Seven Days, August 5, 2020

SOUNDING OFF Readers share election thoughts PAGE 6

V ER MON T’S INDE P ENDE NT V O IC E AUGUST 5-12, 2020 VOL.25 NO.45 SEVENDAYSVT.COM

legacy edition A posthumous anthology album celebrates the music of troubled banjo great Gordon Stone

BY D AN BO L L E S , PA G E 36

JUST THE VAX

PAGE 13

Zuck’s record on vaccines

LITTLE CITY BLUES

PAGE 16

Vitriol on Vergennes council

ART HOP 2020

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South End arts fest is on, partly

A familiar voice with a new perspective.

Please Vote - August 11

Democrat for State Senate Background & Qualifications

Priorities

• • • • •

• • • • •

3 Term South Burlington City Councilor University of Vermont Faculty Senate President Green Mountain Transit Board Chair & Vice Chair Deep Rooted Vermont Values Lifelong Community Volunteer

nd Guidelines - Logo & Icon He will be a great addition to the Chittenden County Senate.

— Ann Pugh He listens to all viewpoints and forges a conciliatory path forward.

— John Killacky His legislative priorities are very timely and reflect what Vermont needs.

— Martin LaLonde Tom Chittenden is a leader for both working people and the environment in everything he does.

— Curt McCormack Thomas has a proven public service track record and represents the next generation of civic leaders.

— Jamie Heins

Affordability Helping Vermonters Environmentally Sustainable Economic Growth Opportunity for Current & Future Vermonters Keeping Vermont Green

Tom’s logic and opinions are based on a solid moral foundation resulting in ideas and decisions that benefit our common good.

— Phil Pouech

Tom will be a leader who not only listens but also acts on what he hears and will well serve the residents of Chittenden County.

— Ed Adrian

Thomas is the right person to help us move forward in a positive way.

— Ernie Pomerleau

He has earned my respect and vote for the Vermont Senate as he is a person with integrity, common sense, ability to compromise, energy and vision.

— Bruce Chattman

Thomas Chittenden is an earnest Vermonter and a humble man…a highly capable multi-talented professional.

— Pramodita Sharma He is a collaborative leader, a thoughtful colleague, and a tireless worker.

— Julie Roberts We need leaders like Thomas now more than ever.

— Jane Knodell

Vermont faces many challenges, and I support Tom because he approaches them with optimism, practical ideas, and a can-do attitude.

— Lisa Groeneveld Thomas is a Vermonter for our times, with proven elected leadership at UVM, GMT and in South Burlington.

— Chris Shaw

We need more Thomas Chittendens down in Montpelier.

— Brooks McArthur We need someone like Thomas to bridge our differences in a civilized, compassionate and rational way.

— William Cats-Brail Tom’s experience professionally and in local government gives him a unique skillset to help deliver these needed changes in Montpelier.

— Mark Barlow He’s an intelligent, measured, and independently-minded representative who takes seriously his commitment to citizens.

— Lisa Ventriss Thomas Chittenden is a dynamic leader who knows how to build consensus.

— Alex Farrell

thomaschittenden.com Paid for by Thomas Chittenden for State Senate 2

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

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Vote August 11 Democratic Primary

Endorsed by

ERHARD MAHNKE Long-time affordable housing advocate & former Burlington City Council President running for State Senate.

FIGHTING FOR:

• A liveable wage - at least 15/hr.

• Healthcare and Housing for All • Paid Family & Medical Leave • Green Mountain New Deal • Preserving Vermont’s essential safety net • Criminal justice reform

ALSO ENDORSED BY:

Doug Racine, former Lt. Governor Peter Clavelle, former Burlington Mayor Rep. Diana Gonzalez, Winooski Rep. Selene Colburn, Burlington Max Tracy, Burlington City Council President Carina Driscoll, former State Rep & City Councilor Rights & Democracy VT • Sierra Club VT Progressive Party

L E A R N M O R E AT E R H A R D F O R S E N AT E .C O M Paid for by Erhard for Senate, 60 Grove St., Burlington, VT 4T-Lawsons080520 1

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WEEK IN REVIEW JULY 29-AUGUST 5, 2020 COMPILED BY SASHA GOLDSTEIN, MATTHEW ROY & ANDREA SUOZZO FILE: GLENN RUSSELL

Sylvan Ross’ Spanish immersion kindergarten class at Jericho Elementary School

FERRY COOL

After repairs were finished ahead of schedule, the Colchester Causeway reopened last week. The bike ferry starts up August 12 — woohoo!

STILL HERE

SCHOOLS FACE TEACHER SHORTAGE As Vermont school districts roll out plans to reopen classrooms, a key question has emerged: Will they have enough teachers and staff? Education leaders from around the state have flagged staffing as a major concern as employees express reservations about returning to school buildings this fall. The detractors include some older workers who could experience serious symptoms if they were to get sick.

The issue was discussed during a session of the Vermont House Education Committee last week, and educators expressed further concerns during a Monday call with Vermont lawmakers.

Superintendents had to draft school reopening plans without knowing whether their staff members would be able to come back to work. And staffers couldn’t decide whether to return until their individual districts announced reopening plans. Jeff Fannon, executive director of the Vermont-NEA, a union, described the conundrum as a “chicken or egg” issue.

Montpelier Roxbury Public Schools intends to bring K-8 students back to school Monday through Friday this fall, with an abridged school day ending at 1 p.m., according to superintendent Libby Bonesteel. The district will also offer K-8 Virtual Academy for those who prefer that their children learn remotely. During the Education Committee session, Bonesteel said having a sufficient workforce is “a considerable concern.”

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COURTESY OF KAILEY STEVENS

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Kailey Stevens donating plasma

Around 40 percent of the district’s staff have childcare issues, she said. Because reopening plans vary, teachers with young children may live in a district whose schedule doesn’t align with their employer’s. Additionally, said Bonesteel, a significant number of staff members fall into a higher risk category for severe illness from COVID-19, or live with someone who does.

Chris Guros is a special educator at Main Street Middle School in Montpelier and is on Montpelier Roxbury’s reopening committee. Many teachers are “simply terrified” of returning to school, and the virus’ prevalence is so “fluid” it’s difficult to make a decision about heading back to work in a month’s time, he added.

Further, “The science really isn’t comforting to educators because it keeps changing,” Guros said.

Schools in the Orleans Central Supervisory Union in the Northeast Kingdom have enough space to bring students back five days a week, said superintendent Beverly Davis. But staffers are anxious about health, and she, too, is not sure she’ll have enough teachers to fully reopen. She’s been asked about setting up space in one of the schools for teachers who may need childcare but has determined there is no room. “We are just maxed out, especially if we have to think about physically distancing,” Davis said.

Read Alison Novak’s full story on sevendaysvt.com.

A WDEV radio announcer mistakenly told listeners that longtime Vermont journalist Mike Donoghue had died. He’s alive and kicking!

IT’S RAINING LEGS

A farmer who found a prosthetic limb in his soybeans returned it to the man who lost it while skydiving in West Addison.

Heads up!

23

That’s the percentage of Vermonters experiencing food insecurity, according to a recent UVM survey.

TOPFIVE

MOST POPULAR ITEMS ON SEVENDAYSVT.COM

1. “Vermont Vet Throws Support Behind Biden in Lincoln Project Ad” by Colin Flanders. With a new TV ad, a conservative Vermont veteran on a crusade to quash President Donald Trump’s reelection bid goes after the commander in chief — again.

2. “Health Commissioner Mark Levine Takes Off His Mask” by Paula Routly. The state’s head of public health policy is guiding Vermonters through a pandemic.

3. “As Traditional Dining Falters, Vermont Restaurants Struggle to Survive” by Jordan Barry, Melissa Pasanen & Sally Pollak.

Since March, restaurateurs have been on a roller-coaster ride as they try to keep their businesses going.

4. “Revamped Vermont Guidance for Schools Could Allow Three Feet of Distancing Instead of Six” by Alison Novak. A task force may recommend reducing the distance students must maintain this fall.

5. “Removal of Bank Street Murals Around Burlington ‘Pit’ Sparks Concern” by Margaret Grayson. A construction crew dismantled murals painted on plywood fencing lining the downtown pit.

ALL WE HAVE TO FEAR…

Forty-nine percent of Vermonters reported increased anxiety in the COVID-19 era, a VPR/Vermont PBS poll found.

Worrying trend.

tweet of the week @foote_amber The annual Marshmallow harvest is well underway in VT. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SEVENDAYSVT OUR TWEEPLE: SEVENDAYSVT.COM/TWITTER

WHAT’S KIND IN VERMONT

PLASMA BOOSTER Kailey Stevens was living in a small mountain town in Morocco when she came down with what felt like a nasty bug in early March. The 24-year-old Barre native was just a few months into a 27-month Peace Corps placement in the North African country.

But the global COVID-19 pandemic cut short her overseas adventure, and she returned to Vermont on March 18.

Her symptoms — including headache, nausea, cough, shortness of breath, and loss of taste and smell — only worsened, so her doctor ordered a coronavirus test on March 20. She

found out she was positive the next day, and then spent three weeks isolated in a Williamstown cabin until she recovered.

All told, Stevens was sick for 34 days. She has no idea how she contracted the virus.

“The only thing I didn’t have the entire time was a fever,” she said.

“Which is just crazy, because that seems to be the screening method.”

Stevens learned that the American Red Cross was collecting plasma from people who have survived COVID-19; health officials think the antibodies in their blood could help others combat the infection. Donating plasma involves a 90-minute session.

So, hoping to contribute, Stevens got in touch with her local Red Cross and donated plasma at the Burlington office in late April. It’s an easy process, she said, that she’s repeated twice more.

The Red Cross told Stevens her last batch of plasma went to a patient hospitalized in Georgia.

Stevens, who works as a nurse at the Central Vermont Medical Center, says donating was a no-brainer.

“I don’t even remember having a debate about it,” she said. “I’m better; someone else is still suffering. Why wouldn’t I try to help them?”

SASHA GOLDSTEIN SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

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TUNED TO G. / Pamela Polston, Paula Routly  Paula Routly   Cathy Resmer  

YOUR VOTE! HARD WON - NOT DONE

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO THIS MONTH women in the U.S. achieved the right to vote via the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.

Yet, due to exclusion, including brutal suppression, and discriminatory laws and practices, many Black women, other people of color, people with disabilities, people of low income, and other marginalized groups were unable to exercise this right until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 or later laws and court decisions.

The quest to strengthen our democracy through expansion of voting rights has been long and arduous, and the struggle is not over.

The Vermont Suffrage Centennial Alliance (VSCA) salutes all past and current participants in this movement.

In commemoration and celebration of the Suffrage Centennial, we urge all Vermonters to

VOTE in our August 11th primary and November 3rd general election.

For information about how to vote visit SOS.Vermont.Gov/Elections

Don Eggert, Pamela Polston, Colby Roberts

NEWS & POLITICS  Matthew Roy   Sasha Goldstein   Candace Page   Derek Brouwer, Colin Flanders,

Paul Heintz, Courtney Lamdin, Kevin McCallum

ARTS & LIFE  Pamela Polston   Margot Harrison   Dan Bolles, Elizabeth M. Seyler   Jordan Adams   Kristen Ravin    Carolyn Fox   Jordan Barry, Chelsea Edgar,

Margaret Grayson, Melissa Pasanen, Ken Picard, Sally Pollak  Carolyn Fox, Elizabeth M. Seyler   Katherine Isaacs, Marisa Keller D I G I TA L & V I D E O   Andrea Suozzo    Bryan Parmelee    Eva Sollberger   James Buck DESIGN   Don Eggert   Rev. Diane Sullivan   John James  Jeff Baron, Kirsten Thompson

Michelle Brown, Logan Pintka

 &   Corey Grenier  &   Katie Hodges A D M I N I S T R AT I O N   Marcy Carton    Matt Weiner   Jeff Baron CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Luke Baynes, Justin Boland, Alex Brown, Chris Farnsworth, Rick Kisonak, Jacqueline Lawler, Amy Lilly, Bryan Parmelee, Jernigan Pontiac, Jim Schley, Julia Shipley, Molly Zapp CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS Luke Awtry, Harry Bliss, James Buck, Rob Donnelly, Luke Eastman, Caleb Kenna, Sean Metcalf, Matt Mignanelli, Marc Nadel, Tim Newcomb, Oliver Parini, Sarah Priestap, Kim Scafuro, Michael Tonn, Jeb Wallace-Brodeur C I R C U L AT I O N : 3 5 , 0 0 0 Seven Days is published by Da Capo Publishing Inc. every Wednesday. It is distributed free of charge in greater Burlington, Middlebury, Montpelier, Northeast Kingdom, Stowe, the Mad River Valley, Rutland, St. Albans, St. Johnsbury, White River Junction and Plattsburgh, N.Y.

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READER REACTION TO RECENT ARTICLES

MARKET RESEARCH

The article on the “outbreak” in Manchester was well written and balanced in many aspects [“False Insecurity,” July 22].

I had been concerned with many of those same issues through my limited research, and I’m glad it brought them up. I think the story was objective and, while not flattering, it was truthful, which is more important than placating the public.

However, it was incorrect about one thing — an error not just in Seven Days but in other local papers. Reporter Derek Brouwer stated the farmers market in Manchester was closed on a Saturday. In fact, it’s a Thursday evening market, from 3 to 6 p.m., and has been for years. The Arlington Village Farmers Market, which I manage, is Friday from 4 to 7 p.m.

Jessica Roberts

SALES & MARKETING    Colby Roberts    Michael Bradshaw   Robyn Birgisson,

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

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FEEDback

ARLINGTON

NOT THAT OLD

Just a quick note to say that the Chazy Fossil Reef on Isle La Motte is around 460 million years rather than the 480 million stated in your very lovely piece about us [Vermonting: “Shrine and Dine,” July 8].

Years ago we started out by saying 480 million, but in recent years the New York State geologist suggested that it was more like 460 million. So now we’re busily trying to correct our original mistake of some 20 years ago.

Thanks very much for the great piece on Isle La Motte and for Seven Days in general!

Linda Fitch

ISLE LA MOTTE

Fitch is president of Isle La Motte Preservation Trust.

GRAY’S FLAWED VOTING RECORD

The role of privilege and connection in the story of Molly Gray’s ascent [“Fast Ascent,” July 29] in the lieutenant governor’s race is amply demonstrated by her failure to vote for 10 years.

Her supporters are willing to overlook this flaw while anointing her the future of the fossilized Democratic Party. Gray claimed she was not proud of her lackluster voter participation and that President Donald Trump’s election was a “wake-up call.”

Gray’s own statement suggests she needs to spend a few more years learning

WEEK IN REVIEW

TIM NEWCOMB

He deserves the support of Vermonters for lieutenant governor, and he is ready to step in as governor if needed, without on-the-job training.

Richard Sugarman

BURLINGTON

CHITTENDEN FOR CHITTENDEN

about the importance of voting and exercising that right to vote before she seeks public office. Someone who is unable or unwilling to participate in our democracy at the most basic level surely casts doubt on her commitment to democratic principles.

Ginny McGrath

BURLINGTON

SIEGEL SPEAKS FROM EXPERIENCE

[Re “When Reform Is the Norm,” July 22]: I learned about Brenda Siegel and her activism last year. It was then that I discovered a genuine advocate with the right idea on how to handle the opioid epidemic.

Brenda’s sincerity stems in part from her personal struggle. Losing a brother and a nephew to opioids must have been a massive challenge to overcome. Now Brenda is running for higher office to bring her knowledge and character to Montpelier.

To combat an epidemic that has weaved its way through our brave little state, we will need a bold approach.

Brenda offers just that: With rehabilitation tactics and justice reform, in lieu of cracking down on opioid users as criminals, we can heal Vermont. As lieutenant governor, Brenda will be able to rally

CORRECTION

Last week’s Staytripper story “Into the Woods” got a little lost locating the Long Trail. The footpath is entirely within Vermont.

enough support for these techniques to be applied so that they can work.

Brenda supports a living wage, health care as a human right, increased broadband access and other progressive stances on issues. Additionally, Brenda is a tireless advocate who has lobbied for change in both Vermont’s capital and in Washington, D.C. It is my hope that, with Brenda as our lieutenant governor, we will be able to push for our state to do better in the categories in which we need help the most. As a young and disabled taxpayer, I support Brenda Siegel in her run for lieutenant governor, and I hope you will, too.

Asher Edelson

NORTH BENNINGTON

ASHE ‘EMBODIES RATIONAL PROGRESSIVENESS’

[Re Off Message: “Gray, Ashe Take Heat During Democratic Lieutenant Gubernatorial Debate,” July 16]: Tim Ashe is one of the most brilliant, perceptive and well-read students I have encountered at the University of Vermont over the past 50 years. More importantly, he has the kind of maturity, sense of balance and fairness that make him qualified to serve as lieutenant governor of Vermont.

As pro tem of the Vermont state Senate, he has acted in a principled, balanced, compassionate manner. He has shown the kind of leadership that embodies rational progressiveness. He has worked tirelessly for the elderly and working and middle classes, while keeping in mind the importance of housing and decent wages, while paying attention to issues of clean water and power.

I am happy to support Thomas Chittenden in his bid for Vermont state Senate [“Senate Scramble,” July 22]. The residents of Chittenden County, and the rest of the state, deserve a real Vermonter representing them in Montpelier, and that’s Tom. As our district continues to grow more diverse and our needs become many in this challenging time, we need a champion like Tom in the Statehouse. He knows that working families in Vermont deserve a fair deal and that education, housing, affordability, climate change and social justice are all issues that need to be addressed.

Tom is the quintessential civic-minded Vermonter, serving on the South Burlington City Council, University of Vermont Faculty Senate and in various other volunteer roles. His commonsense leadership, commitment to his community and unparalleled grasp of the issues at hand make him my choice for Vermont state Senate.

I urge my neighbors to vote for Chittenden on August 11.

Scott Goodwin

ESSEX JUNCTION

WHAT LEWIS LEAVES

[Re “The K Chronicles,” July 29]: As tributes continue from across the country, we realize how much of an American nation builder the late John Lewis was.

He has left his mark on the American political and civil rights landscape.

America and the world have lost a great son who made a remarkable difference in so many lives, and his legacy will live on.

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contents AUGUST 5-12, 2020 VOL.25 NO.45

FOOD

Following Her Heart Ferene Paris Meyer brings Haitian cuisine and storytelling to Burlington

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ON THE COVER

A Burrito Treatise

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WTF Bottom Line Side Dishes Album Reviews Ask the Reverend

Life Lines Food + Drink Music + Nightlife Classes Classifieds + Puzzles 72 Fun Stuff 76 Personals

First Bite: Little Gordo Creemee Stand brings snacks and softserve to downtown Burlington

PAGE 50

STUCK IN VERMONT

Online Thursday

A posthumous anthology album celebrates the music of troubled banjo great Gordon Stone

BY DA N BO L L E S , PAGE 3 6

COVER IMAGE COURTESY OF LAURY SHEA • COVER DESIGN REV. DIANE SULLIVAN

NEWS & POLITICS 11

ARTS NEWS 28

FEATURES 42

From the Publisher

Hoppy News

Knots and Notches

Onion City Unity

Picture of Health

Primary Concerns

Vermont’s clerks prepare for an election like no other

‘Threat’ Response

Vergennes’ mayor resigned over text messages — then most of the city council bailed

Dose of Reality

How David Zuckerman has spun his record on vaccine mandates

No Vacancy

Burlington zoning rules delay plans to demolish downtown motel

Vermonting: Art and sheep and honor in the Northeast Kingdom

The pandemic isn’t getting this arts festival down

The Zine’s Golden Age

History: An antique doctor’s office is for sale in East Berkshire

Fair Market

He Said, She Said

Book review: Universe of Two by Stephen P. Kiernan

Twilight of the Immortals Couch Cinema: The Old Guard

High Score 30

Music: Producer and composer Christopher Hawthorn carves out a pop niche

e h T

We have

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SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

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FROM THE PUBLISHER

The Show Must Go On

COURTESY OF DAVID ROBY

I was a student at Middlebury College in the early ’80s when I first laid eyes on the late Gordon Stone — the subject of this week’s cover story. He was playing at a townie bar called the Alibi, where a few of us college kids dared to drink Molson Reds, play pool and hear live music. It was pretty rough-and-tumble for Park Street, especially through the eyes of a 20-year-old. When Vermont’s drinking age changed from 18 to 21, the place shut down.

Stone’s band at the time, the Decentz, was a local music sensation. But his red-hot licks are not what I remember about the evening. Like so many others in the room, I found myself mesmerized by the lead vocalist: Pamela Polston. With her beauty, funky clothes and powerful pipes, she was Vermont’s version of Debbie Harry.

Little did I know: In 15 years, this local celebrity punk diva would be my business partner at Seven Days.

Pamela — do not call her Pam — remained unaware of my existence for at least five more years. After college, I moved to Burlington, and a Flynn Theatre internship led to a job selling graphics for Vanguard Type & Design. Its biggest client, the Queen City’s The Decentz (from left): Gordon Stone, Jim Ryan, Peter Torrey, original alt weekly, the Vanguard Press, was right next door. In 1986, Pamela became Pamela Polston and Brett Hughes the paper’s calendar writer. Just back from a year living in Paris, she was even cooler and more stylish offstage.

By the time she was promoted to arts editor, I had started contributing dance stories and criticism as a freelancer.

We both wound up part of “Girls Gourmet,” a group of women who still meet Pamela Polston and Paula Routly monthly for a meal and to occasionally swap clothes. The two of us became friends.

Pamela wrote to me regularly when I spent two years in Uganda, from 1988 to 1990. But she sent sad news. The publisher of the Vanguard had decided to fold it to create a home-delivered free weekly that would cover all of Chittenden County.

Pamela was invited to reapply for her arts editor job at the new entity. She declined.

The position went to her protégé and Vanguard correspondent Dwight Garner, then fresh out of college, now the lead book critic at the New York Times.

When Dwight left Vermont for Manhattan, I got his job and Pamela started freelancing for me. We had literally switched places.

When the publisher of the Vermont Times asked me to spin off the arts section of the newspaper into a separate publication, my first call was to Pamela.

I knew she could help me conceptualize and design something enterprising, smart and fun — and also write for it. Together we created Vox. Working day and night, we raised it like our own newspaper.

But, of course, it wasn’t. Fewer than six months after we created the publication, the entire company was sold.

From the shared agony of that loss came the certainty of our partnership. We started over, this time as co-owners, and created Seven Days. The fledgling media business was by no means a sure thing when we launched it in 1995, but our work relationship was. Each of us knew the other would do whatever it took to grow and sustain a viable, local newspaper worthy of the community we both love so much.

Want to help Seven Days through A quarter century later, we’re still here, the pandemic? Become a Super Reader. surrounded by a group of incredible staffers Look for the “Give Now” buttons at the top of who share our devotion to the state, and to this sevendaysvt.com.

Or send a check with your important work. Sixteen of them are co-owners. address and contact info to: A few are also musicians.

If you appreciate our award-winning SEVEN DAYS, C/O SUPER READERS P.O. BOX 1164 newsweekly, please consider becoming a Super BURLINGTON, VT 05402-1164 Reader with a regular monthly contribution For more information on making a financial to our cause. You’ll be helping to preserve a lovingly homegrown community resource for contribution to Seven Days, please contact the next generation.

Corey Grenier:

COURTESY OF PAULA ROUTLY

Paula Routly

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

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

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news

MORE INSIDE

TENSION IN VERGENNES PAGE 16

LABOR

IF THIS MOTEL’S WALLS COULD TALK PAGE 18

MISSISSIPPI INMATE OUTBREAK PAGE 20

JESSICA OJALA

Mark Schilling entering a ballot

Primary Concerns Vermont’s clerks prepare for an election like no other B Y K E VI N MCCA LLUM

C

ambridge Town Clerk and Treasurer Mark Schilling set up a public video stream last Friday of two election workers helping him count absentee ballots for the Vermont primary.

“And we’re live!” Schilling declared just after 9 a.m., though the video had actually been live for a few minutes and had captured a worker munching on a breakfast snack.

Schilling, wearing a blue mask, adjusted the laptop camera so it would take in the full scene, a conference room in the town offices adorned with an American flag, a framed poster of Norman Rockwell’s “Freedom of Speech” illustration and a potted plant.

On a long conference table sat the reason for this unusual live-action video of municipal government: two boxes of envelopes containing 360 returned absentee ballots.

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SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

Clerks’ offices around the state have been inundated with a record number of such ballots in recent weeks as Vermonters embraced the call to avoid their polling places on August 11 and instead to vote by mail.

To date, 147,668 voters have requested absentee ballots; by contrast, 107,637 total votes were cast in the 2018 primary. The number is so high that many communities have adopted creative strategies to handle the flood, including a tactic they’ve never used before — counting ballots by machine well before Election Day. Secretary of State Jim Condos empowered them to do so to avoid a crush of lastminute ballot counting that could fray nerves and delay election results.

In Cambridge, Schilling got an unpleasant taste of that stress in the 2016

presidential election, when the high turnout left poll workers without time to run absentee ballots through the tabulation machines until after polls closed. Help had to be conscripted at the last minute to get those ballots counted.

Schilling doesn’t want a repeat in 2020.

“Based on that previous experience, we absolutely don’t want to have that happen with 300 or even 600 ballots,” Schilling said. “They gave us the opportunity to do [the processing] ahead of the game, and we’re taking advantage of that.”

The public need not worry that info about who is ahead in a race will leak early, said Will Senning, Vermont’s director of elections. Until the polls close at 7 p.m. on August 11, the tabulator machines

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PRIMARY CONCERNS

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Some Who Worked During COVID-19 Crisis Now Qualify for Grants B Y K EV IN M C C A LLU M

Some frontline workers who responded in the early days of the COVID-19 crisis in Vermont are now eligible for grants of up to $2,000.

Gov. Phil Scott announced that, beginning on Tuesday, August 4, employers could apply for hazard pay grants for those who worked between March 13 and May 15 at certain jobs that put them at greater risk of exposure to the coronavirus.

The $28 million program covers private-sector employees who made less than $25 per hour and worked for at least 68 hours during the period. Home health care and nursing home workers are eligible regardless of their pay rate.

The funds come from the $1.25 billion Vermont received from the federal CARES Act. “We are encouraging employers to apply to make sure these critically important employees receive recognition and compensation to reflect the work they did keeping Vermonters safe during the crisis,” Human Services Secretary Mike Smith said in a press release.

The grants will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis until the funds are gone.

Eligible workers include ambulance drivers and paramedics; assisted living, residential care and nursing home workers; health care and treatment center workers; employees in dental and medical offices; and workers in homeless shelters and morgues.

The program is less than half the size of the $60 million plan originally passed by the Vermont Senate. That would have covered additional workers, including grocery store clerks and childcare providers.

The Senate proposal was pared back after House members took a more conservative view of the federal guidance about the types of positions eligible for such grants.

Senate President Pro Tempore Tim Ashe (D/P-Chittenden) said the main goal of the program was to recognize those who reported to work despite risky and stressful conditions. People who stayed home sometimes made more in enhanced unemployment benefits, he said.

“We were extremely disappointed that, in order to move forward with the program we did pass, we weren’t able to include all of the other workers who we put in highrisk positions,” Ashe said. “But we haven’t forgotten them.”

For more information or to apply, visit humanservices.vermont.gov.

Contact: kevin@sevendaysvt.com Disclosure: Tim Ashe is the domestic partner of Seven Days publisher and coeditor Paula Routly. Find our conflict-of-interest policy at sevendaysvt.com/disclosure.

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uring a debate last month with his rivals for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, Gov. Phil Scott did something a little unusual.

Given the chance to pose a question to any one of his primary election opponents, he instead chose to highlight the record of a potential general election foe.

“We’re in the middle of a pandemic,” Scott said, addressing a fellow Republican candidate. “One of the frontrunners on the Democratic side has questioned the science of vaccines. Do you accept, like I do, that vaccines are essential to public health and getting us out of this economic crisis that we’re in?”

The question was a shot across the bow at Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman, a Progressive/Democrat who has endured withering criticism of his record on vaccine mandates from his chief rival for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, former education s e c r e t a r y Re b e c c a Holcombe. Scott was making clear that, even if Zuckerman survived Holcombe’s vaccine attacks during the primary, they would keep coming in the general DR. TIM election campaign.

For months, Holcombe has highlighted Zuckerman’s past support for a philosophical exemption to the state’s vaccine mandate when he was serving in the Vermont Senate, calling the lieutenant governor an “anti-vaxxer” and accusing him of disbelieving science.

She has said his history on the issue is particularly concerning given that he’s seeking to govern a state beset by a public health crisis.

Zuckerman, meanwhile, has argued that his opponent has deliberately misconstrued his record in a cynical attempt to win votes. He maintains that there is no daylight between their positions and that he would seek to distribute a COVID-19 vaccine to all Vermonters for free as soon as one is available.

“She has chosen to make wide, sweeping statements that are patently false,” he said in a 45-minute interview explaining his position. “Vermont does deserve better. It deserves candidates who are willing to focus on the issues and not focus on smearing each other.”

The debate over Zuckerman’s views on vaccines has been clouded by an incomplete historical record.

At issue is the Senate’s decision in April 2015 to make it more difficult for parents to enroll their children in public schools without certain immunizations. But because no roll-call votes were taken, it is impossible to verify precisely how Zuckerman voted on the matter.

On the campaign trail this year, Zuckerman has repeatedly asserted that after voting to keep the philosophical exemption, he voted to repeal it later the same day. But an examination of the available evidence — including audio recordings of the Senate debate, interviews with Zuckerman’s then-colleagues and his own comments after the fact — found little support for the latter claim.

Rather, those on either L AHEY side of the argument said it was clear at the time that Zuckerman strongly opposed strengthening the state’s vaccination requirements.

“David Zuckerman was one of only a few Vermont senators to stand up in support of parents when certain lobbyists, medical center CEOs and lawmakers were trying to make all vaccines mandatory for all children in 2015,” said Jennifer Stella, codirector of Health Choice Vermont, which opposes vaccine mandates. She said she stood by her 2016 assertion that Zuckerman “was regarded by many as a hero,” a quotation Holcombe has used against him.

Sen. Dick Sears (D-Bennington), a cosponsor of the 2015 amendment bolstering the vaccine mandate, agreed that there

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news was no question where his former colleague stood. “He definitely opposed the removal of the philosophical exemption,” said Sears, who is neutral in the gubernatorial race.

“That’s why the anti-vaccination people were very supportive of him.”

John Campbell, who was president pro tempore of the Senate at the time and another cosponsor of the amendment, had the same recollection. “There was nothing that I can recall of him supporting or being in support of removing the philosophical exemption,” said Campbell, now executive director of the Department of State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs.

Zuckerman himself characterizes his actions completely differently.

“I voted for the bill that repealed [the philosophical exemption], and I supported that effort,” he said in the interview. “I even offered an amendment to remove it, as well, as you know, with some conditions.”

The lieutenant governor now recalls his initial opposition to the effort as brief and motivated largely by procedural concerns — and he says his position on the merits of the legislation hasn’t evolved since. “My views haven’t really needed to change,” he said.

At the time of the vote, vaccine campaigners had spent years seeking to close loopholes making it relatively easy for parents opposed to vaccinations to enroll their children in public schools without being immunized against polio, whooping cough, measles, mumps and other diseases. Every state in the country had a medical exemption to the mandate, allowing those with documented reasons to avoid vaccines to do so, and 48 states had a religious exemption. Vermont was one of about two dozen states that also allowed parents to opt out for unstated philosophical reasons.

In the 2011-12 school year, according to data from the state Department of Health, the parents of 5.2 percent of Vermont’s kindergartners had availed themselves of the philosophical exemption. Only 87 percent of kindergartners were up to date on all required vaccines — among the lowest rates in the country — and in some schools and communities the rate was far lower.

During the 2012 legislative session, while Zuckerman was taking a two-year break from the legislature, the Senate voted overwhelmingly to scratch the philosophical exemption — but, facing pressure from anti-vaccination activists, the House balked.

In a compromise, the legislature ultimately moved to collect more data on immunization rates and to require parents seeking the religious and philosophical exemptions to sign a statement saying they understood the risks to their children and others.

Three years later, a multistate measles outbreak originating at California’s 14

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

FILE: JAMES BUCK

Dose of Reality « P.13

Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman

GETTING RELIGION Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman is not the only candidate for higher office this year who voted against repealing the philosophical exemption to Vermont’s vaccine mandate.

Senate President Pro Tempore Tim Ashe (D/P-Chittenden), who is seeking the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, has done so multiple times — though, he says, for very different reasons than Zuckerman.

“My position has been consistent from the day I walked in the Senate, which is: I strongly believe in vaccines for kids who attend our public schools,” Ashe said in an interview. “My own preference has always been that we have no exemptions except the medical exemption.”

In Ashe’s view, the state should have repealed both the philosophical and the religious exemptions to the mandate. Doing the former but not the latter raised civil liberties concerns, he said, and “was not a constitutionally appropriate change because it gave those who practice a particular religion different access to public services than those who do not practice religion.”

The issue briefly featured in a Vermont Public Radio/Vermont PBS debate last month when Democratic opponent Molly Gray described his voting record on vaccines and asked whether his position had changed. He dismissed her question, saying, “I’m sure that the consultants who encouraged you to [ask it] didn’t quite do their homework.”

In 2012, Ashe was one of just four senators who voted against removing the philosophical exemption. In an interview at the time with Seven Days, he raised practical concerns about doing so while retaining the religious exemption. “They don’t check the weekly attendance rolls at the church,” he said. “I would like to see people get kids immunized, but if we’re going to have any exemptions at all, we should not force people into white lies.”

Ashe said he can’t recall how he voted when the issue reemerged in 2015, but he assumes he was among the 11 who opposed the repeal of the philosophical exemption.

Audio from the debate features Ashe probing “the nuanced difference between religious beliefs and philosophical convictions” and questioning the fairness of protecting one but not the other.

If Ashe felt so strongly that the religious exemption should go, too, why didn’t he introduce an amendment to repeal it? “It would have been pointless because it was obvious there was virtually no interest in touching the religious exemption,” he said.

Ashe declined to comment on Zuckerman’s history on the issue, but he drew an implicit contrast. “I’m not trying to have it all ways,” he said. “There’s a reason I was never accused of being an anti-vaxxer, because my position was well-articulated in public at the time.”

Disclosure: Tim Ashe is the domestic partner of Seven Days publisher and coeditor Paula Routly. Find our conflict-of-interest policy at sevendaysvt.com/disclosure.

Disneyland prompted Vermont lawmakers to revisit the issue. “We were one plane ride away from measles hitting Vermont,” thensenator Kevin Mullin said during an April 2015 debate.

When an otherwise uncontroversial bill updating the state’s disease registry rules came to the Senate floor that month, Mullin, Sears and Campbell introduced a lastminute amendment to the bill that would do away with the philosophical exemption.

