Seven Days, September 27, 2023

It’s decision time on Burlington’s long-simmering proposal to heat buildings with wood-fired steam

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50 years ago this week, Israel was almost destroyed by a surprise attack by Syrian and Egyptian armies on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish Year The American Friends Service Committee has chosen this time to attack Israel in this newspaper

Jews are the victims of the majority of religion-based hate crimes in the US (FBI) Public attacks on Israel track with increased online antisemitic hate speech and real-world incidents

Instead of being divisive, why not serve organizations of people living there daring to work across divides for peace?

Serve peace Not division Please

Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated $20 million to Vermont’s largest affordable housing owner and manager, Champlain Housing Trust.

Scott’s charitable organization, Yield Giving, contacted CHT in February to ask about the Burlington group’s mission and projects, CEO Michael Monte said. e callers said they worked with a philanthropic group in San Francisco but didn’t reveal which one.

Five months later, after researching CHT’s finances and programs, Yield Giving called back to tell Monte the nonprofit housing agency will receive $20 million — the largest donation in CHT’s 40-year history and nearly as much as its annual operating budget of $27 million.

MacKenzie Scott is the former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. After their divorce in 2019, she announced a plan to give away her fortune, estimated at around $30 billion, in areas such as education, women’s health and affordable housing. Scott has donated more than $14 billion to at least 1,600 charities since 2020, the Associated Press reported this month.

Scott has made three other gifts that affect Vermont directly, according to Yield: $10 million to Goodwill Northern New England; $9 million to the Vermont Foodbank; and $6 million to the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s

MAKING A MARK

Most people associate Burton Snowboards with northern Vermont. e company has been headquartered in Burlington for decades and has strong connections to Stowe.

But a new historic marker is putting Burton’s Londonderry roots on the map. Jake Burton Carpenter started the company in the small southern Vermont town in 1977, producing some of his first snowboards there before Burton grew to the nearly billion-dollar behemoth it is today.  Carpenter, who died of cancer in 2019, is considered the godfather of snowboarding, now one of the most popular winter sports. His wife, former company CEO Donna Carpenter, still owns Burton and has kept it in Vermont.

emoji that STAND-UP GUY

U.S. Sens. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) both called on colleague Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) to resign over bribery charges. Principles, anybody?

BEARS REPEATING

Wildlife o cials estimate Vermont’s bear population is somewhere between 7,000 and 8,500, a five-year high. They’ve had more conflicts with humans, too.

$3.1 billion

That’s the amount of a 10-year contract the feds awarded GlobalFoundries to supply semiconductor chips.

TOPFIVE

1. “Electra’s Restaurant to Open in Shelburne” by Melissa Pasanen. Leunig’s Bistro & Café chef-owner Donnell Collins plans a new eatery in the spot that housed the Bearded Frog.

2. “Armed With a Video Camera, One Man Documents Crime and Disorder in Burlington” by Courtney Lamdin. Wayne Savage is chronicling city life one emergency at a time.

3. “Friends and Strangers Come to the Aid of a Scammed Baker” by Anne Wallace Allen. Nicole LaBonte baked bread and paid a fee to sell it at an event that didn’t exist. Vermonters bought her loaves.

4. “Hey Bub, Citizen Cider’s New Light Beer, Brews Trouble With Staff” by Carolyn Shapiro. More than a dozen employees have left in recent weeks, many citing incidents related to the release of a new beer and marketing they consider offensive.

Community Crisis Action Fund, which serves Vermont and Maine.

CHT, which owns and manages $400 million worth of real estate, will use the latest gift to shore up existing programs. Some of the funds will boost CHT’s endowment, which pays for homeowner education and the social workers who assist people who have moved from homelessness to affordable housing.

Monte said the donation will help CHT expand its homeownership equity program, which provides down-payment assistance for people of color statewide through work with similar agencies, such as Windham & Windsor Housing Trust of Brattleboro.

More than 2,600 families live in rental units managed by CHT in Chittenden, Franklin and Grand Isle counties. It has about 500 apartments planned or under construction.

e Yield Giving money will help CHT both avoid borrowing money for projects and strengthen its balance sheet so that when it must, it can obtain financing more easily.

e gift won’t solve northwestern Vermont’s housing problems. But it helps, Monte said.

“We have grown pretty dramatically over the last handful of years,” he said. “ is gives us a financial foundation.”

Read Anne Wallace Allen’s full story at sevendaysvt.com.

DONE DEAL

After months of negotiations, UVM Medical Center and its support sta came to a contract agreement. A healthy result.

CHEERS TO THAT

The Champlain Water District earned the title of New England’s best-tasting water at a recent conference. Drink it up!

snowboarding sculpture in Londonderry and even pitched the idea to Jake Carpenter in 2016. But with a price tag in the millions, the concept quickly wiped out.

5. “Cannabis Entrepreneur Says He Was ‘Hoodwinked’ in Merger Deal” by Sasha Goldstein. Shayne Lynn says SLANG Worldwide failed to disclose its dire financials to him.

VT Treasurer’s Office: Did you know there are three people named Kevin James with unclaimed property in Vermont?

Kevin James:

“I thought, Who is this guy? Maybe a fling for the weekend,” she said with a laugh.

Jake was working 14-hour days trying to get the company off the ground.

“ is was a significant historical event that happened in our town, and many people just had no idea,” said Bob Wells, a board member for the Londonderry Arts and Historical Society. A group of locals initially wanted to build a

Wells settled on a historic marker, and, seven years later, it’s becoming a reality. A dedication ceremony for the plaque, declaring Londonderry “the birthplace of Burton Snowboards,” is scheduled for Tuesday, October 3, down Main Street from the original shop. Donna Carpenter and other family members will be on hand, as well as Olympic snowboarding gold medalists Kelly Clark and Ross Powers, a Londonderry native.

In an interview this week, Donna Carpenter recalled meeting her future husband at a Londonderry bar in the early 1980s. She was living in New York City at the time.

“He was so passionate,” Carpenter said. “He believed. He saw a sport.”

After the 11 a.m. marker dedication, the historical society will host a reception at an exhibit called “First Tracks” that highlights the company’s time in Londonderry.

“I’ve always sort of compared Burton to the ethos of Vermont, in that you’ve got to be very individualistic and rugged and gritty,” Carpenter said. “But you also totally understand the value of community, because you can’t get through a Vermont winter without community.”

ON BRAND.

publisher & editor-in-chief Paula Routly

deputy publisher Cathy Resmer

AssociAte publishers Don Eggert, Colby Roberts

NEWS & POLITICS

editor Matthew Roy

deputy editor Sasha Goldstein

consulting editors Ken Ellingwood, Candace Page

stAff writers Derek Brouwer, Colin Flanders, Rachel Hellman, Courtney Lamdin, Kevin McCallum, Alison Novak, Anne Wallace Allen

ARTS & CULTURE

coeditors Dan Bolles, Carolyn Fox

AssociAte editor Margot Harrison

Art editor Pamela Polston

Music editor Chris Farnsworth

cAlendAr writer Emily Hamilton

stAff writers Jordan Barry, Hannah Feuer, Mary Ann Lickteig, Melissa Pasanen, Ken Picard

proofreAders Carolyn Fox, Angela Simpson

AssistAnt proofreAders

Katherine Isaacs, Martie Majoros, Elizabeth M. Seyler

DIGITAL & VIDEO

digitAl production speciAlist Bryan Parmelee

senior MultiMediA producer Eva Sollberger

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DESIGN

creAtive director Don Eggert

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production MAnAger John James

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SALES & MARKETING

director of sAles Colby Roberts

senior Account executives

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legAls, lifelines And super reAder coordinAtor

Kaitlin Montgomery

ADMINISTRATION

business MAnAger Marcy Stabile

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circulAtion deputy Andy Watts

AssistAnt to the publishers Gillian English

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Jordan Adams, Justin Boland, Alex Brown, Annie Cutler, Chelsea Edgar, Erik Esckilsen, Steve Goldstein, Colleen Goodhue, Margaret Grayson, Amy Lilly, Rachel Mullis, Bryan Parmelee, Mark Saltveit, Jim Schley, Carolyn Shapiro, Casey Ryan Vock

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

Luke Awtry, Daria Bishop, James Buck, Kevin Goddard, Caleb Kenna, Tim Newcomb

FOUNDERS

Pamela Polston, Paula Routly

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EVERYONE’S PROBLEM

Nancy Berger’s letter [Feedback: “Welcome All Freeloaders,” September 20] tries to place blame for Burlington’s rise in drug and homelessness problems on the city council and administration. Ironically, at around the same time that Berger, of Shelburne, was penning her letter, the Vergennes police published the following log entry for September 5: “Encountered a man they described as homeless who was seen trying to enter Evergreen Preschool on South Water Street. Police took him to the bus stop to catch a ride to Burlington.”

Perhaps if our neighbors along Route 7 to the south, in towns such as Shelburne and Vergennes, actually took care of their own problems instead of shipping them north like the governors of Texas and Florida, Berger and her neighbors would find downtown Burlington more pleasant and to their liking.

BERNIE, ARE YOU LISTENING?

Hopefully the “Be Bold Bernie” advertisement in Seven Days [page 2, September 13 and 20] will get handwritten letters to U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ office in Washington, D.C. It is time for Bernie to make a visit to Palestine, as well as to the kibbutz where he worked in the 1970s.

The U.S. news show “60 Minutes” and Israel’s news services are concerned about Benjamin Netanyahu’s new cabinet taking away the democratic rights of courts, women, LGBTQ+ people and Palestinians, which are also interconnected areas of concern here in the U.S. and Vermont.

Bernie should visit Gaza to experience not only the largest open-air prison in the world but also the cancer hospital, where children who need three medical treatments a day only get one.

CORRECTION

Last week’s food story headlined “Still on Fire” misstated the age of Essex Junction’s Firebird Café. It was founded in 2009.

SAFE SETTLEMENTS

[Re “Climate Retreat: After Summer Floods, State Planners Look to Higher Ground for New Housing,” August 30]: Kevin McCallum’s article illuminates the dilemma of the Vermont Climate Council’s obsession with “compact settlements.” Its December 2021 Climate Action Plan is all in on their merits:

“Compact settlement has been at the core of Vermont’s land use goals … When thoughtfully planned, compact settlement, including infill and redevelopment, can also support many of the State’s climate goals and actions, including energy efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions reductions, community climate resilience and adaptation…” (page 218).

But: “Flooding is a key, known impact that is likely to increase as storms become more frequent and intense in Vermont” (page 169).

“Because many of Vermont’s existing compact settlements grew up along waterways, promoting compact settlements also requires improved resilience. Managing flood and fluvial erosion hazards in Vermont’s compact settlements will be a critical component of a successful climate response” (page 228).

Thus the solution of this conundrum is “Create a State-wide redevelopment authority to bank land, underwrite acceptable risk … improve building flood resilience in settled areas, and plan for new neighborhood development and infrastructure” (page 231).

My condensation: We must persuade or force people to depart rural areas and cluster in “compact settlements” to defeat the menace of climate change (expounded on page 146). Many compact settlements

along rivers are going to be flooded. So we must create a state authority to finance resilience in any new development in the favored flood-prone areas. All that is missing is financing the authority with a property tax “climate surcharge” on rural landowners.

‘MANY MOONS AGO…’

The article written by Chelsea Edgar covering the Bread and Puppet Theater founder and backstory was writing at its best [“Circus of Life,” August 30]. She captured the smallest details as if I were there, hanging out with Peter Schumann prior to a public circus show. And I was there many moons ago, when I devoted one summer to doing the grunt work and rehearsing with others to put on the spectacle that attracted thousands. I was a local yokel who loved the concept Peter gave birth to but hated the sweat required to help in various ways. You brought it all back to me, including the man I haven’t seen since my stroke three years ago. Thank you.

DOPP EFFECT

Chelsea Edgar’s article on Bread and Puppet Theater [“Circus of Life,” August 30] missed an opportunity to acknowledge one of the things I find most unique and inspiring about the history and continuing presence of Bread and Puppet in the Northeast Kingdom — the integration of a politically left-wing, anti-capitalist art experiment into a

rural community with a reputation for conservatism.

Edgar writes that, in 1974, Bread and Puppet moved “to the Glover farm that had belonged to Elka’s parents.” My understanding from various local documented sources is that, while Elka’s parents did own the property before Peter and Elka Schumann took it over, their presence there was brief. The story remembered locally is: Bread and Puppet moved onto the Dopp family farm. Daisy Dopp had lived there most of her life and moved into town only in 1970, after her husband, Jim, died.

