Two men are tasked with keeping them under control.
AUGUST 6-13, 2025
That’s how many months people typically wait for a Champlain Housing Trust apartment. The agency just broke ground on a project that’ll add 40 a ordable units to Burlington’s Cambrian Rise.
Protesters expressed outrage that ICE agents are using the Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport to transport detained immigrants as part of President Donald Trump’s massive deportation operation. Last week a crowd spilled into a hallway outside a room where the Burlington Airport Commission met, and speakers urged airport officials to intervene.
“I hope and pray that you people act bravely,” Chuck Derusso of Montpelier told commissioners. “I’m a veteran. Some of you may be veterans. We fought for this democracy … We can’t be participating in renditions.”
Activists have been tracking and filming ICE agents as they arrive at the airport with detainees.
“It is well documented that ICE strategically moves people they have illegally detained to further separate them from their lawyers, from their families, from their whole support systems,” said Dee Graham, a Burlington resident.
Some drew parallels between the forced deportations happening today with those that occurred during the Holocaust.
“Now is the time to know if you would have hidden Anne Frank,” Sherri Wormser said. “We now know that the Burlington Airport holds the position that they would let the world know where she was hiding, lead the
agents to her and give them passage to concentration camps.”
“I want to believe that BTV is going to be brave in the face of all of this and do whatever it can to help,” Julie Macuga said. “Sadly, what we’ve been told by the airport has repeatedly been different than what we’ve observed.”
e public comments during the commission’s meeting lasted two and a half hours.
Prior to the meeting, airport officials sought legal advice from Kaplan Kirsch, a national law firm. It provided a memo outlining the airport’s authority in regard to ICE. e firm concluded that ICE has “broad legal authority to enforce federal immigration law and operate at and through the public areas of the Airport.” Still, officials could take some limited action, such as restricting access to “non-public areas” of the facility.
e airport’s director of aviation, Nic Longo, told the crowd that his staffers don’t directly interact with ICE and he has limited capacity to change what its agents do.
“We have a lot of work to do, and we have a lot of limitations from a legal standpoint,” he said. “I know we hear the community and certainly the folks today, and outside of today, that we will do everything we can within our powers to make sure that we can help, again, where we can.”
Read Sam Hartnett’s full story at sevendaysvt.com.
After Jenna Tatro died of an opioid overdose, her parents started an addictiontreatment program in her name. Jenna’s Promise just turned 5. From tragedy, hope.
The Trump administration has canceled a program called Solar for All that earmarked $63 million in panels for low-income Vermont families. What climate crisis?
The risk of forest fires in Vermont is high to very high, depending on the region, state o cials say. So be careful out there.
A small plane landed on the 17th hole of the Golf Club at Basin Harbor instead of the resort’s grass runway, WCAXTV reported. That’s no eagle!
MOST POPULAR ITEMS ON SEVENDAYSVT.COM
1. “Boaters Scramble After a Marina Loses Its Lease in Charlotte” by Kevin McCallum. e company that runs the nearby Lake Champlain ferry has canceled the lease of the Charlotte Sailing Center.
2. “Soundbites: Who Killed Nectar’s?” by Chris Farnsworth. Our music writer explores the factors that led the iconic music venue to shut down.
3. “Dead-icated: Vermont’s Love Affair With the Grateful Dead” by Chris Farnsworth. irty years after Jerry Garcia’s death and the Dead’s final concert, tribute acts keep the band’s music alive in Vermont.
4. “Burlington Council Debates Crime ‘Data’ From Parking Garage” by Sasha Goldstein. Councilors extensively discussed whether moving a free lunch program has improved conditions downtown.
5. “ICE Detains Lumberyard Workers in Targeted Raid” by Lucy Tompkins. Agents detained migrants at an Essex company and charged two of them with reentering the U.S. after being deported.
LOCALLY SOURCED NEWS
Funeral Home Sued in Case of Missing Remains
Clifford Funeral Home in Rutland has been sued by a client who took home an urn that was supposed to contain her mother’s cremains but turned out to be empty, the Rutland Herald reported. Bridget Bushey learned of the oversight when the funeral home’s new owners called to tell her the cremains were ready to be picked up. Bushey’s aunt, the actress Mia Farrow, ultimately got involved, the Herald reported.
Read more at rutlandherald.com.
A sloop tied up in Burlington Bay last week hails from Oberlin, Ohio. It’s owned by Dan Stinebring and Lynn Powell, who reached Burlington after a 740-mile, three-week journey through lakes, narrow canals and dozens of locks.
“You’re going through towns that are quite different than the ones that I have spent a lot of time in, and people’s lives are very different,” Stinebring said. “And so, we had a lot of interesting interactions that way.”
e couple are retired professors from Oberlin College, he of physics and astronomy, she of creative writing and
poetry. Stinebring grew up in Vermont, and they have family and friends still in the area, as well as a daughter in Manhattan. So, in late June, Stinebring and Powell boarded their Aloha 34 sailboat — aptly named Polaris — and cast off.
ey sailed in Lake Erie until they reached the Erie Canal in Buffalo, N.Y. eir mast is too tall for the waterway’s overhead bridges, but their 35-horsepower diesel engine allowed them to putter along the 340-mile waterway at 6 miles per hour.
ey saw bald eagles, herons and ospreys, and they encountered interesting people, too. For example, a fisherman drove them to a grocery store to
resupply, waited as they shopped and returned them to their boat.
“People were friendly,” Powell said. “ ey were eager to tell us their story.”
ey reached the Hudson River north of Albany, N.Y., then tacked north for the Champlain Canal, which leads to the southern end of Lake Champlain. From there, they sailed to Burlington. ey planned to stay for several weeks before setting sail for home.
“It was fascinating to just be out of your own bubble and to be traveling in a slow enough way that you needed the help of these folks, too, in various ways,” Powell said. “You connected across a lot of differences.”
SASHA GOLDSTEIN
VISIT L’IVRESSE LINGERIE FOR BETTER OPTIONS FOR ACTIVE BODIES.
IN-TENTS REPORTING.
Paula Routly
Cathy Resmer
Don Eggert, Colby Roberts
& POLITICS
Matthew Roy
Goldstein
Ken Ellingwood, Candace Page
Hannah Bassett, Derek Brouwer, Colin Flanders, Courtney Lamdin, Kevin McCallum, Alison Novak, Lucy Tompkins
With Dr. Courtenay Brines, Board Certified Veterinary Ophthalmologist
Understanding Cataract Surgery for Your Pet. This month Dr. Courtenay Brines answers common questions about cataract surgery.
Sam Hartnett
ARTS & CULTURE
Dan Bolles, Carolyn Fox
Chelsea Edgar, Margot Harrison, Pamela Polston
Jen Rose Smith
Alice Dodge
Chris Farnsworth
Rebecca Driscoll
Jordan Barry, Mary Ann Lickteig, Melissa Pasanen, Ken Picard
Alice Dodge, Angela Simpson
In [“Dead-icated,” August 6], the caption on a photo of Zach Nugent states that he is playing Jerry Garcia’s Rosebud. In fact, he is playing a replica of Garcia’s Tiger. An examination of both guitars online will confirm the di erence.
The replica Tiger was built by Doug Irwin’s apprentice, Tom Lieber. He also built a Wolf that Zach has played.
Christopher Dayton CORNWALL
Katherine Isaacs, Martie Majoros DIGITAL & VIDEO
Bryan Parmelee
Eva Sollberger
Q: What are cataracts & how do I know if my pet needs surgery? Cataracts are a clouding of the lens inside your pet’s eye that blocks light and causes vision problems. Unlike the normal “blue haze” older dogs develop (nuclear sclerosis), cataracts actually impair vision. Surgery is recommended when cataracts significantly affect your pet’s quality of life - if they’re bumping into furniture, hesitant on stairs, or reluctant to play. Some pets adapt well to vision loss, but cataracts can lead to painful complications like glaucoma.
Q: What does the surgery involve? Cataract surgery is similar to human surgery but performed under general anesthesia. We use ultrasound to break up and remove the cloudy lens through a tiny incision, then typically implant an artificial lens. The procedure takes about 45 minutes to an hour per eye. Before surgery, we perform tests including an electroretinogram (ERG) to ensure the retina is healthy enough for successful vision restoration.
Q: What’s recovery like? Recovery requires commitment but most pets do wonderfully! Your pet will wear a protective collar and need multiple eye drops for several weeks. Activity is restricted initially, with frequent recheck appointments to monitor healing. After the first few months, most pets need long-term eye drops (usually once to twice daily) & annual eye exams, but the improvement in quality of life is remarkable.
Q: How successful is it? Success rates are high - 85-95% of pets regain functional vision. While complications like infection or inflammation can occur, they’re uncommon when post-operative instructions are followed carefully. Call our office to inquire about procedure costs, which includes evaluation, surgery & immediate post-surgery care. Many pet insurance policies cover cataract surgery if it’s not a pre-existing condition.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Cataract surgery can be life-changing for pets with vision problems. If you notice cloudy eyes or vision changes in your pet, consult your veterinarian. Early evaluation leads to the best outcomes, and watching your companion navigate their world with restored confidence makes the commitment worthwhile. Have questions about your pet’s eye health? Contact our Ophthalmology Team at Burlington Emergency & Veterinary Specialists in Williston, Vermont.
Understanding Cataract Surgery for Your Pet. This month Dr. Courtenay Brines answers common questions about cataract surgery.
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SUBSCRIPTIONS
I wasn’t really a Grateful Dead fan until I started listening to “Buck Dancer’s Choice” with Corey on WRUV-FM several years ago. I tune in at 8 a.m. most Friday mornings for a half hour of Grateful Dead from years ago. DJ Corey is very knowledgeable of their musicianship and history and promotes all local bands, along with the tribute bands so well described in last week’s cover story [“Dead-icated,” August 6].
Larry Kupferman BURLINGTON
This letter seems to be the only way to say to you: “What a cover!!”
The cover on the Seven Daysies issue [July 30] deserves a credit. I was wowed by it and started looking for a way to say: “Who did that!!?” The cover creator has a stupendous imagination!!! Thanks. Please include cover credits on the cover.
Charlotte McGray SOUTH STARKSBORO
Editor’s note: The credit for Daysies illustrator Sean Metcalf is on the Contents spread — page 9 — directly under the cover image. The graphic designer of the page was Seven Days art director Diane Sullivan.
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I wish to express my gratitude to Paula Routly for shining a light on our beloved colleague Ruth Furman [From the Publisher: “Pen Pals,” July 23]. And
The year of Dead & Company’s “Final Tour” was wrong in last week’s From the Publisher column. The threenight run of shows in San Francisco’s Oracle Park happened in July 2023.
because I am also a Quaker, I get to speak of our interconnectedness. In my daily prayers, I ask that all leaders be guided by human rights for all, compassion and reconciliation.
Thank you, Ruth, for sharing the power of your kindness and love.
Heather-Lea BRISTOL
[Re Feedback: “Native or Naïve? July 30]: Our current understanding of archaeology puts human habitation of what we now call Vermont as starting at least 10,000 years ago. Letter writer Will Fagan’s six generations and 70 years within the imaginary lines of a modern geopolitical boundary is a laughable drop in the bucket compared to the ancestry that every Abenaki person can claim.
Every human’s life is like a dart thrown by the hand of fate at a map of space and time. Fagan says, “God help us” from certain people he doesn’t like. Well, I say God help us from those whose egos have led them to believe that the arbitrary arc of their fate-tossed life somehow renders their voice more important than others whose paths are tangentially adjacent. Fagan isn’t special; he should get over himself. (Perhaps he’ll need God’s help with that, too.)
Joe Howansky WORCESTER
I was at the airport demonstration [“Activists Urge Burlington to Block ICE From Using Airport,” August 6,
[Re Feedback: “Invest in Rural Schools,” June 25]: I appreciate Brian Chick’s support for small schools, although his letter also perpetuates one common misconception.
There is no correlation between school size and cost in Vermont’s public schools. Tuition rates range from about $15,000 to nearly $30,000, with small and large schools all along the spectrum. Fairfax Elementary (624 students) and Morgan (40 pupils) are equally cheap, around $15,000. At the other extreme, Harwood (1,720 students) and Peacham (97) both charge close to $22,000. So, the idea that small schools are more expensive is simply false.
online]. Protester turnout was easily 200. A former journalist myself, I counted them. It’s important not to underrepresent turnout.
[Re “Zephyr Teachout Discusses Her New Role at Unadilla Theatre,” August 6]: As a first-time visitor to the historic Unadilla Theatre in scenic, out-of-the-way Marshfield, I almost couldn’t believe the caliber of artistry on display in its converted barn. I haven’t seen a better Chekhov production anywhere.
Director Laura Strausfeld’s Ivanov draws out the somewhat neglected play’s great psychological and philosophical insights and, most of all, its humor. She has assembled a remarkably skillful cast of mostly local comedians to complement a sensitive lead performance by Sam Underwood, a wellknown TV actor from New York City. Bringing a deep and persuasive agita to the haunting title role, Underwood conveys Ivanov’s despair as a genuine emergency, which somehow makes its comic backdrop even funnier — it’s the magic of Chekhov.
To me, it also felt like the magic of Vermont — the evening reminded me why I moved here. Where else can one expect to find such a profound experience of art on such an unassuming dirt road? I urge others to make the trip to Unadilla before Ivanov closes on August 24.
Brett Yates BURLINGTON
Chick’s main point is spot-on, though: The economic viability of rural towns depends on schools. Young families choose rural areas precisely because of their small schools. But close those schools and turn children into longdistance commuters? No parent would choose that for their kids.
Schools are often the largest employer in small towns. Alongside teachers and principals are paraeducators, cooks, custodians, secretaries and bus drivers — most of them local folks. What happens to the local economy when all those people lose their jobs? If young adults stop moving in, who will volunteer for the fire departments, fast squads and all the committees that keep town governments functioning? Our rural towns might as well become retirement communities.
Legislators need to take a hard look at the potential downstream consequences of massive consolidation. The economic viability of our rural towns is at stake. And since Vermont is 65 percent rural, this means the economic viability of the entire state.
Betsy Brigham MARSHFIELD
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BY DEREK BROUWER
Crossing the Line
Haskell Free Library was built on the U.S.-Canadian line to showcase goodwill. As relations sour, tensions are evident.
Boaters Scramble After a Marina Loses Its Lease in Charlotte
Chief Concerns
e debate over Abenaki authenticity complicates plans to replace a statue in Burlington’s Battery Park
State Police Investigate After Queen City Cop Shoots at a Car
Misch Sentenced for Possessing High-Capacity Magazines
FEATURES 24
Sex in the City Montréal used to be Canada’s “Sin City.” What happened?
Breaking Point Before kicking off the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival, actor Peter Sarsgaard reflects on Shattered Glass, playing real people and building community
Lost in Space
eater review: Satellites, Dorset eatre Festival
Anchors Aweigh
Cruising the international waters of Lake Memphremagog on the Northern Star
Burlington Author and Activist Marc Estrin Dies at 86
Bianca Stone Wins Fellowship From the Academy of American Poets
Whale of a Tale
A Jim Sardonis sculpture retrospective in Randolph
Opening a Space: Shelburne Craft School to O er Classes for Students With Disabilities
Talk It Out: ‘Burlington Does Burlington’ Seven Days music writers dig into the new edition of a local covers compilation
There's
There
Being
The
For Ages 21+ and medical cannabis patients. Cannabis has not been analyzed or approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For use by individuals 21 years of age and 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.
SATURDAY 16 & SUNDAY 17
Vocal and instrumental trio Heartwood enchants with back-to-back performances of “ e Well Tree” at Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center in Burlington and Haybarn eatre in Plainfield. e original production invites audiences to participate in modern mythmaking through song and story, backed by an illuminated, hand-cranked scroll from papercut artist Jennifer Jones.
SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 71
Run, don’t walk, to the South Burlington Public Library for Aaron Hurwitz’s “Goatagraphs II” exhibit. e face-meltingly cute show fills the library’s art wall with a collection of goat portraits taken at New Village Farm in Shelburne, where Hurwitz and his spouse volunteer. No matter your age or interests, one thing is certain: ere will be squeals.
SEE GALLERY LISTING AT SEVENDAYSVT.COM/ART
THURSDAY 14
e Lake Morey Summer Concert Series continues to bring top-notch musical talent to listeners in Fairlee, this week with Nashville’s Grace Bowers & the Hodge Podge. e prodigious 18-year-old singersongwriter and guitarist’s meteoric rise appears infinite; her recently released debut album, Wine on Venus, garnered critical acclaim from media moguls Forbes and Rolling Stone
SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 66
THURSDAY 14
Pioneering pizza purveyor American Flatbread invites friends to the 40th Anniversary Community Fest at its flagship hearth in Waitsfield. e artisanal empire known for its wood-fired pies baked in clay ovens — and for championing the farm-totable movement before it was cool — celebrates four decades in operation with complimentary slices, live local music, art installations and a bonfire.
SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 64
THURSDAY 14-SATURDAY 16
Gastronomes, buckle up for A Taste of New England at the Spruce Peak Village Green in Stowe, where the region’s most celebrated chefs unite at an elevated weekend of world-class wines and epicurean delights. e sumptuous culinary experience culminates in a five-course Chef Collaboration Dinner highlighting first-class talents, including three-time “Chopped” winner Evan Hennessey.
SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 66
FRIDAY 15
Alt-rocker extraordinaire Lou Barlow goes solo for a genre-defying concert at Plainfield Town Hall Opera House. A founding member of pioneering groups Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh and the Folk Implosion, Barlow helped usher lo-fi-style rock music into the mainstream music zeitgeist of the late 1980s and early ’90s.
SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 68
OPENS WEDNESDAY 20
Canadian-born Kareem Fahmy’s new Vermontbased play A Distinct Society gets its regional premiere at Weston eater at Walker Farm. e timely and topical production follows an Iranian father and daughter who use Derby Line’s Haskell Free Library & Opera House — a Victorian building that quietly straddles the U.S.-Canada border — as their international meeting place.
SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 72
Every Thursday morning all summer, I’ve been getting up at 5 a.m. for an appearance on “Channel 3 This Morning,” where the anchors and I raffle off a prize on live TV. The names in the plastic hopper belong to Vermont students in kindergarten through eighth grade who are participating in the Good Citizen Challenge, Seven Days’ youth civics project. They do activities such as raise money for local charities and pick up trash in public places.
After last week’s segment, I spent an hour and a half doing the latter myself as part of the BTV Clean Up Crew, which meets every Thursday at 7:30 a.m. at the top of Burlington’s Church Street Marketplace. A group of volunteers roams the streets downtown picking up trash and used needles — an adult version of the Good Citizen Challenge. It’s the perfect complement to the Wednesday night passeggiata — an evening stroll to support local businesses — that publisher Paula Routly wrote about in this column in May.
The weekly cleanups, organized by Kason Hudman of the Peace & Justice Center, began around that same time. Hudman, 31, was part of a now-defunct BTV Clean Up Crew that removed stickers promoting white nationalist groups. He revived the concept and changed its focus after 100plus business owners signed a letter urging city officials to make downtown cleaner and safer. He said he was frustrated and disheartened when the location of free lunches distributed mostly to homeless people by Food Not Cops became the focal point of the discussion.
DEBRA
CLEMMER
Hudman noted that improving the city’s appearance was part of the letter’s agenda and thought, That sounds like something we can actually take care of. The cleanups, he said, were a way “to bring the community back together.”
Participation numbers have ranged from just five at the first gathering to up to 50 or 60. A multigenerational group of 16 volunteers showed up last week. Hudman and some Gen Z members mixed with the gray hairs, including me and a semiretired nurse. Michele Asch, chief people officer from Winooski’s Twincraft Skincare, represented the business community. Sam Donnelly, executive director of the recently launched nonprofit Building Burlington’s Future, turned out, too — not for the first time.
The newbies signed waivers absolving the organizers from liability in case one of us got poked by a needle. We set off armed with latex gloves, trash bags, trash pickers and durable plastic containers for sharp objects. One group ambled toward Elmwood Avenue, while ours meandered down Church Street and its surrounds.
At first we didn’t find much. I started picking up cigarette butts, but a veteran reminded me that we should focus on larger items so we could cover more ground.
We collected an array of paper trash and plastic junk, along with a discarded sign on a piece of plywood that read “Sad End.” Indeed.
If we came upon a needle, we were supposed to yell to the group for a sharps container. Nobody did, that I could hear, until we arrived at Memorial Auditorium. “Someone on SeeClickFix” — an app where users can flag problems for the city — “reported active drug use in this area last night, so let’s check it out,” Hudman said. Sure enough, we found needles and other rubbish, including a Ben & Jerry’s pint container spilling over with butts. “Best trash!” someone exclaimed.
We found more needles in an alley behind Church Street stores. I stumbled upon people injecting drugs when I mistakenly approached a group that I thought was my cleanup crew.
It made me sad to see them, but they didn’t shock me. I walk through downtown many mornings on my way to work past people sleeping on Church Street and surreptitiously exchanging small packages in City Hall Park. And, of course, I’ve followed Seven Days’ coverage of the city — including Derek Brouwer’s cover story this week about the complexities of the homelessness crisis, which is well worth the read.
What surprised me was how empowering it felt to clean up the streets with others. That and how many people thanked us. First it was a smiling guy in a Unified Parking Partners shirt with his own set of grabbers, picking up trash in the former Walgreens lot on South Winooski Avenue. Then it was passersby on their way to work, a bearded guy on a bike and a woman walking through the City Market parking lot, hustling into the nearby bagel shop, yelling, “Come by Willow’s! We’ll spoil you!”
Along the way, I talked with my fellow picker-uppers, many of whom had done this before. Several said friends from Food Not Cops had mentioned the meetup. “The manager at the Y told me,” offered Debra Clemmer, a nurse who works a few days a week at the Chittenden Clinic, an addiction treatment center. This was her fourth cleanup.
Why does she do it? Burlington has changed a lot since she moved here in 1988, she said, adding: “I really care about the city. I think instead of complaining, we need to get in there and fix things as best we can.”
As the group finished up, a tall, cheery participant named Mark Alexander sent us on our way with words of encouragement: “Happy Trash Day, everyone! See you next time.” I’ll be back.
Cathy Resmer
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Haskell Free Library was built on the U.S.-Canadian line to showcase goodwill. As relations sour, tensions are evident.
STORY & PHOTOS BY LUCY TOMPKINS • lucy@sevendaysvt.com
As I pulled into the parking lot of the Haskell Free Library & Opera House — a building famous for straddling the U.S. border with Canada — my phone vibrated with a text from Verizon: “Welcome to Canada,” it read. “Enjoy your trip.”
Am I in Canada? I wondered. My car was the only one in the lot. I hadn’t gone through customs or noticed any checkpoints, but I knew I was in border territory. I shrugged it o and got out.
The Haskell, which opened in 1904, was built as a symbol of friendship and unity between the Québec town of Stanstead and its American next-door neighbor, Derby Line. The library is truly international: It is co-owned by the two towns, has two addresses — one in each country — and is run by a board of four Americans and three Canadians.
Though the towns are divided by an international border, that line has historically been quite porous. Rather
than walls or fences, the border is marked with handmade signs and sparse rows of boulders. Locals remember the days when they’d drive across with a friendly wave from border patrol. For
YOU CROSSED ILLEGALLY INTO CANADA, AND YOU ARE BEING DETAINED.
CANADIAN BORDER OFFICIAL
more than 120 years, Canadians were allowed to walk along a sidewalk to cross the border to the library’s front door on the American side.
But recently, the Haskell has been caught up in the escalating political tensions between the U.S. and Canada. American border o cials are barring Canadians from using the front door without going through
BY KEVIN MCCALLUM kevin@sevendaysvt.com
Dozens of boat owners are scrambling to find safe harbor for their vessels after a marina operator in Charlotte lost his lease.
Andy O’Brien, owner of the Charlotte Sailing Center, was informed at the end of July that the owner of the property, Lake Champlain Transportation, was not renewing his lease.
“ ey’re taking it over. at’s all I know,” O’Brien said last week from the marina’s modest dock beside the Charlotte-Essex, N.Y. ferry crossing.
e company, which operates two ferry routes on Lake Champlain, has given boat owners until September 1 to remove any vessels stored on land and until October 1 to vacate their moorings, O’Brien said.
“ e timeline is a little unrealistic, but it is what it is,” said O’Brien, a tanned former sailing instructor who’s been on the water since he was 5 and has run the marina for 20 years.
Boat owners say they were blown away by the news.
an o cial border checkpoint, citing security concerns. In response, library sta are allowing Canadians to enter using an emergency exit door on the Canadian side of the building. These changes have attracted media attention from all over the world, helping the library raise nearly $150,000 that will be used to build the Canadian entrance into something more dignified and accessible.
As Seven Days’ new immigration and border reporter, I had come to attend a film screening in the Haskell Opera House, a roughly 400-seat theater above the library. Doors were to open at 6:30 p.m., but I arrived early. It was a quiet evening; the area felt almost deserted. I wandered around outside the building, taking photos. Then, as I walked up a nearby driveway to get a better view of the library from above, I heard a siren. A uniformed Canadian border o cial drove up to my car and ordered me to come to him.
“It was shocking to hear that we had a month to get our personal property off that area,” said Peter Friedrichsen of Charlotte. He and a friend co-own a 28-foot San Juan sailboat they’ve kept at the marina for six years.
His partner called more than a dozen other marinas or property owners and finally found a new mooring near the Safe Harbor Shelburne Shipyard. It’s not as convenient as the Charlotte location, but it will do, Friedrichsen said.
For John Ayers of Montpelier, the marina has been a wonderful, frill-free place to moor his 34-foot Hinckley sailboat. It’s well protected but also close to the main lake, he said.
“It’s a beautiful spot to have an anchor because you’re on the lake very quickly,” he said as he pumped up his rubber dinghy before heading out for a sail last Wednesday. e lack of information about what the future holds has been frustrating, he said.
Officials at Lake Champlain Transportation did not return calls for comment. ➆
The debate over Abenaki authenticity complicates plans to replace a statue in Burlington’s Battery Park
BY SAM HARTNETT • hartnett@sevendaysvt.com
Aband of Abenaki in Québec plans to ask the Burlington City Council to reject a donated sculpture of a Native American meant to be installed in Battery Park, saying it’s not only inauthentic but offensive.
The wood sculpture was commissioned by a Vermont band, the Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi. It is meant to replace a similar wooden carving that stood in Battery Park for 42 years until it was removed because it was rotting.
Daniel Nolett, general manager of the Odanak Band Council in Québec, said his group was not consulted about the replacement, and a representative will address the Burlington City Council to explain its specific objections.
Members of the band believe that most members of Vermont-based Abenaki bands are not, in fact, of genuine Abenaki descent and that their claims amount to cultural appropriation. Scholars in Canada have said that, in most cases, they can’t find genealogical evidence of the Vermonters’ assertions. The Odanak band points out that colonization and war pushed the Abenaki north from their Vermont settlements into French Canada, where they were granted land on the St. Francis River and have lived since.
The Vermont bands vehemently disagree. They contend that their ancestors remained behind, hiding in plain sight during centuries of discrimination. They note that they have been officially
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recognized by the State of Vermont, although not by the federal government.
This disagreement over Abenaki identity has become increasingly heated in recent years. State Rep. Troy Headrick (I-Burlington) has questioned whether the Vermont legislature erred in recognizing the Vermont bands and in February hosted a contentious forum on the issue at the Statehouse. It devolved into a shouting match between representatives of the Québec and Vermont groups.
Increasingly, third parties are being drawn into the debate. Abenakis based in Québec this year criticized eco-friendly cleaning-product manufacturer Seventh Generation for underwriting the development of an education curriculum for Vermont schoolchildren that supports the Vermont tribes’ perspective.
The Burlington City Council in 2022 adopted a resolution stating that in its dealings, “the Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi/ St. Francis Sokoki tribe … will be the tribal authority to represent Abenaki matters.”
The latest controversy arose after removal of the so-called Chief Greylock statue from Battery Park. It was carved by Peter Wolf Toth when the itinerant sculptor toured the country in the 1970s and ’80s creating statues to honor Native Americans in every state — what he called his “Whispering Giant” series. The
Pizza and Pub: A Family Tradition Since 1973.
Located on the Church Street Marketplace, Ken’s Pizza and Pub is a cherished family-owned establishment.
Ken Miller started Ken’s Pizza in 1973. Now owned by Ken’s son, Tom, and his wife Deb Miller, and co-managed by their daughter, Bentley Droy.
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This historic restaurant has been a beloved spot since its opening and is currently the longest running restaurant on Church Street Marketplace.
BY COURTNEY LAMDIN courtney@sevendaysvt.com
Vermont State Police are investigating after a Burlington police officer shot at a driver over the weekend.
It happened in the early morning hours on Sunday when the officer, Jeffrey Baur, responded to a report of a man and woman arguing near North Prospect Street and Colonial Square. Police located a vehicle that was reportedly involved in the incident on nearby Prospect Hill.
“During the encounter, Officer Baur fired his service weapon in the direction of the vehicle,” VSP wrote in a press release. No one was injured.
Police did not say what prompted Baur to open fire. Interim Burlington Police Chief Shawn Burke said he can’t comment on the case while it’s under investigation by state police.
As for the domestic incident, “There’s no ongoing threat to the public,” Burke said.
The Burlington Police Officers’ Association expressed “public and unwavering support” for Baur.
“Our officers responded to an in-progress, dynamic and volatile situation which placed all, including our members, in immediately unknown and dangerous circumstances,” the statement says. “This incident reflects the circumstances law enforcement all too frequently encounter across this Nation and State. We implore all to remember what we ask our officers to face and risk in their steadfast commitment to keeping our Communities safe.”
Baur started at the Burlington Police Department in 2019, then left for other employment. He returned in 2022. He’s been placed on paid administrative leave “per standard procedure,” police said.
The incident isn’t the first time Baur has been temporarily removed from duty. In 2023, Baur was placed on paid leave after he was caught driving nearly 100 miles per hour on a motorcycle while off duty in St. Albans. Baur pleaded guilty to negligent operation in June 2024, agreeing to pay nearly $500 in fines and court charges. He also faced discipline for his off-duty conduct, Burke said. ➆
Me?
“Yes, you,” he said. “You crossed illegally into Canada, and you are being detained.”
Within minutes, two U.S. Border Patrol vehicles also pulled up. “Look at all the commotion you’ve caused,” one of the agents joked. They questioned me: Where had I come from? Why was I there? At that point, I was in the U.S., meaning I had crossed back over the border illegally as well, they told me. They took my ID to check for criminal history and then, once I was cleared, handed my passport to the Canadian officer.
He snapped a photo and then told me he would make a note in my file. Now, whenever I visit Canada, he said, I will
American insurance companies that split coverage of the building), has become one of the library’s main attractions. Visitors hop over it, straddle it, photograph it. It’s there to delight rather than divide.
These days, when anxiety over crossing the border is keeping many people from traveling internationally and some Canadians are boycotting travel to the U.S., the library offers a safe, neutral ground for intermingling. Based on the dozens of visitors I saw at the Haskell, people from far and wide are still eager to connect across the border, perhaps now more than ever.
The next morning, I returned to the library, where story time was under way in the children’s reading room — a bright, colorful space with stained-glass windows, elaborate pressed-steel ceil-
be stopped and searched. When I told him I was attending an event that evening in the library, where I would be crossing the border within the building, he said he would talk to library staff to make sure I stayed on the American side.
“Sorry,” he said. “This is how it is now.”
In the moment, this felt personal. In reality, though, the encounter seemed to reflect the toll that mounting political slights, heightened border enforcement and aggressive tariff policy have taken on the long-standing goodwill between Canada and the U.S. The border is newly charged in a way that is palpable.
But step inside the Haskell, and those tensions melt away.
The border is still evident — in fact, a line of black tape runs across the library floor, marking where it bisects the building. But it has no effect here: People are free to wander across it, stepping from one country to the other. This line, though not originally part of the building (it was added much later, in service of the Canadian and
ings and a strip of black tape across the hardwood floors.
Lynn Prindes, 55, and her two daughters, Emily, 9, and Molly, 4, had driven 15 hours from Chicago to be there because Emily had learned about the Haskell as part of a school project. They stopped along the way at other attractions, including the Ben & Jerry’s factory and the Vermont Teddy Bear factory — but the Haskell was the main event.
“Our whole trip was based around Wednesday story time,” Prindes told me.
The librarian picked out a few books, and the small group of kids voted on which ones they wanted to hear. For an hour, she read aloud to them in both English and French. Then they had some time for arts and crafts.
Angela Bailey of Groton, who happened to be in the area that day, brought her 6-year-old son, Logan, to story time. “He doesn’t have a passport, and mine is expired, so it’s fun to still say we came to Canada,” Bailey said.
Throughout the day, the place bustled with tourists from both sides of the border who came to buy merch, take guided tours and pose for photos, as well as locals who came to check out a summer read from the library’s collection of more than 20,000 books in French and English.
Standing under a 120-year-old moose head mounted on the wall, Claudette Anders inquired at the librarian’s desk about where to find a particular book. Anders, 70, told me she has been coming to the Haskell from her home in Ogden, Québec, for 40 years.
Tensions around the library have never been as high as they are now, she said, shaking her head: “This is the big one.”
But she makes a point to come anyway. The opera house has the best cultural programming in the area that doesn’t involve making the trip to Montréal, she said.
“I don’t let politics affect my quality of life,” she told me. “I can still come in through the other door. So what?”
Nearby, a Canadian visitor was stepping back and forth over the border tape. To a friend, he recounted in French the visit of U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to the library earlier this year. The story has become local lore. Standing on the American side, Noem reportedly said, “USA, No. 1.” Then she crossed the line into Canada and said, “The 51st state.”
The man acted this out for his friend and then switched to English to deliver
his thoughts about Noem: “Fuck you, eh? Fuck you.”
Outside, under the warm sunshine, visitors approached the line of concrete blocks topped with flower pots that mark the border on one side of the building. Many posed for photos,
getting as close to the border as possible, sitting or standing on the blocks. Some ventured through briefly to the other side.
In the afternoon, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent pulled up outside the library. A Canadian officer on the other side of the border told him that there had been a call about an “explorer” on the American side. A group of Canadian visitors had taken a few steps on American soil before turning around, he said. They were back in Canada now, walking to their car.
The officials agreed to let it slide. The library is surrounded by cameras, the American agent told me. (He spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media.) The Haskell gets a lot of attention, but as a border official, “This is the least of my stress,” he said, before driving off.
The previous night, after my own brush with border officers, I had entered the Haskell on the American side and climbed to the opera house on the third floor, where the movie Sorry, Baby was screening at 7 p.m.
From what I could tell, the Canadian officer hadn’t contacted anyone about restricting my movement inside the building. I bought a $5 movie ticket and a $1 bag of popcorn and picked out a place to sit.
About a dozen other people filed into the theater, chatting quietly as the lights lowered. As the movie began, I looked down and realized the border tape crossed right in front of me. I was sitting in the U.S., with my feet in Canada.
When the film ended and the credits rolled, we gathered our things and slowly wandered out of the theater into the calm night — the Canadians through their door and the Americans through ours. ➆
Lucy Tompkins covers immigration and the border 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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34-foot-tall artwork had stood sentinel in Battery Park since 1984.
A plaque at the base of the old sculpture identified it as 18th-century Abenaki Chief Grey Lock, who spent part of his life in Swanton, where the Missisquoi band is based. (Most sources, including abenakination.com, the site of the Missisquoi band, use “Greylock.”)
But in a telephone interview last week, the Florida sculptor, now 77, said his statue was intended as an abstraction of a Native American, not to represent Chief Greylock specifically, although he was aware of the chief’s importance in Abenaki history. According to the Burlington City Arts website, Abenakis in Vermont chose the name.
Over the decades, the elements took a toll on Toth’s work. A six-foot wooden feather atop the statue fell o in 2019. The work was removed on July 24, leaving only the stone foundation.
To replace it, the Missisquoi Abenaki o ered a statue they had earlier commissioned from Brandon Wilson of Jay. Like Toth’s work, it features a Native American’s face. Carved beneath that are the words “Missisquoi Abenaki.” It’s 16.5 feet tall — half the size of the original sculpture.
The value of the statue is listed as $20,000 on city documents. A $25,000 allocation from the city’s Public Art Commissioning Fund would cover the cost of potential repairs to the existing stone foundation.
When Headrick, the state representative, learned of the city’s plans, he wrote to Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak urging city o cials to consider the perspectives of the Odanak before acting.
“Public art and education are powerful tools,” he wrote. “If developed without the involvement of legitimate Indigenous nations, they risk reinforcing false narratives and erasing those with authentic historical and cultural ties to this land.”
In a July interview, Headrick said the Odanak and another band based in Québec, the Wôlinak, should be at the table. “We continue to exclude them when we are taking steps that have an impact on their identity,” Headrick said.
Missisquoi Chief Brenda Gagne had a di erent view. It didn’t make sense to consult the Odanak “because we are [in] Missisquoi territory,” she said. She also defended the replacement statue.
“There’s nothing we could do to save [the old one]” she said, except “have it replaced with something of a
totem that represents Missisquoi more so. But … anything we do is for all
“We don’t do it just for us,” she repeated. Gagne declined to discuss on the telephone the Odanak assertion that the Missisquoi band is not Abenaki, saying she would do so only in person at
Nolett said the Odanaks also object to the replacement itself.
“To us, it feels like it’s propaganda for the Missisquoi band,” Nolett said last week. The sculptor, Wilson, who is not Native American, could have visited the Odanak and met with members of the band who are descended from Greylock before carving it, he said.
BY COLIN FLANDERS colin@sevendaysvt.com
Max Misch was sentenced on Monday to 15 days in prison for violating a state law banning the possession of high-capacity gun magazines, ending a six-year-old case.
IT’S LIKE A CARICATURE ... HE TOOK A PICTURE OF A CARTOON, OR AN OLD WESTERN MOVIE CHARACTER LIKE GERONIMO OR SOMETHING.
DANIEL NOLETT
“It would have been the proper gesture to reach out to us,” he said.
“I mean, it’s like a caricature … He took a picture of a cartoon, or an old Western movie character like Geronimo or something, and made something out of it.” The sculptor could not be reached
City Council President Ben Traverse (D-Ward 5) declined to discuss the issue.
Councilor Melo Grant (P-Central District), said allowing input from Abenakis in Canada is valid, noting that they’re descendants of people who likely lived
Most other councilors did not immediately return phone calls from Seven Days.
The mayor’s o ce has delayed asking the council to formally accept the statue but only because it needed to evaluate the state of the foundation, according to Joe Magee, deputy chief of sta .
“The goal right now is to bring it to the August 25th meeting,” he said. “Our primary consideration is not wanting to take ownership of the piece without having a full understanding of where it
He acknowledged, without o ering details, that city o cials have heard from some Odanak members.
“The city generally wants to ensure we are engaging with Indigenous folks appropriately honoring the history of these lands,” he said. ➆
Misch was cited in 2019 over a pair of 30-round magazines that he purchased in New Hampshire. Vermont had outlawed the purchase and possession of such magazines the year before, though an exception was made for ones people already owned.
Believed to be the first person prosecuted under the 2018 gun law, Misch legally challenged the magazine ban’s constitutionality — and lost.
In April, a jury convicted him on two misdemeanor charges. e Vermont Attorney General’s Office prosecuted the case.
Misch became widely known for his role in the prolonged racial harassment of former state representative Kiah Morris, who cited Misch’s hateful messages as one reason she stepped down in 2018. A self-avowed white nationalist, Misch admitted to the harassment but was never charged.
A week before his sentencing he was arrested again, this time in Bennington.
On August 1, police responded to a reported fight between two women, one of whom later told officers that Misch had struck her in the face earlier that day while she was driving them to a laundromat, according to VTDigger. e woman also told police that he had previously sexually assaulted her and that he had locked her in an apartment when she tried to report past incidents of abuse.
Misch pleaded not guilty to several charges on August 4, including kidnapping and sexual assault, and was ordered held without bail. ose charges are pending.
It’s not the first time Misch has been accused of physically hurting a woman. In 2021, he was charged with aggravated domestic assault after a woman accused him of reinjuring her broken arm during an argument at his home, VTDigger reported. He later pleaded guilty to the charge, in exchange for a plea deal that allowed him to avoid jail time. ➆
DECEMBER 8, 1928-
AUGUST 1, 2025
MONTPELIER, VT.
Esther Farnsworth of Montpelier, Vt., died peacefully on August 1, 2025, at the Hummingbird Center in Berlin, Vt. Esther was born in Springfield, Mass., on December 8, 1928, one of four children born to Gladys and Donald Havens. e family later moved to Burlington, where she graduated from Burlington High School and the University of Vermont. Esther married her college sweetheart, Hobart Cook, and they lived in New York, Connecticut, Texas, Michigan, Ohio and New Jersey while raising four children. In 1975 she married her lifelong friend Harlan Farnsworth. Esther and Harlan lived in Montpelier, where Harlan was a Montpelier High School math teacher. Esther worked in the Montpelier office of the Times Argus and as the
FEBRUARY 16, 1997AUGUST 4, 2025
HOLYOKE, MASS.
Ethan Pinsonneault passed away on August 3, 2025, at the age of 28, after a yearslong battle with addiction.
Ethan was born in Vermont on February 16, 1997, to Mahala Conard and Nathan Pinsonneault. He loved omas the Tank Engine, the movie Cars, riding his bike, and spending time with his grandparents, siblings and other beloved family members. Ethan was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at age 6, and although this made his childhood more challenging, Ethan took it in stride and became friends with everyone he encountered. Despite his physical limitations, he participated in sports, played with friends regularly and
church secretary at First Congregational Church in Burlington and Bethany Church in Montpelier. ey were active members of Bethany Church, where they sang in the choir for many years. She traveled twice to San Antonio Grande, El Salvador, where Bethany Church has established a sister community program to support education for youths. Esther and Harlan hiked, canoed, biked, camped and skied with the Montpelier section of the Green Mountain Club. ey went on extended canoe trips
loved exploring the outdoors. He even insisted on helping his mom with gardening projects and his dad with car mechanics. Ethan is also remembered for his playful and loving spirit; this spirit shined in his last months in the hospital, where he was constantly making jokes and sharing his favorite shows with visitors. Ethan struggled with depression and chronic pain in his young adulthood, and after a back injury that
on Lake Champlain and in the Canadian wilderness. Esther and Harlan traveled by bicycle in Vermont, Holland, Denmark, the British Isles, Germany and Sweden. Her outdoor activities included snowshoeing, biking, kayaking and vacationing in Nova Scotia with her two daughters. She traveled to Haiti, Lebanon, Cuba, Bolivia, Israel and to many beautiful parts of Canada.
Esther was a member of the 251 Club of Vermont, and for two years she traveled to photograph and write about all of Vermont’s cities and towns. She was featured on the CBS program “Sunday Morning” in October 2022, singing the Vermont state song.
Esther and Harlan were among the founding members of Central Vermont Habitat for Humanity. ey served on the board and helped to build several houses; Esther enjoyed learning to install shingles while standing on a scaffold.
For many years, the Farnsworths welcomed
resulted in an opioid prescription, he turned to substances that could ease his reality. Despite many attempts at recovery, complications from long-term drug use eventually ended Ethan’s life. At the time of his hospitalization, he was actively pursuing a life of sobriety with the help of his local harm reduction clinic.
He is survived by his mother, Mahala Largent; his father, Nathan Pinsonneault (Gabi); his siblings, Liz Todd (Jacob), Peter Pinsonneault (Tiffany), Harvest Pinsonneault and Willoughby; his birth son, Gus; and his partner, Sonya. He is also survived by his grandparents, Tom and Sharon Pinsonneault and Kathleen Schipper, along with many aunts, uncles, cousins and other loving family members.