As Seven Days reported at the time, Zuckerman questioned the science of vaccinations

during a floor debate and said the pharmaceutical industry was pushing vaccinations only to make money. He accused the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of having conflicts of interest, suggested that vaccine researchers keep their data hidden and argued that those who are better educated are more likely to avoid vaccines because they understand “potential concerns.”

“For me, as long as there’s the extreme financial conflicts of interest out there that are driving much of this debate and discussion, I have to maintain the individual right

for someone to do their own research, as well, and make that decision,” Zuckerman said at the time.

“He was opposed to the amendment,” Mullin, now chair of the Green Mountain Care Board, recalled last week. “I think he may have said something silly about there might be discrepancies in the science related to it.”

Though a majority of senators appeared to support the amendment, several objected to voting on it without first taking testimony, so the Health & Welfare Committee agreed to hold a brief hearing.

A week later the amendment reemerged, and Zuckerman again spoke out against it.

Noting the emotional nature of the debate, he said, “I think it’s important that we all recognize those passions, those convictions and the fact that there is disputed evidence with respect to some of the discussion we’ve been having.”

Zuckerman moved to further amend the bill to remove the philosophical exemption only after the CDC had signed off on “a reliable DNA swab test to check for the genetic predisposition to an allergic reaction to various immunization ingredients.”

“Science, as we all know, is evolving at an extraordinarily rapid pace, particularly genetic science,” he told his colleagues, asking “why we can’t wait” for such a test before removing the exemption.

Zuckerman now claims his amendment would not have stood in the way of stronger vaccine mandates. “The amendment that I offered was to say I have no problem — in fact, I support removing the philosophical exemption — if we give people the tool to be able to test if they are predisposed genetically to an extreme reaction,” he said in the recent interview.

But according to Dr. Tim Lahey, an expert on infectious diseases who spent a decade researching vaccines, Zuckerman’s amendment “wasn’t something that the science supports.” Had it passed, he said, Vermont’s philosophical exemption might still be in place, because the test Zuckerman imagined still does not— and may never — exist. “I want legislation based on the current science, not a guess about what the future will show,” said Lahey, a physician at the University of Vermont Medical Center and professor at UVM’s Larner College of Medicine.

Zuckerman has a different view. “If that amendment passed, there would have been the medical and pharmaceutical company interest to develop that test,” he theorized.

Former senator Claire Ayer, a retired nurse who chaired the Health & Welfare Committee at the time, now calls Zuckerman’s amendment “nutty” and sees it as evidence that he “disregards science.”

“It was clear that he did not want to do without the philosophical exemption,” she said, adding that the issue had prompted her to endorse Holcombe.

Zuckerman’s amendment ultimately failed on a voice vote. Even then, he continued to argue that repealing the exemption would drive up property tax rates because it would drive students out of public schools, and he insisted that vaccination rates were high enough to avoid a public health risk. “So I urge that we defeat this amendment,” he said, referring to the one offered by Mullin, Sears and Campbell.

Instead, it passed on a vote of 18 to 11.

Though no roll call was recorded, Zuckerman says he was among the 11 who opposed it. The Senate then passed by voice vote the underlying disease registry bill with the philosophical exemption repeal tacked on to it. According to Zuckerman, he voted for that — and that is the vote he has highlighted in recent months to claim he backed the repeal.

“I think sometimes you vote for an amendment to make a statement, but the bill as a whole was a good one, so you vote for the bill,” explained Sen. Ann Cummings (D-Washington), who has endorsed Holcombe but who defends Zuckerman’s position. “This is the art of the possible here.” Like Zuckerman, Cummings says she opposed repealing the philosophical exemption — though her views have since changed — and supported the underlying bill.

Even at the time, Zuckerman’s remarks on the Senate floor drew scorn from some quarters, including the liberal political blogger — and future Seven Days columnist — John Walters, who referred to him, Cummings and others who spoke out against the Mullin/Sears/ Campbell amendment as “desperate, evasive [and] rhetorically bankrupt.”

Defending himself in the comments section of Walters’ blog the day after the vote, Zuckerman did not claim, as he does today, that he had ultimately supported repealing the philosophical exemption.

Rather, he doubled down on his arguments casting doubt on the safety of vaccines.

Linking to a now inaccessible Facebook post, he wrote that it made clear “that the vaccination world is not as cut and dry as some would make it seem.”

“The concern by some of the ‘antivaccine’ crowd is that there are people for whom some ingredients in the vaccines can cause allergic reactions. In some cases severe ones,” Zuckerman continued. “It is this cohort of the ‘anti-vaccine’ crowd that [I] find compelling. Am I a staunch antivaccine person? Not at all.”

The blowback to his vote was so severe that, two days after it took place,

Zuckerman delivered a tearful speech on the Senate floor explaining his position.

Once again, he made no mention of having ultimately supported the repeal.

“The past 48 hours have been some of the most difficult of my serving in political life,” he said, according to prepared remarks he emailed Seven Days later that day. “I have been attacked as being anti-science, not caring for those who are less able to protect themselves, and mocked for my profession as being unqualified to make informed comments or decisions.”

Zuckerman attributed his support for the philosophical exemption to the death of his father, Boston-area thoracic surgeon Walter Zuckerman, when the future senator was just 13 years old. He told his colleagues that his father had died of cancer after using an experimental procedure involving radioactive barium.

“Why do I tell you this? Because science is good, but it is not perfect.

Such imperfection can cause harm.

Absolutism can cause harm,” he said on the Senate floor. “I understand that vaccines are tremendously good and have protected billions around the world. I also understand that vaccines have caused others, due to their unique genetics, very unfortunate allergic reactions that have changed their lives forever. There are still risks.”

In the years since the state repealed the philosophical exemption, the vaccination rate among kindergartners in Vermont has increased to 92.2 percent, according to the Department of Health, and the rate for all K-12 students has reached 95.1 percent — the highest since the state began keeping track.

Zuckerman now characterizes himself as a supporter of that change.

When pressed on why he opposed the amendment that made it happen, he cites the last-minute nature in which it came to the floor. “If it were to happen today and went through the committee process and they heard from everybody and took all the appropriate information in and brought it to the floor, I would’ve voted for it,” he said.

As for the possibility that Scott follows Holcombe’s lead in the general election and attacks his position on vaccines, Zuckerman says bring it on — citing the governor’s initial reluctance to mandate masks to combat the coronavirus and his inaction on climate change.

“We will have plenty of robust opportunities to discuss science,” Zuckerman said. “And I’m more than willing to have a debate strictly on science, if he wants to do so.”

Contact: paul@sevendaysvt.com

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news

‘Threat’ Response

Vergennes’ mayor resigned over text messages — then most of the city council bailed

POLITICS

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SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

TIM NEWCOMB

F

ew people knew exactly what had prompted the July 16 special meeting of the Vergennes City Council. Even some aldermen were only aware that their city manager, Daniel Hofman, had received a vague complaint about the local police department.

Hofman prepared two documents for that night’s gathering. First, an agenda listing the lone discussion item: “Accusations that the Vergennes Police Department is demoralizing and intimidating people.” Second, a compilation of text messages between mayor Jeff Fritz and himself.

Before the evening was over, longsimmering disagreements over the city’s police department would erupt into an open clash between Fritz and deputy mayor Lynn Donnelly, with Hofman the apparent catalyst.

Fritz, who as mayor sat on the sevenmember city council, announced he’d resign.

Three aldermen soon followed — leaving Vergennes with no functioning legislative body. Lacking a quorum, the council cannot act, and the city is scrambling to schedule a special fall election. Some 230 residents, nearly a tenth of the city’s population, have signed an open letter demanding that the council and Hofman explain what happened.

The texts that triggered Vergennes’ meltdown began on the morning of July 15, when Fritz wrote to Hofman that he believed citizens felt intimidated by the police department. He said a civilian advisory group, an idea he had been championing for the previous month, could change that.

“I don’t give two shits about their morale,” Fritz wrote of the police. “They’ve demoralized citizens long enough.” And if two skeptical council members — deputy mayor Donnelly and Alderman David Austin — did not “simmer down” about the idea of civilian advisers, he would take them “to the woodshed.”

Hofman said he took Fritz’s comments as a formal complaint. Less than an hour later, the manager sent the city council an email requesting an emergency meeting.

The next evening, as 70 residents watched online, Hofman displayed the texts and read them aloud, eliciting gasps from the audience. Fritz agreed to resign and logged off the meeting.

He tendered his official written resignation 11 days later. He had eight months left

in to serve in a position that pays a modest stipend.

Hofman has defended his decision to read the text messages to the audience, maintaining that he had no intention of embarrassing the mayor. He said he only displayed the texts to protect the city from liability in the event of someone “going out and killing themselves” because of police harassment.

While some residents doubt that Fritz’s public shaming was a response to his push for police reform, in his mind the connection is clear.

“I pushed some buttons, absolutely,” he said. “A trap was laid for me, and I walked right into it. Shame on me.”

The disagreements that came to a head in July began a year ago. Soon after his election as mayor in 2019, Fritz backed a proposal to trim two officers from the eight-person Vergennes Police Department to help address a potential 20-cent property tax increase.

The department’s budget of $890,000 represents 34 percent of the city’s spending plan, a higher percentage than virtually any other Vermont town or city, according to a recent VTDigger.org analysis.

At a packed public meeting last summer, Fritz said the department’s staffing was not sustainable without a significant tax increase.

But many of the more than 50 people in attendance seemed willing to foot the bill after Chief George Merkel said the cuts

would undermine public safety. Deputy mayor Donnelly sided with the chief. She called the proposed budget reduction a “horrible decision” that would set the department back years. The council ultimately rejected the cuts.

This summer, Donnelly and Fritz were at odds again, this time over the creation of a police advisory board. Fritz pitched the idea at a June meeting in the wake of George Floyd’s killing by Minneapolis police officers. He stressed that his proposal was not an indictment of the department but rather a recognition that more citizen oversight would be good for all.

The council agreed to let a committee study the concept, though some expressed skepticism. Alderman Austin said he did not think the city had a policing problem. “We’re not Burlington. We’re not Bennington.

We’re, thankfully, not St. Albans,” he said, in an apparent reference to recent police problems in those cities.

Donnelly added, “Right now, I would not think that this was in the best interest of the police department or the city council.”

Still, acknowledging that she “might” change her mind depending on the committee’s findings, Donnelly voted in favor of it.

When the panel returned a month later to ask for more time to study the issue, however, she balked.

“We can’t spend the whole summer doing this,” she said. “It’s only dividing people. It’s not helping.”

Several committee members said there

B Y C O LI N F L A ND E R S

seemed to be a growing opposition to their work — and attributed that to Donnelly.

Donnelly had begun distributing signs that read, “We Support Our Local Police,” which were often placed next to Black Lives Matter signs. She told Seven Days that a good friend of Chief Merkel’s asked for her help. “With the morale of the poor police right now, I [thought] it was a great idea,” Donnelly said.

Study committee member Nial Rele, who moved to Vergennes three years ago, said he felt personally targeted by the signs supporting the police, viewing them as a way of telling those in favor of more citizen oversight “to know our place.” Learning of Donnelly’s role in the signs’ appearance only solidified that belief.

“This was an attempt — directly and indirectly — to exert power and influence over our conversation,” Rele said.

Committee member Alicia Grangent said she, too, felt pushback from the police.

This spring, the department posted a Black Lives Matter sign in front of the station.

After the committee’s second meeting, the sign disappeared. “The city is in turmoil,” she said.

The pressure eventually became too much for Catherine Brooks, who chaired the group until stepping down last month. “I found the criticism demoralizing,” she said.

“I didn’t feel that all members of the city council were giving us a fair opportunity.”

On July 14, the council granted the committee only half the additional study time it requested. Fritz sent his texts to Hofman the next morning.

“Watch me pack the house on 8/11,” he wrote, referring to the date the committee’s report is due. “I will not be humiliated like I was last year in the budget meeting.” Texting Hofman again later in the day, Fritz sent a meme of a woman saying, “Honey, you’ve got a big storm coming.”

“Is that a threat?” Hofman replied.

Fritz said it wasn’t but that Donnelly had “pissed a lot of folks off.” When Hofman responded that Fritz should not be threatening anyone — Donnelly or himself — Fritz replied, “Oh heavens. Apologies. It’s been a rough day. I was trying to be humorous.

Forgive me.”

Hofman was in constant contact with Donnelly during this time. The two called each other 18 times between the morning of July 15 and the special meeting the following night, according to phone logs that a resident obtained in a public records request

and shared with Seven Days. Six of those When Hofman said he had informed calls occurred during Hofman’s exchange Donnelly and Austin about the messages of texts with Fritz. because of the “threats towards the three Hofman said the deputy mayor had of us,” Benton replied, “It sounds like an “zero input” into his responses. He said ambush to me.” he informed Donnelly and Austin about “This should have been a full council the messages because he felt he could be discussion,” Benton wrote. “I’m disapliable if “something happened to them.” pointed in you.” Three days later, Benton Asked if he truly thought their lives were resigned. In a letter, he wrote that the at risk, Hofman said the messages “speak community is filled with “vitriol and for themselves.” mistrust” and he lacks the time and energy Hofman has faced intense pressure from to help fix it. residents to explain why he publicized the Two other aldermen — Mark Koenig exchange. An hourlong interview with and Tara Brooks — resigned a week later.

Seven Days provided little clarity. Hofman Brooks cited a heavy workload from her job; said he considered the entire text chain Koenig said he could no longer work with a formal complaint against the police people who have “lied to me on numerous department, although only a handful of occasions” and “have no interest in repairmessages actually mention the ing the immense harm done.” department.

He also apologized for He said he displayed the supporting Hofman’s hiring. “It conversation at the meeting seems clear to me now that placbecause Fritz did not provide ing trust and confidence in him specific details to back up his was a grave mistake; a mistake “accusation.” Instead, the mayor for which we are all now paying said at the start of the meeting a high price,” Koenig wrote. that while he was unaware of Hofman, a 29-year-old New any specific complaint, some York State native, was hired people nevertheless feel intimilate last year. After earning his dated by the police. master’s degree in public admin“I mean, how can you say istration in 2018, he worked for that people feel intimidated and a South Carolina municipality J E FF FRITZ demoralized by the police and and then became city manager not bring us anything specific to of Guyton, a small town in eastthe table?” Hofman asked. ern Georgia. The mayor fired him after six Fritz said he believes Hofman had months for alleged poor decision making, always planned to disclose the messages. according to news reports, but a majority on Hofman’s responses in the digital conversa- the city council later overrode the decision, tion, he said, “were absolutely tailor-made voted to reinstate him and agreed to pay for public consumption.” him missed wages.

Even if the city manager’s big reveal Donnelly, who was named mayor after was spur-of-the-moment, Donnelly was Fritz’s resignation, defended the manager ready for it. The deputy mayor posted and said that, despite claims to the contrary, an invitation on Front Porch Forum on she has no intention of quashing the police July 15, asking her neighbors on “both advisory board. In fact, she said, she fully sides” of the policing issue to watch the supports the idea. council meeting at her house. Then, when She said she was ashamed of her Hofman referred to the mayor’s texts colleagues for giving up on the city when during the meeting, she asked for the it needed them most. messages to be displayed on the screen.

“I didn’t quit or leave town because we As soon as Hofman finished reading the had garbage on the corners, or there were exchange aloud, she read a prepared couches on the front steps of Main Street, or statement condemning Fritz for his we had police that were drug addicts,” she comments and asking him to resign. said, an apparent reference to former police “There was no coup,” she said. “There chief Michael Lowe, who was arrested in was never an intention for a coup. It sort of 2009 after a high-profile fall from grace that he attributed to a drug addiction. fell into place.”

The rest of the city council was not “It’s taken us 30 years to get to where convinced. we are today,” Donnelly continued. “People Alderman Bill Benton emailed Hofman are buying houses, selling houses, building as the meeting ended and asked with whom houses in Vergennes because Vergennes the manager had shared the texts before- is what it is. There’s a very low crime rate. hand, because “it sure seemed like Lynn People are friendly. They trust each other.” was ready.”

“That credit,” she added, “belongs to the “This evening was a public embarrass- wonderful police force.” ment and we need to make sure it does not happen again,” Benton wrote.

Contact: colin@sevendaysvt.com

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SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

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news

No Vacancy

Burlington zoning rules delay plans to demolish downtown motel B Y C O UR TN EY L A MDIN PHOTO: COURTNEY LAMDIN, POSTCARD: UVM SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

T

he Midtown Motel in Burlington was once a welcoming landmark for weary travelers, but today it just looks lifeless. The entrance to the long, rectangular building at 230 Main Street is closed off by a collapsing metal fence.

Weeds have sprouted around the building’s perimeter, growing tall enough to reach the first-floor windows. Vandals have tagged the peeling white walls with graffiti.

“It can be different,” one spray-painted message says.

Real estate broker Jeff Nick, the building’s co-owner, would agree. Nick approached the city’s Development Review Board in mid-June with a plan to demolish the motel, which has been closed for 15 years, and use the lot for parking. At the moment, that’s the site’s only use: Nick and his business partner, Dan Morrissey, rent out the 14 spots beneath the dilapidated structure to downtown workers and plan to continue doing so.

The meeting didn’t go well for Nick. The planning officials told him that because the building is considered historic, he needs a plan to redevelop the lot before he can bulldoze it — and the surface parking he proposes isn’t allowed under zoning rules.

A city parking lot adjacent to the motel is grandfathered in, they said.

Nick said the car park would be temporary and would be replaced when the city redevelops the “gateway block” on the north side of Main Street between South Union Street and South Winooski Avenue.

The area includes the motel, Memorial Auditorium and a duplex sandwiched between the two, which Nick also owns.

The city’s master plan calls for the block to be redeveloped as a grand entrance to the Queen City’s downtown, with mixed use, multistory structures.

Burlington’s Community Economic Development Office had just found a possible tenant for the aging auditorium — an initial step in redeveloping the entire block — when the coronavirus pandemic hit. That all but torpedoed those plans in the near term, leading city officials to conclude that Nick’s parking lot would not be short-lived.

In the meantime, Nick is paying more than $17,000 in taxes and $2,000 in vacantbuilding fees every year the tired motel remains standing. The way he sees it, the

DEVELOPMENT

18

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

Midtown Motel on Burlington’s Main Street

city’s strict interpretation of the zoning bylaws is preventing him from accomplishing a worthy goal.

“I would go out on a limb and say this is about the only issue in Burlington everyone would agree with: Tear down the building,” he said.

City planner Scott Gustin said Nick’s argument misses the point.

“The problem’s never been about tearing it down. The problem remains: What are you going to do with it?” Gustin said. “I can’t find anything in the city’s zoning code … that says tearing anything down for the sake of expanded surface parking is a good thing.”

Nick’s parking lot plan may be the sticking point today, but in the 1950s, the Midtown was built to accommodate the automobile. Motels, or motor hotels, were common on the outskirts of Burlington, but there were few lodgings in the center of town. Local architect Benjamin Stein designed the 15-room motel with parking underneath the narrow structure.

The Midtown became a downtown landmark, said Joe McNeil, a Burlington

Motel postcard from 1959

attorney who grew up in the motel’s heyday. The place was convenient for traveling businesspeople but otherwise had “quite a reputation” as a spot for an afternoon quickie, McNeil said. Asked if he could recall any tales that would raise eyebrows, McNeil chuckled and said, “I don’t have firsthand verification.”

Kevin McLaughlin, on the other hand, does. McLaughlin’s father was the county sheriff in the 1950s and ’60s, and his family lived in and operated the county jail next to the motel. McLaughlin’s bedroom window overlooked the Midtown, which he said was “party city”

for locals who were too drunk to drive home.

“It was, from our viewpoint, very entertaining,” said McLaughlin, who is the present-day Chittenden County sheriff. “The cops were always responding to noise complaints.”

The jail was demolished in 1972, leaving behind the municipal parking lot.

Nick and Morrissey, both experienced developers, bought the motel in 1995. As president of J.L. Davis Realty, Nick has brokered deals with corporate clients such as Starbucks and CVS. Morrissey is CEO of Wright & Morrissey, the state’s oldest continuously operating general contractor.

After 10 years, the motel became a popular waypoint for homeless folks with state-issued hotel vouchers. The two men closed the business in 2005 after deciding that the slew of repairs needed to remain open weren’t worth the investment.

Even in disrepair, the building presents a rare silhouette downtown. Stein used the International Style, a modernist treatment prizing straight lines and minimal ornamentation that rose to popularity in midcentury America. It’s one of a handful of International structures in Burlington; others include the Given building at the University of Vermont Medical Center, the Burlington Electric Department headquarters on Pine Street and the NBT Bank branch on Bank Street.

Despite its architectural significance, there’s no consensus on whether the motel is actually, legally, historic. The building is on neither the state nor national registers, but the city ordinance says structures must be considered historic if they’re eligible for inclusion on those lists. The Midtown is also included in two surveys of modern architecture in Burlington, one of which recommends that the motel be added to the historic registers. As such, the building is “subject to the same regulatory standards as if it were listed,” city planner Mary O’Neil said.

State architectural historian Devin Colman, however, says that only the Vermont Advisory Council on Historic J EFF Preservation, a governorappointed body, can determine whether a property is eligible for listing, and his office hasn’t evaluated the motel. Burlington’s ordinance “refers to the state and national registers, which we oversee,” he said. “It’s a tricky setup that we navigate together.”

Resolving this seemingly academic exercise has real-world implications for Nick. If the building is historic, the site’s new use must provide a community benefit that outweighs the motel’s significance, according to city zoning. Besides being prohibited in the downtown core, a surface parking lot simply doesn’t fit the bill, city officials say.

“I don’t see what’s on this plan as necessarily preferable,” Development Review Board chair Brad Rabinowitz told Nick at the June sketch plan hearing. “I’m not sure this is a good deal for the city, visually.”

Nick thinks a landscaped parking lot would be an aesthetic improvement over the motel, particularly at the entrance to the downtown core.

DRB member Springer Harris agreed, pointing to the city’s own parking lot next door.

That lot is “in poor condition and is not appealing, and this building next to it doesn’t help it,” he said. “Making that area of the city [look better] is worth the effort to find a way to make this work.”

Indeed, Nick is loath to build anything on his lot that might be incompatible with the city’s vision for the gateway block, an area overdue for a makeover.

PlanBTV, published in 2013, shows multistory buildings with housing, dining and retail in place of the city parking lot, motel and Memorial Auditorium, which was shuttered in 2016 after years of neglect.

“It’s a golden opportunity to have a grand entrance to the downtown,” Nick said. “We’d be foolish to build something there and then prevent some future project that would be more beneficial to the city.”

The city focused earlier this year on redeveloping Memorial Auditorium and attracted one qualified bidder: music venue operator Higher Ground, which proposed to use it as a multipurpose event space.

The city was prepared to put a $19.8 million bond to renovate the space on the November ballot, but the coronavirus pandemic put the Memorial project on indefinite hold, CEDO director Luke McGowan said.

While city officials aren’t N ICK keen to leave a parking lot in the motel’s place, Nick thinks developers might be attracted to the gateway block as an open canvas — which is what the city wants, he said.

Nick plans to submit a formal application to demolish the Midtown in September, after he visits the Wards 1 and 8 Neighborhood Planning Assembly next week.

“Leaving it there just casts a shadow on this whole block, and everybody throws up their hands and says, ‘Look at this ugly building,’ and nothing happens,” he told the DRB last month. “You remove this building, I think you can create some excitement.”

Perry Sporn, owner of Perrywinkle’s jewelry store, agrees the block could use a face-lift. He’s operated his business across the street from the motel for nearly 20 years and says the old Midtown is structurally unsound and attracts people who “hide under it at night.” Allowing Nick to demolish the motel would be a first step in redeveloping the corner, which would improve his and others’ business prospects, Sporn suggested.

“I don’t think parking is a great longterm solution, but if it gets us a little closer, I’d rather have that than an empty building,” he said. “There’s nothing about that building other than a lot of ugly.”

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SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

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news Primary Concerns « P.12 can only inform elections officials of how many ballots have been counted, he said.

By law, the special program that adds up the results cannot be run until voting has ended on August 11.

“They will not have any iterative candidate vote count results,” Senning said.

“None of the clerks themselves, none of the workers — nobody will know.”

About 135 cities and towns in Vermont have the tabulator machines, while 111 mostly smaller communities still count by hand, according to Condos.

Senning said he doesn’t expect major disruptions, but unofficial results could be delayed by the avalanche of absentee ballots and additional COVID-19 precautions.

“Especially for the towns that count ballots by hand, the process may take longer than usual,” Senning said.

State election officials set out to dramatically reduce in-person turnout at the polls to protect voters and poll workers from spreading COVID-19. This week, they expressed optimism that their plan is working.

In June, the state mailed postage-paid postcards that made it easy for voters to request an absentee ballot for the primary and the November 3 general election, even though the latter will be mailed automatically. To head off a last-minute surge of mailed ballots, elections officials urged residents to get their ballots in the mail as early as possible.

For those who do vote in person, masks and social distancing will be the norm. The City of Barre is even allowing people to drive up, check in, mark their ballot and turn it in without ever leaving their car.

If the number of early returns is any indication, the primary turnout could be the largest in state history.

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“There are folks that are voting that have never voted in a primary that I remember,” said Georgette Wolf-Ludwig, town clerk of Fairlee. “I’m quite encouraged. Traditionally, primaries are not well attended.”

In 2018, just 198 of 739 registered voters cast ballots in the primary in Fairlee, 12 by absentee ballot. As of Monday, 273 town residents had requested absentee ballots and 173 had already returned them.

Counting absentee ballots is more labor-intensive. Vermont voters receive three primary ballots: Democratic, Republican and Progressive. A voter must fill out only one but return all three, with the

marked ballot in one envelope signed by the voter and the unused ones in another.

When the voted ballot is received, one election worker confirms that the envelope has been signed, opens it and passes it to a second worker who feeds it through the tabulator.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Wolf-Ludwig said. “It’s definitely more work, but it’s exciting. It’s democracy in action.”

While the absentee numbers are way up, the total ballot number for a town such as Fairlee is small enough that WolfLudwig thinks poll workers will be able to handle the machine counting on the day of the primary, largely because they don’t expect to have much else to do, she said.

“I’d be surprised if we get more than a dozen people at the polls,” she said.

Carolyn Dawes, the city clerk and treasurer in Barre, said the flood of returned ballots began in late June, right after voters started receiving them.

“We went over to the post office box on Monday to get the mail, and they handed us one of their big bins overflowing,” Dawes recalled. “So it was like, ‘OK! We’re off to the races.’”

Dawes usually employs the equivalent of four full-time workers, but she’s down to 2.5, including herself. Further, some of her longtime poll workers are staying away this year because of concerns about COVID-19.

She requested reinforcements on Front Porch Forum, however, and she expects to have 18 to 24 workers on August 11.

In the meantime, she and her staff are preparing the ballots for counting

SCREENSHOT

CORRECTIONS

Scott Admits ‘Shortcoming’ in Mississippi Prison COVID-19 Outbreak

BY K E VI N MC C A L L UM

State officials should have done more to ensure that Vermont prisoners held in a private prison in Mississippi were protected from COVID-19, Gov. Phil Scott admitted on Tuesday, days after a major outbreak there came to light.

The state’s contract with for-profit prison giant CoreCivic required that the company follow the same testing protocol as Vermont prisons, but it didn’t, Scott said.

“Looking back, we should have pressed harder on them to do this,” Scott said. “It was just a shortcoming on our part.”

Scott and Human Services Secretary Mike Smith said CoreCivic shared the blame for not instituting more robust testing and safety procedures for the 219 prisoners housed in its facility in Tutwiler, Miss.

20

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

Human Services Secretary Mike Smith

On July 28, six inmates who returned to Vermont from the facility tested positive for COVID-19 when they arrived by bus at the Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility in Rutland. The Department of Corrections immediately ordered tests on all Vermont inmates held in Mississippi.

On Sunday it announced that 85 inmates there had tested positive.

More test results were expected soon.

With the pandemic raging around the country, waits of up to two weeks for results were being reported.

DOC officials are now trying to ensure that Vermont testing protocols are implemented in Mississippi. Scott said the state’s regimen is considered the “gold standard” in the nation.

— logging them as received, opening the outer envelope and alphabetizing them — but are saving the last step of running them through the tabulation machine until the evening of August 11, she said.

Of the 1,542 people who have requested ballots so far, about 750 had returned them

by Tuesday. In 2018, 1,063 total primary ballots were cast, Dawes said.

“I’m pretty confident we’re going to have very low in-person turnout,” she said.

In Cambridge, Schilling agreed. He and his workers fed 360 ballots into the tabulator on Friday; by contrast, 51 people voted by mail in 2018. Nine of this year’s ballots were defective because people didn’t sign the certification envelope as required, he said.

Those votes won’t be counted.

They’ll tabulate again before August 11 to keep up with what’s coming in, he said.

In past years, in-person voting in Cambridge surged early in the day before people commuted to work and again in the evenings when they came home. Schilling is convinced that, for many, the switch to voting by mail will be permanent.

At the start of primary season, Schilling said, he worried he’d lack enough workers to staff the polls. The absentee balloting has eliminated that concern but replaced it with another.

“Now my biggest fear is that they are not going to have anything to do for 12 hours,” he said. “I’m telling them all to bring a book.”

Contact: kevin@sevendaysvt.com

The protocols include testing all inmates, whether or not they have symptoms, upon entry and again at days seven and 14.

Anyone found positive must immediately be quarantined, Smith said.

All staff at the Vermont area of the Mississippi facility will be tested, Smith said.

The private prison has the capacity to house 2,800 prisoners.

The entire Vermont population of prisoners in Mississippi also must be tested on a rotating basis, just as inmates are in Vermont facilities, and the same sanitation and medical protocols must be in place, Smith said.

DOC officials have held regular calls with their counterparts in Mississippi and “may put boots on the ground” there, Smith said.

Smith focused his remarks on CoreCivic’s responsibilities and contractual obligations.

“Mississippi has seen much greater virus spread in recent weeks, and tactics needed to change,” Smith said. “The CoreCivic protocols needed to simulate Vermont’s.”

He said the facility has been “slow” to adopt Vermont’s more robust protocols. But Smith said he didn’t know when DOC officials first asked CoreCivic officials to do so; Scott said he wasn’t sure it ever happened.

Contact: kevin@sevendaysvt.com

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Congressman Lewis placed civil rights and the American people before himself.

Black and brown people and, indeed, the entire country owe a debt of gratitude to this icon. He was an outstanding and accomplished politician and fought for equality and justice. He carried on the work of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Lewis delivered the 2007 commencement address at the University of Vermont, where he also received an honorary degree. That was his second visit to Vermont; he was here in 1964 as part of the student nonviolent coordinating committee, a role in which he inspired student activism in the United States.

The longtime Georgia Congressman returned to Vermont in fall 2019 to address a full, enthusiastic house at the Flynn Center. With his passing, I am sure the audience was even more moved to have witnessed this memorable evening when Lewis partnered with Andrew Aydin, coauthor of his book March.

The late Lewis vividly reminds us all of the civil rights era. He has taught us and inspired us in so many ways. This country is better today than when he found it.

Patrick Brown BURLINGTON

Molly Gray

GRAY’S SUPPORT IS JUSTIFIED

After reading the article “Fast Ascent” [July 29] about Molly Gray’s remarkable growth in support for lieutenant governor, I was prompted to review the lieutenant governor candidates’ debate on Vermont PBS. It was clear that Gray stood head and shoulders above all the candidates.

The two longtime state senators also running have been condescending and snarky, but Gray kept to her positive message.

It is no surprise that her ascent has been justifiably swift.

Gray’s qualifications and experience, as well as her fresh energy, make her our best candidate for lieutenant governor in the Democratic primary.

Maurice Mahoney

SOUTH BURLINGTON

POLICY IS PROHIBITIVE

A year ago, I wrote a letter about the racial bias resulting from the Seven Days book review policy [Feedback: “Racist Review Policy?” February 27, 2019]. You replied, essentially, “We have Black friends.”

At a time of radical, needed change, 22

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

large and small, all over, yet another white “part-time Vermont” author has been reviewed [“Unsentimental Journey,” June 24]. And though François Clemmons was profiled in a cover story [“Good Neighbors,” January 8], there’s been no review of his memoir Officer Clemmons, written by a gay, Black Vermonter. It deserves the attention.

What does “part-time” mean? In most cases, property owner, right? Ross Gay is a wonderful Black poet who is at the Vermont Studio Center frequently, as well as Bread Loaf. Is he not a part-time Vermonter? This isn’t a policy that shows the most or the best of Vermont. Wouldn’t something akin to “with a strong Vermont connection” be wonderful?

Places like VSC and Vermont College of Fine Arts bring writers and artists from all over the world, of all identities, here. Many come as visiting lecturers, visit repeatedly, do significant work here and contribute to the culture of this state. Chelsea Green and Green Writers Press are Vermont-based and publish writers of all sorts. This is part of Vermont literary culture.

Profiles I’d love to see: Mount Island magazine, which was awarded the 2020 Lucy Terry Prince Prize for rural poets of color, and VCFA’s Ukamaka Olisakwe, who lives here and has a new book out in England.

Means Committee and he was appointed to chair the Senate Finance Committee.

He and I knew we had to find ways to work together, which turned out to be surprisingly easy and productive. Tim works incredibly hard, he thinks creatively, and he’s not afraid to take risks in order to advance issues he cares about.

In just a short time, our working relationship turned into a friendship — something of real value in politics.

As I think about the challenges that face us over the next two years, I am grateful that someone of Tim’s experience and vision is running for a leadership position. He provided steady Debbie guidance in the early Ingram weeks of the pandemic and has always worked on issues of importance to Vermonters — to name just a few: New Americans, Vermont workers (especially those on the front lines of the pandemic), homeownership (especially for young home buyers), racial justice, mental health, paid leave, broadband access, pre-K12 education and higher education, and climate change.

In fact, I can’t think of an issue I care about that Tim hasn’t worked on and made a difference.

We need strong and experienced leadership now more than ever. Please consider voting for Tim Ashe for lieutenant governor.

Patrick Smith

CALAIS

BURLINGTON

Editor’s note: Seven Days is one of the few remaining Vermont media outlets that regularly publish book reviews, but the paper has limited resources for literary coverage. For 25 years, we’ve limited reviews to published Vermont authors — that is, authors who live in Vermont or very close to the border. That includes some part-timers and the occasional writer in Plattsburgh, N.Y., where the paper is distributed. Neither race nor property ownership is a consideration.

ASHE BRINGS ‘EXPERIENCE AND VISION’

[Re Off Message: “Gray, Ashe Take Heat During Democratic Lieutenant Gubernatorial Debate,” July 16]: I am writing to state my strong support for Tim Ashe in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor.

Tim and I began working together when I was chair of the House Ways and

Janet Ancel

Ancel is a Democratic state representative from Calais.

INGRAM IS ‘JUST WHAT WE NEED’

[Re “When Reform Is the Norm,” July 22]: I’m writing to express my support for Sen. Debbie Ingram, who is running to become the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in the upcoming August 11 primary. Debbie and I have been friends for years, and she is an outstanding leader.

