Seven Days, June 10, 2026 by Seven Days

EVERYTHING MUST GO

After five unconventional years, Burlington High School prepares to check out of the old Macy’s and move into shiny new digs BY MARY ANN LICKTEIG, PAGE 30

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GOING UP

STATE PROPOSES LOCKED YOUTH FACILITY IN SOUTH BURLINGTON

4.36 million

That’s how many skier visits Vermont resorts recorded this past winter, the largest number since the 2014-15 season, Ski Vermont reported.

State leaders last week unveiled their latest proposal to build a secure facility for troubled youths — this time at a location in South Burlington.

e so-called Green Mountain Youth Center would be built in a largely industrial area on Meadowland Drive. It would host 14 beds that could accommodate youths age 12 to 18.

e facility is meant to ﬁll a gap in Vermont’s current system that was created when the Woodside Juvenile Rehabilitation Center was shuttered in 2020 amid allegations of abuse perpetrated by staff.

e only current placement for justice-involved youths in Vermont is a temporary facility called Red Clover Treatment Center in Middlesex. State ofﬁcials have stressed that it is not a viable long-term solution.

“Right now, too many young people are sent out of state or placed in settings that don’t meet their needs,” Sen. Ginny Lyons (D-Chittenden-Southeast) said in a press release.

State leaders say the facility could be up and running by summer 2028, so long as the local permitting process proceeds. at’s not a given, judging from past experience:

South Burlington is the third community to be identiﬁed as a potential site for the facility. Proposals in Newbury and Vergennes were both shelved as a result of community pushback.

“We’ve been working to identify a location that offers the right balance of access to critical supports, infrastructure, and community partnership,” said Sandi Hoffman, commissioner of the Department for Children and Families, in a press release. “We believe South Burlington provides that opportunity.”

e facility will be overseen by DCF, which will regularly inspect it, review incident reports and investigate complaints.

Marshall Pahl, a deputy in the Ofﬁce of the Defender General who represented youths at Woodside, said he supports the project. “ e work at Red Clover has shown that our state can deliver quality care and treatment in a structured setting,” he said in a press release. “Expanding our in-state capacity to care for Vermont children in Vermont, rather than out-of-state, will lead to better outcomes for youth and their families.”

COLIN FLANDERS

As of July 1, truckers who get stuck in Smugglers’ Notch will face $30,000 in ﬁnes — a tenfold increase. Whatever it takes!

NEIGHBORLY COMPETITION

The Vermont Green FC men’s soccer team played Canada’s national team in a friendly match ahead of the FIFA World Cup. Who won’t our guys take on?

SCARE TACTICS

Vermont schools received a series of bomb threats last week, creating disruptions statewide. Such “swatting” hoaxes are on the rise.

OFF DAYS

Franklin County Field Days has been canceled for the second straight year because organizers of the annual fair can’t ﬁnd a suitable location. Summer bummer.

TOPFIVE

TOWNCRIER

LOCALLY SOURCED NEWS

110 Years of Memories for Shelburne Man

Dr. Jay Keller, who lives at the Residence at Shelburne Bay, turned 110 on June 3, the Shelburne News reported. During his career, he delivered 150 babies and performed surgeries for decades. He also worked as a deckhand on the Ticonderoga steamboat when it was still on the water and served as a tour guide at Shelburne Museum until he was 100. Nowadays, he plays bridge twice a week — although he doesn’t always win.

OPEN EXPLORATION

As a child, Denise Lavallee had difﬁculty in the classroom. She didn’t earn her undergraduate degree until she was nearly 50. As an adult, she discovered she has a learning disability.

“My favorite expression used to be, ‘I don’t understand,’” Lavallee said.

ese experiences prompted Lavallee to create the Milestone Nature Center, a series of trails and stations in Barre Town equipped with materials that stimulate the ﬁve senses for neurodivergent people who have challenges learning in typical ways or environments.

e project has been a labor of love for Lavallee. She bought the wooded 30-acre property in 2018 and intended to build a bed and breakfast there. But Lavallee went in a dif-

ferent direction after learning about the milelong Autism Nature Trail at Letchworth State Park in western New York. In 2023, Lavallee created a nonproﬁt and began construction of a quarter-mile series of wheelchair-accessible trails intended for neurodivergent people. It’s still a work in progress.

Lavallee said she emptied her savings and retirement funds to make it a reality; it’s free for anyone to explore, though she accepts donations.

ere’s a taste station where people can try maple or hickory syrup and honey; a touch station with various animal parts and pelts; a station for looking at insects and critters under a magnifying glass; a place to smell different essential oils; and a “chime time station,” where Lavallee puts wind chimes, African drums, a

rain stick and something known as a Panda Drum that makes different sounds.

In addition, Lavallee created a meditation station, a balance station, a dog station with supplies for pups, a spot for arts and crafts and to build fairy or bug houses, and a place called “Hide Away,” featuring suspended cocoon swings.

She celebrated the grand opening on May 22. So far, some 30 people have come to explore. She’s hoping to partner with schools and other organizations to increase participation.

Lavallee said visitors should look for a ﬂag at the property: If it’s up, she’s open.

For more information, visit 540 Upper Prospect Street in Barre Town, call 802-4618185 or email dlavallee2000@gmail.com.

SASHA GOLDSTEIN

COMPILED BY SASHA GOLDSTEIN & MATTHEW ROY

Former state rep Topper McFaun at the center’s opening

Woodside Juvenile Rehabilitation Center

Cathy Resmer

Don Eggert, Colby Roberts

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Alice Dodge, Angela Simpson

Elizabeth M. Seyler

DIGITAL & VIDEO

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Don Eggert

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Colby Roberts

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Logan Pintka, Kaitlin Montgomery

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Gillian English

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CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

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

FOUNDERS

Pamela Polston, Paula Routly

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FACT CHECK

The new owner of WDEV Radio should check the ﬁles [“Vermont Radio Stations Seek to Fill the Void Left by CBS News,” June 2, online]. CBS News was added in the past few years. The station was a liated with the Mutual Broadcasting System and Yankee Network in Boston from the ’40s to the 2000s.

Brian Harwood SOUTH BURLINGTON

STORY LEFT ME WONDERING

I read, then reread, the article on Migrant Justice [“From Farm to Front Line,” May 27]. Nowhere did I see any explanation as to why Migrant Justice was protesting Hannaford. And believe me, I really wanted to know. I like Hannaford.

TIME FOR ‘BARGE CANAL PARK’ [Re “Housing Planned for Property Near Burlington’s Pine Street Barge Canal,” May 26, online]: What we have done to the Pine Street Barge Canal in Burlington is a microcosm of what we have done to the Earth as a whole. In the 19th century, the lumber industry ﬁlled in much of the extensive wetlands because it needed more storage. In the 20th century, there was a manufactured gas plant there whose waste products poisoned the land and water. Since 1967, due in part to activism by Burlington residents, the damaged Barge Canal has been largely left to grow wild.

This is not the ﬁrst time I’ve read a Seven Days piece where an important piece of information was not backed up with details. My suggestion is to start keeping a closer eye on these articles during editing and ask the questions that readers would be asking when reading a piece.

Jim Willard BARRE

Editor’s note: The reason for the protest was indeed revealed, though it was lower in the story, in the section about Migrant Justice’s Milk With Dignity program. It reads: “But since the initial win with Ben & Jerry’s, expanding the program has proven di cult. Seven years of pressure on Hannaford, another major purchaser of Vermont milk, has not succeeded in bringing the company on board.”

Now we are faced with a choice, for the Earth and the Barge Canal: We can restore a vibrant ecosystem or we can continue to exploit it for profit. Yes, we need housing for our ever-growing human population. But the Barge Canal is surrounded by already-paved surface parking lots that are rarely full. Can we change the paradigm of seeing the natural world as one big vacant lot just waiting for another building? Understanding the history of our destruction, could we decide to nurture this South End green space back to health instead of paving over three acres of it for “development”? The idea of remediation needs to mean something else besides making land available for exploitation. How can we use this opportunity to create a Barge Canal Park that exempliﬁes our understanding of the multiple crises we are facing? Not just the housing crisis, real though it is, but the crisis of an ailing planet that we have crippled for our comfort and enrichment.

Andrew Simon BURLINGTON

MILITARY SHOULD BE ‘MORAL’

[Re “Brass Tactics: Jasper Craven’s New Book Chronicles a Culture of Abuse in Military Schools and Its Toxic E ects on American Masculinity,” May 13]: I grew up in the environment of military schools. My father taught engineering at Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario, and then at Norwich University. On a hot August day, I was horriﬁed to see a cadet at RMC collapse from the heat and lie on his face with a pool of blood gathering around him, as the inspecting

CORRECTION

Last week’s news story headlined “Fish Out of Water” misidentiﬁed the maker of the towering river-goddess puppets. Central Vermont artist Janice Walrafen created them.

officer stepped over him and continued onward. I was 6 years old.

Later, when I was 9 and on my way to school through the Norwich campus, I passed an upperclassman taunting a Black first-year “plebe” by making him do push-ups in an overfull rain gutter along the street, putting his foot between the student’s shoulders to hold him underwater as he tried to raise himself.

(Despite Jasper Craven’s presentation of Alden Partridge as a man of sensitivity when he founded Norwich, I believe there were dark periods in the school’s history when the culture of hazing, domination and humiliation was accepted.)

These and other observed experiences contributed to my lifelong aversion to any national reliance upon compulsory military service and the kind of military culture where stripes or bars on one’s arm gives extraordinary power to people with marginal ethics or questionable character. Authority belongs only to those who demonstrate admirable leadership and morals.

Michael Billingsley PLAINFIELD

‘APPLAUD ICE’

I and many other Vermonters that I know have no problem with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents wearing masks [“House Bill Does Not Include Mask Rules for Federal Agents,” May 19, online]. I have spoken with many friends and family who feel that any state has the right to dictate what federal law enforcement can or cannot do. We feel that ICE has done a great job in ridding our country of the illegal aliens that were allowed to freely come across our borders during the administration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Had they done the job they were supposed to do, protecting our country and borders from illegals, ICE wouldn’t be as prevalent in our states and cities across the country. We applaud ICE for doing what they have done. The people that have been injured or killed as a result of interfering with federal operations placed themselves in the situations that got them injured or

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NEWS+POLITICS 14

Bid Trouble

e ﬂood-prone federal building in Montpelier is being auctioned off. Some worry potential buyers aren’t getting the full story about its ﬂaws.

UVM Health Cuts 142 Positions

The Other Bills

Here are seven pieces of legislation — not about education reform — that lawmakers passed this year

Vermont’s Youth Rodeo Team Prepares for a Trip to Nationals

An AI Video Targets Rep. Balint and Spurs Debate About the Tech

Customized Care

A “community-powered” app aims to connect those in need with local service providers

Stowe Police Shoot Bear Outside Restaurant

ARTS+CULTURE 44

No Place Like Home

Sutton author Garret Keizer talks about his new book, the writing life and being from New Jersey

Setting the Tone

At New Music on the Point, a festival along Lake

People Watching

What About Bob?

Siblings Lucy and Steve Boyajian were born and raised in a historic brick building by the Chace Mill and the Burlington-Winooski Bridge. eir parents ﬂed the Armenian genocide, and their father worked in the mills. Seven Days Eva Sollberger visited

MAGNIFICENT

MUST SEE, MUST DO THIS WEEK BY REBECCA DRISCOLL

FRIDAY 12 & SATURDAY 13

SHE’S ALL THAT

Ace impressionist, voice actor and all-around artistic chameleon Melissa Villaseñor two nights in a row at Vermont Comedy Club in Burlington.

OPENS WEDNESDAY 10

Known for rocketing to stardom via “America’s Got Talent,” the trailblazing standup next broke barriers as the ﬁrst Latina cast member of “Saturday Night Live,” where she ﬂexed her sketch muscles for six seasons.

SEE CLUB LISTING lights up

Hometown Hero

Back to Black

Weston eater launches its 90th season with Ring of Fire: e Music of Johnny Cash at the company’s Walker Farm space. e intimate jukebox musical — adapted from the 2006 Broadway production — walks the line through the storied career of the country music rebel. Fans can expect more than 30 of the Man in Black’s gritty hits, from “Folsom Prison Blues” to “Jackson.”

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 62

FRIDAY 12-SUNDAY 14

Paint the Town

Artists grab their brushes and descend on downtown Middlebury for the Sparrow Plein Air Festival, a three-day show of outdoor painting prowess. e town-wide creative endeavor — named after the French expression meaning “in the open air” — calls to beginners and veterans alike with workshops, demos and a chance to display their work at the “Wet Paint” exhibit and sale.

SEE ART LISTING ON PAGE 54

SATURDAY 13

Beer Here

Local, regional and even international breweries (guten tag, Germany!) rescue a classic beer style from under the shadow of the IPA at Black Flannel Brewing & Distilling’s Lagerfest. e sudsy soirée takes over the Green at the Essex Experience with a showcase of pours spanning a full spectrum of colors and ﬂavors, alongside good eats and live tunes by Seth Yacovone Band.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 65

SATURDAY 13

Local acts crank up the volume at Burlington’s Perrypalooza! celebration of late Queen City musician Matthew Stephen Perry (pictured). A powerhouse lineup including Blue Button, Eastern Mountain Time and Jesse Taylor shines a light on the life and legacy of the beloved scene stalwart in a manner he’d surely approve: loudly, and in good company.

SEE CLUB LISTING ON PAGE 60

Vox Populi

At McCarthy Arts Center in Colchester, “Voices for Immigrant Justice” brings together Lamoille Community Choir, Green Mountain Gospel Choir, and Vermont’s Freedom & Unity Chorus for an evening of choral kinship. A soul-filling program with a theme of solidarity benefits local nonprofits Migrant Justice and the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 66

SUNDAY 14

Spokes People

Onion River Outdoors empowers cyclists to tackle one of three scenic routes across ﬁve central towns in the very Vermonty Tour de Creemee. e classic gravel grinder winds through historic villages, up rolling hills and past mountain vistas, with a ﬁnish line at East Montpelier’s Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks, where all that hard work is rewarded with the state’s iconic summer treat.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 68

SEABA Center for , a high-octane

Exhibits, hands-on activities, bouldering wall, outdoor games, pedal cars, sculpture park, accessible nature path

Vermont Granite Museum

7 Jones Brothers Way, Barre VT 802-476-4605

info@vtgranitemuseum.org

Tuesday-Saturday: 10:00am-4:00pm

Ask the Vet

With Dr. Bryan Harnett, Radioiodine Therapy for Feline Hyperthyroidism

De Dr. H ne , My cat was recently diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. My vet has mentioned radioiodine therapy at BEVS as a treatment option. Can you explain what this involves? — C c ned Cat P ent

‘Life

Lessons’

This week marks the end of “Downtown BHS.” That’s shorthand for the education experiment that has played out in Burlington’s former Macy’s department store. In 2020, environmental testing found dangerous pollutants in Burlington High School’s 57-year-old campus on Institute Road. Displaced students, teachers and staff relocated to Macy’s, the erstwhile anchor of the Burlington Town Center. A rehab project of epic proportions, it made international news.

Did I mention this happened one year into the pandemic? Or that the rest of the mall was long gone, reduced to an unsightly, depressing pit? Demolition started four years prior to make room for an ambitious redevelopment project that almost immediately ground to a halt.

In this week’s cover story, Mary Ann Lickteig visits the pop-up high school in its final days and recalls the details of its transformation. She talks with students, teachers and parents about the challenges and unexpected benefits of learning in a setting designed for shopping, not chemistry. It turns out: While conducting an experiment, sometimes you make discoveries you didn’t know you were seeking.

“They leave now with a great story,” Mary Ann writes of the BHS students, “and a slew of inadvertent life lessons in resiliency,

Radioiodine therapy (I-131) is often considered the gold standard treatment for feline hyperthyroidism, and for good reason. Let me explain what this treatment involves and help you understand if it might be right for your cat.

HOW RADIOIODINE THERAPY WORKS: Your cat receives a single injection of radioactive iodine that speciﬁcally targets the overactive thyroid tissue. The radioactive iodine is absorbed by the thyroid gland and destroys the diseased tissue while leaving healthy tissue largely unaffected.

THE BENEFITS: The biggest advantage is that this treatment often provides a permanent cure with just one injection. Success rates exceed 95%, meaning most cats never need thyroid medication again. There are no daily pills to struggle with, no ongoing medication costs, and minimal side effects. While expensive initially it’s often more cost-effective over your cat’s lifetime than years of medication and monitoring.

WHAT TO EXPECT: Your cat will need to stay at BEVS for about a week due to radiation safety requirements. During this time, contact will be limited, but the staff will monitor your cat closely. Once home, there may be brief restrictions on close contact for two weeks, and you’ll need to handle litter with gloves temporarily.

IS IT RIGHT FOR YOUR CAT? Radioiodine therapy works best for cats who are otherwise healthy and good candidates for the brief hospitalization. It’s particularly beneﬁcial if your cat is difﬁcult to medicate or if you’re looking for a long-term solution rather than lifelong management. Your veterinarian will help determine if your cat is a good candidate based on their overall health, kidney function, and individual circumstances. Wishing you and your feline friend the very best.

Downtown Burlington High School

BURLINGTON APPEARS TO BE MAKING A COMEBACK FROM A STRING OF CHALLENGES.

camaraderie, adaptability and coping. Downtown BHS provided a five-plus-year-long teachable moment.” As principal Sabrina Westdijk summed up the experience: “It’s cultivated this sense of We can do really hard things together.”

That would be an apt mantra for Burlington, too, which appears to be making a comeback from a string of challenges that started in 2017 with the stalled mall makeover. The AC Hotel is now open in that spot, and people and businesses are moving into the adjacent apartments. The Champlain Parkway is nearly done, and over on Main Street, the yearslong disruptive road construction is also wrapping up. Now we’re seeing the public art portion of the “Great Streets” project, the good work of everbusy, budget-strapped Burlington City Arts. I love the new “Lakebone” sculpture suspended west of City Hall Park. Two more public artworks are being installed downtown on June 24. You can read all about it in this week’s art section.

Every summer weekend is a reminder of what’s possible when more people come to town. Festivals and special events help: the Vermont City Marathon, University of Vermont graduation, the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival. Last Friday I walked down to the waterfront — along with thousands of other grateful people — to hear Grammy Award-winning band Tank and the Bangas of New Orleans play for free. On that beautiful warm night, the Queen City was shining bright.

The past few years have taken a toll on Burlington restaurants and retail shops, and we’ve lost some good ones. But there is positive news, too: the reincarnation of Penny Cluse Café at Deep City, Farmers & Foragers taking over the Café HOT. spot, the new Italian deli Alimentari, the success of Fancy’s and Frankie’s, the expansion of EB Strong’s Prime Steakhouse. Our food writers, Melissa Pasanen and Jordan Barry, run themselves ragged every week trying to cover it all.

Burlington High School did its part, too, bringing 900 students downtown every day when the city needed them most: during the pandemic, in the winter, at lunchtime. Mary Ann notes that in her story, too. It’s possible Vermont’s biggest and most beleaguered burg learned a thing or two from the next generation about patience, perseverance and making the best of a bad situation.

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Reporter Lucy Tompkins joined the Seven Days newsroom on July 7, 2025. Her beat? Covering immigration, the northern border and refugee communities in Vermont. Needless to say, she’s had a very busy year.

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Paula Routly

PAULA ROUTLY

The new Burlington High School

HELPERS FOR HIRE ON NEW APP

BEAR SHOT DEAD IN STOWE

DEVELOPMENT

Bid Trouble

e ﬂood-prone federal building in Montpelier is being auctioned off. Some worry potential buyers aren’t getting the full story about its ﬂaws.

BY HANNAH BASSETT • hannah@sevendaysvt.com

For more than half a century, the federal building at 87 State Street in Montpelier has occupied one of the most prominent perches in Vermont’s Capital City.

The hulking, three-story granite structure sits just blocks from both the Statehouse and Main Street, anchoring downtown Montpelier with roughly 70,000 square feet of o ce space and a sprawling rear parking lot. Generations of Vermonters passed through the post o ce that occupied the first floor. The building once embodied the federal government’s presence in and connection to the Green Mountain State. Today, the historic, 62-year-old structure is vacant.

Nearly three years after catastrophic ﬂooding inundated downtown Montpelier, the U.S. General Services Administration is preparing to auction o the property as part of a broader e ort to reduce its real estate holdings. Bidding will open at

$500,000 on Monday, June 15. The auction will run through August 5.

For some, however, the sale is about far more than unloading an aging federal asset. The property represents one of

OUR INTERESTS ARE IN PUTTING THAT PROPERTY BACK TO WORK FOR MONTPELIER.

JON COPANS

the largest redevelopment opportunities in downtown Montpelier — a chance to restore a landmark building, add desperately needed housing and redeﬁne a ﬂoodsusceptible district.

But as the auction approaches, local o cials, advocates and environmental

UVM Health Cuts 142 Positions

BY HANNAH BASSETT hbassett@sevendaysvt.com

UVM Health cut 142 positions across its Vermont and northern New York system on Tuesday, a move that Vermont’s largest health care provider said is part of an ongoing effort to address a projected $100 million ﬁnancial gap this year and reorganize how care is delivered across its hospitals and clinics.

e layoffs include 76 positions that have been permanently eliminated, while another 66 roles will be reposted with revised responsibilities, according to a message sent to UVM Health staff on Tuesday. e changes are expected to save about $9.5 million annually.

Dr. Steven Lefﬂer, president of UVM Health, told staff on Tuesday that most of the affected positions do not directly provide patient care, though he acknowledged “targeted clinical changes where necessary.”

consultants say prospective buyers are being asked to make multimillion-dollar decisions without enough information about the extent of environmental risks from polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, asbestos, mold and ﬂoodwaters. Absent a fuller understanding of those risks, they say, it’s impossible to estimate what redevelopment might ultimately cost.

“It’s an incredible opportunity to build new ﬂood-resilient housing that could be the economic engine of the downtown,” said Ben Doyle, a Montpelier city councilor and president of Preservation Trust of Vermont. “Or, conversely, we could have an undercapitalized speculative investor buy this thing at auction and then sit on it for the next 20 years because they have no capacity to actually see it through.”

That uncertainty has prompted a coalition of institutions, businesses and

UVM Health operates hospitals and clinics that serve patients across the region, meaning changes in staffing and operations could be felt broadly, even if the most immediate cuts are concentrated in administrative support roles. e health system has been under sustained financial pressure in recent years, with leaders citing a combination of rising labor costs, increased reliance on temporary staff, and new reimbursement models from commercial and government insurers. is spring, Leffler told state lawmakers that ongoing operating losses at its flagship hospital, UVM Medical Center, averaged roughly $460,000 per day.

In a written statement on Tuesday, Lefﬂer acknowledged the impact of these “difﬁcult decisions” on colleagues but said they’re necessary for the health system to continue “to provide high-quality care that is accessible and more affordable for the communities we serve.”

Owen Foster, chair of the Green Mountain Care Board, said the cuts, while difﬁcult, are necessary. e impacted jobs, Foster said, appear to target areas of administrative duplication and positions where UVM Health was “overindexed” compared to national peers.

“ ese were the right areas for them to target to ensure that they have a sustainable operation,” Foster said, adding that it’s too early to determine whether restructuring will affect access to care. ➆

federal building in Montpelier

The Other Bills

Here are seven pieces of legislation — not about education reform — that lawmakers passed this year

BY ALISON NOVAK, HANNAH BASSETT, KEVIN MCCALLUM & AARON CALVIN

Education reform consumed most of the oxygen in the Statehouse this past session. Regardless, lawmakers managed to pass dozens of other consequential pieces of legislation.

They banned the toxic pesticide paraquat, repealed land-use restrictions that riled rural residents and boosted funding to expand “accountability courts” to address repeat criminal offenders.

Not all of the bills they favored will be signed into law. Gov. Phil Scott vetoed one that would have regulated data centers, for instance, and lawmakers couldn’t muster the votes to override him.

Many, though, will soon become the law of the land. Here are several bills you should know about.

FACE VALUE

The governor signed legislation last month that positions Vermont among the first states in the nation to cap resale prices for tickets for entertainment and sporting events — a measure meant to curb ticket scalping.

The law establishes a 110 percent cap on ticket resale prices for concerts, sports and other events sold through business resellers. It also prohibits selling tickets not yet owned at the time of sale, a practice known as ticket speculation, and targets deceptive online practices that can steer consumers toward third-party sellers posing as official box offices.

The changes are a huge win for Vermont’s artists and venues, said Susan Evans McClure, executive director of the Vermont Arts Council. Evans McClure commended state lawmakers for protecting consumers despite strong pushback from lobbyists for the largely unregulated national ticket-resale companies.

Artists and venues in recent years have complained that inflated resale prices have become ingrained in the live-event

experience. Vermont musician Noah Kahan, who testified in support of the bill, said the system erodes access for fans and weakens trust between artists, venues and audiences.

The new law’s impact is expected to become clearer after it goes into effect on July 1, as fans, venues and resale platforms adjust. Lawmakers added language to repeal the law in two years unless they opt to extend it.

HANNAH BASSETT

DATA PRIVACY DO-OVER

Lawmakers took another stab this session at drafting a data privacy bill that Gov. Scott would sign, two years after he vetoed a similar measure he deemed too burdensome for businesses. With the latest version, legislators sought to provide the digital privacy rules that consumer groups are demanding — without again provoking fierce pushback from businesses.

The legislation details how businesses in Vermont can collect, use, share and sell consumer information. It requires businesses to get consumers’ consent before selling sensitive data about health, genetics, biometrics, religious beliefs, sexual orientation and geolocation. It limits advertisements that target minors and prohibits the sale of their personal

Bid Trouble « P.14

Vermont’s Youth Rodeo Team Prepares for a Trip to Nationals

STORY & PHOTO BY COLIN FLANDERS • colin@sevendaysvt.com

Peyton Nichols sat astride a brown horse named TJ and urged the mare forward. The pair galloped into the arena before coming to an abrupt halt. In a motion Nichols has practiced hundreds of times, she kicked her leg over the saddle and hit the ground running, sending clumps of dirt flying in her wake.

Within seconds Nichols had reached her target. She flipped the goat onto its side and tied the animal’s legs with a rope she held between her teeth. Then she backed away with her hands in the air.

Her time — 14 seconds — was first in the goat-tying event. She freed the goat, who rose to its feet and stared at the dozen or so clapping spectators.

Nichols, who is 14 and from Worcester, was competing in the state finals of the Vermont high school rodeo circuit. Launched in 2020, the Vermont High School Rodeo Association is the only one of its kind in New England and has grown from five athletes in its first year to 18 today. Any junior high or high school student can join.

The season culminates in the state finals, held this year on May 30 at the Mill Brook Horse Farm in Wells. The event gave competitors a chance to earn the right to represent Vermont at national events in Oklahoma and Nebraska.

While the riders compete individually, they root for one another all the same. “We’re still a team, just like soccer or basketball or anything else,” Nichols said.

Events include breakaway roping, which involves lassoing young cows. Competitors in barrel racing and pole bending navigate obstacles on horseback.

Nichols, who amassed the highest point total this season, credited her interest in rodeo to her grandfather, Jim McDowell, who was a rodeo man for 30 years in upstate New York.

How does she do it? “Go fast,” she said, with a shrug.

Expectations for the team at nationals are usually tempered, given the fierce competition. Several hundred kids compete in each event, including those from southern states who can practice yearround — sometimes on horses that can cost twice as much as a new Ford F-150.

“Some of the kids here are competing on our backyard horses that they’ve raised themselves,” Kathy Nichols, Peyton’s mom, said. Still, how many youngsters get to say that their high school sport took them halfway across the country?

Among those who will be representing Vermont on the big stage later this month is Alexia Hosley, 14, of Danby, who joined the high school team two years ago.

“All my bestest friends are here, and I like going fast,” she said.

Last month in Wells, she hoped that a solid showing would give her some confidence heading into nationals. She had just one problem.

“I keep crashing into the second barrel lately,” she said.

As she nervously awaited her turn, Hosley received a pep talk from Mitchell Nichols, Peyton’s father, an Alabama native who grew up around rodeo.

When her name was called, Hosley brought her horse to the starting gate, then took off toward the first barrel, which she cleared with no problem. She handled the second barrel just as easily, and, after rounding the third, she raced toward the finish line, her friends cheering from the sideline. She crossed the finish line in 17.7 seconds — the team’s best time.

When Hosley brought her horse back to the waiting area, Mitchell Nichols was waiting. “You know what this means?” he hollered. “Pep talk at nationals!”

The eighth grader shook her head and flashed a toothy smile. ➆

nonprofit organizations to create a local development corporation — a nonprofit entity used in Vermont for coordinating and financing economic development projects — to help shape the property’s future.

The group has not committed to bidding on the building, but it wants to be involved in the process, potentially by bringing in public funding to aid a private developer. Nearly every option is on the table. Those behind the effort know what they don’t want: a costly white elephant that stays vacant in the heart of the Capital City.

When floodwaters swept through downtown Montpelier in July 2023, the federal building was one of many that got inundated. Water filled the basement and rose three and a half feet on the first floor, where the post office was located.

Tenants relocated. The post office closed. For more than 400 days, Vermont’s capital had no post office until a new location opened on Main Street in October 2024. Most federal agencies eventually left town.

And in late 2024, the feds announced plans to let go of the property. State and local groups were given a chance to purchase it before auction. Among those exploring the possibility was Jon Copans, executive director of the Foundation for a Resilient Montpelier, which was created to support community-led initiatives in the Capital City.

The discussions went nowhere.

According to Copans and Doyle, the federal government wouldn’t budge on its asking price of roughly $2.4 million and would not facilitate the type of environmental assessment they believed was necessary because the property was being sold “as is, where is, with all faults.”

“We felt like we were being asked to make a decision without enough information,” Doyle said.

In September 2025, the local partners arranged a walk-through of the building with a team of consultants, Vermont Commerce Secretary Lindsay Kurrle and groups who might be interested in leasing the space. The feds wouldn’t allow additional testing, but potential buyers brought along an environmental consultant to get an expert look at the building’s condition and materials.

The tour raised some immediate concerns. Doyle learned the building contained asbestos. And the elevator, damaged by the floods, remained broken; a negative air-pressure containment method had been set up to pull air toward the elevator to prevent mold spores from spreading further.

Then the consultant mentioned something unexpected: He’d already been

inside the structure years earlier to test the building materials for PCBs. The feds should have a report with the results, he said. When asked, the General Services Administration eventually provided the document.

The 2023 report documented widespread PCB contamination throughout the property, including in the paint, floors and exterior.

“PCBs in building materials are pervasive — in some cases in significant quantities,” the report says. “Future renovation activities will need to plan for presence of PCBs in building materials that will be disturbed.”

The situation still upsets Doyle. He feels like the feds withheld key information that his group only obtained by pure luck.

Despite the contamination, the feds refused to remediate the chemicals or budge on the asking price.

In the months since the first offer fell through, the General Services Administration has listed the building for public auction and gradually posted documents detailing its condition, including reports on asbestos, mold and PCB contamination. The report on PCBs in the building materials, which Copans and Doyle learned about through the consultant, was posted last Friday.

Copans and Doyle have continued working with environmental consultants to review the public information and determine the ultimate cleanup cost.

One expert, Don Voisin of Stone Environmental, said it’s nearly impossible to determine the actual condition of the building given the limited information that has been made available.

What troubles Voisin most is the unknown extent of the environmental problems. The limited testing data established that contamination exists but not how much or what might be needed to remediate it — particularly the PCBs in the building materials. Although auction documents urge bidders to inspect the property prior to submitting an offer, prospective buyers are not permitted to conduct additional tests.

Meanwhile, marketing materials describe the building to prospective buyers as “de-risked” and “positioned for unlocked value.” The brochure also says, “Environmental documentation is comprehensive and available for buyer review, converting what many buyers assume to be unknowns into underwritten, quantified conditions.”

Copans disagrees.

“There is inherent risk in this purchase, because we cannot understand the full scope of the contamination and the cost of cleanup,” he said.

A young spectator watching the barrel racing event

A GSA spokesperson said the agency determined the property’s value through an appraisal process. The GSA is responsible for protecting taxpayer interests by seeking the building’s fair market value, the spokesperson said.

“We need to understand what’s actually going on in there,” Voisin said. “It’s time to turn on the lights.”

Doyle and Copans have shifted their focus from challenging the federal process to formalizing a local response ahead of the auction.

“Clearly the federal government has demonstrated no one is coming to save us,” Doyle said. “So the best defense is an offense.”

That “offense” took shape officially on June 2, when representatives from 10 major Montpelier institutions formally established a local development corporation focused on the property’s future.

Its board includes representatives from Vermont Mutual Insurance Group, National Life Group, Union Mutual, Central Vermont Medical Center, Downstreet Housing & Community Development, the City of Montpelier, Central Vermont Economic Development Corporation, Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission, Foundation for a Resilient Montpelier and Preservation Trust of Vermont.

The group could serve as a vehicle to help manage liability, secure environmental grants, coordinate redevelopment efforts and obtain financing from the Vermont Economic Development Authority.

Copans said he understands that highlighting the building’s conditions could be viewed as an attempt to scare off other bidders. But he said he’s simply trying to prevent the next owner from ending up surprised — and spare Montpelier the fallout of a failed redevelopment.

“Our interests are in putting that property back to work for Montpelier,” Copans

said. “Whatever pennies they’re going to make on the sale of this property is meaningless when you look at the holistic picture of the federal budget, yet it has a tremendous impact on the future of the city.”

Beth Damon, a Montpelier architect and inn owner, hopes the auction could bring a new look to the block. The current cube-shaped federal building with its narrow upper story windows is “not a very welcoming” structure, she said.

If there were a way to open up the building’s interior, it could make a nice theater space, Damon said, though she acknowledged that the massive concrete support columns and need for floodproofing could make that a challenge.

“It needs a big renovation to make it purposeful,” she said.

The outcome that worries Copans most is that the building is sold to the wrong buyer: an out-of-state investor who sees an attractive historic property near the Statehouse, wins the auction, and later discovers redevelopment costs are far higher than they care to see through.

Doyle has seen efforts stall in other Vermont towns, such as Newport, where redevelopment efforts froze after buildings were razed. An area known as the “pit” has sat empty for more than a decade under the control of a federal receiver after authorities discovered the property developers were using a Ponzi-like scheme involving the federal EB-5 visa program.

That area, along with the Montpelier building, could benefit from a state program, newly expanded with up to $2 million, intended to help buyers acquire and plan cleanup for federal properties.

“Vermonters deserve — Americans deserve — federal government, state government and municipal governments that are working together in the interests of communities,” Copans said.

But once the auction opens on June 15, the federal government will step back and leave it up to the bidders. ➆

Rear view of the federal building

information. It also gives people the right to see the data collected by companies, correct it, have it deleted and to opt out of future collection.

Prominent businesses around Vermont, including Killington Resort and the Vermont Country Store, warned that overly strict rules would put them at a competitive disadvantage by making it harder for them to market their businesses.

Lawmakers listened. At the behest of Vermont Chamber of Commerce lobbyists, they rewrote the bill at the last minute in ways that some lawmakers and consumer advocates decried as caving to Big Tech.

“I feel the weight of billion-dollar national entities, not our Vermont County Store, that is having its say here,” Rep. Herb Olson (D-Starksboro) said.

Several argued that the ﬁnal bill was riddled with so many compromises, loopholes and exemptions that any protections are virtually meaningless. “I am deeply concerned that we can and should be doing much more here,” Rep. Chloe Tomlinson (P/D-Winooski) said.

Rep. Mike Marcotte (R-Coventry) told colleagues that the bill “walks a ﬁne line” and that the tougher consumer protections that some wanted would have led to another veto.

In the end, most agreed that getting something on the books was better than nothing.

“We have to start. This is where we start,” Rep. Edye Graning (D-Jericho) said.

The governor is expected to sign the bill into law.

KEVIN MCCALLUM

DIM SOLAR PROSPECTS

A low-cost solar technology gaining popularity in Europe needs to overcome safety and regulatory hurdles before making its way to the United States. But Vermont lawmakers laid the groundwork this session for so-called “porch solar,” which allows people to plug panels directly into wall outlets in their homes to reduce their power bills.

Technical, safety and legal issues, though, will likely limit the technology’s rollout.

To ensure the panels are safe, the bill mandates that they can only be plugged into outlets equipped with special wiring

— a type that most buildings in Vermont don’t have. The measure also requires various additional safety features, including special plugs that help prevent electrical shocks. The legislation clarifies that renters only have the right to install the required wiring with their landlord’s approval. Renters need to give landlords 10 days’ notice of their plans to install porch solar, and landlords can say no.

The Vermont Public Interest Research Group and supporters including Sen. Anne Watson (D/PWashington) had pushed for a bill that would give people the right to install these panels in their homes without going through the red tape involved in permitting larger rooftop systems.

Ben Edgerly Walsh, climate and energy program director at VPIRG, acknowledged that the restrictions could slow the adoption of the technology in the short term. But when “true plug and play” versions emerge, he said, “Vermonters will be able to use those systems right away without a landlord veto.”

The governor is expected to sign the bill.

K.M.

TEENS IN NEED

Vermont lawmakers have passed what supporters are calling the most signiﬁcant youth welfare reform package in years.

The bill expands access to services for homeless youths, strengthens protections in residential treatment settings and increases transparency around how children in state care are treated. In addition, it would prohibit the Department for Children and Families from taking federal Social Security beneﬁt payments intended for youths in its care, a practice that advocates and the federal government have criticized.

The “youthcentered bill” is designed to empower and protect young people, rather than lead them into state custody, according to Matthew Bernstein, who leads the independent O ce of the Child, Youth and Family Advocate, which monitors DCF. Provisions allow homeless

16- and 17-year-olds to access resources such as health care, housing assistance and ﬁnancial services without requiring parental consent.

Rep. Teddy Waszazak (D-Barre City), who has spoken publicly about his experience with homelessness as a teenager, described the bill as an important measure for young people who are su ering like he once did.

interventions have been attempted and have not resulted in improved attendance,” the bill says.

The measure directs the Vermont Agency of Education to work with educational leaders to develop a model policy for addressing chronic absenteeism. School districts would be required to adopt the state policy, or create one of their own that is at least as rigorous, before the 2027-28 school year.

ALISON NOVAK

“At 15 years old, I did not receive medical care, mental health care, food assistance, access to education and so many other necessary supports because I was an unaccompanied youth,” he said in May, after the House passed the bill by a 133–2 vote.

The measure includes reforms of restraint and seclusion practices for youths in care and adds due-process provisions, stronger data collection requirements and increased public accountability for how children in DCF custody are treated.

It remains unclear whether the governor will sign the bill.

H.B.

ATTENDING TO

ATTENDANCE

Lawmakers approved a bill designed to modernize state laws governing student absenteeism and to standardize the way schools respond when kids miss too many days, and Gov. Scott signed it into law on Monday.

Research shows that when students are chronically absent, typically defined as missing 10 percent of instructional days in the school year, they’re more likely to perform poorly in class, drop out and be unemployed as an adult.

DOLLARS FOR SCHOLARS

The state budget includes $700,000 for Read Vermont, an Agency of Education literacy initiative that was a key component in a bill the legislature passed two years ago. But for a time, that funding was in question.

Appropriations Committee chairs in both chambers resisted allocating the money, contending that the Agency of Education hadn’t requested it through appropriate channels. The Scott administration, however, argued that the funding is critical to address declining reading scores. Lawmakers ultimately got on board.

During the pandemic, chronic absenteeism rates spiked in Vermont, mirroring national trends, and still haven’t recovered.

During the 2024-25 school year, one in four Vermont students was chronically absent.

The bill takes a nonpunitive approach, stressing the importance of identifying the root causes and working collaboratively with parents and caregivers. Taking legal action against families for truancy should be considered an option “only after reasonable school-based

The funds will be used to train teachers in effective reading instruction. Toren Ballard, the ed agency’s director of policy and communications, called the investment “a critical first step in regaining Vermont’s national leadership in literacy.”

Also included in the budget is $12 million to help the University of Vermont build a massive “multipurpose center” for athletic events, concerts, lectures and conferences — a project that broke ground in 2019 but stalled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. UVM initially requested the legislature fund the project with $15 million from the Higher Education Endowment Trust Fund, which provides financial aid to students attending Vermont colleges.

UVM president Marlene Tromp told legislators that the one-time investment would draw more students to the university and boost the state’s economy. Gov. Scott supported her request.

But legislators balked at using scholarship funds for a construction project. In the waning days of the session, though, the State Treasurer’s Office alerted lawmakers that the state had around $10 million more in its unclaimed property fund than initially thought. That money was allocated to the UVM complex, along with $2 million from the scholarship fund. The remaining $88 million needed for the project will be raised primarily through philanthropy, UVM has said.

A.N.

CHANGING A CHARTER

Within the past five years, Burlington voters have resoundingly approved charter changes that would protect renters from no-cause evictions, establish a new police oversight model and ban guns from bars. But when these measures and three others were submitted as state bills, as required, they went nowhere. At least not until this year.

ELECTION 2026

AI Video Targets Rep. Balint and Spurs Debate

BY KEVIN MCCALLUM kevin@sevendaysvt.com

As the 2026 legislative session drew to a close, lawmakers approved — and the governor signed — a measure that officially codifies in the city charter the Department of Racial Equity, Inclusion and Belonging. Roughly 57 percent of Queen City voters approved the charter change on Town Meeting Day.

The change enshrines an office formed in 2019 to inject the city’s departments and decision-making processes with anti-racist and racially equitable policy and to promote cultural events such as the city’s Juneteenth celebration.

The charter change bill sailed through committees and was signed into law.

AARON CALVIN

An AI-generated online video smearing U.S. Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) and praising Mark Coester, a man who is in a primary race to become her Republican opponent, shows how artificial images are already assuming a role in Vermont elections.

The video, which does not contain any information about who made it and is not labeled as a political advertisement, was shared on X by the account of Planet Hank. That’s the handle used by Hank Poitras, a Brattleboro man who has gained notoriety for controversial online comments and filming arrests and posting them on the internet.

The video depicts Balint making arrogant statements.

“Vermont is my state. I decide what’s going to happen,” her fake likeness declares. “Your tax money is spent, and there is nothing anyone can do to stop me.”

A likeness of Coester, a logger, declares that “Vermont is for Americans,” not “radical communists.” He scoops up Balint with a backhoe and drops her into a dumpster.

Balint, who is running unopposed in the August 11 Democratic primary, is seeking a third term in Congress; Coester is vying against Gerald Malloy in a primary to become the GOP nominee.

Balint denounced the video as an “offensive and a dangerous example of what happens when AI is used to deceive voters.”

Coester said it was “hilarious.”

Poitras could not be reached before press time.

The Vermont legislature passed a bill this session requiring that political ads that drop within 90 days of an election must disclose if they were created with AI.

The law includes exemptions for “satire or parody.” Gov. Phil Scott signed it into law March 5, and it went into effect immediately.

The video is not a political ad, Coester said, and therefore the law doesn’t apply.

“It’s obviously satire,” Coester said. ➆

Screenshots showing AI images of Becca Balint and Mark Coester

SCAN & VISIT

SCAN

Customized Care

A “community-powered” app aims to connect those in need with local service providers

BY ALISON NOVAK • alison@sevendaysvt.com

During the pandemic, Rustam Sengupta was living in Canada and watching from afar as his mother in Singapore struggled to support his father, who had dementia. In his family’s personal predicament, Sengupta saw a more universal problem: burnt-out families trying to connect their loved ones with quality care.

What if, Sengupta thought, there was a network that people could call on to meet the nonmedical needs of elderly or disabled family members?

That question became the impetus for Tuktu, the digital platform Sengupta created to connect those seeking support and companionship with vetted local service providers. The name comes from an Inuit word meaning caribou; legend has it that the animal acts as a guide for those lost in the snow.

TECHNOLOGY

An entrepreneur with a background in renewable energy, Sengupta started Tuktu in Vancouver in 2022 and has since expanded across British Columbia and to Toronto, amassing close to 9,000 users. In February, he brought Tuktu to Vermont, launching the platform that allows residents to book services such as rides to doctor’s appointments, meal prep, house cleaning and companionship, often for elderly parents or family members with disabilities. Services cost users $25 to $40 an hour, with Tuktu taking a 15 to 25 percent cut of the fee.

The platform uses artificial intelligence to recommend services and match providers with clients. Providers — often college students and recent retirees looking for part-time work — are interviewed, background-checked and trained by Tuktu.

Sengupta pointed to the epidemic of loneliness and disconnection — highlighted in a 2023 U.S. Surgeon General’s report — as a reason why services such as Tuktu are critical.

“Community-powered platforms like ours can really help reduce that,” Sengupta said.

While traditional home-care agencies such as Home Instead already exist in Vermont, Sengupta said those are based on a more traditional model: professional caregivers who work longer shifts helping people who need “more ongoing personal care.”

“Tuktu is designed for the many needs that fall outside that model: one hour of companionship, a ride to an appointment, help with groceries, light household tasks, tech help, a weekly check-in or support after surgery,” Sengupta explained.

Sengupta and his family moved to South Burlington last summer when his wife, Helina Jolly, an assistant ecology professor, landed a job at the University of Vermont. Since then, Sengupta has been working to get Tuktu off the ground

TUKTU AIMS TO CONNECT THOSE SEEKING SUPPORT AND COMPANIONSHIP WITH VETTED LOCAL SERVICE PROVIDERS.

here while also serving as a lecturer at UVM’s business school. Besides Sengupta, the company has 11 employees — five in Canada, five in Sri Lanka and one in the United States.

Seed money for Tuktu’s Vermont expansion included $100,000 from an investment fund run by the nonprofit Center on Rural Innovation, in partnership with the Vermont Economic Development Authority, and matching dollars from a private wealth-management firm. Since February, 300 Vermonters have signed up for the app and 30 have booked services, some of them multiple times. About 25 have been hired as service

providers, mostly in Chittenden County. Sengupta is hopeful the platform will be used throughout the state by the end of the summer.

With its aging population and community-minded ethos, Vermont appears to be the “perfect place” for Tuktu, Sengupta said. An estimated 23 percent of residents are 65 or older and more than a quarter of them live alone, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. One in four adult Vermonters provides unpaid care for family members, according to the AARP.

Melissa Merkel-Dallaryan, the Center on Rural Innovation’s impact investing manager, said the platform is an ideal fit for Vermont. Before investing in the company, she saw Sengupta pitch Tuktu at LaunchVT — an accelerator for Vermont-based startups — and was impressed by his track record in Canada and his vision for the future.

“This is a thing that doesn’t exist here, [and] the need is very obvious,” MerkelDallaryan said. She thinks the easy-touse platform where people can “book on demand, like Uber,” is well suited for Vermont, where many people live in rural areas far from services.

About a third of Tuktu’s providers are college students; a third are recent retirees; and a final third are people who have built careers in a service-oriented profession such as teaching or nursing. The work isn’t meant to be a full-time job, Sengupta said. Instead, providers commit to between six and 16 hours of work a week.

Several Tuktu users and service providers in Canada shared their experience with Seven Days. Cheryl Hutchko of Toronto signed up in 2023 for occasional

help with her now-95-year-old mother, who lives in a retirement home. She books a care provider a few times a month, usually for just an hour at a time, to make her mom tea and cookies in the afternoon or help her get ready for bed.

The service is reliable, Hutchko said, and when she’s busy or traveling, it’s comforting to know someone is checking on her mom.

Michael Ip, a social worker at a residential facility for seniors on Vancouver Island, helps about 25 of his residents book Tuktu services, ranging from rides to medical appointments to trips to the movies. Ip said the technology that powers Tuktu enables him to make multiple appointments easily and the price is reasonable. He also likes that users of the service can easily provide feedback online.

Joyce Penner of Victoria, British Columbia, has been a provider for Tuktu for about nine months. Penner, a 70-yearold piano teacher, most often serves as a “travel companion,” driving elderly people to doctor’s appointments and other outings. One client’s family hired her to take him to the gym several days a week and assist him as he exercised; she recently had a first-time client whom she accompanied to the beach.

“All she wanted to do was walk on the beach in her bare feet … and she was in bliss,” Penner said. “There’s a lot of gratification in brightening up someone’s day.”

In Vermont, Emery Guzyk, a firstyear student at UVM, started working for Tuktu several months ago. She learned about the company through

Rustam Sengupta

Unique Upholstered Furniture Selection

Stowe Police Shoot Bear Outside Restaurant

BY AARON CALVIN calvin@sevendaysvt.com

A black bear looking for a meal at a Stowe restaurant last week was shot and killed by a police officer after it repeatedly broke into a walk-in cooler.

The shooting coincides with an increase in Vermont’s black bear population. On the rise, too, is the number of encounters between humans and the animals, which often find meals at bird feeders and trash bins.

an employment website when she was looking for flexible work that would help her get out into the greater Burlington community. She’s provided housekeeping, meal prep and companionship services that have allowed her to make connections with people she wouldn’t normally meet, she said. She’s recommended Tuktu to friends who are looking for work but are unable to commit to the longer shifts that a typical job requires.

