Seven Days, May 28, 2025 by Seven Days

HOME HACKS

Co-ops, community partnerships and tiny homes: Vermonters pursue

RACHEL HELLMAN,

PAGE

Harwood’s school cellphone ban is a success

COMPILED BY SASHA GOLDSTEIN & MATTHEW ROY

HUGS WITHOUT BORDERS

Feeling skittish about visiting Vermont’s provincial neighbor to the north because of President Donald Trump’s remarks about annexing Canada as a 51st state? Have you found yourself instinctively apologizing to anyone sporting a red maple leaf or a Canadiens hockey jersey? Are you ordering more poutine in restaurants as an act of international solidarity?

If any of the above apply, the tourism board for Québec’s Eastern Townships has a message for you: “Come hug it out in the Eastern Townships.”

“At a time when global travel feels uncertain and international relations seem complicated, a corner of Canada is reaching out with a simple and heartfelt message: We miss you,” reads a new marketing campaign that launched on Memorial Day.

e Canadian ad campaign kicked off with a 30-second video that is now airing in New York and New England on Facebook, YouTube and some broadcast television channels. Created by the Montréal agency La Bande and

produced by Tourisme Cantons-de-l’Est (aka Tourism Eastern Townships), the ad features a somewhat hesitant American tourist being welcomed to a Québec hotel not just in English but with open arms — literally.

“Our American guests are more than tourists, they’re part of our story,” Isabelle Charlebois, general director of Tourism Eastern Townships, explained in a press release. “ is ad campaign is our way of saying: we appreciate you and we can’t wait to welcome you again.”

Given the rising political tension between Washington, D.C., and Ottawa, the reciprocal trade tariffs, and growing nationalism, travelers in both countries have been rethinking their international vacation plans, inﬂicting pain on both sides of the border. As Seven Days reported last week, only 98,000 visitors crossed into Vermont from Canada last month by car, down from 147,000 in April 2024 and just slightly more than the 84,000 who came in April 2022, when COVID-19 travel restrictions were lifted.

KEN PICARD

emoji that

ON YOUR MARKS

About 1,900 marathoners, 1,000 relay teams — including one from Seven Days! — and thousands more spectators ﬁlled Burlington for the Vermont City Marathon.

WHO IS…

Jim Carpenter of Charlotte appeared on the game show “Jeopardy!” and won one night before losing the next. Way to represent!

GUN SHY

Gov. Phil Scott said he would veto a Burlington charter change that prevents people from bringing ﬁrearms to bars.

About 87 percent of Queen City voters backed the measure.

WIDE LOAD

A tractor-trailer truck got stuck in Smugglers’ Notch just a week after the road, Route 108, opened for the summer. Untrucking-believable.

$30 MILLION

That’s how much Vermont will receive from the U.S. Department of Transportation for ﬂood repairs.

TOPFIVE

1. “Summer’s Back, but Canadian Tourists Are Not” by Derek Brouwer. As Canadians vacation elsewhere due to Trump’s insults, cross-border trafﬁc into Vermont has dropped sharply.

2. “Chef Christian Kruse Has Bought the Big Spruce in Richmond” by Melissa Pasanen. e restaurant’s former executive chef plans to reopen it this summer.

3. “Are Americans Even Welcome in Canada Right Now?” by Jen Rose Smith. Our writer has made several recent trips to Québec and felt “as welcome as ever.”

4. “A Hater’s Guide to the Burlington Creemee Scene” by Chelsea Edgar. If this “hater” dislikes Queen City creemees so much, how does she know where to get one after 10 p.m.? It’s complicated.

5. “Burlington’s Community Sailing Center Finds Calmer Waters” by Courtney Lamdin. After eight years of fundraising to pay off loans, the sailing center is ﬁnally debt-free.

TOWNCRIER

LOCALLY SOURCED NEWS South Burlington Hits Pause on All-Resident Voting e city won’t pursue an effort to allow noncitizens to vote in local elections amid an uncertain political climate, the Other Paper reported. While some communities have allowed all legal residents to cast ballots, South Burlington ofﬁcials worry that creating a public list of noncitizens could result in federal retaliation. Read more at vtcng.com/otherpapersbvt.

SKATING BY

e subject of the panel discussion in early May was troubling: federal cuts to arts and humanities organizations. But Rose Friedman injected some levity into the event at Randolph’s Chandler Center for the Arts when explaining the value of such institutions.

Friedman is executive director of the Civic Standard, a cultural community center on Main Street in Hardwick that works to bridge divides among the town’s 3,000 people. Boys ride their skateboards up and down that street “to the chagrin of every driver,” Friedman told the audience.

“It’s a very intense relationship.”

“So … I just opened the door one day,

and I was like, ‘Hey guys, you should come in. I’ve got, um, cookies inside!’” e crowd roared with laughter.

“So creepy!” she admitted.

“ ey were like, ‘Why?’ And I was like, ‘Cuz we’re gonna work on building a skate park!’”

Friedman explained to the audience that she had no plans to build a skate park nor did she know how, but she had to commit “because they kept showing up for meetings,” she said. ey consulted a skate park builder in town, sold sweatshirts to raise money and applied for grants. When it became apparent that the boys would be out of high school before the park could be constructed, they decided to build a portable mini ramp ﬁrst.

ey spent several months trying to

ﬁnd a place for it. “Everybody has said no” because of the liability, Friedman said — even the Civic Standard’s insurance agent.

“And it got to the point where we had all the materials … and I had the carpenters volunteering their time, and I had the boys signed up, and we had the cookies and everything. But I didn’t know … where the heck it was gonna go.”

Friedman delivered the kicker to the Chandler crowd, noting that at that point, town manager David Upson called her. “‘ e ﬁre chief said it can go behind the ﬁrehouse,’” she recalled him saying. “‘ e town is going to take care of the insurance.’”

e audience whooped and cheered. e ramp was completed on Sunday.

MARY ANN LICKTEIG

Screenshot from ad

ON THE HOUSE.

Paula Routly

Cathy Resmer

Don Eggert, Colby Roberts

NEWS & POLITICS

Matthew Roy

Sasha Goldstein

Ken Ellingwood, Candace Page

Hannah Bassett, Derek Brouwer, Colin Flanders, Rachel Hellman, Courtney Lamdin, Kevin McCallum, Alison Novak

ARTS & CULTURE

Dan Bolles, Carolyn Fox

Chelsea Edgar, Margot Harrison, Pamela Polston

Jen Rose Smith

Alice Dodge

Chris Farnsworth

Rebecca Driscoll

Jordan Barry, Mary Ann Lickteig, Melissa Pasanen, Ken Picard

Alice Dodge, Angela Simpson

Katherine Isaacs, Martie Majoros DIGITAL & VIDEO

‘WHY AREN’T YOU OUT HERE?’

[Re Calendar: Green Up Day, April 30]: Activities such as hiking, stacking ﬁrewood and road biking produce free thinking and wandering of the mind. On Green Up Day, my contemplations included: There goes a garbage tosser and Why aren’t you out here?

Bryan Parmelee

Eva Sollberger

Je Baron DESIGN

Don Eggert

Rev. Diane Sullivan

John James

Je Baron SALES & MARKETING

Colby Roberts

Robyn Birgisson

Michelle Brown, Logan Pintka, Kaitlin Montgomery

Carolann Whitesell ADMINISTRATION

Marcy Stabile

Matt Weiner

Andy Watts

Gillian English CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Along 300 feet of the roadside, I found plenty of objects adorned with bright colors and catchy names such as Loon, Charge+, Elf and Geek Bar Pulse — all disposable vapes. Green Up Day will not solve this waste problem.

If you’re a walker, watch out, as every ﬁve seconds one of these cartridges is thrown out in the U.S. and 150 million are tossed per year; that equals 6,000 Teslas worth of lithium. We are poisoning our adolescents and our environment with toxic metals. Vermont should enact a “sweeping” bottle bill and recycling legislation. What we have now is very costly.

Gregory Hennemuth DERBY

HEALTH INSURANCE FOR ALL

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

Luke Awtry, Daria Bishop, James Buck, Matt Mignanelli, Tim Newcomb, Jon Olender, Jeb Wallace-Brodeur FOUNDERS

Pamela Polston, Paula Routly CIRCULATION: 35,000

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Thanks to Seven Days for [“Code Red,” May 7], on how the state’s health care leaders are scrambling to prevent another colossal insurance hike in rates or the implosion of the state’s health care system. It is excessively telling and sad that Rep. Alyssa Black (D-Essex), chair of the House Health Care Committee, and three other members of her committee have to go without health insurance because “the unrelenting price hikes” have elevated costs beyond their reach, and they are legislators.

These legislators who have to go without health insurance are in a position to at least do something about it. We are not. I support that health insurance should be part of serving as a legislator, yet only as long as we who are paying it do not have to go without.

The trouble with this newest crisis is that it is déjà vu. We’ve been here before. It seems like we never leave it. Every year Blue Cross Blue Shield is hitting us up through the Green Mountain Care Board for another “major insurance hike.” After this year’s hike is granted, it’ll be the same or similar next year, the year after that and so on.

Rep. Lori Houghton (D-Essex Junction) said of BCBS: “If we lose them, we’re screwed.” Maybe we’ll be even more

screwed if we keep them instead of finally, at last, adopting a publicly funded health care system.

Walter Carpenter MONTPELIER

‘LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD’

[Re “Senate Passes Education Reform Bill After Days of Political Wrangling,” May 23, online]: Kudos, as always, to education reporter Alison Novak for her piece published last Friday on the Senate passing an amended version of H.454 after the whirlwind finish to last week’s activities. While there still is work to do, Gov. Phil Scott has flatly stated he will veto anything that doesn’t reduce costs, but funding is only one aspect of the three being looked at to improve education, along with governance structure and, most importantly, quality.

The Commission on the Future of Public Education in Vermont has engaged a communications group to gather public input from throughout the state through virtual sessions. Let your voice be heard by signing up for one of these sessions. There are currently two scheduled for the last week in May (Wednesday, May 28, 9:30 to 11 a.m., and Thursday, May 29, 6 to 7:30 p.m.) and one in June (Wednesday, June 11, 6 to 7:30 p.m.). Find links at the Vermont Agency of Education’s website by clicking on “State Boards and Councils” and going from there to the Commission on the Future’s page.

Join one of these sessions to inform future legislation. Call Gov. Scott and urge him not to undo the hard work done by the

move three grades out of the school building, while operation and maintenance of the building are still necessary as if it were full.

Westford residents are proud of our community school. We are deeply concerned that decisions based on misleading assumptions could put its future at risk.

Kirsten Tyler WESTFORD

SORRY, PROGS

In your May 14 issue, there was a note that Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak went to Montréal to apologize to Canadians for our president [Emoji That: “Diplomatic Mission”]. I found it interesting, because the mayor and the rest of the Progressives are solely responsible for President Donald Trump being where he is.

agency, the commission, the House and the Senate with his red pen — we cannot erase the progress that has already been made in a very short time by decoupling funding from governance and quality.

Ken Fredette WALLINGFORD

WESTFORD IS GROWING

Thank you for your recent coverage of the proposed changes affecting Westford’s middle school students and the community response [“Small Schools, Big Decisions: Rural Families Feel Powerless in the Face of Efforts to Reshape or Close Their Schools,” May 14]. I appreciate the coverage very much, as these issues are affecting many towns in Vermont. I want to respectfully clarify one point in your article, which stated that a “dwindling number of students at Westford will lead to higher per-pupil spending.”

That phrase may leave the impression that Westford has low or declining enrollment or that our population is shrinking. In fact, the opposite is true.

According to Westford town records, births in Westford have been increasing year over year, indicating a growing young population. Our school enrollment numbers are stable, not declining.

Westford remains a vibrant, familyoriented town. We are not experiencing the kind of rural depopulation that some other communities are facing. The increase in per-pupil spending projected under the consolidation plan isn’t due to a shrinking student body; it’s because the plan would

There were millions of people who would have rather not voted for Trump but had no decent choice. They associated Kamala Harris with the far left. They were scared by the Progressives’ very visible, sheer incompetence to govern in places such as Burlington; Portland, Ore.; Seattle; San Francisco; Los Angeles; and elsewhere. They were scared by their militant, unforgiving, rigid, unpractical ideology. The Progressives also turned away a big chunk of minorities, because in their arrogance they considered them one-dimensional and dumb.

If we do not want JD Vance in threeplus years — if we want a chance to have some kind of universal health care — I would recommend that voters disappear the Progressives into the wilderness. (Although then you get to be sorry for the wildlife, because the Progs are going to try to inflict their DEI militancy even on ferns and foxes. No safe spaces for the bears, either.) Otherwise, four years from now, we are going to be sending trainloads of officials to Montréal to beg.

Evzen Holas BURLINGTON

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HOME HACKS

BY RACHEL HELLMAN

Co-ops, community partnerships and tiny homes: Vermonters pursue innovative solutions during an

NEWS+POLITICS 14

Taxing Dilemma

A bill meant to fund housing infrastructure collides with the need to protect school funding

Senate Passes Education Reform Bill

Bye, Phone

Vermont is poised to ban cellphones during school. It’s already been a success on one local campus.

Burlington Man Saves Woman From Burning Condo

Proposed Medicaid Cuts

Would Have Big Impact in Vermont

Musically Speaking e Aphasia Choir of Vermont

Touching Grief

Leila Teitelman’s BabyCakes premieres at Off Center for the Dramatic Arts

Lines Crossed Book review: e Jackal’s Mistress, Chris Bohjalian

Middlebury’s Marquis

Theatre Goes Retro With Art Deco Façade

The Space Between Combines Art, Film, Music and Meditation

Mixed ‘Signals’

A strong show at K. Grant Fine Art is its last in Vergennes ATM Gallery Sprouts in Shelburne

Find a new job in the classiﬁeds

on page

and online at jobs.sevendaysvt.com.

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MAGNIFICENT

MUST SEE, MUST DO THIS WEEK COMPILED BY REBECCA DRISCOLL

FRIDAY 30

PORTRAIT OF A LADY

Shaker Bridge eatre brings the drama with a one-night-only staged reading of Marisa Smith’s Samantha Inside Out Briggs Opera House in White River Junction. Pulitzer Prize ﬁnalist (and theaterkid icon) eresa Rebeck directs Broadway veteran Jayne Atkinson in the new one-woman show about chaos, wreckage and starting over.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 63 at

THURSDAY 29

Petal to the Metal Road riders of all ages have a wheelie wicked time celebrating cycling culture and the great outdoors at the annual Bike Bloom at Burlington’s Intervale Center. Group treks of varying paces from mellow to zippy include a meandering Riparian Ride — focused on the center’s ecology and conservation efforts — and a Tour de Toddler to accommodate striders and trailers for wee passengers.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 62

THURSDAY 29

A Night to Remember

“Anne Frank: A History for Today” — an unmissable traveling exhibit curated by the University of South Carolina — makes its way to Woodstock Union High School for a powerful Community Night. Attendees ages 12 and up take in a short ﬁlm, a keynote presentation by author K. Heidi Fishman and thought-provoking discussions with local student docents trained by the university.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 60

THURSDAY 29

Feels Like Home

is year’s Fair Housing Month Community Exhibit closes out with an inspired reception at Burlington City Hall. Neighbors gather to hear readings by teen authors from the Young Writers Project, get creative with a hands-on letterpress activity, and reﬂect on key themes of inclusivity and the importance of home. Check out the show’s artworks and writing selections before it concludes on May 31.

SEE ART LISTING ON PAGE 50

SATURDAY 31

FRIDAY 30

Organized Chaos

High-voltage talent takes over the Montpelier Performing Arts Hub for the Brass Balagan Variety Show, where giddy guests ﬁnd a circus full of fun. e social justice street band (whose name means “chaotic mess” in Yiddish) brings its usual red jumpsuits and horns, while standup comedy acts get hands clapping and klezmer, Latin, Balkan and blues tunes get toes tapping.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 62

Smoke Signals

Yeehaw! Country music, backyard barbecue and lawn games make for the perfect Pig Jig at the Green Mountain Lounge at Mount Ellen in Warren. Attendees rope in the good vibes with an ice-cold beverage in one hand and saucy pig roast bites in the other, while live honky-tonk tunes by Red River North, Wild Leek River and Hobo get two-steppin’ hoofers out on the dance ﬂoor.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 64

MONDAY 2

Rhapsody in Stowe

e Tom Gershwin Quintet brings down the house with musical precision and improvisational wizardry at Field Guide Lodge in Stowe. Headed by the eponymous Northeast Kingdom trumpetercomposer, the ﬁve-piece ensemble grabs listeners’ attention with expressive jazz compositions from forthcoming album Wellspring — the product of a Vermont Arts Council Creation Grant.

SEE CLUB LISTING ON PAGE 66

In 2023, Vermonters threw away 71,113 tons of food scraps which ended up in our only land ll.

Enough to ll 3,555 tractor-trailer trucks, which placed bumper-to-bumper would stretch from Milton to Montpelier.

CSWD’s Organic Recycling Facility (ORF) and our six Drop-O Centers accept food scraps from residents and businesses to keep them out of Vermont’s only land ll. For information scan or visit cswd.net/foodscraps

Walking the Talk

Americans love a marathon — a test of will, endurance and aerobic ﬁtness. More than 5,000 ran in the Burlington one on Sunday, including a relay team of ﬁve fearless Seven Dayzers. Thousands more cheered them on, bearing witness to the collective e ort.

It was a lot sweatier than the passeggiata four days earlier on Church Street — an evening stroll modeled after a ritual practiced in Italy, Spain and Latin America. In Spanish, it’s called a paseo

The daily tradition involves rounding up the family and walking — slowly, with no particular goal — through an urban core while making frequent stops to shop, sit for a drink or catch up with friends. Burlington’s version is championed by the Vermont Italian Cultural Association, and I joined president Lisa DeNatale for last Wednesday’s inaugural walk. Even once a week, DeNatale believes it’s good for the hood.

“Now more than ever, we need to support Burlington,” she wrote in an email explaining the concept to friends, fellow Queen City residents and VICA members. Included was a list of “simple instructions about a passeggiata,” such as “There is no destination” and “In Italy, people often walk up and down the street multiple times.” (See sidebar for more.)

I met DeNatale at 5 p.m. in front of Burlington City Hall, which o ered a clear view of the Main Street construction site wrapped around Honey Road restaurant. We were joined by Lisa Schamberg and Pat Robins, who remember Church Street when it had twoway automobile tra c. Robins, who owned the o ce supply store McAuli e’s, used his inﬂuence to advocate for Church Street’s transformation into a pedestrian mall in the early 1980s.

Our quartet had taken just a few steps north when we encountered Burlington City Arts executive director Doreen Kraft, who joined us. She suggested to DeNatale that the BCA Center galleries could stay open into the evening on Wednesdays throughout the summer to accommodate potential passeggiata

PAULA ROUTLY

Lisa DeNatale on the Church Street Marketplace

strollers. DeNatale told me later that other Church Street businesses are hatching similar plans.

In front of Leunig’s Bistro & Café, we ran into a group that included Michele Asch and Sam Donnelly. Asch is part of the family that owns Twincraft Skincare in Winooski, and in 2021 she served on the board of the Burlington Business Association, where Donnelly was recently deputy director. Their respective work for Let’s Grow Kids brought them together. Now both Asch and Donnelly are throwing their weight behind a new nonproﬁt called Building Burlington’s Future. Asch announced that Donnelly had just been hired as executive director. Apparently one org is not enough to meet the Queen City’s current complex challenges.

NOW MORE THAN EVER, WE NEED TO SUPPORT BURLINGTON.

LISA DENATALE

Then Joe Carroll from WCAX-TV showed up, and Kraft and I took the opportunity to duck into Little Istanbul, a newish Turkish gift shop that sells elaborately embroidered sneakers, colorful mosaic lamps, pillows, kilims and an impressive selection of spices.

It made me want to try Cappadocia Bistro, owned by the same family, across the street. We’d written about the new eatery in Seven Days, and I’d heard good things about the food and décor from friends.

Leaving Little Istanbul, Kraft and I found our passeggiata party had grown, and stalled, where we left it. So we grabbed Robins and Schamberg and led them to the east side of the street for Turkish treats and co ee.

We lost track of DeNatale, who emailed me later. In the course of three hours, she managed to get up and down Church Street — once.

“Along the way I stopped to talk with friends, who introduced me to their friends and, in some cases, their family,” she told me. “At times I didn’t move for 15 or more minutes, instead chatting and connecting with people I hadn’t seen in a while.”

She estimated that about 75 people showed up for the passeggiata. She didn’t get home until after 8 p.m.

Hopefully she’s started something. The weekly passeggiata is a fun, easy way to bring bodies, and business, back to downtown Burlington — even if I only made it a block and a half. It’s not a race but an altogether di erent way to demonstrate strength and endurance — just by showing up.

Paula Routly

Passeggiata Pointers

• ere is no start or end point.

• ere is no ofﬁcial start or end time — generally between 5 and 8 p.m.

• ere is no destination.

• It’s not an event.

• In Italy, people often walk up and down the street multiple times.

• Shop, and stop for an aperitivo, snack or ice cream.

• Socialize.

• Bring your family and friends.

• Make a dinner reservation.

• We hope this becomes a weekly ritual, every Wednesday from 5 to 8 p.m. In Italy, it’s daily.

Courtesy of the Vermont Italian Cultural Association

LOVE YOUR PAPER.

Seven Days has once again been selected to host a Report for America corps member. e national service program places journalists in newsrooms around the country — and partially funds their salaries — through its nonproﬁt arm, the GroundTruth Project. Corps member Lucy Tompkins will join Seven Days in July to help cover immigration and Vermont’s immigrant communities.

We’re asking readers to make one-time tax-deductible donations to the GroundTruth Project to support this new beat. Vermont Coffee founder Paul Ralston will match the ﬁrst $20,000 in donations through our public crowdfunding drive. We’re up to nearly $10,000 so far!

Why should you support our immigration reporting?

Here are a few comments from the 100-plus donors who have contributed so far, explaining why they pitched in:

SEVEN DAYS PROVIDES ESSENTIAL COVERAGE OF THE NEWS NOT AVAILABLE FROM OTHER SOURCES.

SUPPORTING YOUNG PEOPLE AS THEY ENTER THE FIELD IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.

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Make it out to “GroundTruth Project,” 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

Need help?

Contact Gillian at 802-865-1020, ext. 115, or gillian@sevendaysvt.com. All contributions to Report for America are tax-deductible. Contributions do not inﬂuence editorial decisions.

HERO SAVES FIRE VICTIM

DIRE MEDICAID CUTS IN FED BUDGET

BTV FIGHT OVER FOOD PROGRAM

Taxing Dilemma

A bill meant to fund housing infrastructure collides with the need to protect school funding

BY KEVIN MCCALLUM • kevin@sevendaysvt.com

Legislative attempts to create a program to boost home construction have touched off a Statehouse battle over whether the proposal would bleed money from public schools. The proposal is fraught because lawmakers and the governor are already engaged in a high-stakes debate over education reform that focuses in part on holding down school property tax increases.

The Community and Housing Infrastructure Program, or CHIP, proposes to let housing developers benefit from a tool that cities and towns have long used to fight blight. It’s called tax increment financing, or TIF. Since 1996, municipalities in Vermont have used TIF districts to revitalize underutilized areas. It’s how Burlington spruced up its waterfront, Winooski built lots of new housing and St. Albans revitalized its downtown.

While TIF districts can be e ective redevelopment tools, they’re complex,

STATEHOUSE

Senate Passes Education Reform Bill

BY ALISON NOVAK alison@sevendaysvt.com

tricky to administer and rarely used by small towns. Only nine of Vermont’s 247 cities and towns have active TIF districts.

A municipality must ﬁrst designate an area it wants to ﬁx up, then sell bonds to pay for the upgrades. The resulting increased property tax revenues are then used to pay o the bonds over time.

For the ﬁrst time, private developers would be allowed to use a new TIF tool: a “mini-TIF” or “project-based TIF” that would allow the developer to borrow money to clean up contaminated soil, lay water and sewer lines, and build new streets and sidewalks before building a housing project.

The loan would be paid back, in part, by the increased taxes resulting from the new homes. Such TIFs could also be used by cities and towns to install utilities to make an area more attractive to housing developers.

Opponents of the CHIP proposal worry that these TIF projects would siphon o property taxes intended for the state education fund, which, in turn, aids school

districts. Lawmakers, lobbyists and Gov. Phil Scott have been tussling for months over how to structure a program that lets TIF boost home construction without diverting education dollars.

Scott sees the program as a powerful tool to encourage the construction of up to 7,000 new homes in the next ﬁve years. He wants it to be big, bold, and something that can be used by developers large and small across the state instead of a modest program that, in his words, just “nibbles around the edges.”

“If housing is truly the priority we say it is, we need to follow through and make sure that all communities have the tools that they need to grow,” he said last week.

But lawmakers caution that the financing tool at the heart of the new program needs to be used sparingly. Some worry that if tapped as widely and broadly as the administration hopes, CHIP could further imperil the state education fund at a precarious time.

After several days of political wrangling, the Vermont Senate last Friday evening passed an education reform bill. e bill closely resembles one passed in the House, with some key amendments. e Senate had spent weeks creating its own version but abandoned it last ursday after it became clear the measure had insufﬁcient support to pass.

e bill is now with a conference committee — composed of three members each from the House and Senate — that will hammer out a compromise between the two versions.

It’s unclear whether Gov. Phil Scott will sign the bill. In a written statement last Friday, he said he “still cannot accept either the House or Senate versions.

“I do however remain optimistic about ﬁnding a path forward with the committee of conference,” Scott wrote.

To get a bill passed took days of closed-door meetings, discussions, writing and rewriting.

At a Democratic caucus the day before, Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Baruth (D/P-Chittenden-Central) said it was critical to get legislation across the ﬁnish line. e governor, Baruth said, had told him he would call the legislature back into session if they adjourned without passing an education reform bill.

“Let’s face it,” he said. “ e clock has run out.”

Baruth told senators that he would make a procedural motion to return to the House legislation, which he described as a “strong” and “viable” bill with “all the bells and whistles” that was “carefully and diligently produced.” en, he said, senators could introduce amendments.

e amendments included changes to a committee that will create new school district boundaries; alterations to a proposed new foundation formula; and smaller class-size minimums.

“I will say that we have given Vermonters and our colleagues in the House a bit of a show over the last couple of days,” Baruth said after the bill passed. “But what we have really shown is that you underestimate the Vermont Senate at your peril.” ➆

Sen. Phil Baruth

FILE:

KEVIN MCCALLUM

Bye, Phone

Vermont is poised to ban cellphones during school. It’s already been a success on one local campus.

BY ALISON NOVAK • alison@sevendaysvt.com

Social studies teacher Phil Stetson was initially skeptical last year when Harwood Union Middle and High School announced that students could no longer use cellphones during the day.

He’d seen how addicted they were to their phones and the anxiety-producing power struggles the devices created between students and teachers. But Stetson believed the devices were an essential part of modern life and that teaching young people to use them responsibly was better than banning them.

Now, as the first phone-free school year comes to an end, he’s a convert.

More of the school’s 585 students are making eye contact and saying “hi” in the hallways. They’re chatting in the cafeteria and playing card games in the senior lounge. They’re more engaged in academic work. And the power struggles between teachers and students have all but disappeared.

“It’s been an amazing change,” Stetson said.

He’s not alone in his enthusiasm. Seven Days interviewed multiple Harwood teachers and students who expressed satisfaction, and even relief, with the bell-to-bell phone ban.

Social studies teacher Adam Sargent said it’s transformed school culture in

the most profound way he’s seen in his 21 years as an educator. English teacher Eve Berinati said it’s improved her relationships with students. And Harwood senior Lincoln Dice said going phone-free has provided more opportunities to connect with friends as their high school careers wind down.

“I feel like more memories are being made because of the face-to-face interactions,” he said.

Harwood was one of a handful of trailblazing schools in Vermont that went phone-free last fall. Now, a bill poised to be passed in the Vermont legislature would require every other school district to follow suit.

H.480, the miscellaneous education bill, would charge the Vermont Agency of Education with creating a model policy that prohibits students from using

From left: Ella Cisz, Ava Reagan, Anna Longe and Addy Gibbs chatting over a meal

Burlington Man Saves Woman From Burning Condo

STORY & PHOTO BY COLIN FLANDERS colin@sevendaysvt.com

Jamie Strotmeyer was driving between haul-away gigs around 10:30 a.m. on May 20 when he noticed dark smoke rising above the treetops along Dorset Street in South Burlington. He pulled over and located the source: the secondstory window of a brick townhouse.

Strotmeyer saw no one outside despite the blaring smoke alarms. He hopped out of his truck and ran toward the townhouse, looking up to see fire shooting from the window “like a flamethrower,” he’d recall later.

He yanked open the sliding glass door and called out, expecting nothing in return. Instead came a frantic reply from above.

“I’m up here!”

Strotmeyer says he gave little thought to what he did next.

He ran over to the stairs and looked up to see an older woman sitting on the top step as flames engulfed a bedroom a few feet away. Her face was blackened, and she was having trouble breathing. Strotmeyer climbed the stairs into heavy smoke and brought the woman to her feet. Then he helped her descend the stairs, one step at a time, until she was safely out on the lawn.

Strotmeyer called 911 and heard sirens begin to wail from the fire station just down the road. He knocked on the doors of the neighboring condos and encouraged one of the homeowners to come outside. Firefighters arrived within minutes and doused the flames before they spread.

Terry Francis, the city’s fire marshal, concluded that the blaze was started by improperly discarded “smoking materials.” The damage was estimated to be around $125,000. The woman was discharged from the hospital later that day.

Speaking to local TV crews, Francis said he’s not sure the woman would have survived without Strotmeyer’s actions. Strotmeyer brushed off the praise, saying anyone would have done what he did.

Still, the 49-year-old Burlington man got a kick out of telling his sons — ages 7 and 13 — about how he spent his morning. Asked what he thought about his dad being called a hero, Strotmeyer’s older boy shrugged.

“I mean, he’s my dad,” Jack said. “He’s always been kind of awesome.” ➆

Taxing Dilemma « P.14

“This is a brand-new program that is a potential liability on the statewide education fund and the statewide education property tax,” Rep. Charlie Kimbell (D-Woodstock) told colleagues.

Kimbell reminded lawmakers that the education fund needed a $77 million lifeline in the 2025-26 budget so that property taxes wouldn’t increase sharply again. That cash infusion will keep average property tax increases for schools to around 1 percent, compared to the jarring 14 percent surge in 2024-25.

The prospect of another ed fund bailout next year and deep uncertainty about future federal funding for education make it wise for lawmakers to proceed with caution, he said. Kimbell serves on the tax-writing House Ways and Means committee, which inserted “guardrails” meant to keep CHIP from getting out of hand.

These originally included a cap on the amount of taxes that could be returned to developers to pay for the infrastructure; limits on where such housing could be located; and binding agreements, or covenants, from developers that the resulting housing units would be affordable and used as primary residences.

Lawmakers say they are merely trying to ensure that taxpayer funds would be well spent. For example, they want TIF districts to be created only for projects that truly need them. The goal is to leverage the funds to spur housing that otherwise wouldn’t pencil out.

One of those projects, according to Russ Scully, who founded the coworking space Hula on the Burlington waterfront, is the huge housing development that he and his partners want to build in the city’s South End. They’d like to construct up to 1,400 units on what is now a mostly empty parking lot on Lakeside Avenue.

But Scully told lawmakers recently that the project is at a “standstill.” The tight labor market, the impact of tariffs on construction materials and high interest rates are all weighing on the project’s viability.

“We’re currently unable to move forward unless we get some sort of help with infrastructure costs,” he told lawmakers.

It would be a shame if the project didn’t get built, Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale (D-Chittenden-Southeast) said. If someone with Scully’s resources and entrepreneurial spirit can’t pull off a housing project in a city that needs it so desperately, then Vermont will never claw its way out of its housing crisis, she said — meaning government should do its part.

“This is likely to be the biggest housing project of the decade,” she said. It’s not just developers behind big projects that could use the funding mechanism. A community housing project in flood-ravaged Plainfield is investigating whether it could use the proposed new TIF tool to help buy land and install utilities. (See “Home Hacks,” page 26.)

The concept of expanded TIF funding has been floated before but never went anywhere. The idea gained traction this session in part because the housing crisis persists despite hundreds of millions of dollars of public subsidies. Vermont is building fewer than a third of the homes it needs to meet demand. The inability of workers to find housing is causing about $700 million in lost economic output

THIS IS A BRAND-NEW PROGRAM THAT IS A POTENTIAL LIABILITY ON THE STATEWIDE EDUCATION FUND AND THE STATEWIDE EDUCATION PROPERTY TAX.

REP. CHARLIE KIMBELL

every year, according to Alex Farrell, commissioner of the state Department of Housing and Community Development.

The administration’s streamlined version of the program enjoyed strong support from the Senate and some House committees, Farrell said. But when the bill got to House Ways and Means, it took a “dramatic turn” that was “very unproductive,” Farrell said.

Committee chair Emilie Kornheiser (D-Brattleboro) immediately characterized the program as a “significant risk to the education fund.” If lots of builders across the state get their infrastructure paid for with property taxes, significant tax dollars will be diverted from education, she argued.

“I don’t see any reason why any new development that’s being planned anywhere in the state wouldn’t want to take the opportunity to join [CHIP],” she said.

When property is taxed, roughly 25 percent goes to the municipality and 75 percent to the state education fund. When properties are developed, their value — and the assessed taxes — increase. Under CHIP, all of the increase, or increment, in taxes could be used to pay for the infrastructure upgrades.

If developers use a TIF district to finance a project’s infrastructure, 60 percent of the higher taxes that would normally go to the state education fund could be returned to them. That figure could rise to 80 percent for projects that include enough units for low- to moderate-income residents, currently pegged at 20 percent.

Some legislators are asking why the state should send tax revenue meant for schools to developers who, they worry, would likely pursue their projects even without the funding.

Scott called that a “hollow argument” and one he’s heard for decades.

“I just don’t buy it,” he said last week. “I just don’t believe fundamentally that these projects would be built without TIF.”

The notion that the financing tool would “rob” the ed fund makes no sense if the project wouldn’t get built otherwise, Scott argued. If projects weren’t built, people who needed homes wouldn’t get them and revenues destined for schools wouldn’t grow, he said.

Bogging down the program with too many restrictions will only hamper its effectiveness, he argued.

House lawmakers first proposed a cap on total tax reimbursements of $40 million for each year of the pilot program, or up to $240 million. In a compromise meant to help avoid a veto, they gave Scott the right to request an additional $5 million per year if needed. Before passing its version of the bill last week, the House also voted to strip out an anti-sprawl provision that required CHIP projects to be within half a mile of an “existing settlement.”

One outstanding thorny issue: whether municipalities would need to police the primary residency requirements. Municipal managers say that’s not their job.

The legislature’s nonpartisan Joint Fiscal Office said it couldn’t estimate how much the program would cost the education fund because it’s unclear how much it would be used.

The House and the Senate are due to hash out their differences in a six-member conference committee this week.

It’s unclear whether lawmakers can pass a bill that Scott would sign. Last week, the governor expressed exasperation that lawmakers were playing it safe when the moment calls for bold action.

“We all ran on this,” Scott said, referring to the need to address the housing shortage. “But we’re not willing to go out on a limb just a bit to help ourselves out of the crisis we face?” ➆

Jamie Strotmeyer

Proposed Medicaid Cuts Would Have Big Impact in Vermont

BY COLIN FLANDERS • colin@sevendaysvt.com

U.S. House Republicans passed a multitrillion-dollar budget bill last week that would signiﬁcantly slash Medicaid, the government-sponsored insurance program for people with low incomes or disabilities.

e bill now heads to the U.S. Senate, and while it could look much different by the time it lands on President Donald Trump’s desk — if it gets there at all — Vermont ofﬁcials say they’re already bracing for impact.

“If this were to become law, it would really dramatically change what health care looks like in the state of Vermont,” said Ashley Berliner, the state’s director of Medicaid policy.

Berliner has been tasked with following the One Big Beautiful Bill Act through its many legislative gyrations and spent recent days trying to wrap her head around a ﬂurry of eleventh-hour changes. Speaking to Seven Days last week, she broke down the potential impacts into a few broad categories.

e ﬁrst is perhaps the most concerning: “People are going to lose insurance,” Berliner said. at’s because the House bill will make it much more difﬁcult for people to maintain coverage due to increased eligibility checks and a new strict work requirement.

e legislation speciﬁcally targets what’s known as the “expanded” Medicaid population, or people who became eligible for the state-run program under the Affordable Care Act. In Vermont, that’s about 60,000 people.

e bill would strip beneﬁts from working-age adults who do not have children unless they can prove that they’re working at least 80 hours a month.

Proponents say the measure is meant to encourage participation in the

labor force and prevent freeloading. Yet research has shown that the majority of people on Medicaid nationally already meet the proposed work requirements.

Vermont nevertheless estimates that half of its ACA expansion group — some 30,000 people — would, at least temporarily, lose insurance upon the bill’s passage.

Why? In a word: paperwork.

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People with lower incomes are more likely to change addresses and work irregular hours, which can make them difficult to reach. When Arkansas briefly imposed work requirements for Medicaid during Trump’s first term, 18,000 people lost coverage within months — though the vast majority were later deemed to be victims of red tape, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a progressive think tank.

Vermont’s Medicaid program has a 50 percent response rate whenever it needs to ask for paper records, according to Berliner.

“Paperwork really becomes an overwhelming barrier, and we have decades of experience to be able to say that deﬁnitively,” Berliner said. e rate of “churn” — the phenomenon of people losing and regaining insurance — would be “set on ﬁre” under the bill, Berliner said, since states would be required to check eligibility every six months instead of every year.

Meanwhile, fewer people on Medicaid means fewer federal dollars would ﬂow into Vermont. e feds fund about 90 percent of what Medicaid reimburses providers for the ACA expanded population. Losing half of that group would translate to a loss of about $200 million, Berliner said.

at would come on top of the loss of enhanced tax credits that have helped tamp down cost hikes on private insurance plans. ose credits, which represent about $120 million, are set to expire later this year.

e House bill also seeks to limit states’ ability to use Medicaid to fund care that the GOP ﬁnds morally objectionable. It would effectively limit Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood, which serves about 12,000 patients in Vermont annually. And it punishes states that provide coverage to undocumented immigrants by threatening to withhold 10 percent of all federal payments.

Vermont began providing Medicaid coverage to undocumented immigrants in 2022. Continuing that program, which uses about $1.1 million in state funds to insure roughly 330 people who are either pregnant or under the age of 19, would allow the feds to withhold $26 million. ➆

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Bye, Phone

cellphones and other personal electronic devices from arrival to dismissal. Local school boards would then have to adopt the state policy or create their own equally comprehensive one by the start of the 2026-27 school year.

The legislation also would prohibit school districts from using social media platforms such as Instagram or Facebook to communicate directly with students. And districts couldn’t require students to use social media for academic work or school-sponsored activities. Twelve other states have passed legislation that bans students’ use of cellphones from bell to bell, but Vermont would be the first in the nation to implement the social-media prohibition.

A bipartisan majority in both the House and Senate supports the phonefree school legislation, and Gov. Phil Scott has indicated he’ll sign the measure.

“I don’t believe that phones should be utilized in school,” Scott said during a press conference at Montpelier’s U-32 Middle & High School last month. “I’m in favor of doing something.” He noted that even he and members of his cabinet are guilty of getting distracted by their phones during meetings “instead of listening to each other.”

At Harwood, educators had been asking for the change for years. But the pandemic, and the reliance on technology that came with it, delayed any action. By last spring, it became clear that the vast majority of teachers and staff wanted a change because phones disrupted learning and fragmented students’ attention.

Rather than having the school board pass a formal policy or asking students whether they wanted to go phone-free, administrators decided to simply implement new procedures. Assistant principal Jessica Deane characterized it as “an adult decision about what we knew would be best for our school community and students.”

Still, they knew the change wouldn’t be effective if students didn’t buy in. Administrators organized a series of community discussions to explain the decision and ask students what they needed for it to be successful.

Even though she helped facilitate the community discussions, junior Kira Rundle said “it felt personal” when the school posted flyers last spring announcing the phone-free policy. Other students were similarly dubious.

“I’m glad it happened, but, initially, I was not on board,” Rundle recalled.

Harwood used the last of its COVID19 relief money to purchase slim fabric bags with magnetic locks, known as Yondr

pouches, in which students would store their phones during the school day. They cost about $30 apiece. Other schools have achieved a similar result with low- or no-cost options such as wooden phone lockers or manila envelopes.

The pouches helped get students accustomed to the procedures, Harwood principal Meg McDonough said. But as the school year progressed and students adjusted, some stopped using the pouches, instead just keeping their phones in their cars or backpacks.

Administrators were OK with that. Policing pouches wasn’t how they wanted to expend their energy.

“We made a very intentional decision to offer trust,” McDonough said. “The expectation is, they’re away. We don’t see them, and we don’t hear them.”

If a student is caught with a phone out, a teacher isn’t the one who takes it away. Instead, they get in touch with student

support staff, who are responsible for enforcing the rules so that teachers can focus on teaching.

After a first infraction, the student’s phone is taken for the rest of the school day. After a second, the student is required to drop off their phone in the main office at the beginning of the day for two weeks. A third violation leads to a meeting with parents.

There have been around 230 infractions this school year, according to Deane, though some of them involve the same students. Just a handful have broken the rule three times.

Senior Teighen Pelkey-Fils-Aime was initially worried about the new procedures, he said. But just a week into the school year, he got into the habit of leaving his phone in his car. He shares the vehicle with his mom, and if she needs to get in touch during the school day, she emails him. Like all students at Harwood, he has

Harwood seventh grader Brody MacDonald having lunch with friends

a school-issued laptop; he checks email regularly.

Pulling out a phone in class, he said, is “just not a good look in general.”

Creating such social norms is a big part of what makes phone-free school initiatives a success, said Anne Maheux, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She researches adolescent development and digital media use.

Some students say their habits have also changed outside of school. At a hearing before the House Education Committee last month, Harwood senior Celia Wing told lawmakers that not having her phone at school has made it easier for her to separate from it at home.

When she’s doing her homework, she said, “I’m not thinking, Where’s my phone?”

Harwood teachers are also expected to stow their phones during class, though they can use them during breaks, when students aren’t around. Stetson, the social studies teacher, said he’s noticed his overall phone use has decreased. He’s also much more satisfied with his job. He has fewer confrontations with students over phones, and the job is “more joyful,” he said. Students have longer attention spans and are able to do deeper thinking and analysis, and the quality of their work is better.

“Discipline is back to, ‘You’re being too silly,’ or too loud and not just, ‘Let me have your phone,’” math teacher Becky Allen said.

Grades have also gone up, though that could be related to many factors, Deane, the assistant principal, acknowledged. But other metrics have improved, too. Students are checking out more books from the school library. Investigations into hazing, harassment and bullying — which often originate on social media — have also dropped.

Some students are still testing boundaries, especially as end-of-year spring fever sets in, Deane said. Making sure teachers hold firm to the rules and mete out consequences uniformly has been key.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Harwood staff and students believe a statewide ban is a good idea.

Even with a clear policy, there will be logistical challenges that come up in every school, Deane said, but nothing is insurmountable. Administrators and teachers, after all, troubleshoot problems every day.

At Harwood, for instance, students in art and music classes can use schoolissued cellphones to take videos and photos, but the devices can’t access the internet. One student even purchased a secondhand Walkman so he could listen to cassette tapes in school in lieu of streaming music.

Harwood students had advice for their peers now facing potential phone bans: Go into it with an open mind.

