Seven Days, April 1, 2020

NEW DIRECTION Vermont Humanities presses for change

VE R MO NT ’S INDE PEN DENT VO IC E APRIL 1-8, 2020 VOL.25 NO.27 SEVENDAYSVT.COM

PAGE 26

FACTORY REFRESH

PAGE 12

Businesses shift to virus gear

PARENT TRAPPED

PAGE 16

Adult kids return home to Vermont

HELTER SHELTER

PAGE 35

Animal rescues adapt in pandemic

STAY HOME, SAVE LIVES Everyone can help stop the spread of COVID-19 BROUGHT TO YOU BY

Do Stay at home Only leave for essentials Practice social distancing Check in on loved ones by phone Exercise outdoors

Don’t Gather with friends or family Leave home unless essential Invite people over Host play dates for kids

Open Essential businesses only Grocery stores and restaurants (for takeout and delivery) Pharmacies Critical manufacturing

Closed Non-essential in-person businesses Close contact businesses (spas, salons, barbers, etc.)

Concerts, sporting events, festivals, etc.

VERMONT STRONG FOR MORE INFORMATION: 2

SEVEN DAYS APRIL 1-8, 2020

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healthvermont.gov/COVID-19

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In these trying times, we prevail together by caring for one another. Thank you to our healthcare workers here at Wake Robin, in Vermont, and all across the country selflessly serving to protect the most vulnerable. We are with you.

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emoji 14,784 how many that That’s Vermonters

WEEK IN REVIEW MARCH 25-APRIL 1, 2020 COMPILED BY GILLIAN ENGLISH, SASHA GOLDSTEIN & MATTHEW ROY

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KEVIN MCCALLUM

Vermont National Guard members arriving at the University of Vermont Medical Center to set up tents

An Italian UVM psychologist is offering free counseling in seven languages to residents of his home country.

Perfetto!

filed initial unemployment claims as the economic slowdown from the coronavirus took hold, state officials reported last week.

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PARTY TIME

Residents of Grafton gave beloved neighbor Joan Lake a socially distanced car parade to celebrate her 90th birthday. Hope for humanity.

Dozens of Vermont Health Care Workers Test Positive for Virus At least three dozen health care workers in Vermont have the coronavirus, Seven Days has found, as providers are bracing for a surge in patients whose treatment will depend on a healthy and protected workforce.

The tally includes 22 hospital employees across four counties and 14 infected staffers at Burlington Health & Rehabilitation Center, the nursing home that has been struck by the state’s largest outbreak.

State officials have not released such figures publicly or said whether they are tracking them, so Seven Days asked hospitals directly. Of the majority that responded by press time, the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington reported the lion’s share of known cases, with 16.

Three employ ees at Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin have tested positive, as well as two at Northwestern Medical Center in St. Albans and one at Rutland Regional Medical Center, according to spokespersons for each hospital.

None of the hospitals would specify how many of the infected staffers were involved in patient care, and a couple of hospitals declined to provide any figures.

A national shortage of protective equipment such as

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802much

From left: Kaitlyn Little, Sydney Adreon and Jasmine Little on school spirit day

respirators has caused trepidation among frontline medical workers who are caring for the ill. Thousands of them have become sick in other countries, and more than 400 hospital workers in Boston have tested positive, according to the Boston Globe.

A UVM Medical Center spokesperson said that some of the hospital’s infected employees had been involved in direct patient care, but “the origin of infection is difficult to pin down.” Besides adding bed space, the hospital said it has lined up “three to four layers” of backup staff for employees who get sick during a potential patient surge.

Nurse’s union president Deb Snell said the hospital’s intensive care unit, where she works, is already limiting how many N95 masks nurses may use and preserving them in paper bags for possible reuse.

Some UVM Medical Center nurses have already moved out of their homes, emergency department nurse manager Kristin Baker said in an interview on NBC News.

“They’re scared to death of being that vector,” she said.

Read reporter Derek Brouwer’s full story at sevendaysvt.com.

TIED IN KNOTS

The City of Burlington will cease issuing marriage licenses, which must be done in person, during the pandemic. Love in the time of coronavirus.

PUBLIC SERVICE

Green Mountain Transit has extended its free bus rides indefinitely. The goal is to help essential workers get the job done.

1. “Another 28 Coronavirus Cases Confirmed in Vermont” by Kevin McCallum. The Vermont Department of Health announced 28 new coronavirus cases on Saturday afternoon, March 28.

2. “Shaw’s Grocery Worker in Middlebury Diagnosed With COVID-19” by Derek Brouwer.

A Shaw’s employee in Middlebury has the coronavirus, the company confirmed on Friday, March 27.

3. “Vermont Seeing ‘Exponential Growth’ of Coronavirus” by Colin Flanders. Health Commissioner Mark Levine said at a press conference on Wednesday, March 25, that Vermont was experiencing “exponential growth” in coronavirus cases.

4. “Vermont Announces 35 More Coronavirus Cases, One New Death” by Derek Brouwer. Data released by the Vermont Department of Health on Thursday, March 26, showed 35 more people tested positive.

5. “Scott Issues Stay-at-Home Order as Coronavirus Spreads” by Colin Flanders. On March 24, Gov. Phil Scott ordered Vermont residents to stay at home as much as possible over the next three weeks.

tweet of the week @caseylyly just made veggie dip — the instructions read “chill for one hour before serving” to which I replied, aloud (and alone, obviously), “bitch, YOU chill for one hour before serving!” can’t tell if I’m losing it or if it’s already gone /// #QuarantineLife FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SEVENDAYSVT OUR TWEEPLE: SEVENDAYSVT.COM/TWITTER

WHAT’S WEIRD IN VERMONT

CLASS ACT

Just because school’s closed doesn’t mean you can’t be there in spirit.

That’s the thinking behind three Vergennes teens’ plan to invite students around the state — and country — to participate in a modified spirit week from the comfort of their homes.

Sisters Kaitlyn and Jasmine Little and their friend Sydney Adreon created a Facebook page, #vtwegotthis, and encouraged followers to dress for a different daily theme beginning on Monday: school colors, favorite holiday, sports or hobby, throwback Thursday and formal Friday.

The trio came up with the idea last week,

shortly after Gov. Phil Scott announced that schools wouldn’t reopen for the remainder of the academic year.

“All we were talking about was the fact that we had no school. What’s going to go on? It’s going to be kind of chaotic,” 16-yearold Kaitlyn said. “And then the next day, we thought about trying to come up with a fun idea, ’cause we’re all stuck at home!”

The Littles go to Vergennes Union High School; Adreon, 15, goes to Rice Memorial High School. All three have been living together — with their parents — during the governor’s stay-at-home order.

While they’re bummed that sports have been canceled for the spring season, they’re grateful — for the most part — to be riding out the pandemic together.

“I love these girls, but sometimes, we need a break from each other,” Adreon said with a laugh.

The page boasts more than 500 members, adults and children alike, who have been posting photos of themselves dressed up or doing something creative and fun. Each day, the girls put out calls for members to participate in a challenge, such as playing games with family or writing hopeful messages in chalk outside of their houses.

People are grateful for an outlet, the girls said.

“As we say, the page is a pulse on the positive,” Jasmine, 15, said. “It’s to accentuate things that make us happy and united.”

SASHA GOLDSTEIN SEVEN DAYS APRIL 1-8, 2020

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SIGNS OF THE TIMES. founders/Coeditors Pamela Polston, Paula Routly publisher Paula Routly deputy publisher Cathy Resmer AssoCiAte publishers

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CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS Luke Awtry, Rob Donnelly, Harry Bliss, Luke Eastman, Caleb Kenna, Marc Nadel, Tim Newcomb, Oliver Parini, Sarah Priestap, 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.

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READER REACTION TO RECENT ARTICLES

VACCINE COULD BE DANGEROUS

[Re Off Message: “As Outbreak Spreads, Holcombe Questions Zuckerman’s Vaccination Stance,” March 22]: Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman is absolutely right to oppose frantic vaccination pressure from people who do not have a clue as to what actually is part of vaccine serum.

What can happen is that the shedding process could actually end up infecting far more people than if they had not been vaccinated. The “Chicken Licken” syndrome in our society would lead us into deathly conditions since these people do not do the necessary research to determine the overall effects of vaccinations. Besides, any vaccine that is produced now will not have been thoroughly tested to determine harmful side effects — especially to seniors.

Thank you to Zuckerman for standing up against the public mania for vaccines.

James Minnich

Michelle Brown, Kristen Hutter, Logan Pintka MArketing & events direCtor Corey Grenier sAles & MArketing CoordinAtor Katie Hodges

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Luke Baynes, Justin Boland, Alex Brown, Chris Farnsworth, Rick Kisonak, Jacqueline Lawler, Amy Lilly, Bryan Parmelee, Melissa Pasanen, Jernigan Pontiac, Julia Shipley, Molly Zapp

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DISCLOSURE: Seven Days publisher and coeditor Paula Routly is the domestic partner of Vermont Senate President Pro Tempore Tim Ashe. Routly abstains from involvement in the newspaper’s Statehouse and state political coverage. Find our conflict of interest policy here: sevendaysvt.com/disclosure.

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BETHEL

PAY THE RENT

Government should, of course, protect tenants [Off Message: “Vermont Lawmakers Mull Eviction Moratorium During State of Emergency,” March 28]. But please keep in mind that most Vermont landlords are not wealthy. Many landlords are momand-pop, of working age, and they work for a living, too. They may also be out of work due to COVID-19 disruptions. Many momand-pop landlords are retired people who depend on their rental income to pay their own bills to survive.

It is entirely naïve of anyone who believes evictions (and/or rent) should simply be waived — and that the cost of this should simply be borne by Vermont’s mom-and-pop landlords.

Those in government in favor of halting evictions — and thus, in effect, promoting continued nonpayment of rent — should instead provide those same nonpaying tenants with cash payments intended to provide the tenants with a means to continue to pay their rent and other necessities.

Jeff Wick

BURLINGTON

‘PRINCIPLE’ PROBLEM

The more I’ve thought about Rep. Cynthia Browning’s (D-Arlington) argument that

WEEK IN REVIEW

TIM NEWCOMB

she followed her “principles,” the less sense it makes [Off Message: “Vermont House Passes Emergency Coronavirus Bills After Procedural Delay,” March 25].

Most citizens, but surely all legislators, know that two well-founded principles often collide with one another. That’s precisely why none of our Constitutional rights is “unlimited.” The Supreme Court exists largely to resolve these very conflicts.

We have the right to speak our minds, based on the First Amendment principle of freedom of speech, but not the right to cry “fire” in a crowded theater, endangering the lives and liberties of others. Examples are easy to proliferate.

Browning’s principle — which is, frankly, dubious on its face — clearly conflicted with the principle that obvious measures to protect public health and save lives should be implemented.

She chose to ignore the latter, endangering her colleagues and, ultimately, all Vermonters. Put bluntly, this is reckless endangerment.

Just what is Browning’s principle here? Prior to modern technology, being “present” for a quorum meant being physically present; there was no alternative. But now there is. How is voting remotely any less democratic than voting in person? Should we count absentee ballots as only partial votes?

John Greenberg

MARLBORO

‘ART IS HUMANITY’S HOPE’

I listen to John Tesh’s radio show “Intelligence for Your Life,” in which he urges that, even if confined to our

homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, we should do certain things like get out of bed, get dressed and adhere to a schedule. Communication, even if done electronically, is also important. Tesh draws his information from various experts, these days mainly in the field of psychology.

We all know by now about the need to constantly wash our hands and practice social distancing. In the midst of it all, there looms the prospect of an encroaching depression, which is why I appreciate your article “Virtual Venues: New Site Brings Art to Stuckat-Home Viewers” [March 25]. I have visited some of the sites, and they are phenomenal.

Art is humanity’s hope. Even in the worst of times, it is a reflection of who we are. This is something that the musicians on the Titanic understood, as well as the authors of The Red Badge of Courage, The Grapes of Wrath and Sophie’s Choice, to name but a few.

As it has for previous generations, art will stand as a testament to our endurance in these trying times.

James Robert Saunders

PLAINFIELD

‘FACTS, NOT PLATITUDES’

On Monday, March 23, in a news briefing on COVID-19 spread, Vermont Retail & Grocers Association president Erin Sigrist said that the public needs to “rest and reset.”

No, Erin, the problem is not us. The problem is the failure of your supply chain.

We do not need to rest or reset; we

need to clean. We are told to clean frequently touched surfaces. No disinfecting cleaning products are available.

We are told to wash hands frequently.

I see only mild, scented soaps on shelves.

We are told to use hand sanitizer if we can’t wash. No hand sanitizer has been available for weeks.

We are told to make hand sanitizer with isopropyl alcohol. No such alcohol is available.

Your reassurance that there is “plenty” out there isn’t helpful. We need products here and now.

Yes, Mehuron’s Market and others have hours for at-risk persons only [“Adaptation: Social-Distance Shopping,” March 25]. This does not help if at-risk persons cannot buy what they need during those hours.

Find the blockages, resolve them and get products on the shelves. Supply chain management is one of your core skills.

And, please, in future briefings, pay us the compliment of providing facts, not platitudes. We understand that you are under pressure. You can help us cope by giving us the best information you have and, of course, by getting that hand sanitizer out on the shelves.

Kathryn Trinkaus

COLCHESTER

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CORRECTIONS

Last week’s story “Syringe Benefits” misidentified one of the four components that comprise the mRNA of the coronavirus. They are adenine, guanine, cytosine and uracil. University of Vermont researcher Sean Diehl also clarified that its string of nucleotides is 29,289 letters long.

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contents

LOOKING FORWARD

APRIL 1-8, 2020 VOL.25 NO.27

35

12

37

38

S E V E N D AY S T I C K E T S . C O M

NEWS & POLITICS 11

From the Publisher

12

What to Make?

Vermont manufacturers want to know how to help the state’s COVID-19 response

17

18

As Vermont Lawmakers Weigh Evictions Ban, One Local Judge Orders a Halt

19

‘It’s Real’

After battling the coronavirus, a Franklin County teacher urges Vermonters to stay home

20

Scott to Travelers: Self-Isolate for 14 Days Back to the Nest

Contamination From Vermont Guard Base Is Reaching the Winooski River

BY KEVIN MCCALLUM

35

22

37

BY CHELSEA EDGAR

23 23

Tricky Timing

Books: Chris Bohjalian on promoting a book concerning a pandemic — during a pandemic

38

Pantry Prep

Food + Drink: Food pros share their essential quarantine ingredients

BY JORDAN BARRY & SALLY POLLAK

39

Bonus Time

Home Theater

Food: Local grocery stores offer extra compensation to employees

BY PAMELA POLSTON

BY SALLY POLLAK

BY MARGARET GRAYSON

COVID-19 sends young adults back to their parental abodes

Animals: Vermont animal shelters work to “catten the curve”

BY KRISTEN RAVIN

Networking

Artists invent creative ways to reach people online

Paws for Concern

Emotionally Charged

Music: Vermontbased hip-hop artist nothing,nowhere. talks filmmaking, self-care and gender equality

Culture: Christopher Kaufman Ilstrup redefines a cultural agency in turbulent times

BY DAN BOLLES

ARTS NEWS

BY COURTNEY LAMDIN

16

Johnson Punishes Rep for ‘Not Wise’ Insistence on InPerson House Vote

Oh, the Humanities

BY CHELSEA EDGAR

BY KEVIN MCCALLUM

BY COURTNEY LAMDIN

16

26

BY PAUL HEINTZ

BY DEREK BROUWER

13

Advocates Fear Surge of Domestic Violence in Vermont

45

FEATURES

BY COURTNEY LAMDIN

BY COLIN FLANDERS

12

North Beach Campground Will Shelter Burlington Homeless

BY KRISTEN RAVIN

COLUMNS + REVIEWS 46 62

Album Reviews Ask the Reverend ADVICE

SECTIONS 21 38 42 45 48 56 61

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

Downtown During Quarantine

Online Now

NEW DIRECTION Vermont Humanities presses for change

VE R MON T’ S I ND E PEN D EN T VO IC E APRIL 1-8, 2020 VOL.25 NO.27 SEVENDAYSVT.COM

PAGE 26

FACTORY REFRESH

PAGE 12

Businesses shift to virus gear

Underwritten by:

Stuck in Vermont: Many Vermonters are stuck at home this week, keeping their distance from each other to avoid contracting or spreading COVID-19. How are they coping? Eva Sollberger crowdsourced videos using social media to find out.

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Adult kids return home to Vermont

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Animal rescues adapt in pandemic

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delivery folks

BANK WORKERS

PHARMACY WORKERS

farmers

MAIL S CARRIERS R E K R O W Y R GROCE

EVERYONE

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WHO IS WORKING TO KEEP THINGS GOING IN THESE TRYING TIMES 3/27/20 2:52 PM

FROM THE PUBLISHER

This Newspaper Is ‘Essential’ — and Handled With Care

As this week’s Seven Days goes to press, 293 Vermonters have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus; 13 have died. Both numbers are expected to rise.

We’ve seen other kinds of casualties, too, in our state. Tens of thousands of Vermont workers have been laid off from their jobs. Libraries, theaters, museums, community centers and places of worship have shut their doors. Iconic restaurants and local businesses have closed.

So far, that includes at least one local newspaper. On March 25, Paul Heintz reported on the demise of the Waterbury Record. He’s also covered layoffs at the Rutland Herald and BarreMontpelier Times Argus, the Valley News and Seven Days, as well as furloughs at the Bennington Banner, Brattleboro Reformer and Manchester Journal. The Addison County Independent is now printing one issue a week instead of two. The Essex Reporter, Milton Independent and Colchester Sun are still publishing online but have ceased printing altogether.

A few readers have asked why Seven Days keeps printing and distributing the paper, when Gov. Phil Scott has issued an order closing all but essential businesses. Is journalism “essential”?

Gov. Scott believes it is, and so do we. So did our country’s founders, who protected freedom of the press in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, alongside the freedoms of speech, religion, assembly and the right to petition the government for redress of grievances.

But, now that we can deliver the news online, is distributing a paper copy still necessary — or even wise in a pandemic?

We believe it’s both. Many of our readers, especially those with unreliable internet, depend on the paper as a primary news source. Others appreciate the variety and serendipity of a print product that reads like a magazine. People tell us they like being able to flip through the pages and see ads from local businesses, that they love doing the puzzles and reading the comics, that reading the paper gives them a sense of normalcy in these trying times.

Now that gathering together in groups is impossible, the paper functions as a community conduit — physical evidence of the place we share — that holds us together.

Fortunately, the virus doesn’t appear to live long on porous surfaces such as newsprint.

There hasn’t been a single reported case of someone getting sick from a newspaper, magazine, letter or package delivery. Feeling extra cautious? Wash your hands after handling the paper. According to the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this virus is thought to spread through person-to-person contact. That’s why Seven Days’ circulation drivers wear gloves when delivering the paper. They also practice social distancing. This helps keep them, and members of the public, safe. For an up-to-date list of dropoff spots, go to SEVENDAYSVT.COM/DELIVERY. Speaking of the paper, you’ll see more changes in this week’s issue. First, it’s smaller, at 64 pages; the number of ads we sell determines the size. The classifieds section — including the puzzles — has moved to the back. And the movie and art sections, like the calendar, are gone for now.

Also new: We now have 1,000-plus Super Readers supporting us financially — see page 43. The donations that have poured in over the past few weeks have helped us to keep going — figuratively and literally. Those dollars will replace some of the advertising revenue that vanished overnight as a result of the coronavirus crisis. For almost 25 years, that revenue has been our primary source of income and the reason Seven Days is free. Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has donated.

Interested in becoming a Super Reader, but don’t To become a Super Reader yourself, want to give at sevendaysvt.com? Send a check with click “Give Monthly” or “Give Now” at your address and contact info to: SEVENDAYSVT.COM, or contact us directly SEVEN DAYS, C/O SUPER READERS (see right). We’re working remotely, but P.O. BOX 1164 we will respond.

BURLINGTON, VT 05401 Stay safe and strong,

Paula Routly

For more information, please contact Corey Grenier: VOICEMAIL: 802-865-1020, EXT. 36 EMAIL: SUPERREADERS@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

SEVEN DAYS APRIL 1-8, 2020

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news

MORE INSIDE

YOUNG ADULTS HEAD HOME TO VT PAGE 16

HOUSE SPEAKER SCOLDS REP PAGE 19

CHEMICALS SEEP INTO WINOOSKI RIVER PAGE 20

COURTESY OF VERMONT GLOVE/ADAM PLOTSKY

BUSINESS

Mark McKerley cutting material at Vermont Glove’s facility in Randolph

What to Make?

Vermont manufacturers want to know how to help the state’s COVID-19 response B Y C O LI N FL A N D ER S

E

ach evening, Calley Hastings throws a stack of up to 50 cotton face masks into her Subaru Crosstrek and drives down a muddy road to a rendezvous point not far from her Brookfield home. There, she meets the owner of a local manufacturing company and trades the masks for more materials, most of which she will distribute to about 10 other home sewers around her neighborhood. Saving some fabric for herself, she heads home to work on the next day’s batch.

Hastings, who also runs her own goat’s milk caramel business, Fat Toad Farm, adopted this routine more than a week ago. Quickly shaking off any rust that may have gathered in the dozen years since she fired up her grandmother’s old Singer Touch and Sew machine, Hastings said she can now “bust out” her assignment with little effort. The work provides her with a much-needed sense of purpose to combat the feeling of helplessness engendered by the coronavirus crisis, she told Seven Days.

“As long as the machine doesn’t break too many times,” she joked.

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SEVEN DAYS APRIL 1-8, 2020

HOUSING

Hastings and her neighbors are foot soldiers in a growing army of home sewers that Vermont Glove has enlisted to produce the protective gear. Eight fulltime employees are working staggered shifts at the leather goods manufacturer’s facility in Randolph to cut the materials,

THEY SO WANT TO BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION. WE JUST NEED TO HAVE SOME PATIENCE TO FIGURE IT OUT. C ATH E R INE D AVIS

which are then delivered to the home sewers to be assembled. The company, which has made gloves for more than 100 years, is now selling the face masks both wholesale and on its website for $6 each.

The cotton masks cannot substitute for medical-grade N95 masks that are most effective in filtering out the coronavirus.

But health experts say any face protection is better than none, and some medical professionals have started wearing cotton masks over their N95s to prolong the N95’s life. Others who work in the public sphere have taken to wearing homemade fabrics so that the coveted medical-grade ones are freed up for hospitals.

The shift has allowed Sam Hooper, Vermont Glove’s president, to aid the relief efforts and avoid laying off any employees. He told Seven Days that he’s finishing up a last batch of glove orders this week before transitioning to the masks full time. He expected to ship out roughly 4,000 masks this week to buyers — including the Vermont State Police, the Vermont Department of Corrections, private companies and individuals. Home sewers will be paid $1 for every mask they produce once the company starts receiving payments, Hooper added, though some have already offered to volunteer their time.

WHAT TO MAKE?

» P.14

As Vermont Lawmakers Weigh Evictions Ban, One Local Judge Orders a Halt B Y DER EK B R OU WER & K EV IN M C C A LLU M

A Chittenden County judge said Monday that she wouldn’t issue eviction orders during the pandemic, citing the public health risks of putting renters out on the street.

In an order that covers the county’s civil court, Vermont Superior Court Judge Helen Toor delayed action on eviction petitions, called writs of possession, until at least April 15, when a statewide “judicial emergency” is currently scheduled to lapse.

“Because it will be virtually impossible for anyone to find new housing during the Governor’s stay-at-home order, and because causing people to leave their residences to seek housing or to become homeless could increase the risk of spreading COVID19 in the community, the court will defer action on any motion seeking a writ of possession until expiration of the current Judicial Emergency,” Toor wrote.

The court will make exceptions for “emergency” situations if a property owner can also prove that the eviction petition will not make an occupant homeless. Toor also delayed all foreclosure sales for 90 days.

The statewide judicial emergency was enacted March 16 and may be extended. It had already slowed most evictions by postponing routine hearings, though it did not halt proceedings that were already under way or that a judge deemed an emergency.

Vermont lawmakers, meanwhile, were mulling a proposal to enact a statewide eviction moratorium during the state of emergency. People should “stay put” during the public health crisis, Jean Murray, an attorney with Vermont Legal Aid, told the Senate Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs Committee last week.

“Just put a pause on the whole thing,” Murray said.

Sen. Randy Brock (R-Franklin) argued against the state overstepping.

“We want to protect people who are financially imperiled because of COVID-19,” Brock said. “On the other hand, we recognize that landlords are people, too, and particularly our small landlords are faced with some of the same financial issues.”

Contact: derek@sevendaysvt.com

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Damien (left) and Nicky Patterson, before the coronavirus pandemic

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hen Nicky Patterson started to get sick last month, she could tell that it was no ordinary seasonal flu.

It began with a persistent cough on Friday the 13th — a day synonymous with bad luck. And though it was typical for the elementary school teacher to be exhausted at the end of a school week, Patterson felt particularly drained when she left the St. Albans Town Educational Center that day in March. When she woke up the next morning, her entire body ached and her head throbbed.

“I had an inkling that I was getting sicker,” said Patterson, who is 45. “It felt like a fever was on the way.”

By that evening, Patterson’s temperature spiked to 101 degrees, and her cough had worsened. A week later, she could hardly breathe when she walked up the stairs.

On March 25, Patterson tested positive for COVID-19, the novel coronavirus that, as of press time on Tuesday, had infected 293 people in Vermont. Thirteen people had died, and more than 20 were being treated in hospitals.

Though Patterson never got sick enough to need inpatient care, she’s told her story on social media, hoping a firsthand account might convince people to heed medical advice and stay home.

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that it’s real, that it’s here,” Patterson said.

“People need to make good choices.”

