Seven Days, November 18, 2020

DANGEROUS CURVES COVID-19 surges in Vermont

V ERM ONT ’S INDEP E NDE NT V OIC E NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020 VOL.26 NO.8 SEVENDAYSVT.COM

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Unwrapping Vermont’s shop-local options in a complicated year

WILD AND CRAZY GUYS

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Harry Bliss and Steve Martin’s new book

THE SCENIC ROUTE

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Artist hikes, paints the Long Trail

FARM TO FRONT DOOR

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The rise of locavore food delivery

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Staff testing samples at the Vermont Health Department lab

Teachers Tested for COVID-19

As coronavirus cases reached record highs in Vermont, the Agency of Education and the Department of Health embarked on a new initiative this week to offer COVID-19 tests to thousands of K-12 teachers and staff.

The tests are “part of our ongoing offense against the virus,” Health Commissioner Mark Levine said at a press conference last week, a “surveillance strategy” that will reveal how prevalent the coronavirus is in Vermont communities.

This week, asymptomatic personnel at all of Vermont’s public schools — as well as at five independent schools chosen because of their geographic location and size of their staff — can take an on-site COVID-19 test. Each school district must have a designated COVID-19 coordinator or school leader to “oversee the logistics of distributing, accepting, logging, boxing and shipping the kits,” said Agency of Education spokesperson Suzanne Sprague.

The Agency of Education is not aware of any other state conducting this kind of school staff surveillance testing, Sprague added.

On Monday, the South Burlington School District tested around 270 employees at its five schools, including teachers, paraeducators, nutritional service team members, facilities crews and central office staff, according to South Burlington High School assistant principal John Craig.

802nice

COURTESY OF AMANDA HERZBERGER

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Keith Drinkwine and Lisa Burritt Drinkwine holding their twin sons

Craig, who ran a testing center for high school employees out of the school’s weight room, said the district was notified by the state early last week that it would be part of the testing program. “We needed to work quickly and intentionally to develop and execute our plan,” he said, adding that he was proud of the staff members who volunteered to help.

Across the parking lot from the high school, at South Burlington’s Frederick H. Tuttle Middle School, social studies teacher Ted Godfrey waited in a short line and received a testing kit and a set of directions from a gloved school employee at 11 a.m. on Monday. He brought the kit out to his truck — teachers were advised to do the test outside or in their cars — and used a cotton swab to take a sample from both nostrils.

Godfrey’s sample, along with those from thousands of other Vermont educators, were to be processed at a lab in Massachusetts.

In Vermont, the testing program will resume after the Thanksgiving break, with 25 percent of schools tested each week following a schedule that ensures geographic diversity, Sprague said. Testing will continue at least through the end of the calendar year.

Read Alison Novak’s full report at sevendaysvt.com.

Because of the spike in COVID-19 cases, Vermont has again indefinitely postponed criminal jury trials. Gotta be in the room, not on Zoom.

A Montpelier steakhouse is offering a free dinner to whoever can identify the person who stole the restaurant’s Christmas tree. Was he green, wearing a Santa suit?

ON-AIR SCARE

WDEV Radio owner and broadcast legend Ken Squier, 85, announced that he has COVID-19.

Get well soon!

TOPFIVE

1. “Vermont Tightens Travel Rules Amid Surge in COVID Cases” by Colin Flanders. Travelers from all states must now quarantine when coming to Vermont.

2. “Vermont Records 109 New COVID-19 Cases as Surge Continues” by Colin Flanders. The Vermont Department of Health reported record high case numbers last week.

3. “Scott Bans Multi-Household Gatherings, Closes Bars Amid COVID Spike” by Colin Flanders. In response to record-setting case numbers, Gov. Phil Scott announced a series of new restrictions on social life and activities.

4. “Anticipating Holiday Travel, Some Vermont Schools to Go Remote” by Alison Novak. All schools in the Two Rivers Supervisory Union will go fully remote between Thanksgiving and January 11.

5. “Vermont Reports Record-High 72 New Coronavirus Cases” by Colin Flanders. The November 10 record-setting case count of 72 — the highest number of new cases reported since April — only stood for one day as the surge continued.

tweet of the week

LOST & FOUND

Vermont game wardens located two hunters who became disoriented in woods in Middlesex after dark. They also helped drag a field-dressed buck from the forest.

@honeystaysuper It’s like no one remembers that Thanksgiving used to be a holiday that inspired weeks of articles about how to *figuratively* survive it FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SEVENDAYSVT OUR TWEEPLE: SEVENDAYSVT.COM/TWITTER

WHAT’S KIND IN VERMONT

PUMPKINS FOR PARKAS

A personal tragedy inspired a Starksboro couple to help others.

Lisa Burritt Drinkwine and her husband, Keith, lost their first child in 2018. Josephine, as they named her, was stillborn.

But her memory lives on through a fundraiser the couple started last year. After seeing a plea on Front Porch Forum for warm winter clothes for kids at the local school, Robinson Elementary, the couple decided to grow and sell pumpkins at their

Flatlander Farm and use a portion of the proceeds to pitch in.

Josie’s Patch was born.

“We just thought this would be so fabulous to remember Josie, and it would be really fun and it would just make us feel really happy,” Lisa said.

Last year’s initial crop only yielded about 15 pumpkins, Lisa said, but they were able to raise a couple of hundred dollars from people who donated extra. With the cash, the couple bought about six winter coats, three pairs of snow pants, a pair of winter boots, and several hats and mittens.

This year promised a bumper

crop: approximately 70 pumpkins were ready for sale. But the day after Halloween, the couple returned home to find that many pumpkins had been stolen from the farmstand at the end of their driveway. They had raised just about $100 by that point, well below last year’s haul.

“It was kind of a bummer they felt entitled to that,” Lisa said of the thieves. “It would have been different if they had talked to us.”

After posting about the thefts online, Lisa said, the couple heard from friends and neighbors who wanted to support the cause. They’re now hopeful that they can supply even more winter gear than they did

last year. That’s especially important during the pandemic, when people are out of work or otherwise short on cash.

“It feels nice to help people in need,” Lisa said. “I think Josie would be happy.”

More reason to be happy: Lisa and Keith had twin boys in June.

Lake and Bartlett just turned 5 months old.

“We’re blessed with these two little babies we have now,” Lisa said.

Want to get involved?

Email info@flatlanderfarm.com.

SASHA GOLDSTEIN

SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

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LIVE IN THE PRESENTS. founders/Coeditors Pamela Polston, Paula Routly publisher Paula Routly deputy publisher Cathy Resmer AssoCiAte publishers

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NEWS & POLITICS editor Matthew Roy deputy editor Sasha Goldstein Consulting editor Candace Page stAff writers Derek Brouwer, Colin Flanders,

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READER REACTION TO RECENT ARTICLES

QUESTIONABLE JUDGMENT?

Last week, Seven Days’ arts and culture writers tried to find some humor in the idea of a high school being relocated to a shuttered department store [Live Culture: “Questionable Authority: Burlington High School Considers Move to Former Macy’s Site”]. Numerous readers responded via letters, calls and social media posts to tell us we missed the mark. The article was part of the occasional “Questionable Authority” series, in which our writers “weigh in on topics about which they may or may not be qualified to speak.” We appreciate the feedback and will refrain from riffing on such painful and difficult subjects during the coronavirus pandemic.

Seven Days’ news team will continue to probe the causes of the closure of Burlington High School and its effect on students, families and taxpayers.

The closure of Burlington High School is a catastrophe for this community and especially for the high school students who study there. These students are losing months of their education. Many will never graduate from high school because of this crisis. Others will have to forego higher education because of the inadequacy of the high school education we have provided. Others are suffering from mental health crises due to the prolonged social isolation caused by the school closure. And the taxpayers in the city will be paying millions of dollars for years to come to solve this crisis. There is nothing funny about any of it. I am disappointed that you decided to laugh about this catastrophe rather than provide serious reporting.

Caroline Beer

BURLINGTON

This “comedy” is lazy and poorly written. It is offensive to the 950-plus students who no longer have a school to attend. It’s offensive to the families and community members trying to do their best to remedy a complicated and terrible situation. It is not funny.

It is not creative. It shows no empathy or caring for the community that has been dealt a terrible blow. Unacceptable, Seven Days. Seriously. Do better.

Cate MacLachlan

BURLINGTON

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WEEK IN REVIEW

local fish and game club, fly an American flag, watch NASCAR, support local police, etc.? The results might illuminate blind spots and recruitment opportunities. It could lead to an increase in readership and advertising dollars, too.

For the second consecutive presidential election, the media polls were off and missed “shy” conservative voters. Vermont media should do a better job ensuring their opinions are heard and debated in Vermont’s marketplace of ideas.

TIM NEWCOMB

Matt Krauss

STOWE

‘PARK IS A SAD REFLECTION’

‘THOUGHTLESS’ DRB

[Re Feedback: “Neighborhood Isn’t Ready,” November 4]: As Wendy Bratt’s letter points out, Burlington’s Development Review Board “chose profits over people” when it approved Burton Snowboard’s plan to host Higher Ground nightclub, ignoring the need for “sidewalks, crosswalks or bike lanes, because they knew they lacked funding.” This is akin to moving a family of elephants next to a pond inhabited by a few frogs and turtles.

Our tax dollars support these city review boards, and now, to oppose the decision that ignores the 500 households that surround what would be Vermont’s largest music venue, more of our personal dollars have to be spent. At the very least, I think city dollars should be set aside for concerned citizens to present their cases.

And there should be deadline extensions prior to approving this.

The small families in the affected neighborhoods have labored to find a quiet and safe place to raise their children.

They now face the futility of such efforts.

The noise, the traffic, the untimeliness, the potential social problems that can accompany such events… How thoughtless of the DRB to do this.

Winifred McCarthy

BURLINGTON

NO PLAN B

[Re Off Message: “Cyberattack Disrupts UVM Health Network Operations,” October 29; “National Guard to Aid Hospitals After Cyberattack Cripples Networks,” November 4]: The University of Vermont Health Network has conclusively demonstrated that it did not have a

computer-systems disaster plan answering this fundamental question: When our computer systems become unusable for any reason, what will we do to restore their operations immediately?

Failure to have a computer-systems disaster plan within a critical-care hospital system is exemplary incompetence.

Will irresponsible executives who are responsible be fired?

Howard Fairman

PUTNEY

HOW MANY CONSERVATIVES?

Paula Routly described the challenges New England media outlets are experiencing to recruit conservative editorial voices [From the Publisher: “Talking Cure,” November 11]. May I suggest a different perspective on their plight? Conservatives don’t see themselves as editorial arm candy to be shown off at the next regional newspaper conference — or a box to be checked, or as the token conservative. The deeper foundational issue is the employment practices and composition of the news/editorial staff and their work product. After reading the editorials and articles, maybe conservatives say to themselves: “I’m not welcomed here.”

Conservatives are at ease with organizations in which they periodically see and hear opinions similar to those they hold.

They will share their opinions more freely to media who hire their kindred spirits to produce stories and editorials.

Seven Days should conduct a confidential poll of news staff and editorial employees of Seven Days, VTDigger.org and Vermont Public Radio. How many consider themselves conservative, served in the armed forces, donated to Republican presidential candidates, belong to the

[Re “Less Shade, More Light,” November 11]: City Hall Park may have been degraded, but it accommodated our farmers market, which was relocated without proper thought or adequate city assistance, according to the many farmers I spoke to. Now, after uprooting our most important outdoor market to a less desirable location to make way for the renovation, we have a typical splash fountain and some benches and tables with lots of concrete.

The park fails to reflect the inner creativity of our city and overlooks our very green, organic soul. It could be a plaza in the most mundane of places. It is boring to the eye and calls out for fewer hard surfaces and more comfortable green gathering places. It is sad to see our city transformed by a vision of concrete and urban development instead of the funky creativity and farm-to-table vision that made our City Hall Park a mecca for visitors and citizens every Saturday for decades.

The contributions of those who kept the plaza as green as it remains are deeply appreciated, and the harm prevented was worth every protest. But in the end, we lost the battle, and the new park is a sad reflection of what our current leaders thought we needed — not who we are.

Megan Epler Wood

BURLINGTON

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SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

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contents NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020 VOL.26 NO.8

COLUMNS

SECTIONS

FOOD

45 54 56 81

22 44 52 56 58 61

Pandemic-era services bring local food right to your front door

Side Dishes Album Reviews Movie Review Ask the Reverend

Life Lines Food + Drink Music + Nightlife Movies Classes Classifieds + Puzzles 76 Fun Stuff 80 Personals

Delivering the Goods

PAGE 44

STUCK IN VERMONT

Online Now

Unwrapping Vermont’s shop-local options in a complicated year COVER IMAGE ROB DONNELLY • COVER DESIGN REV. DIANE SULLIVAN

FEATURES 32 A Little Help

16

26

NEWS & POLITICS 11

ARTS NEWS 24

From the Publisher

Page 32

Warming to the Task?

Despite misgivings, Scott admin will participate on climate crisis council

Coronavirus Rekindles

State officials blame pandemic fatigue, complacency for COVID-19 surge

A Turn After Bern

If Sanders joined the Biden administration, who would succeed him in the Senate?

Retail Therapy: Northeast Kingdom Artisans Guild connects artists with patrons

Birds of a Feather

Cartoonist Harry Bliss and comedian Steve Martin on their new cartoon collection, A Wealth of Pigeons

Short takes on five Vermont books

Artful Compassion

Sarah Ashe laments human suffering in “Migrations” at GreenTARA Space

Streaming the Musical

Lyric Theatre gets creative in the time of COVID-19

Driven to Extremism

A Hungarian linguist at Norwich University dissects online far-right propaganda

Homeward Bound

Rob Mullen hikes, and paints, the Long Trail

Unthematic Elements

Breaking down musical comedy duo Pony Death Ride’s new album

e h T

We have

SUPPORTED BY:

Find a new job in the classifieds section on page 67 and online at sevendaysvt.com/jobs.

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Tom Verner and Janet Fredericks have performed magic tricks in 45 countries through their organization, Magicians Without Borders. Instead of traveling, the Lincoln couple is now focused on teaching the next generation closer to home.

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FROM THE PUBLISHER

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ROB DONNELLY

Most people associate the term “Black Friday” with the day after Thanksgiving — the official start of the holiday shopping season and one of retail’s biggest days of the year. In fact, it originally referred to a distinctly unprofitable day in 1869, when two U.S. investors drove up the price of gold and caused a stock market crash.

At the risk of causing more confusion, last Friday, November 13, might also merit the moniker — at least in Vermont. It was a dark day when, prompted by a rising number of coronavirus cases, Gov. Phil Scott prohibited all multi-household interaction, essentially canceling Thanksgiving and the year’s remaining holidays.

Public health officials insist it’s the best way to save lives, keep hospital and health care workers from being overwhelmed, and protect our beleaguered local economy.

But I’ve heard some people ask: “Why are schools and restaurants still open if I can’t walk outside with a friend when we’re both wearing masks?”

The point is not whether the potential dangers are equivalent; the governor is asking each of us to make a personal sacrifice for the greater good: functioning schools and operable local businesses — the lifeblood of our communities.

We are minimizing one risk to maximize another.

Seven Days reflects the place we cover — in the stories we write and also in the ads we run, which promote businesses that offer everything from pottery classes to bank loans. When the pandemic hit eight months ago, initiating an almost complete economic shutdown, more than half of those businesses disappeared from our pages.

In the months since, many have clawed their way back. “Vermontrepreneurs” are a creative and resilient bunch. But they are not superhuman.

Local retailers, in particular, need your support. Without it, many of them won’t survive. That’s why Seven Days moved our annual gift Burlington’s Church guide up a week and put it on the cover this year.

Street Marketplace The economic stimulus of holiday shopping may turn out to be the biggest Vermont business story of 2020: If locals patronize shops in their own community — instead of Amazon — our state might stand a chance. Merchants are bending over backward to safely accommodate customers with virtual trunk parties, curbside pickup and even free local delivery.

Burlington’s Outdoor Gear Exchange is offering an early “personalized shopping experience” before the store opens for regular business hours.

Many small local businesses are selling online this year, too. Seven Days has curated them on the Register, at shoptheregister.com. Take a break from doomscrolling on your phone and browse the listings.

Earlier this year, politicians asked Vermonters to make a plan to vote. Now we’re asking you to Interested in becoming a Super Reader? make a plan to patronize the retailers in your Look for the “Give Now” buttons at the top of community this holiday season. To help, we sevendaysvt.com. Or send a check with your polled readers on their favorite local businesses address and contact info to: in our first-ever Gift Local Giveaway. Find their SEVEN DAYS, C/O SUPER READERS recommendations in the guide inside, as well as 70 P.O. BOX 1164 carefully chosen Green Mountain State items.

BURLINGTON, VT 05402-1164 If ever there were a year to buy from Vermont For more information on making a financial businesses, this is it. And don’t wait until Black contribution to Seven Days, please contact Friday. The recipients of those gifts won’t be the Corey Grenier: only ones thanking you.

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SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

11

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MORE INSIDE

DROUGHT DISASTER IN VERMONT PAGE 14

LAW ENFORCEMENT

CO Cellars, ZAFA Wines Face Licensing Investigation

REPORT BLAMES STATE FILL THE BERN? FOR INMATE DEATH PAGE 16

PAGE 15

Warming to the Task?

B Y S A LLY PO LL A K sally@sevendaysvt.com

Despite misgivings, Scott admin will participate on climate crisis council B Y K E V I N MCCAL L UM • kevin@sevendaysvt.com

12

SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

MICHAEL TONN

A

s environmental advocates and lawmakers rallied support in January for a bill to hold the state accountable for meeting its greenhouse gas emission goals, Gov. Phil Scott pushed back.

The Republican governor defended himself from sharp criticism that he wasn’t doing enough to combat the climate crisis. He highlighted state programs to help people weatherize homes and buy electric vehicles, and he proposed using future budget surpluses to boost spending on such programs.

But the notion that the state would give its citizens the right to sue should it miss distant emissions targets — a core component of the Global Warming Solutions Act — struck Scott as asinine. He also dismissed legislators’ call for a 21-member panel to draft a new comprehensive climate action plan.

“Yeah, just what we need — another task force in Montpelier,” Scott scoffed to Vermont Public Radio journalist Bob Kinzel.

Fast-forward 10 months, and that task force — now the 23-member Vermont Climate Council — is about to begin its work over the governor’s objections.

In June, lawmakers resoundingly passed H.688, the signature climate legislation of the past session. They overrode Scott’s veto in September.

The law redefines Vermont’s emission goals as mandates. That means the state is now required to reduce carbon pollution to 26 percent below 2005 levels by 2025; 40 percent below even lower 1990 levels by 2030; and 80 percent below those 1990 levels by 2050. The state needs to adopt a plan to achieve these reductions, and if it’s off track, as it is now, a judge could compel more aggressive action and regulations.

Whether the new panel will be able to accomplish its mission in light of past opposition from Scott and members of his administration — eight of whom sit on the council — is a key question ahead of its first meeting on Friday, November 20.

The council’s chair, Secretary of Administration Susanne Young, acknowledged

the challenge of leading the group after her boss sought to undermine its legitimacy as an “unelected and virtually unaccountable council.” The panel, which Young noted was “larger than one of our small departments,” is nevertheless planning to dig in and deliver the climate plan the law requires

by December 1, 2021.

“There are very real concerns about the constitutionality of the structure, not the work that it’s doing,” Young said.

Can this panel accomplish more than a similar state commission empaneled just three years ago? Scott established

the 21-member Vermont Climate Action Commission in 2017 to design a plan to reach the state’s goals for renewable energy and greenhouse gas emissions. The commission took public testimony, made 53 policy recommendations and disbanded after a year. Two of its members are on the new Climate Council.

“What worries me most is, the governor already put together a panel, and he ignored the vast majority of their recommendations,” said Lt. Gov. David

ENVIRONMENT

WARMING TO THE TASK?

» P.14

The Vermont Division of Liquor Control executed two search warrants last Friday during a licensing investigation of CO Cellars, a Burlington fermentory and tasting room, and ZAFA Wines, a winery that shares CO Cellars’ location in the Soda Plant building in the South End. CO Cellars is a collaboration of ZAFA Wines and Shacksbury Cider, a cidery based in Vergennes. The Burlington business, which opened two years ago, produces ciders, wines and co-ferments.

It operates a small tasting room that’s been closed during the pandemic.

The state is collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses in its ongoing investigation that “vinous products were produced without a license from 2018 and onward,” Skyler Genest, the director of compliance and enforcement for the division, said. A second location, on Dorset Street in South Burlington, is part of the investigation, according to Genest.

Both CO Cellars and ZAFA Wines are listed as having “pending applications” on the DLC’s website. Three license applications from August 2020 are pending for CO Cellars: manufacturing, direct shipment and a tasting room. The ZAFA applications, from May 2020, are for manufacturing and a tasting room.

The DLC last Friday issued a cease-and-desist letter for CO Cellars and ZAFA to stop the manufacture, sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages, Genest said.

Colin Davis, co-owner of Shacksbury Cider and a partner in CO Cellars, said CO Cellars has been attempting to renew its licenses since the spring.

“In the midst of COVID, we furloughed our workers and basically shut down,” Davis told Seven Days. “When things came back online we tried to apply for our permits, and they’ve basically been held up by the [DLC]. We’re not really sure what the issue is.”

Krista Scruggs, owner of ZAFA Wines, declined to comment for this story.

CO Cellars and ZAFA Wines have earned national recognition. Last year, Time named CO Cellars one of the 100 greatest places in the world to eat and drink.

The tasting room on Pine Street was locked on Monday afternoon. As of Saturday night, Gov. Phil Scott ordered all bars to stop operating due to the surge in coronavirus cases.

During the pandemic, CO Cellars has offered curbside sales. A notice recently posted on its Instagram account reads: “Takin’ a lil break from curbside. Back at it soon!”

Coronavirus Rekindles State officials blame pandemic fatigue, complacency for COVID-19 surge

BY COLIN FL AN DERS • colin@sevendaysvt.com

D SCREENSHOT

r. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease official, appeared at one of Gov. Phil Scott’s coronavirus briefings in September to commend Vermonters on their handling of the pandemic.

“I believe strongly that if we do what you have been doing in Vermont in the rest of the country … we can not only get through the fall and the winter, but can come out on the other end better off than we went in,” Fauci said from a video feed.

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Just two months later, Vermont is now reporting hundreds of new cases a week — a surge that officials blame on a breakdown of the same prevention efforts that led to the state’s initial success. As case counts soar, so do the number of infections traced back to private social gatherings, which persist despite officials’ pleas.

State leaders openly worry that they are combating not only a deadly virus but also a dangerous sense of complacency.

“Some Vermonters started believing in their own magic,” Human Services Secretary Mike Smith told Seven Days last Friday.

With cold weather forcing more people indoors, where the virus spreads more easily, many fear that Vermont may be heading for an uncontrollable outbreak far worse than that of the spring unless Gov. Phil Scott with Dr. something changes — and fast.

Anthony Fauci on-screen “We’re at a tipping point,” Scott said last Friday.

Vermont’s total number of It was no surprise that Vermont’s known coronavirus cases surpassed 3,000 pandemic response had earned national this week. More than a third of that total attention. While the leaders of some came in the last 30 days. On Monday, the states resisted calls to keep people home, Vermont Department of Health reported Scott acted swiftly, completely tightening 122 new cases, eclipsing a previous record his proverbial spigot in late March, just of 116 set just four days earlier. The three weeks after the first known case. weekly case average is now 91, the highest Residents responded with a shared sense it has ever been. of duty, postponing weddings, canceling The speed at which Vermont has graduation parties and moving family switched from a coronavirus haven to a gatherings online. By mid-April, the state hot spot has surprised even those whose was reporting only a few new cases a day, jobs require them to be aware of such a lull that lasted through the summer, trends. “It’s been pretty breathtaking raising hopes that Vermont might finish how quickly we’ve gone from virtually the year without another crippling no virus to where we are now,” Burlington shutdown.

Mayor Miro Weinberger said last Friday, Yet mixed with Fauci’s praise was “battling it on many fronts.”

Indeed, all 14 of Vermont’s counties a warning — one that now feels eerily prescient as Vermont, along with the rest have now reported at least a dozen new of the country, enters its worst phase of cases in the last two weeks alone. The the pandemic to date. spread has also invaded the community “This virus is a formidable foe,” Fauci at a far higher rate: While early outbreaks said, urging people to stay vigilant. “You occurred at facilities such as nursing give it an opportunity to reemerge its ugly homes, many recent case clusters have head, whether you are in the beautiful been traced back to private events — rural areas of Vermont or the middle baby showers, barbecues, dinner parties of Manhattan or the Bronx, the virus is going to take advantage of that.”

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Drought Disaster Declared for 10 Vermont Counties B Y K E VI N M C C AL L U M kevin@sevendaysvt.com

Federal officials have declared 10 counties in Vermont to be a natural disaster area due to the 2020 drought — a decision that allows farmers who lost crops for lack of rainfall to apply for disaster aid.

The feds designated the 10 counties in red disaster areas. Farmers in adjoining counties (orange) are also eligible for aid.

The counties are Addison, Bennington, Chittenden, Washington, Rutland, Windham, Windsor, Orange, Essex and Caledonia. Under federal law, the adjoining counties are also eligible for aid, meaning that farmers in all of Vermont and certain counties in New York, Massachusetts and New Hampshire will also qualify for aid over the next eight months.

Vermont farmers estimated at least $27 million in crop losses due to the drought. Corn and hay yields were down by as much as 75 percent, streams and farm ponds ran dry, and farmers were forced to haul water and to feed animals harvested hay when pastures dried up. In Ferrisburgh, farmer Erik Andrus lost acres of rice that he’d planted.

As Seven Days previously reported, the drought caused creeks to dry up, and the water level in Lake Champlain dropped. Some residential wells ran dry.

Parts of Vermont were declared abnormally dry as early as June, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, and advanced to moderate drought and severe drought as the summer progressed. Eastern Vermont was generally drier than the west.

Despite recent rains, much of the state was still listed as abnormally dry or in moderate drought. m

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SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

Warming to the Task? « P.12 Zuckerman, who sits on the Senate committee that appointed seven members of the new council.

Zuckerman said Scott’s “ineffective” record on climate, his critiques of the new Climate Council and his focus on COVID19 make him wonder whether the administration will give this climate effort the attention it demands.

“The people that the House and Senate put on this panel are ready for action,” said Zuckerman, who lost his bid to unseat Scott earlier this month. “The question is, are his administrative appointees going to be directed to make this panel effective or for it to drag its heels?”

Administration officials say it’s the legislature’s job to pass laws and the executive branch’s to carry them out. Creating a council composed mostly of legislative appointees who have the power to pass a plan that state agencies will be required to follow crosses a line that is “unconstitutionally usurping the Executive Branch role,” Scott asserted in his veto message.

Sen. Chris Bray (D-Addison) said lawmakers closely reviewed the claims of unconstitutionality and found that they had no merit, calling them “legal nonsense.” He noted that both the Office of the Legislative Counsel and the attorney general found the law constitutional.

Young said she is optimistic the council can meet the objectives the legislature laid out for it. She praised the appointees as a “really dedicated, diverse group of individuals” and said Agency of Natural Resources staff are already pulling together detailed information that the group will need to tackle the task.

That task includes updating the comprehensive assessment of the state’s current greenhouse gas emissions. The panel must also evaluate the impact and cost-effectiveness of strategies to reduce those emissions, such as switching to electric cars and buses, and phasing out oil furnaces in favor of electric heat pumps or advanced wood burners.

If that weren’t enough, the members are also charged with devising strategies to “prepare the State’s communities, infrastructure, and economy to adapt to the current and anticipated effects of climate change,” the law states.

“We have a lot of work ahead of us,” Young acknowledged.

The panel includes leaders of key state departments addressing the climate crisis. Point people will likely be Julie Moore, secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources and clean water czar; Joe Flynn, secretary of the Agency of Transportation, a sector that accounts for 43 percent of the state’s emissions; and June Tierney,

commissioner of the Department of Public Service, which employs the state’s energy experts and promotes advanced wood heating technologies.

Other administration appointees are Anson Tebbetts, secretary of the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets; Lindsay Kurrle, secretary of the Agency of Commerce and Community Development; Sean Brown, commissioner of the Department for Children and Families; and Erica Bornemann, director of Vermont Emergency Management.

Several of the 15 members appointed by the legislature have significant experience in climate science and carbon-reduction policies. Richard Cowart once chaired the Vermont Public Service Board and now runs the Regulatory Assistance Project, a nonprofit that helps governments and organizations around the world transition to renewable energy. Cowart helped lay the foundation for the establishment of the

FINALLY, THE STATE OF VERMONT

IS TAKING THE CLIMATE CRISIS SERIOUSLY. J O H ANNA MIL L E R

state’s energy efficiency utility, Efficiency Vermont, which estimates its programs have helped prevent 12 million tons of carbon emissions since 2000.

“We had some phenomenal applications, but Rich’s experience in Vermont, in other states and internationally set him apart,” said House Speaker Mitzi Johnson (D-South Hero), who said she considers the panel’s work part of her legislative legacy.

Another key player will likely be Jared Duval, the executive director of the Energy Action Network, a renewable energy advocacy group that tracks and reports on the state’s emission reduction efforts.

Duval, the former economic development director of the Agency of Commerce and Community Development, said ditching fossil fuels in favor of local, renewable energy options presents a huge opportunity for the state.

Of the $2 billion per year Vermonters spend on gasoline and heating fuel, 75 percent goes overseas, representing a “$1.5 billion drain on the Vermont economy,” Duval said.

Those funds, if “reoriented” toward local low-carbon options, could bring about an energy transformation that would reap myriad benefits.

“I think the climate action plan has the potential to generate massive energy cost savings for Vermonters and to be the most

significant economic development initiative for Vermont over the next decade,” Duval said.

While reducing the carbon footprint in the transportation and heating sectors will be difficult in a cold state that loves its pickup trucks, Duval said there is an important “silver lining.”

The state has already done a good job shifting its electric utilities to low-carbon sources such as solar, wind and hydroelectric. So now, whenever a Vermonter replaces a gas car or oil furnace with an electric alternative, the switch results in a larger net carbon emission reduction than it would elsewhere, he said.

Johanna Miller, energy and climate program director at the Vermont Natural Resources Council, said that while she has been frustrated by the state’s inaction to date, she’s going into the new effort with high hopes and an open mind.

“Finally, the State of Vermont is taking the climate crisis seriously,” Miller said.

While the state has been “dinking around with these issues for 15 years now,” Miller said, this council has some teeth.

The “accountability framework” baked into the law means that the Agency of Natural Resources will be required to adopt regulations in line with the Climate Council’s plan — and that citizens will be able to hold the state responsible by filing suit if those regulations aren’t getting the job done, Miller said.

“I do think, fundamentally, this is a different day,” Miller said. “It’s a different dynamic than climate commissions and the climate councils of the past.”

Whatever policy proposals the council recommends, the state’s success in embracing a more environmental ethos will ultimately come down to education, said Sophia Clark, 17, the council’s youth member. She is acutely aware that her generation will be most affected by the climate crisis, and so it has an obligation to participate in the solutions.

“Everyone is going to face it, but the young are going to face it the most and experience it the strongest,” Clark said.

“It’s not fair. We had nothing to do with it.”

While she knows the policy changes the council will be debating are vital, to her, the small choices that Vermonters make every day may prove just as important.

Whether it’s supporting local, regenerative agriculture; asking a local grocer to use less environmentally harmful refrigerant; riding a bicycle instead of driving; or just buying less junk, small changes can go a long way, she said.

“I think we need to look at small little things that we can change that can add up to big change,” Clark said. m

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LAW ENFORCEMENT

Independent Report Faults DOC, Medical Contractor in Death of Black Inmate B Y PAU L H E I N T Z •

paul@sevendaysvt.com included in this report that suggest that some of our employees failed to take action when it was indicated.”

Smith, whose agency oversees the DOC, called the report “disturbing” and said there was “plenty of blame to go around.” In particular, he faulted Centurion, whose employees refused to take part in the investigation. The state severed its relationship with the contractor in July for unrelated reasons.

“I have a really deep concern about Centurion’s refusal to participate in this independent investigation,” Smith said.

“It’s both unfortunate and disconcerting to me, at least.”

Centurion representatives did not respond to requests for comment.

COURTESY OF GILBERT JOHNSON

The state Department of Corrections could have done more to save the life of an inmate who died last December at a northern Vermont prison, according to a law firm hired by the state to investigate his death.

In a 38-page report issued Monday, attorneys with Downs Rachlin Martin concluded that DOC policies and personnel failed to protect Kenneth Johnson, a 60-year-old Black man who died after an undiagnosed tumor obstructed his airway. The firm also faulted Centurion, the medical contractor that ran the infirmary at Newport’s Northern State Correctional Facility, where Johnson was lodged.

The report questioned whether Johnson’s race contributed to his substandard treatment, concluding that “implicit bias likely played a role.”

The investigation found that authorities were aware Johnson was in medical distress as early as 10 p.m. on December 6 but failed to respond appropriately to his requests for help. Though Johnson “appeared to be gasping for air,” according to one officer, staff neglected to summon a doctor or transport him to a nearby hospital.

After a Corrections officer found Johnson collapsed on the floor of an infirmary bathroom at 12:38 a.m. the next morning, prison staff ordered him to stay in bed and threatened to send him to a holding cell if he failed to comply, the report found. One supervisor told him to “knock it off.”