“It happened, and we had to adjust to it,” Pelkey-Fils-Aime said. “Honestly, I think we feared it too much.” ➆

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From left: Maggie Belknap, Caroline Carst, Eleanor Hume and Sadie Stanier chatting during a break between classes

Food Fight

Aline of hungry people had already formed on Monday when the wooden cart packed with food rolled up to the curb next to Burlington’s Marketplace Garage.

The 20 or so guests, most of whom were homeless, scooped out portions of rice and beans and goulash from containers balanced on a brick wall. “Baby Got Back,” Sir Mix-ALot’s ode to the behind, blasted from a nearby speaker.

The table was set by Food Not Cops, a mutual aid group that has served free homecooked meals at the city parking garage on Cherry Street every day — including holidays — since 2020.

But in the five years since its inception, the gathering has drawn the ire of downtown business owners who say it attracts an unsavory crowd that scares off shoppers.

City councilors listened and passed a resolution last week that made the “distro’s” days at the garage numbered. The measure requires Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak to come up with a plan to relocate the service by July 14.

In the days since the council meeting, tensions ratcheted even higher as people on both sides of the debate dug in their heels and blamed the other for making the situation worse. The mayor chimed in on Tuesday, saying she hadn’t signed the resolution and wants councilors to reconsider it — again putting the fate of the lunch in question.

For now, neither side appears convinced the conflict will be resolved any time soon.

“I expect that Food Not Cops will refuse to move to create chaos instead of working with their community towards a better solution,” said Llyndara Harbour, owner of Harbour Thread boutique.

“There’s more hesitance to move if you’re being forced to,” Food Not Cops volunteer Sam Bliss said. “I think people were more open to it a couple weeks ago.”

The spat comes at a time when downtown businesses are already hurting. Construction on Main Street has spread dust and closed down parts of the thoroughfare for months — and is expected to continue until November 2026. The Café HOT., Muddy Waters and Honey Road have all said business is way down. Mainstay music venue Nectar’s, meanwhile, plans to shut down for the summer, citing construction and other factors. And last fall, nearby Merrill’s Roxy Cinemas closed its doors, saying the movie house couldn’t survive the “zombie land” Burlington had become.

Homelessness, meantime, has steadily increased, a problem made worse with each rollback of Vermont’s pandemic-era motel housing program. Last fall, officials estimated that more than 350 people were living unsheltered in the Burlington area, an all-time high. Tents are abundant near the city’s waterfront, and people regularly sleep in doorways of local businesses.

Drama over the free lunch has simmered for years. Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak had been working to move the daily offering from the garage, possibly to the First Congregational Church across the street, which already hosts programs for the homeless. Feeling those discussions weren’t moving fast enough, more than 150 businesses circulated an open letter earlier this month urging her to take action.

“Some attendees have repeatedly stolen from businesses or caused harm,” the letter said. “We respectfully ask that this program be relocated to a more appropriate and secure setting — not eliminated.” The 10-point letter also asked the city to boost the police presence downtown and beef up graffiti and needle cleanup programs.

Food Not Cops supporters fired back with a letter of their own, arguing that the free lunch makes downtown safer by meeting people’s basic needs. BTV CopWatch, a police accountability group, created an interactive map of the businesses that signed on, a move some merchants took as a call to boycott them.

“Check it out as you consider where and how to spend money downtown,” Food Not Cops wrote when sharing the map in an Instagram post that’s since been deleted.

Food Not Cops has also faced backlash. Last week, City Market pulled its weekly produce donation to the program, organizer Bliss said. Executives at City Market didn’t respond to an interview request.

Rumors about Food Not Cops have begun swirling, including one that Bliss, who is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Vermont, was scrubbed from UVM’s website — and possibly fired — for comments he made to protesters that were captured on video.

In the clip, Bliss said, “Everybody fucking shoplifts!” eliciting cheers from the crowd. He went on to say that only homeless people get caught.

The comments were provocative for members of the business community who have long felt that Burlington’s far left have downplayed the effects of crime on local commerce.

In an interview with Seven Days, Bliss said he was neither fired from UVM nor deleted from its website. UVM officials also confirmed that Bliss remains on staff.

Councilors only deepened the divide last week by failing to find consensus on the matter. The Democratic majority pushed through the resolution that gave MulvaneyStanak a deadline to come up with a relocation plan — a provision her fellow Progressives largely opposed.

And then came the online rhetoric. Business leaders learned last week that someone had gotten access to their original letter — distributed as a Google Doc — then deleted the text and replaced it with an inflammatory, fraudulent message.

“We the undersigned ... are writing to express our disdain for the homeless people, the drug users, and all the people that frequent downtown who are not wealthy consumers,” the fake letter read.

BTV CopWatch shared the missive on Instagram and urged followers to contact one of the “signers,” Dear Lucy boutique owner Melissa Desautels. Some did, sending her nasty messages and slamming her shop with one-star reviews on Google. Council Democrats condemned the fake letter in an email blast, pledging to stand up to “harmful behavior and toxic discourse.”

Other businesses contacted by Seven Days wouldn’t speak publicly about the situation for fear of being targeted. Desautels, however, called out the fake letter on social media and in an interview with Seven Days, saying she spoke up to protect her staff from retribution.

“It’s definitely disheartening to see that some people think that we actually really wrote this letter,” she said. “It’s so outrageous, but I don’t think people fully read the whole thing.”

Bliss said his comments stemmed from his research into how people obtain food without having to pay for it. Over the past five years, he’s interviewed people in Vermont and Maine who hunt and fish, visit food shelves, and shoplift to feed themselves, he said.

“Saying that everyone shoplifts is an obvious overstatement,” Bliss said, clarifying that “of the types of people who shoplift, one type of person gets blamed for it.”

That people cheered his comments, Bliss said, “can be interpreted one way or another.”

In her statement on Tuesday, MulvaneyStanak lamented how sharing fake letters and other “harmful actions” have deepened the conflict. Such polarization is “the last thing our City needs right now,” she wrote.

The mayor invited councilors to collaborate on a new resolution “that begins to heal the division in our community, recognizes the value of mutual aid, and puts forward tangible actions for supporting small businesses in the downtown.”

City Council President Ben Traverse (D-Ward 5) said Democrats are being unfairly painted as not supporting mutual aid when they really just want the lunch moved to a better spot, noting that the original resolution offered $2,000 to help with moving expenses.

Traverse also wouldn’t commit to placing the resolution on next week’s agenda, saying he only found out about the mayor’s request by reading news reports.

“If we’re interested in collaboration, let’s not be talking to one another through local media,” he said. “If and when we receive a proposal from the mayor’s office on this, as always, I will be happy to consider it.”

The city is hosting a public safety forum on Thursday, May 29, at which all of these issues will likely come up. ➆

BURLINGTON

Food Not Cops free lunch

FEEDback

THE REALITY OF REAPPRAISAL

[Re “Queen City Squeeze,” May 7]: I was reading your in-depth article on Burlington’s budget woes when I hit the following sentence and sighed: “Residents are also grappling with a recent reappraisal that hiked tax bills for most homeowners, costs that trickled down to renters.”

Reappraisals that result in higher property values do not automatically result in higher property taxes, a point you made in your April 23 article on property assessment in Vermont [“Home Worth: Some Vermont Lawmakers Want to Revamp How Real Estate Is Assessed as Part of the Education Funding Transformation”].

Here in Calais, we are preparing for a reappraisal mandated by the state, and a piece of advice I’ve gotten from o cials in other towns is how vital it is to explain to people how town-wide reappraisals relate to taxation. The voters set a budget for their town, and that number is divided by the total value of all the properties in town. There may be some properties whose relative value goes up or down, but an overall rise in values won’t equal an overall rise in taxes.

Burlington’s reappraisal could only lead to higher taxes for “most homeowners” if the values of a small number of other properties dropped signiﬁcantly. If that is, in fact, what happened, please make that clear.

P.S. I read Seven Days cover to cover every weekend, and I truly appreciate your work. Thanks so much to all of you!

Teegan Dykeman-Brown CALAIS

‘KEEP THE NECTAR’S SIGN’

[Re “‘We’ve Been Hit Hard’: Nectar’s to Close for the Summer in June,” May 8]: As some know, the Nectar’s sign, neon and rotation included, was grandfathered in when the city outlawed billboards in 1968. Summer is coming. Also coming: a marina, several hotels and other projects. Though Nectar’s may be sold, the city should decree the Nectar’s sign a monument and let it stay forevermore! It’s a landmark — a tourist shrine. Let us not lose Nectar’s!

“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” William Shakespeare wrote. (Gosh, was he good.) I compare Burlington not to a summer’s day but to a house built on a cliff. We want it to stand solidly, but it’s slipping. Markets change, society morphs into the future. A summer’s day is less predictable (as is a winter’s day) than it was. The world continues to change.

I feel we’re back on the way up, with a new mayor and big projects in progress — a refreshing change. The unhoused need some choices and some help. When people ask me for a dollar downtown, a dozen times a day, I want to say, “You don’t need a dollar; you need a program.” But I don’t say it.

Keep the Nectar’s sign. Greet your neighbor. Drive carefully. Be tolerant. Downtown can improve! You can help.

Charlie Messing BURLINGTON

distance of my destination. (Oh, yeah, I have some mobility issues.)

Public transit is not an option for me because of the limited schedule and length of time it would take to get in and out of town. Burlington will probably just have to do without me.

WAYS TO SAVE $8 MILLION

Ann Larson ESSEX

Queen City Squeeze

MESSAGE TO BUSINESS OWNERS

[Re “More Than 100 Businesses Seek Relief From Burlington ‘Crisis,’” May 9, online]: How many of the business owners who signed this letter count themselves as conservatives? How many have protested high property taxes or voted for politicians who pledge to cut, lower or otherwise reduce taxes? How many, while fussing over taxes, enthusiastically donate money to business groups, lobbying groups, the chamber of commerce or other organizations that are constantly agitating for a businessfriendly community (read: lower taxes)?

[Re “Queen City Squeeze,” May 7]: If Burlington has a budget gap of $8 million and, as you reported eight months ago in [“Burning Cash: Opponents of Burlington’s Biomass Power Plant Zero In on Steep Financial Losses,” August 14, 2024], the Joseph C. McNeil Generation Station was on track to lose $8 million in 2024, could you explain why shuttering McNeil would not close the gap?

Further, a related article asking city ocials to explain why Burlington needs its own electric and water departments would be greatly appreciated. We sold Burlington Telecom to plug a budget gap with no adverse impact to residents. It seems getting our power from Green Mountain Power and our water from Champlain Water District would be similarly inconsequential. Unloading these departments should allow enough time for Burlington to transition its remaining departments to a sustainable structure.

Clifford Morgan

BURLINGTON

PROBLEM IS PARKING

[Re “More Than 100 Business Owners Seek Relief From Burlington ‘Crisis,’” May 9, online]: I have heard a lot about why people don’t go to downtown Burlington anymore. For me, it’s not about the street scene — I’ve lived in worse neighborhoods.

For me, it’s the parking hassle. A number of spots were removed to make a more pedestrian/bicycle-friendly town. They tend to be in areas where I would like to park but have trouble ﬁnding space now.

And I used to be able to go into a parking garage and, as I left, pay a nice person the amount I owed for the time I actually spent. The parking app has never worked for me, and I never know for sure how long I will need a spot. So, paying in advance is annoying if not overly expensive.

At private lots, again, one has to think ahead to how long they will stay, and at $4 an hour, that racks up. I have sometimes paid more for parking than for a meal.

So, no, I don’t tend to go into Burlington anymore because of the anxiety of ﬁnding a place to park within reasonable walking

How many of them seek tax breaks and other incentives to finance their business? How many voted for President Donald Trump and his chain sawwielding sidekick?

How many relentlessly howl for “small government”?

Their 10-point plan looks like an excellent set of goals. I cannot imagine anyone being opposed to it.

The May 7 issue of Seven Days bears a cover entitled “Queen City Squeeze,” and the article inside details the need for the city to — wait for it — cut spending. You can’t have it both ways. Either you have small and relatively ineffective government or you have municipal, community and social services, which cost money.

Instead of dropping a 10-point plan on the shoulders of the new mayor — and apparently expecting her to manufacture needed resources to execute it out of thin air — how about closing ranks with the mayor and ideating, fundraising, grant writing and volunteering to help bring your plan to fruition?

Business owners should put their shoulders to the load and help make their plan happen.

Steven Farnham PLAINFIELD

Church Street Marketplace

1 NominatE APRIL 9-28 Write in your favorites.

2 designate MAY 27-JUNE 10 Pick the best from top ﬁnalists.

3 CELEBRATE JULY 30

See who won in Seven Days!

Who will win?

That’s up to you. After carefully tallying 73,035 write-in nominations, we’re excited to present this year’s Seven Daysies ﬁnalists. Vote now by June 10 at 5 p.m. at sevendaysvt.com/daysies-vote. The ﬁnalist with the most votes in a category wins! GET IN THE GUIDE!

Want to align yourself with the best in Vermont? Learn about advertising opportunities in the All the Best results magazine at sevendaysvt.com/daysies-info.

lifelines

OBITUARIES

Carolyn Sullivan Pieciak

DECEMBER 18, 1945MAY 20, 2025

BRATTLEBORO, VT.

Carolyn Sullivan Pieciak, 79, of Brattleboro, Vt., died peacefully on May 20, 2025, surrounded by family and loved ones at the Jack Byrne Center in Lebanon, N.H., after a yearlong battle with lung cancer.

Born on December 18, 1945, in Springﬁeld, Mass., Carolyn was the daughter of the late John R. and Mary S. Sullivan Sr. and grew up with her older sister, Maureen, and younger brother, Jack, in nearby West Springﬁeld, Mass.

Carolyn met the love of her life, Joseph S. Pieciak Jr., in 1962 after being set up on a blind date by her best friend, Maureen Doody O’Donnell.

Carolyn and Joe married on June 12, 1965, in West Springﬁeld and began their family shortly thereafter.

Robert “Bob” Thurston Jones

JUNE 19, 1934-MAY 16, 2025 WATERBURY CENTER, VT.

OBITUARIES, VOWS, CELEBRATIONS

eir daughter Jennifer was born in 1970, daughter Elizabeth in 1975, and son Michael in 1983.

Carolyn and Joe moved to Brattleboro in 1970. ey were welcomed to the Vermont community with open arms and formed a deep love for the town and its people. Carolyn was not only the heart of the Pieciak family but also a thoughtful, kind “Mom” to many.

At a young age, Carolyn was called to serve others,

Robert urston Jones, just shy of his 91st birthday, passed away peacefully on May 16, 2025, at his home in Waterbury Center, Vt. — just a short distance from the urston farm where he was raised.

Born on June 19, 1934, Bob lived a long, full life grounded in family, service and quiet strength. He was a devoted husband, father, proud grandfather and great-grandfather and will be remembered for his kindness, selﬂessness and unwavering desire to help others. He was — and always will be — our hero.

saying, “God wanted me to work with the poor.” Deeply dedicated, she volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and Meals on Wheels. She and her husband served as United Way campaign copresidents, and when she stepped down as leader of the Windham County Humane Society, he succeeded her in the post.

Carolyn’s biggest life passion was born on St. Patrick’s Day 1982, when she helped open one of the region’s largest soup kitchens, St. Brigid’s Kitchen and Pantry of Brattleboro. At the time, Carolyn was head of the St. Michael’s Catholic Church peace and justice committee, when the pastor noted a growing number of visitors requesting food.

Carolyn, working with fellow volunteers, raised money and ordered, obtained and cooked food at the church’s former convent for four decades before retiring as director last

meaningful ways to serve. He worked in the emergency room at Central Vermont Medical Center — a role he deeply loved — and later continued his career in human services, retiring from Washington County Mental Health.

Bob also proudly served in the U.S. Army and later the National Guard as a medic. In 2024, he participated in an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., a deeply meaningful experience that celebrated his service and sacriﬁce.

Professionally, Bob was a master electrician, but his true calling was helping others. As a young man, he dreamed of becoming a physician. ough that path did not materialize, he found many other

Volunteerism was at the heart of Bob’s life. He was one of the founding members of the Waterbury Ambulance Service and served as fire chief, dedicating more than 50 years to fire service in both Waterbury Center and Michigan, where his fire service journey began. He also served with Waterbury Backcountry Rescue and spent 42 years with the National Ski Patrol. He was a first aid instructor with the American Red Cross and served as Waterbury’s civil

year. Originally serving a few dozen people, St. Brigid’s now provides more than 45,000 meals annually.

To Carolyn, there were no strangers, only friends she hadn’t yet met. True to her Irish spirit, she built a community with love, laughter and unshakable loyalty. She had a heart big enough to hold the whole world and a circle of loved ones that just kept expanding. Whether it was traveling, spending time on the golf course, enjoying her garden club or celebrating at a friend’s birthday lunch, Carolyn loved her friends, and they loved her.

Carolyn was a lifelong learner of her faith. She attended the Elms College in Chicopee, Mass., and regularly participated in spiritual retreats throughout New England. rough these retreats and her ongoing personal spiritual journey, she sought not only to deepen her relationship with God but also to grow and

defense director. His tireless commitment to emergency response and public safety positively impacted countless lives and earned him widespread respect throughout Vermont and beyond.

Beyond his professional and volunteer work, Bob was a vibrant part of his community. He was a proud member of American Legion Post 59, the Green Mountain Dog Club, the Waterbury Historical Society and the Waterbury Center Community Church. His faith, community spirit and love for animals were central to his life.

He and his wife of 70 years, Betty, shared a passion for travel and camping, exploring nearly the entire country. Only two states — Hawaii and Oregon — eluded them. Another joy was sugaring with the family; in the sugar shack, Bob’s ingenious mind was always at work, ﬁxing things or ﬁnding ways to make processes easier and better.

Bob is survived by his wife, Betty Jones, and by his children: Glenn Jones of Hyde Park; Allen Jones and his wife, Sharon, of Waterbury; Doreen Cleary and her husband, Robert, of Waterbury Center; and Darrin Jones of Waterbury Center. He was a cherished grandfather to

improve herself as a person. Her devotion to nurturing her faith was a cornerstone of her life, inspiring those around her to do the same.

Carolyn’s illness never dampened her spirit nor dimmed the light of love in her eyes. Her family grieves her loss but is comforted knowing she is at peace and in the arms of God.

Carolyn leaves behind her husband of nearly 60 years, Joseph S. Pieciak Jr.; her two daughters, Elizabeth Lawyer and her husband, Travis, of Brattleboro, and Jennifer Rau of Chicopee, Mass.; her son, Michael Sullivan Pieciak, and his husband, William Holder, of Winooski, Vt.; siblings Maureen Sullivan-Iannitelli and her husband, Richard, of the Villages, Florida, and John R. Sullivan Jr. of Sweetwater, Tenn.; as well as numerous cousins, niece Megan Perrault and nephew David Iannitelli, and her prideand-joy dog, Piper.

Carolyn was lovingly

Allison Jones; Ethan Jones and his wife, Samantha; Taylor Jones; Paige Cleary and her husband, James Coolidge; and Haley Furness and her husband, Chris. He was also blessed with seven great-grandchildren, who brought him immense joy and pride.

He is also survived by his sisters, Cathy Jones of Bayside, N.Y.; and Eileen Blancato and her husband, Bill, of Winston-Salem, N.C.

Bob was predeceased by his beloved son Dale urston Jones and his brother, Richard Jones.

Funeral services will be held on May 31, 2025, 1 p.m., at Maple Street Cemetery, 380 Maple St., Waterbury Center, VT 05677, with a reception to follow at Waterbury Center Community Church.

In lieu of ﬂowers, donations may be made to the Waterbury Ambulance Service or the Waterbury Center Community Church.

Bob’s life was a testament to unwavering dedication through his professional work, decades of volunteer service, military commitment, community involvement, and the love and guidance he gave to his family. His legacy of selﬂessness, strength and kindness will live on in the hearts of all who knew and loved him.

known as Yaya to her four grandchildren, Nathaniel and Kelsey Rau and Michaela and Riley Lawyer, and to many honorary grandchildren, including Jamie Lynn Boudreau and Katie Costello.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, May 30, 1 p.m., at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Brattleboro, with burial immediately following at St. Michael’s Cemetery. After, a celebration of life reception will take place at the Brattleboro Retreat Farm’s North Barn — all who knew Carolyn and the Pieciak family are invited.

Calling hours will be held on ursday, May 29, 4 to 7 p.m., at the Atamaniuk Funeral Home at 40 Terrace St. in Brattleboro. In lieu of ﬂowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Brigid’s Kitchen and Pantry, 47 Walnut St., Brattleboro, VT 05301.

To share a memory or offer condolences to Carolyn’s family, please visit atamaniuk.com.

Carole L. Barrett

JANUARY 23, 1942-MAY 17, 2025

BURLINGTON, VT.

Carole L. Barrett, a beacon of patience, love, empathy and thoughtfulness, passed away peacefully on May 17, 2025, at the age of 83. She was born on January 23, 1942, in Burlington, Vt., where she lived for most of her life, except when she and her husband, John, became snowbirds, spending part of their year in Barefoot Bay, Fla. Carole’s life was a testament to the importance of family and the power of a kind heart. She was preceded in death by her parents, Thomas and Constance Lumbra; her beloved husband of 54 years, John F. Barrett Jr. (June 2017); her sister Patricia “Patti” Baumann and brother-in-law Kevin Baumann; her brother-in-law Andrew “Andy” Lord (her sister Sally’s husband); and her sister-in-law Kathleen Lumbra (her brother Thomas’ wife).

One of nine children, Carole, the secondborn, is survived by her siblings Sally Lord; Thomas “Tom” Lumbra; Jayne Coyne and her husband, Daniel “Dan” Coyne; Margaret “Peg” Maffitt and her husband, Thomas “Tom” Mafitt; James “Jim” Lumbra and his wife, Susan “Sue” Lumbra; Kathy Conway and her husband, Martin “Marty” Conway; and Daniel “Dan” Lumbra and his wife, Nancy Lumbra.

Carole was deeply devoted to her loved ones, especially her children and grandchildren. She is survived by her daughter Kimberly C. Barrett; her son, John F. Barrett III, and his wife, Kerry L. Barrett; and her daughter Bridgette B. Fuller, along with her

Ronald Van Mynen

AUGUST 11, 1937-APRIL 30, 2025

SHELBURNE, VT.

Ronald Van Mynen was born on August 11, 1937, in Harvey, Ill., to Harry J. Van Mynen and Henrietta Mulder Van Mynen. He passed away on April 30, 2025.

Ron grew up in South Holland, Ill., a small Dutch farming community. He graduated from the University of Illinois with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. He began his career with Union Carbide Corporation, which spanned 38 years. During this period, Ron was a leader in the chemical industry’s quest for excellence in Health, Safety and Environment (H.S. and E.). When he retired in 1997, he had achieved the position of corporate vice president of H.S. and E. He was also chairman of the Chemical Manufacturers Association Health and Safety Committee, president of the Chemical Industry Institute of Toxicology board of directors, and president of the American Industrial Health Council board of directors.

Ron is survived by his beloved wife of 62 years, Janet Peterson Van Mynen; brothersin-law, David (Sandy) Peterson and Larry (Marieli) Peterson; and two nieces, one nephew and their families. He was a loving husband who supported Jan in many musical endeavors. Ron and Jan lived in Illinois,

husband, Travis M. Fuller. Her five energetic grandchildren brought Carole immense joy: Avery P. Barrett, John “Jay” F. Barrett IV, Benjamin “Ben” A. Barrett, Oliver G. Fuller and Anna C. Fuller. They filled her life with endless laughter and light. She took great pride in showing everyone her many photo albums filled with pictures of them and shared numerous stories of their visits with all.

Family was the cornerstone of Carole’s world; she cherished every moment spent with them. Her patient nature allowed her to navigate the ups and downs of life with grace, offering unwavering support and understanding to those around her. Her empathetic spirit made her a trusted confidante and a source of comfort to many. Carole’s thoughtful gestures, both big and small, demonstrated her deep care for others and left a lasting impact on their lives.

Carole’s legacy will live on through the love she shared and the values she instilled in her family. She will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her. Details regarding memorial services will be announced at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to Memory Care at Allen Brook, 99 Allen Brook Ln., Williston, VT 05495, for the amazing level of care, compassion and beautiful friendships they provided for Carole over the last years of her life, battling Parkinson’s disease, a condition that she faced with courage and resilience.

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

Texas, California, West Virginia, Puerto Rico and Connecticut during his career. Ron always became active in church wherever they were and served as a Sunday school teacher, deacon, treasurer, trustee, and building committee and church council chairman. He was always an inspiration to the lives he touched and had a very wise and generous spirit.

After the Van Mynens retired to Vermont, Ron became an active volunteer in Meals on Wheels, serving on the board of directors as president. He really enjoyed delivering meals and having conversations with the recipients. He was also involved in Rotary and received the Paul Harris award.

One of his greatest enjoyments was living on Lake Champlain: enjoying sunsets, boating on the lake, welcoming family and friends to beautiful Vermont to share in the beauty and serenity and, on occasion, to watch the Patriots and Yankees in his “man cave.”

A life well lived, he will be deeply missed. We love you.

The memorial service will be on June 14, 2025, 2:30 p.m., at the Shelburne United Methodist Church, 30 Church St., Shelburne, VT. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Shelburne United Methodist Church, c/o Trustees Committee, PO Box 365, Shelburne, VT 05482.

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

IN MEMORIAM

Dorothy “Bunty” Davies

1937-2024

Please join our family for a celebration of life and memorial service for Bunty Davies on June 21, 2025, 11 a.m., at First Congregational Church of Burlington, 38 South Winooski Avenue. Reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Lake George Association, PO Box 408, Lake George, NY 12845.

Polly Peters Real

DECEMBER 4, 1934MAY 28, 2015

You weren’t just my Mom. You were my first teacher, my biggest support and my closest friend. Your wise words always guided me. Your strength became the foundation on which I built my own. Your love was constant and unconditional. Your kindness shined even in the darkest times. You were a woman of mere beauty and endless courage. I can still see your smile, still hear your voice and still hear your laugh. You live in every single thing I do and every challenge that I face. You live in me, because I want you there.

Memoriam for Polly Peters Real Dec 4, 1934 - May 28, 2015

You are more than just my Mom. You are my inspiration, my guardian angel. You are my whole heart of what I am today.

We will meet again, Mom. I don’t know when, and I don’t know where, but I believe it. I miss you every minute of every day.

Love, Kimmy

You weren’t just my Mom. You were my rst teacher, my biggest support and my closest friend.

Your wise words always guided me. Your strength became the foundation in which I built my own.

Your love was constant and unconditional. Your kindness shined even in the darkest times. You were a woman of

courage. I can still see your smile, still hear your voice and still hear your laugh. You live in every single thing I do, I face. You live in me, because

Sara and Jean Hawkins 1937-2025

You are more than just my Mom. You are my inspiration, my guardian angel, you are my whole heart of what I am today.

The memorial service for both Sara and Jean Hawkins will be held on Saturday, June 28, 2 p.m., at the United Church of Hinesburg.

We will meet again, Mom. I don’t know when and I don’t know where, but I believe it.

I miss you every minute of

1978-1995

In Loving Memory of Kristen Lauré Charlebois

September 19, 1978May 29, 1995

Dear Kristy, It’s hard to believe it’s been 30 years since the accident that ended your life at the all-too-young age of 16. We remember well your spirit, Kristy, strong that it was, and see aspects of you in your growing nieces and nephews. We haven’t forgotten what you were all about: enjoying children, giving back to those in need, paving your own path, speaking your mind and excelling. Thinking of you and missing your presence today and always.

Love you, Mom, Dad, Randy & Kate

A celebration of life is planned for Richard “Dick” Walton on May 31, 2025, 3 to 6 p.m., at the Notch House Lake Barn, 5768 Route 5A, Westmore, VT 05860. All are welcome.

Kristen Lauré Charlebois

Richard A. Walton 1938-2025

HOME HACKS

Co-ops, community partnerships and tiny homes: Vermonters pursue innovative solutions during an unrelenting housing crisis BY

RACHEL HELLMAN •

rhellman@sevendaysvt.com

The state of the housing market in Vermont is discouraging, to put it lightly. Late-night browsing of home prices on Zillow can make Ohio look enticing. Many Vermonters can rattle o a list of friends who have left the state in search of more a ordable rent. Nearly 3,500 Vermonters were unhoused in January 2024.

“In some ways, we saw this problem coming, and in other ways, this is worse than we could have ever expected,” said Maura Collins, executive director of the Vermont Housing Finance Agency, a nonproﬁt that underwrites a ordable housing.

Vermont would have to add 41,000 new homes by 2030 — about 8,200 housing units a year — to address the state’s immense housing need, according to an assessment by the Agency of Commerce and Community Development. In 2024, communities issued building permits for only 2,654 new homes.

There are many reasons for this daunting shortage, including the state’s aging housing stock and low construction rate, and the conversion of homes and apartments to short-term rentals. Recordbreaking ﬂoods in 2023 and 2024 further eroded the housing supply. Vermont is a ected by national trends — inﬂation, tari s, disrupted supply chains — that make it more expensive to build homes here.

While the state has funneled more than $500 million in federal pandemic relief funds to advance a variety of housing

projects, that money is drying up. Legislators have turned to regulatory reform to spur housing construction and are wrangling this week over a bill, the Community Housing Infrastructure Program, intended to help pay for parts of new housing projects, such as streets and sidewalks. (See story on page 14.)

themselves and their communities. Their widely varying ideas include such approaches as municipally funded neighborhoods, affordably built tiny homes, cooperatively owned housing and community land trusts.

Some of these grassroots trailblazers are reimagining how we live. More

We can’t just wait. We need places for people to live, and those places are disappearing right in front of us.

LINDA RAMSDELL

“We can’t just wait,” said Linda Ramsdell, president of Headwaters Community Trust, an effort by residents of Albany, Craftsbury, Glover and Greensboro to lower the cost of new homes through communitybased land ownership. “We need places for people to live, and those places are disappearing right in front of us.”

The Headwaters trust is just one example of some Vermonters taking matters into their own hands. Equipped with nothing more than creative ideas, everyday people — truck drivers, nannies, retirees and nonprofit workers — are meeting in living rooms and town halls to dream up solutions for

Vermonters are seeking information about cooperative living arrangements and communal housing initiatives, according to Collins. They’re embracing practices such as intergenerational living, resource sharing and land stewardship.

It’s not always easy to turn these ideas into reality, though. Mom-and-pop housing innovators are ﬁghting the same headwinds as the big guys, often with fewer resources. Still, Collins thinks these housing alternatives, some in their infancy, deserve attention. Homegrown ideas often turn out to be the most valuable and replicable in the long run, she said. And with state or municipal investment, they could grow in scale.

In fact, the Champlain Housing Trust, now the largest community land trust in the country, had grassroots beginnings. Two nonproﬁts that launched in 1984 — the Burlington Community Land Trust, seeded with $200,000 in funds from the city to build affordable shared-equity housing, and the Lake Champlain Housing Development Corporation — merged in 2006 to become Champlain Housing Trust. Today. it’s the largest home provider in the state, managing more than 2,600 apartments.

“What makes the housing crisis so complex is that it is not a single-issue dilemma, and therefore there’s no single silver bullet,” Collins said. “We need to be trying out all sorts of things. We need all of these ideas to be put on steroids.”

Vermont has long incubated alternative ways of living. The state was in the vanguard of the back-to-the-land movement of the 1970s. But Collins and other housing advocates say residents must embrace more change, and quickly, in order to prevent the state from “becoming a playground for the rich and famous,” as Collins put it.

“This is a ripe time to do things di erently than how we’ve always done it,” she said.

Seven Days gathered the stories of six grassroots housing ventures that reﬂect an array of local strategies, focusing on community-level efforts that could be replicated. Here are some of the clever, gritty and outright visionary housing ideas that Vermonters are making a reality.

HIGHER GROUND

The Plainfield Village Expansion Project

Walker Blackwell couldn’t believe his luck when his family moved into their dream home, a modern timber-frame house just a three-minute walk from downtown Plainfield. Out-of-state buyers had been clamoring to buy the place, but Blackwell, a Vermont native, wooed the seller with a letter describing his dream of raising a family surrounded by friends and relatives in Plainfield.

Just two days after the Blackwells’ move in July 2023, the Great Brook inundated Plainfield. The family’s basement filled with water, damaging $60,000 worth of belongings still neatly packed in cardboard boxes.

The next year, Plainfield flooded again. While the Blackwells fared better that time, a number of their neighbors’ homes became unlivable. A riverside apartment building known as the Heartbreak Hotel collapsed and washed away.

“It was devastating,” Blackwell said. “It’s depressing living here now. This whole neighborhood filled with silt and emptied out.”

Plainfield residents mobilized to muck out basements but began to understand that the town — home of the former Goddard College and a longtime mecca for out-of-the-box thinkers — was at risk of serious decline.

About 38 homeowners in Plainfield, including the Blackwells, applied to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for buyouts that would allow their homes to be razed. Up to 11 percent of the town’s grand list value could be lost.

Residents started gathering last August to discuss how they might quickly add more housing. When two landowners offered to sell the town roughly 24 acres just outside the village, the group wondered, What if the town created a new neighborhood for displaced residents?

Seventeen volunteers led by Heartbreak Hotel owner Arion Thiboumery began work on a plan to turn that land into approximately 40 affordable house lots. The town would extend sewer lines, water and electricity to make the lots less expensive to build upon. Parcels would sell for about $30,000 to $100,000 based on size. Builders or future residents would pursue construction on their own.

“The same old, same old is not working in Vermont,” said Lauren Geiger, who cochairs the 11-member East Village Expansion Advisory Committee with Thiboumery and theater artist and former legislator Donny Osman. “This seems like an extremely good

opportunity to do something creative and different.”

By March, the volunteers had come up with three conceptual drawings, a projected budget and a loose plan to keep the endeavor cost-neutral for the town: Plainfield would borrow to buy the land and install the utilities and then would sell parcels at cost to those who wanted to build there.

On Town Meeting Day, voters approved a zoning revision allowing houses to be built closer together and a plan to establish a reserve fund for the project. Soon after that, the Plainfield Selectboard created the advisory committee.

Then the project encountered some headwinds. “It’s kind of two steps

forward, one step back,” said Will Colgan, Plainfield’s Planning Commission chair.

First, supporters of the village expansion had to defeat an attempt to rescind the March zoning changes that would allow the smaller lots needed to make the project financially feasible. Some naysayers, worried the increased density would change the character of the town, successfully petitioned for reconsideration. On May 20, residents reaffirmed the new zoning in a 152-82 vote, keeping the project alive.

In the meantime, however, a reanalysis revealed that the project might cost $4 million to $5 million, about double the initial estimate. Creating the new

neighborhood is intended to be costneutral for the town. Since the advisory team wants to hold down the price of each lot, the new cost estimate has it scrambling to find additional funds and to apply for federal disaster recovery grants designated for projects in Washington County. Advisory committee members also hope that the Vermont legislature will pass the Community Housing Infrastructure Program, which would allow municipalities such as Plainfield to borrow money to build roads, water lines and sewers to serve new housing. The money would be repaid over time from property taxes paid by the new development. That could be an alternative way to finance the village expansion. Despite the urgency to help displaced residents, the advisory committee has slowed down to ensure that the project is financially sound. While the group had hoped to acquire the land and start selling lots this fall, it looks like that won’t happen until sometime next year.

The clock is ticking for Blackwell’s family, whose FEMA buyout has been approved. The project is the only hope that he and his wife have to raise their children, ages 2 and 4, in Plainfield. And, while they have widened their search to all of Washington County, they have been unable to find an affordable, flood-safe home.

“We are really feeling an accelerated need for this [project],” Blackwell said. “It’s the kind of thing that, if it actually works, could be a model for other towns and a chance to keep on calling Plainfield home.”

Rick Burroughs giving a tour of the planned expansion property in Plainfield

A group touring the boundaries of the project

HACKS

‘A CROSS-CLASS COMMUNITY’

Collectively Owned Home in St. Albans

When Andrés Oyaga signed the closing contract for a charming two-story house in St. Albans in May, he became the first person in his family to own a home. A Los Angeles native, Oyaga, 24, is the child of Guatemalan and Colombian immigrants who worked as day laborers. He moved to Vermont in 2019 to attend Middlebury College, where he fell in love with the state’s rural landscape and politically engaged populace.

After graduating, he took a job as a labor rights worker and rented a room in a communal home in Burlington owned by Alyssa Chen, a co-coordinator of the nonprofit Education Justice Coalition of Vermont. Chen told him she was looking for a different model of homeownership.

“I never wanted to be a landlord and extract wealth from people long term,” Chen said. Instead, she was interested in cooperative ownership, a housing model that enables people to jointly own shares of a building. She had been discussing the idea for years with her friend and roommate, Liz Goodwin, and her sister Laurel. She soon recruited Oyaga.

After attending several meetings, Oyaga was excited to join. “Housing has always been ... a cause of stress for me,” he said. “I never dreamed I could own a home.”

In March the four cemented a plan, envisioning a space that would allow them to balance autonomy and privacy with community. A few days later, Alyssa learned that a friend of a friend was selling a 3,819-square-foot home in St. Albans for $685,000. The Chens, Goodwin and Oyaga toured the sage-green Victorian and fell in love.

The three-story home was large enough to accommodate the creation of three “pods” — two-bedroom sections of the house with their own bathrooms and kitchenettes. The owners will share a common kitchen and living room. The lot has room to build a freestanding accessory dwelling unit in the backyard.

The group decided to buy the house as “tenants in common” — a legal term to describe a form of collective property ownership — rather than as a cooperative, because creating a co-op requires more complicated legal arrangements. The four owners aim to eventually transition to formal co-op ownership that would make the home permanently affordable.

Most banks in Vermont do not loan money for collectively owned homes, so the group has arranged a $200,000 loan from Alyssa and Laurel’s parents

instead. Their monthly payments will be around $200 to $300 per person each month.

Even so, “It’s been extremely complicated to set this all up,” Alyssa said. She’s grateful that her remote gig gave her the time and flexibility to work with a real estate lawyer. She’s keenly aware that not everyone who is interested in joint homeownership can do that.

The group hopes that the state will help future collectives by making it easier for co-ops to secure mortgages or exempting them from costly reporting requirements.

To finance the purchase of the home, each of the members is paying a $100,000 share. Alyssa, who has inherited money, is paying an additional $85,000 and half of Oyaga’s portion, which will stay with

the house if he moves on. Oyaga raised the rest of his share through personal loans and donations.

“This is a potential model for people with and without wealth to work together to build a cross-class community,” Alyssa said.

The group is ensuring the home stays permanently affordable. Each member has agreed to live there for at least three years. If one of them chooses to leave

HOME

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Alyssa Chen, Andrés Oyaga and Laurel Chen

Todd Barnett and Stephen Box of Partners in Housing inspecting a house for sale in Rutland City

ANDRÉS OYAGA

before then, their initial investment will be refunded to them but not any equity the group has accrued. The group also plans to create bylaws that prohibit the home itself from ever being sold outright.

“I think of what we’re doing as an example of how people with resources can redistribute and support community members with less resources,” Oyaga said. “Not in a charity way, but in a collaborative way.”

In July, the four will finally move into the St. Albans house. There’s plenty of work to be done to reach their final vision of a collective home. But they can hardly wait.

RUTLAND CALLING

Partners in Housing

An estimated 240 vacant housing units have languished in Rutland even as the state pays to house homeless people in local motels. Now, there’s an organized effort to get those empty units fixed up and occupied again.

Every month, a cross-disciplinary gathering of developers, lawmakers and nonprofit leaders meets to work on transforming underused properties in Rutland. Developer Stephen Box launched the gatherings in 2023.

The group, Partners in Housing, is built on a simple premise: By connecting smallscale developers such as Box with the investors, tradespeople and support they need to restore abandoned homes, affordable housing can be brought online more quickly than if Vermonters rely solely on large-scale, state-funded projects.

Box knows what these ventures require. In 2023, he transformed a blighted bike shop in Rutland into eight units of affordable housing for veterans who have experienced homelessness.

Like Box, other developers often leverage the state’s five-year-old Vermont Housing Improvement Program, which offers property owners grants of up to $50,000 to help fix up vacant units and get them on the market at reasonable rates.

To date, the program has awarded $41 million in grants to help rehab more

than 1,000 rental units — 156 of them in the Rutland area, more than in any other county. The state’s 2025-2026 state budget provides another $4 million for the effort.

“We need everybody at every level, not just the people who build 300 units at a time,” Box said.

Box is 67 and a self-described “citizen developer.” He cofounded Partners in Housing and this year brought on Scott Graves, a developer who specializes in senior housing, and Mike Waugh, the CEO of Verent Solutions, a technology company. The group offers a vision of affordable housing development in which anyone can, and should, get involved.

“We want to create an environment of entrepreneurship and solutions,” Graves said. “We want to empower mom-andpop developers to put a house back online.”

Box and Graves, for example, hope to take on at least two to four properties annually themselves. Through Partners in Housing, the two have connected with and started mentoring novice developers, leading workshops on topics such as zoning and accessory dwelling units.

Box encourages small-scale developers in other parts of the state to follow his lead. “What we’re doing isn’t rocket science,” he said. “We’re just getting people together.”

Partners in Housing also offers opportunities for impassioned residents to get directly involved. Its meetings are open to all. Susan and Jack Crowther, retired octogenarians who have lived in Rutland for 56 years, have attended.

“We have all of these vacant or rundown properties,” Susan said. “We want to see them reoccupied and do what we can to make that happen.”

The Crowthers met Todd Barnett, a California transplant investing in the local housing market, at a Partners in Housing session. Barnett is one of the up-and-coming developers Box and Graves have taken under their wing. Barnett owns two small rental properties that he wants to transform into at least eight units of affordable housing.

The Crowthers appreciated his vision and enterprising spirit. After touring his properties, the couple agreed to loan him $25,000 to $50,000 to expedite the renovations after he has finalized a construction contract.

At other Partners in Housing meetings, municipal staff have collaborated with developers. In February, Rutland City Mayor Michael Doenges discussed with members the possibility of creating a database of vacant homes to help

small-scale developers identify priority properties. Attendees also discussed creating a land bank — a holding for underutilized land for future development — while a local carpenter and developer negotiated a “sweat-equity” arrangement, providing labor for a share of equity in the project.

Sure, it was all talk, but as Box insists, that’s how all good plans start.

ENJOYING COMPANY

HomeShare Vermont

Despite their age difference, Honey Donegan, 76, and Kayla Mazza, 30, consider themselves perfectly paired housemates.

On weeknights, the duo watches “Jeopardy” together. On weekends, they enjoy long, rambling conversations over coffee. Sometimes they share meals. But they also respect one another’s need for alone time.

“We’ve found a great balance,” Mazza said. “We’re similar in that we really enjoy each other’s company but are very independent.”

HomeShare Vermont, a nonprofit that pairs homeowners with potential housemates, brought the pair together in 2024. Donegan, a part-time nanny, was having trouble keeping up with the membership costs of her home, which is part of a housing association in Quechee.

“I knew I would either have to sell my home, get two jobs or look into somebody moving in,” she said.

Mazza, meanwhile, had just started work as a data analyst at a White River Junction nonprofit and was commuting an hour each way from her parents’ home in Waterbury. Apartments near Mazza’s new workplace were well out of her price range.

Out of desperation, both women turned to HomeShare. The organization’s goal is to make affordable housing available while offering companionship and assistance to people who need it. Many hosts are older; their average age last year was 72.

HomeShare matches people through a series of in-depth interviews, in-person meetings and a 14-day livein trial period. If each party wants to proceed, as happens nine times out of 10, then HomeShare negotiates a formal arrangement.

Arrangements can be strictly monetary or could involve lower rent in exchange for performing chores such as yard work, cleaning and shopping. In some arrangements, the guest provides more assistance to the host and pays no rent. The average monthly rent for HomeShare guests in 2024 was $359. (The organization sets a rent limit of $650.)