Patterson started taking precautions against the coronavirus around the time when the state announced its first case on March 7. She stopped giving high fives to her third and fourth graders, opting instead for an elbow bump. She went to a University of Vermont men’s basketball game but sat in the back row and didn’t touch any surfaces or doors. She had been washing her hands for 20 seconds or more.

Patterson has no idea how she got sick or for how long she was contagious before she started developing symptoms.

But as soon as she felt ill, Patterson selfquarantined in her St. Albans home, which she shares with her 15-year-old son, Damien. She didn’t let her parents, who are in their sixties, come and visit, and she stopped going to church.

That Sunday, March 15, Patterson also notified the school principal that she wasn’t feeling well and suggested that her classroom be deep-cleaned before any students were readmitted. That same day, Gov. Phil Scott ordered all schools to close from March 18 through April 6, a directive that has since been extended through the remainder of the academic year.

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SEVEN DAYS APRIL 1-8, 2020

Vermont Glove president Sam Hooper showing off some of his newly produced face masks

Calley Hastings sewing a mask at home

“Interest on the part of people to help has been there for weeks,” Ventriss said.

“We simply didn’t know yet what form that help should take.”

The Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce has been equally unsure what to tell the dozen or so area manufacturers with a desire to help, according to executive vice president Catherine Davis.

She said the organization has told companies to “sit tight” as it works to figure out the next steps with the state. She acknowledged that can be a difficult message to hear for companies that have seen “their entire worlds shift in a two-week period.”

“Stress, as we know, breeds impatience,” she said. “They so want to be a part of the solution. We just need to have some patience to figure it out.”

The state has made some progress recently. Officials working with outside groups last week identified a list of medical supply needs, with N95 masks, ventilators and hand sanitizer topping the chart, according to Chris Carrigan,

COURTESY OF CALLEY HASTINGS

“We’re doing it just to be made whole,” Hooper said last week. “We’re not really making a buck on this.”

Vermont Glove is among at least a dozen small manufacturing companies that have pivoted in recent weeks to produce critically needed medical supplies amid a nationwide shortage. Last week, Burlington maker space Generator announced it had used a 3D printer and open source designs to create a face shield for frontline medical workers that it hopes to massproduce once its prototype is approved.

Skida, a Queen City headwear and accessories company, has started making gowns for health care workers. A few distilleries have started brewing hand sanitizer.

The grassroots mobilization underscores the innovative spirit that has come to define Vermont’s manufacturing community and reflects the same communal response to crisis that surfaced in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene nearly a decade ago. But while Vermont manufacturers may take on an even bigger role in the weeks to come, some companies eager to help have been unsure exactly how to do so, causing some frustration.

“They want to solve the problem,” said Bob Zider, director and CEO of the Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center. “Manufacturers are generally like that — they want to make something happen. So immediately there’s a frustration if they can’t find an outlet or a place where they can begin to put their back to the plow.”

In the three weeks since Vermont confirmed its first coronavirus case, Green Mountain manufacturers have received little official guidance on how to make products that are actually helpful to medical professionals. Many medical supplies must meet specific standards to be used in hospital settings, and even then, products usually undergo tests before they can be deployed.

As Vermont officials work closely with hospitals to try to ensure that they don’t run out of supplies, state government would seem like the most logical clearinghouse for information on what needs to be made, and how. But state agencies have been slow to tell manufactures exactly what they need.

Several business and trade organizations that spoke to Seven Days recalled fielding hundreds of questions from anxious manufacturers over the last few weeks. But they didn’t know how to respond when companies asked about retooling to produce supplies, said Lisa Ventriss, president of the Vermont Business Roundtable, a nonprofit that serves more than 100 CEOs of some of Vermont’s biggest employers.

COURTESY OF VERMONT GLOVE/ADAM PLOTSKY

What to Make? « P.12

vice president of business development at the Vermont Chamber of Commerce.

That organization and several others have also collaborated with the state on surveys that will gauge which manufacturers have the capacity to donate those specific items or start producing them on their own. And the administration of Gov. Phil Scott last week designated a single agency, the Department of Buildings and General Services, to coordinate these efforts moving forward, which should make it easier to share information.

The business groups concede that the state would be closer to harnessing the power of the manufacturing community had these steps come sooner. But none spoke critically of the state’s response.

Instead, they praised government officials for swiftly adapting to unprecedented challenges.

“We learn little by little,” Zider said.

“It’s kind of like walking into a tunnel with a flashlight. You can only see so far ahead.

You got to take another step, and you can see a little further.”

The leaders’ only criticism was aimed at the federal government for what they say has been an inadequate response to the outbreak.

“Would we have been better off if the president had listened to the information he got in December, so in January and February we could have prepared for this?

Absolutely,” said Ventriss, of the business roundtable.

Indeed, President Donald Trump has come under fire for failing to take sufficient action during the crisis, most recently over his resistance to enact the Defense Production Act. The 60-year-old law gives the federal government power to direct industries to produce crucial items

during times of need. Trump eventually invoked it last Friday afternoon, calling on General Motors to manufacture ventilators — but only after governors around the country, including Scott, urged him to do so. Two days later, the president accused states of requesting more equipment than they need.

Vermont, meantime, has scrambled to amass supplies for an expected surge in coronavirus patients. Agency of Human Services Secretary Mike Smith said last week that the state needs to at least double its capacity of hospital beds, personal protective equipment and ventilators.

Public Safety Commissioner Michael Schirling was less willing to cite a specific number of items the state may need. He said his response to such questions has consistently been: “As many as we can get ahold of.”

“We’re buying them as fast as possible,” the commissioner said at a press conference last week.

Schirling said the state’s request for personal protective equipment from the federal government stockpile falls somewhere in the “millions” of items. The Trump administration has offered some help. Six truckloads of equipment delivered this weekend, for example, exceeded the state’s warehouse capacity, prompting the Vermont National Guard to build a temporary holding area, the commissioner said.

Still, state officials have warned against complacency; Vermont likely faces significant competition for further supplies from other states, some of which have received only a fraction of their requests so far. At Monday’s press conference, Scott said Vermont is not relying on the federal government.

“We’re pulling every lever we possibly can and finding a lot on our own,” Scott said. Schirling added that Vermont manufacturers would likely play a role in those efforts. He told Seven Days on Tuesday that the University of Vermont Medical Center is working on a prototype ventilator that could be produced in the Green Mountain State.

Until then, smaller companies like Vermont Glove say they plan to keep doing what they can to help out. Hooper is working to find the materials needed to produce masks that are more protective. He also anticipated that more companies would join the relief efforts.

He said that’s because Vermont companies share two key attributes, both of which will be required to get through the pandemic: “a lot of grit and a lot of neighborly care.”

“It’s just a part of the way of life here,” he said. m Contact: colin@sevendaysvt.com

‘It’s Real’ « P.13 test because she hadn’t recently returned from a COVID-19 hot spot, nor had she been in contact with someone who’d tested positive for the disease. Patterson thought health officials would want to know whether she had the virus, given that she works in a building with 800 students and school staff members, but she relented and took her doctor’s advice to stay home and rest.

In fact, rest was all she could do.

Patterson got tired doing the smallest of tasks. A few days into her quarantine, she took an hours-long nap after a video chat with colleagues — and that was after getting 10 hours of sleep the night before. Her cough gradually improved, but the exhaustion continued, and she felt nauseous. Though she describes herself as “decently fit,” Patterson got winded when she walked up the stairs or did the laundry.

Nine days in, Patterson again called her doctor, who referred her to a drive-up testing site in St. Albans. At her appointed time on March 22, Patterson drove to the Northwestern Medical Center. She sat in her car as a health worker inserted a

five-inch-long swab into her nose. The She fell fast asleep, comforted by the procedure lasted about 10 seconds. notion that she’d stayed home and hope“I just had my eyes closed and tried fully hadn’t infected anyone else. to just hold my breath while it happened As she awaited results, Patterson so I didn’t cough in his face,” Patterson camped out in the living room while recalled.

Damien pitched in by The hospital told her it making dinner and doing his could take up to 72 hours to schoolwork in his bedroom. process the test, which also When they watched movies, screened for two strains Patterson would sit in the of influenza and another recliner and Damien would respiratory virus known take the couch, an effort to as RSV. Getting tested stay six feet away from each was a relief, but it also hit other, per health guidePatterson that she could be lines. She lost six pounds. sick with the coronavirus, Teaching students remotely which has killed more than proved difficult at times, 30,000 people around the though she got by with help globe and has no known from colleagues. cure. Her anxiety grew.

By the time Patterson’s That night, “I was probtest results came back posiNIC K Y PAT TE R S O N ably the most scared because tive on March 25, she felt my breathing was getting better than she had in days. worse, and I couldn’t take a deep breath,” This week, she’s still fighting nausea but she said. “I was kind of afraid to go to sleep.” is otherwise on the mend. Health officials Patterson sought comfort in Bible want Patterson to be symptom-free for 72 verses such as Isaiah 41:10, which instructs hours before leaving the house, so she’s the faithful, “fear not for I am with thee,” still cooped up. and with another age-old healing method: And although Damien hasn’t shown calling her mother. any symptoms, Patterson’s doctor and

MY BREATHING WAS GETTING WORSE, AND I COULDN’T TAKE A DEEP BREATH.

I WAS KIND OF AFRAID TO GO TO SLEEP.

the Vermont Department of Health say it’s likely he’s infected and could be contagious. Once Patterson’s symptoms clear up, Damien will be under a 14-day quarantine to make sure he’s not sick, his mom said.

So far, Damien has spent his time chatting with friends on FaceTime, watching television and playing board games. Asked what it’s like to share such close quarters with a coronavirus patient, Damien was succinct in an email to Seven Days: “Boring,” he wrote. Apparently, even teenage ennui can survive a global pandemic.

Patterson considers herself lucky that COVID-19 didn’t take a heavier toll on her health and is thankful to still have a job, unlike thousands of Vermonters who lost theirs in recent weeks. That’s why she gets frustrated hearing that some people are carrying on with their normal lives and not staying home.

“Some people ... still feel like this is an overreaction,” she said. “That is disappointing, because it’s real. It’s not a political thing; it’s not a lie. Real people are really sick and are spreading it without knowing it.” m Contact: courtney@sevendaysvt.com

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news HEALTH

Scott to Travelers: Self-Isolate for 14 Days

Back to the Nest COVID-19 sends young adults back to their parental abodes ST ORY & PH OT OS BY C H E L S E A E D GAR

BY C O U R TN E Y L A M D I N

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott on Monday ordered new arrivals to the state to self-quarantine for 14 days, and he shut down online bookings for vacation rentals and hotels.

The governor said people should only come to Vermont for essential reasons and that the measures will help minimize infections and prevent patients from overwhelming Vermont health care facilities.

“We’ve got to remember, as Americans, we’re all in this together, and we all have a role to play in keeping each other safe,” Scott said. “So I’m asking everyone to join us in this effort to be united and stay Vermont strong.”

The governor’s new guidance specifically targets people coming from COVID-19 hot spots — such as New York City, Florida and Louisiana — and those who have symptoms of the coronavirus that has so far sickened more than 800,000 people around the globe.

Vermont joins several other states that have tightened travel restrictions in recent days, including Rhode Island, Maine, Florida and Texas.

Scott’s order also applies to Vermonters who are returning from winter homes in warmer climates. Sen. John Rodgers (D-Essex/Orleans) raised the issue during a Sunday conference call, saying his constituents were concerned about sick snowbirds flocking back to Vermont.

Scott said the order is admittedly difficult to enforce but added that the state is posting notices on electronic message boards on the interstates and at Burlington International Airport.

“We can only educate and advocate for them to do the right thing to protect their neighbors, to protect their friends, to protect their family members,” Scott said. “This is the right thing to do. It’s literally in your hands to do your part.”

Scott is also cracking down on room rentals by asking police to monitor compliance with his order last week that closed lodging facilities unless they support the state’s COVID-19 response. Over the weekend, Vermont law enforcement found that 41 facilities had violated the executive order, according to Vermont State Police spokesperson Adam Silverman.

The noncompliant facilities ranged across the state but were by far the most concentrated in Chittenden and Bennington counties, which each had 12 violations, state data show. m Contact: courtney@sevendaysvt.com

16

SEVEN DAYS APRIL 1-8, 2020

REAL ESTATE

Clockwise from lower left: Grace Ross, Jackson Harvey, Lyn Severance, Bill Harvey and Henry Severance

O

n March 14, with a couple hundred confirmed cases of the coronavirus in New York City, Jackson Harvey, 29, and his girlfriend of three years, Grace Ross, also 29, left their apartment in Queens to seek temporary refuge at Jackson’s parents’ house in Burlington.

They figured they might be gone a week, so Jackson grabbed an IKEA bag of unfolded laundry, a pair of clogs and hiking boots.

Grace didn’t bother to bring her slippers.

By the end of March, New York City had more than 30,000 cases, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had urged residents to refrain from all travel.

Jackson and Grace have no plans to return to Queens anytime soon.

As the coronavirus pandemic has spread, scores of young adults have returned, by choice or necessity, to the scene of their Vermont childhoods. In mid-March, when rumors of an imminent

lockdown in New York City began to circulate, brothers Will and Noah Kiernan, ages 25 and 23, left their East Village apartment and drove north to their father’s house in Charlotte. Around the same time, Jacob Tischler, 29, moved back in with his parents in Williston after the off-Broadway theater where he had been bartending went dark.

Even within Vermont, young people are returning to the nest. Liam ElderConnors, 28, a reporter at Vermont Public Radio, moved out of his shared house in Winooski to work from his parent’s home in Stowe. “It’s nice to be with family when there’s a pandemic going on,” he said.

Elder-Connors, like many journalists, has pivoted to nonstop pandemic coverage: “I’m working 10, 12 hours most days of the week, and it’s nice to be somewhere bigger than an apartment, with better internet.”

Young professionals and their

college-age siblings, exiled from campus until further notice, have found themselves marooned at home together for the first time in years. A week after Jackson and his girlfriend came back to Burlington, his younger brother, Henry Severance, a junior at Clark University in Worcester, Mass., returned from his language program in Taiwan. For the first time since Jackson left for college, the two brothers and their parents, Bill Harvey and Lyn Severance, are under the same roof.

The five-bedroom Harvey-Severance home on North Prospect Street is mercifully spacious — “more room than we deserve,” joked Bill, who, with his wife, runs a graphic design company from a studio above their garage. From his point of view, this unexpected reunion has been relatively happy and drama-free.

“As much as we’re all in different stages of life right now, we’re a very tight family,”

he said. “This is the longest we’ve been with Jackson in the last 10 or so years, and it’s really quite nice. Male frontal cortexes tend to develop more slowly, so now that he’s 29, it’s like, ‘Wow! He’s a real person.’”

But Bill knows that for 21-year-old Henry, the forced cohabitation isn’t ideal.

“Henry is at a point in his life where, for biological reasons, he really doesn’t want to be living with his father and mother, which is completely understandable,” he said. “We’ve been giving him a long leash, and luckily for us, we have plenty of space for that.”

Square footage is also an advantage in the culinary department. The HarveySeverances are prolific cooks (“There literally isn’t a baked good that’s not available in the house,” said Grace), and they have sit-down meals together every night, a tradition the family embraced long before the days of quarantine. At one point, Jackson, an avid bread maker, was nursing three different starters, which he used to produce six loaves of sourdough bread and 20 English muffins.

Their days have a meandering, convalescent quality. Jackson, who was between jobs before the pandemic started, occupies himself with his bread and various chores, including building a chicken coop and painting the window shutters. Grace, who works in publishing and can do her job remotely, reads and occasionally tries to get everyone to play a board game. Both parents have design projects in progress; the pandemic has affected their work, Bill said, but they’re trying to keep a positive attitude: “As an entrepreneur, I’m always thinking of ways to thrive. Lyn and I are trying to be flexible, and this pushes us a little harder.”

But for Henry, whose online classes don’t start until midnight because of the time difference in Taiwan, the hours can seem oppressive: “I personally am horrible to be around right now,” he said.

To keep himself busy, he’s been producing music on his laptop and working on an Instagram illustration project, a charity effort to raise money for coronavirus relief.

Like Henry, 20-year-old Mary Markley, a sophomore at Stanford University, was recalled to Burlington in mid-March.

At Stanford, Markley had grown accustomed to staying up until all hours, philosophizing with her friends; at her childhood home in the New North End, her mother, Katy Farnham, shuts off the Wi-Fi at midnight, the internet curfew for Markley’s younger twin siblings, both seniors-in-exile at Burlington High School.

BACK TO THE NEST

HOUSING

North Beach Campground Will Shelter Burlington Homeless

BY C O UR TNEY L AMD IN

Crisis management is Heather Bush’s forte, and in the age of the coronavirus, she’s never been more in her element.

Bush is the coordinator for Burlington’s only low-barrier homeless shelter, a 40-bed facility on South Winooski Avenue that’s typically open from November through April. But as Vermont’s COVID-19 cases continued to climb, Bush realized her clients couldn’t socially distance themselves in the crowded, poorly ventilated basement.

“We were sort of sitting ducks just waiting for the virus to come in,” Bush said.

On March 21, she told her boss at ANEW Place, the Burlington nonprofit that oversees the shelter, that they needed another option. Four days later, the plan was in motion: The shelter-goers went camping.

With help from city and state officials, ANEW Place began relocating 26 homeless people to camper trailers at Burlington’s North Beach Campground. Employees of Country Camper in East Montpelier worked through the night on March 25 to set up the trailers, which are outfitted with electricity and running water. The state is paying to lease the campers, according to ANEW Place executive director Kevin Pounds.

Last Thursday morning, Bush was shuttling supplies to the campground, dispatching staff and packing up items.

Because of Gov. Phil Scott’s stayat-home order, the camp shelter will operate 24-7; the brick-and-mortar facility was only open from 5 p.m. to 8:30 a.m.

Each trailer has heat, at least one bed, a radio and a bathroom. The cooking appliances won’t be operable.

Staff will occupy a trailer and will make hourly knocks on doors to check in, though they’ll generally try to maintain social distance. Staff will only enter the trailers if a camper doesn’t respond after two rounds, Bush said.

The shelter will provide meals in individual containers.

At the campground, guests are generally expected to stay in their trailers unless they’re doing something allowed under the governor’s recent stay-at-home order. Staff won’t allow drinking outside but will allow it inside the campers. m Contact: courtney@sevendaysvt.com

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news Back to the Nest « P.17

CRIME

Advocates Fear Surge of Domestic Violence in Vermont

BY PAUL H E I N TZ

Mass layoffs and home confinement orders prompted by the coronavirus outbreak could create a toxic brew for domestic violence, according to those who work to prevent it.

“We’re really worried about people stuck in these households with their abusers and no other outlet,” said Karen Tronsgard-Scott, executive director of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence.

Prior to the pandemic, according to Steps to End Domestic Violence interim executive director Ana Burke, “If an abuser was off at work, it would give someone several hours of reprieve to do some safety planning — possibly to leave.

But now that everyone’s at home, some people may be in situations where their abuser is home all day, all night.”

Burke’s Burlington-based organization and 14 others that serve survivors in Vermont have had to adapt to public health regulations to ensure that staff and clients practice appropriate social distancing.

Serving those who are stuck inside with their abuser “has proven to be very complicated,” according to Nadia Lucchin, executive director of the Bennington-based Project Against Violent Encounters. “We are increasing our outreach efforts via social media and checking in much more frequently with survivors in emergency shelter,” she said.

Such organizations typically help survivors file for relief-from-abuse orders against violent partners. But according to Amanda Cochrane, executive director of St. Johnsbury-based Umbrella, “Now some are worried that the abusive partner will not have anywhere safe to go and could get sick, complicating an already agonizing situation.”

Speaking last week to the Vermont Senate Judiciary Committee, David D’Amora of the Council of State Governments’ Justice Center said that the coronavirus response has made a national “epidemic” of domestic violence “immeasurably worse.”

In Vermont, “We saw a spike right after the announcement came to close the schools,” John Campbell, executive director of the Department of State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs, told committee members. “But that’s leveled off, and it’s been relatively quiet, thankfully, this past week.”

Advocates encourage those who feel threatened to contact a local group for assistance or to call the Vermont Network’s statewide, 24-hour hotline: 800-228-7395. m Contact: paul@sevendaysvt.com

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SEVEN DAYS APRIL 1-8, 2020

When Markley finally does get into bed, usually around 3 a.m., she often has a hard time convincing herself to get out of it again. One day during her first week at home, she emerged from her room around 9 p.m. to make a large batch of pancakes, hoping that the prospect of breakfast carbohydrates would motivate her to get up earlier the next day. She even called a friend on Zoom and pretended to host a cooking show.

When she came downstairs in the morning to get her leftovers from the fridge, she discovered that her sister had eaten them.

“It sounds really melodramatic, but I just don’t see the point in doing anything,” Markley said. “Like, you can do online classes in bed with no pants. I just have no sense of purpose, and there’s also this fear of falling behind. Everyone at Stanford is using this time to learn a new branch of physics or work on their startup.”

In spite of her malaise, Markley recently managed to scrape together enough gumption, and snow, to sculpt a 10-foot-wide octopus, with unnervingly well-articulated suction pads, in her front yard. Her attempt to host a spring solstice party via Zoom was less successful: According to Markley, the sound quality was terrible, and her sister kept yelling at her to quiet down.

“This all feels very regressive to me,” she said. “For two years, I’ve been living independently, and now I’m fighting with my siblings about whose turn it is to clean the kitchen. I’m lucky that I don’t have to worry about housing or anything, and I feel bad expressing that I’m sad or disappointed. But my favorite part of college was staying up all night talking about stuff with people who have such interesting brains, and this just feels not the same.” The anxiety of not knowing when she’ll be able to go back to Stanford, coupled with the inability to go anywhere but outside, has left her feeling unmoored.

That feeling stems, at least in part, from a lack of agency: Markley and Henry Severance came home because they had nowhere else to go. But when going home is a choice, the stakes feel different — less like an unwanted relapse into adolescence than a new, weird chapter of the parent-child dynamic.

In mid-March, Clara Campoli, 32, a prekindergarten teacher at a public school in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, had several weeks left of maternity leave when the pandemic began to tighten its grip on New York City. When her husband, Evan Fain, found out that his

Mary Markley and her pet snow octopus

FOR TWO YEARS, I’VE BEEN LIVING INDEPENDENTLY, AND NOW

I’M FIGHTING WITH MY SIBLINGS ABOUT WHOSE TURN IT IS TO CLEAN THE KITCHEN. MARY MAR K L E Y

co-working company would allow him to work remotely — and that Clara would be conducting a virtual classroom upon her return to school — they booked a rental car and drove with their 2-month-old son, Lewis, to Clara’s childhood home in Burlington’s Five Sisters neighborhood. Not knowing how long they’d be gone, Clara and Evan packed haphazardly: an assortment of clothes and a month’s supply of diapers for Lewis, now on the cusp of being too small; one pair of pants for Clara. Evan forgot his running shoes.

“My husband’s company has been very affected by everything that’s happening, and he’s working pretty much around the clock,” said Clara. “So when school started online for me, I wanted to be around my parents for help with childcare during the day.”

When the couple left New York City, her parents, John Kassel and Julie Campoli, were driving back from a ski trip in Colorado. Clara said her parents

were eager to see Lewis, but for their safety and his, she persuaded them to quarantine themselves for two weeks at their second home in the Northeast Kingdom. When her parents stopped at the house in Burlington to pick up provisions, she insisted that they keep their distance.

“It was weird,” she said. “We didn’t hug. They didn’t even touch their only grandchild.”

Clara’s father agreed that it was surreal to see his grandson and not be able to hold him. That moment was an important reckoning, he said, a concrete instance of the abstract imperative to demonstrate love by staying away.

“That was when I realized that this is a long-term thing,” said John. “It’s not, ‘Can I hold my grandson now?’ It’s, ‘Can I give them space so that I can hold him in the future?’ Making space for others, particularly for your family, helps you grasp the scope of this.”

On Sunday, having separately completed their 14- day isolation periods, Clara and her parents reunited in Burlington, where all three generations will embark together on the next phase of their new reality. When it seems safe enough, Clara said, her husband and father will make a trip down to the apartment in Brooklyn to pick up more necessities for the baby — who will, in all probability, outgrow several months’ worth of clothes by the time the world returns to something resembling normal. m Contact: chelsea@sevendaysvt.com

Burlington Resource and Recovery Center (RRC) 802.755.7239

Rep. Cynthia Browning (right), speaking with the press

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Johnson Punishes Rep for ‘Not Wise’ Insistence on In-Person House Vote

BY K E VI N MC C A L L UM

Vermont House Speaker Mitzi Johnson (D-South Hero) punished and publicly chastised a fellow Democrat who demanded a quorum vote on March 25 that forced dozens of lawmakers to rush to the Statehouse to pass emergency legislation related to COVID-19.

Johnson announced last Thursday that she had removed Rep. Cynthia Browning (D-Arlington) from her post on the powerful Ways and Means Committee. She replaced her with Rep. Emilie Kornheiser (D-Brattleboro).

Johnson noted that last Wednesday’s plan to vote on a package of bills without a quorum had been approved by the House Rules Committee, had overwhelming support in the chamber, and was pursued as a way to keep lawmakers and their constituents safe.

“Yet one member unnecessarily required every other member to choose between their duty to Vermont and the health and safety of their communities, peers, and loved ones at home,” Johnson wrote in a searing letter to colleagues. “Being a legislator requires that we know the rules. True public service requires the wisdom to know when to use them. Yesterday’s quorum call was not wise.”

The move signaled a remarkable fall from grace for a Democratic legislator who has never been afraid to buck leadership but managed to do so in a way that party leaders respected.

Just last month, Johnson praised Browning as someone with whom she doesn’t always agree but who has “honesty and integrity” and lets leadership know her concerns up front.

She contrasted Browning with another

representative, Linda Joy Sullivan (D-Dorset), whom she chastised for casting a surprise vote against overriding Gov. Phil Scott’s veto of a paid family leave bill. The bill, one of the House’s highest priorities, failed by one vote.