Johnson was discovered unresponsive at 2:17 a.m. and was pronounced dead shortly thereafter.

The firm concluded that the department and Centurion “could have and should have done more to assist Mr. Johnson during his health crisis,” noting that he was “clearly and visibly in substantial distress during that time period.”

“While corrections staff did not completely fail in responding to these complaints, at the end of the day, their response was insufficient to keep Mr. Johnson from dying from a tumor-caused breathing obstruction,” the report’s authors wrote. “That should not have happened.”

Downs Rachlin Martin did not consider whether any laws were broken, though separate law enforcement investigations are outstanding. The firm also did not specifically recommend disciplinary action against Corrections officers. But at a press conference held Monday to unveil the report, Human Services Secretary Mike Smith said those could be in the offing.

“We need to take a look at the actions of our personnel involved in this incident,” he said. “There are troubling details

Kenneth Johnson

At the time of his death, Johnson was being held without bail on charges of human trafficking and sexual assault of a minor. He had pleaded not guilty and was awaiting trial.

Several state officials and Johnson’s own family members have questioned whether his race played a role in his death.

The report noted that he was under the care and supervision of “an almost entirely white staff” and found that several officers had not received implicit bias training. One supervisor said he had never even heard of implicit bias.

Though the report suggested it was “reasonable to conclude” that Johnson’s race affected his treatment, it also stated that it was “impossible to determine with certainty whether racial bias played a role in this tragedy.”

At Monday’s press conference, Downs Rachlin Martin director Tristram Coffin, a former federal prosecutor, said, “It’s hard to say whether [Johnson’s race] resulted in having differential treatment, but it’s also hard to say that that wasn’t the case.” m

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A Turn After Bern

If Sanders joined the Biden administration, who would succeed him in the Senate?

B Y PAUL HEI NT Z • paul@sevendaysvt.com

SCOTT’S CHOICE

When a vacancy occurs in Vermont’s congressional delegation, state law requires that the governor call a special election — first a primary, and then a general — within six months. The winner would complete the former 16

SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

FILE: LUKE AWTRY

I

n the weeks since Politico reported U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) interest in serving in president-elect Joe Biden’s administration, Montpelier has been consumed by the question of who would replace him in the Senate.

“It would be the big moment in Vermont politics,” said Alex MacLean, a lobbyist and political operative.

Sanders has only added to the speculation in recent days as he’s publicly campaigned for the job of labor secretary.

“If I had a portfolio that allowed me to stand up and fight for working families, would I do it?” he said last week to CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “Yes, I would.”

According to one senior Sanders adviser, the 79-year-old senator won’t seek the presidency again, and it’s “questionable” whether he will run for reelection.

“He wants a purpose, to be honest with you,” the adviser, who declined to be named, said of his boss’ cabinet ambitions.

“I think he wants to be leading.”

To be sure, Sanders’ chance of securing the position and giving up his seat seems slim. Labor leaders appear far more interested in Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and U.S. Rep. Andy Levin (D-Mich.). Sanders would likely face a tough confirmation fight in the Senate, regardless of which party controls it. And, perhaps most importantly, the Biden administration would be loath to risk a safe Democratic seat — particularly if the party secures a narrow Senate majority by winning two special elections in January in Georgia.

“I don’t want to piss on Bernie’s parade, because I think he deserves it,” said former governor Howard Dean, a Democrat. “I just think it’s very unlikely.”

Dean’s Republican successor, Jim Douglas, sounded equally skeptical. “Do you think Bernie would be good at following someone else’s orders and policies?” the former governor asked. “It’s interesting speculation. I don’t know that it’s realistic or not.”

That hasn’t prevented politicos from wondering who might come next.

Scott could also look to former independent state reps, such as Oliver Olsen of Londonderry or Adam Greshin of Warren, who now serves as the governor’s commissioner of finance.

Other Scott administration officials who have not run for public office and therefore not had to pick a party could also fit the bill. They include Secretary of Administration Susanne Young and former secretary of human services Al Gobeille, now an executive vice president at the University of Vermont Health Network.

And if the governor defined “independent” loosely, state Treasurer Beth Pearce could be in the mix. Though she has run as a Democrat, she’s widely seen as a professional, not a partisan — and picking her would be a twofer for Scott because he could then appoint a new treasurer.

“To be honest, I really haven’t thought about this,” Pearce said.

Nationally, vacant seats often go to outgoing senators’ family members or staffers. And, according to Kelley, an appointee’s ability “to work with Sen. Sanders’ staff ” is important to Scott.

Sanders’ spouse, Jane O’Meara Sanders, has been involved in politics and higher education for decades; her daughter, Carina Driscoll, served in the Vermont House and the Burlington City Council as a Progressive but ran for mayor in 2018 as an independent.

Sanders’ current and former state directors — Kathryn Becker Van Haste, David Weinstein and Phil Fiermonte — would be well prepared for the role, though Fiermonte said he wouldn’t do it, noting that he recently moved to Montréal.

He suggested Peter Clavelle, who worked for Sanders in Burlington City Hall and succeeded him as mayor, though Clavelle has also run at times as a Progressive and a Democrat.

“Left-leaning” could be in the eye of the beholder. Scott could certainly make a more centrist pick, such as David Coates, an elder statesperson and retired managing partner of KPMG’s Vermont office, or Liz Gamache, the former mayor of St. Albans. Vermont Community Foundation president Dan Smith, who ran for mayor of Burlington as an independent, would be a somewhat ironic choice, given that Sanders won his seat in the U.S. House by defeating his father, Peter Smith, in 1990. And then there’s

POLITICS

Sen. Bernie Sanders

occupant’s term, which, in Sanders’ case, expires in January 2025. The governor is also empowered to appoint an interim senator to serve until the special election.

Asked by reporters how he would handle an interim appointment, Republican Gov. Phil Scott has outlined a rather specific set of characteristics.

“I want this to be fair,” he said last month, noting that he has always respected Vermont’s tradition of replacing an outgoing legislator with a member of the same party. For that reason, Scott said, he would replace Sanders with “a more left-leaning type of independent that would obviously caucus with the Democrats.”

The governor has also said he would not appoint anyone interested in running in the special election, arguing that doing so would give that person an unfair “leg up.”

Scott’s spokesperson, Rebecca Kelley, offered a few more clues in an interview with Seven Days. She said the governor would not appoint himself, nor run in a special election. He does not have anyone in particular in mind, Kelley added.

“He’s really looking for somebody who’s in it for the moment of public service — who can hit the ground running as much as possible, because there is, of course, going to be a lot of important work that needs to get done,”

she said. “So someone with government experience.”

Though Kelley said Scott hasn’t heard from Sanders in months, the senator appears thankful that the governor hasn’t torpedoed his job search by threatening to name a Republican to the job.

“I was very appreciative that he did say that he would appoint somebody who would caucus with the Democrats,” Sanders told WCAX-TV this week. “And that’s very important.”

SHORT-TIMERS

Scott’s idiosyncratic criteria for an interim appointee would seem to eliminate the vast majority of those who might be interested in the gig.

If he’s serious about appointing an independent, the only plausible current officeholder would seem to be Rep. Laura Sibilia (I-Dover). A close ally of Scott’s, the southern Vermont economic development official would bring gender and regional diversity to the congressional delegation — though it might be a stretch to call her “left-leaning.”

Like nearly every potential candidate contacted for this story, Sibilia responded with a careful mix of appreciation and skepticism. “You know, I have not really thought about that in depth,” she said. “I am thinking about the upcoming [legislative] session.”

Vermont Gas president and CEO Neale Lunderville, a former executive director of the Vermont Republican Party who has spent years burnishing his nonpartisan bona fides, perhaps with an eye on public office.

“It’s certainly nice to be thought of,” Lunderville said before listing a thousand reasons it would be unlikely to happen.

Mary Powell, the former president and CEO of Green Mountain Power, could be a candidate for the temporary position or in a special election. “If the opportunity arose where I felt like I could be of use and service to Vermont in a way that was unique to my capabilities, I would absolutely consider it,” said Powell, who

characterized herself as an independentminded Democrat.

And then there’s always the chance that Scott could choose someone from out of left field, such as the writer and climate activist Bill McKibben. Though the Ripton resident said he’s never been interested in public office, he added that he’s “a reliable enough Vermonter that I’d answer most any call, I guess” — particularly if the job didn’t last too long.

“I gotta say, though, it’s a shame Fred Tuttle passed,” McKibben said, referring to the Tunbridge dairy farmer who waged a semi-satirical Senate campaign in 1998, “because that would have been truly the best outcome here.”

A VERY SPECIAL ELECTION

In a condensed campaign period, name recognition, fundraising capacity and political chops matter more than ever, so those who have won Vermont’s highest offices would seem to be heavy favorites in a special election. But several of those who would meet that threshold — Scott foremost among them — appear uninterested.

“No, no, no,” said Douglas, the former Republican governor. “I ran statewide 15 times. I think that’s enough.”

“You don’t really think I’m going to bite on this one?” asked Dean, the former Democratic governor. “I haven’t thought about it for one second.”

That would leave U.S. Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) as the sole potential candidate who could potentially clear the field. He’s certainly known to voters, having won statewide office in the last eight elections, and he has more than $2 million in his federal campaign account.

Asked about the prospect last week on Vermont Public Radio’s “Vermont Edition,” Welch said, “It’s honestly not anything I’m thinking about at all,” adding that he already has a full-time job. “We’ll just see what happens.”

The best arguments against Welch running are his age and gender. At 73 years old, he would be unlikely to serve long A TURN AFTER BERN

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122

120 110 100 90 80

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70 60 50 40 30

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Weekly COVID-19 Tests Conducted in Vermont Includes all PCR tests for COVID-19 reported in Vermont; one person may be tested multiple times in a week.

Colleges begin routine testing

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the state was trending in the wrong direction, Scott, too, cited pandemic fatigue and urged people to observe best health practices. He made a particular point to encourage people to gather only with trusted households or those known to be taking precautions.

Despite the repeated urging, officials say, many people still went to Halloween parties, some of which drew 50 attendees.

Twelve days later, the state reported its first-ever day of more than 100 new cases.

After months of loosened restrictions, Scott said last week he had no choice but to curb some aspects of social life. In hopes of keeping out the virus, he reinstated universal quarantine mandates for all outof-state arrivals. He then shuttered bars, suspended recreational sports leagues and banned inter-household gatherings — measures he said he put in place because it was clear too many people were ignoring pleas to recommit themselves to prevention efforts.

“Although we’ve been warning against these activities for weeks, they’re still happening,” Scott said last Friday, referring to private social gatherings.

The governor’s decisions drew mixed

Nov 9

Nov 2

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Jul 6

Jul 13

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Jun 22

Jun 8

Jun 15

Jun 1

May 25

May 18

May 4

May 11

Apr 27

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Apr 6

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Mar 23

Mar 9

0

Mar 16

4,000

reactions. Some thought he went too far. Many more questioned the logic of banning people from walking outside with friends while allowing them to eat at restaurants indoors.

“The unevenness is frustrating,” said Peter Henne of South Burlington, who said the new rules acutely affect families such as his who count on their children being

SOME VERMONTERS STARTED BELIEVING IN THEIR OWN MAGIC. MIK E S MITH

able to play outside with friends. “It’s hard to explain to them why they can’t see their friends — to convince them that they do have friends,” he said.

Some fear that the order might even be counterproductive. Rebecca Hartman Huenink of Saxtons River said people have heard for months that the risks of transmission are far lower in outdoor settings.

To them, banning walks with friends “just doesn’t make sense.”

SOURCE: VERMONT DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH | CHARTS: ANDREA SUOZZO

— where people are less likely to wear masks and remain socially distant.

According to the health department, such gatherings have been connected to roughly 70 percent of all cases associated with an outbreak since October 1. Health investigators have also noticed that the number of close contacts associated with each case has increased in recent months — another sign of widening social circles.

“The fact is, people getting together, not being careful and letting their guard down is why we’re in this position today,” Scott said last Friday.

To be sure, officials say Vermont is far better prepared to respond than it was during the pandemic’s first wave. Medical supply chains are in better shape, hospitals can better predict the average usefulness of personal protective equipment, and advancements in treatment have lessened the need for ventilators. Officials are confident the state will have enough to meet the demand.

The state is also administering way more tests — averaging more than 4,000 a day last month — and has begun surveillance testing of teachers and staff at K-12 schools, which will provide a better overview of the virus’ prevalence in communities.

One factor that hasn’t changed is hospital staffing levels, which were already under strain before the pandemic hit. With health care workers comprising about one out of every eight COVID-19 infections in Vermont, there is concern that a massive surge could overrun the state’s hospitals.

“Other states are now running headlong into outstripping their capacity,” Public Safety Commissioner Michael Schirling said. “We might have all the N95 masks or the disposable gowns we need to equip people, but we might not have enough people to take care of you.”

State officials began urging Vermonters to double down on prevention efforts in earnest several weeks ago after identifying a major outbreak connected to Montpelier hockey and broomball leagues that spread through breakdowns in masking and social distancing.

At an October 20 press conference, Health Commissioner Mark Levine said pandemic fatigue was one of the “most significant challenges” the state would face moving forward.

“For nearly eight straight months, we’ve had to really dial back our lives to protect ourselves and to protect each other, adjusting our routines [and] forgoing many of the basic social and family activities that we all enjoy,” he said. “It is exhausting, both physically and mentally.”

On October 30, as it became clear that

New Cases of COVID-19 Identified in Vermont

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“There’s a danger that people are just going to say, ‘This is impossible, and I’m going to ignore all of it,’ and we’ll have more things like Halloween parties and Thanksgiving dinners,” Huenink said.

She said she feels fortunate that her family can more easily isolate than most: She can work from home, and her husband watches their children. “We can do it, and we will do it,” Huenink said of the new guidance. “But I’m worried that most people can’t — and won’t.”

Explaining his thinking, Scott said private gatherings typically lack the same “structured” environments as businesses, where people are required to wear masks and follow other best practices. He said officials have a better understanding of how the virus spreads now compared to in the spring, allowing them to take a “more surgical approach.”

“We’re targeting the areas that we see are problematic,” Scott said.

Because of COVID-19’s incubation period, it can take up to two weeks to determine the impacts of restrictions, so it is hard to know whether the moves will be enough to slow the virus’ spread.

If Vermonters adhere to the order and isolate from other households, officials say, transmission should decrease. But that is a big “if” with Thanksgiving days away and other major holidays looming next month.

If the new restrictions don’t curb the spread, future ones are likely; Scott has warned that “nothing is off the table,” including a stay-at-home order. Yet even that may not be a silver bullet for complacency, with virtually no way to police in real time whether people are inviting their family for dinner or friends for coffee.

Although the state could always punish scofflaws after the fact — Rhode Island, for example, threatens hosts of gatherings that fuel transmissions with a $500 fine for each person over a 10-person limit — Scott has made clear that he prefers an educational approach, saying last week that he had not “contemplated” any enforcement system for his latest orders “at this point.”

Given this, the challenge facing Scott is less about restrictions and more about trying to convince Vermonters to overcome their pandemic fatigue — to recognize that they alone control the state’s fate.

That even after so much sacrifice, more is needed.

“We can give guidance. We can give support. We can provide more testing.

We can provide more contact tracing.

We can provide more grants. We can put all the protective measures in place to protect the most vulnerable,” Scott said at a press conference on Tuesday. “But we can’t really, in some respects, change your behavior — unless you want to help.”

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A Turn After Bern « P.17 enough in the Senate to accrue seniority, and he would not break Vermont’s streak as the last state in the union to have never sent a woman to Congress. (The third member of the delegation is 80-year-old Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy.)

Nobody Seven Days reached would voice those concerns on the record, but one said Welch’s elevation would be a “double-negative” for Vermont, because the state would simultaneously lose Sanders’ seniority in the Senate and Welch’s in the House.

THE REST OF THE FIELD

If Welch ran and won, Scott would have to call yet another special election to fill his House seat. If Welch took a pass, the Senate race would be wide open.

Either scenario would open the floodgates to plenty of pent-up political ambition.

“This will be a generational change in leadership,” said veteran Democratic strategist Carolyn Dwyer, who manages Leahy’s reelection campaigns but spoke in her personal capacity. “I think Vermonters will look to a new generation to fill those seats when they come open.”

THIS WILL BE A GENERATIONAL

CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP. CA R O LYN D W YER

They might also look for gender diversity, according to MacLean, the lobbyist and operative. “It could be an exciting moment for Vermont’s women and girls,” she said.

The timing of a special election could, however, be awkward for several women who are rising through the political ranks but who either just won or are currently seeking new jobs that would tie them down at the Statehouse. Among them are Molly Gray, who was elected lieutenant governor earlier this month; Sen. Becca Balint (D-Windham), who is likely to become the state Senate’s next president pro tempore; and Reps. Jill Krowinski (D-Burlington) and Sarah Copeland Hanzas (D-Bradford), who are running for speaker of the Vermont House.

“My focus right now is definitely on the task at hand,” Gray said, adding that there were “a lot of hypotheticals.”

The timing would also be tough for those who just lost statewide races, such as outgoing Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman, a Progressive/Democrat; former education secretary and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rebecca Holcombe; outgoing Senate President Pro Tempore Tim Ashe; and Republican lieutenant gubernatorial candidate Scott Milne.

Holcombe said she would not run, while Milne said he was “not currently entertaining” the idea. Zuckerman, who lost to Scott in this month’s gubernatorial election, said, “At this point, I am assessing many options for my future, and I am not ruling anything out.” As for Ashe, when he was asked about the prospect after a press conference last week, he laughed and walked away.

Among Vermont’s current statewide officeholders, Democratic Attorney General T.J. Donovan is widely seen as the most ambitious. He’s also smart enough to read the room.

“If Sen. Sanders were to be appointed to work with the Biden administration, I think it’s important that Vermont send a woman to Washington,” he said. “We have a great congressman in Peter Welch, who’s certainly qualified for [the Senate] position. But you never say never in this business. But you never get ahead of yourself.”

Though the prospect of Sanders’ seat slipping out of Democratic hands could ultimately doom his cabinet candidacy, it’s almost impossible to imagine a Republican winning a special election.

In the past decade, Scott has been the only member of the GOP to win statewide office in Vermont. Milne, who was seen as a potential prospect, has now lost three races in a row.

And while Vermonters are prone to elevating moderate Republicans to the governorship, they haven’t sent a member of the party to Congress since 2000. Even then, that Republican, the late Jim Jeffords, soon fled the party and caucused with Democrats.

“I think people look at candidates for federal office and governor differently, so I think it would be more difficult,” said Douglas, who has a bit of firsthand knowledge, having lost a Senate race to Leahy in 1992. “We obviously don’t have a strong bench.” m Disclosures: Paul Heintz worked as Peter Welch’s communications director from November 2008 to March 2011. 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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OBITUARIES, VOWS, CELEBRATIONS

bachelor’s degree in psychology and early childhood development. She went on to earn a master’s degree in education from Southern New Hampshire University.

As a mother of a young daughter, she balanced her life with work and play, enjoying her time as a teacher and aide in preschool and kindergarten programs in the Chittenden County area. She loved watching the Red Sox and the Patriots, listening to the Zac Brown Band and other country artists, and spending time with her friends, including cooking

wonderful meals and dancing in the kitchen.

She leaves behind her daughter and the apple of her eye, Isabella; her husband, Brian Blais; her parents, Betsy Lawrence and Joel Najman; her sister, Joya Lawrence; and aunts, uncles and cousins.

Her family would like to thank the caring and compassionate staff of the Temple Hospital Transplant Program for all their efforts and dedication to Anila. She had many tough battles in her short life but was a strong woman and fighter.

She is sorely missed, and her radiant smile and caring spirit will be with us always.

A celebration of her life is planned for the spring. Donations in her memory may be sent to Steps to End Domestic Violence in Burlington, Vt., or the Cathy Neary Scholarship Fund at the Department of Parks and Recreation in Colchester, Vt.

For his friends and family, there remain cherished memories of the summers spent at Long Point, fishing lessons, his skill at the grill, and boat rides (“Hit it, Grandpa!”). Pebble Beach and Hawkins Bay were treasured family boating destinations and some of the grandchildren’s happiest memories with Grandpa.

Many joyful days were spent watching the sunsets at Long Point and enjoying the grill master’s meals. To this day, no one knows the secret of Steve’s grilled lake trout or his spectacular mashed potatoes.

Steve Lackey was born on July 5, 1941, in Carlisle, Pa., the son of Mildred Elizabeth (Seidel) Lackey and Joel Leib Lackey. The youngest of two boys, Steve is survived by his wife, Susan (Johns) Lackey, of Essex Junction, Vt.; brother Joel Lee Lackey and his wife, Kathleen (Huffman) Lackey, of Fayetteville, Pa.; brother-in-law Dr. Walter Johns and his wife, Margaret, of Erie, Pa.; and brother-in-law Dr. Peter Johns of Westford, Mass. He is also survived by his children, Steven

Perkins and his spouse, Richard DeWitt, of Poughkeepsie, N.Y.; Doug Perkins and his wife, Camilla (Myers) Perkins, of Westford, Vt.; Craig Lackey and his wife, Gretel (Wright) Lackey, of Corpus Christi, Texas; and Darren Perkins of Baltimore, Md. He is survived by beloved grandchildren Brooke and Doug Hagerman, Erika and Joe Good, Spencer Perkins, Mikaela Salem, and Saedee Perkins; great-grandson Beckett Michael Good; and many loving, supportive friends. Steven was predeceased by his parents; sons Christopher Lackey and Michael Lackey; and grandson David Perkins.

To celebrate and honor Steven’s life, in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Friends of Basin Harbor Golf, for the maintenance and sustainability of the Golf Club at Basin Harbor, a new independent entity he supported.

It will remain located on the grounds of the Basin Harbor Club.

Checks should be made out to the Friends of Basin Harbor Golf and mailed to Dan Morris, 2531 Maple St., Waltham, VT 05491. Funds will be used to maintain the golf course and continue its use for future generations. Some of Steve’s happiest hours were spent on the course with his wife and friends. A celebration of Steven’s life will be held in July 2021, when it will be safer for people to gather and share stories of this wonderful husband, father, grandfather and friend.

Arrangements are by Boucher and Pritchard Funeral Directors.

OBITUARIES Anila Lawrence Blais

JULY 27, 1985-NOVEMBER 6, 2020 COLCHESTER, VT. Anila passed away early in the morning on Friday, November 6, at Temple Hospital in Philadelphia from complications following an organ transplant.

Born in Calcutta, India, she journeyed across the world at 10 weeks to join her family in Vermont.

She attended Colchester schools and was a varsity athlete in crosscountry running, cross-country skiing, softball, and track and field.

After attending Colchester High School, she graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a

Steven C. Lackey

JULY 5, 1941-NOVEMBER 9, 2020 ESSEX JUNCTION, VT. On November 9, 2020, Steven C. Lackey took his last walk with the love of his life and wife of 39 years, Sue Lackey, and passed into the arms of God. A quiet, easygoing and resourceful man, Steve was passionate about his family, his friends and his beloved game of golf. Steve took great delight in teaching others how to play golf and sharing his broader knowledge of the sport. He could analyze any swing and help improve it. An avid sports fan, Steve loved to attend his sons’ and then grandchildren’s games and always encouraged their love of their chosen sport.

He taught or shared knowledge in a patient and gentle way. This past summer, Steve and Sue spent many wonderful afternoons playing golf on their favorite golf course at Basin Harbor Club in Vergennes, Vt. Upon graduating from the University of Maryland at College Park in 1963 with a bachelor’s in business administration, Steve began seven years of service with the U.S. Air Force at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, finishing at the rank of captain. He supervised the development of the Air Force’s computer system in the very early days of computer programming. IBM Burlington hired Steve right out of the Air Force, and he served for almost 30 years writing software code that controlled the automated systems that produced the microchips.

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SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

Mary Elizabeth

NOVEMBER 5, 1955JULY 20, 2020 ESSEX, VT. Mary Elizabeth’s passions were education and art. Growing up as the oldest of three in Evanston, Ill., she taught herself to play and compose music and became an avid writer of lyrics, poetry and prose. After graduating from the University of Chicago in 1977, she started a family and was a working mother to three children while also obtaining her master’s degree in education from the University of Vermont.

Mary Elizabeth’s work credits were as many and varied as her talents and interests. She developed curricula at the Department of Education, webmastered for a nonprofit, and wrote textbook content on subjects ranging from algebra to Persian history. She made friends around the world as a beta tester for the music software Sibelius and aided them in developing a “worksheet creator” for use in music education. She also taught classes on the intersection between communication and technology at the Vermont College of Fine Arts and the University of Chicago Graham School. But her main focus, and greatest strength, was in creating educational products that “looked to re-imagine core educational content to give it novel appeal.” As an author, she published more than 20 books, including 14 literature guides, a five-book grammar series, and teaching guides to poetry and slang. Perhaps her proudest accomplishment was her work (with James Humberstone) on the children’s opera Kiravanu,which premiered in Sydney, Australia,

in 2008. As a semester project for students at the all-girls MLC School, the opera operated as a tool for simultaneously teaching critical thinking, environmental science and Indigenous culture, in addition to theater and performance.

In September 2019, pancreatic cancer reared its ugly head. The disease had been doing its work in secret so that, by the time she was aware of it, her diagnosis was terminal. Yet she faced her sickness with aplomb, a fighting spirit and deep concern for others. Despite the rigors of cancer, chemotherapy and a pandemic, she made every effort to ease the challenges her children would face with her passing and to contact her many friends around the world, from Delhi to Sydney.

Mary Elizabeth passed away peacefully on July 20, 2020 at 64.

She is survived by her children — Suzanne, Elizabeth and Michael Podhaizer — and her brother and sister.

If anyone has interest in her written or musical work, please contact voiceofthephoenixme @gmail.com.

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Gene Rich Perry

APRIL 29, 1928OCTOBER 14, 2020 SHELBURNE, VT. Gene Rich Perry died at the Arbors in Shelburne, Vt., on October 14, 2020. She was 92 years old. She was born Gene Eva Rich in South Newbury, N.H., on April 29, 1928, the daughter of Bertha Colburn Rich and Merle Rich. She was named after her paternal grandmother, Geneva Shepard Rich.

Gene was chosen as valedictorian of the Simonds High School class of 1945 in Warner, N.H. She got her BA from Plymouth State College in 1949 and did graduate studies at the University of Michigan.

She taught commercial arts at Andover High School in New Hampshire for two years, eventually taking a business arts position at Vermont College in Montpelier, Vt., where she became chair of the business department and director of alumni affairs.

She was beloved “Aunt Gene” to one niece and five nephews. No matter where she worked, lived or traveled, Gene always maintained a strong and frequent connection to her family. The large community she built included many of her former students and teaching colleagues.

Gene married Nelson Perry in 1977 and, at the age

of 49, began a new phase of her life, immediately acquiring seven stepchildren and eventually eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Gene and Nel lived in Barre, Vt., and at their beloved camp at Dog Pond in Woodbury.

When they retired, they moved to Englewood, Fla. During their marriage, Gene and Nel traveled extensively in the Caribbean and in Europe. After Nelson died in 1993, Gene moved to Sun City Center, Fla., across the fairway from her brother Al and sister-in-law Joan. In the summer, Gene would always come back to New England to be with her family.

Gene’s tough resourcefulness, genuine kindness and willingness to go along with whatever was happening made her beloved by her stepchildren and grandchildren. Her many activities

ranged from cooking up fresh-caught bass at camp to teaching the grandchildren how to shuffle cards in between games of cribbage or rummy. She delighted in building sand castles, collecting shells, and teaching us about wildlife and plants.

She enjoyed every aspect of her life and her family, from cleaning the windows to watching the thunderstorms roll in across the pond. Gene loved the outdoors and picnics, and she was an avid skier and golfer throughout her life.

Gene was steadfast, grounded, knowledgeable and a careful documenter of her life. From the daily logs of sightings at Dog Pond to the detailed captions on the back of each photo, she kept track of everyone and everything. She always remembered birthdays and anniversaries and attended every graduation. She was a consistent voice of caring and connection, and her commitment to family and keeping everyone connected was a vital role she played for us, something she valued instinctively and faithfully.

Gene is survived by her brother Paul Rich of Laconia, N.H., and her sister, Betty Craigie of South Newbury.

She was predeceased by her brothers Merle Rich Jr. and Alan Rich. Her ashes will be interred at the cemetery in Newbury, N.H., with her parents. She is home now.

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11/21/1985 - 04/09/2016

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Birth of a Daughter Samantha Kolber, Kelsay Books, 42 pages. $16.

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Short Takes on Five Vermont Books B Y C HELSEA ED GA R, MARGOT HA RR I SO N , K EN P I C ARD, PA M E L A PO LSTO N & K R I STEN R AV I N

S

even Days writers can’t possibly read, much less review, all the books that arrive in a steady stream by post, email and, in one memorable case, a creep of tortoises. So this monthly feature is our way of introducing you to a handful of books by Vermont authors. To do that, we contextualize each book just a little and quote a single representative sentence from, yes, page 32.

Inclusion here implies neither approval nor derision on our part, but simply: Here are a bunch of books, arranged alphabetically by authors’ names, that Seven Days readers might like to know about.

Hot Springs and Moonshine Liquor: A History of Illegal Whiskey in the Shenandoah Valley Louella Bryant, Black Rose Writing, 132 pages. $15.95.

They preferred to drink liquor because they knew the ingredients — they had made it themselves.

Lincoln writer LOUELLA BRYANT’s memoir/ cultural history, forthcoming in late December, abounds in small parcels of vividness. The smell of the air in early 20th-century Covington, Va., home to a prosperous paper mill and generations of Bryant’s forebears, was so rank and inhospitable that “breathing was a conscious effort,” she writes. “The air felt thick and sticky, as if a celestial chef were boiling up a vat of rotten cabbage just overhead.”

The paper mill was the town’s putative economic engine, but a shadow economy built on moonshine thrived just beneath the surface, and Bryant’s family profited from it. At the height of Prohibition, her great-uncle Shorty, a bootlegger, once burst into her mother’s childhood home, breathless from outrunning federal agents.

Bryant’s grandfather, a foreman at the paper mill, stuffed Shorty into the spare tire compartment of his Model A Ford and drove him 290 miles north to Harrisburg, Pa., to lie low. Bryant weaves her bizarro family lore into a portrait that is frequently as entertaining as it is illuminating.

C.E.

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Titles such as “False Labor at 26 Weeks,” “Breastfeeding Dyad” and “My Toddler’s Scrambled Eggs” reveal the overarching theme of Montpelier poet SAMANTHA KOLBER’s debut chapbook, Birth of a Daughter: a mother’s changing physical and metaphysical selves.

The sparse and clinical list poem “False Labor at 26 Weeks” evokes the tense vigilance of an expectant mother. The indentation and halting rhythm in “The Missing Poem: Birth” telegraph a disorienting birth experience. The refrain “I am marked” in the poem of the same name drives home the realization of undeniable — and unstoppable — transmutation.

Birth of a Daughter is not a collection of poems about Samantha Kolber’s child. Rather, it’s about Kolber herself experiencing and examining the various losses that go hand in hand with new life.

K.R.

Of the Desire and the Sublime/ Del Deseo y lo Sublime Maigualida Rak, self-published, 134 pages. $13.75.

Smooth ethereal pastures in a bright sunset You tenderly take my hands And gaze at me placidly.

Venezuelan-born Vermonter MAIGUALIDA RAK is a Spanish tutor with a degree in English as a second language from Saint Michael’s College. She is also a poet. Her latest book of poems, marked “second bilingual edition,” suggests she is a hopeless romantic in both languages. Opposing pages of the book present a poem first in Spanish, then in English. Even to someone with minimal skill en español, it appears nothing is lost in translation.

Rak’s verses give new meaning to “romance language”; her vocabulary is wistful and passionate by turns.

Every single poem is about love.

Phrases such as “feverish silence,” “devastating loneliness,” “infinite fulfillment” and “throbbing closeness” evoke both heaving-bosom bodice rippers and the forward sensuality of, say, John Keats. Rak has no use for irony or cynicism; she is wrapped in velvet and strolling a field of wildflowers.

P.P.

GOT AN ARTS TIP? ARTNEWS@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Happiness Is an Option: Thriving (Instead of Surviving) in the Era of the Internet

NEW

Hom

e Pl

ane

t Bo

oks

“Brilliant...on target, informative, simple and playful and reassuring in tone.”

– I.S. PhD, Former Director of Research, Children’s Television Workshop Publishing Division

Our many years of adventure had taught me that we can’t be happy all the time, but in almost every situation, we can find something to be grateful for.

AVAILABLE AT: Phoenix Books (Burlington) Bear Pond Books (Montpelier) and at homeplanetbooks.com

LYNDA ULRICH

K. P.

from

Information. Comfort. Courage.

Playful rhymes for pandemic times.

By Dr. Lynda M. Ulrich, Transcendent Publishing, 176 pages. $19.99.

had no journalism experience in 2014 when she launched her good-news-only, zero-advertising media outlet, EVER WIDENING CIRCLES. But Ulrich’s sunny disposition and strict avoidance of gloomy and depressing news don’t reflect naïveté about the world. She and her husband, CHUCK VERDERBER, both dentists, are seasoned international travelers who’ve seen their share of misery — and learned from it, Ulrich writes, that the world isn’t as frightening, dangerous or depressing as the media often portray it.

Happiness Is an Option is a primer on how to achieve a more healthy and balanced worldview, one that celebrates human progress and goodness. In 2020, when it’s too easy to bemoan the dearth of good news, this St. Albans dentist is filling that cavity with inspiration and hope.

