Seven Days, February 25, 2026 by Seven Days

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SENATE PRESIDENT BARUTH WON’T RUN FOR REELECTION

Sen. Phil Baruth (D/P-Chittenden-Central), the leader of the Vermont Senate, announced last Friday that he will not run for the Senate again in November. “I will be retiring from the Senate when this year winds down,” Baruth told colleagues.

Baruth served nearly 16 years in the Senate and four on the Burlington School Board. He said he’ll turn 65 in January, and now is the right time for him to step aside.

e Burlington resident and University of Vermont English professor is in his second biennium serving as the Senate president pro tempore.

Baruth said he announced his decision early so that voters in his district, which is represented by three senators, have sufﬁcient time to choose his replacement. He said he will not endorse anyone in the Chittenden-Central race nor anyone to succeed him as president pro tempore.

e district, which includes most of Burlington as well as Winooski, Essex Junction, and parts of Essex and Colchester, is currently represented by Baruth and Sens. Tanya Vyhovsky (P/D) and Martine Gulick (D).

Two other candidates have already entered the race: Elaine Haney, a former executive director of Emerge Vermont and a member of the Essex Junction City Council; and Nikhil Goyal, an assistant adjunct professor of sociology at the University of Vermont and author of three books.

Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale (D-Chittenden-Southeast), who is the majority leader in the 30-member chamber and a likely candidate to succeed Baruth, thanked him “for always being such a forthright and ride-or-die and committed leader in this esteemed chamber.”

Read Kevin McCallum’s full story at sevendaysvt.com.

U.S. Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) invited state Rep. Alyssa Black (D-Essex) to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address because she lost her Obamacare subsidy. Sick burn!

FISH STORY

Grayson Carey, 10, of Colchester caught a 28.5-pound freshwater drum in Lake Champlain last year. It was just certiﬁed as a new state record. A whopper!

ELECTRIC SLIDE

Dean Kamen resigned his seat on Beta Technologies’ board after he turned up in the Epstein ﬁles. The company said the inventor didn’t want to be a distraction.

HOT SEAT

Windsor County Sheri Ryan Palmer, who is facing charges of sexual misconduct, resigned from his Windsor Selectboard seat, WCAX-TV reported. Stripped of his law-enforcement certiﬁcation, he is still the elected sheri .

That’s how many current or former UVM students just medaled in the Olympic games. Go, Cats!

TOWNCRIER

LOCALLY SOURCED NEWS

Vermont Bill Would Tighten Privacy Rules for Genetic Testing Kit Data Vermont lawmakers are considering a consumer protection bill that would regulate how genetic testing companies such as 23andMe collect, use and share Vermonters’ data. e bill was voted out of the House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development on February 19.

PRESSING ON

Few businesses last more than 120 years. Fewer still do it in an industry many have declared dead.

Lane Press, the magazine and catalog printing press in South Burlington, has managed to defy the odds. Inside the company’s 200,000-square-foot building, three massive printing presses — the backbone of the operation — churn out millions of pages each hour. ey are folded, stitched and mailed as alumni magazines, trade journals and regional guides bound for mailboxes across the country.

It’s a far cry from Lane Press’ modest beginnings. Frank Lane founded the

company in 1904 on the top ﬂoor of a building near City Hall Park in downtown Burlington. In the 1950s, Oscar Drumheller, a senior manager at the time, took over. His family still owns the operation.

e majority of the company’s clients today are colleges and universities, including the University of Vermont, Saint Michael’s College and Middlebury College, though its reach extends nationwide.

e regional magazine Vermont Life was printed there, too, until it ceased publication in 2018.

More than a century in business has brought challenges. e company now employs around 90 people, down from more than 300 two decades ago, as automation reshaped work and the magazine industry

contracted. Rising paper and postage costs have also squeezed margins.

Still, the company’s reputation for quality products and customer service has helped it endure, according to Gregg Spiro, president of Lane Press. Matching the right ink to the 170 paper varieties that the company uses is both an art and science and leads to the best result for each job, he said.

Despite the industry headwinds, Spiro has gotten a sense in recent years that people are seeking the tactile experiences of reading books and magazines, instead of consuming everything on screens.

“ e world of print feels like it’s having a rebound,” Spiro said.

HANNAH BASSETT

COMPILED

SASHA GOLDSTEIN & MATTHEW ROY

Sen. Phil Baruth

BLACK & WHITE & READ ALL OVER.

Paula Routly

Cathy Resmer

Don Eggert, Colby Roberts

NEWS & POLITICS

Matthew Roy

Sasha Goldstein

Ken Ellingwood, Candace Page

Hannah Bassett, Colin Flanders, Kevin McCallum, Alison Novak, Lucy Tompkins 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

Martie Majoros, Elizabeth M. Seyler DIGITAL & VIDEO

Eva Sollberger

Je Baron DESIGN

Don Eggert

Rev. Diane Sullivan

John James

Je Baron SALES & MARKETING

Colby Roberts

Robyn Birgisson

Michelle Brown, Logan Pintka, Kaitlin Montgomery

Julia Maguire ADMINISTRATION

Marcy Stabile

Matt Weiner

Andy Watts

Gillian English

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Jordan Adams, Justin Boland, Alex Brown, Erik Esckilsen, Anne Galloway, Steve Goldstein, Amy Lilly, Bryan Parmelee, Suzanne Podhaizer, Samantha Randlett, Jim Schley, Carolyn Shapiro, Xenia Turner, Casey Ryan Vock CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

Luke Awtry, Daria Bishop, Sean Metcalf, Tim Newcomb, Jeb Wallace-Brodeur FOUNDERS

Pamela Polston, Paula Routly

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‘INCONVENIENT TRUTH’

I commend Seven Days for reporting the inconvenient truth that Abenaki people were barred — and continue to be barred — from decisions a ecting them in Vermont [“Seats of Power: In the Vermont Statehouse, Legislative Committee Chairs Hold Sway Over the Bills That Shape Public Policy,” February 11].

Missing from that reporting, however, is that senator Vince Illuzzi’s exclusion of the Abenaki was only one of several far-reaching legislative actions that controlled the 2010 to 2012 state recognition process and produced four invented “Abenaki tribes.” These groups now shape Indigenous policy, representation and education across the state.

Legislators also removed any requirement that applicants show Abenaki ancestry. That means no genealogical or historical connection to Abenaki people is needed to claim an “Abenaki” identity or to harvest beneﬁts reserved for Indigenous people, such as scholarships, federal grants, and free hunting and ﬁshing licenses.

Further, the legislature and governor ensured that the Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs —the body responsible then and now for overseeing Indigenous affairs — contained no actual Abenaki citizens. This placed authority over state recognition into the hands of self-identified “Abenaki” and their allies, creating blatant conflicts of interest. One commissioner was not only a member of an applicant group but also an “expert” reviewer of applications.

In the end, state recognition validated four groups as “Abenaki” that scholarship and multiple investigations show are non-Natives, while excluding the Abenaki nations — a contemporary act of colonialism that contradicts multiple articles of the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Vermonters who care about Indigenous rights and justice should be concerned.

David Massell BURLINGTON

Massell is a history professor at the University of Vermont.

RECOGNITION WAS RIGHT

Hannah Bassett’s long article [“Seats of Power,” February 11] on legislative committee chairs is an odd mixture of interesting politics and one-sided cheerleading for the Canadian First Nations. Late last fall, I spoke to Bassett at length as background for a story, as she portrayed it to me, on “the Vermont Abenakis’ staterecognition process.” I described how this process and outcome were decades in the making. “This has been a long journey, a long trail of tears,” said one of the chiefs in 2012 upon receiving recognition.

Bassett’s final story clearly diverted from that initial mission. While she concluded that “Lawmakers ultimately voted by wide margins to grant state recognition to all four Vermont groups,” she never explained the reasons for this strong committee support, followed by overwhelming backing from the full legislature and governor.

For one, the tribes had powerfully demonstrated their Indigeneity through a rigorous recognition process and decades of work for their communities and for all

‘VALUABLE’ REPORTING

Thank you for the article “Plan of Action: Vermonters Brace Themselves for the Possibility That Federal Immigration Officials Target Them Next” [February 4]. Lucy Tompkins did a great job of reporting on the intimidation that immigrants face from the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Vermont communities and also on the impending dangers from any escalation of ICE presence and aggressiveness.

The crisis in Minnesota has already moved on to Maine and may well occur in other states. With a tenfold increase from 2024 to 2025 of statewide immigration detentions, according to Migrant Justice, residents of Vermont have already been affected and their activities limited by fear of capture, even when they have legal status.

And two, many legislators knew Abenaki families in their districts. They experienced and understood these families’ deep, powerful connections to the land and to their Native heritage. There is nothing fake about them. Perhaps Bassett should have interviewed these legislators. See the abenakialliance.org for extensive information on the long, winding and difficult road to state recognition.

Giovanna Peebles MONTPELIER

Peebles served as Vermont state archaeologist from 1976 to 2014 and Vermont state historic preservation officer from 2010 to 2013.

‘DO BETTER’

[Re “Seats of Power”; Kids VT 2026 Camp Guide, February 11]: It’s galling to see an ad for Night Eagle Wilderness Adventures and its game, Stalk the Chief, practically superimposed on the story about Denise Watso testifying before the legislature, trying to prevent the erasure of her identity. Do better.

Young white boys can live in the wilderness for a month without appropriating bits of First Nations’ cultures. And Seven Days can force a discussion of why that’s racist and why running the ad and the story makes you hypocrites.

Michael Madill TOPSHAM

Editor’s note: The Stalk the Chief game was mentioned in a paid write-up inside the Kids VT 2026 Camp Guide, a supplement that is separate from the newspaper. Seven Days does not censor ad content.

The value of this kind of local reporting is inestimable. Not only does it include ways to prepare for the eventuality of heightened ICE actions, but it also gives information on some of the organizations that provide assistance to people who are at risk or threatened. Gratitude for explaining that Vermont police departments are forbidden to collaborate with federal immigration agents but that neither can they impede their actions. Very important for all of us to understand.

This is the kind of reporting that makes local news coverage extremely valuable, especially when reality is changing moment to moment.

Lois Price COLCHESTER

CONFUSING ARTICLE

The story [“All Wet? Gov. Phil Scott Wants to Relax Wetlands Regs to Spur Housing Construction. Critics Say the Change Would Endanger the Environment — and Homes,” January 28] started to make a strong argument for moving into the

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Vermonters.

NEWS+POLITICS

Navigating AI

THE MEDIA ISSUE

Compass Vermont, an online outlet, raises questions about the role of artiﬁcial intelligence in producing the news

Senator Who Resigned Over Racist Chats Lands

Reporting Gig

Disunion at Digger

A spat over the possible use of artiﬁcial intelligence has sown discord in Vermont’s largest newsroom

STUCK IN VERMONT

Judge Releases Steven Tendo From ICE Custody

Lights, Camera, Democracy!

Town Meeting TV is gearing up for its quirky, unpredictable and very Burlington election-results program

For the past ﬁve years,

DCF Issues New FosterParent Guidance Under Legal Settlements FEATURES 28

Public Interest

Vermont Public is weathering federal cuts — so far. But it’s challenged by shifting trends in media engagement.

All Over the Map

What’s news in Vermont media across the state

Self Reporting

As local news outlets shrink or disappear, two veteran print journalists have found success going solo

ARTS+CULTURE 44

Independent Spirit

With new classes and live events, White River Indie Festival grows beyond its ﬁlm-focused roots

Page 32

Short takes on ﬁve Vermont books

Sincerely Yours

In Richmond, Hey June letterpress studio builds a community of note

Ghosts and the Machine Damian Stamer’s AI-inspired paintings haunt Middlebury FOOD+

Maria Brown

Seven Days Eva Sollberger met some

MUST SEE, MUST DO THIS WEEK BY REBECCA DRISCOLL

SATURDAY 28

SLEEPLESS IN QUÉBEC

e 23rd edition of Montréal’s Nuit Blanche hosts more than 100 illuminating urban adventures across the city. Night owls enjoy nocturnal arts activities — including pop-up performances, disco skating and karaoke — at museums, cafés, studios, theaters and other cultural institutions, many of which will keep their doors open until midnight or later.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 63

SATURDAY 28

MAGNIFICENT

FRIDAY 27

On Top of Spaghetti

International collective Sarasa Ensemble honors historic Italian hot spot Bologna with a delectable concert titled “alla Bolognese” at Brattleboro Music Center. Known for its popular meat sauce, the city also nurtured pioneering 17th-century musicians. e group taps into that innovative spirit with works by trailblazing regional composers, including Isabella Leonarda and Bartolomeo Montalbano.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 62

FRIDAY 27 & SATURDAY 28

Saddle Up

Highway to Heaven

Electrifying tribute band Dirty Deeds: e AC/DC Experience rocks socks off at the Barre Opera House. e touring act channels the thunderous energy of the Bon Scott and Brian Johnson era with an amped-up performance of mega hits and lesser-known tracks — yes, done dirt cheap — and a stage spectacle that’ll shake you all night long.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 62

Quit horsin’ around and grab your cowboy boots — it’s time for the Hotel Vermont Ice Bar in Burlington! Country-and-western theme “Hoedown on the Harbor” elicits emphatic yeehaws at the boutique venue, where attendees decked out in ranch dressings make memories with outdoor games, ice sculptures, frosty cocktails and groovy beats spun by DJ Cre8.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 61

CLOSES SATURDAY 28

Working Girls

Dartmouth College Department of eater students mount National Latino Playwriting Award winner Karen Zacarías’ 2009 stage comedy Legacy of Light at the school’s brand-new Daryl Roth Studio eater in Hanover, N.H. e production follows two female scientists — one living in the present day, the other in the 18th century — as they navigate motherhood, love, career and family.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 61

CLOSES SATURDAY 28

Keen on Painting

J. Kenneth Fine Art’s Black History Month exhibit, “Paul Keene: e African American Experience,” in Shelburne boasts paintings by the late Philadelphia artist and educator. Gallerygoers take in a sampling of Keene’s vibrant, abstract, jazz-infused works of the 1950s and ’60s, which advanced awareness of the importance of African American art and culture in the 20th century.

SEE GALLERY LISTING AT SEVENDAYSVT.COM/ART

SUNDAY 1

e Time of Your Life

Nobody puts Baby in a corner at Paramount eatre’s “Dirty Dancing in Concert” in Rutland. Superfans relive the seminal 1987 coming-of-age drama on the historic venue’s massive screen — with a twist: A live band and vocalists perform every indelible song from the ﬁlm’s soundtrack, perfectly in sync with the scenes of Frances and Johnny’s simmering teen romance.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 63

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State of the Media

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The last time Seven Days published a Media Issue, a 112-pager in 2019, the Waterbury Record and the Brandon Reporter were still in business. The late Ken Squier was a regular presence at his radio station, WDEV-AM. Many of us local newspaper publishers were worried about the statewide expansion of an online platform powered by user-generated content called HereCast — now GoneCast. In other words, it was a long time ago. BP — before pandemic. And we thought things were hard then! COVID-19 forever changed the Vermont media industry — and not just because it accelerated so many of the trends that were already eroding the revenues we relied on. Advertising dried up overnight as people traded in brick-and-mortar shopping for Amazon and streamed Netﬂix instead of going to movie theaters, clubs and performing arts venues. Even in Vermont, virtual life threatens to replace the real one.

THE MEDIA ISSUE

At the same time: The state’s reporters never stopped delivering the news, and local media consumers saw and appreciated their e orts. Remember the governor’s weekly televised press conferences, during which journalists from every corner of the state posed questions on behalf of their anxious communities? All of that, coupled with widespread attacks on journalism writ large — sometimes from the president — convinced some proud, for-profit Vermont news publishers, including Seven Days, to admit they needed help to keep going. Their readers responded, in many cases, with financial support. In 2026, the statewide media landscape sure looks di erent. This issue of Seven Days has 24 fewer pages, the Addison County Independent and the Vermont Standard in Woodstock both have charitable trusts, the nonprofit online news site VTDigger has a union, and Vermont Public Radio and Vermont Public Television have merged to become Vermont Public. Information sources that do not report local news — but rather aggregate, reference, repackage or respond to it — have proliferated in the past seven years. Front Porch Forum just keeps getting bigger. Ditto an Upper Valley e-newsletter called Daybreak. And everybody is trying to figure out how Compass Vermont, a one-man show on Substack, is generating as many as three stories a day. The publisher appears to be using coverage from local and national outlets — and AI — to generate articles on

PHOTOS: COURTESY; DARIA BISHOP; ROB STRONG; KEVIN MCCALLUM

a platform that bills itself as “Vermont news from all directions.”

There’s a lot to report on, and ironically, none of us Vermont news publishers has been doing it very well. Generally speaking, reporters aren’t keen to write about their colleagues at competing outlets that might one day hire them. And many of us in the business know each other and are actively exploring ways to collaborate. It’s awkward, to say the least. Case in point: In this Media Issue, we have VTDigger founder Anne Galloway reporting on Vermont Public. She left Digger in May 2022 but opted not to be a source in our story this week about its union.

We’re pushing past our discomfort because someone has to do it: Vermonters deserve to know more about their media. Ownership changes, ﬁnancial struggles and new formats at local outlets directly impact citizens, many more of whom are now active ﬁnancial supporters of our respective e orts. This kind of news is no less important to the state’s overall well-being than the reporting Vermont journalists do on our broken health care system, housing crisis and education reform.

media, it’s encouraging that in Vermont we’re apparently not rebuilding trust in journalism, as is the case in other places; for the most part, trust is already here. It’s not a coincidence that 80 percent of the state’s 61 outlets are locally owned, compared with 40 percent of daily newspapers nationally. Publishers who live in and care about the communities they cover are a di erent breed from corporate suits.

THE QUESTION BEFORE US IS NOT WHETHER LOCAL NEWS MATTERS HERE.

THE QUESTION IS HOW WE SUSTAIN IT.

DAN SMITH

The Vermont Community Foundation’s report is itself a good sign. It makes a compelling argument for local journalism and suggests that some heavy hitters are on board. The foundation hosts the Vermont chapter of Press Forward, a potential conduit for national philanthropic support of local journalism. With Press Forward resources, VCF hired an outside ﬁrm, Impact Architects, to conduct the research for the report. Unbelievably, one of the company’s ﬁrst tasks was to compile a list of Vermont news outlets — before last year, none existed.

VT MEDIA ECOSYSTEM BY THE NUMBERS

79%

said they had a “trustworthy and accessible local news source.”

As we often say to sources when trying to convince them to participate in a story: The best way to solve a problem is to shine a light on it.

Enter the Vermont Community Foundation, which recently commissioned a study of the local media ecosystem. The resulting 74-page report contains some encouraging data points: Of the 441 Vermonters surveyed, 79 percent said they had a “trustworthy and accessible local news source.” Eighty-one percent said they “learned new information about a topic” from those outlets. Sixty-nine percent gave credit to local media for a connection to arts or cultural events.

A whopping 94 percent agreed that local news is just as essential as libraries or the postal service. While the report relies on data from a rather small group, many of whom say they pay for local

Also brand-new is the Vermont Journalism Coalition, a nonproﬁt trade association that supports, protects and advocates for its member print, television, radio and digital outlets. The org’s part-time coordinator is paid through the University of Vermont’s Community News Service, with help from Press Forward and VCF.

All of this activity suggests people are catching on to the correlation between reliable, fact-checked local information and healthy civic engagement. Better now than never! “The question before us is not whether local news matters here,” VCF president and CEO Dan Smith said. “The question is how we sustain it.”

Want to do your part? Support the news outlets you rely on. They’ll have a better chance of being around for our next Media Issue. We hope you learn a thing or 10 from this one.

Paula Routly

81%

69%

94%

said they “learned new information about a topic” from those outlets.

gave credit to local media for a connection to arts or cultural events.

agreed that local news is just as essential as libraries or the postal service.

ICE DETAINEE FREED

DEMOCRACY LIVE!

SETTLED SUITS

Navigating AI

Compass Vermont, an online outlet, raises questions about the role of artiﬁcial intelligence in producing the news

BY CAROLYN SHAPIRO

Would you know if AI wrote your news? Would it matter to you?

In recent months, an online news outlet called Compass Vermont has published stories about the e ect of tari s on Vermont businesses, the price of Beta Technologies’ stock, deployments of the Vermont Air National Guard and a new line of socks from Darn Tough. Some of its stories have covered subjects that received little or no attention from other news organizations.

And it has attracted some enthusiastic subscribers to its feed from the platform Substack.

“It’s one of my favorites right now online,” said 74-year-old Art Spellman of South Burlington. Spellman said he reads many news sources and likes Compass because it delivers stories he doesn’t ﬁnd elsewhere in local media, including coverage of the National Guard’s F-35 Fighter Wing.

But Spellman did not realize this: Evidence suggests that Compass produces its stories, at least in part, with the aid of artiﬁcial intelligence.

Compass is another sign of the inﬂux of generative AI in the world of journalism. AI tools now assist the newsrooms of media companies from the New York Times, which has in-house versions to analyze data and

Senator Who Resigned Over Racist Chats Lands Reporting Gig

BY ALISON NOVAK alison@sevendaysvt.com

Sam Douglass, a former Orleans County state senator who resigned in October after his participation in a racist Young Republicans group chat, is now writing for the Vermont Daily Chronicle, a conservative news website.

Guy Page, the website’s editor and publisher, conﬁrmed Douglass’ role in an email to Seven Days on Tuesday. Page said Douglass is writing for the website on a “per-story basis” and on topics to be determined.

Douglass’ ﬁrst post, on Monday, is about a school redistricting map proposed by Sen. Seth Bongartz (D-Bennington) and Vermont students’ standardized test scores. A disclosure says it was sourced from the General Assembly website and goldendomevt.com, a website that provides AI-generated transcripts of legislative meetings.

Douglass made headlines in October after Politico published a story that exposed a Young Republicans’ group chat that he and his wife participated in on the messaging app Telegram. Participants used slurs and hateful comments to refer to Black, Jewish and gay people and joked about putting political adversaries in gas chambers.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle condemned Douglass’ participation and called on him to resign. ey included Gov. Phil Scott, who had endorsed Douglass in his 2024 run.

track online commentary, to the Herald in Randolph, whose editor has said ChatGPT produces stories from the minutes of selectboard meetings that he has no sta to cover. Seven Days reporters use an audio recorder, Otter.ai, to transcribe interviews — including for this story.

But Compass appears to employ AI to a greater extent, sweeping the internet for data, government reports and articles published by other media, and then relying on AI to analyze the results and help write the story.

“ e vile, racist, bigoted, and antisemitic dialogue that has been reported is deeply disturbing,” Scott wrote.

Douglass resigned on October 17.

“I know that this decision will upset many, and delight others, but in this political climate I must keep my family safe,” Douglass wrote in a statement released to the media.

A message on the Christian fundraising platform GiveSendGo attributed to Douglass said he and his family “were targeted by a coordinated media and political barrage that took my words out of context and colluded to remove me from all my positions and slander our reputations.”

Douglass did not respond to a request for comment. ➆

Sam Douglass

Disunion at Digger

A spat over the possible use of artificial intelligence has sown discord in Vermont’s largest newsroom

BY KEVIN MCCALLUM • kevin@sevendaysvt.com

The journalists at VTDigger formed a union in 2020 to bring better pay and working conditions to Vermont’s pioneering online news site. The job was demanding, the wages paltry, and, by many accounts, founder Anne Galloway ran roughshod over her inexperienced workforce.

“The model at Digger was to hire really young people, pay them really poorly, ride them really hard, rinse, repeat,” said Lola Duffort, a former union cochair at Digger who now works at Vermont Public. By December 2021, after many months at the table, the union, a local bargaining unit of the Providence Newspaper Guild, and the nonprofit Vermont Journalism Trust, which operates Digger, announced they had reached their first collective bargaining agreement.

THE MEDIA ISSUE

The deal provided benefits including a salary floor of $40,000 for reporters and $50,000 for editors, guaranteed cost-ofliving increases, five weeks of paid sick and vacation time, and eight weeks of parental leave.

In announcing the agreement, both sides sought to put a positive spin on what had been an arduous, acrimonious and painful process.

“We believe the negotiations have resulted in mutual respect, better communication and excitement about the future,” Galloway said at the time.

Five years later, relations between Digger and its unionized workers remain strained as another round of contract negotiations drags on and disagreements fester over the future use of artificial intelligence.

Last month, half a dozen union members gathered in Montpelier, handing out leaflets warning people of the dangers posed by the management’s alleged willingness to deploy AI tools.

“Help Keep AI Out of Our Local News!” a flyer read. The handout also

contained a mock story of “AI-Generated Government & Politics” that included a photo of the union staff with their faces replaced by robot heads.

“If you don’t want your local news to look like this,” the flyer read, “send a letter to VTDigger management.”

Thousands of people did, barraging Digger’s leaders with missives in support of the union concerns. A website called Action Network indicated that more than 7,200 messages had been sent to Digger management as of last week.

The union’s reporters, editors and longtime photographer also distributed leaflets outside the Statehouse, where many of them work and their journalism is closely watched.

I REALLY WANT TO KNOW AS I GO TO BED AT NIGHT THAT I WON’T BE LAID OFF BECAUSE I’M BEING REPLACED BY AI.

ERIN PETENKO

The flyers warned lawmakers and the public that “human journalists can be replaced by Artificial Intelligence to produce the local news you rely on.”

Erin Petenko, Digger’s data reporter and cochair of the union, said the members felt the action was necessary because they saw the potential use of AI as an existential threat to Digger’s mission and one that could jeopardize their jobs.

“I really want to know as I go to bed at night that I won’t be laid off because I’m being replaced by AI,” she said.

Yardain Amron, night editor at Digger and the other unit cochair, said a “strong supermajority” of union members had approved the action as a way to “raise an alarm bell.” The group thought long and

Judge Releases Steven Tendo From ICE Custody

BY LUCY TOMPKINS lucy@sevendaysvt.com

Steven Tendo, a Ugandan asylum seeker and Vermont resident who was detained by immigration agents on February 4, was ordered to be released by a federal judge last Friday.

Judge Joseph Laplante of the U.S. District Court of New Hampshire granted Tendo’s habeas petition at a hearing in Concord, according to Brett Stokes, one of Tendo’s attorneys.

“We are very happy that the judge ordered in Pastor Tendo’s favor, and we’re very happy he’s coming home to be in our community in Vermont,” said Chris Worth, another of Tendo’s attorneys and who argued before the judge.

Worth said about 20 people were at the courthouse to support Tendo, who was not present. Rallies were organized around Burlington, including outside of the University of Vermont Medical Center, where Tendo works.

Tendo has lived in Vermont since 2021 and was detained earlier this month in the parking lot outside of his second job, in Shelburne. He was immediately taken out of state and was in detention at the Strafford County Department of Corrections in New Hampshire.

Tendo is a pastor and a health care worker. He fled Uganda and crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in 2018. He was detained upon arriving in the U.S., and his asylum application was denied in 2019. He has been fighting his deportation since.

His detention sparked immediate protests. Vermont’s Congressional delegation — U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Peter Welch (DVt.) and U.S. Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) — called on the Trump administration to return Tendo to Vermont and allow him due process during his appeal.

“Pastor Tendo fled persecution and torture in Uganda and has lived peacefully in Vermont for many years as a valued member of our community,” they wrote. “People like Pastor Tendo are exactly who our asylum system is meant to protect.”

Stokes said it is not yet clear what Tendo’s release means for his immigration case overall. ➆

Navigating AI « P.14

In doing so, the Compass model highlights questions traditional journalists are grappling with — about the reliability of AI, the ethics of its role in news production and the potential reaction of readers. Will they even care?

“AI, in and of itself, is not evil,” said Alex Mahadevan, director of the media literacy program and the AI Innovation Lab at Poynter, a Florida nonproﬁt that provides training and resources for journalists. Media companies have deployed the technology, he added, “to do everything from web scraping for investigations to data analysis to the summary bullet points you see at the top of a USA Today article.”

sources, transparency, and careful examination of public claims in a way that modern tools now make more feasible.”

Davis wrote that he prefers to stay behind the scenes at Compass, which he produces outside of his town job time. Compass o ers free subscriptions. (For $5 a month, or $50 a year, paid subscribers get access to exclusive posts and the ability to comment on stories.) Subscribers typically get two or three stories a day via email. Davis wrote that he handles “reporting, writing and editorial oversight” himself and has no other sta ers.

He did not acknowledge that Compass uses AI to write stories. After Seven Days

Beyond that deviation, Compass stories look different from traditional news stories. There are no bylines naming individual reporters. The hallmarks of reporting by humans, such as quotes from original interviews, are largely lacking. The high volume of content relies on information parsed by unidentiﬁed sources.

On New Year’s Eve, for instance, Compass posted a story based on an “analysis” of a year-end constituent newsletter sent by U.S. Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.). Compass reported that the analysis found “statistical anomalies that raise questions about the accuracy of reported metrics in the communication.”

What matters, he said, is transparency. According to a study that Poynter conducted with the University of Minnesota last year, “Audiences want news organizations to disclose when they’ve used AI substantially,” Mahadevan said.

Most traditional news organizations will label and identify their use of AI in any aspect of their reporting or writing. That’s what the Cleveland Plain Dealer Ohio does, according to its editor’s recent column explaining that AI writes stories for some of its journalists so they have time to do more in-person reporting. Many news outlets are developing policies that set guardrails around the use of AI, limit the application of these tools and require disclosure to readers, as Seven Days when, for example, the technology helped generate a cover illustration for the newspaper last March.

Compass does not disclose any use of AI, saying only that it relies on “modern research and analysis tools” to produce stories with an emphasis on facts and fairness.

“At the risk of sounding lofty, asking us the speciﬁcs of how we do it is like asking Coke for their cola recipe,” Compass said on its previous About page, before changing it within the last week. “We may not be as popular, but we work just as hard to generate a trustworthy news product.”

Compass founder Tom Davis introduces himself on the page as a “veteran media editor and publisher” who started Compass in 2020. He also works full time, at least 35 hours a week, as Northﬁeld’s economic development director.

Davis declined to speak with Seven Days but did respond to a list of written questions. “I saw an opportunity to build a lean, digital-ﬁrst publication focused on document-based reporting and public policy analysis,” he wrote. “My goal was to create an outlet that prioritizes primary

repeatedly asked about it, Compass updated its About page to include this statement: “We do not publish automated content. Every story is reviewed, edited, and approved by a human editor before publication.”

Two recent stories indicated that artiﬁcial intelligence is involved: They inadvertently included an AI bot’s response to the writing directions it had been given.

One was a January story headlined “Burlington in Crisis Mode,” about the recent departures of some city hall sta . The narrative was interrupted midway with the following: “The user prompt is empty, so there is no primary language to match. The user wants me to continue with the accessible explainer style, using hyperlinked citations and paragraph headings. I should cover the key points from the analysis document but in a more journalistic, less academic style.”

That section has since been removed.

The story o ered several examples. In one case, Compass noted that Balint reported bringing $4,630,349 in benefits to Vermonters last year — the precise number that appears in the 2023 financial statements of Winchester, N.H. The story implied that Balint’s statistics were dubious. After citing similar “anomalies” in Balint’s numbers, the story concluded with an editor’s note advising readers to do their own research: “Compass Vermont has not independently verified the specific claims about Rep. Balint’s newsletter or confirmed whether the statistical coincidences identified represent actual errors versus coincidental number matches.”

The story said Compass reached out to Balint’s office for clariﬁcation but received no response. Davis wrote to Seven that he seeks comment from the subject of a story “if new interpretation is involved.” His emphasis, he wrote, “is less on partisan sides and more on evaluating statements alongside documented facts and measurable outcomes.”

Davis espoused a similar goal of impartiality a decade ago, when he and investors launched a news and radio group called Local Voice in southeastern Virginia. There, he put together small teams of journalists to cover local communities and frequently talked about providing unbiased reporting, according to Dave Forster, one of the ﬁrst editors for the online Southside Daily in Virginia Beach. “The values or the mission they had was really taking the opinion out of news,” Forster said.

He and the staff, however, became increasingly disenchanted as the company’s revenues declined and investment in the product tightened, Forster said. Eventually, he and others left. Davis later sold the Local Voice business.

Compass is a di erent model, Davis acknowledged. Its stories lean heavily on indirect sources and include proliﬁc links to show readers where it obtains the

has done

Steven Tendo

information. That has backfired at least once. In a February article about a decline in Vermonters dining out, a supposed link to “regional reporting” on the topic sent readers to an adults-only porn site. Davis said he was unaware of the error.

Kristen Fountain, new coordinator of the Vermont Journalism Coalition, a recently formed organization representing the state’s news outlets, said its board has yet to develop a specific AI policy but emphasizes that its members rely on their own reporting.

“We really value the work of paid professional journalists who are in their communities, physically talking to people, going into physical locations, seeing what they look like, having interviews and conversations,” said Fountain, who worked as a Vermont journalist for more than 20 years. “We think that process is what leads to the most accurate stories and also the stories that reflect the reality that Vermonters see every day and experience.”

AUDIENCES WANT NEWS

ORGANIZATIONS

TO DISCLOSE WHEN THEY’VE USED AI SUBSTANTIALLY.

AI-generated content is prone to errors, though the made-up “hallucinations” of earlier versions of the technology have declined. At most news outlets, human editors fact-check AI findings as they would the rest of their coverage, and Davis wrote that he also reviews stories before publication.

But inaccuracies do make it into Compass stories. The story about the resignations in the Burlington mayor’s office cited a statistic that the city saw a 62 percent increase in the number of homeless people without shelter last year. The figure isn’t attributed but comes from a July assessment of homelessness across the state, according to a Seven Days story — not in Burlington alone, as Compass reported. A story this month about Vermonters frustrated by the state’s response to drug trafficking pointed to a citizens’ petition that had “hundreds” of signatures, when the total had yet to reach 200. A Compass reader recently commented on Substack that a story about flood recovery in Barre City showed a photo of Montpelier. (Most photos in Compass run without captions or source credits.)

Of course, all journalists make mistakes. Standard practice at most news organizations is to acknowledge

and correct those errors. Davis wrote that Compass does that, too, and, “when appropriate,” adds an editor’s note to disclose the change.

Compass links frequently to stories in other Vermont publications, including Seven Days, Vermont Public and VTDigger. Plenty of news providers aggregate coverage from fellow journalists and outlets. But Andrew Deck, a reporter who covers AI in media for Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard University, said he has concerns about AI-generated publications that use automation while relying on others’ human labor.

Speaking generally about that approach to AI news, not about Compass specifically, Deck said, “They’re combing the few local news outlets that are still operating in rural areas and smaller towns and cities for original journalism that they’ve published and then recycling it and regurgitating it using these AI tools.” He worries, he said, that AI-powered publications “really have potential to siphon traffic, audience and … advertising, sometimes, away from these established and legacy news organizations, ones that are putting money behind producing original reporting.”

A couple of loyal Compass readers said they hadn’t considered that.

“What initially drew me to them is that they’re reporting on a lot of stories that I don’t see anybody else writing,” said Jay Kramer, 35, a free subscriber who is a mushroom grower and personal chef in St. Johnsbury. Kramer wrote for his high school newspaper and said he wants to get a journalism degree.

He pointed to Compass’ coverage of a $60,000 fine imposed on Agri-Mark’s cheese plant in Middlebury, where he grew up. While other news outlets wrote about the fine, Kramer said he appreciated the Compass story’s focus on public funds that paid for the plant’s upgrades: “My parents are paying those taxes.”

But he said he dislikes the use of AI in general and wouldn’t want to support an outlet that’s built on it. “That sucks,” Kramer said. “It just feels dishonest if it’s AI, because it’s not markedly AI. They’re not saying, ‘This is something that I prompted the robot to write up.’”

The possibility that AI drives Compass stories also gave pause to Spellman, the South Burlington subscriber. “It makes me question the integrity more and how accurate the information is,” he said.

Yet he still will read Compass, he said, because of its pledge to represent both sides of an issue.

“So I can make an honest judgment what I believe,” he said. “I mean, what’s the truth? That’s the bottom line for me, is, what’s the truth.” ➆

joy in self-expression with support from encouraging instructors. Enrolling all levels for Drawing, Painting, and Fused Glass Classes.

ALEX MAHADEVAN

Lights, Camera, Democracy!

Town Meeting TV is gearing up for its quirky, unpredictable and very Burlington election-results program

BY COLIN FLANDERS • colin@sevendaysvt.com

Election Days are like the Super Bowl for media outlets. In Vermont, few bring more to the big game year after year than Town Meeting TV, the public-access television station previously known as Channel 17.

From its studios in Burlington’s Old North End, the station provides robust election coverage through candidate forums and budget presentations leading up to Election Day, and a surprisingly robust poll operation on the day itself. The coverage culminates in a live election-night results show that combines lowbudget production with inexperienced on-air talent in an earnest — and usually successful — attempt to broadcast results from the greater Burlington area before other media outlets.

THE MEDIA ISSUE

It’s a charming if slightly awkward affair and one that captures the true spirit of local democracy. Election night viewers won’t see any colorful high-tech maps or snazzy graphics projecting winners, and the station’s technical glitches can be startlingly evident. But there’s a bigger point in showing the sausage making in real time, say those involved in the effort.

“It’s supposed to be messy,” said Meghan O’Rourke, codirector of the Center for Media & Democracy, the nonprofit that oversees Town Meeting TV. “We’re using the medium of television the way God intended: to connect people.”

The station’s coverage has helped fill a void left as other under-resourced media outlets such as the Burlington Free Press have scaled back their election coverage over the past two decades.

Founded in 1990, Town Meeting TV is one of two Queen City organizations that provide public access to the airwaves. The station hosts shows, covers press conferences, broadcasts municipal meetings and provides equipment for residents to create their own content. It serves about 25,000 households across a coverage area

spanning Burlington, South Burlington, Essex, Essex Junction, Winooski, St. George, Williston and Colchester. That may be a fraction of the state’s residents, but Town Meeting TV takes its job seriously all the same.

While the station also covers state and national elections, it is on Vermont’s annual Town Meeting Day, which falls on March 3 this year, that it shines brightest.

Preparations begin well in advance.

Candidates for local office must file petitions by 5 p.m. on the sixth Monday preceding the election to get on the ballot. The following morning, Jordan Mitchell, the 26-year-old University of Vermont grad who manages

election coverage for Town Meeting TV, sends an email to town clerks in the station’s coverage area asking for names.

She then contacts every candidate to invite them onto the air, even those running unopposed. She also invites municipal officials to present their proposed budgets.

“Our goal is to get everyone in,” Mitchell said.

The station’s everybody’s-invited approach differs from other media outlets, who often make judgment calls about which candidates to feature or which ones to allow onto the debate stage.

And the moderated candidate conversations have a much different feel than a

traditional political debate, which is why the station prefers to call them “forums.” Candidates receive questions in advance and are each afforded roughly 15 minutes to speak.

“We’re not playing a gotcha game,” O’Rourke said. “We recognize people are running for office as a public service, and in most cases, even if they’re coming at it with an ideology, they’re doing it with a sense of purpose: to serve the whole community.”

The forums typically wrap up by the third week in February, giving the station’s staff a week to gear up for Election Day.

The work begins early on the day itself: Part-time staffers and volunteers head to the station around 6 a.m. to pick

From left: Bobby Lussier, Jordan Mitchell and Mark Johnson reviewing a script during the 2024 Town Meeting Day election show

up cameras and receive their assignments. Then, in groups of two or three, they deploy to polling stations to conduct on-camera interviews of voters that get edited down and aired on the evening results show.

The interviews not only fill space on the live show but also preserve a snapshot of the community, O’Rourke said.

Take Burlington’s New North End. Exit interviews from the polling station at the Robert Miller Community & Recreation Center in the late 2000s featured older residents saying they were voting down the school budget because it was too expensive. “Fifteen years later, you’ve got people showing up to the polls with their kid on the back of the bike,” O’Rourke said.

“It’s really interesting to see how a community changes through the lens of its democracy,” she said.

The afternoon of Town Meeting Day is spent on last-minute preparations, such as checking all of the prepared graphics to fix any typos.

At 5:25 p.m., the station goes live for a brief preview show, where the two hosts highlight some of the day’s biggest votes. Then they’re off the air for about an hour before the show resumes when polls close at 7 p.m.

Bobby Lussier, a 28-year-old former Town Meeting TV staffer who now works at Vermont Public, will host this year’s results show alongside former Chittenden County state senator Debbie Ingram. Lussier has hosted the show three times and said the gig requires a lot of prep work — and a healthy dose of flexibility.

That’s because there are many variables, starting with the results themselves. In 2024, the station’s staff, along with

pop up despite everyone’s best efforts. During one show, a microphone became unplugged while on air, forcing Mitchell to crawl beneath the old wooden desk where the hosts sit to plug it back in.

Every candidate on the ballot is also invited to the station for a live electionnight interview, leading to some particularly memorable moments.

Fifteen minutes into the 2024 electionnight show, Lussier’s cohost, Mark Johnson, kicked it over to Travis Washington for an interview with independent Burlington mayoral candidate Will Emmons.

Emmons proceeded to go on a threeminute, largely incomprehensible tirade in which he accused his competitors of extortion and challenged Steven Spielberg — yes, that Steven Spielberg — to “riff it out” with him. When Washington went to ask a follow-up question, O’Rourke could be seen in the window behind them, making the universal “cut it off” gesture.

LEGAL DCF Issues New Foster-Parent Guidance

Under Legal Settlements

BY ALISON NOVAK alison@sevendaysvt.com

As part of two legal settlements reached last week, the Vermont Department for Children and Families has changed its guidance regarding whether prospective foster parents must affirm the gender identity of LGBTQ+ youths before being licensed.

most others in the local media, privately assumed that Democrat Joan Shannon was likely to win the Burlington mayoral election. And so, it sent an experienced camera team capable of live streaming over to the Democratic results party at Halvorson’s Upstreet Café, where the victory party would presumably play out,

WE’RE USING THE MEDIUM OF TELEVISION THE WAY GOD INTENDED: TO CONNECT PEOPLE.

MEGHAN O’ROURKE

and dispatched a field producer on their second day on the job to the Progressives’ party at Zero Gravity Craft Brewery.

But as the results trickled in and it became clear that Progressive Emma Mulvaney-Stanak was the victor, Steven Heron, the station’s codirector, called the newbie producer: “You’re suddenly the most important person we’ve got in Burlington,” he said.

A last-minute delivery of streaming equipment allowed the station to air live footage from the Prog party. And though the feed wasn’t perfect — the audio was delayed from the video — viewers at least got to hear Mulvaney-Stanak’s speech capping her historic victory as the firstever female mayor of Burlington.

It’s not only the results that defy expectations. Technical mishaps frequently

Last year, after a particularly antagonistic campaign season for the Burlington City Council, reelected Councilor Melo Grant (P-Central District) gave a raw, emotional interview, appearing near tears as she described personal attacks she’d experienced on social media.

As voting night wears on, calls start coming in from a small army of volunteers pre-positioned at local polling stations to get the results as early as possible. O’Rourke and a few others back at the station enter the figures into a massive spreadsheet that feeds into a dedicated results web page. Mitchell passes the results along to the hosts to be shared on air.

The show wraps up once all the results are in, which usually takes about two and a half hours for local elections, unless something funky happens. The staff then heads home, before returning the following day for a debrief of what went well and what could be improved.

Something rarely discussed at these postshow debriefs: views. While the election show can garner anywhere from a few hundred views to over a thousand depending on the election, the station does not concern itself with such things, O’Rourke said.

That’s in part because the station can only ever get an incomplete picture: While views on the YouTube stream can reach as high as a thousand or more, the cable companies that also carry Town Meeting TV refuse to share viewership data. But the station’s mission remains the same, regardless of how many eyeballs are on it, O’Rourke said.

“It’s about: Are you telling this one particular story in this community well?” And as long as we can keep doing that,” O’Rourke said, “we will, because it’s fun, because it’s meaningful, because it’s useful and because it’s the right thing to do.” ➆

Under the new guidance, issued on February 18, the state agency will no longer be able to deny or revoke foster-parent licensure based on an applicants’ refusal to “affirm, endorse or adopt any particular views regarding gender identity, sexual orientation or related ideological concepts,” according to the settlements filed in federal court late last week.

The changes come in response to two lawsuits — Wuoti v. Winters and Antonucci v. Winters — brought by multiple couples. They alleged that the state revoked their foster-care licenses after they expressed religious objections to supporting LGBTQ+ youths when it came to matters such as using a child’s preferred pronouns, allowing them to dress in a way that aligns with their gender identity and letting them undergo gender-affirming medical treatment.

Two couples, Brian and Katy Wuoti and Michael and Rebecca Gantt, were represented in their 2024 lawsuit by Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal organization that has argued numerous lawsuits in front of the U.S. Supreme Court and has sued the Vermont Agency of Education multiple times challenging state practices supporting LGBTQ+ youths.

“By denying people the chance to be foster and adoptive parents because of their religious beliefs and compelling them to speak the government’s preferred message about sexual orientation and gender identity, Vermont is violating the First Amendment,” Alliance Defending Freedom wrote on its website.

The other couple, Melinda Antonucci and Casey Mathieu, were represented in their 2025 suit by Center for American Liberty, another conservative group.

The settlements also require that the plaintiffs be reinstated as foster parents.

The new guidance will not hinder state officials from placing foster children who identify as LGBTQ+ “in homes where they are physically safe, emotionally supported, and treated with respect,” DCF said in a statement. ➆

Meghan O’Rourke writing down results

Disunion at Digger « P.15

hard about the risk of such sharp public criticism to the Digger brand but decided it was worth it, Amron said.

“The bigger fear is AI will actually get implemented without our voice, so this is the moment that we have to try to make sure that doesn’t happen,” he told Seven Days

Digger already has an ethics policy prohibiting staff from using “generative artificial intelligence, such as chatbots and other similar tools to produce the words and/or images meant to be published as journalistic content,” unless approved by the CEO or editor-in-chief.

But in the new contract, the union wanted job protections against layoffs due to AI, something on which the organization wasn’t willing to budge.

“I just want to keep an open mind about technology for the future,” CEO Sky Barsch told Seven Days last month.

The union’s decision to go public with its concerns blindsided Digger management. It was even a factor in Barsch’s decision to step down from the organization, according to Kevin Ellis, a former member of the board of trustees of the Vermont Journalism Trust.

Ellis pointed to a public post on Reddit that he says crossed an important line by “targeting” Digger management by name. The original post, of which Seven Days was able to obtain a copy, urged viewers to “Tell VTDigger management: Journalists over AI.” Lower down it reads: “Target: VTDigger CEO Sky Barsch, Editor in Chief Geeta Anand, and the Board members of the Vermont Journalism Trust.”

The post was later amended to change “Target” to “Recipients.” It’s not clear why the post was changed or by whom. Amron declined to comment.

But Ellis said the use of the word “target” rattled some at Digger and helped Barsch, who was hired in 2023, decide to move on. She announced on January 27 that she would leave the CEO job as of June 1.

Barsch’s decision, and the circumstances surrounding it, should be a “wakeup call,” Ellis said. Digger’s union, while perhaps initially providing some needed pay increases and protection for workers, has become a significant distraction for the organization, he said.

He called it “absurd” that the latest contract negotiations have dragged on for 14 months and “destructive” for the union to have publicly targeted Digger’s leaders.

“I don’t think there is a place for a union that uses these tactics at a tiny journalism nonprofit, whether it’s in Vermont or across the country,” Ellis said.

Barsch declined to be interviewed but

issued a statement suggesting that a deal for a new contract agreement is at hand.

“I have deep respect for our newsroom teammates and the work they do every day for Vermont,” she wrote. “We’re very close to reaching a contract, and I’m looking forward to continuing this important work together in a way that reflects our shared values and commitment to producing excellent journalism for Vermonters.”

The board president of the Vermont Journalism Trust, Gaye Symington, declined to characterize the organization’s relationship with the union, citing the ongoing negotiations.