What young person who doesn’t have a trust fund can afford to live in Vermont right now?

MURPHY ROBINSON

Founded in 1982, HomeShare is not a new housing solution. But as the affordability crisis has worsened, interest and matches have surged, executive director Connor Timmons said.

“It’s almost as if all of these years were leading up to this moment,” he said. “What we offer is exactly what folks need.”

The number of applicants surged from 452 in 2019 to 693 last year. In just the first four months of this year, 533 people have applied and HomeShare has matched 263 individuals. Anyone can apply, and the organization is always looking for more hosts.

This coming year, HomeShare plans to expand its service area to include the Northeast Kingdom, meaning it will serve 12 counties.

“As soon as we expand to one town, others start calling asking for us,” Timmons said.

COURTESY

Kayla Mazza, Honey Donegan and Tinker

Murphy Robinson in his tiny home in Worcester with Clyde (left) and Penrose

Timmons thinks that HomeShare’s boom also reflects a growing desire for shared living arrangements. In a survey last year, 76 percent of participants reported feeling less lonely.

Donegan and Mazza say they appreciate living with someone from a different generation and perspective. Donegan feels a sense of security knowing that if she does “something stupid, Kayla will be back by 5 p.m.”

Mazza, meanwhile, said living with Donegan has changed her idea of what constitutes a good life. “People my age are taught that we should be super independent,” she said. “We overlook the importance of having a community within the home.”

A TINY SOLUTION

The Dandelion Housing Project

Murphy Robinson has lived for 12 years in his 72-square-foot tiny home on wheels, complete with a wood-fired stove and composting toilet. Building his “tiny,” which cost about $5,000, was the best financial decision the 43-year-old ever made, he said proudly, because it allowed him to eventually purchase a plot of land in Worcester.

“I have gained so much personal freedom in building and living in an affordable tiny home,” he said.

Robinson, who is transgender, said in recent years, more and more of his friends, many of whom identify as LGBTQ+, have been drawn to Vermont by its reputation for tolerance. Some have faced housing insecurity, made worse by recent floods. The wilderness educator turned truck driver realized that his tiny home building skills could help others.

“What young person who doesn’t have a trust fund can afford to live in Vermont right now?” Robinson asked.

He has long viewed tiny homes as a housing option for those willing to sacrifice modern comforts for affordability, though he knows they’re not for everyone.

Also, most prebuilt tiny homes cost anywhere from $90,000 to $150,000 — not a truly affordable housing solution.

So in 2023, when he and some of his coworkers decided to leave their jobs at a food delivery service in Berlin, he pitched them on starting an affordable tiny home building project. The need was especially pressing given the recent floods in central Vermont.

The ex-coworkers founded the Dandelion Housing Project. Its website describes the effort as “a collective of

non-traditional builders with a passion for solving the housing crisis through small & simple solutions” and notes that the group is “queer as a three dollar bill.”

Dandelion Housing is technically a for-profit in the process of becoming a cooperatively owned LLC but can receive donations through its fiscal sponsor, the nonprofit Community Resilience Organizations, which sprang up in Vermont after Tropical Storm Irene.

That summer, the newly formed collective and a smattering of volunteers got to work building a livable tiny home prototype for about $40,000. Silas Wood, a member of the building crew, volunteered to finance construction of the house. He now lives in it on Robinson’s property.

The mobile structure they built is remarkably homey, and, at 8 by 20 feet, much larger than Robinson’s. With a high ceiling, many windows and a woodstove, the home feels both cozy and spacious. It includes a simple bathroom with a composting toilet and basic shower and an elevated sleeping nook with overhead storage space.

Still, the home is bare-bones compared to many tiny homes on the market. That’s intentional. Fancy appliances and finishes would drive the cost higher. The builders would like to keep the base cost of a Dandelion House at $50,000 to $55,000, with options for clients to add a woodstove for $5,000 and electrical wiring for $7,000.

“We sell warm, well-lit boxes,” Robinson said.

Encouraged by the success of the prototype, the “dandy crew,” as they call themselves, built a $40,000 tiny home on wheels last summer for an artist. The inaugural client has been living in the home for almost a year and loves it, Robinson said.

Wood and Robinson, the core members of the team, work part time as truck drivers to make ends meet and to retain health insurance. This summer, they plan to build a somewhat larger 640-square-foot stationary house for Robinson, who has decided he wants more room than his current extra-tiny home provides.

They aim to keep the cost under $80,000 and potentially to use the home — they are calling it the Goldenrod — as a prototype for an affordable stand-alone model they could build elsewhere in Washington County while continuing to offer their trademark tiny.

The group, which is taking on an intern this summer, would like to grow the team to increase its capacity. Members also hope eventually to

RACHEL HELLMAN: Reporting for Vermont

After three productive years of covering rural issues for Seven Days, Report for America corps member Rachel Hellman is departing to hike the Long Trail, work part time with the Center for Community News at the University of Vermont and maybe move to a bigger city. We’ll miss her!

Rachel has written or had a byline on 173 stories, including the one on the cover of this week’s paper.

We could not have published this body of work without the 283 donors who helped pay for Rachel’s reporting. Special thanks to Vermont Coffee founder Paul Ralston, who made major gifts supporting all three years — and to Report for America, for helping us bring Rachel here in the ﬁrst place!

Now that Rachel has established this beat, Seven Days will continue to cover it. Send tips to news editor Matthew Roy at matthew@sevendaysvt.com or 802-865-1020, ext. 128.

SOME OF HELLMAN’S WORK:

Mystery Ailment: A Rare Fungal Disease Is Becoming More Common in Vermont, Especially in ree Counties

May 7, 2025

What’s on Your Ballot? Wastewater Issues, “Community Conduct’” and Housing Round Out the Issues Vermont Voters Will Decide on March 4 February 26, 2025

Aging Alone: Many Isolated Seniors Struggle to Care for emselves in Vermont, and Resources to Help em Are Scant November 20, 2024

Record Rainfall in the Northeast Kingdom Brings Yet Another Round of Flooding July 30, 2024

Addison Selectboard Member Kept Serving Because Nobody Realized His Term Was Up February 14, 2024

Patched Together: Volunteers Create Quilts for Residents at Barre-Area Homeless Shelters November 1, 2023

Class Is in Session: A Pop-Up “University” Strengthens Community in Bethel April 5, 2023

Promising Endeavors: A Recovery Center in Johnson Is Helping Reinvigorate the Town December 14, 2022

build a large garage so that they can build tiny homes year-round, but that would be costly. The Dandelion collective welcomes volunteers and is looking for help making the garage project a reality. Murphy envisions a future in which building and parking tiny homes becomes relatively easy for Vermonters.

Right now, finding a legal place to put a tiny home can be difficult. While local codes in Vermont generally allow them, specific regulations vary by municipality. Robinson thinks that the state’s wastewater regulations — which are designed for conventional homes — also limit the number of places people can park a tiny home.

Despite the limitations, there’s clearly an interest. More than 20 people have reached out to the group hoping to eventually purchase a Dandelion home.

In the meantime, Robinson and Woods are encouraging potential clients to learn more about building a tiny, or perhaps give it a go. Dandelion led a series of tiny home building and financing workshops at Common Ground Country Fair in Unity, Maine last September.

“It’s an incredibly satisfying way to live,” Wood said. “I don’t regret it for a second.”

‘PERMANENTLY AFFORDABLE’

The Vermont Real Estate Cooperative

The Vermont Real Estate Cooperative is a housing solution hidden in plain sight. Nothing stands out to people passing by the gabled house on Malletts Bay Avenue in Winooski.

In fact, the building is part of a cooperative business, collectively owned by 76 Vermont residents interested in taking housing off the speculative market. It’s the second property the five-year-old co-op has invested in and home to three households. They pay about $2,000 per month for their three- and four-bedroom apartments — roughly $1,000 less than the market rate in the city.

“We’re bypassing the contradictory situation of homeownership where a home is an asset that you have to make sure appreciates in value,” Matt Cropp said. He’s the treasurer of the co-op and, perhaps not so coincidentally, executive director of the Vermont Employee Ownership Center, which helps businesses transition ownership to their employees. “We’re trying to create permanently affordable housing.”

The premise is relatively simple: Vermont residents can become memberowners of the co-op by buying one or more $1,000 shares. Each of the members,

It’s less precarious and less exploitative than traditional renting.

MATT CROPP

regardless of how many shares they own, has one vote in business decisions. No member can own more than 10 percent of the total member equity, which is currently about $360,000, and return on investment is limited to 6 percent annually. So far, members have gotten a 4 percent dividend each year.

The co-op initially emerged as a project of the Vermont Solidarity Investing Club, which has invested more than $60,000 in cooperative businesses across the state. When some members — including Cropp, who was chair of the club — learned about the NorthEast Investment Cooperative in Minneapolis, they decided to create something similar

homes before they skyrocket in value. The group focuses on properties with fewer than 20 units, which is too small for some affordable housing developers to bother with.

The co-op collaborates with the nonprofit Vermont Community Loan Fund, which provides low-interest financing in exchange for the co-op’s promise to keep rent in line with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s fair market prices.

Meanwhile, members — including one member-tenant — benefit from something “in-between rental and homeownership,” Cropp said, building limited equity on the value of the co-op rather than the value of a home. Members can sell their shares to cash out at any time, subject to board approval.

“It’s less precarious and less exploitative than traditional renting,” he added. It’s also an accessible investment option because of the $1,000 buy-in. Caitlin Waddick, vice president of the co-op’s board, decided to invest because she wanted to help address the state’s housing crisis.

“Part of my interest was wanting to invest in my own community but needing it to be in a place where it was at least keeping up with inflation,” Waddick said. “For me, in an ethical sense, this is that happy middle ground.”

Thiboumery and Cropp share a longterm vision. Once the co-op owns five properties in Chittenden County, it will begin acquiring homes elsewhere until it has a statewide network.

The co-op is always taking on new members and encourages those interested in starting something similar in other parts of the state to reach out.

in Vermont. The investing club has since morphed into the Vermont Real Estate Co-op.

The co-op purchased its first property in 2020: a commercial space in Burlington that is rented to Good News Garage, a nonprofit that gives refurbished cars to people in need. The investment gave the group a chance to “put its training wheels on,” said co-op president Arion Thiboumery, who is also involved in the Plainfield project. “We’re able to show that it doesn’t just need to be a nonprofit player who can do this.”

Thiboumery sees the Vermont Real Estate Co-op as filling an important niche, preserving affordable housing by buying

The board is focused now on finding a third investment property and hiring a full-time property manager, which will help them put more energy into growing the co-op’s profile. At the moment, volunteer board members are bogged down with the day-to-day operation of the two properties, which includes plumbing and electrical work, on top of their day jobs. The co-op is currently negotiating the purchase of an apartment building in Burlington’s Old North End. The members want to be sure their next investment is a smart one.

The co-op’s scrappiness is also its greatest asset, Thiboumery said. “When the political winds blow the wrong direction, which is happening now, we aren’t just going to fold,” he said. “Our funding comes from our community. We can be resilient in these moments.” ➆

Staff writer Kevin McCallum contributed to this report.

Members of the board of the Vermont Real Estate Cooperative at their Winooski property

A Weekend of Colorful Events!

June 5 - June 8, 2025

HIGH HEEL RACE

Saturday, June 7 10:30am

Come watch or sign up to strut, sashay, or sprint 1 8 mile through the Village of Woodstock!

“Funny With Pride” COMEDY SHOW

Saturday, June 7 7:30pm - 9:30pm at Pentangle Arts

DANCE PARTIES

“Made With Pride” ARTS & CRAFTS FAIR

Saturday, June 7 10am - 3pm on the Village Green

DRAG BRUNCH

Saturday, June 7 11:30am - 1:30pm at the Woodstock Inn

Friday, June 6 9pm - 12am at The Little Theater

Saturday, June 7 3pm - 6pm at The North Chapel

Woodstock, Vermont | prideofwoodstockvt.org Pride of Woodstock, Vermont is a Project of Woodstock Community Trust & MORE EVENTS!

Musically Speaking

The Aphasia Choir of Vermont helps people with brain injuries find their voice

BY MARY ANN LICKTEIG • maryann@sevendaysvt.com

When strokes or other injuries damage the left hemisphere of their brain, many people have difficulty putting their thoughts and ideas into words. But they can still sing.

Karen McFeeters Leary saw it over and over again in her 23 years as a speech language pathologist treating patients with aphasia, a condition that affects the way people process language and speak. Because some therapies involve music, she said, it was standard practice to evaluate clients’ ability to sing. Regardless of the severity of their speech loss, nearly all could — “some, flawlessly,” she said.

MUSIC

Leary, 56, of Milton, is also a singersongwriter with a choral background. She had an idea: Why not have a choir? Aphasia can be isolating, she knew. Why not bring people together with their spouses and caregivers to sing?

She launched the Aphasia Choir of Vermont in 2014 with 11 people with aphasia and 11 spouses, caregivers and volunteers.

The group, which gives its annual concert at Colchester High School this Sunday, June 1, now has 53 members ranging in age from 40 to 88. Twenty-eight have aphasia. Nine of the original members with aphasia are still in the choir, which has adopted Hans Christian Andersen’s words as its motto: “Where words fail, music speaks.”

Over the years, members have driven from Rutland, Calais, Wilmington and Montpelier for weekly rehearsals in Colchester. Seven people participate virtually, and five of them will come for the concert. The Aphasia Choir, they say, has provided friendship, understanding, the opportunity to educate others about their condition and precious moments of fluency.

“When I sing, I feel free,” member Jay O’Neill told Leary. He now participates from Maine.

Each year, the chorus performs a selection of pop songs, mostly from the 1960s and ’70s. Leary chooses familiar songs with uplifting themes and choruses that repeat, and the singers vote on them.

Because this marks the choir’s 10th concert — it missed two during the pandemic — the group will sing numbers that were unanimous favorites in prior years, songs the crowd is sure to know: “New York, New York,” “I Got You Babe,” “Old Time Rock & Roll” and “Let It Be.” Some lyrics sound especially poignant coming from these singers: “Lean on me when you’re not strong.” “I get by with a little help from my friends.” “Sing, sing a song … Don’t worry if it’s not good enough for anyone else to hear.”

No prior experience is required to join, and musical résumés vary. Kate Hill, 85, of Shelburne sang at All-State with her New Jersey high school choir. Chris Colt, 64, of Calais continues to write and produce

musicals despite his 2013 stroke. Seasoned performer Michael Hayes — better known by his alter ego, drag queen Margaurite LeMay — sang with the choir the year before he died, in 2023. And Jericho’s Bob Smith, 76, had just one gig before he joined: the backyard solstice parties he and his wife hosted. Singing Brian Eno’s “Baby’s on Fire” was his tradition.

WHEN I SING, I FEEL FREE.

At a recent rehearsal, they sang in harmony and in a round and played kazoos.

At least 2 million Americans have aphasia, making it more common than cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and muscular dystrophy. The result of a stroke or other brain injury, aphasia is an impairment of language that affects the production or comprehension of speech and the ability to read or write. There are many types of aphasia, and the condition ranges in severity but does not affect intelligence. It is “the ability to access ideas and thoughts through language — not the ideas and thoughts themselves — that is disrupted,” the National Aphasia Association says.

People with aphasia are able to sing because the language center, on the left side of their brain, has been damaged, Leary explained. But certain musical skills, including the ability to remember and sing melodies and songs, are dominated by the right side. “So someone with left-hemisphere brain damage, who can’t speak, can tap into that undamaged right hemisphere and have this experience of fluency,” Leary said.

Singing helps — Leary is sure of it. “I don’t promote this as a therapeutic method,” she said. “But it’s undeniable that there’s something happening of benefit, when it comes to people’s language skills, after the program.”

Some choir members speak more fluently after the 12-week choir season, their spouses have told Leary. “I see elevated moods, social connection, a sense of belonging, reconnection — all those benefits,” she said, “but I see it equally in the caregivers. They’re able to do something with their loved ones — with their loved ones — versus for their loved ones.”

Jen Smith, 66, who sings in the choir with her husband, Bob, calls it “a joy infusion.”

Bob has sung with the choir since its inception. He was a 59-year-old home builder and the head coach of Mount Mansfield Union High School’s girls’ hockey team when he had a stroke in 2008. Unresponsive for two weeks and

JAY O’NEILL

Karen McFeeters Leary leading a rehearsal

The Aphasia Choir of Vermont’s 2022 concert

hospitalized for about six, he spoke his first words to his family during a phone conversation when he told his daughter, “Happy birthday.”

Wearing jeans and a plaid flannel shirt at a recent rehearsal, he looked like he just stepped off a construction site. But he walks with a brace on his right leg, can raise his right arm only to shoulder height and can’t hold anything in his right hand. When conversing, finding words can be difficult. Aphasia has been likened to having words in a filing cabinet and just not being able to retrieve them.

It’s frustrating, Bob said: “Oh, yeah, yeah. But slow down and try again.”

before. And it never goes away. But it’s just less of a burden — like less of me is held in the past, more I’m able to go forward.”

Therapy has helped, she said. So has the choir.

King works as a guide at Shelburne Museum and as a greeter and cashier at Lowe’s in South Burlington. Her speech is slow and a bit labored but perfectly intelligible. Still, some people seem suspicious, she said: “I think that they think I’m drunk.”

Others assume that people with aphasia have an intellectual disability. Members of the choir said even doctors

For Hill, singing is easier than speaking. “Beautiful,” she said, before struggling to say more. She started to speak, shook her head after her brain offered the wrong words, started again, then sighed. Then she broke into song: “Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket…” And the lyrics flowed.

Thirty-eight-year-old Anna King has lived with aphasia for 20 years. Three weeks after graduating from Champlain Valley Union High School, with plans to study chemistry at the University of Vermont, King was in a bike accident while going to see her boyfriend on Texas Hill Road in Hinesburg. She doesn’t remember what happened, but the road had recently been graded and her family thinks she may have hit loose gravel and lost control. The accident left her with a broken jaw, a brain injury and hemiparesis, or weakness on one side of her body. She never got to UVM.

“It was kind of lonely,” the Shelburne woman said. “Grieving the loss of myself

The Aphasia Choir of Vermont’s 2023 concert

direct questions to the person who has accompanied them to a visit.

Leary set three goals for the Aphasia Choir: Have fun, exercise brains and educate the public at a free concert each June, Aphasia Awareness Month. On Sunday, choir members with aphasia will introduce songs so audience members can hear what aphasia sounds like. They will relay information they want people to understand: You don’t have to speak loudly when talking to us. Ask yes-orno questions if you’re having trouble understanding us. Be patient when we’re talking; don’t try to fill in the word we’re looking for. And please address us, not only the people we are with.

When they sing, backed by a five-piece band, no one will be able to tell who has aphasia and who doesn’t. ➆

INFO

The Aphasia Choir of Vermont, Sunday, June 1, 2 p.m., at Colchester High School. Free. aphasiachoirvt.org

three years of its ﬁrst planting — even as Boyle worked a full-time job at Salvation Farms, a gleaning nonproﬁt in Morrisville. Since June 2024, both partners have been fully self-employed.

“Everything happened earlier than anticipated,” Wolcik noted. “It was much faster than I thought it would be.”

The couple are an open book about how they achieved this rapid success, o ering consulting services to other small farms and even joining Québec farmer, author and entrepreneur Jean-Martin Fortier — founder of the Market Gardener Institute, which o ers organic farming education — on his podcast, “The Market Gardener Podcast With JM Fortier.” Boyle and Wolcik shared their story and strategies in an episode entitled “$200K Revenue on Just 1 Acre! The No-Till Success of Breadseed Farm.”

On Solid Ground

rough no-till, regenerative farming, Craftsbury’s Breadseed Farm offers a model for ﬁnancial stability STORY & PHOTOS BY

SUZANNE PODHAIZER

May can be a fraught month for Vermont farmers, as the weather wavers between summer sunshine, chilly downpours and night temperatures that threaten to paint the ground with frost. Hours are packed with crucial tasks such as shaping beds, seeding, planting and transplanting.

But on a bright May Monday at Breadseed Farm in Craftsbury, there was a prevailing air of calm. As late morning arrived and blackﬂies zipped through the air, leaving welts on skin, owners Kayleigh Boyle and Doug Wolcik, plus a helper, were in the lettuce beds with hoes, knocking down weeds and talking sparely.

Elsewhere on the property, a timberframe barn that serves as the farm’s wash and pack station, newly built from hemlock, was neat and organized, its gleaming stainless steel sinks temporarily empty.

Inside the farmhouse — painted the color of boxed mac and cheese — a kitten mewled and stretched her paws. Bread was rising: It would be ready to bake just in time for the preparation of sta lunch. Boyle, 38, and Wolcik, 41, both of whom

FOOD LOVER?

had extensive prior farming experience, bought 16 acres in the Northeast Kingdom in 2020 and dedicated one acre to no-till, regenerative farming. They have three high tunnels, two of which are lightly heated in the spring, and a series of lower tunnels and netting that o er weather and pest

AGRICULTURE

protection to many of their ﬁeld crops. On their sliver of cropland, the couple have built Breadseed into a model for ﬁnancially viable agriculture through shrewd farming choices and marketing know-how.

While many small farms struggle to turn a proﬁt, Breadseed was in the black within

Breadseed’s products — including greens, baby potatoes, young ginger and petite winter squashes — are sold at the Montpelier and Stowe farmers markets, as well as a handful of stores, including the Genny in Craftsbury and Wilson Farm in Greensboro. Its popular Super CSA share, which can be augmented with flower bouquets in the summer or additional microgreens, runs 34 weeks a year. There are shorter-term options available, too.

Although Boyle and Wolcik aim for an extended season, storage crops aren’t their thing. Approximately two-thirds of their products are quick-growing plants in high marketplace demand that can be planted in succession, including salad mix, radishes, scallions, tender Hakurei turnips and cute little gem lettuce heads.

The couple attribute the farm’s quick rise to their wealth of management experience, all of which they were able to bring to bear as they started their own operation. “We’d managed farms — managing the crew, managing the budget,” Wolcik said. “We were just doing it with other people’s money.”

Added Boyle, “We had, on other people’s budgets, bought the greens spinner, the harvester. We’d gotten to trial them and to see how much time they saved.”

Through those trials, they’d realized that purchasing certain medium-scale tools up front, even if the costs seemed daunting, would pay o in the long run. However, both farmers generally favor human labor, and they eschewed heavy and

A farm-grown salad for Breadseed staff lunch

Doug Wolcik and Kayleigh Boyle weeding a lettuce bed

SIDEdishes

Switchback Brewing Goes Barbecue With Expanded Menu and New Name

Just under a year after opening its on-site beer garden and tap house in Burlington’s South End, SWITCHBACK BREWING has given its restaurant a new focus — and a new name. At the SWITCHBACK BEER GARDEN & SMOKEHOUSE, the menu is all in on barbecue, with housesmoked meats and Southern-inspired sides such as braised collard greens, maple corn bread, and CABOT CREAMERY mac and cheese.

When it opened in July 2024, the restaurant offered a small menu of beer-friendly food that reflected the influences of both Germany and the American South. Chef CHRIS CANTRELL, who grew up in Knoxville, Tenn., bonded early on with managing partner JOSH WEBER, who’s also from the South, over their shared roots. “His use of Duke’s Mayonnaise and Wickles Pickles made it basically a no-brainer to hire him,” Weber told Seven Days last year.

The two have now expanded their barbecue offerings to include platters and sandwiches made with housesmoked meats such as brisket, pulled pork and St. Louis-style ribs. While some menu favorites remain, such as the jumbo Bavarian-style pretzel, smash burger and McKenzie Switchbrat sandwich, the new items help distinguish Switchback from its neighbors on Flynn

Avenue. CITIZEN CIDER’s PRESS HOUSE PUB is planned to open in the same parking lot this summer.

“This side of town has been craving real [Southern barbecue] for years; it just needed a couple of Southerners to bring it to life,” Weber said in a press release. With what he called “a proper Smokehouse,” the team is “proud to bring that bold, slow-smoked tradition to Burlington’s South End,” he continued.

The new menu isn’t all meat: Vegetarian dishes include black-eyed pea hummus topped with chowchow, a lightly spicy Low Country spring rice bowl, and loaded fries slathered in Karsten Premium Lager-infused Cabot cheddar sauce.

The family-friendly restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating and serves Switchback’s full lineup of beer, along with nonalcoholic drinks and cocktails.

Jordan Barry

Philo Ridge Farm Hires New Leadership Team Ahead of Summer Reopening

In March, Charlotte’s PHILO RIDGE FARM officially became a nonprofit. Its on-farm restaurant and market, both of which closed in late 2023, will reopen this summer under a new leadership team.

Pulled pork sandwich at Switchback Beer Garden & Smokehouse

pricey gas- or diesel-powered equipment, such as tractors, when planning their farm. Operating with broadforks and other hand tools, rather than a John Deere or a Kubota, significantly reduced their initial capital investment.

In this choice, Wolcik said, they were considering both the short- and long-term viability of the business. Good stewardship of the land and the health of their soil, he noted, are factors in all of their business decisions.

Although they’ve each been farming for 17 years, Boyle and Wolcik took separate paths into agriculture. Boyle grew up in the Northeast Kingdom and attended high school in Danville. At Emerson College in Boston, she designed a degree in nonprofit marketing. The skills she learned there help her market Breadseed on social media as well as through a newsletter and the farm’s website.

In 2009, Boyle was hired as an assistant grower at Gaining Ground, a nonprofit farm in Concord, Mass., that provides free, organic produce to people experiencing food insecurity. In 2011, she became the farm’s comanager.

Meanwhile, Wolcik studied sustainable agriculture at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, spent a couple of growing seasons in Northern California and then went “WWOOFing,” working on farms in Argentina and Chile through the organization Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms.

The pair met in April 2013. While seeking staff for the summer season at Gaining Ground, Boyle received a late application from Wolcik, who was just returning from South America. Why is a guy with this much experience looking for a job so late in the game? she wondered, while calling him to set up an interview.

For the next eight years, Wolcik was on staff at Gaining Ground, working his way from assistant manager to comanager with Boyle to farm manager. By the middle of his second season, the two were a couple. In 2016, Boyle split off to manage the produce farm at Gibbet Hill Grill in Groton, Mass. There, dishes such as roasted tandoori carrots and parsnip-parsley soup are made with ingredients grown on the property.

Her new gig afforded the pair free housing. “We both had farm manager salaries, and we could bank some money by not having any rent or many food expenses,” Boyle explained. In 2020, they were able to invest some of their savings in the land that would become Breadseed.

The move to Vermont, back to where

WITH EVERY DECISION ON THE FARM, WE PRIORITIZE THE SOIL HEALTH.

DOUG WOLCIK

Boyle grew up, was a boon for both of them. The rural area, and the opportunity to work at home rather than in the Boston suburbs, “was more fitting for my lifestyle,” Wolcik noted. “It was weird to work on a beautiful farm all day and then sit in traffic for half an hour to get back to Kayleigh.”

Some farmers are unwilling to ever let a tiller touch their land, and it can take years to get new beds fully established, but Boyle and Wolcik decided they were willing to be a one-till farm: They would plow the land a single time in the fall, with a tractor leased from a neighbor, and never do so again. Beds would be hand-built their first spring.

“We were taking on a mortgage. We

one location. It’s really organized and intensive.”

Boyle and Wolcik also like to find their customers close by. Right down the road at the Genny, also known as the Craftsbury General Store, buyer Kit Basom stocks Breadseed Farm products and watches them fly off the shelves.

“It has been fun to watch Doug and Kayleigh establish their farm here in Craftsbury and eke more and more production off of its very modest footprint,” Basom said. “They’re lovely people to do business with … The quality is always beautiful, and [it] comes from just a couple miles up the road.”

At the Capital City Farmers Market, Jen Roberts, a Craftsbury native, makes a point of visiting her hometown farm for produce. “I buy lots of different greens from them and especially love their zesty salad mix,” she said. “I’ve also gotten lovely flowers and a beautiful dried floral wreath that Kayleigh made.”

Roberts follows Breadseed on Instagram in order to anticipate the items she’ll be able to buy each week, and she looks forward to hearing more personal thoughts from the farmers, too. “In addition to their great produce, Doug and Kayleigh are a big reason why I always stop by their stand,” she remarked.

Amanda Ochoa, another Montpelier market customer, agreed. “Our connection with Doug and Kayleigh quickly morphed from farmer-customer to friends,” she said. “The respect they have for their land is evident in the quality of food they bring to market.”

Ochoa particularly likes pairing Breadseed’s spicy microgreens with her backyard eggs, Red Hen Baking bread, Cabot Creamery’s Seriously Sharp Cheddar and some chile crisp in a breakfast sandwich.

were leaving jobs,” Boyle said. “We needed to get the farm up and running quickly.”

They embraced the no-till growing method because both had observed its benefits firsthand. “We’d seen some great results,” Wolcik explained. “Less weed pressure, healthier plants, less disease, fewer pests. With every decision on the farm, we prioritize the soil health first, [asking], ‘How does this decision affect the overall health of the ecosystem?’”

Plus, working with hand tools brings the farmer closer to the land. “Instead of sitting on a tractor for 500-foot rows, we kind of live it and breathe it,” Wolcik said. “You can see the whole farm standing in

“It has been a real privilege to watch Breadseed Farm expand and grow,” she said. “Each season we look forward to more offerings and infrastructure updates.”

A willingness to question assumptions and constantly reevaluate is a hallmark of Boyle and Wolcik’s style. As they look to the future, Wolcik explained, rather than expanding in size, their aim is to become more efficient and innovative on the land they have.

“It’s really cool being a seasonal business,” Boyle said. “We get to reevaluate every year. What [products] did well? What didn’t do well? Even with this little plot of land, we have a lot of possibility.” ➆

Learn more at breadseedfarm.com.

A pair of lettuces

Mixed greens growing at Breadseed Farm

HELP SEVEN DAYS COVER IMMIGRATION.

Seven Days has once again been selected to host a Report for America corps member. The national service program places journalists in newsrooms around the country — and contributes to their salaries. Corps member Lucy Tompkins will join Seven Days in July to help cover immigration and Vermont’s immigrant communities.

A native Montanan who earned in BA in journalism from the University of Montana, Lucy is well qualiﬁed for the beat. She got a Fulbright scholarship to study international asylum law in Germany, where she also interviewed and photographed Syrian refugee women. Fluent in Spanish, she has written about homelessness and housing insecurity for the New York Times, the Texas Tribune and USA Today. She’ll cover immigration news related to deportations, protests and arrests. She’ll also report stories about immigrants and refugees making a life in Vermont.

The GroundTruth Project, the nonproﬁt behind Report for America, will partially fund this crucial beat, but we need readers like you to chip in for the rest.

Our fundraising goal this year: $50,000. Vermont Co ee founder Paul Ralston will match the ﬁrst $20,000 in reader contributions through this crowdfunding drive.

Join Paul in supporting our immigration coverage — and help us qualify for those matching funds!

To make a tax-deductible gift in support of our immigration coverage, visit:

Want to send a check?

Make it out to “GroundTruth Project,” 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

Need help?

Contact Gillian at 802-865-1020, ext. 115, or gillian@sevendaysvt.com.

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

The origin story of Bitter Bubble starts like a joke: A chef and an engineer walk into a bar... But, in this case, instead of asking the bartender for a drink, they decide to design one themselves.

In Vermont’s inventive beverage sphere, a chef and an engineer joining forces to create a line of delicately bitter, botanical-flavored soda water is no surprise. What did surprise me, after having qua ed Bitter Bubble for several months, was realizing that one of the state’s most prolific chef-restaurateurs was behind it.

Sometimes you pick up a lushly illustrated fuchsia-and-green can that delivers a refreshing blend of bitters and soda accented with rhubarb, one of your top 10 ﬂavors, and sip it gladly without digging deeper than the brand’s slick but backstory-free website.

It wasn’t until I emailed Eric Warnstedt in late 2023 about a restaurant project that I noticed Bitter Bubble listed under his signature. The 49-year-old cofounder of Hen of the Wood in Waterbury and Burlington owns Heirloom Hospitality, which includes Doc Ponds in Stowe and Prohibition Pig and Gallus Handcrafted Pasta, both in Waterbury. Most recently, Heirloom partnered with Burlington’s Hotel Champlain to open Original Ski Fish + Oysters.

After completing the business at hand, I wrote, “Eric, do you own Bitter Bubble?! How did I not know that?” He responded that he’d started the biz with a buddy and added, “We haven’t really done much with it yet but have big visions if we ever have the time.”

Since then, Warnstedt hasn’t found more time to devote to the side hustle — nor has his collaborator, George Martin, a 42-year-old Burlington engineer whose LN Consulting designs mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems for buildings. But when I followed up recently, they shared the vision behind Bitter Bubble and its three ﬂavors so far: Rhubarb & Hibiscus, Blood Orange & Chamomile, and Sour Cherry & Chicory. The nonalcoholic line contains no calories or sweeteners and retails throughout Vermont for about $1.99 a can.

Bitter Is Better

A Vermont chef and engineer created a sophisticated botanical soda water brand

BY MELISSA PASANEN • pasanen@sevendaysvt.com

DRINK UP

The friends began batting about the idea almost a decade ago. They often drank soda water with a splash of Angostura bitters, sometimes to pace themselves

nose” that Warnstedt described. My favorite, the rhubarb, is “a little bit more exotic, tropical, ﬂoral,” he said.

Developing the flavors and hiring Williston creative director Dennis Healy to create the eye-catching brand design were the easier parts, Warnstedt said. To launch, they needed a local co-packer who could produce and can large batches and a distributor willing to take on an untested product with zero marketing budget. Warnstedt’s industry connections helped, and Bitter Bubble has grown since 2021 to sell about 4,800 cans monthly.

“At some point, we’ll go borrow money and make this thing bigger,” Warnstedt said. “For now, it’s really just been a fun sort of garage brand.”

during the day.

alcohol and has no interest in de-alcoholized products such as NA beer, but he likes to moderate his consumption.

IT’S REALLY JUST BEEN A FUN SORT OF GARAGE BRAND. ERIC WARNSTEDT

want to get as fat

sophisticated, sweetener-free flavors of bubbly

ﬂowers and roots.

root, chicory

lar to the Angostura-and-soda combo, while the sour cherry successfully evokes the intended “almond and cherry cola

Demand for new nonalcoholic choices has helped. Dana Parseliti, manager and beverage buyer for Burlington’s Honey Road and Grey Jay, said Bitter Bubble stands out among “elevated seltzer o erings.” She was initially impressed by the “beautiful

“They don’t look homespun,” she said.

Parseliti also appreciates that the ﬂavors “are not overpowering and have such a

pretty nose. The little bittering compo-

Bitter Bubble’s creators recommend drinking it ice cold from the can, but they also enjoy it with alcohol on occasion. Martin shouted out the Sunshine cocktail made with the Blood Orange & Chamomile ﬂavor at EB Strong’s Prime Steakhouse in

Burlington.

Warnstedt often orders a Negroni and a Bitter Bubble. “After I take the ﬁrst couple sips of the Negroni, I’ll just top it o with Bitter Bubble,” he said, noting that the technique works with any simple booze-forward cocktail, especially

“It’s going to take me twice as long to drink my cocktail,” he

food+drink

SIDEdishes

The nonprofit PHILO RIDGE FARM FOUNDATION has announced the hire of BRYAN FLOWER as executive director and MARC ST. JACQUES as director of food and beverage and executive chef. An opening date, hours and details on the market and restaurant will be announced in early June.

Flower comes to Vermont from a two-decade, globe-spanning career in leadership and food systems. Most recently, as assistant director for food systems innovation at Northern Illinois University, he led the NIU Edible Campus initiative and Sustainable Food Systems Innovation Challenge. Appropriately for his new job, he’s also a chef and farmer.

Originally from Canada, St. Jacques has been the owner and executive chef of Bar Bête, a bistro in Brooklyn, since 2019. At Philo Ridge, “our cooking will be rooted in mostly European technique,” he said in a release, “showcasing vibrant flavors of ingredients harvested that same day” with “refined, yet approachable menus.”

DIANA MCCARGO and PETER SWIFT bought the 400-acre former dairy farm at the intersection of Mount Philo and Hinesburg roads in 2012 and invested heavily in restoring the buildings and the land through regenerative farming practices. Their successful transition into a nonprofit model “fulfills our vision to ensure that the farm will be a multigenerational community asset for Vermont,” the couple said in a March announcement.

J.B.

CONNECT

On Instagram: Jordan Barry: @jordankbarry; Melissa Pasanen: @mpasanen.

Stowe Street Café in Waterbury Welcomes Head Chef AJ Barr

As STOWE STREET CAFÉ approaches its decade anniversary in early June, owner NICOLE GRENIER announced that AJ BARR has replaced the restaurant’s original head chef, STEPHANIE BICZKO, and will gradually put his spin on the menu.

Barr, 40, joined the kitchen team at Stowe Street Café in October. He was previously executive chef at the now-closed Hatchet in Richmond and kitchen manager at Kismet in Montpelier, also closed.

Biczko, 51, and Barr worked together for about six months before she stepped away in March “after almost 10 years of putting in the hard work,” Grenier said.

The breakfast and lunch spot recently received what Grenier described as a “glow-up, inside and out,” including fresh interior paint and a new deck. It will continue to serve café favorites such as breakfast sandwiches and burritos, grilled sandwiches, soups, salads, and housebaked pastries.

So far, Barr’s additions to the menu have largely focused on weekend brunch. He has introduced dishes such as Middle Eastern-style shakshouka, porchetta eggs Benedict, curry tofu scramble, and French toast stuffed with blueberries and lemon curd. Grenier said the brunch menu will expand to weekdays this summer. Melissa Pasanen

Job of theWeek

Director of Finance & Operations

What are some speciﬁc challenges of this position?

e opportunity — and the exciting challenge — of this role lies in aligning strong financial and operational systems with our bold mission: to build a Vermont where all LGBTQ+ youths have hope, equity and power. As we grow, the Director will play a critical role in ensuring that our resources, infrastructure and people are supported in ways that reflect our values. It’s about creating sustainability without sacrificing vision — making sure our day-to-day operations fuel our long-term impact, center youths and help our amazing staff succeed!

What would you tell someone curious about Outright VT and interested in working there?

Working for Outright Vermont means being part of a team that believes deeply in a world where LGBTQ+ youths have boundless possibilities for joy and all people know liberation. What makes this work truly special is the opportunity to walk alongside young people who know exactly what they need — and to help make that vision real. We’re a passionate, talented group of individuals who care about showing up, not just for LGBTQ+ youths but also for the adults who want to support them with intention and love. At Outright, we’re not just doing a job — we’re part of a movement for a more just and equitable society.

Apply for this great local job and many more: jobs.sevendaysvt.com

Outright Vermont

Get the scoop on this gig from Dana Kaplan, Executive Director care

Outright,

Chef AJ Barr holding huevos rancheros

Bryan Flower

Marc St. Jacques

COURTESY OF ASHLEY ROSEMEYER

Lines Crossed

Book review: e Jackal’s Mistress, Chris Bohjalian

BY KEN

PICARD • ken@sevendaysvt.com

The 25th novel from best-selling Weybridge author Chris Bohjalian, The Jackal’s Mistress, is all the more compelling given that it spins a Civil War tale partially based on the true story of a Vermonter. As the story opens, it’s September 1864 in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, and young bride Libby Steadman doesn’t know whether Peter, her Confederate soldier husband, is alive or dead. The last she heard, he was wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg and being held in a Northern prison.

BOOKS

But, as the distant rumble of cannons grows louder with the approach of the Union Army, Libby has little time to ponder his fate. Tasked with caring for her

orphaned niece and running her husband’s gristmill for the Confederate Army with just two newly freed slaves, she knows it’s only a matter of time before her farm becomes a battleﬁeld.

When Libby learns that a gravely injured Union officer, left for dead by his own troops, has been discovered in her neighbor’s vacant house, she makes the perilous, seemingly irrational decision to take him in and save his life.

Captain Jonathan Weybridge of the Vermont Brigade is Libby’s mortal enemy, responsible for much of the hardship that defines her daily existence. But, as she soon learns, he’s also a former Middlebury College professor and a husband and father.

To her household, Libby justiﬁes the treasonous act by expressing her faith that

savagery of combat and its gruesome consequences on the human body feature in the story, as they do in any well-researched tale of the Civil War. But Bohjalian’s use of blood and gore isn’t gratuitous, serving to move the narrative forward.

Weybridge, with his left hand shattered in battle and his leg amputated by a ﬁeld surgeon’s saw, initially struggles to stay alive. Later, he must learn to walk again and become useful to his rescuers despite his new disabilities — while not imperiling Libby’s household or himself.

a Yankee wife would do the same, noting the possibility of a prisoner swap to free Peter. Privately, she’s driven by the desire to end her crushing loneliness. Amid the inhumanity of warfare and bloodshed blossoms an improbable and tender relationship.

“[Libby] noticed how, by the light of day, Weybridge’s eyes were green; by the lantern, however, they were black as crows,” Bohjalian writes. “He was, once more, in her husband’s sleep shirt. It smelled of soap, not Peter. It hadn’t held her husband’s musk in years.”

Like much of Bohjalian’s historical ﬁction, The Jackal’s Mistress gallops ahead with cinematic pacing and intensity, beginning with a scene of Libby fending o an army deserter and would-be rapist with a butcher knife in her own kitchen. The

The real-life inspiration for Weybridge was Henry Bedell of Westfield, Vt., wounded by rebel shelling in 1864 in Berryville, Va., where Bohjalian set his novel. Left for dead, Bedell was discovered by a formerly enslaved woman and brought to the home of Bettie Van Metre, a Confederate who nursed him back to health while keeping his presence secret. Aside from some small but important modiﬁcations, notably the nature of the pair’s relationship, Bohjalian cleaves to the historical account, as he explains in the afterword, painting a compelling portrait of the war’s hardships and the lengths to which ordinary people will go to retain their humanity.

Among Bohjalian’s many strengths as a storyteller is his ability to create strong female characters, who are the backbone of The Jackal’s Mistress. Libby’s niece, Jubilee, is a sassy 13-year-old who is simultaneously disgusted by and fascinated with her new houseguest. Sally, newly freed from slavery, stayed behind with her husband to help Libby on the farm rather than ﬂee north after their emancipation. Her willingness to remain in a state that treats her like chattel

Chris Bohjalian

Middlebury’s Marquis Theatre Goes Retro With Art Deco Façade

STORY & PHOTO BY MADELEINE

KAPTEIN

Something new at Middlebury’s Marquis Theatre evokes old-school excitement about going to the movies. Anyone who’s strolled the town’s Main Street this month has likely noticed the cinema’s new façade: There’s a bright-blue sign, accented by pale yellow and vertically spelling out the theater’s name in gray letters, that references the art deco style of movie theaters from the 1920s and ’30s, adding a vintage touch to the street.

Employees of New Haven’s Silver Maple construction company have worked since March to install the sign as the second part of a longer-term renovation project at the Marquis, according to theater owner Ben Wells. Rehab began in December 2023, when the theater’s stucco cracked and its overhang collapsed over the front doors of a building that’s stood for more than a century.

Once the necessary structural work was complete, Wells decided to keep going. At a time when small movie theaters are struggling to stay in business — Seven Days has previously reported on the closures of Merrill’s Roxy Cinemas in Burlington and the Palace 9 in South Burlington — Wells thought a new façade would encourage locals to think positively about the Marquis and its place in the community.

Diving into the history of American movie theaters, he resolved to heighten the nostalgic appeal of the Marquis’ exterior. Art deco, a modernist style known for its geometric forms, bold colors and close ties to the tradition of cinema-going, seemed like the perfect fit.

Adhering to town ordinances on lighting and signage was a challenge, and Middlebury’s Design Advisory Committee rejected Wells’ first draft. Kathryn Torres, codirector of the Better Middlebury

Partnership, witnessed the evolution of the façade through its many design iterations and praised its final form.