Susan Wilson, a Washington County resident who recently retired from a career in higher education, was also looking for a part-time gig when she came across Tuktu on LinkedIn. At first, she wasn’t sure if it was legitimate, she said, but when she attended a Tuktusponsored meet and greet, she was impressed with the company’s values. So far, most of Wilson’s jobs have been housekeeping for younger families, but she’s hoping that, as Tuktu’s user base expands, she’ll be able to sign up for more work focused on gardening or companionship for seniors.

The June 3 shooting happened at the Matterhorn, a popular Mountain Road restaurant not far from Stowe Mountain Resort. That morning, town police officer Jamie Bunavicz responded to a call about a black bear at the restaurant and found one, weighing an estimated 200 to 300 pounds, “laying down near the dumpsters consuming an entire jug of sauce from the walk-in cooler,” according to a police report.

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Bunavicz left without taking action but was called back to the restaurant later that afternoon and found the bear attempting to break into the walk-in cooler, which has a door on the outside of the building. At that point, he called the state Fish & Wildlife Department for assistance, the report says, and game warden Jeremy Schmid advised Bunavicz to shoot the animal “if the bear enters the premises again.”

The bear returned to the walk-in cooler and started “rummaging through the frozen chicken patties,” the report says. When the bear exited again, Bunavicz opened fire. The wounded bear attempted to flee, then died beside the West Branch of the Little River.

Fish & Wildlife maintains a “bear response protocol,” according to the department’s wildlife management program manager, David Sausville. The protocol emphasizes early intervention and is meant to address bear problems before they escalate to the point of lethal intervention, Sausville said.

Once the bear had been seen repeatedly entering the cooler, the bear response protocol dictated that it should be killed, Sausville said.

But Matterhorn owner Charlie Shaffer said he was “horrified” by the outcome.

“If I had been there, I would have put myself between the bear and them,” he said. “It’s ridiculous. I don’t know why they did it.” ➆

Gena Grover of Shelburne found Tuktu when she was looking for a friendly community member who could chat with her 92-year-old mom, Genny Hazard, about history or books and take her on occasional outings to Shelburne Museum or the library. It was easy to sign up, Grover said, and she liked that she didn’t need to commit to a minimum number of hours per week.

In April, Grover did a trial run, accompanying her mom to a local café to meet a Tuktu provider so she could get a sense of what a companionship service would be like. She was surprised when Sengupta himself showed up — he is pitching in to provide occasional services as the company finds its footing in Vermont. Grover said she was impressed by his friendliness and ability to put her mom at ease. The experience prompted her to post on Front Porch Forum recommending the service. In the past several months, Grover has booked Tuktu services a few more times.

Sengupta is hoping similarly positive word of mouth will help Tuktu catch on. He’s been holding information sessions in other parts of the state, tabling at conferences, and exploring partnerships with organizations including hospitals, senior living facilities and Age Well, an agency that connects the elderly to services in northwestern Vermont. Despite his digital platform, Sengupta sees his mission as fundamentally low-tech.

“At its core,” Sengupta said, “it is about neighbors helping neighbors.” ➆

FEEDback

killed. They should have left the agents alone to do their jobs.

John Cozza PLAINFIELD

LOVE CHILDREN?

[Re Feedback: “‘Baby’ Talk,” May 13, in response to “Baby Bust: Vermont’s Birth Rate Is the Lowest in the Nation. Why Aren’t We Having More Kids?” April 29]: I agree with the reader who indicated that population explosion is largely responsible for the mess we’re in now: overcrowding, pressure on the natural environment, and lack of resources, housing and education. We should welcome a balancing of the population.

ballot box? Why are they less important than an unborn fetus? Why are you not shouting from the rooftops that you will not spend your taxpayer dollars on killing them?

Louise Watson MONKTON

DEMOCRACY AND DISAGREEMENT

There was a time in Vermont when self-government was understood not as a slogan but as a responsibility [“Education Reform E orts Appear Stalled in the Statehouse,” April 8]. Towns governed their own affairs because the people living there would bear the consequences of those decisions. That principle is why local school boards existed in the ﬁ rst place. The closer government remains to the citizen, the stronger republican government becomes.

Forced consolidation turns that principle upside down.

We are constantly told larger districts are “more e cient.” Perhaps some are. Large systems can centralize authority, combine o ces, standardize policy and expand administration. But e ciency alone is not the highest virtue in a republic. Government can become more ecient at the very moment it becomes more distant from the people it serves.

NOTHING UNETHICAL ABOUT IT

The recent criticism of ﬁve Vermont legislators who participated in an educational trip to Israel says more about today’s political polarization than it does about any ethical failing on their part [Feedback, May 13].

Travel programs for lawmakers are common and exist to help elected o cials better understand complex issues ﬁrsthand. The suggestion that simply visiting Israel — America’s closest democratic ally in the Middle East — constitutes an ethical violation is unreasonable.

number of outlets for their publication, are indeed cause for lamentation. And exacerbating the problem is the tendency of many reviewers to devote more of their reviews to promulgating their own obsessions, or displaying their supposed erudition, than to providing the reader with an informative evaluation of the book at hand.

I especially enjoyed the elegance of expression. Not in every publication, nor in the writing of every publisher, would one encounter a reference to “Salieri-like envy.” This is yet another example of the elevated tone of Seven Days, and of the admirable writing of its publisher.

William Warren CORNWALL

‘TRAP OF SELF-SACRIFICE’

Also, most of the letter writers seem to believe that every child deserves to live and thrive, and that even legal abortion goes against the teachings of Jesus and God. If you really believe this, and if you support the Donald Trump administration, how can you sit by and watch our government’s participation in genocide? How can you stomach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asking God to make sure every bullet hits its human target? In Iran and Gaza, we and our allies are killing and orphaning children every day with bombs, missiles, lack of crucial medical care and starvation. We are demolishing their homes and schools, murdering their parents, polluting their air and water. They are being willfully deprived of food and medicine.

Over 1,200 species of fish live in the Red Sea, for example, and due to explosions and oil tanker leaks, fishers are losing both their food and their livelihoods. We could end Russia’s brutal crushing of Ukraine with genuine material support. Why don’t the children of Iran, Lebanon, Iraq and Ukraine deserve your strong and vocal support via the

A local community understands its own schools, budget and priorities. Citizens know the teachers, buildings, roads and people making decisions. But as governance expands into larger regional bureaucracies filled with committees, consultants, contracts and administrators, public understanding naturally weakens. Complexity itself becomes a barrier to accountability.

And when taxpayers ask hard questions or reject policies handed down from above, they are too often dismissed as obstacles to “progress.” But disagreement is not a flaw in democracy. It is democracy.

As we approach the 250th anniversaries of both the United States and Peacham, Vermonters should ask a fundamental question: Should power remain close to the people or continue moving further away into centralized institutions?

That debate is as old as the republic itself, and now it is our turn to answer it.

Eric Pomeroy PEACHAM

Editor’s note: This letter predates the passage of the education transformation bill, H.955, which keeps school district mergers in Vermont voluntary.

More troubling is the use of inﬂammatory rhetoric such as “Genocide 5,” a label intended to shame and intimidate rather than encourage thoughtful debate. Vermonters should be able to disagree about Middle East policy without demonizing elected o cials.

The letters also assume the lawmakers were incapable of independent thought and merely absorbed “propaganda.” That dismisses their intelligence and integrity. Seeing a country ﬁrsthand, speaking with people on the ground and observing the region’s realities directly is more valuable than relying on slogans or social media narratives.

Any honest discussion of the conﬂict must recognize both Palestinian su ering and Israel’s ongoing security threats, including terrorism and attacks against civilians. Reducing this complex conﬂict to one-sided accusations does nothing to advance peace or understanding.

The House Ethics Panel reviewed the matter and dismissed the complaints [“Ethics Panel Dismisses Complaints Over Lawmakers’ Trip to Israel,” April 14, online]. That decision deserves respect.

Martin Cohn SPRINGFIELD

BOOKS —

AND WORDS

— MATTER

I applaud your “Critical Condition” piece in the May 20 issue [From the Publisher]. The dwindling number of book reviews available, and the shrinking

As the current nutritional director of ONE Arts Community School and former chapter chair of Burlington School District support sta , I bring signiﬁcant pro-union sentiment and experience to this conversation [“Growing Pains: Former Sta Say a Burlington Childcare Center’s Ambitious Expansion Helped Lead to Its Collapse,” May 27].

I think it is crucial to recognize that this situation is happening because the level of emotional investment in the children we care for is supreme — that is true of the former teachers and site directors, the current sta , the leadership, and our community.

However, in this field, there is a systemic trap of self-sacriﬁce. Because we love these kids, educators often feel pressured to tolerate immense stress and stretch themselves past their emotional breaking points.

Operating from a place of constant depletion isn’t sustainable and requires new strategies and ﬁrm foundations.

A failure to meet our own incredibly high standards under that kind of systemic pressure inevitably causes real emotional fallout.

However, I want to speak to the heart of what is happening at ONE Arts right now. The employees who have chosen to remain are working tirelessly to build stronger, more transparent communication between leadership and sta .

Rather than walking away, this collective is engaging directly in the hard work of structural improvement through honest, face-to-face communication. We are working alongside new leadership to implement appropriate training and systems to ensure the operational gaps of the past are never repeated.

e Vermont lawmakers in Israel

It’s Time to Take the Challenge!

This fun summer civics project for K-8 students is back — with a new set of 25 activities.

HERE’S HOW IT WORKS Participants do an activity and submit the evidence at goodcitizenvt.com to earn stars. Each star is an entry into drawings to win prizes including $50 gift cards to Phoenix Books, and the grand prize — a trip to Washington, D.C. The deadline is Labor Day, September 7.

Students who complete all 25 activities will earn the title of “Distinguished Citizen” — and will be honored at the Statehouse. Submit activities as you go to win weekly prizes!

• Go to a Concert, Performance or Art Exhibit

• Use it Up, Wear it Out, Make Do or Do Without This year’s new activities include:

• Design a New “I Voted” Sticker

• Take a Break from Screens

lifelines

Russell (Russ) W. Kinaman

DECEMBER 8, 1934-MAY 26, 2026

ESSEX, VT.

Russell (Russ) W. Kinaman, age 91, passed away at his home in Essex, Vt., on May 26, 2026.

He was born on December 8, 1934, in New York City to Russell B. Kinaman and Dorothy Simmons Kinaman. Growing up in White Plains, N.Y., he was an avid supporter of sports and active in Boy Scouts, earning his Eagle Scout rank. He graduated from the University of Maine in 1958 with a BS degree in bacteriology. Russ was an active member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, which he continued to support, along with the university, throughout his life. Having earned his commission through ROTC, he served two years in the U.S. Army as a chemical ofﬁcer, mostly at Fort Belvoir, Va., where he met his wife, Lilo Weihe. ey were married in 1962. Russ began a 30-year career in sales in 1961 with the Upjohn Pharmaceutical Company, ﬁrst in the D.C. area, then Philadelphia

OBITUARIES, VOWS, CELEBRATIONS

and ﬁnally in Vermont, much more convenient for good skiing. Russ had been active with the National Ski Patrol at Blue Knob and Camelback Ski Areas in Pennsylvania, so joined the Smugglers’ Notch Patrol in the mid-’70s. In the early ’80s he joined the ski school at Sugarbush North, and the family (Lilo, son Jeff and daughter Kristen) spent nearly every winter weekend on the slopes. In the late ’90s, Russ became a volunteer with Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports, especially ﬁnding satisfaction in teaching visually impaired skiers. e family went hiking often. Russ and son Jeff hiked the Long Trail over six months in 1980, with Lilo and Kristen often helping to spot a car and hiking partway. In the ’80s and ’90s he entered a number of running races, marathons and triathlons. He became an avid biker and enjoyed many day trips and multiday rides in Vermont, other parts of New England and Québec. Many were fundraisers for the American Lung Association. In later years, he took up cross-country skiing, telemarking and kayaking. Other interests included volunteer church work, Eagle Scout Boards of Review, and participating in outings of the Green Mountain Club and

Jean Chamberlain

MARCH 24, 1940-JANUARY 14, 2026

JERICHO, VT.

Jean Chamberlain passed away peacefully with her loving family by her side on January 14, 2026. She was the daughter of Fred Slater and Annie Metcalf-Slater, born on March 24, 1940, along with her sister, Joyce Jenny, who passed away shortly after birth. Another sister, Pauline, passed of a brain tumor in 1990. Her father passed away when she was 3 years old as a result of a motorcycle accident.

Jean was born in Underhill Center and lived in Underhill and Jericho her whole life. She loved gardening, cooking and spending time with her loved ones. She especially enjoyed family dinners. She was married to Peter for 58 years until his death in 2018. ey had a wonderful life together, full of love and hard work. ey never took vacations but chose to stay home on Raceway Road, watching all the wild animals that would show up in their backyard.

Jean was employed at Browns River Middle School for 35 years as a head cook. After retiring

Burlington Ski and Outing Club. He always enjoyed attending concerts and plays.

Traveling took Russ and Lilo to many islands to snorkel in the Caribbean, as well as Costa Rica, Belize, Panama and especially the Galapagos. ey visited many U.S. national parks and loved the coast of Maine and Monhegan Island. More recently they traveled to Iceland and Norway, and enjoyed a European river cruise.

Above all, Russ was very proud of what his children, Jeff and Kristen, accomplished, though he would admit he didn’t tell them often enough. He was also proud of how Jeff and his wife, Didi, have raised their children, Ally and Ben, and has enjoyed following their interests as they have matured into adults.

Russ was predeceased by his father and mother, infant daughter Lisa Michele, and daughter Kristen. He is survived by his wife, Lilo, of 63 years; son, Jeff (Didi); grandchildren, Ally and Ben; sister, Linda Broughton (Joe); niece Lindsay Broughton and niece Jody Gustke (Matt) and their three children.

As per Russ’ wishes, there will be no memorial service. He said, “Instead, take a walk in the woods or make a few turns on the ski hill and think of me.” Russ was very grateful to live in Vermont for nearly 50 years. If desired, a contribution could be made to the Vermont Land Trust or a charity of one’s choice in his memory.

for one year, she went back to work at omas Fleming School for 16 years, ﬁnally retiring in 2019 after the passing of her beloved husband.

She is survived by her two sons, Michael and his wife, Kathleen, and their three sons, Sean, Luke and Owen; and Jeff and his wife, Cheryl, and their two children, Josh and Calsie; as well as her great-grandson, Hudson; a special granddaughter, Kyla Morgan; great-grandson Jaydn, and great-granddaughter Izadora. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

A big thank you goes out to Jeff Williams, Paul Dunkling, Tony Bellomo, Dean Davis and the late Cindi Davis for their help throughout the years.

Calling hours will be held on June 22, 2026, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Corbin and Palmer Funeral Home in Essex Junction. Reception to follow.

Daniel Allen Brown

JUNE 23, 1955-MAY 24, 2026 UNDERHILL, VT.

Daniel Allen Brown passed away peacefully on May 24, 2026, embarking on his next great adventure while surrounded by his sister Kelly, her husband, Tom, and his dear friend Chas.

Dan was a private man who possessed a brilliant mind and a quick wit. At times he could be abrasive, but beneath his tough exterior was a deeply kind and compassionate soul, always willing to help someone in need.

roughout his life, Dan became highly skilled in many pursuits, including photography, scuba diving, aikido, fly-fishing and fly tying. Of all his passions, fishing brought him the greatest joy. He cast his lines in waters stretching from the Outer Banks of North Carolina to the rivers and streams of Maine. For Dan, a perfect day began wading into a wild river with a fly rod in hand and ended beside a campfire under a sky full of stars.

Dan is survived by his siblings, Cindy Jacobs (Phil),

IN MEMORIAM

Willard (Bill) Bickford 1932-2026

e family of Willard (Bill)

e family extends its deepest gratitude to the palliative care team at UVM Medical Center for their compassionate care and support during Dan’s ﬁnal days.

In keeping with Dan’s generous spirit, memorial donations may be made to any organization dedicated to helping those in need.

In accordance with Dan’s wishes, there will be no formal services.

May his memory bring comfort to all who knew and loved him, and may his next great adventure be ﬁlled with calm waters, bright stars and tight lines.

Bickford would like to invite his many circles of friends to a celebration of his life. ere will be music, memories, singing and refreshments at a reception to follow. Please join us on June 13, 2026, at 1 p.m., First Congregational Church of Essex Junction, 39 Main Street, Essex Junction, Vt. For those who can’t attend in person, the service will be live streamed at youtube.com/live/XnyqIjFYZlU?si=Ulx9iKkkPBhU tZzV.

Peter Brown (Anne) and Kelly Ward (Tom); and by his children, Jeremiah Brown and Kellington Brown.

Debra Chadwick

OCTOBER 20, 1952MAY 28, 2026

BURLINGTON, VT.

Debra Chadwick of Burlington, Vt., took the next step in her journey on May 28, 2026, surrounded by loving family at the McClure Miller Respite House in Colchester.

Born on October 20, 1952, the fourth daughter of Robert and Yolande Chadwick, Deb grew up in the green house on the hill in Burlington, where she attended Rice Memorial and Burlington High School. Early in her work career, she was employed in the financial and marketing/sales departments of Merchants Bank, Fletcher Allen Healthcare and IDX. She later followed her heart and her desire to make a difference and received a BA in human services management as an adult student at Trinity

Peter Thomas McCaffrey

JANUARY 4, 1958-MAY 4, 2026 CONWAY, S.C.

In the early hours of May 4, 2026, our beloved brother, Peter Thomas, passed away following an extended illness.

Peter was born eighth of 10 children on January 4, 1958, in Burlington, Vt., to Marion & Everett McCaffrey. He attended schools in Burlington, graduating in 1977 from Rice Memorial High School and Burlington Vocational Academy with high concentration in the printing business. The majority of his working career was with the Lane Press in Burlington. He later was employed by Costco in Vermont and South Carolina, retiring in 2018.

College, part of their last graduating class. Deb considered this one of her greatest accomplishments, as it took her several years to obtain as she juggled life, family and career while attending night and weekend classes. She had worked with children and their families at the Baird/Howard Center and with the elderly and disabled at the State of Vermont, DCF/ Long-Term Care Division,

where she retired early from a job she truly loved due to a progressive disability. She fought with a warrior’s spirit to maintain her independence and mobility. Deb volunteered over the years with such agencies as Thanksgiving Meals on Wheels, Special Olympics, Kindred Connections/Prevent Child Abuse and serving Christmas breakfast for the homeless, along with her two children when they were young adults.

Deb was a true Libra, believing in justice and beauty. A person’s words, truth and kindness were important to her. She was passionate in her belief about what was “right or wrong,” especially in the treatment and respect of others. The ocean always called to her and she had a special place in her heart for Cape Cod, Mass., and York, Maine, along with Lake Champlain, where she spent many years boating on its waters.

loving, helping ways will be sadly missed every day.

She loved to cook and was known for her Cheesy Garlic, holiday sweet breads, and her homemade soups, which she shared with friends and relatives. Deb practiced what her mother had taught her, to “always moisturize,” which resulted in her Olay complexion. She honored the written word and was a member of the Poetry Society of Vermont. As a poet, she had several published works.

She was a constantly evolving human being with a curious mind, and a lifelong student. A fiercely independent woman, mother, grandmother (Gee/Grandma Deb), spiritual seeker, Reiki Energist, and Pink Floyd (she was able to “rock out” at one of their last concerts, a bucket list item!) and Beatles music lover. Deb loved plants and had a “green thumb,” especially when it came to growing geraniums with the scarlet red blossoms, her favorite.

Peter is survived by his son Justin McCaffrey; Justin’s partner, Laci Flanagan; and granddaughter Naomi; and his siblings, Rosemary Cross, Nancy Conaway (Michael), Paul McCaffrey (Christina), Elizabeth McCaffrey, John McCaffrey (Laurie), Marianne Martell (John), Patricia Rudolph (Mark) and Katherine McCaffrey; many nieces and nephews; and his former wife, Laurie McCaffrey.

Peter enjoyed a good game of golf and was happy to discuss world events, especially anything that related to the Boston Red Sox, which he listened to faithfully on the radio. Growing up, Peter was a fierce and loyal protector of his two youngest sisters, Patty and Kathy. His joyfulness, infectious smile and

Anthony “Tony” Washburn

JUNE 20, 1935-JUNE 6, 2026

HYDE PARK, VT.

Anthony “Tony” Washburn, 90, of Hyde Park, Vt., passed away on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at Copley Hospital. He was born on June 20, 1935, in Morrisville, Vt., to Newton and Alice (Allen) Washburn.

Calling hours will be held on Monday, June 15, 2026, 5 to 7 p.m., at the des Groseilliers

Peter will also be missed by his many lifelong friends.

He was predeceased by his son Thomas; his parents, Mac and Marion McCaffrey; brother William McCaffrey; nephews Timothy Martell and Alex Rudolph; and brother-in-law Arthur Cross.

A celebration of Peter’s life will take place at a later date.

Funeral Home, 97 Church St., Hardwick, VT. A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, 10 a.m., at the United Community Church of Morrisville, 85 Upper Main St., Morrisville. Burial will immediately follow at Plains Cemetery on McFarlane Road in Hyde Park.

Anthony’s complete obituary will be available soon. Condolences and memories of Tony may be shared with his family at dgfunerals.com.

She was a loyal “Jeopardy” fan, old classic film watcher, crossword puzzler, family genealogist and storyteller. Deb was an avid reader, stayed current on local and world events, and always enjoyed an intelligent, lively conversation.

Deb was a past-life geisha, sensitive to the life energies in people at an early age, a dragon and angel believer, photographer, journal/quote keeper, classical music listener, an animal/nature observer, and a strong advocate for women and children, the elderly and disabled. She was a longtime member of RehabGym in Colchester and the early morning pool, where she formed many friendships. She believed that life was a wonderful journey with all its ups and downs and was truly an “old soul.”

Her children were the greatest loves of her life. She leaves behind her son, Jason Harms (Janelle) of Arvada, Colo., and

Jack DuBrul

DECEMBER 6, 1933-JUNE 1, 2026

SHELBURNE, VT.

Famously reluctant to attend funerals, Shelburne businessman Jack DuBrul has been given no choice but to attend his own. He passed away on June 1, 2026.

Born John A. DuBrul II in Cincinnati, Ohio, on December 6, 1933, Jack moved to Vermont following the death of his parents. He soon enlisted in the United States Marines and spent part of his service overseas during the Korean War. Upon his return to Vermont, Jack started countless businesses, including car dealerships, construction and real estate ventures, and the (in) famous bar the Cave. In 1968 he founded the Automaster, which he grew into one of the largest dealerships in the state. He was instrumental in building the Catamount Speedway in Milton and was a many-times president of the Ethan Allen Club.

her daughter, Sarah Richard (Jeff) of Westminster, Colo.; along with her grandchildren, Kai and Zoe Harms and Colin and Conor Richard, her shining stars. Her mother, Yolande, predeceased Deb when she was 15. Her father, brother and two sisters went before her, along with three of her best friends, Pauline, Jimmy and Amos. She leaves her sisters Sharen Chadwick of Milton and Robin House of South Hero and her “sister-friends,” Lindy Lou, Sally and Candy. She also leaves nieces and nephews, cousins, friends and colleagues.

Upon her request, a private service will be held and her ashes will be distributed according to her wishes. Deb asks that you practice random acts of kindness.

“She is not dead but only flying higher, higher than she’s flown before and earthly limitations will hinder her no more...” —Sarah McLachlan

father), Harleys and Ducatis, and perhaps his favorite of all — drifting over Vermont in his hot air balloon. His private life was the exact opposite. He was a Catholic of deep faith and a man of anonymous charity who liked nothing more than a quiet afternoon with a good book and his schnauzer by his side.

Like everything else in Jack’s life, his personal relations were … complicated. He is preceded by one ex-wife, Edwarda O’Brien, and one estranged wife, Susan DuBrul, and is survived by his longtime companion Sue “Gracie” Pinney. Jack also leaves behind four children, John III, DawnDee, Steele and Kyle; their spouses, Kim and Amy; and grandchildren Rowan, Joseph, Steele, Paige, Olivia, Christian, Cale and Lola. He is also preceded in death by a brother, David, and survived by another brother, Peter.

Jack had a public life many knew well, one filled with generosity, laughter, savage pranks and a largerthan-life magnetism that filled any room. His hobbies were those that proved he played as hard as he worked and included airplanes, seaplanes, helicopters, powerboats, iceboats, scuba diving, skydiving, fast cars, race cars (Daytona against Dale Earnhardt’s

To those who knew Jack, take from him that indefatigable spirit that saw him live, and die, on his own terms. And to those who did not, the family is sorry, you missed out on knowing one hell of a man.

A Mass will be held in his honor on Monday, June 15, 2026, 10 a.m., at St. Joseph Cathedral, 29 Allen Street, Burlington. If so moved, in lieu of flowers, a donation may be made in Jack’s honor to the McClure Miller Respite House or Passion 4 Paws.

lifelines

OBITUARIES

Sara Nuzum Burchard

MARCH 8, 1937-MAY 27, 2026

BURLINGTON, VT.

Sara Nuzum Burchard died of natural causes on May 27, 2026, at home in Burlington surrounded by family. She was 89 and lived a long and loving life.

Born in Janesville, Wisc., on March 8, 1937, Sara was the daughter of Dr. omas Ochsner Nuzum and Dorothy Langdon Nuzum. She was the ﬁfth of six children and preceded in death by all of her siblings except her youngest sister, Jill.

Sara attended high school in Janesville, where she loved to play tennis and perform piano duets with her close friend Carol. She also cherished her time at the family lake cottage up north near Sugar Camp, Wisc., and later organized many happy summer reunions there that included her kids and their fun Nuzum cousins.

Sara went on to obtain her BS in mathematics from Denison University in 1958, graduating Phi Beta Kappa in three years. Sara met her husband, John, at Denison, and married in 1957. After graduation, John and Sara started their family and moved to Nebraska, Colorado, Washington and North Carolina before settling in Burlington, Vt., where John joined the faculty of the University of Vermont psychology department. While raising four very active kids, Sara earned her PhD at UVM in 1977. She went on to teach undergraduate psychology at UVM and worked happily with her dear graduate students until she retired in 2007.

Patricia Doherty

FEBRUARY 22, 1950MAY 15, 2026

BURLINGTON, VT.

She loved both the mountains and the ocean, but it was the mountains that won out. Born on February 22, 1950, Patricia “Pat” Doherty was born in Jersey City, N.J., and grew up in Hasbrouck Heights, N.J. e middle of three children, she is the last of her siblings to be with her ancestors, a long line

OBITUARIES, VOWS, CELEBRATIONS

Sara was an avid outdoorswoman who loved hiking, canoeing, biking and spending time at the log cabin she and John built in the mountains nearby. Together, they mentored and supported their kids through their many athletic, musical, equine and educational pursuits. A gifted athlete herself, Sara enjoyed playing lifelong tennis with her friends, and walking the trails with her beloved dogs.

In their later years, Sara and John traveled the world together, frequently to consult, conduct research and reach out to assist indigenous peoples. ey visited such faraway places as Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Russia, Europe, India, Mexico and Alaska, making lasting friendships with people from different backgrounds and cultures wherever they went!

Sara and John were also known for their extraordinary hospitality. eir home was a gathering place for neighborhood children and a welcoming refuge for many young people. Whether celebrating life’s successes or navigating difﬁcult times, countless individuals found

of Dohertys and O’Tooles waiting eagerly for her grand, celestial entrance. Pat attended St. Mary’s

friendship, encouragement and a home away from home at the Burchards’.

In 1988, the family lost their beloved son and brother, Charlie, and in 2004 lost John to a long illness. Never one to sit still, Sara decided to walkabout. Among other trips, Sara walked across northern England with her friend Laura, walked part of El Camino de Santiago in Spain with her friend Marilyn, rafted the Grand Canyon with her friend Gayle, and skied across Québec with her friends Catherine and Ed.

Sara was devoted to important causes, especially environmental conservation, social justice and women’s rights. Sara was strong and unﬂappable, whether marching at protests or traveling across the country to go door to door to “Get Out the Vote!” with her beloved and late niece, Jenny. She was an organizer for Grandmothers for Democracy, served as Bernie Sanders’ campaign treasurer when he was Burlington’s mayor and, as a Red Cross volunteer, provided grief counseling to emergency

High School in Rutherford, N.J. e members of her class — the class of 1968 — are still close. Two classmates drove up to see her during her last few weeks, and many others reached out during her illness to share their love and support, something Pat’s daughter and granddaughter were especially fond of. Her illness, which was pancreatic cancer, was discovered in November 2025. At ﬁrst it seemed the illness was in the early stages and potentially

responders at Ground Zero in the ﬁrst days after 9/11.

Sara also knew how to have fun. She loved to sing, play the piano and dance, especially with her kids, grandkids and her son John’s band, Hoopla. Whether at a family gathering or celebration or simply enjoying a moment together, Sara always could be counted on to get people moving and smiling.

To her family, she will forever be remembered as their dearly loved “Dancing Grami.”

Sara is survived by her children, John (Vicki) of Glenview, Ill., Dan (Jane) of Burlington, Vt., and Lisa (Bob) of Middlebury, Vt.; by grandchildren Sara (Andrew), Elise, Nikki (Derek), Tommy and Lia (Max); by her three great-granddaughters, Raelynn, Charlie and Zora; by sister Jill and sister-in-law Bette; and by many loving and beloved in-laws, nephews, nieces, neighbors and friends.

At Sara’s request, a modest outdoor memorial service to celebrate Sara’s life will be held in the fall. Details will be made available by the Burchard family once arrangements have been made.

Donations in Sara’s memory may be made to any of the organizations and causes she supported during her life, including the Charlie Burchard Memorial Trust Fund, P.O. Box 638, Burlington, VT 054020638, a charitable trust fund established in 1988 by Sara and her family to remember her son, Charlie. e “Charlie Fund” supports charitable causes, primarily in Vermont, and continues the spirit of generosity and service that was so important to Sara.

curable. Unfortunately, a procedure in April revealed that the tumor was bigger and far more invasive than originally thought, and she was much further along than known. She managed the twists and turns of her illness well and, in the end, passed peacefully at the McClure Miller Respite House in Colchester. Pat is survived by her daughter, Jodi Lawaich; granddaughter, Avery Paquin; and niece, Elena Durant. Pat was an especially attentive grandmother and was

beyond pleased when Avery arrived on the planet with Pat’s auburn hair and beautiful blue eyes. Jodi often referred to Avery as “Pat’s revenge” during Avery’s ﬁrst year, as the coloring was unmistakable. Both Avery and Jodi are grateful for the time Pat got to have as a grandmother and how involved she was, whether it was in person, over the phone or on a Zoom call.

e family asks that, in lieu of ﬂowers, you please donate to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.

IN MEMORIAM

Ezra Miller

2000-2026

Ezra Miller’s celebration of life will be held on July 11, 2026, starting at 3:30 p.m. We will start at the Ten Stones Community Common House, located at 100 Ten Stones Circle in Charlotte, Vt., and end with a cookout at Sunset Ridge, a special spot on the community land he called home for 10 years. In honor of Ezra, feel free to wear your wildest shirt!

Craig

Martin

1952-2026

Celebration of Life

Please join us as we celebrate the remarkable life, enduring spirit and joyful adventures of Craig Martin on Saturday, June 13, 2026, 2 p.m., at the Burlington Country Club. Together, we’ll share stories, laughter, memories and the many ways Craig touched our lives.

OBITUARIES

Anne VitalettiCoughlin

DECEMBER 28, 1958MAY 23, 2026 STOWE, VT.

Anne Vitaletti-Coughlin, MD, of Stowe, Vt., passed away on Saturday, May 23, 2026, surrounded by her loving family. Anne was a vibrant woman with a soulful spirit and a lifelong love of learning, nature, animals and family.

Anne grew up in Binghamton, N.Y., and later attended Catholic Central High School. An avid reader who loved crossword puzzles, she earned the nickname “Encyclopedia” early in life because of her intellect, endless curiosity and remarkable knowledge across countless subjects. Independent from a young age, she had the determination to teach herself almost anything she set out to understand. That fearless drive carried her through medical school and into a life devoted to helping others.

Anne dedicated her

Diane Martel Way

OCTOBER 13, 1959MAY 5, 2026

NEWPORT, N.H.

Diane Martel Way, age 66, of Newport, N.H., passed away suddenly on May 5, 2026, in Newport. She was born on October 13, 1959, in Worcester, Mass., to her mother, Lorraine Martel. Diane earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology with an emphasis in gerontology from the University of Vermont. After eight years as an executive assistant at Addison Northeast

professional life to medicine. She earned her medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. She began her medical training in general surgery and later became an anesthesiologist, ultimately practicing interventional pain management in Morrisville, Vt., and serving patients in the Copley Hospital community for many years. Her work was precise, demanding and deeply human: helping people live with less pain. Shortly before Anne’s passing, one of her sisters

Supervisory Union, she spent the next 32 years serving seniors in Vermont and New Hampshire. An accomplished

looked at her hands and said, “Think of all the people these hands have treated.” Anne responded that it had been an absolute privilege. Her family holds that memory as a measure of her life: cleareyed, capable and grateful.

Anne was also a competitive tennis player throughout her life. She loved the game, the discipline and the camaraderie it brought. She competed at the Stowe Tennis Club and in USTA leagues across Vermont and was proud of reaching a 4.5 rating. “Hard focus” was one of Anne’s phrases, and it reflected the way she approached her matches and much of her life with discipline and determination. Just as important to her were the friendships she formed and the shared respect she found with opponents along the way.

Anne was careful, thoughtful and wise, with a gift for seeing things clearly and always speaking with honesty. She carried her intelligence with humility and believed deeply in character

sales and marketing director, Diane worked at Wake Robin, Shelburne Bay Senior Living, Armistead Senior Care, Morgan Orchards and Summercrest Senior Living. She was known for her remarkable ability to connect with people and for guiding thousands of seniors and their families through the transition of downsizing, whether moving into senior living communities or arranging for appropriate care at home. Her work was recognized with honors by the Vermont Health Care Association’s Outstanding Marketing Director of the

and integrity. She had a way of making people laugh when they least expected it and could turn an ordinary conversation into something memorable.

Anne was a private person who found peace in solitude, her gardens and the natural world. She loved her dogs, Lucy, Henry and Hattie, with whom she spent countless hours walking at the Quiet Path, Cotton Brook and Wiessner Woods. Later in life, as Anne neared retirement, that same love of animals extended to a flock of 18 chickens. She enjoyed invitations to the Trout Club, hiking the Pinnacle with her family, and tending to her flowers every summer, fall and early spring. Sanibel Island held a special place in Anne’s heart, a place where she felt deeply connected to the beauty and serenity of nature. She also loved quiet afternoons at the public library, always eager to learn something new or get lost in the next fantasy novel.

Anne had a deep connection with her family. She was

Year award in 2006, as well as recognition as a United Way Hometown Hero Volunteer.

Diane also served with several organizations, including the board of directors for Champlain Valley Agency on Aging, Heineberg Senior Center and Celebrating Seniors in Vermont. She volunteered as a Flynn Ambassador and co-facilitated the In-Harmony Dementia Support Group. She moved through the world with wit and luminous intelligence, carrying a humor that could soften even the hardest moments. Her love for animals was boundless and instinctive,

the person everyone wanted on their team during a spirited board game, and the person no one underestimated across the table. Her mischievous sense of humor always came through, along with the competitive spark that made playing with her so much fun. She also had a special way with children, speaking to them genuinely and explaining even complicated things in a way they could understand. Her family will remember her laughing with her siblings and loved ones, sharing a sense of humor that felt like its own language. They will also remember her unwavering spirit and independent will.

Anne is survived by her husband, George G. Coughlin III; her son, George W. Coughlin, and his fiancée, Lindsay Bramhall; her siblings, Cheryl Vitaletti and her husband, Jim, of Syracuse, N.Y.; Bill Vitaletti Jr. and his wife, Catherine, of Springfield, Va.; Linda Koffman and her husband, Steven, of Franklin Lakes, N.J.; Tom Vitaletti

as if it were a language her soul spoke before words ever could. She was deeply drawn to horse racing, with an uncanny intuition for betting.

As with most things, she moved with a quiet certainty that often proved true. Diane was also an incredible cook.

Above all else, the center of her life was the sacred bond she shared with her daughter, Elysia. It was a connection marked by devotion, protection and an almost unspoken knowing. She was her daughter’s fiercest supporter and most constant light, pouring herself into her happiness and dreams

and his wife, Carolee, of Williamsburg, Va.; and Cari Vitaletti; her nieces and nephews, Dr. Leana Doherty and her husband, Philip; Katie Doherty; Thomas Vitaletti and his wife, Rachel; Taylor Vitaletti; Alexander Fesquet and his fiancée, Sierra Stanley; and Isabella Rose Koffman; her cherished goddaughter; and many beloved extended family members. She was predeceased by her parents, William and Catherine Vitaletti.

In honoring Anne’s memory, her family asks that others remember to spend time outdoors, volunteer where you can, care for the people and places around you, and remember to smile.

Services will be held on July 25, 2026, at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Stowe, followed by a celebration of Anne’s life for family and close friends. Donations in Anne’s memory may be made to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, in recognition of Anne’s deep love for gorillas and nature, at gorillafund.org.

with unwavering love. In her presence, life felt guided, held and gently enchanted.

She is survived by her daughter, Elysia Way; her mother; Lorraine Martel; her father, Ernest “Ernie” Martel; her sisters, Jennifer Hallmartel and Jessica Selby (Stanton Selby); seven cherished nieces and nephews; and her beloved cat, Salem.

A private memorial service was held at Summercrest in Newport, N.H.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the VINS Nature Center and the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts.

The day Burlington High School opened to students at its temporary location in a former Macy’s department store, librarian Shannon Walters arrived at 6:30 a.m. She found the up escalator running in the wrong direction and super fast — like the “Tunnel of Terror” boat ride in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, she said. The escalator had been working properly when Walters left the building eight hours earlier, but now “it was whipping,” she said, “like 60 miles an hour — in reverse.”

Getting to this day, March 4, 2021, had been di cult enough. A year earlier, BHS, like schools nationwide, had shifted to remote learning due to the coronavirus pandemic. That fall, the day before students were due to resume in-person classes at the New North End campus, the school was closed indeﬁnitely due to elevated airborne levels of toxic polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) detected in one of its six buildings. The probable carcinogens soon were discovered in all buildings. Administrators scrambled to ﬁnd an alternate home for the school and landed on the empty downtown department store, which they managed to renovate in just 10 weeks.

Then the escalator went haywire. The moving stairs, which initially seemed so novel in a school setting, turned out to be a persistent headache. “They tended to break down more than they tended to work,” said Lauren McBride, the ﬁrst principal at Downtown BHS.

But now, the yearslong saga of ups and downs — both literal and ﬁgurative — draws to a close. Final classes at Downtown BHS are on Monday, June 15. Construction of the new, $204 million school is nearly complete, and the Class of 2026, which never set foot in the old school, will be the ﬁrst to receive diplomas in the new one. Graduation is on Tuesday, June 16.

In a gymnasium big enough to accommodate three basketball courts, 222 teens will turn their tassels and step into adulthood in a ceremony that marks a transition for the city, as well. Burlington is wrapping up a long, tumultuous chapter. It began with the abrupt closure of the school, unspooled into weeks of uncertainty over the fate of its 57-year-old buildings and ratcheted into controversy over the decision to tear them all down based on state safety standards that are far stricter than federal ones.

But in November 2022, voters overwhelmingly approved a $165 million bond to erect a new school on the same campus. While awaiting its completion, the town rallied around its unconventional high school to try to give its students the best possible experience that circumstances allowed.

Downtown BHS doesn’t have a gym, so sta at the Greater Burlington YMCA let

After

unconventional years, Burlington High School prepares to check out of the old Macy’s and move into shiny new digs

EVERYTHING MUST GO

BY MARY ANN LICKTEIG • maryann@sevendaysvt.com

PE students use theirs, and the University of Vermont’s Patrick Gymnasium became home court for basketball games. Neighboring churches o ered shelter in the event of a school evacuation. The Cathedral Church of St. Paul and Hunt Middle School’s auditorium hosted concerts and school plays. School assemblies convened at the Flynn; a teachers’ retreat, at Hotel Vermont.

Similarly, local merchants chipped in to help send students on a year-end trip to New York City and contributed gifts for Teacher Appreciation Week. Special education students learned how to order food at restaurants and buy merchandise in stores right outside the school’s front door. Businesses, too, benefited from having hundreds of students downtown.

Backpack-toting customers became regulars at Burlington Bagel Bakery and Burlington Bay Market & Café. “They’ve brought a great energy and vibrancy to the downtown,” Church Street Marketplace director Samantha McGinnis said, “and they’ll be missed.” Inside the windowless Downtown BHS, there have been compromises, of course. Eight switches controlled most of the lighting. Students watched movies with lights on because turning them o would have plunged several classrooms into darkness. Kitchen sta worked without dishwashers. Chemistry teacher Aaron Fogg needed two years to fully adjust his curriculum to include labs that could be conducted in the former men’s shoe department, which wasn’t equipped with fume hoods, sinks or the gas lines needed to operate Bunsen burners. And every sta er had to practice a lesson they learned in preschool: Take turns.

“If somebody is heating their lunch in a microwave,” design and technology teacher Colby Skoglund explained, “then the copier doesn’t run.”

“Pivot” became a “shudder word” for McBride, who oversaw the move into Downtown BHS and served as principal for the ﬁrst two years before leaving for personal reasons. “If people never heard the word ‘pivot’ again, it would have been too soon,” she said.

Noise and lack of windows presented the primary challenges. One student who felt claustrophobic in the space took advantage of a chance to study abroad her sophomore year, an opportunity she likely wouldn’t have seized if not for the building. Another family moved to Middlebury because their son su ered chronic migraines, which they expected to be triggered by the noise and ﬂuorescent lights.

Parent Adam Bluestein said the city let down its kids by moving them to “a windowless box.”

International news coverage portrayed the school as “cute,” he said. “There was nothing cute about our kids going to school in a mall,” he countered. “It’s tragic.” His son, a 2024 graduate, never had a class in the old building; his daughter, Class of 2021, spent a few months downtown. Students made the best of it, Bluestein said, “but we shouldn’t have put them in that situation.”

As di cult as the quarters were, they did not prompt an exodus. Families did leave because of the building — the school district doesn’t have numbers — but some kids from other districts exercised school choice to attend Downtown BHS.

Largely, the kids are all right.

“Our students are still getting into prestigious universities,” principal Sabrina Westdijk said. “They’re winning national recognition in journalism and creative writing, for assessment scores. In athletics, we’re

Senior Beck Fairbrother building boxes for the move to the new school

It’s cultivated this sense of We can do really hard things together.

winning championships. All of the things that you would expect to see in a traditional building … we’re doing those things.”

She credits the tenacity of staff and students: “It’s a traditional school that happens to live in a nontraditional building — and that’s because of the people in it.”

They leave now with a great story and a slew of inadvertent life lessons in resiliency, camaraderie, adaptability and coping. Downtown BHS provided a five-plus-year-long teachable moment.

“It’s cultivated this sense of We can do really hard things together,” Westdijk said, “because we’ve been tested and required to do really hard things together.”

“For as wild of a ride as it was,” McBride said, “I would never change it for the world.”

BETWEEN ‘THE PIT’ AND A PARKING GARAGE

On a recent Thursday, design and technology teacher Skoglund stood in front of her Principles of Engineering I students, ready to outline the steps they would take to test the load-bearing capacity of the balsa-wood bridges they had built. It was morning, first block of the day. A sophomore was chewing.

“Kaz, how’s breakfast?” Skoglund asked.

“Um, it’s good,” Kaz Skalka replied.

“Gooood,” Skoglund said.

Then she addressed the class. “So, just a quick reminder,” she began in what can only be described as Classic Teacher Voice: very precise, very loud. “If you missed the memo on Tuesday, we flip-flopped the days due to weather. So, tomorrow is the day that we are launching … rockets. Today, we are testing your bridges. There are several things that need to get done when we test our bridges.”

She paused.

“Gentlemen, are you with me?”

A sheepish “yes” followed.

“Excellent.”

It could have been 1956, 1986 or 2026, in any high school in any town. But this was in a Macy’s. Logos for Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and Michael Kors remained on the walls. Randy Burnett, who managed the $3.5 million renovation on behalf of Colin P. Lindberg, Architect, still marvels at the transformation.

Asked to recall the challenge he and his colleagues faced turning an empty department store into a school, he laughed. “No challenge at all!” he said. Then he laughed some more.

The building, empty since 2018, was a shell with a few mannequins inside when they started. Honestly, Burnett said, wrapping his head around “the significant factors of the change of use” felt daunting. “And we kind of just took it one challenge at a time.”

Step one: Meet with the city’s building inspector and fire marshal to find out whether the building was safe and structurally suitable. The store, once the anchor of Burlington Town Center, was constructed in the late 1990s and cleared those hurdles. Then the race was on.

In addition to BHS, the campus housed Burlington Technical Center, which serves students from schools around the region. In all, some 1,100 kids attended school there. Getting them back into classrooms was the top priority. Once permits were issued, construction began even before designs were finished.

SABRINA WESTDIJK

Sophomore Amaris Molina by the escalators at Downtown BHS

Signs cautioning about PCBs at the old Burlington High School in 2021

Principal Sabrina Westdijk

EVERYTHING MUST GO

The high school would move from a 250,000-square-foot facility into a 150,000-square-foot building shoehorned between the lot where the mall once stood — nicknamed “the Pit” — and a five-story parking garage.

By eliminating the gym and auditorium, shrinking the library and cafeteria, and moving Burlington Technical Center programs elsewhere around the city, the school could fit — in an arrangement a Realtor would call “cozy.”

The biggest challenges were lack of daylight and finding a way to create traditional classrooms in a building designed with an open floor plan, Burnett said. Installing windows would have required significant engineering and structural support, costing time and money. Creating classrooms with four walls that touched the ceiling would have disrupted the sprinkler and ventilation systems, so the newly erected walls — all of them, at first — stopped short.

Architects wanted to get kids into the building to see how it worked. They would spend the summer retrofitting. The first students through the doors — the classes of 2021 through 2024 — were guinea pigs who dubbed themselves “the mall rats.”

Fittingly enough, their school, filled with white, blank hallway walls and doorless classrooms, looked like a maze.

“I remember getting lost pretty much every time I was trying to get to class because all the hallways looked the same,” said Zoe Boray, who graduated in 2021. The predominantly fluorescent lighting gave people headaches, so staffers disabled some of the ceiling fixtures and brought in lamps. But there was no way to add natural light. “It was like walking into a casino,” chemistry teacher Fogg said.

“There was one time, freshman year, when it was the end of the day and I was sitting in my class and I heard this weird sound on the roof,” senior Lily McArthur said. “And I realized it was pouring down rain.” It had been sunny when she walked into school that morning, she said, “so I was so confused.”

In an attempt to connect students to the outdoors, Walters live streamed views of Lake Champlain and the Church Street Marketplace on two monitors the kids could see while passing the library. Special education teacher Meg Willis, who used to create window displays in New York, covered walls with artificial turf and attached faux succulents and ivy. School psychologist David Fitzpatrick brought in a sunlight therapy lamp. And the school installed picnic tables and flower boxes on the top level of the parking garage to create a “rooftop garden.”

Inside, noise pinballed around the building. Architects raised walls where they could and added acoustic panels

the down escalator had given up. But something underneath was broken, and it made a sound every 53 seconds. “It was a hideous metal screech,” Austin said, that measured 90 decibels — as loud as “standing next to a lawn mower.”

Some people are sensitive to constant noise, counselor Prouty said. Escalator maintenance proved challenging because the repair crews had to come from Massachusetts; the screeching went on for more than a year. This year, school officials conceded defeat, switched off the irksome up escalator and allowed both to function as stairs.

Still, Prouty said, “if you stand by it for long enough, you will hear beeping, beeping, beeping, beeping. And so that, too, is now a constant.”

THE UPS AND DOWNS

Pictures of students gliding up and down to class in the early days of Downtown BHS were seen around the world. Journalists love a quirky story. The Associated Press sent this one internationally, and it ran with the tags “Education, Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Oddities.”

The BBC World Service posted its video account online and generated nearly 400 comments on the Vermont mall school. “That’s not so unusual,” one commenter sniffed, “they act like they’re the only people to ever have done that.”

and classroom doors. Teachers brought in tapestries. But sound would not be contained. “We all know what we will hear at the band concert,” Westdijk said, “because we’ve all been listening to rehearsals.”

To add to the cacophony, two 11-story buildings were rising from “the Pit.” Sometimes the work shook the whole school, Fogg said: “I lost glassware.”

As they describe their school, the denizens of Downtown BHS mimic sounds as though they’re little kids playing with trucks. Construction equipment next door, just yards from junior Eva Schwartz’s AP U.S. History room, blasted “ doot, doot, doot, doot, doot — like, so, so loud,” she said. The stapler tacking notices to the bulletin board on the other side of counselor Karen Prouty’s office wall went tchick-tchick, tchick-tchick, tchick-tchick. Frozen strawberries hitting a metal tray in the kitchen, a few yards from Josepha Austin’s special education classroom, sounded like gunfire, she said: “rata tat tat.”

