a favorable time for you to get intimate with a comparable mother lode, Aries. I would love to see you find or identify a resource that will continually inspire you for the rest of 2023.

the people who videos during 2022 updates on their lives. At the year, Eva made decluttering her own getting organized. She went and shares before-and-after photos of the process.

TAURUS (Apr. 20-May 20): “The aspects of things that are most important for us are hidden because of their simplicity and familiarity.” So declared Taurus philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein in his book Philosophical Investigations. Luckily for you Tauruses, you have a natural knack for making sure that important things don’t get buried or neglected, no matter how simple and familiar they are. And you’ll be exceptionally skilled at this superpower during the next four weeks. I hope you will be gracious as you wield it to enhance the lives of everyone you care about. All of us non-Bulls will benefit from the nudges you offer as we make our course corrections.

GEMINI (May 21-Jun. 20): Poet Carolyn Kizer said the main subject of her work was this: “You cannot meet someone for a moment, or even cast eyes on someone in the street, without changing.” I agree with her. The people we encounter and the influences they exert make it hard to stay fixed in our attitudes and behavior. And the people we know well have even more profound transformative effects. I encourage you to celebrate this truth in the coming weeks. Thrive on it. Be extra hungry for and appreciative of all the prods you get to transcend who you used to be and become who you need to be.

CANCER (Jun. 21-Jul. 22): If you have any interest in temporarily impersonating a Scorpio, the coming weeks will be a favorable time to play around. Encounters with good, spooky magic will be available. More easily than usual, you could enjoy altered states that tickle your soul with provocative insights. Are you curious about the mysteries of intense, almost obsessive passion? Have you wondered if there might be ways to deal creatively and constructively with your personal darkness? All these perks could be yours — and more. Here’s another exotic pleasure you may want to explore: that half-forbidden zone where dazzling heights overlap with the churning depths. You are hereby invited to tap into the erotic pleasures of spiritual experiments and the spiritual pleasures of erotic experiments.

LEO (Jul. 23-Aug. 22): The circle can and will be complete — if you’re willing to let it find its own way of completing itself. But I’m a bit

worried that an outdated part of you may cling to the hope of a perfection that’s neither desirable nor possible. To that outdated part of you, I say this: Trust that the Future You will thrive on the seeming imperfections that arise. Trust that the imperfections will be like the lead that the Future You will alchemically transmute into gold. The completed circle can’t be and shouldn’t be immaculate and flawless.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sep. 22): Shakespeare’s work has been translated from his native English into many languages. But the books of Virgo detective novelist Agatha Christie have been translated far more than the Bard’s. (More info: tinyurl.com/christietranslations.) Let’s make Christie your inspirational role model for the next four weeks. In my astrological estimation, you will have an extraordinary capacity to communicate with a wide variety of people. Your ability to serve as a mediator and go-between and translator will be at a peak. Use your superpower wisely and with glee!

LIBRA (Sep. 23-Oct. 22): Libran musician

Franz Liszt (1811-1886) was a prolific and influential genius who created and played music with deep feeling. He was also physically attractive and charismatic. When he performed, some people in the audience swooned and sighed loudly as they threw their clothes and jewelry on stage. But there was another side of Liszt. He was a generous and attentive teacher for hundreds of piano students and always offered his lessons free of charge. He also served as a mentor and benefactor for many renowned composers, including Wagner, Chopin and Berlioz. I propose we make Liszt your inspirational role model for the next 11 months. May he rouse you to express yourself with flair and excellence, even as you shower your blessings on worthy recipients.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): This may risk being controversial, but in the coming weeks, I’m giving you cosmic authorization to engage in what might appear to be cultural appropriation. Blame it on the planets! They are telling me that to expand your mind and heart in just the right ways, you should seek inspiration and teaching from an array of cultures