Johnson told Seven Days the vote was “not the first time that [Sullivan’s] gotten squirrelly.” Sullivan and Browning are friends, and Browning didn’t take kindly to the remark. The following day, she lambasted the speaker from the floor.

Browning’s disdain for Johnson was evident after her quorum vote.

If Johnson was so concerned about lawmakers’ health, Browning argued, then Johnson should simply drop the resolution authorizing the House to hold a remote vote to approve remote voting.

“It is important to note that I did not call members into the House yesterday — she did,” Browning said, after Johnson kicked her off the committee.

Browning called the bill flawed for its “circular reasoning” and argued that it wasn’t proper. She insisted House rules needed to be followed even during an emergency. She did not raise any objections about the actual practice of remote voting during a health emergency, just the way it was being approved.

“But if you start cutting corners on parliamentary procedures and Democratic processes in an emergency, you’ll very quickly find that you’ve thrown something overboard that you can’t get back,” Browning said. m Contact: kevin@sevendaysvt.com

Burlington, tuko hapa kusaidia dhidi ya Covid-19

बर ्लि ङ्टन, कोभि ड-१९ वि र ुद ्धको सहयोगको लागि हाम ी यहा ँ छौ ।ँ

THE RRC PROVIDES: Volunteer services

Unemployment, small business, food, housing, childcare, and property tax information COVID-19 health guidance Assistance in completing the 2020 Census questionnaire

(it’s more important than ever to be counted!)

Please visit the Burlington Resource and Recovery Center (RRC) at burlingtonvt.gov/resources, or contact us at 802.755.7239 or recovery@burlingtonvt.gov.

The RRC is open Monday - Friday from 8am - 4:30pm

We’re all in this together!

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B Y KEVIN MCCALLUM

Toxic chemicals from the Vermont Air National Guard base in South Burlington have not only polluted nearby wells but are reaching the Winooski River.

That’s the takeaway of a new report on just how far the contamination has spread beyond the base, according to state officials.

“It’s a large plume. In some places, it’s probably over a mile long,” said Richard Spiese, a hazardous site manager with the state Department of Environmental Conservation. “And it goes from the source area all the way to the Winooski River.”

Multiple tributaries of the Winooski running from the base are contaminated with PFAS, the same perfluorinated chemicals used to make products such as Teflon cookware and waterproof clothing. The chemicals, which were discovered in 2016 in wells around the former ChemFab factory in North Bennington, were also used in firefighting foam on the base and at airports around the nation.

Their durability has earned PFAS the moniker “forever chemicals,” and communities, airports and municipal water systems are spending billions to understand them and clean up the contamination.

Last year, Seven Days reported how PFAS have contaminated a well at the Belter dairy farm just north of the base. The well had been used by John Belter’s family to water his 400 cows for decades, and after the discovery, the state paid for a filtration system.

But additional testing was needed to better understand the extent of the contamination, including in creeks and rivers.

Now that report — a 991-page draft volume released by the Air Guard recently — clearly shows that the chemicals have migrated off the base and into groundwater, creeks and the Winooski itself, Spiese said.

“I think the data is there to show that PFAS from the base is what is impacting the Belter well,” Spiese said.

Belter was not immediately available for comment on Tuesday.

Spiese noted that the Air Guard has been cooperative and has been performing the costly, detailed studies, including the lengthy report, completed by the Virginiabased engineering firm Parsons. He noted that Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics is spending $60 million to clean up the groundwater contamination around its plant in North Bennington, but it has yet to admit responsibility.

In a press release, the Air Guard acknowledged the findings and stressed that drinking water in the area is safe, noting

the businesses and homes are served by the Champlain Water District, whose water supply has not been affected.

“This has been a very thorough process to determine potential impacts from the use of PFAS on our base, and I am encouraged that we can now move toward the next phase of this critically important work,” said Col. Adam Rice, 158th Fighter Wing vice commander. “We take this issue very seriously and want to reassure our employees and the community that drinking water has not been impacted, and there is no threat to human health.”

Spiese agrees that people’s health isn’t at risk unless someone were to catch and KEVIN MCCALLUM

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John Belter looking at a brook on his farm that has been found to be contaminated

eat fish from the small tributaries most affected, which he notes is unlikely.

There is no PFAS limit for surface waters in Vermont yet, but the drinking water standard is 20 parts per trillion for the five compounds regulated by the state.

One of the tributaries tested at 10,619 parts per trillion — 500 times the drinking water limit.

Once the contaminated water reaches the Winooski, however, it is quickly diluted.

Tests in the Winooski downstream from the tributaries showed levels below 10 parts per trillion, just slightly higher than the levels detected in the river above the base.

More study is needed to come up with a remediation plan, a process that could take years. The base already operates a trench system that captures some of the water running off the most contaminated area, pumps it back uphill and treats it.

That location — which has produced water samples nearing 50,000 parts per trillion, or 2,500 times the state standard — is where firefighters for decades set all manner of things ablaze and practiced putting them out with the PFAS-laden foam. The base has since switched to a less toxic foam. m Contact: kevin@sevendaysvt.com

lifelines

Participants Needed for a Research Study on the Brain OBITUARIES, VOWS, CELEBRATIONS

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APRIL 1-8, 2020

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arts news

Networking Artists invent creative ways to reach people online

A map display of Rebecca Kinkead’s virtual portrait series

B Y M A R GA R ET GR AYSON

A

rtists typically have websites and Instagram accounts these days.

But most of them still rely on in-person interactions to facilitate connections with their work: exhibiting in galleries, selling at artists’ markets, hosting studio visits, teaching classes.

During this period of social distancing, though, the internet is the only answer. And so artists and gallerists keep dreaming up more ways to share art with homebound Vermonters.

For Grand Isle photographer MARY ZOMPETTI, it started with a photo of a red dress hanging in the corner of her living room. It was Zompetti’s wedding dress.

She picked it up from David’s Bridal on the same day she had to cancel her wedding celebration, scheduled for March 28.

Instead, Zompetti got married a week earlier in a ceremony with no witnesses.

When she posted the photo of the dress, she did so under a new Instagram account she created: @quarantine_scene.

Zompetti then asked other artists to share photos and words showing how their lives had been disrupted. She called it a “spontaneous coping mechanism.”

“A lot of artists may be feeling pressure to produce,” Zompetti said. “But it’s really hard to focus right now.”

She said that artists can send her images of work they’re currently making, along with 22

SEVEN DAYS APRIL 1-8, 2020

A LOT OF ARTISTS MAY BE FEELING

ART

PRESSURE TO PRODUCE. MARY ZO MP E T TI

written insights into how the pandemic is affecting their creative processes.

“It’s a way to not only feel less alone but also feel inspired by how other people are adapting,” Zompetti said.

At Burlington gallery SOAPBOX ARTS, owner PATRICIA TRAFTON is engaging another sense: She’s begun to link artists’ Spotify playlists with images of their work on the gallery’s Instagram page. Artists who have solo exhibits at Soapbox, such as Vermont collagist VANESSA COMPTON, can make their own playlists for their receptions, she explained.

Trafton thought that now was the perfect time to share them.

“I think people like that insight. I think everybody wants to know what’s happening in the studio, and it’s kind of a cool, curious place for people to peek into,” Trafton said.

“At the same time, I think being creative is a coping mechanism for a lot of us … and having music that this other creative person found inspiration in, to be there with you, is really cool.”

Art making is often a lonely pursuit, and that’s certainly true for painter REBECCA KINKEAD, who lives in the woods in Cornwall.

But since last August, she’s been painting portraits both at her home and around Vermont for a series she calls “Neighbor.”

Kinkead was painting daily in downtown Middlebury until the COVID-19 pandemic brought in-person sittings to an abrupt halt.

She quickly realized that going days without seeing anyone wasn’t going to work for her.

“I could just tell, I’m gonna be in trouble,” Kinkead said. “Say this goes on for four or five months? It was just too easy to lose track of the days and feel like I’m totally untethered.”

So she turned to FaceTime. Friends and fans of Kinkead’s from around the world have signed up for virtual portrait sessions; the artist hangs the resulting portraits on a studio wall.

“People are home, and they’re on their computers and hungry to connect,” Kinkead said. Painting from a computer screen isn’t exactly the same as painting someone who’s sitting in front of you, but it’s still way better than working from a photo, she said.

Kinkead talks to subjects about their anxieties but also tries to steer the conversation in other directions, she said, offering a brief respite from the current situation.

Her virtual project has only made Kinkead more eager to embrace human connection again. “I can already taste how good it’s going to feel to hug my friends,” she said.

Contact: margaret@sevendaysvt.com

INFO

Photo by Mary Zompetti for @quarantine_scene

See more at @quarantine_scene, @soapboxartsvt and @rebeccakinkeadstudios on Instagram. Learn more at soapboxarts.com, maryzompetti.com and rebeccakinkead.com and on Facebook.

GOT AN ARTS TIP? ARTNEWS@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

COURTESY OF KATA SASVARI

Home Theater

D

COURTESY OF LUKE AWTRY

uring this strange time of enforced isolation, visual artists around the world are adapting to the virtual space through everything from Instagram projects to takeout knitting kits to online gallery tours. But what are theater companies to do without a live audience? Can the visceral connection between performers and audiences survive social distancing?

NORTHERN STAGE is about to find out.

Physically based in White River Junction, the company has created Play Date, a Zoom-based class with performance and discussion. The series begins on Friday, April 3, with Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull.

It will continue every Friday until — well, that’s unknown at this time.

“Play Date was created in response to the pandemic,” said CAROL DUNNE, producing artistic director at Northern Stage. And it’s not simply a staged reading that viewers can passively watch at home. “This is a chance to take a deep dive into plays,” she explained.

Here’s how it works: Participants sign up for the session, purchase and read the designated play, and come together Friday at 4 p.m. on Zoom. Each session will have a different presenter — from Northern Stage or “actors and artistic directors from elsewhere,” Dunne said — who will first talk a little bit about the play. Then actors will read a scene, followed by more group discussion.

As of press time, 80 people had signed up for this week’s session. Dunne said

THEATER

Olivia Gilliatt in a previous Northern Stage production of A Doll’s House

they are working with local bookstores to order copies of the plays and get them to participants.

Readers for The Seagull include Carol McVey at the University of Iowa — “she was my acting professor at Princeton in the ’80s,” Dunne said — and veteran Northern Stage thespians Dave Mason (with his wife, actress Kathy McCafferty) and Thom Miller.

The play for Friday, April 10, is Eurydice

by Sarah Ruhl, hosted by ERIC LOVE, director of education at Northern Stage. Love directed the play in 2015 for Montpelier’s LOST NATION THEATER . The stars of that

production, Kate Kenney and Christopher Scheer, will read two scenes.

The plays and personnel for more sessions are in development and will be announced on the Northern Stage website.

Participants in Play Date also can access notes from each play’s host, including tips for script reading — “It can be challenging for the layperson,” Dunne said.

Also challenging? Finding ways to calm, amuse and entertain ourselves while hunkered down at home. Play Date offers a way to learn something, too — no tests!

— honing one’s drama-appreciation skills for future use.

ART

Downtown During Quarantine

Deserted Main Street in Burlington

Except for providers of essential services such as, you know, saving people’s lives, most of us have been homebound lately doing our best not to spread the coronavirus.

Burlington photographer and frequent Seven Days contributor LUKE AWTRY has found it no problem to stay well more than six feet from other humans on his excursions around downtown Burlington. In fact, he’s usually alone except for his pup.

Even before nearly everything was shut down last week, per order of Gov. PHIL SCOTT, Awtry has been roaming the streets on a self-assigned mission to document this extraordinary moment. His

Toward that end, Dunne said that the company is still hoping to produce Million Dollar Quartet — the final show in its curtailed 2019-20 season — as well as a youth production of Frozen later this year.

PAME L A P O LS T O N

Contact: pamela@sevendaysvt.com

INFO Play Date with The Seagull is Friday, April 3, 4 to 5:30 p.m. $30 donation or whatever one can pay. Learn more and sign up at northernstage.org.

collection of closure signs on storefronts and both day and nighttime images of deserted streets is bleakly surreal, like stills from a postapocalyptic movie. Yet heartening messages appear, as well, such as the banner on American Flatbread Burlington Hearth: “Love, Be Kind, Keep Each Other Well.”

We asked Awtry for a selection of images for the cover of this week’s issue. More of his photos can be seen in a slide show with this article at sevendaysvt.com.

PAME L A P O LS T O N Contact: pamela@sevendaysvt.com

INFO See Luke Awtry’s album of quarantine photos at Luke Awtry Photography on Facebook and his pre-pandemic work at lukeawtryphotography.com.

SEVEN DAYS APRIL 1-8, 2020

23

When ‘The Spirit’ Moves You...

PHOTOS: JAMES BUCK

Boys & Girls Club of Burlington Gets a Boost From Local Businesses BY 7D BRAND STUDIO

f

or many young Vermonters, school isn’t just where they learn — it’s where they eat. And with schools closed due to the spread of the novel coronavirus, many students and families have to find another source of nourishment.

‘ALWAYS WILLING TO HELP’ Some business owners are the Club’s closest friends, like Jeffrey Myers of Myers Container Service. “He’s always on the other end of the phone,

Lucas, 4, digging deep for some free GoGo squeeZ apple sauce

always willing to help,” Benosky said. Other leaders from local banks, manufacturing businesses, insurance companies and real estate agencies serve on the organization’s board.

Many offer financial support.

The COVID-19 outbreak forced the cancellation of the organization’s largest annual fundraiser — the Derby Gala scheduled for May 2, which usually raises $140,000 for the club’s summer programs. Benosky noted that not a single one of the corporate sponsors has asked for their money back. “This shows incredible heart and incredible generosity at a time when we need it,” she said.

On March 20, the club received several cases of prepackaged items like Goldfish crackers and pretzels from the staff of the Spirit of Ethan Allen. “They delivered 3,000 snacks to us!” Benosky exclaimed. “Isn’t that amazing?”

Reflecting on these contributions, she said, “In times like this, it becomes

Donate to the Boys & Girls Club of Burlington: bandgclub.org/donate 24

SEVEN DAYS APRIL 1-8, 2020

extra clear that having jobs and offering jobs, is really the end all and be all of making a community work.”

‘OUR FRIENDS ARE HURTING’ The pandemic has disrupted that economic ecosystem. The Spirit of Ethan Allen III, for example, is sailing into serious headwinds.

In a phone interview, marketing director Kristin Bogovich pointed out that the family-owned cruise ship company operates a tourist attraction, a restaurant and a venue for weddings and corporate gatherings.

“We’re hit in all three of those areas,” she said. She’s already seeing summer wedding cancellations.

And the company will have to adjust its recruitment efforts: College students have gone home, and seasonal foreign workers may not be able to enter the country due to COVID-19-related travel restrictions. The company’s head chef is in Vermont on a work visa; in the winters he works for Sugarbush Resort. When Sugarbush closed early because of the coronavirus, Bogovich and her colleagues started scrambling

to find a way to employ him during what remains of their off-season, so he wouldn’t have to leave the country.

“Our first thought was, Why don’t we make food?” she said. So she put out a call on Facebook: “We are currently seeking programs where we can donate a warm meal for children who are potentially displaced from receiving school meals. We have a COURTESY PHOTO

In Burlington’s Old North End, families are turning to the Boys & Girls Club of Burlington. The nonprofit typically provides a variety of afterschool programs and summer camps, serving 250 kids a day. Now that their doors are closed because of the coronavirus, “we’re really focused on food,” said executive director Tanya Benosky.

From 9:30 to 11 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, she and her staff work in conjunction with the Burlington School District to serve free grab-and-go breakfast and lunch items and other food in Roosevelt Park, across the street from their main Clubhouse.

To fund these essential services, the organization also relies on support from local restaurants, retailers and other enterprises. “Local businesses mean everything to us,” Benosky said. “Our work literally could not exist without support from the community.”

wonderful chef with international accolades who is ready to prepare something special for children who may need us during this pandemic.”

That’s how Bogovich connected with the Boys & Girls Club. Instead of a warm meal, the group requested prepackaged snacks. “They specifically asked for those things,” said Bogovich, “so we gave them everything they asked for.”

P R O D U C E D B Y 7 D B R A N D S T U D I O — P A I D F O R B Y P O M E R L E A U R E A L E S TAT E

Restaurants, retailers and other businesses play a vital role in our community, and right now, they’re struggling.

How can you help?

“LOCAL BUSINESSES MEAN EVERYTHING TO US. OUR WORK LITERALLY COULD NOT EXIST WITHOUT SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY.”

Tanya Benosky

Order from a local restaurant.

Find Vermont restaurants offering takeout, delivery and curbside service at Seven Days’ new directory: goodtogovermont.com.

Buy a gift card or season pass.

Tanya Benoska handing out food to kids in the Old North End’s Roosevelt Park

For example, to support the Spirit of Ethan Allen III, you can order a gift card or a 2020 Season Passport.

Paying for services in advance will help them stay afloat.

Shop local online.

Some Vermont retailers are still fulfilling orders through their websites and even offering discounts on in-state delivery.

Call a local store to get the latest info.

Don’t just rely on online information or social media — pick up the phone. During the coronavirus chaos, many small businesses don’t have time to update their websites.

Pay a little extra to support a local retailer.

Consider it an investment in your community.

Think you found a better deal on Amazon?

Ask yourself: When was the last time Amazon donated to local charities or sponsored local events?

What are you doing to break the Amazon habit?

Share your story about buying local with this hashtag or by visiting sevendaysvt.com/savelocalvt. You’ll be entered to win a gift card to a local restaurant or store — extra credit for creativity! Dazzle us, and we’ll publish your contributions to inspire your neighbors.

#SaveLocalVT

Before you buy...

She took photos of the snack delivery and posted them on Facebook with an uplifting message: “Our industry is hurting. Our friends are hurting. Our families are hurting.

We felt an immense need to do something to make the community start healing for just a moment. Pass it on, friends, and share all the good you can to keep your ‘spirit’ high!”

The company’s Facebook fans appreciated the gesture. “This is what the world needs more of!” one man wrote. “Thank you!”

Said the Boys & Girls Club: “Thanks to the amazing team from the Spirit of Ethan Allen III we have an abundance of snacks to supplement our Roosevelt Park food distribution.

Such a wonderful example of our community coming together. We are so grateful for your support.” ■

THIS ARTICLE WAS COMMISSIONED AND PAID FOR BY:

THINK LOCAL • SHOP LOCAL • ACT LOCAL • SAVE LOCAL SEVEN DAYS APRIL 1-8, 2020

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uring the Cold War arms race, when the U.S. government was funneling money into scientific and technological research, the public intellectuals who called themselves “academic humanists” — university lecturers, deep readers of classical texts, and other cultural ruminants — began to feel neglected. In 1964, a panel of concerned scholars presented a report to Congress to plead their case for a federally subsidized humanities agency.

Their proposal, which led, a year later, to the establishment of the National Endowment for the Humanities, asserted that it was in the country’s best interests to “correct the view of those who see America as a nation interested only in the material aspects of life and Americans as a people skilled only in gadgeteering.”

Oh, the Humanities Christopher Kaufman Ilstrup redefines a cultural agency in turbulent times

BY C H E L S E A E D GAR

JEB WALLACE-BRODEUR

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Among the side effects of this profligate gadgeteering, the report noted, was the dubious luxury of convenience, the sudden abundance of formless hours: “‘What shall I do with my spare time’ all-too-quickly becomes the question ‘Who am I? What shall I make of my life?’... The humanities are the immemorial answer to man’s questioning and to his need for self-expression; they are uniquely equipped to fill ‘the abyss of leisure.’”

In the midst of a global pandemic that has dismantled the structures of daily life, the question of how to fill that abyss feels particularly urgent. Christopher Kaufman Ilstrup, executive director of Vermont Humanities, believes that when we find ourselves grasping for a frame of reference, the stories we tend to overlook can be just as revealing as the ones we choose.

“I’ve been noticing a lot of references to the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, which is an important moment to look back on,” he said. “But for gay men, in particular, we look back to the AIDS crisis, when the government was ignoring the pandemic and actually making it worse. What can we learn from that? What are the things we

to make sure we’re finding scholars who can talk to regular people — sort of in a condescending fashion, what we jokingly call ‘the sage on the stage model,’” he said. “And there’s a lot of great scholarship that should be shared. But we also strongly believe that we should be telling communities’ stories, as well, and that there are lots of different ways to be an expert on an issue.”

TURNING THE PAGE

There are 56 humanities councils throughout the U.S. and its territories, which receive federal dollars through the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Roughly half of Vermont Humanities’ approximately $1.5 million annual budget comes from the NEH, a contribution that has held steady over the past few

agency coordinates around the state. On a drizzly Friday morning in mid-March, a long tongue of water had snaked its way across the floor, a somewhat chronic situation in a 200-year-old structure. The books, aerated by dehumidifiers and kept off the ground on large, utilitarian shelves, stayed dry.

As many as 80 reading groups are active at any given time, with themes that range from “B.I.G. (Big, Intense, Good)” to “Border Crossings,” a series on the immigrant experience in America.

Recently, Kaufman Ilstrup saw a Facebook comment from someone who said they were interested in science fiction by writers of color, so he responded directly to them: “I can help you with that!” (He said, somewhat giddily, “I don’t think they think I’m serious!”)

JEB WALLACE-BRODEUR

should be calling out now about how the government is responding to this need?”

Kaufman Ilstrup, now in his second year as executive director, tends to see the political implications of every narrative. If the purpose of the humanities — literature, philosophy and history — is, as he puts it, to tell the “human story,” the human story of Vermont has been riddled with omissions. “The story we tell about ourselves is all about cows and maple syrup and skiing and white people,” he said. “It was probably never a true story, and it’s certainly not a true story now.”

Kaufman Ilstrup, 50, has an ageless, impish aura. He has several tattoos on his right arm, a literary tableau-in-progress: On the inside of his forearm is Mr. Tumnus from The Chronicles of Narnia, standing under a street lamp with his signature creepy umbrella. Adjacent to Mr. Tumnus is Yorick’s skull, from Hamlet, nestled in a bed of Shakespearean flora — “woodbine, wild roses, love-in-idleness,” Kaufman Ilstrup recited, like a docent at a botanical garden.

Over the past few years, Vermont Humanities has undergone a subtle rebrand, partially manifested in its decision to drop the word “Council” from its logo. “It has this pretty elitist connotation that we’re the experts, when, in fact, we’re all experts in telling our own stories,” Kaufman Ilstrup said.

But the shift goes beyond optics. When Kaufman Ilstrup’s predecessor, Peter Gilbert, announced his retirement, the board wanted to find someone who would broaden the organization’s approach to disseminating scholarship.

“We needed to up our game in terms of diversity and access and inclusion,” said Katy Smith Abbott, chair of the Vermont Humanities board. “It felt like a responsibility — not that Peter didn’t have that goal, but we needed to look at what that means in the second decade of the 2000s, in a state that’s overwhelmingly white.”

Kaufman Ilstrup, for his part, wants to “re-center the narrative” — to foreground the voices of marginalized communities.

“I think Peter really cared about unheard voices, but now, we’re stating it out loud,” he said. “We want to be part of the solution, especially at a time when there’s so much racism and xenophobia.”

Vermont Humanities isn’t alone in recasting its mission as a cultural organization; according to Kaufman Ilstrup, state councils across the country are grappling with their duty, as conduits of public discourse, to examine their canonical biases and address themselves to a new generation of minds.

“Even five years ago, most humanities councils would have said that our job is to present scholarly research to the public and

With the books in the basement of Vermont Humanities

People need language to make sense of a suddenly shattered world. years, despite President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to defund cultural agencies.

Vermont Humanities is headquartered in a rambling 19th-century Victorian — “our ‘Addams Family’ home,” as Kaufman Ilstrup fondly calls it — a few blocks off Main Street in Montpelier. From his office window, Kaufman Ilstrup used to be able to peer into the playground of Union Elementary School and see his son, Jacob, now 11, running around during recess.

Kaufman Ilstrup’s favorite room is the basement, which houses thousands of books for the reading groups that the

Kaufman Ilstrup became visibly bouncier when he descended the basement stairs. He introduced each stack of books as if they were guests at his party: “Here we are, with Henry James, Jane Austen, and there’s Victor Hugo … oh, and there’s Christopher Isherwood — I’m a particular fan of Christopher Isherwood.” He lingered over another shelf, pushing up his glasses. “Oh, here’s a great book, Nickel and Dimed, about living on minimum wage.”

The distribution and mulling over of books accounts for much of Vermont Humanities’ public activity, particularly its Vermont Reads program, a statewide initiative to engage students in a work

of literature. The agency’s other major function is providing grants; each year, it distributes some $50,000 to cultural organizations throughout the state.

In 2019, Vermont Humanities funded a workshop on Shakespeare for war veterans at Norwich University, a walking tour of New American food markets in Burlington’s Old North End, and a summer camp at the Old Stone House Museum in Brownington, which taught grade schoolers about first contact between white settlers and the Abenaki.

The spread of the coronavirus has canceled practically every plan in America, and all Vermont Humanities programming is on hold at least through the middle of May. In a non-pandemic year, Vermont Humanities organizes some 800 free public events, including First Wednesdays, a monthly lecture series held at libraries from Brattleboro to Newport. A sampling of talk titles from the 2019-20 season: “Edward Gorey’s Morbid Nonsense,” “The History and Structure of Stone Walls,” “The Salt of the Earth: The Rhetoric of White Supremacy” and “The Poetics of Protest in Nina Simone’s ‘Mississippi Goddam!’”

Over the past few weeks, Kaufman Ilstrup and his staff have been scrambling to adapt to an exclusively virtual reality.

Poet Richard Blanco, who was scheduled to speak at the Unitarian Church of Montpelier on April 3, has agreed to livestream his talk; First Wednesdays lectures will also move online for the rest of the month.