“It’s very in keeping with the town, and it also brings some color and some light to that part of the town, so we’re really excited about it,” Torres said. “I love the idea of taking something that’s classic ... and bringing it into the 21st century.”

“It’s a style that I hope will stand the test of time,” Wells said, “and contributes to the vitality and the vibrancy of Main Street.”

And of the Marquis itself. The pandemic, the 2023 Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes, and the increasing popularity of streaming services have all taken a toll on theaters in Vermont and across the country.

Wells said this year has been hard, too — one blow was the ice storm that occurred the same March night as the new Snow White release. But he manages to keep the business alive by maintaining its restaurant, trivia nights and other forms of entertainment, such as kids’ movie screenings in the café. A few months ago, Wells also purchased new laser projectors to improve image quality.

He hopes the newly completed exterior, the installation of which shuttered the theater the entire month of April, closes the deal.

“Having a façade like this on the outside,” Wells said, “it’s a really strong outward message to people in the town that, Hey, this is a special place. There’s great energy inside this. This is a great place to be.” ➆

SUMMER EXHIBITIONS

INFO

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

MOVIE THEATERS

Marquis Theatre’s new art deco façade

Touching Grief

Vermont playwright Leila Teitelman’s BabyCakes premieres at Off Center for the Dramatic Arts

BY TRACY BRANNSTROM

Aprofound and often-discussed concept among those who study grief is that mourning can create a kind of divided existence, splitting life in two. It’s not uncommon for people to feel as if they are moving back and forth between different realities — one where the loss is raw and all-consuming, and another where bills still need to be paid, dishes done and meetings attended. This slippage between sorrow and the ordinary is at the heart of the play BabyCakes, running Friday to Sunday, May 30 to June 1, at Off Center for the Dramatic Arts in Burlington.

BabyCakes was written by Vermont playwright Leila Teitelman and directed by Shelburne’s Amy Halpin Riley of the Full Circle Theater Collaborative, which produced it. The play is centered on a support group for bereaved parents that meets in a small-town rec room over the course of several weeks. The members have all lost a child in different ways, at different times.

The narrative is shaped by the gradual revelation of each character’s journey. Sarah, played by Nora June Tetrick, is the group’s youngest member. She’s grieving the death of her daughter while undergoing a divorce and juggling schoolwork. Chloe Fidler’s Lynn, who turned to health and wellness to rediscover herself after a lateterm miscarriage, is the weekly facilitator.

Tensions escalate when Helen, played by Alex Hudson, joins the close-knit group and struggles to open up about her past.

The rest of the characters — played by a cast that includes Cael Barkman, Laura Wolfsen, Timothy Sheridan and Monica Callan — grapples with what Teitelman calls “the grief Olympics” — a competitive mentality about who has it worst and who is most deserving of support.

The production invites the audience into the support group’s orbit, for which the Off Center’s black-box theater, which seats just 80, is the perfect setting. A minimal set design accentuates the mundane details of everyday life: folding chairs to set up and break down each week; a gurgling pot of Folgers, its aroma drifting through the small space.

The storyline shifts between dialoguedriven group scenes and achingly honest monologues from each character, ushered in through choreographed movements and music. Sound designer Jess Wilson crafts an ethereal soundscape — including audio of heartbeats, sirens and laughter — to evoke the disjointed, emotionally altered space of grief.

In research for the production, Halpin Riley and Teitelman talked to regional nonprofits that run grief groups, such as Empty Arms Vermont, and to parents who have lost children. The concept that kept emerging was what the two called “touching grief.”

“There’s this magical, almost otherworldly element to the script: the idea of grief taking you to another place, even when one foot has to remain in reality,” Halpin Riley said. “We heard about that

THEATER

a lot — where you have to sort of touch it, then get back to earth.”

Teitelman, who also teaches theater at the University of Vermont, began writing BabyCakes in 2017 while living in New York City, the plot sparked by a friend’s dream about a woman who bakes cakes for grieving parents. She workshopped it twice before setting the play aside for several years to work on other projects, then sent it to Full Circle when she moved to Burlington three years ago.

Halpin Riley was struck by how the script captured the pressure people often feel to conceal their grief. In the production, she said, “the only way we see real vulnerability and the truth of anything is when they’re alone on the stage giving a monologue.”

“That juxtaposition is something I think is happening all over the place,” she said.

Teitelman said she has watched her characters — “which have now lived in my brain for about seven years” — come to life during rehearsals. She answered questions for the cast, gave feedback on scenes and even improvised a few alternate endings for the performance.

Halpin Riley said that in her two decades of directing Vermont theater, this was the first time she has collaborated so closely with a playwright.

The cast members brought their own depth to the process through personal research and preparation. Sheridan, who plays the grieving father, Tim, attended death cafés in Charlotte to get a sense of how to interact in group settings where death and loss were discussed. Tetrick said she read lots of Joan Didion to prepare for her role as Sarah.

BabyCakes dances between darkness and humor — a critical interplay, in both theater and life, the cast agreed.

“If you’re saturated in one emotion consistently, and that emotion is sadness, there’s no coming out of that,” said Barkman, who plays the guarded but tender Tanya. “You really need the levity of joy and laughter and connection with others.” ➆

INFO

BabyCakes, Friday and Saturday, May 30 and 31, 7 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, May 31 and June 1, 2 p.m. at Off Center for the Dramatic Arts in Burlington. $15-20. fullcircletheatervt.org

adds depth and complexity to what could have been a simplistic morality play.

“Everyone else left, including our children,” Sally tells Weybridge. “But Joseph wanted to run the mill with Peter and get paid for it. That was part of it. Other part? We were both too old and too set in our ways to start again somewhere else. And then came the war.”

Exhaustively researched and eminently readable, The Jackal’s Mistress illuminates a tale that was previously known to only a handful of Civil War historians — told by one of Vermont’s best storytellers. ➆

INFO

The Jackal’s Mistress by Chris Bohjalian, Doubleday, 336 pages. $29. chrisbohjalian.com

FROM THE JACKAL’S MISTRESS

“He’s a jackal,” Jubilee told her Aunt Libby in the kitchen.

The soldier was in a fitful sleep again on the parlor floor.

“You’ve never even seen a jackal,” her aunt said, focused on the papers before her with the notes she kept for the quartermasters who descended upon the mill. Jubilee knew her aunt was paid — when she was paid — with Confederate blue-backs, money that Libby said was best used as kindling to start a fire. That was its value. But it was the currency that was used in Berryville, and it was better than giving the flour away, though Jubilee knew her aunt had been miffed by how little even the army now paid her.

“No,” Jubilee admitted. “I ain’t ever seen a jackal. But I still know you can’t trust ’em.” She grinned in a way that her father used to call demonic, and because he laughed approvingly when he said it, she did it often, widening her eyes for effect.

“And what has this Federal done to earn your distrust?”

“That’s like askin’ what’s a jackal done to earn your distrust!” She understood on some level the circular illogic to what she was saying, but she knew both that there was truth to her argument, and, more importantly, that she was entertaining her aunt. And she liked that. “It’s in their nature, Aunt Libby. Jackals are just born bad. Criminal. Like that man in the parlor.”

“Born bad: because he’s from the North?”

“He’s on our land. He don’t have business in Virginia, ’cept burnin’ fields and killin’ our boys.” When the words were out there, she feared she had crossed a line, moving from levity to the realities of war.

Laura Wolfsen and Timothy Sheridan in a rehearsal of BabyCakes

The Space Between Combines Art, Film, Music and Meditation

BY KEN PICARD • ken@sevendaysvt.com

Evan Premo’s music has much in common with the paintings of Jan Sandman. Both artists create haunting and ethereal compositions that seem to embody chrysalism — that cozy tranquility one feels while watching a thunderstorm from the safety of indoors.

One might experience a similar sensation while watching “The Space Between: An Altar for the Unnamable,” a short film by East Calais filmmaker and photographer Andreas John. In the movie, sunlight streams through the boards of a 19thcentury barn while Premo, 39, a double bassist and composer from Plainfield, creates what he calls “sonic layers” that accompany Sandman as she paints. Premo describes the 71-year-old Montpelier artist as “a wise woman and healer and very important in my life.”

The film was screened at the 2024 Green Mountain Film Festival, but this week the three artists will bring John’s movie to life in the East Calais barn where it was filmed. They’ll be joined by violinist and singer Laurel Premo, Evan’s sister. The meta event, also titled The Space Between, is produced by Northwoods Music Collaborative, a new-to-Vermont project of Evan’s.

The 75-minute multimedia event will feature the half-hour movie, played in three chapters on a screen hung from the barn’s rafters. Interludes of guided meditation by Sandman will intersperse the film, along with live and recorded music and opportunities for the audience to participate in chanting and vocal drones.

Vermont chamber music enthusiasts are likely familiar with the work of Evan Premo, who previously served as codirector of Marshfield’s Scrag Mountain Music, which he cofounded with his former wife, Mary Bonhag.

For the past 10 years, Premo has also offered concerts on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where he grew up. It was there that he founded the nonprofit Northwoods Music Collaborative, which hosts an annual festival called Beethoven & Banjos, bringing together classical and folk music. The Space Between was first performed as a multimedia event at that festival in 2024. Premo has since opened a chapter of Northwoods Music Collaborative in East Calais.

Though Premo’s music has a distinctively spiritual quality, his musical roots are set in a family of scientist-musicians. His mother, a limnologist, plays the hammered dulcimer, fiddle, mandolin and guitar; his father, a herpetologist, sings and plays guitar. For years the couple ran an ecological consulting firm; they still have a water-testing laboratory.

“Music was always a super-serious side job for them,” said Premo, who’s been a professional musician since age 8. When he was a child, the family regularly toured the Midwest during summers, performing at music festivals and the occasional science conference.

“It’s always been a passion of mine ... to bring together science and spirituality,” Premo said. In fact, The Space Between grew out of another project called Primacy of Consciousness. That concert-length work was based on the 2015 book Infinite Awareness: The Awakening of a Scientific Mind, by neuroscientist Marjorie Hines Woollacott.

Although the East Calais barn is spacious and cathedral-like, the seating area is quite small, Premo noted, and thus can accommodate only 60 people for each of the three scheduled performances.

“It’s also a bit of an effort to get there,” Premo said, “but it’s so much about the physical space that we’re hoping that people will find it to be a pilgrimage.” ➆

INFO

The Space Between, Friday, May 30, 7 p.m., and Saturday, May 31, 3 and 7 p.m., in East Calais. (Exact address will be shared upon making reservations.) $35; reservations required. Learn more at northwoodsmusiccollaborative.org.

Help us meet our goal of raising $125,000 for the McClure Miller Respite House to provide over 140 days of highquality hospice care for our community.

Saturday, May 31, 2025

Run/Walk: 9:00 am

Malletts Bay School

Andreas John, Jan Sandman and Evan Premo

35TH ANNIVERSARY

on screen

More and more these days, movies seem to come with prerequisites. Haven’t seen the first seven Mission Impossibles? You aren’t qualified to discuss the eighth. Not familiar with the Weeknd’s body of work? Hurry Up Tomorrow will be lost on you. As for superhero flicks, forget about the latest installment if you haven’t seen all the others and the TV shows.

But when every movie is marketed to an audience that knows what to expect, maybe we lose something. Maybe there’s something magical about stumbling into a theater and not knowing why everyone around you is laughing hysterically before the star of the movie has even done anything funny. I’m describing my experience of seeing Friendship without having watched a single episode of said star’s beloved sketch-comedy show, “I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson.”

It was interesting.

The deal

Small-town digital marketer Craig (Tim Robinson) doesn’t demand much from life. His idea of an adventure is ferrying a cup

of hot co ee down a crowded hallway or inviting his family out to see the new Marvel movie. (“I hear it’s nuts!” he enthuses.)

Craig’s wife (Kate Mara), recently in remission from cancer, is eager to try new things that don’t involve spending time with her husband. She encourages Craig to strike up a friendship with their neighbor, Austin (Paul Rudd), a smooth-talking local TV weatherman who has the aura of the coolest dude you knew in middle school. His credentials as the ideal friend consist of owning a prehistoric weapon, being in a punk band and taking Craig urban exploring in the town sewers.

Craig is smitten. Austin becomes his role model, the center of his world, opening up his workaday existence to such wild ambitions as playing the drums and driving a sports car. A fervor for living transforms him. When his banal workplace advice (“Just ask”) helps Austin get a promotion, Craig practically glows with the conviction that his infatuation is reciprocated.

Then Austin invites some other buddies over to hang, and all Craig’s awkwardness resurfaces. In the aftermath of a cringeworthy evening, he ﬁnds himself frienddumped. But Austin is about to learn,

doesn’t change, though, and Friendship falls apart a bit in its second half, wobbling from one potential story arc to another like a series of sketches.

Craig has no backstory; we never learn how he acquired an attractive wife who has the social adeptness he lacks or how he functions so e ciently at work until the Austin obsession derails him. He simply is what he is: an insecure, excitable, distinctly narcissistic, occasionally sociopathic fellow who makes Pee-wee Herman in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure look like a model of mature character development. Like Nicolas Cage, Robinson has a genius for putting every emotion on his face, and his weak jaw and schlubby demeanor only make the overblown reactions funnier.

While DeYoung’s screenplay initially suggests that Austin’s friendship brings out new sides of Craig, by the end of Friendship, it’s impossible to believe Craig wasn’t always this way. Perhaps that’s the film’s real message, unrelated to friendship per se: Changing our lives is harder than we think. Thirsty for enlightenment, Craig takes a psychedelic trip that defies all the filmic tropes of psychedelic trips to deliver a wet fart of an anticlimax. It’s so determinedly not funny that it is funny.

like Michael Douglas's character in Fatal Attraction, that some ex-friends are not to be ignored.

Will you like it?

The trailer for Friendship suggests something like the Danish Oscar winner Another Round — a dark comedy about male friendship with absurdist elements, but still basically a realistic character study. Friendship is not that. It’s also not a thriller (despite the stalking aspect), nor is it a feelgood buddy comedy by any stretch of the imagination. My best stab at its subgenre is “Taxi Driver with killer one-liners.”

First-time feature director Andrew DeYoung is clearly targeting fans of “I Think You Should Leave,” in which Robinson plays a host of characters united only by their antisocial tendencies. The connection also accounts for a funny cameo by Conner O’Malley, a recurring guest on the show.

While “I Think You Should Leave” is bright-colored, snappy and satirical in its humor, however, Friendship has the dingy palette and leisurely pacing of an indie drama. In early scenes, Robinson’s restraint matches that type of ﬁlm, but as Craig’s behavior becomes increasingly unhinged, his style gets broader. The overall tone

That’s true of much of the ﬁlm. Once we catch his vibe — and it will take a bit, if you’re new to his work — Robinson’s line readings are consistently hilarious. We may wonder whether Craig could ever attain the self-awareness needed to laugh with us, yet it’s impossible to look away, perhaps because Robinson manages to embody every ounce of cringe that we resolutely repress in ourselves.

MARGOT HARRISON margot@sevendaysvt.com

IF YOU LIKE THIS, TRY…

“I THINK YOU SHOULD LEAVE WITH TIM ROBINSON” (18 episodes, 2019-2023; Netﬂix): While not a true prerequisite, the show should help you grasp why Robinson’s fans giggle the instant he appears on-screen.

I LOVE YOU, MAN (2009; Paramount+, rentable): In this comedy that popularized the notion that men have trouble ﬁnding friends, Rudd plays the lonely guy, making his casting in Friendship inspired.

WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE (1995; Tubi, rentable): But to match the weird tonality of Friendship, you’d have to return to the deliberately off-putting indie dramedies of Todd Solondz. In this one, middle schooler Dawn Wiener rivals Craig in her struggle to relate functionally to other people.

Tim Robinson plays a guy who really, really wants Paul Rudd to be his friend.

NEW IN THEATERS

BRING HER BACK: Directors Danny and Michael Phillippou (Talk to Me) return with a horror drama about two foster children who witness a disturbing ritual in their new home. Billy Barratt and Sally Hawkins star. (99 min, R. Essex, Majestic)

JANE AUSTEN WRECKED MY LIFE: A single bookseller becomes a writer to improve her love life (how that works isn’t clear) in this rom-com from Laura Piani, starring Camille Rutherford and Pablo Pauly. (98 min, R. Essex, Majestic, Savoy)

KARATE KID: LEGENDS: A young martial-arts prodigy (Ben Wang) struggles to adjust after a move to the U.S. in the sixth entry in the action franchise, also starring Jackie Chan and directed by Jonathan Entwistle. (94 min, PG-13. Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Star, Sunset, Welden)

CURRENTLY PLAYING

THE ACCOUNTANT 2HHH If you’ve been waiting for the return of Ben Affleck playing a brilliant number cruncher with autism who’s also an ass-kicking action hero, this one’s for you. (132 min, R. Majestic, Sunset)

FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINESHHH1/2 A college student (Kaitlyn Santa Juana) learns her family was never supposed to exist in the return of the horror franchise. (110 min, R. Bijou, City Cinema, Essex, Majestic, Paramount, Stowe, Sunset, Welden; reviewed 5/21)

FRIENDSHIPHHHH A dad (Tim Robinson) eager to make an adult friend develops a fascination with his new neighbor (Paul Rudd) in this comedy from debut feature director Andrew DeYoung. (100 min, R. Essex, Majestic, Savoy; reviewed 5/28)

THE LAST RODEOHHH A retired rodeo star enters a bull-riding competition to save his grandson in this inspirational drama starring Neal McDonough. (118 min, PG. Capitol, Essex, Majestic)

LILO & STITCHHH1/2 In Disney’s (partially) liveaction remake of its 2002 animation, a lonely girl (Maia Kealoha) makes friends with an alien who’s on the run. Dean Fleischer Camp directed. (108 min, PG. Bijou, Capitol, City Cinema, Essex, Majestic, Marquis, Paramount, Star, Stowe, Sunset, Welden)

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE — THE FINAL

RECKONINGHHH1/2 Tom Cruise returns in the eighth installment of the action franchise about spies and stunts, again directed by Christopher McQuarrie and costarring Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg. (169 min, PG-13. Bijou, Capitol, City Cinema, Essex, Majestic, Marquis, Playhouse, Star, Stowe, Sunset, Welden)

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

THUNDERBOLTS*HHH1/2 In the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe entry, a team of anti-heroes band together on a perilous mission. (126 min, PG-13. Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Sunset)

UNTIL DAWNHHH1/2 Think Groundhog Day in a haunted house, with a group of friends trying to break out of a bloody time loop. (103 min, R. Sunset)

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

OLDER FILMS AND SPECIAL SCREENINGS

JEAN DE FLORETTE (Catamount, Wed 28 only)

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES (Catamount, Wed 4 only)

METROPOLITAN OPERA: IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA (Essex, Sat only)

QUEER FILM FEST: QUEER SHORTS, QUEER, BOUND, I SAW THE TV GLOW (Savoy, Sun only)

RAN (VTIFF, Thu only)

SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN (VTIFF, Fri only)

THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG (VTIFF, Sat only)

OPEN THEATERS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wren Phillips in Bring Her Back

art

Mixed ‘Signals’

A strong show at K. Grant Fine Art is its last in Vergennes

BY ALICE DODGE • adodge@sevendays.vt.com

One of the hardest things about landscape painting is trying to encapsulate, in the relatively small rectangle of a picture plane, something that’s active, alive and constantly shifting. In “Signals,” on view through June 21 at K. Grant Fine Art in Vergennes, six artists address those weirder, subtler aspects of attempting to represent the natural world. In some ways, the show has taken on a meta narrative: It will be the last one in the charming former carriage house, which means the gallery’s landscape is also changing.

Kristen Grant, who started her gallery and art consulting business in the little house on Green Street last August, said her landlord has recently put the building up for sale. While she had hoped to stay for more than a year, Grant, 33, said she is seeing the sale as an opportunity to ﬁnd a new space, possibly in an area with more foot tra c and a greater number of galleries. Despite good attendance at her opening receptions, she said, “It would be great to be in a community where I’m not the only art space.”

Lonely though the gallery may be, Grant

has packed a vibrant conversation into it for “Signals,” which includes works by six northeast artists. The show addresses landscape not in terms of how nature looks but how we understand it and what it’s trying to say.

Steve Budington explores the topic through three large paintings and one drawing in the show. Budington teaches painting at the University of Vermont and is also a landscape designer. That combination may be why his paintings so e ectively layer di erent ways of thinking about and representing the natural world.

“Stop, I want to communicate with you (signal flag and forest),” for instance, stacks two canvases with parts from a painted frame. One canvas includes a maritime signal flag, a recurring motif in his work, whose actual meaning is the first part of the title. Over it, little trees sprout across a blank canvas like symbols on a map; some are fluorescent orange, as though on fire. That color is taken up by Grace Hager in a ceramic sculpture on a nearby pedestal, depicting an almost-cartoonish campfire. Hager has striped the logs with a shiny gold luster glaze, while the flames themselves are matte shades of orange and yellow, sprouting from the logs like strange growths. She uses texture to make a common, comforting scene more alien and a little wild.

Similar techniques are at play in separate paintings by David Kearns and JoAnne Lobotsky. Grant said Kearns works on his paintings for an agonizingly long time: A few on view were started in 2011 and ﬁnished in 2025. That really shows in “Landscape Painting,” a diminutive 6.5-by-8.5-inch painting on a canvas framed by a discarded cardboard tray. Kearns has built up the surface with paint and glossy resin, seemingly scraping old paint onto a ledge at the base of the canvas. The result is a sense of time, an accumulation of observation that’s more important than the scene itself.

Where Kearns’ surfaces read like bumpy, weathered glass, Lobotsky’s look almost like vibrant cement. Grant said the artist mixes paint with molding paste, sand and dirt to give it an earthy, substantial texture. Works such as “Shelter” and “Winter Forest” balance that with artiﬁcial-frosting colors — sherbet orange, chartreuse, heliotrope — to create scenes that are at once joyfully childlike and deeply troubling.

Aimée Papazian’s installation “Which End Is Up? II” o ers a clean, spare counterpoint to the texture-heavy works. White, topographic layers of plywood support tiny porcelain trees, houses, cars and birds, each one mounted on a wire and punched into the wall like a map pin. Papazian shifts perspective often; cars driving across a shelflike protrusion turn 90 degrees to

"Gold Glow" by Grace Hager

"Upland forest path with ferns (onoclea sensibilis) and trail blazes, Goodnow Preserve, MA" by Steve Budington

travel up the wall, and an aerial view ﬂips upside down where trees grow out of the ceiling. The artist uses real space to destabilize the illusion that the natural world can be mapped and modeled.

While all the artists in the show interrogate humans’ relationships with nature to one extent or another, Jennifer McCandless actually fosters those relationships. Her contributions to the show are not the colorful character sculptures for which she’s well known but outdoor sculptures in which non-stinging pollinators can nest or seek shelter. The sculptures have holes in them sized to restrict which species will use the habitats. McCandless ﬁres her clay to a speciﬁc temperature that will ward o wasps and fungus, Grant said. “She wants to start making outdoor sculpture that’s not just taking up space — it’s actually o ering space,” she added.

Grant has also placed 26 of McCandless’ “puddlers” in the gallery’s back garden. They are tiny dishes that collect water, complete with perches for beneﬁcial insects, and are shallow enough not to attract mosquitoes. They are well

THE SHOW ADDRESSES LANDSCAPE NOT IN TERMS OF HOW NATURE LOOKS BUT HOW WE UNDERSTAND IT AND WHAT IT’S TRYING TO SAY.

camouﬂaged among newly sprouting ferns and ground covers, tying the show back to actual nature.

Part of the inspiration for “Signals” was Grant’s time in high school at the Willowell Foundation’s Walden Project in nearby Monkton, an outdoor learning program where students study Henry David Thoreau while out in the woods. Grant said it was a formative experience and one of the ways growing up in the area has shaped how she thinks about landscape.

That’s apparent in the show, where each piece seems reﬂected in the next. It will be exciting to see how K. Grant Fine Art re-creates that dynamic in a new location, hopefully with more room for larger works. Grant hopes to ﬁnd another home for her gallery in the coming months.

Reﬂecting on her time in Vergennes, she said, “It’s been really fun to use this space and to bring people together. It’s been an amazing year.” ➆

INFO

“Signals,” on view through June 21 at K. Grant Fine Art in Vergennes. kgrantﬁneart.com

From top: “Shelter”; "Winter Forest" by JoAnne Lobotsky

GALLERIES

ATM Gallery Sprouts in Shelburne

BY ALICE DODGE • adodge@sevendaysvt.com

An ATM kiosk is not pretty. Stepping into this space geared toward convenience, efﬁciency and consumerism is unlikely to provoke inspiration, introspection or joy. at is, unless it’s the kiosk at Shelburne Shopping Park.

Wylie Garcia and Sage Tucker-Ketcham, both painters from Charlotte, have known each other for more than 20 years, ever since they both had studios in Burlington’s South End. ey’ve worked together in many artistic and professional capacities, from their former jobs at Shelburne Craft School to their current ones at Champlain College (gallery director and painting/drawing instructor, respectively). ey discuss art, travel together to see shows in New York and elsewhere, and even attended the same MFA program.

“We had talked on and off for years about doing something,” Tucker-Ketcham said. But they never found a space that was a good ﬁt for the kind of project they wanted to create, until one morning she looked at Craigslist. “And there it was.” She and Garcia decided right away that the ATM kiosk, vacant for three years, was ideal for, well, something “ e space is what told us what to do,” Tucker-Ketcham said.

us was born ATM Gallery, which will host monthlong solo shows by a roster of local talents, starting with Charlotte Dworshak in June. Now that the walls, ATM and hidden electronics have been ripped out, the 140-square-foot space has plenty of room for art. ere’s no bathroom or running water, but there is ample parking and a back door to a grassy median. Visitors can hang out there during receptions on the ﬁrst Saturday of each month, many with live music by Danny & the Parts, led by Danny LeFrancois, an avid supporter of the project.

Because the kiosk’s whole front wall is glass, afﬁxed with a QR code to access more information, there are lots of ways to see the work. “You can come on a Saturday, experience it when it’s open; you can drive by in your car; you can walk by,” Garcia said. “It allows you to meet it at different levels.” at ethos — of meeting people where they’re at — runs through the whole endeavor, applying to artists as well as visitors. Garcia described the gallery as “a place for artists to creatively explore, play professionally, document the work and use it to continue to move forward with their careers.”

While some artists may sell their work in this setting that evokes capitalism, that’s not the gallery’s focus. “ e space is a conversation,” Garcia said, with a new subject every month.

To kick things off, a two-week “Founders’ Welcome” show called “Bloom” runs through

this weekend. It features Garcia’s “cutouts” — paintings of blossoms on shaped plywood panels — and Tucker-Ketcham’s new paintings and sculptures inspired by hedges.

e cutouts seem to ﬂoat across the wall, hints of ﬂuorescent paint at their edges casting a glow behind them. e hedge paintings, arranged in a grid, offer geometric forms that suggest doorways left mysteriously ajar.

While I was viewing the show, a confused visitor came in, searching for the ATM. She looked around in wonder, delighted by the interruption to her day,

having accidentally discovered a secret garden hiding in plain sight, right in the middle of the parking lot. ➆

INFO

“Bloom” by Sage Tucker-Ketcham and Wylie Garcia, on view through June 1 at ATM Gallery in Shelburne. Gallery open Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 15 Shelburne Shopping Park. atm-gallery.com

CALLS TO ARTISTS

FALL CRAFT MARKET: Seeking artist vendors for this year’s event on October 4 and 5. Accepted media categories include: baskets, ceramics, decorative ﬁber, wearable ﬁber, furniture, glass, jewelry, leather, metal, mixed media, paper and wood. Apply online at svac.org/fall-craft-market. Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester. Deadline: July 13. Free. Info, submissions@ svac.org.

JEFFERSONVILLE ART JAM 2025: Seeking artists for the Cambridge Arts Council’s annual sidewalk art festival in downtown Jeffersonville on Saturday, August 9. e event includes gallery sponsors, food vendors, live music and children’s activities. Registration at cambridgeartsvt.org/fota. Deadline: August 1. $40 registration fee. Info, cambridgeartsvt@gmail.com.

OPENINGS + RECEPTIONS

‘LIGHT AND SHADOW’: A show of works by more than 40 skilled local artists in photography, painting, mosaic, ﬁber arts, textiles, drawing, video and sculpture. Chandler Gallery, Randolph, through July 13. Info, 728-9878.

MARK BARRY: “Petals to Metal and Other Stories,” paintings and sculptures embracing a ﬂat, illustrative style that emphasizes silhouette and movement. On view in the gallery and outdoors. Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, through April 26. Info, 257-0124.

TODD CUMMINGS: A show of digital illustrations of the Vermont outdoors. Burlington Emergency & Veterinary Specialists, Williston, through November 12. Info, 865-7296.

ELISE WHITTEMORE: “Awkward Characters,” a new collection of quilted block monoprints by the Grand Isle artist. Reception: ursday, May 29, 5:30-8 p.m. Soapbox Arts, Burlington, May 29-July 12. Info, info@soapboxarts.com.

FAIR HOUSING MONTH COMMUNITY EXHIBIT: An exhibition celebrating inclusive communities and the importance of home, organized by CVOEO in partnership with the Young Writers Project and A Revolutionary Press. e reception features teens reading their work and hands-on activities and printing demos. Reception: ursday, May 29, 6-8 p.m. Burlington City Hall, through May 31. Free; preregister for reception. Info, sevendaystickets. com.

RICKY MCEACHERN: “Art Array,” an exhibition of oil paintings of vintage and abandoned man-made structures. Reception and artist talk: ursday, May 29, 6-8 p.m. Next Stage Arts, Putney, May 29-August 10. Info, heather@nextstagearts.org. HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS’ AND AP ART STUDENTS’ EXHIBIT: Works in all media by young local artists. Reception: Friday, May 30, 4-6 p.m. Artistree Community Arts Center, South Pomfret, May 30-June 14. Info, 457-3500.

‘SYNERGY’: A group show featuring 17 artists, including Bonnie Acker, Lisa Cassell-Arms, Sam Colt, David Maille, Jessica Scriver and Dick Weis. Reception: Friday, May 30, 5-7 p.m. Furchgott Sourdiffe Gallery, Shelburne, May 30-August 10. Info, 985-3848.

ROSS GRONVOLD: “Transmissions: A Dialogue Between Space and Matter,” a show of large-scale sculptural wall pieces made with wax and charcoal.

= ONLINE EVENT OR EXHIBIT

Wylie Garcia, Danny LeFrancois and Sage Tucker-Ketcham at ATM Gallery

" e Green Hedges" by Sage Tucker-Ketcham

"Flower Cutouts" by Wylie Garcia

Reception: Friday, May 30, 7-11 p.m. RGB Studios, Bellows Falls, May 30-31. Info, 413-454-2378.

‘STAINS’: A look at all things stain-related, from the Shroud of Turin to the grass stains on wornout jeans that evoke the final days of summer.

Reception: Saturday, May 31, 2-5 p.m.; live music. The Museum of Everyday Life, Glover, ongoing. Free. Info, claredol@sover.net.

ETHAN QUILLEN: “Stellar Objects,” a collection of hand-thrown vessels characterized by their bulbous bodies, dynamic slip-trailed “orbital lines” and a unique, glassy, cratered glaze. Reception: Saturday, May 31, 3-5 p.m. Frog Hollow Vermont Craft Gallery, Burlington, May 28-June 5. Info, 863-6458.

ED EPSTEIN: “Life & Art,” a retrospective exhibition by the 88-year-old artist, who is also a musician, boatbuilder, granite engraver, illustrator and stove maker. Reception: Saturday, May 31, 5-7 p.m. Highland Center for the Arts, Greensboro, May 31-June 29. Info, info@highlandartsvt.org.

KATHY STARK: Selections from three series of paintings made from 2008 to 2025. Reception: Sunday, June 1, 4-7 p.m. White Water Gallery, East Hardwick, June 1-July 13. Info, 563-1037.

MATT LARSON: Prints and mixed-media works by the artist, who is known for his colorful, patternbased compositions. Island Arts South Hero Gallery, June 2-30. Info, 598-6698.

RECILLE HAMRELL: A series of mixed-media collages using paint, decoupage, stencils and stamps. Reception: Thursday, June 5, 5-7 p.m. South Burlington Public Library Art Wall, June 2-30. Info, 846-4140.

‘FLAUNT: A CELEBRATION OF QUEER EXPRESSION’: An open-call group exhibition showcasing work by queer and allied Vermont artists. Reception: Friday, June 6, 5-7:30 p.m. T.W. Wood Gallery, Montpelier, May 28-July 22. Info, 262-6035.

‘LOUD & LAYERED: A QUEER FASHION EXHIBITION’: A show of sustainable designs by 19-year-old seamstress Kassidy Quinlan of Vergennes alongside Craig Harrison’s large-scale photographs of drag performers and members of the queer community in the Northeast Kingdom. Reception: Friday, June 6, 5-7:30 p.m.; artist talk at 6 p.m. T.W. Wood Gallery, Montpelier, May 28-July 22. Info, 262-6035.

EDITH BEATTY: “Sanctuary,” an exploration of climate destruction, ruin and rebuilding through mixed-media works in materials such as wood, beeswax, resin, sand and coffee grounds. Reception: Saturday, June 7, 5-7 p.m. Axel’s Frame Shop & Gallery, Waterbury, May 28-July 5. Info, 244-7801.

ART EVENTS

ASSETS FOR ARTISTS WORKSHOPS: Free professional development workshops for artists. This season’s workshops are all online and include topics such as project management, quarterly taxes, website design and project portfolios. Register online at assetsforartists.org/ workshops. Vermont Arts Council, Montpelier, through July 31. Free. Info, info@vermontartscouncil.org.

LIFE DRAWING AND PAINTING: A drop-in event for artists working with the figure from a live model. T.W. Wood Gallery, Montpelier, Thursday, May 29, 7-9 p.m. Free; $10 suggested donation. Info, 262-6035.

MAY MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH:

An afternoon of creative games, sculpture trail exploration and an exhibition by Kailey Maher in the art barn, produced in partnership with Behavioral Health Service North. Juniper Sculpture Park, Plattsburgh N.Y., Saturday, May 31, noon-4 p.m. Free. Info, 518-569-7820.

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 1, 1-3 p.m. Free. Info, 891-2014.

BREAD AND PUPPET MUSEUM OPENING:

A ceremonial opening for the season, with shape-note singers and the waking of the museum guard to be reinstalled at his post for the summer. Followed by guest performances and a new Bread and Puppet show. Bread and Puppet Museum, Glover, Sunday, June 1, 2 p.m. $15; no one turned away for lack of funds. Info, breadandpuppet reservations@gmail.com.

PORTRAIT DRAWING AND PAINTING: A drop-in event where artists can practice skills in any medium. T.W. Wood Gallery, Montpelier, Monday, June 2, 10 a.m.-noon. Free; $10 suggested donation. Info, 262-6035.

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 3, 6:30-8:30 p.m. By donation. Info, 343-8172.

ARTIST TALK: CARL HAZLEWOOD: An online conversation in connection with “Infinite Passage,” a retrospective exhibit of work by Guyanese-born artist Carl E. Hazlewood. The artist discusses his work with curator Serubiri Moses and Rinaldo Walcott, chair of Africana studies at University of Buffalo SUNY. Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, Tuesday, June 3, 7 p.m. Free; preregister for Zoom link. Info, 257-0124. ➆

June 7,

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S UNDbites

BY CHRIS FARNSWORTH

News and views on the local music + nightlife scene

Lost and Found: Grace Potter On Her ‘Forgotten’ New Album, Medicine

One of my favorite sensations in this life is the anthropological joy I get from stumbling upon old stu I completely forgot that I owned.

Just a few weeks ago, while doing some very overdue housecleaning, I discovered that at some point I’d purchased the vinyl of the “Moonlighting” soundtrack. While I barely recall anything about the BRUCE WILLISled TV show, that AL JARREAU theme song has always been a guilty pleasure of mine, which clearly led me to purchase the whole record — though I’ll be damned if I can recall when or where. While I still haven’t listened to the rest of the record — lots of Willis singing white-guy blues … I’m good — I delighted in listening to that track like I’d unearthed it from the ruins.

Sand, the 2007 Grammy Award-winning duet album with ROBERT PLANT and ALISON KRAUSS. Which raises the question: Why shelve an album produced by such a big name?

“Well, that’s kind of complicated,” Potter told me, citing “record company concerns and packaging” — the latter not of the album but the singer herself. “The label had put a lot of energy into building my brand at the time,” she said.

If you recall, back then Potter was being aggressively marketed as a ﬁery rock star, straddling the edge of roots and pop. Medicine is very much a T Bone Burnett album, full of rustic overtones, hints of Americana and a much less aggressive tone. A so-called “prestige” record that didn’t feature THE NOCTURNALS felt risky to the label. And Potter was feeling pressure from other avenues as well.

If you’re singer-songwriter, pop star and all-around musical badass GRACE POTTER, that happens to you, too. Only, instead of ﬁnding a discarded bargain-bin purchase, it’s an entire roots record you cut with legendary producer T BONE BURNETT in 2008.

“At that point, I was ﬁercely loyal to the Nocturnals,” she recalled. “I was all about band, band, band. If there was a magazine cover, I wanted us all on it. I was always worried about it being ‘we,’ not ‘me.’”

OK, maybe Potter didn’t forget that she was sitting on the record, as much as she realized the time had ﬁnally come to release it. And that’s exactly what she’s doing, dropping her “new” 17-year-old album this Friday, May 30, when Medicine comes out on Hollywood Records.

All of which is great! But T Bone Burnett is one of the most renowned producers in music. That was especially so in 2008, coming o the soundtracks for ﬁlms such as O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Walk the Line, as well as Raising

The Nocturnals weren’t enthusiastic about Potter going o on her own to make a record with Burnett. According to Potter, the band was already having growing pains, and the solo record caused a fair amount of anxiety within the group. On top of that, Burnett had a hard rule in the studio: no label reps or management around.

“Once the label people ﬁnally got a chance to hear what T Bone and I were creating, there were all these murmurs that it was too ‘prestige’ rather than radio-aiming,” Potter said. “Their view was the band and I had all

Grace Potter

T Bone

Burnett

On the Beat

It’s been grim reading lately for the Vermont music scene, as venues close and festivals come to an end. It’s not all dire news, though — there are people working hard behind the scenes to pick up the flag and press forward.

One such individual is SETH SOLOWAY, executive director of Spruce Peak Arts in Stowe. Since moving to Vermont to helm the nonprofit organization two years ago, Soloway has been one of the biggest proponents of the local music scene. He’s introduced the Spruce Peak Unplugged series, which brings in big-time touring acts such as the WALLFLOWERS (July 13) and PHANTOM PLANET (August 3) but pairs them with local openers. And, along with singersongwriter TROY MILLETTE, he curated the Homegrown in Vermont Music Festival last year.

Soloway is doubling down on his commitment to local music as Spruce Peak hosts its second-annual

Homegrown in Vermont on August 23. He announced the festival lineup this week.

When he first took the reins at Spruce Peak, Soloway noticed money in his budget that had been earmarked for “homegrown Vermont.”

“I immediately asked, ‘What’s ‘homegrown Vermont’?’” Soloway said. “No one really knew! So I had this money and said, ‘OK, let’s do a festival.’”

Soloway tapped Millette, one of the first local artists he built a relationship with, to help turn the venue into a hot spot for Vermont musicians.

Their first goal: “Get people on that stage that are fighting the good fight,” Millette said. “It’s not lost on us how many venues we’ve lost lately. Places like Higher Ground are amazing, but their model is to service touring acts. For Seth to dedicate 25 spots a year to local artists is just incredible.”

As they did for last year’s festival, Soloway and Millette welcomed a third collaborator: RYAN MILLER, front

person for indie-rock outfit GUSTER and a Vermont resident since 2010. Miller and Soloway met after the singer played a solo show last February and quickly connected over shared passions.

“I have a lot of empathy for someone who comes from outside Vermont and wants to find his people and both build and join a community,” Miller said. “So I really appreciate his big swings and his enthusiasm.”

After Soloway asked him to headline this year’s Homegrown fest, Miller wondered what that would look like. With Guster’s other members spread out across New England and New York, it didn’t work to bring in the band, nor would that have fit the theme.

Miller, who has been trying to figure out the best way to participate in the Vermont scene for a while, didn’t want to just perform solo at the festival. “I’ve played solo before,” he said, “but when Seth asked me to headline the fest, my first thought was to put together an allstar band of people I love playing with.”

And that’s exactly what Miller did. He’s recruited guitarist BOB WAGNER, bassist JOSH WEINSTEIN, keyboardist MARIE CLAIRE and drummer WILLOUGHBY MORRIS to join him for the show. They won’t be doing a Guster impression or backing Miller’s solo tunes, however. Miller and his all-star band will be performing a one-night tribute to the legendary British rock group the KINKS.

“I absolutely love the Kinks, and I never see anybody really doing a tribute,” Miller said. “I started making a Spotify playlist for everyone to study, and I was blown away because there are just so many great Kinks tunes.”

The fest will also feature sets from Millette, MILTON BUSKER & THE GRIM WORK, BILLY WYLDER, and other Vermont acts. Following the modest success of last year’s festival, Soloway has continued to tweak the event as he learns more about the local scene and how best to support it.

“Since I came on board, my team has raised more money than any team in this organization’s history,” he said. “Homegrown Vermont is the leader in the clubhouse, and it’s not even really close. People here really want to support local artists.”

Soloway, Miller and Millette hope what they’re doing at Spruce Peak can serve as a rallying point for Vermont musicians as venues continue to struggle, federal grants are being canceled and the economics of playing live music grow more difficult.

“I’m really bummed about Nectar’s

Ryan Miller of Guster

Troy Millette

music+nightlife

and Waking Windows,” Miller said, referencing the popular Burlington nightclub that recently announced its summer closure and the end of the longrunning Winooski indie-rock festival. “Cornerstones of our culture are being lost. It’s going to take all of us that care about this place to make a concerted e ort to bring everyone together again. So the timing of this is crucial and, I hope, is a call to arms to everyone.”

Soloway agreed: “Now, more than ever, it’s my duty as someone with a venue and a budget and a platform to do whatever I can to shine a light on this scene.”

Tickets for the Homegrown in Vermont Music Festival go on sale this Thursday, May 29, at sprucepeakarts.org.

Sharp-eyed denizens of Burlington’s South End might have noticed that ArtsRiot is gone. The branding, that is. The venue, which has endured all manner of upheaval and ownership changes in recent years, has ﬁnally turned the page and relaunched as its own entity: the District VT.

The club serves pizza, boasts a fullservice bar and, most importantly for the purposes of this column, is functioning as a music venue once more. The District VT hosts a weekly performance by ZACH NUGENT’S DEAD SET and has a lineup of upcoming shows booked as well, including R&B singer ALI MCGUIRK on Saturday, June 7.

Eye on the Scene

Last week’s highlights from photographer Luke Awtry

PLEX ARTS FESTIVAL, BURLINGTON’S OLD NORTH END,

SATURDAY, MAY 24: Last Saturday, Burlington’s Old North End was taken over by Plex Arts Festival, the Queen City’s fringe fest for performers in any type of medium — the more uncategorizable, the better. Now in its third year, Plex is always best when you embrace the weirdness, which permeates everything and captivates all the senses, if you let it — the mango Tajín cream puff I had in the Ratsmission parking lot, for example, was unexpectedly delectable. Drizzle did nothing to dampen the BRASS BALAGAN’s set outside of Old Spokes Home; in fact, it energized the outdoor scene in a way I’d never seen from the band before. e indoor scene was equally invigorating. Tank Recording Studio hosted performances throughout the evening, including the grooviest and smoothest FREEWAY CLYDE set I’ve heard to date. Later on, I caught C GREEN (pictured), headstock in hand, improvising movements to CAM GILMOUR’s (pictured) saxophone-based looped ambient works for their piece labeled “untitled (Meeting).” Next was JULIET PARAMOR’s “eulogic,” in which she mournfully balanced on top of an ampliﬁed black-and-white Fender Stratocaster laid face up on the studio ﬂoor. I always see something new at Plex, and this year, I learned that guitars are for more than just strumming.