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and traditions. So I encourage you to listen to West African music and read Chinese poetry in translation and gaze at the art of Indigenous Australians. Sing Kabbalistic songs and say Lakota prayers and intone Buddhist chants. These are just suggestions. I will leave it to your imagination as you absorb a host of fascinating influences that amaze and delight and educate you.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “All the world’s a stage,” Shakespeare wrote, “and all the men and women merely players.” That’s always true, but it will be even more intensely accurate for you in the coming weeks. High-level pretending and performing will be happening. The plot twists may revolve around clandestine machinations and secret agendas. It will be vital for you to listen for what people are not saying as well as the hidden and symbolic meanings behind what they are saying. But beyond all those cautionary reminders, I predict that the stories you witness and are part of will often be interesting and fun.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In this horoscope, I offer you wisdom from Capricorn storyteller Michael Meade. It’s a rousing meditation for you in the coming months. Here’s Meade: “The genius inside a person wants activity. It’s connected to the stars; it wants to burn and it wants to create and it has gifts to give. That is the nature of inner genius.” For your homework, Capricorn, write a page of ideas about what your genius consists of. Throughout 2023, I believe you will express your unique talents and blessings and gifts more than you ever have before.

PISCES (Feb. 19-Mar. 20): Piscean educator Parker Palmer has a crucial message for you to meditate on in the coming weeks. Read it tenderly, please. Make it your homing signal. He said, “Solitude does not necessarily mean living apart from others; rather, it means never living apart from one’s self. It is not about the absence of other people — it is about being fully present to ourselves, whether or not we are with others. Community does not necessarily mean living face-to-face with others; rather, it means never losing the awareness that we are connected to each other.”

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Who do you call to help deal with a feral cat colony?

Miche Faust of Queen City Cats: In the past year, she's rescued 90 stray, lost or feral felines and rehomed 61 of them. Colchester resident Linda Hill brought Faust in to help with feral cats in her neighborhood. Eva dropped by to watch Faust put out traps to catch them.

WILL YOU HELP SHOVEL SNOW?

Just joking. Because of global warming, there’s probably not going to be a whole lot more snow. However, I am looking for honesty, communication, integrity, good times and a woman willing to put forth the effort. TV addicts need not apply. dswlino, 67, seeking: W, l

OLDER

LOVER

Tall, a little fluffy, experimental, clean and mostly smooth. Looking to meet other fun people. weldon72 75, seeking: M

NONBINARY PEOPLE seeking...

REALIST WHO IS OPEN-MINDED

WOMEN seeking...

FIRST-TIMER HERE

I am outgoing, inquisitive and independent. I am a lover of good conversation, good drinks and long walks on the beach. Laughter is a priority. My humor is some mix of nerdy and sarcastic. I enjoy downtime at home but also have a healthy sense of adventure that extends to my interests in food, travel and the outdoors. PrincessDi 44 seeking: M, l

FUN, FUNNY AND FIT

Attractive, athletic woman interested in casual dating/connections. Kids are getting older, and work is winding down. Looking for new adventures. Love to travel, see new places, experience new things. Never bored or boring. I enjoy music, dancing, yoga, weight lifting and soccer. Not a fan of drama. If you are healthy, fit, nice, funny and easy on the eyes, reach out. Yolo50 50, seeking: M

HAPPY WOMAN SEEKS HAPPY MAN

I’m a healthy, active, educated and curious woman. I currently live in a rural area of Vermont with my dogs, chickens and plenty of woods, where I am a town official. I work a little to supplement my pension. I enjoy travel, home projects, caring for my pets, enjoying friends and family. I love the beauty and challenges in Vermont. Happiness1 66 seeking: M, l

RIDING THE ROLLER COASTER

OF LIFE

Kind and caring, crazy busy, lonely when I have downtime. Looking for a likeminded person to spend that downtime with. moomail 49 seeking: M, l

HONEST, RESPECTFUL, PLANNER, CARING, THOUGHTFUL

I am a worker, a giver of my time, sincere, honest. I hide nothing. Very up-front and open. I like going places, traveling, beaches. I haven’t biked in a couple of years but enjoy biking. I like to eat healthy, but everything in moderation. I get tired of just staying at home! Give me an email. Would like to email/message. Respect2020 47, seeking: M, l