In this time of extreme social isolation, said Kaufman Ilstrup, people need community more than ever, and the spaces where community thrives, especially in rural areas, are particularly vulnerable to the economic impacts of the COVID-19 crisis.

As policy makers deliberated over an emergency stimulus bill last month, humanities organizations lobbied for $500 million in relief for the NEH to help sustain museums, libraries, historical societies and other cultural cornerstones. The final bill, approved by the Senate on March 25, allocated just $75 million.

“Right now, our economy is shutting down, and that is hitting culture workers very, very hard,” said Kaufman Ilstrup.

“And it’s important, as we think about how to reboot our economy, to think about how cultural and creative workers are valued.

All of us are among the frontline folks to get laid off.”

People need language to make sense of a suddenly shattered world. Humanities Washington has started to post pandemicadjacent prompts on its website, a way of encouraging people to grapple with OH, THE HUMANITIES SEVEN DAYS APRIL 1-8, 2020

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philosophical and ethical questions in a time of crisis. Kaufman Ilstrup said that he and his staff are considering a similar approach.

Recently, the executive director of Utah Humanities sent him Lynn Ungar’s “Pandemic,” a poem about the sacredness of hunkering down that has been circulating around the internet as a sort of psalm of the times. An excerpt: “Do not reach out your hands. / Reach out your heart. / Reach out your words. / Reach out all the tendrils / of compassion that move, invisibly, / where we cannot touch.”

“I think it really resonates with people right now, to just sit quietly with those words and think about them,” Kaufman Ilstrup said. “That’s what the humanities can do — they can take us out of this spin cycle.”

have to ask people for money, and he was a master at it — knowing how late in the night to go, how drunk people have to be.

He’s funny, disarming and charming. It’s hard not to like him.”

But that chameleon quality, said KempDelisser, doesn’t extend to his principles.

When they worked together in the early 2000s at R.U.1.2?, same-sex marriage had just become legal in Vermont, and the word “queer” was at least a decade away from shedding its negative connotations.

In spite of that lack of widespread acceptance, Kaufman Ilstrup insisted on calling R.U.1.2? a “queer” community center, because he believed the term was more inclusive of all identities.

“People would call us and say, ‘Do you know you have ‘queer’ in your name?’” recalled Kemp-Delisser. “He coached me in not being apologetic about where we stand.”

STANDING UP

A LEARNING MOMENT

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JEB WALLACE-BRODEUR

Christopher Kaufman Ilstrup has a very precise name, which, in print, must always be written out in its entirety on first reference. Upon subsequent mention, he insists on being called Kaufman Ilstrup, lest he be confused with his husband, whose name, amazingly, is Christopher Ilstrup, except he goes by Chris. But long before they met, Kaufman Ilstrup declined to abridge himself: “‘Chris’ just wasn’t my preference,” he explained in his delicate way.

Kaufman Ilstrup grew up in Vergennes, across the street from the Bixby Memorial Free Library. If he were a comic book superhero, his origin story would begin the day he was allowed to walk to the library by himself for the first time. He was 7 or 8 years old, a small, bespectacled nerd, passing through the marble Ionic columns of the lobby into a vast realm of knowledge that smelled of dust and glue. There, he chanced upon a quiet corner, where a shelf of single-play Shakespeare editions awaited him. (“In my memory, I read all of them, but I’m sure that’s not true,” he said.)

Over the course of his childhood and adolescence, Kaufman Ilstrup spent hundreds of hours in the Bixby, metabolizing all the Shakespeare he could find. After graduating from Vergennes Union High School, he went to Kenyon College in Ohio, where he majored in dance and drama and minored in history. He came back to Vermont briefly, for a job as a canvass director for Vermont Public Interest Research Group, before going to the London School of Economics and Political Science for his master’s in international development.

“I’m not one of those people who complains about young people leaving Vermont,” said Kaufman Ilstrup. “I think

Christopher Kaufman Ilstrup

they should leave. They should go out there and experience the world, and many of us will come back. And when we come back, we’re stronger for it, because we’ve had much more diverse experiences.”

When Kaufman Ilstrup finally returned to Vermont for good, in the late ’90s, he went back to the nonprofit world — first to Rural Vermont, where he worked with farmers in the early days of the local food movement, then to Outright Vermont, a resource center for queer youth.

Around that time, he and his wife of three years, whom he’d met at Kenyon, were in the midst of separating; Kaufman Ilstrup, who identified as bisexual during their marriage, began to more fully explore his queer identity. (He and his ex, who now lives in San Francisco, have remained close; they keep in touch via FaceTime, and Kaufman Ilstrup and his family spend a

week every summer with his former sisterin-law and her kids.)

Soon after he moved back to Vermont, Kaufman Ilstrup became involved with the Radical Faeries, a queer men’s spirituality movement that combines neo-pagan rituals and back-to-the-land environmentalism with theater and drag. At Faerie Camp Destiny, a 166-acre retreat in Grafton established by members of the group, Kaufman Ilstrup directed a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

“Christopher was comfortable with the A-gays, and he was also comfortable hanging with the Faeries, running around naked in the North Country,” said Khristian Kemp-Delisser, who worked under Kaufman Ilstrup for a year when he was the executive director of R.U.1.2?, now the Pride Center of Vermont. “We’d have these house parties where, at some point, you’d

In 2018, under the leadership of Peter Gilbert, Vermont Humanities selected March: Book One for its 2019 Vermont Reads program. The graphic memoir, the opener in a trilogy about the life of congressman and civil rights champion John Lewis, was the first comic book in the 18-year history of Vermont Reads. As Kaufman Ilstrup put it, one of Gilbert’s parting messages to him was something along the lines of: “‘Here, this book is going to be hard! Do this!’”

“They thought it was going to be hard because it was the first graphic novel we’d chosen,” said Kaufman Ilstrup. “They felt like the challenge would be getting people to take it seriously, but there was very little pushback on it in the end.” (In fact, the March series is the second most widely taught comic in the public school system, after Art Spiegelman’s Maus trilogy.) What turned out to be more complicated (“and interesting and exciting”), Kaufman Ilstrup said, was the book’s content: “It promoted conversations about racism, about nonviolence, about how we are complicit in the ongoing white supremacist system that still needs to be addressed.”

When it was time to pick the book for Vermont Reads 2020, Kaufman Ilstrup wanted to tighten the focus on systemic racism. Among the 10 or 15 possible titles suggested by librarians from around the state, Vermont Humanities chose The Hate U Give, the best-selling 2017 young adult novel by Angie Thomas. The book, which was adapted into a movie, tells the story of Starr, a black teenage girl navigating the disconnect between her white prep school and her black neighborhood. In the novel’s pivotal scene, Starr watches from the OH, THE HUMANITIES

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Fate whispers to the warrior, ‘You can not withstand the storm.’

The warrior whispers back, ‘I am the storm.’

WE’RE IN THIS TOGETHER This is a moment that will define us. We can string up one set of lights, shining for a few hours each evening, as a symbol of our community solidarity and hope.

Thank you to everyone who is working to keep things going in these trying times.

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Oh, the Humanities « P.28

as a cultural organization, to push people beyond their comfort zones. But we do have concerns. If there’s a classroom of 30 white kids and one African American student, that kid might get targeted, or asked to represent, or assumed to have had the same experience as Starr, when, in fact, most black kids in Vermont haven’t had those experiences.”

Katy Smith Abbott, the Vermont Humanities board chair, acknowledged that she initially had reservations about choosing the book. “This was one of those

COURTESY OF VERMONT HUMANITIES

passenger seat when a police officer fatally shoots her best friend, a young, unarmed black man, during a traffic stop.

After choosing the book, Kaufman Ilstrup sought feedback from the Vermont State Police, the Attorney General’s Office and others. He said that the response was generally — though not universally — positive, and that most of the concerns came from leaders of color.

important realities of life for black people in this country, but those aren’t necessarily the issues for the black community in Vermont.”

Based on Clemmons’ feedback, Kaufman Ilstrup organized an anti-racism training in February, led by Laura Jiménez, a lecturer at Boston University. During the workshop, Jiménez debriefed a room full of largely white, middle-aged teachers and librarians on the cultural significance of Tupac Shakur — The Hate U Give is a reference to the late rapper’s THUG LIFE tattoo, an acro-

John Lewis signing books at the Flynn on October 7, 2019

One of those leaders was Lydia Clemmons Jr., who oversees programming at Clemmons Family Farm, a black-owned farm and nonprofit in Charlotte that supports African and African American artists. Over the past three years, she has received grants from Vermont Humanities to host speakers; in 2019, the farm held an arts workshop for elementary and middle schoolers based on March: Book One. But Clemmons said that Vermont educators, many of whom teach in classrooms with few, if any, students of color, aren’t prepared to tackle the realities of The Hate U Give — police brutality, drugs, the racial complexities of an urban environment.

“I grew up here, and my son grew up here — we know what it’s like to be the only black kid in the room,” she said. “I appreciate that Vermont Humanities is trying to be contemporary and relevant, but there’d be so much work to do to make sure people don’t slide into thinking that all black people are into drugs and living in the ghetto. Those are 30

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The story we tell about ourselves is all about cows and maple syrup and skiing and white people.

C H R IS TO P H E R K AUF MAN IL S TR UP

nym “The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everybody” — and the distinction between East and West Coast rap.

“If we don’t know that music, we’ll miss a lot,” said Kaufman Ilstrup. “That’s a pretty big ask of a group of 50-year-old librarians from Vermont.”

Kaufman Ilstrup agrees that there might be some danger in pursuing The Hate U Give. “This is a very important learning moment for us,” he said. “I think it’s our job,

times when we could have said, ‘It’s too hard; it’s not safe; let’s not do it,’” she said.

“But this also feels like who we want to be as an organization, and it’s not because we want to look good. I think Christopher is really courageous. If this work is going to resonate and matter, we’re going to have to be OK with fumbling.”

In a state where 92 percent of the population is white, communities of color tend to be both overlooked and hyper-visible.

Since 2015, hate crimes have risen sixfold in Vermont, according to data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; in 2018 alone, 30 out of 45 reported incidents cited race as a motivating factor.

“The humanities are about facilitating conversations about the discourse of power,” said former board member Ben Doyle, who chaired the search committee that brought on Kaufman Ilstrup. “Christopher wears his heart on his sleeve, but his mind is there, too. He speaks, literally and figuratively, with a soft voice. In these times, that’s the kind of person you need to facilitate those conversations.”

Complicating this dynamic is the fact that the cultural institutions that often seek to facilitate those conversations, in Vermont and across the country, are overwhelmingly white: A 2018 survey of New York City’s cultural sector, commissioned

by Mayor Bill de Blasio, found that white people made up two-thirds of those in leadership positions in the region’s museums, libraries and historical societies.

The staff of Vermont Humanities is entirely white; this year, Beverly Colston, director of the University of Vermont’s Mosaic Center for Students of Color, became the board’s only nonwhite member.

Kaufman Ilstrup said that bringing in more people of color is a high priority, but, as in all situations involving entrenched systems of inequality, progress is slow — and the people he might otherwise tap for leadership roles tend to be busy advocating for their own communities.

“I know from working in the LGBTQ movement that it’s hard to feel like your message is being overtaken by a group that doesn’t really get you,” he said. “That’s why telling my story is so important. I very much appear to be a cisgendered white man, and that is not my whole story. I am a person who grew up in a small town, in a working-class family. I am a person who is very queeridentified and doesn’t necessarily identify as cisgendered. And I have a long history of working in these movements — in the queer movement, the anti-racism movement — but most people wouldn’t look at me and say that.”

And yet, he realizes, he can’t simply use his story to earn people’s trust. “That’s why showing up is so important — building a relationship, being part of the conversation, knowing when not to talk,” he said. “You have to be able to give up your seat and put somebody else there.” m Contact: chelsea@sevendaysvt.com

INFO Learn more about Vermont Humanities and its upcoming online programming at vermonthumanities.org.

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STAY HOME. SLOW THE SPREAD. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT COVID-19

7 Tips to Help Reduce Stress and Anxiety Due to COVID-19

SLOW THE SPREAD: Staying home helps flatten the

1. Take a few moments each day for meditation or quiet reflection. It doesn’t have to be long – five to 10 minutes makes a huge difference.

From the experts at UVM Health Network curve by slowing the spread of the virus. This protects our community and reduces the burden on your healthcare providers.

REMEMBER TO SOCIAL DISTANCE: If you are outside of your home, keep a distance of at least 6 feet from any other people. If you have a cough, wear a mask to protect others.

REMEMBER HAND HYGIENE: Wash your hands with

soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If you can’t wash your hands use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

And keep your hands away from your face.

IF YOU FEEL SICK: Unless it is an emergency, please

stay at home and contact your doctor by phone or through MyChart. If you have COVID-19 symptoms that are not severe, stay at home and self-isolate.

IF YOU NEED TO CONTACT YOUR PROVIDER:

Login or sign-up for the MyChart patient portal and message your provider with questions and request prescription renewals.

2. Watch a favorite movie, read or do something you find relaxing.

3. Write down your emotions in a journal or on a piece of paper. If you have a lot of thoughts going through your mind that are making your head spin, getting them on paper can be a stress reliever. Write down a negative emotion, then rip up the piece of paper and toss it away.

4. Listen to music.

5. Get outside (if you’re able) and walk. With any physical activity, the release of endorphins will automatically put you in a better mood.

6. Limit news and tune in to the quiet. Become aware of how peace-filled the quiet can be.

7. Laugh. Seriously! Even a smile can go a long way, especially if you or someone is having a rough day. Call a loved one. FaceTime with friends near and far. You never know when you will make someone’s day.

VIDEO VISITS: THE NEW “HOUSE CALL” As most of us stay home to help flatten the curve of the outbreak, the UVM Health Network is rapidly expanding the availability of video visit technology in response to COVID-19. Video visits help us stay safely at home, while still giving access to the care we need now. They are quicker and more convenient than a phone call, and you and your provider can also see each other.

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The next time you receive a call to confirm your appointment with a UVM Health Network provider, you may also be given the option of video, along with support to setup your mobile device or computer for a video conference appointment.

For more information on how video visits work go to UVMHealth.org/COVIDvideo

HOW TO SELF-ISOLATE AT HOME If you feel sick with flu-like symptoms, you should assume you have COVID-19 and self-isolate. Symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough, and shortness of breath that can last 2-4 weeks.

Some people will also have sore throat, body aches, and/or diarrhea.

Monitor Your Symptoms for Changes •

Check your temperature and monitor your symptoms daily.

•

Seek prompt medical care if you feel like you’re getting worse.

•

If You Feel Sick, Self-Isolate.

Here’s how: •

•

Separate yourself from other people and animals in your home, particularly people with special vulnerability to COVID-19 infection.

•

Do not welcome visitors into your home.

They will understand.

•

•

Use a separate bathroom, if available, and separate towels.

•

Use separate dishes and utensils and avoid sharing bedding.

Stay home, get rest, and drink plenty of healthy fluids.

•

Take Tylenol (acetaminophen) pain relievers, fever reducers, decongestants or cough medicine to manage symptoms. If you have chronic health conditions check with your primary care provider before you take these medications.

•

If you are alone at home, stay in touch with family, friends and neighbors using phones, tablets, laptops or other devices.

Weakness, dizziness or chest pain.

Clean and Sanitize.

Don’t Share Germs Cover your coughs and sneezes with the inside of your elbow or with a tissue, throwing the tissue away immediately afterwards.

•

Use disinfectant every day on high-touch surfaces, such as countertops, tables, doorknobs, toilets and computer keyboards.

•

Clean your hands often.

High-priority times to wash hands include: After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing, after using the restroom, before eating or preparing food, after contact with animals or pets, and before and after providing routine care for another person who needs assistance, such as a child.

Take Care of Yourself •

Severe symptoms include: Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing (feeling like you can’t get enough air, gasping, unable to speak without stopping for air, feelings of distress).

If You Have To Go Out •

Avoid public transportation/ ride-sharing/taxis.

•

Wear a mask and maintain a social distance of at least 6 feet.

Seek Help for Severe Symptoms •

If you have severe symptoms, call your doctor before seeking care

•

Call 911 if it is a medical emergency.

Inform your doctor’s office or the 911 dispatcher that you are on selfisolation for possible COVID-19 and have worsening symptoms. Please put on a face mask before entering any health care facilities.

Sometimes, the simplest tools are among the most effective.

That principle applies even amid the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic. I want to underscore a key message you’ve been hearing from Vermont Gov. Phil Scott: “Stay home, stay safe.” When you stay home, you’ll slow the spread of this virus and protect your loved ones – especially the most vulnerable. And you’ll be helping to ensure that our health care providers, including the affiliates of the UVM Health Network, are prepared to serve our communities.

John R. Brumsted, MD President and CEO The University of Vermont Health Network

UVMHealth.org/Coronavirus SEVEN DAYS APRIL 1-8, 2020

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Paws for Concern Vermont animal shelters work to “catten the curve” B Y D A N BOL L ES

COURTESY OF KELLY SCHULZE/MOUNTAIN DOG PHOTOGRAPHY

I

n mid-March most Vermont businesses, schools and other institutions began closing their doors to brace for the coronavirus pandemic. Just days before, Homeward Bound, Addison County’s humane society, accepted two large cat transports. One was from a high-kill shelter in Florida; the other was a load of what shelter manager Carly Lehrer described as “needy cats” from northern Vermont — some 85 cats combined. The timing for the Middlebury animal shelter was not exactly, ahem, purrfect.

For one thing, it’s not unusual for cats to become ill following the stress of transport, Lehrer explained. She estimated that about 50 percent of the new animals were sick when they arrived. Nursing so many cats back to health against the backdrop of a growing human health crisis has proved to be a truly novel challenge.

“We’ve been quarantining and cleaning like crazy,” Lehrer said, adding that at normal staffing levels the protocols for handling sick cats take double the amount of time as those for healthy cats. Lately, she said, the shelter has operated with a skeleton crew to minimize human-tohuman contact.

As a result, the shelter has temporarily suspended adoptions. But it is actively seeking volunteers for fostering. Lehrer reported that she and her colleagues have managed to place more than half of the new cats in foster care as they’ve become healthy.

“It’s been a lot of work,” Lehrer admitted. But she sees that work simply as the latest challenge for her shelter to overcome. As a message on the Homeward Bound website reads: “We believe in Cattening the Curve.”

“Shelters, in general, adapt really well,” Lehrer said. “Because you never really know what’s going to happen, especially during really high-volume seasons. So you get really good at working on your feet and staying creative.”

That sentiment is echoed at animal shelters around Vermont. Like everyone else, they are dealing with unprecedented realities and doing their best to prepare for whatever comes next.

Homeward Bound and other area shelters reported a surge in adoptions just prior to Gov. Phil Scott’s recent

ANIMALS

Mr. Particular at the Chittenden County Humane Society

Chase from All Breed Rescue

SHELTERS, IN GENERAL,

ADAPT REALLY WELL.

COURTESY OF ALL BREED RESCUE

C AR LY L E H R E R

stay-at-home order. Even though shelters were deemed essential organizations by that order, most have closed to the public and temporarily ceased adoptions.

Amanda Wagner, the shelter manager at All Breed Rescue, estimates that her South Burlington dog shelter was able to

place about a third of its animals in homes, both through adoption and fostering, before it closed to the public last week.

“It’s fantastic,” Wagner said of placing those dogs, adding that All Breed still has about 15 dogs on-site. Thinning the pack makes it easier to care for those animals, she explained, particularly because the shelter’s income is currently uncertain.

Most of All Breed’s dogs come from highkill shelters in South Carolina. Wagner noted that the shelter has temporarily stopped taking new animals, which she called a “tremendously difficult” decision.

“It’s lives we’re talking about,” she said. “We know what the conditions are for these dogs down south. So it weighs pretty heavily that we have to say no.”

The Humane Society of Chittenden County also experienced a dramatic uptick

in adoptions before it closed its South Burlington facility to the public last week — almost 50 adoptions in less than a week.

It is also trying to deal with more than 450 foster requests. The population there is down to about 40 animals, including dogs, cats and “smallies” — guinea pigs and a few pet rats. But HSCC president and CEO Joyce Cameron expects that number to rise, perhaps drastically, in the weeks to come.

The humane society is preparing for an increase in animal surrenders as more Vermonters lose their jobs or become ill and are unable to care for their pets. That has required a shift in how the organization operates. Since it is no longer offering adoptions and has paused its foster programs, HSCC is prioritizing surrender prevention and trying to help keep pets in their homes. Among those efforts is a 24-hour support hotline that is accessible by phone and online for pet owners in crisis.

“Hopefully, it will mitigate strays that animal control will bring to us or, even worse, abandonments,” Cameron said.

Like many shelters, the HSCC also operates a pet food shelf, where those in need can access free, donated pet food.

Not every Vermont shelter has suspended its adoption program. North Country Animal League, for example, is continuing to offer adoptions on a by-appointment basis. Its staffers meet with potential adopters outside wearing full protective gear, including gown, gloves and goggles. According to executive director Tracy Goldfine, last week the Morrisville shelter adopted out 28 animals, more than double its weekly average. At present, NCAL is down to three available dogs and six cats. The shelter can house up to 20 dogs and 30 cats at one time.

Like other Vermont shelters, NCAL is preparing for the likelihood that those kennels will become full again when surrenders increase, Goldfine said.

“We’re waiting to respond to a need that I think will be coming,” she said.

“It’s the calm before the storm right now.” m Contact: dan@sevendaysvt.com

INFO Learn more at homewardboundanimals.org, ncal.com, allbreeddogrescuevt.org and hsccvt.org.

SEVEN DAYS APRIL 1-8, 2020

35

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Tricky Timing

Chris Bohjalian on promoting a book concerning a pandemic — during a pandemic

BY K R IS TE N R AVIN COURTESY OF VICTORIA BLEWER

T

he rollout of Vermont author Chris Bohjalian’s 21st book has been, to put it mildly, atypical. The international thriller The Red Lotus was released

by Doubleday on March 17, as COVID-19 began upending public life in the United States.

“When you count my paperbacks, I’ve had 39 publication dates in my life,” the Weybridge resident said in a phone interview. “Of those 39 publication dates, 35 were seamless. Four, not so much.”

One book by Bohjalian, 58, was published on September 11, 2001; another, two days before the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003; and a third, the day after the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013. Now, he’s navigating the launch and promotion of a book during a pandemic.

The Red Lotus begins with 33-year-old emergency room doctor Alexis Remnick sitting poolside at a picturesque hotel in Vietnam. Despite her idyllic surroundings, she’s not relaxing — Alexis’ boyfriend, hospital development executive Austin Harper, has gone missing during a solo bicycle excursion. Readers follow Alexis in her pursuit of the truth about her boyfriend’s death and his nefarious reason for visiting Vietnam, which, without spoiling the plot, we’ll say involves the distribution of a deadly pathogen.

Despite a challenging rollout, the 400-page novel is faring well with critics. The New York Times called the book “a terrific new thriller” and praised Bohjalian’s “muscular, clear, propulsive sentences.”

Readers are enjoying the ride, as well. “I loved Alexis and the balance of her character,” gushed one fan on Goodreads. “We saw her weaknesses, but she exudes a strength and power that was commendable.”

The novel’s narrative is the convergence of several ideas that Bohjalian conceived over time. “The Red Lotus had its origins not long after The Flight Attendant was published,” recalled Bohjalian, referring to his 2018 novel, which will soon appear as a limited series on HBO Max. He described how the concept came to him while having lunch with a Vietnam veteran in Vermont: “I began to think there might be an interesting novel in some legacy of the Vietnam War.” Then, in April and May of 2018, the writer was intrigued by two articles: one in the Times about antibioticresistant bacteria found in New York City mice that can be transmitted to humans, and one in the New York Post describing rat-infested NYC apartments. (The latter pesky rodents play a supporting role in The Red Lotus).

Curious, Bohjalian called an epidemiologist quoted in the Times article, who, he said, expressed fear that the Big Apple could be the epicenter of a pandemic.

BOOKS

told her is a lie. So how well do we really know the one we love?”

Though Bohjalian never anticipated that a real-life public health crisis would become a talking point for The Red Lotus, he felt the impact of COVID-19 as its release date rolled around.

“The virus affected everything with regard to this book,” Bohjalian said. “The book came out on Tuesday, March 17. I had a 14-city book tour planned, and we canceled it on Friday, March 13, literally two days before the first event in Concord, N.H.” The tour was to take Bohjalian to 14 North American cities in four time zones, where he would connect with audience members through short readings, Q&As, and swag giveaways, offering insight into his work and life.

He even planned to share some short stories he wrote in fourth grade.

Asked whether canceling his tour would have an impact on purchases, Bohjalian quickly answered, “Oh gosh, yes.” From fan selfies to local media coverage to rubbing elbows with sellers, in-person appearances generate buzz and, ideally, book sales.

This time around, Bohjalian is finding alternative ways to attract readers. For customers of the Vermont Book Shop in Middlebury, Phoenix Books in Burlington, and Barnes & Noble in South Burlington, he wrote personalized messages C HR I S B O H JA L I A N in books they’d purchased and would receive by mail. He’s also communicating with nearly 40,000 Facebook followers and relying on Doubleday’s digital marketing and advertising.

Because he’s an established writer with a Times No. 1 best seller and an Oprah’s Book Club pick, he can rely to some degree on name recognition and the hope that longtime fans will seek out his latest page-turner.

Bohjalian is aware that other writers aren’t as fortunate. “If I’m going to release a book on March 17, at least it’s my 21st,” he said. “My heart really breaks for the novelist whose first book or second book or third book was published last Tuesday … For me, it’s a disappointment, but I know the sun is going to rise.”

Bohjalian has a plea to readers on behalf of lessestablished authors: “A quarantine is a great time to catch up on your reading, so call your local bookstore … and see what new books are on their website.” Consider what fresh titles you might want to try, he advises. “Especially if it’s a new writer you’ve never heard of, take a look at the book, because this might be a shot for them.”