A "KID'S BOOK" FOR ALL AGES AND FOR THE TIMES. Just in time for your stay-at-home holidays!

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11/17/20 5:16 PM

The Long Tail of Trauma Elizabeth Wilcox, Green Writers Press, 266 pages. $17.95.

Violet was an attractive girl, dark, with tidy ringlets and the deep set, forlorn eyes of her mother.

Fairlee writer ELIZABETH WILCOX has had a journalism career that spanned the world. But one of the great enigmas of her life, she writes in this memoir, was right at home: her English-born mother, whose erratic, attention-seeking behavior often frustrated her.

In search of better understanding, Wilcox studied the psychology of trauma, which her mother experienced as a 3-year-old torn from her parents during World War II. From that research and her mother’s oral history emerged this book; Wilcox uses techniques of memoir and historical fiction to tell parallel stories of her mother and grandmother. She reveals how early separations reverberate through generations, “unearthing a palimpsest of maternal history.”

In her preface, Wilcox asks readers to keep in mind “all those families … separated at national borders, detained in refugee camps, or who, unlike my own family, still endure prejudice and structural racism.” It’s a timely read in light of the revelation that hundreds of migrant parents and children separated at the U.S. border have yet to be reunited.

M . H.

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arts news

Artful Compassion Sarah Ashe laments human suffering in “Migrations” at GreenTARA Space B Y A M Y L I L LY • lilly@sevendaysvt.com CALEB KENNA

ART

Sarah Ashe

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AMY LILLY

A

t GREENTARA SPACE in North Hero, a dollhouse-size procession of floats, each towed by a toylike tractor, lines a long shelf. The floats are fragile, made from paper stretched on reeds, with plastic bottle caps or wooden discs for wheels. They form a miniature imaginative world that draws viewers in, and then disturbs with its references.

Called “Katrina Caravan,” the installation is Middlebury artist SARAH ASHE’s response to 2005’s Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent flooding of New Orleans, where she lived for 10 years. Ashe’s horror at the plight of poor residents stranded in the MercedesBenz Superdome is expressed in a circular structure partly open at the top to reveal inside a jumble of tiny plastic babies, most painted to represent Black people. A float bearing a paper boat with paddles represents rescue efforts. More floats carrying paper shotgun homes or tiny bundles made from used tea bags reference the life-saving housing and supplies that were so slow to arrive.

The work “expresses the rage I felt toward the frivolity of privilege,” Ashe, 78, writes in her artist statement. “Katrina Caravan” is part of her current solo exhibit,

“Katrina Caravan”

“Migrations,” at GreenTARA Space — paintings and sculpture “about the challenges and experiences of millions of people: migrants, asylum seekers and refugees all searching for a better life.”

“Caravan” was a departure for the mixed-media artist and painter when she created it in 2006. Ashe had been making paper-and-reed lamps since she took a Noguchi Akari lamp-making workshop in Rosedale, N.Y., in 2002. Beautiful objets d’art whose unique shapes evoke seedpods and stones, her lamps are available at FROG HOLLOW VERMONT CRAFT GALLERY in Burlington, EDGEWATER GALLERY in Middlebury and GALLERY IN THE WOODS in Brattleboro.

The caravan, however, was her first foray into making art that reflected her emotions.

It spurred her to create paintings and sculpture addressing the “plight of people who don’t have a home,” said the tall, mildmannered artist. She has been concerned about such human suffering since her youth and became even more aware of displaced people’s experiences while working in the Peace Corps and traveling.

“Now, with climate change and all the walls and anti-immigrant stuff in the U.S., I just fell into it. The pictures [in the media] just grabbed me,” Ashe said.

“I have to feel emotionally engaged when I paint,” she added. “I have to feel strongly about something.”

Ashe grew up a Quaker in Philadelphia. Her parents were both teachers, but she knew she didn’t want to teach.

Instead, she pursued art, earning a bachelor’s degree in ceramics and sculpture at Bennington College. Upon graduating in 1964, she joined the Peace Corps, influenced by her Quaker background — “that do-gooding part that was inculcated into me” — and because she wanted to see more of the world and “liked working with people,” she recalled. Ashe served three years in Ecuador.

When she returned to civilian life, she put her people skills to work as a human resources director in Boston, a position she held for many years. In that role, and long before the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements, she helped one corporation build a more diverse workforce, simply because, she said, “That was important to me.”

In Boston, Ashe pursued her art on the side, and eventually a generous boss gave her a weekly day off for the purpose. But it

AMY LILLY

GOT AN ARTS TIP? ARTNEWS@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

I HAVE TO FEEL

“Fleeing”

EMOTIONALLY ENGAGED WHEN I PAINT.

AMY LILLY

S AR AH AS H E

“No Refuge”

wasn’t until she and her husband moved to New Orleans, where she worked as an HR consultant, that she devoted significant time to her art.

When Katrina hit, Ashe was in Middlebury for the summer, where she and her husband owned a house that they rented out during the school year. (Their New Orleans home had minimal tree damage and lay a

block from any flooding.) Ashe immediately reconnected with the Peace Corps to secure a “return volunteer” position in the flooded city. Within two weeks, she was helping people navigate government protocols to obtain money and housing. She volunteered there for a month.

“It was hard to hear people’s stories,” Ashe recalled. “It was mostly the poor — and

mostly Black people — who were in such terrible situations.”

Ashe saw similarly endangered people in her travels to Palestine and other countries, and she keeps abreast of news about boatloads of refugees off the coast of Libya and massive refugee camps in Jordan and Sudan.

The motif of a mounded form representing a refugee tent is repeated throughout the paintings in “Migrations”; sometimes groups of them take up whole swaths of the canvas or clay board. One set of paintings appears on torn strips of canvas, representing tattered tent material; Ashe dotted the trailing threads with tiny dabs of paint to evoke an overhead view of long lines of refugees. Other works show fine scratches in the paint, a reference to the razor wire that typically encircles camps.

Surprisingly, her paintings use a cheerful palette of pinkish oranges and deep blues.

“I love color,” explained Ashe, whose

orange enamel earrings supported her statement. “A lot of places I’m describing don’t have color; they’re very desert-y. [But] if color draws you in, and you discover what the art is about, then that’s good.”

The small sculptures use materials from the natural world that Ashe delights in saving and repurposing: garlic stems with their “hair” intact, bits of dried Queen Anne’s lace, the paper tags on tea bags, the pods from false indigo plants. In “No Refuge,” a wall sculpture that looks like a spread-out paper globe with the U.S. outlined prominently on a central bulge, a boat made from a walnut shell and packed with tiny pods seems to circle, futilely, the isolated country’s coastline.

Though Ashe’s lamps are popular items, she has no illusions about the salability of her works on migration. “I paint [and make] them for myself,” she said. Her objective lies elsewhere: “I want to make a difference in some simple way. If it makes people think about the plight of refugees, that would be wonderful.”

INFO “Migrations” by Sarah Ashe, through November 22 at GreenTARA Space in North Hero. greentaraspace.org

THE WARREN STORE TRUNK SHOW

at Edgewater Gallery at the Falls The Warren Store is coming to Edgewater Gallery, Middlebury!

In time for the holidays, Edgewater Gallery at the Falls is hosting a trunk show featuring clothing, accessories, home accents and more from the iconic Warren, Vermont store. Shop Edgewater’s collections of fine ar t and the Warren Store in one visit to Middlebury.

NOVEMBER 1ST THROUGH DECEMBER 5 TH

One Mill Street | Middlebury, VT | 802.458.0098 | www.edgewatergallery.com 2H-edgewater102820 P 1

SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

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arts news

Streaming the Musical Lyric Theatre gets creative in the time of COVID-19 B Y CH RI S FAR NSW ORTH • farnsworth@sevendaysvt.com JAMES BUCK

THEATER

The cast of Songs for a New World

G

oing into its spring 2020 season, Vermont’s LYRIC THEATRE had to do something unprecedented: postpone a production. The company was set to present Matilda the Musical, based on the novel

by Roald Dahl, when COVID-19 arrived.

The esteemed theater group, established in 1974, not only had to cancel for the first time but also to reckon with an uncertain future.

“As it became clear the pandemic wasn’t going away anytime soon, we decided to look at new ways of creating art and telling stories,” executive director ERIN EVARTS said.

“Because, well, that’s what we do.”

So she and the nonprofit’s board started a conversation about a path forward. They quickly settled on the idea of streaming a show in lieu of their usual production at the FLYNN in Burlington.

And Evarts knew just the show to get the company back in gear: Songs for a New World, written by Jason Robert Brown in 1995. Closer to a song cycle than a traditional musical, it features a spare fourperson cast, with each member playing multiple yet interconnected roles.

“Songs for a New World is perfect,” Evarts said. “It’s what I call a low-impact 28

SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT TAKING A STEP OFF A CLIFF AND INTO THE UNKNOWN,

THAT’S SORT OF WHERE WE ARE NOW. E R IN E VAR TS

production … We just needed to get the rights.”

She contacted licensing company Music Theatre International, which not only granted permission to produce the show but provided a vendor through which to stream it.

“It all came together so fast,” Evarts said. “When you talk about taking a step off a cliff and into the unknown, that’s sort of where we are now.”

The next step was finding someone to direct the production.

Enter BRITA DOWN, who brought some bold ideas to the position of artistic director. The first was to jettison the usual fourmember cast in favor of a much bigger one: 16 singers and eight dancers. She also

engaged a 13-person crew, including music director NATE VENET. Following pandemic safety protocol, “They did as much virtually as possible,” Evarts said. “They rehearsed in masks when not, and all the cast members recorded their parts at home and sent them to be mixed by [Venet]. So when they were filmed, they’re actually lip-synching to their own, original tracks, because, you know, singing is one of those high-risk activities during COVID.” In addition, Down adapted the themes of the original show to fit 2020’s unique brand of stress.

“Songs for a New World is about choice,” she said. “And change, as well. The story is about what we’re calling the ‘moment of decision,’ when you’re faced with something big in your life and you have to decide which way to go.”

That tale is told through a series of vignettes. Down has updated most of them to reflect circumstances currently affecting society in general and Lyric Theatre in particular.

“Visually, we tried to represent the pandemic and what’s going on,” she explained. “One of the songs in the story is sung by first responders and health

care workers. We have another vignette with our dancers in black and wearing masks, using a sort of protest type of choreography.”

Perhaps the biggest deviation from the source material comes in a moment featuring American flag designer Betsy Ross.

In an ode to Lyric itself, Down replaces Ross making flags for soldiers at war with company members making some 24,000 face masks for frontline health workers.

No matter how relevant the show, can a streamed, prerecorded version be as satisfying as a flashy stage production to Lyric’s members, volunteers and audience?

“Look, I always have expectations,” Evarts said with a laugh. “They’re usually wildly high. But my expectation of Lyric and our volunteers is excellence, because that’s what they give, every year, show in and show out.

“Do I think we’re going to sell 6,000 to 8,000 tickets like we would at the Flynn?” she continued. “That would be great, but I don’t know if it’s realistic.”

Evarts noted that Lyric will return to the Flynn stage as soon as it’s safe to do so. In the meantime, she remains excited about the new experience about to unfold, when Songs for a New World is released on Friday, November 20.

“People who watch on opening night, we’re telling them to treat this as if you were going to a Lyric show at the Flynn,” Down said. “Get takeout from your favorite Burlington restaurant, get home, put on some festive jammies, and watch.”

A Facebook Live event will follow the premiere, she added, allowing viewers to connect in a sort of virtual lobby.

No matter how the company’s first-ever streamed show fares, Lyric will no doubt persevere, as it has for nearly half a century.

“The fact that Lyric is open, our lights are on and we’re putting on shows?”

Evarts said. “I couldn’t be more proud of this group. And you know we’ll keep going, because people need art right now. They need joy, and they need hope.”

INFO Songs for a New World, artistic director Brita Down, music director Nate Venet, produced

by Lyric Theatre, video on demand available November 20 through December 20. $15.

Tickets and details at lyrictheatrevt.org.

TICONDEROGA

Friday, Saturday, Nov. 27–28 | Thursday–Saturday, Dec. 3–5 | Thursday–Saturday, Dec. 10–12 Thursday–Saturday, Dec. 17–19 | Saturday–Wednesday, Dec. 26–30, 2020 Friday, Saturday, Jan. 1–2, 2021 $10 for adults (18+) | $5 for children 3–17 | Free for children 2 and under Advance tickets are required

ShelburneMuseum.org Generous support for this event is provided by THE DONNA AND MARVIN SCHWARTZ FOUNDATION

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T H E WA LT E R C E R F COMMUNITY FUND

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

Who’s Behind the New CityPlace Burlington?

Three Vermont Business Owners

From left: Partners Dave Farrington, Al Senecal and Scott Ireland at the CityPlace site in Burlington

Close-up of Bank Street in the new plan for CityPlace Burlington

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I

t may not look like much is happening at the three-acre vacant lot in the center of downtown Burlington. But behind the scenes, a new ownership team is working furiously to start construction on CityPlace Burlington.

When voters approved the ambitious CityPlace project in 2016, it was owned by Don Sinex and Brookfield Asset Management, but Brookfield bailed out in July.

Now a trio of locals has stepped in, buying Brookfield’s 50 percent ownership stake from Sinex and taking over the property management: Dave Farrington Jr., owner of Farrington Construction; Al Senecal, owner of Omega Electrical Construction Company; and Scott Ireland, owner and president of S.D. Ireland Concrete Construction.

Each of them runs a multigenerational family business that has shaped the built environment of the Burlington area, and each has developed multiple residential and commercial properties. They’re

stepping up to save CityPlace, which would bring hundreds of new residents and a much-needed economic boost to downtown Burlington.

The three men had some involvement in CityPlace before they owned it: giving input on plans, working with potential tenants and helping to tear down the mall. Now they’re determined to do what it takes to complete the project. Said Senecal: “We want to earn the trust of the city council and the mayor and let them know that we’re here for real.

“We’re here for the long haul,” he added. “We’re here for the people of Burlington.”

THREE OF A KIND

Farrington, Ireland and Senecal, who range in age from 57 to 63, have more in common than the construction business.

Farrington was born in Burlington and attended Catholic schools here before graduating from the 2017 S.D. Ireland St. Patrick’s Day parade University of Vermont and going to work at the company his father founded in 1977. Ireland grew concrete mixer parade. Companies donate to the up in the Burlington area, too, attending Charlotte cause to put their logos on a couple dozen trucks, Central School and Champlain Valley Union High which drive around Burlington and Winooski honkSchool before enrolling in Bryant University in ing their horns.

Rhode Island; he returned after graduation and At the end of every year, the company also worked for the business his dad started in 1974, decorates two of its concrete mixers with 40,000 to eventually teaming up with his brother, Stephen, 50,000 lights to celebrate the season. to expand it. Senecal grew up in Massachusetts but has lived in Vermont since 1990.

‘WE LIKE CHALLENGES’ All of them have children who have followed What attracted the trio to this complicated and them into the family business. controversial project? “We like challenges,” quipped The three have known each other, professionally Ireland. and personally, for “a long time,” said Farrington. In Seriously, though, said Senecal, “We like to be addition to working together on numerous projects, busy. We go after as much work as possible.” Senehe and Ireland have sons the same age, and they cal employs roughly 120 to 200 workers locally coached Little League together. “We spent a lot of depending on the season. Ireland’s workforce nights at the ball field,” he recalled. ranges from 320 to 400. Finding enough work The Ireland family company made upgrades to to support 400 families is “a lot of responsibility,” Schifilliti Field in Burlington’s Ireland offered.

New North End and was instruTo keep its crews busy in the mental in building the SD Ireland winter, S.D. Ireland started building Field at Calahan Park in the and managing its own residential city’s South End. Ireland, an avid properties in 1996. It built and Boston Red Sox fan, even built owns both Severance Corners a regulation ballpark in his own Village Center in Colchester and backyard that has hosted the Bayberry Commons Apartments in AL SENECAL Shelburne Little League.

Burlington. Farrington has redeveloped and now manages several Senecal is a sports fan, too: commercial office spaces in the city. In addition to He owns Essex Family Fun Entertainment, which includes seasonal batting cages, a driving range and his other businesses, Senecal has also owned and managed commercial office, retail and industrial a mini golf course. buildings, as well as apartments and senior housing.

Beyond athletics: Farrington, whose company Senecal pointed out that CityPlace is “one of helped build parts of the University of Vermont the largest projects” in Vermont. “It was that kind of Medical Center, also serves on the UVM Medical challenge that pulled me in, and I’m sure you guys, Center Foundation’s board of directors. Ireland and too,” he said on a Zoom call with his partners last his wife, Kim, have a foundation that funds cancer Friday. research at UVM Medical Center, raising $4.5 million In the 12 weeks since they took over, they’ve filed over the years. “It always goes locally,” he noted. their zoning permit application, begun negotiaThe foundation’s most visible and popular tions with the city and made a deal with the school fundraiser is S.D. Ireland’s annual St. Patrick’s Day

WE'RE HERE FOR

THE LONG HAUL.

district to relocate Burlington High School to the old Macy’s building, which they now own.

Ireland dryly noted, “We’ve been busy.”

‘BEST OF BOTH WORLDS’

Their new design for the project includes two towers — nine and 10 stories high — that contain 426 units of housing, at least 84 of which will be classified as “affordable,” as well as a rooftop restaurant and an observation deck, and community space that will be available and accessible to all.

It will house 45,000 square feet of retail space.

Farrington noted that, as the project progresses through permitting, the developers will be reaching out to local restaurateurs and retailers. Though they have to price the rents at market rates, he said, they’ll be considering the importance of tenants with local connections. Anyone interested in seeing the plans or discussing the space should give him a call, he said.

Farrington is excited to build all that housing downtown. He loves visiting cities like Boston and Montréal. “I really like that spark, what a city brings,” he said. CityPlace will add 600 to 700 new residents to the city center, and he expects that will bring more services, restaurants and entertainment options.

Burlington, he said, will offer “the best of both worlds,” with open land and outdoor recreation options just a short drive away. “We’re going to have a real little city here,” he boasted.

It would be a boon for the state’s largest burg, and that would be good for Vermont. After all, he said, “If Burlington does well, everybody does well. It’s the engine that drives the Vermont economy.” 

THIS ARTICLE WAS COMMISSIONED AND PAID FOR BY:

Find more information about the new CityPlace Burlington plans at cityplaceburlington.com.

SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-19, 2020

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RETAIL THERAPY BY CAROLYN SHAPIRO

A Little Help O

Northeast Kingdom Artisans Guild connects artists with patrons

Amanda Weisenfeld

survived this year The 10 origion the devotion nal founders of of loyal customNEK Artisans ers who see the Guild started it 23 value of keeping years ago to give their dollars in artists like themtheir community. selves a common C H E RYL MAYNAR D “They want setting to connect to support local to customers. The artists, and they want to support local busi- first gallery was at the Catamount Arts nesses,” Weisenfeld said. “They’re really building. The guild moved to Railroad making an effort to shop local.”

Street a year later, as its membership grew.

THEY HAVE SO MANY WONDERFUL ARTISTS THERE,

AND I LOVE SUPPORTING THEM.

Check out what other Vermont retailers are up to at shoptheregister.com.

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ROBERT C. JENKS

ne spring day, Amanda Weisenfeld of the Northeast Kingdom Artisans Guild in St. Johnsbury received an email from a woman in California. Cheryl Maynard usually shopped at the guild’s store whenever she returned to her hometown to visit her mother, but this year was different.

She couldn’t travel during the nationwide pandemic but didn’t want to miss her time at the gallery — knowing it needed her business more than ever.

Though the store was closed at the time to flatten the coronavirus curve, Weisenfeld shopped with Maynard by phone, walking around the displays and describing the products.

Weisenfeld, one of the guild’s founding artists, helped Maynard pick out little gourd ornaments painted as mice, pigs, panda bears and gnomes by artist Julia Emilo. Maynard also bought square ceramic plates by Barbara Lane of EarthStar Pottery and stocked up on cards printed with Jess Polanshek’s pen-and-ink drawings.

“They have so many wonderful artists there, and I love supporting them,” Maynard said during a recent phone interview. “Places I support on a regular basis, I just don’t see why I shouldn’t continue to support them during this difficult time.”

Altogether, Maynard spent about $400. She was thrilled when the box arrived from Vermont, she said.

“She just went out of her way to support us,” Weisenfeld said last week in the guild’s shop on Railroad Street. “She also bought individual artists’ work, so they got paid ... She really went the extra mile.”

Like many small merchants in Vermont and elsewhere, NEK Artisans Guild has

“Our original purpose was a place for artists to sell their work and a place for people who are looking to buy local art — and to bring the two of them together,” said Weisenfeld, who sells her handfelted designs through her business, Under the Moon.

The guild now has more than 100 member artisans from across the state and a few from New Hampshire. The members own the store and receive a minimum of 60 percent of each product they sell. Those who serve on the board of directors, like Weisenfeld, or who work more hours at the store can boost their commission to 70 or 80 percent.

The guild’s cut of each sale goes toward operating costs — rent, electricity, a few part-time employees, advertising and displays.

A few years ago, the cooperative’s leadership loosened its requirement that artists sell only original art, no reproductions, after an artist who wanted to join said she relied on her reproduction sales to boost her income. “It’s now an important part of our revenue,” Weisenfeld said.

Reproductions give shoppers a chance to buy less-expensive artwork: a $90 reproduction, for example, of a $500 original painting. Throughout the shop, NEK Artisans Guild sells a head-spinning array of creations at a range of prices.

Horizon Porcelain mini ornaments cost $13; simple dangling Lochlin Smith earrings, $30; and a woven wool baby blanket, $60.

Trenny Robb and Bob Michaud press leaves into the thin mica shades of their High Beams Lighting metal-based lamps, priced between $145 and $550. A large braided rug by renowned weaver Delsie Hoyt of Kingdom Moon Rugs runs $2,350.

Some of the most popular items these days are the Neysa Russo felting kits that sell for $38 and come in a variety of designs, from llamas to elaborate tapestries. “Felting has become such a hot thing, and they just want to get started,” said Danville’s Susie Duckett, a wool artist herself and a guild founding member. “One thing this pandemic has done is bring people back to the real things ... stuff you can’t really buy online.”

NEK Artisans Guild closed in midMarch, right before Gov. Phil Scott’s

Radio Vermont 96.1 96.5 98.3 101.9 AM550 lockdown of all nonessential businesses.

The guild’s leadership reached out to its artist members and extensive email list of visitors, asking for help. Many stepped up with donations, including Maynard, who gave $300.

Some artists chose pieces they had in the store for the guild to post on Instagram and Facebook as a fundraiser, and the artists donated their portion of the proceeds from the items that sold. Currently, the guild offers no option to purchase art through its own website, though Weisenfeld said she expects that to change as the guild recognizes the need to stay nimble during a crisis.

“Nobody wants a pandemic, but that said, I think we’ve all learned something,” she said. “We have learned that it’s very important to not have all your eggs in one basket, in just having a gallery where people come in. You have to have other ways to sell.”

NEK Artisans Guild also got a financial boost from a small-business grant — nearly $13,000 — through the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development, Weisenfeld said. “That was a game-changer,” she said. “We knew that we were covered.

We were going to be able to pay our rent through the end of the year.”

Since NEK Artisans Guild reopened at the end of May, the owners have seen encouraging trends, Weisenfeld said.

At that time, the guild added visits by appointment on Sundays, when it is otherwise closed, mostly for people who feel extra cautious about avoiding potential virus exposure. Interest in those exclusive visits has exceeded expectations, Weisenfeld said; customers have come from Boston to spend the day in town and some time and money in the guild store.

“We were expecting people to be really hesitant to come out and really hesitant to spend,” Weisenfeld said.

“And what we found was, people came out, supported us and shopped.” m Contact: shapiro@sevendaysvt.com

INFO Northeast Kingdom Artisans Guild, 430 Railroad St., St. Johnsbury, 748-0158. nekartisansguild.com

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Birds of a Feather

Cartoonist Harry Bliss and comedian Steve Martin on their new cartoon collection, A Wealth of Pigeons B Y D A N BOL L ES • dan@sevendaysvt.com COURTESY OF HARRY BLISS

A

bout midway through A Wealth of Pigeons, the new book of cartoons by Harry Bliss and Steve Martin, readers will come across a toon that Bliss finds especially emblematic of the duo’s partnership.

A line of six primped and preening poodles dance on their hind legs for a crowd. Smack in the middle of the prancing parade of pooches, a fat, slobbering mutt of indeterminate breed — some kind of bulldog, maybe — lies on his belly, a pool of drool at his paws. In the foreground, a dog in a sport coat turns to his seatmate in the audience — a bearded man in a top hat — and says, “Isn’t my nephew great?”

“I always feel when you’re writing cartoons that the caption and picture really need to be inseparable; they have to rely on each other,” Bliss told Seven Days in a recent interview with him and Martin.

“And that’s a great example.”

Anyone who’s ever sat beside an irrationally proud parent at a school play is likely to agree.

Bliss should be familiar to Seven Days readers. His internationally syndicated single-panel cartoon, “Bliss,” has appeared weekly in this paper for years. The Burlington- and Cornish, N.H.-based cartoonist is also a regular contributor to the New Yorker and has illustrated more than 20 books for children.

Martin is … well, he’s Steve fucking Martin.

The 75-year-old is an entertainment icon: a comedian, actor, musician, author and playwright whose mantel holds an Oscar, five Grammy Awards, a Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and a Kennedy Center Honor. Next year, he might well add an Eisner Award — the cartooning world’s version of a Grammy.

To paraphrase Martin’s character Navin Johnson from The Jerk: He’s in the phone book. He’s somebody.

For nearly two years, Bliss and Martin have been collaborating on single-panel cartoons. About 150 of them can be found in A Wealth of Pigeons, which was released this week.

In the book’s intro, Martin recounts how he and Bliss came to meet. Chatting at a cocktail party with Françoise Mouly, the art and cover editor of the New Yorker, Martin mentioned that he had an idea for a cartoon and wondered

BOOKS

interests, Martin and Bliss share a sly and self-deprecating self-awareness.

A Wealth of Pigeons is largely composed of single-panel toons like those of “Bliss,” interspersed with multipanel strips in which the two authors explore — and poke fun at — their odd coupling. (The duo’s next project will be a collection of strips, according to Bliss.)

The strips portray Martin, gently, as an oblivious Hollywood big shot in contrast to Bliss’ equally played-up New Hampshire-bred everyman. It’s a gag, of course, rendered with equal parts affection and signature wit.

Take, for example, a panel in which Martin, Bliss and the latter’s dog, Penny,stroll through an idyllic winter woodsy scene. “I feel sorry for people who can’t enjoy this moment,” Martin says.

Then he delivers the withering, Martinesque kicker: “Like me.”

Seven Days spoke with Bliss and Martin by video chat about collaboration, letting it flow and how to embrace “I don’t get it.”

SEVEN DAYS: Steve, you joke in the intro of the book that one of the keys to your collaboration with Harry working is minimal communication…

STEVE MARTIN: Wait a minute. That’s not a joke.

SD: Oh. Um … Steve, you sagely point out in the intro…

SM: Yes, that’s right.

whether Mouly knew someone who could draw it. She did.

“Harry Bliss turned out to be the ideal partner,” Martin writes. “We rarely speak to each other, and we live in separate states.”

Their pairing is indeed ideal, if unlikely.

Whether riffing on the vagaries of the art world, marauding aliens or the peculiarities of pets, Bliss and Martin share an absurd yet sweet sense of humor — and an affinity for dogs — that’s apparent in the pages of A Wealth of Pigeons.

Bliss draws many of the cartoons based on ideas Martin sends him, a process that Martin calls “working forwards.”

They also work “backwards”: Bliss sends Martin “orphan drawings,” or unfinished cartoons, for the comedian to caption as if in his own personal New Yorker caption contest.

“I loved the process of the ‘caption contest for professionals,’” Martin writes.

The book reveals that, in addition to their complementary senses of humor and

SD: So, why do you think this partnership works?

SM: Obviously, we must have a similar sense of humor, because more cartoons end up drawn than don’t. But I love Harry’s drawing style. First, it’s just high-level; it’s very clear and cleanly drawn. And I like humor that is sharp, focused.

At first, I just tried to fit into Harry’s thing, which was animals, dogs, the occasional oddball gag. But then, as we’d talk, Harry would say, “You know, I really like to do spaceships.” Or I’d look at his previous work and there’d be these beautifully drawn giant lizards and other creatures. It’s almost like kids’ cartoons for adults.

HARRY BLISS: The thing for me, working with Steve, is that he’s a collector; he BIRDS OF A FEATHER SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

» P.36 35

COURTESY OF DAVID CLINCH

Birds of a Feather « P.35 appreciates art. So he appreciates drawing and the amount of detail that goes into a drawing in a way that very few people have in my working relationships.

SM: You can say to Harry, “We need a Rembrandt here,” and he can draw it.

Or a Monet or a Modigliani, an Edward Hopper. If you look in the book, all these are drawn so beautifully. Almost anything you ask for, he can deliver.

HB: Something else that came up in working with Steve: In those strips, I was able to drop in my dog, Penny. I was reluctant at the time because I didn’t want to be guilty of … what’s the word when you use your family for something?

SM: Nepotism? Dogotism?

HB: Exactly. But Steve encouraged me to have Penny comment on things, which was a joy.

SM: It’s always nice to get another voice in there, especially a dog voice.

SD: Harry, in the first strip in the book, “They Meet,” you’re surprised that Steve is funny, which I understand is a gag. But is there an element of truth, too? Were you actually surprised that Steve Martin is funny?

HB: Well, no, because … he’s Steve Martin. I don’t even want to get into it. He’s hilarious.

But writing cartoons is a different medium.

It’s tricky. It would be like me trying to write a play or do standup. It’s just not in my wheelhouse.

But that cartoon is very accurate. I was sitting there drawing and thinking as these ideas came in almost daily, These are actually good.

And this is not the first time someone has sent me ideas. Many people have, and most of them are toss-aways. So, yes, I was impressed.

SD: Steve, I was intrigued by the idea of working forwards and backwards, which you write about in the intro.

Having done this for a while now, do you have a preference for one method or the other?

SM: I like them both. If Harry sends me one, it’s like a puzzle. And sometimes I can come up with three [captions], four, one or none. The hardest ones are when Harry sends me something, and it’s just a guy and a dog walking. [Laughing] But if it’s a bear and a guy, you’ve got someplace to go…

36

SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

Harry Bliss

HB: I think that speaks to my … I don’t want to say laziness, but I love to draw a man and a dog walking in a beautiful landscape. There’s just something that appeals to me about that. But it’s gotta be tough for Steve to keep coming up with stuff.

SM: No, I like it! It makes you kind of reach into your mind to think, What’s the oddball thing that’s going on here you wouldn’t expect? But of course, sometimes the expected is absolutely perfect.

SD: Harry, you told Seven Days when this project started that you initially had to take your perception of “Steve Martin” out of the equation. I imagine that’s easier to do as you’ve gotten to know Steve better.

How has that process evolved for you?

HB: That’s true.

Steve’s albums and movies were a major part of my youth and developing humor. So in the beginning, yes, I was hearing Steve’s voice, and I had to kind of trick myself into just reading the gag.

But it’s twofold, because what happened over time is that I became very comfortable with Steve. It’s a working relationship that’s very easy and fun. But it was tricky in the beginning.

SOMETIMES THE EXPECTED

IS ABSOLUTELY PERFECT. S TE VE MAR TIN

However, as someone else pointed out: The audience, knowing that Steve wrote the gag — they may also hear Steve Martin’s voice. So that’s something else I didn’t consider in the beginning that may make the gags funnier.

SM: I think when the cartoons appear in the newspaper, nobody reads that I was a part of it. It’s just a cartoon to them.

But in the book, definitely, there’s a sound. But I’m not even aware of me having a voice.

SD: Oh, I think you do. [Laughing] [ Steve, how has your process evolved working with Harry?

SM: We’ve probably written 300 cartoons and some strips in close to two years. That’s a lot. At first, I was just lying in bed awake at night just running through things and thinking and sitting in front of the typewriter to really try and write something. Now I just let them come, or say, “Hey, what if I wrote a cartoon?” and kinda close my eyes.

It’s a really fun process because it’s almost like — what do they call it? — automatic writing, where you just start flowing through words and things and images.

HB: Automatic writing, I like that. That’s what the surrealists did, André Breton.

I’d never thought of that, but I like that analogy.

SM: Sometimes in my career I have to think and work — write and rewrite, fix it, think. But now I’ve learned to let these sort of pop into my brain, almost with subconscious thought. And there is a strip in the book that really is the process where I’m lying in bed going, Are eggplants funny? Will anybody get this? And that’s really a description, for me anyway, of how it works.

SD: Is there a correlation to your other pursuits?

SM: The only thing that is similar to anything I’ve done before is dialogue.

But other than that, there is absolutely no similarity. [A cartoon is] not quite a one-liner because I don’t have to set the scene; the scene is already set. But it’s unique to everything, except when two people are talking.

Any other book I’ve written, I get to read it — many, many times — before it’s published. But here, it just arrives. And I was so impressed that, as I turned the pages, the book started to take on its own little world and universe. I just love going into the drawings and looking at the expressions on the faces, the skill in drawings of the animals and the horse — I’m in love with that horse. So I get into the book in a different way than joke after joke after joke.

HB: There are certain cartoons that Steve has sent me, just words, that when I get them, I will laugh out loud because I see them in my brain and it’s kind of done in my head.