Chittenden County residents have been fortunate to have her representing us in the Senate, and our state would be fortunate to have her skills and experience leading us as our lieutenant governor.

In her four years in the Senate, Debbie has demonstrated her leadership on health care reform, affordable housing, education, a livable wage, child poverty, equal pay, racial justice and LGBTQ rights, among others. She collaborates with other legislators to build consensus and move forward on these issues that are

critical to building Vermont’s economy and infrastructure.

Before earning a Senate seat, Debbie served on the Williston Selectboard for six years, negotiating and addressing a myriad of local issues. In addition to her work on the selectboard and in the Senate, Debbie has served as the executive director of Vermont Interfaith Action, working with Jewish, Christian and Muslim congregations on issues of shared social concern, such as health care and affordable housing.

She is experienced, compassionate, creative, well informed and super smart — just what we need at this time in Vermont!

I hope you will join me in voting for Debbie Ingram.

Julie Cadwallader Staub

SOUTH BURLINGTON

IN FOR QUINN

I am writing this letter in support of Ember Quinn, who is running for state representative from Milton, Chittenden-10 district.

Some of the things I value most about Ember are her honesty, her ability to connect, her intense curiosity and her strong desire for equity. Ember’s vocal and loving presence in the Milton community, in both the schools and in the streets, has paved the way for those who often have been rendered voiceless in the community to be heard. Her commitment to listening to anyone who wants to engage with her with a compassionate and thoughtful ear would make her an ideal candidate to represent the town of Milton. Ember is committed to hearing from her community and being their voice at the state level.

Her platform is one of progressive policies that are vital to the community, state and nation at this time. She will be an excellent representative who is invested completely in her community and will work tirelessly to represent the people.

Jennifer Knowles

SOUTH BURLINGTON

ASHE IS ‘THE COMPLETE PACKAGE’

[Re Off Message: “Gray, Ashe Take Heat During Democratic Lieutenant Gubernatorial Debate,” July 22]: I’ve served with many speakers of the House and presidents pro tem of the Senate. Each has had his or her unique skill set.

But Tim Ashe has been the complete

package: steady in difficult moments, inclusive and able to juggle an endless number of issues in his mind.

He has the respect of every senator, regardless of party, because he treats everyone fairly and lets every senator have a voice as we write legislation.

The way he has helped lead the state during the pandemic speaks volumes about how ready he is to be Vermont’s next lieutenant governor. From the very first day of the state of emergency, he’s communicated literally every day with the public through his live videos and with the Senate to make sure we were able to meet Vermonters’ needs during the shutdown. Despite the sheer volume of what Tim confronted as a leader, he stayed positive and focused.

I’ve also watched Tim mentor newer members of the Senate, making sure they’ll be ready to step up into the leadership roles themselves. Tim always talks about the Senate being a team, and his actions confirm it.

I encourage you to join me in voting for Tim Ashe for lieutenant governor.

Dick Mazza

COLCHESTER

Mazza is a Democratic state senator representing the Grand Isle District.

AT STUDENTS’ MERCY

Reopening college classrooms unacceptably risks Vermonters’ safety [Off Message: “Vermont Issues Guidance for Returning College Students,” July 7].

Flooding Vermont with tens of thousands of students, many from states with rampant coronavirus, is a bad idea.

Social science, corroborating common sense and experience, shows that 18- to 24-year-olds are the likeliest segment of the adult population to engage in risky behavior. Focusing on recent disease spikes, the New York Times reported on July 31 that young people in Greenwich, Conn., partied, spread coronavirus and failed to cooperate with contact tracing.

VTDigger.org reported on July 23 that University of Vermont students doubt their classmates will comply with public health restrictions or contact tracing.

UVM will rely on three community protection measures, all based on wishful thinking. First, they’ll test students upon arrival and tell them to quarantine, after which UVM will require periodic testing.

Second, students will pledge good behavior, subject to discipline for violations.

Third, contact tracing and quarantines will limit outbreaks. Every stage relies on the judgment and discipline of the age group least possessed of these things.

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Dorm residence rules, hard to enforce on campus, won’t apply off campus. Once alsoappears, edited copy below:will COVID-19 the pledge deter cooperation with contact tracing, since that means exposing classmates to consequences.

UVM misplaces its reliance on testing.

UVM will use a saliva test, prone to false negatives. An Australian study found a 13 percent false negative error rate. Even were the test sufficiently reliable, it only triggers control measures that are not.

Seth Steinzor

SOUTH BURLINGTON

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(SALE ENDS 8/16) [Re “When Reform Is the Norm,” July 22]: Molly Gray has the commitment, the integrity, the experience and the open 11-3 tues-sat Mon-Sat: 8am-4pm intellectual curiosity to justify making Or call for appointments Sunday: 10am-4pm her our next lieutenant governor.

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Molly will be the right person to have in the office of lieutenant governor as Vermont emerges out of the disruptions that result from this coronavirus pandemic response to a “new normal.”

6:53 PM

John Roberts

WEST CORNWALL

WARREN IS READY

[Re “Five Candidates for Five Sisters,” June 24]: As a former Vermont staffer for Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign, I understand deeply the need to elect politicians who care about justice and equity. In the midst of police violence, a global pandemic and one of the worst economic recessions in our nation’s history, it is more important than ever to lift up leaders who have both the experience and values to lead our state.

I am excited and immensely proud to endorse and support one such leader, Jesse Paul Warren, running for the Chittenden 6-5 state House FEEDBACK

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district. Jesse has dedicated his entire professional life to the betterment of his neighbors.

His experience heading the statewide reelection campaign of Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman, working as a legislative associate in the Vermont Statehouse, serving as a staffer for House Democratic leadership and founding the nonprofit Democracy Creative — a nonprofit dedicated to bringing people together to find creative solutions to the problems facing our democracy — clearly demonstrates a commitment both to progressive values and the South End. I hope all South End community members will join me in supporting him in the upcoming election. Together it is possible to create a truly just and equitable Vermont.

Abbie Penfield-Cyr

UNDERHILL

ASHE GETS THE JOB DONE

[Re Off Message: “Gray, Ashe Take Heat During Democratic Lieutenant Gubernatorial Debate,” July 16]: As two state senators with more than 25 ye a r s o f c o m b i n e d l e g i s l a t i ve s e r v i c e and observation, we honestly believe the state of Vermont owes Sen. Tim Ashe a debt of gratitude. His work ethic and leadership skills have been nothing short of remarkable during these challenging times.

Just ask any senator of any party or perspective, and we are absolutely convinced they will immediately agree.

His steady hand and ability to work openly and collaboratively have truly benefited us all. His fairness and laser focus on the needs of Vermont’s working families have clearly made his tenure as Senate president pro tem one of the most productive and efficient in recent memory. From minimum wage to gun safety to reproductive rights to protecting the environment and more, no one will dispute that his unique leadership skills — without seeking the limelight — made it all happen, and with the highest degree of professionalism and civility.

Ginny Lyons

WILLISTON

Michael Sirotkin

SOUTH BURLINGTON

Lyons and Sirotkin are Democratic senators representing Chittenden County.

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SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

MARLBORO ‘MAGIC’

I echo the concerns about the lack of statewide coverage on the demise of Marlboro College [Feedback: “Whither Marlboro?”

July 8]. I am a 2010 graduate of Marlboro.

While I am happy to say Vermont was my home for four years, I’m more thankful that living in Vermont changed the way I will live the rest of my life, as a citizen, an academic and a businessperson.

When I heard that Marlboro was being gifted to Emerson College, I was disheartened. Education is not something to pursue for its beauty in Boston; it is a stepping-stone in a system that permanently handicaps students’ and professors’ mental well-being.

The physical property of Marlboro is the key to the magic of learning; the loss of the campus will erase this unique American experience and reduce Vermont’s national footprint.

Throughout my time as an alumnus, I have seen the president and trustees exhibit poor judgment in terms of their fiduciary responsibilities and recruitment. The inability to attract just 300 students from around America is baffling to me, especially as a businessman with a self-funded company. Any one of us would have been fired from our positions had we exhibited such lackluster results.

I am truly flabbergasted that the Emerson merger/ Tim Ashe Marlboro closure has gone this far. I urge a thorough review and all means possible to stop this sell-off of a vital element in Vermont’s cultural, economic and intellectual heritage.

Antonio Iaccarino

BOSTON, MA

EXPERIENCE MATTERS

[Re “Civil Dispute,” July 29]: I am writing in strong support of Rep. Bill Lippert for reelection to the legislature — as a nurse, friend and colleague and as a woman who ran in a primary election for state legislature when the male incumbent didn’t want me to.

Rep. Lippert chairs the House Health Care Committee on which I serve. While Vermont and the nation continue to struggle with a health care crisis as access challenges and costs increase, the pandemic has laid bare the problems we policy makers have grappled with for years. I have learned it takes a significant amount of time to fully understand the complexities between public and private payers, state and federal

law, and the needs of all of the stakeholders.

We need Bill’s extensive health care experience and leadership.

Bill cares about all Vermonters. Even in times of disagreement, including with me, he demonstrates over and over again the ability to genuinely listen, consider differing points of view and provide space for those voices to be heard. He is an excellent chair and facilitator. Serving with him has been an honor and an education.

I support the primaries as a key element in a fully participatory democracy.

They engage our communities on issues important to them and provide additional opportunities to get to know the candidates. I understand how challenging they can be. It would be a huge loss to not bring Rep. Bill Lippert of Hinesburg back to the Statehouse. I wholeheartedly endorse him.

Mari Cordes

LINCOLN

Cordes is a Democratic state representative from Lincoln.

SIEGEL: THE VOICE VERMONT NEEDS

[Re “Fast Ascent,” July 29]: Today I voted for Brenda Siegel for lieutenant governor.

The reason for that vote: Vermont is in a crisis, along with the rest of our country. This crisis goes beyond the current pandemic. It is a crisis of wealth disparity.

The U.S. has the greatest wealth disparity in the world. The massive transfer of wealth to the top 1 percent of our country started in the 1980s. It has now amplified the suffering of Vermonters and Americans in this pandemic.

America and Vermont have one of the worst and most expensive health care systems in the world. Medicare for All would cut health care costs in half.

America has fallen due to our lack of investments. We invested twice what we are investing today in our infrastructure in the 1960s. Some things, such as roads, education and rural broadband infrastructure, are better socialized.

I am often shocked and dismayed that some people call these “progressive” talking points. On the contrary, these are the attributes of a civilized society.

Brenda is a voice for the voiceless.

During my gubernatorial campaign, I developed respect for her because of her

tireless fight for those in need. Right now, Brenda is the voice we need in Montpelier.

I have faith in our democracy. We will rebuild into a better Vermont and a better America.

Christine Hallquist HYDE PARK

Hallquist was the 2018 Democratic nominee for governor.

LONGTIME ALLY BACKS ASHE FOR LG

[Re Off Message: “Gray, Ashe Take Heat During Democratic Lieutenant Gubernatorial Debate,” July 16]: Tim Ashe and I share a love for the Red Sox, but that’s not why I support him for lieutenant governor. I’d support him even if he were a Yankees fan. Here’s why.

As the Senate’s leader, Tim performed as the best captain a team could have.

When things go well, he steps back, letting Senate team members enjoy the limelight.

In bumpier patches, he steps up to take the hits, freeing senators to get back to productive work.

Tim and I have worked closely together for a decade. Renewable energy, minimum wage, expanded health coverage, public education, broadband expansion — we have partnered on all of these.

During COVID-19, he’s shown the leadership we’re going to need in our next lieutenant governor: inclusive, good communication. Steady, steady, steady.

And, finally, it says a lot to me about Tim that he frequently visited Orange County, my county, long before running for this statewide office. Not for political meetings, but to meet with mental health workers, teachers and hospital employees to see how we could best support people on the ground. And he delivered!

He is ready for this.

Brenda Siegel

Mark MacDonald

WILLIAMSTOWN

MacDonald is a Democratic senator representing Orange County.

CALL OUT KLAR

It is disturbingly interesting that Seven Days will call out overt racism in [Emoji That: “Unmasked,” July 29] but include a more insidious statement from a majorparty candidate for governor in its frontpage article [“Running in Circles,” July 22] without missing a beat. I am referring here to GOP gubernatorial candidate John

WEEK IN REVIEW

Klar’s assertion, “We don’t have enough Black people here to really have a systemic kind of racism.”

What?!

There is no threshold for the percentage of the population that is Black in order for there to be systemic racism. The threshold required for that is the percentage of ignorant white folk. Perhaps Seven Days can/will use the cover of objective journalism for not calling this out in the body of that article, but how is that statement not worth at least its own emoji? And why haven’t Gov. Phil Scott, Vermont GOP state chair Deb Billado and every sensible Republican in the state denounced this man? He has no chance of winning the primary, much less the general election, but he is running under their banner and his words reflect on their party.

Since no one else has done so, I’ll say it: Mr. Klar, from one cracker to another, you are stale.

Bill Young

ST. ALBANS

Editor’s note: The Emoji That section on the weekly Last 7 page highlights news from the past week that Seven Days did not cover. It’s a news summary with some attitude. In contrast, the quote from John Klar referenced above appeared in a straight, reported story about the gubernatorial contest. It would be inappropriate for Seven Days to editorialize in such a story, which invites readers to make their own judgments about Klar’s quote.

A ‘NO-VOTE’ FOR NOT VOTING

I was dumbfounded to read in a recent Seven Days article that LG candidate Molly Gray had not voted, at all, from 2008 to 2018 [“Fast Ascent,” July 29]. While I wonder how someone who professes to want to be the new face of statewide leadership could sit out Barack Obama’s elections, I am shocked that she opted out in 2016.

When Donald Trump announced his candidacy, he equated Mexicans to rapists.

He later bragged about assaulting women.

A top contender for LG met that with, “Meh, no big deal.”

Gray is quoted as saying the 2016 no-vote was a “wake-up call.” This is insufficient for a candidate seeking statewide office. I can attest that it is possible to vote from Congo, Rwanda and Kenya. It is not convenient, but it is not difficult. In 2016, I took my young son with me to send off my Vermont ballot from Nairobi. He thought we were going “boating” and was disappointed to learn we were instead trying to stave off a disastrous presidency.

A no-vote in 2016 was a vote for Trump.

This is not bold Vermont leadership. It is apathy that has set this country back, the consequences of which will resonate for years.

I have no affiliation with any campaign in Vermont, but I encourage Vermonters to espouse the best of democratic principles on August 11. A candidate who could not be bothered to vote in 2016, after Trump showed his true colors, is not yet fit to lead.

MAHNKE WILL WORK HARD

While I am a Maine resident and unable to vote for Erhard Mahnke in the upcoming election, I want to express my support and reasons why he deserves your vote [“Senate Scramble,” July 22].

I have been friends with Erhard since the mid-1970s, and during that time he has come to the Maine coast many summers for his yearly vacation. He does not seem to leave his work home with him when he does come. He is either writing a grant or working on a budget. He has been a tireless advocate for his work with affordable low-income housing. I have always marveled at his work ethic and ability to remain positive as he engages in numerous work-related issues. He is passionate but not mean. He is well informed and willing to go toe to toe with adversaries, even if it includes commonsense compromises to achieve the best outcome. His work hours always seem to eclipse his compensation for his work, some of which included writing the grants that furnished his yearly salary.

Mahnke knows his way around the Statehouse, so he will not require as much time or on-the-job training to come up to speed. “Pound for pound and inch for inch those terriers can fight” was how my affable charming fighting terrier was once described. You will get your money’s worth in the legislature by voting for Erhard Mahnke for the state Senate.

David Hurley

SWANVILLE, ME

Lewis Mudge

HOLCOMBE UNDERSTANDS SCHOOL CHALLENGE

I am writing to express my support for Rebecca Holcombe for governor [“Running in Circles,” July 22]. While there are many issues on which Rebecca has expressed her positions with which I agree, one of the most critical is the opening of schools during the pandemic.

For many of us, it is frightening to consider what this means to our community: the children, the teachers and the rest of us who will be potentially exposed to the pandemic to a much wider degree.

While Gov. Phil Scott has done a good job of managing COVID-19 so far, neither he nor his staff has the knowledge or experience to manage the safe opening of schools. As Rebecca has pointed out, the health department is overstretched, having lost positions in recent years, and as we go into a period that requires greater contact tracing, testing and public health management, an individual with intimate knowledge of our education system and the developmental and health needs of our children is paramount.

As secretary of education under Scott and as a teacher, administrator and Dartmouth College professor, Rebecca understands what is at stake for our children, teachers, school personnel and the community for school openings to go right.

In addition, if you know Rebecca’s support for universal childcare and family leave, you know she fully understands the critical needs of families at this difficult time. Please vote for Rebecca Holcombe for governor.

CHARLOTTE

Karen Ryder

SOUTH BURLINGTON

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OBITUARIES, VOWS, CELEBRATIONS

Melanie Squirrell

OBITUARIES

ESSEX, VT. OCTOBER 20, 1980-JULY 25, 2020

Richard “Terry” Jeroloman

BURLINGTON, VT. MARCH 11, 1944-JULY 27, 2020 Richard Terence Jeroloman, JD, 76, of Burlington, Vt., died on July 27, 2020. Mr. Jeroloman, whose friends called him Terry, was born March 11, 1944, and grew up in South Nyack, N.Y. He earned a degree in electrical engineering (BSEE) from Northeastern University in 1968 and worked primarily as a computer engineer for about 15 years. He was employed by a number of companies, including RCA, Berkey Photo, Bell Labs and Westinghouse. He attended night school at Fordham University School of Law, receiving his JD degree in 1985 and being admitted to the New York bar in 1986. Terry worked as an intellectual property lawyer in New York City and Albany, NY. Terry was a confirmed Episcopalian and, in the late ‘80s was on the vestry at Eglise du Saint Esprit in New York City. In his free time, Terry was a political traveler and traveled in 30 countries and studied international law in six European countries. He became fluent in French studying at the Sorbonne in Paris and developed his third language studying Swedish at Folkuniversitetet in Stockholm, Sweden.

Retiring from law in 2004, he moved to Burlington, Vt., where he completed an MBA degree at the University of Vermont in 2012. In Vermont, Terry produced a public access TV show called “Vermont Today” at VCAM for about 10 years.

He was twice a candidate for the state Senate, once as a Progressive and once as an independent. Terry believed very strongly in democracy and getting the money out of politics, establishing a single-payer health care system, and decriminalizing drugs.

He also served as one of five judges on the city Housing Board of Appeals for five years. Terry was a member of the Champlain Kayak Club, and he was a downhill skier.

In Burlington, he attended the Cathedral Church of St. Paul. Terry is buried in the family plot at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, N.Y. Arrangements are by Boucher & Pritchard Funeral Directors.

Melanie was tragically taken from us on July 25, 2020, due to an automobile accident. She was born on October 20, 1980, in Ogdensburg, N.Y., and moved with her family to Colchester, Vt., in 1987, where she attended Colchester schools followed by Mount Mansfield Union High School.

Melanie was very proud to have played soccer for the Nordic Soccer Club for many years and on Mount Mansfield High School teams, and she also instilled her passionate love for the game in her sons.

Beginning at a young age, Mel was a dedicated animal lover, bringing home one stray critter after another, and as an adult she was always a dog and cat owner.

Her love of animals led to her chosen career path as a veterinary technician working at the Animal Hospital of Hinesburg for 12 years. She always had a dream of one day having her own business where she could care for the menagerie of animals she loved.

Mel loved to garden and bake, and family holidays were filled with her delicious creations.

Above all, she loved her two boys more than anything. She was a loving, gregarious, determined woman and generous beyond measure. She was quick to laugh,

with a playful spirit and a love of life, and it is hard for us to fathom our lives going on without her.

Melanie saw the good in everyone and always put others first, and now everyone who knew and loved her has a huge hole in their hearts.

She is survived by her sons, Robert (“RJ”) and Caleb Stratton, and their father, Robert Stratton, of Jericho; her mother, Ellen Pritting, and wife Suzanne Stewart of Underhill; her father, Trevor Squirrell, and wife Linda Almy of Underhill; her sister Sarah Squirrell and husband Chris Piatek and their children Sabin and Charlotte Piatek and Hannah Corrigan of Waterbury; her brother Kristopher Squirrell of Burlington; and her brother Ian Squirrell and wife Jennifer and their children Vaera Squirrell

and Cade Goodspeed of South Burlington. She is also survived

by Linda’s children, Sarah Moore and husband Gus of Colorado; Christopher Almy and wife Jessica of Colorado; and Benjamin Almy and fiancée Chelsea Bissell of Washington, D.C.; as well as her maternal aunt Rebecca Anderson and partner John Jones of South Carolina and cousin Jacob Anderson of New York; maternal uncle Phillip Pritting and wife Brandi and cousins Mikella and Phillip of California; paternal aunt Jennifer Maxfield and husband Dennis and cousins Justin Maxfield and wife Karen, and Kristen Maxfield of New York; paternal uncle Steve Squirrell and wife Cheryl of New York; paternal aunt Valerie Pille of New York and cousins Nichole Cafarelli and husband Lou of New York and Stephen Pille of Utah; and paternal aunt Elizabeth Hartley and husband Brent and cousin Christopher Hartley and fiancée Sara Bonke of New York. She also leaves many, many friends and her adored black lab, Kolby, who now lives with her sons.

Donations in Melanie’s name may be made to the Humane Society of Chittenden County, 142 Kindness Ct., South Burlington VT 05403.

A private service for family members was held in Underhill, with arrangements through Stephen C. Gregory Cremation Service of South Burlington.

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arts news

FILE PHOTOS: LUKE AWTRY PHOTOGRAPHY

Hoppy News The pandemic isn’t getting this arts festival down

This will not be happening at the Art Hop this year

B Y PA MEL A P O LST ON

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ask wearing and social distancing may not seem compatible with a festival.

Just about every event that attracts loads of humans has been canceled this year, courtesy of the coronavirus. And yet, people, the 28th SOUTH END ART HOP is on! It might look a little different — OK, a lot different — but, according to CHRISTY MITCHELL, Burlington’s largest arts festival will give it a go.

Mitchell is the executive director of the SOUTH END ARTS AND BUSINESS ASSOCIATION,

Art Hop sign

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SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

which presents the Hop. (She’s also the proprietor of S.P.A.C.E. GALLERY in the SODA PLANT.) From SEABA’s office in the Vaults on Howard Street, she and art curator ASHLEY ROARK have been toiling away “nearly daily for months,” Mitchell writes in an email, to ensure that the annual event can be put on safely.

“The South End Art Hop on September 11th, 12th and 13th, 2020, will be a virtual event, with as many mask-on, in-person portions as is possible,” Mitchell writes.

“Buildings will be filled with art that will also be featured in an online marketplace, businesses will be promoted for what they currently offer and how to support them, Kids Hop will now be pop-up tents throughout the area with a socially distanced pickup of goodie bags filled with activities to take home, and so on.”

As always, the goal of the Hop is to feature and support the numerous artists and creative businesses that occupy the South End Arts District — aka the Pine Street and Flynn Avenue corridors

and environs. Many of those shops and studios will host exhibitions — for three months, not just the weekend — while the paradoxically named “Art Hop Live” offers a virtual platform for at-home viewing and sales. An in-person artist market will happen outdoors, spread throughout the neighborhood to allow ample room for browsers.

STRUT, the popular fashion show normally presented under a tent on Saturday night of the Hop, has been postponed. If the situation is deemed safe enough by that time, it will take place in March in the brand-new HULA campus on Lakeside Avenue.

A guide to the Hop will provide instructions for in-person and virtual options, noting the capacity of each participating venue and curbside pickup opportunities for art purchases. (Full disclosure: That guide will be printed in Seven Days.)

In the meetings among Mitchell, Roark, Art Hop sponsors and others, “There have been so many good ideas shared that we hope will come to fruition in a way that

can get people excited about celebrating our creative community in a safe manner,” Mitchell notes.

“It is worth noting that SEABA would not have been able to do any of this without the support of local and federal programs,” she adds, noting funding from the Community Economic Development Office COVID-19 Relief Grant, the Paycheck Protection Program, the Economic Injury Disaster Loans, the VERMONT ARTS COUNCIL COVID-19 Cultural Relief Grant and the Vermont Economic Recovery Grant.

The Art Hop won’t be “a big party this year,” Mitchell concludes, but “that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun in a safe manner” while supporting local artists.

Look for more Art Hop details here as they develop.

Contact: pamela@sevendaysvt.com

INFO Learn more at seaba.com.

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ACTIVISM

Onion City Unity This Friday, August 7, the City of Winooski will raise a Black Lives Matter flag in the traffic circle, and local businesses will sell “Winooski Strong” T-shirts to benefit organizations that fight for racial justice.

Local DJ and community organizer CRAIG MITCHELL, SARAH JOHNSON of Waterworks Food + Drink, and ALI NAGLE of the MONKEY HOUSE solicited contributions from local businesses for the printing of 1,000 T-shirts, nearly all of which have already been sold through preorders. Mitchell said they are ordering more shirts, which will be for sale around the city starting on Friday.

Through Burlington creative agency OKAY!! OKAY!!, Mitchell connected with ELIZA PHILLIP, who designed the “Winooski Strong” logo for the front of the shirt. The back of the shirt lists the businesses that contributed to the campaign.

The shirts are printed by NEW DUDS in Colchester, which donated the cost of screen-printing.

“Lots of people came together to make this happen,” Mitchell said. He initially planned to ask the city to install the BLM flag for a weekend, he said, but officials offered to purchase a new, permanent pole for it — and a backup flag in case something happens to the first one.

The Winooski School Board recently accepted eight demands by students of color, who shared their experiences with racism in Winooski schools at an

emotional board meeting on July 15, as Seven Days reported. Winooski is the only school district in the state where nonwhite students make up the majority. The demands include an action plan to hire more teachers of color, the replacement of the school resource officer with two trauma specialists, and the establishment of a committee to evaluate the district’s curriculum and practices.

“It’s very exciting, what’s happening right now,” Mitchell said. “Everyone had three months of pandemic to sit around and watch TV and say, ‘Oh, wait, people of color were not lying.’”

Proceeds from the shirt sales will benefit the Loveland Foundation, the Black Perspective, Loving Day Vermont and Black Lives Matter of Greater Burlington.

Mitchell has lived in Winooski for six years and is enthusiastic about the city’s progress.

“I love it,” he said. “Besides the fact that it’s the most diverse city in the state of Vermont, I love the fact that they’re so open to new ideas.”

Organizing the campaign has been a lot of work, Mitchell conceded. But he’s happy with the progress the city is making.

“It was invigorating,” he said. “It’s like a big cup of coffee.”

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arts news BOOKS

The Zine’s Golden Age Zines have exploded in popularity over the past few months, and not just because “zine” rhymes deliciously with “quarantine.” The hashtag #quaranzine has been used nearly 6,500 times on Instagram, a hint of the outpouring of creativity during the homebound days of the pandemic.

But the genesis of the May Day Mountain Chapbook Series predates the global shutdown. A new collaboration of MAY DAY STUDIO in Montpelier and the Hunger Mountain literary journal, the series is published by the VERMONT COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS. Hunger Mountain co-managing editor Dayton Shafer, who graduated this May with an MFA in writing and publishing and a focus on playwriting, has always loved the tactile, DIY zine aesthetic. “I did a lot of xeroxing in my late teens,” he said. “The warmth and the smell are intoxicating to me.”

Last fall, Shafer put out a call for submissions for the inaugural volume. True to the antiestablishment ethos of zinedom, his goal was to find work from underrepresented artists and writers — “BIPOC lit, queer lit, refugee lit,” he explained. The contest was open to anyone, not just VCFA students; Shafer received more than 200 manuscripts, which he narrowed down to eight finalists.

The winner, Pride, a book of micro-essays by Julie Marie Wade, was released in May, with a limited run of 100 copies handmade by May Day Studio. Shafer didn’t have a budget for the project; the $10 submission fees covered the cost of producing the chapbooks. He had hoped to distribute them at literary festivals and bookstores around the Northeast this summer, but COVID-19 thwarted those plans.

ART

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SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

T E S Y O F A L EX G RIL A N C /D E G R O W U S

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C OUR

An upcoming socially distant community art exhibit in Burlington’s Old North End will encourage people to imagine a path forward that doesn’t revolve around economic growth.

The movement is called “degrowth,” and DegrowthFest, as organizers call the art installation, invites Vermonters to participate by creating art inspired by a series of prompts.

DEGROWBTV, the organizing collective, is a group of “activists, artists and academics … wanting to support and challenge narratives that we see in our community that reinforce injustice and oppression,” said LINDSAY BARBIERI, a graduate fellow at the University of Vermont’s Gund Institute for Environment. The narrative of human progress, Barbieri said, is centered on economic growth. The inherently anticapitalist degrowth movement seeks to challenge that metric and envision different ways to move communities forward, including calling for decreased consumption.

Since the 1970s, activists and researchers have been sounding the alarm about the impossibility of infinite economic growth on a planet with finite resources, according to “The Radical Plan to Save the Planet by Working Less,” a 2019 Vice article on degrowth. Fixation on growth comes at the expense of the environment, and the movement has been gaining ground as climate change becomes an increasing concern worldwide.

In Pride, Wade, a creative writing instructor in the MFA program at Florida International University who has previously been published in Hunger Mountain, explores the nuances of queer identity. Each essay title begins with “Float,” a reference to a Pride parade. The cover, illustrated by Kelly McMahon of May Day Studio and printed on luxuriously thick paper stock, features mini-portraits of each of the 50 victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Fla. Wade’s essays are wry and self-deprecating (“Can self-awareness get me out of this jam?” she wonders at one point), a blend of memoir and pop-culture observation.

“This book is just profundity,” Shafer said. “It’s the marrow of what socially conscious art can be.”

The next round of submissions will open in October, although Shafer won’t preside over the slush pile; his editorship ended when he graduated this spring. (Given the state of theater right now, he isn’t so sure what the future holds for him.) While he hopes that the next editor will bring their own sensibilities to the project, Shafer also wants the chapbook series to stay true to its scrappy, underdog DNA. “This should be a forum without censorship of any kind, be it self- or societal,” he said. “I want this to be a cultural garbage disposal.”

C H E LS E A E DG A R

Contact: chelsea@sevendaysvt.com

INFO For chapbook submission guidelines, visit hungermtn.org/submit-contests.

To order an $8 copy, visit hungermtn.org/subscribe.

In Europe, degrowth advocates have held several conferences in the past 12 years, though Barbieri said the Burlington event will be the first to use artistic installations to further the conversation.

DegrowUS, the umbrella organization for smaller collectives such as DegrowBTV, held a conference in Chicago in 2018. Funding for the local group comes from the New England Grassroots Environment Fund and the Leadership for the Ecozoic project. A Burlington event has been in the works for a while, but the pandemic changed the original plans, Barbieri said.

Instead of holding a traditional conference or festival-type gathering, DegrowBTV will distribute 2-by-2-foot plywood boards on which community members can respond to prompts, addressing what the pandemic crisis has revealed about current systems and what they want to create or leave behind in the future. The prompts are designed to be openended, centered on the question, “What does this collective future that we want look like?” Barbieri said.

The boards will be returned to DegrowBTV and installed around the Old North End starting on August 14, and can be seen on a walking tour or a virtual tour, Barbieri said. Anyone interested in participating can contact DegrowBTV to receive a board.

“People can create on their own, without necessarily gathering anywhere, and then we’ll be installing them up around outside,” she said.

Barbieri said the group already has enthusiastic participants, some of whom are planning much larger installations.

She thinks the pandemic has given people the drive to imagine better futures; DegrowBTV simply wants to provide a platform. Contributions will be accepted until August 14.

MA RG A RE T G RAY S O N

Contact: margaret@sevendaysvt.com

INFO Find out more at degrowus.org.

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IF YOU LIKE THIS, TRY...

Charlize Theron in The Old Guard

Twilight of the Immortals

• “Sense8” (2015-18; Netflix): Lana and Lilly Wachowski (The Matrix) cocreated this series about a group of strangers who become psychically linked and must learn to use their powers for good. It’s been acclaimed for its representation of LGBTQ characters.

• Birds of Prey (2020; HBO Max starting August 15; rentable on various platforms): While its goofy, irreverent tone is 180 degrees removed from The Old Guard, this DC Comics film also has a female director and a bunch of badass women.

The R rating (mostly for language) sank it in theaters, but it’s a fun watch.

• “Marvel’s Jessica Jones” (2015-19; Netflix): Caped crusaders meet noir fiction and the #MeToo movement in this series about a superheroine who works as a private detective while struggling with the aftermath of trauma. Wonderfully caustic and grumpy, star Krysten Ritter rivals Theron in the “hero acting like an antihero” department. See also the spinoff “Luke Cage.”

Contact: margot@sevendaysvt.com

Streaming video review: The Old Guard B Y M A R GO T HA R R ISON

W

here do we find entertainment these days? On our laptops and in our living rooms. The streaming options are overwhelming — and not always easy to sort through. So, in this weekly feature, I review a movie or series that might otherwise be easy to overlook.

Marine (KiKi Layne) who has just survived a mortal wound. She’s one of them. But can this idealistic young soldier commit to a team whose jaded leader despairs of ever winning the good fight?

THE FILM: The Old Guard WHERE TO SEE IT: Netflix

THE DEAL: Her name is Andromache

of Scythia (Charlize Theron), but you can call her Andy, and nothing can kill her. Stalking around in black jeans and sporting the deadpan charisma of vintage Clint Eastwood, Andy leads a team of centuries-old warriors with miraculous regenerative abilities. Joe (Marwan Kenzari) and Nicky (Luca Marinelli) date from the Crusades; Booker (Matthias Schoenaerts) from Napoleonic France. Together they while away their seeming immortality by fighting for good causes.

But when an ex-CIA operative (Chiwetel Ejiofor) double-crosses the team, they learn someone’s after them — a pharmaceutical exec (Harry Melling) eager to market the secret of eternal life.

Meanwhile, psychic dreams lead Andy to a

While these characters don’t wear uniforms (let alone Spandex), The Old Guard is very much a superhero movie, adapted by Greg Rucka from his graphic-novel series. It’s dark, bloody and elegiac like Logan, with the texture of an international thriller, but there’s not much in it that we haven’t seen before. Weary, disenchanted leader? Check. Ambivalent rookie hero? Check. Evil mastermind who must be stopped? Check. Frustratingly underdeveloped supporting characters?

Check. Dialogue that isn’t as witty as it wants to be? Check.

WILL YOU LIKE IT?

That said, director Gina PrinceBythewood (Beyond the Lights) offers enough that’s new and interesting to offset the boilerplate. For one thing, this is a “passing of the torch” superhero story whose two central characters are women.

For another, the gay relationship between two team members is not glossed over; it’s foregrounded in an exuberant scene that probably marks some kind of milestone for the genre.

Another plus: The Old Guard’s small-screen budget steers it clear of the bloated CGI battles that plague its theatrical brethren.