THE VIRUS AFFECTED EVERYTHING WITH REGARD TO THIS BOOK.

Bohjalian was once again struck by the possibility of a novel, he said. “I didn’t know what it was at the time, but I knew that these threads were going to, in some way, overlap.”

For the author, though, the threat of widespread illness is not the main message of The Red Lotus. “Up until early February, I didn’t even talk about this as a book that has the plague in it,” he said. “I talked about it as a story of an ER doctor who goes on a bike tour of Vietnam with her boyfriend, and he disappears, and she realizes in his absence how much he’s

Contact: kravin@sevendaysvt.com

INFO The Red Lotus by Chris Bohjalian, Doubleday, 400 pages. $27.95.

SEVEN DAYS APRIL 1-8, 2020

37

food+drink

Pandemic Superpowers

FILE: OLIVER PARINI

Becca Brown McKnight

Pantry Prep Food pros share their essential quarantine ingredients B Y J O R D AN BAR RY & SALLY POLL AK

F

or a few years now, I’ve forced friends to answer my favorite thought experiment: If you were stranded on a desert island, what three foods would you choose to have with you? There’s plenty to eat on the island, but only these three things will remain in steady supply. My answer? Beets, butter and bacon. My colleague Sally Pollak chose eggs, cheddar cheese and spinach — adding that she’d find a way to get her hands on apples.

In the first few days of mandated sheltering in place, I realized that cooking in quarantine isn’t so far off from that theoretical desert island scenario. Yes, my cupboards might be stocked, the freezer full.

Oh, Honey!

Marnie Long is general manager of the Great Northern, a Burlington restaurant she owns with her husband, chef Frank Pace. The couple lives in Burlington with their two school-age children, Louden and Louisa.

Long’s three essential ingredients are rice, eggs and honey. “Rice, because everyone in my family will eat it and it can accompany so many items,” she wrote in an email.

“Rice and beans, or top rice with any combo of vegetables and meat if you want. Or just

FOOD LOVER?

GET YOUR FILL ONLINE...

38

SEVEN DAYS APRIL 1-8, 2020

But I wondered: What do chefs, market managers, homesteaders, restaurant owners and avid home cooks make absolute sure they have on hand?

So we decided to ask, reframing the question: What three ingredients are essential to your quarantine cooking?

When times are tough, chefs stretch things. So we’re allowing a little stretching of the three-food rule — whether it’s opting for a “whole animal,” which can become many meals, or picking foods to sustain body and psyche. Whatever it is, make it at home.

J.B.

some rice with butter and salt is delicious, too!”

Eggs are multipurpose, Long continued.

“They are so versatile, store for long periods, and they can provide a good source of protein.”

And what is life without something sweet? “Honey (or maple syrup), well, because it is so darn good,” Long wrote. “[It’s] good for a relaxing tea, or with your morning oats. Also, [it] may help if you have a cold or sore throat.” Delicious and practical.

S.P.

LISTEN IN ON LOCAL FOODIES...

Becca Brown McKnight is the CEO of Uppercase Industries, a Burlingtonbased brand and marketing consultancy that counts King Arthur Flour and Farmers to You among its clients.

She’s also the cochair of Slow Food Vermont and an avid home cook.

“I have a weekly meal-planning routine that I do, where I go through the pantry and the freezer,” McKnight told Seven Days over the phone. That well-established process usually yields a week’s worth of dinners.

“Now, something that has always felt like one of my special skills feels like a superpower,” she said. “I’m embracing that and feeling thankful that I’ve been nurturing a pandemicfriendly skill for a long time without knowing it.”

McKnight has a deep freezer, which she called her “one true love,” with apologies to her husband. This winter, the couple bought a whole goat from Flatlander Farm in Starksboro and a whole pig from Snug Valley Farm in East Hardwick. The pig arrived the morning of our call, delivered to her front porch and headed to that freezer.

“Local protein” was McNight’s first essential ingredient, and she said getting a whole animal gives her the flexibility to make a variety of dishes, including homemade stock.

“I think the farmers all stayed up all night last Wednesday and built websites,” McKnight said, referring to farmers adapting to the loss of business as a result of mandatory restaurant closures. “It’s so emblematic of the genius and entrepreneurialism of farmers,” she said.

Keeping flexibility in mind, McKnight named mirepoix ingredients — carrot, onion, celery — as her next quarantine must-have. “If you have stock and a little bit of meat and mirepoix, you can make so many things,” McKnight said.

Finally, to keep things quick and easy, McKnight makes sure to have a giant bag of frozen peas on hand. “I have two little kids who love peas,” she said. “It takes two minutes to microwave them and add butter, and I have a healthy side dish that I know the kids are going to eat and get a good dose of veggies.”

J.B.

Marnie Long (right) with her children, Louden and Louisa Pace

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COURTESY OF ABBIE CURTIS

From left: City Market employees and union officials Noele Leavey, Andy Decelles and Jake Green

Bonus Time Local grocery stores offer extra compensation to employees B Y S A LLY POL L AK

C

ity Market, Onion River Co-op management and union officials agreed on Monday afternoon to an “appreciation” bonus for employees who are working during the coronavirus pandemic, general manager John Tashiro told Seven Days.

The bonus will give full-time employees a raise of $120 a week, per 40 hours of work, retroactive to March 15 and extending to May 8, he said. Part-time workers will receive a prorated bonus based on hours worked. The agreement was reached in the third discussion between the two parties.

The union represents nearly 300 co-op employees.

“With this situation, as you can imagine, first and foremost, staff safety is our highest priority,” Tashiro said. “Along with [safety of ] customers and members.”

Jake Green, chief steward of Local UE 203, B RU CE the union that represents City Market employees, is a grocery stocker at the downtown store. On behalf of the union’s executive board, Green sent an email to Seven Days about the agreement.

“We hope that this agreement, which was reached very quickly due to an outpouring of community support, shows what unionized workers are capable of achieving, and serves as an example to other employers of how workers deserve to be compensated,” he wrote. “Management made us fight for this victory, and we are proud of what we have achieved.”

Earlier in the day on Monday, Green, 23, explained that the union last week sought a raise of $5 an hour as a form of “hazard” pay for working during the rapidly accelerating

health crisis. Employees around the country have echoed that request, not only at groceries but also at distribution and delivery businesses, including Amazon and Instacart.

“I think there’s a lot of general uncertainty and anxiety spread out among everyone, from the most vulnerable people to people who really thought that the world was a totally secure place for them,” Green said. “The current health crisis has brought a lot of people’s perceptions of how safe the world is crashing down. I think that’s especially reflected in a place that is such a hub of community activity.”

With two locations in Burlington, the co-op has about 13,500 members, according to its website.

Other area grocery stores have given raises to their employees during the pandemic.

Grocery stores are considered an “essential” service, even as the HY DE federal government has told people to stay home through the end of April.

At Hannaford and Shaw’s, full-time hourly employees recently received a pay raise of $2 an hour, according to the companies. (Last week, an employee at Shaw’s in Middlebury tested positive for the coronavirus.) Mehuron’s Market in Waitsfield gave its employees a $250 bonus in the last pay period and will give them another bonus next month, co-owner Bruce Hyde said.

With senior employees and those with underlying risk factors not currently working, the store is operating with a “skeletal” crew of about 35 people, Hyde said.

“The more you understand the reality of how exposure works, the scarier it is,”

THE MORE YOU UNDERSTAND THE REALITY OF HOW EXPOSURE WORKS,

THE SCARIER IT IS.

said Hyde, 36. He assumes he’ll be exposed to the virus.

“Ultimately, there’s not a way to make it through a shift without someone else inadvertently breaking a social-distancCurbside pick-up available ing guideline,” Hyde continued. “It’s impossible.”

Cashiers are wearing N95 masks donated by a friend who’s a woodworker, he noted. Community members have sewn THEmasks ARTFUL WORD cotton for other employees.

8 SO. MAIN STREET WEDNESDAYS > right 9:00now, p.m.

“We don’t need thanks or feelST. ALBANS good vibes,” Hyde said “We need support.”

524-3769 The bonus for employees at City Market follows a series of precautionary measures the co-op has implemented in an effort to minimize the risk of exposure to the virus.16t-railcitymarket040120.indd 1 3/25/20 These include reducing store hours to allow more time for cleaning, prepackaging bulk items and installing Plexiglas guards at the cashier stations.

Though City Market saw a substantial boost in sales earlier in March, after the announcement of the state’s first COVIDCHANNEL 15 19 case, sales have declined since.

“In the conversations that we just had with the union, we wanted to really value our staff and put forward some kind of MONDAYS > 10:00 A.M. compensation,” Tashiro said. “[But] in the last week, our sales have been declining GET MORE INFO OR pretty significantly.”

WATCH ONLINE AT About 900 food retailers in Vermont VERMONTCAM.ORG employ roughly 19,000 people, according to Erin Sigrist, president of the Vermont Retail & Grocers Association.

16T-VCAM040120.indd 1 3/30/20 In the past two weeks she’s heard from an increasing number of businesses about their intent to do all they can to support their employees, Sigrist said.

“But they’re obviously working within finite resources, and they’re trying to keep all of their employees at the same time,” she said. “They’re doing the best they can to figure out what is possible within their situation.”

Green, the grocery stocker at City Market, said the anxiety of the situation is tiring. During the workday, he washes his hands regularly, changes his gloves often and tries to maintain an appropriate distance between himself and coworkers and customers. It’s a “scary time” to work CURBSIDE OR PICK UP in a grocery store, he acknowledged.

IN ENTRY WAY “It’s a constant anxiety that hangs out at the back of my mind, and it does take NEW COMFORT FOOD MENU: its toll,” he said. Green graduated last year Burgers, Prime Rib, Cobb Salad, from the University of Vermont, where he Chicken Wings and other majored in philosophy. rib-warming items.

“I end up more exhausted after shifts, which I think is unfortunate,” he continOtis’ Famous Margaritas + ued, “because fatigue is a risk factor for the any drink to go! immune system working properly. And it Follow us on for daily specials might put me more at risk of contracting the virus if I were exposed to it.” m

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Pantry Prep « P.38

Eggs on Everything

WHEN YOU ARE HOME AND THERE IS NOTHING ELSE TO DO,

THEN YOU KNOW IT’S CHATPATE TIME.

Bread, vegetables and other local groceries

J E E TAN K H AD K A

Local Larder

Mieko Ozeki is the market director of the Burlington Farmers Market and founder of Vermont Womenpreneurs. The farmers market had to cancel its remaining winter markets due to the shutdown of the University of Vermont campus, so it’s no surprise that Ozeki is stocking up on ingredients from local producers.

Loaves of bread are at the top of her shopping list. “It’s the thing that fills us,” she said by phone. She’s been buying from O Bread Bakery and Miss Weinerz, slicing any leftovers and Mieko Ozeki putting them in the freezer to keep a constant supply.

Bagels are also in the mix, she said. “My kid eats bagels every day, so if I run out, I’m screwed.”

Ozeki grew up on bagels, too, as a native of New York City’s Lower East Side; she said she misses a good bialy here in Vermont, and not just during quarantine.

Fresh vegetables are hugely important in Ozeki’s work at the market, as well as in her cooking. “Vegetables just make you feel human again,” she said. She has been stocking up at the co-op and directly from farmers. Several of the regular Burlington Farmers Market vendors are selling produce through the Intervale Food Hub right now, she pointed out.

Ozeki couldn’t resist suggesting purchasing gift certificates from farmers to help them through the coronavirus crisis.

“This is a big moment for us to think about our food system,” she said. “These small businesses and farmers are providing essential services, and they’re the backbone of our economy — and perhaps our answer about how to restart it.”

J.B.

40

SEVEN DAYS APRIL 1-8, 2020

Jeetan Khadka

Currying Favor

Jeetan Khadka is the owner of Nepali Kitchen in Essex Junction, which he opened in 2016. He and his family live in Essex, where they enjoy sharing Nepalese meals together.

Khadka agreed with Long about rice, calling it “the must-have, most essential, long-lasting and easily digestible food.”

“No Asian household is complete without rice,” Khadka wrote in an email. “When people were stocking up [on] toilet paper, we were emptying every grain of rice from the store. You will never get bored eating rice; you can mix rice into anything.”

His next ingredient is actually a compilation of ingredients: curry (tarkari). “In my house, we curry up everything. No meal is complete without having curry on the side,” Khadka wrote. “If you love curry, you know what I am talking about.”

To keep the curry coming, he stocked up on meat, vegetables and spices.

Khadka is thinking between meals, too, listing chatpate (a Nepali snack) as a musthave. “Chatpate is not something I would eat every day, but you must have all the ingredients at all [times],” he wrote. “When you are home and there is nothing else to do, then you know it’s chatpate time.” If you weren’t already convinced, Khadka described the popular snack as spicy, crispy, limey and “very tasty.”

S.P.

Neil Solis is chef/co-owner of the Daily Planet, which he purchased in January.

After making renovations at the restaurant, he recently launched a new menu, including lunch service and late-night dining. Solis and his wife and business partner, Rachel, have a 6-month-old son, Lyle. “I can’t wait to actually cook for him,” Solis wrote in an email.

The key to his food picks is “versatility,” and eggs top the menu. “I eat them every Neil day, one way Solis or another.

Breakfast, lunch or dinner, fried, boiled or poached, I’ll add an egg on just about anything savory.”

They’re key for recycling leftovers and great for drinking, too; Solis is a big fan of cocktails with a shaken egg white for texture.

He said he tries to purchase whole animals — organs and bones included — whenever possible. “I’ve been lucky to usually get a deer in my freezer, but even when it comes to farm-raised meat, poultry and fish, I prefer to get everything,” he wrote. “Having bones for stock blows the door wide open on what I can prepare with other foods in the house, and [they’re] a huge part of my home and professional cooking.”

Canned tomatoes find their way into a lot of Solis’ food, as well. He described the pantry staple as “a perfect medium for braises, essential for chili and great for a simple soup if you’re not looking to cook all day.”

Solis cans his own tomatoes whenever possible and wrote that adding those garden gems elevates dishes “big time.”

“I bet we’re all looking forward to sun and fresh summer air,” he wrote.

“For now, I’m just staying positive and staying the fuck home!”

S.P.

An Apple a Day (and Chocolate)

Ariel Zevon lives with her 15-year-old twin sons at their off-the-grid homestead in Peacham. She’s a musician and a chef with a long commitment to food justice.

Zevon runs a seasonal food truck in the Northeast Kingdom, Chez Mami, at which the food is “always accessible to any and all, no matter the Ariel Zevon means,” Zevon wrote in an email.

At her farm, she raises goats, emu, Mangalitsa pigs, donkeys, turkeys and other animals. Her approach to choosing essential ingredients varies depending on the main objective: “...stay alive/ survive; as opposed to requirements to keep me from tearing the heads off of anyone unlucky enough to wind up

stranded with me in the post apocalypse,” she wrote in an email.

Zevon listed eggs, “for the well-being of the physical body,” noting that optimally they should be good and fresh.

Rice made her list, too; she specified brown.

Finally, Zevon wrote: “a fruit, of which there are so many to crave … but the good old apple a day would probably save the day.”

For maintaining her sanity, Zevon chose “dark chocolate (duh), a good aged cheese like cantal or manchego, or good sharp cheddar … and a hardy leafy green such as kale/collards/mustards.”

S.P.

food+drink Take the Thinking Out of Drinking

bar always has a bunch of base spirits, like gin and whiskey,” she said. “If you add vermouth, you can make equal part cocktails at home all day … It takes the thinking out of drinking.”

For responsible quarantine day drinking, Stewart makes a low-ABV sipper with the vermouth (stored in the fridge after opening). “Crack open that can of sparkling water, take a couple big chugs, then pour in the vermouth and add a peel of that lemon you’ve been using for cooking, and go for it,” Sas Stewart she said.

Finally, Stewart stressed the importance of giving ourselves a little break during the stress of a worldwide pandemic. “I live by myself, and no one knows my cooking plan but me,” she said. “I always make sure to have frozen burritos, and they’re huge on the mornings when I sleep in. I still need to eat breakfast, but I’m not about to cook an egg.

I’ll throw a burrito in the microwave and make something that’s better for dinner, but it’s cool.

No one is watching.”

Sas Stewart is an entrepreneur, known for cofounding Stonecutter Spirits and the cocktail bar Highball Social, as well as creating the pop-up Adventure Dinner series. She’s currently consulting on brand and business strategy in the food and beverage field via Zoom calls, while social distancing from her apartment in Vergennes.

Catching up over the phone this week, Stewart mentioned comfort foods, including frozen cookie dough from Haymaker Bun — for snacking — and organic gummy bears, available at City Market, Onion River Co-op.

But the multipurpose lemon topped Stewart’s list. “Zest your lemons!” she said.

“The outside is great on top of salads, and it can transform steamed broccoli into something delicious.

“I like that it transitions — one lemon — from using the outside for dinner, and then using the inside for a drink,” Stewart continued. “I even use the leftover to wipe down my sink and make it smell nice. I’m a devotee of the everlasting ingredient.”

Speaking of drinks, Stewart thinks vermouth is great for quarantine — both sweet and dry. “My

J.B.

Contact: jbarry@sevendaysvt.com, sally@sevendaysvt.com

Sas Stewart’s daily “tiny drawings” of quarantine meals

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2H-MtnTimes040120 1

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by Vt. Liquor Brokers or individual companies. Not responsible for typographical errors.

SEVEN DAYS APRIL 1-8, 2020

41

3/27/20 2:56 PM

From our family to yours,

thinking of friends, patrons and loved ones.

We are committed to community and looking forward to a time when we can all break bread together again.

PLEASE CHECK WITH ORGANIZERS IN ADVANCE.

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.

Fire & Ice

Vermont’s Iconic Dinnerhouse 26 Seymour Street | Middlebury | 802.388.7166 | fireandicerestaurant.com 6H-fire&ice032520.indd 1

classes

CLASSES MAY BE CANCELED OR MOVED ONLINE DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS.

3/20/20 3:52 PM

When Life Was Simpler...

...and The Music Was Better!

design/build

martial arts

UX DESIGN BOOTCAMP: In this 12-week, full-time course, you will learn both user experience (UX) design and user interface (UI) design. You will quickly advance through topics of increasing complexity, applying creative problemsolving skills to design based on research. You will leave this course career ready, knowing every step of the design process. Jun. 8-Aug. 28, Mon.Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Location: Burlington Code Academy, 182 Main Street, Suite 305, Burlington. Info: Sadie Goldfarb, 978-380-2440, sgoldfarb@ burlingtoncodeacademy.com, burlingtoncodeacademy.com.

VERMONT BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU: Brazilian jiujitsu is a martial arts combat style based entirely on leverage and technique.

Brazilian jiujitsu self-defense curriculum is taught to Navy SEALs, CIA, FBI, military police and special forces. No training experience required. Easy-to-learn techniques that could save your life!

Classes for men, women and children.

Students will learn realistic bullyproofing and self-defense life skills to avoid becoming victims and help them feel safe and secure.

Our sole purpose is to help empower people by giving them realistic martial arts training practices they can carry with them throughout life. IBJJF and CBJJ certified black belt sixth-degree instructor under Carlson Gracie Sr.: teaching in Vermont, born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A five-time Brazilian National Champion; International World Masters Champion and IBJJF World Masters Champion. Accept no Iimitations! Location: Vermont Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 55 Leroy Rd., Williston. Info: 598-2839, julio@bjjusa.com, vermontbjj.com.

drumming DJEMBE & TAIKO: JOIN US!: Digital classes starting March 30! (No classes on-site for now.)

Taiko: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Djembe: Wednesday. Kids and Parents: Tuesday and Wednesday.

Private digital conga lessons by appointment. Let’s prepare for a future drum gathering outdoors! Schedule/register online. Location: Taiko Space, 208 Flynn Ave., Suite 3G, Burlington. Info: 999-4255, burlingtontaiko.org.

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 14th 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.

THE ONE FOR MORE MUSIC!

101.7 NORTHERN VERMONT • CHAMPLAIN VALLEY • CENTRAL VERMONT

ONLINE ART & FRENCH CLASSES: WINGSPAN STUDIO: Let’s Get Creative: the name of the quarantine.

Wingspan offers art and French options for all ages/levels. Merci for supporting this small biz; sliding scale available. Full schedule at Seven Days online and studio’s Facebook. FRArt Kids, French adult/wine convo, Tween/Teen, virtual parties, paint sips.

All power to imagination, now and always.

Adult French: Tue. & Thu. Kids FRArt: Wed. & Fri. Teen Art: Mon. & Wed. Tween Art: Tue. & Thu. Adult Art: Sat. Adult French Convo: Mon., Wed., Fri. by session or weekly. Location: Wingspan Studio, 4A Howard St., Burlington. Info: Maggie Standley, 233-7676, maggiestandley@gmail.com, wingspanstudioeduc.com.

yoga EVOLUTION YOGA: Now offering online classes. Practice yoga with some of the most experienced teachers and therapeutic professionals in Burlington, from the comfort of your home.

All are welcome. Sign up on our website and receive a link to join a live class. Pay as you go or support us by becoming an unlimited member. Daily drop-in classes, including Flow, Kaiut, Flow/Yin, Destress, Yoga Therapeutics classes led by physical therapists. Dive deeper into your practice! $10-$15/ class; $140/10-class card; $10/ community class. New students $100/10-class card. New! Student Monthly Unlimited just $55/mo.

Location: Evolution Yoga, 20 Kilburn St., Burlington. Info: 864-9642, evolutionvt.com.