“The heart of our mission, the heart of what we do and how we serve Vermonters, is with people producing high-quality, fact-checked news,” Symington said. “Whether the union is the right vehicle to represent the interests of the members

of the union, only the union members can decide that.”

Amron issued a statement saying the two sides had reached a “tentative agreement,” but Norm Welsh, who has been the lead negotiator for the union, said that announcement was premature.

Political columnist John Walters, who briefly worked for Digger after leaving Seven Days in 2019, said he’s concerned about the continued turmoil at the online news site. “It does seem like there’s something troubled about the relationship between reporters and management that has not been fully worked out,” he said.

Broader economic pressures are likely the source of the current tension, he said. Digger has been struggling for years to climb out of the $1 million hole it dug for itself in 2022. At that time the site expanded its staff and opened an office in Burlington, made

possible in part by a $900,000 grant from the American Journalism Project. The gift was intended to help the site become sustainable.

“The grant did not accomplish what it was supposed to accomplish, and then it ran out and they have been playing catchup ever since,” Walters said.

The organization has also paid Galloway, its founder, $397,000 over the three years and four months since she left in 2022, according to the nonprofit’s financial disclosures. The documents state that the payments were for consulting. Galloway declined to comment.

Digger’s loss shrank to about $75,000 in 2024, the latest year for which public tax data is available.

Despite those financial pressures, paying journalists a living wage is just the cost of doing business, Walters said. Digger’s donor base likely understands that, he suggested, and should be willing to support the organization at the level required.

Ellis thinks unions serve an important role for “nurses at UVM or workers at General Motors,” but he questions whether they’re the right fit for a small, struggling local journalism nonprofit. He said he thinks relations would be improved if Digger’s journalists ditched the union and instead got a couple of seats on the board.

“Look, maybe organizations have to go through these kinds of ruptures,” Ellis said. “But the key is, can you circle back around and repair it so that you can move on together on the mission?” ➆

Disclosure: Anne Galloway is a freelance writer for Seven Days.

Flyers outlining VTDigger reporters’ concerns about AI use

VTDigger reporters Greta Solsaa and Shaun Robinson discussing their contract concerns with Rep. Will Greer (D-Bennington)

PHOTOS: KEVIN MCCALLUM

lifelines

OBITUARIES

Brian David Waxler

APRIL 7, 1959FEBRUARY 24, 2026 SHELBURNE, VT.

Brian David Waxler passed away in the early hours of February 24, 2026, after bravely facing an 11-month battle with glioblastoma. He was surrounded by his wife and their four beloved children when he was ﬁnally freed from the terrible illness. If there is one thing that deﬁned Brian, it was the pride he had for his family. e greatest love of his life was his wife, Alice. eir love story began during the winter break of 1980, when a nice Jewish boy and a

OBITUARIES, VOWS, CELEBRATIONS

good Catholic girl met at a nightclub in Hartford, Conn. From that moment on, their bond was undeniable. ey were married in July 1984 and built a life ﬁlled with laughter, devotion and deep joy as they raised their four children: Ellen, Drew, Madeline and Olivia. Brian would repeatedly exclaim, “How did I get so

lucky to have this life?!” His wife and four children agreed wholeheartedly.

Brian was protective, kind, delightfully silly and loved his family with every ounce of his soul. ey planned incredible vacations, traveling all over the world, from the beaches of Cape Cod to the ruins of Italy. He was always happiest when they were together. When his girls were little and would twirl in their dresses, their dad would dramatically pretend to faint at their beauty. He was endlessly proud of his children. Over the years, he coached each of them in their various sports and made it a priority to be on the sidelines cheering them on, no matter the day or time. How lucky his children were to have him as their dad.

Brian devoted the past 37 years to his second home

at Pomerleau Real Estate. Early on, he impressed his father-in-law, Tony, with his professionalism and natural leadership. is marked the beginning of a decades-long partnership with Ernie Pomerleau, whose complementary skills made them a dynamic and successful team. Few moments brought Brian more pride than welcoming two of his children, Drew and Madeline, into the business. His deep sense of loyalty and care extended to his colleagues and employees, whom he valued not just as coworkers but as family.

Brian was a wonderful, kind and humble man who adored his family and friends. A natural athlete, he brought intense physicality to the wrestling mat and the soccer ﬁeld in his youth. In his thirties, he discovered

what would become another great passion: the game of golf. He would play anytime, anywhere, with anyone — though he most cherished the rounds spent with his son, his sons-in-law Ryan McGinnis and Jud Waite, and his regular golf buddies at Vermont National Country Club. Armed with terrible dad jokes and a quick wit, he competed with heart and joy, never allowing negativity to enter his sanctuary on the greens.

Brian leaves behind his wife, Alice; and his children, Ellen, Drew, Madeline and Olivia, and their families. He had a special place in his heart for his new daughter-in-law, Kate, and his treasured grandchildren, Sullivan, Oliver, ree, Lillian and, soon-to-arrive, Alice. He also leaves his adoring mother, Elaine, and his siblings, Kim, Dan

and Howard. Brian will be embraced with loving arms by his father, Malcolm Waxler; brother-in-law, Dan Corkery; sisters-in-law, Ellen and Anne Marie; and his niece, Jessica Pomerleau.

An informal gathering to celebrate Brian’s life will be held on Saturday, March 21, 2026, 4 to 7 p.m., at Vermont National Country Club. All friends are warmly invited to stop by and share a toast with his family.

In lieu of ﬂowers, Brian’s family would love for you to donate to the Boys & Girls Club of Burlington (bandgclub.org/onlinedonation-form), where he presided over the board for many years. Arrangements are in the care of Ready Funeral & Cremation Services. To send online condolences, please visit readyfuneral.com.

We’re here to help. Our obituary and in memoriam services are affordable, accessible and handled with care.

Share your loved one’s story with the local community in Lifelines.

Post your obituary or in memoriam online and in print at sevendaysvt.com/ lifelines. Or contact us at lifelines@sevendaysvt.com or 865-1020 ext. 121

lifelines

OBITUARIES

Joan P. Matanle

AUGUST 7, 1940-FEBRUARY 13, 2026

BURLINGTON, VT.

Joan Peterson Matanle, 85, of Burlington, Vt., passed away peacefully on February 13, 2026, following a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. Born in Rutland, Vt., on August 7, 1940, to Austa (Myhre) and Henry Peterson, Joan grew up in Rutland surrounded by a large and loving family. She was a graduate of Rutland High School, class of 1958, and the University of Vermont School of Nursing, class of 1962. During her time at UVM, she met the love of her life, Jack Matanle, and they married on August 22, 1964, in Rutland.

OBITUARIES, VOWS, CELEBRATIONS

the First Congregational Church, Springfield Hockey Boosters, Planned Parenthood and the Springfield Garden Club. Most importantly, Joan developed many lifelong friendships in Springfield that she maintained until her passing.

One of Joan’s greatest passions was being a grandmother to ﬁve grandsons. She loved each of them uniquely and enjoyed any opportunity to spend time with them.

Joan and Jack eventually settled in Springﬁeld, Vt., where they raised their son and daughter. Joan worked for many years as a nurse and leader for the Visiting Nurses Association of Southern Vermont. Joan was also actively involved in many areas of the Springﬁeld community, including

Corena C. Hill

APRIL 15, 1950-FEBRUARY 7, 2026 ST. ALBANS, VT.

It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Corena C. Hill (née Ellis), 75. Corena was born on April 15, 1950, in Claremont, N.H.

Corena spent most of her childhood in Chester, Vt. After high school she attended the University of Vermont for a short time, then settled in the Burlington, Vt., area with her husband, John Hill, as they began raising their two boys, Shawn and Chris. After she and John divorced, Corena embarked on a journey balancing motherhood with her professional aspirations,

Joan spent her ﬁnal years as a resident of the Converse Home in Burlington, Vt., where she continued to be a friend to all.

Joan was predeceased by her parents and her husband, Jack. She is survived by her daughter, Kristin Venden, and husband Sean; her son, Craig Matanle, and wife Lisa; ﬁve grandsons, Jack Venden, Henry Venden, Blake Venden, Owen Matanle and Emmett Matanle; sister, Carole Young, and her husband, Alan; brother, Robert Peterson, and his wife, Wendy; brother-in-law, Clayton Stewart, and his wife, Gaby, and many loving nieces and nephews.

including completion of her bachelor’s degree from Trinity College of Vermont. roughout her professional life, she worked for organizations such as Vermont Teddy Bear, Point of Sale Systems, Digital Equipment Corp., BioTek Instruments, Fluke Biomedical and General Dynamics, and she retired 15 years ago.

Corena spent most of her years living in Vermont but also lived in Nevada, Texas and Maine as she pursued career opportunities. By her side for the past 40 years has been James Rochon, who provided true partnership and support to Corena. Together they enjoyed a variety of recreational activities and greatly enjoyed family gatherings.

We will all miss Joan’s sense of humor, caring support, joy of simple pleasures (a bouquet of fresh ﬂowers, a visit from a friend, an ice cream cone, time with family), and her gift of friendship.

e family would like to extend a special thank you to Dr. James Boyd and the entire team at the UVM Medical Center Department of Neurology for the compassionate care and support they provided to Joan over many years. e family would also like to thank the entire team at the Converse Home for the extraordinary care they provided to Joan while she was a resident there. It’s truly a special place.

A memorial service to celebrate Joan’s life will be held on Saturday, February 28, 2026, noon, at First Congregational Church, 38 South Winooski Ave., Burlington, VT. ere is a drop-off area in front of the church and a public parking garage directly across the street. In lieu of ﬂowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, PO Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741.

Arrangements are in the care of Ready Funeral & Cremation Services. To send online condolences, please visit readyfuneral.com.

Priscilla Baker

1946-2026

CELEBRATION OF LIFE

Please join us to celebrate Priscilla’s life on Saturday, April 25, 2026, 1 p.m., at the Congregational Church in Middlebury, VT. Priscilla died peacefully on February 5, 2026. She lived by the belief that her life belonged to the community.

Corena is survived by her partner, James Rochon; son Shawn Hill and his wife, Sheri; son Chris Hill and his partner, Tara; and three granddaughters, Rachel, Anna and Jennifer. She is also survived by her brother Doug Ellis and his wife, Linda; sister-in-law, Diane Ellis; and several nieces and a nephew; and by James Rochon’s son, Timothy Rochon, and his children; brother Don and his wife, Kathy; his brother Joe and his wife, Sue; and several nieces and nephews.

Corena was predeceased by her parents, Albert and Pauline Ellis, and her brother Jim Ellis.

There are no services planned at this time; however, a celebration of life will be planned for later this year.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Ready Funeral & Cremation Services. To send online condolences and share memories with the family, please visit readyfuneral.com.

SATURDAY, APRIL 11th, 2026 1:00 PM

ALUMNI HALL, 45 COLLEGE ST., MONTPELIER, VT 05602

Reception to follow

Want to memorialize a loved one in Seven Days?

Post your remembrance online and in print at sevendaysvt.com/lifelines. Or contact us at lifelines@sevendaysvt.com or 865-1020, ext. 10.

Dana Charles Adams

NOVEMBER 14, 1960JANUARY 4, 2026

SHELBURNE, VT.

Dana Charles Adams moved through the world with deep curiosity and a profound sense of wonder. He was endlessly fascinated by how things worked — from the smallest details of nature to the vastness of the universe — and believed that life’s richest moments were those shared with the people we love. Thoughtful, kind and dignified, he carried himself with steadiness and grace, finding pleasure in simple things and meaning in connection.

Dana was tall and handsome, deliberate in speech and composed in manner, and was often seen during cooler months in his brown wool fedora, a distinctive part of his presence. His mustache and goatee came and went over the years, but Dana’s quiet composure remained constant.

Dana was born on November 14, 1960, in Lebanon, N.H., to Franklin Adams and Anita Tancreti Adams, and passed away at home in Shelburne on January 4, 2026, held in love by those closest to him. He was Holly Fournier’s husband of 24 years, and together they shared a profound love; it was one they named often, cherished fiercely and carried with them to the very end. He was a proud father of five children: Justin, Margo, Edward, Nathan and Esadecimale, each of whom meant the world to him.

Dana approached fatherhood with a sense of whimsy, fostering a love of science and exploration through mountain hikes, fishing, bicycle rides, kayaking, tidal pool searches, fossil hunts, geocache pursuits, flying kites, launching rockets and long road trips accompanied by audiobooks. With eyes turned skyward for astronomical events and outward across the landscape for echoes of humanity’s unfolding story in the Anthropocene, he invited his children to see the world as he did, with curiosity and wonder. Even simple errands around town became small escapades. In moments of comfort, inspiration or comic relief,

he instilled in his children perseverance, laughter, and a deep love of life and its many adventures. He offered both scaffold and safety net, remaining steadfast in his support as they walked their own paths and grew in resilience and independence. Dana’s relationships with them took different forms over the years, influenced by circumstance and geography, but his love for each of them was constant. Among them, his only daughter, Margo, shared a uniquely close bond with him. Dana affectionately called her “Goose,” and walking her down the aisle in 2023 was one of his most cherished moments.

He was also a caring stepfather to Michael and Peter and shared a loving bond with Holly’s family: Monika, Charles and Mike. In recent years, Dana and Holly found great joy in welcoming their children’s chosen partners, Joe, Tongii and Delaney, into their blended family. In 2024, Dana became a grandfather to Thilo and Julien, who arrived nine weeks and an ocean apart, bringing him profound happiness. Dana is also survived by his three

Those early years shaped a lifelong habit of noticing, learning and finding meaning in how the world fit together.

After Boalsburg, Dana lived in Detroit, Mich., where his curiosity took on a more mechanical and technological form. As a teenager, he worked in a newspaper print shop during the era of typesetting, a process he found endlessly fascinating. Later, with high school friends, Dana immersed himself in early personal computing and video game development. He programmed on a TRS-80 computer, created graphics, and collaborated on homemade game cartridges — including Crunch Bug and the artwork for a game called ICBM Attack. The crew never made any money, but they learned, experimented and had a great deal of fun — an early expression of Dana’s lifelong love of building, tinkering and learning by doing.

Curiosity was Dana’s orientation to the world: the way he learned, worked, traveled and loved.

siblings and extended relatives in Vermont, California and Canada, as well as many dear friends and colleagues.

Dana spent his formative childhood years in Boalsburg, Pa., a place he remembered with great affection, where he developed a lifelong fascination with science and nature. As a child, he was known for his boundless curiosity, often beginning sentences with “Did you know that…?” or “You’re not going to believe this,” eager to share something he had just learned. He delighted in understanding how things were made and how they fit together, frequently taking apart toys and household items. As Dana explored woods and streams, that same attentiveness extended to the natural world: examining the structure of a flower, the way rain moved across its petals, or how the wings of an insect were attached. Adventurous and fearless in play, he tested the physical world as readily as the intellectual one, perfecting dramatic falls, fake trips down stairs and daring playground feats. For a time, he dreamed of becoming a Hollywood stuntman.

at Level 9 and Bluehouse Group. Throughout this period, he also ran a design boutique, studiowerks, specializing in affordable, owner-managed websites — a path that led him to meet Holly, first through work, and then as a life partner.

From 2005 to 2025, Dana found deep contentment as his life with Holly grew more settled and grounded, alongside their blended family and many beloved pets, while also beginning what would become a long and fulfilling chapter at 800 Response Marketing and CallFinder. Over two decades, he served as a UX/UI architect and senior software engineer, becoming a partner in 2022. He was widely respected for his technical skill, breadth of knowledge and commitment, and was known as someone colleagues learned from simply by working alongside him.

Frank E. Lavery Jr.

OCTOBER 14, 1948FEBRUARY 9, 2026 DAVENPORT, FLA.

Frank E. Lavery Jr. passed away on February 9, 2026, in Davenport, Fla., after several years with multiple health issues.

Frank was born on October 14, 1948, in Burlington, Vt., to Frank E. Lavery Sr. and Ruth (Carpenter) Lavery.

An autodidact with a passion for learning and doing, Dana delighted in figuring things out: 3D printing, flying his drone, perfecting a sourdough bread loaf or mending a well-loved tablecloth. He read voraciously and had an encyclopedic memory for the books, films, music and passages he loved, and a gift for weaving knowledge into conversation in ways that enriched the lives of those around him. Creativity and attentiveness shaped everything he did. He found deep satisfaction crafting imaginative greeting cards, preparing restaurant-caliber meals, and approaching everyday acts with care and artistry.

Professionally, Dana’s career reflected the same curiosity, skill and care that defined him personally. He served in the United States Air Force as a technician working on A-10 aircraft before moving into civilian roles that blended technology, design and communication. He worked at National Life of Vermont, eventually becoming director of marketing and communications technology, and later held creative and technical leadership roles

Dana enjoyed traveling far and wide and felt most alive in places where history, landscape and human ingenuity converged. Berlin, Germany, held a special place in his heart, as did Goose Rocks Beach in Kennebunkport, Maine, where he married Holly and spent many summers, and the Bright Angel Trail at the Grand Canyon, where the vastness of the natural world spoke to him most clearly. Some of Dana’s ashes will be scattered in these meaningful places.

Dana died from respiratory failure related to complications following a lung transplant. He had been living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a disease marked by progressive scarring of the lungs, and faced his illness with honesty and courage, holding fast to life for as long as he could. In keeping with Dana’s wishes, a private memorial service will be held at a later date.

Donations in Dana’s memory may be directed to pulmonary fibrosis research at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston (giving. brighamandwomens.org/ give1). When making a gift, please select “Other” under designation and enter “Pulmonary Fibrosis Research Fund.” In the Tribute Information section, please note that the gift is in memory of Dana Charles Adams.

Frank was a graduate of Rice Memorial High School, class of 1966. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy right out of high school, serving 2.5 years in Vietnam. Upon returning, he attended Champlain College.

Over the years he was employed by Burlington Savings Bank, Merchants Bank, IDX, Fletcher Allen and GE Healthcare.

Frank’s career was based on the computer age, including coding, teaching and management, as well as many more areas.

Frank met his wife, Pamela Bentley, after returning from Vietnam. They were married on April 24, 1971, and spent almost 55 years together.

He leaves his wife, Pam; son, Jason (Melissa) of Georgia Vt.; his daughter, Kelly, of Essex, Vt.; and his four favorite people, his grandchildren, Erik, Jacob, Jayden and Logan.

He is also survived by his sisters, Mary Miles of Burlington, Patty Fay (Jeff) of Whitehall, N.Y., and Kathy Gingras (Patrick) of Williston, Vt.; and brother Peter Lavery (Carol) of Burlington; as well as many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his brother Mark and brother-in-law Harold Miles.

Frank’s family would like to thank Don and Sue O’Brien for all their help, love and support during the last few difficult months. You are truly loved and appreciated.

Frank’s wish was to be celebrated, not mourned, therefore a celebration of life will be held on June 6, 2026, 1 to 4 p.m., at Apple Island Resort Community Center, South Hero, Vt.

lifelines

OBITUARIES

Richard Davis

OCTOBER 20, 1949-FEBRUARY 16, 2026 SOUTH HERO, VT.

Rick was a true Renaissance man. Over the course of his 76 years he lived an active and involved life.

Fresh out of the Quaker Friends School in Baltimore, he became involved in the peace movement in New York City in the late ’60s, counting a number of activists such as Abbie Hoffman, Igal Roodenko and Bayard Rustin as his friends. At 19, Rick was clubbed by a policeman at a protest, and Philip Berrigan put himself between the teenager and the cop. Rick hid the scar on his face from that encounter with a beard for the rest of his life.

Rick competed in archery, built race cars and raced successfully in Canada, becoming one of Canada’s top Formula Ford drivers. He worked in the Adirondack backcountry as a ski instructor and with search and rescue and taught crosscountry skiing at von Trapp Family Lodge, Jackson Touring Center and the Balsams.

He was hired at Lane Series at the University of Vermont, becoming assistant director and bringing in top-notch talent from all over the world. He raced kayaks and knew how to repair vintage canvas canoes. An avid fisherman, he fished for salmon in the Gaspé and “amused fish” in numerous northern streams.

While at Lane Series, he became interested in guitar making, so he bought a kit from Martin. at sparked another career, which led to beautiful acoustic guitars that are in the hands of serious players around the world. Rick edited the magazine Guitarmaking and ran conventions for the Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans, as well as teaching guitar making classes in Seattle and in Italy, which led to the launching of numerous luthierie careers. He is featured in the book Guitar: An American Life by Tim Brookes.

Fencing foil became his passion at the age of 60. Even though one does not start out at a new sport and become competitive at that age, he did. He was actually invited to join Canada’s Vet Fencing team but, sadly, had to decline, as he was not Canadian.

Rick was a joy to have in any gathering, with his good nature, humble attitude and wry wit. All the people who had the good fortune to spend time with him will miss him terribly.

He is survived by his wife, Catherine Fox, and his stepdaughter, Natalia Hamilton.

If you want to donate in his memory, might we suggest the ACLU or your local NPR station.

A celebration of life for Rick will be announced by his family in the near future.

Honored to be serving the Davis family is Rett Heald of the Heald Funeral Home, where messages of condolence are welcome at healdfuneralhome.com.

OBITUARIES, VOWS, CELEBRATIONS

Kyle L. Russell

AUGUST 28,1962-FEBRUARY 13, 2026 WATERBURY, VT.

Kyle Russell was a force of warmth, grit, creativity and an unwavering heart.

Kyle passed from this world in the early morning hours of Friday, February 13, 2026, surrounded by love, courage and extraordinary depth of human connection. With Buffy, David (Rip) and Sheila by her side, she peacefully took her last breaths. She battled a cancer so rare, so invasive and so relentlessly aggressive that it deﬁed fairness itself.

Before many knew her as the soul behind a beloved café, Kyle made a courageous pivot that defined her life’s work. She stepped away from the law firm where she was working, drawn instead to the place she loved — Waterbury — determined to find her true niche.

deeply for their employees, leading with generosity, humor and heart.

Kyle’s unmistakable creative spirit shaped the café’s atmosphere and traditions, including the iconic holiday decorations she and Buffy lovingly created — especially the magical Christmas displays that became a cherished part of the community.

irty years to the day, Kyle and Buffy passed KC’s Bagel Café into the hands of a devoted employee, a transition that reﬂected Kyle’s loyalty, trust and belief in continuity.

at search led her to a dream that would shape not only her future but an entire community.

On February 4, 1995, Kyle became the proud owner and operator of KC’s Bagel Café. For 30 years, KC’s was far more than a café. It was Kyle’s passion and creative canvas, her gathering place, her extended family. She poured herself into every detail — from the atmosphere she crafted to the people she nurtured. Together for the past 24 years, Kyle and her beloved partner, Buffy Garrand, worked side by side 24-7, building a business and a life. ey cared

Eric Boulanger

AUGUST 23, 1972FEBRUARY 19, 2026 COLCHESTER, VT.

Eric Boulanger of Colchester, Vt., passed away peacefully on February 19, 2026, at the McClure Miller Respite House in Colchester after a courageous battle with cancer. He was born on August 23, 1972, in Burlington, Vt., and raised in Williston. He was the beloved son of Richard and Kathleen Boulanger.

Eric graduated from Champlain Valley Union High School in Hinesburg in 1990

From the day Kyle and Buffy met, they shared a dream — to build a life near water. In 2017, that dream came true in Grand Isle, Vt., where they transformed a summer camp into a beautiful three-season cottage, just a short walk from the shores of Lake Champlain. e sunsets, the breathtaking sunrises and the daily summer commutes became part of a life Kyle and Buffy cherished deeply — moments of beauty that made every mile worthwhile.

Kyle’s ﬁnal chapter was not deﬁned by cancer, but by love — love from dear friends, family, chosen family, caregivers, and a community that wrapped itself around Kyle and Buffy with meals, prayers, laughter, presence and compassion. Kyle was held every step of the way by Buffy, who honored a sacred promise made at the beginning of this journey: to never leave Kyle’s side. rough heartbreak, through exhaustion, through moments

and attended the University of Vermont. He spent most of his career working for the family

too heavy for language, Buffy remained strong. Hand in hand, breath by breath.

Kyle will be remembered for her boundless kindness, her creative brilliance, her resilience, and the extraordinary way she made people feel seen, welcomed and loved.

Her light endures in the lives she touched and the community she helped shape.

Kyle’s greatest joy was her family. She is survived by her partner of 24 years, Buffy Garrand; her children, Taylor Coleman, her husband, Liam, and their beautiful 6-month-old son, Bennett, the newest and brightest light of Kyle’s life; Ryan Garrand and partner Emmery Dunphy; by Kyle’s brother, David P. Russell II, his wife, Sheila, and their children, Luke and Becca; and by her sisters, Debra J. Russell; Kelly L. Russell and partner Jude Jacobson and Kelly’s daughter, Shannon Russell; and Niki K. Walker and her children, Samantha and Garrett; along with many beloved nieces and nephews. Much gratitude to Kyle’s best friend of 40 years, Shelly McCarthy, the “Grand Isle” family, extended family, friends and community.

Kyle was predeceased by her nephew, Joshua Douglas, and her parents, David Russell and Lorna (Shepard) Wheeler.

A service to celebrate Kyle’s life will be held on Saturday, February 28, 2026, 1 p.m., at the Waterbury Congregational Church on North Main Street in Waterbury, followed by a reception at the Reservoir on Main Street in Waterbury. In lieu of ﬂowers, memorial gifts would be appreciated to the Waterbury Good Neighbor Fund, 8 N. Main St., Waterbury, VT 05676, or the Waterbury Area Food Shelf, 57 S. Main St., Waterbury VT 05676.

business, Aluminum Cap Seal, Inc.

roughout his life, Eric called several Chittenden County communities home — including Williston and Richmond — before settling in Colchester. He found joy in life’s quieter moments and was cherished for his kindheartedness, generous spirit, sense of humor, and steadfast devotion to his family and friends.

He was predeceased by his father, Richard. He is survived by his mother, Kathleen, of Colchester; his brother, Jason; sister-in-law, Mia Park;

nephew, Luc; and niece, Leina, all of Chester, Conn.; as well as many cousins and extended family members.

e family wishes to extend their heartfelt gratitude to the staff of hospice and the McClure Miller Respite House for their exceptional care, compassion and kindness during Eric’s ﬁnal days.

A private service and burial will be held at Deer View Cemetery in Williston at the convenience of the family. In lieu of ﬂowers, memorial contributions in Eric’s memory may be made to a charity of one’s choice.

Robert Merrick Fuller

JUNE 8, 1946FEBRUARY 16, 2026

LINCOLN, VT.

Robert Fuller passed on to his next adventure on February 16, 2026. He wanted to write his own obituary, just as he wanted to attend to so many details at the end of his life. Here is what he wrote from his heart:

My primary objective in writing this obituary is just to say how lucky I was to receive the gift of this long life journey and how lucky to have had my amazing and wonderful family and friends. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I was born on June 8, 1946, into a loving farm family at 333 Fuller Street in Ludlow, Mass., in a 150-year-old farmhouse. My early life revolved around life on a small dairy farm with all its joys of discovery. My life was typically carefree until I was old enough to help my father with delivering duties. The family business involved collecting, pasteurizing and bottling milk and then delivering it door to door. I started to learn what kind of effort and commitment was required to maintain a successful business. In 1968 I took my first steps toward my lifelong culinary journey. I worked at the Quick and Tasty Restaurant in Ormond Beach, Fla., as a cook for six months. It was a classic ’60s-style roadside restaurant, with the slogan “you’ll be glad you stopped.”

In 1976 I moved to Vermont, which became my heart’s forever home. I became the chef at Mr Up’s Restaurant in Middlebury for six years. I bought 25 acres of land north of town and built my own house. The views of the Adirondacks to the west just north of town reminded me of the Grand Tetons.

I attended the Culinary Institute of America and graduated in 1971. I wanted to travel, so I moved to Jackson Hole, Wyo., for a year, cooking at the Cattle Baron Restaurant on the square. I downhill skied and learned to cross-country ski in the mountains on 10 feet of snow. In the summer I learned rock-climbing skills in the Grand Tetons and successfully climbed Baxter’s Pinnacle. In 1972 I traveled to Laguna Beach, Calif., and worked as a baker at the Cottage Restaurant on the coast highway. I learned to make pottery at the Laguna Beach School of Art, became a vegetarian, let my hair grow, wore earth shoes and became very tan.

Returning home to Ludlow in 1974, I worked at a small French restaurant called Picot’s Place. It was the only time I worked with a Frenchtrained chef, Jean-Jaque Gage. I also set up my own Jutetown Pottery Shop in Ludlow and had some success making pottery and giving lessons.

In 1982 I bought Pauline’s Kitchen in South Burlington with my first wife. I owned and operated Pauline’s successfully for 26 years, selling it in 2012. From 1986 until 1991, I operated the Déjà Vu Café on Pearl St. In 1997 I bought Leunig’s Bistro in downtown Burlington and ran it successfully until I retired in 2013. Along the way I built the Bobcat Café & Brewery in downtown Bristol, Vt., in 2002. I was also a partner/mentor in three other restaurants in Bristol, Cubber’s Pizza, the Bristol Bakery and Snap’s Restaurant. The very best part of my life began on “Some Enchanted Evening,” on December 5, 1992, in Lincoln, Vt., when I met the love of my life, Alison Parker. When I met her I found out what a really good life looks like. While we both worked hard in our chosen professions, we had many wonderful experiences and adventures far exceeding my grandest expectations. It was really good right from the beginning, and it just kept getting better and better as the years added up. We traveled and adventured all over the world by bike, foot, planes, trains and automobiles. We camped throughout the USA in our Roadtrek campervan “Stella” and then in “Dorothy,” the bells-and-whistles model. We spent many summers at our beloved Sunnyside Cottage on the shores of Lake Champlain … we lived the Dream…

Marrying Ali was by far the best decision I ever made; it just doesn’t get any better than that. She has proven herself over the years to be an absolute saint, and I feel so lucky to have had her as a part of my life. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

During the last year of my life, I completed and self-published my memoir, A Horse-Drawn Sickle Bar Cutter – Finding My Road to Felicity It is carried in local bookstores, where you can find it if you are interested in learning more about my adventures.

Beyond what Robert had to say for himself, there is so much more… Robert was a seeker. In his mind, there was nothing he could not learn, nowhere he could not go, nothing he could not do.

As a lifelong artist, he tried in big

and small ways to improve and beautify the world around him. He made birch hooks and railings and racks. He reused old slate to hand-paint signs for family members’ birthdays and others to hang around the neighborhood with such sayings as “Love Is All There Is” and “Kindness Is Magic – Be Kind Every Day.” He made stunning wedding cakes for friends and family, benches, birdhouses, kayaks, rowing boats, pottery, bread, and handmade collared shirts. Up until just a few weeks before his death, he was working to improve his sculptural welding skills and make a new art project out of old materials he had saved up from one of his past lives. The list goes on and on.

Robert was a lover of nature, outdoorsman and boater. He taught himself mushroom foraging, which he and Alison enjoyed by foot and bike, sharing the harvest with restaurants and many friends. He maintained the Emily Proctor Section of the Long Trail for years. He and friend Peter formed the “Long Point Rowing Club” and set out in their wherries across the calm flat waters of Lake Champlain most summer mornings before the wind picked up. Canoe and kayak adventures were many, from the Grand Canyon to the Adirondacks, and not always without incident by a long shot!

Robert was an adventurer and a traveler. He traveled the world alone, with Alison, and in groups of motorcycle enthusiasts or health care volunteers or bike trekkers or ski junkies or food lovers. He could make friends with anyone. On his solo motorcycle camping trips, he would walk into a visitor center every day and make friends with whomever worked there, taking pictures and learning a new life story. He loved talking to people, as anyone who knew him could tell you. He loved hearing stories and relating his own, making connections.

Robert was generous with his time, his energy, his skills and his resources, as well as with his praise. He always found a way to help others, whether it was building a bridge for a ski trail over a gully, sharpening kitchen knives for friends or carrying

Lawrence “Larry” Castello

cement blocks up a trail to build a primary school in a small village in Honduras. The list is endless. He mentored many, you know who you are.

No account of Robert’s life would be complete without talking about his passion for motorcycles and people who ride them. It was a lifelong passion actually but was not really reawakened until his retirement. He said he had to have something to retire to, and vintage motorcycles was that something. He cultivated friends in the world of motorcycles, acquired many, and worked on them with the help of his many friends at Classic Bike Experience, a group of like-minded enthusiasts that still meets every week.

Classic “Robertisms” that are worth repeating one last time are: “Aren’t we lucky?”; “Mother Nature did the heavy lifting”; “My predominant feeling is one of gratitude”; and most importantly and most repeated: “Enjoy the ride!”

Robert cared deeply about his family and was a pillar of love, guidance and wisdom for his stepchildren, nieces and grandchildren. Besides his wife, Alison, Robert will be missed by many other beloved family members, including his sister Karen Farnsworth; stepchildren Noah, Molly and Oakley; nieces Emily and Ivy; and “grandchildren” Asher, Caleb, Winston, Pascale, Harlowe and Hendric; as well as by an extended network of relations and friends.

Sincere thanks go to the amazing Drs. Laura Weylman and Paul Unger, who shepherded him through the years of ups and downs with his cancer diagnosis and much more. Also, to the amazing staff at their offices, Porter Hospital and the University of Vermont Medical Center.

If you are moved to make a donation in Robert’s memory, think of Addison County Home Health & Hospice, where hospice nurse Wayne and other professional caregivers counseled and guided him through his last days, or to COTS in Burlington, or to another organization that offers assistance to people to find a secure place to call home.

APRIL 4, 1949FEBRUARY 16, 2026

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, FLA.

Lawrence “Larry” Castello, 76, of New Smyrna Beach, Fla., passed away peacefully at his home on February 16, 2026. Born and raised in Roselle Park, N.J., Larry maintained homes in both Burlington, Vt., and New Smyrna Beach, Fla., enjoying the best of both communities throughout his life. In Burlington, he was a successful business owner before later serving with dedication at the Department of Homeland Security. Larry was a beloved husband, brother and uncle, known for his warmth, generosity, and the deep connections he maintained with family and friends.

He is survived by his loving wife, Kathy; his sister, Jean Mangini; his brother-in-law, Steven Stafford; his sisterin-law, Elaine Castello; and many nieces, nephews and cherished friends. Larry was predeceased by his parents, Michael and Divina Castello; brother, Robert; in-laws, John and Maureen Hines, Rev. John Hines, Sheila Hines, and Patricia Hines Stafford; and John Mangini.

A private family gathering will be held to honor Larry’s life.

Those who knew him will remember his kindness, sense of humor and the love he shared so freely.

lifelines

OBITUARIES

Joan Mabelle LaPointe Flynn

FEBRUARY 14, 1933-

FEBRUARY 19, 2026

ESSEX JUNCTION, VT.

On ursday, February 19, 2026, Joan Mabelle LaPointe Flynn went home to be with her Lord and her beloved husband, Conrad Peter Flynn, affectionately known to Joan as Connie, who predeceased her 25 years ago.

OBITUARIES, VOWS, CELEBRATIONS

Joan was born in Burlington, Vt., to Joseph W. LaPointe and Mabel G. LaPointe (Gauthier) on Valentine’s Day, 1933. Along with her sisters, Sandra Jane (Viele) and Joyce Grace (Cohen), she was raised and grew up on Charlotte Street in Burlington’s Five Sisters neighborhood. Joan attended Christ the King Grammar School and Cathedral High School, where she met Connie, the love of her life. After high school she enrolled at the Bishop

Dennis Anthony Ross

NOVEMBER 3, 1952-JANUARY 30, 2026 MARSHFIELD, VT.

What would you do if you had only a month to live?

Dennis Ross, beloved “Darlin’”, dear brother and friend, land steward, community mental health counselor and advocate, actor, ﬁreﬁghter, hunter, and shepherd had the opportunity to live that very question — consciously, deliberately and lovingly — when he was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor the day after Christmas. He opted not to pursue invasive treatments, choosing instead to live fully into the time that was afforded to him.

DeGosbriand Hospital School of Nursing in Burlington, which became the Jeanne Mance School of Nursing in 1953. Joan and Connie were married in Burlington in August 1953.

Joan’s career as a registered nurse began as a ﬂoor nurse at “the Bishop,” and she rose through various duties, eventually becoming scrub nurse in the operating room. Joan specialized in “scrubbing” in neurosurgery and ophthalmic surgery. Her nursing career took her “up the hill,” spanning the years of the Mary Fletcher Hospital, the Medical Center Hospital of Vermont and into Fletcher Allen. Joan also worked at the Central Vermont Hospital in Berlin when she and Connie lived in Montpelier.

the forest listening to the birds and observing the world around him — he had special names and greetings for all of his wild friends. A playfulness and quiet wisdom marked his way of being.

Dennis was born on November 3, 1952, to parents Gerald and Alice Ross, and raised in Whitehall, N.Y. He was the middle child of ﬁve, including Victor, Gerald, Chris and Mary Ellen. Dennis spent his childhood exploring the woods, riding bikes with friends, playing pick-up games at the schoolyard, and hunting and ﬁshing with his dad. On Sundays, he served as an altar boy at the Catholic church.

Dennis died peacefully at home on January 30, 2026, with his wife and best friend, Angella, holding his hand.

Dennis lived his final days with an awakened gratitude; a peaceful acceptance and a full embrace of a life well lived. at life included a loving marriage of more than 20 years to Angella, with whom he helped create their sun-powered home on “Happiness Hill” in Marshfield. Together, they shared a Buddhist path with deep and joyful connections to the land; tending vegetable and herb gardens; raising sheep, chickens and bees; and nurturing defining friendships and a loving community. Dennis often sat quietly in

At Whitehall High School (class of 1970), Dennis played the trumpet, joined the football team and was the junior class president. His early days shaped his lifelong practice of service to the community.

After high school, Dennis attended classes at a local community college, got involved with community theater, and explored life while working in manufacturing, farm management and social services. In the social and political tumult of the 1970s, Dennis developed interests in homesteading, peace activism and working with people who needed help. He eventually moved to Plainﬁeld, Vt., to enroll in Goddard’s Experimental Program in Further Education (GEPFE), an innovative course of studies which was eventually sold

rough nursing, her compassion led Joan to a lifetime as a volunteer with the American Red Cross, working blood drives well into her eighties. Joan was one of the founding members of the Champlain Echoes, remaining active for all 58 years of the chorus’ existence. She traveled to competitions in the U.S. and Canada.

Genealogy was also more than a hobby. As a member of the Vermont-Canadian Genealogical Society, Joan researched generations of family roots, including in Québec and Ireland. She also served as a member of the school board at Rice Memorial High School in South Burlington.

Joan is survived by her

son, Joe Flynn, and his wife, Karen McCloud, of South Hero, Vt.; sister Sandra Viele and her husband, James, of Prescott, Ariz.; brother-in-law Sumner (Shimmy) Cohen of Milton, Vt.; granddaughter, Kathleen (Katie) Flynn of Mystic, Conn.; grandson Harrison Flynn and his wife, Alexis, of Grand Isle, Vt.; grandson Nigel Flynn and his wife, Ilish, of Calgary, Alberta; and great-granddaughters, Piper, Isla and Murphy. She was predeceased by her parents, Joe and Mabel; her sister Joyce; and many relatives.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, February 27, 2026, 11 a.m., at Holy Family Church in Essex Junction. Burial will follow in Resurrection Park Cemetery in South Burlington. e family wishes to recognize and thank the dedicated and caring staff at Green Mountain Nursing House, the nurses and doctors at the University of Vermont Medical Center, and the amazing people at the McClure Miller Respite House, who provided unending compassion and care in Joan’s last days. In lieu of ﬂowers, please consider a gift to the McClure Miller Respite House, 3113 Roosevelt Hwy., Colchester, VT 05446.

to Norwich University. His studies in mental health care and recovery practices focused on advocacy, leveraging individuals’ strengths and fostering supported employment opportunities.

Dennis earned a BA from Vermont College of Norwich University in 1984 and a MEd from the University of Vermont in 1987, with a focus on special education and social services. His 40-year career as a dedicated community mental health counselor and advocate included work with the Clara Martin Center, VA Medical Center, Dartmouth Psychiatric Research Center, Central Vermont Council on Aging and the Vermont Psychiatric Care Hospital.

From the early ’80s until 2003, when he moved to Marshfield to join Angella, Dennis was an active member of the West Newbury community. He was previously married to farmer and riding instructor Annie Rossier and for 18 years served as a firefighter — and later chief — with the West Newbury Fire Department.

Despite — or perhaps because of — his catastrophic diagnosis, in his last weeks Dennis took a special interest in planning his own transition and services. Following his wishes, friends Will and Karen built him a white pine casket, and he chose the place in the sheep pasture near a special birch tree where he wanted to be buried. On the ﬁrst day of February, marked by the full snow moon, close friends and family lined his casket with a bed of “rowan” (soft second-cut hay) and — leaning into the biting wind — carried him to the pasture through three feet of snow. e gathered community then joined hands and sang him into the Earth; his ﬁnal chosen resting place.

Arrangements are in care of LaVigne Funeral Home in Winooski. To send condolences to her family, please visit vtfuneralhomes.com.

What would you do if you had only a month to live?

Dennis might suggest that you get a jump on that question now! Live large, love deeply, help people, care for the Earth and your community, hold your dear ones close, consider your legacy, and — in the end — ﬁnd both the celebration and peace that comes with a life well lived.

Dennis is survived by his beloved “Darlin’” and wife, Angella Gibbons of Marshﬁeld, Vt.; and brothers Gerald Ross (Patty) of Argyle, N.Y., and Chris Ross of Whitehall, N.Y. He also leaves behind his nieces and nephews, Grace and David Ross and Jenny and Joel Küster, as well as many loving friends and community members. He was predeceased by his parents, Gerald and Alice (Doyle) Ross; oldest brother, Victor Ross; sister-in-law Mary Anne Ross; and sister, Mary Ellen Küster.

Angella would like to thank all of those who helped and supported her and Dennis through the last weeks of his life, including the Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice team; AnneMarie Keppel, their local death doula; and, of course, their beloved community of friends and family!

Planning is under way for a spring gathering to celebrate Dennis’ life and connection to community and the land; details will follow. Dennis asked that those who wish to honor his life with a ﬁnancial contribution direct those resources to EarthWalk Together, a 501c3 with the mission: “to inspire, mentor and grow caring learning communities rooted in nature, in service to and with a love for, children and this earth.” Visit earthwalktogethervt.org or mail a check to PO Box 123, Marshﬁeld, VT O5658.

Nancy Fish Zorn

JANUARY 5, 1953FEBRUARY 17, 2026

BARRE TOWN, VT.

Nancy Fish Zorn, 74, of Barre Town, Vt., passed away on February 17, 2026, from complications of a stroke. Throughout her illness, Nancy’s resilience, determination, courage and deep gratitude never wavered — qualities that defined her throughout her life.

Nancy attended St. Johnsbury Elementary School and graduated from St. Johnsbury Academy in 1971. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Lyndon State College and a master’s degree in counseling from Saint Michael’s College in 1977.

In 1980, Nancy began a 20-year career with the American Cancer Society, where she led statewide patient services and public

Keith Miner

1930-2026

BURLINGTON, VT.

It is with deep love and gratitude for a life well lived that we announce the peaceful passing of Keith Miner, a remarkable man who was surrounded by the love of his family, leaving behind a legacy of quiet strength, steady hands and a generous heart.

Keith was born in Hinesburg, Vt., to Chester and Dorothy Miner. His early career brought him to live in various states, returning to reside in Burlington, Vt., to raise his family, where he established countless friendships and created lasting memories.

and professional education initiatives. She strengthened volunteer programs, launched new patient-support services and founded Camp Ta-Kum-Ta, a summer camp for children with cancer. As with all her projects, after finding volunteers to implement them Nancy remained a silent partner, enjoying what others were accomplishing without seeking her own recognition. She

also played a key role in creating Hope Lodge Burlington, providing free temporary housing for adult cancer patients and their caregivers. Nancy helped establish some of the first testicular cancer support groups in the U.S., advocated for insurance coverage of mammograms, supported smoking-cessation and youth education programs, and worked with legislators to increase taxes on tobacco products. She served in several leadership roles, including field services director and deputy executive vice president, and later administered three national programs following the merger of the six New England states.

In 2000, Nancy became executive director of Green Mountain United Way, where she championed numerous social-service programs through advocacy, leadership and funding. Upon

and to facilities management for a Vermont bank.

For 67 years, he shared a devoted and loving marriage with his wife and soulmate, Sherrie, whose partnership and love were the foundation of their family. Together they shared a lifelong zest for travel and adventure. Whether exploring new places, setting sail on their sailboat on Lake Champlain or planning the next journey to visit every continent save Antarctica, Keith embraced the world with a penchant for wanderlust.

Keith was also a proud veteran who served in the U.S. Army overseas in the years following World War II. He carried the values of duty, humility and quiet strength with him throughout his life. His service shaped the steady, dependable man his family and friends came to rely on so completely.

Keith received his advanced education as an electronics technician, enjoying a lengthy career. Following this, and a passion for building, he shifted the latter part of his career to construction

A gifted problem solver, he could build and fix nearly anything — a talent that became both legend and comfort to all who knew him. If something was broken, he would find a way to make it whole again. He was a true MacGyver! He approached every project with patience and ingenuity, accompanied by occasional expletives.

Keith was known first and foremost for his patience and kindness. He had a calm presence that reassured those around him, and he met life’s challenges with steady resolve and a warm smile. He was considerate, dependable and eager to assist others, sharing his skills and knowledge.

her retirement in 2015, she was honored with a Concurrent House Resolution by the Vermont House of Representatives. She served on many boards and committees, including the Northfield Savings Bank Foundation Board, and continued her service as president of the boards of Central Vermont Council on Aging and Vermont Jumpstart Coalition, as well as on the Finance Committee for the Vermont Conference United Church of Christ.

Nancy loved exploring Vermont as a member of the 251 Club of Vermont and served on the Vermont State University Vail Manor Society Committee. She found joy helping her son with filming and editing videos and cherished her many hobbies. She was very much an integral part of all her husband’s activities. Nancy was behind the scenes helping make things

A devoted family man, Keith loved deeply and wholeheartedly. His family gave him the greatest joy as he celebrated their achievements with unconditional support. He is survived by his wife, four children, five grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Keith’s life was defined not by grand gestures but by everyday acts of love, integrity and quiet presence. His teaching moments, gentle spirit, capable hands and the calm strength carried him — and all who loved him — through nearly a century of living.

Keith will always be remembered fondly, deeply missed and forever loved.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, 10 a.m., at Christ the King Church, 136 Locust St., Burlington, VT. Interment will follow at Resurrection Park, 200 Hinesburg Rd., South Burlington, VT.

The family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to all the caregivers and members of the medical community who were instrumental in caring for Keith with compassion and dedication.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Alzheimer’s Association or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital are greatly appreciated.

Arrangements are in the care of Ready Funeral & Cremation Services. For details regarding services and to send online condolences, please visit readyfuneral.com.

go smoothly at his public concerts, church activities, art exhibitions, and home and garden projects. Nancy loved caring for animals, especially her chickens, once tending to 22 at a time, washing their feet, nursing them when they were sick and delighting in their company. She shared that same love with many cats, dogs and even a childhood pet duck.

Nancy took great pride in the homes and gardens she and her husband nurtured together. Her most recent home, which she worked hard to return to in the final months of her life, will remain a place of warmth and memories for family and friends. She loved the outdoors, climbing all the mountains in New Hampshire’s Presidential Range and many in Vermont and traveling across the country — often camping in national parks. Later travels included

Max Kavet Guyton

1989-2026

WARREN, VT.

Max Kavet Guyton passed away on February 18, 2026, from having the biggest heart you could have.

He was the best father, husband, brother, friend, bandmate, ski buddy, dog dad, road trip captain, internet deep diver, tea spiller, hype man, home chef, tech aficionado, video game expert and music discoverer anyone could ever hope for.