Elka and Daisy were friends, and Bread and Puppet publishes Daisy Dopp’s Vermont , “a collection of lively and enlightening articles on farm life,” with a preface by Elka and drawings by Peter. Daisy’s witty and entertaining articles that make up this collection were originally published in the Newport Daily Express and continue to be reprinted in the Orleans County Chronicle .

The relationship between Daisy Dopp and Bread and Puppet, I suspect, is just one example of ways Bread and Puppet and their neighbors in Glover have built bridges, not walls, between “old” and “new” Vermont. This aspect of Bread and Puppet’s story never shows up in print and is invisible to the out-oftowners who show up to performances and visit the museum, but I wonder if it might be an important and enduring part of Bread and Puppet’s legacy.

ESSENCE OF B&P

I just finished listening to your report on Bread and Puppet Theater [Seven Days Aloud, “Circus of Life,” August 30]. It was beautifully written. Although I have only been to Bread and Puppet in Glover a few times and worked with it for a performance on the Dartmouth Green years

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Fri,

NEWS+POLITICS 14

‘Miracle Baby’

Behind a $3.5 million medical malpractice settlement is the story of a disabled child and a devoted mom

Report Blames College for Delayed Dental Program

Shots in Stannard

A clothing-optional camp hosted a kinky summer soirée. Campers awoke to the crack of gunfire.

FOOD+DRINK 38 Trouble

Brewing

Bolton Valley Plans to Close Indoor Skate Park

Cleaning House

Burlington officials are fed up with a notorious Church Street apartment building

FEATURES 28

Word on the Street

I thought I could beat a Scrabble champion but found out there’s no F in “way”

Spice Is Nice

Comic Relief

A Middlebury College professor uses graphic novels to breathe new life into the study of history

ARTS+CULTURE 46

Watching Out

Cartoonist Alison Bechdel headlines the Green Mountain Book Festival

Chord and Discord

Odanak musician Mali Obomsawin talks music, community and Vermont’s “pretendian” problem

Love Letters

Four generations of postal carriers have walked the same route in Montpelier

A

Book Recaps the Long Career of Vermont

Painter Fred Swan

RALLY AGAINST CANCER

CANCER

Please join us to raise awareness and support research at the

UVM Men’s Soccer vs UMASS Lowell

September 30 — 1:00 pm

UVM Women’s Soccer vs UMASS Lowell

October 1 — 1:00 pm

UVM Women’s Field Hockey vs UC Davis

October 8 — 12:00 pm

Tickets available at UVMathletics.com.

sponsored by:

Find out more about the University of Vermont Cancer Center at VermontCancer.org.

MAGNIFICENT

MUST SEE, MUST DO THIS WEEK

BY

SATURDAY 30

GUITAR HERO

Grammy-nominated rocker

Amythyst Kiah

returns to the

Northeast Kingdom, six-string in hand, for a show at Vermont State University-Johnson’s Dibden Center for the Arts. Her vibrant, immersive brand of roots music weaves together authentic emotion and blistering blues riffs for an unparalleled Americana experience.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 76

SATURDAY 30

Cheese All at

e first annual Cabot Cheese and Culture Festival brings cheesemakers and fermenters from across the state to one of Vermont’s most famous dairy towns. is day of demonstrations, discussions and delicious bites features paired tastings at Headwaters Restaurant & Pub and the Den at Harry’s Hardware, as well as expert panels to teach attendees everything they never thought to ask about kimchi, kraut and Camembert.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 76

Submit your upcoming events at sevendaysvt.com/postevent

OPENS FRIDAY 29

e Glass Unicorn

e final Valley Players production of the year, e Glass Menagerie, opens at Waitsfield’s Valley Players eater this weekend. Legendary playwright Tennessee Williams’ breakthrough play follows a single mother in Depressionera St. Louis whose overbearing interference only ends up pushing away her adult children.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 76

SUNDAY 1

Hello, Governor

Vermont’s first (and, so far, only) female governor, Madeleine May Kunin, is enjoying her semiretirement. at much is clear in her second poetry collection, Walk With Me, launching at Taso on Center in Rutland. Its poems brim with the joys of aging, loving, mothering and living, as well as Kunin’s hard-earned perspectives as a feminist, immigrant and politician.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 79

TUESDAY 3

Take the Power Back

Putney’s Next Stage Arts Project screens the 2022 documentary Four Winters, a groundbreaking deep dive into the stories of the last surviving Jewish partisan rebels of World War II. ese soldiers, many of them teenagers at the time, escaped into the forests of eastern Europe and mounted a fierce resistance that few know about. A Q&A with director Julia Mintz follows.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 79

WEDNESDAY 4

Here Comes the Sun

A special benefit concert on the village green at Stowe’s Spruce Peak features Michael Franti & Friends, with 100 percent of ticket proceeds going to the Vermont Flood Response and Recovery Fund. Franti, whose illustrious career has spanned several genres, including hip-hop, funk and ska, brings a high-energy vibe and hopeful hits to this exuberant, autumnal outdoor extravaganza.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 80

ONGOING

Grandmasters of Flash

e Green Mountain Photo Show packs Waitsfield’s Red Barn Galleries at Lareau Farm for the 33rd year running. is is a true who’s who and what’s what of the photography scene, featuring portraits, landscapes and abstract works from artists both professional and amateur, local and national.

SEE GALLERY LISTING ON PAGE 61

Burlington Blues

I got an email from a Burlington business owner thanking Seven Days for last week’s story about Wayne Savage, a freelance photographer who has spent decades shooting crime scenes for Vermont news outlets. With a police scanner affixed to his ear, Savage hears most emergency calls in the area and responds to many — often gettting there first. To report the story, Seven Days’ Courtney Lamdin followed him to Burlington City Hall Park, where emergency medical technicians were pulling an overdosing man out of the public bathroom. While they were wheeling him to an ambulance, a second call came in about a suspected overdose across the street. That individual had already been revived with Narcan — five times — that morning.

“Burlington is so scary right now and the drug crisis is daunting,” my emailer wrote, noting that her husband picks up “many, many, many needles every day.”

She asked: “Why aren’t people talking about this more?”

They are, in some realms. A recent “36 Hours in Burlington, Vermont” travel piece in the New York Times garnered some withering online comments about how the city has gone downhill. Local social media is abuzz with photos and videos documenting the detritus of drug use and homelessness. One Instagram account with 1,800 followers, burlington.looks.like.shxt, showed people cooking and injecting drugs in broad daylight until it disappeared from the internet on Tuesday morning.

Lots of Vermonters, who live in and outside Burlington, quietly admit they don’t feel safe downtown anymore. Others note that their kids, or those of others, are no longer allowed to come into the city without adult supervision.

Seven Days and other media outlets have been covering the evolving situation, of course, from multiple angles. Last Friday, WCAX-TV broke the news that the city is threatening to shut down 184 Church Street for code violations. Courtney’s story this week takes a deeper look at the apartment complex, owned by the Handy family, which generates more police calls than any other Burlington address. The troubles at 184 are at least partially responsible for the new six-foot-tall metal fence that’s now behind the Chittenden Superior Court next door, Courtney’s reporting shows. Price tag: $150,000. The Hilton Garden Inn is also seeking permission to put up an exterior barrier for security. The Ronald McDonald House wants to make the one it has in place even higher.

It’s a matter of time before the same thing happens at Memorial Auditorium, where last week web developer and musician Eric Olsen shot and posted to Facebook photos of drug paraphernalia piled high on the entrance ramp to the city-owned building. He claimed he saw a man “receiving oral sex” there at 11 a.m. on a school day, across Main Street from Edmunds Middle School.

Yes, people are talking, but on the internet and in the privacy of their own homes. What I don’t hear are citizens and city leaders speaking up in an organized, forceful way to say the policies we have in place are not working. The emperor is not only naked, he just took a dump in front of the old YMCA.

Our problems may be the same as those in cities — especially progressive-minded ones — across the country, but the number of lost souls per capita in Burlington is staggering. There are times of day on Church Street when it seems like more people are in the throes

WHAT I DON’T HEAR ARE CITIZENS AND CITY LEADERS SPEAKING UP IN AN ORGANIZED, FORCEFUL WAY TO SAY THE POLICIES WE HAVE IN PLACE ARE NOT WORKING.

of substance abuse, mental illness or both than those going about the business of working, shopping and eating.

It’s impossible to calculate the extent to which this crisis is damaging our beautiful burg. Or whether it’s temporary or permanent.

I live in Burlington and do a lot of walking, often when it’s starting to get dark. At the beginning of the summer, I noticed the lights weren’t working on the top block of the pedestrian promenade along Battery Street. There were people sleeping on benches on both sides of the walkway, and I thought twice about striding down the middle, without being able to see. I kept going and emerged unscathed, then forgot to call the Burlington Electric Department the next day. By the time I remembered, I figured somebody else must have done it.

But the lights were still out — or out again? — when I walked the same route at dusk a few weeks ago. This time I reported the problem on the city’s SeeClickFix platform and followed up with a phone call to the electric department. It took a few weeks to see results, but the lights are once again operational. And now I’m getting every related citizen SeeClickFix report in my email inbox. So many posts about syringes.

It’s an illuminating window on the city — shattered and dirty but still somehow holding together. Fences might help, but they won’t fix these problems. Does anyone know what will?

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FALL IS STILL TICK SEASON

MYTH: If you do not have a bullseye rash, you cannot have Lyme.

FACT: Research shows that anywhere from 20% to 70% of Lyme patients never develop a rash.

MYTH: A negative test means you do not have Lyme disease.

FACT: Tests are only about 70-75% accurate, it is possible to get negative test results and still be infected with Lyme or other co-infections.

MYTH: Once you treat Lyme, it goes away for good.

FACT: Under-treated or untreated Lyme is dangerous. Chronic Lyme disease can develop over months to years The symptoms are more varied, debilitating, and di cult to treat.

Is your knowledge of Lyme disease current?

EDUCATION Report Blames College for Delayed Dental Program

Seven years after state lawmakers instructed Vermont Technical College to create a new training program for mid-level dental providers known as “dental therapists,” the college has yet to enroll a single student — and says it likely won’t for several more years. at’s according to a report released on Monday by Vermont Auditor Doug Hoffer’s office, which says the school failed to launch the program despite $2.5 million in public and private investments to date.

e report lays some of the blame on Vermont Technical College’s leaders for not supporting the program. e college has dragged its feet in seeking accreditation approval, the report says, and has not yet hired someone to replace the program director who quit last summer.

“Despite the substantial spending to date, the lack of any academic program deliverables suggests that even more funding will be needed in order to advance dental therapy,” the report says. “Accountability will have to be built into any future funding to avoid repeating the failures of the last seven years.”

‘Miracle Baby’

Behind a $3.5 million medical malpractice settlement is the story of a disabled child and a devoted mom

Ashley Hostetter took a deep breath and opened the box. Months had passed since she looked inside, but she knew its contents intimately. An impossibly small hospital band. Angerprovoking medical records. Most painful of all, the baby book.

Hostetter flipped to the page that tallied her emotions when she learned she was pregnant. Her 18-year-old self had checked o every box: excited, shocked, ecstatic, scared. She had added, in her own writing, two more: “joy and love.”

On the birth page, her neat, bubbly script detailed the life she had just created: July 29, 2018, 10:01 a.m.; six pounds, nine ounces; 21 inches. Hostetter taped a photo of her newborn and recorded her name: Annabeth Rose Hostetter.

The entries slowed after that. No first words, nor first steps. No first solid

foods or favorite songs. No photos from kindergarten.

“There wasn’t much else I could fill out,” Hostetter said, turning the blank pages, “because she wasn’t a normal child.”

In the days after her birth, Annabeth slipped into a septic crisis, an immune response to infection that can be lethal if not caught in time, and su ered multiple strokes that left her brain severely damaged. She’d survive, against all odds, through endless illnesses, until her death in February at age 4.

Hostetter brought Annabeth to Gi ord Medical Center every day the week after her birth, worried that she was lethargic and not eating. She said doctors repeatedly dismissed her concerns and sent her home.

In 2021, after years of near-constant medical crisis, she filed a medical

HEALTH CARE

malpractice lawsuit, alleging that Gi ord’s pediatric doctors had failed to diagnose her newborn’s condition despite blood work suggesting that she was battling an infection. Hostetter believed the doctors had ignored her concerns because she was young.

As a federally qualified health center, Gi ord’s pediatric clinic receives funding from the U.S. government, which technically makes its doctors federal employees under tort laws. As a result, the U.S. Department of Justice assumed the defense and ultimately agreed to settle the case in the spring for $3.5 million.