And the escalator! Austin’s long, rectangular classroom had a door at each end: one next to the cafeteria, the other right across from the bottom of the up escalator, which continued to run long after

Indeed, remodeling, flooding, fires and tornados are among the forces that send schools searching for temporary quarters. Other school districts reconfigure nontraditional spaces to stay for good. Montgomery Ward, Sears, Lord & Taylor, and Best Buy stores have all accommodated classrooms.

BHS didn’t land in a swanky Saks Fifth Avenue, but it could have been worse. “It would suck to graduate from an ex-Kmart,” one Reddit user posted above a photo of an Illinois high school located in one. Squatters had moved into the abandoned discount store in the Chicago suburb of Waukegan before Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep saw its potential and selected it as a permanent home. The transformation from blue-light specials to naturallight-filled high school won a Landmarks Illinois preservation award.

Temporary quarters — due to their make-do nature — prove the most challenging. After a deadly tornado flattened large swaths of Joplin, Mo., in 2011, the city’s 11th and 12th graders landed in a former Shopko at Northpark Mall, where, like at Downtown BHS, noise was an issue. “We joke that we have dual-credit classes,” English teacher Virginia Gormely told NPR. The personal finance teacher next door to her classroom was unusually loud,

MARY ANN LICKTEIG

Senior Jane Laramee in the Downtown BHS library

Sophie Stadecker testing her balsa bridge at Downtown BHS

Rooftop garden at the downtown parking garage

Gormely explained: “There are many times when my kids actually answer the questions that he’s asking his class.”

Even fictitious Abbott Elementary moved into a mall in its latest television season. Showrunners for the ABC sitcom told entertainment news website Deadline that the storyline was inspired by California’s Palisades Charter High School’s relocation to an empty Sears building after a wildfire destroyed much of its campus early last year.

BHS administrators considered other options for a temporary school: the former South Burlington Hannaford store that’s now a Tesla dealership, space at GlobalFoundries in Essex Junction, and erecting trailers on school property. “Macy’s was the clear front-runner,” school district communications specialist Russ Elek said.

So Jill Kelley taught English in a room where she used to buy bed linens. Books lined the well-lit shelves where fine china was once displayed, and pale green satin wallpaper adorned the library office, once the lingerie department.

Like sitcom writers, BHS staff and students played into the novelty of their

JUNE 11 - JULY 19

circumstances. Every November, just before Thanksgiving break, seniors staged the Macy’s Day Parade. Floats constructed on carts moved through the halls along with the marching band, and students threw candy. At cross-country meets, BHS runners cheered each other on with the chant: “M-A-C-Y-S. PCBs at BHS. Let’s go (clap, clap) Macy’s! (Clap clap .)” On the “Everything is normal when...” list in the 2023 yearbook: “You can literally smell the perfume in the school that they used to sell in Macy’s.”

The location was a curiosity, but it caused some students to struggle.

“This building is soul-sucking for me,” sophomore Jillian Stucker said. “I need sunshine. I need the outdoors.”

Nadya Bech-Conger’s family moved to Middlebury because of the building. Her son, Matias Citarella, suffered chronic migraines, the result of a severe concussion years earlier, followed by a second.

“My heart broke when we left,” she said.

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EVERYTHING MUST GO

humanities at BHS for 10 years before taking other jobs within the district. But Matias, now 18, had missed lots of school between fourth and eighth grade, his mother said. If he attended Downtown BHS, the acoustics and fluorescent lights surely would have triggered his headaches, she said, “and it felt like a chance we couldn’t really take, given what he had been through.”

dropped in to sit on couches and beanbags during their lunch periods. Teachers streamed in on Wednesday mornings when Austin’s students sold coffee and pastries in the room’s Seahorse Café.

In the old BHS, special education classrooms were in far-flung buildings, largely isolating kids with special needs from the rest of the student body. “In this situation, they’re front and center,” Austin said. “A lot of kids met them who maybe never would have met them.”

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The old department store made Luis Vivanco’s daughter Camila feel claustrophobic and anxious about escaping in the event of a school shooting, he said, asking: How can a school have a proper lockdown if its classroom walls aren’t connected to the ceiling?

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So Camila took advantage of an opportunity to spend her sophomore year in Denmark. Vivanco and his family love BHS, he stressed, and actually prefer having it downtown, but the unconventional building nudged his daughter to go abroad. “I don’t think it would have happened otherwise,” he said. She returned this year for her junior year. She hasn’t complained as much, her dad said, but she “can’t wait to get out of there.”

Special educator Austin teaches students with intensive special needs, some of whom are “incredibly sensitive” to sounds, she said. Her classroom, just steps from the cafeteria, the escalator and the entrance to the parking garage, was located in one of the school’s most heavily trafficked areas.

Students unable to use words exhibited signs of stress, she said: “One student did a lot of vocalization, letting people know it wasn’t working.”

The addition of acoustic panels and the extension of all walls to the ceiling helped tremendously, Austin said: “It ended up being a great room.” It’s a large space with high ceilings. Other students

Twenty-two-year-old alum Zoe Boray, who got lost in the hallways that first spring, returned last fall to make a short film about the school for her documentary class at Hofstra University. “The place had changed so much,” she said. Colorful art covered hallway walls. Finding the way was easier, Boray said, “because it actually looks like a school.”

Her film, “M@cy’s High,” premiered in April at Burlington’s Made Here Film Festival, where it won the Audience Favorite award.

The downtown years for BHS straddle film genres: comedy, drama and, some would say, horror. Moving from a secluded lakeside campus to an urban center required adjustments from both the city and the school. Some students were able to walk to the new location. Getting to sports practice, however, often required hiking to the Edmunds Middle School gym or getting a ride to the old campus, two miles away, where the school continued to use athletic fields. Senior Esther Lokossou, who had attended high school games when she was a child, said there were noticeably fewer student spectators in recent years because it was harder for kids to get to athletic events.

Downtown BHS sits across the street from a busy bus station, criminal court,

EVERYTHING MUST GO

and a probation and parole office in a city plagued by homelessness and drug addiction. Students on their way to school encountered people shooting up and sleeping on the street. On one or two occasions, a naked man roamed the parking garage.

Yet when asked about their favorite part of their unconventional high school experience, students said it was being downtown. Juniors and seniors were allowed to leave the building when they didn’t have class, and they enjoyed walking the two and a half blocks to the Church Street Marketplace for lunch. A short jaunt in the other direction took them to Burlington Bay, where they ordered French fries and creemees — “together,” co-owner Al Gobeille said. “I was like, What?!” He’s going to miss having the students so close, he said. “I don’t have a negative story. All the kids were great.”

The temporary neighborhood came to feel like home, principal Westdijk said. “It feels like we’re just part of the fabric of the community downtown in a really lovely way. And it’s not a small thing to take on a campus of over 1,000 people — 900 students that flow in and flow out at set times and can snarl traffic.”

The school has scheduled a thankyou-and-farewell parade for 10 a.m. on Monday, June 15. Sparkly navy pom-poms will shimmer as students and staff march from the school, down Church Street and to City Hall Park for a short program before parading back to conclude their final day at the old Macy’s.

Westdijk aims to have the school moved out by the end of the month. The building will sit empty for now, its fate unclear. Redevelopment will likely occur around 2030, said Don Sinex, majority owner and manager of Devonwood Cherry Street Associates, the company that owns the site. Planning hasn’t started yet.

Covered parking may be the only thing BHS staffers miss after the move. Light floods the new 256,000-square-foot school. Three classrooms on the east end have entire walls made of windows. An interior courtyard provides a place to meet for class or dine al fresco. A second-floor balcony overlooks the athletic fields.

The new school has a 750-seat auditorium, a 150-seat black box theater, a dance and yoga studio, and indoor bike parking. Multi-thousand-dollar acoustic ceilings in the band and chorus rooms mean that students in the classrooms above will have to attend concerts to hear the music.

For all its shortcomings, Downtown BHS fostered a sense of community among students and staff because everyone

crossed paths around the escalators. They dubbed the area “the Fishbowl.” At the old BHS, staffers, especially, didn’t have many reasons to leave their buildings. “There were stories that the music teacher would never meet the science teacher,” Elek said. Downtown, two people might cross paths six times a day. They didn’t want to lose that communal feeling, so, just inside the new school’s front doors, designers incorporated an expansive, airy, skylit common area that doubles as the cafeteria. A decorative mobile — constructed with sound-absorbing material — dangles in the center.

Teacher Kevin Cross has suggested that administrators incorporate one other aspect of Downtown BHS. In an email he sent to fellow staffers, he attached a recording he made of the escalator’s horrible metallic screech. As the 2025-26 BHS Teacher of the Year, he wrote, he ought to be granted a wish, and he would wish for the school to replace its traditional passing bell with the screech — “reminding us every day of how we survived 5 years in this place.”

He added a postscript, just for Austin: “we can just put this on a 53 second loop outside your room.” ➆

INFO

Burlington High School Thank You & Farewell Parade, Monday, June 15, 10 a.m., on Church Street between Cherry and Main streets. Burlington High School/Burlington Technical Center Grand Opening and Block Party, Saturday, August 22. Weekend tours throughout the summer. Learn more at bhs.bsdvt.org.

A noise-dampening mobile in the new high school’s student commons and cafeteria

Auditorium in the new high school

food+drink

Smashing It

Gondolas serves summer treats at two Morristown spots

It’s hard to replace a community staple, especially a spot tied to childhood memories and frozen treats. But Gondolas Snack Bar, which took over the Mountain View’s spot on Route 15 in Morristown, is now starting its third season — and building quite the following of its own.

Some customers still call it the Mountain View, co-owners Louis Ferris III and Haley Haman said. That 200-menu-item snack bar was the longest-running of several seasonal locations with the same name around the state, all of which are now closed.

But the couple, both 30, have put their own highly branded stamp on the place. With smash burgers stacked six high and creemees — also stacked, not twisted — the red, white and blue roadside stop has all the elements of a perfect summer night, just modernized. Gondolas was

FOOD LOVER?

enough of a hit that the duo launched a second, year-round location in downtown Morrisville this past December.

Since the snack bar opened for the summer season on May 15, Haman, Ferris and their team have been serving lunch and dinner daily in two spots, five miles apart. Each is definitely a Gondolas, named for the iconic red lifts that scale nearby Mount Mansfield. And each has its own slightly distinct menu and role.

“We’ve got the Snack Bar for the hangout and Downtown for the takeout,” Ferris said, as if coining a slogan on the spot.

In what might have been a nostalgiadriven fever dream, I decided to go to both. Back to back. Since I haven’t been to many snack shacks this season, I expected to have plenty of room for a smash burger or two.

(For seven restaurant pros’ tips on local snack shacks, see page 42.)

On a Thursday in late May, I arrived at Gondolas Downtown on Portland Street in Morrisville right as the open ﬂag went up at 11 a.m. Two people were already inside the tiny shop ahead of me, and both ordered the way regulars do: without looking at the menu.

I followed their lead with a meal deal ($14). Gondolas is all about the smash burger, especially at the downtown location, and the meal deal combines a double smash with hand-cut fries and a fountain drink. I went for the upgrades, maple-bacon specialty fries ($4 extra) and a maple milkshake ($3 extra). Go big or go home. I was on the clock, but the day’s agenda felt more like summer vacation.

The shake came out promptly, with a cloud of whipped cream ﬁlling the domed top and a sturdy blue straw. It was thick and so mapley it could have been straight from the evaporator.

Like many snack shacks around the state, Gondolas uses creemee mix from the multigenerational Michaud family at Kingdom Creamery of Vermont in East Hardwick. The shakes ($6), Ferris said, contain the maple mix, which features both dairy and maple syrup from the Michauds’ farm.

When Gondolas Downtown opened, most people ordered a Coke or Diet Coke, Haman said. It was winter, after all. But “now almost everyone gets a milkshake,” she continued. “It was just a matter of time to get them hooked.”

Customers can opt to add syrup — chocolate, strawberry or caramel — or other

Gondola burger with hand-cut fries at Gondolas Snack Bar

Haley Haman and Louis Ferris III with sundaes at Gondolas Snack Bar

Old Brick Store to Open in Burlington’s Karma Bird House, Replacing Kestrel

The café space inside Karma Bird House on Maple Street in Burlington is getting a new tenant. PUBLIC SERVICE VT from the team behind Charlotte’s OLD BRICK STORE, will take over for KESTREL COFFEE ROASTERS this fall.

Old Brick Store owner JOLENE KAO Seven Days that the outpost will be the “Brick Store on a small scale.”

Kao bought the long-running general store at 290 Ferry Road in Charlotte in summer 2023. She gave it a chic update before reopening that September. Since then, “the Brick” has become both a community staple and a dining destination, with popular housemade pastries, a full-service espresso bar, and prepared foods that range from breakfast burritos to salads and sandwiches for lunch. It won the 2025 Seven Daysies award for best neighborhood corner store.

Plans are still in the works for the Burlington location, and things will continue as usual in Charlotte, Kao said.

Kestrel opened its then-second location inside Karma Bird House’s front gallery at 47 Maple Street in fall 2019, replacing Maglianero Café. In a social media announcement last Friday, Kestrel owners CHARLOTTE and JOHNNY STEVERSON conﬁrmed that the location will continue operating Monday through Friday until it closes “this fall.”

The couple’s original Technology Park roastery in South Burlington and newest location at Burlington

CONNECT

Jolene Kao at the Old Brick Store in 2023

mix-ins such as Oreos ($1 extra). But I’d recommend starting with the Vermont classic.

The shake was half gone by the time my meal was ready, though it had only been a brief wait. Despite the sign taped to the register, asking customers to order online due to short staffing that day, I had my bag of food in seven minutes — hardly enough time to check my email. Maybe this was vacation?

Gondolas Downtown has a bench to wait on, but that’s it for seating. The building, which Ferris owns, is newly a restaurant, and it’s strictly for takeout.

It’s also only for the omnivorous: At both Gondolas locations, fryers use beef tallow, so nothing is vegetarian except the shakes and fountain sodas downtown and the sweets and drinks at the snack bar. (Gluten-free buns are available.)

I squirted some white vinegar for my fries into a clear plastic condiment cup, then headed a few blocks away to Oxbow Park. My car immediately smelled like bacon from the luxurious fries I’d ordered. I cracked the windows while I ate.

Those crispy hand-cut fries were generously topped and just a bit sweet from the maple. The edges of the smash burger were thinner than I usually like, unless it’s Oklahoma-style with onions mixed in. But once I got into the meat of the burger, with the soft potato bun, melty American cheese, pickle slices and secret-recipe Gondolas sauce, the lacy, flat patty hit just right.

Done eating, I was grateful I’d parked in front of a sign pointing to the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, which runs through town. I lumbered by a lumberyard to the trail and walked a bit to help my burger digest.

Gondolas Downtown gets a “regular Morrisville work crowd,” Ferris said. Some customers make pit stops from the trail.

At the Snack Bar, it’s a lot of families and people who live out toward Wolcott. Holiday weekends are a big draw for visitors, including those who spend their summers at Mountain View Campground across the street. (Ferris gave a special shout-out to a campground customer the staff affectionately calls “Hot-Fudge Guy,” who walks over every single night for, you guessed it, a hot-fudge sundae.)

Three years in, Haman and Ferris are seeing more license plates from states out west, they said, with customers mentioning that the roadside stand is on their “summer bucket list.” It helps that

Gondolas’ TikTok account occasionally goes viral with videos of creemees and classic cars parked outside.

That online success reflects Haman’s background. She and Ferris both worked in restaurants and commercial kitchens growing up, after which she went into marketing and he went into real estate. The couple met

Those creemees, the couple said, are the Snack Bar’s biggest draw. They estimated that 75 percent of customers order one. Midday is often a “creemee hour,” when people are looking for a pick-me-up. The rush for cones after a local baseball game or dance recital is unmatched.

“The creemees go crazy sometimes,” Haman said.

Creemees aren’t on the menu at Gondolas Downtown. The machine is complicated to maintain — “pretty much a car,” Ferris joked — and low ice cream demand in winter doesn’t balance out the upkeep.

“It’s a full engine, and you really have to know all the nooks and crannies,” Haman said.

Gondolas Snack Bar uses Kingdom Creamery’s base, too, starting with vanilla. Maple creemees are flavored with syrup from the Elmore Sugarhouse. The cherry flavor is homemade, too, Haman said, and she’s working on converting the rest, which rotate weekly and range from chocolate to strawberry to salted caramel.

A secret-menu move at the snack bar — secret’s out — is to swap your drink for a creemee when you get the meal deal. Who needs hydration when you can have a sugar rush?

WE’VE GOT THE SNACK BAR FOR THE HANGOUT AND DOWNTOWN FOR THE TAKEOUT. LOUIS FERRIS III

in Florida; he’s from the Morristown area, she from Chicago.

“I didn’t even know what a snack bar was,” Haman said, but she quickly agreed when Ferris floated the idea of opening one. “I thought it was gonna be this small little thing with ice cream and hot dogs,” she added with a laugh. Their original plan was to run it themselves; now, they’ve got 25 employees.

Gondolas is branded from head to toe — this isn’t the type of snack shack where specials are scrawled in neon marker on a paper plate taped to the window. Everything is red, white and blue, from the building to the uniforms to the menu font to the cherry/ blue raspberry stacked creemees.

I headed to the Snack Bar fresh from my walk, ready for a Cabot cheddar-topped double smash burger ($10) and some of the fried items unique to the snack bar menu, such as onion rings ($9) and mac and cheese bites ($9). The five-minute drive gave me just long enough to realize my delusion. So soon after my downtown meal, the six-patty Gondola burger ($20) was especially out of the question.

Instead, I embraced my nostalgia for a particular late-May snack-shack meal: mozzarella sticks ($9 for eight) and a blue raspberry creemee ($3 for a small), exactly what I used to eat several days a week at the end of my senior year of high school at what we called “the DB,” better known as the Arlington Dairy Bar.

It’s been a long time since my tongue turned blue — and since I’ve been as full as I was heading out of Morristown after my two Gondolas stops. But every stringy stretch of cheese and sweet lick of creemee brought me back — and will bring me back in the literal sense, too, for another summertime meal. ➆

INFO

Gondolas Downtown, 28 Portland St., Morrisville, 833-925-7584, gondolasdowntown. com. Gondolas Snack Bar, 3107 Route 15, Morristown, gondolassnackbar.com.

Cooks preparing fries and burgers at Gondolas Downtown

A creemee at Gondolas Snack Bar

Loaded fries and a smash burger

P.38

When the porch bar opens, customers will be able to order wine by the glass, local microbrews, mocktails featuring housemade herbal syrups and mixed drinks to enjoy al fresco at standing tables or chairs on the porch and in a roped-o lawn. Food options will include charcuterie and cheese boards and ﬁnger food with occasional themes, such as lobster roll nights, Harris said.

The German-style beer garden will open in July under the trees near the ice cream window. It will have beer on tap and classic German snacks, such as pretzels with the beer-cheese dip called obatzda.

“Our dream was to have a little beer garden like in all the little farm villages where my mom is from,” said Harris, whose mother was born in Bavaria. “People meet there to talk about their crops and animals. They are where you connect with your neighbors.”

MELISSA PASANEN

Randolph’s wit & grit. to Shutter Permanently on June 28

The homey Randolph breakfast-andlunch spot WIT & GRIT. will close on June 28 after four and a half years of serving up loaded Piles o’ Taters and chickenand-cheese Stake Your Claim wraps at 29 Merchants Row. Owner HANNAH ARIAS and her family moved to Maine last August for her wife’s job. The weekly commute from Portland for the restaurant’s Friday-through-Monday hours eventually became too much, she said, despite invaluable help from head chef CASSIDY DEZAN and manager DANA WACHTMAN.

Arias, 49, and her wife have two children, ages 10 and 13. “I’ve missed birthday parties and softball games,” she said.

Arias opened the business with friend and business partner Ericka Grygowski in January 2022 and has owned it solo since July 2023. After the loss of a line cook last month put her back in the kitchen, she said, she realized it was time to close, despite her desire to keep going. Wit & grit. “is not just part of my life, it became a part of me,” she said. Hosting the community and mentoring young employees “fed my soul.”

ago, out of town. In an Instagram post on Monday, the co-owners announced they’d be closing their Riverside Avenue shop and moving the business to Manhattan.

In the post, the co-owners wrote that they are “maxed out and need a larger market,” adding that their pizza “deserves a shot in a real food town.”

Pizzeria Ida opened in 2018 and attracted attention for the high quality of its wood-ﬁred Neapolitan and Sicilianstyle pies and other o erings, but also their expense relative to other local options: Pies start at $45.

Over the years, the restaurant — and Pizzutillo, in particular — became a lightning rod for debate among loyal fans and ﬁerce critics. Pizzutillo has remained steadfast that his food is worth the cost, but the irascible chef also became notorious for online rants targeting local media, other restaurants, social media commenters and anything else he perceived as injurious. Pizzutillo has been the subject of numerous local Reddit threads and inspired at least two satirical Instagram accounts.

Pizzutillo did not immediately respond to Seven Days’ request for comment.

According to Monday’s Instagram post, the Pizzeria Ida space is available to lease, and everything inside it — including furniture, equipment and the pizza oven — is for sale. The post didn’t disclose an exact date for the restaurant’s closure, nor details of its new location.

DAN BOLLES

The restaurant space is for lease, but Arias will keep the wit & grit. brand.

“I need to close this chapter, but I hope it can be reborn,” she said, “just a bit farther east.”

Burlington’s Pizzeria Ida Announces Move to Manhattan

M.P.

For months, DAN PIZZUTILLO has taken to social media threatening to move PIZZERIA IDA, the Burlington pizza joint he opened with ERIKA STRAND eight years

Dan Pizzutillo at Pizzeria Ida in 2018

Customers enjoying glasses of wine on the porch at Westford Provisions

Snack Attack

Seven Vermont restaurant pros share their favorite summer snack shacks

BY MELISSA PASANEN • pasanen@sevendaysvt.com

Summertime in Vermont is for swimming holes, outdoor concerts and snack shacks. But unlike closely guarded swimming hole coordinates, everyone will happily share where they go to refuel on a steamy, sun-soaked day.

Seven Days asked seven chefs and restaurant owners — most of whom grew up in Vermont — for their faves. The picks ranged from old-time classics, such as Joe’s Snack Bar in Jericho, to modern reinventions, such as Honeypie in Jamaica. A few operate year-round, and in several cases, classic hot-dog-andburger menus have expanded to include global ﬂavors.

Bookmark this list and set out on summertime adventures powered by pro-vetted pit stops. ➆

CARMEN ALEXIOU

Co-owner of Lola Mediterranean Woodﬁre, Manchester Center

My absolute favorite is ROAD RUNNER

The fried chicken sandwich ($13) is next level: It has Brussels sprout slaw and a spicy aioli. I dream about that sandwich. They also have a phenomenal burger ($13). It’s where everyone goes around here for their snack-shack type of food, because it’s the best.

HONEYPIE is also o -the-charts good. Their Slamber ($15.25) is amazing: two lamb patties, melted cheddar cheese, sautéed peppers and onions, tzatziki

on a toasted bun. I always look for the Mediterranean spin on things.

1 Road Runner, 4961 Main St., Suite 2, Manchester Center, 802-367-3495, roadrunnervt.com

2 Honeypie, 8811 Route 30, Jamaica, 802-548-4999, eatathoneypie.com

STEPHEN COGGIO

see them on the menu last time, so I opted for the gator bites ($16.99). Almost everything there is fried Cajun-style. The fried alligator was great. Their Drunken Fries ($9.99) — with jalapeño, bacon, cheddar sauce and chipotle ranch — and the oyster po’ boy ($24.99 with fries) are great, too.

4 Cajun’s Snack Bar, 1594 Route 100, Lowell, 802-744-2002, cajunssnackbar.com

ANDREA COUSINEAU

Former executive chef and current consultant at Park Squeeze and Black Sheep Bistro, Vergennes

GOODIES SNACK BAR was my favorite growing up. I haven’t been in a very long time, but when I was a kid I would get a hot dog ($2.55) and a small chocolate-vanilla swirl creemee ($3.50).

My favorite summer spot to stop at now isn’t a snack shack, but I love ARANDAS MEXICAN CUISINE. They are a chain of gas stations that have the best Mexican food I have found in Vermont. I love their quesabirria ($15.99).

Chef-owner of Cloud 9 Caterers, Colchester I love me a snack shack. My favorite in Vermont is JOE’S SNACK BAR. Absolutely top-tier garbage, like if your grandma worked at Sysco [a mainstream restaurant distributor] ... but respectfully.

3 Joe’s Snack Bar, 45 Route 15, Jericho, 802-899-3934, Facebook

STEFANO COPPOLA

They have the best BLT ($8.50) in the state: griddled soft white bread, perfectly cold iceberg lettuce, underripe tomato and a varying amount of bacon depending on the day.

Chef-owner of Pearl Street Pizza and Morse Block Deli & Taps, Barre

My fave is CAJUN’S SNACK BAR. Their frog legs used to be my go-to, but I didn’t

Goodies Snack Bar, 6035 Route 17, West Addison, 802-759-2276, Facebook

Arandas Mexican Cuisine, 1 River Rd., Waterbury, 802-244-8971; 745 S. Main St., Stowe, 802-253-7249; 108 State St., Montpelier, 802-225-6560; 377 N. Main St., Barre, 802622-0453; 51 Lake Morey Rd., Fairlee, 802-3333538; arandasmexicancuisine.com

MAGGIE FISCHER

Executive chef and co-owner of the Buttery: Kitchen + Pantry, St. Johnsbury

I grew up in Mendon, so the VILLAGE SNACK BAR was a staple, as well as WHITE COTTAGE SNACK BAR on the Ottauquechee River.

My order at both was always fried whole-belly clams (market price at the Village Snack Bar; $20.95 for half a pint at White Cottage Snack Bar) and a chocolate-vanilla twist in a cone with chocolate sprinkles ($5.70/$4.45). I am a creature of habit.

7 Village Snack Bar, 389 West St., Rutland, 802-772-7655, Facebook

8 White Cottage Snack Bar, 823 W. Woodstock Rd., Woodstock, 802-457-3455, whitecottagesnackbar.com

QUINN GERVIA

Sous chef of Majestic, Burlington I really like CANTEEN CREEMEE, where my pick is the bánh mì ($12.50) with fried chicken, pickled and fresh veggies, pâté, cilantro-Maggi sauce, and sriracha mayo on a baguette. I’ll always swing by the

Fried chicken sandwich at Road Runner

food+drink

BEANSIE’S BUS at least once a summer to get a good ol’ corn dog ($5.50) or two!

9 Canteen Creemee, 5123 Main St., Waitsfield, 802-496-6003, canteencreemee. com

10 Beansie’s Bus, Battery Park, 1 Sherman St., Burlington, 802-343-7181, beansies.com

JORDAN WARE

Chef and co-owner of Frankie’s, Burlington

There was a place in Bennington called the Dairy Bar. It’s now gone, but I have some great childhood memories of creemees and hot dogs after baseball games and races. I do love AL’S FRENCH FRYS. A burger ($3.26) with onion rings ($3.92) and barbecue sauce is a staple. It’s nostalgic.

And I get a guilty pleasure from the clam-strip roll ($5.25) at JOE’S SNACK BAR in Jericho. That feels dirty to say for some reason. [Chuckling.] 11 Al’s French Frys, 1251 Williston Rd., South Burlington, 802-862-9203, alsfrenchfrys.com

Hot dog, burger, fries and a sundae at Al‘s French Frys

Bánh mì at Canteen Creemee Maggie Fischer at White Cottage Snack Bar

No Place Like Home

Sutton author Garret Keizer talks about his new book, the writing life and being from New Jersey

BY CHELSEA EDGAR • chelsea@sevendaysvt.com

For more than 40 years, writer Garret Keizer and his wife, Kathy, have lived in an 1832 farmhouse on a dirt road in Sutton. But in a certain spiritual sense, home for Keizer will always be in and around Paterson, N.J., a former mill town and the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. In his latest volume of essays, Starting From Paterson, out on Tuesday, June 16, Keizer traces his mature preoccupations — including, but not limited to, organized labor, God and married life — back to their north Jersey roots.

The essays in Keizer’s 10th book have two organizing principles: They’re all somehow connected to the greater Paterson area, and they all mention Kathy, whom he started dating when they were both teenagers. He writes with unsentimental tenderness about their courtship — at one point, they both worked in a plastics factory — and his future fatherin-law, Walt, a man of unfailing hospitality and humor who packaged his trash for the garbageman as if it were a Christmas present. He also writes about his grandmother Florence, who loved giving little gifts and riding the bus, and the Dutch Reformed church of his adolescence, where he honed his contrarian tendencies.

BOOKS

Even if the pieces in this collection are parochial by deﬁnition, their concerns are anything but. An essay on the Price Chopper in St. Johnsbury, for example, becomes a meditation on capitalism, morality and impermanence after he discovers that the chickpeas have been moved to a di erent aisle. “[I]f you’re desegregating a school system in Little Rock, Arkansas, or closing an internment camp in Guantanamo Bay, change is good,” he writes. He later concludes: “But if all you’re doing by e ecting a change is making it harder for people to ﬁnd chickpeas, I’m not sure change is good.”

In one way or another, Keizer’s work interrogates what it means to be and do good. A 2006 Guggenheim fellowship recipient, he has written poetry, ﬁction and nonﬁction on a huge range of subjects — religion, anger, his experience as a public

school teacher in the Northeast Kingdom, the phenomenon of noise. Among many other places, he’s been published in the New Yorker, Lapham’s Quarterly, Mother Jones and Harper’s Magazine, where he is also a contributing editor.

Keizer speaks in unnervingly complete sentences, and he is manifestly kind. On a recent Wednesday, I met him in his driveway; to keep his private life private, he’d politely explained, he doesn’t conduct interviews inside his house. We set out in his Subaru Forester for the West Burke village green, where he unfolded a couple of lawn chairs for us in the shade.

“If we’re lucky, there’s a young fellow who will stand in the middle of the park and play his bagpipes,” he said.

We didn’t get lucky in the bagpipe department, but the blackﬂies mercifully kept their distance as we talked.

What’s the signiﬁcance of Paterson for you? How has being from there, or from around there, shaped your sensibilities?

Paterson formed the hub of my geographical place in my imaginative universe when I was young. Even though I love where I live — and I’m going to

be buried here, and I don’t want to live anywhere else — I’ve sometimes said I’m not so much a Vermont writer as a New Jersey writer-in-exile.

When I go back to New Jersey and I go into a diner and hear people’s voices, there’s something in me that says, “This is where you belong.” Part of it is not so much geography as class. I feel at home with workingclass people. When we had some work done on our garage, the carpenter happened to be from Jersey, and my wife would tease me and say, “You want to go out and play with the boys and hang out and watch the heavy equipment.”

Well, I do. There’s more of a union culture in New Jersey, although Vermont has some great labor history, too. I’ve got an essay in the collection called “Labor’s Schoolhouse,” about the 1913 silk mill strike in New Jersey, and at roughly the same time, the granite workers in Barre were striking with some of the same agitation, some of the same politics.

I wonder sometimes if I don’t enjoy being the guy from New Jersey in Vermont, and the guy from Vermont in New Jersey. Which is part of just being human, I guess, and probably doesn’t hurt us, as long as we don’t fall in love with our own roles or use them as a cover for dishonesty.

Many of the essays in Starting From Paterson recount experiences from your childhood and teenage years. How do you avoid imposing your adult self on your recollections of your younger self?

Well, you don’t — or not completely. Your question reminds me of a story of a Chinese philosopher who asked a centipede how it managed 100 legs in such perfect coordination, and the centipede said, “Well, that’s easy. Let me tell you.” And as the centipede started to explain, it became so twisted up that it never walked again. This is not to belittle your question. I say this to explain that I’m not sure I can articulate any “how” to what I do.

I don’t think I could lose my current

Setting the Tone

At New Music on the Point, a festival along Lake Dunmore nurtures music making

STORY & PHOTOS BY AMY LILLY • lilly@sevendaysvt.com

For two weeks every June, young composers and musicians gather on the shores of Lake Dunmore in Leicester. It’s not quite summer camp, but not far off, either. Within the grassy borders of the New Music on the Point Festival’s modest campus, attendees find a small utopia.

The homey grounds, lake access and communal meals all help inspire and support participants and faculty as they nurture new music — an arena of creativity that takes for its raw material practically all available sources of sound, from teacups and toy pianos to electronics. This broad tolerance engenders an utterly unique atmosphere of curiosity, experimentation and camaraderie.

Seven Days visited on the third day of the festival, known as NMOP (“n-mop”) and now in its 16th year, to experience dinner and a concert. These public events — the next is on Thursday, June 11 — are held in the Rec Hall, where everyone eats at long tables before filling benches in the adjacent performance space. The public can also attend concerts of festival premieres on Wednesday, June 10, and Saturday, June 13, at the Salisbury Meetinghouse; and “Songbooks,” a public singing workshop followed by a festival performance of John Cage’s wildly inventive Song Books, from 1970, on Friday, June 12, at Burlington’s Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center.

I was met by festival owner and executive director Jenny Beck, a former entrepreneur and music enthusiast, and Amy Williams, a composition professor at the University of Pittsburgh who has served as artistic director for the past 11 years.

Job of theWeek

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Artistree Community Arts Center

Williams and her team whittled this year’s 160 applicants down to 51 participants; they range in age from 19 to 32 and traveled from the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the UK. The group has nearly even numbers of performers, composers and performercomposers. The faculty of 12 includes the well-regarded Bergamot Quartet, three of whom are former participants.

“Don’t say the M-word,” Beck joked with Williams as the appearance of mosquitoes jolted us into a quick tour. Beck took me first across a large lakeside lawn toward disparate sounds of music making. They were coming from miniature barn sheds — the kind you get at Lowe’s, with one small window — hand-labeled with composers’ names such as “B. Britten” and “Monk” (more likely Meredith than Thelonious). These are among the camp’s 29 practice rooms, and they contain some of its nine pianos.

Other participants were playing PingPong or shooting a basketball from the grass into a hoop nailed to a tree. One had just emerged from a swim and was chatting at the end of a dock with another floating in a kayak; more watercraft were piled up nearby on the grass. Some participants may have been resting in the “dorms” — long wood cabins with bunk beds.

Participants do a lot of work before arrival. Each composer has only the preceding eight weeks to write a piece for the instrumentation Williams assigns them. Their pieces are workshopped and performed during the festival. Williams accepts some established ensembles and

Get the scoop on this position from founder and Executive Director Kathleen Dolan

What are some speciﬁc challenges of this position and why is it important?

e Executive Director must engage positively and productively with the various roles of the 17-person operating staff at Artistree. e ED needs to provide leadership to the group as well as forge and build a genuine sense of connection to each individual staff member, willing to step in with guidance and authentic concern when problems arise. A second challenge involves supervising and monitoring the success of a spectrum of arts activities, events, performances and community engagements; offerings that aim to satisfy the needs of all community members. is involves providing ﬁnancial aid and scholarships, reviewing our arts-based educational opportunities, and working with organizations that provide human services. e ED needs to stay abreast of the needs of the community, including afterschool activities, supports for seniors, and enriching the lives of community members through the arts.

What is unique & rewarding about Artistree?

e connection to the geographical area Artistree was established within over 20 years ago, South Pomfret, Vt., is a uniquely interesting aspect of this nonproﬁt. South Pomfret began as an agricultural hub in the late 18th century. e buildings that currently facilitate Artistree as a community arts center were once integral to agricultural life. Many of the local residents of South Pomfret and nearby areas are descendants of the original farming community. is heritage infuses Artistree with a mission and responsibility to continue providing the community with a hub, now in the form of an arts hub, and to carry on the tradition of respect and regard for the surrounding natural environment as well as the local culture, connecting them with each other through arts experiences!

From left: Murphy Severtson, Garrick Neuner and T. Gotsch performing at New Music on the Point

People Watching

ALEX BROWN

The precise formula is elusive, but comedy rests on setting an optimal distance, just far enough away for a serious struggle to melt into a funny one. In The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, the lens is perfectly focused to present 14 odd, sad, silly and striving characters who manifest sincere but ridiculous solutions to life’s big challenges in the 1980s. Playwright Jane Wagner’s stack of wry observations skewers social norms yet looks tenderly at the people indulging in them.

Wagner’s 1985 play was written as a onewoman show for her partner and creative collaborator, Lily Tomlin. Lost Nation Theater has staged it with two performers, using more costume details and a denser set than the original. Maura O’Brien plays Trudy, the narrator, a “bag lady” and selfstyled street philosopher. Stoph Scheer handles the remaining roles with changes in costume, accent and vocal register, plus two puppets of her own design and construction.

The preoccupations of the 1970s and ’80s may seem quaint, but our current interests have much in common with the play’s portrayal of self-absorption in an affluent America. In those days, the catchphrase for female ambition was “having it all,” which was the pretzel twist by which women

had careers, babies and sex lives, plus some political hope for the Equal Rights Amendment. Today, we might substitute “work-life boundaries” with a side order of personal branding. The philosophy of selfcenteredness bridges both eras, and much of the play’s humor transcends the period.

The audience at last Thursday’s preview laughed easily, and not all of them sported the gray hair of self-actualization veterans. Some references are in-jokes of the time, but all rest on a larger truth: Every fad boils down to a trick for believing in yourself. Wagner trains her attention on the smorgasbord of self-help options at the time, from aerobics classes to Est. The play’s deeper theme is the uneven progress of feminism, soaring toward utopia or sputtering out like a candle in a hand-thrown pot.

The show moves at a jaunty pace. It’s anchored by Trudy’s feisty, joke-spiked riffs on societal oddities. Trudy proclaims herself “crazy,” in the ’80s trope equating mental illness with just another kind of

contemplates her actual chance of dying of boredom while waiting in a hair salon. The first set of characters bounces lines off unseen companions, but then the play ups the performance ante by putting characters in interaction with each other. Scheer uses subtle changes in position or voice to portray multiple people in conversation. When seen-it-all prostitutes Brandy and Marie tell a story to a cabdriver, Scheer establishes them both, and soon we’re lost in a tale told by people interrupting each other. The upshot of the story? What it takes to believe in yourself.

THEATER

insight. That notion hasn’t aged well, and the cutely named “bag ladies” of the Reagan years have become the homeless, a societal calamity and not a temporary glitch. This production dodges the problem on the strength of O’Brien’s potent direct address and the script’s fun-loving insistence that Trudy is shepherding aliens on a tour of American culture.

The audience essentially becomes the aliens, our eyes trained on what’s terribly funny, and terribly wrong, about the way we live. Interleaved with Trudy’s semi-standup are short sketches that give the versatile Scheer a chance to use voice, movement and quirky costumes to paint people drenched in the mannerisms of the time.

Workout queen Chrissy chats with a friend during a routine. “All my life I’ve wanted to be somebody,” she says. “But now I see I should have been more specific.” The play is filled with people striving for something and falling short, their disappointment magnified by the sheer number of aspirations dangling before them.

Paul steers his life by two ’80s obsessions — he hits the gym in the morning and spends his nights as a cokehead.

Teenager Agnes Angst proclaims her punk nihilism while calling a radio talk show to complain about her parents. Socialite Kate

Director Kim Bent has assembled a full creative team to design set, lights, video, sound and costumes. They’ve created some great elements, such as a functioning walk/ don’t walk sign and screens broadcasting peak 40-year-old TV, but the overall effect is clutter. The show’s hallmark is pure performance, and clever as the references may be, leg warmers and garage sale piles are more detail than we need. The play is stronger when all we notice are characters sketched with the fewest, boldest lines.

Staging it with two actors lifts the work out of Tomlin’s shadow, which could have suffocated it, and Bent keeps the pace very quick so viewers stay stimulated. But the new format also dilutes the solo dazzle, and the pacing doesn’t always give characters the time to think or react; punch lines are punched but sometimes come from nowhere.

Between Trudy’s zingers, O’Brien hits moments of celestial reflection. She carries the play gracefully to its powerful yet funny finale. With childlike wonder on her face, O’Brien offers the warmth that gives the audience permission to feel awe in a world of petty preoccupations.

Scheer starts the show with a character working out and essentially never drops the feel-the-burn energy necessary to create a stream of distinct souls. Her skill is making none of it look like work. Having mastered the mechanics of whirling between roles, she locates a bright purity in each character.

The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe mocks obsessions but not the obsessed. It’s ultimately a tender look at humans trying to achieve their dreams using only the cultural junk closest to hand. If we laugh at them, it’s really because we’re rooting for them. And for ourselves. ➆

INFO

The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe by Jane Wagner, directed by Kim Bent, produced by Lost Nation Theater. Through June 14: Wednesday through Saturday, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m., at Montpelier City Hall. $15-45. lostnationtheater.org

Stoph Scheer and Maura O’Brien in The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe

HELP US KEEP AN EYE ON IMMIGRATION.

Reporter Lucy Tompkins joined the Seven Days newsroom on July 7, 2025. Her beat? Covering immigration, the northern border and refugee communities in Vermont.

She’s had a very busy year.

It started with a scoop about the Winooski schools superintendent, a U.S. citizen, who was detained and questioned for hours while returning from a visit to Nicaragua. She’s documented numerous accounts of Vermont residents detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, as well as the e orts — sometimes successful — to release them. She’s talked with immigrant parents who, fearing arrest, have assigned guardians for their kids, and she’s ridden along with U.S. Border Patrol agents policing the boundary between Vermont and Canada.

Fluent in Spanish, Lucy has cultivated sources on all sides of the issues. She digs deep to find stories that would otherwise stay hidden and, with clear-eyed, rigorous reporting, tells them with care — and context. She wrote the definitive account of what went down on March 11 in the South Burlington stando between ICE and local protesters. More recently, she analyzed hours of bodycam footage from the city’s top cop that day to show the conflicts he faced trying to keep the peace.

Now we need your help to keep her on the beat.

Report Local, the nonproﬁt behind Report for America, will once again partially fund this crucial coverage, but we need readers like you to chip in for the rest.

We’re hoping to raise $40,000 during our two-week crowdfunding campaign. Can you contribute?

Make a tax-deductible gift in support of our immigration coverage at: sevendaysvt.com/rfa

Want to send a check?

Make it out to “Report Local,” put “Seven Days/RFA” in the memo and include a note with your contact info (address/phone/email). Send the check and note to: Seven Days c/o Immigration Coverage, PO Box 1164, Burlington, VT 05402

Want to give through a donor-advised fund or qualiﬁed charitable contribution?

All contributions to Report for America are tax-deductible. Contributions do not inﬂuence editorial decisions.

perspective even if I wanted to. I can do that a little bit, but I’m egocentric enough that I don’t lose the “I” who’s writing those essays when I’m seeing through the eyes of that child that I was. I’m usually not spending much time thinking about that, to be honest. I’m spending more time struggling with the sentence I’m writing and then interrogating it afterward.

What’s the relationship between the “I” in your first-person essays and the “I” off the page, the guy across from me in this lawn chair?

There are ways that, on the page, I may even be more myself than I am in a casual encounter, because I say things in print that I wouldn’t necessarily say at a table. That doesn’t mean I’m not inhibited to some extent. It doesn’t mean that there aren’t some things I’m holding back because I don’t want readers to know them, or because it’s a sentiment that I think doesn’t conduce to the reader’s well-being. I think when you stop struggling with that, you’re probably in a bad place.

You taught English for 15 years at Lake Region Union High School in Orleans. How did being a teacher impact your writing life?

On the one hand, it was a great impediment to my writing life, because I took the teaching life seriously, and an English teacher doesn’t have a whole lot of spare time to do much writing, although I did write in the summers. But on the other hand, it gave me material for two books [the memoirs No Place but Here: A Teacher’s Vocation in a Rural Community and Getting Schooled: The Reeducation of an American Teacher ], and it also helped me by acquainting me with many people’s lives, the conditions they lived and worked under. And in the process of trying to help my students write better, I learned a lot about writing. Anything that you want to know well, try to teach it to somebody else.

I’M NOT SO MUCH A VERMONT WRITER AS A NEW JERSEY WRITER-IN-EXILE.

I owe a real debt to my students and to the community. I wrote my first book on a sabbatical from the Lake Region School District. This is a tough, working-class community. How many farmers get a year off at three-quarter pay to write a book about milking cows? [The school district] gave that to me. That was my first grant.

Do you have any particular writing routines?

The routine involves me getting to write as soon as possible. In good weather, I find it harder to go round the clock, unless I have a piece that’s due. By afternoon, I’m ready to get outside and do physical work — although I’ve actually discovered that my writing is served well by physical work. I get some of my best ideas with a tool in my hand.

Starting From Paterson book launch, Tuesday, June 16, 7 p.m., at Galaxy Bookshop in Hardwick. Free. galaxybookshop.com

Garret Keizer will give free readings on July 30, 5:30 p.m., at Cobleigh Public Library in Lyndonville; and August 26, 7 p.m., at the Norwich Bookstore.

What is the job of an essayist?

This is a world of a lot of pain and a lot of loneliness, and I think any writing in any genre, at its best, will help reduce the amount of loneliness — and maybe, too, find words that express the joy. Many times, a writer will hear someone say, “You know, I’ve felt that. I just couldn’t have said it that way,” or “I went through something just like that. But you say it so much better.” So maybe you’re performing a service: writing a love letter to the world for someone else. ➆

This interview was edited for clarity and length.

INFO

Starting From Paterson by Garret Keizer, Eastover Press, 222 pages, $28.99.

creates others; some combinations might take a composer by surprise, as with the baritone-accordion-double bass trio on the program that night.

Beck bought the camp in 2008. (She lives on-site half the year and in Brandon the other half.) Over the following three years, she revived Point CounterPoint, the children’s summer music camp for which the property was mostly created in 1963. In 2011, she teamed up with Yale University composition professor Kathryn Alexander to create New Music on the Point. Last year Beck added a September retreat for more established contemporary-music composers. The “point” in question is a triangular deck jutting between trees to the water’s edge.

Beck introduced another “point,” in the sense of an objective: to eat well. A foodie, she makes sure every meal is gourmetquality. This year’s chefs are three former participants: an Iranian, a Colombian and a Japanese Hawaiian, the latter of whom drives up from New York City in a car packed with hard-to-find Japanese ingredients. The Colombian dinner this reporter happily consumed included tamales de pipián and papas chorreadas (potatoes) with a spicypickle condiment called aji criollo. Beck said there is a waiting list of former participants who want to return as chefs.

Artistic director Williams took over from Alexander in 2015. The composer and

pianist of the Bugallo-Williams Piano Duo grew up in Buffalo, N.Y., with a pioneering percussionist father and violist mother; their houseguests included composers Morton Feldman and Cage. She later earned two graduate degrees at the University of Buffalo. Williams attributed the close bonding that develops every year at New Music on the Point to the “slumber party” living quarters and community-style dining arrangement.

“If we had square tables of four, the festival would fail,” she joked.

The evening’s concert opened with the performance space’s lights off. A chorus of six women that included Tony Arnold, an associate professor of voice at Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Institute who leads the festival’s vocal program, stood behind the audience. As dusk fell, they performed “Mouthpiece Topology,” an eerie and meditative 2006 work by faculty member Erin Gee that consisted of seemingly randomly timed nonlinguistic utterances, only some of which carried a musical note. Most were chitterings, consonant sounds, whistles and clicks, evoking but not imitating nature’s rustlings outside.

Two more of Gee’s “Mouthpieces” were performed. A Rome Prize and Guggenheim fellowship winner, the composer began the series in 2000; her 44th installment will premiere this summer at Philharmonie Luxembourg. Participant Garrick Neuner

performed Gee’s “Mouthpiece IV,” which is notated using the International Phonetic Alphabet, with focused intensity. Neuner’s “ch” sound, delivered with fists clenched, could have felled a tree.

Fully spoken language accompanied “h.o.p.e.,” a work for amplified piano, toy piano and voice by faculty member Amy Beth Kirsten, who teaches composition at Juilliard and Curtis Institute of Music. Participant Veerle Winkelmolen performed the piece with her left hand on the piano and her right on a 2-footlong miniature grand. Opening with a simple melody played in unison, the tune gradually devolved into two increasingly disjointed tempos before resolving again. In the midst of this knotty feat, Winkelmolen enunciated the title’s acronym into a mic: “Hang on; pain ends.”

All uses of voice will be on display at Friday’s performance of Cage’s Song Books in Burlington. The site-specific “musical happening,” as Arnold described it, will engage 30 festival participants in Main Street Landing’s Film House, adjacent lobby and outdoor balcony. Arnold said it will likely involve both stationary and wandering performers among whom audience members can thread their own paths. Cage left much of the work open to interpretation, Arnold said, adding, “One of the scores is a map of Concord, Mass. That’s the score. Somebody has to sing that.”