Max graduated from the University of Vermont in 2011 and, during the pandemic, returned to the Green Mountains from Boston with his wife, Mikaila (Waters). Settling into the Mad River Valley, he tapped into an incredible community of musicians and music appreciators. He started two bands locally: Running in Circles, playing covers and originals, and spOOph, a Phish “nostalgia act.” He was an accomplished bass player who found true joy in making music — not just for but with others.

cruises to the Caribbean and Alaska and most recently trips to England, Scotland and Ireland.

Nancy is survived by her husband of 49 years, Arthur Zorn; her son, Zach Zorn; her sister, Martha Taub of California; and her brothers, David Fish of Washington and Jim Fish of Vermont.

A memorial service celebrating Nancy’s life will be held at a later date.

Nancy was communityminded to her core; her long, dedicated membership in the Granite Center Garden Club will always be remembered. Barre is better for her custodianship of municipal gardens with her fellow club members, who have been indelibly enriched by her good humor and hard work.

Nancy requested donations in her memory be made out to GCGC and sent to: Esther Cowles, 9 Birchwood E Dr., Barre, VT 05641.

Max began skiing in his twenties, jumping into the sport with the same fervent passion he had for everything else. He’d return home from a few runs at Sugarbush to regale his family with stories of the people he’d met on the chairlift, where they’d skied together and how nice it was to pick up a new buddy even if just briefly. He loved to try out a technical moment but always had the grace to laugh if it didn’t go as planned. He would simply try again.

He leaves behind a legacy of kindness, joy and enthusiasm that he spread to everyone he met. Max soaked up all that life had to offer, creating community and connection across ski lifts, jam sessions, dinner tables and late-night deep dives.

His ideal day would have started with making breakfast for Mikaila while she fed their 5-month-old baby, Nora. Then he’d take his two Newfoundlands for a backwoods adventure, sneak out for a couple of runs at Mount Ellen or hike Mount Adams, and come home to tackle a difficult software engineering problem for his work. Afterward, he’d have a delicious meal, work on a jigsaw puzzle and then judiciously transcribe the bass line of Phish’s “Fluffhead,” cobbled together from as many different versions as he could find.

In addition to his wife and baby daughter, he is survived by his mother and stepfather, Suzanne Kavet and Bill Northrup; father and his father’s partner, Paul Guyton and Cameron Graves; sister and sister-in-law, Emily and Denise Bilbao, and their children, Ari and Charlie; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Colin and Stephanie Waters, and their daughter, Carolyn; mother-in-law and fatherin-law, Sheila and Michael Waters; many aunts, uncles and cousins; and some truly incredible friends.

All who were touched by Max’s big heart are welcome to a joyous celebration of life on March 7, 2026, 1 p.m., at Afterthoughts in Waitsfield. RSVPs by March 1 are appreciated at pp.events/ bxwRqWVD. Contributions to the family support fund can be made at gofund. me/9e070c76d.

Public Interest

Vermont Public is weathering federal cuts — so far. But it’s challenged by shifting trends in media engagement.

STORY ANNE GALLOWAY | PHOTOS DARIA BISHOP

Last July, the U.S. Congress canceled $1.1 billion in funding for 1,500 public radio and television stations across the nation. In the blink of an eye, Vermont Public — the state’s nonprofit radio and television broadcaster — lost $2 million, or about 10 percent of its annual budget.

The aftermath of that financial shock demonstrated the organization’s listener loyalty and financial resilience. Within a day of announcing 13 layoffs in response to the federal cuts, Vermont Public had raised $1 million. The station’s 41,000 members largely made up the remaining $1 million loss in a rage-giving surge that lasted for several months.

“One of the biggest lessons I learned in my first year here is never underestimate

Vermont,” Vermont Public’s CEO, Vijay Singh, said in the aftermath.

The 2025 crisis hit just as Vermont Public was emerging from the conflicts and logistical problems of a previous challenge: the merger of Vermont Public Radio with Vermont PBS television in July 2021. That created one of the wealthiest public media outlets in the Northeast, thanks largely to the tens of millions of dollars that Vermont PBS brought with it.

But the new organization also has a complicated mission — serving as the prime news source for thousands of Vermonters while also providing classical music, television dramas and “Sesame Street.” Some critics question whether Vermont Public’s award-winning news department is doing enough, given the overall organization’s 104

employees, $61 million endowment and $21 million annual budget.

Internally, Singh and his staff are grappling with Vermont Public’s dual challenges. Will listeners continue to give at an elevated rate, enough to fill the gap in the organization’s annual operating budget?

And as young people abandon radio and television for online news, social media and podcasts, how can the organization adapt to serve Vermonters?

“We know that the way public media reaches its audience is going to have to evolve in order to stay relevant,” longtime board member Marguerite Dibble said.

“We’ve known that public media was going to face these very intense headwinds, and I’ve always felt really optimistic because [our] content is still highly relevant.”

AND NOW, THE NEWS

Much of that local content is produced by Vermont Public’s news department of 10 reporters whose work appears on the radio, in videos and online. They include veterans Peter Hirschfeld and Bob Kinzel, who together have more than 60 years of experience covering the Statehouse. The news team demonstrated its strength in recent years with regional and national Edward R. Murrow awards that recognize the best in broadcast and digital

WE KNOW THAT THE WAY PUBLIC MEDIA REACHES ITS AUDIENCE IS GOING TO HAVE TO EVOLVE IN ORDER TO STAY RELEVANT.

MARGUERITE DIBBLE

journalism. It scooped other outlets when it reported Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) decision to run for president in 2020 and has shown it can dig deeply, as in the three-part series in 2023 that explored the ongoing dispute between Québec-based Abenaki and Vermonters who claim Abenaki ancestry.

It also draws listeners to the noontime “Vermont Edition” interview show that delves into a mix of state issues and softer topics. A separate crew led by former “Vermont Edition” host Jane Lindholm produces the nationally syndicated “But Why” podcast for children. On television, Vermont Public continues the long-running Friday program, “Vermont This Week,” a reporters’ roundtable in which journalists, including from Seven Days , analyze the week’s top stories.

This sort of coverage has won Vermont Public dedicated followers.

Vijay Singh

Megan Humphrey, a longtime member of Vermont Public, said she listens to its radio programs “all day long” because the news is “vetted and fact-based, and that’s important to me.” She likes the range of television programming, too, and is a faithful consumer of “Finding Your Roots” and “Vermont This Week.”

But is Vermont Public ambitious enough?

Tom McKone, a columnist for the Barre-Montpelier Times Argus and Rutland Herald newspapers, recently compared Vermont Public with New Hampshire Public Radio. That organization has a similar-size reporting staff

THE MEDIA ISSUE

responsibility to offer more hard-hitting news coverage with less emphasis on nostalgic lifestyle reporting.

One of those former board members, technology entrepreneur Tom Evslin, said the organization serves “a self-identified highly educated elite, rather than a broader Vermont audience.” He said the news operation should be producing more in-depth coverage that bucks the institutional status quo.

Vermont Public news director Mark Davis defends the station’s work and says there is more to come. He said he is proud of the quality and quantity of the journalism produced by the reporting

and an annual budget of just $10 million to serve a population more than twice the size of Vermont’s. (New Hampshire PBS, the broadcast television station, is a separate nonprofit with a budget of about $6 million a year.)

Yet with that relatively modest budget, NHPR produces two nationally syndicated news shows, major investigations (one of which was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2024), and popular podcasts such as “Bear Brook” and “Civics 101” that have attracted national audiences. NHPR is in the top 2 percent of podcast producers in the U.S., with about 500,000 downloads a month.

McKone’s newspaper column concluded, “We depend on Vermont Public for statewide, national and international news, but it does not provide significant local coverage.”

Several former Vermont Public board members say the organization, in light of its substantial resources, has a

and editing team, which he described as “better than it’s ever been.”

“I think we have a lot of really talented, very driven people,” Davis said. “I think we have a clear strategy going forward about how to apply strategy and utilize that talent.”

Singh, too, said he wants to produce more news, though he added “not necessarily with a bigger team.”

Vermont Public’s reporting staff now includes people hired in recent years from other news outlets, including the Burlington Free Press and VTDigger. Seven Days reporter Derek Brouwer, who has won awards for work including his in-depth coverage of people struggling with drug addiction and homelessness, left the paper in December to join Vermont Public’s newsroom.

Better pay may attract some of its journalists. Last fall, Vermont Public

Vermont Public in Colchester

VERMONT PUBLIC DECLINES TO RE-AIR AN OLD FILM ABOUT STATE-RECOGNIZED ABENAKIS

Vermont Public is declining to rerun a film that involves contested claims of legitimacy surrounding the Vermont Abenaki, essentially saying the work is dated and lacks “essential context” that has surfaced since it first aired years ago.

The six-part film, titled Freedom & Unity: The Vermont Movie, was produced by Norwich’s Nora Jacobson and features the work of more than two dozen local filmmakers.

The film offers a wide-ranging review of the state’s history and culture, in part by offering an uncritical look at the experience of Vermont’s Abenaki tribes, which were formally recognized by the state in the early 2010s. It aired on Vermont PBS in 2013 and 2014 and was selected last November to be distributed nationally by the Public Broadcasting Service.

The film has since aired in many other markets, but it has not shown again in Vermont. That’s because the local PBS affiliate declined to rebroadcast it, citing the Abenaki controversy.

Vermont Public confirmed its decision to Seven Days, writing in a statement that the film lacks information that has come to light in recent years.

“We felt distributing the documentary as-is could confuse our audience and not be a productive contribution to what is already a very complex state discourse,” wrote Kari Anderson, Vermont Public’s senior vice president of audience and community. Anderson said the outlet is still in discussions with Jacobson but as of now has no plans to rebroadcast the film.

Two Western Abenaki nations based in Québec — Odanak First Nation and Wôlinak First Nation — have accused Vermont of relying on a flawed process when granting formal recognition to its four Abenaki tribes.

The Canadian Abenaki leaders contend that most members of the Vermont tribes identifying as Abenaki are doing so with little or no genealogical evidence. Last fall, the Canadian leaders unveiled a trove of research they said proves certain high-profile members of the Vermontrecognized tribes have no native heritage.

The controversy poses a conundrum for media outlets that have long accepted Vermont Abenakis’ claims of heritage.

Some news organizations have since produced in-depth stories about the Canadian claims. In 2023, Vermont Public aired a three-part series called “Recognized” that

referred to the “self-proclaimed Vermont Abenaki” and called into question their legitimacy.

The outlet has also updated previous coverage. A 2016 “Brave Little State” episode focused on the Abenaki now steers readers to “Recognized” for more “up-to-date reporting about the status of Abenaki peoples in Vermont.”

How to handle content produced by third parties such as Jacobson is another challenge.

Anderson said the station would be willing to rebroadcast the film only if Jacobson agreed to have it run without the first two episodes, which contain interviews with members of Vermont-recognized Abenaki bands.

Jacobson refused and, in a letter sent to other media outlets last week, accused Vermont Public of attempting to erase Vermont Abenaki.

“Since when is it Vermont Public’s job to publicly adjudicate Abenaki identity?” the letter read. “Vermont Public is a news organization, not a state or federal agency. I can think of no other instance where Vermont Public refuses to allow people to identify their own ethnicity and identity.”

Jacobson said she suggested Vermont Public put a disclaimer at the beginning of the film that notes the views represented in it do not necessarily reflect those of the news outlet. She’s also offered to host roundtable discussions with members of the Abenaki community. But she’s firmly against altering the film itself to inject some form of counternarrative after the fact.

“The Vermont Movie is about people telling their own stories,” she said in a phone call. “You can’t argue with someone talking about their lived experience.”

Instead, she said she is planning to produce a follow-up documentary, one focused on the controversy itself.

COLIN FLANDERS

Sasha Goldstein contributed reporting.

Public Interest « P.29

advertised a “Reporter II” position in Seven Days that offered a salary of $60,108 to $70,715. The pay for news reporters at Seven Days is $48,000 to $58,000; VTDigger advertised a reporting job two months ago that paid $47,000 to $55,000.

Davis attributed Vermont Public’s recruiting success to its supportive culture. “I think we treat people in their work with a lot of respect,” he said.

DYING TO CONTRIBUTE

Singh took the helm at Vermont Public in late 2024 after the bulk of the radiotelevision merger work was complete. At that point, the two organizations had been reconfiguring their operations for the better part of three years. A number of people left, exhausted by conflicts over news content and deadlines, use of videography, and rules for the TV employees, who have a labor union, and radio employees, who do not. The pandemic made in-person meetings to discuss problems impossible.

Cost savings didn’t materialize as hoped, and the newly merged organization ran deficits for several years. Former CEO Scott Finn, who drove the merger, left in December 2023.

In the end, board members say, all the heartache was worth it, and if it wasn’t a match made in heaven, it was close enough. Vermont PBS came with its $56 million windfall from the 2017 sale of one of its broadcast licenses. Vermont Public Radio brought to the table a $12 million endowment, a growing audience and a bigger appetite for innovation.

Efficiencies, however, have been harder to come by. The number of executives on staff and the $21 million cost of running Vermont Public in 2024-2025 was largely unchanged from the year before the merger. Singh said health care cost increases and inflation have made it difficult to hold down overall expenses.

In fiscal year 2024-2025, tax filings show, investment returns on the endowment made up for a $4.7 million operating deficit. The year before, the organization ran about $4 million in the red. Stock market earnings covered the loss.

Board member Dibble said she is optimistic that the budget will shake out as the nonprofit finds its footing with new audiences.

The merger “allowed us to meet the future with more resources and more nimbleness,” she said. “The revenue is not matching the expenses with the organization right now, and that’s

a reflection of those headwinds that we’ve known have been coming for a long time.”

While Singh is cautiously optimistic the nonprofit will continue to draw enough support to cover the federal funding gap, he worries that protest donations won’t last.

“We have an ongoing hole in our budget that we need to make up, and we are trying to become more sustainable,” he said.

In addition to boosting its membership and donor programs, Singh said Vermont Public is trying new fundraising strategies. For example, it has partnered with the vendor FreeWill to offer free assistance with estate planning to members — and an opportunity to leave a bequest for Vermont Public. About 200 people have or intend to leave part of their estates to Vermont Public, according to its website.

WE HAVE AN ONGOING HOLE IN OUR BUDGET THAT WE NEED TO MAKE UP, AND WE ARE TRYING TO BECOME MORE SUSTAINABLE.

VIJAY SINGH

Meantime, in the wake of the 13 layoffs in July and the elimination of two vacant positions, there’s been a spate of hiring. The total head count before the layoffs was 110; the stations now have 104 employees, Singh said.

On its website and on air, Vermont Public continued to plug the federal cuts as an existential crisis, emphasizing the potential loss of local and national news.

That ring of desperation frustrated McKone, the newspaper columnist. In a November column, he criticized Vermont Public for “its irritating, relentless requests for money that it has not shown it needs.”

McKone said Vermont Public’s “disingenuous, misleading statements about its finances in the wake of the federal cut announcements were shocking. Such behaviors are violations of the public trust, especially for a news organization, and disrespectful to us all.”

Singh defended the fundraising approach.

“I mean, I understand what the person is pointing out here,” he said. “But yeah, we have an ongoing hole in our budget that we need to make up, and

Nora Jacobson

COURTESY

we are trying to become more sustainable so that we can better strengthen the entire information ecosystem.” He added, “It’s how public media has always worked, and I don’t think that that’s really going to change, and maybe that’s not a satisfying answer, but that is the reality in front of us.”

INNOVATE OR DIE

In a state of about 645,000 people, Vermont Public says its monthly audience includes 295,000 online visitors; 385,000 video, streaming and television viewers; and 537,000 radio, live stream and podcast listeners each month.

Shifting demographics and platforms are major challenges. The average age of prime-time viewers for PBS stations is 72, according to Current, a public media industry publication. Younger people, meantime, are increasingly connected digitally. Competition for attention is not focused on the airwaves, but online — with streaming, podcasting and video.

In response to this trend, Vermont Public is producing more YouTube videos, as it seeks to integrate its

broadcast and online assets. Singh said he is focused on getting “onto as many platforms as possible … for the folks who need to see the news that we’re producing but will never turn on a radio. We want to make sure that it’s discoverable for them as well and works with what their habits are.”

In order to achieve that goal, former board member Evslin said he believes Vermont Public needs to spend down a significant portion of its endowment to diversify its audience, accelerate the use of AI tools for reporters and boost its reach to people who are getting their news through other channels.

There is no obvious path forward, he said, for any news organization in an environment where audiences are fragmented and consumers are just as likely to get information from podcasters, news influencers and Substack bloggers as they are from legacy news outlets.

“The answer isn’t just to raise more money and get more reporters,” Evslin said. “They’ve got to use the tools that make resources more effective.”

Nationally and in Vermont, innovation could be a silver lining of the Congressional rescission, said Mike Janssen, a reporter for Current, the public media industry publication. “It feels like a defeat to lose the federal funding, but it also opens the door to new possibilities,” he said. “Federal funding may have encouraged forms of inefficiency in the system.”

For example, he said, “There’s been talk for years about how we need to have more collaborations, more regional partnerships, find ways to consolidate backoffice operations, that kind of thing. And you know people would talk about it but not much of that happened. And now there’s a wake-up call.” ➆

Vermont Public in Colchester

All Over the Map

What’s news in Vermont media across the state

BY PAULA ROUTLY • paula@sevendaysvt.com

Vermont news outlets work hard to report on what’s happening around the state. ey make less of an effort to cover themselves — or each other. Here are some changes you may have missed.

GOOD SPORT

Colchester

1

VERMONT PUBLIC’s MITCH WERTLIEB

“THE SPORTS RAPPORT” at just the right moment: four days before the Winter Olympics. He’s since interviewed Vermont-connected Olympians Ben Ogden, Mac Forehand, Jack Young and Julia Kern on his new weekly show about the “world of sports in Vermont and beyond.” It live streams on YouTube on Monday at 2 p.m. and airs on the radio later that night, at 8 p.m. What a welcome change to hear a journalist asking informed but probing questions of athletes, instead of the usual: “So what happened out there?” Wertlieb is the Terry Gross of sports. He’s carved a niche that combines all of his skills and interests — the only thing missing is the Grateful Dead. Read more about Vermont Public on page 28.

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

Burlington

2

KRISTEN FOUNTAIN is the new coordinator of the VERMONT JOURNALISM

COALITION, a nonproﬁt recently created to support and sustain local news. She took over for PAUL HEINTZ, formerly of Seven Days and VTDigger, who got the org o the ground while freelancing for the Boston Globe — his new full-time employer.

One of Fountain’s ﬁrst jobs in the new role was to emcee a February 4 event at the Statehouse, at which Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas handed out $100,000 in civic journalism awards to 16 local media outlets and the Vermont Community Foundation released a report on the state of local media. Last Monday, the new VJC board of directors gaveled in 39 founding members, including Seven Days

SOLO ACT

BY THE BOOK Burlington

3

The name of the NORTH AVENUE NEWS has changed to BURLINGTON COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER, but everything else is expected to stay the same at the Queen City’s other paper, the tagline of which is “News Good for the Whole Month.” After operating it for 25 years and growing circulation from 4,000 to 17,000, CLIFF AND ELLEN COOPER sold the media property in January to another couple of print fans: MICHAEL DESANTO AND RENEE REINER own Phoenix Books in Burlington, Essex and Rutland, as well as the Yankee Bookshop in Woodstock and local publisher Onion River Press. Because DeSanto’s father ran a printing press, he told Seven Days, “I’ve always had a romantic notion about that.”

South Burlington

Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? After 45 years at the Burlington Free covering cops, courts and sports, MIKE DONOGHUE “retired” in 2015 and reinvented himself as a freelancer. His one-man wire service, , is selling stories to outlets across the state. See story, page 34. Ogden, the Gross Press FIRST the

RADIOHEAD St. Johnsbury

A year ago, Vermont SEN. RUSS INGALLS

Republican real estate agent from Newport, bought a chain of radio stations that can be heard throughout the Northeast Kingdom and into New Hampshire. He paid $1 million for the company that broadcasts on seven stations, including WMOO “MOO 92,” JJ COUNTRY and WIKE “THE NOTCH” in Newport; MAGIC 97.7, KIX 105.5 and WSTJ out of the St. Johnsbury area; and WMTK “THE NOTCH” in Littleton, N.H.

That’s Trump Country, so it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that Ingalls added Fox News to his mix of national sources. “I don’t give two shits about Trump. I really don’t,” he told VTDigger last September, a month after he made the change. He said listeners were asking for more “positive” stories about the country.

TRADING SPACES

Stowe

6

The STOWE REPORTER has new digs. Staffers spent the second week of February moving the operation from 49 School Street, where it has been for half a century, to 782 Mountain Road. The old space had become “too big, too old and too expensive,” according to majority owner ROBERT MILLER, who lives out of state. Since editor-publisher GREG POPA left in 2024, TOMMY GARDNER has been running the five papers of the VERMONT COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER GROUP: In addition to the Stowe Reporter, that’s the News & Citizen of Morrisville, the Other Paper of South Burlington, Shelburne News, and the Citizen of Charlotte and Hinesburg. Despite the disruption, everything got out on schedule, Gardner said: “We didn’t miss a beat.”

CHANGING THE STATION

Waterbury

Waves were inevitable when MYERS MERMEL bought WDEV-AM at the end of 2023. What listeners were likely not expecting from the new owner, who ran for U.S. Senate as a Republican, was more progressive programming. Last year the station started airing a weekday podcast produced by the Nation. The Tuesday host of the “VERMONT VIEWPOINT” talk show is former lefty lieutenant governor DAVID ZUCKERMAN. Coming soon, according to Mermel: a one-hour weekly segment called “MAMDANI TIME,” hosted by the Nation’s D.D. Guttenplan. Mermel and business partner CAROLINE MCLAIN just bought a broadcast license for a radio station in Plattsburgh, N.Y., that shut down last May. The plan is to run Plattsburgh news on WIRY AM in the morning and simulcast WDEV the rest of the time. Mermel and McLain are looking to acquire other radio properties, too, in Vermont and New York.

IN AND OUT

Montpelier

VTDIGGER CEO SKY BARSCH was instrumental in recruiting the nonprofit’s new editor-inchief. Pulitzer Prize winner GEETA ANAND left a deanship at University of California, Berkeley’s school of journalism to take the top job in the Vermont newsroom last summer. Anand met her husband, a Plymouth native, while attending Dartmouth College, and one of her first gigs in journalism was covering Springfield for the Rutland Herald. Anand and Barsch worked together for six months before the latter announced she would be leaving in June, after three and a half years of fundraising, recruiting and negotiating a contract with the VTDigger union. (See story, page 15.) “My goal was to leave the place better than I found it,” Barsch said.

THEY SURE TYPE FAST Northfield

9

Everybody is wondering who is pulling the levers at COMPASS VERMONT — a news site on Substack that is generating a shocking number of byline-free local stories. Is it a journalist or a robot? See story, page 14.

ALL-STARS Middlebury

10

Nationally renowned Vermont journalists Garrett Graff and Bill McKibben know a good newspaper when they read one. That’s why both gave rousing speeches at a fundraiser late last year for the ADDISON COUNTY INDEPENDENT in Middlebury. After 42 years of running the newspaper, ANGELO LYNN has started asking readers for donations in addition to being paid subscribers — doing so makes them “Addy All-Stars.” He also created a nonprofit, the Addison Independent Trust, to accept tax-deductible gifts. Lynn has three daughters, all of whom are in the business. POLLY and her husband, JASON MIKULA, own and manage the MOUNTAIN TIMES of Killington. Copublishers CHRISTY and ELSIE are poised to take over the Addison Independent

DAYBREAK-ING NEWS

Norwich

11

It’s a good thing ROB GURWITT of Norwich is a morning person. He gets up before dawn to find out what local news broke the night before so he can incorporate it into his newsletter, DAYBREAK, which lands in more than 15,000 inboxes by sunup. It’s become a vital part of the media ecosystem in the Upper Valley and beyond. See story, page 34.

READERS TO THE RESCUE Woodstock

12

The 173-year-old VERMONT STANDARD boasts that it is the oldest continuously published weekly newspaper in the state. It survived floods and fire before the COVID-19 pandemic. In the midst of it, though, the paper was losing $150,000 a year. Closure looked inevitable. That’s when publisher DAN COTTER started asking readers for money — Woodstock is a great town for that! — in front-page columns. He also established a nonprofit, the Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation, to attract big donors. It worked. In 2024, Cotter raised $429,000 in local philanthropic support.

THE ZINE SCENE

Arlington

13

State-owned Vermont Life magazine ceased publishing in 2018, but three glossy magazines live on: STRATTON MAGAZINE, VERMONT MAGAZINE and MANCHESTER LIFE MAGAZINE. As of December 2025, the trio has a new owner: JOHN AND JEN KANE PATERSON of Weston. Their company, GREEN MOUNTAIN MEDIA GROUP, purchased the titles from JOSHUA SHERMAN of OLD MILL ROAD MEDIA. Sherman will continue to operate BERKSHIRE MAGAZINE as well as his state-of-the-art recording studio in Arlington. Both Patersons have impressive résumés, with combined experience in advertising sales and investment banking. Fun fact: John is the son of award-winning children’s author Katherine Paterson.

PLANET BRATTLEBORO Brattleboro

14

The Town of Brattleboro doesn’t know what to do with HANK POITRAS . Also known as Planet Hank, the controversial citizen-journalist and conservative commentator has been videotaping street fights and police interactions with homeless people and posting the footage on his website, BRATTLEBORO NEWS , since April 2024. Last October he took the helm of the Windham County Republican Committee. At a January 27 selectboard meeting, the owner of Mocha Joe’s Café on Main Street suggested an ordinance that would restrict members of the media to “a clear safe perimeter … at active police and first responder scenes” to protect the privacy of victims. Poitras showed up at the meeting, too — to hand out copies of the U.S. Constitution. ➆

Self Reporting

As local news outlets shrink or disappear, two veteran print journalists have found success going solo

BY KEN PICARD & LUCY TOMPKINS

It’s hardly news that print journalism has seen better days. Over the past two decades, newspaper circulation has plummeted 70 percent nationwide — or about 80 million subscribers. A third of newspapers that were operating in 2005 have closed.

More than 8,000 journalists have lost their jobs since 2022, including 300-plus earlier this month at the Washington Post . It’s no wonder so many traditional print reporters have struck out on their own or flocked to new platforms — or both. For example: Matt Taibbi, a former Rolling Stone contributor, created Racket News on Substack to write political commentary; Kara Swisher moved from the New York Times opinion page to podcasting.

In Vermont, the trend looks a bit different. All across the state Substackers are typing away, but how many of them are making a living at it? Using very different strategies, two veteran newshounds — Rob Gurwitt of Daybreak and Mike Donoghue of Vermont News First — are making self-publishing pay.

THE EARLY BIRD

Rob Gurwitt, founder and editor, Daybreak

For much of his career, Rob Gurwitt specialized in long-form, magazine-style journalism: 3,000- to 10,000-word profiles of, say, Laotian and Cambodian meat cutters in Kansas, a renegade traffic engineer in Vermont, and a federal demographer with a photographic memory.

But as the freelance market dried up, he took a different path. Gurwitt, 68, is the founder, editor and (mostly) sole producer of Daybreak, a weekday morning email newsletter and website that aggregates news, similar to HuffPost and Seven Days’ Daily 7. Lovingly curated with a smart, playful voice and intriguing images, Daybreak focuses on the Upper Valley of Vermont and New Hampshire and its environs.

Launched in February 2019 with just 25 followers, Daybreak has grown to more than 15,000 subscribers. Doing 15 or so write-ups per day of 80 to 90 words apiece, he’s connecting folks in the Upper Valley with their communities and sharing news that they might not find on their own. In seven years, Daybreak has shown

that readers yearn for curated news chosen not by social media algorithms but, as Gurwitt put it, “just a guy sitting by the woodstove trying to figure out what’s going to work.”

Each day, the newsletter delivers clever teasers about regional news, politics and the weather. Gurwitt has spotlighted the controversy over a Woodstock police chief, a production of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town featuring Noah Kahan songs and a profile of a retired syrup inspector known as “Mr. Maple.”

Amid his breezy blurbs, Gurwitt sprinkles reader-submitted photos of beavers, owls, frozen waterfalls and the atmospheric phenomenon known as “sun dogs.” He also drops in poetry, letters to the editor and random music videos, such as a black-and-white video, first broadcast in 1964, of pianist Vince Guaraldi playing the now-classic “Peanuts” theme. Oh, and ads. The “sponsored” items, for which Gurwitt said advertisers pay “a few hundred dollars,” blend right in.

WHAT I HADN’T EXPECTED ... WAS HOW MUCH PEOPLE VALUE HEARING NOT JUST FROM ME BUT FROM EACH OTHER.

ROB GURWITT

Gurwitt, a New Haven, Conn., native who now lives in Norwich, hails from a family of journalists. Gurwitt’s mother edited a magazine owned by Reader’s Digest . His sister Jonea was an editor at Consumer Reports. His other sister, Andrea, was a reporter at several New Jersey newspapers. Jonea occasionally helps Gurwitt write Daybreak pieces, as does his adult son, Sam.

Gurwitt cut his journalistic teeth in 1982 at Congressional Quarterly, the Washington, D.C., publication that covers the U.S. Congress. He described

his first beat — redistricting — as a graduate education and “journalistic acid bath where any illusions about sweetness and light in politics get stripped away.”

In 1987, Gurwitt moved on to Governing magazine, focusing on local governments around the country. Long before issues percolate up to Capitol Hill, they surface in towns, cities and state legislatures, he noted. Covering them trained his eye to spot national trends. He worked there until 2007 while also penning freelance magazine pieces.

In the late 1990s, Gurwitt and his wife moved from San Francisco to Thetford, ostensibly to try it for a year. “But I knew within five minutes of arriving that I wasn’t going back,” he said.

By the late 2000s Gurwitt was freelancing full time for publications such as Mother Jones , Salon, Columbia Journalism Review and the New York Times. He also cowrote a book with Circus Smirkus founder Rob Mermin on the history of Mermin’s Greensboro youth circus,

Rob Gurwitt

published in 2012. At that point, most of the magazine editors Gurwitt knew had changed professions or been laid off.

“I woke up one morning,” he said, “and realized I didn’t have any contacts left.”

Gurwitt understood he couldn’t keep practicing journalism the way he had. Yet he knew little about social media and feared the then-new technology.

So when a friend in Norwich suggested he join an Upper Valley startup called Subtext Media, later DailyUV, that was trying to help newspapers enter the digital age, Gurwitt jumped in. He lasted five years, until the company shifted its focus and didn’t need his journalism skills anymore. He left in 2019 to start Daybreak.

Going in, Gurwitt suspected that Upper Valley readers were hungry for a daily newsletter, but he had no idea what its business model would be. He kept working as a freelance editor to make a living and compiled Daybreak in his off-hours.

Each morning Gurwitt would wake up at 4 a.m. — today, it’s 5 a.m. — comb through a robust list of Google alerts and RSS feeds, then check about a dozen local and regional media outlets for overnight stories. Most mornings he had two or three blurbs to write, but much of his work was done the day before. By 6 a.m. he would hit send, then move on to his day job.

Initially, Daybreak grew slowly, Gurwitt said, “and then the pandemic happened.”

In March 2020, Daybreak had 3,000 subscribers. By August, it had grown to 7,000, largely due to public demand for town-by-town COVID-19 news. By year’s end, Daybreak was generating enough ad revenue and donations to become Gurwitt’s full-time job.

He continues to add content such as games, book reviews, videos, Dear Daybreak, a Thursday morning feedback column and “Weekend Heads Up,” a calendar of Upper Valley events. Once technophobic, Gurwitt now closely monitors his web metrics and online advertising, while also doing nearly all his own research, writing, factchecking, subscription management and sales. One day, he said, he’d love to hire a reporter.

THE MEDIA ISSUE

Gurwitt knows little about his readers. He doesn’t collect personal information about subscribers other than their first names and email addresses; he doesn’t want the responsibility of safeguarding their data.

Sophie Crane, executive director of Transom Story Lab and a lecturer at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., collaborates with Gurwitt on her nonfiction audio storytelling class. Her students read Daybreak, she said, because it’s “a fantastic opportunity for them to get out of the Dartmouth bubble and learn about the place they call home for four years.”

“I love the concept,” said David Blow, professor of communications at Vermont State University-Castleton. He said he enjoys Daybreak’s layout and quirky mix of news and features, and “Things like this are the way journalism is going in some small towns. And I bet people in those towns will tell you that it’s increased the health of the community.”

“I was still pretty old-school when I launched this,” Gurwitt said. “What I hadn’t expected ... was how much people value hearing not just from me but from each other.”

VERMONT’S CRIME DOG

Mike Donoghue, Vermont News First

When Mike Donoghue left the Burlington Free Press in 2015 after 45 years chronicling the crime and sports sagas of the day, it seemed like the end of an era.

Donoghue began writing for the Free Press in 1968 as a high schooler. He ended his stint there at age 65, when he took a buyout from Gannett, the paper’s corporate owner. Retirement parties were held. State officials on the receiving end of his late-night calls breathed sighs of relief.

But a decade later, Donoghue has still not hung up his hat. Now 75, he continues to do what he’s always done: crank out daily missives on overlooked criminal cases, harangue lawmakers about the finer points of Vermont’s open records and meetings laws, and leverage his deep source list for scoops. These days, though, he works on his own terms.

Under the moniker Vermont News First, Donoghue has rebranded himself as a kind of cops-and-courts newswire, covering crime and helping fill the pages of small newspapers hungry for local reporting.

His byline is ubiquitous, popping up in papers in every corner of the state, from the Caledonian-Record in St. Johnsbury to the Barre-Montpelier Times Argus to the Bennington Banner . In all, about 20 Vermont news outlets regularly run Donoghue’s work.

“He’s everywhere,” said Jim Welch, a former Free Press editor who worked with Donoghue for about a dozen years. “He’s been at it for so long, he’s kind of an institution. And he brings important stories to light that otherwise wouldn’t be known, especially at a time when we’ve seen an incredible pullback on state and local media in Vermont.”

After leaving the Free Press , Donoghue, who also taught journalism at Saint Michael’s College for decades, took a short-lived break. But old habits die hard. Pretty soon, he was back at the federal courthouse in downtown Burlington looking for cases that piqued his interest. He started pitching stories to editors around the state whose papers, much like the Free Press, had shed staff — often including veteran reporters. That downsizing created a void in local coverage, especially on the law enforcement beat.

“I figured I had a little niche that I could really sell,” Donoghue said. Before long, editors started asking him to cover other issues “and this thing just kept mushrooming,” he said.

He calls himself Vermont News First, which serves as a kind of motto: “I’m gonna cover Vermont news,” he said. “And I’m gonna be first.”

The name rings true. In January, Donoghue broke the story that Windsor County Sheriff Ryan Palmer had been arrested on charges of sexual misconduct. Early last year, he was the first to publish the news, which he said came from “one of my favorite tipsters,” that a U.S. Border Patrol agent had been fatally shot in Coventry. That story became national news, and Donoghue is now covering the alleged shooter’s criminal case for a handful of local papers.

Donoghue produces stories at an impressive clip, publishing up to 10 a week. He’s been saying for years that he needs to cut back but seems unable to pull himself away from the next lead.

As an experienced reporter who has

decades-deep source relationships with police, prosecutors, defense attorneys and state officials, he’s become indispensable to papers throughout Vermont.

He is now a part-time staffer at the Islander , for which he has covered a drug- and gun-trafficking case that has dragged on for more than four years. And editors at other outlets around the state tap him to cover some of their biggest stories. For Lamoille County’s News & Citizen , for example, Donoghue is following a potential capital case involving a former Stowe resident charged with fatally shooting two men in the Northeast Kingdom in 2023.

Dan Cotter, publisher of the 173-yearold Vermont Standard , said he wanted someone with “some real journalist chops” when a lawsuit alleging mismanagement and sexual harassment was filed in 2023 against the Woodstock Foundation, a prominent local institution.

He turned to Donoghue, who broke the story and then chronicled each development. The Standard has just three reporters; Donoghue freelances, but he might as well be a staffer, Cotter said.

“Now, he’s more or less our lead reporter working on the heaviest stories,” Cotter said. “In terms of who’s

writing some of the most compelling stuff in our paper, it’s him.”

Cotter said Donoghue’s decades of source building give him a leg up over most reporters.

“So many of the people who would have the institutional knowledge … they are the ones that have been let go,” Cotter said. “Here you’ve got a guy that brings all that.”

Donoghue was the only reporter who covered a murder case in Hinesburg in depth a few years ago, said Sam Hemingway, a former Free Press reporter and columnist who edited Donoghue’s work for years.

I’M

GONNA COVER VERMONT NEWS.

AND I’M

GONNA BE FIRST.

“I would argue the kind of crime reporting he does is as important as ever,” Hemingway said. “Vermont media doesn’t spend as much time with those kinds of stories. Mike puts it on the map when he does it.”

Donoghue’s stories usually chronicle the fundamental details of a case rather than digging deeper into the systemic issues contributing to crime and violence in Vermont, said Hannah Riley Fernandez. She’s the director of programming at the Center for Just Journalism, a national organization that works to improve news coverage of the criminal justice system.

“He does represent this really important tradition in journalism,” Riley Fernandez said of Donoghue. “He’s a longtime beat reporter who documents what happens day-to-day.”

But without deeper context, she said, media coverage can contribute to the assumption Americans often make that crime is always rising.

Donoghue disputes the idea that his work hasn’t probed deeper issues.

“There are several laws that have been passed based on stories that I covered,” he said. “I’m still holding people accountable. When I can and when I think somebody’s not doing right by somebody, I write about it.”

MIKE DONOGHUE

Mike Donoghue

FEEDback

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future valuing the needs for a ordable housing over what we have valued in the past: the need to protect wetlands. That seems to be the very simpliﬁed way the government interprets the situation. The last part of the article, however, shows a very di erent picture. The facts are clear. It reminds me of the old line used when someone displays gullibility: “If you believe that, I can get you a great deal on some swampland.”

Not only is taking wetlands for building in opposition to the 2024 ﬂood mitigation law, but it is also extremely unsafe in many ways. Those wetlands are very useful just as they are to prevent ﬂooding. They’re like natural sponges — great for absorbing water, bad for building on or even nearby.

This is a perfect example of short-term planning. The long-term consequences cannot be underestimated. Spend just ﬁve minutes online researching the pros and cons of building in wetlands, and I think you will agree that it is a very foolish idea.

Tree Spaulding BURLINGTON

WHY I LEFT CIGNA

[Re “Manage Your Care: To Lower Health Costs, Vermont’s Largest Insurance Company Is Urging Patients to Shop Around,” January 14]: Seasoned mental health clinicians don’t leave insurance networks impulsively. We leave after years of being underpaid, controlled and treated as interchangeable. Cigna Healthcare has exempliﬁed this pattern, which is why the University of Vermont Medical Center did its employees a disservice by choosing it as a carrier.

For years, Cigna has reimbursed mental health clinicians at roughly 30 to 40 percent less than Blue Cross Blue Shield for comparable outpatient care. That gap has persisted despite increasing clinical complexity, documentation demands and liability. Rate increases are not standard; clinicians must ask repeatedly just to receive them at all.

In my own case, after years of underpayment, Cigna eventually agreed to raise my rate. At the same time, I was explicitly told I was not allowed to share that rate with other clinicians. My subsequent raise three years later was $1.

That experience says everything. Raises are framed as concessions, not corrections. Silence is encouraged. Comparison is discouraged. The baseline underpayment remains intact.

Early-career clinicians often stay in these networks because they need access and referrals. But over time, experienced clinicians — those doing trauma work, addiction treatment and long-term care

— reach a limit. Balance billing is prohibited, reimbursement stagnates, and many eventually leave.

When UVM moved employee coverage to Cigna, it placed its workforce into a system already known among seasoned clinicians for chronic undervaluation. Employees deserve better than an insurance card that looks adequate on paper while access quietly erodes in practice. Insurance networks are not losing clinicians. They are losing experience.

Marc Richter CHARLOTTE

MISSING CAMP

[Re Kids VT 2026 Camp Guide, February 11]: I enjoyed reading about all the summer camps for kids. It brought back memories of attending summer camp myself in 1962; my dad was a counselor at the same camp that summer. The camp was Keewaydin on Lake Dunmore in Salisbury, now in business for 130 years. It specializes in wilderness experiences and canoe tripping. We were forever addicted to canoe trips.

NEEDLE EXCHANGE WORKS

[Re Feedback: “Sharps Eye,” February 11]: No one in Burlington wants to see discarded syringes where we live, work or play.

At the same time, a substantial body of high-quality research shows that syringe services programs (SSPs) are among the most e ective interventions for preventing HIV and hepatitis C, reducing injectionrelated infections, and connecting people to treatment. Studies of low-barrier SSPs consistently show reduced needle sharing, lower HIV risk, and increased uptake of HIV and hepatitis testing, naloxone, wound care, and medications for opioid-use disorder.

The proposed requirements in the letter, such as strict “one-for-one” exchange and mandatory enrollment in treatment, are not supported by this evidence. Needs-based distribution, rather than one-for-one rules, is associated with greater reductions in risky injecting without increasing drug use. Likewise, voluntary, person-centered connection to treatment is more e ective than coercive conditions, which tend to drive people away from services altogether.

city property taxes come from. It had two GOP aldermen at the time!

I was a young man then, and Bernie appealed to me because I was struggling, doing the thankless and “dirty jobs,” at one point covering every hour on the 24-hour clock. I credit Bernie for staying on message and for making some good changes to the Queen City.

Bernie’s socialistic appeal continues to grow for many young, highly educated people trapped in service-related jobs and with few advancement opportunities. Pay no attention to the hypocrisy of Bernie owning multiple homes, a millionaire traveling on private jets! Cash-on-delivery socialism?!

The appeal of Bernie fades. I contribute but also want what little I earned to be for my family and community, not for a collective that falsiﬁes equality and disdains individual achievement.

Robert “Bob” Devost JERICHO

VOTE NO ON REIB

Finally, the suggestion that unreturned syringes in Burlington are fueling a lucrative black market does not ﬁt Vermont’s context. Vermont, unlike Ohio, allows pharmacies to sell inexpensive injection supplies over the counter without restriction. If someone wanted to resell needles, purchasing them directly would be far more straightforward than diverting them from SSPs. Importing Ohio’s “$3 per syringe” narrative into Burlington misrepresents both our laws and our public health reality.

When considering the March ballot in Burlington, remember this: Upon taking o ce, Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak’s team discovered a $10 million deficit, resulting in her laying o a number of workers while simultaneously giving her wife a $14,000 pay increase. Galling.

Again, the $12 million deﬁcit this year reveals poor management of the people’s money.

Given that my dad was a public education leader, a lot of students went on canoe trips by his hand. My brother and I ran a lot of trips for our friends, too. I didn’t see Keewaydin or its sister camp, Songadeewin — both on Lake Dunmore — in the Vermont Camp & School Finder list. Keewaydin Temagami operates in northern Ontario, where canoe tripping and wilderness experience are at their best. This camp is about wilderness and canoe trips!

Chris Leister BARNARD

Editor’s note: The Kids VT 2026 Camp Guide included ads and information about the 59 camps and schools that paid for listings on our Camp & School Finder, at campﬁndervt.com.

Any alternative to the Safe Recovery Program must reﬂect reality, be evidencebased, and respect the best interests, needs and dignity of all residents, including those with substance-use disorders.

Joe Brusatto MILTON

BOB FOR BURLINGTON

I enjoyed Ken Picard’s [“Bernie’s Burlington: A New Biography by Queen City Native Dan Chiasson Chronicles the Rise of the ‘People’s Politician,’” January 28]. I have a memory of walking with Vanguard Press political columnist Peter Freyne near the corner of St. Paul and Main streets on the night Bernie Sanders defeated the incumbent mayor Gordon Paquette, the feeling of a seismic shift in the air.

There I stop, 599 pages short of Dan Chiasson’s book, Bernie for Burlington. Not interviewing Bernie yet having some poignant vignettes, but nothing after essentially 1990 as Bernie starts his House and Senate careers?

I grew up in then-Ward 4 in Burlington’s New North End, where most of the

Charter change question on the ballot: Should the city make the racial equity, inclusion and belonging director position permanent? The money for that position has long dried up — hence the question. The mayor’s poor judgment is an unnecessary ﬁnancial drain on taxpayers. There is much opposition to the charter change.

The REIB o ce is on its third director. Tyeastia Green’s tenure was a nightmare. She ﬂew the coop and then sued us for over $1 million. The second director worked for a very short period of time before taking a very long leave while collecting wages. She never returned.

Between the $10 million deficit and now the $12 million deﬁcit, the mayor very irresponsibly hired a third director [“Kelli Perkins Named Burlington’s Director of Racial Equity,” September 25, 2025, online]. Frankly, it was a jaw-dropper. Salary around $130,000, plus very generous beneﬁts.

The total taxpayer-financed 2025 REIB budget was $715,568. Salaries alone accounted for $487,118.

Voting no on making the position permanent is a no-brainer.

Marianne Ward BURLINGTON

Food Focused

THE MEDIA ISSUE

Brattleboro food photographer Clare Barboza shoots for myriad media and teaches others the tricks of the trade BY SUZANNE PODHAIZER

Zoom in: A plate of watermelon cubes, so richly colored they’re almost glowing, sits on a slab of purple-veined marble. The fruit is sprinkled with cilantro sprigs, deeply toasted pepitas and crumbs of white cheese. Lime wedges and more pumpkin seeds are scattered on the tabletop, and a halved watermelon rests on a live-edge wooden cutting board nearby.

Pull back: The marble is a vinyl sheet covering half of a gray plastic folding table. On the other half are a roll of pale orange tape, an open can of raspberry-lime Spindrift seltzer and a nearly empty bowl of dried-out soba noodles — remnants of a previous still life.

On a recent afternoon, photographer Clare Barboza, wearing cherry-red glasses, leaned over the composed side of the

tableau, prettying up the lime wedges.

Her “ancient” Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera perched on a tripod behind her. Cool winter light poured into the airy room from windows that stretch toward the 20-foot ceiling. Nearby, in a simple kitchen nook, Barboza’s food stylist, Gretchen Rude, seared corn for the next dish to be photographed.

In her Brattleboro workspace — inside an early 20th-century cotton mill that also houses Tavernier Chocolates, Back Roads Granola and a glassblowing studio — Barboza, 52, captures glamour shots of food for all kinds of media. After attending art school and working as a West Coast wedding photographer, she burned out and, in 2009, turned her attention and her camera toward the edible. Since then, she’s shot countless

magazine spreads, product photos for national food brands such as Effie’s Homemade biscuits and more than three dozen cookbooks.

Barboza shares her knowledge with authors, recipe developers, bloggers and chefs by teaching photography workshops in person and online. In addition to those jobs, which keep her busy, she collaborates with her artist husband, Joe, on a business called Poppy Bee. That faux marble beneath the watermelon? It’s a backdrop surface sold by Poppy Bee, which aims to help content creators set the scene for any ﬂavor of food photography, from luminous, sunny shots to candlelit arrangements with deep shadows and draped velvet.

SHE HELPED ME UNDERSTAND HOW TO USE LIGHT TO SHAPE, TO FIND TEXTURE, TO TELL A STORY.

DAVID LEITE

Clare Barboza adjusting the tableau during a recent photo shoot

Barboza during a recent photo shoot at her studio in Brattleboro FOOD FOCUSED » P.40

SIDEdishes

SERVING UP FOOD NEWS

Church Street Marketplace Seeks New Food and Drink Kiosk Tenant

The tiny but high-profile city-owned kiosk at the corner of Burlington’s Church and College streets will host a new food and drink operation this year to replace LEUNIG’S PETIT BIJOU. Church Street Marketplace has published a request for proposals for the 135-squarefoot space at 180 College Street with an application deadline of Friday, February 27, at 4 p.m. The LEUNIG’S BISTRO offshoot, currently closed for the winter, had offered coffee, pastries and light fare there since New Year’s weekend 2017 under a 10-year lease.