ArtsRiot has generated plenty of controversy and headaches for local artists since the original club was purchased by local businessman ALAN

this momentum as a rock band. Why not just get back to that instead of stepping into dark and mysterious woods?”

So Medicine was put aside. Yet Potter never totally moved on from what she describes as her favorite studio experience of her career.

“Working with T Bone was unreal … The record brought me to a new understanding of the diversity of musicality I have within me,” she said. “It showed me I had so much to share beyond the very male-based, ’70s-throwback, rock-and-roll thing I had been known for.”

Listening to the advance singles from Medicine shows the transformation Burnett wrought on Potter’s sound. The sultry, soulful “Oasis” is unlike anything she’s released before. The record was cut with Burnett’s wrecking crew of session musicians, including legendary drummer JIM KELTNER. Gone is the fuzz and stomp of early Nocturnals and the good-time aggression of Potter’s vocal delivery from that era, smoothed out and turned into the soaring voice of a siren. Even on rockier tracks such as “Losing You,” Burnett conjured a distinctive, almost Americana edge.

So why now? What prompted Potter to ﬁnally

NEWMAN and out-of-state investors in 2020. Two years later, Newman was gone, leaving the club in limbo. Local bands and artists reported multiple

release a killer record she’s been sitting on for almost two decades? Well, for one, she said she needed some space from the experience to properly understand what she had on her hands.

“This isn’t like an archival discovery; it was very intentional,” Potter asserted. “The memories of writing and recording these songs has faded. The upside of that is I get to be a listener for once, for the ﬁrst time in my career. I get to experience these songs in a fresh way.”

Potter, who splits her time between Vermont and California, plans to tour behind Medicine — a little. She’ll join country superstar CHRIS STAPLETON for a run on his

Listening In

(Spotify mix of local jams)

1. “CASSIE” by the Beerworth Sisters

2. “POINT AND SHOOT” by Greg

ANOTHER

Scan to listen sevendaysvt. com/playlist

di culties when performing at the venue, including not getting paid, understa ng and lack of security at shows.

Here’s hoping the District VT is a proper fresh start for a venue desperately needed in the local music scene. Check out what it has planned over at thedistrictvt.com. ➆

All-American Road Show tour, including two nights at Madison Square Garden in New York City in July.

When it comes to live music though, her thoughts are focused more locally. Though the lineup and dates have yet to be announced, Potter conﬁrms that her annual Burlington music fest, Grand Point North, will return in 2025 — this time under the banner of the Grand Point Foundation, the nonproﬁt she launched to support the arts in her home state.

“One of the things closest to my heart right now is this initiative to keep stages in Vermont alive and full, and Grand Point North is a big part of that,” the Waitsﬁeld native said. She added that while Higher Ground is still a partner, “My foundation is running the ship now, which means we don’t have to focus so much on the bottom line.

“I’ve never made any money at a Grand Point North, but that’s OK,” she continued. “It’s not why I’m doing it and never has been.”

The festival will cap o a busy summer for Potter, who says she’s working on several ﬁlms as a writer and producer, as well as continuing her busy slate of session gigs, working with the likes of GWEN STEFANI. Hopefully it won’t get so busy she “forgets” she recorded an entire album again, but who knows? Maybe we’ll get her EDM album in 2042. ➆

Freeman

“IN

LIFE” by Troy Millette & the Fire Below

“THE YEARS” by Henry Jamison

“PROTECTING MY PEACE” by Hakim XOXO

“I LIKE BEING ALONE” by the Leatherbound Books

“RED LIGHT” by Connor Young

COURTESY OF JAMES MOUNTFORD

Grace Potter

CLUB DATES

live music

WED.28

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

Burning Monk (Rage Against the Machine tribute) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 7 p.m. $12.47.

First Rodeo, Sunbeam, Silver Tree (alt-country) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 8 p.m. $10.

Geza Carr (jazz) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

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

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

The Professors of Mystery (punk, jazz) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. $5/$10.

Smile Empty Soul, Tantric, Kamenar, Sygnal to Noise (hard rock) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 7 p.m. $26.42.

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

THU.29

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

All Night Boogie Band (blues, R&B) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. $13.51.

Bella and the Notables (jazz) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

Charlie Rice (covers) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 6 p.m. Free.

Connor Garvey and Putnam Smith (singer-songwriter, folk) at Stage 33 Live, Bellows Falls, 7 p.m. $15/$20.

Frankie & the Fuse (indie pop) at Red Square, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

Jaded Ravins (Americana) at the Den at Harry’s Hardware, Cabot, 7 p.m. Free.

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

JJ Booth (singer-songwriter) at Bent Nails Bistro, Montpelier, 8 p.m. Free.

Red Hot Juba (jazz) at Black Flannel Brewing & Distilling, Essex, 7 p.m. Free.

Septic Vomit, Black Axe, CORRUPT WORLD, Violet Crimes (hardcore, punk) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. $10/$15.

Vermont Jazz Trio (jazz) at Hugo’s, Montpelier, 7:30 p.m. Free.

Zach Nugent’s Dead Set (Grateful Dead tribute) at the District VT, Burlington, 7 p.m. $13.95.

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.

Soul Survivors

When California alt-rock outfit SMILE EMPTY SOUL first hit the scene in the early 2000s, they found success in the mediums of the day — rock radio, MTV — and scored a gold record with their 2003 self-titled debut. Over the next two decades, the band evolved as the industry changed, securing indie deals and forging ahead with a DIY ethos behind front man and sole original member Sean Danielsen. Touring in support of their new EP, Swan Song, which dropped in February, the band hits Higher Ground Showcase Lounge in South Burlington on Wednesday, May 28, with co-headliners TANTRIC and support from KAMENAR and SYGNAL TO NOISE.

FRI.30

Annie DiRusso, Daffo (indie rock) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 7 p.m. $26.24.

Bad Horsey (country, rock) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 9 p.m. Free.

Blabpipe, Brother T & the Boys, the Grandstand Jockeys (rock, punk) at the Underground, Randolph, 7:30 p.m. $14.

Connor Young (jazz) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

Danny & the Parts (Americana) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 4 p.m. Free.

Dave Mitchell’s Blue’s Revue (blues) at Red Square, Burlington, 2 p.m. Free.

Happy Spangler (indie rock) at Bent Nails Bistro, Montpelier, 8 p.m. Free.

Helping Hands VT Charity Music Festival (charity) at the Green at Essex Experience, Essex, 5 p.m. $10.

John Daly Band (folk rock) at Jericho Café & Tavern, 7 p.m. Free. Leander, IIearth (indie rock) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 10:30 p.m. $10/$15. Left Eye Jump (blues) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

Loubard (rock) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $10.

Marcos Levy (folk) at Poultney Pub, 6 p.m. Free.

Mary-Go-Round (singersongwriter) at Whammy Bar, Calais, 7:30 p.m. Free.

My Wife’s An Angel, AUGRAH, Lungbuster, Workingman’s Army (indie, noise rock) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 8 p.m. $10/$12.

Nick Granelle, Nate Goyette & Trae Sheehan (indie rock) at Shelburne Vineyard, 6 p.m. Free. Oakheart, Shapethrower, No Soul (metal) at the Lounge at Nectar’s, Burlington, 8 p.m. $17.67.

Pink 802, Burial Woods (Blink-182 tribute, synth) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 9 p.m. Free.

Quadra (rock) at the Old Post, South Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

Rap Night Burlington (hip-hop) at Drink, Burlington, 9 p.m. $5.

Rumplecrunk with Mihali & His Friends (jam) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 8 p.m. $17.67.

Ryan Sweezey (singersongwriter) at Vermont Cider Lab, Essex, 6 p.m. Free.

Seth Yacovone Band (rock, blues) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 8 p.m. $12.42/$19.23.

She Was Right (folk) at Two Heroes Brewery Public House, South Hero, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Timothy James (acoustic) at Gusto’s, Barre, 6 p.m. Free.

TURNmusic presents Outer Sounds (electronic, experimental) 7:30 p.m. $15-40; free for kids and caregivers.

Whiskey & Wine (covers) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 5 p.m. Free.

Zach Nugent (Grateful Dead tribute) at Switchback Brewing’s Beer Garden & Smokehouse, Burlington, 5:30 p.m. Free.

SAT.31

Back to the ’90s Tribute Band (’90s tribute band, covers) at Afterthoughts, Waitsfield, 8:30 p.m. $10.

Blue Rock Boys (folk) at Jericho Café & Tavern, 7 p.m. Free.

The Devonian Hot Club (jazz) at Whammy Bar, Calais, 7:30 p.m. Free.

Distortion Effect II (electronic) at Monkey House, Winooski, 8 p.m. $10.

Donna the Buffalo, Richie Stearns (roots rock) at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, 7 p.m. $37.04.

Dr. Strangeways (Kiss tribute) at Gusto’s, Barre, 9 p.m. Free.

Greenbush, Christy Pickwell, Alex Kauffman (jazz) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 2 p.m. $10/$15.

Helen Gillet (singer-songwriter) at the Mill, Westport, N.Y., 7:30 p.m. $30.80.

Jeff Wheel (jazz) at Bleu Northeast Kitchen, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. Free.

Jenny Porter (singer-songwriter) at Poultney Pub, 6 p.m. Free.

Jerborn (covers) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 9 p.m. Free.

Joe Something, Danny & the Parts (rock) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 9 p.m. $12.47.

Left Eye Jump (blues) at Red Square, Burlington, 2 p.m. Free.

Lloyd Tyler Band, Evan Jennison (folk rock) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $19.84.

Matt Hagen (acoustic) at Two Heroes Brewery Public House, South Hero, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Matt Hagen’s Classy Boss (acoustic) at Shelburne Vineyard, 1 p.m. Free.

MINC (jazz) at Hugo’s, Montpelier, 7:30 p.m. Free.

Old-Fashioned Crawfish Boil & Live Cajun Music (Cajun) at Shelburne Vineyard, 6 p.m. $35.

Queer Takeover (indie, DJ, drag) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $15.

Shellhouse (rock) at Vermont Cider Lab, Essex, 6 p.m. Free. Tallgrass Getdown (bluegrass) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 8 p.m. $12.16.

TURNmusic presents RayVegaQuARTet (jazz) at the Phoenix, Waterbury, 7:30 p.m. $15-40; free for kids and caregivers.

SUN.1

Felix Haskins — Student Cello Recital (cello) at the Mill, Westport, N.Y., 4 p.m. Free.

Geoff Kim Organ Trio (jazz) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 1 p.m. Free.

Sunday Brunch Tunes (singersongwriter) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 10 a.m.

When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (rock) at Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Waitsfield, 3 p.m. Free.

MON.2

Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals (rock) at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, 7 p.m. $89.25.

TUE.3

The 309 House Band (rock) at Monkey House, Winooski, 7:30 p.m. Free.

Bettenroo (folk) at Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Waitsfield, 5 p.m. Free.

Bluegrass Jam (bluegrass) at Poultney Pub, 7 p.m. Free. Cvmrats (punk) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 7 p.m. $10/$15.

DIE the Monk, Rubber Inferno, Tabarnak, Kate Kush (experimental, indie) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. $10/$15.

Grateful Tuesdays (Grateful Dead tribute) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 8 p.m. $10.

Honky Tonk Tuesday with Wild Leek River (country) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 9 p.m. $10.

WED.4

Alex Stewart Quartet (jazz) at Vermont Pub & Brewery, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

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

Grippo Sklar Quartet (jazz) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

Irish Night with RambleTree (Celtic) at Two Brothers Tavern, Middlebury, 7 p.m. Free.

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

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

WED.28 // SMILE EMPTY SOUL [HARD ROCK]

music+nightlife

CONTINUED FROM P.55

Jon McBride’s Big Easy with Ryan Montbleau (jazz) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

Kafari’s Café (indie) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $10.

Mono Means One, Lara Cwass Band (jazz) at the District VT, Burlington, 7 p.m. $17.44/$22.59.

Phantom Airwave (jazz) at the Old Post, South Burlington, 5 p.m. Free.

Ray Vega’s Afro-Caribbean Jazz Ensemble (jazz) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

Wallows, Porches (indie rock) at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, 7 p.m. SOLD OUT.

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

djs

THU.29

Damian (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

DJ Chaston (DJ) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

DJ JP Black (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

DJ Two Sev (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 11 p.m. Free.

Vinyl Night with Ken (DJ) at Poultney Pub, 6 p.m. Free.

Zack Fox (DJ) at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, 8:30 p.m. $39.83.

FRI.30

Blanchface (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

DJ CRE8 (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

DJ Eric LaFountaine (DJ) at Gusto’s, Barre, 9 p.m. Free.

DJ Fattie B (DJ) at Monkey House, Winooski, 9 p.m. Free.

DJ Taka (DJ) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 11 p.m. $10/$15.

SAT.31

Crypt Goth Night (DJ) at Bent Nails Bistro, Montpelier, 8 p.m. Free.

DJ Ara$ (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

DJ KDT (DJ) at the Lounge at Nectar’s, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

DJ Raul (DJ) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

Matt Payne (DJ) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

Bring Out Your Shred

Guitarist Joe Agnello cut his teeth playing with Burlington jam band Swimmer and the bluegrass trio Good Gravy, but he’s perhaps best known locally for being a member of Zach Nugent’s Grateful Dead tribute Dead Set as well as the Ween tribute Knights of the Brown Table. He’s recently struck out on his own, dropping his solo debut as JOE SOMETHING NFLSD, last Friday. He celebrates the new record with a release show at Nectar’s in Burlington this Saturday, May 31, one of the last shows before the famed venue closes its doors for the summer — and perhaps for good.

THU.29

Karaoke Friday Night (karaoke) at Park Place Tavern & Grill, Essex Junction, 8 p.m. Free.

Karaoke Night (karaoke) at the Tropic Brewing, Waterbury, 8 p.m. Free.

Trivia (trivia) at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski, 6 p.m. Free.

FRI.30

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.

SAT.31

Queeraoke with Goddess (karaoke) at Standing Stone Wines, Winooski, 9 p.m. Free.

SUN.1

Karaoke with DJ Coco Entertainment (karaoke) at Old Soul Design Shop, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 5 p.m. Free.

Sunday Funday (games) at 1st Republic Brewing, Essex, noon. Free.

Local Americana act DANNY & THE PARTS kick o the show.

SAT.31 // JOE SOMETHING [ROCK]

Molly Mood (DJ) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

SUN.1

Pride Prom with DJ Vociferous (DJ) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 8:30 p.m. Free.

SUN.1

Mi Yard Reggae Night with DJ Big Dog (reggae, dancehall) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

open mics & jams

WED.28

Open Mic (open mic) at Monopole, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 p.m. Free.

Open Mic with Danny Lang (open mic) at Poultney Pub, 7 p.m. Free.

THU.29

Open Mic With Artie (open mic) at Whammy Bar, Calais, 7 p.m. Free.

Writer’s Bloc (poetry open mic) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Olde Time Jam Session (open jam) at the Den at Harry’s Hardware, Cabot, noon. Free.

MON.2

Bluegrass Etc. Jam (bluegrass jam) at Ottauquechee Yacht Club, Woodstock, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Open Mic (open mic) at Despacito, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

WED.4

Open Mic (open mic) at Monopole, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 p.m. Free.

Open Mic with Danny Lang (open mic) at Poultney Pub, 7 p.m. Free. e Ribbit Review Open Mic & Jam (open mic) at Lily’s Pad, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

comedy

WED.28

$5 Improv Night (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 p.m. $5.

Standup Open Mic (comedy open mic) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

THU.29

Brooks Wheelan (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $25.

Pet Store: A Live Sitcom (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 9 p.m. $5/$10.

FRI.30

Brooks Wheelan (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. $25. Next Stop Comedy (comedy) at 14th Star Brewing, St. Albans, 7:30 p.m. $29.81.

SAT.31

Brooks Wheelan (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. $25.

TUE.3

Open Mic Comedy with Levi Silverstein (comedy open mic) at the 126, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

trivia, karaoke, etc.

WED.28

Karaoke Friday Night (karaoke) at Park Place Tavern & Grill, Essex Junction, 8 p.m. Free.

Live Band Karaoke (karaoke) at Bent Nails Bistro, Montpelier, 8 p.m. Free.

Queer Bar Takeover and Drag Show (drag) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 8 p.m. Free.

Rock N’ Roll Bingo with Miss Jubilee (music bingo) at CharlieO’s World Famous, Montpelier, 8 p.m. Free.

Trivia (trivia) at Alﬁe’s Wild Ride, Stowe, 7 p.m. Free.

Trivia Night (trivia) at Dumb Luck Pub & Grill, Winooski, 7 p.m. Free.

Venetian Karaoke (karaoke) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

MON.2

Trivia Monday (trivia) at Black Flannel Brewing & Distilling, Essex, 6 p.m. Free.

Trivia Monday with Top Hat Entertainment (trivia) at McKee’s Original, Winooski, 7 p.m. Free.

Trivia with Brain (trivia) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 8 p.m. Free.

Trivia with Craig Mitchell (trivia) at Monkey House, Winooski, 7 p.m. Free.

TUE.3

Karaoke with DJ Party Bear (karaoke) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 9:30 p.m. Free.

Taproom Trivia (trivia) at 14th Star Brewing, St. Albans, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Trivia Tuesday (trivia) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 7 p.m. Free.

WED.4

Karaoke Friday Night (karaoke) at Park Place Tavern & Grill, Essex Junction, 8 p.m. Free.

Rock N’ Roll Bingo with Miss Jubilee (music bingo) at CharlieO’s World Famous, Montpelier, 8 p.m. Free.

Trivia (trivia) at Alﬁe’s Wild Ride, Stowe, 7 p.m. Free.

Trivia Night (trivia) at Dumb Luck Pub & Grill, Winooski, 7 p.m. Free. ➆

We have been advertising open positions in Seven Days for the past four years and have had amazing results. Michelle is great to work with and the whole process is very smooth. It’s like clockwork. The last job we posted got six applicants the minute we put it up online — before it was even in the paper. The person that we decided to hire said they saw it on the Seven Days website. Because of its active, participating reader base, Seven Days has delivered consistently great results.

Bonnie Collins

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

(1674) Tools, Equipment, Supplies & Shelving

Auction Closes: Tues., June 10 @ 10AM

Preview: Wed., June 4 from 11AM-1PM

Items Located In: Colchester, VT 05439

Estate auction featuring over 400 lots of premium tools, equipment, and supplies from top-tier brands. Whether you’re a professional tradesperson or a dedicated DIY enthusiast, this auction offers a large selection of high-quality items to enhance your workshop or job site. BIDDING IS NOW OPEN!

Dan Greenleaf, Live at Ford Hall

(SELF RELEASED, DIGITAL)

French composer Claude Debussy famously said “Music is the space between the notes.” And in those dark spaces linger so many things: resonance, echo, reverb. Rather than just an aggregation of notes, music is a tome, a collection of traits, of color, key and space that combine to form what the listener hears. While it’s easy to appreciate the beauty of a well-struck note, it’s the negative space that gives music its character.

That compositional concept is on full display throughout the debut album from Burlington guitarist Dan Greenleaf, Live at Ford Hall. Recorded during a 2024 show at his alma mater, Ithaca College, the album features Greenleaf and a quartet performing original modern jazz.

From the ﬁrst track, “Opening Theme” to the last, “Closing Theme,” Greenleaf and his band engage in sparse, atmospheric and at times almost meditative playing. The guitar notes often linger like the wake of a passing boat. It’s all part of Greenleaf’s desire to “create huge, beautiful, meaningful shapes in music,” as his Bandcamp bio states.

Greenleaf was born with cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that a ects movement and posture. At the age of 6, when he decided he wanted to learn to play guitar, Greenleaf’s mother asked a local instructor if that would be possible. The teacher’s response was, essentially, “I don’t know. Let’s ﬁnd out.”

“Overwhelming Fluorescent Light.”

More than 14 minutes long, the song begins at a truly glacial pace, with Greenleaf peeling o clusters of notes, like someone speaking to himself, slowly, in an empty room. Eventually, the pace and repetition increases until his tones sound almost like a Klaxon and his bandmates wade in to establish a stop-start groove. Upright bassist Nick Peloso gets plenty of room to shine while Greenleaf layers in swirls of atmospheric e ects before keyboardist

Robert Irvin, saxophonist

Drew Martin and drummer Theo Lobo all ratchet up the tension.

It’s not all atmospheric, hyper-slow jazz, though. Greenleaf and his band can get deep in the jam and show o their chops when the mood arises. “A Tree or a Cloud” has some of Greenleaf’s best guitar work, including solos that seem to go o on their own side quests, only to return and lay out a dazzling yet simple melodic phrase.

Almost two decades later, Greenleaf has graduated from the Ithaca College Jazz Studies program and launched a career as a musician. And while his style may be dictated by the physical limitations of his condition, Greenleaf turns that into an advantage, with a playing style based on odd phrasing, long sustained notes and an unerring sense of melody.

The style is perhaps best on display during the mammoth track

In the midst of it all, Greenleaf’s note choices — or lack of choices, in some cases — give Live at Ford Hall an idiosyncratic tonal character. Other players might ﬁll the spaces with solo work or rhythmic accompaniment, but Greenleaf’s style is far more sophisticated despite sounding simpler. The way he ﬁlls an open space is both unconventional and e ective at pulling listeners into scenes or moods, not unlike Miles Davis’ modal approach on albums such as Kind of Blue or the tranquil saxophone playing of Gerry Mulligan.

On “Bite Bullet,” Greenleaf places notes with the meticulousness of a bricklayer. The way his guitar ﬂoats in and out of the composition, every single note feels like it has to be there, or the center will not hold.

But the real star of Live at Ford Hall is Debussy’s great love: space. On compositions such as “I’ll Be Seeing You,” Greenleaf uses the “empty” spaces between notes in a highly e ective way, while teasing little stabs from his guitar and pulling on intervals like string. Greenleaf mixed and mastered the record with musician and producer Eric Maier (EVNGwear) at Future Fields in Burlington, where the guitarist works as general manager. The two crafted an excellent-sounding live album that is sonically on point yet retains some of the rawness of the original performance.

A Waterbury native, Greenleaf attended Harwood Union Middle & High School and learned from noted music teacher Bruce Sklar, who retired in 2023. Greenleaf wasn’t able to walk until he was 6, but thanks to Vermont-based programs such as Green Mountain Adaptive Sports, he became an avid skier. In honor of that, half of the proceeds from Live at Ford Hall will go to the organization. It’s a ﬁtting gesture from a musician who has turned disability into possibility.

Live at Ford Hall is available on major streaming sites and for download at dangreenleaf.bandcamp.com.

CHRIS FARNSWORTH

Dan Greenleaf at Future Fields LUKE AWTRY

calendar

MAY 28-JUNE 4, 2025

WED.28

agriculture

TRI-STATE DAIRY EXCHANGE:

NAVIGATING THE FUTURE OF DAIRY: The University of Vermont hosts a monthly webinar series that focuses its lens on current industry research and programs. 11:30 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 656-7563.

business

CULTIVATING ENTREPRENEURSHIP

WORKSHOP: Montpelier Alive invites aspiring businesspeople for an evening of collaboration and conversation exploring ideas and how to put them into action. Hepcat, Montpelier, 6:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, director@ montpelieralive.org.

JUMPSTART EXPO & PITCH NIGHT: Fresh off a 12-week accelerator program, 10 startup teams pitch their products to judges and audience members. Light refreshments provided. Generator Makerspace, Burlington, 5-8 p.m. Free; cash bar; preregister. Info, 540-0761.

QUEEN CITY BUSINESS NETWORKING INTERNATIONAL GROUP: Savvy businesspeople make crucial contacts at a weekly chapter meeting. BCA

Center, Burlington, 11:15 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 829-5066.

community

CURRENT EVENTS: Neighbors have an informal discussion about what’s in the news. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30 a.m.noon. Free. Info, 878-4918.

crafts

YARN CRAFTERS GROUP: A drop-in meetup welcomes knitters, crocheters, spinners, weavers and other fiber artists. BYO snacks and drinks. Must Love Yarn, Shelburne, 5-7 p.m. Free. Info, 448-3780. etc.

MED47 GARDEN SHOPPE: Local 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. Info, 233-8334.

food & drink

COMMUNITY COOKING: Neighbors join up with the nonprofit’s staff and volunteers to make a yummy meal for distribution. Pathways Vermont, Burlington, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, 777-8691.

These community event listings are sponsored by the WaterWheel Foundation, a project of the Vermont band Phish.

LIST YOUR UPCOMING EVENT HERE FOR FREE!

All submissions must be received by Thursday at noon for consideration in the following Wednesday’s newspaper. Find our convenient form and guidelines at sevendaysvt.com/postevent

Listings and spotlights are written by Rebecca Driscoll Seven Days edits for space and style. Depending on cost and other factors, classes and workshops may be listed in either the calendar or the classes section. Class organizers may be asked to purchase a class listing.

Learn more about highlighted listings in the Magnificent 7 on page 11.

with an occasional Latin twist. The Tillerman, Bristol, 5-8 p.m. Free; cash bar. Info, 643-2237.

québec

games

BOARD GAME NIGHT: Game lovers enjoy an evening of friendly competition with staples such as Catan, Dominion, chess and cards. KelloggHubbard Library, Montpelier, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

health & fitness

CHAIR YOGA: Waterbury Public Library instructor Diana Whitney leads at-home participants in gentle stretches supported by seats. 10 a.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

language

GREEK CONVERSATION

GROUP: People of all proficiency levels chat in the modern form of the language while sharing skills and making new friends. Fletcher Room, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 978-793-0110.

lgbtq

QUEER CHEER PRIDE CREW VIRTUAL TRAINING: Allies learn about joining up with a crew of volunteers who bring love, info and fun to Pride festivals across the state. Hosted by Outright Vermont. 6-7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 860-7812.

music

MOIRA SMILEY’S

VERMONT GARDEN SINGS: A singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist leads community members in a program of joyful, accessible songs. Middlebury College, 6:30-8 p.m. $10-25 sliding scale. Info, 349-1946.

SUNDAY MORNING: An eclectic band plays a rich combination of tunes ranging from soft piano jazz to banjo-driven country

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

FESTIVAL ACCÈS ASIE: The 30th annual Asian Heritage Month extravaganza includes art shows, film screenings, play readings and food tastings. See accesasie.com for full schedule. Various Montréal locations. Various prices. Info, 514-298-0757.

FESTIVAL TRANSAMÉRIQUES: Artists from across generations and continents converge in Montréal for two weeks of dance and theater shows. Various Montréal locations, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Various prices. Info, 514-844-3822.

seminars

TV ON THE RADIO: BROADCASTING TO EVERYONE: Media mavens learn how to make music, stage a play and conduct interviews using the center’s tech support and facilities. The Media Factory, Burlington, 6-8 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister. Info, 651-9692.

sports

GREEN MOUNTAIN TABLE

TENNIS CLUB: Ping-Pong players swing their paddles in singles and doubles matches. Rutland Area Christian School, 7-9 p.m. Free for first two sessions; $30 annual membership. Info, 247-5913.

talks

NOAH PERLUT: In “Community Farming & Grassland Birds: A Local Conservation Strategy,” a University of New England professor sheds light on how management opportunities among Vermont communities can balance needs. Shelburne Farms, 5:30-7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, tmccarney@shelburnefarms.org.

SUMMER SPEAKER SERIES: ART COHN: In “Underwater Heritage of Lake Champlain,” the Basin Harbor Museum director emeritus explores the maritime history of Lake Champlain as revealed through its many shipwrecks. Worthen Library, South Hero, 6:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 372-6209.

VERMONT HUMANITIES

SNAPSHOT SERIES: NISHA KOMMATTAM: In “Kawaii Culture in Japan and Beyond,” a University of Chicago professor touches on the history and current ramifications of “cuteness” culture, while also exploring the appeal of beloved Kawaii characters. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 6-7 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

theater

‘AN EVENING OF BROADWAY WITH COLEMAN CUMMINGS’: Theatergoers experience an unforgettable musical cabaret when the equity actor goes solo to share heartfelt songs and stories from his travels. Montpelier Performing Arts Hub, 6-9 p.m. $10-50. Info, 798-6717.

words

BOOK & CAULDRON: Store staff lead bibliophiles in a lively discussion about Suzanne Collins’ 2025 dystopian novel, Sunrise on the Reaping. Phoenix Books, Essex, 6 p.m. Free. Info, 872-7111.

THU.29

business

GROW YOUR BUSINESS: Shelburne BNI hosts a weekly meeting for local professionals to exchange referrals and build meaningful connections. Connect Church, Shelburne, 8:30-10 a.m. Free. Info, 377-3422.

community

‘ANNE FRANK: A HISTORY FOR TODAY’ COMMUNITY NIGHT:

A traveling exhibit from the University of South Carolina grabs attendees’ attention with a short film, student discussions and a keynote presentation by author K. Heidi Fishman. Ages 12 and up. Woodstock Union High School, 5-6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 457-1317. COMMUNITY STORYTELLING EVENT: The Waterville Library invites neighbors to recount true, spellbinding and reflective tales centered on life in Vermont. Waterville Town Hall, 6-8:15 p.m. Free. Info, 518-466-4222.

crafts

KNIT FOR YOUR NEIGHBOR: All ages and abilities knit or crochet hats and scarves for the South Burlington Food Shelf. Materials provided. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 2-5 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

KNITTING GROUP: Knitters of all experience levels get together to spin yarns. Latham Library, Thetford, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 785-4361.

WOODWORKING LAB: Visionaries create a project or learn a new skill with the help of mentors and access to tools and equipment in the makerspace. Patricia A. Hannaford Career Center, Middlebury, 5-8 p.m. $7.50. Info, 382-1012.

dance

QUAHOG DANCE THEATRE: Community members try out everything from ballet to Pilates in this group dedicated to movement and expression. Catamount Arts Center, St. Johnsbury, 1011:30 a.m. Free. Info, 748-2600. etc.

ASTROLOGY MEET-UP: Beginners and advanced practitioners come together to discuss the rapidly changing landscape of our times through the lens of celestial bodies. Proceeds benefit Pathways Vermont. Bristol Village, 5:30-7 p.m. $5 suggested donation; preregister. Info, welcome@ home-body.co.

BLOOD DRIVE: Participants part with life-sustaining pints at this American Red Cross donation event. South Burlington Public

Library & City Hall, noon-5 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 846-4140. MED47 GARDEN SHOPPE: See WED.28.

film

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

‘ANIMAL KINGDOM 3D’: Audience members are guided through an exploration of stunning animal worlds, from frozen snowy forests to the darkest depths of the ocean. Dealer.com 3D Theater, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 11:30 a.m., 1:30 & 3:30 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $16.50-20; free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.

‘ANTARCTICA 3D’: Never-beforeseen footage brings audience members to the farthest reaches of the coldest, driest, windiest continent on Earth. Dealer.com 3D Theater, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, noon, 2 & 4 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $16.50-20; free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.

‘OCEAN PARADISE 3D’: Guests transport to the far reaches of the Pacific Ocean and get a glimpse into the pristine environments vital to our planet’s health. Dealer. com 3D Theater, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 10:30 a.m., 12:30, 2:30 & 4:30 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $16.50-20; free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.

‘RAN’: Film buffs enjoy a 40th anniversary 4K restoration of Akira Kurosawa’s 1985 take on the story of King Lear. Film House, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7 p.m. $6-12. Info, 660-2600.

‘SPACE: THE NEW FRONTIER 3D’: Viewers witness history in the making — from launching rockets without fuel to building the Lunar Gateway — in this 2024 documentary narrated by Chris Pine. Dealer.com 3D Theater, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 11 a.m., 1 & 3 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $16.5020; free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.

food & drink

ST. ALBANS BAY FARMERS MARKET: Local vendors’ art and crafts, live music, and a wide array of eats spice up Thursday afternoons in the region. St. Albans Bay Park, 4:30-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 524-7589.

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. Info, 244-7036.

DUPLICATE BRIDGE GAMES: Snacks and coffee fuel bouts of a classic card game. Burlington Bridge Club, Williston, 12:30-4 p.m. $6. Info, 872-5722.

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.28

burlington

TODDLER TIME: Librarians bring out books, rhymes and songs specially selected for young ones 12 to 24 months. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 1111:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

chittenden county

BABY SOCIAL TIME: Caregivers and infants from birth through age 1 gather in the Wiggle Room to explore board books and toys. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 10:30-11:15 a.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

GAME ON!: Kids take turns collaborating with or competing against friends using Nintendo Switch on the big screen. Caregivers must be present to supervise children below fifth grade. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 5-6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

PLAYGROUP & STORY TIME: Caregivers and kids through age 5 listen to stories, sing songs and share toys with new friends. Richmond Free Library, 10 a.m.noon. Free. Info, 434-3036.

barre/montpelier

BABY & CAREGIVER MEETUP: Wiggly ones ages birth to 18 months play and explore in a calm, supportive setting while adults relax and connect on the sidelines. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.

FAMILY CHESS CLUB: Players of all ages and abilities test their skills with instructor Robert and peers. KelloggHubbard Library, 2nd Floor, Children’s Library, Montpelier, 3:30-5 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

KIDS’ BOARD GAME NIGHT: Little game lovers enjoy an evening of friendly competition with crowd-pleasing favorites. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 2nd Floor, Children’s Library, Montpelier, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

THU.29

burlington

BABY & ME CLASS: Parents and their infants ages birth to 1 explore massage, lullabies and gentle movements while discussing the struggles and joys of parenthood. Greater Burlington YMCA, 9:45-10:45 a.m. $10; free for members. Info, 862-9622.

BABY TIME: Pre-walking little ones experience a story time catered to their infant interests. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

BLACK DAD HANG: Dad Guild development director Marlon Fisher hosts a casual monthly gathering for Black

Got Gills?

It might sound fishy, but anyfin is possible at the inaugural Burlington Trout Parade. Ichthyophiles assemble at the Flynn, then proceed to the Sustainability Academy to join its fourth grade students in a rollicking march to Battery Park. There, revelers delight in a themed puppet pageant and party paying homage to Lake Champlain, aquatic creatures and the watersheds in which they thrive. This newly expanded celebration stems from the school’s spring tradition of rearing brook trout from eggs, then releasing the hatched minnows into the Huntington River with sweet, encouraging goodbye waves.

BURLINGTON TROUT PARADE

Friday, May 30, noon-2 p.m., beginning at the Flynn in Burlington. Free. Info, 863-5966, flynnvt.org.

fathers looking to build community and connect with others. The Guild Hall, Burlington, 7-9 p.m. Free. Info, 318-4231.

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. Info, 878-4918.

PRESCHOOL PLAY TIME: Pre-K patrons play and socialize after music time. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

barre/montpelier

MR. PAUL’S VARIETY SHOW STORY

TIME: Little library patrons join the entertainer for stories, music and puppets. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

POKÉMON CLUB: I choose you, Pikachu! Elementary and teenage fans of the franchise — and beginners, too — trade cards and play games. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 3:30-5 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

stowe/smuggs

WEE ONES PLAY TIME: Caregivers bring kiddos under 4 to a new sensory learning experience each week. Morristown

Centennial Library, Morrisville, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 888-3853.

mad river valley/ waterbury

BUSY BEES PLAYGROUP: Blocks, toys, books and songs engage little ones 24 months and younger. Waterbury Public Library, 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

northeast kingdom

ACORN CLUB STORY TIME: Youngsters 5 and under play, sing, hear stories and color. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 10:1510:45 a.m. Free. Info, 745-1391.

FRI.30 burlington

BURLINGTON TROUT PARADE: Neighbors gather for a joyful procession to Battery Park, where the Sustainability Academy’s fourth grade class hosts a puppet-packed pageant to celebrate trout and the watershed in which they live. See calendar spotlight. The Flynn, Burlington, noon-2 p.m. Free. Info, 863-5966.

chittenden county

FIRE SAFETY STORY TIME: Little patrons hear a special story, then head home with a new firefighter hat, crayons and a themed coloring book. Dorothy

exhibit that sparks curiosity and builds confidence. Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Regular admission, $12-19; free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 457-2355.

STORY TIME: Preschoolers take part in tales, tunes and playtime. Latham Library, Thetford, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 785-4361.

northeast kingdom

PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: Youngsters and their caregivers delight in beautiful books, silly songs, creative crafts and unplugged play in the library’s cozy children’s room. Craftsbury Public Library, Craftsbury Common, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 586-9683.

SAT.31

burlington

ALS DAY WITH VERMONT LAKE

MONSTERS: Families fill the ballpark to try their luck at a 50/50 raffle, watch the Ice Bucket Challenge and root, root, root for the home team. Partial proceeds benefit the ALS Association. Centennial Field, Burlington, 3:05 p.m. $8; preregister by May 24. Info, 202-843-5467.

SEASON OPENER: Start another summer off right at this waterfront jubilee featuring low-cost boat rides, food trucks, outdoor yoga, live music and activities for all ages. Community Sailing Center, Burlington, noon-6 p.m. Free; cost of boat rides. Info, 864-2499.

middlebury area

SPRING WAVE RACE: More than 100 middle and high school rowers from across New England paddle for the prize. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Free; preregister to row. Info, 475-2022.

upper valley

Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:3011 a.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

LEGO BUILDERS: Mini makers explore and create new worlds with stackable blocks. Recommended for ages 6 and up. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 3-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

barre/montpelier

BASEMENT TEEN CENTER: A drop-in hangout session welcomes kids ages 12 to 17 for lively games, arts and crafts, and snacks. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 2-8 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

HOMESCHOOL MEET-UP:

Homeschooling families with students of all ages gather to celebrate the end of the school year with crafts, games and activities. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 2nd Floor, Children’s Library, Montpelier, noon-2 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

LEGO CLUB: Budding builders create geometric structures with snap-together blocks. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 3:30-5 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

STORY TIME & PLAYGROUP: Participants ages 5 and under enjoy themed science, art and nature activities. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.

upper valley

LITTLE FARM HANDS: Children ages birth to 4 explore farm life in a way that’s just their size at this touch-friendly

LITTLE FARM HANDS: See FRI.30.

northeast kingdom

SATURDAY STORY TIME: Tiny tots ages birth to 6 and their caregivers have fun with stories, songs, free play and crafts. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 745-1391.

SUN.1

burlington

FAM JAMS: Musician and early childhood educator Alex Baron facilitates an interactive morning of music and casual play. The Guild Hall, Burlington, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 318-4231.

MASKS ON! SUNDAYS: Elderly, disabled and immunocompromised folks get the museum to themselves at a masks-mandatory morning. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 9-10 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 864-1848.

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, 1-3 p.m. Free. Info, 891-2014.

COURTESY

WEEKLY CHESS FOR FUN: Players of all ability levels face off and learn new strategies. United Community Church, St. Johnsbury, 5:30-9 p.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, lafferty1949@gmail.com.

language

ITALIAN CONVERSATION GROUP:

Semi-fluent speakers practice their skills during a conversazione with others. Best for those who can speak at least basic sentences. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, noon-1 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

lgbtq

25TH ANNIVERSARY GALA: Pride Center of Vermont marks 25 years of memories and milestones at a celebratory evening of connection, reflection and joy. Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 6-9 p.m. $0-70 sliding scale. Info, 860-7812.

music

FEAST & FIELD MUSIC SERIES: Farm-fresh foods and live music are on the menu at a weekly pastoral party in the orchard. See barnarts.org for lineup. Fable Farm, Barnard, 5:30-8:30 p.m. $5-25. Info, 234-1645.

MUSIC IN THE VINEYARD SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: THE TENDERBELLIES: A local bluegrass group gets toes a-tappin’ while local food trucks serve up tasty treats. Rotary Park, Winooski, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, 372-9463.

MUSIC WITH THE MUSEUM: PATTI CASEY & COLIN

MCCAFFREY: Live tunes by talented local musicians, food and drink tastings, and a silent auction make for an unforgettable evening. Rokeby Museum, Ferrisburgh, 6-9 p.m. $30-45. Info, 877-3406.

ON THE DOOR RADIO: A laid-back summer series features tantalizing food trucks and a rotating pair of local DJs backed by sunset cocktail vibes. Coal Collective, Burlington, 5-9 p.m. Free. Info, 363-9305.

UPPER VALLEY COMMUNITY

BAND: The local ensemble plays a spring concert packed with patriotic spirit and heartfelt reflection. Lebanon Opera House, N.H., 7 p.m. $20 suggested donation. Info, 603-448-0400.

outdoors

BIKE BLOOM: Group rides, a rare bicycle show and a barn party benefit the Intervale Center and Old Spokes Home. Intervale Center, Burlington, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister. Info, 660-0440.

québec

FESTIVAL ACCÈS ASIE: See WED.28.

FESTIVAL TRANSAMÉRIQUES: See WED.28.

seminars

BUSINESS PLAN WRITING

WORKSHOP: Business counselor John Gergely guides participants through the process of composing a road map for success. Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity, Burlington, 10 a.m.-noon. Free; preregister. Info, 860-1417, ext. 112.

talks

HOWARD COFFIN: A historian and author unfolds the realities of life for Vermont women during the Civil War. Brooks Memorial Library, Brattleboro, 4 p.m. Free. Info, 262-2626.

tech

VERMONT TECH MEET-UP: Curious minds learn about Burlington civic technology organization Code for BTV and its impact on the community. Innovation Hall, University of Vermont, Burlington, 6:15-8 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, info@ codeforbtv.org.

theater

‘THREE TALL WOMEN’: Edward Albee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning stage play tells the story of one woman’s life through three perspectives — her past, present and future. Appropriate for ages 16 and up. See calendar spotlight. Grange Theatre, South Pomfret, 7 p.m. $30-35. Info, 457-3500.

words

GEORGE’S MYSTERY BOOK GROUP: Patrons chat about Vermont author Sarah Stewart Taylor’s twisty page-turners Agony Hill and O’ Artful Death with resident whodunit expert George Spaulding. KelloggHubbard Library, Montpelier, 6:158 p.m. Free. Info, gspaulding@ kellogghubbard.org.

KENNETH M. CADOW: The Vermont Reads author shares his novel, Gather — a comingof-age story about finding value in things often overlooked. A discussion about themes of resilience, addiction and the power of community follows. Twinfield Union School, Plainfield, 6 p.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.

TURNING PAGES WITH MARY: Lit lovers join Star 92.9’s Mary Cenci to discuss Julia Alvarez’s 2024 magical realism novel, The Cemetery of Untold Stories, Phoenix Books, Essex, 5:30 p.m. Free. Info, 872-7111.

FRI.30

dance

BALLROOM DANCE PRACTICE

SESSION: Fox-trotting folks cut a rug at this beginner-friendly social. Bring clean indoor shoes. North Star Community Hall, Burlington, 8-9:30 p.m. Free. Info, 598-6757.

COUNTRY-WESTERN HOEDOWN: Brett Hughes and his Honky Tonk Posse provide the tunes at this two-step extravaganza.

Towering Truths

OPENS MAY 29 | THEATER

food & drink

Artistree Community Arts Center raises the curtain on Edward Albee’s Pulitzer Prizewinning two-act Three Tall Women at the Grange Theatre in South Pomfret. The compelling, emotionally charged drama about memory and identity features actors Laura Tewksbury, Ellen Revesz, Gillian Brown and Blue Scott in an earnest exploration of one woman’s life told via three perspectives — her past, present and future selves. Audience members follow these iterations, known simply as A, B and C, as they interact in thought-provoking vignettes that blur space and time. Folk singer-songwriter Olive Klug, the center’s current musician-in-residence, brings a nuanced musical voice to the production’s score.