If anyone has the inspiration to pull

that off, it’s someone at New Music on the Point. ➆

INFO

New Music on the Point presents “2026 Premieres” on Wednesday and Saturday, June 10 and 13, 7:30 p.m., at Salisbury Meetinghouse, free; Dinner and a Show on Thursday, June 11, 6 p.m., at 1361 Hooker Rd. in Leicester, $50; and “Songbooks” on Friday, June 12, with a song workshop (register online) at 4 p.m. and John Cage’s Song Books at 5:15 p.m., at Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center in Burlington, free. newmusiconthepoint.com

GARRET KEIZER

Festival participants at Lake Dunmore

on screen

Some movies earn their creators an enormous amount of goodwill. John Carney’s Once , the lowbudget, low-concept 2006 hit about two people who collide musically and romantically — to a killer soundtrack — pretty much secured my interest in anything the Irish writer-director releases.

Now, Carney, who was the bassist for Dublin rockers the Frames in the 1990s, returns with Power Ballad, a much higherconcept comedy-drama set in the music world and costarring Nick Jonas in a role reminiscent of his real-life boy-band origins. See it at Essex Cinemas.

The deal

Power Ballad ★★★★ REVIEW

Fifteen years ago, musician Rick Power (Paul Rudd) came to Ireland on tour with his up-and-coming band, met Rachel (Marcella Plunkett), and never left. Now, the couple are raising their teenage daughter (Beth Fallon) in Dublin, where Rick fronts a wedding band called the Bride and Groove. All that remains of his rock-star dreams are the original tunes he still sometimes sings at gigs, to the dismay of wedding parties.

At a lavish wedding in a castle, Rick vibes with guest Danny Wilson (Jonas), a boy-band idol struggling to launch a solo career. Danny respects the older man’s craft, and during a tipsy all-night jam session, Rick helps him with one of his compositions and plays him a catchy song of his own called “How to Write a Song (Without You).”

Six months later, Rick hears his song playing in a mall. Danny has recorded a pop version of it without crediting Rick, and now it’s a monster hit. Rick has no legally viable proof of his authorship, and Danny’s slick LA manager (Jack Reynor) treats him like a joke. But that’s his hit everyone’s humming, and Rick won’t let it go.

Will you like it?

Power Ballad has an irresistible hook. It’s rare these days to see a theatrical movie about unglamorous middle-aged people, let alone a middle-aged artist grappling with frustrated ambition. The parallels between Rick and Danny — two all-American boys with the same musical idols — give extra tension to their generational and class divides. And the ﬁlm’s central question — who really owns a pop hit? — intersects with current debates about the music business, intellectual property and (inevitably) AI.

The premise could have been rich material for a dark parable of how big money and the celebrity machine crush small creators — think The Social Network in the music world. But that sort of sweeping indictment isn’t for Carney, nor does he make inspirational fables. His interest is in people — specifically, people who devote their lives to music — so Power Ballad walks the line between cynicism and wishful fantasy by staying essentially Rick’s story. His fight for what he’s owed gradually becomes a belated reckoning, a renegotiation of his relationship to his art. Rudd has the exact right combination of charm and prickliness to make the character work. Never mind that Rick’s backstory makes no chronological sense — how was this fiftysomething a dewy-faced young rocker with ’80s hair just 15 years ago? (Decades seem to collapse like a telescope so the story can take place in present day, à la One Battle After Another.) We still root for Rick as he confronts the question of what, exactly, he’s wanted all this time — to play for packed stadiums, or simply to have his music heard around the globe? Can one be enough without the other?

The movie is strongest when it focuses on Rick, his family and his bandmates,

including lovable stoner Sandy (Peter McDonald, who cowrote the script with Carney). But the conceit becomes unwieldy when Carney brings us into Danny’s world, too, emphasizing his similarities to Rick as a younger musician at a crossroads.

The issue isn’t Jonas’ acting — he gives Danny a winning earnestness and insecurity. It’s that Carney and McDonald seem to have decided at some point they needed a villain. In its third act, Power Ballad veers dangerously close to a simplistic David and Goliath story, with Danny ﬂattened into an antagonist no more complex than his odiously smug manager. While it’s certainly believable that Danny would steal Rick’s song with a shrug, his moral callowness here doesn’t match his more nuanced depiction earlier.

The strength of a great power ballad tends to lie in its simplicity. Power Ballad, by contrast, muddies the waters enough to dilute its own message; the script feels a couple of rewrites away from brilliance. It never does justice to those bigger questions about art and commerce, either.

But Rick’s journey has plenty of meaning in itself, and when the movie works, it really works, combining feel-good moments with bittersweet insight. If it

were a song, it would have an uplifting chorus and verses that resonate with hardwon experience.

MARGOT HARRISON margot@sevendaysvt.com

IF YOU LIKE THIS, TRY…

ONCE (2007; Broadway HD, rentable): At a pivotal moment in Power Ballad, Rick encounters a busker performing one of the yearning folk-rock tunes from the Oscar-winning soundtrack of Carney’s breakout ﬁlm about a busker who teams up with a Czech immigrant singer-songwriter.

SING STREET (2016; Starz, YouTube Primetime, rentable): Carney’s youth inspired his coming-of-age comedydrama set in 1980s Dublin, in which a teenager tries to impress a girl by starting a band.

BEGIN AGAIN (2013; Philo, PLEX, Prime Video, Roku Channel, Tubi, rentable): Mark Ruffalo, Keira Knightley and Adam Levine starred in Carney’s romantic drama about a disillusioned singer and producer finding their groove. My review called it “fluff with a bracing touch of fiber.”

Nick Jonas and Paul Rudd play musicians whose unlikely jam session has unintended consequences in John Carney’s drama.

NEW IN THEATERS

DISCLOSURE DAY: Steven Spielberg returns to science fiction with this thriller in which humanity makes contact with aliens, and they have plans for us. Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor and Colin Firth star. (145 min, PG-13. Bijou, Capitol, City Cinema, Essex, Majestic, Marquis, Playhouse, Star, Sunset, Welden)

JINSEI: In Ryuya Suzuki’s adult anime, a man (voiced by Cool Ace) lives many lives over 100 years, from pop idol to pariah. (93 min, NR. Partizanfilm)

STOP! THAT! TRAIN!: Ginger Minj, Jujubee and RuPaul Charles star in a drag-tastic disaster parody about heroic stewardesses aboard the Glamazonian Express. Adam Shankman (Hairspray) directed. (92 min, R. Essex, Majestic, Savoy)

CURRENTLY PLAYING

BACKROOMSHHHH In Kane Parsons’ debut horror feature, an interdimensional portal appears to open beneath a furniture store. With Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve. (110 min, R. Bijou, Essex, Majestic, Paramount, Partizanfilm, Star, Stowe, Sunset, Welden; reviewed 6/3)

BLUE HERON: Sophy Romvari’s semi-autobiographical festival favorite explores the dynamics of a family on Vancouver Island. Eylul Guven stars. (90 min, NR. Catamount)

THE BREADWINNERH1/2 A man (Nate Bargatze) has to learn to be a stay-at-home dad in Eric Appel’s family comedy. (95 min, PG. Essex)

CAROLINA CAROLINEHHHH A young woman (Samara Weaving) goes on the run with a con man (Kyle Gallner) in this crime thriller from Adam Rehmeier. (105 min, NR. Partizanfilm, Savoy)

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2HH1/2 A journalist (Anne Hathaway) reunites with her one-time boss from hell (Meryl Streep) in David Frankel’s sequel. (119 min, PG-13. Bethel, Majestic; reviewed 5/6)

I LOVE BOOSTERSHHH1/2 Shoplifters plot revenge on a fashion tycoon in the new surreal comedy from Boots Riley (Sorry to Bother You). (105 min, R. Partizanfilm; reviewed 5/27)

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSEHH1/2 Nicholas Galitzine plays He-Man in a new live-action adaptation of the Mattel sci-fi adventure franchise. (132 min, PG-13. Bijou, City Cinema, Essex, Majestic, Paramount, Star, Sunset, Welden)

MICHAELHH This drama from Antoine Fuqua chronicles the life of pop legend Michael Jackson (Jaafar Jackson). (127 min, PG-13. Majestic)

OBSESSIONHHHH1/2 A young man makes the mistake of wishing on a charm that his crush would fall in love with him in Curry Barker’s horror film. (Capitol, City Cinema, Essex, Majestic, Sunset; reviewed 5/20)

POWER BALLADHHH1/2 John Carney (Once) cowrote and directed this comedy-drama about a wedding singer (Paul Rudd) seeking credit for the tune that a boy-band idol (Nick Jonas) made into a hit. (98 min, R. Big Picture, Essex; reviewed 6/10)

PRESSUREHHH1/2 Brendan Frazer plays Dwight D. Eisenhower in this period thriller about the 72 hours preceding D-Day, also starring Andrew Scott and Kerry Condon. (100 min, PG-13. Majestic, Sunset)

SCARY MOVIEHH With plenty of fodder for parody in current horror cinema, the long-lived comedy franchise returns to the beginning. Anna Faris and Regina Hall star. (95 min, R. Bijou, Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Star, Stowe, Sunset)

THE SHEEP DETECTIVESHHH1/2 A flock sets out to solve the murder of their shepherd in this mystery-comedy-family flick. (109 min, PG. Big Picture, Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Welden)

STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGUHH1/2 Pedro Pascal reprises his TV role as a bounty hunter adventuring with an unusual apprentice. (132 min, PG-13. Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Marquis, Stowe, Welden)

TUNERHHHH A piano tuner (Leo Woodall) with extreme sensitivity to sound discovers he’s an ace safe cracker in this crime thriller from Daniel Roher, also starring Dustin Hoffman. (109 min, R. Savoy)

YOU GOT GOLD: A CELEBRATION OF JOHN PRINE: Michael John Warren’s documentary chronicles a two-night tribute to the artist. (90 min, NR. Partizanfilm)

OLDER FILMS AND SPECIAL SCREENINGS

ADAM’S APPLE (Savoy, Sat only)

THE AMAZING DIGITAL CIRCUS: THE LAST ACT (Essex, Thu-Sun only)

THE BEST DAY EVER (Catamount, Fri only)

THE BIG BAD FOX AND OTHER TALES (Partizanfilm, Sat only)

CANOE DIG IT? (Playhouse, Sun only)

DOUBLE TEAM (Partizanfilm, Wed 10 only)

GO FISH (Savoy, Sat only)

HORSESHOE (VTIFF, Thu & Sat only)

MR. HULOT’S HOLIDAY (Catamount, Wed 17 only)

NO PICNIC (VTIFF, Sat & Sun only)

PALESTINE 36 (Savoy, Sun only)

PONYO (Essex, starts Sat)

QUEER SHORTS! (Savoy, Sun only)

SOME LIKE IT HOT (VTIFF, Sun only) THAT NIGHT’S WIFE (VTIFF, Wed 10 only)

OPEN THEATERS

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

BETHEL DRIVE-IN: 36 Bethel Dr., Bethel, 728-3740, betheldrivein.com

*BIG PICTURE THEATER: 48 Carroll Rd., Waitsfield, 496-8994, bigpicturetheater.info. Closed through April 29.

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

CAPITOL THEATER: 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

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

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

The Last Catamount has no politics, no sex, and no religion

Don’t settle for metadata, when so near it waits for you.

Buy it and ALL your books at your favorite bookstore. Buying a book from Amazon is like buying an original oil painting from Walmart. If you can’t find it in time for Father's Day, then try our website.

RELATIONSHIP WITH AN ANIMAL THEY’VE BEEN ASSURED DOES NOT EXIST; 18% CATAMOUNT’S THOUGHTS WHILE PROTECTING OWN FAMILY, IN CLUDING HER FASCINATION OBSERVING A HUMAN CONSTRUCTING ATRAIL; 14% FULL-COLOR PHOTOS OF GREEN MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS (NOT SWEEPING VISTAS, BUT TYPICAL VIEWS FROM INSIDE THE WOODS); 12% INSTRUCTION ON BASIC TRAIL BUILDING; 5% HUMOROUS, OFF-COLOR “OPEN MIC” COMMENTS BY EDITORS; 1.5% WILD SPECULATION ON THE NATURE OF TIME; 1.5% WILD SPECULATION ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF SELF-AWARENESS IN MORE ADVANCED SPECIES OF ANIMALS; 0.2% SODIUM BENZOATE AND TRI-PHOSPHATE HYDROGENESE ADDED TO PRESERVE TIMELESSNESS NO REFRIGERATION REQUIRED

Branching Out

e Queen City celebrates its newest public art — and the end of Main

Street construction

BY ALICE DODGE • adodge@sevendaysvt.com

Burlingtonians going about their mornings on June 3 were likely unsurprised by the Main Street road closure, a regular occurrence during the past two years of the city’s “Great Streets” construction project. But they might’ve gotten a hint this one was di erent when they heard the drums.

Queen City parade stalwarts Sambatucada provided the percussion backbone, and a handful of puppet snow geese ﬂew over the crowd of several dozen community members as they walked a couple of blocks up Main from Battery Street. The procession was led by a big, yellow flatbed truck hauling a ghostly white, starkly beautiful 48-foot tree — Nancy Winship Milliken’s “Lakebone,” Burlington’s newest permanent public sculpture.

A crew from S.D. Ireland carefully unstrapped, restrapped and hooked the piece with chains to a massive crane,

which lifted the huge trunk until it hovered over the road. Using ropes, they gently guided it to a perch on two steel posts embedded in a concrete foundation in the new sidewalk. As the crew lowered it into place, John Higgins, the project’s structural engineer, made sure the nearly 10,000-pound piece of wood was properly balanced; Milliken pointed out subtle placement adjustments. The crowd — including dogs, kids and beaming Burlington City Arts sta ers — took selﬁes, marveled at the perfect weather, and gaped at the feat of engineering and logistical know-how deployed solely for the purpose of art.

Public art has been part of the vision for “Great Streets” since the beginning, even before the city passed its One Percent for Public Art ordinance in 2021, which mandates that art funding be part of projects such as the current construction. Colin

Storrs, who manages grants and public art for BCA, said the city put out a national call for proposals in 2022. “Lakebone” is the largest and most complex of the four selected, at a cost of $160,048 out of the project’s $500,000 total art budget.

The other three include Burlingtonianturned-New Yorker Lydia Kern’s “Anthology,” installed last fall next to City Hall Park. It’s a brightly colored archway of ﬂowers gathered by neighbors in Burlington and suspended in resin; when the light hits it, it glows like a stained-glass window.

The other two sculptures, both of which will be installed on June 24, are “Block by Block,” by Noa Younse of Richmond’s Pixel Patch Creative; and “Magnus” by Wowhaus studios of Sebastopol, Calif. “Block by Block,” a Lego-esque tower of interlocked shapes that reference Burlington’s neighborhoods, will be installed outside Honey Road at Church and Main streets.

“Magnus,” to be in front of the courthouse, consists of three locally carved granite snails big enough to sit on — Storrs described them as “weirdly comfortable.” The creatures reference fossils of Maclurites magnus, an ancient snail that lived in Lake Champlain 460 million years ago. The snails’ trails, made from a special aggregate embedded in the sidewalk, will glow in the dark.

Milliken’s sculpture relates to the city and its environment in multiple ways, she said last week: “It’s on the horizontal because it’s representing the trees that traveled across the lake, both back when Burlington became a lumber port and when the rail took lumber out. It was how Burlington developed, so this is honoring how the city grew — the beginnings of the city.”

The tree, which seems to float above the road, is also reminiscent of so many that bobbed down Vermont’s rivers in past floods. Milliken added that it speaks to how trees in riparian forests and driftwood barriers naturally help mitigate flooding. It’s also a nod to the very deliberate system of stormwater management that’s now in place under the new streetscape.

Aside from the associations and aesthetics of the ﬁnished object, “Lakebone” is a triumph of planning and teamwork. Late 20th-century artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, famed for massive public projects that often involved wrapping whole buildings in fabric, used to assert that the often bureaucratic process of public art — from initial drawings to engineering to negotiating permits and dealing with municipal o cials — was the artwork. The realization of this piece seems very much in the same spirit.

Finding a tree was a challenge. Storrs said Milliken decided early on that black locust, a hardwood that farmers have long used to make rot-resistant fence posts, was her ﬁrst choice. Clemmons Family Farm in Charlotte came forward with one slated to be removed from its property. Uprooting it intact, and transporting it to Milliken’s studio in Shelburne, was itself a massive undertaking.

The artist then cut down the tree’s root ball considerably, trimmed branches and removed the bark — a monthslong process in which she enlisted others, including

PUBLIC ART

“Lakebone” by Nancy Winship Milliken

her husband, Andrew Milliken, and son, Charles. She researched and consulted with tree specialists and engineers on everything from the durability of the wood to the resilience of the white patina to the structural integrity of the piece. Higgins, the engineer, said he put 300 pounds of weight on each extremity to make sure the piece could withstand snow and, as he put it, “hooligans.”

Milliken’s studio is only 100 yards from the railroad tracks, so Vermont Rail System stepped in to transport the tree from Shelburne to Burlington before it was moved onto a truck. Now that the sculpture is in place, Weybridge conservation org Bee the Change will plant a pollinator garden underneath it.

John Magnus of S.D. Ireland was instrumental in coordinating the installation, which he described as “not the typical construction project.” But his crew was happy to take on the challenge. Public art, he said, “just makes life more interesting.”

From top: The sculpture en route to Burlington via train; S.D. Ireland workers installing “Lakebone” on Main Street in Burlington

Making life in Burlington interesting is among the main goals of the Main Street initiative — in addition to more prosaic aims, such as traffic calming and stormwater management. BCA plans to celebrate the project’s completion with a Main Street Block Party on July 17 and 18.

“We’ve all lived through this construction,” communications director Elena Rosen said, “and it hasn’t always been the easiest, but it’s such a beautiful new streetscape.

“The infrastructure is very, very cool, but creativity has been at the center of this,” she continued. “It’s so Burlington. This is what makes this city special.” ➆

INFO

“Lakebone” by Nancy Winship Milliken, at 100-110 Main Street in Burlington. A Main Street Block Party celebrates the end of construction on Friday, July 17, 1-9 p.m., and Saturday, July 18, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. burlingtoncityarts.org

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art JUN. 10-17

OPENINGS + RECEPTIONS

95TH ANNUAL JURIED SHOW: A juried exhibition of works by members of the Northern Vermont Artist Association, on view in the Sugarhouse Gallery. Visions of Vermont, Jeffersonville, through July 5.

RAY BROWN: “Transformative Moves II,” works by the late local artist, curated by Northern New England Museum of Contemporary Art. Central Vermont Medical Center, Berlin, through July 18.

ANDREA POE: “Portraits of a Community,” oil paintings by the local artist. Northeast Kingdom Artisans Guild Backroom Gallery, St. Johnsbury, through July 18.

‘PRELUDE’: A group exhibition of works by emerging artists, many of whom are members of the art center, curated by Hexum Gallery’s John Zaso. Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester, through July 26.

‘FOR THE LOVE OF VERMONT: THE LYMAN ORTON COLLECTION’: Works from the collection of the Vermont Country Store cofounder, on display in the art center’s new wing. Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester, ongoing.

MONICA DIGIOVANNI: A collection of ensoōpaintings exploring the intersection of meditative practice and visual expression. Closing Reception: Wednesday, June 10, 4-6 p.m. Frog Hollow Vermont Craft Gallery, Burlington, through June 10.

‘GAYZING’: An exhibition of works by four gay men — Larry Bowling, Joe John, Robert Perry and James Rauchman — who explore aging, seeing and being seen. On view in the Third-Floor Gallery. Closing Reception: Saturday, June 13, 2-4 p.m. Studio Place Arts, Barre, through June 13.

E. KELLY O’NEAL AND MICHAEL TRIMPOL: “Molten Horizons,” a show of abstract photography by O’Neal and hand-blown glass by Trimpol, known as Little River Hot Glass, engaging with landscape, light and color. Reception: Saturday, June 13, 4-6 p.m. Frog Hollow Vermont Craft Gallery, Burlington, June 11-July 7.

‘FREDERIC CHURCH IN VERMONT’: A major exhibition of more than 40 drawings, oil sketches and finished paintings created by the 19th-century artist during or as a result of his visits to Vermont over 30 years. Reception: Wednesday, June 17, 5-6:30 p.m. Middlebury College Museum of Art, through August 9.

DOUG TRUMP: A show of abstract, mixed-media paintings by the Marlboro artist. Reception: Saturday, June 20, 1-3 p.m. CX Silver Gallery, Brattleboro, June 12-September 26.

‘CALL OF THE LOON’: A group show of works by 27 local artists celebrating the distinctive bird and the 50th anniversary of the Vermont Loon Conservation Project with the Vermont Center for Ecostudies. Reception: Saturday, June 20, 2-5 p.m.; talks by Eric Hanson and Eloise Girard 3-4 p.m. Highland Center for the Arts, Greensboro, June 11-21.

VISUAL ART EVENTS

LIFE DRAWING AND PAINTING: A drop-in event for artists working with the figure from a live model. T.W. Wood Museum, Montpelier, Thursday, June 11, 7-9 p.m. Free; $15 suggested donation.

SPARROW PLEIN AIR FESTIVAL: An invitation to artists of all ages to paint throughout Middlebury’s scenic downtown and surrounding landscapes, with optional demos, workshops, a “wet paint” sale and exhibit, and social events throughout the weekend. Visitors are encouraged to see the artists’ works take shape and explore the town. Sparrow Art Supply, Middlebury, June 12-14. Artists, $35-65; kids, $10; preregister.

ARTIST TALK: EMILY JOECKEL SMITH: A discussion with the stained-glass artist about her inspirations, processes and techniques. Brandon Artists Guild, Friday, June 12, 7-8 p.m. Free.

Small Things Hit the Big Time

Vergennes may be Vermont’s “Little City,” but Brattleboro has a growing reputation for the tiny. In December, the first Brattleboro Festival of Miniatures drew lovers of all things little to see displays of dollhouses and dioramas in shop windows all through downtown. Building on that success, cofounders Doran Hamm and Tabitha Celani have recently opened the Museum of Things Tiny and Found in a fittingly secret spot at the Hooker-Dunham Gallery, down a set of stairs from Main Street. Visitors discover elaborate creations such as a model woodworker’s garage studio, complete with a radio and novelty singing fish, built by HatchSpace founder Tom Bodett and his wife, Rita Ramirez. There’s also a wall of small art, including thumbnail-size tintypes from late 1800s Putney; a micro re-creation of one of Yayoi Kusama’s “Infinity Mirror Room” installations; and a “Shelf of Especially Small,” on which half-inch Play-Doh and Johnson’s Baby Powder containers hold center stage. At the elaborate, interactive “Mouse Metro” station, pushing buttons brings the scene to life. The best part? In addition to those from the founders’ collections, all the objects have been donated or lent by community members, creating a vibe that’s a microcosm of the town’s neighborly spirit.

THE MUSEUM OF THINGS TINY AND FOUND

At 139 Main Street in Brattleboro; open weekends, noon-5 p.m., and by appointment. museumoftiny.com

ARTIST TALK: ‘WORKING THEORY’: A conversation with Elizabeth Budington, Gayle Robertson and Leonard Ragouzeos about their creative process and practice. 118 Elliot, Brattleboro, Sunday, June 14, 11 a.m. Free.

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, June 14, 1-3 p.m. Free.

FIGURE DRAWING: Artists at all levels of experience are invited to draw from a live model. Drawing boards and easels provided; participants bring drawing materials. 18-plus; preregistration required. Vermont

Studio Center, Johnson, Sunday, June 14, 2-4 p.m. $20; $5 for current VSC residents.

PORTRAIT DRAWING AND PAINTING: A drop-in event where artists can practice skills in any medium. T.W. Wood Museum, Montpelier, Monday, June 15, 10 a.m.-noon. Free; $15 suggested donation.

OPEN STUDIO: A guided meditation followed by an hour of art making in any medium and concluding with a share-and-witness process. Many art materials available. In person and online. Expressive Arts Burlington, Tuesday, June 16, 6:30-8:30 p.m. By donation.

ARTIST TALK: HARVEY STEIN: A lecture by the acclaimed street photographer and author of 10 books on photography, who shares images from current and past projects, takes questions, and signs books. Vermont Center for Photography, Brattleboro, Wednesday, June 17, 6:30 p.m. Free.

CALLS TO ARTISTS

‘AMERICA 250: EXPRESSIONS OF LIBERTY’ POETRY AND ART CONTEST: An invitation to all Vermont middle and high school students to submit artwork and poetry on the theme “What Does Freedom Mean to Me?” Winners will be honored at Town Hall Theater’s Constitution Day Celebration on September 17. Sponsored by Town Hall Theater and the United States District Court for the District of Vermont. Information and requirements at townhalltheater.org. Deadline: Monday, June 15. Jackson Gallery, Town Hall Theater, Middlebury. Free.

‘THE SHOE AS ART’: An invitation to submit 2D and 3D original artwork related to the world of shoes. Collaborations welcome. Exhibition runs September 15 to October 30. Deadline: June 30. Email lesachats57@ gmail.com. The Adamant Cooperative. Free. ➆

“Tom and Rita's Garage” by Tom Bodett and Rita Ramirez

Oa sleepy back road heading north to the Champlain Islands, there’s a quiet turno between an apple orchard and what looks like an endless ﬁeld. Beneath a huge blue sky dotted with pu y white clouds, newly green grass and blooming trees frame a picture-perfect Vermont scene, the type of spring day locals dream about all winter.

music+nightlife What About Bob?

This idyllic setting is where longtime Vermont singer-songwriter and guitarist Bob Wagner has been living since last October, when a long-term relationship came to an end. He refers to it, casually, as his “place in Colchester.”

Among a small group of friends and family, it’s also known as Mike Gordon’s guesthouse. It sits a few hundred feet around a bend from Gordon’s home and across a field from the Phish bassist’s recording studio. Lake Champlain is just beyond the tree line.

“It could be worse,” Wagner said with a relaxed smile. “The walk I take every morning is incredible.”

His signature red beard framed his face, as did an ever-present baseball cap. A long, tapering braid hung over his shoulder. He was seated in a room that, like the rest of the house, was tastefully renovated, spacious. There were at least two guitars nearby: a light blue and white T-style custom made out of old barn board by Burlington luthier Creston Lea, and a vintage Silvertone in black and white.

The serene landscape outside, and the proximity to Gordon and his new studio, say a lot about Wagner’s career right now. He recently ﬁnished up his ﬁrst tour as part of Gordon’s band. And while his decade-plus journey as a backing musician for the likes of Gordon and singer Kat Wright is clearly in high gear, he’s also stepping into the spotlight in an unfamiliar role: front man.

Wagner’s debut solo album, I’ve Been Down, comes out this Friday, June 12, on Marco Benevento’s Royal Potato Family label. Its nine original songs and a cover of Elton John’s “Daniel” lean into the metamodern sounds of latter-day country torchbearers Sturgill Simpson and Jason Isbell. That may surprise fans who associate Wagner with Wright’s soul and folk bands, Gordon’s funk-inﬂected solo work, or cover acts as such as Wagner’s Pink Floyd tribute, Dark Side of the Mountain, and the long-running Hug Your Farmer beneﬁt series.

But viewed in the wider context of Wagner’s Vermont career, the seeming stylistic shift on I’ve Been Down is in keeping with his omnivorous musical appetite.

trying to prove himself to anyone else in his playing.”

With his debut solo album, I’ve Been Down, longtime Vermont sideman Bob Wagner steps up

BY MATT BUSHLOW

And if anything, Wagner’s ascension to center stage is long overdue — perhaps because he got there in a backward sort of way.

“A lot of people probably start o being their own artist. And then, like, maybe life throws a curve, and then they end up in some tribute band,” Wagner said. “Whereas I’m kind of coming from the opposite direction.”

Born in Rumson, N.J., Wagner, 45, studied jazz performance as a guitar player at what was then Johnson College, where he practiced so much that he was paid to lock up the music building every night. After graduation, he moved to Burlington, gave lessons and worked at a music store.

He also started building a reputation as a monster player who was comfortable shredding in a wide range of styles.

By 2009 or so, he had his ﬁrst bluesrock residency at Nectar’s. Soon after, Wagner, Wright and keyboardist Shane Hardiman cofounded Radio Bean’s Thursday-night Soul Sessions, a celebration of classic soul songs. Wagner left after just a few months to work with Josh Panda, a singer-songwriter who had blown up in the local scene with his blend of gospel vocals, roots music and showmanship.

“When I ﬁrst saw Bob, it was like, Holy shit,” Panda said of Wagner’s guitar chops. “ I’m seeing something; I’m witnessing something. But he’s never seemed like he’s

Wagner spent a couple of years with Panda, including touring Europe, before deciding it was time to go out on his own. Meanwhile, Soul Sessions had evolved into Kat Wright & the Indomitable Soul Band, an eight-piece ensemble with a rhythm and horns section that was gaining attention beyond Vermont. But it needed a guitarist. Putting aside his solo ambitions, Wagner accepted Wright’s invitation to join the band and played with her — including as a trio with bassist Josh Weinstein — for the next 13 years.

In a phone call from her new home in Provincetown, Mass., Wright recalled that Wagner’s playing was important — as was the personal bond that formed among herself, Wagner and Weinstein.

“We just come from a deep enough shared musical background, in terms of what we grew up on and what we love,” Wright said. “We just got each other right away.”

By 2015 or so, Wright’s band was playing out of town nearly every weekend, more than 100 nights a year. As the tours racked up, Wagner slowly built a network of musical compatriots, including Americana artist Seth Walker and Grammynominated roots band the Wood Brothers. Several Vermonters he knew, including Ray Paczkowski and Russ Lawton of the Trey Anastasio Band, had laid down tracks at the Wood Brothers’ private recording headquarters, Studio Nashville.

So that’s where Wagner headed after ﬁnishing a trio tour with Wright in late summer 2024. He and Weinstein — whom Wagner called his “closest musical collaborator” — had begun tracking several songs with Benny Yurco at Yurco’s Little Jamaica studio in Burlington and planned to spend a week in Music City ﬁnishing those and recording several more for I’ve Been Down

“I’m a huge fan of the Wood Brothers records, of the Seth Walker records,” Wagner said. “And when I hear that stu , I’m just like, There’s a fucking sound happening at this studio.”

I’ve Been Down’s credits are stacked with close Burlington family: Weinstein on bass, Corey Wilhelm on drums, Dwight + Nicole vocalist Nicole Nelson on harmony vocals. There are also Nashville session players and newer buds, such as Laur Joamets on guitar, Jano Rix on piano, Oliver Wood on vocals and Mark Raudabaugh on drums. The album blends Wagner’s far-ranging musical friends into

Bob Wagner

On the Beat

It’s been a rough few years for CRAIG MITCHELL. The Burlington musician and DJ has had his share of health troubles going back to a 2024 performance at South Burlington’s Higher Ground. He was playing with his PRINCE tribute band, PURPLE, when he experienced symptoms from a bleeding ulcer.

“At the beginning of the second set, I started feeling not okay,” Mitchell, 55, recounted in a press release. “I bathed the bathroom upstairs with blood.”

On top of persistent issues with his gut health, he’s since had two hip replacement surgeries. The constant barrage of medical appointments, and the subsequent bills, have put a major strain on Mitchell’s career as a DJ and performer.

To alleviate some of his burdens and pay tribute to his outsize presence in the local music landscape for more than 30 years, a benefit is being staged for Mitchell this Friday, June 12, at Standing Stone Wines in Winooski. Featuring a who’s who of Vermont DJs, including ANDY KERSHAW, DJ LLU, CHIA, SHAWN WILLIAMS and more, “Turning the Tables” is a chance to both support one of the scene’s most influential figures and have a proper Friday-night dance party. Food will be provided by chef Shawn Lipenski.

The organizers suggest that anyone attending wear something purple in support of Mitchell. Tickets are available at sevendaystickets.com.

When shouting out some of the many, many summer festivals and outdoor music events in our Summer Preview issue a few weeks ago, I had a nagging feeling that the minute those pages hit the streets, I’d have a slew of new

Listening In

(Spotify mix of local jams)

1. "IF YOU'RE BLUE AND LONESOME" by All Night Boogie Band

2. "SERENE" by Big Homie Wes

3. "WRITE ME, RACHAEL" by MOMDAD

4. "SILVER ROCKET" by Dwight + Nicole

5. "TORE UP" by Paul Asbell

7. "INSECURE" by Myra Flynn

Scan to listen sevendaysvt. com/playlist

festival announcements. And, of course, that’s just what happened. Which is a good thing! But let’s get you all up to speed.

First, we have the return of the Maple Roots Festival on Saturday, July 25. Back for its sixth iteration, Maple Roots was launched during the pandemic by a collection of local musicians whose mission was to make a fest “by the artists, for the artists.” Presented in partnership with Catamount Arts and located at Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks in East Montpelier, the family-friendly festival has a loaded lineup of Green Mountain talent.

Craig Mitchell

music+nightlife

What About Bob? « P.56

a red-hot mix with an undeniable Southern flavor, whether on the high-speed country shuffle of “Good Night and Good Luck” or the atmospheric ballad “Dear Depression.”

Wagner’s years of playing soul, gospel, country and blues — all juiced with a serious dose of rock and roll — barrel through the album. The opening track, “Sad and Lonesome,” is a thick, sticky brew of growling guitar and swinging drums, part jam-band slow cooker and part ’90s Allman Brothers Band vibes. Back in the day, people would have said the song sounds like it should be on the radio.

The second track, “Good Night and Good Luck,” is a barn burner with a blazing country-rock guitar solo by Joamets, Sturgill Simpson’s longtime guitarist. Wagner’s style here bears similarities to Simpson’s, both in the way he sings — a steely baritone passed down from outlawcountry godfather Waylon Jennings — and the way he drives a hot-shit rock band.

“Richest Man on Earth” eases the listener off the speeding train and provides a little social commentary. On top of a spacious background of rubber-bridge guitar, piano and Joamets on slide guitar, Wagner’s character almost brags of killing the richest man on Earth, but it’s not what you think. “Didn’t shoot him, didn’t stab him / Not even a black eye,” he sings. “I just stopped paying him attention / ’Cause I’m too broke to spend my mind / Ya see all he wants is all the eyeballs / On him all the time.”

I’ve Been Down continues to morph, from the hangdog gospel of the title track to “Jesus, Coffee, Etc.,” which takes gospel in a rock direction with Nelson on soaring backup vocals. “Universe Is Calling” has an ultra-funky, bass-heavy pocket that sounds like something Wagner’s new boss, Gordon, could have written.

In late 2024, a few months after the Nashville sessions, Wagner was one of several guitarists invited to audition for Gordon’s band. The two had become friendly through the Hug Your Farmer

A LOT OF PEOPLE PROBABLY START OFF BEING THEIR OWN ARTIST ... WHEREAS I’M KIND OF COMING FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.

BOB WAGNER

concerts that Wagner leads. Over the past two decades, Gordon and his daughter, Tessa, have been part of the huge, all-star band that plays venues such as the Flynn in Burlington to raise money for Vermont farmers affected by devastating flooding or other setbacks.

“It was amazing auditioning for Mike’s band,” Wagner said. “I mean, he could have any guitarist he wants.”

Gordon wanted Wagner, who got the job along with London-born Xavier Lynn, another hotshot guitarist and singer with his own solo career.

Earlier this spring, Gordon’s band finished up a two-week East Coast tour, during which both Wagner and Lynn were able to sing some of their own material. While playing Wagner’s “Universe Is Calling” during the final date of the tour at the Higher Ground Ballroom in South Burlington, Gordon jumped up and down with excitement.

Despite those high-profile gigs and his promising new solo album, Wagner said he plans to continue playing the field, musically speaking.

“I just want to live a life in music that feels fun, is rewarding and lets me get involved with different people in different capacities,” he said. “If I was only trying to do Bob Wagner shows, playing Bob Wagner songs, I think I would go fucking crazy. I need some variety.” ➆

INFO

I’ve Been Down is out on Friday, June 12, on major streaming services. Wagner plays a release show in August at Flynn Space in Burlington. Stay tuned for details at bobwagner.art.

This year’s schedule includes BOB WAGNER (see page 56), HIGH SUMMER, the LARA CWASS BAND, MICHAEL-LOUIS SMITH & FRIENDS, LINDA BASSICK, and VERMONT JAZZ ENSEMBLE. That last act is celebrating 50 years and recently released an album to mark the occasion, titled Just Friends for Life. Awwww. Jazz besties!

The best part of Maple Roots? It’s free! Pop over to maplerootsfest.com for more details.

I hope everyone got a good dose of jazz last week at the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival, because now that it’s over, it’s time for … yazz! Yazz hands, people! But Chris, what the hell even is yazz, you ask? No clue. Literally, I have no idea. And it doesn’t matter, because that’s the spirit of the Vermont Yazz Festival. Yazz, queen! (OK, sorry, I’ll stop.)

Organized by experimental musician and percussionist JABE LEDOUX, Yazz Fest is one-day showcase of left-of-center genres such as ambient, noisecore, no wave and any brand of strange in between. Held at the Ferrisburgh Town Offices & Community Center on Saturday, August 29, this year’s lineup includes Ledoux, GLENN WEYANT, the PROFESSORS OF MYSTERY, STEVEN ROSEN and BONNIE KANE. To learn more, visit the Vermont Yazz Facebook page.

It’s not just music fests popping out of the woodwork lately. We’ve got a veritable treasure trove of brand-new summer tunes from Vermont artists.

Let’s kick it off with White River Junction native ALLISON FAY , who dropped her latest single, “Trust the Process,” on May 29. Fay cut the mid-tempo folk rocker with Grammynominated producer MATT APPLETON as part of a larger EP due later this year. Fay released “Blessing in Disguise” in April, and three more singles are scheduled before the EP hits streaming services.

Last week Burlington musician NOAH KESEY released “Moth,” a blast of fuzzedout indie rock with massive distorted guitars and big synths. A “stream-ofconsciousness snapshot of a situationship,” according to the press release, the track lands somewhere between the dynamic drive of a classic PIXIES tune and the trancelike groove of DIIV.

The accompanying music video features Kesey riding in the back of a truck on a gray Vermont winter day, brandishing a handgun as he sings the line, “You hold me like a gun.” The song is streaming on major services, and the video is on YouTube.

Folk rocker and all-around piano guy TYLER MAST dropped “Space From Me” at the end of May. It’s the latest in a string of singles from the singer-songwriter following his 2024 EP, I Could Get Used to Your Love. The tune is a delicate ballad about learning to love yourself before trying to love another. “The more we give, the less we gain / squeeze tight enough, love turns to pain,” Mast sings, delivering an emotionally mature take on how to maintain relationships. “Space From Me” is streaming on major services now.

CHRIS FARNSWORTH

Allison Fay

Noah Kesey

COURTESY OF LINDSEY FLICKER

On the Beat « P.57

CLUB DATES

live music

WED.10

e Balconiers (funk, jazz) at the Alchemist, Stowe, 4 p.m. Free.

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

Dino Gala, Hello Shark, Francie Medosch (indie rock) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 8 p.m. $15.

Jam 4 Slam T1D Battle of the Bands: Night 1 (battle of the bands) at the Old Post, South Burlington, 5 p.m. Donation.

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.

Milton Busker (singersongwriter) at Two Heroes Brewery & Public House, South Hero, 6 p.m. Free.

String Out Your Dead (Grateful Dead tribute) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7 p.m. $10/$15.

THU.11

Arts Fishing Club, Cardinal Bloom (indie rock) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 8 p.m. $23.

CORRUPT WORLD, Black Axe, WraChit, S.T.A. (metal) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 8 p.m. $10.

Folino’s Summer Concert Series on the Patio (live music) at Folino’s Pizza, Williston, 6 p.m. Free.

Goldhammer (folk, bluegrass) at Black Flannel Brewing & Distilling, Essex, 6 p.m. Free.

Greenbush (jazz, funk) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

Joe Agnello & Friends (jam, rock) at Red Square, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

Shows to Watch Out For

BY CHRIS FARNSWORTH

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.

Once Bitten

Brattleboro indie singer-songwriter MIMI FANG has an uncanny ability to write lyrics that pull the listener directly into her feelings. True to her confessional, heart-on-sleeve style, Fang titled her most recent album Chronically Sincere. The 2025 release lived up to the name, brimming with emotional honesty. Fang takes her intimate compositions and channels them through the prism of power pop, with earworm melodies and an alt-rock edge. She heads north on Saturday, June 13, to perform at the Monkey House in Winooski, where she’s joined by fellow Vermont artists the EYETRAPS and NICK GRANELLE

John Lackard Blues Band (blues) at Hugo’s, Montpelier, 7:30 p.m. Free.

e Josh Panda Trio (indie pop) at Halvorson’s, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. Donation.

Juliet Garrett, Izzy Jones, Audrey Pearl (indie) at Monkey House, Winooski, 7:30 p.m. $10.

Shwayze, Beach Fly (hip-hop) at Afterthoughts, Waitsﬁeld, 8 p.m. $25.

Soul Porpoise (soul, funk) at Shelburne Vineyard, 7 p.m. Free.

Tim Brick (country) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 6 p.m. Free.

FRI.12

Aaron Audet (singer-songwriter) at Poultney Pub, 6 p.m. Free.

Alma Picante, Jah Red (Latin, dance) at Afterthoughts, Waitsﬁeld, 8 p.m. $10.

Barbacoa (surf rock) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

Black Uhuru (reggae) at Stone Church, Brattleboro, 8 p.m. $44/$52.

CombustOmatics (rock) at Two Heroes Brewery & Public House, South Hero, 6 p.m. Free.

Dave Mitchell’s Blue’s Revue (blues) at Red Square, Burlington, 2 p.m. Free.

Dead Man Strumming (Grateful Dead tribute) at River Roost Brewery, White River Junction, 5 p.m. Free.

Father, Tommy Genesis, DJ Lucas, Flywlkr, Pleasant Street, Trillsinterlude, Caleb Lodish (hiphop) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 8 p.m. $25.

Felicia Cruz (hip-hop) at CharlieO’s World Famous, Montpelier, 8:30 p.m. Free.

HiFi (live house) at Hugo’s, Montpelier, 7:30 p.m. Free.

1. Yonder Mountain String Band at Paramount eatre in Rutland, July 8

2. Tame Impala at Centre Bell in Montréal, July 22

3. Kevin McDonald at Vermont Comedy Club in Burlington, July 25

4. e Mountain Goats at Higher Ground Ballroom in South Burlington, August 19

5. Indigo Girls at ompson’s Point in Portland, Maine, August 25

6. Bow Wow, Soulja Boy & Fat Joe at the Midway Lawn at Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction, September 5

7. Marcus King Band at the Flynn in Burlington, September 15

Hokum Brothers (Americana, comedy) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 7 p.m. $5.

Jeff Salisbury Band (blues, rock) at Jericho Café & Tavern, 7 p.m. Free.

Jesse Agan (singer-songwriter) at Bravo Zulu Lakeside Bar, North Hero, 5:30 p.m. Free.

John Fealy, Joe Grabon, Gary Wade (singer-songwriter) at Martell’s at the Red Fox, Jeffersonville, 6 p.m. Free.

John Lackard Blues Band (blues) at Moogs Place, Morrisville, 8 p.m. Free.

Joy: An All-Black Variety Show with Rhedd Rhumm (variety show) at Monkey House, Winooski, 8 p.m. $15.

JVK, Burly Girlies, Violet Crimes (punk) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $12/$15.

e Leaps (rock) at the Alchemist, Stowe, 3 p.m. Free.

Leddy Moss, Mooncusser (folk) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 9 p.m. $10.

Mark Abair All-Star Band (covers) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 5 p.m. Free.

Matt Saraca (singer-songwriter) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 4 p.m. Free.

Moonbird (covers) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 9 p.m. Free.

Nate Michaud (acoustic) at Gusto’s, Barre, 6 p.m. Free. StevieMac (Stevie Nicks, Fleetwood Mac tribute) at Double E Performance Center’s T-Rex eater, Essex, 7 p.m. $30. Swell (folk, rock) at 1st Republic Brewing, Essex, 6 p.m. Free. Tournesol (jazz) at Shelburne Vineyard, 6 p.m. Free.

SAT.13 // MIMI FANG [SINGER-SONGWRITER]

Bow Wow

Mountain Goats

Indigo Girls

music+nightlife

live music

The Willistones (funk, jazz) at the Old Post, South Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

SAT.13

Ashy Finn, Horrendous Downplay, Fall District, Lunar Static (punk) at Burlington Odd Fellows Hall, 6:30 p.m. $10. Black Uhuru (reggae) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 8 p.m. $45/$50.

Blue Northern (blues, rock) at the Alchemist, Stowe, 4 p.m. Free. Charlie Rice (covers) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 5 p.m. Free.

Choke Out, TFR, No Soul, Old North End, Wartime (hardcore) at 1st Republic Brewing, Essex, 7 p.m. $15.

Clive (jam) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 11:30 p.m. $10.

Coane, Rowell & Schabner (Americana) at Hugo’s, Montpelier, 7:30 p.m. Free.

Darkside Skinny Dippers (rock) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 8:30 p.m. Free.

Dead Men Strumming (Grateful Dead tribute) at Dick Wright Public House, Franklin, 6 p.m. $10.

Electrostatic Cats (rock) at Poultney Pub, 6 p.m. Free.

Adam O’Farrill's Elephant (jazz) at the Mill, Westport, N.Y., 8 p.m. $30.

Emily Irving, the Star Family Singers, Fowl, riverbed (folk) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 7 p.m. $10/$15.

Happy Spangler (indie rock) at Bent Nails Roadhouse, Middlesex, 8:30 p.m. Free.

The Hokkum Brothers (Americana, comedy) at Shelburne Vineyard, 6 p.m. Free.

Ian Campbell (singer-songwriter) at the Den at Harry’s Hardware, Cabot, 7 p.m. Free.

LACES (jam, rock) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 10 p.m. $10.

Left Eye Jump (blues) at Red Square, Burlington, 3 p.m. Free.

The Lost Faculty (rock) at Stowe Cider, 5 p.m. Free.

The Mallett Brothers Band (Americana) at Lost Nation Brewing, Morrisville, 8 p.m. $20. Mimi Fang, the Eyetraps, Nick Granelle (singer-songwriter) at Monkey House, Winooski, 8 p.m. Free.

Moondogs (jam, rock) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free. Paradox (covers) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 9 p.m. Free. Perrypalooza! (benefit) at the SEABA Center, Burlington, 5 p.m. Minimum $10 donation.

Recent History (Weezer tribute) at Stone Church, Chester, 8 p.m. $25/$31.

Shannon McNally (Americana) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 8 p.m. $20.

Switchel (folk) at Two Heroes Brewery & Public House, South Hero, 6 p.m. Free.

SUN.14

Bluegrass Brunch (bluegrass) at Madbush Falls, Waitsfield, noon. Free.

Buck Hollers (Americana, bluegrass) at Bravo Zulu Lakeside Bar, North Hero, 3:30 p.m. Free. Eclipse (jazz) at Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Waitsfield, 3 p.m. Free.

Jah to the World

Hailing from Kingston, Jamaica,

BLACK UHURU are one of the most influential and long-running acts in reggae history, leading the genre’s second generation. Formed in 1972, the band has gone through multiple lineup changes, with singers such as Junior Reid and the late Puma Jones taking the mic. Derrick “Duckie” Simpson is the sole constant over the group’s more than 50-year history. Not content to rest on their considerable laurels, Black Uhuru remain an active force, dropping New Day in 2022. This weekend they swing through Vermont for performances at the Stone Church in Brattleboro on Friday, June 12, and Zenbarn in Waterbury Center on Saturday, June 13.

Ellis Paul, Troy Millette & the Fire Below (singer-songwriter) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7 p.m. $25/$30.

Giovanina Bucci (singersongwriter) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 1 p.m. Free.

Kaonashi, COOKED, In Lieu of Flowers (metal, hardcore) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $20.

Seth Yacovone (acoustic) at the Alchemist, Stowe, 4 p.m. Free.

South Town Bluegrass (bluegrass) at the Farmhouse Tap & Grill, Williston, 4 p.m. Free.

Sunday Brunch Tunes (singersongwriter) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 10 a.m.

Wine & Jazz Sundays (jazz) at Shelburne Vineyard, 5 p.m. Free.

MON.15

Big D and the Kids Table (ska punk) at Afterthoughts, Waitsfield, 8 p.m. $30.

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

Luke Combs UK (tribute) at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, 8:30 p.m. $25.

TUE.16

Al’s Pals (jam, rock) at Black Flannel Brewing & Distilling, Essex, 6 p.m. Free.

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.

Honky Tonk Tuesday with Wild Leek River (country) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

Irish Night with RambleTree (Celtic) at Two Brothers Tavern, Middlebury, 7 p.m. Free.

Joe P, Cece Coakley (indie rock) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 8 p.m. $20.

Johnny Mullenax (country, rock) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 8 p.m. $15/$20.

L.M.I., Chartarum, Kettle Mouse (metal) at 1st Republic Brewing, Essex, 7 p.m. $10.

Overthinker, Better Things, Shy Dog Mountain Resort, Last Disaster (emo, punk) at Monkey House, Winooski, 7 p.m. $10.

Troy Millette (singer-songwriter) at Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Waitsfield, 5:30 p.m. Free.

WED.17

The Balconiers (funk, jazz) at the Alchemist, Stowe, 4 p.m. Free.

Bluegrass & Pizza (bluegrass) at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski, 6:30 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.