While the Leunig’s contract left operating hours up to the business, Church Street Marketplace director SAMANTHA MCGINNIS said by email that the city “is now interested in having the space activated on a regular basis.” The request for proposals details a minimum of six hours per day and six days a week year-round, “with a strong preference for breakfast and lunch service.” The three-year lease, with the option of one two-year renewal, starts July 1. The rental fee structure includes 15 percent of the tenant’s gross revenue receipts with a minimum annual payment.

Leunig’s Bistro co-owner AMY BERNHARDT listed several reasons for the decision not to bid to renew the kiosk lease. Coffee shop competition is stiff downtown, she noted, and customers

are reluctant to wait for food and drink in cold or rain. Even in fine weather, Bernhardt said, the area’s “struggling population” has affected the outdoor business. Staffing the kiosk has been a challenge, she added, due to the damper of inconsistent sales on potential tips. Bernhardt had planned to reopen Leunig’s Petit Bijou in April for the remaining three months of the lease, but a burst pipe in the Leunig’s Bistro building ruined all the stored kiosk supplies. She hopes the new tenant Church Street Marketplace selects will be interested in subletting.

MELISSA PASANEN

Whereabouts Cocktail Bar and Day Haus Find ‘Forever Home’ in Stowe

Stowe has a new spot for olive oil-washed dirty martinis, clarified spicy margaritas and Bloody Caesars. WHEREABOUTS, a cocktail bar inside coworking space and social club DAY HAUS, opened on January 15 at 140 Cottage Club Road — the sprawling space most remembered as the 33-year home of Sunset Grille & Tap Room.

CONNECT

Leunig's Petit Bijou kiosk in 2018

To create their products, Barboza takes pictures of materials such as stone and wood, and her husband makes paintings that work well with food displays. They print both types of images on vinyl sheets and hand-finish them for durability. The sheets, which can be rolled up for storage or kept in a flat stack, are much more portable than slabs and boards.

The couple began creating backdrops because Barboza needed them for her work, and the ones on the market were too shiny or not pretty enough, or they didn’t hold up to the rigors of being smeared with hot honey or sprinkled with oily nuts. After a few successes, they realized they could sell the goods to other photographers.

Then, during the pandemic, when “I lost all of my jobs and everybody was out of work,” Barboza recalled, they made Poppy Bee their primary focus. On the website, visitors can browse the surfaces by color, material (metal, paint, stone, wood) and vibe (earthy, ombré, warm, weathered).

A 2-by-3-foot piece costs $74. Larger, 3-by-4.5-foot selections are $154, and bundles of five — in either size — come with a discount.

Barboza and her family moved to Vermont in 2016, several years after she visited the state for a gig: She was tasked with photographing fruit for Calais food writer Rowan Jacobsen’s Apples of Uncommon Character: Heirlooms, Modern Classics, and Little-Known Wonders.

Many of the book’s reviewers referenced those full-page images of apples. “Beautifully photographed,” the Boston Globe said. NPR’s “Morning Edition” was more lyrical: “Like walking into a portrait gallery flooded with russet, bronzed masterpieces bathed in golden light.”

Recently Barboza has been shooting Lettuce Riot , a salad-themed book by Seattle chef Becky Selengut, with whom she has partnered on several projects. When Selengut was starting her first cookbook, Good Fish: Sustainable Seafood Recipes From the Pacific Coast , the chef figured she’d take her own pictures. “I [was] thinking that, as a chef, I knew exactly how to plate food for the book,” she explained.

But the publisher chose to hire Barboza, and as the author and photographer worked together, Selengut realized just how much labor goes into food photography. “It requires a tremendous amount of work: setting the mood and vision for a book, cooking the dishes, styling the shot,

shooting, and the extensive postproduction work,” she said.

Since then, Barboza has worked on all of Selengut’s books; the in-progress Lettuce Riot includes the watermelon

At this point, Selengut said, “We are such a team that if a publisher won’t let me use her as my photographer, I’ll pass on the deal. Simple as that.”

Food writer David Leite is another of Barboza’s frequent collaborators. In 1999 he founded Leite’s Culinaria, one of the first food-centric websites. He has since authored two books and earned three James Beard Awards — two for the website and one for a New York Times story on fried clams.

Leite, whose site is renowned for its thoroughly tested recipes and friendly yet authoritative tone, is also the proud owner of 65 Poppy Bee surfaces. To his husband’s chagrin, Leite buys new ones whenever they’re released.

On one occasion, enamored of a scarlet-and-black surface he’d added to his collection, Leite worked in reverse and developed a recipe for a pomegranate Basque cheesecake to complement the background. The writer is such a fan that he’s twice visited Brattleboro to attend Barboza’s workshops and has paid her to come to his Connecticut home and shoot for the website.

“Clare has taught me so much,” Leite said. “She doesn’t burden you with all the tech and all of the theory ... It’s just about what you need.”

One of the most important things he’s learned from Barboza, he noted, is how to work with light and shadow. “I call it ‘sculpting light,’” Leite said. “She helped me understand how to use light to shape, to find texture, to tell a story.”

Leite may be the most famous aficionado of Barboza’s workshops, but visitors from all over the country fly to Vermont to take them. Offered roughly six times per year, the multiday deep dives — on topics such as food styling, still life photography and “food photography on location” — cost around $1,200. Online workshops, which allow participants to skip the airfare and move through material at their own pace, range from $297 for a single class to $619 for a bundle.

Eventually, Barboza hopes to own land with a “big barn that’s a studio, where we could bring in teachers and do workshops,” she said. “Leading workshops and retreats is my passion. My purpose here on this Earth is not only to be a creative person but to help empower other people’s creativity.” ➆

salad. Over approximately eight days, Barboza and Rude will cook, style and capture 75 images of 40 dishes, using a vast library of props to give each picture a distinctive look.

INFO

Clare Barboza Photography and Poppy Bee, Brattleboro, 206-228-0728, clarebarboza.com, poppybeesurfaces.com

Chilaquiles with charred tomatillo-serrano salsa, photographed by Clare Barboza for Becky Selengut's cookbook Misunderstood Vegetables

Poppy Bee surfaces in storage

That’s Money

ree questions for Burlington line cook and social media up-and-comer Ryder Manske

STORY MELISSA PASANEN | PHOTOS DARIA BISHOP

Four days a week, Ryder Manske pulls 10-hour shifts at Hen of the Wood in downtown Burlington. The 22-year-old line cook rotates through di erent stations but frequently mans the live-ﬁre grill at the heart of the open kitchen. His one-night record for the restaurant’s popular hanger steak with basil rub is 55.

And about four times a week, Manske does a di erent kind of cooking in the kitchen of his New North End rental. He props his cellphone at one corner of the gas stove and sets up a ring light to illuminate his home set. The light is melted a bit on one side where it got too close to the heat of the broiler when he was filming a butter chicken video. “But it still works,” he said recently as he prepped to film himself making a crispy fried egg, starting with a couple takes of his standard intro: “Here’s what I actually cook at home as someone who works in fine dining.”

From planning to filming to editing, each three-minute video takes Manske up to two hours to produce. He cross-posts on Instagram and TikTok to around 60,000 followers on each platform. Those numbers aren’t huge by influencer standards, but they’re impressive for a young cook who posted his first video less than two years ago. Manske’s gangly puppy energy and self-assured declarations that he’s about to share the best way to fry an egg, cook bacon, make a steak or season a burger have earned him an agent and some sponsored posts, with more projects percolating.

THE MEDIA ISSUE

In late 2022 the Burlington native was just 18, with only a year of fulltime professional cooking experience, when he drove cross-country two weeks after responding to chef Brandon Dearden’s TikTok call for a couple of junior cooks to help open Ember restaurant in Montana. An April 2024 video starring Manske making Ember’s signature 24-hour potato pavé went viral, with more than 20 million views across the restaurant’s robust TikTok, Instagram and Facebook accounts. Before ably demonstrating the laborious recipe, the cook uttered his top compliment with an emphatic shake of his shaggy head: “That’s money!”

Manske’s social media trajectory got a serious leg up from his two years working with Dearden. But it’s Manske’s style and content that have kept his following engaged and growing, according to Lucas Wohl, his agent at Viral Nation.

Wohl saw the ﬁnancial potential when he ﬁrst spotted Manske while scrolling TikTok. The agent said Manske stood out for his fun, genuine style and cooking demos that are “educational without trying too hard to be educational.” The young chef soon joined the agency’s roster: Of its total 1,000 clients, there are about 40 culinary content creators.

“It’s almost like you’re in the room with him,” Wohl continued. “It’s not too doctored, not overproduced. I think it makes people feel like they’re part of his life.”

The agent also noted that Manske has a strong follower community, as evidenced by the number of comments, shares and likes, and relatively few negative interactions. A creator with Manske’s stats, Wohl

Ryder Manske demonstrating how to fry an egg for his social media followers from his home in Burlington

said, can earn from $3,000 to $6,000 per sponsored post while also generating income from creator incentive programs run by social media platforms.

Wohl understands that his client has no interest in leaving restaurants to become a full-time influencer — or in being labeled an influencer at all.

“There shouldn’t be any shame in that,” Manske said, “but I actually cook professionally, and I really love it.”

Seven Days chatted with Manske about how the fast-food chain Popeyes helped him fall in love with cooking, how he combats online trolls and whether he ever gets tired of posting.

What got you into cooking?

so, so good. I kept making fried chicken, just doing the same thing different ways, and eventually that turned into cooking different things.

It was the first time I found something that I could totally fixate on. I wasn’t a good student in school. I wasn’t going to class. But when I found cooking, my drive and motivation was there.

IF YOU LET NEGATIVE COMMENTS SLOW YOU DOWN, YOU’RE NEVER GOING TO DO ANYTHING GOOD ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

I was a really picky eater. I would eat, like, five things until I was probably 14 or 15. Then one day I made fried chicken because there was this big craze. Popeyes made a fried chicken sandwich, and you couldn’t get it here. Compared to how I’d make it now, what I made was terrible, but I ate it, and I was like, Wow, I put time into this, and this is

RYDER MANSKE

How do you handle negative comments?

If you let negative comments slow you down, you’re never going to do anything good on social media. Unfortunately, that’s just the harsh reality. I honestly feel the worst thing that a content creator can do is respond to hate comments by calling them out, like, “Look at this hater. He has no idea what he’s talking about.” I either don’t respond or I just say something silly because I feel like that’s what separates me.

Some guy will be like, “This is raw and burnt, and you fucked everything up.” And I’ll be like, “Hell, yeah.” When

SIDEdishes

SERVING UP FOOD NEWS « P.39

Day Haus founder and Stowe native HANNAH MITRANI learned in the fall that the building she rented on Mountain Road was being sold, just as she was set to launch its bar. While the previous iteration of Whereabouts was tiny and billed as a speakeasy, its new 67-seat space, designed by stylist MOLLY VELTE, has

room to spread out — including a large outdoor area for hosting summer music and events.

“Sunset Grille was this iconic dive bar in Stowe,” Mitrani said. The space had been on the market since last March, after the closure of short-lived barbecue restaurant Nocturnal, when she went to check it out “just for fun.”

“When I walked in,” she continued, “I saw the future of Day Haus and Whereabouts. It felt like our forever home.”

I worked at Ember, I had this thing I said: “That’s money.” So some guy will be like, “You’re terrible at this.” And I’ll be like, “That’s money.”

Ninety-nine percent of the time, when I respond in a friendly way, they say, “I like your content, man. Keep doing what you do.” They switch up immediately because they just want a reaction. I want this to be a good source of income and keep working for me. However people comment, no matter what they say, the number is important.

Do you ever think, Oh, God, what am I gonna post this week?

I’m currently in that week. I’m burnt sometimes, you know? I love to do this, and I bust my ass at it. But I also bust my ass at work. Sometimes I get home, and I’m like, Dude. I just want to eat a giant bowl of cereal and fall asleep. ➆

This interview was edited for clarity and length.

INFO

The weekday coworking side of the business remains just for members, guests and day-pass purchasers. Mitrani had initially planned for Whereabouts to have its own membership program, but she soon decided to open the bar to all.

“The place really needed to be shared with the public,” she said. “The world needs more community now, not exclusive places.”

She called Whereabouts’ menu of

“higher-end” cocktails “personal,” with drinks such as the Chinook — a hibiscus tequila cocktail named after her grandparents’ camper — and the Haus Caesar, a Bloody Mary riff made with her go-to Clamato juice.

Snacks include cheese, crackers, pâté, olives, tinned fish and caviar. With a full commercial kitchen, Whereabouts will soon host chefs from around Vermont for pop-ups.

JORDAN BARRY

Follow Ryder Manske on Instagram @rydermanske or on TikTok @manskeat.

Cocktails at Whereabouts

Whereabouts

The bar at Whereabouts

Johnny Fontane cocktail

PHOTOS

FESTIVALS

Independent Spirit

With new classes and live events, White River Indie Festival grows beyond its ﬁlm-focused roots

BY JORDAN ADAMS

Raise your hand if you have a comfortable nightly routine of turning on the TV and streaming a movie alone at home. You’re in good company.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with this convenient habit — and no shortage of content from streaming services. But the trend has consistently drawn people away from cinemas. According to a 2025 S&P Global Market Intelligence survey, only 17 percent of movie theatergoers can be considered frequent.

And that has bigger implications: Vermont ﬁlmmaker Cedar O’Dowd believes society loses something when people primarily watch movies at home.

“Sitting alone in your house and watching a movie will get you an entirely di erent experience than seeing it live with an audience and getting to talk to

other people and seeing what other people laugh at,” O’Dowd said recently by phone.

The ﬁ lmmaker is the coordinator of White River Indie Festival, an arts fest that runs Sunday, March 1, to Sunday, March 8, in various locations around White River Junction. Since its origin in 2004, the event has aimed to bring people together around ﬁlms from outside the mainstream. This year, WRIF is expanding its programming, training its lens well beyond cinema while retaining its community focus.

In addition to more than 20 feature ﬁlms and documentaries curated by new festival director Jordyn Fitch, the lineup includes workshops, public art displays, master classes, dance parties, puppet theater, trivia nights, and several opportunities for burgeoning ﬁlmmakers to connect and

WRIF hopes to inspire others and, above all, create ﬁlm-nerd heaven on Earth. Read on for some highlights of this year’s festival.

Light River Junction

Nightly, 6-11 p.m., at various outdoor locations around White River Junction. Free.

The pandemic may not have invented the concept of outdoor, light-centric experiences, but it certainly perfected it. Born out of necessity during the darkest days of COVID-19, Light River Junction returns, utilizing projection art to glow up historic buildings and storefronts in downtown White River Junction. Among this year’s artists is Warren animator Hayley Morris, whose contributions to the 2025 docuseries “Octopus!” nabbed her an Emmy Award for Outstanding Motion Design. Morris also leads a stopmotion animation workshop on Friday, March 6.

‘The Trouble With Harry’

Tuesday, March 3, 3 p.m., at Briggs Opera House. $12-16.

In 1954, moviegoers fell in love with Vermont in Michael Curtiz’s holiday spectacular White Christmas. Too bad it was filmed entirely in Hollywood. The following year, prolific director Alfred Hitchcock delivered The Trouble With Harry, a film actually shot on location in several Vermont towns, which was highly unusual for the era (and still is in the Green Mountains). Somewhat of a departure from the Master of Suspense’s noir, espionage and thriller fare, The Trouble With Harry is a farcical black comedy in which several residents of fictional hamlet Highwater think they’re the one responsible for the untimely death of a neighbor. Dartmouth College film scholar Joanna Rapf hosts.

screen their work. The festival’s parent organization, Junction Arts & Media (or JAM), similarly centers opportunities for learning and strengthening communities through media.

Notably, a portion of the fest’s annual slate arrives through its Emerging Filmmakers project. Every year, creators from Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Québec are eligible to have their work screened, which can be huge for exposure and networking.

“It was one of ... the ﬁrst time[s] that I’d ever gotten a check for a ﬁlm that I made,” O’Dowd said. Their short feature “I Have Something to Get O My Chest,” which focused on a transgender man who recently underwent top surgery, was an Emerging Filmmaker selection in 2024.

“Just that little bit of encouragement made me be like, Wow, I’m a real ﬁlmmaker.”

The JAM Movie: Live Screenplay Table Read

Tuesday, March 3, 6:30 p.m., at Northern Stage. Free. RSVP.

This summer, JAM will venture into new waters with its first-ever feature film production, and WRIF attendees can sit in on a live reading of the screenplay. The project expands on JAM’s high school summer film intensive, during which high schoolers and early college students come together to learn the ropes of filmmaking — a bit like Vermont filmmaker Jay Craven and his Kingdom County Productions’ student-made films. JAM’s forthcoming feature, Valley Transit , was written by the org’s executive director, Samantha Davidson Green. The story centers on two Upper Valley residents at di erent stages in their lives who meet on a public bus and become intertwined as they navigate major life transitions.

Jordyn Fitch and Chico Eastridge at WRIF’s#PitchFest in 2025

#Pitchfest 4.0

Thursday, March 5, 5:30 p.m., at Briggs Opera House. Free.

Welcome to the shark tank, WRIFstyle! One of the festival’s higheststakes events, #Pitchfest gives nascent filmmakers five minutes to pitch their idea for the next JAM-funded film. Though the festival doesn’t put too fine a point on what exactly it’s looking for, it does offer some clues on the website. Films that have strong ties to the Upper Valley tend to get the jury’s attention, as well as projects that seem feasible on a small budget. According to O’Dowd, a good pitch leaves the audience “eager for the thing you’re describing to exist.” This year, in addition to the juried prize, an additional winner will be chosen by the audience.

‘If

I Had Legs I’d Kick You’

Friday, March 6, 7:30 p.m., at Briggs Opera House. $12-16.

Few actors excel at both comedy and drama. Rose Byrne is one of those people. Look no further than two of her projects released in 2025. She delivers a sidesplitting performance as stressedout mom Sylvia on the second season of Apple TV’s “Platonic.” However, her turn as stressed-out mom Linda in Mary Bronstein’s If I Had Legs I’d Kick You is more likely to reduce viewers to tears — or a panic attack. A scarily real and vivid portrait of a woman on the brink as her child succumbs to a mysterious illness, Byrne’s performance is as hypnotizing as the boundary-pushing, hallucinatory movie itself.

Intimacy Choreography

With Marci Diamond

Friday, March 6, 1:15 p.m., at Junction Arts & Media. $20; preregister.

Though the position of intimacy coordinator existed before the #MeToo era, the somewhat misunderstood role has since become a necessity for films and TV shows with nudity and sexual situations. Basically, they’re on set to be an advocate for actors’ safety and comfort, as well as a liaison for the director. But what qualifies someone to become an intimacy coordinator? According to SAG-AFTRA’s guidelines, intimacy coordinators should be competent in a slew of fields, including consent and sexual harassment training, bystander intervention, conflict resolution, and, among other things, movement coaching. This year, WRIF brings in professional intimacy coordinator, circus artist and Vermonter Marci Diamond to lay down the basics of the role.

‘A Useful Ghost’

Saturday, March 7, 6:15 p.m., at Briggs Opera House. $12-16.

In a conversation at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, Thai filmmaker Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke said, “My approach has always been to blend and juxtapose big and small, serious and silly, collective history and personal matter, composed and campy in my work.” He was there to present his first feature, which Catsoulis noted as “beginning as one thing and ending as quite another” and “a sad-sweet sex comedy [that weaves] together political allegory, supernatural mystery and more than one tender love story.” It’s one of those films that probably works best without knowing too much about it beforehand. Let’s just say this: possessed vacuum cleaner. ➆

White River Indie Festival, Sunday, March 1, to Sunday, March 8, at various locations. $60-150 festival pass; tickets available for individual films and classes. uvjam.org

design, Vermont real estate tips and DIY decorating inspirations.

The Trouble With Harry

A Useful Ghost

culture

Short Takes on Five Vermont Books

Seven Days writers can’t possibly read, much less review, all the books that arrive in a steady stream by post, email and, in one memorable case, as a 13-hour voice memo that concluded with a demonic, vibrato-y shriek. So this occasional feature is our way of introducing you to a handful of books by Vermont authors. To do that, we contextualize each book just a little and quote a single representative sentence from, yes, page 32. ➆

e Future

Monica Ferrell, Four Way Books, 112 pages. $17.95.

A pomegranate / Uncut. / It’s bloody down there.

Monica Ferrell’s third poetry collection, out in March, considers the whole scope of life on Earth, from geologic epochs to the minutiae of modern living. But it’s in no way a straight shot through time. A professor of creative writing and part-time Vermonter, Ferrell weaves backward and forward, from a 16th-century naval battle to TikTok ﬁlters, with incisive imagery and wry humor.

Motherhood is a frequent touchstone in e Future, the messy miracle of birth and the passing of eternity’s baton from parent to child: “Soon they will become the is and I a was.” History surrounds us — and the future literally erupts from some of us — whether we learn from any of it or not. “Can’t ask the citizens of Atlantis how it felt / when the water started whispering, at ﬁrst a trickle.”

Ferrell is a clever, lyrical companion for the journey on “this pitted parking / Lot of a planet.” e ride isn’t always comfortable, but where — or when — else are we going?

ANGELA SIMPSON

Remembering Mama and La Mia Famiglia: Stories and Recipes

Louis G. Giancola, Giancola Family of Books, 184 pages. $18.95.

Mama’s new kitchen was the talk of all the neighborhood.

Louis Giancola grew up in workingclass Rutland to his mother’s Italian-accented refrain: “You gotta take the bitter with the sweet.”

Mama’s lesson stuck, and the two ﬂavors thread through the memoir Giancola penned to honor and pass down family stories.

Matriarch Maria Caterina is the heart of her youngest son’s book. It launches with a screen-worthy scene in which she dares to marry a “handsome, blue-eyed Italian” of a different region from her Sicilian parents. To express their displeasure, they once locked their daughter out of the house for an entire “bitter cold and damp night.” Giancola later reveals that in his mother’s youth, the stress of poverty led his grandparents to drink and beat their children.

e struggles are balanced by warm anecdotes of familial devotion and abbondanza around the dinner table. While his book’s recent family history leans too personal, Giancola captures the immigrant experience vividly enough to engage history buffs and pay homage to his spirited mama.

MELISSA PASANEN

Lambs in Winter: Sketches of a Vermont Life rough Seasons of Change Alexis Lathem, Bright Leaf, 231 pages. $24.95.

We ate shish kebab and salad, and a smoky goopy dish called baba ganoush, with freshly baked Syrian bread. Lathem’s fond reminiscence of a bold-ﬂavored staple meal from her Brooklyn childhood is no surprise. More unexpected is that this city kid, who had what she calls “biophobic parents,” ended up on a farm in Vermont.

e Richmond writer — a food and environmental justice advocate, journalist, essayist, poet, and former communications director at Rural Vermont — documents the pastoral part of her life in this essay collection, which winds through the seasons of two decades on the threeacre homestead she shares with her husband.

Between vignettes of the haunting cries of a bottle lamb during the Valentine’s Day blizzard of 2007 and the “tender domesticity” of swallows nesting in a freshly rebuilt historic barn, Lathem considers the philosophical questions of what it means to lead this rural existence. ose quandaries can be a little bleak, but they reﬂect the kind of broad thinking one does while waiting for a newborn lamb to ﬁnd its wobbly feet.

JORDAN BARRY

After the Storm: A Vermont Village Mystery

Dan Marshall, Onion River Press, 306 pages. $17.99.

The arm strength required was a bit surprising, but Kate was not a weakling...

Kate Stone has bailed from her toxic marriage in Connecticut and relocated to Merryﬁeld, a ﬁctional Vermont town. In this community, everyone knows everyone else’s business and has preconceived notions of Kate — especially Doris Freemantle, matriarch of the town’s wealthiest family; and Tiffany ompson, her scheming, soon-to-be daughter-in-law. ey assume that this attractive outsider has come to steal Tiffany’s prize catch, Ben.

Instead, Kate takes a shine to Ben’s hunky brother, Rory, and the two go horseback riding. But before sparks can ignite, Rory is found dead in a creek. When the medical examiner rules his death a homicide, everyone suspects Kate, who must prove her innocence and solve this small-town murder mystery. e story reads reasonably well but suffers from too many stock characters: the gossipy diner waitress; the haughty, ironwilled matriarch; the shrewish, manipulative ﬁancée. After the Storm could have been Mayberry meets “Twin Peaks,” but there’s too much of the former and not enough of the latter.

KEN PICARD

e Second Oldest Profession: e Wet Nurse, Revered and Reviled Barbara Zucker, Abbeville Press, 175 pages. $24.95.

Piss is poison. It must be expelled. Milk is sustenance. It is expressed.

Bosoms abound in this accessibly written and thoroughly researched book by artist and academic Barbara Zucker, from a 1650 painting of the Virgin “athletically” squirting milk into St. Bernard’s open mouth to Niki de Saint Phalle’s multicolored Nanas’ nanas to a golden bustier of bazoombas from the “WAP” video by Cardi B.

Zucker, a longtime University of Vermont professor, presents a deep dive into the global history of wet nurses — professional breastfeeders who were not only common but crucial for keeping infants alive in the days before formula and refrigeration. Zucker shows us how these women were regarded, paid and treated; some employers even selected nurses from preferred milk-producing regions of France. European nurses wore elaborate headdresses; Japanese ones suckled bear cubs to get rid of excess milk. Zucker’s feminist analysis of this history is both deep and fascinating, and the book’s many images, from ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs to Zucker’s own drawings, offer a whole new way to look at boobs.

ALICE DODGE

Sincerely Yours

In Richmond, Hey June letterpress studio builds a community of note

When Maria Brown was little, she dreamed of owning a paper supply store. Five years ago, she realized that vision when she opened Hey June, a stationery shop and letterpress studio on Bridge Street in Richmond.

At the front of the store sits an impressive antique letterpress from 1925, which Brown uses to print small runs of stationery and invitations for locals. The process is collaborative, and Brown works closely with her clients to get the designs right. The result is not only beautiful works on paper; Brown often builds lasting connections with her customers, who become friends.

A year ago, expanding on her love of paper, Brown opened Hyperbole Books, a small indie bookstore, next door to Hey June. The two businesses share an adjoining door.

In the latest episode of “Stuck in Vermont,” Seven Days senior multimedia

producer Eva Sollberger met some Hey June regulars and got to see the letterpress in action. She spoke about ﬁlming the episode.

What drew you to Hey June?

I love card shops and was also curious to learn more about letterpress printing. A coworker told me about Hey June, and it piqued my interest. One of my visits was the day before Valentine’s Day, so it was really hopping in there.

Who did you meet?

which has changed over the years. Brown jokes that Milles will be running the store one day.

Brown seems like a lot of fun. Brown calls herself an introvert, but you wouldn’t know it. She is incredibly outgoing and has made many connections through her time at the store. There is something intimate about a stationery store. While I was there, some customers browsed for cards and talked about the person they were shopping for and what was happening in their lives. One visitor called Brown “everyone’s best friend.”

With all that stationery, does Brown have pen pals?

I met Essex Junction resident Kelly McCutcheon Adams, who began as a customer of Hey June and became Brown’s pen pal and friend. Brown designed and printed some personalized stationery for McCutcheon Adams and was delighted to receive one of these cards in the post. Brown “shares my passion for connection through the mail,” McCutcheon Adams said.

How was it watching Brown print on the letterpress?

It was such a treat to interview some of the shop’s regulars, like 8-year-old Vivi Milles. She designed the window displays at both stores in honor of her birthday, which was on Groundhog Day. This was actually the second time Milles had decorated Hey June’s windows: Two years ago she o ered her design services, and owner Maria Brown happily helped to realize her vision. Both displays incorporated Milles’ unique handwriting,

Very exciting! The rubber ink has an organic smell, and the rhythmic clanking of the cast iron in motion is almost musical. Brown was printing an orange sunﬂower on Hey June stationery that will be for sale soon. I love feeling the indentation of the design on the paper, which makes it obvious that it was not digitally printed. Like Brown, I also grew up writing letters and collecting cards. She has inspired me to pick up the habit again, and I’ll start by sending her a thankyou note. ➆

761: Love Letter to Vermont

Maria Brown

on screen

Jay Kelly ★★★★ REVIEW

The latest star vehicle for George Clooney and Adam Sandler, directed by repeat Oscar nominee Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story), had no theatrical run in Vermont. Seeking Jay Kelly on Netﬂix, where it’s been available since December, I had to use the search function. Despite Golden Globe Award nominations for the leads, the movie doesn’t appear to be a priority for the streaming service.

Which is appropriate, perhaps, because Jay Kelly pays ambivalent tribute to prestreaming Hollywood, when a big star’s name could fill theaters. The movie’s low profile underscores the end of that era — but is it worth finding?

The deal

Jay Kelly (Clooney) is a great big shining star. The kind who doesn’t go anywhere without an entourage, including his loyal and always-harried manager, Ron (Adam Sandler); his publicist (Laura Dern); and a stylist (Emily Mortimer) to Sharpie his graying brows.

Having just wrapped a ﬁlm in which his character confronts mortality, Jay wonders whether anything in his life is valuable — or even “real.” Ron urges him to immerse

himself in a new project. But after the death of the director (Jim Broadbent) who made him famous and a troubling encounter with an old friend (Billy Crudup) who knew him before stardom, Jay makes a new plan.

Seizing a last chance to connect with his college-bound younger daughter (Grace Edwards), the actor ﬂies to Europe. Naturally, the entourage comes along, with Ron fending o the demands of his other clients and family. As the motley crew makes its way to rural Tuscany, where Jay will receive a ﬁlm society tribute, he relives past turning points and wishes he could have another take to get things right.

Will you like it?

Jay Kelly is a lot of movie. Less intimate than Baumbach’s typical projects, it boasts a large cast, a story that sweeps through time and space, and glossy cinematography (by Linus Sandgren) that feels better suited to the big screen. The ﬁrst scene overwhelms us with the sights and sounds of a movie set, the camera traveling through overlapping conversations until it ﬁnally rests on Jay, the one everything revolves around.

The screenplay by Baumbach and Mortimer is a lot, too. If the ﬁlm’s subject and style remind us of Birdman (with some

Robert Altman tossed in), the dialogue recalls Aaron Sorkin in its quantity, its heightened whimsy, and the relentless spelling out and hammering in of its themes.

Granted, those themes are interesting. Movies and movie stars, Jay Kelly suggests, help people give meaning to their lives. “All my memories are movies,” Jay reﬂects — and, indeed, his ﬂashbacks all involve roles he played. When he boards a train from Paris to Tuscany, surprising and thrilling the plebes, an elderly man exclaims that, gazing into Jay’s face, “I see my whole life.”

The irony, of course, is that Jay no longer knows who he is, a confusion emphasized by an awkward reunion with his dad (Stacy Keach). Baumbach and Mortimer invite us to reﬂect on the toll of a life spent pretending to be the hero(es) other people need you to be.

At the same time, the ﬁlmmakers use Jay’s entourage to explore the di culty of being a star’s support system — an invisible architect of the fakeness. And that’s where the ﬁlm’s “a lot” sometimes becomes too much.

Clooney and Sandler deliver sensitive, a ecting performances, giving Jay and Ron a lived-in relationship that raises teasing

questions about where business ends and friendship begins. (Ron calls Jay “puppy,” suggesting a ection — until we hear him use the same term of endearment on another client [Patrick Wilson].)

But the entourage subplot can also be distracting, as when Ron and Dern’s character get an overcomplicated backstory with no payo . Struggling to tie all their thematic strands together, Baumbach and Mortimer end up flattening them into a borderline hackneyed message about the importance of blood ties. While Ron’s work for Jay takes him away from his loved ones, Jay has estranged his daughters with his neglect. The problem is that Jay’s and Ron’s families feel more like a demanding chorus than full-fledged characters — unlike in the recent Sentimental Value, which explores a similar conflict while giving equal weight to the artist and his shortchanged kids.

As a bid to make Jay’s plight more relatable to the average viewer, the film’s messaging doesn’t hit the mark. If you enjoy seeing the film industry reflect on its own neuroses, though, you’ll eat up Jay Kelly’s insider details and the reflections it invites. Many critics have bemoaned the death of the Hollywood star, touting Clooney as one of the last examples, but I have to admit that Jay Kelly just reinforced my doubts about the whole thing. One of the greatest pleasures of film-going is seeing new talents emerge seemingly from nowhere. If stardom is dead, acting is alive and well.

MARGOT HARRISON margot@sevendaysvt.com

IF YOU LIKE THIS, TRY…

SENTIMENTAL VALUE (2025; rentable): Joachim Trier’s Oscar-nominated drama explores the perspectives of an aging ﬁlm industry legend and the two daughters he neglected.

“THE STUDIO” (one season, 2025; Apple TV): If Jay Kelly represents the old Hollywood where stardom was currency, Seth Rogen’s studio head character navigates a radically different landscape in this clever satire.

“BOJACK HORSEMAN” (six seasons, 201420; Netflix): Raphael Bob-Waksberg’s adult animated comedy about a depressed talking horse who was once a sitcom star somehow remains one of the deepest dives to date into the toxicity of Hollywood and the price of fame.

Adam Sandler and George Clooney face off as a manager and a movie star who take a revelatory road trip to Tuscany.

NEW IN THEATERS

EPIC: ELVIS PRESLEY IN CONCERT: Baz Luhrmann’s documentary unearths new footage and recordings. (90 min, PG-13. Capitol, Essex, Majestic)

MR. NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN: In this Oscarnominated documentary, a Russian teacher documents how propaganda took over his school after the invasion of Ukraine. (90 min, NR. Catamount)

PILLION: A man finds himself caught up in a BDSM romance with a biker in Harry Lighton’s dark comedy starring Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgård. (106 min, NR. Partizanfilm)

A POET: A poet (Ubeimar Rios) confronts his own obscurity as he tutors a talented teen in this acclaimed Colombian film. (123 min, NR. Partizanfilm)

SCREAM 7: A new Ghostface killer targets the daughter of final girl Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) in this throwback from original Scream writer Kevin Williamson. (114 min, R. Bijou, City Cinema, Essex, Majestic, Paramount, Star, Welden)

UMA MUSUME: PRETTY DERBY — BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA: A horse racer faces new challenges in Ken Yamamoto’s animated sports drama. (108 min, NR. Essex)

CURRENTLY PLAYING

2026 OSCAR-NOMINATED SHORT FILMS: Choose from three separate programs: Animation (66 min), Live Action (114 min) and Documentary (153 min). (Big Picture [Animation only], Majestic [all], Savoy [all])

CRIME 101HHH1/2 A thief and an insurance broker team up in this caper drama, starring Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo and Halle Berry. (140 min, R. Capitol, Essex)

GOATHHH A goat gets a chance to play “roarball” with his idols in this animated animal adventure. (100 min, PG. Bijou, City Cinema, Essex, Majestic, Marquis, Paramount, Star, Stowe, Welden)

GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, DON’T DIEHHH1/2 Diner patrons must save the world in Gore Verbinski’s action comedy. (134 min, R. Majestic, Welden)

HOW TO MAKE A KILLINGHH1/2 Glen Powell plays a man determined to reclaim his inheritance by murderous means in John Patton Ford’s dark comedy thriller. (105 min, R. Capitol, Majestic)

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE 2HH Christian music star Bart Millard (John Michael Finley) faces new challenges in this biopic sequel. (110 min, PG. Bijou, Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Star)

IRON LUNGHH1/2 A convict explores a blood ocean in this postapocalyptic horror film from Mark Fischbach. (127 min, R. Essex, Marquis [Wed 25 only])

THE LOVE THAT REMAINSHHHH A family weathers the parents’ separation in this comedy-drama from Iceland. (109 min, NR. Partizanfilm)

MIDWINTER BREAKHHH A couple (Lesley Manville and Ciarán Hinds) take a trip to Amsterdam and revisit memories in Polly Findlay’s drama. (90 min, PG-13. Majestic, Savoy)

MY FATHER’S SHADOWHHHH1/2 Akinola Davies’ drama explores father-son relationships during a political crisis in Nigeria. (93 min, NR. Partizanfilm)

NIRVANNA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIEHHHH A misfit band with an awkward moniker finds itself time traveling in this mockumentary. (95 min, R. Partizanfilm)

PSYCHO KILLERH1/2 A cop tracks the serial killer who slew her husband in this horror thriller directed by Gavin Polone. Georgina Campbell and Malcolm McDowell star. (92 min, R. Essex, Majestic)

SEND HELPHHH1/2 An employee and her boss are stranded on a desert island in Sam Raimi’s horror thriller. (113 min, R. Essex, Majestic, Star, Stowe; reviewed 2/4)

SOLO MIOHH1/2 Kevin James plays a jilted groom stranded in Rome in this rom-com. (100 min, PG. City Cinema, Playhouse)

WUTHERING HEIGHTSHHH Emerald Fennell’s steamy take on Emily Brontë’s novel stars Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. (136 min, R. Big Picture, Bijou, Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Marquis, Stowe; reviewed 2/18)

ZOOTOPIA 2HHH1/2 Disney’s animated critters return. (108 min, PG. Essex, Majestic)

OLDER FILMS AND SPECIAL SCREENINGS

THE BIG BLUE (Partizanfilm, Wed 25 only)

CHARLIE THE WONDERDOG (Capitol)

CRADLE WILL ROCK (VTIFF, Sun only)

HOPPERS (Essex, Majestic, Sat only)

MOANA 2 (Catamount, Thu only)

NIGHT OF THE JUGGLER (VTIFF, Fri only)

QUEEN KELLY (VTIFF, Sat only)

SONG OF THE SEA (Catamount, Tue only)

STORMY WEATHER (Catamount, Wed 25 only)

WISDOM OF HAPPINESS (VTIFF, Sat & Sun only)

OPEN THEATERS

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

*BIG PICTURE THEATER: 48 Carroll Rd., Waitsfield, 496-8994, bigpicturetheater.info

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, 8782010, majestic10.com

MARQUIS THEATER: 65 Main St., Middlebury, 388-4841, middleburymarquis.com.

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

*PARTIZANFILM: 230 College St., Unit 13, Burlington, 276-4588, partizanfilm.org

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

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

Job of theWeek

CREAMERY PRODUCTION MANAGER

Jasper Hill Farm

Get the scoop on this position from Jasper Hill’s Matt Benham, Vice President of Cheese.

What are some speciﬁc challenges of this position and why is it important?

Cheesemaking is all about holding rhythm as a team. Much like a band, a creamery team has an internal metronome that allows it to ﬂow in concert with precision. is precision is paramount; if a vat of milk’s pH drops too low or the curd settles for too long, the resultant cheese could develop faults weeks or months down the line. e good news is that a creamery production manager would inherit an award-winning team.

What is unique about working for Jasper Hill Farm?

Jasper Hill Farm was founded by two brothers and their wives— Andy, Mateo, Victoria, and Angie, back in 1990. ey’d seen the small dairy industry in northern Vermont collapsing due to commodity milk price tanking, making nonindustrial operations uncompetitive. ey wanted to stave off the forces of development from buying up cheap farmlands and preserve a working agricultural landscape for the Northeast Kingdom. So they sought to add the highest amount of value to a dairy industry whose infrastructure still existed by producing world-class cheese. At Jasper Hill Farm, we manage a highly connected web of facilities and teams. Our obsessive pursuit for deliciousness has driven us to be involved in cheesemaking from the grass all the way to your table. It’s about honoring origins: We regenerate soils to grow healthy forage for our cows. e creamery honors the milk through diligent cheesemaking, and the afﬁneurs who age our cheese honor the intent of the cheesemaker. We believe cheese is a powerful force for good and can create positive change in our community.

Apply for this great local job and many more: jobs.sevendaysvt.com

Ghosts and the Machine

Damian Stamer’s AI-inspired paintings haunt Middlebury

BY ALICE DODGE • adodge@sevendaysvt.com

Once upon a time, I was a ghost. A good friend in art school was studying spirit photography and making his own versions of the popular 19th-century images. I acted goofy and played with cheesecloth in front of the camera, waving my arms like a Scooby-Doo villain. Yet somehow, with the right techniques and technology, the resulting images were the kind of dark, spectral scenes that would’ve easily convinced viewers of 150 years ago that I was a visitor from the Beyond.

In “Angels & Ghosts,” a solo show curated by Dexter Wimberly at the Middlebury College Museum of Art,

Damian Stamer’s paintings echo the spirit of spirit photography. The format is entirely di erent. Stamer’s mostly 6-foot-square oil paintings incorporate searingly bright colors and arrest the viewer with their bold presence. For contrast, the exhibition features a vitrine of spiritualist items lent by Middlebury’s Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History: sober printed pamphlets and small black-and-white photographs of ghostly ﬂoating heads, recognizable to a modern audience as double exposures.

What connects the paintings and photographs are the similar cultural moments of their creation, including their

relationships to new technology. In the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War had left many people grieving. Photography, not well understood by the average person, o ered a potential connection to the dead. Some spirit photographers were scammers, but others likely saw darkroom accidents as messages from another plane.

Today, amid both the weight of human losses and the cultural aftershocks of the pandemic, stories abound of generative artiﬁcial intelligence provoking anxiety, hope, fear or even love in its users. Many are apprehensive about AI but certain that, like photography, it will change the world.

In his recent artist talk at the museum, Stamer, now 43, said that in 2022 he was at home in Durham, N.C., rocking his daughter to sleep and scrolling on his phone, when he encountered his ﬁrst article about DALL•E 2. The AI system generates convincing images from a text prompt.

“I knew immediately that I had to engage with it,” he said.

When he was a kid, Stamer said, he and his twin brother and their friends often explored abandoned rural houses. His memories of those places became a source of inspiration for his paintings, which meld gestural brushstrokes and abstract elements with realistic interiors. Having previously worked from reference photographs, now Stamer started describing his memories to the AI and incorporating elements from the images it produced. Every so often, maybe one in a hundred generations, DALL•E added something — or someone — to the scene. Stamer describes these apparitions as ghosts and angels: unexpected hallucinatory elements that imbue the interiors with a creepy or supernatural quality. As in spirit photographs, the interlopers range from obvious ﬁgures to a subtle blur in the light coming through a window. In some, such as “Collaboration 35 (Angel 1)…” and “Collaboration 36 (Angel 2)…,” the image of a person is part of an object such as a draped sheet; in others, it’s a sparsely described form in shadow. Elsewhere, the ﬁgures are more solid. In “Collaboration 39 (Ghost 1 — Scary Ghost)…,” for instance, a faceless girl stands unsettlingly by a wall as if she’s about to crawl right out of the canvas at you, à la The Ring

The artist reinforces the disquieting vibes of his interiors by titling each work with a short descriptor of the painting followed by the full AI text prompt. One example: “Collaboration 58 (Angel 4): My photographic childhood memory exploring the bedroom of an abandoned rural North Carolina house ﬁlled with old junk. Hoarder, ﬂoor to ceiling. Mildewed sheets, stained sheets, old cans, subtle tonal shifts. Old painting hanging on the wall. Vermeer, soft yet dramatic lighting.” The prompts use similar but not identical wording to describe each scene; the repetition builds and accumulates until it seems insistent, like an intrusive thought.

“Collaboration 39 (Ghost 1 — Scary Ghost)...”

Stamer said the paintings aren’t all based on the same place; rather, “they’re a poetic search for things that look and maybe taste like, in the back of my mind, a memory.” He noted that his wife suggested one reason he feels so engaged with AI is that it acts as a stand-in for his identical twin brother, Dylan. “It’s always there to collaborate with you and talk with you,” the artist said — much as his brother was when they were kids. The conversational dynamic that comes through in the paintings is part of what makes them compelling.

True to the concept of “Collaborations,” two aesthetic voices speak in these works. One stems from Stamer’s love of painters such as Johannes Vermeer and Titian; in his talk, he said one passage of wallpaper wouldn’t have been possible without a book on Pierre-Auguste Renoir that he adored. He uses this style to offer views of old wooden furniture, paintings askew on the wall and the soft glow of filtered light.

In “Collaboration 58 (Angel 4)…,” he creates an exquisitely articulated space with just a few broad, confident strokes of creamy white to indicate sunlight through a curtained window, balanced against a shadowy desk. Though the AI

may have inspired the imagery of the interiors, Stamer’s painting technique elevates and distinguishes it. Contrast this with the other voice in the mix, this one inspired by painters such as Robert Rauschenberg: loud, bright gestural strokes that give the artist’s physicality a blatant presence on the canvas. In works such as “Collaboration 35 (Angel 1)…,” emphatic lime-green marks made with oil stick read as though someone has crayoned across an old photograph, practically screaming from outside the frame.

Stamer’s two styles play harmoniously together when it seems like they shouldn’t. Sepia scenes descend into orange and blue scribbles; illusionistic space gives way to blank canvas and single brushstrokes. Though the AI tries to offer us the comfort of predictable images, Stamer finds the unexpected in them and runs away with it. Whether there are ghosts in the machine or not, the artist’s very human presence haunts these paintings. ➆

“Damian Stamer: Angels & Ghosts,” on view through April 19 at Middlebury College Museum of Art. middlebury.edu/museum

Carnevale

Live performances, a silent auction, and special guests. $75pp. For more information and to reserve your tickets visit sevendaystickets.com

CALL TO ARTISTS

‘UNBOUND VOL. XIV’: Seeking submissions for the annual show of artists’ books in both traditional and unconventional forms, including 2D and 3D artworks made from deconstructed books or taking books as their theme. Each artist may submit up to three pieces. Artistree Community Arts Center, South Pomfret. Deadline: April 3. $30 fee. Info, 457-3500.

OPENINGS + RECEPTIONS

THORLIEF ‘TJ’ PRIOR: “Elemental,” a solo exhibition serving as a capstone project in the Art & Design program. Reception: Thursday, February 26, 6-7 p.m. McCarthy Art Gallery, Saint Michael’s College, Colchester, through February 27. Info, bcollier@ smcvt.edu.

18TH ANNUAL HIGH SCHOOL EXHIBITION: An exhibition of more than 100 works by emerging artists from 14 regional schools throughout the Upper Valley, juried by Amy Morel. Reception and awards ceremony: Friday, February 27, 5 to 7 p.m. AVA Gallery

and Art Center, Lebanon, N.H., February 27-March 28. Info, 603-448-3117.

‘IRISH EYES’: An art exhibition in conjunction with the 2026 Burlington Irish Heritage Festival. Pickering Room, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, March 1-31. Info, 363-6330.

‘THE WORLD THROUGH OUR LENSES’: A group exhibition featuring the work of eight photographers united by a shared passion for travel and storytelling through images. Reception: Sunday, March 1, 1-3 p.m. Emile A. Gruppe Gallery, Jericho, February 26-April 5. Info, 899-3211.

CLAIRE BARONE: “Structural Integrity,” a capstone project in the Art & Design program. Reception: Wednesday, March 4, 6-7 p.m. McCarthy Art Gallery, Saint Michael’s College, Colchester, March 2-8. Info, bcollier@smcvt.edu.

VICTORIA ALINOVI: “How IT Feels,” a solo exhibit featuring drawings and paintings by the graduating MFA student. Reception: Thursday, March 5, noon-2 p.m. Julian Scott Memorial Gallery, Vermont State University-Johnson, March 2-April 3. Info, 635-1469.

‘HISTORICAL WORKS FROM THE PERMANENT COLLECTION’: Works by Jeffersonville area painters

EXHIBITION

Shriney Objects

The life of a New York City building superintendent is humble. But, in keeping with his Catholic upbringing, artist and building super dan Waller, who uses a lowercase first name, translates that humility into something glorious. Gleaning materials such as window screening, fabric scraps, discarded book covers and bits of steel from the trash at the buildings where he has worked since the 1980s, he fashions outwardly austere but inwardly intricate boxlike sculptures. Each one, no more than a foot high, should be seen from a few inches away. Peering into the interior reveals a private world of half-hidden constructions made from layers of sheer pantyhose, hundreds of pearl beads or individual thorns, meticulously assembled over years of late nights. Like religious reliquaries, they invite the viewer to lean over and engage directly in the mysteries within.