‘THREE TALL WOMEN’ Thursday, May 29, through Saturday, May 31, 7 p.m.; Sunday, June 1, 3 p.m.; and Wednesday, June 4, 10 a.m., at Grange Theatre in South Pomfret. See website for future dates. $30-35. Info, 457-3500, artistreevt.org.

An introductory lesson is offered before the music begins. Bring clean shoes. Burnham Hall, Lincoln, 7 p.m. $20-25. Info, atomicranchdance@ gmail.com.

THE GREEN MOUNTAIN OLD-TIME WORKSHOP

WEEKEND: CAJUN DANCE: Local crowd-pleaser Pointe Noir Cajun Band sets the tone for boogying down with rhythms rooted in southwest Louisiana. Willey Building Auditorium, Cabot, 8-10 p.m. $15. Info, 793-3016. etc.

BRASS BALAGAN VARIETY

SHOW: A high-octane showcase of talent features horns, red jumpsuits, comedy, dancing and music. Montpelier Performing

Arts Hub, 6-11 p.m. $5-15. Info, 798-6717.

CALEDONIA HOME & GARDEN

SHOW: Home improvement products, unique crafts, doorbuster deals and the hottest new car models make for an unmissable weekend in the Northeast Kingdom. Caledonia County Fair Grounds, Lyndonville, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Free. Info, 473-1887.

MED47 GARDEN SHOPPE: See WED.28.

‘THE SPACE BETWEEN’: Viewers take in a multisensory, multidimensional performance blending film, live music and meditative ceremony. 2714 Balentine Rd., Calais, 7 p.m. $35; preregister. Info, northwoodsmusic collaborative@gmail.com.

film

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

‘ANIMAL KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.29.

‘ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.29.

‘OCEAN PARADISE 3D’: See THU.29.

‘SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN’: Romantic songs and rollicking tap numbers distinguish this enduring 1952 musical comedy. The Screening Room @ VTIFF, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7 p.m. $6-12. Info, 660-2600.

‘SPACE: THE NEW FRONTIER 3D’:

See THU.29.

FARMER’S TABLE DINNER WITH FARMER HIL: Local female producers bring spring’s bounty to a five-course feast honoring sustainable farming practices and seasonal produce. Adventure Dinner Clubhouse, Colchester, 6-9 p.m. $75. Info, sas@ adventuredinner.com.

SOUTH END GET DOWN: Local food trucks dish out mouthwatering meals and libations while live DJs and outdoor entertainment add to the ambience. Coal Collective, Burlington, 5-9 p.m. Free; cost of food and drink. Info, 363-9305.

games

DADS & DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: New and experienced dad-venturers try their hand at the riveting tabletop role-playing game. The Guild Hall, Burlington, 7-9:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 318-4231.

DUPLICATE BRIDGE GAMES: See THU.29, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

health & fitness

GUIDED MEDITATION ONLINE: Dorothy Alling Memorial Library invites attendees to relax on their lunch breaks and reconnect with their bodies. Noon-12:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, programs@ damlvt.org.

MINDFULNESS MEDITATION: Community members gather for an informal session combining stimulating discussion, sharing and sitting in silence. Pathways

Vermont, Burlington, 1:15-2:15 p.m. Free. Info, 777-8691.

language

FRENCH SOCIAL HOUR: The Alliance Française of the Lake Champlain Region hosts a rendez-vous over cocktails. Hilton Garden Inn Burlington Downtown, 5:30-7 p.m. Free; cash bar. Info, bbrodie@aflcr.org.

lgbtq

ESSEX PRIDE KICKOFF PARTY & GLOW RUN: Folks of all ages run, walk or dance their way through an illuminated 5K course backed by the beat of a high-energy DJ. Maple Street Park, Essex Junction, 7:30-11 p.m. Free to attend; $25 to participate. Info, essexvtpride@gmail.com.

ESSEX PRIDE WEEKEND: The town’s third annual LGBTQ fête fills up cups with a pride ride through the “Gayborhood,” dancing, drag story hour, art, food trucks and community building. See essexvtpride.org for full schedule. Maple Street Park, Essex Junction, 6:30 p.m. Free. Info, essexvtpride@gmail.com.

MONTPELIER PRIDE: The Capital City overflows with a full spectrum of fun celebrating the LGBTQ community, including film screenings, dancing, a parade and other festivities. See pridecentervt.org for full schedule. Various Montpelier locations. Free. Info, 860-7812.

RPG NIGHT: Members of the LGBTQ community get together weekly for role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons and Everway. Rainbow Bridge Community Center, Barre, 5:308:30 p.m. Free. Info, 622-0692.

music

CONCERTS ON THE GREEN: Music lovers get cozy with blankets and lawn chairs while local legends take the stage to perform feel-good toe-tappers. See campmeade.today for lineup. Camp Meade, Middlesex, 5-8 p.m. Free. Info, info@ campmeade.today.

FOOD & ART FRIDAY: MIKAHELY: A singer-songwriter transcends musical boundaries with Malagasy rhythms played on the guitar and valiha while listeners enjoy made-to-order pizza. Sable Project, Stockbridge, 5:30-8:30 p.m. $5-20 suggested donation. Info, bex@thesableproject.org.

HARVARD-RADCLIFFE

COLLEGIUM MUSICUM: An evocative program of choral music titled “Come to the Woods” features works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Heinrich Schütz, Aaron Copland and contemporary composers. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church on the Green, Middlebury, 5:30-9 p.m. Free. Info, 388-7200.

LOCALS NIGHT: Oenophiles enjoy the vineyard’s offerings, small bites and live tunes by Vermont musicians in a cozy, intimate setting. Lincoln Peak Vineyard, New Haven, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 388-7368.

THE MONTPELIER COMMUNITY A CAPELLA GOSPEL CHOIR:

Listeners delight in nothing but enchanting voices as they reverberate through the historic space. The Old Meeting House, East Montpelier, 6:30-7:30 p.m. By donation. Info, 249-0404.

SUMMER MUSIC AT GRACE SERIES: JENNA MOYNIHAN & OWEN MARSHALL: A master fiddler and a lauded multi-instrumentalist perform versatile and inventive folk music. Grace Episcopal Church, Sheldon, 7 p.m. $20 suggested donation. Info, mark.sustic@ gmail.com.

québec

FESTIVAL ACCÈS ASIE: See WED.28.

FESTIVAL TRANSAMÉRIQUES: See WED.28.

tech

PHONE & TECH SUPPORT:

Perplexed patrons receive aid from library staff on a first-come, first-served basis. Fletcher Free Library New North End Branch, Burlington, 10 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 863-3403.

TECH FREEBIES: SAVING MONEY WITH LIBRARY RESOURCES: Folks looking to cut costs join up with a digital specialist for an afternoon exploring the variety of free online services that the library has to offer. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 1-2 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

theater

‘BABYCAKES’: Full Circle Theater

Collaborative presents Vermont playwright Leila Teitelman’s new work concerning grieving parents and their attempt at bereavement through local support meetings. Off Center for the Dramatic Arts, Burlington, 7 p.m. $15-20. Info, amy@ fullcircletheatervt.org.

FOMO?

Find even more local events in this newspaper and online: art

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

See what’s playing at theaters in the On Screen section. music + nightlife

Find club dates at local venues in the Music + Nightlife section online at sevendaysvt.com/ music.

Learn more about highlighted listings in the Magnificent 7 on page 11. = ONLINE EVENT

‘SAMANTHA INSIDE OUT’: Shaker Bridge Theatre presents a new one-woman show about modern life, marriage, motherhood — and the concept that it’s never too late to start again. Briggs Opera House, White River Junction, 7 p.m. $10; free for subscription holders. Info, 281-6848.

‘THREE TALL WOMEN’: See THU.29.

SAT.31 agriculture

GARDEN SEED & TRANSPLANT SWAP: Cultivators exchange spare seeds and divided plants to help spread the joy of gardening. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.

bazaars

SPRING POP-UP LAWN SALE: Local shoppers hunt for gently used treasures on the green. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.

WATERBURY RECREATION

YARD SALE: Community members browse clothing, sports equipment, craft supplies and other fun treasures at this closet clean-out for the town’s Parks and Recreation Department. Anderson Field, Waterbury, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Free; cost of items; cash only. Info, klisaius@ waterburyvt.com.

business

RUTLAND YOUNG

PROFESSIONALS MAY MEETUP: Area businesspeople mix, mingle and observe the many species of birds that call Vermont home. West Rutland Marsh, 7 a.m. Free. Info, info@ rutlandyoungprofessionals.org.

community

SISTERHOOD CAMPFIRE: Women and genderqueer folks gather in a safe and inclusive space to build community through journaling, storytelling, gentle music and stargazing. Leddy Park, Burlington, 7-9 p.m. Free. Info, sisterhoodcampfire@ gmail.com.

dance

BALLROOM IS BACK COMMUNITY SOCIAL DANCE: Instructors Patti Panebianco and David Larson teach amateur hoofers how to fox-trot, merengue and swing, followed by a jazzy dance party featuring live music by Jenni Johnson & the Junketeers. Light refreshments provided. Shelburne Town Hall, 6:30-9:30 p.m. $10-15. Info, 5577226.

BERLIN CONTRA DANCE: Dancers of all ages and abilities learn at a gathering that encourages joy, laughter and friendship. Bring clean, soft-soled shoes. See website for callers and bands. Capital City Grange, Berlin, 8-11

Some retired people want to hang ‘em up, and some are just getting warmed up. The people at Wake Robin are definitely in the latter camp. They’re busy, curious, and part of a dynamic Life Plan Community in Shelburne, Vermont. Come see for yourself. Wake Robin. It’s where you live.

p.m. $5-20 sliding scale. Info, 225-8921.

‘CELEBRATION OF DANCE’:

Vermont Ballet Theater School Center for Dance students perform in a spectacular springtime showing of classical, jazz, lyrical and contemporary works. The Flynn, Burlington, 1 & 6:30 p.m. $18.90-30. Info, 863-5966.

THE GREEN MOUNTAIN OLDTIME WORKSHOP WEEKEND:

SQUARE DANCE: Swing your partner ’round and ’round! The Ida Mae Specker Band set the tone for sashaying in squares, circles and lines, with calling by Don Stratton. Willey Building Auditorium, Cabot, 8-10 p.m. $20. Info, 793-3016.

environment

POLLINATOR CELEBRATION DAY:

Environmentalists of all ages learn about the 350 species of native bees in Vermont and hear from experts about their extraordinary diversity and importance. Shelburne Farms, 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Free; preregister; optional lunch, $23. Info, tmccarney@ shelburnefarms.org.

etc.

CALEDONIA HOME & GARDEN

SHOW: See FRI.30.

‘CASH MOB’: Montpelier Alive invites community members to come together and shop with intention and purpose at struggling State Street businesses. Downtown Montpelier, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 223-9604.

MED47 GARDEN SHOPPE: See WED.28.

‘THE SPACE BETWEEN’: See FRI.30, 3 & 7 p.m.

SUMMER CLOTHING SWAP: Savvy shoppers pass along unwanted wardrobe items and refresh with new closet finds for the season. Proceeds benefit the Brookfield Community Partnership. Brookfield Old Town Hall, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. $1-5 sliding scale. Info, abelisle2@ comcast.net.

WES BARKER: Magic collides with comedy at a show of wild tricks, hilarious stories, incredible feats and amazing antics. Flynn Space, Burlington, 7 p.m. $42. Info, 863-5966.

fairs & festivals

PIG JIG: A dynamic showcase of live music, slow-roasted barbecue, cold drinks and classic lawn games make for a full afternoon of fun. Green Mountain Lounge at Mount Ellen, Warren, noon-6 p.m. Free. Info, communucations@ email.sugarbush.com.

film

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

‘ANIMAL KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.29.

‘ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.29.

‘OCEAN PARADISE 3D’: See THU.29.

‘SPACE: THE NEW FRONTIER 3D’: See THU.29. ‘THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG’: Astonishing candy-color design and melancholy ballads set the tone for Jacques Demy’s 1962 musical featuring Catherine Deneuve. The Screening Room @ VTIFF, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 3 & 7 p.m. $612. Info, 660-2600.

food & drink

NOODLES FOR BURMA: Foodies get a taste of Southeast Asia with takeout meals for a cause. Proceeds benefit people affected by the March earthquake in Myanmar. First Baptist Church of Burlington, 4:30-7:30 p.m. By donation; preregister. Info, welcome@fbcburlingtonvt.com.

NORTHWEST FARMERS MARKET: Locavores stock up on produce, preserves, baked goods, and arts and crafts. Taylor Park, St. Albans, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 242-2729.

games

CHESS CLUB: All ages and abilities face off and learn new strategies. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

D&D & TTRPG GROUP: Fans of Dungeons & Dragons and other tabletop role-playing games embark on a new adventure with a rotating cast of game masters. Virtual option available. Waterbury Public Library, 1-5 p.m. Free. Info, judi@ waterburypubliclibrary.com.

health & fitness

JIGGETY JOG 5K: Community members get their bodies moving to raise funds for the McClure Miller Respite House. Malletts Bay School, Colchester, 9 a.m. $25; preregister. Info, 656-2887.

MARTIAL ARTS WORKSHOP: Adults and teens discover how flowing, circular movements cultivate core strength, fitness and resilience. Wear loose, comfortable clothing. Aikido of Champlain Valley, Burlington, 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 951-8900.

PILATES STUDIO OPEN HOUSE: Interested practitioners visit the relaxed, welcoming space, explore equipment, ask questions and learn about available classes. Momentum Physical Therapy, South Burlington, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 864-6262.

lgbtq

ESSEX PRIDE WEEKEND: See FRI.30, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

MONTPELIER PRIDE: See FRI.30.

music

ALLUMÉ: A collaborative project between Miss Tess, Thomas Bryan Eaton, K.C. Jones and Trey Broudreaux delights listeners with genre-busting Cajun-country tunes. Artistree Community Arts Center, South Pomfret, 7 p.m. $30. Info, 457-3500.

BEG, STEAL OR BORROW: A bluegrass band known for its vocal harmonies and high-energy

JUN. 2 & 3 | WORDS

Drawing Attention

Beloved best-selling author and cartoonist Alison Bechdel encourages laughter, introspection and passion for politics with presentations of her new work of autofiction, Spent, at the Norwich Congregational Church and Bear Pond Books in Montpelier. Local bookworms turn out to hear the comic master — who also penned Fun Home, the memoir turned Tony Award-winning musical — discuss her latest cartoon creation. Featuring her doppelgänger as an existentially tapped-out goat sanctuary owner in Vermont, the graphic novel unflinchingly taps into topical themes of climate change and civil unrest. As asserted by the New York Times Book Review, “nobody does it better” than Bechdel.

ALISON BECHDEL

Monday, June 2, 7 p.m., at the Norwich Congregational Church. $32; includes signed copy. Info, 649-1114, norwichbookstore.com. Tuesday, June 3, 7 p.m., at Bear Pond Books in Montpelier. Sold out. Info, 229-0774, bearpondbooks.com. See phoenixbooks.biz and galaxybookshop.com for future dates.

instrumentals performs original tunes and classic covers. Meeting House on the Green, East Fairfield, 5-7 p.m. $10; free for kids under 12. Info, 827-6626.

THE BEN KOGAN BAND & THE FREEZE BROTHERS: Pentangle Arts present a double bill featuring an Americana, roots-rock band and an eclectic and electric local crowd-pleaser. Woodstock Town Hall Theatre, 6-9 p.m. $25. Info, 457-3981.

THE DAVE GORDON BAND: An alt-country bluegrass supergroup performs original tunes strongly influenced by the likes of Johnny Cash, Gordon Lightfoot and John Prine. Haskell Free Library & Opera House, Derby Line, 7:30 p.m. $35. Info, 748-2600.

DAVID FEURZEIG: The prolific classical pianist continues a statewide series of shows in protest of high-pollution worldwide concert tours. Pittsford Congregational Church, 4 p.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, 434-3819.

GREEN MOUNTAIN GOSPEL CHOIR: Listeners delight in a curated program of spiritual selections from classic to contemporary when the vocalists perform “Clap Your Hands!” First Congregational Church, Burlington, 7-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, gmgospelchoir@gmail.com.

SUMMER MUSIC SERIES: Light fare and succulent desserts fill up tanks while local bands serenade the crowd with dynamic toe-tappers. See

8-10 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 878-4918.

GUIDED NATURALIST

HIKES: Wildlife guru Gene O. Desideraggio guides participants on a trek to explore local plant and animal life on Stark Mountain. Ages 5 and up. Mad River Lodge, Waitsfield, 2-4 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 583-3536.

MAY BIRD MONITORING WALK: New and experienced avian admirers take an outdoor stroll to observe flying, feathered friends. BYO binoculars. Birds of Vermont Museum, Huntington, 7:30-9 a.m. $0-15 sliding scale. Info, 434-2167.

NAULAKHA ESTATE & RHODODENDRON TOUR: Curious history buffs take in the spectacular house and gardens of author Rudyard Kipling, followed by a bucolic picnic on the lawn. Naulakha, Dummerston, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. $25. Info, 254-6868.

québec

FESTIVAL ACCÈS ASIE: See WED.28.

FESTIVAL TRANSAMÉRIQUES: See WED.28.

theater

‘BABYCAKES’: See FRI.30, 2 & 7 p.m.

‘THREE TALL WOMEN’: See THU.29.

words

WRITE NOW!: Lit lovers of all experience levels hone their craft in a supportive and critique-free environment. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 10 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 223-3338.

SUN.1

activism

‘A DAY FOR DEMOCRACY: IN DEFENSE OF THE CONSTITUTION,

FOMO?

Find even more local events in this newspaper and online: art

meetinghouseonthegreen.org for lineup. Meeting House on the Green, East Fairfield, 5 p.m. $10; free for kids under 12. Info, 827-6626.

THE VERMONT CHORAL UNION: Eric Milnes directs the vocalists in “Rites of Spring,” a delightfully seasonal program of works by German composers spanning from the 19th century to today. College Street Congregational Church, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $1040. Info, 238-5434.

outdoors

CATAMOUNT BIRD WALK: Naturalist Terry Marron leads avian aficionados on an engaging outing to spot species. BYO binoculars encouraged. Catamount Community Forest, Williston,

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

film

See what’s playing at theaters in the On Screen section.

music + nightlife

Find club dates at local venues in the Music + Nightlife section online at sevendaysvt.com/ music.

Learn more about highlighted listings in the Magnificent 7 on page 11.

= ONLINE EVENT

= GET TICKETS ON SEVENDAYSTICKETS.COM

HUMAN RIGHTS & FREE SPEECH’: Community members gather to hear keynote speakers champion human rights, followed by live music, family-friendly activities and hands-on opportunities for civic engagement. The Alchemist, Waterbury, 2-5 p.m. Free. Info, 253-6708.

community

HUMAN CONNECTION CIRCLE: Neighbors share stories from their lives and forge deep bonds. Pickering Room, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 3-4:30 p.m. Free; preregister; limited space. Info, humanconnectioncircle@ gmail.com.

crafts

YARN CRAFTERS GROUP: See WED.28, 1-3 p.m.

etc.

40TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY: Rural Vermont marks four decades of strengthening communities with wood-fired pizza, block and screen printing, storytelling, and live music by local favorite Rusty Bucket. Fairfield Community Center, East Fairfield, noon. Free; donations accepted. Info, shelby@ruralvermont.org.

CALEDONIA HOME & GARDEN

SHOW: See FRI.30, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. MED47 GARDEN SHOPPE: See WED.28, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

MUSEUM OPENING: The venue’s season launch features a celebratory afternoon of performances, songs and famed sourdough rye with aioli. Bread and Puppet Theater, Glover, 2 p.m. $15. Info, 525-3031.

SHELBURNE MUSEUM BRICK

HOUSE TOUR: Visitors enjoy a guided walk through museum founder Electra Havemeyer Webb’s elegant and unique Colonial Revival home. Light refreshments provided. Shelburne Museum, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. $40-50; preregister. Info, 985-3346.

fairs & festivals

SPRING BOOK, POSTCARD & EPHEMERA FAIR: Bibliophiles meet authors and browse thousands of old, rare and antiquarian titles along with maps, letters and prints. St. Albans City Hall, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. Info, 527-7243.

film

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

48-HOUR FILM SLAM SCREENING & AWARDS: Audience members revel in the fruits of a frantic two days’ work by local filmmakers. Junction Arts & Media, White River Junction, 6 p.m. Free. Info, 295-6688.

‘ANIMAL KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.29.

‘ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.29. ‘OCEAN PARADISE 3D’: See THU.29.

‘SPACE: THE NEW FRONTIER 3D’: See THU.29.

food & drink

ROYALTON FARMERS MARKET: Local farms find support at a summerlong market celebrating the most abundant season of the year. South Royalton Town Green, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info,

royaltonfarmersmarket@ gmail.com.

WINOOSKI FARMERS MARKET: Area growers and bakers offer ethnic fare, assorted harvests and agricultural products against a backdrop of live music. Winooski Falls Way, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, info@downtownwinooski.org.

games

DUPLICATE BRIDGE GAMES: See THU.29, 1-4:30 p.m.

health & fitness

KARUNA COMMUNITY

MEDITATION: A YEAR TO LIVE (FULLY): Participants practice keeping joy, generosity and gratitude at the forefront of their minds. Jenna’s House, Johnson, 10-11:15 a.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, mollyzapp@ live.com. NEW

and experienced meditators alike practice together in the Plum Village tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. Hot Yoga Burlington, 6-7:45 p.m. Free. Info, newleafsangha@ gmail.com.

lgbtq

for an inspiring concert marking the group’s 10th anniversary. A reception follows. Colchester High School, 2-3:30 p.m. Free. Info, 288-9777.

CONCERTS ON THE GREEN: See FRI.30, 3-6 p.m.

DANIEL LIN & ELI HECHT: Two Upper Valley composers and musical improvisers serenade shoppers with fabulous tunes ranging from classical to rock. The Norwich Bookstore, 1-2 p.m. Free. Info, 649-1114.

TWILIGHT ON THE TAVERN LAWN: ACOUSTIC NOMADS:

A Boston band blends South American folklore and Americana vibes for a dynamic unplugged performance. Putney Tavern Lawn, 6 p.m. Free. Info, 387-0102.

THE VERMONT CHORAL UNION: See SAT.31. Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Burlington, 4 p.m.

outdoors

NAULAKHA ESTATE & RHODODENDRON TOUR: See SAT.31.

québec

FESTIVAL TRANSAMÉRIQUES: See WED.28.

sports

27TH COMMUNITY BANK N.A.

150: The Vermont racetrack’s 2025 season continues with some seriously nail-biting competition. Thunder Road Speedbowl, Barre, 8 a.m. $10-30; free for kids 5 and under. Info, info@ thunderroadvt.com.

theater

‘BABYCAKES’: See FRI.30, 2 p.m.

‘THREE TALL WOMEN’: See THU.29, 3 p.m.

words

AUTHOR OPEN HOUSE: Listeners flock to hear Trish Esden, Terry Lovelette, DonnaRae Menard, Liam McKone, Christine Harvey and other local writers discuss their works. St. Albans City Hall, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. Info, 527-7243.

DAWN DENSMORE-PARENT:

Budding writers gather round to hear a Vermont author share ways to promote and publicize works. City Council Room, St. Albans City Hall, 2-3 p.m. Free. Info, 527-7243.

DAWN DENSMORE-PARENT: A Vermont author provides tips about how to write a memoir — or help someone else compose their own. City Council Room, St. Albans City Hall, 1-2 p.m. Free. Info, 527-7243.

MON.2

crafts

FUSE BEADS CLUB: Aspiring artisans bring ideas or borrow patterns to make beaded creations. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 3:30-5 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

environment

‘LONG-DURATION ENERGY

STORAGE’: Clean Energy Group executive director Seth Mullendore moderates a panel discussion featuring experts representing state, utility and academic viewpoints on the next big leap in the evolution of the electric grid. A Q&A follows. 2 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 223-2554. etc.

MED47 GARDEN SHOPPE: See WED.28.

FAMI LY FU N

mad river valley/ waterbury

CLAUDIA BEDRICK: The Enchanted Lion Books publisher, editor and art director shares her charming story, There Was a Shadow followed by a chat about what it’s like to work in publishing and a very special themed craft. Inklings Children’s Books, Waitsfield, 11 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 496-7280.

middlebury area

STARKSBORO MENTORING

CELEBRATION: The beloved local program marks 20 years of success with games, photos, recognitions and refreshments. Robinson Elementary

film

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

‘ANIMAL KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.29.

‘ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.29. ‘OCEAN PARADISE 3D’: See THU.29.

‘SPACE: THE NEW FRONTIER 3D’: See THU.29.

games

BURLINGTON ELKS BINGO: Players grab their daubers for a competitive night of card stamping for cash prizes. Burlington Elks Lodge, 6 p.m. Various prices. Info, 862-1342.

language

GERMAN LANGUAGE LUNCH:

Willkommen! Speakers of all experience levels brush up on conversational skills over bagged lunches. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, noon-1 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

lgbtq

BOARD GAME NIGHT: LGBTQ tabletop fans bring their own favorite games to the party. Rainbow Bridge Community Center, Barre, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, 622-0692.

PRIDE HIKES: ST. ALBANS PRIDE: Audubon Vermont program coordinator Sarah Hooghuis leads LGBTQ+ hikers and allies on a trek through a local birding hot spot. Hard’ack Recreation Area, St. Albans, 4-6 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister. Info, sarah. hooghuis@audubon.org.

ST. ALBANS PRIDE CELEBRATION: A weeklong series of events celebrating the LGBTQ+ community takes attendees “Over the Rainbow” with hiking, movies,

School, Starksboro, 3-5 p.m. Free. Info, 453-2949.

upper valley

LITTLE FARM HANDS: See FRI.30.

brattleboro/okemo valley

OAK MEADOW’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY

CELEBRATION: A pioneering distance-learning school marks five decades in operation with guided hikes, arts and crafts, interactive math and storytelling sessions, fairy house construction, a puppet show, and live music. Retreat Farm, Brattleboro, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Free. Info, 251-7250.

MON.2

chittenden county

READ WITH SAMMY: The Therapy Dogs of Vermont emissary listens to kiddos of all ages practice their

trivia, a drag show and a colorful Main Street parade. See stalbanspridecorpscommunity.org for full schedule. Various St. Albans locations, 4-6 p.m. Various prices; preregister for some events. Info, info@stalbanspridecorps community.org.

music

TOM GERSHWIN QUINTET: Led by the eponymous Northeast Kingdom trumpeter-composer, the five-piece plays expressive jazz compositions from the forthcoming album Wellspring. Field Guide Lodge, Stowe, 7:30-10 p.m. Free. Info, 253-8088.

VERGENNES CITY BAND

REHEARSAL: Instrumentalists ages 12 to 90 join the town’s ensemble for rehearsals and concerts that fit their schedule. BYO music stand encouraged. Vergennes Congregational Church, 7-9 p.m. Free. Info, sodaniel27@gmail.com.

québec

FESTIVAL TRANSAMÉRIQUES: See WED.28.

words

ALISON BECHDEL: Lit lovers file in for an evening with the beloved graphic novelist as she shares a slideshow of her new book, Spent See calendar spotlight. Norwich Congregational Church, 7-8:30 p.m. $32; includes signed copy of book. Info, 649-1114.

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. Info, 295-6688.

reading. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

mad river valley/ waterbury

TODDLER TIME: Little ones ages 5 and under have a blast with songs, stories, rhymes and dancing. Waterbury Public Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

upper valley

LITTLE FARM HANDS: See FRI.30.

STORY TIME WITH BETH: A bookseller and librarian extraordinaire reads picture books on a different theme each week. The Norwich Bookstore, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 649-1114.

TUE.3

chittenden county

STORY TIME: Youngsters from birth to 5 enjoy a session of reading, rhyming

TUE.3 community

CURRENT EVENTS DISCUSSION GROUP: Brownell Library holds a virtual roundtable for neighbors to pause and reflect on the news cycle. 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 878-6955.

crafts

ALL HANDS TOGETHER COMMUNITY CRAFTING GROUP: Marshfield spinning maven

Donna Hisson hosts a casual gathering for fiber fans of all abilities to work on old projects or start something new. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 4:30-6 p.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.

dance

QUAHOG DANCE THEATRE: See THU.29.

SWING DANCE PRACTICE

SESSION: All ages and experience levels shake a leg in this friendly, casual environment designed for learning. Bring clean shoes. North Star Community Hall, Burlington, 8-9:30 p.m. $5. Info, 864-8382. etc.

MED47 GARDEN SHOPPE: See WED.28.

film

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

‘ANIMAL KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.29.

‘ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.29.

‘OCEAN PARADISE 3D’: See THU.29.

‘SPACE: THE NEW FRONTIER 3D’: See THU.29.

and singing. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

barre/montpelier

BASEMENT TEEN CENTER: See FRI.30, 2-6 p.m.

STORY TIME: See THU.29.

randolph/royalton

STORY TIME: ‘FOX IN SOCKS’: A Dr. Seuss-themed reading gets kiddos in the mood to create their own puppet to take home. Royalton Memorial Library, South Royalton, 10-11 a.m. Free. Info, 763-7094.

northeast kingdom

LAPSIT STORY TIME: Babies 2 and under learn to love reading, singing and playing with their caregivers. Siblings welcome. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 10:15-10:45 a.m. Free. Info, 745-1391.

PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: See FRI.30.

food & drink

COOKBOOK CLUB: Food-focused bibliophiles share a dish and discussion inspired by James Beard Award-winning author Todd Richards’ cookbook Roots, Heart, Soul: The Story, Celebration and Recipes of Afro Cuisine in America. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 5:30-6:45 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

games

BOARD GAME NIGHT: Neighbors show off their skills at an evening of friendly competition playing European tabletop staples such as Catan, Splendor and Concordia.

FOMO?

Find even more local events in this newspaper and online: art

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

film

See what’s playing at theaters in the On Screen section.

music + nightlife

Find club dates at local venues in the Music + Nightlife section online at sevendaysvt.com/ music.

Learn more about highlighted listings in the Magnificent 7 on page 11.

= ONLINE EVENT

= GET TICKETS ON SEVENDAYSTICKETS.COM

WED.4

chittenden county

BABY SOCIAL TIME: See WED.28. GAME ON!: See WED.28.

barre/montpelier

BABY & CAREGIVER MEETUP: See WED.28.

FAMILY CHESS CLUB: See WED.28.

mad river valley/ waterbury

TEEN HANGOUT: Middle and high schoolers make friends at a no-pressure meetup. Waterbury Public Library, 3-6 p.m. Free. Info, 244-7036. TEEN QUEER READS: LGBTQIA+ and allied youths get together each month to read and discuss ideas around gender, sexuality and identity. Waterbury Public Library, 6-7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 244-7036. K

Waterbury Public Library, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

DUPLICATE BRIDGE GAMES: See THU.29.

GAMES GALORE: Library patrons of all ages gather for bouts of board and card games. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3:304:30 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6955.

health & fitness

COMMUNITY MEDITATION: All experience levels engage in the ancient Buddhist practice of clearing the mind to achieve a state of calm. First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington, 5:15-6 p.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, 862-5630. language

FRENCH CONVERSATION

GROUP: French-speakers and learners meet pour parler la belle langue. Burlington Bay Market & Café, 5:30-8 p.m. Free. Info, 343-5493.

ITALIAN LANGUAGE LUNCH: Speakers hone their skills in the Romance language over bagged lunches. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, noon-1 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

lgbtq

MONTPELIER PRIDE: See FRI.30.

ST. ALBANS PRIDE

CELEBRATION: See MON.2, 6:309 p.m.

music

FLOW SINGING: Singers both new and seasoned intertwine music and mindfulness while learning a sequence of five or six songs by ear. Heineberg Senior Center, Burlington, 11:15 a.m.12:45 p.m. Free. Info, patricia@ juneberrymusic.com.

québec

FESTIVAL TRANSAMÉRIQUES: See WED.28.

seminars

BICYCLING BASICS FOR FUN & SAFE RIDING: Looking to hop in the saddle this summer? Instructor Nancy Schulz elucidates topics ranging from e-bikes to helmet comfort in this six-part series. An optional, guided ride follows. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 5:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, saddleshoes2@ gmail.com.

words

ALISON BECHDEL: SOLD OUT. See MON.2. Bear Pond Books, Montpelier, 7 p.m. Info, 229-0774. BURLINGTON

LITERATURE GROUP: Bookworms analyze Thomas Pynchon’s postmodern epic Gravity’s Rainbow over the course of 14 weeks. 6:30-8 p.m. Free. Info, info@nereaders andwriters.com.

TIM WEED: An acclaimed novelist shares his new dystopian masterwork, The Afterlife Project described by Peter Heller as “a brave and brilliant imagining of Earth.” Next Stage Arts, Putney,

6-8 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 387-0102.

WRITING CIRCLE: Words pour out when participants explore creative expression in a low-pressure environment. Virtual option available. Pathways Vermont, Burlington, 4-5:30 p.m. Free. Info, 777-8691.

WED.4

activism

DISABLED ACCESS & ADVOCACY OF THE RUTLAND AREA MONTHLY ZOOM MEETING: Community members gather online to advocate for accessibility and other disability-rights measures. 11:30 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 779-9021.

business

QUEEN CITY BUSINESS NETWORKING INTERNATIONAL GROUP: See WED.28. VERMONT

WOMENPRENEURS BIZ BUZZ ZOOM: A monthly virtual networking meetup provides a space for female business owners to connect. 10-11 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 870-0903.

crafts

YARN CRAFTERS GROUP: See WED.28.

etc.

CHAMP MASTERS

TOASTMASTERS CLUB: Those looking to strengthen their speaking and leadership skills gain new tools. Virtual option available. Dealer.com, Burlington, 6-7:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, champmasterstm@ gmail.com.

MED47 GARDEN SHOPPE: See WED.28.

fairs & festivals

BURLINGTON DISCOVER JAZZ

FESTIVAL: A stellar lineup of musicians hits Queen City locales in this annual celebration of jazz — and its cousins funk, soul, bounce and Afrobeat. See flynnvt.org for full schedule. Various Burlington locations. Various prices. Info, 863-5966.

food & drink

COMMUNITY COOKING: See WED.28.

games

CHESS TIME: Neighbors partake in the riveting ancient game of strategy. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 5-6 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

health & fitness

CHAIR YOGA: See WED.28. language

SPANISH CONVERSATION: Fluent and beginner speakers brush up on their vocabulario with a discussion led by a Spanish teacher. Presented by Dorothy Alling Memorial Library. 5-6 p.m.

Free; preregister. Info, programs@damlvt.org.

lgbtq

ST. ALBANS PRIDE

CELEBRATION: See MON.2, 7-11 p.m.

music

THE ALBANY SOUND: A local band plays a rich combination of country, folk and rock originals, paired with renditions of rarities by John Prine, Bobby Charles and other noteworthy names. The Tillerman, Bristol, 5-8 p.m. Free; cash bar. Info, 643-2237.

BCA SUMMER CONCERT SERIES:

BRUCE SKLAR TRIO: Three lauded local musicians reunite to play original material in an exciting new format at an enchanting afternoon of jazz. Burlington City Hall Park, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Free. Info, 829-6305.

québec

FESTIVAL TRANSAMÉRIQUES: See WED.28.

seminars

CELESTE HARTWELL: A confidence and business coach shares three easy ways to cultivate deep and meaningful friendships at the office and out in the world. Hosted by Women Business Owners Network of Vermont. 8:30-10 a.m. Free. Info, 503-0219.

‘WHY DAD GUILD?’: Vermont’s largest fatherhood-focused organization hosts a lunchtime webinar for attendees interested in learning about its history, core values, current programs and impact. Noon-1 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 318-4231.

sports

GREEN MOUNTAIN TABLE

TENNIS CLUB: See WED.28.

talks

CHARLIE FARRELL: In “History of Vermont’s One-Room Schoolhouses,” a Milton Historical Society board member provides an in-depth overview of education during the state’s early years. Refreshments provided. Milton Grange, 6:30-8 p.m. Free. Info, 893-1604.

theater

‘THREE TALL WOMEN’: See THU.29, 10 a.m.

words

GWYNETH FLACK: A Vermont author invites readers to help celebrate the release of her new book, Limitless: Transform Your Life With Intuition and Creativity Phoenix Books, Burlington, 7 p.m. $3; preregister. Info, 448-3350.

JACK FAIRWEATHER: A best-selling author delights history buffs with his riveting new novel The Prosecutor, following one man’s unrelenting quest to find Nazi war criminals. Phoenix Books, Rutland, 6:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 855-8078. ➆

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

PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP WITH

PHILIP FREY: Edgewater Gallery is pleased to offer a dynamic plein air painting workshop with artist Philip Frey, designed for dedicated landscape painters. Philip will present essential composition tools and a color system for choosing your color palette designed to help students create more consistent and successful paintings. Each day will start early with an on-site painting session to include a lesson or demo, followed by lunch and a mid-day break, and an early afternoon session to include a demo or critique. All levels are welcome, but students should be familiar with their medium, tools and easel. Registration deadline is Jun. 1. Class size limited to 12. Dates: Aug. 14-15. Cost: $450. Location: Shelburne Farms, 1611 Harbor Rd. Info: 802-989-7419, info@edgewatergallery-vt.com, edgewatergallery.co.

home & garden

BLOOM LAB PERFUME

MAKING: Gather with friends and discover the art of botanical perfumery at this botanical perfume blending event! In this two-hour class, you will learn the basics of perfumery while creating your own custom botanical eau de parfum that is hand-blended to reﬂect your unique personality. It’s part art, part science, and a whole lot of fun and self-discovery! For anyone interested in perfumery or simply enjoying good company while trying something new. Attendees also receive 20 percent off one regular-priced item from Addie & Grace Boutique. Bubbles and charcuterie! Fri., Jun. 6, 6-8 p.m. Cost: $95. Location: Addie & Grace Boutique, 21 Essex Way, Suite 414, Essex. Info: sevendaystickets.com.

BLOOM LAB PERFUMERY

language

dressing room/bathrooms and a safe space for all. Visitors are always welcome to watch a class! Vermont’s only intensive aikido programs. Preregister for workshops on our website. Date: Adult workshop: Sat., May 31, 11 a.m.; youth/family workshop: Sat., Jun. 7, 10 a.m. Location: Aikido of Champlain Valley, 257 Pine St., Burlington. Info: bpincus@burlingtonaikido. org, burlingtonaikido.org.

food & drink

BERRY GALETTE: In this workshop, we’ll teach you how to make our ﬂaky pie crust by

hand! en you can choose from a selection of fruits and berries in your ﬁlling. You’ll head home with a perfect rustic pie (aka galette) to share with the family — or not! A vegan option is available, but this class cannot be gluten-free. Please note, we are not an allergen-free facility. Wed., May 28, 6-7:30 p.m. Cost: $65. Location: Red Poppy Cakery, 1 Elm St., Waterbury Village Historic District. Info: 203-4000700, sevendaystickets.com.

CLASS & POOL DAY: Join us at Outbound Stowe for an unforgettable experience at this perfume blending event! Explore the captivating world of scent as you learn the foundations of perfumery and craft your very own custom eau de parfum. Before or after the workshop, relax and unwind with full access to Outbound Stowe’s stunning pool and ﬁrepit, nestled along the picturesque West Branch Little River. e bar and kitchen will be open, too, so you can sip a drink and enjoy delicious bites while soaking in the serene atmosphere. Sat. May 31, 4-6 p.m. Cost: $100. Location: Outbound Stowe, 876 Mountain Rd. Info: bloomlabvt@gmail.com, sevendaystickets.com.

LEARN FRENCH! Get ready to start learning French or improve your skills this summer at the Alliance Française of the Lake Champlain Region. Our classes are in person and hybrid, at all levels. Summer session begins Jun. 16 and runs six or seven weeks, depending on the class. Registration is under way now online. Space is limited, so sign up quickly before your class fills up! Start date: Jun. 16 or Jul. 7. Cost: $210 for 7 weeks, $180 for 6 weeks. Location: AFLCR, 43 King St., Burlington or on Zoom. Info: 802-863-4545, info@aflcr.org, aflcr.org.

martial arts

AIKIDO: THE POWER OF HARMONY: FREE WORKSHOPS AT AIKIDO OF CHAMPLAIN VALLEY Free adult workshop, Sat., May 31, 11 a.m. Youth/ family workshop, Sat., Jun. 7, 10 a.m. 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

music

THE GREEN MOUNTAIN OLDTIME WORKSHOP WEEKEND: e

Green Mountain Oldtime Workshop Weekend features a full weekend of dances, music workshops, concerts and jam sessions at multiple venues in Cabot Village. Classes include old-time and Cajun ﬁddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, bass and singing. Date: May 31, noon-6 p.m. Cost: $20 per workshop. Location: Willey Building Auditorium, 3084 Main St., Cabot. Info: Dana Robinson, 802-793-3016, director@cabotarts.org, cabotarts. org/oldtime-workshop-weekend.

sports &

ONE NIGHT STAND: AN EVENING COURSE IN BIKE CARE BASICS:

Having a basic understanding of your bike and knowing how to care for it is empowering! e

One-Night Stand at Old Spokes Home will cause neither regret nor shame; instead, it will help you stay safer, keep your bike running longer, and give you conﬁdence in either getting what you need at the bike shop or ﬁguring out how to deal with it on your own. Wed., Jun. 18, 6-8 p.m. Cost: $50. Location: Old Spokes Home Community Workshop, 664 Riverside Dr. Info: 802-863-4475, sevendaystickets.com.

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Humane Society of Chittenden County

Whiskey

AGE/SEX: 6-year-old neutered male

ARRIVAL DATE: March 3, 2025

SUMMARY: Whiskey is a sensitive, soulful pup seeking a loving adopter who can provide the commitment and care he deserves. Whiskey has gone through several transitions in his life and returned to us due to changes in his previous guardian’s lifestyle. His past has left him a bit wary, but with patience, guidance and support, he will blossom into a loyal and loving companion. He enjoys the simple pleasures of peaceful walks, playtime and quiet cuddles with his people. He may need some time to adjust, but his loyal, loving personality will shine through once he feels safe and secure. Visit Whiskey at HSCC to see if he could be your new best friend!

DOGS/CATS/KIDS: Whiskey is seeking a home where he can be the only pet. He may be most successful in a home with teens and adults who understand his need for patience and a calm environment.

Visit the Humane Society of Chittenden County at 142 Kindness Court, South Burlington, Tuesday through Friday from 1 to 4 p.m. or Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. Call 862-0135 or visit hsccvt.org for more info.

DID YOU KNOW?

Behavior that gets rewarded gets repeated! Training is all about bridging a communication barrier with your dog, and HSCC recommends positive reinforcement training: Using rewards such as treats, toys and attention is always the best way to help your dog learn!

GARAGE & ESTATE SALES

WILLISTON WOODS YARD SALES

fridge. Liv women’s bike w/ trainer, $1,700. Info, tguilbault72@gmail.com.

PETS & SUPPLIES

EXCHANGE STUDENT HOST FAMILIES

NEEDED

MUSIC LESSONS

GUITAR INSTRUCTION

Buy y & Se

ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES

ANTIQUARIAN BOOK, POSTCARD & EPHEMERA FAIR

Sun., Jun. 1, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Saint Albans City Hall. 10 of Vermont’s ﬁnest booksellers will bring out-of-print, rare & antiquarian books & more. J. Kevin Graffagnino offers free book appraisals for Americana & Vermontiana from noon-2 p.m. 20 Vermont authors will discuss & sell their books. Dawn Densmore-Parent will talk about promoting books & authors. Info, 802-527-7343, books@ theeloquentpage.com, vermontisbookcountry. com.