Instead, we get old-school handto-hand combat, and Theron sells it well enough to cement her status as a new cinematic action hero. These visceral clashes have thematic resonance, too. No one in The Old Guard is entirely immune to aging or pain, we learn, and PrinceBythewood stages an effective scene that drives home a sense of physical vulnerability that we don’t usually see in this genre.

Combining old standards with tantalizingly original touches, The Old Guard feels like a serviceable pilot episode for what could be a great series. The ending appears to set up a sequel, but none has been confirmed yet; stay tuned.

Sunset Drive-In Through Thursday, August 6: Grease & Dirty Dancing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 1 & Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows — Part 2 The Karate Kid & Raiders of the Lost Ark The Rental & The Wretched Through Thursday, August 13: Grease & Dirty Dancing The Goonies & Stand By Me The Tax Collector & Black Water: Abyss Inside Out & Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

Bethel Drive-In Friday, August 7, through Sunday, August 9: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Fairlee Drive-In Friday, August 7, through Sunday, August 9: Shrek & Happy Gilmore SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

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WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT BY CHELSEA EDGAR

Insecure Mask-ulinity

P

erhaps you’ve seen this tableau: a family of four meandering down Church Street. The couple is straight and middle-aged; their teenage son and daughter trail a few feet behind, dissociating into their iPhones.

The mother and daughter wear masks over their noses and mouths; the menfolk are barefaced.

Scenes like this one abound in the pandemic summer of 2020. Recently, a reader emailed Seven Days to complain about the prevalence of unmasked dudes around Burlington. “I wonder how gender and internalized gender roles/norms play into the choice to not wear a mask,” she wrote. “Surely, a man cannot walk down the street with his masked family and not possess a strong rationalization about his own choice to not wear a mask.”

And so I spent a couple of afternoons accosting barefaced men in the Church Street Marketplace, asking them why they weren’t wearing masks. A sampling of their responses: “My beard is too big.”

“My girlfriend has it in her purse, and she just went to the bathroom.” “I dunno.”

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The guy who said his beard was too big, Jimmy Day, is an electrical contractor from Virginia who came to Burlington for work.

He was with another unmasked dude, who sported dark sunglasses and a T-shirt emblazoned with an American flag. In a thick drawl, Day said he had been in the Army. “I’m used to following stupid rules, just because,” he said. “Indoors, I get it.

But out here, just don’t get close to me. You cough on me, I’ll punch you in the mouth.”

Earlier this summer, several municipalities, including Burlington and South Burlington, passed ordinances requiring masks in indoor public spaces. On August 1, Vermont became the 32nd state to implement a mask mandate, a response to rising COVID-19 cases across the country and 32

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

growing evidence that masks significantly reduce transmission.

The order, signed by Gov. Phil Scott on July 24, requires that anyone over the age of 2 wear a mask indoors — and outdoors when social distancing is impossible. (The order exempts people who are exercising and those with a health condition that would be exacerbated by a face covering.)

In New England, only New Hampshire hasn’t issued a mask mandate.

In Vermont, especially in densely populated Chittenden County, flagrant mask delinquency seems to be the exception rather than the rule. But when it does occur, the culprit is usually a dude — which, for this inquiry, refers to the white, cisgender, heterosexual male of the species.

This phenomenon has received expert attention in recent months. A June study by the National Bureau of Economic Research, which examined attitudes and behaviors among men and women in eight countries, found that women were universally more likely than men to adhere to public health guidelines. Another study, published in May by researchers from Middlesex University London in the UK and the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute in Berkeley, Calif., found that men were more likely than women to experience negative emotions while wearing a mask — to feel, according to the authors, that “wearing a face covering is shameful, not cool, a sign of weakness, and a stigma.”

Laurie Essig, director of Middlebury College’s Gender, Sexuality and Feminist Studies Program, calls that sense of diminishment “insecure mask-ulinity,” an unwilling abdication of the culturally enforced charade of male toughness.

“Masculinity is so fragile that it has to

constantly mark and police itself,” Essig said. “To wear a mask is to acknowledge that you’re susceptible to penetration — by a virus, another man, a woman.”

Among President Donald Trump’s supporters, particularly white males, eschewing masks signals solidarity with their fearless leader, who, until recently, refused to wear a face covering in public.

As social scientist Peter Glick wrote this April in Scientific American, “President Trump, a germaphobe known to hate shaking hands even in the best of times, ostentatiously continued to press the flesh well into March. Why? It’s the same reason that Trump, in 2017, courted danger from a different corona, making a show of staring at the sun during an eclipse. Defying experts’ warnings about personal danger signals ‘I’m a tough guy, bring it on.’”

In another Scientific American piece, Emily Willingham, author of Phallacy: Life Lessons From the Animal Penis, likened the male refusal to don a mask to resistance to wearing a condom, another effective, low-cost method of preventing infection.

Comprehending this illogic, she wrote, requires understanding the male social investment in upholding the performance of masculinity.

“These men have made a deep commitment and probably engaged in some willful self-deception to remain loyal to Trump,” Willingham wrote. “Donning a mask would mean wasting their investment and the perceived fruits of all that self-compromise.”

But what vexes Essig is that in Chittenden County, where less than a quarter of the population voted for Trump in 2016, the odds are slim that an unmasked dude would be a MAGA acolyte. During a recent trip to the South End’s City Market, Onion River Co-op, she saw a bearded, tattooed

hipster approach the register with his mask hanging under his chin. The cashier asked him to pull it over his face; the hipster only submitted to covering his mouth. When the cashier asked him to pull it all the way up over his nose, recalled Essig, he griped: “What a stickler.”

I ran this incident by a friend, a straight, white, politically progressive man in his mid-twenties who requested anonymity. “That behavior stems from a maladapted psyche,” he said. “It comes from never learning how to express your emotions in a way that allows you to become a fully integrated person.” In other words, the guy who casually forgets to put on his mask is staging a small, misguided revolution against a society that has forced him, at the expense of his emotional and psychological development, to suppress his feelings.

“I think what you’re seeing here is a different white heteromasculinity that’s attempting to not be macho or toxic but nonetheless needs to mark itself,” Essig said. “And the way it manifests itself is more subtle, like walking across the street when there’s no light, or not wearing a seat belt.”

Even Gov. Scott, she noted, who has judiciously followed public health guidance, often sports a mask made of camouflage fabric, the ultimate emblem of masculinity. “It’s an interesting sartorial move, aligning himself with something phallic and hard, even as he’s telling us to respect our vulnerability,” Essig mused.

“Nobody could accuse him of being a pussy.”

Contact: chelsea@sevendaysvt.com

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Interest surges in Oak Meadow’s alternatives to school COURTESY OF OAK MEADOW

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hen COVID-19 began spreading through the U.S. in March, parents faced a responsibility many never imagined: educating their kids at home. Now, almost five months later — with the coronavirus still raging and a new school year on the horizon — some families are considering homeschooling in September. In July, the Vermont Agency of Education reported a 75 percent spike in homeschool enrollment.

That’s where a business such as Oak Meadow comes in. In 1975, Dr. Lawrence Williams founded the now-Brattleborobased distance-learning school and homeschooling-curriculum company. He moved it to Vermont 25 years ago.

Oak Meadow, which operates from an office in Brattleboro and a book warehouse in Putney, offers Waldorf-inspired curricula for grades K-12, as well as an accredited distance-learning program. The Waldorf approach to teaching is based on the work of Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner and stresses imagination, creativity and learning through art, movement and nature.

Oak Meadow inhabits one of those uncommon niches that has actually benefited, business-wise, from the pandemic.

In recent months, the company has experienced an “unprecedented” surge of interest, receiving 50 to 70 calls a day, executive director Steve Lorenz said. Oak Meadow is on track to take in the same amount of revenue in curriculum sales this July as it made in all of 2019, added marketing and communications director Catherine Hays.

Before the pandemic, Oak Meadow employed 20 full- and part-time staff members — 17 in Brattleboro and Putney.

Thirty-five teachers — 25 of whom live outside of Vermont — also worked for the company.

Faced with uncertainty when the pandemic hit, Oak Meadow applied for and received a federal Paycheck Protection Program loan for $357,100 this spring.

The money kept everyone on the payroll while the company assessed how COVID19 would affect its business.

It soon became clear that interest in homeschooling was on the upswing, Lorenz said.

In fact, it’s increased so much that Oak Meadow has hired five new teachers, boosted the hours of two part-time employees and hired an additional warehouse worker.

Its K-12 distance-learning school, which got 69 applications in July 2019, received

Maddy learning to play kalimba at home in Alaska

322 last month; Oak Meadow had to close enrollment so employees could process the applications. The school costs $2,700 for grades K-4, $3,600 for grades 5-8 and $1,800 per high school course. That’s unrealistic for many families but is significantly cheaper than most private schools.

In a typical year, another 5,000 children use Oak Meadow’s homeschooling curriculum, but that figure is expected to double this year, said Hays. About 20 percent of its business comes from California, the most of any state. Vermont generates 5 percent.

Parents can buy grade-level course books that include 36 weekly lesson plans.

Packages cost between $365 and $745 for grades K-8 and about $100 to $500 for each high school course. The company’s online bookstore also offers supplements such as craft kits and science materials.

A slew of companies offer homeschooling curricula. But while many use virtual instruction, Oak Meadow’s Waldorfinspired philosophy emphasizes projects, outdoor learning and art. In the elementary grades, lessons don’t require online learning. “We’ve held on to our niche as a print-based school, which now is coming back to do us well,” Lorenz said.

“It’s amazing how many families have

OAK MEADOW INHABITS ONE OF THOSE UNCOMMON NICHES THAT HAS ACTUALLY BENEFITED, BUSINESS-WISE, FROM THE PANDEMIC.

come to us because of COVID and their experiences in the spring and said … ‘My child, all they did was, they had to sign into Zoom classes … and they’re in second grade,’” Hays said. “‘That’s not what I want for them.’”

In an industry flooded with Christianbased programs, Oak Meadow is one of the few wholly secular homeschooling offerings. The National Center for Education Statistics reported that, in 2012, 64 percent of homeschooling parents said one reason they opted for homeschooling was “a desire to provide religious instruction.”

Lorenz recalled a homeschool association in northern Texas that reached out because

members were having trouble finding secular homeschooling resources in their area.

Oak Meadow families use private Facebook groups to share ideas, troubleshoot problems and purchase used curriculum materials. On Instagram, parents share photos of their kids writing stories about animal habitats and conducting floator-sink science experiments using the hashtag #oakmeadowhomeschool.

The company also uses a cadre of volunteer “parent ambassadors” across the U.S. to help families who are just getting started. One of them is Renee Kockler, who has been using the curriculum with her two children since 2014.

This summer, Kockler said, she’s spoken to a range of families — some who’d been contemplating homeschooling for a while and others who are solely driven by the uncertainty brought on by the pandemic. A number of parents are “struggling,” she said.

Lorenz, who previously worked as a Vermont public school principal in Springfield and Saxtons River, echoed this assessment. In recent weeks, he has found himself in the role of de facto counselor.

Many parents have expressed fear about their kids returning to school. Others don’t know where to start when it comes to homeschooling. Lorenz and other Oak Meadow staff help them through the process.

Lorenz doesn’t know what the company’s future holds, but he’s hopeful that many families new to homeschooling will find it rewarding and decide to stick with it, even after the pandemic is over. And he believes that Oak Meadow may get a new batch of customers in November or December — families who try out their local schools’ plan in September but decide it’s not a good fit.

He recalled a recent conversation with a single mother in New York City who works evenings as a hospital respiratory nurse. She doesn’t want her child to go back to a school, where he’d have to sit six feet apart from friends. “A lot of our time is listening to the stories,” said Lorenz. “And it’s important to do that.”

“The conversations have just been really incredible,” Hays noted. “That’s really been the best part of all of this — being able to give all of these families another option in such a difficult, unpredictable time.”

Contact: alison@kidsvt.com

INFO Learn more at oakmeadow.com.

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BY D AN BO L L E S Gordon Stone in 2019

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COURTESY OF KATHERINE LUCAS

A posthumous anthology album celebrates the music of troubled banjo great Gordon Stone

I

was warned,” Patrick “Pappy” Biondo said. Wearing a black T-shirt and round, gold-rimmed sunglasses, the slim, tattooed 35-year-old leaned against a shaded park bench outside the Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Montpelier in early June. Coolly dragging on a cigarette, he continued, “Some of the guys he used to play with, they told me, ‘Be careful with that Gordon.’”

“I’m considered a risk,” Gordon Stone said, nodding in grudging agreement, as he sat socially distanced at the other end of the bench.

Stone, the celebrated but troubled Vermont banjo player, was discussing with Seven Days the perceived danger that his substance abuse had posed over the years to his friends, family, fellow musicians and anyone else who might rely on him. That included people like Biondo, a talented, ambitious fellow banjo player who in recent years had become 70-year-old Stone’s friend and protégé — among other roles.

“I’m your manager, your chauffeur, your therapist. I walk your dog. I clean your apartment,” Biondo chided, feigning exasperation and prompting a sheepish shrug from his friend.

The dog in question, Charlie, sat at Stone’s feet tethered with a belt; Stone had forgotten to bring his leash.

Stone has long been regarded one of the finest banjo players of the late 20th century, frequently cited in the same breath as modern banjo icons Béla Fleck and Tony Trischka. Banjo fans know him as a stylistic trailblazer who was as comfortable in a traditional bluegrass or country setting as he was exploring funk, jazz, rock and world music. He was a technical savant, an imaginative composer with a gift for melody, and a go-to Phish collaborator — at least for a time.

“Anybody post-Scruggs, he’s right up there with them,” Stone’s friend and former bandmate Jimmy Ryan said in a phone call, referring to banjo legend Earl Scruggs. Stone’s work on his secondary instrument, the pedal steel guitar, won him nearly as much respect.

But if he has been celebrated, Stone has also been persona non grata in certain quarters. The trail of bandmates who stopped playing with him — and, in some cases, even speaking to him — stretches back to the early 1970s. The warnings that Biondo heard were rooted in Stone’s decadeslong struggles with addiction and the erratic and volatile behavior his demons sometimes unleashed, especially on those closest to him.

“He’s burned a lot of bridges,” Biondo conceded in the Montpelier interview.

Judging by the number of people who declined to speak to Seven Days about Stone, or who would do so only conditionally, Biondo’s assessment rang true. In the end, though, for all those harmed by his addiction, the greatest risk that Stone posed was to himself.

Early on the morning of July 10, four months after Stone had gotten clean at a California rehab facility, his wife and longtime manager, Jennifer Harwood, found him dead.

The cause of Stone’s death remains under investigation, but rumors of a heroin overdose

SCRATCHIN’ THE SURFACE

Stone’s life began with disaster. When he was 6 months old, his mother died in a car accident in Cleveland, where Stone was born. At the wheel was Stone’s father, whose twin sister also perished in the crash, along with her unborn baby. The driver of the other vehicle was drunk.

“So that’s how my life started: with the greatest tragedy I don’t remember,” Stone said at that interview in June. He and his brother George, who was 18 months older,

COURTESY OF DAVID ROBY

were widespread. Harwood recently disputed those, noting that Stone had serious health complications stemming from decades of substance abuse, including pancreatitis and cirrhosis. She added that Montpelier police found a bag of pure fentanyl in his room. A representative from the Montpelier Police Department declined to comment on the open case.

Stone’s death came just hours after what both Harwood and Biondo described as one of his best days in a while. The previous afternoon, Biondo had delivered to Stone’s Montpelier apartment several boxes of vinyl records — a new collection of Stone’s music.

“It was the happiest I’d seen him in months, man,” Biondo said a few days after Stone died.

“We just had fun. We were laughing and talking and holding hands,” Harwood recalled. “It was like a fucking James Taylor song.”

The Music of Gordon Stone: A Retrospective Anthology is a limited-edition double album curated by Stone and Biondo and featuring 21 songs from different stages of Stone’s long career. Released last week on Astrology Days Records, Biondo’s label with John Morgan Kimock, the album was meant to signal a modest reemergence for Stone, who’d nearly vanished from the public eye in recent years.

In the months before the pandemic, Stone had begun to play occasional small gigs again, often with Biondo. Though five different physical ailments in his arms and hands — one for each string of his banjo, Stone joked — diminished his precision and stamina, he could still lay down jawdropping licks when he wanted to.

“It would take him about an hour to get warmed up,” Biondo said. “But once he did, he was still Gordon Stone.”

Now, instead of heralding the return of a Vermont great, The Music of Gordon Stone serves as a eulogy — and perhaps a cautionary tale. It’s the capstone on the career of a musical pioneer — “a genius,” as his friend Trischka called him. Though instrumental, the record also could be said to represent the last words of a man whose legacy is every bit as brilliant and flawed as he was.

The Decentz (from left): Gordon Stone, Pamela Polston, Peter Torrey, Jimmy Ryan and Brett Hughes, circa 1982 Gordon Stone in Pine Island, 1974

He’s an intellectual banjoist.

J IMMY RYAN

weren’t in the car and had no memory of the crash’s aftermath. He continued, “The shrinks and therapists, they love that.”

Stone’s father eventually remarried and had two more children. An engineer, he moved the family around frequently for work, including stints in Bennington and St. Albans when Stone was a kid.

Stone was at best an uninterested student, he said, which he attributed to undiagnosed attention deficit disorder.

As a teenager, he often butted heads with his stepmother. So, for high school, his father sent him to the Stockbridge School, a progressive boarding school in Stockbridge, Mass.

Stone noted with some amusement that the school’s alumni include musicians Arlo Guthrie and Taj Mahal, as well

as comedians Jerry Seinfeld and Chevy Chase, though none was his classmate.

School was a struggle for Stone, but music never was. His stepmother was a trained singer, and music was a constant presence in the household as he grew up.

Stone took to piano lessons naturally at age 7 — though, like most young kids, he didn’t much care for his piano teacher, he said.

When Stone was 13, his brother decided to start a trio. Since George and his friend both played guitar, Gordon wanted a different instrument.

“So I got a banjo,” he recalled.

Stone began attending banjo great Alan Munde’s banjo camps in Massachusetts, where famed folkies Pete Seeger and the Kingston Trio taught workshops. The instructors also included Bill Keith, who would become Stone’s most significant influence.

“He had a very mechanical mind,” Stone said of Keith, the inventor of the D-tuner, or Keith Banjo Tuner, a revolutionary mechanism for tuning the instrument.

Keith, who died in 2015, was also considered the godfather of chromatic banjo, a post-Scruggs style that emphasizes melody and is now commonly referred to as “Keith style.” That evolution paved the way for the progressive bluegrass style that Stone pioneered along with Trischka, Fleck and others.

“If you went to his theory class, everyone was lost within the first two sentences,” Stone recalled of Keith. Everyone, that is, except Stone.

Following a brief, half-hearted attempt at college in upstate New York, Stone transferred to the Berklee College of Music in Boston. But when he got there, he realized his skills already surpassed those of most of his instructors.

“Aside from the private lessons, the courses were taught by musicians that couldn’t make it,” Stone explained. “They were frustrated people.”

After less than a year, Stone left Berklee equally frustrated and found himself at a crossroads.

“I thought, What are the two things I want to do?” he said. Recalling his time in the Green Mountains as a child, he found an answer: “Go to Vermont and play music.

And that’s what I did.”

TOUCH AND GO

Stone landed in Vermont in 1973 and quickly met like-minded musicians to play and party with. These included bassist Jim McGinnis and guitarist Tim McKenzie, with whom Stone founded the protoprogressive bluegrass band Pine Island.

As folk music scholar and Vermont Public Radio host Robert Resnik noted in a 2003 Seven Days article, Pine Island played plenty of straight-ahead bluegrass and country, but they also dabbled in rock, gypsy jazz and other styles not typical of string bands. Pine Island, Resnik wrote, LEGACY EDITION SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

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I could be a real son of a bitch.

G O R D ON ST ONE

Stone left Pine Island in 1978. In addition to playing with the Decentz, outsider folk songwriter Michael Hurley and others, he made headway as a solo artist on the heels of his 1981 debut Scratchin’ the Surface. The album teased some of the stylistic innovation and fusion for which Stone would become famous. Most emblematic of those innovations was the song “Monkey Wrench,” a weird, fiendishly groovy tune that showcased his unique approach to composition, not to mention his elite chops.

“People still tell me that’s the funkiest fucking banjo tune they’ve ever heard,” Stone said in June.

In 1988, Stone cofounded Breakaway with guitarist Andy Greene, mandolinist Andy Sacher and bassist Peter Riley — who was also Stone’s roommate for a time.

Featuring outstanding vocal harmonies, the group was regarded as one of the most successful bluegrass bands in Vermont history. Breakaway’s changing cast of players produced several well-received studio albums and toured widely.

Breakaway also held down a weekly residency at the original location of Sneakers Bistro in Winooski. Its bluegrass sessions drew fans and fellow musicians alike, including the members of a young band called Phish.

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COURTESY OF LAURY SHEA

were “arguably one of the first ‘jazzgrass’ bands anywhere.”

Stone deserves ample credit for that, according to Ryan, a gifted mandolinist who played with Stone in Pine Island for three years. Later the two would reunite in the popular Burlington new-wave band the Decentz, for which Stone switched to pedal steel and Ryan to bass. Following the demise of that band, Ryan went on to form the acclaimed alt-country band Blood Oranges in Boston, where he still lives and plays.

“He’s an intellectual banjoist,” Ryan said of Stone prior to his death. “He had a cerebral approach to the banjo and was always good for adventures in music.

“We had a lot of fun together putting banjos and mandolins and pedal steel into musical situations they didn’t belong in,” he continued. “He taught me how to improvise.”

Riley has a story he likes to tell about those sessions. One night during a set break, he was chatting with Phish drummer Jon Fishman outside the restaurant.

“He told me, ‘Let me tell you something, Peter,’” Riley informed Seven Days last November. “‘If my band sang as well as yours, we’d be famous.’”

Fame found Phish soon enough, and Stone had a hand in that. He appeared on the 1992 Phish album A Picture of Nectar, as well as the band’s 1993 record Rift. More importantly, Stone’s association with the band, and specifically bassist Mike Gordon, helped raise his own profile to a national level, particularly in the jam band scene.

Stone played on Gordon’s first solo album and toured with the initial incarnation of the Mike Gordon Band. Gordon turned up on a few of Stone’s records, as well. Stone even played at Gordon’s wedding in 2012.

In an email, Gordon recalled Stone’s session for Rift, recording his part on “Fast Enough for You” with legendary Muscle Shoals Sound Studio producer Barry Beckett in Nashville. Gordon was alone in the control room with Beckett and engineer Justin Niebank, who were making some final tweaks in the song.

“I kept having this mini religious experience every time Gordon did that initial pedal steel swell after the first or second line of the first verse,” Gordon wrote. When Beckett and Niebank cut the lick to save it for the second verse, Gordon “went to battle.”

“I needed to save that lick,” he explained. “It represented the purest kind of emotion for me — my favorite instrument being played in just the right way.

They finally agreed to put it back in, and I wrote a 10-page letter to my girlfriend just about that one steel lick.”

As rapidly as Stone’s star was ascending, his problems with drugs and alcohol were reaching a breaking point. In the early 1990s, he was asked to leave Breakaway and sober up. He did and returned to the band six months later before leaving for good in 1996.

Substance abuse affected all of Stone’s projects. “We’d get these huge bar tabs at the end of the night, and I’d have had, like, two beers,” recalled drummer Russ Lawton, who played in an early incarnation of the Gordon Stone Trio and later, owing to Stone’s Phish connection, with the Trey Anastasio Band. “We’d be like, ‘Well, how many did you have, Gordon?’

And it would be, like, 12.”

According to several friends and bandmates, as well as Stone himself, his professional behavior became increasingly erratic, from arriving late to shows to playing poorly, out of tune or at an obnoxious volume.

“I’d show up fucked up to gigs, or show up sober and then get fucked up,” Stone said.

COURTESY OF LAURY SHEA

Legacy Edition « P.37

Breakaway (left to right): Peter Riley, Gordon Stone, Gene White, Andy Greene and Andy Sacher, 1991

When he was clean, Stone could be gregarious and charming, with a quick, dry wit and a good sense of humor. But when he was drinking, he said, the sarcasm turned mean and petty.

“Ninety-eight percent of the time, I was fine. Just a happy drunk,” he said in June.

“But that other 2 percent, I could be a real son of a bitch.”

MONKEY WRENCH

Stone and Biondo were born 35 years apart at the same hospital in Cleveland, just one of many curious cosmic connections between the two.

“The more I’ve gotten to know Gordon, the more I’ve realized how much we have in common,” Biondo said during the Montpelier interview in early June. “He

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Today, Biondo lives in Hinesburg with his wife and three children, but the two men first met in 2009 when Biondo’s band Cabinet played a show with the Gordon CHANNEL 1074 Stone Trio in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. After that, Biondo, who has family connections in Vermont, sought out Stone whenever he was in the area to pick his brain about THURSDAYS > 7:00 P.M. their shared instrument. When Biondo moved to the Green Mountains in 2013, GET MORE INFO OR Stone introduced him to the local blueWATCH ONLINE AT shoptheregister.com grass scene.

VERMONTCAM.ORG “That’s when I realized I was actually pretty good,” Biondo recalled. “I was sitting in on these jams and holding myUntitled-1 16t-shoplocal-guy.indd 1 1 4/24/12 16T-VCAM080520.indd 5/12/20 3:56 PM 3:32 1 8/3/20 10:34 AM own.” He was also learning, he said, “all the crazy fucking old stories in the bluegrass scene.”

Though Stone and Biondo had a mentor-mentee vibe, “it’s more than most banjo teacher/student relationships,” BUY 6 Biondo said. “It turned into a friendship Visit OwlsHeadFarm.com QU ARTS, pretty quick.” for hours, picking info As that friendship grew, Biondo took & curbside pickup! on a sort of caretaker role in Stone’s life. When Stone returned from rehab in April 2020, he and Harwood were on the outs. So Biondo found Stone a place to quarantine for two weeks in 263 Blueberry Farm Road | Richmond | 434-3387 Montpelier. He later helped find him a more permanent place to live and checked on him regularly, bringing him 8H-OwlsHead080520.indd 1 8/4/20 1:29 PM supplies and even occasionally cleaning his apartment.

“The guy needed real help,” Biondo explained. “And no one else would help him.”

All the while, Biondo was helping to spearhead the double album, which he described as the light at the end of the tunnel for Stone, the reason Stone was able to maintain even a tenuous grip on sobriety.

“It was all he had,” Biondo said after Stone died. He added that, prior to his death, he and Stone were considering issuing a second anthology of Stone’s music. They had also talked about recording a new “funk banjo” duet album.

Harwood said she isn’t sure whether Stone’s death was intentional. But she does believe he suspected the end might be coming for him sooner rather than in Burlington, Plattsburgh later.

“I think he was in the process of saying and Saint Albans goodbye,” she said, choking back tears.

“The last thing he said to me was, ‘I love Always on you to death.’”

As goodbyes go, The Music of Gordon Stone is a good one. Curiously for a retrospective, there’s no rhyme or reason to the in Waterbury, Montpelier ordering of the songs. While the album and Randolph starts with “Chicken Hill,” a shimmering bluegrass tune from Stone’s 1981 solo

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was one of my first inspirations. Gordon encouraged me to play how I wanted to play. He opened up the freedom in my banjo playing.”

“He plays more like me than I do,” Stone interjected.

“Except I don’t know what I’m doing, and you know what you’re doing,” Biondo replied. To which Stone responded with a shrug, “Eh.”

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debut, Scratchin’ the Surface, the track list The proceeds from the digital sales of is far from chronological, jumping around The Music of Gordon Stone will go to Backwith cuts from each of his six albums, line, a nonprofit organization that offers including those as the Gordon Stone Band. mental health, substance abuse and crisis And there’s no discernible theme. management resources to music industry “I was never big on set lists,” Stone professionals. With Biondo’s help, Backexplained in June. “I’d just make a list of line also organized an online memorial for songs, and we’d play Stone last week featur’em. It always seemed ing performances by to work out OK.” Mike Gordon, Trischka It works out just fine and Burlington band on the record, as well.

Twiddle, as well as Of all Stone’s musiBiondo, Riley and other cal gifts, his mastery friends and contempoof melody might have raries of Stone’s. been his ace in the “It was great, man,” hole. From the bright Biondo said of the PATRICK “PAPPY” B IONDO and lilting “Pachysmemorial, which also andra” to the easy served as a celebration sway of “Hammock Time” to the sweet of the anthology’s release and is available melancholy of the closing track, “Jelly to watch on Backline’s Facebook page.

Cake Rag,” Stone’s melodies stick with “Gordon definitely didn’t do himself you, even amid his high-flying technical any good in the later years of his career,” wizardry.

Biondo acknowledged. “But the record “He wrote beautiful, strong melodies,” really encapsulates the good things about said mandolinist Jamie Masefield, an him, the good side of his life. original member of the Gordon Stone “I would hope that when I’m 70 and Trio who went on to acclaim with his own I’ve burned all the bridges,” he continued, genre-bending band, the Jazz Mandolin “there might be someone out there who’d Project. “There were all these harmonic help me get my music out there.” underpinnings that were so much fun to improvise off of.”

Contact: dan@sevendaysvt.com “He’s fearless,” Trischka said of Stone in a June interview. “His timing, INFO his groove. He’s a master of syncopa- The Music of Gordon Stone: A Retrospective tion and does these subtle things that Anthology is available on Astrology Days are fantastic. He has great tone, and he Records at gordonstone.bandcamp.com. takes chances.”

Learn more about Backline at backline.care.

Gordon encouraged me to play how I wanted to play.

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A MAJOR BREAKDOWN Generally, profiles like this one don’t have strong first-person elements. This story is an exception — not just because I have my own memories of Stone, but because his ups and downs had a role in shaping this story, just as they affected the people around him.

In winter 2020, Stone and Harwood contacted me about his double album because Stone wanted me to write the liner notes. I had covered Stone a bit when I was Seven Days’ music editor, and Harwood said he’d always liked my writing. I was delighted and heartened to hear from him. But I declined the offer. What I really wanted to do, I told him, was write a deeper profile of Gordon Stone, warts and all.

He thought that sounded like a good idea and, most importantly, agreed to be candid about his addiction. “I think it might help some people to know about it,” he told me.

I’d hoped the piece would be something of a redemption story.

In early spring, Stone and I began chatting occasionally on the phone.

These weren’t precisely interviews, though we talked about his past, his music, drugs and the 20-plus years he was sober before he stumbled again in 2012. We also talked about what it was like to be in rehab when the pandemic hit. Our conversations were meandering and casual. Often Stone sounded vital and energized, especially when the topic of his record came up. Other times he sounded tired, weary.

I had my own memories of Stone from the early 2000s, before I became a journalist. As a twentysomething local musician with dreams of bigger stages, I had the good fortune to play live with him from time to time. When a band of mine hired Stone to play pedal steel on our first full-length record, he strode into the studio clad in a flowing, bizarrely colorful wool coat that somehow seemed regal on him.

Then Stone sat down at his steel and proceeded to blow us away by transforming our songs with his playing. I suspect that’s what Mike Gordon experienced in Nashville. To me, especially back then, he was a giant. He was Gordon fucking Stone.

I wasn’t alone in feeling that way.

The night after Stone died, I spoke with a friend and former Stone bandmate who declined to be interviewed because, despite loving him deeply, this person had become irrevocably estranged from

COURTESY OF KATHERINE LUCAS

Legacy Edition « P.39

Stone. As Biondo put it, Stone burned a lot of bridges. But I’ve thought a lot about something this friend said that night, which I’ll paraphrase: “Sometimes you forget that, once upon a time, your dreams did come true and you got to play with your hero.”

I knew what he meant, as I’m sure many of the people Stone played with do.

And I know, as many of those same people also do, what it feels like when a hero lets you down.

One night a few years ago, my girlfriend and I were coming out of a restaurant in Waterbury when a man across the street began shouting my name and waving. He was waifish, frail and ragged. He looked like hell and seemed, frankly, disturbed — to the point that my girlfriend nervously clutched my arm as we crossed the street to our car. As we got closer, I recognized him: Gordon Stone.

I hadn’t seen him in several years.

I’d heard the whispers that he’d fallen off the wagon and stopped playing. But rumors couldn’t have prepared me for the desiccated specter who stood — wobbled, really — before me that night, or helped me to reconcile that person with the robust man I used to know.

When Stone, Biondo and I met for our interview in Montpelier — Stone’s last, as it turned out — Stone seemed far healthier than the last time I’d seen him. Maybe a little worse for wear — he was missing his top teeth and moved with an elderly gait. He and Harwood were in the midst of divorce proceedings, so he was sad and

Breeze Through Summer

STOREWIDE

Gordon Stone and Jennifer Harwood

sometimes distracted. But when he got rolling, he was reminiscent of the funny, wryly charismatic Stone I used to know.

That two-hour interview was to be the basis of a June 17 cover story about Stone, his new record — which was scheduled to come out that week — and his friendship with Biondo. Like Biondo, I had been warned to be careful with “that Gordon” by a number of local musicians who knew him better than I did. And, sure enough, less than a week before the story was set to run, it all fell apart.

On June 11, I called Stone to ask some follow-up questions to our earlier in-person interview — specifically, how he was doing with sobriety. He admitted it was a daily struggle and he’d slipped up on occasion. But in the story, he added, he wanted to be described as completely sober because drinking would violate the conditions of his release.

“Release from what?” I asked.

Stone revealed that he had been arrested in February for domestic assault, a felony. According to the police report, Stone and Harwood, both intoxicated, were arguing at their apartment late at night when Stone allegedly placed his hands around Harwood’s neck and later threatened to kill her.

Stone conceded that he and Harwood had a bad argument that night — Valentine’s Day, no less. He added that their 26 years together were often volatile and that arguing — including idle threats — wasn’t unusual. But he adamantly denied the

assault charge, which, because of the pandemic, never went to court. (Stone was later arrested again for violating his house arrest; he’d gone to a music store to buy guitar strings.)

Considering the nature of the charge against Stone, Seven Days postponed the story at least until the case was resolved.

In its place, we quickly pulled together a cover story on calls to defund state and local police departments. Astrology Days Records owners Biondo and Kimock also postponed the release of the anthology, which was to be the flagship of their burgeoning label Astrology Days Records.

So why run the story now?

At the risk of sounding ghoulish, we see Stone’s death as a resolution of sorts. Not to the case but to some of the ethical issues related to running this story — including, most importantly, any potential risks to Harwood in the event that the accusations proved true.

Legitimate questions on that point remain, on both sides.

In the weeks before he died, Harwood and Stone reconciled. In a June phone call, Harwood said the night of the alleged assault “was a blur”; like Stone, she chalked up the ugly episode to the drama of their tumultuous relationship. Harwood added that she had dropped the charges against her husband, which Stone had previously suggested she exaggerated.

“We’re working together toward solutions,” Harwood said. “I hold him in the highest regard and will forever.”

Fans around the world have mourned Stone’s death. But the story about him doesn’t end with his music and fame. When Stone and I began working on this story, telling the other parts was something we both wanted to do. He understood that his musical legacy was important. But he also knew that the pain he’d caused to others was another kind of legacy.