The agreement, which contains no admission of wrongdoing, appears to be an unusually high payout for medical malpractice in Vermont. Gifford Medical

e federal government has identified areas in all but two of Vermont’s 14 counties that need more dentists. Even in Chittenden County, finding a tooth doc that’s accepting new patients has been likened to scoring Taylor Swift tickets.

Dental therapists are viewed as a potential solution to this shortage. e rough equivalent of a physician’s assistant, they receive less training than dentists but can perform various preventive and routine services, including fillings and extractions.

Vermont Technical College merged this summer with three other state colleges to create Vermont State University. In an interview on Monday, Sarah Truckle, the university’s vice president of business operations, disputed the notion that college leaders failed to support the program.

She said the delays were more a symptom of the “incredibly complex” process required to set up a new program for a new profession. She also pointed to other contributing factors, such as the pandemic, “tremendous” staff turnover and the complicated merger process.

“At this point, we feel like we’re on a path to success and committed to getting the program up and running,” Truckle said. ➆

A

Shots in Stannard

camp hosted a kinky summer soirée. Campers awoke to the crack of gunfire.

At 5:15 a.m. on a Sunday morning in June, about 150 people staying at an adult-only campground in Stannard awoke to the sound of rapid gunfire. Some campers said they saw two figures in the distance.

For roughly two minutes, the sound of round after round rang out. “This is for last night,” one of the people shouted, according to multiple campers. Chaos ensued.

“I emerged from my tent to find my fellow camp mates moving about, confused, scared or panicking,” said a camper who asked to remain anonymous to protect their safety.

A few campers ran to a nearby trailer and took shelter. Some noticed a silver truck roll past the campground, blaring its horn for close to a minute.

“We spent perhaps 90 minutes or two hours, I’m not particularly sure, in that camper waiting, not knowing whether we were going to be victims of gun violence that morning,” the anonymous camper said. “We were consoling each other, hugging each other, crying and worrying.”

Nobody was hurt, and there was no evidence that bullets were fired in the direction of campers. Still, the scene was not what Je Jensen and Craig Geisler, co-owners of Vermont Freedom Campground, envisioned when they opened the clothing-optional camp in 2019.

The Wisconsin couple stumbled upon a listing for the Northeast Kingdom campground and, on a whim, decided to change their retirement plans to realize their dream of operating a clothing-optional camp. They fixed up the grounds, purchased a hot tub and installed privacy screens at the entrance of their wooded lot. Jensen and Geisler hoped to create a welcoming oasis where anyone could enjoy time in nature au naturel.

Since then, Vermont Freedom Campground has become a summer destination for a dozen or so “seasonal” campers — many of whom are gay men — and has also welcomed hundreds of daily and weekly visitors of every sexuality, gender and clothing preference. For the most part, the campground has stayed under the local radar while gaining a reputation in the queer community as a welcoming place for nonconformist campers. And, according to Jensen, the campground’s neighbors have seemed comfortable with the enterprise, often attending events.

“We accept everybody,” Jensen said. “It can be hard when you feel that you’re so di erent from anybody else that you can’t fit in anywhere.”

More recently, though, that feeling of acceptance has been challenged. In

Bolton Valley Plans to Close Indoor Skate Park

Center did not respond to requests for comment.

Hostetter, who has three other children under age 5, said the settlement will allow her family to live more comfortably. Yet it won’t fill the hole that Annabeth’s death has left.

“Money is money,” she said, wiping away tears, “but family meant everything to me.”

That’s been true ever since she was a young girl dreaming of a big family of her own one day. Whenever she was asked how many kids she might want, she’d say: “As many as God will give me — or at least 10.”

Bolton Valley Resort CEO Lindsay DesLauriers wishes she’d put more thought into breaking the news that she’s closing a popular indoor skateboard park to make way for tennis and pickleball courts.

Bolton workers and locals started hearing rumors earlier this month. By the time DesLauriers confirmed it on September 19, a petition was circulating in support of keeping the skate park open.

The feedback to the plan was fierce and unequivocal.

“Fuck your tennis court, for real,” one commenter wrote on the petition. “How is a tennis court better?”

“What a gut punch!” former Bolton employee Colin Brown wrote on Facebook. “You have no idea what you have or what you’re doing to the skate culture in Vt ... Way to marginalize our culture.”

In a community letter about the decision, DesLauriers wrote that pickleball, which has recently surged in popularity, is something “that our hotel guests as well as the local community can all enjoy and make use of.” And, she wrote, removing the skateboarding equipment will allow the resort to use the big, open space for events and conferences.

“While we are sad to see it go, we are also ready to embrace our next step for the resort and we hope you will support us as we continue to find our way,” she wrote.

In an interview, DesLauriers said she was taken aback by the reaction and hurt that so many employees were among those who voiced their dismay.  A few days later, Bolton announced it would delay the closure until it could hold a community forum.

“We totally underestimated the level of disappointment and anger that this has caused from within the skate community,” the resort wrote in a statement. “We should have known better and done better.”

Bolton Valley created its indoor skate park in 2018 in a space that was previously used for tennis. The resort imported wooden ramps, a large bowl and other features discarded by Burlington’s Talent Skatepark, which has since reopened. ➆

Her first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. Six weeks later, she was pregnant again, this time with Annabeth.

The newborn seemed lethargic and had not latched on to Hostetter’s breast by the time they were due to head home in July 2018. But the doctors assured the mother that this was normal for babies who arrived a few weeks early. They discharged her and offered to connect her with a home health aide who could follow up about feeding techniques.

During one of Hostetter’s repeated hospital visits the following week, Annabeth’s pediatrician weighed her and found that she had lost nearly a pound. The message was the same, though: This happens; she’ll be fine.

On the eighth day after their discharge, Hostetter noticed that Annabeth’s breathing had become labored. She took her back to the emergency department, determined to get answers. At reception, she placed Annabeth’s car seat on a chair and spoke to the check-in nurse. That’s when Annabeth stopped breathing.

The baby was rushed to the emergency department, where doctors performed an emergency spinal tap. Hostetter knew from a brief time working as a licensed nurse assistant that the fluid should have been clear. Instead, she said, it looked like “chunky, curdled milk.”

Annabeth suffered multiple strokes and went minutes without a pulse, depriving her brain of oxygen. Later, at DartmouthHitchcock Medical Center, scans showed that half of her brain was no longer working. Doctors told Hostetter her baby would be lucky to survive 24 hours. But Annabeth, who was placed on a ventilator, made it through the day, then the next. Six months later, following numerous surgeries, she was sent home.

Doctors would later determine that Hostetter had passed a bacterial flu infection onto Annabeth during the delivery. That led to meningitis — the swelling of tissue covering the brain and spinal cord.

The brain damage had affected Annabeth’s vision. At home, she was immobilized and had near-constant seizures, despite strong medications. She suffered from constant respiratory problems and would need several more surgeries on her brain. She would remain at the developmental level of a 3-month-old for the rest of her short life.

Hostetter took advantage of the time she had with her “miracle baby.” When Annabeth turned 1, her mother threw a big party, knowing that the child might not live to see another birthday. Hostetter dressed her up each Halloween, cutting holes in the costumes to accommodate an IV tube.

Meanwhile, Hostetter weighed her legal options, convinced Annabeth’s

condition should have been prevented. She eventually called Harding Mazzotti — a New York firm with an office in southern Vermont — where she was connected with attorney Amelia Silver.

Tens of thousands of deaths in the U.S. are blamed on medical errors each year, but malpractice cases are exceedingly difficult to prove. Plaintiffs must show not only that doctors made a mistake but that they also failed to provide a proper standard of care.

Very few calls that Harding Mazzotti receives about medical malpractice get past an initial screening, Silver said. Any case that she believes may be worth pursuing gets sent to an outside medical professional for review.

Not long after sending off Annabeth’s files, Silver got her answer: This shouldn’t have happened. Two other specialists told her the same thing.

Silver filed a notice with the federal government in July 2020 seeking compensation for her clients. When the Department of Justice denied the claim, she sued in federal court.

The justice department found its own highly credentialed witnesses, who argued in depositions that the doctors did meet the standard of care. If the case went to trial, it would come down to a battle of experts.

And because federal law requires claims against the U.S. government to be decided in bench trials, it would be a judge — not a jury — who would make the ultimate decision. That was a risky bet. Hostetter and her ex-husband decided to settle.

A wealth management consultant helped estimate Annabeth’s future medical costs. The government came up with its own numbers. In the end, the two sides agreed to $7 million.

to pay for her health insurance and other medical costs.

The funds were put into an escrow account on a Friday in late February, and the deal was expected to be completed within days. That same weekend, though, Annabeth died.

Her death nullified the deal in the eyes of the justice department, which maintained that Annabeth had to be alive at the time of the settlement’s conclusion. Hostetter’s attorneys disputed that interpretation, but the feds wouldn’t budge.

Litigating the disagreement could have taken years. Hostetter, meanwhile, had entered a contract to purchase a home with her fiancé in anticipation of the settlement. She and her ex-husband agreed to start the process over — this time, as a wrongful death claim.

Three months later, the feds agreed to a second settlement worth half of the original. In June, Hostetter received her share.

She put some money toward a $365,000 house in Swanton and its renovation, which is ongoing. She also bought a car to replace the run-down white van she had used to shuttle Annabeth to appointments. The rest will help her family live more comfortably, but it’s not enough to get by on forever, she said. She expects to seek work eventually. For now, though, she’s trying to adjust to life without Annabeth, who used to occupy her every waking moment.

The settlement was almost complete in February when Hostetter took Annabeth to the hospital for a checkup. The girl had been having trouble breathing, and Hostetter suspected she was experiencing another bout of aspiration pneumonia, a common ailment among children with compromised immune systems. It turned out that the 4-year-old had come down with a serious respiratory virus: RSV.

Hostetter’s stomach dropped. The child had already beaten COVID-19 twice, but RSV was, in Hostetter’s eyes, more ominous: The first funeral she ever attended was for a young cousin who had succumbed to it. She braced for the worst.

Annabeth’s oxygen levels fell that evening. The next morning, she was put on end-of-life care. Hostetter took her home and, with the help of a hospice nurse, tried to make her comfortable.

Hostetter’s attorneys were racing to hash out the details of a complex 40-page agreement that described how the settlement would be paid out. Half of the money was to be placed into a trust to help Annabeth’s parents care for her. The other half would be retained by the feds

Hostetter, now 24, has channeled her time and energy into her surviving children. They spent so many nights away from her during Annabeth’s long hospital stays that they sometimes seem to think that Hostetter’s parents are their own.

When her oldest, Samuel, 4, mentions his sister, Hostetter tells him it’s OK to be sad. “Mommy misses her, too,” she says. At times her own grief overwhelms her, and she must sneak outside to compose herself. Most nights, Hostetter said, she cries herself to sleep.

“It gets pretty dark sometimes,” she said.

During Annabeth’s final days, Hostetter decided to do one final thing for her daughter — and herself. A friend who ran a tattoo parlor had a last-minute opening. Hostetter slipped out of the house briefly while the hospice nurse took over. She returned a couple of hours later with her forearm bandaged.

Beneath it was a tattoo replicating one of her favorite photos, of Annabeth holding a Minnie Mouse doll tight to her chest. It was her second tattoo inspired by her daughter. The other, on her shoulder, depicts half a brain and half a heart, coming together as one. ➆

MONEY IS MONEY, BUT FAMILY MEANT EVERYTHING TO ME.

Cleaning House

Al fresco diners on Burlington’s lower Church Street scattered one evening in August when gunfire erupted at an apartment house across the street.

The cops had no trouble finding 184 Church Street; after all, they’ve responded to calls there nearly 1,000 times over the past decade. Sometimes, it’s to escort EMTs, who won’t enter the place without police.

Five siblings in the Handy family own the 17-unit complex and many others in the city. Now, after years of complaints, Burlington o cials are taking aim at the notorious crime-ridden rental.

On Monday, the city was prepared to ask its Housing Board of Review to suspend the Handys’ rental permit for a year — an unprecedented move that would have forced the landlords to find new apartments for their tenants and to fix some three dozen housing code violations. Instead, a half hour before the meeting, the sides reached a tentative agreement to relocate the tenants and repair the building — without taking the Handys’ permit. The housing board will review the deal on October 10.

In an interview last week, Mayor Miro Weinberger said he hopes the city’s pressure will put an end to the “chaos and disorder” at the property.

“This is the most problematic building in the city,” he said. “There’s nothing else like it.”

