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From This Day Forward

Twenty-five years ago, Vermont established civil unions for gay couples and ignited the national campaign for marriage equality

BY MARY ANN LICKTEIG, PAGE

Stan Baker and Peter Harrigan at their civil union reception in 2000

Still Growing

That’s right everyone! Though other grow shops around the state have been closing, we’re still here and don’t plan on going anywhere! From all your soil needs, to nutrients, seed starts, pots, and more…

Everyone who works here grows themselves. Have any questions? Our employees have a wealth of knowledge to utilize during your grow as well. Want to be able to cut clones yourself? We can help with that. Need help deciding the best strain to grow for what you’re looking for? You need only ask. Want to grow inside? We even have the perfect tent set up for that year round grow you’ve been dreaming of!

To make it even better, the other side of the shop is right where you need to be when looking for your smoking needs. From chillums to bongs, dab rigs, and electronic smoking devices, we’ve got it all. With price points for every shopper. Cheap & disposable all the way to local artists showcased in the shop. We dare say, our tobacco vapes are some of the best priced around. Need a cigar for that special event? We’ve got you there too.

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Located next to Vermont Grow Shop, you’ll deﬁnitely want to stop by Mary Jane Junction and check that out, too.

120 Swanton Rd, St Albans VT • 802-582-4402

Open 10am–6pm 7 days a week!

Cannabis has not been analyzed or approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For use by individuals 21 years of age or older or registered qualifying patient only. KEEP THIS PRODUCT AWAY FROM CHILDREN AND PETS. DO NOT USE IF PREGNANT OR BREASTFEEDING. Possession or use of cannabis may carry significant legal penalties in some jurisdictions and under federal law. It may not be transported outside of the state of Vermont. The effects of edible cannabis may be delayed by two hours or more. Cannabis may be habit forming and can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. Persons 25 years and younger may be more likely to experience harm to the developing brain. It is against the law to drive or operate machinery when under the influence of this product. National Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222.

Online ordering and delivery are available for maximum convenience—visit gardeners.com/bulk or scan the QR code at right to learn more.

make the match, you make a friend! HomeShare Vermont pairs someone with room in their home with someone seeking housing in exchange for rent, help around the home or a combination of the two. We’ll help create a friendship that lasts a lifetime.

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RAISING VOICES

Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale speaking at a press conference on Tuesday

People again took to the streets of Vermont towns big and small to protest the Trump administration and its policies. And we’re just 100 days in…

CASE CLOSED?

RALLYING FOR MAHDAWI

Supporters of Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi swarmed the Vermont Statehouse on Tuesday to demand his release from custody. More than 300 people packed the Cedar Creek room and surrounding hallways to hear lawmakers denounce the 34-year-old White River Junction resident’s widely publicized arrest last week in Colchester.

Mahdawi was taken into custody by hood- and mask-wearing plainclothes ofﬁcers who whisked him away in an unmarked vehicle. e circumstances outraged many residents and lawmakers, some of whom vowed to take action.

Mahdawi grew up in a refugee camp in the West Bank, moved to the U.S. in 2014 and received his green card in 2015. He was a student at Columbia University and was planning to graduate next month before starting a master’s degree in the fall, according to legal ﬁlings.

Supporters say he was a vocal but peaceful advocate for Palestinian rights on campus in 2023. He was arrested in a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services ofﬁce during an interview regarding his citizenship application.

He is being held at Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans.

“ is is not a partisan issue. is is a moment for Vermont to stand up,” Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale (D-Chittenden-Southeast) said. “What we are asking for is due process, not disappearance!” She praised Vermont’s Congressional delegation for speaking out against Mahdawi’s arrest, particularly U.S. Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), who met with Mahdawi in prison and posted a video.

In it, Mahdawi tells the senator that his advocacy has always been for a peaceful solution to the conﬂict between Palestinians and Israelis.

“My work has been centered on peacemaking,” he told Welch. “I’m being a human. My empathy ... extends beyond the Palestinian people, and my empathy extends to the Jews and the Israelis.”

On Tuesday, the Vermont House passed a resolution declaring that it “strongly objects to the manner and circumstances under which U.S. immigration authorities arrested and detained Mohsen Mahdawi” and called for him to be “released immediately from detention.”

Read Kevin McCallum’s full post and keep up with developments at sevendaysvt.com.

A judge has dismissed a lawsuit that contested Middlebury College’s decision to rename the Mead Memorial Chapel. Former governor Jim Douglas brought the suit.

HIGH JUMP

Flo Meiler, a 90-year-old Vermonter, won eight track-andﬁeld gold medals at the Masters Indoor World Championships, the Shelburne News reported. Still got it!

MOUNTAIN REFRESH

Years after the EB-5 scandal, beleaguered Burke Mountain is closing in on an $11.5 million sale to a group that formerly owned the ski resort. Time to move on.

That’s how many Vermont municipalities adopted a local option tax on Town Meeting Day last month, bringing the total statewide to 37, VTDigger reported.

1. “A Large Farm With Pollution Problems Wants to Expand” by John Dillon. e Vorsteveld farm in Panton has about 3,000 cows and is proposing to add 580.

2. “ e Sand Bar Restaurant Makes a Comeback in South Hero” by Melissa Pasanen. e eatery is planned to open in mid-May on the causeway site of the former Sand Bar Inn.

3. “South Burlington Educators Clash With School Board, Superintendent” by Alison Novak. A complaint that a counselor ﬁled about the superintendent was one point of contention.

4. “Hinesburg’s Graham Walker Is Closing In on His NFL Dream” by Clayton Trutor. Pundits say the six-foot-three, 230-pound tight end could be selected in the upcoming NFL Draft.

5. “Inside ReSOURCE, Where rifting Is a Booming Business” by Derek Brouwer. e nonproﬁt has four stores and 140 employees and plays an important role in the gently used economy.

TOWNCRIER

LOCALLY SOURCED NEWS

Free Health Clinic Opens in South Burlington e Free Access Health Clinic on Swift Street plans to open on Saturdays, by appointment, to provide primary care, specialty consultations and basic diagnostic services, the Other Paper reported. About 30 volunteers will help staff the nonproﬁt clinic, which is intended as a community solution to the state’s high health care costs.

BRAVE LITTLE PHILOSOPHERS

Is it ethical to gloat when your scrappy public school squad defeats some of the most elite private schools in the nation?

For members of the Burlington High School ethics debate team, the answer is: Absolutely!

In its ﬁrst year, the school’s 12-member team made it to the national ﬁnals in North Carolina, besting some of the nation’s priciest private schools in the process.

“Given that we go to school in an abandoned shopping mall, beating these schools with tuition north of $60,000 did have a little satisfaction to it,” said Sam Doherty, a junior on the team.

e school’s philosophy club started two and a half years ago, when most of the current members were ﬁrst-year students.

Tyler Doggett, a philosophy professor at the University of Vermont, formed the club when his son Felix started at the school.

“ ey’re adolescents, so this year they were interested in turning engaging philosophical discussion into a competition,” Doggett said. “It wasn’t enough to talk about justice; you had to defeat someone as we talked about justice.”

So, they decided to enter the National High School Ethics Bowl.

e organization promotes respectful dialogue and deliberation about some of the toughest moral issues of the day. is year, teams explored everything from wage equity to the appropriate uses of artiﬁcial intelligence to the ethics of cloning pets.

e Burlington kids didn’t really know what to expect when they went to their ﬁrst competition, in New Hampshire in January. It turned out they were pretty good at it, Doherty said. ey outsmarted schools that included the elite Phillips Exeter Academy. ey followed that up by talking circles around the best teams from Massachusetts, too. at qualiﬁed them for a berth at the national competition, which took place earlier this month in Raleigh.

In the end, the Queen City team was outgunned by seasoned schools that have been sending students to the competition for years, but it was still a thrill.

“To win one match against some of the best teams in the country, it just felt great,” Doggett said.

KEVIN MCCALLUM

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Team members huddling during

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SUBSCRIPTIONS

FREE PARKING

We always appreciate Seven Days ’ thoughtful coverage of impactful community issues. That continues with the recent article by Courtney Lamdin about Main Street construction and its impact on local businesses in Burlington [“Main Concern: A Yearslong Street Reconstruction Project Is Proving Painful to Downtown Burlington Businesses,” April 9].

In Burlington, we’re all in this together. Now is the time to rediscover downtown. When Burlington voters approved a $25.9 million bond to transform Main Street, they supported a plan for additional housing, a more vibrant street for commerce, a healthier streetscape and less emergency utility repairs, bringing together residents, visitors, businesses and customers along the entrance to Vermont’s largest city and economy. With a new hotel opening at CityPlace this summer, the near-term reconnection of our downtown street grid, this project’s transformation of Main Street and myriad other projects, the city’s brightest days are ahead.

That said, Burlington’s businesses are feeling the impact of construction and need our help. Come to Burlington and enjoy world-class cuisine, shows and co ee, with terriﬁc local shopping. This spring we’re able to expand free parking opportunities with a midweek promotion. Join us for two free hours of on-street parking Wednesdays and Thursdays through May 8, two free hours in the downtown garage Monday through Saturday, and free parking at meters and city garages on Sundays.

Chapin Spencer BURLINGTON

Spencer is Burlington’s director of public works.

DEFINING A ‘GOOD LIFE’

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Thank you for “The Good Life” [April 9]. I’m no homesteader but most deﬁnitely harbor fantasies about living a similar life. What strikes me about the article is framing homesteading “success” within the conﬁnes of the existing economic system. What if living closer to the land moves us toward living life? Well-being? Connection? Happiness? Joy? Empathy? Agency? Dare I say, love?

I’m curious if taking it a step further — thinking about homesteaders’ land stewardship impact, relationships with

artless. And it turns sex — speciﬁcally, gay sex — into something revolting” not only diminishes the dark realities of nonnormative queer culture and sex life but also upholds a deeply problematic idea that there is a correct or accepted form of sex, queerness and homosexuality, playing into a deeply colonial and capitalist mindset of normativity that entirely misses the point of queer liberation, punk culture and music as art.

The line “Gaynor sold his soul to the devil for a bottle of poppers, a cheap pleather harness and a douche autographed by Charli XCX” elaborates on this idea of internalized normativity and reads as incredibly queerphobic and misogynist by equating queer-femme art to the entire queer community, especially a queer man’s experience.

neighbors, contributions to local social capital, mental health, etc. — would make their endeavors more “successful”? Maybe less, depending on how folks treat the land.

I’m wagering that people more closely pursuing “pure” homesteading are not active on social media and make do or do without, including outside attention.

And what would the original land stewards of Vermont, the Abenaki, have to say about this topic?

Wayne Maceyka HINESBURG

REASON TO SWEAR

About the cover teaser “OMFG, BTV,” which drew attention from a reader who objected to the language [Feedback: “Cut the Cursing,” April 2]: She may have a point, but the more important takeaway of the story for me is to say “thank you” to Seven Days for shedding light on the workings of our local government [“On Message?

Democrats on the Burlington City Council Talked Business — and Gossiped — in a Group Text Chain,” March 26].

In this case, it was Burlington City Council communications, behind the scenes and out of the public eye. Without your digging into social media threads and other sources — in some cases, connecting them with council actions — we the public would be unaware of personal conversations and comments that may have a ected these actions. This includes remarks, some clearly disrespectful, made while the council was in session and expressed privately on social media to a few chosen councilors. These communications are inappropriate, at the very least.

Burlington has so many issues. We need a collaborative team e ort to solve our problems. Please work together, all elected officials. It is not too much to expect respect and intentional listening by councilors to public commenters, fellow councilors and the mayor. Find real, e ective solutions — together. It’s our future. It’s your responsibility.

Diana Carlisle BURLINGTON

‘DEEPLY PROBLEMATIC’

I was appalled reading the review of Klovis Gaynor & the Urinal Cakes’ debut album, SAVE ME 4 THE SPANK BANK [April 2.]

The review focused on moments of shock and depravity, while entirely missing the point of the music — that of subversion and exploration told through stories of violence and trauma in sex work and New York City kink culture.

To write in earnest that “it’s completely

The Burlington think-space already su ers from the perpetuation of ideas of normativity in queer culture, and this felt like an extension of the mindset that ultimately harms the queer community outside of cis-gay experiences.

To write about music without acknowledging internalized prejudices ultimately does harm to conversations about art, and I hope that in the future more thought and reflection go into subversive music.

August Burrell BURLINGTON

‘COWARDLY MISSTEP’

It was a relief to see Vermont Education Secretary Zoie Saunders walk back her misguided and cowardly directive to school districts to comply with President Donald Trump’s illegal and unconstitutional executive order regarding “illegal DEI practices” [“Vermont Education Agency Outlines Response to Trump’s Anti-DEI Directive,” April 7, online].

But note the sleight of hand in Saunders’ about-face: In her second memo, she says that the Agency of Education

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NEWS+POLITICS 14

Class Act

In a Middlebury tech-center program, theater students learn more than just stage skills

Feds Arrest Migrant Workers on Vermont Dairy Farm

Home Worth

Some Vermont lawmakers want to revamp how real estate is assessed as part of the education funding transformation

Scott Won’t Cancel ICE Detainment Contract

Judge Orders Feds to Bring Tufts Student Back to Vermont

ARTS+CULTURE 44

Universal Questions

Local folklore meets the paranormal in Chris Rodgers’ e Vermont Extended Universe

Making Connections

Renaissance singing group Ampersand bring audiences together with rare repertoire

A Passion for PEZ

Daria Bishop has been collecting PEZ for 20 years

Going Soft

In “Immortal reads,” four ﬁber artists present sculptural works in Waterbury

A Glowing Review: Nate Ethier’s ‘Lanterns’ at Hexum

Finding the Niche

Former Dopapod guitarist Rob Compa joins his jam idols, the

Seven Days freelance photographer Daria Bishop has been collecting PEZ candy dispensers for 20 years. She has about 600 and displays them on shallow shelves that she had specially built. Seven Days’ Eva Sollberger visited Bishop’s Burlington apartment to see her colorful collection.

JOIN US FOR THE 3rd ANNUAL

Celebrating health and safety!

A fun family party that combines New American Safety Day and the Greater Burlington YMCA Healthy Kids Day

April 26, 10:00am - 1:00pm

Held at the Greater Burlington YMCA | 298 College Street | Burlington

Visit with local organizations that focus on health and safety

Kids activity booklet, bounce house, fun games in the gym

Interpreters available (May include ASL, Burmese, Dari, French, Kurundi, MaiMai/ Somali, Nepali, Pashto, Spanish, Swahili, and Vietnamese)

by: Sponsored by: Free bicycle helmets and t-shirts (while they last, limited availability)

Tons of fun activities for kids, and resources for families

Scan the QR code for more info, or go to gbymca.org/about-us/events/#kids-fest-2025

KIDS FEST 2025 is Hosted

MAGNIFICENT

MUST SEE, MUST DO THIS WEEK COMPILED BY REBECCA DRISCOLL

David brings earnest lyrics,

OPENS THURSDAY 24

listeners at the Willey Building Auditorium in Cabot. ree decades — and more than 20 records! — since Wilcox ﬁrst set out on his heartfelt journey of musical authenticity, the artist continues to deliver tunes that Rolling Stone calls “richly deserving of a listen.”

Bram New Tale

It’s love at ﬁrst bite for audience members of all blood types when Between the Willows raises the curtain on Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors at Off Center for the Dramatic Arts in Burlington. e clever reimagining of Bram Stoker’s classic gothic tale packs a punch with myriad pop culture references, gender-bending, wordplay and all-around fang-tastic antics from beginning to end.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 62

FRIDAY 25

Girls Just Wanna Have Rights

All-female indie-rock activist group BETTY bring the house down at Next Stage Arts in Putney. Since 1986, bandmates Alyson Palmer, Amy Ziff and Elizabeth Ziff have cultivated distinctive tunes and a tenacious devotion to equal rights, exhibited by the group’s creation of the BETTY Effect — a nonproﬁt focused on helping folks in marginalized communities ﬁnd and share their voices.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 64

SATURDAY 26

Fully Booked

Nationally celebrated Independent Bookstore Day returns with events for locavore lit lovers at cherished small shops across the state, including the Norwich Bookstore. e indie favorite invites readers to trek the region in a one-day Upper Valley bookstore crawl, culminating in a prize drawing, celebratory goodies and novel activities such as the ever-popular “blind date with a book.”

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 66

SATURDAY 26

Oh, Sheet!

SATURDAY 26 & SUNDAY 27

Vermont Sci-Fi, pulls

e sixth annual Fantasy & Horror Expo attendees into another dimension at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction. Cosplaying and costumed guests mingle with more than 100 vendors, fan organizations, authors, artists and actors — including Butch Patrick (aka Eddie Munster), with the

custom-built, hearsebodied Munster Koach.

ON PAGE 65

Multidisciplinary artist and educator Veronica Y. Pham leads a Vietnamese Papermaking Workshop at Generator Makerspace in Burlington. e open house-style event commemorates 50 years since the pivotal fall of Saigon — and the Vietnam War’s end — with participants creating their own handmade paper using local ﬂora such as milkweed and Eastern mulberry.

SEE ART LISTING ON PAGE 55

SUNDAY 27

Top Dogs

Get ready to howl when Johnny Peers & the Muttville Comix take center stage at Middlebury’s Town Hall eater. e personality-packed cast of comedic canines includes skateboarding basset hound Daphne, ladder-climbing fox terrier Squeaky and sophisticated pointer mix Sir Winston — who only answers to “sir” — all guided by clown college graduate Johnny Peers.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 67

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Union Made

Saturday, April 26, marks a quarter of a century since the signing of Vermont’s ﬁrst-in-the-nation civil unions law, which extended the rights and beneﬁts of marriage to same-sex couples. Seven Days doesn’t typically commemorate anniversaries, but our editors thought this one was noteworthy.

For starters: Each branch of state government was engaged in this process — from the legal ruling to debate and action in the Vermont legislature — in a real-time demonstration of democracy. It’s a textbook-worthy civics lesson.

And it heralded a shift in public opinion. In 2000, according to Gallup, 62 percent of Americans opposed same-sex marriage. Today, nearly seven out of every 10 approve of it.

That reversal didn’t just happen on its own: Advocates and opponents of gay marriage clashed repeatedly in the 1990s and 2000s, with the pro-gay marriage movement changing hearts and minds along the way. By 2015, when the U.S. Supreme Court made gay marriage the law of the land, a majority of Americans already supported it.

Civil unioned Vermonters at the Statehouse on April 25, 2001

Vermonters played a crucial role in laying that groundwork, and most of the key ﬁgures are still alive and able to reﬂect on it. John Edwards, the Franklin County Republican who lost his House seat after voting for civil unions, is 82 now. As he told sta writer Mary Ann Lickteig, not a day goes by that he doesn’t think about that time.

Mary Ann spoke with sources on all sides of the debate, weaving their stories into an eight-part narrative; it weighs in at more than 7,000 words. For me, the most powerful parts of her “From This Day Forward” cover story are the passages describing how ordinary people summoned the courage to do what they thought was right in the face of ﬁerce opposition.

But I’m a biased reader — civil unions a ected me personally.

AP FILE PHOTO: TOBY TALBOT

IT FELT LIKE WE WERE INVENTING A NEW CELEBRATION ON THE SPOT.

I was 25 in spring 2000 and had just moved into an apartment with my girlfriend, Ann-Elise. She encouraged me to stop working odd jobs and organizing poetry slams and get serious about my future. I saw an ad — in Seven Days — for residential sta at Rock Point School, a small boarding high school in Burlington. The full-time position didn’t pay much, but it came with great health insurance and a rent-free apartment.

The only catch: For a partner to move in with me there, we’d have to be married — or civil unioned.

Though Ann-Elise and I had been dating for two and a half years and were serious about a future together, we’d never discussed getting civil unioned or even having a commitment ceremony, which were the only options for gay men and lesbians back then.

We asked ourselves: Should we get hitched to land this apartment?

We did the math. If we lived at Rock Point, we could save for a down payment on a house. Ann-Elise, who worked as an apprentice at the Intervale Community Farm, could get on my health insurance and start her own farm.

We debated for a few weeks and decided to go for it. With little money and just six weeks to plan, we threw together what turned out to be a perfect party over Labor Day weekend, before the students returned to school. We had a private ceremony, with a friend who was a justice of the peace, and invited everyone we could think of to our reception. In lieu of gifts, we asked guests to bring a dish to share.

My supportive new employers let us host the

potluck in the school library. Most of the 100 or so guests were locals, but family members and friends who made the trip from Michigan, North Carolina and Massachusetts got to bunk in the dorms.

What everyone remembers about the party: There was plenty of food. Everything was delicious. The lesbian couple who owned Maggie’s Tomato Patch brought a giant bowl of heirloom cherry tomatoes. Other friends contributed a batch of very potent homebrewed beer. My accordion teacher and his klezmer band supplied tunes.

This was the ﬁrst civil union party anyone there had been to, and it felt like we were inventing a new celebration on the spot.

At some point, our Jewish friends organized a hora. When a group of revelers sat me down and hoisted me and my chair into the air, I was surprised and slightly terriﬁed. I smiled and laughed but held on tight — good preparation for the uncertain road ahead. We didn’t know if the federal government would ever recognize our union, or how we’d manage to have kids, or even whether I’d like my new job, which I hadn’t started yet.

Happily, for Ann-Elise and me, the past 25 years have included two houses in Winooski, two kids, ﬁve dogs, three great years at Rock Point, one farm (now closed) with 300 chickens, a career at Seven Days for me, a nursing degree and hospital job for her, and, in 2010, an actual marriage license.

One year after the civil unions law was enacted, we gathered on the Statehouse lawn alongside other civil unioned couples. A group photo ran in the Burlington Free Press on April 26, 2001. We were and still are grateful for the chance to be part of history.

Cathy Resmer

TELL US YOUR STORY

How did civil unions affect your life? Leave your comments at sevendaysvt.com/civil-unions. We’ll publish some of them in a future issue.

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Revelers at Cathy Resmer and Ann-Elise Johnson’s civil union party in the Rock Point School library on September 2, 2000

SCOTT TO KEEP DEAL WITH ICE

JUDGE WANTS STUDENT BACK IN VT

Feds Arrest Migrant Workers on Vermont Dairy Farm

BY COLIN FLANDERS colin@sevendaysvt.com

Federal agents arrested eight migrant workers on Vermont’s largest dairy farm on Monday in what advocates are calling one of the state’s largest worksite enforcement actions in recent memory. e arrests, which occurred at Pleasant Valley Farms in Berkshire, were not the result of a preplanned, targeted raid, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. Rather, the feds say they were responding to a tip that two people were seen leaving a wooded area a couple miles south of the U.S. border carrying backpacks. One was apprehended.

Class Act

In a Middlebury tech-center program, theater students learn more than just stage skills

BY ALISON NOVAK • alison@sevendaysvt.com

At the Patricia A. Hannaford Career Center in Middlebury, local high school students learn how to ﬁx engines, grow plants and build tiny houses.

But on a Tuesday morning in March, the 14 teens in Eric Reid-St. John’s classroom were putting the ﬁnishing touches on an altogether di erent kind of creation: an original play they would perform for the wider community. The production, I’ll Tell You a Secret, is set in the 1970s, at a high school party in an abandoned house. But the topics it addresses — peer pressure, alienation and betrayal among them — are timeless.

EDUCATION

The juniors and seniors involved in the project had spent months building the set, composing music, and crafting characters, dialogue, and scenes. The show would open in two days.

First, though, there were some lastminute matters to attend to. Students circled up and listened intently as Reid-St. John, whom students call Eric, gave them notes.

Slow your delivery, he directed one young actor. “I like the tender moments,” the teacher said. “But the tender moments need to be heard.”

Another student asked if he should actually sip from a can of seltzer — a standin for beer — during the performance.

“If you’re supposed to be drinking on stage, drink on stage,” Reid-St. John told him.

After a bit more back-and-forth, students rose from their chairs and headed to the black box theater at the back of the classroom. The house lights went down, and the cast and crew launched into one of their final run-throughs.

For most young people with a passion for performing, theater is for after school or weekends. But Addison County teens can hone their drama skills during the school day for academic credit. For 30 years, Hannaford Career Center — one of four tech centers in the state that operates as a stand-alone school district — has

been home to the Addison Repertory Theater program, or A.R.T., alongside more typical technical education classes such as automotive technology, advanced manufacturing and culinary arts.

WE ACTUALLY DO STUFF HERE.

The program provides a unique opportunity for students to participate in the performing arts in a hands-on, intensive way, with peers who share their creative interests.

A.R.T. isn’t the type of class where you “just sit on a computer or learn about what mitochondria are,” Middlebury Union High School senior Gabe Schmitt said. “We actually do stu here.”

During a search for the second person, agents encountered “additional individuals determined to be illegally present in the United States,” border patrol said. ey were farmworkers ranging in age from 22 to 41, according to advocacy group Migrant Justice. ey were being held at the Northwest State Correctional Facility, Migrant Justice said, and friends and family were worried.

Pleasant Valley, a 10,000-acre dairy farm with 3,000-plus cows, is owned by Mark and Amanda St. Pierre. eir son Jamie is part of the team that helps manage it alongside his wife, Olympic runner Elle St. Pierre.

“Our employees were hired following the federal and state employment requirements,” Amanda St. Pierre said in an email. “We remain supportive of our employees and appreciative of the valuable role they play in our community performing essential work on our farm. We hope this matter is resolved quickly.

“

Gov. Phil Scott said in a statement that he was working to learn more about what happened. He called for immigration reform that would make it easier for “law abiding, hardworking” people to earn a living in Vermont rather than be “forced to live in the shadows.”

“I have long been clear: migrant workers are an essential part of our communities,” Scott said in a written statement.

Vermont has upwards of 850 year-round migrant farmworkers who comprise a needed part of the state’s dairy workforce, Agriculture Secretary Anson Tebbetts said. ➆

From left: Avery Hohenschau, Bailey AntosKetcham, Bea Hooper and Phoebe Raphael

Home Worth

BY RACHEL HELLMAN • rhellman@sevendaysvt.com

When Kayla Poissant received her property reassessment in the mail two weeks ago, she was surprised to ﬁnd that the value of her downtown St. Albans residence had nearly doubled. The assessed worth of her historic 1890s house — the ﬁrst she’s ever owned — went from $158,200 to $384,000, a rise of about 143 percent. “I was shocked,” she said.

Poissant, 34, who has two young children, immediately feared that her property taxes, too, would soar. A childcare professional whose husband is a web developer, she doesn’t have any wiggle room in her budget.

Experts recommend that municipalities reassess properties every four to six years.

But it wasn’t until 2022 that St. Albans’ common level of appraisal — a tool to determine how far a municipality’s property values veer from fair market levels — became so out of whack that it triggered the state to order a citywide reassessment.

“If our taxes increase, it would put a huge strain on our ﬁnances,” she said. “We’re just trying to ﬁgure out how they came up with this number.”

Poissant isn’t alone. A Facebook group for St. Albans residents was littered with hundreds of comments from fretful neighbors. “I think I’ll be unable to keep living here,” posted one person, whose

A preliminary analysis of St. Albans’ recent reassessment, which cost the city $300,000, reveals that the grand list — the roster of all taxable properties within a municipality — had increased in value by 88 percent. Some homes more than doubled in value, said Chip Sawyer, the city’s director of planning and development.

Sawyer has been trying to tamp down residents’ fears. The new ﬁgures don’t mean that the city’s budget has changed, he explains — with most homes going up in value, the tax burden will remain about the same for most residents.

That’s because a citywide reassessment is “revenue neutral.” After the revaluation process, the tax bills are determined based on apportioned property values. If the overall value of homes goes up by 40 percent during a reassessment, for example, an individual property whose value rises that amount will not see any change in a tax bill. “The thing is, though, no one is really going to believe it until they see it,” Sawyer said.

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house value had more than doubled. Other residents attempted to explain that higher assessments don’t necessarily equal higher taxes, but no amount of reassurance stanched the stream of panicked posts.

City o cials had been bracing for the backlash. St. Albans last went through a reassessment, the process of determining the value of private properties for tax purposes, in 2011. In Vermont, which relies heavily on property taxes to fund public schools and other functions, the amount of municipal taxes that owners pay is determined by their home’s value.

St. Albans is among scores of Vermont municipalities facing fast-rising property values and long-overdue reassessments. Burlington’s property reassessment set record-high values in 2022, prompting widespread panic. Stowe, too, made statewide news last year when its property values were found to have doubled after a reassessment that was long overdue. Smaller towns, such as Putney and Athens, also have produced stark reassessments in recent years.

For decades, Vermont has relied on municipalities to shoulder the burden of carrying out their own assessments and maintaining accurate property values. But in recent years, many have been unable to do so because of a shortage of qualiﬁed

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Scott Won’t Cancel ICE Detainment Contract

STORY & PHOTO BY KEVIN MCCALLUM • kevin@sevendaysvt.com

Gov. Phil Scott has rejected calls by state Senate leaders to cancel an agreement that allows federal immigration officials to keep detained people in Vermont prisons.

Scott said at an April 16 press conference that he understood lawmakers’ desire to push back on the Trump administration’s troubling immigration enforcement actions in the state, including the detention of Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi early last week in Colchester. Mahdawi was led away by men wearing hoods and masks and driving unmarked cars.

But Scott said he worried that canceling the contract with federal immigration agencies such as ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection would be unlikely to halt immigration detentions and would result in detainees being taken to other states.

“I get the frustration, but is that in the best interest of those who are detained, to just ship them off to somewhere else — Mississippi, Texas, wherever?” Scott said.

The governor recently reviewed the state’s memorandum of understanding with ICE, which allows federal detainees to be housed in state prisons for a payment of $180 per day. He noted that the contract requires 120 days’ notice before being canceled. Since it expires in August, canceling it would be a moot point, he said.

He declined to say whether he would support renewing the agreement but said he was open to discussing changes with lawmakers.

“We can discuss this further, but it shouldn’t be a knee-jerk reaction,” Scott said.

Scott cited a news account indicating that Mahdawi, a resident of White River Junction, was grateful that a judge ordered him to be held in Vermont for now.

Mahdawi’s attorneys acted quickly after his detention to secure an emergency injunction against immigration officials taking him from the state, as has happened in other recent cases.

Rumeysa Ozturk, a 30-year-old Turkish doctoral student who was arrested last month near Boston by masked ICE agents,

was driven to Vermont and put on a flight to Louisiana, where she’s now being held.

Mahmoud Khalil, who with Mahdawi cofounded the Palestinian Student Union at Columbia University in 2023, was also detained by immigration officials in New York and sent to Louisiana.

Mahdawi’s arrest prompted Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Baruth (D/PChittenden-Central), Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale (D-Chittenden-Southeast) and Sen. Becca White (D-Windsor) to urge Scott to immediately cancel the detention agreement. The student roundups have eroded trust in immigration officials and spread fear among Vermonters that they could be detained anywhere, anytime, the lawmakers said.

But not all are on board with pressuring Scott to scrap the deal. House Speaker Jill Krowinski (D-Burlington) issued a statement that was far less forceful than that from her colleagues in the Senate. While she asserted the “detention by masked individuals is alarming and completely unacceptable,” Krowinski also stressed that lawmakers must make sure that “any and all action we take does not unintentionally impact the individuals we are trying to protect.”

Scott said it’s incumbent on federal officials to prove to a judge that detainees have committed a crime and, if they can’t, to release them.

“If they can provide information that they are a danger to society, a danger to us, maybe they should leave [the country],” Scott said. “But if they are not, if we’re just mad at them for something they’ve said, that’s not a good enough reason from my standpoint.”

U.S. Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) said she and 67 House colleagues had written to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security “to demand answers on the illegal abduction and arrest of Mohsen Mahdawi.”

“Without due process and the right to free speech, this is not the America we thought we lived in,” she wrote. “And it should terrify us all. It’s critical we stand up loudly for the U.S. Constitution in the face of the authoritarian rule from the White House.” ➆

Students — who hail primarily from Middlebury Union, Vergennes Union High School and Mount Abraham Union High School in Bristol — can enroll in a morning performance class focused on writing and acting or choose an afternoon technical class, where they learn about costuming, lighting, sound and scenic design. Each class meets for two-hour blocks, five days a week, for the full school year. Students enroll for a year or two and earn credits in English, fine arts and electives.

Programming at career and tech centers is often influenced by industries prevalent in the region in which they operate, said Nicole MacTavish, superintendent of the Patricia

production distinguishes A.R.T. from other school experiences, Middlebury Union junior Candace Bloom said.

“It feels way more like an actual community than a class,” Bloom said.

A.R.T. alumni have gone on to successful careers in the performing arts — usually after studying the craft in college or at an arts conservatory. Jake Lacy, who starred in the first season of “The White Lotus,” and Quincy Dunn-Baker, who recently appeared in the movie No Hard Feelings with Jennifer Lawrence, are products of A.R.T.

Current students say their teacher is a big reason why the program succeeds. ReidSt. John moved to Addison County from Alabama six and a half years ago, taking over from a director who had held the position

A. Hannaford Regional Technical School District. That’s the case for A.R.T.

Middlebury, home to Town Hall Theater and Middlebury College, boasts a thriving theater scene and community members who value the arts, MacTavish said, so it made sense for A.R.T. to be housed at the town’s tech center.

Locals flock there to see the student performances, MacTavish said. “Our community really appreciates it.”

So do the students.

Nel Stein, a Middlebury Union senior, compared A.R.T. to a job—in the most positive way. Before joining, she said, her motivation to succeed was driven mostly by grades. But in A.R.T., it comes from wanting to create quality productions.

Those include four live performances a year, including a children’s show staged at local elementary schools; a British-style comedy; a series of 10-minute one-act plays; and either a student-written original play or a classic or modern full-length work.

The camaraderie that forms among classmates working together on a stage-worthy

for more than 20 years. A stage actor, ReidSt. John had taught theater at a large high school outside Birmingham.

Andrew Morris, 23, attended A.R.T. during the 2018-19 school year, the first in which Reid-St. John served as director. He’d dabbled in music composition before attending the program, Morris said, and Reid-St. John encouraged him to write a score for the class production of its contemporary choice, Almost, Maine. Morris said Reid-St. John was a “great collaborator,” who gave thoughtful feedback and encouragement as he crafted the music.

Morris now works outside Los Angeles as a podcast producer, audio engineer, and freelance film composer and editor and gets together with Reid-St. John whenever he returns home to Vermont.

“He’s one of the most influential people in my life,” Morris said. “Every 16-, 17-, 18-year-old needs an Eric.”

Vergennes senior MaryBeth Cosgrove said Reid-St. John is “good at pushing you out of your comfort zone but not making you uncomfortable.”

Gov. Phil Scott (right) and Nick Deml, commissioner of the Department of Corrections

Middlebury Union seniors Gabe Schmitt and Nel Stein

One of the goals of career and technical education is to prepare young people for jobs. For some tech programs — welding or construction, for example — the trajectory is relatively straightforward. For A.R.T. students, though, the path from school to workplace isn’t always as clear. Still, the program’s advocates say the skills students learn — including teamwork, effective communication and project management — can serve them in many different careers.

“Some people call them ‘soft skills,’” said Dana Yeaton, an associate professor of theatre at Middlebury College who helped get A.R.T. off the ground in the 1990s. “I call them survival skills ... The training they get is so cross-disciplinary.”

Dawn Wagner, owner of Daily Chocolate in Vergennes, was in the first A.R.T. class in 1995. “We were a motley crew,” Wagner recalled of the inaugural cohort. “There were artsy kids, a football player ... It was a very Breakfast Club situation.”

After graduating, Wagner attended the University of Vermont, then moved to New York City and worked as the stage manager for the LAByrinth Theater Company, a nonprofit started by the late actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, and in production for Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular

Wagner had wanted to be a stage manager since middle school, she said, and A.R.T. sharpened her technical theater skills and gave her “an artistic home.” At UVM, where she majored in theater, Wagner

recalled a professor saying he didn’t need to teach her much because she came with such solid skills.

Joe Isenberg, who grew up dyslexic, remembered school as a mostly disappointing experience until he found a creative outlet in A.R.T.

Raised in Cornwall, Isenberg attended A.R.T. from 2000 to 2002, then went to the University of North Carolina School of the

IT FEELS WAY MORE LIKE AN ACTUAL COMMUNITY THAN A CLASS.

CANDACE BLOOM

Arts, a competitive theater arts conservatory. He later embarked on a career as a fight choreographer — teaching actors how to use their bodies and weapons to create the illusion of violence onstage. Isenberg was the first resident fight director of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. He currently works as a fight choreographer for New York City’s Metropolitan Opera.

“I would not be where I am today without A.R.T.,” Isenberg said. “Everything they set in place created a chain reaction that led me to where I am.”

Despite the program’s transformative power, many are worried about its future

amid ongoing education-reform efforts at the state level and widespread concern over the future of public education and the arts under the Trump administration.

The effort to make the state’s education system more efficient and centralized could place programs such as A.R.T. on the chopping block, said MacTavish, Hannaford’s superintendent.

“We’re in a world where you have to justify things economically,” said Yeaton, the Middlebury College professor. But some of what A.R.T. cultivates — connection, engagement, community — is not easily quantifiable.

Those by-products were on display, though, when students presented I’ll Tell You a Secret to a packed house of friends, family and locals on a Friday night last month. Costumed in ’70s-era jumpsuits, letterman jackets and Chuck Taylors, the troupe put on a show that was equal parts funny, poignant and creepy. The crowd reacted with laughter, gasps and a standing ovation during the final bow.

The actors stood in the hallway after, greeting audience members as they filtered out.

“That was intense,” one person remarked.

“Really fun, guys,” another said. Praise like that can count as much as a perfect mark on a test.

It’s confirmation, said Cosgrove, one of the student actors, that “you made an impact on another human being.” ➆

I have been doing business downtown since 1975. In addition to selling lots of fine contemporary and estate jewelry. I am also a designer of one of a kind personalized jewelry.

Both my shop and store are located on Church Street. I enjoy my time interacting with our customers and with my fellow business people.

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Judge Orders Feds to Bring Tufts Student Back to Vermont

BY COLIN FLANDERS colin@sevendaysvt.com

A federal judge ruled last Friday that Rumeysa Ozturk, the Tufts University grad student from Turkey who was arrested by immigration authorities last month, should be returned to Vermont while the case challenging the constitutionality of her arrest moves forward in Burlington.

Judge William K. Sessions III instructed the federal government to transfer Ozturk from Louisiana, where she has been held for the past three weeks, to Vermont ahead of a May 9 bail hearing.

Sessions stayed his order for four days to allow time for any appeals but said the feds must move Ozturk no later than May 1. He also scheduled a hearing on May 22 to focus on the merits of Ozturk’s legal challenge.

The ruling represents a victory for Ozturk and her legal team, who have been tangling with federal prosecutors for weeks now about whether her legal challenge should proceed — and if so, where.

Ozturk is among hundreds of international students who have had their visas revoked in recent weeks as part of the Trump administration’s purported crackdown on antisemitism across college campuses.

Federal authorities have accused Ozturk of engaging in activities “in support of Hamas” without evidence. Her attorneys say she was targeted for cowriting an op-ed in a student newspaper that criticized the university’s response to the war in Gaza.

Her March 25 arrest in Massachusetts made national headlines after video showed masked immigration authorities plucking her off the street near her Boston-area apartment. She was later moved to Vermont, where she spent the night ahead of a 4 a.m. flight to Louisiana.

She’s now involved in two federal court cases: one about her immigration case, the other challenging her arrest, which her attorneys say violated her rights to free speech and due process.

In his ruling, Sessions wrote that Ozturk’s case should be heard in Vermont because she was here when her attorneys filed paperwork with the court.

Home Worth « P.15

assessors and listers, professionals hired by municipalities to determine the fair market value of properties. The result is that for many communities, the values assigned to private properties are outdated and far out of line with the market, leading to shock and confusion when reassessments finally happen and, in the meantime, less tax equity.

“The longer you go between doing a town reappraisal, the more regressive the tax is, meaning that people who have a higher-value property are paying less of a proportion of their property value than those with a lower value,” said Jill Remick, director of property valuation for the state.

Now, though, state legislators are proposing that the reassessment process be overhauled. Instead of a town-by-town approach, they want reassessments to be undertaken on a regional basis. A dozen or so new assessment districts would be responsible for reassessing the towns within them every six years. The plan is contained in a bipartisan education reform bill that passed in the House earlier this month but is expected to face strong headwinds in the Senate.

Proponents say the proposal would streamline the reassessment system and create more equity when it comes to determining property values. Critics, though, worry it would curb local control and that transitioning to a regional timeline could be problematic for towns.

The discussion comes as state lawmakers are discussing changes to the funding formula for schools. No matter how assessments are accomplished, experts say that having up-to-date property values would spread the tax burden more fairly if those formula changes are made.

“We have some municipalities that are doing an excellent job and keeping up,” said Josh Hanford, director of intergovernmental relations for the Vermont League of Cities and Towns. “We have others that are 16 years behind. It creates a lot of volatility.”

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The judge also determined that Ozturk’s attorneys have raised “viable and serious” constitutional claims, ones that demand him to move “expeditiously.” ➆

Across the country, states handle reassessments in varying ways. In California, for example, reassessments are only required when a property is sold, while in Montana a statewide reassessment happens every year. Almost all other states rely on county- or statelevel government to schedule, manage and regulate assessments.

In Vermont, however, municipalities have been responsible for managing the process and receive a per-parcel payment

from the state meant to cover about half the cost of the task.

Until 2023, municipalities were required to reassess their properties only when a municipality’s previously assessed values veered out of line with market values by more than 15 percent. Two years ago, though, state legislators passed Act 68, which requires Vermont towns to reappraise properties every six years, starting this year.

The six-year requirement marks one of the state’s attempts at clearing the assessments backlog, a pileup that has swelled rapidly since the pandemic, when Vermont property values increased dramatically.

Municipalities haven’t had much incentive to keep values up-to-date. Reassessments cost communities money, and informing people of higher property values creates anxiety. “It’s kind of like, which bad door do they want to open?” Hanford said.

Another reason so many communities

House Committee on Ways and Means. “Plus, we need to be appraising at a quantity of properties that allows us to do a meaningful statistical evaluation of our reappraisal process.”

The proposal for regional districts is only a small piece of a larger education bill, H.454, the main focus of which is to devise a new property tax classification and shift the way schools are funded. But lawmakers behind the measure see it as a critical building block for more equitable education financing.

In the version of the bill passed by the House, the new “assessment districts” would not go into effect until 2030, and only after a working group made up of listers, lawmakers and tax experts has hammered out details of the transition.

The Vermont Assessors and Listers Association has voiced concerns about the proposed switch to a regional model, arguing that taking the assessment function from municipalities “undermines accountability, accuracy, and public trust.”

Others, like Tom Vickery, who served as Stowe’s assessor for decades, worry that the new plan would be difficult to administer and that mass reassessments could produce an overwhelming number of appeals from property owners.

But if the regional approach is to move forward, Vickery said, the legislature should map the proposed districts — so far only loosely sketched and still up for debate — onto existing supervisory union districts used for schools.

have fallen behind is that it is so hard to find qualified people to do the work. Many assessors and listers have retired, leaving a shortage of workers in a profession that has become more complicated than ever. Still, some local listers are willing to stay on the job out of loyalty to the towns where they work.

“There are a lot of folks in the community who are in their eighties and nineties who are hesitant to retire because there’s nobody there to take their place,” Remick said. The Department of Taxes is increasing efforts to recruit and train listers.

The result is a handful of listers working for multiple towns through a hodgepodge of part-time contracts. That patchwork is not sustainable for the listers, nor cost-effective for the towns contracting them, officials say.

“We want scale in order to get good, quality contracts, for both cost-saving and efficiency reasons,” said Rep. Emilie Kornheiser (D-Brattleboro), chair of the

Hanford, of the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, echoed Vickery’s sentiment. “All of these things would work a lot better if we were all talking about the same regions and working from the same framework,” he said.

Sawyer, the St. Albans planning director who oversaw the city’s recent reassessment, said regular updates make sense and would produce more consistency in property values.

Poissant and her husband, whose St. Albans house value rose substantially, said they love living where they do but are contemplating a move out of state if their property taxes go up by more than they can afford. In the meantime, Poissant said, she is contesting her reassessment with the city.

“It’s a waiting game,” she said. “We’ll just have to see when our tax bill comes out.” ➆

Rachel Hellman covers Vermont’s small towns for Seven Days . She is a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms. Find out more at reportforamerica.org.

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« P.7

“issued a superintendents’ update alerting the ﬁeld to the directive and providing an initial legal review” and that she is now “issuing a statement in response.”

That’s bullshit on two fronts. First, it wasn’t an amorphous agency that issued the original update; it was her. And second, her original update wasn’t an initial legal review; it was a directive to obey.

To be clear: Saunders is trying to make it sound like she is just now intervening to ensure that a wayward agency does the right thing. In reality, she is walking back her own giant, cowardly misstep.

Over the past couple of months, Secretary Saunders and Gov. Phil Scott have shown their true colors. By refusing over and over to push back forcefully against Trump’s illegal and unconstitutional overreach — unlike their counterparts in every surrounding state — they have demonstrated whose side they are on.

It’s time for new leadership in Vermont. If Scott, Lt. Gov. John Rodgers and the rest of the administration aren’t going to defend Vermont against Trump’s bullying, we need to replace them with leaders who will.

Jason Van Driesche BURLINGTON

‘DEI IS DISCRIMINATION’

[Re “Education Secretary to Feds: Vermont Will Continue ‘DEI’ Practices,” April 14, online]: Education Secretary Zoie Saunders’ insistence on following prejudicial DEI rules will only get Vermont into trouble with the feds. Additionally, trying to defend an outdated concept will cost the state tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees, all for nothing.

DEI is discrimination against white males and white females. Hiring and promotion in the workplace should be based on merit.

Peter Rinaldi MORETOWN

BILL GOES TOO FAR

Paul Fleckenstein’s letter [Feedback: “About ‘Antisemitism,’” March 26] makes the point that the Shalom Alliance, which opposed the “apartheid-free community” campaign, has been using a strategy of drawing attention away from the genocide in Gaza by centering the discussion on antisemitism.

The Shalom Alliance now has another project: a bill in the Vermont legislature. H.310 would “require the Secretary of Education to develop curriculum and provide trainings, teaching materials, and technical assistance for antisemitism

awareness education in kindergarten through grade 12 schools.”

The bill includes a comprehensive deﬁnition of antisemitic harassment: slurs, stereotypes, etc. — things that most would agree should be on the list.

The last item on the list is di erent. It deﬁnes “negative references to Jewish customs or the right to self-determination in the Jewish people’s ancestral and indigenous homeland” as antisemitic. In other words, H.310 would require that Vermont schools, K-12, teach kids that people who criticize Israel’s practices of apartheid, ethnic cleansing and imprisonment of Palestinians without a trial, for example, are motivated by antisemitism.

It also implicitly ignores the fact that Palestine is also the ancestral and indigenous homeland of Palestinians. Is it antisemitic to insist that they, too, have the right to selfdetermination in that same homeland?

The text of H.310, including the list of its sponsors, can be found on the legislature’s website.

Peter Lackowski BURLINGTON

BEWARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE

problems, such as homelessness — instead using misinformation to excite and agitate.

Robert L. Merchant BARRE TOWN

LIGHTING THE WAY

I found the overall feedback [April 2] on the article on excessive drinking [“Vermont’s Hangover,” March 19] interesting, because several letters referred to light or the lack thereof. Marc Richter says, “Let’s continue bringing it into the light.”

Aaron French said, “We have neglected to

available and free in Vermont. I am a retired physician, but — like most people — I thought I needed some help. I knew I wanted to choose “conventional Medicare,” but what about my Medigap policy and Plan D?

I got that help at the Central Vermont Council on Aging in Barre, but I could have gotten it at Age Well in Chittenden County or another of the regional councils on aging. The sta at these organizations are knowledgeable, dedicated and friendly. Give them a try before you pay for an insurance consultant.

[Re From the Publisher: “65 Candles,” April 2]: Understanding and choosing Medicare coverage is, indeed, complicated, and it is wise to seek some help in doing so. But please be aware of the bias built into the advice of a consultant who also sells insurance. Medicare Advantage plans are marketed as an alternative to governmentadministered original Medicare by private insurance companies that are in business to make a proﬁt. They may sound attractive but may well be more complicated, more restrictive and more di cult to make claims on than original Medicare.

Vermont’s Hangover

illuminate this problem … Keep the light on alcohol consumption in Vermont.”

Trine Bech hinted that alcoholism is worse in Norway, where the sun shines less than in Vermont.

A PR IDEA FOR DEMS

An alternative source of information about Medicare is Age Well’s State Health Insurance Assistance Program, which offers free and confidential Medicare counseling.

Janet Rutkowski WILLISTON

FLAWED APPROACH

[Re “Thousands of Vermonters Turn Out to Protest Trump, Musk,” April 5, online]: Pity that the organizers didn’t focus their energy and hysteria on solving our bigger

What I ﬁnd interesting is that not only the lack of light but also the daily and accumulative loss of light both contribute greatly to this problem. I would like to see more attention given to the lack-oflight issue in combination with alcohol consumption. Thank you for bringing everything to the forefront.

Mimi Clark MONTPELIER

FREE ADVICE

Thank you for the column on choosing Medicare options [From the Publisher: “65 Candles,” April 2]. I agree that getting some counseling on the process and the options is a good idea. But it is important to mention that high-quality advice is

[Re “Tax Resistance Is Booming After Gaza and Trump’s Reelection,” April 2]: Until now, I have focused my participation locally, serving on our town’s selectboard. But alas, today, focusing only on our town is equivalent to “arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic .” Today, America is under siege! My suggestion: Responsible members of Congress should mount the biggest public relations campaign in our history! Do it on every medium in existence to counter the threat facing the USA. The threat is not a matter of conservative versus liberal. The president, aided by his cowardly followers in the Congress, is clearly destroying America. Together they’re murdering almost everything America is and stands for. Congress, leverage your strength; you can’t do it alone. Initiate a gigantic public relations campaign. Reach for every living American. You can do it! You have the connections: labor, Hollywood, Madison Avenue, many patriotic wealthy citizens. If more than $70 million were raised in a campaign for a Wisconsin state court election, raising funds for such a campaign should be a piece of cake. Mount the campaign to educate the American people on how your policies will help and how the president’s policies harm, and do it especially in regions where the majority voted for the president. Laser-focus only on the issues that a ect all of us, to put maximum pressure on the president’s cowardly Congress members. Realistically, it will not impress all of them. But it only takes a few in Congress to turn the tide.

Daniel Wing CORINTH

Kenneth Albert SHELBURNE

lifelines

OBITUARIES

Marie T. Lareau

SEPTEMBER 1, 1936APRIL 9, 2025

COLCHESTER, VT.

Marie T. Lareau, 88, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at Cedar Hill Health Center in Windsor, Vt.

Marie was born on September 1, 1936, in Glens Falls, N.Y., the daughter of Edward and Leda (Phenix) Lanoue. She attended St. Alphonsus Catholic School and St. Mary’s Academy in Glens Falls and graduated from St. Peter’s School of Nursing in Albany with her RN degree in 1957. She earned a bachelor’s degree in human services from Trinity College in Burlington, Vt., in 1985.

On August 30, 1958, she married Leon J. Lareau of Glens Falls. Together, they moved to Medford, Mass., where Leon worked on the Apollo Project at MIT. As their family grew, they relocated to Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and eventually settled in Colchester, Vt. After her children were in school, Marie returned to nursing, working as an emergency room nurse at Fanny

Michael A. Sherman

OCTOBER 3, 1944APRIL 8, 2025

MONTPELIER, VT.

Michael A. Sherman died peacefully and painlessly on April 8, 2025, at the Central Vermont Medical Center.

Michael was born in the Bronx to Dorothy “Tootsie” and Samuel “Shim” Sherman. Michael attended the High School of Music and Art in New York City (now known as the Fiorello LaGuardia High School of Music and the Arts) in Manhattan and later graduated from the University of Chicago with a PhD in Renaissance art history. He married Nancy Grabil Sherman on September 21, 1968. Michael was later employed at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis., as an adjunct professor in the Humanities Division.

OBITUARIES, VOWS, CELEBRATIONS

Allen Hospital in Colchester. She later transitioned to a primary care practice before retiring from nursing. Marie had a love for crafting — especially quilting, macramé and crocheting — and was an avid gardener of both ﬂowers and vegetables. A lifelong reader, she enjoyed nonﬁction and nature books and loved working on puzzles. She was a devoted fan of bluegrass music and regularly attended local festivals.

Marie adored her dogs, including her Brittany spaniel, Peanuts, and her German shorthaired pointer, Ben. In winter, she fed birds and went cross-country

Michael and Nancy had two sons, Adam and Roger, before moving to Madison, Wis., in 1978, where Michael worked at the Wisconsin Humanities Council. In 1986, Michael and Nancy moved the family to Montpelier, Vt., where Michael began his long employment and association with the Vermont Historical Society.

Michael was the executive director of the Vermont

skiing; in warmer months, she enjoyed walking, biking, hiking the Green Mountains and Adirondacks, and hiking with her dog Ben around Lake Iroquois.

Her favorite vacation spot was Maine. She especially enjoyed vacationing in New Harbor/Boothbay with her young family and the Ogunquit area with her husband and extended family. ere, they walked the Marginal Way, dined on lobster, played cards and browsed antique shops. Marie was all smiles during her last visit to the Maine coast, in 2023. She was predeceased by her husband, Leon Lareau; brother, Robert Lanoue; and sister Claire Stewart. She is survived by her sister Lorraine Veiel and her husband, Al; children, Peter and wife Heather, John and wife Annmarie, and Anne Marie and ﬁancée Willie. She also leaves behind her grandchildren, Bobby and partner Megan, Sara and husband James, Eric and wife Dee, Matthew and wife Alyssa, Ethan and partner Allura, and Andrea; and

Historical Society for many years. After leaving that position, Michael became the editor of Vermont History, a quarterly journal, and in 2004 he coauthored the book Freedom and Unity: A History of Vermont with his friend and collaborator Gene Sessions. He was a professor at the Adult Degree Program of Vermont College, as well as dean of academics at Burlington College. In his “retirement,” he worked as a baker in the Manghi Bakery on School Street and would jokingly say that was one of the most important “rolls” he ever took on.

Both Michael and Nancy developed strong roots in the community of Montpelier. Michael was Nancy’s campaign manager for her 12-year tenure as a Montpelier City Council member, while himself serving on many of Montpelier’s civic boards and

step-grandchildren, Nicholas and wife Kelsey, Ryan, and Rachael. Marie was also blessed with great-grandchildren Scarlett and Aurora and many nieces and nephews.

e Lareau family would like to express their sincere gratitude to the staff at Cedar Hill Health Care Center in Windsor, Vt., for their thoughtful and genuine care of Marie during her brief stay.

Calling hours will be held on May 13, 2025, 4 to 6 p.m., at the Regan Denny Stafford Funeral Home, 53 Quaker Rd., Queensbury, NY.

A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on May 15, 2025, 11 a.m., at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Williston, Vt. Interment will follow at Resurrection Park Cemetery in South Burlington, Vt. Knight Funeral Home in Windsor has been entrusted with arrangements. Condolences may be shared in an online guest book at knightfuneralhomes.com.

In lieu of ﬂowers, please consider a memorial contribution in Marie’s honor to your local animal shelter.

advisory committees. He was passionate about classical music and loved attending local concerts. He and Nancy both made it a point to help those in need, whether through the Unitarian Church’s Community Lunches or by offering housing and sanctuary to people less fortunate than themselves.

Michael is survived by both of his sons, Roger and Adam; his daughter-in-law, Joelle Baird; and his grandchildren, Quinn and Ruby Sherman, who affectionately called him “Pop-pop.”

A public celebration of Michael’s life will be held at a later time in Montpelier this summer.

In lieu of ﬂowers, please consider a donation in his name to the Vermont Historical Society, the Montpelier Tree Board, the T.W. Wood Art Gallery or the charity of your choosing.

Susan Humphrey

APRIL 20, 1950-APRIL 5, 2025 WILLISTON, VT.

Susan Kay (Laird) Humphrey, 74, passed away peacefully on April 5, 2025, at Allen Brook Memory Care in Williston, Vt., surrounded by love and memories.

Born on April 20, 1950, in Burlington, Vt., to Albert and Kathleen (Ritchie) Laird, Sue grew up in Essex Junction, Vt., with siblings Victor, Albert and Mary (Molly).

Sue is survived by her children, Gene (Erika) and Katie (Joe), as well as her chosen daughters, Jessica and eresa (Mike); grandchildren, Megan, Alyson, Jackson and Lucas; siblings Victor (Bet) and Molly (Seymour); sisterin-law Judy; many beloved nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews; as well as many more dear friends and kindred spirits close to her heart. She was predeceased by her parents and brother Albert (Bert). e family wishes to thank the staff at Allen Brook Memory Care in Williston for their kindness, compassion and care during her stay. A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, May 24, 2025, 1 to 4 p.m., at the Milton Grange. You can view a more complete version of Sue’s obituary online at vtfuneralhomes.com.

IN MEMORIAM

Please join his family and friends for a celebration of life for Roland R. Vautour on Sunday, May 4, 2025, 1 p.m., at the Meeting House at the Village at Smugglers’ Notch Resort. All are welcome. Reception to follow.

Suzanne Loker

1948-2025

Friend, partner, sister, professor, golfer, colleague, athlete, adventurer, skier, snowshoer, hiker, biker, husky lover. At 77, Suzanne wondered into the forest and sunlight for the last time with memories of her life well-lived.

Alden Cary “Duke” Ehler

FEBRUARY 22, 1931MARCH 31, 2025

ESSEX JUNCTION, VT.

Alden Cary “Duke” Ehler, a man with a big personality and endless amounts of friends, passed peacefully into the arms of his wife, Emily, and son, Michael, on March 31, 2025, encapsulated by his most loving and attentive daughters. We were gifted the opportunity to experience his wit one more time as our family gathered by his side the day before his passing. We shared laughter and tears, knowing that those memories will never fade and we will hold them for a lifetime.

Duke was born on February 22, 1931, in New Haven, Conn., to Irwin and Isabelle Ehler. He joined the U.S. Air Force stationed at Arnold Air Force Base in Tullahoma, Tenn., where he met and married the love of his life, Emily. Duke served in the Korean War and upon his return was assigned to Fort Ethan Allen in Colchester, Vt., for “Operation Coldspot.” Although he would say he initially couldn’t wait to get the heck out of the Vermont cold, he learned to love it and stayed here to raise his family. Together with Emily, their business ventures began with Ehler’s Bay Breeze Motel in Malletts Bay; then, after moving their family to Essex Junction, they opened Ehler’s Sunoco and Service Station on Pearl Street. Wanting to expand, they purchased a chicken farm in Essex Town and creatively converted the old barn into a new home for their business. With a love for camping and travel and the support of Deb and Mike, they added recreational vehicles to their lineup and expanded into a new

Angelina Beardsley

NOVEMBER 26, 1945APRIL 19, 2025

BURLINGTON, VT.

building and business known as Ehler’s RV, Inc., on the same property. The family business was exactly that ... a place where customers became family. Mom and Dad caravanned extensively throughout the U.S. with their dear RV friends and traveled to Japan and Germany with their family.

Through their own actions, Mom and Dad demonstrated the importance of helping others, which they have passed on to us. Duke was a very patriotic American, believed in public service, and loved, honored and respected all military members. Together, Dad and Mom were longtime members of the First Congregational Church of Essex Junction, where Dad held many board positions in the earlier years. They were members and officers of the Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA), Winnebago International Travelers Club (WIT) and Good Sam Club. Duke was a member of the Masonic Lodge, Cairo Shriners, Elks, American Legion and North Country Honor Flight. Duke retired from the Vermont Air Guard Green Mountain Boys 158th FW after many years of service.

Mom and Dad loved to travel and loved their camp in Georgia, Vt., affectionately known as Ehlerville Lakeside, where the family gathers and creates beautiful memories together on the shores of Lake Champlain. Dad was our honorary offerer of the blessing before every meal, thanking the Lord for our togetherness and praying for our loved ones living afar and for military personnel. Over the years he could be found at his grandkids’ sports and school functions, cheering them on with great pride (even when in the penalty box); trailering animals to shows; and running into former customers and military buddies

everywhere he went. He was happiest when in the company of friends and family. He shared his love for everything hot sauce with his grandkids.

Duke will be greatly missed not only by his family but also by all of his friends in the community that he served so well. He was a man who touched so many people’s lives and hearts and was always willing to offer a helping hand.

Duke will now be guiding his family from the heavens. He leaves his daughters, Linda Kilpatrick of Tennessee, Debra Ehler Holland of Essex and Donna Ehler-Vock (Steve) of South Burlington; son-in-law Dan Holland; and daughterin-law, Karen Ehler. He was a loving grandfather and Daddy Duke to Iris (Ben) Rieben; Danny Kilpatrick; Jennifer (Scott) and Meghan (Lindsey) Holland; Tyler (Megan), Kayleigh (Ian) and Kyle (Madison) Ehler-Vock; and Jackson (Halle) Ehler. He was blessed with six great-grandchildren, McKenzie, Pearson, Spencer Rieben, Trace and Kinsley Kilpatrick, and Otis Vock. He also leaves a niece and nephews. He was predeceased by his wife, Emily; son, Michael; brother, Bill Ehler, and wife Lois; brother-in-law, Roy Bartlette, and wife Janie; son-in-law Dan Kilpatrick Sr.; and infant grandchildren Matthew and Maria Ehler-Vock and Charles Alden Ehler.

Our family would like to express our deep appreciation for those involved in Dad’s life and care: doctors, nurses, family and friends, staff at Mansfield Place and BAYADA Hospice.

Family and friends are invited to celebrate Duke’s life on Saturday, May 10, 11 a.m., at the First Congregational Church of Essex Junction.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to First Congregational Church, 39 Main St., Essex Junction, VT 05452. Please note “Heavenly Food Pantry/Duke Ehler” on the memo line or contribute online at fccej.org, or visit a loved one in need of companionship.

The family also invites you to share your memories and condolences by visiting awrfh.com.

Georgene Raub

MARCH 18, 1937-APRIL 21, 2025 MILTON, VT.

Georgene, more affectionally known as Georgie, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on April 21, 2025, in her home in Milton, Vt.

Georgie was born on March 18, 1937, to George and Florence Bridgeman on a farm in Elmira, N.Y. She met her husband, Thomas J Raub, in high school, and they began their 69-year marriage on June 23, 1956. After moving into their first “shoebox” apartment in Endicott, N.Y., they welcomed their daughter and two sons.

In 1966 the family moved to Essex Junction, Vt. While her first passion was always her family, Georgie lived a full and adventurous life. She worked in administrative roles at Sears, Saint Michael’s College, the Burlington Business Association and the Downtown Burlington Development Association. Alongside her husband, Georgie was a founding member of Essex Rescue, a valued member of the Madonna Mountain (now Smuggs) Ski Patrol, a member and board member of the Colchester Community Chorus, and a member of the Colchester Historical Society. She spent many happy years competitively sailing with her family at the Malletts Bay Boat Club and was an avid flower gardener and bird lover. She also enjoyed many years of retirement travel with Tom in their RV. Listing her accomplishments and accolades only describes a fraction of who Georgie was as a person. Georgie always bragged about her family, particularly her “weird” grandchildren (which she would say with a smile and was her highest compliment). This is really just a testament to the close relationships she shared with each of them. The absolute definition of “grandma,” she truly was the epicenter of the Raub family. She was the “magic” behind every holiday — be it texting a typed-out “Happy Birthday” song every birthday, providing everyone with a year’s worth of socks in their stockings on Christmas or forgetting the corn in the microwave after chefing the holiday meal. Losing Georgie is a deep and significant loss to all who knew her.

Angelina died peacefully on April 19, 2025, after a long illness. She was born in Burlington, Vt., on November 26, 1945, to Clifford and Victoria Dutra.

Angie attended Cathedral Grammar and graduated from Burlington High School. She retired from IBM. Angie is survived by her brothers, Clifford (Kathleen), Joseph (Diane) and James

(Kelly), and sister Marianna Dutra. She is also survived by several nephews, nieces, greatnephews and great-nieces. Angie was predeceased by her parents and her sisters Sandra Dragon and Marie Dutra.

A funeral mass will be held on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, 10 a.m., at St. John Vianney Catholic Church in South Burlington, Vt., with the burial to follow at Resurrection Park Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to St. Jude’s Children Hospital.

Georgie is survived by her husband, Thomas (Tom) J. Raub; daughter, Linda (Raub) Noyes, and husband Scott Noyes; and son Thomas (Tommy) Raub and late wife Cheryl (Bouchard) Raub. Georgie was predeceased by son William (Bill) T. Raub on July 30, 1993. She is also survived by her grandchildren: Kristin Raub and her husband, Dylan Scholz; Kelley Raub and partner Steve Crispino; Cali (Noyes) Tremblay, her partner, Travis Cooper, and great-grandson Brody Tremblay; Alex Raub; and Nikki (Raub) Centerbar and husband Zach Centerbar. She is also survived by her siblings, Arlene (Bridgeman) Cosgrove and Ronald Bridgeman and his spouse, Linda Fuller.

During her last few months, Georgie spent much time with both outpatient and in-house medical staff at the University of Vermont Medical Center. Both she and her family want to express their deepest gratitude for their kindness and compassion.

A service will be held on Saturday, April 26, 2025, 11 a.m., at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Colchester, Vt. A reception will follow in the church hall from noon to 2 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, you might consider donating to one of Georgie’s favorite charities: St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, Sail Beyond Cancer Vermont, Rotary Foundation or the University of Vermont Cancer Center Fund.

From This Day Forward

Twenty-five years ago, Vermont established civil unions for gay couples and ignited the national campaign for marriage equality

BY MARY ANN LICKTEIG • maryann@sevendaysvt.com

Kim Nolan and Jen Mathews got married in Shelburne on January 1. While wedding planning is notoriously time-consuming, the two women opted for an intimate ceremony with just the two of them and a celebrant. They knocked the whole thing out in a matter of weeks.

In reality, they know that their wedding day, like that of any same-sex couple in Vermont, required years of work and remarkable courage on the part of people who came before them.

The first, critical victory in the struggle for marriage equality came 25 years ago this week. Saturday, April 26, marks the silver anniversary of Vermont’s civil unions law, the first in the nation to give gay and lesbian people the rights and benefits of marriage, though without the name. It followed the state’s 1990 and 1992 laws protecting gay people from hate crimes and discrimination and 1996 legislation allowing them to adopt children. The measures gave Vermont the most comprehensive set of protections for same-sex couples in the world and made the state a catalyst for reform far beyond its borders.

At the time, Americans were still largely opposed to same-sex marriage. “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was the military’s policy. Congress had passed the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as the union of one man and one woman and allowed states to refuse to recognize samesex marriages performed in other states. Challenges to marriage laws had been made in other states, but none had succeeded. No country allowed same-sex marriage.

After Vermont established civil unions, other states enacted similar laws. Gradually, some began to legalize gay marriage: Massachusetts in 2003; Connecticut in 2008; Iowa on April 3, 2009; and Vermont four days later, over the veto of governor Jim Douglas. Vermont was the first state to establish gay marriage by law as opposed to a court order.

Six years later, in 2015, with its ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, the U.S. Supreme Court made gay marriage the law of the land.

But on April 26, 2000, the eyes of the world were on Montpelier, Vt., the country’s smallest state capital. There, at about 1:30 p.m., governor Howard Dean

signed the civil unions bill with only his staff in attendance. Facing reporters half an hour later, he was asked whether the private signing — “in a closet,” critics suggested — sent a message that gay and lesbian people were still second-class citizens.

The governor reminded reporters that he had supported civil unions — a claim no other governor could make, he added. “But I also think it’s important to acknowledge there are two very strongly divided sides in this debate, and I think sometimes signing ceremonies take on the trappings

On April 26, 2000, the eyes of the world were on Montpelier, Vt., the country’s smallest state capital.

of triumphalism,” he said. “That was not appropriate in this case.”

H.847, “An Act Relating to Civil Unions,” had roiled the state like no other bill in modern times. Vermonters and outof-staters flooded legislators’ answering machines and mailboxes with their opinions, sometimes expressed in vitriolic, abusive language. In the first two weeks of the legislative session — before a bill had even been drafted — the governor’s office received 8,600 phone calls, faxes and emails about the issue.

Thousands of Vermonters streamed to the Statehouse for two public hearings — the first on the night of a blizzard. They filled the House chamber, spilled into overflow rooms and crowded the hallways. Armed plainclothes police officers met with legislators before the first hearing to explain an escape route in the event that deeply held emotions escalated to

violence. “If we say, ‘Leave,’ you don’t ask why. You just leave,” they told lawmakers.

Opponents of gay marriage spoke of God’s wrath, the decay of moral values and the destabilization of “traditional marriage.”

Those in favor said allowing same-sex unions meshed with the tradition of defending human rights in Vermont, the first state to outlaw slavery. Gay people talked about their families, how they paid taxes, shopped at farmers markets, and wanted to give their children the respect and stability that married parents can provide.

The two hearings remained peaceful. That wasn’t the case at an informational meeting in St. Albans. The civil unions bill had passed the House and was awaiting action in the Senate when locals packed the Bellows Free Academy auditorium, cheering and jeering as legislators tried to answer their questions. They shouted down speakers. Moderator Emerson Lynn, then publisher and editor of the Saint Albans Messenger, called it a “mob mentality.”

Later that year, 15 representatives and two senators who voted for civil unions would be ousted by constituents who had promised to “remember in November” and “take back Vermont.” Republicans would gain control of the Vermont House and hold it for the next four years. Democratic governor Dean would be reelected — but would wear a bulletproof vest while campaigning.

The irony is that gay marriage, or anything remotely resembling gay marriage, had not been on any legislator’s agenda until just weeks before the session began that January.

It landed there because three gay couples, including Stan Baker and Peter Harrigan of Shelburne, had been denied marriage licenses two and a half years earlier. They filed suit in Chittenden County. Superior Court judge Linda Levitt threw out their case, Baker v. State of Vermont, and the plaintiffs appealed to the Vermont Supreme Court.

On December 20, 1999, the high court ruled that Vermont marriage laws discriminated against gay couples. But rather than give them marriage, the court tossed the matter to the legislature. Come up with a way to give same-sex couples all the rights and benefits of marriage, the court instructed. Call it marriage or establish a parallel institution. The justices retained

A protest in Montpelier in April 2000

Outside the Statehouse in April 2000

Republican Tom Little, cleared the committee calendar. For the next 10 weeks, gay marriage was the sole item on their agenda. Under Little’s even-keeled leadership, the civil unions bill passed the House, 79-68, and the Senate agreed, 19-11.

Twenty-five years later, newlyweds Kim Nolan, 57, and Jen Mathews, 53, feel tremendous gratitude for the lawmakers who bravely cast yes votes. The couple got their license in Shelburne, at the same o ce that had turned away Stan Baker and Peter Harrigan all those years ago.

jurisdiction in case the lawmakers failed to act satisfactorily.

Susan Murray and Beth Robinson, the plainti s’ lead lawyers, weren’t prepared for that result and scrambled to get to a press conference they’d scheduled. Murray considered the ruling a victory. Robinson was crushed that they hadn’t won marriage.

“Nobody had anticipated this middle path that the Vermont Supreme Court took,” Robinson recalled recently.

John Edwards, a Republican member of the House in his third term, was in the kitchen of his Swanton home when he learned about the ruling on the evening news. Oh, shit, he thought. The retired state trooper knew that the issue would upset the French Canadian, Catholic district he represented.

Writing a law to comply with the court’s order fell to the 11-member House Judiciary Committee, of which Edwards was a member. When legislators reconvened in January, the panel’s chair, Shelburne

The Lawyers

Miles of Vermont highway, illuminated only by headlights, stretched between the two lawyers and their ultimate goal: marriage for same-sex couples. Night after night, Beth Robinson and Susan Murray, colleagues at Langrock Sperry & Wool in Middlebury, would jump in the car after work and head across the state to church basements, libraries and living rooms to speak to four, 12, 20 or however many people showed up.

“We told stories about our clients,” Murray said. Gay and lesbian Vermonters were being harmed because they did not have the rights and beneﬁts that most members of the audience took for granted, she told them.

The process was simple. Still, it felt like a radical act in light of marriage equality’s uncertain future, they said. President Donald Trump had just been reelected. He had built the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority during his first term, and his return to office heightened concerns that the court would overturn the Obergefell decision.

Cognizant of the changing circumstances, Nolan and Mathews accelerated their plans to wed.

“The act of obtaining a marriage license, as a same-sex couple during these times, honors those who have worked toward marriage equality,” Mathews said.

Identifying themselves as two gay women on their marriage license — a public record — feels bold and a bit risky, they said. It declares that they are two women committed to each other. “This is a protest in favor of love,” Nolan said. “It’s a di erent picket sign that we’re holding right now.” ➆

How did the civil union law change your life? Tell us at sevendaysvt.com/ civil-unions.

Clients had asked Murray and Robinson to challenge Vermont’s marriage law in court in 1994, but the two attorneys feared a hostile national climate would mean defeat. The year before, the Hawaii Supreme Court had triggered a nationwide backlash when it ordered the state to prove that excluding same-sex couples from marriage did not violate their constitutional rights. Voters there later approved a constitutional amendment that allowed the state to restrict marriage to a man and a woman.

“Judges are not immune to the larger society,” Murray said. It became clear that before Murray and Robinson could change the law, they had to change hearts and minds. Personal stories were key. “You can’t just talk about equality and justice,” Murray said. “Those are ethereal concepts that don’t really mean anything until you tie it to something concrete.”

In 1995, she and Robinson helped start the Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force, which trained and dispatched an army of volunteers to tell their stories at Rotary Clubs, house parties and county fairs.

For 18 months before ﬁling their case and the two and a half years it took to wind through the courts, Murray, Robinson and their allies crisscrossed Vermont. Murray described a typical trip: Toting a “very amateur 18-minute video” of gay Vermonters talking about their lives, she and Robinson would drive to Putney, talk to eight Quakers, then get in the car at 10:30 p.m. and drive two hours home to Addison County, running on convenience-store crackers and Pixy Stix.

They talked about how people could lose their house after the death of a partner. One woman’s life savings were nearly wiped out when she and her partner split up because she had invested in shared property but her name was not on the deed. But adding a name to a deed meant paying a property transfer tax, which is not levied on property transferred to a spouse. If an employer o ered domestic partner benefits, the partner’s benefits were taxed as income. Social Security and pension benefits? Widowed partners were entitled to those only if they had been married to the deceased. Murray and Robinson could draw up legal documents to help protect couples, but no amount of lawyering could cover everything. At that time,

A historic marker in Montpelier commemorating the civil unions law

Beth Robinson, Mary Bonauto and Susan Murray circa 2000

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Bonnie Collins

Program Coordinator & Executive Administrative Assistant, Vermont Program for Quality in Health Care, Montpelier

the institution of marriage provided 1,049 federal rights and protections. (There are now 1,138.)

Before filing the lawsuit, the two women asked lawmakers and the governor to let the case play out and not commit to a law or a constitutional amendment that might impede its success.

“We signaled to them that we thought we had a good chance of achieving this in court,” Robinson said. The lawyers assured the politicians that they would not be asked to pass a law allowing same-sex couples to marry. “This is a promise that came back to haunt us later,” she said.

Robinson had joined Langrock Sperry & Wool in 1993, four years after graduating from law school. Murray, an attorney there who was seven years older, quickly became a mentor and friend.

In late 1996, she and Murray were ready to move forward with the lawsuit. By that time, Vermont allowed same-sex couples to adopt. Each partner in a gay or lesbian couple could be legally connected to a child. It was time to complete the triangle and connect the partners to each other.

Mary Bonauto, an attorney at Bostonbased GLAD Law — GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders — and a leader in the national marriage equality movement, served as cocounsel. “Mary gave Beth and I some street cred … with the national legal groups,” Murray said in a documentary about the case, The State of Marriage . “There were a lot of people from outside

It wasn’t just a little Vermont lawsuit. It was the little pebble that got kicked down the hill and then started the avalanche.

SUSAN MURRAY

of Vermont that wanted to try to control this case. And Mary said, ‘No … This is a Vermont case. These are Vermont lawyers. This is going to be a Vermont matter.”

In July 1997, Robinson and Murray filed their case. It was dismissed, and they appealed to the Vermont Supreme Court. By then, the three lawyers had clearly defined their roles. Bonauto served as the liaison with national gay and lesbian rights attorneys; Murray handled the logistics to prepare the high court for crowds of spectators and reporters and took notes; and Robinson argued the case.

Then they waited. The Baker decision came on a Monday morning, December 20, 1999. The plaintiffs had won — sort of. The court ruled that barring the three couples from marriage was unconstitutional but left the remedy to state legislators.

“I was pretty happy, and Beth was pretty devastated,” Murray said. “I was of the opinion that we were finally on the bus, even if we were on the back of the bus, and she was outraged that we had to sit in the back.”

When the civil unions law passed, giving gay and lesbian couples marriage benefits without giving them marriage, Robinson said, “I know what I’m going to be doing for the next 10 years.” She continued to advocate for marriage equality, which became law in Vermont in 2009. Robinson, now 60, served 10 years on the Vermont Supreme Court and is a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Murray, 67, was less active, but not absent, from the push for marriage. She had been focused on gay rights for a long time and wanted to return to the rest of her legal practice, she said. She retired in 2023.

Although they advocated for their clients, the two attorneys personally benefited from the laws they helped pass. Each is married to her longtime, same-sex partner.

While working on the Baker case, Murray “was in a bubble,” almost unaware of its national implications, she said recently. Four days after the civil unions bill was signed, she, Robinson and some of the plaintiffs appeared before cheering throngs at the Millennium March for Equality in Washington, D.C. It was then that Murray realized the magnitude of what they had accomplished.

“It wasn’t just a little Vermont lawsuit,” she said. “It was the little pebble that got kicked down the hill and then started the avalanche.”

Beth Robinson

A photo taken by Toby Talbot of Sherry Corbin, Beth Robinson and Susan Murray reacting to the passage of the gay marriage bill

From This Day Forward

The Plaintiffs

When lawyers asked Holly Puterbaugh and Lois Farnham to consider joining a lawsuit to win gay marriage, “They told us all the worst possible things that could happen,” Puterbaugh said. “We could be assassinated. We could have gunshots through the house.” Their cars might be vandalized, their house set on fire.

“They tried to paint a bleak picture because they wanted us to understand what we were up against,” Farnham said.

Still, the couple said yes. “Because we thought that it was time that we spoke up,” Farnham said. Farnham, then 52, and Puterbaugh, 51, lived in Milton and had been committed to each other for 25 years. They hadn’t participated in the campaign to win health insurance benefits for domestic partners at the University of Vermont, though they took advantage of it because Puterbaugh was a math professor there. So, she said, “It was time that we did our share.”

The suit was filed in July 1997. Two other couples were plaintiffs, as well: Stan Baker and Peter Harrigan of Shelburne and Stacey Jolles and Nina Beck of South Burlington. All had secure employment, though Farnham, a registered nurse, was between jobs at the time. Most felt supported by their families.

Baker, then a 51-year-old psychotherapist, and Harrigan, a 35-year-old theater professor at Saint Michael’s College, had been together for about three years. Jolles, then 39 and the state’s director of juvenile justice, and Beck, a 41-year-old physical therapist, had had a Jewish wedding in California five years earlier, even though they knew the state didn’t recognize it.

Between them, they had seen gay and lesbian people lose their children, lose jobs, and get evicted from apartments, expelled from college or physically assaulted.

Beck and Jolles had felt the sting of being treated differently than married couples when their first child was born. As Beck was being wheeled in for an emergency Caesarean section surgery, Jolles was stopped and asked to prove that she held a medical power of attorney. That was the only way she could accompany Jolles and make decisions, if needed, about her care.

While Beck and Jolles considered themselves “out, loud and proud,” Puterbaugh and Farnham were more private about their relationship. Joining the lawsuit and facing the glare of cameras for the next three years “was definitely a coming out,” Puterbaugh said. Farnham was the only native Vermonter among the six plaintiffs. As the lawsuit progressed, the couple were among many who traveled the state to talk to clubs, church groups

We thought it was time that we spoke up.

LOIS FARNHAM

and fairgoers about their lives. At one stop, Farnham encountered hometown faces at Rutland High School, her alma mater. Those appearances, which started before the lawsuit was filed, proved to be a successful “tell your story” strategy, Baker said. Gay couples talked about their relationships and how they met, then asked members of their audience about their lives and how they met. “It was much easier to say, ‘I hate fags’ or some version of that than to say, ‘I hate Peter and Stan,’” Baker said.

Stan and Peter in 2017

Peter Harrigan and Stan Baker during their civil union ceremony in 2000 PHOTOS:

Lois Farnham and Holly Puterbaugh

Lois and Holly

Hear from some of the people featured in this story at a panel discussion about the Baker case on Friday, April 25, 3 p.m., at Middlebury College’s Davis Family Library.

Although straight and gay couples learned the many ways in which they were similar, Puterbaugh pointed out a big difference. Heterosexual couples “got married and had a big party,” she said. “We went to the lawyers and spent the same amount of money — but on legal papers to get all of the same rights that you got with that party.”

None of the worst things Puterbaugh and Farnham were warned about came to pass. Farnham had trouble finding a job, and when she became supervisor of the nurses in Essex Junction elementary schools, some parents pulled their children out of the health class she taught. Other supporters of marriage equality got death threats. The Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church posted photos of Baker and Harrigan online next to the headline, “Filthy face of Vermont fag evil!”

Beck and Jolles were personally contacted just once. “Somebody sent us a letter saying they were going to pray for us. And I’m down with that,” Jolles said.

When the Vermont House Judiciary Committee announced it would propose a parallel institution called civil unions, the three couples met to decide whether they should support a bill that didn’t grant marriage. Puterbaugh recalled lobbyist Steve Kimbell telling them that he thought civil unions were the best they would get. “And we all sort of came to a consensus of, Yes, we will settle. It doesn’t mean we’ll quit,” she recalled.

“For me, personally,” Harrigan said, “it

was really important to feel like we could walk away with something tangible that could improve other people’s lives.”

The day the law passed, “I felt like we lost,” Jolles said. “Separate and unequal was the law that they wrote.”

All three couples were united in civil unions and later married, after Vermont made it legal in 2009. All are still together. They all expressed concern about a possible challenge to the federal recognition of same-sex marriage, especially in light of President Trump’s reelection.

Losing the right to marry 28 years after they sued for it would not surprise Beck and Jolles. “We’ve always wondered how long this lovely bubble we were living in was gonna last,” Beck said. “We never imagined we’d even get as far as we did.”

Stacey Jolles, Nina Beck and son Seth in 2002

The Gay Lawmaker

The Vermont House of Representatives had been debating the civil unions bill for nearly eight hours when House Judiciary chair Tom Little walked over to representative Bill Lippert and said, “It’s time.”

The 148 members in the chamber that day, March 15, 2000, had listened to strong opinions on both sides of the issue.

The bill would legalize sodomy, tear down traditional marriage and subject Vermont to the wrath of almighty God, according to Derby Republican Nancy Sheltra. Establishing civil unions, St. Albans Town Democrat George Allard warned, “will mark the beginning of the end of life in Vermont as I have known and loved for the past 56 years.”

Windham Democrat Carolyn Partridge countered the common argument that sexual orientation is a choice, telling the House, “I don’t ever recall deciding to be heterosexual.” Montpelier Democrat Francis Brooks implored his colleagues, “Please consider the human being that you have decided to a place a stigma on.”

Five proposals to change the bill, send the issue to voters or ask them to consider

calling for a constitutional convention had all failed.

The vote was approaching and the chamber was packed with spectators when Lippert, the only openly gay lawmaker, rose to speak.

“I think it’s important to put a face on this,” he said. The room fell silent. The Hinesburg Democrat was vice chair of the Judiciary Committee, which had written the bill. A psychotherapist and son of an evangelical minister, he spoke in a calm, deliberate, resonant voice.

“I’ve had the privilege of developing a deep, devoted, loving, caring relationship with another man,” he said. “I think it’s very important as we listen, as we debate, as we make decisions, that you understand what the reality is about gay and lesbian people, gay and lesbian couples … Our lives, in the midst of historic prejudice and historic discrimination, are, to my view, in some ways miracles. Think what kind of relationship you would try to establish, how successful it would be to find [a] loving, committed partner in an environment where you have been barraged on a daily basis from birth saying you are sinful,

unions debate. Lippert, now 75, calls it “an enormous opportunity … to say what was true about us as gay and lesbian people.” He had scribbled notes throughout the day, but he had not written the speech. “It was like walking out on a tightrope without a pole,” he said. “I was both nervous and deeply calm.”

The tension was heightened by the fact that much was riding on his words. The Judiciary Committee had brought the bill to the House floor without knowing if it had the votes to pass the measure.

“You don’t take a bill to the floor without knowing you have extra votes,” Lippert said recently. “The general understanding is you lose votes on the floor in a debate; you don’t gain votes.” But the committee had set itself a deadline. It was determined to get the bill to the Senate in time for approval before the session adjourned.

Shortly after he was appointed to the legislature in 1994, Lippert had sought a seat on the Judiciary Committee, knowing that if gay rights legislation were proposed, that’s where it would be assigned.

“There’s an old saying that if you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu,” he said. “I would never, ever have dreamed anything of such consequence as marriage equality would be coming down the pike.”

you are wrong, something fundamentally flawed in your nature.”

The goodness of gay and lesbian couples “is a triumph against discrimination and prejudice,” he said, not a threat. Gay people had cared for each other

I was the only one who could put a face on it.

BILL LIPPERT

throughout the AIDS epidemic, “holding each other, sometimes as death has arrived,” Lippert said. “Don’t tell me about what a committed relationship is and isn’t … There is no love and no commitment any greater than what I’ve seen and what I know.”

Passing the civil unions bill would not end hate and discrimination, he continued, but it would grant rights: “They’re rights that I don’t have right now and most everyone else in this chamber does.”

The 11-minute speech is widely regarded as a pivotal moment in the civil

When it did, Lippert wanted to give gay and lesbian couples the right to marry — not some substitute he considered lesser. “It’s the status of marriage that also carries profound implications … Would you trade in your marriage for a civil union?” But he could count votes: “There was no way we were going to get the votes to pass marriage.”

Advocates and opponents crowded the Statehouse during the 10 weeks the committee took testimony and drafted the bill. A group of ministers from Texas dressed in black flanked the hall and quoted Bible verses as lawmakers passed. Randall Terry, founder of anti-abortion group Operation Rescue, was a regular presence.

Lippert would be navigating the crowds “and suddenly I hear this voice behind me saying, ‘Rep. Lippert, Judgment Day is coming. Judgment Day is coming.’ And I’d look around, and it was Randall Terry. And he’d fade back into the crowd.”

Lippert and others strove to explain that marriage is both a civil institution under state law and a religious institution, and the proposed law would require nothing from churches. The distinction did little to turn down the heat.

He recalls sitting at home, opening a letter from out of state. “And it was a death threat from the Aryan Nations calling me all kinds of disgusting things and saying, ‘We are going to kill you, and

Bill Lippert

this is how we’re going to do it, and you are never going to know when it’s going to happen.’”

As soon as Lippert finished his speech on the House floor, Craftsbury Republican Robert Kinsey leapt to his feet. “Mr. Speaker!” he said. “I just heard the greatest speech I’ve heard in 30 years. And that’s why I’m glad to be a friend of the member from Hinesburg, and that’s why I’m glad to be on his side.”

It was after 9 p.m., nearly 13 hours since the House had convened, when speaker Michael Obuchowski called for a vote. One by one, names were called. Lippert marked the ayes and nays on a tally sheet, but he did not believe the result until he heard Obuchowski announce it from the podium: “Those voting yes, 79. Those voting no, 68.” Cheering erupted inside and outside the Statehouse, where supporters held a candlelight vigil. Obuchowski banged his gavel so hard that the head flew into the seats.

The bill still needed to win the House’s final approval the next day, but Lippert knew then that victory was possible.

Eight months later, the civil unions issue dominated the 2000 legislative elections. More than a dozen lawmakers were voted out for supporting it, but Lippert retained his seat and went on to

serve for 28 years. He chaired the Judiciary Committee when the panel wrote Vermont’s marriage equality law, which passed in 2009. Lippert and his partner, Enrique Peredo Jr., who had joined in a civil union, married that year. They have been partners for 36 years.

Lippert went on to chair the House Health Care Committee, where he was instrumental in the state’s pandemic response. Throughout his legislative career, he led advances in bias-free policing, mental health and drug-abuse care, gender identity nondiscrimination, and restorative justice. But he remains best known for his work to win marriage equality.

The most important aspect of the civil unions story, Lippert said, is the courage of his colleagues who voted yes knowing it could cost them their legislative careers. Marion Milne was one of them.

During the debate before the bill’s final passage, the Washington Republican told her colleagues, “I will not be silenced by hatred and intolerance. And if I am measured only by this vote in my entire public life, I will have served the best interests of the people of Vermont by casting it.”

Milne’s words stand, framed, on a bookshelf in Lippert’s living room.

Tom Little, Bill Lippert and Enrique Peredo Jr.

A Voice Against

Shortly after voting against civil unions, Republican representative Philip Winters rose to address his colleagues on the House floor. In six years of service, he never before had felt compelled to explain his vote. This time was different.

“Mr. Speaker, I have spent over 60 years in this state, and I hope my grandchildren will be raised here. But, Mr. Speaker, it saddens me to think that they may be raised in a state that considers homosexuality as moral and normal.”

The lifelong Williamstown resident is 88 years old now. In June, he and his wife, Yvonne, will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary. He continues to believe that Vermont should not sanction same-sex unions and stands by his vote.

“My feeling was that if two men wanted to live together and have a life together or two women wanted to do the same, that that was fine with me,” he said recently. “But what got me was, to me, marriage was a sacred — and still is — a sacred union between a man and a woman, which can produce an offspring, a child. And I just felt that marriage was for a man and a woman.”

The civil unions bill stated that marriage was reserved for opposite-sex couples, but Winters said he believed that creating a parallel institution would lead to marriage, which it did.

Winters, the fourth of five children, grew up on a farm with “hardworking, honest” parents, he said. They were not a churchgoing family, though that changed for him when he married Yvonne, “a

devout Catholic girl,” he added. The U.S. Army veteran and retired dairy farmer is a justice of the peace and Williamstown trustee of public funds. He has served the town as a lister, school director and member of the selectboard.

Winters’ central Vermont House district included six towns, three he considered conservative

I just felt that marriage was for a man and a woman.

PHILIP WINTERS

— Williamstown, Chelsea and Orange — and three that were more liberal: Vershire, Corinth and Tunbridge. The majority of voters apparently supported his civil unions vote. Winters represented Williamstown in the House until he chose not to run again in 2014.

“In my 20 years down there, I felt that I had to come home feeling good

about my vote,” he said. “And that vote, I felt that I had done what was right in my mind.”

He and Yvonne have three children and three grandchildren, two of whom live in Vermont. Asked if he has seen changes come to the state as a result of the civil unions and marriage laws, Winters said, “No, I don’t think so.”

A Rep Who Lost His Seat

John Edwards needed a quiet place to think. For weeks, he and the other 10 members of the House Judiciary Committee had been hearing testimony about gay marriage.

The 57-year-old retired state trooper from Swanton had run for the legislature to bolster criminal laws, tighten DUI statutes, support farmers, curb spending and get the Missisquoi Bay Bridge replaced. Those issues got him elected in 1994. He went to Montpelier, committed to working across the aisle, and he brought one of his policing practices with him: Get to know people. Problems are a lot easier to solve over coffee and a doughnut. He’d been easily reelected twice.

But gay marriage? Edwards hadn’t given the subject any thought. He was a Republican and a practicing Catholic who had grown up on a dairy farm in Rockingham and spent three years in the U.S. Navy before starting his career with the Vermont State Police. He had served on school and nonprofit boards. He truly enjoyed the legislature, and he wanted to stay.

Then came the December 20, 1999, bombshell from the Vermont Supreme Court: Excluding gay couples from marriage violates the state constitution. Fix it — or we will. Merry Christmas.

When the legislature reconvened in January, Judiciary Committee chair Tom Little asked members to listen and learn before making decisions. The testimony they heard was eye-opening, heated and heart-wrenching.

Allow gay marriage, and the state will go to hell — and the country will follow, some clergy members warned. A man shall not lie with a man; it says so in the Bible. Parents took a seat at the committee room’s large conference table and recounted their gay children’s struggles. Gay people talked about not being allowed to participate in medical decisions for their partners in the hospital.

The bitter division spilled into Statehouse hallways and mailboxes and onto legislators’ home answering machines. A Highgate woman whom Edwards knew called him nearly every week to tell him how wrong it would be to legalize gay partnerships.

“I was so torn,” Edwards said recently. He’s 82 years old now and says not a day goes by that he doesn’t think about that time. Weeks into the work, when the committee broke for lunch one day,

Edwards sought out a place to think. He needed to decide.

On the second floor of the building’s west wing, he stepped into the Cedar Creek room, where a 10-by-20-foot mural depicts the Vermont 8th Infantry fighting in the Civil War Battle of Cedar Creek in Virginia. Nearly three-quarters of the Vermont soldiers died.

Another difficult era was on his mind. Edwards took a seat in the corner and

The House had passed the bill and the Senate Judiciary Committee was weighing the measure when Edwards joined other legislators at a public meeting in St. Albans in mid-April. It was a chaotic and boisterous scene, with civil union opponents heckling the speakers.

The Saint Albans Messenger quoted Edwards calling the raucous meeting a “missed opportunity” for people to learn more about the bill from legislators. That

When I got up, I had made my decision, and the angst about what I was doing was lifted.

JOHN EDWARDS

pondered an account he’d recently read of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and ’60s. It was full of the invectives hurled at Black people, Edwards recalled. He considered the angry testimony he had been hearing. “And if you took out the word ‘nigger’ and put in ‘gay,’ it was essentially the same thing,” he said.

“When I got up, I had made my decision, and the angst about what I was doing was lifted,” he said. No matter the consequences, “I said, I’m going to support civil unions.”

prompted a letter to the editor from smallbusiness owner John Winters.

“Who does Rep. John Edwards think he is, when he says he missed an opportunity to educate us?” Winters wrote. “I think John will get his education if he dares run again in November … Bill Lippert, the only openly homosexual member of the legislature, was frightened. Hopefully he was frightened enough to go back in the closet and take the rest of his kind with him.”

That fall, Winters, who is not related to

Philip Winters, challenged Edwards in the Republican House primary.

Edwards campaigned door-to-door, as he always had. Previously, people were more inclined to ask him about his kids than the issues, he said. This time, his support for civil unions squelched small talk. “I had some doors just slammed in my face,” Edwards said. One man greeted him with, “Oh, you’re the faggot lover.”

A few supporters remained, including “this little old French lady” who grabbed his hand in church and said, “John, give ’em hell.”

Winters trounced Edwards in the primary and won one of the district’s two seats in November.

Edwards said he has no regrets. Casting a vote for civil unions was “one of the best things I ever did in my life,” he said. He lost friends because of it “at least temporarily,” he said. “I kept telling people, ‘Nothing’s going to change. This doesn’t affect you’ And I’ve had people come up since and say, ‘You know, you were right. Nothing changed.’”

He holds no bitterness toward the people in his community, who have “been so good to me over the years,” he said. “They couldn’t wrap their arms around that issue.”

John Edwards

Job of the Week

Signs of the Times

the heart of the sentiment is repealing civil unions,” he wrote.

Front Office Manager

Three words came to summarize the opposition to Vermont’s civil unions law: Take Back Vermont. The phrase began popping up in house windows, along roads and tacked to trees even before governor Howard Dean had signed the bill into law. After Carol Appleton’s sign was stolen, she painted the words in giant letters on her roadside barn in Topsham, where they remain 25 years later.

Fast paced construction office is looking for someone to oversee data entry, accounts payable, payroll, and Human Resources.

Appleton said the campaign expressed aggravation with laws, not people. “It was never targeted at individuals,” she said, and it is a message she believes Montpelier still needs to hear. Taxes are too high, she said. Onerous regulations dissuade small businesses from opening while “these humongous, mega ones, they can sit things out, and they’ve got the lawyers and whatever else to put things through,” Appleton said. Out-of-state lobbyists exert undue influence, she continued: “People want to have their voice heard.”

This is a full-time position with flexible hours and generous benefits in a dog-friendly office. QuickBooks and QuickBooks Time experience is preferred. Human Resources background is a plus. Willing to train the right person.

Legislators had not listened to their constituents, she said this month, and that was the message she intended to send. On Town Meeting Day in 2000, 50 towns put the same-sex marriage question to voters in nonbinding referendums; it failed in all 50. Only 11 approved domestic partnerships. Still, Appleton said, lawmakers “went ahead and put it through.” The move ignited the frustration that had been escalating

Appleton moved to Vermont in 1980. She lives on the farm where she and her late husband once milked about 45 cows. She homeschooled their five children because she didn’t want to entrust them to people whose values might not have

chris@redhousebuilding.com

The Scoop on Red House Building

Chris Quinn, General Manager

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over land-use laws, logging regulations and statewide education funding, and voters vented in black capital letters: “Take Back Vermont.”

“It was a not a one-issue thing,” Appleton said.

Washington dairy farmer Dick Lambert, who came up with the idea for the signs, told the New York Times in September 2000 that he had sold more than 4,000 at $5 apiece. Many buyers also opposed the state’s decision to provide a $12,000 grant to Outright Vermont, a nonprofit that supports LGBTQ youths. “We’re tolerant but they’ve got to see,’’ Lambert told the newspaper. “We don’t go into their bedroom and tell them what to do, but don’t shove it down our throats.’’

Chris Graff, then Montpelier bureau chief of the Associated Press, acknowledged in a 2000 column that some said the rallying cry was a demand for a responsive legislature. “But there is no doubt that at

aligned with her own. Her eldest had attended kindergarten and first grade in a public school, where she had apparently learned lessons that clashed with the family’s farming practices. The child became alarmed when she saw relatives clearing land for pasture. “She starts bawling and screaming, ‘You’re killing trees! You’re killing trees!’ It’s like, Where’s this coming from?” Appleton recalled.

Appleton opposed changing the definition of marriage, she said, and by enacting the civil unions law to establish a parallel institution, “you’re kind of, like, changing the definition to what everybody would look at as a marriage … You’re going to be telling my kid this is the way it is.”

CAROL APPLETON

Carol Appleton's barn in 2002

Former Lawmaker Has Regrets

Jason Barney considers himself a history teacher on the wrong side of history.

Upon his induction into the Missisquoi Valley Union High School alumni Hall of Fame last fall, the author and award-winning educator apologized to his colleagues for voting against civil unions when he was a Vermont state representative.

Addressing students, faculty and family members at the ceremony, “I said I had a chance to vote a specific way back when civil unions passed, and I voted the wrong way,” Barney recalled in an interview last week. “And if I’m going to go on the Hall of Fame wall, I want to make sure that I’m at least doing something small to apologize for a vote that never should have happened.”

When he was elected to represent Franklin and Highgate as a Republican in 1996, Barney was 21 years old, “very conservative,” he said, and the youngest member of the Vermont House. “I voted to make sure that I would have the best chance of returning to Montpelier,” he said. He fully expected to lose his seat if he supported civil unions: “I could see the writing on the wall.”

The majority of his constituents who had called or emailed him about the issue had asked him to vote no, so he could perhaps justify his vote, he said. “But, you know, I also have a conscience.” Personally, he didn’t see anything wrong with a legally binding commitment between two people of the same sex. Republican party leaders Walt Freed and John LaBarge did not pressure him to oppose civil unions, Barney said.

“They were totally honorable about it, and from the start, they urged members to vote their conscience.”

Barney was reelected in November 2000 and decided not to run in 2002. He has taught history at his Swanton alma mater for 22 years. Known for getting students out of the classroom to visit area museums and historical societ -

JASON BARNEY

ies, he’s often greeted in the halls by students asking, “Where are we going today?”

In 2023, Barney won the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History’s Vermont History Teacher of the Year award. He’s been honored as Missisquoi Valley teacher of the year in 2021, VFW local teacher of the year in 2020 and Victor R. Swenson Humanities Educator in 2019. He has written four books about Vermont history, and a fifth is forthcoming.

The topic of marriage equality “is so normal now” that it rarely comes up in the Vermont history class he teaches, he said. When it does, he tells students about the role he played.

After voting against civil unions, he said recently, “I felt guilty about it, I felt awful about it, and it’s a vote that I’ve regretted for 25 years.”

Jason Barney

Coming Soon

CityPlace Burlington Is Now Burlington Square — and Almost Ready to Open

BY 7D BRAND STUDIO

If you haven’t been to Burlington lately, you might be surprised to discover that a gleaming new 11-story building has sprung up on Bank Street, just steps away from Henry’s Diner and the Farmhouse Tap & Grill.

Inside, contractors are putting the finishing touches on 12,000 square feet of first-floor retail space and a second floor that will include the main lobby of a Marriott AC Hotel, as well as extended-stay rooms, conference rooms, a bar/lounge/dining area and a fitness center; guest accommodations will occupy floors three through seven.

Floors eight through 11 house 53 luxury apartments with breathtaking views of the city. All of them come with a balcony or terrace.

This LEED Gold-certiﬁed project — known as the South Building — is just the ﬁrst step of a larger development that will reconnect St. Paul and Pine streets and bring hundreds of new residents downtown. It sits on land once occupied by the Burlington Square Mall, where “the pit” used to be.

More than a decade ago, real estate developer Don Sinex announced a plan to tear down the old mall and replace it with a complex that became known as CityPlace Burlington.

The mall is long gone. So is Sinex. The project’s local owners — Dave Farrington Jr. of Farrington Construction; Al Senecal of Omega Electric; and Scott Ireland of S.D. Ireland — and their partner Giri Hotel Management have decided to give this complex a new name: Burlington Square.

It serves as a link to the site’s past and a vision of the bustling city center to come.

BANK ST. APARTMENTS AT BURLINGTON SQUARE

Farrington frequently takes visitors on tours of the nearly ﬁnished Bank Street building, the largest project he’s ever managed, which is taking shape with a full crew of folks representing all of the partners. Each tour involves a trip to the top on an outdoor lift that protrudes from the back wall. That’s how all the construction materials go up, too.

On one such outing in late March, Farrington explained that the floors were being outfitted from the top down. The upper floors had cabinetry, door frames, Sheetrock and bathroom fixtures already installed. Different crews of skilled construction workers handled different jobs, he said.

Artist rendering of Burlington Square

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CAMERON MINCAR

You could tell which group was active on which ﬂoor by the music they listened to — Spanish pop songs on one level, country music on the ﬂoor below.

In a one-bedroom overlooking the city’s South End, Farrington noted that each apartment has its own all-electric, high-eﬃciency heating and cooling unit that includes energy recovery from both the exhaust and fresh air.

THE NEW NAME IS A LINK TO ITS PAST AND A VISION OF THE BUSTLING CITY CENTER TO COME.

Residents will have access to a second-floor fitness center shared with hotel guests. Smart elevators will identify residents and allow them to access the floors above the hotel — including the 11th-floor lounge. When they arrive at their apartments, they’ll be able to lock and unlock their doors using their phones.

The complex is expected to open in July 2025.

THE NORTH BUILDING

Behind the Bank St. Apartments and Marriott AC Hotel at Burlington Square, another, larger building is taking shape on Cherry Street — the North Building. Workers from S.D. Ireland have already poured the foundation and the structural steelwork has begun.

The $120 million, L-shaped complex will contain 320 apartments, a Cambria hotel, and more retail and/or oﬃce space. The elevator shafts have already sprouted on the site. Now, the steel skeleton is being erected with the help of massive cranes that are currently the tallest structures in town.

To ﬁnish the frame, Farrington estimated that the site will receive eight to 10 tractor-trailer loads of steel each week from now until Labor Day. “If we have a rainy summer, it might add a couple weeks,” he said.

Already the girders tower over the Cherry Street sidewalk and Burlington High School in the old Macy’s.

Between the Bank Street and Cherry Street buildings, the plans call for a three-story parking garage, which will connect with Bank Street. The project also includes complicated street reconnection work that’s under way, part of which involves putting a road beneath the building at 100 Bank Street, where the entrance to the mall garage used to be.

SEEING THE FUTURE

Can’t quite imagine it yet? Farrington can.

He talks about the construction plans as if they’re already completed in his mind. He sees sidewalks poured on Bank Street that leave room for seating at outdoor eateries, including Jitters Café, a new business whose three owners were roommates at the University of Vermont. He sees connections for light posts and EV chargers.

“This stretch of road on Bank Street will be built to the ‘Great Streets’ design, similar to the work done on St. Paul Street and City Hall Park over the last few years,” Farrington said. A wide concrete sidewalk and a line of pavers will be followed by a planter line for the trees, with stormwater recapture areas.

It’s an inviting vision that is tantalizingly close at hand.

“We’re almost there,” Farrington said. 

COMMISSIONED AND PAID FOR BY

food+drink

Everything but the Booze

Switchback Brewing joins the growing nonalcoholic beer world

BY JORDAN BARRY jbarry@sevendaysvt.com

Idon’t have a hard rule about drinking on the job — after all, it’s a food writer’s obligation to taste everything. Still, I don’t often sip a beer while I’m interviewing someone. It was a different situation when managing partner Josh Weber cracked open a classic blue can at Switchback’s Beer Garden & Tap House a couple of weeks ago. Sure, it’s a brewery, and we were talking about beer. But the ale he poured was booze-free.

The employee-owned brewery in Burlington’s South End released its ﬁrst nonalcoholic beer — made with the same recipe as its ﬂagship Switchback Ale — on February 28. With Switchback N.A., the company joined an exploding market across the country, but one that Vermont’s small breweries have been slow to enter due to the cost and logistics of production. As many Vermonters consider the health implications of booze and move toward drinking less (or not at all), Switchback has found an unusual way to hop on the temperance trend — one that actually tastes good.

Nonalcoholic beer isn’t new — O’Doul’s has been around since 1990 — but it long had a reputation for being

FOOD LOVER?

kinda gross, and it was a macrobrewery’s game. Today, most major beer companies have an o ering under the 0.5 percent alcohol threshold that’s considered “nonalcoholic” in the U.S., including Budweiser Zero, Corona Non-Alcoholic and Guinness 0.

But Connecticut’s Athletic Brewing, which launched in 2017, has done a better job of pouring what Vermonters typically drink, with its N.A. IPAs and other styles that reﬂect the variety available at local microbreweries.

nonalcoholic beer is Athletic’s Run Wild ﬂagship IPA, which in the past year has sold a little more than 400 cases (both six- and 12-packs), Gelsomino said. In comparison, the Bevvie’s most popular beer, the Alchemist’s Heady Topper, sold just under 1,000 cases, he added.

IT FEELS LIKE THE CRAFT BEER MARKET IN THE ’90S.

BILL CHERRY

“The craft beer movement was really at its height, and Athletic latched on to that,” said Marc Gelsomino, beer and wine manager at Winooski’s Beverage Warehouse.

Nonalcoholic beverages as a whole are “one of the only categories still seeing steady growth,” he said, though “it’s pretty straightforward to show growth from zero.” He expects sales might plateau in a year or two.

Beverage Warehouse’s best-selling

In a fiercely local beer market, it might seem weird that a Connecticut biz comes out on top for nonalcoholic options. But Rescue Club Brewing has been the only non-alc beer brand from a Vermont brewery since its launch by Burlington’s Zero Gravity Craft Brewery in January 2021, Gelsomino said — though beer-adjacent alternatives such as hop water (a hops-infused seltzer) are more plentiful.

Unlike regular breweries, where the grain-to-glass process and shiny equipment are often on display and touted on tours, nonalcoholic beer producers tend to shroud their work in mystery. Phrases such as “proprietary technique” and “no

one else in the whole world knows” dot the Rescue Club website, for example.

Finding the right process is part of what took the Switchback team so long to launch its nonalcoholic beer, cofounder and president Bill Cherry said. He spent the past ﬁve years digging into it.

Most nonalcoholic beer on the market is made in one of three ways, Cherry explained: by not producing any alcohol in the ﬁrst place, by distilling out the alcohol, or by pushing out the alcohol through reverse osmosis. Each option has its ﬂaws.

The first — which Athletic uses, Cherry said — leaves residual sugar that preserves ﬂavor but prevents the product from being totally crisp and clean. With the second method, the heating required for distillation zaps that ﬂavor. The third approach, reverse osmosis, is a cold process, but it can thin the beer.

The last two options require specialized equipment, and whichever process a brewery chooses, it needs a pasteurizer, too. (Alcohol is a preservative; without it, brews need to be pasteurized to be shelf-stable.)

“To do it the way I would insist on doing it, you’re investing huge amounts of money on something that you have no idea if anybody’s interested in,” Cherry said. When he tasted the nonalcoholic version of Black Butte Porter from Bend, Ore.’s Deschutes Brewing at a conference last year, he ﬁnally found something that met his standards. He also met the folks at Sustainable Beverage Technologies, whose BrewVo NA process is used to create the N.A. porter.

The Colorado company’s “nested fermentation” technology is as proprietary as it gets. Cherry has signed a nondisclosure agreement and declined to explain its details, other than that it starts with reverse osmosis but “accommodates the negatives” with a “magic part” that reintroduces beer character that’s usually stripped out.

Rather than just selling its BrewVo NA technology — which would come with a multimillion-dollar price tag — Sustainable Beverage set up a program that allows small breweries to use its facilities to develop and produce their products. Cherry ﬂew out to its Colorado headquarters to oversee a test batch, working with its team to make small

La Reprise to Replace Dedalus Wine Shop, Market & Wine Bar

ARI SADRI, a former general manager for the Dedalus Wine Shop group, plans to open LA REPRISE in Dedalus’ Burlington location at 388 Pine Street by the end of May. Like its predecessor — which Sadri, 58, managed for its final months before it closed abruptly in October after seven years — La Reprise will include a wine store with a small specialty food selection and a wine bar with a full kitchen. Sadri said he plans to launch the retail operation first and then open the wine bar, including the wine garden in front of the building.

Before running Dedalus in Burlington, Sadri managed the group’s Stowe location for three months. That store also closed in October. The fall closures marked the end of the group, which had peaked with three stores in Vermont; one in Boulder, Colo.; and a sister business on Pine Street, Paradiso Hi-Fi.

Sadri said he does not plan on similar expansion for La Reprise. “My goal is to do one thing really well,” he said. “The basics of the business were really good: knowledgeable staff who offer excellent service, treat retail as an extension of hospitality and attach that to a fun wine bar situation.”

Sadri’s long career includes seven years as inn and hospitality director at SHELBURNE FARMS INN and 19 years at Warren’s the PITCHER INN, where he

worked his way up from breakfast server and part-time line cook to general manager. He is in the process of rehiring some key Burlington Dedalus employees, including chef BRIAN POPOV, market manager ELIJAH TAYLOR and wine bar manager ANTHONY SALTMARSH

In music, Sadri explained, the French word reprise means “a restatement of an original theme with embellishments and changes.” Accordingly, the physical space and overall concept of his business will recall its predecessor, while he puts his own stamp on aspects such as the wine selection.

At La Reprise, Sadri will offer what he described as balanced and wellmade classics from small, independent producers who craft wines “that speak of place.” He is working on a way to honor Dedalus gift cards and wine club memberships. Learn more on Instagram: @lareprisewines.

Melissa Pasanen

Vietnamese Pho Ly Opens in South Burlington

VIETNAMESE PHO LY, a family-owned restaurant, opened on Monday at 1210 Williston Road in South Burlington

CONNECT

technical adjustments to the recipe, which is identical to Switchback Ale’s neverbefore-shared recipe, down to the yeast.

“The process is still craft,” Cherry said.

As Deschutes did, the Switchback team opted to make a nonalcoholic version of a beloved staple, rather than creating something new for the N.A. market. Unfortunately, the only place on the East Coast that has a BrewVo NA setup for contract brewing is in Toronto. Switchback completed its first batch there under the wire, but it has a yearlong contract to produce nonalcoholic beer over the border, and the team is worried about tariffs, Cherry said.

“Right now, to get what we want, this is the only way to get it,” he said. If the demand is there, he added, he’s ready to make that multimillion-dollar investment for a BrewVo setup at Switchback.

So far, so good. Since its late-February release, Switchback N.A. has become the second-best-selling to-go beer at the brewery’s Flynn Avenue Beer Garden & Tap House, Weber said. It sold 85 six-packs in March.

“As soon as we announced it online, people started emailing and calling to see where they could get it,” marketing manager Abbe Carroll said.

Calling isn’t entirely necessary: The brewery has a handy beer finder on its website now, unlike when it first launched bottles to much excitement in 2012.

Still, “it’s feeling like the old times of Switchback,” said Amy Lieblein, who works in marketing and events for the brewery.

“It feels like the craft beer market in the ’90s,” Cherry added. “You know when you put your product out, N.A. drinkers are going to try it. They walk up and say, ‘There’s a new one!’”

Sipping it at the Beer Garden, I immediately got the hype. It tasted like Switchback — a beer for which I have a strong nostalgic fondness, as someone who started drinking in Burlington basements almost 20 years ago. A keg of Switchback was a sign of a fancy party, and it’s what we ordered at restaurants when we were feeling particularly adult.

My cohort is now the target audience for Switchback N.A. I started drinking nonalcoholic beer when I was pregnant two years ago, pouring it into a glass when I was still hiding the news, then simply enjoying the communal act of sipping a beer at a party without the resulting buzz. I’ve continued drinking N.A. beers since then. Hangovers aren’t ever fun,

but they’re especially brutal when you’re awoken at 6 a.m. by a toddler screaming “BUS!” and demanding four different types of breakfast.

If I’m going to have a couple of drinks, I take the “zebra striping” approach, as coined in the UK: one boozy, one not, repeat. I’m not the only one following that strategy in my thirtysomething friend group. During a recent catch-up with a Brooklyn friend, she told me she’d gone out for drinks the night before: a gin martini, then an Athletic.

Similarly, for Switchback’s nonalcoholic release, “The timing just made sense for the brewery,” Lieblein said. “We ourselves have grown up, and we’re trying to find more

balance in our own lives.” Several staffers no longer drink, she added, and it’s been nice to have an option for them.

“Everyone has different reasons” for choosing Switchback N.A., Carroll said, noting that its customers are a 50-50 split of men and women, as well as a range of ages.

There’s no law in Vermont dictating an age minimum for who can buy nonalcoholic beer — it’s one of a handful of states that leaves it up to businesses, and there’s no federal law. Switchback has decided to keep its N.A. “an adult beverage,” Carroll said. The brewery will only sell it to ages 21 and up. Beverage Warehouse, which doesn’t

have an age minimum for nonalcoholic beer, sold 12 cases of Switchback N.A. in the first month and a half it was available ($10.99 for a six-pack), according to Gelsomino.

“It’s still early, but that’s a pretty strong number,” Gelsomino said. “We’ve had people call and ask for it, and we’ve had repeat buyers already.”

He credits the brewery’s strong reputation in the local market — it was long the top-selling draft beer at restaurants and bars, he said — and the fact that its unfiltered ale is “a little different” from other nonalcoholic beers, with more hoppiness and depth.

After my chat with the Switchback team at the Beer Garden, I left with a six-pack — and a 22-ounce bottle of Switchback Ale, for comparison. When I split a glass of each with my husband while watching a Champions League soccer game, the differences were a little easier to spot. Switchback N.A. had a floral aroma that gave it away. It was a good dupe, but side by side, it lacked a bit of the OG’s finishing punch.

Identical or not, it tastes good. If you’re not a fan of bitterness, you might even prefer the lighter finish. As we watched Arsenal batter Real Madrid, I found myself reaching for the nonalcoholic glass. The 3-0 score already had me buzzing. ➆

INFO

Brewing’s Beer Garden & Tap House, 160 Flynn Ave., Burlington, 651-4114, switchbackvt.com

Switchback

Josh Weber at Switchback’s Beer Garden & Tap House

FILE: DARIA BISHOP

Switchback Ale (left) and Switchback N.A.

Se ie Louise Crow

2018-2025

Bright Star in ese Dark Times

Sessie, our beloved dog, we will miss you dearly. You were always happy to be alive, and you were never in a bad mood. You were a great friend. We loved taking walks with you. ank you for being a bright star in these dark times. You were the best dog we ever had. You could get along with anyone you ever met. You were the perfect example of canine friendship.

— Your friend, Saval

Do you want to memorialize your pet in

— the former home of the Fish & Chip, which closed in October. LYNDSAY LY, 21, and her mother, LOAN LY, 55, co-own the new 50-seat restaurant, which is open daily for lunch and dinner.

The menu includes classic Vietnamese dishes such as pho and bun (noodle bowls), as well as barbecued meat with rice and bánh mì sandwiches. Lyndsay’s uncle ROBERT NGUYEN, 56, will run the kitchen with the help of Lyndsay’s father, LEN DANH, 58. Loan will be responsible for the sandwich menu.

The family previously operated 99 Asian Market and Restaurant on North Winooski Avenue in Burlington, where Lyndsay grew up helping out, she said. Nguyen said his culinary career began at Parima Thai Restaurant, one of Burlington’s early Southeast Asian dining destinations, which closed in 2011.

“My mom’s really been wanting to open a restaurant for a while,” Lyndsay said, noting that the family liked the location in front of Higher Ground for its abundant parking and drive-by traffic. They have refreshed the interior, painting the floor a bright swimming-pool blue. Learn more on Facebook.

Charlotte’s Old Lantern Barn to Change Hands

After almost 20 years of owning the OLD LANTERN INN AND BARN in Charlotte, LISA and ROLAND GAUJAC are under contract to sell the popular wedding and event venue to a group of local investors, led by operating partner SOLOMON BAYER-PACHT. The Gaujacs will continue to operate the Old Lantern Inn, a small bed-and-breakfast adjacent to the venue property on Greenbush Road.

Bayer-Pacht, who cofounded the FARMERS & FORAGERS food truck in 2015, will operate the 750-person barn as “a year-round space” with indoor and outdoor concerts and festivals, weekly winter food pop-ups in the lounge, and other community events, he said.

The Old Lantern will “go hand in hand” with his “separate but mutual” food truck biz, said Bayer-Pacht, who will open Farmers & Foragers’ Dockside

location at the Burlington Harbor Marina as usual on Memorial Day weekend.

“We looked at so many restaurant spaces” to fill the food truck’s off-season void, he continued, noting that he still might consider a restaurant in the future.

The Gaujacs have invested heavily in preserving the circa-1960 barn, including winning a lengthy legal battle with neighbors over noise. Charlotte’s BACKYARD BISTRO became the venue’s catering partner after Roland retired from his chef position three years ago. The restaurant will continue to play that role, Bayer-Pacht said, and there will be no changes to scheduled events.

“If I could have picked a buyer, this would have been everything I dreamed of,” Lisa said. “I’m so thrilled he’s going to take it to the next level.”

Jordan Barry

Moondog Tavern Takes Over Hinesburg Pub Spot

At the beginning of April, SYDNEY SLOAN and JACK BARRON assumed full ownership of the Hinesburg pub at 104 Ballards Corner Road and renamed it MOONDOG TAVERN. The 40-seat spot was the original location of DUMB LUCK PUB & GRILL, which Sloan, 29, co-owned with ED and PATRICIA BOLDWIN. The ownership trio opened a second location of Dumb Luck on Winooski’s Main Street in late fall, which the Boldwins continue to own and operate.

Sloan, who was previously a bartender and manager at Burlington’s RED SQUARE, owns and runs Moondog in partnership with Barron, 29. He worked for five years for the FOLINO’S PIZZA group as a cook and manager. He is the pub’s head cook, producing smash burgers, salads, wings (with flavors ranging from salt and vinegar to classic Buffalo) and hot sandwiches, such as a fried chicken sandwich on a pretzel bun.

Sloan said the couple want to “continue to make a good space for locals to hang out.”

The small pub offers weekly trivia on Tuesdays and draft beer specials and dollar wings on Thursdays. Events such as karaoke start this month, and summertime will bring live music. Learn more on Facebook.

M.P.

JORDAN BARRY

MELISSA PASANEN

From left: Lisa Gaujac, Solomon Bayer-Pacht and Roland Gaujac inside the Old Lantern Barn

Sydney Sloan and Jack Barron of Moondog Tavern

Lindsay Ly of Vietnamese Pho Ly

MELISSA PASANEN

Entrées & Exits: Thai Phat Moves and Four Local Restaurant Groups Expand

Burlington’s original Asian market, THAI PHAT, has moved across the street to 139143 North Champlain Street. HÀ NGUYỄN, who owns the store with her husband, ĐỨC TRẦN, said “everything is the same.” They moved, she said, because the building is in better shape than the market’s previous home. The North Champlain space was formerly Nunyuns Bakery & Café, which closed in May and now delivers baked goods to Burlington corner markets under the name

OAKES & EVELYN co-owner JUSTIN DAIN conﬁrmed that he and his wife, KRISTEN, will open a second location of their 4-year-old Montpelier restaurant in Woodstock inn the JACKSON (formerly the Jackson House Inn) in June.

The 15-room inn was sold to a trio of business partners in July. Jackson co-owner DAVE MACKAY said they sought an

experienced restaurateur to reopen the inn’s long-shuttered evening restaurant. Dain’s background working at HANOVER INN DARTMOUTH and the style of Oakes & Evelyn made him a perfect match, MacKay said. After renovations, Woodstock’s Oakes & Evelyn will open to the public with 45 seats, plus 10 at the bar, for daily breakfast and dinner ﬁve nights a week.

Almost four years after MATT BONOMA purchased North Ferrisburgh’s VERMONT COOKIE LOVE, he is planning a second location of the destination for creemees, ice cream and cookies, at 40

Main Street in Middlebury. The spot was previously Chim Chimney Bakery, which closed in December after less than six months. Bonoma conﬁrmed the news, as ﬁrst reported by the Addison Independent, but said the timing is uncertain because of needed renovations. He hopes to open before the end of the year.

Two more local restaurant groups will join BLISS BEE in opening locations on Market Street in South Burlington’s City Center by the end of 2025. The SCALE POKÉ BAR co-owner NEIL FARR conﬁrmed that he and his wife, PERRY, will add a third outpost to their Williston and Essex Junction spots, where they serve Hawaiian-style poke bowls and will soon add smoothies and sushi hand rolls.

BOBBY SEAMAN, chief operations o cer of FOLINO’S PIZZA, said the group recently signed a lease for a ﬁfth Vermont location at 224 Market Street, which they aim to “pull o ” by the end of the year.

M.P.

Vermont Cookie Love maplecoffee creemee

e new ai Phat Market location

Dishes at Oakes & Evelyn in Montpelier

Rainbow Bowl and Tropical Açaí Bowl at the Scale Poké Bar

culture

Universal Questions

Local folklore meets the paranormal in Chris Rodgers’ e Vermont Extended Universe

BY KEN PICARD • ken@sevendaysvt.com

Few Vermonters are old enough to remember the summer of 1937, when sweltering temperatures and scant rainfall sparked a brief but intense fad of public nudity. It was started, surprisingly, by a Rutland minister who encouraged his ﬂock to beat the heat in their birthday suits and “enter the world as God made them.”

Can’t recall that local history lesson? Then surely you’ve read about Tsar Island in Lake Champlain, which Russia’s Nicholas II won from a New York real estate tycoon in a 19th-century poker game and where his daughter, Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna, lived brieﬂy, surviving on local ﬁsh and game. Or perhaps you’ve heard the legend of Flight 666, which crashed near Lake Elmore in 1982 but left behind no survivors, bodies, rescuers or answers.

If you’re a local history bu scratching your head, welcome to The Vermont Extended Universe, a new historical ﬁction series by Shelburne author Chris Rodgers. On April 1, Rodgers dropped the second volume of his free online series of short stories, which feels like a blend of Green Mountain legends and “The X-Files.” Rodgers illustrates his campy, faux folklore with AI-generated imagery — think Civil War-era dinosaurs, Northeast Kingdom vampires and the “Hibernating Man,” who beds down each winter, ursine-like, in a windowless basement cave while his wife takes care of their children.

Framing the anthology is narration by Abigail George, an investigator charged with examining occasional leaks from an alternate reality known as the Vermont Extended Universe, or V.E.U. for short. George is motivated both by her professional duty and, like Fox Mulder of “The X-Files,” by her determination to ﬁnd a lost sister — in this case, a sister trapped somewhere between the two universes.

The V.E.U. series is a side hustle for Rodgers, 49, a professional videographer, screenwriter, marketer and producer of TV commercials through his company, Forever Lucky Films. His clients have ranged from the Vermont National Guard to self-help guru Tony Robbins. Rodgers moved to Vermont with his family in 2016 after reading a “36 Hours in Burlington, Vermont” feature in the New York Times, then visiting all of its recommendations. He occasionally writes from a tiny post-and-beam house in his backyard, which he won in a

FICTION

IMAGES: COURTESY

AI-generated artwork from Chris Rodgers’ e Vermont Extended Universe, this page: Narrator Abigail George in ﬁctional Garvin, Vt.; the Statue of Prosperity. Opposite page: Union soldiers with pet dinosaurs; the “Hibernating Man”

Shelburne Farmers Market ra e in 2021. The structure was delivered by the same tow truck driver who pulls stuck semis and RVs out of Smugglers’ Notch. (Yes, that’s a true story.)

“I’ve always been into slightly supernatural, slightly wonky and weird stories,” said Rodgers, who previously self-published two young adult books: Gross Potions, a Harry Potter-esque magical story he wrote in 2019 with his now-13-year-old twin boys; and this year’s A Little Too Dark, an anthology of creepy tales about a middle school in Kansas where the buses are haunted and the team mascots come alive.

I’VE ALWAYS BEEN INTO SLIGHTLY SUPERNATURAL, SLIGHTLY WONKY AND WEIRD STORIES. CHRIS

RODGERS

Rodgers isn’t so much a Vermont history bu as he is a fan of the paranormal and the unexplained, such as the stories collected in Weird New England and other books by Windsor author Joe Citro. Rodgers grew up in Lindenwold, N.J., within walking distance of writer Walt Whitman’s summer home. When he was a kid, Rodgers’ parents took him and his brothers to the Whitman house to hear stories from local folklorists. Among their tales was the legend of the Jersey Devil, a mythical demonlike beast believed to haunt the New Jersey Pinelands. Rodgers wove the Jersey Devil into the ﬁrst two volumes of The Vermont Extended Universe. He plans to publish four volumes, one representing each season.

“I don’t even believe in ghosts,” he said. “But if you can make the improbable believable, that’s the key.”

Asked whether any of his readers actually believes that Vermont’s Union soldiers kept pet dinosaurs, or that Lake Champlain was once home to a Statue of Prosperity taller than the Statue of Liberty, Rodgers laughed.

“If they do,” he said, “we’ve got to do some core education in this state.” ➆

INFO

Download Chris Rodgers’ e Vermont Extended Universe, Vol. 1 and 2, for free at chrisrodgers.blog.

Making Connections

Renaissance singing group Ampersand bring audiences together with rare repertoire

BY AMY LILLY • lilly@sevendaysvt.com

If you haven’t heard of the Renaissance singing group Ampersand, you’re in good company. The cohort of six professional singers in their mid-thirties is one of the few in Vermont to specialize in music from that period, which spans roughly 1400 to 1600. The group formed in New York City in 2014 and came to the Green Mountain State in 2022, after one member, countertenor Timothy Parsons, moved to North Ferrisburgh and later settled in Richmond.

Since then, Ampersand have been performing their repertoire’s resonant, interwoven melodies a cappella, with one voice per part, in about three concerts a year at Richmond’s Old Round Church. Five of the members travel to do so, including soprano and Ampersand cofounder Madeline Apple Healey, who is co-artistic director with Parsons and lives in Westchester County, N.Y. The rest come from Boston, New York City and Washington, D.C. All are freelance singers who tour constantly for gigs; these have included performances with top early music groups, such as TENET, and at major venues including Alice Tully Hall in New York City.

This Saturday, April 26, Ampersand will star in Burlington Choral Society’s ambitious production of Saul , a 1738 oratorio by George Frideric Handel. Led by director Richard Riley, the performance will feature the 50-member chorus, a 20-piece orchestra and five Ampersand soloists.

Riley, 71, has pared the three-hour oratorio down to two, focusing on its story of Saul, the first king of Israel, and his growing jealousy of David, his successor. Parsons, 34, will sing David, and Healey, 36, will sing Saul’s daughter Michal. The other three soloists are part of Ampersand’s network of professional colleagues who fill in when core members have other engagements.

Ampersand are also launching their own new endeavor, called “Polyphonic Spree” — a concert by four core members and 20 community singers on Saturday, May 3, at the Richmond Free Library. The latter group includes some members of the Onion River Chorus, a community chorus in Montpelier also led by Riley and for which Parsons has twice sung as a soloist.

CLASSICAL MUSIC

Riley first heard Ampersand at an early Round Church concert.

“I was excited. They represented something that is quite unique in this area,” he recalled. “We’ve got a hell of a lot of choruses, but they were taking on some of the most intricate Renaissance music and doing it at a level that was just thrilling.” (Southern Vermont chamber choir Brattleboro Camerata also specialize in the period, and the Green Mountain Monteverdi Ensemble of Vermont’s repertoire includes it.)

The choral director had been wanting to do Handel’s Saul since hearing it nearly 50 years ago, but the arrival of a countertenor in Vermont suddenly made it feasible. Countertenors sing naturally in the alto range. Riley, who sang as a professional countertenor with Boston Camerata in the 1970s, said that, besides Parsons, he knows of “no other countertenor in Vermont who does high-level solo work.” Parsons earned a bachelor’s

THIS MUSIC IS NOT MEANT TO BE KEPT IN A MUSEUM.

MADELINE APPLE HEALEY

degree in classical voice performance and a master’s in choral conducting at the Manhattan School of Music.

As a High Baroque composer, Handel lived a little later than the period in which Ampersand specialize, but he’s “part of this lineage that comes out of our repertoire,” Healey said. On her website, she describes herself as “known for her interpretation of Handel heroines.” She studied voice and music history at Baldwin Wallace College in Ohio and earned a master’s in voice performance and pedagogy at New Jersey’s Westminster Choir College. Healey cofounded Ampersand with Anna C. Lenti, now director of

choral activities at Williams College in Massachusetts.

Both singers, who spoke with Seven Days during a joint phone call, waxed rhapsodic about Renaissance music — “It’s amazingly and almost hilariously old,” Parsons said — and Ampersand’s focus on one-voice-per-part singing.

“The magic of this repertoire is how these interdependent melodic lines coalesce and converge with each other,” Parsons continued. While not exactly improv, the notated music’s harmonies elicit a lively interplay during performance that he calls “a spontaneous unfolding.” (Parsons also sings in an improv group in Montpelier once a month, facilitated by Patricia Norton and David Ruffin, that explores music inspired by Bobby McFerrin and Rhiannon of Vocal River.)

Healey explained, “When you’re singing with people who are really plugged in, it’s incredible to see what your colleagues

Ampersand

are making in the moment and respond to that.” The dynamic is evident in videos on the Ampersand website of the group singing Renaissance songs in English and Latin.

“Polyphonic Spree” is an opportunity for Ampersand to engage with local singers. “I love coaching people through repertoire,” said Parsons, who won a Vermont Arts Council grant for the project and hopes to make the concert an annual event.

Cheekily named for a choral rock band from 20 years ago, “Polyphonic Spree” is “a nod to the fact that this music is not meant to be kept in a museum,” Healey said. “There’s a punk side of polyphonic writing.” (Any music that involves multiple, independent melodic lines is polyphonic.) A third of the concert will feature Ampersand and

the locals singing together; the rest of the program is divided between each group.

The event gives Ampersand a chance to lean into their friendly, inclusive name.

“Maybe this is a little head-in-theclouds,” Parsons said, but the broader idea of interdependence “is, I think, a healthier thing for our world than ‘Every man is an island.’” ➆

INFO

Handel’s Saul with Burlington Choral Society and Ampersand soloists, Saturday, April 26, 7:30 p.m., at Elley-Long Music Center in Colchester. $30; free for ages 18 and under. bcsvermont.org

“Polyphonic Spree,” Saturday, May 3, 4 p.m., at Richmond Free Library. Donations. weareampersand.net

Timothy Parsons

A Passion for PEZ

Seven Days freelance photographer Daria Bishop started buying PEZ candy dispensers 20 years ago as holiday gifts for her young children. She loved the bunny rabbits at Easter and the Santa ﬁ gures at Christmas. For Bishop, 57, it was less about the candy and more about the zany characters. As her kids grew, so did her PEZ collection — she now has about 600. PEZ is short for pfe erminz,

Sollberger spoke with Seven Days about ﬁlming the episode.

What interests you about collectors?

I’M JUST LOOKING FOR THINGS THAT BRING ME JOY.

DARIA BISHOP

is isn’t the ﬁrst time Seven Days has featured a PEZ collection.

Right! In April 2023, the paper did a story about unusual Vermont collections, and Bishop was actually the freelance photographer assigned to take photos of George DeCell’s PEZ trove in Fairfax. DeCell has thousands of PEZ, and Bishop said she was a bit intimidated — she only has hundreds. DeCell kept his collection in bins, so Bishop posed the PEZ around him to make the photo more captivating.

Does Bishop have a favorite PEZ?

German for “peppermint.” The candy brand was founded in Austria in 1927. By the 1950s, the company had introduced 3D heads for the dispensers. The variety of the characters has made them popular with collectors such as Bishop. After years of storing her impressive arsenal in plastic tubs, she hired a local woodworker to make some shallow shelves to show them o .

In the latest episode of “Stuck in Vermont,” Seven Days senior multimedia producer Eva Sollberger visited Bishop’s apartment in Burlington to peruse her colorful collectibles.

As someone who has collected many items over the years — Spice Girls memorabilia, vintage clothes and comics — I am curious about what draws people to accumulate thematic things. I’ve covered a number of collectors in the past: a couple who display Barbie and Ken dolls; a dairy farmer captivated by all things John Deere; treasure hunters who search the state for hidden carved eggshells; and married makers who amass work by self-taught artists from across the country. Collectors are often obsessive and fascinating individuals. That makes for excellent video content. When Bishop showed me a photo of her PEZ collection at the last Seven Days holiday party, I knew I had to see it in person.

She loves her Japanese mini PEZ and gives pride of place to the cuter PEZ, such as Hello Kitty. She keeps the weirder ones — presidents, trolls and comic book villains — boxed up. Even though we are both in our ﬁfties, digging through the bins of PEZ felt like afterschool playtime. We giggled a lot. Bishop’s apartment and life are overﬂowing with vibrant colors and characters. She also makes quirky creatures out of clay, which appear to be distant relations to her PEZ. As she put it, “We’re in a time that just feels very dark. And I’m just looking for things that bring me joy and bring others joy.” ➆

Episode 739: Daria’s PEZ Collection

Bishop and her PEZ collection

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on screen

Sinners ★★★★★

Some movies play better when you go in knowing nothing about them. Having missed the hype around Sinners , a $90 million passion project from Ryan Coogler (Creed, Black Panther), I was expecting an arty period piece with horror elements. But I wasn’t prepared for the sheer scope of the movie or the way it cuts across genres, defying categorization.

The deal

In 1932 Mississippi, preacher’s son Sammie (Miles Caton) stumbles into Sunday service clutching the broken neck of a guitar, bloody visions ﬂashing before his eyes.

We travel back 24 hours to find out how young Sammie, a promising blues musician, came to this pass. It all starts when his cousins, twins Smoke and Stack (both played by Michael B. Jordan), return home after years of absence. Flush with cash from bootlegging in Chicago for Al Capone, the brothers buy an old sawmill and outfit it as a juke joint. Tonight is the grand opening, and Sammie will sing and play his guitar, accompanied by an alcoholic vagrant (Delroy Lindo) who’s also a fiercely talented pianist.

But Sammie’s father warns him that blues music attracts evil, and he’s not all wrong. Not far away, supernatural danger stalks the cotton ﬁelds in the form of a young Irishman (Jack O’Connell) with a disarming smile and a knack for exploiting preexisting hatreds to his own ends. When he hears the music coming from Smoke and Stack’s joint, he recognizes cultural capital — and wants in.

Will you like it?

Sinners opens with a voice-over evoking the myths of many cultures in which musicians are uncanny figures whose talent might summon good or evil spirits alike. Think Orpheus — or, given the ﬁlm’s Mississippi Delta setting, think the legends surrounding bluesman Robert Johnson, said to have sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads.

Sinners lacks the moralistic framework that undergirds such Faustian bargain stories, however. Smoke and Stack provoke whispers when they return home — they’re

outlaws, rumored to have killed their father — but Coogler’s script doesn’t present them as evil or their juke joint as a place of temptation for the more innocent Sammie.

On the contrary, the ﬁrst third of the movie makes us the brothers’ coconspirators, following their prep for the big night in the kind of detail usually reserved for heist ﬂicks. As they enlist a pianist, a cook, suppliers and a bouncer, we’re immersed in a cross-section of their community.

While most Vermonters won’t be able to experience the ﬁlm as it was shot (partially in IMAX), the wide compositions of director of photography Autumn Durald Arkapaw evoke the golden age of the big screen. A masterful one-shot takes us through a small town where Black sharecroppers make common cause with Chinese immigrants who run separate shops for Black and white patrons.

We hear folksy banter and ominous stories of Jim Crow. Each brother left a woman behind when he went north, and each of those women has her own story. Annie (an electrifying Wunmi Mosaku) counters the Christian understanding of good and evil with her hoodoo spirituality, while the ﬁery Mary (Hailee Steinfeld) was raised with the twins but now passes for white.

The movie’s ﬁrst half reminded me of David Milch’s “Deadwood” — and its more

distant inspiration, Shakespeare — in the intensity and economy with which Coogler brings to life a world of characters, each equipped with backstory and motivation. Until twilight falls on the Delta, the supernatural remains safely at the margins of the story. But then the juke joint starts pumping, and all hell breaks loose.

In its second half, Coogler’s naturalistic period piece makes a genre lurch reminiscent of 1996’s From Dusk Till Dawn, donning bloody fangs and transforming into a grind-house action ﬂick. The bridge between its two modes is Sammie singing the blues, an intoxicatingly surreal sequence in which disparate eras and musical genres manifest in the juke joint as a single living tapestry of talent, aided by Ludwig Göransson’s score. No wonder that a supernatural interloper is eager to appropriate Sammie’s gift, promising cultural fusion but delivering mayhem instead.

If you expect something austere and auteurish from Sinners, you’ll be surprised to find it has all the thrills of a good popcorn movie. But its implications are more daring and expansive. In this ﬁlm’s moral universe, supernatural evil ﬂows from mundane human cruelty instead of the other way around, women hold up half the sky, and artists don’t have to sell their souls for talent.

Amid recent industry chatter about the

poor performance of original (i.e., nonfranchise) movies, the success of Sinners o ers a sign of hope. Be sure to stay for the mid-credits coda — it’s essentially the ending, and it would be a sin to miss it.

MARGOT HARRISON margot@sevendaysvt.com

IF YOU LIKE THIS, TRY…

FRUITVALE STATION (2013; Cinemax, Kanopy, YouTube Primetime, rentable): Coogler’s partnership with Jordan goes back to the former’s breakout ﬁlm, based on the true story of a young Bay Area father shot by police.

“LOVECRAFT COUNTRY” (10 episodes, 2020; Max, rentable): Some viewers of Sinners have compared it to this Southern gothic horror series in which a young Black man seeks his missing father on a road trip through the segregated America of the 1950s.

NOPE (2022; Kanopy, rentable): Jordan Peele followed his hits Get Out and Us with this high-concept, high-budget alien horror ﬁlm that subverts traditional expectations about Westerns. While it lacks the strong characterizations of Sinners (in my view), it’s an ambitious and visually stunning genre mashup.

Michael B. Jordan plays twin brothers who return home with big plans in Ryan Coogler’s ambitious Southern gothic horror ﬂick.

NEW IN THEATERS

THE ACCOUNTANT 2: If you’ve been waiting since 2016 for the return of Ben Affleck playing a brilliant number cruncher with autism who’s also an asskicking action hero, this one’s for you. Gavin O’Connor again directs; Jon Bernthal costars. (132 min, R. Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Star, Stowe, Sunset, Welden)

CHEECH AND CHONG’S LAST MOVIE: David Bushell’s documentary chronicles the long career of classic stoner comedy duo Tommy Chong and Cheech Marin. (123 min, R. Essex)

THE LEGEND OF OCHI: A24 expands into a younger market with this fantastical adventure about a girl (Helena Zengel) who befriends one of the creatures she’s been taught to fear. With Willem Dafoe and Emily Watson. Isaiah Saxon directed. (96 min, PG. Capitol, Essex, Majestic)

THE SHROUDS: A widowed businessman (Vincent Cassel) builds a device that allows the bereaved to monitor their loved one’s corpse in this horror drama from David Cronenberg, with Diane Kruger and Guy Pearce. (119 min, R. Majestic)

UNTIL DAWN: Think Groundhog Day in a haunted house, with a group of friends trying to break out of a bloody time loop. David F. Sandberg (Lights Out) directed the horror flick; Ella Rubin and Odessa A’zion star. (103 min, R. Essex, Majestic, Star, Sunset)

CURRENTLY PLAYING

THE AMATEURHH1/2 Rami Malek plays a CIA tech guy who becomes an action guy after terrorists kill his wife in this spy thriller. With Rachel Brosnahan. (123 min, PG-13. Bijou, Capitol, Essex, Majestic)

THE BALLAD OF WALLIS ISLANDHHHH A lottery winner hires his favorite folk musicians for a private performance in this comedy starring Tom Basden, Tim Key and Carey Mulligan. (99 min, PG-13. Savoy)

DROPHHH1/2 A widow (Meghann Fahy) on a date starts getting threatening messages from an unknown number in this thriller directed by Christopher Landon (Freaky). (100 min, PG-13. Capitol, City Cinema, Essex, Majestic, Star)

THE FRIENDHHH1/2 A woman adopts her recently deceased mentor’s Great Dane in this drama adapted from Sigrid Nunez’s novel, starring Bill Murray and Naomi Watts. (120 min, R. Majestic)

THE KING OF KINGSHH Oscar Isaac voices Jesus in this animated retelling of the gospels, also starring Pierce Brosnan and Kenneth Branagh and directed by Seong-ho Jang. (104 min, PG. Capitol, City Cinema, Essex, Star)

A MINECRAFT MOVIEHH1/2 Jack Black plays an “expert crafter” who gives his assistance to four oddballs trapped in a cubic wonderland in this video game adaptation. (101 min, PG. Bijou, Capitol, City Cinema, Essex, Majestic, Paramount, Star, Stowe, Sunset, Welden)

ON BECOMING A GUINEA FOWLHHHH1/2 A funeral in Zambia become an occasion for unearthing family secrets in this dark comedy from Rungano Nyoni. (99 min, PG-13. Catamount)

SINNERSHHHH1/2 In this supernatural horror film set in 1932, twin brothers (Michael B. Jordan) return to their hometown to find unexpected evil. Ryan Coogler (Black Panther) directed. (137 min, R. Essex, Majestic, Paramount, Stowe, Sunset; reviewed 4/23)

SNOW WHITEHH1/2 Marc Webb directed Disney’s live-action version of its classic “princess movie,” starring Rachel Zegler as the title character. (109 min, PG. Playhouse)

WARFAREHHHH Navy SEALs go on a mission in Iraq in this real-time war film directed by Ray Mendoza (who based it on his own experiences) and Alex Garland. (95 min, R. Bijou, Capitol, Essex, Majestic)

THE WEDDING BANQUETHHH1/2 In this remake of the 1993 rom-com, a traditional Korean wedding celebration complicates a gay man’s plans for a green card marriage. Bowen Yang and Lily Gladstone star. (102 min, R. Savoy)

A WORKING MANHHH Jason Statham plays a construction worker dad who pulls out his particular set of skills to fight human traffickers in this action flick from David Ayer (The Beekeeper). (116 min, R. Sunset, Welden [ends Thu])

OLDER FILMS AND SPECIAL SCREENINGS

BEAVER MEDICINE (Savoy, Wed 23 only)

BEYOND BARS (Savoy, Wed 30 only)

THE BIG CHILL (Welden, Wed 23 only)

THE BIRDCAGE (Catamount, Wed 30 only)

FLY FISHING FILM TOUR (Savoy, Sat only)

MADE HERE FILM FESTIVAL (VTIFF, Thu-Sun only)

METROPOLITAN OPERA: LE NOZZE DI FIGARO (Essex, Sat only)

THE MONKEY (Sunset)

PREY (Catamount, Fri only)

RISE OF THE GUARDIANS (Catamount, Fri only)

SAN FRANCISCO (Catamount, Wed 23 only)

STAR WARS: EPISODE III — REVENGE OF THE SITH 20TH ANNIVERSARY (Essex, Majestic, Welden)

OPEN THEATERS

(* = upcoming schedule for theater was not available at press time)

*BIJOU CINEPLEX 4: 107 Portland St., Morrisville, 888-3293, bijou4.com

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

CATAMOUNT ARTS: 115 Eastern Ave., St. Johnsbury, 748-2600, catamountarts.org

*CITY CINEMA: 137 Waterfront Plaza, Newport, 334-2610, citycinemanewport.com

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

MAJESTIC 10: 190 Boxwood St., Williston, 878-2010, majestic10.com

MARQUIS THEATER: 65 Main St., Middlebury, 388-4841, middleburymarquis.com. Closed for construction until May 2.

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

PLAYHOUSE MOVIE THEATRE: 11 S. Main St., Randolph, 728-4012, playhouseflicks.com

SAVOY THEATER: 26 Main St., Montpelier, 229-0598, savoytheater.com

THE SCREENING ROOM @ VTIFF: 60 Lake St., Ste. 1C, Burlington, 660-2600, vtiff.org

STAR THEATRE: 17 Eastern Ave., St. Johnsbury, 748-9511, stjaytheatre.com

*STOWE CINEMA 3PLEX: 454 Mountain Rd., Stowe, 253-4678, stowecinema.com

SUNSET DRIVE-IN: 155 Porters Point Rd., Colchester, 862-1800, sunsetdrivein.com

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

The Legend of Ochi

art

Going Soft

In “Immortal reads,” four ﬁber artists present sculptural works in Waterbury

BY ALICE DODGE

• adodge@sevendaysvt.com

Iwant to hide under a blanket, and I bet you might, too. That’s due partly to fascism, partly to a late-April blizzard signaling that winter is just as ﬁckle as U.S. tari policy. Those injustices aside, why does a blanket seem like an obvious source of comfort? Is woven softness always reassuring, or could it be destabilizing?

In “Immortal Threads,” a group show that Readsboro artist Sienna Martz has guest curated at the Phoenix in Waterbury, soft sculptures based in ﬁber arts raise those questions and many others.

Charlotte, N.C., artist Katrina Sánchez’s works in the show are made from brightly colored knitted forms, like long, stuffed noodles about the width of a hand. She knots and weaves these into sculptures that hang on the wall.

Several of them, from her “Warm Thoughts, Knot Series,” tie three noodles together into roundish knots of di erent colors. “From Start to Finish” weaves them loosely together into a square. It looks a lot like a large version of the bright, somewhat awkward pot holders kids make with loops on a plastic loom.

Instead of wrestling with concepts of the body, Sánchez’s sculptures create a tension between what’s comforting and what’s commercial. The two would seem to be at odds, but they aren’t. Her materials and the scale at which she works — Sánchez has created larger installations elsewhere — both point toward the industrial and away from the homespun. Her brightly colored yarn and evenly knit surfaces read as happy and accessible, in part because they seem manufactured: They’re not precious or laboriously made but rather as sweet and familiar as a bowl of Froot Loops.

Because of their scale, Sánchez’s forms seem to relate to human arms or legs. They recall the works of artists such as Eva Hesse and Senga Nengudi, who have used soft sculpture so e ectively to suggest the body. But where their sculptures, often made from materials such as pantyhose or latex, were subversive — dangerous, even, invoking the empowered or the abject — Sánchez’s are more like a warm hug.

canvas, draped over a single screw in the wall. Maddux paints the canvas with ombré gradations of blues, greens, yellows and browns. The pieces are symmetrical, with a curve of narrow folds at the top opening up to wider ones of varying lengths. The sculptures look for all the world like giant moths that have alighted on the wall. Maddux’s works take something from the minimalist shaped canvases of decades past, such as those by Frank Stella or Ellsworth Kelly, while acknowledging that canvas is a textile and theoretically has a relationship to textile traditions. Viewers might think of origami or furoshiki , the Japanese tradition of wrapping gifts with fabric, but the forms are so unassuming that they also seem like curtains draped over a hanger. Even more than the folds, color creates depth and movement; the canvases are something between sculpture

WORLD LIKE GIANT MOTHS THAT HAVE ALIGHTED ON THE WALL.

Susan Maddux’s three pieces in the show are likewise enticing and vivid, but instead of playfulness, the Los Angeles artist’s wall sculptures exude an air of haunting mystery. Her forms are deceptively simple: Each is a pile of folded

Jai Hart’s works on display also fall into that ambiguous category. Like Sánchez’s, the Concord, Mass., artist’s work incorporates long, stu ed tubes, but hers are made of canvas. Hart paints on ﬂat swaths of unstretched canvas, expanses that seem

supported by the tubes but aren’t. Sometimes she rests the tubes on the ﬂoor like bent metal legs; sometimes they hang on the wall. The paintings slump but stand up, as though halfway inﬂated.

Hart’s colors are also buoyant. In “Tweet,” fluorescent pink and mango yellow play against teal and gray, with layers of creamy white paint subsuming and releasing each color in the abstract composition. “Pressing Love and Light to Keep It Together” uses fluorescent pink in the flat parts of the painting and to accentuate the tubes, which frame sections and draw the eye into layers of blues. Hart’s tubes create channels and dimension that turn the painting into a sort of pinball game for the eye, which ricochets through depths and reflections.

“Coral and Blues” similarly gives o beachy vibes, this time as much from its bold contrast of navy blue and white as from its odd form. The painting spans a tall, narrow shape made from a coralcolored tube, like some kind of derelict pool toy. Hart’s paintings don’t relate much to traditional textiles except in that they resemble a half-assembled sewing pattern, at once flat and dimensional. Like Maddux, she’s using canvas as both a painting ground and a fabric.

Martz’s works in the show aren’t painted, but they rely on color and several different techniques to create distinct effects from recycled and sustainable fabrics. “Pulse,” about 30 by 40 inches, looks like a stack of hot-pink bubbles, held together with a mortar of fuchsia shag made from felt. Across the room, “Supple” uses a similar format, but the bubbles are shades of puce, and the shag is beige. Instead of erupting vertically, the

“Luna” by Susan Maddux

“From Start to Finish” by Katrina Sánchez

composition spreads horizontally across the wall. Where “Pulse” has a psychedelic quality, “Supple” is natural, bodily and maybe a bit gross.

Likewise, “Molten Heart” and “A Whispered Plea” each consist of layers and layers of folded bamboo felt rounds, but color sets them apart. The latter’s baby-pink folds suggest a flower, while the former’s red and burgundy evoke something visceral.

In “A Realm Unseen,” Martz creates a form from a series of small, stu ed tubes, the color of red wine, made out of upcycled clothing. She

adds variation and depth by using some fabric that’s opaque and some that has worn thin, revealing a hint of white stuffing. The slight shift is enough to infer something growing — or perhaps coming apart. The unsettling feeling it provokes is a good thing. Underneath their works’ enticing coziness, these artists are asking hard questions about things that seem soft. “Immortal

Join us as we celebrate Lund’s transformative work with families across Vermont Experience interactive exhibits and hear inspiring stories from Lund families, as we honor the community of support that makes our work possible.

From top: “Pressing Love and Light to Keep It Together” by Jai Hart; “Sol” by Susan Maddux

EXHIBITION

A Glowing Review: Nate Ethier’s ‘Lanterns’ at Hexum

BY ALICE DODGE • adodge@sevendaysvt.com

Every painter since Caravaggio has contended with conveying the effects of light. Over the centuries, many have mastered the colors of candlelit gloom, sunrise and bright summer days. Until recent decades, however, no one had experienced light as the seductive glow of a screen.

Brooklyn painter Nate Ethier presents luminous abstract works that speak to that quality of light in “Lanterns,” on view through May 16 at Hexum Gallery in Montpelier. Using grids, circles and other geometric forms, Ethier creates sometimes dizzyingly complex images in which bright shapes seem to float in front of dim ones.

The paintings recall metal lanterns whose punched holes create stars or flowers in the darkness. But more than that, they call to mind a smartphone’s dimmed-out backgrounds, still visible when a bright pop-up is trying to get our attention.

At first glance, Ethier’s paintings look similar to ones from the op art movement of the 1960s — works that played with color and geometry to make optical illusions and explore color theory. But, especially when seen in person, these works are much more painterly, with visible brushstrokes and a gentle human touch.

Ethier builds his paintings in transparent layers, which are most visible in the smallest pieces in the show: three 12-by-12-inch watercolor works on paper. Since watercolor inherently involves transparent layering, these smaller studies’ luminosity makes immediate sense, whereas a similar approach in the acrylic paintings on canvas risks breaking the viewer’s brain.

That feeling comes up again and again, especially when one views works such as “Treasure Map,” which, in a conversation during the show’s opening, Ethier said he created to challenge his sense of composition with an “all-over” painting. With many of his more centralized works, the eye knows where to start, but here

CALLS TO ARTISTS

‘EXPRESSIVE FIBERS’: Seeking works in fiber and fabric that are based in traditional techniques and craftsmanship but go beyond the everyday to express a unique artistic vision. Exhibition runs June to July. Register online at artistreevt.org.

Artistree Community Arts Center, South Pomfret. Deadline: May 31. $15. Info, 536-1670.

SPARROW PLEIN AIR FESTIVAL: Artists of all ages and skill levels are invited to create artwork outdoors in any medium at scenic spots across town. The weekend includes demonstrations

it gets lost in a maze of curves, squares and rectangles that vibrate against one another. Depth becomes apparent once you start looking, but you don’t know if you’re coming or going, falling in or bouncing out.

Though just staring at Ethier’s work is fun, his clear sense of inspiration sets it apart from pictures whose goal is to be trippy.

While Ethier now works in Brooklyn, he studied at Plainfield’s Goddard College and said he regularly spends time in nature. He draws on that world, referencing murmurations of birds and light through dappled leaves.

In a photo essay for the online magazine Two Coats of Paint, Ethier presented a work in which pink arcs cluster in a circle, hovering over a grid of red and green squares. Beside it, he placed a reference photo of the sun shining through the branches of an evergreen. The resemblance is clear: In the photo, darkness is punctuated by blurred arcs of sunshine, made even brighter by the backlit screen. It’s a strange wonder that an opaque painting seems to glow with both kinds of light. ➆

INFO

“Lanterns” by Nate Ethier, on view through May 16 at Hexum Gallery in Montpelier. hexumgallery.com

Clockwise from top left: “Purple Lightning and Distant Rolling Thunder”; “Treasure Map”; “Warbler - Reprise”; “Stereo Dawn”; “Untitled Green”

and guidance, giveaways, local coupons, and opportunities to meet fellow artists. Beginners welcome. Early bird discount available through May 15. Sparrow Art Supply, Middlebury. Deadline: June 14. $35-$50, free for artists 15 and under. Info, info@sparrowartsupply.com.

‘FLOWER FESTIVAL’: Seeking artwork in any media depicting flowers, plus handmade vessels for arranging cut flowers, for a July to August exhibition. Register online at artistreevt.org.

Artistree Community Arts Center, South Pomfret. Deadline: July 12. $15. Info, 536-1670.

OPENINGS + RECEPTIONS

CATHY CONE: “Garden of Dreams,” an exhibition by the multidisciplinary photographer celebrating spring through ethereal imagery. CVMC Art Gallery, Berlin, through May 17. Info, 371-4464.

DELIA ROBINSON: “The Tarot Project,” an exploration of the major arcana through paintings and clay whistles. Highland Center for the Arts, Greensboro, through May 18. Info, 533-2000.

‘TRANSFORMATION: EARTH DAY 2025’: A group show exploring humanity and the environment. Closing reception: Thursday, April 24, 5-7 p.m. White River Craft Center, Randolph, through April 30. Info, 728-8912.

RUTH WIMER: “Don’t Take Your Organs to Heaven,” a solo show presented by the artist as part of a senior capstone project in the Art and Design program. Reception: Thursday, April 24, 6 p.m. McCarthy Art Gallery, Saint Michael’s College, Colchester, through April 25. Info, bcollier@smcvt.edu.

‘UNBOUND VOL.XIII’: The annual exhibit of artists’ books and artwork made from and about books.

Reception: Friday, April 25, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Artistree

= ONLINE EVENT OR EXHIBIT

Community Arts Center, South Pomfret, April 25May 24. Free. Info, 457-3500, info@artistreevt.org.

ARTIST MEMBERS’ SHOW: An exhibition of works in a variety of mediums by 25 Vermont artists. Reception: Saturday, April 26, 2-4 p.m. Stone Valley Arts, Poultney, April 26-June 7. Info, stonevalleyartscenter@gmail.com.

‘THE VERMONT PALETTE’: An exhibition of works by members of the Vermont Pastel Society. Reception: Saturday, April 26, 2-4 p.m. Chaffee Art Center, Rutland, through May 22. Info, 775-0356.

VERMONT STUDENT WILDLIFE ART EXPO: “Wildlife and Where They Live,” a showcase of seventh to 12th grade student artwork from across the state exploring animals and their habitats. Reception and awards ceremony: Saturday, April 26, 3-5 p.m. Monument Arts & Cultural Center, Bennington, April 26-June 1. Info, 318-4444.

‘CHAMP: THE ART OF BELIEVING’: A group exhibition, curated by Peyton Applegate, exploring myth, legend and belief through artistic interpretations of the Lake Champlain monster. Reception: Saturday, April 26, 3-6 p.m. Frog Hollow Vermont Craft Gallery, Burlington, through April 30. Info, 863-6458.

ADAM THERRIEN: “From a Mustard Seed,” a solo show presented by the artist as part of a senior capstone project in the Art and Design program. Reception: Wednesday, April 30, 6 p.m. McCarthy Art Gallery, Saint Michael’s College, Colchester, April 28-May 2. Info, bcollier@smcvt.edu.

‘ART IT UP’: An exhibition and silent auction of works donated by local artists to benefit SPA programs, on display in the second floor and Quick Change galleries. Bidding is online and in person.

Reception: Saturday, May 10, 4-5:30 p.m. Studio Place Arts, Barre, April 30-June 6. Info, 479-7069.

‘THE BARD’: An exhibition by 22 artists responding to the works of William Shakespeare through two-dimensional artwork, installations and video. Reception: Saturday, May 10, 4-5:30 p.m. Studio Place Arts, Barre, April 30-June 14. Free. Info, 479-7069, info@studioplacearts.com.

MICHELLE SAFFRAN: “A Single Point in Time,” a retrospective exhibit for the late central Vermont artist, whose work includes found materials, drawing, sewing and manipulated digital images, on display in the third floor gallery. Reception: Saturday, May 10, 4-5:30 p.m. Studio Place Arts, Barre, April 30-June 14. Info, 479-7069.

ART EVENTS

OPEN STUDIO: A guided meditation followed by an hour of art making in any medium and concluding with a share-and-witness process. Many art materials available. In person and online. Expressive Arts Burlington, Thursday, April 24, 12:30-2:30 p.m. By donation. Info, 343-8172.

ARTIST TALK: JOHN KENN MORTENSEN: The Danish artist and BMAC director Danny Lichtenfeld discuss the exhibition “Dream Homes” via Zoom. Preregister at brattleboromuseum.org. Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, Thursday, April 24, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 257-0124.

LIFE DRAWING AND PAINTING: A drop-in event for artists working with the figure from a live model. T.W. Wood Gallery, Montpelier, Thursday, April 24, 7-9 p.m. Free; $10 suggested donation. Info, 262-6035.

GLASS DEMO: BREATHING LIFE INTO IMAGINARY

CREATURES: A demonstration of how artists from the Vermont Glass Guild transform children’s drawings of fantastical creatures into glass sculptures which will be included in the exhibition “Glasstastic” at Brattleboro Museum & Art Center. Sherwin Art Glass, Bellows Falls, Saturday, April 26, 1-4 p.m. $10 for adults and teens; $5 for kids 6 to 12, free for kids under 6 and BMAC members.

VIETNAMESE PAPERMAKING WORKSHOP: A presentation by artist Veronica Pham of her research and works in Vietnamese traditional paper relating to history, ritual, identity and

craft. Following her presentation, participants are invited to learn papermaking and experiment with locally collected milkweed and Eastern paper mulberry using traditional equipment constructed during her residency. Generator Makerspace, Burlington, Saturday, April 26, 1-4 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 540-0761.

STORYTELLING EVENT: ‘THE THIEF, THE SPINNER AND THE FABULIST’: Community members share tales of how the objects displayed in the gallery came into their lives; visitors are invited to bring easels and supplies to explore their stories through art making. The Gallery at Mad River Valley Arts, Waitsfield, Saturday, April 26, 5-7 p.m. Info, 224-6878.

SOCIAL SUNDAY: An opportunity for children and caregivers to stop in and complete a 15- to 30-minute activity during the two-hour workshop. Milton Artists’ Guild Art Center & Gallery, Sunday, April 27, 1-3 p.m. Free. Info, 891-2014.

PORTRAIT DRAWING AND PAINTING: A drop-in event where artists can practice skills in any medium. T.W. Wood Gallery, Montpelier, Monday, April 28, 10 a.m.-noon. Free; $10 suggested donation. Info, 262-6035.

WINTER WATERCOLORS WITH PAULINE

NOLTE: Weekly workshops for painters of all abilities; no experience necessary. Register via email. Waterbury Public Library, Tuesday, April 29, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free. Info, judi@ waterburypubliclibrary.com. ➆

music+nightlife

Finding the Niche

Former Dopapod guitarist Rob Compa joins his jam idols, the Niche

BY CASEY RYAN VOCK

In a full-circle celebration and what should be a rowdy good time, Rob Compa of Dopapod fame will take the stage at Nectar’s this weekend with the Niche, a jam band from his hometown of Rochester, N.Y. Compa, who now lives in Burlington, will play alongside members who mentored him as a young guitarist.

The show on Saturday, April 26, is one of four stops on a spring tour reviving a brotherhood that began more than 20 years ago. That tour is a second chance for the Niche, a group that was on its way to sustainable jam-scene success before a hiatus that dates back to 2006.

The pandemic delayed the Niche’s anticipated 20th-anniversary celebration and coinciding release of their second album, but now they’re back in earnest, with Compa as their guest lead guitarist.

Word of the collaboration came in December, just as Dopapod fans were reeling from the news that the prolific improv rock band from Boston would

end its 16-year run on New Year’s Eve.

Though Compa’s stint with his old Rochester pals won’t be permanent, this special run of shows has generated big expectations.

“I don’t want to even begin to think that

Niche brought together a group of musicians who shared a love for Phish and had spent considerable time on the road following the legendary Vermont act.

Soon after, keyboardist Willy O’Riley, guitarist Erik Ward and bassist Todd Nestor relocated to Rochester, where they met drummer Jay Schreiber and formed a quartet. There they eventually bonded with a young Compa, who became a devoted fan around 2004.

At their height, the Niche were ﬁlling clubs throughout the Northeast, packing sets with intense, compositionally ambitious jams and entertaining audiences with sarcasm and goofball antics. The group opened for the likes of Umphrey’s McGee, the Derek Trucks Band, Max Creek and Gene Ween, one of the bandmates’ idols.

Compa wasn’t even of legal age when he ﬁrst caught on to the Niche, he recalled. The teen snuck through the back door of a local venue, where he was astonished by the band’s mind-bending improvisation, equally heavy on piano and guitar. It made a lasting impression on the aspiring musician.

So did the boozed-up tomfoolery of diehard Niche fans, who went out of their way to party like it was their last chance at any given performance.

“I was just a 17-year-old kid who didn’t know what he was doing,” Compa said. Sitting in with the band at Rochester’s Water Street Music Hall was “a learning experience,” and the advice he received from Ward and Nestor helped develop his conﬁdence as a musician.

The band members “would kind of take me under their wing and show me how to do things — not even necessarily how to play, but how to act at gigs,” Compa said. “Kind of how not to act sometimes, too, because they were pretty fucking crazy back in the day.”

The band’s mentorship confirmed Compa as a lifelong fan. He considers Ward, the guitarist for whom he’s now ﬁlling in, a “big inﬂuence,” praising his individuality, his fearlessness with his instrument and his self-taught skills.

“He just didn’t care what anybody else thought,” Compa said. He has played the same guitar as Ward, a Paul Reed Smith Hollowbody II, for much of his career.

I would be a reason more people ﬁnd out about the Niche,” Compa, 38, recently told Seven Days. “I would like the reason to be that the music is just that good, because the songs are amazing.”

Formed in Watertown, N.Y., in 1999, the

In fact, in 2006 Compa was close to replacing Ward on a full-time basis before he decided to head o to Boston’s Berklee College of Music, where he ultimately became part of Dopapod. As his career took o , he didn’t forget about the Niche. Touring with Dopapod, he met numerous sound techs who brought up the band in conversation, and he impressed them with

e Niche with Rob Compa (third from left)

Rob Compa (left) performing with the Niche in 2005

On the Beat

An announcement last week brought the local music scene a mix of bitter tears and sweet nostalgia: Winooski’s Waking Windows festival is coming to an end. After 15 years, the fest will take its last stand on Friday, May 2, through Sunday, May 4.

“Like many independent festivals and events, we’ve faced growing financial instability in almost every aspect of what we do,” the booking collective announced via social media.

“The increasing demand of our personal lives and families has made us confront the hard truth about our future as well. This has always been a

Eye on the Scene

4/20 AT THE BERN GALLERY (ON 4/19!), BERN GALLERY SMOKE SHOP, BURLINGTON, SATURDAY, APRIL 19: Having been born with two left legs to match my two left feet, rarely do I find myself dancing in the daytime in public. But there I was, midday on Saturday in the front entry of Bern Gallery, hands in the air and spinning around during the Burlington dispensary’s annual 4/20 party. DJ CHEETATAH was on the decks, and I was singing along to a melody I knew but couldn’t place because the driving four-on-the-floor beat underneath was really throwing me off. It wasn’t until the chorus hit when Cheetatah — aka TARALEIGH WEATHERS — and I both happily started singing along to R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts” that I realized the playful irony of the mashup. Even a day early, the Bern Gallery’s 4/20 celebration was a hit. There were deals on product and free glassblowing lessons. Plus, the dancing Easter gorilla was on-site all day for photos and hype, while Cheetatah, DJ JESSE SNYDER and DJ KANGA kept the jams spinning.

labor of love and we did not want it to end, but it’s the current reality we are facing.”

Launched in 2011 as a self-contained mini-fest at the Monkey House, the festival soon grew into a massive event that took over the majority of downtown Winooski, bringing in world-class touring acts such as POND, REAL ESTATE, DINOSAUR JR. and JAPANESE BREAKFAST. It was also a showcase of Vermont music, with local artists making up the bulk of the lineup.

We’ll properly mourn the fest’s passing, and celebrate its history, as we near the final Waking Windows. But for now, check out the lineup at wakingwindows.com and clear some time the first weekend of May to take in a special, one-of-a-kind musical event.

“We know times are tough,” the collective wrote on social media, “but if we don’t keep showing up for the things we love, they’ll continue to disappear.”

On that note, another annual local music highlight is coming right up: Foam Brewers’ birthday bash. With a party titled Bizarre Celebrations: Cloud 9, the Burlington brewery marks its ninth year of serving up craft beer and hosting tons of shows.

The three-day throw-down, taking place this Friday, April 25, through Sunday, April 27, features ample music, special beer releases and food trucks. Friday brings DJ DISCO PHANTOM, indiepop outfit MADAILA, singer-songwriter JOSH PANDA and Ontario indie act SHEBAD On Saturday’s bill, bluegrass band the

From left: Waking Windows founders Nick Mavodones, Matt Rogers, Ali Nagle, Paddy Reagan and Brian Nagle in 2019

music+nightlife

CLUB DATES

live music

WED.23

BBQ and Bluegrass (bluegrass) at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski, 6:30 p.m. Free.

The Brokes (Strokes tribute) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 7 p.m. $15/$18.

Giannina Sol, Natalie Palmer (singer-songwriter) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. $5/$10.

Jazz Night with Ray Vega (jazz) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

Jazz Sessions (jazz) at the 126, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

Jeff & Gina (acoustic) at Two Heroes Brewery Public House, South Hero, 6 p.m. Free.

Krishna Guthrie Band (Americana) at Bent Nails Bistro, Montpelier, 9:30 a.m. Free.

Lara Cwass Band (indie) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

Wednesday Night Dead (Grateful Dead tribute) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7 p.m. $10.

Yung Gravy (hip-hop) at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, 8 p.m. $29.50/$34.50.

THU.24

Abby Jenne and the Bald Eagle Death Spiral (rock) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 8 p.m. Free.

Buckethead (rock) at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, 9 p.m. $39/45/60.

Jazz with Alex Stewart and Friends (jazz) at the 126, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

Marcus Rezak’s Gumbo (Phish tribute) at ArtsRiot, Burlington, 7 p.m. $10.

Old Time Jam at Radio Bean, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free. 18+.

SunSquabi, Motiv (funk) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $22/25.

Waking Windows Presents: Anna McClellan, Hello Shark, Francie Medosch (indie) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 8 p.m. $12/15. 18+.

Zach Nugent Dead Set (Grateful Dead tribute) at ArtsRiot, Burlington, 8 p.m. $12.

FRI.25

Bizarre Celebrations: Cloud 9, Foam’s 9th Anniversary (rock, folk, jazz, DJ) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 5 p.m. Free.

Buckethead (rock) at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, 9 p.m. $39/45/60.

Chrome Horse (Bob Dylan tribute) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $15/20.

Double You (rock) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 9:30 p.m. $10/15.

Fawn, 10 More Beers (indie) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 7 p.m. $10/15. 18+.

Finger-Lickin’ Good

Part masked mystery and part shred machine, guitarist BUCKETHEAD defies all attempts at easy categorization. From a stint as lead guitarist in Guns n’ Roses to playing with Parliament-Funkadelic’s Bootsy Collins and Bernie Worrell to recording with actor Viggo Mortensen, Buckethead is a fretboard wizard who obscures his face with a white mask and a KFC bucket on — where else? — his head. Thanks to his mind-blowing and hyper-fast guitar leads, he’s one of the most respected and influential six-string slingers in the game. He’s also ridiculously prolific, with 31 fulllength studio releases and 650 — yes, you read that right — 30-minute mini-albums. The enigmatic musician hits the stage for a two-night stand at Higher Ground Ballroom in South Burlington on Thursday, April 24, and Friday, April 25.

Jeff Salisbury Band (blues) at Jericho Café & Tavern, 7 p.m. Free.

John Lackard Blues Band (blues) at American Legion Post 3, Montpelier, 6 p.m. Free. Justice 3 (rock) at 14th Star Brewing, St. Albans, 6 p.m. Free. North Pie Night (experimental) at Community of Sound, Burlington, 7 p.m. Donation.

Paul Webb (piano) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

PEAK (funk, rock) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 9 p.m. $10.

The Peavine Boys, Jennings and McComber, Katie Dobbins (Americana) at the Underground, Randolph, 7:30 p.m. $14.

Pilgrims, Cousin Greg (rock) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 9 p.m. Free.

Rap Night Burlington (hip-hop) at Drink, Burlington, 9 p.m. $5.

Rick Carnell & Almost Sturcrazie (rock) at 1st Republic Brewing, Essex, 6 p.m. Free.

Rik Jam, Dalwayne (reggae) at the Lounge at Nectar’s, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. $20.

Sarah Bell (singer-songwriter) at Bent Nails Bistro, Montpelier, 8 p.m. Free.

Seth Yacovone (acoustic) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

SAT.26

2025 Spring Fling: Quadra, 90 Proof, the Maple Grove Band (rock) at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, 7 p.m. $20/25.

Ben Sollee (indie folk) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 8 p.m. $25/30.

Bizarre Celebrations: Cloud 9, Foam’s 9th Anniversary (rock, folk, jazz, DJ) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, noon. Free.

Bob Bovee in Adamant (folk) at Adamant Community Club, 7 p.m. $15.

Danielle Nicole Band, Kandrah & Petrashune (blues, singer-songwriter) at Retro Live, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 7 p.m. $20.

Elizabeth Begins (singersongwriter) at 1st Republic Brewing, Essex, 6 p.m. Free. The Eyetraps, Peddle, Mooncusser, Stones Throw (rock) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 7 p.m. $10/15.

Freak Fest 3: Freak Feast (dance party) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 10 p.m. $10.

Jeffrey Foucault & Lucy Chapin (folk) at ArtsRiot, Burlington, 7 p.m. $20/$22.

Live Music Saturdays (live music series) at Moondog Tavern, Hinesburg, 7 p.m. Free.

Maple Ridge (jazz, soul) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 10:30 p.m. $10/15.

McMaple (rock, pop) at 14th Star Brewing, St. Albans, 6 p.m. Free.

Moth Mouth, Leatherbound Books, Funeral Date (rock) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 9 p.m. Free.

The Niche with Rob Compa, Clive (jam) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 9 p.m. $10.

Our Way Zine Release Party (indie) at the Lounge at Nectar’s, Burlington, 7 p.m. $10.

Paul Webb (piano) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

Switchel (folk) at Jericho Café & Tavern, 7 p.m. Free.

SUN.27

Avi Salloway & Friends’ Acoustic Jam and Song Circle at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 6 p.m. $10-20 donation.

Bizarre Celebrations: Cloud 9, Foam’s 9th Anniversary (rock, folk, jazz, DJ) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 11 a.m. Free.

John Stowell & Draa Hobbs (jazz) at Stage 33 Live, Bellows Falls, 7 p.m. $15/$20.

Music of the Beatles + More for Kids (Beatles tribute) at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, 11 a.m. $16/18. Sunday Brunch Tunes (singersongwriter) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 10 a.m. Wine & Jazz Sundays (jazz) at Shelburne Vineyard, 5 p.m. Free.

TUE.29

Bluegrass Jam (bluegrass) at Poultney Pub, 7 p.m. Free.

Grateful Tuesdays (Grateful Dead tribute) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 8 p.m. $10.

Honky Tonk: Otter Creek at Radio Bean, Burlington, 9 p.m. $10.

Owen Doherty (singer-songwriter) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 7 p.m. $5/10. 18+.

WED.30

Allison Russell, Kara Jackson (roots) at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, 8 p.m. $25/30. SOLD OUT.

BBQ and Bluegrass (bluegrass) at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski, 6:30 p.m. Free.

CHOB (jam) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 8 p.m. $10.

Deep Sea Diver, Byland (rock) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 8 p.m. $18/22. Jazz Night with Ray Vega (jazz) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

Jazz Sessions (jazz) at the 126, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

Small Pond, Otis Shanty, Emmy McDonnell, Kiley Latham (indie) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 8 p.m. $10. 18+.

Songs of the Ancient World (world music) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free. Wednesday Night Dead (Grateful Dead tribute) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7 p.m. $10.

djs

THU.24

DJ Chaston (DJ) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

DJ JP Black (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

DJ Two Sev (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 11 p.m. Free.

LTJ Bukem, villian era, Pipe Leak, What the Bleep (EDM) at the Lounge at Nectar’s, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. $35/40.

Mi Yard Reggae Night with DJ Big Dog (reggae) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

Vinyl Night with Ken (DJ) at Poultney Pub, 6 p.m. Free.

THU.24 & FRI.25 // BUCKETHEAD [ROCK]

music+nightlife

REVIEW this

Maryse Smith, Transience

(GHOST MOUNTAIN RECORDS, CASSETTE, DIGITAL)

When singer-songwriter Maryse Smith released Silence Is Golden in fall 2022, the West Tisbury, Mass., artist had been musically dormant for seven years. Understandably so, given that the former Burlingtonian added “mother” to her list of qualiﬁcations in the interim — twice, in fact.

“I’m a slow mover,” Smith told Seven Days in 2015, on the cusp of her creative and maternal sabbatical. That’s some prescription-strength foreshadowing right there.

10 years, while the other ﬁxates on the horizon. Where does that leave her?

Smack-dab in the present, fully conscious and aware. She brings to life nine new rock tunes crafted at Burlington’s Little Jamaica Recordings with producer Benny Yurco, a previous collaborator known to many for his work with Grace Potter.

With the release of her latest album, Transience, Smith splits herself apart: One half seems to look back at the past

TENDERBELLIES, country group WILD LEEK RIVER, surf-rockers the HIGH BREAKS and DJ GD (aka GREG DAVIS) join New York City indie acts TILDEN, PSYMON SPINE and THICK. Bluegrass trio GOOD GRAVY, country rockers PONYHUSTLE and old-timey outﬁt QUEEN CITY CUT-UPS close out the party on Sunday. Find all the details at foambrewers.com.

Over the years, Foam has become an integral part of the Burlington music scene, booking everything from indie rock and folk to hip-hop and jazz. As we’ve been painfully reminded recently, nothin’ lasts forever, not even cold November rain. So let’s take a moment to be grateful that Foam and its epic parties are still going strong. See you at the waterfront!

Expect an old-fashioned hoedown at the Adamant Community Club when the venue hosts Minnesota folk musician BOB BOVEE on Saturday, April 26. A hard-touring veteran who’s been on the scene since 1971, Bovee is known for his repertoire of cowboy music, ballads and dance tunes, as well as his gift for infusing sets with folklore and history.

“No one handles old-time cowboy and humorous songs better than Bob,” wrote

Smith’s bicameral state of mind presents most clearly on “635,” a propulsive anthem that examines how artists can exist in two states simultaneously.

“What kind of life do you want to live / What kind of album do you want to make?” she asks herself after a trifecta of early-morning annoyances — a crowing rooster, a barking dog and a blaring alarm clock — jolts her into action. Are the two thoughts diametrically

opposed? It’s not like life makes it easy for mothers to seek fulfillment outside of caretaking. Such questions have surely jockeyed for position at the forefront of her mind. Fortunately, Smith is “working in a new paradigm,” seemingly one that finds balance between the grind and creative fulfillment.

Smith’s primary bandmates for the album, fellow Martha’s Vineyard instrumentalists Stuart Rodegast and Nora Knight, construct a muscular foundation of bass and drums, respectively. Aside from vibesmithing, Yurco’s contributions range from scintillating guitar licks on “180” to emotionally supportive synths on “More.”

Fullness and richness of sound and sentiment coalesce throughout the record. Brilliant harmonies, expressive drums, and guitars both chunky and wiry converge in a satisfying blend. The sound is signiﬁcantly more rock than folk,

DON STEVENS of AllMusic. “His vocals are hauntingly rough.”

If you haven’t caught a show at the Adamant Community Club, it’s one of the more unique music venues in the

yet ﬂourishes of something earthy and mountainous ﬂicker within tracks such as “180” and “Mrs G.”

“I’m not asking for forever / I don’t know what that means,” she sings on the latter track, which thrums along with a hearty suggestion of twang. Repeated for e ect, the statement reveals contentment, as if any notions of excess have evaporated. Maybe they never existed.

The ultimate irony of Transience is that Smith conceived of, completed and released it within two and a half years of Silence Is Golden. Not exactly a slow mover this time around. It’s as though coming to terms with creativity’s ebbs and ﬂows revealed something new.

Transience will be available on major streaming services on Thursday, May 1. Smith performs as part of the Waking Windows music festival on Saturday, May 3, at the Monkey House in Winooski.

JORDAN ADAMS

in an

until

and

Listening In

(Spotify mix of local jams)

1. “FREEDOM,” by Maryse Smith

2. “TUBA RUBA,” by the Niche

3. “NEW ROMANCE,” by Madaila

4. “IT’S TOO BROKE,” by

5. “HALLELUJAH I’M A BUM,” by Bob Bovee

6. “DALE AND MARIE,” by Ponyhustle

7. “BARKEEPER,” by the Tenderbellies

Scan to listen sevendaysvt. com/playlist

(No word on whether it’s haunted by a suitably terrifying ghost of a teacher, but it’d be weird if it weren’t, right?) Pop over to adamantcoop.org for more information. ➆

Green Mountain State. Located

old schoolhouse that was active

1962, the venue still has a huge slate blackboard

a portrait of George Washington hanging from the wall.

Wild Leek River

CONTINUED FROM P.59

FRI.25

DJ CRE8 (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

DJ Taka (DJ) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 11 p.m. $10/$15.

DJ Taka (dance party) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 11 p.m. $10/15. 21+.

SAT.26

DJ Raul (DJ) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

Hi Fi, Syndicate Sound (DJ) at Bent Nails Bistro, Montpelier, 9 p.m. Free.

It’s a 2000s Party: Burlington (dance party) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 9 p.m. $15/20/30. SOLD OUT.

Matt Payne (DJ) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

Molly Mood (DJ) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

SUN.27

Mi Yard Reggae Night with DJ Big Dog (reggae, dancehall) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

open mics & jams

WED.23

Irish Trad Jam (Celtic, open mic) at ArtsRiot, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

Open Mic (open mic) at Monopole, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 p.m. Free.

Open Mic with Danny Lang (open mic) at Poultney Pub, 7 p.m. Free.

THU.24

Open Mic With Artie (open mic) at Whammy Bar, Calais, 7 p.m. Free.

SAT.26

Kids Open Mic (open mic) at Bent Nails Bistro, Montpelier, 5 p.m. Free.

SUN.27

Olde Time Jam Session (open jam) at the Den at Harry’s Hardware, Cabot, noon. Free.

VT Synth Society Meetup (synth open jam, discussion) at Community of Sound, Burlington, 4 p.m. Free.

MON.28

Open Mic (open mic) at Despacito, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

TUE.29

Open Mic Night (open mic) at Monkey House, Winooski, 7 p.m. Free.

Venetian Soda Open Mic (open mic) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

Master of Disguise

THU.24-SAT.26 // KYLE DUNNIGAN [COMEDY]

It takes something special to be able to pull o playing both Johnny Carson and Walter Cronkite, much less in the same movie. But that’s just what comedian and Peabody Award-winning writer KYLE DUNNIGAN did when he starred in Jerry Seinfeld’s 2024 ﬁlm Unfrosted. Dunnigan rose to fame with cameos on Comedy Central’s “Reno 911!” and as a writer for shows such as “Inside Amy Schumer,” where he won an Emmy for writing the song “Girl, You Don’t Need Makeup.” A master impressionist capable of mimicking everyone from Joe Biden to Caitlyn Jenner, Dunnigan is also a regular guest on “The Howard Stern Show.” He performs ﬁve sets at Vermont Comedy Club in Burlington, running Thursday, April 24, through Saturday, April 26.

WED.30

Open Mic (open mic) at Monopole, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 p.m. Free.

Open Mic with Danny Lang (open mic) at Poultney Pub, 7 p.m. Free.

comedy

WED.23

$5 Improv Night (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 p.m. $5. Standup Open Mic (comedy open mic) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

THU.24

Kyle Dunnigan (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $25.

Pet Store: A Live Sitcom (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 9 p.m. $10.

FRI.25

And Another ing: A Fun Night of Comedy (comedy) at Grange eatre, South Pomfret, 7 p.m. $25/$20. Comedy & Karaoke Night (standup) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7 p.m. $10.

Kyle Dunnigan (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. $25.

SAT.26

And Another ing: A Fun Night of Comedy (comedy) at Grange eatre, South Pomfret, 7 p.m. $25/$20.

Kyle Dunnigan (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. $25.

SUN.27

Mike Hanford, Dan Baz (standup) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $20/25. 18+.

TUE.29

Open Mic Comedy with Levi Silverstein (comedy open mic) at the 126, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

WED.30

$5 Improv Night (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 p.m. $5. Standup Open Mic (comedy open mic) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

trivia, karaoke, etc.

WED.23

Karaoke Friday Night (karaoke) at Park Place Tavern & Grill, Essex Junction, 8 p.m. Free.

Rock N’ Roll Bingo with Miss Jubilee (music bingo) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 8 p.m. Free.

Trivia Night (trivia) at Dumb Luck Pub and Grill, Winooski, 7 p.m. Free.

THU.24

Karaoke Friday Night (karaoke) at Park Place Tavern & Grill, Essex Junction, 8 p.m. Free.

Music Trivia (music trivia) at Standing Stone Wines, Winooski, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Trivia (trivia) at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski, 6 p.m. Free. Trivia Night (trivia) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. Free.

FRI.25

Karaoke Friday Night (karaoke) at Park Place Tavern & Grill, Essex Junction, 8 p.m. Free.

SUN.27

Karaoke with DJ Coco Entertainment (karaoke) at Old Soul Design Shop, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 5 p.m. Free.

personal stories and the collection of Niche bootlegs he keeps handy on his smartphone.

He also maintained ties with the band members. In 2015, Niche keyboardist O’Riley joined Compa’s supergroup, Borg Party, along with members of Turkuaz, Aqueous and Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad.

Now, Compa has the chance to show his gratitude to his mentors with his own remarkable skills. Busy managing a restaurant and venue, Ward chose to sit out the Niche’s relaunch. Choosing Compa to fill his shoes was easy, according to drummer Schreiber. Given their backstory, you might even say it was foretold.

“We have a pretty good history with Rob, and we’ve all been friends with him ever since,” Schreiber said.

Sunday Funday (games) at 1st Republic Brewing, Essex, noon. Free. Venetian Karaoke (karaoke) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

MON.28

Trivia Monday (trivia) at Black Flannel Brewing & Distilling, Essex, 6 p.m. Free.

Trivia Monday with Top Hat Entertainment (trivia) at McKee’s Original, Winooski, 7 p.m. Free.

Trivia Night (trivia) at Barr Hill, Montpelier, 5:30 p.m. Free.

Trivia with Brain (trivia) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 8 p.m. Free.

Trivia with Craig Mitchell (trivia) at Monkey House, Winooski, 7 p.m. Free.

TUE.29

Karaoke with DJ Party Bear (karaoke) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 9:30 p.m. Free.

Queer Country Line Dancing (line dancing) at ArtsRiot, Burlington, 7 p.m. $12.

Taproom Trivia (trivia) at 14th Star Brewing, St. Albans, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Trivia Tuesday (trivia) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 7 p.m. Free.

Tuesday Trivia (trivia) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

WED.30

Karaoke Friday Night (karaoke) at Park Place Tavern & Grill, Essex Junction, 8 p.m. Free.

Live Band Karaoke (karaoke) at Bent Nails Bistro, Montpelier, 8 p.m. Free.

Rock N’ Roll Bingo with Miss Jubilee (music bingo) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 8 p.m. Free.

Singles Mixer (dating) at ArtsRiot, Burlington, 6:30-9 p.m. $35.

Trivia Night (trivia) at Dumb Luck Pub and Grill, Winooski, 7 p.m. Free. ➆

WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD HISTORY WITH ROB ... ALL OF THAT’S GOING TO INFORM WHAT WE’RE ABOUT TO DO.

JAY SCHREIBER

“You think of all the life he’s lived musically ... years of Dopapod; he’s played with [John] Medeski and DJ Logic and Mike Gordon, and all these amazing things have happened to him. All of that’s going to inform what we’re about to do, and I’m just so excited about it.”

Fans are amped up, too. “As I’ve been casually mentioning it,” Compa said, “all these people are coming out of the woodwork who know the Niche and used to see them and are excited about it.”

While the Niche are thrilled to return with such a prominent ﬁll-in, Compa hopes audiences will appreciate O’Riley’s songwriting, which ranges from staggering rock epics to absurd satires.

“The songs are so good,” Compa said. “I’ve never met anybody else who writes music as naturally and brilliantly as Willy does.” ➆

INFO

e Niche featuring Rob Compa, Saturday, April 26, 9 p.m., at Nectar’s in Burlington. $10. 21+. liveatnectars.com

calendar

APRIL 23-30, 2025

WED.23

agriculture

ASK ME ANYTHING: ORGANIC MARKETS FOR DAIRY FARMERS: Farmers, buyers and economic experts connect, learn and dialogue about the industry in the final session of this three-part virtual series. Hosted by NOFA-VT. 2-3 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 434-4122.

business

QUEEN CITY BUSINESS NETWORKING INTERNATIONAL GROUP: Savvy businesspeople make crucial contacts at a weekly chapter meeting. BCA Center, Burlington, 11:15 a.m.1 p.m. Free. Info, 829-5066.

community

CURRENT EVENTS: Neighbors have an informal discussion about what’s in the news. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30 a.m.noon. Free. Info, 878-4918.

FAIR HOUSING MONTH: Inperson and online workshops, neighborhood discussions, virtual panels, and art activities raise awareness about housing discrimination in Vermont. Various locations statewide, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Free. Info, fhp@ cvoeo.org.

crafts

FLOWER-MAKING WORKSHOP: Participants channel spring while learning how to create lapel pins in the colors associated with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Faith United Methodist Church, South Burlington, 1-2:30 p.m. Free. Info, 316-3839.

YARN CRAFTERS GROUP: A drop-in meetup welcomes knitters, crocheters, spinners, weavers and other fiber artists. BYO snacks and drinks. Must Love Yarn, Shelburne, 5-7 p.m. Free. Info, 448-3780.

food & drink

COMMUNITY COOKING: Neighbors join up with the nonprofit’s staff and volunteers to make a yummy meal for distribution. Pathways Vermont, Burlington, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, 777-8691.

health & fitness

CHAIR YOGA: Waterbury Public Library instructor Diana Whitney leads at-home participants in gentle stretches supported by seats. 10 a.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

music

SHIRE CHOIR SPRING MINISESSION: Vocalists band together and raise their voices in sweet harmonies, taught by ear. Highland Center for the

These community event listings are sponsored by the WaterWheel Foundation, a project of the Vermont band Phish.

LIST YOUR UPCOMING EVENT HERE FOR FREE!

All submissions must be received by Thursday at noon for consideration in the following Wednesday’s newspaper. Find our convenient form and guidelines at sevendaysvt.com/postevent

Listings and spotlights are written by Rebecca Driscoll 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. Class organizers may be asked to purchase a class listing.

Learn more about highlighted listings in the Magnificent 7 on page 11.

Main Stage, Burlington, 8 p.m. $66.66-100. Info, 863-5966.

words

Arts, Greensboro, 6-7:30 p.m. $5-20. Info, wilsonheidiann@ gmail.com.

SILO SESSIONS: MIKAHELY: A singer-songwriter transcends musical boundaries with Malagasy rhythms played on the guitar and valiha. Bread & Butter Farm, Shelburne, 7-9:30 p.m. $15-18. Info, 985-9200.

STUDENT RECITALS: The university’s music undergrads assume the spotlight for solos, duets and group performances, spanning genres from classical to contemporary. University of Vermont Recital Hall, Burlington, 7:30-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, 656-3040.

sports

GREEN MOUNTAIN TABLE

TENNIS CLUB: Ping-Pong players swing their paddles in singles and doubles matches. Rutland Area Christian School, 7-9 p.m. Free for first two sessions; $30 annual membership. Info, 247-5913.

talks

CHARLIE NARDOZZI: A horticulturist digs into topics such as ecological gardening, adaptation to climate change and all things pollinators.

South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 6-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

N.O. BONZO & WILLIAM

GILLIS: Two artists and thinkers discuss the intersection of creativity, radical history and anarchism. A Q&A follows. Williams Hall, University of Vermont, Burlington, 5-7 p.m. Free. Info, 656-3166.

theater

‘DEAR EVAN HANSEN’: Thespians flock to the Tony Award-winning smash hit the Washington Post called “one of the most remarkable shows in musical theater history.” Flynn

KERSTIN LANGE: The Vermont writer and journalist reads from Phantom Border: A Personal Reconnaissance of Contemporary Germany, which explores migration, identity and belonging in relation to militarized borderlands. Virtual option available. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 5-6 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 262-2626.

THU.24

business

GROW YOUR BUSINESS:

Shelburne BNI hosts a weekly meeting for local professionals to exchange referrals and build meaningful connections. Connect Church, Shelburne, 8:30-10 a.m. Free. Info, 377-3422.

community

FAIR HOUSING MONTH: See WED.23.

WOMEN/FEM FILMMAKERS MEETUP: Female-identifying film enthusiasts explore the center’s available gear and studios, share projects, get inspiration, and make connections at a collaborative gathering. The Media Factory, Burlington, 6-8 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister. Info, 651-9692.

crafts

KNIT FOR YOUR NEIGHBOR: All ages and abilities knit or crochet hats and scarves for the South Burlington Food Shelf. Materials provided. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 2-5 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

KNITTING GROUP: Knitters of all experience levels get together to spin yarns. Latham Library, Thetford, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 785-4361.

WOODWORKING LAB: Visionaries create a project or learn a new skill with the help of mentors and access to tools and equipment in the makerspace. Patricia A. Hannaford Career Center, Middlebury, 5-8 p.m. $7.50. Info, 382-1012.

dance

FIND MORE LOCAL EVENTS IN THIS ISSUE AND ONLINE: art

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

See what’s playing in the On Screen section. music + nightlife

Find club dates at local venues in the Music + Nightlife section online at sevendaysvt.com/music.

= ONLINE EVENT

= GET TICKETS ON SEVENDAYSTICKETS.COM

building with tours, technology demos, and a meet and greet with industry experts. 12-22 North Street, Burlington, 3-6 p.m. Free. Info, info@12-22north.com.

fairs & festivals

REPAIR FAIR: Community members gather for an afternoon of learning new skills from handy folks with expertise in sewing, knife sharpening, chair caning and beyond. Bugbee Senior Center, White River Junction, 2-4 p.m. Free. Info, 295-9068.

film

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

‘ANIMAL KINGDOM 3D’: Audience members are guided through an exploration of stunning animal worlds, from frozen snowy forests to the darkest depths of the ocean. Dealer.com 3D Theater, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 11 a.m., 1 & 3 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $16.50-20; admission free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.

‘ANTARCTICA 3D’: Never-beforeseen footage brings audience members to the farthest reaches of the coldest, driest, windiest continent on Earth. Dealer.com 3D Theater, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 11:30 a.m., 1:30 & 3:30 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $16.5020; admission free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.

MADE HERE FILM FESTIVAL: A juried selection of flicks from the region grabs cinephiles’ attention during four days of screenings, panel discussions, workshops, special events and receptions. See madeherefilmfestival.org for full schedule. See calendar spotlight. Burlington Beer, 3:30 p.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, 660-2600.

WEEKLY CHESS FOR FUN: Players of all ability levels face off and learn new strategies. United Community Church, St. Johnsbury, 5:30-9 p.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, lafferty1949@gmail.com.

language

ITALIAN CONVERSATION GROUP: Semi-fluent speakers practice their skills during a conversazione with others. Best for those who can speak at least basic sentences. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, noon-1 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

lgbtq

EMPOWERING SKILLS FOR ALL RELATIONSHIPS: Pride Center of Vermont hosts a virtual support group for LGBTQ+ folks to explore relationship dynamics in a trauma-sensitive safe space. 6:30-8 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 863-0003.

music

DAVID WILCOX: A revered folk musician and powerful storyteller brings his heart, humor, hope and style to the stage. Willey Building Auditorium, Cabot, 7-9 p.m. $2225. Info, 793-3016.

STUDENT RECITALS: See WED.23.

québec

BLUE METROPOLIS

INTERNATIONAL LITERARY FESTIVAL: More than 160 authors and artists from around the world take part in an annual book bash featuring 120 events in eight languages. See bluemetropolis. org for full schedule. Hotel 10, Montréal. Various prices. Info, 438-453-7721.

seminars

QUAHOG DANCE THEATRE: Community members try out everything from ballet to Pilates in this group dedicated to movement and expression. Catamount Arts Center, St. Johnsbury, 1011:30 a.m. Free. Info, 748-2600.

‘RITUALS OF RETURN’: Three students share their culminating senior works at a performance exploring themes of home, history, ritual, culture and identity. Dance Theatre, Mahaney Arts Center, Middlebury College, 7:30 p.m. $515. Info, 443-6433.

environment

CELEBRATING NET ZERO: Environmentally minded attendees witness how the coworking space operates as a zero-energy

‘SPACE: THE NEW FRONTIER 3D’: Viewers witness history in the making — from launching rockets without fuel to building the Lunar Gateway — in this 2024 documentary narrated by Chris Pine. Dealer.com 3D Theater, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 10:30 a.m., 12:30, 2:30 & 4:30 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $16.50-20; admission free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.

‘T. REX: GREATEST OF ALL TYRANTS 3D’: Incredible CGI and revelations in tyrannosaur paleontology help to chronicle a remarkable discovery in the badlands of Hell Creek. Dealer.com 3D Theater, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, noon, 2 & 4 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $16.50-20; admission free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.

games

DUPLICATE BRIDGE GAMES: Snacks and coffee fuel bouts of a classic card game. Burlington Bridge Club, Williston, 12:30-4 p.m. $6. Info, 872-5722.

FINANCIAL LITERACY SERIES: INVESTING WELL: Champlain College accounting professor Cathy Duffy sheds light on myriad kinds of investments and how they work. Essex Free Library, 6-7 p.m. Free. Info, 879-0313.

theater

‘DEAR EVAN HANSEN’: See WED.23, 7:30 p.m.

‘DRACULA: A COMEDY OF TERRORS’: Audience members sink their teeth into a Bram-new reimagining of the classic gothic tale, packed with clever wordplay, pop culture references and gender-bending. Off Center for the Dramatic Arts, Burlington, 7-9 p.m. $12.50-30. Info, between.the. willows1@gmail.com.

‘GRUESOME PLAYGROUND

INJURIES’: Physical scars map the history between two childhood friends in Rajiv Joseph’s drama directed by senior student Sophie Butler-Rahman. Hepburn Zoo, Hepburn Hall, Middlebury College, 7:30 p.m. $5. Info, 443-5601.

words

EVENING BOOK GROUP: Avid readers chat about Vermont author Torrey Peters’

FAMI LY FU N

Check out these family-friendly events for parents, caregivers and kids of all ages.

• Plan ahead at sevendaysvt.com/family-fun

• Post your event at sevendaysvt.com/postevent.

WED.23

burlington

EARTH & SPACE-TACULAR FESTIVAL: Visitors ﬂing mud and ﬂy through the solar system during a week of out-ofthis-world activities honoring Earth Day. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Regular admission, $16.50-20; free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.

STEAM SPACE: Kiddos in grades K to 5 explore science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics with fun and engaging activities. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

TODDLER TIME: Librarians bring out books, rhymes and songs specially selected for young ones 12 to 24 months. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

chittenden county

BABY TIME: Infants and their caregivers gather for a gentle story session with songs, rhymes and lap play. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

GAME ON!: Kids take turns collaborating with or competing against friends using Nintendo Switch on the big screen. Caregivers must be present to supervise children below ﬁfth grade. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 5-6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

PLAY TIME: Little ones ages birth to 5 build with blocks and read together. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 1010:45 a.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

PLAYGROUP & STORY TIME: Caregivers and kids through age 5 listen to stories, sing songs and share toys with new friends. Richmond Free Library, 10 a.m.noon. Free. Info, 434-3036.

ROBLOX RIVALS: Students in grades 4 through 12 compete in the library’s inaugural tournament using the desktop version of the online game platform. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 4-5:30 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

SCHOOL VACATION CRAFTYTOWN: Kiddos express their inner artist using mediums such as paint, print, collage and sculpture. Recommended for ages 6 and up. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 1-2 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

barre/montpelier

BABY & CAREGIVER MEETUP: Wiggly ones ages birth to 18 months play and explore in a calm, supportive setting while adults relax and connect on the sidelines. Jaquith Public Library, Marshﬁeld, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.

FAMILY CHESS CLUB: Players of all ages and abilities test their skills with instructor Robert and peers.

APR. 26 | FAMILY FUN

Winging It

Guests of all ages enjoy some proper in-ﬂight entertainment at Vermont Institute of Natural Science’s Owl Festival in Quechee. Nocturnal predators take center stage at a soaring day packed with themed crafts, games to test your raptor knowledge, and meet and greets with feathered friends. Attendees tap VINS educators for info about the center’s avian residents and their wild counterparts, meet local artist Betsy Smith and discover the inspiration behind her plumy works, and join Vermont Museum of Natural History executive director Mike Clough as he swoops in to share the cultural signiﬁcance of owls in myths and legends.

OWL FESTIVAL

Saturday, April 26, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., at Vermont Institute of Natural Science in Quechee. $17-25; free for members and kids 3 and under. Info, 359-5000, vinsweb.org.

Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 2nd Floor, Children’s Library, Montpelier, 3:30-5 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

THU.24 burlington

BABY & ME CLASS: Parents and their infants ages birth to 1 explore massage, lullabies and gentle movements while discussing the struggles and joys of parenthood. Greater Burlington YMCA, 9:45-10:45 a.m. $10; free for members. Info, 862-9622.

BABY TIME: Pre-walking little ones experience a story time catered to their infant interests. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

EARTH & SPACE-TACULAR FESTIVAL:

See WED.23.

GROW PRESCHOOL YOGA: Colleen from Grow Prenatal and Family Yoga leads kids ages 2 to 5 in songs, movement and other fun activities. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

chittenden county

PRESCHOOL MUSIC WITH LINDA BASSICK: e singer and storyteller extraordinaire guides wee ones ages birth to 5 in indoor music and movement. Dorothy Alling Memorial

Library, Williston, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

PRESCHOOL PLAY TIME: Pre-K patrons play and socialize after music time. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

STORY TIME: Little ones ages birth to 5 learn from songs, crafts and picture books. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 10-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

barre/montpelier

MR. PAUL’S VARIETY SHOW STORY

TIME: Little library patrons join the entertainer for stories, music and puppets. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

POKÉMON CLUB: I choose you, Pikachu! Elementary and teenage fans of the franchise — and beginners, too — trade cards and play games. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 3:30-5 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

STORY TIME: Kids and their caregivers meet for stories, songs and bubbles. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

stowe/smuggs

WEE ONES PLAY TIME: Caregivers bring kiddos under 4 to a new sensory learning experience each week. Morristown Centennial Library, Morrisville, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 888-3853.

mad river valley/ waterbury

BUSY BEES PLAYGROUP: Blocks, toys, books and songs engage little ones 24 months and younger. Waterbury Public Library, 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

northeast kingdom

ACORN CLUB STORY TIME: Youngsters 5 and under play, sing, hear stories and color. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 10:1510:45 a.m. Free. Info, 745-1391.

CIRCUS SPRINGBOARD: ‘THANK YOU FOR WAITING’: e New England Center for Circus Arts presents a modern bigtop tale featuring unique aerial feats, inventive acrobatic expression and laughout-loud comedy for all ages. Highland Center for the Arts, Greensboro, 1-3 p.m. $5. Info, 254-9780.

FRI.25

burlington

EARTH & SPACE-TACULAR FESTIVAL: See WED.23.

PARENTS’ NIGHT OUT: Children ages 4 to 13 enjoy an evening of screen-free entertainment, STEM activities and a nutritious meal while mom and dad hit the town for a much-needed date night. First Congregational Church, Burlington, 5-8 p.m. $25-35. Info, 845-820-6200.

chittenden county

LEGO BUILDERS: Mini makers explore and create new worlds with stackable blocks. Recommended for ages 6 and up. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 3-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

barre/montpelier

LEGO CLUB: Budding builders create geometric structures with snap-together blocks. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 3:30-5 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

STORY TIME & PLAYGROUP: Participants ages 5 and under enjoy themed science, art and nature activities. Jaquith Public Library, Marshﬁeld, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.

upper valley

LITTLE FARM HANDS: Children ages birth to 4 explore farm life in a way that’s just their size at this touch-friendly exhibit that sparks curiosity and builds conﬁdence. Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Regular admission, $12-19; free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 457-2355.

STORY TIME: Preschoolers take part in tales, tunes and playtime. Latham Library, etford, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 785-4361.

northeast kingdom

PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: Youngsters and their caregivers delight in beautiful books, silly songs, creative crafts and unplugged play in the library’s cozy children’s room. Craftsbury Public Library, Craftsbury Common, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 586-9683.

SAT.26

burlington

EARTH & SPACE-TACULAR FESTIVAL: See WED.23.

FAMILY ART SATURDAY: Families celebrate Earth Day with a drop-in activity inspired by the landscape paintings of exhibiting artist Bunny Harvey. Burlington City Arts, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 207-323-6546.

FAMILY PLAYSHOP: Wee ones ages birth to 5 explore a range of themes and rotating activities designed to promote school readiness and foster creativity. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE DAY

STORY TIME: Families browse a thoughtful display of local children’s art throughout the Church Street Marketplace, then enjoy a special reading of Shark Girl by Kate Beaton. Phoenix Books, Burlington, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 448-3350.

KIDS FEST: Fun, health and safety combine at an all-ages party featuring activities such as crafts, games, airbrush tattoos, a bouncy house and live music. Language interpreters available. Greater Burlington YMCA, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 862-9622.

COURTESY

tender exploration of gender, Detransition, Baby. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 6-7 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

GEORGE’S MYSTERY BOOK

GROUP: Patrons chat about Robert Harris’ twisty page-turners The Ghost and Conclave with resident whodunit expert George Spaulding. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 6:15-8 p.m. Free. Info, gspaulding@ kellogghubbard.org.

LAMPSHADE POETS OPEN MIC: Local wordsmiths share their original works and have the opportunity to be recorded for the nonprofit’s community access station and YouTube channel. Junction Arts & Media, White River Junction, 6-7:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 295-6688.

SONNETS & SANDWICHES: Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Lit lovers bring their favorite work — from Francesco Petrarch to contemporary — and a sandwich to snack on while sharing. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, noon-1 p.m. Free. Info, davidhartnett@mac.com.

FRI.25

business

NEK WORKFORCE PARTNERS’

JOB & RESOURCE FAIR: Curious and career-minded individuals meet with prospective employers and partner state agencies face-to-face. Community College of Vermont, Newport, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, dallas.willey@ vermont.gov.

community

FAIR HOUSING MONTH: See WED.23.

crafts

PRINT-N-COLLAGE

EXPLORATION: Crafters design custom printing tools, create patterned papers and transform them into cards to use for upcoming celebrations. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

dance

SHELBURNE CONTRA DANCE: No partner or experience is necessary when Don Stratton calls the steps and Atlantic Crossing provide the tunes. Bring clean, softsoled shoes. A beginner lesson is offered at 6:45 p.m. Shelburne Town Hall, 7-10 p.m. $5-12 cash or check; free for kids under 12. Info, info@queencitycontras.com.

environment

CITY NATURE CELEBRATION: Burlington Wildways facilitates a packed week of environmentally focused activities, such as the regional BioBlitz challenge, Earth Day Trivia at Rí Rá Irish Pub and a tree identification workshop. Church Street Marketplace, Burlington. Free. Info, 863-1648.

fairs & festivals

MONTPELIER MUDFEST: A threeday jubilee punctuates Vermont’s fifth season with adventurous events such as the Muddy Onion Gravel Grinder, the Gear Makers Festival and the Mucker Mud Run 5K. See montpelieralive.org for full schedule. See calendar spotlight. Various locations in downtown Montpelier, 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Various prices. Info, 262-6265. THE NEW ENGLAND LOG & TIMBER HOME DESIGN-BUILD EXPO: Attendees consult with seasoned builders, suppliers and designers at this celebration of all things home. DoubleTree by Hilton, South Burlington, 1-7 p.m. $10-12; free for kids 18 and under. Info, 866-607-4108.

VERMONT MAPLE FESTIVAL: The state’s liquid gold takes center stage with cooking contests, live music and a giant parade. See vtmaplefestival.org for full schedule. Various St. Albans locations. Various prices. Info, 528-6579.

film

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

‘ANIMAL KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.24.

‘ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.24.

‘CLAIM THE LANE: BECOMING ROXY’: Cinephiles attend a sneak-peek screening of Jesse Huffman’s documentary about Roxy Bombardier, an Iraq veteran and amateur cyclist who came out as transgender at age 51. Film House, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 6-8 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, claimthelanefilm@ gmail.com.

MADE HERE FILM FESTIVAL: See THU.24, 1 p.m.

‘SPACE: THE NEW FRONTIER 3D’: See THU.24.

‘T. REX: GREATEST OF ALL TYRANTS 3D’: See THU.24.

games

DUPLICATE BRIDGE GAMES: See THU.24, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

health & fitness

GUIDED MEDITATION

ONLINE: Dorothy Alling Memorial Library invites attendees to relax on their lunch breaks and reconnect with their bodies. Noon-12:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, programs@ damlvt.org.

MINDFULNESS MEDITATION:

Community members gather for an informal session combining stimulating discussion, sharing and sitting in silence. Pathways Vermont, Burlington, 1:15-2:15 p.m. Free. Info, 777-8691. language

FRENCH SOCIAL HOUR: The Alliance Française of the Lake Champlain Region hosts a rendez-vous over cocktails. Hilton Garden Inn Burlington Downtown, 5:30-7 p.m. Free; cash bar. Info, bbrodie@aflcr.org.

APR. 24-27 | FILM

MADE HERE FILM FESTIVAL

Reel Talk

Vermont Public and the Vermont International Film Foundation present the fifth annual Made Here Film Festival at Burlington Beer’s historic factory building — fittingly built by early cinema pioneers Auguste and Louis Lumière. The hotly anticipated four-day fête dedicates well-deserved screen time to flicks made by auteurs from New England and our neighbors to the north. Cinephiles exult in a stunning lineup of 50 regional features and shorts, as well as illuminating workshops, panel discussions and receptions, with more than 40 filmmakers in attendance.

Promises VTIFF executive director Steve MacQueen: “The range of genres, styles, techniques and perspectives is breathtaking.”

Thursday, April 24, 3:30 p.m.; Friday, April 25, 1 p.m.; and Saturday, April 26, and Sunday, April 27, 10:30 a.m., at Burlington Beer. Free; donations accepted. Info, 660-2600, madeherefilmfestival.org.

lgbtq

RPG NIGHT: Members of the LGBTQ community get together weekly for role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons and Everway. Rainbow Bridge Community Center, Barre, 5:308:30 p.m. Free. Info, 622-0692.

VERMONT FREEDOM TO MARRY

SILVER ANNIVERSARY: The college’s Special Collections department hosts a celebratory panel discussion featuring speakers involved in the landmark Baker v. Vermont case — one of the first judicial affirmations of the right of same-sex couples to wed. Davis Family Library, Middlebury College, 3 p.m. Free. Info, specialcollections@middlebury. edu.

music

BETTY: An all-female indie-rock band making waves since 1986 brings clever lyrics, mind-blowing harmonies and political activism to the stage. Virtual option available. Next Stage Arts, Putney, 7:30 p.m. $10-25. Info, 387-0102.

DIRTY DEEDS: THE AC/DC EXPERIENCE: A high-voltage tribute band celebrates the thunderous energy of the genre-defying Australian rock group with a power-packed performance of its hits. Paramount Theatre,

Rutland, 7-9 p.m. $29-39. Info, 775-0903.

THE DROP OFFS: A Vermont band featuring a cast of well-traveled musicians plays original compositions, as well as funk, rock and dance covers that’ll get guests moving. Chandler Music Hall, Randolph, 7-9 p.m. $10-40. Info, 728-9878.

JESSE AGAN: The Music of Queen front man goes solo for a night of one-of-a-kind vocals, high-octane vibes and stellar covers. Vermont Cider Lab, Essex, 6-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, 876-7702.

LANE SERIES: STEPHANE WREMBEL QUARTET: An acclaimed guitarist specializing in the style of legendary Romani composer Django Reinhardt assumes the spotlight for an energetic performance of jazz manouche tunes. University of Vermont Recital Hall, Burlington, 7:30-9:30 p.m. $5-35. Info, 656-4455.

LOCALS NIGHT: Oenophiles enjoy the vineyard’s offerings, small bites and live tunes by Vermont musicians in a cozy, intimate setting. Lincoln Peak Vineyard, New Haven, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 388-7368.

SAM AMERICANA SAMPLER: CHRIS STAPLES: An American indie-rock musician dazzles listeners with phenomenal guitar

skills. Saint Albans Museum, 7-10 p.m. $20; free for members. Info, 527-7933.

québec

BLUE METROPOLIS INTERNATIONAL LITERARY FESTIVAL: See THU.24.

SOUTH ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL OF MONTRÉAL: The Kabir Centre for Arts & Culture presents two stacked weekends of new films from the Indian subcontinent and its diaspora. Virtual option available. See saffm.centrekabir. com for full schedule. Various Montréal locations. $5-10 suggested donation; $35 for festival pass. Info, 514-620-4182.

sports

SPRING SLAM TOUR: Wrestling enthusiasts embark on an adrenaline-packed evening featuring thrilling bouts between top athletes in the ring. O.N.E. Community Center, Burlington, 6-9 p.m. $20-75. Info, 373-4632.

talks

KRISTINA SARGENT: A Middlebury College professor of economics presents an enlightening talk titled “Finding Their Bearings: Navigating Europe’s New Challenges.” Faith United Methodist Church, South

Burlington, 2-3 p.m. $8 cash or check; free for members. Info, 343-5177.

tech

PHONE & TECH SUPPORT: Perplexed patrons receive aid from library staff on a first-come, first-served basis. Fletcher Free Library New North End Branch, Burlington, 10 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 863-3403.

theater

‘DRACULA: A COMEDY OF TERRORS’: See THU.24.

words

LITERARY OPEN MIC: Got words? Poets, storytellers and writers perform rousing works, including slam pieces, sonnets and excerpts. Stone Valley Arts, Poultney, 7 p.m. Free; preregister to perform. Info, stonevalleyartscenter@ gmail.com.

MEDITATIONS IN AN EMERGENCY: POETS IN

CONVERSATION: Vermont poets Bianca Stone, Karin Gottshall, Alison Prine, Elizabeth Powell and Diana Whitney read stirring works, followed by an audience Q&A and conversation about the role of poetry in our lives. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Free. Info, dianawhitneypoet@ gmail.com.

SAT.26

agriculture

FREE SKILL SHARE: Flywheel Farm owner Ansel Ploog demonstrates how healthy soil is the basis of responsible land stewardship and successful food production. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 2-3 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 426-3581.

SPRING INTO GARDENING

DAY: Green thumbs jump-start the growing season at a full day of workshops and activities centered on the different aspects of planting. Red Wagon Plants, Hinesburg, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Free; cost of workshops. Info, 482-4060.

VON TRAPP TULIP

SUPERBLOOM: Flower enthusiasts revel in an afternoon of vibrant flora and festive refreshments, then cut a bouquet to bring home. Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 1-4 p.m. $35. Info, 855-650-0080.

bazaars

BLOOM FLOWER & HOME

MARKET: House plants, home décor, art and apothecary products get shoppers in the mood for springtime. Hula, Burlington, noon-6 p.m. $8-10. Info, hello@ bloomflowerandhome.com.

community

FAIR HOUSING MONTH: See WED.23.

crafts

ALL HANDS TOGETHER

COMMUNITY CRAFTING GROUP: Marshfield spinning maven Donna Hisson hosts a casual gathering for fiber fans of all abilities to work on old projects or start something new. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.

dance

DEVISING LAB: CHOREOGRAPHY & CARDBOARD: Vermont Dance Alliance resident artist Michael Bodel leads attendees in an interdisciplinary movement workshop using cardboard as a performance partner. Ages 18 and up. Chase Dance Studio, the Flynn, Burlington, 10-11:30 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 863-5966.

environment

BACKYARD COMPOSTING: Mad River Resource Management Alliance administrator John Malter shares facts about reducing waste and turning food scraps into nutrient-rich soil for a balanced ecosystem. Waterbury Public Library, 10-11:30 a.m. Free; preregister by Apr. 23. Info, malterport@aol.com.

CITY NATURE CELEBRATION: See FRI.25.

EARTH DAY ON THE

MARKETPLACE: Neighbors congregate for live music, games and ice cream while connecting with local organizations helping to protect our planet. Church Street Marketplace, Burlington, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 863-1648.

EARTH DAY CLEANUP: Rozalia

Project and other local organizations welcome volunteers to help clear the waterfront of waste. Sorting follows at Church Street Marketplace. Community Sailing Center, Burlington, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, info@ rozaliaproject.org.

etc.

CITIZEN CIDER MOVING PARTY:

Foodies help the Vermont beverage crafters say goodbye to their Pine Street location with a proper send-off, including live music by Josh Panda, retail discounts, corn dogs, games and prizes. Citizen Cider, Burlington, 3-8 p.m. Free; cost of food and drink. Info, 497-1987.

‘FOLLOW YOUR ART’: Theatergoers delight in diverse performances highlighting the artistic journey from budding talent to professional artistry at this benefit for New England School of the Arts. Lebanon Opera House, N.H., 7 p.m. $35. Info, 603-448-0400.

LINCOLN FORUM DINNER: People who share a deep interest in the life and times of Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War era gather for a meal and a keynote presentation by historian Harold Holzer. Hildene, the Lincoln Family Home, Manchester, 6 p.m. $195. Info, 800-578-1788.

SISTERHOOD CAMPFIRE:

Women and genderqueer folks gather in a safe and inclusive space to build community through journaling, storytelling, gentle music and stargazing. Leddy Park, Burlington, 7-9 p.m. Free. Info, sisterhoodcampfire@ gmail.com.

fairs & festivals

FESTIVAL OF QUILTS: Needleand-thread enthusiasts find heaven at a patchwork party featuring more than 150 quilts, knowledgeable vendors and a consignment boutique. Rutland Town Elementary School, 9 a.m.5 p.m. $8; free for kids under 12. Info, cbquilts295@gmail.com.

MONTPELIER MUDFEST: See FRI.25, 8 a.m.-11 p.m. THE NEW ENGLAND LOG & TIMBER HOME DESIGN-BUILD EXPO: See FRI.25, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

VERMONT CRANKIE FEST: Moving panoramas take center stage at this annual event celebrating the old-timey type of analog storytelling. Live ASL interpretation available. New England Youth Theatre, Brattleboro, 7:30-9 p.m. $25-35 sliding scale. Info, 246-6398.

VERMONT GEAR MAKERS

FESTIVAL: Vermont’s outdoor goods and apparel suppliers come together for a makers’ fair featuring repair clinics and a vendors’ market. Downtown Montpelier, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. Info, gearmakersfestival@ gmail.com.

VERMONT MAPLE FESTIVAL: See FRI.25.

VERMONT SCI-FI, FANTASY & HORROR EXPO: Cosplayers, artisans, authors, artists and

vendors unite for a weekend of whimsical workshops, demos and role-playing games. Champlain Valley Exposition, Essex Junction, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $5-30; free for kids under 6. Info, 778-9178.

VETERANS PLACE CRAFT FAIR: Community members peruse silent auction items and special handmade wares crafted by local purveyors to benefit veterans experiencing homelessness. Mount Abraham Union High School, Bristol, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Free. Info, bbarsalou@comcast.net.

film

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

‘ANIMAL KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.24.

‘ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.24.

FLY FISHING FILM TOUR: Anglers view screenings of short films from around the world, all pertaining to the art of casting a line. Savoy Theater, Montpelier, 6:30-8:30 p.m. $20. Info, 233-9984.

MADE HERE FILM FESTIVAL: See THU.24, 10:30 a.m.

‘SPACE: THE NEW FRONTIER 3D’: See THU.24.

‘T. REX: GREATEST OF ALL TYRANTS 3D’: See THU.24.

games

BINGO: Daubers in hand, players strive for five in a row — and cash prizes. Proceeds support the restoration efforts of St. Peter’s Historic Preservation Committee. St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Vergennes, 6-9 p.m. $510. Info, 877-2367.

CHESS CLUB: All ages and abilities face off and learn new strategies. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 11 a.m.2 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

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.

film

See what’s playing at theaters in the On Screen section. music + nightlife

Find club dates at local venues in the Music + Nightlife section online at sevendaysvt.com/ music.

Learn more about highlighted listings in the Magnificent 7 on page 11.

= ONLINE EVENT

= GET TICKETS ON SEVENDAYSTICKETS.COM

Need info? Contact Gillian English at 865-1020, ext. 115 or superreaders@sevendaysvt.com. Or send a note (and a check) to: Seven Days c/o Super Readers, PO Box 1164, Burlington, VT 05402

D&D & TTRPG GROUP: Fans of Dungeons & Dragons and other tabletop role-playing games embark on a new adventure with a rotating cast of game masters. Virtual option available. Waterbury Public Library, 1-5 p.m. Free. Info, judi@ waterburypubliclibrary.com.

music

BURLINGTON CHORAL SOCIETY:

A Vermont ensemble performs Saul, George Frideric Handel’s epic oratorio for five vocal soloists, orchestra and chorus, dramatizing the life of the first king of Israel. Elley-Long Music Center, Saint Michael’s College, Colchester, 7:30-9:30 p.m. $30; free for kids under 18. Info, 855-708-1078.

LANE SERIES: RAY VEGA & HIS CONCERT ORCHESTRA: An AfroCaribbean jazz band made up of local musicians presents a tribute to the genre’s many legendary figures, including Tito Puente, Dizzy Gillespie, Mongo Santamaria and Ray Barretto. University of Vermont Recital Hall, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $5-20. Info, 656-4455.

RUTLAND AREA CHORUS & FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA: A local ensemble takes the stage with talent from the university’s department of music to perform Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s final masterpiece, Requiem. Casella Theater, Vermont State University-Castleton, 7 p.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, 775-4301.

RYAN SWEEZEY: A Burlington singer-songwriter plays infectious, emotional and meaningful tunes in the style of Matt Nathanson and Gin Blossoms. Vermont Cider Lab, Essex, 6-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, 876-7702.

‘THE SIMON & GARFUNKEL

STORY’: American folk-rock hits including “Mrs. Robinson” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water” propel a live multimedia show about the iconic music duo. Flynn Main Stage, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $52.75-180.25. Info, 863-5966.

SOCIAL BAND: Change comes apace! The lively a cappella singers honor springtime with a bright program titled “Green Leaves of Grass,” featuring works spanning from the Renaissance to contemporary compositions written by the ensemble’s members. Richmond Free Library, 7:309 p.m. $20 suggested donation. Info, 355-4216.

VERMONT PHILHARMONIC: In “Rhythms of Spring,” the state’s oldest community orchestra performs a dynamic program of sprightly works by Carl Maria von Weber, Maurice Ravel and Johannes Brahms. Chandler Center for the Arts, Randolph, 7:30 p.m. $5-25. Info, 223-9855.

outdoors

APRIL BIRD MONITORING WALK: New and experienced avian aficionados join a slow-paced stroll to identify flying, feathered friends. BYO binoculars. Birds of Vermont Museum, Huntington,

7:30-9 a.m. $0-15 sliding scale. Info, 434-2167.

québec

BLUE METROPOLIS INTERNATIONAL LITERARY FESTIVAL: See THU.24. FESTIVAL DE LA VOIX: The human voice gets its time in the spotlight with a packed schedule of astounding concerts, workshops and seminars. See festivaldelavoix.com for full schedule. Various Québec locations. Various prices; preregister. Info, 514-758-3641.

SOUTH ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL OF MONTRÉAL: See FRI.25.

seminars

BE UNDERSTOOD THE FIRST TIME: A PLAIN SPEAKING WORKSHOP: Walter Duda gets to the point about talking and writing clearly to meet the needs of one’s audience. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, noon2 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

VERMONT FILMMAKING 101: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: In partnership with the Made Here Film Festival, this workshop covers local resources, area festivals and industry organizations that can help jump-start careers. The Media Factory, Burlington, 1-2:30 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister. Info, 651-9692.

sports

DRAGON BOAT SIP & CHAT: Prospective athletes share a glass of wine with Malia Racing’s current paddlers and learn more about the sport, the club and upcoming summer programs. Standing Stone Wines, Winooski, 4-6 p.m. Free. Info, manager@ maliaracing.com.

theater

‘DRACULA: A COMEDY OF TERRORS’: See THU.24, 2-4 & 7-9 p.m.

words

CHELSEA STEINAUERSCUDDER: The Vermont author reads from her latest book, Mother, Creature, Kin, and sparks a conversation with listeners. Northshire Bookstore, Manchester, 4-5:15 p.m. Free. Info, onehundredyears@gmail.com.

INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE

DAY: Participants work their way through the Upper Valley Indie Bookstore Crawl, then gather at the store for celebratory activities and goodies, including a special guest bookseller, a scavenger hunt and the ever-popular “blind date with a book.” The Norwich Bookstore, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Free. Info, 649-1114.

MEET ME AT THE BOOKSTORE: Bookworms build connections — both platonic and romantic — at an after-hours mixer featuring lit-themed activities, raffles and refreshments. Ages 18 and up. Phoenix Books, Essex, 6-8 p.m. $12. Info, 872-7111.

THE PAPER POET IS IN(DIE): Attendees give a random subject prompt to poet-in-residence Bianca Amira Zanella, who then

APR. 25-27 | FAIRS & FESTIVALS

Playing Dirty

The Capital City conjures springtime vibes and messy merriment at the annual Montpelier MudFest. Morning to night, the downtown scene busts at the seams with community spirit and a range of escapades, from live music to the classic Muddy Onion Gravel Grinder, where dirt — and cow sightings — abound. If you’d rather look at a bike than ride it, the Vermont Gear Makers Festival has you covered. Or keep both feet firmly on the ground at the Mucker Mud Run, a choose-your-trail adventure through bucolic Hubbard Park. Mud is synonymous with spring in the Green Mountain State, so why not dive in?

MONTPELIER MUDFEST

Friday, April 25, 9 a.m.-11 p.m.; Saturday, April 26, 8 a.m.-11 p.m.; and Sunday, April 27, 8 a.m.-10 p.m., at various locations in downtown Montpelier. Various prices. Info, 262-6265, montpelieralive.com.

generates spontaneous bespoke verse on the typewriter. Phoenix Books, Rutland, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Free; artist donations accepted. Info, 855-8078.

POEMTOWN: Readings from local wordsmiths and open mics punctuate National Poetry Month. See poemtown.org for full schedule. Various Randolph locations, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 728-5073.

POETRY ACTION EXPRESSIONS: Members and attendees read their original works, then discuss with listeners at an afternoon honoring National Poetry Month. MAC Center for the Arts, Newport, 1-3:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, laplante@vtlink.net.

THE POETRY EXPERIENCE:

Local wordsmith Rajnii Eddins hosts a supportive writing and sharing circle for poets of all ages.

Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 1-3 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

POETS OF COLOR: Teaching artist Rajnii Eddins leads a curated showcase of poets of African descent, including Anna Capelle, Nick Ferdinand, Nadia Frazier and Amina Adesina Frances Rhoads Eddins. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 4:30-5:30 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

WRITE NOW!: Lit lovers of all experience levels hone their craft in a supportive and critique-free environment. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 10 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 223-3338.

WRITING WORKSHOP: Marguerite Dunlop leads aspiring authors in interactive exercises, including personalized feedback, practical tips and techniques that can be applied to all types of projects. Refreshments and

supplies provided. Haskell Free Library & Opera House, Derby Line, 1-3:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 888-626-2060.

SUN.27 activism

BREAD FOR PEACE: Volunteers bake fresh challah, pita and gluten-free oat bread that’s available for pick up the following day. Proceeds benefit humanitarian aid for Israel and Palestine. Ohavi Zedek Synagogue, Burlington, noon-6 p.m. Preregister to volunteer or order; cost of bread. Info, 864-0218.

‘HEALTH CARE IS A HUMAN RIGHT’: Neighbors join the Vermont Workers’ Center for a community discussion about the

impact Medicaid cuts might have on locals and the steps they can take to fight back. Refreshments provided. Junction Arts & Media, White River Junction, 2-4 p.m. Free. Info, 295-6688.

bazaars

BLOOM FLOWER & HOME MARKET: See SAT.26.

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.

film

See what’s playing at theaters in the On Screen section.

music + nightlife

Find club dates at local venues in the Music + Nightlife section online at sevendaysvt.com/ music.

Learn more about highlighted listings in the Magnificent 7 on page 11.

= ONLINE EVENT

= GET TICKETS ON SEVENDAYSTICKETS.COM

Muddy Onion Gravel Grinder

community

COMMUNITY TRASH PICKUP:

Good Samaritans join up for coffee and a jaunt through town to clean up waste and make Burlington beautiful. Vivid Coffee, Burlington, 9-10 a.m. Free. Info, 610-906-5941.

FAIR HOUSING MONTH: See WED.23.

HUMAN CONNECTION CIRCLE:

Neighbors share stories from their lives and forge deep bonds. Pickering Room, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 3-4:30 p.m. Free; preregister; limited space. Info, humanconnectioncircle@ gmail.com.

crafts

SPIN-IN SPINNING CIRCLE: Yarn makers get together and get their wheels turning. BYO fiber and spinning device. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 1-4 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

YARN CRAFTERS GROUP: See WED.23, 1-3 p.m.

dance

ST. JOHNSBURY CONTRA DANCE:

Catamount Arts hosts an evening of community building through

movement for beginners and seasoned dancers alike. Bring clean, soft-soled shoes and a dish to share at the potluck supper. St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church of St. Johnsbury, 5-8 p.m. $15-20 suggested donation. Info, 748-2600.

environment

CITY NATURE CELEBRATION: See FRI.25.

etc.

SUNDAY SOUNDS: Attendees pop by for music conducive to quiet activities such as meditating, reading, writing, thinking, relaxing — or just staring out the window! 118 Elliot, Brattleboro, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 917-239-8743.

fairs & festivals

FESTIVAL OF QUILTS: See SAT.26, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

MONTPELIER MUDFEST: See FRI.25, 8 a.m.-10 p.m.

THE NEW ENGLAND LOG & TIMBER HOME DESIGN-BUILD EXPO: See FRI.25, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

VERMONT MAPLE FESTIVAL: See FRI.25.

VERMONT SCI-FI, FANTASY & HORROR EXPO: See SAT.26.

FAMI LY FU N

chittenden county

FAMILY RENAISSANCE FAIRE: The library bids good morrow to young knights, nobles and spell casters at an afternoon replete with art, jousting and magical whimsy. Medieval costumes encouraged. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, noon-2 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

mad river valley/ waterbury

MINA SMITH: The 2025 Miss Green Mountains’ Teen and Love Your Neighbor founder reads Charlaine Sevigny’s heartfelt kids’ book The Tricky Sticky Addiction Monster for National Alcohol Awareness Month. Recommended for children ages 5 to 10. Inklings Children’s Books, Waitsfield, 11 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 496-7280.

upper valley

BABY FARM ANIMAL CELEBRATION:

Lambs and bunnies and chicks — oh, my! Meet the freshest and fuzziest faces on the farm while stopping by an obstacle course, a critter-themed sensory station and farmer story time. Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Regular admission, $12-19; free for members and kids under 3. Info, 457-2355.

LITTLE FARM HANDS: See FRI.25.

OWL FESTIVAL: Nocturnal neighbors take over the nature center for a hoot-enanny featuring meet and greets, crafts, and themed games. See calendar spotlight. Vermont Institute of Natural Science, Quechee, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. $17-25;

film

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

‘ANIMAL KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.24.

‘ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.24. MADE HERE FILM FESTIVAL: See THU.24, 10:30 a.m.

MNFF SELECTS NOIR SERIES:

‘WINTER’S BONE’: Jennifer Lawrence stars as Ozark Mountain teen Ree Dolly in this 2010 mystery thriller about a dangerous quest for truth. Town Hall Theater, Middlebury, 3 p.m. $17. Info, 382-9222.

NXT FEAST & FILM SERIES: ‘THE LUNCHBOX’: Viewers warm their hearts with Ritesh Batra’s 2013 rom-com about a lonely housewife and a widower who form a unique bond through letters. Post-screening, attendees enjoy a festive Indian dinner crafted by Leda’s Kitchen. Next Stage Arts, Putney, 5 p.m. $8; $40 for film and dinner. Info, 387-0102.

‘SPACE: THE NEW FRONTIER 3D’: See THU.24.

‘T. REX: GREATEST OF ALL TYRANTS 3D’: See THU.24.

free for members and kids 3 and under. Info, 359-5000.

northeast kingdom

SATURDAY ANIMAL STORY TIME: ‘LILLY

THE DOG’: Critter lovers join Ashley LaRoche and her furry, four-legged pal for a special morning meetup. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 11 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 748-8291.

SUN.27

burlington

EARTH & SPACE-TACULAR FESTIVAL:

See WED.23, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

FAM JAMS: Musician and early childhood educator Alex Baron facilitates an interactive morning of music and casual play. The Guild Hall, Burlington, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 318-4231.STEAM PLAY & LEARN: Youngsters ages 4 to 12 explore science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics with the library’s new building tool, the Rigamajig. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 2-4 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 863-3403.

chittenden county

MUSIC OF THE BEATLES & MORE FOR KIDS: Tots and caregivers play, laugh and sing at an afternoon of iconic hits performed by the Rock and Roll Playhouse. Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, noon. $16-18; free for kids under 1. Info, 652-0777.

SOCIAL SUNDAYS: Families participate in fun and educational art activities with diverse mediums and themes. All supplies and instruction provided. Milton Artists’ Guild Art Center & Gallery, 1-3 p.m. Free. Info, 891-2014.

barre/montpelier

EARTH DAY CELEBRATION: 350Vermont hosts a fun-filled afternoon of

games

DUPLICATE BRIDGE GAMES: See THU.24, 1-4:30 p.m.

health & fitness

KARUNA COMMUNITY

MEDITATION: A YEAR TO LIVE (FULLY): Participants practice keeping joy, generosity and gratitude at the forefront of their minds. Jenna’s House, Johnson, 10-11:15 a.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, mollyzapp@live.com.

NEW LEAF SANGHA

MINDFULNESS PRACTICE: New and experienced meditators alike practice together in the Plum Village tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. Hot Yoga Burlington, 6-7:45 p.m. Free. Info, newleafsangha@ gmail.com.

SYNTHESIZER & SINGING BOWL

SOUND BATH: Participants don comfy clothes and escape into a relaxing atmosphere of soothing sounds designed to stir the soul and rest the mind. Heart Song Aerial Healing Arts, Burlington, 1-3 p.m. $10-25 suggested donation; preregister. Info, 777-0626.

community building for families interested in climate justice, featuring songs, circle time, chalk art, face painting and refreshments. Vermont Statehouse lawn, Montpelier, 1-3 p.m. Free. Info, 359-3520.

middlebury

area

JOHNNY PEERS & THE MUTTVILLE COMIX: Audience members gasp and giggle at a slapstick comedy act like no other, featuring more than a dozen personality-packed canines and their hilarious ringleader. Town Hall Theater, Middlebury, 4-5 p.m. $10-20. Info, 382-9222.

upper valley

BABY FARM ANIMAL CELEBRATION: See SAT.26.

LITTLE FARM HANDS: See FRI.25.

MON.28

burlington

PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: Bookworms ages 2 to 5 enjoy a fun-filled reading time. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403. TEEN DROP-IN VOLUNTEERING: Helpful adolescents stop by the library to lend a hand with tasks such as book inventory, tidying or dusting, and preparing brochures and flyers. Snacks provided. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 3:304:30 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

chittenden county

NATURE PLAYGROUP: Budding nature lovers ages birth to 5 and their caregivers trek the trails with an experienced educator. Green Mountain Audubon Center, Huntington, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 434-3068.

PARENTING BOOK CLUB: Even if they haven’t finished the current selection,

lgbtq

BOARD GAME DAY: LGBTQ tabletop fans bring their own favorite games to the party. Rainbow Bridge Community Center, Barre, 1-6 p.m. Free. Info, 622-0692.

CRAFT CLUB: Creative queer folks work on their knitting, crocheting and sewing projects. Rainbow Bridge Community Center, Barre, 10 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 622-0692.

LGBTQ FIBER ARTS

GROUP: A knitting, crocheting and weaving session welcomes all ages, gender identities, sexual orientations and skill levels. Presented by Pride Center of Vermont. Noon-1 p.m. Free. Info, laurie@pridecentervt. org.

music

ALINA IBRAGIMOVA & CÉDRIC

TIBERGHIEN: The college’s 105th season closes with a bang as the violin and piano duo takes the stage to perform vivacious works by composers from Gerald Barry to Ludwig van Beethoven. Robison Concert Hall, Mahaney Arts Center, Middlebury College, 3 p.m. $5-25. Info, 443-6433.

caregivers are welcome at a no-pressure gathering to discuss titles offering tips and strategies for raising kids. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 5:306:30 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

mad river valley/ waterbury

TODDLER TIME: Little tykes ages 5 and under have a blast with songs, stories, rhymes and dancing. Waterbury Public Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

upper valley

LITTLE FARM HANDS: See FRI.25.

TUE.29 burlington

‘DRAGONS AND MYTHICAL BEASTS’: Audience members enter into a magical world of magic and monsters at a fantastical, mind-blowing puppet show for all ages. Flynn Main Stage, Burlington, 6 p.m. $27.25-48.50. Info, 863-5966.

SING-ALONG WITH LINDA BASSICK: Babies, toddlers and preschoolers sing, dance and wiggle along with Linda. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

chittenden county

STORY TIME: Youngsters from birth to 5 enjoy a session of reading, rhyming and singing. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

TODDLER TIME: Wiggly wee ones ages 1 and up love this lively, interactive storybook experience featuring songs, rhymes and finger plays. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 9:15-9:45 & 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

‘THE AMERICAN GOSPEL TRADITION’: Eric Milnes directs an extraordinary program featuring the choral arrangements of distinguished Black American composer Moses Hogan. College Street Congregational Church, Burlington, 4-6 p.m. $40; free for students and kids. Info, 238-5434.

CHENG2 DUO: A pair of captivating Canadian musicians keeps listeners enthralled with a program featuring works by Manuel de Falla, Igor Stravinsky and Claude Debussy. South Church Hall, St. Johnsbury, 3-5 p.m. $6-20. Info, 745-9544.

‘COSÌ FAN TUTTE’: Listeners delight in a concert version of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s exceptionally refined opera, sung in Italian. McCarthy Arts Center, Saint Michael’s College, Colchester, 3-5 p.m. $25. Info, 324-9842.

DANIEL LIN & ELI HECHT: Two Upper Valley composers and musical improvisers serenade shoppers with fabulous tunes ranging from classical to rock. The Norwich Bookstore, 4-5 p.m. Free. Info, 649-1114.

barre/montpelier

STORY TIME: See THU.24.

northeast kingdom

LAPSIT STORY TIME: Babies 2 and under learn to love reading, singing and playing with their caregivers. Siblings welcome. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 10:15-10:45 a.m. Free. Info, 745-1391.

PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: See FRI.25.

WED.30

burlington

STEAM SPACE: See WED.23.

TODDLER TIME: See WED.23.

chittenden county

BABY TIME: See WED.23. ‘THE DEVELOPMENTAL IMPACT OF SCREEN USE IN CHILDREN & YOUTH’: Parents and caregivers learn about a public health initiative to address the growing crisis of screen addiction and its impact on health. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 6-7 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

GAME ON!: See WED.23.

PLAY TIME: See WED.23.

PLAYGROUP & STORY TIME: See WED.23.

TEEN ANIME CLUB: Fans in grades 6 through 12 watch their favorite shows with friends and snacks. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 4-5 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

barre/montpelier

BABY & CAREGIVER MEETUP: See WED.23.

FAMILY CHESS CLUB: See WED.23. K

GARNET ROGERS: A charismatic singer brings smooth tones, incredible range and thoughtful, dramatic phrasing to the stage. Roots & Wings Coffeehouse at UUCUV, Norwich, 4-6 p.m. $22. Info, 649-8828.

JAZZ CAFÉ: Fans of the genre delight in a showcase of live tunes performed by professional and up-and-coming Vermont musicians in an intimate setting. Stone Valley Arts, Poultney, 3 p.m. Free. Info, stonevalleyartscenter@ gmail.com.

MICHAEL ARNOWITT: A renowned pianist acclaimed for his imaginative musical landscapes and warm, engaging stage presence performs compelling classical works. Plainfield Town Hall Opera House, 4 p.m. $20 suggested donation. Info, plainfieldartsvt@ gmail.com.

RUTLAND AREA CHORUS & FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA: See SAT.26. Grace Congregational Church, Rutland, 4 p.m.

SOCIAL BAND: See SAT.26. Faith United Methodist Church, South Burlington, 3-4:30 p.m.

SUMMER FESTIVAL REVEAL:

Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival founder Soovin Kim unveils this year’s incredible artists, captivating programs and riveting stories that await listeners at “Mozartiana: The Creative Phenomenon.” All Souls Interfaith Gathering, Shelburne, 4 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 846-2175.

québec

BLUE METROPOLIS

INTERNATIONAL LITERARY

FESTIVAL: See THU.24. FESTIVAL DE LA VOIX: See SAT.26.

‘OUR LITTLE SECRET: THE 23ANDME MUSICAL’: Theatergoers revel in the hilarious, moving and true story about a young man who discovers he’s one of more than 35 siblings around the world. Sylvan Adams Theatre, Segal Centre for Performing Arts, Montréal, 2 p.m. $75-80. Info, 514-739-7944.

SOUTH ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL OF MONTRÉAL: See FRI.25.

seminars

GOING OUT GREEN: NATURAL

BURIAL: Conservational Burial Alliance cofounder Lee Webster shares facts and information about a method that minimizes environmental impact. First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington, 1-2:30 p.m. Free. Info, 862-5630.

STORYTELLING WORKSHOP:

REINVENTING OURSELVES IN THE CURRENT MOMENT: Master storyteller Recille Hamrell leads participants in accessing deep memories, reframing personal narratives and building the confidence to share with others. Shelburne Vineyard, 3-5 p.m. $15 suggested donation; preregister. Info, rhamrell@together.net.

theater

‘DRACULA: A COMEDY OF TERRORS’: See THU.24, 2-4 p.m.

‘GREENWOOD: THE MUSICAL’: Ira Karp — a talented local teen with Down syndrome — and a production crew mount his new original work inspired by nursery rhymes, Broadway musicals, traditional folk tunes and pop hits. Highland Center for the Arts, Greensboro, 3 p.m. $10 suggested donation. Info, 533-2000.

words

ASHLEY ANNE STROBRIDGE: In honor of Earth Week, a poet reads selections from her collection, Do You Believe in Fairies? Compositions of Truth & Nature in Art & Poetry. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free. Info, astro.greenlady@ gmail.com.

J. KEVIN GRAFFAGNINO: The author and historian discusses his latest book, Ira Allen: A Biography shining new light on the politician’s prominent role in Vermont’s formative years. Ethan Allen Homestead Museum, Burlington, 2-3 p.m. Free. Info, 865-4556.

MON.28 business

VERMONT TOURISM SUMMIT: Owners, managers and employees of businesses that depend on out-of-staters convene to share insights and learn from the experts. Hotel Champlain Burlington, 10 a.m. $45-275; preregister. Info, 865-5202.

community

FAIR HOUSING MONTH: See WED.23.

crafts

FUSE BEADS CLUB: Aspiring artisans bring ideas or borrow patterns to make beaded creations. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 3:30-5 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

dance

WEST AFRICAN DANCE & DRUM CLASS: Participants learn songs, rhythms and movements to the beat of live music. Ages 13 and up. Wilson Hall, McCullough Student Center, Middlebury College, 4:306 p.m. Free. Info, 443-6433.

environment

CITY NATURE CELEBRATION: See FRI.25.

film

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

‘ANIMAL KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.24.

‘ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.24.

‘SPACE: THE NEW FRONTIER 3D’: See THU.24.

‘T. REX: GREATEST OF ALL TYRANTS 3D’: See THU.24.

games

BURLINGTON ELKS BINGO: Players grab their daubers for a competitive night of card stamping for cash prizes. Burlington Elks Lodge, 6 p.m. Various prices. Info, 862-1342.

health & fitness

LAUGHTER YOGA: Spontaneous, joyful movement and breath promote physical and emotional health. Virtual option available. Pathways Vermont, Burlington, 1:15-2:15 p.m. Free. Info, 777-8691.

language

GERMAN LANGUAGE LUNCH:

Willkommen! Speakers of all experience levels brush up on conversational skills over bagged lunches. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, noon-1 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

ITALIAN BOOK CLUB: Lovers of the language read and discuss Fabio Volo’s Quando Tutto Inizia BYO copy. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 10:15-11:15 a.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

lgbtq

QTPOC SUPPORT GROUP:

Pride Center of Vermont facilitates a safe space for trans and queer folks of color to connect, share experiences, process current events and brainstorm ideas. 6:30-8 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 863-0003.

politics

LEGISLATIVE FORUM: State Representatives Emilie Krasnow, Martin LaLonde, Kate Nugent, Bridget Burkhardt and Brian Minier shed light on what’s being debated in the Statehouse.

Virtual option available. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 6-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

québec

‘OUR LITTLE SECRET: THE 23ANDME MUSICAL’: See SUN.27, 7:30 p.m.

words

MONTHLY BOOK GROUP FOR ADULTS: Margaret Atwood’s 2023 collection of short stories, Old Babes in the Woods, inspires a lively conversation between readers. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.

RABBIT&WOLF GENERATIVE POETRY WORKSHOP:

Wordsmiths gather to write, share and connect in a welcoming space where all voices are valued and creativity flows. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 5:30-7 p.m. Free. Info, commastruggle@ gmail.com.

READ LIKE A WRITER:

New England Readers & Writers hosts a virtual reading group for lit lovers to chat about short stories, both contemporary and classic. 6:30-8 p.m. Free. Info, 372-1132.

TUE.29

activism

TAKE BACK THE NIGHT: Survivors and allies raise awareness about sexual violence at an empowering H.O.P.E. Works march through Burlington, ending at city hall. Royall Tyler Theatre, University of Vermont, Burlington, 5 p.m. Free. Info, 863-1236.

business

VERMONT TOURISM SUMMIT: See MON.28, 8 a.m.

community

CURRENT EVENTS

DISCUSSION GROUP: Brownell Library holds a virtual roundtable for neighbors to pause and reflect on the news cycle. 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 878-6955. FAIR HOUSING MONTH: See WED.23.

crafts

ALL HANDS TOGETHER COMMUNITY CRAFTING GROUP: See SAT.26, 4:30-6 p.m.

dance

QUAHOG DANCE THEATRE: See THU.24.

SWING DANCE PRACTICE

SESSION: All ages and experience levels shake a leg in this friendly, casual environment designed for learning. Bring clean shoes. North Star Community Hall, Burlington, 8-9:30 p.m. $5. Info, 864-8382.

environment

CITY NATURE CELEBRATION: See FRI.25.

etc.

VERMONT LIFETIME PLANNING

EXPO: An informative afternoon covers everything from navigating one’s financial future to real estate and senior care solutions. Charlotte Senior Center, 1:303:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 658-4040.

film

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

‘ANIMAL KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.24.

‘ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.24.

‘SHADOW OF A DOUBT’: Alfred Hitchcock’s 1943 film noir thriller stars Teresa Wright as a teenage girl who suspects her uncle is a serial killer. Film House, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 540-3018.

‘SPACE: THE NEW FRONTIER 3D’: See THU.24.

‘T. REX: GREATEST OF ALL TYRANTS 3D’: See THU.24.

food & drink

COMMUNITY FORAGER’S

POTLUCK: Locavores celebrate the return of the sun with a shared meal of spring-themed dishes. Odd Fellows Lodge, Burlington, 6:30-8 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 862-7300.

games

DUPLICATE BRIDGE GAMES: See THU.24.

health & fitness

COMMUNITY MEDITATION: All experience levels engage in the ancient Buddhist practice of clearing the mind to achieve a state of calm. First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington, 5:15-6 p.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, 862-5630.

language

FRENCH CONVERSATION GROUP: French-speakers and learners meet pour parler la belle langue Burlington Bay Market & Café, 5:30-8 p.m. Free. Info, 343-5493.

ITALIAN LANGUAGE LUNCH: Speakers hone their skills in the Romance language over bagged lunches. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, noon-1 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

music

VERMONT’S FREEDOM & UNITY CHORUS: Singers come together for a weekly rehearsal inspiring positive change through the power of music. Chapel of Saint Michael the Archangel, Saint Michael’s College, Colchester, 7-9 p.m. $35 annual dues. Info, vermontsfreedomandunity chorus@gmail.com.

outdoors

EZ BREEZY BIKE RIDES: Cyclists don circa-2000 outfits and enjoy a fun-filled, casual group ride around Burlington. BYO bike. Local Motion, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free. Info, 861-2700.

québec

‘OUR LITTLE SECRET: THE 23ANDME MUSICAL’: See SUN.27, 7:30 p.m.

seminars

ALL-IN-ONE MOBILE AUDIO & VIDEO PRODUCTION: Media enthusiasts of all experience levels learn how to create and use on-the-go kits for recording. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 3:30-5:30 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister. Info, 651-9692. YOUR CREDIT JOURNEY: Certified financial counselor Amanda Seeholzer leads a virtual session about credit’s impact on one’s life to cap off Financial Capability Month. Hosted by the Vermont Jump$tart Coalition. Noon-1 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, vtjumpstart@comcast.net.

talks

DAVE MUSKA: In “The State of Fungi: Community Science in Action,” a naturalist presents on the unique roles of spore-producing organisms in our bioregion and shares how locals can assist with conservation efforts. North Branch Nature Center, Montpelier, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 229-6206.

words

BURLINGTON LITERATURE GROUP:

Bookworms analyze Thomas Pynchon’s postmodern epic Gravity’s Rainbow over the course of 14 weeks. 6:30-8 p.m. Free. Info, info@nereaders andwriters.com.

CARLENE KUCHARCZYK: A Juniper Prize-winning poet shares her meticulously crafted debut collection, Strange Hymn in conversation with fellow writers Elizabeth A.I. Powell and Nancy Welch. The Norwich Bookstore, 7-8 p.m. Free. Info, 649-1114.

MEMBERS’ SHOWCASE: Verse lovers join the Poetry Society of Vermont for a special reading highlighting a diverse range of voices, styles and perspectives in the literary community. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 5:30-7 p.m. Free. Info, president@poetrysocietyof vermont.org.

POETRY GROUP: A supportive drop-in group welcomes those who would like to share and listen to verse. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 11 a.m.noon. Free. Info, 846-4140.

WRITING CIRCLE: Words pour out when participants explore creative expression in a low-pressure environment. Virtual option available. Pathways Vermont, Burlington, 4-5:30 p.m. Free. Info, 777-8691.

WED.30

agriculture

TRI-STATE DAIRY EXCHANGE: NAVIGATING THE FUTURE OF DAIRY: The University of Vermont hosts a monthly webinar series that focuses its lens on current industry research and programs.

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. film See what’s playing at theaters in the On Screen section. music + nightlife Find club dates at local venues in the Music + Nightlife section online at sevendaysvt.com/ music. Learn more about highlighted listings in the Magnificent 7 on page 11.

11:30 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 656-7563.

business

QUEEN CITY BUSINESS NETWORKING INTERNATIONAL GROUP: See WED.23.

community

FAIR HOUSING MONTH: See WED.23, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

crafts

YARN CRAFTERS GROUP: See WED.23.

environment

CITY NATURE CELEBRATION: See FRI.25.

food & drink

COMMUNITY COOKING: See WED.23.

games

BOARD GAME NIGHT: Game lovers enjoy an evening of friendly competition with staples such as Catan, Dominion, chess and cards. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

health & fitness

CHAIR YOGA: See WED.23.

language

PARLIAMO ITALIANO: The Vermont Italian Cultural Association hosts an evening for speakers — both beginner and native — to practice the language

of love. Pearl Street Pizza, Barre, 5-8 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, vtitalianculturalassoc@ gmail.com.

lgbtq

BILL LIPPERT: 25 years after the landmark Vermont Supreme Court decision, a local LGBTQ activist and politician remembers the fierce battle and backlash around civil unions. Brooks Memorial Library, Brattleboro, 7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 254-5290.

music

SHIRE CHOIR SPRING MINISESSION: See WED.23.

STUDENT RECITALS: See WED.23.

québec

‘OUR LITTLE SECRET: THE 23ANDME MUSICAL’: See SUN.27, 7:30 p.m.

seminars

FILMING IN OUR TV STUDIO: Media enthusiasts walk through the process of conducting interviews on set while switching between cameras and utilizing chroma-keyed backgrounds. The Media Factory, Burlington, 6-8 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister. Info, 651-9692.

sports

GREEN MOUNTAIN TABLE

TENNIS CLUB: See WED.23.

theater

‘[TITLE OF SHOW]’: Vermont Stage mounts Hunter Bell’s one-act musical following two struggling writers and their heartfelt journey through the gauntlet of creative self-expression. Ages 12 and up. Black Box Theater, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $34-54 sliding scale. Info, 862-1497.

words

APRIL OSSMANN: An author reads selections from her new poetry collection, We, then invites attendees to share short personal stories about their own positive interactions in the community. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 7-8 p.m. Free. Info, 748-8291.

DAN NOTT: A local author kicks off Drinking Water Week with a

discussion about his nonfiction graphic novel Hidden Systems: Water, Electricity, the Internet and the Secrets Behind the Systems We Use Every Day. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

ISABEL WILKERSON: A Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist shares her book, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents exploring how racial hierarchy shaped modern American society. Hotel Champlain Burlington, 4-6 p.m. $45. Info, 658-6500.

L. ANNETTE BINDER: A Germanborn author reads from her new memoir, Child of Earth and Starry Heaven, exploring motherhood, memory and memory loss. The Norwich Bookstore, 7-8 p.m. Free. Info, 649-1114. ➆

classes

THE FOLLOWING CLASS LISTINGS ARE PAID ADVERTISEMENTS. ANNOUNCE YOUR CLASS HERE FOR AS LITTLE AS $21.25/WEEK (INCLUDES SIX PHOTOS AND UNLIMITED DESCRIPTION ONLINE).

NEWSPAPER DEADLINE: MONDAYS AT 3 P.M. POST CLASS ADS AT SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POSTCLASS. GET HELP AT CLASSES@SEVENDAYSVT.COM.

arts & crafts

PEA POD CROCHET WORKSHOP: Bailey from Red Poppy Cakery teaches guests how to crochet a cute little pea pod. We will provide you with all the supplies to take home with you to ﬁnish your creation and some snacks to make the evening sweet! Wed. Apr. 30, 5:30-8 p.m. Cost: $65. Location: Red Poppy Cakery, 1 Elm St., Waterbury Village Historic District. Info: 203-400-0700, janina@redpoppycakery.net, sevendaystickets.com.

food & drink

FOCACCIA ART WORKSHOP: In this workshop, you will tackle making focaccia bread dough and creatively decorate it your own way with various herbs and veggies. You’ll go home with your own 8-inch square pan of focaccia art and the recipe to make it again on your own at home. Children must have the supervision of an adult. e ticket form includes options for plus-ones/ helpers/guardians to attend without a kit. is recipe can be vegan or vegetarian but not gluten-free. Please disclose all allergies in the ticket registration. Please note, we are not an allergen-free facility. Tue. Apr. 29, 6-7:30 p.m. Cost: $65. Location: Red Poppy Cakery, 1 Elm St., Waterbury Village Historic District. Info: 203-400-0700, janina@redpoppycakery.net, sevendaystickets.com.

movements emphasize throws, joint locks and the development of internal energy. Join our community and ﬁnd resiliency, power and grace. Inclusive training, gender-neutral dressing room/bathrooms and a safe space for all. Visitors are always welcome to watch a class! Vermont’s only intensive aikido programs. Basic classes 5 days/week.

spirituality

EXTRAORDINARY REALITIES

INTRO TO SHAMANISM

WORKSHOP: Extraordinary Realities offers an experiential introduction to the essentials of compassionate spirit relationship, communication, healing and divination. e workshop is based on the practice of shamanic journeying, which can lead to a more integrated, empowered and sustainable life with direct access to divine healing and wisdom. Learn how to journey into the compassionate spirit realms; meet your power animal and helping spirit teacher; gain spiritual power; and experience and learn about spiritual healing. May 17 & 18, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Cost: $225. Location: Shaman’s Flame, 644 Log Town Rd., East Calais. Info: Peter Clark, 802-249-2922, peterclark13@gmail.com, shamansﬂame.com.

music

TAIKO TUESDAYS, DJEMBE

martial arts

AIKIDO: THE POWER OF HARMONY: Cultivate core power, aerobic ﬁtness and resiliency. e dynamic, circular

Membership rates incl. unlimited classes 6 days/week. Contact us for info about membership rates for adults, youths & families. Location: Aikido of Champlain Valley, 257 Pine St., Burlington. Info: Benjamin Pincus, 951-8900, bpincus@burlingtonaikido.org, burlingtonaikido.org.

WEDNESDAYS!: Drum with Stuart Paton! Walk-in classes in Apr. Sessions begin May 6, Jun. 10, & Sep. 9; 4-week classes. Drop-ins welcome. Taiko on Tue.: Kids & Parents Taiko, 4-5:30 p.m.; Adult Intro Taiko, 5:30-7 p.m.; Light Saber Taiko, 7-8:30 p.m. Drums & light sabers provided. Djembe on Wed.: Intermediate Djembe, 5:307 p.m.; Beginner Djembe, 7-8:30 p.m. Drums provided. $92/4 weeks; 90-min. classes; $72 per person for Kids & Parents class. Location: Burlington Taiko, 208 Flynn Ave. Suite 3-G. Info: Stuart Paton, 802-448-0150, burlingtontaiko.org.

sports & ﬁtness

FIRST STRIDES VERMONT: Women who are beginning or returning to running and/or walking are invited to join us in

this 12-week program based on mentoring, peer support and lifestyle habits. Every Wed., May 7-Jul. 23, 5:45 p.m. Cost: $45 preregistration rate for 12-week program. Location: Williston Village Community Park. 250 Library La. Info: Kasie Enman, 802-2380820, ﬁrststridesvermont@gmail. com, ﬁrststridesvermont.com.

Find and purchase tickets for these and other classes at sevendaystickets.com. = TICKETED CLASS

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Remus

AGE/SEX: 5-year-old neutered male

ARRIVAL DATE: April 14, 2025

SUMMARY: Remus is a sweet, sensitive soul with a heart full of love, once he feels safe enough to share it. He came into our care with his brother Romulus after a change in their guardian’s lifestyle. He is naturally shy and cautious, but with a gentle approach, you can earn his trust and see the real Remus: goofy, affectionate and full of tail wags! He loves to play, enjoys cuddle sessions and has a quiet charm that’s impossible to resist. Remus is looking for someone who sees past his initial nerves and recognizes the loyal, loving friend underneath. Could you have room in your home and heart for regal Remus?

DOGS/CATS/KIDS: Remus enjoys the company of other dogs but would prefer a home without cats. He may prefer a home with older children and teens.

Visit the Humane Society of Chittenden County at 142 Kindness Court, South Burlington, Tuesday through Friday from 1 to 4 p.m. or Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. Call 862-0135 or visit hsccvt.org for more info.

DID YOU KNOW?

From puppies to adults, successful training is based in rewarding your dog for the behavior you want instead of punishing them for what you don’t. is creates a safe and secure bond between you and your pup, opening the door for a wonderful relationship.

MUSIC LESSONS

GUITAR INSTRUCTION

(1633) HAND

ASIAN RESTAURANT/GROCERY

WOODWORKING TOOLS

Buy y & Se

HOME & GARDEN

TREES/SHRUBS FOR SCREENING & LANDSCAPING

Apple, fruit, evergreen, hardwood trees, berry plants, rose & lilac bushes.

Large ﬁ eld-grown & container-grown. All grown outdoors in Eden, Vt. State inspected, 1-year warranty. $20. Call 802-309-4063 or visit arborhilltreefarm@ outlook.com.

WANT TO BUY

TOP CASH PAID FOR OLD GUITARS

Looking for 1920-1980 Gibson, Martin, Fender, Gretsch, Epiphone, Guild, Mosrite, Rickenbacker, Prairie State, D’Angelico & Stromberg guitars + Gibson mandolins &

Communit y ommunit

ANNOUNCEMENTS

$5,000 REWARD To ﬁ nd Christopher Harper, North Burlington, Vt. Must know exact location.

Hair color: brown/gray. Eye color: blue. Height: 5’8. Age: 38. Last seen on Nov. 15, 2024. Contact Burlington Police at 802-658-2700.

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

All styles/levels. Emphasis on building strong technique, thorough musicianship, developing personal style. Paul Asbell (Big Joe Burrell, Kilimanjaro, UVM & Middlebury College faculty). Info, 802-233-7731, pasbell@ paulasbell.com.

Auction Closes: Thurs., May 1 @ 10AM Preview: Mon., Apr. 28 from 11AM-1PM Items Located In: Williston, VT 05495

Hand Woodworking Tools

APARTMENTS & HOUSES FOR RENT

Precision & Craftsmanship at Your Fingertips! Discover over 800 lots of quality hand woodworking tools available at auction. Highlights include: Chisels, Planes, Saws, Hand Drills, Measuring and Marking Tools and MUCH MORE!

period req. Contact: soothinglife18@gmail. com.

TREE REMOVAL & TRIMMING

Serving Chittenden County & beyond! Working all year round, fully insured, free estimates. Call or text 315-420-6859 & ask for Evan.

FSBO $39,000. Well-established restaurant on Main St. in Barre, VT. Everything included upon purchase. Staff willing to train new owners. Plenty of opportunity to expand cuisine options, grocery section, and more! Serious inquiries only. Contact (802) 299-8241.

for sale

1-833-237-1199. (AAN CAN)

AGING ROOF? NEW HOMEOWNER? STORM DAMAGE?

You need a local expert provider that proudly stands behind its work. Fast, free estimate. Financing avail. Call 1-888-292-8225. (AAN CAN)

BURLINGTON HILL SECTION, SINGLE ROOM FOR RENT

state in back taxes?

DEREKCO LLC

NEED NEW WINDOWS?

Vehicles

All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 and similar Vermont statutes which make it illegal to advertise any preference, limitations, or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, handicap, presence of minor children in the family or receipt of public assistance, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or a discrimination. The newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate, which is in violation of the law. Our

Furnished 1-BR, 1-BA at 27 Latham Ct. Single furnished room w/ a shared BA. No cooking, NS & no pets. Sheets & towels provided. On the bus line. $200/ week or $867/mo. Call 802-862-2389 or email littlepapabear@ burlingtontelecom.net.

BURLINGTON 4-BR

NEAR UVM & HOSPITAL

Unfurnished 4-BR, 2-BA. 1,750 sq.ft. Bright, sunny ranch. Laundry, offstreet parking, private yard. Rent incl. snow removal, lawn mowing & garbage. Gas, electric, water & all other utils. paid by tenants. Year lease, NS. Refs. & credit check req. $4,600. 134 Spear St., S. Burlington, VT. Info, 802-373-2270, jtbiss@msn.com.

readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. Any home seeker who feels he or she has encountered discrimination should contact:

HUD Ofﬁce of Fair Housing 10 Causeway St., Boston, MA 02222-1092 (617) 565-5309 — OR — Vermont Human Rights Commission 14-16 Baldwin St. Montpelier, VT 05633-0633 1-800-416-2010 hrc@vermont.gov

Get tax relief now!

We’ll ﬁ ght for you! Call 1-877-703-6117. (AAN CAN)

STOP OVERPAYING FOR AUTO INSURANCE

CARS & TRUCKS

BEAUTY

PASSION NAIL & SPA: Feeling like a little pick-me-up to make it through the day more smoothly? Make your way to Passion Nail & Spa to feel better! Our top-class nail treatments are designed to kick your mood up a notch. We only use techniques & products that are proven safe & effective worldwide. You’ll be getting the highest standards of service, attention & care. For beautiful results, Passion Nail & Spa is the place for you. Info: 802-800-1584, pleikupho12345@gmail. com, passionnailspa southburlington.com/ service.

ELECTRONICS

AFFORDABLE TV & INTERNET

If you are overpaying for your service, call now for a free quote & see how much you can save: 1-844-588-6579. (AAN CAN)

FINANCIAL & LEGAL

GET TAX RELIEF

Do you owe more than $10,000 to the IRS or

A recent survey says that most Americans are overpaying for their car insurance. Let us show you how much you can save. Call now for a no-obligation quote: 1-833-399-1539. (AAN CAN)

GET DISABILITY

BENEFITS

You may qualify for disability beneﬁ ts if you are between 52 & 63 years old & under a doctor’s care for a health condition that prevents you from working for a year or more. Call now: 1-877-247-6750. (AAN CAN)

HOME & GARDEN

TREE SERVICE

Experienced, professional & insured arborist offering services to Chittenden & Addison County. Free estimates! Call or text Andrew at 508-789-8669.

COMMUNITY PROPERTY MANAGER

Multigenerational eco-community in Johnson, Vt., seeking a property manager w/ eco-conscious/ community living property maintenance skills. For detailed description of skills req., see Seven Days online ad. Beautiful living space perfect for single or couple in exchange for 12-hour workweek. Refs., trial

DerekCo Carpentry & Excavating has all of your carpentry & excavating needs covered! Visit our website & contact us for a free estimate. Info, 802-310-4090, derek@derekco.com, derekco.com.

WATER DAMAGE

CLEANUP & RESTORATION

A small amount of water can lead to major damage & mold growth in your home. We do complete repairs to protect your family & your home’s value! For a free estimate, call 24-7: 1-888-290-2264. (AAN CAN)

24-7 LOCKSMITH

We are there when you need us for home & car lockouts. We’ll get you back up & running quickly! Also, key reproductions, lock installs & repairs, vehicle fobs. Call us for your home, commercial & auto locksmith needs: 1-833-237-1233. (AAN CAN)

BEAUTIFUL BATH

UPDATES

Beautiful bath updates in as little as 1 day! Superior quality bath & shower systems at affordable prices. Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Call now: 1-833-4232558. (AAN CAN)

PEST CONTROL

Protect your home from pests safely & affordably. Roaches, bedbugs, rodents, termites, spiders & other pests. Locally owned & affordable. Call for a quote, service or an inspection today:

Drafty rooms? Chipped or damaged frames? Need outside noise reduction? New, energy-efﬁ cient windows may be the answer! Call for a consultation & free quote today: 1-877-2489944. (AAN CAN)

MOVING & HAULING

MOVING

Markoski’s has established a local reputation for being a team of friendly professionals who treat their customers like family. Based out of Chittenden County, we go across Vermont & out of state. Contact Rick at rickmarkoski@ gmail.com, & please browse our reviews & jobs on Facebook & Front Porch Forum.

1937 FORD Mild street rod, 1937 Ford. 2-door slant-back sedan. Updated w/ ’53 ﬂathead & ’39 syncro tranny. Tube shocks, sway bars front & rear. 60K original miles. Solid, reliable driver. Asking $20,000. Contact Mr. T at 802-472-7045.

GOT AN UNWANTED CAR?

Donate it to Patriotic Hearts. Fast, free pickup in all 50 states. Patriotic Hearts’ programs help veterans ﬁnd work or start their own business. Call 24-7: 1-855-4027631. (AAN CAN)

Seer ices

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

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

WANT MORE PUZZLES?

Try these online news games from Seven Days at sevendaysvt.com/games.

NEW ON FRIDAYS:

Put your knowledge of Vermont news to the test.

CALCOKU BY JOSH REYNOLDS

DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK: HH

Fill the grid using the numbers 1-6, only once in each row and column. The numbers in each heavily outlined “cage” must combine to produce the target number in the top corner, using the mathematical operation indicated. A one-box cage should be filled in with the target number in the top corner. A number can be repeated within a cage as long as it is not the same row or column.

SUDOKU BY JOSH REYNOLDS

DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK: HHH

Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each 9-box square contains all of the numbers one to nine. The same numbers cannot be repeated in a row or column.

ANSWERS ON P.74

See how fast you can solve this weekly 10-word puzzle.

Legal Notices

OFFICIAL WARNING

TOWN OF UNDERHILL — SPECIAL TOWN MEETING MAY 6, 2025

The legal voters of the Town of Underhill, in the County of Chittenden, State of Vermont are hereby NOTIFIED AND WARNED to meet for a Special Town Meeting at the Town Offices in Underhill, Vermont on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, between the hours of seven o’clock (7:00) in the forenoon (a.m.), at which time the polls will open, and seven o’clock (7:00) in the afternoon (p.m.), at which time the polls will close, to vote by Australian ballot upon the following Articles:

Article 1 Shall general obligation bonds or notes of the Town of Underhill in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed Eight Hundred Seventy-eight Thousand and 00/100 Dollars ($878,000.00), subject to reduction from available state and federal construction grants in-aid and other financial resources, be issued to finance the removal and replacement of Bridge #7 on Pleasant Valley Road?

Article 2 Shall the voters of Underhill authorize the acquisition of a new tandem axle dump truck, with plow package, at a cost not to exceed $305,000.00 to be financed over a period not to exceed five (5) years?

The legal voters of the Town of Underhill are further notified that voter qualification, registration, and absentee voting relative to said Special Town Meeting shall be as provided in Chapters 43, 51 and 55 of Title 17, Vermont Statutes Annotated.

The legal voters of the Town of Underhill are further notified and warned that a public informational meeting will be held on Thursday, May 1, 2025, at Town Hall and electronically on the GoToMeeting platform beginning at seven o’clock (7:00) in the afternoon (p.m.), for the purpose of explaining the two Articles above and the financing for them.

Adopted and approved at a meeting of the Selectboard of the Town of Underhill duly called, noticed, and held March 27, 2025.

Dated: March 27, 2025

TOWN OF UNDERHILL SELECTBOARD

/s/ Robert N Stone

Robert Stone, Chair

/s/ Patricia H Richards

Patricia Richards, Vice Chair

Absent Dan Steinbauer

/s/ Maureen CollinsKolb

Maureen CollinsKolb

/s/ Shara Tarule

Shara Tarule

Received for record this 28th day of March 2025.

/s/ Sherri Morin

Sherri Morin, Town Clerk

An informational meeting will be held on Thursday, May 1, 2025 from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Underhill Town Hall located at 12 Pleasant Valley Road. Remote options are available: Special Town Meeting Informational Meeting

5-1-2025

May 1, 2025, 7:00PM (EST)

Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone. https://meet.goto.com/592270917

You can also dial in using your phone.

Access Code: 592-270-917

United States: +1 (224) 501-3412

Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts: https://meet.goto.com/install

Additional information can be found on the Town of Underhill website: https://www.underhillvt.gov

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL – DESIGN & BUILD EMBANKMENT SLIDE REPAIRS – DUXBURY ROAD, BOLTON, VT

The Town of Bolton is seeking design-build proposals to repair two embankment slides along a stretch of Duxbury Road adjacent to the Winooski River. The bid period runs from 4/7/25 to 4/28/25. Site visits may be scheduled upon request between 4/14/25 and 4/18/25.

Bids will be opened at the first Select Board meeting following the deadline. Questions or site visit requests should be directed to: townadmin@ boltonvt.com.

Proposals may be mailed to:

Bolton Town Office

3045 Theodore Roosevelt Hwy Bolton, VT 05676

Attn: Town Administrator

Physical bid packets are preferred; digital submissions may be arranged by contacting the Town Administrator.

To view the full RFP, visit www.boltonvt.com (Announcements section) or email the address above.