CREATIVE, OUTDOORSY STUDENT OF LIFE

I want to meet an active man, ages 60 to 68, who’d join me for outdoor adventures. I want to meet friends first. I enjoy music, good food, conversation, my home, my garden, simple things. I snowshoe, cross-country ski, hike. No picture at this time; I value my privacy. If you write, I’ll respond and possibly will provide a photo. nicensimple, 64 seeking: M, l

FUN, KIND AND LOVING

Recently I relocated to Vermont and am looking for someone to enjoy Vermont life with. I’ve been divorced/single long enough to know myself and enjoy my own company. I would like to be in a long-term, healthy, monogamous relationship. So let’s be friends first and see where it goes! CoachKaty7 53, seeking: M, l

RELAXED AND HAPPY

I would love to meet a kind and gentle man for companionship, friendship and long-term relationship. I live a pretty quiet and simple life, though would love to share time with a kind kindred spirit. I would love to meet someone who is easygoing, enjoys the outdoors, loves dogs and has a big, tender heart. angelight333 76, seeking: M, l

ARTSY NATURE LOVER

Looking for a man who loves Vermont, is grounded and enjoys meaningful conversations. Youthful, educated, community-minded, endlessly curious, I love to dance, make music, watch indie and foreign films, attend live performances of all kinds, and laugh with friends. I’m in the woods daily to walk the dog, hike, snowshoe, ski, meditate. You? NEKdancerdrummer 61, seeking: M, l

ACTIVE SENIOR Meet in person. Face-to-face and eye-to-eye will tell more than words on a questionnaire online. Grampie, 75 seeking: W, l

I NEED LOVE

I am proud of myself, honestly. I treat others the way I want to be treated, and I need a man who is going to love me and give me joy. elizabethlove 28, seeking: M, l

INTUITIVE, CARING, LOVE BEING OUTSIDE

I am a passionate, fit, caring, downto-earth woman looking to share adventures. I love to be active — hiking, skiing, running, yoga. I love to travel, as I am fascinated by the different ways people live their lives. I hope to have honest, interesting, authentic conversations where we really get to know each other. Let’s meet for coffee or a drink! lovemountains, 57, seeking: M, l

ENERGETIC, CREATIVE, HONEST, INDEPENDENT

I am a combination of outdoorswoman, ballroom dancer and retired application developer. Hardworking, honest, funloving, romantic. Family is important to me. I have a log cabin in the NEK that I love. Hoping to find someone to laugh, learn and explore with. Friends first. College grad, Caucasian. Cabingirl 66, seeking: M, l

ENJOY LIFE BEFORE I’M DEAD

Looking for someone to share time with. Traveling is one of my passions. I enjoy the outdoors, camping, hiking, walking, snowshoeing, music, dancing and playing cards. I love spending time with family and friends and my little dog. ladyinvt 66 seeking: M, l

MEN seeking...

KIND, AUTHENTIC LOVER OF LIFE!

Respond to these people online: dating.sevendaysvt.com WANT TO RESPOND? You read Seven Days, these people read Seven Days — you already have at least one thing in common!

All

MONTRÉAL WIFE IN OPEN RELATIONSHIP

Longtime married, very attractive, in open relationship. Desire playmate in Burlington area. I like confident, experienced, athletic, smart, welleducated, charming men. I am not looking to develop a relationship. Would like a regular playmate who is very discreet. My wonderful husband may be around for first meet, so need to be comfortable with that. He does not participate.

MontrealWife 54 seeking: M, l

MELLOW, CREATIVE OLD HIPPIE

I love myself. Happy with my own company and in a crowd of people. I have many good friends and hobbies. The last time I remember being bored, I was 9! I consider it a really good day when I have learned something new and had a good laugh. Full-blown Libran. Prefer cultured, educated company. Versatility is a must. Zenbabe 61, seeking: M, l

I am looking for a partner who has done the work required to be in a healthy and loving relationship. I now know what I want and what I don’t in my next relationship. I am a blast to hang out with. I am positive, fit, energetic, authentic, romantic, loving! I am looking for someone with similar attributes! Unexpecteddeviant, 50, seeking: W, Cp, l