Junaco, Paper Castles, Mad (indie) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 8 p.m. $10/$15.

djs

WED.10

The Mid Week Hump with DJs Fattie B and Craig Mitchell (DJ) at Monkey House, Winooski, 7 p.m. Free.

THU.11

DJ Two Sev, JP Black, Calvin, Chaston (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

House of Love: Liberation and Joy (queer dance party) at Stone Church, Brattleboro, 8 p.m. $10/$20.

POLKAROBICS, Lather, Tub Time (DJ) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 10:30 p.m. $10.

Thirsty Thursday (DJ) at Rí

Rá Irish Pub & Whiskey Room, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

Vinyl Night (DJ) at Poultney Pub, 6 p.m. Free.

Vinyl Thursdays (DJ) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

FRI.12

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.

DJ Two Sev, Ron Stoppable, Bounce, Ara$ (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

Ecstatic Dance Vermont (DJ) at Capital City Grange, Berlin, 7 p.m. $10 donation.

Friday Night at Specs (DJ) at Specs Cafe & Bar, Winooski, 7 p.m. Free.

Turning the Tables: A Benefit for the Iconic Craig Mitchell (benefit, DJ) at Standing Stone Wines, Winooski, 5 p.m. $15.

SAT.13

Blanchface, Ara$, Raul, Matt P (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

DJ LaFountaine (DJ) at Gusto’s, Barre, 9 p.m. Free.

Habibi Funk with DJ Chia, Prince Nablus (DJ) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 10 p.m. $10/$15.

TUE.16

Bashment Tuesday (DJ) at Akes’ Place, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

WED.10

Open Mic (open mic) at Poultney Pub, 7 p.m. Free.

Writers’ Bloc (prose, poetry open mic) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. Free.

THU.11

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. Open Mic with Dee Davis (open mic) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 8 p.m. Free.

& SAT.13 // BLACK UHURU [REGGAE]

SUN.14

Olde Time Jam Session (open jam) at the Den at Harry’s Hardware, Cabot, noon. Free.

MON.15

Monday Night Open Mic (open mic) at Pearl Street Pub, Essex Junction, 6 p.m. Free.

TUE.16

Doug’s Open Mic (open mic) at Two Heroes Brewery & Public House, South Hero, 6 p.m. Free.

WED.17

Jazz Jam with Nina Towne (jazz) at the Phoenix, Waterbury, 6 p.m. $10.

Open Mic (open mic) at Poultney Pub, 7 p.m. Free.

comedy

WED.10

Comedy Open Mic Night:

Unfiltered Moondog Edition (comedy) at Moondog Tavern, Hinesburg, 7 p.m. Free.

Standup Open Mic (comedy open mic) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free. The Unmentionables (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 p.m. $6.99.

FRI.12

Melissa Villaseñor (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 (SOLD OUT) & 9 p.m. $35.

SAT.13

Melissa Villaseñor (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 (SOLD OUT) & 9 p.m. $35.

TUE.16

All That Jazz Open Mic Comedy (comedy) at the 126, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

VCA Class Show (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

WED.17

Standup Open Mic (comedy open mic) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

Karaoke with Cam (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.11

Country Line Dancing (line dancing) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7:30 p.m. Free.

Karaoke (karaoke) at Gusto’s, Barre, 8 p.m. Free.

Karaoke Friday Night (karaoke) at Park Place Tavern & Grill, Essex Junction, 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 with College (trivia) at Bent Nails Roadhouse, Middlesex, 7 p.m. Free.

FRI.12

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.

Karaoke with DJ Big T (karaoke) at McKee’s Original, Winooski, 9 p.m. Free.

Karaoke with Owen Leavy (karaoke) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 10 p.m. $10.

SAT.13

Bikini Bottom Feeders: A SpongeBob Drag Show (drag) at Einstein’s Tap House, Burlington, 8 p.m. $10.

Queeraoke with Goddess (karaoke) at Standing Stone Wines, Winooski, 9 p.m. Free.

SUN.14

Family-Friendly Karaoke (karaoke) at Old Soul Design Shop, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 5 p.m. Free.

Karaoke Night (karaoke) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

Trivia (trivia) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 5:30 p.m. Free.

MON.15

Fighting Game Community

Biweekly with WNFC (gaming) at Lumière Hall, Burlington Beer, 4 p.m. $5.

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.16

Karaoke with DJ Vociferous (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.17

Karaoke Friday Night (karaoke) at Park Place Tavern & Grill, Essex Junction, 8 p.m. Free.

Karaoke with Cam (karaoke) at Monopole, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 9 p.m. Free.

Trivia (trivia) at Two Heroes Brewery & Public House, South Hero, 6 p.m. Free.

Trivia (trivia) at Alfie’s Wild Ride, Stowe, 7 p.m. Free.

Trivia (trivia) at Rí Rá Irish Pub & Whiskey Room, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

etc.

WED.10

Karaoke Friday Night (karaoke) at Park Place Tavern & Grill, Essex Junction, 8 p.m. Free.

Singles World Cup Watch Party (World Cup watch party) at Slide In Pub, Shelburne, 4 p.m. Free. Sunday Funday (games) at 1st Republic Brewing, Essex, noon. Free.

Trivia (trivia) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free. ➆ say you saw it in

calendar

JUNE 10-17, 2026

WED.10

agriculture

BEEF-ON-DAIRY

EDUCATIONAL EVENT:

Vermont Cattlemen managing partners Kevin Channell and Roger Osinchuk ruminate on growing a Northeast dairy beef supply chain. Hosted by the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative. 10 a.m. Free; preregister.

MED47 GARDEN SHOPPE:

Green thumbs revel in a jampacked pop-up sale of veggie plants, annuals, perennials, hanging baskets and décor. Proceeds benefit the Brendon P. Cousino Med47 Foundation. 3319 S. 116 Rd., Bristol, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Free; cost of plants.

community

CANADIAN ENTRANCE

INAUGURATION: Community members mark the library’s milestone addition and look to the future at a morning of speeches, connection and a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Haskell Free Library & Opera House, Derby Line, 11 a.m. Free.

CURRENT EVENTS: Neighbors have an informal discussion about what’s in the news. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Free.

PASSEGGIATA: Inspired by an Italian social ritual, locals take to the streets for a community-building stroll of the pedestrian promenade. Church Street Marketplace, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

PASSEGGIATA WATERBURY: Folks adopt a timeless Mediterranean tradition of civic engagement and social bonding during an evening amble. Downtown Waterbury, 5-8 p.m. Free.

crafts

GREEN MOUNTAIN CHAPTER OF THE EMBROIDERERS’ GUILD OF AMERICA: Anyone with an interest in the needle arts can bring a project to this monthly meeting. Holy Family Parish Hall, Essex Junction, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Free.

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.

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.

etc.

GUIDED TOURS: Guests get to know the personal histories of rescued farm animals at an educational walk-through highlighting the nuances of lifelong care. Merrymac Animal Sanctuary, Charlotte, 2-3 p.m. $25.

MUSEUM TOURS: A guided tour charts a course through regional history, uncovering the archaeological secrets hidden beneath the waves. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free.

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.

film

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

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

Seven Days calendar writer

Rebecca Driscoll selects and writes calendar spotlights. To help process the hundreds of event submissions we receive each week, some listings are compiled with the help of AI. Driscoll reviews, edits and verifies every entry before publication.

Learn more about highlighted listings in the Magnificent 7 on page 11.

Woodstock Village Green, 3-6 p.m. Free.

games

VTIFF MUSICAL SILENTS:

‘THAT NIGHT’S WIFE’: A live improvised score by Matt Hagen enriches this screening of Yasujiro Ozu’s 1930 crime drama, about a desperate man who commits robbery to help his sick daughter. The Screening Room @ VTIFF, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7 p.m. $10-20.

food & drink

CHAMPLAIN ISLANDS

FARMERS MARKET: Talented artisans and vendors showcase their farm-fresh veggies, meats, eggs, flowers, honey and other goodies. South Hero St. Rose of Lima Church, 3-6 p.m. Free.

COMMUNITY COOKING:

Helping hands join up with the nonprofit’s staff and volunteers to make a yummy meal for distribution. Pathways Vermont Morgan’s Place Peer Support Center, Burlington, 6-8 p.m. Free.

CRÊPE NIGHT: Foodies enjoy sweet and savory French pancakes picnic-style at this monthly meal benefiting local nonprofits. Scott Farm Orchard, Dummerston, 5:30-7:30 p.m. $12-25.

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.

DANVILLE FARMERS MARKET:

Villagers connect over live music and family-friendly activities at a weekly gathering featuring Northeast Kingdom produce, artisan wares and culinary creations. Danville Town Green, 3:30-7 p.m. Free.

MARKET ON THE GREEN: Shoppers feast their eyes on fresh produce, prepared foods and artisanal goods while tuning in to live local music.

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

NORWICH TRIVIA: Teams test their knowledge of local landmarks, geography and history at a spirited evening of friendly competition. Norwich Public Library, 6:45 p.m. $80 per team; preregister.

health & fitness

CHAIR YOGA: Waterbury Public Library instructor Diana Whitney leads at-home participants in gentle stretches supported by seats. 10 a.m. Free.

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.

language

ITALIAN CONVERSATION GROUP: Practitioners sharpen their skills and connect with neighbors at a bimonthly meetup facilitated by a native speaker. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 10-11 a.m. Free.

LANGUAGE LOUNGE: Lunch breaks transform into global conversation circles as participants hone their multilingual abilities. See kellogghubbard.org for details. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, noon. Free.

lgbtq

THE ALL-INCLUSIVE DYKETACULAR: A weekly get-together and listening party celebrates the LGBTQ+ community with feelgood tunes, dancing and drinks. Doma Bar, Burlington, 5-10 p.m. Free; cost of food and drink.

QUEER WRITERS’ GROUP: LGBTQ+ authors meet monthly to discuss their work, write from prompts, and give each other advice and feedback. Rainbow Bridge Community Center, Barre, 5:30-7 p.m. Free.

music

ART AMPLIFIED: OTTER CREEK AND IVA MAE: Gallery strollers mingle over drinks while an acoustic ensemble weaves together roots, folk and bluegrass traditions. BCA Center, Burlington, 5-8 p.m. Free.

BEN & JERRY’S CONCERTS ON THE GREEN: GREENSKY

BLUEGRASS: A seasoned band of musical brothers celebrates two decades on the road with a high-energy performance of originals. Shelburne Museum, 7 p.m. $51; free for kids under 12.

‘AN EVENING OF BROADWAY WITH KIANNA BROMLEY’: Supporters tour the performing arts campus and enjoy a theatrical concert and celebratory reception to fundraise for local creative programming. Montpelier Performing Arts Hub, 6:30 p.m. $10-50 sliding scale.

SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: SKYLARK: The trailblazing Vermont string quartet performs a selection of jazz, classical, American folk and Celtic tunes.

Burlington City Hall Park, 12:301:30 p.m. Free.

outdoors

NATURE JOURNALING: Artist

Lorna Dielentheis teaches participants how to slow down and observe the natural world through sketching and writing, followed by an optional group reflection. Rock Point Center, Burlington, 10 a.m.noon. By donation; preregister. québec

FESTIVAL TRANSAMÉRIQUES:

Artists from across generations and continents converge for two weeks of dance and theater shows. Various Montréal locations. Various prices.

‘GROW’: Teenage twins swap their sheltered Amish upbringing for an unexpected entrepreneurial venture in cannabis growing in this bold new musical comedy. Sylvan Adams Theatre, Segal Centre for Performing Arts, Montréal, 1 & 7:30 p.m. $33-75.

seminars

SUSTAINING THE RENT WORKSHOP: The Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity helps tenants financially prepare and access resources to meet their housing needs. 5-6:30 p.m. Free; preregister.

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.

INTRODUCTION TO FLY FISHING:

Anglers learn the basics of knots, rods, flies and casting at a handson course for all ages. Equipment provided. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, 1-4 p.m. Free; preregister.

VERMONT LAKE MONSTERS: Green Mountain State batters step up to the plate while sports fans of all ages root, root, root for the home team. Centennial Field, Burlington, 6:35 p.m. $7.50-19.50.

WHALEBOAT WEDNESDAYS: Lake lovers embark on a unique aquatic adventure by rowing and sailing a traditionally rigged wooden craft across the water. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, 4-7 p.m. $60 suggested donation.

talks

ANGIE GROVE: The Ethan Allen Homestead executive director and Revolutionary War historian

sheds light on life for Vermonters during the War for Independence. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 6:30 p.m. Free. theater

‘B*TCH EAT DOG’: Feminist theory, classical texts and a parade of puppets collide in an avant-garde sketch show for adults. Plainfield Town Hall Opera House, 7 p.m. $20.

‘RING OF FIRE: THE MUSIC OF JOHNNY CASH’: More than 30 iconic songs fuel a musical tribute celebrating the enduring legacy of the rebellious country music legend. Weston Theater at Walker Farm, 7:30 p.m. $61-89.

‘THE SEARCH FOR SIGNS OF INTELLIGENT LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE’: An eccentric, sharp-witted street philosopher acts as a cosmic guide through a rich tapestry of human stories in this award-winning dramedy. Lost Nation Theater, Montpelier City Hall, 7:30 p.m. $15-44.

words

ALEX MYERS: A local author reads from his newest novel, While We Were Silent, and discusses his previous title, Revolutionary in conjunction with the 250th anniversary of the U.S. The Norwich Bookstore, 7 p.m. Free.

JASPER CRAVEN: A Northeast Kingdom native and freelance reporter launches his new book, God Forgives, Brothers Don’t, examining the toxic masculinity of military education. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 7 p.m. Free.

POETRY POTLUCK: Got words? Folks gather to swap stanzas and dishes at a community-driven feast of verse. Wandering Vine, St. Johnsbury, 7-9 p.m. Free.

THU.11 agriculture

MED47 GARDEN SHOPPE: See WED.10.

SUCCESSION SOWING

WORKSHOP: Green thumbs learn how to overcome late starts and flea beetles for a continuous backyard harvest spanning midsummer to late autumn. Landry Park, Winooski, 5:30-7 p.m. Free; preregister.

business

‘MAKE AN IMPACT: A NEUROSCIENCE-BASED APPROACH TO INCREASING YOUR CAPACITY TO ATTRACT ABUNDANCE & SUCCESS’: Integrative healer Dr. Rachel de

These community event listings are sponsored by the WaterWheel Foundation, a project of the Vermont band Phish.

Simone leads an experiential workshop to help business professionals make a bigger impact without burning out. Ladies Social Group, Essex Junction, 3:30-5 p.m. $20; free for members and firsttime attendees; preregister.

SMALL BUSINESS

ADMINISTRATION AWARDS

LUNCHEON: Community members congregate to honor notable local entrepreneurs at a lunchtime soirée and networking event. Hula, Burlington, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. $25. community

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

KICKOFF: Outdoor enthusiasts connect with local land stewards to launch a shared pledge aimed at protecting regional trails, farms and natural resources. The Big Picture Community Hub for the Arts, Waitsfield, 6 p.m. Free.

MONTPELIER RAMBLE: Locals take to the streets for a weekly community-building stroll of the Capital City’s pedestrian promenades. Downtown Montpelier, 5-7 p.m. Free.

crafts

KNIT FOR YOUR NEIGHBORS:

From clicking needles to looping looms, participants hook into a mission of goodwill by creating handmade winter wear for the South Burlington Food Shelf. Materials provided. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 2-5 p.m. Free.

KNITTING GROUP: Knitters of every experience level get together to spin yarns. Latham Library, Thetford, 7 p.m. Free.

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.

dance

‘STORIES OF SPIRIT AND SPIRITS’: A 10-member improvisational ensemble, soft rocks, weaves music and movement to explore myths and archetypes, personal ancestries, shared histories, and social dynamics. See calendar spotlight. Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $30; preregister.

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.

etc.

TREETOP GOLDEN HOUR: An after-hours evening among the birds invites visitors to slow down and savor the beginning of summer in a peaceful forest setting. Vermont Institute of Natural Science, Quechee, 5:15-7 p.m. $10; free for kids 3 and under; preregister; cash bar.

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, noon, 2 & 4 p.m. $3-5 plus regular

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.10

burlington

‘CHAMP: AMERICA’S LAKE MONSTER’ EXHIBIT: Dive into the science and history of Vermont’s most iconic legend at this family-friendly exhibit featuring interactive games, a design studio, 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.

‘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.

JUN. 11-13 | DANCE

Body and Soul

Ten members of an improvisation ensemble called soft rocks leave it all to chance as they map out choreography on the fly in Stories of Spirit and Spirits at Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center in Burlington. The ever-evolving experiment in sound and dance — directed by local mover and shaker Jessie Owens, with music by Vermont Symphony Orchestra project conductor Matt LaRocca — taps into the ethereal nature of performing arts. The spin of a bottle or the pull of a card trigger in-the-moment responses from the artists, setting in motion alternate outcomes for each showing. One thing is for certain: Expect the unexpected.

‘STORIES OF SPIRIT AND

SPIRITS’

Thursday, June 11, and Friday, June 12, 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, June 13, 2:30 & 7:30 p.m., at Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center in Burlington. $30; preregister. Info, info@jessieowens.com, jessieowens.com.

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.

READ TO A DOG: Young readers sharpen their literacy skills and gain confidence by sharing stories with a patient, four-legged listener named Willow. Fletcher Free Library New North End Branch, Burlington, 11 a.m.-noon. Free.

chittenden county

NATIONAL FROSTED COOKIE DAY: A hands-on celebration invites kids of all ages to satisfy their sweet tooth while decorating baked goodies. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3-4 p.m. Free.

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.

FAMILY CHESS CLUB: Players of all abilities test their skills with instructor Robert and peers. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 2nd Floor, Children’s Library, Montpelier, 3:30-5 p.m. Free.

HOMESCHOOL BOOK GROUP: Kids ages 10 to 15 who learn at home bond over their favorite titles. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 1-2 p.m. Free.

upper valley

‘CREATIVIDAD SILVESTRE/WILD CREATIVITY’ EXHIBIT: Aspiring innovators examine biological designs of the natural world to better understand and solve human engineering challenges. Montshire Museum of Science, Norwich, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Regular admission, $18-21; free for members and kids under 2.

STORY TIME: Early literacy takes center stage as infants and toddlers engage in a melodic mix of books and songs. Norwich Public Library, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free.

THU.11

burlington

‘CHAMP: AMERICA’S LAKE MONSTER’ EXHIBIT: See WED.10.

‘DINOSAUR SAFARI’ EXHIBIT: See WED.10.

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.

DADS’ NIGHT OUT: BOARD GAME NIGHT: 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.

GROW PRESCHOOL YOGA: Colleen from Grow Prenatal and Family Yoga helps

admission, $17-23; free for members and kids 2 and under.

‘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, 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.

‘HORSESHOE’: Four estranged siblings reunite to settle their late father’s will in this 2025 dramedy written by Adam O’Keeffe. The Screening Room @ VTIFF, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7 p.m. $6-12.

‘SHARK KINGDOM 3D’: A highstakes investigation into the underwater realm reveals how humanity’s future hinges on the fate of the ocean’s toothiest inhabitants. 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.

‘WILD RESCUE 3D’: Dedicated wildlife rehabilitation teams rescue and release injured and orphaned animals back into nature in this heartwarming documentary short. 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.

food & drink

BILLINGS AFTER HOURS: CHARCUTERIE WORKSHOP: Gourmands ages 21 and up pair

toddlers and their caregivers find their flow through a playful blend of song, movement and stretching. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free.

chittenden county

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.

PRESCHOOL PLAY TIME: Pre-K patrons play and socialize after music time. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 11-11:30 a.m. Free.

READ TO CHEWIE THE THERAPY DOG: Literacy and licks collide as students sharpen their skills alongside a fourlegged listener and his human, Cindy. Essex Free Library, 4:30-5:30 p.m. Free.

barre/montpelier

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.

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.

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.

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.

upper valley

‘CREATIVIDAD SILVESTRE/WILD CREATIVITY’ EXHIBIT: See WED.10.

northeast kingdom

‘CARDTOPIA’: The center’s studio space transforms into a giant interactive cardboard building, complete with secret chambers, tunnels and a ball run. Highland Center for the Arts, Greensboro, noon-4 p.m. Free.

ACORN CLUB STORY TIME: Youngsters 5 and under play, sing, hear stories and color. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 10:30-11 a.m. Free.

TIE-DYEING WORKSHOP: Artist Christine Hartman teaches youths ages 12 to 17 how to create unique and colorful T-shirts and bandannas. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 2-6 p.m. Free.

regional cheeses with seasonal produce to create custom boards before swirling, sniffing and sipping their way through an interactive wine tasting. Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, 5:30-7 p.m. $80-150; preregister.

FLATBREAD FRIDAY: A rotating soundtrack of live local music sets the tone for this weekly fresh-air feast for all ages. The Wheeler Homestead, South Burlington, 4-6:30 p.m. Various prices.

HIGH COUNTRY GRILL: Louisiana meets the Green Mountain State at this traditional Cajun meal with a twist, including a two-step dance lesson and soulful tunes by Les Taiauts Trio. Proceeds support the Tom Sustic Pediatric Emergency Fund. Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 5:30 p.m. $10; preregister.

TASTING NIGHT: A scrummy showcase invites wedding-focused locals to connect with professionals over the latest cake menu. Red Poppy Cakery, Waterbury, 7 p.m. Free; preregister.

VERGENNES FARMERS MARKET: Locals delight in fresh organic produce, artisan cheeses, meats, baked goods, crafts and live music. Vergennes City Park, 3-7 p.m. Free. games

BRIDGE CLUB: A lively group plays a classic, tricky game in pairs. Waterbury Public Library, 12:304:30 p.m. Free.

CHESS FOR FUN: Players select an opening gambit, go on the attack and protect their king in friendly competition. Cobleigh Public Library, Lyndonville, 5-8 p.m. Free.

DUPLICATE BRIDGE GAMES: Snacks and coffee fuel bouts of a classic card game. Burlington Bridge Club, Williston, 12:30 p.m. $6.

FRIENDLY GAME OF BRIDGE: Strategic thinkers have a blast with the popular card game. Heineberg Senior Center, Burlington, 1-3 p.m. Free.

PEER SUPPORT DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: Beginners wanted! Come get lost in the fantasy-filled tabletop role-playing game while focusing on teamwork, connection and community building. Morgan House, Burlington, 6-8 p.m. Free.

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.

health & fitness

‘AYURVEDA & CIRCADIAN

MEDICINE: THE TIMING OF NUTRITION FOR HEALTH & LONGEVITY’: Experienced wellness practitioner Monika Jaeckle bridges ancient natural medicine and modern science to show how the strategic timing of meals plays a vital role in digestion. Precision Chiropractic, Williston, 6:30 p.m. Free; preregister.

COMMUNITY

MINDFULNESS: Volunteer coach Andrea Marion leads a weekly practice for stress

reduction, followed by a discussion and Q&A. 5-6 p.m. Free; preregister.

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.

language

ITALIAN CONVERSATION GROUP: Parla Italiano? Language learners hone their pronunciation and more at a friendly gathering. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, noon-1 p.m. Free.

LANGUAGE LOUNGE: See WED.10.

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.

music

FEAST & FIELD: BEN KOGAN BAND: A jammy roots-rock outfit with jazz and bluegrass sensibilities lights up the stage with original tunes that speak to Vermont’s spirit. Fable Farm, Barnard, 6 p.m. $5-30.

HIGHER GROUND PRESENTS: THE WOOD BROTHERS: The soulful folk masters perform a high-octane combination of roots, gospel, blues and jazz tunes. Flynn Main Stage, Burlington, 8 p.m. $58.44-84.13.

THE HITMEN: A local cover band gets toes a-tappin’ with crowd-pleasing renditions of popular songs while local food trucks serve up tasty treats. Maquam Barn & Winery, Milton, 6-8 p.m. Free; cost of food and drink.

NÖKINGS JAZZ TRIO: Music lovers unwind at a soul-soothing evening of beautifully rendered songs by Allison Mann, Denis Thibouthot and John LaRouche. Haybarn Restaurant and Lounge, Plainfield, 6 p.m. Free; donations accepted.

ON THE DOOR RADIO: A laidback summer series features tantalizing food-truck fare and a rotating pair of local DJs backed by sunset cocktail vibes. The Pinery, Burlington, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Free.

outdoors

BIRD MONITORING WALK: New and experienced avian admirers take an outdoor stroll to observe flying, feathered friends. Green Mountain Audubon Center, Huntington, 7-9 a.m. Free; donations accepted.

québec

‘GROW’: See WED.10, 7:30 p.m. seminars

HISTORY CLASS: ‘ADVOCATING FOR CHANGE IN AMERICA’: A series designed for curious minds gets the gears turning with thought-provoking conversations and new perspectives. Stowe Free Library, 5-6 p.m. Free.

JUN. 13 |FAIRS & FESTIVALS

It’s Getting Scot in Here

Can I kilt it? Yes, you can — at Highland Center for the Arts in Greensboro, where the annual Vermont Highland Games conjure Celtic culture. Guests donning their finest tartan and plaid are whisked across the pond to an ancient world of bagpipes and clans with authentic performances and activities. Live music by local outfits such as the Catamount Pipe Band, Prydein and Rowan enhances a diverse lineup including kilt making, whiskey tasting, Gaelic language lessons, and Scottish country and step dancing. (On second thought, maybe leave that wool garb at home!) No matter your family crest, it’s sure to be a craickin’ good time.

THE VERMONT HIGHLAND GAMES

Saturday, June 13, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., at Highland Center for the Arts in Greensboro. $12-25. Info, 802-533-2000, vtcelticarts.org.

sports

WOMEN’S RIDE: Fellowship of the Wheel invites female-identifying cyclists of all abilities to get together and share their passion for mountain biking. Saxon Hill Trailhead, Essex Junction, 5:307:30 p.m. Free; preregister. talks

KATIE WOOD KIRCHHOFF: In “Handwork and Headwork: Quilts in America at 250,” the Alice Cooney Frelinghuysen curator of American decorative arts highlights projects that have employed the medium to commemorate U.S. history. Pizzagalli Center for Art and Education, Shelburne Museum, 6 p.m. Free; preregister.

tech

TECH HELP: Users with digital dilemmas seek expert guidance about everything from smartphone settings to ebook downloads. Norwich Public Library, 1-4 p.m. Free.

theater

‘CIRCLE MIRROR

TRANSFORMATION’: The Parish Players present Pulitzer Prize winner Annie Baker’s quietly profound stage play about four Vermont strangers in a community center acting class. Eclipse Grange Theater, Thetford, 7 p.m. $15-25.

‘LA TRAVIATA’: Opera Company of Middlebury’s production of Giuseppe Verdi’s timeless masterpiece reimagines the tragic tale of Violetta and Alfredo in the roaring twenties. Town Hall Theater, Middlebury, 7:30 p.m. $50-100; free for attendees under 26.

‘RING OF FIRE: THE MUSIC OF JOHNNY CASH’: See WED.10.

‘THE SEARCH FOR SIGNS OF INTELLIGENT LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE’: See WED.10.

‘SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE’: Vermont Repertory Theatre mounts a sumptuous stage adaptation of Tom Stoppard’s Academy Awardwinning film imagining the inspiration behind Romeo and Juliet Isham Barn Theatre, Williston, 7:30 p.m. $20-30.

new book, Pollock’s Last Lover, a multigenerational portrait of two women set against the work of painter Jackson Pollock. Barnes & Noble, South Burlington, 6:30 p.m. Free.

FRI.12

agriculture

MED47 GARDEN SHOPPE: See WED.10.

crafts

FIBER ARTS FRIDAY: Knitters, crocheters, weavers and felters chat over passion projects at this weekly meetup. Waterbury Public Library, noon-2 p.m. Free.

dance

DANCE PARTY & OPEN HOUSE: A new intentional living community invites prospective residents to learn the ins and outs of cohousing at a weekend of building tours and boogying down. Threshold Village, Montpelier, 6-10 p.m. Free. ‘STORIES OF SPIRIT AND SPIRITS’: See THU.11.

etc.

ANNIVERSARY PARTY: Locals gather to mark 42 years of the Center for Media & Democracy’s television work — and the archives that safeguard community history and storytelling. Red Wagon Plants, Hinesburg, 5 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister. MUSEUM TOURS: See WED.10.

film

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

‘BACKYARD WILDERNESS 3D’: See THU.11.

‘DINOSAURS OF ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.11.

words

CAROLINE M. MAR: A visiting poet and educator shares selections from her acclaimed collections. Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, 8 p.m. Free.

JODI LEW-SMITH: A local author celebrates the launch of her new novel, Asa James and discusses the rural Vermont farms that inspired it. Phoenix Books, Essex, 6 p.m. $3; preregister.

LAMPSHADE POETS OPEN MIC: Local wordsmiths share their original works and have the opportunity to be recorded for the nonprofit’s community-access station and YouTube channel.

Junction Arts & Media, White River Junction, 6-7:30 p.m. Free; preregister.

MORNING BOOK GROUP: Readers swap thoughts on TJ Klune’s heartwarming fantasy novel, The House in the Cerulean Sea, about finding family in an unexpected place. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free.

STEPHEN P. KIERNAN: A celebrated Vermont author unveils his

‘SHARK KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.11. TEDXWOODSTOCK: ‘HAIR’: Cinephiles in their grooviest ’70s attire grab a slice of pizza and fix their eyes on Miloš Forman’s acclaimed anti-war rock musical. Woodstock Town Hall Theatre, 6:30 p.m. By donation.

‘WILD RESCUE 3D’: See THU.11. food & drink

FLATBREAD FRIDAY: See THU.11.

RICHMOND FARMERS MARKET: An open-air marketplace complete with live music connects cultivators and fresh-food browsers. Volunteers Green, Richmond, 3-6:30 p.m. Free.

SOUTH BURLINGTON FARMERS MARKET: Locals stock up on fresh produce, score homemade goods and chat with neighbors at a brand-new trailside marketplace. Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport Recreational Path, South Burlington, 5-7 p.m. Free.

SOUTH END GET DOWN: Local food trucks dish out mouthwatering meals and libations while live DJs and outdoor entertainment add to the ambience. Coal Collective, Burlington, 5-9 p.m. Free; cost of food and drink.

games

ADULT RUMMIKUB:

Strategists gather to test their mental agility with this classic numbers-based tabletop challenge. Essex Free Library, 1-3 p.m. Free.

DADS & DUNGEONS &

DRAGONS: New and experienced dad-venturers try their hand at the riveting tabletop role-playing game. Premade characters and extra dice available. The Guild Hall, Burlington, 7-9:30 p.m. Free.

DUPLICATE BRIDGE GAMES: See THU.11, 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.

MINDFULNESS MEDITATION:

Community members gather for an informal session combining stimulating discussion, sharing and sitting in silence. Iyengar Yoga Center of Vermont, Burlington, 4:305:30 p.m. Free.

WEEKLY MEDITATION: Expert Zac Ispa-Landa shares tools to quiet the mind, slow down and reset. Outright Vermont, Burlington, 8-8:45 a.m. Free.

language

LANGUAGE LOUNGE: See WED.10.

lgbtq

DJ REKHA: BOLLYWOOD

PRIDE: A loud and proud dance party celebrating the LGBTQ+ community transforms the theater into the Upper Valley’s hottest pop-up club. Lebanon Opera House, N.H., 8 p.m. $25.

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, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Free.

music

ANA GUIGUI: An acclaimed pianist and vocalist entertains listeners with a wide variety of styles and genres. The Brandon Inn, 7-8 p.m. Free.

FOOD & ART FRIDAY: BRASS

BALAGAN & PUPPET

RUCKUS: Funky grooves and dancing puppets generate jovial energy while listeners dig into wood-fired pizza from Fat Dragon Farm. Sable Project, Stockbridge, 5:30-8:30 p.m. $5-25 suggested donation.

SUMMER CONCERT SERIES:

MOMDAD: A Burlington indie-pop band blends smooth sounds with unpredictable energy while listeners enjoy their lunch outdoors. Burlington City Hall Park, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Free.

‘THAT WHICH COLORS THE MIND: AN EVENING OF INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC AND LIVE ART’: A guided meditation grounds listeners’ senses before a stirring sarod performance by Burlington musician Pat Lambdin. The Sanctuary, Burlington, 7 p.m. $25; preregister.

outdoors

THE BIRCHWOOD GARDEN OPENING: A public space named for its hundreds of white birches offers stunning views of the Green Mountains and colorful rhododendrons in full bloom. Proceeds benefit the Friends of the Montgomery Town Library. The Birchwood Garden, Montgomery Center, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $7; free for kids 12 and under.

sports

BURLINGTON WATCHES

TOGETHER: USA VS. PARAGUAY: Soccer fans convene for an open-air watch party featuring a giant outdoor screen, pregame DJ sets, giveaways and a satellite bar. Burlington City Hall Park, 9-11 p.m. Free; cash bar.

OPEN DINGHY SAILING: Skippers with previous sailing knowledge celebrate the end of the week with a nautical adventure. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, 4-7 p.m. $40 suggested donation; preregister.

theater

‘BABEL 46’: Opera Company of Middlebury’s young artists stage Catalan composer Xavier Montsalvatge’s 1960s opera narrating cross-cultural relationships established in a post-WWII refugee camp. Town Hall Theater, Middlebury, 7:30 p.m. $30-45; free for attendees under 26.

‘CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION’: See THU.11.

‘MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING’: William Shakespeare’s classic romantic comedy gets an irresistible refresh in director David Dubov-Flinn’s reimagining set amid the American Revolution. Bennington Theater, 7 p.m. $25-30.

‘RING OF FIRE: THE MUSIC OF JOHNNY CASH’: See WED.10, 6 p.m.

‘THE SEARCH FOR SIGNS OF INTELLIGENT LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE’: See WED.10.

‘SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE’: See THU.11.

‘THOREAU’S CABIN’: An original musical written by Vermont playwright Bob Fisher uses the writings and philosophies of Henry David Thoreau to narrate his time spent living in solitude at Walden Pond. Grange Hall Cultural Center, Waterbury Center, 7:30 p.m. Free; donations accepted.

words

‘BETTER OFF READ’: Awardwinning authors Imogen Binnie and Torrey Peters helm a thought-provoking discussion of trans literature, punctuated by readings, an audience Q&A, and book signings. Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, 7 p.m. Free.

BOOK SALE: A broad selection of used, rare and antique titles goes on sale to benefit the library. Rutland Free Library, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free; cost of books.

EDITH FORBES: A Vermont author reads from her new novel, The Lawnmower Lady, a voice-driven comedy about death, New England culture and small-town entanglements. Ilsley Public Library Temporary Location, Middlebury, 1-2:30 p.m. Free.

SAT.13 agriculture

DEDICATION CEREMONY: The unveiling of a new historic marker honors the agricultural contributions of Italian immigrant families in the region. 682 Malletts Bay Ave., Colchester, 10 a.m. Free.

MED47 GARDEN SHOPPE: See WED.10.

bazaars

MAKERS MARKET: Shoppers discover unique, handmade goods and meet the talented people behind them at a weekly showcase of local artists, bakers, distillers and crafters. Addison West, Waitsfield, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free.

community

DEATH CAFÉ: Community members gain new perspective with an open-ended conversation about one of life’s biggest realities. Refreshments provided. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, noon. Free.

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.

crafts

WORLDWIDE KNIT IN PUBLIC DAY: The NWPL Knitters invites fellow fiber enthusiasts to join in this casual gathering celebrating the creative community. Norman Williams Public Library, Woodstock, 1-3 p.m. Free.

dance

DANCE PARTY & OPEN HOUSE: See FRI.12, noon-4 p.m.

‘STORIES OF SPIRIT AND SPIRITS’: See THU.11, 2:30 & 7:30 p.m.

etc.

GUIDED TOURS: See WED.10.

HOUSE & GARDEN TOUR: Live music, outdoor painters and scenic picnic spots enhance a self-guided amble through the historic village. Norwich Historical Society and Community Center, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. $31.

OPEN HOUSE: Open studios, artist demos, hands-on activities and a retrospective exhibition mark a quarter-century milestone for the local creative hub. White River Craft Center, Randolph, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free.

PRESERVATION BURLINGTON

HOMES TOUR: Self-guided pedestrians explore eclectic and architecturally diverse abodes with ornate interiors and exteriors. Various Burlington locations, noon-4 p.m. $25; preregister

fairs &

festivals

ABENAKI HERITAGE

WEEKEND & NATIVE ARTS

MARKET: Vermont’s Native American community celebrates with storytelling, crafts, drumming, singing and a unique marketplace. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free.

THE VERMONT HIGHLAND

GAMES: Traditional music, sheepdog herding demos, Gaelic language workshops and a whisky tasting immerse visitors in Celtic culture. See calendar spotlight. Highland Center for the Arts, Greensboro, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $12-25.

film

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

‘BACKYARD WILDERNESS 3D’: See THU.11.

‘DINOSAURS OF ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.11.

‘HORSESHOE’: See THU.11, 4 p.m.

‘THE KID’: Composer Jeff Rapsis plays a live score for Charlie Chaplin’s 1921 silent flick about a vagrant man who stumbles upon an abandoned child. Brandon Town Hall, 7 p.m. Free; donations accepted.

‘NEW CLOTHES’: Brattleboro theater group Vermont Suitcase presents its locally made comedy following a pair of swindlers who trick an emperor out of his gold by posing as fashion designers. A discussion with the filmmakers follows. Wardsboro Town Hall, 7 p.m. Free.

‘NO PICNIC’: Filmed entirely in black and white, Philip Hartman’s 1987 drama captures the heart and soul of New York City’s vibrant but seedy East Village. The Screening Room @ VTIFF, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7 p.m. $6-12.

‘SHARK KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.11.

‘WILD RESCUE 3D’: See THU.11. food & drink

BURLINGTON FARMERS

MARKET: Live local music lends flair to dozens of stands overflowing with seasonal produce, flowers, artisanal wares and prepared foods. 345 Pine St., Burlington, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Free.

CHAMPLAIN ISLANDS

FARMERS MARKET: Talented artisans and vendors showcase their farm-fresh veggies, meats, eggs, flowers, honey and other goodies. Grand Isle St. Joseph’s Church, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free.

LAGERFEST: More than 20 craft breweries serve up some seriously high-quality bevvies, backed by food-truck options and live music. Ages 21 and up. The Green at the Essex Experience, 4-8 p.m. $42-50.

MARSHFIELD FARMERS

MARKET: Locavores find much to do at a weekly outdoor offering complete with live music, skill shares, vendors and community resource swaps. Old Schoolhouse Common, Marshfield, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Free.

NORTHWEST FARMERS

MARKET: Neighbors stock up on produce, preserves, baked goods and other treasures to the beat of live music. Taylor Park, St. Albans, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Free.

ST. JOHNSBURY FARMERS

MARKET: Growers, bakers, makers and crafters gather weekly at booths centered on local eats. Pearl St. & Eastern Ave., St. Johnsbury, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free.

games

CHESS CLUB: Proficient players of all ages face off and learn new strategies. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 11 a.m. Free.

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.

health & fitness

BLOOD DRIVE: Community members part with life-sustaining pints at this American Red Cross donation event. Franklin County Senior Center, St. Albans, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Free; preregister.

‘EXPLORE THE REALITY OF SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES’: Practical meditation tools and collaborative group discussions guide participants exploring personal divinity. Steele Community Room, Waterbury Municipal Complex, 1:30-2:30 p.m. Free.

holidays

JENNI JOHNSON AND THE JUNKETEERS: An interactive concert of works by Black composers invites attendees to select the songs and dance the night away in celebration of Juneteenth. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 6:15 p.m. Free; preregister.

language

FRENCH BOOK SWAP:

Francophiles refresh their personal libraries by trading up to three well-loved works for new titles. Alliance Française of the Lake Champlain Region, Burlington, 10 a.m.-noon. Free.

FRENCH CONVERSATION FOR ALL:

Native French speaker Romain Feuillette guides an informal discussion group for all ages and abilities. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free; preregister; limited space.

lgbtq

PRIDE IN THE PARK: Live entertainment, local vendors and food trucks anchor a family-friendly outdoor festival celebrating the LGBTQ+ community. Taylor Park, St. Albans, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Free. music

ANA GUIGUI: See FRI.12.

‘THE MAGIC OF MOTOWN’: Get ready, ’cause here they come! Pitch-perfect harmonies, dynamic choreography and eye-catching costumes hallmark this concert of hits from the high-energy pop-soul era. Flynn Main Stage, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $43.13-107.37.

MAGNETIC HORSE: Six decades of rock, folk, country and blues music fill the air at an outdoor concert celebrating Vermont Days. Kill Kare State Park, St Albans City, 1-4 p.m. Free.

MONTPELIER COMMUNITY

GOSPEL CHOIR: In “I’m Gonna Sing,” the vocalists take the stage with special guest Shidaa Projects for a stirring program of music marking Juneteenth. Unitarian Church of Montpelier, 7:30 p.m. $15-60.

THALIA TRIO: Evocative sounds resurface from the margins of history in “An Untold Story: Concert of Women’s Music,” showcasing rarely heard works by female composers across centuries. Homer Knight Barn, Island Arts Center, North Hero, 7 p.m. Free.

‘VOICES FOR IMMIGRANT

JUSTICE’: A benefit concert for Migrant Justice and the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project brings together three vocal ensembles for an evening of music dedicated to solidarity and human rights. McCarthy Arts Center, Saint Michael’s College, Colchester, 7 p.m. $20 suggested donation.

outdoors

THE BIRCHWOOD GARDEN

OPENING: See FRI.12, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

VERMONT DAYS: A weekend of free fishing, state park admission, and access to historical sites and

museums gets locals and tourists in the mood for summer. See calendar spotlight. Various locations statewide. Free.

WEEKLY BIRD WALK: Featheredfriend seekers join expert Lachlan Ziegler for a morning trek to sharpen their identification skills. Rock Point Center, Burlington, 8-10 a.m. Free; preregister.

politics

TED DEMOCRACY LIVE:

‘FOUNDING FUTURES’: Big ideas, thoughtful conversation and shared civic moments punctuate a live stream of brand-new TED Talks centered on the evolution and future of democracy. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 2 & 4 p.m. Free; preregister.

québec

‘GROW’: See WED.10, 7:30 p.m. seminars

INTRO TO ADOBE

PREMIERE: Aspiring filmmakers learn more about project setup, media management, cuts and transitions at a hands-on editing software workshop. The Media Factory, Burlington, 1-3 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister.

sports

BIKE FOR THE LAKE: Pedal pushers travel distances of 30, 60, 80 or 100 miles at an annual cycling benefit for Friends of Northern Lake Champlain. Knight Point State Park, North Hero, 7 a.m.-4 p.m. $30-100; preregister.

BURLINGTON WATCHES

TOGETHER: HAITI VS. SCOTLAND: Soccer fans gather for an open-air watch party featuring a giant outdoor screen, pregame DJ sets, giveaways and a satellite bar. Burlington City Hall Park, 9-11 p.m. Free; cash bar.

FREE FISHING DAY: License requirements are lifted for one glorious day, inviting anyone who wants to try their hand at angling to dive on in. Various locations statewide. Free.

tech

CODING CLUB: Participants put on their thinking caps and get some hands-on experience with the BBC micro:bit — a pocket-size computer that makes learning fun and interactive. Haskell Free Library & Opera House, Derby Line, 1-2:30 p.m. Free.

theater

‘CIRCLE MIRROR

TRANSFORMATION’: See THU.11, 7 p.m.

‘DEAR EVAN HANSEN’: Borderline Players raises the curtain on the Tony Award-winning smash hit that the Washington Post called “one of the most remarkable shows in musical theater history.”

Haskell Free Library & Opera House, Derby Line, 7 p.m. $10-25.

‘LA TRAVIATA’: See THU.11, 2 p.m.

‘MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING’: See FRI.12.

OUTDOORS

Go Fish

Hook into Vermont Days, an annual season kick-starter featuring free fishing and day use at state parks across the Green Mountains. Whether you’re local or just passing through, a leisurely picnic by the lake or a hike to the summit delivers the early summer vibes. Saturday’s Free Fishing Day makes waves with lifted license requirements, so grab those waders and cast a line. If you’re clueless about where to start, the Grand Isle Family Fishing Festival gives loaner gear, tips and tricks. Angling isn’t reely your thing? Revisit days of yore at one of the many museums and historic sites offering free admission.

VERMONT DAYS

Saturday, June 13, and Sunday, June 14, at various locations statewide. Free. Info, 802-828-1093, vermontvacation.com.

‘RING OF FIRE: THE MUSIC OF JOHNNY CASH’: See WED.10, 2 & 7:30 p.m.

‘THE SEARCH FOR SIGNS OF INTELLIGENT LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE’: See WED.10, 2 & 7:30 p.m.

‘SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE’: See THU.11, 2 & 7:30 p.m.

words

BOOK SALE: See FRI.12.

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.

WRITE NOW!: Wordsmiths of all experience levels hone their craft in a welcoming and critique-free environment. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 10 a.m. Free.

SUN.14 agriculture

dance

MILONGA WITH LIVE MUSIC: High-energy tunes by Trio Tango Norte set the tone for a social dance inviting participants to practice unchoreographed steps in the traditional Argentine style. Artistree Community Arts Center, South Pomfret, 5 p.m. $20.

fairs & festivals

ABENAKI HERITAGE WEEKEND & NATIVE ARTS MARKET: See SAT.13, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

film

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

‘BACKYARD WILDERNESS 3D’: See THU.11.

‘DINOSAURS OF ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.11.

Savoy Theater, Montpelier, 6 p.m. $8.50-12.

‘NEW CLOTHES’: See SAT.13, Main Street Arts, Saxtons River, 6 p.m.

‘NO PICNIC’: See SAT.13, 2 p.m.

‘SHARK KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.11.

‘SOME LIKE IT HOT’: Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon get laughs in this gender-bending 1959 comedy.

Film House, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7 p.m. $6-12.

‘WILD RESCUE 3D’: See THU.11.

food & drink

ROYALTON FARMERS MARKET:

Twenty local vendors offer everything from fresh produce to prepared foods to artisan goods while kids’ activities, live music and workshops build community.

shoppers. Stowe Farmers Market, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free.

WINOOSKI FARMERS MARKET:

More than 25 area growers and bakers offer local and global fare against a backdrop of live music and activities. Winooski Falls Way, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free.

games

DUPLICATE BRIDGE GAMES: See THU.11, 1 p.m.

health & fitness

BIG BEAUTIFUL LIFE: RUN, WALK, & ROLL & TOUCH-A-TRUCK: Participants choose between 1.2K and 5K paths to raise support for local families facing pediatric medical crises. Essex Middle School, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. $30-40; preregister; free for spectators.

KARUNA COMMUNITY

MEDITATION: A YEAR TO LIVE (FULLY): Attendees practice keeping joy, generosity and gratitude at the forefront of their minds. Jenna’s House, Johnson, 10-11:15 a.m. Free; donations accepted.

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. NEW MINDFULNESS MEDITATION

GATHERING: Certified instructors lead hourlong sessions of the ancient contemplative practice rooted in compassion and generosity. North Star Community Hall, Burlington, 5:30-6:30 p.m. By donation.

holidays

JUNETEENTH 2026: ‘CELEBRATING FREEDOM, CULTIVATING COMMUNITY’: A panel discussion and the Vibrant Lives project anchor a community gathering exploring regional Black history. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Free.

lgbtq

CRAFT CLUB: Creative queer folks work on their knitting, crocheting and sewing projects. Rainbow Bridge Community Center, Barre, 10 a.m.-noon. Free.

PRIDE PARADE: A community procession takes to the streets to champion LGBTQ+ visibility, equity and solidarity. Various St. Albans locations, 12:15 p.m. Free.

music

CHRIS AND ISSY: A local acoustic duo covers feel-good hits by the likes of Dave Matthews Band and Tom Petty while attendees enjoy fare from local food trucks. Maquam Barn & Winery, Milton, 2:30-4:30 p.m. Free; cost of food and drink.

THE HOKUM BROTHERS: A whimsical blend of original Americana music, satire and physical comedy takes center stage at a performance by the beloved Vermont three-piece. Plainfield Town Hall Opera House, 7 p.m. $20 suggested donation. JUN. 13-14 |

JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE FILM SERIES: ‘PALESTINE 36’: Annemarie Jacir’s 2025 historical drama paints a picture of escalating unrest in 1936 as Palestinian villages revolt against British colonial rule. A discussion follows.

MED47 GARDEN SHOPPE: See WED.10, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

South Royalton Town Green, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Free.

STOWE FARMERS MARKET: An appetizing assortment of fresh veggies, pasture-raised meats, milk, berries, herbs, beverages and handcrafted wares tempts

Grand Isle Family Fishing Festival

FAMI LY FU N

outside vermont

‘HADESTOWN: TEEN EDITION’: Young performers mount an age-appropriate version of Vermonter Anaïs Mitchell’s acclaimed folk opera, following Orpheus’ mythical quest to overcome Hades. Depot Theatre, Westport, N.Y., 7 p.m. $28.

FRI.12

burlington

‘CHAMP: AMERICA’S LAKE MONSTER’ EXHIBIT: See WED.10.

‘DINOSAUR SAFARI’ EXHIBIT: See WED.10.