‘MARY MAGDALENE’S TREASURES’

On view through February 28 at Kishka Gallery & Library in White River Junction. kishka.org

including Emile Gruppé, Ruth Mould, Marion Williams Steele, Charles Curtis Allen, Thomas Curtin, Aldro Hibbard, Charles Movalli, Ken Gore and Robert Blair. Reception: Saturday, March 7, 1-3 p.m. Bryan Memorial Gallery, Jeffersonville, March 4-May 3. Info, info@bryangallery.org.

‘NEW HORIZONS’: A showcase of works by 17 new and returning artists, who take a variety of approaches to portraying the Vermont landscape. Reception: Saturday, March 7, 1-3 p.m. Bryan Memorial Gallery, Jeffersonville, March 4-January 3. Info, info@ bryangallery.org.

LAMOILLE UNION HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT EXHIBIT: A show of works made by students under the guidance of instructor Sabine Likhite. Reception: Saturday, March 7, 1-3 p.m. Bryan Memorial Gallery, Jeffersonville, March 4-May 3. Info, info@ bryangallery.org.

‘THE WORK OF PAPER’: A group show juried by Southern Vermont Art Center curator Danny Volk and focused on paper and its unique properties and meanings. The show is a companion exhibition to two at SVAC. Reception and awards: Saturday, March 7, 3-5 p.m. Edgewater Gallery at the Falls, Middlebury, February 28-March 28. Info, 989-7419.

‘PROOF WE WERE THERE’: A group exhibition celebrating gig posters from meaningful concerts, lent by eight longtime framing clients. Participating collectors share stories of the events during a conversation at the closing reception. Closing reception: Saturday, March 28, 5-7 p.m. Axel’s Frame Shop & Gallery, Waterbury, through March 28. Info, 244-7801.

ART EVENTS

‘STUDIO FEVER 2026’: An opportunity to paint on canvas-covered gallery walls; materials provided. Groups of 12 or more should reserve in advance. Artistree Community Arts Center, South Pomfret, through March 7. Free. Info, gallery@artistreevt.org.

KIMONO DRESSING DEMONSTRATION: A demonstration with Shannon Palmer and model Josie Coan of how a kimono and its components are layered, tied and worn for different occasions. Palmer has studied the intricacies of wearing kimono for many years and worked in a formal kimono rental shop during her time in Japan. Johnson Memorial Building, Middlebury College, Wednesday, February 25, 5-7 p.m. Free. Info, 443-6433.

ASSETS FOR ARTISTS: ‘POWER OF WEBSITES’: A Zoom workshop with artist and independent curator Jessica Burko on planning and designing a website that effectively presents an artist’s work and story. Register at assetsforartists.org/workshops.

Vermont Arts Council, Montpelier, Wednesday, February 25, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, info@vermontartscouncil.org.

EXHIBITION TOUR: ‘INHABITING HISTORICAL TIME’: An introduction, with exhibition cocurator Alisa Swindell, to “Inhabiting Historical Time: Slavery and Its Afterlives,” which explores slavery’s impact and its enduring legacies via histories of oppression, resistance, subversion and resilience. Hood Museum, Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H., Thursday, February 26, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Free. Info, 603-646-9660.

OPEN STUDIO: A guided meditation followed by an hour of art making in any medium and concluding with a share-and-witness process. Many art materials available. In person and online.

Expressive Arts Burlington, Thursday, February 26, 12:30-2:30 p.m. and Tuesday, March 3, 6:30-8:30 p.m. By donation. Info, 343-8172.

LIFE DRAWING AND PAINTING: A drop-in event for artists working with the figure from a live model.

Untitled work by dan Waller

T.W. Wood Museum, Montpelier, Thursday, February 26, 7-9 p.m. Free; $15 suggested donation. Info, 222-0909.

WINTER OPEN STUDIOS: An artist-led studio tour where members chat about their work. Studio Place Arts, Barre, Saturday, February 28, 1-3 p.m. Free. Info, 479-7069.

HOOD HIGHLIGHTS TOUR: An in-person tour of selected works in the museum galleries. Participants gather in the Russo Atrium five minutes prior to the start time. No registration necessary. Hood Museum, Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H., Saturday, February 28, 2-3 p.m. Free. Info, 603-646-9660.

ARTIST TALK AND BOOK SIGNING: VAUNE

TRACHTMAN: A celebration of the release of Now Is Always by the artist, who discusses making the book, her use of photopolymer gravure, and how family photographs, handwriting and archival materials shape her work. Books available for purchase and signing. Vermont Center for Photography, Brattleboro, Saturday, February 28, 5:30 p.m. Free. Info, 251-6051.

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, March 1, 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 Museum, Montpelier, Monday, March 2, 10 a.m.-noon. Free; $15 suggested donation. Info, 222-0909.

‘UNDERSTANDING COLOR’: A hands-on workshop with Sabrina Fadial exploring color in gouache, watercolor, pencil or collage. Open to all levels. T.W. Wood Museum, Montpelier, Tuesday, March 3, 7-9 p.m. $15 suggested donation. Info, 222-0909.

‘NATURE DRAWING FOR ALL’: One in a four-part virtual drawing series that explores the natural world through creative expression in a friendly and informative structure. Shelburne Museum, Wednesday, March 4, noon-1 p.m. Free; registration required. Info, 985-3346. ➆

Installation view of “Mary Magdalene’s Treasures” by dan Waller

music+nightlife

musicians and fans lamented how vicious Pitchfork’s reviews could get. Who could forget its 0.0 review of Australian band JET, featuring a link to a video clip of a monkey pissing into its own mouth?

But in 2015, Pitchfork was acquired by Condé Nast. In 2024, the parent company folded the music outlet into men’s style magazine GQ, resulting in layo s and hand-wringing over the future of music journalism.

S UNDbites

Can I Kick It? Musings on the Future of Music Journalism

Lately, I’ve been thinking about something a stranger said to me last year outside a Porta-Potty at the Hopscotch Music Festival in Raleigh, N.C. It was 1 a.m., and I was caught between the hyperdrive antics of a music journalist at a music festival and the beacon-like pull of my hotel bed after a 14-hour day. In other words, I was in the perfect mindset to be assaulted by job anxiety.

“Oh, wow,” a voice called out from beside the shitter. “Is that a press badge? A music journalist! I thought you guys were extinct!”

The face that went with the voice was hard to make out, thrown into shadow by a trucker hat, but I saw that the woman was wearing an …AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF DEAD T-shirt, with her wrist covered in multicolored bands, the hallmark of a festival pro.

“We’re still around,” I replied in a way that, for some reason, sounded like an apology. (Again, I was exhausted.) “As long as there’s music, we’ll show up to write about it.”

She laughed and moved to enter an adjacent Porta-Potty. Before slamming the blue plastic door shut, she o ered one last observation: “Good! I miss when you guys were mean, though.”

I spent my walk back to the hotel and, frankly, large parts of 2025 thinking about that comment. I miss when you

guys were mean. What the fuck did that mean? I felt like JOE PESCI in Goodfellas, having an epic crash-out about someone calling me “funny.” What? I’m not mean enough? Am I just here to amuse you by trashing albums? I’m a journalist, not a hot-take clickbait machine!

Once I calmed down, I saw her point, to a degree. Music journalism in 2026 is, if I’m being kind, in ﬂux. I think a lot about the global trends and how they trickle down to what I’m doing here in Vermont as the humble music editor of Seven Days. What is the goal of our music criticism? What inﬂuences drive our coverage decisions? What could the music section do better?

I’m not the only one asking these questions. There’s a reason they call us critics: Many music writers are critiquing the very industry they’ve helped create.

“Music journalism isn’t dead,” AMELIA VANDERGAST, chief editor at culture website A&R Factory, wrote last June. “But it is on life support, hooked up to drip-feeds of metrics and data, kept alive by vanity rather than values.”

That’s not some ﬂashy, headlinegrabbing sentiment but a statement backed up by plenty of recent

disconcerting news. Music journalism, and criticism in particular, are in dire shape. Many of the big culturally relevant platforms — the Los Angeles Times, NPR, Vox Media and the Washington Post — have experienced signiﬁcant layo s in recent years. It’s not just legacy media, either: Universal Music Group, YouTube, SoundCloud, Spotify, TIDAL and Amazon Music have all slashed jobs. Overall, entertainment and media industries shed more than 17,000 employees in 2025, according to a study conducted by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a Chicago ﬁrm that tracks labor market trends. That number includes plenty of journalists. And that’s to say nothing of the barren wasteland that is modernday freelance music writing.

With so many jobs and so much capital disappearing from the scene, there’s less pure coverage to be found. Just look at what happened to longtime online music magazine Pitchfork — the closest thing the 21st century got to the bygone works of critics such as LESTER BANGS. Pitchfork was a swaggering, sometimes funny, sometimes cruel and highly critical voice on new music.

There was a time when some

Over the years, no-holds-barred music criticism has faded, replaced by what some call “poptimism.” That’s a trend in which outlets — perhaps reacting to decades of super-serious rock critics stroking their goatees and writing endless tomes about RADIOHEAD — started to prioritize covering pop music. The motivation was best described by former New York Times music writer KELEFA SANNEH. In a 2004 essay, he wrote that listeners should “stop pretending that serious rock songs will last forever, as if anything could, and that shiny pop songs are inherently disposable.”

The downside of poptimism? A dulled critical edge when it comes to reviewing modern music, according to Sanneh, who returned to the topic last year to write a piece for the New Yorker titled “How Music Criticism Lost Its Edge.” In it, Sanneh notes how middle-of-the-road album reviews have become. Outlets seem increasingly hesitant to give a bad review to the likes of TAYLOR SWIFT, LIL NAS X or any new album in general, leading many to wonder what the point of modern music criticism is

Another side e ect of poptimism: There are fewer clicks for new, unknown music. With so much of the discourse focused on either pop stars or nostalgia acts dragging their aging asses from amphitheater to amphitheater, there’s less bandwidth to shout out new indie artists.

Writer STEVE HYDEN, a cultural critic with Uproxx and former editor at the A.V. Club who has penned numerous books about bands and the music industry, addressed this subject brilliantly.

“Most readers will not click on reviews of artists they have never heard of, no matter how acclaimed they are,” he wrote on his Substack, Evil Speakers. Hyden pointed out that an indie act such as British art-rockers STILL HOUSE PLANTS might get reviewed side by side with, say, a BEYONCÉ album, “but only one of those reviews will be widely shared on social media.”

That is a phenomenon with which I am all too familiar. Statistically, Seven Days’ album reviews are some of the

On the Beat

After going on hiatus in 2023, one of Vermont’s most successful hip-hop exports, 99 NEIGHBORS, has largely transitioned into operating as an indie record label. On it, former members CONSWANK, MAARI, NADIA NYGAARD-OSTBY and HANKNATIVE have all dropped new solo music since the Green Mountain collective took a step back.

Now the band’s producer and instrumentalist, JULIAN SEGAR-REID, aka ANTENEH, has released a new solo record. Written, recorded and produced entirely in Anteneh’s garage studio in Burlington’s Old North End, IT WAS YOU wades into indie-soul, new wave, and R&B terrain. Former bandmate maari and Florida rapper WAHID lend some bars to the slow-burn track “fossils.”

Anteneh has also dropped a music video for the single “joy, deferred.” A moody clip ﬁlmed in a fog-ﬁlled attic, the tune shows o his melodic range and evocative, genre-blending songwriting. Find the video on YouTube and IT WAS YOU on major streaming services.

Burlington’s MAVSTAR has teamed up with Ferrisburgh-via-Brooklyn MC BOXGUTS and fellow 802 rep DJ KANGA on the rather spicy “Berzerkers.” The two rappers trade bars over a skittering beat and subtle waves of synth pads, and Kanga mans the decks. The track was all mixed and mastered by Burlington producer SKYSPLITTERINK

The duo released a suitably Vermonty hip-hop-esque music video to accompany it. Mavstar and Boxguts mean-mug the camera while they rap in snow-covered woods. No one is colder than Vermont MCs!

Listening In

(Spotify mix of local jams)

1. “THE BALLAD OF HUSKER SCRUGGS” by Hana Zara

2. “SAFE HARBOR” by Wojcicki

3. “JL FOREVER” by Boomslang

4. “BELONG HERE” by Tom Gershwin

5. “WATCH FOR INFECTION” by Robber Robber

6. “AMERICAN FIRE (RADIO REMIX)” by Kristian Montgomery and the Winterkill Band

7. “PINCHGUT TOWN” b y Phil Cohen Scan to listen sevendaysvt. com/playlist

Check out “Berzerkers,” streaming now on YouTube.

New Haven singer-songwriter MOIRA

SMILEY has released a gorgeous new collaboration with composer and singer

CRAIG HELLA JOHNSON (CONSPIRARE) and MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND lead singer SHARA NOVA. Titled “Haiku,” the song begins by quoting Japanese poet KOBAYASHI ISSA: “In this world / We walk on the roof of hell / Gazing at ﬂowers.”

The music video for “Haiku” was hand-painted by artist and animator CHRISTINE BANNA. It depicts a woman

Montréal Guitar Trio Friday, February 27 at 7:30pm

Mavstar

New Release Radar

Five recent or upcoming releases from Vermont artists BY

CHRIS FARNSWORTH

1. Shiny New Toyz, Lore, shinynewtoyz.bandcamp.com (February 13, hard rock)

2. Finmur, After Dark, ﬁmnur.bandcamp.com (February 20, ambient)

3. Swamp Camp, Swamp Camp, swampcamp.bandcamp.com (March 6, hip-hop)

4. Robber Robber, Two Wheels Move the Soul, robberrobber. bandcamp.com (April 3, indie rock)

5. Hannah Hausman and Guthrie Galileo, Move From Love, hannahhausman.bandcamp.com, guthriegalileo.bandcamp.com (April 10, indie folk)

On the Beat

« P.55

sitting amid rubble as missiles ﬂy overhead, interspersed with images of her walking through ﬂower-strewn meadows. The video shows the dichotomy of living in peace while war and devastation rage in the same world.

“Haiku lives inside contradiction,” Smiley wrote on her website. “The compound lenses of Issa’s haiku, Christine’s images and the voices of my friends reminds me that art can hold ethical (humane) attention amid devastation.”

The track dropped on February 20, the United Nations’ World Day of Social Justice. Watch “Haiku” on YouTube.

Brattleboro’s EMILY MARGARET BAND have a new track titled “Breakfast in Spain.” At only 15 years old, Margaret cowrote the jazzy indie-folk number with another young songwriter, LIARA NEHA TORRES, when attending a songwriting workshop as part of the BrattRock annual youth music series.

Margaret, now 18, wrote to Seven Days that the release is “a celebration of women in music. It was recorded live during the ‘GRRRLS to the Front’ graduation party and was mixed by ‘GRRRLS to the Front’ graduates.”

The GRRRLS program, hosted by the Stone Church and spearheaded by ERIN SCAGGS, aims to address the music industry’s gender disparity by training women and gender-expansive people to work in sound production, lighting design and live music in general.

“To date, we’ve graduated 14 sound tech and light design students,” Scaggs said. “Each has gone on to make their own unique impact on the music scene in their community … Emily Margaret is a fantastic example of that.”

Listen to “Breakfast in Spain” now, streaming on major platforms.

Soundbites

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least-read things on our website. Not only are the artists we review unknown on a national scale, they are also often unknown even in Vermont.

While clicks thankfully don’t dictate coverage decisions at Seven Days, they do raise questions for me and my intrepid crew of freelance music writers: Are we just shouting out local artists for creating a record — no mean feat — knowing they almost certainly will not make a dollar from their art, nor receive national attention? Or should we channel the greats, such as the Village Voice critic ROBERT CHRISTGAU, and eviscerate what we ﬁnd lacking?

To be fair, Seven Days has a history of being down to get nasty, critically speaking. Former music editor CASEY RAE famously broke up a band with a bad review, and I’ve called out more than a few albums as stinkers. And yes, in this tiny community I still hear about those reviews to this day.

Where do we go from here? The industry is either changing or melting down, depending on whom you ask. Maybe writer DAN BROOKS had a point when he wrote a piece for the website

Defector titled “Culture Needs More Jerks.” Maybe we have all gotten too nice — or rather, too deferential.

I’m not so sure, though. Criticism isn’t really about telling readers that something is just great or total crap. I’m here to help you explore art. Maybe I like the exploration; maybe I don’t. But if I’m doing my job right, I’m opening doors to artists and ideas you might not have considered.

Toward the end of 2025, Seven Days cut down its review page. For years we reliably reviewed two local albums a week; now we’ve reduced that to one — or, occasionally, a handful of mini reviews. The goal was twofold: to help keep our rising print costs down and to allow me to focus on chasing bigger stories. We’ve added a couple of new small features — New Release Radar and 7 Shows to Watch Out For — to keep up with music news.

While I received a little pushback on the changes, I actually expected more. Seven Days is one of the only local media outlets that regularly engages with and reviews the work of Vermont musicians (which is its own problem). It is vitally important to the health of our music community to maintain these spaces and give local artists the

support their work deserves, which is why we still run album reviews, despite their low hit-count online.

Some of the best and most successful musicians to come out of the Green Mountains in decades are getting ready to drop new albums this year, including KING TUFF, ROBBER ROBBER, NOAH KAHAN and DWIGHT + NICOLE. It’s a big moment for Vermont music. How will we meet it?

I’ve got some ideas I’m planning on rolling out this year, but I’d love to hear from you, dear reader. Do you want more reviews? Do you think we’re too nice? Are there stories we’re missing? Email me at farnsworth@sevendaysvt.com.

In the meantime, my advice is to click links on the bands and artists you’ve never heard of. Embrace the mystery! We’re in a transformative period of the industry, but the social media-driven, critically handicapped form of music journalism that has been in vogue lately might not last much longer. As Vandergast so nicely put it, “People are growing tired of empty content. Readers can tell the di erence between a headline and a howl of truth.”

Maybe I’m being a poptimist myself, but I agree. ➆

CHRIS FARNSWORTH

Moira Smiley

CLUB DATES

live music

WED.25

Are You Now or Have You Ever Been featuring Paddy Reagan (indie) at Monkey House, Winooski, 7 p.m. Free.

Emily Darcy (singer-songwriter) at Two Heroes Brewery & Public House, South Hero, 6 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.

Lily Seabird, Eliza Niemi, Izzy Rae Jones (indie) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 8 p.m. $12/$15.

Skeleton Crewe (Americana, psychedelic) at the Stone Church, Brattleboro, 7 p.m. $37. Will Sellenraad Trio (jazz) at the Alchemist, Stowe, 4 p.m. Free.

THU.26

Acid Wash & Friends (jam) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. $10.

Amico, Dolliver, Yunker & Fuzz (funk, jam) at Pickle Barrel Nightclub, Killington, 8 p.m. $10.

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

Bob Cotton (covers) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 6 p.m. Free.

Lincoln Sprague (piano) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 5 p.m. Free.

Mike MacDonald (jam, indie) at Black Flannel Brewing & Distilling, Essex, 6 p.m. Free.

Moviola, Wet Tuna, Animal Piss It’s Everywhere (indie rock) at the Stone Church, Brattleboro, 7 p.m. $20/$26.

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Night Zero (jam) at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, 7 p.m. $36.88.

FRI.27

Aurient (folk) at the Whammy Bar, Calais, 7 p.m. Free.

Capitol House Band (rock, blues) at Bent Nails Roadhouse, Middlesex, 8 p.m. Free.

Danny & the Parts (Americana) at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski, 7 p.m. Free.

Dead Man Strumming (Grateful Dead tribute) at River Roost Brewery, White River Junction, 5 p.m. Free.

The E-Block, Comatose Kids (R&B, soul) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 10 p.m. $10/$12.

EDW (blues, rock) at Monopole, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 p.m. Free.

Freezing Man (indie, DJ) at the Alchemist, Stowe, 1 p.m. Free.

Gatsby’s Revenge, the Dirt Whisperers (jam) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7 p.m.

$45.76/$56.61.

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.

George Nostrand (acoustic) at Poultney Pub, 6 p.m. Free.

Glen David Andrews (jazz, funk) at Alfie’s Wild Ride, Stowe, 8 p.m. $20.

Good Gravy (bluegrass) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 8:30 p.m. Free.

Jackson Garrow (rock) at 1st Republic Brewing, Essex, 6 p.m. Free.

The Jeff Salisbury Band (blues, R&B) at Jericho Café & Tavern, 7 p.m. Free.

Josh Panda (singer-songwriter) at Citizen Cider Press House Pub, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

Lil Butter Hip-Hop Showcase (hip-hop) at Burlington Odd Fellows Hall, 7 p.m. $10. McMaple (covers) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 9 p.m. Free. Monachino, Jarrett & Stats (jazz) at Hugo’s, Montpelier, 7:30 p.m. Free.

Moonbird (R&B, soul) at the Old Post, South Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

Paul Webb (piano) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

Radio Cowboy (Americana) at Switchback Beer Garden & Smokehouse, Burlington, 5:30 p.m. Free.

Rap Night Burlington (hip-hop) at Drink, Burlington, 9 p.m. $5.

Sara Whitehair Band (soul, R&B) at Afterthoughts, Waitsfield, 7:30 p.m. Free.

Jazz Odyssey

From Chicago’s South Side to downtown Burlington and beyond, guitarist PAUL ASBELL and his highly distinctive playing have left a mark. Not long after moving to the Green Mountains, he formed the much-loved jazz outfit Kilimanjaro in 1977. That outfit released several award-winning records and served as the backing band for the likes of Paul Butterfield and Esther Satterfield. In the ’80s, the group morphed into the Unknown Blues Band, backing up Burlington sax legend “Big Joe” Burrell. In the decades since, Asbell has remained a guiding light in Vermont’s musical firmament, whether playing solo or in countless jazz and folk groups, or teaching new generations of Burlington guitar greats — he gave lessons to Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio many years ago. Asbell and his jazz trio perform at Foam Brewers on Saturday, February 28 in Burlington.

Blues Without Borders (blues) at Gusto’s, Barre, 9 p.m. Free.

Cady Ternity, MOMDAD, Quiltro (indie) at Monkey House, Winooski, 7:30 p.m. $10.

Christine Malcolm & Sweet Cicely (bluegrass) at the Den at Harry’s Hardware, Cabot, 7 p.m. Free.

Shane Murley Band (Americana) at Two Heroes Brewery & Public House, South Hero, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Sprezzatura (jazz) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

Telescope Club (indie) at 14th Star Brewing, St. Albans, 7 p.m. Free.

Timothy James (acoustic) at Gusto’s, Barre, 6 p.m. Free.

WD-40 (covers) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 5 p.m. Free.

The Zoo (covers) at Pickle Barrel Nightclub, Killington, 8 p.m. $10.

SAT.28

Alison Mann (jazz) at the Whammy Bar, Calais, 7 p.m. Free.

Allison Mann & Ira Friedman (jazz) at the Whammy Bar, Calais, 7 p.m. Donation.

Bad Luck Bliss (blues, altcountry) at Bent Nails Roadhouse, Middlesex, 4:30 p.m. Free.

Badfish, Beach Fly (Sublime tribute) at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, 7 p.m. $32.22.

A Band of Brothers (Allman Brothers tribute) at the Stone Church, Brattleboro, 7 p.m. $36/$31.

Bearly Dead (Grateful Dead tribute) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 8 p.m. $23.55/$29.23.

Bleeding Hearts Family Band (folk) at Tower Bar, Jay, 4 p.m. Free.

Flamingosis, BarbieMode, Little Mac (electro, funk) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $32.22.

Freezing Man (indie, DJ) at the Alchemist, Stowe, 1:30 p.m. Free. Færie Godbrothers (Americana) at Alfie’s Wild Ride, Stowe, 5 p.m. Free.

Funeral Season, Mother of Pearl, Porittor, Emo Girls Kissing (punk, indie rock) at Burlington Odd Fellows Hall, 6:30 p.m. $10.

Greg Rothwell (piano) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

Hemu (alt-rock) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 8:30 p.m. Free.

Jesse Agan (covers) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 5 p.m. Free.

Joe Something Band, Neato! (rock) at Einstein’s Tap House, Burlington, 7 p.m. $15.

The Macrotones (funk, soul) at Afterthoughts, Waitsfield, 8:30 p.m. Free.

Mike MacDonald (jam) at Stowe Cider, 4 p.m. Free.

The Moore Brothers (rock) at Monopole, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 p.m. Free.

Paul Asbell Jazz Trio (jazz) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

SHEBAD (indie soul) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 10:30 p.m. $15.

Spring Chickens (bluegrass) at Two Heroes Brewery & Public House, South Hero, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Sunburned Hand of the Man (rock, experimental) at Stage 33 Live, Bellows Falls, 7 p.m. $20.

The Zoo (covers) at Pickle Barrel Nightclub, Killington, 8 p.m. $10.

SUN.1

Emalou & the Beat (folk) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 1 p.m. Free.

Rock and Roll Playhouse: Music of the Grateful Dead & More (tribute) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 11 a.m. $20.98.

Seth Yacovone (acoustic) at the Alchemist, Stowe, 4 p.m. Free.

SHEBAD, Rigometrics (indie) at Pickle Barrel Nightclub, Killington, 8 p.m. $18.92.

Sunday Brunch Tunes (singersongwriter) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 10 a.m.

Wine & Jazz Sundays (jazz) at Shelburne Vineyard, 5 p.m. Free.

TUE.3

Audrey Pearl, Aida O’Brien, Julia Randall (singer-songwriter) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. $10.

Big Easy Tuesdays with Jon McBride (jazz) at the 126, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

Bluegrass Jam (bluegrass) at Poultney Pub, 7 p.m. Free.

Dead Is Alive with Dobbs’ Dead (Grateful Dead tribute) at Einstein’s Tap House, Burlington, 8 p.m. $15.

Grooveasaurus & Friends (jam) at Monkey House, Winooski, 6 p.m. Free.

Honky Tonk Tuesday with Pony Hustle (country) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 9 p.m. $10.

Irish Night With RambleTree (Celtic) at Two Brothers Tavern, Middlebury, 7 p.m. Free.

WED.4

Dead Not Dead (Grateful Dead tribute) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7 p.m. $12.19.

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. The Thing, Noah Kesey (rock) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 7 p.m. $26.68.

djs

THU.26

CeCe, DJ Chaston (DJ) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

DJ Two Sev, JP Black (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free. Vinyl Night (DJ) at Poultney Pub, 6 p.m. Free.

FRI.27

Burly Bear, Megh (DJ) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

DJ KDT (DJ) at Monkey House, Winooski, 9 p.m. Free.

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

DJ Taka (DJ) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 11 p.m. $10/$15. DJ Two Rivers (DJ) at Gusto’s, Barre, 9 p.m. Free.

Friday Night at Specs (DJ) at Specs Cafe & Bar, Winooski, 7 p.m. Free.

hexalice (house) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 9:30 p.m. $10.

SAT.28

DJ Chalango, DJ Tarzana Salsa Night (salsa DJ) at Hugo’s, Montpelier, 7:30 p.m. Free.

DJ Raul, DJ Chaston (DJ) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

DJ Two Rivers (DJ) at Rí Rá Irish Pub & Whiskey Room, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

Habibi Funk with DJ Chia, Prince Nablus (DJ) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 10:30 p.m. $15.

TUE.3

Bashment Tuesday (DJ) at Akes’ Place, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

WED.25

Lit Club (poetry open mic) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. Free.

SAT.28 // PAUL ASBELL JAZZ TRIO [JAZZ]

COURTESY OF LAURA CARBONE

Contact

Astral Underground, Star Struck Gutz

(SELF-RELEASED, VINYL, DIGITAL)

For anyone late to the party, Astral Underground are one of the best and most interesting bands in Vermont these days. That’s a strong statement but not solely my opinion. I know metalheads, hip-hop purists, jazz scholars and rock snobs who have all been converted by the experience of seeing this band live.

The Enosburg Falls trio of Margaux Simmons (ﬂute), Ben Maddox (keys, guitars) and John Notaro (drums) delivers a strikingly modern take on jazz, with earth-shaking bass, levitating drum pockets, heavy-duty live e ects processing and fearless improv. The constraints of the trio format keep things from getting overly self-indulgent or produced. On the musicians’ third album, Star Struck Gutz, they once again manage to bottle that lightning.

“Doug and Molly,” hands down the most beautiful cut on a very pretty album. Simmons’ explorations are haunting and downright operatic, and Maddox busts out some choice lap steel licks that creep in slowly before dominating the second half.

On an album full of impressive arrangements, “Saba” takes gold with a three-part journey that ﬂows like water. It also spotlights the ﬂuidity of the Maddox/Notaro tag team: They don’t have to rock out to get your head nodding. Even at a whisper, they sell the groove.

Things come to a ketamine-ﬂavored stop on the title track, the album’s most ambient cut (by parsecs!), which passes like a dream. It’s like a Simmons solo slowed down by 400 percent. The dirge tempo reveals the depth of her rhythmic and harmonic creativity. Hers is a truly exceptional voice.

The ﬁrst three tracks make a clear statement: This is a band determined to push the envelope and take sharp, convincing genre turns that expand its sound. “The Hardest Hidden Caravan Ever” is a hypnotic dose of desert exotica and synth improv — so hypnotic, in fact, that the breezy jazz fusion of “City University” is jarring by comparison. This second track is a lovely workout over clever chord charts, and it’s catchy, too.

The third turn of this magic act is

An LP full of ﬂute solos is not an easy sell for me, but Astral Underground have accomplished that feat thrice in a row. That’s because, despite being the clear lead instrumentalist, Simmons is never fully center stage, always cocreating. The band delivers albums with real variety. This one is prog-jazzrock with the retro bent of the Weather Report and Pink Floyd era — when the drugs were still real and everything sounded amazing.

Star Struck Gutz is a ﬁnely polished gem. Give it a full spin at astralunderground.bandcamp.com.

JUSTIN BOLAND

open mics & jams

WED.25 CONTINUED FROM P.57

Open Mic (open mic) at Poultney Pub, 7 p.m. Free.

THU.26

Old Time Jam (open jam) at Radio

Bean, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

Open Mic (open mic) at the Whammy Bar, Calais, 7 p.m. Free.

SUN.1

Olde Time Jam Session (open jam) at the Den at Harry’s Hardware, Cabot, noon. Free.

MON.2

Bluegrass Etc. Jam with Ben Kogan (bluegrass jam session) at Ottauquechee Yacht Club, Woodstock, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Monday Night Open Mic (open mic) at Pearl Street Pub, Essex Junction, 6 p.m. Free.

TUE.3

Doug’s Open Mic (open mic) at Two Heroes Brewery & Public House, South Hero, 6 p.m. Free.

Open Mic Tuesdays with Dan and Dan (open mic) at the Tower Bar, Jay Peak Resort, 5 p.m. Free.

WED.4

Open Mic (open mic) at Poultney Pub, 7 p.m. Free.

The Ribbit Review Open Mic & Jam (open mic) at Lily’s Pad, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

comedy

WED.25

$5 Improv Night (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. $5. Standup Open Mic (comedy open mic) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

THU.26

Adam Gilbert (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. $20.

Cold as Ice

FRI.27 & SAT.28 // FREEZING MAN [INDIE, DJ]

Who needs nine days of sweating your ass off in a Nevada desert to feel cool? Forget Burning Man, Vermont has you covered with Freezing Man, a two-day mini-fest featuring a slew of performance artists and music, including a Prince tribute, surf rock, singer-songwriters, DJs and more. The giant bill features bands CHEDDAR, SURF SABBATH, ANDRIANA & THE BANANAS, and PURPLE; singer-songwriters MIKAHELY, MATT HAGEN and DAN BLAKESLEE; DJs KANGANADE and CRAIG MITCHELL, and performance groups BIG NAZO (pictured) and CIRQUE DE FUEGO. It all goes down on Friday and Saturday, February 27 and 28, at the Alchemist in Stowe.

FRI.27

Maddy Smith (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 6:30 & 8:30 p.m. $25.

SAT.28

Maddy Smith (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 6:30 & 8:30 p.m. $25.

TUE.3

All That Jazz Open Mic Comedy (comedy) at the 126, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

WED.4

March Madness: Prelims (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. $10. Standup Open Mic (comedy open mic) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

trivia, karaoke, etc.

WED.25

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

Trivia (trivia) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

THU.26

Country Line Dancing (line dancing) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7:30 p.m. Free.

Karaoke Friday Night (karaoke) at Park Place Tavern & Grill, Essex Junction, 8 p.m. Free.

Karaoke Night (karaoke) at Gusto’s, Barre, 8 p.m. Free.

Karaoke with DJ Vociferous (karaoke) at Hugo’s, Montpelier, 7:30 p.m. Free.

Music Bingo with Emoji Nightmare (musical bingo) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 8 p.m. Free.

Trivia (trivia) at Einstein’s Tap House, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

Trivia (trivia) at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski, 6 p.m. Free.

Trivia Night (trivia) at 1st Republic Brewing, Essex, 6 p.m. Free.

Trivia Night (trivia) at Bent Nails Roadhouse, Middlesex, 7 p.m. Free.

FRI.27

Boogie Bingo (bingo, DJ) at the Alchemist, Stowe, 5 p.m. Free.

Karaoke Friday Night (karaoke) at Park Place Tavern & Grill, Essex Junction, 8 p.m. Free.

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Viewing Party (watch party) at Einstein’s Tap House, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

SAT.28

Queeraoke with Goddess (karaoke) at Standing Stone Wines, Winooski, 9 p.m. Free.

Supernova: Drag & Burlesque (drag) at Standing Stone Wines, Winooski, 6:30 p.m. $12.

SUN.1

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.

Sunday Night Trivia (trivia) at the Lazy Goat Tavern, Essex, 6 p.m. Free.

Trivia (trivia) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 5:30 p.m. Free. Venetian Karaoke (karaoke) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

MON.2

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.3

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 Night (trivia) at Gusto’s, Barre, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Trivia Tuesday (trivia) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 7 p.m. Free.

WED.4

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.

Music Trivia (music trivia) at Standing Stone Wines, Winooski, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Trivia (trivia) at Alfie’s Wild Ride, Stowe, 7 p.m. Free.

Trivia (trivia) at Rí Rá Irish Pub & Whiskey Room, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

Trivia (trivia) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free. ➆

For the past ﬁve years, Maria Brown has been living her childhood dream at Hey June in Richmond. Brown sells cards, notebooks and more at her stationery store and letterpress studio but also makes connections with community members. Seven Days’ Eva Sollberger met some regulars and saw the letterpress in action.

calendar

FEBRUARY 25-MARCH 4, 2026

WED.25

activism

COSA VOLUNTEER

INFORMATION SESSION:

Compassionate and committed neighbors learn more about the restorative program for those seeking positive change after incarceration. Greater Barre Community Justice Center, 3-4 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 272-7478.

community

CURRENT EVENTS: Neighbors have an informal discussion about what’s in the news.

Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30 a.m.noon. Free. Info, 878-4918.

crafts

YARN & YAK: A weekly club for fiber fanatics of all skill levels makes knitting and crocheting more sociable. Milton Artists’ Guild Art Center & Gallery, 5-7 p.m. Free. Info, 999-0516.

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.

dance MOVEMENT MATTERS

MASTER CLASS: A facilitated

workshop led by Jimmy Joyner uses prompts and games to help participants explore new versions of themselves.

Mahaney Arts Center, Middlebury College, 4:30-6 p.m. Free. Info, 443-5412.

WEST AFRICAN DANCE & DRUM CLASS: Attendees learn songs, rhythms and movements to the beat of live music. Wilson Hall, McCullough Student Center, Middlebury College, 4:30-5:50 p.m. Free. Info, 443-6433. etc.

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.

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.

CUPPA ON CAMPUS: Community members mingle over tea and coffee, swapping bright ideas for the future of the property. The Creative Campus at Goddard, Plainfield, 8-10 a.m. Free. Info, 821-0741.

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.

health & fitness

CHAIR YOGA: Waterbury Public Library instructor

Diana Whitney leads at-home participants in gentle stretches supported by seats. 10 a.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

RECOVERY DHARMA: Folks struggling with addiction gather weekly for an evening of meditation, topical readings and open discussion in a supportive environment. First United Methodist Church, Burlington, 6-7 p.m. Free. Info, 825-1815.

language

ELL CLASSES: Fletcher Free Library invites learners of all abilities to practice written and spoken English with trained instructors. 6:30-8 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, bshatara@ burlingtonvt.gov.

lgbtq

THE ALL INCLUSIVE DYKE-TACULAR: A weekly get-together and listening party celebrates the LGBTQ+ community with feel-good tunes, dancing and drinks. Doma Bar, Burlington, 5-10 p.m. Free; cost of food and drink. Info, sadie@doma.bar.

music

FARMERS NIGHT CONCERT

SERIES: CAPITAL CITY

CONCERTS: In “A Journey of Sound,” 40 regional musicians — including Vermont’s own Grammy-nominated flutist Karen Kevra — perform vibrant chamber music from the Middle East and Scandinavia. House Chamber, Vermont Statehouse, Montpelier, 7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 828-2228.

québec

‘DAVID YAZBEK: MY BROADWAY’: Audience

FIND MORE LOCAL EVENTS IN THIS ISSUE AND ONLINE: art

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

See what’s playing in the On Screen section. music + nightlife

Find club dates at local venues in the Music + Nightlife section online at sevendaysvt.com/music.

= ONLINE EVENT

= GET TICKETS ON SEVENDAYSTICKETS.COM

members have an up-close encounter with one of the Great White Way’s most distinctive voices, live and off script at the grand piano. Sylvan Adams Theatre, Segal Centre for Performing Arts, Montréal, 7:30 p.m. $75-80. Info, 514-739-7944.

seminars

AARP TAX HELP: Trained volunteers provide free filing assistance for anyone who needs it. St. Albans Free Library, noon, 1:30 & 3 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 524-1507.

STOP THE BLEED CERTIFICATION: Community members acquire the necessary skills to mitigate uncontrolled bleeding in an emergency. Ages 16 and up. Milton Fire Department, 6-7 p.m. Free. Info, 893-4922.

STUDIO PRODUCTION: Media enthusiasts walk through the process of conducting interviews on set while switching between cameras and utilizing chroma-keyed backgrounds. The Media Factory, Burlington, 6-8 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister. Info, 651-9692.

sports

GREEN MOUNTAIN TABLE

TENNIS CLUB: Ping-Pong players block, chop and lob in singles and doubles matches. Rutland Area Christian School, 7-9 p.m. Free for first two sessions; $30 annual membership. Info, 247-5913.

theater

‘KINKY BOOTS’: A failing factory owner and a fabulous drag queen join forces to create a line of sturdy stilettos in this Tony-Award winning musical with songs by Cyndi Lauper. Flynn Main Stage, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $36.2595.75. Info, 863-5966.

words

CHUCK COLLINS: A celebrated Vermont author launches his new book, Burned by Billionaires: How Concentrated Wealth and Power Are Ruining Our Lives and Planet, exposing the impact of America’s ultra-wealthy on social landscapes. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 6-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 748-8291.

MYSTERY BOOK CLUB: Crime buffs and amateur sleuths gather to discuss T.A. Willberg’s 2020 locked-room whodunit, Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder The Eloquent Page, St. Albans, 6-7 p.m. Free. Info, 527-7243.

THU.26 climate crisis

DR. LESLEY-ANN DUPIGNYGIROUX: In “Vermont’s Climate: Floods, Droughts and a Changing Climate Future,” a climatologist sheds light on extreme weather events and actions that can be taken to help the state adapt. Green Mountain Club Headquarters, Waterbury Center, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 244-7037.

community

FRIENDS OF THE ATHENAEUM MEETING: Interested folks link up with a volunteer group that promotes the library’s resources and services, provides hospitality for programs and events, and helps with fundraising efforts.

St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 9:3010:30 a.m. Free. Info, 748-8291.

METHODS & MEANS: A showand-tell event invites creatives to pull back the curtain on their particular approach to tasks, projects and processes. Generator Makerspace, Burlington, 6-9 p.m. Free; preregister to participate. Info, sghdilibero@gmail.com.

crafts

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 every experience level 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 makerspace tools and equipment. Patricia A. Hannaford Career Center, Middlebury, 5-8 p.m. $7.50. Info, 382-1012.

environment

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.

film

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

‘BACKYARD WILDERNESS 3D’: Cameras positioned in nests, underwater and along the forest floor capture a year’s worth of critters coming and going. Dealer. com 3D Theater, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 11 a.m., 1 & 3 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $17-23; free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.

CLASSIC FILMS SERIES:

Cinephiles delight in weekly screenings of 1930s flicks newly in the public domain, including masterpieces All Quiet on the Western Front and Hell’s Angels See stage33live.com for full schedule. Stage 33 Live, Bellows Falls, 6-8 p.m. $5. Info, 289-0148.

CURRENTLY SPEAKING SERIES: ‘POINT OF CHANGE’: Rebecca Coley’s 2024 documentary zooms in on the Indonesian island of Nias and its transformation into a tourist destination in the 1970s.

A virtual panel discussion with Stowe Story Labs founder David Rocchio and the film’s director follows. The Current, Stowe, 5-6 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 253-8358.

‘DINOSAURS OF ANTARCTICA

3D’: Join scientists on a journey through a surreal world of bug-eyed giants and egg-laying

mammals. 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, $17-23; free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.

GEORGE’S MYSTERY BOOK GROUP MOVIE NIGHT: Patrons take in Alfred Hitchcock’s classic 1954 thriller Rear Window then discuss the short story on which it was based with resident whodunit expert George Spaulding. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 6:15-8 p.m. Free. Info, gspaulding@kellogghubbard.org.

‘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, noon, 2 & 4 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $17-23; 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, 11:30 a.m., 1:30 & 3:30 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $17-23; free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.

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. CHESS FOR FUN: Players of all abilities select an opening gambit, go on the attack and protect their king in friendly competition. Cobleigh Public Library, Lyndonville, 5-8 p.m. Free. Info, lafferty1949@gmail.com.

DUPLICATE BRIDGE GAMES: Snacks and coffee fuel bouts of a classic card game. Burlington Bridge Club, Williston, 12:30 p.m. $6. Info, 872-5722.

FRIENDLY GAME OF BRIDGE: Strategic thinkers have a blast with the popular card game. Heineberg Senior Center, Burlington, 1-3 p.m. Free. Info, 233-4395.

PEER SUPPORT DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: Beginners wanted! Players get lost in the fantasy-filled tabletop roleplaying game while focusing on teamwork, connection and community building. Morgan House, Burlington, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, 777-6185.

SOLARPUNK BOOK CLUB & GAME NIGHT: Neighbors dream up a socially conscious, ecological future with readings and a short round of Solarpunk Futures. Peace & Justice Center, Burlington, 5-6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 863-2345.

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. 5-6 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, andreamarion193@gmail.com.

KEEPING HOPE ALIVE: A FOURDAY MINDFULNESS COURSE: Inspired by the Plum Village tradition of Buddhist ethics, participants discover daily practices that cultivate deeper meaning in day-to-day life. Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Upper Valley, Norwich, 6-8 p.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, 703-727-5208.

SEATED TAI CHI: Adina guides at-home participants — including those with limited mobility or difficulty standing — through a sequence of slow, connected movements. Sponsored by the Dorothy Alling Memorial Library. 1 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 878-4918.

language

ENGLISH CONVERSATION

GROUP: Practitioners make strides — and new friends — at a stress-free discussion circle hosted by Fletcher Free Library. 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, bshatara@burlingtonvt.gov.

ITALIAN CONVERSATION GROUP: Parla Italiano? Language learners practice pronunciation and more at a friendly gathering. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, noon-1 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

SPANISH CONVERSATION

GROUP: Conversationalists of all levels practice the Romance language in a welcoming environment. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 4:30-5:30 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

music

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE GOSPEL

CHOIR: Student singers give voice to uplifting numbers in an inspiring performance directed

by Ahmaya Knoelle Higginson. Spaulding Auditorium, Hopkins Center for the Arts, Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H., 7:30-9:30 p.m. $20. Info, 603-646-2422.

PETER STOLTZFUS BERTON: A composer plays his set of 15 organ pieces inspired by the life and works of 17th-century priest and writer Thomas Traherne. Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Burlington, noon. Free. Info, info@cathedralarts.org.

québec

‘DAVID YAZBEK: MY BROADWAY’: See WED.25.

talks

BUGBEETALK: BOND ALMAND IV: A 20-year-old endurance cyclist and Dartmouth College undergraduate shares details about conquering a 14,000-mile route called the Pan-American Highway. Bugbee Senior Center, White River Junction, 1-2 p.m. Free. Info, 295-9068.

DR. BRENT PEASE: In “How Changes in Natural and Anthropogenic Light Affect Bird Activity,” a professor of biodiversity conservation shares new research about how our flying feathered friends respond to light shifts. Hosted by Green Mountain Audubon Center. 6:30-7:30 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister. Info, 434-3068.

theater

‘LEGACY OF LIGHT’: Two female scientists living hundreds of years apart explore the meaning of love, motherhood and family in this contemporary comedy staged by the school’s theater department. Daryl Roth Studio Theater, Hanover, N.H., 7:30-9:30 p.m. $15. Info, 603-646-2422.

words

COOKBOOK CLUB: Home chefs tackle a recipe from Deb Perlman’s The Smitten Kitchen series, then convene to share and discuss the end result. Norwich Public Library, 5:30-7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 649-1184.

FAMI LY FU N

Check out these family-friendly events for parents, caregivers and kids of all ages.

• Plan ahead at sevendaysvt.com/family-fun Post your event at sevendaysvt.com/postevent.

WED.25

burlington

‘CHAMP: AMERICA’S LAKE MONSTER’: Curious minds dive into the science and history of Vermont’s most iconic legend at this family-friendly exhibit featuring interactive games, a design studio,

FEB.

Words to Live By

Burlington’s citywide observation of Black History Month culminates in the fifth installment of the Black Experience at the Flynn Main Stage, a flagship celebration marked by moments of collective spirit, visionary discourse and artistic expression. Eminent author, professor and activist Dr. Ibram X. Kendi headlines with a holistic presentation that taps into the rich contributions of Vermont’s Black community, followed by a performance from Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and sound healer Mumu Fresh. As Burlington director of racial equity Dr. Kelli Perkins notes, “Black history is not just something we reflect on — it is alive in our communities today.”

THE BLACK EXPERIENCE

Saturday, February 28, 7 p.m., at the Flynn Main Stage in Burlington. $20-48.75. Info, 802-863-5966, flynnvt.org.

multimedia displays, a 30-foot sculpture and photo ops. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Regular admission, $17-23; free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.

CIRCUIT CIRCUS FESTIVAL: Step right up! Guests of all ages revel in hair-raising science shows, crowd-dazzling spectacles and hands-on activities about the wonders of electricity. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Regular admission, $17-23; free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.

DINOSAUR SAFARI EXHIBIT: Young explorers take an unforgettable journey through a hands-on prehistoric world where life-size animatronic dinosaurs come to life. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Regular admission, $17-23; free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.

LIBRARY LITTLES PLAYGROUP: A weekly program brings babies, toddlers and their caregivers together for songs, stories, play and community building in a nurturing environment. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:45 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

MAGNATILE MASTERPIECES: Future architects ages 3 and up build imaginative creations with magnetic toys. Fletcher Free Library New North End Branch, Burlington, 10-10:45 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

STEAM SPACE: Youngsters in grades K through 5 explore science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics activities. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403. chittenden county

DROP-IN DOODLE NITE: Riot Craft Studio hosts a creative evening of pressure-free drawing for all ages. Paper and pencils provided. Jericho Ale & Bean,

TURNING PAGES WITH MARY: Lit lovers join Star 92.9’s Mary Cenci to discuss Allegra Goodman’s 1967 historical fiction novel, Isola, based on the true story of a woman who was marooned on an island as punishment for an affair. Phoenix Books, Essex, 5:30-7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 872-7111.