The Handy siblings — Anthony, Charlie, Joan, Joe and Laura — own nearly 250 rental units under various corporation names, according to Burlington property records. They also own downtown commercial buildings, including one that houses Urban Outfitters on the Church Street Marketplace and another that’s home to Phoenix Books on Bank Street.

The Handys bought 184 Church Street, a three-story building on the block just across Main Street from the pedestrian marketplace, in 2005. Built in 1899, the building is showing its age. Decaying plants cling to the dingy siding, and trash litters the ground near the sidewalk. Wooden fire escapes crisscross the building’s façade. A “No Loitering” sign hangs near the front entrance.

The apartment complex has long attracted police attention — and in 2016, the Handys evicted a tenant for calling authorities too often. That tenant, Joseph Montagno, sued the Handys and the City of Burlington, which he said pressured his landlords to kick him out. The city settled with him for $30,000.

In February 2018, WCAX-TV investigated the long-standing problems with drugs and crime at the property, dubbing

it the “Nightmare on Church Street.” That year, police responded to 66 incidents at the building. And yet, somehow, things have only gotten worse. As of September 25, police had responded to the property 219 times this year for calls such as “disturbances,” trespassing and threatening

Other city officials have been inside recently. During an inspection in June, code enforcement director Bill Ward found 46 deficiencies, including clogged drains, loose plaster on the walls and damaged smoke detectors. One unit didn’t have working hot water, and there was evidence of hoarding in another.

Ward said nothing was fixed when he returned two months later, but he gave the Handys two more weeks to comply. At one point, a property manager asked for more time because he said the tenants had threatened the workers with guns, though the city said he never filed a police report. When Ward returned a final time, the Handys had only replaced faulty fire extinguishers.

Weinberger said he had heard growing concerns about the building from constituents, some of whom stopped him on the street to complain. Among other issues, police have connected tenants to an April shooting at a Main Street apartment above Manhattan Pizza & Pub — a building also owned by the Handys.

The disorder is a ecting neighboring businesses and the Chittenden County Superior Court, which abuts 184 Church. A sheri ’s deputy has been tasked to patrol its parking lot after employees witnessed people disrobing and doing drugs there earlier this year. Last week, the court installed a six-foot-tall fence around the parking lot to keep people from using it as a pass-through. Assistant Judge Suzanne Brown said employees have also found used syringes on the lawn, though she acknowledged that she can’t trace them to the house next door.

“There’s allegedly a lot of drug use going on back there in that building,” she said. “The city knows this.”

George Mckeever-Parkes, general manager at El Gato Cantina, which is across the street from 184 Church, recalled the chaos in August when gunshots rang out twice in one night at the property. Other times, patrons dining outside have heard people screaming and fighting, he said.

behavior, police data show. Fourteen calls were for overdoses; at least one person has died of a suspected overdose there, according to Police Chief Jon Murad.

Emergency responders regularly encounter squatters and drug paraphernalia in the hallways, Fire Chief Michael LaChance wrote in a letter to the housing board.

“We have instructed our members to attempt to have patients meet them outside as it is not a safe environment to operate within,” he wrote.

“It doesn’t create a very inviting atmosphere for people wanting to come and enjoy their meals,” he said. “People don’t want to walk past the end of Church Street.”

Serkan Çetin, manager at Istanbul Kebab House next door to El Gato, agreed that the activity is bad for business. He said he’d heard that the city was trying to close down the building. “Good luck to the mayor,” he said.

In an interview before Monday’s meeting, property co-owner Joe Handy said he’s tried to restore order at the complex but can’t do it alone. He said his property managers routinely clean up needles and

THIS IS THE MOST PROBLEMATIC BUILDING IN THE CITY.

THERE’S NOTHING ELSE LIKE IT.

MAYOR MIRO WEINBERGER

clear out squatters, but the problems resurface. Police aren’t enforcing trespass orders, Handy said, and won’t respond unless someone is in grave danger.

The city, however, says Burlington cops aren’t the problem.

Police “respond to this property regularly and frequently,” Samantha Sheehan, a spokesperson for the mayor, said in a Monday email. “The serious issues at this property are not driven by a lack of law enforcement presence or action.”

Despite their differences, the city and Handys both say they want the same thing: for the building to be cleaned up and the problem tenants moved out. Five units are already vacant, and eight others will be in 30 days, per the terms of the parties’ tentative agreement, Sheehan said. Handy is finding new housing for some of the tenants, and others will be evicted by that deadline. Three others have been served eviction notices, and Sheehan said the city is confident Handy will prevail in court.

On Monday, housing board member Evan Litwin said evictions can sometimes take months and asked how the city will address public safety concerns in the meantime. Ward, the code enforcement director, said the city and the Handys will draft a “management plan” to ensure “that the people that remain there are not causing more problems.” City staff will also monitor the property.

But the Handys don’t have a great track record of following city orders. In May, an electrical fire at one of their properties on St. Paul Street displaced a dozen tenants, some of whom moved into hotels. In such cases, a city ordinance requires

the landlord to pay for hotel stays; the Handys never did. The city covered the costs and, to recoup its money, is considering placing a lien on the property, which would force the landlords to pay up before the property is sold.

Weinberger said he’s confident that the Handys will pay to relocate their Church Street tenants. The Burlington Housing Authority is already helping some tenants with Section 8 vouchers find new homes, according to the mayor.

“[This] is not a position we want to be in,” he said, but “I think it’s our best option now.”

At least one Vermont city found another way. In 2016, federal officials seized three properties in Rutland that were plagued with drugrelated crime. The homes were given to a nonprofit to be redeveloped into affordable housing.

Some Burlington city councilors suggested other ways of holding landlords accountable. Councilor Melo Grant (P-Central District) said the city could consider fining landlords who tolerate drug activity and let their buildings decay. Councilor Joan Shannon (D-South District) said code enforcement may not be the most effective approach for problematic places such as 184 Church Street. She floated the idea of making landlords apply for licenses — which would allow the city to strip that license if landlords don’t follow the rules.

“I do applaud them for taking action on this property using the tools that we currently have,” Shannon said, “but I think the question is: Do we need more tools?”

VASE

VASE

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“AI- Designed Organisms: A Case Study in the Social Impacts of AI”

Keynote Speaker

Dr. Josh Bongard

Professor of Computer Science, University of Vermont

Keynote Speaker Dr. Josh Bongard

Professor of Computer Science, University of Vermont

Josh Bongard is the Veinott Professor of Computer Science at the University of Vermont and Director of the Morphology, Evolution & Cognition Laboratory. His work centers on the automated design and manufacture of soft-, evolved-, and crowdsourced robots, as well as computer-designed organisms. Dr. Bongard is a PECASE, TR35, and Cozzarelli Prize recipient, and co-author of the book How The Body Shapes The Way We Think

Tuesday, October 10th, 2023 at 5:00pm

Middlebury College, McCardell Bicentennial Hall, Room 216

Josh Bongard is the Veinott Professor of Computer Science at the University of Vermont and Director of the Morphology, Evolution & Cognition Laboratory. His work centers on the automated design and manufacture of soft-, evolved-, and crowdsourced robots, as well as computer-designed organisms. Dr. Bongard is a PECASE, TR35, and Cozzarelli Prize recipient, and co-author of the book How The Body Shapes The Way We Think

Introductions of VASE’s Science Teacher of the Year and our newest inductees into the Academy will immediately precede the keynote address

Tuesday, October 10th, 2023 at 5:00pm

Middlebury College, McCardell Bicentennial Hall, Room 216

Sponsored by: Middlebury College; University of VT, Office of Research

Introductions of VASE’s Science Teacher of the Year and our newest inductees into the Academy will immediately precede the keynote address

Sponsored by: Middlebury College; University of VT, Office of Research

Shots in Stannard « P.15

sleepy Stannard, population 208, a clash of personal freedoms has put the campground on edge.

Jensen had always hoped to draw people who might want to organize events such as yoga retreats or community gatherings at the campground. Over the summer, Paul Gaudreau, owner of Massachusetts-based Blackbeard Endeavors, reached out, hoping to hold two weekend events for what he calls his “kinky-minded and sex-positive” community. The first event that Gaudreau planned, The Awakening, was held June 8 to 11. It featured activities such as a dildo toss, a “pet play” roundtable and strap-on fencing.

The Renaissance-themed event started without a hitch on a Thursday. Around 130 people — mostly out-of-staters — traveled to the campground, where they donned items such as corsets and nipple covers.

On Saturday night, Alicia Patten, who lives across the street from the campground, said she called the police because the noise kept her family up. “I didn’t move out to the country to listen to that,” Patten said, comparing the racket to the Champlain Valley Fair.

“I want everyone to be able to do stuff on their own property,” she added. “But I also want neighbors to be respectful and mindful of their other neighbors.”

The police arrived, and the group quieted down, according to Gaudreau. Attendees headed to their tents, many of which were pitched on an open field near the entrance of the camp.

The following morning, the campers awoke to the sound of gunfire.

Jensen and Gaudreau were shaken. Some neighbors of the campground told Seven Days they were, too.

“With mass shootings happening all over the place, it felt like, Are we going to have another mass shooting?” Gaudreau said.

Gaudreau called 911, and the state police responded. According to Gaudreau, police told the frightened group that Vermonters are allowed to fire guns on their property.

State police told Seven Days they’re investigating two complaints, one from the campground and one from a neighboring property. At this time, no charges have been filed. Cops declined to provide more information, citing the ages of some of those involved. Seven Days has a pending request for police records.

The night before the gunfire, Ben Hewitt, the town zoning administrator, visited a sheep farm across the street from the campground. Its owner, Johanna Polsenberg, invited him to assess the sound levels at the campground. She’s an environmental advocate who is on the Stannard Planning Commission.

“She was highly agitated, is the term I would use,” said Hewitt, who noted that the event was loud. “If I lived across the street from that, on that particular evening, I would have also been a little bummed,” he said.

Hewitt explained to Polsenberg that there was nothing the town could do. Technically, the campground was not in violation of any town mandates. According to Hewitt, Polsenberg said something about using a gun to make noise in the morning. He said he assumed that she was joking and felt there was nothing threatening about her statement.

“It was clear to me what she said was about making noise, not about being violent,” Hewitt said.

Asked by Seven Days whether she had fired a gun on June 11, Polsenberg said she had “no comment” and added that she owns “40 acres next to the campground.”

Other neighbors seemed to have little issue with the

campground’s noise. On June 10, “We had our windows open, and we didn’t hear anything,” said Jan Strickland, who lives near the campground with her wife, Maria Messier. They did hear the shots the next morning. So did Hewitt, more than a mile away. He said the loud gunfire actually generated more complaints than any of the events preceding it.

Gaudreau considered canceling a subsequent Blackbeard Endeavors event that was scheduled from August 17 to 20 but decided not to. In the days before, Polsenberg sent an email about the upcoming event to Jensen, Hewitt, the state police, and officials in the state Drinking Water and Groundwater Protection Division. Polsenberg wrote that she worried about the size of the event, its potential lack of compliance with Act 250 guidelines surrounding wastewater management and potential harm to the town’s “fragile roads.”

drove a pickup truck on a road outside the campground and blared the horn for a long time. The next day, according to Gaudreau, teens drove doughnuts on ATVs in front of the campground and yelled homophobic slurs. Gaudreau said that the harassment continued through Friday.

“If you’re gay, that’s something that you hear frequently,” Jensen said. “In one way, you get immune to it.”

Finally fed up, Gaudreau and some staffers from Blackbeard Endeavors approached Polsenberg and others outside her home around 10:30 p.m. on Friday. They recorded the confrontation and provided it to Seven Days Polsenberg said she felt threatened by men she didn’t know approaching her house late at night and pointing flashlights at her. At one point, the video shows, a young man with Polsenberg said he was going to get a gun; she told him not to.

Gaudreau called the police. Troopers responded and suggested he apply for a restraining order.

Since the altercation, the camp owners and Polsenberg have exchanged few words. Jensen said he doesn’t plan on changing anything about his campground and won’t be deterred. Gaudreau, though, is unsure whether he feels comfortable hosting events there next summer.

“I have had really no problem with the campground up until maybe the last two summers when they started inviting large groups of people,” Polsenberg told Seven Days, adding that she had attended drag shows there. “I just don’t want our town to become some carnival ground,” she said. She repeatedly said the campground’s clientele — and what they do behind closed doors — doesn’t bother her.

Hewitt, who has acted as a quasi-mediator, said he could not find anything in the town ordinance that would prohibit the events hosted at Vermont Freedom Campground. Leading up to the August festival — which Gaudreau advertised as a carnival-themed “freak show” — Hewitt said Jensen was “dotting his i’s and crossing his t’s” to ensure that the campground complied with town and state ordinances.