FRIENDLY, CARING, SILLY, ACTIVE

I love running, camping, music and animals. I’m passionate about exploring the outdoors, vegetarian cooking and building community. Interested in making friends or going on a date. veggielover9 23, seeking: W, l

INTUITIVE, MUSICIAN, GARDENER

Lifetime lover of ice hockey. I love all the creatures of the Earth, but cats especially. Seeking someone who is kind and healthy. Guitarboy, 63, seeking: W, l

HEART AND SOUL CONNECTION

I am a professional in private practice for many years who also loves music (listening and performing) and spiritual growth. I am looking for someone who is warm, is self-reflective, has a passion for life and has her own interests that are important to her. Someone who wants to know me and wants to be known. 1992, 70, seeking: W

OLD-FASHIONED MALE FEMALE

Looking for a women who enjoys honesty, hiking, cooking together, weekend travel, gardening, snowshoeing, skinny-dipping, voting, Saturday night movies, dressing up or dressing down or undressing, enjoying sunsets or rises, full moons, natural hiking, motorcycle travel, holding hands, 420, older rock and roll. Still crazy for fun. Stillkrazy60, 61 seeking: W, l

GENTLEMAN PREFERS BLONDES AND BRUNETTES

Old-school guy who seeks soul mate and partner in crime for next chapter. Fun, funny and family-oriented. Love the great outdoors, the arts and a farm-to-table foodie. Not in a huge rush to settle down. Be great to make a couple of female friends with common interests. George_2 58, seeking: W

EASYGOING AND OPEN-MINDED 74 y/o but still in good shape. Still have hair and can see my toes. Run four miles a day, play pickleball, hike, ski and generally enjoy the outdoors. Avid reader, enjoy a wide range of subjects. Spent the last nine years providing at-home care for my wife, who suffered a debilitating stroke. Kyia341 74, seeking: W, l

CASUAL AND QUALITY

New to town, work a lot and looking for some casual fun. I’m real easygoing and easy on the eyes. Well hung and love using it. Saintj 41, seeking: W, Cp, Gp

53-Y/O MWM SEEKING FWB SITUATION Open-minded guy, athletic, sane and nonsmoker. Seeking a situation to fill the sexless void in my life. Would be awesome if an individual or couple were into riding on two wheels or sliding on snow. meisbadvt 53, seeking: W, NC, Cp

I’m an honest, down-to-earth person who has been through a lot in life and is looking for companionship since I’m new to the area. I’m not like most people in that I feel people are afraid to talk to me. I don’t go out of my way to make friends. I wait for them to come to me. BreBri2022 37 seeking: M, W, Cp

COUPLES seeking...

ISO EASYGOING BI GUY

Easygoing couple for easygoing guy. Looking for a bi guy for fun times. NEKCouple2456, 66 seeking: M, l

LOOKING FOR COUPLE

Mature male 58-y/o and female 55-y/o. Happily married couple looking for our first time exploring our sexual fantasies by adding a male, female and/or couple for our sexual exploration. If you are not comfortable with a BBW plus-size woman or a man with extra padding, then please move on. 2Exploring 55, seeking: M, W, Cp

SNOW AND SUN EQUAL FUN

Borders and boundaries are sexy. We’re pretty cute. We like to have fun, and we bet you do, too. Happily married couple (W, 35; M, 45), open-minded and looking to explore. Love playing outdoors. Looking to meet a couple, man or woman for fun and adventure. Ideal meetup is a cottage in the mountains with great food and lots of great wine. SnownSun 46, seeking: Cp, l

LOVERS OF LIFE

We are a 40s couple, M/F, looking for adventurous encounters with openminded, respectful M/F or couples. Looking to enjoy sexy encounters, FWBs, short term or long term. sunshines 42, seeking: M, W, Q, Cp

I’M YOUR PERSON

HONEST,

LOYAL, AFFECTIONATE AND CARING

I’m a very laid-back person and really hate confrontation. I’ve been in recovery over 10 years now and have a recovery coach certification. I’m looking for someone who knows what they want and how to communicate that. I feel like communication is the key to a healthy, strong relationship. I don’t really do hookups. Apollo16 39, seeking: W, l

SEEKING SOMETHING FUN AND CASUAL Living life collecting as many wonderful memories along the way as possible. Let’s make a few. ADK_ROVER, 52, seeking: W, l

WHAT YOU GOT TO LOSE?