FRI.27 bazaars

INDOOR YARD SALE: Local treasure hunters revel in a jampacked bazaar of gently used items to benefit the Brendon P. Cousino Med47 Foundation. New Haven Town Hall, 2-7 p.m. Free. Info, 233-8334.

dance

SHELBURNE CONTRA DANCE: No partner or experience is necessary when Don Stratton calls the steps and Atlantic Crossing provide the tunes. Bring clean, soft-soled shoes. Historic Shelburne Town Hall, beginner lesson, 6:45 p.m.; music, 7-10 p.m. $5-12 cash or check; free for kids under 12. Info, info@queencitycontras.com.

fairs & festivals

HOTEL VERMONT ICE BAR: A Western-themed “Hoedown on the Harbor” extravaganza invites party people in cowboy boots to chill with ice sculptures, sip frosty cocktails, compete in wintry games and hit up the photo booth. Ages 21 and up. Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 6 p.m. $5575. Info, 651-0080.

film

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

‘BACKYARD WILDERNESS 3D’: See THU.26.

‘DINOSAURS OF ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.26.

‘JOHNNY CASH! THE MAN, HIS WORLD, HIS MUSIC’: Robert Elfstrom’s fly-on-the-wall documentary follows the legendary

5-7 p.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, riotcraftstudio@gmail.com.

GAME ON!: Kids take turns collaborating with or competing against friends using Nintendo Switch on the big screen. Caregivers must be present to supervise children below fifth grade. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 5-6 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

PLAY TIME: Little ones ages birth to 5 build with giant blocks and read together. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 1010:45 a.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

READ TO A DOG: Bookworms of all ages get a 10-minute time slot to tell stories to Emma the therapy pup. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, sbplkids@southburlingtonvt.gov.

WINTER WONDERLAND: An afternoon of outdoor amusement includes sledding, snowman building, s’mores, a hot cocoa bar and other seasonal goodies. Farrell

Park, South Burlington, noon-2 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4108.

barre/montpelier

BABY & CAREGIVER MEETUP: Wiggly ones ages birth to 18 months play and explore in a calm, supportive setting while adults relax and connect on the sidelines. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 10:3011:30 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.

ROBIN’S NEST NATURE PLAYGROUP: Youngsters ages birth to 5 and their caregivers learn outdoors through exploration, song, themed crafts and storytelling. North Branch Nature Center,

Dr. Ibram X. Kendi

COURTESY OF STEPHEN VOSS

singer on tour in the U.S. during the late ’60s. Next Stage Arts, Putney, 7 p.m. $10. Info, 387-0102.

‘NIGHT OF THE JUGGLER’: is 1980 psychological thriller follows a hardened New York City ex-cop relentlessly searching for his kidnapped teenage daughter. e Screening Room @ VTIFF, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7 p.m. $6-12. Info, 660-2600.

‘OCEAN PARADISE 3D’: See THU.26.

‘SEA MONSTERS 3D: A PREHISTORIC ADVENTURE’: See THU.26.

food & drink

ADVENTURE DINNER COZY + CANDLELIT: QUÉBÉCOIS NIGHT: A comforting multicourse feast featuring bounty from Vermont farms and producers honors our northern neighbors. Adventure Dinner Clubhouse, Colchester, 6-9 p.m. $75. Info, sas@ adventuredinner.com.

LENTEN FISH FRY: Hungry guests anticipate Easter over all-youcan-eat haddock, fries, coleslaw and dessert. Bristol St. Ambrose Parish, 5-7 p.m. $9-17. Info, 802 453-5218.

games

DUPLICATE BRIDGE GAMES: See THU.26, 10 a.m.

health & ﬁtness

GUIDED MEDITATION

ONLINE: Dorothy Alling Memorial Library invites attendees to relax on their lunch breaks and reconnect with their bodies. Noon-12:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, programs@ damlvt.org.

MINDFULNESS MEDITATION: Community members gather for an informal session combining stimulating discussion, sharing and sitting in silence. Pathways Vermont, Burlington, 1:15-2:15 p.m. Free. Info, 777-8691.

WEEKLY MEDITATION: Expert Zac Ispa-Landa helps participants gain tools to quiet their minds, slow down and reset. Outright Vermont, Burlington, 8-8:45 a.m. Free. Info, 825-1815.

language

FRENCH SOCIAL HOUR: e Alliance Française of the Lake Champlain Region hosts a rendez-vous over cocktails. Hilton Garden Inn Burlington Downtown, 5:30-7 p.m. Free; cash bar. Info, bbrodie@aﬂcr.org.

lgbtq

RPG NIGHT: Members of the LGBTQ community get together weekly for role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons and Everway. Rainbow Bridge Community Center, Barre, 5:308:30 p.m. Free. Info, 622-0692.

music

ANA GUIGUI: An acclaimed pianist and vocalist entertains listeners with a wide variety of

Christopher Ziter as Telegin in Uncle Vanya

styles and genres. e Brandon Inn, 7-8 p.m. Free. Info, 747-8300.

CAPITAL CITY CONCERTS: See WED.25. Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $1050. Info, 864-0471.

LANE SERIES: MONTRÉAL GUITAR TRIO: Virtuosic six-string players take the stage for an acoustic concert paying homage to Ennio Morricone and other musical luminaries. e University of Vermont Recital Hall, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $5-35. Info, 656-4455.

SARASA ENSEMBLE: A collective of international instrumentalists and vocalists performs “alla Bolognese,” featuring riveting works by Isabella Leonarda, Floriano Maria Arresti and other pioneers of the region. Brattleboro Music Center, 7-9 p.m. $25. Info, 257-4523.

SONS OF TOWN HALL: A transatlantic folk duo weaves wild and hilarious stories with original tunes to conjure a deeply imaginative musical trip. Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center, Stowe Mountain Resort, 7 p.m. $31.7542.25. Info, 760-4634.

québec

MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE:

Performing arts, ﬁne dining and family activities pop up across the city, bringing spectacular sights, sounds and scenes to all ages. See montrealenlumiere.com for full schedule. Various Montréal locations. Various prices. Info, 855-219-0576.

talks

EDUCATION & ENRICHMENT FOR EVERYONE SPRING LECTURE SERIES: PAULA ROUTLY: e Seven Days cofounder and editor-in-chief illuminates the paper’s 30-year history for local listeners. Faith United Methodist Church, South Burlington, 2-3 p.m. $8 cash or check; free for members. Info, 395-1818.

theater

‘LEGACY OF LIGHT’: See THU.26. ‘MAMA: SURVIVAL GUIDE REQUIRED’: Adirondack Regional eatre mounts local playwright Tracy Vicory-Rosenquest’s heartfelt and deeply human play celebrating motherhood in all its forms. YMCA on the Oval, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 7 p.m. $20. Info, info@adktheatre.com.

SAT.28

bazaars

INDOOR YARD SALE: See FRI.27, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

community

THE BLACK EXPERIENCE: A Black History Month blowout features appearances by National Book Award-winning historian Dr. Ibram X. Kendi and musical guest Mumu Fresh. See calendar spotlight. Flynn Main Stage, Burlington, 7-9 p.m. $20-48.75. Info, 863-5966.

HYGGE HANGOUT: Neighbors embrace the Nordic concept of

coziness and contentment with an evening of games, puzzles, crafts and warm drinks. Bixby Memorial Library, Vergennes, noon-2 p.m. Free. Info, 877-2211.

Park, Burlington,

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.

conferences

HAM-CON: THE VERMONT AMATEUR RADIO CONVENTION: Radio operators, computer wizards and enthusiasts take in an electronics ﬂea market, forums, and demonstrations. Virtual option available. Hampton Inn, Colchester, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. $16; free for kids 18 and under. Info, w1sj@arrl.net.

From Russia With Ennui

Center, Burlington, 3 p.m. $612. Info, 660-2600.

health & ﬁtness

AURICULAR ACUPUNCTURE

‘UNCLE VANYA’

crafts

ALL HANDS TOGETHER

COMMUNITY CRAFTING GROUP: Marshﬁeld spinning maven

Donna Hisson hosts a casual gathering for ﬁber fans of all abilities to work on old projects or start something new. Jaquith Public Library, Marshﬁeld, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.

dance

SWING DANCE: Folks jive and jitterbug the night away to jazz, big band and contemporary tunes played by Vermont Swings All-Star DJs. Bring clean shoes. North Star Community Hall,

‘BACKYARD WILDERNESS

3D’:

See THU.26.

‘DINOSAURS OF ANTARCTICA

3D’:

See THU.26.

‘OCEAN PARADISE 3D’: See THU.26.

CLINIC: Practitioners completing the ﬁnal steps in their certiﬁcations provide gentle needling for a variety of conditions. Waterbury Public Library, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

abducted and seduced by a prince

Street Landing Performing Arts

‘QUEEN KELLY’: A convent girl is abducted and seduced by a prince before being sent off to a brothel in East Africa in this 1929 silent drama by Erich von Stroheim. e Screening Room @ VTIFF, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7 p.m. $6-12. Info, 660-2600.

GENTLE YOGA: Yogis hit the mat for a slow-paced, all-levels class focusing on breath work, stress reduction and mind-body awareness. BYO mat and props. Waterbury Public Library, 10:3011:45 a.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

holidays

‘SEA MONSTERS 3D: A PREHISTORIC ADVENTURE’: See THU.26.

VERMONT FILM

ﬁlmmakers Heidi Ewing

LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION: Merrymakers ring in the Year of the Horse with crafts, tai chi demos, lion dancing, samulnori drumming and other festive activities. Town Hall eater, Middlebury, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. Info, 382-9222.

music

ANA GUIGUI: See FRI.27.

Farm Museum, Woodstock, 3

WOODSTOCK VERMONT FILM SERIES: ‘FOLKTALES’: Oscar-nominated ﬁlmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s 2025 documentary follows teenagers as they learn to dog sled and navigate the wilderness in Arctic Norway. Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, 3 p.m. $12-15. Info, 457-2355.

COREY HARRIS: An acclaimed guitarist and singer-songwriter blends blues traditions with reggae, soul, rock and West African inﬂuences. Virtual option available. Next Stage Arts, Putney, 7:30-9:30 p.m. $10-26. Info, 387-0102.

food & drink

BURLINGTON WINTER FARMERS MARKET: Dozens of vendors showcase their ﬁnest farm-fresh produce,

OPENS FEB. 28 | THEATER

Nineteenth-century playwright Anton Chekhov revolutionized theater with his bold decision to focus his lens on character psychology rather than plot. ere is perhaps no better example of this than Uncle Vanya, which follows a disillusioned family of landed gentry in rural Russia. Vermont Repertory eatre mounts David Mamet’s contemporary adaptation of Chekhov’s masterpiece at Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, where unrequited love, jealousy and despair are catalysts for … laughter! ough heavily imbued with existential aching, the company reminds us that, at its core, the play is “a comedy with its teeth bared — the kind where people tell jokes just before their souls collapse.”

Saturday, February 28, Tuesday, March 3, and Wednesday, March 4, 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, March 1, 2 p.m., at Black Box eater, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center in Burlington. See website for future dates. $20-30. Info, admin@vermontrep.com, vermontrep.com.

Burlington, free lesson, 7 p.m.; music, 7:30-10 p.m. $5. Info, 864-8382.

fairs & festivals

HOTEL VERMONT ICE BAR: See FRI.27, 5:30 p.m.

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

‘WISDOM OF HAPPINESS’: e Dalai Lama speaks directly to the camera about inner peace, happiness and the potential for a conﬂict-free world in this powerful 2024 documentary. e Screening Room @ VTIFF, Main Street Landing Performing Arts

meats, unique crafts and baked goods. Burlington Beer, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 560-5904.

games

CHESS CLUB: All ages and abilities face off and learn new strategies. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

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.

DIRTY DEEDS: THE AC/DC EXPERIENCE: e thunderous energy of the Bon Scott and Brian Johnson era comes to life at this power-packed performance celebrating the legendary Australian rock band. Barre Opera House, 7:30 p.m. $42. Info, 476-8188.

DRAA HOBBS QUARTET: A local four-piece brings down the coffeehouse with deftly executed jazz tunes. Roots & Wings Coffeehouse at UUCUV, Norwich, 7 p.m. $15. Info, 649-8828.

FULL CIRCLE: A vocal trio draws on both secular and sacred folk traditions to produce stunning harmonies. Donations beneﬁt Migrant Justice. Bethany United Church of Christ, Montpelier, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 448-0622.

ILLEGAL CROWNS AND THE COAST JAZZ ORCHESTRA: In “Another Prayer for Passive Resistance,” an internationally renowned quartet shares the stage with the center’s resident student jazz ensemble, offering improvised music to meet the moment. Spaulding Auditorium, Hopkins Center for the Arts, Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H., 7:30-9:30 p.m. $25. Info, 603-646-2422.

JAKE’S BIRTHDAY SHOW: Folks ﬁle in to hear groovy tunes from local acts including Chodus, Wolf Girlz and Secaydia. Main Street Museum, White River Junction, 8 p.m. $10 suggested donation. Info, info@maintstreetmuseum.org.

THE LISSA SCHNECKENBURGER

TRIO: e Vermont vocalist and traditional ﬁddler helms an intimate evening of original music written during the COVID-19 pandemic. Chandler Center for the Arts, Randolph, 7-9 p.m. $15-35. Info, 728-9878.

OFF-STAGE SERIES: JOSH

CLEVENSTINE: A self-proclaimed “truck-driving Adirondack folk

musician” delivers honest lyrics drawn from his own experiences and cross-picking guitar playing reminiscent of Johnny Cash. Rockers Pizzeria, Vergennes, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, 877-6737.

SPRUCE PEAK UNPLUGGED:

SISTER SADIE: A Grammynominated all-female bluegrass band from Nashville hits all the right notes for local listeners. Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center, Stowe Mountain Resort, 7 p.m. $42.45-47.80. Info, 760-4634.

THE VERMONT MANDOLIN

TRIO: Musicians Jamie Masefield, Will Patton and Grammy Award-nominated Matt Flinner play a diverse program of toe-tapping string tunes. Artistree Community Arts Center, South Pomfret, 7 p.m. $30. Info, 457-3500.

outdoors

MOUNT ELLEN HIKE: Experienced adventurers join the Green Mountain Club for a strenuous hike to the summit for stellar views. Snowshoes and traction aids required. Email for start time. The Long Trail. Free; preregister. Info, burlington@sectionhiker.com.

québec

‘DAVID YAZBEK: MY BROADWAY’: See WED.25.

MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE: See FRI.27.

NUIT BLANCHE: The city’s museums and institutions keep their doors open for a late-night showcase of arts activities, including outdoor projections, performances and workshops. See nuitblanchemtl.com for full schedule. Various Montréal locations. Free; fee for some activities. Info, 855-219-0576.

talks

RAD HISTORY: ABOLITIONIST MOVEMENT & MODERN SOCIAL MOVEMENTS: All questions and perspectives are welcome at this discussion about the parallels between America’s 19th-century liberation struggles and the social justice issues of today. Peace & Justice Center, Burlington, 2-4 p.m. Free. Info, 863-2345.

theater

‘LEGACY OF LIGHT’: See THU.26, 3-5 & 7:30-9:30 p.m.

‘MAMA: SURVIVAL GUIDE

REQUIRED’: See FRI.27, 2 & 7 p.m.

‘THE TEMPEST’: The Dartmouth Rude Mechanicals present William Shakespeare’s magical tale of reckoning and redemption as you’ve never seen it, with a neo-Victorian steampunk theme and original song and dance. Dartmouth Hall, Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H., 2-4 p.m. Free. Info, dartrudemechanicals@ gmail.com.

‘UNCLE VANYA’: Vermont Repertory Theatre stages David Mamet’s adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s 1890s masterpiece about a family of landed gentry tearing apart at the seams. See calendar spotlight. Black

Box Theater, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7:30-10 p.m. $20-30. Info, admin@vermontrep.com.

words

ADDISON COUNTY TRAVELING

BOOK CLUB: History-loving readers convene to swap thoughts on James McBride’s critically acclaimed 2023 novel, The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store. Virtual option available. Rokeby Museum, Ferrisburgh, 1-2 p.m. Free. Info, 388-2117.

THE POETRY EXPERIENCE: Local wordsmith Rajnii Eddins hosts a supportive writing and sharing circle for poets of all ages. Pickering Room, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 1-3 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

WALT MCLAUGHLIN: A local author signs copies of his latest book, Philosophical Fragments, a collection of aphorisms, journal excerpts and stand-alone paragraphs tracking the evolution of his thoughts. The Eloquent Page, St. Albans, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 527-7243.

WRITE NOW!: Creatives of all experience levels hone their craft in a supportive and critique-free environment. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

SUN.1 activism

WORTH FIGHTING FOR: Local mutual aid groups host an informative discussion about various opportunities around Burlington, including the BTV Clean Up Crew, Food Not Cops and other community-focused nonprofit orgs. Fletcher Room, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 1-3 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister. Info, 863-2345.

dance

DARTMOUTH DANCE ENSEMBLE: Dedicated dancers share an exciting new work under development with director John Heginbotham. Hopkins Center for the Arts, Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H., 2-2:30 & 3-3:30 p.m. Free. Info, 603-646-2422.

IRISH CEILI: Live music sets the tone for this community celebration featuring traditional social dances of Ireland, taught on-site. Bring clean, soft-soled shoes. Richmond Free Library, 1-3 p.m. $5-20 suggested donation. Info, info@burlingtonirishheritage.org.

fairs & festivals

WHITE RIVER INDIE FILM FESTIVAL: Film buffs soak up the best new global and local independent cinema, as well as social events, panels and workshops. See uvjam.org for full schedule. Various White River Junction locations. Various prices. Info, wrif. help@uvjam.org.

film

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

‘BACKYARD WILDERNESS 3D’: See THU.26.

‘CRADLE WILL ROCK’: Tim Robbins’ 1999 period drama follows the true story of composer Marc Blitzstein’s attempts to stage a radical new play at the height of the Great Depression. A Q&A with executive producer and assistant director Allan Nicholls follows. The Screening Room @ VTIFF, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 6 p.m. $6-12. Info, 660-2600.

‘DINOSAURS OF ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.26.

‘DIRTY DANCING IN CONCERT’: No one puts Baby in a corner at this screening of the classic 1980s romance flick, complete with a live band performing every unforgettable song from the original soundtrack. Paramount Theatre, Rutland, 5:30-7:30 p.m. $45-55. Info, 775-0903.

‘OCEAN PARADISE 3D’: See THU.26.

‘SEA MONSTERS 3D: A PREHISTORIC ADVENTURE’: See THU.26.

WOODSTOCK VERMONT FILM SERIES: ‘FOLKTALES’: See SAT.28.

games

DUPLICATE BRIDGE GAMES: See THU.26, 1 p.m.

health & fitness

COMMUNITY CONVERSATION ON TEEN MENTAL HEALTH: Attendees take in a powerful panel discussion, followed by a reception for “Nothing to Hide,” a photo-text exhibit exploring the experiences of families affected by mental illness. Congregational Church of Middlebury, 4 p.m. Free. Info, 388-7634.

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 sit together in the Plum Village tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. Hot Yoga Burlington, 6-7:45 p.m. Free. Info, newleafsangha@gmail.com.

music

FULL CIRCLE: See SAT.28. First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington, 4 p.m.

SPRUCE PEAK UNPLUGGED:

GLEN PHILLIPS: The lead singer of alt-rock band Toad the Wet Sprocket flies solo for a night of elegant folk-pop tunes with honest, introspective lyrics. Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center, Stowe Mountain Resort, 7 p.m. $37.10-58.50. Info, 760-4634. THE NORTHEAST KINGDOM

CLASSICAL SERIES: BOARTE

PIANO TRIO: An acclaimed threepiece from Poland plays deeply moving works by Joseph Haydn, Claude Debussy and Grzegorz Fitelberg. See calendar spotlight. South Church Hall, St. Johnsbury, 3-5 p.m. $6-20. Info, 745-9544.

WESTFORD MUSIC SERIES: ROWAN: A traditional folk band performs resonant tunes in the Celtic, Appalachian and Americana genres. Westford Common Hall, 4-5 p.m. Free. Info, 734-8177.

outdoors

MOUNT HUNGER & WHITE ROCK HIKE: Adventurers join the Green Mountain Club for a difficult, moderately paced hike to the summit for stellar views. Snowshoes and microspikes required. Email for start time. Hunger Mountain, Waterbury Center. Free; preregister. Info, jillghiker@gmail.com.

québec

‘DAVID YAZBEK: MY BROADWAY’: See WED.25, 2 p.m. MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE: See FRI.27.

tech

DROP-IN TECH SUPPORT: Techsavvy library staff provide oneon-one guidance and support in 30-minute sessions. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 4-6 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

theater

‘MAMA: SURVIVAL GUIDE

REQUIRED’: See FRI.27, 2 p.m.

‘THE TEMPEST’: See SAT.28, 2-4 & 5-7 p.m.

‘UNCLE VANYA’: See SAT.28, 2-4:30 p.m.

MON.2 activism

PRIVATE TRUTH-TELLING

SESSION: The Vermont Truth and Reconciliation Commission invites marginalized locals impacted by state systems — past or present — to share their stories remotely. Free; preregister. Info, vtrc@vermont.gov.

crafts

FUSE BEADS CLUB: Aspiring artisans bring ideas or borrow patterns to make beaded creations. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 3:30-5 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

environment

REGIONAL LISTENING SESSION:

The Vermont Conservation Plan invites Green Mountain residents to share their perspectives about Act 59 — an ambitious goal of conserving 50 percent of the state’s landscape by 2050. Noël’s at the Franklin Events Center, Rutland, 4-7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 661-8958.

fairs & festivals

WHITE RIVER INDIE FILM FESTIVAL: See SUN.1.

film

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

‘BACKYARD WILDERNESS 3D’: See THU.26.

‘DINOSAURS OF ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.26.

‘OCEAN PARADISE 3D’: See THU.26.

‘SEA MONSTERS 3D: A PREHISTORIC ADVENTURE’: See THU.26.

games

250TH TRIVIA: History buffs and dabblers alike tackle multiple-choice questions exploring aspects of Vermont related to the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Barre Area Senior Center, 11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 479-8500.

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.

MAH JONGG MONDAYS: Tile traders gather for friendly bouts of the ancient game of skill, strategy and luck. St. Albans Free Library, 1-3 p.m. Free. Info, 524-1507.

holidays

PURIM MASQUERADE: Deckedout party people celebrate the Jewish holiday with hors d’oeuvres, activities and community-building. Costumes required. Flora & Fauna, Burlington, 7:30-10 p.m. $36-500 sliding scale; preregister. Info, 658-5770.

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

ONION RIVER CHORUS

REHEARSAL: The non-auditioned community ensemble conducted by Richard Riley invites interested vocalists to join in spirited song. Bethany United Church of Christ, Montpelier, 7-9 p.m. Free. Info, 476-2541.

québec

MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE: See FRI.27.

TUE.3

community

CURRENT EVENTS

DISCUSSION GROUP:

Brownell Library holds a virtual roundtable for neighbors to pause and reflect on the news cycle. 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 878-6955.

crafts

ALL HANDS TOGETHER

COMMUNITY CRAFTING GROUP: See SAT.28, 4:30-6 p.m.

fairs & festivals

WHITE RIVER INDIE FILM FESTIVAL: See SUN.1.

film

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

‘BACKYARD WILDERNESS 3D’: See THU.26.

‘DINOSAURS OF ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.26.

‘OCEAN PARADISE 3D’: See THU.26.

‘SEA MONSTERS 3D: A PREHISTORIC ADVENTURE’: See THU.26.

‘VALENTINA’: A series of bureaucratic mishaps plagues a young woman caught between small debts and daily pressures in this 2025 dramedy by Tattijani Ribeiro. A Q&A with the director follows. Dana Auditorium, Sunderland Language Center, Middlebury College, 7:30-10 p.m. Free. Info, 443-6433.

games

BOARD GAME NIGHT: Neighbors show off their skills at an evening of friendly competition playing European tabletop staples such as Catan, Splendor and Concordia. Waterbury Public Library, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, ken_boring@yahoo.com.

GAMES GALORE: Library patrons of all ages gather for bouts of board and card games. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6955.

health & fitness

COMMUNITY MEDITATION: All experience levels engage in the ancient Buddhist practice of clearing the mind to achieve a state of calm. First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington,

FOMO?

Find even more local events in this newspaper and online: art

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

film

See what’s playing at theaters in the On Screen section.

music + nightlife

Find club dates at local venues in the Music + Nightlife section online at sevendaysvt.com/ music.

Learn more about highlighted listings in the Magnificent 7 on page 11.

= ONLINE EVENT

= GET TICKETS ON SEVENDAYSTICKETS.COM

5:15-6 p.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, 862-5630.

TAI CHI: Practitioners get a feel for the Chinese martial art combining controlled breathing, meditation and slow, gentle movements. Ida Boch Park, Bradford, 10-11 a.m. Free. Info, 304-0836.

language

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.

PAUSE-CAFÉ FRENCH

CONVERSATION: Francophones and French-language learners meet pour parler la belle langue Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 5-7 p.m. Free. Info, 343-5493.

music

BRIT FLOYD: An internationally acclaimed Pink Floyd tribute act captures the spirit, sound and spectacle of the legendary band with “The Moon, the Wall and Beyond.” Flynn Main Stage, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $50.75206.50. Info, 863-5966.

FLOW SINGING: Singers both new and seasoned intertwine music and mindfulness while learning a sequence of five or six songs by ear. Heineberg Senior Center, Burlington, 11:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Free. Info, patricia@juneberrymusic.com.

québec

MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE: See FRI.27.

seminars

THE ARTIST’S WAY: A weekly study group invites participants to explore Julia Cameron’s celebrated method for creative unblocking and achieving transcendence. 3 Squares Café, Vergennes, 6-7:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, kelseywoodmezzo@ gmail.com.

FAMILY-TO-FAMILY

CLASS: NAMI Vermont hosts an informative weekly seminar for individuals with a loved one who is struggling with mental health. 6:30-9 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, program@ namivt.org.

sports

OPEN GYM BASKETBALL FOR DADS: Fathers and masc-identifying caregivers team up for a low-key pickup game. Mater Christi School, Burlington, 7-9 p.m. Free. Info, 318-4231.

talks

ICE BREAKER SPEAKER SERIES:

ASHLEY SULLIVAN: In “Rozalia Project and American Promise: Education, Science and Data Cleanups,” an ocean conservationist reveals how science, innovation and community action are fighting marine pollution, from Lake Champlain to the open seas. Community Sailing Center,

Burlington, 5:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 864-2499.

tech

DROP-IN TECH SUPPORT: Library staff answer questions about devices of all kinds in face-to-face chats. Fletcher Free Library New North End Branch, Burlington, 12:30-2 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

theater

‘UNCLE VANYA’: See SAT.28.

words

BURLINGTON

LITERATURE GROUP: Over the course of five weeks, bookworms analyze Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary, a landmark novel about a woman who escapes her provincial life through adultery. 6:30-8 p.m. Free. Info, info@nereadersand writers.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.

WED.4 activism

COSA VOLUNTEER INFORMATION SESSION: See WED.25.

DISABLED ACCESS & ADVOCACY OF THE RUTLAND AREA MONTHLY ZOOM MEETING: Community members gather online to advocate for accessibility and other disability-rights measures. 11:30 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 779-9021.

agriculture

ACCIDENTAL SEED HEROES WITH ADAM ALEXANDER: An author and horticulturist digs into years of research focusing on global communities that have worked to conserve rare, endangered garden crops. Hosted by otherWise. 5:30-7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, hello@ otherwise.one.

business

CYBERSECURITY WITH MARY KOHN: The Better Business Bureau community engagement coordinator enlightens attendees about various cyber criminals and their types of attacks. Hosted by Women Business Owners Network of Vermont. Noon-1:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 503-0219. VERMONT WOMENPRENEURS BIZ BUZZ ZOOM: A monthly virtual networking meetup provides a space for female business owners to connect. 10-11 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 870-0903‬.

crafts

FIBER ARTS NIGHT: Knitters, crocheters and weavers make progress on projects while

Strike a Chord

The Northeast Kingdom Classical Series entices chamber music lovers with a soulstirring performance by Poland’s distinguished Boarte Piano Trio at South Church Hall in St. Johnsbury. Pianist Konrad Skolarski, violinist Jarosław Nadrzycki and cellist Karol Marianowski combine their talents to present a richly varied program ranging from the Romantic period to 20th-century Polish modernism. Luminous works played with refinement and depth include a piano trio by little-known composer — and compatriot of the group — Grzegorz Fitelberg, as well as evergreen masterpieces by Joseph Haydn and Claude Debussy.

NORTHEAST KINGDOM CLASSICAL SERIES: BOARTE PIANO TRIO Sunday, March 1, 3 p.m., at South Church Hall in St. Johnsbury. $6-20. Info, 802-745-9544, nekclassicalseries.org.

soaking up creativity and connection. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 5:30-7 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

YARN & YAK: See WED.25.

YARN CRAFTERS GROUP: See WED.25.

dance

MOVEMENT MATTERS:

Interdisciplinary artist Michael Sakamoto leads participants in butoh and American street dance exercises. Dance Theatre, Mahaney Arts Center, Middlebury

College, 4:30-6 p.m. Free. Info, 443-6433.

WEST AFRICAN DANCE & DRUM CLASS: See WED.25.

etc.

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, cdmvt47@yahoo.com.

again and talk about what hurts. Bring sneakers, exercise clothes and a water bottle. The Guild Hall, Burlington, 7-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, 318-4231.

RECOVERY DHARMA: See WED.25.

language

ELL CLASSES: See WED.25. 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

THE ALL INCLUSIVE DYKETACULAR: See WED.25.

music

ST. J BLUEGRASS JAM: Players and fans get together for some old-time picking and fiddling. St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church of St. Johnsbury, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, 748-2600.

québec

MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE: See FRI.27.

seminars

AARP TAX HELP: See WED.25.

sports GREEN MOUNTAIN TABLE TENNIS CLUB: See WED.25.

theater

‘GOBLIN: MACBETH’: A trio of mischievous goblins performs an irreverent take on the Bard’s classic tale of ambition, betrayal and madness. Centaur Theatre, Montréal, 8 p.m. $22-71. Info, 514-288-3161.

‘UNCLE VANYA’: See SAT.28. ➆

FOMO?

Find even more local events in this newspaper and online: art

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

film

See what’s playing at theaters in the On Screen section.

fairs & festivals

WHITE RIVER INDIE FILM FESTIVAL: See SUN.1. food & drink

COMMUNITY COOKING: See WED.25.

CUPPA ON CAMPUS: See WED.25.

health & fitness

CHAIR YOGA: See WED.25.

DAD GUILD FITNESS NIGHT: Fathers stretch, exercise in a gamified fitness session, earn points as a group, then stretch

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

FAMI LY FU N

Montpelier, 10 a.m.-noon. Free; donations accepted. Info, 229-6206.

THU.26 burlington

‘CHAMP: AMERICA’S LAKE MONSTER’: See WED.25.

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.

CIRCUIT CIRCUS FESTIVAL: See WED.25.

DINOSAUR SAFARI EXHIBIT: See WED.25.

GROW PRESCHOOL YOGA: Colleen from Grow Prenatal and Family Yoga leads kids ages 2 to 5 in songs, movement and other fun activities. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

KIDPOWER VERMONT BENEFIT NIGHT:

An evening of community building, good food and meaningful conversation supports the local org dedicated to teaching child protection, personal safety and self-defense skills for all ages. Vermont Pub & Brewery, Burlington, 5-9 p.m. Cost of food and drink. Info, 865-0500.

chittenden county

DRAGON WORKSHOP: Local author Rebecca Rupp leads a morning of handson crafts exploring the lore of dragons for curious minds ages 7 to 11. Refreshments provided. Milton Public Library, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Free; preregister. Info, 893-4644.

FAMILY STORY TIME: A fun-filled morning of familiar stories, songs, rhymes and fingerplays hits all the right notes for little tykes and their caregivers. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

PRESCHOOL MUSIC WITH LINDA

BASSICK: The singer and storyteller extraordinaire guides wee ones ages birth to 5 in indoor music and movement. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

PRESCHOOL PLAY TIME: Pre-K patrons play and socialize after music time. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

STORY TIME: Little ones ages 2 to 5 learn from songs, crafts and picture books. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 10-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

barre/montpelier

IMAGINARY PLAY STORY TIME: Dressup, stories, treats and adventure await the library’s littlest patrons. KelloggHubbard Library, 2nd Floor, Children’s Library, Montpelier, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

POKÉMON CLUB: I choose you, Pikachu! Elementary and teenage fans of the franchise — and beginners, too — trade

cards and play games. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 3:30-5 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

STORY TIME: Kids and their caregivers meet for stories, songs and bubbles. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 2nd Floor, Children’s Library, Montpelier, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

stowe/smuggs

WEE ONES PLAY TIME: Caregivers bring kiddos under 4 to a new sensory learning experience each week. Morristown Centennial Library, Morrisville, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 888-3853.

mad river valley/

waterbury

BUSY BEES PLAYGROUP: Blocks, toys, books and songs engage little ones 24 months and younger. Waterbury Public Library, 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

champlain islands/ northwest

DADS’ NIGHT OUT: BOARD GAMES: Rad dads show up ready to play at this spirited evening of friendly competition and fun hosted by Dad Guild. Guardian Cards & Comics, St. Albans, 5:30-7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 318-4231.

northeast kingdom

ACORN CLUB STORY TIME: Youngsters 5 and under play, sing, hear stories and color. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 745-1391.

FRI.27

burlington

‘CHAMP: AMERICA’S LAKE MONSTER’: See WED.25.

CIRCUIT CIRCUS FESTIVAL: See WED.25.

DINOSAUR SAFARI EXHIBIT: See WED.25.

DROP-IN: An afterschool hangout space invites teens ages 13 to 19 to relax, connect, grab a snack or browse the nonprofit’s clothing closet. Outright Vermont, Burlington, 2:30 p.m. Free. Info, programs@outrightvt.org.

chittenden

county

FRIDAY LEGO BUILDERS: Mini makers explore and create new worlds with stackable blocks. Recommended for ages 6 and up. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 3-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

FRIDAY MOVIE IN THE AUDITORIUM: ‘BAD GUYS’: DreamWorks’ 2022 animated adventure flick follows a gang of notorious animal criminals pretending to seek rehabilitation. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 1-2:30 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

PERLER BEAD OPEN STUDIO: Crafty kids ages 7 and up mix, match and fuse beads to create their own designs or follow a pattern. Essex Free Library, 2:30-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 879-0313.

barre/montpelier

‘A WRINKLE IN TIME’: Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which help a young girl battle forces of evil in the theater’s student production of Madeleine L’Engle’s science-fiction adventure. Lost Nation

Theater, Montpelier City Hall, 7 p.m. $919. Info, 229-0492.

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.

MAGIC TRICK WORKSHOP: No experience is necessary at this immersive seminar for ages 7 to 12 hosted by resident entertainer Mr. Paul. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 2nd Floor, Children’s Library, Montpelier, 1-2:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 223-3338.

STORY TIME & PLAYGROUP: Participants ages 5 and under enjoy themed science, art and nature activities. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.

upper valley

STORY TIME: Preschoolers take part in tales, tunes and playtime. Latham Library, Thetford, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 785-4361.

northeast kingdom

PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: Youngsters and their caregivers delight in beautiful books, silly songs, creative crafts and unplugged play in the library’s cozy children’s room. Craftsbury Public Library, Craftsbury Common, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 586-9683.

SAT.28

burlington

‘CHAMP: AMERICA’S LAKE MONSTER’: See WED.25.

CIRCUIT CIRCUS FESTIVAL: See WED.25. DINOSAUR SAFARI EXHIBIT: See WED.25.

FAMILY ART SATURDAY: Families get creative at a drop-in activity inspired by the center’s upcoming exhibition, “Human Impact: Art and the Environment.” BCA Center, Burlington, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 865-7166.

FAMILY PLAYSHOP: A range of themes and rotating activities promote school readiness and foster creativity. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

chittenden county

READ & PLAY: Kiddos 5 and under discover the magic of libraries through picture books, singing and creative fun. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

TEEN DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: Tabletop role-players create characters and embark on cooperative adventures guided by a dungeon master. Snacks provided. Essex Free Library, 10-1 a.m. Free. Info, 879-0313.

barre/montpelier

‘A WRINKLE IN TIME’: See FRI.27, 2 & 7 p.m.

middlebury area

FEBRUARY FREE DAY: Vermont artist Catherine Brooks hosts a morning of story sharing and clothespin doll making for

families. Rokeby Museum, Ferrisburgh, 10 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 388-2117.

northeast kingdom

COMIC BOOK CLUB: Kiddos collaborate to create their very own comic book to print and take home. Haskell Free Library & Opera House, Derby Line, 1-2:30 p.m. Free. Info, 888-626-2060.

SUN.1 burlington

‘CHAMP: AMERICA’S LAKE MONSTER’: See WED.25.

CIRCUIT CIRCUS FESTIVAL: See WED.25.

DINOSAUR SAFARI EXHIBIT: See WED.25.

SUNDAY MORNING FAM JAMS: Early childhood educator and musician Alex Baron hosts an instrument-powered playgroup. The Guild Hall, Burlington, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 318-4231.

chittenden county

‘LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING’ & MASCULINITY IN MIDDLE

EARTH DISCUSSION: Fellowship-loving teens take in the seminal 2003 fantasy adventure epic, followed by a thoughtful chat about moments of positive masculinity found on-screen. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

SOCIAL SUNDAYS: Families participate in fun and educational art activities with diverse mediums and themes. All supplies and instruction provided. Milton Artists’ Guild Art Center & Gallery, 12:302:30 p.m. Free. Info, 891-2014.

MON.2

burlington

‘CHAMP: AMERICA’S LAKE MONSTER’: See WED.25.

CIRCUIT CIRCUS FESTIVAL: See WED.25.

DINOSAUR SAFARI EXHIBIT: See WED.25.

mad river valley/ waterbury

TODDLER TIME: Little kids 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: An engaging bookseller and librarian reads picture books on a different theme each week. The Norwich Bookstore, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 649-1114.

TUE.3 burlington

‘CHAMP: AMERICA’S LAKE MONSTER’: See WED.25.

CIRCUIT CIRCUS FESTIVAL: See WED.25, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

DADS’ NIGHT OUT: BOARD GAME NIGHT: Local rad dads show up ready to play at this spirited evening of friendly competition and fun hosted by Dad Guild. The Guild Hall, Burlington, 7-9:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 318-4231.

DINOSAUR SAFARI EXHIBIT: See WED.25.

PURIM AT THE CIRCUS: Families celebrate the Jewish holiday with costumes, themed activities and a magic show. Chabad of Vermont, Burlington, 3:30-5 p.m. $10-25; preregister. Info, 658-5770.

chittenden county

READ WITH SAMMY: The Therapy Dogs of Vermont emissary listens to kiddos of all ages practice their reading. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 4-5 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.

barre/montpelier

BASEMENT TEEN CENTER: See FRI.27, 2-6 p.m.

THE NEST: Good Beginnings of Central Vermont hosts a baby-friendly space where prenatal and postpartum families can connect. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

northeast kingdom

LAPSIT STORY TIME: Babies 2 and under learn to love reading while singing and playing with their caregivers. Siblings welcome. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 745-1391.

PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: See FRI.27.

WED.4

CO-PARENTING DADS: Experiencing separation, divorce or long-term co-parenting? Fathers assemble virtually to connect, build community and share experiences in a supportive environment. Hosted by Dad Guild. 8-10 p.m. Free. Info, 318-4231.

burlington

‘CHAMP: AMERICA’S LAKE MONSTER’: See WED.25.

DINOSAUR SAFARI EXHIBIT: See WED.25.

STEAM SPACE: See WED.25.

chittenden county

FOSTER PARENT & RESPITE PROVIDER ORIENTATION: Folks interested in caring for youths in foster care learn about the values and goals of Family Services, the processes for licensing and district approval, and other important topics to consider. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 6-8 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, kyle.silliman-smith@vermont.gov. PLAY TIME: See WED.25.

barre/montpelier

BABY & CAREGIVER MEETUP: See WED.25.

FAMILY CHESS CLUB: See WED.25. ROBIN’S NEST NATURE PLAYGROUP: See WED.25.

mad river valley/ waterbury

TEEN QUEER READS: LGBTQIA+ and allied youths get together each month to read and discuss ideas around gender, sexuality and identity. Waterbury Public Library, 6-7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 244-7036. K

WED.25 « P.61

classes

THE FOLLOWING CLASS LISTINGS ARE PAID ADVERTISEMENTS. ANNOUNCE YOUR CLASS HERE FOR AS LITTLE AS $21.25/WEEK (INCLUDES SIX PHOTOS AND UNLIMITED DESCRIPTION ONLINE).

NEWSPAPER DEADLINE: MONDAYS AT 3 P.M.

POST CLASS ADS AT SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POSTCLASS. GET HELP AT CLASSES@SEVENDAYSVT.COM.

arts & crafts

JEWELRY METALSMITHING: Join local fine jewelry maker Jolynn Santiago and learn how to make a beautiful piece of fine jewelry using specific tools and techniques. Class options are: Cuff Bracelet, Silver Studs, Stacked Rings, Textured Silver Ring and Silver Ring With a Prong Setting. Each course will be held at CVU High School. For more details and to register, visit cvsdvt. ce.eleyo.com or google Access CVU. Classes run Mar.-May, 5:30-8 p.m. Cost varies per course. Location: CVU High School-Access CVU, 369 CVU Rd., Hinesburg. Info: 802-4827194, access@cvsdvt.org.

SATURDAY WORKSHOP SERIES

— ALYSSA DELABRUERE STUDIO: Saturday art workshops for adults at Alyssa DeLaBruere Studio at

Camp Meade in Middlesex! Feb. 28: Intro to Watercolor — Skyscapes. Register at alyssadelabruere. com/middlesexclasses. Date: Feb. 28, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Cost: $125/workshop; materials incl. Location: Camp Meade, 961 Route 2, Middlesex. Info: 802-323-3355, alyssadelabruere@gmail.com, alyssadelabruere.com.

dance

BEGINNING SWING DANCE CLASS SERIES: Learn the basics of swing dancing in this four-week series with Vermont’s premier swing dance teacher. No partner necessary. Each hourlong class is followed by a free deejayed dance practice session. Preregister on the Vermont Swings website. Dates: Tue., Mar. 3, 10, 17 & 24, 7-8 p.m.

Cost: $15 for just the ﬁrst class; $50 for the 4-week series. Location: North Star Community Hall, 20 Crowley St., Burlington. Info: Terry Bouricius, 802-864-8382, contact@vermontswings.com, vermontswings.com.

food & drink

‘THE BASICS’ CAKE DECORATING CLASS: In this workshop, we will talk through the basics of ﬁlling and crumb coating a cake, getting nice smooth edges, and some rosette piping. You’ll go home with some great new techniques as well as a two-layer six-inch cake that serves eight. You can select your ﬂavor in the questionnaire section. Cake kits are available in gluten-free, vegan or both. Please disclose all allergies in the ticket registration. Note that we are not an allergen-free facility. Date: u., Mar. 19, 6-7:30 p.m. Cost: $85. Location: Red Poppy Cakery, 1 Elm St., Waterbury. Info, sevendaystickets.com.

WEDDING CAKE MASTER CLASS: In this workshop, we will dive deep into all things wedding cake! You’ll bake cake layers, make our famous Swiss buttercream frosting, crumb coat, and stack and decorate two-tier “wedding” cakes, learning many industry secrets and tips along the way. is is a great class for avid home bakers to learn new skills and for professional bakers to level-up with tiered cake options and styles. Cake kits can be gluten-free, vegan or both. Please

disclose all allergies in the ticket registration. Note: We are not an allergen-free facility. Date: Sat., Mar. 28, noon- 4:30 p.m. Cost: $175. Location: Red Poppy Cakery, 1 Elm St., Waterbury. Info: 203-400-0700, sevendaystickets.com.

martial arts

OOM (MIND) YUNG (BODY) DOE (HARMONY): Oom Yung Doe, the Grandmaster Iron Kim style, is “8 Complete Martial Arts Taught as One.” Essential training includes kong fu, tai chi, bagua chung, kong su (tae twon do), ship pal gae (18 weapons), kom do (samurai sword), udo (flexible way/ Korean-style jujitsu) and aikido/ hapkido. Benefits of training include stress release, improved balance, increased energy, better circulation, mental calmness, improved physical well-being and overall health, increased focus and self-discipline, and the confidence that you can go anywhere and do anything. Offering classes for children, juniors and adults, plus dedicated tai chi. Try it for free! Open 6 days a week. Location: 1127 North Ave. #25, Burlington. Info: Inst. Wade Prescott, 802495-6034, inst.wade@gmail. com, schools.oomyungdoe.com/ vermont.

AIKIDO: THE POWER OF HARMONY

— NEW TUESDAY NOON CLASS: Beginners’ classes ﬁve days a week. 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.

music

TAIKO TUESDAYS, DJEMBE

WEDNESDAYS!: Drum with Stuart Paton! New sessions each month. 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.

sports & ﬁtness

RAR BIKE BASICS — FOR WNTB:

An expanded version of our popular single-evening bicycle care clinic, Bike Basics is a three-week series for folks who would like a little more time, detailed instruction and hands-on experience. With a

3-to-1 student-to-instructor ratio, this class is designed to empower participants by helping them understand and care for their bicycles. Dates: u., Mar. 12, 19 & 26, 6-8 p.m. Cost: $115. Location: Old Spokes Home, 664 Riverside Dr., Burlington. Info: 802-863-4475, sevendaystickets.com.

wellness

TAI CHI AT THE MIND BODY HARMONY SCHOOL IN BURLINGTON: Tai Chi is sometimes described as moving meditation. e art contains movements which are so varied that they put into play every part of the body with harmonious design and graceful patterns. Movements are slow and deliberate, working with nature’s energy without exerting force or power. e speed of the breathing is harmonious with the movement. Dates: Tue. & u., 2:30 p.m., & Sat., 1:15 p.m. Cost: 1st class is free. Location: School of Oom Yung Doe, 1127 North Ave., Burlington. Info: Inst. Wade, 802-495-6034, inst.wade@gmail. com, schools.oomyungdoe.com/ vermont.

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

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CARS, BIKES, BOATS, RVS

Services »

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Jobs » NO SCAMS, ALL LOCAL, POSTINGS DAILY

Leif

AGE/SEX: 2-year-old neutered male

ARRIVAL DATE: February 2, 2026

SUMMARY: Leif came to HSCC after being rescued from a hoarding and neglect case. Once this sensitive boy feels safe, he shows you that he is a sweet, happy and surprisingly playful boy who absolutely lights up around his trusted people. Leif would love to find a structured, patient and committed home ready to continue his journey with positive reinforcement training and thoughtful socialization. With time, stability and dedication, Leif has the potential to become your deeply devoted canine companion. He is ready for his next chapter with a home that understands his past and is committed to helping him build a brighter future.

DOGS/CATS/KIDS: Leif is social with other dogs. We are happy to arrange a dog introduction at HSCC if you have a resident canine looking for a friend. Leif may prefer a home without cats and children.

Visit the Humane Society of Chittenden County at 142 Kindness Court, South Burlington, Tuesday-Wednesday 1-5 p.m., Thursday-Friday 1-6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Call 862-0135 or visit hsccvt.org for more info.

DID YOU KNOW?

High-value treats make the best reward for training! Experiment with a variety of treats to find out what your dog likes best. Remember to keep training treats small in size to prevent your dog from gaining unwanted weight.

GARAGE & ESTATE SALES

HOME & GARDEN

ANNOUNCEMENTS

BURLINGTON HILL SECTION, SINGLE ROOM FOR RENT

Furnished 1-BR at 27 Latham Ct. Single

CLASSIFIEDS KEY

appt. appointment

apt. apartment

BA bathroom

BR bedroom

DR dining room

DW dishwasher

HDWD hardwood

HW hot water

LR living room

NS no smoking

OBO or best offer

refs.

furnished room w/ a shared BA. No cooking, NS & no pets. Sheets & towels provided. On the bus line. $200/ week or $867/mo. Call 802-862-2389.