During the August “freak show,” Polsenberg didn’t notice any excessive noise coming from the camp late at night. “I wasn’t paying any attention,” she told Seven Days

But throughout the four-day festival, according to a number of campers, two teens harassed festivalgoers. On Wednesday night, as Gaudreau and his team set up, someone

“All my guests really raved about the campground and how nice and welcoming Jeff is,” Gaudreau said. “But [the gunfire] was very traumatic and scary to our group of people.”

Some neighbors said the conflict made them feel unsafe. Messier and Strickland, who said they moved to Vermont last year to escape harassment they experienced in Florida as an openly gay couple, find the situation disturbing.

“That’s why we came up here was to get away from this crap,” Strickland said. “I just fear that we left the state of hate and we’ve got it in our neighborhood now.”

Hewitt hopes the rural town can work it out.

“We are a small and, I would like to think, welcoming and tolerant community,” Hewitt said. “My most fervent hope is that this can be resolved.” ➆

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

I JUST DON’T WANT OUR TOWN TO BECOME SOME CARNIVAL GROUND.

JOHANNA POLSENBERG

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« P.7

ago, I feel you perfectly captured the essence of B&P and, most importantly, the essence of Peter Schumann.

You brought tears to my eyes as you brought to my mind my own “theater days” at college in the early ’70s. We were studying experiential theater. I chose Peter Schumann for my paper as an artist doing street theater at the time in New York City.

Not sure what that lump was all about, but no doubt it was something deep in my soul that Schumann, B&P and you touched. I will keep it close to my heart. And your honest feelings as you performed with Mother Earth clearly reflected what I would have felt if I had ever had the experience of holding the wrist of Mother Earth.

Thank you so much for your wonderful work.

THE TOLL OF ADDICTION

[Re “From Room 37 to Cell 17: A Young Man’s Path Through the Mental Health Care System Led to Prison — and a Fatal Encounter,” September 6]: Mbyayenge “Robbie” Mafuta exhausted every system we have in place; he had football, friends, jobs, lodging, free food. Robbie evolved to be a single-person crime spree — theft, drugs, vandalism and murder. Thanks to Derek Brouwer and Colin Flanders’ remarkable research, journalism has again exposed the black hole of addiction.

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WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?

Your Robbie Mafuta story [“From Room 37 to Cell 17: A Young Man’s Path Through the Mental Health Care System Led to Prison — and a Fatal Encounter,” September 6] spotlights a stunning lack of accountability within our mental health and justice system. This dangerously ill young man was shuffled among our hospitals, mental health clinics and prisons. He was repeatedly put onto the street by our prosecutor, where he violently victimized his fellow citizens. None of them stepped up to appropriately care for him and protect the public. None of them has taken responsibility. Until someone is held accountable, these shit shows will just keep repeating.

‘WHERE DO WE START?’

I thank Derek Brouwer and Colin Flanders for reporting the story “Room 37 to Cell 17” [September 6]. This should be a wake-up call to legislators and those involved in mental illness policies in Vermont. We are failing to provide appropriate care for people living with serious mental illness, and we urgently need policy changes that promote comprehensive solutions. The article demonstrates how our system repeatedly failed Mbyayenge Mafuta and Je Hall. Furthermore, it is highly disappointing to read that “Vermont is the only state without an intervention program known

as coordinated specialty care” and that most Vermonters with mental illness do not receive this kind of treatment that the federal government says is proven to work. And there are studies that prove that maintaining our broken system is far more expensive in dollars and lives than taking action.

Where do we start? We need to increase access to psychiatric services and provide more timely treatment, especially for those whose neurological dysfunction results in limited awareness of their illness, and coordinated care, including housing for individuals who need help managing their illness. With highly potent psychoactive drugs such as cannabis readily available, studies suggest we are only going to see an increase in individuals suffering from psychosis and serious mental illness. We also need to educate our young people about the dangers of using cannabis in adolescence and the warning signs of psychosis.

lifelines OBITUARIES,

VOWS, CELEBRATIONS

OBITUARIES

Hannah Dorfman

1988-2023

SHELBURNE, VT.

With her family by her side, Hannah Dorfman, 35, of Shelburne, Vt., passed peacefully on September 6, 2023, after living with cancer for more than two years. Hannah is a beautiful soul who lived life to the fullest. She will be remembered for her ready smile, positive energy and unconditional kindness. Hannah’s life was rich by every measure, astonishing in its details and full of love to its dying ember.

After spending her formative years in the Boston area, Hannah moved with her family to Shelburne, where her love for the performing arts blossomed. Family gatherings at anksgiving set the stage for her earliest performances as she danced around the living room and shared her emerging (and squeaky) passion for the clarinet, filling the house with joy and laughter.

Hannah honed her skills in dance and music and opened up her talents to a wider audience. She hit the stage for the first time at age 10, representing Shelburne 4-H with a captivating solo dance performance of the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” in front of a full auditorium.

By her early teenage years, she had performed in drama productions at her beloved OMNI Camp in Maine and played clarinet with the Vermont Youth Orchestra’s small ensembles.

While Hannah never shied from the spotlight onstage, she thrived behind the scenes. As any cast or crew would attest, organizing a production is no small feat. anks to Hannah’s strong work ethic and persistence,

her spatial awareness and organizational skills, and her can-do attitude, she made a difficult job seem effortless. Every production team who worked with Hannah would be quick to acknowledge her ability to direct others with clarity, integrity and warmth. Helping others shine was not just her job, it was part of her DNA.

In high school, she stagemanaged memorable performances of Into the Woods and Les Misérables. At Ithaca College, her theatrical endeavors included such musicals as e Full Monty, Urinetown and e Count of Monte Cristo. During an unforgettable semester abroad with the Mark Summers Casting Agency in London, Hannah learned the art of producing music videos and commercials.

Upon graduating with a degree in drama and dance, Hannah moved on to Broadway, becoming a production assistant for Anything Goes, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark and Brief Encounter. Her professional experience soared to new heights when she stagemanaged several national tours that included Jay-Z and Will Smith’s production of Fela! e Musical, Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa’s the High Road Tour, and Derek and Julianne Hough’s Move Beyond: Live on Tour.

Eventually, Hannah’s adventures took her to Las Vegas to help the Broadway musical Rock of Ages set up residency at the Venetian. Cast and crew became a second family to her, and she soon created a home within the Vegas entertainment community. When one cast member began a variety show called Mondays Dark to raise money for local charities, Hannah was among the first to volunteer her time and skills.

When live performances dried up during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hannah turned to production work in TV and film. She moved to Los Angeles in 2021, bringing her endearing personality and theatrical gifts to Hollywood. She became an assistant location manager for “Generation,” “Made for Love,” “American Crime Story,” “Studio 666,” “Euphoria” and “Shrinking” — all while fulfilling her dream of becoming a “California Girl,” rocking out in her white jeep while driving with friends down Sunset Boulevard on their way to the beach.

Sports dominated Hannah’s spare time. Rarely would a day go by without “SportsCenter” playing for hours on end in the background of her apartment. She was a devout New England Patriots fan and loved watching football with friends. She supported the Boston Bruins but enthusiastically cheered on the Vegas Golden Knights. Hannah combined passion and profession when coordinating entertainment for the WNBA Las Vegas Aces, the NCAA PAC-12 basketball tournaments and the NBA All-Star Game.

e consummate professional, Hannah did not let cancer treatment get in the way of her work.

She continued giving 100 percent on the sets of “ e Old Man” and “Mayans M.C.” Against all odds, she fulfilled her dream to complete a fulllength feature film, working long days and late nights on Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley Hannah was unassuming, fun-loving and strong. She always put others first. Working with some of the biggest names in entertainment, she remained true to herself, embracing everyone for who they were — whether or not they were in the limelight.

Relationships were the cornerstone of Hannah’s life. She had an uncanny ability to befriend people, and she nurtured those friendships in ways others often do not. She always stayed close, and she never forgot. To Hannah, if you were her friend, you were her friend for life.

She touched the lives of many people and will forever live on in their hearts and memories. Hannah will be sorely missed by her family — her parents, Richard and Gillian, and her brother, Luke — as well as her other “families” scattered around the globe.

A celebration of Hannah’s life will be held at All Souls Interfaith Gathering in Shelburne on October 20, 2023, at 11:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks you to consider a donation to the Hannah Dorfman Performing Arts Scholarship at Champlain Valley Union High School, a legacy fund to support students aspiring to pursue futures in entertainment and the performing arts. Checks can be made payable to the scholarship and mailed to CVU Hannah Dorfman Performing Arts Scholarship, c/o Champlain Valley Union High School, 369 CVU Rd., Hinesburg, VT 05461.

Marie Flaim Tedford

FEBRUARY 17, 1924-SEPTEMBER 15, 2023

UNDERHILL, VT.

Marie Adele Flaim Tedford, 99, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt and dear friend, passed away on September 15 at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington. She succumbed to a heart ailment that came on suddenly, after a full day spent in some favorite pastimes — animated conversation, dining out, walking in her Underhill Center neighborhood, and planning activities with friends and family. She is survived by her husband of 65 years, Walter “Ted” Tedford; son omas O’Brien and his wife, Linda; son Charles O’Brien; daughters Patricia Goudey O’Brien and Paula Diaco; nine beloved grandchildren and their spouses; 11 great-grandchildren; son-in-law Jonathan Draudt and Miya Cline; two nieces; and a cousin. She was predeceased by two daughters, BarbaraJean O’Brien and Laurie Tedford, and her son-inlaw Robert Diaco.

Marie was the second of four children born to Jenny Genantone Flaim and Charles Flaim in Fort Lee, N.J. She attended Catholic schools in Fort Lee and graduated from St. Cecilia High School in Englewood, N.J. She was a writer all of her life, publishing numerous articles for craft magazines in New Jersey and newspaper articles in Vermont. She published a children’s book, e Bearamores Visit the Badlands, for an educational publisher, and she wrote six editions of Collecting Books with her daughter Pat for Random House’s House of Collectibles. In 2019, Marie released a volume of short stories about growing up in Italian neighborhoods in New Jersey, Nanny Goat Hill from the Tamarac Press.

A lifelong lover of books, Marie was a founding member of the Vermont Antiquarian Booksellers Association. For decades, she conducted her business, Mountain Reverie Books, selling rare and antiquarian books from the small shop beside her house in Underhill Center.

In recent years, Marie enjoyed spending time with friends and family, especially enjoying a weekly gathering of writers from around the neighborhood in her adopted state. She never liked leaving Vermont, except to visit special people, and she would say about taking her leave now, “It was not my idea.”

A memorial celebration of life is planned for Sunday, October 8, 2 to 5 p.m., at the town hall in Underhill Center. e family will combine this celebration with memories of Marie’s daughter Laurie, who passed away just prior to the recent pandemic. Friends of Laurie’s and Marie’s are welcome to be with us to celebrate two very wonderful people. Beverages and light refreshment will be available.

Vera Benes

DECEMBER 16, 1948-

AUGUST 26, 2023

JERICHO, VT.

It is with great sadness and disbelief that we share the recent passing of our dear wife, mother, nana and friend, Vera Terezie Benes, age 74, of Jericho, Vt. She passed away unexpectedly in her sleep while she and her husband, Peter, were visiting one of her best friends, Donna Safford, in Durango, Colo. She leaves Peter behind, along with her son, Joshua; her daughter-in-law, Rebecca; and her grandsons, Luke and Zachary. She was predeceased by her parents and her daughter, Christina. Anyone who knew Vera loved her bubbly personality, her genuine kindness and her true love of life. There was always a certain kind of sparkle about her.

Vera was born on December 16, 1948, to Al and Vera Soucek

in the city of Pardubice in what is now known as the Czech Republic. Vera and her parents fled their country during the communist takeover in 1949. Vera was just an infant when they had to navigate the woodlands, swamps and mountains to safety and freedom in Germany. They left Europe by boat to Canada and settled in Toronto. Eventually, her father, Al, who was in the hospitality field, moved his family across the border to

Maynard McLaughlin

DECEMBER 25, 1934-SEPTEMBER 21, 2023

SHOREHAM, VT.

Maynard Francis McLaughlin passed away peacefully at his home in Shoreham, Vt., surrounded by his family, on September 21, 2023.