CLASS PHOTOS + MORE INFO ONLINE SEVENDAYSVT.COM/CLASSES 42

SEVEN DAYS APRIL 1-8, 2020

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LUCY ABAIR • SUSAN ABELL • CELESTE ADAMS • JANE ADAMS • MARY ADMASIAN • RICHARD AHRENS • JESSICA AKEY • JOHN ALARIE • SARAH ALBERT • JAMIE ALBERTY • PATRICIA ALDOM JOAN ALESHIRE • CRAIG ALLEN • KAREN AMIRAULT • FORREST ANDERSON • HEIDI ANDERSON • KRISTIN ANDERSON • MARY ANTANAVICA • BRIAN APPLEBERRY • JENNIFER ARBUCKLE JESSICA ARENDT • AUSTIN ASHLEY • CAROLINE AUBRY • MIKE AVELLA • GUY BABB • ELYSSA BACK • ANDY BAER • ADRIENNE BAKER • IRIS BANKS • ANNE BARBANO • DAVID BARDAGLIO K MARK BARLOE • MAUREEN BARNARD • JULIA BARNES • DANIEL BARRICK • SUSAN BARTLETT • CAROLYN BATES • GEOFFREY BATTISTA • LOIS BEATTY • JACOB BEAUREGARD ALISON BECHDEL • BRAD BENEDICT • KANDACE BENEDINI • MARGARET BENN • NANCY BERCAW • JEN BERGER • ZAIL BERRY • STEPHEN BERTRAND • JANET BIEHL • DAVID BIGELOW LINDA BLACKERBY • SCOTT BLANCHARD • BRADLEY BLANCHETTE • THOMAS & BARBARA BLOOM • LESLI BLOUNT • ELIZABETH BLUTO • JOCELYN BOLICK • ARIEL BOLLES • TYLER BOLLES BOB BOLYARD • KIM BOMBARD • PAULA BONHOMME • PETER BOOTH • JEANNE BOUCHER • BROOKE BOUSQUET • DEB BOUTON • WILLIAM BOYKIN-MORRIS • SANFORD BRAGG PATRICIA BRANLEY • JAMES BRANNEN • WENDY BRAUER • LISA BRIDGE • MARILYN BRILL • BERNE BROUDY • JANE BROWN • LYDIA BROWN • MARTHA BROWN • CHERYL BROWNELL CHESS BROWNELL • PAUL BRUHN • MIKE BRYAN • LORI BRYANT • JEANNE BULEY • FRAN BULL • LEIGH BULLOCK • PAT BURNS • LYNN BURSELL • JOHN BYRNE • ELLEN CAIRNS WILLIAM CALFEE • DARYL CAMPBELL • GRAHAM CAMPBELL • SARAH CAMPBELL • DOUGLAS CARDIN • LYNNE CARDOZO • MATTHEW CARMOLLI • PAUL CARNAHANGARY DE CAROLIS TIFFANY PFEIFFER CARR • JAMIE CARROLL • JOANN CARSON • DIANNE CARTER • LORRAINE CARTER-LOVEJOY • MARCY CARTON • JEFF CARTWRIGHT • CHARLES CASTELLI CHRIS CASWELL • DONALD CATALANO • LAURA CAWLEY • PENNY CAYIA • JOHN CERASUOLO • WILLIAM CHABOT • MARK CHADURJIAN • JUDITH CHALMER • ANGIE CHAPPLE-SOKOL FRANK CIOFFI • CHARITY CLARK • RICH CLARK • SUSAN CLARK • WILLIAM CLARK • LYNN AND GREG CLUFF • WENDY COE • JANIE COHEN • RICH COHEN • MIKE COLBOURN • MORGAN COLE ROBERT COLEBURN • LINDSAY COLF • CAROL COLLINS • MAUREEN COLLINS • JULIA COMPAGNA • BEACH CONGER • BRADFORD COOK • BRIAN CORCORAN • CARMEN CORMIER • LISA COVEN DAVID CRANE • JASPER CRAVEN • BRUCE CRAWFORD • DARYL CRONIN • MELISSA CRONIN • RONALYN CUMMINGS • EVI CUNDIFF • AMY CUNNINGHAM • ANN CURRAN • BROOKE CUTLAN MICHAELA DAVICO • MARIE DAVIS • MARK DAVIS • MARGO DEARBHAIL • MELITA DEBELLIS • BEN DEBUTTS • KELLY DECKER • DAVID DEEN • JOSEPH DELANEY • AMBER DELAURENTIS DAVID DEMAG • DANIELLE DEMARSE • MATTHEW DENDINGER • GREGORY DENNIS • NANCY DENNIS • JOSHUA DICKERSON • JEFF DICKSON • ERIC DIETRICH • DERICK DIRMAIER MARC DIXON • TAYLOR DOBBS • MATTHEW DODDS • LOVEJOY DOLE • LEIGH DOLIN • CHRISTOPHER DONNELLY • KERRY DONNELLY • DAVID DONOHUE • TOM DORETY SYLVIE DOUBLIE • PATRICIA DOUGHERTY • ALAN B DOUGLAS • JASON VAN DRIESCHE • FRANK DRISCOLL • SARAHJANE DUBE • LOLA DUFFORT • CHRISTINE DUNBAR • CAROL EGGERT ROBERT EGGERT-PELUSO • BRUCE ELLIOTT • MARTHA ELMES • ANNE & DAVID ELSTON • ALAN ENGLISH • HENRY EPP • CHRISTINA ERICKSON • LIA ERNST • CINDY ERWIN • ALYCE ESCHER ERIK ESCKILSEN • JANE EWING • MICHAEL FABER • DAVID FAIRFAX • SAM FARIS • FRANK FARKAS • CHRISTOPHER FARNSWORTH • WILLIAM FARR • MARY FASANO • GLYNNIS FAWKES WHITNEY FEININGER • KATHY FELDER • KAREN FIEBIG • ALICE FIFIELD • SCOTT FINN • ROBERTO FITZGERALD • ERIK FITZPATRICK • KATHRYN FLAGG • MARTHA FLANIGAN • SHARON SKYE FOREST LINSEY E FOSTER-MASON • SUSAN FOWLER • ISABEL FOX • ROGER FOX • EVE FRANKEL • CARRIE FREDETTE • RYAN FREEBERN • SHAWN FREEBERN • JOHN FREIDIN • CARY FRIBERG RYON FRINK • OUIDA FRITSCHI • HEATHER FROMKIN • WILLIAM FUQUA • BARBARA GEORGE • ALLISON GERGELY • DARIN GILLIES • SUSAN GILMORE • BONNIE GINTIS HARRY GOLDHAGEN • ETHAN GOLDMAN • RICHARD GOLDMAN • MATTHEW GOLEC • GEORGE AND CLAUDIA GONDA • KAREN GONNET • DAVID GOODMAN • KAREN GRACE MATT GRADYMADELINE GRAHAM • GRETCHEN GRANER • MARY GRAVEL • SHERYL GRAVES • JANET GREEN • MICHAEL GREEN • RICK GREEN • JENNIFER GREENWOOD • LAURA GREENWOOD ROBIN GREGG •ELIZABETH GRIBKOFF • KEITH GROSS • MARY LOU GROSS • KEN GROSSMAN • KATHY GRUBER • KAREN GUTH • BETH GUTWIN • DOUGLAS JOHNSON AND VIOLA HAARMANN CHARLES HAAS • SUZY HAAS • ROBERT HALE • ANDREA ROGERS HALL • REBECCA HALL • MARY S HAMAN • MARY HAMILTON • MARLA HANDY • ELAINE HANEY • ERIN HANLEY AMANDA HANNAFORD • DANITA HANSON • PENELOPE HARRIS • JOSEPH HASAZI • SABINA HASKELL • CHRISTINE HAUSLEIN • HELEN HEAD • DEB HEALEY • CHRIS HEBERT • JOANNE HEIDKAMP SARAH HEIL • PAUL HEINTZ • SUSAN HENRY • CAMERON HIGBY-NAQUIN • KATHARINE HIKEL • JAN HILBORN • JIM HINCKS • VALERIE HIRD • MARK HITCHCOX • SARA HOBSON • DEB HODGES DOROTHY HODSON • CELESTE HOFLEY • GAIL HOLMES • KELLY HOLT • SUSAN HONG • CHAD HORVATH • ERICA HOUSKEEPER • HAYLEY HOWARD • OLGA HOWARD • STACY HUFFSTETLER LISA HUGHES • MADELINE HUGHES • JANE SOUZA HULSTRUNK • SAMANTHA HUNT • STEVEN HUNT • NYKIA HUNTER • SUSAN HURD • EMMA HUVOS • ROBERT HYAMS • THOMAS HYDE JESSICA HYMAN • ANTHONY IARRAPINO • EMMA INTERLANDI • ELIZABETH IZZO • CYNTHIA JACKSON • JUSTIN JACKSON • MAJOR & DIDI JACKSON • ROBERT G JACOB • ALI JALILI KATHLEEN JAMES • DON JAMISON • MATTHEW JENNINGS • BRIAN JENNISON • KATIE JICKLING • BERTRAM JOHNSON • MARIE JOHNSON • NICHOLE JOLLY • GRAY JONES HELEN ROCK & ANDY JONES • ROBERT WALDO BRUNELLE JR • LISA VON KANN • KIRK KARDASHIAN • SUSAN KAVANAGH • AMY KAY • MARY KEATOR • JEANNE KELLER CHRISTA KEMP • SARAH KENNEY • BILL KEOGH • KRISTINA KIARSIS • RENEE AND DOUG KIEVIT-KYLAR • SHANNON-ROSE KILPATRICK • JOHN EDGAR KING • SHAUN KING • BRENDAN KINNEY ERIN KIRKPATRICK • JANE KITCHEL • PAULA KITCHEL • MATT KLEIN • OLIVIER KNOX • RAMA KOCHERLAKOTA • KARJALA KOPONEN • TOM KOSIBA • ANNA KOVALIV • DOREEN KRAFT OLIVER KRANICHFELD • LISA KRASSOVSKY • PAMELA KRAYNAK • CONNIE KROSNEY • COLETTE KULIG • JULIAN KULSKI • MADELEINE KUNIN • LISA KUSEL • PATRICK LACLAIR CHUCK LACY • JO LAFONTAINE • FRED LAGER • MARTIN LALONDE • JOSEPH LAMBERT • MOLLY LAMBERT • ANDY LAMDIN • LISA LAMDIN • DAMON LANE • JAMES LANTZ • KATHLEEN LARAMEE JENNIFER LARSEN • SARAH LAUGHLIN • LORETTA LAUZON • TOM LAW • KAREN LEARY • CYNDI LEGG • SUSAN LEHAN • PETER LEONARD • IAN LEVY • JODI LEW-SMITH ANNE LEZAKLYNETTE LIEB • CYNTHIA & HUGO LIEPMANN • W. HUGO LIEPMANN • SABRINA LIGUORI • KARIN LIME • ALI LINDBERG • JANE LINDHOLM • BRUCE LINDWALL • THOMAS LITTLE JENNIFER LOISEAU • PATRICIA LOLLER • CALVIN LONGE • MARY LONGEY • LINDA LOONEY • MARY LORD • MELISSA LORETAN • SAM LUCCI • KEVIN LUMPKIN • LISA LUMPKIN SAMUEL LURIE • SARAH LYONS • DIANNE MACCARIO • BENJAMIN MACE • TYLER MACHADO • COURTNEY MACKENZIE • ROBYN MAHER • GIULIANA MAMMUCARI • JERROLD C MANOCK ALEX MARTIN • DUNCAN MARTIN • RUX MARTIN • JEFF MASTERS • ALAN MATSON • SALLY MATSON • CAROL MAULHARDT • TIM MAYO • MARK MCATEER • SUZIE MCCOY • MAUREEN MCELANEY BETH MCELROY • DAWN MCGINNIS • BILL MCKIBBEN • RYAN MCLAREN • NANCY MCMAHAN • JONATHAN MCNALLY • BILL MCNAMARA • MICHAEL MCNAMARA • SANDRA MCTYGUE KIRKE MCVAY • STEPHEN MEASE • SENA MEILLEUR • JEFF MELLER • KRISTEN MERCURE • BRIAN MERRILL • IAN METCALF • SEAN METCALF • MEGHAN METZLER • ROXANNE MEUSE HEIKE MEYER • KATHERINE MEYER • LAURA AND STUART MEYER • MUFFIE MILENS • HINDA MILLER • JESSICA MILLER • JOHN MILLS • MK MONLEY • TED MONTGOMERY • LAURIE MONTY KATHLEEN MOORE • MARGARET MOORE • NANCY MORGAN • BONNIE MORRISSEY • JAN MORSE • RACHEL MORTON • ANTONY VAN DER MUDE • JULIE MUELLER • TERRELL MULLLINS KIERAN MULVANEY • COLLEEN MURPHY • JACQUELINE MURPHY • TIMOTHY MURPHY • BOB MURRAY • SHARON MURRAY • SHERRILL MUSTY • SARAH MUYSKENS • MARC NADEL MATTHEW NADLER • BARRY NEVILLE • TAYLOR NEWTON • ALLAN NICHOLLS • WILLIAM NORTHUP • SPENCER NOWAK • ROSEMARY O’NEILL • LINDA OATS • JOHN OBRIEN MARY OBRIEN • CAROL ODE • HERBERT OGDEN • SUSAN OHANIAN • OLIVER OLSEN • SETH OLSON • BILL ORLEANS • JESSICA OSKI • MARY OTTO • STEPHEN OVERTON • MIEKO OZEKI RAY PADGETT • CHRISTOPHER PARLIN • DEB PARRELLA • POLLY PARSONS • SCOTT PAVEK • LISA PAWLIK • CHRISTOPHER PEARSON • BONNIE PEASE • KATIE PELLICO • HEATHER PEMBROOK CHARLES PERKINS • GEORGE PERKINS • MATTHEW PERRY • ERIN PETENKO • SUE & DICK PHILLIP • EMILY PICCIRILLO • DIANE PIERCE • RANDAL PIERCE • GEOFFREY PIZZUTILLO• ANN POND BETSY POND • MARGARET POND • LIZZY POPE • REBA PORTER • ERIK POST • STEPHEN POUX • SUE PRESS • ELIZABETH PRESTON • MONIQUE PRIESTLEY • ALISON PRINE • SARA PULS ALAN QUACKENBUSH • SUE RAATIKAINEN • LAURA RABINOVITZ • LAURA RAMIREZ • JUDITH RAVEN • TONY REDINGTON • ELODIE REED • ANNE RENDINOJAMES JOANNE RESMER MELISSA RHODES-GOSS • LACEY RICHARDS • BARBARA RICHARDSON • NELSON RILEY • DEBORAH ROBERTS • HARRIET ROBERTSON • PAT ROBINS • DAVID ROBY • LORETTA ROBY BARBARA SAYLOR RODGERS • ETHAN ROGATI • VALERIE ROHY • FRANK ROMARY • JEAN ROOK • MILTON ROSA-ORTIZ • EMILY ROSE • ANDREA ROSEN • GAIL ROSENBERG • MARY ROSS Our•world has changed almost ANGELINA ROUTLY • JULIE RUBAUD • DEBORAH RUBIN • PAUL RUESS • GEORGE RUSSELL • ALLISON RYDER • BENJAMIN SADEWICZ LISA SAMMET • RANDALL SARGENT • KYME SARI overnight — and journalists LISA SCAGLIOTTI • SUE SCHEIN • JANINE SCHEINER • ROBYN SCHENCK • DAVID SCHERR • KATHRYN SCHLOFF • DAWN SCHNEIDERMAN • BILLlocal SCHUBART • CHARLOTTE SCOTT CHRIS SCOTT • JOHN SCOTT • PHIL SCOTT • JANNGRACE SEALE • GEEDA SEARFOORCE • DEBORAH SEATON • MICHAEL SEAVER •are GREG SEVERANCE • MARYLOU SHARP trying to make sense of it. • CAROL SHEA LAWRENCE SHELTON • MAGGIE SHERMAN • JULIA SHIPLEY • RACHEL SIEGEL • DAVE SILBERMAN • KATE SIMONE • SEQUANA SKYE • DENNIS SMITH • KIM SMITH • TRACY SMITH • PENNY SNOW you appreciate accurate and CYNTHIA SNYDER • JENNA SONNEBORN • ERICA SPIEGEL • JENNIFER SPRAGUE • SCOTT SPRINGER • CHRIS STAATS • DEE STEFFAN If • ANDREW STEIN • DEBRA STENNER • ELIZABETH STERN MOLLY STEVENS • SUSAN STITELY • FRANCES STODDARD • TANYA STONE • KARI STORM • NEIL STOUT • KAYLEE SULLIVAN • TOM SULLIVAN • SARAH SULLY • SANDRA local information during the SUNDARABHAYA JO ELLEN SWAINE • KATHLEEN SWANSON • PAYTON SWICK • NICHOLAS SZUMOWSKI • THOMAS TABER • FRIENDS OF GREEN TARA • JOHN TAYLOR • CHRIS TEBBETTS COVID-19 pandemic, become •aCECILIA TELEFUS ELLEN TEMPLE • ELIZABETH TEMPLETON • JOHN TERRY • STEPHEN TERRY • DAVID THOMAS • ERIC THOMAS • FRANCES THOMAS • JOHN THOMAS • ANNE THOMPSON SEVEN DAYSTOMS SUPER READER. CARO THOMPSON •KIRSTEN THOMPSON • VICTORIA TIBBITS • LEEANN TIFFAULT • CHUCKNMEEM TIPPER • KATIE TITTERTON • ANDREA TODD • ROBERT • SHAY TOTTEN • TRACY TREADWELL BENNETT TRUMAN • AMANDA TUCKER • SAGE TUCKER-KETCHAM • DANIEL TUHUS-DUBROW • ERIN TUNNICLIFFE • NAOMI TWERY •With BILLYyour VANNfi• nancial CHRISTINA VELADOTA • JULIE VIGDOR support, KARL VINSONROMAN VOGEL • ALLISON BELISLE AND DAVID VONHOLDEN • SALISSA WAHLERS • ETHAN WALDMAN • PETERwe’ll WALKE • BARBARA WALKER LISA & KEVIN WALKER keep delivering and •making STEVE WALKERMAN • KATY WALLACE • RUTH WALLMAN • BENJAMIN WANG • KATE WANNER • GARVIN WARNER • KARINA WARSHAW • DEBORAH WATERMAN • LAURA WATERS • MATTHEW WEBB of the news.

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43

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44

SEVEN DAYS APRIL 1-8, 2020

1T-house(thankYou)040120.indd 1

3/31/20 9:05 PM

currently no

music+nightlife

Emotionally Charged Vermont-based hip-hop artist nothing,nowhere. talks filmmaking, self-care and gender equality

E

arlier this year, Vermont-based musician Joe Mulherin, who performs as nothing,nowhere., was gearing up for a six-week cross-country tour to perform his emotionally driven blend of rock and melodic hip-hop. But, as COVID-19 invaded the globe, he canceled his upcoming shows, including an April 14 kickoff at Burlington’s ArtsRiot.

Mulherin, 27, grew up in Massachusetts and moved to Vermont to attend Burlington College. SoundCloud drops starting in 2015 led to a record deal with DCD2 — a subimprint of Fueled by Ramen founded by Pete Wentz. Gigs around the world soon followed. In 2019, Mulherin achieved a pop-punk fan’s fantasy by collaborating with Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker on the joint EP BLOODLUST. Followers know that the Green Mountain State holds a special place in the musician’s heart. The vocalist, guitarist and producer references Vermont in bops such as “Hammer,” in which he claims to be “reppin’ VT like my name Bernie Sanders.” He also hyped the state in a 2017 New York Times profile that declared his big-time debut Reaper “one of the most promising albums of the year.” Oddly, he had yet to actually perform in his adopted home state.

When he spoke with Seven Days by phone JOE MUL HE RIN in February, Mulherin, who lives in Williston, was stoked on the idea of finally playing his first show in his favorite state. “For so long I feel like I’ve been living almost a double life,” he said. “I come back to my sanctuary of Vermont as Joe, and I’m touring elsewhere in the world as nothing,nowhere.”

Despite the North American cancellations, European dates starting in September are still listed on Mulherin’s website, and he has asked fans via social media to stay tuned for updates on a livestream concert.

COURTESY OF FOX BEACH

B Y K R IST EN R AV I N

I COME BACK TO MY SANCTUARY OF VERMONT AS JOE, AND I’M TOURING ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD AS NOTHING,NOWHERE.

SEVEN DAYS: I want to start by talking about the “Nightmare” video that came out in January. Your Johnny Malibu character, who reminds me of “Cobra Kai”-era Johnny Lawrence, brings a degree of levity that’s not typical of your videos. What prompted you to make a video that could be read as relatively lighthearted compared to your other work?

JOE MULHERIN: That’s a good question. I feel like I’m a musician who just so happens to make really raw music about what I’m feeling, and I’ve sort of made a career off

Joe Mulherin, who performs as nothing,nowhere.

of screaming my emotions into the void. I’ve met so many people from around the world who have told me that my music helps them — people who are really struggling with anxiety and depression. I think it’s important to show that mental illness and anxiety and depression — it’s just part of me; it’s not all of me. I still laugh, I still have fun with my friends, and I still have great days.

SD: In 2013 Seven Days reported that a short film you made as a student at Burlington College won some prizes at the Cannes Film Festival. Is filmmaking still a part of your creative life?

JM: Yeah, totally. I was a student of Burlington College, rest in peace, and I studied film there — film is another one of my first loves. Now I’m in a position where I get to combine music with film when I do music videos. I still get to write up treatments, I still get to daydream and think up these worlds and make them come to life in the music videos, so I’m really happy I can still do that.

SD: I recently watched Everybody’s Everything, the documentary about Lil Peep, who was so talented and, sadly, passed away at age 21. How have the fatalities among artists in the SoundCloud-first genre affected your approach to being in the music industry?

JM: It definitely affects me. With a lot of these artists — who have passed away who came from the same scene that I did when we all started some years back — you see the quick rise to fame and you see kids who gain everything in such a short amount of time. And they don’t have the tools to deal with that stress and that anxiety and the burden of just being a young musician.

When I started to notice the trend of my peers passing away, it was a wake-up call to me in a way that was sort of unprecedented. I decided that I needed to put my well-being over everything, I needed to put meditation over everything, I needed to put self-care, therapy over everything, because you can get so caught up in the music industry, and it will swallow you up if you let it.

SD: You’ve talked a lot about practicing mindfulness as a way of managing your depression and anxiety.

Now you’re offering VIP meditation clinics as part of your North American tour. Are you personally guiding those meditations?

JM: Yes. Full disclaimer: I am certainly not a professional teacher by any means. I’m just someone who has experienced the benefits of meditation and mindfulness for some years. And we’re starting to play bigger venues, EMOTIONALLY CHARGED SEVEN DAYS APRIL 1-8, 2020

» P.47 45

NEED SOME ADVICE ON LIFE?

GOT MUSIC NEWS? MUSIC@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

REVIEW this Brand New Luddites, Terms & Conditions (SHARAWAJI RECORDS, CD, DIGITAL)

Brand New Luddites are more or less exactly what you’d expect, given their name: a vehemently anti-tech punk-rock outfit broadcasting from the woods of Vermont. Their debut LP, Terms & Conditions, is packed full of loud, catchy songs that are completely committed to the propaganda of an antitechnology revolution. This is not just shtick — this is war.

(But it is also shtick.)

If you’re just joining us, the Luddites are humanity’s last hope against Vermont’s premier purveyors of “robotic surf punk,” the Tsunamibots. The Luddites — whose ranks include Colonel Malware, Private Power Surge, Corporal Blue Screen of Death and Captain Virus — made their debut on the 2018 split project Man vs Machine, an epic duel against their human-crushing robot counterparts. (Make what you will of the fact that the bands share certain sonic and vocal similarities — OK, they’re almost exactly the same.)

While the Tsunamibots are content to shred through instrumentals, these Luddites are preachers with a message. In-jokes and heavy sarcasm abound throughout the record, but the band’s social critique hits hard — especially in an unexpected new era in which humans are mostly locked away at home, viewing the world through their screens.

From a purely technical standpoint, the Luddites absolutely rip. Years of experience crafting tight tunes have birthed a rock-solid set of deceptively simple songs.

Each is comically overblown, every line a rallying cry to smash the machines. But the album is also full of clever, cutting observations about the laziness, snap judgments and E-Z extremism that our modern technology enables — especially social media and smartphones.

The secret to the Luddites’ formula is their songwriting range and wickedly funny storytelling. Witness the opening lament, “The Internet Took My Baby,” or the sliceof-life vignettes of “Poison Electricity.” From the latter: “Postapocalyptic John / Well, he knows what’s going on / It’s no more birds, no more bees / With all these robots on TV.”

The centerpiece of the album, though, is “Fight Back,” the clearest manifesto in the band’s catalog to date.

Terms & Conditions marks another strong project for Ryan Cohen, the madscientist proprietor of Robot Dog Studio in Williston. (Presumably, no robot dogs were hurt during the recording of this LP, but I cannot guarantee that.) Guitars snarl, bass thumps, and drums are powerful and clear — everything you’d want from a punk album. What’s more, Cohen understands the overeducated meta-pastiche this crew is going for, and his production touches enhance the LP’s impact.

Unfortunately, the Mandatory AntiAndroid Uprising Record Release Party that the Luddites had planned for this Saturday, April 4, was canceled due to the plague, along with everything else. Still, that’s a pretty damn punk-rock reason to lose a gig, right?

Terms & Conditions is a dynamite punk set. Ironically enough, it’s also a timely, welcome and powerful distraction from the ongoing apocalypse. Give this puppy a spin, as loud as you possibly can.

Terms & Conditions will be available at tsunamibots.bandcamp.com on Friday, April 3.

music in the Eastern-influenced 19 EDOscale, otherwise known as microtonal music.

So, to review: A bird, an AI program and a dude playing metal that sounds out-of-key to the Western ear form Naegleria Fowleri — named for a brain-eating amoeba, by the way.

So there’s that, too.

I know you’re wondering: How good is the bird? Is this the Freddie Mercury of parrots? Well, let me tell you … uh, I don’t fucking know. It’s a bird, man.

On the sludgy, nü-metal-ish “Nausea,” Luna comes in hot, honking and bleeping in what I can only imagine is a parrot slow jam, perhaps an ode to another bird’s cloaca?

On “Latex Agglutination,” Zupancic and his AI drummer construct a churning, grinding riff explosion for Luna to really cut loose on. She’s clearly not worried about her phrasing on this one, opting instead for a blast of paranoid-sounding warbles that remind me a little of this time I watched an interview with Lil Wayne in which he was all coked out.

The thought that nagged me as I tried to decipher “Amphotericin B” — all while

Luna repeated a microtonal honk over and over, like a golf cart going in reverse — was, What if this is an avian concept record? What if, over these nigh-unlistenable 14 tracks, Zupancic and his bird are telling an epic avian story?

All the songs are named either for brain maladies, such as “Ataxia,” or the remedies that treat them, such as “Miltefosine.” Could this be a concept record about the world’s first bird doctor? (As in, a bird who is also a doctor.) But then I realized I was trying to decipher bird warbles, which I’m pretty sure was how Nikola Tesla started losing his marbles, so I went ahead and stopped wondering.

There aren’t many instances when I can advise putting on Prognosis Dire to kick back and enjoy the listen. Actually, there are none.

That said, sometimes the weirdest music must be cherished. Snark aside, I truly love that someone made a microtonal metal album with an AI, fronted by a bird. If you want to get all up in that kind of weird, check out Prognosis Dire, available on Wednesday, April 1, at naegleriafowleri.bandcamp.com, and enjoy the birdsong.

JUSTIN BOLAND

the

REVEREND A sage and sassy adviser to answer reader questions on matters large and small.

What’s your problem?

Send it to: asktherev@sevendaysvt.com

46

Naegleria Fowleri, Prognosis Dire (SELF-RELEASED, DIGITAL)

There will come a time when we all congregate as senior citizens, recapping the insanity that was life in the year 2020.

And as my geriatric friends try to one-up each other with crazy stories from the Year of WTF, I’ll sit back in my diaper and smile, waiting my turn.

Because I’ll know that in the spring of that year, I listened to and reviewed a metal album fronted by a bird.

What’s that you say?

You’ve heard of weirder? I don’t believe you, but fine. Prognosis Dire by Naegleria Fowleri goes to another level. Not only is this band’s lead singer a parrot named Luna Bird, but the drummer is an artificial intelligence program run on a miniature desktop computer.

Need more convincing? The only human in the band is none other than St. Johnsbury’s resident sonic instigator Bostjan Zupancic, aka Russ Hayes, who writes and performs his

GET YOUR MUSIC REVIEWED: SEVEN DAYS APRIL 1-8, 2020

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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

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and I’ve always made a point to meet everyone after the show, and the venues are getting to a size where that’s not always possible.

I didn’t want to do the classic “Hey, pay me money, and I’ll take a picture with you” kind of thing, ’cause I just don’t really support that. So I think this was a really cool opportunity to share meditation with those who aren’t familiar with it.

with Saint Michael’s College Graduate Programs

SD: You’re a vegan, and you’ve talked about being straightedge and committed to eco-friendly touring, so it seems like you take certain issues to heart. I wonder if you see a role for yourself in fostering gender equality in your industry.

JM: That’s a really important thing to bring up. Traditionally, the music industry has been undeniably biased toward male artists, specifically white male artists. It’s kind of disheartening, and I think, moving forward, there are steps that I can take; there are steps that everyone can take to make sure that we’re not forgetting about all the amazing talent in the other genders that make music. It would be really awesome to do a tour with all women artists or something of that vein, because some of my favorite artists ever happen to be female. It makes you wonder what the future is going to look like, and I’m optimistic.

SD: Imagine you’re on tour hundreds or thousands of miles away from Williston. What’s the one thing you can’t wait to see, do or eat when you’re back in Vermont? What makes you feel like you’re at home?

JM: Oh, man! I guess a trip to Dobrá Tea is first on the list. Depending on the season, hit up the A_Dog Skatepark in Burlington. If I come back in the winter, maybe it’s go to Stowe and get some runs in on my snowboard, or hit the [Vermont Association of Snow Travelers] trail system on my snowmobile.