BURLINGTON FNG: Self-identified LGBTQ+ and questioning youths ages 13 to 19 gather weekly to socialize in a supportive environment. Outright Vermont, Burlington, 6:30-8 p.m. Free.

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.

FAMILY FRIDAY WITH LINDA BASSICK: Caretakers and wee ones enjoy a weekly morning mashup of muffins and music played by the local legend. Pingala Café North Avenue, Burlington, 9-9:30 a.m. Free.

barre/montpelier

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.

LEGO CLUB: Budding builders create geometric structures with snap-together blocks. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 3:30-5 p.m. Free.

STORY TIME & PLAYGROUP: Participants ages 5 and under enjoy themed science, art and nature activities. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 10:30 a.m. Free.

middlebury area

STORY TIME: Lake-centric stories, coloring and crafts anchor little ones at a weekly maritime-themed reading circle. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, 11 a.m.-noon. Free. upper valley

‘CREATIVIDAD SILVESTRE/WILD CREATIVITY’ EXHIBIT: See WED.10.

STORY TIME: Preschoolers take part in tales, tunes and playtime. Latham Library, Thetford, 11 a.m. Free. northeast kingdom

‘CARDTOPIA’: See THU.11.

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.

outside vermont

‘HADESTOWN: TEEN EDITION’: See THU.11.

SAT.13 burlington

‘CHAMP: AMERICA’S LAKE MONSTER’

EXHIBIT: See WED.10.

‘DINOSAUR SAFARI’ EXHIBIT: See WED.10.

BIG TRUCK DAY: Showstopping rigs, sweet treats and raffle prizes raise funds for Robin’s Nest Children’s Center. Center of Recreation & Education, O.N.E. Community Center, Burlington, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. $10 per family.

PARTIZANFILM JR.: ‘THE BIG BAD FOX AND OTHER TALES’: Francophiles and language learners revel in this heartwarming animated French film based on Benjamin Renner’s graphic novels. Partizanfilm, Burlington, 12:10 p.m.

$6-8.50.

SPLASH DANCE: SLAYTT: Kids and their caregivers soak up some serious summer fun at a DJ-fueled dance party amid the park’s interactive fountain. Burlington City Hall Park, 1-3 p.m. Free.

STORIES WITH GEOFF: Dynamic storytelling meets catchy songs and active play to keep little patrons moving. Fletcher Free Library New North End Branch, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free.

chittenden county

FRENCH STORY TIME: Kids of all ages listen and learn to native speaker Romain Feuillette raconte une histoire. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:1510:45 a.m. Free.

GRAB & GO: MINI CLOVER TERRARIUMS: Teens ages 13 to 18 get their hands dirty with a DIY indoor gardening kit from the library. Materials provided. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Free.

SUMMER READING KICKOFF PARTY:

A seasonal reading initiative launches with a puppet-led story hour, live music by Linda Bassick, community art making and a chance to meet the library’s resident worms. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free.

TIE-DINOSAUR PARTY: Families dye

T-shirts and bandannas at an outdoor crafting session that promises to make a prehistoric splash. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30 a.m.noon. Free.

barre/montpelier

KIDS TRADE & PLAY: Neighbors swap or shop gently used clothing, shoes, books and toys. Capital City Grange, Berlin, 9:3011:30 a.m. Free; donations accepted. mad river valley/ waterbury

BILINGUAL STORY TIME: A weekend story hour with Miss Gladys immerses young participants in dual-language books, dancing and festive sing-alongs. Inklings Children’s Books, Waitsfield, 1111:45 a.m. Free.

rutland/killington

‘TALES FROM OLYMPUS: A DANCE

PERFORMANCE INSPIRED BY GREEK

MYTHOLOGY’: Classical deities and mythological creatures leap from the page to the stage at an inaugural recital showcasing choreography by Marble City School of Dance students. Casella Theater, Vermont State UniversityCastleton, 2 & 7 p.m. $15-25; preregister.

champlain islands/ northwest

DAD GUILD LIBRARY PLAYGROUP:

Fathers forge neighborhood bonds and trade parenting tales while children explore the stacks at a casual morning of connection. St. Albans Free Library, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Free.

GRAND ISLE FAMILY FISHING FESTIVAL: Young anglers and their families receive basic instructions, then get the chance to catch trout in the hatchery pond. Rods, reels and bait provided. Ed Weed Fish Culture Station, Grand Isle, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Free.

upper valley

‘CREATIVIDAD SILVESTRE/WILD CREATIVITY’ EXHIBIT: See WED.10.

northeast kingdom

‘CARDTOPIA’: See THU.11.

WEEE! DANCE PARTY: Little ones and their caregivers express themselves through movement at this free-wheeling, DJ-driven bash. Highland Center for the Arts, Greensboro, 2-3 p.m. $5 suggested donation; preregister.

brattleboro/okemo valley

GOAT SNUGGLES: Rolling hillsides provide the backdrop for a 40-minute cuddle session with the cutest farm animals around. Big Picture Farm, Townshend, 10-11 a.m. $20; preregister.

outside vermont

‘HADESTOWN: TEEN EDITION’: See THU.11.

SUN.14

burlington

‘CHAMP: AMERICA’S LAKE MONSTER’ EXHIBIT: See WED.10.

‘DINOSAUR SAFARI’ EXHIBIT: See WED.10.

DAD GUILD PLAYGROUP: Fathers (and parents of all genders) and their kids ages 5 and under drop in for playtime and connection. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 3:30-5 p.m. Free.

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS GROUP A: Tabletop role-players ages 9 to 14 practice their craft with Andrew, the library’s dungeon master. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 12:15-3:15 p.m. Free; preregister.

FAM JAMS MUSICAL PLAYGROUP: Families drum up connections at a morning of collaborative music making with early childhood educator and musician Alex Baron. The Guild Hall, Burlington, 9:30-11 a.m. Free.

SENSORY-FRIENDLY SUNDAY: Folks of all ages with sensory processing differences have the museum to themselves, with adjusted lights and sounds and trusty sensory backpacks. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 9-10 a.m. Free; preregister.

chittenden county

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.

barre/montpelier

GENDER CREATIVE KIDS: Trans and gender-nonconforming kiddos under 12 and their families build community and friendships at this joyful monthly gathering. See outrightvt.org for full schedule. Various locations statewide, 2-4 p.m. Free.

champlain islands/ northwest

FAMILY DAY & ICE CREAM SOCIAL: Neighbors keep the Pride Week momentum going at an afternoon complete with free cones from Ben & Jerry’s and activities hosted by Outright Vermont. Taylor Park, St. Albans, 12:30-3:30 p.m. Free.

upper valley

‘CREATIVIDAD SILVESTRE/WILD CREATIVITY’ EXHIBIT: See WED.10.

northeast kingdom

‘ANIMALS IN MYTH & LEGEND’: Live birds and reptiles take center stage as elementary schoolers connect traditional folklore to real-world survival adaptations. McIndoes Academy Community Center, McIndoe Falls, 2-3 p.m. Free; donations accepted.

‘CARDTOPIA’: See THU.11.

brattleboro/okemo valley

GOAT SNUGGLES: See SAT.13. outside vermont

‘HADESTOWN: TEEN EDITION’: See THU.11, 3 p.m.

MON.15

burlington

‘CHAMP: AMERICA’S LAKE MONSTER’ EXHIBIT: See WED.10.

‘DINOSAUR SAFARI’ EXHIBIT: See WED.10.

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.

upper valley

‘CREATIVIDAD SILVESTRE/WILD CREATIVITY’ EXHIBIT: See WED.10.

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.

TUE.16

burlington

‘CHAMP: AMERICA’S LAKE MONSTER’ EXHIBIT: See WED.10.

‘DINOSAUR SAFARI’ EXHIBIT: See WED.10.

SING-ALONG WITH LINDA BASSICK: Babies, toddlers and preschoolers sing, dance and wiggle along with the local musician. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free.

chittenden county

READ TO CHEWIE THE THERAPY DOG: See THU.11.

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.

barre/montpelier

BASEMENT TEEN CENTER: See FRI.12, 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.

upper valley

‘CREATIVIDAD SILVESTRE/WILD CREATIVITY’ EXHIBIT: See WED.10.

LEGO TUESDAYS: Youth architects tackle construction challenges or follow their own blueprints at a creative building session complete with snacks. Norwich Public Library, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free.

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.

PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: See FRI.12.

WED.17

DADS’ NIGHT IN: JACKBOX GAMES: Fathers log on for a virtual game night hosted by Dad Guild. 8:45-10 p.m. Free.

burlington

‘CHAMP: AMERICA’S LAKE MONSTER’ EXHIBIT: See WED.10.

‘DINOSAUR SAFARI’ EXHIBIT: See WED.10.

READ TO A DOG: See WED.10.

chittenden county

BABY TIME: Nonmobile infants and their caregivers embark on a slow-paced social hour featuring songs, rhymes and restorative connection. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 10:30-11 a.m. Free.

SWITCH IT UP!: A weekly gaming hour on the library’s Nintendo Switch engages elementary students in friendly competition while nearby parents learn more about navigating digital boundaries. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 5-6 p.m. Free.

barre/montpelier

‘LITTLE THINGS’: A power-hungry principal faces a revolt from fifth graders fighting to save recess in this original musical staged by local teens. Montpelier Performing Arts Hub, 7 p.m. $10-25.

BABY & CAREGIVER MEETUP: See WED.10.

FAMILY CHESS CLUB: See WED.10.

upper valley

‘CREATIVIDAD SILVESTRE/WILD CREATIVITY’ EXHIBIT: See WED.10.

STORY TIME: See WED.10. K

MONTPELIER COMMUNITY

GOSPEL CHOIR: See SAT.13, 4 p.m.

outdoors

THE BIRCHWOOD GARDEN

OPENING: See FRI.12, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

EARLY BIRDERS MORNING WALK: You know what they say ... Now get that worm! New and experienced avian admirers take a stroll to observe the area’s flying, feathered friends. BYO binoculars. Birds of Vermont Museum, Huntington, 7 a.m. $5-15 suggested donation; preregister

VERMONT DAYS: See SAT.13.

québec

‘DI SHVEGERINS’: Performed in Yiddish, Michel Tremblay’s groundbreaking play captures the humor, struggles and resilience of working-class women in 1960s Montréal. The Studio, Segal Centre for Performing Arts, Montréal, 2 & 7:30 p.m. $30-50.

‘GROW’: See WED.10, 2 & 7:30 p.m.

sports

TOUR DE CREEMEE: A hilly gravel grinder rewards pedaling participants with a sweet maple treat at the finish line. Various locations, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. $2575; preregister.

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.

theater

‘BABEL 46’: See FRI.12, 2 p.m.

‘CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION’: See THU.11, 2 p.m.

‘DEAR EVAN HANSEN’: See SAT.13, 3 p.m.

LUCY DARLING: An award-winning performer mesmerizes in “You’re Welcome,” a variety show replete with razor-sharp wit and skillful magic tricks. Flynn Main Stage, Burlington, 7 p.m. $53.25-83.83.

‘MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING’: See FRI.12, 2 p.m.

‘RING OF FIRE: THE MUSIC OF JOHNNY CASH’: See WED.10, 2 p.m.

‘THE SEARCH FOR SIGNS OF INTELLIGENT LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE’: See WED.10, 2 p.m.

‘SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE’: See THU.11, 2 p.m.

words

FOOD FOR TALK COOKBOOK CLUB:

Culinary enthusiasts chat about Crystal Wilkinson’s Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts and Michael Twitty’s Recipes From the American South. Fletcher Room, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 3-5 p.m. Free; preregister.

SILENT READING PARTY: Bookworms unite — quietly, of course! BYO reading material to savor in peace and quiet. The Norwich Bookstore, 2-3 p.m. Free.

MON.15

business

CEDRR LEGISLATIVE BREAKFAST:

Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region members meet with Lt. Gov. John Rodgers over pancakes. Southside Steakhouse, Rutland, 7:30-9 a.m. $27; preregister.

crafts

FUSE BEADS CLUB: Aspiring artisans bring ideas or borrow patterns to make beaded creations. KelloggHubbard Library, Montpelier, 3:30-5 p.m. Free.

HAND-STITCHING GROUP:

Embroiderers, cross-stitchers and other needlework aficionados chat over their latest projects. Waterbury Public Library, 6-8 p.m. Free.

etc.

MUSEUM TOURS: See WED.10.

film

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

‘BACKYARD WILDERNESS 3D’: See THU.11.

‘DINOSAURS OF ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.11.

‘SHARK KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.11. ‘WILD RESCUE 3D’: See THU.11.

games

BURLINGTON ELKS BINGO: Players grab their daubers for a competitive night of card stamping for cash prizes. Burlington Elks Lodge, 6 p.m. Various prices.

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.

health & fitness

MEDITATION: Beginners and veteran practitioners alike quiet mental chatter and boost physical well-being at a weekly mindfulness session. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 6 p.m. Free.

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. LANGUAGE LOUNGE: See WED.10.

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.

music

ONION RIVER CHORUS

REHEARSAL: A 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.

ST. JOHNSBURY BAND: The nation’s third-oldest community band regales locals with dynamic tunes

during a weekly ice cream social. Caledonia County Courthouse, St. Johnsbury, 7:30 p.m. Free.

outdoors

THE BIRCHWOOD GARDEN

OPENING: See FRI.12, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. québec

‘DI SHVEGERINS’: See SUN.14, 7:30 p.m.

theater

PLAYMAKERS SERIES:

Theatergoers flock to an open forum-style showcase of new scripts and in-process works by Vermont playwrights. Off Center for the Dramatic Arts, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. Free.

words

ANIME GROUP: Fans of Japanese animation and comics convene weekly to swap ideas, read stories and connect over shared interests in hand-drawn media. Pathways Vermont Morgan’s Place Peer Support Center, Burlington, 6-8 p.m. Free.

ROWAN JACOBSEN: Here comes the sun! A local author and journalist launches his new work, In Defense of Sunlight: The Surprising Science of Sun Exposure, detailing how rays can improve our overall health and well-being. Bear Pond Books, Montpelier, 7 p.m. Free.

SCRIPTWRITERS’ GROUP: Got a story to tell? Talented local writers swap techniques and constructive critiques. Junction Arts & Media, White River Junction, 5:30-7 p.m. Free; preregister.

VERMONT BOOK AWARDS

FINALISTS & WINNERS: Local author Miciah Bay Gault moderates a thought-provoking panel discussion featuring some of the state’s most acclaimed writers. Phoenix Books, Burlington, 7 p.m. $3; preregister.

TUE.16

agriculture

LOCAL FOOD IN PRACTICE:

RESTAURANT & FARM

PARTNERSHIPS: A behind-thescenes look at restaurant sourcing strategies offers farmers and chefs a chance to bridge the gap between agricultural production and kitchen operations. Putney Diner, 4-6 p.m. Free; preregister.

business

LAUNCHVT DEMO NIGHT: Fresh off a 12-week accelerator program, startup founders and their teams pitch to judges and audience members for the chance to win prizes. Hula, Burlington, 5-8 p.m. Free; preregister.

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.

conferences

RISE SUMMIT: Researchers, entrepreneurs, problem solvers and community members come together to discuss new ideas focused on this year’s theme of “Partnerships for Rural Prosperity: Building Community-University Collaboration.” Virtual option available. Grand Maple Ballroom, Dudley H. Davis Center, University of Vermont, Burlington, 8:30 a.m.5:30 p.m. $25; free for students; preregister.

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, 6-7:30 p.m. Free.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section. ‘BACKYARD WILDERNESS 3D’: See THU.11.

‘DINOSAURS OF ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.11.

‘SHARK KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.11. ‘WILD RESCUE 3D’: See THU.11.

food & drink

MILTON FARMERS MARKET: Locally grown goods, fresh eats and handmade crafts take root weekly all summer long. Bombardier Park West, Milton, 5-8 p.m. Free. games

BLOOD ON THE CLOCKTOWER: Katharine Bodan leads players in a thrilling social deduction game of lies and logic, in which no one is ever truly ruled out. Waterbury Public Library, 6-8 p.m. Free.

health & fitness

‘ASK THE EXPERT: GET YOUR MENTAL HEALTH QUESTIONS ANSWERED’: Community members connect with local psychiatrists at an interactive panel and Q&A session designed to address modern challenges. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 6-8 p.m. Free.

COMMUNITY MEDITATION: All experience levels engage in the ancient Buddhist practice of clearing the mind to achieve a state of calm.

First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington, 5:15-6 p.m. Free; donations accepted.

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.

language

LANGUAGE LOUNGE: See WED.10.

ITALIAN LANGUAGE LUNCH: Speakers hone their skills in the Romance language over bagged lunches. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, noon-1 p.m. Free.

PAUSE-CAFÉ MARDI: Francophones and Frenchlanguage learners meet pour parler la belle langue. Burlington Bay Market & Café, 5-7 p.m. Free.

music

VERMONT’S FREEDOM & UNITY

CHORUS: Singers come together for a weekly rehearsal inspiring positive change through the power of music. Chapel of Saint Michael the Archangel, Saint Michael’s College, Colchester, 7 p.m. Free.

outdoors

THE BIRCHWOOD GARDEN

OPENING: See FRI.12, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

québec

‘DI SHVEGERINS’: See SUN.14, 7:30 p.m.

seminars

FINDING HOUSING WORKSHOP: Attendees build an apartment-search tool kit with guidance from the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity. 5-6 p.m. Free.

MEDIA WORKSHOP: An info-packed course for ages 60 and up blends hands-on training with reflection on local history, community ethics and public access values. CCTV Channel 17 Studios, Burlington, 2-4 p.m. Free; preregister.

sports

DAD GUILD OPEN GYM

BASKETBALL: Local fathers hit the hardwood for weekly sessions of full-court exercise and casual competition. Mater Christi School, Burlington, 7-9 p.m. Free.

FELLOWSHIP OF THE WHEEL

ENDURO: New and experienced mountain bike riders gather in the spirit of sportsmanship for a casual racing night. Cochran’s Ski Area, Richmond, 4:30-7:30 p.m. $15-20; preregister.

tech

DROP-IN TECH SUPPORT: Library staff field 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.

theater

‘RING OF FIRE: THE MUSIC OF JOHNNY CASH’: See WED.10.

words

BURLINGTON LITERATURE

GROUP: Over the course of nine weeks, readers analyze the works of father-and-son authors Kingsley and Martin Amis, two influential British novelists of the postwar era. 6:30-8 p.m. Free.

CARA BENSON: An author shares her poignant new memoir, An Armsfull of Birds: A Personal Field Guide to Love, Loss and Commitment in conversation with Vermont writer Meg Little Reilly. Phoenix Books, Burlington, 7 p.m. $3; preregister.

DEEP CUTS BOOK CLUB: Bookish types bond over William Kennedy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1983 novel, Ironweed, about a homeless, guilt-ridden former baseball player. The Norwich Bookstore, 6 p.m. Free.

FICTIONAL BOOK CLUB: Fantasy lovers chat about The Fox Wife, Yangsze Choo’s folkloric mystery novel following an animal spirit seeking vengeance for her murdered child. Pickering Room, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 5:30-7 p.m. Free; preregister.

GARRET KEIZER: A local author’s new collection, Starting From Paterson, explores the erosion of human connection through personal essays spanning subjects from religion to technology. Galaxy Bookshop, Hardwick, 7 p.m. Free.

WRITER’S CIRCLE: Creative sparks fly as participants tackle curated prompts and read their latest drafts aloud in a collaborative environment. Virtual option available. Pathways Vermont Morgan’s Place Peer Support Center, Burlington, 4-5:30 p.m. Free.

WED.17

business

‘HOLDING STEADY: WOMEN, BUSINESS AND THE PRACTICE OF CARE’: An interactive session invites female-identifying entrepreneurs to step off the metaphorical hamster wheel and discover practical strategies for self-care and decision-making. Hosted by Women Business Owners Network of Vermont. Noon-1:30 p.m. $20; free for members and first-time attendees; preregister.

‘MEASURING RURAL AMERICA’S ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT’: The Center on Rural Innovation hosts a live webinar exploring how small communities are creating jobs, solving real-world challenges and shaping the future. 1-2 p.m. Free; preregister.

community

PASSEGGIATA: See WED.10. PASSEGGIATA WATERBURY: See WED.10.

crafts

YARN & YAK: See WED.10. YARN CRAFTERS GROUP: See WED.10. 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.

EXHIBIT UNVEILING CEREMONY: A new permanent exhibition honors senator Patrick Leahy and Marcelle Leahy for their commitment to environmental stewardship. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 1:30 p.m. Free.

GUIDED TOURS: See WED.10.

MUSEUM TOURS: See WED.10. food & drink

CHAMPLAIN ISLANDS FARMERS MARKET: See WED.10. COMMUNITY COOKING: See WED.10.

CUPPA ON CAMPUS: See WED.10.

DANVILLE FARMERS MARKET: See WED.10.

MARKET ON THE GREEN: See WED.10.

health & fitness

CHAIR YOGA: See WED.10.

RECOVERY DHARMA: See WED.10.

holidays

JUNETEENTH WINOOSKI:

Neighbors celebrate Black culture and community with live performances, tasty treats, kids’ activities and information about resources. Rotary Park, Winooski, 5-8 p.m. Free.

language

LANGUAGE LOUNGE: See WED.10.

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. lgbtq

THE ALL-INCLUSIVE DYKETACULAR: See WED.10.

music

BLUE VIOLIN: In “Thunderstruck: A Classic Rock Tribute,” the conservatory-trained virtuoso plays the music of Queen, AC/ DC and Led Zeppelin with the intensity of a full band. Bennington Theater, 7 p.m. $15.

SABRINA & THE JAZZCATS: Music lovers revel in celestial-themed jazz standards and classic pop

songs peppered with stories about the legendary artists who made the tunes famous. Artistree Community Arts Center, South Pomfret, 6:30 p.m. $15.

SUMMER CONCERT SERIES:

HUDOST: An award-winning musical duo treats listeners to a lunchtime performance of eclectic Americana, global rock rhythms and refined folk melodies. Burlington City Hall Park, 12:301:30 p.m. Free.

outdoors

THE BIRCHWOOD GARDEN OPENING: See FRI.12, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

québec

‘DI SHVEGERINS’: See SUN.14, 7:30 p.m.

seminars

THE ESSENTIALS OF CAMERA WORKSHOP: An informative evening examines the critical elements of photography and videography, covering topics from exposure to depth of field. The Media Factory, Burlington, 6-8 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister.

A STUDY OF ‘THE ODYSSEY’: Curious minds and classicists convene to get the read on one of the oldest works of Western literature. Stowe Free Library, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Free.

sports

GREEN MOUNTAIN TABLE TENNIS CLUB: See WED.10. WHALEBOAT WEDNESDAYS: See WED.10.

talks

DEEP DIVES SERIES: Listeners plunge into the depths of local maritime history at a biweekly lecture series featuring illuminating presentations by archaeologists, educators and researchers. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, 6-7 p.m. Free; preregister.

WORTHEN SUMMER SPEAKER SERIES: EVA SOLLBERGER: SOLD OUT. The Seven Days senior multimedia producer reflects on two decades of sharing unique local stories in her long-running video series “Stuck in Vermont.” Worthen Library, South Hero, 6:30 p.m. Free; preregister.

theater

‘THE BAKE OFF’: Vermont Stage mounts an engaging exploration

of the “ingredients” necessary to create a new play through a showcase of three short works paying homage to Arthur Miller’s classic drama The Crucible. Ages 13 and up. Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $34-54 sliding scale. ‘RING OF FIRE: THE MUSIC OF JOHNNY CASH’: See WED.10, 2 & 7:30 p.m. ‘SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE’: See THU.11.

words

TILLIE WALDEN: The New York Times best-selling author and former Vermont cartoonist laureate celebrates her new nonfiction graphic novel, Charity and Sylvia, in conversation with fellow artist Dan Nott. The Norwich Bookstore, 7 p.m. Free. ➆

classes

THE FOLLOWING CLASS LISTINGS ARE PAID ADVERTISEMENTS. ANNOUNCE YOUR CLASS HERE FOR AS LITTLE AS $21.25/WEEK (INCLUDES SIX PHOTOS AND UNLIMITED DESCRIPTION ONLINE).

NEWSPAPER DEADLINE: MONDAYS AT 3 P.M. POST CLASS ADS AT SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POSTCLASS. GET HELP AT CLASSES@SEVENDAYSVT.COM.

arts & crafts

DAVIS STUDIO ART CLASSES:

Stay connected to your creative practice this summer. Seasonal camps, classes and workshops offer ﬂexible, supportive ways for art making full of joy and inspiration! Come as you are and use the time to reset, focus and have fun. Now enrolling youths, teens and adults. Info: 802-425-2700, info@davisstudiovt.com, davisstudiovt.com.

BLOCKPRINTING BOTANICALS: Join us for an introduction to block printing with linoleum. Using images from the garden, we will draw onto the linoleum and learn to carve and print. You’ll make a series of prints with your new image and take home your linoleum block to continue your printing adventure! If time allows, we will also print from natural materials. All materials provided. Bring a 4-by-6-inch image to work with or create your own on-site. Date: Sat., Jun. 27, 11 a.m. Cost: $85. Location: Horsford Gardens & Nursery, 2111 Greenbush Rd., Charlotte. Info: sevendaystickets.com.

courses or an engaging option: French Club for Beginners, La Chute by Albert Camus or one of our fun magazine clubs. Sign up soon to reserve your spot. Dates: Classes start the week of Jun. 29 or Jul. 6, mostly evenings & afternoons. Cost: $215 for 7 weeks; 90 min. classes; $194 for AFLCR members. Location: AFLCR, 43 King St., Burlington or online. Info: Alliance Française of the Lake Champlain Region, 802-777-9365, education@aﬂcr. org, aﬂcr.org.

martial arts

ONE-DAY ART WORKSHOPS AT ALYSSA DELABRUERE STUDIO & GALLERY: Summer art workshops — join the fun! Pastel, collage, oil and plein air. All workshops are small group, beginner- to advanced-friendly, and materials are included. Pack a lunch, bring a friend or join solo! Gather — Connect — Create. Collage: Fri., Jun. 26, Still Life and Flowers; Sat., Jul. 18, Landscape; u., Aug. 27, Trees. Pastel: Sat., Jun. 20,

Landscape; u., Jul. 16, Trees and Pathways; Sat., Aug. 22, Flowers. Oil Painting: Sat., Jun. 27, Vermont Landscapes; Sat., Aug. 15, Gardens. Time: 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Cost: $125 per workshop; all materials incl. Sign up for one or several. Location: Alyssa DeLaBruere Art Studio & Gallery, Arts Village at Camp Meade, 961 Route 2, Middlesex. Info: 802323-3355, alyssadelabruere@ gmail.com, alyssadelabruere. com/middlesexclasses.

language

AFLCR FRENCH LANGUAGE AND CULTURE CLASSES: Don’t let the summer pass without taking a French class! Choose from our traditional language and culture

AIKIDO: THE WAY OF HARMONY WITH INTERNAL POWER: 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.

nature

BUSCRAFT & FRICTION FIRE SKILLS WITH DUG NORTH OF THE HISTORY CHANNEL SHOW

‘ALONE’: Join Vermonter Dug North from Season 12 of the History Channel’s survival show “Alone” for a full day of wilderness skills training in Roxbury, Vt. Learn to use a knife safely, the essentials of ﬁrecraft and the fundamentals of the bow drill method for creating ﬁre using friction. No tools or prior knowledge required. Ages 16 and up. Date: Sat., Jun. 27, 10 a.m. Cost: $180; materials provided. Location: e Nest: Off-Grid, 1911 Beaver Meadow Rd., Roxbury. Info: dugnorth@gmail. com, dugnorth.com.

spirituality

APPRENTICESHIP IN SHAMANISM: A rare opportunity to apprentice locally in a shamanic tradition, beginning Sep. 25-27 in St. Albans. For ﬁve weekends

over the course of a year, enter the heart of a living Earth with the Pachakuti Mesa Tradition. e PMT, designed by don Oscar MiroQuesada, offers a rich tapestry of Andean ancestral wisdom and global resonance, weaving a shamanic tradition that serves the needs of the current day. Realign soul with cosmos, self with community and spirit with nature. Are you ready to answer the call to heal? Dates: First weekend, Sep. 25-27; ﬁrst day, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Cost: $1,375 incl. attendance at ﬁve 3-day weekend sessions. Scholarship support avail. Location: Northwest Access TV Station, Franklin Park West, St. Albans City. Info: 802-3694331, thomas.mock1444@gmail. com, heartofthehealer.org/event/ the-pachakuti-mesa -tradition-foundational -apprenticeship -with-thomas-mock.

wellness

REST, RELAX, RECHARGE: ENERGY-CLEARING WITH AROMATHERAPY: Every day you recharge your phone, tablets and computer. is is a chance to recharge your own battery in one hour so you can show up fully. Celeste Hartwell will guide you on a journey to resting, relaxing, and recharging for your body and mind during this energy-clearing and healing class. e relaxing atmosphere will cocoon you with

dim lighting and comfy blankets while you recline in zero-gravity chairs, creating the ideal environment for releasing negative energy to help you recharge your own battery so you can show up fully in your own life. Date: u., Jun. 25, 6-7 p.m. Cost: $60. Location: Ladies Social Group, 11 Pearl St., Suite 206A, Essex Junction. Info; sevendays tickets.com.

Siblings Lucy and Steve Boyajian were born and raised in a historic brick building by the Chace Mill and the BurlingtonWinooski Bridge. eir parents ﬂed the Armenian genocide, and their father worked in the mills. Seven Days’ Eva Sollberger visited their old house with them and heard their memories of the neighborhood.

Buy & Sell »

ANTIQUES, FURNITURE, GARAGE SALES

Community »

ANNOUNCEMENTS, LOST & FOUND, SUPPORT GROUPS

Rentals & Real Estate »

APARTMENTS, HOMES, FOR SALE BY OWNER

Vehicles »

CARS, BIKES, BOATS, RVS

Services »

FINANCIAL, CHILDCARE, HOME & GARDEN

Musicians & Artists »

LESSONS, CASTING, REHEARSAL SPACE

Jobs » NO SCAMS, ALL LOCAL, POSTINGS DAILY

Humane Society of Chittenden County

Soot & Saddle

AGE/SEX: 1-year-old neutered male (Soot) and spayed female (Saddle)

ARRIVAL DATE: February 4, 2026

SUMMARY: Soot and Saddle are a deeply bonded pair of petite lop friends who would love to ﬁll your home with laughter and love. ey bring out each other’s conﬁdence, comfort and joy, and they’re looking for a home that will celebrate them as the pair they are. Social, silly and full of charm, Soot and Saddle love to spend their days cuddling together, playing with puzzle toys and munching on greens. ey are currently available for adoption from an HSCC foster home, where they’re thriving as their playful, curious and sweet selves.

Soot and Saddle have ongoing health considerations, so they’d like to ﬁnd a rabbit-savvy home that’s comfortable keeping an eye on things and has a good relationship with an exotics vet. Fill out an adoption application on our website and visit HSCC to learn more about meeting Soot and Saddle in their foster home!

Visit the Humane Society of Chittenden County at 142 Kindness Court, South Burlington, Tuesday-Wednesday 1-5 p.m., ursday-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?

Rabbits can be litter-box trained! Rabbits are naturally tidy animals who like to keep their space clean. HSCC recommends lining the bottom of the litter box with newspaper or pee pads and ﬁlling it with hay.

MISCELLANEOUS

Buy y & Se

HOME & GARDEN

AIR CONDITIONER FOR SALE

New A/C for sale due to my landlord not authorizing window A/C. $200 cash. Call 802-999-2896.

PREPARE FOR POWER OUTAGES

Prepare for power outages today w/ a Generac Home Standby Generator. Act now to receive a free 5-year warranty w/ qualifying purchase. Call 1-866-381-0627 today to schedule a free quote. It’s not just a generator. It’s a power move. (AAN CAN)

SPACIOUS TINY HOUSE FOR SALE is fi fth wheel-style trailer offers a 34-ft. length & a split-level fl oor plan, giving a feeling of spaciousness. It also has a generous amount of storage space. W/ a little work, this could make a cozy home, studio, offi ce or guest room. Totally roadworthy & ready to move to your desired location. Come check it out! Located in Calais, Vt. $30,000. Info, 802224-6090, chefelektra@ gmail.com.

PETS & SUPPLIES

PUPPIES & KITTENS Corgi & corgipoo pups: shots, dewormed, health guarantee. $675. Ready late Jun. Himalayan snowshoe Siamese kittens: shots, dewormed. $375. Ready now. Contact 802-595-5345.

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. references

sec. dep. security deposit

W/D washer & dryer

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 and similar Vermont statutes which make it illegal to advertise any preference, limitations, or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, handicap, presence of minor children in the family or receipt of public assistance, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or a discrimination. The newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate, which is in violation of the law. Our

Communit y ommunit

ANNOUNCEMENTS

IT’S OUR BIRTHDAY — JOIN US FOR A CELEBRATION!

We’re celebrating our 50th year as timber framers serving the Northeast, & we’d love to have you join us! is family-friendly event is open to all, & there’s no fee. We’ll have live music provided by Rowan, magic by Marko the Magician, face painting by Little Artsy Faces & a live demonstration of timber-frame cutting by our own crew. Beer & root beer provided by Stone Corral (cash bar), burgers & hot dogs provided by Cravens Food Truck (on us), w/ vegan & healthier options by Lucky Star (on us). Other activities will include a piñata busting, cornhole, Giant Jenga & a bounce house! Please follow the link to RSVP so we know how much food & drink to have on hand. Spread the word, & we look forward to seeing you soon! When: Sat., Jul. 11. Time: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Where: 22 Varney Hill Rd., Starksboro, VT. Info, vermontframes.com/ landing-pages/50thanniversary-invitation.

SLAVIC LIFE

e Slavic Life Movement is an organization dedicated to the preservation & evolution of Slavic culture.

‘DOPE IS DEATH’ FILM SCREENING

In the ‘70s, communities in the South Bronx faced an opioid epidemic, poverty, police violence & corruption, & governmental neglect. So they did something about it. is is the true

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

story of how Dr. Mutulu Shakur, stepfather of Tupac Shakur, along w/ fellow members of the Black Panthers, Republic of New Afrika, the Young Lords & white allies, combined determination, love & radical politics to create the fi rst acupuncture detoxifi cation program in America in 1973. Note: is film contains footage of IV drug use & police violence. Join us for an evening of learning, sharing & community building as we watch Mia Donovan’s ‘Dope is Death,’ which tells this story. Discussion, resource sharing & ear acupuncture will follow. Optional potluck snacks. $25-$45, sliding scale. is event is cohosted by Kula Yoga, Fitness, Social Lounge & Community Acupuncture SoBu & is a fundraiser for our educational scholarship for ear acupuncture training. Info, 802-4042131, info@casobu.org, casobu.org/events.

ARTIST RETREAT FOR WRITERS & PRINTMAKERS

Chaga Woods on Green Hill Artist Retreat offers writers & printmakers a comfortable & supportive environment immersed in nature w/ uninterrupted time & quiet space to work. Private room & studio space, nourishing home-prepared meals, walking trails. Nestled in the northern Taconic Mountains of southwest Vermont. Info, 802-3252603, lawlorschmidt@ icloud.com, artistretreat chagawoods.com.

of music. Info, randal. pierce@gmail.com, randalpiercemusic.com/ about.

APARTMENTS & HOUSES FOR RENT

3-BR APT. IN MIDDLEBURY, HEAT INCL.

399 E. Main St, Middlebury, Vt. Unfurnished 3-BR, 1-BA, apt. w/ ofﬁ ce. $2,300/ mo. Heat, water, trash, lawn mowing incl. in the rent. You pay electricity. W/D in unit. Off-street parking (3 spaces). 1st mo. rent & security due upon signing lease. Security payable in installments. Credit & background checks req. Avail. Nov. 15. Text 802-349-7464.

HOUSE FOR RENT W/ LAKE/BIKE PATH ACCESS

south-facing. Close to newly developed S. Burlington downtown, 10 min. to downtown Burlington & UVM Medical Center. Eco green fl ooring, gas fi replace, private patio area, ceiling fans + air, etc. Bonus room on 1st fl oor great for a home offi ce + garage. Large basement for storage & more! Main BR has en suite BA. Best school district in Vermont. Extra parking space + snow & trash removal, lawn care, & more. (No roommate situations according to HOA rules.) Utils. not incl. NS, please. 1-mo. sec. dep. $3,400/mo. Info: kerinrosestudio@ gmail.com.

COMMERCIAL SPACE FOR SALE

Seasonal or year-round storage. Info, 802-4176432, karynbjilk@yahoo. com.

HOMES FOR SALE

BURLINGTON OFFICE SPACE FOR SALE OR LEASE Beautiful 3rd-ﬂ oor ofﬁ ce condo at 117 St. Paul St., above American Flatbread. Looking for new tenant/owner who will love the space as much as we do. 2,600 sq.ft. + shared lobby; 600 sq.ft. of attic w/ roof access. Lease: $54,000/year, utils. incl., parking avail. Sale: $450,000. Text Bren at 802-363-4746 or Marty at 802-233-4863.

CENTRAL VERMONT SCREEN-PRINTING SHOP FOR SALE

MUSIC LESSONS

PIANO, VOICE, TROMBONE, SONGWRITING LESSONS

Awarded for lifetime achievement from Who’s Who in America, Scott omas Carter is avail. for lessons at Music & Arts on Wed. & Sun. Call 802-651-1013.

SUMMER PIANO LESSONS

Play on a beautiful baby grand in the South End of Burlington. All ages, kids through adults. All abilities & genres

Unfurnished 3-BR, 1-BA, 1,600 sq.ft. Great home near Lake Champlain w/ bike path access, private beach access & kayak storage. Located in Burlington’s New North End near the Rock Point hiking trails. is 3-BR, 1-BA home has a full kitchen w/ granite countertops, DW, W/D, LR, home ofﬁ ce or sun porch/workout area w/ access to the back yard. Storage space for bikes, etc., in garage. Cats negotiable. $3,400/ mo. Everything incl. except Wi-Fi. Please contact Elizabeth at esperer28@gmail. com. ere is a rented apt. on the garage side of the house. It is a 1-BR/1-tenant efﬁ ciency that is completely separate from the main house w/ its own private entrance.

BURLINGTON HILL SECTION, SINGLE ROOM FOR RENT

Furnished 1-BR at 27

Latham Ct. Single furnished room w/ shared BA. No cooking, NS & no pets. Sheets & towels provided. On the bus line. $200/ week or $867/mo. Call 802-862-2389.

S. BURLINGTON 3-BR TOWNHOME FOR RENT

Unfurnished, 1,780 sq.ft. 3-BR, 2.5-BA. Beautiful, cozy 3-BR townhome for rent. Sunny,

Custom screen-printing & embroidery business avail. for purchase. Located in central Vermont, company has strong, well-established customer base from Vermont, New Hampshire & beyond. Great turnkey opportunity for aspiring entrepreneur/small business owner. Current owners will provide transition support & training as needed. Contact biz4salevt@ gmail.com for more info.

COMMERCIAL & OFFICE RENTALS

INDOOR BOAT, CAMPER, VEHICLE, EQUIPMENT STORAGE IN RYEGATE, VT. Now taking reservations for winter storage (2 bays left). Indoor storage bays avail. for boats, campers, trailers, vehicles & equipment. 34 feet long by 9.5 feet wide by 10.5 feet high. Dry gravel-ﬂ oor bay. Covered indoor storage. Lockable bay doors. Easy access from paved road. Level/spacious area for access into bay.

CENTRALLY LOCATED NEIGHBORHOOD CONDOMINIUM IN COLCHESTER 233 Abigail Dr., Colchester, VT 05446. 3-BR, 2-BA, 1,464 sq.ft. Beautiful condominium on a private drive in Colchester. Close to Malletts Bay, Winooski, Burlington, S. Burlington, Williston & Essex. $525,000. Info, 802-210-5175, johnsonbecca@kw.com, johnsonbecca.kw.com.

HOUSING WANTED

ST. ALBANS TO MORRISVILLE: SEEKING ANIMAL-FRIENDLY HOUSING

Single female therapist seeks animal-friendly housing. Great longterm refs. for myself, 2 cats & 2 dogs. Willing to consider anything, from owner ﬁ nancing (2-year balloon, premium paid) to roommates or large house to get roommates to an efﬁ ciency. Most details negotiable. Call 802-878-5169.

enrolling for fall 2026. Our nature-based preschool offers young children opportunities to learn, explore & grow through hands-on experiences in a nurturing environment. Now enrolling 3-year-olds (Tue. & u.) & 4-yearolds (Mon., Wed. & Fri.). Children must be age 3 or 4 by Sep. 8, 2026, depending on class. Info, admin@mary elizabethpreschool. com, maryelizabeth farmschool.com.

ELECTRONICS

AV CREW NEEDED FOR 1-DAY SEP. HUDSON VALLEY, N.Y., EVENT Seeking experienced AV & live stream team for Sep. nonproﬁ t event in Hudson Valley, N.Y. Scope: mics, podium, house sound, projection, slide support, 2-cam-min. live stream, recording & delivery of high-res ﬁ les. Send experience, equipment list, refs. & quote by Jun. 15 to jenny@ realorganic project.org.

WIRELESS HOME INTERNET

Connect to the best wireless home internet w/ EarthLink. Enjoy speeds from 5G & 4G LTE networks, no contracts, easy installation, & data plans up to 300 GB. Call 855-873-2215. (AAN CAN)

CHILDCARE

NOW ENROLLING AT MARY ELIZABETH FARM SCHOOL e Mary Elizabeth Farm School is now

Wesley Financial Group, LLC, time-share cancellation experts. Over $50 million in time-share

Using the enclosed math operations as a guide, fill the grid using the numbers 1 - 6 only once in each row and column.

Complete the following puzzle by using the numbers 1-9 only once in each row, column and 3 x 3 box.

WANT MORE PUZZLES?

Try these online news games from Seven Days at sevendaysvt.com/games.

Put your knowledge of Vermont news to the test. NEW ON FRIDAYS:

CALCOKU BY JOSH

REYNOLDS

DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK: HH

Fill the grid using the numbers 1-6, only once in each row and column. The numbers in each heavily outlined “cage” must combine to produce the target number in the top corner, using the mathematical operation indicated. A one-box cage should be filled in with the target number in the top corner. A number can be repeated within a cage as long as it is not the same row or column.

SUDOKU BY JOSH REYNOLDS

DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK: 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.

ON P.74

See how fast you can solve this weekly 10-word puzzle.

on our website: casobu.org. Email: info@casobu.org.

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debt & fees canceled in 2019. Get free informational package & learn how to get rid of your time-share! Free consultations. Over 450 positive reviews. Call 888-960-1781. (AAN CAN)

STOP OVERPAYING FOR AUTO INSURANCE

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

SLIDING-SCALE COMMUNITY ACUPUNCTURE

$25-$50: You decide! Acupuncture can help a variety of issues, such as pain anywhere in the body, menstrual problems, stress, insomnia & more. We have helped thousands of people feel better. Learn more or schedule

Join me in my studio for a relaxing holistic massage. Deep tissue or Swedish relaxation. Hot stone & aromatherapy are incl. Afterward, enjoy a complimentary herbal consultation & a warming herbal tea. Liscenced & insured. You can schedule by phone, 802-304-8916, or visit us at tara@ ahhhmassage.org.

HOME & GARDEN

CLEAN CUTS LAWN CARE

Messy lawns? We can help maintain the perfect lawn. Leave the mowing to us. A high-quality lawn without the high price. Free quotes. Over 24 years’ experience. Email skyhorse205@yahoo. com or call or text 802-355-4099.

POTWIN EPOXY

Put a new surface on that old cement ﬂ oor. Call 802-236-6189.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING UNDERHILL DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD (DRB)

Preliminary and Final Subdivision Hearing, DRB Docket No. DRB-26-01.

Site Visit: Monday, June 29, 2026 at 6:00 PM at 632 VT Route 15, Underhill, VT Hearing: Monday, June 29, 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.

e 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 Uniﬁ ed Land Use & Development Regulations adopted March 1, 2011 and last amended March 3, 2020. e subject property is located at 632 VT Route 15 and is owned by Robert L. & Bonnie A. Hibbard. e property is approximately 8.89 acres and is in the Rural Residential Zoning District. e application proposes that the lot located at 632 VT Route 15, with an existing single-family dwelling, be reduced to 3.59 acres, and proposes the creation of a new 5.3-acre lot for a new single-family dwelling.

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 June 29, 2026 or by contacting the Zoning Administrator. e 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

ACT 250 NOTICE

MINOR APPLICATION 4C0499-5

10 V.S.A. §§ 6000 – 6111

Application 4C0499-5 from City of Burlington, 235 Penny Lane, Burlington, VT 05401

and Southwind by the Lake Condominium Homeowners Association, 235 Penny Lane, Burlington, VT 05401 was received on April 27, 2026 and deemed complete on May 27, 2026. e project is generally described as a retroﬁ t of the existing stormwater pond located at the corner of Flynn Avenue and Oak Beach Drive in Burlington, Vermont. e 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 “4C0499-5.”

No hearing will be held and a permit may be issued unless, on or before June 22, 2026, a party notifi es 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 defi ned 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, fi ll out the Party Status Petition Form on the Board’s website: https://act250.vermont.gov/ documents/party-status-petition-form, and email it to the District 4 Offi ce 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 Stephanie H. Monaghan at the address or telephone number below.

Dated this June 2, 2026. By: /s/ Stephanie H. Monaghan Stephanie H. Monaghan District Coordinator 111 West Street Essex Junction, VT 05452 802-261-1944 stephanie.monaghan@vermont.gov

IN ACCORDANCE WITH VT TITLE 9 COMMERCE AND TRADE CHAPTER 098: STORAGE UNITS 3905.

Enforcement of Lien, Champlain Valley Self Storage,LLC shall host a private auction of the following units on or after June 28, 2026.

Contents: household goods

Location: 2211 Main St Colchester VT 05446

Steve Lefkovitz: #804, #784, #766, #803, #802

Angie Bell: #535

Jessie Flemings: #539

Location: 78 Lincoln St. Essex Jct, VT 05452

Marcel Clark: #184

Auction pre-registration is required, email info@ champlainvalleyselfstorage.com to register. CVSS,llc reserves the right to reject any bid lower than the amount owed by the occupant or that is not commercially reasonable as deﬁ ned by statute. Any person claiming a right to the goods may pay the amount claimed due and reasonable expenses before the sale, in which case the sale may not occur.

WARNING POLICY ADOPTION

CHAMPLAIN VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT

e Board of School Directors gives public notice of its intent to act on local district policies dealing with the following at its meeting scheduled on June 30, 2026:

Code F42 Student Use of Cell Phones - Adopt Copies of the above policies may be obtained for public review at the Ofﬁ ce of the Human Resources Dept. in Shelburne, VT.

LEGAL NOTICE: NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF LAW PRACTICE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Flynn Law PLC, mailing address P.O. Box 292 Middlebury VT will cease the practice of law, effective July 29th, 2026.

All active clients are currently being notiﬁ ed directly regarding the status of their pending legal matters and transfer of their ﬁ les.

Any former clients who wish to retrieve their physical or digital ﬁ le or obtain information regarding their closed matters must contact the law ofﬁ ce not later than June 29th, 2026 through the following:

Phone: (802) 349-2772

Email: kelly@ﬂ ynnlaw.info Mail: P.O. Box 292 Middlebury VT 05753

If the ﬁ les are not claimed by July 2nd, 2026, they will be stored for a period of seven years after the matter closed.

Dated: June 3, 2026

Kelly Flynn Flynn Law, PLC P.O. Box 292 Middlebury VT 05753

CITY OF BURLINGTON IN THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX AN ORDINANCE IN RELATION TO GROSS RECEIPTS BCO SEC. 21-31

ORDINANCE 5.4

Sponsor: Board of Finance, Ordinance Committee

Public Hearing Dates: First reading: 04/13/26 Referred to: Ordinance Committee Rules suspended and placed in all stages of passage: Second reading: 06/01/26

Action: adopted as revised/amended Date: 06/01/26

Signed by Mayor: 06/04/26

Published: 06/10/26

Effective: 06/30/26

It is hereby Ordained by the City Council of the City of Burlington as follows: Chapter 21, Offenses & Miscellaneous

of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Burlington be and hereby is amended by amending Sec. 31 (Restaurant, hotel, amusements and admissions taxes), thereof to read as follows:

21-31 Restaurant, hotel, amusements and admissions taxes.

(I) GENERAL PROVISIONS: As written.

(II) TAXES IMPOSED:

(A) – (B) As written.

(C) Short-Term Rental Tax: There is hereby imposed a business occupation tax upon all persons engaged in operating short- term rentals within the City of Burlington. The tax imposed shall be at a rate of nine (9) percent of gross receipts from taxable business, as herein defined, done per monthly period in accordance with the provisions of this section and dedicated to the housing trust fund. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, whenever state meals and rooms tax on a short-term rental is collectible from a “booking agent”, as defined in 32 V.S.A. § 9202(20), as the same may be amended from time to time, then the booking agent shall be the “taxpayer”, as defined in subsection (III)(H) of this section, but the operator of the short-term rental shall remain liable for payment of the short-term rental tax if the booking agent fails to collect and remit the tax.