I had this totally honest extemp ad that ran for over a month and got zero response! So, what to do? Make something up?! But I can’t just lie. Someone needs to tell me who their ideal mensch would be, and I’ll be that person for as long as I can stand it. Hey, what you got to lose? Stilgar 71 seeking: W, l

LOVE

Welcome, everyone. Looking for some good people. Love to make some new friends. Looking for the right woman to share my fantasies with. Lovetohavefunnn 41, seeking: W, l

LOOKING FOR OUR MAN!

Ideally hoping for a throuple/FWB situation. Us: established M/F couple. DD-free. (She: 44, straight BBW; he: 46, bi MWM). Drinks, 420-friendly, fires, get outside, music, Netflix and chill, always horny. You: DD-free, clean, masculine bi male (30ish to 50ish) who works and knows how to enjoy life! A little rough/hard (top, real man, etc.) with a compassionate heart and a bit of a snuggler. Connection is key. Let’s chat and get to know each other, then play! ginganddaddy 46, seeking: M

EXPLORING THREESOMES AND FOURSOMES

We are an older and wiser couple discovering that our sexuality is amazingly hot! Our interest is another male for threesomes or a couple. We’d like to go slowly, massage you with a happy ending. She’d love to be massaged with a happy ending or a dozen. Would you be interested in exploring sexuality with a hot older couple? DandNformen, 66 seeking: M, TM, NC, Cp, l

COSTCO TEDDY BEAR

I think you’re adorable, and I wish I had said something! We only got to smile twice but made eye contact several times. Put on your blinker to turn right! If this is you, please reply. I am a 5’4 woman, black beanie and black jacket. You are my type of man. Gray hair, blue jeans. Noon. When: Sunday, January 22, 2023. Where: Costco, Colchester. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915695

MATHEW ON HINGE

Hey, Mathew, we had been talking and were going to meet up soon. I didn’t disappear — I can’t access my account! Reach me through here?! Cheers! When: Wednesday, January 11, 2023. Where: online. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915694

BLUE EYES AND BEANIE

Cutie I met in the bathroom. You followed me and my friends to the next bar. I hesitated in the kitchen and deeply regret it. Meet me back at Ruggs for tequila and Fernet on me? When: Tuesday, December 27, 2022. Where: T. Rugg’s. You: Woman. Me: Woman. #915693

NORTH CAROLINA TO NORTH COUNTRY

I ran into you on South Union Street, and you commented on my North Carolina plates. It was so nice meeting you! I thought you were so friendly! I wished I would’ve asked you for your number at the time, but I was too shy. Would you like to get coffee sometime? When: Monday, January 9, 2023. Where: South Union. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915691

OIL CHANGE CUTIE

I’d like the chance to continue the conversation. Seems bizarre to think this will work, but you were beyond cute, so maybe the universe could give me another chance. When: Saturday, December 31, 2022. Where: Oil n Go. You: Man. Me: Man. #915683

RE: I WISH...

He left that phone dangling off the hook / en slowly turned around and gave it one last look / en he just walked away. / He aimed his truck toward that Wyoming line / With a little luck he could still get there in time / And in that Cheyenne wind he could still hear her... When: Monday, January 9, 2023. Where: on the road. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915690

BEST-DRESSED WOMAN AT TRADER JOE’S

You: black nylons, black miniskirt, white faux fox, raven black hair, dog-bone barrettes, goth willowy beauty. Me: starstruck professor. I said you win the award for best dressed at Trader Joe’s, and we laughed. In a word: stunning. Another word: ravenous. I will exhaust the thesaurus with you. Let’s get a drink. We will discuss your wardrobe. When: Tuesday, January 17, 2023. Where: Trader Joe’s. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915692

PRESTON POND TRAIL BEFORE SUNSET

You: hiking a race against the sunset with your dog, some kind of husky mix? You have beautiful blue eyes. Me: wearing a yellow coat and pink neck warmer, hiking with my grumpy dog. Yours wouldn’t come when you called, so I just picked mine up to avoid the encounter. I’d love to look into those eyes again. When: Sunday, January 8, 2023. Where: Preston Pond Trail. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915689