It’s just overwhelming how many different things there are to do in Vermont in every single season, but I think the main thing I look forward to when I come back to Vermont is just the quiet. m This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.

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Untitled-6 1

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1/2/20 12:08 PM

Humane

Society of Chittenden County

Tiny AGE/SEX: 10-year-old spayed female ARRIVAL DATE: March 13, 2020

COURTESY OF KELLY SCHULZE/MOUNTAIN DOG PHOTOGRAPHY

REASON HERE: Tiny’s owner moved and couldn’t take her along.

SUMMARY: We all know that great things come in small packages, and Tiny sure fits the bill! This tiger-striped lady is just the right mix of playful and mature, with a good dose of cuddly thrown in there, too! Tiny is hoping she’ll soon get the chance to show off her sweet purrsonality and companionship skills to her new family!

CATS/DOGS: Tiny lived with cats in her previous home and may do well with another. She has no known history of living with dogs.

housing »

DID YOU KNOW? According to the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no evidence that pets can transmit or become ill with COVID-19. As we all spend more time isolated at home, the importance of our companion animals to our overall health becomes even greater. So give those furry friends a cuddle, go for a socially distant walk around the neighborhood and get in lots of playtime at home — it’s good for humans and animals alike!

Sponsored by:

Visit the Humane Society of Chittenden County at 142 Kindness Court, South Burlington, by appointment only due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Call 862-0135 or visit hsccvt.org for more information.

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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

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EMAILED ADVERTISEMENT Commercial Restaurant FF&E ADVERTISING INSERTION ORDER Wednesday, 8 @ 6PM Thomas Hirchak April Company 88 Oak Street, Burlington, VT FROM: Terra Keene Phone: 800-634-7653 Double-deck convection Advertising2@THCAuction.com ovens, range/ovens, soft

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16t-hirchakbrothers040120 1

readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. Any home seeker who feels he or she has encountered discrimination should contact: HUD Office of Fair Housing 10 Causeway St., Boston, MA 02222-1092 (617) 565-5309 — OR — Vermont Human Rights Commission 14-16 Baldwin St. Montpelier, VT 05633-0633 1-800-416-2010 hrc@vermont.gov

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Flip through your favorite local newspaper on your favorite mobile device.

(And yes, it’s still free.)

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HOWARDCENTER If you received services from Howard Center and would like a copy of your record, please contact Howard Center’s Health Information Department at 488-6000. In order to protect individuals’ privacy, the agency routinely destroys healthcare records after retaining them for the number of years required by law.

INVITATION FOR BID The Winooski Housing Authority is soliciting bids from qualified contractors for the Family Housing Siding, Trim, and Masonry Repair and Replacement project, located at 87 Elm Street and 181 Franklin Street, Winooski, Vermont.

This project will take place at two family housing sites, totaling 18 buildings. Scope: the complete removal of gutters and downspouts, the complete removal of distinct trim elements to be replaced with PVC equivalent, the selective repair or replacement of deteriorated siding and trim, and the selective repointing or replacement of brickwork.

A pre-bid conference will take place on April 1st, 2020, at 9:00am. Location: 87 Elm St, Winooski, VT, 05404.

Electronic bids will be accepted by Winooski Housing Authority until 04/22/2020 at 2:00pm.

Bids will be opened publicly via video conference.

Davis Bacon Wage Rates will apply. Late bids will not be accepted.

Please contact Nathaniel Jamison, Owner’s Project Representative at nathaniel@pcivt.com or 802-999-4764 to express interest, access bid documents, and submit bids.

If State or local authorities issue further mitigation measures to address COVID-19, the pre-bid conference will be rescheduled, and the bid award schedule adjusted accordingly.

Minority-owned and women-owned businesses are encouraged to participate.

STATE OF VERMONT SUPERIOR COURT CIVIL DIVISION WASHINGTON UNIT DOCKET NO. 181-3-16 WNCV NORTHCOUNTRY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, Plaintiff, v.

JOHN NICHOLAS LECOUNTE ANDERSON and OCCUPANTS residing at 108 Folsom Hill Road, Marshfield, Vermont, Defendant.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE By virtue of the Judgment Order, Decree of Foreclosure and Order for Public Sale entered on July 19, 2019, and in execution of the Power of Sale contained in a certain Mortgage given by John Nicholas LeCounte Anderson, dated July 10, 2015, and recorded in Book 94 at Pages 402-415 of the Town of Marshfield Land Records, which Mortgage NorthCountry Federal Credit Union is the present holder, for breach of the conditions of said Mortgage and for the purpose of foreclosing the same, the undersigned will cause to be sold to the highest bidder at Public Auction at 108 Folsom Hill Road, Marshfield, Vermont, at 11:00 a.m. on the 10th day of April, 2020, all and singular the premises described in said Mortgage.

The property is known as 108 Folsom Hill Road, Marshfield, Vermont.

The real estate is described in the aforesaid Mortgage is as follows: Being all and the same land and premises conveyed to John Nicholas LeCounte Anderson by Warranty Deed of Greg A. Breer dated July 10, 2015 and recorded in Volume 94 at Pages 399-401 of the Town of Marshfield Land Records.

Being a part of the same land and premises conveyed to Greg A. Breer by Quitclaim Deed of Irene L. Breer f/k/a Irene Rogers dated May 15, 2009 and recorded in Book 83, Page 126 of the Town of Marshfield Land Records.

Being further described as a parcel said to contain 2.01 acres together with improvements thereon and rights appurtenant thereto designated and commonly known as 108 Folsom Hill Road, Marshfield, Vermont and depicted as Parcel Lot #2 on a survey entitled

Show and tell.

»

View and post up to SEVENDAYSVT.COM/CLASSIFIEDSCalcoku “Subdivision of Land of Greg Breer Folsom Hill Road, Marshfield, Vermont” dated April 2015, prepared by Richard W. Bell, L.S. and recorded in the Town of Marshfield Records.

Reference is hereby made to the aforementioned instruments, the records thereof and the references therein contained, all in further aid of this description.

The description of the property contained in the Mortgage shall control in the event of a typographical error in this Notice.

TERMS OF SALE: The sale will be held at 108 Folsom Hill Road, Marshfield, Vermont. The property shall be sold AS IS, WITH ALL FAULTS, WITH NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, subject to all easements, rights-ofway, covenants, permits, reservations and restrictions of record, title defects, unforeclosed liens, environmental hazards, unpaid real estate taxes (delinquent and current), current and delinquent assessments in favor of homeowners associations, if any, and municipal liens, to the

highest bidder for cash.

At the sale, the successful bidder, other than the Mortgagee, shall pay $10,000 down (nonrefundable) in cash or bank treasurer check (or a combination thereof).

The deposit must be increased to at least 10% of the successful bid within five (5) calendar days of the public sale by an additional payment in cash or by bank treasurer’s check. The successful bidder shall execute a Purchase and Sale Agreement requiring payment of the balance of the purchase price within ten (10) days of entry of the court order confirming the sale. Before being permitted to bid at the sale, bidder shall display to the auctioneer proof of the ability to comply with these requirements. The successful bidder, other than the Mortgagee, must sign a NO CONTINGENCY Purchase and Sale Agreement satisfactory to Mortgagee at the sale.

Title will be transferred by the Order Confirming Sale. The person holding the sale may, for good cause, postpone the sale for a period of up to thirty (30) days, from time to time, until it is completed, giving notice

LEGALS »

6 photos per ad online.

Using the enclosed math operations as a guide, fill the grid using the numbers 1 - 6 only once in each row and column.

1-

6x

3÷

Open 24/7/365.

Sudoku

Post & browse ads at your convenience.

There’s no limit to ad length online.

Complete the following puzzle by using the numbers 1-9 only once in each row, column and 3 x 3 box.

2-

2 7

32÷

Extra! Extra!

1 4

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1 6

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17+

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CALCOKU

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2÷ Difficulty - Hard

BY JOSH REYNOLDS

1 3 8

7

No. 630

SUDOKU

Difficulty: Medium

BY JOSH REYNOLDS

DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK: HHH

DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK: HH

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

5

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1

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3 2 4 7 5 1 8 9 6

3

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ANSWERS ON P. 52

ANSWERS6 ON P.7 52 9 8 4 3 5 2 1 H = MODERATE HH = CHALLENGING HHH = HOO, BOY!

5 4 7 1 2 9 8

8 3 6 9 1 5 4

1 5 8 2 7 6 3

6 2 9 3 4 1 5

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SEVEN DAYS APRIL 1-8, 2020

51

fsb

FOR SALE BY OWNER

List your property here for 2 weeks for only $45! Contact Katie, fsbo@sevendaysvt.com.

DUPLEX FOR SALE IN MONTPELIER! 2000 sf. Convenient location. Ready to go!

Wood floors, built-ins, high ceilings. Built around 1900. All systems current. $195,000. More photos on Zillow or Craigslist. Text Teri 802-793-6211. Showings follow all safety protocols.

fsbo- lynn101619.indd 1

List your property here for 2 weeks for only $45!

CONTACT KATIE HODGES AT FSBO@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

be adjourned for a period of time in excess of thirty (30) days by agreement of the Mortgagor and Mortgagee or by order of the court. Other terms to be announced at the sale or contact Ward Law, P.C., 3069 Williston Road, South Burlington, Vermont 05403; (802) 863-0307.

3/30/20 4:57 PM

Homeshares E. MONTPELIER

[CONTINUED]

Artist in her 50s who enjoys gardening, nature & music, seeking a pet-friendly housemate for help with dog-walking. $375/mo. plus utils. Shared BA.

of such adjournment and specifying the new date by public proclamation at the time and place appointed for the sale, or by posting notice of the adjournment in a conspicuous place at the location of the sale. Notice of the new sale date shall also be sent by first class mail, postage prepaid, to the Mortgagor at the Mortgagor’s last known address, at least five (5) days before the new sale date. The public sale may

ORWELL Share a home w/ active, creative senior man. $300/mo. plus help w/ snow shoveling, companionship & light housework. Must be dog-friendly! No add’l pets.

MORRISVILLE Share a home w/ artistic senior woman. $500/mo. Shared BA. Bright, furnished bedroom. No pets.

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

FROM P.51

1 2

1

6

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STATE OF VERMONT SUPERIOR COURT PROBATE DIVISION CHITTENDEN UNIT DOCKET NO.: 359-3-20 CNPR In re ESTATE of: Linda A Clark NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Dated: 3/27/2020 Signature of Fiduciary: /s/ Ruth D’Angelo

To the Creditors of: Linda A. Clark, late of South Burlington, Vt. 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

Executor/Administrator: Ruth D’Angelo, c/o Unsworth LaPlante, PLLC, 26 Railroad Ave., Essex Jct., VT 05452 Phone: 802-879-7133 Email: carisa@unsworthlaplante.com Name of Publication: Seven Days Publication Date: 04/1/2020 Name of Probate Court: Vermont Superior Court, Probate Division, Chittenden Unit, PO Box 511, Burlington, VT 05402

homeworks List your properties here and online for only $45/ week. Submit your listings

by Mondays at noon.

3 2÷ 6 15 4 17 2- 1 2 9 8

Call or email today to get started: 865-1020 x22, homeworks@sevendaysvt.com

1-

2 748 3 6 9 1 5 4 3-

4 9 1 5 8 2 7 6 3

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1 3 9 8 4 5 6 7 2

6x

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8 9 6 5 224x 1 7 4 3 1 7 9 3 5 2 2÷ 4 6 8 9Difficulty 3 - Hard 5 2 8 4 6 1 7 3÷

2-

Using the enclosed math operations as a guide, fill the grid using the numbers 1 - 6 only once in each row and column.

Untitled-26 1 No. 630

Calcoku

Difficulty: Medium

SEVEN DAYS APRIL 1-8, 2020

6

52

2

FROM P.51

3

PUZZLE ANSWERS

Dated at Bridport, Vermont this 27th day of February, 2020.

WARD LAW, PC Attorneys for Plaintiff

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.

3/18/20 1:00 PM

5

Homeshare-temp2.indd 1

The record owner is entitled to redeem the premises at any time prior to the sale by paying the full amount due under the Judgment Order, Decree of Foreclosure and Order of Public Sale dated July 18, 2019, and entered on July 19, 2019, including the costs and expenses of sale.

By: s/ Cynthia R. Amrhein Cynthia R. Amrhein, Esq. 3069 Williston Road South Burlington, VT 05403 (802) 863-0307

6/6/16 4:34 PM

53 04.01.20-04.08.20

ATTENTION RECRUITERS: POST YOUR JOBS AT: PRINT DEADLINE: FOR RATES & INFO:

JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POST-A-JOB NOON ON MONDAYS (INCLUDING HOLIDAYS) MICHELLE BROWN, 802-865-1020 X21, MICHELLE@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

YOUR TRUSTED LOCAL SOURCE. JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM Exterior Painters W A N T E D

FedEx Delivery Driver Full time, $750/week.

Part-time option available.

Work seasonally or year round. Send contact info to: Vermontfedexdriver@ gmail.com.

1t-FedEx031820.indd 1

3/16/20 1:21 PM

LINE CHEF - PER DIEM

The Line Chef is responsible for the preparation of cold and hot food items and 2h-GreenMountainPainters040616.indd desserts in quantity determined by the menu, for patients, employees, visitors and catering requisitions.

4t-UVMMedCenter040120.indd 1

https://bit.ly/2VBKTRP

3/6/20 12:19 PM

HR RECRUITER We are seeking an experienced talent acquisition professional to join our team! The HR Recruiter is responsible for recruiting & onboarding for all employed positions at Porter Medical Center, while enjoying regular collaboration with human resources peers in The Univ. of Vermont Health Network.

For more information and to apply, visit UVMHealth.org/PMC and click on “Careers.”

2v-PorterMedicalCenter032520.indd 1

1

4/1/16 3:01 PM

It’s good to remember the value of community.

T OW N O F J E R I C H O

3/30/20 12:45 PM

Highway Maintenance Worker

For more info, go to:

2V-Spectrum031120.indd 1

Please fill out application at vtpainters.com/jobs

LEARN MORE & APPLY: uvmmed.hn/sevendays

Is currently seeking a...

Multicultural Youth Program Manager

Green Mountain Painters is looking for talented individuals to join our growing team. Earn excellent pay working a great summer job. Plenty of room to grow and advance your career.

The Town of Jericho is accepting applications for a Highway Maintenance Worker Level II. This is a fulltime position which requires a CDL and the ability to routinely work outside of regular working hours.

The ideal candidate will have at least two years of experience in highway maintenance, snow plowing, construction procedures and methods at the municipal level. Equipment operation experience is a plus.

The starting hourly wage is dependent on qualifications. The Town of Jericho offers excellent benefits, including health and dental insurance and a retirement plan.

An application and job description can be downloaded from jerichovt.org. They are also available at the Jericho Town Hall, at 67 VT Rt. 15, Jericho, M-F 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Especially in times like these.Thank you to our amazing staff who are committed to facing any challenge with grace and dedication!

We take care of each other. Join us! We consider you “essential!” We’re looking for people who are committed to doing work that makes a difference. Now is the time.

Have you been down-staffed in the hospitality industry?

We’re happy to chat.

LNA and STAFF NURSE SECURITY (NIGHTS) SERVERS HOUSEKEEPERS Wake Robin offers an excellent compensation and benefits package and an opportunity to build strong relationships with staff and residents in a dynamic community setting. Interested candidates can send their resumes to hr@wakerobin.com or fill out an application at wakerobin.com/employment. E.O.E.

Completed applications can be submitted to Paula Carrier in person, via email at pcarrier@jerichovt.gov or via mail to PO Box 39, Jericho, VT 05465.

Position is open until filled.

1 3/20/205v-TownofJericho031120.indd 1:20 PM

3/9/20 6t-WakeRobin040120.indd 12:26 PM 1

3/30/20 5:18 PM

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

54

POST YOUR JOBS AT JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM FOR FAST RESULTS, OR CONTACT MICHELLE BROWN: MICHELLE@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

04.01.20-04.08.20

CARING PEOPLE WANTED Burlington Area

Home Instead Senior Care, a provider of personal care services to seniors in their homes, is seeking friendly and dependable people.

CAREGivers assist seniors with daily living activities. P/T & F/T positions available. 12 hours/week minimum, flexible scheduling, currently available. $13-$17.50/hour depending on experience. No heavy lifting.

Apply online at: homeinstead.com/483 Or call: 802.860.4663

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.

Seven Days COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Issue: 4/1 Due: 3/30 by noon Vital Communities, a regional nonprofit located Size: 3.83 x 3.46 in White River Junction, seeks a Communications Cost: $308.55 (with 1 week online) Manager with the skills and experience to serve as our chief storyteller and develop and implement a comprehensive, multichannel communications plan for the entire organization. Qualifications include excellent writing, editing, and communications skills; proficiency with WordPress and website content development and management, as well as print publication management; and comfort working with a range of internal and external partners.

Plant Diagnostic Clinic Assistant - UVM Plant Diagnostic Clinic #S2478PO - The University of Vermont is seeking a technician to assist in the diagnosis of plant disease, insects and weeds through microscopy or other techniques in support of the UVM Plant Diagnostic Clinic. The employee would be responsible for field and lab data collection, analysis and grant and report writing assistance and would perform scouting, trapping and monitoring of diseases and pests in the field, analysis and rating of foliage and seeds for disease damage. The technician would assist in preparing presentations to growers and diagnosis for the Master Gardener Helpline. BS degree in Plant Science or related field with 3 years’ experience required.

The University is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of the institution. Applicants are encouraged to include in their cover letter information about how they will further this goal.

Full job description is at vitalcommunities.org/ employment. Email resume, cover letter and three references to hr@vitalcommunities.org.

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.

The University of Vermont is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

2v-HomeInstead022620.indd 1

2/24/204t-Graystone040120.indd 1:02 PM 1

3/30/20 11:36 AM

103 East Allen Street, Winooski, Vermont 05404

Executive Director SUMMER CAMP NURSE POSITION

Housing Stewardship Coordinator

pete@keewaydin.org.

Visit our website at keewaydin.org.

4t-KeewaydinFoundation040120.indd 1

We are looking for an experienced Design Engineer to join our R&D team in the development of embedded systems for use in medical devices and simulations. You will be responsible for detailed design and development of DSP and CPU based systems, along with FPGA and low-level interfaces, including USB and Bluetooth from conception to implementation, and will work as part of a cross-functional R&D team, building solutions for our OEM partners. This role requires someone with a proven record of architecting and implementing embedded hardware systems. The successful candidate will be highly organized, results-driven and effective at hardware design, implementation and testing.

Dismas of Vermont is seeking an Executive Director. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director will have overall strategic and operational responsibility for the staff, programs, sustainability, and execution of the mission of Dismas of Vermont. The Executive Director will develop and maintain deep knowledge of the field of post incarceration community reintegration, of the core strategies and programs of Dismas of Vermont, and of all operations and business plans.

Interested in working at a beautiful summer camp on Lake Dunmore in the Green Mountains of Vermont?

Do you enjoy working with kids in a vibrant and warm summer camp Application review beginning immediately, and continuing community? Consider until the position is filled. working as a nurse at For full position description and contact information, please Keewaydin Dunmore for see the Dismas of Vermont website, at dismasofvt.org.

Boys or Songadeewin of Keewaydin for Girls! Our Reconciling Prisoners with Society and Society with Prisoners Since 1986 summer season runs from June 20-August 23. This is great opportunity for 3/16/20 experienced nurses or 4t-DismasVT031820.indd 1 for those just starting a VHCB is seeking an experienced, enthusiastic individual to oversee the sustainnursing career—especially ability of VHCB funded housing developments. This individual collects data and for those considering a monitors the financial health of housing developments, problem solving issues, career in pediatric nursing! making recommendations for action, and overseeing implementation of approved Two nurses run each Health actions. The Stewardship Coordinator also makes recommendations regarding Center and work with a VHCB and federal debt and manages the monitoring of properties. consulting physician at a QUALIFICATIONS: Prior experience and training in housing development, and/ local medical practice. or financial analysis of housing projects and underwriting. Strong communicaSalary for RN is $11,500 tion and writing skills, attention to detail, a creative and organized thinker, and a (tuition free for first child, problem solver. Experience working with non-profit housing developers, property 75% discount for second managers, social service providers and state agencies is highly desirable, as is child). Room and board knowledge of building construction and database management. Ability to work is included. well as a member of a team is essential. Full-time position with comprehensive benefits. EOE. Please reply with cover letter and résumé to: Laurie Graves, VHCB, For more information, 58 E. State Street, Montpelier, Vt. 05602 or jobs@vhcb.org. Position open until please contact Peter Hare filled. See the full job description at: vhcb.org/about-us/jobs at 802-352-4770 or

3/30/204t-VHCBsteward031120.indd 5:39 PM 1

HARDWARE ENGINEER

The successful candidate will be joining our team of professionals at the Northern Digital office located in Shelburne, Vermont.

FIRMWARE DEVELOPER 2:15 PM

We are looking for a Firmware Developer to join our R&D team in the development of embedded systems for use in medical devices and simulations. As a member of a small dynamic team of engineers you will be responsible for design, development, integration, documentation and release of the real-time embedded control firmware and processing algorithms that power NDI’s advanced measurement systems. The work includes development of real-time control and data processing algorithms and communication protocols. The role involves extensive interaction with the Hardware Development team.

The successful candidate will be joining our team of professionals at the Northern Digital Inc. office located in Shelburne, Vermont.

Go to: ndigital.com/careers for full job descriptions and to apply.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

1 3/9/206t-NDIAscension032520.indd 2:36 PM

3/24/20 11:26 AM

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

55 04.01.20-04.08.20

oftware Engineer

LOOKING FOR WORK? WE’RE NOW HIRING! Immediate full & part-time permanent NOOSKI, VERMONT positions, in addition to temporary positions.

team at Marathon Health and use abilities while working with Microsoft ly C#, SQL Server, and ASP.NET. n Computer Science, Computer S, Mathematics, or equivalent is required ience developing software in a C# .NET Call your local Hannaford for further details or apply onlinestandards. at Hannaford.com. lowing coding and quality (click on Job Openings at bottom of page) n if you are a new graduate!

Or apply online: hannaford.com/about-us/careers.

description and to apply online, visit alth.com 4t-Hannaford032520.indd 1

PLANNING ANALYST

7spot.indd 1

3/24/20

CUSTODIANS 10/29/19

2nd shift IMMEDIATE OPENINGS

The Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District (CVSWMD) seeks a results-oriented and strategic municipal planner to work with staff, Board members and other stakeholders to develop short and long-range 12:12 PM plans that meet District goals and the State of Vermont’s waste reduction mandates.

Harwood Unified Union High School District is IMMEDIATELY seeking school custodians for the 2nd shift.

Experience is preferred, but not required. Competitive rate of pay and benefits are offered. Please submit a letter of interest, resume 10:26 AM and 3 letters of reference to: Ray Daigle Harwood Unified Union S.D. 340 Mad River Park, Suite 7 Waitsfield, VT 05673 Position open until filled. EOE

rtunity Employer

This is a full time position located in our Montpelier, Vermont office. The position may require travel throughout central Vermont.

Compensation: Starting salary of $42,100 per year, plus excellent benefits. For more information and to review the job description visit cvswmd.org/employment--rfps.html.

Apply to administration@cvswmd.org; please include Planning Analyst in the subject line. Applications must include a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and at least three professional references.

Deadline for applications is April 17, 2020.

We’re Growing! Come work with us in our offices located in Winooski: • Communications Specialist • Payroll Specialist • Practice & Client Manager

Preferred qualifications include experience or education in public administration or urban/rural planning, zero waste systems and municipal government environments.

Ability to work independently in a small office.

2v-HarwoodUnion032520.indd 1

CHAMPLAIN VALLEY HEAD START

3/20/20 3:27 PM

INFANT/TODDLER EARLY CARE ADVOCATE EARLY HEAD START INFANT/TODDLER HOME VISITOR

Clinical opportunities at our soon to open health center in South Burlington: • Family Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant • Medical Assistant • Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor To learn more about these opportunities and submit your resume, visit our website: marathon-health.com/careers.

We value the richness diversity brings to our workforce and are committed to being an E.O.E.

(Franklin EARLYCounty) HEAD

START (Otter Creek Children’s Center - Middlebury)

Provide in home-based to program participants education and Provide services or support center-basedsettings care of infants and toddlers so asto:tosupport enhanceprenatal their physical, services to promote healthy prenatal outcomes for pregnant women; provide or support care of social, emotional, and cognitive development; provide social service visits for families tothe support infants toddlers so as to enhance their physical, social,services emotional, and cognitive parentsand in the care, nurturing and coordination of health for their infants anddevelopment; toddlers; support the carefamily and nurturing ofgoals. their infants and toddlers; and help parents move and helpparents parentsinaddress needs and toward self-sufficiency and independent living.

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education or related education field and RequiRements: Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education or related relevant work experience including training in infant and toddler development or education a bachelor’sfield, with demonstrable experience and training inservices, the provision of services for infants and toddlers.

40 degree in social work, human services, family counseling or related field, and relevant work experience including training infant and toddler development.

Alsoofpreferred are experience in hours per week, 52 weeks perin year.

Starting wage upon completion 60 –working day period: curriculum planning and implementation, outcome assessment, and working with children $16.30 to 18.36/ per hour.

Health plan andchild excellent benefits. with special needs. 32 hours per week, full year. Starting wage upon completion of 60-working day SuCCESSful appliCantS muSt HavE: excellent verbal and written communication period: $20.28–24.22/hour, depending upon qualifications.