I don’t believe Stone sought forgiveness or absolution, at least not through me. While I’m sure he wanted attention for his record, I think that in telling his story, he also hoped to help others understand the complexities of his life and music and, more broadly, of addiction.

“He had some demons,” Mike Gordon, the Phish bassist, wrote. “When people make it through to the other side there is a depth of character that comes out, like they’ve been somewhere, learned something,” he continued. “This is not a happy-go-lucky person we are talking about, but a real person.”

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Be social and safe!

Though the pandemic is still with us, there are plenty of ways to play with others. Check the Seven Days online calendar to find activities from free classes to art shows to concerts — both in real life and virtual.

On Thursdays, consult the Magnificent 7 for a list of must-do events over the upcoming — you guessed it — seven days.

Find it at sevendaysvt.com/mag7.

D.B. SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

41

VERMONTING

BY PAMELA POLSTON

Knots and Notches Art and sheep and honor in the Northeast Kingdom

O

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SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

Also on duty were the tiny toy sheep that seem to be de rigueur in yarn shops.

An impressive stack of sheep pelts, white to dark chocolate in color, attracted our attention; Higgins described the breed and unique qualities of each one.

We couldn’t help but pet them, but the July heat made us disinclined to acquire. Instead, my friend bought blue-gray bouclé yarn, and I got a felted-wool soap. The cedar-scented block of handmade soap comes wrapped in wool that acts as an exfoliant, Higgins said, and shrinks as the soap dissolves. Its clean, woodsy aroma filled my car for the rest of the trip.

We stopped at the FARM STORE to get iced lattes for the

HELLO, VERMONTING Even as Vermont opens up from the pandemic shutdown, Gov. Phil Scott still encourages residents to stay home as much as possible. And so this summer is a good time to explore our home state. Its diminutive size makes a multitude of short trips accessible, whether for a few hours, an overnight or a longer getaway.

This series, running weekly through mid-October, presents curated excursions in every corner of Vermont, based on the experiences of Seven Days reporters. The idea is to patronize the state’s restaurants, retailers, attractions and outdoor adventures — after all, we want them to still be there when the pandemic is finally over.

Happy traveling, and stay safe.

PHOTOS: PAMELA POLSTON

ur objective for this week’s Vermonting excursion was the Museum of Everyday Life in Glover. As usual, though, the journey — along Route 15 to Johnson and northward — involved multiple stops along the way.

My traveling companion and I couldn’t leave Burlington until noon, so we planned on takeout from Friend’s Nepali Restaurant in Winooski. But no one answered the phone, and a sign on the door indicated the place was closed and would reopen on August 4 under new management. Undeterred, and with taste buds tuned to Himalayan cuisine, we headed to NEPALI KITCHEN in Essex Junction.

There we collected a brown-bag lunch of chicken curry, saag paneer and paratha — and made it as far as a table outside the restaurant. Laughing, a kind server brought us plates, utensils and water for our “picnic.”

Good thing we’d thought to bring a cooler, because there was enough food for several meals. We packed up the leftovers and headed to our dessert destination, PALMER LANE MAPLE in Jericho. Though the indoor shop is currently off-limits, the outdoor setup is a model of pandemicera efficiency: Signs and roped-off one-way paths lead customers to a front window to place their orders and pay, then to a side porch for delivery. A server handed us our maple creemees from a touch-free cardboard container.

We stood in a shady spot across the street and slurped our treats, so luscious and creamy we wanted to climb inside the dish. Instead, we got back in the car, feeling grateful for South Asian cuisine, the miracle of maple creemees and the privilege of forgetting the hell-in-ahandbasket world for a few more hours.

This trip, after all, was not just about filling our stomachs. As we slipped from Chittenden County into Lamoille, astonished anew at Vermont’s abundant green, stress seemed to slip away, too. Next stop: Jeffersonville.

Just outside town, we passed the landmark silo murals, painted eloquently four years ago by Sarah C. Rutherford, and parked in front of the BRYAN MEMORIAL GALLERY. Describing itself as “Vermont’s most dynamic gallery for the exhibition of the finest landscape painters in New England,” it was founded in 1984 by artist Alden Bryan in memory of his wife, Mary, also a fine painter.

Currently on view is the 2020 juried watercolor exhibition, featuring landscapes, portraits, still lifes and abstractions by more than 40 member artists. The back gallery displays sumptuous landscapes in oil by 20 more painters. Strolling through these rooms was like sightseeing in a hundred places, one after the other.

My companion is a knitter, so it was of paramount importance in “Jeff ” to patronize TWO SISTERS MILL & MERCANTILE, across the street from the gallery. Owners and, yes, sisters Tamra Higgins and Monica Case relocated this summer from smaller quarters to a restored 1885 building on Main Street. Besides dozens of skeins of colorful yarn, the store offers the handiwork — sweaters, caps, wraps, sweet baby items — of some 60 creative consignors, according to Higgins, who was on duty when we visited.

Palmer Lane Maple

Painting by Martin Bromirski at Red Mill Gallery

IN THE AREA:

• • • •

BOYDEN VALLEY WINERY & SPIRITS, boydenvalley.com BREAD AND PUPPET MUSEUM, breadandpuppet.org BRYAN MEMORIAL GALLERY, bryangallery.org EBENEZER BOOKS (curbside), bookshop.org/shop/

• • • • • • • • • • • •

THE FARM STORE, thefarmstorevt.com JOE’S SNACK BAR, Jericho Center, Facebook JOHNSON WOOLEN MILLS, johnsonwoolenmills.com MUSEUM OF EVERYDAY LIFE, museumofeverydaylife.org NEPALI KITCHEN, nepalikitchenvt.com PALMER LANE MAPLE, palmerlanemaple.mybigcommerce.com PARKER PIE, parkerpie.com RED SKY TRADING, redskytrading.com SMUGGLERS’ NOTCH RESORT, smuggs.com TWO SISTERS MILL & MERCANTILE, twosistersvermont.com VERMONT STUDIO CENTER, vermontstudiocenter.org VISIONS OF VERMONT FINE ART GALLERIES, visionsofvermont.com

ebenezerbooksvt

Tamra Higgins of Two Sisters Mill & Mercantile

road. Here, too, pandemic precautions were observed: A small table blocked patrons from roaming the store’s aisles, while a sign on the glass cookie jar politely warned against the sticking of hands inside.

We picked up a friend in Johnson, where I stopped at the Red Mill Gallery at the VERMONT STUDIO CENTER to see an exhibit of paintings by Martin Bromirski. Each vivacious

abstraction lured the eye with layers of color and texture, but I didn’t have time to dive in.

As we headed north and then east, the landscape became gothic and sweeping, the visible imprint of humans less frequent. Until we got to Irasburg.

There we tooled slowly around the green, admiring stately Victorians and contemplating the source of the town’s erstwhile wealth. According to my later research, Irasburg, now home to 1,096 inhabitants, was originally deeded to Ira Allen and a few others. Early production of salts and pearl ash involved a bit of smuggling, but prosperity really got going with the 19th-century mills.

An online description claims that Irasburg gets snow nine months of the year. Yikes. This day, however, was sunny and glorious. As we drove out of town, I mentally paid homage to late novelist Howard Frank Mosher, who called Irasburg home for many years.

Whenever I leave the Queen City for other parts of the state, I’m reminded of an old bumper sticker: “The best thing about Burlington is it’s close to Vermont.” Don’t get me wrong; I love my hometown.

But Orleans County is an altogether different experience, and Glover may represent the pinnacle of that difference. The whole place seems to reflect the ineffable countercultural aesthetic of nearby Bread and Puppet Theater. (The museum there is open, but we didn’t have time to visit on this trip.)

Approaching Glover from the north, we stopped at RED SKY TRADING. I was delighted to introduce my two companions to this magical shop. A small barn filled with funky vintage items was padlocked, presumably because it couldn’t be pandemic-proofed. But the usual assortment of baked goods, jams, pickles and salsas was available on tables and in a fridge in the yard, accompanied by funny homemade signs and ample hand sanitizer.

Across the shady yard, which abuts the Barton River, a red hen strutted with a proprietary ’tude. Human owners Doug and Cheri Safford were nowhere to be seen. Like so many establishments in the area, Red Sky operates on the honor system. A box with a slot for cash or checks bore a sign: “There will be no change jar

this year! Please come prepared.” I did and bought some strawberry-jalapeño jam.

This system was replicated at the MUSEUM OF EVERYDAY LIFE, located in a weathered barn just south on Route 16.

No docents here. Visitors are encouraged to turn on lights, turn them off when they leave, and flip a sign on the door to “occupied” to enforce social distancing while browsing. A donation jar invites contributions.

The museum’s founder, owner and curator, Clare Dolan, lives next door and is also a nurse. The website describes her most unusual venture as “an ongoing revolutionary museum experiment.” Each year’s exhibition focuses on a single “everyday” object. Past themes have included the pencil, the safety pin, the toothbrush, scissors, the mirror and, most improbably, dust. All of the objects are donated; Dolan installs and makes signage for the displays with the help of volunteers.

This year’s exhibit is titled “Frayed Knot: the human art of tying and untying.” Though Dolan planned it well before the coronavirus arrived, the theme perfectly suits a year in which we seem tied to calamity, a year of tangled bugbears and particularly knotty conundrums.

While knots can be problems, Dolan writes in her thoughtful online introduction, they are also solutions, holding things together. Learning to tie one’s shoes is a rite of passage for young children (hopefully not stymied by the ubiquity of Velcro on today’s footwear). The converse, for adults, might be unraveling the cords that connect us to our devices.

When we visited, a sign in the barn offered an apology: Dolan hadn’t yet been able to create wall text with credits for the displays. The items, however, needed no explanation. We found a fishing net,wigs with knotted hair, an unsettling suture-sewing facsimile on a rather large gash, a perfectly executed Windsor knot on a red necktie. One wall was hung with colorful woven creations, another with a series of fancy knots in lengths of white rope.

Yet another corner recalled the ’70s with a granny-square crocheted dress, macramé plant hangers and curtains. An elaborate shrine honored “Mary, Untier of Knots”; a wallhung pair of hands stretched a cat’s cradle between them. A small table held a sculptural tangle of thick white rope that seemed capable of holding a ship fast to shore.

Dolan concludes her essay: “The knot embodies something essential about what makes humans human: our ability to create a complex friction-filled series of crossing and loops that can grip and hold tight, and our parallel ability to untie what we have tied.”

Over, under, around and through.

We contemplated this idea as we returned our friend to Johnson and crossed over the Smugglers’ Notch road, noting the switchback on Route 108 where foolhardy truck drivers get stuck and tie up traffic. We passed through Stowe — a destination for another time — and sailed into the setting sun toward home.

THE THEME PERFECTLY SUITS A YEAR IN WHICH

WE SEEM TIED TO CALAMITY.

Sign at the Farm Store

The Museum of Everyday Life and a few of its items: a tie and a granny-square crocheted dress

Garden at Red Sky Trading

Contact: pamela@sevendaysvt.com

Find more information on Vermont day trips and adventures from the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing at vermontvacation.com/staytripper.

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

43

Picture of Health An antique doctor’s office is for sale in East Berkshire S TO RY & PHOT OS BY MARGARE T GRAY SON

T

he Craigslist posting was unusual, to say the least: “Entire 1900s Doctor’s Office Contents,” read the title. The description detailed antique medicine bottles, a variety of bizarre metal tools and devices, logbooks, journals, and a 19th-century reclining chair for patients.

“The doctor’s office closed in 1958, and it has literally been a time capsule since then,” Heidi LeVell, the seller, told Seven Days. LeVell recently purchased Pigeon Hill Farm, a teardrop-shaped 15-acre property on Montgomery Road in East Berkshire. That’s where the doctor’s office has sat, largely untouched.

The doctor in question was named William Brown Hyde. According to a schedule posted in the office, he performed house calls, tended to ear and eye ailments, and engaged in quite a bit of dentistry.

His office was tucked into the corner of a general store, right next to the sugar bins, meaning patients could potentially make eye contact with their neigh bors as they had teeth extracted.

The general store was built in 1872. For decades, Herbert Addison Pond and his descendants owned the property — which also includes a feed store, two barns and a 4,000-square-foot house. It was sold in 1998 to a couple who transformed it into a wedding venue called Pigeon Hill Farm.

Two months ago, after living on and caring for the property for more than three years, LeVell became the official owner.

LeVell, who moved to Vermont from California with her husband and four kids, might be the perfect person to stumble upon a vintage treasure trove.

An art history major in college, she has appraised and sold antiques and vintage collectibles professionally for the past 25 years. It started when her grandmother died and LeVell and her brother inherited a houseful of midcentury wares.

“A few years later, eBay was born, and I started learning the value of things,” LeVell said. “I started going to yard sales, and then I started going to auctions, and all of a sudden I realized I had a full-blown business on my hands.”

She made an appearance as a seller on the History channel’s reality show “Pawn Stars.” Once, at an auction in the 1990s, she bid $1,000 on a couple dozen boxes of Legos, and everyone thought she was nuts.

LeVell went on to sell the pieces individually online and made $28,000.

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SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

HISTORY

THE LABELS ADVERTISE A VARIETY OF REMEDIES: “BLACKBERRY BALSAM,” “PRICKLY ASH BARK”

AND, MOST CRYPTICALLY, “BROWN MIXTURE WITHOUT OPIUM.”

When she tired of appraising and selling by computer, LeVell put together a crew and started restoring houses in San Jose, Calif., saving old Victorians from demolition. She wants to use that experience to restore the general store into a bakery and café. It will require updating the electrical wiring, which dates back to 1903; installing a heating and cooling system; and restoring the original flooring and wide wooden countertop. She plans to start construction in a few weeks.

LeVell said it’s rare to find a time capsule like the Berkshire property. She’s surprised that “no one messed with it in the ’70s,” she said. “They tore so many Victorians down in the ’70s. It was crazy.”

She even found the original sign for the “H.A. Pond Store” at an auction in Franklin.

“Locals remember coming to the store to get ice cream when they were little,” LeVell said. “Occasionally old people will come by, like, ‘My mom used to give me

Heidi LeVell

Remedies

five cents to go get ice cream for the whole family.’”

The doctor’s office is for sale for $5,800. LeVell thinks someone could double their investment just by selling the bottles individually, but she hopes to find a buyer that will keep the office’s contents together as a collection. The shelves are lined with bottles and tins, ranging from the size of a postage stamp to a quart. The labels advertise a variety of remedies: “Blackberry Balsam,” “Prickly Ash Bark” and, most cryptically, “Brown Mixture without Opium.”

Some people have suggested she keep the doctor’s office, but LeVell said she needs the square footage for her café, and she’s concerned about the liability of having old medicines around. She plans to continue hosting weddings and events at Pigeon Hill Farm when it’s safe to do so again, as well as transform it into a working farm. The pandemic has given her the opportunity to get a lot of work done that wouldn’t be possible during a normal wedding season.

Chewing gum dispenser

Medical equipment

“You know, tearing up yards, cutting down bushes, digging trenches — all that kind of unsexy stuff,” LeVell said.

As with any historic building, it’s easy to fall down a rabbit hole of newspaper archives regarding the general store’s owners and occupants.

Pond, the store’s longtime owner and merchant, served in the Vermont legislature and as a delegate to the 1912 Democratic National Convention, according to an article in the Barre Daily Times after his death in 1932.

As for the doctor, an obituary in the St. Albans Daily Messenger reported that Hyde was a superintendent of schools in nearby Bakersfield and a member of the Vermont legislature in 1902. He once misplaced a tin can full of human bones, which caused a town kerfuffle when it turned up in a meadow in 1901. Hyde died in 1941.

His son, Robert W. Hyde, would go on to leave a darker legacy. In 2008, the Rutland Herald reported that a Vermont woman alleged the younger Hyde had conducted psychological experiments on her in the 1960s on behalf of the Central Intelligence Agency during his tenure as director of research at the Vermont State Hospital in Waterbury. Robert Hyde was an early experimenter with mindaltering drugs, the article reported, and some believe he was the first American to try LSD. He died in Vermont in 1976 and had no children.

LeVell is still searching for the right buyer for the doctor’s office contents.

“This is a museum-quality set, and I don’t really want to just have it be taken out in dribs and drabs,” LeVell said.

“That just sounds depressing to me. I feel like it’s a piece of Vermont history that should be kept together.”

Contact: margaret@sevendaysvt.com

INFO Learn more about Pigeon Hill Farm on Facebook.

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6/25/20 3:59 PM

He Said, She Said

Book review: Universe of Two by Stephen P. Kiernan

BY BE NJAMIN AL E S H IR E

BOOKS

I met Charlie Fish in Chicago in the fall of 1943. First I dismissed him, then I liked him, then I ruined him, then I saved him. In return he taught me what love was, lust, too, and above all what it is like to have a powerful conscience.

True to its title, Universe of Two succeeds at presenting both Charlie and Brenda as complex equals; some authors might have reduced her to a minor 46

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

ULTIMATELY, BOTH OF THEM STRUGGLE

TO MAKE SENSE OF THEIR DECISIONS.

character fretting on the sidelines during the man’s “hero journey.” Brenda has her own share of secrets, and she pressures Charlie to conform to the masculine standards of the day. After the war, she blames

herself for nudging him, however inadvertently, while he faced a moral crossroads.

Ultimately, both of them struggle to make sense of their decisions. In this way, Kiernan’s fourth novel is consistent with a

COURTESY OF BEOWULF SHEEHAN

I

n Universe of Two, Vermont novelist Stephen P. Kiernan fictionalizes reallife Charles Fisk, a young American mathematician ordered to work on the Manhattan Project — the research during World War II that produced the first nuclear weapons. Charlie Fish, as he’s called in the novel, is a sensitive lad set to graduate from Harvard University at age 18, until his uncle sends him to Chicago to work on mysterious calculations for the military.

In Chicago, Charlie meets Brenda, a headstrong and talented organist who considers herself out of his league. After a meet-cute in the music store her family owns, the couple begins a long courtship that gets interrupted by the secrecy of Charlie’s work: In order to prevent espionage, his job is compartmentalized, and he has no idea that his math ultimately will contribute to the slaughter of several hundred thousand civilians.

That is, until Charlie is swept off to Los Alamos, N.M., where he’s nicknamed “Trigger,” and he slowly comes to realize that he’s solely responsible for building the atomic bomb’s detonator.

Kiernan broadens this already fascinating premise by switching back and forth from Charlie’s to Brenda’s perspective, which gives the novel a whole new dimension. Too many war stories are told from a male soldier’s point of view, so it’s refreshing to get a glimpse into her psyche.

Brenda’s endless supply of folksy idioms can be wearying, but she feels authentic as a character. She’s assertive, tender, occasionally deceptive, but always empathic and self-aware. Really, Brenda is more complex than Charlie, whose emotional range is limited mostly to self-doubt — which is surprising for someone capable of graduating from Harvard in his teens.

Brenda’s narration itself occurs on two levels: both telling the story as it happens and commenting on it as an elderly woman at an assisted-living facility. She recalls her youthful mixture of trauma and desire à la Rose in the film Titanic. The book’s opening paragraph hooks the reader immediately:

popular trend in contemporary fiction in which stories that likely would have been told from a single perspective even 10 years ago are now enriched by multiple points of view. Ben Lerner and Rachel Kushner’s latest novels, The Topeka School and The Mars Room, respectively, come to mind.

Occasionally, Kiernan makes odd choices that might pull some readers out of the world he’s creating. The story is meticulously researched, yet one of Charlie’s comrades in the electronics department is known as “the walking dictionary,” and throughout the book he ruminates on the definitions of words such as sonder, liberosis and chrysalism.

“Where do you find these ten-cent words?” Charlie asks. “Lying on the ground, Charlie, waiting for someone to scoop them up,” he answers.

But some readers will realize the author scooped them from the internet: These words are all recent neologisms coined by poet John Koenig for his popular Tumblr page, Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows (a book version is forthcoming from Simon & Schuster).

History buffs — and pedantic critics — might be irked by these occasional anachronisms, but most readers will likely let them go and simply enjoy this wartime love story as it unfolds. After all, Universe of Two is neither textbook nor biography but a reimagining that stays true to its historical setting as it invents a vivid personal history for its characters.

The true story of Charles Fisk’s life is proof that, sometimes, regular people find themselves thrust cinematically onto the stage of major events — in this case, the development of the atomic bomb. The choices they make there may not alter the course of humanity directly but do contribute to it. And afterward, they must choose how to process their complicity.

After the war, Charlie’s guilt spirals dangerously, and he tattoos himself with the numbers of casualties he considers his.

Though it means sacrificing her dream of performing as a musician, Brenda gives Charlie the courage he needs to abandon his physics career. The two of them embark on a new life together, building instruments instead of weapons. C.B. Fisk, a company that the real Charles Fisk founded, still exists today — one of its pipe organs can be found inside the University of Vermont Recital Hall.

Kiernan does an excellent job of demonstrating the ethical wrestling match that took place between scientists and the military during the Manhattan Project; interested readers can go on to explore the sources to which he alludes, such as the dissident Franck Report, which American high school history teachers rarely mention.

Advance Your Career

FROM UNIVERSE OF TWO “The whole idea of this project,” Wilson continued, “was civilian control of a potential military instrument, because that device could exceed the military’s capacity for restraint. We have men here”—and he gestured to the desk on the left—“who see the war as nearly over, our role ended before it began. Professor Joseph Rotblat, for example.”

An affable-looking fellow nodded his head.

“While other men”—Wilson gestured to the right—“say that eventually some nation will obtain atomic knowledge, and the rightful possessor ought to be a democracy, so everyone participates in these decisions—namely the United States.”

Wilson stepped forward. “But after three debates, we remain stalled by the moral implications. We already know the army’s answer. We do not want President Roosevelt’s answer.

They are not men of science. We want your answer. If we have the courage to demand it, you must have the courage to say it.”

Charlie wished he knew who Wilson was speaking to. He felt the silence’s pressure. One of the men at the desks lit a cigarette. No one else moved.

Finally a chair slid on the floor in back, and a man came forward into the lights. It took a moment for Charlie to see who it was: Oppenheimer. Wilson immediately gave ground. The Los Alamos director was painfully thin, his head balanced on a neck too slender. He arrived at the front of the room, and stood rubbing his face with one hand.

“A demonstration,” he began. But there was a catch in his throat.

The novel stops short of using the word “genocide” to describe the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (the 75th anniversary of which is this week), but it reveals the cold-blooded calculations that went on behind the scenes before the bomb’s use. There’s a distinctly swords-into-ploughshares quality to Fisk’s role in history — or rather, bombs-into-church-organs.

Charlie and Brenda’s choices imply that harmony (in music and in love) can be every bit as powerful as splitting the atom. It’s a history lesson contemporary leaders would do well to remember.

INFO Universe of Two, by Stephen P. Kiernan, William Morrow, 448 pages. $27.99. stephenpkiernan.com Kiernan gives a Zoom reading and talk about his book on Thursday, August 6, 7 p.m.

Preregister at norwichbookstore.com.

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food+drink

Following Her Heart Ferene Paris Meyer brings Haitian cuisine and storytelling to Burlington B Y J O R D AN BAR RY JAMES BUCK

Ferene Paris Meyer performing at her Feed Your Soul pop-up at August First

W

hen Ferene Paris Meyer hosted her first Feed Your Soul pop-up at August First Bakery on August 1, everything came full circle. The pop-up celebrated the launch of her new business, All Heart Inspirations, which combines storytelling and food to honor community and culture.

Almost a year earlier, Paris Meyer, 38, had the conversation that set her on this new path while sitting at one of the Burlington bakery’s tables.

Paris Meyer had recently taken a class on storytelling in the style of the Moth, taught by Sue Schmidt at the Flynn Center.

She loved telling stories, but as the only person of color in the class, she grappled

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48

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

with some of the ones she wanted to tell — about the racial tension she experienced in her work at the University of Vermont, or what it means to be a Black Haitian woman in this state.

“I found myself struggling to tell my story in a way that this group of all white people could hold it tenderly and understand it, where learning wasn’t happening at my expense,” Paris Meyer said.

She told Schmidt she was curious about the idea of taking a storytelling class with other people of color, intentionally bringing together a group with that shared identity.

“She was so down for all of it,” Paris Meyer said. “She said she would go back to the Flynn and advocate for this class,

and she said, ‘Ferene, you’re going to teach it.’”

Paris Meyer taught the Flynn’s first Storytelling Through Voices of Color class in the fall of 2019. After the first hour-anda-half-long session, she decided to leave her job as program director for the First Year Experience at UVM’s Center for Academic Success.

“I remembered all the aspects of me that I love so much: the community, storytelling, performance,” Paris Meyer recounted. “And I was like, if this is the joy I felt in just an hour and a half, how can I make my narrative in Vermont be more about this?”

All Heart Inspirations was her solution, and August First was the perfect place to kick things off with a three-course

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meal and a storytelling performance.

Twenty-four people attended the soldout event.

“August First made an Instagram post that changed my life,” Paris Meyer said, referring to the bakery’s offer of its space to BIPOC entrepreneurs and community groups. Paris Meyer met with co-owner Jodi Whalen, at whose bakery she’ll host pop-ups featuring Haitian cuisine and stories once a month.

“We’re so excited to partner with Ferene,” Whalen said. “She’s incredibly talented and creative, and the work that she’s doing is in line with not just our business values but our personal values. She’s really spreading a lot of messages of positivity and personal growth.”

Seven Days caught up with Paris Meyer on the phone last week to talk about the overlap between storytelling and food and how she’s bringing her Haitian culture to Burlington through the nation’s vibrant, colorful cuisine.

SEVEN DAYS: You’re a culinary artist and a storyteller. Which came first?

FERENE PARIS MEYER: You know, with the event that I’m doing on Saturday at August First, this is part of the story. I had this moment of realization that all of this really started during my childhood.

These two moments merged together — seeing the power that happens when I can use my voice to amplify a message, but also this desire to take things into my own hands.

When I was in the sixth grade, I ran a candy store operation on the playground at recess. Our school was near a corner store, but we weren’t allowed to go during the school day — and people needed candy.

So I used to hit up the store the day before, or the morning of, and I’d buy it for, like, 15 cents and sell it for a quarter. I was the candy person.

I was like, “Yo! I’ve been an entrepreneur since I was in the sixth grade!”

GOOD TO-GO VERMONT:

FOLLOWING HER HEART

» P.52

VERMONT RESTAURANTS ARE STILL MAKING DELICIOUS FOOD FOR TAKEOUT, DELIVERY OR CURBSIDE PICKUP. FIND OUT WHAT YOUR FAVORITE EATERIES ARE SERVING UP AT GOODTOGOVERMONT.COM. #GOODTOGOVT

Starter founder Jacob Tischler

WINE BAR.

SERVING UP FOOD NEWS

BY MELIS S A PA S A N EN

Raising Dough

ACTOR BAKES UP SUPPORT IN ST. GEORGE

Want to eat well while doing good? A “social justice bakery” called STARTER delivers or ships out baked goods to those who donate to a selected organization. Right now, $25 to the Peace & Justice Center of Vermont will get you one sourdough loaf. A $100 donation earns three loaves, with options such as orange rosemary and gluten-free breads, plus cookies and crackers.

So far, Starter has raised more than $7,000 for social justice organizations, according to founder and baker JACOB TISCHLER, 29. An actor, he left New York City and returned to his parents’ St. George home in mid-March when the pandemic closed Broadway theaters.

At first, Tischler channeled his creative energies into lighthearted videos about his forced exodus and career hiatus. But he put those on pause in late May as the racial justice movement gathered momentum. “It would have been insensitive to keep going,” he said.

“I was up here in

Vermont being very depressed and feeling very removed from the cultural hot spot of NYC,” Tischler continued. A friend suggested he use his baking skills to support social change.

The actor began baking about four years ago while playing the lead in Saturday Night Fever at Westchester Broadway Theatre as a way to thank the cast for their support.

His experience with sourdough starter goes back to November 2019, before the lockdown shortage of packaged yeast made this wild version wildly popular. “I was rather peeved when it became a pandemic thing,” he joked.

His own Starter has taken off, too. The effort has raised funds for five nonprofits, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont, the King Street Center in Burlington and the Okra Project, which supports Black trans people around the country. Tischler estimates he has baked more than 100 loaves, as well as cookies and crackers. “It

COURTESY OF JACOB TISCHLER

SIDEdishes

feels so good to be actually doing something,” he said.

Tischler has been baking in his parents’ kitchen, but he dreams of building a backyard brick oven. He recently took a weekend masonry oven-building course at Yestermorrow Design/ Build School in Waitsfield with stonemason Thea Alvin, whom he hoped to hire to build him an oven of his own.

Those plans are on hold right now as Tischler navigates the next turn in his life. Ten days ago, he received the unexpected news that he had been accepted to the University of Southern California’s screenwriting MFA program, which starts online on August 17.

“I thought I was going to be opening a bakery, and now I’m going to grad school,” he said.

While he gets a handle on his school requirements, Tischler has enlisted the help of two local bakers, DEVON O’BRIEN and ERIN MCGUIRE, to keep Starter going. In addition, between the two of them, they bring gluten-free and vegan baking expertise, Tischler said happily. “We want to make this initiative accessible to all.”

Learn more and donate at startervt.org.

TRAVEL THE WORLD

IN ONE BITE. Dedalus Wine | Market | Bar

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A Burrito Treatise Little Gordo Creemee Stand brings snacks and soft-serve to downtown Burlington S TO RY & PHOT OS BY MARGARE T GRAY SON

B

urritos were always in the plan for Burlington’s Taco Gordo, according to owner Charlie Sizemore.

The sign above the eatery on North Winooski Avenue, which currently reads, “tacos cocktails beer,� originally included “burritos.� But when Sizemore and staff set up their kitchen, they couldn’t

figure out how to fit burrito prep into their daily operations. “If we were going to be busy, burritos were going to be an issue,� Sizemore said.

He decided to start with tacos and figure out burritos eventually.

The coronavirus and the subsequent temporary shutdown of in-person din-

ing turned out to be the impetus he needed. Taco Gordo now offers burritos for takeout both on North Winooski and at its new Little Gordo Creemee Stand at 71 South Union Street.

Bean burrito and brisket burrito from Little Gordo

FIRST

BITE “They travel better than tacos,� Sizemore said of the Gordo burritos. Plus, he saw the new option as “a way of offering a silver lining� during the early days of the pandemic.

The appeal of the burrito has always been its portability. A 20th-century invention, according to the Encyclopedia of Latino Culture: From Calaveras to Quinceaùaras, it’s the subject of stories that place its origin in various states of northern Mexico, where wandering vaqueros may have dreamed it up. The flour tortilla acts as a long-lasting barrier between the ooze of rice and beans and the inside of a saddlebag — or backpack.

I asked Sizemore about his criteria for a quality burrito. “Personally, I want it to be big flavors,�

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he said. “I want it to be wet. I also want there to be a crunch. Our meats are perfectly suited for this.”

While I’ve likely eaten my body weight in Taco Gordo tacos (and pickled onions), I spent the better part of last year at the Seven Days office bemoaning that downtown Burlington was essentially a burrito desert.

(Bueno Y Sano, which still serves up burritos in South Burlington, closed its College Street location in early 2019.)

So I went to Little Gordo eager to taste what I’d been missing.

I tried two versions of the Gordo burrito: the standard bean-and-rice combo and one with brisket. The former will set you back just $8; the latter, $11.

Other add-on options include chicken, queso and guacamole, and the stand also sells nachos.

The first thing I noticed about the burritos was their heft.

On my kitchen scale at home, each one came in at about 15 ounces, very nearly a pound.

I would put this in the middleweight division, which is a good thing.

As humanity’s burrito-making capacity has grown, so has our hubris, resulting in behemoth creations reminiscent of fattened domestic turkeys that can no longer support the weight of their own breasts. By contrast, the Little Gordo burrito fills you up, but if you go swimming after eating it (not recommended), it won’t drag you down to the lake bed and anchor you there by your belly.

Like Sizemore, I’m all about a burrito with texture. Gordo’s burritos combine soft rice with sauce to sop it up; fat, tender brown beans; and the satisfying crunch of cabbage. Burrito eating, when you have time for full engagement with it, is an art; for the true experience, every bite must contain every ingredient, and that was the case here.

The flavor was, unsurprisingly, fantastic. The classic Gordo roja sauce lent heat and tang. It’s enough to make the plain bean burrito interesting, but if you’re an omnivore, I recommend springing for a meat add-on, which adds pizzazz and even more juice.

Currently, the Gordo burrito’s magic comes wrapped in a Maria and Ricardo’s flour tortilla, but Sizemore said he’s looking to upgrade. He’s been working to develop a burrito wrap with his corn tortilla supplier, Burlington’s All Souls Tortilleria, and expects that to be available in coming weeks.

While the burritos at Little Gordo offer savory heft, the ice cream brings out the summer crowds. As my boyfriend and I biked through the neighborhood just east of the stand a couple of days later, coming for dessert, we saw college-age Burlingtonians enjoying the mild evening weather on nearly every stoop.

A similar crowd, plus masks, gathered around Little Gordo, which was decked out in twinkle lights and blasting dance music. Sizemore said the Little Gordo managers have put time and energy into cultivating a fun vibe at the stand, and I felt it.

You can get Little Gordo’s homemade ice cream base in a cone, in a Wizard — modeled after a Dairy Queen Blizzard — or even sandwiched between cookies. The maplecoffee creemee arrived tall and fat like a set of kids’ stacking rings, while the Peanut Butter Baby Wizard had vanilla ice cream, peanut brittle and crushed Reese’s Pieces swirled into an orangetinted blend. Both were rich and delicious, and the smooth coffee flavor was a particular highlight.

Little Gordo currently serves customers in the late afternoon and evening, but I’m putting intentions out into the universe that by the time I return to the Seven Days office — whenever that might be — the stand will be open for lunch. In the meantime, the burritos are exactly what Sizemore promised: a silver lining.

BURRITO EATING,

WHEN YOU HAVE TIME FOR FULL ENGAGEMENT WITH IT,

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IS AN ART.

FOOD TRUCKS IN THE PARKS

Contact: margaret@sevendaysvt.com

INFO Little Gordo Creemee Stand, 71 South Union Street, Burlington. Open Wednesday through Sunday, 3 to 10 p.m.; find updates on Instagram.

THURSDAY - SUNDAY LEDDY, WATERFRONT & OAKLEDGE PARKS

ENJOYBURLINGTON.COM 4T-parks&rec072220 1

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PHOTOS: JAMES BUCK

Attendees of All Heart Inspirations’ first Feed Your Soul pop-up event

Following Her Heart « P.48 SD: And your love for storytelling started then, too?

FPM: I went to a Catholic school. In sixth grade, our class was responsible for sponsoring a mass, and my teacher asked me to do the reading. I had never read out loud in front of an audience before. I was like, “I don’t know, Mrs. Welch.” And she said, “Ferene, you can do this.”

So I practiced, practiced, practiced.

