Seven Days, March 31, 2021

JOBS! JOBS! JOBS! 17 pages of ads for 184 jobs

V ER MON T’S INDE P ENDE NT V OI C E MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021 VOL.26 NO.26 SEVENDAYSVT.COM

PAGE 63

Homeless Vermonters’ trouble with stimulus checks PAGE 17 / The public pension pinch PAGE 22 Financial empowerment for New Americans PAGE 34 / FAST of Vermont protects seniors’ wallets PAGE 36 The verdict on quarantine retirement PAGE 38 / Grant writing for social change PAGE 40 / Piecemeal Pies expands to Stowe PAGE 44

Looking to buy or sell?

Let’s get started together!

KATRINA E. ROBERTS, Broker

(802) 989-2833 • katrina@vtreco.com 431 Pine Street, Suite 118, Burlington 2H-KRoberts102721.indd 1

2

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

2H-VTCannabis033121 1

1/22/21 2:09 PM

3/29/21 3:08 PM

CURBSIDE SHOP & COCKTAILS TO-GO America’s Most Awarded Gin

COCKTAILS TO-GO BARR HILL SPIRITS HOUSE TONIC SYRUP RAW HONEY BARWARE APPAREL SELECT VT BEERS

HOURS SUN-THUR 12-7PM FRI & SAT 12-8PM 116 GIN LANE MONTPELIER, VT BARRHILL.COM 4T-Lawsons033121 1

3/30/21 12:30 PM

4T-CaledoniaSpirits121620 1

12/15/20 2:28 PM

W H AT V E R M O N T TA S T E S L I K E

$61,762

AVERAGE ANNUAL SALARY FOR $61,762 AVERAGE ANNUAL SALARY FOR VERMONT CONSTRUCTION WORKERS

VERMONT CONSTRUCTION WORKERS

Contractors are HIRING NOW and ALL SKILL LEVELS are needed!

Join us to learn more about Construction Jobs in Vermont.

Contractors are HIRING NOW and ALL SKILL LEVELS are needed #Hiring2DayVT Join us to learn more about Construction Jobs in Vermont.

VIRTUAL JOB FAIR CONSTRUCTION JOBS IN VERMONT

THURSDAY APRIL 8 & 22 | 11:00AM - 12:30PM #Hiring2DayVT

VIRTUAL JOB FAIR CONSTRUCTION JOBS IN VERMONT FOR A JOB TODAY OR

AGCVT.ORG

THURSDAY APRIL 8 & 22 11:00AM - 12:30PM TO| LEARN MORE, VISIT 4T-dakin033121 1

3/26/21 4:33 PM

4T-AGCVT033121.indd 1

FOR A JOB TODAY OR

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

3

3/30/21 4:59 PM

Erin Dupuis

VERMONT ESTATE COMPANY COMPANY VERMONT REAL ESTATE

Dependable, valued experience and integrity.

A Realtor you can trust. ®

help take care of those who once took care of us....

Contact me today to learn about our competitive rates.

For the thousands of older Vermonters we serve, the impacts of COVID-19 are even greater: • 20,618 older Vermonters are threatened by hunger • There has been a 22% increase in meals delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic

Give back by volunteering, donating, or sponsoring a Meals on Wheels route.

802.310.3669 802.310.3669 erin@vermontrealestatecompany.com erin@vermontrealestatecompany.com vermontrealestatecompany.com vermontrealestatecompany.com 431 Pine St. Suite 118 431 118 Burlington, VT Burlington, VT 05401 05401 4T-EDupuis012021.indd 1

1/18/21 5:12 PM

Thank You Associates, Customers and Community Partners

Join the March for Meals:

agewellvt.org/MarchforMeals Your support is essential so Age Well can deliver food, safety, and hope to thousands of older Vermonters during this crisis, and beyond.

for supporting the annual MDA Shamrock Campaign!

We believe great impact cannot be made alone. Together, we’re raising Thank You Associates, Customers and Community Partners life-changing funds and awareness for families with muscular dystrophy

for supporting the annual MDA Shamrock Campaign!

We believe great impact cannot be made alone. Together, we’re raising life-changing funds and awareness for families with muscular dystrophy

Thank you to our top Sponsors

Since 1974, we have provided Northwestern Vermonters with free essential services to help them age well. Age Well is a 501(c) non-profit.

Meals on Wheels | Care Coordination Medicare Counseling | Benefits Counseling

Helpline: 1-800-642-5119 4

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

2v-Agewell033121 1

3/29/21 3:02 PM

This campaign is managed by Albertsons Companies Foundation, a 501c3 organization, d/b/a Shaw’s and Star This campaign isMarket Foundation. managed

by Albertsons Companies Foundation, a 501c3 organization, d/b/a Shaw’s and Star Market Foundation.

4T-MuscularDystrophy033121.indd 1

3/29/21 12:16 PM

WEEK IN REVIEW MARCH 24-31, 2021

JAMES BUCK

COMPILED BY SASHA GOLDSTEIN & MATTHEW ROY

emoji that

Tony Shull’s mural on the Nunyuns Bakery & Café building

TORNADO ALLEY

A rare twister swept through Middlebury last Friday, destroying a home and injuring at least two people. March is going out the way it came in: like a lion.

CRIME PAYS

ART BROKEN

For about 40 years, Burlington artist Tony Shull has painted murals — colorful and humorous pieces that light up his city’s streetscape. One adorns the north side of the Nunyuns Bakery & Café building in the Old North End, at the corner of North Champlain and North streets.

Affixed to the clapboard exterior, Shull’s lively and intriguing 2017 mural — rendered in purples, blues and greens — depicts people, a spaceship, snowmen, an eye in the sky, a rock-and-roll band, and a dog in a wagon.

Last Friday evening, Shull’s mural was vandalized by a person who used the same medium Shull uses to make art: paint. In gold, a tagger wrote SP DISARM across the painting. A corner of the mural was tagged AC/DC LIVE WIRE. Shull, who is in his mid-seventies, won’t see the damage.

He’s in hospice care, according to several friends. On Monday night, his friend Megan Humphrey spoke to Shull by telephone. In an email to Seven Days, she wrote: “He just said he was too sick to go see it and to see how it could be fixed.”

Burlington photographer Carolyn Bates said that “tagging” isn’t the correct term to describe the graffiti on Shull’s work; she called it “malicious destruction.” The vandalism coincides with a COVID-19-era graffiti epidemic in Burlington that Seven Days documented in a February 17 story headlined “Tag Team.”

802much

COURTESY OF ANGUS MCCUSKER

?? ? ?? ? ??

The group’s volunteers doing trail work

Neighbors registered disapproval on a Facebook page.

“Not cool,” one woman wrote. “Yeah we wanna disarm, but destroying someone else’s art ain’t the way to go about it.”

She added: “This original base art is genius. Hope the crap comes off!”

The good news: Much of it already has. By Tuesday afternoon, Bates and Nunyuns co-owner Paul Bonelli had used a graffiti-removal spray to take off much of the gold paint — which will delight Shull’s fans.

Bates is working on a book about the 150 murals in Burlington. The project led her to embark on another volume, dedicated to Shull’s art. She estimates that Shull painted about 15 of the city’s murals. He also painted on canvas; some 50 Shull works are at Four Corners of the Earth sandwich shop on Pine Street, according to Bates.

“He’s got such an incredible, unique sense of humor,” she said. “He creates his own world. He loves having heads tipped over and people coming out of them.”

If you’re interested in Shull’s work, an exhibit opens on April 18 in Sequoia Salon at 39 Kilburn Street in Burlington. Phone ahead at 540-8333 to reserve a time for viewing.

Read Sally Pollak’s complete story at sevendaysvt.com.

The daily cost of housing inmates at two Vermont prisons is among the highest in the country, a stateordered study found. Small population, big bill.

SHELL GAME

Biologists are investigating whether box turtles, thought to have descended from pets released into the wild, are actually native to Vermont, WCAX-TV reported.

Who knew?

LOTS OF LOVE

Married more than 60 years, Williston farmers Ginger and David Isham will be featured in a Netflix documentary series called “My Love,” Local 22/44 News reported. Sweet.

255

That was the number of new COVID-19 cases reported in Vermont last Friday — the most in a single day since the pandemic began.

TOPFIVE

MOST POPULAR ITEMS ON SEVENDAYSVT.COM

1. “Society and Solitude: The World’s Top Brewer, Vermonter Shaun Hill, Reconsiders His Business” by Sally Pollak. The man behind Hill Farmstead talks family, Greensboro and, yes, beer.

2. “Sergeant Accused of Sexual Assaults Remains in Vermont Guard Despite Criminal Record” by Jasper Craven. Daniel Blodgett’s court records go back 15 years, but his offenses haven’t seemed to affect his Guard career.

3. “Dodson Plagiarized Portions of Report on Burlington Police Transformation”

by Courtney Lamdin. The man picked by Burlington’s mayor to help transform the city’s police cobbled together his final report from online sources.

4. “Deemed Not Historic, Burlington’s Midtown Motel Is Demolished” by Courtney Lamdin.

The site of the squat and boxy motel is now an empty lot.

5. “Moving to Vermont? Proposal Would Make Payback for Expenses Permanent” by Anne Wallace Allen. A Vermont Senate panel wants to make popular moving-to-Vermont incentives permanent.

tweet of the week @ilikeridebike Long Winter but Spring renewal then Summer means bike rides, healthier lifestyle, yard work, swimming, barbecues, cold beer, & evenings on the porch listening to the night sounds. #Vermont FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SEVENDAYSVT OUR TWEEPLE: SEVENDAYSVT.COM/TWITTER

WHAT’S WEIRD IN VERMONT

NAME-DROPPING

The Rochester/Randolph Sports Trail Alliance will be known as RASTA no longer, according to executive director Angus McCusker. The 8-yearold central Vermont bike-and-ski trail association is changing its name in deference to the Rastafari religious movement.

At its founding, the group was much smaller and adopted an acronym that was easy to remember and spoke to the location of its trails, he said. But the moniker isn’t inclusive, McCusker said, and board members began to rethink it in the last year or so.

“There wasn’t a lot of thought put into that original name,” McCusker said. “Now it’s like, OK, that was probably a mistake. How do

we fix that and be transparent with everybody?”

In search of ideas, the group members spoke with Don Stevens, chief of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk-Abenaki Nation, who told them there were not a lot of “historic reference points, geographically speaking,” that would lend themselves to a new name, McCusker said.

The group is now soliciting ideas from members, who have until April 15 to submit them.

The board will then narrow the choices and open up the finalists to a vote in hopes of having a new name in time for the summer season.

“We’ll have to come up with a new logo, too,” McCusker said. “We’re always open to any help.”

RASTA was formed by outdoor enthusiasts who helped with Tropical Storm Irene recovery in the area. They ultimately created a trail net-

work for hiking, biking and nonmotorized winter sports across nine towns. The group now boasts more than 200 members, many of whom help with trail construction and maintenance. The group partners with private landowners, state and federal forest agencies, and local bike and ski associations.

McCusker said it has expanded to offer afterschool programs for kids and works with One Planet and RiseVT, both of which “create opportunities to get kids outside and moving, off of their screens.”

“We’re focused on our core values — what we do, the work we do,” he said. ”We want whatever name we come up with to really, truly focus on that.”

SASHA GOLDSTEIN SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

5

MAKING CHANGE. founders/Coeditors Pamela Polston, Paula Routly publisher Paula Routly

deputy publisher Cathy Resmer AssoCiAte publishers

Don Eggert, Pamela Polston, Colby Roberts NEWS & POLITICS editor Matthew Roy

FEEDback READER REACTION TO RECENT ARTICLES

deputy editor Sasha Goldstein

NORTHEAST KITCHEN

Consulting editor Candace Page

OFFICIALLY RE-OPENING APRIL 1ST!

stAff writers Derek Brouwer, Chelsea Edgar,

Colin Flanders, Courtney Lamdin, Kevin McCallum, Alison Novak, Anne Wallace Allen politiCAl Columnist Dave Gram ARTS & LIFE editor Pamela Polston

AssoCiAte editor Margot Harrison

AssistAnt editors Dan Bolles, Elizabeth M. Seyler musiC editor Jordan Adams

Wednesday - Saturday 5:30 pm - 9 pm Saturday & Sunday brunch 8:00 am - noon

CAlendAr writer Kristen Ravin

speCiAlty publiCAtions mAnAger Carolyn Fox

Reserve at bleuvt.com - 25 Cherry Street, Burlington 6h-HotelVt(Bleu)033121 1

3/26/21 4:12 PM

stAff writers Jordan Barry, Margaret Grayson, Melissa Pasanen, Ken Picard, Sally Pollak proofreAders Carolyn Fox, Elizabeth M. Seyler AssistAnt proofreAder Katherine Isaacs D I G I TA L & V I D E O 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

POWER DYNAMIC

Thanks to Kevin McCallum for the “Grid Block” article [March 17]. I’ve been wondering for years why we have been unable to add significant amounts of renewable power here in northwest Vermont, hearing vague explanations that the “grid” can’t handle any more.

This article makes it plain that we need a revamped agency, or at least a new direction, to manage our transmission grid if we are to transform our state with electricpowered vehicles and other approaches to reduce our carbon footprint. Especially concerning was the statement: “VELCO’s role is not to overbuild the grid to handle prospective future generation projects by for-profit energy developers.”

As I see it, we are not “overbuilding”; we need to build a sufficiently up-to-date and flexible system to handle our inevitably increasing electric needs.

Harry Goldhagen

senior ACCount exeCutive Michael Bradshaw

FAIRFIELD

ACCount exeCutives Robyn Birgisson,

Now open at 42 Church St. in Burlington!

Espresso / Lattes Locally Roasted Coffee Breakfast / Lunch / House-made Pastries Craft Beer Store

63 Lower Main Street, MORRISVILLE 144 Main Street, STOWE

A D M I N I S T R AT I O N business mAnAger Marcy Carton

direCtor of CirCulAtion Matt Weiner CirCulAtion deputy Jeff Baron

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Benjamin Aleshire, Luke Baynes, Justin Boland, Alex Brown, Chris Farnsworth, Amy Lilly, Bryan Parmelee, Jim Schley, Carolyn Shapiro, Molly Zapp CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS Luke Awtry, Harry Bliss, James Buck, Rob Donnelly, Luke Eastman, Caleb Kenna, Sean Metcalf, Matt Mignanelli, Marc Nadel, Tim Newcomb, Oliver Parini, Sarah Priestap, Kim Scafuro, Michael Tonn, Jeb Wallace-Brodeur C I R C U L AT I O N : 3 5 , 0 0 0 Seven Days is published by Da Capo Publishing Inc. every Wednesday. It is distributed free of charge in greater Burlington, Middlebury, Montpelier, Northeast Kingdom, Stowe, the Mad River Valley, Rutland, St. Albans, St. Johnsbury, White River Junction and Plattsburgh, N.Y.

Seven Days is printed at Quebecor Media Printing in Laval, Québec.

DELIVERY TECHNICIANS Harry Applegate, Jeff Baron, Joe Bouffard, Pat Bouffard, Colin Clary, Elana Coppola-Dyer, Donna Delmoora, Matt Hagen, Nat Michael, Dan Nesbitt, Dan Thayer With additional circulation support from PP&D.

Fine Art & Gifts Visit our other locations

Michelle Brown, Logan Pintka mArketing & events direCtor Corey Grenier sAles & mArketing CoordinAtor Katie Hodges

ALL ALL LOCA FRE L, SH

SUBSCRIPTIONS 6-month 1st ClAss: $175. 1-yeAr 1st ClAss: $275.

6-month 3rd ClAss: $85. 1-yeAr 3rd ClAss: $135.

Please call 802-864-5684 with your credit card, or mail your check or money order to “Subscriptions” at the address below.

Seven Days shall not be held liable to any advertiser for any loss that results from the incorrect publication of its advertisement. If a mistake is ours, and the advertising purpose has been rendered valueless, Seven Days may cancel the charges for the advertisement, or a portion thereof as deemed reasonable by the publisher. Seven Days reserves the right to refuse any advertising, including inserts, at the discretion of the publishers.

P.O. BOX 1164, BURLINGTON, VT 05402-1164 802-864-5684 SEVENDAYSVT.COM @SEVENDAYSVT

Open EVERY DAY • Follow us on cf

©2021 Da Capo Publishing Inc. All rights reserved.

6

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

3v-blackcapcoffee-bw-021721.indd 1

2/12/21 10:59 AM

LOOK AT HYDRO-QUÉBEC

[Re “Grid Block,” March 17]: One obvious solution to the limited capacity of the electrical transmission lines in the Northeast Kingdom might be to reduce the amount of power we purchase from Hydro-Québec. I do not believe a system capable of delivering 100kW to my home is not also able to accommodate 100kW if I were to set up an array of solar panels. A truly distributed power generation system wouldn’t require upgraded transmission lines.

Energy, and renewable energy credits, purchased from Hydro-Québec bear the moral stain of the destruction of Indigenous fishing and hunting grounds; they are the “tar sands” developers of northeastern Canada. Electric power from Hydro-Québec wouldn’t be as costeffective if they were expected to clean up the mess they left behind.

Liston Tatum

ORLEANS

CORRECTION

Last week’s cover story, “Isolation Wards,” misstated a figure related to Adult Protective Services’ casework.

The office completed 32 percent fewer investigations between April 2020 and December 2020, compared to the same period in recent years.

WEEK IN REVIEW

HOBSON’S CHOICE

TIM NEWCOMB

PENSION TENSION

I am a Vermonter and a state health department worker. In addition to my normal job, I am also a COVID-19 contact tracer and have worked overtime every week for over a year. I am shocked and disheartened that the legislature is choosing now to gut state pensions [Off Message: “Pension Reform Plan Would Cost State Workers More,” March 24].

I believe in public service, helping my neighbors and supporting my community.

I work for pay lower than my industry’s standard with the understanding that, though I will make less now, I will be able to retire with dignity. The proposed cuts would be devastating. I would make even less, work a decade longer than expected and receive less than I have financially planned for at retirement. Where is the dignity in this plan?

These cuts would also be devastating to Vermont. The pension supports recruitment and maintenance of professionals to the state. The cuts would also mean more retirees would need state assistance programs or relocation, costing Vermont even more.

There are other options! Wealthy Vermonters have received massive income growth and federal tax cuts. It would be appropriate to have them pay a fairer share in taxes.

The legislature should slow down this process, do a thoughtful impact study, allocate available federal funds while securing dedicated revenue, and guarantee a dignified retirement to thousands of current and future state workers and teachers.

I am asking you, my neighbors, to contact your state representatives and

voice your support for your state workers and teachers.

Jennifer Zoller

BURLINGTON

[Re From the Publisher: “Alone Together,” March 24]: Excellent essay. As one of the “Helping Hands” phone buddies for Burlington’s vulnerable shut-ins, I can personally attest to the Hobson’s choice of isolation to survive. Several of my calls from last June questioned the point of being “saved.”

This winter was quite educational as a weary tolerance set in. My ladies and couples are quite good at patience, but until the vaccine rollout, they were without hope. They were existing, without interaction (beyond my weekly phone calls and occasional treat drop-offs) and without purpose. And now — since they’re shut-ins — they are still waiting (not so patiently) for their vaccinations.

Because they don’t use computers, they aren’t visible to the state. The Visiting Nurse Association promises that mobile vaccines will come, but, three months in, no appointments have materialized. I can’t seem to advocate effectively for them — nor can their docs, who’ve also been left out of the process.

So there they sit in their homes or apartments, waiting, always waiting, alone.

It breaks my heart.

Valerie Hird

BURLINGTON

WEINBERGER FAILED DODSON

Despite the extravagant salary for his temporary position and the apparently plagiarized portions of his final report, Kyle Dodson should not be the focus of criticism [Off Message: “Dodson Plagiarized Portions of Report on Burlington Police Transformation,” March 26]. It seems clear from his remarks to Seven Days that Dodson felt abandoned by Mayor Miro Weinberger and that he just wanted to be done with it. I think it’s another example — like the mayor’s treatment of Tyeastia Green — of Weinberger appointing a person of color and failing to support them.

Andrew Simon

BURLINGTON

SLOW TRAINS

Thanks for the coverage of the New Haven station [“Out With the Old,” March 17]. As millions have been allocated to upgrade the tracks, why not rebuild the existing siding tracks, just north of the current main track, for use by the through trains?

Has this possibility been explored? As to visibility, by all means slow down not only the trains but also car traffic at this busy stretch of Route 7. Webcams could help, as well, both in New Haven and at the Vergennes road crossing.

Robert Anderson

BRISTOL

PRESERVE HISTORY

Thank you for [“Keeping the Past Present,” March 17]! I found it interesting, pertinent and important! Let’s hope the historic preservation program at the University of Vermont is not cut, as it provides a much-needed asset to the state.

Wendy Parrish

MORRISVILLE

WOOD WORKS

Your March 17 issue had a letter about wood-burning pollution [Feedback: “Wood Wiser”]. My $1,500 baffled airtight woodstove burns the solid material, then FEEDBACK

» P.24

SAY SOMETHING! Seven Days wants to publish your rants and raves.

Your feedback must...

• be 250 words or fewer; • respond to Seven Days content; • include your full name, town and a daytime phone number.

Seven Days reserves the right to edit for accuracy, length and readability.

Your submission options include: • sevendaysvt.com/feedback • feedback@sevendaysvt.com • Seven Days, P.O. Box 1164, Burlington, VT 05402-1164

SAY CHEESE SHOP OUR SALES LISTS SCAN CODE

SAY CHEESE Asiago Fresco Reg $15.99/lb Sale $8.99/lb Save $7/lb!

Holland Smoked Gouda Reg $10.99/lb Sale $6.99/lb Save $4/lb!

Blueberry Wensleydale Reg $12.99/lb Sale $9.99/lb Save $3/lb!

SALE WINES! Edmunds St. John ‘Bone-Jolly’ Rosé 2019 Reg $22.99 Sale $9.99 Save $13!

Reserva Do Monte Tinto 2015 Reg $9.99 Sale $5.99 Save $4!

La Fiera Soave 2018 Reg $9.99 Sale $5.99 Save $4!

French Pool Toy White 2019 Reg $13.99 Sale $5.99 Save $8!

Guerrieri Rizzardi Bardolino Classico 2017 Reg $15.99 Sale $10.99 Save $5!

Inconnu ‘Lalalu’ Chardonnay 2018 Reg $19.99 Sale $10.99 Save $9!

1186 Williston Rd. So. Burlington, VT 05403 (Next to the Alpine Shop) Open 7 days 10am-7pm 802.863.0143 cheeseandwinetraders.com SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021 4v-cheesetraders033121.indd 1

7 3/29/21 10:38 AM

BUYING A HOME IN VERMONT? WHY NOT PARTNER WITH A VERMONT MORTGAGE LENDER? Whether you’re buying, building, or refinancing, Vermont Federal is your trusted partner in accomplishing your home ownership goals. Our experienced Mortgage Originators are here to help you every step of the way.

Fixed Rate Mortgages

Adjustable Rate Mortgages

VHFA Mortgages

VA Mortgages

INSURED BY NCUA NMLS Institutional ID #466013

8

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

1T-VFCU033121 1

vermontfederal.org | 888.252.0202

3/29/21 3:06 PM

contents MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021 VOL.26 NO.26

CHSLV is now Lamoille Health Partners We have a new name and a new look!

COVER IMAGE JEFF DREW • COVER DESIGN REV. DIANE SULLIVAN

FEATURES 15

FOOD 44

Good News, Bad News

Welcome to the Money & Retirement Issue

Cash Course 16

NEWS & POLITICS 11 From the Publisher Beds Available

Vermont’s eldercare homes hope to recover from the pandemic

Net Losses

26

ARTS NEWS 26

CVOEO program helps New Americans take charge of their finances

Pros at Cons

Soft Power

Vermont’s Financial Abuse Specialist Team aims to protect seniors’ wallets

Page 32

Essay: Ruminations on a quarantine retirement

Art review: “Meg Lipke: In the Making,” BCA Center Short takes on five Vermont books

Mountains of Momos

Our Services & Locations

South Burlington’s Sherpa Foods grows its dumpling business and goes regional

Lamoille Health Pediatrics (formerly Appleseed Pediatrics) 609 Washington Hwy., Morrisville | (802) 888-7337

Granting Wisdom

Lamoille Health Behavioral Health & Wellness (formerly Behavioral Health & Wellness Center) 607 Washington Hwy., Morrisville | (802) 888-8320

A New Leaf

Pension Pinch

A fresh take on an age-old business transforms a Vermont tradition

Lawmakers seek solutions to the public pension system’s poor investment returns

Online Now

Lamoille Health Family Dentistry (formerly Community Dental Clinic) 66 Morrisville Plaza, Morrisville | (802) 888-7585

COLUMNS 12 32 33 45 50 52 54 85

Fair Game WTF Bottom Line Side Dishes Soundbites Album Reviews Movie Review Ask the Reverend

SECTIONS Cat lover Alexis Dexter helps felines find SUPPORTED BY: furever homes through Kitty Korner Café in Barre. Vermont’s only cat café lets customers meet kitties and possibly bring them home: More than 150 have been adopted since the business opened last August.

Piecemeal Pies expands with scores of investors

Barbara Floersch on her “why-to” book on fundraising for social change

Homeless Vermonters are having trouble getting their stimulus checks

STUCK IN VERMONT

Benched

Slice of the Pie

24 44 50 54 56 57 80 84

Life Lines Food + Drink Music + Nightlife Movies Classes Classifieds + Puzzles Fun Stuff Personals

Community Health Services of Lamoille Valley (CHSLV) is excited to announce that we are re-branding as Lamoille Health Partners. While our name is changing, our commitment to providing comprehensive, premier health services to all our neighbors in the Lamoille Valley is stronger than ever.

Lamoille Health Family Medicine, Morrisville (formerly Morrisville Family Health Care) 609 Washington Hwy., Morrisville | (802) 888-5639

We have

Find a new job in the classifieds section on page 63 and online at sevendaysvt.com/jobs.

Lamoille Health Family Medicine, Stowe (formerly Stowe Family Practice) 1878 Mountain Road, Stowe | (802) 253-4853

Learn more at LamoilleHealthPartners.org © 2021 Lamoille Health Partners SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

4v-CHSLV031021 1

9 2/25/21 10:19 AM

Celebrating Moving Forward in 2021

100% of our residents and 90% of staff are vaccinated!

Thank you to our partners at the VT Health Department and Kinney Drugs.

We look forward to brighter days ahead.

Please call to learn more about our community and current availability.

272 Church Street, Burlington, VT • (802) 862-0401• conversehome.com 10

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

1t-conversehome031021.indd 1

3/5/21 9:20 AM

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Accounting for COVID-19

Paula Routly

© ANDREY POPOV | DREAMSTIME

I set my alarm Thursday morning so I’d be up and online at 8:15 sharp, when Vermonters in my age group became eligible for the coronavirus vaccine. I had registered in advance, logged on to the state site the night before — to make sure everything worked — and was ready to book the first available spot.

Prior digital disappointment should have prepared me for the glitch that turned my attempted sign-up for a long-awaited jab into a COVID-19 test on Pine Street. I asked my partner whether I should cancel it and try again.

“You’re yelling,” he scolded as I worried aloud how restarting might affect my spot in the queue. Then I was crying — or, more accurately, whimpering, in an overdue expression of frustration, powerlessness and grief.

It was “PPP” PTSD — a flashback to the stress of applying for Seven Days’ first Paycheck Protection Program loan, a year ago this week. At first, nobody knew a thing about the federal rescue effort to help businesses retain their employees during the pandemic. But what I’d heard about it sounded like exactly what we needed: money to help us make payroll so we could continue to report and publish the paper; cash that, if spent correctly, would convert from a loan to a grant. To learn as much possible, I went to webinars, pestered bankers and bureaucrats, and hired a law firm in Louisiana with expertise in assisting victims of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

The law was still being written the night before the PPP portal went live, on Friday, April 3, 2020.

Seven Days had already laid off seven employees and instituted deep pay cuts across the company. ​ The rumor was: Demand for the federal funds would far exceed the supply. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anything more in my life.

Armed with equations and codes, employee counts and reports, newly hired business manager Marcy Carton and I bumbled through the online application. No one was there to answer our questions.

We just did the best we could, and $443,547 showed up in our bank account on Monday, April 19.

Eight weeks later, the money was gone, spent on wages, rent, health insurance and utilities.

Five of the seven laid-off employees had returned to work.

At the end of the year, Marcy and I went through the equally nerve-racking process of applying for loan forgiveness. Then came the question of whether the PPP funds would be counted as taxable income; the U.S. Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service made that decision in the final days of 2020. For a gal who is loath to borrow money — If you like what we do and can afford to help and “can pinch a penny until it yodels,” as I was pay for it, become a Seven Days Super Reader! once described in print — the experience has been Look for the “Give Now” buttons at the top of rough-and-tumble, terms not typically associated sevendaysvt.com. Or send a check with your with finance. address and contact info to: Seven Days remains standing, a bit bruised but

SEVEN DAYS, C/O SUPER READERS still swinging. Our second PPP loan was thankfully

P.O. BOX 1164 easier to secure. My first vaccine is Friday.

BURLINGTON, VT 05402-1164 Here’s to more predictability, user-friendly For more information on making a financial web portals and, hopefully, prosperity in the contribution to Seven Days, please contact months ahead.

Corey Grenier: VOICEMAIL: 802-865-1020, EXT. 36 EMAIL: SUPERREADERS@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

11

FAIR GAME

OPEN SEASON ON VERMONT POLITICS BY DAVE GRAM

Insane or Culpable?

A legal clash highlights Vermont’s struggle with mentally ill lawbreakers

T

12

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

BY DISMISSING THE CASES, GEORGE EFFECTIVELY PUSHED THE DEFENDANTS INTO

THE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM AND SHONE A SPOTLIGHT ON ITS INADEQUACIES. suitable, and which is barred by healthprivacy laws from saying when someone might be deemed well enough to be released into the community. The paradigm is completely different: People are sent to a mental health facility for treatment, not to serve a sentence.

By dismissing the cases, George effectively pushed the defendants into the mental health system and shone a spotlight on its inadequacies. She said she could not in good conscience prosecute three defendants whose insanity at the time of their attacks meant they should not be held legally responsible.

George announced the dismissals in June 2019, tweeting, “It is awful that our mental health agencies are failing us, but real leadership requires digging in and fixing problems, not pointing fingers elsewhere and undermining the judicial system’s integrity.”

That outcome was not what Scott and, as it turned out, Donovan wanted.

TIM NEWCOMB

his month, Attorney General T.J. DONOVAN completed stage 1 of a task that Gov. PHIL SCOTT assigned to him in June 2019. He filed murder charges against LOUIS FORTIER in the fatal stabbing of fellow transient RICHARD MEDINA on Burlington’s Church Street in 2017.

The decision means Donovan now has reversed Chittenden County State’s Attorney SARAH GEORGE’s dismissal of charges in three cases — two murders and an attempted murder — in which she concluded that the state would not be able to rebut defense claims that the perpetrators were insane when they committed the crimes. Stage 2 will be completed when all three cases have been prosecuted to their conclusions.

The facts are not pleasant. AITA GURUNG fatally attacked his wife and wounded his mother-in-law with a meat cleaver in 2017; Fortier attacked Medina in broad daylight in Burlington’s main shopping and restaurant district by stabbing him several times in the neck; VERONICA LEWIS shot her firearms instructor, DARRYL MONTAGUE, three times in 2015, leaving him disabled.

As horrific as these attacks are, there’s a case to be made that Donovan should have left the prosecutorial judgment up to George, the prosecutor in the community where the crimes occurred. Yes, Scott and Donovan are public officials with a responsibility for public safety, and, yes, no politician wants to look soft on crime.

But simply reversing George ducks a bigger issue — that Vermont lacks the legal framework and the right mental health facilities to respond adequately when a mentally ill person commits grievous violence.

Some states have a verdict in which people are determined to be “guilty but insane”; some have special secure housing for people deemed “criminally insane.”

Vermont has neither. George said in an interview she supports the latter measure.

“I think we definitely need a facility,” she said, to house people who engage in criminal conduct because of mental illness.

Instead, Vermont has two distinct tracks. One is a criminal system in which people found guilty of serious offenses are given long prison sentences. That system is largely transparent; victims and the general public are allowed to know, for example, when an offender is due for release.

The other is a mental health system that is legally required to hold people in the least restrictive environment deemed

Scott wrote to Donovan asking him to review the cases. The governor wrote he was “at a loss as to the logic or strategy behind the decision to drop all charges — especially considering the fact that the State’s Attorney is aware the Department of Mental Health has no legal authority to continue to keep individuals hospitalized when they do not meet the legal criteria for hospital level of care.”

In other words, the laws governing the Department of Mental Health prevent it from pledging to keep the three offenders locked up for a long time. The dismissals also meant “there is no longer a possibility of supervision [by the Department of Corrections] or conditions of release to protect Vermonters,” Scott continued. The governor added that “the top priority of government is public safety.”

That sounds good, but there are other considerations, as well.

First, George was right to try to light a fire under state leaders about fixing

the mental health system. Vermont has struggled with this for decades, and mental health care was torn asunder when the Vermont State Hospital in Waterbury was forced to close due to flooding from Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. The policy of “deinstitutionalization,” under which people with mental illness were released into the community, has resulted around the country in prisons becoming de facto mental health facilities.

Second, a prosecutor is supposed to follow the law. George concluded that the evidence showed the three defendants were too mentally ill to be held responsible for the mayhem they inflicted, and therefore they couldn’t be put on trial. “My decisions are guided and have to be guided by my ethical obligations, or I’ll lose my law license,” George told Fair Game.

For four years, president Donald Trump pushed the U.S. Department of Justice to bend the law to the breaking point. What a refreshing thing it would be to see an

GOT A TIP FOR DAVE? DAVE@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

attorney general in Vermont tell a chief executive: “We’re not going to do that here.”

Third, there’s something to be said for our elected officials getting along with one another. Both Donovan and George are Democrats; Donovan hired George as his deputy when he was Chittenden County’s state’s attorney. George has not tried to hide the pain of the insult she felt when he reversed her decisions. “I thought T.J. would have a lot more respect for my prosecutorial discretion, my ethical decision making and my being an independent elected official — and as someone who’s known me for 15 years,” she said.

Finally, speaking of prosecutorial discretion, George said she hasn’t publicly second-guessed Donovan when he has used that discretion in police use-of-force cases to determine whether an officer acted reasonably or should be charged with a crime.

Will Vermont begin to close the gap that seems to have grown between its mental health and corrections systems?

The Senate last year passed, and the House Judiciary Committee this week is set to take up, a bill that would establish greater transparency in the mental health system. It would allow the Department of Mental Health to share information more easily with prosecutors. It sounds to these ears like an insufficiently bold reform.

A trial that involves an insanity defense comes in two stages: The jury is asked whether the state has proven that it has accused the right person and that a crime occurred in the way alleged. If the answer is yes, it is then up to the defense to convince the jury that the defendant was insane — and therefore not responsible.

Use of the insanity defense is rare, and success with it all but unheard of.

That’s because juries often are still reeling with the hideous facts of the crimes: They’ve been shown the bloody meat cleaver or the photos of the man lying on the pavement with blood pooled around him. They’ve heard the outrage in the prosecutor’s voice and words like those Donovan offered in an interview the other day about Gurung’s victim, YOGESWARI KHADKA: “She came to this country to escape violence and be protected by our laws, and she was hacked to death on Hyde Street.”

George said that, “regardless of the insanity defense, there’s no jury that is not going to convict them, based solely on emotion.”

The heavy betting is that the state will “win” these convictions. In February, in fact, Lewis pleaded guilty in state court to second-degree attempted murder. In a plea agreement, she received 10 years in prison and 40 years of state supervision with special conditions, including mental health treatment. Fortier and Gurung are still awaiting trial. “[Lewis] likely faced a choice between the lesser of two evils,” George wrote in an email to Seven Days at the time of Lewis’ plea. “This is exactly how our system typically plays out. We put the entire weight of the government on someone’s back and hope they eventually cave.”

After these cases conclude, Vermont may wait a few decades before trying to close the chasm between its mental health and criminal justice systems, into which too many of these broken souls fall. And when the cases are over and the state chalks up its wins, I, for one, will forgive you if I overhear you singing BOB DYLAN’s bitter lament in “Hurricane”: “Couldn’t help but make me feel ashamed to live in a land / Where justice is a game.”

POLITICS

VERY ACTIVELY PURCHASING • Antique, Vintage and Modern Jewelry • Platinum, Gold, Silver, Diamonds and Precious Stones • Sterling Silver Flatware and Hollowware • Gold and Silver Coins • Watches Certified Precious Metal Dealer State of Vermont Dealers Cert # 0028

� Call of an appointment with the owner �

91 Main Street, Stowe Village - 802.253.3033 Stowe@Ferrojewelers.com - Ferrojewelers.com/Stowe 6h-ferro011321.indd 1

1/7/21 1:43 PM

Hypocrisy Alert

Here’s something that appeared on the Vermont Democratic Party’s Facebook page last Friday: “Gov. Phil Scott was ‘caught by surprise’ by the news that today Vermont broke its record for the highest ever oneday total of new Covid-19 cases: 251 …

[Editor’s note: The state later revised this figure to 255.] Two weeks ago, Phil Scott loosened Vermont’s Covid-19 restrictions, allowing two unvaccinated multi-family households to gather and a loosening of table seating requirements in restaurants.

Up next: a reopening of bars this Wednesday. Coincidence? You decide.”

While you’re deciding that, you may also want to think about Burlington Mayor MIRO WEINBERGER’s announcement last week that he would allow the city’s bars to open, just as others in the state can, and will not opt out.

Weinberger, of course, is a Democrat.

Somehow, that seems to make him less of a target for the party’s finger-wagging. m 3v-lakechampchoc031721 1

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

13

3/12/21 8:31 AM

2h-nancyjenkins033121 1

14

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

2h-Entercome(consolidatedcomm)033121 1

3/26/21 4:18 PM

3/26/21 10:09 AM

Welcome to the Money & Retirement Issue

E

ven in the best of times, money is a top-of-mind concern for most of us. The past year or so has been anything but “the best,” and the pandemic has made financial issues particularly pressing — and, for the most part, depressing. In putting together this Money & Retirement Issue, we found its COVID-19 backdrop both a blessing and a curse: There’s no shortage of money and retirement stories out there, but where to begin? Is there any good news?

Yes and no.

Recent stimulus checks have been a lifeline for many Americans. (That’s good!) But they typically arrive via direct deposit or mail. How do people experiencing homelessness, many of whom don’t have bank accounts or mailing addresses, access their cash? Colin Flanders looks at what STIMULUS CHECKS mean for those living on the fringes (page 17).

Those stimulus checks have also been the target of financial scams, which are on the rise during COVID-19. (That’s bad.)

As Ken Picard writes, Vermonters older than 60 are defrauded more than any other age group. That’s where Vermont’s FINANCIAL ABUSE SPECIALIST TEAM comes in (page 36). FAST meets monthly to investigate allegations of fraud and financial abuse, particularly those targeting older Vermonters.

Fraud isn’t the only fiscal peril facing Vermont retirees. (Also bad.) Poor investment returns have created a PUBLIC PENSION PINCH, Kevin McCallum reports (page 20).

With increasing vacancy rates, RETIREMENT HOMES are on shaky financial ground, too, Derek Brouwer writes (page 16).

Maybe retirement isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, at least not in a pandemic. In an essay, recently RETIRED JUSTICE MARILYN SKOGLUND

JOBS! JOBS! JOBS! 17 pages of ads for 184 jobs PAGE 63

VERMO NT’S INDEPE NDENT VOICE MARCH 31-APRI L 7, 2021 VOL.26 NO.26 SEVEND AYSVT.C OM

GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS ruminates on hanging up her gavel just as the world shut down (page 38). (Not really good or bad, but the essay is funny.)

For some, the pandemic has provided business opportunities. (Good, but…) As Carolyn Shapiro reports, Burlington’s EZ-PROBATE has found its niche by helping the bereaved handle the transfer of assets after a death without navigating an expensive legal system (page 33).

Nonprofits may see new opportunities to effect positive change in a post-pandemic world.

(Good!) But to do that, they’ll need grants, which can be hard to get. Local GRANTWRITING EXPERT BARBARA FLOERSCH breaks down the process in her new book and urges do-gooders to approach grant writing with activism in mind (page 40).

Speaking of navigating tricky fiscal areas, Asma Abunaib is the director of the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity’s FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT FOR NEW AMERICANS PROJECT (page 34). Originally

Homeless Vermonters’ trouble with stimulus checks PAGE 17 / The public pension pinch PAGE 22 Financial empowerment for New Americans PAGE 34 / FAST of Vermo nt protects seniors’ wallets PAGE 36 The verdict on quarantine retire ment PAGE 38 / Grant writing for social change PAGE 40 / Funding Piecemeal Pies PAGE 44

from Sudan, Abunaib has assembled a team of New American Community Ambassadors to help other local New Americans figure out the sometimesbyzantine U.S. financial system, Margaret Grayson writes. (That’s good!)

Also good: momos. And they’re profitable, too, according to Melissa Pasanen, who reports on the expansion of Burlington’s SHERPA FOODS from farmers market gem to regional momo powerhouse (page 46).

Finally, Sally Pollak reports that White River Junction eatery PIECEMEAL PIES is opening a new shop in Stowe after crowdsourcing scores of investors (page 44). As of March 28, 78 people had invested a total of $83,600 in the business. You can insert your own piece-of-the-pie joke here.

(That’s bad, probably.)

DAN BO LLE S

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

15

news

MORE INSIDE

BUSINESS

PAGE 18

Senate Passes Measure to Regulate and Inspect ShortTerm Rentals

PENSION PLAN PANNED

GRADING UVM’S REPORT ON COPS PRESIDENT PLAGIARIZED

PAGE 22

PAGE 21

B Y A N N E WA L L A C E A L L EN anne@sevendaysvt.com

SEAN METCALF

Beds Available

Vermont’s eldercare homes hope to recover from the pandemic B Y D E REK BR OUW ER & ANN E WALL ACE ALLEN

V

ermont’s long-term care homes are desperate to move past a ruinous year. Step one: Fill empty beds.

Some homes that previously had waiting lists are taking the unusual step of advertising openings, a reflection of the stress that COVID-19 has placed on the eldercare sector. Now that most caregivers and residents are vaccinated, the vacancy light is lit.

The nonprofit senior housing provider Cathedral Square, accustomed to wait lists for the assisted living apartments in its downtown Burlington high-rise, has brought on an extra employee to help 16

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

THIS IS BY FAR THE LARGEST NUMBER OF VACANT APARTMENTS

WE’VE HAD IN THE LAST 10 YEARS. K ATH RYNN TITUS

boost move-ins. At one point during the pandemic, 12 of the 40 apartments were empty, operations director Kathrynn Titus said.

“This is by far the largest number of vacant apartments we’ve had in the last 10 years,” she said.

The huge long-term care industry, already struggling with staffing and quality problems, was turned upside down by the pandemic. Residential facilities were the site of an estimated one-third of the nation’s COVID-19 deaths in 2020, according to the Atlantic’s COVID Tracking Project.

Long-term care residents make up about 1 percent of the nation’s population, according to the project.

BEDS AVAILABLE

» P.18

Darren Drevik, who co-owns the Phineas Swann Inn & Spa in Montgomery Center, says he pays $500 in state fees each year to offer 10 rooms and serve meals. He’d like short-term rentals to do the same, and he’s hoping a bill that’s headed to the House will make that happen.

The Senate on Tuesday approved S.79, a wide-ranging measure that aims to improve enforcement of health and safety standards for apartments around the state. Both long-term and short-term rentals would be required to register with the Department of Housing and Community Development.

Inspections, now largely carried out by the volunteer health officers in rural Vermont, would become the job of new paid staff at the Division of Fire Safety. Some Vermont cities and towns, including Burlington, already have professional staff inspecting rentals, but most do not.

The measure would regulate rentals found on popular sites such as Vrbo and Airbnb. Owners of conventional lodging have said for years they’re competing on an uneven playing field.

Drevik noted that when the state shut down all inns, hotels and B&Bs last year because of the pandemic, it had no way of knowing who was operating an Airbnb.

“We had state troopers literally coming to our door and checking to make sure that there were no cars in our parking lot from out of state and no guests in our inn,” said Drevik. “And then we had short-term rentals in my town with cars from New York and Massachusetts.”

Lawmakers have talked for the last few years about regulating short-term rentals, which they view as a drain on the state’s supply of affordable long-term rental housing. Companies such as Airbnb do pay rooms and meals taxes to the state for their short-term rentals, but they are not required to reveal the addresses or revenues of individual properties.

Creating more regs for the shortterm rental market was a top legislative priority for the Vermont Chamber of Commerce this year.

“The pandemic has put a fine point on what can happen during a public health crisis when unlicensed properties providing overnight accommodations remain anonymous and state officials do not have the means to contact them,” said Amy Spear, president of the Vermont Attractions Association and vice president of tourism at the Vermont Chamber. m

Net Losses

Homeless Vermonters are having trouble getting their federal stimulus checks

K

BY COLIN FL ANDE RS • colin@sevendaysvt.com

ari Rios once had everything she people such as Rios, who has not had to needed: an apartment, a well- file taxes in recent years because of her paying job, a reliable car. As a low income. single mother, she had some long days.

Even those who have managed to get But those pillars of stability made her feel on the government’s radar have somethat nothing could stop her. times struggled to claim the money, “I was on top of the world,” she often because they lack a bank account recalled. or permanent address. And while service Then, in early 2017, her son’s father providers say they have helped many stopped paying child support. Suddenly people overcome these barriers, her nursing assistant salary was no one knows what percentage no longer enough — for the of Vermont’s homeless may $1,249 rent, and the gas, and still be waiting for checks — the heat, and the groceries. or missing them altogether.

The bills piled up until the only None of the half dozen thing that felt unstoppable was homeless people Seven Days her descent. interviewed for this story had A procession of painful received any stimulus cash. goodbyes followed. She lost “This isn’t a very elegant her South Burlington apartsystem,” said Marcus Chiaretto, ment, then her job and finally a case worker at the Commuher car, selling it for $2,000 nity Health Centers of Burlingand using some of the money ton. “I worry that some of the to pay for a taxi ride to her most vulnerable people … who mother’s home in New York could really use that money State, one of half a dozen aren’t going to get it.” places she and her son, now 11, During the coronavirus have lived over the last three pandemic, Vermont has tried years. to ensure that people experiTheir tailspin eventually encing homelessness have a landed them in a Burlington safe, socially distanced place homeless shelter, where they to stay. Last spring, the state stayed until receiving a spot in expanded its own voucher a CARES Act voucher program program that provides that allows them to afford a housing-insecure people with two-bedroom apartment at hotel and motel rooms. More a former Essex motel. Rios than $37 million in federal applies a third of her $500 relief aid has now been spent monthly stipend from a differon the program, helping to ent state benefits program for house roughly 5,200 people MARCU S low-income parents toward over the last year.

CHIARE T TO the rent, while federal funds The state has taken a more cover the rest. hands-off approach when it “I’m just keeping my head high and comes to the federal stimulus checks, doing what I can,” Rios, 35, said last however. A spokesperson for the Departweek, “because this is my place. I got ment for Children and Families said the a second chance, and I’m gonna take state has provided service agencies with advantage of it.” general information and advice, but it’s Some extra money would go a long up to the agencies to help people actually way toward getting Rios back on her feet. claim the money.

But unlike millions of Americans who The process often begins by checkhave received as many as three direct ing in with people at homeless shelters payments from the federal government or voucher program motels — or somein the last year for pandemic relief, Rios times meeting them on the street — to has yet to get a single stimulus check. determine who may still be waiting for That’s because the feds use informa- the payments. Outreach specialists then tion from recent tax filings to send out the payments, a process that can miss NET LOSSES » P.20

I WORRY THAT SOME OF THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE …

WHO COULD REALLY USE THAT MONEY

AREN’T GOING TO GET IT.