We kindly ask that any donations in Ethan’s honor be directed to the Behavioral Health Network in Holyoke, Mass., at bhninc.org/donate.
international refugees into their home, including families from El Salvador, Guatemala, Bosnia, Tunisia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. e Montpelier Rotary Club gave the Farnsworths the Good Citizens Award in 1995.
Esther was a member of the Raging Grannies singing group, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), and the Association of Retired Citizens sewing group. For 18 years WILPF sponsored Esther and her friend Linda Leehman as producers of the central Vermont public-access television program “Down by the Riverside, News and Views.” In that capacity, they traveled to Beijing for the United Nations Conference on Women and to Bolivia in 2007 to WILPF’s International Congress.
She traveled to the Soviet Union in 1983 and 1986 with the U.S.-U.S.S.R. Bridges for Peace program.
Esther spent many hours working with friends in the Montpelier Peace Park along
the river on the Montpelier recreation path until the 2023 flood. Esther’s friends and family hope to bring back the beauty of the park in the coming months and years.
Esther was predeceased by her husband, Harlan; her brothers, Frederick, Everett and Clifton Havens; her sister-in-law Anne Devaughn; and her former husband, Hobart Cook. She leaves her son Bill Cook and his wife, Ann, of Spring Branch, Texas; daughter Sally Cook of Burlington; daughter Anne Adams of Yulee, Fla.; son Tom Cook and his wife, Robin, of Loranger, La.; stepdaughter, Norma Farnsworth, and Norma’s partner, John Roman; stepson, David Farnsworth, and his wife, Tracy; sisterin-law Flossie Havens; many grandchildren and greatgrandchildren; many nieces, nephews and cousins; and many friends in Vermont and around the world. Esther lived at Westview Meadows in Montpelier for 16 years and cherished her Westview Meadows family, neighbors,
OCTOBER 5, 1949-JULY 2, 2025 WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, N.C.
Tom was born in Burlington, Vt., son of John T. Hanna and Dorothea Smith Hanna. He lived in Burlington and spent summers at Cedar Beach in Charlotte. He was very close to his grandparents, C. P. Smith Jr. and Doro F. Smith.
Tom is survived by his daughter Katherine Smith Hanna; his daughter Torrey Hanna Annas, her husband, Matt Annas, and their two daughters, Sloan and Hadley; his son, Captain omas B. Hanna, and his wife, Sarah Swan; and his sister, Charlotte Hanna of Calais, Vt. He was predeceased by his former wife, Marion Moncure.
Tom grew up skiing and sailing and was a fierce competitor at both. He attended Vermont Academy, where he skied all four events and made lifelong friends. He attended Johnson State College, then
friends, and all the wonderful and caring staff.
Esther’s family wishes to express their special thanks to Dr. Rachel Gaidys and the Palliative Care team at Central Vermont Medical Center, Elliot RN and Jamie MSW of Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice, Suzanne Richman of the Hummingbird Center in Berlin, and all staff and all her friends at Westview Meadows. Many thanks to her friend eresa Lever of Montpelier, as well as all of her other loving friends in the central Vermont area.
Esther asked that her friends and family remember her with joy, contentment and gratitude. To honor her memory, go for a walk outdoors, dig in a garden, listen to an opera, eat a maple creemee, read a good book, and have a good laugh with friends and family. A celebration of life will be on Saturday, August 23, 2025, 1 to 3 p.m., at Bethany Church in Montpelier. Please visit awrfh.com to share your memories and condolences.
moved to Breckenridge, Colo., to be a ski racer. Injuries, and a desire to develop his custom home-building business, led to his move to Wrightsville Beach, N.C., where he grew his construction business and lived for more than 40 years. In recent years, he became a dedicated amateur photographer, specializing in wildlife and in UNCW athletic events. He was an avid runner, winning many races in his age group and joining his daughters in triathlons. Tom would say he was an outstanding golfer; others would disagree. Tom was a valued member of the Wrightsville Beach community (and earned the title “Dockmaster” from his neighbors at Lookout Harbor and “King of the Sound” from the sailing club). He and his children were all active athletes, boaters and volunteers. He was very proud that all three of his children qualified as Wrightsville Beach lifeguards. Many of his friends were close for his entire North Carolina life. He was well loved, and many will miss him.
APRIL 7, 1947-JULY 26, 2025 MILTON, VT.
Roland Joseph Tougas, 78, of Milton, Vt., passed away peacefully at home on July 26, 2025. He was born on April 7, 1947, in Bridgeport, Conn., to Lucien and Juliette (Marson) Tougas.
As a teenager, Roland moved with his parents to Brownington Center in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, where the family ran the town’s country store. It was there that he met the love of his life, Gail Marsh. They were neighbors, and in 1967, they married and began a life filled with love, music, hard work and family.
They welcomed two sons, Joseph and Luke, while living in Brownington Center.
During this time, he and Gail took over the family store for five memorable years. After selling the store, they stayed
Cheryl Malkin
1951-2025
Cheryl Malkin, born in Montréal in 1951, daughter of Lionel and Adele Malkin, passed away on June 22, 2025.
A celebration of life will be held on Friday, August 22, 2025, 4 p.m. ’til dusk, at Kill Kare State Park, 2714 Hathaway Point Rd., St. Albans Bay, VT. Cheryl’s family truly wishes this to be a night of celebration of her life.
To offer a message of condolence, kindly go to healdfuneralhome.com.
in Brownington Center for several more years before relocating to Milton, where they put down permanent roots and raised their boys.
Roland lived his life anchored by three unwavering pillars: family, music and his work as a master electrician. He founded and operated Tougas Electric, a successful one-man contracting business built on exceptional skill, integrity and customer care.
Whether a project was big or small, Roland approached every job with pride and precision.
When he wasn’t working, Roland was immersed in music. He played in several local bands over the years, including Pentagon, Gold Rush, and Jimmy T and the Cobras. He played at venues throughout New England, sharing his talent and joy for music with enthusiastic audiences.
Despite his many accomplishments, Roland’s greatest pride was his family. He was a devoted husband, a proud father and a loyal friend. He remained closely connected with family in Québec and Connecticut and visited as often as he could. In his later years, he helped build a family cabin in Newark, Vt., which he outfitted with off-grid solar power, a testament to his lifelong love of learning and doing things right.
AUGUST 7, 1932-AUGUST 4, 2025
BURLINGTON, VT.
Jane B. Dworshak passed away peacefully on August 4, 2025, at the McClure Miller Respite House, surrounded by her family. She was 92 years old.
Born in East Orange, N.J., to Edith and Clarence Bowman, Jane’s younger years were split between schooling in Philadelphia and summers at the New Jersey shore. These coastal summers instilled a lifelong love for the beach and ocean.
Jane attended Pierce Junior College in Philadelphia, where she graduated with a secretarial degree. During college she graced the runways as a model for Strawbridge & Clothier Department Store, a testament to her inherent style — a trait she maintained her whole life. Her style later in life usually came thrifted.
Roland is survived by his beloved wife, Gail Tougas; his sons, Luke (Shagun) Tougas and Joe Tougas; his sister, Diane Kearns; his niece, Michelle (Bill) Mang; his nephew, Robert Johnson; and many cherished extended family and friends.
He was predeceased by his parents, Lucien and Juliette Tougas.
The family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to Jeff Vos and his wife, Angel, and Jim Choiniere and his wife, Fran, Roland’s best friends of many years, as well as to their kind neighbors in Milton who offered help throughout the years.
A private celebration of life will be held at a time to be determined.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Roland’s name to Sons of the American Legion, Post #23, c/o David Bolduc, 26 East St., Orleans, VT 05860.
Community Church, where she was a longstanding member.
Jane moved to Burlington in 1995 to be closer to Al’s growing family and was affectionately dubbed “GJ,” short for Grammy Jane. GJ was an integral part of the Dworshak/Montstream household.
Jane got her first car, a 1954 Chevy sedan, after graduating from college. Her first road trip took her to Kamp Kill Kare in St. Albans, Vt., to visit relatives. It was there that she met her future husband, Louis Dworshak, who was a counselor at the camp that summer. They were married on November 28, 1954, at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia.
In 1967, Jane and Lou established roots in Stowe, Vt. Jane dedicated many years to the Stowe Area Association, forging lasting friendships and playing a vital role in the community. Her commitment extended to the League of Women Voters and the Stowe
NOVEMBER 3, 1938-AUGUST 4, 2025
SHELBURNE, VT.
William Hurd Ravell III, 86, a resident of Shelburne, Vt., and a retired U.S. Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer, died peacefully on the morning of August 4, 2025 — Coast Guard Day.
A sailor, artist, fisherman, gardener, cook, guitar player and all-around handyman, Bill brought joy to all those around him.
Raised in Mays Landing, N.J., in a loving home with his parents, grandparents, two uncles, one sister, four brothers and one bathroom, he and his beloved siblings treated every day as an adventure — swimming, hunting and fishing. Bill could often be seen riding his bike through town with his pet crow perched on his handlebars.
GJ was a devoted reader of mysteries and a talented knitter, possessed a beautiful singing voice, and was known for her molasses cookies. In 1980, Jane attended the Olympic “Miracle on Ice” hockey game. Her favorite celebrities were Rafael Nadal, Barack Obama and Whoopi Goldberg. She volunteered at the Flynn theater, Replays and Shelburne Farms. She enjoyed a vodka tonic every evening and was always quick-witted and spirited. She welcomed and looked forward to daily visits from family, friends and caregivers.
Jane is survived by her son Al Dworshak (Katharine Montstream); Charlotte, Tor and Sylvie Dworshak, all from Burlington, Vt.; her daughter, Suzanne Dvorak (Robert Eastaugh); Kerry and Tiger Tasker and three great-grandchildren, all from Anchorage, Alaska; and her granddog Suki. She was predeceased by her son Rick in 2005.
A family celebration will be held at a later date in the fall.
Many heartfelt thanks to the University of Vermont Home Health & Hospice for the thoughtful care they gave to GJ. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Age Well Vermont, 875 Roosevelt Hwy. #210, Colchester, VT 05446.
After graduating from Pleasantville High School in 1956 and working at Wheaton Industries, Bill started his greatest adventure when he enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard in 1959. When asked why he chose the Coast Guard, he said it was because the Coast Guard’s priority was saving lives. He spent his first seven years on various ships, including the USS Spencer, spending time on the Bering Strait and performing search and rescue for both ships and planes. Bill was stationed in Honolulu; Cape May, N.J.; Governors Island, N.Y.; and served two stints in New London, Conn., before retiring in 1982. Bill and his family resided in Oakdale, Conn., from 1972 to until 2018, where he built strong friendships with his neighbors, often mowing their lawns.
Outside of his family, art was his primary love. From the time he was a child until the final month of his life, it was painting that brought him the most joy. His paintings are displayed at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and Museum, the Monte Cristo Cottage, and homes throughout the United States and Europe. Bill moved to Shelburne, Vt., in 2021 to be close to family. He continued to make connections with his neighbors and to produce beautiful art. He was incredibly proud to have had many paintings displayed in the halls of the Residence at Shelburne Bay.
Bill was predeceased by his wife, Sandra; and daughter, Heather; as well as his parents, William Jr. and Jennie; brother Robert and his wife, Joyce; brother Ronald; and sister, Lorraine. He is survived by his son, John, and his wife, Jennifer; grandchildren, Will Strafach and wife Lucia, Sam Strafach, and William Ravell IV; brother Kenneth and his wife, Virginia; sister-in-law Marsha Steet and her husband, Tom; brother-in-law, Nicholas Basile; as well as his many nieces and nephews whom he adored.
A memorial will be held on Thursday, August 14, 2025, 10:30 a.m., at the Church and Allen Funeral Home in Montville, Conn., followed by a reception at the MJS Club at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the U.S. Coast Guard Foundation.
MAY 24, 1963-AUGUST 8, 2025
BURLINGTON, VT.
Jon Lines passed to the beyond in the early morning hours on August 8, 2025, after a brief struggle with a hard illness. Surrounded by family, friends, and a soundtrack curated by siblings, cousins, nieces and nephews, he left this world with the love and care he brought to it.
Growing up in the South End of Burlington, in a neighborhood full of adventure and endless days of fun, Jon was the oldest of the Lines siblings born to Stratty and Beverly.
Down on South Cove, between Red Rocks Park and Oakledge in the 1970s and ’80s, some of the most epic games of Four Square, Witch and Prison Ball would ensue among the dozens of kids throughout the neighborhood.
And of course, there were also days of hanging out and eating at the family business, the Oasis Diner on Bank Street downtown.
Like so many generations of Greek
OCTOBER 5, 1942-
AUGUST 3, 2025
COLCHESTER, VT.
On August 3, 2025, Lita Y Murphy peacefully passed away, surrounded by her family and friends. She had fought a six-year battle with bone cancer with courage and grace.
Lita was born in Temuco, Chile. She studied English at the Universidad de Concepción. is is where she met her soulmate, Bill Murphy. After they married in Chile, they came to the U.S., and together they raised two daughters.
Lita and Bill were happily
diner families, Jon started working at the Oasis in his early teens and then branched out for a time and got a commercial driver’s license. For a few years, he drove trucks for Merrill Transport, until the Oasis beckoned (Stratty needed a reliable cook), and he and his father forged a path that countless family businesses had trod before. Jon’s tireless work ethic, skills at the grill and gift for gab made him a natural.
In the mid-’90s, Jon took over the Oasis and was joined by brother David to run the show for a decade. After selling the business in 2007, he went to work for Barrett Trucking.
e Barretts had been part of the extended diner family, and Jon became an indispensable member of the team until his recent illness. In these years, he was living a little kid’s dream of driving trucks and tractors for a living.
He was especially proud and always ready — no matter the time of day or number of hours behind the wheel — to aid in the now-annual flood recovery in Vermont, as Barrett trucks have become a key component of recovery efforts.
married for 55 years. As a family they lived in Oregon, Wisconsin, Brazil and then settled in Vermont. ey enjoyed traveling around the U.S. and visiting family
Jon is predeceased by his mother and father, Bev and Stratty, and his Uncle Chris, who helped manage the diner for many years and was an essential part of the fabric of Church Street. He is survived by brothers Gary and David and sister Maria, and their partners; his five nieces and nephews, to whom he was a wonderful uncle; several close cousins; and a host of friends, including his crew at the Pour House and the Pub. e family would like to extend deep gratitude to all the staff and medical professionals of the University of Vermont Medical Center. eir dedication, care, understanding and vast well of integrity will be forever appreciated. ey are navigating so much in today’s world, and their resolute ability to help so many families like ours while dealing with endless crises should make this city proud of what it’s built for the challenging future.
Jon was a part of building the future — from building community through the diner to delivering materials for roads and bridges. He is gone too soon and will be deeply missed by many. Visiting hours will be on ursday, August 14, 2025, 4 to 6 p.m., at the Corbin and Palmer Funeral Home, 9 Pleasant St., Essex Junction. A private burial for family and friends will take place the following day. A celebration of life is planned for September 14, with details to follow.
and friends all around the world.
Lita received a bachelor’s degree in art from the University of Vermont. She loved to combine her love of art and her travels in her decorations of her home. She substituted for art and Spanish classes at the local schools. Lita also enjoyed playing the pieces of her favorite classical composers and her father’s favorite tangos on her piano.
Lita was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, daughter, aunt and friend. She genuinely loved life and all of those around her. She always made everyone
around her feel welcomed and loved. She was generous, kind and fun to be around.
Lita is survived by her daughters, Michelle and Nicole; her son-in-law, Steve; her grandchildren, Ciara (and her husband, Tomo), Nathan and Tristin; her great-granddaughter, Yuna; her beloved family in Chile; and friends all over the world.
You are invited to join the family to celebrate Lita’s life on August 29, 2025, 5 to 8 p.m., at the Mansfield Barn on Irish Farm Rd. in Jericho. All are welcome. Please bring an appetizer and memories to share.
JULY 2, 1948AUGUST 7, 2025 BRADFORD, VT.
Michael Jon Polli, known to most as “Mickey,” passed away in Lebanon, N.H., on August 7, 2025. He was 77 years old.
Michael was born on July 2, 1948, in Hanover, N.H., to Vincent and Doris (Leani) Polli and lived his entire life in Bradford, Vt. After graduating from Bradford Academy in 1966, Michael attended Plymouth State College, graduating in 1970 with a math degree. In October 1971 he married Sarah (Williams) Polli of East Corinth, Vt.; they had a son, Jamie, who lives in Williston, Vt.
In 1970 he went to work for HaleCo, working at both Hale Furniture and Hale Funeral Home. He later purchased the business together with his brother David and in 1986 opened an additional funeral home in etford Center, Vt. He was also associated with the Pruneau-Polli Funeral Home of Barre, Vt., until its sale in 2022. His dedication to the funeral business comforted many families from the area as they navigated difficult end-of-life moments. From 1984 to 1988, he and David owned and operated the Garden Restaurant and Lounge, also in Bradford.
Mickey had a lifelong passion for cooking, hosting hundreds of dinner parties where he prepared and shared meals with countless friends. His kitchen was always open, and he was ready to celebrate a birthday, an anniversary or any old occasion. He hosted many a family gathering at holidays, which brought family from afar to his home. For many years he traveled with friends during the winter months to St. Maarten and Florida, always a smile on his face and a stack of red polo shirts in his suitcase.
Mickey is predeceased by his father, Vincent Polli; his mother, Doris Polli; and
his stepmother, Joanne Polli. Mickey is survived by his son, Jamie; his ex-wife Sarah Polli of East Corinth; his ex-wife Dawn Polli of Palm Beach, Fla., and Dawn’s two daughters, Heather Engle and Lesley Cannon; his brother Edward Polli and wife Elizabeth of Yarmouth Port, Mass.; and his brother David Polli and wife Jill of Hanover, N.H. In addition, he is survived by his niece, Eliza Polli, and her family of Hanover, N.H.; his nephew, Christian Polli, of New York, N.Y.; and his two beloved granddaughters, Celia Polli and Shayla Polli. He also leaves stepsiblings Jeff Jalowiecki, Dorian Jalowiecki and Lauren Andrews and husband “Guy.” ere will be a service on Saturday, August 23, 2025, 11 a.m., at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Bradford, Vt., and a celebration of Mickey’s life at his home at 175 Upper Plain, Bradford, Vt. to follow, where all are welcome. Donations in Mickey’s name can be made to the Jack Byrne Center for Palliative and Hospice Care, 154 Hitchcock Loop Rd., Lebanon, N.H. 03756. e immediate family would like to thank all the family and friends who visited with Mickey during the past 14 months as he navigated his cancer diagnosis. eir love for him kept him in good spirits, well fed and playing dominoes every day. A special thanks goes out to his “best friend,” Jane Brown of Bradford, Vt., for her genuine love and support.
OCTOBER 1, 1933AUGUST 9, 2025
HINESBURG, VT.
Robert J. Dimke, loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, passed away peacefully on August 9, 2025.
Bob was a longtime resident of Hinesburg, Vt. He loved the local community and working the land he and his wife shared with their many dogs. Bob was passionate about his family, dogs, gardening and sports, especially baseball. He was strongly committed to his career as a CPA, finally retiring at 85. Bob is survived by his
AUGUST 28, 1952JULY 19, 2025
MONTPELIER, VT.
Ellis A. Jacobson, age 72, passed away peacefully at home with his family in Montpelier, Vt., on July 19, 2025, after a brief, fierce battle with pancreatic cancer. Ellis was born in Portland, Maine, on August 28, 1952, to Nellie (Levin) and Myer Jacobson. Ellis was an artist, sculptor, mask maker, educator, curator, director, writer, actor, clown, comic and musician. His career in the arts began when he won the Best Actor award for the Children’s eater of Maine in 1966, and from there he was hooked. He went on to get his bachelor of the arts in theater and his teacher’s certification at Goddard College in Plainfield, Vt. In the late 1960s and early ’70s, he performed with Blackbird eater, Two Penney Circus, and Bread and Puppet eater. roughout the ’70s and ’80s he wrote and performed numerous comedy shows with Barney Carlson; he juggled with Peter Youngbaer as Mister Blister and Fatman; and he created his own mask theater company, the Regular eater. He toured to Oaxaca, Mexico, with Dragon Dance eater in 1994, where he created a giant mask in the town square, which was used in their performance at Monte Alban. His papiermâché masks were also featured in a performance by the New York City Opera and the Metropolitan Opera in Brooklyn in the 1990s. In the 2000s he turned his energy to arts education and curation. In 2000 his masks were displayed in a one-man
wife of 40 years, Anita; brothers Gary (Cheryl) and Russ (Sandy); sister-in-law Mary; sons, Robert (Trisha), Tom (Kelley) and Michael (Angela); daughter, Paula
show at the University of Montana. He worked in numerous Vermont schools as a theater teacher, director and artist-in-residence. He founded and curated the Artpath Gallery in Burlington, Vt., and served as a trustee for the T.W. Wood Art Gallery. For the past 10-plus years he has developed, run and taught afterschool arts programs for elementaryaged children in central Vermont and most recently his own program, 3 O’Clock Art, at the Greenway campus in Montpelier. Providing an environment for his students to be able to play and create freely in whatever medium and subject matter inspired them was the most important to him, and he loved his students dearly. Ellis loved the coast of Maine, spending time every summer bodysurfing and eating fried clams with family and friends in Ocean Park. He loved his chosen home of Cabot, Vt., where he bought his first home while in college. He lived there until 2023, when he permanently moved to Montpelier. He loved making people laugh and continued to do so even in his frequent hospital stays during
(Kevin); and Anita’s children, Laurie (George), Scott, Julie and Keri (Dave). Bob is also survived by 12 grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and his nephew, Daryl, with whom he had a special bond.
Bob was predeceased by his parents, Herman and Violet, and brother Don.
A funeral service will be held on Friday, August 15, 2025, 11 a.m., at St. Jude the Apostle Parish, 10759 Route 116, Hinesburg. Burial will take place in the Hinesburg Village Cemetery.
Arrangements are in the care of Ready Funeral & Cremation Services. To share a message of condolence, please visit readyfuneral.com.
his last weeks of life, cracking jokes with each person who walked into the hospital room. He loved all things and collected many, such as art, coins and antique toys, but he loved nothing better than the smile on the face of a child. He loved the extended nontraditional family that he shared with his partner of 42 years, Marilyn Nasuta, whom he married in 2012. He was a devoted grandfather to Cooper and Nellie Lamb, a stepfather to Rosemary Leach, and a stepfather-in-law to Ted Lamb. He is survived by his brother, Alan Jacobson, and sister-inlaw Rose of Miami, Fla.; his nephews, Brian Jacobson of Homestead, Fla., and Mark Jacobson of Ann Arbor, Mich.; his brother-in-law, Stephen Nasuta, and sister-in-law Molly Backup of Saint Albans, Vt.; his niece, Ditra Backup, of Washington, D.C.; as well as grandnieces, grandnephews and cousins.
Ellis was so grateful to everyone who shared their love, support and medical expertise over the last 10 weeks, including his family, his friends, his students and their families, and the staff at Greenway Institute, the University of Vermont Medical Center (especially Miller 5), Central Vermont Medical Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice.
A celebration of life will be held in the fall. Donations can be made in memory of Ellis to Bread and Puppet eater in Glover, Vt., or to Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice in Berlin, Vt. e family also invites you to share your memories and condolences by visiting awrfh.com.
Burlington has more homeless encampments than ever. Two men are tasked with keeping them under control.
STORY DEREK BROUWER | PHOTOS LUKE AWTRY
The time had come for Neil Preston to make Stephen move his tent.
Several weeks earlier, the 61-year-old man, like many of the homeless people who sleep outside in Burlington, had taken up residence in one of the city’s neighborhood parks. The predictable result resulted: Residents spotted Stephen’s green-and-gray abode in Calahan Park and quickly reported it to city officials. A pair of complaints were assigned to Burlington’s urban park rangers, a twoperson enforcement team led by Preston.
The city forbids camping on public land, but Preston didn’t want to lean too hard on Stephen, who Seven Days agreed to identify only by his first name. He kept his site clean, didn’t bother others and eschewed hard drugs. He was on disability for PTSD and had a bad back that made walking difficult. For Stephen, picking up stakes was no small thing. Preston, 49, had been checking on him and bringing water. Stephen explained that he had a lead on an apartment in New York. Preston listened and encouraged him.
Then came a third complaint, two weeks after the others. Someone had uploaded a blurry photo of Stephen’s tent to an app called SeeClickFix, which
city residents use to anonymously report graffiti, overgrown trees and, increasingly, homeless people. More than 40 complaints about illegal encampments were filed through the app last month. To accompany the photo of Stephen’s tent,
the latest complainant cited the city’s no-camping ordinance. “Please help the public understand why it is or is not being followed in this case,” the user wrote. Preston was out of time. But if Stephen couldn’t camp in this spot, where should
Preston tell him to go? Neither the city’s written policy nor the growing legion of frustrated residents had to answer that question. Neither did Preston, but he felt compelled to try.
He’s spent the past four years as Burlington’s first-ever urban park ranger, charged with maintaining order in public spaces in the state with the fourth-highest homelessness rate in the country. The number of unhoused people in Vermont tripled during the pandemic and hasn’t budged since, even though the state has dedicated hundreds of millions of dollars to the problem. Gov. Phil Scott recently scaled back the spending by pushing more than 1,000 people out of emergency housing in motels, starting in March. Burlington and other small cities are bearing the brunt of that exodus.
Each day, Preston and his fellow ranger, Daniel “Jake” Payne, shuttle between 39 city parks that encompass more than 550 acres of public land, doing damage control wherever they can. They keep tabs on the city’s transient population and the places they call home: a waterfront tree house with a guard dog; in tents beside multimilliondollar homes; in hammocks by a basketball court; on the lawn outside city hall.
Neil Preston is squeezed between the expectations of residents who want clean, safe and quiet green spaces and those whose lives are a daily struggle.
setback and become a way of life. The number of people considered “chronically” homeless, meaning they have been without stable shelter for a year or have cycled in and out of housing several times, has shot up from 150 or so before the pandemic to more than 900 today.
“My bigger concern,” Preston told him, “is that it feels like you’re kind of stuck right now.”
“I am,” Stephen said. He worked through his predicament aloud. An apartment that some friends had promised in New York had fallen through. To afford one in Vermont, he would need to use a Section 8 voucher, but local housing authorities had stopped issuing them because they were short on federal funds. He thought the homeless shelters made him sick, and he didn’t do well sharing a room.
When Preston confronts a problem that has no immediate answer, he falls back on the motto he’s adopted for the job: Make it less bad.
The conflicts that Preston must mediate have soured the civic psyche and consumed his work. He is squeezed between the expectations of residents who want clean, safe and quiet green spaces and those whose lives are a daily struggle. He hears from homeowners who believe the public disorder is hurting their property values and homeless residents who want Preston to stop others from defecating near their tents.
Preston, meanwhile, is equipped only with a sweat-stained ranger’s polo, a can of pepper spray and his capacity for empathy.
“I feel like I’m in the center of a hurricane,” he said.
On a recent Tuesday afternoon, Preston and Payne walked through Calahan Park to deliver Stephen a notice to leave. He was camping along one edge of a short, sloped field, between a community garden and some tennis courts.
“Knock, knock, hello!” Preston announced. “Steve, how you doing? You got time to talk?”
“Yeah, for a minute,” Stephen quipped from inside his tent. “I got nothing else to do.”
Stephen stepped outside, and the sun lit up his greasy gray hair and white beard.
“We’re going to work out a solution,” Preston assured him, though the ranger was still unsure what that solution might be. Stephen is among the growing share of Vermont street dwellers for whom homelessness has ceased to be a short-term
Preston looked toward a cluster of trees on the opposite edge of the field, about 100 feet away, where a portion of a wooded patch had been cleared. When the nearby homeless shelter used to close during the day, guests began hanging out — and sometimes causing problems — in that corner of Calahan, reshaping its terrain in the process. Preston pointed to the area.
“What is the capacity to just relocate this tent?” Preston asked. “I’m not saying that it’s OK or permanent,” he added, “but it’s a step in the right direction.”
“Right,” Stephen agreed. “At least it’s hidden, out of sight.”
Preston snapped his fingers, and Payne handed his colleague a Sharpie and a form titled, “Notice to remove possessions.” Preston gave Stephen three days to relocate. He zip-tied the piece of paper to Stephen’s tent and handed him some bottled water and granola bars. Then Preston and Payne headed to the next park, hoping Stephen would oblige them.
Earlier that day, Preston walked warily down a dirt trail that led to the waterfront encampment of his nightmares.
He was north of the towering Moran FRAME and kid-friendly Andy A_Dog Williams Skatepark, in an area dubbed the Urban Reserve. A few hundred yards to Preston’s left, sailboats drifted on Lake Champlain. To his right, cyclists whizzed along the Greenway, the crown jewel of the Queen City’s parks system.
Up ahead, a dog named Chopper awaited.
Within this dense stretch of woods that hugs the lakeshore, some campers have erected a sprawling compound using plywood and tarps. Spare wood pallets jut above piles of stuff: wagons, storage crates, a Vermont flag, pots and pans, hammers and nails, a bottle of salad dressing. The residents have stationed a portable sink up a set of stairs, next to elevated sleeping quarters. A Vermont Rail System sign warns: “Private Property No Thru Traffic.” Chopper, an unusually stout cattle dog, was enforcing that edict.
Chopper had sunk his teeth into Preston during one of the ranger’s earlier visits. Preston knew the dog had bitten others, too, and harassed a Canadian tourist.
The dog saw Preston coming up the path and charged.
“You’re going to need to get Chopper!” Preston yelled to its owner. But no humans were home.
The dog jerked at the end of its lead, baring its teeth and barking. Preston stood his ground. He reached for the pepper spray that he keeps holstered on his belt, worried Chopper’s lead might not hold, and squirted the irritant toward the ground. Chopper’s barks transformed into a whimper. “Get the fuck back in the tent,” Preston implored the dog. It scurried to the side, then replied with a low, defeated growl.
The Urban Reserve hosts the bike path, a dog park and one of the largest assemblages of homeless encampments in Vermont. More than 30 tents can be found along one stretch of wooded understory by a gravel access road. There are laundry lines, beach umbrellas, fence panels and even a dartboard tacked to a tree. Another 10 or so people have set up camp around an adjacent clearing where public works employees dump snow during the winter. Others live along the water’s edge, around the four corners of a field or, like Chopper’s owners, in wooded areas throughout the reserve.
The ramshackle settlements are the closest thing Burlington has to a sanctioned camping area for homeless people. Following the election of Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak in 2024, city officials adjusted their approach to enforcing the ban on camping in city parks. Preston acts more aggressively to shut down camps in neighborhood parks, such as Calahan. The Urban Reserve, while also parkland, has long been used by “rough” sleepers. Here, Preston is much more targeted in his enforcement. The tacit message: Don’t cause problems, and the city will focus
elsewhere. Campsite removals are slower. Before the heavy machinery could disassemble Chopper’s home, Preston would need to complete a written assessment of the site and take photos for review by the city attorney.
Make it less bad.
Large encampments, especially those shielded from public view, can quickly become unsafe or unmanageable. See “the Jungle” in Ithaca, the politically progressive small city in New York, where an outof-sight, out-of-mind encampment village eventually fostered murderous violence. Closer to home, see the settlement on Burlington’s Sears Lane, the 2021 removal of which prompted a showdown between activists and the administration of thenmayor Miro Weinberger. See Decker Towers, the low-income apartment
building that has been overrun by squatters and drug users during the cold winter months.
Preston and his partner, Payne, are trying to prevent the Urban Reserve from becoming a similar hazard — hence the visits to Chopper, whom a police employee has since helped relocate to a rural animal sanctuary.
The city has tried to give campers the tools to keep their spaces tidy. Last summer, Mulvaney-Stanak set aside $50,000 in city funds to install dumpsters and portable toilets in both the Urban Reserve and the Intervale, another highdensity camping area. “I had been jumping up and down for three years, saying that people plus anything makes two things: poop and trash,” Preston said. “And I was supposed to not pick those things up.”
More than 30 tents can be found along one stretch of wooded understory by a gravel access road.
He does anyway. Preston regularly uses a bucket loader in the Urban Reserve to transfer piles of refuse to the city-installed dumpsters. The addition of basic amenities, however utilized, gives city officials additional justification to show up. While scooping a bucketful of trash near the shore, Preston checked on an older woman who was camping alone. He listened to another camper’s frustrations about her neighbors, trying to gauge whether the dispute would boil over into violence.
“They’re fucking using my path to shit and piss in,” the second woman told Preston. She gestured to a grassy area where she walks her dog. “When you start getting over that way, look on both sides. You got tissues on both sides,” she rasped. “I’m going to start fucking freaking out.”
Preston has learned to navigate these spaces as a rank-and-file representative of a small municipal parks department. Burlington, the largest city in Vermont, has fewer residents than Pawnee, Ind., the fictional setting of “Parks and Recreation,” a television show whose humor plays upon the smallness of smalltown problems.
Burlington created its park ranger program in 2021 as part of a broader effort to reduce the need for armed policing by employing new kinds of frontline workers, including the community support liaisons embedded with the Burlington Police Department. The initiative was launched just as the pandemic was exacerbating Vermont’s housing shortage and fueling spikes in addiction and mental illness. Dealing with the effects of those social problems was always part of the park ranger’s job description.
Now it’s the whole job.
Preston, a former ski patroller and academic coach at Champlain College with no training as a social worker, remembers interviewing for the new
and drove away with his roller skate. Preston later found the Bolt in a city park; the perp had left a long knife on the seat. Preston took note that the thief hadn’t used the knife to slash the upholstery. “He could have just really hammered me, and he chose not to, very specifically,” Preston said. “He just had to escape.” Although the lead ranger has felt Chopper’s bite, he has never been pricked by a needle, despite encountering thousands of them. Preston’s annual salary is $77,400.
Preston has a lean, not-very-imposing build, and his voice sometimes registers Muppet-like tones. He describes his brain as exceptionally hyperactive, which he considers an advantage when taking in his surroundings and a minus when he forgets to turn off the Smoke Wagon’s flashing lights. Taped to his personal cellphone is an unusual prediction from a fortune cookie: “You will live a long life with crazy hair.” His coif could be described as a mop, but at work, it’s typically covered by a ball cap. By July, his skin had a deep tan, in contrast to his colleague Payne, who manages to remain pasty white.
A University of Vermont graduate from New York, Payne said public service always appealed to him. Payne, 24, took the first job he could get in city government, as a parking services agent handing out tickets. The motorists he cited never gave him a hard time, he said, a testament to his gentle manner. Last summer he transferred to parks and became a ranger.
Kingsbury, 43, recently spent 18 months imprisoned on federal charges. She had shoplifted $1,200 worth of clothes from the Black Diamond store on Church Street. The case went federal in part because she threatened an employee with a knife. Kingsbury was using drugs at the time, she said.
After serving her sentence, Kingsbury ended up in state-funded motel rooms. The walls and fixtures in her last room, in Shelburne, were caked in blood splatter. A few days after she finished cleaning the room, Kingsbury had to leave; the state was shrinking its emergency housing program. She lugged her CPAP machine and a portable oxygen concentrator to Oakledge, where she set up camp. There, she met another homeless woman who had just gotten a job at a South Burlington restaurant. They pitched their tents next to each other, seeking safety in numbers.
Preston texted Kingsbury a location along the waterfront where he suggested she move. But the site was closer to downtown, which Kingsbury, wary of relapse, was trying to avoid at all costs.
She and her new friend decided to search for a quieter spot.
position. “They were asking about ways to build community,” he said. “I was talking about doing mindfulness at Leddy Beach.”
Looking back, he laughs at his own naïveté.
Preston accepted the job, and someone drove him around to meet people and see the territory. He was introduced to a longtime maintenance employee named Ritchie Snow: “Ritchie goes, ‘Got a gun? You’re gonna need one.’”
Preston and Payne do not have guns. They don’t even have walkie-talkies — if they need backup, they dial 911. Preston drives a beat-up Ford F-250 affectionately dubbed the “Smoke Wagon” that features flashing rooftop lights. A rotting wood tailgate has “Keep back 500 ft” scrawled across it. The Smoke Wagon, of which Preston has temporary custody, is more practical than the rangers’ primary rigs, a pair of white Chevy Bolt electric hatchbacks not suited for hauling away trash and detritus. Preston calls them the “roller skates.”
His first summer in the field, Preston contracted scabies. During the second summer, someone broke into his Leddy Park office, rooted through his belongings
The pair have seen firsthand how the worst elements of street life create a vortex of misfortune. Preston served as best man in one homeless couple’s wedding at a downtown church in 2023. The bride has since died of cancer, and Preston has watched as her surviving spouse has slipped from a motel room to a bedbuginfested shelter to a tent in the Urban Reserve. Lately, Preston has been encouraging his vulnerable friend to return to the homeless shelter, but the streets have a way of sucking people in.
With the Urban Reserve more crowded than ever, the ranger has qualms about pushing certain campers, Stephen among them, into it.
“Even if you told me you’re gonna fire me, I wouldn’t send them there,” Preston said. “Because they would get eaten up, and I can’t do that, morally.”
One troubling reality of the camps is that many of those who pitch tents in neighborhood parks have done so precisely because they are trying to avoid danger.
Sabrina Kingsbury had been living in Oakledge Park for a couple of weeks when the rangers ordered her to relocate her tent. On a recent Monday, her deadline to move was approaching.
In City Hall Park, Preston roused a man who was sleeping in the grass. The man had neither a tent nor blankets, but beside him lay a lawn mower, an electric trimmer, a snow shovel and a broom. It was 7:49 a.m.
“Knock, knock, hello!”
Preston asked the man to move his equipment away from the sidewalk. “You’re going to get way more attention than you want here,” he said. The man got up and pushed his lawn mower toward Church Street. He left behind a gasoline can, half full, that Preston placed in the bed of the Smoke Wagon.
More than 30 people were already using City Hall Park, where many sleep on the grass or on benches around the clock. Preston typically begins his workdays with a stop there. He asks people to clean up trash, checks them for signs of breathing and gets to know the regulars.
On this Wednesday morning, a young woman asked Preston if he could spare change for a coffee. A tattoo of a chain ran from her nostril to her left ear. Preston hadn’t seen her before. He bought her a cup at Kountry Kart Deli, but she was gone by the time he returned.
Preston approached a man who was holding a hatchet. “Will you holster that?” he asked.
“That foot looks like shit,” he said to a woman with open sores who was sitting on a bench with a pipe and a needle. Preston helped her walk across the street. On the opposite sidewalk, someone was blasting the rapper DMX from a speaker. Someone else, obviously intoxicated, was trying to pull down his pants.
The suffering and dysfunction bother Preston. In City Hall Park he sees a “humanitarian crisis,” one to which he and Payne can only dedicate some of their day. A cast of public servants, outreach workers, police and citizen activists of all political stripes also rotate through the downtown green space.
In Preston’s estimation, it is not enough. He recently needed a police officer to cite a man Preston had kicked out of the park and issued a no-trespass notice. The man, Preston said, had threatened to shoot him. But a community service officer informed Preston that the cops would not be available to enforce trespass orders that day. Only four officers were on duty, and they had to focus on more serious issues.
“Harm reduction always makes sense,” Preston said later, “except that there’s too much harm to reduce.”
The City of Burlington spent roughly $8 million in staff time and services to address homelessness last year, according to city estimates. Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak listed the spending by department — including $3.4 million by the fire department and $1.7 million by police — in an October memo to Gov. Scott. The city bore these costs even as the mayor laid off 18 employees and cut other services to close a $9.8 million budget gap. She made a point to keep Sarah Russell, the city’s special assistant to end homelessness, who was originally hired using federal funds.
That was before June, when Scott vetoed the Democrat-controlled legislature’s bill to continue funding thousands of motel rooms for homeless people while transferring management of the program to regional nonprofits. Since then, federal funding for housing vouchers has also dried up, and President Donald Trump issued an executive order that threatens to yank federal funds from cities that don’t sufficiently crack down on public drug use or urban camping.
“A city can’t solve this issue,” MulvaneyStanak said in an interview. “We need strong state partnership.”
The mayor and the governor have met only once since Mulvaney-Stanak, a former state lawmaker, won election as mayor in March 2024. Last summer, administrators with the Vermont Agency of Human Services visited Burlington at
the mayor’s request to discuss homelessness, substance use and mental health issues. They met with local officials, then took a walking tour of downtown, “just to see the state of Burlington,” MulvaneyStanak said.
The mayor met with Scott himself last October, in Montpelier. She wanted her counterpart to hear how the statewide housing crisis was having outsize effects on Vermont’s largest city. His staff, who she said did most of the talking, cast Burlington’s problems as a matter of local public safety. The meeting has not led to better coordination. Scott still has not accepted her invitation to see the Urban Reserve or City Hall Park himself.
more accountable are the clear solutions to this problem,” Degree wrote.
The mayor has had to adjust how the city approaches its camping ban to reflect the overwhelming number of unhoused people, she said. While she does not think “sanctioned camping” is a smart use of resources, Mulvaney-Stanak acknowledged that she has tried to “lean a little bit more into leniency” in the Urban Reserve and other parklands that have a history of encampments.
Yet Burlington remains anything but unified on how best to manage homelessness. The city council has spent hours discussing Food Not Cops, a group that distributes hot lunch to homeless people.
Harm reduction always makes sense, except that there’s too much harm to reduce.
NEIL PRESTON
“I’m walking around my city all the time, and the governor is conveniently much more removed from a lot of this,” Mulvaney-Stanak said. “I’m losing my patience in that regard.”
The governor did not make himself available for an interview, but in a statement, spokesperson Dustin Degree wrote that Scott “is in Burlington often, and like everyone else, he can see open drug use, blight, disruptions, encampments, and crime.”
He blamed the city’s “failed progressive policies” for the conditions on the streets.
“Pairing pro-housing, pro-affordability policies, committing to strong community policing, and holding repeat offenders
The debate continued at last week’s meeting, where councilors fought bitterly over whether the group’s exile from the downtown Marketplace Parking Garage had improved public safety there. The activists moved to City Hall Park.
In early July, following the state’s latest motel-room rollback, city officials announced a plan to allow overnight car camping in 12 spaces at Perkins Pier. Business groups were incensed by the central location; the mayor’s office canceled the plan within 24 hours, before any campers arrived.
Preston, caught between the purpose of city parks and the realities of the unhoused, sees the divisions in Burlington
each day. He’s concluded that residents still don’t grasp the magnitude of the homelessness problem. How else could they expect a city employee to make tents go away?
Back in the Urban Reserve, a small blue tent was staked in some very tall brush. Days earlier, Preston had attached a “notice to remove possessions” to the zipper. He’d scribbled a personal note on the form, just to be sure. “EQ,” it read, referring to its owner, “If you are using this tent, call me — Neil.”
He hadn’t heard from EQ since, so Preston parked the Smoke Wagon along a gravel access road and prepared to dismantle the tent. Payne, who was in the roller skate, stepped out and joined him.
The policy for camp removals is governed by terms of a 2019 legal settlement between the city and the American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont, which sued in 2017 on behalf of a homeless camper. The settlement affords campers due process before their stuff is hauled off, which was why Preston had to affix a written warning to the tent.
It’s also why Preston and Payne were getting their hands dirty. Per policy, city officials must store seized belongings for at least 30 days. Anything wet or perishable gets tossed in the trash. Everything of apparent value gets bagged, labeled and trucked to a storage facility.
Preston and Payne dragged the tent from the brush. A hole in the fabric — either by slash or by tear — had left piles of clothes damp and stacks of personal files ruined. Preston uncovered a shaving kit, condoms and three unused overdose-reversal kits. He sifted out bottles full of cigarette butts and others that were full of urine. There
were documents from the Community College of Vermont and a greeting card that read, “We’ll be friends until we can’t remember how old we are.” Ten minutes into his dig, Preston’s gloved hands brushed a hypodermic needle. It was still capped.
The rangers dropped the torn tent in the dumpster and hauled the salvageable items to the 10-by-20-foot storage unit in the South End that the city rents for this purpose.
“Jeepers!” Payne said as he rolled up the door. “This is fuller than I remember.”
The unit was lined with storage racks holding personal effects salvaged from 44 campsites disassembled since June. Rangers had stashed a shopping cart loaded with linens and a tarp upon which someone had written, in red Sharpie, “I love you with every breath I take xoxoxox.” Religious texts were piled in a red, fauxsnakeskin tote.
This is where Stephen’s belongings would end up, too, if he didn’t comply with the rangers’ orders to move his Calahan Park tent.
Stephen came to Burlington three years ago from a small New York town, imagining the city would be a nice place to start anew. But he arrived without housing and spent the little money he had on campground fees and hotel rooms as he tried, unsuccessfully, to find an affordable apartment. Since then he has shuffled between homeless shelters, motels and encampments. Just before the Fourth of July, Stephen left the Champlain Place shelter because he couldn’t get along with his assigned roommate. That’s how he wound up in Calahan, a block down the street.
To comply with Preston’s order, Stephen turned to some friends he’d nicknamed his “homeless wolf pack.” The guys had brought Stephen food and water during a time when his disability benefits were delayed, so he trusted them to handle his stuff. He couldn’t afford to lose his possessions, even if, besides a cot, they could fit into a couple of large backpacks.
Stephen had no cookware at the moment. He was spending $360 a month on bagged ice and premade sandwiches from a gas station up the street, eating just one a day to save money. The food shelf, across town in the Old North End, was too far away, even by bus.
“Because I’m disabled, I don’t like traveling around, and I’m kind of scared of downtown,” Stephen said.
a more permanent spot,” Payne told Stephen. “Preferably an inside one.”
Meanwhile, a new problem had cropped up at Calahan. Someone had ripped out Brussels sprouts and other vegetables from a plot in the community garden near Stephen’s tent. The garden is fenced and locked. Regardless, some weeds had been flattened along the fence line near the affected plot, suggesting an intruder.
The gardeners have had run-ins with some of the people who loiter or live in the park. Some have hopped the fence to use the water spigot or sleep in the storage shed, longtime gardener Gordon Clark said. Others have argued loudly or behaved erratically just outside it. Clark, 65, has encountered people who broke inside to take a shower. Some gardeners have said they feel unsafe, but speaking for them, Clark said no one wants to tell a homeless person they can’t use the garden hose on a 90-degree day.
“We’re not trying to set up a little fortress that no one can touch,” he said. “At the same time, once the barriers become permeable…”
He continued: “It’s a difficult moral conundrum, as well as a sheer logistical and physical conundrum. I haven’t heard a good answer yet, short of changing our society’s priorities.”
The gardener who lost part of her harvest declined to comment and asked Seven Days not to print her name. But she called Preston about the damage to her plot. “She wanted me to go and sit with all the unhoused people in Calahan and keep my ear to the ground to see who had done it,” Preston said.
Mediating such conflicts has resulted in some of the more rewarding moments in Preston’s time as a ranger. He views them as chances to develop mutual understanding, to help housed residents see unhoused neighbors as something other than a threat and vice versa.
He didn’t know who lodged the anonymous complaints about his tent, which had been pitched next to a community garden. He got along with his neighbors, and no one had approached him with any concerns.
“It wasn’t these nice people at the garden, probably,” he said.
After Stephen’s deadline to move had passed, Payne went to check on him. To his surprise, Stephen and his wolf pack had staked the tent next to the clearing that Preston suggested, rather than inside it. In the process, they’d disturbed a section of vegetation. That created another headache for the rangers, but one that could wait for another day.
“We’re gonna try to get some folks connected to you to hopefully get you
In this case, Preston tried to represent the unhoused occupants of Calahan — and his perspective as the worker trying to address resident complaints. “Well, it doesn’t sound like you have any evidence or reason to believe that it was these people,” Preston recalled telling the gardener. “Does that sound like an accurate statement?”
“She was like, ‘Well, yeah.’
“Well,” Preston continued, “does it sound like that might be hazardous and complicated and uncomfortable for me to go and then ask around or observe a group in a way that is just being suspicious of them?”
Later that day, Preston’s boss informed him that city officials had received a new complaint from a relative of the gardener. This one wasn’t about Stephen’s latest campsite. It was about the ranger himself.
Montréal used to be Canada’s “Sin City.” What happened?
BY KAREN GARDINER
Three years ago, a trio of Montréal superheroes went up in smoke.
The women of the Super Sexe strip club sign — clad in high heels, black bikinis and red capes — had brazenly soared over rue Sainte-Catherine for decades, flickering symbols of Montréal’s libertine spirit. That is, until meeting their demise in October 2021 at the hands of a suspected arsonist.
Super Sexe opened in 1978. In the four years between its 2017 closure and the fire, some asked whether the club’s landmark beacon should be conserved. Instead, it was left to its fate. To the Montréalers who mourned its loss, the sign’s demise was a sign of the times.
Since the early 20th century, when Prohibition dried out cities across the U.S. and, briefly, Canada, Montréal’s red-light district beckoned those seeking pleasure and vice. Americans — including many Vermonters — flocked to places where alcohol flowed and nightlife sparkled. That era has long passed, ushered out in part by the internet and websites such as Pornhub, which is headquartered in Montréal. But the city’s tourism industry still leans on its sexy spirit, even as today’s sex workers have been pushed to the margins of the city. Yet there are signs that how this history is told, and by whom,
is changing — from a new walking tour to an upcoming museum exhibit exploring Montréal’s scandalous past.
Alex Tigchelaar met plenty of Vermonters during her time working in Montréal
strip clubs throughout the 1980s and ’90s, she said. Those included the “best and worst” establishments, from glitzy gentlemen’s clubs to a dive bar with a boardedup window and sheet-metal stage.
“The clubs were famous,” she told me. “Men came [to Montréal] to see us.” They traveled from Vermont, Boston and beyond
THE DESTRUCTION OF SUPER SEXE IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF THE GENTRIFICATION THAT THAT HAS SQUEEZED THE SALTY CHARM OUT OF MONTRÉAL’S DOWNTOWN.
to shower the strippers with attention — and money — she recalled, “thinking you were so exotic: You were this Montréal girl.”
Sex work has long been connected to the city’s tourism economy, argues Tigchelaar, now a PhD candidate at Concordia University, whose doctoral thesis focuses on how sex work has shaped Montréal’s
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urban spaces and infrastructure. “In the early 1800s, who was showing the sailors around?” she asked. “Who was bringing them to the taverns? Who was telling them where the hotels were?”
Had the Super Sexe sign signaled a di erent kind of heritage, it likely would have been protected, she suggested. But sex worker history is seen differently. “That sign should have been saved,” Tigchelaar said. “We are so useful and important to a city,” she said of sex workers, “but at the same time we can’t be acknowledged properly.”
Curious to see for myself how Montréal presents that history, I browsed the handful of walking tours of the redlight district. I landed on MTL DETOURS’ MONTRÉAL’S SIN CITY GOLDEN AGE ERA & THE RED LIGHT DISTRICT (mtldetours.ca, CA$39), launched last summer. A portion of tour proceeds goes to STELLA (chezstella.org/ en) a community-based organization that advocates for sex workers’ rights.
My guide, Isabelle, began by tracing the red-light district’s rise, from its proximity to the port to the impact of Prohibition, which triggered Montréal’s so-called Golden Age. “You could get plastered with impunity” in Montréal, she explained, “so the whole United States [showed] up to party.”
Our small group giggled as she showed us copies of tourism advertisements encouraging Americans over the border to drink, but Isabelle got serious when her spiel turned to sex work. “I will talk about sex workers,” she said. “This is not to glorify sex workers or the conditions in which they were living [but] to talk about a big part of our past that was erased.”
The district — a roughly 10-block downtown stretch known as “the Main” — began its decline in 1954, she explained, when mayor Jean Drapeau’s morality squad “cleaned it up.” It hung on, much diminished but still shimmying, until 2007, when, with the expropriation of a building that housed a peep show at the corner of Boulevard Saint-Laurent and
rue Sainte-Catherine, what was left of the red-light district was transformed into the festival- and tourism-focused Quartier des Spectacles.
Next, we stopped outside CAFÉ CLÉOPÂTRE (1230 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, cleopatramontreal.com), one of just a handful remaining of the dozens of strip clubs that peppered the area in the ’90s. Its cartoonish sign’s topless ladies and promise of “spectacles continuels” still tempts in the now-gentrified neighborhood. Open since 1976, Cléopâtre is a “David-against-Goliath story,” Isabelle said, referring to its resistance to real estate developers’ efforts to take over its 1899 building, which has nearly always been home to erotic entertainment.
Contrary to a developer’s opinion that it is “just a nude dance club,” Cléopâtre is an unapologetically unique Montréal establishment where you can watch female strippers in the first-floor gentleman’s club, then head upstairs to the cabaret for an evening of drag, burlesque, comedy and “bareoke.”
Not to be confused with “stripparaoke,” where strippers undress — you should go to Portland, Ore., for that — bareoke involves customers stripping down while belting out songs. That all bodies are welcomed and celebrated at bareoke is a reflection of Cléo’s inclusivity and its reputation as an LGBTQ+ sanctuary.
Mostly, though, my tour focused on the more polished and glamorous establishments of the midcentury era, such as the THÉÂTRE DU NOUVEAU MONDE (84 rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest, tnm.qc.ca). Back when it housed the Gayety Theatre, this was where burlesque artist Lili St. Cyr made a big splash in the city with her inventive use of props such as chastity belts and bubble baths.
“Yes, it was undressing on stage,” Isabelle said, “but it’s not like the strip joints [of] today.” Her comment stung slightly, reminding me of Tigchelaar’s explanation for why only the midcentury era of Montréal’s red-light district is celebrated: aesthetics. People “can imagine themselves at a cocktail lounge watching Lili St. Cyr,” she told me. “It’s very glamorous, and that is not necessarily the case [for] their vision of other areas of sex work.”
My tour passed lightly over Lili St. Cyr’s modern-day counterparts. While Isabelle mentioned the impact of the pandemic on sex workers — who were left without financial support — and highlighted the efforts of Stella, the sex-worker advocacy group, to protect their “health and safety,” she did so cautiously.
Perhaps this was part of her effort not to “glorify” sex work. But it felt like an overcorrection when she repeated the dubious claim that Montréal’s annual
Formula One weekend increases human trafficking to the city. (Ironically, Stella has rebuked this claim, arguing that increased surveillance during F1 puts sex workers in greater danger.)
Isabelle was at her best when furiously describing the morality squad’s sanitation of the district in the 1950s. They “not only cleaned it,” she said, “they disinfected it and destroyed everything that was good and everything that was bad.”
I found more inclusiveness next door to Café Cléopâtre at the MEM – CENTRE DES MÉMOIRES MONTRÉALAISES (memmtl.ca/ en, some exhibits free, ticketed exhibits CA$6.70-15.50), whose exhibits explore the city’s history through the lens of Montréalers themselves. In 2016, in its former incarnation as the Centre d’histoire de Montréal in Old Montréal, the museum hosted the exhibition “Scandal! Vice, Crime and Morality in Montréal, 19401960.” Now housed in a building at the very
Là” (episodes in French and English at noussommestoujoursla.com), which she created in collaboration with Stella. Tigchelaar tapped into her community to collect firsthand stories of sex work in the city, from 1960s strippers to contemporary cam girls.
Over 12 episodes, the podcast recounts life in the clubs, streets and homes where women have sold sexual services. Because most of these women’s workspaces no longer exist, Tigchelaar invited her guests to share vivid descriptions of the stages, décor and dressing rooms. The podcast argues convincingly that sex workers have deep knowledge of the city’s hidden corners.
A visitor to Montréal today would struggle to reconcile the colorful downtown of those women’s memories with what it looks like today. The destruction of Super Sexe is just one example of the gentrification that has squeezed the salty charm out of Montréal’s downtown, where after-dark decadence has given way to the homogeneity of glass condos and chain stores.
Despite this, the history of sex work has proved useful as a winking marketing tool. Walking through the Quartier des Spectacles, it’s impossible to miss the red dots that denote the area’s brand, from those that form a “red carpet” on the sidewalks after dark to those decorating the façades of countless construction sites. This branding, Tigchelaar wrote in an article for the architecture publication Party Planner, “relies on a longstanding signifier sex workers use to indicate our presence and availability, one that is also a metonym denoting our work sites: the red light.”
center of the former red-light district, it’s telling a more comprehensive story about sex work in the city.
Prior to opening the new museum, a representative from Stella “gave their input and we listened to them,” MEM curator Catherine Charlebois said. “We thought it was very important to have their voice, since we are in this neighborhood.” This year, to mark Stella’s 30-year anniversary, the MEM will open an exhibition in collaboration with Stella (opening date TBD).
“They told us that ‘It’s really important that our voices are heard because it was our part of the city and now we’ve been chased away,’” Charlebois said of her discussions with Stella. “As an institution, it’s important that we recognize the people … for whom the neighborhood was and still is important,” she added.
Another sign the MEM is listening: In 2023 it hosted the launch of Tigchelaar’s podcast, “Nous Sommes Toujours
Podcast guest Carmen described the “insult” of the Quartier’s red-light branding. At the very spot where she was arrested for selling sex, tourists are today invited to snap selfies under the glow of a red light. “They value our signifiers, but they do not value us,” Tigchelaar said.
Back at the MEM, under the glow of a light bulb that is half red and half white — out of respect to sex workers who dislike the red-light branding, Charlebois said — a video titled “A Changing Neighbourhood” tells the history of the red-light district. In it, Concordia teacher Francine Tremblay described the “relentless drive to get rid of this neighborhood.”
But it ends with Johnny Zoumboulakis, the formidable owner of Café Cléopâtre. When developers came, he fought them and won. In what is surely a signal of changing times, Zoumboulakis described receiving a letter from the city: Cléopâtre’s saucy sign meets the definition of heritage, it said, and so it will be protected and preserved. ➆
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Former Boston restaurant pros host barn dinners on their small Chester farm
STORY
&
SPHOTOS BY JORDAN BARRY • jbarry@sevendaysvt.com
ometime around the late 1970s, a Chester-area newspaper profiled Alice Bliss. Alice and her husband, Bill, started a small farm on High Street in 1940, a quarter mile from the Windsor County town’s main drag.
“Kids have always found their way to the Bliss’s farm,” the article read, according to the scrapbook clipping donated to the Chester Historical Society by the family of the late author, longtime local columnist Ruth Douglas. “[There] was always something interesting going on there.”
Bliss Farm has new owners these days, but the statement holds true — especially on Friday and Saturday nights from June through October.
Instead of the “few cows, a pig or two, chickens and a family of kittens, also a pet raccoon” that occupied the barn when that
story was written, Nevin Taylor and Beth Herbert fill it with diners from near and far, hungry for pizza, paella or fresh pasta.
The couple are longtime industry pros who met working in Boston — he as a cook, she as a bartender — and built their careers at some of the city’s hottest restaurants. They bought Bliss Farm five years ago from Alice and Bill’s grandson.
They’ve hosted barn dinners for the past three summers, first every other Saturday and now twice weekly, serving up to 30 people per night. Customers call the home phone to make a reservation. The menu isn’t announced ahead of time, though Friday is always pizza and oysters.
“It’s not a restaurant. It’s more like going over to a friend’s house, and that friend happens to have a barn,” Taylor said. “There’s a vibe when you walk into something like this where you’re a little more open to whatever’s gonna happen.”
On a hot Friday in late July, I made the two-hour drive to Bliss Farm from Burlington. I’ve stopped in Chester over the past few years to eat at the Country Girl Diner or grab a bottle of Vermont Maple Sriracha from Sugar Bob’s Finest Kind, and I mostly remembered its stone buildings and antiques stores.
Cue my surprise when I arrived at Bliss Farm, which pops up unexpectedly out of a neighborhood as you start up High Street. Its seven acres spread out behind an old farmhouse and a red, metal-roofed barn, punctuated by one big tree and several storage buildings.
A full-capacity crowd arrived around 5:30 p.m., and Taylor put out a cheese plate and shucked 100 Wellfleet oysters — a nod to his Cape Cod childhood. Each one disappeared from the tray of ice the moment he set it down. Soon families, friends and strangers moved inside to the communal tables.
We opened our BYOB bottles of choice and dug into big bowls of green salad; heaping plates of marinated tomatoes; crostini with chanterelles, whipped ricotta and corn; and a luxurious chicken of the woods and lobster mushroom conserva
VERGENNES LAUNDRY is on the move, but not far. The wood-fired bakery and café will close its original location — a former laundromat — after service on Sunday, August 17. In mid- to late September, it will reopen one block away at 205 Main Street, the longtime Jackman Fuels o ce.
Owner NADIA DOLE announced the move in an Instagram Reel on August 4. The new space will have “everything exactly the same and more,” she told Seven Days on Monday, including expanded seating, regular dinner service, and a
larger market with fish, meat, produce and cheese.
The move was “not a choice that we made,” Dole said in her video statement. “Our landlords, Didier and Julianne, decided not to renew our lease.”
JULIANNE and DIDIER MURAT founded Vergennes Laundry at 247 Main Street in 2010 and sold it to CHRISTIAN KRUSE, now owner of the BIG SPRUCE in Richmond, in 2017. Dole purchased the bakery’s name, equipment, furnishings and contents from Kruse, who had operated there as Vergennes Laundry by CK.
Dole reopened Vergennes Laundry in January 2021 and put her stamp on the business with a small grocery section, sweet and savory pastries, breads from the wood-fired oven, and French- and Middle Eastern-influenced breakfast and lunch items. Her five-year lease is up at the end of the month.
She’ll retain the Vergennes Laundry name at the new space. “It is mine, and I worked very hard at it,” Dole said. “But it really belongs to the community, the people who come in and sit at the table.”
“I didn’t know what community was until I opened this shop,” she added.
The new location, between ROCKERS PIZZERIA and HARE AND THE DOG liquor store, has similar large windows to the old one, and customers will recognize
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— “surf and turf,” one attendee joked — with stewed squash and burrata. As we ate, Taylor and Herbert fired up a pizza oven, producing 20 pies one at a time. When I thought it was all done, they served dessert: pound cake with blueberries and cream.
The food is simple, not cheffy. Much of what the couple serve comes from the single acre they have under cultivation, which they often refer to as “the garden,” minimizing both its scale and the work they put into it.
Neither has a formal farming background, but they’ve transformed Bliss Farm’s open fields from a blank slate into 100-foot-long beds filled with black jalapeños, fennel, dill, kale, shelling peas, drying beans, garlic, Row 7 Seed’s spinach lettuce and more, all grown using organic practices.
Taylor does most of the cooking in the farmhouse’s certified kitchen. But the back part of the barn is the heart of the operation. As diners mingle and explore the gardens, he preps on a hodgepodge of tables and fires up the pizza oven just outside the old Dutch door.
The dinners are considered an accessory on-farm business under Act 143,
Taylor explained, which was amended last year to increase the scope of what’s allowed for those operations. Now, the law requires that at least 50 percent of what they sell comes from their farm and supporting farms nearby, merch included. The barn kitchen setup is allowed in the same way that farmers can serve food at a farmers market tent.
Their particular business is “a weird thing,” Taylor said. But the town and
financial crisis, “I never really wanted to have my own,” he said.
He certainly could have. A Johnson & Wales University culinary school grad, Taylor did his internship at the legendary L’Espalier in Boston and kept cooking there while he wrapped up his degree in Providence, R.I. He met Herbert, a bartender, when they both worked at Coppa in Boston’s South End. In 2015, they started Della’s, a catering and pop-up company.
They moved to Vermont before the birth of their son, Sonny, who’s now 5. Herbert, 48, grew up in Rutland, and the couple wanted to be near family. Taylor cooked at the Crooked Ram in Manchester, then Santé in Woodstock.
Chester wasn’t on their radar until they saw the real estate listing for Bliss Farm; they’d been outbid repeatedly on other properties, saw it the day it hit the market in the middle of winter and made an offer on the spot. They bought the farm for $320,000.
“It’s been a dream,” Taylor said. “We’re definitely being smiled upon by some people — it might be the Blisses, happy that it’s still a farm.”
Both he and Herbert work part time off the farm; Taylor cooks at the Copper Fox in Springfield. They make a little bit of money in a lot of different ways, including renting wagon bays to a guy who sells hay. Herbert and Taylor raise 40 laying hens and sell eggs “here and there,” Taylor said. They haven’t really set a price: A neighbor who helps out a lot pays $3 per dozen; others pay $5 or $6.
Farm dinners are $60 per person. This month, Herbert and Taylor will have chicken on the menu from their first round of 50 meat birds.
Herbert manages the farm and especially loves growing flowers, both for bouquets and for drying. Last year, a virus wiped out her entire dahlia crop, which she’d been developing for several years. It was at least a $3,000 hit, she said.
“You learn quick how hard it is,” Herbert said. But she started over, and the first dahlias were blooming by late July, just in time to star in her arrangements for the dinner I attended.
the Department of Health have been supportive. That might change if it keeps getting busier, he admitted. But for now, they’ve reached their capacity. Taylor and Herbert hustle on dinner days, prepping early in the morning, harvesting flowers and vegetables, cooking, and serving it all themselves.
Taylor, 38, has been in restaurants his whole life. After watching his dad’s restaurant on the Cape close after the 2008
“I’m trying to always just enjoy it, rather than be super stressed,” she said.
And growing vegetables for farm dinners is more forgiving than growing for a market.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s ugly, I’m still going to cook it,” Taylor said. “I just need food.”
They’ll soon turn much of the tomato crop — 250 plants, including a sacrificial row that sits along the edge of the property
in the hope that it’ll satiate pesky deer — into paste and sauce, which they’ll sell in a newly launched farm store.
Taylor’s other projects include things he never had time for as a full-time chef, such as building a mudroom, which he did this winter. It’ll eventually house a bathroom for guests to use during farm dinners; right now, they’re welcome to traipse through the house to the one farther inside.
I caught Taylor and Sonny prepping in the barn kitchen when I arrived in the afternoon. Sonny was using a knife to scrape kernels off a pile of corncobs, and he complained that the knife was too dull.
IT’S NOT A RESTAURANT. IT’S MORE LIKE GOING OVER TO A FRIEND’S HOUSE.
NEVIN TAYLOR
Instead of handing over a sharper weapon, Taylor shuffled Sonny over to help Tyler Akabane chop mushrooms.
Akabane, owner of the Mushroom Shop in Somerville, Mass., was in town to lead a Saturday mushroom walk. He brought huge boxes of yellow chanterelles, lobster mushrooms and chicken of the woods — all of which they might find in the area during this summer dry spell.
“For the record, I’m usually not able to fill up a whole pot of chanterelle mushrooms,” Taylor said, adding corn to said pot.
When friends come to visit from Boston, they tend to bring the fancy ingredients, he said with a chuckle. The crew from Asta, a tasting-menu spot which Taylor helped open in Back Bay, packed beef tenderloin and razor clams when they came to collaborate in June.
Taylor and Herbert maintain a lot of those big-city industry ties. That’s how they met Akabane, who supplied
mushrooms to Asta and other restaurants before opening his retail shop three years ago. Other friends in town for the weekend, Andrew Brady and Sara Markey of Somerville’s Field & Vine, will work the next collaborative dinner in September. That Boston-area connection extended to the Friday dinner’s attendees. Two couples, both signed up for Akabane’s mushroom walk, mentioned they’d come up from Cambridge and Somerville. They were seated together, while larger groups — including local celeb Rob “Sugar Bob” Hausslein and his family — sat at Taylor’s handmade tables for eight.
Another local, “almost 11-” year-old Dahlia, tried her first oyster that night. She then had six more.
Dahlia’s grandparents, Gary and Lu Parker, live just up the hill from Bliss Farm. Gary remembers jumping off the hayloft in the barn as a kid — the original one, before it burned in 1975. Now, he’s a regular at Taylor and Herbert’s dinners.
“Alice would have really enjoyed it,” he said of the farm’s founding matriarch. Bill might have taken some time to get used to having a kitchen in the barn.
“Everybody always said Bliss Farm was here forever,” Lu said. It looks a little different than it did in Alice and Bill’s day, but there’s definitely something interesting going on. ➆
Bliss Farm, 74 High St., Chester, 374-0137, blissfarmvt.com. Barn dinners are held every Friday and Saturday, June through October. Reservations required.
At the Burlington Farmers Market, Grass Cattle Company sells freshly griddled patties with a mission
BY MELISSA PASANEN • pasanen@sevendaysvt.com
Folks hitting up Grass Cattle Company’s tent at the Burlington Farmers Market will find a menu of fresh-grilled, creatively topped, 100 percent grass-fed burgers for any time of the day. A farm egg- and cheese-topped breakfast burger ($16) hits the spot in the morning, while a Kim-Cheese burger ($18), with kimchi, a Cabot American slice, crispy shallots, hoisin sauce and sriracha mayo, is just right for lunch.
The breakfast burger is “a staple of my Saturday routine,” artist and fellow market vendor Daisy Hutter said.
of brisket, chuck, round and shoulder are also a marketing tool for his frozen cuts, he explained: “The burgers are like a calling card for our beef.”
Hutter said she especially appreciates Schubart’s collaboration with other vendors. Her morning burger features Birch Hill English Muffins from Jericho, which she called “the best I’ve ever had.”
THE BURGERS ARE LIKE A CALLING CARD FOR OUR BEEF.
If Grass Cattle owner Steve Schubart had stuck to his original plan, Hutter might have had to find another go-to.
Schubart, 38, had no intention of selling cooked meat when he lugged coolers of frozen beef to his first Burlington market in winter 2022.
“But people kept telling me, ‘You oughta sell burgers,’” he recalled. Schubert protested that he wasn’t a cook. “I said, ‘But I’m a farmer.’”
The people prevailed. Three years later on a nice Saturday, Schubart said, “We bring 160 burgers, and we sell out.”
The cash flow is helpful, but the juicy, griddled patties made from a custom blend
And the Kim-Cheese burger is topped with kimchi from Sobremesa of Charlotte.
The latter partnership recently took a new turn. In July, around when Sobremesa scaled back and stopped vending at the market, coowner Jason Elberson joined Grass Cattle. He now works its market burger grill and manages the chicken flock which provides the eggs for the breakfast burgers. Schubart is also grateful for help moving his 58 Angus and Angus-Wagyu cows between paddocks across his Charlotte home farm and rented Hinesburg land.
During the growing season, the animals travel daily to fresh pasture. This rotational grazing system is the foundation of Schubart’s operation, which the Lincoln native started in 2016 on leased acreage in Shoreham.
“Hoofed animals have been living in grass-based ecosystems for as long as we’ve been around — or longer,”
Schubart said. In the wild, he explained, predator pressure keeps them in tight groups and on the move. Rotational grazing mimics that pattern.
The practice provides animals with high-quality forage and allows pastures to rebound between grazings, which improves soil structure and the land’s capacity to absorb water and carbon. As cows range, they enrich and water the soil with manure and urine.
Managing the cows is relatively easy compared with making a living from a small beef operation.
Schubart kept an off-farm job for several years while building his business. He cobbled together mortgages to buy his Charlotte farmland and barn, where he opened a self-service farm store in 2022. Last year, Grass Cattle added a
second store next to Red Wagon Plants in Hinesburg. Schubart’s team grilled burgers there this summer on a few Sundays until double burger-day weekends became too much.
The stores are part of Schubart’s focus on direct-to-consumer sales; he’s building a new facility that will allow him to ship beef to out-of-state customers. The profit margin is higher than selling a truckload of beef to a grocery store, though it takes more work.
Luckily, the farmer is a natural salesman. He can talk until the cows come home about why his grass-fed beef tastes so good and
the benefits of regenerative farming over the industrial meat system.
Flipping burgers at the market is one step toward a more ambitious mission, Schubart said: “My goal is to take down Big Meat.” ➆
Grass Cattle Company grills burgers yearround at the Burlington Farmers Market. Its stores are located at 1677 Hinesburg Rd., Charlotte, and 2408 Shelburne Falls Rd., Hinesburg. grasscattlecompany.com
SERVING UP FOOD NEWS « P.37
its banquette seating and other finishes. Currently under construction, it will feature a downstairs bakery and a small open kitchen in the café. There, the existing team of six will prepare dishes for brunch and Bistro Nights, which Dole plans to offer two or three nights a week, ideally Saturday through Monday, she said.
For now, the “wood-fired” part of the bakery’s sign will be crossed out; the large oven in the current location is set to be dismantled after the bakery closes. But Dole hopes to add an outdoor wood-fired oven in the alleyway of her new location someday, she said. “That’s the dream.”
Jordan Barry
The owners of WATERMAN ORCHARDS in Johnson have opened OLD TOWER ICE CREAM in a renovated granary at 4968 Route 15 in Jeffersonville, less than 10 miles from
where they grow the blueberries for their signature flavor.
The new scoop shop offers about a dozen hard ice cream flavors freshly churned on-site, as well as milkshakes, sundaes and creemees made with mix from East Hardwick’s KINGDOM CREAMERY OF VERMONT, said BEN WATERMAN, 49, who coowns the shop and orchard with his wife, STACEY, 50. Old Tower has seating, vintage arcade games and a jukebox, plus candy by the pound. The family’s pre-picked fruit and pasture-raised eggs are also for sale.
For blueberry lovers who want to get
even closer to the source, the Johnson orchard also has an on-site scoop stand. Serving about half a dozen flavors — but always blueberry — it’s open through August 15, the end of this year’s pickyour-own season.
On August 16, Old Tower will close as well, but just for a short break. It will reopen on August 27 and keep scooping through the fall, with winter plans to be determined.
All the hard ice cream is made in Old Tower’s state-inspected facility in the Jeffersonville granary with organic
milk and cream from Greg and Kathy Beaudoin’s dairy in the same town. Rotating flavors include chocolate; maple made with local syrup; and strawberry, which sometimes features berries from the orchard or other local growers.
The Watermans started their orchard, where they grow apples as well as berries, in 2009. Ben left his job with the Vermont Land Trust last year to focus full time on the orchard. He was also completing a major renovation of the 7,000-square-foot Jeffersonville granary, which the couple bought in 2022 and of which Old Tower is now the main tenant.
Ben said he envisioned the longempty, “severely distressed” agricultural building as a place to market the orchard’s value-added products, create a gathering space, and “revitalize and contribute to the local economy.”
The granary property includes the longtime parking spot of the BURGER BARN food truck, which draws burger lovers from near and far.
Ben said he hopes they all “leave room for ice cream.”
Melissa Pasanen
of those platforms. In the modern age, everyone’s a little bit like Glass.
With journalism in decline and authoritarianism on the rise, not to mention the proliferation of reality-distorting AI software, Shattered Glass is a good starting point for conversations about transparency, ethics and storytelling. To kick off this year’s Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival (see sidebar on page 49), Sarsgaard will appear at a special screening of the film, followed by a Q&A, on Friday, August 15, at Town Hall Theater in Middlebury.
In advance of that event, Seven Days caught up with Sarsgaard on Zoom.
What draws you to a festival like this one?
Well, I really believe in general in participating on a local level. I think too many of us are distracted by everything national and international these days. I’ve always felt like the most I could contribute was in the areas around me. I’ve done that with causes that I’ve been a part of but also just in terms of meeting the artists that are local and trying to form those communities — and to get people excited about cinema.
I think the fight — if it’s a fight — is between these movies that are smaller and more intimate and maybe make you feel bad occasionally and the space-out genre, which has the most money in it and is in every theater. So, I’m proselytizing cinema. It’s been the responsibility of every generation to have the cheerleader of the thing that is intimate, potentially di cult and ultimately rewarding, or funny in a way that can make you feel uncomfortable. But you know, all those more nuanced, interesting things that art has to o er require cheerleaders because they don’t have advertisers.
Before kicking off the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival, actor Peter Sarsgaard reflects on Shattered Glass, playing real people and building community
BY JORDAN ADAMS
What do a pioneering sexologist, a pornographic filmmaker, a chess grandmaster, a member of a political family dynasty and the creator of “Monday Night Football” have in common? Actor Peter Sarsgaard has played them all. (Clyde Martin, Chuck Traynor, William Lombardy, Robert F. Kennedy and Roone Arledge, respectively.)
Known for his versatility and understated performances, the part-time Vermonter has portrayed complex
characters of all stripes, including many real people, some of whom were still alive when the fi lms were released. He also appeared in the 2020 Vermont-made film Best Summer Ever, which was produced by Zeno Mountain Farm, a Lincoln nonprofit that creates movies and stage plays at camps for various groups, including people with disabilities and those who live with addiction. His wife, actor and director Maggie Gyllenhaal, was also a producer on the project.
Relatively early in his career, Sarsgaard
played Chuck Lane, the real-life editor of the New Republic, in Billy Ray’s 2003 film Shattered Glass. The story focuses on disgraced journalist Stephen Glass, who was found to have partially or completely fabricated more than half of his stories for the magazine between 1995 and 1998. It was fake news before we had a name for it.
But Glass wasn’t politically motivated like the authors of made-up articles often plastered across social media platforms. He only wanted to appear cute, funny, smart, daring and interesting — just like the users
How is Shattered Glass relevant to things happening today?
If you want to look beyond journalism: The human species, of which I’m a part, is easily distracted by the brightest, shiniest things. Many of those things are not based in reality, like the piece of news that seems the most exciting.
But our need for a good narrative can’t drive the information. Our innate ability to tell a good yarn has been stretched beyond belief over the internet. This story was ultimately about a guy who was the most popular guy at the magazine, and he wrote the stories that were the shiniest and brightest and most entertaining and weirdest and the ones that were, frankly, more exciting to read.
Chuck Lane had a very strong understanding of why journalism is important in a society and how dangerous someone like Stephen Glass could be. I think that
the story is incredibly relevant. I think we all hopefully understand that this is what’s happening. I feel like I participate, in a negative way, daily by latching on to the most sensational and outrageous, which is of course the way that authoritarians deal with us — by keeping our attention focused on the stuff that doesn’t matter while they’re robbing the bank.
OUR INNATE ABILITY TO TELL A GOOD YARN HAS BEEN STRETCHED BEYOND BELIEF OVER THE INTERNET.
PETER SARSGAARD
That’s why I wanted the story to be seen. It’s not because it’s my favorite performance I ever gave or anything like that.
For a story about sensationalism, it isn’t told in an especially sensationalized way.
It was super straight. I would say even the way that the story is put together is never fancy. The people are standing against blank walls as it would have looked with the lighting it would have had and a camera that was never making you aware of what it was doing — not like, “Look at this long, cool oner.” It was very, very simple.
In addition to playing Chuck Lane, you’ve portrayed many other real people. How do you prepare to take on a real person, especially someone who is still alive? How does it differ from creating a character from scratch? It is different. Honestly, it feels more like I have homework. Whereas when I play a person that’s from scratch, as you say, that is a process that happens so easily for me. I’ve always been a serious daydreamer. When I was a kid, people would apparently be talking to me for a long time while I was daydreaming. And I’m still someone who
is very in touch with the daydream side of me. That’s how I work most of the time.
When I’m playing a real-life person, especially if they’re famous, I feel like I have to nod toward it somehow. Like, when I played Robert F. Kennedy, I didn’t worry about it that much. It’s sort of the last 20 percent for me. Accents and stuff like that — I’m a pretty musical person. That doesn’t feel like a big deal. It’s not like I think I do it super well, but I don’t worry about it that much.
When the person is still alive, it’s tough. Chuck Lane came to set, and he watched me do it. And he was great. He was always pleased.
Can you talk about your connection with Zeno Mountain Farm?
Well, they’re great friends of ours. We’ve known them a long time. We’ve been coming to see the plays for a while. It’s some of the most exciting theatrical experiences I’ve had. The audience is standing up and yelling and clapping their hands. It’s made with such grace over there. It actually makes you want to be a part of it.
So when they asked us to participate in Best Summer Ever, it was a no-brainer. They’re always expanding their operations. They’re the kind of people that we need more of. It’s like how I was talking about doing things that benefit your community. Those are connections I really am interested in building. I’m hoping to be in one of the plays one year. And we’ve been talking about having me do some type of acting workshop.
Theater review: Satellites, Dorset Theatre Festival
BY ALEX BROWN • alex@sevendaysvt.com
Pulling two people apart in a drama can show us what connected them, provided the connection is still sparking.
Playwright Erin Breznitsky separates a married scientist and her astronaut husband in the most monumental way: He is lost in space for seven years, then found alive. The majority of Satellites portrays the gulf that time has gouged between them, and the Dorset Theatre Festival production conveys such physical and emotional distance that their reunion might be sadder than their separation. Space travel is more allegory than science fiction in this exploration of time, memory and human closeness.
The production’s set, projections, lighting and sound establish a powerful, conceptual style. The audience arrives to find a wall of stormy dark blue planks downstage. The first scene, in which Mike and Katherine are reunited at NASA, is played against the wall’s pitiless blankness: a heightened abstraction in
counterpoint to realistic dialogue.
For the next scene, the backdrop rolls away to reveal a deep box with solid walls of the same blue planks. Furniture rolls on and off, often through hatches that swing up or doors that swing open. Realistic props are used sparingly. Two people come and go, but the box is so much bigger than anything that passes through it that we are largely seeing emptiness.
For much of the play, emptiness is the story, and our discomfort with emptiness is the experience the playwright, performers and director seem to want to deliver.
I’m left wondering whether the play succeeds at an odd, unsettling objective or fails at a romantic one. Breznitsky’s play premiered in 2023, and she’s workshopped it since; the text evolved further during rehearsals at Dorset. It may continue to change, moving toward an immensely tender story that’s only hinted at now or retain the sense of desolation I felt.
Satellites consists of nonchronological
vignettes, including flashbacks of Mike and Katherine falling in love and facing career and parenting decisions. These scenes have warmth and humor, but we see them through the lens of what will be lost. The unsettling part is that these charming, well-crafted flashbacks don’t make us yearn for the characters to reclaim what they had.
In contrast, the scenes in which Mike and Katherine contemplate resuming their marriage after the tremendous amount of time they’ve spent apart are hollow encounters. The characters are reluctant, in limbo, and only near the end does the playwright introduce conflict about accepting the end of the relationship. Structurally, this fight comes too late — a viewer may have long given up on this couple. Emotionally, the scene is the play’s peak.
All the other post-return scenes leave the characters so stiff with uncertainty that the production has trouble finding momentum. From the first reunion scene, Mike and Katherine are unwilling to touch
each other. Perhaps the playwright intends it as a vivid expression of distance, but it goes against the overwhelming impulse to feel the warmth of someone who’s been missing, to feel someone is real. Breznitsky slices this instinct off, but if her characters don’t want contact, they don’t really want anything.
Still, that empty box is sometimes filled with eloquence. Solo scenes during the separation approach a lyrical magic. Katherine sits outside looking up into the night sky, speaking to Mike on a symbol of communication, the baby monitor they bought together before he left. Mike describes the grace of orbiting the Earth and the psychological instability of being alone long enough to question his prior reality.
Christopher Lowell, as Mike, and Kerry Bishé, as Katherine, are consistently fascinating to watch. Lowell makes Mike’s struggle for reorientation a tough internal battle, with quiet poignance. And his portrayal of Mike’s romance with Katherine reveals the character’s cool humor as well as his very warm attention to a woman
difficult to charm. Throughout, Lowell keeps Mike hard to predict, with all his feelings at risk of being buried or dangerously exposed.
Bishé is arresting in monologues spoken to the stars during Mike’s sevenyear absence. She lets the privacy of the night and the lost cause of the distant sky give the character courage to face a sadness that feels as unreal as Mike’s unknown end. And in flashbacks when Katherine interacts with Mike, Bishé conveys shimmering intelligence that is first what attracts Mike and later what equips her to mourn him.
Bishé and Lowell are married in real life, which, ironically, might allow them to weather the show’s detached dialogue better. Certainly the performers, and the text, are at their best in the one fight they have, when conflict might finally pull them together.
Director Adrienne Campbell-Holt moves the actors with keen attention to space. The young Mike and Katherine sit close together on a vast beach and then, in the present day, keep their distance in a reconciliation that can’t get started. Campbell-Holt makes subtle use of the script’s symmetries over time, connecting disjointed episodes into one smooth, comprehensible story. The humor stands out like little jewels in a text of deep ruminations.
Using small details inside big spaces, scenic designer Alexander Woodward grounds each scene with a dash of reality while keeping the play’s large abstractions the visual center. A patio at night, for example, is nothing more than a lawn chair, an outdoor light on a wall and a white sliding door. But around the actors are projections, by Joey Moro, that capture the faint glow of a night sky and hint at the infinity of space. Lighting designer Masha Tsimring and sound designer Hidenori Nakajo produce stunning effects that startle, soothe and challenge the audience.
The play has only one line, and one gesture, that express the passion of connection. Satellites uses innovative methods of showing the sweet and shaky journey toward a relationship and the crater that forms with its loss. While a happy ending feels too easy, the void here is as dark as space. Unless that one gesture is all that matters. ➆
Satellites, by Erin Breznitsky, directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt, produced by Dorset Theatre Festival. Through August 16: Wednesday and Saturday, 2 p.m.; Wednesday through Friday, 7:30 p.m., at Dorset Playhouse. $60-71. dorsettheatrefestival.org
You don’t need a passport to board the Northern Star and take one of its 13 weekly cruises on the international waters of Lake Memphremagog. Memphremagog Community Maritime, founded by a group of local residents and business owners, owns the boat. The Vermont nonprofit’s mission is to promote a love of the lake, o er environmental education and bring more tourism to the area. Memphremagog Science & Education Center, aka MemSEC, opened in July at the Gateway Center at the Newport Marina and o ers its signature “Floating Classroom” program to students on the Northern Star
In the latest episode of “Stuck in Vermont,” Seven Days senior multimedia producer Eva Sollberger caught a ride on the four-hour international cruise to Canada and met the crew. The next longdistance Canadian cruise is on Monday, August 18; the trip costs $105 plus fees and includes lunch. The Northern Star runs scenic, brunch and dinner cruises into late October.
Sollberger spoke with Seven Days about filming the episode.
Why did you take this cruise?
the show is Capt. Robbie Cannon, who is a salty dog with many stories to tell.” They got that right! Three-quarters of Lake Memphremagog is in Québec, and there are a number of pleasure cruises on the Canadian side. But this is the only one in Newport. The Northern Star is a great attraction for tourists, locals and students.
How was the ride?
hours, we circled Lord’s Island before turning back toward home. There were excellent views of the Saint Benedict Abbey and Owl’s Head Mountain.
What was the boat like?
I got a tip from someone recommending it. They wrote: “The ‘star’ of
It was a perfect day to be out on the water enjoying the lush scenery. Province Island straddles the border and is marked by buoys. We passed over the international boundary about 40 minutes into our trip, and because we never got o the boat, we didn’t have to visit customs. But you do have to provide a license or some sort of identification prior to leaving the dock. Most of the trip is in Canada. After a few
The boat resembles a 1920s plumb stem canal cruiser with lots of polished wood. It is 65 feet long with two levels and many decks to explore. I hung out in the wheelhouse with Capt. Cannon, who has been piloting the boat for five years and is from Charleston, S.C. Douglas Casson Coutts, the founder of MemSEC and the education board chair of Memphremagog Community Maritime, was the historian on board, providing commentary about the lake and its inhabitants. It was a lovely afternoon on the lake, and I hear the fall cruise is a big hit with leaf peepers. ➆
Seven Days senior multimedia producer Eva Sollberger has been making her award-winning video series, “Stuck in Vermont,” since 2007. New episodes appear on the Seven Days website every other ursday and air the following night on the WCAX evening news. Sign up at sevendaysvt.com to receive an email alert each time a new one drops. And check these pages every other week for insights on the episodes.
BY MARY ANN LICKTEIG • maryann@sevendaysvt.com
Burlington author, publisher and peace activist Marc Estrin died of heart failure in Burlington on Sunday. He was 86.
Estrin wrote 17 novels and two memoirs. With his wife, Donna Bister, he started and operated Fomite Press, the 14-year-old “postcapitalist” publishing company that returns 80 percent of book revenue to authors.
The Brooklyn native grew up in a small apartment so crowded with books “you had to walk sideways in the hall,” his website biography says. But he didn’t touch any of them until he was 16 and picked up Franz Kafka’s The Trial. “This explains much,” the bio continues.
Estrin “was a modernday Renaissance man,” his friend Ron Jacobs said. He was a theater director who worked in San Francisco and Pittsburgh; a theater professor at the now-closed Goddard College in Plainfield; an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister who served congregations in Moscow, Idaho, and in Middlebury; a physician’s assistant; a cellist; a puppeteer who toured with Bread and Puppet Theater; and the first coordinator of the Burlington Peace & Justice Center.
He and his wife started Fomite Press that year as an extension of their political activism. They never intended to turn a profit. “Occupy publishing,” Estrin called it.
Since its inception, Fomite has published about 350 titles, mostly literary fiction, poetry and “odd birds,” works that elude classification, such as Clark Russell’s Riddleville last year. The company has published about 20 books with Bread and Puppet, Bister said.
Estrin offered various forms of his life story in the “about the author” section of his website, concluding in one of them: “He is baffling, even unto himself.”
In 1998, while visiting Prague with Bister, Estrin left a note on Kafka’s grave inviting the Czech writer to visit if he ever found himself in Burlington. Three weeks later, Estrin sketched out the concept for one of his best-known books, Insect Dreams: The Half Life of Gregor Samsa. He based the 2002 novel on Kafka’s 1915 classic The Metamorphosis, in which Gregor Samsa wakes one day to find himself transformed into a repulsive insect.
“Estrin plucks the bug, which was tossed into the trash at the conclusion of Kafka’s tale, and lets him live on in a book that is a sort of ‘Ragtime’ for roaches,” Ken Tucker wrote in a review for the New York Times Estrin “has music in his prose,” Tucker wrote. Golem Song (2006) and The Education of Arnold Hitler (2005) are among his other most successful novels. With photographer Ronald T. Simon, he produced Rehearsing With Gods: Photographs and Essays on the Bread & Puppet Theater, published by Chelsea Green in 2004.
Much of Estrin’s work was published by traditional publishers. “On a $15 paperback, I make 75 cents,” he told Seven Days in 2011.
Before turning to book publishing, the couple, along with Jacobs, spent nearly seven years producing the Old North End Rag, a monthly neighborhood newspaper they started in 1996 as a way to distribute the Neighborhood Planning Assembly’s agenda — with cartoons and articles to attract more interest. A famous fabricated story in an April Fools’ issue announced that City Market was going to start selling cigarettes, prompting a call to the publishers from the city’s Community & Economic Development Office.
Montpelier painter and sculptor Delia Robinson has illustrated books for Fomite Press. She has known Estrin since she was 16, when he rolled into Danby Four Corners on a motorcycle to marry her oldest sister, Nona Bell. Robinson, now 79, has five sisters, she said, and many men were coming and going through the family’s home in those early years. “But he was the one we never let go.”
Estrin’s marriage to Nona produced two children before it ended. Still, Robinson said, Estrin remained “loyal to our family in a way that was just extraordinarily rich and kind.”
Longtime Burlington peace activist Robin Lloyd called Estrin “a wise soul.”
Burlington City Councilor Gene Bergman (PWard 2), a friend and comrade in peace and justice work, said, “Marc had a philosopher’s sensibility” and was “an intellectual in the truest sense of the word.”
Bergman’s wife, Wendy Coe, cofounded the Peace & Justice Center and was its longtime finance and operations manager. When Estrin was hired as coordinator in 1984, he feared that no one would find the center’s third-floor office space, so he suggested opening a store to lure them in so he could chat them up and present the group’s petitions. He was against capitalism, Coe said, but he knew how to harness it.
Estrin always thought about ways to change the world, Coe said. “He did enough thinking for a thousand people.” ➆
What are some specific challenges of this position?
POETRY
BY AMY LILLY • lilly@sevendaysvt.com
Writing takes time — including, as every writer knows, time away from writing. And time takes money. So the job of Vermont poet laureate could be said to be a giant paradox: an unpaid, four-year appointment by the governor to do one of the most intensive kinds of writing, while also bringing poetry to the public.
Bianca Stone, who became the state’s 10th poet laureate last year, just landed a cushion: She won a $50,000 laureate fellowship from the Academy of American Poets. Funded by the Mellon Foundation, the award is competitive; state and city poets laureate, of whom there are at least 80 nationwide, must submit an application detailing their achievements and a community project proposal. Stone was one of 23 winners this year.
in the New Yorker, the Atlantic, the Nation, Poets & Writers and elsewhere.
The financial award is crucial, Stone said: “To support [poets] financially in any way they need to do their writing, unimpeded, with intentional leisure time in order to create, makes the biggest impact on supporting and nurturing poetry.”
The project Stone will pursue with the award funding is focused on the work of other poets. Starting in January, she’ll travel each month for a year to towns around the state to read and discuss poems by former Vermont poets laureate. Her predecessors comprise an “incredible list,” she said, including the first, Robert Frost (1961 to 1963); and the second, Galway Kinnell (1989 to 1993, after governor Madeleine Kunin revived the tradition). Stone also called out Louise Glück (1994 to 1998); the inimitable Grace Paley (2003 to 2007); and Mary Ruefle (2019 to 2024), a favorite.
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“The money is partly for the project and partly for you to do your work,” Stone, 41, said by phone from her home in Brandon. The author of several collections, including What Is Otherwise Infinite, which won a 2022 Vermont Book Award, Stone has also edited a collection of her grandmother Ruth Stone’s poems — Vermont’s poet laureate from 2007 to 2011 — and illustrated Anne Carson’s Antigonick, a translation of Sophocles’ Antigone. Her poems have been published
At each event, Stone also hopes to involve local poets, who will join her for workshops before the readings and onstage for talks.
Asked if she would read any of her own poetry, Stone, sounding surprised, said, “I don’t know. I probably should, shouldn’t I?”
Stone is visiting faculty at Dartmouth College and the Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpelier, and she gives workshops and readings around the state. She is creative director of the Ruth Stone House in Goshen, a literary nonprofit that hosts writing retreats, a letterpress studio, and events such as Beer and Broadsides, where anyone can come and read a poem aloud on the porch.
Apply for this great local job and many more: jobs.sevendaysvt.com
EXCERPT FROM
“WHAT’S POETRY LIKE?”
… something with lungs and no face, the immortal freak of language you haunt and hunt which is the original state of language you’re trying to get back to from within
Originally published in the New Yorker, August 21, 2023
The laureate project will mean more time away from writing, but, she said, “I love the idea of having the opportunity to read [former poets laureates’] work to people.” Each talk will reflect the poems’ relevance to a current-day issue, such as the divisiveness of the political climate or humans’ relation to the natural world.
She also hopes to hold public workshops, in which participants will engage with poetry through writing prompts. Some of the poems and prompts will appear in a chapbook that Stone, an aficionado of small-press and letterpress printing, hopes to produce. She plans to announce her schedule of appearances in December on social media.
Her aim is not just to bring past laureates’ work to light but also to create community.
“I think the function of poetry is that it helps us feel more seen by one another,” Stone said. “We understand one another in our differences when we read poetry. There aren’t many instances to contain and hold that space for differences, for ambivalences,” she observed.
Poetry, she continued, also “brings us into right relation” with nature. “I think these past Vermont poets had a really specific relationship to the landscape here, so I feel their work is very important right now.” And, she added, “I wanted to celebrate Vermont and what it has meant to poets.” ➆
Learn more at bianca-stone.com, vermontartscouncil.org and poets.org.
The Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival seems to grow every year, cementing its place as a showcase for the work of debut and sophomore filmmakers from around the world. From Wednesday through Sunday, August 20 to 24, the 11th annual event will screen 21 narrative (fiction) features and 38 documentaries, plus a panoply of short films. Many are followed by filmmaker Q&As, while panels, parties and workshops round out the schedule. Here’s a list of some screenings that caught our eye. Peruse them all and buy tickets ($17) and passes ($50-160) at middfilmfest.org.
DOCUMENTARIES
Remaining Native (August 21, 2 p.m., Marquis Theatre): A college-bound running champion struggles with the legacy of his grandfather’s escape from a residential school in this doc that won two SXSW awards.
Traces of Time (August 21, 5 p.m., Dana Auditorium, Middlebury College): Brooklyn documentarian Simeon Hutner chronicled the final six years of his mother’s life in Ripton in this elegiac film, which also delves into her Vermont farm upbringing.
The Librarians (August 22, 7:45 p.m., Twilight Hall, Middlebury College): We’ve all heard about the upsurge in book banning around the U.S. Filmmaker Kim A. Snyder looks at the librarians fighting back.
Checkpoint Zoo (August 23, 7:30 p.m., Town Hall Theater): This doc tells the story of a team that raced to save zoo animals trapped behind enemy lines during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
P.43
I see that you will appear in the upcoming Apple TV+ adaptation of William Gibson’s Neuromancer, which had always been called unfilmable. What can you say about it?
Well, I just finished it two days ago in London. I think it’s pretty cool. I’m in my own world, in a way. That’s all I’ll say about my character. And I think it’s incredibly relevant and interesting. I did it largely because I read the book
Seeds (August 23, 7:30 p.m., Twilight Hall, Middlebury College): Debut director Brittany Shyne profiles Black generational farmers in the South in a lyrical film that IndieWire called a “must-see.”
NARRATIVES
Forge (August 21, 7:30 p.m., Axinn Center at Starr Library, Middlebury College): Art forgery serves as a metaphor for impostor syndrome in writer-director Jing Ai Ng’s thriller about Chinese American siblings with a talent for faking the work of old masters.
Crocodile Tears (August 22, 11 a.m., Dana Auditorium, Middlebury College): How often do you see a coming-of-age thriller set on a crocodile farm in Indonesia?
Eephus (August 22, 7:30 p.m., Marquis Theatre): Another chance to catch Carson Lund’s nostalgic drama about two baseball rec leagues playing their last game, featuring Vermont pitching legend Bill “Spaceman” Lee.
To a Land Unknown (August 23, 2 p.m., Dana Auditorium, Middlebury College): Palestinian refugees in Athens live in limbo, surviving by means of petty crime, in a drama that the Guardian called “smart, well-made.”
Tatami (August 23, 7:30 p.m., Dana Auditorium, Middlebury College): In this sports drama, which received the Brian Award at the Venice International Film Festival, a female Iranian judo champion faces political pressure at an international competition. An Iranian and an Israeli filmmaker codirected.
Under the Volcano (August 24, 11 a.m., Dana Auditorium, Middlebury College): A blended Ukrainian family vacationing in the Canary Islands learn of the invasion of their homeland in this festival awardee from Poland.
in the ’80s when I was a kid. I think, for a lot of people, it’s less about what happens narratively than the explosion of language, the vibe. It’s bombastic and wild and punk and irreverent, and I think that’s what we took. ➆
This interview was edited for clarity and length.
An Evening With Peter Sarsgaard, Friday, August 15, 6 p.m., at Town Hall Theater in Middlebury. $65-95. middfilmfest.org
This Halloween, expect to see young folks running around your neighborhood with their arms slightly extended to the side and a zoned-out look in their eyes, like small children dreamily playing at being airplanes or Peter Pan. Blame the new release from writer-director Zach Cregger, who made a splash in the horror world with 2022’s Barbarian. The trailers for his Weapons feature an array of 8-year-olds deserting their suburban homes in the dead of night, all running exactly as I just described — a parent’s nightmare and an irresistible inspiration for teens on TikTok.
The deal
The once-sleepy town of Maybrook is in turmoil. One month earlier, 17 students from the same third-grade class left their homes at exactly 2:17 a.m. (as attested by home security cameras) and vanished. The only remaining class member, Alex (Cary Christopher), seems clueless about the fates of the others.
Terrified parents of the missing children, such as contractor Archer (Josh Brolin), vent their frustration on the only target they can find: the kids’ teacher, Justine (Julia Garner). She steadfastly maintains her innocence, but the townspeople’s harassment drives her to drink … and investigate. When Justine follows Alex home, against the advice of the school’s principal (Benedict Wong), she finds his windows shrouded in newspaper and dark figures sitting motionless in the living room. How did the cops miss this weirdness? For help, Justine turns to a married patrolman (Alden Ehrenreich) with whom she’s eager to rekindle a messy relationship. But he has problems of his own.
In a series of nonchronological chapters, each told from the perspective of one Maybrook resident, the truth of what happened to the children unfolds.
Will you like it?
Weapons opens with the voice-over of a child (Scarlett Sher) whispering the premise to us as if we were a new kid in town who had to be brought up to speed. This evocative device seems to align the movie with a long tradition of films about the myths and rituals of suburban coming-of-age. But it’s misleading, because Weapons isn’t primarily about kids and their secrets.
Most of the chapters are told from
adult perspectives, focusing on their futile e orts to erect barriers against dangers to their children and themselves. Archer and Justine have sinister dreams of doors that fail to keep out inchoate darkness, establishing a persistent visual motif. Meanwhile, an unhoused meth addict (Austin Abrams) tests the boundaries, blithely breaking into homes and cars.
Barbarian was also about real estate and how seemingly safe spaces become unsafe. But while that film’s limited setting gave it a tight focus, Weapons is all over the place.
Like the recent Eddington (also from a horror director), it’s a snapshot of an American burg in crisis, taking us on a wandering path through several people’s lives. While some of those byways are directly relevant to the mystery, others are not: Think Winesburg, Ohio, with jump scares.
Viewers who expect the movie to produce a shocking or politically charged twist may be disappointed; it’s less of a slow burn than a creepy ramble. No one emerges as a protagonist, and without a strong emotional connection to the characters, we aren’t as invested as we should be.
Yet we stay interested because of the sheer skill with which Cregger executes his set pieces, whether they’re scary, gross,
funny or (fairly frequently) all three. His dark spaces are genuinely menacing, his tracking shots are exhilarating, and his use of framing and soundtrack are diabolically apt at creating suspense.
Audience laughter is no longer a bad sign for a horror movie. At my screening, people laughed through Weapons’ climax not because it didn’t work but because it did. The absurdity is precisely timed to release pent-up tension, splitting the di erence between comedy and horror.
Personally, I wish Cregger had lingered longer in the scary register, leaning into the terror of the unknown that the mystery elicits. Still, Weapons is an impressive feat of narrative and technical ingenuity, like Go or Magnolia for the horror genre. And the excitement around it reflects how much cultural capital that genre has accumulated in the past decade. For better or worse, many of the best young writers and directors now work in horror, and we expect their movies to have important things to say.
In Weapons, the images are the most eloquent. Running o into the dark, the children of Maybrook initially appear to be embracing freedom, yet the uncanny sameness of their runs suggests remote
control. That image may endure longer than the film’s eventual explanation, because it feels uncannily apt for an era when people increasingly take their cues from machines.
MARGOT HARRISON margot@sevendaysvt.com
76 DAYS ADRIFT: For a gripping reallife horror story, catch a screening of this 2024 documentary about a man who survived months stranded in the Atlantic Ocean, on Wednesday, August 20, 6:30 p.m., at the Savoy eater in Montpelier. Co-executive producer Robert Sennott is a former Vermont resident.
BARBARIAN (2022; Netflix, rentable): Cregger’s breakout feature made a lot of travelers uneasy by using nonlinear narrative to explore the unsavory history of a short-term rental property in Detroit.
I SAW THE TV GLOW (2024; HBO Max, rentable): Like Weapons, Jane Schoenbrun’s horror-tinged indie film deals with suburban childhood but from a different angle and with a stronger emotional core.
COOLIE: A man goes on a journey of vengeance in this Tamil-language action thriller from Lokesh Kanagaraj. (168 min, NR. Majestic)
HIGHEST 2 LOWEST: A music mogul deals with ethical dilemmas and a ransom plot in this crime thriller from Spike Lee, loosely based on Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low and starring Denzel Washington and Jeffrey Wright. (133 min, R. Savoy)
JIMMY AND STIGGS: A struggling horror director might or might not be battling aliens in this trippy scare film from writer-director Joe Begos (Christmas Bloody Christmas), who also stars. (80 min, NR. Essex)
THE LAST CLASS: Former U.S. Secretary of Labor and political economist Robert Reich gives his final lecture on “Wealth and Poverty” in this documentary from Elliot Kirschner. (71 min, NR. Savoy [all week], VTIFF [Mon only])
NOBODY 2: Bob Odenkirk returns as an assassin turned suburban dad in the sequel to the 2021 action hit. Timo Tjahjanto directed. With Christopher Lloyd and Connie Nielsen. (89 min, R. Essex, Majestic, Star, Sunset, Welden)
WITCHBOARD: Chuck Russell (The Mask) directed this remake of the 1986 cult horror flick about a game that summons evil forces. Madison Iseman and Aaron Dominguez star. (112 min, R. Essex)
THE BAD GUYS 2HHH In the sequel to the animated animal adventure hit, a squad of reformed villains gets pulled back into the life of crime. With the voices of Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron and Craig Robinson. (104 min, PG. Bijou, Capitol, City Cinema, Essex, Majestic, Sunset, Welden)
F1: THE MOVIEHHH1/2 A retired Formula One racer (Brad Pitt) returns to the track and mentors a rookie in this sports drama. (155 min, PG-13. Majestic)
THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPSHHH The Marvel superhero quartet gets a second reboot set on an alternate Earth with a retro vibe, starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby and Ebon MossBachrach. (115 min, PG-13. Bethel, Bijou, Capitol, City Cinema, Essex, Majestic, Star, Stowe, Sunset)
FREAKIER FRIDAYHHH Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan reprise their roles 22 years after the hit comedy about a magical mother-daughter body swap. (111 min, PG. Bethel, Bijou, Capitol, City Cinema, Essex, Majestic, Marquis [ends Sun], Playhouse, Star, Sunset, Welden)
I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMERHH The thriller about teens facing the consequences of a big mistake gets an update for Gen Z horror fans. (111 min, R. Sunset)
IT’S NEVER OVER, JEFF BUCKLEYHHH1/2 Amy Berg’s documentary offers an intimate portrait of the rising singer who died in 1997 after producing just one album. (106 min, NR. Savoy)
JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTHHH1/2 In the seventh installment, a pharmaceutical research team seeks out the surviving dinosaurs on a remote island. (134 min, PG-13. Essex, Majestic; reviewed 7/9)
THE NAKED GUNHHHH Liam Neeson plays the son of Leslie Nielsen’s character in a belated sequel to the action-comedy franchise about a bumbling cop. (85 min, PG-13. Bijou, Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Marquis, Stowe, Sunset)
SKETCHHHHH A young girl’s drawings come to life and wreak havoc in this fantasy comedy directed by Seth Worley. (92 min, PG. Majestic, Paramount)
SUPERMANHHHH The DC Comics superhero gets another reboot, this time directed by James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) and starring David Corenswet. (129 min, PG-13. Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Stowe, Sunset; reviewed 7/16)
TATAMIHHHH An Iranian athlete (Arienne Mandi) faces political pressure as she competes in the Judo World Championships in this thriller codirected by Iranian Zar Amir Ebrahimi and Israeli Guy Nattiv. (105 min, NR. Catamount)
WEAPONSHHHH The bizarre disappearance of every kid in an elementary school class rips their town apart in this psychological horror film from Zach Cregger (Barbarian). Julia Garner and Josh Brolin star. (128 min, R. Essex, Majestic, Paramount, Star, Sunset; reviewed 8/13)
76 DAYS ADRIFT (Savoy, Wed 20 only)
BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS (VTIFF, Sat only)
FLOW (VTIFF, Thu only; free screening in City Hall Park)
A HARD DAY’S NIGHT (VTIFF, Fri only)
HEAT (Welden, Tue only)
IN THE HOUSE (Catamount, Wed 20 only)
MANON OF THE SPRING (Catamount, Wed 13 only)
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (Catamount, Fri only)
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES 35TH
ANNIVERSARY (Essex, Sat & Sun & Tue only)
THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE — TEXAS CHAIN SAW DAY (Essex, Mon only)
THERE’S STILL TOMORROW (Welden, Mon only)
(* = upcoming schedule for theater was not available at press time)
BETHEL DRIVE-IN: 36 Bethel Dr., Bethel, 728-3740, betheldrivein.com
*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.
*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
BY ALICE DODGE • adodge@sevendaysvt.com
Vermont is far from the ocean, but it’s famous for its whales. Northbound tourists and Interstate 89 commuters alike are regularly delighted by the sight of two whale tails sticking joyfully into the air, the cetaceans themselves seemingly submerged in a magical marine dimension of South Burlington’s Technology Park.
Though the sculpture seems timeless and, to viewers seeing it from a car, perhaps anonymous, it has a name and an author: “Reverence,” one of many projects created over the past half century by Randolph sculptor Jim Sardonis. That work and others are presented through photographs, maquettes and sculptures in “Natural
Forms,” a retrospective exhibition on view through September 13 at Chandler Center for the Arts in Randolph.
Sardonis, now 74, grew up in Nashua, N.H., and first encountered sculpture as a teenager at Phillips Exeter Academy.
“It looked interesting, so I took it, and just fell in love with it,” Sardonis said. For his senior project, he said, he teamed up with a University of New Hampshire graduate student to build a small foundry and make his first bronzes. One of them, a koala family from 1969, is on view at the Chandler, along with other early works, including a soapstone frog from 1967 — Sardonis’ first stone carving.
The art world of the time was excited
about plastics and new materials, Sardonis said. When he went to Oberlin College in Ohio, he thought he might place out of an introductory sculpture class and brought a few of his works to the professor, Royce Dendler (who, coincidentally, now lives in Bethel). “He said, ‘Oh! Stone carving,’” Sardonis recalled. “‘I’ll have to watch you. I’ve never seen that done.’”
After brief experimentation sculpting with foam rubber at Oberlin, Sardonis decided to stick with traditional, direct carving and casting. Since moving to Randolph in 1974, he’s worked mainly in stone and more recently almost exclusively in bronze, which he says is easier on the body.
One such sculpture, “Hearts and
Hands,” is presented at various stages in the gallery — a fascinating look into Sardonis’ process. Commissioned by an anonymous donor for the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, the piece honors pandemic health care workers. Two life-size bronze figures sit at opposite ends of a green marble bench, each extending an arm; their hands together make a heart. Like much of Sardonis’ work, it is instantly understandable, e ortlessly communicating emotional resonance. The show includes photos of the finished work installed at the hospital, a small-scale maquette and, arrestingly, the two bronze figures, minus their bench, spanning the gallery. After Sardonis made that piece, another was commissioned for the North Carolina Surgical Hospital in Chapel Hill, N.C.; the figures on view are for the third iteration, which will be installed at a University of Michigan Health network hospital in the spring.
Despite their diverse destinations, the three pieces are entirely local. The benches for the sculptures are made of verde antique marble from Rochester. Sardonis worked with Glenn Campbell at Campbell Plaster & Iron in West Rutland, who enlarged the figures using a pantograph — an ancient tool for transferring points from a scale model to a larger piece. The bronze was cast locally in Randolph by Bob Wright at Custom Castings of Vermont, five minutes from Sardonis’ studio. The artist’s personal attachment to each piece comes through in his works. Sardonis created “Vermont Family” in 1982, in appreciation of sta at the Gi ord Medical Center in Randolph, who helped his own family through a di cult time. To make the sculpture, Sardonis selected the Carrara marble
himself in Italy and built the home studio where he still works today.
Sculpting the four entwined figures took about nine months; two weeks before its dedication, his wife completed the real-life version by giving birth to their daughter.
That same daughter recently bought a home in Brookfield, Sardonis said, which, amazingly, had been built in the very field where he carved one of his first commissions. A Brookfield business owner initially
an Alaskan museum, but the project fell through. Later, a friend saw the models Sardonis had made and commissioned him to create the sculpture in granite for a site near I-89’s Randolph exit. They stood there for a decade, until the owner’s financial troubles forced a sale. With some difficulty — each whale tail is about 5 tons, in two pieces held together with rods — “Reverence” was moved to its current site in 1999.
The good people of Randolph, however,
ordered the sculpture, a mama and baby hippo, for his kids to climb on.
As Sardonis had no studio, his client offered him the field to work in. Sardonis said he thought it would be a good summer project, but it ended up taking three years. The sculpture was eventually moved to what’s now known as “Hippo Park” in Brookfield, where generations of kids have climbed on it. And in his daughter’s yard, Sardonis discovered shards of marble he’d left there 40 years ago.
Like the hippos, all of Sardonis’ works seem to spur connections and attachments with viewers. Many are actual benches, designed to foster respite and communication. Others, such as the hippos, engage children directly — especially “Vigilance,” a family of polar bears at Memorial Hall Library in Andover, Mass., and “Leap of Faith,” a bronze frog at Camp Ta-Kum-Ta in South Hero.
Undoubtedly, though, the most widely felt such public sentiment is for Sardonis’ whale tails. In 1984, the sculpture design was a finalist for a competition at
missed their whale tails. A group including the Preservation Trust of Vermont and the Vermont Community Foundation purchased the original site and commissioned a new, larger work: “Whale Dance,” which Sardonis completed in 2019. Because the sculpture is bronze rather than stone, Sardonis said, it allowed him to create forms that tip and bend more than those in “Reverence.”
Stopping to see “Whale Dance” is highly recommended as an extension of the show at the Chandler. Like real whales, the scale seems impossibly large, and the view only increases their dramatic effect. “Around here,” Sardonis said, “everyone loves these more than the original ones.” His assertion was borne out by a gallery visitor, who added, “Everybody’s happy to drive by the whales’ tails. They make you feel like you’re home.” ➆
INFO
“Jim Sardonis: Natural Forms,” on view through September 13 at the Chandler Center for the Arts in Randolph. chandler-arts.org
BY ALICE DODGE • adodge@sevendaysvt.com
When Shelburne Craft School executive director Heather Moore heard earlier this summer that Inclusive Arts Vermont was closing, she said, she cried.
“It was just such a beautiful nonprofit that had done so much good,” she said, adding that she knew how much Inclusive Arts’ classes meant to students. Over 40 years, the organization served thousands of people with disabilities, often in partnership with schools and other nonprofits. But insurmountable funding challenges led to its permanent closure on June 30.
Moore herself doesn’t usually teach at the school. But she has worked with teens and adults with disabilities at Camp orpe in Goshen, and now she’s excited to try her hand at leading a clay class.
So when Marie Lallier, who teaches darning and mending at the craft school, walked into Moore’s office and said she’d like to teach classes specifically for students with disabilities, Moore was delighted.
“I love that the craft school has that energy,” she said. “It pulls in good things.”
Lallier had a career in disabilities services until recently. She connected the school with her former employer, Colchester-based Champlain Community Services, which provides vocational and employment assistance to people with developmental disabilities and had a 40-year partnership with Inclusive Arts.
Executive director Delaina Norton described the org as committed to “ensuring that people have opportunities to promote creativity, connection and just well-being” and said she was deeply saddened by Inclusive Arts’ closure.
Starting after Labor Day, Shelburne Craft School will offer classes to adults with intellectual disabilities through Champlain Community Services. e first course will be a six-week “sampler” of different crafts, including fabric collage, clay, weaving and mosaics. After that, Lallier said, the school will run more in-depth six-to-eight-week courses based on what the students particularly enjoyed. Classes will be intimately scaled, as most studios can accommodate six students with their aides.
COVERED BRIDGE EXHIBITION: A selection of works from the Lyman Orton collection celebrating the iconic structures in recognition of Vermont’s newly declared Covered Bridge Week. Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester, through September 28. Info, 362-1405.
ROSEMARY D’ELIA AND KATE FETHERSTON:
She got an idea for a class project on a recent trip to Japan, where she was setting up a different partnership: a cross-cultural program for students from the craft school to attend two-week residencies in Nishiawakura beginning later this fall. After she repeatedly found tiny clay creatures in gift shops there, Moore learned that Japanese students with intellectual disabilities make and sell such figurines to support their art classes. She said she’s eager to teach Vermont students to make their own. Everyone involved in the new partnership stressed that they see the new classes not as a replacement for Inclusive Arts but simply as a step toward inclusivity and diversity at the craft school. Norton expects that students will adjust well to the new classes and that some might explore the craft school’s other offerings.
“Oftentimes by opening up a space and creating a more inclusive environment, it becomes apparent that there really weren’t nearly as many barriers as someone may have imagined,” she said.
Moore shares those sentiments and is thrilled to welcome Champlain Community Services students to the campus. “I actually have zero anxiety about it not being fabulous,” she said. is fall’s pilot course curriculum will be similar to any introductory class.
Asked if anything is different about working with students who have intellectual and developmental disabilities, Moore said, “Honestly? ere’s just a whole lot more joy.” ➆
Learn more at shelburnecraftschool.org and ccs-vt.org.
“Abstracts & Birdsongs,” an exhibition of abstract works exploring the visual translation of sound and questions of belonging and identity. ART, etc., Randolph, through September 27. Info, 279-5048.
‘MOMENTS IN TIME’: A collection of works by Vermonters with dementia, curated by the state chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. Public viewing and reception: ursday, August 14, 3-7 p.m. Allard Square, South Burlington, through August 28. Info, 863-2224.
SABINE LIKHITE AND MERYL LEBOWITZ: “Flyaway,” an exhibition of paintings and kinetic feather sculptures. Reception: Friday, August 15, 4-7 p.m. e Satellite Gallery, Lyndonville, through September 28. Info, 229-8317.
GET YOUR ART SHOW LISTED HERE AND ONLINE! PROMOTING AN ART EXHIBIT? SUBMIT THE INFO AND IMAGES BY THURSDAY AT NOON AT SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POSTEVENT OR ART@SEVENDAYSVT.COM.
BELVA HAYDEN: “In the Balance: Stories of Survival, Stillness, and Spirit,” an exhibition of nature and wildlife photographs captured in Madagascar, Southeast Asia, Alaska and elsewhere. Reception: Friday, August 15, 6-8 p.m. Axel’s Frame Shop & Gallery, Waterbury, through September 6. Info, 244-7801.
‘A CRITICAL BALANCE: THE ENDANGERED BIRDS OF AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK’: A selection of artworks featuring endangered species which reside in the Kenyan park, selected and represented by artists Heidi Broner, Susan Bull Riley, Linda Mirabile, Adelaide Murphy Tyrol, Susan Parmenter and Gabriel
VISUAL ART IN SEVEN DAYS: ART LISTINGS ARE WRITTEN BY ALICE DODGE. LISTINGS ARE RESTRICTED TO ART SHOWS IN TRULY PUBLIC PLACES.
Tempesta. Susan Bull Riley offers remarks at the opening reception. Reception: Saturday, August 16, 4-6 p.m. Highland Center for the Arts, Greensboro, August 14-September 21. Info, 533-2000.
TODD KOSHAREK: “Roots,” an exhibition of paintings in appreciation of the Vermont community’s relationship with the land. Reception features a dance performance choreographed by Kate Kosharek. Reception: Saturday, August 16, 4-6 p.m. Emile A. Gruppe Gallery, Jericho, August 14-September 28. Info, 899-3211.
LAKE CHAMPLAIN CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL ARTISTS SHOW: A visual accompaniment to the
festival, featuring 40 to 50 Vermont artists and honoring founder Fredrick Noonan. Elley-Long Music Center, Saint Michael’s College, Colchester, August 16-24. Info, 846-2175.
NATURAL DYE WORKSHOPS: A workshop, produced by the Mill Museum, where participants learn to make and use natural dyes, including indigo and hapa zome processes with teaching artist Jackie Reno. Register by email. Winooski Senior Center, Wednesday, August 13, and Wednesday, August 20, 10 a.m.-noon. Free; registration required; space limited. Info, info@themillmuseum.org.
ASSETS FOR ARTISTS WORKSHOPS:
‘UNDERSTANDING AN ARTIST’S PERSONAL FINANCES’: An online workshop with tax specialists Amy Smith and Akeem Davis to demystify concepts and introduce artists to tools for financial decision making. Suitable for those in all disciplines; participants may attend all or select sessions. Register via Zoom at assetsforartists.org/ workshops. Vermont Arts Council, Montpelier, Wednesday, August 13, 1-3 p.m. Free. Info, assetsforartists@massmoca.org.
‘CURRENTLY SPEAKING: DEMOCRACY DEMANDS ACCOUNTABILITY’: A lecture by Minh Ly, assistant professor of political science at the University of Vermont, in advance of the publication of his forthcoming book, Answering to Us: Why Democracy Demands Accountability. The Current, Stowe, Thursday, August 14, 5-6 p.m. Free. Info, 253-8358.
ASSETS FOR ARTISTS WORKSHOPS:
‘PROJECT PLANNING FOR DANCE ARTISTS’: An online workshop with Melissa Molinar addressing considerations for planning indoor performances, outdoor festivals, long-term projects and other performance situations. Register via Zoom at assetsforartists.org/workshops. Vermont Arts Council, Montpelier, Thursday, August 14, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, assetsforartists@massmoca.org.
LIFE DRAWING AND PAINTING: A drop-in event for artists working with the figure from a live model. T.W. Wood Gallery, Montpelier, Thursday, August 14, 7-9 p.m. Free; $10 suggested donation. Info, 262-6035.
ARTIST TALK: LAURA CHASMAN: A discussion of “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow,” an exhibition of paintings on FedEx shipping boxes depicting fleeting moments caught at art fairs, with the artist and director of exhibitions Sarah Freeman. Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, Thursday, August 14, 7:30 p.m. Free; advance registration recommended. Info, 257-0124.
‘FREE SELF-EXPRESSION’: An open forum in which the public is invited to celebrate community by sharing performance, music, reading, speaking, dancing, and take-home art and writing. Canal Street Art Gallery, Bellows Falls, Friday, August 15, 5-8 p.m. Free. Info, 289-0104.
‘A CRITICAL BALANCE:’ DAY OF WORKSHOPS: Workshops alongside the exhibition, including an introduction to drawing birds with Susan Sawyer, a writing workshop with Deb McKew, and artist talks with Sean Beckett and Deb McKew. Highland Center for the Arts, Greensboro, Saturday, August 16, 12:30-4 p.m. Workshops $20 each; artist talks free. Info, 533-2000.
ARTIST AND CURATORIAL TALK: ‘MAKING SPACE’: A discussion and walking tour by curator Sarah Freeman and several of the seven artists in “Making Space,” an exhibition exploring the concepts of physical and mental space. Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, Saturday, August 16, 1 p.m. Info, 257-0124.
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, August 17, 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,
August 18, 10 a.m.-noon. Free; $10 suggested donation. Info, 262-6035.
SUMMER WATERCOLOR SERIES: A class suitable for novice and experienced painters, taught by Pauline Nolte. Supplies provided for beginners. Waterbury Public Library, Tuesday, August 19, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, judi@ waterburypubliclibrary.com.
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, Tuesday, August 19, 6:30-8:30 p.m. By donation. Info, 343-8172.
ARTIST TALK: STEPHEN SHARON: A discussion of his work and practice by the North Hero abstract painter, musician and mixed-media artist. Northwood Gallery, Stowe, Tuesday, August 19, 7 p.m. Free. Info, sevendaystickets.com.
ASSETS FOR ARTISTS WORKSHOPS: AN INTRODUCTION TO COOPERATIVES IN THE ARTS’: An online workshop with Daniel Park of Obvious Agency discussing the fundamentals that define cooperatives and how they differ from other types of collectives. Participants are asked to attend both sessions. Register at assetsforartists. org/workshops. Vermont Arts Council, Montpelier, Wednesday, August 20, 5-6:30 p.m. Free. Info, assetsforartists@massmoca.org.
DRINK & DRAW: A drop-in event organized by the T.W. Wood Gallery; no experience necessary; drawing materials provided. Bent Nails Bistro, Montpelier, Wednesday, August 20, 5-7 p.m. Free; $10 suggested donation; cash bar. Info, 262-6035. ➆
In May, Sean Hood of country band Eastern Mountain Time released the mega-compilation Burlington Does Burlington, 20 tracks of local bands covering each other. In the process, he revived a long-defunct tradition of the Queen City music scene. Well, maybe the word “tradition” is a little strong, but the Burlington music scene has certainly covered itself before.
In 1996, Chin Ho! front man Andrew X Smith released the 38-track Burlington Does Burlington, Vol. 1 & 2 via his Good Citizen zine/label. He was as surprised as anyone to see his idea revived this year, he told us. Hood never ran his project by Smith, the former admitted, perhaps thinking it was better to ask forgiveness than permission.
But both musicians said they’re cool, and Smith is tickled the modern scene has picked up his gimmick. Local music fans should be, too. The new version is chockfull of some of the current scene’s best, from Paper Castles to Robber Robber to Hood’s own band.
With almost three decades between the two comps, there’s a lot of history (and a lot of bands) to keep track of. To honor that legacy, Seven Days revived one of its own old standards: “Talk It Out,” in which writers have an open conversation — sometimes agreeing, sometimes not. This week, music editor Chris Farnsworth and former music editor and current culture coeditor Dan Bolles take a time machine back to Burlington’s vibrant 1990s indie-rock scene to compare the original two volumes with the new one.
CHRIS FARNSWORTH: Smith and Hood absolutely stacked these records with some of the best bands to come out of the scene. In the ’90s, it was James Kochalka Superstar, the Pants, the Fags, Belizbeha, Wide Wail, a little ol’ band called Phish — ever heard of them? It’s nuts.
Haters will say I’m showing recency bias, but to me, the new volume is just as loaded. Robber Robber, Cricket Blue, Paper Castles and Wren Kitz are among a murderers’ row of current Queen City bands. And while it’s been said comparison is the thief of joy (Who says that? Probably the haters again.), I don’t think we can pass up this golden opportunity to compare our current scene with those heady “good ol’ days.”
What do you think, Dan? How do the new kids stack up to the ’90s squad? Is this a ’96 Chicago Bulls-versus-2017 Golden State Warriors-level face-off? Should I stop making sports references before everyone stops reading?
even include the likes of Greg Freeman or Lily Seabird, whom we might one day look back at as this generation’s Eugene Hütz or Envy, local acts that enjoyed national-level success. Though the ’90s dudes did it after they left Burlington — Hütz with Gogol Bordello; Envy as the Boston-based band the Red Telephone — and Freeman and Seabird are turning heads while they’re still here.
‘Burlington Does Burlington’
Seven Days music writers dig into the new edition of a local covers compilation
BY CHRIS FARNSWORTH & DAN BOLLES farnsworth@sevendaysvt.com
• dan@sevendaysvt.com
DAN BOLLES: If there’s one thing I learned in my time as Seven Days music editor, it’s that readers love it when you invoke sports in the Music section. If only our website still allowed comments, so they could tell us how much they enjoy it and call us nice things.
The Bulls-Warriors analogy is apt — though I might sub in the ’86 Celtics
because I’m an insu erable Boston homer. But I’ll throw another old sports cliché at you: It’s impossible to compare di erent eras.
Blasphemy alert: Talent-wise, the current crop is definitely on par with and maybe even exceeds the ’90s scene. The new BDB comp is loaded, and it doesn’t
The ’90s scene ruled . But it’s also benefited from an aura of nostalgia — fueled in part by certain misty-eyed local music writers … ahem — that I’m not sure is replicable in the internet age. The current scene is certainly worthy of being remembered in the same way as that ’90s scene, but I wonder if it will be. A comp like this could certainly help.
CF: Yes, nostalgia — that’s been very on my mind as I’ve listened to all three volumes. I sort of girded myself to be let down by some of the stuff on the Good Citizen comps in the same way that the Police Academy movies didn’t hold up after I wasn’t 12. But all it took was a few seconds of Barbacoa tearing into Envy’s “Blood Boy,” and I was pulled through time and space into a raging Club Toast, full of Gen Xers drinking cheap beer. Remember cheap beer, Dan?
It was honestly fascinating to reexperience that time in the Queen City scene. It was just so all over the place, and yet the musicians of Burlington were reacting to the sounds of the ’90s in fabulously weird and innovative ways. Phish tapping late, great Burlington street musician Richard “the Clarinet Man” Haupt to cover one of the heaviest bands of that era — the melodic doom outfit Rocketsled — just feels like something that could only happen in this buzzy and talented little corner of the music world in that time. That’s not to say all of the old stu necessarily stands the test of time. Dysfunkshun’s cover of Chin Ho!’s “Hippy Girl” — with a slight name change — was a little too time-stamped to the ’90s for my jaded 21st-century ears. I loved all the Toast and Winooski shout-outs, but the tune had me ready to start up a game of GoldenEye 007 and call my parents for money. And look, I miss doing both of those things, but we all have to move on.
DB: True. Though sometimes nostalgia can be a fertile platform for creativity. For example, I was certain that Liam Neeson in a reboot of The Naked Gun was a terrible
August 14 – September 21, 2025
Regular readers may recall that back in 2022, I wrote about HUGO MARTÍNEZ CAZÓN, a Burlington environmental engineer who made the unlikely discovery that the French Lumière brothers — widely credited with inventing cinema and pioneering the use of color photography — built a factory in Burlington in 1903. Cazón was on a one-man mission to tell the world that Auguste and Louis Lumière didn’t just operate their famous factory in Lyon, France, but also set up shop in the Queen City, where they maintained a factory until 1912.
“It all just felt too unreal,” Cazón told me several years ago. “Like someone claiming Napoleon had an apartment in Chicago or something.”
Cazón’s discovery and his e orts to get the factory’s history acknowledged made for a fascinating story. Vermont native and New York City-based film director RILEY ALLEN agreed on that point. The award-winning filmmaker saw my piece and reached out to Cazón, eager to document his story.
“The idea that this factory, where color photography was first introduced to America, is still standing in Burlington, and no one knew that until Hugo uncovered it, was just so intriguing,” Allen said in a phone call.
Now Allen is preparing to shoot a documentary on Cazón and the Lumière brothers’ American outpost called The Lost Factory. To raise funds for production, she and Cazón are hosting a presentation and Q&A this Thursday, August 14, at Burlington Beer, the site of the former Lumière factory. Much of the original early 20th-century architecture can still be seen in the
Six New England artists celebrate endangered birds of Amboseli Park, Kenya Workshops & Opening Reception: August 16, 4-6 pm Join us for a day of workshops followed by an opening reception.
(Spotify mix of local jams)
1. “WASHINGTON SQUARE” by Guppyboy
2. “VERMONT” by the Pants
3. “TOO BIG FOR YOUR BRITCHES” by Wild Leek River
4. “SOMEONE’S GONNA LOVE YOU” by Another Sexless Weekend
5. “SOON” by Dutch Experts
6. “DRINKIN’ FIGHTIN’ SKATIN’” by Slob Drop
7. “DRUNK SOMETIMES” by Grace Palmer
com/playlist
building at 180 Flynn Avenue, where the duo will screen a vintage “autochrome” made on-site.
Art and hip-hop alert! On Saturday, August 16, the Foundry in Morrisville hosts Gallery Lane Open House, an evening of visual arts and hot rhymes.
More than a dozen visual artists, including Dan Tomaino, Maddie LaBute, Wesley J. Turner, Cian McGuire
idea. I haven’t been that wrong since I wanted Drew Bledsoe to start over Tom Brady in Super Bowl XXXVI. The new Naked Gun is hilarious. (Sports and movies in a music column? Suck on that, haters!)
Back to the point: I was tickled by covers of songs by local bands from generations past on the new comp. Paper Castles — who really straddle a few eras and themselves are covered twice — taking on “Searching for the Sun” by beloved 2000s-era psych rockers the Cush is a trippy delight. Danny & the Parts reviving a Lendway tune was a sweet throwback to the 2010s indie scene. I know the Vacant Lots kinda wore out their welcome in town, but they wrote cool songs, and ouzkxqlzn’s version of “Ashes” is appropriately hallucinogenic. There’s even a direct, fraying flannel thread to the ’90s scene with Lily Sickles’ cover of a Missy Bly tune.
What songs stood out to you?
CF: Somehow, I just knew Liam Neeson would work his way into this piece. He’s really taken with Burlington music. (Sorry, that was almost unforgivable. And untrue, but still — I just like to imagine the big Irish bruiser with headphones on, zoning out to a Tom Pearo ambient track and smoking some of Forbin’s Finest. “I have a specific set of skills, bruh.”)
Robber Robber turning Rough Francis’ “Haunted,” a punk-rock rager, into a dreamy slice of indie rock really did the trick for me. That’s two of the best bands this city has produced in the past decade as far as I’m concerned, so it’s a treat to hear their rendition. I’d love to see Rough Francis — in whatever form they take when they inevitably reemerge with a new name — return the favor and turn “Sea or War” into a moshready anthem.
The Pyros taking on “So Good (I Could Die),” by the late, great indie-rock outfit J Bengoy, is another high point. The new version has a great, almost psychedelic thrust to it. Plus, it recalls the scene in the 2010s, which produced some of my favorite Queen City rock acts, such as J Bengoy and Bison.
DB: Weirdly, if I had one quibble with the comp, it would be that it’s too indie- and folk-centric and doesn’t include much in the way of the jam, jazz or hip-hop scenes. What was so cool about the original was the cross-pollination. You had an acid-jazz hip-hop band in Belizbeha covering alt-rockers the Pants. The Pants in turn covered Phish, who covered Rocketsled. And on and on. It was like a scene-wide musical key party.
I can attest that the OG comp turned me on to bands in the ’90s scene I might not have gotten into otherwise, because they either covered a song I liked or were covered by a band I dug. There’s obviously still meat on the bones of this idea, so perhaps Hood or someone else could keep it going and do more volumes — maybe actually get Smith’s blessing first this time, though?
But I’d love to see Doom Service’s take on Twiddle, or Nico Suave & the Mothership doing rivan or 99 Neighbors. How about Zach Nugent covering the Dead Shakers? The possibilities are endless.
CF: Zach Nugent’s Deadset Shakers? That’s so wrong that it’s right. I call for Vol. 4 as well — if nothing else, just so you and I can dust o all our aging scenester cred again.
the
and the folks from Green Door Studio, will display their work.
Soundtracking the night is a solid lineup of 802 hip-hop. DJ PANTSOPH, BOXGUTS, BIG HOMIE WES, ROC THA DON and YOLO fill a stacked bill. Snacks and refreshments will be provided, including pizza from Piecasso.
Burlington singer-songwriter ABBEY B.K. has released a new single. “Right Next to Me” is a lovelorn slice of pop-flavored
I thought it was intriguing that there’s not even a hint of the jam-band scene on the new volume. It’s not like it was all over the ’90s comps, but it was certainly there.
I’d posit that’s a reflection both of a scene that’s largely evolved past being so jam-centric and maybe a bit of Hood’s curation.
folk, with a bedrock of acoustic guitar and vamping piano. “You’re still where I sang my songs to you,” B.K. sings, painting a scene of lingering loss and grief. “Even when we’re older, you’re still right on my shoulder.”
The track is streaming on major platforms now. And don’t forget to catch Abbey hosting Big Heavy World’s local music program “Rocket Shop,” Wednesdays at 8 p.m. at bigheavyworld.com and on WOMMLP the Radiator.
CHRIS FARNSWORTH Big Homie Wes
What I really, really love that Hood has done with this latest iteration of the series is make the album available to purchase on Bandcamp only until August 30. After that, it’s gone, and all these killer covers will disappear from the internet unless listeners have downloaded the record. All proceeds from the record go directly to the People’s Kitchen, a nonprofit community mutual aid project that provides free food to Vermonters in need, so it’s not like that’s some sales gimmick.
By setting up this record on which some of our finest Vermont musicians cover each other to become a collector’s item, Hood has injected the whole thing with some necessary fun and intrigue. I can see some rabid Lily Seabird fan in 10 years scouring the net to find Wild Leek River’s cover of “Grace.” ➆
Burlington Does Burlington: A Compilation is available at easternmountaintime.bandcamp.com.
(PEACEDALE RECORDS, VINYL, DIGITAL)
How long does it take to get over a person? Some say one week for every month of the relationship. Others say half the time a couple were together. Indie-folk artist Rachel Baiman of Nashville, Tenn., and Durham, N.C., duo Viv (Leva) & Riley (Calcagno) posit a much more reasonable and poetic metric. It’s right there in the title track of their collaborative new album, a collection of covers that includes a twangy take on Canadian singersongwriter Lennon Stella’s “Kissing Other People.”
“That’s how I know that your love is gone / That’s how I know I’m really moving on / ’Cause I don’t feel
guilty kissing other people,” the group sings in striking harmony. Warm and imbued with a sense of hardwon wisdom, the acoustic interpretation converts a distinctly modern pop anthem into something rural, spacious and timeless.
The supergroup formed after the singers bonded over their shared love of all things folk and country while on a joint tour in 2022. They soon teamed up with producer Greg Gri th to explore a smattering of songs from artists known for various amounts of folksiness. The trio transforms them into the eight solidly countrified reinventions that compose Kissing Other PPL
For example, it turns “Ashes of American Flags,” the Beatles-esque emotional core of Wilco’s magnum opus, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, into a homespun fiddle fest with not-so-subtle experimental flourishes. Their take on Dr. Dog’s “Where’d All the Time Go” slows and strips the psychedelic rock song to its studs, building it back up with heaps of banjo and fiddle.
Other interpretations are more faithful, such as their version of eclectic Kittitian English artist Joan Armatrading’s “Woncha Come on Home.” The trio
keeps the “Love and A ection” singer’s economical production and turns her subtle harmonies into a central feature.
One of the group’s cleverest renditions, of Dottie West’s “A Lesson in Leavin’,” travels back in time. Like many artists who got started in the 1960s and endured into the new-wave era, the Grand Ole Opry singer had added quite a bit of sheen and sharpness to her sound by the time she released Special Delivery in 1979. Dusty and forlorn, the new track sounds like West might have written it for one of her mid-’60s LPs.
The biggest takeaway from Kissing Other PPL is that most songs have a lot more to say than their original versions can communicate. Baiman, Leva and Calcagno have a knack for tuning disparate material to their particular wavelength and for making their new versions feel genuinely lived-in.
Kissing Other PPL is available at kissingotherppl. bandcamp.com and on major streaming services. The artists perform on Wednesday, August 20, 7 p.m., at Radio Bean in Burlington.
JORDAN ADAMS
ARE YOU A VT ARTIST OR BAND? SEND US YOUR MUSIC! DIGITAL: MUSIC@SEVENDAYSVT.COM; SNAIL MAIL: MUSIC C/O SEVEN DAYS, 255 S. CHAMPLAIN ST., SUITE 5, BURLINGTON, VT
WED.13
BBQ and Bluegrass (bluegrass) at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski, 6:30 p.m. Free.
Cheddar (funk) at the Alchemist, Waterbury, 5 p.m. Free.
Cooie & Friends (jazz, folk) at North Hero House Inn & Restaurant, 5:30 p.m. Free.
David Karl Roberts (singersongwriter) at Two Heroes Brewery Public House, South Hero, 6 p.m. Free.
Fruit Bats, Minor Moon (indie) at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, 7 p.m. $42.84.
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.
Wednesday Night Dead (Grateful Dead tribute) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7 p.m. $10.
THU.14
Alex Stewart & Friends (jazz) at the 126, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.
Coane, Rowell & Schabner (jazz) at Hugo’s, Montpelier, 7:30 p.m. Free.
Collin Cope & Chris Page of the Tenderbellies (bluegrass) at Shelburne Vineyard, 6 p.m. Free.
Eric George (folk) at the Skinny Pancake, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.
Familiar Faces Funk Jam (funk, jazz) at the 126, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.
Frankie & the Fuse (indie pop) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.
Fust (Americana) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.
John Moreland, Jared Hart (Americana) at the Stone Church, Brattleboro, 8 p.m. $30.81.
Just Me (covers) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 6 p.m. Free.
The Last of Lucy, Pathogenic, Shiny New Toyz, No Son of Mine (metal) at 14th Star Brewing, St. Albans, 7 p.m. $10/$15.
Live Music Series (live music series) at Folino’s Pizza, Northfield, 5 p.m. Free.
Mary Ester Carter (singersongwriter) at Standing Stone Wines, Winooski, 7 p.m. $10.
Milton Busker & the Grim Work (Americana) at Black Flannel Brewing & Distilling, Essex, 6 p.m. Free.
Open Mike Eagle (hip-hop) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 7 p.m. $22.95.
FRI.15
Bad Horsey (country, rock) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 9 p.m. Free.
The Balconiers (funk, jazz) at the Alchemist, Waterbury, 2:30 p.m. Free.
Find the most up-to-date info on live music, DJs, comedy and more at sevendaysvt.com/music. If you’re a talent booker or artist planning live entertainment at a bar, nightclub, café, restaurant, brewery or coffee shop, send event details to music@sevendaysvt.com or submit the info using our form at sevendaysvt.com/postevent.
Bassist and composer Aram Bedrosian has long been a fixture around the local music scene, known for his four-string wizardry as well as for cofounding the Burlington Music Dojo. When he’s not teaching at the school, Bedrosian fronts the progressive-metal outfit AMYSTERA, featuring himself, vocalist and keyboardist
Aislynn Taber, and drummer John Elwert. The trio dropped its self-titled debut on Halloween last year but celebrates the album’s vinyl release this Saturday, August 16, at the Double E Lounge at the Essex Experience.
SAT.16 // AMYSTERA [PROG ROCK]
Barbie N Bones (rock) at the Old Post, South Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.
The Bressetts (acoustic) at Gusto’s, Barre, 6 p.m. Free.
But, Pyrite, Old North End, Peacebreaker, Shine, Outnumbered (hardcore) at 1st Republic Brewing, Essex, 8 p.m. $10.
Dancin’ in the Streets with Local Strangers (Grateful Dead tribute) at the Skinny Pancake, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.
Dave Mitchell’s Blue’s Revue (blues) at Red Square, Burlington, 2 p.m. Free.
Dusk Quartet (jazz) at the 126, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.
Hi Fi, Syndicate Sound (electronic, drum and bass) at Bent Nails Bistro, Montpelier, 8 p.m. Free.
Issac Raven (indie) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 8 p.m. Free.
Kowalski Brothers (folk, rock) at Poultney Pub, 6 p.m. Free.
Lara Cwass and Cal Bumberto (soul, jam) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.
Los Songoros (Cuban) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 8 p.m. $15.
Lowell Thompson (singersongwriter) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 4 p.m. Free.
Matt Hagen (acoustic, bossa nova) at Bleu Northeast Kitchen, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. Free.
Neon Ramblers (bluegrass) at Afterthoughts, Waitsfield, 8:30 p.m. $10.
The New Duo (acoustic) at Bravo Zulu Lakeside Bar, North Hero, 5:30 p.m. Free.
What Counts, Self Interest, Fifth World (punk) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 7 p.m. $10/$15.
Zach Nugent Duo (Grateful Dead tribute) at Switchback Beer Garden & Smokehouse, Burlington, 5:30 p.m. Free.
SAT.16
Amystera (prog rock) at Double E Lounge, Essex, 7 p.m. $15.
Bad Luck Bliss (Americana) at Bent Nails Bistro, Montpelier, 9 p.m. Free.
Dale and Darcy Band (folk) at Two Heroes Brewery Public House, South Hero, 6:30 p.m. Free.
David Karl Roberts (singersongwriter) at the Den at Harry’s Hardware, Cabot, 7 p.m. Free.
Dirty Looks (covers) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 9 p.m. Free.
Donna Thunder Medicine Show (folk, rock) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 8 p.m. Free.
Electrostatic Cats (indie) at 1st Republic Brewing, Essex, 6 p.m. Free.
Evan Harker (folk) at Poultney Pub, 6 p.m. Free.
Evan Warner (singer-songwriter) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.
Jeff & Gina (folk) at Bleu Northeast Kitchen, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. Free.
Meredith Monk & John Hollenbeck (classical) at the Mill, Westport, N.Y., 7:30 p.m. $50.
Queer Takeover (indie, drag) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 8 p.m. $10/$15.
Sarah Bell (singer-songwriter) at the Whammy Bar, Calais, 7:30 p.m. Free.
Session Americana with Eleanor Buckland (Americana) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 8 p.m. $31.61.
Sparkomatik (jungle, hip-hop) at Monkey House, Winooski, 9 p.m. $10.
SUN.17
Rap Night Burlington (hip-hop) at Drink, Burlington, 9 p.m. $5.
Red Hot Juba, Raised by Hippies (jazz, rock) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 8 p.m. $19.51 - $22.81.
Satyrdagg, COOP (jazz, folk) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 10 p.m. $10.
Third Wheel (folk) at Two Heroes Brewery Public House, South Hero, 6:30 p.m. Free.
Tu-Ner (prog rock) at the Stone Church, Brattleboro, 7 p.m. $30.81.
VT Bluegrass Pioneers (bluegrass) at the Whammy Bar, Calais, 7:30 p.m. Free.
Wax, the Palmer Squares, Robscure (hip-hop) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $26.42. WD-40 (covers) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 5 p.m. Free.
Bare Bones (folk) at Bravo Zulu Lakeside Bar, North Hero, 5:30 p.m. Free.
Jeff & Gina (acoustic) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 1 p.m. Free.
Mike Mac (rock) at Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Waitsfield, 3 p.m. Free.
Seth Yacovone Band (blues, rock) at the Alchemist, Waterbury, 4 p.m. Free.
Sunday Brunch Tunes (singersongwriter) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 10 a.m.
VACHSEAN (acoustic) at Vermont Pub & Brewery, Burlington, 1 p.m. Free.
TUE.19
Big Easy Tuesdays with Jon McBride (jazz) at the 126, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.
Bluegrass Jam (bluegrass) at Poultney Pub, 7 p.m. Free.
Dale and Darcy (Americana) at the Alchemist, Waterbury, 3 p.m. Free.
Dead Is Alive with Dobbs’ Dead (Grateful Dead tribute) at Einstein’s Tap House, Burlington, 8 p.m. $15.
Honky Tonk Tuesday with John Abair and His Good Pals (country) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 9 p.m. $10.
John Lackard Blues Duo (blues) at Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Waitsfield, 5 p.m. Free.
MOMDAD (indie, funk) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 7 p.m. $10.
Vincent Neil Emerson, Kassi Valazza (country) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $28.49.
WED.20
BBQ and Bluegrass (bluegrass) at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski, 6:30 p.m. Free.
Drumstick (reggae, funk) at the Alchemist, Waterbury, 5 p.m. Free. Irish Night with RambleTree (Celtic) at Two Brothers Tavern, Middlebury, 7 p.m. Free.
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.
Kissing Other PPL (indie folk) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 7 p.m. $15/$20.
Nation of Language, Dari Bay (indie rock) at the Stone Church, Brattleboro, 7 p.m. $34.41/$42.45. POLKAROBICS, Lunar Static (indie) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 9 p.m. $5/$10.
Wednesday Night Dead (Grateful Dead tribute) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7 p.m. $10.
WED.13
Britpop Dance Party with DJ Colin Hagood and David Smitten (DJ) at Standing Stone Wines, Winooski, 8:30 p.m. Free.
DJ Blaine (DJ) at Bent Nails Bistro, Montpelier, 5 p.m. Free.
The Mid Week Hump with DJs Fattie B and Craig Mitchell (DJ) at Monkey House, Winooski, 7 p.m. Free.
THU.14
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 Paul (DJ) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.
DJ Two Sev (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 11 p.m. Free.
Local Dork (DJ) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.
Vinyl Night with Ken (DJ) at Poultney Pub, 6 p.m. Free.
Vinyl ursdays (DJ) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.
FRI.15
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.
Friday Dance Party with NasteeLuvzYou (DJ) at the Alchemist, Waterbury, 5 p.m. Free. John’s Jukebox (DJ) at Gusto’s, Barre, 9 p.m. Free.
SAT.16
DJ Chalango, DJ Tarzana Salsa Night (Salsa DJ) at Hugo’s, Montpelier, 7:30 p.m. Free.
DJ Raul (DJ) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.
DJ Two Rivers (DJ) at Gusto’s, Barre, 9 p.m. Free.
Fernetic (DJ) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.
Malcolm Miller (DJ) at the Alchemist, Waterbury, 8 p.m. Free.
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.
WED.13
Open Mic with Danny Lang (open mic) at Poultney Pub, 7 p.m. Free.
THU.14
Open Mic Night (open mic) at Parker Pie, West Glover, 6 p.m. Free.
Open Mic with Artie (open mic) at the Whammy Bar, Calais, 7 p.m. Free.
SUN.17
Olde Time Jam Session (open jam) at the Den at Harry’s Hardware, Cabot, noon. Free.
MON.18
Bluegrass Etc. Jam with Ben Kogan (bluegrass jam session) at Ottauquechee Yacht Club, Woodstock, 6:30 p.m. Free.
WED.20
Open Mic with Danny Lang (open mic) at Poultney Pub, 7 p.m. Free.
WED.13
$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.14
Jay Jurden (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $25. Live Standup Comedy (comedy) at Bent Nails Bistro, Montpelier, 7:30 p.m. Free. What Else, What Else? (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 9 p.m. $6.99.
FRI.15
Jay Jurden (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. $25.
SAT.16
Jay Jurden (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. $25.
TUE.19
Nimesh Patel (comedy) at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, 8:30 p.m. $34.14. Open Mic Comedy with Levi Silverstein (comedy open mic) at the 126, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.
New Jersey’s NIMESH PATEL got his break in comedy when Chris Rock saw his act and snatched him up to write for the 2016 Academy Awards. Writing gigs on “Saturday Night Live” — where he became the first Indian American writer in the show’s long history — for the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and as a producer on “Full Frontal With Samantha Bee” followed, but Patel continued to make a name for himself onstage as well. He produced the specials “Thank You China” and “Jokes to Get You Through Quarantine” before dropping his most recent in 2023, “Lucky Lefty.” That set focuses on Patel’s diagnosis of testicular cancer and subsequent removal of his right testicle. Patel performs at the Higher Ground Ballroom in South Burlington on Tuesday, August 19.
WED.20
Standup Open Mic (comedy open mic) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.
trivia, karaoke, etc.
WED.13
Karaoke Friday Night (karaoke) at Park Place Tavern & Grill, Essex Junction, 8 p.m. Free.
Karaoke with Autumn (karaoke) at Monopole, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 9 p.m. Free.
Trivia (trivia) at Alfie’s Wild Ride, Stowe, 7 p.m. Free.
Trivia Night (trivia) at Parker Pie, West Glover, 6:30 p.m. Free.
Trivia Night (trivia) at Dumb Luck Pub & Grill, Winooski, 7 p.m. Free.
Trivia Night (trivia) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.
THU.14
Boogie Bingo (DJ, bingo) at the Alchemist, Waterbury, 5 p.m. $3.
Karaoke Friday Night (karaoke) at Park Place Tavern & Grill, Essex Junction, 8 p.m. Free.
Line Dancing and Two-Step Night (dance) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 6 p.m. Free.
Trivia (trivia) at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski, 6 p.m. Free.
Trivia ursday (trivia) at Einstein’s Tap House, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.
Tuesday Trivia (trivia) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.
Vermont Public’s Brave Little State Summer Mixer (mixer) at the Den at Harry’s Hardware, Cabot, 5:30 p.m. $7.
FRI.15
Karaoke Friday Night (karaoke) at Park Place Tavern & Grill, Essex Junction, 8 p.m. Free.
SAT.16
Queeraoke with Goddess (karaoke) at Standing Stone Wines, Winooski, 9 p.m. Free.
SUN.17
Family-Friendly Karaoke (karaoke) at Old Soul Design Shop, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 5 p.m. Free.
Sunday Funday (games) at 1st Republic Brewing, Essex, noon. Free.
Venetian Karaoke (karaoke) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.
MON.18
Retro Game Night (gaming) at the Den at Harry’s Hardware, Cabot, 6 p.m. Free.
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 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.19
Karaoke with DJ Party Bear (karaoke) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 9:30 p.m. Free.
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.
WED.20
Karaoke Friday Night (karaoke) at Park Place Tavern & Grill, Essex Junction, 8 p.m. Free.
Karaoke with Autumn (karaoke) at Monopole, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 9 p.m. Free.
Trivia (trivia) at Two Heroes Brewery Public House, South Hero, 6 p.m. Free.
Trivia (trivia) at Alfie’s Wild Ride, Stowe, 7 p.m. Free.
Trivia Night (trivia) at Parker Pie, West Glover, 6:30 p.m. Free.
Trivia Night (trivia) at Dumb Luck Pub & Grill, Winooski, 7 p.m. Free. Trivia Night (trivia) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free. ➆
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.
WEEKLY PASSEGGIATA:
Locals take to the streets for a community-building stroll of the pedestrian promenade based on the Italian social ritual. Church Street Marketplace, Burlington, 5-8 p.m. Free. Info, churchstmarketplace@ gmail.com.
GREEN MOUNTAIN CHAPTER OF THE EMBROIDERERS’ GUILD
OF AMERICA: Anyone with an interest in the needle arts can bring a project to this monthly meeting. Holy Family Parish Hall, Essex Junction, 9:30 a.m.1 p.m. Free. Info, gmc.vt.ega@ gmail.com.
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.
BARN DANCE: Seasoned pros and beginners alike hit the
dance floor for an evening of two-steppin’ feet and beats by Better in Boots. The Barn at Boyden Farm, Cambridge, 5:30-9 p.m. $15; free for kids 10 and under; cash bar. Info, 598-5509.
BUTT LITTER CLEANUP: Helping hands come together to dispose of discarded cigarettes. St. Albans Bay Park, 9-11 a.m. Free. Info, 524-1296. etc.
ST. AMBROSE LAWN PARTY & CHICKEN BARBECUE: Neighbors get their fill of savory poultry and baked goods at a community cookout that includes a pie contest, a white elephant table and face painting for kiddos. Bristol Village Green, 5 p.m. Free; cost of food. Info, 453-2488.
TOASTMASTERS OF GREATER BURLINGTON: Those looking to strengthen their speaking and leadership skills gain new tools. Virtual option available. Generator Makerspace, Burlington, 6-7:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 233-4157.
fairs & festivals
VERMONT STATE FAIR: Crowds converge on the midway for carnival amusements, horticultural displays, equine events and live music. Vermont State
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.
BCA SUMMER CONCERT SERIES:
IAN CAMPBELL: An expressive singer-songwriter plays roots, rock, folk and Americana with grit and soul. Burlington City Hall Park, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Free. Info, 829-6305.
Fairgrounds, Rutland, 8 a.m.-11 p.m. Various prices; free for military with ID and kids 5 and under. Info, vermontstatefair@ outlook.com.
See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.
‘LOST NATION’: History buffs watch local filmmaker Jay Craven’s Revolutionary War drama about Ethan Allen and Lucy Terry Prince, set in the early upstart Republic of Vermont. Peacham Congregational Church, 7:30 p.m. $15. Info, 748-2600.
food & drink
COMMUNITY COOKING:
Helping hands 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.
ASPIRE NOW MOBILE CLINIC: A nonprofit clinic offers ultrasounds, pregnancy tests and STI testing for community members in need. The Salvation Army, Burlington, 9:30 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 658-2184.
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.
lgbtq
QUEER WRITERS’ GROUP:
LGBTQ authors meet monthly to discuss their work, write from prompts, and give each other advice and feedback.
Rainbow Bridge Community Center, Barre, 5:30-7 p.m. Free. Info, 622-0692.
BLUEGRASS EXTRAVAGANZA: Local musicians take the genre to new heights while guests enjoy tacos and ice-cold beverages. The Tillerman, Bristol, 5-8 p.m. Free; cash bar. Info, 643-2237.
COMMUNITY FOLK SONG
WORKSHOP: Neighbors bring their instruments and voices to an evening of learning, sharing, storytelling and playing together. Mount Mansfield Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Jericho, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, 863-2345.
CRAFTSBURY CHAMBER
PLAYERS: The classical music ensemble performs diverse music by an array of composers from various eras. Elley-Long Music Center, Saint Michael’s College, Colchester, 7:30 p.m. $10-25; free for kids 12 and under. Info, 586-0616.
EVERBLUE: A musical duo enchants listeners with traditional songs and stories about travels near and far. Stone’s Throw, Richmond, 6-8 p.m. By donation. Info, 233-5293.
HUNGER MOUNTAIN CO-OP
BROWN BAG SUMMER CONCERT
SERIES: Live music by local talent comes to the heart of downtown Montpelier, showcasing a diverse mix of artists and genres throughout the season. Christ Episcopal Church, Montpelier, noon-1 p.m. Free. Info, 223-9604.
JOSH PANDA: An international recording artist based in Burlington brings gospel-drenched funk and pop to the stage. Middlesex Bandstand, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, middlesexbandstand@ gmail.com.
MORRISVILLE LIVE: Friends and neighbors gather for weekly live music, activities, tasty treats and family fun in the great outdoors. See morristownvt.gov for lineup. BYO chair encouraged. Oxbow Park, Morrisville, 5:307:30 p.m. Free. Info, ataplin@ morristownvt.org.
Green, Hanover, N.H., 5:30-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 603-646-2422.
outdoors
CABOT CHEESE-E-BIKE TOUR:
Cyclists roll through a pastoral 20-mile trail ride, then enjoy artisan eats, including Vermont’s award-wining cheddar. Lamoille Valley Bike Tours, Johnson, noon4 p.m. $120. Info, 730-0161.
GREAT VERMONT CORN MAZE: With a new design every year, this sprawling labyrinth presents a fresh challenge for fall-time revelers. Great Vermont Corn Maze, Danville, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. $15-30; free for kids 4 and under. Info, 397-8574.
BIKE BUM RACE SERIES:
Mountain bikers of all ages tackle the trails solo or in teams, then cool down at an athlete after-party. Killington Resort, 2-5 p.m. $20-200; preregister. Info, 800-734-9435.
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.
SHAKESPEARE IN THE WOODS:
The Bard gets a radical update with unconventional and modern productions of Richard II and Love’s Labour’s Lost presented outdoors. The Equinox Golf Resort & Spa, Manchester, 7:30-9 p.m. $0-100 sliding scale. Info, 779-3315.
PASTURE WALK: Ag-minded individuals join up for a trek through the farm’s green spaces to learn about low-input grazing-intensive organic dairy and hear from expert Sarah Flack. Northwind Farm, Walden, 10 a.m.-noon. Free; preregister. Info, 989-0534.
GROW YOUR BUSINESS:
KNIT FOR YOUR NEIGHBORS: 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.
NEVER TOO EARLY CONFERENCE FOR EARLY EDUCATORS: A practical, engaging, hands-on experience helps attendees discover fresh tools, resources and concrete ideas to use in the classroom. Lake Morey Resort, Fairlee, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. $10; preregister. Info, wmartin@ vermonthumanities.org.
BTV CLEAN UP CREW: Good Samaritans dispose of needles, trash and other unwanted objects. BYO gloves encouraged. Top of Church St., Burlington, 7:30-10 a.m. Free. Info, 863-2345. etc.
40TH ANNIVERSARY
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
‘OKLAHOMA! IN CONCERT’: Lyric Theatre and Vermont Symphony Orchestra present a concert version of the beloved Rodgers and Hammerstein musical about a farm girl and her two rival suitors. The von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort Concert Meadow, Stowe, 7:30-9:30 p.m. $79-125. Info, 864-5741.
TAYLOR PARK SUMMER
CONCERT SERIES: Local bands play dynamic grooves while listeners enjoy green grass, refreshments and an evening breeze. See downtownsaintalbans.com for lineup. Taylor Park, St. Albans, 5:30-8 p.m. Free. Info, 524-1500, ext. 263.
TWISTED PINE: Dubbed “a band to watch” by NPR, the dynamic group shape-shifts across genres from funk to bluegrass. Dartmouth
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.
HULA STORY SESSIONS: YELO:
CEO Liam Redmond and company adviser Mattison sit down to talk about their journey growing the standout rideshare platform. Hula, Burlington, 3 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 540-8153.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS DESK:
Locals connect with representatives from the Burlington Electric Department and receive answers to questions about its services. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 3-5 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.
COMMUNITY FEST: The pizza pioneer beckons friends to a joyous celebration marking four decades in operation, complete with complimentary slices, live local music, art installations and a bonfire gathering. American Flatbread Waitsfield Hearth, 5-9 p.m. Free; cash bar. Info, 496-8856. GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY: Upper Valley Services invites community members to celebrate the commencement of construction on the Hamesbest Project — an innovative housing model designed to expand choice and access for individuals with disabilities. Judd Hall, Vermont State University, Randolph Center, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 728-4476.
fairs & festivals VERMONT STATE FAIR: See WED.13.
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, noon, 2 & 4 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $16.50-20; free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.
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.
BABY TIME: Infants and their caregivers enjoy a slow, soothing story featuring songs, rhymes and lap play. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.
SUMMER CELEBRATION: No Strings Marionette delights attendees of all ages with a performance of “ e Stinky Cheese Man Show,” featuring Vermont-made puppets in a captivating tale about the value of friendship and acceptance. Maple Street Park, Essex Junction, 5:30-7 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.
TEEN GRAB & GO: MUG PIZZA: Hungry teenagers pop by the library to grab a kit packed with ingredients to make a custom, cheesy treat. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 9 a.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.
WATER PLAY: Tots ages birth to 5 get wet and wild at an outdoor fest of giant blocks, hoops, chalk, bubbles, sounds and splashes. BYO towel or change of clothes. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.
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, 10:3011:30 a.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.
FAMILY CHESS CLUB: Players of all ages and abilities test their skills with instructor Robert and peers. KelloggHubbard Library, 2nd Floor, Children’s Library, Montpelier, 3:30-5 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.
HOMESCHOOL BOOK GROUP: Kids ages 10 to 15 who learn at home bond over books. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 1-2 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338. upper valley
SENSORY STORY HOUR: TAILS ON THE FARM: Caregivers and children ages 3 to 5 explore the farm and its inhabitants through stories, songs, poetry and sensory exploration. Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, 9:30-10:30 a.m. $10-12; preregister. Info, 457-2355.
northeast kingdom
ENCHANTED KINGDOM MINI GOLF: Putters of all ages hit the artist-designed course for some lighthearted competition, whimsy and thrills. Highland Center for the Arts, Greensboro, noon-8 p.m. $4-5. Info, 533-2000.
‘BEING THE ANCHOR FOR YOUR CHILD: STAYING CALM IN THE STORM OF BIG EMOTIONS’: Clinical social
16 & 17 | FAMILY FUN
Favorite daughter Frances Margaret Allen (that’s Fanny, to you) gets her own moment in the sun at Ethan Allen Homestead Museum in Burlington. Vermont residents enjoy free admission to the history-happy event, which features guided garden and house tours, a flax harvest, and a reenactor portraying Fanny herself. Short film screenings, book signings and lectures add to the entertainment for mom and dad, while authentic activities such as making a stone tool, ash pounding and deciphering cursive handwriting put 18th-century life in perspective for the whole fam — and might make modern kiddos a little more grateful for modern conveniences on the drive home.
FANNY’S WEEKEND
Saturday, August 16, and Sunday, August 17, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at the Ethan Allen Homestead Museum in Burlington. Regular admission, $7-15; free for Vermont residents and kids under 5. Info, 865-4556, ethanallenhomestead.org.
worker Greeta Soderholm leads this virtual workshop for parents and caregivers seeking practical tools for managing their child’s intense reactions and challenging behaviors at home. Hosted by Vermont Family Network. 1-2 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 876-5315.
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.
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.
SHELBURNE SUMMER NIGHTS: e museum opens its exhibits to one and all while the lawn overflows with food trucks, games and live music. Shelburne Museum, 5-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 985-3346.
STORYBOOK HOUR & CRAFTS: Beachgoers ages 2 to 8 and their caregivers gather for lakeside tales, summer fun and creativity. Sand Bar State Park, Milton, 11 a.m.-noon. Free; $2-5 park entry fee. Info, 893-2825.
TEEN GRAB & GO: MUG PIZZA: See WED.13.
POKÉMON CLUB: I choose you, Pikachu! Elementary and teenage fans of the
SHIPWRECK TOURS: What lies beneath? Spectators view real-time footage of a sunken craft transmitted from a robotic camera. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, 10 a.m.-noon. $2545; preregister. Info, 475-2022.
ACORN CLUB STORY TIME: Youngsters 5 and under play, sing, hear stories and color. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 10:15-10:45 a.m. Free. Info, 745-1391.
ENCHANTED KINGDOM MINI GOLF: See WED.13.
LEGACY SERIES: ‘WHEN I PUT ON YOUR GLOVE’: Audience members ages 14 and up take in a poignant puppet piece about belonging, memory and intergenerational dialogues. Sandglass eater, Putney, 7 p.m. $18-22. Info, 387-4051.
SPLASH DANCE: Kiddos soak up sunshine and fun in the fountain while DJs spin family-friendly tracks. Burlington City Hall Park, 4-6 p.m. Free. Info, eindorato@burlingtoncityarts.org.
KIDS DAY AT RICHMOND FARMERS
MARKET: A special edition of the market celebrates young attendees with activities including a magic show, a scavenger hunt, yard games, a giant bubble station, yoga and mini golf. Volunteers Green, Richmond, 3-6:30 p.m. Free. Info, rfmmanager@gmail.com.
TEEN GRAB & GO: MUG PIZZA: See WED.13.
BASEMENT TEEN CENTER: A drop-in hangout session welcomes kids ages 12 to 17 for lively games, arts and crafts, and snacks. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 2-8 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.
LEGO CLUB: Budding builders create geometric structures with snap-together blocks. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 3:30-5 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.
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, 2nd Floor, Children’s Library, Montpelier, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.
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.
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
STORY TIME: Preschoolers take part in tales, tunes and playtime. Latham Library, etford, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 785-4361.
northeast kingdom
ENCHANTED KINGDOM MINI GOLF: See WED.13.
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.
FLICKS IN THE PARK: ‘FLOW’:
Gints Zilbalodis’ animated, wordless Oscar winner follows Cat as he seeks refuge from flooding on a boat populated by various species. Burlington City Hall Park, 8-9:30 p.m. Free. Info, 660-2600.
‘THE GRATEFUL DEAD MOVIE’:
An immersive film experience captures the iconic band’s 1974 San Francisco concert through electrifying live performances coupled with animation, candid backstage footage and interviews. Loew Auditorium, Hopkins Center for the Arts, Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H., 7-9:30 p.m. $5-15. Info, 603-646-2422.
‘OCEAN PARADISE 3D’: Viewers travel to the far reaches of the Pacific Ocean for a glimpse into the pristine environments vital to our planet’s health. 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; free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.
‘SEA MONSTERS 3D: A PREHISTORIC ADVENTURE’:
Footage of paleontological digs from around the globe tells a compelling story of scientists working as detectives to answer questions about an ancient and mysterious ocean world. 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; free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.
‘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, 11:30 a.m., 1:30 & 3:30 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $16.50-20; free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.
food & drink
BILLINGS BACKYARD:
CHARCUTERIE: Gastronomes celebrate the peak of summer with an array of fresh flavors while crafting their own stunning meat and cheese boards. Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, 5:30-7 p.m. $140-150 per couple. Info, 457-2355.
FOOD TRUCK ROUNDUP: Foodies enjoy live music, craft beer and fabulous fare from local purveyors at a weekly summer gathering. Retreat Farm, Brattleboro, 5-8 p.m. $5-8. Info, 490-2270.
ST. ALBANS BAY FARMERS MARKET: Local vendors’ art and crafts, live music, and a wide array of eats spice up Thursday afternoons in the region. St. Albans Bay Park, 4:30-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 524-7589.
A TASTE OF NEW ENGLAND: Superstar chefs serve up exclusive dinners, showcases and demos so foodies can taste inspired regional fare and
The Vermont Playwrights Circle knows exactly what modern audiences want: 10 original shorts penned by locals, delivered in one palatable package. Now in its 18th year, TenFest returns with the theme of “Discovery” to entertain theatergoers at the Valley Players Theater in Waitsfield. Shiny new 10-minute plays take center stage at the micro-fest of epic proportions, where the only plot prerequisite is a built-in moment of revelation. Some works make you think, some pull your heartstrings, and one — Colleen Curran’s “Moonlight In Vermont” — finds you waiting for Bigfoot with a couple who connected via Seven Days’ I Spy message board.
TENFEST: DISCOVERY
Thursday, August 14, through Saturday, August 16, 7 p.m.; and Sunday, August 17, 2 p.m., at the Valley Players Theater in Waitsfield. See website for additional dates. $12-14. Info, 583-1674, vtplays.com.
sommelier-selected drinks. The Spruce Peak Village Green, Stowe, 6 p.m. Various prices. Info, 844-367-1672.
VERGENNES FARMERS MARKET: Locavores delight in handmade products, live music, hot food and a new beer tent. Vergennes City Park, 3-7 p.m. Free. Info, vergennesfm@gmail.com.
games
BRIDGE CLUB: A lively group plays a classic, tricky game in pairs. Waterbury Public Library, 12:304:30 p.m. Free. Info, 522-3523.
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.
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.
health & fitness
COMMUNITY
MINDFULNESS: Volunteer coach Andrea Marion guides attendees in a weekly practice for stress reduction, followed by a discussion and Q&A. 5:30-6:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, andreamarion193@gmail.com.
‘HEALTHY LIVING FOR YOUR BRAIN & BODY’: The Vermont
Alzheimer’s Association raises awareness at a community-driven lunch-and-learn discussion exploring the latest research and treatment. Pizza provided. Hula, Burlington, noon. Free; preregister. Info, 540-8153.
VON TRAPP SUMMER TRAIL
SERIES: Athletes embark on a low-frills 5K race through the property’s stunning forests and soak up the area’s stellar views. The von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort, Stowe, 5:30-7 p.m. $5-10. Info, 253-5719.
A2VT: A Burlington group synthesizes their native African musical and dance roots with Western pop and hip-hop sensibilities. A book and bake sale complete the night. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.
BENEFIT CONCERT: Vocalist Kaoru Azuma, guitarist Jesse Forest, pianist Parker Shper and bassist Robinson Morse join forces to perform popular songs, jazz standards and contemporary gospel tunes. Proceeds benefit the church’s Monday Lunch program. Unitarian Church of Montpelier, 7-9 p.m. By donation. Info, jessedforest@gmail.com.
CENTRAL VERMONT CHAMBER
MUSIC FESTIVAL: A week of stirring music for violin, viola, cello, classical guitar and piano includes works by Ludvig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert and
Antonín Dvořák. Chandler Center for the Arts, Randolph, 7 p.m. Various prices. Info, 457-3981. CRAFTSBURY CHAMBER
PLAYERS: See WED.13. Hardwick Town House, 7:30 p.m.
FEAST & FIELD: ZIKINA: A cross-cultural group unites listeners of all stripes with infectious energy and upbeat tunes. Fable Farm, Barnard, 5:30-9 p.m. $5-25. Info, 234-1645.
GYPSY BLUE REVUE: Blues guitarist JP Soars and the Red Hots join forces with electric violinist Anne Harris for a showstopping performance blending genres. BYO lawn chair or blanket. Twin Ponds Campgrounds, Peru, N.Y., 5-8 p.m. $12; free for kids under 18; preregister. Info, 518-593-3400.
LAKE MOREY SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: GRACE BOWERS & THE HODGE PODGE: An award-winning 18-year-old singer-songwriter reminds concertgoers why Rolling Stone magazine crowned her “Nashville’s new guitar hero.” Lake Morey Resort, Fairlee, 8 p.m. Free. Info, 748-2600.
LITTLE RIVER SUMMER MUSIC SERIES: Sixteen weeks of dynamic performers, local food vendors, craft cocktails, beer and mingling offer the perfect escape after a hot summer day. See bluebirdhotels.com for lineup. Tälta Lodge Bluebird, Stowe, 5-8 p.m. $10-15. Info, 253-7525.
MAPLE TREE PLACE SUMMER
CONCERT SERIES: KISSTORY: A high-octane tribute act captures the magic, spirit and sound of glam-rock band Kiss. Maple Tree Place, Williston, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, jkelley@acadiarealty.com.
MUSIC IN THE VINEYARD SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: A HOUSE ON FIRE: The Vermont group’s hip, recognizable dance tunes get toes a-tappin’ while local food trucks serve up tasty treats. Snow Farm Vineyard, South Hero, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, 372-9463.
‘OKLAHOMA! IN CONCERT’: See WED.13.
ON THE DOOR RADIO: A laid-back summer series features tantalizing food-truck fare and a rotating pair of local DJs backed by sunset cocktail vibes. Coal Collective, Burlington, 5-9 p.m. Free. Info, info@thepineryvt.com.
THURSDAYS BY THE LAKE: MAL MAÏZ: A psychedelic Latin outfit captivates downtown listeners with a blend of traditional and modern Central and South American tunes. Union Station, Burlington, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 540-3018.
AUGUST BIRD MONITORING
WALK: New and experienced avian admirers take an outdoor stroll to observe flying, feathered friends. BYO binoculars. Green Mountain Audubon Center, Huntington, 7-9 a.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, 434-3068.
E-BIKE & BREW TOUR: Pedal lovers cycle through scenic trails and drink in the views with stops at four local breweries. Lamoille Valley Bike Tours, Johnson, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. $85. Info, 730-0161.
FOREST SIT: Attendees quietly observe the sights and sounds of a mini meadow to restore their spirits and rest their minds. Birds of Vermont Museum, Huntington, 10-11 a.m. $5-15 suggested donation; preregister. Info, 434-2167.
GREAT VERMONT CORN MAZE: See WED.13.
MINH LY: In “Democracy Demands Accountability,” a University of Vermont assistant professor of political science zooms in on topics such as democratic theory, economic and global justice, human rights philosophy, and civic education. The Current, Stowe, 5-6 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 253-8358.
RICH DOOLEN: The Emergency Management Shelter group director discusses what folks should consider in the event of an unexpected disaster with his enlightening talk, “Are We Prepared for an Emergency?” Brookfield Old Town Hall, 6:30-8 p.m. Free. Info, 363-2598.
TALKING ARCHAEOLOGY: Archaeologists share details about Lake Champlain’s history and dive deep into the discoveries, artifacts and unique stories they’ve uncovered. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, 7-8 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 475-2022.
tech
AUTOMATION BLOCK PARTY: OnLogic and Massive Dimension team up to showcase the future of manufacturing technologies in a mini trade show environment. Rigorous Technology, Williston, 3-6 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 870-3700.
theater
SHAKESPEARE IN THE WOODS: See WED.13.
TENFEST: DISCOVERY: The Vermont Playwrights Circle serves up a smorgasbord of 10-minute one-acts at this bite-size festival. See calendar spotlight. The Valley Players Theater, Waitsfield, 7 p.m. $12-14. Info, 583-1674.
words
EVENING BOOK GROUP: Bibliophiles share their read on Ethan Tapper’s How to Love a Forest: The Bittersweet Work of Tending a Changing World, which outlines the importance of forestry and stewardship in Vermont.
Essex Free Library, 6-7 p.m. Free. Info, 879-0313.
etc.
DOWNTOWN BLOCK PARTIES: Neighbors gather for live music, delectable food options, community-building and convivial activities. Rotary Park, Winooski, 5-8 p.m. Free. Info, info@ downtownwinooski.org.
JANE AUSTEN WEEKEND: ‘PRIDE AND PREJUDICE’: A leisurely weekend of literary-inspired diversions includes dessert, tea, a Regency-style dinner party, Sunday brunch and talks. Governor’s House in Hyde Park, 8 p.m. Various prices. Info, 888-6888.
QUEEN CITY GHOSTWALK: DARKNESS FALLS TOUR:
Paranormal historian Holli
Bushnell highlights haunted happenings throughout Burlington. 199 Main St., Burlington, 8 p.m. $25. Info, mail@ queencityghostwalk.com.
& festivals
SWEET CORN CELEBRATION: Dust off your overalls! A festive showdown in the hills promises a cornhole tournament, live music by Mike Hunyadi, wood-fired
pizza, street corn grilled to perfection and a market full of local goodies. Peacham Farmers Market, 4-7 p.m. Free; cost of food. Info, peachamfarmersmarket@ gmail.com.
VERMONT STATE FAIR: See WED.13.
film
See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.
‘A HARD DAY’S NIGHT’: Beatles fans flock to see the 1964 comedy starring the Fab Four in a blast of wit, energy and enthusiasm. The Screening Room @ VTIFF, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7-8:30 p.m. $6-12. Info, 660-2600.
‘ANIMAL KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.14.
‘MARLEE MATLIN: NOT ALONE ANYMORE’: Viewers take in Shoshannah Stern’s 2025 documentary feature exploring the life of the groundbreaking performer. Haskell Free Library & Opera House, Derby Line, 7 p.m. $5. Info, cinemahaskell@gmail.com.
‘OCEAN PARADISE 3D’: See THU.14.
‘SEA MONSTERS 3D: A PREHISTORIC ADVENTURE’: See THU.14.
‘SPACE: THE NEW FRONTIER 3D’: See THU.14.
RICHMOND FARMERS MARKET:
An open-air marketplace complete with live music connects cultivators and fresh-food browsers. Volunteers Green, Richmond, 3-6:30 p.m. Free; cost of goods. Info, rfmmanager@gmail.com.
SOUTH END GET DOWN: Local food trucks dish out mouthwatering meals and libations while live DJs and outdoor entertainment add to the ambience. Coal Collective, Burlington, 5-9 p.m. Free; cost of food and drink. Info, 363-9305.
A TASTE OF NEW ENGLAND: See THU.14, 5 p.m.
games
DUPLICATE BRIDGE GAMES: See THU.14, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
MAH-JONGG: Tile traders of all experience levels gather for a rousing game. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 1-3 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.
THE ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION
EXERCISE PROGRAM: Pauline Nolte leads participants in a low-impact, evidenced-based program that builds muscle, keeps joints flexible and helps folks stay fit. Waterbury Public Library, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 241-4840.
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.
ITALIAN CONVERSATION:
Advanced and intermediate speakers practice their skills at a conversazione based on the “News in Slow Italian” podcast. Pickering Room, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, noon-1:30 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.
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.
ANA GUIGUI: An acclaimed pianist and vocalist entertains listeners with a wide variety of
styles and genres. The Brandon Inn, 7-8 p.m. Free. Info, 747-8300.
BCA SUMMER CONCERT SERIES:
SKYLARK: The trailblazing Vermont string quartet performs a genre-blending selection of
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.
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
jazz, classical, American folk and Celtic tunes. Burlington City Hall Park, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Free. Info, 829-6305.
CHETFEST: Musical acts Drama Dolls, Cobalt Tolbert, Modist and Claytone perform on a working dairy farm for an evening of good vibes and views. Wayside Farm, Brookefield, 5 p.m. $20; preregister. Info, 279-3276.
CONCERTS IN THE COURTYARD: Music aficionados of all ages tune in to a weekly summer series featuring live outdoor performances by noteworthy talent. See benningtonmuseum.org for lineup. Bennington Museum, 5-7 p.m. Free. Info, 447-1571.
CONCERTS ON THE GREEN: Guests get cozy on the grass while local legends take the stage to perform feel-good toe-tappers. See campmeade.today for lineup. Camp Meade, Middlesex, 5-8 p.m. Free. Info, info@ campmeade.today.
FRIDAY NIGHT MUSIC: New vinos, hopping live tunes, tasty food truck provisions and picnic blankets make for a relaxing evening among the vines. See lincolnpeakvineyard.com for lineup. Lincoln Peak Vineyard, New Haven, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, 388-7368.
LOU BARLOW: The pioneering altrock artist — and founding member of Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh and the Folk Implosion — brings solo lo-fi sounds to Vermont listeners. Plainfield Town Hall Opera House, 7 p.m. $30-40. Info, 454-1286.
MARLBORO MUSIC FESTIVAL:
Pianists and artistic directors
Mitsuko Uchida and Jonathan Biss present a series of classical concerts over five weekends. Persons Auditorium, Potash Hill campus, Marlboro, 8-9:30 p.m. $20-40. Info, 254-2394.
MIDDLEBURY CARILLON SERIES: Bells ring out across the campus in weekly performances by a rotating cast of extraordinary carillonneurs. See middlebury.edu for lineup. Middlebury Chapel, 6 p.m. Free. Info, 443-3168.
MUSIC IN THE ALLEY: HELEN
GILLET: A Belgian-born singer-songwriter and cellist broadens listeners’ musical horizons with an eclectic mix of experimental, jazz, folk, funk, pop and classical tunes. Jack’s Alley, Waterbury, 6-9 p.m. Free. Info, 578-5028.
‘OKLAHOMA! IN CONCERT’: See WED.13.
SOUNDS GOOD: FRIDAY NIGHTS
LIVE: A family-friendly summer concert series invites music lovers of all ages to gather under the stars for exceptional entertainment, local flavor and delectable fare. BYO chairs and blankets encouraged. See svac. org for lineup. Southern Vermont Arts Center Arkell Pavilion, Manchester Center, 5-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, 362-1405.
outdoors
CABOT CHEESE-E-BIKE TOUR: See WED.13.
E-BIKE & BREW TOUR: See THU.14.
GREAT VERMONT CORN MAZE: See WED.13.
sports
FRIDAY NIGHT DINGHY RACING: Skippers with previous sailing knowledge celebrate the end of the week with some nautical competition. Bring or borrow a boat. Community Sailing Center, Burlington, 5-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 864-2499.
tech
MORNING TECH HELP: Experts answer questions about phones, laptops, e-readers and other devices in one-on-one sessions. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 846-4140.
theater
‘IVANOV’: Scholar Laura Strausfeld directs TV star Sam Underwood in Anton Chekhov’s four-act drama following an emotionally stranded man surrounded by others who are just as unhappy. Unadilla Theatre, Marshfield, 7:30-9:30 p.m. $1530. Info, 546-0406.
‘NINE PARTS OF DESIRE’:
Audience members take in an intimate portrait of Iraqi women
living through dictatorship, war and occupation. Unadilla Theatre, Marshfield, 7:30-9:30 p.m. $30. Info, 845-867-3257.
‘OH YOU BEAST DESCENDANTS’:
Audience members witness a brand-new, politically charged production of puppetry that evolves over the course of the summer. Bread and Puppet Theater, Glover, 7 p.m. $15. Info, 525-3031.
SHAKESPEARE IN THE WOODS: See WED.13.
TENFEST: DISCOVERY: See THU.14.
SUMMER FARM TOUR: THE GOAT PROJECT: Vermont Land Trust invites locavores to explore an 80-acre farm where luscious goat milk transforms into soap and cheese. The Goat Project, Bennington, 10 a.m.-noon. Free; donations accepted; preregister. Info, sam@vlt.org.
bazaars
MAKER’S MARKET: Shoppers discover unique, handmade goods and meet the talented people behind them at a weekly showcase of local artists, bakers, distillers and crafters. Addison West, Waitsfield, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free; cost of items. Info, 528-7951.
REPAIR CAFÉ: Volunteers troubleshoot computers, bikes, furniture and whatever else comes through the door — and teach locals how to fix their things themselves. 12-22 North Street, Burlington, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Free. Info, 540-2524.
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.
dance
BERLIN CONTRA DANCE: Dancers of all ages and abilities learn at a gathering that encourages joy, laughter and friendship. Bring clean, soft-soled shoes. See website for callers and bands. Capital City Grange, Berlin, 8-11 p.m. $5-20 sliding scale. Info, 225-8921.
environment
COMMUNITY CLEANUP: Helpful hands join up with reps from the Rozalia Project to beautify Winooski’s waterfront spaces. Gloves, buckets and grabbers provided. Downtown Winooski, 10 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, info@ rozaliaproject.org. etc.
BLOOD DRIVE: Participants part with life-sustaining pints at this donation event hosted by the St. Albans Knights of Columbus Council 297. St. Albans City Hall, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 800-733-2767.
The Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival tantalizes classical music lovers’ ears with nine days of sonic delights. This year, “Mozartiana: The Creative Phenomenon” sets the tone for a packed program of workshops, live performances and lectures across Chittenden County. The fest kicks off on Saturday with a string-focused seminar and a special screening of Miloš Forman’s classic 1984 film Amadeus. Sunday stirs senses with “Mozart’s Transcendence,” a concert introduced by artistic director Soovin Kim and historian Paul Berry. Monday brings more master class fun, Tuesday beckons Bach enthusiasts to Burlington, and Wednesday continues the tuneful times with the Young Composers Sounding Board. And just wait — there’s even more to come!
LAKE CHAMPLAIN CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL
Saturday, August 16, 10 a.m.; Sunday, August 17, 2:15 p.m.; Monday, August 18, 10 a.m.; Tuesday, August 19, noon; and Wednesday, August 20, 1 p.m., at various Chittenden County locations. See website for additional dates. Various prices. Info, 846-2175, lccmf.org.
CASTLETON COLONIAL DAY
HOUSE TOUR: History buffs step back in time at a self-guided tour of the town’s outstanding private homes, public buildings and notable sites. Various Castleton locations, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. $1820; free for kids 12 and under. Info, 468-5691.
MILLS RIVERSIDE PARK 25TH
ANNIVERSARY: Revelers mark a quarter century of the beloved green space with delicious food, family-friendly activities and live music by the Buck Hollers. Mills Riverside Park, Jericho, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, jupdistrict@gmail.com.
NORTH POLE SPORTS CARDS & COLLECTIBLES SHOW: Collectors browse a wide array of vintage, rare and common cards, as well
as action figures, records, comic books and other unique finds. Arrowhead Senior Citizen Center, Milton, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free; cost of cards and collectibles. Info, 782-4500.
QUEEN CITY GHOSTWALK: DARKNESS FALLS TOUR: See FRI.15.
TWILIGHT BLOCK PARTY: Locavores shop, sip and soak in the energy at a summer market replete with unique makers, area food purveyors, and live music by the Albany Sound and Sheepskin. Burlington City Hall Park, 4-8 p.m. Free. Info, 829-6395.
POCOCK ROCKS MUSIC FESTIVAL & STREET FAIR: Performances by regional acts enliven this
celebration of artisanal crafts and specialty food and drink. See discoverbristolvt.com for lineup. Downtown Bristol, 2-7 p.m. Free. Info, 922-0357.
VERMONT STATE FAIR: See WED.13.
film
See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section. ‘ANIMAL KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.14.
‘BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS’: They seek fame, but the three young women in this candy-colored 1970 camp film find drugs, sex and sleaze instead. The Screening Room @ VTIFF, Main Street Landing Performing Arts
Center, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 660-2600.
‘THE GRATEFUL DEAD MOVIE’: See THU.14, 4-6:30 p.m.
‘LOST NATION’: See WED.13. A Q&A with the director follows. Brookfield Old Town Hall, 7-9 p.m. Free. Info, abelisle2@comcast.net.
‘MANHANDLED’: Pianist Jeff Rapsis improvises a live score for this riotous 1924 silent comedy flick starring Gloria
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
Swanson. Brandon Town Hall, 7 p.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, 603-236-9237.
‘OCEAN PARADISE 3D’: See THU.14.
‘SEA MONSTERS 3D: A
PREHISTORIC ADVENTURE’: See THU.14.
‘SPACE: THE NEW FRONTIER 3D’: See THU.14.
food & drink
CHAMPLAIN ISLANDS FARMERS
MARKET: More than 35 vendors showcase their farm-fresh veggies, meats, eggs, flowers, honey and other goodies, backed by sets of live local music. Champlain Islands Farmers Market, Grand Isle, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, champlain islandsfarmersmkt@gmail.com.
JANE AUSTEN TEA: Regency revelers jam out at a Victorian-style tea
party while learning about the teatime traditions of the writer’s era. Governor’s House in Hyde Park, 2:30-4:30 p.m. $42; preregister. Info, 888-6888.
NORTHWEST FARMERS MARKET:
Locavores stock up on produce, preserves, baked goods, and arts and crafts. Taylor Park, St. Albans, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 242-2729. ST. JOHNSBURY FARMERS
MARKET: Growers, bakers, makers and crafters gather weekly at booths centered on local eats. Pearl St. & Eastern Ave., St. Johnsbury, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, cfmamanager@gmail.com.
SUMMER GARDEN ADVENTURE
DINNER: A stunning shared meal cooked over an open flame highlights nearby farms’ produce, meats and cheeses. Horsford Gardens & Nursery, Charlotte,
5-8 p.m. $185. Info, sas@ adventuredinner.com.
A TASTE OF NEW ENGLAND: See THU.14, 5:30 p.m.
games
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.
MAH-JONGG: Tile traders face off in the ancient Chinese game often compared to gin rummy and poker. Waterbury Public Library, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, judi@ waterburypubliclibrary.com.
YOGA AT THE STATEHOUSE: Participants limber up on the lawn with Montpelier’s Grateful Yoga to raise awareness and funds for Prevent Child Abuse Vermont. Vermont Statehouse lawn, Montpelier, 9-11 a.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister. Info, chrissy@gratefulyogavt.com.
ANA GUIGUI: See FRI.15. BANDWAGON SUMMER SERIES: CHARLIE & THE TROPICALES AND HEATHER PIERSON TRIO: A double bill showcases electrifying tropical grooves and joyful jazz tunes for outdoor listeners. The Putney Inn, 6 p.m. $22-25; free for kids under 12. Info, 387-0102.
CENTRAL VERMONT CHAMBER
MUSIC FESTIVAL: See THU.14, 7:30 p.m.
COOLER IN THE MOUNTAINS
CONCERT SERIES: Top regional and national acts delight audience members of all stripes at a weekly summer offering backed by unparalleled views. See killington.com for lineup. K-1 Lodge, Killington, 3-5:50 p.m. Free. Info, 800-621-6867.
HAIDUCK & HECKENDORN
QUARTET: Listeners settle in around tables while the four-piece delights with a cabaret-style showcase of tunes from the Great American Songbook. BYOB. Homer Knight Barn, Island Arts Center, North Hero, 7-9 p.m. $20-25. Info, 372-8889.
LAKE CHAMPLAIN CHAMBER
MUSIC FESTIVAL: ‘MOZARTIANA:
THE CREATIVE PHENOMENON’:
Nine days of master classes, performances, lectures by lauded musicians and a special film screening tantalize the ears of classical listeners. See lccmf.org for full schedule. See calendar spotlight. Various locations. Various prices. Info, 846-2175.
MARLBORO MUSIC FESTIVAL: See FRI.15.
NU MU 4: THE SHADE TREE: A community-oriented music festival brings together well-known jazz musicians and local talent, creating singular opportunities for collaboration and experimentation. See 118elliot.com for lineup. 118 Elliot, Brattleboro, 7 p.m. By donation. Info, 917-239-8743.
SUMMER SOUNDS CONCERT
SERIES: Gifted musicians from Vermont and beyond assume the spotlight to entertain and delight local listeners. Town Hall Theater, Middlebury, 5:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 382-9222.
outdoors
CABOT CHEESE-E-BIKE TOUR: See WED.13.
E-BIKE & BREW TOUR: See THU.14.
GREAT VERMONT CORN MAZE: See WED.13.
TRAIL CLINIC: Fellowship of the Wheel teaches eager volunteers about mountain bike trail construction, including tools for the job and methods to safely execute a project. Hinesburg Town Forest, 9 a.m.-noon. Free; preregister. Info, info@fotwheel.org.
seminars
NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION:
Curious creatives and multimedia enthusiasts get a tour of the facilities and check out available gear. The Media Factory, Burlington, 1-3 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister. Info, 651-9692.
NEW VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION:
Good Samaritans learn about lending a hand with the center’s BTV Clean Up Crew and other community-focused opportunities. Peace & Justice Center, Burlington, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 863-2345.
LEARN TO HUNT: WATERFOWL:
The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department invites aspiring hunters of all stripes to learn about gear, regulations, boating safety, and cleaning and cooking techniques through hands-on instruction and discussions. North Country Sportsmen’s Club, Williston, 9 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 828-1000.
theater
‘IVANOV’: See FRI.15.
SHAKESPEARE IN THE WOODS: See WED.13.
TENFEST: DISCOVERY: See THU.14.
words
WORDS IN THE WOODS: MICHAEL DUMANIS: Locals and visitors take in the state’s natural beauty while listening to a Vermont Book Award finalist share inspiring selections from his collections. Molly Stark State Park, Wilmington, 11 a.m.-noon. Free; preregister. Info, jpelletier@ vermonthumanities.org.
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.
WRITERS’ WERTFREI: Authors both fledgling and published share their work in a nonjudgmental setting. Virtual option available. Waterbury Public Library, 10 a.m.-noon.
Free; preregister. Info, judi@ waterburypubliclibrary.com.
bazaars
SODA PLANT SUNDAYS: Locavores flock to an indoor-outdoor flea market complete with vendors, games, live music and vintage goods. The Soda Plant, Burlington, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Free; cost of items. Info, 610-4217.
YARN CRAFTERS GROUP: See WED.13, 1-3 p.m. film
See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.
‘ANIMAL KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.14.
‘OCEAN PARADISE 3D’: See THU.14.
‘SEA MONSTERS 3D: A PREHISTORIC ADVENTURE’: See THU.14.
‘SPACE: THE NEW FRONTIER 3D’: See THU.14.
PIE & ICE CREAM SOCIAL: The Vergennes City Band soundtracks this community-driven feast of homemade treats. Vergennes City Park, 6-8 p.m. $7. Info, 417-4300.
VERSHIRE ARTISAN & FARMERS
MARKET: Foodies, farmers and their friends buy and sell freshgrown produce and handmade treasures at this “teaching market” that provides youth vendors with essential business skills. Vershire Town Center, 12:30-3:30 p.m. Free. Info, 331-0434.
WINOOSKI FARMERS MARKET: Area growers and bakers offer ethnic fare, assorted harvests and agricultural products against a backdrop of live music. Winooski Falls Way, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, info@ downtownwinooski.org.
DUPLICATE BRIDGE GAMES: See THU.14, 1-4:30 p.m.
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.
YOGA FOR GRIEF & HEALING: Empty Arms Vermont hosts a special class for individuals who have experienced pregnancy or infant loss. Virtual option available. Kismet Place, Williston,
7:30-8:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 232-2512.
music
THE ALEX RILEY COMBO: Lit lovers enjoy live tunes by the local jazz guitarist and his musical friends. The Norwich Bookstore, 1-2 p.m. Free. Info, 649-1114.
BCA SUNDAY CLASSICAL: CATAMOUNT QUARTET: A beloved summer series showcases some of the state’s most gifted classical musicians while listeners enjoy their morning coffee outdoors. Burlington City Hall Park, 10-11 a.m. Free. Info, 829-6305.
CONCERTS ON THE GREEN: See FRI.15, 3-6 p.m.
LAKE CHAMPLAIN CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL: ‘MOZARTIANA: THE CREATIVE PHENOMENON’: See SAT.16, 2:15 p.m.
LEVITT AMP ST. JOHNSBURY MUSIC SERIES: AFRO-ANDEAN FUNK: The pioneering world music fusionists bridge cultural and geographic divides at this celebration of various musical traditions. Dog Mountain, St. Johnsbury, 5-7 p.m. Free. Info, 748-2600.
MARLBORO MUSIC FESTIVAL: See FRI.15, 2:30-4 p.m.
NU MU 4: THE SHADE TREE: See SAT.16, 11 a.m.
RIVER RHYTHMS SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: Good tunes and good times meet at this outdoor music series and beer garden. Juana’s Garden, Montpelier, 4-8 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister. Info, 917-1009.
SUMMER SOUNDS CONCERT SERIES: See SAT.16, 6 p.m. VERMONT JAZZ ENSEMBLE: Andy Gagnon directs the beloved big band while picnickers enjoy swing dancing out on the lawn. Homer Knight Barn, Island Arts Center, North Hero, 4 p.m. $20-25. Info, 372-8889.
GREAT VERMONT CORN MAZE: See WED.13.
TREE IDENTIFICATION FOR BIRDERS & FRIENDS: Forester Kathleen Stutzman leads a nature walk focused on naming and appreciating flora of all kinds. Birds of Vermont Museum, Huntington, 3 p.m. $10-30 suggested donation; preregister. Info, 434-2167.
CYCLE THE CITY: Pedalers embark on a casually paced clockwise loop showcasing the history, culture and splendor of Burlington. Local Motion, Burlington, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 861-2700.
JIM DOUGLAS: In “Vermont: The State With an Outsized Influence on Our Country” the former Green Mountain governor sheds light on Vermonters — well known or not — who have influenced the nation. Ethan Allen Homestead Museum, Burlington, 2-3 p.m. Free. Info, 865-4556.
‘IVANOV’: See FRI.15, 2-4 p.m.
‘OUR DOMESTIC RESURRECTION
REVOLUTION IN PROGRESS
CIRCUS’: Bread and Puppet’s spectacular summer show features colorful puppetry, stilt dancing and acrobatics, all backed by a riotous brass band. Bread and Puppet Theater, Glover, 3 p.m. $15 suggested donation. Info, 525-3031.
SHAKESPEARE IN THE WOODS: See WED.13.
TENFEST: DISCOVERY: See THU.14, 2 p.m.
words
SCARLETT STEEL: Down on dating? A Vermont author signs copies of her book, Red Heels & Red Flags, featuring true stories about disastrous dates and the path to self-discovery. Barnes &
brattleboro/okemo valley
LEGACY SERIES: ‘WHEN I PUT ON YOUR GLOVE’: See THU.14.
burlington
FANNY’S WEEKEND: Revelers celebrate favorite daughter Fanny Allen with reenactments, a flax harvest, garden and house tours, and kid-friendly activities led by Vermont history organizations. See calendar spotlight. Ethan Allen Homestead Museum, Burlington, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Regular admission, $7-15; free for Vermont residents and kids under 5. Info, 865-4556.
SPLASH DANCE: See FRI.15, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
VERMONT PUBLIC KIDS DAY: Families have fun with crafts, themed activities, story time and photo ops with beloved screen star Daniel Tiger. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. A sensory-friendly hour
Noble, South Burlington, 12:30-2 p.m. Free. Info, 864-8001.
FUSE BEADS CLUB: Aspiring artisans bring ideas or borrow patterns to make beaded creations. Kellogg-Hubbard Library,
is offered at 9 a.m. Regular admission, $16.50-20; free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 540-6882.
‘THE WELL TREE’: Vocal and instrumental trio Heartwood mount an all-ages, participatory journey through story and song, illustrated with illuminated, hand-cranked scrolls by paper artist Jennifer Jones. Black Box Theater, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7-9 p.m. $5-30 sliding scale. Info, 595-4331.
middlebury area
‘PETER AND THE STARCATCHER’: THT Young Company Classical performers ages 12 to 22 take audiences to Neverland through ingenious stagecraft and storytelling. Town Hall Theater, Middlebury, 2 & 7 p.m. $10-25. Info, 382-9222.
upper valley
SENSORY STORY HOUR: TAILS ON THE FARM: See WED.13.
northeast kingdom
ENCHANTED KINGDOM MINI GOLF: See WED.13.
FANNY’S WEEKEND: See SAT.16.
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Montpelier, 3:30-5 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.
HAND-STITCHING GROUP: Embroiderers, cross-stitchers and other needlework aficionados chat over their latest projects. Waterbury Public Library, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, northwaringa@ gmail.com.
‘THE WELL TREE’: See SAT.16. A community potluck follows. Haybarn Theatre, Goddard College, Plainfield, 3-5 p.m.
middlebury area
‘PETER AND THE STARCATCHER’: See SAT.16, 2 p.m.
northeast kingdom
CIRCUS SMIRKUS BIG TOP TOUR: Hold on to your seat! Acrobatic adventures abound when performers rise to new heights in “Game On!” Circus Smirkus Barn, Greensboro, 11 a.m. & 4 p.m. $25-40; free for kids 2 and under. Info, 877-764-7587.
KID CRAFTERNOON: Back-to-school season is here! Students drop in to decorate their school supplies with stickers, tape and other fun materials. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 4-5 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.
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.
film
See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.
‘ANIMAL KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.14.
‘THE LAST CLASS’: Film buffs fix their eyes on a nuanced and deeply personal portrait of master educator Robert Reich teaching his final course. Film House, Main Street Landing Performing Arts
mad river valley/
TODDLER TIME: Little ones 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
STORY TIME WITH BETH: A bookseller and librarian extraordinaire reads picture books on a different theme each week. The Norwich Bookstore, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 649-1114.
northeast kingdom
NOVEL ENGINEERING STEM LAB: White Mountain Science hosts two mornings of hands-on, project-based programming for students in grades 3 to 5. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 9-11 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 745-1391.
SING-ALONG WITH LINDA BASSICK: Babies, toddlers and preschoolers sing, dance and wiggle along with the local musician. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.
LEGO FUN: Kids relax and tap into their imagination while building creations
Center, Burlington, 4:30 & 7 p.m. $6-12. Info, 660-2600.
‘OCEAN PARADISE 3D’: See THU.14.
‘SEA MONSTERS 3D: A PREHISTORIC ADVENTURE’: See THU.14.
‘SPACE: THE NEW FRONTIER 3D’: See THU.14.
that will be displayed at the library. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3-6 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.
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.
BASEMENT TEEN CENTER: See FRI.15, 2-6 p.m.
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.15.
BABY & CAREGIVER MEETUP: See WED.13.
FAMILY CHESS CLUB: See WED.13. northeast kingdom ENCHANTED KINGDOM MINI GOLF: See WED.13.
NOVEL ENGINEERING STEM LAB: See MON.18. K
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.
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.
lgbtq
BOARD GAME NIGHT: LGBTQ tabletop fans bring their own favorite games to the party. Rainbow Bridge Community Center, Barre, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, 622-0692.
music
LAKE CHAMPLAIN CHAMBER
MUSIC FESTIVAL: ‘MOZARTIANA: THE CREATIVE PHENOMENON’: See SAT.16.
ST. JOHNSBURY BAND: The nation’s third-oldest community band regales locals with dynamic tunes during a weekly ice cream social. Caledonia County Courthouse, St. Johnsbury, 7:30 p.m. Free. Info, manager@ stjohnsburyband.org.
VERGENNES CITY BAND SUMMER CONCERTS: Attendees get comfy on lawn chairs and blankets while local instrumentalists ages 12 to 90 perform rousing works. Vergennes City Park, 7-8 p.m. Free. Info, sodaniel27@gmail.com.
outdoors
GREAT VERMONT CORN MAZE: See WED.13.
crisis
CLIMATE ADAPTATION FIELD
WALK: A guided trek explores the range of risks impacting orchards and diversified farms, from changing rainfall patterns to extreme temperature fluctuations. Scott Farm Orchard, Dummerston, 3:30-5:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 419-0083.
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.
GRATEFUL GATHERINGS: Trained facilitators Lori York and Mary Wentworth lead locals in deep conversations exploring topics such as embracing mystery, creating joy and navigating grief. Waterbury Public Library, 6:307:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, judi@waterburypubliclibrary.com.
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, 4:30-6 p.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.
CRAFTERS DROP-IN: Community members converse and connect through knitting, crocheting, mending, embroidery and other creative pursuits. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.
dance
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. etc.
GRAND OPENING: A ribboncutting ceremony marks the unveiling of new trails at the beloved park, followed by guided rides via Fellowship of the Wheel. Bombardier Park West, Milton, 5:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, info@fotwheel.org.
MILTON FARMERS MARKET & MUSIC IN THE PARK: Local purveyors sell their goodies, bands bring the beats, and the lawn fills up with cornhole players and giant Jenga tournaments at a weekly outdoor offering. Bombardier Park West, Milton, 4-8 p.m. Free. Info, 893-1457.
film
See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.
‘2000 METERS TO ANDRIIVKA’: A journalist witnesses the ravages of war during a Ukrainian platoon’s mission in Mstyslav Chernov’s 2025 documentary feature. Haskell Free Library & Opera House, Derby Line, 7 p.m. $5. Info, cinemahaskell@gmail.com.
‘ANIMAL KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.14.
‘JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS’:
The legendary Greek hero leads a team of intrepid adventurers through a perilous quest in this 1963 adventure flick by Don Chaffey. Film House, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 540-3018.
‘OCEAN PARADISE 3D’: See THU.14.
‘SEA MONSTERS 3D: A PREHISTORIC ADVENTURE’: See THU.14.
‘SPACE: THE NEW FRONTIER 3D’: See THU.14.
games
DUPLICATE BRIDGE GAMES: See THU.14.
GAME NIGHT: Friendly competition takes flight with a wide selection of tabletop and outdoor offerings. Switchback Beer Garden & Smokehouse, Burlington, 5-9 p.m. Free. Info, 540-6965.
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.
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.
CABOT ARTS SUMMER MUSIC
SERIES: A rotating cast of area musicians takes the stage for six weeks of sonorous entertainment, backed by mouthwatering food truck provisions. BYO lawn chair. See cabotarts.org for lineup. Cabot Town Common, 6-7:15 p.m. Free. Info, 793-3016.
THE DECATO-SANBORN PROJECT:
Flatpicker Martin Decato and keyboard player Scott Sanborn merge their musical backgrounds at a concert defying genres. Fairlee Town Common, 6:30-8 p.m. Free. Info, info@fairleearts.org.
LAKE CHAMPLAIN CHAMBER
MUSIC FESTIVAL: ‘MOZARTIANA: THE CREATIVE PHENOMENON’: See SAT.16, noon.
outdoors
GREAT VERMONT CORN MAZE: See WED.13.
ESSENTIALS OF CAMERA
OPERATION: An informative evening examines the critical elements of photography and videography, covering topics from exposure to depth of field. The Media Factory, Burlington, 6-8 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister. Info, 651-9692.
words
BOOK CLUB BUFFET: Dorothy Alling Memorial Library invites readers to dissect Mitch Albom’s The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto over a virtual lunch. 12:30-1:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, daml@damlvt.org.
BURLINGTON LITERATURE GROUP: Bookworms analyze three short novels about life under the shadow of authoritarianism over the course of seven weeks. 6:30-8 p.m. Free. Info, info@nereadersandwriters. com.
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.
SHARING HOPE CONVERSATION SERIES: NAMI Vermont hosts a community-driven evening focusing on mental health and accessing culturally competent care, led by volunteer facilitators from Black and African communities. Light refreshments provided. 20 Allen St., Burlington, 5:30-7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 876-7949, ext. 102.
WEEKLY PASSEGGIATA: See WED.13.
YARN CRAFTERS GROUP: See WED.13.
CHAMP MASTERS
TOASTMASTERS CLUB: Those looking to strengthen their speaking and leadership skills gain new tools. Virtual option available. Dealer.com, Burlington, 6-7:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, champmasterstm@gmail.com.
LANE SERIES SEASON PREVIEW: Director Natalie Neuert launches the beloved series’ 70th anniversary year with a sneak peak and a brief history. Refreshments provided. The University of Vermont Recital Hall, Burlington, 5:30-7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 656-4455.
OPEN HOUSE: Attendees find much to do at an evening of mingling and music at the museum, backed by unbeatable sunset lake views. Ages 21 and up. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 5:30-8 p.m. $15; cash bar. Info, 864-1848.
CALEDONIA COUNTY FAIR: Vermont’s oldest agricultural jubilee features rides, live music and entertainment, livestock events, demolition derbies, and all that fabulous food. Mountain View Park, Lyndonville, 4 p.m. $15-25; free for kids under 36 inches tall. Info, 427-4404.
MIDDLEBURY NEW FILMMAKERS FESTIVAL: It’s a film fanatic’s paradise when more than 100 features, high-profile panelists and lively festivities roll into town for the 11th annual flick fête. See middfilmfest.org for full schedule. Various Middlebury locations. Various prices. Info, 382-9222.
See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.
‘76 DAYS ADRIFT’: Ang Lee produced this profoundly immersive 2024 documentary that plunges viewers into the heart of one man’s extraordinary survival story. A Q&A with filmmaker Joe Wein follows. Savoy Theater, Montpelier, 6:30-8:15 p.m. $8.5012. Info, 229-0598.
food & drink
COMMUNITY COOKING: See WED.13.
CHAIR YOGA: See WED.13.
language
SPANISH CONVERSATION:
Fluent and beginner speakers brush up on their vocabulario with a discussion led by a Spanish teacher. Presented by Dorothy Alling Memorial Library. 5-6 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, programs@damlvt.org.
lgbtq
PRIDE HIKE: NORTH BRANCH
NATURE CENTER: LGBTQIA+ hikers and allies find community during a two-mile trek of the center, replete with naturalist stops to explore the local flora and fauna. North Branch Nature Center, Montpelier, 5-7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, sarah.hooghuis@audubon.org.
THE ALBANY SOUND: A local band plays a rich combination of country, folk and rock originals, paired with renditions of rarities by John Prine, Bobby Charles and other noteworthy names. The Tillerman, Bristol, 5-8 p.m. Free; cash bar. Info, 643-2237.
BCA SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: SARA GREY & KIERON MEANS: The mother-and-son folk duo plays tunes from the British Isles and North America, featuring tight vocal harmonies, guitar and banjo. Burlington City Hall Park, 12:301:30 p.m. Free. Info, 829-6305.
HUNGER MOUNTAIN CO-OP
BROWN BAG SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: See WED.13.
LAKE CHAMPLAIN CHAMBER
MUSIC FESTIVAL: ‘MOZARTIANA: THE CREATIVE PHENOMENON’: See SAT.16, 1 p.m.
MORRISVILLE LIVE: See WED.13.
TAYLOR PARK SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: See WED.13. outdoors
CABOT CHEESE-E-BIKE TOUR: See WED.13.
GREAT VERMONT CORN MAZE: See WED.13.
GUIDED SHORT TRAIL HIKE:
Green Mountain Club staff lead hikers on a 0.7-mile journey, offering up useful tips and tricks along the way. Dogs welcome. Green Mountain Club Headquarters, Waterbury Center, 2-3 p.m. Free. Info, 244-7037.
TREE ID & NATURAL HISTORY
TOUR: Outdoorsy folks join up with forest expert Gene O. Desideraggio for an enlightening talk and trek of the area. Audubon Vermont Sugarhouse, Richmond, 1 p.m. $10-15; preregister. Info, info@ citymarket.coop.
seminars
AUDUBON TRAINING & ENDORSEMENT WORKSHOP FOR VERMONT FORESTERS: Attendees gain practical strategies for enhancing forest diversity and resiliency at this session covering topics such as bird habitat needs and landscape planning. BYO lunch; coffee and snacks provided. Green Mountain Audubon Center, Huntington, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Free;
preregister. Info, tim.duclos@ audubon.org.
sports
BIKE BUM RACE SERIES: See WED.13.
GREEN MOUNTAIN TABLE TENNIS CLUB: See WED.13.
‘A DISTINCT SOCIETY’: Viewers take in the regional premiere of a new play about an Iranian father and daughter — separated by the international border — who use the Haskell Free Library & Opera House as their meeting place. Weston Theater at Walker Farm, 7:30-10 p.m. $55-92. Info, 824-5288.
SHAKESPEARE IN THE WOODS: See WED.13.
ROBERT MACAULEY: The former medical director of clinical ethics at the University of Vermont shares his new memoir, Because I Knew You: How Some Remarkable Sick Kids Healed a Doctor’s Soul Charlotte Library, 6:30-8 p.m. Free. Info, 985-3999.
SILENT READING PARTY: Waterbury Public Library invites readers to engage their senses with a good book and bucolic surroundings. Waterbury Reservoir, Waterbury Center, 5:30-7 p.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.
SUMMER SPEAKER SERIES:
TRISH O’KANE: A professor, author and activist shares details from her book, “Birding to Change the World: A Memoir,” about the astonishing science of avian life, from migration to parenting. Worthen Library, South Hero, 6:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 372-6209. ➆
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
Since we moved to Burlington in 2022, Seven Days has been our go-to source for learning about restaurants, cultural events and the community — not just in Burlington, but also around the state. Because I get the daily email updates, I am often the one suggesting to longtime Vermont friends places to go and things to do — from drinks at Fox Market in East Montpelier and the opening of Majestic in Burlington to an art gallery opening in Kents Corner and the Breeding Barn Adventure Dinner at Shelburne Farms.
Pick from 25 fun civics activities — each one you do is another chance to win the grand prize.
Submit entries all summer to qualify for prize drawings every Thursday on “Channel 3 This Morning” — you could win a $50 gift card to Phoenix Books or a Vermont State Parks pass!
Complete all 25 activities to be honored as a “Distinguished Citizen” at the Vermont Statehouse.
FINAL DEADLINE: September 1
TRIP DRAWING: SEPTEMBER 4
Julia Nunnelly of Montpelier completed activity No. 25, “Take Control of Your Tech Use” by changing her iPad to grayscale. Making the change ensures that “I will not be sucked into using my iPad,” Julia said. FROM THE GOOD CITIZEN HALL OF FAME
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.
REIKI FIRST DEGREE TRAINING AND ATTUNEMENT: Come to the Lightheart Sanctuary, nestled in the forest of New Haven, Vt., to receive your Reiki First Degree Certificate from Reiki Master Maureen Short! Date: Sep. 12, 1-4 p.m. Cost: $175, incl. class, textbook, training & attunement. Location: Lightheart Sanctuary, 236 Wild Apple Rd., New Haven. Info: 802-453-4433, maureenseventeen@gmail.com, lightheart.net.
NEW TAI CHI BEGINNERS CLASS IN BURLINGTON Long River Tai Chi Circle is the school of Wolfe Lowenthal, student of professor Cheng Man Ching and author of three classic works on Tai Chi Chaun. Patrick Cavanaugh is a longtime student and assistant of Wolfe’s and a senior instructor at Long River Tai Chi Circle in Vermont and New Hampshire and will be teaching the class in Burlington. Starts Oct. 1, ongoing on Wed. mornings, 9-10 a.m. Registration will remain open until Oct. 29. Cost: $65/ mo. Location: Saint Anthony’s Catholic Church (in the gym), 305 Flynn Ave., Burlington. Info: Patrick Cavanaugh, 802-4906405, patricklrtcc@gmail.com, longrivertaichinewengland.com.
AIKIDO: THE POWER OF HARMONY: Cultivate core power, aerobic fitness and resiliency. e dynamic, circular 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. Location: Aikido of Champlain Valley, 257 Pine St., Burlington. Info: bpincus@ burlingtonaikido.org, burlingtonaikido.org.
TAIKO TUESDAYS, DJEMBE
WEDNESDAYS!: Drum with Stuart Paton! New sessions each month (Aug. 5, Sep. 9). Community Taiko Ensemble Beginner’s Class, Mon., 5:30-7 p.m. Taiko on Tue.: Kids & Parents Taiko, 4-5:30 p.m.; Adult Intro Taiko, 5:30-7 p.m.; Accelerated Intro Taiko, 7-8:30 p.m. Djembe on Wed.: Intermediate Djembe, 5:30-7 p.m.; Beginner Djembe, 7-8:30 p.m. Drums provided. Cost: $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.
JOURNEY INTO ANCIENT
SHAMANISM: A rare opportunity to apprentice locally in a shamanic tradition. Meet in St. Albans, Vt., five weekends over a year. e first weekend is 0ct. 24-26. To learn more about this offer, go to heartofthehealer.org.
Dates: Oct. 24-26, Jan. 16-18, Apr. 3-5, Jul. 10-12, Sep. 25-27; first day: 6:30-9:30 p.m. Cost: $1,375, includes attendance at five 3-day weekend sessions. Location: Northwest TV access station, 616 Franklin Park W., St. Albans, Vt. Info: thomas.mock1444@gmail. com or text 802-369-4331.
THE ONE-NIGHT STAND: BIKE CARE BASICS: Having a basic understanding of your bike and knowing how to care for it is empowering! e One-Night Stand at Old Spokes Home will cause neither regret nor shame; instead, it will help you stay safer, keep your bike running longer, and give you confidence in either getting what you need at the bike shop or figuring out
DONATION-BASED YOGA: Pay what works for you! Mon.: Vinyasa; Wed.: Gentle Yoga; Fri.: Vinyasa, 9-10:15 a.m. Reiki also available ($25-$75). Location: 25 Rossiter St., Brandon. Info: melanieredelyoga@gmail.com, melanieredel.com.
how to deal with it on your own. Wed., Aug. 20 or 27, 6-8 p.m. Cost: $50. Location: Old Spokes Home Community Workshop, 664 Riverside Dr., Burlington. Info: Old Spokes Home, 802-8634475, sevendaystickets.com.
SWIM LESSONS AT UVM: Dive into fun and skill building with Vermont Swim School! Our instructors offer personalized swim lessons for all ages and skill levels, from toddlers to adults. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your strokes, our supportive environment ensures a positive and effective learning experience. Join us and make a splash in your swim journey today! Group, private and semiprivate lessons offered. Sundays beginning Sep. 7. Location: Forbush Natatorium, 97 Spear St., Burlington. Info: UVM Campus Recreation, 802656-3070, campus.recreation@ uvm.edu, uvmcampusrec.com.
BLOOM LAB PERFUMERY AT FARM CRAFT: Gather with friends and discover the art of botanical perfumery! During this two-hour class, you will learn the basics of perfumery while creating your own custom botanical eau de parfum that is hand-blended to reflect your unique personality. It’s part art, part science, and a whole lot of fun and self-discovery! Wed., Aug. 13, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Cost: $95. Location: Farm Craft, 6608 Route 116, Shelburne. Info: bloomlabvt@gmail.com, sevendaystickets.com.
Find and purchase tickets for these and other classes at sevendaystickets.com.
Buy & Sell »
ANTIQUES, FURNITURE, GARAGE SALES
Community »
ANNOUNCEMENTS, LOST & FOUND, SUPPORT GROUPS
Rentals &
Real Estate »
APARTMENTS, HOMES, FOR SALE BY OWNER
Vehicles »
CARS, BIKES, BOATS, RVS
Services »
FINANCIAL, CHILDCARE, HOME & GARDEN
Musicians & Artists »
LESSONS, CASTING, REHEARSAL SPACE
Jobs » NO SCAMS, ALL LOCAL, POSTINGS DAILY
AGE/SEX: 9-year-old spayed female
ARRIVAL DATE: June 16, 2025
SUMMARY: Meet senior sweetheart Lottie Lou! She may be shy at first, but with a little patience and a calm, quiet environment, Lottie Lou blossoms into an affectionate, playful companion who can’t wait to curl up next to you in bed every night. Lottie Lou is currently overweight and would love to find a family who can help her get down to a healthier size through portion control and play sessions. (She loves to chase her wand toy!) Visit HSCC to learn more about meeting Lottie Lou in her foster home.
DOGS/CATS/KIDS: Lottie Lou has previously lived with cats. She has no known history living with dogs or children.
Visit the Humane Society of Chittenden County at 142 Kindness Court, South Burlington, Tuesday through Friday from 1 to 5 p.m. or Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. Call 862-0135 or visit hsccvt.org for more info.
Shy cats need time to feel comfortable in a new home. HSCC recommends introducing a new cat to your home slowly by starting them off in a small “safe room” and gradually increasing their access to the rest of the home as they build confidence.
Sponsored by:
Post ads by Monday at 3 p.m. sevendaysvt.com/classifieds Need help? 802-865-1020, ext. 115 classifieds@sevendaysvt.com All print combos include 30 days
Buy & Sell, Community, Musicians & Artists, Vehicles 1-week combo: $12 2-week combo: $22 4-week combo: $42
TOP CASH PAID FOR OLD GUITARS
dog park. $1,975. Reach out to Rocky Leary at 802-598-9877.
1-877-703-6117. (AAN CAN)
1-888-292-8225. (AAN CAN)
LYNDON FURNITURE & MORE VERMONT-MADE FURNITURE
Selling select contents of a longtime S. Burlington resident. High-quality furniture, Hitchcock Furniture, Vermont-made Bolton & Lyndon Furniture, outdoor furniture, bookcases, & more! When sale is complete, you will receive a Calendly link to schedule a time to pick up. Lots will start ending on Wed., Aug. 13, 7 p.m., 25 to 30 lots every 15 mins. Pickups will be only on Sat., Aug. 16, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in S. Burlington. Info, 802-238-9574, reedobrien@aol.com, estatesalesofvermont. com.
Looking for 1920-1980 Gibson, Martin, Fender, Gretsch, Epiphone, Guild, Mosrite, Rickenbacker, Prairie State, D’Angelico & Stromberg guitars + Gibson mandolins & banjos. ese brands only! Call for a quote: 1-855-402-7208. (AAN CAN)
GUITAR INSTRUCTION
All styles/levels. Emphasis on building strong technique, thorough musicianship, developing personal style. Paul Asbell (Big Joe Burrell, Kilimanjaro, UVM & Middlebury College faculty, Seven Daysies winner). Info,
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
802-233-7731, pasbell@ paulasbell.com. R R eal Estate ent als & e ate
CHARLOTTE — AMAZING VIEWS
5714 Ethan Allen Hwy.
Unfurnished 2-BR, 1-BA.
Spacious & unique, 2+ large BR. High ceilings w/ skylight & extra-large windows facing the Adirondack Mountains. W/D in unit. Large screened-in porch. 1 BA w/ a jacuzzi tub. Must see to appreciate! $2,200. Call 802-363-4998 or email carolhinsdale@ yahoo.com.
BURLINGTON $1,500 SOUTH END 1-BR
Unfurnished, 1-BR, 1 BA, 579 sq.ft. Private, light-filled, 3rd floor, 1-BR apt. Located very close to downtown in the South End of Burlington. Seasonal lake views, wood floors, claw-foot tub, storage space, laundry hookups, on-street parking. Gas heat, electric, internet paid by tenant. No pets, NS: nonnegotiable. 1-year lease, renters insurance req. w/ lease, + 1-year security deposit. Send inquires, w/ details about your interest/self, & I will respond w/ the address. $1,500. anks for your interest! Email maggieseverance@ gmail.com.
BURLINGTON 2-BR, PETFRIENDLY, SUNNY APT. Unfurnished 2-BR, 1-BA. Bright & sunny 2-BR apt., freshly painted & wood floors. New appliances, on bus line. Close to downtown & all colleges. 5-min. walk to Battery Park & the
HUNTINGTON-3-BR APT. IN DUPLEX
Lovely 3-BR, 1.5-BA apt. in duplex. 1,500 sq.ft., W/D, DW, big yard on main rd. $1,800/mo. Contact 802-349-5294, amethystpeaslee@ gmail.com.
BURLINGTON 2-BR NOW
$1,500, 3-BR AVAIL.
NOW
31 S. Willlard St. Unfurnished 2-BR, 1-BA, 950 sq.ft. Good size 2-BR in Burlington, heated, $1,500/mo. Close walking distance to everything. 2nd floor, left upstairs, at 54 Spruce St. Also 2 separate 3-BR, avail now, $1,700, heated. Coin laundry in basement, $1 in quarters for either W/D. $1,500. Info, 802-318-8916, jcintl0369@gmail.com.
COLCHESTER, NORTH AVE., BURLINGTON 4-BR, 2-BA. Responsible working family seeks to rent or lease a large family home or apt. Dec. 1 while you travel abroad or vacay nearby w/ confidence your home & pets will receive the best of care. $2,500. Contact 802-373-6756, wdmagnant@aol.com.
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)
STOP OVERPAYING FOR AUTO INSURANCE
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)
PROTECT YOUR HOME
Home break-ins take less than 60 seconds. Don’t wait! Protect your family, your home, your assets now for as little as 70 cents a day! Call 1-833-881-2713.
MJS CONSTRUCTION
Now accepting work or jobs for summer & fall. Homes, remodeling, additions & small excavation work. Call 802-343-0089.
BEAUTIFUL BATH UPDATES
NEED NEW WINDOWS? 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)
RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL SAUNA BUILDERS IN VERMONT
Peacock Design & Construction builds custom saunas, blending Finnish tradition w/ bold, modern craftsmanship. Each project is 1-of-a-kind, built by a local team that takes on 1 job at a time to ensure seamless communication, timely delivery & stunning results. Info, peacockindustriesllc. com.
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. Please inquire at markoskismoving.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
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)
GET TAX RELIEF
Do you owe more than $10,000 to the IRS or state in back taxes? Get tax relief now. We’ll fi ght for you! Call
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: 1-833-237-1199. (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)
AGING ROOF? NEW HOMEOWNER? STORM DAMAGE?
You need a local expert provider that proudly stands behind its work. Fast, free estimate. Financing avail. Call
BOAT FOR SALE
Moonshot, 23-foot fi berglass sailing trimaran & trailer. $2,800. Call 802-658-0269.
GOT AN UNWANTED CAR?
Donate it to Patriotic Hearts. Fast, free pickup in all 50 states. Patriotic Hearts’ programs help veterans fi nd work or start their own business. Call 24-7: 1-855-402-7631. (AAN CAN)
1978 VOLKSWAGEN BUS Brown, 5K miles. New motor in 2015, less than 5K miles. 2,000cc pancake, original VW
circus tent w/ 2 sets of poles, 2 batteries. Runs great, inside 90
Using the enclosed math operations as a guide, fill the grid using the numbers 1 - 6 only once in each row and column.
Show and tell. View and post up to 6 photos per ad online.
Complete the following puzzle by using the numbers 1-9 only once in each row, column and 3 x 3 box.
Open 24/7/365. Post & browse ads at your convenience.
Extra! Extra! There’s no limit to ad length online.
Try these online news games from Seven Days at sevendaysvt.com/games.
NEW ON FRIDAYS:
Put your knowledge of Vermont news to the test.
DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK: HHH
REYNOLDS
See how fast you can solve this weekly 10-word puzzle. Difficulty - Hard
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.
6 3 4 2 3 2 4 5 6 1 4 6 5 1 2 3 6 3 1 2 5 4 1 5 2 4 3 6
DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK: HH
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.78 H = MODERATE H H = CHALLENGING H H H = HOO, BOY!
ANSWERS ON P. 78 »
STATE OF VERMONT
SUPERIOR COURT PROBATE DIVISION
CHITTENDEN UNIT DOCKET NO.: 25-PR-01431
In re ESTATE of Jesse Warren LaRock
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
To the creditors of: Jesse Warren LaRock, late of Jericho, 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 the first publication of this notice. The claim must be presented to me at the address listed below with a copy sent to the Court. The claim may be barred forever if it is not presented within the four (4) month period.
Dated: August 5, 2025
Signature of Fiduciary: /s/ Andrew H. Montroll, Esq.
Executor/Administrator:
Andrew H. Montroll, Esq., PO Box 1045, Burlington, VT 05402
Phone number: 802-540-0250
Email: amontroll@mblawoffice.com
Name of Publication: Seven Days Publication Date: 08/13/2025
Name of Probate Court: Vermont Superior Court, Chittenden Probate Division
Address of Probate Court: 175 Main Street , Burlington, VT 05401
RFP FOR TRANSPORTATION DIESEL FUEL
The Essex Westford School District is seeking proposals for Fixed and Flexible Price Diesel Fuel and Diesel Winter Blend 60/40. Deadline to submit bid: September 1, 2025. Email Hunter with questions: heddy@ewsd.org. Access full RFP at: https://www.ewsd.org/page/purchasing-bids
NORTHSTAR SELF STORAGE WILL BE HAVING A PUBLIC AND ONLINE SALE/AUCTION FOR THE FOLLOWING STORAGE UNITS ON AUGUST 21, 2025 AT 9:00 AM
Northstar Self Storage will be having a public and online sale/auction on Augut 21, 2025 at 9am EST at 205 Route 4A West, Castleton, VT 05735 (units C42), 3466 Richville Road, Manchester Center, VT 05255 (unit 86), and online at www. storagetreasures.com at 9:00 am in accordance with VT Title 9 Commerce and Trade Chapter 098: Storage Units 3905. Enforcement of Lien
Unit # Name Contents
C42 Kathleen Mayer Household Goods 86 Anthony Turnbo Household Goods
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 City Council will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, September 5, 2025 beginning at 6:00 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/84364849328; or by calling (646) 558 8656 and using Webinar ID: 843 6484 9328. Toll charges may apply.
Amendments to the Unified Land Use and Development Regulations
• Section 4.6 – Fences & Walls
• Section 5.16 – Inclusionary Zoning
• Article IX – Definitions
• Appendix B – Gateway Districts Form Based Code Regulations
Statement of Purpose: These proposed 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 5.16 – 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 RICHMOND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD (DRB) AGENDA
AUGUST 27, 2025 AT 7:00 PM
THIS IS A HYBRID MEETING WITH ON-SITE AND REMOTE ACCOMODATIONS
3rd floor Meeting Room A, Richmond Town Offices, 203 Bridge Street Richmond, VT
PLEASE NOTE: In accordance with Act 1 (H.42) 2023, this meeting will be held onsite, via Zoom or by phone. You do not need a computer to attend this meeting. You may use the “Join by Phone” number to call from a cell phone or landline; this is a toll-free number. When prompted, enter the meeting information provided below to join by phone. For additional information and accommodations to improve accessibility of this meeting, please contact Keith Oborne at 802 336-2289 or at koborne@richmondvt.gov
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/ 88457271013?pwd=qtaD6LmVLouMJQalwNTzhP ugni0yh1.1
Join by phone: 1 929 205 6099 US (New York) Meeting ID: 884 5727 1013
Passcode: 771583
Application materials for review: Development Review Board 8/27/25 - Town of Richmond, VT
PUBLIC HEARING:
Item 1
SUB 05-057(A)mendment Jessica and Michael Sipe Parcel ID# WF0060
The Applicants are seeking a subdivision amendment through the Stowe Club Highlands Analysis to allow for a two-lot residential subdivision of 1.74 acres and 13.26 acres from an existing 15-acre parcel. The second lot of 13.26 acres would contain an existing studio barn that would be converted to a dwelling unit that currently has a residential prohibition; the applicants are seeking to remove this prohibition. Location: 60 Wolf Lane.
Item 2
CUR 2025-02 Jane Miller Parcel ID# WW0020
The applicant seeks after the fact approval for the renovation of a flood damaged single-family dwelling located within the Flood Hazard Overlay District (FHOD) of the Huntington River. Location: 20 Wes White Hill.
Other Business
Adjournment
PUBLIC HEARING WINOOSKI
Tuesday, September 2, 2025 at 6:00 PM Winooski City Hall 27 W. Allen Street, Winooski, VT 05404
The Winooski City Council will hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday, September 2, 2025 in the Claire Burke Council Chambers to consider the adoption of Chapter 28 Fees pursuant to Section 19-401 of the Charter of the City of Winooski, this Chapter of Ordinance shall be adopted to:
• Increase of non-resident library card from $10 to $35 as recommended by the Library committee
• Inclusion of language to allow summer programming pricing consistency within the same season
• Updated water and wastewater allocation rates to reflect current rates
• Inclusion of new Payment in Lieu of Affordable Housing as outlined in the ULUDR
• Language for fee waivers
Full text of amendments are available at Winooski City Hall, 27 West Allen Street during normal business hours or by calling 802-655-6410
Jenny Willingham, Winooski City Clerk
TOWN OF JERICHO – SELECTBOARD
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Pursuant to 24 V.S.A. § 4444, the Jericho Selectboard will hold a Public Hearing on Thursday September 4, at 6:00 pm in the Jericho Town Hall, 67 VT Route 15, Jericho, Vermont, to hear public comment regarding proposed amendments to the Jericho Land Use and Development Regulations.
SUMMARY OF AMENDMENTS TO REGULATIONS
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: The primary purposes of the proposed amendments are to support development of housing and create vibrant, walkable/wheelable, mixed-use village centers. Proposed changes also streamline the zoning review and approval process and update an existing form-based code in the Riverside Village Center.
LIST OF SECTION HEADINGS: The amendments include changes to Section 2: General Definitions, Section 4: Zoning Uses, Section 5: Dimensional Standards, Section 10: Permit and Review Procedures, Section 11: General Development Standards, and Section 13: Riverside Character Based Zoning.
GEOGRAPHIC AREA AFFECTED: These amendments primarily affect the Town’s Village Center
districts and changes to permit and review procedures affect all zoning districts.
PLACE WHERE FULL TEXT MAY BE EXAMINED: The complete text of the amended regulations may be found at https://jerichovt.org/bylawamendments. Alternatively, a full-text copy may be examined in the Planning and Zoning office, Jericho Town Hall, 67 VT Route 15, Jericho, Vermont.
PERSON TO CONTACT: Additional information pertaining to these proposed amendments may be obtained by contacting Chris Shaheen Town Planner, at the Jericho Town Hall by calling (802) 899-2287 x 103 during regular office hours.
STATE OF VERMONT
SUPERIOR COURT CIVIL DIVISION
CHITTENDEN UNIT DOCKET NO. 24-CV-00916
NORTH COUNTRY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, Plaintiff,
v. TINA MCGRATH, ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF LEO W. RICH, SR., and ALL OCCUPANTS
RESIDING AT 35 GROVE STREET, CITY OF ESSEX JUNCTION, VT Defendants.
NOTICE OF SALE
By virtue and in execution of the Judgment and Decree of Foreclosure by Judicial Sale dated June 24, 2025, for a breach of a Mortgage dated October 31, 2019, and recorded in Book 1024, Pages 677-691 in the Town of Essex Land Records (the “Mortgaged Property”); and for the purpose of foreclosing the same, the Mortgaged Property will be sold at public auction on September 30, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. at the Mortgaged Property, 35 Grove Street, Essex, more particularly described as follows:
Being all and the same land and premises conveyed to Leo W. Rich by Warranty Deed of David R. Farnham and Ruth M. Farnham dated January 22, 1975, and recorded in Volume 117 at Pages 388-390 of the Town of Essex Land Records.
Being a lot of land with trailer and addition thereto located on the easterly side of Grove Street, the dwelling house being known and designated as No. 35 Grove Street, said lot contains 3/16 acre, more or less.
Patricia Rich spouse of Leo W. Rich, joins in this mortgage to permit the above-described marital property to be mortgaged to NorthCountry Federal Credit Union.
TERMS OF SALE : The Mortgaged Property will be sold “AS IS WHERE IS” to the highest bidder for cash or wire funds only. The sale of the Mortgaged Property is subject to confirmation by the Vermont Superior Court, Chittenden Unit, Civil Division. The Mortgaged Property will be sold
subject to unpaid taxes, municipal assessments, and superior liens, if any.
The public sale may be adjourned one or more times for a total time not exceeding 30 days, without further court order, and without publication or service of a new notice of sale, by announcement of the new sale date to those present at each adjournment or by posting notice of the adjournment in a conspicuous place at the location of the sale. Notice of the new sale date shall also be sent by first class mail, postage prepaid, to the mortgagors at the mortgagors’ last known address at least five days before the new sale date.
Defendant Tina McGrath, Administrator of the Estate of Leo W. Rich, Sr. and all Occupants residing at 35 Grove Street are entitled to redeem the Mortgaged Property at any time prior to the sale by paying the full amount due under the Mortgage referenced above, including the costs and expenses of the sale.
MORTGAGED PROPERTY DEPOSIT: A nonrefundable deposit for the Mortgaged Property in the amount of $10,000.00 shall be paid by the high bidder by cash, certified check or bank draft to Prozzo Auctions, which shall hold the deposit until the closing. The balance of the purchase price for the Mortgaged Property shall be due and payable within the latter of 10 days from the date of confirmation of said sale by the Vermont Superior Court, Chittenden Unit, Civil Division, or 45 days from the date of public auction. If the balance of the purchase price for the Mortgaged Property is not paid within the period set forth herein, the deposit shall be forfeited and shall be retained by Plaintiff herein as agreed liquidation damages and the Mortgaged Property may be offered to the next highest bidder still interested in the Mortgaged Property.
PURCHASE AND SALE CONTRACT: The high bidder for the Mortgaged Property shall be required to sign a no contingency contract of Purchase and Sale at the public auction, agreeing to purchase the Mortgaged Property in its “AS IS WHERE IS” condition, as a result of being the successful and high bidder at the sale.
OTHER TERMS TO BE ANNOUNCED AT SALE : Inquiries can be made to Prozzo Auctions, 207 N Main St, Rutland, VT 05701; (802) 773-2691.
Dated: August 6, 2025.
NORTH COUNTRY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
By: /s/ Alexandra E. Edelman
Alexandra E. Edelman, Esq. Primmer Piper Eggleston & Cramer PC 30 Main Street, Suite 500 P.O. Box 1489 Burlington, VT 05602-1489 (802) 864-0880 aedelman@primmer.com
A CIRCLE OF PARENTS SUPPORT GROUPS
Please join our professionally facilitated peer-led support groups 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. For more info or to register, please contact Heather at hniquette@pcavt.org, 802-498-0607, pcavt.org/ family-support-programs.
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@cathedralsquare.org or Mindy at moondog@burlingtontelecom.net. The Middlebury support group for individuals w/ early stage dementia meets on the 4th Tue. of
NEW one, two, three and four bedroom apartments in Shelburne’s newest neighborhood!
PROPERTY FEATURES
Rent includes: heat, hot water, electricity, trash & snow removal, air conditioning, Wi-Fi
Laundry: free on-site
Parking: free on-site
Other features: community gardens, playground
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 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., 1:152:15 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, under-eating 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.
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 Vermontbased support group, email bladderpainvt@gmail. com or call 802-735-5735 for more info.
KINDRED CONNECTIONS PROGRAM OFFERED FOR CHITTENDEN COUNTY CANCER SURVIVORS
The Kindred Connections program provides peer support for all those touched by cancer. Cancer patients, as well as caregivers, are provided w/ a mentor who has been through the cancer experience & knows what it’s like to go through it. In addition to sensitive listening, Kindred Connections provides practical help such as rides to doctors’ offices & meal deliveries. The program has people who have experienced a wide variety of cancers. For further info, please contact info@vcsn.net.
LIVING THROUGH LOSS
The Volunteer Chaplaincy Program of Gifford Medical Center sponsors a weekly meeting of its “Living Through Loss” grief support group. Anyone who has experienced a significant loss over the last year or so is warmly invited to attend the free weekly meetings every Fri., 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For information, contact the Rev. Tim Eberhardt, Gifford’s Spiritual Care Coordinator at 802-728-2107.
MARIJUANA ANONYMOUS
Are you questioning the role marijuana plays in your life? Check out Freed From Weed, a free Marijuana Anonymous 12-step group. Mon., 7 p.m., at First United Methodist Church (Red Door Church), 21 Buell St., Burlington. Contact: jointsession@newenglandma.org.
MYELOMA SUPPORT GROUP
Area myeloma survivors, families & caregivers have come together to form a Multiple Myeloma Support Group. We provide emotional support, resources about treatment options, coping strategies & a support network by participating in the group experience w/ people who have been through similar situations. 3rd Tue. of every mo., 5-6 p.m., on Zoom. Info: Kay Cromie, 655-9136, kgcromey@aol.com.
NAMI SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Vermont offers several Connection Peer Support Groups & Family Support Groups that meet virtually &/or in person throughout the state. All groups are confidential, volunteer-led & 100% free. Find a group that suits your needs at namivt.org/ support-groups.
NARCANON BURLINGTON GROUP
Group meets every Mon. at 7 p.m., at the Turning Point Center, 179 S. Winooski Ave., Suite 301, Burlington. The only requirement for membership is that there be a problem of addiction in a relative or friend. Info: Amanda H., 338-8106.
NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS
Narcotics Anonymous is a group of recovering addicts who live without the use of drugs. It costs nothing to join. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using. Held in
CONTACT CLASSIFIEDS@SEVENDAYSVT.COM OR 802-865-1020 EXT. 115 TO UPDATE YOUR SUPPORT GROUP
Burlington, St Albans, Morrisville, Barre & Stowe. Info, 833-436-6166 or cvana.org.
NEW (& EXPECTING) MAMAS & PAPAS & EVERY
PRIMARY CAREGIVER TO A BABY Drop-in play every day: The Children’s Room is open Mon.-Fri. for anyone w/children ages 0-6 to come & play. Starting Tue., Sep. 3! Check the TCR calendar for hours & school closure days. Caregiver & Baby Circle: Weekly drop-in on Mon., 11 a.m., at the Children’s Room. We are pleased to offer a weekly gathering for babies (0-18 mos.) & their caregivers, sponsored by Good Beginnings & hosted by the Children’s Room. Nature Explorations: Tue,, 10-11:30 a.m., at various trailheads in the area. Get outside for some fresh air & fun! Every week we go to a different trailhead or natural area to explore. Ages 0-6; carriers are helpful for little ones. Email childrensroom@ huusd.org to sign up; enrollment is always open. Music & Movement: drop-in, Wed., 10:30-11:30 a.m., at the Children’s Room in Brookside Primary School. We begin by singing songs & moving together & allow time at the end to play w/ instruments, as well as time for adults & kids to socialize. Ages 0-6. Exploration & Art Fridays: drop-in, Fri., anytime from 9 a.m.-noon at the Children’s Room in Brookside Primary School. We’ll be engaging in different hands-on explorations & using various mediums every week — sometimes combined. Come to TCR to explore, play & create! For info, email childrensroom@huusd.org.
NEW (& EXPECTING) MAMAS & PAPAS & EVERY PRIMARY CAREGIVER TO A BABY
Drop-in play every day: The Children’s Room is open Mon.-Fri. for anyone w/children ages 0-6 to come & play. Starting Tue., Sep. 3! Check the TCR calendar for hours & school closure days. Caregiver & Baby Circle: Weekly drop-in on Mon., 11 a.m., at the Children’s Room. We are pleased to offer a weekly gathering for babies (0-18 mos.) & their caregivers, sponsored by Good Beginnings & hosted by the Children’s Room. Nature Explorations: Tue,, 10-11:30 a.m., at various trailheads in the area. Get outside for some fresh air & fun! Every week we go to a different trailhead or natural area to explore. Ages 0-6; carriers are helpful for little ones. Email childrensroom@ huusd.org to sign up; enrollment is always open. Music & Movement: drop-in, Wed., 10:30-11:30 a.m., at the Children’s Room in Brookside Primary School. We begin by singing songs & moving together & allow time at the end to play w/ instruments, as well as time for adults & kids to socialize. Ages 0-6. Exploration & Art Fridays: drop-in, Fri., anytime from 9 a.m.-noon at the Children’s Room in Brookside Primary School. We’ll be engaging in different hands-on explorations & using various mediums every week — sometimes combined. Come to TCR to explore, play & create! For info, email childrensroom@huusd.org.
OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS (OA)
A 12-step program for people who identify as overeaters, compulsive eaters, food addicts, anorexics, bulimics, etc. No matter what your problem w/ food, we have a solution! All are welcome, meetings are open, & there are no dues or fees. See oavermont.org/meeting-list for the current meeting list, meeting format & more, or call 802-863-2655 anytime!
PARKINSON’S MUTUAL AID GROUP
For individuals & caregivers dealing w/ the challenges of Parkinson’s, we meet to share resources & practical ideas for improving quality of life. This in-person group is free & open to the public. Every 2nd Tue. of the mo., 2-3 p.m., at the Old Meeting House, 1620 Center Rd., East Montpelier. Please contact admin@oldmeetinghouse.org or 229-9593.
PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT GROUP
The Champlain Valley Prostate Cancer Support Group meets online on the 2nd Tue. of the mo., 6-7:30 p.m., via Zoom. Whether you are newly diagnosed, dealing w/ a reoccurrence or trying to manage the side effects of treatment, you are welcome here! More info: Andy Hatch, group leader, ahatch63@gmail.com.
RECOVERY DHARMA
Recovery Dharma uses Buddhist practices & principles to help people recover from all kinds
of addictions & addictive behaviors. This peer led, non-theistic group offers opportunities to deepen understanding, explore personal inquiry & connect w/ others. We meet every Wed. from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Burlington (the Red Door Church, 21 Buell Street). Enter through the administrative office door (at far left when viewed from Buell St.) We also meet on Thu., 1-2 p.m., at the Turning Point Center, 179 N. Winooski Ave., Burlington. No meditation experience required; all are welcome. Email rd.burlington.vt@gmail.com for more information.
SMART RECOVERY
We welcome anyone, including family & friends, affected by any kind of substance or activity addiction. SMART Recovery is an abstinence-oriented program based on the science of addiction treatment & recovery. Online: Sun., 5 p.m. Info: meetings.smartrecovery.org/meetings/1868. Face-to-face: Thu., 1:15 p.m., & Fri., 5:30 p.m., at the Turning Point Center of Chittenden County. Family & Friends online, Mon., 7 p.m. Info: meetings.smartrecovery.org/meetings/6337. Volunteer facilitator, Bert: 399-8754. You can learn more at smartrecovery.org.
SEX & LOVE ADDICTS ANONYMOUS 12-step recovery group. Do you have a problem w/ sex or relationships? We can help. Info: Shawn, 660-2645. Visit slaafws.org or saa-recovery.org for meetings near you.
SEXUAL VIOLENCE SUPPORT
HOPE Works offers free support groups to women, men & teens who are survivors of sexual violence. Groups are avail. for survivors at any stage of the healing process. Intake for all support groups is ongoing. If you are interested in learning more or would like to schedule an intake to become a group member, please call our office at 864-0555, ext. 19, or email our victim advocate at advocate@sover.net. Visit hopeworksvt.com for more information.
STEPS SUPPORT GROUP
Steps offers a weekly support group w/ drop-in options for those who have experienced or who have been affected by domestic violence. Women’s Support Group meets virtually every Tue., 5-6:30 p.m. Gender Inclusive Support Group meets virtually every Thu., 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Both groups offer a safe, supportive & confidential place to connect w/ others, heal & recover. For more info, call us at 658-1996 or email steps@stepsvt.org.
STUTTERING SUPPORT GROUPS
We offer 3 monthly National Stuttering Association (NSA) stuttering support groups for adults, teens & school-age children (7-12). Meetings take place monthly at UVM & by Zoom. Contact burlingtonstutters@gmail.com for more information.
SUICIDE HOTLINES IN VT
Brattleboro, 257-7989; Montpelier (Washington County Mental Health Emergency Services), 2290591; Randolph (Clara Martin Center Emergency Service), 800-639-6360.
SUPPORT GROUP FOR WOMEN
Group for women who have experienced intimate partner abuse. Facilitated by Circle (Washington Co. only). Please call 877-543-9498 for more info.
SURVIVORS OF SUICIDE: SOUTH BURLINGTON
This group is for people experiencing the impact of the loss of a loved one to suicide. 1st Wed. of each mo., 6-7:30 p.m., at the Comfort Inn & Suites, 3 Dorset St., S. Burlington. Info: Bob Purvee at 922-4283 or ripurvee1@yahoo.com, or Aya Kuki at 881-3606 or ayakokuki@gmail.com.
THE COMPASSIONATE FRIENDS SUPPORT GROUP
The Compassionate Friends international support group for parents, siblings & families grieving the loss of a child meets every 4th Tue. of the mo., 7-8:30 p.m., at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, 160 Hinesburg Rd, S. Burlington. Call/email Alan at 802-233-0544, alanday88@gmail.com, or Claire at 802-448-3569.
In-school data collectors are needed for national assessments at grades 4, 8, and 12, January 26–March 20, 2026. For more information, visit: www.WorkNAEP.com
Milton Rents in Richmond, VT is a leading provider of construction equipment and rental services, committed to delivering top-tier service and operational excellence.
We are New England’s exclusive rental source for CAT equipment – plus over 70 trusted brands.
We are currently hiring:
Westat: EOE, inculding disability/veterans
We are currently seeking an Office Manager to sustain and improve administration of CSC’s programs, event rentals, and front office.
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
Join Hack Club, a global nonprofit that empowers teenagers to become highly-skilled, creative problem solvers through technology skills development, career-training, and financial literacy. Our co-founder is hiring an assistant to join our exceptional team in Shelburne. Full-time, in-person, $60K+ pay, 4 weeks PTO, and more. Full job description at: hackclub.com/jobs
The Office Manager is responsible for coordination of customer service staff, the overall functionality of the front desk, administrative offices, and transactional functions. This position oversees forward facing staff who interact with CSC participants, and therefore must be friendly, courteous, and knowledgeable of the rules, regulations, and operations of the Center. The ideal candidate possesses good organizational skills, exceptional dedication to customer service, and the ability to multitask and work in a fun, fast-paced environment.
To apply for the position, please provide a cover letter, resume, and two references to Colin Davis at colin@communitysailingcenter.org 4t-LakeChamplainCommSailingCenter081325.indd
Build your skills – with support.
2h-HackClub081325.indd
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.
the Flynn & be part of a team striving to make the community better through the arts. All backgrounds encouraged to apply. This is a part-time, hourly ($22.50), non-exempt position.
job details and to
AUGUST 13-20, 2025
Feeding Champlain Valley has an immediate opening for a Food Rescue Coordinator. In this role you will be responsible for driving vehicles to coordinate food rescue; soliciting food donations and picking up food from supermarkets and food providers on a regular basis. You will work closely with a team to ensure the site remains clean and organized and that food is handled safely; utilize fork lift, pallet jacks and other warehouse equipment as required to move products.
If you have a high school diploma or equivalent; experience in a warehouse environment or food systems work; experience with fork truck (certification preferred); effective verbal and written communication skills, (bilingual abilities are a plus); a valid driver’s license, a clean driving record and access to reliable transportation; we’d like to hear from you!
When you come to work for CVOEO you’re getting so much more than a paycheck! We offer a great working environment and an excellent benefit package including medical, dental and vision insurance, paid holidays, generous time off, a retirement plan and discounted gym membership. Interested in working with us? To apply, please visit us at cvoeo.org/careers CVOEO is interested in candidates who can contribute to our diversity and excellence. Applicants are encouraged to include in their cover letter information about how they will further this goal. We are one of the 2025 Best Places to Work in Vermont! Join us to find out why!
Apply online: https://www.cvoeo.org/careers
The Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired seeks a visionary Executive Director to lead our management team. Headquartered in So. Burlington, VT, VABVI is the only private, nonprofit, statewide agency providing training, services and support to infants, children and adults throughout Vermont. VABVI has an annual operating budget of $4.1 million. The successful candidate will possess a vision for the future and strive to fulfill a mission that encourages and assists blind and visually impaired people to achieve or maintain their independence and quality of life. Salary range is $120,000 to $150,000 depending on experience.
Complete details of the responsibilities and qualifications for this position, as well as the Application process is available at: Vabvi.org/careers
Application Deadline: August 31, 2025
The Vermont Bar Association is seeking candidates for the position of Executive Director. This is a leadership, policy & administrative position responsible for leading, managing, and executing the affairs of the 2,250-member Vermont Bar Association under the direction of the President and the Board of Bar Managers. The ideal candidate will have a JD degree or otherwise be licensed to practice law (preferred but not required), and have administrative, personnel, and budget management experience. Prior experience with the legislative process is desirable, as the Executive Director is the VBA’s voice in the legislature as well as with the other branches of Vermont state government. The ability to liaison with other professional organizations, county bar associations, civil legal service delivery agencies and the Vermont Supreme Court is required.
Our 1,400 acres of pastures, woodlands, gardens, historic buildings, and places to dine and relax are a unique campus to experience & learn. We are looking for dining hosts, servers, backwaiters, dishwashers, and grounds crew to bring us through the end of our season. We hope you are passionate about working for a team that is an integral part of the Farm’s mission by providing a space where the community can come together to enjoy nature and experience thoughtfully sourced meals.
Who We’re Looking For: You have strong skills and enjoy preparing our space for welcoming a diverse range of guests, visitors, and community members. You thrive in a team environment, collaborating effectively with your colleagues to ensure a seamless experience.
Pay Rate: Varies anywhere from $9/hour (plus tips) to $22/hour. Please refer to individual job descriptions listed in our Career Center.
Work Schedule: 3-5 shifts/week, 30 - 40 hrs/week. AM Shift- 6/7 am - 1/2 pm; PM Shift 2/3pm- 10/11pm. We operate 7 days/week.
If our vision and mission excite you, we hope you will join us to make a valuable contribution to the Farm!
Visit 7dvt.pub/ShelburneFarmsRestaurant to submit an application.
Interested candidates should submit a letter expressing in detail why they are interested in the position. The letter should be accompanied by a current resume, the names (and contact information for) three references, and a writing sample. Candidates with questions about the position or the process may send them to Josh Diamond at jdiamond@dinse.com
Salary Range: $100,000 - $150,000 plus benefits, range based upon successful applicant’s qualifications.
For more information and to apply, please visit: vtbar.formstack.com/forms/ed_recruitment
The deadline for applications is September 8, 2025.
Full-time employment cleaning and restoring oil and acrylic fine art paintings; picture frame restoration; and repairing and conserving miscellaneous antique objects, furniture, etc. Applicant will ideally have restored oil and acrylic paintings, but those with comparable training will be considered.
Salary based on education, experience and skill. Position is currently available and is located in the Upper Valley. Please email your CV, contact information, and examples of previous work (if applicable) to MeetingHouseRestoration@ gmail.com
Video production experience for municipal meeting coverage.
Part Time, Weekday Evenings.
Contact: sheron@cctv.org
PHILO RIDGE FARM (PRF) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) working farm located in Vermont’s Champlain Valley. We are currently hiring:
To apply, please send your resume, 3 references & contact information to jobs@philoridgefarm.com
For full descriptions, visit: philoridgefarm.org/join-our-team
Qualified candidates will be contacted directly. No phone calls.
Opportunity for experienced attorney to provide guidance, education and referrals, and other information to the legal profession and the public of Vermont.
Must have at least 10 years of relevant experience, be a member in good standing of the Vermont bar or eligible for admission by waiver.
Starting salary of $120K or higher depending upon experience.
If interested, find more information at: https:// vermontjudiciary.exacthire.com/job/182934
Feeling undervalued at your current job? Tired of working hard and coming home exhausted with no time to enjoy your life? If that sounds familiar, we’d love to introduce you to an opportunity where your skills and dedication are truly valued!
Starting Pay: $24–$29 per hour (Dependent on Experience)
Join our Tree Care Crew assisting our Certified Arborist in a full spectrum of treecare duties—from planting, pruning, cabling/ bracing to removal, climbing, and rigging.
Qualifications
• Valid driver's license with clean record
• Physically fit for manual outdoor labor
• Comfortable using power tools and climbing gear
• Flexible to work seasonal part-time hours
Preferred:
• Experience in landscaping or tree care
• Basic rigging or climbing familiarity
• Certifications (e.g. ISA, OSHA, First Aid/CPR, ANSI A300 standards)
Full description and to apply: ecotonelandscapesvt.com/jobs
2v-PhiloRidge073025.indd 1 7/25/25 11:40 AM
We are seeking a Retail Sales Associate to add to our small but mighty team at The Lighting House in Shelburne, Vermont. Tasks include but are not limited to: working with clients to sell lighting fixtures, furniture, and home decor, as well as assembly of products, basic cleaning and display/merchandising needs around the showroom, and providing follow up customer service for your clients. Pay rate: $25/hour.
Benefits include:
• 401(k), 401(k) matching
• Health & Dental insurance
• Employee discount, PTO Position includes working on Saturdays. You would have Sundays & Wednesdays off.
Send resume to: zach@thelightinghouse.net
At Girlington Garage, we’ve built a strong team, maintained a wellequipped shop, and earned a loyal customer base. Our goal is to be the top choice in the industry—not just for our customers, but for our employees as well. When you join us, you can expect:
• Competitive Compensation: Enjoy a generous hourly rate plus performance bonuses that reward your hard work.
• Work-Life Balance: Work Monday through Thursday and have long weekends to relax and recharge.
• 100% COVERED Medical Benefits: FREE health, dental, and vision insurance for you and your family—completely paid by us.
• Retirement Savings: 3% company match on your retirement fund.
• Ongoing Training: Company-paid programs to keep your skills sharp and up-to-date. We want you to grow confidently!!
• Paid Time Off: Vacation days plus 40 hours of personal time each year.
• Paid Holidays: Time off on major holidays, and if they're on a Friday we take the following Monday off—no work, just fun!
• Vacation Retention Incentive: A company-paid, all-inclusive tropical vacation after 5 years of service—and every year after!
• Team Perks: Weekly team lunches, great coworkers
If you’re an Automotive Technician with at least 3 years of experience in diagnostics and general repairs, and you can obtain a VT state inspection license and a/c certification, we want to hear from you! ASE certification is a big plus. Apply today! GIRLINGTONGARAGE@GMAIL.COM Or call us at 802-247-7917 and ask for Nya or Demeny if you have any questions.
Want to create change? The Vermont Progressive Party, the most successful third party in America, is seeking an Executive Director. For 25 years we have elected Progressives to the VT Legislature, the Burlington City Council, Vermont Lieutenant Governor and the Burlington City Mayor and provided support to winners of local select board and school board seats. The Executive Director carries out the Party’s priorities including candidate recruitment and support, fundraising, supporting the Progressive caucus during the Legislative session, some event planning and representing the Party before the public. Applicants should have experience in electoral politics or activist organizing. Desired skills include working with social and traditional media, fundraising and database management, knowledge of campaign finance, communication with members and overseeing committees. Total compensation starts at $56,000, inclusive of salary, health insurance stipend and travel reimbursement.
Please see full job description at progressiveparty.org/workforus. To apply, please send cover letter, resume and 3 references to: Anthony Pollina, Chair, Vermont Progressive Party at apollinavt@gmail.com. Applications are due September 1, 2025. We are open to training the right person. We are an E.O.E.
Now taking resumes and applications for immediate employment for an IN SEASON up to 40 hrs/OFF SEASON 20+ hrs per week position. Middlebury Agway is seeking an experienced, qualified and highly motivated individual to assist in a thriving retail plant sales department.
Responsibilities include Care and Sales of Greenhouse and Nursery Plants, Seeds and Bulbs, plus a genuine interest in providing knowledgeable customer service. Extensive Plant knowledge is a must! Any Cashier experience is a plus.
Qualified Candidate must have a dedicated work ethic and be able to perform physical lifting as required and work hard in the spring and summer seasons.
Excellent Perks including an Employee Discount and Flexible Schedule but ability to work weekends is also a must.
Please stop in to pick up an application or send resume and references to: Middlebury AGWAY Farm & Garden, Attn: Jennifer Jacobs 338 Exchange St. Middlebury, VT 05753 Or by email to info@middleburyagway.com
Responsible for the installation, maintenance, and repairs to machinery, equipment, physical structures, and electrical systems.
Shift: Hours vary – (start time typically between 2.30am and 4am), 8hs shift, Monday through Friday.
Requirements/Qualifications:
• High School Diploma or GED equivalent
• High level of demonstrated mechanical experience and aptitude
• Experience with welding, electrical, boilers, refrigeration, machinery, repair & PLC troubleshooting and programs preferred.
• The pay range for this position is $32.68 - $34.92 USD
HP Hood is an E.O.E. & "VERVRAA Federal Contractor" Apply: job-boards.greenhouse.io/hoodhp/jobs/4692203008
Aldrich + Elliott, PC (A+E) is a locally owned engineering firm based in Essex Junction, VT, which specializes in water resource engineering for municipalities in Vermont and New Hampshire. A+E offers a competitive salary and benefits package, plus a hybrid work schedule with future growth opportunities. This career will provide an opportunity to work with the A+E team and consult for municipalities in Vermont and New Hampshire to develop innovative solutions to their water resources engineering challenges. A+E is an equal opportunity employer seeking to fill the following position:
Position Summary:
A+E is seeking to fill a CAD/Survey technician position in water resource engineering for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater projects. The successful applicant will be responsible for assisting the Project Manager and other technical staff with performing computer aided design, survey, field work, and other tasks for water, wastewater, and stormwater projects. Responsibilities will include, at a minimum, AutoCAD, GIS, field survey, data collection and analysis.
Salary Range: $55,000 - $75,000, based on experience and qualifications.
• A.E. in Civil/Environmental Engineering (minimum)
• AutoCAD Civil3D experience
• Relevant experience with topographical surveys, layouts, and other field work
• Familiarity with Microsoft Word and Excel
How to Apply: Please send your resume to Aldrich + Elliott via email to agosselin@aeengineers.com
To get a glimpse at what we do, see our website at AEengineers.com
groups.
Salary: 50k
For more details on the role and application process, visit: https://7dvt.pub/MusicTC. No phone calls, please.
For details and to apply: ats.rippling.com/widewail/jobs
Are you a detail-oriented individual with a passion for numbers and a desire to launch your accounting career in a supportive environment?
We’re seeking a full-time Tax Accountant to join our small but dynamic tax firm in Montpelier, VT.
What We’re Looking For:
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field
The Family Caregiver Support Coordinator assists people providing and ensuring care of loved ones to gain information, support and access to services that promote the wellbeing of the caregiver as they see to the needs of others; they participate in activities, teams and systems discussions to promote dementia-friendly community and the expansion and improvement of services to family caregivers. With successful performance this role is intended to transition to leadership of the program.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
BA preferably in human services/social services. 2-4 years’ work experience in human services, preferably with older persons or people with disabilities and their caregivers, is desirable. Supervisory experience and lived experience as a family caregiver will further distinguish candidates.
Send resumes to: jobs@cvcoa.org
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• Experience preparing individual tax returns (a plus!)
What We Offer:
•Pay: $45,000 - $60,000
•Company-sponsored health insurance, 401K, paid time off, and summer hours
• Flexibility during non-peak seasons and support for continued learning
Apply today and join a firm where your growth and success truly matter. Send resumes to: wcgilwee@gilweegroup.com
Join our Culinary Team! Line Cooks & Prep Cooks
Lead and support complex systems projects across both cloud and onpremises environments. This collaborative role blends hands-on system administration with strategic planning and security-focused innovation. VSAC offers competitive benefits and compensation in a purposedriven environment, working to expand access to higher education for all Vermonters. Take a step toward making an impact by ensuring VSAC has the secure, reliable systems our staff rely on to support students and families.
Salary Range: $70,000 – $85,000 annually
Apply at: vsac.org/careers to view the full job description and submit your application.
3v-GilweeGroup081325.indd 1 8/11/25 11:26 AM Thurs: 12:30 PM – 8:00 PM, Fri: 12:30 PM – 7:00 PM Every other Saturday: 7:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Line Cook hours: 2pm to close. Prep Cook hours: 8am-2/3-ish. Part/Full-time positions available
Looking for someone who is self-motivated, focused with a positive personality. Team work oriented and not afraid of working under pressure.
$17-$25 plus tip sharing.
Please send a resume to: chiuhos@asinglepebble.com
- Part time
If you love beauty, helping people, & thrive in a team environment, we’d love to meet you! Come join our award winning team!
Full-Time, Based in St. Johnsbury or Newport, VT
Northeast Kingdom Human Services (NKHS) is seeking strategic and compassionate professionals to join our growing team in leadership and clinical roles:
Child, Youth & Family Services Director: Lead behavioral health services for children and families across school, home, and community settings.
Qualifications:
• Master’s degree in a human services field; licensure preferred.
• 3–5 years of supervisory or program leadership experience.
• Strong knowledge of children’s behavioral health, special education systems, trauma-informed care, and community-based supports.
Salary: $75,000 – $112,500
Nurse
: Provide psychiatric evaluations, medication management, and therapy for adults and children.