SD: Steve, at the end of the intro you write about how you’ve embraced “I don’t get it.” How does one embrace “I don’t get it”?

SM: Well, if you’re putting a book out of 150 cartoons, there’s bound to be some in there that people just aren’t gonna get.

And sometimes I look at them and go, “I’m not sure I get that one anymore.”

The New Yorker has published books on cartoons that no one got, and they explain them. I love that book. So I guess we wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t have a couple cartoons that were just kind of reaching too far.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.

INFO A Wealth of Pigeons by Harry Bliss and Steve Martin, Celadon Books, 272 pages. $28.

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JEB WALLACE-BRODEUR

Driven to Extremism A Hungarian linguist at Norwich University dissects online far-right propaganda B Y KEN PI CA RD • ken@sevendaysvt.com

EDUCATION

A

mong the various professionals recruited to work in national security, law enforcement and counterterrorism, linguists usually don’t rank high on the list. Those with advanced degrees in linguistics are far more likely to find careers in education, law, journalism, marketing, and speech and language pathology. But linguist Eszter Szenes has chosen to focus her attention on the words and symbols that neo-Nazis, white supremacists and other far-right extremists use to incite violence.

Szenes, 40, is a visiting research fellow from Central European University in Austria and Hungary, who holds a doctorate in systemic functional linguistics from the University of Sydney in Australia. The Hungarian native will spend the next two years at Norwich University’s Peace and War Center analyzing the online language and symbolism used in far-right disinformation and propaganda campaigns.

Szenes hopes that her research will help law enforcement and counterterrorism

Eszter Szenes

experts more easily identify individuals who are at risk of becoming radicalized.

Ultimately, though, she’d like to create educational tools that counter violent right-wing extremist campaigns before they take root and fester. It’s daunting and sometimes dangerous work, Szenes acknowledged in a recent interview, in an era when right-wing messages spread across international borders at lightning speed, and when those who are trying to slow that spread sometimes find themselves the targets of extremists.

The timing of Szenes’ arrival at Norwich, the nation’s oldest private military college, seems opportune. She began her research this fall just as the U.S. elections were reaching a fever pitch and after four years of a norms-busting president who frequently adopted the right-wing nationalist rhetoric of authoritarian rulers around the world.

Szenes’ two-year residency also begins as the U.S. is experiencing a spike in rightwing violence. According to a 2019 report

by the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism, far-right groups in the U.S. were to blame for nearly three-quarters of all extremism-associated homicides in the last 10 years.

But Szenes’ interest in far-right radicalization was motivated more by disturbing trends in her native country over the last decade. She was only 9 years old in 1989 when Hungary’s electrified border fence with Austria came down — the first chink in the armor that presaged the fall of the Iron Curtain and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Hungary enjoyed a flurry of democratic reforms throughout much of the 1990s, but some began to get rolled back with the ascendance of Viktor Orbán as prime minister in 1998. Since the start of his current term in 2010, Orbán has overseen what international observers describe as the country’s steady decline into authoritarian rule.

“In Hungary it’s been quite a slow but deliberate process of dismantling

democracy by taking over more and more public institutions, like public media and court systems, and changing the constitution and creating laws that allow the government to stay in power essentially forever,” Szenes explained. “And once you own the media, you have a very powerful tool to create propaganda to brainwash the masses.”

Indeed, on the day of Szenes’ interview with Seven Days last week, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty broke the story of a scandal involving Hungary’s publicly funded broadcasting agency. A leaked recording of the senior news editor, made in the run-up to the 2019 European Parliament elections, revealed that broadcasters were being coerced into creating anti-migrant propaganda; if they didn’t comply, they risked losing their jobs.

A leaked internal email also revealed that broadcasters were prohibited from discussing LGBTQ issues, climate change DRIVEN TO EXTREMISM SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

» P.40 39

Driven to Extremism « P.39 and international migration, and even using the word “refugee.”

“If you create a disinformation campaign on purpose and deliberately repeat it a thousand times, people start to believe it,” Szenes said. “So it definitely creates the conditions of people becoming suspicious of foreigners and people who are not like them.”

Traditionally, the field of linguistics has not had a branch that specialized in the language of right-wing extremism or white nationalist propaganda, Szenes explained. Nevertheless, because English has become the lingua franca of many extremist groups, it provides Szenes, who had planned to become an English teacher before switching to linguistics, with an opportunity to analyze the “linguistic mechanisms” extremists use for online recruitment and disinformation.

Specifically, Szenes studies the words and phrases used on the internet by right-wing extremists to manipulate people’s emotions — anger, frustration, fear — about their economic hardships, and then ES Z T ER to co-opt local grievances regarding, for example, mass immigration and the loss of jobs to foreign-born workers. These efforts create “alignment” with extremists’ particular ideologies.

While those ideologies vary somewhat from group to group and from country to country, Szenes said, most center on conspiracy theories about a secret world government that controls the banks and other institutions of governance.

“It always gets back to the same old conspiracy theory,” she said. In the 1930s, Adolph Hitler adopted centuriesold anti-Semitic tropes to rail against a secret Jewish cabal that controlled the world’s financial institutions. “Today it is George Soros,” she added, referring to the Hungarian-born billionaire and philanthropist of Jewish descent who has become a lightning rod for far-right radicals.

Szenes emphasized that not all far-right ideologies are considered extremist. She differentiates between garden-variety conservatism and rightwing extremism based on an individual or group’s willingness to advocate or condone the use of violence as a means to address societal woes.

Researchers who analyze right-wing propaganda sometimes speak about it in terms analogous to the spread of a contagion: In most cases, a single exposure

isn’t likely to result in an illness. Rather, it’s the repeated exposures to propaganda, she explained, especially when online users dwell in the “echo chambers” of the far right, that creates the conditions that allow these ideas to take root.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the economic downturn it’s caused have further fueled the spread of such conspiratorial rhetoric and ramped up fears about secret government plots to manipulate the populace.

Though Szenes’ research has obvious applications in the world of counterterrorism and law enforcement — such as creating lists of red-flag words, phrases and symbols that can help identify individuals who are becoming radicalized — she said that, long term, she’d prefer to focus on prevention. As she put it, “It’s not dissimilar to medicine.

It’s much easier to prevent a disease than to cure it.”

Central to that effort, she explained, would be creating educational programs and curricula that teach young people critical thinking skills, perhaps in grade school or earlier. Szenes pointed out that today’s youth need to be S Z EN ES taught digital literacy that includes the ability to recognize disinformation and the language of online manipulation. For example, she said, if young people come across the word “Jews” written in all capital letters in the headline of a purported news story, she said, they need to recognize that “no self-respecting expert or publication” is going to publish a story in that way.

By any measure, Szenes faces an uphill battle and potential risks. So far she hasn’t experienced any threats herself, she said.

But she noted that some of her colleagues doing similar work in Europe have been doxxed — that is, had their private identifying information hacked and published online — by far-right extremists and Jihadists.

Szenes also recognizes the seemingly insurmountable challenges of taking on not just the extremists themselves but also the social media algorithms that constantly push out their toxic content.

“There are days when I feel like this work is just a drop in the ocean and we can’t keep up with the amount of disinformation that keeps spreading,” she said. “Until the government insists on some kind of regulation on tech giants for controlling fake news and the spread of disinformation, I think it’s a really difficult task for researchers to deal with.” m

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PHOTOS: GLENN RUSSELL

Homeward Bound Rob Mullen hikes, and paints, the Long Trail B Y S AL LY POL L A K • sally@sevendaysvt.com

B

efore setting out on an endto-end trek of the Long Trail, the 273-mile path that runs the length of Vermont, a hiker undertakes a few routine activities. These include loading up on dry food, breaking in a pair of boots and mapping out an approximate route.

Then there are the additional preparations that were required of Rob Mullen, an artist and outdoor adventurist from West Bolton who walked the full trail this fall.

Mullen, 64, had to make space in his backpack for oil paints, a palette and acidfree boards — materials he used to make landscape paintings from the Canadian border to southern Vermont. He had to devise a system that allowed him to carry paintings in his pack, ensuring the plein air works of art, still wet when he hiked with them, didn’t touch each other. (He got a major assist from his wife, Bonnie, on the setup.)

Mullen has wanted to hike the Long Trail end to end for many years; he’s had a connection to the nation’s oldest longdistance walking path since childhood.

Before the Long Trail was rerouted in 2015, the path crossed the land where he grew up with his parents — a high school science teacher and a registered nurse 42

SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

— and three siblings. His grandfather, acclaimed New York City letter artist Jerry Mullen, had purchased the property in 1946. It sits at an elevation of 1,200 feet.

The proximity of the path to Mullen was a factor in his not hiking the whole thing until this fall. For two decades, the call of wilderness expeditions propelled Mullen far from his home state. He’s made annual paint-and-paddle trips through remote regions of North America, exploring locations in Alaska, Labrador and the Northwest Territories. The expeditions integrate Mullen’s interests in landscape and wildlife art and the natural world.

This year, due to coronavirus travel restrictions, Mullen was unable to take his planned canoe expedition on the Thelon River across northern Canada.

This inspired him to think of a trip closer to home.

“I was stuck in Vermont,” Mullen explained on an October afternoon at his house. “It’s a wonderful place to be stuck, [but] I still wanted to do a trip. This was a perfect opportunity to do the Long Trail.”

His hike, from mid-September to midOctober, was a fundraiser for the Vermont Wildlife Coalition and the Green Mountain Club, the nonprofit that manages the Long Trail. (Mullen serves on the board of

the Vermont Wildlife Coalition.) Though Mullen’s hike is finished, his fundraiser continues until December 1. For a donation of a nickel a mile ($13.65), a donor receives a high-resolution image of a Mullen Long Trail painting; a $1 a mile ($273) garners an original trail painting.

There are several donation options within that range, as well.

ONE OF THE THINGS I’D REALLY LIKE TO DO, CAREER-WISE,

IS START PAINTING MORE OF VERMONT. R O B MUL L E N

Mullen found his way to a profession in the arts through biology, his major at the University of Vermont. His student lab drawings of slime molds, spider genitalia and other specimens attracted the notice of his teachers, he said. Mullen went on to work in biological illustration and then advertising in New York City. His wilderness painting, in particular the Long Trail project, fits into a larger artistic goal.

“One of the things I’d really like to do, career-wise, is start painting more of Vermont,” Mullen said. “I thought this was a good way to kick that project off.”

His plan, which in retrospect he called “overly ambitious,” was to make a painting a day. But in the early days of his north-tosouth route, the onetime track and crosscountry athlete confronted a circumstance he didn’t anticipate: sucking wind.

Starting with the most rigorous part of the trail and carrying a 60-pound backpack, whose contents included an ax and a saw, left little energy for painting at the end of a hiking day.

On Day 3 at Jay Peak, Mullen dumped gear and lightened his load to about 40 pounds. He whittled weight in part by unloading tubes of paint.

“My painting kit just became a target of my ire for a while,” Mullen said. “Eight pounds is [significant] when a pound or two makes a difference.”

He kept his palette and brushes and used squibs of paint on the palette to make trailside paintings. Mullen fit the palette and 8-by-10-inch boards into a zipper pocket in the top flap of his pack. In a range of blues, greens and golds, he captured the soft light and changing colors of fall in high-altitude Vermont. (Later in the

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Rob Mullen

hike, when he was fitter, he carried his full painting kit again.)

Qualities in the forest that caught Mullen’s attention, the signs of a changing ecosystem — color, smell, light, warmth — had as much or more to do with altitude than his north-south orientation on the trail, he said.

“You’re up 3,000 feet and [then] plunging down … and you’ve walked into a different forest,” Mullen observed. In this up-close encounter with Vermont, he found his home state to be, by turns, “very inviting” and “otherworldly.”

Mullen painted Belvidere Mountain one evening while he cooked macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes for supper. He painted the mountain again, in new light, the next morning at breakfast time.

At his first camping spot, Shooting Star Shelter, Muller got down to work and painted a dolomite he spotted nearby. He put the painting on a shelf in the shelter to dry. When a northbound through-hiker from New Jersey showed up at the shelter, he saw Mullen’s painting and the nearby boulder and made the connection.

“I love rocks!” the hiker told Mullen.

The artist sold his first painting that first

night, giving his fellow hiker a deal at $250.

“I thought, This trip is going to be great!” Mullen said.

While the initial days of the hike presented an aerobic challenge, by the end of the trip the artist was in the best cardio shape he’s experienced in 30 years, he said. His resting heart rate was 48 beats per minute.

“I walked up Stratton Mountain, and I didn’t feel it,” Mullen said, referring to the 3,199-summit near the southern end of the trail.

By that point, Mullen was pretty much done with the painting part of the trip.

“The last 50 miles, I just wanted to get home,” he said. “I was ready to go back to my bed.” He “cranked out” that 50 miles in two and a half days.

Reflecting on his journey 10 days afterward, Mullen described the relation between his art and his hike.

“Painting on-site makes you feel a little more connected to a place,” he said. “And I think walking it on your own two feet does the same.” m

INFO Learn more at paintnpaddlestudio.com and vtwildlifecoalition.org.

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NOW MORE THAN EVER, WHERE YOU SHOP MATTERS. SUPPORT YOUR WINOOSKI FAVORITES THIS HOLIDAY SEASON.

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food+drink

Delivering the Goods Pandemic-era services bring local food right to your front door B Y J O R D AN BAR RY, MELISSA PASAN E N & SALLY P O L L AK PHOTOS: SALLY POLLAK

Delivery from 1000 Stone Farm

Kyle Doda (left) and Betsy Simpson of 1000 Stone Farm in Brookfield making a delivery in Burlington

D

epending on whom you ask, online shopping and food delivery apps have either ruined us or made modern life worth living.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, placing orders with a click has become preferable to browsing in person — and only part of the boom can be linked to people looking to support the United States Postal Service.

According to a Hartman Group report released in September, “the need for safety and security [is] a fundamental driver of consumer food sourcing decisions.” The report explains that shoppers’ concern about exposure to COVID-19 “shapes every choice they make” about how and where they shop for food. Forty-eight

FOOD LOVER?

GET YOUR FILL ONLINE...

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percent of respondents said they shopped via online-only or direct-to-consumer outlets more often in the previous 30 days than they had six months before, just before the pandemic.

Vermont businesses have stepped up — or started up — to join the world of grocery delivery and meet that increased direct-to-consumer demand. Farmers, bakers, grocery store owners, restaurants, specialty food producers and tech startups are among those now stocking online shelves and loading refrigerated trucks to bring local food to front stoops all over the state. Here are five delivery services working to fill your freezer and pile groceries into your pantry.

J.B.

Growing and Trucking 1000 Stone Farm, Brookfield, 1000stonefarm.com; weekly deliveries in Burlington and Montpelier for $5, or free for orders of $100 or more. Online ordering is open Sunday through Wednesday.

Over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house we … oops, hang on, my bad! We’re not going anywhere this year. But Kyle Doda and Betsy Simpson of 1000 Stone Farm in Brookfield will cross a river, truck through the woods and come to you.

The central Vermont farmers make home deliveries on Saturdays in Burlington and on Tuesdays in Montpelier.

Their goods range from organic vegetables grown on their home farm to cheese, yogurt, bread, meat and specialty items

FOOD NEWS SERVED TO YOUR INBOX

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

produced by other Vermont farmers and makers. The weekly food runs amount to a mini Vermont grocery store on wheels.

(No toilet paper.)

The delivery service started in the summer when, due to changes at the Burlington Farmers Market, only one farmer of the 1000 Stone pair was needed to run their market booth. This freed the other farmer — Doda or Simpson — to make deliveries to CSA customers who typically pick up their shares at the market.

The service was designed for customers who, because of the pandemic, felt more comfortable getting their food at home, Doda said. Since 1000 Stone farmers were already making individual food drops in Burlington, they decided to expand delivery beyond their CSA customer base and keep going after the market closed for the season.

Burlington and Montpelier residents can order from 1000 Stone Farm’s online store to purchase an array of local food, including the farm’s Brussels sprouts, spinach, lettuce, onions, carrots, beets, garlic, potatoes, mushrooms and more.

For regular customers, delivery is a chance for farmer and consumer to

GOOD TO-GO VERMONT:

DELIVERING THE GOODS

» P.46

VERMONT RESTAURANTS ARE STILL MAKING DELICIOUS FOOD FOR TAKEOUT, DELIVERY OR CURBSIDE PICKUP. FIND OUT WHAT YOUR FAVORITE EATERIES ARE SERVING UP AT GOODTOGOVERMONT.COM. #GOODTOGOVT

SIDEdishes SERVING UP FOOD NEWS

a nickel on it. As of right now, there’s nothing to talk about. And, if it does happen, it’s not going to look anything like that.”

Warnstedt said he and his colleagues are focused right now on the “day-to-day survival” of their existing restaurants, and any new project is several years out. “This is not something we are working on at all,” the restaurateur said. “I wouldn’t get too excited for a while.”

Will McNeil (left) and Eric Warnstedt

8h-Burlingtonfarmersmarket111120 1

Melissa Pasanen

Online & Walk-up Orders • Outdoor Seating Gluten Free, Vegetarian & Vegan Friendly

Virtual Vittles

Open daily 11am-8pm • thescalevt.com 373 Blair Park Rd, Williston NOW OPEN! 137 Pearl Street, Essex Junction

FILE: MATTHEW THORSEN

FEEDING CHITTENDEN REIMAGINES ITS ANNUAL TURKEY ROUNDUP

Hold On, Doc

currently operates a metal and auto shop. An artist’s rendering depicts a Doc Ponds restaurant with a large lawn and outdoor patio.

Reached by Seven Days on November 16, Warnstedt clarified that his hospitality team was involved in meetings about the potential project last year. But, he said, “We haven’t spent

LAKESIDE RESTAURANT IN BURLINGTON IS A LONG WAY OFF

SIDE DISHES

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THANKFUL TO BE PART OF THIS GIVING COMMUNITY

» P.49

GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT & FOR INVITING OUR BEER-FAMILY TO YOUR HOLIDAY TABLE

CHEERS FROM OUR SWITCHBACK FAMILY TO YOURS! JOIN US IN FEEDING OUR NEIGHBORS AT SWITCHBACKGIVESBACK.COM

FILE: JAMES BUCK

You may have heard about plans for a lakeside restaurant in Burlington from the team behind DOC PONDS in Stowe, HEN OF THE WOOD in Waterbury and Burlington, and PROHIBITION PIG in Waterbury. While those plans exist, they remain in the early stages; in the words of co-owner ERIC WARNSTEDT, “It is really, really premature to get the word out.”

On November 5, as the Burlington Free Press first reported, Lake Champlain Transportation submitted a preliminary application to build a 6,500-squarefoot restaurant at the King Street docks where the ferry company

Like so many events this year, the annual Turkey Round-Up at FEEDING CHITTENDEN has gone online. In years past, community members dropped off turkeys in person at the food shelf’s North Winooski Avenue building in Burlington.

This year, they can make virtual donations to reach the goal of feeding 3,500 food-insecure families this holiday season. A $25 donation provides a full Thanksgiving meal

10/28/20 12:48 PM

Packing food at Feeding Chittenden in April

802 651 4114 | SWITCHBACKVT.COM | @SWITCHBACKBEER 4t-Switchback111820 1

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Delivering the Goods « P.44

NEN

Global pantry items from Asian Mart

ASA SA P

IS MEL

connect, even if it’s a momentary, “Hey, what’s up?” Doda said. (The delivery can be contactless.) For Doda, the 100-mileplus route he drives on Saturdays is a chance to get more local food to more people, an endeavor he cares deeply about.

“When we look at the whole picture of the Vermont economy and where we find ourselves in this moment of turmoil, local food and agriculture is a necessity,” the 35-year-old farmer said.

Doda founded 1000 Stone Farm in 2013.

He added a self-serve farm store in the summer of 2019. Like the delivery service, the store sells locally sourced products that augment the harvest from 1000 Stone Farm’s four productive acres.

“We’re carrying 20 different local businesses or farm products that are getting business through our business,” Doda said. “The whole point is to get more local food into more local homes in Vermont, while making it financially sustainable for farms.”

The store at the Brookfield farm is open every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you forgot sweet potatoes or decide you need half a gallon of chocolate milk to go with your holiday cider, you’re in luck. The 1000 Stone Farm store will be open on Thanksgiving.

“Sure,” Doda said, of staying open for the holiday. “I’m not going to be hanging out with anybody else.”

Damber and Uma Adhikari of Asian Mart

S.P.

Asian Mart, Essex Junction, 310-1332, asianmartvt.com; delivery starting end of November within 10 miles (minimum order to be determined).

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Delivery from Local Maverick

M.P.

Data Base Local Maverick, Burlington, localmaverickus.com; Friday delivery to Chittenden County locations for $5.

JORDAN BARRY

Damber Adhikari didn’t need to deploy his Champlain College degree in digital forensics to reveal that 2020 called for building an online ordering system for Asian Mart, his newly expanded global grocery store in Essex Junction.

“Every business is going in the direction of online ordering,” Adhikari, 32, said.

Once the order portal is up on his website, the young entrepreneur will add home delivery service by the end of November. Customers will be able to place and receive orders for fresh banana flowers, Kewpie mayonnaise and frozen cassava without leaving their homes.

Adhikari knows his way around technology and understands the demands of business in 2020. Delivery was not in the plans until the pandemic. But now, he acknowledged, “People want to stay away from other people.”

When Adhikari bought Asian Mart, formerly Everest Asian Market, in Novem-

MELISSA PASANEN

Global Goods

ber 2017, it was located on the Pearl Street side of the Post Office Square mall in a 2,000-square-foot space. After the Backstage Pub closed in March 2019, his landlord offered him the larger space in the back of the building. Adhikari undertook significant renovations and moved his market into more than double the square footage in June 2020. He runs it with the help of his wife, Uma. The business, he said, was started by someone originally from Vietnam with a focus on ingredients that the community could not find easily in local supermarkets.

The second owner was Nepali and added a new set of products. Adhikari himself was just 4 years old when his family fled ethnic persecution in Bhutan. After 17 years in a Nepalese refugee camp, they resettled in Vermont in 2009.

Adhikari has continued to add items at the request of customers missing the tastes of faraway homelands. He stocks liver spread from Argentina and cornmeal from Venezuela; noodles from Korea, Thailand and Japan; an earth-toned rainbow of lentils used across southern Asia; and African palm oil and the mustard oil used in his own kitchen. Freezer cases hold ube and young coconut ice cream from the Philippines, whole frozen squid, and “so many dumplings,” Adhikari said.

In the coolers, south Indian dosa batter sits next to tubs of tofu pudding. There is even the infamous, barely Vermont-related Vermont Curry, a popular seasoning base from Japan. “I don’t know half of the stuff,” he said with a laugh. “A lot of stuff you can’t get anywhere else in Vermont.”

A sign in Vietnamese at the register advertises fresh squid and catfish.

Adhikari announces on the market’s Facebook page when he has fresh blue crabs and the highlights of twice-weekly deliveries of fresh fruits and vegetables sourced from Boston and New York. He routinely carries lotus root, half a dozen kinds of eggplant, curry and lime leaves, fresh bamboo shoots, longan fruits, and small sweet mangoes.

The business should properly be called Global Mart at this point, Adhikari conceded, but changing an established business name is a project for another year.

Ryan Nakhleh doesn’t mince words when he talks about Amazon’s impact on Vermont’s economy.

“Our money is slowly being siphoned out of our communities with transactions on those digital platforms,” he said.

The Farm Powered® Vermont Vision

food+drink He hopes that his technology and from Matryoshka’s Bakery, Bakeology’s marketing startup, Local Maverick, can maple Keto granola, kombucha and other help recapture some of those dollars for ferments from Sobremesa, apples from local producers — along with the user Windfall Orchards, Eco Bean + Greens’ data that online platforms collect with smoothie kits, teas from Misuba, Fortify every click.

Foods’ plant-based shakes, cured meats “Even when local businesses earn a from Agricola Farm, and more. spot on those bigger The site will grow platforms, it’s still to include about 40 vendors in the next a problem because month, Nakhleh said. our data is leaving, too,” Nakhleh, 27, He has a whole team explained. Those data in place to handle the give the Amazons of logistics of an influx the world insight into of vendors — and, DAMBER ADHIKARI what consumers want hopefully, orders.

Local Maverick is — and how to draw them back for another sale. also looking for a retail space, where Local Maverick partnered with the products would be available for walk-in Burlington Farmers Market to launch customers. In the meantime, the company online ordering site BFM Direct in has expanded its current space on Main August 2020. When the market ended for Street and plans to add pickup days. the season in October, that pilot program “This community loves to support became Maverick Market. The online local,” Nakhleh said. “That willingness platform purchases items wholesale to try new things and support new local from local farmers and food producers, businesses is exciting to see.” offering customers a one-stop shop with J.B. weekly delivery and pickup options.

Beyond eggs and kimchi, Maverick Market also fights the algorithms with Meat Here producer profiles, sharing the stories Snug Valley Farm, East Hardwick, 472-6185, behind the gourmet marshmallows and snugvalleyfarm.com; weekly free deliveries to Lamoille and Washington counties and sourdough it sells. greater Burlington for minimum order “I’m someone who always wanted of $30. Order by Monday afternoon for to buy local, but I never fully got there,” Wednesday or Thursday delivery.

Nakhleh said. “Speaking to all these farm- Farmer Ben Nottermann believes his ers, food producers and local businesses, small, family-owned business owes a debt that storytelling makes all the difference. to Amazon.

“We want to make that easier to In mid-March, when Snug Valley connect for lazy people like me,” he said Farm abruptly lost most of its wholewith a laugh. “To not only shop local but sale customers, the family pivoted hard also to meet the people behind the food.” to sell more beef and pork directly to Maverick Market has also started a home cooks. Nottermann believes that digital cooking magazine called Maverick acceptance of doorstep deliveries of Kitchen. Recipes give customers ideas for bacon, steaks and kielbasa was eased by how to cook the chicken they purchase the online retail behemoth. “Amazon has from Maple Wind Farm, onions from helped,” the farmer explained. “People Hudak Farm and kale from 1000 Stone have grown to expect a delivery option.”

Farm. (One-pan chicken and kale skillet, Snug Valley built on an email list from anyone?) previous years of monthly winter “meatThe market offers meal kits, which ups” that catered to its Burlington-area include all the ingredients needed for summer farmers market customers. Over dishes such as veggie-stuffed beef burg- the pandemic, the list has grown from 300 ers and fries — complete with a wedge of to 800 households, generating 15 to 40 Stony Pond Farm’s Swallow Tail Tomme weekly deliveries. cheese and a loaf of Slowfire Bakery’s But now, customers don’t meet the country-style sourdough bread. farmers at a central location; a white van Local Maverick launched BFM Direct painted with a curly-tailed pig and mustawith products from five Burlington Farm- chioed cow (in honor of Nottermann’s ers Market vendors. Since the transition father’s distinctive facial hair) pulls up to Maverick Market, that number has to their door. grown to nearly 20 local farms and food The East Hardwick farm is located on businesses. The online store is stocked Pumpkin Lane; Nottermann’s childhood with items such as Nomadic Kitch- pumpkin patch helped pay his college en’s handcrafted marshmallows, ice bills. An only child, he came home in cream from Sisters of Anarchy, chocolate bars from NU Chocolat, macarons DELIVERING THE GOODS » P.48

■ Recycle Vermont food and beverage waste ■ Collect, separate, and process that waste

EVERY BUSINESS IS GOING IN THE DIRECTION OF ONLINE ORDERING.

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The largest anaerobic digester in the Northeast located in Salisbury, Vermont, will collect and recycle commercial-scale food, beverage, and other organic waste into clean, renewable energy. The food and beverage community benefits by complying with the Vermont 148 organics to landfill ban, protecting Vermont's pristine environment, saving money, and helping to sustain a beautiful family farm.

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JORDAN BARRY

Snug Valley Farm delivery, including the farm’s meats and pet treats plus bread, dairy and cured sausage from other producers

Bakery and pantry items from Kingdom Direct

JORDAN BARRY

2010 to join his parents, Helm and Nancy.

Nottermann, now 38, and his wife feel lucky to be raising their 3-year-old son with close ties to the land and his grandparents. “I grew up on a farm and I loved it,” Nottermann said.

In 2019, wholesale demand prompted Snug Valley to scale up to 450 to 500 hogs a year and 120 head of 100 percent grass-fed beef. Revenue was about 60 percent wholesale to restaurants and schools, as well as consolidators such as Middlesex-based Farmers to You, which delivers to Bostonarea families. The rest came largely through a handful of summer farmers markets.

The Nottermanns had been working on an online store, but other tasks kept bumping it down the to-do list. Suddenly, it became top priority. “It took a global pandemic to put the last six hours in to finish the online store,” Nottermann noted wryly.

Even when some summer farmers markets started up, Snug Valley didn’t return. Ben said his parents are at higher risk for COVID-19 complications due to age, so it seemed safer to reduce the family’s exposure.

Snug Valley has partnered with farmer friends who also lost markets to deliver their cheeses, milk, yogurt, bread, cultured butter, maple products and European-style cured meats to customers. They will soon add chicken. Even the family pooch can partake with Snug Valley liver snacks.

Delivery has helped Snug Valley soldier on. Compared with farmers markets, the sales are more predictable and are not subject to inclement weather or competing events. “It’s really surprised me pleasantly.

I do think this has longevity,” Nottermann said. Still, he’s looking forward to the return of wholesale business. “We’re not going backwards, but we’re not setting the world on fire.”

MELISSA PASANEN

Delivering the Goods « P.47

M.P.

Direct Cause Kingdom Direct Food Delivery, Irasburg, ardeliafarm.com; weekly deliveries to parts of the Northeast Kingdom, Lamoille, Washington and Chittenden counties with $30 minimum order. Order by Sunday night for Thursday or Friday delivery.

Thomas McCurdy never felt particularly passionate about grocery delivery. But that hasn’t stopped the professional pastry chef from leaning into tasks such as shopping for refrigerated trucks and taking glamour shots of dried cranberries for an online store.

“A phrase I’ve used a lot this year is, ‘Well, this is my life now,’” McCurdy, 33, said with a chuckle. “When we first 48

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Chinese dinner party for two from Kingdom Direct

launched Kingdom Direct back in April, it was very much just a reaction to COVID. We thought it would be a temporary little thing to get us through perhaps until farmers markets started or, you know, once COVID goes away in a couple months.”

Kingdom Direct is now in its 33rd week of selling McCurdy’s baked goods; weekly “dinner parties”; prepared foods; eggs, cheese and other products from area farms; pantry staples; and pork, beef and flowers from Ardelia Farm, which McCurdy owns with his husband, Bailey Hale. He says the service is here to stay, at least for a while.

Pre-pandemic, the flowers Hale grew were mostly destined for florists and events in New York City; McCurdy’s pastries were sold at the Burlington Farmers Market and served at weddings.

With Kingdom Direct, the couple is increasing the farm’s local presence one flower arrangement, box of peanut-butter brownies, cellophane bag of spicedoatmeal-everything cookies and whole pumpkin-spice-latte cake at a time.

When Kingdom Direct first launched, its weekly dinner parties for two were based on dishes McCurdy served as part of his 52 Dinners project in 2019. As business has grown, though, he’s had to rethink the meals from a production standpoint.

“There isn’t too much rhyme or reason to it now,” McCurdy explained. “I said earlier this summer that I had to stop thinking like a chef and start thinking more like a lunch lady. A fancy lunch lady.”

A recent dinner party featured Chinese takeout-style dishes, including vegetable lo mein, sesame broccoli with chicken, sweet-and-spicy meatballs, and two takeout containers of white rice, “because one just isn’t quite enough.” The order came with two sets of red-wrapped wooden chopsticks.

The operation has grown since the spring, too. Kingdom Direct now employs a delivery driver for its refrigerated van and an “almost full-time” kitchen person, chef Liz Chadwick, in addition to McCurdy and a bakery assistant. Ardelia’s director of operations and e-commerce, Emily Dolly, handles order processing, organizing delivery routes and answering customer questions.

Eighty percent of Kingdom Direct’s weekly orders are from repeat customers, McCurdy estimated, and many order every single week.

“It’s been really special the way people have incorporated it into their lives,” he said. “Rather than just being a reaction to not being able to go to a restaurant or not feeling comfortable going to a store, it’s more like, ‘Oh, let’s see what the dinner is this week.’”

J.B.

food+drink Side Dishes « P.45 to a family of four in Chittenden County.

“This year we want to make sure people still have the opportunity to help feed our hungry neighbors while keeping everyone safe in the process,” Feeding Chittenden director ROB MEEHAN said in a press release.

Feeding Chittenden has reported a 38 percent increase in people seeking food assistance during the pandemic.

“This has always been a big community event that our recipients, donors and volunteers look forward to,” said ANNA MCMAHON, Feeding Chittenden donor and community engagement manager. “It looks different this year because people can’t gather, but the peace of mind it gives families to be able to provide a holiday meal is especially important right now.”

You can donate to the Virtual Turkey Round-Up food and fund drive at feedingchittenden.org or by texting the word “GIVE” to 802-242-5953.

Jordan Barry

Poke bowls and bottled sauce from the Scale

Scaling Up POKE BAR ADDS ESSEX JUNCTION LOCATION NEIL and PERRY FARR

opened the SCALE poke bar in Williston in March 2018. On Monday, fewer than three years later and in the middle of a pandemic, they opened a second location in Essex Junction at 137 Pearl Street.

The experienced industry professionals, who met while students at the Culinary Institute of America, identified Hawaiian-style bowls of seasoned, sliced raw fish called poke (pronounced like “OK”) as an untapped restaurant opportunity in the Burlington area.