Health plan and excellent benefits. skills; skills in documentation and record-keeping; proficiency in mS Word, e-mail and internet; Skills: Successful applicantsskills must and haveattention excellenttoverbal and written communication skills– bilingual exceptional organizational detail. must be energetic, positive, mature, abilities a plus; skills in documentation and record-keeping; proficiency in Microsoft Word, professional, diplomatic, motivated, and have a can-do, extra-mile attitude. a commitmentemail to and internet; exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail. Must be energetic, positive, social justice and to working with families with limited financial resources is necessary. Clean mature, professional, diplomatic, motivated, and have a can-do, extra-mile attitude. A commitment driving record and access to reliable transportation required. must demonstrate physical ability to to social justice and to working with families with limited financial resources is necessary. Clean carry outrecord required driving andtasks. access to reliable transportation required. Must demonstrate physical ability to carry required tasks.and Please specify and submit resume cover letter with three Pleaseout submit resume cover lettersite/location with three work references viaand email to pirish@cvoeo.org. work references via email to: hdstjobs@cvoeo.org.

No phone calls, please.

No phone calls, please.

CVOEO IS AN EQUALCVOEO OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER 7t-ChampVallHeadStart-093015.indd 1 7t-ChamplainValleyHeadStart020520.indd 1

6t-MarathonHealth040120.indd 1

3/30/20 3:49 PM

1/31/20 9/24/15 12:33 1:13 PM

fun stuff

FRAN KRAUSE

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.

56

SEVEN DAYS APRIL 1-8, 2020

CALCOKU & SUDOKU (P.C-51) CROSSWORD (P.C-51)

RYAN RIDDLE

Thank you to all who are keeping our communities running, supporting each other, and spreading love.

After every storm the sun shines brighter than ever, encouraging growth and reminding us of the power of patience.

Visit us at: www.greenworksvermont.org Untitled-12 1

3/30/20 2:49 PM

obsessed?

Find, fix and feather with Nest Notes — an e-newsletter filled with home design, Vermont real estate tips and DIY decorating inspirations.

Sign up today at sevendaysvt.com/enews.

N8H-Nest0918.indd 1

9/14/18 12:15 PM

FPF – connection during times of crisis A critical asset for neighbors helping neighbors, people asking questions, government agencies and nonprofits posting updates, and more.

Stay connected at frontporchforum.com.

J

Say you saw it in...

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SEVEN DAYS APRIL 1-8, 2020

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fun stuff JEN SORENSEN

RACHEL LINDSAY

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SEVEN DAYS APRIL 1-8, 2020

HARRY BLISS & STEVE MARTIN

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZSNY REAL APRIL 2-9 cific goals you hoped to accomplish between then and your birthday in 2020? Were there bad old habits you aimed to dissolve and good new habits you proposed to instigate? Was there a lingering wound you aspired to heal or a debilitating memory you longed to conquer?

The coming weeks will be an excellent time to take inventory of your progress on projects like those. And if you find that you have achieved less than you had hoped, I trust you will dedicate yourself to playing catch-up in the weeks between now and your birthday. You may be amazed at how much ground you can cover.

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19):

“If all the world’s a stage, where the hell is the teleprompter?” asks aphorist Sami Feiring. In my astrological opinion, you Aries are the least likely of all the signs to identify with that perspective. While everyone else might wish they could be better prepared for the nonstop improvisational tests of everyday life, most of you tend to prefer what I call the “naked spontaneity” approach. If you were indeed given the chance to use a teleprompter, you’d probably ignore it. Everything I just said is especially and intensely true for you right now.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): When Nobel Prize-winning Norwegian author Knut Hamsun was 25 years old, a doctor told him that the tuberculosis he had contracted would kill him within three months. But, in fact, Hamsun lived 67 more years, until the age of 92. I suspect there’s an equally erroneous prophecy or unwarranted expectation impacting your life right now. A certain process or phenomenon that seems to be nearing an end may in fact reinvent or resurrect itself, going on to last for quite some time. I suggest you clear away any misapprehensions you or others might have about it.

GEMINI

(May 21-June 20): I invite you to remember what you were thinking and feeling around your birthday in 2019. Were there spe-

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I can’t swim.

Why? There was a good reason when I was a kid: I’m allergic to chlorine, and my mom wouldn’t let me take swimming lessons at the local chlorine-treated pool. Since then, the failure to learn is inexcusable, and I’m embarrassed by it. Is there an equivalent phenomenon in your life, my fellow Cancerian? The coming weeks might be an excellent time to meditate on how to correct the problem. Now excuse me while I head out to my solo self-administered swim lesson at Bass Lake, buoyed by the instructions I got from a YouTube video.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Is William Shakespeare the greatest author who ever lived?

French philosopher Voltaire didn’t think so, calling him “an amiable barbarian.” Russian superstar author Leo Tolstoy claimed the Bard had “a complete absence of aesthetic feeling.”

England’s first Poet Laureate John Dryden called Shakespeare’s language “scarcely intelligible.” T.E. Lawrence, aka Lawrence of Arabia, declared that the Bard had a second-rate mind. Lord Byron said, “Shakespeare’s name stands too absurdly high and will go down.”

His contemporary, the poet and playwright Ben Johnson, asserted that he “never had six lines together without a fault.” I offer these cheeky views to encourage you Leos to enjoy your own idol-toppling and authority-questioning activities in the coming weeks. You have license to be an irrepressible iconoclast.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo-born Jack Ma is China’s richest person and one of the world’s most powerful businessmen.

He cofounded Alibaba, the Chinese version

of Amazon.com. He likes his employees to work hard but also thinks they should cultivate a healthy balance between work and life. In his opinion, they should have sex six times a week, or 312 times a year. Some observers have suggested that’s too much — especially if you labor 12 hours a day, six days a week, as Jack Ma prefers — but it may not be excessive for you Virgos. The coming months could be a very erotic time. But please practice safe sex in every way imaginable.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): How hard are you willing to work on your most important relationships? How might your life change for the better if you gave them your most potent resourcefulness and panache? The next eight weeks will be a favorable time for you to attend to these matters, Libra. During this fertile time, you will have unprecedented power to reinvigorate togetherness with imaginative innovations.

I propose you undertake the following task: Treat your intimate alliances as creative art projects that warrant your supreme ingenuity.

SCORPIO

(Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “I make mistakes,” confessed author Jean Kerr. “I’ll be the second to admit it.” She was making a joke, contrasting her tepid sense of responsibility with the humbler and more common version of the idiom, which is “I make mistakes; I’ll be the first to admit it.” In the coming weeks, I’ll be fine if you merely match her mild level of apology — just as long as you do indeed acknowledge some culpability in what has gone amiss or awry or off-kilter. One way or another, you need to be involved in atonement and correction — for your own sake.

SAGITTARIUS

(Nov. 22-Dec. 21): If you have been thinking of adopting a child or getting pregnant with a new child, the coming weeks will be a favorable time to enter a new phase of rumination about that possibility. If you’ve been dreaming off and on about a big project that could activate your dormant creative powers and captivate your imagination for a long time to come, now would be a perfect moment to get more practical about it. If you have fantasized about finding a new role that would allow you to express even more of your beauty and intel-

ligence, you have arrived at a fertile phase to move to the next stage of that fantasy.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I suggest you make room in your life for a time of sacred rejuvenation. Here are activities you might try: Recall your favorite events of the past. Reconnect with your roots. Research your genetic heritage. Send prayers to your ancestors, and ask them to converse with you in your dreams. Have fun feeling what it must have been like when you were in your mother’s womb. Get a phone consultation with a past life regression therapist who can help you recover scenes from your previous incarnations. Feel reverence and gratitude for traditions that are still meaningful to you. Reaffirm your core values — the principles that serve as your lodestar. And here’s the number one task I recommend: Find a place of refuge in your imagination and memories; use your power of visualization to create an inner sanctuary.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Are we just

being poetic and fanciful when we say that wonder is a survival skill? Not according to the editors who assembled the collection of essays gathered in a book called Wonder and Other Survival Skills. They propose that a capacity to feel awe and reverence can help us to be vital and vigorous, that an appreciation for marvelous things makes us smart and resilient, that it’s in our selfish interests to develop a humble longing for sublime beauty and an attraction to sacred experiences. The coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to dive deep into these healing pleasures, dear Aquarius.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): For decades, the city of Sacramento, Calif., suffered from severe floods when the Sacramento and American Rivers overflowed their banks. Residents authorized a series of measures to prevent these disasters, culminating in the construction of a 59,000-acre floodplain that solved the problem. According to my analysis, the coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to plan an equally systematic transformation. It could address a big ongoing problem like Sacramento’s floods, or it could be a strategy for reorganizing and recreating your life so as to gloriously serve your long-term dreams.

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HOPE I CAN REWRITE THIS I like a woman with lotsa cash who drinks Bud Light by the case. I like to work on muscle cars that get 3 mpg. I like a woman who likes my greasy hands all over her. I like a woman who can cook and sew and make flowers grow and clean up. Must be able to shovel snow. MarcwithaC, 63, seeking: W, l

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CURIOUS OF LIFE AND HUMOR Sometimes I want to be among a lot of people, and sometimes I just want to be alone with my own company. Have always been curious about people and the world around me. Love learning new things, and currently working on how to play music. I have a great sense of humor and enjoy being outdoors all spring, summer and fall. daffodil19, 63, seeking: M, l

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LIBERAL, MUSICAL, READER I love to read, listen to and make and write music, sing and talk with my friends, play the guitar, be with children, be outside, contra dance. A goal is to visit every library in Vermont. I am a conscientious composter, and I grow tomatoes. I am a retired kindergarten teacher and minister. Seeking a man for friendship/relationship. musicdance, 77, seeking: M, l ENTHUSIASTIC, EARTH-SPIRITUAL, GREGARIOUS DRAGONFLY LADY Namaste. I’m a naturalist/writer who enjoys hanging out with insect enthusiasts, woods walking, photographing wildlife by kayak, and enjoying time with close friends and family. I’m looking for a man to share passions with me, especially if they include exploring used book stores, artisan/new-age shops ... adventures we can discuss over surf and turf or sushi. Namaste.

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If you love books, movies and my two favorite men listed above, we probably will. Zenda889, 66, seeking: M, l

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MEN seeking...

TALL, TALLER AND TALLEST I’m fairly new to Vermont, so looking for new friends. I like drinking and hanging out. Would rather hang out and shoot the moon than go out and do stuff on the town.

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Am happy-go-lucky who always smiles. :) Lamborgini4me, 62, seeking: W, l OPEN-MINDED AND PLAYFUL Happy-go-lucky, open-minded guy looking to please and be pleased. Up for almost anything; tell me what to do, and I will accommodate. Put me on my knees and fulfill your needs and fantasies.

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SAFELY SEX UP THE QUARANTINE! Super fun and mischievous couple, socially aware and can find the fun in anything — including social distance! Let’s have a striptease in the McD’s parking lot! Let’s have Zoom lingerie cocktails! Let’s play virtual Scrabble — whatever turns you on amidst global pandemics. Let’s get creative. She is 5’7, curvy/strong pinup type; he is cuddly baseball build, 5’10.

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Looking for a male between 40 and 50 for some serious adult fun. Only well-hung men need apply — at least nine inches, please. Spaguy, 52, seeking: M, Gp LOOKING FOR SOMEONE AMAZING We are a couple in an open relationship seeking a bi male, gay male or couple to join us in play. We are two clean, professional adults. We are awesome, and we’d like to find another awesome person to expand our activities. Discretion given and expected. Message us. Let’s chat and meet for drinks and see where things go! vtfuncouple, 43, seeking: M, Cp EXPERIENCE SOMETHING NEW We are a loving couple of over five years.

Love to play and try new things. Spend free time at the ledges. Looking for people to play with. Perhaps dinner, night out and maybe breakfast in the morning. Looking for open-minded men, women or couples who enjoy fun times and new experiences.

2newAdventurers, 52, seeking: M, W, Cp, Gp ATTRACTIVE MARRIED COUPLE Attractive, caring and honest married couple looking to meet a female for fun times both in and out of the bedroom.

She is bi-curious; he is straight. We are very easygoing and fun to be around. Will share a photo once we communicate. Let’s see what happens.

VTcouple4fun, 48, seeking: W SEVEN DAYS APRIL 1-8, 2020

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i SPY

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TRADER JOE’S CHECKOUT LINE I should’ve written this weeks ago. I noticed you on a Saturday morning.

I think you’re vegan! We checked out in the lines next to each other.

I left just before you. If you see this, I’d love to get coffee once we can leave our houses. When: Saturday, March 7, 2020. Where: Trader Joe’s.

You: Man. Me: Woman. #915022 BLOND BOY IN BLACK TRUCK I noticed you smiling at me in front of the Radio Bean. I waved goodbye as we parted ways; you waved back.

We met again on Shelburne Road.

I was held back at a stoplight but managed to catch up. You were behind me until the turn for Vergennes.

This is the curly-headed brunette in the black Crosstrek. When: Friday, March 20, 2020. Where: Burlington.

You: Man. Me: Woman. #915021 TRUE LOVE REIGNS Now is the winter of our discontent / Made glorious summer by this sun of York; / And all the clouds that lour’d upon our house / In the deep bosom of the ocean buried. / Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths; / Our bruised arms hung up for monuments; / Our stern alarums changed to merry meetings, / Our dreadful marches to delightful measures. When: Sunday, March 24, 2019. Where: Queen City.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915020 FRIDAY, SOBBING AT CITY MARKET I nearly walked into you as you left the co-op. You were almost blind with tears, sobbing as you walked. I wish I had asked you what was wrong. Small comfort, but it is the least I can do to hope you see this and know that one stranger that day cared about you and carried your pain with them. When: Friday, March 20, 2020. Where: downtown City Market.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915018

HELLO HAPPINESS I’m getting your emails, but it’s not letting me respond. Dennis. When: Monday, March 23, 2020. Where: profiles.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915019 AMOR I try to ignore my feelings for you, but I find myself not able to control them anymore.

I love you, and I miss you! When: Friday, March 20, 2020. Where: in the night sky. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915017 LATE-MORNING LAKEFRONT WALK To the recent central Illinois transplant: Thank you for the impromptu latemorning lakefront walk and talk.

When: Thursday, March 19, 2020.

Where: Burlington waterfront.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915016 OAKLEDGE PARK WALKING BRITTANY SPANIEL Midafternoon. I was walking with my sister. You were walking with your dog, an elderly Brittany Spaniel, you told me.

I’d like to ask more questions, starting with your name. When: Friday, March 13, 2020. Where: Oakledge Park.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915015 NO MORE TIES I’ve done everything I promised and more.

All our dreams could be a reality now. I’m sorry it’s too late and I wasn’t there for you as I should have been. I’ve been there every day for you and the kids, even though it’s not wanted, and will always be here. I love you, dudes. When: Wednesday, March 11, 2020. Where: passenger seat — hold my hand, kid. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915014 YOU CAN’T HAVE ENOUGH KARMA Thank you for offering to help me out until I located my credit card by the coffees. Please say hi if you see me again out and about. When: Monday, March 9, 2020. Where: City Market.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915012

HARDWICK PARKING LOT, NOON You were soaking up some early spring sunshine. Radiant, with big silver hoops and long stray whisps of dark hair dancing in the wind. I had on an orange hat. You make my heart dance. Let’s soak up some sun together, at the beach. When: Monday, March 9, 2020. Where: Hardwick.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915013 MATTY WITH THE BIG SMILE I was walking with my son on Rose Street last summer. Not sure what we saw in each other from so far away, but we both had shit-eating grins down the block. You said I was gorgeous and that you hoped my man knew how lucky he was. He didn’t. But that’s over! Would love to see that smile again. When: Thursday, August 1, 2019. Where: Rose Street. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915011 CHIROPRACTOR OFFICE ROMANCE I’ve seen you few times at my chiropractor’s office. It seems like we are flirting, but I can’t tell for sure. I am hoping we are, because I think you are quite cute. I’m not bold enough to ask you out unless I know you feel them same. I’ll do my best to remember your name this time! When: Friday, March 6, 2020.

Where: doctor’s office. You: Woman.

Me: Non-binary person. #915010 FRIDAY A.M., CUMBY’S, RICHMOND, 3/6 Dressed in a gray jacket with leopardprint shoes, I looked in while you looked out. I said hello to Bill. You turned to leave, and we locked eyes.

Time stopped. Brown Tundra hunk, you followed me in my blue Dodge toward Hinesburg, and I was bummed when you headed away to Williston.

You: tall, strong and instantly attractive! Wowser! When: Friday, March 6, 2020. Where: Richmond Cumberland Farms, 7:15 a.m. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915009 HANKSVILLE WOMAN FROM GOOD HEALTH We met a few weeks ago. I have metal in my leg from too much football, and you have metal in your spine from California. You spoke of taking care of your parents. You were compassionate, positive and wonderful. I’ve been thinking of you since. I’d love to get in touch. When: Thursday, February 20, 2020. Where: Good Health.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915008

Ask REVEREND Dear Sir Crazy, 

Irreverent counsel on life’s conundrums

Dear Reverend,

I’m quarantined with my significant other, and he’s starting to drive me nuts.

How can I get the space I need when we are trapped in our small apartment?

Sir Crazy

(FEMALE, 27)

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SEVEN DAYS APRIL 1-8, 2020

Spending all day, every day, with one person can be emotionally taxing even if it’s someone you really love. And that’s under the best of circumstances.

Being quarantined during a worldwide pandemic certainly doesn’t fit that bill.

Stress levels are high, and your partner’s little annoying habits seem magnified.

If your space is too small to get out of each other’s way, how about both of you take solo walks for 30 minutes to an hour every day? A little break to clear your head and get some fresh air can do wonders. And while one of you is out, the other has some alone time at home.

Perhaps you also should try switching your focus from wanting some space to making your time together

CO-OP CUTIE You: in the craft beer aisle, searching for a special flavor. Me: in the next aisle over, doing the same. I found that flavor when I saw you in your red hoodie, gently picking up each can with those strong hands. Maybe sometime, somewhere we can sip a brew from the same glass. Would love to see you again. xoxo When: Friday, March 6, 2020. Where: Hunger Mountain Co-op.

You: Man. Me: Woman. #915007

THE FAITH THAT GROWS I’ll speak to you like the chorus to the verse / Chop another lime like a coda with a curse / Come on like a freak show takes the stage / We give them the games we play, she say / “I want something else to get me through this life, baby.” When: Wednesday, March 4, 2020. Where: the Velvet.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915002 WE POINTED AT EACH OTHER I just happened to be thinking of you when I saw you for the second time today. The coincidence surprised me, and I was compelled to point. There’s more to it than that, but I’ll tell you that some other time ... if we ever cross each other’s paths. You have a warm and inviting way about you. When: Tuesday, March 3, 2020. Where: on the street.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915000

BABY, BABY! No one wears those plaid pajamas like you do. I can’t wait for my next asparagus omelette. I love you so. When: Thursday, March 5, 2020. Where: in the kitchen. You: Woman. Me: Woman. #915006 CITY MARKET ON 3/5 To the woman with great salt-andpepper hair, black jacket and cool boots: You reappeared, passing in front of my vehicle. Sometimes a seemingly insignificant encounter makes a difference. I just wanted to say, “Thank you.” When: Thursday, March 5, 2020. Where: City Market.

You: Woman. Me: Woman. #915005

HANDSOME AT 5 A.M. I noticed you looking at the coolers of drinks. You asked what I was doing up so early while we both got our coffees.

Thanks for buying mine! Can I buy the next coffee?! When: Sunday, March 1, 2020. Where: Maplefields, Colchester.

You: Man. Me: Woman. #914999

COFFEE, THEN LOVE Not sure if I am that woman, but you sound an awfully a lot like a guy I just met, and he ghosted me. If this is him, then why don’t we throw in some Legos, too. When: Thursday, March 5, 2020. Where: Champlain Farms.

You: Man. Me: Woman. #915004

LYNDONVILLE LADY You paid for my meal surreptitiously and were gone when I discovered the fact.

Provide some details of that day in your response and permit me to reciprocate your coy kindness. When: Saturday, February 29, 2020. Where: Lyndonville.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #914998

DEAR BURLINGTONIANS Like many of us, I support democratic socialism. I draw the line at sharing foot stank. When you are in a public place, please for the love of Satan and Lady frikken Gaga, keep your dang shoes on. When: Wednesday, March 4, 2020. Where: coffee shops.

You: Group. Me: Man. #915003

I WISH YOU KNEW Every week I see you. I might seem unavailable, but secretly I wait for the day you tell me you’re leaving him. I’m able to tell you my biggest secrets, and you act like it’s no big deal I feel balanced with you. I’ll get the coffee, then let’s fall in love. When: Friday, February 28, 2020. Where: Vermont.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #914997

WE KINDA DANCED TO RHJ You are seeing someone now, which sometimes has me feeling guilty for feeling this way — but occasionally I wonder, is it wrong of me to want one night with you? Just to cuddle and badly sing along to our favorite songs? It’s not even sexual in nature. I just want a good last memory of holding you in my arms. When: Saturday, October 1, 2016. Where: Lake Champlain.

You: Man. Me: Woman. #915001

more enjoyable. Turn off the news.

Turn off social media. Play your favorite music and dance around the living room. Make fancy drinks and have a cocktail party for two.

Put on some dumb

YOU HAVE A NICE FACE You seemed a little lost, so I took it upon myself to redirect you to the bar. Your smile was captivating. This, paired with the phrase “You have a nice face,” took me by a lovely surprise.

We shared a second smile as I left up the stairs. Would you care to share a third? When: Thursday, February 27, 2020. Where: Orlando’s open mic. You: Woman. Me: Genderqueer. #914996

costumes. Get a little wild. The only limit is your imagination.

Currently, I’m hunkered in my bunker with four cats and a couple of mannequins. I’m cool with that, but there are lots of people who are totally alone. Many people don’t have access to things like FaceTime or Zoom, where they can have virtual hangouts with friends. There are also people who don’t have any friends or family at all. So buck up and thank your lucky stars that you have someone with whom to ride out the storm. Bonus: If you make it through the quarantine without killing each other, you can be pretty sure your relationship is a solid one.

Good luck and God bless,

The Reverend

What’s your problem?

Send it to asktherev@sevendaysvt.com.

Internet-Free Dating!

A lady in jeans / prefers meat to beans / in the fall of life / not anyone’s wife / locally organic / not into panic / cooks on fire / Computer’s on a wire / well trained in art / a generous heart / spiritually deep / easy to keep. I’m a W, 52, seeking M. #L1399 I am divorced of 34 years. I am 5’11 and 230 pounds. I am a very positive person, happy, thoughtful. Like good conversation and caring, honest people. I like the outdoors. I work and would enjoy good company. #L1397

I’m a 58-y/o woman seeking a mature 30- to 45-y/o male who likes a no-nonsense, worldly life “off the grid” and outside the lower 48. Fast and furious or slow and easy. Nothing in between. Only honest, fun-loving, industrious and adventurous men need apply. #L1401 Looking for a fun friend. Me: woman 60 years young. Active, adventurous, creative, fit, friendly, flexible, fun, generous, improvisational, independent, outdoorsy, silly, smart, stubborn.

You: man, 45 to 60 years young.

Charming, educated, fit, flexible, funny, generous, independent, kind, outdoorsy and happy. #L1396

Spring has sprung. Looking for guys to enjoy the change of season. I’m fun and intelligent, with varied interests. I like everything; mostly sub, but not always. No text/email. I want to talk with you. Central Vermont.

Bears are a plus. #L1400 GWM in late 60s, very friendly, honest, caring and understanding. I’m retired, home alone, and it is very lonesome.

It’s been a long winter. Looking for a friend who can help me out once in a while. I don’t look or act my age at all. I have been recouping from surgery. I can tell you more later if you write.

Should have a car. Live in central Vermont. #L1398

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.

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We’ll publish as many messages as we can in the Love Letters section above.

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Interested readers will send you letters in the mail. No internet required!

I’m a 47-y/o male seeking a woman 33 to 47. I am looking for a long-term relationship leading to marriage. I’m a gentleman, honest, loyal, looking for one woman to spend my life with. #L1395 I’m a 37-y/o man seeking a man. Pretty low-key guy. Goodlooking for my age. Want to find the man who will complete me.

Hope to hear from you! #L1394 53-y/o virgin looking to meet cute girls between 23 and 43.

She’s gotta like to wrestle, be fun, be playful and like the outdoors. Be honest; no games.

I don’t do drugs, drink, smoke or chew. Friends first. Been hurt too many times. Trust and honesty are important in friendships and relationships.

Please write to me and send a picture. #L1392

Reply to these messages with real, honest-to-goodness letters. DETAILS BELOW. I’m a W seeking a M. I’d like to meet a happy man who focuses on the good things in the world and shares my interest in nature, animals, music, star/ UFO gazing and possibly future tiny house living. #L1393 I’m a 56-y/o male seeking a male same age or older. I am a fella who likes interesting people. I like to think it could enhance life and make it more fun. #L1391 I’m a single man looking for a single female, age 35 and up, with or without kids.

Someone who likes the outdoors and activities. I’m very romantic. I’d like someone to go away with on the weekends, and I love to cuddle.

I don’t drink, smoke or do drugs.

I got a brand-new hot tub in the backyard. I don’t email often but prefer writing or phone calls. #L1387 I’m a GWM, blonde/blue, seeking a GWM. Like everything but anal. Live near Ticonderoga, N.Y. Seeking between 45 and 70. #L1386

Gay white male looking for hookups, maybe more; see where it goes. 5’10 and a half, dark brown hair, good looking, brown eyes, slender. I clean and do windows for a living and run a rescue for animals and give them a forever home, so you have to be an animal lover.

If interested, get back to me. #L1390 Senior bi male. Top seeking sub. Bottom. Keep me warm all winter. Horny day and night. I’m clean and discreet. Oral is hot. I love to watch every drop. Be my bitch. #L1385 I’m a fella seeking interesting humans. Reasonable human searching for interesting people to act as momentary diversions on the road to the grave. Make life interesting! #L1383 We bumped butts about 8:00 at the Walmart in Berlin. You turned around and asked if I enjoyed that as much as you.

You wore rimmed glasses. You had cat food in your cart. I would really like to meet you. Me: woman. You: man. #L1382

Describe yourself and who you’re looking for in 40 words below:

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