Maynard, known as Mac, was born on December 25, 1934, the son of Maynard Francis McLaughlin and Alice (Hogue) McLaughlin of Corning, N.Y. The third of seven children, Mac received his early education in Corning. After graduation from high school, he joined the Marine Corps in 1953 and served until 1956. Following his military service, he attended the Catholic University of America and graduated with a bachelor of science in civil engineering. It was at Catholic University that Mac met the love of his life, Ann Marilyn D’Andrea. They wed in 1961, shared 62 years of marriage and raised seven children. Mac was involved in the construction industry in the Corning, N.Y., and Stamford, Conn., areas, then moved the family to Vermont in 1974. In 1977, he joined Bread Loaf Corporation in Middlebury, Vt., ultimately becoming owner and president. He was a proud member of the board of the Diocese of Burlington and St. Mary’s Parish Council and past chair of United Way of Addison County. Mac was chosen as Vermont’s Citizen of the Year in 1987. He was also past president of the Addison County Chamber of Commerce, president of the Vermont branch of the Association of General Contractors and national

Long Island, N.Y., and eventually to Vermont.

The first business that her family began in Vermont was the Haus & Heim Ski Lodge in Jeffersonville. It was on Route 108 on the way to Smugglers’ Notch — then known as Madonna Mountain — and was where Vera learned to ski with her dad and fell in love with the sport. She easily made friends with everyone at the resort, from the ski patrol to the lift operators. In between her days on the mountain, Vera attended and graduated from Lamoille Union High School and, later, Champlain College. Vera’s dad, Al, really wanted his daughter to meet a nice Czech man, not so easy in rural Vermont. A longtime Czech friend of his, who came to ski at Smugglers’ Ski Area and who was living in Toronto, visited the Haus & Heim and reunited with Al. This friend knew of a family who had a restaurant business in Toronto and

director of AGC America. Mac was a Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow recipient. Other professional affiliations include board service for Porter Hospital Health Services, Elderly Services, Vermont Business Roundtable, Key Bank and the Addison Central Supervisory Union, among others.

Maynard is survived by his wife, Marilyn McLaughlin; and children, Lisa McLaughlin Wyncoop and Paul Wyncoop, Mary McLaughlin Mathon, Sheila McLaughlin Murphy and Rory Murphy, Marlene McLaughlin Simson and Geoff Simson, Frank McLaughlin and Julie McLaughlin, Michael McLaughlin and Amy McLaughlin, and Heidi McLaughlin Mello and Peter Mello. He and Marilyn have 19 grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. He is survived by his sisters Sheila McLaughlin Reeder and Libby McLaughlin Dolan and predeceased by his brother, Daniel McLaughlin, and sisters Ann Fennell, Catherine Bassney and Alice McLaughlin.

Calling hours will be at Sanderson Funeral Home in Middlebury, Vt., on Friday, September 29, 4 to 7 p.m. A mass of Christian burial will take place on Saturday, September 30, 10 a.m., at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. A private interment for the family will take place at a later date.

Mac’s family would like to thank Addison County Home Health & Hospice, in particular Wayne Baumgaertel, for their caring attention at the end of Mac’s life.

Arrangements are under the direction of Sanderson Funeral Home, with online condolences at sandersonfuneralservice.com.

happened to have a son named Peter, the same age as Vera! In what turned into a whirlwind fairy-tale romance, Peter and Vera soon became a couple. In 1971, they were married at Saint Mary’s church in Cambridge Village, with the reception at Smugglers’ Notch, of course. If there was ever a couple who were truly meant to be together, it was Peter and Vera.

Peter had to return to Toronto for three years to help his parents run a second restaurant they were just opening. It was there that their daughter, Christina, was born. In all the time they were there, they could not wait to move permanently back to Vermont. In 1976, they built a house facing Mount Mansfield on 10 acres of land. This would become their forever home. Their neighbors Cherie and Henry Sorrell became their friends for life. Vera, Peter and their family loved skiing and horseback riding with their

Richard Bowditch Does

MARCH 7, 1940SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

BURLINGTON, VT.

Richard B. Does died at home in his shrine room on September 8, 2023, in the arms of his loving wife, Antonia, with family and friends close by, enveloped in the peaceful beauty of the majestic trees and natural space outside that he tended to lovingly throughout the many seasons of his life. The support of angels from University of Vermont hospice helped create the tranquil space for his passage.

Born in Winthrop, Mass., in 1940, Richard was the eldest of six children. Shortly after completing his PhD at Michigan State University in 1969, he moved to Burlington with his family, where he began his career as the director of the University of Vermont’s Counseling and Testing Center. He made a profound difference in the lives of many clients there, as well as through a private counseling practice he maintained for much of his life.

Richard was a brilliant man who touched the lives of countless beings. As a clinical psychologist, a meditation instructor, and both a student and teacher of Buddha Dharma, he had an uncanny

horses, Prince Charming and Shadow Dancer.

Vera’s parents opened the Alpine Restaurant in Jericho, while Peter and Vera took over the Continental Restaurant in downtown Burlington. When Peter’s parents sold their restaurants in Toronto, the family bought a nice Victorian building on three acres of land on Shelburne Road, where they operated the Benes Inn Restaurant. The restaurant received Awards from the Gourmet Diner’s Club of America four years in a row: 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984. All was well in their lives until their daughter was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 9. After a valiant struggle, she passed away three years later. Happier days were to return with the birth of their son, Joshua, in 1989. Vera was an incredibly supportive mother and cared for and loved her son with all of her heart. As a family, they enjoyed many wonderful vacations, went on

many horseback rides, and enjoyed many adventures and skiing up on the mountain.

Vera’s association with Smugglers’ Notch continued for decades, working first as a ski instructor. She became known as Princess Vera, along with her ski partner, Princess Pam, and they both became very popular among the kids. Later she moved indoors and worked in the Sport Shop as the assistant manager. She enjoyed working at Smuggs and loved the people with whom she worked.

A memorial service will be held at Smugglers’ Notch in the Main Meeting House, the same building as Morse Mountain Grille, on Sunday, October 15, at 2 p.m., with a reception following. All who attend are encouraged to wear a little bit of sparkle in Vera’s honor and to perhaps share a favorite memory of her.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

within them, himself and the rest of us.

He will be remembered and missed profoundly for his lyric wordplay, the nicknames he gave to people, his great sense of humor and his deeply perceptive intelligence. His insight, compassion, playfulness, generosity and expansive visionary fields will live on for lifetimes.

way of truly and deeply recognizing the other. He spent the majority of his life in both a serious and oh-so-playful quest for the meaning of reality and in support of the well-being of others. As a Buddhist practitioner for close to 50 years, Richard drew Truth from sacred teachings, deep personal experience and training, and infinite space. Friends, acquaintances and strangers of all cultures, walks of life and faiths were blessed by his genuine curiosity and respect for them. Even amid moments of his own discomfort or struggle, he would think of those around him first, often making them laugh and always making them feel seen and appreciated for who they were. Children especially loved Richard, as he was so closely in touch with his own inner child and with the inherent goodness and pure nature

Richard was a friend to the friendless, champion of the disenfranchised and patron saint to the lonely. He felt deeply the grave injustices of this troubled world.

He leaves behind his first wife, Lynne Walther; their sons, Richard Marshall and Jamie Edwin Does; and beloved grandchildren, Graham, Natalie and Finn Lienhard Does. So, too, he says farewell to his brothers Jerome and Peter and his sister Kate. He is predeceased by his two siblings, Edwin and Elizabeth.

Loving in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and his devoted little dog, Keeper Divine, will miss him dearly.

Most of all, the love of his life, his soul companion and wife of over 30 years, Antonia, will forever love and remember him always.

In honor and memory of Richard, please be good to yourselves and others, appreciate the beauty around you, and keep a sense of humor about it all.

lifelines

Eleanor Kokar Ott

AUGUST 20, 1936AUGUST 13, 2023

MAPLE CORNER, VT.

To Eleanor Ott of Maple Corner, bringing people together was as natural as breathing. As a teacher, writer, poet, artist and general instigator of shenanigans, she connected an ever-expanding universe of like-minded colleagues, soulmates, children, pets and spirits. Sitting in her breakfast nook with phone in hand, she networked, solved problems and wove the fabric of her numerous communities. She had more circles than the rings around Saturn.

Eleanor was a longtime member of the Scribblers, a circle of central Vermont writers. “She was the mentor and elder who kept the group going,” wrote her friend Andy Christiansen. e group also helped Eleanor keep going. At the time of her death, on August 13, 2023, at home, Eleanor had been dealing with Parkinson’s disorder for decades. She was also the driving force behind the Runes Group, a circle of friends who researched Norse myths, celebrated the solstices and gathered for weekly feasts in Eleanor’s book-stuffed dining room. If a topic sparked an interest, she had a book on it — or 50.

From 1969 to 1985, she taught anthropology and folklore at Goddard College, where she was honored during a graduation for her teaching, advising, leading, innovating and committee chairing. “If we didn’t have an Eleanor Ott,” said the president, “we’d have to invent her.” Students recall her courses on William Blake, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and one called “Everything

OBITUARIES, VOWS, CELEBRATIONS

to their island in Maine to camp out, study the ecosystem and tell stories by the fire. Stones spoke to Eleanor. She collected them on all her travels.

with and cared for Eleanor for many years.

Harlaine “Holly” D. Miller

1944-2023

You Always Wanted to Know

About a Stone Wall but Were Too Afraid to Ask.” After retirement, she mentored independent students keen on learning about shamanism, Viking runes or the meaning of North.

Eleanor Ann Kokar Ott was the daughter of Helen and Paul Forster. Born on August 20, 1936, she was raised in Bristol, Pa. Her brief marriage to omas Ott ended in divorce. After a BA in philosophy and literature at Wilson College and an MA in education at HarvardRadcliffe, Eleanor received her PhD in anthropology and folklore from the University of Pennsylvania. Between colleges, she spent a year bicycling alone the length and breadth of Britain.

Eleanor was an avid birder, which could make driving with her terrifying. She’d pull over suddenly, whip out her field glasses and exclaim, “Look! A Merlin!” while her passengers’ hearts thumped in fright. Birding sealed the bond with Nancy deGroff, an outdoor educator whom Eleanor met in graduate school in 1959. Together they traveled the British Isles and the U.S., following migration routes and congregations. Eleanor and Nancy brought students

Eleanor was involved with the Center for Shamanic Studies, was a longtime trustee of the Center for Northern Studies, helped to establish the Vermont Folklife Center in Middlebury and was involved with Foodworks, the former Vermont nonprofit. Despite the limitations imposed by Parkinson’s, she never stopped dreaming, imagining and composing. “Spirit Beings,” her series of large-scale drawings, was displayed in several central Vermont galleries in recent years. Heart-Work Trilogy: ree Books to Open Our Hearts was published in 2021, thanks to her editor and good friend Kathleen Osgood, who generously gathered Eleanor’s prose, poetry and drawings. As her friend Neville Berle wrote, “Eleanor had a gift for recognizing and nurturing the gifts of others.” He loved watching Eleanor shapeshift, “moving in a span of moments from teacher to mischievous child to shaman to ethnologist to den-mother to hawk-eyed sage.” She was a gatherer of souls, visible and invisible.

Eleanor always knew she was adopted. Her gnawing hunger to belong led her on a yearslong search for her birth family, which was finally successful. She learned she was born Anne Kokar in New York City, during the Great Depression, to Ottilia Anna Kokar, an immigrant from Hungary. In 1995 she met her half brother, Lou Cherry, and his wife, Arlene, who welcomed Eleanor into their family. Lou later lived

It is no small thing to see a friend through to the end of her days. at she was able to stay in her 1804 farmhouse was a gift. She relied the most on three dear friends: Monika Reis, her steady and constant friend of 30 years; Trees-ah Elder, who lived with Eleanor for five often challenging years, patiently caring for her day and night; and Susan Atwood, who tended Eleanor’s mind and heart.

Eleanor is also survived by Maija Rothenberg, her friend of 50 years; Maija’s daughters, Rowan Eleanor Balagot and Alana (Becca Louisell) Balagot, who were Eleanor’s godchildren; Monika’s daughters, Iris Sandusky and Evelyn Sandusky; her brother Lou’s family; and numerous friends. Eleanor was predeceased by her birth mother, her parents, her friend Nancy, and her brother Lou.

Eleanor Ott touched many people’s hearts, minds and spirits. So quick was she with a comeback that conversations with her could feel like doing improv comedy. To many, she was the hearth around whom one gathered for warmth, wit and wisdom. at her bright blaze has gone out, at least on Earth, is a source of great sorrow. A memorial service will be planned for a later date. Memorial contributions may be made out to MCCC and mailed to Maple Corner Community Center, c/o Curtis Pond Association, PO Box 162, Calais, VT 05648. ose wishing to extend condolences to Eleanor’s closest friends may reach them at PO Box 4, Calais, VT 05648. Heart-Work Trilogy by Eleanor Ott is available at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library and Bear Pond Books.