Vermonters fell hook, line and sinker for offerings such as the Firecracker Bowl: wild salmon (caught in Alaska by Vermonter LYNN STEYAART of HONEYWILYA FISH), ahi tuna or hamachi served over a choice of white or brown rice, zucchini noodles, or greens.

The bowl is festooned with cucumber, mango, scallions, sesame seeds,

crispy onions, seaweed seasoning and the Scale’s own Firecracker Sauce.

The restaurant’s line of poke sauces is available by the bottle at the restaurant and at CITY MARKET, ONION RIVER CO-OP’s South End store.

The Scale also offers acai bowls consisting of a sorbet made from the trendy South American berry with additions such as Vermont-made granola, fresh fruit, raw honey and almond butter.

In winter and spring, the menu includes ramen noodle soups, with expanded options this year.

While many restaurants have been sorely tested by the pandemic, some that specialize in takeout are riding a steady wave of business.

Neil Farr said that the Scale was well positioned to go 100 percent takeout, with solid systems already in place, and that customer demand has even justified additional hours.

The new Scale poke bar shares a building with PEARL STREET PUB and occupies the space that briefly housed the Middle Eastern restaurant Mr. Shawarma in 2018. The Farrs gutted the existing restaurant and built a 600-square-foot patio in front for future outdoor eating.

For now, both locations will be takeout-only, but the Farrs are working on getting their own delivery service up and running. Looking forward to 2021, the couple hopes to add another pair of locations in Waterbury and Montpelier.

4T-fiddlehead111820 1

Featuring new menu items MOM’S MEATLOAF

topped with caramelized onion bacon jam and served with mashed potatoes

COURTESY OF THE SCALE

BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO topped with toasted pepita seeds and fried sage

ROASTED BEET SALAD

coffee roasted beets, tangerine Supremes, candied pecan tossed in a spiced honey glaze

Serving breakfast 6:30-10 a.m. daily and dinner 5-9:30 p.m. daily Take out and delivery available

M.P.

CONNECT Follow us for the latest food gossip! On Twitter: Sally Pollak: @vtpollak.

On Instagram: @7deatsvt.

11/16/20 6:00 PM

802.660.7523 • 1117 WILLISTON RD, SOUTH BURLINGTON 4t-dukespublichouse111820.indd 1

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AN OPEN LETTER TO BURLINGTON RESIDENTS DEAR NEIGHBOR,

My name is Kyle Dodson, and I’m the Director of Police Transformation for the city of Burlington. When I was offered this new, temporary position, I took a six-month leave of absence from my role as CEO/President of the Greater Burlington YMCA. As a Black man and professional with a background outside of the law enforcement community, I’m tasked with helping to lead the City’s work to forge a new consensus on policing in Burlington, one that will take into account the lived experiences and complaints from the city’s Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities.

My effective start date was October 1. In the six weeks I’ve been on the job, I’ve learned a great deal.

I’ve consulted with experts in different police functions from across the country, many of them BIPOC leaders themselves (see sidebar).

I have also had meetings and conversations with representatives from the local Racial Justice Alliance, the Burlington Police Commission, and the City Council.

Additionally, I met with two different groups of BIPOC students from Burlington High School to hear their perspective — KYLE DODSON and experiences on policing in Burlington.

After all of these conversations, one thing is exceedingly clear: Public safety is an incredibly complex undertaking!

In the last few years, we’ve all seen a succession of useof-force abuses and police killings across the nation that have left the public horrified, and our BIPOC communities feeling deeply betrayed, traumatized and mistrustful. Racism and bias exist in our police departments because they exist in our society. Ours is a brutal history as it relates to the past — and present — of how white people treat communities of color. The Burlington Police Department has to publicly acknowledge the extent of systemic racism, and to commit themselves to the internal work necessary to become an antiracist agency.

Yet, we know that in our community, and in communities across the nation, brave women and men get up every day,

“I appeal to all of you out there to be part of this process.”

LUKE AWTRY

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SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

PAID FOR BY THE CITY OF BURLINGTON

put on the uniform, and serve and protect the public in a selfless way.

How do we reconcile these competing truths?

I know that I alone can’t resolve this seeming conundrum in the four and a half months that I have left in this post.

Based on my many conversations, I have learned that there is a significant portion of our community who are eager for a transformed public safety function that is progressive, appropriately scaled, equitable, and informed by the expectations of the entire community.

This is not a process that can be owned by one person.

My role has given me a unique perspective on this situation. Because of the significant breakdown of trust and communication between the Burlington police and the community they serve, I am one of few people who has access to and connection with most of the “factions” involved.

Because I am embedded in the Burlington Police Department, I see the humanity therein. I have empathy for the perspective of what this moment is doing to the professionals in that building. That’s led some of my BIPOC brothers and sisters to lose faith in me — a challenging, but not unexpected reaction.

There is no equivalency between the critique and censure that police are currently experiencing, and the brutal, subhuman treatment that white institutions and people have meted out to the Black community over 400 plus years. But after 54 years of living in Black skin and knowing what it means to be “othered,” and scorned, and dehumanized, and disregarded, I can’t imagine that doing the same to police officers is how we all get to a better place.

Police transformation is something that should involve our entire community. With the remainder of my time in this role, I do believe that I can help to facilitate a healing process, to help create the infrastructure for the sort of engagement and communication that a sustainable police transformation requires, and deserves.

In closing, I appeal to all of you out there to be part of this process that’s already well under way. There’s a lot in the mix, and the outcome of all of this work will be more legitimate, and more enduring, if it reflects the will of our community.

Sincerely,

Kyle Dodson

Experts Consulted The list includes, but is not limited to:

• ●Hassan Aden, a BIPOC man who is former Chief of Police in Greensboro, North Carolina, and Deputy Chief of Police in Alexandria, Virginia. He currently runs the Aden Group and has served on the monitoring teams in Seattle, Cleveland, and Baltimore, amongst others.

• ●Arnold Rothenberg, Deputy Inspector of the Nassau County Police Department and the Deputy Commander of the Nassau County Police Academy.

• Sydney Roberts, a Black woman who is the Chief Administrator of the Chicago, Civilian Office of Police Accountability.

She leads the city’s civilian police oversight body, which has full administrative investigative authority of all officer-involved shootings, deaths in custody or a result of police action, as well as all complaints of excessive force, illegal search and seizure, domestic violence, denial of counsel, coercion and sex and race based verbal abuse.

• Brian Corr, a Black man who is the immediate past president of the nonprofit National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement. It works to: enhance fair and professional law enforcement responsive to community needs; increase accountability and transparency in policing; and build community trust through civilian oversight.

• ●Susan Hutson, a Black woman who is the Independent Police Monitor in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Police transformation should involve our entire community.

Here’s how to get involved: There are various policing reform conversations occurring at Police Commission meetings, Joint Committee Meetings (including representatives of the City Council and the Police Commission) and City Council meetings. Find information about all of them, as well as updates and related resources, on the City of Burlington’s website, at: burlingtonvt.gov/policetransformation.

Let me know your thoughts on police transformation by emailing me at kdodson@bpdvt.org, or calling 802-540-2122.

Or drop a letter in the mail addressed to Kyle Dodson, Burlington Police Department, 1 North Avenue, Burlington, Vt., 05401.

SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

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music+nightlife

Joe and Jaye MacAskill of Pony Death Ride

Breaking down musical comedy duo Pony Death Ride’s new album B Y J O RD A N AD A M S • jordan@sevendaysvt.com

B

en Stiller. Cuddle parties. Tough guys on bicycles. These disparate themes, among others, comprise the topical potpourri that musical comedy duo Pony Death Ride felt were absolutely, positively necessary to sing about on their new album, Unthemed. Also, Crispin Glover.

Fresh on the Burlington scene, married couple Joe and Jaye MacAskill moved to Vermont from their longtime home base of San Diego in July. After careful consideration (and x-ing out 90 percent of the country for various reasons), they landed on the Queen City in part because of its robust music scene. Also highly attractive: the picturesque setting, lower cost of

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living compared to SoCal, and proximity to Canada — Jaye’s homeland. Now that they’re settled, the couple plans to open a vintage clothing shop just off the Winooski roundabout in the former Onion River Cobbler space.

In normal circumstances (i.e., when live music isn’t shut down because of a pandemic), Pony Death Ride probably would have played a bunch of gigs by now, made a ton of local contacts and be prepping for a big holiday show. Instead, the pair settled for a quiet release of their latest LP, a hodgepodge of comedic gold.

Part Burns and Allen vaudevillians, part genre-hopping songsmiths, Pony Death Ride find humor in practically every

corner of human existence. The characters they play in their work are “exaggerated, slightly off versions” of themselves, as Jaye put it in a recent interview with Seven Days. The MacAskills are deeply committed to their bits, especially to how they bring them to life.

“The amount of homework you have to do, people wouldn’t believe,” Joe said.

Before recording, he said, he listens to hours and hours of the kind of music he’s hoping to ape; he’ll note the particular kinds of drums used, the precise tones and how all the elements come together in a way that’s genre- or period-correct.

The title of Unthemed refers to Pony Death Ride’s past two albums: 2016’s

feline-focused Cat Sounds and last year’s holiday hullabaloo, The First Leon — A Christmas Album. The latter contains one of the group’s most perfect tunes, “It’s a Tom Waits Christmas.” Joe not only achieves a pitch-perfect impression of the grizzled singer-songwriter, but the scene he sets is full of the kinds of hard-luck characters found in Waits’ work.

“Usually, [our songs] start out with just a weird idea,” Jaye said. “And then it’s like, what kind of music does the topic evoke?

Sometimes you want it to be something that contrasts, so it’s completely absurd and makes no sense. And other times the style and the lyrics are more aligned.”

Unthemed is available to stream on all

LUKE AWTRY

Unthematic Elements

GOT MUSIC NEWS? JORDAN@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

major platforms. Read on for a track-bytrack look at the album.

“Intro”

Like a talking-head radio spot, the MacAskills warmly invite you to listen to the new Pony Death Ride album, coming to you in 2020 — or 2021. “We don’t want to make any promises,” Jaye quips on the track, a cheeky nod to the uncertainty they felt when recording.

“Ben Stiller, Movie Killer”

First, Joe and Jaye bear no ill will to the Meet the Parents actor. But Joe plucked the title out of thin air and felt it was too snappy not to see where it could go. The result is a stinging first-wave punk song that rakes Stiller across the coals for ruining every film he’s ever been in.

“Where Were You When Buddy Holly Died?”

Calling on the sonic touchstones of 1950sera rock and roll, “Where Were You When Buddy Holly Died?” is about, as Jaye explained, “people in music scenes who do a lot of talking” — especially people who maybe don’t know what they’re talking about.

Love local news?

“Where Did All the Ladies Go?”

In this loungy, old-school bossa nova take on pop-rock, the song’s lyrics express what Jaye calls “non-politically correct values,” which pair well with the throwback style.

“Old music, old style of thought,” Jaye said.

“It’s like Lawrence Welk became a jerk and sang that song,” Joe added.

THE AMOUNT OF HOMEWORK YOU HAVE TO DO, PEOPLE WOULDN’T BELIEVE.

“Don’t Be a Pussy”

The heavy satire of “Don’t Be a Pussy” might be lost “Crispin Glover Be on some folks, so don’t My Lover” clutch your pearls too hard J OE MACASKILL Another case of the title listening to the acoustic dictating the content of a jazz number’s lyrics. It’s song, “Crispin Glover Be My Lover” is a the yang to the previous track’s yin.

Jaye-led, Go-Go’s-style new-wave pop “You’re more like a whimper / When song about the weirdest dude in showbiz. I need a hiss / You listen to Toto / While I’m playing Kiss,” Jaye sings with biting “I’m Not a Bear” snark.

Because of Joe’s imposing stature and deep, penetrating voice, he’s often “Let Me Tell You ’Bout My mistaken for a bear — a slang term for a Bike” large, hairy homosexual male. This case “Let Me Tell You ’Bout My Bike” is sort of of mistaken identity frequently happened a one-joke garage-rock song. Rather than at San Diego Pride, the city’s gay pride a souped-up Harley-Davidson, Joe boasts celebration. about what turns out to be a tricked-out “Suddenly, for a day, Joe gets to be a bicycle, much to Jaye’s disdain. sex symbol,” Jaye explained.

As Joe put it, the song itself is like “We Don’t Have Any Kids and Garth Brooks’ “Unanswered Prayers” It’s Awesome” crossed with Barry Manilow’s “Mandy.” At ages 51 and 48, respectively, Joe and Its dramatic tone underscores the silli- Jaye are frequently the odd couple in ness of the whole situation. their peer group. However, most of their actual friends don’t have kids, so they “Cuddle Party!” haven’t had to apologize much for the Though they’ve never been to a cuddle way the twangy tune rubs the freedom party themselves, the MacAskills sure of being childless in the listener’s face. seem to have a good handle on how it “It’s been well received,” Jaye said. works.

“Whatcha doin’ tonight?” Jaye asks in “Love Is Like a…” the track’s sketch-like introduction.

The ukulele-driven vaudeville sound of “Oh, I’m looking for someone to hold “Love Is Like a…” is Pony Death Ride’s my hand and just gaze into my eyes,” Joe comfort zone, and this song has been part replies. of their act for a long time.

“Oh, well, I’m looking for hard-core “It’s a good one to do at live shows,” sex!” Jaye snaps back. After deciding to Jaye said. “It can be stripped down to just “meet in the middle,” the song erupts a ukulele and a tambourine.” into a bouncy polka. The pair describes, Full of setups and punch lines, in surprisingly accurate detail, the vari- the “love” song does a better job of ous rules and regulations of nonsexual activities that transpire at cuddle parties.

UNTHEMATIC ELEMENTS » P.54

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GOT MUSIC NEWS? JORDAN@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

REVIEW this

Joe and Jaye MacAskill of Pony Death Ride

The Leatherbound Books, These Were the Days (SELF-RELEASED, DIGITAL)

LUKE AWTRY

Unthematic Elements « P.53

highlighting the trials and tribulations of relationships than the lovey-dovey stuff you’d find in a greeting card.

“In Retrospect I Don’t Think Phil Collins Is That Bad”

A completely stripped-down ukulele tune, “In Retrospect I Don’t Think Phil Collins Is That Bad” is one of the album’s most silly, frivolous and selfexplanatory entries.

“Shut Up, Ted Nugent Is Talking”

The MacAskills originally titled this one “Shut Up, John Mayer Is Talking” but “switched over to a more fertile field of ridicule” by putting a more easily hateable target in its crosshairs.

“The guitar riff is just ‘Stranglehold’ sped up,” Joe said, referring to Nugent’s 1975 hard-rock song. “He’s just a laughable guy.”

The two stand by the song, to the point that they pasted it onto Nugent’s Facebook page over and over until they received the notification, “Ted Nugent likes this.”

“His Name Is Jim”

On the closing track, another uke-heavy ditty, Jaye sings sweet words of love — to some guy named Jim, much to Joe’s chagrin.

INFO Visit ponydeathride.com to hear Unthemed and other albums.

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SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

These Were the Days was meant to arrive shortly after the Leatherbound Books’ 2015 debut EP, Tender My Hopes. Co-front person Jackie Buttolph explained in an email that, though she and bandmates Eric Daniels and Charlie Smyrk originally planned to release the LP in 2016, the year felt too turbulent and the project was shelved.

It’s funny to think of 2016 in that way, because each of the past five years has been tumultuous. So maybe we should stop expecting things to cool down. Our mental states might be better for it if we strap in and prepare for a lifetime of chaos. But that doesn’t mean

REDadmiral, decimal (SELF-RELEASED, DIGITAL DOWNLOAD)

Burlington swamp-rock outfit REDadmiral have been honing their sound on the local circuit for years.

Their latest offering, decimal, exists thanks to undisputed BTV superfan Tim Lewis, who hosts “The Sounds of Burlington” radio show Thursdays on local streaming station WBKM. Lewis brought the band in for a live session at Ryan Cohen’s Robot Dog Studios in Williston in February, shortly before the world ground to a halt.

REDadmiral liked the results so much that they went back to do another session with Cohen in the summer, duly masked up and distanced. The combined end result is a record full of energy and raw edges — the telltale signs of a talented crew having a blast. But sonically decimal, which is essentially a live album, is a bit of a hot mess.

At least some of that mess is deliberate.

REDadmiral make some defiantly

we can’t reminisce. And good, nostalgic music like that on These Were the Days can offer fleeting respite.

The Leatherbound Books started making this collection of sunny, folk-inflected indie rock as far back as 2013, not knowing how desperately we’d all be in need of a lovely distraction in the fall of 2020. Producer Jer Coons helped “orchestrate more dense and elaborate versions” of the band’s live show, Buttolph explained, while Ryan Cohen of Robot Dog Studio mastered the record. Buttolph and Daniels tread harmonic thirds with precision, like champions of the world’s most graceful three-legged race. Smyrk, who’s no longer with the band but appears on the record, provides thoughtful percussion throughout.

The somewhat gritty title track puts nostalgia at center stage. Alternating swung and straight beats, the composition supports lyrical themes that suggest

looking back and looking forward are just different ways of qualifying the now.

“Don’t tell me ‘live in the moment’ … I just end up standing frozen,” Buttolph sings, adding at the chorus, “I know we’ll look back and say that / These were the days.”

Rolling in on a featherlight chorus of “ahs,” the twee-poppy “I Doubt It” layers springy guitars and bustling snares under a rollicking melody. It’s the group’s bedrock sound.

“When You Are Gone,” a dark, minorkey torch song bathed in reverb, wallows in sour, stinging chords.

Closing track “I Could Have Been” finds Buttolph exploring the heights of her vocal range as she coos over tenderly plucked guitar and effects-laden, mystical tones. As the record’s final thought, one of finding love when least expected, the song acts as an evaporation, or one long exhale.

These Were the Days is a heartily enjoyable album that arrived at the perfect moment — even if it was supposed to be here years ago. It’s available at theleatherboundbooks.bandcamp.com.

oddball choices. These start with lead singer Gordon Glover, who blasts his vocals through a bright-red Wembley megaphone. His lyrics are smart and funny — from what I can work out, anyway. Unfortunately, much of Glover’s wit gets lost in a wall of noise. Peter Frampton on a talk box is more intelligible.

Similarly, Glover’s rhythm guitar is often buried in a wash of heavy tremolo, providing a sharp counterpoint to John Billingsley’s clean, tasty work on lead guitar. At slower tempos, that contrast works exquisitely. But when the group is working at a full crank, it just sounds excessive.

Then there’s Sam Crawford’s limber work on bass — a most unusual bass, at that. He’s using an Ampeg BB-4 Baby Bass, a ’60s-era anomaly that aimed to provide a lightweight, portable upright bass with a wood neck and plastic frame.

The results, predictably, were rather muddy. While Crawford has sharp chops, his low-end work disappears in the mix throughout the album’s 10 tracks.

The LP leads off with “Barbie’s Plastic

Army,” a reimagining of a track from REDadmiral’s 2016 eponymous debut.

What was once a radio-rock scorcher is now dark and menacing. It’s also the first indication of what an asset percussionist Ed Hall is. Abandoning the regular old drum kit, he brings a huge array of textures and sounds to every song. His choices are unpredictable, and his pocket is rock-solid.

While decimal leans heavily on upbeat foot-stompers, the most impressive moments come when the band slows it down. “Texas” is a cold, mournful ballad about toxic love — I think. And the boozy gem “Layer of Dust” is an album highlight. The latter tune is built around Crawford’s bass and Hall’s zydeco pulse. The other instruments hang back, which makes for a much bigger sound.

The song also offers one of Glover’s most compelling vocal performances.

All told, decimal is a joyously dirty ride, but it merely squints toward the band’s future. Some bright, shining day, when they can hole up in the studio and invest more time in postproduction finesse and nail pristine takes, REDadmiral are going to deliver a catchy, weird knockout of an album. Not quite yet, though. decimal by REDadmiral is available at redadmiral1.bandcamp.com.

GET YOUR MUSIC REVIEWED:

JORDAN ADAMS

JUSTIN BOLAND

ARE YOU A VT ARTIST OR BAND? SEND US YOUR MUSIC! DIGITAL: MUSIC@SEVENDAYSVT.COM; SNAIL MAIL: MUSIC C/O SEVEN DAYS, 255 S. CHAMPLAIN ST., SUITE 5, BURLINGTON, VT 05401

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movies The Act ★★★★

O

COURTESY OF BROWNIE HARRIS/HULU

ur streaming entertainment options are overwhelming — and not always easy to sort through. This week, I caught up with Patricia Arquette’s Primetime Emmyand Golden Globe-winning performance in “The Act,” Hulu’s 2019 eight-episode drama series based on the stranger-thanfiction case of the 2015 murder of Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard.

The deal

When Blanchard (Arquette) moves into a pink house built for her by Habitat for Humanity in Springfield, Mo., her reputation precedes her. Everyone knows her as the selfless mom to Gypsy Rose (Joey King), a chirpy, chronically ill child who likes to dress up as Disney princesses and uses a wheelchair and a feeding tube due to ailments about which Dee Dee is a bit vague. Alone with her new neighbor (Chloë Sevigny), the mom confides that her daughter probably isn’t long for this world.

But inside the pink house, in the Blanchards’ wholesome world of plushies and pastel fabrics, all is not as it appears. Far from being moribund, Gypsy strolls around the house when Mom isn’t watching, and she’s growing up a lot faster than Dee Dee wants to admit. When Gypsy goes online, the stage is set for the violent act that the series has teased from its opening.

REVIEW

Will you like it?

No doubt about it, “The Act” is guiltypleasure viewing. The source material is classic tabloid fodder, and one could certainly argue that it’s tasteless to pore over the disturbing details when we will never know everyone’s side of the story.

Whatever the truth may be, however, this is one of those stories that seize the public imagination for good reason.

Featuring multiple crimes, perpetrators and victims, “The Act” raises all sorts of questions about where love ends and abuse begins, what it means to feel safe and what it means to be innocent.

With the help of Google, Gypsy makes an effortless transition from cosplaying as Disney princesses to cosplaying as comic-book vixens. Her mother has taught her to control how others see her, and she’s learned well from her years as 56

SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

SICK FIC Arquette and King give acclaimed performances as a mother-daughter duo that conned the public — and each other.

both an accomplice of fraud — Dee Dee took thousands of dollars in charitable donations for her “sick” daughter — and its victim.

Series creators Nick Antosca and Michelle Dean take a patient, restrained approach to the material, reimagining Lifetime movie fodder as kitchen-sink realism for the art-house crowd. (Domestic scenes in which Dee Dee feeds Gypsy, reinforcing their bond, are a recurring motif.) In the episodes involving Calum Worthy as Nick Godejohn, Gypsy’s would-be Prince Charming and very inept accomplice, the show becomes a dark comedy of errors reminiscent of Gus Van Sant’s To Die For. The cast is full of talent — including Margo Martindale, who plays Dee Dee’s mom in flashbacks — but the show belongs to the two principals. Arquette convinces us that Dee Dee earnestly believes that everything she does is for her daughter’s benefit, even as she twists

Gypsy into someone who can only equate love with obsession and harm.

King, who received Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for her performance, captures both Gypsy’s childlike public persona and her adult darkness with chilling precision. “The Act” pokes holes in our temptation to idealize childhood, particularly in our pop culture. Like Peter Pan, Gypsy will never grow up, but her forced eternal youth has stunted her ability to make moral choices, or even rational ones.

“The Act” was originally announced as an anthology series — hence, perhaps, the oblique, catchall title. Here it evokes both the climactic murder and the sustained fraud that the Blanchards embodied; even their skeptical, seen-itall neighbor is fooled. Rather like recent U.S. history, the show suggests that the most successful con artists are the ones who believe their own cons — and have trouble leaving the stage even when their act has run its course.

If you like this, try...

• Mommy Dead and Dearest (2017; HBO Max): For the facts of the story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, or what we know of it, this HBO documentary is an indispensable companion to the “The Act.” • The Imposter (2012; Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Tubi, rentable): Bart Layton’s creepy true-crime documentary, about a Frenchman who impersonated a missing Texan child, tells another stranger-than-fiction story that has you wondering who was most at fault.

• “Castle Rock,” season 2 (2019; Hulu, rentable): The second season of this extended riff on the works of Stephen King introduces a younger Annie Wilkes from Misery (sensitively portrayed by Lizzy Caplan) and the teen she’s raised as her own (Elsie Fisher). While the show as a whole is uneven, its plot line rivals “The Act” as a gripping, unhinged mother-daughter saga.

MARGO T HARRI S O N

COURTESY OF AMAZON STUDIOS

NOW PLAYING AMMONITEHHH1/2 In Victorian England, a pioneering female paleontologist (Kate Winslet) and a society woman (Saoirse Ronan) find love in this period drama from writer-director Francis Lee. (120 min, R; Savoy Theater) THE DONUT KINGHHH1/2 Alice Gu’s documentary tells the story of Cambodian refugee Ted Ngoy, whose multimillion-dollar doughnut empire kept Dunkin’ out of California in the 1980s. (90 min, NR; Savoy Theater) FREAKYHHH1/2 A high schooler (Kathryn Newton) gets body-swapped with a serial killer (Vince Vaughn), and … hilarity ensues? Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day) directed the horror comedy. (101 min, R; Essex Cinemas, Sunset Drive-In) Olivia Cooke in Sound of Metal

NEW IN THEATERS AGAINST THE TIDE: FINDING GOD IN AN AGE OF SCIENCE: Mathematician John Lennox and actor Kevin Sorbo present the evidence for God’s existence in this doc presented by Fathom Events. (125 min, NR; Essex Cinemas, Fri only) BUDDY GAMES: The Hunger Games for dads? A group of old friends test their bond by entering a wacky competition in this comedy from director, cowriter and star Josh Duhamel, with Dax Shepard and Olivia Munn. (90 min, R; Essex Cinemas) THE LAST VERMEER: Guy Pearce plays an artist accused of collaborating with the Nazis, and Claes Bang is the officer investigating him, in this postwar period drama from director Dan Friedkin. (117 min, R; Essex Cinemas)

SOUND OF METAL: Riz Ahmed plays a heavy metal drummer who finds himself losing his hearing in this drama from director Darius Marder (screenwriter of The Place Beyond the Pines). With Olivia Cooke and Paul Raci. (130 min, R; Savoy Theater)

HAPPY DEATH DAYHHH In this horror twist on Groundhog Day, a girl must relive the day of her murder until she figures out whodunit. Jessica Rothe and Israel Broussard star. Christopher Landon (Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse) directed. (96 min, PG-13; reviewed by Margot Harrison in 2017; Sunset Drive-In)

VANGUARD: Jackie Chan stars in this Hong Kong action flick about an accountant who turns to a private security firm for help against a lethal mercenary organization. Stanley Tong directed. (108 min, PG-13; Essex Cinemas, Sunset Drive-In)

HILLBILLY ELEGYHH Amy Adams and Glenn Close really go for those Oscars as they play the low-achieving rural relations of a high-achieving young man (Gabriel Basso) in Ron Howard’s drama based on J.D. Vance’s memoir. (116 min, R; Essex Cinemas)

WOLFWALKERS: An apprentice wolf hunter in Ireland discovers a different point of view in this family animation from the makers of The Secret of Kells, featuring the voices of Honor Kneafsey, Eva Whittaker and Sean Bean. (103 min, PG; Savoy Theater, Sat only)

HONEST THIEFHH1/2 Liam Neeson plays a bank robber whose plan to turn himself in to the FBI goes awry when rogue agents set him up for murder in this action drama directed by Mark Williams (A Family Man) and also starring Kate Walsh and Jai Courtney. (99 min, PG-13; Essex Cinemas)

LET HIM GOHHH Diane Lane and Kevin Costner play a retired sheriff and his wife who are determined to find their missing grandson after their son’s death in this crime drama from director Thomas Bezucha (The Family Stone). (114 min, R; Essex Cinemas, Sunset Drive-In) THE WAR WITH GRANDPAHH Forced to share a room with his grandfather (Robert De Niro), a kid (Oakes Fegley) goes on the offensive to get his space back in this family comedy directed by Tim Hill (Hop). With Uma Thurman and Rob Riggle.

(94 min, PG; Essex Cinemas)

OLDER FILMS THE BIG LEBOWSKI (Sunset Drive-In) GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (Sunset Drive-In) HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS (Sunset Drive-In) THE SANTA CLAUSE (Essex Cinemas, Sat & Sun only; Sunset Drive-In) TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS PRESENTS ANNIE (Essex Cinemas, Sun only) THE WOMAN WHO LOVES GIRAFFES (Savoy Theater, Sat only)

OPEN THEATERS AND POP-UPS ESSEX CINEMAS & T-REX THEATER: 21 Essex Way, Suite 300, Essex, 879-6543, essexcinemas.com THE SAVOY THEATER: 26 Main St., Montpelier, 229-0598, savoytheater.com SUNSET DRIVE-IN: 155 Porters Point Rd., Colchester, 862-1800, sunsetdrivein.com

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ADULT 3-WEEK CLIMBING CLINICS: Join our certified instructors in an inviting and fun atmosphere, meet new people, and build or improve your climbing. Classes range from beginner to intermediate and lead climbing for co-ed and women’s groups. COVID-19 restrictions apply. No experience necessary!

Visit petracliffs.com for details & registration information. Tue., Thu. & Fri. nights, starting Dec. 1. Cost: $165/person for gear, 3 sessions, & either a month of membership or additional punch-card visits, depending on class. Location: Petra Cliffs Climbing Center, 105 Briggs St., Burlington. Info: Andrea Charest, 657-3872, andrea@petracliffs. com, petracliffs.com.

EXPERIENCED NATIVE PROFESSOR OFFERING ONLINE SPANISH CLASSES: Premier native-speaking Spanish professor Maigualida Rak is giving fun, interactive online lessons to improve comprehension and pronunciation and to achieve fluency. Audiovisual material is used. “I feel proud to say that my students have significantly improved their Spanish with my teaching approach.” -Maigualida Rak. Read reviews on Facebook at facebook. com/spanishonlinevt. Location: Online. Info: Maigualida Rak, spanishtutor.vtfla@gmail.com, facebook.com/spanishonlinevt.

culinary

massage

VERMONT EATS: FALL COOKING CLASSES: Have fun with food and Vermont history with this 90-min. virtual cooking class series! Each week features one food dish and two beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic).

Receive recipes prior to class and cook along. November 17: Maple; November 24: Dairy (sponsored by Cabot Creamery Cooperative). Visit vermont history.org to register! Tue., Nov. 17 & 24, 7-8:30 p.m. Cost: $5/ class for members, $10/class for nonmembers. Location: Online.

Info: Vermont Historical Society, Shana Goldberger, 828-2291, shana.goldberger@vermont history.org, vermonthistory.org/ calendar.

CHINESE MEDICAL MASSAGE: This program teaches two forms of East Asian medical massage: Tui Na and shiatsu. We will explore oriental medicine theory and diagnosis, as well as the body’s meridian system, acupressure points, and yinyang and five-element theory.

Additionally, Western anatomy and physiology are taught.

VSAC nondegree grants are available. FSMTB-approved program. Starts Sep. 2021. Cost: $6,000/625-hour program.

Location: Elements of Healing, 21 Essex Way, Suite 109, Essex Jct. Info: Scott Moylan, 288-8160, scott@elementsofhealing.net, elementsofhealing.net.

yoga

drumming

n more e v e n a e b ld u It wo ed world than it disconnect ithout FPF to tie already is bworhoods together. our neigh HARLOTTE - J. IN C

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.

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

martial arts VERMONT BRAZILIAN JIUJITSU: Brazilian jiujitsu is a martial arts combat style based entirely on leverage and technique. Brazilian jiujitsu self-defense curriculum is taught to Navy SEALs, CIA, FBI, military police and special forces. No training experience required.

Easy-to-learn techniques that could save your life! Classes for men, women and children.

Students will learn realistic bully-proofing and self-defense life skills to avoid becoming victims and help them feel safe and secure. Our sole purpose

EVOLUTION YOGA: Come as you are and open your heart!

Whether you’re new to yoga or have practiced for years, find the support you need to awaken your practice. Offering livestream, recorded and indoor classes.

Practice with us at your comfort level. Flexible pricing based on your needs, scholarships avail.

Contact yoga@evolutionvt.com.

Single class: $0-15. Weekly membership: $10-25. 10-class pass: $140. New student special: $20 for 3 classes. Location: Evolution Yoga, 20 Kilburn St., Burlington.

Info: 864-9642, evolutionvt.com.

CLASS PHOTOS + MORE INFO ONLINE SEVENDAYSVT.COM/CLASSES 58

SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

VERMONT

Explore Your Backyard!

Tire & Service

SAFE NO CONTACT

SALES & SERVICE

Now is the time for winter tires

Assigned drop offs, Schedule now!

Evolution Winter - Plows Through Snow - Studdable For Extreme Ice Traction - Made In The USA

DISCOVERER ENDURAMAX

Discoverer True North

TM

True all weather tires if you don’t need to drive in the worst

Small/Midsize SUVs

ROUGH ROAD DURABILITY

SMOOTH, QUIET RIDE

SEVERE WEATHER TRACTION

CONFIDENT HANDLING

From rough city streets to gravel roads the Discoverer EnduraMax™ tire has the durability you need for whatever the road has in store.

FREE 45-DAY TEST Drive 60,000 mile / 96,000 km

This month’s Staytripper is a road map to continued safe exploration and enjoyment of Vermont. When your smartest option is to stay close to home, why not take the opportunity to see your state with fresh eyes?