When it came time to have the mass, I went up to the podium, I looked out into the church, and I did the reading. I never looked down at the paper. I memorized it.

So I did my reading, and then I sat down; the priest goes to do his homily, and he’s, like, astounded. He’d never seen that before. Because I didn’t just memorize it, I said it with feeling. I said it with passion.

From there, I continued to find opportunities where I could be on a microphone or I could be in front of people, sharing. All roads lead back to sixth grade.

SD: Did you always know that food would be part of your entrepreneurial endeavors — besides the candy?

FPM: I’m Haitian American. So I grew up in a home where my parents — in particular, my dad — they were so good at having house parties for our friends and loved ones.

I remember being 4 or 5 years old; we were in, like, a two-bedroom apartment in Cambridge [Mass.] — not much room, but the energy and what we were giving to people we cared about was in abundance.

Lots of food, music ’til four in the morning, dancing. My parents didn’t have a bedtime for me when those parties were happening. Kids just passed out wherever they passed out. And the parents would keep going. I think I learned so much 52

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

Bannan peze ak Fifi’s Pikliz: fried green bananas with a spicy, pickled cabbage slaw

growing up, what it meant to share food, be in community around food, to share culture.

I’ve lived in Vermont for over nine years now. I moved from that Haitian community that was so vibrant back in Massachusetts, and one thing I noticed right away when I got up here was that I didn’t have access to my Haitian Caribbean food anymore. In Burlington and in Vermont we take a lot of pride in our food, but there are certain foods that just don’t exist here, because of the lack of representation.

When I finally bought my home in the New North End — we’ve lived here for six years — there was something that told me, “You have arrived.” I had a space where I could do all that hosting and partying, all that stuff I remembered as a kid.

When I closed on my house, my dad left a message on my phone, and I’ve kept that voicemail for six years. He said, “You don’t have to dream anymore, because you are the dream, Ferene.” I listened to it again recently; he doesn’t say it’s about the home — he’s talking about what it means to move from dreaming into action. It aligns so beautifully with what All Heart Inspirations is.

cooking from my Haitian culture. I feel like I’ve been able to reframe a lot of things about what it means to be a Black woman, a Haitian woman, living in Vermont — where sometimes I felt like the only.

SD: How do you describe Haitian cuisine to someone who’s never tried it?

FPM: So Haitian food, first and foremost, is a labor of love. Typically, traditionally, people are cooking all day the day before.

Seasoning your meats for multiple days, wanting to make sure all those spices really soak in. It’s filled with so much flavor and lots of color.

The pikliz that I make, for example, that spicy Haitian slaw — I’m cutting everything by hand. Each pepper, each cabbage. And as I’m putting it together, there’s such a rainbow effect.

When you think about the Haitian culture, that whole vibe of who we are as Haitians, it’s a party. It’s a party in the music, the food. When that food goes into your mouth, I really want it to make you want to dance. As it’s moving through your palate and it’s soaking into your system, I literally want you to shimmy in your seat.

SD: How does food fit together with your storytelling?

FPM: Storytelling can be done in so many different ways. I appreciate performancebased storytelling. But something that always just naturally happened when people would come to our home was all the amazing conversations we would have around food. You know?

The potlucks I host now at my house are where I’ve had the best food in Vermont. It hasn’t been at a restaurant; it’s been my friends sharing dishes that connect back to their culture. As I curated this menu [for the launch], I got to go back and really reflect on the foods that I enjoy

SD: You were selling jars of pikliz through Instagram for a while — are you still doing that?

FPM: I’m trying to figure out how to get Fifi’s Pikliz out in the community. I’d love to get it into stores to make it accessible to people; I’ve just been doing it very grassroots.

It’s not your basic coleslaw — there’s some spice to it — but it’s the best condiment. As long as you like a little bit of spice in your life, you’re going to have a good relationship with this product. Whenever you’re trying to add a little more vibe to your food, or energy and color to your plate, this is the jar to do it.

SD: How does sharing pikliz and other Haitian cuisine help you tell your story to the community — especially being in a place where that culture is underrepresented?

FPM: I invite people to know me as a Haitian woman, more than just the food.

Because the food is just a part of me; we have to do work around learning the culture that made the food and what their history is.

You know, I was really intentional on my website. The whole menu [for the pop-up] is in Creole: bannan peze ak pikliz, makawoni au graten, poule en sós Kreyol.

I want people to have more of an awareness, to be better about supporting different things and to lift up food narratives that don’t always get the spotlight here in Vermont.

There are so many amazing restaurants in Vermont, but so many of the menus are doing the same thing. There are other foods that mean a lot to people, to their identity, and it’s not easy to access that.

What does it mean to invest in something like All Heart Inspirations — or Candace Taylor’s [Winooski catering and education business] Conscious Kitchen or Maria [Lara-Bregatta] from Café Mamajuana — what does it mean to invest in those? Because, actually, all the other kinds of menus are happening in abundance, but these are the ones that we need to give more of a platform to.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.

Contact: jbarry@sevendaysvt.com

INFO Learn about future All Heart Inspirations pop-ups and purchase tickets at allheartinspirations.com.

PARENTING ISN’T EASY — ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW. As you look toward the fall, we’re here to help. Inside the August issue of Kids VT you’ll find tips, resources and stories that will hopefully make your life a little easier.

Find the August issue inside next week’s Seven Days.

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PULL THE PLUG, ALREADY! SHOWS KISONAK WANTS TO DEEP SIX P.24A HONKY-TONK HEROES: RAMBLE DOVE FEELS THE LOVE P.42A

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GOOD

NEIGHBORS

Grace

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KHAAAAAAAAAAN!

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William Shatner talks ‘Star Trek’

THE MAGICAL FRUIT In celebration of beans

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Notes

François Clemmons remembers his years with Mister Rogers in advance of a new memoir

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Rachel Lindsay returns

A reporter relates his “date” with Vermont r phenom Grace Potte

by Dan Bolles p.28a

WE’VE COVERED A LOT OF ARTS IN 25 YEARS.

GO FISH

VERMONT’S INDEPENDENT VOICE JULY 08-15, 2015 VOL.20 NO.44 SEVENDAYSVT.COM

PAGE 16 Exploring the health of Lake Champlain

HOW HIGH?

The Islands’ pricey new drawbridge

ON THE FAST TRACK

PAGE 33 Race car driver Emily Packard

COMING OUT PARTY

PAGE 38 Stonecutter Spirits’ barrel-aged gin

FATTY B’S DIARY

PAGE 54 A Burlington DJ’s book tells all

V E RMO NT ’S I ND E P EN DE N T V O I C E AUGUST 22-29, 2018 VOL.23 NO.49 SEVENDAYSVT.COM

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Drawing From Strife CREW CUTS

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A rookie races a regatta

CODE READ

PAGE 36

ER doc pens new book

For cartoonist Lutes, Jason Lutes the massive Weimar epic Berlin marks a career milestone

BY PAMEL A POL ST ON, PAG E 30

GOURMET GLEANING

PAGE 46

Sampling the Salvage Supperclub

PICK YOUR DAYSIES!

SEVENDAYSVT.COM

stown To Hadestown and Back

JULY 06-13, 2011 VOL.16 NO.45

Following Anaïs Mitchell’s musical from Vermont to off-Broadway

BY PAMELA POLSTON, PAGE 30

TROUBLED TESTIMONY

What went wrong in the McAllister trial PAGE 14

CAPITAL GAINS

Langdon Street grows artier PAGE 36

VT GETS FRENDLY

A music festival with principles

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VERMONT’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

VERMONT’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

JUNE 22-29, 2016 VOL.21 NO.41

SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Voting ends June 28

NEED W RK?

FINISH LINE

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Phil Scott’s victory lap

SIDBY EIDE A new album captures the indomitable evolution of Kat Wright

BY DAN BOLLES, PAGE 30

VERMONT’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

VERMONT’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

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246 jobs in the Classifieds!

ANDY “A-DOG” WILLIAMS August 30, 1975-December 26, 2013 PAGES 21, 32, 57

PRIVATE LESSONS

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A Vermont public school converts

ELVIS IN THE HOUSE

WIN SMITH’S LIGHTNING

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A King’s life in South Burlington

SPEAKING OF JUSTICE

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Sugarbush owner pens memoir

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A Middlebury class walks the talk

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Vermont herbalists talk wellness

Guitar maker, musician, author and dad

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B JUST PLANE LOUD

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Residents near BTV sound off

CAMPUS CONFIDENTIAL

Sexual assaults are underreported

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BIG APPLE BITES VT

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Local chefs cook at Beard House

PUBLIC ACCESS?

Pot dispensaries control who sees complaint records

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Well Wishes First-time producer Peg Tassey enlists Vermont’s finest for Miriam Bernardo’s debut album B Y JO RD AN AD AMS, PAG E 30

TRUST ISSUES

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Can BTV cops mend image?

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Ex-soldier battles vet suicides

TASTY TRADITIONS

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Chef hosts Abenaki dinner series

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Curbing bad behavior in BTV

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VERMO NT’S IN DEPEN DEN T VO ICE AUGUST 23-30, 2017 VOL.22 NO.50 SEVENDAYSVT.COM

A hands-on farm vacation

WORLDS of

IDEAS

ig Joe Burrell was a local legend well before Seven Days came on the scene in 1995. But we had the honor of writing about him over the next decade as he fronted the Unknown Blues Band on saxophone and smooth, soulful vocals. When he died, we asked local musicians to memorialize him and stitched their words into a cover story on February 9, 2005. Burrell’s charisma lives on in a bronze statue of him, sculpted by Vermont artist Chris Sharp, that presides over the top block of Burlington’s Church Street Marketplace.

The connection of creativity, humanity and livability is on display in every corner of Vermont. From day one, Seven Days has kept readers informed about local music, movies, books, theater, dance and visual art. A vital community resource, it’s also covered Vermont news, people, presidential campaigns and, most recently, a pandemic.

For the past 25 years, our local media company has depended almost entirely on advertising revenue from local enterprises to pay the bills. Since March, COVID-19 has severely challenged that business model.

To thrive for another 25, we need your help.

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APPRAISING THE PREZ P.24A

1924-2005 Remembering the man with the mellow saxophon e p.28a

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SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

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music+nightlife

COURTESY OF LUKE AWTRY PHOTOGRAPHY

High Score

Producer and composer Christopher Hawthorn carves out a pop niche B Y JOR D AN A D AMS

C

hristopher Hawthorn writes movie scores for films that don’t exist. That’s one way of looking at the Burlington-based producer’s work, one with which he’d largely agree.

Another is that he’s an experimental musician who creates breathtaking, evocative instrumental compositions, and any filmmaker would be lucky to have his work accompany their moving pictures. His latest album, Homesick, is no exception.

Hawthorn’s work hasn’t yet been featured on the silver screen. Though the 31-year-old musician would love the opportunity, he’s mostly focused on making records, as well as producing the work of Vermont-based artists and making them sound exceptional.

Recently, Hawthorn coproduced Make It Better, the hotly anticipated new album from singer-songwriter Francesca Blanchard, released in June. Much of the record’s buzz involved Blanchard’s significant stylistic shift. She pivoted from the placid folk and francophone music of her 2015 release, Deux Visions, to a more current pop-soul sound — a transition developed through her close working relationship with Hawthorn.

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Christopher Hawthorn at his studio in Burlington

Others have benefited from his meticulous touch, too, such as capital-P pop singer-songwriter Isaac French, folkrock singer-songwriter Troy Millette and bluesy trio Nina’s Brew. Though Hawthorn’s creep has been slow, he’s solidified his niche in the local music community as a thoughtful producer with

a keen ear for intimate, contemporary sounds.

“I want to make records I don’t get to do normally,” he says. “I’m looking to explore more electronic, high-energy music. We’ll see what that ends up looking like.”

Hawthorn is as calm and deliberate as his compositions. Meeting a reporter for a

socially distanced interview, he’s dressed unassumingly, mostly in black. He has an air of mystery made more curious by his ponderous speech — he obviously thinks a great deal before speaking.

That same calculated, intentional quality comes through on Homesick. Twinkling arpeggios abut honeyed samples of orchestral strings on tracks such as “Connecting the Dots” and “Sacred Ground,” while brooding cuts “Formless Shapes” and “The Ancients” impart a sense of wholeness despite having a less defined, synth-rich architecture.

“I’m in the daydreaming phase for what my next [release] will be,” Hawthorn says, noting that he may put out something completely different from his first two albums, perhaps under a different moniker.

Originally from Philadelphia, Hawthorn was raised in a musical, highly studious and religious family. His parents were both music educators, and Hawthorn was homeschooled all the way through high school. He first arrived in Vermont in 2011 “on a whim,” as he puts it, to work at Lions Gate Farm in Huntington. As happens with many who make a snap decision to move to the Green Mountains, he fell in love and made them his home.

GOT MUSIC NEWS? JORDAN@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

EV E N T S O N SA L E N OW Shortly thereafter, Hawthorn set up Hawthorn produced his 2018 album shop in a little-used recording studio Human Being, as well as two singles at 150 Cherry Street in Burlington. released in 2020, “Ready to Be Loved” The multipurpose space centers on and “All I Need.” Indeed, French’s silky “community initiatives, creative collab- voice is crisp, clear and dominant across oration and spiritual renewal,” accord- his Hawthorn-augmented work. ing to its website. Though Hawthorn “He’s super professional but also does not currently identify with any doesn’t make it seem that way,” French specific faith, his core values, born out says. “You’re there to work, but it’s more of a religious upbringing, align with that fun than work.” of the facility.

Both Blanchard and French note “I hold a lot of values and broad morals that because Hawthorn’s studio is quite that I learned through [religion],” he says. small, it’s perfect for recording intimate, “My process has been separating those electronically driven pop as opposed to ideologies and that specific worldview the music of big rock bands that might and learning to be more open-minded better benefit from more physical space and challenge things more critically in to create and record. Homesick, as well as myself.” his 2019 debut, Awake, perfectly exemFor many years, Hawthorn was primar- plify that it’s not the size of the studio that ily known in the Vermont music scene as a matters in terms of creating a rich sound. trumpet player, although lately he’s gravi“The way I’ve approached writing is tated more toward keys in searching for a tone or a the live setting. He’s gigged mood or a color … versus with an array of outfits, such a more proper approach as cumbia band Mal Maiz to composing where you and modern rock group have a strong theme,” Matthew Mercury.

Hawthorn explains.

In 2017, Hawthorn and He notes that for Blanchard, who were roomHomesick he explored mates at the time, worked modular synths rather together to bring to life than the standard analog “Free,” a new song of hers. synths with which he had It was the first track the pair more experience and that created, and the lead single are generally more userto the eventual release of friendly and predictable.

Make It Better.

Due to the way modular CHRISTOPHE R “It was the first time synths process signals, HAWTHORN someone had given me they can be unwieldy, permission to think outside “almost like a living the box or outside of what my audience thing,” according to Hawthorn. would expect from me, given my reperHomesick also differs from Awake in toire,” Blanchard says. its boldness. Both records are pristine She credits Hawthorn’s encourage- and captivating, but the 2019 album is ment for beginning to take more owner- a bit like the first act of a film. It lays a ship of her work than ever before. foundation of neo-classical sensibilities “I loved every individual who worked and primes listeners for the bigger swings on [Deux Visions], but I was in a room heard on Homesick. filled with men with big opinions,” Hawthorn says that he’s still evolving Blanchard says. “I did not know how to his process, learning as he goes. speak up or say, ‘No, I don’t want that on “It’s super easy to get bogged [down] into that kind of intellectual, conceptual the song.’

“Chris has always been an ally in that,” phase before I start,” he says. “I have to she continues. “It’s always putting the force myself to start making something. I song first, focusing on the music, zero have to figure out what it is after it’s made. ego.”

Otherwise, I wouldn’t make any music.”

Hawthorn has a strong ability to listen to his clients and process their goals Contact: jordan@sevendaysvt.com while also bringing his own touches to the music.

INFO “I said in the beginning, my voice is Listen to Homesick on all major streaming my primary instrument,” says French. platforms.

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GOT MUSIC NEWS? JORDAN@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

REVIEW this Treetop Mansion, Up Till Morning (GLENNSOURCE RECORDS, DIGITAL)

Recently, several music-related Seven Days stories and album reviews have had similar leads: Local band/musician finally finishes up long-procrastinated, drawn-out recording project amid pandemic. That recurring theme makes perfect sense, as people have been stuck inside and forced to take stock of their lives. Finishing up outstanding projects was inevitable.

Clint Bierman and Peter Day of party band the Grift just wrapped up an album the pair began developing five years ago. As Treetop Mansion, they recently dropped Up Till Morning, a pristine, 10-song assemblage of, as the band’s website states, “concentrated sonic syrup as addictive as Vermont’s best known maple export.”

Modern Nature, Reality Takes a Holiday (SELF-RELEASED, DIGITAL)

Shelburne’s Modern Nature started off, as

many bands do, playing covers in local bars.

In fact, their debut 2013 LP, Meet Modern Nature, was composed mostly of covers with a handful of original tunes mixed in.

A love of angular pop rock was evident on those originals, and the band began forming its own sound by 2014’s What Color.

Once a four-piece, the band has slimmed down to its Mark II version, with Mark Bouchett on guitars and lead vocals and Mark Wetmiller handling bass and drums.

The two cowrote 10 tracks of hook-laden pop rock for their new, partially recorded-

Indeed, Treetop Mansion’s alt-pop tunes are prismatic like rock candy, tangy like Pixy Stix and savory like a Werther’s Original.

Bierman and Day have worked extensively together for years and note online that the songs from Up Till Morning came out of intensive weekly songwriting sessions that took place over a considerable span of time.

With Signal Kitchen’s Dave DeCristo in the booth and additional instrumentation from Trey Anastasio Band drummer Russ Lawton and ubiquitous Burlington drummer Sean Preece, Bierman and Day present a truly fine addition to Vermont’s canon.

Lavish, sweeping vocal harmonies kick off the aptly named opener “Prologue,” a two-minute track that serves as a

surprisingly thorough intro to the band’s overall vibe. Immediately the listener can hear that the record has been painstakingly crafted. The complex way the brief song’s elements fit together is impressive.

Overlapping phrases and instruments complement each other in deeply satisfying arrangements.

Treetop Mansion have a demonstrable understanding of pop, how it needs to operate and how to be decadent without crossing into the realm of cheesy. Up Till Morning is the kind of album that reveals new details on each listen: a quick little synth line here, a fancy fill there, mindbending harmonies all around. What stands out most, perhaps even more than the

enthralling hooks of tracks like new-wave head-bopper “Great Ghost” or ’70s stonerrock throwback “Barrel to Fill,” is how rich and full each track is.

Sure, songs like “White Knuckles” may have a slight mono-genre, Imagine Dragons energy. Chalk it up to its combo of electro beats, synth pads and, once again, tiered harmonies. But there’s a reason Imagine Dragons are fucking huge. They feed something primal that large swaths of people, even snobby music critics, can’t deny is satisfying.

Imagine Dragons have award-winning, platinum-level songwriting teams synthesizing their hits. Bierman and Day write much better music than what the Las Vegas band cranks out and venture much further beyond.

Stream Up Till Morning on all major platforms.

in-quarantine record, Reality Takes a Holiday. The record is a nice slice of breezy jangle, at least on the surface.

I’m pretty sure some of this is my own mindset coloring how I’ve listened to music lately, but these days it seems like most musicians are looking back on their songs, either in longing or in a confused state of anger.

The modern age isn’t exactly being kind to us, so it makes sense, I suppose. “How the Past,” the record’s opening track, captures these feelings.

“There’s no burden you carry so heavy than the burden of wasted time / and the moments you never bothered and the love you left behind / that’s forgiveness that you never find,” Bouchett sings over a Byrds-like arrangement.

Modern Nature have an air of the classic SoCal folk-rock sound, whether it’s Bouchett and Wetmiller’s harmonies or the twang of the guitars on songs such as “It Only Matters” and “Undone.”

The influence is a flattering one, though it does run up against a strangely dry and reserved production — particularly the drum sound, which is screaming for some reverb. The vocals are a little too high in the mix for my comfort, but Bouchett’s voice hangs solidly in mid-register, so I can see why it was pushed to the forefront.

Lyrically, the band mostly dwells in contemplative despair. “Tears of the Soldier” is full of melancholy wondering, such as “Where is the sunshine? Where is

the laughter?” The themes of regret and wasted time are strong throughout Reality Takes a Holiday. Considering how many of us are sitting in stasis while the modern world rages like the last drunk tossed from the bar at 2 a.m., I’m guessing these themes might resonate with potential listeners, though not cheer them up.

As a nod to their cover-band past, Modern Nature include David Bowie’s “Slip Away.” They handle it ably, layering a thick vibe synth atop Bouchett’s guitar and largely capturing Bowie’s eerie, bruised lament: “Oogie knew there’s never ever time / Some of us will always stay behind.”

Reality Takes a Holiday is a surprisingly dark record from Modern Nature, even as it masquerades as sunny, lofi pop rock. Download or stream it at modernnatureband.com.

JORDAN ADAMS

CHRIS FARNSWORTH

Stop by your local store today!

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classes

CLASSES MAY BE CANCELED OR MOVED ONLINE DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS. PLEASE CHECK WITH ORGANIZERS IN ADVANCE.

art

yoga

ONLINE PORTRAIT COLLAGE WORKSHOP FOR KIDS : Sheldon Museum offers a live 45-minute Portrait Collage Workshop for kids with local artist Rebecca Kinkead. Participants create their own portraits in collage.

Zoom workshop. Required materials are things you already have at home! Parents encouraged to help/participate.

Register online and learn more: henrysheldonmuseum.org or email henrysheldonmuseum@ gmail.com. Sun., Aug. 9, 2 p.m. Cost: $5. Location: Zoom workshop, online.

Info: education@ henrysheldonmuseum.org, henrysheldonmuseum.org.

EVOLUTION YOGA: Now offering live online and recorded classes.

Practice yoga with some of the most experienced teachers and therapeutic professionals in Burlington, from the comfort of your home. Sign up on our website and receive a link to join a live class; a class recording will be sent after class. Pay as you go or support us by becoming an unlimited member. Join us outside this summer for Yoga on the Lake and Yoga in the Park. Registration is open for our 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training for Health and Wellness Professionals. Now offering flexible pricing based on your financial needs. Contact yoga@ evolutionvt.com. Single class: $0-15. 10-class pass: $100. $55 student unlimited membership.

Summer unlimited pass Jun.Aug.: $195-275. Scholarships avail. for all pricing options.

Location: Evolution Yoga, 20 Kilburn St., Burlington. Info: 8649642, evolutionvt.com.

dance

language

DANCE STUDIO SALSALINA: Salsa, bachata, cha-cha: Latin dancing! Salsalina Dance Studio reopening July 20 to offer private lessons only. Call to schedule, learn about pricing and safety protocols. See website for details. No dance experience or partner required, just the desire to have fun! Opened Jul. 20.

Lessons avail. Mon.-Thu., 6-9 p.m. Location: 32 Malletts Bay Ave., Winooski. Info: Victoria, 598-1077, info@salsalina.com, salsalina.com.

SPANISH CLASSES LIVE & ONLINE: Join us for adult Spanish classes this fall, using online video conferencing. Learn from a native speaker via small group classes, individual instruction or student tutoring. You’ll always be participating and speaking.

Lesson packages for travelers, lessons for children. Our 14th year.

See our website or contact us for details. Beginning week of August 31. Cost: $270/10 weekly classes of 90+ min. each. Location: Spanish in Waterbury Center, Waterbury Center. Info: 585-1025, spanishparavos@gmail.com, spanishwaterburycenter.com.

drumming DJEMBE & TAIKO: JOIN US!: Digital classes! (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.

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LAUGHING RIVER YOGA: Increase confidence and decrease stress. Enjoy inspirational teachings, intelligent alignment and focused workshops through daily virtual and live yoga classes. Check out our virtual library and practice with us outdoors at the Burlington Surf Club and limited capacity indoors at the Chace Mill. All bodies and abilities welcome. Daily classes, workshops, 200- & 300-hour yoga teacher training. $5-$15 single class; $44-$99/mo. unlimited. Location: Laughing River Yoga, Chace Mill and Burlington Surf Club, Burlington. Info: 3438119, laughingriveryoga.com.

Need inspiration for your staycation?

Let Seven Days be your travel guide. Every month we’ll be rounding up mini excursions, dining destinations, lodging, tours and more into a curated itinerary for you to grab and go.

Why? Because you’re on vacation — let us do the work.

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SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

PHOTO : NATHANAEL ASARO

CONSCIOUS DISCIPLINE: Join child behavior expert and parenting coach Beth Martell for Conscious Discipline. Class meets on Zoom. Learn a more effective discipline plan than the traditional model of discipline that over-focuses on consequences. These are hard times for parents and kids alike, so it’s a great time for new information and inspiration. Call or email Beth to register with payment ($20). 881-4161, martellcoach ing.com. Sun., Aug. 9, 10-11:15 a.m. Cost: $20. Location: Zoom, Online. Info: Beth Martell, 8814161, beth@martellcoaching.com, martellcoaching.com.

martial arts

Be a Tourist in Your Own State!

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PHOTO: OLIVER PARINI

At a time like this, it is certainly very important for Wake Robin to be fully staffed. We’re really proud of how everything has gone through the pandemic — our staff and residents all responded really well and really quickly. So far, we’re COVID-free. We realize this can change at any time and are working very hard to stay that way. We feel privileged to be in the company of other essential workers.

Across the hospitality industry, many folks have lost their jobs.

But we are open, and it’s business as usual for us. Residents still need support, and people still need to work. So we have been hiring for housekeepers and for waitstaff recently.

We’ve always recruited with Seven Days, and we get quality candidates. We’ve felt like the mission and the values of our Wake Robin community really align with its readers. When we get candidates from Seven Days, they’re a great match for us.

People heard that we had such a good response to COVID-19 and sought us out for a place of employment. We’re really happy with our response and the quality of our applicants. Advertising with Seven Days, the system works. It’s simple and easy. We definitely wouldn’t change anything up at such an important time to be recruiting.

MORGAN EVARTS Recruiter/Workforce Builder Wake Robin, Shelburne

…it works.

CALL MICHELLE: 865-1020, EXT.21 OR VISIT JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM 60

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COURTESY OF KELLY SCHULZE/MOUNTAIN DOG PHOTOGRAPHY

Humane

Society of Chittenden County

Carlos AGE/SEX: 10-year-old neutered male ARRIVAL DATE: July 8, 2020 REASON HERE: His previous owner could no longer care for him.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS: He would like to have the option to go outside.

SUMMARY: This floofy fella’s current ’do fits his little Lion King purrsonality! Carlos has a bit of a wild side and would appreciate the ability to safely explore the great outdoors in his new home. He’s not all about independence, however: Carlos is an A+ cuddler who craves attention from his people! If you’re looking for a loving kitty companion and have the space to let him roam a bit, schedule an appointment to meet Carlos at HSCC!

housing »

APARTMENTS, CONDOS & HOMES

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DOGS/CATS: Carlos did well with a cat and a dog in his previous home and may do well with others.

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CARS, TRUCKS, MOTORCYCLES

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CHILDCARE, HEALTH/ WELLNESS, PAINTING

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APPLIANCES, KID STUFF, ELECTRONICS, FURNITURE

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INSTRUCTION, CASTING, INSTRUMENTS FOR SALE

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NO SCAMS, ALL LOCAL, POSTINGS DAILY

NEW STUFF ONLINE EVERY DAY! PLACE YOUR ADS 24-7 AT SEVENDAYSVT.COM.

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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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PINECREST AT ESSEX 9 Joshua Way, Essex Jct. Independent senior living for those 55+ years. 2-BR, 2-BA corner unit avail. Sep. 15. $1,520/mo. incl. utils & parking garage. NS/ pets. 802-872-9197 or rae@fullcirclevt.com.

PINECREST AT ESSEX 9 Joshua Way, Essex Jct. Independent senior living for those 55+ years. 1-BR avail. Jul. 15, $1,240/mo. incl. utils. & parking garage. NS/ pets. 802-872-9197 or rae@fullcirclevt.com.

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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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Calcoku SEVENDAYSVT.COM/CLASSIFIEDS »

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

3÷ 4-

40x 15x

5-

17+

Show and tell.

Sudoku View and post up to

4

6

10x

5 14+

4-

18x

12+ 1-

1 3

CALCOKU

2 4

9+ Difficulty - Hard

BY JOSH REYNOLDS

Open 24/7/365.

Post & browse ads Complete the following puzzle by using the 6 photos per ad online. at your convenience. numbers 1-9 only once in each row, column and 3 x 3 box.

2 6 1 3 9 9 4 8 5 8 1 8 7 3 2 9

No. 648

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.

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crossword

4 9 6 3 8 1 2 5 7 8 5 3 2 9 7 6 1 4 ANSWERS ON P. 65 2 1HH7= CHALLENGING 6 5 4 H8HH =3HOO,9 BOY! H = MODERATE 5 3 8 1 6 9 4 7 2 9 6 4 7 2 3 1 8 5 APT ALPHABET SUBSET ANSWERS ON P.65 » 1 7 2 5 4 8 9 6 3 3 2 5 9 1 6 7 4 8 6 4 9 8 7 5 3 2 1 7 8 1 4 3 2 5 9 6

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ACT 250 NOTICE MINOR APPLICATION #4C042211 10 V.S.A. §§ 6001 - 6093 On July 22, 2020, Sleepy Hollow Inn Ski and Bike Center LLC, filed application number 4C0422-11 for a project generally described (1) expand Molly’s Meadow by 8,000 square feet with minor grading, (2) construct a new 20 foot wide Nordic ski trail approximately 1,310 feet in length, (3) construct a 20 x 12 foot timing shed with electricity but no plumbing or water, (4) increase snowmaking coverage to 4 km of existing trails, and (5) construct trail lighting on the Acadia Mania and Potato Farmer trails.

The project is located at 427 Ski Lodge Drive in Huntington and Hinesburg, Vermont.

The District 4 Environmental Commission is reviewing this application under Act 250 Rule 51-Minor Applications. A copy of the application and proposed permit are available for review at the office listed below.

The application and a draft permit may also be viewed on the Natural Resources Board’s web site (http://nrb.vermont. gov) by clicking on “Act 250 Database” and entering the project number “4C0422-11.”

No hearing will be held and a permit may be issued unless, on or

J

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

need accommodation in before August 20, 2020, 7/30/20 fsbo-muroski031820.indd 11:21 AM order1to participate in a person notifi es the this process (including Commission of an issue participating in a public or issues requiring hearing, if one is held), the presentation of please notify us as soon evidence at a hearing, as possible, in order to or the Commission sets allow us as much time the matter for a hearing as possible to accomon its own motion. Any modate your needs. person as defined in 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1) may Parties entitled to request a hearing. Any hearing request must be participate are the Municipality, the in writing to the address Municipal Planning below, must state the Commission, the criteria or sub-criteria Regional Planning at issue, why a hearing Commission, affected is required and what state agencies, and additional evidence adjoining property ownwill be presented at the ers and other persons hearing. Any hearing to the extent that they request by an adjoining have a particularized property owner or other interest that may be afperson eligible for party fected by the proposed status under 10 V.S.A. project under the Act § 6085(c)(1)(E) must 250 criteria. Non-party include a petition for participants may also be party status under the allowed under 10 V.S.A. Act 250 Rules. Prior to Section 6085(c)(5). submitting a request for a hearing, please Dated at Essex Junction, contact the district Vermont this 27th day of coordinator at the July 2020. telephone number listed below for more By: /s/Rachel Lomonaco information. Prior to Rachel Lomonaco, convening a hearing, District Coordinator, the Commission must determine that substan- 111 West Street, Essex Junction, VT tive issues requiring 05452 a hearing have been 802-879-5658 raised. Findings of Fact Rachel.Lomonaco@ and Conclusions of Law vermont.gov may not be prepared unless the Commission holds a public hearing.

ACT 250 NOTICE If you feel that any of MINOR APPLICATION the District Commission #4C0988-3B 10 V.S.A. members listed on the §§ 6001 - 6093 attached Certificate of On July 17, 2020, BR3, Service under “For Your LLC, and Champlain Information” may have a Valley Self Storage, LLC conflict of interest, or if filed application number there is any other reason 4C0988-3B for a project a member should be generally described disqualified from sitting as replacement of the on this case, please previously-approved contact the District storage yard and 7,000 Coordinator as soon as sf warehouse building possible, and by no later with a 8,000 sf, twothan August 20, 2020. story office building.

The project is located If you have a disat 2209 Route 2A in ability for which you Colchester, Vermont.

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CONTACT KATIE, 865-1020, EXT. 10 FSBO@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

The District 4 and Conclusions of Law 3/16/20 Environmental may5:03 notPM be prepared Commission is reviewing unless the Commission this application under holds a public hearing.

Act 250 Rule 51 - Minor If you feel that any of Applications. A copy the District Commission of the application and members listed on the proposed permit are attached Certificate of available for review at Service under “For Your the office listed below.

Information” may have a The application and a conflict of interest, or if draft permit may also be there is any other reason viewed on the Natural a member should be Resources Board’s web site (http://nrb.vermont. disqualified from sitting on this case, please gov) by clicking on “Act contact the District 250 Database” and Coordinator as soon as entering the project possible, and by no later number “4C0988-3B.” than August 20, 2020.

No hearing will be held If you have a disand a permit may be ability for which you issued unless, on or need accommodation in before August 20, 2020, order to participate in a person notifies the this process (including Commission of an issue participating in a public or issues requiring hearing, if one is held), the presentation of please notify us as soon evidence at a hearing, as possible, in order to or the Commission sets allow us as much time the matter for a hearing as possible to accomon its own motion. Any modate your needs. person as defined in 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1) may Parties entitled to request a hearing. Any hearing request must be participate are the Municipality, the in writing to the address Municipal Planning below, must state the Commission, the criteria or sub-criteria Regional Planning at issue, why a hearing Commission, affected is required and what state agencies, and additional evidence adjoining property ownwill be presented at the ers and other persons hearing. Any hearing to the extent that they request by an adjoining have a particularized property owner or other interest that may be afperson eligible for party fected by the proposed status under 10 V.S.A. project under the Act § 6085(c)(1)(E) must 250 criteria. Non-party include a petition for participants may also be party status under the allowed under 10 V.S.A. Act 250 Rules. Prior to Section 6085(c)(5). submitting a request for a hearing, please Dated at Essex Junction, contact the district Vermont this 27th day of coordinator at the July, 2020. telephone number listed below for more By: /s/Rachel Lomonaco information. Prior to Rachel Lomonaco, convening a hearing, District Coordinator the Commission must determine that substan- 111 West Street Essex Junction, VT tive issues requiring 05452 a hearing have been 802-879-5658 raised. Findings of Fact

Say you saw it in...