(D) – (F) As written.

(G) Temporary Tax Rate: Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the following temporary tax rates will apply for the fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2025, and ending on June 30 July 31 , 2026:

(1) The restaurant, amusements, and admissions taxes on gross receipts set forth in subsections (II)(A), (II)(D), and (II)(E) of this section shall be increased from two (2) percent of gross receipts to two and one-half (2.5) percent.;and

(2) The short term rental tax on gross receipts set forth in subsection (II) © of this section shall be divided to dedicate two (2) percent of revenues for general fund purposes, with the remaining seven (7) percent dedicated to the housing trust fund. Commencing JulyAugust 1, 2026, said tax rates shall again be set as set forth in subsections (I)(A) through (I)(E) of this section.

(III) DEFINITIONS: For the purposes of this section, the following terms, phrases, words and their derivations shall have the meanings given herein:

(A) Person means any individual, male or female, estate, trust, receiver, cooperative association, domestic and foreign corporation, syndicate, joint stock corporation, partnership of any kind, club and society.

(B) - (I) As written.

(J) Restaurant means:

(1) e Every eating and drinking establishment operated within the City of Burlington, including every restaurant, cafe, lunch counter, private and social club, bar, tavern, diner, cafeteria, delicatessen, sandwich shop, or other place, where any food or food products are prepared and delivered on premises to the purchaser ready to eat, or where beverages, including alcoholic beverages, are served for consumption on premises, or both, and for which charge is made;

(2) All sites of athletic contests, shows, performances, movies, theaters and entertainment places where food, beverages, including alcoholic beverages, or refreshments are sold for consumption on premises; or

(3) A person who facilitates the sale and collects the charge in connection with any taxable business (as the term “taxable business” is defined in subsection (III)(G)(1) of this section), through an internet transaction or any other means. For greater clarity, where such a facilitator collects a charge for taxable business on behalf of the operator of any facility described in the foregoing subparagraphs (1) and (2), then the facilitator shall be the taxpayer and shall be required to register with the treasurer, remit monthly sworn statements, and pay all taxes due for meals facilitated, as describe in subsections (IV) and (V) of this section.

This term shall not include caterers who do not prepare and deliver food and beverages to customers at the caterer’s place of business. This term shall include all sites of athletic contests,

shows, performances, movies, theaters and entertainment places where food, beverages, including alcoholic beverages, or refreshments are sold for consumption on premises.

(K) Sworn Statement As written.

(IV) TAX-WHEN DUE:

(A) - (D) As written.

(E) If the treasurer determines that a taxpayer has failed to pay any tax, penalty or portion thereof due under this section, the treasurer shall mail to such taxpayer a statement showing the balance due and shall add thereto a thirteen dollar ($13.00) late penalty payment or interest at the rate of twelve (12) percent per year one (1) percent of the unpaid balance whichever is greater. That unpaid balance and penalty total shall be subject to interest at a rate of twelve (12) percent per year from the date of underpayment. Such interest shall accrue until the date of payment. Within five (5) days from the date the statement is mailed, the taxpayer shall pay such balance and all interest due thereon. No such demand shall be made more than four (4) years after the close of the fiscal year in which the same accrued, except: (1) As against a taxpayer who has been guilty of any fraud or misrepresentation of material facts; or

(2) Where a taxpayer has executed a written waiver of such limitation.

(F) - (H) As written. (V) - (XV) As written.

* Material stricken out deleted.

** Material underlined added.

ER/Ordinances 2026/Gross Receipts Ordinance

BCO Section 21-31 6-1-2026

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

On May 27, 2026, the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission applied to the Land Use Review Board (“Board”) for a determination of compliance of its adopted regional plan and Tier 1B requests pursuant to 24 V.S.A § 4348(h)(4) and 10 V.S.A. 6033(c). This application can be viewed online by visiting the Board Database: https://anrweb.vt.gov/ANR/Act250/RPDetail. aspx?AppNum=RPC04-0001

The Board will hold a public hearing on July 22, 2026, at 1:00 PM at 110 West Canal St., Suite 202, Winooski, Vermont.

To attend electronically through Microsoft Teams video conferencing software:

• Teams Meeting Link: https://teams.microsoft. com/meet/237672604612307?p=5OOfZr6i7H7j

Ggtf0u

• Meeting ID: 237 672 604 612 307

• Passcode: Lq6LT3BW

If you are unable to participate in person or by using Teams, you may call in to the hearing:

• Dial: 802-828-7667

• Enter Conference ID: 774 252 462#

• To mute and un-mute: Press *6

For further information or to request an accommodation, contact the Board by email at Act250. Board@vermont.gov or by calling 802-261-1946.

STATE OF VERMONT

SUPERIOR COURT PROBATE DIVISION

CHITTENDEN UNIT DOCKET NO.: 26-PR-00830

In re ESTATE of Bruce Poquette

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

To the creditors of: Bruce Poquette, late of Burlington.

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: 6/5/26

Signature of Fiduciary: /s/ Corey F. Wood, Esq.

Executor/Administrator: Corey F. Wood, Esq.

Mailing Address: 34 Pearl Street, Essex Jct, VT 05452

Phone Number: (802) 879-6304

Email: cwood@bpflegal.com

Name of Publication: Seven Days Publication Date: 06/10/2026

Name of Probate Court: Vermont Superior Court, Chittenden Probate Division

Address of Probate Court: 175 Main Street, Burlington, VT 05401

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR RECONCILED IT, INC. HAS RESOLVED TO DISSOLVE THE COMPANY AS OF APRIL 10, 2026.

Pursuant to 11A V.S.A. § 14.06, the entity will be entering its wind-down phase and be making distributions to creditors.

Final claims against the Company must be submitted to Barski Law PLC, 9332 N. 95th Way, #109, Scottsdale, AZ 85258 or by email at cbarski@barskilaw.com. Claims may be submitted by letter and must include a brief description or explanation of the debt with supporting documents for consideration.

Claims must be received by no later than October 30, 2026. Claims will be barred if not received by this deadline.

NORTHSTAR SELF STORAGE WILL BE HAVING A PUBLIC AND ONLINE SALE/AUCTION FOR THE FOLLOWING STORAGE UNITS ON JUNE 25, 2026 AT 9:00 AM

Northstar Self Storage will be having a public and online sale/auction on June 25, 2026 at 9am EST at 615 VT Route 7, Danby VT 05739 (D42), 130 Tanconic Business Park, Manchester Center, VT 05255 (M229), 681 Rockingham Rd, Rockingham VT 05151 (R09), 2517 Charlestown Rd, Springfield, VT 05150 (S23), 3446 Richville Rd, Manchester Center, Vt 05255 (20) and online at www.storagetreasures. com at 9:00 am in accordance with VT Title 9 Commerce and Trade Chapter 098: Storage Units 3905. Enforcement of Lien

Unit # Name Contents

M229 John Wellenius Household Goods D42 Karissa Lee Household Goods R09 Matthew Quinn Household Goods 20 Lauren Rossics Household Goods S23 Amanda Duffy Household Goods

TOWN OF JERICHODEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

The Jericho Development Review Board will hold the public hearing at 7:00 pm on WEDNESDAY June 24, 2026, at the Jericho Town Hall to consider the following applications

• A request by Grant Allendorf to amend a Conditional Use review. This review is for the adaptive reuse of an historic barn. The parcel is located at 3 Brown’s Trace in the Rural Residential Zoning District.

All interested persons may appear and be heard. Additional information related to this application may be viewed at the Jericho Planning and Zoning Office during regular business hours.

Chris Flinn Zoning Administrator cflinn@jerichovt.gov

TOWN OF UNDERHILL SELECTBOARD

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Pursuant to 24 VSA § 4442 a public hearing will be held on Thursday, June 25, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. at the Underhill Town Office, 12 Pleasant Valley Road, Underhill VT to hear public comments regarding proposed amendments to the Town of Underhill Unified Land Use & Development Regulations, adopted March 1, 2011 and last amended March

3, 2020. Proposed amendments affect all geographical areas of Underhill that fall under the town’s regulatory jurisdiction. Amendments are proposed to the following sections:

• Accessory Dwelling Units (revise Section 4.15 and Table 4.3)

• Event Venues (add new Section 4.20 and revise Section 4.19 and Table 3.1)

• Surface Waters & Wetlands (revise Section 3.19 and Section 10.2 trails exemption)

• Related changes to Table 2.1 (Zoning District Standards) and Section 11.2 (General Definitions)

The proposed amendments along with a guide to the purpose, rationale, and effect of the proposed amendments may be found on the Town of Underhill website Calendar & Events page under June 25, 2026: https://www.underhillvt.gov/ calendar or may be viewed in person at the Underhill Town Office during normal business hours.

Comments regarding the proposed amendments may be made in person at the hearing, remotely online (see remote participation options below) or in writing, prior to the hearing, in care of: Brad Holden, Town Administrator, PO Box 120, Underhill, VT 05489 or via email to: bholden@underhillvt. gov

Underhill Selectboard Public Hearing Jun 25, 2026, 6:00 PM (EST)

Please join our hearing from your computer, tablet or smartphone. https://meet.goto.com/510781165

You may also dial in using your phone. Access Code: 510-781-165

United States: +1 (224) 501-3412

STATE OF VERMONT

SUPERIOR COURT PROBATE DIVISION ORANGE UNIT DOCKET NO.: 26-PR-02436

In re ESTATE of Melvin Pellerin

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

To the creditors of: Melvin Pellerin late of Berlin, VT

Dated: Friday, March 20, 2026

Signature of Fiduciary: /s/ Holly Cook

Executor/Administrator: Holly Cook P.O. Box 66 Burlington, Vermont 05402 Email: acusick-loecher@sheeheyvt.com Phone: (802) 865-6326

Name of Publication: Seven Days Publication Date: 06/10/26

Name of Probate Court: Vermont Superior CourtOrange Probate Division Address of Probate Court: 5 Court Street, Chelsea, Vermont 05038

LISTER’S RECORDS OF NOTICES POSTED

We hereby certify that the Notices to Taxpayers of the time and place of holding the Grievance Meeting for 2026 and in the form as set forth on the opposite page were signed by us this day duly posted in the Town Clerk’s Office and in four other public places in said Town of Colchester to wit:

Town Clerk’s Office - 781 Blakely Rd.

Dick Mazza’s General Store - West Lakeshore Dr. Colchester Post Office - Malletts Bay Ave. Burnham Memorial Library – Main St. Simon’s Quick Stop – 6387 Roosevelt Hwy

Legal Notices

[CONTINUED]

Dated at Colchester in the County of Chittenden this 12th day of June 2026.

Geri Barrows

Charlotte Gardner

Angela MacDonald

Listers of the Town of Colchester

NOTICE OF TAXPAYERS

PLACE AN AFFORDABLE NOTICE AT: SEVENDAYSVT.COM/LEGAL-NOTICES OR CALL 802-865-1020, EXT. 142.

Agreeably to the provisions of Title 32, Vermont Statues Annotated, Section 4111, notice is hereby given that the undersigned Listers within and for the Town of Colchester have this day completed the abstract of individual lists of persons, copartnerships, associations and corporations owning taxable property in said town on the first day of April, 2026; that they have this day lodged the same in the office of the clerk of said town for the inspection of taxpayers; that on the 26th day of June, at _9:00_o’clock in the fore noon, the undersigned Listers, to hear grievances of person,

Support Groups

A CIRCLE OF PARENTS SUPPORT GROUPS

Please join our professionally facilitated peer-led support groups designed to share our questions, concerns & struggles, as well as our resources & successes! Contribute to our discussion of the unique but shared experience of parenting. For more info or to register, please contact Heather at hniquette@pcavt.org, 802-498-0607, pcavt.org/ family-support-programs.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

If you want to drink, that’s your business. If you want to stop, that’s ours. Call the Vermont statewide anonymous hotline: 802-802-2288. Alcoholics Anonymous holds daily meetings all over Vermont, both in person & online. For meetings & events throughout Vermont, see aavt.org.

ANXIETY RELIEF GROUP

Anxiety Relief Group is a safe setting for relaxing & exploring your feelings w/ others through gentle socialization & self-expression, building up what makes you centered & strong. Wed., 4-5:30 p.m. Both in-person & Zoom options avail. In-person meetings are held at the Fletcher Free Library’s Fletcher Room in Burlington. Email us for the Zoom link & more info: pvcc@pathwaysvermont.org.

BRAIN INJURY SUPPORT GROUP

Vermont Center for Independent Living offers virtual monthly meetings, held on the 3rd Wed. of every mo., 1-2:30 p.m. The support group will offer valuable resources & info about brain injury. It will be a place to share experiences in a safe, secure & confidential environment. To join, email Linda Meleady at lindam@vcil.org & ask to be put on the TBI mailing list. Info: 800-639-1522.

BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR DRAGON BOAT TEAM

Looking for a fun way to do something active & health-giving? Want to connect w/ other breast cancer survivors? Come join Dragonheart Vermont. We are a breast cancer survivor & supporter dragon boat team who paddle together in Burlington. Please contact us at info@dragonheartvermont. org for info.

CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SUICIDE

Conversations About Suicide is a judgment-free & open space to talk about personal experiences of suicidal ideation. The group is facilitated by peer support staff w/ lived experience of suicidality. Thu., 4-5 p.m., at Vermont Wellness Collaborative, 125 College St., 3rd Floor, Burlington. Email us for more info: pvcc@pathwaysvermont.org.

FCA FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP

Families Coping With Addiction (FCA) is an open community peer support group for adults (18+) struggling with the drug or alcohol addiction of a loved one. FCA is not 12-step-based but provides a forum for those living the family experience, in which to develop personal coping skills & to draw strength from one another. Our group meets every Wed., 5:30-6:30 p.m., live in person in the conference room at the Turning Point Center of Chittenden County (179 S. Winooski Ave., Burlington), &/or via our parallel Zoom session to

accommodate those who cannot attend in person. The Zoom link can be found on the Turning Point Center website (turningpointcentervt.org) using the “Family Support” tab (click on “What We Offer”). Any questions, please send by email to tdauben@ aol.com.

FOOD ADDICTS IN RECOVERY ANONYMOUS (FA)

Are you having trouble controlling the way you eat? FA is a free 12-step recovery program for anyone suffering from food obsession, overeating, under-eating or bulimia. Local meetings are held on Mon., 4-5:30 p.m., via Zoom. For more info & a list of additional meetings throughout the U.S. & the world, call 603-630-1495 or visit foodaddicts.org.

HEARING VOICES SUPPORT GROUP

This Hearing Voices Group seeks to find understanding of voice-hearing experiences as real lived experiences that may happen to anyone at any time. We choose to share experiences, support & empathy. We validate anyone’s experience & stories about their experience as their own, as being an honest & accurate representation of their experience, & as being acceptable exactly as they are. Tue., 2:30-4 p.m. Vermont Wellness Collaborative, 125 College St., 3rd Floor, Burlington. Email us for more information: pvcc@pathwaysvermont.org.

KINDRED CONNECTIONS PROGRAM OFFERED FOR CHITTENDEN COUNTY CANCER SURVIVORS

The Kindred Connections program provides peer support for all those touched by cancer. Cancer patients, as well as caregivers, are provided w/ a mentor who has been through the cancer experience & knows what it’s like to go through it. In addition to sensitive listening, Kindred Connections provides practical help such as rides to doctors’ offices & meal deliveries. The program has people who have experienced a wide variety of cancers. For further info, please contact info@ vcsn.net.

LIVING THROUGH LOSS

The Volunteer Chaplaincy Program of Gifford Medical Center sponsors a weekly meeting of its “Living Through Loss” grief support group. Anyone who has experienced a significant loss over the past year or so is warmly invited to attend the free weekly meetings every Fri., 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. For info, contact the Rev. Tim Eberhardt, Gifford’s spiritual care coordinator, at 802-728-2107.

MYELOMA SUPPORT GROUP

Area myeloma survivors, families & caregivers have come together to form a Multiple Myeloma Support Group. We provide emotional support, resources about treatment options, coping strategies & a support network by participating in the group experience w/ people who have been through similar situations. 3rd Tue. of every mo., 5-6 p.m., on Zoom. Info: Kay Cromie, 655-9136, kgcromey@aol.com.

NARCANON BURLINGTON GROUP

Group meets every Mon. at 7 p.m., at the Turning Point Center, 179 S. Winooski Ave., Suite 301, Burlington. The only requirement for membership

co-partnerships, associations and corporations aggrieved by any of their appraisals or by the acts of such Listers, whose objections thereto in writing shall have been filed with them as prescribed by statute, and to make such corrections in said abstract as shall upon hearing or otherwise be determined by them; and that unless cause to the contrary be shown, the contents of said abstract will, for the year 2026 become the grand list of said town and of each person, co-partnership, association or corporation therein named.

Given under our hands at Colchester, in the County of Chittenden, this 12th day of June 2026.

CONTACT CLASSIFIEDS@SEVENDAYSVT.COM OR 802-865-1020 EXT. 115 TO UPDATE YOUR SUPPORT GROUP

is that there be a problem of addiction in a relative or friend. Info: Amanda H., 338-8106.

NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS

Narcotics Anonymous is a group of recovering addicts who live without the use of drugs. It costs nothing to join. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using. Held in Burlington, St Albans, Morrisville, Barre & Stowe. Info, 833-436-6166 or cvana.org.

NEW (& EXPECTING) MAMAS & PAPAS & EVERY PRIMARY CAREGIVER TO A BABY

Drop-in play every day: The Children’s Room in Waterbury is open Mon.-Fri. for anyone w/children ages 0-6 to come & play. Check the TCR calendar for hours & school closure days. Caregiver & Baby Circle: Weekly drop-in on Mon., 11 a.m., at the Children’s Room. We are pleased to offer a weekly gathering for babies (0-18 mos.) & their caregivers, sponsored by Good Beginnings & hosted by the Children’s Room. Nature Explorations: Tue., 10-11:30 a.m., at various trailheads in the area. Get outside for some fresh air & fun! Every week we go to a different trailhead or natural area to explore. Ages 0-6; carriers are helpful for little ones. Email childrensroom@huusd.org to sign up; enrollment is always open. Music & Movement: drop-in, Wed., 10:30-11:30 a.m., at the Children’s Room in Brookside Primary School. We begin by singing songs & moving together & allow time at the end to play w/ instruments, as well as time for adults & kids to socialize. Ages 0-6. Exploration & Art Fridays: drop-in, Fri., anytime from 9 a.m.-noon at the Children’s Room in Brookside Primary School. We’ll be engaging in different hands-on explorations & using various mediums every week — sometimes combined. Come to TCR to explore, play & create! For info, email childrensroom@ huusd.org.

PARKINSON’S MUTUAL AID GROUP

For individuals & caregivers dealing w/ the challenges of Parkinson’s, we meet to share resources & practical ideas for improving quality of life. This in-person group is free & open to the public. Every 2nd Tue. of the mo., 2-3 p.m., at the Old Meeting House, 1620 Center Rd., East Montpelier. Please contact admin@oldmeetinghouse.org or 229-9593.

RECOVERY DHARMA

Recovery Dharma uses Buddhist practices & principles to help people recover from all kinds of addictions & addictive behaviors. This peer-led, nontheistic group offers opportunities to deepen understanding, explore personal inquiry & connect w/ others. We meet every Wed., 6-7 p.m., at the First United Methodist Church in Burlington (the Red Door Church, 21 Buell St.). Enter through the administrative office door (at far left when viewed from Buell St.). We also meet on Thu., 1-2 p.m., at the Turning Point Center, 179 N. Winooski Ave., Burlington. No meditation experience required; all are welcome. Email rd.burlington.vt@gmail.com for more info.

Geri Barrows

Charlotte Gardner

Angela MacDonald Listers Town of Colchester

SMART RECOVERY

SMART Recovery is a mutual support group where, through open confidential discussion, we help each other & ourselves w/ recovery from any type of addictive behavior. Regardless of whether your recovery goals include abstinence, reduction in use, or harm reduction, you are welcome here. You determine your goals; SMART provides tools & support to help you achieve them.Our approach uses self-empowering skills that help you build & maintain motivation; cope w/ urges; manage thoughts, feelings & behaviors; & live a balanced life. For the latest information about in-person & online groups, go to meetings.smartrecovery.org.

SEX & LOVE ADDICTS ANONYMOUS 12-step recovery group. Do you have a problem w/ sex or relationships? We can help. Info: Visit slaafws.org or saa-recovery.org for meetings near you.

SEXUAL VIOLENCE SUPPORT

HOPE Works offers free support groups to women, men & teens who are survivors of sexual violence. Groups are avail. for survivors at any stage of the healing process. Intake for all support groups is ongoing. If you are interested in learning more or would like to schedule an intake to become a group member, please call our office at 864-0555, ext. 19, or email our victim advocate at advocate@sover. net. Visit hopeworksvt.com for more info.

STEPS SUPPORT GROUP

Steps offers a weekly support group w/ drop-in options for those who have experienced or who have been affected by domestic violence. Women’s Support Group meets virtually every Tue., 5-6:30 p.m. Gender Inclusive Support Group meets virtually every Thu., 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Both groups offer a safe, supportive & confidential place to connect w/ others, heal & recover. For more info, call us at 658-1996 or email steps@stepsvt.org.

STUTTERING SUPPORT GROUPS

We offer 3 monthly National Stuttering Association (NSA) stuttering support groups for adults, teens & school-age children (7-12). Meetings take place monthly at UVM & by Zoom. Contact burlingtonstutters@gmail.com for more information.

SUICIDE HOTLINES IN VT

Brattleboro, 257-7989; Montpelier (Washington County Mental Health Emergency Services), 2290591; Randolph (Clara Martin Center Emergency Service), 800-639-6360.

SUPPORT GROUP FOR WOMEN Group for women who have experienced intimate partner abuse. Facilitated by Circle (Washington Co. only). Please call 877-543-9498 for more info.

SURVIVORS OF SUICIDE: S. BURLINGTON

This group is for people experiencing the impact of the loss of a loved one to suicide. 1st Wed. of each mo., 6-7:30 p.m., at the Comfort Inn & Suites, 3 Dorset St., S. Burlington. Info: Bob Purvee at 922-4283 or ripurvee1@yahoo.com, or Aya Kuki at 881-3606 or ayakokuki@gmail.com.

EDUCATORS

Join our team! VEEP/NHEEP is seeking enthusiastic energy educators to bring programs to schools across VT and NH. This is a great job for someone who is passionate about making education accessible to all and inspiring our communities to make changes for greater climate resilience. If you love talking to all kinds of people, tinkering with equipment, and helping make the invisible visible, this is the job for you!

For full job description and to apply: 7dvt.pub/veep

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

POST YOUR JOBS AT: JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POST-A-JOB PRINT DEADLINE: NOON ON MONDAYS (INCLUDING HOLIDAYS) FOR RATES & INFO: GILLIAN COMITO, 802-341-3060 GCOMITO@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Assistive technology & Access coordinAtor

Experienced Servers

Catering business looking for experienced servers to be lead servers for weddings and receptions. Please send resume to: christophe@pozecatering.com

Lead & Assistant Teachers

Woodstock, VT - (FT/PT) $21-26/hr HS & College Grads welcome, training provided. Send resume to director@ rainbowplayschool.org

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Senior Housing and Community Development Specialist

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River ow Community is Hiring!

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The Central Vermont Economic Development Corporation seeks a motivated economic development professional to lead the organization and grow the region's economy. This full-time, salaried position reports to the Board of Directors and is responsible for providing business assistance, project management, grants management, and collaboration with local, regional, statewide, and federal partners. Visit centralvermont.org/ job-listings for job description.

To apply, send your resume and a cover letter to fkenney@centralvermont.org by 4:00 p.m. on June 26, 2026.

The Senior Housing and Community Development Specialist helps expand a ordable housing in Vermont by evaluating and supporting a wide range of housing projects. This position reviews funding applications, analyzes project feasibility, assesses development risk, and prepares recommendations for Board action. You’ll work closely with developers, nonprofits, municipalities, and public partners to help move projects from proposal through construction and completion, while also monitoring budgets and supporting organizational grants. This is an opportunity to combine strong real estate, finance, and analytical skills with meaningful work that strengthens Vermont communities. Experience in housing development, real estate finance, feasibility analysis, and/or multifamily underwriting preferred; 5+ years of combined experience preferred.

Send a cover letter and resume to: jobs@vhcb.org To learn more, visit

Now Hiring....Early Childhood Educators

Kids & Fitness is seeking nurturing, energetic Classroom Teachers

Some ECE coursework required — we’ll support continued education for the right candidate!

$18–$25/hr. to start depending on position and full/part time Apply online or send your resume to: kids@edgevt.com

River ow is seeking individuals interested in caring for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in a community setting. River ow is a vibrant lifesharing community where everyone lives and works together, pursuing meaningful, digni ed lives.

We are currently hiring for these positions: - O ce Manager (nonresidential) - Householders (Residential House Managers)

To learn more and apply, visit our website: river owcommunity.org

Director of Development & Community Engagement

HSCC is looking for an individual passionate about animals (and their people) to join our senior leadership team! The Director of Development & Community Engagement is responsible for HSCC’s fundraising, communications, and community engagement efforts. They are charged with implementing and overseeing a strategic fundraising plan for the organization, building influential relationships, and directing HSCC’s branding efforts - all in service of HSCC’s mission and long-term sustainability. The Director leads the Development and Community Engagement team, and in concert with the Executive Director, serves as an HSCC ambassador, cultivates relationships with donors, foundations, grantors, and community partners. If you have at least five years’ non-profit financial development experience with a strong fundraising track record and a demonstrated ability to manage a team of two or more people - we want to hear from you! Apply: https://www.hsccvt.org/Join-Our-Team

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

FLOAT CERTIFIED MEDICAL ASSISTANT

Want variety?

Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH) is hiring a Float Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) to support multiple outpatient practices. Provide clinical and front‑office support, including intake/vitals, medication review, point‑of‑care testing, rooming, documentation in the EHR, assisting with procedures, and helping with scheduling, phones, referrals, and prescription coordination. Float where needed while partnering with care teams to deliver safe, compassionate care. Required: HS diploma/equivalent, active CMA/CCMA/RMA, and AHA BLS. Benefits: competitive pay, student loan repayment, tuition reimbursement, generous PTO, complimentary gym membership, health/dental/vision options, 401(k) match, and more

Apply today at NVRH.org/careers.

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER

CHURCH HILL LANDSCAPES is an award-winning landscape construction and gardening company dedicated to creating beautiful, functional outdoor spaces that enhance clients’ lives. Founded in 2002, the company has grown into a collaborative team of designers, horticulturists, masons, and ﬁeld professionals who take pride in craftsmanship and community impact.

The HR Manager will play a key role in supporting and developing the company’s most valuable asset - its people. This position is responsible for overseeing all HR functions, including hiring, onboarding, employee relations, beneﬁts administration, performance management and compliance. The ideal candidate thrives in a collaborative environment and is enthusiastic about supporting ﬁeld and o ce sta in a dynamic, service-focused business. This role provides the opportunity to shape strategic direction for a company growing with intention.

To apply: madelyn@rightanglerecruiting.com 4t-ChurchHillLandscapes061026.indd 1

Maintenance Technician

• Offering a $1,000 hiring bonus

• Full Time 40 Hours Pay Rate $27.00

Waterproofing Installer

Start or continue your construction career with a job of variety. We work all over Vermont, installing various waterproofing products on many different job sites, from single family homes to large commercial buildings. Training is provided and good experience is rewarded.

Apply: eberry@green mountainwaterproofing.com

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Help us enable a carbon free distributed energy future! Office & Facilities Coordinator

Part-time | Burlington, VT | $24-$28/hr

Keep our Burlington office humming – coordinate team meals, manage building ops, support events, and join the clean energy community.

hiring for software engineering, engineering management, and director roles. Apply at energyhub.com/careers

Business Operations Manager

Join our mission-driven team! We are seeking a Business Operations Manager to oversee financial and human resources operations. Ideal candidates have 3+ years of experience in nonprofit or business administration, a bachelor’s degree is preferred but not required, proficiency in QuickBooks Online, and a passion for natural resource stewardship.

LEGAL ASSISTANT

BURLINGTON, VT

Sheehey Furlong & Behm, an established, growing law firm located near the Burlington waterfront, is accepting applications for a legal assistant. The successful candidate will be detailoriented, possess strong written and verbal skills and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment. Proficiency in MS Office applications is required. Legal experience is preferred, but we will train the right applicant. The anticipated pay range for this position is $24 - $30 per hour. Competitive pay and comprehensive benefits package.

Forward cover letter and resume to hiring@sheeheyvt.com, subject “Legal Assistant.”

Are you looking to learn new skills or to start a career? Are you looking to join a supportive team and a dynamic company? We are so sure you will love it at HallKeen Management that we are offering a $1,000 hiring bonus for the right candidate. All bonuses to be paid per company policy. Will entertain employees looking to relocate to Vermont.

Responsibilities of Maintenance Technician are quite diverse including but not limited to Apartment turnovers, grounds keeping, various janitorial duties, painting, appliance, electrical, heating, plumbing and safety equipment repair and replacement and provide assistance at other company properties when needed. The qualified candidate must have reliable transportation and have the ability to assist in carrying appliances and climb ladders as needed.

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3:46 PM

This is a 25-30 hr/week position based in Newport, VT. To apply, email your cover letter and resume as a single PDF to sarah.damsell@ orleanscountynrcd.org. Applications received by Monday, June 22nd, will receive priority review. Full details at orleanscountynrcd.org.

ATHLETIC & ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR

6/4/26 5:16 PM

Seeking a companion for our 32-year-old developmentally delayed daughter. She is a lifelong learner who is socially engaged and has a great sense of humor. She takes full care of her physical well-being. We are looking for a companion who will enrich her life through community-oriented involvement and home-based activities, such as taking rides to explore new places, going for walks, gardening, or any other ideas the two of you develop.

Must have driver’s license and car. No smoking. Looking for minimum 6 months’ commitment.

Schedule: 1 day or more, Monday thru Friday.

Location: Burlington

Please call or email with questions. 802-862-7602 | Kathy Bostock, kathy.bostock@gmail.com

Mt. Abraham Union Middle/High School

Mt. Abraham Union Middle/ High School, serving 550 students in grades 7–12 from four Addison County towns, seeks a highly motivated Athletic & Activities Director to lead our athletic and cocurricular programs.

Our picturesque campus includes outstanding athletic fields, renovated facilities, and an indoor pool, providing exceptional opportunities to support students in their important “third space.”

Apply: 7dvt.pub/schoolspring Questions may be directed to Principal Shannon Warden: shannon.warden@mausd.org 802-453-2333. 3v-MAUSD052726.indd

Development & Communications Coordinator

The Joint Urban Ministry Project/ JUMP manages an Outreach Center that assists thousands of Vermont households and individuals in need each year in practical, thoughtful ways.

This role supports JUMP fundraising initiatives, donor communications and social media presence to help achieve annual fundraising goals while helping to build strong relationships with faith communities, donors, and community partners.

Part-time, 20-25 hr/wk; $25/hour

Benefits: Semi-flexible schedule, professional development opportunities, paid time off.

For full job description & to apply: bit.ly/jumpjobopen2026

Grants Manager

The Center for Crime Victim Services is seeking a Grants Manager for a fulltime position in Waterbury, Vermont. The Center for Crime Victim Services provides leadership to ensure that justice is delivered to all victims and survivors of crime through the recognition of harm done and advocacy for their rights. This role manages approximately $10M in grants for the Department of Justice, the Federal Agency of Health and Human Services and the State of Vermont and grants to approximately 60 different victim service organizations in the state.

This is an opportunity for a mission driven individual, who can build upon established relationships, from the front-line victim services providers in Vermont to the federal agencies that oversee the regulations and provide the funding and training on best practices for assisting individuals whose lives have been impacted by crime.

Apply to: hiring@ccvs.vermont.gov

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Hazardous Waste Facility Operator

Come do good work with a great team!

We’re Hiring!

City of South Burlington

The City of South Burlington seeks dedicated staff for these open positions:

Permit Coordinator

Youth Services

Librarian

Stormwater Services

Maintenance Worker

Highway Mechanic

BENEFITS: Health, dental, and vision insurance, paid time off, and more!

Learn more and apply online now.

Full-time, $26.06 – 33.80/hr + generous benefits (paid leave, retirement plan with match, 100% medical/dental/vision for employee & family).

Location: Berlin, VT

See CVSWMD.org for details.

PALS Facilitator

The Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired is looking for someone to run our bi-weekly support groups for our blind and visually impaired clients in Chittenden and Franklin Counties as well as our statewide virtual support group. The Program Facilitator emphasizes independence, skills training, and emotional support to people coping with a visual impairment.

This is a part-time position 10-15 hours per week, with a starting pay of $27.07 per hour. Interested applicants must be able to work well in a group setting and have a Bachelor’s Degree in either Psychology, Counseling, Human Services, or the equivalent.

Experience with blindness is preferred.

Please visit our website for more information: vabvi.org Email dnorris@vabvi.org to apply.

Wedding & Event Sales Consultant

The Event Consultant plans and coordinates events by analyzing customer needs, suggesting solutions, and working with customers to create their ideal event. The Event Consultant handles customers’ inquiries promptly and efficiently in a fast-paced team oriented environment. The successful candidate must close sales and provide excellent customer service.

Essential

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Establish relationships with clients/Nurture existing client relationship. Our goal is to guide clients through an amazing experience with our company.

• Create event proposals. Create visuals for the client

• Finalize the sale

• Perform administrative responsibilities

• Work with team members

Company Benefits:

• PTO, Health, Dental and Vision Insurance

• Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability, Life Insurance

• 401k Profit Sharing Plan with company match

Send resume, cover letter & salary requirements to: jobs@vttent.com. No phone calls, please.

Associate Director of Alumni Relations

Join the University of Vermont Foundation and play a pivotal role in strengthening lifelong connections between UVM and its vibrant community of alumni, students, and donors. In this hybrid role, based in Burlington, you’ll lead engagement initiatives - from signature events like UVM Weekend to targeted affinity programs and regional gatherings - while cultivating meaningful relationships that inspire volunteerism, mentorship, and philanthropic impact. Partnering closely with campus leaders and colleagues, you’ll help grow a robust donor pipeline and elevate alumni engagement through innovative programming, communications, and data-informed strategies. Offering a competitive salary plus an exceptional benefits package, this is an exciting opportunity for a collaborative, relationship-driven professional passionate about higher education and making a lasting difference.

Salary Range: $65,000 - 75,000

Visit our website for a full job description and application instructions: hcm.paycor.com/l/r/6D82FAAA

JUNE 10-17, 2026

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

We are reimagining higher education through hands-on learning and industry partnerships that launch careers from day one. Named a Top 10 Most Innovative School for six years running, we're building tomorrow's leaders. Join our pioneering team in transforming education.

OPEN POSITIONS:

Asst. Professor of Cybersecurity (Fall or Spring)

Academic Administrative Specialist

Accessibility Coordinator

Coordinator, Student Affairs Operations and Communications Coordinator

Faculty Support Specialist

Grants and Finance Specialist

Human Resources Generalist

Please visit QR code to apply:

The City of Burlington’s Department of Public Works – Water Division is hiring!

BUILDING BRIGHT FUTURES REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Vermont’s Early Childhood Data & Policy Center

Expansion

Consultant

Release Date: June 1, 2026

Proposals Due: June 15, 2026

Contact: Dora Levinson

Research & Data Director dlevinson@buildingbrightfutures.org

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

The Building Bright Futures State Advisory Council, Inc. (BBF) seeks a qualified contractor(s) with expertise in data visualizations, website integration, and project management to support the organization’s data portal migration to a new platform prior to December 30, 2026.

• Expertise in managing complex projects, maintaining positive working relationships with teams, and meeting timelines and deliverables

Location: Must have the ability to attend meetings with the project team, primarily virtually with possible in-person meetings.

Do you enjoy learning new skills and helping people? We are looking for a Meter Technician and provide on the job training and can offer a flexible schedule. This position is responsible for executing all field based meter management functions to ensure accurate billing of residential and commercial accounts. This includes meter reading, installation, maintenance and repair. This position travels to customer locations and acts as direct liaison between Water Resources and residents regarding water metering systems. In addition, this position is responsible for locating and marking underground utility infrastructure.

TIERED POSITION: Applications for Water Meter Field Technician in Training, Level I and Level II will all be considered to fill the available opening. The tiering system is a way to encourage growth and skill development, and once an employee meets the criteria for a higher tier they are automatically promoted to that role.

Water Meter Field Technician In Training: $56,160.00 - $62,545.60 annually

Water Meter Field Technician I: $59,592.00-$66,393.60 annually

Water Meter Field Technician II: $63,398.40-$70,657.60 annually

The City of Burlington is an equal opportunity employer and we encourage applicants who can contribute to our growing diversity.

Building Bright Futures has been contracted by the State of Vermont to enhance Vermont’s Early Childhood Data and Policy Center, including the integration of Head Start data. This work will include design of a new public-facing data portal using an off-the-shelf platform; collection of the most current data; migrating new data and data from the existing platform to the new portal; building, testing, and publishing the new portal; and developing a user’s manual and training staff.

APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY & REQUIREMENTS

Desired Qualifications:

• Expertise in data management, website development, and off-the-shelf platforms such as Tableau, Datawrapper, or similar platforms

• Strong analytical & critical thinking skills

DEADLINES AND CONTENT OF PROPOSALS

Contract can begin as early as July 1, 2026, and will end December 30, 2026. Budget range is $40,000 for the contract period.

Please submit questions about the proposal to dlevinson@ buildingbrightfutures.org.

The email must be clearly identified with the subject line “Questions - Data & Policy CenterExpansion.”

Deadline: Please submit proposals to dlevinson@buildingbrightfutures.org by 11:59 PM EST, Monday, June 15, 2026. The email must be clearly identified with the subject line of the email “Data & Policy Center Proposal”. The name of the contractor and contact person must be listed in your proposal and in the body of the email. Attach to the email your entire proposal in Adobe PDF format.

5v-Champlain

Water Meter Field Technician

Senior Institutional Giving Manager

The Senior Institutional Giving Manager is a vital member of CVOEO’s Philanthropy and Communications team and works closely with CVOEO’s Executive Director and the Chief Philanthropy & Communications Officer. The Senior Institutional Giving Manager leads the full range of activities required to prepare, submit, and manage grant proposals to government agencies, foundations, and corporations. Duties include proposal writing for both unrestricted operating revenue, restricted projects, and special campaigns; and engaging in prospect research to sustain and grow funding sources and submitting timely and accurate reports for grant-funded projects.

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, communications, public administration, business, or related field and a minimum of five (5) years’ experience with nonprofit grant writing and fund development, including at least two (2) years’ experience with writing state and/or federal grants.

Demonstrated commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment; effective verbal and written communication skills, bilingual abilities are a plus!

This is a hybrid position (3 days/week in office) based in Burlington VT.

Starting salary range $80,622 - $85,655.

We are one of the Best Places to Work in Vermont!

Join us to find out why! Please Apply on our website: www.cvoeo.org/careers

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Senior Accountant

ABOUT THE ROLE

The City of Montpelier is seeking an experienced Senior Accountant to join our Finance team. This position plays a central role in maintaining the city’s financial integrity — from managing the annual audit process to overseeing daily accounting operations and ensuring accurate, transparent financial records.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Annual audit & fiscal year-end

Coordinate and manage the annual audit, including year-end transactions, reconciliations, and schedules.

• Banking & reconciliation

Record ACH bank transactions and reconcile all bank accounts monthly.

Grants & debt tracking

Track all grants, debt, and related expenditures; compile and submit related requisitions.

• Daily accounting operations

Oversee daily accounting functions and ongoing maintenance of the city’s financial records.

QUALIFICATIONS

• The successful candidate will bring: Bachelor’s degree in accounting or

equivalent experience, with knowledge of Government and/or Fund Accounting

Experience in Payroll, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, General Ledger, and general office operations

Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Word, and experience with accounting software

• Strong independent judgment, decisionmaking skills, and ability to work with the public and outside agencies

• Experience with annual municipal audits (preferred)

COMPENSATION

• $80,000 – $85,000 annually, based on qualifications

BENEFITS

• Health, dental & vision insurance, short & long-term disability, life insurance, VMERS Group C defined benefit plan, and generous leave time

HOW TO APPLY

Submit your cover letter and resume by June 26 to: Tanya Chambers, Human Resources Director at tchambers@montpelier-vt.org

The City of Montpelier is an equal opportunity employer.

Advanced Practice Clinician (NP/CNM/PA)

POSITION TITLE: Advanced Practice Clinician

LOCATION: Rutland, VT

HOURS: Part Time, 6 hours/week (Friday 8am-2pm ) , Hourly (Non-Exempt) UNION MEMBERSHIP: AFT union

POSITION PURPOSE: Advanced Practice Clinicians (APC) provide patientcentered, personalized health care to clients. APCs along with Health Center support sta create a safe, non judgmental environment for people of all genders to access high quality reproductive & sexual healthcare.

YOUR DAY-TO-DAY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provides exceptional patient-centered care, in a manner that ensures compliancewith current PPNNE e ciency and productivity standards.

• Assesses patient's health status and prescribes appropriate contraceptive methods, treatments for GYN problems

• Counsels/educates patients regarding general reproductive health care; all FDA-approved methods of birth control, including emergency contraception; pregnancy options including abortion, adoption as well as Gender A rming Hormone Therapy

• Provides health care that is culturally and linguistically appropriate to PPNNE patient populations.

• Performs appropriate physical exams, with focus on the reproductive system, including standard initial and annual exams, and screening procedures

• Refers patients to physicians and other health or social services as appropriate

• Responsible for accurately coding for medical services provided, in support of the organization’s overall revenue cycle.

COMPENSATION/BENEFITS:

• Pay Range is based on years of relevant work experience. Candidates with 0-5 years of experience can expect to earn between $45.46/ hr- $50.20/hr. As experience increases, so does the rate of pay: candidates who have 17 or more years of direct experience earning up to $72/hr.

• Paid time o earned on accrual basis & Prorated holidays

• 403b retirement account; Employee referral bonuses

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Master’s degree and completion of an accredited Nurse Practitioner or PhysicianAssistant program

• Broad based clinical GYN knowledge and skills

• Familiarity with & ability to comfortably discuss all services provided by PPNNE

• Excellent counseling/teaching skills

Interested applicants please submit a cover letter and resume by visiting our website at jobs.lever.co/ppnne

JUNE 10-17, 2026

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

Executive Director

Artistree Community Arts Center is a nonproﬁt organization dedicated to providing joyful, meaningful, and accessible experiences in the visual arts, movement, theatre, music, and more for community members of all ages and abilities. Through year-round classes, workshops, performances, gallery exhibitions, camps, and special events, Artistree nurtures creative expression and builds community through the arts. A core tenet of our mission is equitable access to the arts regardless of ﬁnancial circumstances.

Executive Director

The Executive Director (ED) is responsible for the overall leadership, management, and strategic direction of the organization, including programs, administration, ﬁnance, and external relations. Reporting to and working in close partnership with the Founder, the ED ensures the e ective execution of Artistree’s mission through sound organizational leadership, operational excellence, and meaningful community connection.

• Communications & Community Engagement: Serve as the principal spokesperson and representative for Artistree. Serve as a visible advocate for the arts and Artistree’s mission across the Upper Valley and beyond; build relationships with artists, educators, funders, community partners, and civic leaders to elevate Artistree’s regional proﬁle. Support marketing e orts with clear messaging about Artistree’s mission, impact, programs, and events.

Guest Services

Key Responsibilities

This role serves as the primary public representative of Artistree, cultivating relationships with donors, partners, and the broader community to advance the organization’s visibility, impact, and long-term sustainability. As the organization’s sole senior leader for sta , the ED also maintains close and consistent engagement with team members across all functions, ensuring clarity of roles, accountability, alignment with organizational goals, and a positive and inclusive workplace culture.

• Strategic Leadership & Vision: Develop and implement longterm strategic plans in collaboration with the Founder and Board to reﬁne and grow the Center’s artistic, educational, and community programming. Work closely with the Founding Executive Director and Board to set priorities, annual budgets, and provide timely updates on organizational performance.

• Program Oversight & Development: Partner with artistic, education, and program directors/instructors to maintain and enhance program excellence and outreach e orts, including classes, camps, performances, exhibits, and special events. Promote program innovation, community responsiveness, and equitable access in all o erings.

• Resource & Financial Management: Oversee budgeting and financial planning; ensure sound financial practices and compliance with nonprofit standards. Cultivate and steward relationships with donors, sponsors, foundations, and community partners to support organizational fundraising and secure and diversify revenue streams.

• Operational and Sta Leadership: Provide leadership to sta , and foster a positive workplace culture rooted in inclusion, respect, collaboration, and artistic exploration. Oversee day-to-day operations of Artistree’s campus facilities and programs. Maintain, develop, and enhance operational systems, policies, and procedures to support e ciency and sustainability.

Qualiﬁcations & Experience

Required

• Ten+/- years of demonstrated leadership/management experience in a nonproﬁt arts organization, cultural institution, museum or related ﬁeld with diverse program o erings.

• Strong strategic, ﬁnancial, HR & operational management skills.

• Proven track record in fundraising, revenue generation, budget development/control and developing community partnerships.

• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and public speaking skills.

• Passion for community arts, creative education, and inclusive access to the arts.

Preferred

• Experience in arts management and arts education, gallery/ exhibition management, performing arts administration, and/or music and theatre operations.

• Background in program development that engages diverse audiences.

• Experience working with cross-sector stakeholder groups.

• The ideal candidate will exhibit core competencies in: visionary and strategic thinking; inclusive leadership and teambuilding; community and donor relationship development; ﬁnancial and operational stewardship; fundraising; e ective communicator and advocate for the arts.

Work Environment & Commitment

• This position is based in South Pomfret, VT, and may require occasional evenings and weekends for events, performances, and community engagements.

• Commitment to Artistree’s values of accessibility, inclusion, and artistic empowerment.

• Compensation Range: This is a full-time, exempt position, with salary range $85,000 - $100,000 plus a competitive beneﬁts package.

How to Apply

Candidates should submit a cover letter, resume and three professional references to info@artistreevt.org. Applications will be evaluated as they are received, with interviews to be scheduled after July 1.

To learn more about Artistree, please visit: artistreevt.org.

Join Country Walkers and VBT Bicycling Vacations; an award-winning, Vermontbased active travel company and be part of our high performing, international team. We offer smallgroup bicycling and walking tours around the world with an emphasis on local connections and culture. Positively impacting people's lives through active travel experiences is what we’re all about!

We’re searching for enthusiastic Guest Service professionals with a passion for travel to support our busy Call Center. Check us out and learn why we're a Best Place to Work in Vermont!

Send resumes to: nvoth@vbt.com

Flynn Ave Self Storage, a locally owned Burlington business, is seeking a full-time employee for customer service, rentals, billing, and day-to-day facility operations. Position includes light maintenance, snow removal, walking the property, occasional lifting, and running local errands. Must be dependable, self-motivated, punctual, and comfortable using computer software. Reliable transportation required. Pay based on experience. To apply: flynnaveselfstorage@ gmail.com

Master Plumbers & Apprentices

Ward's offers excellent benefits & paid time off. Full or part time

What we are looking for:

· Customer Service Skills

· Conventional house and some commercial plumbing applications

· Gas Certification/License (Master Plumbers)

· Hydronic and Boiler experience (Master Plumbers)

· 5+ years of residential service experience (Master Plumbers)

· Desire to learn and grow in your profession

· Ability to pass pre-employment requirements

· Clean driving record with valid drivers license

· Master Plumber's License and Back flow License (Master Plumbers)

Email your resume and cover letter to our recruiting office: wardsmechanical@wardsvt.com. PLEASE, NO PHONE CALLS.

Front Desk Associate

Job Summary: Join our team at Optical Expressions and help create a positive, welcoming experience for every patient who walks through our doors or reaches out to our office. We are looking for a friendly, organized, and dependable front-desk professional who enjoys helping others, thrives in a fast-paced environment, and takes pride in keeping daily operations running smoothly. In this role, you will play an important part in supporting both patients and providers through scheduling, communication, insurance verification, payment processing, and accurate recordkeeping.

What You’ll Do:

· Create a warm first impression by greeting patients and visitors with professionalism, kindness, and a helpful attitude.

· Support a smooth check-in experience by confirming patient information, collecting forms and insurance cards, and verifying coverage details accurately.

· Help patients complete their visit successfully by reviewing charges, collecting payments, submitting insurance information, and scheduling follow-up appointments or referrals.

· Be a reliable point of contact by answering and routing phone calls, taking clear messages, responding to urgent needs appropriately, and confirming appointments through phone, text, or email.

· Keep the office running efficiently by maintaining accurate records in the EHR, assisting with records requests, handling mail and faxes, supporting patient notifications, and helping with daily closeout and office supply tasks.

What We’re Looking For:

· High school diploma or equivalent, strong customer service skills and a genuine passion for helping others.

· Confidence using computers, phones, and standard administrative tools in a busy office setting.

· Excellent communication, professionalism, organization, and attention to detail, with the ability to balance multiple priorities successfully.

· Comfort with basic math and payment balancing, along with a strong commitment to accuracy, confidentiality, and HIPAA compliance. Apply: mleipert@oeberlin.com

SENIOR LABORATORY MANAGER

LOCATION: Barre, VT

HOURS: Part Time, 22.5 hours/week, Salaried (Exempt)

POSITION PURPOSE:

The Senior Laboratory Manager oversees daily lab operations to ensure testing is accurate, timely, and meets all safety and legal requirements. This role provides support & guidance to lab staff while ensuring equipment, supplies, and systems are well managed for the lab to run smoothly and efficiently. The Sr Lab Manager maintains quality standards, updates procedures, and continuously improves services to help ensure the lab delivers safe, high-quality care that supports PPNNE’s mission.

YOUR DAY-TO-DAY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Leads the day-to-day work of the laboratory to ensure testing is safe, accurate, and meets all required standards.

• Supports and guides lab staff, creating a respectful, learning-focused environment where everyone can do their best work.

• Maintains quality and compliance by following regulations, reviewing processes, and addressing issues openly to improve outcomes.

• Ensures lab systems, equipment, and supplies are managed effectively so operations run smoothly.

• Monitors performance, budgets, and key goals, and makes improvements to strengthen efficiency and reliability.

• Partners with teams across the organization to support patient care and advance the mission through safe, high-quality lab services.

COMPENSATION:

• Pay Range - The budget for this part time position ranges between $47,000 - $55,000/ yr and where candidates fall within this range is based on years of relevant work experience.

BENEFITS:

• Paid Time off & Paid Holidays

• Paid Parental Leave

• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance

• PPNNE Funded Health Reimbursement Account to cover portion of medical deductible costs

• 403b retirement account and 2% employer match eligibility

• Employee Assistance Program (confidential counseling and resources)

• Employee referral bonuses

• Employer Paid Short Term Disability & Life Insurance

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Bachelor’s degree in medical technology, clinical laboratory science, or a related science field required.

• Professional certification (such as ASCP or CLS) required or obtained within the first year.

• At least 5 years of hands-on experience performing high complexity laboratory testing.

• At least 5 years of leadership or management experience in a clinical lab setting (required)

• Knowledge of lab regulations, inspections, and quality programs is required.

• Experience with CLIA inspections and proficiency testing programs (required).

• Budget management, vendor management, and/or LIS administration experience (preferred).

• Experience implementing new tests, including validation and LIS build (preferred).

Interested applicants please submit a cover letter and resume by visiting our website at https://jobs.lever.co/ppnne.

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

POST YOUR JOBS AT: SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POSTMYJOB

PRINT DEADLINE: NOON ON MONDAYS (INCLUDING HOLIDAYS) FOR RATES & INFO: GILLIAN COMITO, 802-341-3060

GCOMITO@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

JUNE 10-17, 2026

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

Theatre Artistic Director

Artistree, a nonproﬁt community arts center located in South Pomfret, VT, is looking for a Theatre Artistic Director for the Grange Theatre. The Theatre Artistic Director position will work in collaboration with the Theatre Educator, Programming Director, and Artistree programming sta to ensure that the Artistree Theatre program realizes its objectives: a full year-round calendar; a diverse array of educational programming; artistic excellence; community collaborations; audience engagement; and ﬁnancial sustainability.

ticketing, front-of-house support, concessions, and production calendars

• Serve as Artistree’s primary liaison with Actors Equity for professional productions

The Artistic Director role is a full-time position at our South Pomfret, VT campus, reporting to our Executive Director. The role is typically Monday through Friday during business hours, with some weekend and evening activities as required. The salary range for this position will be $60,000 to $65,000 per year, based on experience.

General Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the Executive Director to shape and implement the Grange Theatre’s artistic and educational vision

• Develop and oversee year-round theatre programming, including productions, workshops, Artist-in-Residence programs, and ACT/ACT Jr. o erings

• Work with programming sta to create engaging youth, adult, and family theatre classes and educational experiences

• Recruit, support, and manage directors, teaching artists, performers, designers, and production sta

• Oversee productions in the Grange Theatre, including scheduling, sta ng, technical needs, and production budgets, as well as theatre rentals, community partnerships, and visiting artist opportunities

• Manage theatre operations including

• Collaborate with marketing, ﬁnance, development, and programming teams to support promotion, budgeting, sponsorships, and organizational goals

• Act as a public advocate and spokesperson for Artistree’s theatre programming within the community and broader arts network

Qualiﬁcations

• Minimum 5 years of experience in theatre, arts education, or performing arts management

• Experience managing theatre productions, programming, or a performing arts venue; experience with Actors Equity or Equity theatre is a plus

• Bachelor’s degree in theatre, arts administration, or a related ﬁeld preferred

• Strong leadership, communication, and collaboration skills; ability to work with a wide range of people, from youth participants to professional artists

• Organized, adaptable, and detail-oriented with strong problem-solving abilities

• Experience managing budgets and balancing artistic goals with ﬁnancial sustainability

• Ability to work evenings and weekends as needed for rehearsals and performances

• Passion for community arts, education, and creative engagement

Please send an application, including resume, cover letter, and contact information for three professional references to lnfo@artistreevt. org. Please visit our website at artistreevt. org to learn more about us.

Director of Court Diversion and Pretrial Services

Lamoille Restorative Center (LRC) is seeking a Director of Court Diversion and Pretrial Services to support and oversee the overall operation of these programs: Adult and Juvenile Diversion, Tamarack, Pretrial Services, Youth Substance Awareness Safety Program (YSASP), Civil DLS, Pre-Charge and Victim Services. The Director supervises the restorative programs team providing effective and efficient delivery of participant services. Restorative practices are applied to empower collective community care by addressing the needs of the person harmed, the community, and the person who caused harm.

This position is ideal for someone with excellent communication, collaboration, and organizational skills. The person should understand trauma-informed and victim-centered practices in Vermont’s legal and human service systems.

Learn more about our mission at lrcvt.org.

COMPENSATION

40 hours per week with an hourly wage: $30.00–$31.33

GENEROUS BENEFITS PACKAGE, INCLUDING:

• $13,113 annually to allocate toward medical, dental, vision, supplemental insurance, or retirement

• 27 paid days off + 22 paid holidays

• Paid family medical leave

• Annual training stipend

• Life insurance

• Pre-tax dependent care deductions

Please submit a cover letter and resume to: info@lrcvt.org

The position will remain open until it is filled. Lamoille Restorative Center is an equal opportunity employer.

We value diversity and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants.

Field Technician 1

$2,500 Sign on bonus!

Pay range is $20-22/hour, based on experience. Yearround position with PTO & comprehensive benefits.

The Environmental Services (ES) Field Technician I performs operational functions related to emergency response, hazardous and non-hazardous spill clean-up, and hazmat decontamination work.

For job description & to apply, visit: 7dvt.pub/fieldtech

2v-RepublicServices050626.indd 1 5/1/26 4:39 PM

YOUR TRUSTED LOCAL SOURCE.

Phlebotomy Apprenticeship Program

Invest in yourself!

Our apprenticeship program is a paid opportunity to become a phlebotomist with no experience required.

- Guaranteed, paid employment on day one of training

- Direct patient care

- Team environment

- Full beneﬁts

- Dedicated support during the 5-week program

- Paid Certiﬁed Phlebotomy Technician Exam

Registration deadline: Tuesday, June 30, 2026

Apply: www.jobforward.org/phlebotomy

Questions? Call: 802-497-6968 Email: lida.hope@jobforward.org

ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER

Salary: $125,000 / year

Full-time – Exempt

Open May 28, 2026 –Closes June 18, 2026

Montpelier is the nation's smallest state capital — and one of its most resilient. Having navigated a major flood and a global pandemic, the city is entering a new chapter of vitality and opportunity. We're looking for a strategic, collaborative leader to step into a pivotal role alongside the City Manager and help shape Montpelier's future.

This is a rare chance to work at the intersection of housing, economic development, infrastructure modernization, public safety, and good governance — in a community that genuinely cares.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

The Assistant City Manager serves as a trusted strategic partner to the City Manager and a core member of the city's leadership team. This position provides operational oversight, drives cross-departmental initiatives, supports the Montpelier City Plan and City Council's Strategic Plan, and steps in as Acting City Manager during the Manager's absence. The role also leads public engagement, guides policy development, stewards financial resources, and champions a workplace culture of excellence and accountability.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Strategic leadership: Partner with the City Manager on leadership, governance, and operational oversight. Serve on the City Leadership Team and act as City Manager when needed.

• Community engagement: Represent the city to partners, the State Legislature, and the public. Build relationships with residents, businesses, and regional agencies. Lead public engagement on Council priorities.

• Operational oversight: Foster an accountable, inclusive organizational culture. Champion cross-department collaboration, remove barriers, and mentor direct reports.

• Policy development: Develop data-informed proposals for Council consideration. Guide department heads on policy implementation and lead state-level advocacy efforts.

• Budget stewardship: Support long- and shortterm financial planning. Write grants, manage RFPs, oversee procurement compliance, and advocate for funding approvals.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in public administration, policy, business, or related field

• 7+ years in government, public management, or financial administration (equivalency considered)

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Master's degree in a related field

• Extensive municipal government experience; Vermont knowledge a strong plus

• Thorough knowledge of the principals of municipal government administration

• Demonstrated ability to handle confidential records, bid proposals & negotiating positions

• Proven success leading diverse teams, managing budgets, and implementing policy matters of significance

LEADERSHIP QUALITIES WE VALUE

• Integrity, transparency, and respect for subject matter experts

• Clear, effective communication with staff, elected officials, and the community

• Commitment to equitable service delivery, good governance, and ethical behavior

• Professional composure in complex political situations and a lifelong learning mindset

BENEFITS

• Generous Paid Vacation and Sick Leave plans

• 12 Paid Holidays

• VMERS Pension + 457(b)

• Health, dental & vision insurance

• Short & long-term disability

• City-provided life & AD&D insurance

• Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) with generous city contribution

• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

• Limited remote work considered

E.O.E.: Montpelier welcomes applicants regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, political affiliation, or citizenship status. We comply with Vermont & federal fair employment law.

Please email resume and cover letter no later than 6/18/2026 to HR Director, Tanya Chambers, tchambers@montpelier-vt.org

View full description at: 7dvt.pub/montpelier

JUNE 10-17, 2026

Carpenter Apprentice

Enjoy working outside?

Like working with a small crew? Willing to learn and apply your knowledge?

Attention to detail with good communication skills?

Come and learn residential construction and be rewarded for your hard work.

Non-smoker, needs transportation and will work Monday to Thursday schedule with 3 days off.

E-mail resume and cover letter to davidcone211@gmail.com for consideration.

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

KITCHEN TEAM MEMBER

WE’RE HIRING Accounting Associate

Burlington, Vermont

www.onedayinjuly.com/careers

2v-OneDayinJuly060326 1 6/2/26 9:40 AM

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION

Are you a finance and operations professional who wants to make a difference every day? Join United Ways of Vermont and help support mission-driven programs that connect Vermonters with the resources they need to thrive. We're seeking a Director of Finance & Administration to provide strategic leadership for the organization's financial management, grants and contracts, human resources administration, and business operations. This key leadership role works closely with the Executive Director and Board of Directors to ensure the organization's long-term financial health and operational excellence.

This is a Vermont-based, primarily remote position with ﬂexible scheduling. Occasional in-person meetings required & weekly retrieval of mail from our Montpelier post ofﬁce box is a bonus. We offer:

- Competitive salary of $75,000–$78,000

- Flexible work environment

- Health insurance

- Combined Time Off (CTO)

- 403(b) retirement plan

- Meaningful work that positively impacts communities across Vermont

Qualified candidates will have experience in nonprofit finance, accounting, grants management, budgeting, and organizational/HR administration. Experience with government contracts is a plus.

United Ways of Vermont is committed to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace and encourages candidates from all backgrounds and experiences to apply. Come join our team!

Apply online: vermont211.org/careers-at-vermont-211

SCHOOL NURSE

Randolph Union Middle and High School, Randolph, VT, is seeking a compassionate, organized, studentcentered School Nurse to support the health and well-being of students grades 7–12 in Central Vermont.

Early Morning Shift (Hourly, PT/FT)

Family-owned café seeking a reliable and motivated Kitchen Team Member for early morning shifts.

Duties Include:

- Baking & food prep

- Keeping kitchen clean & organized

- Assisting customers when needed

- Supporting overall cafe operations during busy periods

What we're looking for:

- Works well independently

- Strong work ethic & dependable

- Friendly customer service skills

- High school diploma/equivalent

- Proficient in English

- Kitchen/café experience helpful, not required

Pay range $18-20/hour (based on experience), tips in addition

Apply today to join our welcoming café team! vermontrestaurant group@gmail.com

Responsibilities

• Provide direct nursing care to students

• Develop, implement, & monitor individualized healthcare plans

• Effective communication skills to clearly communicate student health needs with instructional staff and families

• Administer medications and maintain accurate health records

• Complete DITEP assessments and cessation efforts

• Collaborate with families, healthcare providers, and school staff

• Monitor and manage communicable diseases

• Ensure compliance with immunization requirements

• Promote health education: wellness, prevention, and healthy decision-making

• Support students experiencing mental health concerns

• Maintain a safe and sanitary health office environment

• Participate in crisis response and school safety planning

Qualifications

• Current RN license in Vermont (or be qualified to apply for and receive one), Vermont Educator License with School Nurse Endorsement (or be able to qualify for a provisional license)

• Experience in pediatric, adolescent, or school nursing preferred. CPR/AED and First Aid certification (or willingness to obtain)

Competitive salary -- $54,730 - $93,041 dependent upon experience.)

Excellent benefits -- health, dental, life, insurance; retirement, tuition reimbursement and more.

Interested candidates may see a more detailed job description or apply at SchoolSpring and orangesouthwest.org/job-openings

3v-MeadowRoastCafe052726.indd 1 5/25/26 9:34 AM

Town Planner

WESTFORD, VERMONT

Part-time: 20 hours per week

POSITION SUMMARY

The Town of Westford is seeking an organized and motivated individual to serve as a part-time Town Planner.

This official acts as the professional guide for the municipality’s growth and land use, balancing development with the Town’s rural identity. This role also supports the Planning Commission with regular meetings and action items.

Visit https://westfordvt. us/careers-rfps for full advertisement and application process.

Hotel Vermont's High Country Grill with Les Taiauts Trio

THU., JUN. 11

HOTEL VERMONT, BURLINGTON

FOTW Women's Ride

THU., JUN. 11

SAXON HILL TRAILHEAD, ESSEX

Jodi Lew-Smith | Asa James

THU., JUN. 11

PHOENIX BOOKS, ESSEX

Stories of Spirit and Spirits

THU., JUN. 11

MAIN STREET LANDING PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, BURLINGTON

Shwayze - 7 Day Weekend Tour with Beach Fly

THU., JUN. 11

AFTERTHOUGHTS, WAITSFIELD

Turning the Tables: A Benefit for the Iconic Craig Mitchell

FRI., JUN. 12

STANDING STONE WINES, WINOOSKI

That Which Colors The Mind: An Evening of Indian Classical Music and Live Art

FRI., JUN. 12

THE SANCTUARY, BURLINGTON

Preservation Burlington Annual Homes Tour 2026

SAT., JUN. 13

61 SUMMIT STREET, BURLINGTON

Perrypalooza!

SAT., JUN. 13

THE SEABA CENTER

The Mallett Brothers Band

SAT., JUN. 13

LOST NATION BREWING, MORRISTOWN

Inspired by Greek Mythology

SAT., JUN. 13

CASELLA THEATER AT VTSU, CASTLETON

Tales From Olympus: A Dance Performance

Early Birders Morning Walk

SUN., JUN. 14

BIRDS OF VERMONT MUSEUM, HUNTINGTON

Smart Cycling Workshops

MONDAYS:, JUN. 15, JUN. 22, JUN. 29

LOCAL MOTION BIKE RENTALS, BURLINGTON

2026 Vermont Book Awards Finalists and Winners in Conversation with Miciah Bay Gault

MON., JUN. 15

PHOENIX BOOKS, BURLINGTON

Fellowship of the Wheel Enduro

TUE., JUN. 16

COCHRAN'S SKI AREA, RICHMOND

Cara Benson in Conversation with Meg Little Reilly: 'An Armsfull of Birds' TUE., JUN. 16

PHOENIX BOOKS, BURLINGTON

The Career Show

THU., JUN. 18

HULA, BURLINGTON

Tillie Walden in Conversation with Jason Lutes: 'Charity and Sylvia' THU., JUN. 18

PHOENIX BOOKS, BURLINGTON

Juneteenth Concert with Solomon Hicks

FRI., JUN. 19

RETRO LIVE, PLATTSBURGH, NY

FOTW Trail Clinic

SAT., JUN. 20

HINESBURG TOWN FOREST PARKING LOT - HAYDEN HILL EAST

fun stuff

HARRY BLISS

JULIANNA BRAZILL

SUMMER OF THE STARS

PAUL SIMON

JUNE 27 @TANGLEWOOD LENOX, MA

JOHN MELLENCAMP

JULY 24 @XFINITY CENTER MANSFIELD, MA

JOHN FOGERTY

SEPT 6 @TANGLEWOOD LENOX, MA

PIZZA

WILLEY’S STORE

GEMINI

(MAY 21-JUN. 20)

“Dear Oracle: Why do we always have to start at the beginning? I’d much prefer just jumping into the middle of things. Right now, I would love to bypass all the tedious baby steps I’m being forced to take as I try to get some momentum going. Please slip me a few clues about how to fast-forward directly to the fun stuff. — Bored With the Groundwork.” Dear Bored: Your timing is perfect. The planetary omens say you are now authorized to vault over the preludes and prologues and dive right into the heart of the action.

ARIES (Mar. 21-Apr. 19): Many of you have a fraught relationship with discipline. You recognize you need it if you want a life rich with epic adventures. Yet you sometimes resist planning ahead or organizing your resources, fearing it might dampen your immediate pleasures. The problem is that when you skip the planning and organizing, the short-term fun you default to may turn out to be unsatisfying. That’s the challenging news. The encouraging news is that you’re now in a cycle when you can transform how you relate to discipline. I bet you can render some of those old patterns obsolete.

TAURUS (Apr. 20-May 20): Gemologists evaluate opals less for flawless uniformity

than for their mesmerizing play-of-color. They study how light interacts with a stone’s microscopic internal structure to produce vivid, shifting hues. The most prized opals aren’t necessarily the most perfect in shape but the ones whose internal pattern and rainbow-like displays are most vibrant, varied and alive. This is a marvelous metaphor for you in the coming weeks. I hope you don’t obsess on consistency or smooth away your complications. Let the world see your play-of-color.

CANCER (Jun. 21-Jul. 22): Restoration ecologists work to revive damaged prairies. They’ve discovered that seeds of many native plants can lie dormant in the soil for years, waiting for the right conditions to germinate. If they remove invasive species and restore the land’s natural cycle of controlled fire, wildflowers long absent from the landscape spring back to life. With this metaphor in mind, Cancerian, consider what dormant possibilities may lie buried in your own psyche. What seeds did you plant long ago and then forget? What dreams or talents are waiting for you to clear away the choking overgrowth and create space for them to emerge? Old potentials may be patient, not dead.

LEO (Jul. 23-Aug. 22): Better than any other sign, you understand that ego and generosity can be collaborators rather than enemies. Your charismatic radiance is often a public service. When you express your interesting beauty, you give others permission to tap into their own luminosity. The world always craves your unique flavor of audacious joy, and especially now. The rest of us need your intense insistence that flair and flamboyance are forms of resistance against the forces that would diminish life’s splendor.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sep. 22): Many people struggle with what could be called “imagined ugliness,” a condition clinicians refer to as body dysmorphic disorder. It usually involves fixating on a supposed physical defect, or even on a flaw that exists only in one’s mind. I suspect that almost everyone carries a trace of this tendency, including you and me. The good news, though, is that the current astrological climate is ideal for you to at least partially shatter its spell. You are poised to transform

your self-image so vigorously that you begin to regard yourself as a flawless exemplar of quirky, one-of-a-kind beauty.

LIBRA (Sep. 23-Oct. 22): The Golden Gate Bridge, which is a few miles from my home, is painted continuously. Painters start at one end, work their way across, and by the time they reach the other side, it’s time to start over. The job is never finished; maintenance is the permanent condition. Some people find this depressing, but I find it oddly liberating. It means the bridge doesn’t have to achieve some final, perfect state. It just has to be tended. Similarly, you don’t have to fix everything once and for all, Libra. The relationships, projects and internal states you’re concerned about aren’t meant to reach completion. You shouldn’t worry about trying to finish what’s meant to be an ongoing practice. Just keep starting the cycle again.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Innovative theater director Viola Spolin was a Scorpio. She taught that the best scenes emerge when the actors avoid trying to control outcomes. Instead, they fully commit to the reality they’re creating together. Spontaneous responses are their gold standard. Let’s make this a keynote for you in the coming weeks. Your assignment is to give yourself heartily to improvisation. The most interesting magic will happen as you relax into the collaborative process, trusting it to guide you toward beauty and meanings none of you could have scripted alone.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Musicologists distinguish between “perfect pitch” and “relative pitch.” A person with perfect pitch can sing or identify a specific note without hearing any other music beforehand. Relative pitch is the ability to recognize musical notes in relation to other notes. In the coming weeks, Sagittarius, relative pitch will be a more useful metaphor for you than perfect pitch. Don’t insist on perfect clarity about what’s right and wrong, beautiful and ugly, worthy and unworthy. Instead of obsessing on fixed standards, practice relational discernment. How does this choice feel compared to that one? How does a person behave in this context versus another? For

you right now, truth lives in the intervals and connections.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The best way to eliminate a bad habit is to replace it with a good one. Now is an excellent time to acquire more expertise in this art. Start by choosing a specific habit that drains your energy, time or self-respect. Then identify what that habit is secretly trying to give you, such as comfort, distraction or a sense of control. Your mission is to find a healthier behavior that offers a similar payoff without the damage. For example, maybe you go online and binge-scroll through bad news because you imagine it soothes your anxiety. Instead of that, read an uplifting book or listen to serene music for a while. Be concrete: When the itchy habit hits, what exactly will you do as an alternative?

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In 1905, 26-year-old Albert Einstein worked full time as a clerk in a Swiss patent office. During his offhours, he wrote four audacious papers that fundamentally changed how physics understood space, time, light and matter. He accomplished his revolution without the sponsorship of a renowned university or laboratory. His example suggests that we can perhaps reimagine and re-create the world even if we’re not supported by glamorous circumstances. I suspect this principle applies to you these days. Breakthrough insights and earth-shaking realizations may arrive while you’re doing ordinary tasks. Be alert for the flashes that arise in seemingly routine and modest situations.

PISCES (Feb. 19-Mar. 20): For linguists, “untranslatable” words are concepts that exist in one language but have no equivalent in others. One example is mono no aware, which in Japanese refers to the tender poignance and appreciation you feel in the presence of fleeting beauty, such as cherry blossoms falling. I bring this to your attention, Pisces, because I suspect that you, too, are untranslatable right now. My advice is to forget about trying to get others to grasp what’s going on with you. Here’s a suggestion that might help: Find soulful artists and emotionally intelligent creatives who speak the language of your mystery.

WOMEN seeking...

NICE LADY, FUN TO BE WITH Nice woman searching for friendship and (lucky you) a nice, moving-forward relationship! Love history, antiquing, spontaneous adventures, walking the beach in Maine, dinners in and out, cooking dinners together, movies, and just being together! betsn2 78, seeking: M

THOUGHTFUL, INDEPENDENT AND SLIGHTLY FERAL

Lawyer, mom and recovering peoplepleaser. I love good conversation and people who don’t take themselves too seriously. Equal parts deep conversations and dumb jokes. Usually spending time with my daughter, hanging out with my dogs or enjoying a quiet weekend at home. Bonus points if you can make me laugh and take a joke. Eastcoastgal 43, seeking: M, l

OPEN TO ASTONISHMENT

I’m a city kid now living in small-town Vermont next to a covered bridge. I’m the kind of person who shows up for Town Meeting and enjoys it. I laugh hard, like considering knotty questions and love reading. I enjoy live music, long walks in nature, putzing in the garden, finding secret swimming holes and chatting with neighbors. VermontyLibrarian 51, seeking: M, l

KIND, GENEROUS

Rediscovering myself. Hopeful to find kindness and friendship in others. Hope 36 seeking: M, l

WANT TO RESPOND?

You read Seven Days, these people read Seven Days — you already have at least one thing in common!

All the action is online. Create an account or login to browse hundreds of singles with profiles including photos, habits, desires, views and more. It’s free to place your own profile online.

l See photos of this person online.

W = Women

M = Men

TW = Trans women

TM = Trans men

Q = Genderqueer people

NBP = Nonbinary people

NC = Gender nonconformists

Cp = Couples

Gp = Groups

WHOLESOME LAUGHTER AND FUN

Seeking kind, authentic and consciously open-minded companionship. Let’s check out local music events and farmers markets this summer as we get to know each other! Friends first and then, who knows? Among other things, I like country walks, labyrinths, cribbage and playing country/bluegrass music with friends. RoseAngel 67, seeking: M, l

THOUGHTFUL DAHLIA

Kind explorer who is thinking about art and literature. Also how to do better with this world (Aquarius). Openminded and community oriented. Friendly, social, extroverted introvert. Loves nature, animals, quiet as well. Willow18 44, seeking: M, l

SEEKING KIND M FOR COMPANIONSHIP

80-plus-year-old woman feels like 16. Seeking a companion for fun, interesting activities: dining in or out, watching wellreviewed movies, thoughtful Scrabble games, sharing books. Must like felines. Foodie a plus. Cora 85, seeking: M, l

OVERFLOWING CREATIVITY

My day begins with coffee; feeding the dogs and birds; then letting life’s journey choose its course. I had a very busy career, and now that I have retired, I have trained myself to walk through my days casually. Not an easy transition, but I love this stage of life. Becky 68 seeking: M, l

LOOKING FOR SOULMATE

Hello, I am a very spiritual woman — you could call me an empath. I desire to meet a gentleman who could possibly be a true Renaissance man. Honesty and loyalty and kindness are what I seek. Plumerea 68, seeking: M, l

WISE WOMAN WISHES FOR COMPANIONSHIP

Seeking a positive, honest person who is confident, independent, kind, loves the outdoors and being active, but also appreciates music of many genres, people from other cultures, likes to explore new places and ideas, is creative, is environmentally friendly and kind to creatures big and small. Floralgirl 68, seeking: M, l

HOPELESS ROMANTIC LOOKING FOR LOVE

Looking for something tangible. Someone that is understanding of chronic health issues, that doesn’t define me. I live pretty modestly. I love hard and fast as long as the vibe is right. I’m not into long distance or a man that wants me to pay for everything or has any addiction issues. I have adult children who live with me. Lostandlonley 51, seeking: M, l

SUNSHINE IN VERMONT

I’m looking for someone with the same values. I love to laugh and have a lot of fun. I like camping, traveling, playing cards and board games, watching movies, and having campfires in my backyard. I love to entertain and am a very happy person. I’m honest, loyal, loving and caring. Carolyn 72, seeking: M, l

LAID-BACK, OLD SCHOOL, SLOW

I am a woman looking for a man. tytyty, 52, seeking: M

WARM, CURIOUS, ENJOYS LIFE

Insightful, kind and a lifelong learner. Retired registered nurse, widow, and proud mom and grandmother. I’m looking for a genuine man to enjoy life with — someone who appreciates connection, conversation and shared experiences. I love music, travel (recently enjoyed the art and culture of Oaxaca), cooking, entertaining, and the simple joys of sunsets, beautiful views and beach walks. bluehydrangea, 83 seeking: M, l

HERE FOR LAUGHS AND LOVE

I’m the kind of person who laughs easily, shows up when it matters, and believes the best connections feel natural — not forced. I love good conversations, spontaneous plans and quiet moments that actually mean something. If you’re genuine, kind and ready for something that could turn into more, say hi. Let’s see where it goes. dawniegolucky 50, seeking: M, l

CHILLING IN NATURE

Hola. I am a kind, gentle animal lover who is looking for a friendship that will blossom naturally (no pressure.) This will happen if you are also kind, open-minded and care about what is happening in the world. You are laid-back but not opposed to protesting an ICE facility. Must love cats! Eddy 54, seeking: M, l

FUN, FIT, FRIENDLY

I am a former flower child who likes music, dancing, laughing; and, when I’m not: reading, walking in nature and creating. Looking for someone in the Burlington area with similar interests who could be a friend, traveling companion (been to Ireland and Japan), dinner and movie date, and possibly more. Finding a group of like-minded friends is my heart’s desire. wythu 74, seeking: M, l

OUTDOORSY, ATHLETIC, INTRIGUING, OUTGOING, DEEP

Classy lady seeks gentleman for companionship and outdoor adventures. Building in Waitsfield, Vt. Avid equestrian and love to horseback ride, hike and swim in the emerald-green waters of the Mad River. Windsurfed and have sailboarded as well as figure skated. Seeking a man who can “whoa” and take it slow and see where things might go. Lavenderlady19 66, seeking: M, l

MEN seeking...

LIVE, LAUGH AND MUSIC

I’m new to this area from the NEK. Went through a divorce. Trying to start over and meet someone with a sense of humor and a love for music; down-to-earth and outgoing, but also a homebody and an adventurer. roadkill, 51, seeking: W, l

LET’S HAVE SOME FUN

5’10,” 155 lbs., looking for a top. Jckwells802, 32 seeking: M, Cp

PLAYFUL, ZINGY, JOIE DE VIVRE

Accidental Vermonter by way of New York, bringing insatiability for culture, banter, and pleasure. I had a beautiful love with my first husband, who passed away too young. Looking for companions for shows, meals, baseball games, music, movies. Up for casual, consensual fun. More relevant answers: martini; Mets, Guardians and Lake Monsters; oysters, roast chicken, rich chocolate ice cream. FranFineinVT 41, seeking: M

FINALLY FREE TO MOVE ON

Hi. I am a very kind and sweet man. I did my best. I love people, good coffee, sports and good food. I love women who are open to share their bodies once they are happy in life. I am laidback, social and love adventure and travel. I am optimistic for love very soon. Shanty68 58, seeking: W, l

LAID-BACK, OLD-SCHOOL GUY

I’m getting older but still feel young in my heart. I’m looking for a woman to feel young with. I am mindful and adaptable. I take life slow; I don’t take myself too seriously. Cool days, warm dinners, vintage records, breezy Hawaiian shirts and hand-shaken drinks are truly my delights in life. All this and more can be yours, too! Edb9432, 44, seeking: W, l

FUN, AFFECTIONATE, THOUGHTFUL LISTENER

Looking for a friend, lover, life companion. Honest and authentic with myself and others. Enjoy dancing, singing and fun adventures. Also relaxing with a book and music. Love walks in the woods. Romantic and affectionate. Patient listener. Kind, empathetic, value human rights and dignity of all. Resonate with this description? Send me a message. I’d love to connect with you! Autumn63 62, seeking: W, l

HIKER, READER, DOG LOVER

Professional with an active life and a thoughtful temperament seeks a genuine connection. I spend my time running, hiking, climbing, reading and exploring with my dog. Equally happy in the mountains, at a bookstore, or sharing long conversations over coffee. I’m looking for someone kind, curious, grounded and interested in building something real together. Alec_Ray, 30, seeking: W, l

INTELLIGENT, KIND, YOUNG AT HEART ISFP enjoys walks, biking, camping, hiking and baseball. Prefer going to versus watching sports on TV. Kind, honest, funny, faithful, loving and romantic. Love books, NPR, TV, movies, plays, art in general. A work in progress. Looking for a woman with similar qualities for social interaction and then seeing where it leads. Father of two daughters and a son. Animal lover. Homebody, yet a traveler. fireinthehole, 58, seeking: W, l

NEW TO VT, SEEKING YOU!

Hello. Denver native here and new to Vermont. Seeking a long-term companion, but whatever happens, happens. Prefer to meet first, not endless emails. I seek a connection, be it an activities partner, karaoke, pool, sports, live music, dance, BBQs at home. johnp 56, seeking: W

OUTDOOR LOVER

I enjoy being outdoors, whether it be walking, hiking or working in the woods. Going to the beach and hiking in the mountains are two of my favorite things to do. During the winter you’ll find me snowshoeing, hiking or cross-country skiing. I love cooking and gardening. I am looking for someone who shares the same interests. Hikerplus 67, seeking: W, l

FIT, FUNNY, OUTDOORSY

Road and gravel bicycler, hiker, vegetable gardener, cross-country skier, snowshoer, reader, music listener, not a TV-er. Warm and loving to the right person. Searching for a woman who enjoys similar things, who can be warm and open. Hiker48, 77, seeking: W, l

HONEST, DEPENDABLE MAVERICK

I’m not saying I’m glad you’re single, but I’m happy you’re here. I promise I’m more interesting in person. ptink, 57, seeking: W, l

COMPASSIONATE, LOYAL, ATHLETIC, CURIOUS

Longtime Buddhist. Practical (some say to a fault). Financially secure, emotionally intelligent, sensitive and kind. I love poetry as much as engineering. Irrepressibly curious learner and adventurer. Happiest when I’m outside. Long-distance trail runner and lover of all bikes. Starting a new chapter and looking for someone to share adventures and maybe more after a foundation. Buddhistbuilder 58, seeking: W, l

JUST LOOKING

And browsing. abc123xyz, 32, seeking: W

NERDY ANIMAL LOVER

SEEKING SAME

I’m vegan for the animals! Once you know, you know. I’m a friendly, well-read and informed guy who is seeking an affectionate, attractive and caring partner for the years we have left to share life. I’m open to most people as long as our values are aligned. Veg1965 60, seeking: W, l

NONBINARY PEOPLE seeking...

NERDY, CREATIVE ENM

I am AFAB femme in an open marriage. I am demisexual and need to get to know someone before jumping into bed. My ideal match would be someone who wanted to make a connection with me, and who got along alright with my (straight male) spouse. Being able to all hang out, play games and fool around sounds lovely. Wordynerd 42 seeking: M, TM, TW, Q, NC, NBP

LIFE SHAPED BY LABYRINTH

NB, queer, kinky, shy author and historian seeks friends, fellow artists and/or sex partners of all genders. Let’s make silly puns, talk about our creative work and bike around Burlington. If you want to hear about the imaginary, magical Vermont town of Hardship, the historical queers I keep finding or Jareth as role model, hit me up. ModernWizard, 47, seeking: M, W, TM, TW, Q, NC, NBP, l

COUPLES seeking...

ENJOY MY BEAUTIFUL WIFE

Looking for a gentleman to lay some pipe to my beautiful wife. We are a happily married couple of 18 years and are eager to live out our fantasy. We will be staying in the Stowe area June 26 and 27 and are hoping to find another guy to help me give her an encounter she will never forget. Tommy2tonevt, 41, seeking: M

COUPLE LOOKING, HUSBAND WATCHING We are a very happy couple who enjoy all things sexual. We experiment when we can and are looking to add a few things. We have toys and different BDSM/kink items. We are looking for an African American man that my wife can pleasure, and also, separately, a female for my wife. I will be there, but not touching. ExploringCoupleVT, 46, seeking: M, W, Cp

HONEY LOVE

We would eagerly reach for Seven Days, turning straight to the personals section, reading them aloud like little rituals — borrowing the voices of strangers: their longing, their hope, their almosts and what-ifs. We used to wonder, half-laughing, half-serious, what it would be like to ﬁnd ourselves here… to ask, to answer. And now it’s our turn. I want to build a life with you — messy, beautiful, real. Will you marry me, my dear? Love, K/A/S

MILTON DOLLAR STORE

Just after 2 p.m., you were in front of me at checkout. You bought a lot of hangers. I wish that I had said hello, but didn’t. Turns out we were parked right next to each other, too. You: white Kia. Me: blue Toyota. Hope to see you again. Enjoy the weekend. When: Saturday, June 6, 2026. Where: Milton Dollar Store. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916601

BJORN BY THE CASTLE, CONTINUED

I dreamt about you last night. You were one of the only truly kind and deeply authentic people in this building full of bullies. I hope you ﬁnd a woman who appreciates your authenticity, encourages you in your dreams, and is gentle with you when life and people demand far more of you than you have to give. When: Saturday, June 6, 2026. Where: in my memory. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916600

YOUR IDIOSYNCRASIES

WERE SHOWING

Your predilection for paper straws was nearly palpable from the porch. I’d love for you to expound on this — over chai at Front Seat, perhaps? When: Friday, June 5, 2026. Where: the Genny, Craftsbury. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916598

If you’ve been spied, go online to contact your

BJORN BY THE CASTLE

B, living here has been miserable without you. I miss hearing about Schrödinger’s cat and knowing you were only just downstairs. We sat on your bedroom ﬂoor and thanked God for each other. You called me a badass, but I was only human. Please arrive to me with a bottle of ketchup and your handsome and goofy faces. — Bro When: Saturday, June 6, 2026. Where: in my memory. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916599

STARFISH HAIR CLIP

I was tall with a blue running jacket; your white starﬁsh hair clip reminded me of the coast. I kick myself for not saying hello. Last Friday night in May. Interested in getting a coffee? When: Friday, May 29, 2026. Where: Specs, Winooski. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916597

SPANKED PUPPY

Hello. It was 6:30; I was getting takeout. From the door, you were second from the end on the other end of the bar. Me: old bald guy, blue coat. When: Friday, May 29, 2026. Where: Spanked Puppy. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916596

CURLY-HAIRED CARPENTER

I spy a carpenter. You were chopping wood on a porch in a white T-shirt. I slowed down for a closer look, but I didn’t want to drive by twice in case you noticed me. Your curls caught my eye, and I’ve always had a thing for handymen. Can we take a walk sometime? When: Tuesday, May 12, 2026. Where: on Lime Kiln Road in Charlotte. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916590

WAKE ROBIN BLONDE

You were leaving Wake Robin in a Black Tacoma. I watched you in my rearview through Shelburne Village. What’s your story? When: Tuesday, May 19, 2026. Where: Shelburne. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916592

My roommate just found out she’s pregnant. She’s not in a serious relationship with the father, and she hasn’t even told him yet, but she says she wants to keep the baby. We were acquaintances when I moved into her apartment almost two years ago. We get along great, but I wouldn’t say we’re close friends. I have no desire to live with a baby, but I really don’t want to look for a new place to live. Our rent is reasonable, the location is great, and we even have parking. Should I get out now or stick around and see what happens?

‘CAN’T HAVE NICE THINGS’

You: behind me in the “15 items/less” line. You: petite, 40ish cutie that caught me off guard. We: both annoyed at the lady with full-size cart loaded with groceries in the express line. You rolled your eyes when I turned to you — I turned back around too quickly! Me: black shirt and jeans. Tried to restart the conversation with, “ is is why we can’t have nice things.” When: ursday, May 28, 2026. Where: Shaw’s, Colchester. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916595

WATERFRONT HIDE-AND-SEEK

I was down at Perkins Pier on Memorial Day around 5:30pm. I was playing a ukulele and wearing a hat with the Norwegian ﬂag on it. You and your daughter listened to me and watched me play, then invited me to look for sea glass and play hide-and-seek with you. It was great! Meet up at Perkins Pier for a picnic? When: Monday, May 25, 2026. Where: Perkins Pier. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916594

I LOOKED LIKE YOUR EX

I sat on the rocks of Perkins Pier watching the late sunset fade into night, your running steps coming up behind me. Passing me, you stopped. “Lua?” you excitedly inquired, then, “I’m sorry, you just look so much like my ex-girlfriend from high school.” I am, unfortunately, not your ex-girlfriend from high school, but maybe I could be your next. When: Friday, May 22, 2026. Where: Perkins Pier. You: Woman. Me: Trans woman. #916593

SUPER MODEL IN CAMO TANK

You were in a black Crosstrek; I was in a white van. We locked eyes at the light in front of Lowe’s in Essex. Gosh dang, you’re a supermodel. I’d love to take you out and get our chat on. When: Monday, May 4, 2026. Where: Lowe’s, Essex. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916591

SHOPPER SEEKING SHOPPER

We were at Shaw’s near closing time. You apologized sweetly for stepping near my cart, though it was absolutely ﬁne. Your look was kind and open. I smiled. We passed each other later, but I was out of gas from the week and couldn’t speak (and was starstruck from our ﬁrst encounter). Can we shop together? When: Friday, May 1, 2026. Where: Shaw’s, Randolph. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916588

De Bambi No,

I HOPE YOU’RE HAPPY

I don’t wish you any ill will; I’m glad you cut things off. / It’s something I couldn’t do myself. / But I still think of you every single day. / I miss the girls, too. / When you think of me, please remember the good stuff. / It’s getting easier instead of harder / To live without you. / Be well, my long-lost werewolf. When: Sunday, May 17, 2026. Where: Cambridge. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916589

TANGLED AT THE BARRE RESOURCE

While shopping, we encountered each other three times, with you continuously excusing yourself. I responded, “You’re ﬁne,” and you quipped it was “because you worked out.” “I like your cattitude,” I responded. I looked you in the eyes and saw your very nice hair, and you were holding a large assortment of tangled yarn skeins. When: Monday, May 4, 2026. Where: Barre ReSOURCE. You: Man. Me: Man. #916587

COSTCO SHARED GLANCES

You were the pretty lady sitting in the eye care department. I was the guy checking you out (when I wasn’t checking out big-screen TVs). Pretty sure I caught you checking me out, too. You looked familiar. Have you seen me before? If you’re not another stalker, reply here and tell me your name. When: Wednesday, April 29, 2026. Where: Costco. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916586

AN OVERLY EMPOWERED UNWED MOTHER

Bullying and verbally assaulting your disabled child and disabled neighbor was intentionally malicious, indefensible and lacking integrity, as was spreading untrue gossip throughout the building. e impulsive choice you made to immediately ﬁle a police report — despite not having witnessed the situation — rather than having a simple conversation with me was irresponsible and damaging. In the words of Stormzy, do better! When: Friday, April 24, 2026. Where: Winooski. You: Woman. Me: Woman. #916585

WOMAN IN PLAID

You: black-and-white ﬂannel. Me: used to have the same ﬂannel, but with a hood. I meant to ask if you wanted to be thrifting buddies, but too shy to ask for your number. When: Wednesday, April 15, 2026. Where: Hardwick Village Restaurant. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916579

PRETTY LADY AT CROW BOOKSHOP

I went to Crow Bookshop to see if they were hiring. While there, I was left speechless at how pretty you were. I awkwardly complimented your sweater and hastily left. I wish I was able to get to know you a little better, either romantically or just as friends. When: ursday, April 16, 2026. Where: Crow Bookshop. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916584

CLADDAGH

In the café around 10:30 a.m., you were sitting by the windows sharing a bit of food with a young girl companion (a daughter, maybe?). I caught an intriguing detail that sparked my curiosity: a claddagh ring worn in a rather intentional way. I should have inquired. Maybe you’ll grant a chance to amend my error. When: Wednesday, April 22, 2026. Where: City Market South. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916583

IF You missed me you’d ﬁnd a way to be near me again. You wouldn’t weaponize me or love. And you’d allow me to move on. You’ve slept with enough other people and done enough deplorable actions. I got the hint the ﬁrst time. You wouldn’t have “a suitable replacement.” When: Wednesday, April 1, 2026. Where: somewhere. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916582

MALLETTS BAY AREA

Just moved to the area! I keep seeing the same girl: short, blond, mesmerizing eyes and a smile to die for! Spotted you at Malletts Bay Price Chopper, again on a hike and pretty sure downtown! I’m starting to think it’s not a coincidence but we’re actually meant to meet. Maybe we can get Chunky Monkey ice cream sometime? My favorite! When: Friday, April 10, 2026. Where: all over area. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916581

IT’S FRIDAY NIGHT!

You know what that means. Here’s to (at least) 16 more years spending copper to build suboptimal, nonsynergistic decks ﬁlled with curses, estates and safety duchys. We’ve got long to go before that third supply pile runs out. Either way, I’ll have more victory points. When: Friday, April 17, 2026. Where: in the hinterlands. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916580

Living with a newborn is no easy task, even when the baby is your own. So I don’t blame you for wanting to get out of Dodge before the stork arrives.

Since you moved into her apartment, I’m assuming you aren’t on the lease. If there are no written rules about your tenancy, there shouldn’t be any legal reason to prevent you from moving out whenever you want. It would be wise to research Vermont renter regulations to check the facts.

Speaking of, she just found out she’s pregnant. So you probably have at least six months to ﬁgure out your next step. at’s plenty of time to have some conversations with your roomie about her plans. Who knows? Maybe she’ll be the one who decides she needs to get a new place.

Even if you could leave tomorrow with no repercussions, it’s common courtesy to give a roommate plenty of notice before moving out. You don’t want to burn any bridges or leave her in the lurch, especially in her condition.

Long story short: Don’t make a rash decision you might regret. You don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater and lose your sweet parking spot. Good luck and God bless, The Rev end

What’s your problem? Send it to asktherev@sevendaysvt.com.

52-y/o SWM looking for SW. Ideal age, 50 to 55. I like to go to Myrtle Beach. I like to go kayaking, back-road biking, take walks in the woods and camp. I would like someone who is willing to plan adventures together. #L1944

We are a 68-y/o bi couple looking for one or two goodlooking, friendly male friends, 50-plus, with adequate physical assets to help rock my wife’s world individually or collectively. Discreet ﬁrst meeting to determine compatibility is very important. No creepy people, please. #L1942

42-y/o female time traveler, house builder, plant tender, sequin wearer with two young companions seeks affectionate, nimble, energized and conﬁdent male, 35-50, up for woods roaming, swimming, porch sitting, hard manual labor and cracking up with nothing more than what’s in our pockets.#L1941

I’m a 65-y/o single white male, 5’8”, 200 lbs., looking for female 50 to 65 who is white, slender, a good looker, ﬁt, in good health; likes outdoor fun, camping, car rides, and plenty of foreplay and sex. #L1940

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SWF, 72 y/o, seeking a man 60 to 70 y/o. I live in Woodstock, Vt. Looking for a serious relationship with a man. Phone number, meet in person. #L1943

I’m a SWM, 73, seeking a female. I am creative, smart, clean and good looking. Seeking a woman 70-plus who wants to play once or twice a week. #L1939

DWM, 71, looking for female to start a relationship with. I enjoy dining in as well as out, country drives. Looking for fun and honest people. I’m retired and happy, just something missing. Phone number, please. #L1937

I’m a SWM, late 60s, 5’7”, 165 lbs., seeking slim males, 18 y/o and up, who are quick comers for oral sex and a rim job. Body hair a plus. Phone number, please. #L1938

Trans man looking for someone to go on adventures with. Big fan of reading, writing and video games. I look forward to long-form letters and heartfelt romance. Let’s see where the wind takes us. #L1936

Male, 23. Super into Asians. Already have a girlfriend but looking for something casual on the side. I like going out for fruity cocktails and playing golf. Hope you’re OK with my pants being tighter than yours. #L1935

Int net-Free Dating!

to these messages with real,

Ambitious guy who loves business, travel and living life differently. Big on loyalty, laughs and connection. Looking for a girl who’s affectionate, wild, supportive and ready to run off to a Mexican dream life. No clothes needed, just avocados and mangoes. #L1932

All-smooth M, mid-50s, twinkish youthful appearance, seeking avid butt muncher to use mouth, ﬁngers, toys for long sessions. Very responsive to erotic sensual play, open-minded, curious to explore turn-ons, kinks, fetish, fantasies. Seeking M or F. #L1931

Male unicorn seeking maiden for sharing fantasies in the magical kingdom. #L1934

I’m a gay male, mid-60s, seeking a gay male in his 70s and uncut. Trimmed, passionate, virgin. Enjoy nude activities together, nature walks, cuddling, etc. for intimate times. Let’s talk and hopefully meet. #L1930

Describe yourself and who you’re looking for in 40 words below: (OR, ATTACH A SEPARATE PIECE OF PAPER.)

I’m a AGE + GENDER (OPTIONAL) seeking a AGE + GENDER (OPTIONAL)

I’m a 31-y/o man, tall, dark, long hair, very athletically toned. I like to dance, create music, enjoy Mary Jane and all of the culture’s movies. I am a fan of the expression of love, and I am just looking for my person. Hopefully a short female who takes care of herself well and is willing to take me on as a challenge. #L1928

I’m a gay male, 70 y/o, seeking an 18-plus male or males. I’m 180 lbs. and 5’9”. I’m into spanking and wearing and using adult diapers. Looking for the same. #L1933

I’m a 21-y/o male seeking a 20-plus but preferably 45-plus woman. She must like a little weed. Have to be funny and smart; anything else a plus. Sixfoot goddesses, please reach out. I like plants and hanging out. #L1927

I’m a SWM, 73, active, ﬁt, settled, living the good life. Seeking fun girl, 65-75 y/o. A cat lover is a plus. Race or disability not important. Phone and picture are. #L1929

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