®

The Mobile Mortgage Feel in Control of Your Home Loan With the FairwayNOW Apply for a loan in under 10 minutes Calculate loan scenarios with full monthly payments Easily track loan progress with real-time push notifications Connect to home searching sites in the app Communicate with your Loan Officer and REALTOR® with one simple tap Quickly and securely scan loan documents with your phone’s camera

Get it on

Barb McHenry Loan Officer, NMLS #142991 802-318-8641

bmchenry@fairwaymc.com www.barbmchenryvt.com Copyright©2021 Fair way Independent Mortgage Corporation. NMLS#2289. 4750 S. Biltmore Lane, Madison, WI 53718, 1- 866-912- 4800. All rights reser ved. This is not an offer to enter into an agreement. Not all customers will qualify.

Information, rates and programs are subject to change without notice. All products are subject to credit and property approval. Other restrictions and limitations may apply. Equal Housing Opportunity.

4t-barbmchenry031721 1

3/16/21 8:17 AM

Skill Up Level Up UVM’s Center for Leadership and Innovation is designed to provide affordable, and accessible professional development opportunities.

For a limited time, try three (3) FREE select courses through March 31st

go.uvm.edu/cli

4T-UVMContEd032431 1

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

17

3/22/21 9:22 AM

news EDUCATION

Amid Uproar Against Garimella, UVM Warns a Faculty Critic B Y CHEL SEA ED G AR chelsea@sevendays.com University of Vermont faculty and students condemned its administration’s austerity measures and president Suresh Garimella’s lack of transparency in a press conference on Monday, the second event of its kind since December.

Four months after UVM announced faculty layoffs and sweeping cuts to its humanities and geology programs, nearly 3,000 people have signed a Change.org petition declaring no confidence in Garimella. The petition, started by a coalition of faculty and students called UVM United Against the Cuts, charges that his administration has effectively manufactured a budget crisis by siphoning money away from the College of Arts and Sciences.

According to faculty critics, the administration’s chief tactic thus far has been to ignore the dissent, with one exception. In early March, Nancy Welch, a tenured English professor who has been involved in protesting the cuts, shared a link to the petition with members of the faculty union and the English department. A week later, College of Arts and Sciences dean Bill Falls summoned Welch to a meeting to discuss what he deemed her “unprofessional” use of her university email account.

According to a transcript of the meeting Welch provided to Seven Days, Falls said he found it “unconscionable” that Welch would encourage her colleagues to share the petition with students and alumni.

“This is nothing less than a blatant attempt to disrupt the efforts and hard work of our colleagues and staff and faculty to recruit prospective students and to retain our current students,” he told her. “Moreover, requesting that it go to alumni damages the relationship between the university and alumni.”

He further advised her that she should not use her UVM email, the department listserv or other UVM resources solely to express her opinions or solicit support for the petition. “If you continue misusing university resources,” Falls warned her, “your privileges may be revoked, and it may result in formal discipline being initiated.”

Falls did not respond on Monday to a request for comment. In a written statement, Enrique Corredera, a spokesperson for UVM, said “it is not appropriate for a member of the faculty to use a departmental listserv to implore their colleagues to solicit students and alumni to sign a Change.org petition generated by an unrecognized and unaffiliated group.” m

18

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

Beds Available « P.16 While Vermont’s numbers were relatively low, long-term care residents accounted for 61 percent of COVID-19 deaths as of March 8. Nursing homes were hit hardest, in terms of cases, outbreaks and deaths, Vermont Department of Health data show.

At times, the pandemic halted new admissions to long-term care facilities and prompted homes to reduce their capacity because of staffing or social distancing constraints. When admissions were possible, some would-be residents stayed away, fearing infection or the highly restrictive environment. Some of those on Cathedral Square’s wait list, for instance, had second thoughts when their names were called.

“A lot of people who we spoke to really didn’t want to give up access to their visitors,” Titus said.

The drop in occupancy rates across the industry has been stark. About 28 percent of Vermont’s nursing home beds were empty in January, according to state data, compared to 16 percent in January 2019.

National industry groups have suggested that record-low occupancy, coupled with higher COVID-19-related costs, could cause more than 1,000 nursing homes to close this year.

Vermont has not experienced a wave of closures, though a few small care homes have shut down. The future, however, may depend on how well homes are able to lure back residents and workers.

FAMILY FIRST

The pandemic prompted family members to step in as caregivers, sometimes because residential care wasn’t available.

Others felt it would be safer to stay at home.

As a board member for Age Well, a nonprofit that helps people understand their aging options, St. Albans resident Liz Gamache had an advantage when it came to navigating the landscape.

But Gamache, the former mayor of St. Albans, found it difficult to help her parents after Gov. Phil Scott declared a state of emergency in mid-March of last year. The pair, then both 83, had planned for more than a year to move from their Burlington home to an assisted living facility in April; some of their furniture had already been shipped to their new apartment.

The home halted their move as a result of the pandemic, and with no options available, Gamache said goodbye to her husband and two children and moved in with her parents for two months to help them.

Gamache, then the interim director of the Preservation Trust of Vermont, occasionally visited her family outdoors, due to concern about infection.

“We didn’t know what the future would hold or how long this would go on,” said Gamache. “It became a 24-7 thing for me.”

The pandemic pressed millions of people into caretaking roles for family members. Gamache was glad to have that time with her parents and feels

THE FUTURE OF AGING PROVIDES SO MUCH UNCERTAINTY. IT CAN BE REALLY HARD TO KNOW HOW TO PLAN. L IZ GAMAC H E

fortunate that she could continue working remotely while she was quarantined at their home. She knows not everyone had those options. Gamache stayed with her parents until a spot opened up for them in assisted living.

Move-in delays such as this led to a serious financial hit for the industry, as did the need to quarantine patients upon their arrival, according to Vermont Health Care Association lobbyist Laura Pelosi.

Nursing homes in particular faced another problem. Many offer short-term rehabilitation stays for patients to recover from surgery or illness. Some rehab patients sought to avoid nursing homes and instead turned to in-home nursing services.

Dane Rank, who runs Thompson House in Brattleboro, fears that a wariness of nursing home settings lingers. Outbreaks have drawn renewed scrutiny of the industry and raised questions about why homes were so susceptible. Investigative reporting by the New York Times exposed flaws in the federal five-star system for measuring quality, and Congress has held hearings on the harmful effects of privateequity ownership.

Rank’s 43-bed, nonprofit nursing home has not logged any COVID-19 infections, and it had one of the highest occupancy rates, 89 percent, in the state in January. Still, he said, Thompson House has experienced a significant decrease in patients admitted from hospitals: They’re continuing to opt for in-home services, even when their care needs are intensive.

At this point in the pandemic, Rank suggested, the growing “stigma” around nursing homes “is causing far greater risk to our older population than did the virus.”

As a former Agency of Human Services director for Grand Isle and Franklin counties, Pam McCarthy might have been better prepared than many people to help her family members. She’s also president and CEO of the Vermont Family Network, which helps families of children with disabilities and special health care needs.

McCarthy said she often hears that Vermont is ahead of other states in its system of care for people with disabilities and the elderly. But she said the system is fragmented and difficult to navigate, even for those skilled in weighing care options.

McCarthy studied dozens of options as she considered moving her mother to Vermont last year from a nursing facility in Delaware. She even considered consulting a professional, who quoted her a rate of $100 per hour for the work, to help her decide.

Order by April 1 “It might have been a worthwhile investment,” McCarthy said. “I could go the extra mile and pay for that navigation, but not everybody can. The people who need it the most don’t have the ability to pay or the time in their own lives to do all of the phone calls and hunting and paperwork it takes to make a good and well-informed decision about a placement or living situation.”

She ultimately decided her mother would be happiest where she already was.

HELP WANTED

EASTER BRUNCH DINNER :

AND

:

cateringbydale.com Pre-order your meal, Pick-up April 3rd

The Pines, So. Burlington-Charlotte & Green Frog, So. Hero!

8h-cateringbydale033121 1

3/24/21 9:39 AM

LEARN &GROW

webinar

Refinancing Your Mortgage Thursday, April 15, 2021 6:00 - 7:00 pm

Registration is required & easy!

Sign up today by scanning the QR code or call 800.400.8790

Future Webinars

follow us

The long-term care industry’s recovery will require more than deft marketing.

The pandemic dealt a blow to a workforce that was already considered in crisis.

Nurses and qualified caregivers were hard to find and retain pre-pandemic.

COVID-19 made recruitment even harder — and, in a few cases, seemingly impossible.

Bradford Oasis, an 11-bed residential care home in Orange County, permanently closed in January due to a staffing shortage and its close cousin: burnout. The home, which relied largely on Medicaid reimbursements, was on the edge before COVID-19 arrived, having cut caregiver pay to balance the books, even though its beds were mostly full.

A couple of staffers quit early in the pandemic, former manager Teresa Hemingway said, and she couldn’t find replacements. As the year wore on, Hemingway said, she and others worked extremely long hours. Eventually she decided the situation wasn’t tenable.

“We were just exhausted,” she said.

Of the eight small residential care and therapeutic group homes that decided to close in the past year, Bradford Oasis is the only one to cite workforce pressure as the reason, according to Monica White, interim commissioner of the Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living.

But many homes are grappling with it.

“The pandemic has exacerbated this problem,” she said, “with health care staff report[ing] significant burnout over a grueling year of long shifts and extraordinarily difficult work.”

The industry is pushing the state to intervene through programs and funding to train more nurses, while homes that rely on Medicaid want to see a boost to the reimbursement rate, money they could use to raise wages. Growing the state’s health care workforce will be a “key focus” as the pandemic subsides, White said.

Observers are optimistic that if more workers enter the industry, it can recover.

Like most other businesses, long-term care facilities got a large infusion of cash last year to tide them over through the COVID-19 shutdown. Financial pressures should continue to ease in the months ahead, in parallel with visitation restrictions. Cathedral Square is aiming to fill its handful of market-rate assisted living apartments within the next three months.

One of the most dramatic shifts is already under way. Last fall, the largest nursing home operator in Vermont, Genesis HealthCare, moved to offload five of the state’s biggest facilities, which collectively house about 18 percent of licensed nursing home beds.

The struggling national operator has proposed to sell them to a private buyer group that already began managing the homes last fall. The group is spearheaded publicly by David Gamzeh, Akiva Glatzer and Akiko Ike, who have purchased distressed homes throughout the Northeast.

The state Agency of Human Services is reviewing the proposed transfer.

The Genesis sale isn’t unusual in an industry largely controlled by massive corporations and private investors.

Some advocates say the pandemic has presented an opportunity for changes — in how homes look, run and work together as a system of care.

Such considerations are especially relevant in Vermont, which has one of the most rapidly aging populations in the country. Long-standing programs, including a state Medicare program called Choices for Care, have already enabled more Vermonters to age in their homes. It’s possible, but far from certain, that the pandemic will accelerate that trend.

Gamache’s experience during the pandemic has prompted her to think more deeply about the process of aging.

Her mother caught and survived COVID19 last spring but passed away at the end of the year. The virus killed her motherin-law; her father-in-law died of different causes months later.

“Isolation and loneliness is one of the takeaways from this experience,” she said. “How detrimental it is for anybody, but especially seniors.”

To Gamache, that’s reinforced the importance of aging in a place with connections to friends and family. But she’s not sure what that should look like.

“The future of aging provides so much uncertainty,” she said. “It can be really hard to know how to plan.” m

Social Security: With You Through Life’s Journey April 21 Debt Reduction Strategies April 27 Maximize Income Through Retirement Planning April 28

FEDERALLY INSURED BY NCUA 3v-NEFCU033121 1

Say you saw it in...

J

mini2col-sawit-3Dcmyk.indd 1

3/24/21 8:31 AM

NOW IN sevendaysvt.com SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

3D!

19

1/12/10 9:51:52 AM

news Net Losses « P.17

20

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

“give up on the idea that they’re entitled to anything.”

He said state and federal government should have devised a way for one central agency to deliver the payments directly to homeless people. “If there’s anybody in the entire country that could use that money, it’s [them],” he said.

Outreach specialists agree that stimulus checks are likely not enough to help someone secure permanent housing, particularly in Chittenden County. But they say the benefits can be a first step in that direction — and can often help change someone’s outlook.

a dependent, even though he’s crashing at a friend’s apartment on Pearl Street. Were he to receive the latest check, his top priority would be to find another apartment with his friend. “The lease is supposed to be up, but because of COVID, he hasn’t been kicked out,” Orcutt said, oil staining his hands and forearms. “That’s weighing on us pretty hard.”

Another man at the same encampment who declined to provide his name said he wasn’t aware that he even qualified for the stimulus payments. He said he planned to look into it and imagined

“Maybe that could be the difference in feeling like they could wake up and go get a job that day,” Brown said, “because they had the clothes they wanted to wear and they ate the food they wanted to eat — that they were able to take control of certain things.”

The desire for control was a binding thread through conversations Seven Days had last week with people experiencing housing insecurity.

Jordan Orcutt, 27, was spending much of last Thursday attempting to fix a broken radiator at a makeshift car garage set up at a Burlington homeless encampment off Sears Lane.

Orcutt said he applied for the stimulus last year using the non-filer tool but was told he was still being claimed as

putting the money toward a new car or a place to live.

“Just something to better my life,” he said.

That same afternoon, Rios, the single mother in Essex, watched her son bike loops around the parking lot and thought of how she would spend the money. She recently opened a bank account and has been working with the motel’s housing coordinator to file her taxes.

A car also tops her list. “I want to be independent,” she said. She envisioned doing the mundane errands people so often take for granted: “Go to the grocery store, go and pay my bills, send some packages, go in and buy nails and tools for my apartment.”

“That would change my life a lot,” she said. m

LUKE AWTRY

work to “eliminate any barriers that come up,” said Sophia Senning, coordinator of the Housing Resource Center at the Committee on Temporary Shelter, or COTS. A lack of tax history has been the most frequent obstacle. The specialists say the vast majority of their clients have not needed to file taxes for at least the last few years because of their low income.

The Internal Revenue Service sought to address this problem by creating a “nonfilers tool” last year, but it has since been deactivated. The IRS says people who received previous checks using that tool will likely receive the latest one, too. But others will need to file tax returns to get the money.

That can be easier said than done.

While the IRS sponsors a pair of free tax-filing programs, the pandemic has closed many locations. The ones that are open have been inundated. The largest such program, run by a division of the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity, is now completely booked through April 15. The IRS has extended the tax filing deadline by a month, but CVOEO says it does not have the staffing or financial capacity to run the program past the original date.

Free online services can also pose challenges. Some homeless people don’t have reliable internet access, and those who do sometimes find the online services prohibitively confusing. “It’s part of my job to help, and I still find it pretty complicated,” said Chiaretto.

People who clear the tax hurdle must then find a way to receive the money, another surprisingly complicated task.

The IRS has funneled payments directly into the bank accounts of people who file tax returns with direct deposit information; others have gotten paper checks or prepaid debit cards. But those must be sent to a permanent address, which can be a problem for people who frequently move, or for people fleeing unstable home situations.

In other cases, people over age 18 were still being counted as dependents long after they had become estranged from their caregivers. “Most of the youth we’re working with have tumultuous relationships with their family or have been in and out of [Department for Children and Families] custody,” said Christina Brown, manager of the Basic Needs Program at Spectrum Youth & Family Services. “There was really no workaround to getting them the money.”

Spectrum worked to help clients open bank accounts and update their addresses with the IRS after the first round of

stimulus payments last year. Many of those clients had better luck with the second round of checks and now expect to receive the latest one, Brown said.

It’s hard to tell how successful the outreach efforts have been statewide, as no one knows for certain how many of the estimated 300,000-plus people eligible for stimulus checks in Vermont are homeless.

Heather Bush, coordinator for ANEW Place’s low-barrier shelter, said the “vast majority” of the 25 or so people staying there expect to receive the latest payments, while case manager Caroline Trevarrow said at least eight of the 14 staying at the

Kari Rios

organization’s 24-hour shelter on North Street do, as well.

Chiaretto estimated that about half of his two dozen or so clients at the Community Health Centers of Burlington have secured at least one check.

And Senning estimated that roughly 75 percent of the 450 adults served by COTS have received at least one payment.

Still, some fear that the agencies won’t be able to help everyone, no matter how hard they try. Stephen Marshall, a Burlington homeless advocate, said some people just “don’t want to participate” with the “system,” and so the tax filing requirement alone could prevent some from getting the checks. After years of living on the margins, “they grow very cynical,” Marshall said, and some just

We’re Now OPEN!!

FILE: DEREK BROUWER

Kyle Dodson at his introductory press conference last September

Choose to infuse!

>> SPRING SPECIAL <<

SAVE 15%

IV Infusion therapy to replenish deeciencies, boost immune response, and amplify overall wellness.

Our IV vitamin, mineral, and Glutathione suite is ready for you.

When you select a package of 12. Other package deals are available. Inquire within.

Integrative Osteopathic Family Medicine

with Dr. Hobie Fuerstman

(802) 879-6544

Other services include:

- Ketamine Assisted Therapy for depression.

- Vitamin B-12 injections.

- Lyme and Co-infection treatment - Digestive Health Restoration -And more!

905 Roosevelt Hwy #210 Colchester, VT 05446

www.preventivemedicinevt.com 6h-preventiveMED033121 1

BURLINGTON

3/26/21 3:51 PM

Dodson Plagiarized Portions of Report on Burlington Police Transformation B Y COUR T NEY L A MDIN • courtney@sevendaysvt.com The City of Burlington’s director of police transformation plagiarized significant portions of a final report he turned in last week, an analysis by Seven Days determined.

Kyle Dodson was appointed by Mayor Miro Weinberger last October to oversee the city’s police reform efforts.

He took a six-month leave of absence from his job as CEO and president of the Greater Burlington YMCA for the special assignment.

Dodson turned in his final report on March 19. The document borrowed liberally from several websites, including those of the City of Cambridge, Mass., and Georgetown Law school.

Dodson included links but didn’t actually attribute passages. Other sections that appeared to be Dodson’s own analysis were actually lifted from elsewhere, with no acknowledgment of the original source. Seven Days found that more than half of the document’s 1,542 words were not Dodson’s own.

“The way that I saw it was as a resource for the mayor to look to things that I learned to be helpful and not in any way to present them as ‘Kyle the guru of policing,’” Dodson said in an interview last Friday. “Any of that was probably just, at the end of the day, [an] oversight.”

“There was no intent to have it be seen as something that was mine,” he continued. “It’s just something that I didn’t take the time to reference.”

Weinberger said he was disappointed to learn that “much of the language in Kyle Dodson’s final report was not his own.”

Dodson was paid $75,000 for the sixmonth gig. He was tasked with overseeing a functional assessment of the police department, a study to reimagine public safety in Burlington and a review of police discipline procedures.

Dodson said he was often frustrated with the job, which embedded him in the

police department daily. When he told people that he’d seen officers’ humanity firsthand, some called him a sellout and a cop sympathizer, he said.

“The community didn’t want transformation. Blacks and activists want revenge,” said Dodson, who is Black.

“That’s understandable, but it’s deeply problematic.”

That comment prompted the city’s Racial Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Office to call on Dodson to apologize. The office, which is composed of three Black people, including director Tyeastia Green, released a written statement that reads, in part: “Not only do we believe that this characterization of the community and many dedicated activists to be untrue, but we also recognize the immense harm this characterization has inflicted.”

“Burlington’s Black community and the tireless advocates and activists who have engaged on these issues, do not want revenge — they want, and they deserve, respect and equitable treatment from the City that they love,” the statement continued. “Former Director Dodson’s report and subsequent comments were a step backward in pursuit of this shared goal.”

City Councilor Zoraya Hightower (P-Ward 1), who met with Dodson weekly during his tenure, said she’d expected his report to include data, citations and quotes from interviews he’d conducted.

Hightower said she was skeptical that Dodson was accomplishing much but gave him the benefit of the doubt.

“It’s hard to do something as a one-man show, but [I thought,] At least he will come up with some solid recommendations,” Hightower said. Instead, the report was “nothing,” she said. “Absolutely nothing.” m Sasha Goldstein and Colin Flanders contributed reporting.

Exhilarating in every way, including the price.

The 2016 GLA, starting at just $32,500. The GLA delivers thrills from the moment you hit the ignition button.

A racing-inspired dual-clutch transmission makes for smoother shifting, while its advanced engineering delivers breathtaking SUV performance no matter what road you’re on. All that inside of a sleek, muscular design makes the 2016 GLA one extraordinary vehicle—for an equally extraordinary price. MBUSA.com/GLA

STARTING AT THE 2016 $ * GLALEASE AND FINANCE SPECIAL OFFERS WILL BE THROUGH The Automaster BMW FINANCIAL SERVICES. 32,500 The Automaster SPECIAL LEASE AND FINANCE OFFERS WILL BE THROUGH The Automaster BMW FINANCIAL SERVICES. 3328 Shelburne Road Shelburne, VT 05482 ©2020 BMW of North America, LLC. The BMW name, model names and logo are registered trademarks. croberts802-985-8411 www.theautomaster.com The Automaster

3328 Shelburne Road Shelburne, VT 05482 croberts802-985-8411 3328 Shelburne 05482-6849 www.theautomaster.com 3328 ShelburneRd. Rd.| Shelburne, | Shelburne, Vermont Vermont 05482-6849

802.985.8482 | TheAutomasterMercedesBenz.com 802.985.8482 | TheAutomasterBMW.com 2016 GLA250 shown in Polar Silver metallic paint with optional equipment. *MSRP excludes all options, taxes, title, registration, transportation charge and dealer prep. Options, model availability and actual dealer price may vary. See dealer for details. ©2015 Authorized Mercedes-Benz Dealers For more information, call 1-800-FOR-MERCEDES, or visit MBUSA.com.

2020 X3 shown in Phytonic Blue designo paint with optional equipment. *MSRP excludes all options, taxes, title, registration, transportation charge and dealer prep. Options, model availability and actual dealer price may vary. See dealer for details.

3v-AutomasterBMW081220.indd 1

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

21

8/7/20 2:13 PM

news

JESS SUTTNER

Pension Pinch

Lawmakers seek solutions to the public pension system’s poor investment returns B Y K E V I N MCCAL L UM • kevin@sevendaysvt.com

O

ver the last decade, the S&P 500, a benchmark for the U.S. stock market, enjoyed an average annual return of 13.6 percent. Over that same period, Vermont’s public pension funds earned an average of just 7.2 percent a year from its investments.

While pension assets are typically allocated to safer but less profitable investments than the S&P, the returns on Vermont’s $5.3 billion pension system also fell well short of most similarly sized public pension plans in the nation. Sixtynine out of 100 such plans performed better than Vermont’s over that period.

Most troubling to some lawmakers is that the state’s pension plans have consistently missed even their own conservative investment goals, compounding the chronic underfunding that has put the system in a precarious financial position.

“Until very recently, the performance of Vermont pensions has been horrendous,” Rep. John Gannon (D-Wilmington) said at one of several tense legislative hearings on pension reform last week.

The investment returns have become a flash point in the debate over how to fix the pension system that 18,500 retired state workers and teachers and 17,300 current employees rely upon.

The gulf between the $5.3 billion the plans have on hand and what they’ll need to cover their obligations over the next 17 years has grown to more than $3 billion.

That gap, known as the unfunded liability, has saddled lawmakers with a surprise $316 million bill for this year’s needed state contribution to the pension funds — $97 million more than expected.

The House is now proposing a controversial rescue package that is part bailout and part restructuring of future oversight of pension investments.

The reform proposal includes an additional one-time infusion of $150 million to boost the system’s assets. School and public employees would have to kick in an additional 1 to 2 percent of their salaries for sharply curtailed benefits. If investment returns fell short, higher-paid employees 22

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

would also pay progressively more. Most employees would also have to wait until age 67 to receive full benefits, up from 62 to 65.

And cost-of-living increases for future retirees would only apply to the first $24,000 of income until the funds bounced back.

Employees were not amused.

“I urge you to scrap this entire plan, go back to the drawing board, and share this burden among all Vermonters, especially those most able to pay,” Eric Hutchins, a history teacher at Lamoille Union High School, told the House Government Operations Committee last Friday.

Democratic lawmakers have sought to highlight the role that anemic returns have played in the crisis.

In order for the pension system to be financially sustainable, appointees who oversee its investments need the financial expertise to make course corrections, said Rep. Sarah Copeland Hanzas (D-Bradford), chair of the House committee.

“We can’t just set it and forget it,” she said. “This is too important.”

State Treasurer Beth Pearce, whose office oversees but does not fully control the pension system, has bristled at lawmakers’ focus on investment performance, viewing it as a futile exercise in

UNTIL VERY RECENTLY, THE PERFORMANCE OF VERMONT PENSIONS

HAS BEEN HORRENDOUS. R E P. J O H N GANNO N

finger-pointing that ignores recent portfolio improvements and clouds the path forward. She told lawmakers she was “troubled” by their response to the crisis and likened it to the “very dysfunctional process” in Washington, D.C. “Everybody is upset, and they’re looking for somebody to blame,” Pearce told Copeland Hanzas’ committee last week.

“What we’re supposed to be doing is solving the problem together.”

Many factors unrelated to investments contribute to the solvency of a pension system. Some are reasonably easy to predict, such as how much money employees are contractually required to contribute. Others can be tougher to forecast, such as the rate at which employees retire, how long they live once they do and decisions to offer early retirement incentives. Pearce has said such factors are bigger drivers for the shortfalls than investment performance.

But how wisely the state’s two funds — one for state employees and the other for teachers — are invested nevertheless has an impact on how the funds grow, and thus how much taxpayers need to contribute every year when they don’t grow as much as expected.

So while the September decision by the plans’ investment committee to reduce the assumed rate of future investment return by half a percentage point — from 7.5 to 7 percent — might seem like a minor tweak, it was actually a tectonic shift. The Vermont Pension Investment Committee was effectively acknowledging that the state shouldn’t expect Wall Street to correct the system’s shortfall.

Lawmakers, in turn, are taking a keen interest in the arcane world of pension fund investing. Gannon, a former investigator at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, has played the role of chief inquisitor, seeking to hold witnesses accountable for the funds’ underperformance.

“Historically, we have failed to meet our assumed rate of return, which is problematic,” Gannon told Pearce, who replied by urging him not to “dwell on the past.”

From 2009 to 2015, the assumed rate of return had been more than 8 percent, which the funds consistently failed to hit. The anemic historical performance

of return would free up cash for other programs,” he noted.

The current focus by lawmakers on investment returns conveniently ignores the historic underfunding of the pension by the state going back to the 1990s, Howard said.

“I think they’re looking for a way to assign responsibility for the crisis we are in to someone other than themselves,” he said.

The union proposed a 3 percent tax on incomes of more than $500,000, but House Speaker Jill Krowiniski (D-Burlington) says she doesn’t want to trigger a veto fight with Republican Gov. Phil Scott that she can’t win.

Pension systems across the nation have been gradually lowering their assumed rates of return in response to the challeng-

paid for more complex, highly managed funds that haven’t performed as promised, he said.

“We relied too much on Wall Street, and we didn’t do enough internally,” Golonka said.

That has changed, evident in the 2018 decision to hire a new chief investment officer, Eric Henry, and the 2020 choice of a new outside investment adviser, Golonka said. Henry was hired by and works in the state treasurer’s office.

The pension funds have beaten their targets in recent years and now rank in the top 20 percent or better of their peers when it comes to investment returns. Those topped 13 percent last year. Over three years, returns have been 8.5 percent; over five years, 9.7 percent.

Some of the proposed changes make

CANNABEAT

Scott Announces Picks for Vermont’s Cannabis Control Board B Y C O L I N F L A N D ER S colin@sevendaysvt.com

SASHA GOLDSTEIN

has convinced many in Montpelier that any rescue package must also include an overhaul of the oversight that allowed poor returns to persist for so long.

The seven-member Vermont Pension Investment Committee advises the Vermont State Employees’ Retirement System and the Vermont State Teachers’ Retirement System. It also directs investment of the smaller Vermont Municipal Employees’ Retirement System, but that plan is not funded by the state.

Lawmakers are proposing to replace the pension investment committee with a 15-member Vermont Pension Commission stacked with members with professional investment experience. It would be empowered to hire and fire investment managers and to set the investment return assumptions that impact the plan’s health.

Unions and teachers would still be represented, but a broader pool of appointees would blunt their influence.

“It’s very heavily weighted toward management,” complained Steve Howard, executive director of the Vermont State Employees’ Association.

For years, the Vermont Business Roundtable has urged the state to take a hint from the private sector and shift away from the traditional defined-benefit pension plans, which provide retirees a guaranteed payment, and contribute instead to portable retirement plans like 401ks. John Pelletier, director of the Center for Financial Literacy at Champlain College and coauthor of a 2020 pension reform white paper for the business group, told the House committee the best way to improve oversight is to increase the role of experts who can hold money managers and actuaries accountable.

“If you really want a watchdog, you need people who know pensions and know investments,” Pelletier said.

Equally important, he said, is to ensure that beneficiaries of the plans don’t have a majority voice in how those funds are managed. In an interview, Pelletier explained that having too many people with a vested interest in the outcome can influence financial decision making in subtle but crucial ways.

He described something akin to a conspiracy of silence, in which beneficiaries keep in place an unrealistically high estimate of future investment returns, in part because more pessimistic forecasts might lead legislators to reduce benefits or require higher annual contributions from current employees.

“Boom, there goes one year’s salary increase,” Pelletier said.

State leaders might also be motivated to overlook disappointing returns year after year without raising the alarm because, in the short-term, assuming “a higher rate

Katie Antos-Ketcham (right) and other teachers waving signs about the pension changes outside of Champlain Valley Union High School

ing investment environment of the past decade, especially the historically low interest rates, said Tom Golonka, chair of the pension investment committee since 2016 and a professional wealth manager.

Public pension funds don’t strive to match the returns of the stock market because they must keep much of their assets in safe investments such as bonds, whose returns suffer when interest rates are low. They need to keep a significant portion of assets as cash to pay benefits, which also affects how aggressively pension funds can invest, he said.

While lawmakers are right to be concerned about the historic performance, Golonka said, he’s frustrated by the focus on the past because returns have improved significantly since he took the helm. That’s partly due to the committee’s decisions to simplify the portfolio and reduce fees

sense, such as more frequent reviews of returns and actuarial assumptions, Golonka said. But the legislature should slow down and assess the pension investment committee’s recent track record before scrapping it, he said.

Unions and other state leaders, including Pearce, are calling for a more deliberative process that would take a close look at the governance and investment returns issue over the summer.

But Copeland Hanzas said her committee has been doing a “deep dive” into best practices for public pension governance for weeks, and she doesn’t see any benefit from further delay. The system’s pattern of missing its targets signals to her that it can’t be ignored any longer.

“Whenever there’s a shortfall,” she said, “the bill just gets handed to the governor and the legislature to pay.” m

Gov. Phil Scott on Monday named his three picks for the Cannabis Control Board, the entity responsible for licensing and regulating all stages of Vermont’s budding adult-use marijuana marketplace.

The nominees include James Pepper, a deputy state’s attorney for the Department of State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs; Julie Hulburd, the human resources director at the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation; and Kyle Harris, an agriculture development specialist at the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets.

The three were among nearly 100 applicants for the new board. The state Senate must confirm the nominees before they can begin their full-time gigs.

“The Board will play a critical role in ensuring public safety, equity and fairness while implementing this new market,” Scott said in a press release, noting that his three nominees bring “diverse and relevant experience.”

Pepper has been nominated to chair the board. If confirmed, he’d serve a three-year term and earn an annual salary of about $107,000. Harris and Hulburd would serve one- and two-year terms, respectively, and make about $80,400 a year.

By law, Scott was supposed to have named his control board picks by January 8, with Senate confirmation on or before January 15; their terms were to begin on January 19. The process is now nearly three months behind schedule.

The delays prompted some advocates and lawmakers to question whether Scott was using the appointments to intentionally slow the rollout of the new market.

Scott’s office, meanwhile, contended that the legislative timeline was unrealistic, especially considering his pandemicrelated responsibilities.

The governor, who personally interviewed all three candidates, said in the press release that he was “confident they will hit the ground running.”

And they will need to, should they hope to complete the many tasks and meet the many deadlines required under Act 164, the law passed last year that legalized recreational cannabis sales in Vermont.

They will almost certainly miss at least one deadline: The law called on the board to recommend certain fees by April 1 and to begin making rules for cannabis establishments by June 1.

The law then calls for some licenses to start rolling out next spring, with the first licensees allowed to begin legally selling weed in May 2022. m SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

23

WEEK IN REVIEW

OBITUARIES Linda Deliduka

AUGUST 21, 1942-MARCH 10, 2021 BURLINGTON, VT. I was given the gift of life. The time has come for it to be returned. This has been difficult for me to do. After surviving breast cancer and having two hips recently replaced, I feel as though I have more things to accomplish. More places to travel to. More people to introduce to each other. More families and children to help. I have been a lucky woman. Lucky to be a part of a large, extended and loving family. Lucky to have kind, caring and compassionate children and grandchildren. I am blessed to be part of a large cohort of friends and colleagues who are loyal, supportive and enduring. I could not have accomplished anything without YOU in my life. For this I am grateful.

Today is a beautiful day. I am sad to be leaving but happy to have been here.

Some final thoughts: • Women, be STRONG. • For those that want to dance on my grave, be prepared: Your feet will get wet.

• Teeny tiny fires do result in change; it all depends on proper placement.

—Linda Linda Cummings Deliduka, a native of Burlington, Vt., died peacefully at home on March 10, 2021, from uterine cancer.

She was born on August 21, 1942, at the Mary Fletcher Hospital, the first child of M. Baxter Cummings Jr. and Rae Sheehan Cummings. Linda attended Taft School, followed by Edmonds Junior and Senior High School. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Vermont in 1964. “Mrs. D” was a public school teacher her entire career and a lifelong advocate of children, educators, families and the New North End community.

By Linda’s request, there will not be a service or funeral. A public celebration of her life will be held when it can be done safely in person in the spring/summer of 2022 in Burlington. As a lasting remembrance of Linda’s dedication to Vermont families, please consider a taxdeductible charitable donation to the “Linda Deliduka TTF Fund” c/o Vermont Kin As Parents (VKAP) at 1205 North Ave., Box #13, Burlington, VT 05408.

Her complete obituary is available at gregorycremation.com.

24

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

FEEDback « P.7

also burns the gases before they go up the chimney. If you go outside and look at the chimney exhaust, you can’t even tell it is burning. No smoke. It’s not Grandpa’s woodstove. We get our wood mostly from naturally downed trees on a family member’s farm. This reduces the need to fell standing trees. Obviously, not all folks are in the situation I am, but Robert Young’s letter inferred that all wood burning is environmentally unfriendly. Not so.

Wayne Ross

COVENTRY

‘OOPS’ ISN’T ENOUGH

Mayor Miro Weinberger admitted a mistake but did not adequately apologize [Off Message: “‘I Made a Mistake’: Weinberger to Allow Racial Equity Director to Oversee Police Study,” March 17]. When one wants to repair damage, they must say more than “oops.” This is a first step; however, a true apology must also recognize the impact on the people harmed. Weinberger names what he did wrong but never the impact it likely had on Tyeastia Green and others.

Yes, I hold Weinberger to a high standard. We owe it to our democracy to do so because he has political power.

In addition to not apologizing beyond “oops,” Weinberger never acknowledged racism — only bias. Bias is a personal preference. I have a bias against small dogs.

Racism is different. It includes history, patterns, culture, institutions and power.

He could have said: “This mistake exposes my unconscious racist beliefs that people of color, specifically Black women, are less capable than white men of doing their job. I have internalized these ideas, and they hurt people of color in real, material ways. I pledge to unlearn these ideas for the rest of my life. This may not heal the wound I have perpetuated, but it is the least I can do.”

This is closer to doing enough but is surely lacking from my own internalized white supremacy and blind spots.

Here is a fitting quote from Ijeoma Oluo: “If your anti-racism work prioritizes the ‘growth’ and ‘enlightenment’ of white America over the safety, dignity and humanity of people of color — it’s not anti-racism work. It’s white supremacy.”

Rachel Siegel

BURLINGTON

Siegel is a former city councilor and executive director of the Peace & Justice Center.

FILE: COURTNEY LAMDIN

lifelines

‘IT IS TIME FOR THE MAYOR TO RESIGN’

[Re Off Message: “Weinberger Removes Racial Equity Director From Oversight of Policing Study,” March 16; “‘I Made a Mistake’: Weinberger to Allow Racial Equity Director to Oversee Police Study,” March 17]: I completely agree with the growing number of elected and appointed local leaders, especially those who are local BIPOC women, who have spoken of Mayor Miro Weinberger’s continued failures of leadership. They have identified many instances of bad decision making on issues of racial justice, his inauthentic apologies, and his continued lack of accountability for his actions.

The mayor has a long history of believing he knows best. This has been the case his entire tenure on a number of contentious issues, but it has been most alarming during the increased calls for racial justice in the city.

Rarely, and clearly only under increased public pressure, is he willing to take feedback and change course, from his fellow city leaders on the council, from commissioners or from citizens. He is quick to be defensive and criticize other local leaders, especially the few BIPOC city leaders, like Councilor Zoraya Hightower and Police Commissioner Melo Grant, instead of doing any genuine self-reflection.

Enough is enough. It is time for the mayor to resign.

I’ll be frank: I don’t believe the mayor understands systemic racism and how his white fragility is leading to his poor decision making. In interviews, he has said something along the lines of “...I do believe that somehow I have bias that led to this mistake.” Somehow?!

Many BIPOC and white folks have tried to educate him, yet he is still unable to even say the word “racism” or “I’m sorry” in his reversal statement.

Miro, do the right thing and step down as mayor.

Llu Mulvaney-Stanak

BURLINGTON

DODSON DIDN’T STAND A CHANCE

[Re Off Message: “Dodson Plagiarized Portions of Report on Burlington Police Transformation,” March 26]: Mayor Miro Weinberger’s tears fall like a crocodile’s upon the great gray-green, greasy Limpopo River that is Burlington politics. He chose a well-regarded local Black man with no experience in policing to do what? Suggest how Burlington police can become more professional in their occupation? In six months, the mayor expected a major reimagining of Queen

Mayor Miro Weinberger

City policing — and, by the way, can you help everyone get along and unite so they can all move forward together?

Eight pages for $75,000; that’s $9,375 per page. That the concepts and many of the words therein belong to others is certainly disappointing at that price point. But if the report were referenced, foot-noted and plumped up to 25 pages, would that make Kyle Dodson, with a background in education and administration, any better qualified to inform the police on how to do their job better?

Personally, I found his candor worth the admission price. Sacrificing the messenger is a time-honored strategy, and the mayor is a well-traveled political operative. My advice to Weinberger would be to thank Dodson for his seemingly sincere efforts and let him get back to his real job. The adults in the room need to roll up their sleeves and come up with a strategy, or agree to disagree.

Stop pretending they — or any other civilian lacking direct experience — know anything about policing, draft some guiding political principles, and promulgate public policy accordingly.

The media could help this process by 1) not allowing themselves to be used by elected officials as mouthpieces or for sound bites; and 2) keeping their eye on the ball instead of seeking to sensationalize something that’s ultimately tangential to the end goal.

Bill Agnew

CHARLOTTE

APRIL

10

VIRTUAL ALL NEW PRESENTERS

SATURDAY APRIL 10 10:00 a.m.

LEtGO Your Mind Summer STEM Programs

11:00 a.m.

Camp Edge

12:00 p.m.

AND

Common Ground Center Adventure & Family Camps

1 p.m.

American Precision Museum

2 p.m.

Lake Champlain Waldorf School

3 p.m.

Vermont Day School

SPONSORED BY

EXPLORE EVEN MORE OPTIONS FOR SUMMER! Join us for this second virtual event featuring all new presenters.

This Zoom-based Q&A series on April 10 is a great way to learn about opportunities for your child from a safe distance. Connect with representatives from summer camps and schools and hear about COVID-19 safety protocols.

Ask questions or just listen in. Attend one session or all — for free!

MORE INFORMATION AT KIDSVT.COM/FAIR 1T-CampFair032421.indd 1

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

25

3/30/21 3:32 PM

arts news

Soft Power

Art review: “Meg Lipke: In the Making,” BCA Center B Y AMY L I L LY • lilly@sevendaysvt.com

COURTESY OF SAM SIMON

ART

"Slanting Grid" by Meg Lipke

A

n appropriate warning to visitors of a current exhibit at the BCA Center would be “Don’t squeeze the art.” On the street level of the Burlington gallery, “Meg Lipke: In the Making” features the artist’s soft works cut from canvas and painted and stuffed with polyester fill. Eminently huggable, they evoke shaped pillows or abstract stuffies.

While most of Lipke’s works are wall-hung, two are freestanding (with the help of hidden armatures), and one hangs from the wall and slumps onto the floor, extending into the viewer’s space in a lumpy slouch.

Amusing and emotionally appealing, these pieces challenge the strictures of painting. Lipke is the daughter of Burlington artist Catherine Hall and late University

ART

26

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

of Vermont professor of art history Bill Lipke. In a recent Zoom webinar hosted by BCA curator and director of exhibitions Heather Ferrell, the artist explained that, after earning her MFA at Cornell University, she HEAT HER was a “very traditional painter” for a decade.

Then she “hit a wall,” she said, finding that the medium no longer excited her.

“Sometimes I find the history of Western painting really overwhelming,” Lipke said at the talk.

Her response was to shake up painting with craft. Inspired by her grandfather’s textile mill in England and her grandmother’s amateur artworks made from the

mill’s yarn, as well as her mother’s multimedia practice, Lipke began to create works that reject the rigidity of painting.

That’s rigidity both in the literal sense — rectilinear canvases stretched over wood — and in the art FERRELL historical understanding of the medium.

In “Black Cloud,” an early wall-hung work from 2014 to 2015, she replaced a painting’s traditional supports with polyester fill to craft a uniformly three-inchthick work in the shape of a cloud. On its flat, painting-like surface, Lipke created a white-on-black pattern of lines and dots using a wax resist on fabric dye.

Subsequent wall-hung works show how

IT’S MASSIVE AND UNWIELDY,

YET IT’S ABOUT TO RUN SOMEWHERE.

Lipke moved away from the flat surface to a stuffed-limb look. In these “paintings,” as she calls them, the paint — sometimes a riot of splashed color, other times a minimalist composition of lines and symbols in a subdued palette — curves around somatic volumes.

For “Loop Hoop” (2016), Lipke created a 59-inch-tall loop from the sleeves of her children’s discarded coats. “Portal” (2017) is a complex form whose angles interlock around an oval hole. In her talk, Lipke explained that she based the shape on a cardboard Easter egg container that reminded her of her grandfather’s colorsample cards from the mill.

In the webinar, Lipke cited another inspiration: Eva Hesse’s “Hang Up.” The 1966 work, made with Sol LeWitt, consists of an empty frame and an absurdly long

GOT AN ARTS TIP? ARTNEWS@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

COURTESY OF SAM SIMON

hanging wire that loops out 2016 exhibition at Freight + Volume in New York City, into the viewer’s space.

Lipke makes a simithose looped sleeves recall larly ironic commenamputated limbs. Other tary on the history works “reference rescue and act of painting and possible endangerwith her work, but in ment,” Kunin wrote. reverse, by eliminatA feminist thread ing rather than exagruns through the BCA gerating paintings’ show. “Parallel Bones” supports. commemorates Lipke’s That lack of 5-year-old daughter’s support structure broken elbow with makes “Slanting sections of plaster and Grid,” created for gauze wound around the the BCA exhibition, stuffed forms. Her cheerparticularly stunning. fully painted “Mother The stuffed muslin Body” is a host of grid is eight feet tall contradictions: With its and 18 feet wide. It vulva-like cutout at the hangs from loops over center, it embraces a void nails across the top; and renders the interior of at least eight people a woman’s body vulnerable were needed to wresthrough exposure. tle it into place, accordIndeed, if the tradition of ing to Ferrell. Three painting can be shaken up at all, "Loop Hoop" triangular “feet” at the it might be through this kind of bottom only feminist — and feminine — practice. appear to Lipke’s support favorite the work’s piece is the weight. stunning 84-inch-tall “Slanting Grid” is “Dream of a Painting,” she a literal slant on the act of painting, noted in her a send-up of the webinar. (It’s traditional use of a this reviewer’s grid to transfer an favorite, too.) image to a canvas.

With its fluid form Lipke references approximating a that practice by double frame that preserving one splits along the piece of canvas bottom, the work frames a negative stretched across a hole in the grid, space in rich hues but the ebullient of red, orange, splashes of pink, yellow and red and green pink. Such a acrylic paint lush gesture contrast with makes the what is usually blankness at an exacting its center all the process. more intriguing, Fe r re l l like an invitation to pointed out an unknown the humor of future — for the piece’s both an triangular important feet and emerging "Dream of a Painting" on-the-move slant. artist and her medium. m “It’s moving toward something else. It’s massive and unwieldy, yet it’s INFO about to run somewhere,” she said.

“Meg Lipke: In the Making,” through May 15 at Gravity is a factor in Lipke’s work, BCA Center in Burlington. Private tours every too. As Vermont artist Julia Kunin Tuesday, April 6 through May 11, at 9:30, 10:30 pointed out in a catalog essay for Lipke’s and 11 a.m. burlingtoncityarts.org

I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions, but laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind.

As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the time.

COURTESY OF MEG LIPKE

We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as a civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors.

— President thomas Jefferson July 12, 1816

2V-sweeney033121.indd 1

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

27

3/26/21 5:01 PM

arts news

GOT AN ARTS TIP? ARTNEWS@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

PAGE32

Short Takes on Five Vermont Books Seven Days writers can’t possibly read, much less review, all the books that arrive in a steady stream by post, email and, in one memorable case, a maelstrom of salamanders. So this monthly feature is our way

The Kinder Sadist

Predator/Prey

Jane Buchan, self-published, 313 pages. $9.99.

Frances Cannon, Ethel, 38 pages. $9.

“Hey, we’ve known for a long time that the world isn’t safe for women.”

Olivia and Bernadette have been “spirit-sisters” ever since the nuns paired them in the same hospital cot as newborns. When they were teenagers, Bernadette suffered a brutal attack that left both friends with lifelong trauma. Now middleaged, the two women are living a peaceful life in Toronto, both in caring professions, when they learn of a murder with grotesque similarities to what happened to Bernadette. Olivia’s cop boyfriend gets involved, and Bernadette starts seeing a stalker, suggesting that the perpetrators may still have her in their sights.

A former instructor at the Community College of Vermont, JANE BUCHAN has subtitled The Kinder Sadist “A New Paradigm Novel,” which she defines as “reflect[ing] the values of community, partnerships, and the broad perspectives granted by multi-cultural, multi-racial perspectives.” Indeed, the novel explores many viewpoints, including that of a killer. While the plot setup suggests a murder mystery to be solved by an intrepid detective, this is actually an inwardfocused tale about how survivors of violence process, witness and heal.

MARGOT HARRISON

I wanted to invite you in, but I know the taste / of these fierce, flash loves that turn bitter quick.

The slim literary collections known as chapbooks often fit in a back pocket. They enable writers, usually poets, to share a manageable, themed group of works that readers can absorb in pocket-size servings.

Vermont writer, artist and teacher FRANCES CANNON’s latest chapbook is zigzag-stitched through its crinkly vellum jacket. Her illustrations grace the cover and final page. You will want to put Predator/Prey in your pocket to savor slowly. You may also do this because Cannon’s poems are rich with discomfort.

Almost every page reveals a deeply personal example of how life renders us both predator and prey, sometimes simultaneously. The threats are diverse: men, both known and unknown; domineering lovers of any gender; self-doubt and aging; grudges that feed on us over time.

As a whole, the poems eloquently portray an accumulation of psychological bruises that every woman will recognize — and survive.

One jarring exception, which revisits an actual headline-grabbing murder, feels out of place for its lack of firsthand perspective and its brutal ending. Cannon wields more power in her intimate depictions of vulnerability threaded through the quotidian.

MELISSA PASANEN

28

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

Curbing Across America in the Age of Innocence Norm Riggs, self-published, 138 pages. $8.52.

Our goal was to each collect 100 houses an evening, so we had to move briskly.

Now living in rural Vermont, NORM RIGGS spent his younger years in Iowa. His often-funny memoir, published last fall, is set in the summer of 1964, when Riggs and college buddy Dave embarked on a cross-country trip with an unusual moneymaking mission. En route to the West Coast, the pair spent their days painting addresses on the curbs in front of suburban homes, returning later to solicit “donations” for their “community improvement” work. The project was largely successful, though not without mishap. Riggs acknowledges that being white, clean-cut frat boys helped the duo’s cause.

The author places his story in the broader context of an America on the precipice of enormous political and social change. “1964 was a watershed year, a turning point from which the nation could never turn back,” he observes in the preface. This framing elevates Riggs’ “age of innocence” storytelling, as do his evocative descriptions, particularly of the natural world.

PAMELA POLSTON

of introducing you to a handful of books by Vermont authors. To do that, we contextualize each book just a little and quote a single representative sentence from, yes, page 32. m

The Mountains Wild

Rough Road

Sarah Stewart Taylor, Minotaur Books, 416 pages. $27.99.

Jim Stiles, self-published, 228 pages. $12.95.

As we headed south and then west, the land opened and rolled, turning into the Ireland in my mind, green fields, little cottages tucked into the folds of the hills.

Slowly Tom started gaining on Elaine.

It’s 2016, and Maggie has been informed of a new lead in the cold case of her missing cousin, Erin.

Then it’s 1993, Erin has just gone missing in Ireland, and Maggie travels from the United States to look for her — to no avail. SARAH STEWART TAYLOR’s propulsive, atmospheric novel moves between the two time periods, while also providing flashbacks to the girls’ childhoods that reveal Maggie’s love for and frustration with her flighty cousin. The two were raised like sisters, but the differences in their characters are stark.

Modern-day Maggie, a Long Island cop, is determined to help the Irish police track down Erin and other missing women who may be connected to her. Stewart Taylor is a skilled storyteller who, having studied Irish literature in Dublin, is invested in capturing the country and its diaspora.

The next novel to follow Maggie’s adventures, a fresh mystery that again takes her to Ireland, will be published this summer.

MARGARET GRAYSON

Tom may be gaining on Elaine, but climate catastrophe is gaining on both of them — and it’s not happening slowly.

The two are high school seniors at the start of JIM STILES’ debut novel. With other students in their Climate Change Adaptation class, Tom and Elaine travel north from Massachusetts for a school project, seeking a place likely to remain habitable as the Earth heats up. The students zero in on Amos, Québec, as the place for their research on building an REC (radically efficient community).

Later in the story, with school assignments behind them, Tom and Elaine settle south of the border in the Green Mountain State. Stiles, who lives in St. Albans, studied environmental science at Marlboro College and civil engineering in graduate school at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “Thanks to people like Tom,” he writes in the prologue, “Vermont has become one of the great success stories coming out of the Bad Times.”

SALLY POLLAK

Stephanie Stephanie Douglas Douglas Stephanie Douglas Realtor Realtor Realtor

802.522.5886 802.522.5886 802.522.5886 Tony TonyShaw Shaw Shaw Tony

HOME@douglasandshaw.com HOME@douglasandshaw.com HOME@douglasandshaw.com

Realtor Realtor Realtor

802.343.7226 802.343.7226 802.343.7226

68 Randall Street South Burlington, VT 05403

6868 Randall Randall Street Street South South Burlington, Burlington, VTVT 05403 05403 2H-HOMEDouglasShaw033121.indd 1

3/30/21 5:28 PM

From video calls to streaming shows, Burlington Telecom's 1 Gigabit fiber-optic Internet can handle it all.

No Hidden Fees

r io

or

k . Sup

*Only available in serviceable locations. Contact us for availibility.

r Ne t w

ior Serv r e

Supe . e ic

No Contracts No Data Caps Customer Centered Locally Operated

802.540.0007 Main Office: 200 Church St. Burlington, VT Storefront: 1127 North Ave. #36 Burlington, VT

www.BurlingtonTelecom.com

2H-BurlTele033121 1

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

29

3/30/21 12:27 PM

PRODUCED BY 7D BRAND STUDIO — PAID FOR BY QUEEN CITY PRINTERS

A Passion for Printing The Schillhammer family celebrates 70 years in Burlington’s South End

Q

ueen City Printers doesn’t appear to be seeking attention in its low-slung, green building on the west side of Burlington’s Pine Street. From the outside, it looks like a modest copy shop amongst the breweries, bagel places, tech companies and furniture stores along the corridor that hosts the city’s annual South End Art Hop. But the inside tells a different story — of a full-service commercial printing operation that has thrived for 70 years in the able, ink-stained hands of one Burlington family.

Since April 1, 1951, three generations of Schillhammers have overseen the production of countless playbills, annual reports, calendars, catalogs and alumni magazines for Vermont businesses and nonprofits.

Their facility, which is much bigger than it looks, is a testament to their perfection of a demanding craft, as well as the industry and entrepreneurial spirit of the neighborhood in which they’ve been doing business for seven decades.

“When people walk through the shop for the first time, they always say, ‘Wow, I didn’t know it went so far back,’” Alan Schillhammer said of the 17,000-square-foot plant that has morphed and been reconfigured many times over the years as the technology of printing has changed. The darkroom, typesetting and “stripping” areas are long gone, replaced by automated mailing machines, thermal plate makers and increasingly precise presses.

Going “so far back” also describes the company’s long history. Queen City’s relatively new Kodak digital printer was the brainchild of Schillhammer’s son, Dan, who is also the machine’s sole operator. Like his father and late Uncle John, Dan grew up in the shop and started working there while he was in high school. His grandfather Dick, the company founder, was still working then. So 30

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

Alan and Dan Schillhammer

were numerous longtime current employees who now call Dan “boss.” In a plaid shirt and baseball cap, the company’s enthusiastic heir apparent is determined to keep the presses going.

“I’m not going to give up on printing,” said Dan, 36, an avid skier and outdoorsman who has brought

clients such as Rome Snowboards into the family business. Rome wanted its stylish spiral-bound catalog printed on recycled paper — and Queen City delivered.

“These are beautiful pieces, with lasting significance,” said Alan, noting that the shop just printed a book about the pandemic year for

Queen City Printers, 701 Pine St., Burlington

Middlebury College — an historic memento in a world of ephemera.

Although both father and son acknowledged that marketing trends and economic conditions have shut down presses in Vermont and across the country, “We’re not going anywhere,” Dan declared.

* * * The Schillhammers might have been Jericho farmers instead of Burlington printers if the family patriarch hadn’t died suddenly in 1923, when Dick was 9. His mom had to sell the farm, and Dick’s four older siblings scattered. He lived with two different sisters — in Burlington and Jericho — before graduating from Underhill High School in 1931. Three years later, while a student at Burlington Business College, he landed a job with the commercial printing company run by the Burlington Free Press.

When it closed in 1951, he and several coworkers founded Queen City Printers.

The business started as a letterpress printer, using the

PHOTOS: EVA SOLLBERGER

Gutenberg-inspired process of inking and pressing movable type against sheet after sheet of paper.

Things got more efficient with the advent of offset printing, in the ’60s, a technique in which the inked image is transferred from a metal plate — on rollers — onto the paper.

Alan’s older brother, John, gets credit for wisely moving Queen City in the offset direction. He ran the company with his dad for decades and with Alan after that. John died of a heart attack in 2013 at age 74.

Two months later, Dick, who had worked well into his nineties, passed at 99. Dan recalled a lunch with his granddad after the old man had moved to an assisted-living facility. They played a game of cribbage. Then, “he looked at me, and said, ‘You know, I’m getting ready to come back into the shop.’”

The current father-and-son team that runs Queen City has an easy rapport. They listen respectfully to each other, acknowledging their respective strengths. Alan loves working with customers and fondly remembers the old days of phone calls and press checks. Dan knows how and when to shake things up.

For example, the company owns the building next door, which was outfitted to house its mailing operation. Dan convinced his dad to move that equipment back into the main plant and lease the resulting space. The Raap family’s Upstate Elevator Supply Company turned out to be the perfect, pandemicproof tenant.

* * * Like any business, family-run ones need a clear chain of authority. When John was alive, Alan, now 66, did as his older brother told him.

Now he expects the same of Dan, but his leadership is humble and gentle.

“He actually does listen to me

The plant’s 17-person crew has a combined total of

375 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE working at Queen City Printers.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP:

Pressroom supervisor Wayne Foell; printing a job for Sugarbush; Alan Schillhammer reviewing a printed page for the Adirondack Life calendar

a little more now, which is pretty cool,” Dan said of his dad. And “It’s not like we’re so sick of each other by the end of the work week that we don’t want to hang out on the weekends.”

They talk shop, of course. Even before the pandemic, the printing industry was contracting. Fewer businesses are creating paper products — annual reports, mailings, menus and brochures — and longtime clients are ordering smaller quantities. Then came the pandemic. Queen City does lots of work for local arts organizations, including the playbills for the Flynn and Lane Series. Neither presented performing arts seasons in 2020-21.

Watch a video about Queen City Printers at sevendaysvt.com/qcp-video.

Ditto for college commencement programs.

“We’ve had to get a little leaner and a little more creative, which I think we’ve done,” said Alan. He noted that the plant’s 17-person crew, with its combined total of 375 years of experience at Queen City Printers, has been flexible and collaborative — more so than when the company was going gangbusters with three shifts a day.

On a Thursday in March, a dozen or so workers were minding multiple presses, cranking out printed matter for the City of Burlington, Lake Champlain Chocolates, Sugarbush Resort and Northern Vermont University. The six-color Heidelberg CD 74 was running a job for Adirondack Life. Although the machine operates way too quickly to track a blank white sheet of paper

moving through six towers, on the other side was the dazzling end result: perfectly registered images of red foxes, waterfalls, frozen rivers and summer sunsets for the 2022 calendar.

A keeper, for sure. n

T H I S A D V E RT I S E M E N T CO M M I S S I O N E D A N D PA I D F O R BY:

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

31

WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT BY KEN PICARD

32

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

FILE: KEN PICARD

O

ne would be hard-pressed to find an agricultural product more versatile or environmentally friendly than hemp. For centuries, this hearty and fibrous plant, which can grow in diverse climates and soil conditions, has been used to make fabrics, paper, rope, paints, insulation and fuel oil. As a food source, hemp seeds and hemp oil are high in protein, iron and unsaturated fatty acids. The plant grows rapidly without the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, it can sequester more carbon per acre than trees, and it can even be used to purify the soil of industrial contaminants.

In recent years, most Vermont hemp has been grown for production of cannabidiol, or CBD, which is widely used to treat pain, anxiety, depression, insomnia and seizures. CBD is now added to consumer products ranging from roll-on deodorants to dog treats and has fueled the state’s recent boom in hemp cultivation. The amount of farmland registered to grow hemp rose from 17 acres in 2014 to 9,089 acres in 2019, according to data from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets.

However, as an environmentally friendly product, hemp isn’t entirely green.

Throughout the state, organic and conventional farmers alike use enormous amounts of polyethylene black plastic to help produce it. Then, at the end of each growing season or the start of the next one, the flimsy, trash bag-like film, which cannot be reused, gets ripped up and sent to the landfill. Under state law, it cannot be burned or buried, but inevitably some of the plastic remains on fields and gets plowed under, contaminating the soil and water with leaching from the petroleum-based product.

So why is it used? Black plastic mulch, as the material is formally called, is common in the Northeast and other cold climates to suppress weeds, warm the soil and control erosion, explained Heather Darby, an agronomist with University of Vermont Extension.

Hemp producers aren’t the only growers who rely on it — far more black plastic is used in the production of vegetables, she pointed out. But because hemp is a relatively new crop in the state and is highly visible along Vermont’s roads, black plastic is most commonly associated with the nonintoxicating cannabis crop.

And, as anyone who routinely orders takeout food has likely discovered, black plastic cannot be recycled in Vermont

Why Do Vermont Hemp Growers Use So Much Disposable Black Plastic?

Hemp fields covered in black plastic

— or, more accurately, it doesn’t get recycled.

“It can be recycled, but, like anything else, we have to have a market to sell it,” said Alise Certa, marketing manager at the Chittenden Solid Waste District, which hasn’t accepted black plastic in the blue bins for years. “Right now, it’s less expensive for manufacturers to create new plastic the way they want it, rather than trying to recycle [black plastic] into something else.”

Over the years, several pilot projects have been aimed at recycling agricultural plastic waste, Certa added, including the black plastic mulch on hemp farms and the white plastic film used to wrap hay bales. Thus far, however, none has been financially sustainable.

Surprisingly, black plastic mulch is permitted for use on certified organic farms, according to Nicole Dehne, certification director of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont, which is accredited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to certify organic farms. Because pest control is such a major part of organic farming,

Dehne explained, there’s no regulatory threshold that tells farmers how much plastic is too much.

That said, most organic growers are uncomfortable with how much plastic they use.

“As we learn more about the dangers of plastics, this is definitely being talked about more among the growers themselves,” Dehne said.

And, as dozens of new growers entered the organic hemp industry in recent years, she noted, many weren’t informed about alternative means of organic weed control beyond covering their entire field in plastic. Those alternatives can include planting wider rows, which provide room for mowing; intercropping, or growing multiple crops together simultaneously; and planting low ground cover that suppresses weeds in the rows between crops.

Because hemp itself can be used to make biodegradable plastics, one would assume that organic farmers, in particular, would have embraced that option. But as Dehne explained, even that concept has been contentious.

Over the last decade, she said, there’s been debate over whether organic farmers allowed to use biodegradable plastics will be polluting the soil with other contaminants allowed in such products. The alternative, Dehne noted, is to continue using the petroleum-based ones, which are no better. While the National Organic Standards Board tries to find a workable compromise that addresses everyone’s environmental concerns, Dehne admitted that organic producers are left with few alternatives.

One possible solution, noted Darby of UVM Extension, is to use weed mats, which are made of fabric and can be reused year after year. However, they can be costly and labor intensive, and they require storage space.

“I feel like, with the hemp boom, somebody said, ‘You should use plastic,’ and no one knew what else to do,” she added.

“Honestly, I don’t know any growers who say, ‘I love plastic!’” m

INFO Got a Vermont mystery that has you flummoxed? Ask us! wtf@sevendaysvt.com.

I

n May of last year, Byron Batres saw a surge in business at his company, EZ-Probate. Coronavirus-related deaths across the nation had spiked within the previous month. People tasked with settling the estates of those who died, a legal process called probate, flooded his company’s website to use its system for completing the required documents more cheaply than they could by hiring an attorney.

To date, May 2020 remains EZ-Probate’s best sales month, said Batres, the company’s founder and CEO. It contributed to $700,000 in annual revenue last year, a nearly threefold increase from $189,000 in 2019.

That figure capped a trajectory of steady growth since Batres started the company in 2017 as a “side gig” while he worked as a certified financial planner.

EZ-Probate handled about 30 cases that first year and has since climbed to 1,000 in 2020. The company can do business in every state and has had customers from as far away as New Zealand, Australia and the Virgin Islands.

“I wanted to have a business that made something hard easier,” Batres said. “And I wanted to have a business that made something expensive less expensive.”

Batres now runs the company full time and worked solo until last April, when he began hiring the first of ultimately 10 employees, including a chief operating officer and chief marketing officer. Six of them work at safely distanced desks in a glass-walled office at the new Hula business incubator on the Burlington waterfront, while others work remotely.

EZ-Probate has found its niche by offering an alternative to a legal system that charges hundreds of dollars an hour, and sometimes tens of thousands total, to handle the transfer of assets after a death.

When someone dies, a person close to the deceased acts as the executor, representative or administrator of the estate to carry out the dictates of the will. That person must file reams of paperwork for the court. The estate can cover any legal fees, but the assets are often tied up in property that has to be vacated or sold.

And outstanding debts can sometimes wipe out what little money an estate has, leaving families to pay the attorney’s bill.

“Now imagine you’re just a regular working person who can barely make it; you’re paycheck to paycheck,” Batres said.

“Our mission is to provide access to legal services to those who need it, regardless of their economic or social or ethnic kind of background.”

EZ-Probate’s fees start at $600 for a basic do-it-yourself service that gives users automated software to complete

OLIVER PARINI

BOTTOM LINE BY CAROLYN SHAPIRO

Byron Batres

EZ Does It A Burlington-based company aims to make the probate process simpler and cheaper

the necessary forms, just as they’d use Climb High, which went out of business TurboTax to submit their annual returns in 2011. without hiring an accountant.

Batres’ own frustration with the probate Batres, 45, was process prompted him born in Guatemala and to start the company. In moved with his parents 2012, his wife’s grandto the Philadelphia area mother died, and he when he was 5. All his became executor of her life, he’d planned to estate. Certain financial become a doctor, but provisions of the will he changed his mind in created conflict with college and ended up Batres’ father-in-law, graduating from Pennleading to an intensely BYR O N BATR E S sylvania State Universtressful experience that sity in 1998 with a degree in philosophy the family’s well-paid attorney could have and a minor in business. helped them minimize, he said.

Batres moved to Vermont as a phar“I started this company out of spite,” maceutical salesman. Later, he became Batres said, only half joking. “I just think a financial adviser for Morgan Stanley there’s a lot of injustice in what I call ‘the and was certified as a financial planner in business of law.’”

2003. At one point, he and his wife owned Probate often involves disputes the Burlington outdoor equipment store between family members. That’s why

I JUST THINK THERE’S A LOT OF INJUSTICE IN WHAT I CALL “THE BUSINESS OF LAW.”

EZ-Probate offers Concierge service, a step up from the basic level, for $1,250.

“We do more,” Batres said. “We e-file.

We notify the family. We have unlimited phone calls. I’ll talk to your crazy brother, you know, if you don’t want to.”

Suzanne Dunning, a California resident, found EZ-Probate in 2019 after her father died in Vermont and she needed to oversee his will. When she called the company with paperwork questions, Batres eased her mind — a contrast to her complicated, stressful and expensive experience with the lawyer who handled the sale of her dad’s farm, she said.

“He’s really doing a good thing by handing people back their power,” Dunning said of Batres. “This doesn’t have to be scary. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming.”

Not surprisingly, the legal community has responded less enthusiastically to EZ-Probate. The company has received “inquiries” — from state bar associations and attorneys general acting on lawyers’ complaints — about whether it is engaging in the unauthorized practice of law, said David Thelander, EZ-Probate’s attorney. The State Bar of California, for example, sent Batres a cease and desist letter last September.

Thelander declined to specify the number of inquiries or the states where they originated, but he said the company has responded to every request for information. “Any and all matters have been resolved,” he said.

EZ-Probate cannot offer its do-it-yourself option in five states — Texas, Florida, Iowa, Missouri and Mississippi — that require an attorney to handle probate in court, but those states have exceptions for simpler cases involving limited assets or a single heir.

Convincing people to use an online service instead of an attorney remains a hurdle, Batres said. Some people need legal advice or prefer to work with a lawyer.

Last October, Batres partnered with a team of attorneys for such situations.

For its Attorney Plan, EZ-Probate charges customers a $5,000 flat fee and pays the attorney $1,500 for the first 90 minutes of work — enough time for most probate cases — and an hourly rate afterward. The attorney option brings in extra revenue while boosting interest in the company’s other service plans.

“It kind of gives us that Good Housekeeping stamp of approval,” Batres said.

So the guy who started EZ-Probate wanting to “crush” the legal establishment no longer hopes to beat ’em. He’s going to join ’em. m

INFO Learn more at ez-probate.com.

Bottom Line is a series on how Vermont businesses are faring during the pandemic.

Got a tip? Email bottomline@sevendaysvt.com.

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

33

Cash Course

CVOEO program helps New Americans take charge of their finances B Y M ARG A RET G RAYSON • margaret@sevendaysvt.com JAMES BUCK

Gita Dhakal

A

sma Abunaib admits she was nervous when she helped a group of Burlington-area Somali women sign up for their first credit cards. Abunaib, the manager of the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity’s Financial Empowerment for New Americans program, knew building good credit is a key step for New Americans as they plan for their future. She helped plan the festival-style event at which the women signed up with a credit union. But everyone knows credit cards can sometimes do more harm than good.

Abunaib started to feel more confident 34

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

as she received calls and questions about credit usage, showing that the women were taking it seriously and following instructions. When she checked in a year later, most of them had credit scores greater than 720 — good enough for a financial foothold in securing housing leases, car loans and mortgages.

Originally from Sudan, Abunaib received her doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies from the University of Vermont in 2019. By that time she was already working at CVOEO, where she started in 2017.

The financial empowerment program began with a one-year grant and focused

on Burlington’s Somali community. It held financial house parties, in which participants gathered in a home for a meal and conversation on a financial topic. CVOEO paid for childcare and the host’s cooking.

The parties started on an informal note; the guests chatted about news from their home countries and around the world. Then Abunaib, with the help of an interpreter, led a conversation on a topic chosen by the attendees: setting up a bank account, using an ATM, starting a business, buying a home.

“This was really effective, giving people time to talk about what they think about

and then narrowing the conversation,” she said.

Abunaib doesn’t consider herself an expert on the American financial system, but she isn’t afraid to admit what she doesn’t know and to get help from others at CVOEO. “I can say that I am an expert on making [that system] culturally responsive and relevant to [New Americans] to understand, which was the missing part,” she said.

Abunaib continually adjusts her programming to suit participants’ needs.

That includes changing language that doesn’t translate well, such as the name

of what CVOEO originally called Spend those fronts. And, once a person achieves Smart classes. a milestone such as home ownership, “Spend Smart is [a] very savvy and they spread the word of the program’s nice title for a class in English,” Abunaib helpfulness to others. said. “But in the beginning, when I was “I think the big achievement is that we using this, I spent 15 to 20 minutes just are well-known now as a project for the to explain what Spend Smart means.” She community,” Abunaib said. renamed the class Money Management, The pandemic put the program’s which translated better. in-person events and education programs The house parties expanded to on hold, but Abunaib and Dhakal have include other New American communi- kept busy answering questions about ties; soon they were conducted in Maay COVID -19, unemployment and stimulus payments.

Maay, Karen, Nepali, Swahili and Arabic. CVOEO They recorded, in several organized a sewing languages, audio guides to applying for unemclass at the request of ployment, Abunaib said; program participants who wanted to learn a new additional grant funding marketable skill. Abunaib helped them set up a also recruited community hotline. They have pointed ambassadors to translate people toward resources financial information and for medical bill relief and field questions. free food.

Identifying the right “The pandemic situpeople for that role ation, at the beginning, was tricky, she said. people were really scared Community ambassaabout it,” Dhakal said, dors had to be skilled in explaining that many both English and their members of the Nepali native language, have community have preexistexperience in providing ing conditions. community service, and Dhakal helped people be trusted sources of get tested for COVIDASMA ABU NAIB information. Many have 19 and explained the teaching experience, and seven out of concept of quarantining to those who tested positive. She and Abunaib coor10 are women.

Gita Dhakal, who serves as the dinated food drop-offs to their homes. program’s ambassador to the local Nepali Dhakal also assisted Nepali-owned community, said she’s seen “so much businesses in applying for state and progress” since joining the CVOEO effort federal relief funds. in 2017.

Besides working the hotline, AbunWhen they arrive in the U.S., Dhakal aib is developing a culturally responsive said, many Nepali people don’t under- curriculum to be translated into five stand American financial concepts such languages so community ambassadors as credit scores. “Back in our country, can teach financial information directly, the credit will be ... how good is your without needing an English speaker. heart, all the people you know, how nice She wants that curriculum to include you are — that’s the credit,” she said. the history of the financial system and “But in America, you need to show your answers to frequently asked questions. [financial] credit … so they can trust you.” While the pandemic has slowed the While the U.S. isn’t the only country with progress of this ambitious project, she a credit score system, the details of its hopes that, once CVOEO staffers are workings are unique. vaccinated, they’ll be able to resume it.

Many participants in the Financial “It’s a big project that I’m really Empowerment program also want to excited to be a part of,” Abunaib said. m learn about starting a small business, saving for education or buying a home. INFO Abunaib said she’s seen success on all Learn more at cvoeo.org.

THE BIG ACHIEVEMENT IS THAT WE ARE WELL-KNOWN NOW AS

A PROJECT FOR THE COMMUNITY.

CALL TO ARTISTS REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS DEADLINE: APRIL 23 Burlington City Arts and the Office of Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging are partnering on a call to artists for a public mural project.

The goal of this project is to complement Burlington’s Juneteenth festivities by commissioning 4 murals that create space for reflection and rejoicing in the history, culture, and resiliency of Black Americans, and that innovatively address the mural format as a tool for community learning.

BUDGET: UP TO $5,000 PER MURAL

FOR FULL PROJECT DETAILS VISIT burlingtoncityarts.org/call-artists-request-proposals

2V-BCA033121 1

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

35

3/30/21 10:53 AM

Pros at Cons

Vermont’s Financial Abuse Specialist Team aims to protect seniors’ wallets B Y K E N PI CA RD • ken@sevendaysvt.com

36

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

LUKE EASTMAN

C

andace Pratt of Williston has known “Elsie” her entire life. Elsie and Pratt’s mother met as schoolmates more than 75 years ago and remained friends, celebrating birthdays, holidays and other milestones together.

So when Elsie’s husband, “Robert,” died suddenly two years ago, Pratt, her sisters and their mother rushed to Elsie’s side.

At Robert’s wake, Elsie seemed confused and disoriented, Pratt recalled; at one point, she asked her friend who had died. Pratt, a registered nurse since 1979 with years of hospice care experience, immediately recognized that the 84-yearold woman was in shock.

After the wake, Pratt asked Elsie’s son, “Richard,” about his plans for his mother.

(Elsie’s, Robert’s and Richard’s real names have been changed for legal and privacy reasons.) Because Robert had a successful family business and owned multiple properties, Elsie had the financial resources to keep living in her central Vermont home — and had repeatedly told friends she wanted to do so, Pratt emphasized.

Elsie had minor short-term memory loss, Pratt said, but did not suffer from Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. Because Richard had been estranged from his mother and lived out of state, Pratt, her sisters and their mother, all nurses, volunteered to care for Elsie — for free — in her own home. For weeks, they took Elsie to doctor’s appointments, bought her groceries and kept Elsie’s son apprised of their activities. Pratt documented everything in writing for Richard.

“I had no worries that he would do what’s best for his mom,” Pratt recalled.

“I was so wrong.”

Only later would Pratt learn that, just days after Robert’s death, Richard had convinced his mother to sign a power of attorney giving him complete control of her finances. The document was executed in the town clerk’s office without her lawyer present. She soon lost control of her money, and her independence.

Stories like this are nothing new to Victoria Lloyd. A former investigator for Vermont’s Adult Protective Services, Lloyd spent years looking into allegations of financial abuse of older and vulnerable adults. In 2013, after the state disbanded its financial exploitation unit, she left her government job and founded FAST of Vermont, based in White River Junction.

Most Vermonters know where to call when their house is on fire, they get burglarized or a family member experiences chest pains. Not so many know where to turn when they or an elderly friend or relative gets scammed out of their federal stimulus check or unwittingly reveals their Social Security number in response to an email phishing scheme.

FAST — or Financial Abuse Specialist Team — aims to change that.

The group of professionals includes representatives of the Vermont Attorney General’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Adult Protective Services, Vermont Legal Aid, the Vermont Association of Area Agencies on Aging, the Community of Vermont Elders, Vermont 2-1-1, and local banks and credit unions. The team meets monthly and investigates allegations of fraud and financial abuse, particularly those targeting older Vermonters. It also educates members of the public on how to protect themselves.

The frequency of such cases is difficult to measure, Lloyd said, because

organizations and government agencies use different definitions.

“That’s one of our biggest challenges,” she said. “We can’t create programs and a coordinated effort to address these issues if we don’t have good data.”

But a report released on March 17 by the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center hints at the scale of the problem, which has only worsened during the pandemic. In 2020, the FBI received more than 28,500 complaints nationwide related to COVID19 scams alone. A state-by-state breakdown of all internet crimes revealed that Vermonters 60 and older were defrauded more than any other age group — to the tune of more than $1.6 million in 2020.

Lloyd groups financial exploitation into two broad categories: crimes committed by strangers to the victim — many linked to organized crime networks — and crimes committed by people the victim knows or even loves, as in Elsie’s case.

Among the more common ploys in the first category are romance scams, which

target emotionally vulnerable adults, such as seniors who recently lost a partner or live alone. Typically, the victim meets the perpetrator on a social media or dating platform, and the relationship quickly moves to private communications such as phone calls and emails.

“There’s this relationship by the impostor built on a mountain of lies to induce the victim to give them money,” Lloyd explained.

The scammers, many of whom profess their eternal love for the victim, will suddenly claim to be in dire financial straits or stuck in a foreign country in need of a plane ticket home. These elaborate stories and emotional manipulation can ensnare the victim into forking over thousands of dollars, Lloyd said.

Then there are the get-rich-quick ploys. Intricate confidence schemes are especially attractive to older adults, Lloyd said, such as retired men who still want to work and to leave their family a financial legacy.

Lloyd saw one such scam firsthand. Her then-70-year-old father, who was retired and in cognitive decline, was lured into investing in online computer sales despite his scant knowledge of information technology. Though her father had run his own manufacturing company, Lloyd said, he had no idea how vulnerable he was to internet predators.

Many older victims are slow to acknowledge that they’ve been ripped off, Lloyd noted — her father among them.

“Forty thousand dollars later, he still would not admit that it was a scam,” she said.

Often victims feel humiliated, mistakenly assuming that only naïve and uneducated people get victimized. But, Lloyd pointed out, financial exploitation happens to people of every socioeconomic status and education level. Nationally, it’s estimated that one in 10 Americans older than 60 becomes a victim of some form of financial abuse. Most of those cases go unreported.

Not all of that financial exploitation is perpetrated by strangers, nor does it all fall neatly into the category of criminal activity. Family members, friends, neighbors, caregivers and other trusted associates may take advantage of the trust they’re given.

No one was ever criminally charged in Elsie’s case. But, looking back, Pratt said

TREATS FOR YOUR PEEPS

? she now recognizes the signs of financial exploitation. They included the overuse of Elsie’s sedatives — which, as a nurse, Pratt reported to Elsie’s physician — and Richard’s frequent remarks about his need for money.

Pratt remembers sitting at Elsie’s kitchen table weeks after Robert’s funeral. Elsie was smiling and seemed to be returning to her old self — until her son came into the room and berated her. He threatened to sell her house and all of her property and belongings, then move her into a nursing home. All of the women at the table were speechless.

“She didn’t know what hit her,” Pratt recalled. Later that evening, Elsie said something that haunts Pratt to this day.

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION,

WE’RE IN A PLACE WHERE WE NEED TO BREAK THAT SILENCE. V I C TO R IA L L OYD

“She stopped dead in her tracks, looked me in the eye and said, ‘He is after my money!’” Pratt said.

The following morning, Pratt’s sister arrived at Elsie’s house and found it locked and Elsie’s van gone. After days with no word from her, they learned Elsie had been moved to a nursing facility out of state, with no notes or goodbyes to her lifelong friends. Pratt hasn’t seen or heard from Elsie since.

“Not that I haven’t tried,” she said. For two years, Pratt attempted repeatedly to reach Elsie by phone and certified mail.

Her mother and sister even flew south to visit the nursing home, where staff informed them Elsie wasn’t allowed visitors. As Pratt put it, “I don’t even know if she’s still alive.”

Elsie’s story may remind readers of Netflix’s black comedy I Care a Lot, which has brought attention to some states’ lax laws surrounding legal guardianship. But unlike the film, Pratt warned, the events in Elsie’s life were all too real.

“It could be a book. People would be

like, ‘Nah! That couldn’t happen,’” she said. “Yeah, it can happen.”

Lloyd cannot verify the facts of Snack on the BITE-CLUB NEWSLETTER Elsie’s case, which Pratt reported to for a taste of this week’s flavorful food Adult Protective Services and the coverage. It’ll hold you over until Wednesday.

Vermont State Police in 2019. (When 8 SO. MAIN STREET, Lloyd learned of it, months later, she, SUBSCRIBE AT ST. ALBANS too, referred it to law enforcement; sevendaysvt.com/enews 524-3769 “actions were not taken,” she said.) But Lloyd finds Pratt’s account instructive in RAILCITYMARKETVT.COM highlighting the telltale signs of financial exploitation by someone known to the victim. Elsie was isolated from friends12v-railcity033121.indd 1 3/23/2112V-BitClubFiller.indd 1:57 PM 1 12/21/20 6:13 PM and associates. A formerly estranged family member took over her finances by convincing her to sign legal documents while under emotional duress, without counsel or guidance from someone she trusted.

“When you have a sophisticated family member who knows how to put the appropriate legal documents in place,” Lloyd said, “then that becomes a very high hurdle [for investigators] to get over.”

Lloyd is also an attorney and founder of Athena Advocacy, a company that provides guardianship, fiduciary and care-advocacy services. She said one of the best ways for Vermonters to protect themselves is through good estate planning — writing a will, executing an advance medical directive, and designating a trusted friend or family member as a financial power of attorney. People who sign legal documents while going through a traumatic experience, such as the loss of a spouse, may be vulnerable to poor decision making and exploitation.

Fill your tank. Open a free Kasasa Cash Back checking account and Though financial abuse happens earn up to $6 cash back* rewards every month. You also get up to $20 often, Lloyd said FAST of Vermont can in monthly ATM fee refunds.** How would you use the extra fuel in your help. Often the hardest step is making account? Open your account online today. that first phone call. Lloyd likened the *Kasasa Cash Back If qualifications are met during a monthly qualification cycle problem to how society treated domesyou will earn 2% cash back (up to $6 total) on debit and/or credit card purchases How to qualify for cash back: that post and settle to your Kasasa Cash Back account during the monthly tic violence decades ago: What happens qualification cycle. One Kasasa Cash Back account per SSN. ■ Make 15+ purchases with your in the home stays in the home.

Qualification Cycle Debit and/or credit card purchases must post and settle to the debit and/or credit card; account during the monthly qualification cycle—this may take one or more business “As a culture, we don’t talk about days from the date the transaction occurred. ATM-processed transactions do not ■ Receive e-statements; and qualify. The “Monthly Qualification Cycle” begins on the last day of each month. money. It’s very private,” she said. “When **ATM Fee Refunds Domestic ATM fees (under $5 each) incurred during the ■ Log into mobile and/or online monthly qualification cycle will be automatically reimbursed and credited you think about financial exploitation, banking on or about the last day of the monthly statement cycle. Receipts must be especially among family members, we’re presented for reimbursement of single ATM fees of $5.00 or more. The maximum Even if you don’t qualify, your account is still reimbursement is $20 per monthly qualification cycle. in a place where we need to break that free and you can try again next month.

To have any Kasasa account, a NorthCountry Share Account is also required, which has a minimum balance of $5. silence.” m Insured by NCUA

What would you do with an extra $26 per month?

INFO

(802) 657-6847 (800) 660-3258 www.northcountry.org

If you or someone you know has been financially victimized, call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11, or 833-3728311. Learn more at fastofvermont.org.

3V-northcountry033121 1

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

37

3/26/21 9:03 AM

Essay: Ruminations on a quarantine retirement B Y J U ST ICE M AR ILYN SKOGLU ND

A

fter more than 40 years in interesting and mentally stimulating jobs — first as a lawyer at the Attorney General’s Office, then as a judge on the trial bench and Vermont Supreme Court — I retired. I knew that leaving public service would challenge my perception of my place in the world, but I underestimated how brutal I would be on myself. And while I planned to give myself some time to sort out next steps and my next identity, 2020 had its own plans.

In theory, I retired on September 1, 2019. But until Gov. Phil Scott named my replacement in December, I continued to make myself useful on the Supreme Court, hearing cases. I enrolled in a Spanish course at the University of Vermont and began class in September, but I dropped out after two weeks because I could not handle four days a week commuting to Burlington when 38

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

I was still working. I told my kids I was taking a gap year.

I kept busy in January, teaching at Middlebury College with my buddy, Justice John Dooley. Then in February, once our grades were in, I commenced serious pondering: What was next?

Bartending was my dream. But in March, when I expected to begin practicing the fine art of mixology, COVID-19 came swirling around the streets and slamming shut barroom doors. Alas. Finessing a bar rag whilst engaging in witty banter with alcohol-infused patrons would have to wait.

Had I known that the self-isolation resulting from the pandemic would rule my life for more than a year, I might have pulled it together, created a schedule and seriously worked on my novel. The one about the judge who, presiding in a particularly egregious child murder case, must exclude critically important evidence from the jury’s

MATT MORRIS

Benched

consideration because the rules of evidence required it, and the defendant is acquitted, and the judge goes rogue when she learns the state will be returning another child into the care of the absolutely, no doubt about it, guilty perp, and she kills the disgusting piece of… Well, you get the drift. I might have finished that book, but I didn’t. (She gets away with it, by the way.)

BETWEEN RETIREMENT AND COVID-19,

I WAS BEING ERASED. Still, I had other ideas. I would perfect the art of doing beautiful henna designs and open a booth at the farmers market.

This really excellent plan for my future employment failed, in part, because I live alone. I could replicate the classic patterns on paper, but having only my own two legs, one arm and one hand on which to practice proved unsatisfactory and messy. However, it did provide an excellent reason not to go out in public.

I’m not even going to discuss my attempts to groom my dog.

Between retirement and COVID-19, I was being erased. My lack of purpose gnawed at me. I woke each morning to a

worrisome void. What would I be doing if I could be doing something besides taking extra-long hikes with my dog? I didn’t need to be essential, but I wanted to be something.

Not one to fester in a sewer of my own making, I threw myself into Swedish Death Cleaning, or döstädning, as it’s known in Sweden. It is a process of removing unnecessary things to make your home nice and orderly when you think death is coming. Good times.

My attic laughed at me. The basement wondered who I was. My cupboards are now practically empty. (Note: Oldest “sell by” date was October 2, 2011, found on a box of Island Pineapple Jell-O. Why I ever bought a box of Island Pineapple Jell-O remains a mystery.)

Then, to keep busy, I made a time capsule to commemorate 2020. It holds the shot glass I bought at the Vermont Book Shop in Middlebury to symbolize both my teaching and my dashed dreams of pouring libations. There are several masks and one pair of sweatpants. A petrified slice of lime reminds me of all the vodka tonics that provided solace. There’s a tube of Bengay in memory of the sore necks caused by Zoom meetings. A ball of yarn represents the four baby blankets I knitted while exploring the wonderful world of Netflix. Now I must decide whether to bury the time capsule or blow it up.

I wrote poetry about murder hornets and hurricanes. While these diverse activities helped the days lumber by, they did not elevate my mood.

Seeing myself as being of no use to anyone was difficult. Having nothing to do that I thought had real value left me feeling like I had no value. Those were the hard days, when the first thought I had upon waking was, So what?

Then I gave myself a stern talking-to and began to reframe my viewpoint, looking for that elusive silver lining. I cannot help it; I am an optimist. Eventually, I came to realize that a year of magical thumb twiddling gave me months to forgive myself for not immediately moving on. An excuse, if you will.

I am trying to be a little more tender with my ego. I have forgiven myself for sloth. As one friend said when I whined about being of no use to anyone, I made him laugh. That’s a good enough reason for my existence for now. I’ll figure something out. m

OWN THE STOKE! Stay Safe. Stay Cool.

Keep in Motion.

FINE ART & MODERN DESIGN

AUCTION Friday, April 9th, 2021

$100 OFF

LIBERTY SKIS & WINTERSTICK SNOWBOARDS

Merrill’s is proud to offer a fine array of Classic and Contemporary Paintings and Sculptures, including an extensive group of Japanese Ukiyo-e Woodblock Prints.

We will also present a wide variety of Modern, Formal and Continental Furniture, a gorgeous collection of Fine Clocks and Watches, Formal Silver, Art Pottery including Rookwood, Glassware and Porcelain, Rare Books including a 1725 Bay Psalm Book, Vintage Cameras and Photographs, and many other fine

10-15% OFF

WINTER BRANDS INCLUDING SMITH, BLACK DIAMOND, MARKER AND SALOMON

Antiques and Collectibles!

Lalique “Deux Poissons” Crystal Fish Sculpture

O

MO

TIO N

SP

O

CO

L

RT S

Quality Collectibles For Everyone, With Items From $50 to $50,000!

O UTDOO

R

View our catalog and bid online at

MERRILLSAUCTION.COM 802-878-2625 info@merrillsauctioncom

Cool Motion Outdoor Sports

400 Rockydale Road | Bristol 453-4584 | coolmotionoutdoorsports.com

4T-coolmotion033121.indd 1

3/30/21 10:55 AM

4t-merrilauction033121.indd 1

3/25/21 4:39 PM

Vermont

Get the facts about the COVID-19 vaccine.

AARP has the latest information.

AARP is working to protect Americans 50+ by making sure you have the latest information you need about the COVID-19 vaccines and the distribution plans in Vermont.

Find out who’s eligible for the vaccine, when and where vaccines will be available and what you need to discuss with your doctor before you decide.

Just visit our website to get the most up-to-date information available about your vaccine options.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccine availability and distribution in Vermont at aarp.org/VTvaccine facebook.com/aarpVermont | @AARPVT | aarp.org/VT

2h-Nenpa(AARP)033121 1

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

39

3/26/21 4:15 PM

Granting Wisdom Barbara Floersch on her “why-to” book on fundraising for social change B Y D A N BOL L ES • dan@sevendaysvt.com

A

s the world inches closer to whatever our post-pandemic “normal” will be, the nonprofit sector will necessarily play an important role in the recovery. That’s especially true where social good is involved.

“I don’t mean to be irreverent to nonprofits,” Vermont-based grant-writing expert Barbara Floersch said in an interview. “But governments use them as social service sweatshops. If they see some demand that they’ve got to meet, the money goes out to nonprofits, who do it at a fraction of what it really costs to do.”

One way nonprofits operate on such slim margins is through grant funding. Grants are a critical component to the revenue structures of most organizations. That means successfully applying for grants will be particularly important in the months ahead. But, according to Floersch, when it comes to grant seeking, many nonprofits are doing it wrong. And she would know.

Floersch, of Berlin, has more than 40 years of experience in the nonprofit world. She literally wrote — or cowrote, anyway — the book on writing grant proposals. Floersch coauthored the 2015 edition of Grantsmanship: Program Planning & Proposal Writing with Norton Kiritz, founder of the Grantsmanship Center, where Floersch was a grantwriting trainer for 21 years.

The New York Times called Kiritz’s original 1972 edition of Grantsmanship the “grantseekers’ bible.” While that book is a how-to for grant proposals, Floersch refers to her new book, You Have a Hammer: Building Grant Proposals for Social Change, as the “why-to” manual.

Short and conversational in style, the book argues for a more holistic and intentional approach to nonprofit fundraising, and especially to grant seeking. By framing proposals around principles of activism and change, rather than simply the need for money, Floersch suggests that not only will nonprofits be more successful at securing funds, but they’ll become more successful organizations, period.

“Just because you need money doesn’t mean you necessarily need a grant,” she said. “Grants are great tools, but let’s use them correctly. Let’s get serious about how to use grant funding correctly and how to do real social-change work with that money.”

Seven Days recently spoke with Floersch by phone about her book, some common mistakes grant seekers make and the impact of her mentor, Kiritz, who died in 2006.

40

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

instead of stepping back, looking at the situation and saying, “If this grant is a tool, what does the tool need to accomplish?”

There is a way of looking at grant writing that is all about change. It’s not pie-inthe-sky or lofty philosophy. The reality is that the only purpose of a grant proposal is to create a partnership to make something better.

There are a whole lot of how-to books out there. I’ve written one, and I think it’s good. But until you really understand this piece of it, you’re not going to use grants work to do what can be done.

WE NEED TO RECALIBRATE HOW WE THINK ABOUT GRANTS. B ARBARA F L O E R S C H

SEVEN DAYS: Why write a “why-to” book on grant writing?

BARBARA FLOERSCH: I have trained thousands of people, most from nonprofits of all types. And what I observed was that there were common misperceptions around grant seeking that kept the power of the work from being fully realized, that limited what they were doing. A lot of those people are being told, “Go get the money,”

SD: How does rethinking grants work play into rethinking a post-pandemic world?

BF: This point right now is such a moment of both disappointment and reckoning, but also opportunity. So what I hope is that grant seekers and even grant makers can step away from business as usual: “I’m a nonprofit, and I need money; therefore I need a grant.” I think we need to recalibrate how we think about grants.

The point is, there’s so much to be done and there’s never enough resources to do it. So if we really want to get serious about all the change that we can wring out of this time, then let’s look at grants, as well, and how we can use them correctly.

SD: What are the biggest mistakes or misperceptions people make when they’re seeking grants?

BF: The first one is that the lack of whatever it is you want to do is not the problem. So let’s say you come to me and say, “I want to get a grant because there is a lack of low-income housing.” Now, that’s a common one, and everyone knows there’s a lack of low-income housing. But what I want to hear about is, what is it in the community that concerns you? I want to hear about people who are in inadequate housing, people who are homeless because they can’t get a place that they can afford, people paying 50 percent of their income on housing.

In other words, low-income housing is the solution to a need or problem. But what is the need or problem? Why do you think we need to do that? If you really want to make change, you’ve gotta drill down into the community, document them, talk to the people impacted. It’s defining what’s motivating you and engaging the people affected in finding the solutions.

SD: That seems like a tricky distinction to make.

BF: I had a man from the United Way come speak to one of my classes, and he put it really well. He said, “I don’t care if 200 people walked through your door. I want to know what changed because they walked through your door. What was better?”

If you look at grants as a tool for social change, you understand that the change is what everybody is after.

SD: You argue that grant seekers should see grant makers as partners.

BF: Funders are partners. Funders want to see change. The funding they provide, the grants — that’s a tool to achieve the change. So you’re in it together. They’re not paying to do activities; they’re paying you to make something better.

So this book is meant to say, “All right, people. You might be able to write a wonderful proposal that responds to the funders’ guidelines and maybe bring in some money.

But if you’re serious about change, get serious about these pieces of the work.”

SD: Norton Kiritz was your mentor.

What did you learn from him?

BF: He was the father of the field. He was the only person I’ve ever met who had a level of dedication and understanding of what grants really are and can be. He was blazingly intelligent and ferocious.

He was plainspoken, and he had a neverfailing dedication to logic: If you want grant money, you need to lay out a very logical case for why and what difference it’s gonna make. And if you didn’t involve the people you wished to serve in trying to figure out what needed to be done, he got angry about it. It was about having a respect for your constituency: Do things with people, not to people.

And that plays very much into today, with the lack of representation for BIPOC people or any underrepresented group.

You don’t just go in and say, “We think this should be fixed this way” — me, white old woman. Norton was an egalitarian, and I appreciated that. m This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.

INFO You Have a Hammer: Building Grant Proposals for Social Change by Barbara Floersch, Rootstock Publishing, 118 pages, $16.95.

HOW’S THE RIDE FEELIN’?

Let us keep the wheels rolling along with your mojo!

Call for an appointment today!

HOWARD CENTER presents THE MARNA AND STEPHEN WISE TULIN

SPRING COMMUNITY

EDUCATION

• • • • • • •

diagnostics alignments tire repair brake service oil changes exhaust systems inspections

SERIES FREE AND OPEN

QUALITY CAR CARE, DELIVERED WITH RESPECT.

HOARDING AND CLUTTER: COMMUNITY SUPPORT APPROACHES Erin Roelke and Millie Richard, Age Well April 6, 2021 | 2:00-3:30 pm

Zoom webinar, free registration required at www.howardcenter.org

TO THE PUBLIC

491-4911 girlingtongarage.com

6H-girlington031021.indd 1

3/8/21 3:18 PM

howardcenter.org | 802-488-6912

6h-HowardCenter033121 1

3/29/21 3:04 PM

Choice is Everything...

The care you need with the freedom to fill your days with the things you love: learning, culture, entertainment, nature, spectacular dining and more.

...it’s Senior Living Your Way! Spring Incentives: Contact us to lock in your exclusive rate.

Middlebury | 802-231-3645

S. Burlington | 802-489-7627

Shelburne | 802-992-8420

Independent, Assisted & Memory Care Living An LCB Senior Living Community: Over 25 Years of Excellence Untitled-5 1

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

41

3/26/21 10:12 AM

A New Leaf

A fresh take on an age-old business transforms a Vermont tradition S TO RY & IMAG ES BY AN NE WALL ACE ALLE N • anne@sevendaysvt.com

F

or a town with a population of just 1,500, Marshfield has a lot of businesses tucked away in its rocky hills. But few take up as much space, or attract as much attention, as New Leaf Tree Syrups, which has miles of sap-collection tubing on maple, birch and other trees through the nearly 3,000 acres of land it owns east of Route 2.

New Leaf is part of a New York-based sap and syrup company called Forest Farmers that also owns about 7,000 acres and a sugarhouse in Lyon Mountain, N.Y., in the foothills of the Adirondacks.

The company started in 2016 with three business partners and built an eye-catching post-and-beam sugarhouse on Route 2 that, in normal times, welcomes visitors and sells its products. All of the syrup created in the sugarhouse is sent back to New York for bottling and distribution.

Mike Farrell, cofounder and CEO of both companies, ran Cornell University’s maple syrup research center for 13 years, until 2018.

Farrell said New Leaf — Forest Farmers’ sap and syrup brand — is the largest producer of birch sap in the United States.

The company has about 15,000 birch taps in Vermont and about 20,000 in New York, along with 46,000 and 107,000 maple taps in those states, respectively.

“We measure our maple syrup production in the tens of thousands of gallons and our birch syrup in the hundreds of gallons,” he said.

Farrell knows New Leaf is the largest in the nation, he said, because he knows pretty much everyone in the birch sap and syrup industry. While tapping birch trees has a long history in Alaska and Russia, it’s a fairly new practice on the East Coast.

Mark Cannella, a farm business management specialist at University of Vermont Extension, started hearing about birch sap roughly a decade ago. He said people who were tapping maple trees were looking for a way to diversify.

“I don’t want to say it’s fringe,” said Cannella. “It’s a novel crop. It’s that group of people who are in the woods. Either they own birches or they own equipment for processing maple, and naturally a lot of people have thought, Is this a complementary business for my equipment?”

If the question has arisen, not many Vermonters have followed through. The Vermont Maple Sugar Makers’ Association has just two members producing birch 42

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

some Marshfield residents when they heard about the proposed operation, and Farrell met with the selectboard and with residents in 2018.

Rumors circulated that the company planned to buy another 2,000 acres and install hundreds of thousands of taps. There are still complaints about the look and impact of the banks of tubing — blue for maple sap and green for birch — that are visible from trails and roads. New Leaf also constructed a sap collection building next to a railbed that is a popular walking route.

When sap is running, the building houses two or three seasonal workers.

Jon Groveman is policy and water program director at the Vermont Natural Resources Council. Speaking in his other role as a council attorney and as a Marshfield resident, he said the rapid growth of New Leaf shows that Vermont needs better tools to regulate the very large-scale sugaring operations that have emerged in the last several years.

While the majority of Vermont maple sugar producers are small, according to a 2019 market report commissioned by the state, a small number of large-scale operations with more than 5,000 taps produces most of the state’s syrup. One is Sweet Tree Holdings, the largest maple operation in the world. Owned by a Montréal-based investment banking firm, 8-year-old Sweet Tree has about half a million taps and produces syrup in an 84,000-square-foot former Ethan Allen furniture plant just outside of Island Pond.

One reason for that expansion, says the market report, is new technology such as vacuum systems that can increase sap yield by as much as 100 percent. Other innovations, such as reverse osmosis, significantly reduce the time it takes to make syrup from sap.

About 2,300 acres of New Leaf’s forestland is enrolled in the state’s Use Value Appraisal Program, significantly reducing its local tax bill.

“They’re exempt from everything because they’re considered agriculture,” said Groveman, who is on Marshfield’s Development Review Board. “They’re exempt from local zoning. They’re exempt from wetlands laws for the agricultural purposes.”

Farrell said the company doesn’t plan to acquire more land but will put in another

BUSINESS

New Leaf maple lines

Andrew Giroux

syrup, and they’re nowhere near as large as New Leaf, said communications director Cory Ayotte.

Back before the pandemic began, birch sap and syrup were gaining traction as flavoring and novelties. New Leaf labels and sells birch sap as a beverage in singleserving bottles and cans. It also sells a maple-birch blend.

COVID-19 sharply reduced demand for the beverages made by New Leaf, said Farrell. The company now has a surplus sitting in barrels in its 5,000-square-foot Vermont sugarhouse, said manager Andrew Giroux, whose wife and two

teenage children also work at the business.

Giroux owns a stone masonry business that operates in the spring, summer and fall.

But New Leaf and Forest Farmers are forging ahead strongly, and Farrell expects demand for the birch to recover. He said New Leaf’s birch syrup won first place at a Russian birch syrup festival last year.

New Leaf also taps walnut and beech trees in New York for sap and syrup, which travel through miles of underground tubing to five 60,000-gallon storage tanks — the greatest sap storage capacity in the world, according to the company website.

New Leaf ’s size and scale alarmed

Book Launch Box

Debuts Earth Day - Order by 4/19 Free shipping!

50,000 or 60,000 taps when doing so makes economic sense. He couldn’t estimate when that might be.

“I believe he cares about the forest; he’s a forester,” said Groveman of Farrell.

“They want to do this the right way.”

He added that residents are lucky the company has pledged to keep its trails — including the land it owns on the railbed — open for recreation.

But thanks to Groveman’s experience with New Leaf’s impact in the Marshfield forest, VNRC is now taking a new look at the impact of industrial-scale sap extraction in general on Vermont’s water quality, wildlife and recreation.

“Are we set up to deal with this in the right way? Our current systems of agricultural exemptions and taxing don’t fit this,” Groveman said.

are optimistic about sustained growth but recognize the need to adapt to new policy, climate, land use and market forces to maintain Vermont’s role as the premier maple state in the United States,” the agency wrote.

But maintaining that sweet reputation means maintaining the natural resource that makes it possible: trees. New Leaf’s miles of tubing prompt questions about whether it’s good for the trees to have so much sap removed by vacuum pump technology.

Cannella said he’s heard those questions, too, about sugaring in general.

“There is definitely technology getting more sap out of trees (than in the past), but there is a lot of research on best practices to make sure the health of those trees is maintained,” he said. He added

FARM GIRL, A MEMOIR, by Megan Baxter

Local&Food "A startlingly lovely A Book memoir..."

- Jodi Picoult, #1 NYT bestselling author

meganbaxterwriting.com

12H-MeganBaxter0421 1

3/30/21 11:05 AM

HAVE YOU

NOTICED OUR LEGAL ADS?

Check them out for important and useful information, including Act 250 permit applications, foreclosures, notices to creditors, storage auctions and planning and zoning changes.

Contact Katie for a quote at legals@sevendaysvt.com; 865-1020 x10.

Steam evaporator

Where banking stays personal.

At People’s United Bank, it pays to bank with us.

UP TO $400 CASH BONUS When you open a personal checking account1

Account

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets welcomes the rapid expansion of the sugaring business in the state. In its “Vermont Agriculture and Food System Plan 2020-2030,” the agency noted that an increasing global market for maple sugar products is putting pressure on sugaring operations to lower their production costs and improve their marketing.

The agency wrote that tap count and gross agriculture sales of maple syrup doubled in Vermont from 2008 to 2018, with production valued at $54 million in 2018. It also found that only 12 percent of the state’s maples are being used for syrup production, “leaving a large amount of untapped forest available for expansion.”

“Maple leaders

that trees make much more sap than even vacuum pumps can extract.

“But with climate change and other things that could create shocks or morbidity for trees, people are certainly aware of this,” he said. “These are longlived trees. You can’t replant a maple and [harvest] it for 60 to 80 years. So people want to maintain tree health and forest health.”

Many studies show that there is no harm to the trees, said Giroux, who remembers working for maple sugar producers in Cabot when he was growing up.

“This certainly beats collecting sap in buckets,” he said. m

INFO Learn more at newleaftreesyrups.com.

Bonus

Advantage Plus Checking

$3001

Premier Advantage Checking

$4001

Visit our newest Burlington branch today.

Now open at 77 Pine Street.

OPEN AN ACCOUNT TODAY! In a rush? Securely open an account online in less than 10 minutes.

1This

offer is available for new accounts opened in a People’s United Bank branch, online or with the Call Center. For accounts opened online, you must use the “Apply Now” link on the offer page at the time of account opening to be enrolled in this offer. If you enter an eligible zip code and use the “Apply Now” link, the promo code SPRING21 will display. To qualify for the $300 or $400 personal checking offers, you must 1) Mention promo code SPRING21 when you open your new Advantage, Advantage Plus or Premier Advantage checking account held individually or jointly between 3/20/2021 and 4/30/2021 with a $25 minimum opening deposit, 2) Receive qualifying direct deposits in the account totaling $2,500 or more within 60 days of account opening. Qualifying direct deposits are recurring electronic deposits of your paycheck, pension or government benefits (such as Social Security) from your employer or the government into your checking account. Refer to the Schedule of Deposit Account Charges for minimum balance requirements to avoid the monthly service charge. The personal checking offer is not available to existing People’s United Bank personal checking customers, which means any account owner cannot currently have or have had a People’s United personal checking account within the last 365 days. Fiduciary accounts are not eligible. This offer may not be combined with other offers. Offer expires 4/30/2021; however, People’s United Bank may change or discontinue this offer at any time before this date without notice. Reward will be credited to your personal checking account on June 11, 2021 if your account is open and has a positive balance at the time of reward payout. The account must remain as the original account type opened to receive the reward payment.

If the personal checking account is closed within 6 months of opening, we may deduct the bonus amount at the time of account closing. One reward per household. Reward is considered interest and will be reported on IRS Form 1099-INT. ©2021 People’s United Bank, N.A. | Member FDIC | Equal Housing Lender SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021 43 Ad_Burlington Grand Opening_OfferV3.indd 3v-peoplesunited032421 1 1

3/18/21 3/15/21 10:09 8:28 AM

food+drink

A

FOOD LOVER?

GET YOUR FILL ONLINE...

44

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

Slice of the Pie

Piecemeal Pies expands with scores of investors

BY S AL LY P O L L AK • sally@sevendaysvt.com

An English savory pie from Piecemeal Pies

Josh Brown (left) and Justin Barrett

PHOTOS: SARAH PEET

bout a month after the owners of Piecemeal Pies in White River Junction announced their plan to open a location in Stowe, restaurants in Vermont were ordered to close to control the spread of the coronavirus.

The timing could hardly have been more precarious for Piecemeal Pie’s plan.

Business dropped by about 75 percent when the Upper Valley restaurant reopened later last spring, according to co-owner/chef Justin Barrett. (It would pick up considerably when warm weather allowed for outdoor seating.)

“This was the year I was actually going to be able to pay myself,” Barrett, 38, said of 2020. He owns the restaurant with Josh Brown, 35, who is also his life partner.

But financing was perhaps the most problematic element of the expansion in the year of the pandemic. Though no loan documents had been signed, banks lost interest in financing the Stowe branch, Barrett said.

This scenario was typical in 2020, according to banker Justin Bourgeois, who specializes in financing food and beverage businesses.

“Restaurant financing since the pandemic has been a challenge, if nonexistent,” Bourgeois, regional vice president at Community National Bank, wrote in a text. “But with the opening of the economy, we should see more opportunities for financing with traditional lenders.”

For Piecemeal Pies, the money solution came via a crowdsourcing platform called Mainvest. The Massachusettsbased firm facilitates investment opportunities in small businesses. It helps connect investors with local businesses, manages the filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and handles the quarterly payments to investors, according to Kaylin Kulza, a Mainvest business success manager. People can invest as little as $100.

With a focus on Main Street investing, the company has helped to fund 94 businesses. It currently has 42 active offerings on its platform, including Piecemeal Pies. Through March 28, 78

FOOD NEWS SERVED TO YOUR INBOX

FOR A SNEAK PEEK AT THE WEEK’S FOOD COVERAGE, RECIPES AND OTHER DELICIOUS TIDBITS, SIGN UP FOR THE BITE CLUB NEWSLETTER: SEVENDAYSVT.COM/ENEWS.

people had invested a total of $83,600 in the business.

A bakery, bar and restaurant that specializes in savory pies, Piecemeal Pies is the first Vermont business to work with Mainvest. The investment platform was interested in it for numerous reasons, according to Kulza.

“They’re very community focused,” she said. “They use local ingredients and [purchase from] local farmers. I think they kind of represent Vermont.”

The money will help Piecemeal Pies fund a major renovation project in Stowe.

The red clapboard building on Main Street, which is set back from the street, is built into a hillside. The lower level will be the site of a new kitchen. Connected by a staircase to the upper dining area, the kitchen will be built in a former barbershop that vacated the building during the pandemic. The restaurant owners plan to create a corner space on this level for a chef ’s table with a view of the open kitchen.

The front-facing street level of Piecemeal Pies will offer two separate entrances for customers: one side for takeout service, another for folks who want to dine in.

Barrett, who trained as an architect, and Brown said that designing and planning a site is a favorite feature of restaurant ownership. COVID-19 prompted them to alter their Stowe design plan — expanding customer space by putting the kitchen downstairs.

“I always revert back to my theory that the only way to really be successful in the restaurant industry is to reduce as many variables as possible,” Barrett said.

“And COVID is a giant monster of a variable, and it has shown us how fragile the industry is.

“We don’t want to look at the lessons we’ve learned and the changes we’ve made over the past year as a Band-Aid,” he continued. “We want it to be integrated into the design and the experience, so it can still be positive and safe.

It’s an opportunity to do it right from the beginning.”

One of the investors in Piecemeal Pies is Scott Cone of Pomfret, co-owner of Woodstock-based Discovery Bicycle

GOOD TO-GO VERMONT:

SLICE OF THE PIE

» P.48

VERMONT RESTAURANTS ARE STILL MAKING DELICIOUS FOOD FOR TAKEOUT, DELIVERY OR CURBSIDE PICKUP. FIND OUT WHAT YOUR FAVORITE EATERIES ARE SERVING UP AT GOODTOGOVERMONT.COM. #GOODTOGOVT

SIDEdishes SERVING UP FOOD NEWS

Dining D’Lite SHERPA FOODS TO ADD SMALL RESTAURANT THIS SUMMER

Melissa Pasanen

ZAFA Returns DLC ISSUES LICENSES TO BURLINGTON’S ZAFA WINES

On March 25, the Vermont Department of Liquor and Lottery issued four licenses to ZAFA WINES, allowing the Burlington-based wine business to manufacture, sell and distribute wine.

Founded and owned by winemaker KRISTA

SCRUGGS, ZAFA was or-

dered to cease operations last November because, according to the Division of Liquor Control, it was operating without proper licenses in place.

ZAFA brought its case before the Vermont Board of Liquor and Lottery at hearings on March 18 and 24. On March 25, the board formally granted the licenses with five conditions attached.

“We’re very pleased with the outcome of today’s hearing,” Burlington attorney Heather Ross, who represents Scruggs, told Seven Days last week.

“Krista Scruggs is thrilled to be able to get back to running her business.”

The licenses are the first the state has issued to ZAFA and Scruggs, according to GARY KESSLER, deputy commissioner of the Department of Liquor and Lottery. He said his department did not receive a complete SIDE DISHES

"Top 5 Natural Wine Retailers in the US" - Wine Enthusiast Magazine

I

I

I

Wine Market Cafe Bar

388 Pine St. Burlington· 1031 Mountain Rd. Stowe (802) 865-2368 · (802) 585-7717 · dedaluswine.com • @dedaluswine 4T-Dedalus033121 1

3/30/21 12:26 PM

And on the seventh day, we do not rest.

Instead we bring you...

» P.49

LUKE AWTRY

South Burlington-based SHERPA FOODS will open a counter-service restaurant called HIMALAYAN D’LITE at its new home at 1303 Williston Road.

The business is relocating there this spring to expand production of its prepared foods, including the traditional Nepali dumplings called momos.

Co-owner NURBU SHERPA expects the eatery to open by early summer. He described it as a “factory outlet and quick pickup, fast-casual restaurant.” Himalayan D’Lite will use a quarter of Sherpa’s new 5,000-square-foot space, occupied most recently

by Tian Fu Buffet.

Customers will be able to buy the company’s line of momos and sauces, which are currently sold at retail stores

throughout Vermont, with expanded regional distribution in the works.

(See “Mountains of Momos” on page 46.)

The menu will also feature newer additions to the prepared-foods line: Himalayan-style vegetable fried rice and noodle chow mein. Sherpa said other offerings might include a soupy dish of momos in sauce known as jhol momo and a “sherpita” flatbread topped with Nepalese-style potato salad.

Momos from Sherpa Foods

Get the newsletter featuring notable news, arts and food stories handpicked by our editors. Sit back, relax and read up on what you may have missed.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY: SEVENDAYSVT.COM/ENEWS

4t-sundaybest-dog.indd 1

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

45

3/2/21 6:43 PM

Mountains of Momos South Burlington’s Sherpa Foods grows its dumpling business and goes regional B Y M E L I SSA PASANEN • pasanen@sevendaysvt.com

46

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

PHOTOS: LUKE AWTRY

S

ix years have passed since the first summer the Sherpa family sold momos at the Burlington Farmers Market. Early on, Nurbu Sherpa spent a lot of time explaining the traditional Nepali dumplings to curious customers.

“I remember that part clearly,” his wife, Phura Sherpa, said. While she and her mother-in-law, Radha Sherpa, steamed the hand-crimped beef or vegetable dumplings, Nurbu patiently answered the same questions over and over: “What is [a] momo? What is momo sauce?” Phura recalled.

Nurbu still has the response down pat.

“Momos are kind of like Polish pierogis or like samosas,” he explained recently at Sherpa Foods’ South Burlington production facility. “They have different fillings inside with the flour wrap on the outside, and they can be steamed or fried. You eat that with our own tomato-based momo sauce, which is similar in style to hot sauce.”

In 2015, the Sherpas were making 150 to 200 momos weekly in a tiny rented kitchen in Burlington. They have since scaled up: first into a commercial kitchen they built in their South Burlington home and then, in early 2020, into their current 1,600-square-foot space on Williston Road.

By that point, they had also invested in specialized mixing, filling and dumpling-wrapping equipment.

“I used to get a lot of sore arms,” Phura said. “Even my mom-in-law would [get sore] from rolling all the dough,” she added — nodding at Radha, who smiled from behind a festive reindeer-themed face covering.

The family now works with three employees to produce 8,000 to 10,000 momos a week. They also make jarred momo sauces, vegan chow mein and fried rice, selling their products through retailers all over Vermont, plus two in New Hampshire.

The year 2020 presented a serious test for the Sherpas, as for many food businesses. But, having made it through the worst of the pandemic, they’re ready to ascend to the next level.

On March 17 of this year, Sherpa Foods became the first food processing plant in the state to receive approval to participate in the Cooperative Interstate Shipment Program.

That means Sherpa Foods will be able to ship its products across state lines without the federal inspection normally required of meat and poultry processors. The exception is possible, in part, because Vermont’s state inspections for meat processing follow the same guidelines as those of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“It’s a huge deal,” Nurbu said.

To rise to that opportunity, the company is on the move again. By mid-April, Sherpa Foods will relocate to 1303 Williston Road. The 5,000-square-foot space, occupied most recently by Tian Fu Buffet, will enable the business to expand production significantly. The family also plans to open a small counter-service restaurant called Himalayan D’Lite.

(See “Side Dishes” on page 45.)

Julie Boisvert, meat program section chief at the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, has worked

Momos from Sherpa Foods

with the Sherpas since their start. “I’ll never forget the first day I met Nurbu and his mom,” Boisvert recalled. “She was the one making the momos because it was part of the family tradition. It was all done by hand.”

Nurbu and Phura grew up in the Sherpa community of Kathmandu, Nepal. He and his parents immigrated to the U.S. in 1996, when he was a teenager. Phura arrived in 2011 after the two were married in Nepal.

Like many Himalayan Sherpa, the couple’s families worked in trekking and tourism. Nurbu is careful to explain that the term “sherpa” has been incorrectly used to refer to the job of mountain guide. “Sherpa is not an occupation. It’s an ethnic group. It’s our community,” he said.

Nurbu studied management at the University of Texas at Arlington and landed a job at Macy’s in New York City. He started in men’s shoes, “which was perfect for me because I’m a man and I wear shoes,” he joked. “Then I was promoted over to women’s lingerie, and I had a lot of learning to do.”

He worked his way up the ladder, building skills in marketing, merchandising, customer service, purchasing and sales that he said prepared him for entrepreneurship. “I would say [it gave me] the kind of confidence to speak with stores and understand what they require,” he said.

Phura, who has a degree in travel management, was working for John F. Kennedy International Airport when she became pregnant in 2013. Nurbu’s parents had moved from Queens to Vermont, and the couple knew they wanted to be closer to family. “We’re asking them if they wanted to move back to New York, and they were like, ‘Why don’t you come up to Vermont?’” Nurbu recalled with a laugh.

The couple had enjoyed camping and skiing in Vermont, and Nurbu thought it might be the place to pursue a

long-held dream of starting his own business. On his next visit, he saw his opportunity.

“In New York City, you walk down a block, there’s like 10 different restaurants from 10 different ethnicities,” he said.

In Vermont, offerings were far more limited. The restaurant business didn’t appeal to him, but filling a prepared-foods niche seemed promising.

Looking back, Nurbu acknowledged that he had no idea what the family was in for.

Deciding what to make was the easy part. Momos are “the unofficial national food of Nepal,” Nurbu said. “There’s a joke that in Kathmandu there are more momo shops than Starbucks and McDonald’s, combined, in New York City.”

Phura and Nurbu shared memories of gathering with friends and family to make momos. Each family has its own method and recipe. The most popular fillings in Nepal are cabbage and ground buffalo, both seasoned with curry powder, turmeric and onion.

“It’s kind of like a Thanksgiving meal, because every family makes it their own way,” Nurbu said.

The couple and their young son moved in with Nurbu’s parents. They soon learned that they would need to secure a production kitchen before they could even apply for a food business license. And, to make meat momos, they’d need to work with the Agency of Agriculture and the Vermont Department of Health.

When they approached banks about loans, Nurbu recalled ruefully, “They were like, ‘Come back maybe in three years if you’re still in business.’”

The couple found a kitchen and dug into their savings to rent it and start the licensing process. They discovered they needed to write a complicated HACCP (hazard analysis and critical control points) plan that is required for processing many foods, including meat and poultry.

food+drink

Momo sauce from Sherpa Foods

“I just called the Agency of Agriculture and said, ‘I’m so sorry, but I have no idea what a HACCP plan is. I’m, like, lost; can you just walk me through what needs to be done?’”

Nurbu said.

Randy Quenneville, then the meat program section chief, provided critical support, but nailing down the plan still took a couple of months. “It almost made me cry,” Nurbu admitted.

Stress and doubt built. “It was a very painful time,” Nurbu said. “We were just hemorrhaging money.”

Finally, armed with all the necessary licenses and a day vendor market spot, the Sherpas sold their first momos in 2015. Gradually, they added sales to co-ops and independent grocers. Banks actually started offering them money.

At the beginning of 2020, Sherpa Foods had just finished remodeling and fitting up its current Williston Road facility to the tune of about $100,000. The company had also been named one of eight winners by the national Chobani Incubator program, an honor that came with $15,000 and a three-month training and networking program. Nurbu would have the chance to explain momos to buyers at Whole Foods Market and other national chains.

It was a blow when the pandemic canceled the Chobani program, though the cash helped in the face of plummeting

From left: Nurbu, Radha and Phura Sherpa

MOMOS ARE KIND OF LIKE

POLISH PIEROGIS OR LIKE SAMOSAS. NUR BU S H E R PA

sales. “Our deliveries to stores went from twice or three times a week to barely one,” Nurbu said. On top of that, beef became almost impossible to source at a reasonable price, cutting Sherpa’s line to one kind of momo.

The Sherpas had to lay off their three employees. With Nurbu’s mother stuck in Australia visiting another son, it was up to the couple to juggle running the business and caring for their kindergartner, who was home from school.

For about a month straight, “We used to come [to our facility], like, six, seven in the morning after breakfast and just make whatever we could until, like, eight, nine o’clock at night,” Nurbu recalled. “We’d eat dinner here and go home and sleep and then just come right back in the morning. It was exhausting, a very tough time.”

Trying to reinvigorate sales, the couple added chicken and pork momos and two vegetarian dishes. Nurbu

e h T

INFO Learn more at sherpafoodsusa.com.

introducing

The Kinney Wine Trail! Check out our expanded selections at amazing everyday prices!

. e n i w e m o s e u c s e “R It’s trapped in a bottle.“ Untitled-54 1

refocused on explaining and selling momos. “I googled all these stores and co-ops. I started just calling them, calling every day.”

His cold calls bore fruit. Over the past six months, Sherpa Foods has added more accounts than it had in the preceding three years, for a total of about 30.

Without the new products and retailers, Nurbu said, “We would be out of business.”

In early 2020, Nurbu had been talking with United Natural Foods, a leading wholesale distributor to the natural grocery market. The distributor’s regional manager recently called to congratulate the Sherpas on their Cooperative Interstate Shipment Program approval and to restart the plan to sell their products all over the Northeast. If all goes well, Nurbu expects sales to triple over the next year. “[Nurbu’s] got a business mind,” said Boisvert of the Agency of Agriculture, who helped the Sherpas apply for the program. “He listens, and he works with you. He takes all the regulatory requirements, and he learns from it. I think that’s why he’s so successful.” m

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

47

7/21/20 12:56 PM

Slice of the Pie « P.48 Savory English pies from Piecemeal Pies

Fresh Healthy Food

Open daily 11am-8pm • thescalevt.com 373 Blair Park Rd, Williston 137 Pearl Street, Essex Junction Online & Walk-up Orders • Vegan & Gluten Free Options 8h-scalepoke033121.indd 1

3/25/21 4:29 PM

SARAH PEET

3v-UVMAthletics043121 1

Say you saw it in...

J

48

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

3/26/21 4:23 PM

NOW IN sevendaysvt.com

3D!

Tours. Cone, 59, came to know the business as a customer.

He said he loves the food and noted that the culinary roots of its specialty — savory pies — hail from the English countryside, a location where his company offers tours.

“I think it’s a really neat product, and I think they’ve done a really good job with using very fresh local produce and local ingredients,” Cone said. “White River Junction is a great location, but I think they have a huge upside if they can expand.”

From a financial perspective, Cone spoke of the benefits of a diversified retirement portfolio.

“I personally like the idea of doing a variety of things [with retirement funds],” he said. “And some of those are best facilitated by a crowdsourced funding approach.”

The investment funds are not only vital for financing Piecemeal Pies’ expansion, they’re “incredibly validating,” Barrett said.

“This was just an amazing eye-opener to the impact we’ve had on people in the community,” he said. “For them to be willing to not just come in and support us with coffee as much as possible, but to really open up their wallets with their heart and their love — it’s just been pretty emotional in such a horrible year of terrible emotions.”

Now, Barrett and Brown are immersed in the renovation, with hopes of getting a permit for a back patio. Barrett is planning the opening menu and said he intends to have fun with the food offerings.

THE ONLY WAY TO REALLY BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY IS TO

REDUCE AS MANY VARIABLES AS POSSIBLE. J U S T I N B A R R ET T

“My favorite purchase is going to be a fryer designated fully for duck fat,” he wrote in an email. “What more could a chef want?”

The restaurant will offer its signature fried rabbit and cheddar waffles with chile maple syrup. A classic English Sunday roast dinner “with a Piecemeal twist” is a possibility.

Barrett and Brown expect to open in Stowe sometime in June with a business plan that includes, at last, monthly payments to themselves. They’re looking ahead to a third Piecemeal Pies location in a year or two — with eyes on Burlington.

“From thinking we have to close, to the world is ending, to never knowing if we’re going to see our customers again, [and] to get on the other side of that and have people believe in us,” Barrett said, “is just the most amazing thing. This has been a really positive experience.” m

INFO Piecemeal Pies, 5 S. Main St., White River Junction, 281-6910; 112 Main St., Stowe, piecemealpies.com

Side Dishes « P.45 application from Scruggs until February.

“ZAFA Wines and Krista Scruggs have not previously been licensed to manufacture or distribute wine in Vermont,” Kessler said.

Several conditions are part of the March 25 order.

ZAFA Wines must comply “with all the rules and regulations related to the manufacture, storage, sale and/or distribution of alcoholic beverages.” Scruggs must notify the commissioner of the Department of Liquor and Lottery within 48 hours if the “Applicant is charged with additional criminal and/or civil violation(s) (beyond those served on or about March 10, 2021) and/or convicted of a criminal and/or civil violation(s).”

The specific charges brought against Scruggs aren’t yet publicly available.

Asked what she thought of the state’s condition related to those charges, Ross replied: “If there are criminal charges, that is a prime example of Krista, as a Black woman, being treated differently and more harshly than others.”

Ross declined further comment on the March 10 charges.

At the March 18 hearing, assistant attorney general Jacob Humbert enumerated three issues that he suggested the board consider in advance of making its decision. The issues flagged by Humbert, who was representing the Department of Liquor and Lottery, were: • ZAFA’s “prior conduct related to manufacture, sale and export of wine

FILE: SALLY POLLAK

food+drink

A glass of natural wine at CO Cellars

product prior to securing a state manufacturer’s license”; • Scruggs’ alleged “activities related to securing a credit card in the name” of another person; and • a “pending securities law issue” identified by the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation.

“The department is

taking no position on the application,” Humbert said at the March 18 meeting.

“Its only position is that it believes the board should consider these issues before taking action on the license.”

Thom Lauzon, a member of the Board of Liquor and Lottery, told Seven Days after the March 24 hearing that issuing the

license is a matter of due process.

“I understood there are charges pending,” he said.

“But those are allegations.

What’s important in this instance [is]: You have to allow due process to play out.”

ZAFA registered as a business with the Vermont Secretary of State’s Office in March 2018. In November 2018, ZAFA and Vergennes-based SHACKSBURY CIDER launched a joint business, CO Cellars, on Pine Street in Burlington. That venture has come to an end, both businesses announced Saturday on Instagram.

Scruggs grows some of her grapes for winemaking

on a farm in Isle La Motte that she leases from the Vermont Land Trust. The nonprofit in Montpelier has provided “bridge financing” to ZAFA while the business was shut down, according to Vermont Land Trust president and CEO Nick Richardson. He called the licensing decision by the board “a step forward.”

A November 2020 order from the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation, which prohibits ZAFA from seeking investors, remains in effect, according to the department.

Attempts to reach Scruggs were not successful.

Sally Pollak

CONNECT Follow us for the latest food gossip! On Twitter: Sally Pollak: @vtpollak. On Instagram: Seven Days: @7deatsvt; Jordan Barry: @jordankbarry; Melissa Pasanen: @mpasanen.

3328 Shelburne Rd. | Shelburne, Vermont 05482-6849

802.985.8411 | TheAutomasterHonda.com 2H-AutomasterHonda032121.indd 1

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

49

3/12/21 4:05 PM

music+nightlife COURTESY OF LUKE AWTRY PHOTOGRAPHY

Matthew Evan Taylor performing at Hurly Burly

S UNDbites

News and views on the local music + nightlife scene

BY J O R D A N ADAMS

A Column for Days Like This

50

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

FILE: OLIVER PARINI

Over the weekend, the Vermont Symphony Orchestra webcast its closing concert of the season, the last installment in the series “Music for Days Like This.” Previewed in last week’s paper

by Seven Days contributor AMY LILLY, the prerecorded event featured music, poetry and artwork by Black and brown composers and artists.

REUBEN JACKSON, former host of Vermont Public Radio’s “Friday Night Jazz” program, emceed the show, delivering some of his own poetry.

Local composer-musicians RAY VEGA (the current host of “Friday Night Jazz”) and MATTHEW EVAN TAYLOR were also in the mix.

Vega debuted a new VSO commission, “Buscando Doña Juana Figueroa,” and Taylor presented his 2020 composition “Antsy.” The program can be viewed at vso.org through Saturday, April 3, with virtual admission charged on a sliding scale.

Despite the concert’s celebratory air, conflict lurked beneath the surface. On March 23, the day before last week’s paper was published, Taylor sent letters to both the VSO board and this publication, expressing his reservations

Elise Brunelle

about the concert, how it was conceived and how it would be perceived.

Though he’s quoted about his composition in Lilly’s story, the Middlebury College assistant professor of music declined to comment on the record about the concert itself at the time of the interview. But Taylor later had a change of heart and voiced his concerns in the letter, which is available to view in full in the digital version of this column.

“I became concerned that if this concert were allowed to go forward without comment regarding its creation, it would be seen as a great achievement,” Taylor wrote.

The gist of Taylor’s letter is all too familiar. Though he holds the VSO in high regard and he gave the concert’s designers credit for having good intentions — namely, centering BIPOC perspectives — he described the effort as “an awkward first step.”

Taylor’s primary objection was that his role was significantly changed and diminished as the event evolved.

“I was consulted on this project by VSO leadership on several occasions, and what started out as a positive dialogue quickly turned into an ever-widening mess where my voice, as the only BIPOC musician privy to the process, was silenced,” Taylor wrote.

The origin of the concert goes back to last fall, when VSO executive director ELISE BRUNELLE and Taylor began planning a series of educational webinars on composers of color for students. Brunelle highlighted the series when interviewed

by Seven Days for a profile published in September.

But, as the pandemic inspired the VSO to create more and more online events,

Brunelle and her staff reimagined the potential webinar series as a full-fledged concert experience. As the focus shifted, so did Taylor’s role. Originally brought in at the conceptual level, Taylor found that every time his busy schedule allowed him to circle back to the project, changes had been made without his knowledge. Those were changes both to the program itself and to his involvement in it, “to the point that I just didn’t recognize [it] anymore,” he explained in a recent call with Seven Days.

“Yet, at the same time,” Taylor continued, “my name is out there in the public associated with some project honoring Black composers.”

“I think that his role in curating who would be presented was lost,” Brunelle acknowledged by phone. “I fully understand his frustration with this. We shifted the focus, and with that, we’re not following in what I believe the original intention was for his involvement.”

The irony, as Taylor pointed out, is that, “in a process where you’re trying to spotlight Black people, [they] silenced all of the Black people that are involved.”

Additionally, Taylor felt that the event’s new direction erased the work he’d already put in, leading to a conflict over compensation. Though he was paid for his composition’s inclusion in the program, he said, he wasn’t compensated for his time in the planning process.

The VSO’s concert came together in a span of months. But to do a BIPOCcentered classical concert right, Taylor suggested, would take a year of preparation. He said he told the VSO that he imagined a concert that would not only center the work of Black composers but also elevate voices from a wider range of generations, as well as place a greater emphasis on female composers.

To be clear, Taylor isn’t saying that the concert is an inherently bad thing, just that it shouldn’t be seen as a solution to the diversity problem in classical music or in the VSO. As he wrote in his letter, “The overall process was self-serving for VSO and extracting from BIPOC.” “If it had been given more time, there would have been more BIPOC artists involved,” Taylor told Seven Days. “I’ve been around events like this long enough to know that I didn’t really want my name associated with it. But the bar is so low for inclusivity in this state that [the concert] would be seen as some sort of achievement by the public.”

Brunelle agrees that the VSO needs to aim higher in its efforts toward inclusivity.

GOT MUSIC NEWS? JORDAN@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

THE VERMONT YOUTH DOCUMENTARY LAB 2021 SUMMER PROGRAM “What Matthew’s letter has put back on the front burner, and very justifiably so, is the need for us to address this as an organization as a whole,” Brunelle said. “[We need] to look internally: in our board structure, in our staffing, and who we spend our money with and who we consult when we create musical programming. It’s a much deeper conversation.”

Brunelle said the board has invited Taylor to participate in such talks, the first of which will take place this week.

Taylor confirmed he plans to attend.

During my chats with Taylor and Brunelle, I asked them to comment on a trend I’ve observed amid the current racial reckoning: White people and white-led organizations of all kinds seem to be suffering from some kind of race-related FOMO. While that rush to inclusivity can be good, it also has harmful side effects, unintended as they surely are.

For instance, I asked Taylor whether he sees the VSO concert differently from the Flynn’s late-summer 2020 outdoor series Hurly Burly, which also highlighted primarily (but not exclusively) artists of color.

“It just felt more organic,” Taylor said of Hurly Burly. He described a process that began, pre-pandemic, with discussions of his potential role in the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival.

Taylor said those talks were the foundation of his August Hurly Burly show at Pomeroy Park in Burlington’s Old North End. But he said even that event, which followed the release of his album Say Their Names and involved clear Black Lives Matter messaging, wasn’t ideal. “[After the concert], people were kind of lining up and talking to me, and this one person kind of started a debate with me [about] Black-on-Black crime,” Taylor recalled. Though nothing happened beyond an unwanted, illtimed and uninformed discussion, Taylor felt unsafe.

“That could have been a very dangerous situation for me,” he continued. “He was kind of on me before I could have assessed if there was any danger. We’ve seen what people threatened by Black Lives Matter, at any level, will do.”

That’s part of a larger issue Taylor’s noticed since moving to Vermont in 2017.

“It just doesn’t occur to white people how dangerous some things are for people of color,” Taylor said. “Because of the dynamics of the state, it’s a lot

ORCA Media in Montpelier over four weekends (Aug. 7th - Aug. 29th)

more acute here than it is in the rest Learn video, audio production and editing skills of the United States — although it’s while producing an individual present in the rest of the [country].” or collaborative creative media project.

That’s a huge thing for white people MONDAYS > 8:00 P.M. like me to understand. If your privilege LGBTQ+ and BIPOC youth are encouraged to participate. precludes you from even conceiving Cost: FREE - $350 Pay what you can! of something, then you won’t know how to create an environment To register or view full schedule visit: that’s welcoming, accommodating vermontyouthdocumentarylab.com and productive for people outside that bubble of privilege. Talking to marginalized people and including 16t-VTyouthdocumentarylab033121.indd 1 3/24/21 16t-vcam-weekly2021.indd 10:29 AM 1 3/22/21 16t-vcam-weekly.indd 1 11/2/20 1:43 3:07 PM them holistically in these processes is the only way for society to progress.

Another thing: I think a lot of people are feeling anxious that, once the pandemic is over and life returns to “normal,” all of the progress that’s been made in the wake of last summer’s protest movements for racial justice will disappear. Taylor and Brunelle share that concern.

“I’m not interested in programming a repertoire that doesn’t include [Black and brown composers],” Brunelle said of how the VSO will approach future seasons. “This should be a normal, FIND VIRTUAL EVENTS AND CLASSES AT SEVENDAYSTICKETS.COM ongoing part of our operations.”

“Where is this gonna be when we 8H-Tickets033121.indd 1 3/30/21 2:49 PM get beyond this, when everybody can be distracted by things outside of their homes and not confronted by the realities that Black people particularly, and BIPOC in general, face?” Taylor pondered.

Time will tell. Personally, I’m Discoverer True North Evolution Winter Discoverer M+S hopeful. But I’m also a realist. In pretty much all situations, the key is communication. And a huge part — t maybe the most important part — of communication is listening.

So keep talking, and keep listening. m

CONVERSATIONS WITH KAY

Looking for

something

to do?

LOVE VT FOR THE BEAUTY, LOVE US FOR THE SAVINGS

SAFE NO CONTACT

SALES & SERVICE

BEST SELECTION OF TOP RATED WINTER TIRES

Local family owned & operated for over 35 years Get up to a

Hakkapeliitta 9

Altimax Artic 12

Listening In If I were a superhero, my superpower would be the ability to get songs stuck in other people’s heads. Here are five songs that have been stuck in my head this week. May they also get stuck in yours.

PRINCESS NOSTALGIA, “Ugly Lovely” MATTHEW DEAR,

“What You Don’t Know” PAUL MCCARTNEY,

“Find My Way (featuring Beck)” LAURA MVULA, “Church Girl” ELVIS COSTELLO & THE ATTRACTIONS,

“Everyday I Write the Book”

Nordman 7

$

70 OBSERVE G3-ICE

Cooper Tires Visa Prepaid Card or Virtual Account when you buy 4 qualifying tires.* ®

70 $ LOWEST PRICES OF THE SEASON 50 $

Discoverer® EnduraMax™ Discoverer® AT3 family of tires

3/18–4/12

CS5 family of tires Discoverer® SRX™ Discoverer® SRX LE™

BUY NOW AND INSTALL LATER

South Burlington

Montpelier

1877 Williston Rd.

90 River St.

658-1333 1800-639-1901

229-4941 1800-639-1900

Mon.- Fri. 7:30am-5pm Sat. 8am-4pm Not responsible for typographical errors

Untitled-2 1

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

51

3/23/21 10:36 AM

GOT MUSIC NEWS? JORDAN@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

REVIEW this Glorious Leader, Glorious Leader & the Analog Cabin Mystery (SELF-RELEASED, DIGITAL)

Remember listening to children’s storybook cassette tapes? “When you hear the chimes ring, it’s time to turn the page!” an enthusiastic narrator would say.

Her voice guided rapt youngsters through fairy-tale adventures and nursery rhymes as their eyes and ears followed along.

Indie folk singer-songwriter Kyle Woolard’s latest project as Glorious Leader, Glorious Leader & the Analog Cabin Mystery, is a grown-up version of those old storybooks. The Gloverbased artist invites listeners to explore

Zodiac Sutra, Sickness, Then Love (SELF-RELEASED, DIGITAL)

I knew a college professor once who would grab students by the shoulders and exclaim, “Don’t you know that you’re on the hero’s journey?”

Considering it was a transpersonal psychology class and most of these students had just gotten high in the parking lot, none of us exactly felt like we were Luke Skywalker or Mulan. But his point was still valid. Even without secret caves or lurking wizards, our lives are epics nonetheless. That’s easier to see when you document your own story.

Enter Sickness, Then Love, the second album from Vermont’s Zodiac Sutra.

In an email, mononymous singer and

the Northeast Kingdom and beyond in story and song with a new digital EP and accompanying glossy, hardbound book.

The chapter titles correspond to each track, with sheet music interspersed between the stories. How everything connects is a bit complex and mysterious, so let’s focus mainly on the EP. Woolard’s songs are full of exposition, and his release of a companion book underscores that trait. His thoughts and feelings are unambiguous, but the way he expresses himself is especially poetic. He builds a vivid, tactile world — a land covered in frosted windows and snaking rivers slick-wet with ice melting in the spring sun. Feelings escape from his lungs as cloudy plumes of vapor.

As the old story cassettes do, Woolard’s EP begins with a narrator — in this case, Doug Safford, a proprietor of Glover

antique shop Red Sky Trading. Over a warm, symphonic overture, Safford greets listeners with a grandfatherly tone in the spoken introductory track. He invites us on a “bona fide auricular adventure.”

Adventuring is one of Woolard’s favorite things, and geography is a main theme in his canon.

Woolard takes the listener to the bustling streets of Reykjavik, moonlit nights on the Scandinavian Peninsula and, of course, his secluded Kingdom. In doing so, he sings his life story, centering his chosen home, Vermont.

After the bustling acoustic sketch “Farmer Óli, Bring the Hay!” the gently strummed “Scandinavian Moon” exposes Woolard’s artistic longing and vulnerability. As the song’s atmosphere pressurizes and deflates, he sings of walking down cobblestone streets, pondering his choices: “And I wonder what I’m after / Vanity or validation / Chaos or control.”

Woolard leans hardest into Green Mountain folk on “Green Mountain Sun,”

a banjo-picked treatise on his favorite place. Frequent collaborator Karl Pestka layers in charming fiddle, accented by blips of glockenspiel. The cozy, inviting piece is sure to make outsiders envious of Vermont’s majesty.

The biggest surprise on the EP — aside from the bonus song, “Our Way Home,” which comes only with purchase of the full package — is “Reykjavik.”

Woolard’s intimate vocals are closer than ever as finely picked acoustic guitar breezes by. Then blaring, overdriven beats unexpectedly disrupt the quietude, packing in serious oomph in the EP’s last song.

Woolard is a worldly, charismatic artist whose love for Vermont altered the course of his life. Once travel is an option again, his journeys will likely continue, inspiring more of his lovingly crafted indie folk.

Glorious Leader & the Analog Cabin Mystery is available at ohgloriousleader. bandcamp.com.

guitarist Wolf explained that the album details events that happened in his life over a four-year period. The recording forms the middle part of a trilogy called The Ephemeral Triptych. The first part was 2020’s Bored Under a Bad Sign, and the story will eventually culminate with The Grand Trine: A Feather Purpose in Three Acts.

If it all sounds a bit heady, even overwrought … well, it is. If you spotted these titles in a record store, you might assume they were progressive metal records, or maybe the scores to unforgettable ’80s films. Yet, as on their debut, Zodiac Sutra are hard to pin down. Joined by his fellow pseudonym-loving bandmates — Raf on bass and Tops on drums — Wolf continues telling his life story over a mishmash of styles.

“Vermont” continues Wolf’s series of

songs about the places he’s lived during this period; the debut album featured “New Jersey” and “Oklahoma,” and Sickness, Then Love contains an ode to his current digs, as well as “Alabama” and “Hawaii.”

Over a sleazy, massively distorted guitar riff, the band settles into a timesignature-shifting rhythm so atonal that it sometimes borders on full microtonal metal. Then Wolf wades in with his searching baritone, reminiscent of Type O Negative’s Peter Steele.

“There’s a monster in my closet and he won’t come out / There’s a serpent in my garden and she won’t slither out / Allah Akbar,” Wolf croons. Shockingly, these lyrics are some of the record’s most normal.

It’s not all sludge and math rock, though; the band excels at moody atmospherics. “Cranberry Moon,” a haunting acoustic number, features a singing saw played by Silver Bridget’s Johnnie Day Durand. The gentle,

romantic number transitions into “Black Cherry Red Split on Bone White Tile Floor,” an unabashedly funky track that showcases just how seamlessly the band can move between styles.

One of the things that plagued Zodiac Sutra’s debut record was an overdose of eclecticism. The talent on display was impressive, but the record was a bit of a slog at times. If anything, the band has doubled down on its latest offering with flashes of folk, bits of reggae and hints of pop. Even its heavy tunes rarely manifest in the same idiom. Hell, listening to “Peach Blossom” could convince Phish fans that Zodiac Sutra are a jam band.

This bold approach yields some cool songs. But as a complete volume, Sickness, Then Love is a tough hang. And yet, as a document of the songwriter’s “hero’s journey” — his struggles and the peaks and valleys of life — the album also possesses a fitting verisimilitude. Check it out at zodiacsutra.bandcamp.com.

GET YOUR MUSIC REVIEWED:

52

J

CHRIS FARNSWORTH

ARE YOU A VT ARTIST OR BAND? SEND US YOUR MUSIC! DIGITAL: MUSIC@SEVENDAYSVT.COM; SNAIL MAIL: MUSIC C/O SEVEN DAYS, 255 S. CHAMPLAIN ST., SUITE 5, BURLINGTON, VT 05401

Say you saw it in...

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

JORDAN ADAMS

NOW IN sevendaysvt.com

3D!