Fri. & Sat., Jun. 6 & 7, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Grilled hot dog lunch on Fri. Williston Woods Rd. is off N. Williston Rd. in Williston.

ESSEX JCT. GARAGE SALE, MAY 31 & JUN. 1, 8 A.M. TO 3 P.M. 21 Irene Ave. Housewares, appliances, plant goods, video games, Blu-rays, computer accessories, electronics, dumbbells w/ rack/bench, small furniture & storage. Cash/Venmo.

YARD SALE

31 Iris Ln., S. Burlington. Patio furniture, rugs, home décor & kitchen items, linens, dog crate, portable generator, AC unit, & more. Sat., May 31, 9 a.m.-noon.

MISCELLANEOUS

FRIDGE/FREEZER & WOMEN’S BIKE

2 fridges: GE stainless, 4 months old, $1,000; or LG black, $400. Both top freezer/bottom

0LD ENGLISH SHEEPDOGS

FairﬁeldGrand Kennel. AKC-registered pups. Sire: AKC, DNA on ﬁle. Dam: AKC, OFA cleared, hips/elbows clear. 6 pups: 4 boys, 2 girls, 7 weeks old. 1st shots. Avail. mid-May. $2,000. Info, 508-758-4427, hlobsta@ aol.com.

SPORTING GOODS

CROSSFIT AFFILIATE FOR SALE

Droptine CrossFit is looking for a new owner(s)! Serious inquiries only, please. Note: We do not own the building. Info, droptinecrossﬁt@gmail. com, droptinecrossﬁt. com.

WANT TO BUY

TOP CASH PAID FOR OLD GUITARS

Looking for 1920-1980 Gibson, Martin, Fender, Gretsch, Epiphone, Guild, Mosrite, Rickenbacker, Prairie State, D’Angelico & Stromberg guitars + Gibson mandolins & banjos. ese brands only! Call for a quote: 1-855-402-7208. (AAN CAN)

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

My name is Amanda Koennicke, & I am an NEK local & coordinator for Borderless Friends Forever. I am looking for families to host high school-age exchange students for the upcoming school year. Requirement: within 60 miles of Derby, Vt. Info, 802-487-7801, akoennicke@ borderlessfriends.org.

STILL NOT BETTER?

We dig deeper. Chronic pain, fatigue, joint pain, gut issues, diabetes, Lyme, neurological concerns, concussions, ﬁ bromyalgia & cancer support. Whole-person care from a naturopathic doctor w/ 10+ years’ experience. Info, 802-556-4341, innatanaturopathic medicine.com

BREAST CANCER OVER? IT’S YOUR TIME TO THRIVE.

Exhausted, foggy, anxious? Struggling w/ sleep, digestion, pain? Dr. Cheryl helps you reduce symptoms, rebuild physical & emotional resilience during & after cancer. Welcoming new patients. Info, 802-556-4341, admin@ innatanaturopathic medicine.com, innata naturopathicmedicine. com.

All styles/levels. Emphasis on building strong technique, thorough musicianship, developing personal style. Paul Asbell (Big Joe Burrell, Kilimanjaro, UVM & Middlebury College faculty). Info, 802-233-7731, pasbell@ paulasbell.com.

in the power of doing what you love. Who you are: passionate about your craft; already established or ready to step into independent business ownership;selfmotivated but love being part of something bigger; kind, creative & aligned w/ a community-focused mindset. $700. Info, 802-318-8926, mariposacollectives@ gmail.com; mariposa collectives.com.

HOMES FOR SALE

&

APARTMENTS & HOUSES FOR RENT

$1,500 BURLINGTON 2-BR AVAIL. NOW, 3-BR SOON

Good-size 2nd-ﬂ oor 2-BR avail now at 54 Spruce. $1,500. Heated; tenants pay utils. Unfurnished 3-BR, 1-BA avail. soon at 31 S. Willard St. $1,700. Heated, tenants pay utils. Extra storage in apt. For full details: 802-318-8916, jcintl0369@gmail.com.

SCENIC FARMHOUSE FULL OF CHARM, CHARACTER & POTENTIAL IN GRAND ISLE, VT. 180 East Shore South. 2-BR, 1-BA, 1,300 sq.ft. As-is sale. Listing: forsalebyowner.com/ listing/180-East-ShoreSouth-Grand-IsleVT-05458/ 68266be0797da812530838c6. Please reach out through this listing or contact me directly at 802-355-9199 to schedule a showing or ask questions.

HOUSEMATES

$5,000 REWARD

Communit y ommunit

ANNOUNCEMENTS

TIME CAPSULE

You are invited to open a time capsule from the early 1980s. Free to all at ne-farmer.com. Info, 802-584-3769, chascall3@gmail.com.

readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. Any home seeker who feels he or she has encountered discrimination should contact:

HUD Ofﬁce of Fair Housing 10 Causeway St., Boston, MA 02222-1092 (617) 565-5309 — OR — Vermont Human Rights Commission 14-16 Baldwin St. Montpelier, VT 05633-0633 1-800-416-2010 hrc@vermont.gov

To ﬁ nd Christopher Harper, North Burlington, Vt. Must know exact location. Hair color: brown/gray. Eye color: blue. Height: 5’8. Age: 38. Last seen on Nov. 15, 2024. Contact Burlington Police at 802-658-2700.

COMMERCIAL & OFFICE RENTALS

NOW LEASING AT MARIPOSA COLLECTIVE IN ESSEX JCT.

AUDITIONS & CASTING

GIRLS NITE OUT

PRODUCTIONS ANNOUNCES AUDITIONS! Auditions for our 15th-year birthday production, “Paint Night” by Carrie Crim, Jun. 23 & 24 in Burlington. Looking for 6 women of diverse ages. All details are on our website. Come play! Info, 802-448-0086, info@girlsniteoutvt. com, girlsniteoutvt.com.

Are you a hairstylist, massage therapist, makeup artist, aesthetician, energy worker or holistic practitioner ready to grow your own business — but craving community along the way? Mariposa Collective is not your average salon. We’re a creative, wellnessforward space that blends beauty, healing & empowerment under 1 roof. ink precision color & intuitive cuts happening just down the hall from sound bowl meditations & energy clearing. Our vibe is grounded, mindful & always expanding. We’re currently looking to welcome another heart-led entrepreneur to join our community. You’d be leasing your own private space within Mariposa but w/ the support of a collaborative environment where we cross-refer, celebrate each other’s wins & believe deeply

IF YOU LIKE KIDS, HOMESHARE HERE Professional in Jericho w/ 2 delightful kids who love gardening & all things outdoors seeks housemate to lend a hand in the house — perhaps cooking a meal or 2 each week & providing an evening of childcare — in exchange for reduced rent of $300/mo., utils. incl. Info, 802-863-5625, info@homeshare vermont.org. Visit homesharevermont. org for application. Interview, refs. & background checks required. EHO.

LAUGH, GARDEN, HOMESHARE IN COLCHESTER!

1-BR, 1-BA. Share home w/ friendly, retired Vermonter who would like help w/ light housekeeping & is home overnights. Share some meals & Hallmark movies w/ someone who likes to laugh. Large back yard w/ room for gardening. $150/mo., incl. utils. Private BA. Call 802-863-5625 or visit homesharevermont. org for application. Interview, refs. & background checks req. EHO.

Se e ices

ELECTRONICS

AFFORDABLE TV & INTERNET

If you are overpaying for your service, call now for a free quote & see how much you can save: 1-844-588-6579. (AAN CAN)

FINANCIAL & LEGAL

GET DISABILITY BENEFITS

You may qualify for disability beneﬁ ts if you are

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.

Show and tell. View and post up to 6 photos per ad online. Open 24/7/365. Post & browse ads at your convenience.

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: HHH

Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each 9-box square contains all of the numbers one to nine. The same numbers cannot be repeated in a row or column.

ANSWERS ON P.72

ANSWERS ON P. 72 » MIXED-UP SINGERS

See how fast you can solve this weekly 10-word puzzle.

AGING ROOF? NEW HOMEOWNER? STORM DAMAGE?

MOVING & HAULING

own business. Call 24-7: 1-855-402-7631. (AAN CAN)

RVS

MOVING

You need a local expert provider that proudly stands behind its work. Fast, free estimate. Financing avail. Call 1-888-292-8225. (AAN CAN)

PEST CONTROL

HOME & GARDEN

DEREKCO LLC

DerekCo Carpentry & Excavating has all of your carpentry & excavating needs covered! Visit our website & contact us for a free estimate. Info, 802-310-4090, derek@ derekco.com, derekco. com.

PROTECT YOUR HOME

Home break-ins take less than 60 seconds. Don’t wait! Protect your family, your home, your assets now for as little as 70 cents a day! Call 1-833-881-2713.

NEED NEW WINDOWS?

Drafty rooms? Chipped or damaged frames? Need outside noise reduction? New, energy-efﬁ cient windows may be the answer! Call for a consultation & free quote today: 1-877-2489944. (AAN CAN)

Protect your home from pests safely & affordably. Roaches, bedbugs, rodents, termites, spiders & other pests. Locally owned & affordable. Call for a quote, service or an inspection today: 1-833-237-1199. (AAN CAN)

BEAUTIFUL BATH UPDATES

Beautiful bath updates in as little as 1 day!

Superior quality bath & shower systems at affordable prices. Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Call now: 1-833-4232558. (AAN CAN)

24-7 LOCKSMITH

We are there when you need us for home & car lockouts. We’ll get you back up & running quickly! Also, key reproductions, lock installs & repairs, vehicle fobs. Call us for your home, commercial & auto locksmith needs: 1-833-237-1233. (AAN CAN)

Markoski’s has established a local reputation for being a team of friendly professionals who treat their customers like family. Based out of Chittenden County, we go across Vermont & out of state. Contact Rick at rickmarkoski@ gmail.com, & please browse our reviews & jobs on Facebook & Front Porch Forum.

Vehicles

2016 MERCEDES AIRSTREAM INTERSTATE 3500 EXT — DIESEL Asking $98,000. It has been garage-kept & only taken a handful of trips. Very low mileage of 18,095. ere is a very minor dent on the rear left bumper; I am more than willing to send pictures of that. I can send additional pictures via email or text message. Info, text 802-249-9958 or email makenzieolson2020@ gmail.com Please allow 1 day for a response if you email or text.

CARS & TRUCKS

2016 TOYOTA SIENNA XLE 7-PASSENGER, 4-DOOR MINIVAN

33K miles. 1 owner, excellent condition. Second-row bucket seats. Clean title, no accidents. Priced below KBB. $27,500. Contact askmevt@gmail.com.

GOT AN UNWANTED CAR?

Donate it to Patriotic Hearts. Fast, free pickup in all 50 states. Patriotic Hearts’ programs help veterans ﬁ nd work or start their

OFFICIAL WARNING TOWN OF JERICHO --SPECIAL TOWN MEETING JUNE 3, 2025

e legal voters of Jericho, Vermont, are hereby notiﬁ ed and warned that the Australian ballot will vote on the article below. Polls for voting by Australian ballot will be open on Tuesday, June 3rd, 2025, at Mount Mansﬁ eld Union High School from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., at which time the polls will close.

Article I: Shall the Voters approve expanding the Selectboard from three (3) members to ﬁ ve (5), with staggered 2-year terms (per statutes 17 V.S.A §2650)?

Dated this 1st day of May, 2025 Town of Jericho Selectboard

Erik Johnson

Peter Booth

Catherine McMains

Received for record this 1st day of May, 2025, Jessica R. Alexander, Town Clerk

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 6/14/25:

Location: 78 Lincoln St. Essex Jct VT

Contents: household goods Makayla Driscoll: #232

Location: 485 Nokian Tyres Dr Colchester, VT

Contents: household goods Shanice Pires: # 2378

Auction pre-registration is required, email info@ champlainvalleyselfstorage.com to register.

STATE OF VERMONT SUPERIOR COURT PROBATE DIVISION CHITTENDEN UNIT DOCKET NO.: 24-PR-06503

In re ESTATE of Teresa Patricia Deasy NOTICE TO CREDITORS

To the creditors of: Teresa Patricia Deasy, late of South Burlington, Vermont

I have been appointed to administer this estate. All creditors having claims against the decedent or the estate must present their claims in writing within four (4) months of the date of the ﬁ rst publication of this notice. e claim must be presented to me at the address listed below with a copy sent to the Court. e claim may be barred forever if it is not presented within the four (4) month period.

Dated: May 19, 2025

Signature of Fiduciary: /s/ Michael J. Deasy

Executor/Administrator: Michael J. Deasy c/o David Lynch, 28 Day Lane, Suite 20 Williston, Vermont 05495 Email: MichaelDeasy493@yahoo.com Phone number: 707-326-1672

Name of Publication: Seven Days

Publication Date: 05/21/2025

Name of Probate Court: State of VermontChittenden Probate Division Address of Probate Court: PO Box 511 Burlington, VT 05402

NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION – INCLUSIVE ARTS VERMONT, INC.

In 1986, Inclusive Arts Vermont (IAV) began its creative journey as Very Special Arts of Vermont, later VSA Vermont, and a member of the national VSA network, a program of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. While that network has since dissolved, our mission has remained the same: to use the magic of the arts to engage the capabilities and enhance the conﬁ dence of children and adults with disabilities. After nearly 40 years of pursuing this vital mission, with heavy hearts, IAV will sunset operations and programming, effective June 30, 2025. is date allows IAV to honor all commitments for our current program year and ensures a thoughtfully executed closure.

In connection with winding up its affairs, IAV wishes to ensure that all of its vendors have been paid and seeks to verify that all outstanding invoices have been paid in full. Accordingly, if you believe your company/organization has a claim against or is owed a debt from IAV, please:

1) Provide a written claim with speciﬁ city including the amount owed, the date the debt was incurred, the service or product provided, and the claimant’s full name and address. Include related supporting documentation, such as invoices, contracts, or other relevant evidence.

2) Mail the claim to: Inclusive Arts Vermont, 145 Pine Haven Shores, Suite 1000-A, Shelburne, VT 05482.

Please note that any claims against the corporation will be barred unless a written claim is received within ﬁ ve (5) years following the ﬁ rst publication of this Notice.

is Notice is published in compliance with Title 11B, Vermont Statutes Annotated, Section 14.07 relating to the dissolution of a Vermont Nonproﬁ t Corporation.

For a full statement from our Board of Directors on the sunset of IAV, please visit: https:// www.inclusiveartsvermont.org/a-message-fromour-board/

ACT 250 NOTICE

MINOR APPLICATION 4C0983-16I

10 V.S.A. §§ 6000 - 6111

Application 4C0983-16I from Elevation Construction, LLC 49 Stone Bridge Lane, Jericho, VT 05465 and Keith Neil, 94 Long Drive, South Burlington, VT 05403 was received on March 12, 2025 and deemed complete on May 23. This permit specifically authorizes the construction of a three (3) bedroom house on Lot 10 (94 Long Drive). The structure will be two-stories, wood framed, wood siding, and the roof will have dark asphalt shingles. This permit is issued in accordance with the requirements of Condition #12 in 4C0983-16A; this application identifies waste disposal for Criterion 1(B), aesthetics for Criterion 8, and provides an application fee based on the estimated construction cost of Lot 10 of the Long Drive Subdivision. The project is located at 94 Long Drive in South Burlington, Vermont. The application may be viewed on the Land Use Review Board’s website (https://act250. vermont.gov/) by clicking “Act 250 Database” and entering the project number “4C0983-16I.”

No hearing will be held and a permit may be issued

unless, on or before June 12, 2025, a party notifies the District 4 Commission in writing of an issue requiring a hearing, or the Commission sets the matter for a hearing on its own motion. Any person as defined in 10 V.S.A. §6085(c)(1) may request a hearing. Any hearing request must be in writing, must state the criteria or sub-criteria at issue, why a hearing is required, and what additional evidence will be presented at the hearing. Any hearing request by an adjoining property owner or other person eligible for party status under 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1)(E) must include a petition for party status under the Act 250 Rules. To request party status and a hearing, fill out the Party Status Petition Form on the Board’s website: https:// act250.vermont.gov/documents/party-statuspetition-form, and email it to the District 4 Office at: Act250.Essex@vermont.gov. Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law may not be prepared unless the Commission holds a public hearing.

For more information contact Kaitlin Hayes at the address or telephone number below.

Dated this May 23, 2025.

By: /s/ Kaitlin Hayes

Kaitlin Hayes District Coordinator

Support Groups

A CIRCLE OF PARENTS FOR SINGLE MOTHERS

Please join our parent-led online support group designed to share our questions, concerns & struggles, as well as our resources & successes! Contribute to our discussion of the unique but shared experience of parenting. We will be meeting weekly on Thu., 5:15 p.m. on Zoom. For more info or to register, please contact Heather at hniquette@pcavt.org, 802-498-0607, pcavt.org/ family-support-programs.

AL-ANON

For families & friends of alcoholics. Phone meetings, electronic meetings (Zoom) & an Al-Anon blog are avail. online at the Al-Anon website. For meeting info, go to vermontalanonalateen.org or call 866-972-5266.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

If you want to drink, that’s your business. If you want to stop, that’s ours. Call the Vermont statewide anonymous hotline: 802-802-2288. Alcoholics Anonymous holds daily meetings all over Vermont, both in person & online. See burlingtonaa.org for meetings, news & events in Chittenden & Grand Isle counties. For meeting & events throughout Vermont, see aavt.org.

ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION SUPPORT GROUPS Support groups meet to provide assistance & info on Alzheimer’s disease & related dementias. They emphasize shared experiences, emotional support & coping techniques in care for a person living w/ Alzheimer’s or a related dementia. Meetings are free & open to the public. Families, caregivers & friends may attend. Please call in advance to confirm the date & time. The Williston caregiver support group meets in person on the 2nd & 4th Tue. of every mo., 5-6:30 p.m., at the Old Brick Church in Williston. Contact support group facilitators Molly at dugan@cathedralsquare.org or Mindy at moondog@burlingtontelecom.net. The Middlebury support group for individuals w/ early stage dementia meets on the 4th Tue. of each mo., 3 p.m., at the Residence at Otter Creek, 350 Lodge Rd., Middlebury. Contact is Daniel Hamilton, dhamilton@residenceottercreek.com or 802-989-0097. The Shelburne support group for individuals w/ early stage dementia meets on the 1st Mon. of every mo., 2-3 p.m., at the Residence at Shelburne Bay, 185 Pine Haven Shores, Shelburne. Contact is support group facilitator Lydia Raymond, lraymond@residenceshelburnebay.com. The telephone support group meets on the 2nd Tue. of each mo., 4-5:30 p.m. Preregistration is required (to receive dial-in codes for toll-free call). Please

111 West Street Essex Junction, VT 05452 (802) 622-4084

kaitlin.hayes@vermont.gov

ACT 250 NOTICE

MINOR APPLICATION 4C1065-9E

10 V.S.A. §§ 6000 - 6111

Application 4C1065-9E from City of Winooski, Winooski City Hall, Winooski, VT 05404 was received on May 6, 2025 and deemed complete on May 14, 2025. This after-the-fact permit specifically authorizes the previously approved 302-space parking garage to be constructed as a 275-space parking garage. The project is located at 17 Abenaki Way in Winooski, Vermont. The application may be viewed on the Land Use Review Board’s website (https://act250.vermont.gov/) by clicking “Act 250 Database” and entering the project number “4C1065-9E.”

No hearing will be held and a permit may be issued unless, on or before June 12, 2025, a party notifies the District 4 Commission in writing of an issue requiring a hearing, or the Commission sets the matter for a hearing on its own motion. Any person as defined in 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1) may request a

CONTACT CLASSIFIEDS@SEVENDAYSVT.COM OR 802-865-1020 EXT. 115 TO UPDATE YOUR SUPPORT GROUP

hearing. Any hearing request must be in writing, must state the criteria or subcriteria at issue, why a hearing is required, and what additional evidence will be presented at the hearing. Any hearing request by an adjoining property owner or other person eligible for party status under 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1)(E) must include a petition for party status under the Act 250 Rules. To request party status and a hearing, fill out the Party Status Petition Form on the Board’s website: https:// act250.vermont.gov/documents/party-statuspetition-form, and email it to the District 4 Office at: Act250.Essex@vermont.gov. Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law may not be prepared unless the Commission holds a public hearing.

For more information contact Kaitlin Hayes at the address or telephone number below.

Dated this May 23, 2025. By: /s/ Kaitlin Hayes Kaitlin Hayes District Coordinator 111 West Street Essex Junction, VT 05452 (802) 622-4084 kaitlin.hayes@vermont.gov

dial the Alzheimer’s Association’s 24/7 Helpline, 800-272-3900, for more info. For questions or additional support group listings, call 800-272-3900.

ANXIETY RELIEF GROUP

Anxiety Relief Group is a safe setting for relaxing & exploring your feelings w/ others through gentle socialization & self-expression, building up what makes you centered & strong. Wed., 4-5:30 p.m. Both in-person & Zoom options avail. In-person meetings are held at the Pathways Vermont Community Center at 279 N. Winooski Ave. in Burlington. Email us for the Zoom link & more info: pvcc@pathwaysvermont.org.

BRAIN INJURY SUPPORT GROUP

Vermont Center for Independent Living offers virtual monthly meetings, held on the 3rd Wed. of every mo., 1-2:30 p.m. The support group will offer valuable resources & info about brain injury. It will be a place to share experiences in a safe, secure & confidential environment. To join, email Linda Meleady at lindam@vcil.org & ask to be put on the TBI mailing list. Info: 800-639-1522.

BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR DRAGON BOAT TEAM

Looking for a fun way to do something active & health-giving? Want to connect w/ other breast cancer survivors? Come join Dragonheart Vermont. We are a breast cancer survivor & supporter dragon boat team who paddle together in Burlington. Please contact us at info@dragonheartvermont. org for info.

BURLINGTON MEN’S PEER GROUP Tue. nights, 7-9 p.m., in Burlington. Free of charge, 30 years running. Call Neils 802-877-3742.

CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SUICIDE

Conversations About Suicide is a judgment-free & open space to talk about personal experiences of suicidal ideation. The group is facilitated by peer support staff w/ lived experience of suicidality. Thu., 4-5 p.m., at Pathways Vermont Community Center, located at 279 N. Winooski Ave. in Burlington. Email us for more info: pvcc@ pathwaysvermont.org.

DISABILITY SUPPORT GROUP

Our group is a space for mutual support, open to anybody who identifies as disabled, differently abled or having a disability. Whether your disability is visible, invisible, physical or cognitive, this group is for you! The group meets every Mon., 1:15-2:15 p.m., at 279 N. Winooski Ave. in Burlington & online on Zoom. Email us for the Zoom link & more info: pvcc@pathwaysvermont.org.

FCA FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP

Families Coping with Addiction (FCA) is an open community peer support group for adults (18+) struggling with the drug or alcohol addiction of a loved one. FCA is not 12-step-based but provides a forum for those living the family experience, in which to develop personal coping skills & to draw strength from one another. Our group meets every Wed., 5:30-6:30 p.m., live in person in the conference room at the Turning Point Center of Chittenden County (179 S. Winooski Ave., Burlington), &/or via our parallel Zoom session to accommodate those who cannot attend in person. The Zoom link can be found on the Turning Point Center website (turningpointcentervt.org) using the “Family Support” tab (click on “What We Offer”). Any questions, please send by email to tdauben@ aol.com.

FIERCELY FLAT VT

A breast cancer support group for those who’ve had mastectomies. We are a casual online meeting group found on Facebook at Fiercely Flat VT. Info: stacy.m.burnett@gmail.com.

FOOD ADDICTS IN RECOVERY ANONYMOUS (FA) Are you having trouble controlling the way you eat? FA is a free 12-step recovery program for anyone suffering from food obsession, overeating, under-eating or bulimia. Local meetings are held on Mon., 4-5:30 p.m., via Zoom. For more info & a list of additional meetings throughout the U.S. & the world, call 603-630-1495 or visit foodaddicts.org.

FRESH START: A TOBACCO/VAPE QUIT WORKSHOP

Join a free 4- or 5-week group workshop facilitated by our coaches, who are certified in tobacco treatment. We meet in a friendly, relaxed & virtual atmosphere. You may qualify for a free limited supply of nicotine replacement therapy. Info: call 802-847-7333 or email quittobaccoclass@ uvmhealth.org to get signed up, or visit myhealthyvt.org to learn more about upcoming workshops.

GRIEF SUPPORT GROUPS

Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice in Berlin offers 2 6-week support groups. Surviving the Loss meets on Mon., 4-5:30 p.m. There are 4 different 6-week offerings: Feb. 3, 10, 17, 21, Mar. 3, 10; May 5, 12, 19, Jun. 2, 9, 16; Sep. 15, 22, 29, Oct. 6, 13, 20; Nov. 17, 24, Dec. 1, 8, 15, 22. Spouse/Partner Loss meets on Wed., 10-11:30 a.m. There are 3 different 6-week offerings: Apr. 16, 23, 30, May 7, 14, 21; Aug. 6, 13, 20, 27, Sep. 3, 10; Nov. 12, 19, 26, Dec. 3, 10, 17. They also

offer an 11-week Journaling Through Grief support group. Please call 802-224-2241 to preregister. For any questions, contact Diana Moore at 802-2242241 or dmoore@cvhhh.org. Groups may meet in person or over Zoom.

GRIEVING A LOSS SUPPORT GROUP

A retired psychotherapist & an experienced life coach host a free meeting for those grieving the loss of a loved one. The group meets upstairs at All Souls Interfaith Gathering in Shelburne. There is no fee for attending but donations are gladly accepted. Meetings are held on the 1st & 3rd Sat. of every mo., 10-11:30 a.m. If you are interested in attending please register at allsoulsinterfaith. org. (More information about the group leader at pamblairbooks.com.)

HEARING VOICES SUPPORT GROUP

This Hearing Voices Group seeks to find understanding of voice-hearing experiences as real lived experiences that may happen to anyone at any time. We choose to share experiences, support & empathy. We validate anyone’s experience & stories about their experience as their own, as being an honest & accurate representation of their experience, & as being acceptable exactly as they are. Tue., 2:30-4 p.m. Pathways Vermont Community Center, 279 North Winooski Ave., Burlington. Email us for more information: pvcc@ pathwaysvermont.org

INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS/PAINFUL BLADDER SUPPORT GROUP

Interstitial cystitis (IC) & painful bladder syndrome can result in recurring pelvic pain, pressure or discomfort in the bladder/pelvic region & urinary frequency/urgency. These are often misdiagnosed & mistreated as a chronic bladder infection. If you have been diagnosed or have these symptoms, you are not alone. For Vermont-based support group, email bladderpainvt@gmail.com or call 802-7355735 for more info.

KINDRED CONNECTIONS PROGRAM OFFERED FOR CHITTENDEN COUNTY CANCER SURVIVORS

The Kindred Connections program provides peer support for all those touched by cancer. Cancer patients, as well as caregivers, are provided w/ a mentor who has been through the cancer experience & knows what it’s like to go through it. In addition to sensitive listening, Kindred Connections provides practical help such as rides to doctors’ offices & meal deliveries. The program has people who have experienced a wide variety of cancers. For further info, please contact info@ vcsn.net.

United States Probation Officer

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

POST YOUR JOBS AT: JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POST-A-JOB PRINT DEADLINE: NOON ON MONDAYS (INCLUDING HOLIDAYS) FOR RATES & INFO: MICHELLE BROWN, 802-865-1020 X121, MICHELLE@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

U.S. Probation Officers work for the federal court, conduct bail and presentence investigations, and supervise individuals released to federal community supervision. The District of Vermont is currently hiring one officer. The minimum requirement is a bachelor's degree in an approved major. The position is hazardous duty law enforcement with a maximum age of 37 at appointment. Prior to appointment, applicants considered for this position will undergo a full background investigation, as well as undergo a medical examination and drug screening. Starting salary range is from $60,340 to $117,565 (CL 27 to CL 28), depending on qualifications. For further information and application instructions, please visit vtp.uscourts.gov/career-opportunities Deadline for complete applications is the close of business June 20, 2025. E.O.E.

ST ALBANS

Compass Case Manager/ Clinician

HEARING PANEL COUNSEL

VERMONT JUDICIARY

Scan QR code to apply.

Apprentices, Electricians & Solar Installers

Apprentices will have all apprenticeship fees paid. Licensed electricians and experienced solar installers receive a sign-on bonus and competitive wages.

To apply, call (970)-618-7151 or email resume to jacob@hellbrook.io

Immediate need for contract attorney to provide legal advice to hearing panels under the Professional Responsibility Program. Vermont licensed attorneys eligible for $200/hr for an average of less than 8 hours per week supporting formal attorney disciplinary and disability hearings. Must have strong experience with trials or contested evidentiary hearings. If interested, find more information at: vermontjudiciary.org/ ProfessionalResponsibilityProgramRFP

Nursery/Greenhouse Assistant

Now taking resumes and applications for immediate employment for an IN SEASON up to 40 hrs/OFF SEASON 20+ hrs per week position. Middlebury Agway is seeking an experienced, qualified and highly motivated individual to assist in a thriving retail plant sales department.

Responsibilities include Care and Sales of Greenhouse and Nursery Plants, Seeds and Bulbs, plus a genuine interest in providing knowledgeable customer service. Extensive Plant knowledge is a must! Any Cashier experience is a plus.

Qualified Candidate must have a dedicated work ethic and be able to perform physical lifting as required and work hard in the spring and summer seasons.

Excellent Perks including an Employee Discount and Flexible Schedule but ability to work weekends is also a must.

Please stop in to pick up an application or send resume and references to: Middlebury AGWAY Farm & Garden, Attn: Jennifer Jacobs 338 Exchange St. Middlebury, VT 05753 Or by email to info@middleburyagway.com

Senior Designer

Select is looking for a senior designer exceptional creative and inspired thinking of the world’s leading brands.

Screen Printing & Embroidery

Select has immediate full-time opportunities within our screen printing and embroidery departments. The right individual must have the ability to work well in a creative, fast paced environment and manage several tasks simultaneously while maintaining attention to detail.

Qualifications: Prior experience preferred, but we will train the right candidate.

To learn more check out selectdesign.com/careers

We’re seeking a strategic thinker who they do and thrives in a fast paced, High standards for creative execution, and communication are critical. The will be a problem solver with a high of design trends, a passion for brands to bring ideas to life across a variety

A minimum of ﬁve years creative experience and demonstrated ability to deliver solutions within tight deadlines is required.

Competitive salary based on expereience and capabilities. Benefits include 401K, profit sharing, medical and dental plans and an exceptional work environment. Select creates products and platforms built for ongoing consumer engagement.

Compensation is based on experience Beneﬁts include medical and dental, sharing, ski and ride discount passes work environment.

We are currently seeking 208

REGISTERED NURSE MED/SURG

Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital

NVRH seeks exceptional RNs for our community hospital in St. Johnsbury, VT. Coordinate comprehensive patient care using the nursing process for medical, surgical, outpatient observation, swing bed, and pediatric patients.

Your Role:

• Complete patient assessments & develop individualized care plans

• Safely administer medications

• Provide patient education, discharge planning, & documentation

• Collaborate with interdisciplinary healthcare teams

Why Choose NVRH?

• Tuition reimbursement & loan repayment programs

• Career advancement opportunities & scholarships

• Competitive wages with attractive shift di erentials

• Comprehensive beneﬁts: generous PTO, free gym, a ordable & comprehensive health/dental/vision, 401(k) match & much more!

Requirements: Vermont RN license or multi-state compact license, current BLS certiﬁcation

About Us: Community-focused, not-for-proﬁt critical access hospital serving 30,000+ residents with 700+ dedicated sta . We invest in both our team and our community's health. New grads and experienced nurses welcome! E.O.E.

Apply today: nvrh.org/careers

Admissions Associate

Part-time

Rock Point School, a small, independent day and boarding high school, is looking for a PartTime Admissions Associate to join our team! As a member of the admissions team, you will:

• Build positive relationships with prospective students and families

• Review applications and related materials

• Give tours & interviews & more! Visit our website for the full job description, benefits, and to apply: bit.ly/ RPSadmissions

Fairfield Zoning Administrator

Manage and enforce Fairfield, VT’s Subdivision & Zoning Bylaws; provide permit and zoning information to the public; review applications for completeness; prepare materials and written summaries to the Planning and Zoning Board of Adjustment; plan and document meetings; serve as E911 coordinator. Understanding of state regulations and ability to prioritize multiple tasks is required.

Send cover letter and resume to Cathy Ainsworth, Town Administrator, PO Box 5, Fairfield, VT 05455; townadmin@ fairfieldvermont.us. Visit fairfieldvermont.us for a full job description.

MU LTIPLE POSITIONS OPEN!

our next Guest Services Representative? Buyer? Produce Associate?

Financial & O ce Administrator

Duties include:

• Recommend & implement

ﬁnancial controls

• First point of contact for general public

• Provide timely ﬁnancial reports

• Manage day to day o ce admin

• Support annual budget preparation

• Fulﬁll grant reporting requirements

• Warn and post minutes for public meetings

Salary range: $50,000 to $65,000/year plus beneﬁts

Submit Newport City application, obtained here: newportvermont.org/city-information/jobs

Please send cover letter and resume to: Mayor Rick Ufford-Chase: Rick.Uffordchase@newportvermont.org and Council Member Andrew Touchette: Andrew.Touchette@newportvermont.org

Janitor

Keen’s Crossing Apartments Winooski, VT

Full-Time – 40 hours per week

HallKeen Management is seeking a qualified, responsible, motivated and reliable full-time Janitor. Individual must have experience and skills in building maintenance and cleaning, and must be able to work independently. Duties include but are not limited to daily upkeep and cleaning of four buildings’ common areas and grounds, trash removal, painting apartments for occupancy, general maintenance repairs, and snow removal. Individual must possess excellent interpersonal skills in order to interact well with residents. Offering generous benefits.

Please e-mail resume to Diane Finnigan at dfinnigan@hallkeen.com.

Looking to be part of a tight-knit nursing leadership team that supports growth and collaboration?

• House Supervisor

Serve as a clinical resource to all departments across organization.

• OR Nurse Manager

Lead dynamic team through upcoming Operating Room expansion.

• PACU Nurse Manager

Manage pre- and post-op care for a variety of surgeries.

For more information visit copleyvt.org/careers or contact Kaitlyn Shannon, Recruiter, at 802-888-8144 or kshannon@chsi.org.

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

Teacher/Community Coordinator

Seeking a Full-time (40 hrs/week) Teacher/Community Coordinator in our Barre Learning Center.

The right candidate will have:

• Enthusiasm for working with adult students;

• Familiarity with the service area;

• Proven capacity for providing high quality education;

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office.

The candidate may be teaching:

• English as a Second Language (ESL);

• Reading, writing, math, computer skills and financial literacy;

• High school diploma and GED credentialing;

• Career and college readiness.

Experience developing personalized education and graduation plans a plus. The ideal candidate will be flexible, find joy in teaching, and have the ability to teach multiple subject areas.

Starting salary: $48,000+. Compensation is commensurate with experience. CVAE pays 100% of individual health, dental and shortterm disability insurance, and employer 403(b) contributions. Six weeks paid vacation annually.

Submit cover letter and resume to: info@cvae.net Position Open Until Filled. cvae.net

Alpine SnowGuards is a 100% employee-owned company based in Morrisville, Vt., specializing in designing, engineering, and manufacturing snow and solar snow management systems for all roof types. We are known for our patented products, including the first and only solar snow management system on the market. Our performance-tested solutions are highly regarded by roofing experts, architectural firms, developers and roofing manufacturers.

ACCOUNTANT

We are seeking an Accountant to join our team at Alpine SnowGuards. In this role, you will support our ﬁnancial operations by helping with various accounting tasks that ensure the accuracy and integrity of our ﬁnancial records.

CUSTOMER SERVICE/ESTIMATOR

• Handle incoming customer calls (sales, service, inquiries and issues)

• Prepare and send sales quotes to customer, after reviewing for accuracy and completeness

• Handle and resolve customer issues, involving supervisor when necessary

METAL WORKER

• Operate mechanical, pneumatic, and hydraulic presses in the processing of goods.

• Operate powder coating booth, wash station, & oven.

• Assist in the shipping and receiving department. Send resumes to: karen@alpinesnowguards.com

Please send a resume to Adam Lougee, Executive Director, Addison County Regional Planning

20 hours/week. For

Finance Manager & Administrative Assistant

Commission, 14 Seminary Street Middlebury, VT 05753 or alougee@acrpc.org Open until filled. E.O.E.

The Addison County Regional Planning Commission (ACRPC) is hiring for two positions for our administrative team.

The ACRPC seeks a highly skilled, self-motivated Finance Manager to join our team of dedicated professionals in a public service organization. This position works directly with the Executive Director with responsibilities to include management of ACRPC’s financial accounts, organizational budget development and oversight, development of indirect cost rate proposals, financial reporting to the Executive Director and Board, grant budgets and contract management, financial aspects of grant reporting, management of payroll, annual audit preparation, and general oversight of financial operations. Position requires 3-5 years of Quickbooks accounting software experience and a track record of financial oversight. Knowledge of federal or state grants management is strongly preferred. Ability to work and communicate well with staff and the public is essential. Hours and benefits to be determined based on experience and availability.

The ACRPC seeks an experienced Administrative Assistant to support our Finance Manager, to provide general administrative support for our planning team, and to provide office management. Duties and responsibilities will include bookkeeping assistance, scheduling and admin support across programs, and other jobs as determined by the Executive Director and Finance Manager. Excellent technical and problem-solving skills and understanding of computer systems and software is required. Hours and benefits to be determined based on experience and availability.

ACRPC is the regional planning commission for a 21town area of west central Vermont in Addison County. Our mission is to provide ACRPC’s region and municipal members with resources to address priorities in a variety of planning disciplines, including transportation, land use, housing, energy, disaster recovery, water quality and health. www.acrpc.org

• Our office is centrally located in downtown Middlebury.

• Our workplace is friendly and highly flexible.

• We offer competitive compensation and excellent benefits. (prorated for 20+ hrs/week)

Please email a letter of interest, resume with three references, and salary requirements in a single PDF to Adam Lougee, Executive Director at alougee@acrpc.org. Positions will remain open until filled.

ACRPC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. https://acrpc.org/job-opportunities

Director of Development & Communications

Join VWW’s dynamic team to provide leadership and set the strategic vision for all fundraising, marketing and public communications. If you are inspired by our mission of promoting economic justice by advancing gender equity and supporting women and youth along their career journeys, visit bit.ly/4kccQZ0 to learn more and apply.

Run Your Dream Biz

Inside a Collective That Feels Like Home

Now Leasing at Mariposa Collective – Essex Jct, VT

Are you a hairstylist, massage therapist, makeup artist, aesthetician, energy worker, or holistic practitioner ready to grow your own business— but craving community along the way?

For details and info, visit: mariposacollectives.com

HUNTINGTON IS HIRING!

Immediate & interesting, full & part-time job openings available.

Zoning Administrative Officer (PT)

Administrative Assistant (PT)

Highway Road Crew (FT & seasonal)

For more info, please visit: Huntingtonvt.org

Staff Attorney

The Vermont Network Legal Clinic

Manager of People & Culture

Join the Vermont Land Trust as our People and Culture Manager. Do you like helping people thrive in service to a cause?

We are seeking a People and Culture Manager who can:

• Manage all aspects of People Operations including talent development, comp and benefits, compliance, and more.

• Foster a positive work environment through effective employee engagement.

• Collaborate with leaders and peers with strong attention to detail, integrity, and tact.

Learn more and apply at vlt.org/employment. The position will remain open until 6/6/25. The annual starting salary is $67,200 - $75,200 depending upon years of experience, plus a cafeteria allowance of $25,561 to pay for health care and other benefits.

The Vermont Land Trust is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We honor and invite people of all backgrounds and life experiences to apply.

Skilled Carpenter/ Home Services

Full-time

Red House Building is expanding our Home Services team with a full-time, skilled carpenter/handy-person.

Applicants must have at least 3 years of full-time carpentry experience and a broad understanding of home building/renovation, basic mechanical systems knowledge, and experience in drywall repair and painting. Responsibilities include executing small building projects independently or with assistance, performing home maintenance and repair tasks, trouble-shooting home performance issues, and occasionally scheduling and over-seeing subcontractors. Our ideal candidate would have excellent communication skills, professionalism, attention to detail, strong organizational skills, and a valid driver’s license. Proficiency with basic computer programs like Excel, OneNote, Google platforms is a plus. Hourly wage will depend upon skill level and experience. Generous benefits package offered.

Please send resumes to rob@redhousebuilding.com

The Vermont Network Legal Clinic seeks a staff attorney to provide pro bono legal advisement and representation for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Specific responsibilities include conducting intakes, providing legal advice and representing clients in family, civil or other legal matters. This is a full-time (40 hours per week) position, located at our offices in Waterbury, Vermont, with some remote work options available. The Vermont Network offers a competitive salary and benefit package including a salary range of $60k - $75K, comprehensive healthcare coverage and generous time off.

The Vermont Network is a statewide non-profit organization working to create the possibility that all Vermonters can thrive. The Vermont Network Legal Clinic is comprised of three full-time attorneys and one part-time paralegal. The clinic serves approximately 500 individuals per year. More information about the Vermont Network is available at vtnetwork.org.

Candidates must be a member of the Vermont Bar and able to practice law in Vermont. Experience with family law and an understanding of domestic and sexual violence is preferred but not necessary. Candidates should send a cover letter, resume and sample of legal writing to Jamie@vtnetwork.org. This position will be open until it is filled.

Director of Finance & Operations (DFO)

The Director of Finance and Operations (DFO) plays a pivotal leadership role in advancing Outright Vermont’s mission to ensure LGBTQ+ youth across Vermont have hope, equity, and power.

As the organization grows, the DFO provides strategic oversight and implementation across ﬁnance, operations, human resources, compliance, IT, and organizational systems. This role supports both internal infrastructure and outward-facing impact, enabling staff and programs to function effectively and sustainably.

This role supervises the Contract Bookkeeper and Camp Sunrise Caretaker.

Maintenance Technician

Job Summary: Redstone maintenance team members are critical, front-line members of our team directly impacting property management operations. This role maintains property appearance, responds to service requests, and collaborates with a range of colleagues and vendors. A professional attitude and team focused mind-set are essential.

Normal Hours: 40 Hours per week. Note, Redstone maintenance personnel are required to assume duties for after hours on an on-call basis where over-time pay is provided. Current on-call rotation for this position is approximately every six weeks/eight shifts per year.

Key Duties and Responsibilities: Performs minor or routine maintenance or repair involving the following on a daily basis:

Electrical & plumbing (water lines)

A/C and heating systems

Appliances (when applicable)

Stairs, gates, fences, patios, railings

Tile, carpet, flooring

Roofing, gutters, fasteners

Interior/exterior lights

Gas fixtures and appliances (where applicable)

Ceiling leaks

Shutters, doors, cabinets, windows, sliding glass doors

Door locks; Security systems (where applicable)

Some janitorial and ground duties, including debris and trash removal

Light carpentry and drywall

Painting

• Assists with preparing apartments for new residents by following unit turnover check list

• Constant need (66% to 100% of the time) to be on feet

• Must have valid driver's license free of major moving violations

Benefits: We offer competitive benefits including: medical, vision, dental insurance; 401K match; 3 weeks paid vacation to start and can earn up to 5 weeks; paid sick leave; paternity and maternity leave; twelve paid holidays and a paid day off on your birthday. All positions are also eligible for discretionary and longevity bonuses. Visit redstonevt.com for a full job description and to apply.

More details about Outright are available at our website: outrightvt.org.

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

When you work for the State of Vermont, you and your work matter. A career with the State puts you on a rich and rewarding professional path. You’ll find jobs in dozens of fields – not to mention an outstanding total compensation package.