MARGARITA CUTIE AT OLIVE GARDEN

I was eating lunch and playing the trivia game. You walked up and ordered a margarita and joined in on my game and had a good convo. Wanted to give you my number but missed my chance. Trivia night sometime? You said your name is Hannah. When: ursday, December 29, 2022. Where: Olive Garden. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915688

De Rev end,

I have heard recently from reliable sources of a couple young lads who have purchased engagement rings for the gals they love but are holding on (sometimes for months to years), waiting for the right moment to propose. At what point is this some type of hostage situation or form of mental cruelty — or just plain bizarre?! Or are men just idiots?

MUBIKSSKI,

I’D LIKE TO CHAT

I enjoyed reading your profile and would really like to connect with you. I haven’t used Seven Days for a long time, so my profile has been deleted. So I thought I’d try this. Take a chance on connecting with this 57-year-old artsy, even-keeled and also eclectic BTV gal. When: Friday, January 6, 2023. Where: Seven Days Personals. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915687

TARA FROM MATCH.COM

One day I saw your profile. Meditation was important to you. I went on a trip intending to respond when I returned, but by then you were gone. I just consulted the tarot and drew the Two of Cups. Could that be us? When: Monday, December 12, 2022. Where: match. com. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915686

HIGHER GROUND NYE MISSED OPPORTUNITY

You: cute guy with a killer smile and sharp button-up by the side bar at Dead Set NYE. You said you’d get me a drink after the set break. Me: decked out in a glitter shirt and glow ears. Second-guessed myself but totally interested. Buy me that drink? When: Saturday, December 31, 2022. Where: Higher Ground. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915684

NEWPORT NATURALS NATURAL BEAUTY

Saw you at NNM on a crisp December afternoon. You were wearing a pink sweater and purchasing mac and cheese. In hindsight, I should have diverted you from the checkout line to restore our connection. If you see this, I would love to take you out into the community. Let’s be social together; otherwise it would be an injustice. When: Wednesday, December 28, 2022. Where: Newport. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915682

CUTE BLONDE AT THE AIRPORT

Seeing you made my 5 a.m. flight that much better! We locked eyes at precheck while I was talking with friends. You: dark sweatshirt, green leggings, a gorgeous face and beautiful blond hair. I was wearing a funky cardigan and an orange hat. Coffee when you’re back in town? When: Wednesday, December 28, 2022. Where: BTV airport. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915681

De P pl ed P ent,

Generalizations are generally not good things to make, especially when it comes to gender. And it’s not nice to call anybody an idiot, so let’s scratch that off the list.

If a woman knows the ring has been bought, the deed is as good as done, and I don’t think that a guy is being malicious in waiting to pop the question. He’s probably just nervous, and how can you blame him? ere’s so much pressure for a marriage proposal to be a grand, romantic event — especially these days, with the barrage of picture-perfect moments posted on social media.

ese fellas might just need a little advice, and here’s some you can pass along from me.

e fact that you are asking someone to marry you is a grand, romantic gesture in itself, so keep

I SEE WOMEN IN TOWN

I recall what they were wearing, mostly their boots. I’m wondering, are they tomboys like me? I also notice their eyes. I turn around to look at them, as well. Mostly I see them walking or hiking. I notice their kindness and a willingness to engage in a conversations. Being a Buddhist, kindness is important. When: Wednesday, August 10, 2022. Where: Montpelier. You: Woman. Me: Woman. #915680

BUFFALO MOUNTAIN MARKET CUTIE

We walked from separate sides of the parking lot but met up at the door. You held it open for me, and it made my day. Sometimes it’s just those simple gestures and moments in time. Your gentle eyes and sweet face were exactly what I needed. Happy Winter Solstice. When: Tuesday, December 13, 2022. Where: Hardwick. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915679

DID ALEX GET FRENCH FRIES?

Has it been nine years since we grabbed coffee and talked chi running? is southern gentleman is so glad you squeezed my hand before I got out of your tiny car. A steamy hallway, secret swimming hole detour, three little ones, and many laughs later, it’s still the sweetest thing. Love you. When: Saturday, December 10, 2022. Where: downtown. You: Man. Me: Man. #915678

BEARDED COFFEE PATRON

Approximately 2 p.m. You held the door for me and remarked on my beard. en, when I left, we met eyes and you smiled. Too shy to ask your name. Wish I had! When: Friday, December 9, 2022. Where: Williston Dunkin’ Donuts. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915676

RED HAT WOMAN, NEWPORT WALMART

Hello, Indiana Jones. You sauntered in wearing a leather hat, looked right at me and smiled the most beautiful smile. I had a red felt hat on. I will never forget what that smile meant to me at that moment in time. Perhaps I may find you again? When: Wednesday, December 7, 2022. Where: Newport Walmart. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915675

SHAMWOW

Two and a half years, and you still visit my dreams and almost every thought day-to-day! When: Saturday, June 6, 2020. Where: in my dreams. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915670

CYCLING ON PINE

We passed each other in the dark on Pine, near Flynn. You nodded, and I smiled. I appreciated that simple acknowledgment that we weren’t out in the cold alone. Safe travels, fellow commuter! When: Monday, November 28, 2022. Where: Burlington. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915674

HANNAFORD SUPERMARKET

Evening. Enjoyed talking with you about horses, blueberries and kids in the checkout line. You were wearing a black hoodie. Are you single? Do you want to have tea or coffee together and chat sometime? When: ursday, November 17, 2022. Where: Hannaford. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915673

WHO HAS THE REMOTE?

Older gentleman wondering who had the remote for the TV at Handy’s Toyota waiting room. We started talking about downtown Burlington, and then my car was ready. When: ursday, November 10, 2022. Where: Handy’s Toyota, St. Albans. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915672

WHY KNOT BE THEIR SQUARED?

My GPS brought me to your location twice. I didn’t catch your name, and I bet you can’t guess mine! When: Saturday, November 13, 2021. Where: in the eyes of the world. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915671

HELLO, SLOWWALKER

I saw your message a month after you posted it. Sorry for the late reply. I bet Ruby is out of treats; should I bring some more? When: Saturday, September 24, 2022. Where: Shelburne Bay Park. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915669

SAXON MOUNTAIN BIKER, GREAT SMILE

You finished your ride and loaded up your orange mountain bike onto your black Subaru. ere were numerous glances between us while I stood chatting with my friends. As you drove away, you gave a very friendly smile and wave. It would be great to say hello, maybe do a bike ride or hike, or even just have a drink sometime. When: Sunday, November 6, 2022. Where: Saxon Hill Rd. parking lot. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915668

I SPY MVISLANDDREAMIN

it simple. Valentine’s Day is cute but cliché. Pick a random day and an unexpected location. Instead of going out to a fancypants restaurant, do it at your favorite greasy spoon. Or the bar you used to go to all the time. Or the laundromat, when you’re doing the most boring thing in the world.

Life is short, so if you’ve found someone you love and want to spend your life with, go for it. Wherever and however you propose will be just perfect. If something doesn’t go exactly as planned, it will still be momentous. And hopefully you’ll have many long and happy years ahead in which to create more romantic memories.

Saw your profile in the personals; sent a message. Please read and hopefully get back to me. When: Sunday, October 30, 2022. Where: Personals. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915665 to of

If you’re on the other side of this equation, waiting for your partner to propose, I suggest you gather up the gumption to do the asking. What are you waiting for?

Probably the same things your partner is.

Here’s a wild idea: Say “One, two, three, shoot” and ask each other at the same time.

Good luck and God bless,

What’s your problem?

Send it to asktherev@sevendaysvt.com.

If you’ve been spied, go online to contact your admirer!