HINESBURG 2-BR APT. FOR RENT 14 Hawk Ln. Furnished 900 sq.ft. 2-BR/1-BA in owner-occupied duplex. Private parking, entry, deck, yard. Yard not fenced. W/D, DW, ﬁ repit area. Window A/C units avail. Walkable community, trails nearby. Parking, cold water/sewer, trash, plowing/mowing incl. NS/no vaping, etc.

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 and similar Vermont statutes which make it illegal to advertise any preference, limitations, or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, handicap, presence of minor children in the family or receipt of public assistance, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or a discrimination. The newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate, which is in violation of the law. Our

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

■

No cats. Dog w/prior approval & fee. 3-, 6- or 12-mo. lease. 1st/last & dep. EV charger coming May or Jun. $2,200. Info, 802-363-5231, pammy@madriver.com.

BURLINGTON STUDIO APT. W/ DECK Sunny studio w/ open ﬂ oor plan. New deck surrounded by trees. Reliable landlords. Contact gabeboutin@ gmail.com.

ESSEX JCT. STUDIO

APT.

48 Cascade St. Furnished 1-BR, 1-BA, 320 sq.ft. Charming studio in great neighborhood. Freshly painted walls, large closet, separate entrance & separate driveway. Landlord pays heat, electricity, water, trash. Terrifi c location, near GlobalFoundries & IBM. Near the bus route, too. Well-kept property w/ many mature trees & Cascade Park w/ pickleball courts, baseball fi eld & basketball court. ere are open fi elds all around this location for nature walks. Also a short walk to 5 Corners & lots of restaurants

there. Landlord lives on the other side of the party wall. Furnished. Responsible landlords.$1,450/mo. Info, gabeboutin@comcast. net, 802-355-8897.

BURLINGTON HOUSING

AUTHORITY LOW WAIT

LIST

BHA has a low wait list for apts. w/ a subsidy in Burlington. Income limits do apply. Income up to $27,300 for a 1-person household; up to $31,200 for a 2-person household. 1-BR & efﬁ ciency apts. avail. now. Apply today by calling BHA at 802864-0538 or stop by 65 Main St. in Burlington.

Affordable housing for all. Equal Housing Opportunity.

BURLINGTON/ DOWNTOWN: 131 Church St. Brand-new 1- & 2-BR apts. for rent. Avail. now. Amenities: A/C, keyless entry, W/D in unit & more. Efﬁ cient & cozy. Rent starting at $2,200/mo. + utils. Call 802-391-9089.

HOUSEMATES

WAKE UP TO STUNNING LAKE VIEWS

Alburgh: Lake Champlain views from your window, in a home

shared w/ senior couple & their dogs. Enjoy a furnished separate unit on beautiful property. Minimal rent in exchange for help w/ daytime transportation, light handyperson projects, yard work & light snow removal. Perfect for someone working from home. Call 802-863-5625, email info@homeshare vermont.org or visit homesharevermont. org for application. Interview, refs. & background checks req. EHO.

ENJOY GARDENING & THE OUTDOORS?

Jericho: Professional w/ 2 delightful kids who love gardening & the outdoors seeking housemate to lend a hand in the house — perhaps cooking a meal or 2 each week & providing an evening of childcare — in exchange for reduced rent of $300/mo. Interview, refs. & background checks req. EHO. Call 802-863-5625, email info@homeshare vermont.org or visit homesharevermont.org.

Using the enclosed math operations as a guide, fill the grid using the numbers 1 - 6 only once in each row and column.

CLASSIFIEDS » 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! There’s no limit to ad length online.

WANT MORE PUZZLES?

Try these online news games from Seven Days at sevendaysvt.com/games.

Put your knowledge of Vermont news to the test. NEW ON FRIDAYS:

CALCOKU BY JOSH

REYNOLDS

DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK: HHH

Fill the grid using the numbers 1-6, only once in each row and column. The numbers in each heavily outlined “cage” must combine to produce the target number in the top corner, using the mathematical operation indicated. A one-box cage should be filled in with the target number in the top corner. A number can be repeated within a cage as long as it is not the same row or column.

SUDOKU BY JOSH REYNOLDS

DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK: 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.70 H =

PEOPLE WITH CONNECTIONS

ANSWERS ON P. 70 »

See how fast you can solve this weekly 10-word puzzle.

FINANCIAL & LEGAL

SEEKING DISCREET FINANCIAL COACH (NOT CPA)

STATE OF VERMONT

CREATIVE

BULLSHITFINDER.FYI

146 ways people lie to you. Learn every one of them. Check it out. Live, real. Info, bullshitﬁ nder. fyi.

FINE ART CONSERVATION & FURNITURE RESTORATION

Offering the highestquality oil painting repair, cleaning, etc., as well as antique & contemporary furniture repair, reﬁ nishing & restoration. Quechee, Vt. Info, 802-295-1309, meetinghouse restoration@gmail.com, antiquesalchemist. com.

ELECTRONICS

AMERICA’S PREMIER MOBILE MEDICAL ALERT SYSTEM

MobileHelp, America’s premier mobile medical alert system. Whether you’re home or away. For safety & peace of mind. No long-term contracts. Free brochure. Call today! 1-877-667-4685. (AAN CAN)

Looking for a thoughtful, trustworthy, nonjudgmental person to help review past bank/credit statements, understand spending patterns, & create a realistic budget & lifestyle plan. Seeking practical, hands-on help & steady guidance — not accounting or tax work. Conﬁ dentiality important; ﬁ nancial documents shared only after agreement. Paid. Please reply w/ a brief introduction, relevant experience, typical fees & location. Contact blanchard_jen@yahoo. com.

HOME & GARDEN

INTERIOR PAINTING SERVICES — GREATER BURLINGTON AREA

Interior painting services offered in the greater Burlington area. Very meticulous work done respectfully in your home/space. Also offering interior painting for rental properties. 20 years’ experience. Excellent refs. avail. upon request. Free estimates gladly offered! Please call Shawn at 802-660-2645.

SUPERIOR COURT PROBATE DIVISION

CHITTENDEN UNIT DOCKET NO.: 26-PR-0533

In re ESTATE of Elaine Mackenzie

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

To the creditors of: Elaine Mackenzie, late of Essex, 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. e claim must be presented to me at the address listed below with a copy sent to the Court. e claim may be barred forever if it is not presented within the four (4) month period.

Dated: February 12, 2026

Signature of Fiduciary: /s/ Cassandra Reyes

Executor/Administrator: Cassandra Reyes

Mailing Address: 166 Pearl Street, St. Albans, VT 05478

Phone number: 808-347-6310

Email: cassandra_reyes05@hotmail.com

Name of Publication: Seven Days

Publication Date: 02/25/2026

Name of Probate Court: Chittenden Probate Court

Address of Probate Court: 175 Main Street, Burlington, VT 05402

WARNING CHAMPLAIN VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT ANNUAL MEETING

MARCH 2, 2026 AND MARCH 3, 2026

e legal voters of the Champlain Valley School District, are hereby notiﬁed and warned to meet at the Champlain Valley Union High School Library in the Town of Hinesburg at ﬁve o’clock (5:00pm) in the evening on March 2, 2026, to transact any of the following business not involving voting by Australian ballot, and to conduct an informational hearing with respect to Articles of business to be considered by Australian ballot on March 3, 2026.

Virtual Zoom participation details: https://

cvsdvt-org.zoom.us/j/88617104470 Meeting ID: 886 1710 4470 Passcode: cvsd11. Zoom Meeting phone participation: 1-312-626-6799 Passcode: 948811

ARTICLE I: To elect a moderator, clerk and treasurer.

ARTICLE II: To hear and act upon the reports of the school district ofﬁcers.

ARTICLE III: Shall the voters of the Champlain Valley School District authorize the Board of School Directors to borrow money by issuance of bonds or notes not in excess of anticipated revenues for the next ﬁscal year?

ARTICLE IV: Shall the voters of the Champlain Valley School District authorize the Board of School Directors to provide a mailed notice of availability of the Annual Report to residents in lieu of distributing the Annual Report?

ARTICLE V: To establish the date of the Champlain Valley School District Annual Meeting of Monday, March 1, 2027 at 5pm at CVU High School and recessed and opened back up at Australian ballot voting on Town Meeting Day.

ARTICLE VI: To transact any other business proper to come before the meeting.

BALLOT QUESTIONS

e legal voters of the Champlain Valley School District, are hereby notiﬁed and warned to meet at their respective polling places on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, at seven o’clock in the forenoon (7:00am), at which time the polls will open, and seven o’clock in the afternoon (7:00pm), at which time the polls will close, to vote by Australian ballot on the following articles of business:

ARTICLE VII: Shall the voters of the Champlain Valley School District approve the school board to expend One Hundred Seven Million, Eight Hundred Sixty ousand, Two Hundred Eight-Five Dollars ($107,860,285), which is the amount the school board has determined to be necessary for the ensuing ﬁscal year? e Champlain Valley School District estimates that this proposed budget, if approved, will result in per pupil education spending of Fifteen ousand, Nine Hundred, Sixty-Two Dollars ($15,962), which is 2.7% higher than per pupil education spending for the current year.

ARTICLE VIII: Shall the voters of the Champlain Valley School District authorize the Board of School Directors to allocate its current fund balance, without effect upon the District tax levy, as follows: assign One Million Dollars ($1,000,000) of the

school district’s current fund balance as revenue for the 2026 - 2027 operating budget, and assign the remaining balance, One Million, Six Hundred, Twelve ousand, Four Hundred, Eighty-Nine Dollars ($1,612,489) as revenue for future budgets?

ARTICLE IX: Shall general obligation bonds or notes of the Champlain Valley School District in an amount not to exceed Two Hundred Fifty ousand Dollars ($250,000), subject to reduction from the application of available state and federal grants-in-aid and reserves, be issued for the purpose of ﬁnancing the cost of purchasing up to two (2) school buses and two (2) mini vans, the aggregate cost of such purchases is estimated to cost Two Hundred Fifty ousand Dollars ($250,000)?

ARTICLE X: Shall general obligation bonds or notes of Champlain Valley School District in an amount not to exceed irteen Million Dollars ($13,000,000), subject to reduction from the application of available state and federal grants-in-aid and reserves, be issued for the purpose of financing the cost of the fiscal year 2027 capital improvement plan, namely (1) Charlotte Central School elevator, bathrooms, building envelope, (2) Champlain Valley Union High School roofing, HVAC, fire alarm system, (3) Hinesburg Community School roofing, HVAC, electrical (4) Williston Schools gym flooring, lighting, HVAC, the aggregate cost of such improvements estimated to be irteen Million Dollars ($13,000,000)? State funds may not be available at the time these projects are otherwise eligible to receive state school construction aid. e District is responsible for all costs incurred in connection with any borrowing done in anticipation of the receipt of school construction aid.

POLLING PLACES

Charlotte Charlotte Town Hall Hinesburg Hinesburg Town Hall Shelburne Shelburne Town Center – Gymnasium

Williston Williston Armory

St. George St. George Town Hall Ballots shall be transported and delivered to the Champlain Valley Union High School in the Town of Hinesburg and there commingled and counted by members of the Boards of Civil Authority of several towns under the supervision of the District Clerk of the Champlain Valley School District.

e legal voters of the Champlain Valley School District are further notiﬁed that voter qualiﬁcation, registration and absentee/early voting relative to said annual meeting shall be as provided in Section 739 of Title 16, and Chapters 43, 51 and 55 of Title 17, Vermont Statutes Annotated.

Adopted and approved at a duly noticed, called and held meeting of the Board of School Directors of the Champlain Valley School District on January 20, 2026. Received for record and recorded in the records of the Champlain Valley School District on January 20, 2026.

ATTEST: Lynne T. Jaunich, District Clerk; Meghan E. Metzler, Chairperson

WARNING OF THE 103RD ANNUAL WINOOSKI CITY MEETING

e legal voters of Winooski are hereby warned and notiﬁed to meet at the Winooski School District Auditorium on March 2,2026 at 6:00 p.m. to discuss Article ree, Article Four, Article Five, Article Six and Article Seven to conduct an informational meeting on the Australian Ballot questions. A public hearing will coincide with the informational meeting to discuss Article Five, Article Six and Article Seven.

e meeting to be adjourned and to reconvene at the Winooski Senior Center, 123 Barlow Street on Tuesday, March 3, 2026 to transact any business involving voting by Australian Ballot to begin at 7:00 a.m. in the morning and closing at 7:00 p.m. e legal voters of the City of Winooski are further notiﬁed that voter qualiﬁcation, registration and absentee voting relative to said meeting shall be as provided in Vermont Statutes Annotated Title 17 Chapters 43, 51 and 55, and Act No. M-6 (H.227)

Article One

To elect (1) Mayor for an one (1) year unexpired term expires in 2027

Article Three

Shall the voters of the City of Winooski approve the budget for the Fiscal Year 2027 in the amount of Eleven Million Nine Hundred Eight Thousand FortyTwo Dollars and Fifty-Four Cents ($11,908,042.54). The amount to be raised from property taxes is Nine Million Three Hundred Nineteen Thousand Sixty-Five Dollars and Seventy-Nine Cents ($9,319,065.79).

Article Four

Shall the City Council be authorized to apply for and accept funds from sources other than property taxation, and to expend the same for the benefit of the City in addition to sums for which budget appropriation has been made? (Approval of this article will not impact property taxes.)

Article Five

Shall general obligation bonds of the City of Winooski in a principal amount not to exceed Five Hundred Eighty Thousand Dollars ($580,000) be issued for the planning, design, construction, repair, replacement, and upgrade of the Cascade Parking Garage elevator and related capital improvements? A portion of the repayment is intended to come from parking fees, subject to any reduction for applicable state and federal grants-in-aid and any applicable general funds but backed by the full faith and credit of the City.

Article Six

Shall general obligation bonds of the City of Winooski in a principal amount not to exceed Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000) be issued for the planning, design, construction, and installation of a sidewalk on a portion of East Spring Street and related capital improvements, with the total amount of such general obligation bonds to be reduced by the receipt of state and federal grants-in-aid?

Article Seven

Shall general obligation bonds of the City of Winooski in a principal amount not to exceed Nine Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($950,000) be issued for the planning, design, construction, repair, replacement, and upgrades to City Hall and Police Department and related capital improvements, with the total amount of such general obligation bonds to be reduced by the receipt of state and federal grants-in-aid?

Dated at Winooski, Vermont this 26th day of January, 2026

Mayor Thomas Renner

Deputy Mayor Bryn Oakleaf

Councilor Aurora Hurd

Councilor Elsie Goodrich

Councilor Alison Turkos

STATE OF VERMONT

SUPERIOR COURT PROBATE DIVISION CHITTENDEN UNIT DOCKET NO.: 25-PR-06973

In re ESTATE of Ronald Bouffard

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

To the creditors of: Ronald Bouffard, late of Essex, 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: Sunday, October 19, 2025

Signature of Fiduciary: /s/ Debra L. Bouffard

Executor/Administrator: Debra L. Bouffard

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 66, Burlington, Vermont 05402

Phone number: 802-865-6326

Email: acusick-loecher@sheeheyvt.com

Name of Publication: Seven Days

Publication Date: 02/25/2026

Name of Probate Court: State of VermontChittenden Probate Division

Address of Probate Court: 175 Main Street, Burlington, VT 05401

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS: TOWN OF COLCHESTER

HVAC PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT – COLCHESTER TOWN BUILDINGS

The Town of Colchester is requesting proposals for a HVAC Preventative Maintenance Agreement for twelve (12) Colchester Town Buildings. The scope of work includes providing all labor, materials, tools, equipment, supplies and supervision necessary to complete the specified HVAC preventative maintenance services as described in the contract for the twelve (12) Town buildings. The agreement will be for a period of three (3) years, with an annual adjustment in compensation to the contractor based on a percentage provided by the bidder in the Bid Schedule.

All questions by prospective bidders as to the interpretations of the Contract & Bidding Documents must be submitted in writing to Randy Alemy, Assistant Director, ralemy@colchestervt.gov, by end of day on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.

Bids will be received by the Town of Colchester, at the Colchester Town Office Building at 781 Blakely Road, Colchester, Vermont until Thursday, March 19, 2026 at 2:00 PM, and then at said office publicly opened and read aloud.

Bidders shall have a minimum of 7 years’ experience in the commercial HVAC and mechanical installation and maintenance industry. Bidders shall possess all state required licenses. Personnel assigned to perform maintenance at the Town of Colchester must be journeyman level with a minimum of 5 years of experience working on similar systems.

Bidders should submit the Bid Form, Bid Schedule, Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension and other Responsibility Matter, and three (3) references from clients with preventative maintenance contracts of similar scope for the bid submission to be deemed complete.

For the complete Bid & Contract Documents, please visit the Town website at: https://www.colchestervt. gov/bids.aspx

CITY OF ESSEX JUNCTION

INVITATION TO BID

MAIN STREET SIDEWALK REPLACEMENT PROJECT

The City of Essex Junction has issued an Invitation to Bid for the Main Street Sidewalk Replacement Project.

RECEIPT OF BIDS: Sealed bids on forms prepared by the Engineer will be received by the City of Essex Junction at the City of Essex Junction offices, located at 2 Lincoln Street in Essex Junction, Vermont, until 2:00 p.m. (local time) on March 18, 2026 for the Main Street Sidewalk Replacement Project. The contract generally includes the following work items on Main Street in the City of Essex Junction:

1) Supply and Install 850 sy of 4” Thick New Cement Concrete Sidewalk

2) Supply and Install 200 sy of 6” Thick New Cement Concrete Sidewalk

3) Supply and Install 515 lf of 4” Perforated SDR 35 PVC Pipe

4) Supply and Install 4 Nyloplast Drain Basins or Approved Equal

5) Supply and Install 100 sf of Detectable Warning Surface

6) Supply and Install 350 cy of Plant Mixed Gravel

7) Supply and Install 100 cy of Topsoil

8) Supply and Install 750 sy of Lawn Area Restoration

All work will be in accordance with Drawings, Specifications and other Contract Documents and information prepared by the City of Essex Junction, 2 Lincoln Street, Essex Junction, Vermont.

OBTAINING CONTRACT DOCUMENTS: Digital Drawings, Specifications, and other Contract Documents may be obtained by emailing Jeffrey P. Kershner, P.E., President, Donald L. Hamlin Consulting Engineers, Inc. at jkershner@dlhce.com. Prospective bidders will be added to the Plan Holder List and will be provided with access to a digital Sharepoint site.

All Drawings, Specifications, Contract Documents, Addendums, and other relevant project information will be available on the Sharepoint site free of charge. It is the responsibility of the Prospective Bidder to review relevant project information located on the Sharepoint site. Prospective Bidders must be on the Plan Holder List to receive access to the Sharepoint site and be eligible to submit a bid.

BIDS WILL BE PUBLICLY OPENED AND READ AT 2:00 p.m. (local time) on March 18, 2026 in the first-floor meeting room at the City of Essex Junction offices located at 2 Lincoln Street in Essex Junction, Vermont 05452.

BID GUARANTY: Each bid shall be accompanied by an acceptable form of Bid Guaranty in an amount equal to at least five percent (5%) of the amount of the Bid, payable to the City of Essex Junction, as a guaranty that if the Bid is accepted, the Bidder will execute the Contract and file acceptable Performance, Labor, and Material Payment Bonds within ten (10) days after the award of the Contract. Acceptable form for a Bid Guaranty is either a bid bond or certified check. No bidder may withdraw his bid within 30 days after the actual date of the opening thereof. The owner reserves the right to waive any informalities and to reject any or all bids.

CONTRACT TIME: If awarded the Contract, the Contractor agrees to complete the work in its entirety, as shown on the Contract Plans. The anticipated contract start date for the project is June 01, 2026, and all work shall be completed on or before October 02, 2026.

TOWN OF COLCHESTER

RFP FOR WASTEWATER SYSTEM OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE

The Town of Colchester is requesting proposals for Wastewater System Operation and Maintenance for twelve (12) wastewater pump stations. The scope of work includes providing all labor, materials, tools, equipment, supplies and supervision necessary to complete the specified services as described in the contract for the wastewater system. The agreement will be for a period of three (3) years, with an annual adjustment in compensation to the contractor based on CPI-U, Northeast Urban, Class B/C (all items).

Bids will be received by the Town of Colchester, at the Colchester Town Office Building at 781 Blakely Road, Colchester, Vermont until Friday, March 27, 2026 at 2:00 PM and then at said office publicly opened and read aloud.

Bidders shall have a minimum of 10 years’ experience in municipal sewer pump station maintenance and repairs, sufficient staff and equipment to provide year round 24/7 emergency response within one hour and additional staff and equipment requirements as listed in the bid documents.

Bidders should submit the Bid Form, Bid Schedule, Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension and other Responsibility Matter, and three (3) references for the bid submission to be deemed complete.

For Full Bid & Contract Documents, please visit: https://www.colchestervt.gov/bids.aspx.

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS: TOWN OF COLCHESTER ELEVATOR PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE AND TESTING AGREEMENT – COLCHESTER TOWN BUILDINGS

The Town of Colchester is requesting proposals for Elevator Preventive Maintenance and Testing for four (4) Colchester Town Buildings. The scope of work includes providing all labor, materials, tools, equipment, supplies and supervision necessary to complete the specified services as described in the contract for the four (4) Town buildings. The agreement will be for a period of three (3) years, with an annual adjustment in compensation to the contractor based on CPI-U, Northeast Urban, Class B/C (all items).

Bids will be received by the Town of Colchester, at the Colchester Town Office Building at 781 Blakely Road, Colchester, Vermont until Thursday, March 26, 2026 at 2:00 PM and then at said office publicly opened and read aloud.

Bidders shall have a minimum of 7 years’ experience in the elevator service and maintenance industry and possess any such certifications or licenses that may be required by Vermont state law. Personnel assigned to perform maintenance at the Town of Colchester must have adequate training and certifications or licenses to perform such work.

For Full Bid & Contract Documents, please visit the Town website at: https://www.colchestervt.gov/ bids.aspx

TOWN OF RICHMOND SELECTBOARD AMENDMENTS TO TRAFFIC ORDINANCE

At their meeting on February 17, 2026 the Richmond Selectboard voted to amend the traffic ordinance. Copies of the amended ordinance are available at the Town Clerk’s Office, 203 Bridge Street Richmond, or by calling 802-434-5170, and, at www.richmondvt.gov.

Summary of Changes to Traffic Ordinance

• Changes to Section 9

o Adds judicial bureau penalty schedule.

o Increases parking ticket penalties from $50 to $150 on certain roads and adds a Waiver Penalty:

• $150.00 ($100.00 Waiver Penalty) for each violation occurring in the following areas

• TH #03 (Cochran Rd.) from the entrance to Overrocker Park east to the intersection with US Route 2 (East Main St.)

• The entirety of TH #07 (Dugway Road)

• TH #05 (Duxbury Road) from the intersection with TH #03 (Cochran Rd.) east to the intersection with Jack Jump Lane

• TH #30 (Wes White Hill) from the intersection with TH#03 (Cochran Rd.) south to the intersection with Robins Mountain Road.

• $50.00 ($30.00 Waiver Penalty) for each violation on any road not named in Section 9, D, 1.

o Adds authority for a Richmond Community Service Officer to issue parking tickets:

• Parking tickets may be issued by a Certified Vermont Police Officer, the Richmond Constable, or a Richmond Community Service Officer

• Changes to Section 10

o Adds information about the waiver penalty:

• The defendant may pay the waiver penalty for the cited violation within 30 days of the citation for a parking violation and waive the right of appearance and arraignment in court which will dispose of the obligation to pay the full fine.

o Adds information about appeal process:

• A decision by the Town Manager upholding the parking violation may be appealed pursuant to Rule 75 of Vermont Rules of Civil Procedure.

In accordance with 24 V.S.A. 1973 residents of the Town or Richmond have the legal right to petition to disapprove of an ordinance. A petition for a vote on the question of disapproving an ordinance or rule shall be signed by not less than five percent of the qualified voters of the municipality, and presented to the legislative body or the clerk of the municipality within 44 days following the date of adoption of the ordinance or rule by the legislative body. Unless a petition is filed in accordance with 24 V.S.A. 1973, the ordinance or rule shall become effective 60 days after the date of its adoption.

Interested persons with questions or comments may contact:

Legal Notices

Josh Arneson, Richmond Town Manager (802) 434-5170, jarneson@richmondvt.gov, 203 Bridge St. PO Box 285 (mailing), Richmond, VT 05477

TOWN OF RICHMOND PUBLIC HEARING

The Richmond Selectboard shall hold a public hearing on Monday, March 16, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. to receive public comment on the proposed RICHMOND CAPITAL PLAN FOR FY27.

This hearing may be attended in person at the Richmond Town Center at 203 Bridge St., by phone, or online via Zoom

Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8673164

2309?pwd=a6OTGpkS5lIaabsmhk0OLmX2Lrtw4S.1

Meeting ID: 867 3164 2309

Passcode: 338574

Join by Phone: +1 929 205 6099

The public hearing is for the purpose of distributing information and receiving comments regarding the Draft 2027 Richmond Capital Plan. The document is available for your review at the Town Clerk’s Office or online at www.richmondvt.gov/boards-meetings/ selectboard

All interested persons may appear and be heard. Persons needing special accommodations or those interested in viewing the ordinance should contact the Richmond Town Manager’s Office (802) 434-5170.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SERVICES

INNOVATION LANE 3, BURLINGTON

Champlain Housing Trust and Evernorth request construction management firms to submit proposals for the new construction of 40 units of multi-family housing and commercial space in Burlington, Vermont. Construction Managers must have comparable experience and a bonding capacity of +$15 MM. For more information or to receive a copy of the Request for Proposals, contact Jack Turvey at Evernorth, 802-330-1717 or jturvey@evernorthus. org. Proposals are due by 12:00 pm on March 11th, 2026. Minority-owned, women-owned, locally-owned, and Section 3 businesses are strongly encouraged to apply.

STATE OF VERMONT

SUPERIOR COURT FAMILY DIVISION

FRANKLIN UNIT DOCKET NO. 24-JV-947/948

In re: V.S. and V.S.

NOTICE OF HEARING

TO: CALVIN JIRON, father of V.S. (dob 06/05/2019) and V.S. (dob 10/7/2017), you are hereby notified that a hearing to consider the termination of all your parental rights to V.S. and V.S. will be held on March 25, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. at the Franklin Superior Court, 36 Lake Street, St. Albans, Vermont. You are notified to appear at this hearing. Your failure to appear and defend will result in a judgment being entered against you and your parental rights will be terminated.

Other parties to this case are the children, V.S. and V.S., his guardian ad litem, the children’s mother, and the Vermont Department for Children and Families. DCF is represented by the Attorney General’s Office, 280 State Drive-HC2N, Waterbury, Vermont 05671-2080.

/s/ Howard A. Kalfus

Howard A. Kalfus Franklin Superior Court Judge

OFFICIAL WARNING

MOUNT MANSFIELD UNIFIED UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT

MARCH 3, 2026

The legal voters of the Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District comprising the voters of Bolton, Huntington, Jericho, Richmond, and Underhill, are hereby notified and warned to meet at polling

PLACE AN AFFORDABLE NOTICE AT: SEVENDAYSVT.COM/LEGAL-NOTICES OR CALL 802-865-1020, EXT. 142.

hereinafter named for each of the above-referenced towns on March 3, 2026, at 7:00 a.m. (Huntington at 6:30a.m.) at which time the polls will open until 7:00 p.m. at which time the polls will close, to transact the following business involving voting by Australian ballot:

Article 1: To elect the following officers: a Moderator for one year, a Clerk for one year, a Treasurer for one year.

Article 2: Shall the voters of the Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District authorize the school board under 16 V.S.A. 562 (9) to borrow money by issuance of bonds or notes not in excess of anticipated revenue for the school year?

Article 3: Shall the voters of the school district approve the school board to transfer the audited general fund balance, of the current fiscal year, to a Capital Reserve Fund, to be used for capital improvements and operations of the Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District?

Article 4: Shall the voters of the school district approve the school board to expend $64,963,496 which is the amount the school board has determined to be necessary for the ensuing fiscal year? The Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District estimates that this proposed budget, if approved, will result in per pupil education spending of $15,771, which is 9.79% higher than per pupil education spending for the current year.

Upon closing of the polls, the ballot boxes will be sealed, transported to, and opened at Camels Hump Middle School in the Town of Richmond, the ballots commingled and publicly counted by representatives of the Boards of Civil Authority of the Towns of Bolton, Huntington, Jericho, Richmond, and Underhill under the supervision of the Clerk of the Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District.

Informational Hearing

Said persons and voters are further notified and warned that Monday, March 2, 2026 at 6:00 P.M. at the Mount Mansfield Union High School, in Jericho, VT shall serve as an informational meeting to discuss the FY2027 school budget which will be voted on by Australian ballot on March 3, 2026. A virtual option will be available at:

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/qid-vnve-trr

Or dial: (US) +1 321-442-0126 PIN: 286 232 911#

Polling Places

The voters residing in the Mount Mansfield Unified Union will cast their ballots in the polling places designated for their towns as follows:

Bolton * Smilie Memorial School * 7am - 7pm

Huntington * Brewster-Pierce Memorial School * 6:30 am -7 pm

Jericho * Mt. Mansfield Union High School * 7am-7pm

Richmond * Camels Hump Middle School * 7am -7pm

Underhill * Browns River Middle School * 7am-7pm

Dated this 12th day of January, 2026.

SCHOOL DIRECTORS

/s/ Kevin Campbell /s/ Edye Graning

/s/ Katie Nelson /s/ Susan Lillich /s/ Sandra Limoge

/s/ Tara Arneson

/s/ Kyle Magida /s/ Lisa Pawlik

s/ Stephen Diglio

/s/ Stuart Morigeau /s/ Alison Conant

/s/ Heather Chadwick

/s/ James Granzow /s/ Ethan Maurer

/s/ Eli Wimette

/s/ Jack Connell /s/ Helen Stoddard

Received for record this 12th day of January, 2026, A.D., /s/ Jon Milazzo, Clerk, Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District

RICHMOND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD

MEETING AGENDA

MARCH 11, 2026, AT 7:00-9:00 PM

THIS IS A HYBRID MEETING WITH ON-SITE & REMOTE ACCOMMODATIONS.

Pursuant to 1 V.S.A. § 312(a)(2), this meeting will be held in the three following locations: (1) in person; (2) electronically via Zoom; and (3) by phone call. You do not need a computer to attend this meeting. Calls can be placed by using the “Join by Phone Call” number below—this is a toll-free number. Your participation in this hearing process is a prerequisite to the right to take any subsequent appeal. For more information or accommodations to improve the accessibility of this meeting, please contact Danté DeNault at (802) 556-4959 or ddenault@richmondvt.gov.

Join In Person: 3rd Floor Room A, 203 Bridge Street, Richmond, VT 05477. Join Electronically via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom. us/j/89057870483.

Join by Phone Call: +1 (305) 224-1968 (US) // Meeting ID: 890 5787 0483.

PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS:

Materials: https://www.richmondvt.gov/calendar/ meeting/development-review-board-3-11-26.

1. SK2025-008 | Lands of Copp/Weaver & Downer | Parcel ID: HV1950.

Continued Hearing. Applicant seeks input on plans to further subdivide 1950 Hillview Drive, an existing 137-acre parcel in the Agricultural/Residential Zoning District, into two (2) parcels of 109 acres (Lot 1) and 19.1 acres (Lot 4). The remaining acreage will be associated with a boundary line & building envelopment adjustment for Lot 2.

2. CR2026-002 | Matthew “Matt” Parisi | Parcel ID: EM0112.

Continued Hearing. Applicant seeks conditional use approval to modify a building restraint at 112 and 114 East Main Street, located in the Village Residential Commercial Zoning District.

OTHER BUSINESS:

A. In connection with an administrative subdivision application, Mr. Jay McCormack of 1330 Jericho Road (Parcel ID: JR1330) seeks DRB approval of right-of-way language for a proposed interior lot with no frontage in the High Density Residential Zoning District.

ACT 250 NOTICE MINOR APPLICATION 4C0619-16A 10 V.S.A. §§ 6000 - 6111

Application 4C0619-16A from O’Brien Brothers 1855 Williston Road, South Burlington, VT 05403, Brault Family Revocable Living Trust, 3800 Roosevelt Highway, Colchester, VT 05446, and William Labelle, 33 Willy’s Lane, Milton, VT 05468 was received on January 29, 2026 and deemed complete on February 18, 2026. The project authorizes the subdivision of an existing 20.96 parcel of land into 63 development lots and 44 footprint lots, with associated building envelopes for the construction of 85 residential dwelling units, 22 duplex dwelling units and 41 single family homes. The development will be connected to municipal sewer and water, and will also create two open space lots (Lot 68 and Lot 69), for a total of 109 lots. The project is located at Park Place and Bombardier Road in Milton, Vermont. The application may be viewed on the Land Use Review Board’s website (https://act250.vermont.gov/) by clicking “Act 250 Database” and entering the project number “4C0619-16A.”

No hearing will be held and a permit may be issued unless, on or before March 16, 2026, a party notifies the District 4 Commission in writing of an issue requiring a hearing, or the Commission sets the matter for a hearing on its own motion. Any person as defined in 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1) may request a hearing. Any hearing request must be in writing, must state the criteria or sub-criteria at issue, why a hearing is required, and what additional evidence will be presented at the hearing. Any hearing request by an adjoining property owner or other person eligible for party status under 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1)(E) must include a petition for party status under the Act 250 Rules. To request party status and a hearing, fill out the Party Status Petition Form on the Board’s website: https://act250.vermont.gov/documents/ party-statuspetition-form, and email it to the District 4 Office at: Act250.Essex@vermont.gov. Findings

of Fact and Conclusions of Law may not be prepared unless the Commission holds a public hearing. For more information contact Kaitlin Hayes at the address or telephone number below.

Dated this February 23, 2026. By: /s/ Kaitlin Hayes Kaitlin Hayes

District Coordinator 111 West Street Essex Junction, VT 05452 (802) 622-4084 kaitlin.hayes@vermont.gov

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING UNDERHILL DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD (DRB) Preliminary and Final Subdivision Hearing, DRB Docket No. DRB-25-07.

Hearing: Monday, March 16, 2026 at 6:30 PM at the Underhill Town Hall, 12 Pleasant Valley Road, Underhill, VT. Remote participation options will also be available, see below.

The Underhill Development Review Board will hold a combined Preliminary and Final Two-Lot Subdivision Review Hearing per Section 7.5 & 7.6 of the Town of Underhill Unified Land Use & Development Regulations adopted March 1, 2011 and last amended March 3, 2020. The subject property is located at 15 Snyder Road and is owned by Linda L. Almy Living Trust & Trustees. The property is approximately 27.98 acres and is in the Rural Residential and Water Conservation Zoning Districts. The application proposes that the lot located at 15 Snyder Road, with an existing single-family dwelling, be reduced to 21.16 acres, and proposes the creation of a new 6.82-acre lot for a new single-family dwelling. The hearing will commence at 6:30 PM at the Underhill Town Hall, 12 Pleasant Valley Road, on Monday, March 16, 2026. The hearing will also be accessible via the Go-To-Meeting platform.

Application submittals, including information to access the public meeting via the Go-To-Meeting platform or by telephone, may be obtained on the Town’s website calendar under March 16, 2026 or by contacting the Zoning Administrator. The hearing is open to the public. Pursuant to 24 VSA § 4464(a)(1)(C) and 4471(a), participation in this local proceeding is a prerequisite to the right to make any subsequent appeal. If you cannot attend the hearing, comments may be made in writing, prior to the meeting, and mailed to: Maya Holmes, Acting Zoning Administrator, P.O. Box 120 Underhill, VT 05489 or emailed to: zoning@underhillvt.gov

STATE OF VERMONT

SUPERIOR COURT PROBATE DIVISION CHITTENDEN UNIT DOCKET NO.: 26-PR-00380

In re ESTATE of Evi Ross

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

To the creditors of: Evi Ross, late of Palm Bay, Florida

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: Sunday, July 20, 2025

Signature of Fiduciary: /s/ Gina R. McLean

Executor/Administrator: Gina R. McLean, P.O. Box 66

Burlington, Vermont 05402

Phone number: (802) 865-6326

Email: acusick-loecher@sheeheyvt.com

Name of Publication: Seven Days

Publication Date: 2/25/2026

Name of Probate Court: State of VermontChittenden Probate Division

Address of Probate Court: 175 Main Street , Burlington, VT 05401

GIV is hiring for several roles in the Summer of 2026:

Facilities Manager

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

POST YOUR JOBS AT: JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POST-A-JOB PRINT DEADLINE: NOON ON MONDAYS (INCLUDING HOLIDAYS) FOR RATES & INFO: MICHELLE BROWN, 802-865-1020 X121, MICHELLE@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Windjammer Hospitality Group is hiring a full-time, Facilities Manager with a starting pay of 70k.

For full details and to apply, scan here.

NOW HIRING

For details and to apply, see QR code:

ADMINISTRATOR

The Underhill Jericho Fire Department is looking for an experienced administrator. This is a part-time position, 8-30 hours per week, with competitive pay and no benefits.

Flexible hours, full job description and requirements are available at www.ujfd.org/employment.

If you would like to join our team, please email a cover letter and your resume in PDF format to info@ujfd.org.

Positions will remain open until filled.

The UJFD is a EOE.

LEAD CARDIOPULMONARY REHAB CLINICIAN

This position is PART-TIME, Mon/Wed/Fri—no weekends. Accepting applications from Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Exercise Physiologists, Respiratory Therapists, and Physical Therapists Join our Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab program!

For more information or to apply visit copleyvt.org/careers or contact Kaitlyn Shannon, Recruiter, at 802-888-8144 or kshannon@chsi.org.

ASSISTANT PRODUCER

The Flynn is looking for an Assistant Producer to support Flynn-produced and commissioned work across the Flynn campus and throughout Vermont. Working closely with the Producer, this role provides hands-on coordination and project support to help ensure artistic projects are successfully delivered. This role is suited to an early- to midcareer producing profession who is organized, collaborative, and motivated by bringing ambitious artistic work to life. For complete job description and to apply, please visit: flynnvt.org/About-Us/Employment-and-InternshipOpportunities

No phone calls, please. E.O.E.

We are hiring !

Do you have a passion for building meaningful donor relationships and strengthening Vermont communities? Join our team as Development Specialist! We’d like to meet you!

Care Coordinator/ Case Management

Case Managers support older Vermonters in the community to stay as independent as possible in the environment of their choice by promoting health, rights, independence, and economic well-being.

This position is based in our Barre office, combined with in-home field visits. Staff are never asked to be on-call or work weekends.

Pay Range: $24-$26 per hour. Generous benefits including 401(k), health insurance, and paid time off.

For the full job description and to apply, please visit: cvcoa.org/employment

LEGAL PROJECT MANAGER

Join the Vermont Women’s Fund as our Marketing and Development Associate!

Help grow our impact, support engagement, and elevate our mission Key Responsibilities:

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

The Vermont Center for Ecostudies seeks an experienced director of development to lead a growing development program at a respected organization with a committed donor base. The successful applicant will oversee relationship-based fundraising with a focus on expanding major gifts, growing the annual fund, and ramping up planned giving. Key qualifications: collaborative habits, strategic insight, exceptional communication skills, and at least five years of leadership experience in fundraising.

ANNUAL FUND MANAGER

We also seek an annual fund manager to help develop fundraising strategy and coordinate annual appeals. The successful applicant will be a strong communicator and collaborator with experience in nonprofit development.

vtecostudies.org/jobs

Join the Flynn & be part of a team striving to make the community better through the arts. All backgrounds encouraged to apply. This is a full-time, exempt, benefit eligible position.

DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST

The Flynn is looking for a Development Specialist to support fundraising efforts while working closely with the Development team, providing essential operational support for fundraising across individual, foundation, corporate, and government sources. Responsibilities include gift processing and acknowledgments in Tessitura, supporting grants, mailings, and special events, maintaining donor records, and generating reports to track progress toward annual fundraising goals.

For complete job description and to apply, please visit: flynnvt.org/About-Us/Employment-and-InternshipOpportunities

No phone calls, please. E.O.E.

Join the Vermont Land Trust as a Legal Project Manager. Apply your legal expertise to help protect Vermont’s farms, forests, and natural areas!

We’re looking for an experienced legal project manager who:

• Is equipped with previous real estate experience including reviewing title documents

• Possesses strong project management skills

• Values teamwork and is highly collaborative

The starting salary for this full-time position is $69,216.00. Our benefits package includes:

• Annual cafeteria allowance of $26,839.20 to cover healthcare premiums and other benefits. (This is a cash benefit paid to staff for use at their discretion.)

• 6 weeks of combined time off, plus 12 days of sick time annually.

• 403b retirement plan with employer match.

• Flexible and hybrid work schedules.

Learn more and apply at vlt.org/employment. The position will remain open until March 15, 2026.

The Vermont Land Trust is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We honor & invite people of all backgrounds & life experiences to apply.

5v-VTLandTrust021826.indd

CROP MANAGER

UVM Food Systems Research Institute Work location: Charlotte, VT

The position of Crop Manager is located at the co-managed University of Vermont (UVM) and USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Northeast Crop and Livestock Research Station (NECLRS) at Nordic Farm located in Charlotte, VT. NECLRS operates on 400 acres of leased land within a larger privately-owned farm. Research explores diverse subject matter spanning the food and farming systems of Vermont, including perennial forages, annual row crops and cereals, and pastures. This position conducts farming operations in support of feeding beef cows, calves, and finish steers, and to manage crops in support of research on grain and forage production. The position requires skill in operating and maintaining heavy farm equipment, precisely following safety and research protocols, communication with colleagues and scientists, and detail-oriented record keeping.

The Crop Manager independently plans and carries out assignments in close communication with the ARS Research Agronomist, USDA Agronomy Technician, and other research partners.

This is a full-time, non-exempt, union-represented position with full benefits. Deadline: Open until filled, with priority given to applications submitted by the end of February.

How to Apply: Visit University of Vermont Employment Opportunities | Crop Manager to apply or uvmjobs.com/postings/85333

In-Person, Full-Time

The Stern Center for Language and Learning is an education-focused nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding the power of learning. We are currently hiring special educators who are ready to make a difference at a new level in their career. If you thrive in an educational setting that shakes up the traditional school model, apply to join our team in the life-changing work of teaching reading.

Work with students who need the support of caring educators who believe in them, in a context where socialemotional wellbeing and support is a critical part of the learning journey. Ideal candidates will have a BA/BS in education, 2+ years’ experience in Special Education, enthusiasm for oneto-one instruction, and knowledge of assessment and interpretation.

Experience with Orton-Gillingham, or similar qualifications a plus. This is a full-time, in-person position in Chittenden County, VT. The hiring range is $54,000 - $57,000 annually.

Interested candidates can send a cover letter and resume to hcastillo@sterncenter.org

The Stern Center for Language and Learning is an E.O.E.

Architect/Draftsperson

Small residential designbuild firm seeking a junior architect or draftsperson with strong Revit skills. Role includes residential design, construction documents, and coordination with our in-house build team. Ideal candidate is detail-oriented, organized, and comfortable managing multiple projects. Architecture or drafting background required. On-site carpentry or field experience is a plus. Full-time or flexible hours available. Generous compensation package based on experience. Family-driven, community-oriented team that genuinely cares about the work & each other.

Please send resume and work samples to austin@ sweeneydesignbuild.com

Architectural Designer

Seeking an experienced residential designer to join our Design-Build team!

The ideal candidate has 10+ years of residential design experience. As a Designer at Lewis Creek, you will support new construction and remodeling projects through all phases of design. The ideal candidate thrives in a collaborative environment, has strong technical skills, CAD expertise, and a proven history of driving projects forward.

$80,000 to $120,000, plus benefits.

Learn more and apply at lewiscreekbuilders.com/ employment

NURSE EDUCATORS

Make real IMPACT. Teach. Mentor. Transform Nursing through Education at NVRH.

Make a meaningful impact at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH). We’re seeking an experienced and passionate Central Clinical Nurse Educator to support staff development, promote evidence‑based practice, and enhance patient outcomes across multiple clinical departments.

REQUIREMENTS: VT or Compact RN license; BLS (ACLS/PALS within 1 year); Master’s degree, or in progress or ability to complete within 2 years of hire; 3+ years recent acute care experience; strong mentoring and communication skills; evening availability.

PREFERRED: Curriculum development, simulation‑based learning, multi‑unit education, and experience with quality improvement and learning technologies. Why NVRH? Competitive pay, loan repayment, tuition reimbursement, generous PTO, free gym membership, affordable insurance, 401(k) match, and a mission‑driven culture. Apply today at nvrh.org/careers

SENIOR DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Building Bright Futures (BBF) seeks a Senior Development Manager to lead our fundraising strategy and strengthen relationships with donors and partners. This full-time position is supervised by the Policy and Program Director, working closely with the Executive Director to support organizational sustainability and growth.

Compensation and Benefits: Salary range: $82,000 - $88,000 annually, starting salary dependent on experience. Benefits include generous paid time off (including Fridays off June through August), healthcare insurance, dental insurance, and retirement.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead fundraising across foundations, individual donors, and partners

• Manage the full lifecycle of grants, campaigns, and donor stewardship

• Develop and implement annual giving and fundraising strategies

• Write and oversee proposals, reports, and cases for support

• Create donor communications and storytelling in collaboration with staff

• Maintain fundraising systems, records, and performance reports

• Build and expand regional and national funder relationships

Desired Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in nonprofit fundraising and grant writing

• Strong relationship-building skills with donors, funders, and partners

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Highly organized with strong project and time management abilities

• Ability to connect programs, policy, and storytelling to fundraising goals

• Commitment to equity, social justice, and systems-change work

• Comfort using CRM systems and collaborative technology tools

Email a cover letter, resume, and three references as one PDF labeled: lastname_firstname_Development to: kmobbs@buildingbrightfutures.org

Position open until filled. To learn more about the position or Building Bright Futures, please visit buildingbrightfutures.org

Hazardous Waste & Latex Paint Operator

Temporary or full-time position

Are you looking for hands-on work that makes a real difference in our community? CSWD is seeking a highly motivated individual to join our amazing Hazardous Waste Program. You’ll assist with our innovative paint program and with the collection and processing of household and small business hazardous waste at the Environmental Depot & Rover. The ideal candidate will be self-motivated, enjoy working with the public and be able to work independently in a physically demanding setting. This is a 40-hour a week position (Tues-Sat, 7:30-3:30) with a starting pay rate between $25-$27/hour. Full-time position includes an excellent benefit package. For more information on the position and CSWD, please visit cswd.net/about-cswd/job-openings. Submit application or resume to Devin Ashwell: dashwell@cswd.net. This position is open until filled.

Join our team today and support our mission to build a community where everyone participates and belongs.

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

SEVEN DAYS IS SEEKING AN

Inside Sales Account

Manager

Do you care about Vermont journalism and like the idea of working to support it? Burlington-based Seven Days is seeking a personable, über-organized individual to help businesses, municipalities and families achieve their goals through our newspaper and digital products.

e ideal candidate is a motivated multitasker with excellent written and verbal communication skills, self-discipline, drive, and interest in local and national business trends. Experience in HR and recruitment are pluses. Digital ﬂuency is required.

e established account list is generating at least $60K in annual commissions. Beneﬁts include paid vacation, health insurance, 401k, and the ability to collaborate in-ofﬁce with a fun and entrepreneurial staff. Potential remote workdays, too.

Email your résumé and cover letter by March 2 to: salesjob@sevendaysvt.com. Please explain your current employment situation and career aspirations.

No phone calls or drop-ins, please.

FINANCE DIRECTOR

Are you interested in using your business and finance skills to support an inspiring mission? The Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence is seeking a Finance Director to help lead the finance operations of a complex, multi-million dollar non-profit organization. Our Finance Director will work with our Chief Financial Officer and finance team to maintain and grow our excellent financial operations.