Harlaine “Holly” D. Miller, 79, peacefully passed away in the early morning hours of Wednesday, September 20, 2023, at the McClure Miller Respite House, surrounded by her loving family.

Arrangements for Holly are incomplete at this time and will be announced as soon as they are finalized. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the McClure Miller Respite House, 3113 Roosevelt Highway, Colchester, VT 05446. Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Ready Funeral and Cremation Service, South Chapel. To send online condolences to the family, please visit readyfuneral.com.

Edwin Levin

JANUARY 2, 1944-SEPTEMBER 21, 2023 SOUTH BURLINGTON, VT.

Edwin I. Levin, 79, passed away on September 21, 2023, from cancer. Born on January 2, 1944, in Philadelphia, Ed shared his intelligence, curiosity, love for Broadway and social work skills to leave this world a better place. One of his greatest pleasures was cooking for and hosting friends and family. He approached his illness as he lived: with courage, grace and acceptance. We are grateful for the outstanding medical care Ed received at the University of Vermont Medical Center, especially from his oncology team. Together with his wife, Betty, they forged friendships near and far as they traveled the world during the past 34 years. Ed also leaves his daughter, Katie (Chris); son, Daniel (Jen); grandson, Benjamin; and sister, Cecilia. In Ed’s memory, please offer a gesture of kindness to another. Donations may be made to a charity of your choice. No services are planned.

Carol Dunlop

1936-2022

Play on.

Melody A. Brown

SEPTEMBER 21, 1956NOVEMBER 28, 2013 is place is a dream Only a sleeper considers it real. en death comes like dawn, And you wake up laughing at what you thought was your grief. —Rumi

Dean R. Corren

1955-2023

BURLINGTON, VT.

e family of Dean Corren invites you to join them to honor his life on Sunday October 8, 2023. e service will begin at 11 a.m. at Contois Auditorium, Burlington City Hall, 149 Church St. Please bring your fondest memories to share. Live-stream link: youtube. com/live/U_.

lifelines

For nearly two decades, Jan Schultz pushed local leaders to improve the e ciency of Burlington’s wood-fired electricity plant. A retired software engineer who served on the board of the Burlington Electric Department in the early 1980s, Schultz is painfully aware of how much energy the cityowned Joseph C. McNeil Generating Station wastes.

About 75 percent of the heat used to make steam at the 50-megawatt facility escapes through the plant’s soaring smokestack and its smaller twin cooling towers, which release billowing white plumes into the sky above the Intervale plant.

In 2007, Schultz cofounded a citizen’s group called

Burlington District Energy System. Its goal: harness the wasted heat and pump it into a network of pipes to warm homes and businesses so that they will no longer rely on fossil fuels. Schultz has been such a staunch advocate that a former general manager of Burlington Electric once called him the “spiritual leader” of the e ort.

But as a moment of truth looms, Schultz is having a crisis of faith. This summer, smoke from Canadian wildfires darkened skies above much of the U.S. A city in Hawaii burned to the ground. Catastrophic floods ravaged Vermont. Like people worldwide worried about the climate crisis, Schultz watched in horror.

It’s decision time on Burlington’s long-simmering proposal to heat buildings with wood-fired steam

“When I look at what’s happening in the world, I mean, holy shit!” said Schultz, 81. “Burning wood is just not the thing to do. The whole thing is absurd.”

Since the plant opened in 1984, city o cials have taken the position that burning trees sustainably harvested from local forests is a climate-friendly alternative to the way most electricity in the U.S. is produced — by burning fossil fuels such as natural gas, coal and oil. And it takes advantage of a renewable fuel source: wood.

But today, as climate scientists warn of the urgent need to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, a growing number of experts and environmental activists argue that burning trees and other forms of organic material, collectively called biomass, is also bad for the climate.

The shift in thinking has heightened the scrutiny of both McNeil’s operations and its potential expansion. Climate scientists held a symposium in June to urge Burlington to rethink its reliance on burning trees for electricity. Clean energy advocates proposed state legislation that would have prevented Burlington from calling McNeil’s power renewable. And climate activists have held loud rallies demanding that the city shut down the plant. Last weekend, protesters crashed Burlington Electric’s Net Zero Energy Festival, which had been billed as “a day of outdoor fun for the whole family to share Burlington’s Net Zero Energy vision.” Protesters paraded through the celebration with a huge black snake puppet representing the steam pipeline.

The debate has intensified as the Burlington City Council inches closer to a pivotal decision on a complex, $42 million proposed

project that would pipe steam from McNeil to the University of Vermont Medical Center.

Project backers hope to supply the hospital with a renewable, climate-friendly heating source to displace the huge volumes of natural gas — “fossil gas” to use their term — that the hospital consumes today. And they note with suspicion that Vermont Gas Systems, which would lose one of its biggest customers, supports the project and would partly own the distribution system.

But questions about McNeil’s true climate impacts, the potential of climatefriendlier power options and the project’s soaring estimated costs all threaten to undermine the case for district energy, leading to a do-or-die moment for the city’s highest-profile climate solution.

If the project can’t overcome the looming financial and political hurdles, Mayor Miro Weinberger’s aggressive goals to become a “net-zero” city by 2030 could prove significantly harder to reach. The term refers to removing as much carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as is being added to it — which is sometimes referred to as being “carbon

Full Steam Ahead?

e proposed $42 million project would pipe steam from the McNeil Generating Station to the University of Vermont Medical Center and a few buildings on the UVM campus. e steam would travel a mile and a half to the hospital, where it would augment an existing steam-heating system. As it cools, the steam would condense into hot water that a separate pipe would carry back to McNeil, where it would be used to bolster the plant's efficiency.

WinooskiRiver

WHEN I LOOK AT WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE WORLD, I MEAN, HOLY SHIT!

PIPE DREAM?

neutral.” Burlington hopes to reduce and eventually eliminate fossil fuel use in the heating and ground transportation sectors, and the project has for years been a key component.

“This is it. We are at the go, no-go decision,” Weinberger said. “We are either going to emerge from this intense period of analysis, investment and work and finally find a path to get this built, or we’re done.”

CARBON COUNTING

Since McNeil’s earliest days, Burlington has been considering ways to make it more e cient. At least six district energy studies over the years have gone nowhere. Yet the current proposal to pump McNeil’s steam to heat the hospital has gotten far closer to fruition than past e orts.

“Every single study that’s ever been conducted on this has been a feasibility study,” Darren Springer, the electric department’s general manager, said. “This is an engineered project that’s ready to go and actionable.”

Well, it’s not totally ready to go. The project still needs a contract with the hospital, council approval and an Act 250 permit.

Burlington City Council work sessions on the project have twice been postponed

to give more time for contract negotiations between BED and the hospital, which are now in their third month. The closed-door talks, which involve financial terms and the structure of the complex deal, are “dynamic,” Springer said. The hospital would buy the steam, providing revenue that would help pay for the system.

Springer said he hopes to have an agreement to bring to the council by October 10 so he can publicly share the latest details and financial terms.

“If we are able to bring it forward, that will be an exciting moment,” he said.

The project’s recent progress has fired up climate activists. They worry that a major investment would extend the operation of a nearly 40-year-old plant they say contributes to the climate crisis.

“We fundamentally do not believe that we should be giving a lifeline to the McNeil facility,” said Elena Mihaly, director of the Vermont chapter of Conservation Law Foundation. “It’s a dirty facility that is nearing the end of its useful life.”

Mihaly and others argue that McNeil and Ryegate, the other wood-fired electric power plant in the state, should be phased out in favor of clean energy such as wind, solar and hydroelectric. Those sources already fulfill 68 percent of Burlington’s energy needs, while McNeil kicks in 32 percent. The city’s power portfolio has enabled officials

to proclaim since 2014 that it uses 100 percent renewable energy.

At the heart of the issue is a wonky but fierce debate about how harmful biomass electricity is to the climate. Backers note that carbon from biomass energy theoretically can be recaptured if new trees are allowed to mature. Yet a growing number of climate scientists warn that burning trees for energy is creating a carbon debt that future forests will be unable to pay.

“We know we don’t have time on our side,” Mihaly said. “From a climate perspective, we have no choice but to look at how we move past burning wood for electricity in Vermont.”

Meanwhile, leading climate accounting organizations consider biomass energy sources such as McNeil to be carbon neutral under certain conditions. Burlington Electric contends that McNeil meets the standard because the wood chips it burns are sourced from healthy forests that suck up more carbon than logging removes.

Either way, burning trees produces a huge amount of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas contributing to the climate crisis. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, McNeil spews about 400,000 tons of the gas every year, more than any other energy facility in the state. That doesn’t include additional gas released by the machines that harvest, process and transport the chips to McNeil.

The argument for biomass energy being carbon neutral is that the fuel comes from part of the natural, aboveground carbon cycle, as opposed to the fossil carbon that humans have been extracting from the ground since the 1800s.

Climate scientists and groups such as 350.org, Third Act, Stop VT Biomass and Standing Trees argue that forests need to be protected to store as much atmospheric carbon as possible.

“UVM Medical Center is one of the state’s great prizes,” environmentalist Bill McKibben said in a statement. “I hope it supports energy sources — sun and wind — that neither foul our lungs nor lead to the climate disasters that their nurses and doctors must treat. A lifeline for McNeil isn’t really a lifeline for Vermonters.”

Councilor Gene Bergman (P-Ward 2) has long been a supporter of the district energy project, but the June biomass symposium and other research have changed his mind. He lives in the Old North End and can see McNeil from outside his home.

“I don’t believe we should be expanding the burning of fuels — in this case, biomass — in a climate emergency,” Bergman said. “Put simply, we need to stop burning stu .”

Supporters of the district energy plan

stress that the plant, which is jointly owned by the electric department, Green Mountain Power and the Vermont Public Power Supply Authority, plays a vital role in the stability and cost-e ectiveness of the state’s electricity grid.

Unlike wind and solar, which are intermittent, McNeil can be turned on anytime it’s needed, including in the dead of winter, and run virtually nonstop. (It is in use about 60 percent of the time.) Without the plant, Burlington — and the state — would be more dependent on electricity purchased from the grid, largely generated elsewhere in New England from fossil fuels, project backers argue.

“Would we build it today? Probably not,” Councilor Mark Barlow (I-North District) said of the plant. He sits on a committee that’s been reviewing the district energy

proposal. “But we have it, and to me, it seems we need to do what we can to make McNeil better.”

HOSPITAL OR BUST

The current district energy project is a slimmed-down version of one proposed in 2017. That iteration would have sent hot water from McNeil to the hospital and possibly parts of the UVM campus before looping downtown. It would have hooked up 46 buildings with a combined 4.2 million square feet of space. The medical center, a handful of buildings at UVM, and downtown properties such as city hall, Hotel Vermont and the future CityPlace Burlington project were all considered potential customers.

Cost estimates ranged from $39 million

to $53 million, and the project promised to reduce Burlington’s greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent over 30 years. Like previous versions, however, the plan stalled without backing from building owners.

The process nevertheless proved valuable because it showed that 70 percent of the potential greenhouse gas emission reductions could come from a single customer: UVM Medical Center. Eager to keep the project alive, the city asked a previous consultant, Ever-Green Energy from St. Paul, Minn., to retool the plan to focus on the hospital’s heating needs.

“It’s not an easy project,” said Michael Ahern, the company’s senior vice president of system development. “There’s a lot of di erent folks working to try to make this happen.”

In 2022, Burlington Electric, EverGreen and Vermont Gas formed a nonprofit called Burlington District Energy, helmed by Springer, that would build and own the system. Neither taxpayers nor ratepayers would be on the hook for it.

The main players driving the project know each other well. Vermont Gas president and CEO Neale Lunderville spent four years as Burlington Electric’s general manager after Weinberger appointed him to the post in 2014. At the time, the mayor tasked Lunderville with getting district heating done. That didn’t happen, but Lunderville, who landed at Vermont Gas in 2020, remains a close confidant of the mayor’s.

“My duty here is to do what’s in the best interest of the customer and is aligned with our company values,” Lunderville said.

Weinberger also has a close relationship with UVM Medical Center president and COO Stephen Le er. They worked jointly on COVID-19 policies during the pandemic, appearing on webcasts together.

A hospital spokesperson did not make administration o cials available for an interview. In a statement, the hospital took the position that it “remains interested and engaged in this project” and is analyzing the financial complexities.

“Our goal throughout this process continues to be ensuring that we make informed decisions that put our patients first and remain true to our commitments to the communities for which we care, while also continuing to act as good stewards of limited healthcare dollars,” the statement reads.