TREADWEAR WARRANTY*

DISCOVERER ENDURAMAX

Highway I City/Rural Streets I Rough Roads Uneven Pavement I Gravel

TM

Small/Midsize SUVs

Built for the North, most sizes in stock!

ROUGH ROAD DURABILITY

SMOOTH, QUIET RIDE

SEVERE WEATHER

CONFIDENT HANDLING

TRACTION Made with the durability of off-road tires, for on-road driving.

- Different stud types optimize maximum grip under extreme conditions.

- Absolutely stable & balanced handling in any weather.

DURABLE-TREAD™ TECHNOLOGY

Helps to extend the life of your tire tread with ultra-durable materials that resist wear and tear

from rough road conditions like gravel and uneven city streets, which can quickly wear out other tires.

WINTER GRIP™ TECHNOLOGY

Confidently tackle the changing seasons

From rough city streets to gravel roads the Discoverer EnduraMax™ tire has the durability you need for whatever the road has in store.

EXCEPTIONALLY QUIET TREAD

FREE 45-DAY TEST Drive 60,000 mile / 96,000 km

Remarkably quiet on the road, thanks to the unique tread pattern that minimizes tire noise.

TREADWEAR WARRANTY* Highway I City/Rural Streets I Rough Roads ENDURAGUARD™ Uneven Pavement I Gravel DESIGN A durable internal construction helps the tire keep its shape when driving over rough and uneven surfaces, giving you better contact with the road and achieving a full tire life

with sawtooth grooves to enhance snow traction and control in wintery conditions.

through even wear.

Made

Severe Weather Rated

with the durability of off-road tires, for on-road driving.

ARMOR BELT™ TECHNOLOGYDURABLE-TREAD™ TECHNOLOGY Helps steel to extend the life of yourthe tire tread with in Extra strength belts, like ones ultra-durable materials that resist wear and tear our off-road tires, provide the tire strength from rough road conditions like gravel and uneven which can quickly wear outcan other help tires. to stand city upstreets, to rough roads, and to improve handling control.

WINTER GRIP™ TECHNOLOGY Confidently tackle the changing seasons with sawtooth grooves to enhance snow traction and control in wintery conditions.

Severe Weather Rated

*For complete product and warranty details, please visit www.coopertire.com or coopertire.ca. ©2020 Cooper Tire & Rubber Company. All Rights Reserved.

Cut here!

EXCEPTIONALLY QUIET TREAD Remarkably quiet on the road, thanks to the unique tread pattern that minimizes tire noise.

ENDURAGUARD™ DESIGN A durable internal construction helps the tire keep its shape when driving over rough and uneven surfaces, giving you better contact with the road and achieving a full tire life through even wear.

ARMOR BELT™ TECHNOLOGY Extra strength steel belts, like the ones in our off-road tires, provide the tire strength to stand up to rough roads, and can help to improve handling control.

*For complete product and warranty details, please visit www.coopertire.com or coopertire.ca. ©2020 Cooper Tire & Rubber Company. All Rights Reserved.

Hakkapeliitta 9

Nordman 7

Nordman 7 Studded

OBSERVE G3-ICE - Improved Traction On Ice And Compact Snow During Cornering, Braking And Acceleration.

- Enhances Wet Braking And Handling Even In Lower Temperatures.

- Environmentally-Friendly Natural Material.

- Studdable Snow Tires

2V-Staytripper111820.indd 1

PHOTO: GRANT WIELER

Start exploring at staytrippervt.com

11/17/20 6:19 PM

Not responsible for any typographical errors 2V-VtTire111820 1

SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

59

11/17/20 11:42 AM

2020 TALENT SHOW FOR

VERMONT’S RISING STARS

The Kids VT Spectacular Spectacular, sponsored by McKenzie Natural Artisan Deli, is happening virtually this year — on WCAX Channel 3 — between November 30 and December 18 during the 4 p.m. newscast.

SPONSORED BY:

Tune in to see kids, between the ages of 5 and 16, from all over the state showcase their talents!

MEDIA SPONSOR:

Visit kidsvt.com/talentshow for more details.

60

SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

K1T-Spectacular1120.indd 1

10/29/20 4:51 PM

COURTESY OF KELLY SCHULZE/MOUNTAIN DOG PHOTOGRAPHY

Humane

Society of Chittenden County

Pierre

AGE/SEX: 11-year-old neutered male ARRIVAL DATE: October 6, 2020 REASON HERE: His owner could no longer care for him.

SUMMARY: Bonjour! This handsome senior guy has plenty of love left to give to a new family willing to provide him with a little extra TLC. As an older fella, Pierre’s joints aren’t quite what they used to be, and he will need continued care to make sure he’s feeling comfortable. However, Pierre is one of the nicest cats around, and he promises to be a loving companion for his next family. Could it be you? Schedule a meeting with Pierre today to find out! Call 862-0135 or visit hsccvt.org for more info.

housing »

APARTMENTS, CONDOS & HOMES

DID YOU KNOW?

on the road »

For many cats, transitioning to a new home is difficult. Setting up a safe room can ease this transition and could be an office, small bedroom or bathroom. Cat-proof the room and set it up with a litterbox, food, water and a bed or other area where the cat can hide if they don’t feel like socializing. Giving them a little time to decompress away from other pets or people can go a long way for your new feline family member!

Sponsored by:

CATS/DOGS: Pierre has no known experience living with other cats. He has limited experience with dogs.

CARS, TRUCKS, MOTORCYCLES

pro services »

CHILDCARE, HEALTH/ WELLNESS, PAINTING

buy this stuff »

APPLIANCES, KID STUFF, ELECTRONICS, FURNITURE

music »

INSTRUCTION, CASTING, INSTRUMENTS FOR SALE

jobs »

NO SCAMS, ALL LOCAL, POSTINGS DAILY

NEW STUFF ONLINE EVERY DAY! PLACE YOUR ADS 24-7 AT SEVENDAYSVT.COM.

SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

61

CLASSIFIEDS We Pick Up & Pay For Junk Automobiles!

on the road

Route 15, Hardwick

CARS/TRUCKS

3842 Dorset Ln., Williston

802-472-5100 802-793-9133

housing ads: $25 (25 words) legals: 52¢/word buy this stuff: free online services: $12 (25 words)

BA + additional room.

Gas HW & heat, HDWD floors. $1,700/mo. + utils. Call 864-0341.

AFFORDABLE 2-BR APT. AVAIL. At Keen’s Crossing.

2-BR: $1,266/mo., heat & HW incl. Open floor plan, fully applianced kitchen, fi tness center, pet friendly, garage parking.

Income restrictions apply. 802-655-1810, keenscrossing.com.

2012 KIA FORTE, HATCHBACK Clean, 1 owner. Auto., 4-door, 4 cylinders, sm-allmetals060811.indd 7/20/15 1 5:02 PM KEEN’S CROSSING IS bronze color. 113,500 NOW LEASING! miles. Asking $5,500/ 1-BR, $1,054/mo.; 2-BR, OBO. Call Doris at $1,266/mo.; 3-BR, 802-999-9844 or email $1,397/mo. Spacious sageconnection@gmail. interiors, fully applicom. anced kitchen, fi tness center, heat & HW incl.

2012 MINI COOPER Income restrictions COUPE apply. 802-655-1810, Black, 83,803 miles. keenscrossing.com.

6-speed transmission.

38-41 MPG. 2 sets of PINECREST AT ESSEX 2-BR APT. FOR RENT factory rims, snow tires Joshua Way, Essex Jct. Spacious, clean, 2-BR, already mounted for Independent senior 1-BA apt.!

Located winter. $7,500/OBO. living for those 55+ on N. Champlain St., 802-291-4056. years. 1-BR avail. now, Burlington. Only 3 $1,240/mo. incl. utils. blocks from Church St., CASH FOR CARS! & parking garage. NS/ 1 block from amazing We buy all cars! Junk, sunsets at Battery Park. pets. 802-872-9197 or high-end, totaled: It rae@fullcirclevt.com. doesn’t matter. Get free FLEXIBLE 3- OR towing & same-day TAFT FARM SENIOR 4-BR APT. cash. Newer models, LIVING COMMUNITY Apt. w/ living area. too. Call 1-866-53510 Tyler Way, Williston, Upstairs has kitchen, 9689. (AAN CAN) independent senior living. Newly remodeled 1-BR unit on the main floor avail., $1,185/ mo. incl. utils. & cable.

NS/pets. Must be 55+ appt. appointment years of age. cintry@ fullcirclevt.com or apt. apartment 802-879-3333.

housing

FOR RENT

CLASSIFIEDS KEY BA bathroom BR bedroom DR dining room DW dishwasher HDWD hardwood HW hot water LR living room NS no smoking OBO or best offer refs. references sec. dep. security deposit W/D washer & dryer

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 and similar Vermont statutes which make it illegal to advertise any preference, limitations, or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, handicap, presence of minor children in the family or receipt of public assistance, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or a discrimination. The newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate, which is in violation of the law. Our

62

TAFT FARM SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITY 10 Tyler Way, Williston.

Independent senior living. Newly remodeled 2-BR unit on 2nd floor avail., $1,390/mo. incl. utils. & cable. NS/pets.

Must be 55+ years of age. cintry@fullcirclevt. com or 802-879-3333.

TAFT FARM SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITY 10 Tyler Way, Williston, independent senior living. Newly remodeled 1-BR unit on the ground floor, w/ restricted view avail., $1,095/mo. incl. utils. & cable. NS/pets.

Must be 55+ years of

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

SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

display service ads: $25/$45 homeworks: $45 (40 words, photos, logo) fsbos: $45 (2 weeks, 30 words, photo) jobs: michelle@sevendaysvt.com, 865-1020 x21

age. cintry@fullcirclevt. com, 802-879-3333.

WINOOSKI 2-BR 2-BR, 2nd-floor apt. in Winooski. Gas stove, full BA, LR. No pets. Offstreet parking. $1,200/ mo. Call 864-0341.

HOUSEMATES NEED A ROOMMATE? Roommates.com will help you find your perfect match today!

(AAN CAN)

OFFICE/ COMMERCIAL OFFICE/RETAIL SPACE AT MAIN STREET LANDING on Burlington’s waterfront. Beautiful, healthy, affordable spaces for your business. Visit mainstreetlanding.com & click on space avail.

Melinda, 864-7999.

services

AUTO DONATE YOUR CAR TO CHARITY Receive maximum value of write off for your taxes. Running or not! All conditions accepted. Free pickup.

Call for details. 855-9780215. (AAN CAN)

BIZ OPPS

EDUCATION ATTENTION ACTIVE DUTY & MILITARY VETERANS! Begin a new career and earn your degree at CTI! Online computer & medical training avail. for veterans & families!

To learn more, call 855-541-6634. (AAN CAN) TRAIN ONLINE TO DO MEDICAL BILLING! Become a medical office professional online at CTI! Get trained, certified & ready to work in months. Call 866-243-5931. Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-6 p.m. (AAN CAN) TUTOR/EDUCATIONAL FACILITY One-on-one & small-group tutoring, in-person & remote options, mentoring, workshops, &

ADOPTION COUPLE HOPING TO ADOPT Kind & fun-loving VT couple can provide a safe & loving home for your baby. If you are pregnant & considering adoption, we would welcome hearing from you. jonandtessa.weebly. com, 802-272-7759.

enrichment in all academic areas!

Enrolling students grades 2-12. Call 662-4473, or contact educationannexvt@ gmail.com.

FINANCIAL/LEGAL AUTO INSURANCE Starting at $49/mo.!

Call for your fee rate comparison to see how much you can save. Call 855-569-1909. (AAN CAN) BOY SCOUT COMPENSATION FUND Anyone who was inappropriately touched by a Scout leader deserves justice & financial compensation!

Victims may be eligible for a significant cash settlement. Time to file is limited. Call now.

844-896-8216. (AAN CAN)

OVER $10K IN DEBT? Be debt-free in 24-48 mos. Pay a fraction of what you owe. A+ BBB rated. Call National Debt Relief: 877-590-1202.

(AAN CAN) SAVE BIG ON HOME INSURANCE! Compare 20 A-rated insurances companies.

Get a quote within mins.

Average savings of $444/ year! Call 844-712-6153!

Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

Central. (AAN CAN) SAVE YOUR HOME! Are you behind paying your mortgage? Denied a loan modification? Is the bank threatening foreclosure? Call Homeowners Relief Line now for help: 1-855-4395853. Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sat: 8 a.m.-1 p.m. All times Pacific. (AAN CAN)

HEALTH/ WELLNESS GENTLE TOUCH MASSAGE Specializing in deep tissue, reflexology, sports massage, Swedish & relaxation massage for men. Practicing massage therapy for over 14 years.

Gregg, gentletouchvt. com, motman@ymail. com, 802-234-8000 (call/text). Milton.

Buyer or Selling?

Let’s make it happen.

Robbi Handy Holmes • 802-951-2128 robbihandyholmes@vtregroup.com Client focused Making it happen for you!

HEARING AIDS! Buy 1 & get 1 free!

High-quality rechargeable Nano hearing aids priced 90% less than competitors.

Nearly invisible. 45-day money-back guarantee!

1-833-585-1117. (AAN CAN)

PSYCHIC COUNSELING Psychic counseling, channeling w/ Bernice Kelman, Underhill. 30+ years’ experience. Also energy healing, chakra balancing, Reiki, rebirthing, other lives, classes, more. 802-899-3542, kelman.b@juno.com.

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MISCELLANEOUS 4G LTE HOME INTERNET Now avail.! Get GotW3 w/ lightning-fast speeds + take your service w/ you when you travel!

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1-888-519-0171. (AAN CAN) ATTENTION, VIAGRA & CIALIS USERS! A cheaper alternative to high drugstore prices!

50-pill special: $99 + free shipping! 100% guaranteed. Call now: 888-531-1192. (AAN CAN) HUGHESNET SATELLITE INTERNET Finally, no hard data limits! Call today for speeds up to 25mbps as low as $59.99/mo! $75 gift card, terms apply.

1-844-416-7147. (AAN CAN)

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Homeshares

16t-robbihandyholmes082620.indd 1

BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR! We edit, print & distribute your work internationally. We do the work; you reap the rewards! Call for a free Author’s Submission Kit: 844-511-1836. (AAN CAN)

print deadline: Mondays at 4:30 p.m. post ads online 24/7 at: sevendaysvt.com/classifieds questions? classifieds@sevendaysvt.com 865-1020 x10

8/20/20 10:21 AM

BURLINGTON

Share apartment w/ active woman in her 30s who enjoys VPR & farmers markets.

Assist w/ transportation, cooking & other household support, in exchange for no rent.

Shared BA.

BARRE Share a newer apartment w/lovely senior couple needing an overnight presence, occas. weekend meal prep & some friendly companionship in exchange for no rent. Private BA. Dog considered!

ORWELL Musical senior gentleman who enjoys keeping up on world events, with a home to share 25 min. to Middlebury. $300/mo. plus light help w/ snow removal & companionship.

Must be dog-friendly!

Finding you just the right housemate for over 35 years!

Call 863-5625 or visit HomeShareVermont.org for an application. Interview, refs, bg check req. EHO Homeshare-temp2.indd 1

11/6/20 3:55 PM

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.

10+ 3÷

Show and tell.

Sudoku

11+ 108x

16x

5

2÷

8 9 7

6+ 1

Difficulty - Medium

BY JOSH REYNOLDS

1 2 3 9

7 1 2 6 1 7 4 3 5 8

24x

2-

CALCOKU

3

5+

7+

2 8

1

2

116+

3 2

4

3-

Open 24/7/365.

View and post up to Postthe & browse ads Complete the following puzzle by using 6 photos per ad online. at your convenience. numbers 1-9 only once in each row, column and 3 x 3 box.

No. 663

SUDOKU

Difficulty: Hard

BY JOSH REYNOLDS

DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK: HH

DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK: HHH

Fill the grid using the numbers 1-6, only once in each row and column. The numbers in each heavily outlined “cage” must combine to produce the target number in the top corner, using the mathematical operation indicated. A onebox cage should be filled in with the target number in the top corner. A number can be repeated within a cage as long as it is not the same row or column.

Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each 9-box square contains all of the numbers one to nine. The same numbers cannot be repeated in a row or column.

2

5

3

6

4

3

6

4

1

2

4

1

2

5

6

5

4

1

2

3

6

2

5

3

1

1 8 5 4 7 3 9 6 2 4 3 7 6 2 9 1 5 8 ANSWERS ON P. 65 7 BOY! 6 2 H9H = CHALLENGING 1 8 5 H4HH3= HOO, H = MODERATE 2 5 3 9 4 8 6 7 1 9 7 1 3 5 6 8 2 4 POMES FOR BEGINNERS 8 6 4 7 1 2 3 9 5 ANSWERS ON P. 65 » 3 4 2 5 6 1 7 8 9 5 1 6 8 9 7 2 4 3 7 9 8 2 3 4 5 1 6

1 5

crossword 1 3 6 4 5 2

Extra! Extra!

There’s no limit to ad length online.

Fresh.

Filtered.

Free.

What’s that

buzz?

Find out what’s percolating today.

Sign up to receive our house blend of local news headlines served up in one convenient email

by Seven Days.

SEVENDAYSVT.COM/DAILY7 8v-daily7-coffee.indd 1

1/13/14 1:45 PM

3 6 4

SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

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buy this stuff [CONTINUED]

PETS FREE KITTENS Kittens in Essex Junction. Born Oct. 1.

Litter box trained & weaned. 7 avail. Call 802-370-1486.

music

INSTRUCTION BASS, GUITAR, DRUMS, VOICE LESSONS & MORE Remote music lessons are an amazing way to spend time at home! Learn guitar, bass, piano, voice, violin, drums, flute, sax, trumpet, production & beyond w/ pro local instructors from the Burlington Music Dojo on Pine St. All levels & styles are welcome, incl. absolute beginners.

Come share in the music! burlington musicdojo.com, info@burlington musicdojo.com.

GUITAR INSTRUCTION Berklee graduate w/ 30 years’ teaching experience offers lessons in guitar, music theory, music technology, ear training. Individualized, step-by-step approach.

All ages, styles, levels.

Rick Belford, 864-7195, rickb@rickbelford.com.

STUDIO/ REHEARSAL REHEARSAL SPACE Safe & sanitary music/ creative spaces avail. by the hour in the heart of the South End art district. Monthly arrangements avail., as well. Tailored for music but can be multipurpose. info@ burlingtonmusicdojo. com, 802-540-0321.

m 64

ACT 250 NOTICE MINOR APPLICATION #4C1117R-3 10 V.S.A. §§ 6001 - 6093 On September 21, 2020, Steven L. Reynolds, 946 Lake Road, Milton, VT 05468 and Sterling Land Co., LLC, 1037 Hinesburg Road, Suite A, South Burlington, VT 05403 filed application number 4C1117R-3 Phase III and IV of Clearview Estates including the subdivision of Lots 1655 and the construction of 44 residential units consisting of 34 single family homes (Lots 1623, Lots 27-43 and Lots 46-54) and 5 duplexes (Lots 24-26 and Lots 44-45), the construction of stormwater infrastructure and a foot trail on Lot 55, and the construction of 2,130 feet of new public roadway with associated utilities.

The project is located on Horseshoe Circle in Milton, Vermont. The application was deemed complete on November 2, 2020.

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 “4C1117R-3.”

No hearing will be held and a permit may be issued unless, on or before November 30, 2020, a person notifies the Commission of an issue or issues requiring the presentation of evidence at a hearing, or the Commission sets the matter for a hearing on its own motion. Any person as defined in 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1) may request a hearing. Any hearing request must be in writing to the address below, must state the criteria or sub-criteria at issue, why a hearing is required and what additional evidence will be presented at the hearing. Any hearing request by an adjoining property owner or other person eligible for party status under 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1)(E) must include a petition for party status under the Act 250 Rules. Prior to

SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

submitting a request for a hearing, please contact the district coordinator at the telephone number listed below for more information. Prior to convening a hearing, the Commission must determine that substantive issues requiring a hearing have been raised. Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law may not be prepared unless the Commission holds a public hearing.

If you feel that any of the District Commission members listed on the attached Certificate of Service under “For Your Information” may have a conflict of interest, or if there is any other reason a member should be disqualified from sitting on this case, please contact the District Coordinator as soon as possible, and by no later than November 30, 2020.

If you have a disability for which you need accommodation in order to participate in this process (including participating in a public hearing, if one is held), please notify us as soon as possible, in order to allow us as much time as possible to accommodate your needs.

Parties entitled to participate are the Municipality, the Municipal Planning Commission, the Regional Planning Commission, affected state agencies, and adjoining property owners and other persons to the extent that they have a particularized interest that may be affected by the proposed project under the Act 250 criteria. Non-party participants may also be allowed under 10 V.S.A. Section 6085(c)(5).

Dated at Essex Junction, Vermont this 5th day of November, 2020.

By: /s/Rachel Lomonaco Rachel Lomonaco,District Coordinator 111 West Street, Essex Junction, VT 05452 802-879-5658 rachel.lomonaco@ vermont.gov

ACT 250 NOTICE MINOR APPLICATION #4C1333 10 V.S.A. §§ 6001 - 6093 On November 2, 2020, Jonny Roger Holdings, LLC, PO Box 821, Milton, VT 05468 filed application number 4C1333 for a project generally described as the construction of 21,000 sf contractor’s office/garage, a contractor storage yard, with associated utilities and supporting infrastructure. The

project is located off US Route 7 in Milton, Vermont between the properties located at 629 and 653 US Route 7.

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 “4C1333.”

No hearing will be held and a permit may be issued unless, on or before November 30, 2020, a person notifies the Commission of an issue or issues requiring the presentation of evidence at a hearing, or the Commission sets the matter for a hearing on its own motion. Any person as defined in 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1) may request a hearing. Any hearing request must be in writing to the address below, must state the criteria or sub-criteria at issue, why a hearing is required and what additional evidence will be presented at the hearing. Any hearing request by an adjoining property owner or other person eligible for party status under 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1)(E) must include a petition for party status under the Act 250 Rules. Prior to submitting a request for a hearing, please contact the district coordinator at the telephone number listed below for more information. Prior to convening a hearing, the Commission must determine that substantive issues requiring a hearing have been raised. Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law may not be prepared unless the Commission holds a public hearing.

If you feel that any of the District Commission members listed on the attached Certificate of Service under “For Your Information” may have a conflict of interest, or if there is any other reason a member should be disqualified from sitting on this case, please contact the District Coordinator as soon as possible, and by no later than November 30, 2020.

If you have a disability for which you need accommodation in order to participate in this process (including participating in a public hearing, if one is held), please notify us as soon

as possible, in order to allow us as much time as possible to accommodate your needs.

Parties entitled to participate are the Municipality, the Municipal Planning Commission, the Regional Planning Commission, affected state agencies, and adjoining property owners and other persons to the extent that they have a particularized interest that may be affected by the proposed project under the Act 250 criteria. Non-party participants may also be allowed under 10 V.S.A. Section 6085(c)(5).

Dated at Essex Junction, Vermont this 5th day of November, 2020.

By: /s/Rachel Lomonaco Rachel Lomonaco, District Coordinator 111 West Street Essex Junction, VT 05452 802-879-5658 rachel.lomonaco@ vermont.gov

TOWN OF RICHMOND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD DECEMBER 9, 2020 7:00 PM Due to precautions being taken during the COVID-19 pandemic, and in accordance with Bill H.681 this DRB meeting will be held via login online or conference call only.

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom. us/j/81115438175?wd=K 1JOVjhRNWJlNkVOSTB MWnZWbitxZz09 Meeting ID: 811 1543 8175 Passcode: 376237 Call-in: +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) Public HearingDesign Signs, on behalf of Court Street Associates - Application 2020-158 for Conditional Use Re-Approval for a free-standing sign of a non-traditional form located at 191 East Main Street, Richmond.

Located within the Residential/Commercial Zoning District.

Application materials may be viewed at http:// www.richmondvt. gov/boards-minutes/ development-reviewboard/ one week before meeting. Please call 802-434-2430 if you have any questions.

MEETING NOTICE: FRANKLIN COUNTY BUDGET Please be advised that there will be a meeting at the Percival Shangraw Courthouse, 17 Church Street in St. Albans, Vermont on

Thursday, December 3, 2020 at 10:00 A.M. for the purpose of inviting discussion and review of the Preliminary proposed 2021-2022 budget for the County of Franklin.

Please note: Due to health concerns, any persons entering the courthouse, will be required to wear a mask at all times while in the building, and observe safe social distancing guidelines.

The Assistant Judges and I are available by appointment should you have any questions or concerns. Office hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings; outside those times, voice messages may be left at (802) 524-3863.

Gerald H. Charboneau, Franklin County Clerk

OPENINGS: BURLINGTON CITY COMMISSIONS/ BOARDS **UPDATED as of 11/16/20** Design Advisory Board Term Expires 6/30/21 One Opening Design Advisory Board – alternate Term Expires 6/30/23 One Opening Fence Viewer Term Expires 6/30/21 One Opening Fire Commission Term Expires 6/30/23 One Opening Board of Tax Appeals Term Expires 6/30/23 Three Openings Applications may be submitted to the Clerk/ Treasurer’s Office, 149 Church Street, Burlington, VT 05401 Attn: Lori NO later than Wednesday, December 2, 2020, by 4:30 pm.

If you have any questions, please contact Lori at (802)865-7136 or via email lolberg@ burlingtonvt.gov.

City Council President Tracy will plan for appointments to take place at the December 7, 2020 City Council Meeting/City Council With Mayor Presiding Meeting.

PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED ON APPLICATION FOR CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL SUBMITTED

BY HOWARD CENTER FOR THE PROPOSED PURCHASE OF PROPERTY LOCATED AT 180-184 PEARL STREET IN BURLINGTON, VT. The Vermont Departments of

Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living (DAIL) and of Mental Health (DMH) (collectively, Departments) have determined that a Certificate of Approval (COA) application from Howard Center for the purchase of a property located at 180-184 Pearl Street in Burlington, Vermont, is complete.

The property, to which the application applies, is the current location of Howard Center’s Act 1 and Bridge programs and includes a commercial space and nine residential units/ apartments. The COA application and related attachments and tables are posted on the DAIL and DMH websites.

This application will be the subject of an upcoming public hearing and public comment period. The hearing is scheduled for December 1, 2020, from 10:00am to 11:00am. Those interested in attending may join using the following information: Join Microsoft Teams Meeting: +1802-8287667 Conference ID: 374522616# The applicant will offer a brief overview of the proposed project, after which the public will be invited to comment. DAIL and DMH representatives will be in attendance at the hearing.

DAIL and DMH will also be accepting written public comment, which must be submitted no later than 4:30 pm on December 8, 2020.

Please direct comments to Frank Reed, Director of Mental Health Services, Vermont Department of Mental Health, 280 State Drive, NOB 2 North, Waterbury, VT 05671 - 2010, or electronically to frank. reed@vermont.gov.

All public comments received by December 8, 2020, will be reviewed, and DAIL and DMH will make a determination as to whether to grant a Certificate of Approval.

Link to Documents: https://dail.vermont. gov/public-notices-andhearings https://mentalhealth. vermont.gov/news/ coa-howard-center108-184-pearl-street

STATE OF VERMONT SUPERIOR COURT CHITTENDEN UNIT PROBATE DIVISION In re Estate of Frances C. Rouelle NOTICE TO CREDITORS

To the creditors of Frances C. Rouelle, Essex Junction, Vermont. I have been appointed executor of this estate.

All creditors having claims against the decedent or the estate must present their claims in writing within four (4) months of the first publication of this notice. The claim must be presented to me at the address listed below with a copy sent to the court. The claim may be barred forever if it is not presented within the four (4) month period.

Date: November 9, 2020 /s/ Marie Line Signature of Fiduciary Executor: Marie Line, 8 Thimbleberry Rd, Malta, NY 12020 (802) 338-6703 starlight05468@yahoo. com Name of publication: Seven Days Publication Date: 11/11/20, 11/18/20 Name and Address of Court: Probate Division of Vermont Superior Court, Chittenden Unit, PO Box 511, Burlington, VT 05402

STATE OF VERMONT VERMONT SUPERIOR COURT WASHINGTON UNIT, CIVIL DIVISION DOCKET NO: 520-9-19 WNCV QUICKEN LOANS, LLC FORMERLY KNOWN AS (FKA) QUICKEN LOANS INC. v.

DEBORAH KELTY A/K/A DEBORAH J. KELTY F/K/A DEBORAH GAGNE OCCUPANTS OF: 22 Phil Street, (East Barre) Barre VT MORTGAGEE’S NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE OF REAL PROPERTY UNDER 12 V.S.A. sec 4952 et seq.

In accordance with the Judgment Order and Decree of Foreclosure entered August 31, 2020,in the above captioned action brought to foreclose that certain mortgage given by Deborah Kelty a/k/a Deborah J. Kelty f/k/a Deborah Gagne and the late Stephen E. Kelty, Jr.to Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. as nominee for Quicken Loans Inc., dated April 27, 2012 and recorded in Book 260 Page 473 of the land records of the Town of Barre, 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 Quicken Loans Inc.

Join via conference call (audio only): (802) 377-3784 | Conference ID: 590879654# Watch the live stream

FROM P.63

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No. 663 Difficulty: Using the enclosed math operations as a guide, fill Hard the grid using the numbers 1 - 6 only once in each row and column.

8

Calcoku

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PUZZLE ANSWERS

Join via Microsoft Teams. Depending on your browser, you may need to call in for audio (below).

1

Reference is hereby made to the above instruments and to the records and references contained therein in further aid of this description.

TOWN OF ESSEX PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA: DECEMBER 10, 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:

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TOWN OF BOLTON, VERMONT — NOTICE OF ADOPTION: BOLTON TRAFFIC ORDINANCE AMENDMENT On October 26, 2020 the Select Board of the Town of Bolton, Vermont voted to amend the “Bolton Traffic Ordinance” pursuant to

This notice is published pursuant to 24 V.S.A. § 1972 to inform the public of this amendment and of the citizens’ right to petition for a vote to disapprove it. Title 24 V.S.A. § 1973 grants citizens the right to petition for a vote at a special or annual town meeting to disapprove the ordinance as amended by the Select Board. To exercise this right, citizens must present to the Select Board or the Town Clerk a petition for a vote on

Due to COVID-19 and the closure of the Town Office to the public, the full text of the ordinance as amended may be reviewed on the Town of Bolton website www. boltonvt.com or made available by contacting the Bolton Town Clerk, 3045 Theodore Roosevelt Highway, Waterbury, VT 05676, (802) 434-5075, during regular office hours, M – Th, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

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Commonly known as: 22 Phil Street, East Barre, VT 05649.

(i) Any vehicle parked in violation of the provisions of this Article may be summarily removed at the owner’s expense, by order of any law enforcement officer, the highway foreman, the highway superintendent, any select board member, the fire chief or the town constable.

the question of disapproving the amendment signed by not less than five percent (5%) of the town’s qualified voters.

The petition must be presented within fortyfour (44) days following the date of adoption.

Unless a petition requesting a vote is filed pursuant to 24 V.S.A. § 1973, the “Bolton Traffic Ordinance” as amended shall become effective sixty (60) days from the date of adoption.

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By: /s/ Rachel K. Ljunggren__ Rachel K. Ljunggren, Esq. Bendett and McHugh, PC 270 Farmington Ave., Ste. 151, Farmington, CT 06032

(vi) On T.H. #1 (Duxbury Road), on either side of T.H. #1 (Duxbury Road), from three (3.0) miles east of the intersection of T.H. #1 (Duxbury Road) and Cochran Road, for .188 miles east measured along T.H. #1 (Duxbury Road) to the entrance of the GMC Long Trail parking lot.

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’BEGINNING AT A POINT ON THE NORTHERLY SIDE OF A ROAD AS LAID OUT IDENTIFIED AS PHIL STREET, WHICH POINT MARKS THE MOST SOUTHERLY CORNER OF LAND NOW OWNED

BY DAVID BROWN AND THE MOST EASTERLY CORNER OF LAND BEING HEREIN CONVEYED; THENCE PROCEEDING FROM SAID POINT

Being the same property conveyed to Stephen Kelty, a single man and Valerie Brooks, a single woman, as tenants in common, by deed dated November 30, 2004 of record in Deed Book 206, Page 18, in the County Clerk’s Office.

DATED : October 8, 2020

Section 1. Prohibition

1

BEING ALL AND THE SAME LAND AND PREMISES AS CONVEYED TO STEPHEN KELTY, A SINGLE MAN, AND VALERIE BROOKS, A SINGLE WOMAN, AS TENANTS IN COMMON

BY QUITCLAIM DEED, OF STEPHEN KELTY, ALSO KNOWN AS STEPHEN E. KELTY, JR, A SINGLE MAN DATED 11/30/2004, AND RECORDED 02/09/2005 IN BOOK 206 PAGE 18 OF THE TOWN OF BARRE RECORDS, AND IN SAID DEED DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:

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.

Article VII: Parking Regulations:

3

Land Situated in the Town of East Barre in the County of Washington in the State of VT.

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 or cashier’s check within sixty (60) days after the date of sale.

23 V.S.A. §§ 1007, 1008 and 24 V.S.A. §§ 1971 and 2291, to amend and add the following language under Article VII: Parking Regulations, Section 1. Prohibition (vi) and Section 2. with respect to Town Highway #1, Duxbury Road, and towing enforcement.

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Tax Id Number(s): 024/022.00

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.