ASSISTANT PLANNER/PLANNER

Lamoille County Planning Commission, Morrisville, VT

Join the planning team in one of Vermont’s premiere recreation destinations. The Lamoille County Planning Commission (LCPC) is accepting applications for a full-time Assistant Planner/Planner. The Assistant Planner/Planner works with senior planning staff to implement a broad range of projects and programs. This position participates in land use, transportation, natural resources, and emergency management planning activities and researches and drafts documents for review. The position requires attendance at outside meetings as well as fieldwork. For more information about the Lamoille County Planning Commission please visit, lcpcvt.org

Qualifications include a Bachelor’s degree in land use planning or a related field such as environmental science, public policy, or GIS. It would be helpful for the applicant to have knowledge of general land use planning principles and possess strong customer service skills. Applicants must be able to work both as a team member and independently. A commitment to community, creativity, a sense of humor, and a positive attitude are all pluses. The position may require occasional evening meetings and public hearings. Salary range of $43,000- $55,000 based on experience.

LCPC offers an outstanding work environment and benefits. Please submit a cover letter and resume to tasha@lcpcvt.org. For further information contact Tasha Wallis, Executive Director, LCPC, PO Box 1637, Morrisville, VT 05661, 802-888-4548 LCPC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

NOW HIRING: Infant and Support Teachers Kids & Fitness

| Essex & South Burlington

Do you love working with children? Kids & Fitness is seeking nurturing, energetic Infant Teachers (Full-Time, ASAP) and Support Teachers (Flexible hours) to join our early childhood team.

What You’ll Do:

Our ideal candidate has strong financial skills and extensive experience using computer-based financial management systems in a multi-funded organization with grant compliance and oversight experience. Minimum of 3 years’ finance, accounting or bookkeeping experience required, 5 years preferred. The Vermont Network is an amazing place to work – we prioritize the wellbeing of our staff, take our culture seriously, think big and orient toward what is possible.

For more information and the full job description, please visit our website at vtnetwork.org. Submit cover letter and resume to Jamie Carroll, Director of Administration, at jamie@vtnetwork.org. Deadline for applications is March 10th.

Care for and engage young children, support daily routines and curriculum, collaborate with co-teachers, and build positive relationships with families — all in a fun, active environment.

Requirements:

Must be 18+, high school diploma required. Classroom experience preferred. ECE coursework encouraged — we’ll support continued education for the right candidate!

Pay & Perks:

- $18–$25/hr to start

- Up to $1,000 sign-on bonus

- Flexible Schedules-Full & Part Time hours available.

- Health Insurance & 401(k)

- FREE Edge Family Membership

- Generous childcare discounts (often 50%+!)

Make a difference every day—apply now! sarahc@edgevt.com

Part-time Housekeeper

The Pitcher Inn in Warren Vermont is looking for an experienced housekeeper to join our team. Flexible schedule, $18 - $22 /hr based on experience, housing for a committed employee. Please respond to: info@pitcherinn.com.

Window Cleaner

Donahue Window Cleaning is a Burlington-area based company focusing on commercial and residential window cleaning. We are currently hiring for full time window cleaners. We specialize in high-rise buildings and rappelling. Experience with climbing/rappelling and/or ropes/ knots are a plus. We will train the right candidate! Pay starts at $25/hour and goes up from there. Benefits include a SIMPLE IRA with company match, paid holidays, paid sick time & company transportation from So. Burlington to the jobsite daily. Please visit donahue windowcleaning.com to apply.

Program Support Generalist

Join a friendly team in an engaging workplace! This position provides office and program support for the Division of Faculty Affairs (DOFA), which includes the Center for Teaching and Learning, the Office of Community-Engaged Learning, and the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs. DOFA is a collaborative environment that values continuous learning! Your typical day will include scheduling and promoting faculty development events, tracking enrollment, and providing logistical support for in-person, hybrid, and virtual events. You will also analyze participant demographic data, maintain databases, and support the Vice Provost's Executive Assistant in scheduling and other tasks.

For more information and to apply, please visit https://apptrkr.com/6943078.

Director of Music

The Unitarian Church of Montpelier seeks a part-time Director of Music beginning July 1 who will conduct the Church Choir and prepare and lead the music for worship services. We seek someone who is committed to liberal religious values, open to diverse musical traditions, and enjoys creative collaboration with a variety of people. Annual salary of $27,585 to $30,645 ($29.47 to $32.74/hr) commensurate with experience with additional beneﬁts.

Applications accepted starting March 15. See full job posting and application instructions here: https://tinyurl.com/ucm-music.

Join

Chief Executive Officer

The Vermont Journalism Trust, Ltd (dba VTDigger) seeks an outstanding, mission-driven leader committed to journalism in the public interest to lead VTDigger’s next chapter guiding this statewide, digital news organization in a rapidly changing media and information-needs landscape.

The CEO is responsible for ensuring the overall success and longterm resilience of VTDigger by sustaining editorial excellence and a stable, inclusive organizational culture. The CEO will build a clear, compelling vision grounded in Vermonters’ information needs and will play a central role in mobilizing philanthropic and public support to further that vision.

CORE AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY: • Strategic Decision-Making for Impact • Fundraising and Revenue Generation • Organizational Leadership and Management • External Leadership • Editorial Partnership and Newsroom Support • Board Relations and Governance

A starting salary commensurate with qualifications will be offered within a hiring range of $145,000.00 to $190,000.00 Click bit.ly/VTDiggerCEO for the full job description, compensation/benefits, insights, and information on how to apply. Applicants will be considered on a rolling basis and are asked to submit a cover letter and resume for consideration by the search committee. The search committee expects to start interviews in March and have the new CEO on board by late spring.

The Vermont Journalism Trust, Ltd., is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

Now Hir ing!

Join our Caring Team and Advance Your Career in Senior Living

thegaryresidence.com

HR@thegaryresidence.com

We are seeking a Part-time Chef/Cook to prepare meals for residents. Meals are cooked from scratch using local Vermont products.

Commercial

Commercial cooking experience desired; supervisory experience preferred.

Burlington Housing Authority (BHA)

Are you interested in a job that helps your community and makes a difference in people’s lives every day? Consider joining Burlington Housing Authority (BHA) in Burlington, VT to continue BHA’s success in promoting innovative solutions that address housing instability challenges facing our diverse population of low-income families and individuals. We are currently hiring for the following positions:

CO-RESIDENT MANAGER AT DECKER TOWER:

Position requires living on-site and being on-call outside of regular BHA business hours to respond to resident requests, site-based emergencies, light maintenance, cleaning of common areas, and other duties as assigned. In exchange for these duties, Resident Managers receive a free apartment with utilities included. Please note this is an unpaid, non-benefited position.

PROPERTY MANAGER: Serves as a critical member of our property management team. This position provides oversight of day-to-day operations to ensure long-term viability of the properties assigned within BHA’s property portfolio. This position requires independent judgment, timely management of deadlines as well as discretion in carrying out responsibilities.

For more info about these career opportunities please visit: burlingtonhousing.org

Interested in our career opportunity?

Send a cover letter and resume to: humanresources@ burlingtonhousing.org

BHA is an Equal Opportunity Employer

When you work for the State of Vermont, you and your work matter. A career with the State puts you on a rich and rewarding professional path. You’ll find jobs in dozens of fields – not

DIRECTOR OF CLINICAL OPERATIONS – WATERBURY

DMH is seeking a Director of Clinical Operations to lead the Youth and Adult Care Management teams and partner with community providers and state leaders to support timely, least-restrictive mental health care for Vermonters. This role supervises director-level staff. Must hold a current clinical mental health license and have strong leadership and extensive experience serving children, youth, families, and adults. For more information, contact Kristen Briggs at kristen.briggs@vermont.gov. Location: Waterbury. Department: Mental Health. Status: Full Time. Minimum Salary: $55.51. Maximum Salary: $79.82. Job ID #53251. Application Deadline: Open Until Filled.

FINANCIAL DIRECTOR IV – WATERBURY

Use your financial leadership to strengthen Vermont’s public mental health system.

DMH seeks an experienced Finance Director to lead Business Office operations, including budget management, Medicaid reimbursement, financial reporting, and compliance with complex state and federal requirements. This role supervises the Business Office team and advises department leadership on funding and policy decisions that directly impact mental health services statewide. For more information, contact Emily Hawes at emily.hawes@vermont. gov. Location: Waterbury. Department: Mental Health. Status: Full Time. Minimum Salary: $45.13. Maximum Salary: $71.15. Job ID #53165. Application Deadline: Open Until Filled.

CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION & MODELING COORDINATOR – MONTPELIER

Climate Change Mitigation & Modeling Coordinator – Montpelier

The ANR Climate Action Office is seeking a technical expert to join its mitigation team. This position will support program and policy development, advancing efforts to account for and reduce Vermont’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A key responsibility of this position will be to manage Vermont’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). Strong candidates will have experience with GHG emissions modeling and familiarity with market-based emissions reduction programs. For more information, contact Lauren Ashbrook at lauren.ashbrook@vermont.gov. Location: Montpelier. Department: Natural Resources Agency. Status: Full Time. Minimum Salary: $29.15. Maximum Salary: $45.58. Job ID #54438. Application Deadline: March 16, 2026.

OG Certified Literacy Instructor

Full Time, In-Person

The Stern Center in Williston is seeking an in-person Orton-Gillingham Certified instructor to join our highly experienced and collaborative team of teachers. If you’re a qualified educator with training and experience in structured literacy instruction, this rewarding role allows focus and impact, teaching one-on-one to make a positive difference every day. Candidates should be certified in Orton-Gillingham or have had training in Orton-Gillingham and/or Wilson. Our ideal candidate will also have exceptional communication and organizational skills, an understanding of research-based interventions, and experience in developing individualized learning plans.

Specific duties include:

• Administer and interpret pre- and post-instructional assessments

• Create specific academic goals and objectives for each student

• Communicate with parents, schools, teachers, and special educators

• Strong progress monitoring and reporting skills

The starting salary range for this position is $54,000 to $57,000 annually.

The non-profit Stern Center for Language and Learning is dedicated to learning for all as we recognize that all great minds don’t think alike. We invite you to learn more about us at sterncenter.org. The Stern Center for Language and Learning is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

Senior Manager for Strategy & Development

Serve Learn Earn (SLE), a workforce development collaboration among four Vermont nonprofits, seeks a Senior Manager for Strategy & Development to continue building state-wide partnerships and awareness, increasing revenue, and assisting in the development of a 2–3-year roadmap. The SLE Manager will work to convene partners, represent SLE through storytelling and advocacy, and will be responsible for all grant writing and stewardship. This position pays $72-76k/year and comes with a comprehensive benefits package through Vermont Works for Women. Please visit bit.ly/4tVIKyc to learn more and apply.

Head of School

Pacem School is hiring a Head of School to work collaboratively with an amazing team of teachers and students. We are looking for an experienced, energetic educator to lead our creative, intellectually-inspiring learning community.

Full details and to apply: pacemschool.org/about/employment

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5v-SternCenterLITERACY021826.indd 1 2/16/26 3:15 PM

Litigation Paralegal

(with Estate Planning & Probate Support)

McCormick Fitzpatrick, Burlington's second oldest law ﬁrm, is seeking a skilled and detailoriented Litigation Paralegal to join our busy practice. This role is primarily focused on litigation support, with additional responsibilities assisting in estate planning and probate matters. The ideal candidate is organized, proactive, and comfortable managing multiple deadlines across practice areas.

Key Responsibilities: Provide comprehensive support in litigation matters, including:

• Managing case ﬁles, deadlines, and court calendars

• Assisting with trial preparation, exhibits, and witness coordination

• Drafting and responding to discovery requests and possible other responsive pleadings

Support estate planning and probate matters, including:

• Reviewing, editing and organizing estate planning documents

• Preparing probate ﬁlings and correspondence with courts and clients

• Assisting with trust & estate administration tasks

• Communicate professionally with clients, courts, and opposing counsel

• Maintain accurate records & ensure compliance with court rules and ﬁrm procedures

Qualiﬁcations:

• Paralegal/Administrative experience preferred

• Experience in litigation preferred, estate planning and probate experience a plus

• High-level organization and time management skills.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills

• Familiarity with court ﬁling systems and case management software preferred

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment

• High level of professionalism and attention to detail

What We O er:

• Competitive compensation based on experience

• Beneﬁts such as health insurance, retirement plan, PTO, ﬂexible schedule, possible remote work, etc.

• Collaborative and supportive work environment

• Opportunity to gain experience across multiple practice areas

To Apply: Please submit resume & brief cover letter to Krystn Perettine at kmp@mc-ﬁtz.com and David Grebe at dag@mc-ﬁtz.com

2h-PacemSchool021126.indd 1 2/9/26 12:39 PM

We got a great response after listing our job postings with Seven Days last month. I tried to do it through other websites and didn’t get any qualified candidates. All the responses we got to our ad in Seven Days were local people that were either qualified or overqualified. Seven Days was affordable for our budget, and we liked how the ad turned out so much that we actually cut it out of the paper and put it in a frame in our office!

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HARRY BLISS & STEVE MARTIN

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JULIANNA BRAZILL

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JEN SORENSEN

RUSTY EPSTEIN

PISCES

(FEB. 19-MAR. 20)

Sufi mystics tell us that the heart has “seven levels of depth,” each one bearing progressively more profound wisdom. You access these depths by feeling deeper, not thinking harder. Let’s apply this perspective to you, Pisces. Right now, you’re being called to descend past surface emotions (irritation, worry, mild contentment) into the layers beneath: primal wonder, the wild joy you’re sometimes too cautious to express and the sacred longing that can lead you to glory. This dive might feel risky. That’s good! It means you’re going deep enough. What you discover down there will reorganize everything above it for the better.

ARIES (Mar. 21-Apr. 19): In woodworking, “spalting” occurs when fungi colonize wood, creating dark lines and patterns that make the wood more valuable, not less. The decay creates beauty as long as it isn’t allowed to progress too far. Here’s the metaphorical moral of the story for you, Aries: What feels like a deteriorating situation might actually be spalting, Aries. Are you experiencing the breakdown of a routine, a certainty or a plan? It could be creating a pattern that makes your story even more interesting and heroic. So keep in mind that an apparent decomposition may be transforming ordinary into extraordinary beauty. My advice is to play along with the spalting.

TAURUS (Apr. 20-May 20): I suspect you will soon be invited to explore novel feelings and

unfamiliar states of awareness. As you wander in the psychological frontiers, you might experience mysterious phenomena like the following.

1) An overflow of reverence and awe. 2) Blissful surprise in the face of the sublime. 3) Sudden glimmers of eternity in fleeting moments.

4) A soft, golden resonance that arises when you hear arousing truths. 5) Amazingly useful questions that could tantalize and feed your imagination for months and even years to come.

GEMINI (May 21-Jun. 20): If I were your mentor, I’d lead you up an ascending trail to a high peak where your vision is clear and vast. If I were your leader, I’d give you a medal for all the ways you’ve been brave when no one was looking, then send you on an all-expenses-paid sabbatical to a beautiful sanctuary to rest and remember yourself. If I were your therapist, I’d guide you through a 90-minute meditation on your entire life story up until now. But since I’m just your companion for this brief oracle, I will instead advise you to slip out of any silken snares of comfort that dull your spirit, cast off perks and privileges that keep you small, and commune with influences that remind you of how deeply you treasure being alive.

CANCER (Jun. 21-Jul. 22): Biologist Barbara McClintock won the Nobel Prize by developing what she called “a feeling for the organism.” She cultivated an intimate, almost empathic relationship with the corn plants she studied. She didn’t impose theories on her subjects. She listened to them until she could sense their hidden patterns from the inside. When you’re not lost in self-protection, you Cancerians excel at this quality of attention. Here’s what I see as your task in the coming weeks: Transfer your empathic genius away from people who drain you and toward projects, places or problems that deserve your devotion and give you blessings in return.

LEO (Jul. 23-Aug. 22): Sufi writers describe heartbreak, grief and longing as portals through which divine love enters. They say that a highly defended ego and a hardened heart can’t engage with such profound and potent love. In this view, suffering that makes the

heart ache strips away illusions and fixations, allowing greater receptivity, humility and tenderness toward all beings. I’m not expecting you to get blasted by an influx of poignancy in the near future, Leo, but I’m very sure you have experienced such blasts in the past. And now is an excellent time to process those old breakthroughs disguised as breakdowns. You are likely to finally be able to harvest the full power they offered you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sep. 22): In traditional Balinese culture, Tri Hita Karana is a concept that means there are three causes of well-being: harmony with God, harmony with people and harmony with nature. When one is out of balance, all suffer. I’m wondering if you would benefit from meditating on this theme now, Virgo. Have you been focused on one dimension at the expense of the others? Are you, perhaps, spiritually nourished but socially isolated? Or maybe you’re maintaining relationships but ignoring your body’s connection to the Earth? Here’s your assignment: Do a Tri Hita Karana audit. Which harmony is most neglected? Add to your altar, call a friend or go walk in the great outdoors—whichever one you’ve been shortchanging.

LIBRA (Sep. 23-Oct. 22): You are a diplomat in the struggle between beauty and inelegance. Your aptitude for creating harmony is a great asset that others might underestimate or miss completely. I hope you will always trust your hunger for classiness even if others dismiss it as superficial. One of your key reasons for being here on Earth is to keep insisting on loveliness in a world too quick to settle for ugliness. These qualities of yours are especially needed right now. Please be gracefully insistent on expressing them wherever you go.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The bad news: You underestimate how much joy and pleasure you deserve — and how much you’re capable of experiencing. This artificially low expectation has sometimes cheated you out of your rightful share of bliss and fulfillment. The good news: Life is now ready to conspire with you to raise your happiness levels. I hope you will cooperate eagerly. The more intensely

you insist on feeling good, the more cosmic assistance you will garner. Here’s a smart way to launch this holy campaign: Renounce a certain lackluster thrill that diverts you from more lavish excitements.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In classical music, a “rest” isn’t the absence of music. It’s a specific notation that creates space, tension and meaning. The silence is as much a part of the composition as the sound. I suggest you think of your current pause this way, Sagittarius. You’re not waiting for your real life to resume. You’re in a rest, and the rest is an essential part of the process you’re following. It’s creating the conditions for what comes next. So instead of anxiously filling every moment with productivity or distraction, try honoring the pause. Be deliberately quiet. Let the silence accumulate. When the next movement begins, you’ll understand exactly why the rest was necessary.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Interesting temptations are wandering into your orbit. You may be surprised to find yourself drawn toward entertaining gambles and tricky adventures. How should you respond? Should you say “Yes! Now! I’m ready!”? Or is open-minded caution a wiser approach? Conditions are too slippery for me to arrive at definitive conclusions. What I can tell you is this: Merely considering and ruminating on these invitations will awaken uplifting and inspiring lessons. PS: To get the fullness of the blessings you want from other people, you must first give them to yourself.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The engineer Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) said he envisioned his inventions in intricate detail before building them. He didn’t need literal prototypes because his mental pictures were so vivid. I suspect you Aquarians now have extra access to this power. What scenarios are you dreaming of? What are you incubating in your imagination? I urge you to boldly trust your thought experiments. Your mental prototypes may be unusually accurate. The visions you’re testing internally are reconnaissance missions to futures that you have the power to build. Regard your imagination as a laboratory.

Respond to these people online: dating.sevendaysvt.com

WOMEN seeking...

OUTGOING, OUTDOORS, FAMILY, FRIENDS, FUN

I love hiking; family; friends; new adventures; happy, honest people; making memories.

love802girl, 61, seeking: M, l

PEACEFUL AND PLAYFUL

I am a retired widow looking for companionship with a kind and honest man. I enjoy cooking, gardening and reading. I really enjoy the outdoors. I like fishing and kayaking. I enjoy playing pool and maybe a little foosball and bowling. I enjoy walks, and I love dancing to rock and roll. Dilly, 65 seeking: M, l

LOW DRAMA, HIGH IMAGINATION

Yes, please, to outdoor water to swim in, float on or skate on; all animals; ridgetops; smart and funny and creative and kind people; books; laughter; sincerity; humility; not necessarily in that order. Am I delightful?

Sometimes. Hopeful? Oh, the audacity, but yes, mostly. Longtime single and independent, and mostly I like that. Sometimes it gets lonely. Ohhey 51, seeking: W, TM, NC, NBP, l

NEW IN TOWN

Will be moving to the Rutland area this summer and would look forward to meeting people. I will not know any except for family. I’m 61, and 61 years in Massachusetts. Teddy, 61, seeking: W

WANT TO RESPOND?

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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

SEEKING JOYFULLY SOBER

BUTCH/MASC LESBIAN

I seek deep conversation that begins lightly. I live in the Adirondacks. I’m a writer, a hard worker, deeply engaged in my second career and volunteering. I love to be in new places. You are: confident, courageous, thoughtful, calm, compassionate, goofy, sensual, political. I just bought Andrea Gibson’s book You Better Be Lightning. Shall we meet for tea?

ADKpersephone, 58, seeking: W,TW, Q, l

INQUISITIVE, JOYFUL AND OUTDOORSY

Heart open, future unwritten. Curious, high energy and athletic, with a practical mind and a romantic streak. Kids happily launched, leaving space for fun, connection and adventures. Emotionally steady and ready for the next chapter. Enjoys laughter, good conversation and discovering new places. Funny without trying too hard, grounded but optimistic. Seeking a curious, openminded partner who enjoys travel. Central Vermont. TR2026 59, seeking: M, l

SCOTTISH LASSIE LOOKING FOR LAD

My name is Michele, and I am a mental health counselor. I enjoy walking, hiking, gardening and spending time with my dog, Winnie. I also like to read. I have a very dry sense of humor that can catch people by surprise, and I have learned to manage it over time. I do enjoy a partner with a quick wit. Chelbelle, 57, seeking: M, l

OPEN TO SOMETHING NEW

Patient, busy, loving human who would like to meet new friends to perhaps develop into something more in the community. Preference to play and adventure instead of substance use. I’m tired of games and excuses. I love chess, snuggles and any activity in water. Sunshine_inVT 46, seeking: M, l

SPONTANEOUS AND FUN

I would like someone to match my spontaneous personality! I’m a spontaneous, fun person. Spontaneous, as in, I could, on a dime, say, “Let’s get in the car and go!” Let’s go out to dinner. Let’s go dancing, bowling and so on. I enjoy dancing every weekend. Honesty and communication are important to me, as well as attraction. Aggie 73, seeking: M, l

WANNA JUMP IN THE RIVER?

I love being outside year-round, wandering the forests and wondering at their whimsy and beauty. Balancing that out with cozy time inside, I love a good cup of tea, a book, and attempting/collecting random craft projects, usually made with nature or textiles. Building intentional community is something I am very dedicated to and consider very important, especially right now. ForestFairy, 32, seeking: M, W, TM, TW, Q, NC, NBP, l

MUST LOVE DOGS

I live on the New York side. My daughter went to UVM. I fell in love with Vermont. I hope to retire in five years. It would be wonderful to find a future partner in an area where I hope to move. Although I need to find a dog person: My favorite activity is hiking with my dog. ScaryLibrarian 60, seeking: M, l

POSITIVE, WELL-BALANCED

MUSICIAN

I’m positive, bighearted, kind and helpful to others. Music is my passion, along with my pets and especially Friesian horses. Would love to see more of Vermont, as its mountains are breathtaking. Love to meet new people here. So far it’s been quite a whirlwind for me in Vermont. Ask me, and I’ll tell you why. Pianofairy 73, seeking: M

HOPEFUL ROMANTIC

Warm, grounded and quietly adventurous. I love nature, deep conversations, spiritual exploration and a good deadpan joke. I’m a hopeful romantic who values honesty, compassion, presence and intention. I’m happiest paddleboarding, hiking, wandering museums, traveling and discovering something new. Looking for a kind, emotionally aware, openhearted man — romantic, grounded, curious, and ready to grow, explore and build something genuine. Grateful18 51, seeking: M, l

FAMILY FIRST, DOGS, GRANDKIDS

To be honest, I have no idea how to write about myself. I worked in the music industry out of Nashville most of my life. Life has thrown me some hard curves the last four years, and I need a redo. I love my dogs and would like someone to start something casual with and see where it leads. Jleemusic 65, seeking: M, l

FUNNY, CONSIDERATE NATURE LOVER

I am looking for something that feels natural and effortless but keeps me coming back for more. I rarely take life seriously but also know when to be serious, if that tracks. I want happiness, peace and the company of someone who warms my soul! 98% content with my life, just missing my person. VTgirl06 33, seeking: M, l

DANCING, CUDDLY, SEXY, FUN-LOVING

I am kind, helpful, like people, enjoy my job; am not willing to leave my family, friends or my job. I have a good sense of humor and like to laugh. I don’t want someone who is a downer. T1lc_, 69, seeking: M

FIT, GROUNDED, NOT DONE DANCING

Finishing grad school in mental health and currently working as a wellness coach. I’m 5’7”, fit, grounded and fun-loving, with a good life, close family and supportive friends. I enjoy hiking, XC skiing, gravel rides, dancing, cooking simple whole-food meals; and meditation, yoga and Qi Gong. Seeking companionship for adventure, deep conversation and easy time together. soulshine1975 50, seeking: M, l

MEN seeking...

EASYGOING

I like to be outside in the mountains or at the ocean. Museums, travel and current events always interest me. I am creative, sensual, witty and practical. Looking for like-minded companion who is open to exploring. bluehighway, 74 seeking: W, l

ENJOYS NATURE, MUSIC, EATING HEALTHY

Looking to meet a woman to share a meal with, a joke, go hiking; someone with similar interests for companionship, possibly long term. I have a great sense of humor, and I like to eat healthy and be active outdoors. Things I like: museums, art, music, symphonies, theater, music, food, relaxing, fixing something, helping someone, thrift stores, gardening and exploring. beecalm, 50, seeking: W, l

OLD-SCHOOL COOK CROCK WHEN SKIING ACTIVE

Game nights, expanding wisdom, travel, boats, shopping, camping, sky gazing, hunting for gold and love gardening. steppupnsail, 63, seeking: W

SEEING WHAT’S OUT THERE

Down to earth and easygoing. Looking for friends, maybe more, but depends on the connection. Bh4200089 36 seeking: W, Cp, Gp

FUN, CREATIVE, FAMILY-ORIENTED, ACTIVE

Active ENFP (Myers-Briggs) seeks friendship and a someone with a good sense of humor. You can tell me to take a hike or go jump in the lake, and I’ll say, “When will you be ready to go?” Easygoing and up for making nice dinners and travel. Let’s get acquainted. AdventureBud 67, seeking: W, l

CONSERVATIVE, FRIENDLY, OLD SOUL

Hey there — I’m looking for a friendship that could grow into a relationship. I enjoy being outdoors (mostly in summer and fall, but I do enjoy skiing) and am also content to stay in and watch movies. I don’t have much dating experience, so I’m looking for someone who is OK with that and is willing to enjoy time together.

OutdoorGuy92, 33 seeking: W, l

LAID-BACK OLD SCHOOL

Love music, going for walks as well as hiking or bicycling. Love animals. I’m shy. I’m a bit of a workaholic. Not too good at this — it’s all new to me. If you’d like to know more about me, drop me a line. Why_not50 54, seeking: TM

BEST IS YET TO COME

See me online. jvinvt34, 67 seeking: W, l

PARENT OF DOWN SYNDROME DAUGHTER

I don’t want a relationship — they hold you back. I want a best friend I can sleep with, make love to, hustle with, travel with and live with. I want a partner in crime, a life partner. Someone I can laugh with and build with. Somebody I am not afraid to lose, because I know they’ll always be there.

HighBornFrost 54, seeking: W, l

I’M A SHY PERSON

Hardworking, likes animals, raising chickens for eggs and meat, and maybe some bigger animals; I also run a sugaring business. Patch 40 seeking: W, TM, TW, Q, NC, NBP, l EDUCATED, OPEN-MINDED ARTS LOVER

Sensitive, unique, well-rounded guy looking to meet intelligent, insightful, interesting women to befriend and date. Vermonter forever but traveler, humanist, and lover of the outside and the arts; and kids, old people, food, the water and the mountains. You are comfortable being yourself, enjoy the good life and are looking for an interesting sidekick with whom to find your way. 3baldman, 54, seeking: W, l

LAID-BACK, HAPPY

I’m looking to spend some time doing things that we like. Any adult time, sitting in sun, by the water or just together. AdultCompanion, 59, seeking: W

YOUNG WRITER

Writer with a soft spot for doomed love stories, marginalia and conversations that accidentally last until 2 a.m. I split my time between literature, chemistry labs and overthinking sentences until they finally tell the truth. I believe romance should be intense but intelligent, and that wanting meaning isn’t the same thing as being naïve. mentalis, 21 seeking: W, l

ONWARD AND UPWARD

I live a healthy life cooking nutritious food. Outdoor enthusiast, physically fit. I’m present, love to laugh; seeking same. Outwardbound 69, seeking: W, l

DISABLED, FUNNY, LOVING

I’m a laid-back guy. I have a dark sense of humor, and I often joke about my disability and health issues. I’m also a bit nerdy: I love horror, science fiction, fantasy and history. I’m hoping to find a fellow homebody to share my time with. (I also have muscular dystrophy, and I’m bedbound, FYI). dystrophydude, 33, seeking: W, l

HUMORISTIC AND HYPERACTIVE LATINO I like soccer (It’s called “football”), movies, being immature sometimes and Catan. I’m looking for some casual sex. Mine is six inches: I want to be honest. Jake3249, 18, seeking: W

TRANS WOMEN seeking...

NERDY LADY SEEKING ESCAPADES

Nerdy trans lady looking for movie buddies and activity partners, maybe something more depending on chemistry. A work in progress, still taking shape thanks to the wonders of modern medicine. Single parent of three, so must be understanding of other demands on my time. Mostly interested in women, trans or gendernonconforming folks. stardustvt 53 seeking: W, TM, TW, Q, NC, NBP, Cp, Gp, l

TRANS WOMAN LOOKING

I am not your typical transgender woman as I’m a MAGA Republican, unvaccinated, goth, redneck, Christian metalhead. Call it a contradiction if you want — you simply don’t understand the complexity of who I unapologetically am. I am searching for the one forever woman with core values in common who is loyal and honest.

TransRebecca 32 seeking: W, l

GENDER NONCONFORMISTS seeking...

FRIENDS AND A REAL PARTNER

Never seen the other side, but want to. Married twice, 56 years total, miss it a lot. Want adventures and real closeness. Working on MFA with ’60s psychedelic art with a spiritual focus. Love to meet open-minded women, trans women who haven’t had the package deal but are very feminine. Love “Star Trek” and Star Wars. Hard left in politics. jemd 82, seeking: NC, l

COUPLES seeking...

CURIOUS COUPLE LOOKING FOR FUN Honest, hardworking married couple who love passion and soft touches. Looking for woman to fulfill lustful fantasy of woman-on-woman playtime. CplSeeking 41 seeking: W

WALLFLOWER WEEN

“Joppa Road” was OK, but I prefer “So Many People in the Neighborhood.” Very funky. When: Friday, February 20, 2026. Where: Wallﬂower. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916552

BOLTON VALLEY LIFTS

Lovely chairlift ride with you from Bethel, Vt. You are getting back into skiing after 20 years away from the sport. You and I are both teachers and respect the jobs we do. We talked about how uphill skiing might be something you are interested in. Maybe we could ski together for an evening? When: Tuesday, February 17, 2026. Where: Bolton Valley Resort. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916551

CITY HALL GROUNDHOG DANCING LADY

You hug-tackled your friend into me and then danced into me a couple times. Your friend apologized, but I found you quite delightful! TBH I had almost stayed in that weekend but was glad I saw you. It made my night. anks, Mr. Black Hoodie Green Fuzzypants. When: Saturday, January 31, 2026. Where: Burlington City Hall Auditorium. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916550

HOT BLONDE WITH BEAUTIFUL WHITE DOG

You are tall, stunning and you walk with conviction. Your dog is beautiful. I’ve seen you several times in Richmond. Are you single? When: Friday, January 23, 2026. Where: Richmond. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916548

MASS. PLATES JEEP

You swerved to avoid me in the crosswalk. Unknown to you, I pledged a life debt to you. In your darkest hour, I shall arrive. When: Tuesday, February 10, 2026. Where: Green St.. You: Man. Me: Man. #916547

If you’ve been spied, go online to contact your admirer!

SHELBURNE SUPERMARKET SHOPPING FOR SALSA

On Super Bowl Sunday you wore a black winter hat and I, the blue ball cap. We passed each other in a few aisles and then I was “in your way” when you were choosing your salsa. Your friendly hello and great smile made my day. I made the mistake of walking away without getting your name. Coffee sometime? When: Sunday, February 8, 2026. Where: Shelburne supermarket. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916546

MANGO MAMA

It’s been three years, and you still cross my mind regularly. Curious what life would be like if we met each other now instead of then. Who knows?

Hope you are doing well and life is fulﬁlling. When: Monday, February 9, 2026. Where: in my memories. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916545

TRANS GIRL CASHIER AT KOHL’S

Saw you while working. I was waiting in line. I noticed that you were a trans woman and hoped your register opened next. I am a man and was buying designer underwear. I was fumbling with my debit card. Was hoping that maybe we could meet again over a coffee? When: Saturday, February 7, 2026. Where: Kohl’s. You: Trans woman. Me: Man. #916544

BLOND AT SALSA AT SWITCHBACK

Your blond hair and energy drew me in. We danced a few times, and the vibe was real! Was just about to get your number, but you disappeared with your friend. (She had short hair.) You had a nice knit top. I wore a peachcolored shirt and have a beard. Your ﬁrst name starts with Br. Let’s connect soon! When: Tuesday, February 3, 2026. Where: Switchback Brewery. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916543

A couple of months ago, I met a woman I really like. We had been on a few casual dates in public, but I recently went to her house to hang out. When I got there, she wasn’t wearing any shoes or socks, and I couldn’t help but notice that her feet were a mess and her toenails were really long. It was an immediate turnoff, and I couldn’t get past it. I even made an excuse to leave early. Now I’m not sure if I even want to see her again. What do I do?

SNOW. DITCH. TWO BABIES.

You pulled over, asked if I needed a pull. I said no despite very much wanting one. Great hair, conﬁdent energy, baby in back seat. I was stuck in a ditch, also with a baby in the back seat, deeply regretting my AAA membership. I’m open to a do-over, no snow required. When: Saturday, February 7, 2026. Where: Center Road - Middlesex. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916542

YELLOW LAB — SPARKY

I stopped to pet your yellow Lab, Sparky. We shared antics of yellow Labs in doggie boots and complained of chapped lips this time of year. (I hope yours is healing up okay?) Both you and Sparky seemed really nice, and I think it would be fun to chat with you again (and see Sparky, too). When: ursday, February 5, 2026. Where: Montpelier. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916541

CUTE BLOND GIRL, CUTE BEAGLE

To the beautiful blond girl I ran into while you were walking your beagle (beagle’s name was Dilly): I had a wonderful time talking to you and wish I had had the conﬁdence to ask for your info. Truly, the most gorgeous and hilarious person I have ever met! Felt an instant connection and have been thinking about it since. When: Sunday, February 1, 2026. Where: S. Williams Street. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916539

KEEPING PACE

You: wicked running machine on the corner treadmill. Me: hufﬁng through the miles next to you. We exchanged a quick smile — you’ve got a great one. I noticed that we were keeping pace with each other. How about a run together — inside or out? When: Sunday, February 1, 2026. Where: Burlington YMCA. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916538

LADYBUG COLLECTIVE

Dylan, you felt so familiar, like we had seen each other so many times before. I was busy with some work calls and didn’t want to disturb anyone. When I returned, you and your friends were having such a good conversations. You were pretty and funny. I left without asking for a way to connect again. Find me here? —C When: Tuesday, January 6, 2026. Where: Ladybug Collective. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916537

De Nail Arms ong,

GUTTERSON FIELDHOUSE

You: woman, purple socks, boots with good traction. Me: man, I have you by a few, a bit scruffy with light blue coat. We shared a smile and it felt nice. Would love to share a walk or coffee; if it was just a smile, that was lovely. When: Friday, January 23, 2026. Where: UVM hockey game. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916536

SKI SHOP GAL

You came into the ski shop where I work on Fridays. You were with your dad and looking for a used pair of XC skis for him. You are in the area for the winter, staying at your grandmother’s place. I couldn’t stop thinking about your smile all day. I’m hoping you’ll visit again some Friday. When: Friday, January 23, 2026. Where: small ski shop. You: Woman. Me: Woman. #916535

CHATTED AT TRADER JOE’S

We have spoken a few times at TJ’s, ﬁrst over the summer and most recently on MLK Day. We talked about riding bikes in Burlington and how you work at a brunch place. You’ve got me curious. I’d like to hear more. How about a snowy stroll? When: Monday, January 19, 2026. Where: Trader Joe’s. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916533

CHEF’S MARKET, RANDOLPH

While having a cup of soup, I saw you and a young man take a table and have lunch. We made eye contact several times, and then I left. If you read this and would like to meet, please reach out. When: Wednesday, January 14, 2026. Where: Chef’s Market, Randolph. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916532

BIG SMILES ON PERU ST.

You were walking by as I brought in my recycling bin. We both had on ﬁtted blue puffy jackets; yours had orange, too. When we made eye contact, we both got big smiles. I hope to meet up and share more smiles! When: Wednesday, January 7, 2026. Where: Peru St. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916529

GRIEVES

You try to kill me every time you mess up, because you don’t listen. e damage you’ve done may not be ﬁxable when your ﬁve-year time is up. Or is that the whole point? When: ursday, July 31, 2025. Where: Grieves. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916530

Feet are funny. People either love ’em or hate ’em. Believe it or not, there are some folks who have a thing for unkempt feet. But that’s obviously not you. If your lady friend was expecting to have her tootsies on display, you’d think she would have tidied them up. But it is the dead of winter, and it’s easy to forget about feet when they’re bundled up in socks and boots 99 percent of the time. Discussing personal hygiene with someone — even your best friends or relatives — isn’t easy. Talking toe talons with a woman you just started dating probably isn’t the best idea, but

CORTADO IN MIDDLEBURY

I don’t want to compromise your privacy, since you’re dealing with the public, but you looked out the window and said, “ e sun’s out, but it’s snowing.” I was glad it was crowded; it gave me more time to enjoy your lovely smile. And yes, as you said, I did have a wonderful day, indeed. When: ursday, January 22, 2026. Where: Middlebury. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916534

BEAUTIFUL MAN WITH BEAUTIFUL DOG

I spied you at River Cove Animal Hospital with your black dog. e vet tech called her Helen. You had a nurturing way with her that only real men do. You were clad in a gray sweatsuit with a Buc-ee’s beaver logo on it. I gazed at you longingly, dreaming of a day when you might explore my Buc-ee’s beaver. When: Friday, December 19, 2025. Where: Williston. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916531

1 S. PROSPECT WAITING AREA

I noticed your mysterious eyes, high cheekbones and dark brown hair in the waiting area of the UVM phlebotomy lab. You wore a dark red ﬂeece vest and light shirt. I was the tall guy on the phone in a black puffy coat, salt-andpepper beard, winter hat. May I buy you a coffee? When: Monday, January 12, 2026. Where: 1 S. Prospect Street, UVM phlebotomy lab waiting area. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916528

WILLISTON FOLINO’S BENCHWARMERS ey forgot to put yours in; they failed to tell me mine was ready. Your smile truly made my day, and it had been the kind of day that needed making. I hope you didn’t wait long for your pizza. If you ever need a smile, let me know. I owe you one. When: Friday, January 9, 2026. Where: Folino’s Pizza. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916527

I HOPE FOR YOU

You persisted, though I told you my heart was closed / but once you had my love, you let it languish / now you’ll take all I gave and give it to someone else / you lied and betrayed and you broke me / I hope for you the kind of heartbreak you left me with / because I will never love again. When: Tuesday, October 14, 2025. Where: for the last time. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916526

perhaps you can nip the nail issue in a roundabout way. I’d suggest you try to pamper her with a professional pedicure. Invite her out on a date for brunch and pedis. If that feels totally unnatural for you to do, buy a gift certiﬁcate for a pedicure. And if it feels weird to give it to her as a gift, tell her that you won it or got it from a friend. Sometimes you just gotta be stealthy to steer clear of a sticky subject.

If that all seems like too much to deal with, take a little break before you hang out again and see if you can overcome your cold feet. If you like everything else about this woman, it’s worth cutting her some slack, even if she hasn’t cut her toenails in a while.

Good luck and God bless,

I’m a gay male, 65 y/o, seeking other gay men for friendship(s). Outgoing and fun-loving. Seeking real and intimate connections. Come on over for dinner, and let’s hang out. Dessert is on you! #L1920

I’m a 36-y/o man seeking a woman. Tall, slim and serious, looking for a soulmate who values children. #L1918

SWF, 72 y/o, seeking a man 60 to 80 y/o. I live in Woodstock, VT. Looking for a serious relationship with a man. Phone number, please. #L1919

Athletic, mindful man seeking adventurous woman. #L1917

30-y/o F (attractive, kind, smart) looking for older woman, 60-plus, for companionship and to have fun with. Liberal is a must. I am attracted to lived experience, not money. Relative attractiveness wouldn’t hurt. Red wine, records and lots of stimulating conversation. #1915

50-y/o man seeking adorable, soft goddess over 30. I’m built like a Greek god, with impressive package, but only recently realized I’m beautiful. I want to be a special treat that you feel so lucky to unwrap, and I want you to feel the same. #1914

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PUBLISH YOUR MESSAGE ON THIS PAGE!

1 Submit your FREE message at sevendaysvt.com/loveletters or use the handy form at right.

I am a cross-dressing man, late 60s, youthful, very ﬁt, healthy, 150 lbs., 5’7”. Bottom, dress-up, femme cute! Want to meet other cross-dressers, trans people, men and men couples. Will text, exchange photos and bios if it is acceptable. #1913

I’m a 49-y/o man seeking a 32- to 50-y/o woman who enjoys connection, affection, playfulness and shared outdoor adventures. I’m tall, authentic, athletic. I enjoy nature, am willing to try new things, and value good conversation and laughter. Happy to build a meaningful connection with room to grow. #1912

25-year-old woman seeking a resourceful man/SD. Send me a letter for some underwear. No touching, but you can watch. #1911

I’m a 72-y/o male seeking a female, 30-60. Looking for times together. Lunch, dinner, heels a plus at times. I can be a good listener; caring, sensitive. Phone number, please. #L1910

Single woman, 61. Wise, mindful. Seeking tight unit with man, friend, love. Country living, gardens, land to play on. Emotionally, intellectually engaged. Lasting chats. Appreciation for past experience. Please be kind, stable and well established. Phone number, please. #L1908

Int net-Free Dating!

BiWM seeks steady blow job. Single, bi, gay, Black, married, trans. Age no problem. My place and private. Phone number. I’m horny. Women, apply! Good head! #L1909

I’m a 68-y/o woman seeking a 60- to 70-y/o gent. Must enjoy comedy movies, occasional deep conversations, deep thinking and cats. Must be located in the Northeast Kingdom. #L1904

65ish woman seeking 65ish man. Friendship/dating. Wholesome, good-natured fun, laughter and conversations. Cribbage, other games. Attend music shows and events, leisurely walks. Sightseeing, café outings. Sound good? Drop me a line. I’m in the NEK. Namasté. #1906

I’m a 29-y/o woman seeking a man in his 20s or 30s who wants to start a family. My interests: aikido, hide tanning, fermentation, creative mending. I value authenticity, emotional awareness and intentionality. I’m in southern Vermont but could relocate. #L1905

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)

If you are a gentle and kind man and would enjoy written intercourse for play and fun with a lady wordsmith, write! I have snail mail only. No strings attached! #L1901

Imagine all the wonderful things you could have spent that $5 on. Hmm, yeah, inﬂation. Might as well see what I’m all about. No sales tax. Seeking Y/O/U. #L1898

I’m a 31-y/o man, ﬁt, 6’1” tall, dark skin, looking for a woman between 45 and 70. I like to work out, do outdoor activities, cook and craft, and learn new skills. I have a lot to teach. I’m independent and respectful. #L1899

I’m a 72-y/o SWF seeking a 60- to 70-y/o man. I live in Woodstock, Vt. I want a serious relationship with a man. Phone number, would meet in person. #L1891

Open-minded SWM, 60s, 170 lbs., 5’8”, seeks similar for friendship and more. Open-minded, intelligent, liberal, slim males into fun activities and exploring various types of fun. #L1894

Required conﬁdential info:

(MORE)

MAIL TO: SEVEN DAYS LOVE LETTERS • PO BOX 1164, BURLINGTON, VT 05402

OPTIONAL WEB FORM: SEVENDAYSVT.COM/LOVELETTERS HELP: 802-865-1020, EXT. 161, LOVELETTERS@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

THIS FORM IS FOR LOVE LETTERS ONLY. Messages for the Personals and I-Spy sections must be submitted online at dating.sevendaysvt.com.

A Journey of Sound: Hungarian, Romanian, Hebraic, and Finnish Masterpieces

WED., FEB. 25

VERMONT STATEHOUSE, MONTPELIER

Book Club: Turning Pages with Mary

THU., FEB. 26

PHOENIX BOOKS, ESSEX

Comedy for a Cause

THU., FEB. 26

TWIGGS AMERICAN GASTROPUB, SAINT ALBANS CITY

Learning the Language of YES:

FRI., FEB. 27 & SUN., MAR. 8 ONLINE

Hotel Vermont Ice Bar

FRI., FEB. 27, & SAT., FEB. 28

HOTEL VERMONT, BURLINGTON

A Journey of Sound: Hungarian, Romanian, Hebraic, and Finnish Masterpieces

FRI., FEB. 27

CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST. PAUL, BURLINGTON

Supernova: Drag & Burlesque

SAT., FEB. 28

STANDING STONE WINES, WINOOSKI

Draa Hobbs Quartet

SAT., FEB. 28

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION, NORWICH

SEABA Center Presents Los Sóngoros

SAT., FEB. 28

SEABA CENTER, BURLINGTON

Bike Basics

WED., MAR. 4

OLD SPOKES HOME COMMUNITY WORKSHOP, BURLINGTON

FRI., MAR. 6

Hot Priest Sketch Show

OFF CENTER FOR THE DRAMATIC ARTS, BURLINGTON

Spice on Snow Winter Music Festival

FRI., MAR. 6, & SAT., MAR. 7

VARIOUS LOCATIONS, MONTPELIER

Carnevale

SAT., MAR. 7

THE FARMHOUSE AT THE ESSEX RESORT & SPA

Mary McGinniss and the Selkies

SAT., MAR. 7

STANDING STONE WINES, WINOOSKI

'Counting Huskies' with Siber Sled Dogs

SUN., MAR. 8

PHOENIX BOOKS, BURLINGTON

TURNmusic Presents Sound and Silence, Ben Kulp, Cello

SUN., MAR. 8

THE PHOENIX GALLERY & MUSIC HALL, WATERBURY

Farmyard Cupcake Decorating Class

TUE., MAR. 10

RED POPPY CAKERY, WATERBURY

RAR Bike Basics – for WTNB

THU., MAR. 12

OLD SPOKES HOME COMMUNITY WORKSHOP, BURLINGTON

PechaKucha Night | Volume 42

THU., MAR. 12

MAIN STREET LANDING PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, BURLINGTON

TURNmusic Presents Samara Lark & the Outfit

FRI., MAR. 13

THE PHOENIX GALLERY & MUSIC HALL, WATERBURY

We see a delicious summer in your future! Plus, joining a CSA cuts your carbon footprint, challenges the corporate food system, and keeps your money local.

Most CSAs are paid up-front with weekly pick-ups, but with more than 100 Vermont farms offering CSAs, there are a variety of options for your budget, preferences, and lifestyle.

Find a CSA in our searchable directory: