Seven Days, December 11, 2019 by Seven Days

WINTER ISSUE

V ERM ONT ’S INDEP E NDE NT VO IC E DECEMBER 11-18 VOL.25 NO.12 SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Inside!

A love story from Vermont’s opioid crisis

PART OF A YEARLONG SERIES BY KATE O’NEILL PAGE 36

PRISON BREAKS

PAGE 12

‘Guarded Secrets’ follow-up

WORSE FOR CARE

PAGE 22

Transparency lacking at elder homes

RISING TALENT

PAGE 48

Vermont skateboarder goes pro

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WEEK IN REVIEW DECEMBER 4-11, 2019 COMPILED BY SASHA GOLDSTEIN, MATTHEW ROY & ANDREA SUOZZO FILE: KATIE JICKLING

WAR OF WORDS

The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources secretary blamed the media for causing a drop in visits to state parks on Lake Champlain. That’s fake news.

SAFE SPACE

Vermont lawmakers will consider banning people from carrying semiautomatic guns in places such as childcare facilities. It took this long? ˜ e Burlington City Council in 2017

BRACE FOR THE RACE ° e Vermont Democratic Party is advertising for a full-time staffer to boost its candidates’ chances in Burlington City Council races in March. It’s the ﬁrst time the Vermont Dems have hired a ﬁeld director to focus on Queen City council races, party spokesperson Christopher Di Mezzo said. “We hope the resources we’re investing in the community in Burlington will bring about Democratic leadership that will support a Democratic agenda in Vermont’s largest city,” Di Mezzo said. All eight ward seats are up for reelection on Town Meeting Day this year, including those held by incumbent Democrats Chip Mason (Ward 5) and Karen Paul (Ward 6) and Democrat/Progressive Ali Dieng (Ward 7). Mayor Miro Weinberger, a Democrat, is up for reelection in 2021.˛° e council is made up of four Democrats, four Progressives, two independents, one Republican and one Dem/Prog. ° is election cycle is already shaping up to be historic:

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For the ﬁrst time in 32 years, independent incumbent Sharon Bushor (Ward 1) lost the Progressive endorsement last week. And the council’s only Republican, Council President Kurt Wright (Ward 4),˛announced that he won’t seek another term. ° e Vermont Democratic Party hasn’t taken a noticeable role in Burlington elections since 2015, when it assisted would-be city councilors with phone banking and canvassing. Vermont Progressive Party executive director Josh Wronski thinks the Dems are worried about losing ground in Burlington. He’d never heard of the Vermont Dems hiring a ﬁeld director for council elections. “Frankly, it’s kind of a point of pride that they’re feeling so nervous about Burlington that they feel they actually have to hire staff,” Wronski said. Read Courtney Lamdin’s full story and keep up with developments at sevendaysvt.com.

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Vermont’s loons had a record year in 2019; researchers counted 101 nesting pairs. A mighty full ﬂock.

RIGHT OF WAY

After recently allowing ATVs onto city streets, Newport o° cials will now give snowmobilers similar access. Are horses allowed, too?

$15 million

That’s how much the Vermont DMV has made in the past four years selling personal data to private companies, according to a VTDigger.org investigation.

TOPFIVE

MORE ON NEW AMERICANS

around New England, you’ve got a great resource for active and retired veterans. Basic rules apply, and seasonal availability would make this a very popular site. I would gladly volunteer to set up a business plan, review the site, provide policy and identify resources to help make this a success. Contact me if you want to be a part of this! I own my own Class C RV and travel to bases all over the country. It doesn’t take much to do, and the rewards are many. The training by active members installing equipment wouldn’t be far from the same type of services provided to third-world countries we support. I’d like to see a pilot program started, with the support of local leadership.

unexplained occurrences as such; we’re too inclined to believe we have all natural phenomena basically figured out. The ghost-hunter TV shows that Miller cites as a boon to her profession are exactly what give a bad name to any serious scientist interested in this field. But there are still those who try: For actual scientific attempts to study the paranormal, check out the Division of Perceptual Studies at the University of Virginia. Sonia DeYoung

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OBITUARIES, VOWS, CELEBRATIONS

OBITUARIES

Patricia Estelle Childs Gunther

1924-2019 ESSEX JUNCTION, VT. Patricia Estelle Childs Gunther died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease at Mansfield Place in Essex Junction on December 9, 2019; she was 95 years old.› Pat was born in Waterville, Maine, on September 8, 1924. She was the eldest child of James and Dora (Raymond) Childs. She lived in Springfield, Mass., until 12 years old, when the family moved to Burlington, Vt. Her father

abandoned the family and left her with the task of helping to raise four younger siblings. This she did admirably, with a great deal of help from her aunt, Anita Paris, and her uncle, Jerome Childs. She graduated from Edmunds High School in 1942. At Edmunds, she was active in chorus and was selected to All State.› After high school, Pat went to work for Bell Telephone. She met Paul Gunther in 1944, and they were married on May 29, 1945, and settled into a house they loved on Lafountain Street in Winooski. Ÿ ey were married for 54 years, the union ending with the death of her husband in 2000.› Pat was predeceased by her mother and father; her brother Raymond, who was killed in the Korean war; her sisters Ailene and Evangeline; and her brother Bobby. Pat spent many years as secretary for the superintendent of the Winooski School District. After she retired from that position, she spent summers working at the Shelburne Museum as a

guide. Not content to be idle, she also worked at Champlain Kids in the Champlain Mill in Winooski. After selling her house in 2002, she moved to McCauley Square on Mansfield Avenue in Burlington, where she lived until Alzheimer’s required her move to memory care at Mansfield Place in 2016. Both she and Paul were ardent gardeners and created multiple flower gardens on their property. Ÿ ey were spectacular. Pat is survived by her son and daughter-in-law John and Wendy Gunther of Colchester, Vt.; her daughter and son-in-law Shirley and Mark Benjamin of Traverse City, Mich.; her daughter and son-in-law Kay and Greg Cromie of Winooski, Vt.; and her grandchildren Scott Benjamin and his wife, Amy,

of Burlington, Vt., and Matt Cromie of Quincy, Mass. She is also survived by her three great-grandchildren, Ellie and Summer Benjamin and Carter Voity. She is further survived by her great and constant friend Connie Gill. Pat loved to travel. She had an inquisitive mind. She was meticulous, highly organized and always proper. She loved life. She will be sorely missed. Ÿ e family would also like to thank the kind and generous caregivers at Mansﬁeld Place and Bayada Hospice Care. In lieu of ﬂowers, the family has asked for donations in her memory to Bayada Hospice Care, 2517 Shelburne Rd., Shelburne, VT 05482. Visiting hours will be held on Ÿ ursday, December 12, from 9 to 11 a.m. at LaVigne Funeral Home, 132 Main St., Winooski, VT, with a funeral mass to be celebrated at St. Stephens Catholic Church at 11:30 a.m. A burial will take place immediately following her mass at St. Stephens Catholic Cemetery on Gorge Rd., Winooski, VT. Arrangements are entrusted to LaVigne Funeral Home.

Want to memorialize a loved one in Seven Days? Post your remembrance online and in print at sevendaysvt.com/lifelines. Or contact us at lifelines@sevendaysvt.com or 865-1020, ext. 10.

Mary Ann Rogers

1947-2019 RUTLAND, VT. Mary Ann “Mania” Rogers, 72, passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones on December 2, 2019, at Rutland Regional Medical Center. She was born in Rutland on May 22, 1947, daughter of Henry and Viola (Czachor) Sherowski. Mary Ann was a graduate of Mount St. Joseph Academy, attended Castleton State College, and was a longtime resident and business owner in the Rutland area. She will be remembered by many as the creative, outgoing, hardworking tailor for Guido’s Golden Needle and A Stitch in Time. Ÿ ere was nothing she couldn’t do with her hands. She was an amazing cook and host whose door was always open. Her “Turkey Bowl” soup and potato salad will go down in history as the area’s best. She was kind, witty, funny and sharp as a tack. Ÿ e world has lost one

who could finish a crossword puzzle in an hour while trimming your hair, fixing a hole in your jeans, making you homemade French fries and, most of all, giving you the best advice. She leaves behind many family members, including her husband, John “Jack” Rogers Sr.; two sons, John “Jack” Rogers Jr. of Rutland, and Garreth Rogers and his wife, Nancy, of Jericho; and two daughters, Stephanie Sherman and her husband, Joe III, of Pittsford, and Rebecca Rogers of San Francisco, Calif. She is also loved by many grandchildren, including Elijah, Hannah and Samuel Rogers and their mother, Hope Rogers; Erik Sherman; Audrey and Henry Rogers; two brothers, Henry Sherowski of Columbus, Ohio, and Edward Sherowski of Hubbardton; two sisters, Irene Carbine of Rutland, and Elizabeth DeBlois of Saratoga, N.Y.; and nieces, nephews, and many other loving family members and friends who will celebrate her life in memory. Memorial contributions, in lieu of flowers, may be made to Foley Cancer Center, 160 Allen St., Rutland, VT 05701.

BIRTH On December 7, 2019, at Porter Medical Center, Taylor Miller and Jacob King welcomed a boy, Colton David James King.

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Post your obituary or in memoriam online and in print at sevendaysvt.com/lifelines. Or contact us at lifelines@sevendaysvt.com or 865-1020 ext. 10. SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

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‘Sanctuary’ Photo Exhibit Captures the Faces of New Americans B Y K E N PI CA R D

ART

Photography by Carley Stevens-McLaughlin

n one photograph, three Somali boys sit waist-deep in coffee-bean sacks. In another image, a Yemeni woman wearing a head scarf offers a broad smile. In yet another, a preschool-aged Bhutanese girl flashes a peace sign. “Sanctuary: Seen, Heard and Respected,” an exhibit now on view in the O’BRIEN COMMUNITY CENTER in Winooski, features 31 portraits of New Americans who attended World Refugee Day events in Chittenden County in June 2017. The color images were all shot by CARLEY STEVENS-MCLAUGHLIN, a Colchester-based documentary photographer and educator with more than three decades of professional experience. The exhibit, she explained, is the first step in a larger project aimed at publishing a book, her second, about refugee youths whose families settled in the Green Mountain State. Though Stevens-McLaughlin isn’t a household name, her images and signature style — tightly cropped portraits of everyday Vermonters — will be recognizable to many. Her photos have been featured in several documentaries by award-winning Barnet filmmaker BESS O’BRIEN, including the 2011 film Ask Us Who We Are, about youth in Vermont’s foster care system, and 26

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

2013’s The Hungry Heart, about opioid-use follow-up musical, the Listen Up Project, disorder in rural communities. which is scheduled to tour the state in the In an interview, Stevens-McLaughlin fall of 2020. said that she and O’Brien met about 15 “Carley is a deeply sensitive photograyears ago when the filmmaker saw her pher [who] captures the essence of the first book: Public Faces, Private people she is shooting,” O’Brien Places, a self-published compiwrote via email. “Her ability lation of mostly black-andto reveal what lies beneath white portraits of Vermont comes through in all her teens, released in 2002. work.” The photographer met Stevens-McLaughlin, 62, with each of the book’s describes herself not just as subjects twice: once to a professional photographer capture the “public face” that and photography educator they show the world — a but also as a youth advoCarley Stevens-McLaughlin spiky Mohawk, multiple cate. The Newport native piercings, Goth makeup, grew up in Montpelier wrists covered in bracelets and West Palm Beach, — and a second meeting Fla., and was first introduced to shooting in a to capture their “private face,” which society would 10th-grade photography find more youthful and class. However, she nearly vulnerable. dropped the class because After seeing the book, her teacher spent the first BE S S O ’ BR IE N O’Brien invited Stevensthree weeks talking only McLaughlin to serve on about the chemistry of the advisory board for The Voices Project, photography. a 2005 original musical based on the lives “I felt like I was stupid,” she recalled. “I of Vermont teens. Stevens-McLaughlin just wanted to play with a camera.” now serves in a similar role for O’Brien’s But Stevens-McLaughlin stuck with it

HER ABILITY TO REVEAL WHAT LIES BENEATH

COMES THROUGH IN ALL HER WORK.

and went on to pursue a bachelor’s degree in photography from Goddard College. In 1987, she created the first student-photographer internship at the Barre-Montpelier Times Argus and, after graduating in 1988, worked as a photojournalist for the Stowe Reporter for two years. Then, in 1992, Stevens-McLaughlin was awarded a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and the VERMONT ARTS COUNCIL to teach photography at Montpelier High School, where she worked part time until 2010. She also taught part time at Union 32 High School in East Montpelier and at what was then called Johnson State College. Even in the era of pre-digital photography, Stevens-McLaughlin said, she was always more interested in helping students develop an eye for imagery and composition than having them fixate on the technical aspects of photography. “Show us your world. Show us who you are. We will honor that,” she’d tell her students. “I will never have a student leave my darkroom classroom and feel like they can’t be a photographer” because they can’t grasp the science behind it. Stevens-McLaughlin’s exhibit ‘SANCTUARY’ PHOTO EXHIBIT

» P.31

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QUICK LIT: MS. HICKS REGRETS — OR DOES SHE? Sad. Lonely. Odd. That’s how the denizens of late 20th-century Burlington might describe Hazel Hicks, the heroine of DAVID HUDDLE’s new novel Hazel. A lifelong spinster and diligent state employee, Hazel has “felt the need to get away from people” since adolescence. After moving in with her first and last boyfriend, she diagnosed herself as having “a kind of emotional allergy to love.” Hazel doesn’t have friends — unless you count her beloved nephew, who narrates sections of the book; or the silent homeless guy who briefly visits her backyard; or the VPIRG canvasser she nearly murders with the shotgun she never wanted in the first place (it’s a long story). “Only a dozen or so people in my lifetime have found my conversation desirable,” Hazel muses at one point. “Of those I’ve been able to tolerate maybe five or six — and one of those was a dead man I chose to continue talking to for nearly a year after I read his obituary.” It should be clear by this point that Hazel may indeed be sad, lonely and odd, but she’s not boring. Indeed, her nephew, John Robert, contends “that somehow [her] life has been exceptional,” to which she ripostes, “About as exceptional as the house salad with ranch dressing.” Hazel is one of two works by longtime Burlington author Huddle that were released this year; the other is a poetry collection called My Surly Heart from Southern Messenger Poets. This highly engaging novel takes the form of a collection of linked vignettes examining Hazel — or “Ms. Hicks,” as she’s sometimes called — from various perspectives. Many of its chapters were previously published as stories in literary journals, and they exhibit considerable stylistic variety — third and first person, past and present tense.

Generally, Hazel’s point of view alternates with John Robert’s short descriptions of photos he found in his aunt’s collection. But two chapters give voice to people who encountered Hazel at some point in their lives and were changed by her. These last perspectives hint at a sly undercurrent in the novel’s anecdotes. Despite her antisocial nature, Hazel relates to the people around her, “witnesses” them (as Huddle puts it) and even transforms them. How? Well, Hazel sees people, a skill that Huddle suggests is rarer than we might think. In the novel’s opening chapter, teenage Hazel attends a Golden Gloves boxing match at Memorial Auditorium with an inarticulate classmate. Through her eyes, we watch this boy enter a “trance” of empathy with a boxer who allows himself be pummeled in a scene that evokes the Cruciﬁ Crucifixion. Hazel doesn’t share the fascination with blood and martyrdom, but she witnesses it without judgment — much, it must be said, like a writer. Because she sees through the roles that people play to their true feelings, Hazel is also a mirror. Practicing a duet with her, a high school bandmate suddenly grasps that he doesn’t have to be the school’s golden boy: “I felt relieved of something heavy I hadn’t realized I’d been carrying.” When they communicate with Hazel at all, people communicate with an immediacy that changes them, and readers may ﬁnd themselves reacting similarly. Huddle conveys Hazel’s radical empathy and honesty without sentimentalizing or sanctifying them, often by means of tart humor. The book is full of quotable lines: “She’s always suspected that if another person could truly see her, that person might just start puking.” QUICK LIT

» P.31

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Muralist Mary Lacy O˜ ers Take-Home Paint Puzzles in Her Signature Style B Y M AR GA R ET GR AY SON

is best known for going big. In 2015, she painted a jewel-toned hummingbird that’s roughly 28 feet tall on the brick wall of the building on the corner of St. Paul and College streets in downtown Burlington. Later that year, she covered all 3,200 square feet of the silos at the Dealer.com offices in the South End with bright, abstracted shapes. And in 2016 she embarked on a 10-month tour across the country — painting 10 murals in places as far flung as El Paso, Texas, and Portland, Ore. — and wrapped it up with a trout mural in Bethel. But Lacy’s newest work is of an entirely different scale — one that’s accessible to anyone who would like to take home her art. She’s selling what she calls Paint Puzzles: laser-cut wooden puzzles in two designs derived from her murals. The puzzles — one of an elephant and one of a butterfly — are made of unfinished birch wood that can be painted. They’re “paint-yourown Mary Lacys,” as the 28-year-old Burlington artist puts it. The puzzles, Lacy makes clear, aren’t just for kids. (In fact, the assembly of the abstract polygon puzzle pieces might totally stump youngsters.) She believes adults might paint them as a no-pressure foray into art making over a glass of wine; teenagers might paint them with friends. “I used my dad as a guinea pig for one of these puzzles, and I’ve never seen him paint in my life. It was hilarious, and we had the best MARY time,” Lacy said. “Toward the end, he was getting really into it, and he painted these big, sweeping eyelashes — one eye closed and one eye open — and it totally made the piece … We were all blown away by these eyelashes. I didn’t know my dad had that in him.” The elephant is patterned after some that Lacy painted in Chester, Pa., in 2016; the butterfly after one she painted at the Jericho Town Library this fall. Lacy’s studio assistant, recent Burlington High School grad KAITLYN BLAISE, helps her cut the $50 puzzles at the GENERATOR maker space. Buyers can purchase them on Lacy’s website. Lacy’s work has always had a community element. On her mural tour, she sometimes set up a paint-by-numbers station, where local residents could add to the mural itself within her broader vision. When that wasn’t possible — such as in Chester, where the wall was too tall and narrow — she made 20 smaller plywood versions of an elephant for kids to decorate. Lacy also co-taught a class at the Integrated Arts Academy in Burlington in 2016 that used murals ARY LACY

to help teach math skills. Students drew butterflies on a coordinate grid, and then used math calculations to scale them up into larger pictures. Lacy’s art career began with murals, but over the past few years she also started producing works that can be displayed in galleries. This shift began when she was experimenting with glass mosaics two years ago. But her more recent works have also been informed by an unwelcome development: a concussion, about a year ago, which made doing on-site, largescale murals “out of the question” for several months, she said. “I think all artists need to pull back at times to do some exploration. For me, I think that was really present, because I was doing so much work in public,” Lacy said. “[The injury has] held me accountable to do the thing that I said I was going to do, which is pull back from the public eye for a second ... It’s caused me to slow down in a way that nothing has before.” In 2018, Lacy had an exhibition called “Pollination” at the KARMA BIRD HOUSE GALLERY in Burlington that featured hand-cut glass mosaics and paintings of flowers, bees and birds. She’s currently developing a new body of work by creating mosaics with ceramic pieces. Visually, all LACY of the mosaics seem like a natural extension of her tile-like painting style, but Lacy said she had a serious learning curve to cutting glass. “I felt the brush was like an extension of my hand,” she said. “So when I was starting to cut glass, it was like, This is a different hand.” Lacy is planning another Burlington gallery show in September 2020. In the meantime, she hopes sales of Paint Puzzles will support her and her work. And she continues to accept mural commissions: She was finally able to return to large-scale work over the summer, and painted two murals in Texas. She’ll do another in Burlington next summer, though she wouldn’t reveal the exact location. “That’s always a part of me,” Lacy said of painting murals. “I’m not out of the game.”

I THINK ALL ARTISTS NEED TO PULL BACK AT TIMES

TO DO SOME EXPLORATION.

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Mary Lacy’s Paint Puzzles COURTESY OF MARY LACY

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‘Sanctuary’ Photo Exhibit « P.26 “Sanctuary: Seen, Heard and Respected” was actually born from a personal tragedy. On January 10, 2010, her son, Taylor, was killed in a car crash on the Burlington Beltline. Unbeknownst to his family, Taylor had befriended many of the teens from the local Sudanese community. At his funeral, she recalled, many of those Sudanese youths stayed until the end, approached her afterward and told her, “Taylor was our brother. He was helping us.” So she created a nonprofit in his memory called Taylor’s Sudanese Mission for Peace and asked people to send donations to the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program. In the years following Taylor’s death, she continued, Stevens-McLaughlin created a project called Parenting Across the Veil, about those who’ve lost children to tragedies. Initially she planned to produce a second book about that project as part of her master’s degree program at Goddard, but, after five years, she found the work too emotionally draining to continue. Stevens-McLaughlin said she’d long fantasized about being a war photographer and capturing images of the powerless civilian populations caught in the crossfire. But it wasn’t until a friend of hers from Goddard, Brenda Bowyer, visited her in Winooski in 2017 that the idea for the “Sanctuary” project was born. “She said, ‘Carley, you don’t have to

Quick Lit « P.27 As a portrait or life story, this novel-in-stories doesn’t always cohere. After the chapter devoted to John Robert’s birth — which Hazel greets with pure, rapturous love — we learn little to nothing about how his presence affects her subsequent life. A trauma that occurs relatively early in Hazel’s life is unveiled relatively late in the narrative, with no discernible foreshadowing. The book is studded with odd little anachronisms: a reference to Star Wars in a chapter set in 1957; a mention of Hazel’s distaste for Tea Party Republicans in a chapter set in 1982. But these are quibbles, given how entertaining, thought-provoking and surprisingly relatable Hazel is. In just short of 200 pages, Hazel Hicks makes an indelible impression on us, raising all sorts of questions about

travel to have seen war. Look around you. You have your next book right here,’” she recalled Bowyer saying, referring to local refugee population. “I was blown away.” Because of her relationship to the VRRP and the local African community, Stevens-McLaughlin began photographing New Americans during a trip to the United Nations in New York City in 2017. Since the photos on display in the O’Brien Center include both children and adults, most won’t be included in her upcoming book, which she hopes to publish next year. As Stevens-McLaughlin explained, she wants the book to focus exclusively on the experiences of refugee youths who’ve relocated to Vermont and feel torn between the traditional world of their parents and the Americanized world of their peers. Though she doesn’t have a title for her next book yet, Stevens-McLaughlin quotes a song lyric by recording artist Mandisa: “‘We all bleed the same.’ That is my premise for everything.” m

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what it really means to be alone or insignificant or “plain.” Looking at photos of his aunt, John Robert sees something “appealing” that isn’t conventional beauty or charisma: “It’s almost as if she is perpetually refusing the categories of plain or shy or low-profil or no personality — at the same time she’s sort of defending women who might have been assigned to such categories.” If those categories seem retro in 2019 — when the internet has taught us how absurd it is to glance at someone and decide she has “no personality” — Hazel reminds us that carving out one’s own identity is not a new thing. Just a brave one. M A R G O T HA R R I S O N

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HACKIE

A VERMONT CABBIE’S REAR VIEW BY JERNIGAN PONTIAC

North Countryman

ll of my taxi business comes to me via word of mouth; I’ve never spent a dime on advertising and don’t even have my business number etched on the side of my cab. As you might expect, most of the mouths in question belong to existing customers who enjoy my service and recommend me to friends. But a few of these mouths also belong to a handful of local bartenders who call on me when one of their customers requests a cab. “Across from the Divorce Court” is printed on the front awning below the bar’s name, so you know the owners of Burlington’s Esox have a sense of humor, if a skosh on the sardonic side. As it happens, the bartenders at this venerable Main Street waterhole have been using me for years. “I got a ‘Robbie’ for ya, going to Milton,” Stacey said. “He seems like a nice guy and not too hammered.” “Thanks, Stace,” I replied. “I’ll be there in about 10.” After securing the Esox pickup and chatting with Robbie for a couple minutes, I concurred with Stacey: He was a nice, not-too-hammered guy. “So, how long have you lived in Milton?” I asked, glancing over at my seatmate. Robbie was a short man with longish brown hair curling over his shirt collar. He wore a burnished black leather jacket and sported a medley of chunky rings across what seemed to be the majority of his fingers. “No, I’m just visiting with a friend in Milton,” he explained. “I’m a North Country boy, upstate New York. I’ve lived there my whole life, mostly in Massena.” “Oh, I see. What did your folks do? Was your pop a factory worker?” “He sure was. He got hired on at Alcoa right out of high school and worked there his whole life. He recently retired,

ironically, so now he just drives my mother crazy. I probably woulda done the same, but almost all the factories have closed by now or scaled way back.” I thought about that economically distressed stretch of towns running west along New York’s Route 11 — Ellenburg, Malone, Potsdam, to name but a few. All these towns had their heyday in the robust postwar years, when the United States

(Now that I think about it, that character flaw was shared by many of the men he portrayed.) “Did the authorities shut it down?” I guessed before Robbie could respond. “No, nothing like that. We were, like, a victim of our own success. After a while, word got around, and a couple of similar clubs opened right in the surrounding towns. None of them featured the big

I’D WAGER HIS ROCKY LOVE LIFE HAS BEEN

SAPPING HIS ENERGY AND CLOUDING HIS JUDGMENT. dominated the world in industrial output. As you traverse the region in present day, a string of boarded-up downtowns vividly puts the bygone to that era. “So, what have you pursued for work?” I asked. “Well, I’ve been scrambling a bit lately, to tell the truth, but I’ve always had my own businesses. My last one — a bar and music club — did real well, at least for a few years.” “In the North Country?” “Yeah, it was located in the boonies, for real, in an area south of Massena, halfway between Malone and Potsdam. We converted an old barn, put up a small stage and managed to pull in local and even national acts for the weekends. We regularly had crowds of a few hundred. I was raking in major coin hand over fist. The place was called Northern Stars.” “Oh, great name for a club. So what went wrong?” I asked, and immediately flashed on Road House, that preposterous movie from the late ’80s starring Patrick Swayze as a famous bouncer (don’t ask) who simply could not keep his shirt on.

names we attracted, but folks didn’t have to drive up to an hour to get there, and that was a big advantage. “I don’t think any of our copycat competitors did all that well, but you can only split the pie so many ways, if you get my meaning,” Robbie went on. “Our numbers slowly began to fall, month after month, and finally we just threw in the towel.” As we exited the highway at Chimney Corners and steered north on Route 7 into Milton, I thought about Robbie from the North Country. He spoke with the same grounded, blunt clarity I’ve experienced talking with the many entrepreneurial, small-business types in the Burlington area — ambitious, hardworking men and women who own and operate delis, hair salons, contracting outfits, landscaping and cleaning companies, retail shops. In contrast to the often highly educated and well-funded founders of the highconcept cyber startups so attractive to big-time investors, these small-business folks usually come from modest means with only high school diplomas, or perhaps a couple of college semesters, to

their names. What they have in common is a powerful drive to succeed and the need to work for themselves. They also often share, I’ve noticed, economically conservative political views, with a particular disdain for government “handouts” to the poor and homeless. If I could pull myself up by my own bootstraps, they assert, why can’t they? What they may be missing, as I see it, is that possessing that bootstrap-pulling wherewithal is a blessing not every soul can, well, pull off, and that’s where compassion comes into play. (Which is a whole other discussion.) As he steered me toward his friend’s home, I asked him if there was a Mrs. Robbie back in Massena. “No, I recently got divorced,” he said. “First marriage?” “Nope, it was actually my third. This last wife I met at my club when I was 42 and she was 21. I guess that might have been the problem.” “Ya think?” I said with a chuckle, hoping that my bit of snark would be taken in the right spirit. So I was glad to see him smile, if wistfully, in response. And there it is, I thought — Robbie’s blind spot. I’d wager his rocky love life has been sapping his energy and clouding his judgment. If he could only sort out his relationship issues, his next business venture could well achieve long-term success. So says Dr. Pontiac. m All these stories are true, though names and locations may be altered to protect privacy.

INFO Hackie is a twice-monthly column that can also be read on sevendaysvt.com. To reach Jernigan, email hackie@sevendaysvt.com.

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SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

COURTESY OF KATE O’NEILL

Kate O’Neill with Maddie in 1989

egret should be one of the stages of grief,” I told my mother last spring. We were talking, as we often do, about things we wished we’d known, wished we’d done differently, when my youngest sister, Madelyn Linsenmeir, was alive. I’m told this is common after a loved one dies — cataloging the moments you wish you’d said or done something differently, the what ifs haunting your memories like ghosts. Maddie died last fall after living for more than a decade with opioid-use disorder. When the obituary I wrote for her went viral, this newspaper, one of two my family paid to publish it, offered me a yearlong position writing about the opioid crisis in Vermont. My regret has become more acute over the course of the past year, which I’ve spent researching and reporting on the disease my sister struggled with so mightily, learning things I wish I had known when she was alive. I have wanted a time machine like I have never wanted anything in my life. My family often didn’t know how to help Maddie when she was sick. We were either unaware of or misunderstood the medications and services that could have saved her — as, it seemed, did many of the professionals who treated her and the institutions she passed through. So my family did the only thing we knew how: We loved her. I believe in love the way some people believe in God or science. I believe in science, too, that both it and love have the power to transform and heal, but in the absence of the former I focused on the latter. I believed that if my family loved Maddie enough, we could keep her alive. Every time I saw her I covered her face with kisses: I love you, I would say as I kissed her forehead, I love you as I kissed each eyebrow, I love you I love you I love you. Soon it was a ritual: Everywhere from my front door to the parking lot of inpatient rehab to the visiting room at Riker’s

A love story from Vermont’s opioid crisis BY KATE O ’ NE IL L

Island, she would tilt her face to me as we said goodbye, and I would cover it with kisses. When you are alone or scared, close your eyes and imagine me kissing your face, I would tell her. Remember that my love is always with you. In bed every night before I fell asleep I closed my eyes and imagined her face, imagined kissing her nose, I love you, her cheeks, I love you, I love you, her lips and chin, I love you, I love you, as if my love were a prayer that could protect her. When she died I thought I had been wrong about love. I thought heroin was stronger and fentanyl far more powerful. I thought endocarditis, the infection she contracted through injection drug use and ultimately died of, could defeat anything. But as I researched and reported the six stories in this series, as I talked to people across the state and learned of public health approaches being implemented around the world, I realized I wasn’t wrong about love; I was unaware of the science and research, the evidence-based versions of love that actually could have

Need Help? If you or someone you love is suffering from opioid-use disorder and needs treatment and support resources, here’s how to get connected: In Vermont: Call 211, a free and confidential resource hotline provided by the United Way of Vermont. Outside Vermont: Call 1-800-662-HELP, a free, confidential 24-hour hotline run y the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

saved my sister’s life and the lives of hundreds of thousands of others who have died of this disease. These are some of the what ifs that haunt my memories: What if I’d known how long it takes to achieve remission from opioid-use disorder? What if I’d understood how effective medication is in treating it? And the one I’m most ashamed never occurred to me while Maddie was alive: What if instead of focusing solely on helping her get sober, I had talked openly with her about how to protect herself when she was not? I have spent the past year wishing for do-overs and second chances and time machines. But it occurred to me recently that time machines travel not just back into the past but to the future, as well. So instead of wishing for impossible things I will wish that Maddie’s death and what I have learned since can be someone else’s time machine. That sisters and policy makers and doctors and neighbors and correctional officers — that all of us — will take what I wish I had known when my sister was alive and apply it to the millions of people with opioid-use disorder who still are.

***

A counselor at Valley Vista, an inpatient rehab in Vermont, was the only person to warn me. “Don’t be surprised if she relapses,” the woman said after pulling me aside at the end of a visit. It was Maddie’s first stay there, and though she would return many times over the next decade, these were the early days of her disease, when my family believed Maddie’s addiction was a dam temporarily diverting her life from its course; this rehab was what would guide it back into place. Why, I wondered, was this woman being so negative? It wasn’t the decade spent watching my sister’s disease rage and remit and recur that made me realize the woman was right; it was a statistic I came across while

researching the first story in this series: It takes the average person with opioiduse disorder eight years and four to five attempts at treatment to achieve one year of remission from the disease. That woman wasn’t being negative — she was the one person I encountered who was telling the truth. But either I didn’t want to hear it or her lone voice was drowned out by a cacophony of others. The consensus was that Maddie should immediately get and stay sober, and any failure to do so was hers, not a reflection of the amount of time it takes to get into stable remission from opioid-use disorder or the lack of meaningful treatment to help get her there. Maddie’s visits to rehab were usually followed by periods of sobriety that ranged from days to months to almost a year. But she invariably experienced a recurrence of her disease and a spiral into drug use that brought her to scarier and scarier places. According to various social workers and counselors, this was her fault: She wasn’t getting honest with herself. She didn’t take responsibility for her actions. She hadn’t hit bottom. When she lied to us or her doctor or probation officer or caseworker about relapsing, both the relapse and the lie were evidence of a character flaw, not a stage of her disease process or a failing of ours. “As a society, we have a system that is so laden with stigma and shame and punitive measures that when somebody doesn’t feel safe to talk to us about

something that could put them in jail or take their child or make them lose their housing, then we shame them for lying,” said Grace Keller, program coordinator at the Howard Center’s Safe Recovery, Vermont’s oldest syringe services program. “So many failures that are on the part of these systems we’ve placed instead on the person who is struggling.” There’s a catchphrase that’s popular among people who work in the field of substance use: “We need to meet people where they’re at.” But what if where people are at is actively using drugs? Most of our systems require, promote or reward abstinence. But if it takes almost a decade and multiple attempts at treatment to achieve one year of sobriety, there’s a good chance that using drugs is where people are going to be at. And when I say people, I mean our sisters, sons, aunts and neighbors struggling with this disease. So the question becomes: How do we keep our sisters and sons and aunts and neighbors safe when they are actively using drugs? How do we keep them connected to their families and their doctors and their communities when they are in the throes of their use and most need support? How do we keep them alive so that, if and

Since my sister died, I’ve been asked over and over what people can do to help others with this disease. A year ago I didn’t have an answer. Now I have many.

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when they’re ready, they have a chance to recover? The answer is something called “harm reduction,” which is exactly what it sounds like: reducing the harm to people who are actively using drugs. Harm reduction is our time machine.

***

Opioid-use disorder is a deadly disease. People who have it are 10 times more likely to die than average. More than 130 Americans die every day from accidental opioid overdose. In 2018, for the first time in history, the likelihood of dying from an opioid overdose was higher than in a car crash. These last two statistics don’t include people like my sister, who died not of an overdose but an infection, or the millions who are struggling every day to survive their disease. Because that’s what all those trips to rehab were: my sister’s attempts to survive. I hadn’t even heard the term “harm reduction” before my sister died, though it’s something I practice every time I get into a car: I put on a seat belt. Driving is dangerous, and some forms are more dangerous than others (think riding a motorcycle without a helmet versus driving a station wagon with airbags), but I reduce the potential harm by wearing my seat belt. I may still be involved in a crash, and I may still be hurt in that crash, but the seat belt reduces the chances that I will be harmed. This same principle of harm reduction applies to opioid-use disorder. Harm reduction neither condones nor condemns illicit drug use, just acknowledges that it occurs and that there are ways of reducing the harm associated with it. “When you strip away stigma and you look at this problem from a purely scientific and compassionate point of view, what you’re left with is harm reduction,” said Keller. “It’s not a new thing; it’s how we treat all other medical conditions. Doctors work with the patient on what they think will work for them and give them a menu of options.” But many of the services available to people with opioid-use disorder are abstinence-based, which Keller described as “all or nothing.” She pointed out, “None of us live in an all-or-nothing model. If you’re focused on abstinence and only abstinence, then you’re missing a large 38

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FILE: JAMES BUCK

« P.37

part of the population, if not the majority of people, who use drugs.” As with driving, there are methods of illicit opioid use that are safer than others. Arguably the safest is taking a prescription opioid in the dosage prescribed by a physician; the most dangerous is injecting heroin, which could have been cut with substances that are far more potent. But as with driving, there are ways of mitigating the possibility of harm: Don’t use alone. Carry the overdosereversing drug naloxone. Test your drugs with a strip that will detect fentanyl (which is 50 times stronger than heroin) and carfentanil (which is 5,000 times more potent) and adjust your use accordingly. Clean your skin before injecting to prevent the bacteria that naturally lives there from entering your bloodstream. Always use sterile syringes and other equipment. All the supplies and information needed to take these steps are available at Safe Recovery in downtown Burlington, which also hosts legal and vaccination clinics, provides HIV and hepatitis C testing, and a year ago began providing rapid access to buprenorphine. Buprenorphine and another medication, methadone, are the standard of care for treating opioid-use disorder. They are also a form of harm reduction: Both medications reduce the mortality rate from opioid-use disorder by half or more. I learned to drive the year my sister Maddie was born. How many times over the course of her young life did I strap her into a car seat and, later, remind her to wear her seat belt? But when she developed opioid-use disorder, I never, not once, talked to her about staying safe while she was using. The fact that my sister injected drugs was not a secret. I’d found syringes hidden in my house while she was staying with me; I’d seen the track marks and abscesses on her arms and feet and neck; I was with her at the hospital when she was diagnosed with hepatitis C. But I didn’t encourage her to visit Safe Recovery, which is located in the city where we grew up and she spent a great deal of her adult life, because I didn’t know about Safe Recovery. Even if I had, I wonder now whether I would have thought then that encouraging her to go there was tacitly encouraging her addiction. Which is the opposite of the truth. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people who visit programs like Safe Recovery are five times more likely to enter treatment and three times more likely to stop using drugs than people who don’t. These programs are also associated with a 50 percent reduction in HIV and

Grace Keller

When you strip away stigma and you look at this problem from a purely scientific and compassionate point of view, what you’re left with is harm reduction. GR AC E K E L L E R

hepatitis C, and they reduce deaths by teaching people how to prevent and respond to overdoses when they occur. Since 2013, Safe Recovery has distributed more than 25,000 doses of naloxone. There are similar data about safe consumption sites, places where people can inject their own drugs under medical supervision: They reduce drug use, incidence of HIV and hepatitis C, and overdose death, while increasing public safety, entry into treatment, and access to other medical and social services. I had also never heard of safe consumption sites when my sister was alive, but the idea would have made me uncomfortable, because the idea of my sister injecting

drugs made me uncomfortable. But my discomfort didn’t stop it from happening. “If people are going to do it anyway,” said Patricia Fisher, a physician and chief medical officer at Central Vermont Medical Center, “you might as well teach them how to do it so that they’re not creating bloodstream infections.” Fisher was a member of a 2017 commission convened by Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George to study the potential impact of a safe consumption site in Vermont. Like me, Fisher was at first uncomfortable with the idea. “I initially thought there’s no way I could support … a place where people come and use drugs,” said Fisher. But after researching and reading the literature, “I was a convert,” she said. “There is good data to support that this is really a good harm-reduction method.” A site in Vancouver, B.C., for example, “showed a 35 percent reduction in deaths related to overdose and a 30 percent increase in users entering treatment,” Fisher said. If visitors to the site aren’t ready for treatment and say, “‘I just want to inject safely,’ the answer is, ‘Great. We’ll support you in that, and we’re here if you want to enter treatment.’” There has not been a single fatal overdose at any of the 120 safe consumption sites in 10 countries around the world, but they’re illegal in the United States. In 2017, the American Medical Association called for the creation of pilot sites here, citing the same research that convinced George’s commission, which included the Burlington and South Burlington police chiefs, to recommend the establishment of a safe consumption site in Vermont. “People are still dying from this,” Fisher said. “The number of deaths continues to

climb in Vermont and across the country. There have got to be ways to help people stay alive long enough to access treatment. I, like anybody else, initially was like, ‘You know, is it really my job to tell people how to inject safely?’ But the answer to that is, ‘Yes, it is.’” On a cold day in January 2009, I drove to New Hampshire to see my sister. She’d been kicked out of a treatment program for some minor offense I can no longer recall and was staying at a homeless shelter. My family at this point had been indoctrinated into the belief that the only way Maddie would get “clean” was if we stopped “enabling” her and adopted a “tough love” approach, which meant avoiding contact with her when she was using. But we all agreed I should go anyway. If wishes were time machines, I would travel back to the diner where I took my sister to lunch knowing what I do now about harm reduction. As she sat across from me in the booth, a wave of cold air washing over us each time someone opened the door, and told me that she loved needles as much as she loved heroin, I would have reached across the table and taken her hand in mine. That scares me, I would have said, but please tell me more. I would have held her gaze and told her, I want to understand what that feels like for you. I would have said, I love you so much, sweet girl, and more than anything in the world I want you to be safe. Here are some ways to do so.

***

Emma, who asked that I not use her real name, had what she described as a “tough childhood.” Her family didn’t have a lot of money; she experienced trauma early in life; and, as the oldest of three kids being raised by a single mom, “I carried a lot on my shoulders,” she said. “I had a lot of burden on me.” She was in eighth grade when a friend crushed up a painkiller on a bathroom counter at school and she tried opioids for the first time. “All of a sudden I found this thing that gave me relief that I never had before,” she said. “It made me feel like, This is how I get through this. This is my answer.” After that she sought out opioids however she could. “Pretty quickly I found out that hanging out with older guys was often an opportunity,” she said. When she was 15, she moved in with a boyfriend who was addicted. At 17 she started injecting heroin when they could no longer afford the pills that cost hundreds of dollars a day. “That’s when things really kind of took a turn,” she told me. After high school she worked two waitressing jobs, but “it wasn’t enough,

it was never enough” to support her addiction. “I was getting my needs met through boyfriends,” she said. “Like, plural. I bounced around, I stayed here, I stayed there.” It was a boyfriend who brought her to Safe Recovery for the first time, when she was 18 or 19. “I had never been in a syringe exchange before,” she said. “When I walked in there, I was like, I can’t believe this exists.” It wasn’t just the sterile syringes and other supplies that astonished her. It was the revelation that “people really care. As judgmental as the world is about people who use drugs, there was a place that was going to help me stay safer. That was really shocking to me.” Up until then, her experiences with professionals who worked with people with substance-use disorder fell into two categories: pity — “Oh my God, what can we do to help this poor girl” — or judgment — “Oh my God, get away from me. You made your bed, you’re the problem with this world.” In either case, the expectation was always that she get sober immediately. If that’s not what she wanted or was ready for, she was told, “We don’t have anything to offer you.” She knew as soon as she walked in the door that Safe Recovery was different. “I remember him that first time,” she said of Tom Dalton, who started Safe Recovery in 2001. “He just treated me like a person. He was like, ‘Hey, how’s it going?’ as if it wasn’t any crazy thing that I was hobbling because I had abscesses and hadn’t showered in a week and was looking a complete mess.” Dalton was caring but casual. He let her know that she could come back as often as she wanted, and he was there if she needed help. “He wasn’t trying to sell me anything,” she said. “He wasn’t trying to sway me this way or sway me that way or push me at all.” She had previously tried and continued to attempt treatment at various abstinence-based detox and inpatient rehab programs but always left within a few days. “I never felt I was treated well, like I was important to anybody or that I mattered or anybody really gave a crap about what the outcome was for me,” she said. “That is not a good way to feel when you’re doing something really scary and really hard. You need people to be genuine and supportive. You need people to really care.” Which is what she’d found at Safe Recovery, and so it was there she returned. “I might stay away for a couple of months,” she said, “but I would always HOOKED

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Betsy Perez is not a primary care physician or addiction doctor; she is a urologist. Federal law requires that doctors get a special waiver to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction; two years ago, Perez got that waiver because of the support she received from the community when her own daughter was struggling with opioid-use disorder. Her daughter eventually attended a treatment program in Atlanta and has been in recovery for almost six years. “I had to pay it back,” Perez said. In spite of the incentives and support Vermont provides to doctors to prescribe this life-saving medication, less than a quarter of them do so — a rate that, while inadequate, is much higher than most other states. The waiver itself may be a barrier to some. While any doctor can prescribe the painkillers blamed for creating the current GLENN RUSSELL

go back when things were really bad and I just didn’t know where to turn. I would just go and sit with Tom and talk to him about everything.” Dalton helped her get and stay on the waiting list for medication, which at that point in Vermont was years long. In the absence of effective treatment, Emma’s life continued to deteriorate. She was living with a boyfriend in the back of a van, weighed less than 100 pounds and had abscesses from injecting drugs. She did sex work for money and made trips to New York City to get drugs, where she found herself in situations she thought she might not survive “It’s hard to put into words how much Safe Recovery meant to me during that time,” she said. “I really, truly feel like harm reduction kept me alive during the hardest periods of my life.” Having access to sterile equipment helped her avoid life-threatening infections and viruses, but she pointed out that anyone can hand out syringes or naloxone. “Those things are huge,” she said, “but it’s the connection that’s really, really special and that people seem to have a hard time getting right. “What was really important was just having a safe place to go and people that I could trust, that I knew would have my back no matter how bad it got. It just meant the absolute world to me, and it helped me to not give up. Everybody needs one safe place.” With Dalton’s help, Emma finally got into treatment at the Howard Center’s Chittenden Clinic in South Burlington, where she began taking methadone. She used crack for another year or so, but getting off opioids was “life-changing,” she said. “I didn’t have to spend every waking second planning and strategizing how I would get through the next few hours. I was able to stop worrying about survival every day.” And though she was using other substances, not using opioids significantly reduced her harm: She no longer injected drugs, she was at a lower risk for overdose, and because her desire for crack was much less than for heroin, she wasn’t putting herself in risky situations to get the drug. When she found out she was pregnant, she immediately stopped using altogether. After she had her son, she began taking classes at the Community College of Vermont, eventually transferring to

Champlain College, where she majored in social work and excelled academically. She now has two kids and a job working in harm reduction. While Emma knows that openly sharing her story would help reduce the stigma surrounding opioid-use disorder, she asked me not to disclose her identity because that stigma is so prevalent. “I have nothing to be ashamed of,” she said, “but I live in the culture I live in, and I don’t want to be judged. I don’t want my kids to be judged. I don’t trust that I won’t always be looked at as the one on methadone, and I don’t want to be known only for that. “I take a medication once a day and go about my life,” she continued. “It’s a great life. I have a family that is intact, and we love each other. I have a career that fits

Tom Dalton

my soul, and I know that every single day I’m doing something worthwhile that means something in somebody’s life and in mine. And I just feel so, so lucky for that, you know?”

***

Across much of Vermont, it is still difficult, if not impossible, to access harm-reduction measures such as syringe services and medication. Up to a third of Safe Recovery’s clients travel there from outside of Chittenden County, where services are spotty at best. And although the state provides better access to medication than any other, more than half of Vermonters with opioid-use disorder aren’t getting treatment for their disease. In Morrisville, one doctor is providing both.

opioid crisis or buprenorphine to treat pain, to prescribe buprenorphine to treat addiction, physicians must undergo 10 hours of training. Advanced-practice nurses and physician’s assistants, who are also eligible for the waiver, must complete 24 hours of training. Even with the waiver, health care professionals can only prescribe buprenorphine to a limited number of patients — for doctors it’s 30 in the first year. The waiver process is not evidencebased and creates the perception that treatment for opioid-use disorder is more complicated than other forms of medicine, in spite of the fact that primary care physicians commonly prescribe treatments that are more complex and risky than buprenorphine. Stigma may be another reason doctors don’t seek the federal waiver. Physicians are more likely than the general public

to express “negative attitudes” toward people with opioid-use disorder, according to a 2016 study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. An overwhelming majority of doctors said they would be unwilling to work with or have someone with the disease marry into their family. Two-thirds believed that people with the illness are “more dangerous than the general population” and that employers should be allowed to deny them work. I’ve witnessed these negative attitudes in doctors and nurses treating my sister everywhere from the emergency department to the maternity ward to the ICU. I’ve watched their faces change when they learned she was a person who injected drugs. Because my sister was a better actress than most health care professionals, she masked her shame when she was treated badly, but I know she burned with it. She had a disease and wanted to be treated like any other person, any other patient. This stigma has fatal repercussions, in that it prevents people from seeking treatment for both their opioid-use disorder and its collateral consequences. “I’ve seen people with abscesses [so big] I couldn’t cover [them] with my two hands,” Keller told me, “and they don’t feel safe getting treatment. We shouldn’t have people that are hurting so badly in our community.” What if all doctors were like Perez, who said her favorite patients are the ones she treats for opioid-use disorder? “They are the hardest-working group of people. They are up against so much, and they just keep pushing,” she said of her 40 patients with opioid-use disorder. “If you give them one speck of your attention, if you are present while you are in the room with them, if you give them one little moment of the benefit of the doubt that they might be a good person and want everything that we all want — love, happiness, good health, a decent place to live, their children to be happy — if you give them one second of that, they respond.” Her whole practice has become involved in this care: Her office manager became a certified recovery coach, and patients donate to a fund that can be used to provide people with gift certificates for diapers and other necessities. Last month, Perez began hosting syringe services at her office a couple of hours a week. A van from the HIV/AIDS prevention organization Vermont CARES had been offering them in a nearby parking lot, but very few people showed up. Perez speculated this was because they didn’t want to be seen walking up to a vehicle that dispenses syringes, essentially outing themselves, in a small town, as people who inject drugs. When Vermont CARES sought alternative

Betsy Perez

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locations, Perez offered her office. Instead of approaching a van in a parking lot, people who need supplies can instead walk into a doctor’s office, where a volunteer nurse will provide sterile syringes and offer to connect them to help.

***

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My sister visited the emergency department dozens of times during her life to be treated for everything from kidney infections to suicide attempts to seizures caused by withdrawal from drugs. What if each time, or even once, she had been offered buprenorphine? In July 2018, Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin became the first in the state to prescribe buprenorphine to patients in the emergency department, providing the most immediate access to the medication in Vermont; five others followed suit, in Burlington, Bennington, Brattleboro, Randolph and Windsor. This is harm reduction. “When people are on Suboxone [a brand name of buprenorphine combined with naloxone], there’s a pretty good chance they’re not going to die from an overdose,” said Javad Mashkuri, medical director of emergency services at CVMC. “It’s protective.” Not only that, it can serve as an introduction to recovery. “People feel better when you give them the medication,” he said. “They leave feeling better than when they came in. That’s powerful.” Patients with opioid-use disorder are prescribed three days’ worth of the drug in the emergency department and connected with doctors in the community who will see them within 72 hours. Eighty

percent of people make their follow-up appointment. “But even if someone only takes three days’ medication ... at least for those three days they didn’t die,” Mashkuri said. “And maybe they remember that they did feel better and, down the line when they are ready, they’ll come back. “I always tell people, ‘Hey, come back. If today’s not the day, you can come back anytime you want.’ It’s naïve for us to think that everyone’s ready when they show up in the emergency department. And the point is, how do I keep you alive and healthy so that when you’re ready for treatment, if that day comes, you’re OK.” Three months ago, “Jillian” walked into the emergency department at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington and asked for a prescription for buprenorphine. Speaking on condition of anonymity, Jillian told me she’d become addicted to opioids after being prescribed painkillers for an injury she suffered during childbirth. For a year she found doctors who would continue to prescribe to her, including one who wrote her prescriptions for 200 pills at a time. When she was finally cut off, she became so sick from withdrawal she bought buprenorphine off the street, stealing from relatives to pay for the medication. Her grandmother finally confronted her, threatening to call the police and take her daughter away if she didn’t get help. She went to the emergency department in Burlington the next day. “I was treated so well there,” she said about her experience. The doctor prescribed her three days’ worth of

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buprenorphine and connected her with the UVM Medical Center’s Addiction Treatment Program, which will see referrals from the emergency department within 72 hours. A recovery coach she met at the ED followed up with her daily to offer support. The only problem? Jillian lives in Rutland. She’d initially sought treatment at the city’s treatment hub, Rutland Regional Medical Center’s West Ridge Center, but although it has no “waiting list,” there is a wait for an appointment. After a frantic Google search, she learned that she could get immediate access to buprenorphine at the Burlington hospital. “I didn’t want to continue using the way I was,” she said, which required she steal or find other ways to get money to buy the medication that kept her from being sick. So she made her way two hours north. “I have spent a lot of my career watching what happens to people when they ask for help and can’t get it,” Safe Recovery’s Keller said. “These people are losing their kids, dying, overdosing, contracting endocarditis, but all along they have been asking the community for help.” Jillian was lucky: “My family was so supportive,” she said. “My grandmother lent me her car and watched my daughter for me. My aunt drove up with me most of the time. But it was a lot. We’re talking a six-hour day” once a week. It took two months for the Addiction Treatment Program in Burlington to transition her to a buprenorphine prescriber in Rutland. According to Mashkuri, Jillian’s experience is not uncommon. “Most people that are coming in are already buying [buprenorphine] on the street,” he said. “They’re getting it by any means they can. And when they finally come to us, they’re running out of money or they can’t find it and they’re terrified of going back to shooting something they don’t want to shoot.” Just as Jillian traveled from Rutland to Burlington for help, people with opioiduse disorder travel to the central Vermont

emergency department from around the state. “We have people that come from a few counties over because they can’t get it where they are,” Mashkuri said. “We’ve got people that come from Lamoille and St. Johnsbury, out that way, which is great, but then it’s hard to get them plugged in, and they can’t keep driving back here.” In June of 2018, George, the Chittenden County state’s attorney, announced that she would no longer prosecute people for possessing buprenorphine without a prescription. The medication is “intended to be life-saving,” she wrote in a memo about her decision, noting that it helps people reduce or stop their heroin use, which in turn reduces crime and fatal overdoses. This is harm reduction, and in Chittenden County, it appears to be working. Last year, the rate of opioid-overdose deaths in the county was 50 percent lower than in 2017, even as the number of deaths in the state overall nudged up slightly. But a bill to decriminalize buprenorphine statewide stalled in the Vermont legislature earlier this year, in spite of support from doctors, researchers and people with opioid-use disorder who testified that it would save lives. Vermont Health Commissioner Mark Levine opposed it, not because he thought it was a bad idea, but because he thought it was a bad idea in Vermont. In his written testimony, Levine stated that, if he were the health commissioner in “any other state in the U.S.,” he “would be unequivocally for this bill as a potentially important public health measure.” But he described Vermont as a state “with no waiting lists” for treatment and a “true capacity to treat all,” referring to Vermont’s innovative hub-and-spoke system, which has dramatically expanded treatment capacity here and serves as a model for other states. Decriminalizing buprenorphine could be “disruptive” to the system of treatment that “we and others praise so often,” Levine testified. But research shows that people who take illicit buprenorphine prior to getting a prescription for it are significantly more likely to remain in treatment than people who don’t. And in spite of the state’s efforts to expand access to treatment, barriers remain for many Vermonters.

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Kate O’Neill with Maddie in 1993

are refused treatment. And once they get there, they are treated by people who are judgmental and rude; they have to go in a bathroom and pee in front of those judgmental people. If they don’t do all of those things, they won’t get the medication they need to survive.’” Dalton added: “These kinds of barriers can make sustained treatment nearly impossible.” When I pointed out to Levine in a recent conversation that “no waiting lists” doesn’t mean treatment is available to everyone, he conceded that “it certainly wouldn’t be the end of the world if we decriminalized buprenorphine.” For some people, it may be the end of the world if we don’t.

***

I spoke to multiple people this year who said they could easily score heroin in their rural communities but found it impossible to access treatment. A 2017 evaluation of the hub-and-spoke system found that the average travel time to treatment was 20 minutes — a number that is in all likelihood much higher — with a range of two minutes to two hours. Many patients have to make that trip every day to get their medication, despite the fact that the ability to take medication at home results in better outcomes for people with opioiduse disorder. Most doctors and clinics also require that patients participate in counseling and urine analyses, though there is little to no evidence supporting their efficacy. For some people with opioid-use disorder, work schedules prevent them from getting treatment. When Safe Recovery began prescribing buprenorphine last year, Keller and her colleagues started seeing many patients employed in the trades who had been buying buprenorphine off the street to stay sober because they couldn’t make it to South Burlington’s hub by the time it closes at 11 a.m. “People are told, ‘Just go to the clinic,’ as if it’s always that easy,” said Dalton, who after 17 years at Safe Recovery is now executive director of Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform. A Safe Recovery client suggested to him that the state’s decision makers should have to go through what people with opioiduse disorder experience. “‘Ask these bureaucrats to jump through the hoops we have to to access their primary care,’” the client told Dalton. “‘Ask them to travel an hour in the cold, and if they don’t have a car, they have to take a bus or hitchhike or walk. If they are one second late, they

Harm reduction is “a set of practical strategies and ideas aimed at reducing negative consequences associated with drug use,” according to the website of the Harm Reduction Coalition, a national advocacy organization. But it’s also a form of love, a way of extending compassion and connection to people who are usually met with judgment and stigma. My sister died of a lethal combination of endocarditis and stigma while incarcerated in Springfield, Mass. Endocarditis is an infection of the heart lining that can be caused by injecting drugs; sterile equipment could have saved her life. That infection was not treated because of a fundamental lack of compassion on the part of individual police and correctional officers, as well as a criminal justice system that largely fails to recognize opioid-use disorder is a disease. She was arrested, she begged for help, but she did not receive it until it was too late. The photo my family chose to accompany my sister’s obituary shows Maddie on one of her very best days. She is healthy and beautiful, a huge smile across her freckled face, her son grinning at the camera from behind her in a backpack. It’s easy to feel compassion for the version of Maddie in that photo. The cops and correctional officers who denied my sister health care saw her on one of her worst days. In her mug shot, her hair is dirty and the look on her face is one of despair. This is the version of Maddie who most needed help and was least likely to receive it. Since my sister died, I’ve been asked over and over what people can do to HOOKED

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« P.43 help others with this disease. A year ago I didn’t have an answer. Now I have many. Get at least two doses of naloxone and carry them with you everywhere you go. Contact your state representatives and the governor and ask them to support H.162, the bill to decriminalize buprenorphine. Contact your senators and congressperson and ask them to support the federal Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which would allow health care professionals to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction just like they do any other medication. Ask all of your own doctors whether they prescribe it, and if they don’t, ask them to consider it. Make a donation to the syringe services program in your

love and support? Because that is what they are. What if we said to them, We as individuals and as a culture, we want you to be safe. We value your life, and we want you to live. Here are the evidence-based tools you need to stay alive. And if and when you are ready to stop using drugs, we will help you to do so. Because we love you, and you are worth it. In the hospital after my sister died, my mother and I washed her body, taking cloths from a folded stack a nurse brought us, lowering them into a tub of warm, soapy water, and running them across her skin. When we were done, I kissed her face for the last time: I love you, my lips to her forehead, I love you, as I kissed her eyebrows, I love you, eyes and nose and cheeks and lips and chin. Remember that my love is always with you. What if we all looked at people like Maddie on her worst day, extended our hands and said, We love you. We’re right here. Hold on. m

Madelyn Linsenmeir with her son

community; if there isn’t one, contact Vermont CARES to learn how to bring services there. If you know or love people with this disease (and chances are good that you do), support them both when their disease is in remission and, more importantly, when it is not. The what ifs I’ve been asking myself since my sister died are ones that haunt our shared past. Here are a few I hope everyone will consider in the future: What if we all extended our hands and offered love and connection to people with opioid-use disorder? What if, instead of stigmatizing and judging them, we loved and supported them — even when they are not sober or trying to get sober? What if we viewed people in the throes of their addiction who are actively using drugs every day as people with a disease who are worthy of our 44

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INFO In this yearlong reporting project, Kate O’Neill uses traditional journalism, narrative storytelling and her own experiences to shed light on the opioid epidemic in Vermont. “Hooked: Stories and Solutions From Vermont’s Opioid Epidemic” is made possible in part by funding from the Vermont Community Foundation, the University of Vermont Health Network and Pomerleau Real Estate. The series is repo ted and edited by Seven Days news staff; underwriters have no influence on the content Have a tip or a story to share about opioid addiction in Vermont? Email Kate O’Neill and her editors at hooked@ sevendaysvt. com, send a private email to Kate at kate@ sevendaysvt.com or call or text her at 802-222-0975.

PHOTOS: LUKE AWTRY

The Hooked series is ending, but All Our Hearts will continue. If you have a loved one’s story to share, please submit it at allourhearts.com.

From the Heart

Family members speak out about ending the opioid crisis Kate O’Neill’s yearlong Hooked series was one of two opioid-related initiatives Seven Days created this year. The other is All Our Hearts, a memorial project that helps families honor loved ones who died, like Kate’s sister Maddie, of causes related to opioid-use disorder. Since it launched in September, allourhearts.com has published 41 stories submitted by individuals all across the country. More than 23,000 people have visited the site, which has logged more than 120,000 page views. It’s been featured in articles in BuzzFeed and boston.com, as well as on CNN’s “On the Story With Lynn Smith.” In November, Seven Days brought together some of the Vermont

participants to craft clay hearts honoring their loved ones. On Sunday, December 8, we held a reception at Generator in Burlington to distribute the hearts and hear from their creators. Numerous city and state officials attended, along with treatment professionals and supportive citizens curious about the project. They took home clay hearts, which are imprinted with the project’s web address. They also took with them the testimony of families devastated by this disease, who are speaking out to help those who are still struggling. Read on for excerpts from their remarks. Find more stories, or submit one of your own, at allourhearts.com.

“Nobody chooses opioid-use disorder. They really don’t. They face a hard enough path ahead with recovery without having to climb over this mountain of stigma and shame before they can even get to the starting point. I very much hope that we can continue the good work and get to a point where memorials like my sister’s can be replaced with more actual success stories.” VANES SA PR IC E- DAT ER , S IST ER OF B ROOK E ELIZ A B ET H PR IC E ( 19 78- 20 10 )

“I feel that this project is smashing stigma and furthering change in a really, really damaged system. This project is documenting a plague, you know? It’s a historical event. And it’s wiping out our youth and our children. When we came to make these hearts, we came together as a community. You could feel the collective grief. It was palpable. Family members who have had mind-bending losses sat together and

worked clay with our fingers into hearts. We were able to concretize our loss in the forms of our clay hearts. We would write their names in the clay and remember these remarkable people who have died. The experience was poignant, and I was so very happy to be part of it.” M ARG ERY K EASL ER , M OTHER OF BR EN N AN J OSEP H DEK EERSG IETER (19 8 6 - 20 13)

“Addiction is a disease. It has nothing to do with failure, with sin, with weakness or with being less than a whole person.” DAW N TAT RO, M OT H E R O F J E NNA RA E TAT RO ( 1 9 92 -201 9 )

“Substance-use disorder comes in many forms. And the suffering that accompanies addiction affects the whole family. It echoes throughout our communities. Imagine a future where we have succeeded in breaking down the stigmas, where all of us as a community no longer whisper about

dependence, but we can bring the crisis of addiction out into the open without embarrassment. Dawn and I refuse to be ashamed of our situation and our loss. We’ll always speak loudly about Jenna and our story.” G R EG TATRO, FATHER OF J EN N A R AE TATRO

THANK YOU TO: Lena Camilletti, for organizing this event as part of her graduate degree in social journalism; Generator, for donating the space; John Cohn and Diane Mariano, who helped with the heart-making process; Pike Porter, who made the website stamps; art therapist Emily Piccirillo, for guiding participants in crafting the hearts; Chris Vaughn and Burlington City Arts, for firing them; Frank Cioffi, the Greater Burlington Industrial Corporation and GW Tatro Construction, for providing startup support for All Our Hearts; everyone who shared their stories; and Kate O’Neill and her family for inspiring this project. SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

Open Book Novelist Archer Mayor’s characters, and their struggles, hit home B Y M ARG A RET G RAYSON

n page one, Archer Mayor already has you in the car. He likes to toss the reader into the thick of it, let them become swallowed, briefly, by the action and then offer a respite — a moment to come up for air and learn how, exactly, they got here. “Once I’ve got them in the car, then I’m going to absolutely give them a little of a tourist trip,” Mayor said in a phone interview from his home in Newfane. “A little look out the side window.” The writer credits this approach to his background as a journalist and a desire to hook his readers that has never left him. His chapters are short and start out punchy, leapfrogging past expository prose. After three decades, Mayor has this formula honed to an art. His 30th novel in the Joe Gunther series, focusing on a detective by that name and his team, came out in September and is titled Bomber’s Moon. The opening pages introduce the reader in quick order to Sally Kravitz, a private investigator following a man on a snowy evening; Alex Hale, staking out a parked Escalade that he plans to burglarize; and Rachel Reiling, a reporter being called in for an intimidating chat with her curmudgeonly boss at a local newspaper. In chapter three, Joe Gunther arrives, along with fellow investigator Sammie Martens, at the scene of a crime that has occurred separately from the aforementioned car burglary. Mayor walks his reader backward from there, establishing the identities of Joe and Sammie (detectives with the fictional Vermont Bureau of Investigation), how they got there (Joe is statewide field commander of the office after a long stint with the Brattleboro Police Department), and why they’re in a run-down kitchen in Bellows Falls. That last one’s easy: Someone is dead. I had never read an Archer Mayor book before Bomber’s Moon. I’m new to this state and most of its literary institutions, and Mayor’s backlog is sizable enough to be daunting. But, contrary to every reader instinct in my body, I started with the 30th volume. Later, in our phone call, Mayor assured me that this was fine in his view. He wrote the books as individual novels and doesn’t expect people to read them in order.

Back to those introductions: We have Sally and Alex and Rachel and Joe and Sammie, and then later, Willy and Dan and Lester. Those are just the main characters, and each one is at the center of at least one brief chapter of the story. If that sounds like a heavily populated tale, it is (never mind the story’s bad guys). But many of the cast members are familiar to repeat readers, having had roles in one or more of Mayor’s previous novels. In Bomber’s Moon, Mayor drops references to the past stories like Easter eggs. These little cutout windows into other books left me briefly frustrated — what happened to Rachel in Burlington? How did Joe save Sally? But that frustration is easily remedied in a way that will ultimately be more satisfying: I just have to go pick up another Archer Mayor book. Those backstories aren’t really the point, and Mayor summarizes them efficiently. Bomber’s Moon is a fresh story and stands on its own. Mayor’s tale connects the Bellows Falls murder, the killing of a clever thief, and a mysterious, troubled private high school called Thorndike. There’s a distinct sense of class division, and Thorndike, as a boarding school populated with wealthy out-of-staters, is an archetype that many Vermonters may automatically consider menacing. When I asked Mayor about his intentions with the school, though, he said he doesn’t view money as a universally corrupting influence. He’s interested in the many kinds of backstories that can turn a person into a villain — or a hero. Mayor ’s ensemble cast collectively chips away at different edges of the mystery at hand, each with his or her own personal narrative. While the series’ ostensible figurehead is Joe Gunther, Mayor said introducing and developing new characters into his fictional world has always been key. Joe is predictably decent, so Mayor brought in Willy Kunkle, who’s far more troubled, and previous books in the series have dealt with Willy’s traumatic backstory. Mayor said he has found Willy to be the character that readers most relate to and care about. In one passage of Bomber’s Moon, Willy compares himself to a particularly seedy section of Bellows Falls. “Willy

BOOKS

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

ZACH STEPHENS

Archer Mayor

admired the town, and drew parallels between its condition and his own—and beyond that, all of humanity’s. Bellows Falls, and he, never quit struggling against the odds. He had his disabilities and addictions, while BF was saddled with a poor reputation of low-income stressors, including drugs. But they both persevered…” Nearly everyone in an Archer Mayor novel has something terrible in their past — sometimes multiple terrible

things — and the author refuses to dance around them or allow his characters to hide them. Instead, they internally confront and check themselves at every turn. In Bomber’s Moon, for example, Joe comforts a crying Rachel by giving her a business card for his therapist, who in turn later tells her: “Rachel, both you and Joe are virtually driven to be responsible. That is commendable in spirit, but it can be self-destructive. Often, life—especially

HOLIDAY GIFTS

active, committed lives like you’ve both “I wanted to write a series of books chosen—dishes up situations where that were an homage to those who had terrible things simply happen.” embraced me, who had given me a home It’s almost startling to read a book and given me a purpose, who had put me about people who are actively working to use. through their trauma, as literature in “This is not a series of books for general is so heavily populated with money,” he continued. “This is an expresthose who are not. Mayor applies sion of what I need to do. And it’s directed the same emotional dissection to his to the people who saved my life.” villains, though their outcomes are less Launching into Bomber’s Moon, I favorable. understood that Mayor’s subgenre of “All of us lead complicated lives. All mystery fiction relies on certain tropes of us are tormented. If you portray your and patterns, and that an author’s skill fellow human beings in this series of lies in how well he or she can manipulate books humanely, your readers are going those tropes and continue to surprise the to respond,” Mayor said. “I try to make reader. While I began to get an inkling of my bad guys bad guys for a reason. They what happened — and whodunit — threemake damn poor decisions, but they do quarters of the way through the book, it so from a hard place that many of us have didn’t deter me from furiously reading experienced.” through to the end. Just Mayor himself had because you see how a an uneven childhood, puzzle will be finished growing up all over the doesn’t make snapping globe under the wing of that last piece into place his businessman father, any less satisfying. who usually couldn’t hold I did wonder, however, down a job. He was a man about the future of the genre. In 2019, crimes of integrity, but Mayor, the youngest of six, still involving law enforceexperienced his fair share ment no longer feel like of trauma in childhood, a black-and-white, goodwhich he mentions in and-bad kind of story. Of passing but doesn’t linger course, for people from ARCHE R MAYOR on. “Everybody has a suitmarginalized commucase full of sorrow,” he says simply. nities, they never did. I asked Mayor The uprooted nature of Mayor’s child- whether increased attention toward hood echoed through his early adulthood. police violence, including in Vermont, He followed in his father’s footsteps has impacted his work. He said that he’s in many ways, working at publishing certainly considered this shift in public houses, newspapers and medical labs, attitude, but it has yet to affect his stories, mostly for short periods of time. He was mostly because he believes in the general at odds about what to do with himself, integrity of Vermont’s law enforcement but he knew he liked to write, Mayor said. officers. He moved to Vermont, and his only “I remain impressed with the caliber business plan was to survive — as a writer of righteousness,” he said of the state’s if at all possible. But Mayor was “at sea,” police departments. “We make mistakes. he said, until he became an emergency We screw up. We profile, or whatever … first responder. As someone who felt like [But] we are more inclined to face it and he had never belonged or been needed, deal with it. We make the effort, and that’s he was drawn to the flashing lights of an got to count.” ambulance or police car and their definiMayor is a genius at unpacking tive sense of purpose. complicated people, unwinding their “They were helpful. They were of use. gears and laying out their baggage to They were out there, doing something,” make them more human. It’s unfortunate Mayor said. He became a police officer, that he can’t do the same for the entire a volunteer firefighter and an EMT. For country’s messy relationship with its the past 18 years, he has worked as a real police force. Regardless, Bomber’s death investigator for Vermont’s Office Moon is a tightly written and engaging of the Chief Medical Examiner. He lives bit of escapism in a realistic setting, with in Newfane with his wife, Margot Zalkind characters I can understand and root for. Mayor, who runs a small publishing And for now, for me, that is enough. m company called Button Street Press. If a murder mystery can possibly be a Contact: margaret@sevendaysvt.com love letter, Mayor’s books are missives to Vermont and its people. INFO “I felt embraced by this funny, quirky, Bomber’s Moon, by Archer Mayor, Minotaur thinly populated state,” Mayor said. Books, 320 pages, $27.99.

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SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

12/9/19 2:49 PM

COURTESY OF ATIBA JEFFERSON

SPORTS

Cookie Monster Vermonter Chris Colbourn talks Talent Skatepark and going pro

ast Friday, Element Skateboards he was just so driven and focused,” Deene announced a new addition to its Wood recalls, adding that Colbourn is, in roster of pro skaters: Williston fact, a very friendly guy. “He’s one of the native Chris “Cookie” Colbourn. most determined people I’ve ever met. Colbourn, 28, isn’t the first Vermont skate- Whatever he decides to do, he will do, do, boarder to turn pro. But his contract with do until success.” Element, a major California-based action The new Talent Skatepark is expected sports apparel and gear brand, is among to open on the Burton campus in Burlthe highest-profile sponsorships ever ington soon, though a specific date is awarded to any skater with local roots. For unknown as of press time. However, the Vermont skateboarding this Saturday, December community, that’s a BFD. 14, Colbourn will make a “It keeps that dream special appearance at the alive for kids from small skate park, skating and towns who don’t think they signing autographs. Also on matter in the skateboardSaturday, Maven skate shop ing industry,” Hannah will celebrate Colbourn Deene Wood, cofounder going pro with a party in of Talent Skatepark, says of the skater’s honor at its Colbourn turning pro. “It’s store on Church Street in proof that if you work hard, Burlington. The bash will you can be successful.” feature Element giveaways, CHRIS COLBOU RN Deene Wood and David new footage of Colbourn Wood opened the original Talent on skating and Colbourn himself signing Williston Road in 2001. Until it closed in autographs. August 2018, it was the Burlington area’s In addition to his skating talents, only year-round skateboarding facility Colbourn is a visual artist and designed his and the largest in northern New England. new boards for Element. They’re emblaBefore he moved to Los Angeles nearly zoned with a Vermont-shaped collage eight years ago to pursue his pro skate- featuring the Talent logo and a silhouette boarder dreams, Colbourn was a fixture of late local DJ and skater Andy “A_Dog” at Talent for his drive and, well, his talent. Williams, among other nods to the Green “People would come to the park and Mountains. A selection of Colbourn’s think he wasn’t friendly, but the truth is, artwork shows at Uncommon Grounds in

IT’S THE COMMUNITY YOU SURROUND YOURSELF WITH THAT

HELPS YOU GROW AND IMPROVE.

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

BY D AN BO L L E S

Burlington through Sunday, December 15, with a reception on Saturday afternoon. Seven Days spoke with Colbourn by phone about going pro and the importance of his time at Talent. SEVEN DAYS: What was your reaction when you found out you were turning pro with Element? CHRIS COLBOURN: I was really excited. It feels good to see the investment pay off, all the years I’ve put into this company, all the miles I’ve driven, all the good people I’ve gotten to know. It feels good to have it come full circle and have them recognize my talents. SD: Did you move to LA with the intention of becoming a pro skateboarder? CC: Pretty much. I had the opportunity to come out here because of some friends. Paul Wilson was this guy that I met on Myspace when I was 15 and sending all my skateboarding footage out to anyone I could find — a little street skating, but mostly footage from Talent Skatepark. He got back to me and had just started a board company for his son and his friends called Silent Skateboards. He started sending me boards, and we started trying to elevate them as much as we could. Then, a few years later, he helped fund my friends Jordan Maxham and Chris Whitaker moving to California, which led

Chris Colbourn doing a backside nosepick in Winooski

to me moving out and moving in with them about a year later. I finished high school but decided to stick around for a year and take classes at [Community College of Vermont]. But I realized, if I was gonna make the move, it had to be then. SD: I’ve heard your nickname comes from Talent. What’s that story? CC: My brother Ben started going to Talent about six months before I did. I was in seventh grade, and he was a freshman in high school. He cut himself by accident trying to cut grip tape that goes on top of your skateboard. So he got the nickname “Cutter.” Then I started coming to the park, and this one employee ... couldn’t remember my name but saw the resemblance to my brother, so he started calling me “Cookie Cutter.” Almost 20 years later, it’s stuck. SD: How important was Talent to your development as a skater? CC: It was everything to me when I was learning to skate. I started skating when I was 9, like, in friends’ garages. But it wasn’t until Talent opened that I really started progressing, because I had a place to go that was secure and you could go there all year round. I started making friends from other towns, some of whom I grew really close with because of that skate park. I’m not sure if I would have kept up

Ladies ReSale skating as much as I did if not for those relationships I built at Talent. You can go skating alone as much as you want. But it’s the community you surround yourself with that helps you grow and improve and find joy in it. There’s something about eating shit with other people that makes it OK. You see somebody trying something hard, and that pushes you. And that translates into all parts of life.

COURTESY OF MASON MILLER

SD: And you taught there, too? CC: I did. That was really helpful for my own well-being. I started teaching on the weekends to help pay for my own year pass, because after a couple of years my parents were like, “This is a pretty expensive hobby you’ve got here. What happened to basketball?”

Chris Colbourn’s new Element skateboards

[Laughs.] I needed a new pair of shoes, like, every month, and a year pass was $500. Skateboards breaking, bearings breaking, wheels flat spotting, it adds up. So I started teaching lessons, working the candy counter a little bit. Then I started teaching summer camps there, as well. And that was the first time I was on a real working schedule, at least for a job I didn’t hate. It gave me a real sense of responsibility and being a role model for the kids at the camps. Seeing them progress, even over a week, was really motivating, seeing the power of skateboarding and how happy it can make people. SD: When did you realize you were really good? CC: It started to set in when I would be skating a lot with my friend Andy Casey, who lived in Southridge, which was a bigger neighborhood in Williston than mine. And we’d skate to Maple Tree Place while it was being built and [were] exploring all these new skate spots. And

T he Exchan ge

we’d film each other, but it would always lead to him filming me more often. He’d get frustrated trying these tricks that came easier to me. And he’d egg me on, like, “Oh, you’re gonna go pro one day.” I always let that go in one ear and out the other. But it’s funny in hindsight, because he was right. That positive encouragement went a really long way. SD: How did growing up skating in Vermont shape who you are as a skater? CC: Being in a place where all the skate spots around you are far from perfect really built my skill level in a way that you can’t really duplicate, say, on the West Coast. We had very few good handrails to work with in Burlington. All the cracks in the ground that get worse over the years — we would never Bondo them; we’d just deal with it. I feel spoiled now living in California. But I think skating in Vermont translated into my acceptance of any spot to skate. I can appreciate it smooth; I can appreciate something rough. I’m grateful for New England. SD: Skateboarding evolves so quickly now. Kids are doing stuff pros weren’t doing a decade ago. How do you stay ahead of the curve? CC: The natural progression of skating has gotten so out of control. Like, I keep thinking there’s gotta be a cap on how big a handrail somebody can grind or jump down a set of stairs. But it keeps getting pushed. The boundaries are limitless. So, I don’t think it’s about how high or how far you can go. I think it’s more about what you look like on a skateboard, your trick selection and the type of person you are. If you’re enjoyable to be around, then people want to see more of that. There are so many skaters out there now that, if you’re a dickhead, there’s a dozen other guys lined up ready to take your spot. It’s being personable and not being a “cool guy” that really can take you far in skating. m This interview has been edited and condensed for space and clarity. Contact: dan@sevendaysvt.com

INFO Chris Colbourn appears this Saturday, December 14, 11 a.m., at Talent Skatepark on the Burton campus in Burlington. Info, talentskatepark.org. Celebration for Chris Colbourn turning pro, Saturday, December 14, 3 p.m., at Maven in Burlington. Free. Info, mavenskateshop.com. Chris Colbourn’s artwork is on view through Sunday, December 15, at Uncommon Grounds in Burlington, with a reception on Saturday, December 14, at 2 p.m.

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food+drink

Talking Turkey On the farm and in the bar with the Mad Taco’s Joey Nagy B Y S A LLY POL L AK

he wind whipped through the fields on a recent morning at Marble Hill Farm in Fayston, where Joey Nagy and his partner, Georgia von Trapp, raise livestock and grow vegetables for the Mad Taco restaurants. Nagy checked on the goats in one pasture, said hi to his livestock dogs and pointed out landmarks visible to the north: Ploughgate Creamery, Knoll Farm, Burnt Rock Mountain. In the barn, he fed hay to a few Kiko goats; then he got in his truck and drove a couple of miles to Waitsfield, site of the original Mad Taco restaurant. I drove ahead in my car. Billowy puffs of smoke and the smell of a campfire cookout

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SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

signaled our destination in a strip mall on Main Street. In front of the restaurant, two smokers that burn sugar-maple wood — at the rate of a cord every eight to 10 days — were smoking meat. The Marble Hill Farm goat and turkey, along with other meats, are smoked here for the four Mad Taco restaurants that Nagy owns with business partner Wes Hamilton. (The fourth one opened in late October in Middlebury.) Nowhere is the Fayston farm food consumed closer to home than at the original site. “Slightly different atmosphere here,” Nagy commented, taking a seat at the bar about 10 minutes after feeding his animals. “Polar opposite.” With those few words, LISTEN IN ON LOCAL FOODIES...

Nagy articulated what I was noticing, too: the contrast between the cold expanse of the hill farm inhabited by animals and the warm barroom filling with people. In the coming year, his 10th as a local restaurateur, Nagy intends to increase production at Marble Hill Farm, strengthening its connection to the restaurants. “It’s a lot of work,” he said. “But if you want to talk about local food systems, how much more local does it get?” Nagy and I ate goat tacos for lunch. The meat was about a week off the farm and 14 hours off the smoker. It had been dry-rubbed with curry powder, paprika, salt and other spices, its cavity filled with onions, carrots and garlic. It was then

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SALLY POLLAK

JEB WALLACE-BRODEUR

Joey Nagy (left) with farmworker Joe ° ompson at Marble Hill Farm in Fayston

Goat tacos and a margarita at the Mad Taco in Waitsﬁeld

wrapped in butcher paper and smoked for about 10 hours. Pulled from the bone in the kitchen, the meat was tender and earthy and topped with sliced radishes, chopped onion and cilantro. It didn’t need flavoring from the housemade salsa, but I ate a few pieces with a squeeze from a bottle labeled Hawt Sawze, marked seven on a heat scale of 10. “The goal of the goat farm is to have this on the menu as a regular special one or two times a week, year-round, at each restaurant,” Nagy, 38, said. Hamilton applauds that effort. By telephone later, he called the restaurant industry “a fairly gross and monstrous endeavor” that offers few road maps for more sustainable practices. (Hamilton is also a co-owner of Three Penny Taproom in Montpelier. Nagy manages the overall restaurant operation of the Mad Taco; Hamilton oversees the administrative/financial piece.) “Before Joey and Georgia bought the farm, we spent a lot of money doing the very best we could, purchasing the highest-quality ingredients we could,” TALKING TURKEY

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SIDEdishes SERVING UP FOOD NEWS

Pizza Soul pie on a turntable

PIZZA PLACE JOINS WAITSFIELD FOOD ZONE

Which food group has Village Square Shopping Plaza in Waitsfield been missing? Pizza — and it will arrive in time for Christmas. PIZZA SOUL will start serving lunch and dinner at 5123 Main Street in the days before the holiday, owner JASON LERNER told Seven Days. The pizzeria joins its new neighbor, the MAD TACO, along with CANTEEN CREEMEE and STOKE RAMEN. “It’s probably the tastiest parking lot in Vermont,” Stoke Ramen chef-owner COLBY MILLER said of the plaza in October. Lerner opened his to-go pizzeria in December 2010 at Sugarbush Resort’s Sugarbush Village; now he’s starting his 10th year in business by moving down the mountain. He serves New York-style pizza in 12-inch and 18-inch pies and by the slice. “I’m excited to join that little food court,” said Lerner, 45. “I’m going to round out that square.” Lerner moved to the Mad River Valley 17 years ago to make pizza at

Pizza Soul gets its name from Lerner’s interest in music. He’s a DJ with WMRW 94.5 FM, a community station in East Warren. On his weekly show, “Roots of the Tiger,” he spins “a bit of everything,” from reggae to rock to jazz. Sally Pollak

Sugarbush, expecting to stay about six months. He wound up cooking for the ski resort for seven years before opening his own shop on the mountain. “Seventeen years later, here I am in the same town, but making pizza in the valley,” he said. Lerner hand-tosses the dough and grates the cheese for what he calls “old-fashioned, smallbatch” pizza. Specialty pies include Vermont Vibes, which is topped with cheddar cheese, ham, apple slices and maple syrup; and Buffalo Blues, featuring Buffalo chicken, blue cheese and red onion. Pizza Soul also serves tater tots, stromboli and calzones. “It’ll be a new audience,” Lerner said. “My location before was skiers and second-home owners. Locals don’t necessarily go onto the mountain as much. I’m excited to bring Pizza Soul down to the valley floor.”

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COURTESY OF JASON LERNER

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Vermont’s newest food hub is women-powered, and it’s filling gaps in the market for local farmers. The VERMONT FOOD COLLABORATIVE opened November 30 on the corner of Route 7 and Campground Road in New Haven, in the building that formerly housed GREEN PASTURE MEATS. Founded by farmers ANNAJO SMITH and JENNIFER KENNETT, the collaborative connects local farmers and producers with restaurants, wholesalers, distributors and individual customers through its wholesale and retail arms. “We started planning this business a year ago when we noticed a decrease in retail options for the beef we’d farmed,” Kennett said. Both founders are beef farmers: Kennett owns and operates TAIL FEATHER FARM with her husband, THOMAS; Smith is the co-owner and operator of SMITH FAMILY FARM. “I struggled selling my beef to restaurants because I didn’t have enough supply as a single farmer,” Kennett said. “So I thought, Why can’t I get a group of farmers together?” SIDE DISHES

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Hamilton said. “It’s something we’re personally committed to.” Marble Hill Farm adds “another dimension” to this work, he added. “Some things [in the industry] are easier to overcome than others,” Hamilton, 40, said. “We’re trying to constantly figure out the better and best ways to do things.” Nagy and von Trapp bought the 297-acre conserved hillside farm with her brother, cheesemaker Sebastian von Trapp, four years ago. The von Trapp siblings share a farming background, having grown up on a dairy farm in Waitsfield. For Nagy’s part, he said, “I’m learning as I go.” He’s raising goats and turkeys because those products aren’t readily available on the local market at a reasonable price. In 2020, Marble Hill Farm intends to increase its turkey operation from 100 birds to 1,000. As the farm operation grows, Nagy hopes to achieve a 50-50 split between agricultural work and running the restaurants. “I would go crazy if I was on the farm all day,” he said at the Mad Taco bar. “I’m very social, and I need to find that balance.” On the produce side, von Trapp grows tomatoes, peppers, greens, tomatillos, butternut squash, cilantro and other herbs. During the height of the season last summer, she harvested roughly 800 pounds of tomatoes a week. “And they’re gone in a week,” Nagy said. “There’s not enough to put anything away. We’re trying the best we can to raise as much as we can.” The farm is adding greenhouse space, he said. The tomatoes form the base of the vegetable stock that the Mad Taco uses to cook rice. This dish and other food, including beans, salsa and kimchi, are prepared in the Waitsfield commissary kitchen and transported three days a week to the Mad Taco’s other locations in Montpelier, Essex and Middlebury. The commissary opened two years ago and further increased the size of the Waitsfield site — an operation that has grown incrementally since it opened as a to-go shop with a few stools in November 2010. A dining room and then a bar were added on either side of the counter-service area. Staff members sometimes call the place “town hall” because it’s a hub of activity, Hamilton said. “I think a huge component [of the growth] is that Joey’s a very social person,” he said. “The community started coalescing around his personality and his interest in having a good time — not just merely eating good food, but having a good time.” Hanging out with Nagy at the bar, eating tacos and drinking a margarita, is a good time that comes with a “town hall” component. 52

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

PHOTOS: JEB WALLACE-BRODEUR

Talking Turkey « P.50

Farmworker Joe Thompson with a barn ca

Kiko goats at Marble Hill Farm Joey Nagy feeding his Kiko goats

I THINK SMALL FARMS ARE

GOING TO SAVE EVERYTHING IN THE END. J O E Y NAGY

A man picking up an order of carnitas torta asked Nagy if he’d trade pottery for a piece of goat for Christmas dinner. The answer was yes. A guy a few barstools away joined our conversation to report that when people dress up as Nagy on Halloween — as locals apparently do — the key to the costume is Nagy’s ever-present phone. An authentic Halloween getup would also include a worn Carhartt jacket and big work gloves on the farm. For dressing up as the social Nagy, a pint of Hill Farmstead Brewery’s Edward on the bar is a realistic touch. Nagy, who grew up in Chico, Calif., moved to Montpelier in 2004 to attend the New England Culinary Institute. He returned to California two years later and managed banquets for Hyatt Regency, a position that required feeding lunch to hundreds, if not thousands, of people a day, he said. In those SoCal years, the Nagy Halloween costume would have been clean-shaven, with gelled hair and pressed whites. “Life’s too short not to have fun,” Nagy reflected. “That’s why I’m not in the corporate world anymore.” In the winter of 2010, he returned to central Vermont and had a job cooking at Three Penny. In those days, the taproom didn’t have a restaurant and barely had a kitchen. Nagy cooked for

bar-goers on a panini press and George Foreman grill. In the spring, hanging out in Waitsfield with von Trapp, Nagy heard about a little restaurant space coming up for lease in the strip mall. “At the time, I couldn’t find any other tacos in Vermont,” he said. By mid-November, the Mad Taco had arrived in town. In November 2020, to celebrate 10 years, Nagy wants to throw a goat-roast

party in the parking lot. The meat will come from Marble Hill Farm. “I think small farms are going to save everything in the end,” Nagy said. “The closer that the food is raised or grown to the people who are eating it, the better.” m Contact: sally@sevendaysvt.com

INFO Learn more at themadtaco.com.

food+drink Side Dishes « P.51

• Authentic Italian Food •

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Hurry in to get your holiday gift cards!

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DA N BA

Latte

SALLY POLLAK

The retail space, open Wednesday through Sunday, offers a growing selection of products from 14 area farms, including beef, chicken, honey, maple syrup, dairy, vegetables and more. Prepared foods made by ELISSA KLINGENSMITH are soon to come. Approval for processing inside the facility is in the works. “We really want to provide a convenience for people,” Kennett said. “We’re banding together to make the village stronger. We’re doing something totally nontraditional — and proving that girls can do anything.”

How about a Buy one entree, Papa Franks GET OFF gift 50% certiﬁcate for that the hard second. to shop Valid Mon-Thu only. for person? Expires 12/19/19

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24 Main Street, Downtown Winooski, 655-4888 • tinythairestaurant.net

Crumbs GREEN LIGHT CAFÉ CLOSES; VERGENNES LAUNDRY FOR SALE

The GREEN LIGHT CAFÉ in Randolph is closing its doors after 10 months in business, proprietor JOSH MATHER announced on social media on December 2. He wrote, “It is with much regret that I have decided that I can no longer keep the Green Light operating.” The café, whose building was adorned with what its social media feed called “the first stoplight in town,” opened in February. Patrons could peruse a selection of books — provided by the nonprofit Friends of the Kimball Public Library — over an espresso drink made with beans from CARRIER ROASTING, pastries from SWEET ALCHEMY BAKERY

AND CAFÉ, or panini made on RED HEN BAKING bread. The community-focused space frequently hosted live music and board game nights. “With your help we

6h-tinythai122315-2.indd 1

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Rice bowl at Vergennes Laundry by CK

created a place that I enjoyed working, and I hope you enjoyed visiting,” wrote Mather, who could not be reached for comment. J.B.

Chef-owner CHRISTIAN announced December 5 on Facebook that VERGENNES LAUNDRY BY CK is for sale. Kruse purchased the bakery and café at 247 Main Street from founding owners DIDIER and JULIANNE MURAT in the fall of 2017. In the Facebook KRUSE

post and an email to customers, Kruse wrote that he had to “make the difficult decisions in the best interest of the business.” He continued: “It’s been a journey I will never forget but a decision I must make. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support.” Vergennes Laundry remains open for brunch on weekends from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to its website. Efforts to reach Kruse on Monday were not immediately successful. S.P.

CONNECT Follow us for the latest food gossip! On Twitter: Sally Pollak: @vtpollak. On Instagram: Seven Days: @7deatsvt; Jordan Barry: @jordankbarry. Untitled-63 1

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

12/9/19 11:13 AM

Highball Social’s final menu goes to Narni BY J O R D AN BAR RY

The Great Lio

Turkish Delight Queen Lucy the Valiant

Tumnus the Faun

Cocktails from the Narnia menu at Highball Social

f it’s possible to have nostalgia for something that isn’t over yet, I’ve got it. That wistful, longing feeling hit me over the head last week when I walked into Burlington’s Highball Social to try the new winter menu. On December 3, Stonecutter Spirits cofounders Sas Stewart and Sivan Cotel announced that they’ll close both Highball Social and their Middlebury tasting room at the end of 2019, citing the “increasingly crowded marketplace” of craft spirits and the difficulty of expanding sales and distribution beyond the local market. The distillery will continue to sell its ample supply wholesale into 2020, though it has no plans for further production. So the Burlington lounge’s new menu is also its final one: a delightful, seasonally appropriate mashup of childhood memories and adult activities inspired by C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia. Founded in 2013, Stonecutter made a name for itself with its Single Barrel Gin. Aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels, the smooth spirit won a Good Food Award 54

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

and double gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Stonecutter’s Heritage Cask Whiskey is no slouch either; distilled in Kentucky, then aged and finished in bourbon and cabernet sauvignon casks in Vermont, it shows up on drink menus around the state. Stewart and Cotel opened their tasting room on Exchange Street in Middlebury in 2015, and Highball Social in the former funeral home behind Burlington’s City Market, Onion River Co-op in fall 2018. The Burlington spot was Vermont’s first permanent bar-restaurant operated by a liquor manufacturer, and opening it required some serious regulatory hoop jumping with federal and state authorities. Highball Social is modern, playful and cavernous by Burlington bar standards. A pink mural covering the front entrance — complete with line drawings of botanicals, barrels and booze — distinguishes it from its neighbor, Folino’s Pizza, and sets

expectations of whimsy inside. With less than a month left to get my fill of Stonecutter’s carbonated highballs and twists-ona-classic, I grabbed a seat at the bar to chat with Stewart and take a trip through the wardrobe into Narnia’s winter wonderland. Over the year and a bit it’s been open, Highball has embraced theme menus: Jaws, “Twin Peaks,” A Christmas Carol, Choose Your Own Adventure, the Chinese New Year (with a drink for each zodiac sign), the seven deadly sins, Mean Girls. “We started doing theme menus at Stonecutter’s tasting room,” Stewart said. “I loved it and thought it was a nice way of organizing things creatively, to have something to work from and to entice people to try something new.” Stewart changed themes monthly in those early days in Middlebury, coming up with three cocktails for each. When director of beverage programming Martha Mack came on board, the distillery started

doing more extensive menus and changing them less frequently. “Theme menus allow us to really push the creative boundaries of what we can put in cocktails, because we couch it in something that’s super approachable,” Stewart said. “We’re picking cultural touch points that have a broad enough appeal that if you know it, you’re so fucking pumped. If you don’t know it, you can at least see that there’s a cohesive thought pattern behind it.” Stewart calls Narnia a “perfect send-off menu.” Based on the seven-book fantasy series published in the 1950s, the sevendrink list highlights a broad spectrum of cocktail styles and uses all four of Stonecutter’s products, including the newly released Barrel Strength Whiskey. “It’s a place that we can all come back to,” Stewart said. The theme was Mack’s idea. In the first book, Narnia is a world stuck in endless winter, and while the author gets some flak for his Christian allegory, that element makes the theme seasonal without being

PHOTOS: LUKE AWTRY

The Lion, the Witch and the Cocktail

food+drink “too Christmas,” Mack said. “It’s a great and a little easy,” Stewart said. “This has escape and a fully realized world. Narnia complexity that you look for with winter has this woodsy, wintry feel that is easily drinks. If you were in Narnia, what would translatable to cocktails.” you be drinking?” Cocktails that meet classic expectaDrinks are named after beloved characters — and Turkish delight, of course tions of winter, besides Aslan’s name— with quotes tying each to the enchanted world. I took Sas Stewart (left) and Martha Mack one look at the menu and was immediately transported back to childhood, recalling a quote from the opening of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: “This is going to be perfectly splendid.” I ordered the Great Lion ($12): Stonecutter’s Heritage Cask Whiskey, Carpano Antica Formula sweet vermouth, Dolin dry vermouth, Bonal Gentiane-Quina and FernetBranca. The quote: “He’s wild, you know. Not like a tame lion.” Stewart called this a play on the classic Hanky Panky with whiskey substituted for gin. She credited the Bonal and Fernet with adding a woodsy, earthy note. “If you were chopping wood, this is what you’d drink after,” she said. It was the cocktail equivalent of donning one of the oversize fur coats the children in the book grab from the wardrobe: warming, practical and necessary for winter. The menu isn’t all dark and broody, though. Queen Lucy the Valiant ($9) is “a breath of spring in a January thaw,” Stewart said. It’s a cocktail version of green juice, with Stonecutter’s Single Barrel Gin, arugula, tarragon, mint, lemon, Green Chartreuse and soda water. The arugula S A S S TE WA RT — certainly an unusual drink ingredient — is both used in a simple syrup and blended in, produc- sake, are King Peter the Magnificent ing a vibrant green drink that is light and ($12) and King Edmund the Just ($12). refreshing. Peter is a riff on an Old Fashioned, Queen Susan the Gentle ($11) is with three different amari contributanother refreshing crowd-pleaser, ing nutty, caramel and woodsy notes composed of Stonecutter’s Single Barrel and highlighting the red wine barrel Gin, rosé, mixed berries, cardamom, finish of the Heritage Cask Whiskey. lemon, Pimm’s and Aperol. “It’s a winter- The drink’s spiced maple syrup features ized hybrid of two of the drinks from the black pepper, star anise and cinnamon. Mean Girls menu,” Stewart said. “Riff- Edmund is the bar’s Manhattan riff, ing on a previous drink is a cool way of with Benedictine bringing herbal and building cohesiveness even though we’re honey notes. changing the menu all the time.” Tumnus the Faun ($9) is a clarified The cardamom and mixed berries add milk punch with Single Barrel Gin, Earl the winter notes. “The Mean Girls menu Grey tea, port, lemon, pineapple, star was as if the Mean Girls themselves were anise and cinnamon. “Clarified milk cocktails; they were fruity and forward punch is a colonial-era preservation

WHY NOT WARM YOURSELF WITH

A LITTLE WHISKEY AND A LITTLE NOSTALGIA?

technique that endured because it’s also delicious,” Stewart said. The batched cocktail has a backbone of spice that definitely evokes teatime in a cave with a peaceful host who’s half human and half goat. I could almost hear Mr. Tumnus’ SHOPPING FOR SOMEONE SPECIAL? invitation: “Daughter of Eve CORNER OF from the far land of Spare Oom LAKE & MAIN where eternal summer reigns ST. ALBANS around the bright city of War 802-524-3769 Drobe, how would it be if you M-SA 9 A.M. - 6 P.M. came and had tea with me?” SU 10 A.M. - 3 P.M. The final drink on the menu, Turkish Delight ($11), is good enough to make anyone16t-railcitymarket121119.indd 1 12/9/19 2:47 PM sell out their siblings to an evil witch (as Edmund does in the book for hefty helpings of the gel confection). “It’s like a beautiful Negroni pillow,” Cookies • Cakes Stewart said. Stuffing Mix and More! Stonecutter’s gin, Campari, grapefruit, lime, rosewater and simple syrup are shaken with an egg white and kissed with raspberry dust. An optional pairing with a Turkish Delight macaron from Monarch & the Milkweed ($4) takes the fluffy 4 Carmichael St., Essex Jct., 878-1646 pink drink to another level. westmeadowfarmbakery.com “It’s one of the most popular drinks already,” Stewart said. The response to the menu 16t-westmeadowfarm112719.indd 1 11/18/19 12:57 PM has been overwhelmingly positive, according to Stewart. “It’s just fun,” she said. “At the end of the day, we’re in the business of making people feel that they have ownership of a space. It’s already a time of year where you’re feeling a BREAKFAST • LUNCH • DINNER little nostalgic. It’s the holiday season; it’s snowing outside; it’s dark at four o’clock. Why not warm yourself with a little whiskey and a little nostalgia?” While the nostalgia creeps in — for childhood, and soon for Highball Social itself — Stewart and her team will celebrate all month with a packed calendar of events. The bar’s last night is New Year’s Eve, when the send-off will be a Gatsbythemed bash with live jazz, themed cocktails and a Champagne toast. Until then, I’ll be heading through the Ask about our specially designed wardrobe as often as I can. And, like Lucy, menus for your celebration. Edmund, Susan and Peter, when I look back on the creative, damn good drinks at Highball Social, I’ll remember life in that world “as one remembers a dream.” m MON-FRI: 6:30AM-10PM SAT+SUN: 7AM-10PM Contact: jbarry@sevendaysvt.com LOUNGE DAILY: 11 AM-CLOSING

Celebrate the Holidays Gluten-Free!

The perfect place for Holiday Gatherings

INFO Highball Social, 71 South Union Street, Burlington, 540-3000, stonecutterspirits.com

802.660.7523 1117 WILLISTON RD. SOUTH BURLINGTON

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019 8v-dukespublichouse112719.indd 1

55 11/25/19 1:08 PM

calendar D E C E M B E R

WED.11 bazaars

INTERNATIONAL BOUTIQUE: Goods from Mexico, India, Nepal and beyond make for unique holiday gifts. Waitsﬁeld Masonic Lodge, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Free. Info, 583-2204. OUTDOOR GEAR SALE: Outdoor adventurers stock up on lightly used equipment. Alexander Twilight ° eatre, Northern Vermont UniversityLyndon, 4-8 p.m. Free. Info, benjamin.mirkin@northern vermont.edu.

community

BARRE ROCK SOLID: A CELEBRATION OF BARRE’S FUTURE: Community members attend the unveiling of the Granite City’s new brand and marketing initiative. Barre Opera House, 7-8:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 476-8188. CENSUS WORKER INFORMATION: Jeanne Zimmerman shares opportunities to join the 2020 census team, including full- and part-time paid positions, in Chittenden County. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 3:30-5:30 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

crafts

FIBER RIOT!: Creative types get hooked on knitting, crocheting, spinning and more at an informal weekly gathering. Mad River Fiber Arts & Mill, Waitsﬁeld, 5-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 496-7746. KNITTER’S GROUP: Crafters share their latest projects and get help with challenging patterns. All skill levels are welcome. South Burlington

1 1 - 1 8 ,

Ho Ho Ho

2 0 1 9

Community Library, University Mall, 6:30-8 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

admission free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.

dance

‘RENZO PIANO: AN ARCHITECT FOR SANTANDER’: Shown as part of the Architecture + Design Film Series, the ﬁlm focuses on the Italian designer behind buildings such as the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the New York Times Building in Manhattan. Burlington City Hall Auditorium, reception, 6 p.m.; screening, 6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 865-7166.

SQUARE DANCING: Swing your partner! Dancers forge friendships while exercising their minds and bodies. Barre Area Senior Center, 1-3 p.m. Donations; preregister. Info, 479-9512.

etc.

GETTING TO KNOW LIBBY: Patrons learn to use a library app to download e-books and audiobooks to their smartphones, tablets and e-readers. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 1:30-2:30 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

ﬁlm

See what’s playing at local theaters in the movies section. ‘EARTH FLIGHT 3D’: Revolutionary aerial techniques and state-of-the-art 3D cameras take viewers on a journey across the world on the wings of birds. Northfield Savings Bank 3D ° eater: A National Geographic Experience, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 11 a.m., 1 & 3 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $11.50-14.50; admission free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848. ‘INCREDIBLE PREDATORS 3D’: Advanced filming techniques expose the planet’s top hunters on land, under the sea and in the air. Northfield Savings Bank 3D ° eater: A National Geographic Experience, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, noon, 2 & 4 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $11.50-14.50;

LIST YOUR UPCOMING EVENT HERE FOR FREE!

‘SPACE JUNK 3D’: A growing ring of orbiting debris is at the center of an out-of-thisworld film showing natural and man-made collisions. Northfield Savings Bank 3D ° eater: A National Geographic Experience, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 10:30 a.m., 12:30, 2:30 & 4:30 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $11.50-14.50; admission free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848. ‘TINY GIANTS 3D’: An immersive film reveals the astonishing lives of the smallest of animals — think chipmunks and grasshopper mice. Northfield Savings Bank 3D ° eater: A National Geographic Experience, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 11:30 a.m., 1:30 & 3:30 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $11.50-14.50; admission free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848. WARREN MILLER’S ‘TIMELESS’: Skiers and snowboarders get stoked on the upcoming season with the release of the latest edition of the long-running wintersports film franchise, which WED.11

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FIND MORE LOCAL EVENTS IN THIS ISSUE AND ONLINE:

ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY art THURSDAY AT NOON FOR CONSIDERATION IN Find visual art exhibits and events in the art section THE FOLLOWING WEDNESDAY’S NEWSPAPER. and at sevendaysvt.com/art. FIND OUR CONVENIENT SUBMISSION FORM AND GUIDELINES AT SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POSTEVENT.

ﬁlm

SPECIAL HOLIDAY DEADLINE: DUE TO THE See what’s playing at local theaters in the movies DECEMBER HOLIDAYS, LISTINGS FOR EVENTS TAKING PLACE BETWEEN WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER section and at sevendayst.com/movies. 18, AND WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, ARE DUE BY music + nightlife NOON ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12. LISTINGS AND SPOTLIGHTS ARE WRITTEN BY KRISTEN RAVIN AND DAN BOLLES. SEVEN DAYS EDITS FOR SPACE AND STYLE. DEPENDING ON COST AND OTHER FACTORS, CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS MAY BE LISTED IN EITHER THE CALENDAR OR THE CLASSES SECTION. WHEN APPROPRIATE, CLASS ORGANIZERS MAY BE ASKED TO PURCHASE A CLASS LISTING. 56 SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

Find club dates at local venues in the music + nightlife section and at sevendaysvt.com/music. All family-oriented events are now published in Kids VT, our free parenting monthly. Look for it on newsstands and check out the online calendar at kidsvt.com.

DEC.13-15 & 18 | HOLIDAYS

First read on NPR’s “Morning Edition” in 1992, David Sedaris’ essay “The SantaLand Diaries” has become an adult holiday favorite. In it, Sedaris employs his trademark dark humor to recount his experiences working as an elf in Macy’s SantaLand. Comedian, actor and former Vermont legislator Jason Lorber tours the state with a one-person stage adaptation of the story. “Nope, it’s definitely not a traditional Christmas tale,” Lorber says in a press release. “But if you want to laugh your stockings off the fireplace and enjoy classic, satirical wit, then come.”

‘THE SANTALAND DIARIES’ Friday, December 13, 7:30 p.m., at Chandler Center for the Arts in Randolph. $25. Info, 728-9878, chandler-arts.org. Saturday, December 14, 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, December 15, 2 p.m., at the Grange Hall Cultural Center in Waterbury Center. $2023. Info, grangehallcc@gmail.com, grangehallcc.com. And Wednesday, December 18, 7:30 p.m., at Off Center for the Dramatic Arts in Burlington. See website for additional dates. $20-23. Info, theoffcenter@gmail.com, offcentervt.com.

GONE COUNTRY DEC.13-15 | HOLIDAYS

What’s the Buzz? The Garage Cultural Center and the Center for Sustainable Systems team up to offer a buzzworthy shopping experience. Local artists, makers and crafters set up shop for the Let It Bee Arts and Crafts Fair, purveying everything from jewelry and leather goods to edible items and body products. The motley marketplace takes place in conjunction with “Let It Bee,” a group exhibition by three Vermont artists — Dona Mara Friedman, Jan Sandman and Peggy Smith — who employ the encaustic technique of adding color to melted beeswax. The exhibition and related programming are designed to raise awareness of the plight of the honeybee and other pollinators.

DEC.14 | CRAFTS

LET IT BEE ARTS AND CRAFTS FAIR Saturday, December 14, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., at the Garage Cultural Center in Montpelier. Free. Info, 738-3667, garageartsvt.com.

Another Dimension Though Vermont musician Emma Back is a solo performer, she singlehandedly simulates a full-band sound in her live concerts. A classically trained violinist and vocalist, Back uses live looping to create layered rhythms and harmonies for dynamic and stirring performances. In her show “Strife and Joy,” Back uses music to explore the connection between the extreme human states of suffering and bliss. The Burlington-based artist, who released her debut LP, Little World, in 2018, performs the program in an intimate setting as part of the Grange Hall Cultural Center’s Listening Room Series.

EMMA BACK Friday, December 13, mingle with the artist, 6:30 p.m.; concert, 7:30 p.m., at Grange Hall Cultural Center in Waterbury Center. Donations; preregister. Info, grangehallcc@gmail.com, grangehallcc.com.

˜ e near-constant barrage of advertising and the pressures of shopping can make Christmas overwhelming, to say the least. ˜ ose looking to appreciate the simpler things in life this holiday season can experience yuletide as late 19th-century Vermonters did by heading to Billings Farm & Museum’s Christmas at the Farm. Taking place on select days leading up to and following Christmas Day, this festive blast from the past offers a bevy of historical activities — think ornament making, cooking demos, candle dipping and touring the decked-out 1890 farmhouse. CHRISTMAS AT THE FARM Friday, December 13, through Sunday, December 15, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at Billings Farm & Museum in Woodstock. See website for additional dates. $4-16; free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 457-2355, billingsfarm.org.

DEC.13 | MUSIC SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

calendar WED.11

VT’S HOLIDAY

this year features Vermont native Jim Ryan. Town Hall Theate , Middlebury, 7:30 p.m. $21. Info, 382-9222.

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COOK THE BOOK COOKIE SWAP: Home bakers bring two dozen treats from Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

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games

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MAH JONGG IN BARRE: Fun, friendship and conversation flow as players manipulate tiles. Barre Area Senior Center, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 479-9512. MAH JONGG IN WILLISTON: Participants of all levels enjoy friendly bouts of this tile-based game. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 1-3:30 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

health & fitnes

ALL-LEVELS ACROYOGA CLASS: The mindfulness and breath of yoga meet the playful aspects of acrobatics in a partner practice. No partners or experience required. Sangha Studio — Pine, Burlington, 7-8 p.m. Donations. Info, 798-2651.

RESILIENCE FLOW: Individuals affected by traumatic brain injuries engage in a gentle yoga practice. Sangha Studio — Pine, Burlington, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Donations. Info, 448-4262. YOGA4CANCER: Meant for anyone affected by the illness, this class aims to help participants manage treatment side effects and recovery. Sangha Studio — North, Burlington, noon-1 p.m. Donations. Info, 448-4262.

holidays

OR Pay for 4 months

EDGE gift cards now available, stop by any EDGE location

BRIDGE CLUB: Players have fun with the popular card game. Burlington Bridge Club, Williston, 9:15 a.m. & 1:30 p.m. $6. Info, 872-5722.

CHAIR YOGA: Whether experiencing balance issues or recovering from illness or injury, health-conscious community members drop in for a weekly low-stress class. Waterbury Public Library, 10:15-11:15 a.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

with a

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edgevt.com/join 12/5/19 12:40 PM

‘A CHRISTMAS STORY’: Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon and Darren McGavin star in the classic tale of a boy growing up in the 1940s whose holiday hopes repeatedly fall short. Catamount Arts Center, St. Johnsbury, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 748-2600. FRENCH CLUB: HOLIDAY FÊTE: Folks of all language abilities bring French-themed hors d’oeuvres to a festive gathering. Rotary Room, Howe Library, Hanover, N.H., 5:30-7 p.m. Free. Info, 603-643-4120. GIFT WRAPPING FUNDRAISER: Volunteers cover presents in paper. Proceeds benefit ANEW Place. University Mall, South

Burlington, 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Cost of service. Info, 729-0133. HOLIDAY BARTER MARKET: Cash is optional as art and other intentional goods change hands at this first-annual swap. ishbone Collective, Winooski, 5-8 p.m. Free. Info, hello@wishbone collectivevt.com. HOLIDAY SING-ALONG: Guitar in hand, Erica Mitchell accompanies vocalists of all ages and experience levels. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 6:45 p.m. Free. Info, 426-3581. ILLUMINATION NIGHT: Hot cocoa and holiday songs pave the way for an annual lighting ceremony. College Green, Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpelier, 5:30 p.m. Free. Info, 828-8600. OLD-FASHIONED CHRISTMAS CAROL SING: Community members lend their voices to well-known religious and secular music selections. Sheet music is provided. Stowe Community Church, 7-8 p.m. Free. Info, 253-7257. ‘WINTER TALES’: In Vermont Stage’s 15th annual holiday special conceived by Mark Nash and directed by Cristina Alicea, songs and stories warm the heart during the coldest season. Black Box Theate , Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $29.70-33. Info, 862-1497.

language

BEGINNER & INTERMEDIATE/ ADVANCED ENGLISH LANGUAGE CLASSES: Learners take communication to the next level. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 6:30-8 p.m. Free. Info, 865-7211. LUNCH IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE: SPANISH: ¡Hola! Language lovers perfect their fluenc . Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, noon-1 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

FOMO? Find even more local events in this newspaper and online:

art Find visual art exhibits and events in the art section and at sevendaysvt.com/art.

fil See what’s playing at local theaters in the movies section and at sevendayst.com/movies.

music + comedy Find club dates at local venues in the music + nightlife section and at sevendaysvt.com/music. All family-oriented events are now published in Kids VT, our free parenting monthly. Look for it on newsstands and check out the online calendar at kidsvt.com. Learn more about highlighted listings in the Magnificent 7 on page 11.

lgbtq

LUNCH WITH BOI CHAPLAIN: Those questioning, seeking or needing spiritual friendship drop in for a chat with minister in training Danielle. Pride Center of Vermont, Burlington, noon-1 p.m. Free. Info, 860-7812. SHAPE NOTES FILM SCREENING: ‘ANYTHING’: Clashing lifestyles challenge a romance between a Southern widower and a transgender sex worker. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

music

Find club dates in the music section. MENTALLY INTUNE: Singers find harmony in a community chorus for people living with depression. No experience or talent required. Rumney Memorial School, Middlesex, 6:30-8 p.m. Donations. Info, 272-7209. OLD NORTH END NEIGHBORHOOD BAND TEEN MUSIC JAM: Be they accomplished or beginner musicians, young players find harmony in the traditional music of Burlington’s past and present immigrant groups. Boys & Girls Club, Burlington, 6-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 881-8500.

talks

EMILY TARLETON: “Magnesium for the Treatment of Chronic Disease and Other Adventures in Nutrition Research” finds eager listeners. Room 207, Bentley Hall, Northern Vermont UniversityJohnson, 4 p.m. Free. Info, les. kanat@northernvermont.edu.

tech

TECH HELP WITH CLIF: Electronics novices develop skill sets applicable to smartphones, tablets and other gadgets. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, noon & 1 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 878-6955. TECH SUPPORT: Need an email account? Want to enjoy ebooks? Bring your phone, tablet or laptop to a weekly help session. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 3-5 p.m. Free. Info, 748-8291. TECHNOLOGY NIGHT: Anti-virus and device protection strategies become second nature during a class with Vermont Technical College’s Ken Bernard. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

theater

‘THE SOUND OF MUSIC’: The hills are alive in Northern Stage’s production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s classic tale of a nun who became a singing nanny in pre-World War II Austria. Byrne Theate , Barrette Center for the Arts, White River Junction, 11 a.m. & 7:30 p.m. $3469. Info, 296-7000.

words

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP: Bibliophiles delve into The Library Book by Susan Orlean.

First Congregational Church of Essex Junction

LIST YOUR EVENT FOR FREE AT SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POSTEVENT

Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 6:30-8 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403. SYDNEY LEA: The former Vermont poet laureate reads from his latest collection, Here, in which he addresses the deep connection between human life and the natural world. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 7-8 p.m. Free. Info, 745-1393. WRITING CIRCLE: Words pour out when participants explore creative expression in a lowpressure environment. The Pathways Vermont Community Center, Burlington, 4-5 p.m. Free. Info, 888-492-8218, ext. 303.

THU.12 bazaars

INTERNATIONAL BOUTIQUE: See WED.11.

etc.

COTS FUNDRAISER: Pints, pizza and a raffle propel a benefit fo the Committee on Temporary Shelter. 1st Republic Brewing Company, Essex Junction, 5-7 p.m. Free. Info, 857-5318. TROPICAL FISH CLUB MONTHLY MEETING: Speakers ranging from local hobbyists to nationally known aquarium aficionados share their expertise. Essex Junction VFW Post, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 372-8716.

fil

See what’s playing at local theaters in the movies section. ‘EARTH FLIGHT 3D’: See WED.11. ‘INCREDIBLE PREDATORS 3D’: See WED.11. ‘SAINT FRANCES’: Kelly O’Sullivan writes and stars in the story of an unlikely friendship between a floundering nanny and her six-year-old charge. Film House, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7 p.m. $5-8; free for Vermont International Film Festival members. Info, 660-2600. ‘SPACE JUNK 3D’: See WED.11. ‘TINY GIANTS 3D’: See WED.11. WARREN MILLER’S ‘TIMELESS’: See WED.11.

food & drink

COMMUNITY LUNCH: Gardengrown fare makes for a delicious and nutritious midday meal. The Pathways Vermont Community Center, Burlington, 1-2 p.m. Free. Info, 888-492-8218, ext. 309. GINGERBREAD HOUSES & BARR HILL COCKTAILS: Bakers and nonbakers alike craft sustainable-themed edible abodes while sipping craft beverages. Hosted by SunCommon. Caledonia Spirits, Montpelier, 4-7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, erin.rocheleau@ suncommon.com. IN-STORE KNIFE SHARPENING: Dull blades, be gone! Home chefs wait while pros whet cutting tools. Rachel Smith of Pin Up Pickles shares free samples. Kiss the Cook, Middlebury, 5-8 p.m. Free. Info, 349-8803.

games

CHITTENDEN COUNTY CHESS CLUB: Checkmate! Strategic thinkers make calculated moves as they vie for their opponents’ kings. Shaw’s, Shelburne Rd., South Burlington, 7-9:30 p.m. Free. Info, 863-5403.

YOGA: A Sangha Studio instructor guides students who are in recovery toward achieving inner tranquility. Turning Point Center, Burlington, 5-6 p.m. Free. Info, 448-4262.

CRIBBAGE: Friends connect over a fun-spirited card game. Barre Area Senior Center, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 479-9512.

YOGA FOR LIFE INFORMATION SESSION: Yogis learn about a program designed to help participants take their practice to the next level. Evolution Physical Thera y & Yoga, Burlington, 6-7 p.m. Free. Info, 864-9642.

health & fitnes

holidays

ACUPUNCTURE TALK SERIES: In the final of a fou -part series, Christina Ducharme describes healthy aging with acupuncture and Chinese medicine. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 426-3581. ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION EXERCISE PROGRAM: Seniors rise and shine with an exercise program meant to increase bone density and muscle strength. Barre Area Senior Center, 8:309:45 a.m. Free. Info, 479-9512. CHAIR YOGA: Comfortable clothing is recommended for this class focused on balance, breath, flexibili y and meditation. Barre Area Senior Center, 1-2 p.m. Free. Info, 479-9512. CHAIR YOGA WITH SANGHA STUDIO: Supported poses promote health and wellbeing. Champlain Senior Center, Burlington, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 448-4262. COMMUNITY MINDFULNESS: A 20-minute guided practice with Andrea O’Connor alleviates stress and tension. Tea and a discussion follow. Winooski Senior Center, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 233-1161. FALLS PREVENTION TAI CHI I & II: Students improve their ability to stay steady on their feet. Barre Area Senior Center, 3:45-4:45 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 479-9512. KARMA KLASS: DONATIONBASED YOGA FOR A CAUSE: Active bodies hit the mat to support local nonprofits. Th Wellness Collective, Burlington, 6-7 p.m. Donations. Info, 540-0186. SEED CLINIC: Small magnetic beads taped to acupressure points offer support for those experiencing difficult or stress ful times. Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism, Montpelier, 6:30-8 p.m. Donations. Info, clinicseed@ gmail.com. WOMEN VETERANS RELAXATION & REJUVENATION OPEN HOUSE: Women who have served their country take time for self care with chair massages, acupuncture and other wellness services. Burlington Lakeside Clinic, 5-7 p.m. Free. Info, 657-7090. YANG-STYLE TAI CHI: Slow, graceful, expansive movements promote wide-ranging health and fitness benefits. Wrigh House, Harrington Village, Shelburne, 4-5:30 p.m. Free. Info, 735-5467.

A welcoming community, accepting and serving all in the Spirit of Christ. Join us to celebrate Christmas Eve on Dec 24th with an inclusive, progressive church.

CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES

5PM: Family Service 9PM: Lessons & Carols 11PM: Carols & Communion

CHANNEL 17 & CCTV HOLIDAY PARTY: A celebration of free speech, local media and the holiday season treats attendees to food, fun and live TV. CCTV Channel 17 Studios, Burlington, 5-7 p.m. Free. Info, kathleen@ cctv.org.

1 CHURCH STREET, ESSEX JUNCTION 878-5745 • FCCEJ.ORG

GIFT WRAPPING FUNDRAISER: See WED.11.

GINGERBREAD HOUSE COMPETITION: Participants compete for prizes by bringing 12v-firstcongressionalchurchessex121819.indd 1 their constructed sustainablethemed creations to a first annual event for bakers and nonbakers alike. Bar Hill cocktails keep spirits bright. Caledonia Spirits, Montpelier, 4-7 p.m. Free; preregister to compete. Info, 398-7118.

DECEMBER SPECIAL 1 large, 1-topping pizza, 12 boneless wings, 2 liter Coke product

$22.99

2 large, 1-topping pizzas & 2-liter Coke product

$27.99

Plus tax. Pick-up or delivery only. Expires 12/31/19. Limit: 1 offer per customer per day.

Order online! We Cater • Gift Certificates Available

973 Roosevelt Highway, Colchester 655-5550 • Order online! threebrotherspizzavt.com

12/2/19 12v-threebros121119.indd 11:08 AM 1

SHOP

MIDD NIGHT STROLL: Pop-ups, tastings, promotions and dining specials make community members merry. Various downtown Middlebury locations, 5-8 p.m. Free. Info, 377-1752.

LOCAL

SANTA PAWS PET PHOTOS: Animal lovers pose for memorable holiday images with their pets. The ap Room at Switchback Brewing Co., Burlington, 6-8 p.m. Donations. Info, 651-4114.

12/4/19 11:41 AM

Make it a meaningful holiday season with Phoenix Books and our book drive for the Children’s Literacy Foundation. Through December 31st, we’re partnering with CLiF to collect books for children all over Vermont.

‘WINTER TALES’: See WED.11.

music

Find club dates in the music section. METALWERX TUBA/EUPHONIUM QUARTET: Bag lunches in hand, music lovers settle in for a horn-driven concert by local instrumentalists. Donations benefit the Central ermont Refugee Action Network. Christ Episcopal Church, Montpelier, noon-12:45 p.m. Donations. Info, 223-3631. SONGWRITING WORKSHOP: Seth Melvin Cronin guides Burlington Writers Workshop musicians and singers in structuring original strains. 110 Main St., Suite 3C, Burlington, 6:308:30 p.m. Free. Info, 578-3362.

You’ll receive a 20% discount off books purchased for donation! (Some exclusions apply.)

outdoors

EARLY-WINTER BIRD MONITORING: Ornithology enthusiasts don binoculars in search of winged species. Office building, Green Mountain Audubon Center, Huntington, 8-10 a.m. Donations. Info, 434-3068. SLOW & EASY HIKING: Walkers enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the forest while moving at a gentle pace. Ilene Elliott leads this public Barre Area THU.12

Say you saw it in...

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CLiF works to nurture a love of reading and writing among children who are at high risk of growing up with low literacy skills by bringing authors, illustrators, and literacy programming/resources to schools, libraries, shelters and affordable housing units, refugee programs, Head Start, and many others. 2 Carmichael Street, Essex . 802.872.7111 191 Bank Street, Burlington . 802.448.3350 2 Center Street, Rutland . 802.855.8078 www.phoenixbooks.biz

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019 6v(cmyk)-shoplocal-female.indd 1

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12/5/19 10:38 AM

Item

The best brands are in your neighborhood

Vermont Gas - Safety Ads - Seven Days

Size

calendar

St. Albans Ace Hardware

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City Ace Hardware

Store Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30-7, Sat 7:30-6, Sun 9-4

Store Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30-7, Sat 9:30-6, Sun 9:30-5

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Milton Ace Hardware live tunes

while Don Stratton Jericho, VT 05465 (802) 899-1277 calls the steps. North End Studio Store Hours: Mon-Fri 7:00-7:00, Sat 8-6, Sun 9-4 Store Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30-7, Sat 7:30-6, Sun 8-4 A, Burlington, beginners’ session, Senior Center outing. Barre Town 7:45 p.m.; dance, 8-11 p.m. $9; Forest, Websterville, 10:10 a.m. free for kids 12 and under. Info, Free; preregister. Info, 479-9512. 877-3698. Jerihill Ace Hardware THU.12 P.59 249 Route 15

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talks

FIRST WEDNESDAYS ENCORE: A video screening gives listeners a second chance to hear scholar Barry Deitz deliver “Charles Dickens and the Writing of A Christmas Carol.” Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 1:302:30 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6955.

theater

Visit us

St. Albans Ace Hardware

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Store Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30-7, Sat 7:30-6, Sun 9-4

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249 Route 15 Jericho, VT 05465 (802) 899-1277

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11/14/19 11:22 AM Albans Ace Hardware atSt.800-639-8081

NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE: ‘PRESENT LAUGHTER’: Andrew Scott, who played the Priest in “Fleabag,” stars in Nöel Coward’s comedy about an actor beset by an identity crisis. Performed at the Old Vic in London and shown on screen. Catamount Arts Center, St. Johnsbury, 7 p.m. $16-25. Info, 748-2600.

Champlain Ace Hardware

City Ace Hardware

Store Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30-7, Sat 7:30-6, Sun 9-4

Jerihill Ace Hardware

THE MUDROOM: Hailing from the Upper Valley and beyond, raconteurs share true tales related to the theme “Family Ties.” AVA Gallery and Art Center, Lebanon, N.H., 6-9 p.m. $7.50-20. Info, 603-448-3117.

Natural Gas Safety: Detecting, Reporting & Preventing Leaks Detecting a gas leak: Smell Natural gas is normally odorless. A distinctive, pungent odor, similar to rotten eggs, is added so that you will recognize it quickly. Sight You may see

FRI.13 bazaars

a white cloud, mist, fog, bubbles in standing water or blowing dust. You may also

INTERNATIONAL BOUTIQUE: See WED.11.

see vegetation that appears to be dead or dying for no apparent reason.

business

Sound You may hear an unusual noise like a roaring, hissing, or whistling.

If you suspect a leak: Move immediately to a safe location. Call VGS at 1-800-639-8081 immediately, with the exact location. Do not smoke or operate

IGNITE YOUR PASSION: START YOUR OWN BUSINESS: Potential proprietors get a basic overview of the business-planning process. Capstone Community Action, Barre, 9-10:30 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 477-5214.

dance

electrical switches or appliances. These items may produce a spark

BALLROOM & LATIN DANCING: Singles, couples and beginners are welcome to join in a dance social featuring waltz, tango and more. Williston Jazzercise Fitness Center, 8-9:30 p.m. $10. Info, 862-2269.

that might ignite the gas or cause an explosion. Do not assume someone else will report the condition.

Preventing leaks: Use care when working near natural gas facilities. Digging into a pipeline is the largest single cause of pipeline failures. Protect yourself and underground facilities, before starting to dig call Dig Safe™ at Wishing you a safe a nd happ y holiday season, from yo ur friend s at VGS!

ECSTATIC DANCE VERMONT: Inspired by the 5Rhythms dance practice, attendees move, groove, release and open their hearts to life in a safe and sacred space. Christ Episcopal Church, Montpelier, 7-9 p.m. $10. Info, fearnessence@gmail.com. NORTHERN VERMONT UNIVERSITY-JOHNSON DANCE CLUB: Students bring spectacular choreography to the stage in “Danceland.” Dibden Center for the Arts, Northern Vermont University-Johnson, 7 p.m. Free; preregister; limited space. Info, 635-1476. QUEEN CITY CONTRA DANCE: Red Dog Riley come through with

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

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CIRCUS ARTS TRAINING JAM: Daring individuals perfect skills ranging from juggling to tight-rope walking with CAMP Burlington members. Aikido of Champlain Valley, Burlington, 6:30-9 p.m. Donations. Info, burlingtoncamp@gmail.com. TEEN ADVISORY BOARD: High school students flex their creativity while making wallets, keychains and beads out of duct tape. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

fil

See what’s playing at local theaters in the movies section.

NIGHT: Enthusiasts view and chat about the latest Store Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30-7, Sat 7:30-6, Sun 9-4 Store Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30-7, Sat 9:30-6, Sun 9:30-5 animated shows from Japan. Milton Ace Hardware words Enter through the side door. 5 Southerberry Drive Milton, VT 05468 (802) 893-4100 Laboratory B, Burlington, 6-8 BOOK CLUB: Bookworms bond Store Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30-7, Sat 7:30-6, Sun 8-4 p.m. Free. Info, 777-9012. over the written word. Barre Area Senior Center, 1 p.m. Free. Info, ‘EARTH FLIGHT 3D’: See WED.11. 479-9512. ‘INCREDIBLE PREDATORS 3D’:

Store Hours: Mon-Fri 7:00-7:00, Sat 8-6, Sun 9-4

etc.

‘THE SOUND OF156 MUSIC’: See 872 Rt 11 College Street ANIMÉ Champlain, NY 12919 (518) WED.11, 298-3355 2 & 7:30Burlington, p.m. VT 05401 (802) 651-8355

109 North Main Street St. Albans, VT 05478 (802) 527-7007

249 Route 15 Jericho, VT 05465 (802) 899-1277

811 to notify them of the work.

156 College Street Burlington, VT 05401 (802) 651-8355

12/9/19 11:01 AM

See WED.11. ‘SPACE JUNK 3D’: See WED.11. ‘TINY GIANTS 3D’: See WED.11. WARREN MILLER’S ‘TIMELESS’: See WED.11, Flynn MainStage, Burlington, 6:30 & 9:30 p.m. $20.18-21.10. Info, 863-5966.

food & drink

PUBLIC CUPPING: Coffee connoisseurs and beginners alike explore the fla or notes and aromas of the roaster’s current offerings and new releases. Brio Coffeeworks, Burlington, noon-1 p.m. Free. Info, 777-6641.

FOMO? Find even more local events in this newspaper and online:

art Find visual art exhibits and events in the art section and at sevendaysvt.com/art.

fil See what’s playing at local theaters in the movies section and at sevendayst.com/movies.

games

BRIDGE CLUB: See WED.11, 9:15 a.m.

health & fitnes

CHAIR YOGA: Students with limited mobility limber up with modified poses. Sangha Studio — North, Burlington, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Donations. Info, 448-4262. GONG MEDITATION: Sonic vibrations lead to healing and deep relaxation. Yoga Roots, Williston, 7:30-8:30 p.m. $18. Info, 318-6050.

holidays

‘AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS’: A disabled young shepherd’s life changes forever when he spies an amazing star in this holiday opera presented by Barn Opera. Salisbury Congregational Church, 5:30 & 7:30 p.m. $30. Info, 247-4295. CHRISTMAS AT THE FARM: Families celebrate the holidays 19th-century-style with ornament making, baked treats and period activities. See calendar spotlight. Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. $4-16; free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 457-2355. COLCHESTER COMMUNITY CHORUS: “Be Joyful Tonight” inspires comfort and, well, joy with classic and traditional holiday numbers. Colchester High School, 7:30 p.m. Donations. Info, 862-3910. ESSEX JUNCTION TRAIN HOP & TREE LIGHTING: Following a tree-lighting ceremony in the village center, folks make stops at local businesses to view model-train displays. Various Essex Junction locations, 5:30-8 p.m. Free. Info, 878-1375. GIFT WRAPPING FUNDRAISER: See WED.11. HOLIDAY SHOP & TOUR: A variety of local artisans and vendors make gift buying a breeze. Mountain View Center, Rutland, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Free. Info, 747-6401. MINI HOLIDAY MARKET: The sounds of Christmas records ring through the air as gift givers browse goods from local vendors and sip sweet drinks from a hot chocolate bar. Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 5-8 p.m. Free. Info, 651-0080. MORETOWN OPEN MIC: Holiday-themed music, sketch comedy and spoken-word pieces entertain audience members of all ages. Moretown Town Hall, 7-9 p.m. Free. Info, 999-6473. PEACHAM CORNER GUILD HOLIDAY SHOP: Small antiques, handcrafted gifts, specialty foods and Christmas decorations beckon buyers. Peacham Corner Guild, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. Info, 592-3332. ‘THE SANTALAND DIARIES’: Actor Jason Lorber interprets David Sedaris’ essay about his stint as a cynical Macy’s elf during the holidays in this one-person show. See calendar spotlight. Chandler Center for

LIST YOUR EVENT FOR FREE AT SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POSTEVENT

WASSAIL WEEKEND: Folks spread holiday cheer at this annual three-day fête including concerts, an equestrian parade, a historic home tour and more. See woodstockvt.com for details. Various Woodstock locations. Prices vary. Info, 457-3555. WHIFFENPOOFS: The oldest male collegiate a cappella group in the country kicks off Wassail Weekend with a festive holiday program. Woodstock Town Hall Theatre, 7:30 p.m. $20-35. Info, 457-3981. ‘WINTER TALES’: See WED.11.

music

Find club dates in the music section. DANIEL BERNARD ROUMAIN: The violinist and composer begins a fi e-month Burlington residency with an intimate solo show. FlynnSpace, Burlington, 8 p.m. $25. Info, 863-5966. EMMA BACK: “Strife and Joy,” a musical dialogue traversing the inner landscape of the human experience, features vocal percussion, jaunting melodies and jazz- and klezmer-inspired violin riffs. See calendar spotlight. Grange Hall Cultural Center, Waterbury Center, mingle with the artist, 6:30 p.m.; concert, 7:30 p.m. Donations; preregister. Info, grangehallcc@gmail.com.

seminars

GENEALOGY: Using their memories, the internet and a library card, folks work with Carl Williams to record their own family history. Barre Area Senior Center, noon-1:30 p.m. Donations; preregister. Info, 479-9512.

theater

‘THE FAMILY COPOLI: A POSTAPOCALYPTIC BURLESQUE AND REPOPULATION PLAY’: Set 63 years after a destructive solar flare, this new musical centers on a family of performers offering a show built to distract, delight and incite the audience to repopulate the world. Catamount Arts Center, St. Johnsbury, 7:30-9:30 p.m. Donations. Info, 603-991-8287. ‘THE SOUND OF MUSIC’: See WED.11, 7:30 p.m. WESTON WINTER CABARET: Former Weston Playhouse Young Company members take to the stage with a spirited seasonal spectacular. Weston Playhouse

SAT.14 bazaars

INTERNATIONAL BOUTIQUE: See WED.11.

cannabis

SUNSOIL 2 CENTS/MG REFILL EVENT: Sunsoil offers refi ls of its organically grown, naturally extracted, unfla ored CBD oil tincture at two cents per milligram. Hunger Mountain Co-op, Montpelier. Info, 223-8000. Buffalo Mountain Food Co-op & Café, Hardwick. Info, 612-3370087. Rutland Area Food Co-op. Info, 612-337-0087. Noon-4 p.m. Free.

crafts

LET IT BEE ARTS AND CRAFTS FAIR: Pollinator products, jewelry, leather goods and more find new homes. See calendar spotlight. The Garage Cultural Center, Montpelier, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Free. Info, 738-3667.

dance

NORTHERN VERMONT UNIVERSITY-JOHNSON DANCE CLUB: See FRI.13. SECOND SATURDAY SWING DANCE: Quick-footed participants get into the groove with the help of deejayed tunes. Bring clean shoes with nonmarking soles. Champlain Club, Burlington, beginner lesson, 7:30 p.m.; dance, 8-10:30 p.m. $5. Info, 864-8382.

etc.

LEGAL CLINIC: Attorneys offer complimentary consultations on a first-come, first-s ved basis. 274 N. Winooski Ave., Burlington, 10 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 383-2118. MIDWINTER’S EVE: History buffs take part in colonial America’s winter traditions such as English folk dancing and period games. Ethan Allen Homestead Museum, Burlington, 5-7 p.m. Donations. Info, 865-4556. SANCTUARY CITY COFFEEHOUSE: Locals bring a dish to pass and a song, poem or story to share in an open-mic setting. First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington, 6-8:30 p.m. Donations. Info, herbschr@gmail.com. STUNT KITE FLIERS & ARCHERY HOBBYISTS MEETING: Open to beginning and experienced hobbyists alike, a weekly gathering

fairs & festivals

LIGHT UP THE NIGHT FESTIVAL: Fire pits and hot drinks warm hands as a nighttime parade illuminates the common. Craftsbury Common, 7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 586-2227. MIDWINTER FEST: ‘Tis the season for bonfires, a iking buffet and plenty of locally made mead. Groennfell Meadery, St. Albans, 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Free. Info, 497-2345.

15 OW

N N U TC R AC TH

TION

WRITER’S BLOCK: Scribes bring essays, short stories, one-act plays and poems to be critiqued by a supportive audience. Barre Area Senior Center, 10-11:30 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 479-9512.

PRESENTED BY VERMONT BALLET THEATER

VERMONT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA HOLIDAY POPS: Joined by guest conductor Chelsea Tipton, chamber players delight listeners with a program of musical comfort and joy. Barre Opera House, 7:30 p.m. $9-30. Info, 864-5741.

SOLSTICE STORYTELLING CIRCLE: Local raconteurs share tales of growing dark and returning light. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.

’S

words

NuTCRaCKER NuT R VERMONT

SOLARIS VOCAL ENSEMBLE: Harpist Rebecca Kauffman joins the singers for “Sing We Now of Christmas,” a program of familiar and newly arranged compositions. Waterbury Congregational Church, 7:30 p.m. $15-20; free for kids under 1. Info, 863-5966.

allows folks to share information and suggestions for equipment, sporting locations and more. Presto Music Store, South Burlington, 10 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 658-0030.

Second Stage at Walker Farm, 7:30 p.m. $27-35. Info, 824-5288.

the Arts, Randolph, 7:30 p.m. $25. Info, 728-9878.

The

UAL PROD

fil

See what’s playing at local theaters in the movies section. ‘EARTH FLIGHT 3D’: See WED.11. ‘INCREDIBLE PREDATORS 3D’: See WED.11. ‘SPACE JUNK 3D’: See WED.11. ‘TINY GIANTS 3D’: See WED.11. WARREN MILLER’S ‘TIMELESS’: See WED.11, Strand Center Theatre, Plattsburgh N. . 7:30 p.m. $20-21. Info, 518-563-1604, ext. 105.

food & drink

BURLINGTON WINTER FARMERS MARKET: More than 30 stands overflow with seasonal produce, prepared foods and artisan wares. Davis Center, University of Vermont, Burlington, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, burlingtonfarmers market.org@gmail.com. CAPITAL CITY WINTER FARMERS MARKET: Meats, cheeses, crafts and more change hands at an off-season celebration of locally grown food. Caledonia Spirits, Montpelier, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 279-7293. CHICKEN & BISCUIT SUPPER: Diners pile their plates with comfort food, including poultry, stuffing, eggies and dessert served buffet style. Takeout is available. Vergennes United Methodist Church, 5-6:30 p.m. $5-9. Info, 877-3150. CHOCOLATE TASTING: Candy fanatics get an education on a variety of sweets made on-site. Rabble-Rouser Chocolate & Craft Co., Middlesex, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. Info, 229-2090. COOKIE WALK: Sweets lovers stuff boxes and bags with taste bud-tempting baked goods. First Congregational Church of Hartland, 9-11 a.m. Free. Info, 436-2224. VERMONT ICE WINE & COCKTAIL OPEN HOUSE: Beverage buffs sample a variety of Vermontmade ice wines, cocktails and cream liqueurs while browsing a bevy of holiday gifts. Boyden Valley Winery & Spirits, Cambridge, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free; additional cost for some activities. Info, 644-8151.

SAT.14

DECEMBER 21 & 22, 2019 THE FLYNN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

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74 1T-ThePoint121119.indd SEVEN DAYS 1DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

12/9/19 5:09 PM

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WELLNESS GIFT CARDS Clear Path Natural Health www.clearpath.clinic/gift-cards 802.828.7373 147 State St, Montpelier, VT

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JINGLE BELLS JINGLE ALL DOWN TO

JINGLE BELLS THE WAY EMERALDROSE GROWS

From left: Anthony Apodaca, Daniel Trigg and Jenna Emerson of Abortion: The Musical

EMERALDROSE HAS

UNDbites

C O NT I NU E D F RO M PA G E 7 3

ANTHONY APODACA told Seven Days on a recent phone call, stemmed from the tiny black-box theater’s recurring event Sex w/Jenna. The hybrid informational-improv-sketchcomedy-standup event features Revelry board member JENNA EMERSON, who also serves as a health educator at the University of Vermont. A particular installment about abortion inspired the forthcoming show. Emerson, ADAM RABIN, DANIEL TRIGG, HEATHER CALDERA and Apodaca cowrote the show “through the process of improvisation and collective writing,” Apodaca said. The group would improvise scenes, talk about them, discuss what they had created, figure out what they liked and could use, and tweak the material from there. The five also star in the show, and Apodaca directs. “We wanted to represent different viewpoints without [using] dumb caricature[s],” he said, noting that, despite the group’s enthusiasm, the subject matter is extremely sensitive. “Context is super important,” Apodaca continued. “It’s hard to provide all of the context you might need that deals with the gravity of the situation.” A description on the show’s Facebook event page reads, “Rosemary [is] a young woman who is down on her luck, until she finds out some amazing, yet terrifying, news about her uterus. Torn by her options, her faith and this country’s broken medical system, Rosemary turns to a few unlikely sources for wisdom and

OPEN THAT PERFECT GIFT TUES-SAT 11-5 LIGHTS, TENTS, BOOKS, ALL KINDS OF SOILS AND AMENDMENTS, AS WELL AS 453-GRWS (4797) GIFT CERTIFICATES AND OF10/22/19 COURSE9:41 11OCB153-19 MAIN ST. BRISTOL Fall 2019 Pub Ads-7DAYS-quarter page_4-75x5-56.pdf 1 ASK ABOUT OUR WORKSHOPS OUR NOVELTY SEEDS SELECTIONS 8H-emgrows121119.indd 1

11/26/19 3:50 PM

inspiration on her journey towards liberation and self-determination.” Without revealing much about the plot, Apodaca explained that the show is about “a woman’s journey from feeling uncertain about herself and looking for other people to validate her, to her own liberation and finding her own self-worth.” Plus, you know, songs. “I want the first group of people to go in not knowing much about it,” he said. “I want to see how people react to it blind.” Apodaca noted that the musical isn’t necessarily a finished product and that the first show is a test run. So, if you go, feel free to give the creators some feedback.

Listening In If I were a superhero, my superpower would be the ability to get songs stuck in other people’s heads. Here are ﬁve songs that have been stuck in my head this week. May they also get stuck in yours. Follow sevendaysvt on Spotify for weekly playlists with tunes by artists featured in the music section. CAMILA CABELLO, “Liar” MAKER, “Good Woman” DISCOVERY, “Can You Discover?” SKIN TOWN, “Tease Ya” GREENSKEEPERS, “Lotion”

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Say you saw it in...

10/22/19 12:13 PM

NOW IN sevendaysvt.com SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

3D!

music+nightlife

CLUB DATES

live music

COMEDY ›› P.80 | DJS ›› P.78 TRIVIA, KARAOKE, ETC. ›› P.81

WED.11

The Alex Stewa t Quartet (jazz) at Juniper, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

THU.12 // MODEL/ACTRIZ [ROCK, EXPERIMENTAL]

Andriana Chobot and Joshua Glass (pop, jazz) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 9:30 p.m. Free.

Open Mic at Stone Corral Brewery, Richmond, 8 p.m. Free.

Django Soulo (singer-songwriter) at Moogs Place, Morrisville, 8 p.m. Free.

Open Mic with Andy Lugo at Manhattan Pizza & Pub, Burlington, 9:30 p.m. Free.

Familiar Faces (jam) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

Open Mic with Austtin at Monopole, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 p.m. Free.

Joe ‘Cool’ Speers, Ava Speers, Grace Engler (singer-songwriter) at the Double E Lounge at Essex Experience, Essex Junction, 6:30 p.m. Free.

THU.12

Open Mic at Whammy Bar, Calais, 7 p.m. Free.

Mosaic (jam, funk) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 8 p.m. $5/8. 18+.

Open Mic Night at Moogs Place, Morrisville, 8:30 p.m. Free.

Nico Suave’s Improv Surprise (jam) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

Open Mic with Alex Budney at Localfolk Smokehouse, Waitsfield, 8:30 p.m. Free.

O’hAnleigh (Irish) at Rí Rá Irish Pub & Whiskey Room, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

FRI.13

Paul Asbell Trio (jazz) at Leunig’s Bistro & Café, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

The Big Pic (open bluegrass jam) at Hatch 31, Bristol, 8 p.m. Free.

TroyBoi, Yultron, Argenil (electronic) at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, 8:30 p.m. $20/25.

Dave Mitchell’s Blues Revue at Red Square, Burlington, 3 p.m. Free.

Wednesday Night Dead (Grateful Dead tribute) at Zenbarn, Waterbury, 7 p.m. Free.

SAT.14

Irish Session at Bagitos Bagel and Burrito Café, Montpelier, 2 p.m. donation.

The Whiskey Dicks featuring Ryan Dempsey and special guests (rock) at Orlando’s Bar & Lounge, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

Balkun Brothers, King Margo (rock) at Pickle Barrel Nightclub, Killington, 8 p.m. $8.50. Berklee American Roots Night at Zenbarn, Waterbury, 7 p.m. Free. Blackwolf (blues, Americana) at Edson Hill Dining Room & Tavern, Stowe, 6:30 p.m. Free. A Box of Stars, Peter Burton (folk) at SideBar, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. $3.

MON.16

Dark Matter Propelled by savage zeal,

and rancid. With stinging riffs and tectonic beats, the young three-piece presents a devilishly rowdy sound fueled by an unstable world that relentlessly torments its inhabitants. Catch Model/Actriz on Thursday, December 12, at Nectar’s in Burlington. Local DJ DAVID CHIEF adds support.

First Taste: Model/Actriz, David Chief (rock, experimental) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 9:30 p.m. $1.

Shane Hardiman Trio (jazz) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

FRO with Alex Budney and Andy Suits (funk, R&B) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 10:30 p.m. Free.

Shellhouse (rock) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 7 p.m. Free.

Light Club Jazz Sessions and Showcase at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 10:30 p.m. Free. Mob Barber (jazz, experimental) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free. Red Clay (jazz) at Bagitos Bagel and Burrito Café, Montpelier, 6 p.m. Free.

expend more energy in a single song than most people

unflinchingly pushes musical boundaries until nothing is familiar. Full of intentional contradictions, its music is decadent

Can-Am Jazz Band at Parker Pie Co., West Glover, 7 p.m. Free.

Lekko (folk, classical) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

MODEL/ACTRIZ

probably do in a day — unless that person is an Olympic athlete or something. The Boston-based experimental rock group

Session Americana at ArtsRiot, Burlington, 8 p.m. $20.

Joe Adler’s Burgundy Thursday (eclectic) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

Blues Jam with John McDonald at Twiggs — An American Gastropub, St. Albans, 6 p.m. Free. Irish Sessions (traditional) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

Cam Gilmour (indie) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

THU.12

open mics & jams

Wylie Shipman (Americana) at Tap 25, Stowe, 7:30 p.m. Free. Zoso: The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, 8 p.m. $18/20.

FRI.13 ADL Project (rock) at City Limits Night Club, Vergennes, 9:30 p.m. Free. AmerikanaBlue (Americana) at Twiggs — An American Gastropub, St. Albans, 6 p.m. Free.

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

A Band of Killers featuring Toussaint the Liberator and members of Soulive and Nth Powe (jam) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 9 p.m. $10. Barbacoa (surf) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 9 p.m. Free.

Open Mic at SideBar, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free. Open Mic Night with Kyle Stevens at the Double E Lounge at Essex Experience, Essex Junction, 6 p.m. Free.

WED.18 Dead Sessions (Grateful Dead tribute) at Tres Amigos & Rusty Nail Stage, Stowe, 9 p.m. $6/10. Finkle & Einhorn (rock, funk) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 11:30 p.m. $5.

BPad (hip-hop, jazz) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

Friday Morning Sing-Along with Linda Bassick & Friends (kids’ music) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 11 a.m. Free.

Brass Balagan Variety Show (global, eclectic) at Sweet Melissa’s, Montpelier, 9 p.m. Free.

George Murtie (rock, country) at North Hero House Inn & Restaurant, 5:30 p.m. Free.

A Charlie Brown Christmas with Chris Von Staats Band at the Skinny Pancake, Hanover, N.H., 8 p.m. Free.

The Ghost own Blues Band at Olive Ridley’s, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 8:30 p.m. $15.

Close to Nowhere (rock) at Red Square, Burlington, 7 p.m. $5.

Family Night (open jam) at SideBar, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

Honky Tonk Happy Hour with Mark LeGrand at Sweet Melissa’s, Montpelier, 5:30 p.m. Free.

How About Some Hygge?! featuring Ivamae and Tom Pearo (folk, soul) at ArtsRiot, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free. Humble Hero (rock) at the Double E Lounge at Essex Experience, Essex Junction, 7 p.m. Free. Jeff Shelley (singer-songwriter) at 1st Republic Brewing Company, Essex Junction, 6 p.m. Free. Jesse Taylor Band (rock, pop) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 10 p.m. $5. Job Creators (jam) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free. John Howell (rock) at the Old Foundry at One Federal Restaurant & Lounge, St. Albans, 7 p.m. Free. John Howell (rock) at El Toro, Morrisville, 7 p.m. Free.

Cookie’s Hot Club (jazz) at Moogs Place, Morrisville, 9 p.m. Free. FRI.13

» P.78

Bluegrass Session at Jericho Café & Tavern, 7 p.m. Free. Irish Sessions (traditional) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free. John Lackard Blues Jam at Sweet Melissa’s, Montpelier, 7:30 p.m. Free. Old Time Sessions at Rabble-Rouser Chocolate & Craft Co., Montpelier, 6 p.m. Free. Open Mic with Andy Lugo at Manhattan Pizza & Pub, Burlington, 9:30 p.m. Free. Open Mic with Austtin at Monopole, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 p.m. Free. Tom Caswell Blues Jam at Hatch 31, Bristol, 7 p.m. Free.

GOT MUSIC NEWS? JORDAN@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

REVIEW this Princess Nostalgia, Thank Heavens 4 Opposable Thumbs (SELF-RELEASED, DIGITAL)

Memo to rappers and producers of the world: Do not ask Princess Nostalgia whether she wants to sing on your track. I’ll save you the trouble. The pop/R&B singersongwriter/producer is not interested. But budding beatsmiths and rhyme slingers shouldn’t take it personally. It’s not that the Italian-born, Pittsburgh/Burlingtonbased University of Vermont student thinks you suck, necessarily. It’s just that she’s solely focused on crafting her own work, the bedrocks of which are her muscular instrumentals and beats.

Hewitt Stevens, Songs From the Laundry Room (SELF-RELEASED, DIGITAL)

There’s a story of when Rick Rubin met the Black Crowes early in their career. The legendary producer advised the band to call themselves the Kobb Kounty Krows — all Ks for added controversy. Chris Robinson and co. wisely shot down that idea. (Also: Jesus, Rick. WTF?) I often think about what terrible advice I’d give to aspiring musicians. And I gotta tell you: I have so many bad ideas. Were I, say, local songwriter Hewitt Stevens’ producer, I’d change the name of his debut record

That’s not to say that the artist, real name Lilian Traviato, is dismissive of herself as a vocalist and lyricist. But those facets, ones that would likely pigeonhole her if she weren’t such a staunch self-advocate, are only part of the show. Princess Nostalgia’s debut album, Thank Heavens 4 Opposable Thumbs, is nothing short of a revelation. Low, deep tones often take center stage in her luscious pop compositions, which makes sense given that Traviato’s first instrument was the double bass. She layers her songs with chunky synths and other midi sounds, all pumping and circulating around her effects-heavy vocals and often-enigmatic lyrics. “No Guru,” the first of the album’s eight tracks, begins with Champagne-

bubble synths and rounded bass notes that gurgle under Traviato’s motto: “I will never need a guru.” The wiry bass notes and demonic laughter that open “Gestalt Switch” conjure images of a haunted cathedral. The song eventually breaks down into layered gothic harmonies, like something out of the sexiest church service ever. A murky din of protesters (or are they voices emanating from hell?) introduces Traviato’s most overtly political tune, “Podium Playground.” Condemning the ouroboros of capitalism and politics on the jaunty banger, she cleverly uses “we” and “I” pronouns instead of “they” (“I like ’em incarcerated, undereducated / So I can have more money for me, me, me”). She indicates that we’re all complicit while simultaneously inciting a dance party. “Ode to Boy,” a near-folk-rock tune originally released in 2018 during the peak of the #MeToo movement, empathizes with men and boys rather

than condemns them. “No wonder you’re so sick,” she sings, indicting the system that instills toxic masculinity rather than the individual. Joe Leytrick, the only outside collaborator heard here, lays down a smooth acoustic riff throughout. The serpentine “The Talking Drug” is a slinky slow-jam that seems to fetishize and scrutinize the art of conversation. At her most melismatic, Traviato stretches out the word “sincerely” into 10 syllables, molding it to fit her grand design. She closes with “Love Me Long Time,” a selflove anthem that sounds like it emanates from a crystalline music box. As Princess Nostalgia, Traviato consistently defies convention while simultaneously bringing together familiar elements of pop R&B from the last four decades. I can’t wait to see what she does next. Thank Heavens 4 Opposable Thumbs will be available on Friday, December 13, on all major streaming platforms.

Songs From the Laundry Room to OK, Boomer. Now, that’s a terrible idea for so many reasons. For one, in the fast-paced world of meme culture, that joke might have already expired. Second, at 71 years old, former TV exec Stevens is making a very late musical debut, so advertising his baby boomer card might be redundant. Look, before you all start thinking what a heartless, sneering, ageist Gen X-er I am, I just want to point out that there’s a song on this album called “Dope Ain’t Dope,” which is the musical equivalent of when Steve Buscemi wore the “Music Band” T-shirt on “30 Rock.” Stevens’ heart is in a good place. He sings a lot about getting this crazy country back on track, as on “American

Dreamer,” “So Wanna Believe” and “Changes.” But his lyrics can read like a disgruntled dad’s Facebook timeline. “Walking around with our screens in our hand / Autocorrected but we’re cool / We get too much too soon or too little too late / Hashtag algorithm and blues,” he sings on “Changes.” Frankly, those are some of his better lines. Stevens plays all the instruments on his debut, which he indeed recorded in his laundry room (and he presumably didn’t know about the Foo Fighters’ 2015 EP of the same name). And I’m not going to lie: I sort of love the DIY nature of what he’s doing here. Dude took a polyphonic piano, guitar and microphone into his laundry room to make an album, and you can tell he had been waiting to make it for a while. His arrangements show a pop savvy that recalls ’80s albums from ’70s rockers, when they all made big hits for a few years to fuel their blow intake. The

result is reminiscent of bands like Go West or When in Rome. That Stevens made a record that fits sonically into that idiom is itself an achievement. And it shouldn’t be overlooked that no one in the local scene is producing anything like this. In a surprising pairing, hiphop producer Zach Crawford, aka SkySplitterInk, mixed and mastered the record. Crawford seems to have gotten exactly what Stevens was going for with the songs, because he takes those laundry-room tracks and lets the pop hooks shine. The production has a bright, nostalgic sheen. Unfortunately, I just can’t make myself love the songs, even if I do love Stevens’ drive. A fine line exists between sounding retro and just sounding dated, and Songs From the Laundry Room trends toward the latter. Stream or download it at hewittmusic.com.

GET YOUR MUSIC REVIEWED:

JORDAN ADAMS

CHRIS FARNSWORTH

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

Say you saw it in...

NOW IN sevendaysvt.com

3D!

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

Yatzee! You found the Canna-Egg!

Bring this to the store to collect your prize, December 11-17, 2019

music+nightlife live music FRI.13 CONTINUED FROM P.76 Judson & Sarah (folk) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. Free. Match City (covers) at Pickle Barrel Nightclub, Killington, 8 p.m. $10-20. Off the List (rock covers) at Gusto’s, Barre, 9 p.m. $5. Paul Asbell (jazz) at Bleu Northeast Seafood, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

388 Pine Street, Burlington

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12/4/19 3:28 PM

Ricky Golden (singer-songwriter) at Tap 25, Stowe, 7:30 p.m. Free. Ryan Sweezey (singer-songwriter) at the Tap Room at Switchback Brewing Co., Burlington, 6 p.m. Free. Sabrina Comellas’ Holidays and Happenings (seasonal, folk-rock) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 9 p.m. $5. Seth Yacovone (solo acoustic blues) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free. Shane Brodie (jazz) at Highland Lodge Restaurant, Greensboro, 6:30 p.m. Free.

CHANNEL 15

Shane’s Apothecary (folk-rock) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 5 p.m. Free.

PROMISES OF GOD FRIDAYS > 11:30 A.M.

Somebody Told Me: 2000s Indie Night with DJ Disco Phantom at Club Metronome, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

GET MORE INFO OR WATCH ONLINE AT VERMONTCAM.ORG

The Starline Rhythm B ys (rockabilly) at Jericho Café & Tavern, 6 p.m. Free.

COMEDY 5 NIGHTS

Super Stash Bros. (jam) at Orlando’s Bar & Lounge, Burlington, 9:30 p.m. Free.

A WEEK

Tim Brick (country) at Gusto’s, Barre, 5 p.m. Free.

THIS WEEKEND! THU 12 | FRI 13 | SAT 14

Wide Open Spaces

In 2017, Rolling Stone hailed Bozeman, Mont., native Stephanie Quayle as one of country music’s top-10 new artists to know. The singer-songwriter’s recent single, “If I Was a Cowboy,” looks at the unfair and often self-imposed double standards that women face. “Cowboys don’t cry … Cowboys ain’t fragile / They’re back in the saddle,” she sings with just a hint of scorn. The song leads the artist’s 2019 EP of the same name, which showcases her earnest musings and hopeful outlook. Quayle performs on Friday, December 13, at the Higher Ground Ballroom in South Burlington. JOE MCGINNESS opens.

FRI.13 // STEPHANIE QUAYLE [COUNTRY]

Stephanie Quayle, Joe McGinness (country) at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, 8 p.m. $5.

Straight Jacket Slumber Party (eclectic covers) at Hostel Tevere, 12/9/19 11:51 AM Warren, 9 p.m. Free.

16t-vcam-weekly.indd 1

CLUB DATES

Tim Howard (Americana) at the Old Foundry at One Federal Restaurant & Lounge, St. Albans, 6:30 p.m. Free. The ricksters (rock) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 9 p.m. Free. Whistler (rock) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

Wickmore Funktet (funk) at Monopole, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 p.m. Free. Wylie Shipman (Americana) at Stone Corral Brewery, Richmond, 8 p.m. Free.

SAT.14 ’80s vs. ’90s Fight Night featuring Lazer Dad and Night Protocol at ArtsRiot, Burlington, 8 p.m. $10. Amy Mantis (rock) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. Free. Antara (folk-rock) at Half Lounge, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

Bear’s Tapestry, Reid Parsons (folkrock) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

David Karl Roberts (singer-songwriter) at Sweet Melissa’s, Montpelier, 6 p.m. Free.

Bob Gagnon (jazz) at the Old Foundry at One Federal Restaurant & Lounge, St. Albans, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Eggy (funk) at Orlando’s Bar & Lounge, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

A Charlie Brown Christmas with Chris Von Staats Band at the Skinny Pancake, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free. Chris Lyon and Tristan Sellers (Americana) at Moogs Place, Morrisville, 9 p.m. Free.

Erin Cassels-Brown and Vestal Oak (indie folk) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free. Frank Springer & the Deadbeats (singer-songwriter) at Tap 25, Stowe, 7:30 p.m. Free.

Chris Peterman (jazz) at Bleu Northeast Seafood, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

SAT.14

» P.80

TONE

BELL NEXT WEEKEND:

djs WED.11

DJ Ianu (open format) at Half Lounge, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

THU 19 | FRI 20 | SAT 21

DJ KermiTT (open format) at Red Square, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free. DJ Two Sev (open format) at Red Square, Burlington, 11 p.m. Free.

MARINA

THU.12

FRANKLIN

50th Anniversary with DJ Fattie B (open format) at Tres Amigos & Rusty Nail Stage, Stowe, 9 p.m. Free.

GOOD, CLEAN FUN! IMPROV SHOW:

FAMILY FRIENDLY COMEDY! SATURDAY, DEC 14 @ 5PM

ORDER YOUR TICKETS TODAY! (802) 859-0100 | WWW.VTCOMEDY.COM 101 main street, BurlingtoN 78 Untitled-92 1

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019 12/10/19 2:29 PM

DJ Bodel (hip-hop, R&B) at SideBar, Burlington, 11 p.m. Free.

DJ ATAK (house) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 10 p.m. $5.

DJ Disco Phantom (open format) at Finnigan’s Pub, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

DJ Craig Mitchell and Luis Calderin (open format) at Waterworks Food + Drink, Winooski, 9 p.m. Free.

DJ Pilaf (hip-hop) at Manhattan Pizza & Pub, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

DJ Cre8 (open format) at Manhattan Pizza & Pub, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

FRI.13

DJ Dakota (hip-hop) at Monkey House, Winooski, 9:30 p.m. Free.

DJ Craig Mitchell (open format) at Red Square, Burlington, 11 p.m. $5. DJ Scott Carlson (open format) at Half Lounge, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

D Jay Baron (open format) at Red Square, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

DJ Stevie B (hits) at Rí Rá Irish Pub & Whiskey Room, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

DJ A-RA$ (open format) at Red Square, Burlington, 5 p.m. Free.

DJ Taka (eclectic vinyl) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 11 p.m. $5.

DJ Abby and Friends (vinyl DJs) at Dedalus Wine Shop, Market & Wine Bar, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

Jack Bandit (hip-hop) at Half Lounge, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

DJ Bay 6 (hits) at Gusto’s, Barre, 8 p.m. Free.

SAT.14

DJ A-RA$ (open format) at Red Square, Burlington, 10 p.m. $5.

DJ Earl (hits) at City Limits Night Club, Vergennes, 9 p.m. Free. DJ LaFountaine (EDM) at Gusto’s, Barre, 9:30 p.m. $3.

SUN.15

Disco Brunch with DJ Craig Mitchell at Misery Loves Co., Winooski, 11 a.m. Free. Open Decks at Half Lounge, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

MON.16

Jack Bandit and Friends (EDM) at Half Lounge, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

TUE.17

CRWD CTRL (house, techno) at Red Square, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

DJ Raul (Latin) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 5 p.m. Free.

Molly Mood (hip-hop, R&B) at Half Lounge, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

DJ Stevie B (hits) at Rí Rá Irish Pub & Whiskey Room, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

WED.18

DJ Taka (eclectic vinyl) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 11 p.m. $5. Now Thats What I Call: The Hits with David Chief (pop, hip-hop) at Club Metronome, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

Chromatic (hip-hop) at Half Lounge, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free. DJ Two Sev (open format) at Red Square, Burlington, 11 p.m. Free.

EVENTS ON SALE AT SEVENDAYSTICKETS.COM Life Drawing Group

Pierogi Making Workshop

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FRI., JAN. 10 RICHMOND COMMUNITY KITCHEN

‘ e SantaLand Diaries

Ethiopian Cooking Class: Meat and Veggie Sauces

SAT., DEC. 14; SUN., DEC. 15 GRANGE HALL CULTURAL CENTER, WATERBURY CENTER

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Holiday Cookie Decorating Class (Grades 1-8)

Vermont Burlesque Festival Classes

SUN., DEC. 15 RICHMOND COMMUNITY KITCHEN

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Vermont Womenpreneurs Holiday “Ofﬁce” Party

Spice on Snow Winter Music Festival

Queen City Ghostwalk’s Ghosts of Christmas Past Holiday Lights Bus Tour

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New Year’s Eve Celebration

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SAT., FEB. 1 THE GREEN MOUNTAIN AUDUBON CENTER, HUNTINGTON

New Year at the Opera

Winter Wilderness Skills: UnSchool at Audubon

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12/10/19 2:26 PM

music+nightlife

CLUB DATES

The ruth Is Out Ther « P.72 miles an hour. Not only are you orbiting the sun, you’re rotating on the Earth, the sun is orbiting around the Milky Way, the Milky Way is moving through the universe. So there’s a lot of motion going on. What you’re referring to isn’t motion, because motion is unfelt and relative. What you’re describing is acceleration, change in motion. And that you do feel.

FRI.13 // TOM PEARO AND IVAMAE [FOLK, SOUL]

SD: Well, you’ve certainly schooled me on a little bit of physics here. LT: I’m a big physics guy. I really like understanding how things work. And if you really like understanding how things work, eventually it takes you back to nuclear physics. And neutrons and protons and electrons. And strong forces and weak forces. And why things stay together. That whole concept of motion intrigues me very much. Motion and force and the idea that centrifugal force feels like gravity. How are they alike? What is gravity? I think about these sorts of things. I don’t know why. Clearly, I have too much idle time. But they really do intrigue me. SD: Does that mean you’re also interested in space exploration? LT: Well, sure. I’m interested in space exploration, but I’m particularly interested in an environment where we would be able to explore but not be constrained by the speed of light. That it takes 40 million light-years to get across our universe — I don’t have this kind of time. And so what it really speaks to and opens up is just the unfathomable depth of our ignorance. People often confuse pattern LI V I NG ST ON TAYLOR recognition with intelligence. The fact is, we’re good at pattern recognition. That’s how we stay alive. We recognize patterns that will kill us, and we recognize patterns that will keep us alive. People who are what we call “dumb” just display a remarkable inability to see patterns. And people we proclaim as smart and bright and genius just see patterns a little quicker. It’s nice, but that’s not brilliance. It’s good, but next to the truths that must be out there: OMG.

PEOPLE OFTEN CONFUSE

PATTERN RECOGNITION WITH INTELLIGENCE.

SD: How do all of these things relate to your songwriting? Is there a connection? LT: It all goes into a bouillabaisse. You put it into a pot, you stir it and different things come out at different times, marinated by other things. Writing songs allows me to sort of tack things down. I was able to write a really wonderful song about a character who voted for and really likes Donald Trump. Although I’m not terribly enthusiastic — I tend to be on the other side from Donald Trump, and I don’t admire him — but it doesn’t mean I don’t like this character I wrote. m This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length. Contact: jordan@sevendaysvt.com

INFO Livingston Taylor performs on Saturday, December 14, 7 p.m., at Town Hall Theater in Middlebu y. $44. AA. townhalltheater.org

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

Eternal Flame The concept of hygge is a cornerstone of Danish culture. Pronounced “hoo-guh,” the

word means “cozy” and reflects an overall attitude of congeniality and hominess. Repeating the warmth and community togetherness they achieved at a similar holiday event last year, local ambient guitarist TOM PEARO and soul-folk singer-

songwriter IVAMAE team up for “How About Some Hygge?!” At the free candlelit concert, the pair’s sultry strains are sure to lift the spirits of the foulest grinch. Pearo and Ivamae perform on Friday, December 13, at ArtsRiot in Burlington.

comedy WED.11

Indie Rumble (improv) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 p.m. $5. Open Mic at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

THU.12

The Mainstage Sho (improv) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. $5. Rainbow Volcano Comedy Showcase at Monkey House, Winooski, 7:30 p.m. $3. Tone Bell, Rojo Perez (standup) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 p.m. $15.

FRI.13

Tone Bell, Rojo Perez (standup) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 & 9:30 p.m. $20/27.

SAT.14

‘Abortion: The Musical (musical comedy) at Revelry Theate , Burlington, 8 p.m. $7/8.

Good Clean Fun! (family-friendly improv) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 5 p.m. $5/10. Tone Bell, Rojo Perez (standup) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 & 9:30 p.m. $20/27.

SUN.15

Holidaygasm Comedian Party (standup) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free. Smash40 presents: A Short Film Double Feature (sketch comedy) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. Free.

MON.16

Comedy & Crepes with Mike Thoma (standup) at the Skinny Pancake, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

TUE.17

Laugh Shack with Tracy Dolan (standup) at Lincolns, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

WED.18

Open Mic at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

live music SAT.14 CONTINUED FROM P.78 Full Share (pop, rock) at 14th Star Brewing Co., St. Albans, 6 p.m. Free. Fully Completely Hip: The Tragically Hip Tribute, Heartless at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $18/23.

The Red Newt (country, blues) at Hostel Tevere, Warren, 9 p.m. Free. Robin Gottfried Band (rock) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 5 p.m. Free. The Rough Suspect (rock) at Smitty’s Pub, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free. The Saturn Peoples Sound Collective (rock, experimental) at Zenbarn, Waterbury, 9 p.m. $17/20.

George Murtie (rock) at El Toro, Morrisville, 7 p.m. Free.

Shane Murley Band (folk-rock) at Jericho Café & Tavern, 6 p.m. Free.

Hush Club, Couchsleepers, Lake Waves (indie) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. $5.

Southtown Bluegrass at Stone Corral Brewery, Richmond, 8 p.m. Free.

Jacob Green (singer-songwriter) at Gusto’s, Barre, 6 p.m. Free.

Sputoola (jam) at James Moore Tavern, Bolton, 9:30 p.m. Free.

Jamie Lee Thursto (country) at Tres Amigos & Rusty Nail Stage, Stowe, 9 p.m. $15/20.

The ricksters (rock) at Red Square, Burlington, 6 p.m. $5.

Kevin Connolly’s Mule Variations (folk-rock) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free. Left Eye Jump (blues) at Red Square, Burlington, 2 p.m. Free. The Lemon Fl ers, Phantom Suns (rock) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 9:30 p.m. Free. The Lizards: A Phish ribute at Nectar’s, Burlington, 9 p.m. $10. Match City (covers) at Pickle Barrel Nightclub, Killington, 8 p.m. $10-20. The Mountain Caro (rock, electronic) at Monopole, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 p.m. Free.

A Very Berry Christmas (R&B, eclectic) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 9 p.m. $5. Wylie Shipman (Americana) at Twiggs — An American Gastropub, St. Albans, 6 p.m. Free. X-Rays (rock) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 9 p.m. Free. Zdenek Gubb and Norb Prophecies (jam) at Orlando’s Bar & Lounge, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

SUN.15 A Box of Stars, Jack McKelvie (folk) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

Brett Hughes and Kat Wright’s Holiday Special (country, soul) at ArtsRiot, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. $35. Dan and Faith, Jason Baker (folk) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free. Danny Coane & his Bluegrass Buddies at the Skinny Pancake, Burlington, noon. Free. EmaLou & the Beat (folk, blues) at Barrio Bakery, Burlington, 6 p.m. $30. Eric Friedman (folk) at Bagitos Bagel and Burrito Café, Montpelier, 11 a.m. Free. The Meddybump (indie rock) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 10:30 p.m. Free. Pete Sutherland and Tim Stickle’s Old Time Session at Radio Bean, Burlington, 1 p.m. Free. Some Hollow (rock) at Manhattan Pizza & Pub, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

MON.16

trivia, karaoke, etc. WED.11

Godfather Karaoke at SideBar, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free. Karaoke at JP’s Pub, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free. Karaoke with DJ Amanda Rock at City Limits Night Club, Vergennes, 9 p.m. Free. Trivia Night at Parker Pie Co., West Glover, 7 p.m. Free. Trivia Night at City Sports Grille, Colchester, 7 p.m. Free. Trivia with Tim Rouselle at Mill River Brewing BBQ & Smokehouse, St. Albans, 7 p.m. Free.

THU.12

Karaoke at JP’s Pub, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

Erin Cassels-Brown (indie folk) at Monkey House, Winooski, 5 p.m. Free.

Karaoke with DJ Jon Berry & DJ Coco at Olive Ridley’s, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 8 p.m. Free.

Euge (indie folk) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

Trivia Mania at Nectar’s, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

John Smyth and Ivan Goldstein (blues, folk) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 9:30 p.m. Free.

FRI.13

Matt Kinzler (acoustic grunge) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free. Mr. Doubtfire, the Silent Mile, Jungle Tooth, Lemondrop (punk) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free. Phineas Gage (folk) at Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Waitsfield, 5 p.m. Free. Seth Yacovone at Moogs Place, Morrisville, 7 p.m. Free.

TUE.17 Ali T (singer-songwriter) at Manhattan Pizza & Pub, Burlington, 9:30 p.m. Free. Dead Set (Grateful Dead tribute) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 9 p.m. $5/8. 18+. Honky-Tonk Tuesdays with Pony Hustle at Radio Bean, Burlington, 10 p.m. $5. Jake Whitesell Trio (jazz) at Leunig’s Bistro & Café, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

Happy Hour Tunes & Trivia with Gary Peacock at Monopole Downstairs, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 5 p.m. Free. Karaoke at JP’s Pub, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free. Karaoke with Dave Bourgea at Burlington St. John’s Club, 8:30 p.m. Free. Untapped: A Night of Burlesque and Drag at Monkey House, Winooski, 9 p.m. $10.

SAT.14

A Holiday Drag Cabaret at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 9 p.m. $10/15. Jazzyaoke (live jazz band karaoke) at Rabble-Rouser Chocolate & Craft Co., Montpelier, 7:30 p.m. $5. Karaoke at JP’s Pub, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free. Karaoke with Mike Lambert at Park Place Tavern, Essex Junction, 9:30 p.m. Free.

Lowell Thompson and Friend (roots-rock) at Hatch 31, Bristol, 7 p.m. Free. Ukulele Kids with Joe Beaird at the Skinny Pancake, Burlington, 9:30 a.m. Free. Wylie Shipman (Americana) at Moogs Place, Morrisville, 7:30 p.m. Free.

Dale and Darcy Band (bluegrass, Celtic) at Rí Rá Irish Pub & Whiskey Room, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

WED.18

Eva Kinnebrew and Will Davis (folk, soul) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

Abby Sherman (folk) at Moogs Place, Morrisville, 8 p.m. Free. Burlington Songwriters’ Holiday Celebration (singer-songwriter) at the Double E Lounge at Essex Experience, Essex Junction, 6 p.m. Free.

Loose Ends (Americana) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 9:30 p.m. Free. Mike Martin and Geoff Kim (jazz) at Leunig’s Bistro & Café, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

SUN.15

‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ and ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ (film screening) at Babes Bar, Bethel, 7 p.m. Free.

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Karaoke with Samantha Dickey at Ruben James, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free. Trivia Night: Holiday Edition at Jericho Café & Tavern, 7 p.m. Free.

MON.16

Karaoke with Rob Jones at Manhattan Pizza & Pub, Burlington, 9:30 p.m. Free. Lamp Shop Lit Club (open reading) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

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TUE.17

Karaoke with DJ Molotov at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 9:30 p.m. Free. Trivia Night at the Skinny Pancake, Hanover, N.H., 7 p.m. Free. Trivia with Top Hat Entertainment at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 7 p.m. Free.

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Godfather Karaoke at SideBar, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free. The House of Madam presents Winter Wonderland Prom Drag Bingo at Red Square, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free. Karaoke at JP’s Pub, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free. Karaoke with DJ Amanda Rock at City Limits Night Club, Vergennes, 9 p.m. Free. Trivia Night at Parker Pie Co., West Glover, 7 p.m. Free. Trivia Night at City Sports Grille, Colchester, 7 p.m. Free. Trivia Night at Stone Corral Brewery, Richmond, 7:30 p.m. Free. Trivia with Tim Rouselle at Mill River Brewing BBQ & Smokehouse, St. Albans, 7 p.m. Free.

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The Ray ega Latin Jazz Sextet at Juniper, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free. Savage Hen, Kiefcatcher (metal) at Orlando’s Bar & Lounge, Burlington, 9:30 p.m. Free. Wednesday Night Dead (Grateful Dead tribute) at Zenbarn, Waterbury, 7 p.m. Free. m

Untitled-25 1

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

12/2/19 11:25 AM

REVIEW

COURTESY OF SUNDARAM TAGORE GALLERY IN NYC/BCA CENTER/SAM SIMON

art

Making Connections “Transcendent: Spirituality in Contemporary Art,” BCA Center BY AM Y L I L LY “Hidden Diamond-Saffron” by Anila Quayyam Agha

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

That’s happening in the art world, too, she notes. Overturning a long-standing taboo on faith-based art, institutions have lately begun to feature artists whose work is spiritually inflected. In 2019, Hilma af Klint’s early 20th-century spiritualist paintings had a major show at

adds. “It’s about the kinship between spirituality and the creative process.” In this case, a focus on the spiritual, sacred and divine in art makes for an exhibition of unusual beauty. As viewers open the BCA’s front door, their gaze is immediately drawn to COURTESY OF BCA CENTER/SAM SIMON

n 2016, shortly after Heather Ferrell became curator and director of exhibitions at the BCA Center, Seven Days asked her whether she found it important to bring in outside artists. Having spent the previous four years consulting for two major art museums in Doha, Quatar, Ferrell said, “I think we have a responsibility to look locally as well as internationally, while always keeping ourselves grounded in our community.” The Burlington gallery’s current exhibition, “Transcendent: Spirituality in Contemporary Art,” cocurated by Ferrell and Shelley Warren, fulfills that promise impressively. Of the seven artists included, four are internationally prominent; the rest have national reputations, including two locals. One of the latter is Warren, a University of Vermont senior lecturer in sculpture and drawing whose multimedia installations occupy the lower-level gallery space. Aside from the local connection, the exhibit is grounded in community concerns in another way. Despite Vermont’s reputed indifference to religion, Ferrell suggests that matters of spirituality are coming to the fore here. “I think all of us are searching for something in response to what’s going on in the world around us,” Ferrell says in a phone interview, be that faith (in the sense of belief ) or the divine.

"Archangel Uriel" by Sandy Sokoloff

the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago mounted an exhibit on the Crucifixion. “There’s a reason for that growing prevalence,” Ferrell says. “Spirituality is something that brings us all together — like art brings us all together.” The art in “Transcendent” doesn’t reflect particular religious beliefs, she

the light-based installation in the back room. Anila Quayyum Agha’s “Hidden Diamond — Saffron” consists of a white room in the center of which hangs a fourfoot lacquered-steel cube. (The windows facing City Hall Park have been covered.) The cube is laser cut on all sides with an intricate, bordered pattern inspired by Islamic architectural latticework. Lit from within by a bright yellow bulb, it casts

repeated patterns of light and shadow on every surface — ceiling, floor, walls and visitors. Agha is a Pakistani American artist living in Indianapolis, Ind.; her light-based installations have been exhibited in more than 20 solo and 50 group shows around the world. Among the many dichotomies this work explores is that of inclusion/ exclusion. The artist was raised and spent her formative years in Lahore, where women’s access to sacred architecture and spaces is restricted; by contrast, “Hidden Diamond” welcomes and includes all who approach. If a glimpse of “Hidden Diamond” doesn’t lure in viewers, the exhibition’s engrossing soundtrack surely will. Two works of video animation by Shahzia Sikander feature scores composed by Du Yun, who won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize in music. While Sikander’s three-anda-half-minute “Singing Suns” is experienced with headphones, the soundtrack of her 10-minute “Disruption as Rapture” fills the gallery. It must be the most hauntingly beautiful piece a BCA volunteer docent has ever had to hear on continuous loop. The animation of “Disruption,” reminiscent of Indo-Persian miniature painting, is equally entrancing. According to an exhibition label, the work is “based on the Gulshan-e Ishq (The Rose Garden of

ART SHOWS

Love), a 17th-century poem and manu- Modern Art, among other major instituscript written by Nusrati, who was court tions, have acquired her work. poet to Sultan Ali Adil Shah II of Bijapur Grand Isle resident Sandy Sokoloff (Vijayapura, India).” Illustrations of (born 1944 in Brooklyn) explores mystical the love story — an Judaism — the Kabbalah originally Hindu tale — in two 46-by-93-inch that was recast as Sufi acrylic paintings in by the Muslim writer his “Archangel” series. — change and fade into “Archangel Uriel” and swirls and bursts of “Archangel Raphael” petals and other shapes have identical abstract as the music plays. compositions in differThis disruption indeed ent combinations of invites rapture, even colors. The symmetrical dazzlement. Pakistani composition features American Sikander is a a central sphere with a fiery, turbulent center 2006 MacArthur fellow based in NYC. flanked by two smaller Leonardo Benzant circles that emit rays is a Dominican Amerilike flashlight beams, can artist with Haitian extending precisely to the four corners of the heritage who was born and raised in Brooklyn. canvas. His suspended tubular Sokoloff exhibited sculptures explore a often in NYC and Boston different kind of tranfrom the 1970s through scendence: the spiritual the early ’90s. He worked in isolation for practices of the artist’s Afro-Caribbean ancestwo and a half decades tors. Benzant calls his "Red Trampoline" by after that, moved to method of applying Maïmouna Guerresi Grand Isle in 2014 and sheaths of tiny colored returned to the exhibitglass seed beads to ing world with a solo GG8V-Speeders112316.indd large-scale cardboard show at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center tubes “meditative,” according to a label. in 2019. Simultaneously Two columnar forms, vibrant and tranquil, “Encoded Memories” his paintings explore and “Black and Yellow,” sacred geometry and the have a totemic presidea that the Archangels ence. “The Chameleon’s represent indirect access Journey” is a bafflingly to the divine. looped composition 70 Five photographs by inches tall that incorpoMaïmouna Guerresi, an rates coffee grounds. Italian-born artist who Benzant, a 2017 Joan converted to Sufism Mitchell Foundation after moving to Senegal, HEAT HER F ERRELL award winner, says on are visually stunning. the foundation’s website Two, from her “Aisha in that his artworks “draw from the uniquely Wonderland” series, show young women shared history of code switching, double- covered head to toe in vibrantly colored consciousness, and multiple narratives abayas, made by the artist. They stand at that people of African descent have the ends of seemingly free-floating platinherited and are compelled to adopt as forms that bring to mind diving boards. a survival strategy for daily life.” Assuming positions that are at once Two older artists explore spirituality precarious and assured, the women are through geometry. Of the three starkly captured as if in the moment of achievspare works in the show by Zarina ing balance, their graceful hands still Hashmi (born 1937 in Aligarh, India), slightly outstretched. her woodcut “Fold in the Sky,” a half starCocurator Warren’s work explores speckled, half void-black composition on Buddhism’s spiritual tenets through paper, most evokes another dimension. a combination of sound, projected Zarina, as she is known, made her mark images and sculpture. In “Pradakshina: as a major post-Partition practitioner of A Devotional Practice,” a monk walks non-European abstraction. NYC’s Metro- from right to left across a screen until his politan Museum of Art and Museum of

Dec. 13 - Barre Dec. 14 - Burlington Dec. 15 - Rutland

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GALLERYGOER?

I THINK ALL OF US ARE SEARCHING FOR SOMETHING

11/21/16 Untitled-41 11:32 AM 1

11/27/19 11:22 AM

IN RESPONSE TO WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE WORLD AROUND US.

MAKING CONNECTIONS

» P.87

Design the perfect weekend with re:View — a weekly e-newsletter curated by Seven Days. Stay informed about: » Upcoming art receptions and events » Must-see exhibits » News, proﬁles and reviews

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SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

5/2/16 10:56 AM

art NEW THIS WEEK

ONGOING SHOWS

chittenden county

burlington

f ‘THIS LAND’: A group exhibition of images by

ART EVENTS

f ‘1619: ARRIVAL OF THE FIRST AFRICANS’: The ermont Racial Justice Alliance and Fletcher Free Library present the traveling exhibit from the Hampton History Museum in Virginia, which highlights the resilience and contributions of African Americans and acknowledges the impact slavery and laws that enforced racial discrimination have had in the U.S. Closing ceremony: Sunday, December 15, 5 p.m. Through December 14. Info, 532-3030. Fletcher Free Library in Burlington.

2019 HOLIDAY CRAFT MARKET: More than 25 artists sell their handmade crafts over the course of two weekends. Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester. Through December 15, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Info, 362-1405.

ALEXEI DMITRIEV: Multimedia installation marrying footage from classic films with the new music of Zelany Rashoho. Through December 31. Info, 391-4083. The Ga lery at Main Street Landing in Burlington.

ANNUAL VERMONT ARTISAN MARKET: Arts and crafts by local makers, along with a signature holiday cocktail and cash bar from the resort’s mixologists. The Equinox Reso t & Spa, Manchester, Saturday, December 14, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Info, 362-4700.

‘BE STRONG AND DO NOT BETRAY YOUR SOUL’: Photographs by 47 artists from the collection of Light Work, a nonprofit based in Syracuse, N. ., that explore topics of politics, social justice, identity and visibility. ‘RESIST! INSIST! PERSIST!’: Curated by UVM students in a fall 2018 art history class, the exhibit draws works primarily from the museum’s collection to explore how historical and contemporary artists “have countered adversity and hardship with empowerment and expression.” Through December 13. Info, 656-0750 Fleming Museum of Art, University of Vermont, in Burlington.

33 photographers, including six from Vermont, that reflect their connectivi y to the world around them. Selected by juror Craig Blacklock. Reception: Saturday, December 14, 4-6 p.m. December 14-January 12. Info, 777-3686. Darkroom Gallery in Essex Junction.

BCA HOLIDAY MARKET: Three dozen ermont artists offer clothing and accessories, jewelry, household items, and fine a t in this annual holiday sale. Burlington City Hall Auditorium, Friday, December 13, 4-8 p.m., and Saturday, December 14, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Info, 865-7166. CLAUDE LEHMAN POTTERY HOLIDAY SALE: Handcrafted pottery by the Burlington artist, entertainment and light refreshments. Claude Lehman Pottery, Burlington, Saturday, December 14, and Sunday, December 15, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Info, 399-5181.

BRENDAN BUSH: “A Cross Section,” artwork with intersecting colors, interrupted visual patterns and imperfect lines, reflecting the a tist’s attempts at love and acceptance of self. Through Februa y 29. Info, 859-9222. Speeder & Earl’s Coffee in Burlington. ‘CONTRAST’: A new exhibition by the Art Tribe — Melanie Brotz, Annie Caswell, LaVerne Ferguson, Kara Greenblott, Billie Miles, Lynne Reed, Kelley Taft and Beth Young — who are dedicated to supporting and encouraging each other in making art. Through December 27. Info, 598-7420. MELANIE BROTZ: “Visions of the Camino de Santiago,” a series of paintings inspired by the artist’s recent walk across Spain. Through December 24. Info, mel@burlingtontelecom net. Flynndog Gallery in Burlington.

COMMUNITY ART OPEN STUDIO: A self-guided art-making event for all ages. Many art materials to choose from. Expressive Arts Burlington, Wednesday, December 11, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., and Thursda , December 12, 12:30-3:30 p.m. Donations. Info, 343-8172. GENTLY USED ART SUPPLY POP-UP SALE: Reasonably priced art supplies on sale to support class scholarships. Stop by to see the new studio, donate art supplies or find some ou need. Expressive Arts Burlington, Saturday, December 14, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Info, 343-8172. HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE: Portrait and landscape paintings by Carolyn Egeli and sculpture by Dr. Chris Wilson; holiday sing-along with Todd Keenhold Friday night. Carolyn Egeli Studio, Braintree, Friday, December 13, 5-8 p.m.; Saturday, December 14, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; and Sunday, December 15, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Info, 240-925-7320. HOLLY HAUSER OPEN HOUSE: The Burlington a tist hosts an exhibit and sale of her paintings, prints and works in mixed media. Holly Hauser Studio, Burlington, Sunday, December 15, 1-4 p.m. Info, hollhaus@gmail.com. LAUREL WATERS ART OPEN STUDIO SHOW & SALE: New paintings, prints and cards by the landscape artist, along with refreshments. Wishbone Collective, Winooski, Sunday, December 15, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Info, 373-6714.

Sonja Olson

Indian miniature painting has changed a bit since it was

inscribed on palm leaves in the eighth century. Then again, the art form is still miniature, colorful and symbolic. As a child, Sonja Olson fell in love with it. That passion inspired her to augment her printmaking major in college with South Asian studies, to learn to speak Hindi and to travel to India to study with a master painter in Varanasi. Olson spent several decades as a professional printmaker but has now returned to her early interest and is making Hindu-style painting her own. An exhibit of her works, collectively titled “Rajput Indian Images,” is on view at Norman Williams Public Library in Woodstock through December 31. Pictured: “A Lonely Night.”

MAKING COMICS WITH MAREK BENNETT: With paper, pencil, ink and four storytelling elements, the New Hampshire-based cartoonist shows how to craft visual narratives. Participants are encouraged to bring family stories or photographs for inspiration. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, Saturday, December 14, 1-4 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6955.

PETER MILLER: Photographs of Vermont taken over 60 years, as well as autographed books of portraits and text about rural Vermonters by the award-winning photographer and author. Also open weekends and by appointment. Peter Miller Photography, Waterbury, Thursdays, 11:45 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Info, 272-8851.

MORETOWN ARTISANS SALE: More than two dozen area artists and specialty food vendors present their wares. Silent auction and raffle to benefit Hanna s House. Moretown Elementary School, Saturday, December 14, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., with live music 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; and Sunday, December 15, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., with Santa on-site noon-2 p.m. Info, therealmegsevents@ gmail.com.

STEAK FRITES CLOSING NIGHT: The a ts collective and the crew of Sniff Thi magazine wrap up their stay in the DT GRAY Room Gallery with artwork and a film showing. LeZot Camera Shop, Burlington, Saturday, December 14, 6-9 p.m. $5. Info, 652-2400.

OPEN STUDIO FIGURE DRAWING: Sessions featuring a variety of approaches to working from the figure are suited to all levels of drawing, painting and sculpture backgrounds and expertise. Easels and tables available. River Arts, Morrisville, Tuesday December 17, 3-5:30 p.m. $10. Info, 888-1261.

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

TALK: EMILY ARNASON CASEY: The writer discusses her new book, Made Holy, and “The Essay Exhibits,” the art show she curated as a conversation between her essay “Beneath a Sky of Gunmetal Gray” and eight Vermont artists: Fran Bull, Janet Fredericks,

VISUAL ART IN SEVEN DAYS:

Sarah Ashe, Wylie Garcia, Rhonda Ratray, Winnie Looby, Sage Tucker-Ketcham and Elizabeth Nelson. Ilsley Public Library, Middlebury, Thursda , December 12, 6-7 p.m. Free. Info, 338-2436. WILL KASSO CONDRY AND BHS STUDENTS: The Middlebury-based graffiti a tist and his students in the Burlington City & Lake Semester unveil four abstract portraits of local youth that represent values central to the students’ experiences: fun, curiosity, inclusion and community. The canvases will be installed at Burlington High School later this month. O.N.E. Community Center, Burlington, Wednesday, December 11, 6-7:30 p.m. Info, 540-5347.

ART LISTINGS AND SPOTLIGHTS ARE WRITTEN BY PAMELA POLSTON. LISTINGS ARE RESTRICTED TO ART SHOWS IN TRULY PUBLIC PLACES.

‘CREW NECK’: New artwork from 12 artists using T-shirts as their canvas: Annemarie Buckley, Noah Butkus, Aaron Draplin, Cody Hudson, Marin Horikawa, Scott Lenhardt, Sarah Letteney, Zak Jensen, Byron O’Neill, Tyler Stout, Jackson Tupper and Ty Williams. Proceeds from sales will be used to provide art classes for children. Through March 5. Info, 233 2943. Safe and Sound Gallery in Burlington. ‘TRANSCENDENT: SPIRITUALITY IN CONTEMPORARY ART’: A group exhibition of nationally recognized artists who explore or evoke themes of spirituality through their work, reflecting on questions of human nature, cultural identity and sanctity in everyday life. Artists include Anila Quayyam Agha, Leonardo Benzant, Maïmouna Guerresi, Shahzia Sikander, Zarina, and Vermontbased artists Sandy Sokoloff and Shelley Warren. ‘TRAVIS SHILLING: TYRANNOSAURUS CLAN’: The Canadian Ojibwe painter debuts a new series of work that explores the environmental impact of industry and the threat of extinction to the animal realm and indigenous culture. Through Februa y 8. Info, 865-7166. BCA Center in Burlington.

chittenden county

‘HOPES AND FEARS: Inspired by an Atlantic Monthly article about a similar exhibit in a New York art gallery, the library put out red boxes to collect comments about patrons’ hopes and fears, and now has them displayed in the Kolvoord Community Room. Visitors can continue to add their own comments. Through December 31. Info, 878-6955. Browne l Library in Essex Junction. ‘JOEL BARBER & THE MODERN DECOY’: The firs major exhibition to explore the life, collections and artwork of Barber (1876-1952), with objects including

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ART SHOWS

decoys, drawings, photographs and watercolor paintings from the museum’s collection. Through January 12. Info, 985-3346. Pizzagalli Center for Art and Education, Shelburne Museum. JUDITH LERNER: Vividly colored landscape paintings by the Vermont artist. Through December 20. Info, 660-8808. Dorset Street Dermatology in South Burlington. MICHAEL STRAUSS: Acrylic paintings by the Vermont artist. Through December 29. Info, 899-3211. Emile A. Gruppe Gallery in Jericho. ‘TRANSITIONS’: A group exhibition of some 16 artists represented by the gallery, marking the change of ownership from founders Joan Furchgott and Brad Sourdiffe to longtime employee Lara Maloy. Through January 31. Info, 985-3848. Furchgott Sourdiffe Gallery in Shelburne.

barre/montpelier

‘200 YEARS—200 OBJECTS’: In the final celebrato y year of the university’s bicentennial, the museum exhibits a curated selection of artifacts, documents and images from the school’s collections. Through December 21. Info, 485-2886. Sullivan Museum & History Center, Norwich University, in Northfield ADELAIDE MURPHY TYROL: “Anatomy of a Pond,” acrylic paintings and drawings, including larger fine-a t paintings and small natural history armature illustrations. Through December 31. Info, 229-6206. North Branch Nature Center in Montpelier. ANGIE FOLLENSBEE-HALL & MARY-JO KROLEWSKI: Follensbee-Hall shares works in mixed media, transforming rope, paper, paint, plant fibers and botanicals into jewelry, journals and fiber a t; Krolewski, a soft-sculpture artist, displays mostly food-inspired pieces. Through December 31. Info, 223-1981. The Cheshire Cat in Montpelie . ‘CELEBRATE’: Three floors of fine art and crafts created by more than 80 SPA member artists, including decorative and functional items for the household, ornaments, jewelry, cards and more. Throug December 27. Info, 479-7069. Studio Place Arts in Barre. ELIZABETH NELSON: “Northward,” paintings by the Vermont artist. Curated by Studio Place Arts. Throug December 14. Info, info@studioplacearts.com. Morse Block Deli & Taps in Barre. ELLIOT BURG AND ATHENA PETRA TASIOPOULOS: Photographs from the streets of Havana, Cuba, and mixed-media collages, respectively. Through January 3. Info, 262-6035. T.W. Wood Gallery in Montpelier. ‘I AM…: EXPLORING WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A VERMONT ARTIST’: More than 20 artists present 2D work, music and sound, spoken word, poetry, dance and movement within a digital compilation. The exhibition is the culmination of a yearlong “I Am a Vermont Artist” e-newsletter series documenting how artists’ creative expressions reflect their experiences of ethnicity, gender identity, religion, disability or age. Through December 20. Info, 828-3291. Spotlight Gallery in Montpelier.

CALL TO ARTISTS ‘2020 VISION: SEEING THE WORLD THROUGH TECHNOLOGY’: We are now accepting applications for our partially crowdsourced exhibit on Vermont innovation and technology in our Local History Gallery as part of this statewide project. Details and application at vermonthistory.org. Deadline: February 28. Vermont Historical Society, Barre. Info, 479-8500. ‘THE ART SHOW’: All sizes and mediums of artwork accepted, one piece per artist, to this monthly non-juried exhibition. $10 cash entry fee. Drop-off time for artwork is every first Friday of the month, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Opening reception is 6-9 p.m., with People’s Choice awarded a mini-grant. The Gallery at RL Photo, Burlington. Through Janua y 2. Info, publicartschool@gmail.com. BOAT SAIL DESIGN: The Lake Champlain Basin Program is seeking an artist to design a boat sail with artwork related to aquatic invasive species to help draw the public’s attention to preventing their spread. It will be incorporated into the fleet at the Communi y Sailing Center in Burlington in 2020. Up to $2,500 available. Request for proposals info at lcbp.org/ grants. Deadline: January 7. Lake Champlain Basin Program Office, Grand Isle. Info, 372-3213 CALL FOR MURAL ARTISTS: Axel’s Gallery & Frame Shop requests proposals from experienced muralists for a high-impact public art opportunity that will be developed in two phases: sketch and execution. Design must incorporate a phoenix. Mural location: alley at 5 Stowe Street in Waterbury. Prize for winning preliminary sketch: $750. Email proposal to info@axelsgallery. com. Subject line: 2019 Mural Submission (your first and last name). Deadline: December 15.

Axel’s Gallery & Frame Shop, Waterbury. Info, 244-7801. CALL TO ARTISTS: ‘QUIET TIME’: Established and emerging artists are invited to submit one or two pieces of artwork on the theme “Quiet Time” in any medium; must be ready to hang. Exhibition will be January through April. For info and registration materials, email catherine.mcmains@gmail.com or visit jerichovt.org. Deadline: December 20. Jericho Town Hall. CALL TO ARTISTS: THE PARADE IS COMING!: This show (July 7-August 22) includes work in a variety of mediums and installations that depict the excitement, content and colors associated with parades, as well as more solemn processions and marches. In addition to works on the walls, we’ll assemble a parade involving a group of artists’ sculptural works. Deadline: April 24. Info at studioplacearts.com/callsto-artists.html. Studio Place Arts, Barre. $10; free for SPA members. Info, 479-7069. ECOSYSTEM SERVICES THROUGH AN ARTIST’S EYE: The Orleans County Natural Resources Conservation District and the Memphremagog Arts Collective are looking for artists of all types to submit work around the theme of ecosystem services and agriculture. Th juried exhibition will open on April 3 at the MAC Center for the Arts in downtown Newport. More info at vacd. org/conservation-districts/ orleans-county or emily.irwin@ vt.nacdnet.net. Memphremagog Arts Collaborative, Newport. Through December 31. Free. Info, 624-7022. ‘HEARTFULLY YOURS’: GHCC is seeking submissions of 2D, small 3D and artwork with text for an exhibition that expresses and interprets the Valentine theme. Deadline January 11; drop-off January 20. Grange Hall Cultural Center, Waterbury Center. Free. Info, 244-4168.

PROFESSIONAL MURALIST WANTED: The Morrisvi le Alliance for Culture & Commerce is seeking to engage the services of a professional artist to create a mural that is artsy, welcoming and represents downtown Morrisville. The three 4- y-8-foot panels will be installed on the Portland Street side of the Green Dragon building; plywood and installation provided. Stipend: $2,500. Email proposals to heidi@ riverartsvt.org by December 15. Various Morrisville locations. Info, 888-1261. SEEKING VOLUNTEER MURALISTS: Nonprofit A ts So Wonderful is looking for artists to help paint murals at its gallery in the lower level of CityPlace Burlington, across from L.L.Bean. Paint provided. Participating artists can show and sell their own work in the gallery for free. ASW Art Gallery, Burlington. Through December 15. Info, artssowonderful2@ gmail.com. ‘THIS IS NOT MY AMERICA’ CALL TO ARTISTS: All mediums, including performance, accepted for this exhibit opening January 17. Email 2creativecommunity@gmail.com. Deadline: January 8. 2Creative Community, Winooski. Free. Info, 718-415-7135. VOICING ART EKPHRASTIC POETRY READING SERIES: Calling for submissions of original poetry written by all ages and experience levels in response to current exhibit “Contrast!” by the Art Tribe, or other art of the writer’s choice, for December 14 Voicing Art Poetry Reading. Submission guidelines and details at poarty.org/voicing-art. Deadline: December 13. Flynndog Gallery, Burlington. Free. Info, poartryproject@gmail.com.

JANIE COHEN: “Rogue Cloth Work,” hand-stitched pieces of old cloth combined and transformed into new textile assemblages with new contexts. Through December 27. Info, 828-0749. Vermont Supreme Court Gallery in Montpelier. ‘LET IT BEE’: Mixed-media encaustic works by Dona Mara Friedman, Jan Sandman and Peggy Smith. Programming about colony collapse disorder and other threats to pollinators throughout the month, as well as workshops and a film. Through Janu y 12. Info, 738-3667. The Garage Cultural Center in Montpelier. ‘NORMAN ROCKWELL’S ARLINGTON: AMERICA’S HOME TOWN’: An exhibit chronicling Rockwell and other artists who lived in Arlington, as well as many local residents who posed for the scenes of everyday life they portrayed. A collaborative effort of the Canfield Ga lery and the Russell Collection of Vermontiana. Through Janua y 31. Info, 479-8500. Vermont History Museum in Montpelier. ‘SHOW 36’: Recent works by the membership of Montpelier’s sole collective art gallery. Friday through Sunday or by appointment. Through January 1. Info, info@thefrontvt.com. The Front in Montpelier.

f ‘SPILT MILK: THREE VERSIONS OF WORLDLY UPSET’: Multimedia work including video, sculpture and work on paper by Susan Calza, Ginger Pearl Irish and Nina DuBois that responds to the theme. Artists on-site for informal discussion in conjunction with Montpelier Art Walk. Reception and artist talk: Sunday, January 19, 2-4 p.m. Through Janua y 26. Info, 224-6827. Susan Calza Gallery in Montpelier.

stowe/smuggs

ARISTA ALANIS: “The ocean is ’t a color,” paintings and monoprints by the Vermont artist. Through December 15. Info, 635-2727. Red Mill Gallery at Vermont Studio Center in Johnson. BFA STUDENT EXHIBIT: Media arts major Jessica Skala and studio arts majors Auburn Little and Harrison Holmes show their work. Through December 13. Info, 635-1469. Julian Scott Memorial Gallery, Northern Vermont University-Johnson. BRIAN FEKETE: “Quixotica,” an exhibition of fi e large-scale oil paintings on canvas that explore abstraction, gesture and color. Through December 20. Info, 881-0418. 571 Projects in Stowe. ‘CHASING LIGHT’: A group exhibition featuring the work of John Bonner, Galen Cheney, Dominique Gustin, Charlie Hunter, John Moyers, SamTalbot-Kelly and Jim Westphalen, curated by Kelly Holt Through January 19. Info, 760-4634. Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center, Stowe Mountain Resort. HEARTBEET LIFESHARING FIBER ARTS: Collaborative works of fiber a tists and the therapeutic woodworking studio at the lifesharing communities in Hardwick and Craftsbury that include adults with developmental disabilities. STOWE/SMUGGS SHOWS

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Raintree

h and m ad e i n Bur li ng t on

THE MUNDAKA RING 146 Cherry Street, Burlington raintreevt.com • 802.430.4825 4H-raintree121119.indd 1

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

12/5/19 1:50 PM

art STOWE/SMUGGS SHOWS

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SMALL WORKS HOLIDAY SHOW: An exhibit of small-scale artworks, including a “mini exhibit”: a wall of 50 panels measuring 50 square inches each. Through December 21. Info, 457-3500. A tisTree Gallery in South Pomfret.

JENNIFER HUBBARD: “The iew From Here,” landscape paintings featuring scenes from Lamoille and Orleans counties. Through December 27. Info, 888-1261. River Arts in Morrisville.

SONJA OLSON: Paintings and drawings of Rajput Indian imagery. Through December 31. Info, 457 2295. Norman Williams Public Library in Woodstock.

MEMBERS’ ART SHOW & SALE AND FESTIVAL OF TREES & LIGHT: Elena Rosen and Alexa Sherrill curated an exhibit of works by gallery member artists. Also on view: evergreen trees decorated with ornaments handmade by master artisans and a Hanukkah display of menorahs, games and dreidels. Through December 28. Info, 253-8358. Helen Day A t Center in Stowe.

WENDY KLEMPERER, MIRANDA THOMAS & JACKIE PADICH: Paintings and sculpture that incorporate natural imagery. Through Janua y 5. Info, 359-5000. Vermont Institute of Natural Science Nature Center in Quechee.

northeast kingdom

‘ORIGINS: SKIING AND RIDING IN VERMONT’: “Green Mountains, White Gold” is a photographic journey through Vermont’s ski history, and “Surfing Snow: Vermont Inspired Boards” tells the story of snowboard technology with examples from Burton’s archives, curated by VTSSM Hall of Famer John Gerndt. Through October 31. Info, 253-9911. ermont Ski and Snowboard Museum in Stowe.

THE 99 FACES PROJECT: Photographic portraits, without labels, featuring people on the bipolar or schizophrenia spectrum and those who love them. Through March 2. Info, 748-7313. No theastern Vermont Regional Hospital in St. Johnsbury. ANNUAL HOLIDAY SHOW: Guest and member artists present a variety of wares, including paintings, pottery, woodwork, clothing, kitchen items and more. Through Janua y 4. Info, 748-0158. Northeast Kingdom Artisans Guild Backroom Gallery in St. Johnsbury.

‘WINTER IS HERE’: Photographs of the season by Orah Moore, Dorothy Koval and Ross Connelly, members of the River Arts Photo Co-op in Morrisville. Through April 23. Info, 253-2691. Plate in Stowe

mad river valley/waterbury

‘COME TOGETHER’: Paintings, digital work, photography, prints and more by Northern Vermont University art faculty. Through Janua y 18. Info, 626-6459. Quimby Gallery, Northern Vermont University-Lyndon, in Lyndonville.

‘BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL’: Juried paintings by members of the Vermont Watercolor Society illustrate diverse styles and techniques. Through December 21. Free. Info, 496-6682. Vermont Festival of the Arts Gallery in Waitsfield ‘CELEBRATING THE SMALL: A GROUP SHOW’: Artworks in a variety of mediums that measure 10 by 10 inches or less, priced at no more than $100. Through December 24. Info, 244-7801. Axels Gallery & Frame Shop in Waterbury. JANE BRIGGS & LEE YOUNGMAN: Hand-knit shawls by the co-owners of Waterbury’s Yarn, for display and sale. Through December 20. MIMI CLARK: “The Summer of 2018,” watercolor paintings that depict life around the Winooski River. Through December 31. Info, 244-7036. Waterbury Public Library.

middlebury area

12TH ANNUAL HOLIDAY SHOW: Original, handmade and hand-printed art and fine cra ts from 25 regional artists, including pastel drawings by Judy Albright, woodblock prints by Ray Hudson, bee quilts by Hope Johnson and more. Through December 31. 802-382-9222. Jackson Gallery, Town Hall Theate , in Middlebury. 21ST ANNUAL GINGERBREAD HOUSE COMPETITION AND EXHIBITION: A competition of sweet creations open to individuals of all ages and abilities and to organizations, school groups and businesses. This year’s theme is “Christmas at Hogwarts Castle.” Visitors can vote for their favorite entry to receive the People’s Choice award. Through December 20. CORRINE YONCE: “Somewhere Between Place and Home,” a multimedia exploration of three projects by the community organizer, artist and documentarian that considers what it means when one’s primary residence is something other than fully home. Through Februa y 29. Info, 388-4964. Vermont Folklife Center in Middlebury. ‘CONJURING THE DEAD: SPIRIT ART IN THE AGE OF RADICAL REFORM’: Photographs and original drawings acquired by Solomon Wright Jewett (1808-94), a Vermont farmer, legislator and spiritualist who claimed supernatural powers, including bringing back the deceased. Through Janua y 11. DANA SIMSON: “The animals are innocent,” mixed-media ceramic sculptures and paintings featuring animals that address loss of habitat and food sources, among other perils. Through Janua y 11. LIONEL TRAINS: Multi-level Lionel train tracks running through artist-made settings and operated by volunteer “engineers” through the holiday season. See henrysheldonmuseum.org for schedule. Through January 11. MINIATURE CHRISTMAS TREE RAFFLE: Sixteen one-of-a-kind trees decorated by local artisans to be raffled in suppo t of the museum’s children’s activities. The drawing is Frida , December 20. Through December 20. Info, 388-2117. Hen y

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

‘GLACIERS’: Photographs by Chip Troiano and paintings by Elizabeth Nelson. Through Janua y 21. Info, 525-3366. Parker Pie Co. in West Glover.

Lionel Trains The trains are on time at the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History in Middlebury. Holiday time, that is. And every year the toy train layout grows a little more elaborate; this year’s additions are newly fashioned cliffs on a skating pond plateau, a waterfall and fresh landscaping. Grass! Dirt! Rocks! But, the museum assures, the big hit of 2018 has returned: a tiny gondola ski lift complete with skiers, snowboarders and climbers. A team of volunteer “engineers” operates the trains through January 11 (see henrysheldonmuseum.org for schedule). Pictured: antique Lionel engine and tender. Sheldon Museum of Vermont History in Middlebury. ERIN DAIGLE: A dozen plein air oil paintings of downtown Vergennes storefronts, restaurants and street scenes, all of which will be featured in a 2020 calendar. Through Februa y 29. Info, 324-7140. Kennedy Brothers Building in Vergennes. ‘MORE LIGHT 2019’: The ga lery’s fourth annual small works show, featuring new art by Bonnie Baird, Brenda Myrick, Anne Cady, Hannah Sessions, Pamela Smith and Reid Boehner in a range of media, including English porcelain, watercolor and oil painting. Through December 29. Info, 877-2173. Northern Daughters in Vergennes. NANCY CUSTER CARROLL: “The Garden Series,” sma l oil paintings from life. Through Janua y 31. Info, 349-5213. Lincoln Library. SMALL WORKS: A curated exhibition of new and favorite small-scale works by the gallery’s established and emerging artists, with featured guest artist Cristine Kossow. Through December 31. Info, 458 0098. Edgewater Gallery on the Green in Middlebury.

rutland/killington

‘CELEBRATE WITH ART’: All-member, all-media holiday gift show. Also, the debut of three new artist-members: Catherine Palmer (colored pencil), Winslow Colwell (photography on kite forms) and Michael DiMeola (photography). Through Janua y 28. Info, 247-4956. Brandon Artists Guild. DONA ANN MCADAMS: Acclaimed Vermont photographer and activist Dona Ann McAdams’ expansive oeuvre features historic black-and-white portraits of avant-garde performers, pioneers of queer liberation, portraits of people living with schizophrenia, Appalachian farmers, cloistered nuns,

race track workers and luminous images of horses, oxen and goats. Through Janua y 4. Info, 579-9501. Castleton University Bank Gallery, in Rutland. ‘SEASON OF GIVING’: A holiday show featuring giftable works by gallery members in a variety of mediums. GINGERBREAD CONTEST SHOWCASE: Sweet creations by locals of all ages, with first, second and third prizes, plus a People’s Choice award. Vote until January 3. Through Janua y 3. Info, 775-0356. Chaffee Art Center in Rutland. SANDY MAYO: “On the Surface,” a solo exhibition of mixed-media paintings by the local artist. Through January 20. Info, the77gallery@gmail.com. B&G Gallery in Rutland.

upper valley

COLEEN O’CONNELL: “Feathers, Ferns and Fish,” prints using a variety of techniques by the ecologically minded local artist. JENNA RICE: “Guitar Tattoos,” pyrographic artwork on musical instruments by the Weathersfield a tist and musician. Through December 31. Info, 295-4567. Long Ri er Gallery & Gifts in White River Junction. ‘ELEMENTS OF GLASS: FROM THE WORKSHOP OF SIMON PEARCE’: A collaborative exhibition with the renowned Vermont glassmaker explores the transformation from sand to glass, from design to finished product. Through March 31. Info, 649-2200 Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich. HOLIDAY SHOW: Member artists offer works in a variety of styles and techniques. Through December 31. Info, 295-5901. Two Rivers Printmaking Studio in White River Junction.

‘THE PIVOT AND THE BLADE: AN INTIMATE GLANCE AT SCISSORS’: A collection of objects that conveys the long human relationship to scissors and explores their design and myriad professional, creative, superstitious, violent and domestic uses. Through December 31. Info, 626-4409. The Museum of Everyday Life in Glover. ROBERT MALLORY KLEIN: “The Character of the Kingdom,” paintings of the villages and hamlets of the Northeast Kingdom by the retired diplomat turned artist. Through December 22. Info, 533-9075. Highland Center for the Arts in Greensboro. STUDENT ART SHOW AND HOLIDAY SALE: An exhibition of artwork by animation and illustration students, as well as jewelry, textiles, paintings, illustrations, drawings and other art for holiday shopping in the Satellite Gallery. Through Janua y 6. Info, 626-6459. Northern Vermont University-Lyndon in Lyndonville. VANESSA COMPTON: “Sisters of the Dune,” collages by the Vermont artist. Through Februa y 26. Info, vanessa_compton@yahoo.com. Bread & Butter in St. Johnsbury.

brattleboro/okemo valley

‘ALCHEMY: METAL, MYSTERY AND MAGIC’: A group show featuring sculptures and painting by Jeanne Carbonetti, Sabrina Fadial, Alexandra Heller, Peter Heller, Pat Musick, Dan O’Donnell, Gerald Stoner and Johnny Swing. Through Februa y 29. Info, 258-3992. The Great Ha l in Springfield DOUG TRUMP: “By Rail,” 12 oil and mixed-media works on repurposed wood. Through Februa y 9. FAFNIR ADAMITES: “Interfere (with),” a sculptural installation created with felted wool and burlap that focuses on intergenerational trauma and generational emotional turmoil. Through March 7. GORDON MEINHARD: “The Li es of Tables,” modernist still life paintings of tables that appear to become more animated as the series progresses, by the cofounder of the museum. Through March 7. MARÍA ELENA GONZÀLEZ: “Tree Talk,” an installation that uses rubbings and tracings of birch bark as templates for laser-cutting paper piano rolls. Through Februa y 9. THELMA APPEL: “Observed/Abstract,” a survey of the career of a cofounder of the Bennington College Summer Painting Workshop, whose work now centers on the tarot. Through Februa y 9. Info, 257-0124. Brattleboro Museum & Art Center.

ART SHOWS

manchester/bennington

ASA CHEFFETZ: VERMONT WOOD ENGRAVINGS: Works by the late printmaker (1896-1965). ‘COLOR FIELDS: 1960S BENNINGTON MODERNISM’: An exhibition of works by Pat Adams, Anthony Caro, Paul Feeley, Helen Frankenthaler, Ruth Ann Fredenthal, Patricia Johanson, Vincent Longo, Kenneth Noland and Jules Olitskies that illustrates the centrality of the college in the development of midcentury modernism. ‘VISIBLE IN VERMONT: OUR STORIES, OUR VOICES’: A multigenerational photo and story exhibition highlighting the experiences of people of color living in or attending school in Vermont. Through December 30. Info, 447-1571. Bennington Museum. RICHARD D. WEIS: “Beyond Words,” a solo show of paintings by the Vermont artist. Through March 14. Info, 768-8498. Ellenbogen Gallery in Manchester.

randolph/royalton

18TH ANNUAL ARTISANS HOLIDAY MARKET: Fine art, crafts and products created by area artisans and local food producers. Through December 28. Info, 728-9878. Chandler Gallery in Randolph. JORDAN LAURA MCLACHLAN & MORTON BARTLETT: “Family Matters,” a special exhibition of outsider art, in association with Marion Harris Gallery in New York City. Through February 29. Info, 767-9670. BigTown Gallery in Rochester. KATE EMLEN: “Breathe the Wind,” paintings large and small, inspired from immersion in nature. Through December 20. Info, 498-8438. White River Gallery in South Royalton. KATE REEVES: “My Winter World,” a solo show of acrylic and watercolor paintings by the Barnard artist. Through February 18. Info, 889-9404. Tunbridge Public Library.

outside vermont

2019 MEMBERS HOLIDAY SHOW: This annual exhibition and sale includes works by gallery members in a broad variety of mediums. RON NOLLAND: Nature-focused photography by the featured artist, along with other member artists, in the cooperative gallery. Through December 27. Info, 518-563-1604. Strand Center for the Arts in Plattsburgh, N.Y.

ALAIN PAIEMENT: “Bleu de Bleu,” 32 videographic, photographic and sculptural elements that document the artist’s public-art installation between Trudeau International Airport and downtown Montréal. FRANCIS ALYS: “Children’s Games,” a collection of 20 short videos of children at play around the world. GISELE AMANTEA: Ink-jet prints that combine photographic documentation of the MAC Rotunda with drawings inspired by Giovanni Battista Piranesi’s 18th-century etchings. JANET WERNER: A survey of the last decade of “fictional portraits” by the renowned Montréal painter. LUIS JACOB & SERGE TOUSIGNANT: “Je vois ce que tu regardes,” images and sculptures by the Canadian artists that, respectively, encourage viewers to contemplate and reconstruct relationships or act directly on viewers’ experience of the exhibition space. WILLIAM KENTRIDGE: Two short animated films, “Second-hand Reading” and “Learning the Flute,” by the South African artist, who is known for philosophical reflections on time, violence and resilience in the context of colonialism and revolutionary politics. Through January 5. Info, 514-847-6226. Montréal Museum of Contemporary Art. ‘EGYPTIAN MUMMIES: EXPLORING ANCIENT LIVES’: An international exhibition created by the British Museum combines arts and science to tell the stories of six people who lived along the Nile in ancient times. Through March 29. Info, 514-285-2000. Montréal Museum of Fine Arts. HOLIDAY EXHIBITION: Unique gifts ranging from artwork in all mediums to handmade ornaments and fine jewelry. Through December 24. MARGARET DWYER: The AVA watercolor instructor and studio tenant showcases her multimedia artwork in the Carter-Kelsey building lobby. Through December 28. MEMBERS’ GALLERY EXHIBITION: An inaugural display of artwork by AVA members. Through December 28. Info, 603-448-3117. AVA Gallery and Art Center in Lebanon, N.H. ‘IMAGINE VAN GOGH’: An immersive installation presented by Paul Dupont-Hébert and Tandem that brings viewers inside large-scale 3D versions of the painter’s famous works, accompanied by music from composers Saint-Saëns, Mozart, Bach, Delibes and Satie. See imagine-vangogh.ca to make appointment for visit. Through February 2. Info, 514-931-9978. Arsenal Contemporary Art in Montréal. m

Making Connections « P.83 image traverses a plain white stupa, or round-tiered monument often used as a reliquary, which the artist has placed between the screen and the projector. His movement thus imitates pradakshina, the practice of circumambulating a stupa to achieve a healing state of mind. “My motivation is that we live in pretty dark times, with a lot of anger, anxiety, conflicted minds. [I want] to create a space that’s peaceful, like a sanctuary,” Warren says during a phone call. She has shown work in Washington, D.C., and Kathmandu, Nepal. “One woman says [the room containing Warren’s installations] puts her in a really kind state of mind,” she adds,

“and I think that’s what the whole show is about.” Ferrell agrees. “Hopefully, you’ll encounter the work and make a connection to it in a way that transcends your everyday experience,” she suggests. “It elevates you.” m

794 133 2021 INSPECTIONS

ELDERCARE HOMES

CITATIONS

Contact: lilly@sevendaysvt.com

Seven Days and Vermont Public Radio joined forces to analyze ﬁve years’ worth of state inspection reports and complaints involving residential care and assisted living facilities in Vermont. Seven Days data editor Andrea Suozzo created the Vermont Eldercare Navigator, a searchable online database that lets you see what state inspectors found at these homes.

INFO “Transcendent: Spirituality in Contemporary Art,” on view through February 8 at BCA Center in Burlington. burlingtoncityarts.com Anila Quayyum Agha will give an artist talk on Wednesday, January 29, 5:30-6:30 p.m., 301 Williams Hall, University of Vermont, in Burlington.

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT YOUR LOCAL HOME? Start investigating at sevendaysvt.com/eldercare

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SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

11/26/19 3:01 PM

movies Dark Waters ★★★

ust when you’re positive you couldn’t possibly be even a fraction more bummed about the state of the nation, along comes the latest from Todd Haynes (Carol) to make you feel way, way worse. That’s not the director’s goal, obviously. There’s a determined and honorable real-life attorney in the middle of all Dark Waters' depressing real-life corporate malfeasance, and the audience is meant to celebrate him. Here’s the thing: Two hours and change after meeting our hero, my guess is you’ll be more depressed than you were before. Despite striking similarities, Erin Brockovich this is not. Mark Ruffalo plays Rob Bilott, a Cincinnati lawyer at a firm that specializes in defending big chemical companies (are there tiny ones?). When a West Virginia farmer he knows through his grandmother bursts into his office demanding he take legal action against DuPont, Bilott figures the guy’s off his nut. Then he makes a trip to the fellow’s spread and gets a life-altering eyeful. On one side of the property is the burial site for thousands of barrels filled with DuPont’s toxic waste. On the other, the farmer

REVIEWS

has buried virtually his entire herd — nearly 200 cows. Neither man is a scientist, but both connect the toxic dots. At first, Bilott’s coworkers and even the brass at DuPont are good-humored about his taking the case. Parkersburg is a company town, and nobody really believes he’d dream of biting the hand that feeds practically everyone in it. Tim Robbins costars as the gruffly supportive head of the practice. Victor Garber does a slow boil as Phil Donnelly, a top executive with the corporate giant. In early scenes, we watch Bilott socialize with the big shots on both sides. As the case heats up, however, the attorney finds himself increasingly ostracized. When he goes after in-house DuPont records, Donnelly jumps at the chance to bury Bilott in paper: hundreds of boxes overflowing with company documents. He assumes that one man will never wade through them all. It takes years, but Bilott does. What he finds isn’t a smoking gun but a smoking arms depot. The records reveal that DuPont knew from the start that the forever chemicals used to produce its nonstick breakthrough Teflon posed a serious health hazard to both employees and the public. Women on the production line got sick, had babies with birth defects or both. Meanwhile,

DRINKING PROBLEM Ruffalo plays a real-life lawyer who battled DuPont on behalf of the town whose water the company poisoned.

the locals developed a statistically astonishing variety of diseases. The toxic waste that DuPont didn’t bury in metal drums, Bilott discovered, it dumped into the water supply or incinerated into the atmosphere. All this and the class action settlement ($671 million) that Bilott won in 2017 are a matter of public record. What comes as an unpleasant surprise — and, honestly, a total buzzkill — is that DuPont not only never admitted wrongdoing but has never stopped selling Teflon-coated products. Despite all the evidence Bilott uncovered and the headlines it made, the company still makes bil-

The Irishman ★★★★

teerforth Press, a small publisher in New Hampshire’s Upper Valley, scored a big hit in 2004 with former prosecutor Charles Brandt’s I Heard You Paint Houses. The best-selling true crime book is the fruit of Brandt’s interviews with the late Frank Sheeran, a longtime Teamsters official and mobster who claimed to know what really happened to union boss Jimmy Hoffa. Now that book comes to theaters and Netflix as The Irishman, Martin Scorsese’s three-and-a-halfhour crime epic, which is already dominating the awards conversation. In a long piece published in Slate in August, journalist Bill Tonelli claimed that Sheeran’s tale of his hit man exploits is, in fact, one big lie. Steerforth’s publisher fired back a defense of Brandt’s fact-checking. Both sides are fiercely argued and essential reading for any viewer of The Irishman, which takes Sheeran’s story pretty much at face value. Played by Robert De Niro from youthful vigor to old age, thanks to the magic of CGI, Sheeran serves as the narrator of this exhaustive, occasionally exhausting story of crime and its recompense. It starts when the elderly Sheeran flashes back to a seemingly insignificant road trip he took in 1975, and then further back to his first meeting with mob boss Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci). Memories accumulate as the story moves toward a fateful choice. For anyone hoping to see Scorsese return to the glory days of Goodfellas, The Irishman 88 SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

MOB RULE Pesci and De Niro return to their good fellowship in Scorsese’s crime epic about the rise and fall of a loyal enforcer.

delivers. From languid tracking shots to explosive vintage needle drops, his epic style is on display. As a procedural, too, detailing the mighty role that unions and their mobster bedfellows played in midcentury America, the film could inspire viewers to track down all sorts of historical footnotes. Early on, though, The Irishman suffers from a certain void at its center. De Niro plays Sheeran impeccably as a solid build-

ing block in the mob organization, performing violent acts with a grim efficiency that he acquired during his service in the Second World War. Because he isn’t especially dynamic or conflicted, the first hour moves slowly, livened mainly by Pesci’s turn as a courtly criminal. Things pick up after Sheeran falls in with Hoffa, played by Al Pacino as a controlling, theatrical narcissist. It’s a borderline-

lions on those products every year, and the EPA refuses to regulate. So, yeah, the movie tells an urgent, important story. Unfortunately, the writing, direction and acting are a trifle wooden and a little too on the nose. There’s an afterschool-special quality to the film in places. And, most unfortunately of all, Dark Waters arrives at a time when moviegoers aren’t exactly seeking out further reason to believe the system’s broken. As a result, most probably won’t seek out Dark Waters, either. RI C K KI S O N AK

hammy performance that the movie needs. Watching Hoffa throw a hissy fit when a mobster shows up for a meeting late and improperly attired is entertaining, even if we can’t avoid the sense that we’ve seen all these tricks from Scorsese and others before. The pettiness of the powerful isn’t as amusing as it used to be. Not until its last hour, when Sheeran finally reaches his road trip’s destination, does The Irishman transcend its mob-movie tropes and crowd-pleasing set pieces to become something stark and new. The careful tracing of the bonds between Sheeran and his two patrons, Hoffa and Bufalino, pays off in a masterfully depicted sequence that leaves us feeling pity and terror for a killer whose consummate professionalism both made him and broke him. While the use of Frank’s daughter (a nearly silent Anna Paquin) as his conscience feels heavy-handed, his devastation is palpable. Winding and anecdotal as The Irishman sometimes is, that last hour is up there with the best work Scorsese has done. Did it all really happen, or have we watched only “The Lies of the Irishman,” to quote the headline of Tonelli’s piece? Either way, there’s no Jordan Belfort-style boasting or cockiness in Scorsese’s rendition of this hit man’s tale — only the bitter recognition of a misspent life. MARGO T HARRI S O N

MOVIE CLIPS

NEW IN THEATERS BLACK CHRISTMAS: This horror flick about soror y pledges stalked by a campus killer sounds less like a remake of the 1974 schlock classic than an attempt at a #MeToo twist on it. With Imogen Poots, Cary Elwes and Lily Donoghue. Sophia Takal (Always Shine) directed. (92 min, PG-13. Essex, Majestic)

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JUMANJI: THE NEXT LEVEL: Teens caught in a virtual-reality game face yet more dangerous challenges in this sequel to the 2017 comedy-action hit Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, again directed by Jake Kasdan. Karen Gillan, Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart and Awkwafina sta . (123 min, PG-13. Big Picture, Essex, Majestic, Marquis, Palace, Paramount, Roxy, Welden) RICHARD JEWELL: Clint Eastwood’s bio-drama tells the story of a security guard (Paul Walter Hauser) who became a victim of irresponsible reporting after foiling a terrorist bombing in 1996. Olivia Wilde and Sam Rockwell star. (129 min, R. Essex, Majestic) WAVES: The turbulent relationship between a high school wrestler (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) and his girlfriend has repercussions for his whole family in this drama from writer-director Trey Edward Shults (It Comes at Night). With Renée Elise Goldsberry and Sterling K. Brown. (135 min, R. Savoy)

NOW PLAYING 21 BRIDGESHH1/2 While a manhunt locks down the entire island of Manhattan, an NYPD detective (Chadwick Boseman) discovers a conspiracy among his colleagues in this crime drama. With J.K. Simmons and Sienna Miller. Brian Kirk (Middletown) directed. (99 min, R) ABOMINABLEHHH1/2 Lost in Shanghai, a young yeti needs help to return to his Everest home in this DreamWorks animated adventure. Jill Culton (Open Season) directed. With the voices of Chloe Bennet, Albert Tsai and Eddie Izzard. (97 min, PG; reviewed by M.H. 10/2) THE AERONAUTSHHH Felicity Jones and Eddie Redmayne play Victorian hot-air balloonists attempting an unprecedented ascent in this adventure drama from director Tom Harper (Wild Rose). With Himesh Patel and Tom Courtenay. (140 min, PG-13) A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOODHHHH A cynical journalist (Matthew Rhys) learns lessons from children’s TV pioneer Fred Rogers (Tom Hanks) in this fact-based drama. Marielle Heller (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) directed. (108 min, PG; reviewed by R.K. 11/27) DARK WATERSHHH A lawyer (Mark Ruffalo) takes on DuPont for polluting West Virginia farmland in this fact-based drama from Todd Haynes (Carol), also starring Anne Hathaway, William Jackson Harper and Tim Robbins. (126 min, PG-13; reviewed by R.K. 12/11)

Fantastic Fungi

THE GOOD LIARHHH A con man (Ian McKellen) finds himself falling for his rich mark (Helen Mirren) in this thriller-ish drama directed by Bill Conden (Mr. Holmes). With Russell Tovey. (109 min, R; reviewed by M.H. 11/20) HARRIETHHH1/2 Cynthia Erivo portrays Harriet Tubman, who escaped from slavery to become an activist and organizer of the Underground Railroad, in this biopic directed by Kasi Lemmons (Eve’s Bayou). With Leslie Odom Jr. and Joe Alwyn. (125 min, PG-13) THE IRISHMANHHHH Retired labor union officia Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro) remembers his past as a hitman — and his role in the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino) — in this crime drama from Martin Scorsese, also starring Anna Paquin, Jesse Plemons and Joe Pesci. (209 min, R; reviewed by M.H. 12/11) JOJO RABBITHHHH Everybody has an opinion on this anti-Nazi satire from Taika Waititi (Thor Ragnarok), in which a young follower of Hitler (Roman Griffin Davis) makes discoveries that change his world. With Thomasin McKenzie, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell and Rebel Wilson. (108 min, PG-13; reviewed by R.K. 11/13)

LAST CHRISTMASHH1/2 In this holiday rom com, a young woman (Emilia Clarke) with darkness in her past meets her new beau while playing a departmentstore Santa’s elf. With Henry Golding and Emma Thompson. Paul Feig (A Simple Favor) directed. (102 min, PG-13)

FORD V FERRARIHHHH Matt Damon and Christian Bale play the team behind the Ford race car that challenged the Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966. James Mangold (Logan) directed the fact-based drama, also starring Catriona Balfe and Jon Bernthal. (152 min, PG-13)

MIDWAYHH1/2 Director Roland Emmerich (Independence Day: Resurgence) transports audiences to a key World War II battle for control of the Pacific in this drama starring Woody Harrelson, Ed Skrein, Patrick Wilson and Dennis Quaid. (138 min, PG-13)

FROZEN IIHHH1/2 Royal sisters Anna and Elsa must find the source of Elsa’s icy powers to save their kingdom in the sequel to Disney’s animated mega-hit. With the voices of Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff and Idina Menzel. Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee again directed. (103 min, PG; reviewed by M.H. 11/27)

PARASITEHHH An unemployed family finds plenty to do — and money to be made — in an affluent home in this satirical drama from Bong Joon Ho (Snowpiercer), which won the Palme d’or at the Cannes Film Festival. With Kang-ho Song and Yeo-jeong Jo. (132 min, R; reviewed by R.K. 11/6)

ratings

PLAYMOBIL: THE MOVIEH1/2 The German building toy gets its own showcase with this family animation about two orphans who find themselves pulled into a fantastical world. But is everything awesome there? With the voices of Anya Taylor-Joy, Jim Gaffigan and Daniel Radcliffe. Animator Lino DiSalvo makes his directorial debut. (99 min, PG)

RATINGS ASSIGNED TO MOVIES NOT REVIEWED BY RICK KISONAK OR MARGOT HARRISON ARE COURTESY OF METACRITIC.COM, WHICH AVERAGES SCORES GIVEN BY THE COUNTRY’S MOST WIDELY READ MOVIE REVIEWERS.

We Build it. We Deliver it. We Service it.

—Untitled-30

10/28/19 3:48 PM

KNIVES OUTHHHH1/2 Daniel Craig plays a detective investigating the death of a crime novelist in writerdirector Rian Johnson’s dark comic riff on Agatha Christie-style mysteries. The all-star cast includes Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson and Toni Collette. (130 min, PG-13; reviewed by M.H. 12/4)

FANTASTIC FUNGIHHH1/2 This documentary that the New York Times called “informative and kooky” suggests that mushrooms might be the cure for what ails us — and the planet. Louie Schwartzberg directed; Brie Larson narrates. (81 min, NR)

H = refund, please HH = could’ve been worse, but not a lot HHH = has its moments; so-so HHHH = smarter than the average bear HHHHH = as good as it gets

BRING IT HOME

QUEEN & SLIMHHH1/2 A couple’s first date turns into a desperate run from the law after a routine traffic stop goes wrong in this drama from director Melina Matsoukas (“Insecure”). Daniel Kaluuya, Jodie Turner-Smith and Chloë Sevigny star. (132 min, R)

Cheers!

Pop open a cold one with your friends at Seven Days.

buy it now: sevendaysvt.com/store GG4t-MerchStore112316.indd 1

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

11/17/16 3:31 PM

movies

LOCALtheaters (*) = NEW THIS WEEK IN VERMONT. (**) = SPECIAL EVENTS. FOR UP-TO-DATE TIMES VISIT SEVENDAYSVT.COM/MOVIES.

BETHEL DRIVE-IN 36 Bethel Drive, Bethel, betheldrivein.com

Closed for the season.

BIG PICTURE THEATER 48 Carroll Rd. (off Route 100), Waitsfield, 496-8994, bigpicturetheater.info

wednesday 11 — thursday 12 A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Frozen II friday 13 — sunday 15 A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood *Jumanji: The Next Le el Rest of schedule not available at press time. Closed Mondays.

BIJOU CINEPLEX 4

Route 100, Morrisville, 888-3293, bijou4.com

wednesday 11 — thursday 12 Abominable Ford v Ferrari Frozen II Knives Out Rest of schedule not available at press time.

CAPITOL SHOWPLACE 93 State St., Montpelier, 229-0343, fgbtheaters.com

wednesday 11 — wednesday 18 A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Dark Waters Ford v Ferrari Frozen II Knives Out

Open-caption screenings on Wednesdays (first e ening show) and Sundays (first matinee)

ESSEX CINEMAS & T-REX THEATER 21 Essex Way, Suite 300, Essex, 879-6543, essexcinemas.com

wednesday 11 — thursday 12 The Aeronaut A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood *Black Christmas (Thu only Ford v Ferrari Frozen II (2D & 3D) *Jumanji: The Next Le el (Thu only; 2D & 3D Knives Out Midway Playmobil: The M vie **TCM Big Screen Classics Presents: Meet Me in St. Louis (Wed only) friday 13 — wednesday 18 A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood *Black Christmas **Bolshoi Ballet: The Nutcracker (Sun only) Ford v Ferrari Frozen II *Jumanji: The Next Le el (2D & 3D; with open-caption screening Sat only) Knives Out Playmobil: The M vie (with sensory-friendly screening Sat only) *Richard Jewell (with opencaption screening Sat only) **Studio Ghibli Fest 2019: The ale of the Princess Kaguya (dubbed: Mon only; subtitled: Wed only) **They Sha l Not Grow Old 3D (Tue only)

MAJESTIC 10

190 Boxwood St. (Maple Tree Place, Taft Corners), Williston, 878-2010, majestic10.com

MERRILL’S ROXY CINEMAS

222 College St., Burlington, 864-3456, merrilltheatres.net

wednesday 11 — thursday 12

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood *Black Christmas (Thu only Charlie’s Angels Doctor Sleep Ford v Ferrari Frozen II *Jumanji: The Next Level (Thu only Knives Out Last Christmas Midway Playing With Fire Playmobil: The M vie

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Dark Waters Harriet Jojo Rabbit *Jumanji: The Next Level (Thu only Knives Out Parasite (Wed only) Queen & Slim friday 13 — wednesday 18 Schedule not available at press time.

friday 13 — wednesday 18 A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood *Black Christmas Ford v Ferrari Frozen II *Jumanji: The Next Le el Knives Out Last Christmas Midway *Richard Jewell

MARQUIS THEATRE

65 Main St., Middlebury, 388-4841, middleburymarquis.com

wednesday 11 — thursday 12 A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Frozen II Harriet (Wed only) friday 13 — wednesday 18 Frozen II *Jumanji: The Next Le el

PALACE 9 CINEMAS 10 Fayette Dr., South Burlington, 864-5610, palace9.com

wednesday 11 — thursday 12 The Aeronaut A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Ford v Ferrari Frozen II The Good Lia *Jumanji: The Next Level (Thu only Knives Out Midway **Murderous Trance (Thu only Playmobil: The M vie

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

4H-Stuck121119.indd 1

PLAYHOUSE MOVIE THEATRE

11 S. Main St., Randolph, 728-4012, playhouseflicks.co

wednesday 11 — thursday 12 Frozen II friday 13 — sunday 15 & wednesday 18 Ford v Ferrari Closed on Monday and Tuesday.

wednesday 11 — thursday 12

PARAMOUNT TWIN CINEMA 241 N. Main St., Barre, 479-9621, fgbtheaters.com

GO TO SEVENDAYSVT.COM ON ANY SMARTPHONE FOR FREE, UP-TO-THE-MINUTE MOVIE SHOWTIMES, PLUS NEARBY RESTAURANTS, CLUB DATES, EVENTS AND MORE.

Open-caption screenings on Wednesdays (first e ening show) and Sundays (first matinee)

Schedule not available at press time.

LOOK UP SHOWTIMES ON YOUR PHONE!

Watch at sevendaysvt.com

Frozen II *Jumanji: The Next Le el (2D; 3D Sat & Sun only)

friday 13 — wednesday 18

21 Bridges Frozen II

...AND LOVIN’ IT!

thursday 12 — wednesday 18

THE SAVOY THEATER

wednesday 11

Eva Sollberger’s

The Aeronauts

N E W VI D E O !

26 Main St., Montpelier, 229-0598, savoytheater.com

STOWE CINEMA 3 PLEX

454 Mountain Rd., Stowe, 253-4678, stowecinema.com

wednesday 11 A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Frozen II Knives Out Rest of schedule not available at press time.

SUNSET DRIVE-IN

155 Porters Point Rd., Colchester, 862-1800, sunsetdrivein.com

Closed for the season.

WELDEN THEATRE

104 N. Main St., St. Albans, 527-7888, weldentheatre.com

wednesday 11 — thursday 12

Fantastic Fungi **Fiddlin’ (Wed only) Jojo Rabbit (Thu only Pain & Glory

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Frozen II *Jumanji: The Next Level (Thu only Knives Out (Thu only

friday 13 — thursday 19

friday 13 — wednesday 18

Fantastic Fungi (except Thu The Irishman (except Th Queen & Slim (Thu only *Waves

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Frozen II (except Wed) *Jumanji: The Next Le el

Open-caption screenings on main screen on Mondays.

supported by:

˜ ursday, 12 December

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SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

12/10/19 4:20 PM

fun stuff

FRAN KRAUSE

Have a deep, dark fear of your own? Submit it to cartoonist Fran Krause at deep-dark-fears.tumblr.com, and you may see your neurosis illustrated in these pages.

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

MORE FUN! CALCOKU & SUDOKU (P.C-4) CROSSWORD (P.C-5)

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JEN SORENSEN

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12/3/19 11:07 AM

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZSNY REAL DECEMBER 12-18

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21):

How did humans figure out that a luxurious fabric could be made from the cocoons of insect larvae? Ancient Chinese sage Confucius told the following story. One day in 2460 BC, 14-year-old Chinese princess Xi Ling Shi was sitting under a mulberry tree sipping tea. A silk worm’s cocoon fell off a branch and landed in her drink. She was curious, not bothered. She unrolled the delicate structure and got the idea of using the threads to weave a fabric. The rest is history. I foresee a silk-worm’s-cocoon-fallingin-your-cup-of-tea type of event in your future, Sagittarius. Be alert for it.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): “Nobody knows really what they’re doing,” says Aries comedian Conan O’Brien. “And there are two ways to go with that information,” he continues. “One is to be afraid, and the other is to be liberated, and I choose to be liberated by it.” I hope you’ll be inspired by O’Brien’s example in the coming weeks, Aries. I suspect that if you shed your worries about the uncertainty you feel, you’ll trigger an influx of genius. Declaring our relaxed independence from the temptation to be a know-it-all will bless you with expansive new perspectives and freedom to move.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Creativity expert Roger von Oech tells us, “Everyone has a ‘risk muscle.’ You keep it in shape by trying new things. If you don’t, it atrophies. Make a point of using it at least once a day.” Here’s what I’ll add to his advice. If your risk muscle is flab y right now, the coming weeks will be an excellent time to whip it into better shape. Start with small, modest risks, and gradually work your way up to bigger and braver ones. And what should you do if your risk muscle is already well toned? Dream and scheme about embarking on a major, long-term venture that is the robust embodiment of a smart gamble. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Many people

engage in laughably feeble attempts to appear witty by being cynical — as if by exuding sardonic irony and sneering pessimism they could prove their mettle as brilliant observers of modern culture. An example is this lame wisecrack from humorist David Sedaris: “If you’re looking for sympathy, you’ll find it between shit and syphilis in the dictionary.” I bring this to your attention in the hope of coaxing you to avoid indulging in gratuitous pessimism during the coming weeks. For the sake of your good health, it’s important for you to be as openminded and generous-spirited as possible. And besides that, pessimism will be unwarranted.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): “You can shop online and find whatever you’re looking for,” writes pundit Paul Krugman, “but bookstores are where you find what you weren’t looking for.” Thats a good principle to apply in every area of your life. It’s always smart to know exactly what you need and want, but sometimes — like now — it’s important that you put yourself in a position to encounter what you need and want but don’t realize you need and want. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Bachianas Brasileiras is a nine-part piece of music that blends Brazilian folk music with the compositional style of Johann Sebastian Bach. The poet Anne Sexton relied on it, letting it replay ceaselessly during her long writing sessions. My painter friend Robin sometimes follows a similar method with Leonard Cohen’s album Ten New Songs, allowing it to cycle for hours as she works on her latest masterpiece. In

accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to select a new theme song or collection of theme songs to inspire your intense efforts on behalf of your labors of love in the coming weeks. It’s a favorable time to explore the generative power of joyous, lyrical obsession.

Voltaire, who reached out to him and asked to get together. I trust you won’t do anything like that in the coming weeks, Scorpio. In fact, I urge you to be extra receptive to making new acquaintances, accepting invitations and expanding your circle of influence.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “I’ve spent my life butting my head against other people’s lack of imagination,” mourned Virgo musician Nick Cave, who’s renowned for his original approach to his craft. I’m bringing this to your attention because I suspect you will be endowed with an extra fertile imagination in the coming weeks. And I would hate for you to waste time and energy trying to make full use of it in the presence of influences that would resist and dis courage you. Therefore, I’ l cheer you on as you seek out people and situations that enhance your freedom to express your imagination in its expansive glory.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “It is the soul’s duty to be loyal to its own desires,” wrote Capricorn author Rebecca West. “It must abandon itself to its master passion.” Thats a high standard to live up to! But then you Capricorns have substantial potential to do just that: become the champions of devoting practical commitment to righteous causes. With that in mind, I’ll ask you: How are you doing in your work to embody the ideal that Rebecca West articulated? Is your soul loyal to its deepest desires? Has it abandoned itself to its master passion? Take inventory — and make any corrections, if necessary.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): A scholar counted up how often the Bible delivers the command “Fear not!” and “Don’t be afraid!” and similar advice. The number was 145. I do ’t think that approach to regulating behavior works very well. To be constantly thinking about what you’re not supposed to do and say and think about tends to strengthen and reinforce what you’re not supposed to do and say and think about. I prefer author Elizabeth Gilbert’s strategy. She writes, “I don’t try to kill off my fear. I make all that space for it. Heaps of space. I allow my fear to live and breathe and stretch out its legs comfortably. It seems to me the less I fight my fea , the less it fights back.” Thats the method I recommend for you, Libra — especially in the coming weeks.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I would

never try to talk you into downplaying or denying your suffering. I would never try to convince you that the pain you have experienced is mild or tolerable or eminently manageable. Who among us has the wisdom to judge the severity or intractability of anyone else’s afflictions? Not I. But in the coming months, I will ask you to consider the possibility that you have the power — perhaps more than you realize — to diminish your primal aches and angst. I will encourage you to dream of healing yourself in ways that you have previously imagined impossible.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Isaac Newton (1642-1726) was one of history’s most influen tial scientists and a key contributor to physics, astronomy, mathematics and optics. His mastery of the nuances of human relationships was less developed, however. He had one close friendship with a Swiss mathematician, though he broke it off abruptly after four years. And his biographers agree that he never had sex with another person. What I find most curious, however, is the fact that he refused to even meet the brilliant French philosopher

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “You owe it to us all to get on with what you’re good at,” wrote Piscean poet W.H. Auden. In other words, you have a responsibility to develop your potential and figure out how to offer your best gifts. It’s not just a selfish act for you to fulfi l your promise; it’s a generous act of service to your fellow humans. So how are you doing with that assignment, Pisces? According to my analysis, you should be right in the middle of raising your efforts to a higher octave; you should be discovering the key to activating the next phase of your success — which also happens to be the next phase of your ability to bestow blessings on others.

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BLONDE BURTON BUNNY Gorgeous blonde, green bomber jacket. You were cold and asked to close the door. I’d love to connect when I’m not working and warm you up. When: Monday, October 14, 2019. Where: Burlington. You: Woman. Me: Man. #914941 SIMON SAYS... Middle-of-the-week coffee shop stop. It’s the only day I know you work. You point these ads out to me, say you always wonder if someone’s caught you. Your turn. When: Wednesday, November 6, 2019. Where: at a coffee shop. You: Man. Me: Woman. #914936 REI: BLONDE IN REDDISH JACKET Afternoon. You: tall blonde in a redcolored jacket, looking at jackets or other outerwear. Me: tall, dark-haired, also looking at jackets toward the front of the store. We made eye contact two to three times. Was hoping to say something but saw you exit without making a purchase. Are you free to meet for a coffee or other drink? When: Sunday, December 1, 2019. Where: REI, Williston. You: Woman. Me: Man. #914940 AGAIN, AT GARDENER’S SUPPLY I didn’t say enough in my original post ... You are kind, knowledgeable, very good with all sorts of people. You are around 5’10, very much in shape, green eyes and so handsome. An “A+.” How about an ongoing date? When: Wednesday, December 4, 2019. Where: Gardener’s, Williston. You: Man. Me: Man. #914939 STILL MISS/WANT YOU HOME It’s been over a year, and you still miss me, as I you. I’m happy, but nothing like I was with you and the kids home with us. I was wrong, but you were by staying away, too. It’s not too late; just say so. Love you. When: Monday, November 11, 2019. Where: Salon. You: Woman. Me: Man. #914938

BARRIO COUPLE, JOIN US SOMETIME? He’s graying; she’s blonde. Both ﬁt and very attractive. You’re Barrio regulars, her on a Mac and him on a PC. We’ve joked about asking you to join us for an evening of warm drinks and conversation and ... perhaps the four of us can ﬁnd some new ways to stay warm sometime this winter? When: ˜ ursday, December 5, 2019. Where: Barrio Bakery. You: Couple. Me: Couple. #914937 SAW YOU AT GARDENER’S SUPPLY You are always so helpful, kind and absolutely the most beautiful person. I’d love to see you again ... Maybe coffee? Maybe more? Maybe a lifetime? I feel it, and hopefully you do, too. When: Tuesday, December 3, 2019. Where: Gardener’s Supply. You: Man. Me: Man. #914935 EBT EXTRA BEAUTIFUL TALL MAN You: glasses, slim/tall, security, handsome. Seemed mean, but oh so sexy. I want you to go to a hotel with me and maybe become more than friends. Me: skinny, long hair and amazed by you. You’re so beautiful and handsome, and I love seeing you. You make my wait times bearable. I hope to see you next time, security man. When: Monday, December 2, 2019. Where: EBT Building. You: Man. Me: Woman. #914934 MONTPELIER DMV ‘DRIVING ME BONKERS’ Mr. Brown/Mr. Security, I walked in and you handed me a badge so sweetly with your rough-from-working-hard hands. Your Afro stood high but looked so soft. And that uniform made me want to yell “Mr. Security.” As for myself, I could feel my shoulders become un-tense in my sweatshirt, as if I felt safe around you. When: Tuesday, December 3, 2019. Where: Montpelier DMV. You: Man. Me: Woman. #914933

Ask REVEREND °˛˝

Irreverent counsel on life’s conundrums

Dear Reverend,

My mother passed away in 2016. My father met a woman about six months ago, and they’ve gotten pretty serious. She’s nice, but whenever they’re together, they’re really affectionate, and it makes me uncomfortable. ˜ ey’re going to be staying at my house a few days for Christmas, and I’m not sure how I feel about them sleeping in the same bed. What’s the etiquette?

Daddy’s Girl

(WOMAN, 43)

QUICK SPIN AROUND THE DMV We talked in a very long line around lunchtime at the DMV. I had just a quick question, so we went rogue and walked straight to counter #18. I should have given you my number then but was on a mission. I went back, but you were just leaving in your red truck. Want to skip another line with me? When: Tuesday, December 3, 2019. Where: Montpelier DMV. You: Man. Me: Woman. #914932 BEAUTIFUL BELGIAN SHEPHERD Saw you at PetSmart. Said I liked your dog. You were surprised that I knew what kind of shepherd she was. I had my dog with me. You single? Would love to meet for coffee or tea. When: Saturday, November 23, 2019. Where: PetSmart. You: Man. Me: Woman. #914931 BEAUTIFUL MAN AT B&N It’s been a year since I took a chance that turned out to be the best decision of my life. ° ank you for taking a chance with me. I hope to always be your “home.” I love you so much! When: Monday, November 18, 2019. Where: near the used book section. You: Man. Me: Woman. #914922 ‘ALL YOUR CHIPS’ ° ere can be no covenants between men and lions, Texans and tigers, the Chicago Bears and their kickers, or Scots and other Scots. I’m no T.S. Eliot, but I tell it like it is. Maybe poker’s just not your game? I know ... let’s have a spelling contest! When: Sunday, December 1, 2019. Where: squeaky shoes at the poker table. You: Woman. Me: Man. #914928

CANNIBAL CORPSE PIT We were in the pit together, kept ending up next to each other and talked a bit. Should have said something at the end of the show, but my head was rattled a bit! I have a lot of tattoos, gauges, was wearing a beanie. When: Sunday, November 17, 2019. Where: Higher Ground. You: Woman. Me: Man. #914926

BEAUTIFUL EYES ON FRIDAY MORNING You: woman with wavy brown hair and beautiful eyes. Me: shy but enamored guy wearing a navy-striped shirt. Our eyes met between breaks in conversation with the cashiers. I didn’t want to abruptly interrupt you buying your groceries but wished I said hello. Maybe I’ll get another chance. When: Friday, November 15, 2019. Where: City Market. You: Woman. Me: Man. #914919

STRAWBERRY BREAD BAKER Fantastic to see you the other week, us mutually attempting to remain healthy this winter. Deeply sorry to hear the family news. Hope that you can have a happy birthday anyhoo. Always yours, J. When: Wednesday, November 6, 2019. Where: downtown BTV. You: Woman. Me: Man. #914925

BRIGHTENED MY DAY AT OGE You: cashier with a great smile, dark beard and last name in common with ofﬁce supplies. Me: buying two beanies and so distracted by you that I wore one of them out of the store with the tags on. I’m unavailable but wanted to thank you for the pleasant distraction. Hope you had a laugh at my ditziness! When: ˜ ursday, November 14, 2019. Where: OGE. You: Man. Me: Woman. #914918

SASSY SHOPGIRL Someone with a Rebel Heart. You talked one of us into some overalls. We talked vintage toys and the problems with palo santo. Are you a mythical unicorn? Let us know. When: Sunday, November 10, 2019. Where: Montpelier. You: Woman. Me: Couple. #914915

MEET AGAIN AT THE OP? You: dirty-blond, shoulder-length hair, perfect body, upset with your boyfriend. Me: I needed a ride home, and you needed a drink. ° anks for the ride home. ° anks for the surprising sleepover that night 11 years ago, leading to two-plus years of passion. I think of you often, wondering what could have been. I wonder if you do, too? When: ˜ ursday, November 13, 2014. Where: the OP. You: Woman. Me: Man. #914917

HAPPY BABY We traded smiles after a Tuesday morning yoga class, and you turned around when you were leaving to say, “Have a great day.” I froze but had butterﬂies the whole walk home. Hopefully next time I’ll ﬁnd my voice to ask you out! When: Tuesday, November 5, 2019. Where: Sangha Pine. You: Man. Me: Woman. #914923

TOO LATE NOW CM. I should have made a very different decision. Obviously it’s too late now, but if you catch this, just know you were right and I was wrong. Forever regretful, BP. When: Sunday, November 20, 2016. Where: Montpelier. You: Woman. Me: Man. #914924

LIL LADY IN TRADER JOE’S Been around for a bit and always love seeing you, but I had a lapse and I miss seeing you. You: spicy little Latina with koi on your shirt. Me: basic Vermont white boy with a beard and a hat. Hope I get to see more of you soon. When: Friday, November 15, 2019. Where: Trader Joe’s. You: Woman. Me: Man. #914921

HOTTIE AT HIGH BALL TUESDAY You were the hot blonde with a great smile. You ordered Rules of Feminism and smelled amazing. You were terrible at Street Fighter 2, but your laugh made my heart smile. It was after 11, but I wanted to stay with you until “Daylight.” Me: gorilla in the wrong shirt. When: Tuesday, November 12, 2019. Where: High Ball. You: Woman. Me: Man. #914916

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY! He distracted you to look away in the corner of the kitchen. When you turned around, he was on bended knee, with the ring waiting. Instead of an answer, you burst into tears. From the parents who’ve been waiting for this moment so long: So happy to welcome you to our family! Much love. When: Sunday, November 24, 2019. Where: Seattle cottage. You: Woman. Me: Man. #914927

OVERCONFIDENT STONER DUDE I couldn’t help but stare at you while sipping my beer. You are funny and sexy, and our frequencies are in tune. In retrospect, this is the day your life will surely change. ° is is the day when things fall into place. After all, without love day to day, insanity’s king. You keep me sane. Love, your hippie girl. When: Sunday, May 27, 2018. Where: Foam. You: Man. Me: Woman. #914920

GOOD GUY (YOUR TRUCK SAID) We were delivering meals to families on ° anksgiving. I wish I had said hello, then your farewell smile left me wondering ... Single? You: tall, sweet smile, long hair, glasses, wearing plaid. Me: short, curly dark hair, with a teen. Apple cider? ° anksgiving doover? Extra painter? When: ˜ ursday, November 28, 2019. Where: community center. You: Man. Me: Woman. #914930

Dear Daddy’s Girl,

He’s your father, but it’s your house, so if it makes you unbearably uncomfortable, you could certainly ask him to stay at a hotel. But it’s Christmastime, and that seems way too “no room at the inn” to me. first 40 years of For the ﬁ your life, you only knew your father as your mother’s husband, so of course seeing him being romantic with a different woman will seem strange to you. ° at’s perfectly normal, but you need to work on getting over it.

Your mother wouldn’t have wanted him to be alone forever, and neither should you. Imagine how you’d feel if he were with a woman who was mean to him all the time.

° at would be a whole lot worse, wouldn’t it? Some people never ﬁnd love at all, so be thankful that your father has found it again. If you’re close enough with your dad, just be really honest with him. Let him know that you like his new lady but you feel awkward when they’re displaying affection, and it’s going to take you some time to get used to it. Getting this off your chest ought to make you more comfortable with them snuggling up with sugarplum fairies under your roof. Good luck and God bless,

The Reverend What’s your problem?

Send it to asktherev@sevendaysvt.com. SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

Internet-Free Dating!

I’m a 70-plus male seeking a 60plus female for companionship. Someone to eat supper with and enjoy what few things we can, like country and history. #L1374 I’m a 60-y/o bi male seeking a CD or sissy or horny W. Closet CD virgin in great shape looking for fun. I can role-play, travel. You must be in good shape, too. Teach me the way. #L1373

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64-y/o single white male. I live in “° e Kingdom,” and I write — so I look forward to any comments. Who are you? I haven’t a clue, because we haven’t met yet. So, this puzzle is for some woman, somewhere, who can accept “I’m No Angel” who’s had enough “Bad Love,” so I’m “Runnin’ Down a Dream” and I’m looking for that “Sugar Magnolia” who wants to trade “Leather & Lace” so we can get back to the “High Life” of “Better Days” and dance the “Moondance” together. If that makes sense and you’re inspired enough to “Take a Chance on Me,” then you just might be the lady I’m looking for. #L1372 I’m a director of films and reggae music. I’m an American black man, 6’3 and 210 pounds. I’ve been a schoolteacher. I’m seeking people who love to dance. I’d like to find a woman who wants to be in a romance movie about space age in the future. I’d like to take you out and tell you more about what I’m doing for this film. #L1371

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GREAT IF YOU ENJOY...Leslie Jones, Pete Holmes, Sasheer Zamata

THU. DEC 19, 7 P.M. FRI. DEC 20, 7 & 9:30 P.M. SAT. DEC 21, 7 & 9:30 P.M. 10 1 MA I N ST. BU RL INGTO N â&#x20AC;¢ VTCO M E DY. CO M SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 11-18, 2019

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Where Do I Park My Sleigh? Tips for Stress-Free Parking in Downtown Burlington This Holiday Shopping Season by GILLIAN ENGLISH for 7D BRAND STUDIO

Downtown Burlington — great stores, top-notch restaurants, impossible parking, amirite? Not quite. When it comes to parking a car downtown, you just need to know where to look. “There are around 4,000 publicly accessible spaces for shoppers downtown — over 1,000 on-street and 3,000 in public and private garages and lots,” explains Alex Bunten, special projects manager at the Burlington Business Association. Bunten is the BBA’s parking expert. He works directly with the Department of Public Works to help manage all things Park Burlington, including the popular interactive map. But don’t take Bunten’s word for it. We talked with some other downtown denizens who work, shop and play in Burlington. Turn the page for seven of their tried-and-true tips for ﬁnding a place to park it, followed by their recommendations for what to see and do downtown this holiday season.

PARKING TIPS + HOLIDAY EVENTS P R O D U C E D B Y 7 D B R A N D S T U D I O — PA I D F O R B Y PA R K B U R L I N G T O N

Parking it downtown? College Street, College Street, College Street! The College Street garage — with entrances on Battery Street and, you guessed it, College — is an underrated gem. It shares 1,200 spaces with its northern neighbor, Lakeview Garage, the entrance of which is next to Hotel Vermont on Cherry Street. Kiss the Cook owner Luke Wight recommends people park there to access businesses like his on Church Street. “What people don’t realize is, the entrance by car makes it feel farther than it is,” he says, “but you’re just a block and a half away from Church Street, and there’s always lots of parking.” Plus, the fir t four hours of parking at College and Lakeview are free during the holiday season (see tip #2).

Get four hours free. The fir t two hours of parking are always free at city-owned garages, but through December 27, parking is free all day on Saturday and Sunday at the Lakeview and College Street garages! Also, on weekdays, you can get two more hours free at the College Street and Lakeview garages by shopping or dining downtown. Just remember to ask for parking validation at your favorite restaurant or retail shop. You’ll get a QR code to scan when you leave the garage. Four hours of free parking for supporting local businesses. Boom. You’re welcome.

Get a little closer by paying a little more.

Avoid the Marketplace garage across from City Market, Onion River Co-op.

There are 16 privately owned parking facilities downtown with plenty of spaces. For up to $4 an hour, you can park right off of Church Street. That’s still half the price you’d pay in a bigger city. “These lots are all over, and there’s always plenty of spots left,” says Bunten.

It’s a busy area to begin with, and almost everyone heading to Church Street tries to park in that garage, says Lara Allen, owner of ECCO, a clothing store a couple of blocks away on the corner of Church and Bank streets. “I always encourage people to not go there, since it can be frustrating to get caught on South Winooski,” she says. “I love the Lakeview Garage by Hotel Vermont, and it’s a short walk when you cut up through Bank Street. That garage always has spaces.”

Gotta stay overnight? Park in the Lakeview Garage. If you’re planning to have a couple of drinks and catch a ride home, Lakeview is the perfect spot to leave your car for the night. Find the entrance by Hotel Vermont and the recently reopened Hen of the Wood. And Lakeview isn’t just a name: “As you’d expect, the top level of this garage has a beautiful view of Lake Champlain,” adds Bunten, making it “more than just a sweet place to park.”

Got an electric car? There are parking spots just for you. Every parking garage has designated spots for electric vehicles, and there are quite a few available spots on the street, too, says EV driver Zoe Dawson. “In the evening, I usually hit the spots by Skirack and the Flynn,” says the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation employee. Dawson has the PlugShare app downloaded on her phone that tells her where to find all the EV parking places.

On a busy evening, park up the hill instead of down. Jared Katz works in Winooski and drives downtown often. “If I’m around for more than two hours, I’ll look in the area of Perrywinkle’s for streetside parking,” he says. “For example, my wife and I frequent the Flynn, and we pretty reliably find a free place to park up the hill. It’s a short walk downtown, and when we leave we have less traffi to deal with getting out.”

Getting IN THE

Spirit P R O D U C E D B Y 7 D B R A N D S T U D I O — PA I D F O R B Y PA R K B U R L I N G T O N

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See all parking options on the interactive map at parkburlington.com.

P E A R L S T.

HOLIDAY PARKING DEALS

DRIVE

LAKEVIEW GARAGE C H E R R Y S T.

Hotel Vermont

Courtyard by Marriott Burlington Harbor

LAKEVIEW GARAGE

MARKETPLACE GARAGE

Entrance on Cherry St.

WALK

• Free on Saturdays and Sundays; weekdays: 4 hours free with validation (see tip #2)

Hilton Burlington

100 Bank St.

Shops at CityPlace NBT Bank WALK

WALK

B A N K S T.

People’s United Bank

DRIVE

C O L L E G E S T. GARAGE C O R P O R AT E PLAZA GARAGE

Entrance on College or Battery Sts. DRIVE

• Free on Saturdays and Sundays; weekdays: 4 hours free with validation (see tip #2)

P R I VA T E GARAGES PROVIDING P U B L I C PA R K I N G GARAGE ENTRANCE

*Additional private lots are open to the public, evenings and weekends. Prices vary.

SANTA EXPERIENCE AT CITYPLACE Santa Claus is coming to town this holiday season! Bring your camera and snap a photo with Santa inside CityPlace. Capture the magic of the holiday season every Thursday noon- 5p.m., Friday noon-6 p.m., Saturday noon-5 p.m. and Sunday noon3 p.m. through December 22.

VISITS FROM VERMONT REINDEER FARM Come meet reindeer in real life! Real live reindeer will visit the Mall Block of the Church Street Marketplace every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Hilton Garden Inn Burlington Downtown

S T. PA U L S T.

• Every day 2 hours free, and free on Sundays

City Hall Park

P I N E S T.

Entrance on Cherry or Bank Sts.

C O L L E G E S T.

PA R K BURLINGTON M U N I C I PA L GARAGES

B AT T E R Y S T.

MARKETPLACE GARAGE

DRIVE

WALK

City Market/ Onion River Co-op

S . W I N O O S K I AV E .

COLLEGE ST. GARAGE

Outdoor Gear Exchange

L.L. Bean

CityPlace Development Project

CHURCH STREET MARKETPLACE

through December 27

Downtown Transit Center

Merrill’s Roxy Cinema

M A I N S T. Flynn Center for the Performing Arts

COURTHOUSE PLAZA GARAGE

12 DAYS OF CHURCH STREET People who post pictures of themselves on Instagram using #12DaysofChurchStreet while holiday shopping or dining on the Church Street Marketplace from December 13 through 24 will be chosen at random to win 12 prizes.

HOLIDAY WINDOW CONTEST Which downtown store has the best holiday window display? Come downtown, check them out and cast your vote. The contest will run from November 27 through December 16. Stop by your local downtown store or visit churchstmarketplace.com for details.

See the full calendar of holiday events: churchstmarketplace.com

P R O D U C E D B Y 7 D B R A N D S T U D I O — PA I D F O R B Y PA R K B U R L I N G T O N

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This kitchen-themed shop sells cookware, cutlery, bakeware and cooking tools. It’s home to the area’s largest selection of knives; the sta˜ sharpen them right in the store. Where I shop for myself: Outdoor Gear Exchange. Where I shop for gifts: Common Deer.

Ok, we’re parked.

Where I stop to eat: If it’s just me doing some last-minute shopping, I’ll pop into Ken’s Pizza and Pub for a slice and a beer. If I’m going out with my wife, we usually go to Leunig’s Bistro & Café for a nice sit-down dinner. Why I shop downtown: I shop downtown for the variety of stores: outdoor apparel, all sorts of clothing, housewares, gift shops, candy stores, a bunch of restaurants. Such a high percentage of the businesses are locally owned and operated, so it has a real sense of community, which is what Vermont and Burlington are all about. Having a mix of local businesses and national brands gives people a lot of options. It’s our neighbors and community members that make it really unique.

Now what? There are more than 200 stores and restaurants in downtown Burlington. You can pick up everything from fashionable and functional outdoor gear to artisan jewelry, a cast-iron skillet to custom menswear. Once you’re done shopping, sit down and enjoy a burger, a bowl of noodles or some baba ghanoush — or drinks at an arcade bar. You won’t ﬁnd this kind of diverse, eclectic selection anywhere else in Vermont. We asked three of our downtown parking guides to tell us what they like to do when they’re out on the town.

ZOE DAWSON, SENIOR CONSULTANT AT VEIC Located on Pine Street in Burlington’s South End, VEIC is working to reduce 20 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions in Vermont by the year 2027 through projects and partnerships, such as E° ciency Vermont and the Energy Co-op of Vermont. Where I shop for myself: I’m a super outdoorsy person, so I love L.L.Bean, Skirack and Outdoor Gear Exchange. I can usually find things for my family there, too. Where I shop for gifts: I love going to Frog Hollow Vermont Craft Gallery. There are so many beautiful things to see there around the holiday season. It really showcases Vermont artistry. And it’s the perfect place to find something for somebody. Even if you don’t buy anything, it really puts you in the mood for the season. Where I stop to eat: I really like August First, on the corner of South Champlain and Main Street, in the summer and fall. In the wintertime, American Flatbread has great brunch pizzas — I’d never heard of that before, but they’re really yummy. Burlington’s hidden gem: The Vermont Comedy Club is phenomenal. I just discovered it myself the other day. They have comedy shows five nights a week and bring in comedians from all over. It’s somewhere fun to go at night that’s di˜ erent from your typical evening plans. JAMES BUCK

LARA ALLEN, OWNER OF ECCO One of the ﬁrst designer boutiques in Burlington, ECCO is located on the Church Street Marketplace. It caters to the style of Burlington, blending exclusive labels with small-town charm. Where I shop for myself: Lately I’m into home goods. I love to go to Slate and Homeport. Where I shop for gifts: I have two sons, so I go to Urban Outﬁtters, the Gap and Patagonia. FatFace is also a really great place to shop for men’s apparel. Where I stop to eat: Have you been to Revolution Kitchen? Try their maple cake; it’s gluten-free and out of this world. You have to try: Poco just opened up this year over by August First. I love it. There are all these little restaurants and holes-in-the-wall right o˜ of Church Street, so it’s great to get around and explore.

P R O D U C E D B Y 7 D B R A N D S T U D I O — PA I D F O R B Y PA R K B U R L I N G T O N

JAMES BUCK

LUKE WIGHT, OWNER OF KISS THE COOK

COURTESY OF KELLY SCHULZE/MOUNTAIN DOG PHOTOGRAPHY

Humane

Diesel AGE/SEX: 2-year-old neutered male ARRIVAL DATE: November 12, 2019 REASON HERE: His owners could no longer care for him. SUMMARY: The funniest, goofiest guy on the block, Diesel always running on a full tank! Diesel loves to run around chasing snowballs; snuggle up on a nice, cozy bed; and practice his tricks for treats. He’s a fun-loving pup whose tail is always wagging, and he’s happy to be included in whatever you’re doing. If you want a buddy who will keep you laughing, Diesel could be just the dog for you!

Society of Chittenden County

DID YOU KNOW?

You can “virtually adopt” an animal in our care through a Heart to Heart Sponsorship! Your donation helps support a cat, dog or "smallie" of your choice while they await their new loving home. Sponsorships may also be made in the name of a loved one, and they make great holiday gifts! If you have room in your heart but not in your home, visit our website to see who is available to sponsor!

DOGS/CATS: He has no experience living with another dog or with cats. He has lived with young children.