2

To wit:

NORTH 55 DEG. 19 MIN. 35 SEC. WEST 100 FEET TO AN IRON PIN; THENCE TURNING TO THE LEFT AND RUNNING SOUTH 59 DEGREES 01 MIN. 20 SEC. WEST 99.54 FEET TO AN IRON PIN; THENCE TURNING TO THE LEFT AND PROCEEDING SOUTH 31 DEGREES 03 MINUTES 51 SECONDS WEST A DISTANCE OF 25 FEET TO A POINT WHICH CONSTITUTES THE MOST WESTERLY CORNER OF LAND BEING CONVEYED AND THE MOST NORTHERLY CORNER OF THE ABUTTING LOT #3 LOCATED SOUTHWESTERLY OF LOT #1; THENCE TURNING TO THE LEFT AND PROCEEDING SOUTH 57 DEGREES 48 MINUTES EAST A DISTANCE OF 154.93 FEET TO A POINT ON THE NORTHERLY SIDE OF SAID PHIL STREET; THENCE TURNING TO THE LEFT AND PROCEEDING NORTH 26 DEGREES 40 MINUTES EAST A DISTANCE OF 110 FEET TO THE PLACE OF BEGINNING’

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to Quicken Loans Inc. n/k/a Quicken Loans, LLC dated January 23, 2015 and recorded in Book 278 Page 582 of the land records of the Town of Barre for breach of the conditions of said mortgage and for the purpose of foreclosing the same will be sold at Public Auction at 22 Phil Street, (East Barre) Barre, Vermont on December 4, 2020 at 11:00AM all and singular the premises described in said mortgage,

video on Town Meeting TV’s YouTube Channel.

Town Meeting TV is aired on Comcast channel 1087.

Public wifi is available at the Essex municipal offices, libraries, and hotspots listed here: https://publicservice. vermont.gov/content/ public-wifi-hotspotsvermont 1. Public Comments 2. SITE PLAN AMENDMENT-PUBLIC HEARING: Andrew Hood & Mansfield Industrial Associates, LLC: Proposal to amend width of access off the curb cut located at 1 Allen Martin Drive in the RPD-I Zone. Tax Maps 71, Parcels 3.

3.Fleury Lands on Center Road & Towers Road: SKETCH BOUNDARY LINE ADJUSTMENT: Towers Trust and Sally Fleury A Revocable Living Trust: Proposal for two boundary line adjustment resulting in a 0.12 acre swap for properties located at 108 Center Rd & 18 Towers Rd in the CTR Zone & B-DC Overlay. Tax Map 58, Lots 1 & 1-3, SKETCHMINOR SUBDIVISION: Towers Trust: Proposal for a 3-lot subdivision located at 108 Center Road in the CTR Zone & B-DC Overlay. Tax Map 58, Lots 1.

4. Minutes: November 12, 2020 5. Other Business Note: Please visit our website at www.essex. org to view agendas, application materials, and minutes.

TOWN OF ESSEX: ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT PUBLIC HEARING Municipal Conference Room 81 Main Street, Essex Jct., VT December 3, 2020 - 6:00 PM COVID-19 UPDATE: Due to the COVID-19 / coronavirus pandemic, this meeting will be held remotely and recorded via Microsoft Stream.

Join via Microsoft Teams at https:// tinyurl.com/ESSEXZBA . Depending on your browser, you may need to call in for audio (below).

Join via conference call (audio only): (802) 377-3784 | Conference ID: 480 347 627# Public wifi is available at the Essex municipal offices, libraries, and hotspots listed here:

https://publicservice. vermont.gov/content/ public-wifi-hotspotsvermont 1. CONTINUED-Appeal Zoning Administrator’s Decision: Abutting Landowners (Barch, Beaman, Chapman & Haxel) appealed the issuance of a zoning permit to construct a duplex located at 101 Brigham Hill Rd in the AR Zone. Tax Map 14, Parcel 15-603.

2. Minutes: November 5, 2020 Note: Visit our website at www.essexvt.org if you have questions or call 802-878-1343.

ACT 250 NOTICE MINOR APPLICATION #4C0329-17L-1 10 V.S.A. §§ 6001 - 6093 On November 5, 2020, WMD Property Holdings LLC, 26 Corduroy Road, Essex Junction, VT 05452 filed application number 4C0329-17L-1 for a project generally described as construction of Phase II of a proposed warehouse building project on Lot 20 of Phase II of the Saxon Hill Industrial Park. Phase II consists of the construction of a 5,050 square foot storage building withassociated utilities and infrastructure.

The project is located at 20 Corporate Drive in EssexJunction, 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 theoffice 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 “4C0329-17L-1.”

No hearing will be held and a permit may be issued unless, on or before December 3, 2020, a person notifies the Commission of an issue or issues requiring the presentation of evidence at a hearing, or the Commission sets the matter for a hearing on its own motion. Any person as defined in 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1) may request a hearing. Any hearing request must be in writing to theaddress below, must state the criteria or sub-criteria at issue, why a hearing is required and what additional evidence will be presented at the hearing. Any hearing request by an adjoining

property owner or other person eligible for party status under 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1)(E) must include a petition for party status under the Act 250 Rules. Prior to submitting a request for a hearing, please contact the district coordinator at the telephone number listed below for more information. Prior to convening a hearing, the Commission must determine that substantive issues requiring a hearing have been raised. Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law may not be prepared unless the Commission holds a public hearing.

If you feel that any of the District Commission members listed on the attached Certificate of Service under “For Your Information” may have a conflict of interest, or if there is any other reason a member should be disqualified from sitting on this case, please contact the District Coordinator as soon as possible, and by no later than December 3, 2020.

If you have a disability for which you need accommodation in order to participate in this process (including participating in a public hearing, if one is held), please notify us as soon as possible, in order to allow us as much time as possible to accommodate your needs.

Parties entitled to participate are the Municipality, the Municipal Planning Commission, the Regional Planning Commission, affected state agencies, and adjoining property owners and other persons to the extent that they have a particularized interest that may be affected by the proposed project under the Act 250 criteria. Non-party participants may also be allowed under 10 V.S.A. Section 6085(c)(5).

Dated at Essex Junction, Vermont this 9th day of November, 2020.

By: /s/ Rachel Lomonaco Rachel Lomonaco, District Coordinator 111 West Street Essex Junction, VT 05452 802-879-5658 Rachel.Lomonaco@ vermont.gov

m

SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

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SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

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

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Rock Point School in Burlington is looking for a part-time bookkeeper to join our supportive and flexible team. The bookkeeper will manage bookkeeping and payroll and work closely (masked and socially distant, of course) with our director of finance and office manager.

It is time to embark on a new journey. And we want you to travel with us, as the new Host/Senior Producer of a reimagined Vermont Edition.

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MANAGING DIRECTOR

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Looking for an experienced professional to manage our accounting function.

The Host/Senior Producer should be an experienced journalist with a knack for balanced on air interviewing and news reporting. They should be adept at engaging with listeners on and off the air, and energized to work with our team to further the impact of our well trusted and respected talk program.

Find the full job description and the application requirements at vpr.org/careers-vpr.

Craft Beer Delivery Driver

Vermont Public Radio provides equal employment opportunities to all We are seeking an employees and applicants for employment, and prohibits discrimination Customer service oriented team player to deliver Lawson’s entrepreneurial professional and harassment of any type, without regard to race, color, religion, age, with organizational advancement Finest beer to retail accounts throughout Vermont. CDL presex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, chops who will take the ferred but willing to train the right candidate. sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic Community Engagement Lab to protected by federal, state, or local laws.

Apply here: lawsonsfinest.com/about-us/join-our-team. the next level of organizational effectiveness and program impact. The new Managing 11/13/20 4t-VPR111820.indd 10:51 AM 1 11/13/20 10:42 AM Director will have a top-level 2h-LawsonsFinest111820.indd 1 leadership role in helping to execute the Lab’s vision, MANUFACTURING strengthen the business and fundraising operations, and OPERATORS! shape strategies for achieving We are looking for an innovative Manufacturing Engineer to join our R&D Location: Essex Junction, VT greater impact.

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in consumer electronics, medical devices and simulations. As a member of a dynamic team of engineers, you will have responsibilities to support Manufacturing by leveraging your skills and experience to institute controlled processes and modernize the manufacture of delicate sensors 1:37 PM used in medical devices; and by designing and developing manufacturing tools/fixtures and products.

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The Burlington School District has an opening for a full-time Payroll Specialist. This position is primarily responsible for the effective and efficient processing of payroll and related activities, including all reporting requirements and supporting district administration with regard to financial management. Payroll experience required. Minimally preferred, Associate’s Degree with three years’ relevant experience processing payroll utilizing a computerized accounting software preferred. Experience with Microsoft 360 and the suite of Google Docs and Sheets highly desirable.

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THE WAITSFIELD FARMERS MARKET is looking for a

Market Manager.

Please go to waitsfieldfarmersmarket.com for a complete job description and application instructions.

We will respond to all qualified candidates.

PH International (Project Harmony, Inc.) is an international non-profit with 35 years of experience focusing on civic engagement, cross cultural learning, and increased opportunities in the digital age. The U.S. headquarter office is located in Waitsfield, Vermont with field offices in Armenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Republic of Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine with projects also implemented in other countries.

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF PROGRAM & FUND DEVELOPMENT

1t-WaitsfieldFarmersMarket111120.indd 1

Immediate full-time opening located in the Waitsfield, VT office for a professional to support and lead targeted program development and fundraising efforts. The successful candidate will have demonstrated development experience, preferably with an international organization, including writing and coordinating proposals for federal U.S. government funding. Lead and participate in proposal development efforts by researching topics and mapping potential partners, competitors and needed experts; prepare proposal packages for submission to donors, largely U.S. government agencies, including development of the proposal narrative, budget, and appendices; contribute to the expansion of the individual giving program; and track and report on goals, including preparation of development and funding reports. Experience in project implementation and project management, including monitoring and evaluation experience is desired; expertise in developing project budgets; excellent written, verbal and interpersonal skills; strong organizational, problemsolving, analytical and time management skills; versatility, flexibility, and a willingness to work within constantly changing priorities with enthusiasm and can handle pressure well; and a work style that embodies patience and a commitment to listening, mentoring and facilitating development projects.

Bread Loaf Corporation is seeking an Administrative Assistant to provide clerical and administrative support to our Construction Department.

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Preferred knowledge and experience include:  Proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel  Knowledge of the construction industry/terminology  Ability to switch gears quickly and handle multiple projects simultaneously.

Bread Loaf offers a comprehensive benefits package including health/dental/vision insurances, flexible benefit plan, 401(k) with company match, disability and life insurance, paid vacation and a friendly work environment.

We thrive on innovative ideas and excellent work.

Visit our Website, breadloaf.com, for a full description Submit your resume to resumes@breadloaf.com EOE

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Come See What We Have To Offer!

Job Fair Fri 11/20 12pm-6pm Our Shelburne Road Market 32 is now hiring for Part Time positions in the following departments: Up to $15/ hr to start!

NEW JOBS POSTED DAILY! JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

ACCOUNTANT/ BOOKKEEPER

69 NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

Network Manager Energy Action Network (EAN) is seeking a highly motivated,

Nedde Real Estate, a full-service collaborative, and multi-skilled leader to become a core part real estate firm specializing in of our non-profit staff team in a senior management, acquisitions, development and permanent, full-time position. brokerage, has an immediate Night Crew Starbucks opening for an experienced, Our Network Manager will be responsible for network Bakery/Patisserie Cashiers motivated and detail-oriented coordination, strategic communications, and project/event Must be 18 or older for some positions. accounting professional to join management. Located in Montpelier (though currently remote).

Applications and interviews may be our team! The ideal candidate Competitive salary and generous benefits. completed in store or apply at will be thorough, attentive to details, deadline focused and Find out more and apply: www.eanvt.org/employment pricechopper.com EOE able to work both independently Applications due by November 30, 2020. as well as with a team. Key EAN is an EOE. Areas of Responsibility Are you shopping for a new oppo? www.eanvt.org include A/P, A/R, and account istrative reconciliations. 2+ years of ichael's accounting experience with ncluding Associate's/Bachelor’s degree 4t-EAN(EnergyActionNetwork)111820.indd in riented, 4t-PriceChopperMarket32111820.indd 1 11/13/20 2:24 PM 1 11/16/20 accounting or related field plus s, and proficiency with QuickBooks, ciency in including multi company dsheets, applications, Excel, and Outlook. date will Full time position from $20/ erience hour plus benefits located in ers, and Applications are now being accepted for a part-time Administrative Burlington, VT. Send cover on. This Assistant for the Graduate Psychology Program at Saint Michael’s letter and resume to: pects of College. The Administrative Assistant will work part-time, including the kmartin@neddere.com. ent with summer. The Administrative Assistant must be detail oriented, possess aduate excellent verbal and written communication skills, and have the ability to egular maintain confidentiality. Computer proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite

11:01 AM

GRADUATE PROGRAMS

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

ge.com.

is required to create complex spreadsheets, documents, e-mails, and 3v-NeddeRealEstate111820.indd databases. The successful candidate will be a detail-oriented professional with previous office experience who is welcoming and respectful to all community members, and demonstrates a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion. This 20-hour/week position’s main assignment supports all aspects of the GPS Program and Undergraduate Psychology Department with secondary duties supporting other Graduate and Undergraduate Departments. This part-time position is not eligible for regular College provided fringe benefits.

For a full job description, please visit: smcvt.interviewexchange.com.

1

11/13/20 12:15 PM

Test Kitchen Associate

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11/16/20

ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICE WORKER Sign On Bonus - Up to $2,000 with a starting salary of $15 an hour.

Responsible for the cleaning of all areas of the facility with the exception of the OR. Must know how to handle cleaning issues or know the appropriate resources available to solve the specific problem.

LEARN MORE & APPLY: uvmmed.hn/sevendays 4t-UVMMedCenter093020.indd 1

National food magazine seeks full-time recipe tester/developer.

9:55 AM Candidate will demonstrate knowledge of food science, cooking, recipe testing and development. Must be able to shop for ingredients; read and write recipes according to brand style; accurately record testing results; present recipes to tasting panel.

Minimum 5 years’ experience in food preparation and/or culinary science training or comparable experience.

LEAD CARPENTER POLLI Construction provides residential construction services in all of Chittenden County. We strive to exceed customer’s expectations and create a work environment that fosters learning and growth. We offer competitive pay based on skill and experience, scheduled pay reviews, and over-time, vacation, and holiday pay.

TO APPLY, CALL, EMAIL OR STOP BY!

Cover letter & resumes only: foodjobs@eatingwell.com.

802.482.5777

contact@polliconstruction.com 11 Gregory Drive, South Burlington

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ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

70

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

NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

FULL TIME HOUSEKEEPER

DIRECT MARKETS COORDINATOR NOFA-VT is seeking a Direct Markets Coordinator to join our team. The Direct Markets Coordinator is responsible for coordinating statewide support and training for direct market farmers and farmers markets to help improve access to and build demand for local, organic food in Vermont. To learn more visit nofavt.org/joinourteam.

CLERICAL ASSISTANTS

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Come work with an amazing and dedicated team!

The Converse Home, an Assisted Living Community in downtown Burlington, is hiring a Full Time Housekeeper 40 hours per week, including some weekends. This is a day shift, during business hours, benefited position at $16.00 per hour! Responsibilities include cleaning residents’ rooms and common areas in the home.

We are looking for someone with the desire to work with the elderly, who is friendly and compassionate, and looking for a positive change where you can make a difference. If 12:44 PM this is you, please apply! You must be at least 18 years of age, be a high school graduate or have equivalent GED, and be able to regularly lift up to 20 pounds. Prior experience in housekeeping preferred, but not necessary to apply. You must have a clean background check to be considered.

11/13/20

The Vermont Judiciary is recruiting for several full-time, permanent Docket Clerk positions, to perform specialized clerical duties including data entry and extensive customer service over the phone.

Locations in Burlington, St.Albans, Middlebury, Rutland, & Newport VT. High School graduate and two years of clerical, or data entry experience required.

To learn more about our community visit conversehome.com OR Contact kellie@conversehome.com to apply.

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Starting at $17.11 per hour with excellent benefits, paid holidays and leave time.

Candidates shall submit a complete and up-to-date Judicial Branch Application and resume. An electronic version of the Application may be found at: vermontjudiciary.org/ employment-opportunities/staff-openings.

These positions are open until filled. Equal opportunity employer.

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11/9/20 4:51 PM

FACILITIES COORDINATOR

11/9/20 4:48 PM

ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain is a dynamic, nationally acclaimed science and nature center committed to inspiring and engaging families in the joy of scientific discovery, wonder of nature and care of Lake Champlain.

ECHO seeks an experienced team player to provide building maintenance expertise and leadership for its unique 36,000 square foot, LEED-certified aquarium and science center. The Facilities/Exhibits Maintenance Coordinator will participate in leading the Facilities & Animal Care Department. This role will oversee facilities and exhibit projects, daily building maintenance, and assist with custodial and animal care work to enhance the visitor experience.

Looking for a Sweet Job? Our mobile-friendly job board is buzzing with excitement.

Start applying at jobs.sevendaysvt.com

This position will be full time, non-exempt and will be scheduled for four, ten-hour days per week, including one weekend day. Occasionally, this position will be required to work full weekends, holidays and overtime.

For a full job description please visit: echovermont.org/about-echo/jobs.

ECHO is an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes candidates for employment who will contribute to our diversity.

Please submit a cover letter and resume to jobs@echovermont.org with Facilities Coordinator Position in the subject line.

Application Deadline: November, 30, 2020

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FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SEVENDAYSJOBS, SUBSCRIBE TO RSS, OR BROWSE POSTS ON YOUR PHONE AT JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

NEW JOBS POSTED DAILY! JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

71 NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

MULTIPLE POSITIONS OPEN Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH) has a variety of openings available, including RNs, LNAs, Ultrasound Technologist, Echocardiographer, Sr. MultiModality Technologist and Medical Lab Technician or Medical Technologist. NVRH also has Administrative Positions, Food Service and Environmental Services openings.

AFTERSCHOOL AND SCHOOL-AGE HUBS ARE HIRING! Do you love working with kids? Want to make a difference with youth in your community?

Afterschool and school-age child care hubs across Vermont are hiring. Staff at these programs are a critical part of Vermont’s COVID-19 relief response, giving elementary school students support in a safe space on remote learning days and during the out-of-school time hours.

There are a variety of jobs for people who have experience working with youth, and are a great opportunity for those who might be home from college, high school grads taking a gap year, or anyone interested in positive youth development. Programs are especially keen to hire energetic, responsible, creative people who have diverse skills to share. Positions are short-term, full-time or part-time, and you must pass a background check. Jobs are inperson, and employers carefully follow COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

Full, part-time and per diem positions available.

Excellent benefits available including student loan repayment and tuition reimbursement.

For more information or to apply, please visit nvrh.org/careers.

Visit VermontAfterschool.org/Recruit to easily indicate your interest in applying for an open position near you.

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11/9/20 4:53 PM

GRADE 4 TEACHER LONG-TERM SUB ESSEX WESTFORD SCHOOL DISTRICT

Administrative Assistant Full-time position in Burlington. 2 years’ administrative and customer service experience required.

Drivers Our Ready To Go program is looking for personable and reliable Drivers in Barre, Brattleboro, Burlington and Rutland. Per diem & part-time positions are available to assist in safely transporting clients. Vans and mobile phones provided.

For full job descriptions visit GoodNewsGarage.org/careers.

E.O.E.

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11/17/20 1:40 PM

SKI VALET ATTENDANT Ski Stowe for free this winter!

Join our team of like-minded and diverse adventurers. The Lodge at Spruce Peak is hiring for Ski Valet this winter!

• Full-time and part-time positions available.

• Must be 16 years or older. Competitive Pay & Benefit Options.

• Free Stowe Ski Pass for all employees that work 20+ hours a week.

• Enjoy a flexible schedule that lets you to ski during the day!

Apply online at SprucePeak.com/Careers. E.O.E.

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Are you committed to the success of ALL students? Do you understand the importance of social and emotional learning (SEL) and have the ability to effectively integrate SEL into the classroom?

Our Founders Memorial Schools in Essex, Vermont is seeking a passionate Grade 4 teacher to cover for a leave of absence beginning mid-January, 2020. The ideal candidate will have experience and training in Responsive Classroom/PBIS practices, will be well versed in early literacy and mathematics theory and practice and possess a strong understanding of the Common Core State Standards. Educators with training and experience with differentiation and/or Universal Design for Learning are ideal. Experience with and understanding of professional collaboration as exemplified by Professional Learning Communities is an essential skill, as is experience with and use of data driven decision making.

Qualified candidates must also hold, or be eligible to hold, a valid VT educator license with an elementary education endorsement (1-00). Individuals who hold a corresponding teaching license outside the state of VT shall be considered equally.

EWSD is committed to considering out of state candidates who are eligible to hold a Vermont educator license but do not yet hold license in this state. If you do not have all the qualifications listed, but are committed to the success of all children, we still encourage you to apply.

Position pays $260/day.

For consideration, please apply electronically through schoolspring.com (Job ID 3384665).

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100% EMPLOYEEOWNED

Join the team at Gardener’s Supply Company We are a 100% employee-owned company and an award winning and nationally recognized socially responsible business. We work hard AND offer a fun place to work including BBQs, staff parties, employee garden plots and much more! We also offer strong cultural values, competitive wages and outstanding benefits!

Materials Handling and Inventory Manager We’re looking for a talented individual to join our Distribution Center in Milton, VT! This person is responsible for the well-being and success of the staff ; the efficient and safe storage and movement of all GSC inventory in a warehouse environment; locator accuracy; and supporting the Fulfillment operation. This position requires considerable hands-on work, collaborating with other departments and communicating effectively. Our ideal candidate will have a min of 3 yrs supervisory experience; in depth working knowledge of materials handling and inventory systems; aptitude in computer and physical systems; and strong team leadership and people management skills.

Interested? Please go to our careers page at www.gardeners.com/careers and apply online!

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11/9/20 11:17 8:55 AM 11/6/20 AM

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

72

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

NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

Is currently seeking:

Supported Housing Respite Staff

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11/9/20 2h-VNRC111820.indd 10:43 AM 1

MAINSTREAM INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANT ESSEX WESTFORD SCHOOL DISTRICT

Are you committed to the success of all children? Do you enjoy working with elementary age students?

Our Founders Elementary school is seeking full-time temporary Mainstream Instructional Assistants beginning immediately through the end of the 2020-21 school year. Position shall assist and supervise assigned special needs students instructionally, behaviorally and physically in the general mainstream program. Position will involve working with a student individually and/or in small groups. Successful experience working with students with emotional challenges and mental health diagnosis preferred. Experience working with elementary aged students also preferred.

Additional qualifications include the following: • Good working knowledge of disabilities of special education students, and special education teaching methods, theories and laws also required.

• Good understanding of standard classroom operations and teaching methods; good basic teaching skills.

• Demonstrated mastery of the academic subject matter being taught to students.

• Flexibility within schedule to meet bus and/or stay with student(s) at the end of the day.

EWSD is committed to building a culturally diverse and inclusive environment. Successful candidates must be committed to working effectively with diverse community populations and expected to strengthen such capacity if hired. If you are committed to the success of all students but do not meet all qualifications listed above, you are still encouraged to apply.

Position pays $16.07/hour with excellent benefits including family medical and dental insurance; life insurance; tuition reimbursement; and paid leaves.

For more information or to apply, please schoolspring. com (Job ID 3173221). If you do not have access to a computer and/or are having difficulty completing the Schoolspring application, please call 802-857-7038 for assistance or to make alternative arrangements to have your application considered.

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VNRC LEGISLATIVE INTERNSHIP The Vermont Natural Resources Council is seeking a Legislative Intern to assist VNRC and our partners, Vermont Conservation Voters and the Vermont Planners Association, in moving forward-looking environmental legislation in the Vermont State House starting in early 2021. Ideal candidates will have a demonstrated interest in state-level policies and policy making, strong oral and written communication skills, and be diplomatic, curious, and able to take initiative.

See VNRC website, vnrc.org, for full job description.

11/16/20 4:04 PM

Law Firm Administrator Premier law firm seeks a Firm Administrator to join its team of professionals in steering the firm into the future. Common sense, creativity and commitment guide the firm’s approach to work, to supporting its families and to serving Vermont communities.

From offices in downtown Burlington and Middlebury, the law firm of Langrock Sperry & Wool, LLP (LSW) has provided a full range of legal services to individuals and business clients for more than 60 years. Passionate about practicing law, the firm’s 28 attorneys – along with an experienced support staff headed by the Firm Administrator – pride themselves on working as a team to provide clients with the highest quality of legal services.

The Firm Administrator reports directly to the Management Committee and has broad responsibility for LSW’s overall administration, including finances and accounting, information technology, human resources, insurance/risk management, facilities/real estate management, and marketing. The position is an integral part of the firm’s future growth and success, and as such presents a unique opportunity to work with the partnership on strategic planning and the development of business systems that enhance profitability.

The successful candidate must have exceptional academic credentials; 7+ years’ experience in business operations of a law firm or related professional services organization; excellent communication skills; vision; superior analytical, problem solving and decision-making skills; business acumen and the ability to collaborate both as a leader and team member.

Compensation is commensurate with experience and the responsibilities of the position. The firm offers a full benefits package including health insurance, profit sharing/401k, life insurance, disability insurance, discretionary year-end bonus, etc.

Anticipated start date is the 1st quarter of 2021.

YOU WILL FIND SUCCESS

HUNGRY TO FILL THAT

POSITION? Seven Days’ readers are locally sourced and ready to bring something new to the table.

Reach them with Seven Days Jobs — our brand-new, mobile-friendly, recruitment website.

JOB RECRUITERS CAN:

• Post jobs using a form that includes key info about your company and open positions (location, application deadlines, video, images, etc.).

• Accept applications and manage the hiring process via our new applicant tracking tool.

• Easily manage your open job listings from your recruiter dashboard.

Visit jobs.sevendaysvt.com to start posting!

To apply, please submit your resume, including a letter of introduction, to: Christopher L. Davis, Partner, Langrock Sperry & Wool, LLP 210 College Street, P.O. Box 721, Burlington, VT 05402-0721 cdavis@langrock.com • www.langrock.com

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2/17/17 10:15 AM

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SEVENDAYSJOBS, SUBSCRIBE TO RSS, OR BROWSE POSTS ON YOUR PHONE AT JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

NEW JOBS POSTED DAILY! JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Part-Time Operations Manager/ Contributing Editor

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The Bridge, a nonprofit community newspaper in Montpelier, is seeking a highly organized individual with journalism experience and strong communication and collaboration skills to help manage the paper’s operations and assist the editor with some duties, including writing. Flexible hours up to 30 hours per week, $19 per hour.

Executive Director opening at Vermont Labor Relations Board.

A law degree is required and experience in labor relations is strongly preferred.

For more information visit our website at: vlrb.vermont.gov.

Most work to be conducted working solo at The Bridge offices at the Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpelier while other employees work remotely.

73 NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

MOVING PROFESSIONALS Local moving company looking for movers! Previous experience is not required. We will train the right candidates! Applicants must have a valid driver’s license, have the highest level of customer service and work well in a team atmosphere.

Competitive wages!

Please call 802-655-6683 for more information or email resume to: Jennifer@vtmoving.com.

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4/26/19 12:20 PM

To apply, email a letter of interest, resume and news clips to bridgehiringcommittee@ gmail.com.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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11/16/20 1:37 PM

VERMONT LEAGUE OF CITIES AND TOWNS This is a unique opportunity to become Executive Director of a highly respected state municipal association located in the Green Mountains of Vermont. The VLCT Board of Directors is seeking a dynamic leader to assist the Board in developing and achieving its vision for the future of Vermont local government and the role VLCT will play in achieving that vision.

Founded in 1967, the Vermont League of Cities and Towns is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that serves Vermont's municipalities and officials. VLCT employs a staff of 50 and has an annual operating budget of $6.6 million. The League provides: · Educational workshops and consulting advice for municipal officials so that they can deliver excellent service to their communities · Information for the public so that it can better understand local government · Support for legislation that strengthens local government · Comprehensive insurance coverage for municipalities.

Requires a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in public administration, political science, association management or related field. A master’s degree or work on a comparable postgraduate degree is preferred. Ten years of association or municipal management as a chief executive officer or similar position is highly desired.

Anticipated start date by late March, 2021. For complete details and the informational brochure (when available): vlct.org/classifieds.

VLCT offers a quality workplace located in downtown Montpelier and an excellent total compensation package. Confidential cover letters and resumes must be received via email at vlcted2020@gmail.com by Monday, 12/21/2020.

VLCT is an equal opportunity employer. VLCT strongly encourages people of color, people with disabilities, LGBTQ applicants, and people from other underrepresented groups to apply, recognizing and respecting that diverse perspectives and experiences are valuable to our team and essential to our work.

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11/17/20 2:11 PM

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

74

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

NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

Service Desk Admin

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11/16/20 5:36 PM

This position will work closely with the Service Manager and involves being the primary point of contact for all incoming service calls and requests for Tech support, project work and system installations. Incoming requests will be via phone, email and web.

• 2 or 4 year college degree, or equivalent experience in a related field, preferably in the Information Technology or Telecommunications fields • Possess high level of customer service skills and ability to effectively work across multiple teams within the office with strong written and oral communications skills required • Attention to detail, deadlines, professional office protocol and internal controls required while being proficient in Word, Excel, Power Point, Teams, Outlook, and other office management software • Learning, understanding and improving the various systems we use to run our business • Ability to think on your feet and to be able to manage multiple service tickets and phone calls at any one time

New, local, scam-free jobs posted every day! jobs.sevendaysvt.com.

• Ability to properly manage Company proprietary & confidential information Resumes to: astringer@tgvt.net.

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11/13/20 2:45 PM

7/30/19 1:05 PM

Seasons Change…

But Vermont’s appetite for local food and drink is still hearty.

As the days get colder and Vermonters go back inside, let Good To-Go Vermont be your guide.

This digital directory, compiled by Seven Days, lists local eateries by region, offering takeout, delivery, curbside pickup and on-site dining options during the coronavirus pandemic.

SPONSORED BY

Visit GoodToGoVermont.com to see what your favorite local restaurants are serving. They need your support.

TA K E O U T • D E L I V E RY • S E AT I N G O P T I O N S • G O O D T O G O V E R M O N T. C O M 1T-GoodToGo090220.indd 3

SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

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fun stuff

RACHEL LINDSAY

76

SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

CALCOKU & SUDOKU (P.63) CROSSWORD (P.63)

EV E N T S O N SA L E N OW

HARRY BLISS

BUY ONLINE AT SEVENDAYSTICKETS.COM

Finding Hope THU., NOV. 19 VIRTUAL EVENT

Ethiopian / Eritrean Takeout

SAT., NOV. 21 NORTH END STUDIOS AT THE O’BRIEN COMMUNITY CENTER, WINOOSKI

Exploring Spirituality MON., NOV. 30 VIRTUAL EVENT

Just Ask Over Dinner Series: Taking Stock & Resetting the Table for Your Business THU., DEC. 3 VIRTUAL EVENT

Life and Loss THU., DEC. 3 VIRTUAL EVENT

Illusions in Art and the Art of Optical Illusions THU., DEC. 3 VIRTUAL EVENT

JEN SORENSEN

Vermont International Festival’s Congolese Takeout

FRI., DEC. 4 NORTH END STUDIOS AT THE O’BRIEN COMMUNITY CENTER, WINOOSKI

Vermont International Festival’s Argentinian Takeout

SAT., DEC. 5 NORTH END STUDIOS AT THE O’BRIEN COMMUNITY CENTER, WINOOSKI

Vermont International Festival’s Filipino Takeout

SUN., DEC. 6 NORTH END STUDIOS AT THE O’BRIEN COMMUNITY CENTER, WINOOSKI

Blue Holiday Workshop and Ritual SUN., DEC. 6 VIRTUAL EVENT

Facing Change: Life’s Transitions and Transformations THU., DEC. 10 VIRTUAL EVENT

MORE EVENTS ONLINE AT SEVENDAYSTICKETS.COM SELLING TICKETS?

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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.

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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 NOVEMBER 19-25

think that would be a healthy approach for you to flirt with during the next few weeks.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21):

To convey the spirit of the coming weeks, I’m offering you wisdom from two women who were wise about the art of slow and steady progress.

First, here’s author Iris Murdoch: “One of the secrets of a happy life is continuous small treats, and if some of these can be inexpensive and quickly procured so much the better.” Your second piece of insight about the wonders of prudent, piecemeal triumph comes from activist and author Helen Keller: “I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.”

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Back in 1974, poet Allen Ginsberg and his “spirit wife,” Aries poet Anne Waldman, were roommates at the newly established Naropa University in Boulder, Colo. The school’s founder asked these two luminaries to create a poetics program, and thus was born the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics. Waldman described its ruling principle as the “outrider” tradition, with a mandate to explore all that was iconoclastic, freethinking and irreverent. The goal of teachers and students alike was to avoid safe and predictable work so as to commune with wild spiritual powers, “keep the energies dancing” and court eternal surprise. I

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Any legal actions you take are more likely to be successful if you initiate them between now and the solstice than if you begin them at other times. The same is true for any contracts you sign or agreements you make: They have a better chance to thrive than they would at other times. Other activities with more kismet than usual during the coming weeks: efforts to cultivate synergy and symbiosis, attempts to turn power struggles into more cooperative ventures, a push to foster greater equality in hierarchal situations, and ethical moves to get access to and benefit from other people’s resources.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Never follow an

expert off a precipice. Nor a teacher. Nor an attractive invitation. Nor a symbol of truth nor a vibrant ideal nor a tempting gift. In fact, never follow anything off a precipice, no matter how authoritative or sexy or appealing it might be. On the other hand, if any of those influences are headed in the direction of a beautiful bridge that can enable you to get to the other side of a precipice, you should definitely consider following them. Be on the alert for such lucky opportunities in the coming weeks.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Malidoma Patrice Somé was born into the Dagara tribe of Burkina Faso. After being initiated into the Dagara’s spiritual mysteries, he emigrated to America, where he has taught a unique blend of modern and traditional ideas. One of his key themes is the hardship that Westerners’ souls endure because of the destructive impact of the machine world upon the spiritual world. He says there is “an Indigenous person within each of us” that longs to cultivate the awareness and understanding enjoyed by Indigenous people: a reverence for nature, a vital relationship with ancestors and a receptivity to learn from the intelligence of animals. How’s your inner Indigenous person doing? The coming weeks will be an excellent time to enhance your ability to commune with and nurture that vital source.

LEO

(July 23-Aug. 22): Psychologists have

identified a quality they call NFD: “need for drama.” Those who possess it may be inclined to seek or even instigate turmoil out of a quest for excitement. After all, bringing a dose of chaos into one’s life can cure feelings of boredom or powerlessness. “I’m important enough to rouse a Big Mess!” may be the subconscious battle cry. I’ll urge you Leos to studiously and diligently avoid fostering NFD in the coming weeks. In my astrological opinion, you will have a blessed series of interesting experiences if and only if you shed any attraction you might have to histrionic craziness.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “Give up the notion that you must be sure of what you are doing,” wrote philosopher Baruch Spinoza.

“Instead, surrender to what is real within you, for that alone is sure.” Spinoza’s thoughts will be a great meditation for you in the coming weeks. If you go chasing phantom hopes, longing for absolute certainty and iron confidence, you’ll waste your energy.

But if you identify what is most genuine and true and essential about you — and you rely on it to guide you — you can’t possibly fail.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “A little bad taste is like a nice splash of paprika,” said Libran fashion writer Diana Vreeland. “We all need a splash of bad taste,” she continued. “It’s hearty, it’s healthy, it’s physical. I think we could use more of it. Having no taste is what I’m against.” I understand that her perspective might be hard to sell to you refined Librans.

But I think it’s good advice right now. Whatever’s lacking in your world, whatever might be off-kilter, can be cured by a dash of good, funky earthiness. Dare to be a bit messy and unruly.

SAGITTARIUS

(Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sagittarian statesman Winston Churchill said that he was always ready to learn — even though there were times when he didn’t enjoy being taught. That might be a useful motto for you to adopt in the coming months. By my estimates, 2021 could turn out to bring a rather spectacular learning spurt — and a key boost to your life-long education. If you choose to take advantage of the cosmic potentials, you could make dramatic enhancements to your

knowledge and skill set. As Churchill’s message suggests, not all of your new repertoire will come easily and pleasantly. But I bet that at least 80 percent of it will. Start planning!

CAPRICORN

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In accordance with upcoming astrological indicators, I’ve got some good advice for you, courtesy of your fellow Capricorn David Bowie. You’ll be well served to keep it in mind between now and January 1, 2021. “Go a little bit out of your depth,” counseled Bowie. “And when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting.” For extra inspiration, I’ll add another prompt from the creator of Ziggy Stardust: “Once you lose that sense of wonder at being alive, you’re pretty much on the way out.” In that spirit, my dear Capricorn, please take measures to expand your sense of wonder during the next six weeks. Make sure you’re on your way in.

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Most of us aren’t brilliant virtuosos like, say, Leonardo da Vinci or Nobel Prize-winning scientist Marie Curie. On the other hand, every one of us has a singular amalgam of potentials that is unique in the history of the world — an exceptional flair or an idiosyncratic mastery or a distinctive blend of talents. In my astrological opinion, you Aquarians will have unprecedented opportunities to develop and ripen this golden and glorious aspect of yourself in 2021. And now is a good time to begin making plans. I encourage you to launch your year-long Festival of Becoming by writing down a description of your special genius.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In 1969, humans flew a spaceship to the moon and landed on it for the first time. In 1970, the state of Alabama finally made it legal for interracial couples to get married. That’s a dramatic example of how we humans may be mature and strong in some ways even as we remain backward and undeveloped in others ways. According to my astrological analysis, the coming months will be a highly favorable time for the immature and unseasoned parts of you to ripen. I encourage you to get started!

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SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

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11/17/20 3:27 PM

CHAOSFACTORINCARNATE I’m just looking for anything.

Strength: making funny. Wekness: spelin. CollyRog, 21, seeking: W

Respond to these people online: dating.sevendaysvt.com WOMEN seeking...

FUN-LOVING AND COMPASSIONATE WOMAN I’m an easygoing lady who enjoys good conversation, food, travel and the outdoors. I appreciate and love my family, friends and my animals. I like trying new recipes, reading, exploring either in my travels or online (due to COVID), and meeting new people. I love helping out where I can and making a positive difference when I can. I love to have fun and, of course, just be relaxing.

Wings4Soaring, 53, seeking: M, l COUNTRY GIRL LOVES MOTORCYCLE RIDES Affectionate country girl looking for a man who knows how to treat a lady.

I have a great sense of humor, and you should, too! Love to horseback ride, take walks, bike ride, hike and enjoy each other’s company. I can also make a mean cheesecake!

CURIOSITY22, 62, seeking: M, l SOLITARY, SERENE, SERENDIPITOUS YOGINI Stranded in Vermont, new to area.

Pandemic Healing BootCamp here. I have a pretty safe and satisfying, simple, happy life. Worked hard to get it. It would be nice to have like-minded friends.

I’m an easygoing, open-minded, good person and a caring friend, but I don’t put up with drama, trauma, lying, cheating or anything that doesn’t resemble kindness. ARI999, 63, seeking: M, l

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FLAVORFUL, SPIRITED. I CONTAIN MULTITUDES. It’s virtually impossible to condense a personality into such a small container. I happily contradict myself, if the spirit moves me. I say “yes” to life while remaining grounded. I value connection, honesty and personal insight. I’m looking for someone courageous enough to also say “yes” to life. katya, 54, seeking: M, l

MILLENNIALS INQUIRE WITHIN. YEEHAW. Looking for a hot, nerdy dude who has an adventurous, sensitive, techie soul.

Good with his hands. Must love cuddles.

I don’t mind if you prioritize your alone time as long as you don’t mind that I can be an endearing space case. Be warned: I will ask for your natal chart and when your most recent STI test was. starsaligned, 25, seeking: M

DREAMER Are you into conscious living?

Spirituality? Nature? Honesty?

Compassion? Maybe you’re a hopeless romantic? I am seeking a lasting relationship with a like-minded man.

Looking for my best friend to share adventures, love and life’s ups and downs. I like to hike, ski, relax, talk, ponder and spend lots of time with you. naturgirl, 64, seeking: M, l

FUNNY, ACTIVE ACTIVIST AND ADVENTURIST Recently moved to Vermont from D.C. Would like to meet people for social/ political activism, hiking, hanging out and socializing. Always up for new adventures, like discussing world events. Am compassionate, enjoy outdoor activities. I’m nonjudgmental and appreciate the same in others.

I’ve been involved in activism around racial equity, health care and disability rights ... but don’t take myself too seriously! AnnieCA, 67, seeking: M, l

LOYAL, KIND AND HONEST I’m a very gentle person, drama free.

I love to cook, and I keep myself busy doing all kinds of art. I like to walk (with a partner will be better). I’m living my dream, and I want to share it with my partner. Pepita13, 69, seeking: M, l FREE SPIRIT Love the outdoors, especially with water. I have traveled to about 70 countries and still want to travel some. Health and fitness are very important to me. I have done many sports over the years and continue to be active. I am a very curious person and enjoy learning. Waiting to hear from you. Tapbel, 62, seeking: M, l NEW TO VERMONT I’m a funny, quirky, happy woman who is new to the area and would love someone who could show me around and hang out while having fun. I’ve never been a big fan of snow, but if you can make me enjoy it, then you will be a keeper. Angleyez528, 43, seeking: M, l STRONG, INDEPENDENT, INTELLECTUAL Ski? Dinner? Speak any foreign languages? No rednecks or men who will break under heavy use. Must be well educated, well traveled and cultured.

420-friendly, and no man-babies looking for a mama! pip, 56, seeking: M, l ISO INTERESTING AND MEANINGFUL Bright, effervescent, strong-like-bull personality with a great sense of humor.

Seeking companionship in a likeminded, kind soul leading to friendship, maybe more. Mutual respect is key. BBW brunette here. If you have a sense of humor and can hold a conversation, let’s chat! LilacLady33, 50, seeking: M, W, l FUN, UNIQUE FOODIE Looking for someone understanding yet caring. I may be born in fall, but I love Christmas, so take me out to look at the Christmas lights and then we will put our faces in mountains of whipped cream and good ol’ warm hot chocolate and call it a day. I love pretty much everything fun. New here; show me around. Kendrypooh, 22, seeking: M, l

SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

HERE’S TO SECOND CHANCES Widowed, fit, fun, financially secure WF with serious BDSM/kinky fantasies that I want/need to explore. Looking to find 50- to 60-y/o male with experience in the much less vanilla side of sex for dating and/or LTR. bestisyettobe, 53, seeking: M, l INTERESTED Still standing after all these years!

WayToGo, 67, seeking: M FEMININE, FIT, FUN-LOVING FOREST WOMAN If the sun is shining, you’ll find me 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 and active outdoorsman. I’d like to see if we can become best friends and then take it from there. Charley, 68, seeking: M, l CURIOUS OF LIFE AND HUMOR Sometimes I want to be among a lot of people, and sometimes I just want to be alone with my own company.

Have always been curious about people and the world around me. Love learning new things, and currently working on how to play music. I have a great sense of humor and enjoy being outdoors all spring, summer and fall. daffodil19, 64, seeking: M, l

MEN seeking...

LIFE IS A BANQUET Hello, world. I’m a father, engineer, musician, handyman, Vermonter. I’m a far better conversationalist than writer.

MusicAndPancakes, 45, seeking: W, l AN INTERESTING FELLOW If you’re lovely and sincere, slender and not too tall, let’s grab a coffee and a scone. I know a good scone is hard to find, so maybe a muffin. But then let’s go for a walk. Maybe we’ll hit it off. I’m strong and passionate, and I like to write and am blown away by nature, beauty and love. Chapter2, 67, seeking: W, l

ALL STARTS WITH HELLO I count myself as an easygoing person, very lucky to have what eyesight I have.

Losing your sight is one thing, but losing your vision is a whole different thing.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Justmemacjr, 57, seeking: W, l BOND ... JAMES BOND Man of mystery, ethically polyamorous, creative. Nerdy scientist, but not usually the smartest guy in the room. My quietude belies my depth.

1109sm, 58, seeking: W, Cp, l THOUGHTFUL, EVOLVING MAN I am the quintessential optimist, a realist and young at heart. My interests include listening to music, traveling both near and far, reading fiction and nonfiction, cooking, various forms of working out, spending time with a few close friends. I would like to meet someone who enjoys good conversation, who is passionate, playful, sensual and curious. not2complicated, 64, seeking: W, l CUTE, SMART A LOT Looking for a casual relationship that could evolve. Looking for an attractive woman with similar interests and disposition. I’m not too particular on what you do for work, but I would prefer it if you had a job that you were genuinely interested in, though I know things happen. New in town. Really just looking for some interesting experiences!

ProgrammingHigh, 29, seeking: W SEEKING A WOMAN FOR FUN SWM, 50, Seeking a woman friend to have some fun and adventure with. Open to LTR. Let’s give it a try... Taurus, 49, seeking: W FRIENDLY, INTELLECTUAL, EASYGOING I would not stand out in a crowd. I can be a little boring until we get on the right subject. Mechanic, 67, seeking: W CURIOUS, EMPATHETIC, OPINIONATED I’m a 42-y/o widowed guy in Shelburne who’s looking to start living and having fun again. I’m not here looking for a support system — I have one of those, and it’s fantastic. I’m looking for someone to spend some time with, maybe have a couple drinks and a couple laughs, and make life a little bit more exciting.

MissileVolante, 42, seeking: W, l

OPEN-MINDED, FRIENDLY BI MAN Moved to Grand Isle this summer.

Looking to meet individuals or couples for FWB relationships or more. Open to many scenarios when comfortable. chance2, 55, seeking: M, TW, Cp A NEW ADVENTURE Kind, caring, dedicated professional looking for someone to go on new adventures with and hopefully share my life with. My ideal partner knows how to have fun but also carry herself in a professional manner, is a problem solver by nature and loves to try new things. Pcace007, 43, seeking: W UNITED STATES Sexy country. I am not shy. Funny, outgoing woman. I am looking for a single man of 40 years old or around 50s or 60. Good-looking and want to have fun. Looking for someone to be with in bed and looking to have a relationship, too. redthree, 48, seeking: M

TRANS WOMEN seeking...

GENEROUS, OPEN, EASYGOING Warm, giving trans female with an abundance of yum to share (and already sharing it with lovers) seeks ecstatic connection for playtimes, connections, copulations, exploration and generally wonderful occasional times together. Clear communication, a willingness to venture into the whole self of you is wanted. Possibilities are wide-ranging: three, four, explorations, dreaming up an adventure are on the list! DoubleUp, 63, seeking: M, Cp, l

GENDERQUEER PEOPLE seeking...

LONELY AND WAITING FOR YOU Lonely Carolina immigrant looking for an amazing woman. I love to cook, clean and generally make my partner as happy as possible. I’m comfortable both with my full beard and burly coat, or with my pretty pink lacy dresses and blond curls, whichever makes you happiest. I value trust above all else. Oh, and I give killer foot rubs! Neneveh, 24, seeking: W, l

COUPLES seeking...

COUPLE LOOKING FOR FUN! Adventurous, silly, easygoing, freespirited. Agd09090, 26, seeking: Cp, l

FUN-LOVING, ROMANTIC, AFFECTIONATE MAN Honest businessman now flipping houses.

Missing that someone special — last and only love. lovetocuddle, 63, seeking: W, l

LOOKING FOR COUPLE OR PERSON We want to meet others in the mood to open themselves to another couple for whatever happens.

Cpl4fun, 32, seeking: Cp, Gp

OUTDOORSY, FUNNY I’m kind, funny, caring, honest, respectful, easygoing, hardworking. I have a high sex drive. I like outdoor activities — kayaking, camping, fishing — and watching a movie.

Looking for someone like-minded who enjoys spending time together. Maybe go for a drive to nowhere, go for a moonlit walk or to a beach, cooking a meal together. funoutdoors, 54, seeking: W, l

CUTE COUPLE LOOKING FOR FUN 33-y/o couple looking for female friend or couple. Mojovt, 33, seeking: W, Cp, l

OUTDOORSY MEN Friends with benefits.

Sno1080, 26, seeking: M LOYAL, KINDHEARTED AND HONEST I am a 56-y/o man who loves to travel, play music, hike, camp and other activities, as well as travel around to national parks and explore. I’m an easygoing and very laid-back kind of guy. I’m in search of a lady who wants to be my companion and best friend. I enjoy fishing, hiking, having fun. simple_mam_64, 56, seeking: W, l

HELP US BRANCH OUT We are a couple of over 30 years. We love to spend time together, enjoying good food, good beer/wine and good company. We enjoy the outdoors, camping, hiking, skiing. Looking for other couples to become friends with that can help us explore and branch out. We love each other very deeply and want to share that love with others.

CentralVTCpl, 54, seeking: Cp, Gp COUPLE SEEKING WOMAN We are very open and honest. Clean, safe and totally discreet. We are looking for a woman who wants to try new adult things with a couple. We want to role-play and try some kink.

Newboytoyvt, 50, seeking: W, l

i SPY

If you’ve been spied, go online to contact your admirer!

dating.sevendaysvt.com

SUSAN Saw your profile on Match.com. I found it quite intriguing, to say the least. You are around 70. Let’s chat. Oh, you live in the Burlington area. When: Thursday, November 12, 2020. Where: Match.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915184 KINNEY DRUGS, BARRE-MONTPELIER ROAD We chatted while waiting. You liked my dreads, and I liked your black T shirt that said something about “good people on earth.” We spoke again, but I should have asked for your name. Care to chat again, maybe exchange names? When: Wednesday, November 11, 2020. Where: Kinney Drugs, Barre-Montpelier Road.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915183 STRAWBERRY BREAD BAKER Sorry to have missed you at the flu clinic; it was the highlight of my 2019. Hope that you are doing well, staying healthy and continuing to make your indelible mark on the world. As always, missing you terribly.

Happy birthday. When: Wednesday, November 6, 2019. Where: downtown BTV. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915182 CITY MARKET, TWO BEEF STICKS In front of the prepared food cooler, the woman in the silver puffy jacket gesticulated in our direction. At the checkout, I asked, “That’s it?” looking at the two Vermont beef sticks in your hand. I just wanted a snack. You said good night to everyone before driving off in your Bolt, your kindness unmasked. When: Sunday, November 8, 2020. Where: City Market, downtown Burlington.

You: Man. Me: Woman. #915180 BREAK LIGHTS, BREAK LIGHTS Break lights near the barn you have spied. It’s too bad it’s still dark out. Be nice to see your smile. When: Friday, November 6, 2020. Where: ???.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915179

BERLIN POND I thought I’d lost my keys (but didn’t). You offered to lend us your car. I appreciate your very kind gesture. It’s people like you who bring light into the world, and it’s my hope our paths will converge again soon. Thank you. When: Monday, November 9, 2020. Where: near Berlin Pond. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915181 HOPEFULHEART You have been spied! Tag, you’re it! When: Tuesday, November 3, 2020. Where: Seven Days. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915178 LOOKING GOOD IN THOSE JEANS. Looking right. Hella tight. Would love to take you out for a night. As long as you wear those jeans, anything is possible. K, if you’re waiting for a sign, this is it. Just give me the signal, and I will send her to the airport with a one-way ticket to Santa Fe. With us, we could be magic. When: Wednesday, November 4, 2020. Where: Main St. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915177 SOPHIE AT WALGREENS, ESSEX Saw you while you helped me with a cellphone last week. I pointed out the color cloud burst. You caught my eye as you were helping me. We also saw each other in the parking lot. I’m older than you but figured I’d take a shot in the dark here and try to meet up with you. Interested? When: Friday, October 30, 2020. Where: Walgreens, Essex.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915176 COLLIN AT COSTCO Saw you this morning in passing while running errands. Curious what’s under the mask. Caught a glimpse of your name badge as you passed by me a second time: Collin. Figured I’d take a shot in the dark here. When: Saturday, October 31, 2020. Where: Costco.

You: Man. Me: Woman. #915175

BLUE TOYOTA TACOMA To the Blue Toyota Tacoma: Almost every morning I’m heading south and you are heading north. Would be nice to catch up sometime. You have been spied back.

When: Saturday, October 31, 2020. Where: Route ???. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915174 CUTE BIKE PATH DOG DAD You and your cute shepherd passed me, my roommate and our dogs in front of the sailing center. Your pup walked over to say hello, and I wish you had, too. Your smile was to die for. Meet at the dog park one day? When: Tuesday, October 27, 2020. Where: Burlington bike path. You: Man. Me: Man. #915173 BOBBIE I found your profile very interesting, and I am looking for a way to communicate with you. Here works for me. When: Thursday, October 29, 2020. Where: Match. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915172 BIRTHDAY GIRL AT GUILTY PLATE 1:45 p.m. Birthday girl with an amazing smile. You were with a friend with black hair. You smiled when I walked in, and we waved to each other as you drove away in your white Subaru. I would love to see you again. Maybe meet for a coffee? Me: black down jacket. When: Wednesday, October 28, 2020. Where: Guilty Plate restaurant, Colchester. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915171 AMAZING OPTIMIST ON MATCH I like all of your lessons from this year. I’m proud to vote blue. And I think you have an amazing smile. I’m not on Match, but maybe we could start our connection here. Have a great day. When: Monday, October 26, 2020. Where: on Match. com. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915170 LOOKING FOR SKUNK HILL? You: dark-haired, attractive woman driving a silver pickup truck looking for Skunk Hill Road. You knocked on my door asking for directions. I think you’re very attractive, and I’d love to see you again. Please knock on my door again or reply to this ad. I’d love to get to know you. When: Saturday, October 24, 2020. Where: Skunk Hill Rd., Georgia, Vt. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915169 WHITE ACURA To the white Acura almost every morning I’m heading north and you are heading south: Would be nice to catch up sometime. You have been spied. When: Monday, October 19, 2020. Where: Route ???. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915165

Ask REVEREND Dear No-Go Nanette, 

Irreverent counsel on life’s conundrums

Dear Reverend,

I’ve recently begun to have sex again after a three-year hiatus. I am not able to have penetrable sex, though, because it’s too painful. My legs close shut right at the slightest insertion. It’s even difficult to insert a finger! Why?

No-Go Nanette (FEMALE, 33)

The old saying “If you don’t use it, you lose it” doesn’t really apply to the trusty ol’ vagina. After a long dry spell, you may be a little rusty, but if you’re premenopausal, you should be able to get back to business without too much trouble.

A major cause of painful vaginal intercourse is lack of lubrication.

Having sex after a long time can create some anxiety, which can result in decreased arousal.

Having painful intercourse once can lead to the fear of it happening again, which can further mess with your level of arousal. Make sure you’re relaxed, and spend plenty of time in the foreplay zone to get the wheels greased and ready to roll.

GORGEOUS BLONDE AT M32 You changed my life 12 years ago, and I am so grateful. I couldn’t ask for a better woman to spend my life with. I may have lost sight of what I’ve had, but I never will again. You’re my best friend and the love of my life.

I’m more in love with you today than ever. I love you always. When: Sunday, October 25, 2020. Where: Market 32.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915168 ADVENTURE AT SALLY’S I walked in with my good friend. He was carrying Andrew Jr. Upon entering Sally’s, we went toward the hair dye.

You came out from behind the scenes.

We were discussing which shade of red to get. We were flipping through the options. I said I liked blood; you said you did, too. Would you like to talk sometime? When: Thursday, October 22, 2020. Where: Dorset St. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915167 HNGRMTNCOOPQT You: cute human with rad hair and red-buckle Dr. Martens. First noticed you stocking in produce. You complimented my cherry blossom Docs in the tea aisle. Me: fellow Doc-wearing human complete with a dragonfly mask perusing the co-op on a gray day in October. Maybe we’ll meet again? When: Wednesday, October 21, 2020. Where: Hunger Mountain Co-op. You: Woman.

Me: Nonbinary person. #915166 HARDWICK GAS STATION, SUNDAY 10/11 You were a lovely blond woman. I asked you if I had cut in front of you in line. You were nice and said “no,” and we smiled outside again outside.

I wish I had said more but would like a rain check. You drove off in your Subaru while I leaned up against my car. When: Sunday, October 11, 2020.

Where: Hardwick convenience store.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915164 SHELBURNE BAY PARK BEACH Me: jeans, black T-shirt, black/white generic Southern rescue pup. You (Josh, was it?) wandered onto the beach, and my pup was immediately intrigued and so was I. Your dog couldn’t have been less interested and had eyes only for the stick you were tossing into the water, but did you look my way twice after our too-short exchange?

When: Thursday, August 6, 2020.

Where: Shelburne Bay Park beach.

You: Man. Me: Woman. #915163

GRAVEL BIKER NEAR HUNGER MOUNTAIN To the gravel biker who said hi to me as I loaded up my dogs in the afternoon today: Let’s go for a ride, and I’ll buy you a beer/coffee! — Lady runner with two pups. When: Sunday, October 11, 2020. Where: Waterbury near Hunger Mountain TH. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915162 OUR DOGS CONNECTED Ozzie loved Sam! If you ever want to go on a hike, I think the three of them would make a great pack!

When: Saturday, October 10, 2020.

Where: Sucker Brook, Williston.

You: Man. Me: Woman. #915161 MAGICAL MYSTERY WOMAN You’re the new kid. You have an interesting energy that could be gorgeously confident or quietly arrogant. Care to elaborate? When: Friday, October 2, 2020. Where: VGS. You: Woman. Me: Woman. #915160 SHORT-HAIRED DOG-WALKING LADY I was sitting in traffic at the light next to the high school. You were walking your black-and-white bulldog with supreme joy and confidence toward Dorset Park. I wanted to say hello, but the light turned green and you walked on by. Let’s get a drink sometime soon.

Bring your dog! When: Wednesday, October 7, 2020. Where: Dorset St. You: Woman. Me: Woman. #915159 LADY153 ISPYW/MYLTLI We seem to have a lot in common. Please let me know what your thoughts are. I have a few thoughts and ideas. Would love to discuss them with you. When: Sunday, October 4, 2020. Where: Seven Days. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915158 WHIPPLE HOLLOW MAN You look like you have a great sense of humor with your concrete banjo.

Spied you in Seven Days, and you sparked my interest. We could share a brew and learn more. When: Friday, October 2, 2020. Where: Seven Days.

You: Man. Me: Woman. #915157 TRACTOR SUPPLY GUY I did need a belt but remembered it a little differently. Wondered if you saw a white-haired woman. Coffee, perhaps, if you did — or a brew? When: Friday, June 5, 2020. Where: Berlin Tractor Supply. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915156

If arousal isn’t the issue, you may have vaginismus. It’s a condition in which there is an involuntary tightening of the vaginal muscles, which can make penetration painful or impossible. This can occur after physical or psychological trauma, but it can also happen seemingly out of the blue. Luckily, it’s highly treatable with physical therapy and relaxation techniques.

Sex shouldn’t hurt — unless you it want to — so I recommend that you consult your primary care physician or gynecologist ASAP to get to the bottom of the problem.

Good luck and God bless,

The Reverend What’s your problem?

Send it to asktherev@sevendaysvt.com.

SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

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I’m a male (65) seeking a female (50 to 65). Fit, friendly, frolicsome fella favors fanciful female for fabulous fall friendship. I’m vegetarian, healthy, humorous, reflective and highly educated. Interests are hiking, gardening, dogs, creativity, Scrabble and pillowtalk. #L1455 I don’t live in Vermont anymore, but I’m here semiregularly. I’m a 39-y/o lady friend seeking men, but anyone for friends to write to, maybe more. Hike, ski, lounge, eat, drink, converse. It’s COVID; I’m bored/lonely. What about you? #L1454

I’m a GM in mid-Vermont hoping to connect with other guys also tired of COVID and all that it brings. I’m intelligent, sincere and a bit lonely. Nothing is really off the table. Like everything. No text or email, please. Hope to hear from you. #L1460

I’m a 34-y/o male seeking 18to 45-y/o female. I’m smart, artistic, funny and openminded. Love music, books, movies and looking at the cosmos. A cat guy, but like all animals. Looking for love and friendship. #L1456

I’m here now, and you knew me as Yourdaddy921, etc. and Boomer2012, etc. Contact me via mail, please. #L1458

SWF seeks conservative male age 62 to 72, Addison/ Burlington area only. Turnons: har cut, shave, outdoorsy, hunter, camper. Turn-offs: smoker, drugs, tattoos. Me: 5’8, average build, blue/brown, glasses, enjoy nature, have a Shelty, birds, old Jeep, farm raised. Need phone number, please. #L1450

49-y/o SWM seeking female for friendship with benefits. I am feminine, fit, mostly vegan. I enjoy yoga, hiking and biking, books, some cooking, and cuddling to a good movie. Seeking romantic lady for friendship. #L1457

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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!

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SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

SWM, 60s, seeking woman around 58 to 68. Handyman.

Enjoy skiing, cooking, weekend getaways. Tired of quarantine.

Are you? NEK. #L1453 SF, 42, living in Chittenden County seeks SM for potential LTR. I’m a nerdy gamer, morning person, coffee drinker, nonsmoker. Kind, industrious.

Seeking similar. The world is our opportunity! #L1452 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. #L1451

Internet-Free Dating!

Reply to these messages with real, honest-to-goodness letters. DETAILS BELOW. I’m a bicurious 41-y/o male seeking bicurious married or single men, 18 to 45, for some very discreet fun. Good hygiene, hung and H&W proportional a must. Let’s text discreetly and have some DL NSA fun. #L1449 Attractive SWM, 51, living around the Burlington area.

Seeking a curvaceous female for some casual fun with no strings attached. All it takes is some good chemistry... #L1447 I’m a mid-aged male seeking a M or F any age or gender.

Wonderful youth, caring person. Male, 5’9, 147. Older mid-aged loves long-distance running, writing, literature, poetry, drawing, folk and jazz.

Looking for a great friendship for hikes, walks, talks. Best to all. #L1446 I’m a single female, mid60s, seeking a male for companionship and adventure.

Retired educator who loves kayaking, swimming, skiing and travel. Well read. Life is short; let’s have fun. #L1445

Staff researcher at UVM on biostatistics. 29-y/o Chinese male. INFJ personality. Seeking a female of similar age for longterm relationship. Love is kind.

Love is patient. May we all stay healthy and be happy. #L1444 SWF, 37, seeking M for some casual fun, no strings attached.

I just got out of an LTR, and I’ve forgotten how it feels to be physically and sexually alive.

Can you remind me? Creative meetups and play a must. #L1443 Very unique lady in early 70s seeks male. I’m a people person and very active. Love to cook, garden, read and watch good movies. Very friendly with a lot of empathy. I love to walk and the outdoors. Looking for someone who enjoys the same. #L1442 I’m a GM looking for guys seeking fun and adventure in midVermont. No text/email. Hope to hear from you. #L1441 I’m 42-y/o looking for someone who can start and show me the way to a new life sexually.

Looking to start with someone experienced. #L1440

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.

ai160565494817_1t-GLGShopping-111120.pdf

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11/17/20

6:15 PM

Making a Holiday Shopping List?

CHECK IT TWICE — FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO GIFT LOCAL! It’s important to support my neighbors during this time. And I like to keep my money local and keep people employed here in Vermont!

Tammy Santamore

As a travel nurse working at UVMMC right up until the holidays, I’m delighted to start my holiday shopping early this year so that I have a haul of great local gifts to bring to my family and friends back home. I’ve found so many unique and incredible local vendors during my past few months in Burlington. I take pride in “shopping small” and knowing that I’m supporting so many amazing local businesses and their families during these trying times!

Katie Eisenhauer

“I love that Vermont has so many local stores to choose from. It’s nice that I can find a unique and thoughtful gift for my loved ones while supporting a local business. Definitely makes you feel good, especially at a usually stressful time of year.”

Brittany Willette

Shop smart and shop small —

your choices will impact us all.

Remember, when you buy a gift locally, the recipient isn’t the only one who benefits.

The entire community does!

Check out the Seven Days Holiday Gift Guide for a curated roundup of lcoal gift ideas for your friends and family.

[INSIDE THIS ISSUE]

Vermont merchants have faced many challenges this year and need your support — especially this holiday season. Visit shoptheregister.com for all the info on 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.

ThE ReGiStEr Is GeNeRoUsLy SuPpOrTeD By:

SEVEN DAYS NOVEMBER 18-25, 2020

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BUY DIRECT FROM VERMONT’S WINTER

FARMERS MARKETS VT farmers provide a safe, reliable source of local, organic food year-round!

1. BENNINGTON

8. MORRISVILLE

Old Bennington Middle School, 650 Main St. 1st & 3rd Saturdays • 10am–1pm Nov. 21, 2020–Apr. 17, 2021

Hannafords Grocery Store (outdoors) Saturday • 10am–12pm Nov. 21, 2020

2. BRATTLEBORO

9. NORTHFIELD

C.F. Church Building, 80 Flat Street Every Saturday • 10am–2pm Nov. 7, 2020–Mar. 27, 2021

3. BURLINGTON

Town Common (outdoors) Select Friday • 4pm–7pm Dec. 4, 2020

10. NORWICH

345 Pine Street Parking Lot (outdoors) Select Saturdays • 11am–2pm Nov. 21st & Dec. 19, 2020

Outside of Tracy Hall (pick-up only) Select Saturdays • 11am–12:30pm Dec. 12, Jan. 9, Feb.13, Mar. 13, Apr. 10

4. MONTPELIER

11. PUTNEY

Statehouse Lawn (outdoors) Select Saturday • 10am–3pm Nov. 21, 2020

Green Mountain Orchard (pick-up only) Every Sunday • 11am–1pm Nov. 8–Dec. 20, 2020

5. DORSET

12. ST. JOHNSBURY

J.K. Adams Kitchen Store Every Sunday • 10am–2pm Nov. 22, 2020–May 2, 2021

Parking lot behind the Star Theater (pick-up only) • 1st & 3rd Saturdays 12pm–1pm • Nov. 7, 2020–Apr. 17, 2021

6. HARTLAND

13. RUTLAND

Fire Department, 57 VT-12 Friday (pick-up only) • 4pm–6pm Nov. 6, 2020–Apr. 30, 2021

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4 9 7

10 13 6

VT Farmers Food Center, 251 West St. Every Saturday • 10am–2pm Nov. 7, 2020–May 1, 2021

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7. MIDDLEBURY VFW Building, 530 Exchange St. Every Saturday • 9am–12:30pm Nov. 7, 2020–Apr. 24, 2021

More details & directions: 11 1

1T-NOFA111820 1

Buy fresh, buy local, buy direct!

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nofavt.org/ buydirect 11/17/20 11:50 AM