PAULA ROUTLY

Readers help pay for the production of this awardwinning weekly newspaper. More than 2,000 have made one-time or recurring donations to sustain Seven Days during the pandemic. Their support — along with advertisers’ — has allowed us to deliver breaking news and thoughtful long-form journalism throughout the crisis.

Support local journalism — make a contribution today!

If you like what we do and can afford 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 Corey Grenier at 865-1020, ext. 36 or superreaders@sevendaysvt.com.

1t-PressOn-SR21.indd 1

Seven Days on the press in Mirabel, Québec

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

53

3/16/21 7:06 PM

movies COURTESY OF NEON

Possessor HHHH

HEAD TRIP Riseborough (right) and Leigh discuss brain-hacking assassination techniques in Cronenberg’s sci-fi film.

O

ur streaming entertainment options are overwhelming — and not always easy to sort through. This week, I decided it was time to take a detour from Oscar Country into Midnight Movieland and watched the second trippy feature from Brandon Cronenberg, son of body-horror auteur David Cronenberg. Now streaming on Hulu and rentable elsewhere, Possessor (2020) demonstrates that the bloody apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. (Note: I watched the unrated version, aka Possessor Uncut, which features gore aplenty and a bit too much nudity for the Motion Picture Association.)

REVIEW

The deal

Tasya Vos (Andrea Riseborough) is an assassin who’s never been witnessed at the scene of a hit — because she does her job by hacking into people’s brains. With the help of a shadowy high-tech organization, she takes control of the body of someone 54

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

close to her target; when the job is done, she executes her host and returns to her own body, which is lying safely on a gurney in a lab.

But who is “she,” anyway? How many faces can you wear before you forget who you are? Tasya’s handler (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is supposed to keep her anchored to some form of self, but when Tasya visits her estranged husband and son, she struggles to connect with them. Her next job, which involves killing a tech billionaire in the body of his daughter’s disreputable boyfriend, Colin (Christopher Abbott), could be her breaking point.

Will you like it?

How far can a movie get on a provocative high concept and enthralling visuals before viewers start to feel impatient with the barely sketched characters at its center?

For many midnight moviegoers, I think, Possessor will offer exactly what they crave: There’s a little to think about and a lot to see (and gasp at, and occasionally cover your eyes). For me, though, that recipe wasn’t enough — a problem I also

had with Cronenberg’s first feature, the equally heady Antiviral (see below).

Combining digital cinematography with practical and in-camera effects, Cronenberg creates a dreamscape from which we always feel a little dissociated, like someone inhabiting a stranger’s body.

His exteriors are cold and rectilinear, his interiors bathed in neon jewel tones suggestive of the cyberpunk future that filmmakers envisaged in the ’80s and ‘90s.

As Tasya comes apart, seeing things that aren’t there, the film becomes more surreal and hallucinatory but also more visceral. The frequent spurts of scarlet blood have texture you can almost feel, as in a demented oil painting. If there’s ever a film in which you’d expect a lot of digital animation, it’s one about hacking the consciousness of other people. By instead getting his trippy effects with real-world objects, Cronenberg throws us productively off-kilter.

Tasya is certainly off-kilter, too, but we never quite know her well enough to care whether she regains her equilibrium.

Like Tilda Swinton, whom she resembles,

Riseborough is a chameleon of an actor, an ideal choice for this part. Abbott, who looks like a generic hunk, is anything but; he makes it spookily clear to us when Tasya is inside Colin’s body. But we don’t know much about Colin, either, which makes it hard to care whether he can regain control of his mortal shell.

While its visuals could colonize our dreams, Possessor’s screenplay feels like an early draft of a middling “Black Mirror” episode. The themes and motifs are there, but the human motives remain cloudy at best. It’s certainly refreshing to see a movie that refuses to portray its female protagonist as likable; Tasya has no “save the cat” moment, no maternal impulses to protect the weak. But her remoteness and alienation make the viewer detach, too.

If you simply enjoy Possessor on the level of a gory music video, it could inspire you to muse on how living online and being the curators of our personal brands messes with our heads. (What if my psyche resists being curated and marketed? Where does brand end and identity begin?) But musings can’t compensate for the absence of a storyline that might have given those themes dramatic heft. While Possessor is a must-watch for fans of horror and dark science fiction, it never quite takes possession of us.

If you like this, try...

• Antiviral (2012; IFC Films Unlimited, AMC+, Sling TV, Shudder, rentable): Cronenberg Jr. made his feature debut with this hopefully not prescient sci-fi flick in which obsessed fans pay top dollar to be infected with the same virus strains as their favorite celebrities.

• eXistenZ (1999; Pluto TV, Paramount+, rentable): Jennifer Jason Leigh also starred in one of Cronenberg père’s movies, this underrated mind bender about a game developer trapped in the virtual reality she created.

• Nancy (2018; YouTube, Tubi, Vudu, Amazon Prime Video, rentable): Riseborough is icily creepy in Possessor. To see her sink her teeth into a meatier — if equally creepy — role, check out this Sundance Film Festival awardee in which she plays a lonely woman who poses as a couple’s long-lost daughter.

MARGO T HARRI S O N margot@sevendaysvt.com

NEW IN THEATERS 2021 OSCAR NOMINATED SHORT FILMS: Watch the Animated (99 min, PG-13) and Live Action (130 min, R) selections at Essex Cinemas and the Savoy Theater; the latter also has Documentary selections. (136 min, R) FRENCH EXIT: Michelle Pfeiffer generated awards buzz with her performance as a socialite who decamps with her grown son (Lucas Hedges) to Paris in Azazel Jacobs’ adaptation of Patrick deWitt’s comic novel. (110 min, R. Essex Cinemas) GODZILLA VS. KONG: Ready to go back to the theater and see giant monsters smash each other in a would-be blockbuster directed by indie horror filmmaker Adam Wingard? Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown and Rebecca Hall star. (113 min, PG-13. Essex Cinemas) THE MAURITANIAN: Based on Mohamedou Ould Slahi’s Guantánamo Diary, this Golden Globewinning drama traces his fight to free himself from imprisonment without charge. Tahar Rahim and Jodie Foster star. Kevin Macdonald directed.

(129 min, R. Savoy Theater) UNHOLY: A seeming miracle may be something darker in this horror flick in which a girl gains supernatural powers after a visitation from the Virgin. With Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Cricket Brown. Evan Spiliotopoulos directed. (102 min, PG-13. Essex Cinemas)

NOW PLAYING THE COURIERHHH Benedict Cumberbatch plays a businessman who is recruited by MI-6 and the CIA to work with a Soviet agent in this Cold War spy thriller. With Merab Ninidze and Rachel Brosnahan.

Dominic Cooke (On Chesil Beach) directed. (111 min, PG-13. Essex Cinemas) THE FATHERHHHH1/2 Anthony Hopkins has been nominated for an Oscar for his performance as a man struggling with dementia in Florian Zeller’s drama, also starring Olivia Colman. (97 min, PG-13.

Savoy Theater, Sat only)

JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAHHHHH1/2 Daniel Kaluuya plays Fred Hampton, chair of the Illinois Black Panther Party, in this Golden Globe-winning historical drama about his betrayal by an FBI informant. With LaKeith Stanfield. Shaka King directed. (126 min, R. Savoy Theater) MINARIHHHH1/2 In Lee Isaac Chung’s bittersweet autobiographical drama, a Korean immigrant family struggles to make their new Arkansas vegetable farm pay off. Steven Yeun and Yeri Han star in this festival favorite. (115 min, PG-13. Savoy Theater, Sun only; reviewed by M.H. 2/24) NOBODYHHH1/2 Bob Odenkirk plays a put-upon dad who goes on a Death Wish-style vigilante spree in this action flick from director Ilya Naishuller. With Connie Nielsen and RZA. (92 min, R. Essex Cinemas) NOMADLANDHHHHH Frances McDormand plays a woman set adrift by the Great Recession to travel the country in her beat-up van in this Golden Globe nominee directed by Chloé Zhao. (108 min, R. Savoy Theater) RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGONHHHH A young warrior seeks the help of the last living dragon in this Disney animated fantasy. With the voices of Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina and Gemma Chan. Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada directed. (114 min, PG. Essex Cinemas) TOM AND JERRYH1/2 Cartoon cat attempts to catch cartoon mouse, over and over and over. But what is their origin story? This family animation reveals all.

Tim Story directed. (101 min, PG. Essex Cinemas) WOLFWALKERSHHHH1/2 An apprentice wolf hunter in Ireland discovers a different point of view in this family animation from the makers of The Secret of Kells. (103 min, PG. Savoy Theater, Sat only; reviewed by M.H. 1/13)

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

(Note: New listings for this theater were not available at press time.)

WHAT’S NEXT FOR

YOU? Work it out with Seven Days Jobs.

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

COURTESY OF STXFILMS

Find new job postings from trusted, local employers in Seven Days newspaper and online.

184

NEW JOBS THIS WEEK!

See who's hiring at...

jobs.sevendaysvt.com Jodie Foster in The Mauritanian

2V-Jobs032421.indd 1

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

55

3/23/21 4:10 PM

CLASS PHOTOS + MORE INFO ONLINE SEVENDAYSVT.COM/CLASSES

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.

art ART CLASSES FOR ADULTS & TEENS: Add some art time to your springtime with an in-person art class! Excellent teachers, small class size. All COVID-19 guidelines are followed. Wednesday a.m.: Oil and Acrylics, starts April 7.

Monday p.m.: Oil Painting, starts April 19. Thursday a.m.: Pastels, starts April 1. Thursday p.m.: Oil Painting, starts April 22. All levels welcome. Class times vary. Cost: $155/2-hour class session of 4 to 5 weeks, up to $155. Location: Middlebury Studio School, 2377 Rte. 7, Middlebury.

Info: Kathy Hall, 458-8979, i nfo@middleburystudioschool.org, middleburystudioschool.org.

ZOOM ART CLASSES: ADULTS & TEENS: Zoom into fun, interactive art classes this spring! No need to leave the comfort of home while you take a class with experienced teachers: Explore With Acrylic Paint starts Monday, April 7; Expressive Landscape Painting starts Wednesday, April 14, Elements of Chinese Painting starts Sunday, May 2. All levels welcome, teens and adults. Class times vary. Cost: $120/1.5- to 2-hour class sessions of 3 to 4 weeks, $90-$120. Location: Online through Middlebury Studio School, 2377 Rte. 7, Middlebury. Info: Kathy Hall, 458-8979, info@middlebury studioschool.org, middleburystudio school.org.

BCA Studios

Burlington City Arts spring class registration is now open! Find these classes and many more at burlingtoncityarts.org.

HOME STUDIO: SCREEN PRINTING: Eight students max.

Bring the BCA Print Studio to you via this four-week-long introduction to silkscreen. Local artist Kate McKernan leads a Zoom class live from BCA’s studio. Discover how screen printing works, and print your design in the comfort of your home. Materials and instruction included. Tue., Apr. 20-May 11, 6-7 p.m. Cost: $80. Location: BCA Studios, Zoom class. Info: Kiersten Williams, 865-7157, kwilliams@burlingtoncityarts.org, burlingtoncityarts.org.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Four students max. Learn to expose blackand-white film, process film into negatives, and make silver gelatin prints. All 35mm film, paper and darkroom supplies included. Bring your manual 35mm or mediumformat film camera, as well as an exposed roll of black-and-white film to the first class. Wed., Apr. 21-May 12, 6-8 p.m. Cost: $145.

Location: BCA Studios, Burlington.

Info: Kiersten Williams, 865-7157, kwilliams@burlingtoncityarts.org , burlingtoncityarts.org.

WHEEL PROJECTS: Four students max. Prerequisite: Students must have previous experience working on a pottery wheel and basic knowledge of throwing and trimming. Join master potter Jeremy Ayers in an exploration of intermediate and advanced wheelthrowing techniques. One-on-one instruction and group critiques are included. Wed., Apr. 21-May 19, 6-8:30 p.m. Cost: $225. Location: BCA Studios, Burlington. Info: Kiersten Williams, 865-7157, kwilliams@burlingtoncityarts.org, burlingtoncityarts.org.

WOODCUT: Three students max.

Discover the unique process of woodblock printing with local artist Ashley Stagner. Focus on fundamental relief printing techniques and transform designs into unique prints. The class will then progress to more sophisticated processes, including multicolor printing and two- and three-color reduction block printing. Includes materials. Mon., Apr. 19-May 10, 6-8:30 p.m. Cost: $180. Location: BCA Studios, Zoom class. Info: Kiersten Williams, 865-7157, kwilliams@burlingtoncityarts.org, burlingtoncityarts.org.

culinary VERMONT EATS! COOKING CLASSES: Have fun with food and learn about local history in the comfort of your home kitchen.

Our spring cooking class series features traditional dishes from three immigrant communities in Vermont. April 13: Italian American Stoneworkers in Barre. April 20: Mount Lebanon to Vermont. April 27: The Kitchens of Ohavi Zedek.

Tue., Apr. 13, 20 & 27, evening.

Cost: $10/90-minute classes.

Location: Vermont Historical Society via Zoom, 60 Washington St., Barre. Info: Shana Goldberger,

828-2291, srgoldberger@gmail. com, vermonthistory.org.

utor.vtfla@gmail.com, facebook. com/spanishonlinevt.

drumming

martial arts

DJEMBE & TAIKO DRUMMING: JOIN US!: New hybrid classes (Zoom and in-person) starting!

Taiko Tuesday and Wednesday.

Djembe Wednesday. Kids and Parents Tuesday and Wednesday.

COVID-19-free rental instruments, curbside pickup, too. Private Hybrid Conga lessons by appointment.

Let’s prepare for future drumming outdoors. Schedule/register online.

Location: Online and in-person at Taiko Space, 208 Flynn Ave., Suite 3G, Burlington. Info: 999-4255, burlingtontaiko.org.

VERMONT BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU: This school was developed to communicate the importance of proper, legitimate and complete Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instruction. We cover fundamentals of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with a realistic approach to self-defense training skills in a friendly, safe and positive environment. All are welcome; no experience required. Develop confidence, strength and endurance.

Julio Cesar “Foca” Fernandez Nunes was born and raised on the shores of Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Earning his black belt and representing the Carlson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Team, Julio “Foca” went on to become a five-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu National Champion, three-time Rio de Janeiro State Champion and two-time IBJJF World JiuJitsu Champion! Julio “Foca” is the only CBJJP, USBJJF and IBJJF-certified seventh-degree coral belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and self-defense instructor EVOLUTION YOGA: Bring your 11:49 AM 1x1.5-SAC-020321.indd 12/2/21 under late grand master Carlson body and mind toward balance Gracie Sr. currently teaching in and find connection in communithe USA. Accept no Iimitations! ty. All are welcome. Find support Location: Vermont Brazilian you need to awaken your practice.

Jiu-Jitsu, 55 Leroy Rd., Williston.

Offering livestream and recorded Info: 598-2839, julio@bjjusa.com, classes. Give the gift of yoga vermontbjj.com. with a gift card on our website.

language LEARN SPANISH LIVE & ONLINE: Broaden your world. Learn Spanish online via live video conferencing. High-quality affordable instruction in the Spanish language for adults, students and children. Travelers lesson package. Our 15th year. Personal small group and individual instruction from a native speaker. See our website for complete information or contact us for details. Location: Spanish in Waterbury Center, Waterbury Center. Info: 585-1025, spanishparavos@gmail.com, spanishwaterburycenter.com.

ONLINE SPANISH CLASSES FOR ALL AGES: Premier nativespeaking 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. Read reviews on Facebook at facebook.com/spanishonlinevt.

Location: Maigualida Rak, Online.

Info: Maigualida Rak, spanisht

reduction techniques, and home remedies to slow down, stop and reverse health conditions. VSAC approved. Starts in May, one weekend monthly, Sat. & Sun., 9:00 a.m.3:30 p.m. Cost: $2,795/200-hour training. Location: The Ayurvedic Center of Vermont, 34 Oak Hill Rd., Williston. Info: Allison Morse, 8728898, info@ayurvedavermont.com, ayurvedavermont.com.

FOR RENT

FITNESS STUDIO SPACE Bring students or teach for us! Contact 316-7142 or visit shelburneathletic.com.

yoga

well-being AYURVEDA INTEGRATION PROGRAM: Virtual Program.

Join us in learning and immerse yourself in the oldest surviving preventative health care system.

Our 200-hour Ayurveda Integration Program is ideal for yoga teachers, counselors, therapists, bodyworkers, nurses, doctors, wellness coaches, herbalists and anyone wanting to improve their own health. Learn seasonal and daily routines, holistic nutrition, stress

Flexible pricing based on your needs; scholarships avail. Contact yoga@evolutionvt.com. Single class: $0-15. Weekly membership: $10-25. 10-class pass: $140. New student special: $20 for 3 classes.

Location: Evolution Yoga, 20 Kilburn St., Burlington. Info: 8649642, evolutionvt.com.

Want to memorialize a loved one?

We’re here to help. Our obituary and in memoriam services are affordable, accessible and handled with personal care.

Share your loved one’s story with the local community in Lifelines.

56

lifelines SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

3h-Obit House Filler.indd 1

Post your obituary or in memoriam online and in print at sevendaysvt.com/lifelines.

Or contact us at lifelines@sevendaysvt.com or 865-1020 ext. 10.

9/12/19 2:54 PM

Alastor Moody AGE/SEX: 6-year-old neutered male ARRIVAL DATE: January 25, 2021

COURTESY OF KELLY SCHULZE/MOUNTAIN DOG PHOTOGRAPHY

REASON HERE: Not a good fit for his previous home SUMMARY: An expert social distancer, Alastor has lessons to teach us all about taking things slow and enjoying life’s precious moments with one another from a distance. He’s looking for a home that will give him lots of space and time to settle into his new surroundings, as well as someone who can see beyond his seemingly menacing glare. His motto right now may be “Look, but don’t touch,” but we believe his future is very bright with the right dedicated family. He may or may not always be an independent fellow, but whomever Alastor does decide to be, he promises to be the most loyal (and adorable!) house gargoyle you have ever shared a room with!

housing »

DID YOU KNOW?

APARTMENTS, CONDOS & HOMES

HSCC is now equipped to perform spay/neuter surgeries, dental cleanings and extractions, ultrasounds, and other minor procedures for the animals in our care! This helps reduce an animal’s length of stay, lessens the time they spend in discomfort or pain, and reduces the cost and burden on our busy veterinary partners. We’re so thrilled to be able to expand our on-site medical services!

Sponsored by:

CATS/DOGS: He has experience with cats and dogs in an outdoor setting and may do well with another.

Visit the Humane Society of Chittenden County at 142 Kindness Court, South Burlington, Tuesday through Friday from 1 to 6 p.m., or Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 862-0135 or visit hsccvt.org for more info.

NEW STUFF ONLINE EVERY DAY! PLACE YOUR ADS 24-7 AT SEVENDAYSVT.COM.

on the road »

CARS, TRUCKS, MOTORCYCLES

pro services »

CHILDCARE, HEALTH/ WELLNESS, PAINTING

buy this stuff »

APPLIANCES, KID STUFF, ELECTRONICS, FURNITURE

music »

INSTRUCTION, CASTING, INSTRUMENTS FOR SALE

jobs »

NO SCAMS, ALL LOCAL, POSTINGS DAILY

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

57

CLASSIFIEDS doesn’t matter. Get free towing & same-day cash. Newer models, too. Call 1-866-5359689. (AAN CAN)

on the road

CARS/TRUCKS 2009 SUBARU IMPREZA SEDAN $5,200. 127K miles.

Inspected until Feb. 2022. Rear brakes (Jan. 2021). Oil changed every 3K miles. Head gaskets replaced 100K miles; all fluids were flushed.

CASH FOR CARS! We buy all cars! Junk, high-end, totaled: It

We Pick Up & Pay For Junk Automobiles!

Route 15, Hardwick

802-472-5100

3842 Dorset Ln., Williston

802-793-9133

housing

FOR RENT AFFORDABLE 2-BR APT. AVAIL. At Keen’s Crossing.

2-BR: $1,266/mo., heat & HW incl. Open floor plan, fully applianced kitchen, fitness center, pet friendly, garage parking.

Income restrictions apply. 802-655-1810, keenscrossing.com.

KEEN’S CROSSING IS NOW LEASING! 1-BR, $983/mo.; 2-BR, $1,191/mo.; 3-BR, $1,376/ mo. Spacious interiors, fully applianced kitchen, fitness center, heat & HW incl.

Income restrictions

sm-allmetals060811.indd 7/20/15 1 5:02 PM

CLASSIFIEDS KEY appt. appointment apt. apartment BA bathroom BR bedroom DR dining room DW dishwasher HDWD hardwood HW hot water LR living room NS no smoking OBO or best offer refs. references sec. dep. security deposit W/D washer & dryer

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

58

housing ads: $25 (25 words) legals: 52¢/word buy this stuff: free online services: $12 (25 words)

apply. 802-655-1810, keenscrossing.com.

SEWING MACHINE

REPAIRS

HOUSEMATES

50+ YEARS experience

SEEKING KIND, ACTIVE, CLEAN HOUSEMATE 2-BR, 1-BA apt. overlooking Lake Champlain.

Large LR, kitchen, back deck porch, laundry, parking. $1,355/mo. split + utils. Contact Michael at 802-922-0198 or mbluto89@gmail.com.

OFFICE/ COMMERCIAL

services

ADOPTION COUPLE HOPING TO ADOPT Kind & fun-loving VT couple can provide a safe & loving home for your baby. If you are pregnant & considering adoption, we would welcome hearing from you. jonandtessa.weebly. com, 802-272-7759.

AUTO DONATE YOUR CAR TO CHARITY Receive maximum value of write off for your taxes. Running or not! All conditions accepted. Free pickup.

Call for details. 855-9780215. (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:

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

All makes repaired.

RON COLLINS, 802-372-4497

BIZ OPPS

medical training avail. for veterans & families!

To learn more, call 855-541-6634. (AAN CAN)

FINANCIAL/LEGAL AUTO INSURANCE Starting at $49/mo.!

Call for your fee rate comparison to see how much you can save. Call 855-569-1909. (AAN CAN)

SmClassyDisplay-Collins033121.indd 3/29/21 3:511 PM

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.

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

display service ads: $25/$45 homeworks: $45 (40 words, photos, logo) fsbos: $45 (2 weeks, 30 words, photo) jobs: michelle@sevendaysvt.com, 865-1020 x21

BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR! We edit, print & distribute your work internationally. We do the work; you reap the rewards! Call for a free Author’s Submission Kit: 844-511-1836. (AAN CAN) FLOWER GIFT SHOP FOR SALE Located in central Vermont. Wire-services affiliated. Long-term retail space lease avail.

Inventory stock, display cases, delivery rack system & 2 coolers incl.

Inquiries: Please call 802-485-4531, or email tromblysflowerandgift shop@gmail.com.

LANDSCAPE BUSINESS FOR SALE Long-established landscape business for sale. Truck, trailer, Hustler zero-turn mower/bagger, secondary mower, blowers, etc. Long-established customer list. Call 802-598-5499. Only serious inquiries.

LOOKING TO LAUNCH A BUSINESS? The Welcome to Montpelier Program offers business support & funding opportunities for new Montpelier businesses! Learn more at welcometomontpelier. com.

EDUCATION ATTENTION ACTIVE DUTY & MILITARY VETERANS! Begin a new career and earn your degree at CTI! Online computer &

DO YOU OWE OVER $10K to the IRS or state in back taxes? Our firm works to reduce the tax bill or zero it out completely fast. Let us help! 855-955-0702.

(Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m.-5 p.m.

PST).

OVER $10K IN DEBT? Be debt-free in 24-48 mos. Pay a fraction of what you owe. A+ BBB rated. Call National Debt Relief: 877-590-1202.

(AAN CAN) SAVE BIG ON HOME INSURANCE! Compare 20 A-rated insurances companies.

Get a quote within mins. Average savings of $444/year! Call 844-712-6153! Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Central.

(AAN CAN) SAVE YOUR HOME! Are you behind paying your mortgage? Denied a loan modification? Is the bank threatening foreclosure? Call Homeowners Relief Line now for help: 1-855-4395853. Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sat.: 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

All times Pacific. (AAN CAN)

HEALTH/ WELLNESS GENTLE TOUCH MASSAGE Specializing in deep tissue, reflexology, sports massage, Swedish & relaxation massage for men. Practicing massage therapy for over 14 years. Gregg, gentletouchvt.com,

Say you saw it in... sevendaysvt.com

print deadline: Mondays at 4:30 p.m. post ads online 24/7 at: sevendaysvt.com/classifieds questions? classifieds@sevendaysvt.com 865-1020 x10

motman@ymail.com, 802-234-8000 (call/ text). Milton.

HEARING AIDS! Buy 1 & get 1 free!

High-quality rechargeable Nano hearing aids priced 90% less than competitors.

Nearly invisible. 45-day money-back guarantee!

1-833-585-1117. (AAN CAN) PSYCHIC COUNSELING Psychic counseling, channeling w/ Bernice Kelman, Underhill. 30+ years’ experience. Also energy healing, chakra balancing, Reiki, rebirthing, other lives, classes, more. 802-899-3542, kelman.b@juno.com.

HOME/GARDEN BATHROOM RENOVATIONS Easy, 1-day updates!

We specialize in safe bathing. Beautiful walkin showers w/ no-slip flooring. Grab bars & seated showers avail.

Call for a free in-home consultation: 844-2421100. (AAN CAN) LEO’S ROOFING Shingle, metal & slate repair. Standing seam replacement. Roofing repair or replacement.

Call for free estimate: 802-503-6064. 30 years’ experience. Good refs. & fully insured.

Chittenden County.

free shipping! 100% guaranteed. Call now: 888-531-1192. (AAN CAN)

low as $59.99/mo! $75 gift card, terms apply.

1-844-416-7147. (AAN CAN)

DONATE YOUR CAR TO KIDS Your donation helps fund the search for missing children.

Accepting trucks, motorcycles & RVs, too! Fast, free pickup, running or not. 24-hour response. Maximum tax donation. Call 877-2660681. (AAN CAN)

PAYING TOO MUCH For your medications?

Save up to 90% on Rx refill! Order today & receive free shipping on 1st order; prescription req. Call 1-855-750-1612.

(AAN CAN)

HUGHESNET SATELLITE INTERNET Finally, no hard data limits! Call today for speeds up to 25mbps as

WARDS: VERMONT PUNK BAND 34-song live CD. 19782018. $10. Proceeds paid to Paul Allison, 33 West St., Bolton, VT 05676. paulbolton9@gmavt. net, 802-434-5459.

Commercial Coffee Equipment Online with Lots Ending Mon., April 5 @ 6PM

131 Dorset Ln., Williston, VT Preview: Thurs., April 1 from 10AM-2PM

Multi-Family Building

Tuesday, April 13 @ 11AM Register from 10AM

453 Main St., Enosburg Falls, VT Preview: Wed., March 31 from 1-3PM

buy this stuff

ANTIQUES/ COLLECTIBLES

Waterbury Estate Sale

COINS! Let me fill your collection! Also have starter collections for the young kids, extra fine rolls.

Call Jim, 802-528-9716.

Always buying coins.

Online Auction with Lots Closing Thursday, April 8 @ 10AM 2015 Toyota RAV4, 1945 Ford 9N Tractor, John Deere Snow Blower, Tools, Equipment, Home Furnishings, Art, Antiques & MORE!

MISCELLANEOUS 4G LTE HOME INTERNET Now avail.! Get GotW3 w/ lightning-fast speeds + take your service w/ you when you travel!

As low as $109.99/mo.!

1-888-519-0171. (AAN CAN) ATTENTION, VIAGRA & CIALIS USERS! A cheaper alternative to high drugstore prices!

50-pill special: $99 +

THCAuction.com  800-634-7653

6v-hirchakbrothers033121 1

3/26/21 3:46 PM

SEVENDAYSVT.COM/CLASSIFIEDS

WANT TO BUY WE BUY LEVIS & USA DENIM We buy your used Levis & USA-made denim at Downtown Threads in Burlington & Camille’s Experienced Clothing in Rutland. james@ downtownthreads.net or 802-773-0971.

music

INSTRUCTION BASS, GUITAR, DRUMS, VOICE LESSONS & MORE Remote music lessons are an amazing way to spend time at home! Learn guitar, bass, piano, voice, violin, drums, flute, sax, trumpet, production & beyond w/ pro local instructors from the Burlington Music Dojo on Pine St. All levels &

styles are welcome, incl. absolute beginners.

Come share in the music! burlington musicdojo.com, info@burlington musicdojo.com.

GUITAR INSTRUCTION Berklee graduate w/ 30 years’ teaching experience offers lessons in guitar, music theory, music technology, ear training. Individualized, step-by-step approach.

All ages, styles, levels.

Rick Belford, 864-7195, rickb@rickbelford.com.

STUDIO/ REHEARSAL REHEARSAL SPACE Safe & sanitary music/ creative spaces avail. by the hour in the heart of the South End art district. Monthly arrangements avail., as well. Tailored for music but can be multipurpose. info@ burlingtonmusicdojo. com, 802-540-0321.

LEGALS »

10+

1-

Show and tell.

»

3-

Open 24/7/365.

View and post up to 6 photos per ad online.

5-

3÷

5

24-

15-

10+

CALCOKU

1 6

6 20x

2-

7 5 1 9 3

1-

6

There’s no limit to ad length online.

6 3 8 2 8 9 2

3÷ 2÷

Extra! Extra!

Post & browse ads at your convenience.

7 3 9

2÷

2 Difficulty - Medium

BY JOSH REYNOLDS

SUDOKU

5

8 7 3 Difficulty - Hard

BY JOSH REYNOLDS

DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK: HH

DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK: HHH

Fill the grid using the numbers 1-6, only once in each row and column. The numbers in each heavily outlined “cage” must combine to produce the target number in the top corner, using the mathematical operation indicated. A onebox 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.

Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each 9-box square contains all of the numbers one to nine. The same numbers cannot be repeated in a row or column.

4

3

5

6

1

2

5

4

2

1

3

6

2

4

5

6

3

1

6» 4

2

5

2

6

1

3

5

4

6

5

3

2

4

1

1

crossword3

POWER USERS ANSWERS ON P.60

5 9 3 4 6 1 2 7 8 ANSWERS 6 ON2P. 608 7 3 9 5 1 4 H = MODERATE HH = CHALLENGING HHH = HOO, BOY! 7 1 4 2 8 5 6 9 3 3 7 1 9 2 8 4 6 5 8 4 5 1 7 6 9 3 2 9 6 2 3 5 4 7 8 1 4 5 7 8 9 3 1 2 6 1 3 9 6 4 2 8 5 7 2 8 6 5 1 7 3 4 9

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

59

Legal Notices

ACT 250 NOTICE MINOR APPLICATION #4C05264J 10 V.S.A. §§ 6001 - 6093 On February 23, 2021, Lark-Inns, L.P., Inc., 410 Shelburne Road, Burlington, VT 05401 filed application number 4C0526-4J for a project generally described as conversion of 78 suites and 6 hotel units of the Holiday Inn Express/Comfort Suites to 70 one-bedroom and 8 two bedroom residential units with associated landscaping and bike parking. The project is located at 1712 Shelburne Road in South Burlington, Vermont. The application was deemed complete on March 24, 2021.

The District 4 Environmental Commission is reviewing this application under Act 250 Rule 51—Minor Applications. A copy of the application and proposed permit are available for review at the office listed below. The application and a draft permit may also be viewed on the Natural Resources Board’s web site (http://nrb.vermont. gov) by clicking on “Act 250 Database” and entering the project number “4C0526-4J.” No hearing will be held and a permit may be issued unless, on or before April 19, 2021, a person notifies the Commission of an issue or issues requiring the presentation of evidence at a hearing, or the Commission sets the matter for a hearing on its own motion. Any person as defined in 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1) may request a hearing. Any hearing request must be in writing to the address below, must state the criteria or sub-criteria at issue,

FROM P.59

1 2

1

4

5

3

4

9 2 12÷ 7 4 6 6 523 8

5 6 7 2-3 8 49 4 1 2

1-

10+

3 8 4 1 5 2 7 9 6

1 6 4 2 5 4 7 2 5-9 1 3 8 6 5 3-

3 4 5 1 6 63÷ 1 3 9 81- 5 21- 8 7 6 5 4 92÷ 3 4 2 1 7

5 2 6 3 1

1 4 5 3 6 2

2 7 8 5 1 4 6 9 10+3 4 6 5 9 3 2 20x 7 8 1 1 2 6 8 Difficulty 5 - Medium 7 3 4 9

5-

3÷

If you feel that any of the District Commission members listed on the attached Certificate of Service under “For Your Information” may have a conflict of interest, or if there is any other reason a member should be disqualified from sitting on this case, please contact the District Coordinator as soon as possible, and by no later than April 19, 2021.

Parties entitled to participate are the Municipality, the Municipal Planning Commission, the Regional Planning Commission, affected state agencies, and adjoining property owners and other persons to the extent that they have a particularized interest that may be affected by the proposed project under the Act 250 criteria. Non-party participants may also be allowed under 10 V.S.A. Section 6085(c)(5).

Dated at Essex Junction, Vermont this 25th day of March, 2021.

By: /s/ Stephanie H. Monaghan Stephanie H. Monaghan District Coordinator 111 West Street Essex Junction, VT 05452 802-879-5662 stephanie.monaghan@vermont.gov ACT 250 NOTICE MINOR APPLICATION #4C068515 10 V.S.A. §§ 6001 - 6093 On March 22, 2021, JDC Vermont Properties, LLC, 515 N. Flagler Drive, Suite 1702, West Palm Beach, FL 33401 filed application number 4C0685-15 for a project generally described as construction of a swimming pool and patio on Lot 1 of the Bucklin Lots of the Black Willow Farms subdivision. The project is located at 1218 Thompsons Point Road in Charlotte, Vermont.

The District 4 Environmental Commission is reviewing this application under Act 250 Rule 51—Minor Applications. A copy of the application and proposed permit are available for review at the office listed below. The application and a draft permit may also be viewed on the Natural Resources Board’s web site (http://nrb.vermont. gov) by clicking on “Act 250 Database” and entering the project number “4C0685-15.”

No hearing will be held and a permit may be issued unless, on or before April 19, 2021, a person notifies the Commission of an issue or issues requiring the presentation of evidence at a hearing, or the Commission sets the matter for a hearing on its own motion. Any person as defined in 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1) may request a hearing. Any hearing request must be in writing to the address below, 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. Prior to submitting a request for a hearing, please contact the district coordinator at the telephone number listed below for more information. Prior to convening a hearing, the Commission must determine that substantive issues requiring a hearing have been raised.

Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law may not

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021 Difficulty - Hard

2

5

7 3

60

3

FROM P.59

6

PUZZLE ANSWERS

By: /s/Rachel Lomonaco Rachel Lomonaco, District Coordinator 111 West Street Essex Junction, VT 05452 802-879-5658 rachel.lomonaco@vermont.gov

2

Prehearing Conference Instructions: Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), this Prehearing Conference will necessarily be conducted remotely via Microsoft Teams video conferencing

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. Prior to submitting a request for a hearing, please contact the district coordinator at the telephone number listed below for more information. Prior to convening a hearing, the Commission must determine that substantive issues requiring a hearing have been raised. Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law may not be prepared unless the Commission holds a public hearing.

If you have a disability for which you need accommodation in order to participate in this process (including participating in a public hearing, if one is held), please notify us as soon as possible, in order to allow us as much time as possible to accommodate your needs.

Dated this 29th day of March 2021.

4

A Prehearing Conference is hereby scheduled to convene: Date: April 14, 2021 Time: 2:30PM via Microsoft Teams (see below) There will be no site visit associated with the Prehearing Confrence.

If you would like further information regarding participation in this Prehearing Conference, please contact the District Coordinator (rachel. lomonaco@vermont.gov) by no later than April 12, 2021, at 4:30 PM. If you have a disability for which you need accommodation in order to participate in this process (including participating in a public hearing, if one is held), please notify us as soon as possible, in order to allow us as much time as possible to accommodate your needs.

2

Note to Prospective Parties: Pursuant to Vermont statute and Act 250 Rules, any person seeking to participate as a party to this proceeding MUST make such a party status request “on or before the first prehearing conference.” Accordingly, all prospective parties are obligated to log in or call into the PHC scheduled below, or to file a written party status petition in advance to the Commission at NRB.Act250Essex@vermont.gov. Failure to timely appear on the PHC call or video conference call, or to timely file a written request by the date of the PHC, thereafter bars a person from participating as a party in the proceeding, and any such person will thereafter lack legal standing to appeal any decision on this matter made by the District Commission. Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) State of Emergency, all prospective parties are asked to supply an email address, a street address, and a mailing address to the District Commission by email (NRB.Act250Essex@vermont.gov) for receiving service of notices on the proceedings.

• Enter Conference ID: 683 929 546#

3

Pursuant to Act 250 Rules 16 and 20, the Commission is convening an online Prehearing Conference (“PHC”). A PHC, in summary, has narrow goals and is designed to identify the parties and the issues. The PHC will be followed by the issuance of a Prehearing Conference Report and Order (“PHCRO”), which will prescribe any informational filing requirements, preliminary party status rulings, and the scheduling of a merits hearing at a later date.

• Dial: 802-828-7667

5

This Project will be evaluated by the District 4 Environmental Commission in accordance with the 10 environmental criteria of 10 V.S.A. § 6086(a). A copy of the application and plans for this project are available for review online at the Natural Resources Board web site (http://nrb.vermont.gov) by clicking on “Act 250 Database” and entering project number 4C0436-32A.

software. To receive a Microsoft Teams invitation via email, please e-mail the District Coordinator (rachel.lomonaco@vermont.gov) by no later than April 12, 2021, at 4:30 PM. If you are unable to participate using the Microsoft Teams platform, you may still call in to the conference with the following information:

6

ACT 250 NOTICE APPLICATION 4C0436-32A PREHEARING CONFERENCE 10 V.S.A. §§ 6001 - 6111 On August 21, 2020, Bolton Valley Resort filed an Act 250 application for a project generally described as the construction of approximately 7.2 miles of new lift-served mountain bike trails at Bolton Valley Resort. The project is located at Bolton Valley Access Road in Bolton, Vermont. The application was deemed complete on March 26, 2021.

PLACE AN AFFORDABLE NOTICE AT: SEVENDAYSVT.COM/LEGAL-NOTICES OR CALL 802-865-1020, EXT. 10. be prepared unless the Commission holds a public hearing.

If you feel that any of the District Commission members listed on the attached Certificate of Service under “For Your Information” may have a conflict of interest, or if there is any other reason a member should be disqualified from sitting on this case, please contact the District Coordinator as soon as possible, and by no later than April 19, 2021.

If you have a disability for which you need accommodation in order to participate in this process (including participating in a public hearing, if one is held), please notify us as soon as possible, in order to allow us as much time as possible to accommodate your needs.

Parties entitled to participate are the Municipality, the Municipal Planning Commission, the Regional Planning Commission, affected state agencies, and adjoining property owners and other persons to the extent that they have a particularized interest that may be affected by the proposed project under the Act 250 criteria. Non-party participants may also be allowed under 10 V.S.A. Section 6085(c)(5).

Dated at Essex Junction, Vermont this 26th day of March, 2021.

By: /s/ Stephanie H. Monaghan Stephanie H. Monaghan District Coordinator 111 West Street Essex Junction, VT 05452 802-879-5662 Stephanie.Monaghan@vermont.gov ACT 250 NOTICE MINOR APPLICATION #4C1041-3 10 V.S.A. §§ 6001 - 6093 On March 23, 2021, RAN Vermont Investments, LLC, PO Box 1329, Shelburne, VT 05482 and Gonzo’s Golf Academy at Kwini Golf Club, LLC, 1860 Williston Road, South Burlington, VT 05403 filed application number 4C1041-3 for a project generally described as the installation of two 15 foot tall camera supports with associated underground utility infrastructure. The project is located at 5353 Shelburne Road in Shelburne, Vermont.

The District 4 Environmental Commission is reviewing this application under Act 250 Rule 51— Minor Applications. A copy of the application and proposed permit are available for review at the office listed below. The application and a draft permit may also be viewed on the Natural Resources Board’s web site (http://nrb.vermont. gov) by clicking on “Act 250 Database” and entering the project number “4C1041-3.”

No hearing will be held and a permit may be issued unless, on or before April 16, 2021, a person notifies the Commission of an issue or issues requiring the presentation of evidence at a hearing, or the Commission sets the matter for a hearing on its own motion. Any person as defined in 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1) may request a hearing. Any hearing request must be in writing to the address below, 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. Prior to submitting a request for a hearing, please contact the district coordinator at the telephone number listed below for more information. Prior to convening a hearing, the Commission must determine that substantive issues requiring a hearing have been raised.

Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law may not be prepared unless the Commission holds a public hearing.

If you feel that any of the District Commission members listed on the attached Certificate of Service under “For Your Information” may have a conflict of interest, or if there is any other reason a member should be disqualified from sitting on this case, please contact the District Coordinator as soon as possible, and by no later than April 16, 2021.

If you have a disability for which you need accommodation in order to participate in this process (including participating in a public hearing, if one is held), please notify us as soon as possible, in order to allow us as much time as possible to accommodate your needs.

Parties entitled to participate are the Municipality, the Municipal Planning Commission, the Regional Planning Commission, affected state agencies, and adjoining property owners and other persons to the extent that they have a particularized interest that may be affected by the proposed project under the Act 250 criteria. Non-party participants may also be allowed under 10 V.S.A. Section 6085(c)(5).

Dated at Essex Junction, Vermont this 26th day of March, 2021.

By: /s/Rachel Lomonaco Rachel Lomonaco, District Coordinator 111 West Street Essex Junction, VT 05452 802-879-5658 rachel.lomonaco@vermont.gov ACT 250 NOTICE MINOR APPLICATION #4C1316-1A 10 V.S.A. §§ 6001 - 6093 On March 12, 2021, Lakeside Ovens, LLC, 688 Pine Street, Burlington, VT 05401 filed application number 4C1316-1A for a project generally described as demolition of an existing two-story 9,630-gross square foot office building, its replacement with a new two-story 9,630- gross square foot office building on the existing foundation, and the construction of a new gravel wetland stormwater treatment area. The project is located at 32 Lakeside Avenue in Burlington, Vermont.

By: _/s/Aaron Brondyke____ Aaron Brondyke State Coordinator 111 West Street Essex Junction, VT 05452 802-595-2735 Aaron.Brondyke@vermont.gov

05671-2080. A copy of this order shall be mailed to Ashley Bonilla if an address for her is known.

NORTHSTAR SELF STORAGE WILL BE HAVING A PUBLIC AND ONLINE SALE/AUCTION FOR THE FOLLOWING STORAGE UNITS ON APRIL 12, 2021 AT 9:00AM Northstar Self Storage will be having a public and online sale/auction on April 12, 2021 at 681 Rockingham Road, Rockingham, VT 0505101 (Unit R-33) and at 1124 Charlestown Rd., Springfield, VT 05156 (Unit S-67) 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

STATE OF VERMONT SUPERIOR COURT FAMILY DIVISION WASHINGTON UNIT DOCKET NO. 105-519 WNJV In re: F.W.

Name of Probate Court: Chittenden Probate Court Address of Probate Court: P.O. Box 511, Burlington, VT 05402-0511

NOTICE OF HEARING

TOWN OF BOLTON, VERMONT: NOTICE TO VENDORS — INVITATION TO BID: QUICK RESPONSE RESCUE TRUCK The Town of Bolton Vermont, requests sealed bids from qualified manufacturers for a Quick Response Rescue Truck that meets town specifications. Bids are due by 4 p.m. on April 15, 2021 at the Bolton Town Office, and will be opened by the Town Clerk, during a regularly scheduled virtual Select Board meeting on April 19, 2021. The bid will be awarded on April 19, 2021. The full bid notice and attached specifications are available on the town website www.boltonvt.com, or by contacting the Town Clerk at 802-434-5075 x 222. The Town of Bolton reserves the right to reject any and all bids, in whole or in part.

Unit # - Name - Contents R-55 - Amanda Ellis - Household Goods S-67 - Amanda Ellis - Household Goods NOTICE OF SELF STORAGE LIEN SALE EXIT 16 SELF STORAGE 295 RATHE RD COLCHESTER, VT. 05446 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE CONTENTS OF THE SELF STORAGE UNITS LISTED BELOW WILL BE SOLD AT AUCTION. TYLER HARRISON 10 X 30 BOB MARTIN 10 X 20 BOB MARTIN 10 X 20 HILLARY DAVIS 10 X 20 WENDELL COLEMAN 5 X 10

The District 4 Environmental Commission is reviewing this application under Act 250 Rule 51—Minor Applications. A copy of the application and proposed permit are available for review at the office listed below. The application and a draft permit may also be viewed on the Natural Resources Board’s web site (http://nrb.vermont. gov) by clicking on “Act 250 Database” and entering the project number “4C1316-1A.”

DUE TO COVID, 5 UNITS WE WILL SOLD BY SEALED BID VIEWING WILL BE BY APPOINTMENT TO ADHERE TO DISTANCING GUIDELINES. PLEASE CALL US AT 802-497-0404 TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT

No hearing will be held and a permit may be issued unless, on or before April 12, 2021, a person notifies the Commission of an issue or issues requiring the presentation of evidence at a hearing, or the Commission sets the matter for a hearing on its own motion. Any person as defined in 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c) (1) may request a hearing. Any hearing request must be in writing to the address below, 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. Prior to submitting a request for a hearing, please contact the district coordinator at the telephone number listed below for more information. Prior to convening a hearing, the Commission must determine that substantive issues requiring a hearing have been raised. Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law may not be prepared unless the Commission holds a public hearing.

SATURDAY 4-10-21 FROM 9:00AM – 1:00PM

If you feel that any of the District Commission members listed on the attached Certificate of Service under “For Your Information” may have a conflict of interest, or if there is any other reason a member should be disqualified from sitting on this case, please contact the District Coordinator as soon as possible, and by no later than April 12, 2021.

EXIT 16 SELF STORAGE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REMOVE ANY UNIT FROM THE AUCTION SHOULD CURRENT TENANT BRING HIS OR HER ACCOUNT CURRENT WITH FULL PAYMENT PRIOR TO THE START OF THE AUCTION.

If you have a disability for which you need accommodation in order to participate in this process (including participating in a public hearing, if one is held), please notify us as soon as possible, in order to allow us as much time as possible to accommodate your needs.

Parties entitled to participate are the Municipality, the Municipal Planning Commission, the Regional Planning Commission, affected state agencies, and adjoining property owners and other persons to the extent that they have a particularized interest that may be affected by the proposed project under the Act 250 criteria. Non-party participants may also be allowed under 10 V.S.A. Section 6085(c)(5).

Dated at Essex Junction, Vermont this 24th day of March, 2021.

APPOINTMENTS FOR VIEWING AND SEALED BIDDING WILL SCHEDULED AS FOLLOWS:

BID WILL BE OPENED ON SATURDAY 4-10-21 AT 1:30 PM WINNING BIDDER WILL BE NOTIFIED BY PHONE. CONTENTS OF THE ENTIRE STORAGE UNIT WILL BE SOLD AS ONE LOT. ALL WINNING BIDDERS WILL BE REQUIRED TO PAY A $100.00 DEPOSIT WHICH WILL BE REFUNDED ONCE UNIT IS LEFT EMPTY AND BROOM SWEPT CLEAN. THE WINNING BID MUST REMOVE ALL CONTENTS FROM THE FACILITY WITHIN 48 HOURS OF BID ACCEPTANCE AT NO COST TO EXIT 16 SELF STORAGE. EXIT 16 SELF STORAGE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REJECT ANY BID LOWER THAN THE AMOUNT OWED

BY THE OCCUPANT.

STATE OF VERMONT SUPERIOR COURT FAMILY DIVISION CHITTENDEN UNIT DOCKET NO. 340-819 CNJV In Re: A.B ORDER AND NOTICE OF HEARING TO: Ashley Bonilla, mother of A.B. you are hereby notified that the State of Vermont has filed a petition to terminate your residual parental rights to A.B. and that the hearing to consider the termination of all residual parental rights to A.B. will be held on April 29, 2021 at 8:30 a.m. at the Vermont Superior Court, Chittenden Family Division, at 32 Cherry Street, Burlington, Vermont. You may appear remotely by contacting the Clerk’s office at 802 651 1709. You are notified to appear in connection with this case.

Failure to appear at this hearing may result in the termination of all of your parental rights to A.B. The State is represented by the Attorney General’s Office, HC 2 North, 280 State Drive, Waterbury, VT

/S/ Thomas J. Devine Superior Court Judge 3/25/21 Date

Jarrett & Luitjens, PLC 1795 Williston Rd., Suite 125 South Burlington, VT 05403 (802) 864-5951 launa@vtelaw.com Name of Publication: Seven Days Publication Date: March 31, 2021

TO: Joshua Weeks The State of Vermont has filed a petition to terminate your residual parental rights to F.W. You are hereby notified that a hearing to determine parentage and a hearing to terminate all of your residual parental rights to F.W. will be held on May 20, 2021 at 8:30 a.m. at the Vermont Superior Court, Washington Family Division, at 255 N. Main St., Barre, Vermont. You are notified to appear in connection with this case. Failure to appear at this hearing will result in the termination of any rights you may have to F.W. as his/her father. The State is represented by the Attorney General’s Office, HC 2 North, 280 State Drive, Waterbury, VT 05671-2080.

Other interested parties include Molly Cronin. and F.W. to participate by phone, Mr. Weeks may call 802-479-4205.

Hon. Timothy B. Tomasi

TOWN OF ESSEX PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA/PUBLIC HEARING APRIL 22, 2021-6:30 P.M. This meeting will be held remotely.

- Join via Microsoft Teams.

Family Court Judge

- Join via conference call (audio only): (802) 377-3784 | Conference ID: 590 879 654 #

3/12/2021

STATE OF VERMONT SUPERIOR COURT PROBATE DIVISION CHITTENDEN UNIT, DOCKET NO.: 21-PR-00154 In re ESTATE of JEAN CAMPANA NOTICE TO CREDITORS To the Creditors of JEAN CAMPANA, late of South Burlington.

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 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.

- Watch the live stream video on Town Meeting TV’s YouTube Channel.

- Public wifi is available at the Essex municipal offices, libraries, and hotspots listed here: https:// publicservice.vermont.gov/content/ public-wifi-hotspots-vermont - Visit our website www.essex.org.

1. Public Comments 2. CONSENT AGENDA: - Minor Site Plan Amendment: Twincraft Skincare & Asch Enterprises, LLC: Proposal to add 2 exterior chillers associated with manufacturing use located at 34 River Rd in the I1 Zone. Tax Map 64, Parcel 3-4.

3. SITE PLAN & MASTER PLAN AMENDMENT: Eurowest Retail Partners, LTD: Proposal to expand

Dated: March 25, 2021 Signed: /s/ Launa L. Slater Executor/Administrator: Jane Earley c/o Launa L. Slater,

LEGALS »

Homeshares CHARLOTTE

Share rural farmhouse w/ senior woman who enjoys literature, gardening & classical music. Seeking housemate to cook 4 meals/wk, assist with yardwork & grocery shopping. $300/mo., all inc. Furnished bdrm, sitting room & private BA.

JERICHO Share home w/ woman in her 80s who enjoys birds & gardens. Seeking a neat & tidy housemate to cook 2x/wk, provide companionship & occas. transportation in exchange for no rent/just share of utils. No pets/smoking.

ORWELL Musical senior gentleman who enjoys keeping up on world events, with a home to share 25 min. to Middlebury. $300/mo. plus light help w/ yardwork & companionship.

Must be dog-friendly!

Finding you just the right housemate for over 35 years!

Call 863-5625 or visit HomeShareVermont.org for an application. Interview, refs, bg check req. EHO Homeshare041520.indd 1

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

61

3/26/21 4:59 PM

Legal Notices [CONTINUED] greenspace to accommodate an outdoor stage located at 21 Essex Way in the MXD-PUD & B-DC zones. Tax Map 92 Parcel 1.

4. SKETCH PLAN: Ron & Alice Siegriest: Proposal to subdivide 2 existing lots into 5 new lots located at 226 & 236 River Rd in the R2, SRPO & C2 zones. Tax Maps 33 & 4 Parcels 1 & 10.

5. SITE PLAN-PUBLIC HEARING: State of Vermont: Proposal to remove & rebuild a facility for a 16-bed institution located at 26 Woodside Dr in the O1 Zone. Tax Map 5, Parcel 3-1.

6. Minutes: April 8, 2021 7. Other Business TOWN OF RICHMOND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD NOTICE OF MEETING APRIL 14, 2021 Due to precautions being taken during the COVID-19 pandemic, and in accordance with Act 92 this DRB meeting will be held online via Zoom.

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/811154381 75?pwd=K1JOVjhRNWJlNkVOSTBMWn ZWbitxZz09 Meeting ID: 811 1543 8175 Passcode: 376237 Call-in: +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) Application materials may be viewed at http://www.richmondvt.gov/boardsminutes/development reviewboard/ one week before meeting. Please call 802-434-2430 if you have any questions.

Public Hearings: Peggy Farr Revocable Trust - Application Sub 2020-111. Public hearing continued from December 9, 2020, October 14, 2020 and September 9, 2020.

Preliminary Subdivision Review for a 6-lot subdivision (creation of 5 new lots) at 180 East Hill Rd, Parcel ID EH0180, in the Agricultural/Residential (A/R1A) Zoning District.

Town of Richmond - Application 2020164 for Major Site Plan Amendment to install a gate at . Property located at 1129 East Main Street, Richmond, and within the Agricultural/Residential Zoning District. Continuance requested.

Other Business: Approve minutes from March 10, 2021 DRB meetings.

Adjourn WARNING POLICY ADOPTION CHAMPLAIN VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT The Board of School Directors gives public notice of its intent to adopt local district policies dealing with the following at its meeting scheduled on April 27, 2021: H6 - Parent/Guardian Involvement H7 - Title I, Part A Parental Involvement Copies of the above policies may be obtained for public review at the Office of the Human Resources Dept. in Shelburne, VT.

62

WESTFORD PLANNING COMMISSION NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING The Westford Planning Commission hereby provides notice of a public hearing being held pursuant to Title 24, Section 4441 of the Vermont State Statues for the purpose of hearing public comments concerning: Proposed amendments to the Westford Land Use & Development Regulations.

The public hearing has been scheduled for: Monday, April 19, 2021 at 6:30 p.m.

To Join the Zoom Meeting visit: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87490527 791?pwd=NXZFdmJSem9kTllLR2ErQTF yMExzQT09 Or Dial: +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) Meeting ID: 874 9052 7791 Passcode: 0419 Purpose: The Planning Commission is proposing to amend the Westford Land Use & Development Regulations for the following purposes: 1. To correct and clarify certain spelling, grammatical, punctuation and reference errors that appeared in the regulations; 2. To revise and refine the regulations based on feedback from the Development Review Board, Administrative Officer, Town Attorney and members of the public.

Geographic Area Affected: Entire Town.

Table of Contents & Summary of Changes to the Westford Land Use & Development Regulations: Part 1.

General; Chapter 100. Legal Framework; Section 101. Enactment and Authority – Corrects reference; Section 102.

Purpose; Section 103. Applicability; Section 104. Effective Date; Section 105.

Amendment; Section 106. Severability; Chapter 110. Exemptions & Limitations; Section 111. General Exemptions – Corrects use references ; Section112.

Agriculture & Silviculture; Section 113.

Utility, Energy and Telecommunications Infrastructure; Section 114. Public Facilities; Section 115. Group Home; Chapter 120. Vested Rights & Existing Conditions; Section 121. Prior Permits or Approvals; Section 122. Filed Applications; Section 123. Pre-Existing Uses; Section 124. Existing Lots; Section 125. Nonconformities – Allows for limited expansion of non-conforming uses; Section 126. Abandonment and Discontinuance of Non-Residential Use; Section 127. Incomplete Development; Section 128. Damaged or Destroyed Structures; Section 129. Demolition; Part 2. Zoning Districts & Standards; Chapter 200. General Provisions; Section 201. Establishment of Zoning Districts; Section 202. Description of District Boundaries – Amends wetland buffer in Town Center Area; Section 203. Interpretation of District Boundaries; Section 204. Principal Uses or Structures on a Lot – Omits use & adds shared drive requirement; Section 205. Lots in More than One District; Chapter 210. Common (C) District; Section 211. Purpose; Section 212. Dimensional Standards; Section 213. Use Standards – Omits unit & adds accessory structure; Section 214. Planning and Design Standards;

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

Chapter 220. Village (V) District; Section 221. Purpose; Section 222. Dimensional Standards; Section 223. Use Standards – Omits unit & adds accessory structure; Section 224. Planning and Design Standards; Chapter 230. Rural 3 (R3) District; Section 231. Purpose; Section 232. Dimensional Standards; Section 233. Use Standards– Omits unit & adds accessory structure; Section 234. Planning and Design Standards; Chapter 240. Rural 5 (R5) District; Section 241. Purpose; Section 242.

Dimensional Standards; Section 243.

Use Standards – Omits unit & adds accessory structure & campground; Section 244. Planning and Design Standards – Amends point system; Chapter 250. Rural 10 (R10) District; Section 251. Purpose; Section 252.

Dimensional Standards; Section 253.

Use Standards; Section 254. Planning and Design Standards - Section 243.

Use Standards – Omits unit & adds accessory structure & campground;

REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS: List your properties here and online for only $45/week. Submit your listings

by Mondays at noon to homeworks@sevendaysvt.com or 802-865-1020, x10.

NEW TO THE MARKET

MONTPELIER | 25 LIBERTY STREET | 4852434

Chapter 260. Form-Based Code (FBC) Overlay District; Section 261. Purpose; Section 262. Applicability; Section 263. Planning and Design Standards – Clarifications, corrections, adds waivers for restoration, renovation or replication of historic structures, amends T4 front setback; Chapter 270. Water Resources (WRO) Overlay Close to downtown, circa 1880 District; Section 271. Purpose; Section multi-family includes two 2-bed272. Application; Section 273. Permitted room, one studio, four 1-bedroom Uses; Section 274. Conditional Uses; units. Wrap around porch, grand Section 275. Planning and Design Standards – Amends underground common entrance, original details, power standards; Chapter 280. wood floors, high ceilings, sunporchFlood Hazard (FHO) Overlay District; es, five bay carport. With MontpeSection 281. Purpose; Section 282. lier’s desirable rentals this is great Lucy Ferrada Compliance with State and Federal Law; opportunity for owner occupant Section 283. Exempt Uses; Section 279-7735 284. Prohibited Uses; Section 285. with rental income or add to your in- Lucy@HeneyRealtors.com General Permit - Correction; Section HeneyRealtors.com vestment portfolio. $725,000 286. Permitted Uses; Section 287.

Conditional Uses; Section 288. Planning and Development Standards; Section Vibration; Section 334. Airborne 432. Boundary Line Adjustment and 289. Administrative Procedures; Particulates and Odors; Section 335.

Lot Merger; Section 433. Deferred Section 2810. Definitions; Part 3.

Hazards and Hazardous Waste; Part 4.

Approval; Section 434. Sketch Plan 1:32 PM HW-Heney-033131.indd 1 3/26/21 Development Standards; Chapter 300.

Administrative Procedures; Chapter Review; Section 435. Master Plan Standards for Specific Uses; Section 400. Authorization; Section 401.

Review; Section 436. Preliminary Plan 301. Home Occupation; Section 302.

Administrative Officer; Section 402.

Review - Correction; Section 437. Final Accessory Dwelling Units - Amends Development Review Board; Section Plan Review - Correction; Section 438. accessory dwelling calculation; Section 403. Town Planner – Amend to refer to Filing Requirements; Chapter 440.

303. Adaptive Re-Use of Historic Barns Town Planner; Section 404. Planning Notice, Hearing & Decision Procedures; - Allows restaurants & taverns in R10; Commission; Section 405. Fees; Section Section 441. Warning a Hearing; Section Section 304. Agricultural Enterprises; 406. Site Visits and Inspections; Section 442. Conducting a Hearing; Section Section 305. Auto-Oriented Uses; 407. Surety; Section 408. As-Built 443. Recessing a Hearing; Section 444.

Section 306. Movement of Earthen Drawings and Designer Certifications; Development Review Board Decisions; Material; Section 307. Wireless Section 409. Other Approvals, Permits Section 445. Appeal of Development Telecommunications Facilities; Chapter or Certifications; Chapter 410. Zoning Review Board Decisions; Chapter 450.

310. Subdivision & PUD Standards; Permit Procedures; Section 411. Zoning Enforcement Procedures; Section 451.

Section 311. Basic Subdivision Design; Permit Required; Section 412. Applying Type of Ordinance; Section 452. Fines; Section 312. Common and Village for a Zoning Permit; Section 413.

Section 453. Applicability; Section 454.

Subdivision Design; Section 313. Rural Reviewing a Zoning Permit Application Action – Clarification & Correction; Subdivision Design; Section 314.

- Correction; Section 414. Acting on Part 5. Definitions; Chapter 500. Use Planned Unit Development (PUD); a Zoning Permit Application; Section of Terms; Section 501. Interpretation; Section 315. Fire Suppression Water 415. Zoning Permit Effect, Expiration Chapter 510. Defined Terms - Adds Supply - Correction; Section 316. and Extension; Section 416. Inspection campground & camp site; Part 6.

Legal Requirements; Chapter 320.

During Construction; Section 417.

Appendix With Maps – Amends Map 5.

Site Design & Engineering Standards; Zoning Permit Revocation; Section Section 321. Driveway & Private Road Location Where Full Text May be 418. Certificate of Occupancy; Section Standards- Clarification, correction & examined: Copies of the full text of the 419. Administrative Amendments; omitted pre-development inspection proposed amendments to the Westford Chapter 420. Development Review requirements; Section 322. Parking and Land Use & Development Regulations Board Procedures; Section 421. Site Service Areas- Correction; Section 323. are available at the Westford Town Plan Review – Correction & adds Landscaping and Screening; Section Office, 1713 VT Route 128, and Westford, accessory structures & campgrounds; 324. Outdoor Lighting; Section 325.

Vermont or may be viewed on the Town Section 422. Conditional Use ReviewOutdoor Display and Storage; Section of Westford website at https://westCorrection - Correction; Section 423.

326. Signs; Section 327. Erosion Control fordvt.us/documents/planning-zoning/ Appealing an Action or Decision by and Stormwater Management; Section the Administrative Officer; Section 328. Water and Wastewater Systems; Dated at Westford, Vermont this 31st 424. Waivers and Variances; Section Section 329. Source Protection Areas; day of March.

425. Combined Review; Section 426.

Section 3210. Natural Resource Modification of Approved Plans; Chapter Protection; Chapter 330. Performance George Lamphere, Westford Planning 430. Subdivision and PUD Procedures; Standards; Section 331. Applicability; Commission Chair Section 431. Applicability; Section Section 332. Sound; Section 333.

Say you saw it in...

J

NOW IN sevendaysvt.com

3D!

63 MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

ATTENTION RECRUITERS: POST YOUR JOBS AT: JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POST-A-JOB PRINT DEADLINE: NOON ON MONDAYS (INCLUDING HOLIDAYS) FOR RATES & INFO: MICHELLE BROWN, 802-865-1020 X21, MICHELLE@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

YOUR TRUSTED LOCAL SOURCE. JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM Development Officer

Supported Housing Program Staff

Youth Development Coordinator

Drop-In Resource Coordinator

https://bit.ly/3eyC5FE

Please use the appropriate link to apply for the desired position.

https://bit.ly/30DYglS

https://bit.ly/3uFzQWN

https://bit.ly/3jcbsXq

3h-Spectrum033121.indd 1

3/26/21 4:06 PM

Now hiring!

Opportunities include:

PROGRAM DIRECTOR

• Tent Installation/Delivery Team • Driver/Warehouse Team – Event Division • Drivers/Delivery • Linen Team • Inventory Maintenance Team – Wash Bay & Warehouse • Load Crew Team Members

NOW HIRING! Find all of the details online at: www.goodbeginningscentralvt.org/blog

1t-GoodBeginnings031721.indd 1

3/12/21

Vermont Tent Company is currently accepting applications for immediate employment as well as future summer/fall employment starting in May. We have full time, part time, after school and weekend hours available for each position. Pay rates vary by position with minimum starting wage ranging from $15$20/hour depending on job skills and experience.

Vermont Mechanical is looking for

For job descriptions and application. vttent.com/employment

Assistant Project Manager, Licensed Plumbers, Project Coordinator, Service Technicians, 4v-VTTentCo031721.indd 4:44 PMSheet Metal Installers & Prefab Specialists VT Mechanical_10C.indd 2

9/9/20 4:59 PM

1

3/15/21 4:30 PM

Hiring bonuses, competitive pay, on-the-job training, and great benefits combined with an employee-centered culture helps make VMI a great place to work.

SUMMER COOKS

Apply online at vtmechanical.com or send an email to jobs@vtmechanical.com. Vermont Mechanical is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Common Ground Center has a reputation for serving excellent locally sourced meals and we need 3/26/21 your help! Cooks are responsible4t-VTMechanical033121.indd 1 for meal preparation during multiple programs. Experience with vegetarian cooking a plus and Wake Robin,Vermont’s premier senior living community, seeks an Executive Assistant ServSafe certification a must. Full to the President/CEO.This individual provides administrative support and project Season: June 28th-August 13th implementation for all initiatives generated from this office.Typical responsibilities (with one week off). include administrative support for the Board of Directors, calendar management and meeting logistics coordination, key document management/archiving, and constant HOUSEKEEPING interaction with our residents on behalf of the President.They also collaborate with STAFF department directors to coordinate high level administrative initiatives and special Looking to add to our stellar projects. Candidates must have at least 5-years’ experience as a senior support executive, housekeeping team to help us keep solid experience using word processing, data management, and interactive IT systems, our spaces clean and sanitized this and a desire to be immersed in the resident community culture at Wake Robin. summer. Experience a plus but Interested candidates can send their resumes and cover letter to willing to train. Half time and 3/4 hr@wakerobin.com or fill out an application at wakerobin.com/employment. time positions May through October.

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

Send resumes: connor@cgcvt.org.

www.cgcvt.org

3v-CommonGround033121.indd 1

Wake Robin offers a unique and supportive community-centered work environment.We are proud to have provided a safe and covid-free community throughout the pandemic! Join us for this opportunity to build strong relationships with staff and residents in a dynamic community setting.

3/26/214t-WakeRobin032421.indd 4:08 PM 1

OPEN POSITIONS - ALL SHIFTS 2:31 PM

• MARKETING & SALES COORDINATOR • SAFETY & TRAINING COORDINATOR • HR COORDINATOR At Vermont Creamery, our employees are our greatest resource. We are a community that empowers our team to engage and live our mission every day. We know that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and here, the whole is powered by a spirit of collaboration and transparency.

Benefits matter; that’s why we offer a competitive package.

Our benefits program includes medical, vision & dental insurance, retirement plans & a total well-being approach.

Perks to keep you healthy & happy include a wellness program, time off & tuition assistance. A certified B Corp since 2014, we’re using our business as a force for good.

To apply, please call 802-479-9371 or apply online at: careers.landolakesinc.com/vermontcreamery.

1 3/23/21 5v-VTCreamery033121.indd 10:00 AM

3/26/21 4:58 PM

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

64

POST YOUR JOBS AT JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM FOR FAST RESULTS, OR CONTACT MICHELLE BROWN: MICHELLE@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

TODDLER TEACHER

We currently seek to fill the following position(s):

Sara Holbrook Community Center is in search of an experienced child care professional for the Early Head Start Toddler program. This Teacher will work closely with their Co-Teacher and Assistant Teacher to plan and implement Creative Curriculum, utilize the Early MultiTiered System of Support principals, and provide a program of activities that promote the social, emotional, physical, and academic development of each child.

HEAD TELLER

Openings in Essex and Burlington

TELLER

Openings in Essex, St. Albans, and Middlebury We partner with quality companies offering top notch benefits of the traditional and nontraditional types. We have competitive health care and 401k matches, a local employee assistance program, and other wellness benefits.

Qualified candidates apply online:vermontfederal.org.

Learn more during Hire Up, March 31, 11am jobs.sevendaysvt.com/hire-up/#.YFj0cZNKiEI

SERVICE TECHNICIANS

4t-VTFederalCreditUnion032421.indd 1

3/22/21

The ideal candidate holds a current Vermont Agency of Education teaching license with an endorsement in Early Childhood, Early Childhood Special Education, or Elementary Education; or has a minimum of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college with a successful completion of (30) college credits with an early childhood focus: Early Childhood, Child or Human Development, 4:38 PM Elementary Education, Special Education with toddler age children, or Child and Family Services and at least twelve (12) months experience working with groups of children from 3 years of age to 5 years of age.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The Orange County Parent Child Center seeks an enthusiastic and missiondriven Executive Director with proven attention to detail and strong team building skills.

The Executive Director will be responsible for shepherding our family service and childcare non-profit through an exciting period of development and growth.

The successful candidate will be experienced in non-profit accounting, budget creation, fundraising and advocacy.

This is a full-time position located at our beautiful Tunbridge campus, where we serve families throughout Orange and Northern Windsor counties.

We are seeking Service Position open until filled.

Technicians to join our team! Responsible for installations, This is a full-time, benefited position. Please go to Apply by sending cover letter adjustments, and repairs throughout the service territories saraholbrookcc.org/employment-opportunities and resume to Eliza Minnucci, in Chittenden, Franklin, and Adison counties. The service OCPCC Board Secretary at technician responds to minor leaks, turn-ons/offs, setting to view the full job description. eliza.minnucci@gmail.com. and changing meters, installing, and servicing all types of gas appliances. Expected to perform regular inspection checks of all gas devices. Delivering excellent customer service is our priority and the right candidate will embody our values of 5v-SaraHolbrook032421.indd 1 3/19/213v-OrangeCountyParentChildCenter033121.indd 4:56 PM 3/29/21 1 respect, integrity, and safety.

1:36 PM

Diversity & Inclusion Statement We are committed to building a work community that is inclusive and represents a vibrant diversity of background, experience, perspective, and thought. Candidates across all markers of identity (age, race, gender, ability, communication style, etc.) are highly encouraged to apply.

Please go to vermontgas.com to view the full job descriptions and apply today!

TRAIN TO BE A PHLEBOTOMIST GUARANTEED JOB IN 8 WEEKS*

4t-VTGas033121.indd 1

3/26/21 10:20 AM

FIND OUT MORE DURING HIRE UP, MARCH 31ST jobs.sevendaysvt.com/hire-up/#.YFirEJNKiEJ

BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR

About Native Since 2000, Native has worked with clients to develop solutions to their sustainability challenges and to implement community-scale projects that reduce emissions, strengthen businesses, and contribute to global progress on climate change. We’re seeking a Business Administrator to join our Burlington-based team.

About the role You’re a good fit for this role if you are detail-oriented, interested in working across business operations, and love creating efficiencies. You’ll work with Native’s Director of People & Culture and leadership team to support administrative projects across People Ops, Legal & Accounting, and Client Strategy operations.

We’re looking for: ● A proactive commitment to problem-solving ● Familiarity with business operations and a capacity to learn new software ● Openness to ongoing learning and training Interested? Please send resume and cover letter to careers@nativeenergy.com.

4t-VTHiTec032421.indd 1

1 3/22/21 5v-Native033121.indd 11:35 AM

MAINTENANCE

Sara Holbrook Community Center is in search of someone to see to the care and feeding of our beautiful new building.

This half-time position will be responsible for maintaining building systems including mechanical, electrical, plumbing and HVAC, security and wi-fi systems to ensure optimal operating results.

They will oversee the company’s facility operations, manage janitorial duties, perform general groundskeeping, manage office/classroom moves all while remaining in compliance with local, state and federal regulations pertaining to child care facilities.

Go to saraholbrookcc.org/ employment-opportunities to view the full job description.

3/29/21 3v-SaraHolbrookMAINT032421.indd 12:23 PM 1

3/22/21 12:54 PM

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SEVENDAYSJOBS, SUBSCRIBE TO RSS, OR BROWSE POSTS ON YOUR PHONE AT JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

NEW JOBS POSTED DAILY! JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

TRUE INDIVIDUALS ARE OUR FAVORITE KIND OF TEAM. BANQUET LEAD

DIRECTOR OF BRAND AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

We are interviewing for:

ARCHITECT/ DESIGNER

Hotel Vermont is looking for warm and engaging Vermonters to help our guests explore like a local and relax like it’s their job.

65 MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

Seeking a born leader to roll up their sleeves and shape the future success of Vermont Way Foods™, Food with a Compass™.

We are a collaborative that supports Vermont’s hardworking farmers and makers of awesome food. Our goal is to sell more of the bounty of Vermont outside of our small state, so our farmers and makers thrive. If crafting a hard-driving business strategy, shaping an irresistible selling story, and breathing life into marketing a brand with unlimited potential lights you up…Let’s talk!

BARTENDER FOOD RUNNER HOST AM/PM SERVER NIGHT AUDIT FRONT DESK RESERVATIONS BARISTA BELL/VALET BANQUETS

Scott + Partners, an established architectural Do you like connecting with firm in Essex Junction, VT others? Are you passionate about with a focus on commercial, Vermont winters? And springs, healthcare & multi-family summers and autumns? What housing projects, is seeking year is your Subaru? What’s your The Vermont Food Hub Collaborative, idea of a perfect day in Vermont? a creative, self-motivated Or night? Do you embody our L3C, (dba Vermont Way Foods™) is an architect/designer with ideals of community through your equal opportunity employer that values 5-10 years of experience positive and respectful attitude? diversity of experience and perspective in similar projects. Good Do you like questions? We can’t to enrich our work. For the full job wait to hear your answers! communication and design MAINTENANCE ENGINEER description and compensation, go to skills are important. Licensed To schedule an interview go to: Hotel Vermont bethgilpin.com/current openings. applicants preferred. www.workathotelvt.com - Cherry St, Burlington Must have demonstrated abilities & experience in design, construction 4t-HotelVT033121 1 3/26/214t-BethGilpin(VTWaySchools)033121.indd 4:29 PM 1 3/29/21 document production, project coordination & CA experience. Must be The Lake Champlain Committee proficient in Revit, AutoCad, (LCC), a Burlington-based, & Microsoft Office. bistate environmental nonprofit Competitive salary & benefits dedicated to lake protection, package provided. Email We are looking for police officers, on-call letter of interest & resume to seeks a highly organized, detailfirefighters, and summer staff in our Recreation john@scottpartners.com. oriented, energetic, enthusiastic,

OFFICE MANAGER

3v-Scott+Partners033121.indd 1

3/30/21 10:28 AM

LEGAL ASSISTANT

JOIN THE CITY OF WINOOSKI TEAM!

multitasking Office Manager to work in a fast-paced team environment with humor, computer and web savvy, and a commitment to our mission. Database management and Quickbooks experience helpful.

A detailed job description is available at lakechamplaincommittee.org/get-involved/jobs.

Position open until filled. EOE. To apply, email cover letter and resume with three references to: lorif@lakechamplaincommittee.org.

3:34 PM

and Public Works departments. Many positions offer paid training and excellent benefits.

The City of Winooski is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to creating an inclusive work environment for all employees.

Visit our website at winooskivt.gov/Jobs for more information and how to apply.

“The City of Winooski: Vermont’s Opportunity City”

Sheehey Furlong & Behm, an established, growing law firm located near the 3/29/214t-CityofWinooskiPOLICE032421.indd 4:29 PM 1 3/22/21 Burlington waterfront, is4t-LakeChamplainCommittee033121.indd 1 accepting applications for a legal assistant. The Dinse is seeking to hire a full-time experienced transactional successful candidate paralegal. Applicant should possess strong analytical skills will be detail-oriented, with the ability to prepare for and assist with closings, perform The Yard Hand is responsible for Haul, block and launch title searches and draft title documents. Applicant must have possess strong written and a strong knowledge of state and local regulations including boats. Work closely with the Yard Foreman and assist verbal skills and the ability Act 250 & subdivision. Position requires communication with fellow crewmembers as needed. Operate yard machinery to work in a fast-paced title insurance companies, lenders, attorneys and clients, so including 75-Ton Travelift, 35-Ton hydraulic trailer, forklift, environment. Proficiency in applicant must be confident in those areas. Duties may also power washer, etc. Grounds maintenance and marina MS Office applications is include maintaining corporate books, assist with merger and cleanliness. Ability to work in all-weather conditions. required. 1-3 years of legal acquisition, together with private placement transactions and Ability to lift 50 pounds. Basic boat handling skills a plus. experience is preferred. corporate filing with the Vermont Secretary State. If you are Positive attitude and willingness to learn.

Competitive pay and detailed-oriented, can work under pressure and have at least comprehensive benefits three years of real estate law experience, we Safe Harbor Marinas offers eligible employees healthcare package. would like to hear from you. benefits, 401(k) plans, paid time off. Additional disclosures We offer a competitive salary, full benefit available at shmarinas.com/hr-disclosures.

Forward cover letter package, with 4 weeks of combined time off, and resume to Please submit an application online at shmarinas.com. and an exceptional work environment. hiring@sheeheyvt.com, Or give us a call: (802)-985-3326. subject “Legal Assistant.”

Please e-mail resume to jaustin@dinse.com.

TRANSACTIONAL PARALEGAL

9:07 AM

YARD HAND

3v-SheeheyFurlong032421.indd 1

3/22/214t-ShelburneShipyard033121.indd 6:11 PM 1

3/30/214t-DinsePC032421.indd 1:27 PM 1

3/19/21 3:01 PM

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

66

POST YOUR JOBS AT JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM FOR FAST RESULTS, OR CONTACT MICHELLE BROWN: MICHELLE@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

AGRICULTURAL LOAN OFFICER

New World Tortilla has positions open at our location on Pine Street in Burlington. This is a fast-paced counter service restaurant. Tired of working Sundays and Holidays? You get them all off. We also offer paid time off for full-time employees.

VEDA is looking for an experienced Agricultural Loan Officer to join our team located in our new building on Exchange Street in Middlebury, Vermont. Due to COVID-19, this position is expected to be remote based for a period of time.

Please send your resume to newworldvt@gmail.com, or drop it off at 696 Pine Street.

VEDA has a strong commitment to the Addison County agricultural community and this position will work with farm and forestry applicants 2h-NewWorldTortilla031021.indd and borrowers in Addison County as well as throughout the state.

Responsibilities include analyzing loan requests, preparing loan writeups, servicing a diverse loan portfolio and performing annual financial analyses. In addition, the successful applicant for this position will be able and willing to mentor and teach co-workers with less experience.

1

Shop Technician https://bit.ly/3cZKiAz

Quality Control Inspector https://bit.ly/31lZcLU

3/5/21 1t-AOGlass033121.indd 12:21 PM 1

3/26/21 12:11 PM

A high level of agricultural and/or forest industry knowledge; strong written, verbal, and computer skills; excellent customer service; and a proven team approach are required. The preferred, successful applicant will have at least 3-7 years of agricultural lending experience, a bachelor’s degree in a related field, and leadership experience. This position requires travel within the State of Vermont.

VEDA offers a very competitive salary and benefits package and is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. We are interested in increasing staff diversity and welcome job applications from all qualified candidates.

Branch Manager

To apply, please email resume and cover letter to Cheryl Houchens: chouchens@veda.org.

5v-VEDA032421.indd 1

INSURANCE PROFESSIONAL

SeaComm Federal Credit Union is seeking to fill the position of Branch Manager in South Burlington, Vermont.

3/19/21 12:10 PM

As a manager of SeaComm, you will be fully responsible for the performance of the branch. We believe that a successful manager will motivate staff through positive example and coaching. Our managers are responsible for underwriting consumer loans and approving underwriting decisions.

Successful candidate will possess a 4 year college degree or equivalent combination of education and professional experience. Previous supervisory experience, excellent organization and communication skills are required.

Established Property Casualty Insurance Agency is seeking a highly motivated, experienced individual to join their team for a full time/long term position in our Chittenden County location.

We are seeking an experienced insurance professional to join our Personal Lines Insurance Division. This position will be instrumental in managing a book of business through expertise in retention, client servicing, technology, marketing and sales support. We are seeking an outgoing, confident team player. In house training will be provided.

KEY REQUIRED SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS Experience in working with various insurance companies systems. Ability to perform in depth coverage analysis, policy review while providing superior customer service.

Must have Integrity, a positive attitude, be highly professional, very reliable, focused, detail oriented have excellent communication skills - verbal, written and listening.

Must have a Property & Casualty Insurance Producer License with 3 years’ experience in insurance industry sales and service.

We offer a competitive benefit package. Compensation commensurate with experience. Send resumes to: info@titusinsurance.net.

Financial Service Representative

SeaComm is also seeking to fill a Financial Service Representative position at the South Burlington location.

The expectation of this position is to assist our members by providing prompt and courteous service in opening new accounts, processing loans, and processing teller transactions.

Qualified applications will possess prior experience in a similar role, cash handling experience, a high school diploma or GED, good math skills, excellent customer skills, and be detail oriented.

SeaComm has been recognized as a Best Company to Work for in New York for 10 consecutive years. We offer an attractive compensation and benefit package, as well as an excellent work environment. Please apply online at www.seacomm.org Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action Employer Minority/ Female/DisabilityNet

10v-SeaCommCreditUnion033121.indd 1 5v-TitusInsuranceAgency033121.indd 1

3/30/21 1:36 PM

0MIV\.

3/30/21 12:40 PM

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SEVENDAYSJOBS, SUBSCRIBE TO RSS, OR BROWSE POSTS ON YOUR PHONE AT JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Capital & Asset Management Program Manager

Carpenters Wanted!

Needed Immediately!

RECORDING SECRETARY

The individual in this role must possess strong leadership skills and be able to work effectively with collaborators.

Our ideal candidate will hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Construction Management, Business Administration, Public Administration or a related field.

The City of Burlington is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

To learn more and to apply for this position, please click the link:

http://bit.ly/ BtvDPW033121

LS-CityofBurlington033121.indd 1

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

View job description, qualifications, and apply: moneycarevt.com/join-us/

2v-MoneyCare033121.indd 1

3/26/21

Licensed Practical Nurse/ Registered Nurse (LPN/RN) Come join a winning team with new management and a positive culture to care for our residents/patients. We care about you! We want trusting, self-starter individuals to join our team! Highest wages in the area, very competitive rates!

Come join our team and reach out to HR if you are interested! (802) 923-5728. hr@queencityrehab.com

1 3/30/212v-QueenCityHealth&Rehab032421.indd 1:52 PM

• Full time year round employment • Good benefits • Experience in installing Epdm, Tpo, Pvc roofing • EOE/M/F/VET/Disability employer • Pay negotiable with experience

Apply in person: 252 Avenue C, Williston, VT 05495 802-862-6473 E.O.E.

Career Opportunity: Construction Project Manager

10:42 AM

Interested persons may submit a resume for service to Paula Carrier, Administrative Assistant, via email at pcarrier@jerichovt.gov or via mail at P.O. Box 39, Jericho, VT 05465. The town will receive applications until person is selected.

Money Care, LLC, a daily money management company, seeks a highly organized, trustworthy individual, to provide administrative support.

The ideal candidate knows how to pay attention to details, and has excellent computer 3v-TownofJericho032421.indd skills, resourcefulness to solve problems, and good interpersonal skills.

This is a part-time hourly position (4-5 hrs./week) with flexible hours.

67 MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

The Town of Jericho, VT is seeking the services of a Recording Secretary for 2h-ACHathorne032421.indd 1 3/23/21 9:45 AM the Jericho Selectboard.

Career Opportunity: Services required include Construction Project Manager attending meetings (1st & 3rd Thursday of each month Bread Corporation, Vermont’s integratedintegrated company ofcompany architects, planners, BreadLoaf Loaf Corporation, Vermont’s of architects, plann starting at 7pm for Jericho and builders, is seeking a Project Manager.

Our Project Managers are key and builders, is seeking a Project Manager. Our Project Managers are key Selectboard) and furnishing members of our integrated project management teams – providing support members of our integrated project management teams – providing support written minutes of each through design and taking the lead through construction. Ideal candidates through and taking the leadscheduling, through construction.

Ideal candidates meeting to town staff within will have adesign firm knowledge of construction the ability to five days of each meeting. balance multiple be a collaborative team player will have a firmprojects, knowledge of construction scheduling, the ability to The expected hourly rate and have amultiple customer projects, service focus balance beasa well. collaborative team player range is $12.00-$15.00.

Call Mike at 802-343-0089 or

This position is responsible for all planning, development and administration of the City of Burlington General Fund Capital Plan and oversees strategic decisions on physical improvement or maintenance of City owned infrastructure and facilities.

JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

COMMERCIAL ROOFERS

Finish Carpenters, Carpenters and Carpenters Helpers. Good Pay, Full Time and Long Term!

Chittenden County.

The City of Burlington’s Morton at 802-862-7602.

Department of Public Works is seeking a Capital & Asset Management 2v-MJSContracting080818.indd 1 8/6/18 Program Manager.

NEW JOBS POSTED DAILY!

1

of construction management experience are

Please visit our website www.breadloaf.com for preferred.

Experience managing projects more information about our company.

Interested ranging from $1-15 million desired. candidates may send their resume to resumes@breadloaf.com.

Please visit our website www.breadloaf.com for

more information about our company. Interested candidates may send their resume to 4t-BreadLoaf032421 1 3/23/21 11:56 AMresumes@breadloaf.com.

3/19/21 2:32 PM

The Shader Croft School

HIRING CRAFTSPEOPLE

Red House Building is now looking to expand our team of craftspeople at all skill levels, from laborers, to journeyman carpenters, to project managers.

3:13 PM Though based in the Champlain valley, we strongly welcome applicants from Central and Northern Vermont.

Our ideal candidate would possess the following qualities: » Cooperative attitude » Eagerness to work as a team member » Stong attention to detail » Exhibit professionalism Hourly wage will depend upon the applicant’s skill level/experience.

Generous benefits package.

Please send resumes to Chris@redhousebuilding.com.

Learn more about our work at RedHouseBuilding.com.

3/19/213v-RedHouseBuilding033121.indd 2:39 PM 1

A Bachelor’s in engineering and have aDegree customer service orfocus as well. construction related field and at least ten years A construction Bachelor’smanagement Degree in experience engineering of are or preferred.

Experience projects construction relatedmanaging field and at least ten years ranging from $1-15 million desired.

Executive Director Shader Croft School, a small, progressive nonprofit in Burlington Vermont, seeks an Executive Director. Now in our twentieth year, we operate a research-based experiential summer program for atrisk adolescents with a focus on literacy, personal development, and community building. We draw approximately 48 students from five surrounding schools and run our program at two sites with 12 students per group and a 3:1 student-teacher ratio.

Responsibilities include directing all aspects of the summer program, including partnering with schools, recruiting students, hiring and supporting summer teachers, developing curriculum, managing budgeting and finance, leading the marketing and fundraising, and collaborating with the Board of Directors.

This position is currently part time January–May and August– December. It is full time late June through July. There is potential to grow the program with year-round offerings. The new Executive Director will begin no later than June 15, working under the direction of the current Shader Croft leadership before transitioning to full responsibility. Salary commensurate with experience.

Please go to shadercroftschool.org to view the full Job Description and Primary Duties and Responsibilities. Qualified candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three professional references to Janet Francis (janet@shadercroftschool.org). Please use “Shader Croft School ED Application” in the subject line. The job posting will close on May 1, 2021.

3/30/215v-ShaderCroftSchool033121.indd 12:04 PM 1

3/30/21 1:33 PM

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

68

POST YOUR JOBS AT JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM FOR FAST RESULTS, OR CONTACT MICHELLE BROWN: MICHELLE@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

Engaging minds that change the world

Seeking a position with a quality employer? Consider The University of Vermont, a stimulating and diverse workplace. We offer a comprehensive benefit package including tuition remission for on-going, full-time positions.

Environmental Compliance Manager - Risk Management and Safety - #S2719PO - The University of Vermont is seeking a dynamic, self-motivated, team-oriented leader to manage our environmental compliance programs. UVM offers excellent benefits, competitive salary, and a flexible work environment.

Our Environmental Compliance Manager will have experience with hazardous waste management, clean air act requirements, clean water act compliance, and other hazardous material and environmental regulations. This manager supervises an operational team and is integral to UVM teams for health & safety, emergency planning, and facilities management. Successful candidates will have a bachelor degree in related field, experience in environmental compliance, and the ability to obtain certification in hazardous materials management and a commercial driver’s license with hazardous materials endorsement.

For further information on this position and others currently available, or to apply online, please visit www.uvmjobs.com.

Applicants must apply for positions electronically. Paper resumes are not accepted. Open positions are updated daily.

Please call 802-656-3150 or email employment@uvm.edu for technical support with the online application.

Seven Days YOUTH Issue: 3/31 SERVICE Due: 3/29 by 11am MANAGER Size: 3.83 x 5.25 Help us launch Cost: $476.85 (with 1 week online) a new DREAM COMPTROLLER/ mentoring site in St. Albans!

FINANCE MANAGER We are hiring for part-time Seeking Experienced Comptroller or Finance Manager familiar with nonprofit financial management and healthcare/long term care to join EastView at Middlebury’s dedicated management team to guide the fiscal health of our 99-home senior living/ care community. Rewarding work in a beautiful, community-oriented setting filled with wonderful residents, supportive family members, an active Board, and great colleagues.

DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGIST

support in recruiting mentors and mentees, and laying the foundation for supporting successful mentoring matches.

The ACLU of Vermont is seeking a motivated, organized, and skilled Digital Communications Strategist to oversee and manage digital communications in support of our legal, advocacy, and development programs.

Starting salary range for this position is $40,000-$50,000 annually. Full job description, qualification requirements, and how to apply can be found at acluvt.org.

ACLU of Vermont is an EOE. All are encouraged to apply.

DREAM’s mission is to close the opportunity gap for youth in affordable housing.

With our nation’s history of systemic racial and economic oppression, DREAM recognizes that children living in affordable housing do not receive equitable access to educational and enrichment opportunities, which can 2v-ACLUVT033121.indd 1 3/26/21 10:53 AM be pivotal experiences in shaping a young person’s Training and Development future. DREAM seeks a world Manager in which all children have the Design, develop, and deliver opportunities, resources, and effective training and Go to: relationships necessary to professional development eastviewmiddlebury.com/ programs to our ever growing achieve their dreams. join-our-team/ for the full team. This position will drive training initiatives in order to Apply at: mfoote@ posting and to apply improve productivity and align dreamprogram.org.

The University of Vermont is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. online today. E.O.E. resources with expected company growth patterns.

Work with HR, Training, and BUILDING Operations teams to ensure labor 5v-Graystone033121.indd 1 SUCCESS AND HOPE TO THOSE WE SUPPORT 3/29/21 3v-EastViewMiddlebury033121.indd 12:20 PM 1 3/29/213v-DREAMProgram033121.indd 1:10 PM 1 3/26/21 11:25 AM resources are adequate to meet FULL TIME the needs of the company within budgeted and forecasted ESTATE HOUSEKEEPING requirements.

The Francis Foundation

THE FRANCIS FOUNDATION is expanding our resources by hiring essential people to do rewarding work.

We are a small private non-profit agency located in Middlesex VT, serving young adults with intellectual disabilities. We focus on the success of the person, through relationships that are positive and helpful.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT SPECIALISTS: Assist young adults to make meaningful connections in their community that foster socialization, wellness, and volunteerism. Safe measures within connections. Training provided. Pay starts at 15.00/hour plus mileage reimbursement. 25 hours a week. Flexible schedules also available.

RESPITE SUPPORTS: Provide a safe break and get away for the Shared Living Provider and the young adult. Scheduled time in your home can be consistently arranged or as needed. Person specific training is provided as well as orientation of self-regulation stage model. Minimum rate for an overnight is $176.64.

SHARED LIVING PROVIDERS: Be a mentor within life skills and emotion regulation. Share your home with a young adult who appreciates support, guidance, and connections. Training, clinical support, and a GENEROUS tax free stipend provided.

COVID safety measures are respected and in place.

PLEASE CONTACT: EILEEN@THEFRANCISFOUNDATION.ORG

MANAGEMENT POSITION

Located in the heart of the Green Mountains, a peaceful and inspiring, sprawling estate with the community spirit of “all for one and one for all” seeks an honest and professional individual with excellent communication skills to join our team.

The open position is seeking a full time, year round, self motivated and reliable individual for estate level housekeeping. This includes a main house and several guest houses, as well as large garages. Duties include but not limited to maintaining a high level of attention to detail, a high regard for cleanliness and organization. Experience with dust removal, polishing, steam cleaning, laundry service, light kitchen duties, regular ironing, sweeping, glass cleaning, vacuuming, and maintaining the house plants with a regular watering schedule. Candidate must possess the physical ability to lift 50lbs., and be able to stock wood.

COMPENSATION: • Yearly salary of 50,000.00 • 15 days of Paid vacation time yearly • 12 days of Personal time/Sick leave • All US Holidays are paid days off.

Equal Opportunity Employer. All employment positions are contingent on results of criminal background checks

5v-FrancisFoundation032421.indd 1

NOW HIRING

3/23/21 5v-MIO031721.indd 10:32 AM 1

Please send resume and cover letter to mioemployment@gmail.com.

Medical, Dental, 401k, Paid Time Off, and more!

Based in Williston, VT. Learn More Or Apply Online at

www.GMCSUSA.com/employment

2v-GreenMtnFlagging033121.indd 1

3/29/21 4:37 PM

LICENSED NURSING ASSISTANT Come join a winning team with new management and a positive culture to care for our residents/patients. We care about you! We want trusting, self-starter individuals to join our team! Highest wages in the area, $18-$20 base rate plus competitive shift differentials.

Come join our team and reach out to HR if you are interested! (802) 923-5728. hr@queencityrehab.com

3/16/21 2vA-QueenCityHealth&Rehab032421.indd 11:16 AM 1 3/19/21 2:44 PM

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SEVENDAYSJOBS, SUBSCRIBE TO RSS, OR BROWSE POSTS ON YOUR PHONE AT JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Office of the Defender General, Montpelier.

Previous secretarial experience required.

Experience as a secretary in the criminal or juvenile justice system or human services field preferred.

Must be able to work independently and as part of a legal team. Requires patience, the ability to work with a wide variety of people, tenacity, a sense of humor, and a can-do attitude.

Apply at: chris@julbousa.com 3/24/21 11:46 AM

Simulation Specialist

Full-time, exempt PG17 (union) position with State benefits. $17.11/hr. minimum.

Email resume and cover letter by Friday, April 9th to: mary.deaett@vermont.gov E.O.E.

The Clinical Simulation Laboratory is looking for a part-time Simulation 5v-OfficeoftheDefenderGeneral032421.indd Specialist. Applicants should be adaptable, flexible and work well independently with a variety of persons in a fast-paced environment.

Candidate must have a general knowledge of basic Information Systems (IS), High Fidelity Technology and the ability to learn new skills.

An interest in healthcare education is a must.

Position duties include, but are not limited to; setting up and taking down simulations, operating high tech manikins, moving and maintaining equipment and general housekeeping duties.

This is part-time position with varied hours - not more than 20 hours per week. Schedule is primarily Monday, Tuesday and Thursday with occasional weekend and evening hours required.

To apply please send resume and cover letter to sarah.e.page@med.uvm.edu.

JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Secretary

JULBO EYEWEAR is seeking an individual to work in the warehouse preparing and shipping orders, processing customer returns, and warranty repairs on eyewear.

Ideal individual has shipping experience, and the ability to assist our customer service team. Attention to detail and basic computer skills required.

Must be able to stand, bend, and walk for up to 8 hours and lift up to 50 lbs. This is an hourly paid position up to 40 hours.

2v-JulboEyewear033121.indd 1

NEW JOBS POSTED DAILY!

1

for Ambulatory Eye Surgery Center - Pre-op/PACU/OR

At the Eye Surgery Center we specialize in cataract, corneal transplant and glaucoma surgeries. We are seeking 2 highly motivated Registered Nurse with Pre-op/PACU or Operating Room Circulating experience to work in our fast paced, team-oriented, fun, patient centered Ambulatory Surgery Center. We have 1 part-time and 1 per-diem position. The Part-time position is roughly 3-4 days a week with variable hours.

Qualification/Requirements: Current unrestricted Vermont RN License required.

BCLS & ACLS preferred.

One year of Medical/ Surgical clinical experience.

Knowledge of regulatory standards. Send resumes to: mclairmont@2020vt.com

3/23/21 3v-EyeSurgeryCenter033121.indd 11:47 AM 1

E-Commerce Associate

Our E-Commerce Associate plays a key role in enhancing and maintaining Instrumart’s website, with a focus on inputting and uploading products to our website, maintaining accurate product pricing, descriptions, and supporting materials. We are looking for a candidate who has a keen attention to detail, excellent communication skills, and excitement to join the Instrumart team!

PRIMARY JOB DUTIES:

• Inspect landing pages, product information, checkout options, and all other pertinent website-related systems to ensure their visual appeal, accuracy, and ease of use • Review manufacturer provided data sheets, manuals, and other product information • Add product text, options, and pricing into our web pages using inhouse admin program • Build part number and pricing configurators from vendor price lists, updating as new pricing is released by vendor • Use Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop to edit vendor provided photos • Manage website page requests submitted by the Engineering team from a shared inbox • Support fellow web team members with their projects and maintain good communication with all departments

For more information, and to apply, please visit http://bit.ly/InstrumartECommerce.

Instrumart is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action, Employer. We consider applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, marital, disability or veteran status.

1 4v-UVMLarnerCollegeMedicine033121.indd 13/30/21 3/30/21 5v-Instrumart033121.indd 10:24 AM

REGISTERED NURSE

69 MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

Amazon Marketplace Account Manager Lean Edge Marketing is a boutique Amazon marketing agency serving a variety of clients from small startups to enterprise-level companies. We are seeking a new employee who has experience with managing Amazon Seller Central accounts and can hit the ground running to serve our client base well and with great attention to detail. Our new hire will be joining a firm of very skilled and dedicated marketers, and we want to maintain our high standards for client service and sales success on the Amazon platform.

This position is remote and offers an annual salary of $50-$60K depending upon experience. Interested?

Visit this page to apply: leanedgemarketing.com/ careers.

1 3/26/213v-LeanEdgeMarketing033121.indd 3:25 PM

3/26/21 3:40 PM

STAFF ACCOUNTANT Full Time; Benefits Eligible; $18/hour

Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont seeks a Staff Accountant to hold responsibility for all accounting functions as assigned by the Controller. This may include accounts payable, non-student accounts receivable, serving as back up for payroll, supplementing all aspects of the Business Office, and accounting function.

Please visit our website to review the complete position description and apply by submitting a cover letter and resume goddard.edu/about-goddard/employmentopportunities.

Goddard College is committed to creating a college representative of a diverse global community and capable of creating change. To that end, we are actively seeking applications from qualified candidates from groups currently underrepresented in our institution for this position. This institution is an equal opportunity provider, and employer.

1 3/26/215v-GoddardCollegeStaffAccountant033121.indd 4:41 PM

3/29/21 1:44 PM

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

70

POST YOUR JOBS AT JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM FOR FAST RESULTS, OR CONTACT MICHELLE BROWN: MICHELLE@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

EXPERIENCED CARPENTER

INTERIM RELIGIOUS SCHOOL DIRECTOR

Seeking an experienced carpenter to join our team. We are custom home builders with a passion for our trade. Come be a part of an enjoyable and professional building team.

Check out our work at cultivationdesign.com. Must have own tools and reliable transportation. Send resume and cover sheet to adam@cultivationdesign.com.

2h-CultivationDesignBuild031721.indd 1

3/16/21

Temple Sinai in S. Burlington VT is hiring: Help lead a growing religious school at Temple Sinai.

The Interim Religious School Director will work with the Rabbi and the Education Committee to maintain Temple Sinai’s Religious School Program in person and/or through a web-based program for the 2021-22 school year. This is a one-year part-time position with the possibility of future ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT employment. Temple Sinai’s Religious School aims to help our students experience a joyful, meaningful, Judaism rooted in the principles Seeking a friendly, computer literate, candidateinclusive for support of clergy/Religious school ofadministrative the Reform Movement.

We combine hands-on tactile learning, classroom and general office work.

Such duties are: editing conversation, tikkun olam and creative projects with a weekly newsletter, maintain 10:25 AM database, school Jewishreligious values-centered curriculum.

Send inquiry: positions@templesinaivt.org Full Description bit.ly/TempleSinaiSDjob

For full job description: bit.ly/SunDogMDjob

Experience with Jewish education and virtual platforms required. Master’s in education preferred. Hebrew language familiarity preferred.

The candidate must be able to multi-task, be self-motivated.

Candidates must be proficient with Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook. Competitive wages and fringe benefits.

Northfield Savings Bank, founded in 1867, is the largest banking institution headquartered in Vermont. We are adding to our teams! We are looking for professionals to join our Direct Banking department as Call Center Representatives. Additionally, we are looking for a Community Banker professional to join our team in our Williston, Taft Corners branch.

Each position will require a high school diploma or equivalent, excellent customer service skills, and strong written and verbal communication.

CALL CENTER REPRESENTATIVE

The successful candidate will be comfortable with digital and online banking systems and will be eager to provide prompt, accurate, and confidential information to our customers.

COMMUNITY BANKER

The Community Banker will be responsible for receiving and processing customers’ financial transactions, matching customers’ needs with appropriate products and services, protecting customer information, and maintaining customer confidentiality.

OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH NSB encourages career development and has a variety of training platforms available. The average years of service for a NSB employee is 9! If you’re looking for a career in the banking industry, this is a great place to start!

WHAT NSB CAN OFFER YOU Competitive compensation based on experience. Well-rounded benefits package. Profit-Sharing opportunity. 401(k) matching retirement program. Professional development. Weekends off!

Please send an NSB Application + your resume in confidence to: Careers@nsbvt.com, or mail to: Northfield Savings Bank Human Resources P.O. Box 7180, Barre, VT 05641-7180 E.O.E./Member FDIC

6t-NorthfieldSavingsBank031721.indd 1

CTIO

4t-TempleSinai032421.indd 1

There is no better time to join NSB’s team!

Sundog Poetry Center, Inc., a literary-arts non-profit organization, seeks a part-time (15 hours/week, 50 weeks/year) Managing Director. Potential for increased hours, long-term, dependent on fundraising.

Resume review will begin April 15, for a contemplated June 1 start.

Position will stay open until filled.

Send a cover letter, resume, and a list of three references to the following email address: sundog.search@gmail.com.

registration, weekly service announcements.

DIRECT BANKING CALL CENTER REPRESENTATIVES COMMUNITY BANKER – TAFT CORNERS

MANAGING DIRECTOR

3/19/21 2v-SunDogPoetry033121.indd 12:59 PM 1

3/29/21 11:49 AM

(Job code 21004) The Vermont Judiciary seeks a Chief Technology Innovation Officer ($125K or higher) to provide vision and leadership for developing and implementing information technology initiatives that support a workforce of almost 400 people. As a member for the senior management team, this position serves as the executive level manager for all technology programs, services, and functions for the Vermont Judicial Branch. Under the general direction of the State Court Administrator, responsibilities include, but are not limited to, integrated case management systems, document management systems, electronic filing, data exchanges, applications development, website/intranet solutions, implementation of voice and data communications, statistics and reports, computer training, budget development, staff supervision, desktop and user support, and facilities support across more than twenty-five locations.

MIDDLESEX, VT

WHAT’S ON YOUR WISH LIST FOR THE PERFECT JOB? Does it include the following?

• A livable wage • Health coverage • Paid vacation • Being part of a great team • The opportunity to do work that you can feel proud of at the end of the day • Free bread and pastries (okay, maybe that wasn’t on your list, but would you turn that down?!)

The ideal candidate will have eight or more years of proven organizational leadership experience for a large public or private entity. At least a bachelor’s degree and solid credentials are desired.

If this list looks like your list, we want to talk to you!

This position is open until filled but preferred consideration will be given to candidates who apply before May 15, 2021. Please apply by Email at: JUD. jobs@vermont.gov. Written employment application and furnished references may be required at a later date.

For further information visit: vermontjudiciary.org/ employment-opportunities/staff-openings.

• dishwashing/custodial • pastry baker • barista • cooks and sandwich makers

The Vermont Judiciary is an E.O.E.

3/15/216t-OfficeCourtAdministrator033121.indd 1:08 PM 1

Full-time and part-time opportunities for:

Please contact Randy George at randy@redhenbaking.com or (802) 223-5200.

3/30/21 4v-RedHenBaking033121.indd 11:59 AM 1

3/29/21 2:37 PM

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SEVENDAYSJOBS, SUBSCRIBE TO RSS, OR BROWSE POSTS ON YOUR PHONE AT JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

NEW JOBS POSTED DAILY! JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

71 MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

2 POSITIONS OPEN:

Silver Maple Construction is hiring!

• Experienced Carpenters • Project Managers • Assistant Finisher

(Woodworks - training provided)

• Experienced Cabinet-makers For details please visit silvermapleconstruction.com.

Or email us at drey@silvermapleconstruction.com (802) 989-7677 2v-SilverMapleConstruction031021.indd 1

DRILLER'S HELPER WATER WELL PUMP TECHNICIAN We are looking for a self motivated person with a "clean" DMV record and reliable transportation, who takes pride in being on time and is willing to work 40+ hours a week. Position requires driving company vehicles. Must pass pre-employment drug test. Strong mechanical and technical abilities and a basic understanding of electrical wiring and plumbing, Must be able to lift and move 100 lbs; ability to work outdoors in all types of weather. Applicants will be able to with training pass the required certifications within 2 years of hire as a condition of employment. All training will be provided including safety training. Competitive wages and benefits offered (health insurance, life insurance, vacation and more).

Please submit resume in person or email to our office: Spafford and Sons, 11 North Main St., Jericho Vt. Monday - Friday between 7:00 am and 4:00 pm. Starts immediately. info@spaffordwaterwells.com

3/8/21 4t-Spafford&Sons030321.indd 11:30 AM 1

Rock Point School is a supportive boarding and day high school, where students who have experienced challenges find success.

We are hiring for the following full-time positions:

BUSINESS MANAGER to oversee finances, human resources, contractual arrangements, and the physical plant calendar.

RESIDENTIAL EDUCATORS to create a well-balanced dorm life for our students.

They lead weekend and evening activities, help students stay healthy, and provide guidance for the challenges of adolescence and communal living.

Join our team here: rockpointschool.org/ about-us/employment/

LEAP AMERICORPS OPEN SERVICE POSITIONS LEAP is a national service program placing AmeriCorps members with non-profit organizations throughout Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom.

LEAP members provide educational programming to area schools and communities. LEAP is currently recruiting for service positions; Northwoods Stewardship Center (900 hour, half time Environmental Ed & Outdoor Rec Instructor, 450 hour, quarter time Environmental Ed & Outdoor Rec Instructor, & 450 hour, quarter time Mountain Bike & Outdoor Ed Instructor); Kingdom Trails (900 hour, half time Education Outreach Coordinator); Old Stone House Museum (450 hour, quarter time Outdoor Educator); And Fairbanks Museum (450 hour, quarter time Summer Early Childhood Educator).

Start dates vary from April 1st-May 30th. Members earn a living stipend and an education award. Great opportunity for recent high school grads 17+, college students, or anyone looking to gain workforce skills while making a difference in the community. leapinthenek.com or nationalservice.gov, Contact Danielle Hume: 802-626-6638.

3/30/214t-LEAP033121.indd 1:30 PM 1

3/29/21 3:09 PM

REGIONAL/LAND USE PLANNER MORRISVILLE, VT Join the planning team in one of Vermont’s premier recreation destinations.

The Lamoille County Planning Commission seeks a versatile, results-oriented planner with experience in community development or local and regional planning. This position is multifaceted and requires broad knowledge of municipal and regional comprehensive planning as well as federal and state planning law. Knowledge of Natural Resources and Transportation planning and of a variety of implementation techniques, including municipal zoning bylaws, subdivision regulations, and nonregulatory tools would be helpful. The planner will help to build strong rural communities by implementing project and programs of the Commission. The planner may also assist communities and the region to integrate land use planning and community development with emergency preparedness and mitigation planning initiatives to build community resiliency.

This position requires effective written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex planning concepts, data and technical language into a form that is meaningful and accessible to board members and local officials.

Applicants must be able to work in a team environment as well as independently and must possess a strong customer service ethic.

The position requires a bachelor’s degree in planning or a closely related field and at least 3 years of relevant experience.

Salary between $40,000 and $50,000, commensurate with experience. LCPC offers an excellent work environment and health and retirement benefits.

Please submit a cover letter, resume, 3 references, and salary requirements by April 30, 2021 via email to Tasha Wallis, Executive Director, at tasha@lcpcvt.org. For additional information, visit lcpcvt.org. E.O.E.

4v-RockPointSchoolBUSMgrResEd032421.indd 3/23/21 1 6t-LamoilleCountyPlanningCommission033121.indd 10:56 AM 1

3/30/21 1:37 PM

JOIN THE TEAM AT GARDENER’S SUPPLY! JOIN THE TEAM GARDENER’S SUPPLY! Through gardening, ourAT customers control their access to safe and affordable food, and grow food to share with their Through gardening, our customers their access neighbors.

At Gardener’s Supply, wecontrol are committed to to safe and affordable grow to sharekeep with their doing everything wefood, can and to help ourfood customers neighbors.

Supply, we are committed to gardening, At butGardener’s we need your help. doing everything we can to help our customers keep gardening, need your help.

We’re hiringbut for we SEASONAL POSITIONS AT ALL LOCATIONS: We’re hiring for SEASONAL AT ALL LOCATIONS: • Pick/Pack customer orders • Pick/Pack customer ordersPOSITIONS at our at our DISTRIBUTION CENTER IN MILTON DISTRIBUTION CENTER IN MILTON • Pick/Pack customer orders at our • Provide exceptional customer service our • Provide exceptional customer to our to customers DISTRIBUTION CENTER service IN MILTON customers the phone at our over the phone atover our CALL CENTER • Provide exceptional customer service to our CALL CENTER • Help customers with their gardening needs at our customers over the phone at our • Help customers with their needs at our WILLISTON & BURLINGTON, VT gardening GARDEN CENTERS CALL CENTER WILLISTON & BURLINGTON, VT GARDEN CENTERS • Manufacture high-quality products at our • Help customers with their gardening needs at our PRODUCTION FACILITY IN GEORGIA, VT & BURLINGTON, VT CENTERS WeWILLISTON are 100% employee-owned andGARDEN a Certified B Corporation. We offer strong cultural values, competitive Weand areoutstanding 100% employee-owned and a Certifi ed B wages benefits (including a tremendous Corporation.

We off er strong values, competitive discount!).

Please go tocultural our careers page at wageswww.gardeners.com/careers and outstanding benefits (including and applya tremendous online! discount!). Please go to our careers page at www.gardeners.com/careers and apply online!

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

72

POST YOUR JOBS AT JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM FOR FAST RESULTS, OR CONTACT MICHELLE BROWN: MICHELLE@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

DISTRICT MANAGER

HOSPITAL MEDICAL BILLING REPRESENTATIVE Now offering sign on bonuses for select roles!

The Hospital Medical Billing Representative functions independently within a payer team environment to appropriately resolve patient accounts by performing billing and follow-up activities to effectively collect balances due on assigned accounts.

LEARN MORE & APPLY: bit.ly/3ljbDBy 4t-UVMMedCenter033121.indd 1

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 oversight, 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. We serve residents and communities of Chittenden and Washington County Vermont as well as three towns in Orange County (Orange, Williamstown & Washington).

You can learn more about the position here: winooskinrcd.org/news-and-events/take-action/volunteer/jobs/

WHERE YOU AND 3/19/214t-WNRCD033121.indd 1:34 PM YOUR WORK MATTER...

1

3/30/21

Nutrition Outreach

Specialist When you work for the State of Vermont, you and your work matter. A career with the State puts you on a rich and rewarding professional path. You’ll find jobs in dozens of fields – not to mention an outstanding total compensation package.

FIN ANCIAL MAN AGER II – WATERBURY

Support the Department of Children and Families in implementing COVID relief programs! DCF is seeking a flexible financial professional to assist in processing, monitoring, and reporting on fiscal payments for COVID relief programs. This position will involve ensuring that payments to assist Vermont in COVID recovery are made in a timely and efficient manner and maintaining tracking mechanisms to facilitate detailed COVID fiscal reporting. For more information, contact Jillian Niggel at Jillian.Niggel@vermont.gov or 802-398-7309.

Department: Children and Families. Status: Full time. Location: Waterbury. Job # 12864. Application Deadline: April 7, 2021.

GRANTS MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST - EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSIS TANCE PROGRAM -MONTPELIER

SEEKING candidates with strong project and financial management skills to assist the Dept’s Housing Division in coordinating the Emergency Rental Assistance Program. Requires a high level of organization and the ability to communicate w/ partners and an ability to direct recipients to assistance orgs.

Oversight of partner activities and review reports. Ensures compliance with requirements of the US Treasury and ensures effective program accessibility.

The position requires attention to detail, work with the public, strong communication skills. For more information, contact shaun.gilpin@vermont.gov.

Reference Job ID#:12881 Location: Montpelier. Status: Limited Service, Full-Time (end date 12-31-21). Application Deadline: April 4, 2021.

P U B L I C H E A LT H N U R S E I & I I – M I D D L E B U R Y

The Vermont Department of Health Middlebury District Office has a dynamic opportunity for an enthusiastic and organized nurse who is passionate about improving community health. The right candidate will be part of an interdisciplinary team of public health professionals that is focused on prevention and fostering systems change to make a positive impact on the health and well-being of communities in Addison County, Vermont. 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 Jeffrey Heath at Jeffrey.Heath@vermont.gov.

Department: Health. Status: Full time. Location: Middlebury. Job # 11683 & 11741. Application Deadline: April 6, 2021.

Learn more at :

careers.vermont.gov 6t-VTDeptHumanResources033121 1

The State of Vermont is an Equal Opportunity Employer

30 hours/week, Barre, VT Exciting position in innovative social service agency serving older Vermonters. Be part of a dedicated team of professionals working to support older Vermonters to live with dignity and choice.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: • Provide application assistance for 3SquaresVT. • Assess needs for home delivered meal recipients.

• Enter nutrition recipient data and survey responses into database.

• Work with agency staff to refer clients to appropriate services.

• Help create and distribute nutrition outreach materials We’re looking for a dedicated employee who has an Associate’s degree or equivalent experience in human services, nutrition, or other relevant field, who has great communication and people skills, is well-organized, has experience working with Microsoft office and is willing to learn new database applications, and who is able to maintain confidentiality. Most work will be phonebased but occasional home visits may occur, so access to reliable transportation is necessary.

CVCOA offers a family-friendly organization with flexible hours.

Paid time off, holidays and health benefits are included with this position as well. Salary is based on experience.

Central Vermont Council on Aging is an Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action Employer. Applications from veterans, mature workers, individuals with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals, and people from diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds are encouraged.

For more information about Central VT Council on Aging, view our website: cvcoa.org. To apply, please send resume, cover letter and the names of three references to jobs@cvcoa.org

by April 12, 2021.

3/26/21 6t-CentralVTCouncilonAging032421.indd 10:15 AM 1

Cooking and Hospitality Well-rounded fun and energetic people needed to join our small team and share the joys and creativity of running an inn. Seasonal work (possibly more) at a small inn located in a fabulous location surrounded by the Green Mountain National Forest, with a focus on outdoor recreation, good (fresh and local) food, and genuine hospitality. Looking for an experienced cook/chef as well as a couple of people to serve meals, make pizza, clean, welcome guests, garden, and wash dishes. With possible 12:02 PM exception of the cook/chef, all other roles may be combined based on skills, experience & interest; we all work together to allow the most flexibility.

Attention to detail & open communication is key. Shortterm room and board may be available for one person or a couple. Preference given to those who can work through mid-October and pay is commensurate with experience.

Email letter of interest and resume providing details of availability and relevant experience and interests. We will be following all COVID safety guidelines provided by the state of Vermont. info@blueberryhillinn.com.

4v-BlueberryHill033121.indd 1

3/30/21 10:16 AM

Looking for a Sweet Job? Our mobile-friendly job board is buzzing with excitement.

Start applying at jobs.sevendaysvt.com

3/22/212v-jobFiller_workerbee.indd 5:18 PM 1

6/23/20 12:31 PM

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SEVENDAYSJOBS, SUBSCRIBE TO RSS, OR BROWSE POSTS ON YOUR PHONE AT JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

NEW JOBS POSTED DAILY! JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Town of Charlotte

Full Time

SECURITY OFFICERS

Planning and Zoning Assistant

CASE MANAGER

Multiple Shifts Available Allied Universal is Currently Hiring Full Time Security Officers for a Manufacturing Site in Essex Junction VT • Starting Wage - $17.00/hour • Multiple Shifts Available Ideal Candidate Would Possess: • Military/Law Enforcement work history or College Degree • Valid Driver’s License Apply at: tinyurl.com/ca9nun4e

Vermont Comforts of Home is looking for an organized, caring, and positive person to come join our team! We are a program of Upper Valley Services; our mission is to offer a communitybased alternative to older Vermonters who are no longer able to live independently in the community. If you are motivated by helping to make positive changes in someone’s life and enjoy working as part of a team, this may be a great opportunity for you. This position will be focused in the Franklin County area.

We offer a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefit package. A bachelor’s degree and related experience required.

4:24 PM Assistant 3/29/214t-VTComfortsofHome033121.indd Restaurant Manager

We are getting ready to open one of the most exciting take-out lunch and dinner franchises in Vermont with plans to open several more.

As Assistant Manager, you will take part in full training with Corporate and then handle hiring and ordering. We are looking for a dynamic leader who is looking for a career.

Some equity ownership is part of this opportunity, so we are seeking people with stable finances and lifestyle.

Base $40k, plus incentives.

Apply: ericwayneg60@ gmail.com.

3/30/21 2:19 PM

SEASONAL CHEF Knoll Farm Retreat Center is hiring a chef in charge of planning and preparing meals served to our guests. From June-Oct, retreats are 2-8 days long, for 10-30 people. Job responsibilities include: preparing creative, mostly vegetarian menus with seasonal produce, sourcing from local farms, catering to special diets, managing kitchen help, budgeting, timeliness, cleanliness and being a fun, positive, hardworking member of our team.

Compensation may include housing. Send cover letter and resume to lauren@knollfarm.org.

1

DO WHAT MATTERS!

This is a permanent position approved for 20 hours per week.

Starting pay-rate is between $17.55 and $19.86 per hour, based on qualifications and experience.

Complete job description is at www.charlottevt.org; see right-hand sidebar. Please send a resumé and cover letter to dean@townofcharlotte.com.

3/29/21 4t-TownofCharlotte033121.indd 11:39 AM 1

Join the senior leadership team of passionate innovators at the Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS), a Vermont nonprofit nationally recognized as a model for our successful program outcomes. COTS provides prevention resources, emergency shelter, support services, and housing for those without homes or at risk of becoming homeless.

HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR COTS is seeking a Human Resources Director to lead and manage the human resource and staff development functions for 50+ employees. This is an exciting opportunity for a senior human resource professional to join a dynamic agency.

Reporting to the Executive Director, the HR Director is a member of the senior leadership team and serves as a partner in developing HR strategies to support the priorities of the organization. The position includes recruiting and onboarding; salary and benefits administration; employee relations and performance management; and ensuring compliance with all state and federal employment laws and regulations.

Requirements include Bachelor’s Degree and a minimum of five to ten years’ related Human Resources experience, Master’s Degree preferred. Successful candidates will possess a positive track record of implementing strategic initiatives; strong analytical ability; ability to relate to people at all levels of an organization; excellent communication skills; knowledge of federal and state policies affecting human resources; experience with recruitment and hiring processes; demonstrated ability to have difficult conversations; ability to maintain confidentiality; ability to work independently and as a positive member of a collaborative team; and a commitment to the COTS mission.

This is a 32-40 hour per week position with benefits.

Interested candidates should submit a resume, cover letter to jobs@cotsonline.org.

EOE: We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.

6t-COTS032421.indd 1

The Town of Charlotte is recruiting for a part-time Planning and Zoning Assistant. In this role, you will (A) assist the public and support/facilitate operations of the Planning & Zoning office and Town Administrator’s office; (B) provide staff support to the Zoning Board of Adjustment.

The position will be open until filled. EOE

Please email resumes to mzura@uvs-vt.org. E.O.E.

2v-AlliedUniversal033121.indd 1

2v-EdgarRoadPartners033121.indd 1

73 MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

MEDIA SPECIALIST/ TRAFFIC

3/26/21 12:53 PM

Vermont PBS is seeking a Media Specialist/Traffic person to be responsible for weekend on-air programming management and traffic duties as well as managing media for broadcast and online. Duties include independent responsibility for preparing logs for channel playout, as well as preparation, enhancement and quality control of daily broadcast and digital video assets.

The ideal candidate should be familiar with digital video formats as well as possess an understanding of broadcast asset workflow, satellite downlinks, closed captioning and digital (web and other media) distribution.

General proficiency with computers and Office applications is essential. Some experience with and knowledge of digital video and broadcasting is highly desirable, as is some familiarity with nonlinear editing. This position acts as Vermont PBS’ main point person for log scheduling and traffic, working closely with Programming Services and other programming personnel. This position is full time and includes weekend shifts.

For more information please visit: vermontpbs.org/careers Please submit resume and cover letter to: Vermont PBS, Attn: HR Dept. 2 10 East Allen Street, Suite 202 Winooski, VT 05404 An equal opportunity employer and provider

3/23/21 6t-VTPBS033121.indd 10:25 AM 1

3/29/21 2:43 PM

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

74

POST YOUR JOBS AT JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM FOR FAST RESULTS, OR CONTACT MICHELLE BROWN: MICHELLE@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

PERSONAL ASSISTANT

ADVOCATE/PARALEGAL LONG-TERM CARE OMBUDSMAN PROJECT

Calling all Health Lovers, Wellness Students, Artists, Athletes!

Theatre Artist with severe neuromuscular disability. Involves intensive bodywork/ customized physical therapy (training provided), activation of neuropathways/vital chi, bathing, dressing, activities of daily living and wheelchair transfers (90lbs).

Strong upper body and wrist strength required. $20/hr. 12:00pm—3:30pm Vermont Legal Aid seeks candidates for a full-time position within its Long-Term Care with some evening shifts. Must wear provided PPE. Ombudsman Project to advocate for the rights of individuals receiving long-term care services and supports. This position will be part of a dedicated team that provides person-centered Apply: EcstasyofaCripple@gmail.com. advocacy to people living in long-term care facilities, or who receive Choices for Care long-term care services and supports in the community. The position will be remote initially but will be based out of Legal Aid’s Montpelier or St. Johnsbury offices once the pandemic is over.

SEEKING reliable, motivated, 2h-JocelynWoods031721.indd 1 3/15/21 and enthusiastic individual to join our team. Fast pace work environment filling and packaging products. Prior experience not necessary but encouraged. Must be 18 and over. Starting pay $16.00 per/hr. with full benefits offered after 6 months.

We encourage applicants from a broad range of backgrounds, and welcome information about how your experience can contribute to serving our diverse client communities. We are an equal opportunity employer committed to a discrimination-and-harassment-free workplace.

Responsibilities include advising residents of long-term care and seniors living in the community of their rights, investigating and resolving problems, and working to improve their quality of life. The successful candidate must be able to work independently, as well as on a team, and have excellent communication skills.

Experience in advocacy, long-term care, or human services is desirable but not required. Prior legal experience is not required. The position requires travel throughout Northeastern Vermont and the rest of the state in a personal vehicle, with mileage reimbursement provided. Four years’ professional work experience or bachelor’s degree, or a comparable mix of education and experience desired.

11:06 AM

Email application and resume to sharon@rozelle.com or by mail at: Rozelle Inc. Attn: Sharon, P.O. Box 70, Westfield, VT 05874 Other positions may be available, specify experience on application.

2h-RozelleCosmetics033121.indd 1

3/29/21 4:08 PM

Base salary is $38,281 with salary credit given for relevant prior work experience. Four weeks paid vacation, retirement, and excellent health benefits.

Application deadline is April 9, 2021. Your application should include a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and three references combined into one pdf, sent by e-mail to Betsy Whyte at bwhyte@vtlegalaid.org with “VOP Position” in the subject line. Please tell us how you heard about this position.

7t-VTLegalAid032421.indd 1

3/22/21 1:15 PM

STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR CAMPAIGN PROGRAMS Temporary Position – Anticipated Duration Through October 31, 2021

Director of Network Partner Capacity and Innovation

The University of Vermont Foundation is seeking a highly organized, energetic team player who is passionate about UVM, to provide administrative and project management support for campaign planning initiatives of the Foundation. The successful candidate should possess excellent written and verbal communication skills, be solutions-focused, and able to work independently. Proficiency with the Microsoft Office Suite of software, as well as other database management systems and strong customer services skills are essential. This position reports to the Vice President for Strategic Engagement.

The Vermont Foodbank (VF) seeks an experienced non-profit/program professional who is excited about building the capacity of the Foodbank’s network of food shelves and meal sites and has a passion for innovation. This professional will: have experience managing complex, multifaceted projects, be diplomatic and strategic in developing and managing relationships (with a strong record of accomplishment in working cooperatively with other organizations, and within and across teams), have strong project management and evaluation skills, and be committed to the organization’s mission and vision. The successful candidate will have at least seven years of experience in community outreach, non-profit social service agencies, programs, and/or capacity building, with progressive leadership and demonstrated responsibility for staff supervision, planning, and budgeting. This position is responsible for researching, testing, and managing innovative projects/ strategies that will lead to increased capacity and impact through VF’s network.

A good portion of this position’s workload can be handled remotely, however, applicants should be located within commuting distance of the Foodbank’s Barre facility; this position will need to collaborate in-person with that team.

To apply for this position, please visit www.vtfoodbank.org/employment and submit an employment application with a resume and cover letter attached. Anticipated salary range starting at $65-70K.

The UVM Foundation is a collaborative, people-centered organization, committed to diversity and building an inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds and ages. We seek individuals with a demonstrated commitment to these values and especially encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including women, people of color, LGBTQ people, and people with disabilities.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and seek to bring our values of diversity and inclusion to our hiring process. Beyond our commitment to non-discrimination, we encourage applications from candidates who can contribute to the diversity of our organization and who have lived experience of inequity.

For a detailed description of these opportunities, please visit our website: UVMFoundation.org/Careers.

The Vermont Foodbank’s work culture is progressive, forward-thinking, and equity-minded. Staff have the opportunity to fully develop their potential in a variety of ways: as organizational leaders, in shaping programs and advocacy efforts, and in working towards a future where everyone in Vermont has enough food every day.

7t-VTFoodbank033121.indd 1

3/24/21 12:07 PM 6t-UVMFoundation033121.indd 1

3/26/21 3:48 PM

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SEVENDAYSJOBS, SUBSCRIBE TO RSS, OR BROWSE POSTS ON YOUR PHONE AT JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Library Assistant Georgia Public Library (GPL) is accepting applications for a 20-25 hr/week Library Assistant.

Do you love books? Are you warm, detail-oriented, and flexible? Do you have good customer service skills and knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite? GPL needs a personable bookworm to be responsible for weekly Storytimes, and other programming; interlibrary loans, and checking books in and out for patrons.

For a detailed job description: georgiapubliclibraryvt.org.

2v-TownofGeorgia033121.indd 1

NEW JOBS POSTED DAILY! JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

MULTIPLE POSITIONS OPEN

ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY

Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital has a variety of open positions including:

Hayes, Windish & Badgewick is seeking an associate attorney to join our team.

Preference is given to those with 3-5 years’ experience in civil litigation, but those just starting with strong work ethic and motivation will be considered too.

RNs, LNAs, MT or MLT, Administrative, Information Services and more!

Full-time, part-time and per diem schedules available.

Shift differentials and per diem rates offered.

FT and PT employees are eligible for excellent benefits including student loan repayment, generous paid time off, wellness reimbursement, low cost health insurance and 401k with company match!

APPLY TODAY AT NVRH.ORG/CAREERS.

3/26/214t-NVRH032421.indd 1:18 PM 1

We are a small general practice firm with an emphasis on civil litigation, insurance defense, and workers’ compensation matters. We seek a candidate who is interested and has high ethical standards, strong skills in research and writing, along with the patience and desire to learn the profession. Competitive pay and benefits offered. Position to remain open until filled. Please send your resume and cover letter electronically to: Penny Webster, Office Manager HAYES, WINDISH & BADGEWICK pwebster@woodstockvtlaw.com

3/19/21 4t-HayesWindish&Badgewick012021.indd 11:06 AM 1

1/19/21 11:09 AM

RESIDENTIAL SECONDARY MARKET OFFICER

LOAN CLOSING OFFICER VEDA is looking for a full-time Loan Closing Officer whose primary responsibility will be to prepare loan documents and handle all aspects of closings for VEDA’s agricultural, commercial and SBA loan programs. This position can be based in Middlebury, Montpelier or Burlington but due to COVID-19, it is expected to be remote based for a period of time.

The Loan Closing Officer will work under the supervision of the Director of Closing and prepare loan closing documentation based on loan program, borrower, and collateral specifics. Other duties include reviewing commitment letters and other documentation necessary for loan closings, communicating with borrowers, attorneys and other lenders, and scheduling and attending loan closings.

Preferred candidates will have a minimum of 5 years of experience within a legal setting. Specialized paralegal and/or financial institution experience is beneficial. Other important abilities include strong written, verbal, and computer skills; excellent customer service; and a proven team approach. This position requires travel within the State of Vermont.

VEDA offers a competitive salary and benefits package and is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. We are interested in increasing staff diversity and welcome job applications from all qualified candidates.

Union Bank, a highly successful community bank headquartered in Morrisville, VT, with locations throughout northern Vermont and New Hampshire, is seeking an individual for the position of Residential Secondary Market Officer.

This individual will be responsible for secondary market rates, rate locks, the loans held for sale pipeline, loan sales, administration of the bank’s product and pricing engine system, and quality control, within lending policies and procedures as directed by management. Rate setting and quality control responsibilities include portfolio, PMI and government agency loans as well. Additional responsibilities will include being system administrator for secondary market, government agency and PMI systems.

An Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Business or related field is preferred. The successful candidate will have a minimum of three to five years of banking experience, with an emphasis in residential and consumer lending, particularly having experience with loan origination systems and loan product and pricing engines is a plus.

Salary will be commensurate with experience. Union Bank offers a comprehensive benefits program including three medical and two dental insurance plan options, 401(k) retirement plan with a generous company match, life and disability insurance, and paid vacation and sick leave along with continuing education opportunities.

To be considered for this position, please submit a cover letter, resume, references and salary requirements to:

Human Resources-Union Bank, P.O. Box 667 Morrisville, Vermont 05661 – 0667 careers@unionbanknh.com

To apply, please email resume with cover letter to Cheryl Houchens: chouchens@veda.org.

E.O.E. - MEMBER FDIC 9t-UnionBank032421.indd 1

6t-VEDA030321.indd 1

75 MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

2/26/21 10:48 AM

3/23/21 11:01 AM

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

76

POST YOUR JOBS AT JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM FOR FAST RESULTS, OR CONTACT MICHELLE BROWN: MICHELLE@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

CLERICAL ASSISTANTS

NOW HIRING:

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT PROGRAM ASSISTANT FOR ART EDUCATION Full Time

The Vermont Judiciary is recruiting for a full-time, permanent Docket Clerk, will perform specialized clerical duties including data entry and extensive customer service over the phone.

Located in Burlington. High School graduate and two years of clerical, or data entry experience required.

Starting at $17.11 per hour with excellent benefits, paid holidays and leave time.

Job code # 20030

For more information, visit our website: helenday.com/opportunities

DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR

2h-HelenDayArt032421.indd 1

Himalayan Cataract Project (HCP | Cureblindness), a VT-based nonprofit, is actively seeking a Development Coordinator.

Please visit our website for complete job description, cureblindness.org/careers.

Candidates shall submit a complete and up-to-date Judicial Branch application and resume. An electronic version of the Application may be found at: vermontjudiciary.org/employment-opportunities/staff-openings.

To apply, please submit resume and cover letter to: jobs@cureblindness.org

Open until filled. Equal opportunity employer.

5h-OfficeoftheCourtAdministrator032421.indd 1

CHAMPLAIN VALLEY HEAD START

3/19/21 10:31 AM 2h-HImalayianCataract032421.indd 1

EARLY HEAD START INFANT/TODDLER HOME VISITOR HEAD START DIRECTOR

3/19/21 1:40 PM

RAPID RESPONSE TEAM MEMBER

(Franklin County)Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity’s (CVOEO) Head Start program has an Head Start Director exciting opportunity for an individual to lead community-focused, Head Start program!and Provide services in home-based settings toaprogram participantshighly-regarded to: support prenatal education

services to promote healthy prenatal outcomes for pregnant women; provide or support the care of Head Start is a federally-funded, national child and family development program which infants and toddlers so as to enhance their physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development; provides comprehensive services for pregnant women, children from birth to age five, and their support parents in the care and nurturing of their infants and toddlers; and help parents move families.

Services for children promote school readiness, and include early education, health, toward self-sufficiency nutrition, mental health,and andindependent services for living. children with special needs. Services for parents promote family engagement, anddegree include leadership Education and social or service supports.

Our RequiRements: Bachelor’s in parent Early Childhood related education field, mission is to provide high quality children and familiesfor thrive andand reach their 40 with demonstrable experience andservices trainingtoinhelp the provision of services infants toddlers. full potential.

We52 promote the year. health, safety and of children, maintain strong hours per week, weeks per Starting wagewell-being upon completion of 60and –working day period: collaborative partnerships meetplan the changing needsbenefits. of children, families and communities. $16.30 to 18.36/ per hour. to Health and excellent

Want to join the growing Health Care IT industry and work in a fantastic team culture? Perhaps, you too, desire the friendly, casual, hardworking, and client-focused environment offered by our 90+ employee company located in the Champlain Mill in Winooski, VT. PCC has designed, developed and supported our awardwinning pediatric software for over 30 years. As our electronic health record solution is driving greater demand for our services, we want to expand our team.

As Head Start Director you willmuSt lead aHavE: team ofexcellent exceptional administrative educational staff.

SuCCESSful appliCantS verbal and written and communication You will provide strategic direction and oversee the administration and operation all programs skills; skills in documentation and record-keeping; proficiency in mS Word, e-mailofand internet; and services of Head Start.

You will provide leadership to the Governance Team to ensure growth exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail. must be energetic, positive, mature, and long-term sustainability through implementation of federal Head Start regulations.

You professional, diplomatic, motivated, and have a can-do, extra-mile attitude. a commitment to will represent Head by working closelywith withlimited a broadfinancial range ofresources community and statewide social justice and toStart working with families is necessary.

Clean organizations, government agencies, children, families and human services. As a result of the wide driving record and access to reliable transportation required. must demonstrate physical ability to area of representation travel will be required. carry out required tasks.

We are seeking candidates with a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree preferred, Please submit resume and cover letter with three work references via email to pirish@cvoeo.org. in a relevant discipline with proven progressive leadership experience. In addition, candidates No phone calls, please. must have five to seven years of experience in supervision of staff, fiscal management and CVOEO EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER administration; excellent verbal IS andAN written communication skills, bilingual abilities a plus; demonstrated commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and 7t-ChampVallHeadStart-093015.indd 1 9/24/15 1:13 PM learning environment; experience managing programs including evaluation and most importantly, be of high integrity and character as the representative of Head Start and the children and families it serves. We offer an excellent benefit package including medical, dental and vision insurance, generous time off, a retirement plan and discounted gym membership. We are especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of our Agency.

Send a cover letter with salary requirements, resume and a statement explaining your commitment to diversity and inclusion to: HeadStartDirector@cvoeo.org. Deadline to submit applications is close of business Friday, April 2, 2021. To learn more about CVOEO and this position please visit our website by clicking the web link icon above.

CVOEO IS AN E.O.E. 9t-ChamplainValleyHeadStart032421.indd 1

3/22/21 3:46 PM

As a result, PCC is seeking people to join our Software Solutions Team as a Rapid Response member.

Rapid Response Team members work in our customer care center and are responsible for answering client calls, entering and managing their service needs into our help desk software, and helping to solve their questions and problems. They also travel* to our client sites to assist with software configuration and training. This position requires technical aptitude and exceptional customer service and communication skills. Prior experience in the healthcare industry desired, but not required. *In order to keep our employees and families safe PCC employees have been working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Once it is safe to fully open, employees will work onsite at our Winooski office and travel to client offices will resume.

To learn more about PCC, this role and how to apply, please visit our website at pcc.com/careers. The deadline for submitting your application is April 2, 2021.

As a Benefit Corporation, we place a high value on client, employee and community relationships. Our company offers a friendly, informal, and professional work environment. PCC offers competitive benefits as well as some uncommon perks.

No phone calls lease. AA/EOE.

3/23/21 11:00 AM 6t-PCCRRteammember032421.indd 1

3/19/21 2:24 PM

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SEVENDAYSJOBS, SUBSCRIBE TO RSS, OR BROWSE POSTS ON YOUR PHONE AT JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

BAKER/PASTRY CHEF Bohemian Bakery and Cafe is dedicated to serving the communities of central Vermont with the highest quality pastry and coffee in the European tradition. We have remained open for takeout through the duration of the pandemic and consider it our mission to be a gastronomic comfort as well as a social refuge for the community at large.

We are seeking a talented, hard working professional baker/pastry chef with minimum two years’ experience producing laminated doughs and classic viennoiserie.

Friendly working environment. Competitive wages for the right individual. Paid overtime. $17-20/hr, E.O.E. Email annie@bohemianbakeryvt.com.

Visit our website: bohemianbakeryvt.com.

Visit our Instagram page to get an idea of our full product line. Please e-mail us with a brief description of your background and qualifications, along with a PDF of your resume. Indicate when you are available to start.

NEW JOBS POSTED DAILY! JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

REGIONAL COORDINATOR FOR CHILD ADVOCATES The Vermont Judiciary is recruiting for a full-time permanent Regional Coordinator to recruit, train and manage Guardian ad Litem (GAL) volunteers. A Guardian ad Litem (GAL) is a court appointed volunteer who advocates for the best interests of children involved in family court proceedings. Position located in St. Johnsbury. These position will require coordinating GAL’s across multiple counties in their specified geographic region.

Bachelor’s degree & four years at or above a professional level in social work, psychology, child development, mediation, family counseling, law or related judicial/ legal setting. Substitutions for college allowed.

Starting Salary is $23.67 per hour. Positions come with excellent benefits, health care, vacation, holiday and sick leave. Open until filled.

Go to vermontjudiciary.org/employment-opportunities/staff-openings.

5h-OfficeCourtAdminRCCA032421.indd 1

4t-BohemianBakery032421.indd 1

77 MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

3/19/21 10:38 AM

3/23/21 9:55 AM

DIRECTOR OF THE MFA IN WRITING PROGRAM

COMPLIANCE OFFICER Union Bank, a highly successful community bank headquartered in Morrisville, VT, with locations throughout northern Vermont and New Hampshire, is seeking an individual for the position of Compliance Officer.

This individual will be responsible for performing various duties related to ensuring compliance with state and Federal rules and regulations, act as the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Officer and the Safe Act Officer, and perform other duties as assigned on behalf of the Senior Risk Officer.

An Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Business or related field is preferred. The successful candidate will have a minimum of three to five years of banking experience, with an emphasis in overseeing or performing duties related to all aspects of bank compliance preferred.

Salary will be commensurate with experience. Union Bank offers a comprehensive benefits program including three medical and two dental insurance plan options, 401(k) retirement plan with a generous company match, life and disability insurance, and paid vacation and sick leave along with continuing education opportunities.

To be considered for this position, please submit a cover letter, resume and references to:

Human Resources - Union Bank P.O. Box 667 Morrisville, Vermont 05661 – 0667 careers@unionbankvt.com

Vermont College of Fine Arts welcomes applications for the Director of the MFA in Writing Program. The Program Director is a FT managerial, administrative position reporting to the Academic Dean.

Responsibilities include: working closely with the Faculty Chair(s), faculty, and administration to manage the strategic direction, organization, and operations of the low-residency program; fostering a culture of equity and inclusion within the program and a commitment to diversity; overseeing the admissions application review and enrollment processes; overseeing student retention and progress through the program; collaborating with the faculty in the process of faculty hiring and retention; strategizing long-term program success; collaborating on outreach and marketing; supervising program staff and program office; designing and managing program budget; and planning and overseeing two on-campus residencies per year.

Successful candidates will have experience in higher education that includes: demonstrated aptitude for collaborative leadership; familiarity with postsecondary educational institutions and organizational systems; a background working with adult students; entrepreneurial, managerial, and team-building abilities; a customer service orientation toward various constituencies; and exemplary written, oral and interpersonal communication skills. Experience with low-residency, online, or remote education a plus. A master’s degree in higher education administration, non-profit management, or a related field is preferred.

This full-time, year-round administrative position is not a faculty appointment, and does not include teaching duties; however, knowledge and interest in the culture of writing and literature is desirable. Please see full job description at vcfa.edu.

To apply, please send the following to vcfacareers@vcfa.edu.

• Cover Letter, CV/Resume • Statement on Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, outlining your professional skills, accomplishments, experience, and willingness to engage in activities to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion.

For full consideration, submit an application by April 9, 2021.

Position will remain open until filled.

E.O.E. - MEMBER FDIC

9t-VTCollegeFineArts033121.indd 1 6t-UnionBankCOMPLIANCE032421.indd 1

3/23/21 10:29 AM

3/30/21 1:43 PM

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

78

POST YOUR JOBS AT JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM FOR FAST RESULTS, OR CONTACT MICHELLE BROWN: MICHELLE@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

ON-SITE NETWORK TECHNICIAN $50,000-$60,000/year

The on-site network support technician will install, troubleshoot, and service a wide range of systems for clients. Candidates must be able to demonstrate a deep understanding of network infrastructure, the ability to work with a range of network equipment (Ubiquiti, Cisco, HP Aruba, SonicWall, MicroTik), and will have top-notch customer service skills. Experience with low-voltage wiring, phone systems, POS systems, and camera systems preferred, although an otherwise highly qualified candidate could be trained in these areas.

Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA), located in Burlington VT, is recruiting for a Staff Accountant and Legal Coordinator. Recently named one of the “Best Places to Work in Vermont,” VHFA is committed to advancing racial and social equity through its role financing and promoting affordable, decent housing for low- and moderate-income Vermonters. VHFA is looking for individuals who help us to maintain our great reputation and advance our mission, demonstrate a strong work ethic, and work well both independently and as team players.

STAFF ACCOUNTANT

For full job description please visit alariotech.com/careers.

The Staff Accountant is responsible for the Agency's accounts payable and daily cash receipts functions and participates in quarterly closing activities. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: review, classification, and input of vendor invoices; generating cash disbursements using an automated accounts payable system; reconciliation, recording and transmitting the Agency’s daily cash receipts for deposit; annual preparation of 1099/1098s; REO/Foreclosure check processing and loan loss claims; create, maintain and update various worksheets, detail schedules and trial balances in support of the monthly, quarterly, and annual closing processes. A more detailed list of the job duties of this position can be found in the job description which is available in the Careers section of VHFA.org.

To apply, please submit your cover letter and resume along with (2) letters of reference to jobs@alariotech.com by April 16th. NO PHONE CALLS.

4t-AlarioTech033121.indd 1

Formal coursework or a degree in business or accounting and one year of experience with an accounts payable and general ledger software systems is highly preferred. Applicants must be proficient in Microsoft Office products (Outlook, Excel, and Word) and possess excellent written and verbal communication skills. Organization, attention to detail, and high level of accuracy are required, as is the ability to work well independently and as a team member, and manage multiple priorities.

WEB APPLICATION DEVELOPER

LEGAL COORDINATOR

PCC, a private, Winooski-based healthcare IT Benefit Corporation, seeks web developers to join our team. Bring your problem-solving skills and creativity to the table building web applications in an Agile development framework, assisting in not only extending current products, but also creating new product lines. Our ideal candidate is fast and flexible, great at finding and squashing bugs, and ready to work well with team members in a cross-functional development environment.

Our work culture is casual and our employees are clever and dedicated. We strive for client satisfaction and our customer reviews are among the very best in our industry.

As part of the Legal Division, the Legal Coordinator will assist the General Counsel in providing legal advice and performing legal functions for the Agency, including oversight of corporate records management, program and procedure compilation, and the closing of multifamily mortgage loans and Agency bond issuances. The position coordinates meetings of the VHFA Board and maintains records of its actions. Common interactions include Agency staff, external advisers, and third parties. The Legal Coordinator accepts assignments for the Legal Department and implements appropriate plans of action under the supervision of the General Counsel. They are also responsible for ensuring optimal utilization of the Agency’s Hot Docs, ShareFile and Document Center systems.

While our preferred candidate will have hands on experience with either Ruby on Rails or PHP, we’d love to hear from you if you have any full stack experience utilizing other web-based technologies such as Python or Java.

Candidates must have a minimum of an associate degree and three years’ experience with commercial real estate and/or financing closings or equivalent experience. Comprehensive knowledge of loan documentation and the closing process for affordable multifamily housing transactions is desirable, as is experience with Hot Docs software. Proficiency in Office 365 products (Word, Excel, and Outlook) is required.

Don’t have full stack experience, but have built a career creating responsive front-end web applications using HTML, CSS, Javascript, or any front-end framework such as React, Angular or Vue? We’d also love to hear from you!

In addition, candidates must demonstrate excellent organizational and analytical skills, high attention to detail, and possess excellent written and verbal communication skills. Must possess the ability to work with a wide range of individuals internal and external to the Agency in a coordinated capacity and manage multiple and changing priorities while meeting deadlines.

In order to keep our employees and families safe while we continue to develop our software and support our clients, PCC’s employees have been working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. We expect this policy to continue a little longer so there will be virtual interviews for this position. Once our office is fully open, we will be looking for employees to be onsite at our Winooski office.

========================================================================= The salary range for these positions is $22.00 to $26.00/hour with an excellent benefits package.

Detailed job descriptions and a benefits overview can be found in the Careers section of VHFA.org.

To apply, send cover letter (required; otherwise your application will not be considered), 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. Position will be open until filled.

As a Benefit Corporation, we place high value on client, employee and community relationships. Our company offers a friendly, informal, and professional work environment. PCC offers competitive benefits as well as some uncommon perks.

To learn more about PCC, this role and how to apply, please visit our website at pcc.com/careers. Position open until filled.

VHFA is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse workplace. We highly encourage women, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ candidates, and people from diverse racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds to apply.

12t-VHFA033121.indd 1

3/30/21 1:24 PM

No phone calls lease. AA/EOE.

3/30/21 1:46 PM 6t-PCC031721.indd 1

3/12/21 10:24 AM

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SEVENDAYSJOBS, SUBSCRIBE TO RSS, OR BROWSE POSTS ON YOUR PHONE AT JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Marketing & Communications Manager Empower the next generation of makers, artists, and entrepreneurs by growing an audience and building support for your local community makerspace!

NEW JOBS POSTED DAILY! JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

79 MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

CREATIVE PRODUCTION MANAGER Location: Burlington, Vermont (We’d love you here, but remote work negotiable!)

Reporting to: Director of Creative & Brand

Generator is looking for a skilled professional with killer communications skills and a love of telling stories, creating content, segmenting email lists, creating time-saving database automations, and more! The Marketing & Communications Manager does it all: digital and traditional media, website management, social media, graphic design, public relations, and applying a consistent look and feel across all platforms and touch points.

Position Overview

This position is full-time with benefits with room for growth.

Learn more and apply at generatorvt.com/jobs.

The Creative Production Manager’s success will be measured by their ability to drive creative output and deliver on established goals with complete, high-quality, on-time projects. *Must be a good person and fun to hang out with too!!

3v-Generator033121.indd 1

3/30/21 9:43 AM

We’re Hiring!

• Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers • Licensed Mental Health Clinicians • Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors To apply, contact Vicki Emerson at vemerson@lamoillehealthpartners.org Be a part of a community that is dedicated to removing the stigma of mental health and substance use disorders through integrative health care and a strength-based focus on wellbeing that treats the whole person.

The ideal candidate is someone who has found their calling in the mental health field, is passionate about collaboration, and resonates with the mission of Federally Qualified Health Centers: to provide integrated health care services to all people regardless of their ability to pay.

Full time • On-site and remote options • Comprehensive benefits: Vacation and holidays; Medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance • Continuing education • 401(k) with employer contribution • Educational loan repayment

Lamoille Health Behavioral Health & Wellness 607 Washington Hwy., Morrisville, VT 05661 LamoilleHealthPartners.org

Superplastic is seeking a talented, creative and ultra-organized Creative Production Manager to support the growth of our characterbased product and entertainment brand. Superplastic creates animated celebrities on social media, as well as movies, streaming shows, and some of the world’s most sought-after art toys, character-based apparel, and other popular products.

This role is integral in moving the creative enterprises of the brand forward by applying their design & copywriting expertise and project management skills to deliver high-quality, compelling design outcomes. The Creative Production Manager works closely with the Director of Creative & Brand to assess and prioritize projects within the organization to align with strategic objectives. With a firm understanding of the brand voice and style, the Creative Production Manager will manage the progress of each project, partnering with teams across the organization to inspire action, facilitate high-quality, on-brand deliverables, and ensure goals are met (and celebrated!).

The ideal candidate will have a deep passion for the Superplastic universe of characters and products, proven design and branding skills and project management experience, including the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects. This is a collaborative team, so the skills to communicate effectively throughout the organization are key. An eye for detail is a must, and the ability to write edgy, on-brand copy and apply strong design judgment allows the Creative Production Manager to flex their creative skills in this dynamic role.

Responsibilities • Collaborates with creative leadership to prioritize projects and production workloads, and carry out creative campaign visions • Owns the creative intake process and leads campaign briefs for all production requests • Applies design eye and copywriting skills to ensure quality and consistency across creative assets of all mediums • Manages multiple concurrently ongoing high-pace creative projects, including development and maintenance of project plans, deliverables, key milestones, timelines, and schedules • Facilitates creative problem solving and strategic process planning on creative projects • Communicates weekly status updates on schedules, resources, risks and dependencies • Along with the Creative Director, ensures that each project fulfills overall strategic goals • Develops and maintains creative management processes and standards across all projects • Detailed quality control of all assets and output • Diligent focus on process improvement opportunities

Requirements • 4+ years’ successful creative project management experience, including demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects • Proven design and copywriting experience, including skills in reviewing others’ work for quality, brand voice and style • A knack for (and love of) prioritization, decision-making and accountability • Ability to think creatively, problem-solve, and be flexible • In tune with pop-culture, social media, influencers, and competitors • Excitement about working with others. This is an extremely collaborative environment!

• Knowledgeable in Adobe Creative Suite: Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop a plus • Graphic design, illustration & video skills desired, but not required We’re a fast-growing company with strong financial backing, a positive culture, and an incredible creative team. This is a salaried position with equity, benefits, and many opportunities for long-term growth. Email resume and cover letter to jobs@superplastic.co.

About Superplastic Superplastic is an animated entertainment and product company that creates original characters and turns them into celebrities on new and traditional media. Our virtual influencers Janky, Guggimon, Dayzee and Stax have millions of followers and collaborate with celebrities, artists, and premier brands. We produce some of the world’s finest designer toys, apparel, and animated entertainment.

The company is based in Burlington, Vermont with funding from Google Ventures, Craft Ventures, Betaworks, Index Ventures, and many other well known investors, and was founded by artist & entrepreneur Paul Budnitz (Kidrobot, Ello, etc.).

Superplastic is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion; we are passionate about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable workplace. We're an equal opportunity employer, and we don’t tolerate harassment or other discrimination based upon sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, caregiver status, pregnancy, military or veteran status, race, color, religion, national origin, place of birth, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information or any other legally protected status.

© 2021 Lamoille Health Partners 14t-Superplastic033121.indd 1 3v-LamoilleHealthPartners033121 1

3/29/21 7:33 PM

3/30/21 1:48 PM

fun stuff

RACHEL LINDSAY

80

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

CALCOKU & SUDOKU (P.59) CROSSWORD (P.59)

EV E N T S O N SA L E N OW

HARRY BLISS & STEVE MARTIN

BUY ONLINE AT SEVENDAYSTICKETS.COM

VCET Latte & Learn: Managing a Remote Team with Sketch WED., MAR. 31 VIRTUAL EVENT

VCET Lunch & Learn: Exploring Employee Ownership Models THU., APR. 1 VIRTUAL EVENT

Living with Loss: A Gathering for the Grieving THU., APR. 1 VIRTUAL EVENT

Libyan Takeout

SAT., APR. 3 NORTH END STUDIOS AT THE O’BRIEN COMMUNITY CENTER, WINOOSKI

CLAP YOUR HANDS! Online benefit concert SUN., APR. 4 VIRTUAL EVENT

LGBTQ+ Best Practices Training Webinar MON., APR. 5 VIRTUAL EVENT

JEN SORENSEN

Finding Hope: Healing from Trauma MON., APR. 5 VIRTUAL EVENT

VCET Lunch & Learn: E-commerce Platforms 101 TUE., APR. 6 VIRTUAL EVENT

Uplifting Female Voices in Real Time TUE., APR. 6 VIRTUAL EVENT

VCET Lunch & Learn: E-commerce Strategies for Business THU., APR. 8 VIRTUAL EVENT

Caribbean Takeout

SAT., APR. 10 NORTH END STUDIOS AT THE O’BRIEN COMMUNITY CENTER, WINOOSKI

MORE EVENTS ONLINE AT SEVENDAYSTICKETS.COM SELLING TICKETS?

WE CAN HELP!

• • • •

• • • •

Fundraisers Festivals Plays & Concerts Sports

2v-tickets033121.indd 1

No cost to you Local support Built-in promotion Custom options

SELL TIX WITH US!

Contact: 865-1020, ext. 10 getstarted@sevendaystickets.com SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

81

3/30/21 4:05 PM

fun stuff RYAN RIDDLE

is

Making it is not :( Keep this newspaper free for all.

Join the Seven Days Super Readers at sevendaysvt.com/super-readers or call us at 802-864-5684.

82SR-Comics-filler071520.indd SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021 1

7/14/20 3:32 PM

Have a deep, dark fear of your own? Submit it to cartoonist Fran Krause at deep-dark-fears.tumblr.com, and you may see your neurosis illustrated in these pages.

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZSNY REAL APRIL 1-7

of intensely passionate feeling. Let your feelings be your genius, burning in you like a fire.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Poet Emily Dick-

ARIES

(MARCH 21-APRIL 19):

Playwright August Strindberg (1849-1912) was a maverick innovator who loved to experiment with plot and language. One of his stories takes place in a dream, and the hero is the Christ-like daughter of a Vedic god. He once said that he felt “an immense need to become a savage and create a new world.” Given your current astrological potentials, Aries, I suspect that might be an apt motto for you right now. APRIL FOOL! I half-lied. There’s no need for you to become a savage. In fact, it’s better if you don’t. But the coming weeks will definitely be a good time to start creating a new world.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Who says all Tauruses are gentle, risk-avoidant, sensible and reliable? Taurus author Mary MacLane (18611929), known as the “Wild Woman of Butte, Montana,” authored shocking, scandalous books. In I Await the Devil’s Coming, she testified, “I am not good. I am not virtuous. I am not generous.

I am merely a creature of intense passionate feeling. I feel—everything. It is my genius. It burns me like fire.” Can I convince you, Taurus, to make her your role model for the coming weeks? APRIL FOOL! I don’t think you should be exactly like MacLane. Please leave out the part about “I am not good. I am not virtuous.

I am not generous,” as well as the “I await the devil’s coming” part. But yes, do be a creature

inson had a good sense of humor, so she was probably making a wry joke when she wrote, “The lovely flowers embarrass me. They make me regret I am not a bee.” But who knows?

Maybe Emily was being a bit sincere, too. In any case, I advise you to make a list of all the things you regret not being — all the qualities and assets you wish you had, but don’t. It’s a favorable time to wallow in remorse. APRIL FOOL! I was totally lying! In fact, I hope you will do the reverse: Engage in an orgy of self-appreciation, celebrating yourself for being exactly who you are.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Provocation specialist Lydia Lunch is a singer and poet who’s skilled at generating interesting mischief. She testifies, “My daily existence is a battlecade of extreme fluctuations where chaos clobbers apathy, which beats the s--out of depression which follows irritability which slams into anger which eclipses ecstasy which slips through my fingers far too often.”

In the coming weeks, Cancerian, I recommend you adopt her melodramatic approach to living the intense life. APRIL FOOL! I lied. Please don’t be like Lydia Lunch in the near future.

On the contrary: Cultivate regal elegance, sovereign poise and dynamic equanimity.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In 1692, a Swedish man named Thiess of Kaltenbrun was put on trial for being a werewolf. He claimed to be a noble werewolf, however. He said he regularly went down to Hell to do holy combat against the Devil. I suggest you make him your inspirational role model in the coming weeks. Be as weird as you need to be in order to fight for what’s good and right. APRIL FOOL! I half-lied.

What I really meant to say was: Be as weird as you need to be to fight for what’s good and right but without turning into a werewolf, zombie, vampire or other supernatural monster.

VIRGO

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I want to hear raucous music, to brush against bodies, to drink fiery Benedictine,” wrote author Anaïs Nin. “Beautiful women and handsome men

arouse fierce desires in me. I want to dance. I want drugs. I want to know perverse people, to be intimate with them. I want to bite into life. All that sounds like perfect counsel for you to consider right now, dear Virgo! APRIL FOOL! I lied. Nin’s exuberant testimony might be an interesting perspective to flirt with — if the COVID-19 virus had been completely tamed. But it hasn’t. So I must instead suggest that you find ways to express this lively, unruly energy in safe and sublimated ways.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Here are affirmations that will serve you well in the coming days.

1. “I am willing to make mistakes if someone else is willing to learn from them.” 2. “I am grateful that I’m not as judgmental as all the shortsighted, self-righteous people.” 3. “I assume full responsibility for my actions, except those that are someone else’s fault.” 4. “A good scapegoat is as welcome as a solution to the problem.”

APRIL FOOL! All the preceding affirmations are total bunk! Don’t you dare use them. Use these instead: 1. “I enjoy taking responsibility for my actions.” 2. “Rather than indulging in the reflex to blame, I turn my attention to fixing the problem.” 3. “No one can make me feel something I don’t want to feel.” 4. “I’m free from believing in the images people have of me.”

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): According to author Kahlil Gibran, “If we were all to sit in a circle and confess our sins, we would laugh at each other for lack of originality.” But I challenge you Scorpios to refute that theory in the coming days. For the sake of your sanity and health, you need to commit highly original sins — the more, the better. APRIL FOOL! I lied.

Save your novel, imaginative sinning for later.

The truth is that now is an excellent time to explore the joyous and healthy practice of being extremely virtuous. Imitate author Susan Sontag: “My idolatry: I’ve lusted after goodness.

Wanting it here, now, absolutely, increasingly.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The com-

ing months would be a great time to start your own university and then award yourself a PhD in drugless healing or mathematical reincarnation or political metaphysics — or any other subject you’d like to be consid-

ered an expert in. Hey, why not give yourself three PhDs and call yourself a professor emeritus? APRIL FOOL! I’m just joking. The coming months will indeed be an extremely favorable time to advance your education, but with real learning, not fake credentials.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): After his Nirvana bandmate Kurt Cobain committed suicide, Capricorn drummer Dave Grohl was depressed for months. To cheer himself up, he wrote and recorded an album’s worth of songs, playing almost all the instruments himself: drums, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass and vocals. I think you should try a similar spectacularly heroic solo task in the coming weeks.

APRIL FOOL! I lied. Here’s my true and actual advice: Now is a time when you should gather all the support and help and cooperation you can possibly garner for an interesting project.

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Argentine poet Alejandra Pizarnik told her psychoanalyst León Ostrov that if she were going to steal something, it would be “the façade of a certain collapsed house in a little town called Fontenay-aux-Roses [near Paris].” What was so special about this façade? Its windows were made of “magical” lilac-colored glass that was “like a beautiful dream.” In accordance with astrological omens, I invite you, too, to decide what marvel you would steal — and then go steal it! APRIL FOOL! I half-lied. Yes, definitely decide what you would steal — it’s important to give your imagination permission to be outrageous — but don’t actually steal it.

PISCES

(Feb. 19-March 20): I’ve never understood the appeal of singer-songwriter Morrissey, especially since he began endorsing bigoted far-right politicians. However, I want to recommend that you adopt the attitude he once expressed in a letter to a friend. “It was a terrible blow to hear that you actually worked,” he wrote. “It’s so old-fashioned to work. I’d much rather lounge about the house all day looking fascinating.” Be like that in the coming weeks, Pisces! APRIL FOOL! I lied. In fact, you’d be making a silly mistake to lie around the house looking fascinating. It’s a highly favorable time for you to find ways to work harder and smarter.

CHECK OUT ROB BREZSNY’S EXPANDED WEEKLY AUDIO HOROSCOPES & DAILY TEXT MESSAGE HOROSCOPES: REALASTROLOGY.COM OR 1-877-873-4888

L ATEST VIDEO! Eva Sollberger’s

Watch at sevendaysvt.com 4H-Stuck033121.indd 1

supported by: xis Dexter Cat lover Ale er s find furev helps feline ty ugh Kit homes thro in Barre. fé a Korner C nly cat café Vermont's o ers meet lets custom ng possibly bri kitties and : More than them home en adopted 150 have be siness since the bu August. opened last

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

83

3/30/21 2:27 PM

Respond to these people online: dating.sevendaysvt.com WOMEN seeking...

CHEERFUL, OPTIMISTIC, FUN I am divorced, but there are many things I miss about having a partner.

COVID has only exacerbated the things I miss. Looking for friendship and whatever may or may not come after! blc, 69, seeking: M, l LOOKING FOR THAT SPARK! I’m fun, open-minded and a lover!

Looking for someone who is willing to put in the time and effort to see where things go! joyful11, 42, seeking: M, l OUTDOORSY, HONEST, HEALTHY, MUSIC LOVER Vibrant, mature, independent, welltraveled person who is interested in nature, music, culture, arts, travel and enjoying life. Looking for a gent who is positive, kind, honest and enjoys the same. Bella2020, 63, seeking: M, l HAPPY, CARING, SMILEY, UNDERSTANDING, LOVING, I am a believer. I live my life to the fullest. I treat people the way I want to be treated. I enjoy the ocean, playing pickleball, boating, reading, doing my crafts, quilting, photography and more.

My family is very important to me. Love animals. katrina44, 76, seeking: M, l COMICMELLOW Love music, outdoors, painting, cooking, building. ComicMellow, 43, seeking: M, W, Q, l

WANT TO RESPOND?

You read Seven Days, these people read Seven Days — you already have at least one thing in common!

All the action is online.

Create an account or login to browse more than 2,000 singles with profiles including photos, habits, desires, views and more. It’s free to place your own profile online.

l

See photos of this person online.

W = Women M = Men TW = Trans women TM = Trans men Q = Genderqueer people NBP = Nonbinary people NC = Gender nonconformists Cp = Couples Gp = Groups

84

LOVELY NATURE ENTHUSIAST Homemade music, stews, animals, color, light and anything handcrafted make me happy. Active, independent, long-haired, short-bodied, outdoorsy, retired. Good at spontaneous poems and watercolor landscapes. I love the old, odd, rare and recycled. I avoid smoke, cities, pretense, arrogance. Prefer Maine coast and back-road, cold-climate travel.

Choosy except to an open-minded, openhearted, kind, communicative honest man. Naturelove, 74, seeking: M, l CARPE DIEM Ready to get out and grab life after this pandemic! Me: lovely, kind, creative, energetic, adventuresome. I ski, Nordic skate, sail, play tennis. Oh, to bike, garden, read. Strong, independent, dry sense of humor. Warm, passionate, caring, emotionally intact. Healthy! I have my teeth! Seeking emotionally available guy ready to enjoy a relationship! Let’s figure it out. BHS72, 67, seeking: M, l COMPASSION, HONESTY, EMPATHY Me? Well, I am a very compassionate person. I love to stay active and socialize.

I am also a delight to be with because I am a good listener. I desire to find a partner who has at least some of these qualities. Hopeful52, 68, seeking: M, l TAKE MY BREATH AWAY At this age, I am interested in someone real, a sweet romantic, somebody all sorted out and yet ready to play, to live for ourselves (not the grandkids). My dog and my children are important but not what my life is about these days.

I’m told I’m the least judgmental person others know. So give this old gal a try.

Cheers! OH52, 68, seeking: M, l CURIOUS, WARM, MATURE I am a curious person by nature and love to explore. I spend a lot of time hiking with my dog Spartacus (Sparky).

I love painting and writing and doing home improvement projects indoors and out. I am looking for a mature, confidant man who has it together. Fun and wit are great; chaos and drama are not. LadyL0664, 54, seeking: M, l YUP, I’M A DREAMER...

Are you into conscious living?

Spirituality? Nature? Honesty?

Compassion? Laughing? Maybe you’re a hopeless romantic? I am seeking a lasting relationship with a likeminded man. Looking for my best friend to share adventures, love and life’s ups and downs. I like to hike, ski, relax, talk, ponder especially with you. naturgirl, 67, seeking: M, l MILLENNIALS INQUIRE WITHIN. YEEHAW. Looking for a hot, nerdy dude who has an adventurous, sensitive, techie soul.

Good with his hands. Must love cuddles.

I don’t mind if you prioritize your alone time as long as you don’t mind that I can be an endearing space case. Be warned: I will ask for your natal chart and when your most recent STI test was. starsaligned, 25, seeking: M

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

FRIENDLY, SOCIAL, INDEPENDENT, EASYGOING Very honest, loyal, friendly. Enjoy cooking, traveling, walking, driving with no destination, exploring the beauty of the Green Mountains.

Would enjoy finding the same in my partner. dyniska, 79, seeking: M AUTUMN LIGHT ..the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination...announcing your place in the family of things. Mary Oliver. Hope, 64, seeking: M, l CUCKOO ABOUT ADVENTURES I’m just looking for a new friend. I’m somewhat new to the area and would like to find someone who likes to talk, hike, or do anything that doesn’t involve going to the bar or lots of drinking!

NDrootsNYbuds, 38, seeking: M, l COMPANIONSHIP, ADVENTURE Woman seeks honest, kind, stable, adventurous person, M or F, “friend only,” responsible for yourself, who wants to go on a practical trip south to planned destinations, R&R, or just something different to do. No specific expectations. If you’re bored or would like to get away, just because you can, no specific schedule, let’s talk about several possibilities. Life’s a journey.

Live it! Quest, 59, seeking: M, l

MEN seeking...

TELETUBBIES RULE! I’m looking for someone with whom I feel comfortable around and whose company I enjoy — someone who shares some things in common with me, but not everything. Most importantly, I want to meet someone with whom I click and who wants many of the same things in a relationship.

LakeFamilyVT, 55, seeking: W, l LET’S PLAY Submissive male looking for dominant individuals or couples. Obedient, responsive and open-minded. Into humiliation, light bondage and oral worship. Be safe and sane, and get in touch. subplay, 53, seeking: M, W, Cp, Gp GEEKY MAKER DAD, SUPER POSITIVE I’ve always pushed myself. Sometimes I do stop to reflect on why, and then, refreshed, I move forward some more.

Built my own house. Adding to it now.

But not married to it. Almost done with my master’s degree. I love travel and have been waiting out this pandemic to visit places again. Go visit places with me. Descanso, 53, seeking: W, l DECENT DUDE/PLEASURE SEEKER Looking for connection, chemistry, pleasure, exploration. We’re only alive once, and meeting people on Seven Days seems like a quintessential Vermont experience. Let’s enjoy ourselves.

Hereforsafefun, 30, seeking: M, W, Cp, l

WHERE ARE YOU? I like to think of myself as kind and smart, curious and adventurous, athletic and musical, and much more. A “renaissance person” is what I’ve always considered the ideal. Many years ago, I through-hiked the Appalachian Trail, and that experience, and my many adventures since, have shaped my life and my values in profound ways. somethingdifferent, 61, seeking: W, l

PIN ME ... EROTIC WRESTLING? Hi all, I’m a discreet, masculine submissive who wants to be dominated, pinned down, tied up, used, played with, you name it. I’m very kinky with few limits, DD-free and play clean. I always have good 420 to share, too.

You must host. Hit me up, and let’s party and have some kinky fun. Hlplss, 56, seeking: M, TM, TW, Q, Cp, Gp, l

JUSTIN THE GENT Laid-back kind of guy with big ambitions and goals. Hard worker with a firm belief that it’s work before play. Very independent and hold my own down, but like to get to know people and have fun! My children come first always, as should they for most people. I don’t plan on changing that. Message me!

Cadence0801, 35, seeking: W, l

TATTOOS, MUSIC, WORK I am a hardworking man who has been to hell and back and is rebuilding successfully. I would like a woman who works hard and wants to build a future with someone. No games. newlife2021, 46, seeking: W, l

GENUINE FRIEND AND LOVER Are you female with emotional, independent maturity who wants to share friendship, romance, conversation, curiosity, outdoor activity (no motorcycles, skydiving, MAGA)? I’m friends with my ex-wife of 10-plus years and my exromances, and they regard me as having modest brilliance, being an incredible pleaser in bed and a fantastic cook.

(My favorite ingredient is not vanilla.).

YourHappyJack, 50, seeking: W, l

SUB MASO FOR DOM SADIST Bio-female, nonbinary gendered, sub/ masochist looking for her Dom/Sadist.

Looking for a local sadist who is looking for TPE and to play with the same person!

Experienced older men preferred. I have 15 years of experience in BDSM. Looking for that open-minded someone who is OK with some jiggle with their wiggle, looking for full-time TPE and nonmonogamy. CallMeParker, 34, seeking: M, W, TM, TW, Q, NC, NBP, Cp, Gp, l

GUY SEEKS LAST FIRST KISS Homeowner, financially secure seeking woman. I’ll love her without end. There is nothing wrong with loving a woman regardless of the age differences. I want to again experience the joys of being a father to new life. Mostly retired, living a relaxed lifestyle. Currently own two businesses. The most important attribute in a relationship is loyalty. SoCal, 57, seeking: W, l LONELY. COVID SUCKS. SUNBATHING NAKED. Looking for fun in the sun. Enjoy being nude. Fires outside. Cut, trimmed and shaving. Woman or a couple.

Good times and laughter and sex.

Toohorny11, 52, seeking: W, Cp AMAZING, CRAZY, EXCITING, VERY OPEN Just exploring and finding new ways to have fun as a group with others for numerous activities.

Bretforfun, 31, seeking: M, W, Cp ROMANTIC, DOMINANT, KINKY GENTLEMAN Looking for the right person to share my life with, enjoying each other’s company with the goal of finding happiness and having fun and adventures together.

Will consider marrying the right person.

Kids are a possibility but not a deal breaker. I’m pretty flexible and openminded but definitely seeking a longterm relationship. Value good morals.

MASTERBLUEKNIGHT, 59, seeking: W, l I LOVE THE FULL MOON Well, I’m 65, a widower (14 years) and live rurally. Interests are music, working on a serialized novel up on Wattpad, and in the summer growing lots of veggies. I’m also a fanatic reader of just about anything, but William Gibson and Joan Didion are favorites of mine. It may sound odd, but I’m into meeting someone Goth or emo.

DrummingMoon, 65, seeking: W, l TRYING TO PAY ATTENTION Moved to Vermont on a whim many years ago. Appreciate nature and animals.

I am on a lifelong learning curve. NPR and live music (once upon a time). Find me at the ocean in Wellfleet, driving on Highway 1 in California or in a Chinese restaurant in NYC. I listen more than speak. Hoping to meet a kind, compatible soul. Mindfully, 67, seeking: W

NONBINARY PEOPLE seeking...

TRANS WOMEN seeking...

FOREVER SEARCHING Still looking for love. Would love to run into a beautiful dominatrix who will, through her grace, help me find the inspiration I need to flourish as a woman. I love to cook, I design board games and Lego sets, and give the best foot and back massages in the world!

If this is heaven for you, come claim me! Neneveh, 24, seeking: W, l ONE OF A KIND Looking for fun in northern Vermont.

Any women interested, reply. hell666, 28, seeking: W, l GENEROUS, OPEN, EASYGOING Active, healthy trans woman w/ partner seeks ecstatic connection for playtimes, connections, copulations, exploration and generally wonderful occasional times together. You should be fit, in good health, and available (not down low).

Ideal is another couple for a foursome.

But possibilities are wide-ranging: three, four, explorations and adventure.

DoubleUp, 63, seeking: M, Cp, l

TRANS MEN seeking...

COUNTRY BOY SEEKS FRIENDS Not looking for a sexual relationship. I am very happily taken by a wonderful woman for over 20 years. I am just looking for people to go hunting and fishing with. Kayaking in the summer or hitting the trails. My wife has friends she does her hobbies with. Just looking for someone who shares mine! Islander68, 52, seeking: TM, TW, Q, NC, NBP, l

COUPLES seeking...

HAPPY, RELAXED, OPEN TO POSSIBILITIES We’re a couple looking for safe, sexy adventures with like-minded individuals or couples. Bluebird, 38, seeking: M, W, Cp I WANT TO WATCH I’m looking for a guy who’s willing to let my guy go down on him while I watch.

I will not be joining, just watching.

Please be between 25 and 45 years of age. BJ2021, 46, seeking: M

i SPY

If you’ve been spied, go online to contact your admirer!

dating.sevendaysvt.com

BIKINI-CLAD WOMEN, BOLTON VALLEY 3/23 and 3/25: Did not mean to be rude to you on the 25th when I saw and spoke with you. In all my years skiing, I’ve never had the pleasure to follow what I did on the 23rd. Next week, if BV still has skiing and the weather is warm? My friends don’t believe I saw you. You both ski quite well! —An old GSr. When: Tuesday, March 23, 2021. Where: Bolton Valley.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915247 SEVEN DAYS PERSONALS We met online through Seven Days.

Started making a plan to met in person, but somehow we’ve been blocked from communicating with you. Hope to see you sometime at Three Penny! When: Tuesday, March 23, 2021. Where: Seven Days Personals. You: Man. Me: Couple. #915246 BARTENDER AT STONE CORRAL Sir. You are amazing. I was here on Saturday. I could not stop staring. When: Saturday, March 20, 2021. Where: Stone Corral. You: Man. Me: Man. #915245 COOP KITCHEN DUDE GIVING EYES I see you. Your little looks have become a cute piece of my weekly shopping trip. Am I reading into it too much? Hard to strike up a conversation when you’re across the room — not to mention we both seem a bit shy. Let’s hang out sometime. You: green hat, black shirt. When: Thursday, March 18, 2021. Where: Hunger Mountain Coop. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915244 6 YEARS SINCE FL-FT BP: It’s been six years since our first FaceTime. You are still the first person I think of every morning and the last person when I go to bed. I miss seeing you every day. I miss your gorgeous brown eyes, your sexy voice and your killer smile! iwyrhcimdwc! PP. When: Wednesday, March 23, 2016. Where: FaceTime, Florida. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915243

HEARTTHROB AT HANDY’S Peter — was that your name, or the name I dreamt for you? A gray sweatshirt, dark hair and a jawline that won’t quit. Bellied up to the breakfast bar at Handy’s Lunch.

You ordered French toast, or was it eggs?

Anyways, let’s French sometime. When: Friday, March 12, 2021. Where: Handy’s Lunch. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915242 FIREWORKS ON THE BIKE PATH It was dusk on the bike path. My dog was freaking out about fireworks at the skate park. You stopped briefly to spare a comforting comment about how your dog does the same thing.

Firework-free dog walk? When: Thursday, March 4, 2021. Where: bike path by the skate park (date is approximate).

You: Man. Me: Woman. #915241 BEST BUY BABE We locked eyes from across the customer service desk at Best Buy on March 11.

Was it the Canadian tuxedo you were wearing that had me interested? I’m not sure, but I’d love to get to know you and your man bun better. Coffee? When: Thursday, March 11, 2021. Where: Best Buy. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915240 ALWAYS ALWAYS LAND You’re still in my thoughts ... every day.

When: Saturday, March 6, 2021. Where: my dreams. You: Man. Me: Man. #915239 CARAMN 52 Dating site you said you wanted to meet.

I wanted to meet you, too. I sent you a message and checked the next day. It wasn’t there anymore, and I couldn’t find your profile anywhere. Even after asking them specifically, they consistently screwed things up. But I’d still like to meet. Contact me here. I’ll show a picture of me. When: Wednesday, November 4, 2020. Where: on Zoosk dating site.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915237

Ask REVEREND the

HOT COP AT CUMBIES UVM officer by St. Mike’s. I don’t know what goes on on campus, but you are definitely prepared for it — from gear to physical fitness. Would be interested in chatting more. Please include the reason you let me go ahead of you in line. When: Saturday, February 27, 2021. Where: Cumbies. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915236 KAREN AT HOME DEPOT I think you know I’m crushing on you. Would enjoy coffee or a walk with you. Actually, anything more than a one-minute conversation on the checkout line. :) When: Sunday, February 21, 2021. Where: Home Depot.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915235 KNOCKOUT WAITRESS AT ROZZI’S Your name is Devan. We’ve made great eye contact a few times in the restaurant, but you were never my waitress. Wondering if you are single. When: Thursday, January 21, 2021. Where: Rozzi’s Lakeshore Tavern. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915234 SUNSHINE SD Just would like to say I’m sorry, and I miss you terribly. When: Wednesday, February 17, 2021. Where: Montpelier.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915233 HEY JUNE LETTERPRESS IN RICHMOND I was shopping for some stationery.

You were talking to a friend about bullet journals. Wanna meet at Sweet Simone’s for a coffee to-go sometime?

When: Saturday, February 13, 2021.

Where: Hey June Letterpress Studio.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915232 GREASY BABE RADICALIZING KIDS Hey, coach. I saw you at the climbing gym explaining to some kids how to undermine the ruling class. You were wearing a sexy yellow tank top, looked like you could kick my ass, and I can tell you don’t wash your hair, but it still looks hot. How about we eat a quesadilla and talk about late capitalism sometime? When: Wednesday, February 3, 2021. Where: climbing gym.

You: Woman. Me: Woman. #915229 MAPLEFIELDS I saw you around 3:30. You got a 12-pack of Bud, Slim Jim and Doritos. I would like to meet you. I had a black and gray North Face coat. I said hello to you at the beer cooler. When: Thursday, February 4, 2021. Where: Maplefields, Woodstock.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915227

Dear Pitty Party,

Irreverent counsel on life’s conundrums

Dear Reverend,

Since the pandemic started, I’ve been working from home, not going anywhere and not trying to impress anyone. My shower routine went from two to three times a week to once a week or less. Now, when I take a shower, I can’t get the BO smell out of my armpits, no matter how much I scrub. But I’m actually starting to like it. It’s kinda rustic, like someone’s got a campfire going and there’s a skunk nearby or someone’s smoking some good weed. I’m wondering whether anybody else will notice when things open up again.

Pitty Party (MALE, 35)

When I was in high school about a hundred years ago, I had a part-time job with a particularly pungent coworker. The manager had the unfortunate task of telling the person they had to clean up their act — literally. I can only imagine how embarrassing that must have been for both of them.

I’m sure you wouldn’t want something like that to happen to you.

STARBUCKS ON WILLISTON ROAD 1 p.m. You: a lovely blond woman.

We exchanged glances. Care to chat? I’ll buy the next round. When: Thursday, February 11, 2021. Where: Starbucks, Williston Road. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915230 BROWN-EYED SNOW SLIDER Saw you cruising through the hardwoods at Adam’s Solitude. Easy riding with the tan bibs and that fresh purple split, family tree? Popping over that boulder all smooth.

Caught your gaze for just a moment, and all I could see were those chocolate brown eyes. Swoon! Catch me at the hill someday, and we can split a hazy. When: Wednesday, February 3, 2021. Where: Bolton. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915226 NEFCU ESSEX Around 2:20. Exchanged a few glances inside NEFCU. You got into your Highlander and headed toward the center, and then you pulled into Maplefields not too long after you were pulling out of Price Chopper. You smiled and waved.

Just wanted to let you know you made my day. Hope to see you around again.

When: Friday, January 29, 2021. Where: Essex. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915225 SHOPPING AT TJ MAXX ON 1/28 The most beautiful woman I have ever seen, with blond hair past your shoulders and wearing black low-top Converse and black leggings. You were shopping, and I was scrubbing the floor with a machine. We made severe eye contact with each other.

Would you like to get a drink or coffee?

When: Thursday, January 28, 2021. Where: TJ Maxx. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915224 HIGHLIGHTER HAT CUTIE I’ve spied you bouncing around Red Rocks (probably to a historical podcast), picking up berries (on sale, of course) at City Market and tapping the hell out of Tapper at the Archives. I’ve loved you ever since you helped me get on the scoreboard. Happy birthday, you golden boy! When: Thursday, January 28, 2021. Where: McDonald’s parking lot. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915223 SHAMWOW My dreams are always of you. My thoughts and hopes are of you. My door is always open to you. You know where I am.

Come home! —Scoots. When: Thursday, January 21, 2021. Where: in my dreams.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915222

Similar to how we don’t always find our own farts all that stinky, we don’t usually mind our own body odor. There’s a bunch of brain business involved, but basically we’re wired to be accustomed to our smells so we can take care of our bodies without getting grossed out. We find other people’s smells unpleasant because they can be a danger

BBQ GIRL Stunningly beautiful Asian working at Mark BBQ. You were wearing a mask, but somehow your smile lit up the room.

I nervously stammered through the transaction, and you were so sweet.

The food was the best barbecue I’ve ever had, but I can’t stop thinking about you. When: Saturday, January 16, 2021. Where: Mark BBQ, Essex.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915221 UVMMC NIGHT NURSE AMANDA I was recovering from having fluid drained from around my heart, and you were extra nice, getting me those Tessalon Perles to help with my cough so I could sleep better. I enjoyed chatting with you about TV and your dog and such. On the off chance that you’re single, would you like to chat outside of work sometime? When: Wednesday, January 20, 2021. Where: Miller 4. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915220 EARLY SKI AT SMUGGS I greeted you as you cruised past me while skinning up Smuggs. At the bottom, we had a convo about being able to make the WFH and early morning laps happen, mountain biking, and our excitement about Cochrans. Looking to reconnect. It’s not every day you connect so immediately. Even if it means just finding another friend who loves the mountains. When: Tuesday, January 19, 2021. Where: Smugglers’ Notch parking lot 3. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915219 DOG CONNECTION IN BOMBARDIER PARK Met two days in a row last weekend.

First time, I helped return you and your friend’s dog in the field. The second time, on the way into the trails. We talked briefly about our dogs and guarding toys before going separate trails. I should have asked if you wanted company on your walk. Meet up for a walk sometime? When: Sunday, January 17, 2021. Where: Bombardier Park. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915218 NORTH AVE. STORE I opened the door leaving a store, and we made eye contact as you were coming in. I was thinking WOW, SWEET! And instead of thinking it, LOL, it came right out of my mouth as I walked by you holding the door open. You stopped in the doorway, looked at me and said, “Thank you!” Interested? When: Sunday, January 17, 2021. Where: North Ave. store. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915217

to us by spreading germs and disease.

I find it odd how accustomed we’ve become to plucking, preening and deodorizing everything about the human body, but such is life. Before you head back to working and socializing with other people, you should kick your hygiene game back up to the prepandemic level. There’s nothing wrong with smelling a little “natural,” but you ought to save your extra-stanky time for when you’re on your own.

Good luck and God bless,

The Reverend

What’s your problem?

Send it to asktherev@sevendaysvt.com.

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

85

I’m seeking a Robert De Nirotype man: handsome, well educated, lots of fun with good manners, class and panache.

I’m a 60-something blond girl.

Still have my cheerleading legs.

Lover of delicious. He must respect my dog. #L1490 Woman with no commitments interested in dating younger to older men. Please answer to talk about music or whatever your passion, work experience or education. Namaste. #L1489 I’m a 39-y/o male seeking a female 18 to 45. Looking for a friend and pen pal first. I’m an honest, loyal, loving and determined person. I’m a Pagan (Asatru). I’m also a dork. I look forward to writing you. #L1488 GWM looking for springtime hookups or longer if all goes well. Easygoing, nice guy in Rutland County. I like to play and like everything.

Respond with phone number. #L1493 Older yet still younger person seeking any age to bring back that lovin’ feeling. Longdistance runner, speed walker, hiker. 5’9, 160 pounds. Biker, aerobics lover, looking for a fine friendship or more. I love music, drawing, poetry, guitar, literature, yoga, philosophy.

Mostly vegetarian looking for values, humility, kindness, smiles, even magic. #L1492

64-y/o SWF seeking SM, 50 to 75 y/o, for companionship. Must be Catholic or Protestant, clean, COVID-free. Interests: the arts, teaching, cooking, watching shows, Hallmark movies. Love animals, walks, coffee, tea, sunrises, sunsets. Consider a man’s heart more important.

Phone number, please. #L1494 Bi male, slightly older. Live in New York but can travel. Clean, COVID-free. Slim but in good shape. 6’1, 180 pounds. Mostly a bottom; looking for a nice guy who’s a top. #L1491 Wanted: Black women, young or old. Love Black feet and butts.

Nice guy. #L1484

HOW TO REPLY TO THESE LOVE LETTERS: Seal your reply — including your preferred contact info — inside an envelope. Write your penpal’s box number on the outside of that envelope and place it inside another envelope with payment. Responses for Love Letters must begin with the #L box number.

MAIL TO: Seven Days Love Letters

P.O. Box 1164, Burlington, VT 05402

PAYMENT: $5/response. Include cash or check

(made out to “Seven Days”) in the outer envelope. To send unlimited replies for only $15/month, call us at 802-865-1020, ext. 10 for a membership (credit accepted).

PUBLISH YOUR MESSAGE ON THIS PAGE!

1

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.

3

Interested readers will send you letters in the mail. No internet required!

86

SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

60-y/o male seeking 40to 80-y/o male or female.

Seeking other nudists for companionship in northern Vermont. #L1487 54-y/o SWM seeking 45- to 60y/o SWF. I’m a good man looking for a sweet, fit and attractive lady. A man who will love you for yourself. Central Vermont area. #L1480 SWM, late 50s, seeking W, M, Couples roughly 30 miles from capital. Love getting off on phone fantasies. Send number and best times. Meeting or photos possible. No text. Let’s get off safe and hot! Hope to have hot fun. #L1485

Internet-Free Dating!

Reply to these messages with real, honest-to-goodness letters. DETAILS BELOW. Seeking pen pervs and phone freaks who will share their closet kinks. I’m open-minded, nonjudgmental and eager to hear all of your sexy stories. #L1483 66-y/o bi male, 5’4, 150 pounds, brown eyes, salt-and-pepper hair. Very handsome, warm, kind person. Looking for goodlooking bi or gay male. Must be DD-free, 420-friendly. Prefer little body hair, must shave and be circumcised. Would like to meet good-looking gay couple for ongoing thing. Very oral. #L1482 Do you seek a soul mate who loves music, travel and lively conversation? I’m an active retired woman in Addison County (5’5, slender, nonsmoker) who enjoys the outdoors. Friends consider me smart, funny and caring. My hope: to make a warm, healthy connection, sharing interests and chemistry, with a good man. #L1481 I’m a man seeking new friends for adventure. I hike Mount Philo almost every day and love to cross-country ski. #L1478

Seeking SWM, 58 to 68, greater Burlington area. Clean-cut, neat appearance, no facial hair, impotent, a bad back a plus. No smoking/drugs. Me: average build, tall, athletic. 38 years with NASA, financially secure. I love beer and burgers.

My teepee leans right. Phone number, please. #L1479 Artistic, educated, fit, attractive woman, 68, looking for a kind, single man to share adventures.

I feel grateful for my life and love skiing, hiking, sailing/boating, biking, long walks in nature and travel. Do you enjoy music, cooking, conversation?! #L1478 Person looking to hook up with a new friend. Someone on the slim side. Big, small, everything in between. I return calls. Phone number, please. #L1477 Bi-guy, 70s, happy, healthy.

420 OK. DDF. ISO bi couple, MF or FF, wishing to become mates. Sailing this summer, cruising, racing, picnicking, swimming. Searching now for summer fun coming. Open to all! #L1476

Describe yourself and who you’re looking for in 40 words below:

Required confidential info:

(OR, ATTACH A SEPARATE PIECE OF PAPER.)

__________________________________________

I’m a _________________________________________________ __ ____

NAME

AGE + GENDER (OPTIONAL)

seeking a__

___________ __________________________________________

AGE + GENDER (OPTIONAL)

_______________________________________________________

__________________________________________ ADDRESS

__________________________________________ ADDRESS (MORE)

_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________

__________________________________________ CITY/STATE

__________________________________________ ZIP

__________________________________________ PHONE

_______________________________________________________ MAIL TO: SEVEN DAYS LOVE LETTERS • PO BOX 1164, BURLINGTON, VT 05402 OPTIONAL WEB FORM: SEVENDAYSVT.COM/LOVELETTERS HELP: 802-865-1020, EXT. 10, LOVELETTERS@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

THIS FORM IS FOR LOVE LETTERS ONLY. Messages for the Personals and I-Spy sections must be submitted online at dating.sevendaysvt.com.

SHOP SAVVY AND KEEP VERMONT STRONG.

Shopping from home?

Take a break from the big guys and support local first.

WITH GENEROUS SUPPORT FROM:

PICTURED: COMMON DEER, 210 COLLEGE ST., BURLINGTON, COMMONDEERVT.COM (JAMES BUCK)

1t-TheRegister-011321.indd 1

Visit the Register for all the info on area shopkeepers who are selling their products online for local delivery or curbside pickup. Browse by categories ranging from jewelry to electronics, outdoor gear to apparel. Whether you need something for yourself or that perfect gift for a loved one, shop savvy and keep Vermont strong.

SHOP T HE R EGIS T E R .C OM SEVEN DAYS MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2021

87

1/11/21 1:55 PM

Join Your Local C O-op!

New Members Get a FREE Reusable Bamboo Utensil Set! Be a part of a community-owned business committed to strengthening the local food system and increasing access for all community members!

Members Receive Great Benefits!

Sign-up at any register or renew online

Store discounts for Quarterly volunteering in Member the community Discount Days

Discounts at Automatic entry over 100 local into monthly businesses raffles

Join for just $15 per year!

Your Community-Owned Grocery Stores Downtown 82 S. Winooski Ave · Open 7am - 10pm every day South End 207 Flynn Ave · Open 7am - 9pm every day Burlington, Vermont · www.citymarket.coop · We’re hiring - Join our team!

1t-citymarket033121 1

3/26/21 4:27 PM