Rachel.Lomonaco@ vermont.gov

88922914164 Passcode: fnPZR0

NOTICE OF LEGAL SALE Public Sale - contents of Units 15 and 49 (James Curry - household goods) to satisfy outstanding debt. Lowell’s Moving & Storage, 6 Ethan Allen Drive, South Burlington, VT. August 15, 2020, 9:00 am - Noon. All sales final and must be removed same day.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING The Town of Westford is/are considering making application to the State of Vermont for a VCDP Planning Grant 2020 under the Vermont Community Development Program.

A public hearing will be held at 07:00 PM on 8/27/2020 at 1713 Vermont Route 128 Westford, VT 05494 via Zoom to obtain the views of citizens on community development, to furnish information concerning the amount of funds available and the range of community development activities that may be undertaken under this program, the impact to any historic and archaeological resources that may be affected by the proposed project, and to give affected citizens the opportunity to examine the proposed statement of projected use of these funds.

To join the Zoom Meeting click: https://us02web.zoom. us/j/88922914164?pwd =d3U1Sm1HdGhhRHF6c TFndmd3TWh5Zz09 Or dial by phone: +16465588656 US (New York) Meeting ID:

The proposal is to apply for $60,000 in VCDP funds which will be used to accomplish the following activities: planning and predevelopment work at 1705 VT Route 128. This work will include soil testing, survey work, and the development of a site plan for redevelopment.

Copies of the proposed application are available at Town of Westford Town Office and may be requested by email (planner@westfordvt. us) or viewed during public office hours upon appointment due to COVID-19.

Should you require any special accommodations, please contact Nanette Rogers at 802-878-4587 or townclerk@westfordvt. us to ensure appropriate accommodations are made. For the hearing impaired please call (TTY) #1-800-253-0191.

PUBLIC NOTICE The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) hereby provides an initial notice of its proposal to provide Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) program funding for an action located near a wetland.

Funding would be provided through Vermont Emergency Management to the Town of Bolton to acquire and demolish a vulnerable structure located near Gleason Brook. A map of the location and other details are available upon request by email to karen.valevasilev@fema.

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STATE OF VERMONT VERMONT SUPERIOR COURT WASHINGTON UNIT, CIVIL DIVISION DOCKET NO: 658-12-18 WNCV U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR STRUCTURED ASSET SECURITIES CORPORATION MORTGAGE

FROM P.63

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Being all and the same lands and premises as were conveyed to Ray Campanile and Camille Campanile by Warranty Deed of Sara E. Tucker dated June 29, 2004 and recorded June 30, 2004 in Book 112, pages 308-309 of the land records of the Town of Waitsfield, Vermont.

Being Unit E, together with the undivided percentage interest in and to the common areas and facilities appurtenant to said Unit, in Fly-In Chalets A, a condominium existing under and pursuant to Declaration of Condominium of Fly-In Chalets A dated April 30, 1979 and recorded May 8, 1979 in Book 33, pages 357-391 of the Waitsfield Land Records, which includes Exhibits (floor plans, site plan and as-built certification among them), Bylaws and Administrative Rules and Regulations, and recorded in Book 39, pages 112-146 of the Fayston Land Records.

Subject to and with the benefit of rights, restrictions, covenants, terms, rights-of-way and easements referenced in the above mentioned deeds and instruments and their records, or otherwise of record in the Town of Waitsfield and Fayston Land Records, and subject to terms and conditions of state and local land use regulations and any permits issued by any state or local authority under those regulations, which are valid and enforceable at law on the date of this deed - not meaning by such language to renew or reinstate any encumbrance which is otherwise barred by the provisions of Vermont law.

Reference may be had to the above mentioned deeds and their records, and to all prior deeds and instruments and their records, for a more particular description of the herein conveyed lands and premises.

Reference is hereby made to the above instruments and to the records and references contained therein in further aid of this description.

Terms of sale: Said premises will be sold and conveyed subject to all liens, encumbrances, unpaid taxes, tax titles, municipal liens and assessments, if any, which take precedence over the said mortgage above described.

TEN THOUSAND ($10,000.00) Dollars of the purchase price must be paid by a certified check, bank treasurer’s or cashier’s check at the time and place of the sale by the purchaser.

The balance of the purchase price shall be paid by a certified check, bank treasurer’s

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or cashier’s check within sixty (60) days after the date of sale.

The mortgagor is entitled to redeem the premises at any time prior to the sale by paying the full amount due under the mortgage, including the costs and expenses of the sale.

Other terms to be announced at the sale.

DATED: July 17, 2020 By: /S/Rachel K. Ljunggren, Esq. Rachel K. Ljunggren, Esq. Bendett and McHugh, PC 270 Farmington Ave., Ste. 151 Farmington, CT 06032

TOWN OF ESSEX PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA AUGUST 27, 2020 -6:30 P.M. COVID-19 UPDATE: Due to the COVID-19/ coronavirus pandemic, this meeting will be held remotely and recorded via Microsoft Stream.

Available options to watch or join the meeting: Join via Microsoft Teams at https://tinyurl.com/ ESSEXPC. Depending on your browser, you may need to call in for audio (below).

Join via conference call (audio only): (802) 377-3784 | Conference ID: 590879654# Watch the live stream video on Town Meeting TV’s YouTube Channel.

Town Meeting TV, formally Channel 17, will be moving to on Comcast channel 1087.

1. Public Comments 2. SKETCHSUBDIVISION-PUBLIC HEARING: Pinewood Manor, Inc: Proposal for a 49-unit single family PUD-R on a combined 115 acre lot located at 18 & 30 Timberlane Dr in the R2 District. Tax Maps 84 & 85, Parcels 1 & 1-1.

3. SITE PLAN AMENDMENT-PUBLIC HEARING: Eurowest Retail Partners, LTD: Proposal to reduce interactive & immersive arts building addition from 22,500 SF to 20,500 SF and other site improvements for property located at 21 Essex Way in the MXD-PUD & B-DC Zones.

Tax Map 92, Parcel 1.

4. Minutes: August 13, 2020 Note: Please visit our website at www.essex.org to view agendas, application materials, and minutes.

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No. 648

915x6 5 3 1 7 34- 8 6 4 7 2 2 5 4 9 8 1

FROM P.63

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If FEMA receives

To wit: Being all and the same lands and premises as were conveyed to Carol C. Wheelock by Warranty Deed of Ray Campanile and Camille Campanile dated August 22, 2005 and recorded August 24, 2005 in Book 118, pages 501-503 of the land records of the Town of Waitsfield, Vermont.

4

Eric Kuns, Senior Environmental Protection Specialist Federal Emergency Management Agency, Boston, MA eric.kuns@fema.dhs. gov; (202) 805-9089

8/3/20 9:29 AM

substantive comments, it will evaluate and address the comments as part of the environmental review documentation for this project.

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5 3 17+ 2 6 1 18x 7 5 9+ 9 8 4

2 8 9 5 6 2 4 1 7 3

1 7 4 9 3 8 6 5 2

40x

6 5 3 1 2 4

3 2 4 5 1 6

210x 5 7 6 1 4 8 3 9 412+ 7 2 1 8 5 19 6 3 7 4 8 3 Difficulty 2 -1Hard 5 9 6 5-

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

Calcoku

2

Difficulty: Medium

9

PUZZLE ANSWERS

Comments about this project and wetland impacts may be submitted in writing within 15 days of the date of this publication to:

MORTGAGEE’S NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE OF REAL PROPERTY UNDER 12 V.S.A. sec 4952 et seq.

2

The project may affect a federally recognized wetland area. As required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and federal regulations,

FEMA evaluated project alternatives, including a No Action alternative and the proposed alternative.

September 11, 2018 and recorded in Book 170 Page 183 of the land records of the Town of Waitsfield for breach of the conditions of said mortgage and for the purpose of foreclosing the same will be sold at Public Auction at 149 Airport Road, Unit E, Waitsfield, Vermont on August 21, 2020 at 10:00 AM all and singular the premises described in said mortgage,

4

The proposed action involves acquisition and demolition of a landslide-vulnerable home and garage located at 64 Boulder Wood Lane, Bolton, VT 05676 (44.368801, -72.87767). Work would include a lead/asbestos survey and remediation if needed, and demolition. Demolition would include removing the home and garage, utility disconnection, filling, and septic tank removal.

Impervious structure(s) would be removed, as

will capping of municipal water and sewer lines to one (1) foot below grade.

Minimal, if any, ground disturbance would occur during structure removal. No vegetation would be removed.

Following demolition, the Town of Bolton would maintain the property, ensuring that it is left as green, open space in perpetuity.

PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-BC2 v.

NANCY MALCOLM, TRUSTEE OF THE CAROL CONKLIN WHEELOCK REVOCABLE LIVING TRUST U/T/A FEBRUARY 16, 2007 AND FLY-IN CHALETS CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION OCCUPANTS OF: 149 Airport Road, Unit E, Waitsfield VT

5

Homeshare-temp2.indd 1

Post & browse ads at your convenience.

In accordance with the Judgment Order and Decree of Foreclosure entered January 6, 2020 , in the above captioned action brought to foreclose that certain mortgage given by the late Carol Conklin Wheelock to Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. as nominee for EquiFirst Corporation, dated September 21, 2006 and recorded in Book 123 Page 321 of the land records of the Town of Waitsfield, of which mortgage the Plaintiff is the present holder, by virtue of an Assignment of Mortgage from Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. as nominee for EquiFirst Corporation to U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee for Structured Asset Securities Corporation Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2007-BC2 dated

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8/4/20 2:59 PM

• Assistant General Counsel/System Investigator

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7/14/20 12:33 PM

10:28 AM

SUBSTITUTES NEEDED! ESSEX WESTFORD SCHOOL DISTRICT

7/31/20 3:02 PM

Bread Loaf Corporation, Vermont’s integrated company of architects, planners and builders, is looking for a Client Services Manager.

The Client Services Manager takes the lead in the business development process- identifying, developing, and closing prospective and existing client business. You must be fully engaged in the process of building strategic relationships with our clients and must find satisfaction in helping solve their problems. The person we hire should have a background in architecture or construction management, at least five years of experience in business development in the industry and be results-oriented and organized.

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• Human Resources Admin Assistant

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W E A R E H IR IN G A Client Services Manager

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• Associate General Counsel

American Flatbread Middlebury Part time, temporary Hearth is planning for our future! We’re hiring a Restaurant Manager to lead and support our incredibly hard working For more information or to apply, visit team, while continuing to drive our standard of excellence vsc.edu/employment. in customer service and quality of food and beverage.

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Our growing dental practice in Randolph, VT is seeking a full-time or a part-time dental hygienist to join our team. We are a fast paced, energetic office looking to add an outgoing hygienist to our team.

THE VERMONT STATE COLLEGES SYSTEM is seeking:

Are you a caring, enthusiastic and flexible individual who enjoys interacting with children and youth? Do you want to help make a difference in your community?

If so, we want to hear from you!

The Essex Westford School District is currently hiring for substitute positions to work on an “as-needed” basis throughout our schools. Our short-term substitute teaching and paraeducator pay rate is $126/day. Our school nurse substitute rate is $260/day.

For more information and to apply, visit ewsd.org/subs.

Essex Westford School District 51 Park St., Essex Jct., VT 05452

1 8/3/20 3V-EssexWestfordSD080520.indd 10:13 AM

7/31/20Untitled-21 2:54 PM 1

8/3/20 5:54 PM

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INSTALLER TECHNICIAN Stowe Cable is expanding.

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This is a full-time position, including weekend and evening hours, and requires living on the dorm floor. Our beautiful campus is located in Burlington, with 130 wooded acres on Lake Champlain!

Rock Point School is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Retail Sales Associates Chocolate Ambassadors

LCC uses business as a force for good. We listen, learn, and adapt to ensure that we provide an equitable and inclusive work environment where all people experience belonging, opportunity, respect, and dignity. We seek team members who want to join us in that effort! If you enjoy working with the public and have some prior retail, barista, and/or food service experience, we’d love to meet you.

7/27/20 8:35 AM

Current Job Openings: Sales Associates – Church St (Full and Part Time) Sales Associates & Tour Guides – Pine St (Full and Part Time)

Please visit our website for additional job details: https://www.lakechamplainchocolates.com/careers

NVRH is proud to offer competitive wages, 8/3/20 student loan repayment, tuition reimbursement, Untitled-20 1 shift differentials and per-diem rates. We offer a comprehensive benefits package for full and part-time employees including a

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Product Development Mechanical Designer, R&D for Hot Runner

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• Ability to carry and climb an 80 lb, 28 ft extension ladder • Work with hand and power tools • Work outdoors in all types of weather conditions • Present a positive, professional and courteous image 4t-NVRH070120.indd 1 6/26/20 to our customers • Have a strong work ethic relating to quality and DEPUTY DIRECTOR attendance Prevent Child Abuse Vermont (PCAVT) is seeking candidates • On call rotation is a must for the position of Deputy Director, (DD). This position

5

Let chocolate change your world! It’s a great time to join Lake Champlain Chocolates (LCC) and bring happiness to our amazing customers! We seek team members who care about providing an exceptional and welcoming in-store experience for the diverse community of chocolate-lovers who enter our doors. You’ll spend your days with a great group of co-workers, educating customers, making life-altering hot chocolates, and eating some of the best chocolate and ice cream around! Don’t worry, we’ll make sure you receive the training you need to delight and impress our guests. You need to bring a passion for chocolate, curiosity for learning, flexibility in a safe & fast-paced environment, and cooperation with team members.

More details about the position can be found at rockpointschool.org/residential-educator-employment

RN, LPN, AND LNAs

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an equal opportunity employer

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• Perform upgrades, downgrades, pre-wiring 4t-RockPointSchool072920.indd 1 and dwelling installs • Install drops, outlets, Northeastern Vermont Regional converters, cable modems, Hospital (NVRH) has RN, LPN, digital terminals and other and LNA openings in our ER, cable system devices.

ICU, Med/Surg, Birth Center, • Troubleshooting problems and Medical Office Practices.

• Maintaining, securing and Full-time, part-time and accounting for equipment per-diem positions available. inventories

67 AUGUST 5-12, 2020

5:27 PM

Product Development Team Leader

Product Development Mechanical

JOB DESCRIPTION: Husky Injection Molding Systems is looking for a Product Development Responsible for developing injection molding machinery sub-systems in a dynamic, fun and engaging environment.

Within a team environment, and with a high sense of ownership you will invent, concept, design and implement new Team Leader, Sustainability and Innovation to lead a team of dedicated solutions and products that improve hot runner value, performance, cost, lead-time and/or application range.

Hot Runner and Controller Product Design Engineers.

3:05 PM RESPONSIBILITIES:

•

Concept, Design and Engineer innovative hot runner products using a systematic approach and solid engineering

principles • Husky is a global leader taking on new challenges and for the right • Evaluate design thru simulations (FEA and CFD) and prototyping • Design of test models, test cells, for the verification and validation of design concepts people that means exceptional career development opportunities.

• Analyze large datasets and make data driven decisions or recommendations

JOB DESCRIPTION: Responsible for developing injection molding ma • WeWithin a team environment, and with a high sen are an organization dedicated to new leading edge technology DS 302-3 M includes management of individual and corporate gifts and and equipment within the injection molding industry. solutions and products that improve hot runner We are a small local company 25-0-95-0 0 special events. The DD is also responsible for implementing a • Join our team of multi-disciplined professionals dedicated to that prides ourselves on our communication plan using traditional and social media.

envisioning the future of sustainable packaging systems, optimizing customers and our work The successful candidate must be passionate about our solutions for the highest quality medical parts RESPONSIBILITIES: family. Competitive pay and our mission, a good communicator, easy to work and fulfilling our mission to keep our customers in the lead. benefits. We will train the with, competent and organized and willing to ask for Concept, Design and Engineer innovative • • If you value integrity and want to be recognized and rewarded while right person. philanthropic support of PCAVT. being part of the best team in the industry, you should principles An undergraduate degree is required; join us and help to design the future.

Job Type: Full-time advanced degree is desirable.

•For moreEvaluate design thru simulations (FEA and information and to apply: bit.ly/HuskyPDTL. Pay: based on experience Please submit a cover letter, resume, PCAVT online Husky is an E.O.E. Design of test models, test cells, for the ve • application and 3 references to: christi@stowecable.com Search, PO Box 829, Montpelier, VT 05601 • Analyze large datasets and make data driv stowecable.com Or submit online at pcavt@pcavt.org. PCAVT is an E.O.E. • Contribute to the formulation of business • Support business commercialization phas 7/27/20 12:26 PM LS-StoweCable080520.indd 1 8/4/204T-PCAVT080520.indd 3:17 PM 1 7/31/205v-Husky072920.indd 3:13 PM •1 May participate in or lead continuous imp •

Contribute to the formulation of business cases and product definitions

Support business commercialization phases • We• offer careers with longevity and stability, and currently have a • May participate in or lead continuous improvement or isolated service issue activities • Create and manage development project plans & budget range of engineering/designer opportunities across the globe.

• Formally communicate project status and health during the development stage

TECHNICAL/PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE: • Advanced CAD user in modeling and detailing techniques (GD&T) • Strong background and knowledge in mechanical design, stress analysis, fluid dynamics and heat transfer • Proficient in use of Finite Element Analysis (Thermal & structural) and CFD tools • Solid understanding of manufacturing, joining and assembly processes of precision machinery • Ability to analyze, compile and report on large dataset analysis using statistical tools • Proven ability to analyze and solve complex technical problems with innovative solutions • Strong sense of project ownership and in meeting established commitments

EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS: • University degree in Mechanical Engineering (B.A.Sc. and/or M.Sc.) • 5 or more years design experience in a related industry preferred.

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

68

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

AUGUST 5-12, 2020

TOW N O F DU X BU RY

HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT MAINTENANCE WORKER Town of Duxbury is seeking a Highway Department Maintenance Worker.

Full-time position with benefits.

Looking for team player.

Candidates must have Class B, CDL with manual endorsement, and must be able to operate a manual tandem truck, wheeled excavator and loader.

WATERFRONT

IT TECHNICIAN Looking for experienced IT technician to set up and support computer-based voting systems at locations throughout Vermont.

Minimum of 3 years’ experience with computers, Windows and printers.

Must be available to start the week of August 3rd and be on-call August 7th, 10th and 11th. Pay $250/day (approx. 6am – 8pm) and mileage reimbursement.

Submit cover letter and resume asap to apply@democracylive.com.

Main duties involve plowing with and without wing, operating all town equipment and hauling material for the Town. Full job2V-Democracynow080520.indd description and application here: duxburyvermont.org

SECURITY GUARD EastView at Middlebury has several great FT & PT shifts including CAREGIVER DAY POSITIONS. Need flexibility? Talk with us as we may have the perfect schedule for you in Health Services, Housekeeping, Dining Services (including Cooks, Prep & Dishwashing) & Facilities/Grounds as some of our staff head back to college.

We recognize these COVID times are challenging and we’ll do our best to match our need and your availability.

Go to https://bit.ly/3fnZYwz for position descriptions and to apply on-line today! EOE.

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT

Pick up an application at: Duxbury Town Office 5421 VT RT 100 Duxbury VT 05676 Or email appilcations to duxburyforeman@gmail.com

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Work with purpose!

This full-time, salaried position offers fulfilling work, great benefits & the best team in Central VT!

For full job description and to apply: downstreet.org/careers

downstreet.org

Lamoille Valley Dance Academy is seeking two experienced Dance Instructors, one in Ballet and one in Tap, to join our topquality professional teaching staff. These part time positionsUntitled-19 will focus on intermediate & advanced level dancers, while offering the opportunity for choreography and creative development of our annual, sell-out spring productions.

Positions require dedication, enthusiasm, timeliness, experience and proper qualifications in the field of dance instruction. A great company, superb faculty, wonderful dance families, state of the art dance studios, and competitive pay! If you fit the dance shoe, we would love to meet you! Please email your resume to directorlvda@gmail.com.

This position is responsible for providing a high level of security service to Burlington’s Waterfront, including marinas and campground, to ensure the safety of both patrons and property. Full weekly shifts available. Required shifts range from 8-11 PM start time to end time of 4-7 AM depending on location. Overnight shifts only.

AmeriCorps, Peace Corps and National Service alumni are encouraged to apply. For accessibility information or alternative formats, please contact the Human Resources Department at 802-540-3057. Apply online: bit.ly/btvWaterfront WOMEN, MINORITIES, VETERANS AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY. EOE.

Service Opportunity

1 8/3/204t-BurlingtonParks&RecDept080520.indd 4:26 PM

7/14/20 2:28 PM

DANCE INSTRUCTORS

Seasonal: $13-$16/hr

We are a mission-driven non-profit organization dedicated to achieving social justice through the power of housing.

We are an equal opportunity employer.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE’S LIVES!

2 Full-time AmeriCorps Positions with a National Leader in Affordable Housing Champlain Housing Trust’s HomeOwnership Center, serving the affordable housing needs of Chittenden, Franklin and Grand Isle Counties, is seeking a Home Education Coordinator and Shared Equity Coordinator. These dynamic 11+ month positions require a Bachelors degree or related work experience, proficient computer and writing skills, and a commitment to community service.

Experience in housing, teaching, or lending is a plus.

Positions start September 9, 2020. Applications will be accepted until the positions are filled.

Visit https://vhcb.org/our-programs/vhcb-americorps/positions for info and to apply. Questions? Contact Jaclyn at 861-7338.

EQUAL OPPORTUNIT Y EMPLOYER - COMMIT TED TO A DIVERSE WORKPLACE.

SENIOR SYSTEM & NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR

1

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LICENSED NURSE ASSISTANT Full-time, part-time & per-diem positions may be available*

The Nursing Assistant is responsible for specific aspects of direct and indirect patient care under the direct supervision of a Registered Nurse.

High School diploma or equivalent.

LNA, licensed in Vermont.

LEARN MORE & APPLY: uvmmed.hn/sevendays

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8/4/20 3:08 PM

7/29/20 7/28/20 10:52 4:20 PM AM

Immediate need for energetic, team-oriented candidate with high ethical standards and integrity and 5-7 years of experience.

Responsible for the configuration, design, installation, support, repair and regular maintenance of computers, software applications, audiovisual equipment, phone systems, and network infrastructure hardware. Provide support and training to staff. Oversee the day-to-day IT functions.

Demonstrate aptitude for technology systems in a multi-site, team-oriented environment.

Education: Bachelor's Degree and/or previous experience (5-7 years).

For complete job description and to apply: sbvt.gov.

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8/3/20 4:11 PM

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SEVENDAYSJOBS, SUBSCRIBE TO RSS, OR BROWSE POSTS ON YOUR PHONE AT JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

JOB DESCRIPTION: Bottom Line Bookkeeping Services, Inc. is currently seeking a full time bookkeeper. Duties for this position will include but are not limited to: • Processing and management of Accounts Receivable • Processing and management of Accounts Payable • Cash flow management • Payroll processing to include filing of all returns to required federal and state agencies • Forecasting and budgeting • Reconciliation of accounts Time management is essential with the ability to prioritize workload. Candidate must be a highly organized and selfmotivated professional with problem solving skills and capable of working in a fast paced environment. Position requires effective communication with clients, co-workers and accountants. Applicant must be able to work independently and with co-workers. Ability to multitask is a must.

JOB REQUIREMENTS: Qualification requirement is a minimum of 2 years relevant experience. Qualified candidate must be proficient using QuickBooks and Microsoft (Excel, Work, etc). Experience with Peachtree and QuickBooks Online preferred.

NEW JOBS POSTED DAILY! JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

DIRECTOR OF PHILANTHROPY

DRIVE FOR

Grounds for Health is an international non-profit focused on cervical cancer prevention through screen and treat programs in low income countries. We are currently working in Ethiopia and Kenya. We are seeking someone with a passion for fundraising to join our small US team based in Williston.

FULL- AND PART-TIME OPPORTUNITIES Online shopping continues to grow!

Also, now hiring for Saturday/Sunday shifts.

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:

1:02 PM

SHARED LIVING PROVIDER

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7/31/20 4:04 PM

NG Advantage is seeking a logistics specialist whose role is to get our product to the customer in the most efficient, timely and costeffective manner while keeping our fleet in compliance with state, local and federal regulations. The primary responsibilities include purchasing and maintaining vehicles for deliveries, registering and licensing vehicles and finding ways to streamline costs and maximize profits. Other duties include managing budgets, purchasing and supplier management, inventory management, organizing schedules & routes for new customers, ensuring that vehicles are safe and meet legal requirements.

Seeking a creative and patient Shared Living Provider(s) for a 22- year-old Male who enjoys discussing a variety of topics, playing & listening to music, movies and swimming. This young man is largely independent with no personal care needs. The right provider will have strong boundaries and clear communication. Ideal provider has a pet, but no children. Preference for a male provider.

Compensation includes a tax-free annual stipend plus room and board. Interested candidates please contact abenoit@howardcenter.org or by phone: (802) 782-1588.

FLEET OPERATIONS MANAGER

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SR. STAFF ENGINEER

7/24/20 2:09 PM

Dev SW to enable AI computing on proprietary in-memory artificial neural network intellectual property. Use EE principles applicable to semiconductor industry. Guide HW team re. SW req’. Maintain SW & docs. Mentor team.

Min req: BS EE, 1yr exp in EE R&D work, incl. use of VLSI tools, tool flows, circuit design principles. Ability to quickly learn AI SW dev, interest in HW & SW architechture for neuromorphic computing. Basic understanding of industry standard neural network training methods, inference computing principles & underlying science. Xlnt comm skills to prep tech docs & team work. Job location: Burlington, VT. CV to Green Mountain Semiconductor, info@greenmountainsemi.com

Requirements include at least 3 years’ related experience, including fleet management, logistics, inventory management and recordkeeping, and route planning. Experience in complying with local, state and federal agencies such as DOT, OSHA and FMCSA is critical.

Job location: Burlington, VT.

Located in Milton, Vermont. 25% Travel; Competitive salary and generous benefits.

CV to Green Mountain Semiconductor, info@greenmountainsemi.com

To apply visit: ngadvantage.com/careers.

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CARING PEOPLE WANTED

This part-time position will homeinstead.com/483 Job security and room to Or call: 802.860.4663 be responsible for securing grow. Driving experience major philanthropic gifts, preferred but not essential. managing a portfolio of Must be 21 and have good driving record. current and prospective donors, and procuring grant funding. For more 7/27/202v-HomeInstead022620.indd 12:07 PM 1 2/24/20 information, visit our website2v-FedEx052020.indd 1 at groundsforhealth.org.

To apply send resume and cover letter to kathy@groundsforhealth.org.

Email resume/application to: vermontbookkeeper14@gmail.com

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8/3/20 5:14 PM GreenMtnSemiConductor080520.indd 1

7/31/20 3:34 PM

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

70

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

AUGUST 5-12, 2020

Primary Therapists/

Lead Preschool Teacher Full time. BA in early childhood education or related field.

Willingness to further education to comply with child care licensing rules. Contribute to the implementation and development of nature and play-based curriculum at Schoolhouse preschool.

Therapists in Training Burlington Kids Afterschool Core Staff Positions Available!

Custodian 30-40 hrs a week. Self motivated, self directed experienced custodian to maintain a level of cleanliness to keep staff and students safe.

Afternoon into evening hours.

Substitute Teacher PreK-8th grade. Subs will generally stay with one class/cohort per day.

Flexible scheduling.

For job descriptions and to apply: theschoolhousevt.org/employment.

Must pass a background check.

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Ideal applicants will have a passion for working with elementary age children, an enthusiasm for creating and leading meaningful activities and experience working in afterschool and/ or licensed childcare settings.

These are part-time positions working with students at five Burlington School District elementary schools, MondayFriday, 15-20 hours/week.

Hourly rate commensurate Seven with skills andDays experience.

11:56 AM

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.

Issue: 8/5 please For more information 8/3 by 11am emailDue: Karlie Gunderson, Senior Site Director: Size: 3.83 x 7 kgunders@bsdvt.org.

Cost: $570.35 (with To apply and join our team: bsdvt.org/careers or apply on SchoolSpring.com, Job Posting #2739086.

Senior Linux Systems Engineer - Systems Architecture & Administration - #S2511PO - Do you want to work with state-of-the art technology in one of the most beautiful locations in the US? UVM is looking for 3v-BurlingtonAfterSchool080520.indd someone who can design and build reliable and secure Linux systems to solve complex problems; someone with the expertise and creativity to help improve IT at UVM. Provide senior-level support for multiple large-scale physical and virtual server environments, operating continuously. Work on the latest in server and storage technology across multiple datacenters. We run a large VMware ESX infrastructure with petabytes of storage. Our systems support most aspects of server computing at UVM, including research, on-line learning, and administrative functions.

We take pride in our ability to dive deep into the Linux stack. Our highly technical and energetic team works collaboratively to improve IT at UVM, positively affecting thousands of students, faculty, and staff.

Experience with git, config management, and scripting in a Linux environment are required.

Repayment Specialist - Student Financial Services Office - #S2524PO The UVM Student Financial Services Office is recruiting for a Repayment Specialist. This position is the primary contact for borrowers in repayment of their institutional or Federal Perkins loans and collection of seriously past due student account balances. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, maintaining accurate electronic student records across multiple systems; working with current and former UVM students to resolve delinquent student accounts and student loans; collaborating with third party contractors to provide exceptional customer service, carry out required due diligence, conduct collection efforts, assure legal compliance, and maintain accurate credit bureau reporting.

Qualifications include an Associate’s Degree in a related area, two years related experience, and working knowledge of software applications used to support area operations. A commitment to providing exceptional and compassionate service in resolving sensitive financial matters with university customers is essential, as is an excellent ability to communicate clearly in both verbal and written formats, and highly developed skills in utilizing desktop software applications to manage and organize data effectively. Experience in collections, financial aid and/or accounting, and previous employment in a higher education setting is desirable.

For further information on these positions 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.

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8/3/20 12:04 PM

Valley Vista is seeking Primary Therapists and Therapists in Training at our Bradford and Vergennes facility. Join a team that works collaboratively to provide those struggling with addiction with a supportive and therapeutic experience. *Other positions available. Please check full listing on Indeed.com.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES: • Provide comprehensive clinical assessments of patients • Development of patient treatment plan • Counsels patients in group or individual sessions • Provides group, individual and family counseling • Complete patient care documentation • Completes discharge & aftercare functions of the master treatment plan

QUALIFICATIONS: Licensed Primary Therapist: Master’s degree + Addiction and Drug Counselor License (LADC) Therapist in Training: Associate’s or Bachelor’s Degree in Mental Health, Behavioral Health, Psychology or similar. Must be working toward licensure or certification.

• 2+ years’ experience as a clinician, behavioral therapist, or case manager is strongly preferred.

• MSW, LADC, and/or LMHC preferred.

1 week online) • A minimum of two years’ freedom from chemical abuse problems.

JOB TYPE: Full-time Send cover letter and resumes to: jenny.gilman@vvista.net

STUDENT ATTENDANCE SPECIALIST 1

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8/4/20 3:24 PM

ESSEX HIGH SCHOOL Essex High School is searching for Student Attendance Specialists beginning with the 2020-21 school year. The job of Attendance Specialist is done for the purpose/s of creating and maintaining positive relationships with students to minimize student absences; collecting and maintaining accurate student attendance information; meeting district, state and federal requirements relating to attendance processes including parent notification; and preparing and distributing attendance reports and materials. The ideal candidate will be able to successfully engage with and support students, families, and school personnel to ensure students’ school attendance isn’t a barrier to learning. As a front-facing employee to students and families, an ability to have positive and supportive conversations and attention to details are a necessary component of this position.

Position is available 7.5 hours/day, 200 days/year, and pays $17.91/hour.

Excellent benefits package available including family medical and dental insurance; 30K term life insurance; 3K in professional development funds; and paid sick, holidays and personal leave.

For more information or to apply, please visit schoolspring.com (Job ID 3294735). We will begin reviewing applications on 8/3/20. Position is expected to begin the week of 8/17/20.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SEVENDAYSJOBS, SUBSCRIBE TO RSS, OR BROWSE POSTS ON YOUR PHONE AT JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

OFFICE MANAGER/CONTROLLER Full Time Processes and generates financial data for all dealership departments, which together represent the accurate financial condition of the business.

Provides accurate reporting to the dealer/general manager and is responsible for accounting office and administrative functions. Prior experience in the automotive dealership industry is required.

Education and/or Experience • Four to ten years’ related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

NEW JOBS POSTED DAILY! JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

CLASSROOM TEACHER Seeking an experienced, engaging and passionate Head Full Time Receptionist Classroom Teacher 2h-GMSS072920.indd 1 for a growing and Seeking a full time receptionist to innovative Pre-K to 8 join our beautiful Naturopathic Care Clinic in Colchester.

School. Elementary 32 to 40 hours a week.

Level Position.

To apply, email resume and cover letter to: info@vtdayschool.org.

Send resumes to: mfelber@keyauto.com. EOE

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7/24/20 5:01 PM

Salary depends on experience. Paid Vacation, retirement and heath care benefits offered.

Send inquiries, resume and cover letter to: kk@mountainviewnaturalmedicine.com.

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8/3/20 10:47 AM

4 FULL-TIME

Operating Room Nurses Join our Magnet® Recognized Nursing Team Rutland Regional Medical Center is the largest community hospital in Vermont with 38 specialties. The OR-Nurse positions are full-time day/evening shifts, variable times.

Pay Grade: 20U ($28.15- $46.64), 80 hours-2 week pay period.

Details: Prior OR experience (Circulator and/or Scrub roles) required. Rotating weekends and call. Responsible for the delivery of safe, effective, and quality patient-family centered care in the OR and other areas of perioperative services for all patient populations. Facilitates operative or other invasive procedures by preparing and providing the required sterile instruments, supplies & equipment. Maintains the sterile field and anticipates and responds to the needs of the surgical team.

Minimum Education: Graduate of an accredited school of nursing, BSN preferred.

Minimum Work Experience: 1 year OR prior experience (Circulator and/or Scrub roles) required.

Required Licenses/Certifications: • Licensed in the State of Vermont.

• BLS Certification through American Heart Assoc.

• ACLS Certification preferred.

• CNOR Certification preferred.

Required Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities: • Demonstrated proficiency in acute-care nursing, knowledge and skills.

• Demonstrates moderate knowledge of basic computer skills.

Apply: http://pm.healthcaresource.com/CS/rrmc/#/job/10670

HEALTH CARE ADVOCATE Vermont Legal Aid seeks candidates for a full-time legal helpline position within the Office of the Health Care Advocate (HCA) in our Burlington office.

The advocate will provide legal help over the phone to Vermonters with health care or health insurance problems.

We encourage applicants from a broad range of backgrounds, and welcome information about how your experience can contribute to serving our diverse client communities. We are an equal opportunity employer committed to a discrimination- and harassment-free workplace.

Responsibilities include advising consumers on their rights, investigating and resolving problems, and maintaining a high caseload and detailed case records. The successful candidate must be able to work on a team and have excellent communication and research skills. Four years’ professional work experience or bachelor’s degree, or a comparable mix of education and experience desired.

Experience in advocacy, health care, health insurance, or human services is desirable but not required. Prior legal experience is not required.