Irreverent counsel on life’s conundrums

I’m a 71-y/o man looking for a special lady, 71 or younger. It is exciting to meet you here. I live in beautiful Chittenden County. I’m 5’10, 150 pounds, an Earth sign, a dragon, a happy camper and a gardener. We will enjoy family, friends, domestic bliss, Mother Nature and expression. Love, thank you, love. #1633

I’m a young-looking, 65-y/o male seeking a female over 45 who likes cattle ranching, working together, auctions and gardening. Must be active, fit, good-looking, financially secure, healthy and a good cook. No smokers or drugs. #1632

I’m a GWM in his 60s, 5’8, 150 pounds. Seeking a male for fun. I am open-minded and live alone. Can host. Please leave your phone number. #1634

60s bi white male seeks older guys for relaxing, M-to-M fun in the NEK. Regular guys being yourself. Soft or hard is less important than attitude. #1631

Gentle, affable, fit, humorous, principled, educated man (67) seeks tender alluring woman (52 to 66) who relishes a life of organic gardening, animals, hiking, biking, Scrabble and pillow talk. Land conservation and off-grid living are also interests of mine. #1630

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Submit your FREE message at sevendaysvt.com/loveletters or use the handy form at right.

2

We’ll publish as many messages as we can in the Love Letters section above.

I’m a male, 70, seeking a female, 50-plus. I am single and looking for a good friend and possible partner. Chittenden County. Phone, please. #1621

I’m a 47-y/o male seeking a male for some fun. I’m attractive, fit and drug/diseasefree; have perfect hygiene; and am looking for the same. Discreet fun only. Let’s watch each other cum and help each other out. Send stats with contact number. #1629

72-y/o male seeks similar qualities as my own in a woman. Kind, tender, loving, empathetic, fun, homebody, somewhat liberal, intelligent. I’m healthy, fit, thin and considered attractive. Cozy home in the country. Financially secure. Phone or email, please. #1627

I’m a 66-y/o woman seeking a 60-plus male. Not married, no children. I’m a loving, kind, talented, educated nonsmoker. Honest and love to cook and bake and share joyrides. Looking for a serious friendship. Chittenden County. Phone number, please. #1626

I’m a female, 71, single (W), seeking a male, 65 to 75 (W). Would like a quiet dinner, movie or just coffee. Central Vermont. Need a friend to get through the winter, etc. Please write a note or send a phone number. #1625

Int

I’m a male seeking a loving companion of any gender. I’m a nonsmoker with a concentration on health. I’m an educated, honest, kind and calm baby boomer with a love for gardening. Time is precious. Open to the right person. #1622

I’m a 57-y/o woman. Not married, no children. I stay as healthy as I can. Educated, mostly by deep life experience. Need a dedicated relationship with a man who understands me and treats our unit as No. 1. Need to live in the country. Calm, gardens, sounds of nature, sunset. Please be honest, thoughtful and kind. Be able to relate well to others and be well liked. Phone number, please. #1620

I’m a 70-y/o WF seeking a 70-plus WM. (#1604, I’m interested.) Was widowed 10 years ago and am lonely and seeking a companion. I love being outdoors and seeing birds and animals. Car travel is fun for me. #1618

I’m a GWM 59-y/o. Mostly a bottom seeking to take care of the needs of a top. Very attentive and willing to please. Rutland area. Phone/text. #1624

Young-looking baby boomer woman seeks the same in a male partner. Time is precious. I’m a humanist looking for a nonsmoking, honest, good person. Seeking an occasional drinker without drug or anger issues. Ninety-five percent Democrat and young-at-heart woman who doesn’t drink is looking for a partner, not a serial dater (aka bachelor). #1619

Discreet oral bottom. 54-y/o SWM, 5’8, slim, dark hair, blue eyes. Seeking any well-hung guys, 18 to 55 y/o, who are a good top and last a long time for more than one round. Phone only, but text. Champlain Valley. #L1615

Required confidential info:

3

MON., JAN. 30, FEB. 6, 13, 20

GRANGE HALL CULTURAL CENTER, WATERBURY

Banff

THU., JAN. 26-SAT., JAN. 28

DUDLEY H. DAVIS CENTER, BURLINGTON

Kristian

FRI., JAN. 27

THE UNDERGROUND - LISTENING ROOM, RANDOLPH

The

SAT., JAN. 28

SUN., JAN. 29