NOTICE OF SELF-STORAGE LIEN SALE

CHIMNEY CORNERS SELF STORAGE

76 GONYEAU ROAD, MILTON VT 05468

Notice is hereby given that the contents of the self-storage units listed below will be sold at public auction by sealed bid. This sale is being held to collect unpaid storage unit occupancy fees, charges, and expenses of the sale. The entire contents of each self-storage unit listed below will be sold, with the proceeds to be distributed to Chimney Corners Self Storage for all accrued occupancy fees (rent charges), late payment fees, sale expenses, and all other expenses in relation to the unit and its sale.

Contents of each unit may be viewed on April 30th, 2025, commencing at 10:00 am. Sealed bids are to be submitted on the entire contents of each self storage unit. Bids will be opened one half hour after the last unit has been viewed on April 30th, 2025. The highest bidder on the storage unit must remove the entire contents of the unit within 48 hours after notification of their successful bid. Purchase must be made in cash and paid in advance of the removal of the contents of the unit. A $50 cash deposit shall be made and will be refunded if the unit is broom cleaned. Chimney Corners Self Storage reserves the right to accept or reject bids.

The contents of the following tenant’s self-storage units will be included in this sale:

Alexia Metivier, Unit 331

Thomas Millette, Unit 306

Jessica Ferrecchia, Unit 633

NOTICE OF SELF-STORAGE LIEN SALE

VITAL SELF STORAGE - FAIRFAX 64 HARVEST ROAD FAIRFAX, VT 05454

Self Storage for all accrued occupancy fees (rent charges), late payment fees, sale expenses, and all other expenses in relation to the unit and its sale.

Contents of each unit may be viewed on April 28th, commencing at 10:00 am.

Sealed bids are to be submitted on the entire contents of each self- storage unit. Bids will be opened one half hour after the last unit has been viewed on April 28th. The highest bidder on the storage unit must remove the entire contents of the unit within 48 hours after notification of their successful bid.

Purchase must be made in cash and paid in advance of the removal of the contents of the unit. A $50 cash deposit shall be made and will be refunded if the unit is broom cleaned. Vital Self Storage reserves the right to accept or reject bids.

The contents of the following tenant’s self-storage units will be included in this sale:

Kyle Bean, Unit 232

Shannen Fortner, Unit 536 Lisa Therrien, Unit 538

INVITATION TO BIDDERS

The Food Service Directors Association, in conjunction with the Vermont School Purchasing Group and The Abbey Group will receive electronic bids from full-service food/supply distribution companies, on or before, but no later than, 10:00 AM, Monday, May 26th, 2025 at dougdavisvt@ gmail.com

The proposals will be opened at the same time and location. Notification of the award, if any, will be made no later than 60 days from the date of opening.

Please follow the submission directions in the Bid Packet. Anyone interested in receiving a full bid packet or more information, contact Doug Davis, Co-Chair of The Food Service Directors Association at the email address above.

TOWN OF WESTFORD DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Pursuant to 24 V.S.A. Chapter 117 and the Westford Land Use & Development Regulations, the Westford Development Review Board will hold a public hearing at the Westford Town Offices (1713 Route 128) & via ZOOM on Monday, May 12th, 2025 at 7:00 PM to review the following application:

Application: Final Plat Review

Applicant: Anna Pigeon

Property Location: Ann Pigeon Property – Old Number 11 Road (approx. 23.22 acres)

Zoning District: Rural 10

This proposal is a request for final plat approval of a 2-lot minor subdivision.

Join Zoom Meeting:

Meeting ID: 945 3261 6873 | Passcode: 3AQmJy (Or dial +1 929 205 6099 and enter Meeting ID: 945 3261 6873 | Passcode: 247715)

For more information call the Town Offices at 878-4587 Monday–Thursday 8:30am–4:30pm & Friday 8:30am-1:00pm

STATE OF VERMONT SUPERIOR COURT

PROBATE DIVISION CHITTENDEN UNIT

DOCKET NO.: 25-PR-01723

In re ESTATE of Helen Chase

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

To the creditors of: Helen Chase, late of Williston, Vermont

I have been appointed to administer this estate. All creditors having claims against the decedent or the estate must present their claims in writing within four (4) months of the date of this publication of this notice. The claim must be presented to me at the address listed below with a copy sent to the Court. The claim may be barred forever if it is not presented within the four (4) month period.

Dated: April 8, 2025

/s/ Kelley Kimball, Executrix

c/o Harry C. Parker, Esq.

38 Community Lane South Hero, VT 05486 hparker@vtlawoffices.com

Name of Publication: Seven Days Publication Date: 04/23/2025

Name of Probate Court: Chittenden Probate Court

Address of Probate Court: 175 Main Street, Burlington, VT 05401

BURLINGTON PLANNING COMMISSION

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

BURLINGTON COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT

ORDINANCE AMENDMENT

ZA-25-08 IMPACT FEES

Pursuant to 24 V.S.A. §4441 and §4444, notice is hereby given of a public hearing by the Burlington Planning Commission to hear comments on the following proposed amendments to the City of Burlington’s Comprehensive Development Ordinance (CDO). The public hearing will take place during the Planning Commission meeting on Tuesday, May 13th, 2025, with the hearing starting at Time Certain 6:45pm. You may access the hearing/meeting as follows:

The meeting will be held in the Sharon Bushor Conference Room at City Hall (149 Church Street) and online via Zoom

To join virtually from a Computer, please click this URL to join, and enter the Webinar ID if prompted:

Link: https://zoom.us/j/97941883790?pwd=bGZB NzNyV1liL3p5NkhIL2dqUFIzdz09

Passcode: 658929

Webinar ID: 979 4188 3790

Passcode (if needed): 658929

To join virtually by phone, dial this number and enter the Webinar ID when prompted: Number: +1 312 626 6799 Webinar ID: 979 4188 3790

Pursuant to the requirements of 24 V.S.A. §4444(b):

Statement of purpose:

The purpose of the proposed amendment is as follows:

• ZA-25-08: This amendment removes the Impact Fee regulations from the Comprehensive Development Ordinance but retains a reference to the Administrative Regulations, which are proposed to include the complete set of impact fee regulations and the newly adopted fees. The purpose of the amendment is to provide clarity and avoid potentially conflicting regulations

Geographic areas affected: This amendment applies to the following areas of the city:

• ZA-25-08: This amendment applies citywide.

List of section headings affected: The proposed amendments modify the following sections of the Burlington Comprehensive Development Ordinance:

• ZA-25-08: Amendment to Article 3: Applications, Permits and Project Reviews

Amends Part 3: Impact Fees by renaming Sec. 3.3.1

Purpose and deleting the existing language in this section and replaces it with a new title - Sec. 3.3.1 Applicability, and language, which creates a new reference do the Burlington Code of Ordinance Section 21-4 and the Administrative Regulations; Deletes sections 3.3.2-3.3.11.

The full text of the Burlington Comprehensive Development Ordinance is available online at www.burlingtonvt.gov/DPI/CDO. The proposed amendment can be reviewed in hard copy posted on the first floor of City Hall, 149 Church Street, Burlington or online at https://www.burlingtonvt. gov/DPI/CDO/Amendments

The City of Burlington will not tolerate unlawful harassment or discrimination on the basis of political or religious affiliation, race, color, national origin, place of birth, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, veteran status, disability, HIV positive status, crime victim status or genetic information. The City is also committed to providing proper access to services,

facilities, and employment opportunities. For accessibility information or alternative formats, please contact the City Planning department or 711 if you are hearing or speech impaired.

NOTICE OF MUNICIPAL CONDEMNATION HEARING

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that—pursuant to 24 V.S.A. 2805 et seq.—the City of Winooski plans to condemn a parcel of land owned by Winooski Hotel Group, LLC. Based on municipal records, such parcel is approximately .18 acres in size; is located at 4 Winooski Falls Way in Winooski, Vermont; has SPAN number 774-246-11848; and has tax parcel ID number W1004. Pursuant to such condemnation, the City of Winooski has determined that it is necessary for public use and benefit to take the subject parcel on a temporary basis for use in construction of a bridge to replace the current Burlington-Winooski Bridge over the Winooski River. Such temporary basis will last until a project completion date of July 1, 2030, but may be extended depending on project needs. The necessity and compensation due for such condemnation will be addressed at a hearing held by the mayor and city council of the City of Winooski at 6:00 pm on Monday, May 12, 2025, located at 27 West Allen Street, Winooski, Vermont. Instructions for remote participation may be provided upon request to the City Clerk’s Office, available at (802) 655-6410 or clerk@winooskivt.gov

RFP FOR RE-ROOFING PROJECT

The Essex Westford School District is seeking bids for the re-roofing at the Essex Middle School. A walkthrough will be held at 60 Founders Rd. Essex Jct. VT 05452 on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 at 3:00pm. Bids shall be delivered no later than 2:00pm on Wednesday, May 7, 2025.

To read the full RFP, go to (see News section): https://www.ewsd.org/o/ewsd/page/ purchasing-bids

TOWN OF COLCHESTER SELECTBOARD

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Pursuant to VSA Title 24 Appendix, Chapter 113, Section 105 through Section 109 of the Town of Colchester Charter, and Section 1-4 of the Colchester Code of Ordinances, the Colchester Selectboard will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, May 13, 2025 at 6:40 PM at the Colchester Town Offices at 781 Blakely Road, Colchester, Vermont in the third floor Outer Bay Conference Room. Residents are welcome to attend in person, or alternatively, send a note to TownManager@ colchestervt.gov with “Citizens to be Heard-Sewer Ordinance” in the Subject and their name. As with in-person Citizens to be Heard, we ask that you SHARE YOUR ADDRESS. The email will be shared with the entire Selectboard prior to the meeting and included in the information packet at the next meeting.

A summary of the proposed amendments to Colchester Code of Ordinances, Chapter 10 Sewers is as follows:

Changes to the application of interest and penalties to delinquent sewer bills and the utilization of water service disconnection to align with similar practices as used by Champlain Water District.

A complete set of the changes and a memo explaining the rationale for the proposal is available at the following link on the Town website: https://clerkshq.com/Content/ Attachments/Colchester-vt/250513_1. pdf?clientSite=Colchester-vt

If you have questions regarding these amendments, contact the Town Manager’s Office at (802)264-5509.

Vermont Agency of Transportation Public Notice: Herbicide Spraying

The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) has requested from the Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets, a permit to apply the following herbicides: Garlon 4 ULTRA, Garlon 3A, Oust Extra, Escort, Krenite S, Polaris, and Roundup Custom to control unwanted vegetation along all State highways. Operations are authorized to start approximately May 15th, 2025, but will not begin until the appropriate notification requirements are completed. The application will be made by certified pesticide applicators using mechanically controlled equipment and hand-controlled methods. The methods employed are intended to avoid or eliminate drift. Residents along the rights-of-way (ROW) are encouraged to protect sensitive environments or water supplies within 100 feet of the ROW limits, and to avoid entering the ROW as spray trucks pass and until products dry. Residents should notify VTrans of the existence of any water supplies within 100 feet of the State’s ROW. Citizens wishing to inform VTrans are urged to contact the nearest District Transportation Administrator as follows: District 1 - Bennington - (802) 447-2790, District 2 - Dummerston - (802) 254-5011, District 3 - Mendon(802) 786-5826. District 4 - White River Junction - (802) 295-8888, District 5 - Colchester - (802) 655-1580, District 6 – Berlin – (802)-917-2879, District 7St. Johnsbury - (802) 748-6670, District 8 - St. Albans – (802) 524-5926, District 9 – Derby – (802) 334-7934. The contact person at the State Highway Department Headquarters is Brandon Garretto, Vegetation Management Admin, 2178 Airport Rd, Dill Bldg Unit A, Barre, VT 05641 or brandon.garretto@vermont.gov. Contact can also be made using the VTrans web page at vtrans.vermont.gov/operations.

The appropriate place to contact with comments other than VTrans is the Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets, Public Health & Agricultural Resource Management Division at 116 State Street Montpelier, VT 05620, 116 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05602, (802) 828-1732. The link to their web page that would describe the VTrans herbicide application permit request can be found at agriculture.vermont.gov.

NOTICE OF AMENDMENTS TO SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE.

4t-VTAgencyTransportation041625.indd 1 3/19/25 11:48 AM

CHITTENDEN SOLID WASTE DISTRICT

The Chittenden Solid Waste District (“CSWD” or the “District”), acting by and through its Board of Commissioners, pursuant to the District’s Charter (24A V.S.A. Chapter 405), 10 V.S.A. Chapter 159 and 24 V.S.A. Chapter 59, adopted amendments to the Chittenden Solid Waste District Solid Waste Management Ordinance (SWMO) on April 16, 2025.

This Notice summarizes the amendments made to the Solid Waste Management Ordinance, which become effective on July 1, 2025.

Purpose of Solid Waste Management Ordinance

The SWMO is enacted for the purpose of promoting the health, safety, and general welfare of the District, its member municipalities and their inhabitants, and the general community; to regulate the management of solid waste within the District; to require separation of certain materials from solid waste destined for disposal; to facilitate the adequate provision of solid waste services such that the generators of solid waste pay costs that reflect the real costs to society of the management of solid waste; to establish fees for services provided by the District to manage solid waste; to regulate waste disposal practices that pose a concern to the public health and welfare and the environment; to fulfill the District’s responsibilities under 24 V.S.A. § 2202a; to implement and further the District’s Solid Waste Implementation Plan and the State’s Solid Waste Management Plan; and to provide for the efficient, economical, and environmentally sound management of solid waste.

List of Section Headings

The section headings of the SWMO are as follows:

Purpose and Title, Definitions, Regulation of Solid Waste, Licensing, Public Safety, Illegal Disposal, Open Fires and Incinerators, Solid Waste Management Fee, Payment of Fees Due the District, Recordkeeping and Inspections, Penalties, Enforcement and Remedies, Powers of the District General Manager, and Miscellaneous.

Amendments Summary

Section 8.3 SWMO Purposes and Uses – A new Section 8.3 is added to describe the purposes and uses of the Solid Waste Management Fee imposed on all Solid Waste generated in the District.

Section 8.4 SWMO - Amount of Fee –The amendments to the SWMO amend the amount of the Solid Waste Management Fee (the “SW Management Fee”) from $30/ton to $40/ton, effective July 1, 2025. The SW Management Fee is subject to annual adjustment as part of the District’s annual budget approval process.

Each January 1, the District is to indicate the expected Solid Waste Management Fee for the coming fiscal year. That fee will be part of the annual budget public hearing held on or before January 31 of each year. After such hearing, the Board will consider comments and develop the annual budget, including adjustments, if any, to the SW Management Fee. If no adjustment is made, the SW Management Fee will remain at the then current rate.

In establishing the SW Management Fee, the Board will consider such factors as the purposes and need to collect the SW Management Fee, tipping fees and other revenues received by the District from solid waste management facilities owned or operated by the District, as well as any changes in Consumer Price Indices as determined and published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,

Legal Notices

referencing both the Northeast Urban Class B/C Consumer Price Index and the Garbage and Trash Index (or a reasonable equivalent index) for the twelve (12) month period immediately preceding January 1 of the current fiscal year.

Section Renumbered – As a result of the new Section 8.3, the Sections for the Amount of Fee, Waivers of the Solid Waste Management Fee, and Weighing, are renumbered as Sections 8.4, 8.5 and 8.6.

Right to Petition for Special Vote

Under 24 V.S.A. §1973, the qualified voters of the District have the right to petition for a vote on the question of disapproving the amendments to the SWMO. A petition for a vote must be signed by not less than 5% of the qualified voters of CSWD and presented to CSWD’s Board of Commissioners within 44 days of the date of the adoption of the amendment. Unless a petition is filed, the amendments will become effective July 1, 2025.

For More Information

To obtain more information or provide comments, contact Sarah Reeves, CSWD Executive Director, 802.872.8100 or at 19 Gregory Drive, Suite 204,

PLACE AN AFFORDABLE NOTICE AT: SEVENDAYSVT.COM/LEGAL-NOTICES OR CALL 802-865-1020, EXT. 142.

South Burlington, VT 05403 or at SReeves@cswd. net.

A complete copy of the SWMO and the amendments are available for inspection at CSWD offices at 19 Gregory Drive, Suite 204, South Burlington, VT 05403

Further information is available at the CSWD website https://cswd.net/

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

AMENDMENTS TO THE CITY OF WINOOSKI UNIFIED LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS

In accordance with 24 V.S.A § 4441 and § 4444, the City of Winooski’s Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on Thursday, May 8, 2025 beginning at 6:30 p.m. Members of the public interested in participating in this hearing can do so by attending in person at Winooski City Hall, 27 West Allen Street, Winooski VT; or electronically by visiting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89807479305; or by calling (646) 558 8656 and using Webinar ID: 898 0747 9305. Toll charges may apply.

Amendments to the Unified Land Use and Development Regulations

• Section 5.17 – Inclusionary Zoning

Statement of Purpose: These proposed

Support Groups

A CIRCLE OF PARENTS FOR SINGLE MOTHERS

Please join our parent-led online support group designed to share our questions, concerns & struggles, as well as our resources & successes!

Contribute to our discussion of the unique but shared experience of parenting. We will be meeting weekly on Thu., 5:15 p.m. on Zoom. For more info or to register, please contact Heather at hniquette@pcavt.org, 802-498-0607, pcavt.org/family-support-programs.

AL-ANON

For families & friends of alcoholics. Phone meetings, electronic meetings (Zoom) & an Al-Anon blog are avail. online at the Al-Anon website. For meeting info, go to vermontalanonalateen. org or call 866-972-5266.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

If you want to drink, that’s your business. If you want to stop, that’s ours. Call the Vermont statewide anonymous hotline: 802-802-2288. Alcoholics Anonymous holds daily meetings all over Vermont, both in person & online. See burlingtonaa.org for meetings, news & events in Chittenden & Grand Isle counties. For meeting & events throughout Vermont, see aavt.org.

ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION SUPPORT GROUPS

Support groups meet to provide assistance & info on Alzheimer’s disease & related dementias. They emphasize shared experiences, emotional support & coping techniques in care for a person living w/ Alzheimer’s or a related dementia. Meetings are free & open to the public. Families, caregivers & friends may attend. Please call in advance to confirm the date & time. The Williston caregiver support group meets in person on the 2nd & 4th Tue. of every mo., 5-6:30 p.m., at the Old Brick Church in Williston. Contact support group facilitators Molly at dugan@cathedral square.org or Mindy at moondog@

burlingtontelecom.net. The Middlebury support group for individuals w/ early stage dementia meets on the 4th Tue. of each mo., 3 p.m., at the Residence at Otter Creek, 350 Lodge Rd., Middlebury. Contact is Daniel Hamilton, dhamilton@residenceottercreek.com or 802-989-0097. The Shelburne support group for individuals w/ early stage dementia meets on the 1st Mon. of every mo., 2-3 p.m., at the Residence at Shelburne Bay, 185 Pine Haven Shores, Shelburne. Contact is support group facilitator Lydia Raymond, lraymond@ residenceshelburnebay.com. The telephone support group meets on the 2nd Tue. of each mo., 4-5:30 p.m. Preregistration is required (to receive dial-in codes for toll-free call). Please dial the Alzheimer’s Association’s 24/7 Helpline, 800-272-3900, for more info. For questions or additional support group listings, call 800-272-3900.

ANXIETY RELIEF GROUP

Anxiety Relief Group is a safe setting for relaxing & exploring your feelings w/ others through gentle socialization & self-expression, building up what makes you centered & strong. Wed., 4-5:30 p.m. Both in-person & Zoom options avail. In-person meetings are held at the Pathways Vermont Community Center at 279 N. Winooski Ave. in Burlington. Email us for the Zoom link & more info: pvcc@pathwaysvermont.org.

BRAIN INJURY SUPPORT GROUP

Vermont Center for Independent Living offers virtual monthly meetings, held on the 3rd Wed. of every mo., 1-2:30 p.m. The support group will offer valuable resources & info about brain injury. It will be a place to share experiences in a safe, secure & confidential environment. To join, email Linda Meleady at lindam@vcil.org & ask to be put on the TBI mailing list. Info: 800-639-1522.

BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR DRAGON BOAT TEAM

Looking for a fun way to do something active & health-giving? Want to connect

amendments would effectively require larger-scale residential and mixed-use developments to include affordable housing options. The purpose of these proposed amendments is to advance two objectives in the 2019 Winooski Master Plan: (1) Encourage the development of affordable housing options for a broad range of income levels; and (2) Support sustainable growth and density throughout the City.

Geographic Area Affected: The proposed amendments will apply to the entire City including all zoning districts.

Section Headings Impacted: The following specific updates are included with these amendments:

Section 5.17 – Establishes Inclusionary Zoning requirements, and monitoring and evaluation requirements for projects subject to the Inclusionary Zoning requirements

The full text of these amendments is available at the Winooski City Hall, 27 West Allen Street, during normal business hours or by contacting Ravi Venkataraman, AICP CFM, Director of City Planning by calling 802.655.6410 or rvenkataraman@ winooskivt.gov.

TOWN OF HUNTINGTON NOTICE OF DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD

Zoom Meeting*

APPLICATIONS UNDER REVIEW FOR May 20, 2025 – 7pm

The Huntington Development Review Board (DRB) will meet via Zoom to conduct the following business, pursuant to the Huntington Land Use Regulations: Conditional Use Review

Timothy Tinker seeks approval to construct an addition to their Principal Dwelling on their property on a 1-acre lot. Project is in the Rural Residential District (5-acre zoning) on Camels Hump Road. Tax Map ID# 09-015.000

The project information is available on the town website www.huntingtonvt.org. Participation in a hearing is required to appeal a decision of the DRB. Application materials may be viewed the week before the meeting.

-Yves Gonnet, DRB Staff, April 21, 2025

*Zoom https://us06web.zoom.us/j/8423885332 2?pwd=b3ZmXwa2pybLDnwpaPpu0tZL3HZPfN.1 Meeting ID: 842 3885 3322 ; Passcode: 172442 / Questions: 802-434-3557.

CONTACT CLASSIFIEDS@SEVENDAYSVT.COM OR 802-865-1020 EXT. 115 TO UPDATE YOUR SUPPORT GROUP

w/ other breast cancer survivors? Come join Dragonheart Vermont. We are a breast cancer survivor & supporter dragon boat team who paddle together in Burlington. Please contact us at info@dragonheartvermont.org for info.

BURLINGTON MEN’S PEER GROUP

Tue. nights, 7-9 p.m., in Burlington. Free of charge, 30 years running. Call Neils 802-877-3742.

CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SUICIDE

Conversations About Suicide is a judgment-free & open space to talk about personal experiences of suicidal ideation. The group is facilitated by peer support staff w/ lived experience of suicidality. Thu., 4-5 p.m., at Pathways Vermont Community Center, located at 279 N. Winooski Ave. in Burlington. Email us for more info: pvcc@ pathwaysvermont.org.

DISABILITY SUPPORT GROUP

Our group is a space for mutual support, open to anybody who identifies as disabled, differently abled or having a disability. Whether your disability is visible, invisible, physical or cognitive, this group is for you! The group meets every Mon., 1:15-2:15 p.m., at 279 N. Winooski Ave. in Burlington & online on Zoom. Email us for the Zoom link & more info: pvcc@pathwaysvermont.org.

FCA FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP

Families Coping with Addiction (FCA) is an open community peer support group for adults (18+) struggling with the drug or alcohol addiction of a loved one. FCA is not 12-step-based but provides a forum for those living the family experience, in which to develop personal coping skills & to draw strength from one another. Our group meets every Wed., 5:30-6:30 p.m., live in person in the conference room at the Turning Point Center of Chittenden County (179 S. Winooski Ave., Burlington), &/ or via our parallel Zoom session to accommodate those who cannot attend in person. The Zoom link can be found

on the Turning Point Center website (turningpointcentervt.org) using the “Family Support” tab (click on “What We Offer”). Any questions, please send by email to tdauben@aol.com.

FIERCELY FLAT VT

A breast cancer support group for those who’ve had mastectomies. We are a casual online meeting group found on Facebook at Fiercely Flat VT. Info: stacy.m.burnett@gmail.com.

FOOD ADDICTS IN RECOVERY ANONYMOUS (FA)

Are you having trouble controlling the way you eat? FA is a free 12-step recovery program for anyone suffering from food obsession, overeating, undereating or bulimia. Local meetings are held on Mon., 4-5:30 p.m., via Zoom. For more info & a list of additional meetings throughout the U.S. & the world, call 603-630-1495 or visit foodaddicts.org.

FRESH START: A TOBACCO/VAPE QUIT WORKSHOP

Join a free 4- or 5-week group workshop facilitated by our coaches, who are certified in tobacco treatment. We meet in a friendly, relaxed & virtual atmosphere. You may qualify for a free limited supply of nicotine replacement therapy. Info: call 802-847-7333 or email quittobaccoclass@uvmhealth.org to get signed up, or visit myhealthyvt. org to learn more about upcoming workshops.

GRIEF SUPPORT GROUPS

Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice in Berlin offers 2 6-week support groups. Surviving the Loss meets on Mon., 4-5:30 p.m. There are 4 different 6-week offerings: Feb. 3, 10, 17, 21, Mar. 3, 10; May 5, 12, 19, Jun. 2, 9, 16; Sep. 15, 22, 29, Oct. 6, 13, 20; Nov. 17, 24, Dec. 1, 8, 15, 22. Spouse/Partner Loss meets on Wed., 10-11:30 a.m. There are 3 different 6-week offerings: Apr. 16, 23, 30, May 7, 14, 21; Aug. 6, 13, 20, 27, Sep. 3, 10; Nov. 12, 19, 26, Dec. 3, 10, 17. They also offer an 11-week Journaling

Through Grief support group. Please call 802-224-2241 to preregister. For any questions, contact Diana Moore at 802-224-2241 or dmoore@cvhhh. org. Groups may meet in person or over Zoom.

GRIEVING A LOSS SUPPORT GROUP

A retired psychotherapist & an experienced life coach host a free meeting for those grieving the loss of a loved one. The group meets upstairs at All Souls Interfaith Gathering in Shelburne. There is no fee for attending but donations are gladly accepted. Meetings are held on the 1st & 3rd Sat. of every mo., 10-11:30 a.m. If you are interested in attending please register at allsoulsinterfaith.org. (More information about the group leader at pamblairbooks.com.)

HEARING VOICES SUPPORT GROUP

This Hearing Voices Group seeks to find understanding of voice-hearing experiences as real lived experiences that may happen to anyone at any time. We choose to share experiences, support & empathy. We validate anyone’s experience & stories about their experience as their own, as being an honest & accurate representation of their experience, & as being acceptable exactly as they are. Tue., 2:30-4 p.m. Pathways Vermont Community Center, 279 North Winooski Ave., Burlington. Email us for more information: pvcc@ pathwaysvermont.org

INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS/PAINFUL BLADDER SUPPORT GROUP

Interstitial cystitis (IC) & painful bladder syndrome can result in recurring pelvic pain, pressure or discomfort in the bladder/pelvic region & urinary frequency/urgency. These are often misdiagnosed & mistreated as a chronic bladder infection. If you have been diagnosed or have these symptoms, you are not alone. For Vermont-based support group, email bladderpainvt@gmail.com or call 802-735-5735 for more info.

Are you looking for an innovative, dynamic, and collaborative place to work?

Join us at Lake Champlain Waldorf School to deliver a holistic and developmental approach to education.

Open Positions:

• Education Support Specialist

• Mixed-Age Kindergarten Assistant Teacher

• Development and Events Coordinator

www.lakechamplainwaldorfschool.org

2v-LakeChamplainWaldorf-022625 1 2/24/25 2:18 PM

The Underhill Jericho Fire Department is looking for an experienced Firefighter/EMT Administrator. This is a full-time position with competitive pay and benefits.

Hours, full job description and requirements can be found at ujfd.org/employment. If you would like to join our team, please e-mail cover letter and your resume in .pdf format to chief@ujfd.org

Position will remain open until filled.

The UJFD is a EOE.

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

POST YOUR JOBS AT: JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POST-A-JOB PRINT DEADLINE: NOON ON MONDAYS (INCLUDING HOLIDAYS) FOR RATES & INFO: MICHELLE BROWN, 802-865-1020 X121, MICHELLE@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Development Director

Join our ambitious wilderness team! Northeast Wilderness Trust seeks an experienced fundraising professional for a new position aimed at fueling organizational growth, managing development program activities, & leading our development team.

Visit newildernesstrust.org/about/employment to learn more.

Northeast Kingdom Waste Management District (NEKWMD), seeks an experienced, forward-thinking leader and communicator, replacing a long-tenured and highly regarded Executive Director. NEKWMD owns and operates a materials recovery facility in Lyndonville and supports an additional 25 facilities in the region. BA/BS in Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, Business Administration or similar degree and five years of relevant experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Salary range to $85K with an opportunity for growth and a comprehensive benefits package, starting salary DOQ. EOE. Submit a resume and cover letter, in confidence, as a PDF to recruitment@mrigov.com by 5/5/25. For more information, visit: mrigov.com/career

Admissions Advisor

The University of Vermont Foundation is seeking a dedicated and detail-oriented professional to serve as our Associate Director of Gift Administration. In this vital role, you will ensure that philanthropic gifts are accurately recorded, managed, and reported—helping donors’ generosity directly support the University’s mission. Working at the intersection of finance and donor stewardship, you will use your advanced excel skills to maintain integrity across multiple systems, reconcile contributions, and generate reports that drive strategic decisionmaking. Your expertise will play a crucial role in ensuring that every gift makes a lasting impact. If you have a strong background in data, a keen eye for detail, and a commitment to higher education, we invite you to apply and be part of a team that transforms philanthropy into opportunity.

Salary: $65,000–$85,000 plus exceptional benefits. Position based in Burlington, VT. Visit our website for a full job description and application instructions: uvmfoundation.org/careers.

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

Join NPI, Vermont’s premier Technology Management firm

CANOPY IT SUPPORT TECHNICIAN

Have fun and delight clients!

As a member of our top-flight CanopySM team, you will be a go-to for products and applications that clients rely on every day. The team handles support requests, monitors network components, configures workstations and users, automates service delivery, reports on system health, resolves issues, and visits client sites. Requires 1 year+ full-time IT experience or degree. Salary $50,000 - $65,000. tinyurl.com/NPI-CAN7-SD

IT SECURITY ADMINISTRATOR

Help keep computer users safe!

You will lead planning meetings, create and edit security policies, train users, assist in product evaluation, and administer programs that enhance security. Requires writing samples, presentation skills, and IT background (security experience desirable). Salary $60,000 - $80,000. tinyurl.com/NPI-SA2-SD

NPI appreciates its staff, and offers a pet-friendly office, profit-sharing, company-paid dental/vision/disability/ life, matching 401k, family health coverage, profitsharing, Flex Spending and Dependent Care Accounts, open-book management, generous time off, and hybrid work-from-home opportunities for selected positions after training period.

Internal Control/Risk Management Coordinator

Director of Advancement

Attorney

Firm Overview: Bauer Gravel Farnham, LLP is an established law firm primarily located in Colchester, VT, serving the legal needs of Northern Vermont for over 45 years. Committed to providing quality legal services with professionalism and integrity, our firm has earned a reputation for excellence in various practice areas.

Job Description: Bauer Gravel Farnham, LLP is seeking an experienced Corporate Law attorney who desires to continue the firm’s tradition of providing quality legal services in a professional manner. The ideal candidate must be licensed in Vermont with a desire to work in a professional & collaborative firm setting, where both what we do and how we do it is equally important. The candidate should possess strong writing and oral advocacy skills, and be adept and competent in Business Formation, Asset Purchases, and various Corporate Filings. Bringing a current client base to the firm is not required but would be a plus.

Please email cover letter and resume to bgfinfo@vtlawoffices.com, ATTN: Daniel N. Farnham.

Water System Operator

Come join our team of talented municipal employees. The Town of Stowe Public Works Department seeks a qualified Water System Operator responsible for assisting with the operations, maintenance & repair of the municipal water system. The position requires the employee to be on a biweekly on-call rotation after regular working hours, and to be available for emergency responses if necessary.

The position requires a high school diploma or GED, a valid driver’s license, the ability to obtain a Vermont Water System Operator in Training Certification within six months and a Class 3 Vermont Water System Operator Certification within 18 months of employment. Demonstration of basic computer, mechanical and electrical skills are required. The ideal candidate will also have the skill to monitor, maintain, and perform minor to moderate level of repairs to water treatment, pumping and distributions systems.

Pay range is $28.96 to $31.35 depending on qualifications. The Town of Stowe offers a robust benefit package including health and dental with low premium share, generous paid leave, VMERS pension, and more!

More information can be found at stowevt.gov/jobs Submit cover letter and resume to recruit@stowevt.gov Position open until filled. The Town of Stowe is an equal opportunity employer.

Age Well is seeking a Director of Advancement to strengthen and expand its fundraising efforts in support of new strategic priorities and in preparation for a multimilliondollar comprehensive campaign. Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer, the Director will develop a strategic plan for major and planned giving programs to maximize philanthropic potential to engage and inspire donors to invest in Age Well and deepen their commitment to our aging community. Key to success in this role will be building relationships with new prospects and strengthening relationships with existing donors to maximize philanthropic support.

Salary $80k. Send resumes to: hr@agewellvt.org

ST ALBANS

Compass Case Manager/Clinician

Youth Shelter Youth Coach

BURLINGTON

Supported Housing Youth Coach

Drop-In Center

Youth Coach Scan QR code to apply.

Residential Educator

Rock Point School, a small, independent day and boarding high school, is looking for a full-time Residential Educator to join our team!

Residential Educators:

• Plan and execute creative evening and weekend activities

• Live in private apartments on dorm floors on our lakeside campus

• Mentor and counsel students

• Are a vital part of our school community Apply

Join Our Team:

Experienced Project Foreman/ Lead Carpenter Wanted!

Are you an experienced Project Foreman/ Lead Carpenter in the Addison & Chittenden County (VT) area and looking for a new opportunity to showcase your skills?

Our leading construction company is seeking a talented foreman to join our dynamic team.

With a reputation for excellence and a commitment to quality, we offer a rewarding work environment where your expertise will be valued. We offer competitive pay and a comprehensive benefits package.

Please send a resume and brief cover letter outlining your experience to admin@smithmcclain.com Come build with us!

4t-Smith&McClain020525.indd

Volunteer Coordinator

White River Junction Full-Time, In-Person, Non-Profit

At COVER, we foster hope and build community through critical home repairs and our vibrant reuse store — and volunteers are the heartbeat of it all.

What You’ll Do: Cultivate and grow a strong volunteer network and manage volunteers for our home repair program and store; create a welcoming experience for every volunteer.

Why COVER? We’re a volunteer-driven, community-based nonprofit making a real difference every day. Whether we’re repairing a leaking roof or unsafe stairs, and building community in the store, our work is grounded in housing security, community resilience, and sustainability.

GENEROUS BENEFITS. For details, visit: coverhomerepair.org

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ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

Employment Specialist

Why not have a job you love?

Join our award-winning supported employment program working with individuals to develop career goals, seek and secure employment, and build partnerships with local businesses for long term employment. The ideal candidate will have strong communication skills, enjoy working in a collaborative environment and have the desire to make an impact on their community.

This is an excellent position for someone who is looking for the next step in their career or to continue their work in this field.

Compensation is $21 per hour plus $1,000 sign on bonus. Benefit package includes comprehensive and affordable health insurance, 29 paid days off in the first year, retirement match, tuition reimbursement and so much more.

And that’s on top of working at one of the “Best Places to Work in Vermont” for seven years running.

Make a career making a difference and apply today. Send resume to staff@ccs-vt.org

Developmental Educator/ Service Coordinator

The Lamoille Family Center seeks an organized and team-oriented individual to provide home visits with families of children (Birth-3 years) with developmental delays. This 40 hour/week case manager position is part of the Early Intervention team within the Children’s Integrated Services program. Vacation time, sick time, and single person health insurance benefits are included in this position.

This is a rare opportunity to be part of a dynamic and supportive agency which is committed to collectively integrating its core values of Integrity, Respect, Compassion, Inclusivity, Collaboration and Positivity into its work.

Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in early/special education, social work, psychology or related field. Comprehensive understanding of child development and social work practices. Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate with multiple community partners. Since travel throughout the Lamoille Valley is required, a valid Driver’s License and reliable, insured transportation are necessary.

Please send cover letter & resume to: Angela Mendieta, Lamoille Family Center, 480 Cadys Falls Road, Morrisville, VT 05661 or amendieta@lamoillefamilycenter.org

YOU AND YOUR WORK MATTER

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT – MONTPELIER

The State of Vermont Human Rights Commission is seeking a creative, mission-driven, and highly skilled communicator to fill the position of Director of Community Engagement. This position is crucial to helping the HRC fulfill its mission of advancing full civil and human rights for all Vermonters. Major responsibilities include Communications, Relationship Building, Community Outreach, and Strategic Planning. Starting salary is $60,000-$70,000 depending on experience + generous SOV benefits. For more information, contact Big Hartman at big.hartman@vermont.gov. Location: Montpelier. Department: Human Rights Commission. Status: Exempt, Full Time. Job ID #52454. Application Deadline: April 28, 2025.

The Vermont Department of Economic Development is seeking a talented and motivated individual with business and workforce training experience to join its dynamic team. The primary responsibility is the administration of the Vermont Training Program, which awards funds to help Vermont businesses up-skill their workforce. The incumbent will also play a key role in the coordination and support of workforce development policies and programs throughout Vermont. For more information, Tim Tierney at tim.tierney@vermont.gov. Location: Montpelier. Department: Commerce & Community Development. Status: Full Time. Job ID #52565. Application Deadline: April 30, 2025. WORKFORCE

MOVING PROFESSIONALS

Local moving company looking for movers! Previous experience is not required. We will train the right candidates! Applicants must have a valid driver’s license, have the highest level of customer service and work well in a team atmosphere. Competitive wages! Please call 802-655-6683 for more information or email resume to:

Jennifer@vtmoving.com

Seasonal Farmer

June 1 - September 30

$17-$18/hr based on experience 40 hrs/week

Work alongside the farm team to grow high quality organic produce. The ideal candidate is interested in creating a fun, enthusiastic, and dynamic work environment & has a strong work ethic. Recommended: 1-2 seasons of organic farm experience. If you are interested, please send a cover letter, your resume, and at least 2 references to: Colin@commonroots.org

Project Manager

About Vermont Oxford Network: Vermont Oxford Network (VON) is a nonprofit voluntary collaboration of health care professionals at over 1,400 hospitals and organizations worldwide, working together to ensure that every newborn infant and family achieves their fullest potential. VON has established a worldwide multidisciplinary learning community dedicated to improving the quality, safety and value of care through a coordinated program of data-driven quality improvement, education, and research in newborn medicine. Ranked again as one of the best places to work in Vermont by the Best Companies Group in 2024, VON values innovation, creativity, and respect for every team member.

Job Summary: VON is seeking an experienced Project Manager to lead key cross-departmental initiatives— typically involving IT—across our collaborative, missiondriven organization. This role works closely with VON’s Leadership Team and staff to ensure project goals, timelines, and deliverables are achieved efficiently and effectively. Key responsibilities include managing and tracking deliverables, preparing status reports, and creating effective communication strategies to facilitate seamless project execution. The Project Manager will oversee all aspects of the projects, tracking deadlines, engaging stakeholders, and monitoring progress to ensure projects are completed on time and within scope. The role involves risk identification and mitigation efforts, utilizing escalation processes, and ensuring thorough documentation is maintained throughout the project lifecycle. The ideal candidate will have a solid background in project management, with a proven track record of successfully managing IT projects.

To Apply: Interested candidates should submit their resume and cover letter to jobs@vtoxford.org with “Project Manager” in the subject line by Wednesday, April 30th, 2025.

Office Manager

Fast paced construction office is looking for someone to oversee data entry, accounts payable, payroll, and Human Resources. This is a full-time position with flexible hours and generous benefits in a dogfriendly office. QuickBooks and QuickBooks Time experience is preferred. Human Resources background is a plus. Willing to train the right person.

Send resumes to chris@ redhousebuilding.com 2v-RedHouseBuilding040225.indd

SEASONAL Lawncare Worker

Are you 18 years old and hold a valid driver’s license?

An organic grain and sheep farm on Lake Champlain in Shelburne is looking for a May/June to August, Monday-Friday, daytime, lawncare worker.

$22-25/hour for mowing, trimming and other maintenance tasks. Work boots, rain gear and all personal protective gear provided. Small crew, fun and safe place to work.

For more information and application, call 802-985-9218 or email info@meachcovefarms.org

Land Steward Assistant

Non-Profit Office Administrator

Fairfield Community Center, a non-profit dedicated to providing food access, youth programming and hosting community events, seeks an organized and motivated Office Administrator.

12-20 hours per week at, least 8 hours at the Community Center in East Fairfield. $25-$30/hr.

Please send resume and cover letter to: Julie Wolcott: gwfarm@vtlink.net

Town Administrator

Town of Highgate, Vermont

The Town of Highgate seeks a personable and collaborative individual to serve as Town Administrator. He or she must enjoy engaging with people and marshaling resources to solve problems, complete projects, and deliver services. A strong sense of humility and a commitment to public service are essential ingredients for this front facing position.

Highgate is attractive to those who enjoy a rural lifestyle in a stable community. The outdoor recreation opportunities are numerous and include fishing and boating on Lake Champlain and biking the 26 mile Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail. The Town is positioning itself for future economic and community development by investing in infrastructure. Current initiatives include expansion of the State airport and Town industrial park, redevelopment of the village core, and expansion of water / wastewater utilities.

The Selectboard anticipates applicants with public sector experience though the board is open to non-traditional candidates as well. Prospective candidates should be able to demonstrate: working knowledge of local government; ability to manage projects to successful completion; budget development and management experience; personnel experience; and a willingness to become part of the fabric of the community. A full job description and position posting is available at highgatevt.org under announcements.

The anticipated starting salary is between $75,000 and $85,000 depending on qualifications and experience. The town offices are closed on Fridays and employees may work from home if they wish. To apply, please send a resume and cover letter via email to dcloud@vlct.org. Resume review will begin on April 25, 2025.

INVEST IN YOURSELF

Our apprenticeship program is a paid opportunity to become a phlebotomist with no experience required.

APPLY NOW www.iaahitec.org/phlebotomy

REGISTRATION DEADLINE Wednesday, April 30th, 2025

$2,000 SIGN ON BONUS

External candidates are eligible for a one-time sign-on bonus paid over 3 installments. Amounts reflect gross pay, prior to applicable tax withholdings and deductions required by law. Current University of Vermont Health Network employees are excluded and additional terms and conditions apply.

Questions?

Call or Email 802-399-8243 lida.hope@vthitec.org

Phlebotomy Apprenticeship Program

• Guaranteed paid employment on day one of training

• Direct patient care

• Team environment

• Full Benefits

• Dedicated support during the 5-week program

• Paid Certified Phlebotomy Technician Exam

Meach Cove Farms

Programming Director

Artistree, a nonproﬁt community arts center located in South Pomfret, VT, is looking for a Programming Director to develop and ensure the e ective delivery of a diverse variety of year-round multi-disciplinary adult and children's arts programs. This role deploys a collaborative approach to program planning and management, bringing together all of Artistree's programs to advance community engagement and student learning. The ideal Programming Director will operate as a collaborative leader, be responsive to the needs of all constituents, and have strong ﬁnancial and management capability and experience.

The Programming Director role is a full-time position at our South Pomfret, VT campus, reporting to our Executive Director. The role is typically Monday through Friday during business hours, with some weekend and evening activities as required. The salary range for this position will be $60,000 to $65,000 per year, based on experience.

General Responsibilities:

• Develop and plan the Artistree annual programming and operational calendar, aligned to community and market interests

• Work with marketing sta and o ce manager to ensure that classes are fully subscribed

• Ensure that Artistree facilities are fully utilized throughout the year

• Plan and manage all daily program operations

• Manage program-related interactions and correspondence with public, sta and other stakeholders in a timely and professional manner

• Curate and produce special projects and events as needed

• Maintain and analyze annual program data and evaluations; propose changes to programming based on available data and patron feedback

• Develop and manage programming budgets

• Act as a liaison between Artistree, schools, and community organizations

Qualiﬁcations:

• Bachelor's Degree plus significant relevant professional experience in a related field (arts programming, arts administration, performing arts management), including five or more years in a leadership capacity;

• Strong team leader with excellent interpersonal and relationship building skills; a demonstrated team-based, consultative approach to sta management; experience in managing direct reports as well as in collaborating with a variety of stakeholders

• Strong ﬁnancial management; experience developing and managing budgets

• Strong oral and written communication skill; skill and experience in public speaking

• Ability to prioritize tasks to work e ectively in a collaborative setting

• Have strong organizational skills, a ﬂexible attitude, and a good sense of humor

Please send an application, including resume, cover letter, and contact information for three professional references to info@artistreevt.org

Please visit our website at artistreevt.org to learn more about us.

Maintenance

Tech/ Event Setup

On-Call Building Services, LLC

Looking for reliable employees to set up and tear down for local events. Must be able to lift 40 lbs. Small maintenance duties will also be needed. Looking to start immediately. Needed weekdays maybe some weekends.

Call Alan 802-363-8488 for details.

School Engagement Specialist

Production Staff

If you want to JUMP START your career & get your foot in the door at one of the BEST Vermont based companies, THIS JOB IS FOR YOU! WE NEED YOU to help with waxing and cutting our reusable food storage product. If you can handle anything with a smile, have a self-starting attitude, and want to enjoy your job and have free weekends, apply:

HR@beeswrap.com

LRC is hiring a 32-40 hr/wk School Engagement Specialist (SES). SES apply restorative case management practices to help children/youth and their families struggling with school attendance navigate multiple systems of support to address barriers to school engagement. They build relationships with youth and families and utilize established and collaborative connections with school personnel, DCF, and human services providers in the community, to help families to develop and implement plans for improved school attendance. The SES uses methodologies rooted in restorative practices, whereby parents and children feel heard and acknowledged, and their dignity and resilience are upheld.

This position is ideal for someone with an understanding of restorative work in schools, excellent communication, collaboration, and organizational skills, and those who are interested in a workplace that promotes employee well-being and is known for its inclusive and collaborative work environment. A bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience required and position is anticipated to begin late June.

The hourly pay rate is between $23.31 and $24.52. A generous benefits policy provides $13,000 annually for each employee to pay for the benefits they need, such as: medical, dental, vision, and supplemental insurance, and retirement. Additional benefits include 27 paid days off and 17 paid holidays, pre-tax dependent care deductions, paid family medical leave, an annual training stipend, and life insurance.

Please submit a cover letter & resume to: info@lrcvt.org

LRC is an equal opportunity employer and invites applications from professionals with lived experience. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Graduate Nurse Residency Program

Build your skills – with support.

Kickstart your nursing career with the support you need at our not-for-profit, rural critical access hospital. Apply for our Summer 2025 program on the Medical-Surgical Unit. Receive hands-on training with experienced preceptors, exposure to diverse patient populations, and education on essential nursing skills in a mentorship-driven atmosphere. Why NVRH? Collaborate with a dedicated team, gain valuable experience, and enjoy work-life balance in a welcoming rural community while making a meaningful impact on patients’ lives.

Requirements: Enthusiastic new graduates with a Bachelor’s or Associate’s Degree in Nursing and eligibility for a Vermont or multi-state Compact RN license. Benefits Include: Competitive compensation, student loan repayment, tuition reimbursement, paid time off, and more. About Us: Located in St. Johnsbury, Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital serves over 30,000 people in a picturesque, bustling community. Apply Now! nvrh.org/careers.

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The Vermont State College System is hiring!

We’re looking for dynamic, mission-driven people who want their work to make a positive difference in Vermont and for Vermonters. The VSCS is deeply rooted in Vermont communities, providing students of all ages opportunities for academic and professional growth through flexible, innovative programs and exemplary support services.

We are looking to fill the following positions across the state. Come join our incredible staff!

• Business & Process Analyst (Campus Flexible)

• Network Administrator (VTSU Castleton)

• Payroll Specialist (Montpelier, VT)

• Project Manager, Operations and System Transformation (Campus Flexible)

• Program Director for Workday Implementation (Campus Flexible)

Benefits for full-time staff include 14 paid holidays, plus vacation, medical, and personal time, automatic retirement contribution, and tuition waiver at any Vermont State College for staff and their dependents (eligible dependents may apply waiver to UVM). Visit vermontstate.edu/about/careers

VSCS values individual differences that can be engaged in the service of learning. Diverse experiences from people of varied backgrounds inform and enrich our community. VSCS welcomes all qualified applications, including those from historically marginalized and underrepresented populations. VSCS is an Equal Opportunity Employer, in compliance with ADA requirements, and will make reasonable accommodation for the known disability of an otherwise qualified applicant.

Automotive Technician

We are a busy independent shop specializing in European car diagnosis and repair. We take pride in our work, providing the highest level of service to our valued clients. We also take pride in our team, offering a competitive salary, benefits that include 401(k) with company match and available health insurance, a generous holiday schedule and a supportive, collaborative, relaxed environment. If this sounds like a good fit give a call at 802-489-5950, shoot us an email or stop by: mike@sterlingmotorwerks.com

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Burlington Housing Authority (BHA)

Are you interested in a job that helps your community and makes a difference in people’s lives every day? Consider joining Burlington Housing Authority (BHA) in Burlington, VT to continue BHA’s success in promoting innovative solutions that address housing instability challenges facing our diverse population of low-income families and individuals.

We are currently hiring for the following positions:

Housing Retention Services – Site

Based: Responsible for supporting those who have mental health and substance use challenges and/or who have moved from homelessness to Bobbin Mill, Wharf Lane, and other BHA properties. The position works closely with property management and other site-based staff to identify challenges and respond with appropriate direct service and coordination of community services, with a goal of eviction prevention and facilitating a healthy tenancy.

Offender Re-entry Housing Specialist: Provides support to men and women under the VT Department of Corrections supervision from prison back to Chittenden County. The ORHS focuses on high-risk men and women who are being released from jail and graduating transitional housing programs and in need of permanent housing. The ORHS provides intensive retention and eviction prevention services and works collaboratively with the Burlington Probation and Parole Office. Additionally, the ORHS works with various case workers, Re-Entry staff and the Administrative Staff from the VT Department of Corrections and the broad network of COSA staff, as necessary, throughout Chittenden County.

Permanent Supportive Housing

Specialist : Provides assistance to community members within Chittenden County who are without housing and have significant medical/mental health barriers to locating and securing housing in Burlington Housing Authority’s service area.

Preventative Maintenance

Coordinator: Administers and implements comprehensive preventative maintenance activities at all BHA properties, ensuring the systematic upkeep of building components. The PMC will establish a maintenance

schedule, as well as oversee and coordinate with contractors for key building systems and areas related to the upkeep of buildings.

Rental Assistance Specialist

II: Processes the annual & interim recertifications for tenant and project-based vouchers and grant-funded rental assistance programs. The RAS also provides help, when needed, with other rental assistance programs administered by the Burlington Housing Authority.

Resident Manager at South Square:

Attends to various resident requests, assisting with emergency service, and light cleaning duties. The Resident Manager is required to live on property. The Resident Manager is provided with an apartment along with free utilities in exchange for being on call after BHA business hours and on weekends.

For more info about these career opportunities, our robust benefit package, and to apply, please visit: burlingtonhousing.org jobs.appone. com/burlingtonhousingauthority .

Burlington Housing Authority

Human Resources

65 Main Street Suite 101

Burlington, VT 05401-8408

P: 802-864-0538

F: 802-658-1286

BHA is an Equal Opportunity Employer

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

Assistant Finance Director

The Town of Essex is accepting applications for full-time employment for an Assistant Finance Director.

The Assistant Finance Director supports the Finance Director in administering all Town finance department activities including general ledger maintenance, account reconciliation, accounts receivable, accounts payable, utility billing and payroll processing. The Assistant Finance Director proposes and coordinates the implementation of new financial policies and procedures and provides instruction, support and shared supervision to 2 Full-Time employees in the Finance Department.

The below list of qualifications and experience is desired, unless otherwise specified, for this position. Essex will consider any combination of education and experience that allows for successful performance in this role. The Town’s goals include hiring the candidate who is best able to meet the objectives of the position. We, therefore, encourage persons with non-traditional skill sets and experiences to apply, even if candidates believe they do not meet 100% of the qualification and hiring criteria described. There will be some instances where licensures or other requirements could be legally required.

In general, the regular work hours per week are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. However, hours may vary depending upon the needs of the department. Attendance at night meetings will be required as needed. There will be an opportunity for remote work throughout the week in accordance with the Town of Essex remote work policy and the needs of the municipality.

The qualified candidate will have at least 3 years of relevant experience in accounting or a related field in a responsible position, preferably in municipal government, or any equivalent combination of education and experience. The qualified candidate will have at least a Bachelor’s degree with a major in accounting, finance, or a related field. Prior supervisory experience is strongly preferred. Prior experience working with the New England Municipal Resource Center (NEMRC) software system is a plus.

The salary range is $66,000 to $82,500 per year with the actual starting salary based on qualifications and experience. This is a full-time, non-union, exempt position. The Town of Essex offers a competitive benefits package to include: generous vacation and sick accruals, VMERS C Retirement Plan, MVP Health Insurance, health savings accounts, employer-paid Dental and Vision insurance, Short Term and Long Term Disability, Life and AD&D Insurance, and optional Missionsquare 457 and Roth IRA Retirement plans.

Applications can be submitted online at essexvt.bamboohr. com/careers/149 by clicking “Apply for This Job” in the upper right-hand corner, or interested candidates can pick up a paper application at the Essex Town Offices, 81 Main St, Essex Junction, VT 05452. This position is open until filled. The Town of Essex is an equal opportunity employer.

Viatris is a new kind of healthcare company, one where you can make an impact in the world.

Spring into your new career TODAY!

Hiring for 2nd & 3rd Shift Operators in St. Albans, VT $22 – $25 per hour to start

Plus, for a limited time, offering a $5,000 Sign On Bonus to eligible new hires

Benefits from Day 1 include:

• 37.5 hour Work Week with 40 hour pay

• On-site Primary Care for employees & eligible dependents

• Employee Medical, Prescription and Vision coverage – $9/ Per Pay

• Profit Sharing and 401(k) with 100% matching up to 4% and no vesting period

• Family Medical & Prescription Coverage –$18 Per Pay with Vision – $1.50 Per Pay

• Generous Time Off programs (including personal, vacation and company holidays)

Other benefits include:

• Annual Bonus and merit increases (starting at $3,000)

• Education Assistance up to 100% of the cost of tuition, books and lab fees

Start your career in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry today. Learn more about VIATRIS and come join our team here at MTI. View our opportunities here: Viatris.com/careers

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

POST YOUR JOBS AT: SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POSTMYJOB

PRINT DEADLINE: NOON ON MONDAYS (INCLUDING HOLIDAYS) FOR RATES & INFO: MICHELLE BROWN, 802-865-1020 X121, MICHELLE@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

fun stuff

“Mama,

HARRY BLISS & STEVE MARTIN

set an extra plate!”

JULIANNA BRAZILL

fun stuff

“Do you have the ability to push down your hate & anger and put a smile on your face with over the top kindness and hospitality?”

ISAIAH LEGETTE

JOHN KLOSSNER

JEN SORENSEN

TAURUS

(APR. 20-MAY 20)

You can’t see or hold the wind, though you can feel its force and observe its effects. It scatters some seeds far and wide, dispersing them to grow in unexpected places. When harnessed by turbines, the wind is a renewable energy source. It can be utilized to pump water and fuel telecommunications equipment. Winds influence daily weather by transporting water and heat. I have summarized wind’s qualities because I see this upcoming phase of your cycle as being wind-like, Taurus. You won’t necessarily have to be obvious to spread your influence. You will be able to work behind the scenes in potent ways. Who knows where your seeds will land and germinate? There will be surprises.

ARIES (Mar. 21-Apr. 19): Aries filmmaker Akira Kurosawa devoted meticulous attention to weather conditions. He would postpone shooting a particular scene for days, waiting for the influx of the exact right blend of wind, clouds or precipitation to create the ideal ambience. I recommend you adopt his patient sense of timing in the coming weeks, Aries. While you typically prefer direct action, now is a favorable phase to coordinate your desire to get what you need with life’s changing conditions. What advantages might you gain by waiting for the ripest moments to arrive?

GEMINI (May 21-Jun. 20): The Earth’s first big ecological crisis happened 2.5 billion years ago. Ancient bacteria became a successful life form. They proliferated. The only problem was, they produced an abundance of oxygen, which was toxic to all the other existing life forms at that time. And yet that bump in evolution was ultimately essential in the rise of complex organisms that thrive on oxygen, such as us. We wouldn’t be here today without bacteria’s initially problematic intervention. Nothing as monumentally major or epic will occur for you in the coming weeks, Gemini. But I do suspect that what may initially seem disruptive could ultimately generate positive outcomes. I hope you prime yourself to transform challenging situations into opportunities for growth. For best results, set aside your fixed beliefs about what’s necessary for maximum progress.

CANCER (Jun. 21-Jul. 22): From the 17th through the 19th centuries, Paris was famous for its salons. There, artists, writers and big thinkers assembled to exchange ideas and inspire each other. The salons were often orchestrated by illustrious, educated women in their private homes. They were hotbeds of networking and cultural innovation. Listening and learning were key elements. Now would be an excellent time for you to organize, host or encourage similar gatherings, Cancerian. You have extra power to facilitate the stellar socializing that generates zesty connections and spreads invigorating influences.

LEO (Jul. 23-Aug. 22): Harriet Tubman (1822-1913) was one of the bravest Americans who ever lived. After escaping enslavement, she heroically returned to other Southern plantations many times to help free enslaved people. To accomplish her miraculous rescues, she relied in part on her dreams and visions — what she called divine guidance — to navigate through challenging situations. I suspect you will soon have access to similar assets: extraordinary courage and help from unusual or even supernatural sources. Use these gifts wisely, Leo!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sep. 22): The nations of planet Earth launched 263 space flights in 2024 and are on track for more than 300 in 2025. Most of the satellites and spacecraft

are devoted to scientific research. A relatively small proportion is dedicated to communication, navigation and military uses. I would love for you to have an equally high level of exploratory and experimental energy in the coming weeks, Virgo. You will align yourself with cosmic rhythms if you spend more time than usual investigating the frontiers. It’s time to expand and extend yourself!

LIBRA (Sep. 23-Oct. 22): What’s the oldest living organism on Earth? It’s a bristlecone pine tree nicknamed “Methuselah.” Almost 4,800 years old, it resides somewhere in California’s White Mountains, though its precise location is kept secret to protect it. In the spirit of shielding and nurturing valuable things, I urge you to consider maintaining similar safeguards in the coming weeks. Like Methuselah, your precious processes and creations might thrive best when allowed to grow free from undue attention. You may benefit from maintaining privacy and silence about certain matters as they develop.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I love to gaze out my office window at Gallinas Creek during high tide. At certain interludes, the water is perfectly still. It almost perfectly reflects the sky in every detail, with all its clouds, birds and hues of blue. My conscious mind knows the difference between the real sky and reflected sky, but my eyes can’t discern. That’s a helpful metaphor for all of us all the time, and especially for you in the coming weeks. It will be crucial for you to maintain an acute awareness of what’s genuine and what’s illusory.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sagittarian anthropologist Margaret Mead (1901-1978) revolutionized her field. She didn’t study other cultures from a distance with a detached perspective. Instead, she learned their languages and immersed herself in their daily lives. So she earned the intimate understanding to conclude, “What people say, what people do, and what they say they do are entirely different things.” This is a crucial principle for you right now. You must directly observe people’s actions rather than simply believing what they say about themselves — or what others say about them. You must look beyond surface declarations to under-

stand the deeper rhythms and patterns. For best results, be a devoted participant, not an uninvolved judge.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn mystic Alan Watts wrote The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are. He proposed that each of us is far more glorious than our separate, isolated egos. It’s difficult to come to this understanding, however, since our culture conspires to hide it from us. That’s the bad news. The good news, Capricorn, is that you will have an unprecedented chance to partly shatter this taboo in the coming weeks. I have high hopes that you will discover deep truths about yourself that have previously been unavailable.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Beginning in 1946, Bedouins exploring caves near the Dead Sea discovered an immense trove of ancient documents written on parchment. These manuscripts provided many new revelations into early Christianity, biblical texts, and the history and culture of Judaism. I suspect that in the coming weeks, you may experience a metaphorical equivalent of this breakthrough and unveiling. To prepare, meditate on these questions: 1) What mysterious parts of your life story would you like to have illuminated? 2) About which aspects of your past would you like to receive new truths? 3) Is there anything missing in your understanding of who you really are?

PISCES (Feb. 19-Mar. 20): White light enters a glass prism and is translated on the other side into a rainbow of colors. That’s because each color rides its own wavelength, even while seamlessly blended in the white light, and then gets bent differently by the prism. The magic of the prism is that it reveals the hidden spectrum within, the latent diversity contained within the apparently monolithic beam of white light. In the coming weeks, Pisces, I predict that you will be like a prism, bringing out vibrancy in situations or relationships that may seem nondescript or mundane at first glance. Your ability to discern and appreciate multiple perspectives will enable you to create an intriguing kind of harmony. You will have the power to notice and reveal beauty that has been veiled or unnoticed.

Respond to these people online: dating.sevendaysvt.com

WOMEN seeking...

HOPEFUL ROMANTIC

67, female. Trying to make sense of it all — don’t want to do it alone. Active lady, many interests and roads I’d like to travel. Seeking a guy to have a friendship and connection with. If attraction is there, much more. Mystic1, 67 seeking: M, l

KIND, CUTE TRAVELING PUMPKIN

I am a kind person who cares deeply for those in my life. Family is very important to me. I love to cook. Take pride in taking care of my home. Love kayaking, camping. I want to find someone who loves to go on spontaneous adventures, stay up too late, get lost. I also love to travel, Netflix and chill. Rosebud47, 28, seeking: M, l

I’M OLD SCHOOL

It’s been almost three years now. I’m a hardworking woman looking for dinner and a movie and wonderful company. Lmhemond 59, seeking: M, l

MOUNTAIN GAL

Curious, crunchy, adventurous and independent. You can find me outdoors exploring the woods, wandering up streams, saying hey to all the plants and critters. I love to learn and care deeply about community. Looking for someone who is intelligent, goofy, resourceful, engaged in their community and actively pursuing their passions — be that through work or extracurriculars. spottedsalamander 28 seeking: M, l

WANT TO RESPOND?

You read Seven Days, these people read Seven Days — you already have at least one thing in common!

All the action is online. Create an account or login to browse hundreds of singles with profiles including photos, habits, desires, views and more. It’s free to place your own profile online.

l See photos of this person online.

W = Women

M = Men

TW = Trans women

TM = Trans men

Q = Genderqueer people

NBP = Nonbinary people

NC = Gender nonconformists

Cp = Couples

Gp = Groups

FUN WOMAN SEEKING PLAYMATE

60 and new to Vermont, looking for other fun women for hiking, kayaking, exploring, or music, films and dinner. I live globally but am also a rooted, down-to-earth former organic farmer. Teacher, learner, avid environmentalist. In need of new buddies for fun and adventure, and if the vibes are right perhaps a lover. Friends first. Majinamwezi, 61, seeking: W

YOUTHFUL OLD SOUL AWAKENED HEART

Awakening heart, discerning mind, joyful lens, justice orientation with homesteading tendencies welcomes aligned connections to explore: meditation, cultures, nature, inner outer landscapes, diverse languages, grow compassion culture. Ready to meet life partner, grow chosen family. Inquisitive, playful, kind, adventurous, content, open. Conscious communication. Speed of trust. Grateful to connect, tend, nurture, hold, be held, offer, share. youthfuloldsoul 49, seeking: M, l

RELAXING FORMER MULTITASKER

Native Californian, Vermont resident for 10 years. Came to retire, found myself working at the college nearby. I live in a rural area outside Middlebury. Mom to two dogs. I like bird-watching. I revel in nature that is all around me on my little farmlet. Also enjoy the city, good restaurants, fine wine, nightclubs. Always happy traveling to distant lands. Chamois009 69, seeking: M, l

NATIVE VERMONT COUNTRY WOMAN

Youthful, fit, 57-y/o, attractive, downto-earth with a sense of humor. Always looking forward in life, growing and learning along the way. Into simple living, family, friends, the outdoors, self-care. I’m a great workmate around the homestead. Adaptable and open to trying new hobbies. Looking to meet men (50 to 65) with similar lifestyle. Hoping to make a connection to build upon. ironbelle, 57, seeking: M, l

OPEN TO MOST THINGS

I work a great deal because it is also my passion and purpose. I care about doing what is right even if it’s harder. I’m patient, to an extent, and can be coaxed into having fun. Cleeb4381 43, seeking: M, l

GLASS HALF FULL, WILLING TO SHARE

Kind, smart, intuitive, SWW, 63, with a wry sense of humor. Financially independent and resourceful, civic-minded, and involved in the community. Health conscious in body, mind and spirit. Work part time at a job I love and am ready for more. More travel, more play and deeper connection. Seeking meaningful relationship with vital, active, emotionally available and intellectually curious man. Is that you? Love2Read 63 seeking: M, l

SUPER CHILL, FRIENDLY LADY

Recentish divorcée after long marriage seeking friendship to start, perhaps morphing into more. Have been out of dating game for 30 years, give or take. Looking to make new connections, maybe drink some coffee or wine or both. Whoreallyknows 50, seeking: W

CONTAGIOUSLY ENTHUSIASTIC, LOVES SNACKS

Unapologetically excited about the little things. Will always stop to read those historical plaques. Currently, I’m a struggling plant dad, full-time environmental advocate and weekend ice cream chef. Hiker, skier and general outdoorsy person, too. Seeking a long-term relationship with someone who’s always up for an adventure and goes after what they want from life. IceCreamFan, 29, seeking: W, l

OLD SCHOOL

EXPLORER

Creative, reflective, edgy, sarcastic, traveler, independent, generous, fair. titanbuff 77, seeking: M, l

WARM, WATER SIGN, WORDS MATTER

I’m a people person and love connecting on a deep level. I would like to find someone to read and talk about books with, to laugh, to sail, to swim, to eat well, to listen to music, to walk and bike and enjoy small adventures, and to find comfort together, despite the current insanity. Connecting 65, seeking: M, W, l

CREATIVE, GROWTH-ORIENTED NATURE LOVER

I figure I have likely about 20 years left on the planet, and I would love to spend them in an enjoyable partnership with an active, caring and compatible man. I am tall, slim, fit and active. Artist and craftsperson, gardener. Spiritually oriented, vegan nature lover. Not retired, may never be, but enjoy a balanced life. Positive outlook always. dancer9 74 seeking: M

GREAT SMILE

I am looking for someone to spend time with. I work a lot and have a successful business, so I am not looking for money or for someone to take care of me. I want a personal connection. I love the outdoors, country lifestyle. I hate the city. Horselady 54, seeking: M

LONELY LOOKING FOR...?

Looking for someone kind. Life’s a gamble. Self-sufficient woman here, at least I think so sometimes. I enjoy nature and good sex, like I can remember. Physically active. Not perfect. Silly_wabbit, 54 seeking: M

LOOKING FOR CONNECTION

I’m considerate, kind, compassionate, curious and always looking for new adventures. I would love to meet someone to share in my enthusiasm. Connect with me if you are not afraid to be real. katya, 58, seeking: M, l

MEN seeking...

OUTDOOR ADVENTURER, CONTENT AT HOME

Young professional looking for someone in a similar phase of life. What I do for fun are largely outdoor activities, though some inside pursuits as well. I like to travel and see places and am trying to do more. I’m someone who is happy with what I have and, in most cases, the situation I’m in. foundontrails, 26, seeking: W, TW, l

FIRST TIME AT THIS

Trying to pull off a George Clooney. I’m looking for a woman who is kind and supportive, has a good work ethic, likes to hug and cuddle, enjoys nature, is thankful, and wants to be a wife and mother. Bonus points if you enjoy live music (especially the Dead), like to travel, are active outside and are a foodie. GreenBean78, 46, seeking: W, l

Looking for love. Tarzansboymon 40 seeking: W, l

ENERGETIC, COMPASSIONATE, CARPE DIEM IDEALIST

I am a lifelong learner, especially of science and nature, with energy to play racquetball, dance, hike and make love. I’m an idealistic, intense, warm, compassionate intellectual with a wry sense of humor. I live in a cohousing community. I seek a bright, fun-loving, attractive, independently minded woman who loves herself, has a good sense of humor and enjoys intimacy. communityguy, 84, seeking: W, l

FUNNY, FUN AND FANTASTIC

Smart, funny guy who’s left the rat race, looking to find a woman with whom I can connect. I am financially and emotionally stable, keep in shape, and show up on time. Warmth and kindness are important to me. I am very curious and have many hobbies which keep me busy (gardening, pickleball, reading, etc.). What are you up to? Ouroboros 56, seeking: W, l

HONEST, KIND, CREATIVE

Hello, let’s have fun together! Please get in touch if you like to ski, hike, boat, bike, see live music and eat yummy food. I have two kids in their 20s who mostly are doing their own thing. I work part time for myself, so have some flexibility with my schedule. Looking forward to traveling more in the coming years. AltaOne 58, seeking: W, l

LONG-DISTANCE WANDERER

Looking for a partner who likes to put on their backpack and explore. Most people click the hiking box, but are you thinking a few hours or a few months? I enjoy live music festivals and museums. I enjoy sewing and woodworking. Bonus if you are an introvert like me. eternalhiker 61 seeking: W, l

LOOKING FOR FUN

Looking to experience the pleasures there are in the world. Jiraiya84, 41, seeking: M, W, TM, TW, Q, NC, NBP, Cp, Gp

THEY’RE MAKING ME DO THIS

Sven sent someone into town wearing his clothes and walking his dog, just so that I would smile at a stranger. That’s why I am now looking for love. A fool I am, to have walked into such a simple gambit. Now I need allies for my phoenix-like rebirth. Potentially powerful wizard seeking loyal followers, friends for long journey. reginaldgatorade 26, seeking: W, Q, l

OLD SCHOOL IS THE WAY

Looking for an honest, loyal woman. My heart’s too big to share alone. I’m tall, great-looking, ready to have some fun — just an Irish man looking for his lucky charm. I’m a cook, artist, construction worker, plumber, all by trade. It’s been broken one too many times. Love fun and excitement — oh, yeah, and I’m a sex addict. Mainsouthmiz76 48 seeking: W, l

HONEST, HARDWORKING AND OLD SCHOOL

I’m content with life as it is but missing that special person in my life. Just in search of one sweet and honest lady to see where things go. Perhaps a ski, camping or hiking buddy. I would really like to start as friends; not just looking for a hookup. vermonter4ever 59, seeking: W, l

HONEST, LOYAL, CREATIVE, RESPONSIBLE, CARING

I am looking for a partner who enjoys taking rides to nowhere — someone who is adventurous and enjoys all aspects of life. Please, no liars or drama. LuckyGuy9 74, seeking: W, l

GENTLE, OPEN-MINDED GUY

I’m a laid-back engineer looking for a serious connection with a woman around my age who is kind and empathetic. I spend my time making little crafts like cards, slowly building my tiny house, running with friends, contra dancing and enjoying slow weekend mornings. Let’s get together for a walk, drink or coffee! urbanforager, 27, seeking: W, l

STUDIOUS, DOG DAD, RUNNER, ROMANTIC (HOPELESS?)

I have a wonderful dog, a blossoming career, and a lot of care and energy I’d like to invest in another person. The apps are tiring. This seemed like a quirky way to approach finding the one. I build my life around social groups, run/hike often and generally try to be outdoors with a book in my hand.

EveningRedening, 29 seeking: W, l

NONBINARY PEOPLE seeking...

OUTDOORSY, TALKATIVE, CREATIVE

Hi, I am pretty fun. I listen to a lot of music. I hike a lot, backpack and garden in the summers. I’m intersex, so I’m double-gendered totally and prefer men. I like to draw a lot. I’m very creative; think of myself as a drawer of African animalistic settings, Vermont animals and astrology. Hailuithair 30, seeking: M, l

COUPLES seeking...

LOOKING FOR FUN PEEPS

Fun, open-minded couple seeking playmates. Shoot us a note if interested so we can share details and desires. Jackrabbits, 61, seeking: W, Cp

FUN COUPLE LOOKING FOR EXPLORATION

We are a secure couple who enjoy the outdoors, good wine, great food, playing with each other, exploring our boundaries and trying new things. We are 47 and 50, looking for a fun couple or bi man to play and explore with us. We are easygoing, and we’d love to meet you and see where our mutual adventures take us. vthappycouple 51, seeking: M, Cp, Gp

EXPLORING THREESOMES AND FOURSOMES

We are older and wiser, discovered that our sexuality is amazingly hot! Our interest is another male for threesomes or a couple for threesomes or foursomes. We’d like to go slowly, massage you with a happy ending. She’d love to be massaged with a happy ending or a dozen. Are you interested in exploring sexuality with a hot older couple? DandNformen 68, seeking: M, W, TM, TW, Q, NC, NBP, Cp, Gp, l

SPOTTED AT SHAW’S

We made eye contact in the produce section. I saw you do a double take. You were wearing a green Marker zip-up. I was wearing a teal hoodie. You caught my eye as well, but I’m new in the dating scene and chickened out of talking with you. Any chance you’re single? When: Monday, April 21, 2025. Where: Shaw’s in Berlin. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916300

ADVENTURES IN HOME BUILDING

Hi, P. — hope the project is moving forward. If you would like to chat more about it, I would be interested in hearing about how things are going under better talking conditions. When: Sunday, April 6, 2025. Where: McGillicuddy’s. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916299

HIGHER GROUND SMOOTH OPERATOR

You and me at the Badﬁsh show. You bought me a drink when I realized they don’t accept cash. anks, my knight! Let’s do some shit together. I don’t know, maybe kiss or something?

Dummy. When: ursday, April 17, 2025. Where: South Burlington. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916298

FRIENDLY COMPETITION

You sat down next to me but went up to the front two rows before I got a chance to catch your name. How did you do? When: ursday, April 17, 2025. Where: upstairs. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916297

JURY SUMMONS

Who are you? I saw you in the courthouse, and you said hi. I was worried and busy grading papers and missed the chance to talk to you. I was dismissed (thankfully), and you were, too, right after me. We were one elevator ride apart. Hi? When: Monday, April 14, 2025. Where: Costello Courthouse, Burlington. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916296

UHC PARKING LOT

To Reiki practitioner and spiritual medium: In October 2024, we bumped into each other and spoke for about an hour. It was raining. We spoke about past experiences. You got goose bumps because you were receiving information about me. We talked about my grandparents. I remember you with short, dark hair, mid- to late 30s. I should’ve gotten your contact information. When: Tuesday, October 15, 2024. Where: UHC parking lot. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916295

SWEET SMILE BY SALAD GREENS

First saw you in the parking lot as I ran back to the car for the shopping list. Bumped into you again in front of the leafy greens. You had on a hat, glasses and the sweetest smile. I was on the phone having a conversation about bok choy. Lettuce connect again sometime? When: Sunday, April 13, 2025. Where: City Market SE. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916294

SATURDAY AFTERNOON IN ESSEX

You caught my eye, several times. You were with your mom (and dad, I assume). Chinese buffet. I should have stopped and said hi. You were in the back of your car feeding your dogs; I was leaving with my mom. I came back to see if you were still there but I was too late. When: Saturday, April 12, 2025. Where: Essex Junction, Pearl St. parking lot. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916293

HIKER, GREEN JACKET, LITTLE RIVER

You posted in the I Spy column after spotting me hiking at Little River Park — green jacket, tortoiseshell glasses. You said the day was beautiful, and so was I. It stuck with me. Six months later, your post is gone, but I remember. I’d be open to that hike. Maybe we’ll cross paths again? When: Saturday, October 19, 2024. Where: Little River State Park. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916292

De Nom Nosh,

DIVINE CREATURE AT A

CROSSROADS

Mouffette. Never doubt. You are love, light and divinity in a frail, temporary vessel. Know that I will help light the darkness when I’m healed and capable of honoring your radiance. Forgive me my rage and pettiness. Intertwined we shall always be. I am better for it. e future is uncertain. My love is not. ank you for holding space. When: ursday, April 10, 2025. Where: in my heart. You: Gender nonconformist. Me: Gender nonconformist. #916291

RAINBOW GLASSES COSTCO BABE

You used to work the exit lines at Costco. I gravitated toward you for a few seconds of eye contact through rainbow browline glasses (both yours and mine). It’s not as bright without you there. When: Saturday, June 1, 2024. Where: Costco. You: Woman. Me: Woman. #916290

BRAKE LIGHTS BREAK LIGHTS

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you on the road. Even though we are both taken, you still run through my mind all the time with your brake lights. Everything happens for reason, and who knows? Reach out to me if you want. I screwed everything up a few years ago. When: Wednesday, April 9, 2025. Where: everywhere. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916289

MYSTERIOUS BROKEN

GROCERY BAG GIRL

Noticed you in the checkout line, and then your bag conveniently broke outside right as I was leaving. Helped you put things back — but, wow, was I shy and blew my chance to get your name. You: wearing some very classy clogs and a very cozy-looking orange puffy jacket. Me: very underdressed in shorts and a T-shirt. When: Wednesday, April 9, 2025. Where: City Market. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916288

INTRIGUING ALLEY CIGAR-SMOKING DUDE

Coming back soon, I hope? Haven’t seen you in a hot minute. Been able to spy you from across the street and often see you with an older guy with an exuberant laugh. You seem chill, cheerful and easy to talk to, based on all the passersby who stop. I’d like to share a smoke sometime. When: Tuesday, October 1, 2024. Where: College Street near Ceres. You: Man. Me: Man. #916283

PRODUCE SECTION ENCOUNTER

Ran into you in the produce section. You apologized for your cart being in my way. I told you it was all right. Beautiful eye contact. Saw you again as I headed down to frozen foods. Seemed like a conversation could have happened. It can happen now. When: Sunday, April 6, 2025. Where: grocery store. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916286

HEAT HEAT HEAT

It’s been 15 laps around this track with you. ere’s no one else I’d want to double shift up and go careening around hairpin turns with but you, my ride-or-die babe, and get our picture taken. Remember, there’s no prize for ﬁnishing in a pristine car, so let’s put the pedal to the metal! When: Tuesday, April 15, 2025. Where: over the board. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916287

LET THE UNIVERSE DECIDE

I spy with my little eye… / A special guy / But I need to let the Universe decide / If he is worthy of another try / ree years have quickly ﬂown by / Ups and downs on this bumpy ride / When the good is good / Oh my, oh my / But the bad makes me sigh. / Say goodbye / Or give it one ﬁnal try. When: Friday, October 22, 2021. Where: on and off. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916285

D&D

Death may have tried to stop for me, though he’s decades early. Makes me wonder who told him to show up and for what purpose, as it wasn’t for innocent pure love. Even those who claim to be holy have fallen into lust only when leading with love was truly leading with exploitation and false pretense. When: Saturday, March 22, 2025. Where: their “stage,” as there is no more curtain. You: Group. Me: Woman. #916284

CUTE (SINGLE?) MOM IN SHAW’S

You were busy; I didn’t want to intrude. Can’t stop thinking about you now. I like your hat. When: Tuesday, April 1, 2025. Where: Shaw’s pharmacy. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916282

CROSSWALK ENCOUNTER

I was carrying a ball, and you were running. I have seen you around, and your smile gets me every time. Damn! When: Tuesday, March 25, 2025. Where: top of Granite Street, Montpelier. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916280

YOU SENT ME TO MORNINGSIDE

You have a beautiful, rose-colored aura. It’s the ﬁrst aura that I’ve ever seen, but it was unmistakable, almost palpable and far more stimulating than any espresso I’ve ever had. When: Friday, March 28, 2025. Where: Café Provence, Brandon. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916281

BARISTA BABE

Can’t tell if you were ﬂirting or just being nice. You were the cute blonde barista who asked me if I liked the “Cha Cha Shufﬂe,” but I was too much of a caffeine-deprived space cadet to think of anything to say. I was the brunette in big sunglasses and a striped scarf. When: Saturday, March 22, 2025. Where: Birchgrove Bakery. You: Woman. Me: Woman. #916279

PATRICK FROM THE Y

We met a couple of weeks ago. I think you’re cute. Would love to get to know you more if you are up for a low-pressure hang! When: Sunday, March 2, 2025. Where: out and about! You: Man. Me: Woman. #916278

SILVER FOX AT EB STRONG’S!

We were having dinner with friends — near each other, but at separate tables. As I stood up to leave, we held a few moments of intense eye contact. I want to know who you are! Me: Tall, gray blazer, white T-shirt, smile. You: Silvery curly hair, super handsome, smile. When: Wednesday, March 19, 2025. Where: EB Strong’s. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916277

WATERBURY CENTER GAS

You were getting gas. I was spying you. You are cute and sexy. When: Tuesday, March 18, 2025. Where: gas station. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916276

SUNBEAM OR SOMETHING

I love hosting get-togethers with friends and family at my house. People usually bring food and drinks to contribute to the festivities, which is great. However, I live alone and often wind up with so many leftovers that I don’t know what to do with them. I hate wasting food. What do I do?

Many people feel that when they bring something to a party, it’s rude to take it back home when they leave. at’s quite lovely and, by most accounts, the proper etiquette — but not always what works best for the host.

e next time you throw a party, have to-go containers at the ready. You can buy reusable plastic ones or compostable boxes. If you want to be environmentally friendly and like to thrift, you can ﬁnd cute dishes with lids for a dime a dozen at secondhand shops. When the party starts winding down, have everyone ﬁll a container to take home.

Bus down Shelburne Road. You were dressed in yellow. Your hair, blonde? Red? Maybe still is, maybe you’ve dyed it black — who knows? No way to know. I sat near the front. Long brown hair. Didn’t speak. Figured I’d write a note asking you to contra! Realized I had no paper or pen. Weird, sorry. Reimburse the $7 if you choose to reply. When: Tuesday, March 18, 2025. Where: the bus. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916275 at

costs. You don’t want to force anything on your guests, so here are some other options to consider for your surplus snacks. Become familiar with your local food shelf and what donations it accepts. Most likely, it won’t take homemade or perishable foods, but unopened packages of chips, bread or crackers could qualify. You can always bring the rest of the tasty leftovers into your ofﬁce to share with coworkers. Beyond that, befriend your freezer. Instead of leaving leftovers to languish in the fridge, tuck them in the freezer right away to enjoy later. And get a little creative in the kitchen: at tray of crudités could be turned into a pot of vegetable soup fairly easily. You could also have an after-party with a few buds to help polish off the bits and bobs. In the big picture, keep in mind that your problem is a pretty fantastic one to have.

Good luck and God bless, The Rev end De Rev end,

at may be easier said than done, because some people will refuse leftovers at all

I’m a 40-y/o female seeking a male who is a conﬁdent, smart, funny, loyal, devoted, passionate and compassionate person. I love walks in nature, yoga, reading, writing, art museums, hiking, travel and sharing heart-to-heart energy. #L1851

70-y/o divorced male looking for companionship and romance. If you’re not looking for a romantic relationship, don’t respond. Looking for a friendly female, age not important, but not a friend. Tired of numbers game, wanting to connect. Let’s chat and see! Phone number, please. #L1852

I’m a SWF in her mid-60s, N/S, N/DD looking for a very ﬁne gentleman who is true-blue nice and able and willing to work. Likes: tropics, exotics. Dislikes: Vermont and criminals. #L1850

Single woman, 60. Wise, mindful. Seeking tight unit with man, friend, love. Country living, gardens, land to play on. Emotionally, intellectually engaged. Lasting chats. Appreciation for past experience. Please be kind, stable and well established. Phone number, please. #L1849

I’m an active, ﬁt male. Recent status change, plus vasectomy. Seeking a female friend for a walk on the “wild side.” #L1846

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PAYMENT: $5/response. Include cash or check (made out to “Seven Days”) in the outer envelope. To send unlimited replies for only $15/month, call us at 802-865-1020, ext. 161 for a membership (credit accepted).

PUBLISH YOUR MESSAGE ON THIS PAGE!

1 Submit your FREE message at sevendaysvt.com/loveletters or use the handy form at right.

We’ll publish as many messages as we can in the Love Letters section above. 2

Interested readers will send you letters in the mail. No internet required!

I’m a happy, healthy, ﬁt 29y/o female med school student described by the friends penning this submission as “adorable, hot, with a great sense of humor.” Seeking a 26- to 28-y/o male who is athletic, sweet and kind but also “cool.” Looking for fun on the lake, not to be confused with lake-adjacent activities. #L1847

I’m a 34-y/o man seeking a woman 19 or older. Avid journalist, songwriter, into poetry, sports, driving, hiking. In search of humor matching mine and a new attraction, that’s lasting, in a set of an open arms. #L1845

I’m a vibrant, creative fairy and forester seeking a dance partner for elaborate homecooked meals, nude figure drawing, line dancing and massage. Proficient swimmer, enthusiastic figure skater. Queer freaks only, come kiss. #L1843

I’m a SWF, 71 y/o, seeking a white or Black man. Long-term relationship. Cook. Warm, open, caring, friendly. I live in Woodstock. Phone calls only. #L1844

I’m a 62-y/o female seeking a 58to 66-y/o male for companionship and conversation. Might grow into something more, or not. No pressure. Looking for an honest, kind person. I love walking, hiking, traveling and eating out. No drugs/smoking. #L1839

Int net-Free Dating!

Reply to these messages with real, honest-to-goodness le ers. DETAILS BELOW.

Brown-eyed lady seeking tall man, 62 to 71 y/o, for romance, conversation, sensual rendezvous. You’re caring, empathetic and non-MAGA with a sense of community and humor. Ready to spoil the right man. Waiting for you. #L1838

I’m a 20-y/o trans man seeking folks my age or older. Looking for good conversation, FWB. I’m introspective and an old soul. I love meeting people. Buy me lunch and tell me a story. #L1836

Busy, independent, healthy, kind, funny, curious, creative 36y/o woman seeking connection, laughter, affection, conversation and reciprocity from like-minded, respectful 30- to 50-y/o man. Loves outdoors, music, art, food, books, animals. Enjoys talks, walks, naps. A balance of adventure and being a homebody. #L1837

I’m a woman, 80 y/o, seeking a man, 70 to 80 y/o. I’m a widow and Burlington resident. I was a gardener, and I like to ﬁsh. Interested in dinner, movies, events and nice conversations. #L1835

Describe yourself and who you’re looking for in 40 words below: (OR, ATTACH A SEPARATE PIECE OF PAPER.)

I’m a

AGE + GENDER (OPTIONAL) seeking a

AGE + GENDER (OPTIONAL)

I’m a male, 70, seeking a female, 30 to 60. Looking for passion together. I will treat you right in every way. #L1842

I’m a GWM bottom looking for fun with other GM or Bi. Prefer NSA but would consider FWB if chemistry is there. #L1841

Bist du mein B.G.G (Big Gentle German)? I am a 40-y/o female, auf der Suche nach meinen Deutschen Traummann. Du solltest respektvoll, bewusst sein, ehrlich sein, liebevoll, geduldig, freundlich, gesund und entspannt sein. Eine zweisprachige Familie zwischen den Vermont und Deutschland gründen. I am direkt, playful, kreativ, honest, healthy and kind. I love to be in the Nature und ein bissel sportlich (aqua ﬁtness, Pilates). #L1834

In quest of a gentle woman (58 to 68). Come sit here beside me, on the lush mossy bank near the river’s edge. We will share our joys and sorrows. Be ﬁt, wholesome, happy and humble. I will wait for you. #L1833

(MORE)

MAIL TO: SEVEN DAYS LOVE LETTERS • PO BOX 1164, BURLINGTON, VT 05402

OPTIONAL WEB FORM: SEVENDAYSVT.COM/LOVELETTERS HELP: 802-865-1020, EXT. 161, LOVELETTERS@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

THIS FORM IS FOR LOVE LETTERS ONLY. Messages for the Personals and I-Spy sections must be submitted online at dating.sevendaysvt.com.

Eco-Resiliency Gathering: Earth Day of Mourning and Revolution

WED., APR 23 ONLINE

Spring Slam Tour

FRI., APR 25

O.N.E. COMMUNITY CENTER, BURLINGTON

'Claim the Lane: Becoming Roxy'

Sneak Preview Screener

FRI., APR 25

MAIN STREET LANDING PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, BURLINGTON

SAM Americana Sampler // Chris Staples

FRI., APR 25

SAINT ALBANS MUSEUM

Parents Night Out

FRI., APR 25

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, BURLINGTON

The Peavine Boys w/ Jennings and McComber & Katie Dobbins

FRI., APR 25

THE UNDERGROUND - LISTENING ROOM, RANDOLPH

Healthy Kids Kitchen Cooking ClassesAsian Style Take-Out

SAT., APR. 26

THE KITCHEN AT MISSION FARM, KILLINGTON

Von Trapp Tulip SuperBloom

SAT., APR. 26

HOTEL VERMONT, BURLINGTON

Vermont Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Expo

SAT., APR. 26 & SUN., APR. 27

CHAMPLAIN VALLEY EXPOSITION, ESSEX JCT

Date Night Cooking Class - Tapas

SAT., APR. 26

THE KITCHEN AT MISSION FARM, KILLINGTON

SAT., APR. 26

RETRO LIVE, PLATTSBURGH, NY

Danielle Nicole Band with opener Kandrah and Petrashune

Burlington Choral Society Concert: Handel's 'Saul'

SAT., APR. 26

ELLEY-LONG MUSIC CENTER, COLCHESTER

Seth Yacovone Band

SAT., APR. 26

AFTERTHOUGHTS, WAITSFIELD

Così Fan Tutti

SUN., APR. 27

SAINT MICHAEL'S COLLEGE, COLCHESTER

Focaccia Art Workshop

TUE., APR 29

RED POPPY CAKERY, WATERBURY

Isabel Wilkerson presents 'Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents'

WED., APR. 30

HOTEL CHAMPLAIN, BURLINGTON

Pea Pod Crochet Workshop

WED., APR. 30

RED POPPY CAKERY, WATERBURY

Kat Wright & Brett Hughes

THU., MAY 1

BIG PICTURE THEATER & CAFE, WAITSFIELD

Jaded Ravins w/ Red River North and Sarah King

FRI., MAY 2

THE UNDERGROUND - LISTENING ROOM, RANDOLPH

Masterclass Series - Tiered Cakes

SAT., MAY 3

RED POPPY CAKERY, WATERBURY