Base salary is $37,902 with salary credit given for relevant prior work experience. Four weeks paid vacation, retirement, and excellent health benefits.

Application deadline is August 17, 2020. Your application should include a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and three references combined into one pdf, sent by e-mail to Betsy Whyte at bwhyte@vtlegalaid.org with “HCA Position” in the subject line. Please let us know how you heard about this position.

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8/3/20 1:43 PM

fun stuff

RACHEL LINDSAY

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SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

CALCOKU & SUDOKU (P.63) CROSSWORD (P.63)

HARRY BLISS/STEVE MARTIN If you have recently welcomed an aging parent into your home, and are providing needed care, we may be able to help you!

At Vermont Comforts of Home, we believe in keeping families together whenever possible. Find out how we can help.

Visit our website at vtcomfortsofhome.org or call us at 802 662-5978 6H-VtComfort072220.indd 1

7/21/20 10:51 AM

Feel Good.

Do Good!

Feeling disappointed about the things you can’t do this season? Here’s how to have a feel-good summer: JEN SORENSEN

Step One: Explore Vermont.

Step Two: Learn something new.

Step Three: Be a Good Citizen.

Take the Good Citizen Challenge, a youth civics program for young people in grades K-12. Each month we’ll announce new activities focusing on history, community, government, advocacy and news literacy to keep you and your family active and engaged.

Summer

2020 View Activities at

GOODCITIZENVT.COM Powered by:

With support from:

Evslin Family Foundation

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fun stuff RYAN RIDDLE

is

Making it is not :( Keep this newspaper free for all.

Join the Seven Days Super Readers at sevendaysvt.com/super-readers or call us at 802-864-5684.

74SR-Comics-filler071520.indd SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020 1

7/14/20 3:32 PM

Have a deep, dark fear of your own? Submit it to cartoonist Fran Krause at deep-dark-fears.tumblr.com, and you may see your neurosis illustrated in these pages.

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZSNY REAL AUGUST 6-12

the power to converse. I’ve always said that you Aries folks have great potential to conduct meaningful dialogues with animals and trees. And now happens to be a perfect time for you to seek such invigorating pleasures.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22):

At times in our lives, it’s impractical to be innocent and curious and blank and receptive. So many tasks require us to be knowledgeable and selfassured and forceful and in control.

But according to my astrological analysis, the coming weeks will be a time when you will benefit from the former state of mind: cultivating what Zen Buddhists call “beginner’s mind.”

The Chinese refer to it as chuxin, or the mind of a novice. The Koreans call it the eee mok oh? approach, translated as “What is this?” Buddhist teacher Jack Kornfield defines it as the “don’tknow mind.” During this upcoming phase, I invite you to enjoy the feeling of being at peace with all that’s mysterious and beyond your understanding.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In her book Sticks,

Stones, Roots & Bones, Stephanie Rose Bird reports that among early African Americans, there were specialists who spoke the language of trees. These patient magicians developed intimate relationships with individual trees, learning their moods and rhythms, and even exchanging nonverbal information with them.

Trees imparted wisdom about herbal cures, weather patterns and ecologically sound strategies. Until recently, many scientists might have dismissed this lore as delusion. But in his 2016 book The Hidden Life of Trees, forester Peter Wohlleben offers evidence that trees have social lives and do indeed have

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Author Joanne Harris writes, “The right circumstances sometimes happen of their own accord, slyly, without fanfare, without warning. The magic of everyday things.” I think that’s an apt oracle for you to embrace during the coming weeks. In my opinion, life will be conspiring to make you feel at home in the world.

You will have an excellent opportunity to get your personal rhythm into close alignment with the rhythm of creation. And so you may achieve a version of what mythologist Joseph Campbell called “the goal of life”: “to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe, to match your nature with Nature.”

GEMINI

(May 21-June 20): Author Gloria Anzaldúa writes, “I am an act of kneading, of uniting and joining.” She adds that in this process, she has become “a creature that questions the definitions of light and dark and gives them new meanings.” I would love for you to engage in similar work right now, Gemini.

Life will be on your side — bringing you lucky breaks and stellar insights — if you undertake the heroic work of reformulating the meanings of “light” and “dark” — and then reshaping the way you embody those primal forces.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): “Pleasure is one of the most important things in life, as important as food or drink,” wrote Cancerian author Irving Stone. I would love for you to heed that counsel, my fellow Crabs. What he says is always true, but it will be extraordinarily meaningful for you to take to heart during the coming weeks. Here’s how you could begin: Make a list of seven experiences that bring you joy, bliss, delight, fun, amusement and gratification. Then make a vow — even write an oath on a piece of paper — to increase the frequency and intensity of those experiences.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a

few minutes, including you.” Author Anne Lamott wrote that, and now I’m conveying it to you — just in time for the Unplug-Yourself Phase of your astrological cycle. Any glitches or snafus you may be dealing with right now aren’t as serious as you might imagine.

The biggest problem seems to be the messy congestion that has accumulated over time in your links to sources that usually serve you pretty well. So if you’ll simply disconnect for a while, I’m betting that clarity and grace will be restored when you reconnect.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Have you been saving any of your tricks for later? If so, later has arrived. Have you been postponing flourishes and climaxes until the time was right? If so, the coming days will be as right a time as there can be. Have you been waiting and waiting for the perfect moment before making use of favors that life owes you and promises that were made to you? If so, the perfect moment has arrived. Have you been wondering when you would get a ripe opportunity to express and highlight the most interesting truths about yourself? If so, that opportunity is available.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “I learned to make my mind large, as the universe is large, so that there is room for paradoxes,” writes Scorpio author Maxine Hong Kingston. That would be an excellent task for you to work on in the coming weeks. Here are your formulas for success: 1. The more you expand your imagination, the better you’ll understand the big picture of your present situation — and the more progress you will make toward creating the most interesting possible future. 2. The more comfortable you are about dwelling in the midst of paradoxes, the more likely it is that you will generate vigorous decisions that serve both your own needs and the needs of your allies.

SAGITTARIUS

(Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “Some people will never like you because your spirit irritates their demons,” says actor and director Denzel Washington. “When you shine bright, some won’t enjoy the shadow you cast,” says rapper and activist Talib Kweli. You may have to deal with reactions like those in the coming weeks, Sagittarius. If you do, I suggest that you

don’t take it personally. Your job is to be your radiant, generous self — and not worry about whether anyone has the personal power necessary to handle your radiant, generous self.

The good news is that I suspect you will stimulate plenty of positive responses that will more than counterbalance the challenging ones.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn occultist Peter J. Carroll tells us, “Some have sought to avoid suffering by avoiding desire.

Thus they have only small desires and small sufferings.” In all of the zodiac, you Capricorns are among the least likely to be like that. One of your potential strengths is the inclination to cultivate robust desires that are rooted in a quest for rich experience. Yes, that sometimes means you must deal with more strenuous ordeals than other people. But I think it’s a wise trade-off. In any case, my dear, you’re now in a phase of your cycle when you should take inventory of your yearnings. If you find there are some that are too timid or meager, I invite you to either drop them or pump them up.

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The people who live in the town of Bazoule, Burkina Faso, regard the local crocodiles as sacred. They live and work amidst the 100-plus creatures, coexisting peacefully. Kids play within a few feet of them, never worrying about safety. I’d love to see you come to similar arrangements with untamed influences and strong characters in your own life, Aquarius. You don’t necessarily have to treat them as sacred, but I do encourage you to increase your empathy and respect for them.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Your body naturally produces at least one quart of mucus every day. You might not be aware of it, because much of it glides down your throat. Although you may regard this snot as gross, it’s quite healthy. It contains antibodies and enzymes that kill harmful bacteria and viruses. I propose we regard mucus as your prime metaphor in the coming weeks. Be on the alert for influences and ideas that might empower you, even if they’re less than beautiful and pleasing. Make connections with helpful influences even if they’re not sublimely attractive.

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8/4/20 4:44 PM

STRANGER THINGS HAVE HAPPENED A crisis tends to make one do what they should’ve been doing all along. So, here I am. Looking for someone(s) to get to know.

Sense of humor a must, creativity a plus.

Please be able to talk about current events — not necessarily pop culture. Don’t be upset if I don’t reply. VTBOB, 64, seeking: M

Respond to these people online: dating.sevendaysvt.com WOMEN seeking...

I’M JUST COUNTRY I’m a lonely country girl looking for companionship. I don’t believe all that’s left are liars and cheaters out there.

Countrygal1, 46, seeking: M, l CREATIVE, EMPATHIC, KIND I am a curious, sensitive and intuitive woman who is creative and smart.

I love excellent conversation, the outdoors, travel and good food! I’m a spiritual seeker and writer; mostly night owl. Looking for deep connection, independence and laughter in someone who values doing their inner work.

SoulTraveler, 50, seeking: M, l COUPLE SEEKING GUY OR GIRL We are very open and honest. Clean, safe and totally discreet. We are looking for a man with a big dick or a woman who wants to try new adult things with a couple. We want to role-play and try some kink. Raindancer70, 50, seeking: M, W, TM, Cp JOURNEY QUEST I am seeking an honest, kind, wellbalanced, reliable friend, man or woman, with good communication skills and a sense of humor who likes spontaneous adventures to a planned destination. If you are bored with your situation and would like to do something different and are not tied to responsibilities, then let’s talk, as there are many possibilities to consider.

JourneyQuest, 58, seeking: M, l

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76

GOOD MORNING! Female, vegan, 420-friendly, central Vermont. Seeking similar companion for summer (and beyond) activities: easy/ moderate hiking, nature walks, swimming, biking, long drives on back roads and other warm weather adventures. In the midst of the pandemic, I take “social smartness” seriously. For the time being, I am only open to outdoor, safely distanced meetings. Thanks for reading VtVegan2020, 57, seeking: M, l INTERESTED Still standing after all these years!

WayToGo, 67, seeking: M I FEEL 4TUNATE I’m a romantic looking for another romantic. I enjoy canoeing or plopping two chairs in the middle of the river at the end of the day. I love all types of music and singing along or dancing in my kitchen or anywhere. I like warm, windy nights and the sounds of the birds when the sun comes up. 4tunate, 63, seeking: M, l HONEST, RESPECTFUL, PLANNER, CARING I’m not a girlie girl; I like my sneakers! I love to plan and know what’s going on. I have been kind of in a slump with exercise, but I have hiked, biked and skied before. I enjoy food, and I don’t aim to impress people.

If they can see my caring, affectionate, hardworking side of me, they will like me. Respect2020, 45, seeking: M, l TRUTH, BEAUTY AND GOODNESS I’m told that I create art in every aspect of my life; in my business, in my gardens, in my home, etc. I’d love to find a friend partner to collaborate and explore the world around us, all while laughing, sharing, planning the next adventure and creating amazing meals together. I am 58 years young. I am well traveled and true. Magicmaker, 58, seeking: M, l THINKING ABOUT IT...

Probably everyone thinks they’re smart, funny, and reasonably good-looking, so no news there. So, what I hope to find: a reade , thinker — someone who likes movies, theater, museums, travel, music, conversation, and the Oxford comma. Three ears into widowhood, I realize I could really use someone to share experiences with. The range o those experiences would have to be explored. ZanninVT, 67, seeking: M, l FEMININE, FIT, FUN-LOVING FOREST WOMAN If the sun is shining, you’ll find m outdoors. If I’m indoors pursuing my artwork or piano, it must be raining.

Silent sports, camping and canoeing.

Swimming every day. Looking for a fit an active outdoorsman. I’d like to see if we can become best friends and then take it from there. Charley, 67, seeking: M, l COUNTRY GIRL ON THE WATER I’m passionate about being outside.

Walking, hiking, snowshoeing, paddling, horseback riding. I love food, going out or staying in. Wood fires on a snowy night Family time. Conversation about anything interesting. I’m enjoying renovating my house. I love Vermont but enjoy traveling.

Woodburygirl, 56, seeking: M, l

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

LUCKY IN LOVE AND NICARAGUA I loved being married. Sadly, he died young. I own gorgeous land in Nicaragua and want a partner to develop it with me as an artist/surfer retreat (as soon as we get rid of the small problem of a dictator killing his own people). A perfect life is Vermont in summer and Nica in winter, but only with a terrific man. W, 72, seeking: M, l ARE YOU SEARCHING, TOO? Seeking kind, adventurous 60ish man who likes camping, fishing, walks, sunsets and Maine. I would like a partner who can surprise me with “Let’s go...” and off we go. I’m a true Vermont gal who needs adventure. Let’s have fun. BoredCat, 57, seeking: M, l OUTDOORSY, HONEST, HEALTHY MUSIC LOVER Hi there! I’m an optimistic, funny, smart, nature- and animal-loving kind of gal. Spending time together with someone who makes you smile, and has your back, is a gift. I’m a world traveler who has recently returned to Vermont. I am looking for a friend first to enjoy life and Vermont. If it turns into something more, bonus!

Bella2020, 62, seeking: M, l INSIGHTFUL, CREATIVE, ADVENTUROUS Outdoorsy, attractive brunette. Poet, explorer of spirituality and personal growth, lover of nature. I love hiking, paddling, exploring new mountains, towns and ideas with others ... feeling what we’re drawn to along the way, sharing thoughts and impressions.

Fairly flexible and easygoing. Healthy minded; not big into alcohol, not into drugs. Waterpoet, 58, seeking: M, l

MEN seeking...

GOOD-LOOKING BI Just looking for a friend-with-benefit situation. Must be discreet. OK-looking and fun-loving. Mright, 44, seeking: M, Cp WHY NOT? Last year I made a life change that some have called brave. Now I’m looking for that one special person to share real intimacy with. I’m passionate about being fit in m later years so that I can enjoy them.

I’m also fascinated by people. “Why not?” is my headline, because I would just like to meet as many people as possible. POvt, 51, seeking: W, l SEEKING SWEET MOTHER WITH MILK Hello, I’m seeking a sweet connection with a lactating mother. This ha been something I’ve craved for a long time. Safe, sane, attractive professional man. We can take things very slowly. Would love to hear from you. sweetconnect, 45, seeking: W PANDEMIC REAPPRAISAL Inquisitive bi guy, 68, in a reflecti e period actively exploring cinema before 1970, music before 1964, Zen and American noir also. FWB possibilities beyond limiting dualities. And you?

NotTooOldToExplore, 68, seeking: M, l

RURAL CARHARTT KINDA GUY Fit guy who loves dogs, snowboarding, hiking, nature, good food and wine, travel, and regular dudes. The only thing ga about me is that I like men. Ideal guy?

Strongly prefer stocky, bearded and inked Chevy pickup kinda guy who has his act together. Just looking for a regular, rural Vermont dude. NEK area preferred.

WashCtyHomesteader, 57, seeking: M LOOKING FOR BURLINGTON DREADED BRANDY In late February we sat next to each other and chatted on an early morning flight to DC. ou: headed to KC for the week to work. Dreads, beautiful, smart, computer person. Me: Headed to DC for the day to do political consulting.

Would love to continue that talk over coffee or a drink or a walk by the lake. adnaZ, 58, seeking: W FUN AND RELAXED I have had submissive woman, and they were fun. But their end game was to give and not receive. One didn’t like my wallet, and others liked my pocket.

They were a l about the head and not the heart. timage, 50, seeking: W NSA FUN Looking for a couple to have some NSA, discreet fun. I am clean, sane, fun, good-looking, shaved, professional, bi-curious and willing. Must be discreet.

Let’s chat and have a drink, see what happens. Willinou812, 51, seeking: Cp LET’S HAVE FUN Easygoing and lots of fun.

802chef, 41, seeking: W QUIET, ANTISOCIAL, LONELY, LONER, HEADCASE Life’s a mess. Comfortable with silence.

Have been described as creepy. I love comics and cartoons of all sorts. PC gamer/computer addict. Jaded cynic.

Animal lover. Pro-gun liberal. Can’t stand authoritarians. Not financia ly stable. If you want to date me, there’s probably something wrong with you. I’m just here to try to get my hugs/year average above one. QuietIntrovert, 31, seeking: W, TW FUN-LOVING, GOOD-LOOKING, ADVENTUROUS, GENUINE, COMPASSIONATE I recently moved to Vermont from Florida and am looking for someone who enjoys great, funny company and nice walks and talk. I’m really outgoing and very easy to talk to. I love cats and all animals.

I have a 23-y/o daughter who lives in Germany. Livinlife47, 47, seeking: W, l LIFE LESS ORDINARY, AND FUN! Honest, educated, funny, adventurous, optimistic, active, artistic and employed.

I’m hoping for an LTR but OK with dating too. Sounds pretty straightforward, right? Well, I’m also kinky, very openminded, heteroflexible and conside myself sexually “well rounded.” Seeking an active, fun, adventurous, laid-back, like-minded woman who knows which hole is for the round peg. Are you out there? ;) NewAdventures11, 51, seeking: W, l UNSCENTED Women seem to be wearing less perfume these days, so this point is mostly moot. I just prefer no artificial fragrances and do ’t wear any myself. We’ll like each other’s scent. MountainTiger, 41, seeking: W, l

CUB LOOKING FOR COUGAR I’m interested in finding someone who is fun for a mutually satisfying FWB situation or longer-term dating.

Specifica ly interested in women older than myself. PoolBoy2295, 35, seeking: W MASTURBATION PLAY AND PHONE CHATS Looking first to phone. See if we ha e some commonality, which leads to friendship. Hopefully I can find someone whom I can share my weird sexual fetishes with. Too many to list. Big talker with limited actual experimentation.

Alone and available often to talk.

Great to actually in the future develop relationship more than the phone.

Waterbury/Stowe. Bobby, 50, seeking: M

TRANS WOMEN seeking...

BE MY CUDDLE BUDDY? Cute 50-y/o vegan straight-edge polyam ace enby trans girl. Love my parallel polyam primary nesting partner, so I’m looking for a part-time snuggle buddy for walks and talks and handholding and kissing and romance! I fall in love really easily! I’m half in love with you already just because you’re reading this!

Anyone but cis guys. EnbyTransgirl, 51, seeking: W, TM, TW, Q, NBP, l SUBMISSIVE SEEKING...

Looking to expand my experiences.

I am open to many different scenes and roles. tina1966, 54, seeking: W, TW, Q, NC, NBP, Cp, Gp

TRANS MEN seeking...

WEIRDO LOOKING FOR MY PEOPLE Late twenties West Coast transplant looking to meet new friends in Burlington. Looking for folks up for biking, hiking, socially distanced coffee in the square, craft afternoons (crafternoons?), beers, bookstore browsing and dismantling the patriarchy.

Please don’t be an asshole. jamesy, 29, seeking: M, W, TM, TW, Q, NC, NBP, Cp, Gp

GENDERQUEER PEOPLE seeking...

COFFEE, TEA AND WALK BUDDY 48 years, now soon 49 years of age, needing to get healthy, wanting a friend to take walks on trails, someone to drink tea and coffee with, become friends. I’m funny, witty and eager for a friend. Like nature, animals. And I’m a pagan, but not to fear me being a witch; I fart spells, not casting spells, yet! LOL, JK. Charmed1971, 48, seeking: M, W

COUPLES seeking...

TO MAKING IT COUNT! We’re a couple exploring and adding something exciting to our lives. She is 31 y/o, 5’6, curvy and beautiful.

He is 32 y/o, 6’, average athletic and handsome. We’re looking for friends and friends with benefits. e love movies, board games, hanging out, outdoor activities, stimulating conversation, sex, family and a bunch more. We’re clean, disease-free and tobaccofree. LetLoose, 31, seeking: W, Cp LOOKING FOR SOMEONE AMAZING We are a couple in an open relationship seeking a bi male, gay male or couple to join us in kinky play. Cuckholds, DP, etc. Are you a playmate (or playmates) who are open to safe, sane and crazy experiences. Lets fulfi l each others fantasies. We’ll try anything twice!

We are two clean, professional adults.

Discretion given and expected. vtfuncouple, 44, seeking: M, Cp

i SPY

If you’ve been spied, go online to contact your admirer!

dating.sevendaysvt.com

CANADA EX Chatted briefly as you were walking your Portuguese/spaniel mix pup. I was eating lunch with my neighbor, a bit sweaty from working. Would love to join you for a dog walk and chat more.

Haven’t seen you walk by again. When: Sunday, July 12, 2020. Where: near North St. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915115

ITALIAN RACE BIKE, BURLINGTON-COLCHESTER BRIDGE Wow, talking to you made my day! Wouldn’t mind meeting you again. When: Monday, July 27, 2020. Where: Burlington bike path. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915109 SPLASH You were having lunch with a young companion. You were wearing a black top and jeans shorts and have a moon tattoo on the back of your left arm. I don’t know anything else about you, other than that you have a strikingly beautiful smile. I may have been staring, and you may have noticed. If so, let me know!

When: Wednesday, July 29, 2020. Where: Splash. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915111

THOUGHTS OF AN OLDER MAN You are a stream-of-conscious poet. You nimbly weave together ideas, insights and humor, from Marble to Mozart. Kindness and love flow out of you like a stream. I want to be with you in your hedonistic adventures and join the energy of your being. You wowed me when we met.

FaceTime is not enough. When: Friday, July 17, 2020. Where: in my apartment.

You: Man. Me: Woman. #915114

WHEN WE WERE FOXES...

Love, I wonder why are we in this quagmire? I wish I had remained wild like you; free. Every day I wait for you to come home to me, me alone; to stay.

Please find me again in our next lives. I’ll still be your vixen in moonlight awaiting your kisses sweet. Pull my hair and bite my neck so I know. When: Tuesday, July 28, 2020. Where: Plattsburgh.

You: Man. Me: Woman. #915110

TAN BLONDE AT AMERICAN FLATBREAD You were a tan, cute and happy blonde having dinner with your girlfriends. You made a risqué joke and gave me a playful smile before dancing down the sidewalk.

Made my night. When: ˜ ursday, July 30, 2020. Where: American Flatbread.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915113 TELL ME SOMETHING Anne, I know you didn’t pick me all those months ago. I know why you didn’t, but all I want is another shot. You make me feel like no one has before. ° is is me asking you to pick me, pick us, because you’re the closest thing to magic I’ve ever found. When: Sunday, July 28, 2019. Where: Switchback brewery. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915112

RAIL TRAIL ° ank you to the good-looking guy from CACR who flashed me a handsome smile while saying hello and also for petting my dog. It made my day! When: Wednesday, July 22, 2020. Where: LVRT, Jeffersonville.

You: Man. Me: Woman. #915108

LAKE CARMI I saw a blond woman in a rowing boat in rough waters in a black-and-white bathing suit keeping in great physical shape. I was fishing. Too bad we couldn’t have been closer. Certainly would like to get to know her. I wonder if she has a camp on the lake. I have been renting at Sunnybank Lodge this month. When: Sunday, July 26, 2020. Where: Lake Carmi. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915107 A BRIDGE TOO FAR? Bike path bridge between Burlington and Colchester. You: on bike. Me: walking with a M/F couple. You appeared interested. I was. ° ere were geese. When: Saturday, July 25, 2020. Where: Burlington-Colchester bridge. You: Man. Me: Man. #915106 CHAI-COLORED QUEEN You were the color of warm chai. I could smell the cardamom on you. Elegant, spicy. What were you pondering in the chips aisle? When: Saturday, July 25, 2020. Where: City Market.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915105 TOGETHER AGAIN You looked as beautiful as ever after missing you for six weeks. You were so patient. I’m truly blessed to have reconnected with such a kind, caring, loving, gorgeous, intelligent, strong woman. You made my day, and my heart felt completely full as soon as I saw you on the bridge. I promise to give you the love you deserve. When: Monday, July 20, 2020. Where: Winooski.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915104 WALK BY ME DAILY ALMOST You: female, and name starts with a C. You always say hi with a smile. You live up the street from me, and we know each other through my work (North Ave. area). I feel like you have that cartoon bubble over your head that is saying more, lol. I’m down if you are. Just ask, and I will play. When: Wednesday, July 22, 2020. Where: North Ave. area.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915103

Ask REVEREND

NORTH BURLINGTON DREADED BRANDY In late February we sat next to each other and chatted on an early flight to DC. You were headed to KC for the week for work. Dreads, beautiful, smart, computer person.

I would love to continue that talk over coffee or a drink or a walk by the lake. When: Saturday, February 22, 2020. Where: Burlington flight to DC. You: Man. Me: Man. #915102 HANDSOME VERMONTERS IN SEATTLE Saw you two Green Mountain hunks cruising on I-90 a couple of weeks ago. We sped up when we caught sight of your Vermont plates, hoping to see some good-looking hometown boys in the car, and we were NOT disappointed! Two Vermont ladies here, and we would love to double date in Seattle. When: Saturday, June 27, 2020. Where: I-90 in Seattle.

You: Man. Me: Woman. #915101 DANIELLE Before COVID I came in to drink coffee and read. It was always special when our eyes met. Once, as you rode up on the escalator, you turned, and I, on the first floor, smiled and said hi to you.

What fuels that extraordinary smile of yours that lights up the world around you? Let’s meet. When: Wednesday, March 11, 2020. Where: Barnes & Noble. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915100 ATTRACTIVE BLONDE, MIDDLE ROAD MARKET You were wearing an orange-andpink top with black shorts. I had a black T-shirt and tan shorts. We smiled at each other as I walked in.

As you were buying your Nantucket Nectars, I was being too shy to say hi.

Which I now regret! Hoping you see this, and hoping to hear back from you. When: Saturday, July 18, 2020.

Where: Milton, Middle Road Market.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915098

Dear Pippi,

°˛˝

Irreverent counsel on life’s conundrums

Dear Reverend,

I’m in a loving polyamorous triad with my husband and his girlfriend. (Let’s call her Dani.) We do lots of stuff together: cook meals, go on day trips, garden, watch movies. It’s a really nice little family dynamic. ˜ ey’re sexual with each other, but I’m not with either. I prefer to date outside our group.

Since the quarantine hit, both my husband and Dani have been unemployed. My husband is high risk, so it has been safer for him to stay home. With the extra unemployment benefit ending, Dani casually mentioned that she wondered who would have to give up their place and move in with the other first if we can’t all afford rent. For the record, I have a well-paying job and have been able to work from home during all of this.

Dani has been part of our lives for a year, and we both care very much about her. I’m wondering what financial responsibility we should all feel toward each other? Should I offer to help support her or extend an invite for her to come live with us? Or should she go back to work? If she went back to work, it would drastically alter the interaction she’d be able to have with my husband. Please bestow your wisdom!

Poly in Pandemic Politely Inquiring (Pippi)

(FEMALE, 37)

LUV OF MY LIFE Beautiful goddess in white Jeep.

When I saw you, I thought I was in heaven. You were entering the Milton Post Office. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Looking to the stars for a rendezvous. Please take me to heaven with you. When: Tuesday, July 21, 2020. Where: Milton. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915099

My first reaction was, “Whatareya, nuts?” — because I can’t imagine palling around with someone who is banging my husband. Especially if I’m not banging either one of them. But I’m not one to judge, and I know there are all sorts of ways to be in this life.

That being said … whatareya, nuts? My gut feeling is that the three of you living together and you offering to support her financially would create a recipe for disaster. You’d basically be living with two roommates and footing most of the bill. I imagine that would get old fast and could lead to a whole heap of resentment on your part. Dani is a grown woman and, if she’s able to, should get back to work. If that affects her

THANKS TO NURSES AND STAFF Much appreciation for all the wonderful neurology nurses and staff at UVM; their calm and warmth with the extra stress of the pandemic are so impressive. I’m often inpatient for migraines; always touched by the kindness and humor from everyone.

The caring and humanity of those administering make all the difference for patients in chronic pain. Thank you! When: Monday, July 13, 2020.

Where: UVM Medical Center McClure 5. You: Woman. Me: Woman. #915097 MALL MAILMAN You were waking through the mall with a package under your arm. I didn’t get a good look at your face because you had sunglasses and a mask on, and you looked like you were in a hurry, but I’d love to see what else you can pick up with those arms. When: Wednesday, July 15, 2020. Where: University Mall.

You: Man. Me: Woman. #915096 RESTAURANT AWE OF TEMPTING BEAUTY Your presence is so sure, pleasing and reassuring! We worked together briefly and caught eyes at Ray’s Seafood; you were enjoying some ice cream.

Even though just for a moment, was it purely nature helping us catch eyes at that moment? Does inspiration guide us? Hope you may be single!

Again? Could I cook for you for fun? CB sees inspiration! When: Wednesday, May 27, 2020. Where: Ray’s Seafood.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915095

relationship with your husband, so be it. You and he are married, and that commitment comes first.

Good luck and God bless,

The Reverend

What’s your problem?

Send it to asktherev@sevendaysvt.com.

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

77

SWF, mid-60s, seeking SM. I am tall with striking auburn hair.

In good health. Average build.

Lying in a hammock watching the love of nature and the nature of love. Wanting to expand on the intimacy of another willing to partake in gradual knowing of each other. Someone of intelligence, interested in arts, science, hand-powered tools, nature, or surprise me. Living the life off the grid, in more ways than one. My skills and time spent are in furniture and chair repair, weaving, maintenance of household. Bicycling, kayaking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, gardens. All reasonable responses will be answered. #L1426 Me: man — successful, innovative, liberative — just finalizing several years of R&D; preparing to introduce my findings internationally; ISO long-term companion/ helpmate/lover. You: woman — friendly, intelligent, empathetic, adventurous; enjoy challenges, travel, sex.

Driver’s license, passport required. All replies answered — USPS only. #L1428 I’m a male, 58, seeking a woman, 58. SSS Skipper. I enjoy a woman who is not afraid to take control. Enjoy role-play, dressing up, quiet times at home. #L1427

Petite, attractive WF, 39, seeks bright, fit WM, 30 to 50, for friendship and lasting love.

Politically liberal, personally conservative, homebody and globe-trotter. Loves cats, books, laughter and vegetarian food.

Observing social distancing, so any friendship will evolve slowly. #L1429 37 M seeks F. I’m a do-ityourselfer, sushi taco eater, nutrition enthusiast, Tuesday night bowler-ist, amateur thespian, butting libertarian, Bob Ross watcher, Emannuel Levinas talker, not much of a clubber, beer-drinking, poolplaying bocce ball thrower.

Seeking same. #L1424

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MAIL TO: Seven Days Love Letters

P.O. Box 1164, Burlington, VT 05402

PAYMENT: $5/response. Include cash or check

(made out to “Seven Days”) in the outer envelope. To send unlimited replies for only $15/month, call us at 802-865-1020, ext. 10 for a membership (credit accepted).

PUBLISH YOUR MESSAGE ON THIS PAGE!

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Submit your FREE message at sevendaysvt.com/loveletters or use the handy form at right.

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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!

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

I’m a bi-curious male seeking a guy for summer fun, maybe more. Seeking age group 18 to 35. Need a guy to teach me the ropes. Really eager to try a lollipop, if you know what I mean.

Write, please. #L1425 I’m a bi male seeking a bi or gay male. Enjoy reading, Scrabble, long walks and conversation, horse shoes, bench, 420 friendly, microbrews, scrabble, University of Vermont, psychology. Please write. #L1423 38-y/o Plattsburgh, N.Y., man here. I am looking for a man my age. Reserved, happy man here, just looking for someone to bring some excitement to my life and complete me. #L1422

Internet-Free Dating!

Reply to these messages with real, honest-to-goodness letters. DETAILS BELOW. I’m an older male seeking a sporty 50-plus woman. I’m affectionate and enjoy long walks and conversation, trivia, Scrabble, horseshoes, reading, the beach.

420-friendly, microbrews. Please write. Love to meet you. #L1421 I’m a mid-50s man seeking a 45to 60-y/o female. Searching for fit, grounded, at-home country girl. I own a home, land and toys.

Desire to travel. Love to garden. #L1420 53-y/o discreet SWM, 5’10, 156 pounds. Brown and blue. Seeking any guys 18 to 60 who like to receive oral and who are a good top. Well hung guys a plus.

Chittenden County and around.

No computer. Phone only, but can text or call. #L1419 I’m a 60-y/o bi male seeking guys to have fun with. I like everything.

Mostly a bottom, but not always.

Respond with a phone number.

No text or email. I’ll call you. #L1418 I’m a single WM seeking 65- to 70y/o woman to share mutual oral with. Retired physician. In my home or yours. #L1417

59-y/o female seeks someone who follows the Golden Rule in my age range to adventure, read and/or watch TV with.

Must be intelligent and an excellent communicator with a great sense of humor. Not into hookups. I enjoy writing, animals and great food, and I’m a bit of a news junkie. No tolerance for injustice or prejudice. Please write to share your outstanding qualities. #L1416 I’m a GWM seeking out guys for a summer frolic. I’m intelligent, fun and adventurous.

Sometimes sub, sometimes dom and always versatile. Age not so important, but would like some younger guys. No electronic communication, please. MidVermont. #L1415 I’m a guy seeking a male or female. Very caring, positive person looking for a running partner for runs. I can adapt and am now doing from 6-13 miles a run. Run on scenic roads. I’m 5’9, 155 lbs. Middle-aged, politically left, creative writer, who loves philosophy, poetry, as well. #L1414

Describe yourself and who you’re looking for in 40 words below:

Required confidential info:

(OR, ATTACH A SEPARATE PIECE OF PAPER.)

__________________________________________

I’m a _________________________________________________ __ ____

NAME

AGE + GENDER (OPTIONAL)

seeking a____________________________________________ ___________ AGE + GENDER (OPTIONAL)

_______________________________________________________

__________________________________________ ADDRESS

__________________________________________ ADDRESS (MORE)

_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________

__________________________________________ CITY/STATE

__________________________________________ ZIP

__________________________________________ PHONE

_______________________________________________________ MAIL TO: SEVEN DAYS LOVE LETTERS • PO BOX 1164, BURLINGTON, VT 05402 OPTIONAL WEB FORM: SEVENDAYSVT.COM/LOVELETTERS HELP: 802-865-1020, EXT. 10, LOVELETTERS@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

THIS FORM IS FOR LOVE LETTERS ONLY. Messages for the Personals and I-Spy sections must be submitted online at dating.sevendaysvt.com.

“I love a dynamic downtown, full of life, creativity, great food, shopping options and live music.

If we don’t support downtown businesses, this thriving cultural and economic center as we know it could irreversibly decline. There is no disputing that the experience of connecting with people, touching product and seeing stores is always a more human experience than going to Amazon.”

SARAH PHANEUF OWNER, SLATE

Take a break from the big guys and support local first.

Vermont merchants have faced mandatory store closures and other challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even as some open back up, others operate online only.

All need your support.

WITH GENEROUS SUPPORT FROM:

PICTURED: SLATE, 89 CHURCH ST., BURLINGTON, SLATEHOME.CO (JAMES BUCK)

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Visit the Register for all the info on area shopkeepers who are selling their products online for local delivery or curbside pickup.

Browse by categories ranging from jewelry to electronics, outdoor gear to apparel.

Whether you need something for yourself or that perfect gift for a loved one, shop savvy and keep Vermont strong.

SHOP T HE R EGIS T E R .C OM SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2020

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