The Vermont Public Service Department is hiring an Outreach Program Manager to support public outreach and communication on state energy policy and programs. Working with internal and external partners. The position will contribute to projects on issues like energy planning and program development. The ideal candidate will bring skill in synthesizing input from diverse audiences, excellent written and verbal communication ability, and the ability to clearly explain technical information. For more information, contact Claire McIlvennie at claire.mcilvennie@vermont.gov. Location: Montpelier. Department: Public Service. Status: Full Time, Limited Service. Rate of Pay: $33.78. Job ID #52734. Application Deadline: June 8, 2025. OUTREACH PROGRAM MANAGER – MONTPELIER

EVENTS & PARTNERSHIPS COORDINATOR

(Remote within Vermont)

Are you an organized, tech-savvy professional with a passion for event planning, partnership development, and administrative excellence? The Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VLCT) is seeking an Events and Partnerships Coordinator to join our dynamic Communications and Marketing team.

In this role, you’ll take the lead on planning and executing the logistical aspects of VLCT’s virtual, hybrid, and in-person conferences and training events. You’ll also serve as the primary contact, sales lead, and fulfillment coordinator for our sponsorship program— managing exhibitor booth sales for our annual conference and building strong relationships with year-round partners. We’re looking for someone who thrives on the details. You should be highly skilled in managing administrative tasks, juggling multiple deadlines, maintaining accurate records, and ensuring no detail slips through the cracks. Remote work flexibility (within Vermont) is offered except where onsite attendance is needed for in-person events and meetings.

Education, Training, and Experience

• 2–3 years of experience in event, training, or conference management

• 2–3 years of general communications and marketing experience preferred

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, event management, or a related field OR 5+ years of relevant experience strongly preferred

• Proficiency in technology and commonly used software packages, with advanced skills in Office 365—including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and mail merge

• Experience working in virtual and inperson event management platforms preferred

Hiring range: $49,000 (minimum) –$60,000 (midpoint).

Salary commensurate with experience.

VLCT offers a generous benefits package, including health, dental, vision, life and pet insurance, plus retirement benefits.

To view the full job description and apply, visit: vlct.org/careers

Application deadline: June 13th

Applications will be reviewed as they are received. Position open until filled.

VLCT is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Solar Installers

Sundial is looking for apprentice or journeyman solar and battery installers, or we could also hire a laborer/construction tech that has experience with tape measures and is comfortable on roofs!

See details and all Sundial open job listings including Solar Sales at SundialSolarNH.com/ careers.

JOIN OUR DYNAMIC TEAM!

Custodial Manager

Performs custodial maintenance duties, including dusting, mopping, finishing and buffing floors, vacuuming and shampooing carpets, cleaning and restocking restrooms. Works in cooperation with school administration to address facility emergencies, needs, and regular maintenance, including the monitoring of a facility maintenance log.

For full job description, requirements and to apply: klafferty@materchristischool.net.

Orchard Valley Waldorf School is an independent school that integrates the arts, academics, and social learning on two campuses close to Montpelier, VT. Our faculty works collaboratively to serve children from 3 months through 8th grade. We are hiring for the following positions:

3rd/4th Grade Class Teacher

1st/2nd Grade Class Teacher Long Term Substitute Toddler Class Teacher

3rd-8th Grade Strings Teacher

Pedagogical Chair

Buildings and Grounds Steward

Infant/Toddler Assistant Teacher

Visit ovws.org/employment-opportunities for more information. To apply, submit a resume, cover letter, and three references to employment@ovws.org

4t-OrchardValleySchool052125.indd 1 5/16/25 12:21

Coordinator of Christian Education & Outreach

First Baptist Church of Burlington announces an opening for a half time position,Coordinator of Christian Education & Outreach programs. The position includes working with the Sunday School teachers and program and with the Outreach team in program development. Interested persons may contact the church at welcome@fbcburlingtonvt.org for job description & information 2v-FirstBaptistBurlington051425.indd

Backend ENGINEER

For details and to apply: bit.ly/WidewailBE

Burlington Housing Authority (BHA)

Are you interested in a job that helps your community and makes a difference in people’s lives every day? Consider joining Burlington Housing Authority (BHA) in Burlington, VT to continue BHA’s success in promoting innovative solutions that address housing instability challenges facing our diverse population of low-income families and individuals.

We are currently hiring for the following positions:

Building Operations Technician: Performs general maintenance work in BHA owned and managed properties. This includes building exteriors, common areas, apartments, building systems, fixtures, and grounds. Our Building Operations Techs are required to participate in the on-call rotation, which covers night and weekend emergencies.

Offender Re-entry Housing

Specialist: Provides support to men and women under the VT Department of Corrections supervision from prison back to Chittenden County. The ORHS focuses on high-risk men and women who are being released from jail and graduating transitional housing programs and in need of permanent housing. The ORHS provides intensive retention and eviction prevention services and works collaboratively with the Burlington Probation and Parole Office. Additionally, the ORHS works with various case workers, Re-Entry staff and the Administrative Staff from the VT Department of Corrections and the broad network of COSA staff, as necessary, throughout Chittenden County.

Permanent Supportive

Housing Specialist: Provides assistance to community members within Chittenden County who are without housing and have significant medical/ mental health barriers to locating and securing housing in Burlington Housing Authority’s service area.

Property Manager: Serves as a critical member of our Property Management team. This position will provide oversight of day-to-day operations of BHA’s properties ensuring long-term viability of the properties within the portfolio. This position requires independent judgment, timely management of deadlines as well as discretion in carrying out responsibilities.

Receptionist: Fields questions at the front desk and via the phone, while providing great customer service. This position also processes office mailings and provides administrative support. (Position works between 32 and 40 hours weekly.)

For more info about these career opportunities, our robust benefit package, and to apply, please visit: jobs.appone.com/ burlingtonhousingauthority

Burlington Housing Authority Human Resources 65 Main Street Suite 101 Burlington, VT 05401-8408

P: 802-864-0538

F: 802-658-1286

BHA is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Why not have a job you love?

Make a career making a difference with a job in human services at Champlain Community Services.

Benefit package includes 29 paid days off in the first year, comprehensive health insurance with premium as low as $30 per month, up to $6,400 to go towards medical deductibles and copays, retirement match, generous sign on bonus and so much more.

And that’s on top of working at one of the “Best Places to Work in Vermont” for seven years in a row.

Great jobs in management, and direct support at an award-winning agency serving Vermonters with intellectual and developmental disabilities. ccs-vt.org/current-openings.

Studio & Operations Manager

Lemon Zesty is an art studio and highvolume merchandise business seeking an experienced studio / operations manager.

Must be efficient, detail-oriented, and able to prioritize in order to meet production and delivery deadlines. Duties include: ﬁlling online orders, shipping products, managing inventory, communicating with customers and vendors, ordering supplies, making merchandise, troubleshooting production issues, and handling day-to-day operations.

Ideal candidate is an organized, efficient, detail-oriented multi-tasker. We do the majority of our business in NYC during the holiday season, so you must be a responsible self-starter who is comfortable working through to-do lists on your own while I'm on location.

Requirements: experience with Mac, Excel and Google sheets.

Bonus: experience with inventory management and/or point-of-sale systems (Square).

You can learn more about the business at lemonzesty.com or instagram.com/hellolemonzesty

Start date: mid-June

Rate: $22/hr to start, 30-40 hours / week

Email resume & cover letter to: hellolemonzesty@gmail.com

Readers help pay for the production of this award-winning weekly newspaper. Thousands have made one-time or recurring donations to sustain Seven Days. Their support — along with advertisers’ — allows us to keep delivering breaking news and thoughtful long-form journalism to Vermonters.

Support local journalism — make a contribution today!

If you like what we do and can a ord to help pay for it, please become a Seven Days Super Reader. Your donation will help to keep our community informed and connected. Join the Super Readers at sevendaysvt.com/super-readers.

Or send a note (and a check) to: Seven Days c/o Super Readers PO Box 1164 Burlington, VT 05402

Seven Days on the press in Mirabel, Québec

fun stuff

JEN SORENSEN

HARRY BLISS

KRISTEN SHULL

TIM SNIFFEN

GEMINI

(MAY 21-JUN.20)

Gemini author Jean-Paul Sartre was offered the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1964. But he rejected it. Why? He said that if he accepted it, he would be turned into an institution and authority figure, which would hinder his ability to critique politics and society. He was deeply committed to the belief that a writer has an obligation to be independent and accountable only to their conscience and audience, not to external accolades or validations. I think you are in a Sartre-like phase right now, dear Gemini. You have a sacred duty to be faithful to your highest calling, your deepest values and your authentic identity. Every other consideration should be secondary.

ARIES (Mar. 21-Apr. 19): The strongest, most enduring parts of China’s Great Wall were the 5,500 miles built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). One secret to their success was sticky rice, an essential ingredient in the mortar. The resulting structures have been remarkably waterresistant. They hold their shape well, resist weed growth and get stronger as time passes. I hope you will find metaphorical equivalents to sticky rice as you work on your foundations in the coming months, Aries. Proceed as if you are constructing basic supports that will last you for years.

TAURUS (Apr. 20-May 20): The world’s most expensive spice is saffron. To gather one gram of it, workers must harvest 150 flowers by hand. Doesn’t that process

resemble what you have been doing? I am awed by the stamina and delicacy you have been summoning to generate your small but potent treasure. What you’re producing may not be loud and showy, but its value will be concentrated and robust. Trust that those who appreciate quality will recognize the painstaking effort behind your creation. Like saffron’s distinctive essence that transforms ordinary dishes into extraordinary ones, your patient dedication is creating what can’t be rushed or replicated.

CANCER (Jun. 21-Jul. 22): You are now highly attuned to subtle energies, subliminal signals and hidden agendas. No one in your sphere is even half as sensitive as you are to the intriguing mysteries that are unfolding beneath the visible surface. This may be a bit unsettling, but it’s a key asset. Your ability to sense what others are missing gives you a unique advantage. So trust your intuitive navigation system, Cancerian, even if the way forward isn’t obvious. Your ability to sense underlying currents will enable you to avoid obstacles and discern opportunities that even your allies might overlook.

LEO (Jul. 23-Aug. 22): Underground fungal networks are essential for the health of ecosystems. They connect plant roots and facilitate transfers of nutrients, water and communication signals between various species. They enhance the fertility of the soil, helping plants thrive. In accordance with astrological indicators, I invite you to celebrate your equivalent of the underground fungal network. What is the web of relationships that enables you to thrive? Not just the obvious bonds, but the subtle ones, too: the barista who has memorized your order, the neighbor who waters your plants when you’re away, the online ally who responds to your posts. Now is an excellent time to map and nurture these vital interconnections.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sep. 22): Virgo author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie warns about “the danger of a single story.” She tells us that authentic identity requires us to reject oversimplified narratives. As a Nigerian woman living in the U.S., she found that both Western

and African audiences sought to reduce her to convenient categories. She has not only resisted that pressure but also outwitted and outflanked it. Her diversity is intriguing. She mixes an appreciation for pop culture with serious cultural criticism. She addresses both academic and mainstream audiences. I offer her up as your role model, Virgo. In the coming weeks, may she inspire you to energetically express all your uncategorizable selves.

LIBRA (Sep. 23-Oct. 22): Where have you not yet traveled but would like to? What frontiers would your imagination love for you to visit, but you have refrained? Now is the time to consider dropping inhibitions, outmoded habits and irrelevant rules that have prevented you from wandering farther and wider. You have full permission from life, karma and your future self to take smart risks that will lead you out of your comfort zone. What exotic sanctuary do you wish you had the courage to explore? What adventurous pilgrimage might activate aspects of your potential that are still half-dormant?

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Astrologers say Scorpio is ruled by three creatures that correspond to three ascending levels of spiritual maturity. The regular Scorpio person is ruled by the scorpion. Scorpios who are well under way with their spiritual work are ruled by the eagle. The Scorpio who has consistently succeeded at the hard and rewarding work of metaphorical death and resurrection is ruled by the phoenix — the mythical bird that is reborn from the ashes of its own immolation. With this as our context, I am letting you know that no matter how evolved you are, the coming weeks will bring you rich opportunities to come more into your own as a brilliant phoenix.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Seas off the coast of Singapore are heavily polluted. Some of the coral reefs there are showing resilience, though. They have developed symbiotic relationships with certain algae and bacteria that were formerly hostile. Their robustness lies in their adaptability and their power to forge unlikely alliances. That’s a good teaching for you right now. The strength you need isn’t about maintaining fixed positions or

rigid boundaries but about being flexible. So I hope you will be alert and ready to connect with unfamiliar resources and unexpected help. A willingness to adjust and compromise will be a superpower.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

Sometimes, disruptions are helpful prods that nudge us to pay closer attention. An apparent malfunction might be trying to tell us some truth that our existing frameworks can’t accommodate. I suspect this phenomenon might be occurring in your world. An area of your life that seems to be misfiring may in fact be highlighting a blind spot in your comprehension. Rather than fretting and purging the glitches, I will ask you to first consider what helpful information is being exposed. Suspend your judgment long enough to learn from apparent errors.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): This isn’t the first time I’ve said your ideas are ahead of their time. Now I’m telling you again and adding that your intuitions, feelings and approaches are ahead of their time, too. As usual, your precociousness carries both potential benefits and problems. If people are flexible and smart enough to be open to your innovations, you will be rewarded. If others are rigid and oblivious, you may have to struggle to get the right things done. Here’s my advice: Focus on the joy of carrying out your innovations rather than getting caught up in fighting resistance.

PISCES (Feb. 19-Mar. 20): Sunlight can’t penetrate deeper than 3,280 feet into the ocean’s depths. Even at 650 feet down, a murky twilight zone prevails. But nearly 75 percent of deep-sea creatures can create their own light, thanks to a biochemical phenomenon called bioluminescence. Jellyfish, starfish and crustaceans are a few animals that glow. I propose we make them your symbols of power in the coming weeks, Pisces. I hope they incite you to be your own source of illumination as you summon all the resilience you need. If shadowy challenges arise, resolve to emit your steady brilliance. Inspire yourself and others with your subtle yet potent clarity.

Fern Crete has been collecting antiques for the past 60 years, and many of them are displayed in his eclectic Burlington abode, which resembles a French château on the inside. Seven Days’ Eva Sollberger got a tour of Crete’s maximalist home and met his rescue pug, LouLou.

LET’S SHARE LIFE’S ADVENTURE!

I have a lot of love and adventure in me to give! I am a caring and passionate person. I don’t ask for much! Life is full of adventure and I am yearning to share this adventure with someone special! Let’s have a chat and see where the adventure goes! Virtualpilot, 47, seeking: W, l

ARTSY AND FUNNY

Respond to these people online: dating.sevendaysvt.com

WOMEN seeking...

SEEKING AUTHENTIC CONNECTION

Charmingly active and young-for-myyears woman looking to share my life and experiences with an intelligent, romantic and genuine man. I’m passionate about social justice and progressive ideas. I’d love for you to join me for dancing, skiing, cooking, writing poems and exploring openheartedness. VTJewel 75, seeking: M, l

DO YOU LIKE INNER STILLNESS?

Looking for someone with a similar lifestyle, not a tagalong. Someone desiring relationship as a life journey. I observe some who want to use another as escape or rescue from having a relationship with themselves, to avoid loneliness, to fit in, or just because it’s what they’ve always done. If that’s you, it’s not me you’re looking for.

NotOutOfTheWoodsYet, 61 seeking: M

FINDING JOY AND LOVE

Opening my life and heart to experiencing the joy and love that exists in between the spaces of this troubled world. Looking for a partner for traveling to amazing places, communing with the forest fairies and mycelium networks, and playing in the water. Young at heart, embraces the wonders of this life, has compassion for the difficulties facing our planet and its inhabitants. Halfpint 72, seeking: M, l

WANT TO RESPOND?

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W = Women

M = Men

TW = Trans women

TM = Trans men

Q = Genderqueer people

NBP = Nonbinary people

NC = Gender nonconformists

Cp = Couples

Gp = Groups

AWAKENING HEART YOUTHFUL OLD SOUL BLESSINGS!

Compassionate and discerning heart mind, joyful lens, justice orientation with homesteading tendencies welcomes aligned connections to explore: meditation, cultures, nature, inner outer landscapes, diverse languages, grow compassion culture. Growing chosen family. Read to meet life partner. Inquisitive, thoughtful, playful, kind, adventurous, content, open. Conscious communication. Speed of trust. Grateful to connect, tend, nurture, hold, be held, offer, share. youthfuloldsoul, 49 seeking: M, l

HIGH ENERGY, POSITIVE, NATURAL BLONDE

I live and play in Vermont and the D.C. metro area, splitting my time between the two when I am not chasing snow! I adore both the outdoorsy-ness of Vermont and have owned a home here for 15+ years. Positivity and lightness run through me. Expect to laugh with me — and bring your energy. I am highly carbonated! braidsatanyage 53 seeking: M, l

SMART FUNNY ROMANTIC

SEEKS SAME

Are you an optimist? Enjoy an active, engaged lifestyle? Downhill skier a plus. Romantic, fun-loving person seeking someone who loves music, traveling, hiking, biking, concerts and comedy. I’m living a full life, but if it can be enhanced with a partner, I’m up for that. If you think the cup is half empty, do not apply! apresski711, 68 seeking: M, l

TRAVEL, CONCERTS, FRIENDS, FAMILY

With retirement looming, I’m getting excited about life’s next chapter. Sometimes I imagine meeting someone with a big, crazy family filled with kids, chaos, and all the accompanying joys and challenges, but that’s not a requirement! Summer plans include seeing Phish, visiting cherished family, swimming and friends’ gatherings. I own a home and land that are part of me. GraceNE, 64, seeking: M

HIKING BOOTS AND FUN EARRINGS

I’m happiest when in the forest with snacks! I care about social and environmental justice and hope to leave my corner of the earth better than I found it. Outgoing introvert. I value solitude but am also fun at parties (especially if given enough caffeine). Looking for an outdoorsy guy with compassion and good sense of humor. Trailhobbit 30, seeking: M, l

WHY WE’RE HERE

Looking for friendship and joy. I’m a dogand cat-loving, independent, outdoorsy and indoorsy central Vermonter. I’m a busy volunteer. I love to hike, read, write, think, make things and help out. I am most comfortable with people who are confident, independent, liberal and very kind. Let’s go have some amazing adventures while we still have our marbles! FourSeasons, 67 seeking: M, l

DRAMA-FREE!

Mom of two. One grown, one at home. Vermonter, born and raised. Water is my happy place, especially the ocean. I work part time. Divorced 17 years, single most of that. Ready to try again. Could you be the one? poeticbabs 55, seeking: M, l

MOUNTAIN GAL

Curious, crunchy, adventurous and independent. You can find me outdoors exploring the woods, wandering up streams, saying hey to all the plants and critters. I love to learn and care deeply about community. Looking for someone who is intelligent, goofy, resourceful, engaged in their community and actively pursuing their passions — be that through work or extracurriculars. spottedsalamander, 29 seeking: M, l

I’M OLD SCHOOL

It’s been almost three years now. I’m a hardworking woman looking for dinner and a movie and wonderful company. Lmhemond 59, seeking: M, l

RELAXING FORMER MULTITASKER

Native Californian, Vermont resident for 10 years. Came to retire, found myself working at the college nearby. I live in a rural area outside Middlebury. Mom to two dogs. I like bird-watching. I revel in nature that is all around me on my little farmlet. Also enjoy the city, good restaurants, fine wine, nightclubs. Always happy traveling to distant lands. Chamois009, 69, seeking: M, l

OPEN TO MOST THINGS

I work a great deal because it is also my passion and purpose. I care about doing what is right even if it’s harder. I’m patient, to an extent, and can be coaxed into having fun. Cleeb4381 43, seeking: M

GLASS HALF FULL, WILLING TO SHARE

Kind, smart, intuitive, SWW, 63, with a wry sense of humor. Financially independent and resourceful, civic-minded, and involved in the community. Health conscious in body, mind and spirit. Work part time at a job I love and am ready for more. More travel, more play and deeper connection. Seeking meaningful relationship with vital, active, emotionally available and intellectually curious man. Is that you? Love2Read, 63, seeking: M, l

EXPLORER

Creative, reflective, edgy, sarcastic, traveler, independent, generous, fair. titanbuff, 77, seeking: M, l

MEN seeking...

FUN AND OPEN-MINDED

I’m looking for a sweet, submissive woman to spoil me and end up being spoiled through my loving and caring nature. I’m in pretty good shape. I love women who take care of themselves. Your reward is me showing you great affection. Summer of love? 8ohdude, 54, seeking: W

ENERGETIC AND ADVENTUROUS

Will write more soon. Fall_ foliage, 57, seeking: W, l

Bald, funny (looking) and slightly musical dude seeks friendship, laughs, deep explorations of the arts and a perhaps slightly serious relationship. Adores the Earth and the outdoors, all animals domesticated and wild, and the mythical power of the universe. Owns some nice land and a small house. All shapes and sizes and hair and personalities and religions and lifestyles respected. baldmaneden, 54 seeking: W, l

LOOKING FOR DISCREET NSA FUN

I am not looking for a relationship. I am looking to appreciate you and your beautiful body safely and discreetly. The truth is, I feel I have never been appreciated sexually, so I don’t have tons of experience, but I want to grow that experience. Photos only after initial contact. That_Thing 37 seeking: W

NATURE-LOVING RAMBLIN’ MAN

Buckle up! I’ve been living a very nontraditional life. I’ve been full-time RVing for the last 17 years. It’s been a wonderful lifestyle. I’m a huge lover of nature and have spent time in national parks, estates and ranches on both coasts. Really seeking a woman with passion for the things in life that really matter. Namaste! YoungPhilip, 66, seeking: W, l

LAID-BACK AND LOVES TO LAUGH

I am an easygoing guy who loves being outdoors. Canoeing, hiking and snowshoeing are my favorite activities when not playing golf. People tell me that I am a great listener. GreenMountainZen 49, seeking: W, l

I WANT LOVING WOMEN!

I love the outdoors, fishing, walking, watching older TV shows. I’d love to meet a beautiful woman who would like me for who I am and likes to just spend time with me. I like to listen to Fallout 4 radio, from the game. The song “Worry Worry Worry” is one that fits me, LOL. Walleyedeerhunter12, 35, seeking: W

HARDWORKING, HONEST MAN

My name is Phil. I have been a heavy equipment technician for 31 years with the same employer. I like to fish, camp, ride motorcycles and be in nature. I am looking for friendship that has the potential for long term. Mechanicinvt, 53 seeking: W, l

CAMINO DE SANTIAGO THIS FALL?

Today is the only day. Yesterday and tomorrow exist only as thoughts in our heads. So what could we do today? Buen camino! ThinkLess_ DoMore, 67 seeking: W, l

KIND, CONSIDERATE, WOODSY MAN

Woodsy guy who enjoys nature and exploring life experiences. Life is way too short! Integrity, self-confidence, wit, passion about interests and humility are qualities admired and desired. Interested in casual dating and companionship without being cohabitation/marriagefocused. Possible LTR down the road. Drop me a line if you are interested and we can see where this goes. Bullfrogscallingme, 47 seeking: W

LOOKING FOR A CUTE GIRL

Let’s spend money! TravelingFool 41 seeking: W

CRUNCHY MUSIC AND OUTDOOR ENTHUSIAST

Granola boy who works in climate change, loves the outdoors and is looking to play in bands. Generally easygoing, generous and intentional. I’ve been told I feel familiar, make good eye contact and am an attentive listener who asks thoughtful questions. I’m looking to take things organically and see where it goes with the hopes for a LTR. Rew 30, seeking: W, Q, l

ANACHRONISTIC STOIC CARING

I will get lost in my head. I will overthink things. I will be awkward, shy and quiet. That’s not who I am. I dance in my kitchen when I cook dinner. I cook delicious food. I bike all the time and everywhere. I go on long walks, weekend hikes, and eat a lot of ice cream. TheWanderingPoet, 26 seeking: W, l

HORSESHOEING CAMPFIRE BOOK LOVER

Country living with a slice of spontaneity. Outgoing, animal-loving, blues-listening guy seeks authentic connection. I enjoy being outdoors, laughing and a good cup of coffee. A slow horse ride at dusk is cream to the cat. Looking for energetic, adventurous lady who is not afraid to get her hands dirty. Bonus if you enjoy winter sports. james4513, 65, seeking: W, l

TRANS WOMEN seeking...

TRANS WOMAN LOOKING FOR NEW EXPERIENCES

Hello, trans woman looking for new experiences, sexually and as friends. Open-minded, bisexual but like women, trans women and shemales more than men. Want to try things and see what I like with clean, nice people. If a relationship or besties, our views would matter; otherwise, just being civil and not discussing our differences would be the way to make FWB work out.

TransRebecca 32, seeking: W, TW, l

RECENTLY RELOCATED, ADVENTUROUS, FREE SPIRIT

I’m a gorgeous, white, 100 percent passable trans lady who is 57 and could pass as 30 — yes, 30! I long for love, laughter and romance, along with loving nature. I want a man who’s all man, rugged, handsome, well built but prefers a woman like myself. It’s as simple as that. We meet, fall in love and live happily ever after. Sammijo 59, seeking: M, l

NONBINARY PEOPLE seeking...

SEEKING COMMUNITY WITH MULTIGENERATIONAL LESBIANS

Okay, here’s the deal. I’m trying to figure out how to build friendships with lesbians who are older than me. The dream: Lesbians of all experiences swapping stories, cracking jokes, maybe sipping beverages and learning from one another. Interested? Let’s do it! Does a group like this already exist somewhere in VT? Can I get in on it? LMK. ilovelesbians 30 seeking: W, TM, TW, Q, NC, NBP, Cp, Gp

COUPLES seeking...

FUN COUPLE LOOKING FOR EXPLORATION

We are a secure couple who enjoy the outdoors, good wine, great food, playing with each other, exploring our boundaries and trying new things. We are 47 and 50, looking for a fun couple or bi man to play and explore with us. We are easygoing, and we’d love to meet you and see where our mutual adventures take us. vthappycouple, 52, seeking: M, Cp, Gp

TRADER JOE’S PARKING LOT

You were a distinguished-looking man in a brown linen blazer. I was a tall woman wearing jeans, a navy puffy jacket and a baseball cap. You got into a black Range Rover. I was looking at you because I thought you were hot. You were looking at me, too, reason unknown. Care to connect? When: ursday, May 22, 2025. Where: Trader Joe’s parking lot. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916334

TALL, SPARKLY EYES, GREAT LAUGH, CHURCH DATER

Rise on my toes to see eye to eye; tell my best jokes to tickle her laugh; worship her open, kind heart like a child in church seeing God for the ﬁrst time. On our ﬁrst dates we sat together, stood together, sang together. I miss the eternity I see in her soul when we share a pillow, as we giggle at everything and nothing. Yes. When: Sunday, May 11, 2025. Where: St. J. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916333

JEAN JACKET

You caught my eye near the “stage” area at Two Brothers in Middlebury. I wanted to introduce myself, but you seemed to be meeting friends and I was doing setup/breakdown both times I saw you. I’d love to chat. When: Wednesday, May 21, 2025. Where: Two Brothers, Middlebury. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916332

WILDERADO CONCERT

Standing next to each other toward the end of the show, making eye contact. You told me you thought my hat was cute and were wearing a red shirt. I wish I returned the compliment! I was with my friends, but maybe we could grab a drink sometime. When: ursday, May 22, 2025. Where: Higher Ground. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916331

De Rev end,

I keep my house very clean, but every summer ants ﬁnd their way in. It’s not an infestation, just a handful of them in my kitchen now and then. I don’t like killing anything, so I don’t squash them and I refuse to use any kind of poison. How do I get rid of the interlopers without hurting them?

If you’ve been spied, go online to contact your admirer!

TALKING FURNITURE MISHAPS, KARENS, WINE

What a nice surprise to have such an unexpected conversation on a dreary Monday on Williston Rd. I’d love to talk more, meet for drinks, hear more about you! When: Monday, May 19, 2025. Where: South Burlington. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916329

HOT TRAIN CONDUCTOR

I was riding my bike with a root beer ﬂoat in hand; you were a train conductor leaning out the window as detritus was being dumped. I noticed you and thought, No way. Why is he hot? You waved at me and smiled. Conﬁrmed. I’d love to see the cockpit and if you’re funny we could check out the caboose. When: Wednesday, May 14, 2025. Where: train yard. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916328

SMILES ON THE PLANE

You couldn’t stop looking at me and smiling. You sat across the aisle to my right and one seat ahead. I didn’t know what to do with the attention from a cute girl. I wish I smiled back more. Me: Green shirt. You: Dark blue(?) tank top and gray sweats. Maybe we don’t need to sneak glances. When: ursday, May 15, 2025. Where: in the airport/on the plane. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916327

CORVETTE GIRL PURPLE PINKISH RIDE

Last Sunday I was checking out the graffiti under the bridge and you rolled in driving a purple Corvette. Was your first ride of the year. You let me take a picture with the graffiti backdrop. You told me it was the first ride out, and how you came to own it. I kicked myself for not asking. When: Sunday, May 11, 2025. Where: Montpelier. You: Man. Me: Man. #916326

SHANNON ON THE LCRT

Hey! I’m glad to have made your acquaintance this afternoon in Jeffersonville, and to have said hi to Dweeb. I hope the unleashed dogs on the trail didn’t bother him. If you’re a regular on the rail trail, I hope to get to say hi to you again. When: Wednesday, May 14, 2025. Where: the rail trail in Jeffersonville. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916325

I CAN’T GIVE YOU WHAT YOU WANT

Most crushing words. “I can’t give you what you want.” So I settle. But it’s OK. I accept it. I wasn’t supposed to feel that way, but I did. When: Tuesday, April 22, 2025. Where: South Burlington. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916322

HIKER ON HONEY HOLLOW

Sunday afternoon, you were hiking down Honey Hollow Trail; I was walking up. You were carrying poles. I asked you about the trail. You have a beautiful, friendly smile. Want to go for a walk sometime? When: Sunday, May 11, 2025. Where: Honey Hollow Trail. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916321

SUNNY RUNNER ON BIKE PATH

You were running southbound on the bike path behind ECHO. With a big smile and a sparkle in your eye, you reached out to give a high ﬁve. I was running northbound and — a bit disoriented — barely managed to wave before you passed. Let’s go for a run together sometime? When: Monday, May 12, 2025. Where: Burlington bike path. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916320

MATISSE TOTE, SHIRETOWN MARKETPLACE, MIDDLEBURY

I was intrigued by your black shawl and enchanting Stevie Nicks aura. I’d love to chat about art and magick. When: ursday, May 1, 2025. Where: Middlebury. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916319

ORANGE JACKET

Spotted in the returns line at Lowe’s today: super smile, orange jacket, three pink paint rollers that just didn’t work out for ya. I was the one who suggested you cut in line ahead of me, hoping to catch a brief hello. When: Friday, May 9, 2025. Where: Lowe’s in Essex Junction. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916318

De Bugsy Malone,

I’m with you. I won’t kill anything unless it’s coming to get me, so that’s pretty much just mosquitoes and ticks.

Squishing ants is a bad idea — not just for the karma. When an ant is squashed, it releases an alarm pheromone that can attract more ants, and you certainly don’t want that. You can sweep them up and put them outside, but there are less labor-intensive ways to deter the little buddies.

MAGYAR-BESZÉL? CSAJ SCOUT-BAN

I really dig hearing you speak Hungarian. Wanna get together some time and csevegjünk egyet? When: Wednesday, May 14, 2025. Where: Scout in NNE. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916323

RADIO BEAN TEMPTRESS

You asked how old I was. It was loud so I showed you with my ﬁngers. You liked the tiny tattoo on my arm, helped me get a drink, and then caressed my face and looked into my eyes before disappearing into the crowd. Hardest I’ve been hit on. Would love the chance to prove myself to you. When: Saturday, April 26, 2025. Where: Radio Bean. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916317

KEY LIME PIE CAR

ere’s a green car that keeps parking on our street — little dead-end street. It’s the shade of a key lime pie — the key lime ﬁlling. Stop it: You’re making me hungry for key lime pie every day. Go away. Stop. When: Sunday, May 4, 2025. Where: little dead-end street. You: Man. Me: Man. #916316

VISION ON ELM STREET

Spotted on Elm Street, Montpelier — you were getting out of a cab. Long, dark hair, beautiful eyes. Tall, mysterious lady. Did you notice me staring? I thought you met my eyes brieﬂy. When: Friday, April 25, 2025. Where: Montpelier. You: Woman. Me: Woman. #916315

AMORE EN ESPAÑOL

Your calm poise while dismantling a hefty plate of nachos and sipping a spicy margarita was something to behold! Blond and busty, oh, my my! I’ll see you again at Chico’s soon! When: Saturday, May 3, 2025. Where: Chico’s Tacos and Bar. You: Woman. Me: Woman. #916313

WATERBURY RESERVOIR

G — It’s been months since we were last together for a fun weekend with your daughter in tow. I miss us singing, the long phone calls, 40 miles apart, psychic phenomenons between us and almost mythological history together over the years. I guess it was too much for you to do the off-and-on, but I’ll never stop my love for you. Nothing compares to you. — J When: Saturday, January 18, 2025. Where: Waterbury/Groton. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916311

I LOVE YOUR HARE (SHIRT)

Hello. On Saturday (I think?), you let me know you appreciated my “red” outﬁt as I was leaving the grocery, and I admired your Hare T-shirt. I’m not too quick on the uptake, but if you might be interested in a new friend, kindly reach out. anks. When: Saturday, April 19, 2025. Where: Shaw’s in Montpelier. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916314

¡QUÉ RICO, PUERTO RICO!

We got lost in the music together at Einstein’s. Bailas muuuuy bien. When: Friday, April 25, 2025. Where: Einstein’s. You: Woman. Me: Woman. #916312

CATCHING EYES IN ESPRESSO BUENO

After a smile on the way in, I caught your glance on your way out of the café before you drove off in a red car. Maybe you’re just a friendly guy — maybe. When: Tuesday, April 29, 2025. Where: Espresso bueno, Barre. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916310

EAGLES FAN

We met at a small store on a few occasions. You were buying beer and ﬂirtatious. I’m sorry I’m not that good at ﬂirting or reading people. We chatted about the Eagles. Would love to see your beautiful smile again. When: Monday, April 28, 2025. Where: Lamoille County. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916308

CANDY BARS AND CONNECTION

I was ready to check out. You were choosing candy bars so carefully, as though searching for a golden ticket. You stood close to me and for a few moments our eyes met. We said some words and smiled. Not exactly kismet, but it made my day brighter, so thank you. When: ursday, April 24, 2025. Where: Williston Hannaford. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916307

BRIGHT SMILE AT GARDENER’S SUPPLY ank you for making my day when you walked in, looked directly at me and gave a big ol’ smile. I appreciated it and wonder if you’d visit another plant store together or take a walk? You are beautiful, brunette, with olive skin. You had a pink sweater and jeans. I’m 6’, also brunette with olive skin and had on a red tee. When: Saturday, April 26, 2025. Where: Intervale Gardener’s Supply. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916306

worth a shot. You can add essential oils such as peppermint, tea tree or eucalyptus for a more pleasant aroma.

Lemon or cucumber peels placed around ant areas can also act as deterrents. Ditto coffee grounds and cinnamon. I’ve tried all these options, and they helped, but it did make me feel like I was living in a compost bin.

Try to ﬁgure out where the ants are getting in and block their entry. I recently saw some ants exiting through a teensy crack around my kitchen windowsill, so I sealed it with caulk. I still see the occasional ant, but my window looks nice and fresh.

ant,

Having ants in your home doesn’t mean your house is dirty, but they’re attracted to the teensiest crumb or spill. Be extra diligent to make sure there’s no buffet for them. If you have a pet, avoid leaving their food out all the time. e ants may also be looking for water or seeking shelter from the weather.

Having a few ants in your house is a sure sign that summer has ﬁnally come to Vermont. If it’s the worst problem you have, you’re doing pretty good. Get outside and soak up some sun because, just like summer, the ants will be gone before you know it.

Good luck and God bless,

You can buy nontoxic insect repellents, but you probably already have some things in your kitchen that’ll do the trick. Ants dislike the odor of white vinegar, and it disrupts their scent trails. Put equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle and squirt around the areas where you see the ants. Your kitchen might smell like a pickle for a minute, but it’s

might smell like a pickle for a minute, but it’s

I’m an 81-y/o woman seeking companionship and romance. I am a widow of ﬁve years. It’s time to get back in the ﬁeld. Life is too short to be alone. #L1862

Beautiful woman looking for great guy, 60s-70s, to go away with. Maybe Greece or another new adventure together. Sincere gentlemen, sophisticated, intellectual and sweet only, please. Handsome a plus. #L1861

I’m a retired, happy, healthy, ﬁt and active male. I enjoy a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities. Seeking a female friend. Offering an excellent beneﬁt package. #L1860

I’m an older man seeking a trans woman and fun! I love makeup and drag queenies. I love beer and cars and piña coladas by the lake. #L1859

I’m a 40-y/o male seeking a kayaking, outdoorsy type for company and also to stay at home. I like to read, cuddle, walk, drive. Time together is important. I like a good cook, and I like to cook, by myself or together. #L1858

Woman of 28 seeking older woman of any presentation for our own proverbial Desert Hearts. Shy but good with words. Seeking acceptance, refuge and freedom, not explicitly “from” you, but with you. #L1857

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1 Submit your FREE message at sevendaysvt.com/loveletters or use the handy form at right.

M, 61, fit, tall, compassionate, mission-driven and W/E who loves music, sports, film and writing ISO confident, funloving sensual soul F, 45 to 65, for texting and banter in anticipation of intense mutual pleasure romps (weekend lunchtime lovers). Discrete, drama-free, HWP and D/DF. Please be same. #L1856

Emotionally and spiritually mature, attractive woman in mid-60s seeking smart, witty, tall, ﬁt, decent man. If you have a broken heart which makes you appreciate joy and peace even more, have friendships that span decades, or perhaps are widowed, please write. #L1854

27-y/o female who is looking for something more serious/ long term. I am funny, smart, witty, communicative, loyal and empathic. I’m looking for those same things in a person. I love to try new coffee places, adventure around, be on the lake/reading by the water, 4/20 and play with my 5-year-old cat. All genders are welcome. #L1853

70-y/o divorced male looking for companionship and romance. If you’re not looking for a romantic relationship, don’t respond. Looking for a friendly female, age not important, but not a friend. Tired of numbers game, wanting to connect. Let’s chat and see! Phone number, please. #L1852

Int net-Free Dating!

I’m a 40-y/o female seeking a male who is a conﬁdent, smart, funny, loyal, devoted, passionate and compassionate person. I love walks in nature, yoga, reading, writing, art museums, hiking, travel and sharing heartto-heart energy. #L1851

I’m a SWF in her mid-60s, N/S, N/DD looking for a very ﬁne gentleman who is true-blue nice and able and willing to work. Likes: tropics, exotics. Dislikes: Vermont and criminals. #L1850

Single woman, 60. Wise, mindful. Seeking tight unit with man, friend, love. Country living, gardens, land to play on. Emotionally, intellectually engaged. Lasting chats. Appreciation for past experience. Please be kind, stable and well established. Phone number, please. #L1849

I’m a 34-y/o man seeking a woman 19 or older. Avid journalist, songwriter, into poetry, sports, driving, hiking. In search of humor matching mine and a new attraction, that’s lasting, in a set of an open arms. #L1845

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

I’m a SWF, 71 y/o, seeking a white or Black man. Long-term relationship. Cook. Warm, open, caring, friendly. I live in Woodstock. Phone calls only. #L1844

I’m a happy, healthy, ﬁt 29y/o female med school student described by the friends penning this submission as “adorable, hot, with a great sense of humor.” Seeking a 26- to 28-y/o male who is athletic, sweet but also “cool.” Looking for fun on the lake, not to be confused with lake-adjacent activities. #L1847

I’m a vibrant, creative fairy and forester seeking a dance partner for elaborate home-cooked meals, nude figure drawing, line dancing and massage. Proficient swimmer, enthusiastic figure skater. Queer freaks only, come kiss. #L1843

I’m a 62-y/o female seeking a 58to 66-y/o male for companionship and conversation. Might grow into something more, or not. Looking for an honest, kind person. I love walking, hiking, traveling and eating out. No drugs/smoking. #L1839

AGE + GENDER (OPTIONAL) Required conﬁdential info:

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THIS FORM IS FOR LOVE LETTERS ONLY. Messages for the Personals and I-Spy sections must be submitted online at dating.sevendaysvt.com.

Berry Galette Class

WED., MAY 28

RED POPPY CAKERY, WATERBURY

Fair Housing Exhibit Reception with Young Writers Project & A Revolutionary Press

THU., MAY 29

BURLINGTON CITY HALL

BabyCakes

FRI., MAY 30 - SUN. JUN. 1

OFF CENTER FOR THE DRAMATIC ARTS, BURLINGTON

Country-Western Hoedown

FRI., MAY 30

BURNHAM HALL, LINCOLN

Outer Sounds ft. MAW + the Untempered Unit

FRI., MAY 30

THE PHOENIX GALLERY & MUSIC HALL, WATERBURY

Blabpipe w/ Brother T & the Boys and the Grandstand Jockeys

FRI., MAY 30

THE UNDERGROUND - LISTENING ROOM, RANDOLPH

Bloom Lab Perfumery Class & Pool Day

SAT., MAY 31

OUTBOUND STOWE

Ballroom Is Back...Again!!! Community Social Dance!

SAT., MAY 31

SHELBURNE TOWN HALL

TheRayVegaQuARTet

SAT., MAY 31

THE PHOENIX GALLERY & MUSIC HALL, WATERBURY

Back to the '90s Tribute Band Show

SAT., MAY 31

AFTERTHOUGHTS, WAITSFIELD

SAT., MAY 31

Rites of Spring - Vermont Choral Union

COLLEGE STREET CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, BURLINGTON

Rites of Spring - Vermont Choral Union

SUN., JUN 1

CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST. PAUL, BURLINGTON

Intro to Tubeless Tires

WED., JUN 4

OLD SPOKES HOME COMMUNITY WORKSHOP, BURLINGTON

"The Basics" Cake Decorating Class

WED., JUN 4

RED POPPY CAKERY, WATERBURY

Bloom Lab Perfume Making

FRI., JUN 6

ADDIE & GRACE BOUTIQUE, ESSEX

MOONDOG: ON THE KEYS

FRI., JUN 6

THE PHOENIX GALLERY & MUSIC HALL, WATERBURY

Preservation Burlington Annual Homes Tour 2025

SAT., JUN 7

25 BUELL STREET, BURLINGTON

Lagerfest

SAT., JUN 7

BLACK FLANNEL BREWING & DISTILLING COMPANY, ESSEX

Guy Davis

SAT., JUN 7

ROOTS & WINGS COFFEEHOUSE AT UUCUV, NORWICH

Sugar on Tap: Burlesque Variety Show

SAT., JUN 7

MAIN STREET LANDING PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, BURLINGTON

Wed & Fri, 12:30pm

Jun 4 – Aug 22, City Hall Park

Local musicians light up the park with lunchtime concerts

Sun, 10am

Jul 6 – Aug 24, City Hall Park

Sip your coffee and start Sunday on a high note

Every other Sat, 4-8pm Jun 7 – Sept 27, City Hall Park

The sunset shindig of the season with music, vendors, art activities, small bites, and more

Thurs, 5:30-8pm Jul 10 – Aug 21, Church Street

Each week, the party pops up on a different block

To view entire line-up or to make a donation visit: burlingtoncityarts.org/events

Fri, 4pm & Sat, 2:30pm

Jun 6 – Sept 27, City Hall Park

Kids boogie down to Vermont’s best DJs in the splash fountain

Thurs, 8pm

Aug 7 – 28, City Hall Park

Take in a movie under the stars with unique picks presented in partnership with VTIFF