Qualifications:
Master’s degree in nursing; board certified as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Vermont certification preferred).
Willing to obtain a Suboxone waiver.
Experience working with both children and adults; minimum of 2 years’ mental health clinical experience.
Salary : $125,000 – $165,000
Benefits:
• Generous paid time off plus 12 holidays
• Health, dental, life, and disability insurance
• 403(b) with employer match
• Tuition reimbursement and loan repayment options
• Strong employee wellness program
The Nutrition Outreach Specialist will support our Nutrition Program, promote community nutrition programs, and help eligible individuals apply for 3SquaresVT.
The Nutrition Outreach Specialist will help fulfill CVCOA’s vision of “A World Where Aging is Honored” and its mission to “Support Central Vermonters to Age with Dignity and Choice.”
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
• Associate’s degree or equivalent experience in human services.
•Ability to understand the needs of older adults and to maintain client confidentiality.
• Able to work well with people in a variety of situations in local communities.
To apply, please send resume & cover letter to jobs@cvcoa.org
4t-CVCOAnutrition081325.indd
VNRC is seeking a passionate and mission-driven professional to oversee our program and policy work on forests, wildlife and biodiversity, land conservation, and local and state land use issues; provide technical support to members, state and regional agencies, and municipalities; and work closely with our other programs to develop integrated strategies to meet the challenges facing Vermont’s environment, communities, and people.
The ideal candidate has a practical understanding of conservation and forest management principles, including at least five years of professional experience in natural resource policy, conservation, ecology, forestry, wildlife or a related field; experience leading programs and projects from ideation to completion; the ability to manage multiple people, priorities, and projects; excellent interpersonal, facilitation and communication skills; and the skills to effectively advocate before state agencies, the Legislature, and municipal and regional boards and commissions. A law degree and/or legal experience are a plus. VNRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and strongly encourages applications from candidates whose identities have been historically underrepresented in the environmental movement. Applicants should share VNRC’s commitment to centering equity, environmental justice, diversity, and inclusion in our work.
The Forest and Wildlife Program Director is a full-time, hybrid position based at our Montpelier office with a salary range of $65,000 to $90,000, commensurate with experience, plus a $21,000 benefits stipend.
Candidates must submit a letter of interest, resume, and three professional references via email to be considered. Candidate review will begin on September 5th, but applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Read the full job description and apply at vnrc.org/join-our-team.
The Lamoille Family Center seeks an energetic, organized, and flexible individual to provide full-time case management and crisis intervention services to 12- to 24-year-old youth and young adults. This position works as part of the Youth & Young Adult team, has significant contact with schools, social service partners and the Dept. of Children and Families. An understanding of Positive Youth Development approaches is desired.
This is a rare opportunity to be part of a dynamic, supportive, and team-oriented agency which is committed to collectively integrating its core values of Integrity, Respect, Compassion, Inclusivity, Collaboration and Positivity into its work. Compensation starts at $43,500 plus $14,000 in benefits like vacation time, sick time, and single person health insurance.
Qualifications: A bachelor’s degree and 1 year work experience with vulnerable youth and their parents/guardians is required. Qualified candidates will have a solid understanding of positive youth development, social work, ability to organize & manage documentation, strong communication skills, and an ability to collaborate with multiple community partners. Candidates should have a knowledge of various youth focused systems of care. Travel throughout the Lamoille Valley, occasional crisis / after hours response, and some evening work required. Since travel throughout the Lamoille Valley is required, a valid Driver’s License and reliable, insured transportation are necessary.
Please send cover letter and resume to: Lamoille Family Center 480 Cady’s Falls Road Morrisville, VT 05661 or jhunsberger@lamoillefamilycenter.org
Join Our Team! We are looking for a Teen Center Director for our youth-centered nonprofit in Essex Junction. We are searching for an energetic Teen Center Director to manage our afterschool program.This is a part-time non-exempt position, which requires appropriate professional youth work skills, creativity, punctuality, attention to detail, and the ability to communicate, engage and collaborate with elementary and middle school students, caretakers and fellow staff members. Schedule varies based on the day of the week: three afternoons, 1:00 pm6:30pm. 30 hours weekly. Remaining hours are for planning.
Benefits: Compensation is $24/hour, paid bi-weekly by direct deposit. Candidates, please e-mail resume and cover letter to office@essexchips.org
The Supply Chain Management Tech is responsible for the receipt, storage, accountability, and distribution of all equipment and supplies held in stock and/or requested by the medical center. The Tech monitors and assures that an adequate level of supplies and patient care equipment are maintained within the Materials Department and appropriate par level supply storage areas. Under limited supervision, the Tech resolves and fulfills all customer requests and inquiries. Work situations are routine and physically demanding, requiring organization, attention to detail, customer service skills, and the ability to use multiple software applications during performance of all job duties. Internal contacts include staff and management throughout the organization. External contacts include vendors and suppliers of the medical center.
Join the Town of Stowe –Where Community Meets Opportunity!
Are you looking to build your career in a vibrant community celebrated for its natural beauty, outdoor recreational opportunities, and strong sense of place? The Town of Stowe is seeking a Deputy Zoning Administrator - a senior-level position ideal for someone who thrives in a collaborative, fast-paced environment and is passionate about community planning, development review, and public service.
As Deputy Zoning Administrator, you’ll lead permitting and development review processes that balance growth with our shared values, working as a vital part of a high-performing, dedicated team. We’re looking for an experienced and approachable professional who brings both technical expertise and a genuine commitment to community. In this role, you’ll work directly with homeowners, builders, and neighbors to navigate land use regulations and permitting. But this role is more than just reviewing plans and issuing permits - it’s about building professional relationships and guiding thoughtful growth. Evening meetings are a regular part of the position.
What We’re Looking For:
• A background in land use planning, community development, regulatory/code enforcement, legal studies, or related field
• Strong interpersonal, listening, and communication skills
• The ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, attention to detail, and meet deadlines
• A desire to support a dynamic, engaged community
If you take pride in your professionalism, enjoy solving problems, and want to make a real impact in a community that values both tradition and progress, we’d love to hear from you. Even if your background doesn’t check every box, we encourage you to apply if this role excites you!
Salary range: $68,620 - $80,400 dependent 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.
Come join us and help shape the future of one of Vermont’s most desired communities!
The Town of Stowe is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
“This place is a constant building of relationships. I’ve never worked anywhere where the culture was like this. ”
– Matthew McClintic, Employment Specialist
Great jobs in management and direct support at an award-winning agency serving Vermonters with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Benefit package includes 29 paid days off in the first year, comprehensive health insurance with premium as low as $30 per month, up to $6,400 to go towards medical deductibles and copays, retirement match, generous sign on bonus and so much more.
And that’s on top of working at one of the “Best Places to Work in Vermont” for seven years in a row. Join our team today!
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• Are you driven by a powerful mission?
• Do you want more than a job?
• Do you want to help build lifesaving eyewear? If so, we would love to meet you!
Thurs, Fri, Sat days 6:00am-6:30pm
Every other Wed 6:00am-2:30pm $22-$27 / hour plus 5% differential
Sun, Mon, Tues nights 6:00pm-6:30am
Every other Wed 6:00pm-2:30am
Marketing & Communications Associate
Use your storytelling skills to help small towns thrive. CommunityHeartandSoul.org
Are you a creative communicator who excels at connecting people through stories? Do you want your work to make a real difference in small cities and towns across the country? Community Heart & Soul® is a national nonprofit organization whose namesake program engages residents and local leaders to shape the future of their communities. We’re looking for a talented marketing professional to help expand our program to hundreds of new towns across the country.
In this role, you’ll create and manage campaigns, support webinars and events, develop content across a variety of platforms, and ensure brand consistency as we grow. Based in our Shelburne, VT office, your work will help fuel the momentum behind a program that’s already making a difference in over 130 communities nationwide. You are a great fit if you're an energetic digital marketer with a passion for content development (video, images, written) and you’re excited about building thriving communities. Curious? Energized? Ready to make a difference? Join a dedicated team working to strengthen small towns across America—one story at a time. Apply now by submitting your cover letter and resume at: communityheartandsoul.org/careers
The salary range for this role is $60,000 - $80,000 per year, depending on experience.
Montpelier Roxbury Public Schools (MRPS) has an immediate vacancy for a full-time Head Custodian at Montpelier High School. The Head Custodian coordinates, oversees, and performs routine custodial work and maintenance of the Montpelier High School building and grounds.
The ideal candidate should have two to three years of relevant training and/or experience. Experience with commercial cleaning, waxing and striping floors, and using equipment such as a scrubber, floor buffer, commercial vacuum is preferred. The chosen candidate should also have the ability to use basic applications such as email and word processing and perform basic data entry functions. Strong communication and interpersonal skills are a must.
MRPS will consider any combination of education and experience that allows for successful performance in this role. The district'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.
The pay range for this role is between $25.86 to $32.10 per hour with the actual starting salary based on qualifications and experience. This pay range is inclusive of the base hourly rate and the stipend given to our head custodians. This is a full-time, union, non-exempt position covered by our AFSCME collective bargaining agreement.
Montpelier Roxbury Public Schools offers a competitive benefits package to include: Generous vacation, personal and sick accruals, VMERS B Retirement Plan, BCBS Health Insurance, health savings accounts, employer paid Dental and Vision insurance, Long Term Disability, Life Insurance and optional 403 (b) retirement plans.
Additional information on benefit offerings can be found here: mrpsvt.org/ hr-business-office.
Applicants can apply online at: schoolspring. com/jobdetail?jobId=5329447
Questions can be directed to Travis Sabataso, HR Coordinator at travissabataso@mpsvt.org
• Post jobs using a form that includes key info about your company and open positions (location, application deadlines, video, images, etc.).
• Accept applications and manage the hiring process via our applicant tracking tool.
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Get a quote when you post online or contact Michelle Brown: 865-1020, ext. 121, michelle@sevendaysvt.com.
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“Did you just say ‘walk’?”
(JUL. 23-AUG. 22)
In medieval Europe, pilgrims traveling to the shrine of Saint James in Spain often wore scallop shells. These were badges to signify they were on a sacred path in quest of divinely inspired transformation. The shell also had practical uses. It was a scoop for food and water, underscoring the humility and simplicity embraced by wayfarers on the road. I invite you to acquire and wear your own equivalent of this talisman, Leo. You have begun a new chapter in your self-perception, and life is asking you to proceed without pretense. You don’t need definite answers. You don’t have to rush to the end of the journey. The becoming is the point. I hope you seek out inspirational symbolism and generous companions to help nurture your brave transformations. (PS: Your best conversations may be with people who will lovingly witness your evolution.)
ARIES (Mar. 21-Apr. 19): Rama is the star of the ancient Hindu epic story the Ramayana. I love him! He’s one of my favorite legends! His heroic journey isn’t fueled by a greed for power or personal glory. Unlike 90 percent of modern action heroes, he’s not pumped up with anger or a lust for vengeance. Instead, he is animated by a sense of sacred duty. Against all odds, and in the face of bad behavior by weird adversaries, he acts with exemplary integrity and calm clarity. During your upcoming exploits, Aries, I invite you to be inspired by his exalted and unwavering determination. As you pro-
ceed, ask yourself, “Is this in rigorous service to my beautiful ideals? Are my decisions and words in alignment with my deepest truths?” Be motivated by devotion as much as by hunger. Aim not just for novelty and excitement but also for generosity of spirit.
TAURUS (Apr. 20-May 20): In the Mexican festival of La Noche de Rábanos — Night of the Radishes — giant radishes are carved into elaborate altars and scenes. Humble roots become fancy art. I think you’re engaged in a metaphorically similar process, Taurus: sculpting with uncommon materials. Something you’ve regarded as modest — a small breakthrough or overlooked strength — is revealing unexpected value. Or perhaps a previously latent or indiscernible asset is showing you its neglected magic. Celebrate your subtle but very tangible luck. Take full advantage of half-disguised treasures.
GEMINI (May 21-Jun. 20): In Zen archery, the aim is not simply to hit the target. Instead, it’s to align one’s body, breath, mind and bow so fully that the arrow releases itself naturally and effortlessly. It shoots itself! I would love for you to adopt this breezy attitude in the weeks ahead, Gemini. See if you can allow an evolving project, relationship or vision to reach a new maturity, but not through pushy effort. Rather, trust life to bring you the precise guidance exactly when you need it.
CANCER (Jun. 21-Jul. 22): In ancient Rome, the priestesses known as the Vestal Virgins tended an eternal flame. They never let it be extinguished, not even for a moment. Their devoted focus on nurturing the fire was both a religious practice and a symbol regarded as essential for the well-being, prosperity and survival of the Roman state. I propose, Cancerian, that you engage in your own version of Vestal Virgin-like watchfulness. Assign yourself the role of being the keeper of a sacred promise or resource. What is it, exactly?
Identify this repository of spiritual wealth and dedicate yourself to its sustenance.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sep. 22): In ancient Greek drama, the peripeteia was a term for the moment when everything turns. The pivot
doesn’t happen through force but through the revelation of what was always true. I see the coming weeks as your peripeteia, Virgo. There may be no fireworks or grand announcements. Just a soft spiraling crackle that signifies a realignment of the system, a cathartic shift of emphases. Confusion resolves. Mysteries solve themselves. You might say, “Oh, yes, now I see: That’s what it all meant.” Then you can glide into the future with a refined and more well-informed set of intentions.
LIBRA (Sep. 23-Oct. 22): In coastal Portugal, there’s a lighthouse called Farol do Cabo da Roca. Built on a cliff where land ends and the Atlantic Ocean begins, it marks the westernmost edge of continental Europe. We might say it’s a threshold between the known and unknown. I believe you will soon be poised at a metaphorically similar place, Libra. An ending is at hand. It’s not catastrophic, but it is conclusive. And just beyond it are shimmers, questions and a horizon that’s not fully visible. Your job is to finish your good work, even as you periodically gaze into the distance to see what’s looming.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The Maasai people of East Africa observe the potent tradition of enkang oo-nkera, or the “circle of the fire.” The community gathers around the evening fire, and the elders facilitate discussions of ancestry, legends, moral lessons, practical knowledge and conflict management. Now would be an excellent time for you to take inspiration from the Maasai ritual. According to my analysis, you and your people are due for a deep sharing of mutually important truths. Certain riddles need to be addressed collaboratively. Tales from the shadows must be illuminated. Your power as a group can be of vigorous service to each individual.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In some early maps of the cosmos, Sagittarius wasn’t just an archer. Your sign was symbolized by a centaur with wings: part horse, part bird, part god. I bring this to your attention because I suspect your own hybrid nature is extra wild and strong these days. A part of you wants to roam, and a part wants to ruminate. A part wants to teach, and a part needs to learn. How
should you respond to the glorious paradox? I say, don’t force harmony. Let contradiction become choreography. Maybe liberating joy can arise through a dance between apparent opposites.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In Sardinia, there are tombs carved into rock called Domus de Janas — “houses of the fairies.” People once left offerings there to court the help of beings they couldn’t see. They truly believed that fairies were real and could exert effects in this world. In modern times, fewer Capricorns actively consort with invisible presences than any other zodiac sign. But I hope you will take a short break from your usual stance. Mysterious and mythic influences are gathering in your vicinity. You’re being nudged by forces that defy explanation. What do you have to lose? Why not have fun making room to be delighted and surprised by miracles and wonders?
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Thou shalt embrace the confounding contradictions, Aquarius. That’s the first commandment. Here’s the second commandment: Thou shalt caress the tricky incongruities. Third: Thou shalt whisper endearments to the mysterious ambiguities and invite the mysterious ambiguities to whisper endearments to you. Fourth: Thou shalt rumble and cavort with the slippery paradoxes. Commandment number five: Thou shalt chant spicy prayers of gratitude to the incongruities, paradoxes, contradictions and ambiguities that are making you deeper and wiser and cuter.
PISCES (Feb. 19-Mar. 20): In early medieval gardens, there was sometimes a space called the hortus conclusus. It was a walled sanctuary that protected plants and herbs from harsh weather and predation by animals. It comprised a microclimate and provided a private, peaceful space for contemplation, prayer and study. Sometime soon, Pisces, I would love for you to create your personal equivalent of a hortus conclusus — even if it’s metaphorical. You will harvest maximum benefits from surrounding yourself with extra nurturing. The insights that would come your way as you tend to your inner garden would be gently and sweetly spectacular.
You don’t need a passport to board the Northern Star and take one of its 13 weekly cruises on the international waters of Lake Memphremagog.
Seven Days’ Eva Sollberger caught a ride on the four-hour cruise to Canada and met the crew.
BLUE-COLLAR HIPPIE MAN WANTED
Looking for the relationship few find. In search of something authentic and deep. While I have a ton of my own passions (skiing, yoga, hiking, camping, live music, being outside), the common bond I hope to find in a partner is a man who wants to build and create things together. Very active nature-loving mom to two sons. skater72 , 52 , seeking: M, l
THIS IS ME
Moved to Burlington after many years inside the Beltway. I have secured living quarters with a balcony, procured a Subaru and an ice scraper, and taken my dog on a lot of woodsy walks. Seeking someone to have dinner with and see how it goes.
New2Subarucountry 52, seeking: M, l
LIVING MY NEW LIFE
I am recently — in the last year — living as a single woman again. My life is good but not full. There is a void. A companion, a friend maybe. It would be fun to have someone to do things, with, be it a walk, go to flea markets, antiques shops, museums, road trips, movies. Newlife2025, 64, seeking: M, l
EXPLORING THIS LIFETIME MOMENT
Interested in meaningful conversations and activities. Accepting of differences. Require quality time outdoors daily. INFJ 65, seeking: W
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
YOU?
Statuesque. Celtic. Worth it. OceanMaeve, 70 seeking: M
CLEVER, INTUITIVE, CREATIVE, OUTDOORSY, SENSUAL
In search of a woman with similar characteristics for outdoor and indoor play. And, if it feels right, to join me and my male playmate for discreet playdates. CompassRose 59, seeking: W
LIVING WITH PURPOSE
Seeking a true partner for the best that is to come. itry 44, seeking: M
CURIOUS, CREATIVE, CARING, HOPEFUL
I’m a teacher soon to retire, mother to two young adults. Well traveled but at heart a homebody addicted to writing. I love swimming in the ocean, intelligent conversation, people who make me laugh, cats and wild elephants. I work out four to five days a week, eat too much ice cream, live with Lancelot. I once rode an ostrich. I hope to fall in love again. Helen, 66, seeking: M, l
FUN-LOVING, INDEPENDENT, HONEST, FUNNY, GREGARIOUS
Healthy, active, semiretired. I enjoy trying new things and seeing new places. Many interests: back roads of Vermont or New England, a foreign cruise. Lakeside with family and friends, food, and a bonfire; or festivals, farmers market, music. Quiet dinner, a movie or Scrabble. I’m game. The friendship of an equal who’s fun-loving, honest and independent. Winter breaks to warmer climates, as it’s not my favorite season. Am I missing something?
MsPaisley, 71, seeking: M, l
CREATIVE, DARK-HUMORED REALIST
I’m a fantastic storyteller, but it turns out describing myself here feels impossible (and a lot like torture).
Meeting Vermont folks should be easy — I’m a creative looking to spend more time doing stuff outdoors with intelligent and kind people. So, here goes: getting outside my comfort zone to get closer to a life I’ve imagined for myself. GULP. itcantrainallthetime47 47 seeking: M, l
ROAD LESS TRAVELED
I’ve lived a life outside the mainstream, guided by a belief in right-livelihood. Neurodivergent in the ADD kind of way; I am a curious, opinionated audiophile with a background as a librarian. I like to think I can laugh at myself (kindly) and look for the best in others. Looking for new friends: open to a potential long-term partnership. Kindred, 58, seeking: M, W, TM, TW, Q, NC, NBP, l
INTELLIGENT AND CURIOUS
Don’t be discouraged by my age. I am mature, I enjoy meaningful and intellectual conversations, and I have always preferred the company of those older than myself. Invite me over, let me cook you dinner in your kitchen, and I’ll tell you that you’re pretty and ask you a million questions about your life story. kateausten 22, seeking: W
HAPPY, OPTIMISTIC, INTELLIGENT, CARING, ADVENTUROUS
I’m fun, healthy, outdoorsy. Love cooking, gardening, theater, wine, music, candles. Not perfect but happy with who I am. Enjoy good, honest conversation, others’ perspectives about life. Sensitive, compassionate, attractive, very young at heart. Optimist: value others with positive energy. Appreciate the simple things in life. Looking for quality time with someone to evolve together into long-term relationship. Vizcaya7 70 seeking: M, l
OPEN-MINDED, UNDERSTANDING AND COMPASSIONATE
Looking for a playmate to share adventures with. Someone who is positive and sees the glass as half full, or better yet, full. Someone who likes the outdoors and enjoys hiking, kayaking and, above all, laughter. And honesty is a must. Cynder 76, seeking: M, l
SEEKING LAKE MONSTERS LOVER
I’ve got Lake Monsters season tickets, and I’m looking for a cute lady to join me for some summer fun at the ballpark. Don’t care if we make it to first, second, third or go all the way. I’m just looking for a gal who appreciates good seats, good humor and a guaranteed good time. Cracker Jack is on me. LakeMonsterLover 37, seeking: W, l
HIGH ENERGY, POSITIVE, NATURAL BLONDE
I live and play in Vermont and the D.C. metro area, splitting my time between the two when I am not chasing snow! I adore both the outdoorsy-ness of Vermont and have owned a home here for 15-plus years. Positivity and lightness run through me. Expect to laugh with me — and bring your energy. I am highly carbonated! braidsatanyage 53, seeking: M, l
FINDING JOY AND LOVE
Opening my life and heart to experiencing the joy and love that exists in between the spaces of this troubled world. Looking for a partner for traveling to amazing places, communing with the forest fairies and mycelium networks, and playing in the water. Young at heart, embraces the wonders of this life, has compassion for the difficulties facing our planet and its inhabitants. Halfpint 72, seeking: M, l
ADVENTURE MIXED WITH CHILL
Have fun, hang out and refuse to stop learning! Let’s grow plants, connection and much more. I love snowboarding but am nervous around people who don’t blaze or people who ski or who ride bicycles in tight outfits. But outdoorsy adventure sports and learning and teaching about soil. Passion for Pachamama, as well lots of good food combined with foraging. Snowmalpickles, 36 seeking: W, l
LOOKING FOR A FRIEND
Looking for a friend to do outdoor adventures. Cario1965, 60, seeking: W, l
ACTIVITY PARTNER
I am looking for someone to enjoy each other’s company and see where it goes. friendfirst 60, seeking: W, l
LET TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT
It’s hard to describe oneself. I’m told that I have a great sense of humor. I am well read, love to talk about history, politics and lots more. I like music: blues, rock, some classic — depends on the mood, I guess. I like swimming, kayaking, going for a ride to nowhere. In winter I like going on a walk on a bright sunny day. Vtman52, 73, seeking: W, l
OPEN AND EXPLORING
Looking for someone open to exploring some femdom stuff. GreenMnt802 34, seeking: W
MYSTERY MAN
I enjoy everything that nature has provided us. I spend 95 percent of my days outdoors. Hiking, biking, kayaking and downhill/XC skiing. My ideal partner would share in some of these activities and share with me the activities that encompass their life. It’s so important to share and grow. MisteryMan 63, seeking: W, l
ACTIVE, HONEST AND OPEN-MINDED
I’m a retired history teacher looking for a companion/partner to enjoy life with me. I’m in good health and active both physically and mentally. Looking for honest, kind and intelligent woman for companionship exploring back roads and local history as well as finding the best cup of coffee, conversation and taking in local sports events. CW38, 85, seeking: W, l
MUSICAL ROMANTIC SEEKING NEW FRIENDSHIPS
I have two beautiful kids (6 and 4) who live with me half the time. My ex and I split a year ago and are friendly. I spend my time hanging with my kids, getting my job done from home, and playing music semi-professionally on the weekends. Looking forward to meeting new people. No pressure, and let’s have fun. circleAC 44, seeking: W, l
ADVENTURER
Former wanderer building an off-grid homestead in Newport. Spent my time between western Mass. and NEK. Looking for an outdoor lover, skinny dipper, cuddler, star gazer, camper, movie watcher for potential LTR. Grab coffee, go for a walk and chat? Homesteader86 39 seeking: W, l
LAID-BACK AND OLD-SCHOOL Honestly, I am looking to date. Handsome99 25, seeking: W
CURIOUS, LOVABLE, SINCERE, CELIBATE, LONELY
I just ended (finally, yes!) an engagement to my high-school sweetheart, which just lingered on way too long! I am ready to move on. I am curious as to who is out there. I would be lying if I did not say I am bi-curious as well. A good woman would cure that fast! Hahaha. I live to please. Let me pamper you. Billy05488 68, seeking: M, W, TM, TW, l
LAID-BACK MIND, ACTIVE BODY
I’m drawn to people with a zany sense of humor who are open to adventure. A bit of wild is attractive to me, though I’ll pass on crazy. If you are looking for a fun guy who dances to his own tune and is perhaps a standard deviation from the norm, I might be your guy. uppervalleyman, 72, seeking: W, l
LAID-BACK
Looking for that special person. Brighterdays, 65, seeking: W
SUMMER PARTNER
I’m open to different scenarios and just enjoy meeting new people. bski 49, seeking: W, l
IN BETWEEN THE DARK AND THE LIGHT
Grounded and dependable. A great sense of humor. A barrel of laughs. An excellent conversationalist. I love to meditate, practice yoga, work out, go to the beach, go for hikes, play guitar, listen to music, read and learn new things. I am hoping to meet a trustworthy and interesting person. Could it be you? Let’s get together and feel alright. Multidimensional 55, seeking: W, l
ADVENTUROUS, INTELLIGENT SOUL SEEKS SAME
Curiosity is a defining trait of mine. I’ve recently moved to the area and am seeking a companion to share exploring, connection and almost anything outdoors — especially hiking and cycling. I’m an excellent cook and enjoy my own cooking. I’m a soccer fan, and checking out a Vermont Green FC game would be a fun date! I’m spiritual but not religious. Driver8 50, seeking: W, l
ALWAYS ON THE GO
Looking for someone who likes to go on road trips, travel to new places, and go boating on the ocean or the lake. I have large flower gardens I could show you. Get back to me, and I can tell you more. peter30, 73, seeking: W, l
MUSICIAN/WRITER/DANCER SEEKS CONNECTION
I love writing, making music, dancing, being out in nature, understanding new things, stepping up, learning what other folks care about and trying to make a positive difference in the world. I’m an incorrigible optimist who predicts dire things, a gentle person with a steel core, an introverted social butterfly. Seeking creative, compassionate, joyful connection! Sylph, 56, seeking: M, W, TM, TW, Q, NC, NBP, l
SEEKING COMMUNITY WITH MULTIGENERATIONAL LESBIANS OK, here’s the deal. I’m trying to figure out how to build friendships with lesbians who are older than me. The dream: Lesbians of all experiences swapping stories, cracking jokes, maybe sipping beverages and learning from one another. Interested? Let’s do it! Does a group like this already exist somewhere in VT? Can I get in on it? LMK. ilovelesbians, 30, seeking: W, TM, TW, Q, NC, NBP, Cp, Gp
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
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
MEMORIES OF KIND MOTORISTS
In 2020 or 2021 my nervous system had been completely destroyed by complex trauma. I was sitting on the side of the road by Community Bank in Jericho, and a kind man pulled over. He really wanted to help me, and I wanted to let him, but I trusted no one. Other motorists also pulled over. ank you all! I’m safe now. When: Friday, June 5, 2020. Where: Community Bank in Jericho (can’t recall the exact date). You: Group. Me: Woman. #916408
SNOW FARM VINEYARDS STUD MUFFIN
You were in back of me in line at Snow Farm Vineyards when my kiddo smacked my ass. You: male, blue shirt, blue hat, sunglasses, facial hair. Me: blond hair, white shirt, jeans, sassy kid. Saw you while I was dancing. You were under the white tent. Single? Going to A House On Fire on August 14? Will look for you! When: ursday, August 7, 2025. Where: Snow Farm Vinyards Wine Down. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916407
YOU MADE MY DAY!
“Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, he walks into mine.”
Of all the grocery stores, you walked into mine! I gleamed your boyish grin, twinkling eyes and that familiar goatee standing behind me. Time froze. I embraced you in that serendipitous moment. I’ll never forget it! What a day!
“As Time Goes By.” When: Saturday, August 2, 2025. Where: Hannaford Shelburne Rd., South Burlington. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916406
YOU TOOK A DOUBLE TAKE!
Oakledge Park, around 5:30 on Saturday. Our eyes touched. You were with someone, and I was pushing a stroller up the ramp with my awesome beard. You took a double take. I am available, and you? When: Saturday, August 2, 2025. Where: Oakledge Park. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916403
An attitude stemming from abusers within the age range: for some, “just giving a compliment” is the toxic masculinity that perpetuates the deaccession of mankind. Maybe if you complimented women your own age, they wouldn’t be siphoning the life energy of women younger and/ or sexualizing themselves. When: Monday, August 4, 2025. Where: everywhere not listening. You: Group. Me: Woman. #916405
BJORN
We were supposed to be best friends and finish watching e Hobbit together. You wanted to domesticate a dinosaur. Have you changed the world yet, with your brilliant mind and chalkboard calculations? Remember the great condiment exchange? Have you danced naked in your house yet? How are your plants and fish doing? How are you? Miss having you around. — Bro When: Sunday, August 3, 2025. Where: a few years ago. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916404
I’M STILL WAITING
You’ve asked me to keep the door open, / To just be chill and wait and see. / But I don’t know what I’m waiting for. / For you to finally see? / To see what we had was that thing people chase their whole lives? / Or for you to get lost in someone else’s eyes? / Why wait, when we have such little time? When: ursday, October 13, 2022. Where: Cambridge. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916402
SHANNON AND DWEEB
I met you and Dweeb. You walked into my life; please walk home. We miss you, T, so much. Forever barefoot. You don’t have to call 911, you can look me up. 33&3, Daddy D When: Friday, July 11, 2025. Where: Cambridge, Vt. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916400
You opened the door for me to let me in for my IT appointment. You: extraordinarily polite and even more handsome. Me: blond, tattoos, probably seemed extremely stressed. I just have to try to connect with you, though probably not brave enough to talk to you. Are you single? Am I crazy, thinking this could work? When: Friday, August 1, 2025. Where: South Burlington. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916401
OSCAR WILDE
Last August you were coming down Worcester Mountain wearing earphones. We talked about Oscar Wilde and the names Mary and Joseph. I didn’t have the nerve to ask if you were single. If you are and want to get in touch, I’d love to meet you somewhere! When: Friday, August 30, 2024. Where: Worcester Mountain. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916399
T-ROAD
You stumbled out of the pit tower. I couldn’t help blurt out, “Drink much?” You laughed, not in 25 years. Your smile melted me. I’m sure you’re taken, but it’s worth a shot. Let’s make some laps together. When: ursday, July 24, 2025. Where: Barre. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916398
LOOKING FOR LOVE
Am a good girl, looking for love. When: Monday, July 28, 2025. Where: friend. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916397
CURTIS POND DOCK CYCLIST
You were biking laps to solve world problems. I was paddling my work worries away when you caught my eye. Perhaps we can be friends? I’m a pretty good cook. When: Tuesday, July 15, 2025. Where: Calais. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916396
HELPED AT PC
I felt like a damsel in distress. While attempting to self-check out, I discovered the bank had a fraud alert on my debit card. My knight in shining armor was in the next checkout and offered to help. First, thank you. Second, are you single? If so, can we meet for coffee? When: Wednesday, July 23, 2025. Where: Morrisville Price Chopper. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916395
SHAW’S COLCHESTER
Love the blond hair! Looks good on you! When: Sunday, July 27, 2025. Where: Shaw’s Colchester. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916394
My roommate and I have lived together for almost two years, and we’ve become great friends. Our place allows pets, but neither one of us had one when we moved in. Lately, he’s been talking about wanting to get a puppy. I love dogs, and I’m open to the idea, but my roommate isn’t the most responsible person in the world. I don’t want to tell him he can’t do it, but I really don’t want to wind up taking care of the puppy all of the time. How can I support his decision without ruining my living situation?
NAKED TURTLE BARTENDER
anks for your help today with my large lunch order. Enjoyed your smile and great attitude! Single, by any chance? When: ursday, July 24, 2025. Where: Plattsburgh. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916393
DARK GRAY HAIR, LIBRARY CONSTRUCTION
On the worst day of my life, I met an incredibly pretty woman, with short, dark gray hair, who had learned to speak phonetically. Asked me about library construction. I am tall and thin — looked awful that day, but you made a bad day amazing with your smile! Angel! When: Monday, July 21, 2025. Where: corner of Main and South Winooski. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916392
DMB SHIRT ENJOYING
DYLAN SONGS
We IDed a mutual acquaintance (I confirmed the name of your former football teammate), and your vibe made me want to make your acquaintance. Consideration for my date kept me to just a few smiles at you. Want to meet up for music together sometime? When: ursday, July 17, 2025. Where: South Hero. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916391
TRAFFIC LIGHT JOKES
I was on my motorcycle, being silly, trying to get the light to turn green at S. Prospect and Main. I somehow managed to hit the curb and take a fall off my bike. I noticed a UVMMC name tag but didn’t see your name. anks for stopping! I’m OK. Could I say thank you for stopping with a coffee or lunch? When: Monday, July 21, 2025. Where: Burlington, Main Street and University. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916390
MY LOVE
Wishing you the happiest birthday. A year older, a year wiser and ever more handsome. I love you so much! When: Sunday, July 27, 2025. Where: once upon a dream. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916389
HONEY ROAD WONDERFUL
You: dinner out with your kiddo, sitting at the corner of the bar, fantastically beautiful. Me: nose deep in a book, caught your eye over a birthday(?) candle. Us: Let’s meet up when we’re kidless. When: Saturday, July 19, 2025. Where: Honey Road. You: Man. Me: Man. #916386
It’s fantastic that you don’t want to rain on your roomie’s puppy parade, but you are right to be worried about the responsibility factor. Bringing a puppy into a home affects everyone in it, so the two of you need to have a serious house meeting about the idea.
VERMONT GREEN FC YOUR EYES
Front row of the VTFC game on Friday. You, in a lululemon skirt, had the prettiest little face and were sitting with a friend. Me, in a Green jersey, walking past you and returning your eye contact all three times. Was chasing my kid so couldn’t respond with more than that sly smirk. Wanna know more of what’s hiding behind those eyes. When: Sunday, July 20, 2025. Where: Virtue Field. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916388
PICKING FLOWERS
You were beautiful — snipping flowers at the Intervale, tucking them into a ceramic pot. I asked about your flowers. You smiled and said, “Some small ones, some tall ones.” We both wished for more containers. We parted ways, but I kept sneaking glances. Want to pick up where we left off? When: ursday, July 17, 2025. Where: Intervale CSA. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916387
HG PARKING LOT
After the Record Company show. You were wearing a red shirt. I was in my car cranking the Record Company music. You said, “You’re still rocking!” I went alone. Did you? Want to see what else we have in common? When: Friday, July 18, 2025. Where: Higher Ground lot. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916385
WALKING YOUR DOG IN WINOOSKI
You were walking your black dog around Richards Park. You had red hair and sunglasses with a hat. I was walking my own dog and we caught glances. I thought you were gorgeous. Coffee or a drink sometime? When: Friday, July 18, 2025. Where: Winooski. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916376
NICO SUAVE LOVE AFFAIR
We met at the Nico Suave show and danced the night away. You wrote your number on my arm, but you are clearly not a very good speller. When: ursday, July 17, 2025. Where: Higher Ground Ballroom. You: Man. Me: Group. #916375 BREAD AND PUPPET JULY 2023
At the circus this last Sunday, sitting under a shady tree, taking in the show. Reminiscing of sweet sunny Sunday kisses in the parking lot a couple of years ago. What a delightful moment in time that was. Like the Vermont summer, it was fleeting, but it left delicious memories to reflect upon on a lazy afternoon. When: Sunday, July 30, 2023. Where: Bread and Puppet. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916374
shoes? What if he barks all the time? What if you get really attached to the dog and your roommate decides to move? ink of any possible problems and discuss the solutions.
Before you have the discussion, make a list of all your concerns. Decide how much or how little you are willing to be involved in the raising of the puppy: housebreaking, walks, feeding, pet sitting, financial contribution and so on. You have to set firm boundaries and be sure that you will be able to stick to them.
It’s a tough topic, but the two of you should also talk about what happens if things go south. How will behavioral issues be handled? What if the puppy chews up your favorite
Your roommate needs to understand that a puppy is going to be a lot of work — for him. You may even want to suggest that he look into adopting an older dog that has gotten past the puppy phase. Goodness knows there are plenty of them out there who need a home. Either way, you may want to ask to be involved in the selection process, since you also have to live with the new pet. Hopefully all goes well and you wind up having another, possibly furrier, roommate with whom you will be great friends.
Good luck and God bless,
The Rev end
What’s your problem?
I’m a 19-y/o male college student seeking a kind, curious, adventurous woman around my age. I enjoy meditating, being outside and long conversations. Looking for someone I can value and appreciate who can help me to value and appreciate life. #L1881
I’m a 43-y/o male seeking a woman, 30 to 50. Adventure seeker building an off-grid cabin in Newport. I’m 5’8”, redheaded, fit, living between western Mass. and Vt. I like to cook, bathe, hike, camp and travel. Seeking fit, fun-loving, cuddly companion for potential future together. #L1880
I’m a SWM, 60s, 5’7”, 165 lbs. seeking slim males who enjoy a nice, long, slow, relaxing blow job or a regular one, if desired. NSA, just pleasure. #L1882
I’m a 74-y/o male. It’s been a long, long time without feeling a woman’s touch. I miss sex. I would love to meet a single, divorced or widowed woman in her 70s or 80s. Did I mention I miss sex? Phone number, please. #L1879
I have the dreams; you have the sugar. Let us maybe travel a bit and figure out what this country needs. F, 24, seeking someone intellectual, active and financially afloat. #L1878
Seal your reply — including your preferred contact info — inside an envelope. Write your pen pal’s box number on the outside of that envelope and place it inside another envelope with payment. Responses for Love Letters must begin with the #L box number.
MAIL TO: Seven Days Love Letters PO Box 1164, Burlington, VT 05402
PAYMENT: $5/response. Include cash or check (made out to “Seven Days”) in the outer envelope. To send unlimited replies for only $15/month, call us at 802-865-1020, ext. 161 for a membership (credit accepted).
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 44-y/o bi male seeking a male, female or bi couple for casual sex. I am clean, easygoing and anything goes. No judgment here. Let’s talk. Call/text. #L1877
I’m 65 y/o and gay. Male, seeking my partner/lover and best friend. Gregarious and fun-loving. Laughter and a sense of humor are the cornerstones of my life. As Jimmy Buffet says, “If we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane!” #L1875
Divorced white female, 66 y/o. Looking for a single male, 45 to 60, who is tall, not big. Who is loving, caring and fun to be with. I like being outdoors. I am disabled and use a wheelchair. I am loving, caring and honest and don’t play games. Like animals, and I am easy to get along with. I live in Winooski. Hope to hear from someone soon. #L1876
Bist du mein B.G.G. (Big Gentle German)? 40, ehrlich, kreativ und naturluver. Suche liebevollen, bewussten DEU Mann für zweisprachiges Leben zwischen VT und DEU. Ich bin liebevoll, gesund und bereit. Du und Ich: Lass uns die Welt mit unserer Liebe verändern. #L1873
I’m a SWF, 71 y/o, seeking a man 60 to 70 y/o. I live in Woodstock, Vt. I want a serious relationship with a man. Phone number, please. Best to call after 6 p.m. Would like to meet in person. #L1874
I’m a 72-y/o Eastern European woman with a young lifestyle. Seeking a man, age not important. I am a writer, and I like studying foreign languages. I would like to meet a man from Germany, France or Spain/South America to practice language skills. I am not expecting romance; friendship would be sufficient. #L1872
Spunky couple, 70s, adventurous, love domestic and international travel, camping, and anything on or near the water. We also enjoy the great array of music in Vermont. We’ve enjoyed some M and F singles and couples involving sensual, relaxed experiences. Interested? Let’s chat. #L1871
Single M, 60, youthful blond, blue-eyed appearance, wanting mutual attraction with F, 45 to 60, for connection/intimacy. Dinners, talks, walks, nature, TV, entertainment, day trips, overnights, spontaneity, hobbies, more. Ideally seeking BDSM kinky playmate, openminded, curious to explore kinky side and fantasies. #L1870
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)
52-y/o male seeking a female, 40 to 50, who is lively, intellectually curious, passionate and an adventurous soul. ings I like: hiking, exploring new places, cycling, personal growth and cooking memorable meals. #L1869
I’m an 81-y/o woman seeking companionship and romance. I am a widow of five years. I have one son (married). Love fishing and travel. I’m good at cooking, knitting and sewing. #L1867
I’m a 68-y/o slender woman seeking a 62- to 73-y/o male. I’m a homeowner in a rural setting wanting companionship and a romantic partner to share my life and home. I work part time and enjoy many outdoor activities. #L1865
Retired male. Financially secure with stable housing and good transportation, healthy, active, and fit. Seeking lively big game — female cat, lioness, tiger, black panther or cougar — for adventures in the jungle. #L1864
Required confidential info: NAME ADDRESS
ADDRESS (MORE) CITY/STATE
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.
Drip Cake Decorating Class with Sweet Syd's
WED., AUG. 13
RED POPPY CAKERY, WATERBURY
Bloom Lab Perfumery Class
WED., AUG. 13
FARM CRAFT, SHELBURNE
Forest Sit
THU., AUG. 14
BIRDS OF VERMONT MUSEUM, HUNTINGTON
Hula Story Sessions: Yelo
THU., AUG. 14
HULA, BURLINGTON
Gypsy Blue Revue with JP Soars and the Red Hots & Anne Harris
THU., AUG. 14
TWIN PONDS RESORT CAMPSITE, PERU, NY
Thursday Dinners at the Farm
THU., AUG. 14
367 MISSION FARM RD, KILLINGTON
Healthy Living for Your Brain & Body: A Lunch & Learn on Alzheimer's Prevention
THU., AUG. 14
HULA, BURLINGTON
ChetFest
FRI., AUG. 15
2065 RIDGE RD, RANDOLPH
Neon Ramblers
FRI., AUG. 15
AFTERTHOUGHTS, WAITSFIELD
FOTW Trail Clinic
SAT., AUG. 16
HINESBURG TOWN FOREST - HAYDEN HILL WEST TRAILHEAD
SUN., AUG. 17
Tree Identification for Birders and Friends
BIRDS OF VERMONT MUSEUM, HUNTINGTON
Northwood Gallery Speaker Series:
Stephen Sharon
TUE., AUG. 19
NORTHWOOD GALLERY, STOWE
Grand Opening - Bombardier Park
TUE., AUG. 19
BOMBARDIER PARK WEST, MILTON
'Gone Guys' Film Screening & Discussion
THU., AUG. 21
BRIGGS OPERA HOUSE, WHITE RIVER JCT
Fried Chicken & Pickin'
FRI., AUG. 22
MAPLE WIND FARM, RICHMOND
Fledge Fest 2025
SAT., AUG. 23
FLEDGLING FARMSTAND, TUNBRIDGE
Perfume Blending Workshop by Bloom Lab
SUN., AUG. 24
MAQUAM BARN & WINERY, MILTON
FOTW Trail Clinic
WED., AUG. 27
LINCOLN HILL TRAILHEAD - CARSE HILLS & HINESBURG TOWN FOREST
Another Sunset Bird Walk
THU., AUG. 28
BIRDS OF VERMONT MUSEUM, HUNTINGTON
August Bird Monitoring Walk
SAT., AUG. 30
BIRDS OF VERMONT MUSEUM, HUNTINGTON