Leffler, meantime, has personally endorsed the project. In May, he wrote a letter to Vermont Treasurer Mike Pieciak, encouraging the state to approve a $25 million low-interest loan for it.

THIS IS AN ENGINEERED PROJECT THAT’S READY TO GO AND ACTIONABLE.

DARREN SPRINGER

“The project would benefit our operations and community by advancing local and state climate goals, supporting energy innovation, and fostering strong partnerships to support the local economy,” Leffler wrote.

Project backers appear to be doing everything they can to get the hospital on board. The pipeline, originally designed to connect to the hospital near the emergency department, was rerouted to the eastern edge of the property to accommodate future expansion plans, Ahern said.

But both building and borrowing money have gotten much more expensive in the past few years. In 2020, Ever-Green estimated that the streamlined project would cost $16 million. Inflation, supply chain challenges and a sharp rise in interest rates have since caused the price tag to balloon to $42 million, Ahern said.

The project was banking on the $25 million state loan, with the balance coming from $12 million in tax-exempt bonds and a $5.2 million federal grant lined up by former U.S. senator Patrick Leahy.

Following the July floods, however, the state is prioritizing loan applications for housing projects, according to a spokesperson for the treasurer. Springer acknowledged that the delay in obtaining loan funds could increase borrowing costs, but he couldn’t say by how much. He acknowledged that the financial challenges represent “headwinds” for the project but said they were manageable.

The contract with the hospital is the biggest sticking point. But the gas company, which could stand to earn “clean heat credits” for the project under a new state program being developed, could sweeten the pot with financial incentives for the hospital. And the city holds some leverage, too.

Burlington has a new carbon-pollution impact fee, which voters approved and is soon to become law, that would penalize the medical center if it sticks with fossil heat. The hospital could face fees for failing to make eco-friendly heating upgrades. As the hospital grows and replaces its systems, the mayor noted, “they will be facing a very substantial carbon pollution fee if they continue to rely on fossil fuels for that energy.”

WASTE NOT

When it’s operating, McNeil burns about 74 tons of wood chips hourly in a massive furnace that transforms water into a potent plume of superheated steam. That steam,

which emerges from the boiler at 950 degrees and pressure of 1,250 pounds per square inch, is forced through a massive turbine generator at the heart of the facility.

Ascending a steel ladder on a recent tour of the nine-story plant, engineer Paul Pikna pointed through a tangle of pipes, ducts and valves on the underside of the turbine. Deep in those industrial innards, a new high-pressure pipe would be added to siphon off some steam before it could generate electricity. That steam would be piped out of the building and to the hospital. (A 10-megawatt electric boiler would be installed to ensure that the steam could be delivered even when McNeil is not operating.)

The diverted steam would reduce the plant’s electricity-generating capacity by about 3.5 megawatts — or 7 percent. While power sales to the grid could drop, the hospital would provide a new stream of revenue that would benefit Burlington Electric, Springer said.

The steam would travel a mile and a half through a 12-inch pipe buried in an insulated trench beneath city streets and sidewalks to the east end of the medical center’s campus.

A smaller four-inch distribution line could supply steam to a handful of nearby university buildings. But there is no plan to hook up main campus buildings because the university hasn’t shown an interest, Springer said. The university runs its own steam-based district energy system, which is powered by natural gas with an oil backup.

The steam from McNeil would enter the hospital’s distribution system, allowing it to take its natural gas boilers offline for much of the year. Those boilers would always be available as a backup power source in the event that McNeil goes offline, or on cold winter days.

After the hospital’s heating system used the steam, it would naturally condense into water and flow through a separate pipe back toward McNeil. The Intervale Center or nearby commercial operations could use the water, which would still be hot, to heat buildings, but there are no agreements for that yet.

Once the water returns to McNeil, a device would capture some of the waste heat from the smokestack to reheat the water, which then would flow into the boiler to be fired into steam once more.

That in turn means less wood would need to be burned. This could increase the efficiency of the plant from 26 percent to 29 percent.

That’s “nothing to sneeze at,” Springer said. But Schultz called the improvement paltry.

He and his fellow committee members have vigorously debated whether to support the current version of the project. Earlier this summer, Schultz said he’d come to agree with those who think McNeil should be shut down.

After meeting with Springer and Lunderville to learn more, however, he and other committee members have softened their position. The group now says it could support the project on three conditions. One is that the city commits to hiring an independent auditor annually to ensure that McNeil’s wood harvests are sustainable.

McNeil purchases more than 88 percent of its chips from logging jobs in Vermont and New York. The majority are from “tops and limbs” of trees that were cut down for other reasons, such as lumber or firewood, according to the plant’s chief forester, Betsy Lesnikoski. Critics are skeptical, noting that the electric department’s own contracts require the delivery of “whole tree chips” and allow clear-cutting of up to 25 acres.

Another condition: The city must install equipment using waste heat to dry the

wood chips before they are burned. The 400,000 tons of chips used annually are mostly unseasoned, slower-burning green wood.

A 2019 study estimated that such a project might cost $4 million. But it could reduce the amount of chips burned by roughly 7 percent and save nearly $800,000 per year. Officials never pursued the project because low electricity prices at the time didn’t justify the investment, Springer said.

“The economics of doing this now are much stronger than they were back then,” said Springer, who agrees the idea merits new analysis. But Schultz said he’s not interested in more studies, only in a binding commitment to do it.

The group’s final condition: A new citizens’ group must be formed to ensure that the city follows through on its promises.

Said Schultz: “All of us are too damn old to be doing this stuff anymore.”

STEAMING MAD

Environmental activists have been turning up the heat on city leaders all summer. About 40 people gathered outside McNeil one Saturday in July to protest the district energy plan. “Temps are Rising and So Are We,” read one sign. “Use Our $ for Climate Solutions,” said another.

“It’s a depressing topic these days,” activist Catherine Bock told Seven Days Speakers who urged the city to close the plant argued that burning trees is worse than burning coal. They said they worry future generations will face the climate calamities that have already begun.

“What we’re talking about are trees,” Geoff Gardner said. “Which should be either lying down dead in the forest or standing up tall and alive in the forest, where they do a tremendous amount of good.”

Other speakers mocked the electric

department’s reliance on a 40-year-old plant and accused the department of greenwashing, or falsely touting its energy as climate friendly.

Lena Greenberg said the public isn’t being told the truth about climate change, declaring: “I’m standing right in front of one of those lies.”

Project opponents note that there are other ways to reduce the hospital’s fossil fuel use: geothermal, reusing waste heat from its existing system or installing electric boilers.

Jay Peak Resort, for instance, with 178 hotel rooms and the region’s largest indoor water park, has huge heating needs. It recently installed a $1 million electric boiler that is expected to reduce the

resort’s propane use by 60 percent, saving an estimated $250,000 per year.

In Burlington, the Hula campus in the city’s South End uses geothermal heating, something officials have considered for city buildings, according to Weinberger.

But neither of those options seems to be viable for the hospital, Springer noted: Geothermal systems can’t produce steam, and electric boilers can be expensive to run.

It’s not clear how thoroughly the hospital has explored heating options or whether it considers McNeil its best bet. Instead of answering that question, a hospital spokesperson listed some of the other ways the facility has improved its energy efficiency.

Considering a range of energy alternatives is important, Springer said, but opposing an actual, shovel-ready climate solution in favor of hypotheticals is an example of making the “perfect the enemy of the good.”

Burlington has an aggressive plan to get to net-zero carbon emissions in buildings and transportation by 2030. The road map relies on weatherizing homes and businesses, heating them with electricity, encouraging conservation, and accelerating the shift to electric vehicles. The district energy plan at the hospital would reduce fossil fuel use in commercial buildings citywide by 16 percent, the biggest single cut to fossil fuel use in Burlington buildings, according to estimates.

In an interview last week, Weinberger expressed strong support for the project but also resignation that it could be snuffed out. If it is, the city stands ready to help the hospital explore other ways to limit its fossil fuel use, the mayor said. “We need to do that because it’s basically the biggest economic entity in the city, and they need to participate in getting to net zero, whether with this project or without it,” he said.

Weinberger agreed the district energy decision is a nuanced one. He said he is “persuaded by the argument that we do ultimately want to move away from combustion and from biomass.” At the same time, doing so without viable alternative energy sources would lead to more fossil fuel use, he said.

That’s a convincing argument for Barlow, the city councilor, who said he’d likely vote for the project, if and when it comes before him.

“The thing about governing is, there aren’t clear choices a lot of times,” he said. “There’s no black and white, or good and bad. It’s murkier than that. And this is one of those times.” ➆

Katie Futterman contributed reporting.

IT’S A DIRTY FACILITY THAT IS NEARING THE END OF ITS USEFUL LIFE.

ELENA MIHALY

Word on the Street

Essex Junction resident David Spargo claims to know every five-letter word in the dictionary. Prompt him with a set of letters, and he can recall all 9,383 of the words they form, to be exact.

Just don’t mistake his ability for an advanced vocabulary.

“Ninety percent of words I know, I have no idea what they mean,” Spargo said. “I just like knowing that things are words.”

Spargo’s talent may seem obscure, but it’s not uncommon in the world of competitive Scrabble — a niche community of roughly 2,500 people across North America for whom reading the dictionary is not an outlandish pastime. The 26-yearold South Burlington High School graduate competes at about 10 tournaments each year all over New England. With an average score of more than 400 points, he’s

currently ranked first in Vermont and 73rd in North America.

Though he learned the game from his grandparents, Spargo started playing competitively in college through a club at New York’s Rochester Institute of Technology. Disheartened by the lack of a Scrabble scene when he moved back to Vermont, he started the Burlington Scrabble Club in February. The group, which boasts a record attendance of 10 people, meets every Wednesday at the Boardroom, a board games café in Burlington.

Spargo said he wants to revive Scrabble at a time when competitive players like him are a dying breed. Hasbro stopped funding Scrabble tournaments in 2009, and the game’s popularity has waned.

At the 2023 championship in Las Vegas, about 100 players competed for a $10,000 prize. That may seem like a lot of Scrabble fanatics, but it’s nothing compared with

competitive Scrabble’s golden age in the early 2000s. A record 837 players competed for a prize pool of $100,000 at the 2004 National Scrabble Championship

Spargo sees his club as a way to get more people involved, he said. But for newcomers, there’s a steep learning curve: All games are one-on-one and have a time limit — a chess timer counts down from 25 minutes per player with a 10-point penalty for each minute of overtime. As an anti-cheating mechanism, players hold the bag of tiles aloft with one arm and draw tiles from it with the other.

Competitors sometimes bluff, purposely playing “phony” words they know won’t appear in the Scrabble dictionary. Players can challenge any word they believe is phony, but it’s a high-stakes maneuver. Competitors who lose a challenge or get called out on a phony forfeit a turn.

Spargo “phonies” all the time. In 2022, he earned the sixth-highest score in Scrabble tournament history, 756, at a tournament in Brattleboro. Most of his turns in that game were phonies, said Spargo, who played scientific-sounding words such as “solonium” and “celobite.”

“Was this my most ethical win? Perhaps not. Do I have any regrets? Definitely not,” Spargo wrote in online notes recapping the game.

Another key aspect of the game is “bingos,” or plays that use all seven tiles at once and earn competitors 50 bonus points. Spargo averages two bingos per game. His highest-scoring one was “mishears” for 203 points, played through two triple word scores.

To pull off words like that, Spargo said, he studies for about an hour every day. He uses flash cards with words on one side and letters in alphabetical order on the other. That way, during a game, he can assemble his rack in alphabetical order and unscramble just as he practiced.

The hard work is paying off: Spargo said he wins about a third of the tournaments he enters. But Scrabble victories don’t pay a living wage, so Spargo works as a software engineer at Vermont Systems in Essex Junction by day.

He said his analytical skills are a big help when it comes to Scrabble, which he views as a math game. It’s an optimization problem to maximize a score, Spargo said, and he’s constantly assessing the probability of drawing certain tiles.

“If you have the kind of mind that can do problem solving for software and for coding, that kind of mindset and way of thinking is really helpful when it comes to Scrabble,” Spargo said. “There’s a lot of probability and statistics that go into it.”

in New Orleans, which aired on ESPN. That same year, Cathy Resmer wrote for Seven Days about playing in an 80-person tournament in Lake George, N.Y.

Last Wednesday, I went to the Boardroom to see Spargo in action. By the time I arrived, he was patiently waiting with an already-set-up board and a chess timer he’d brought from home. Sporting a kempt

SPARGO SAID HIS ANALYTICAL SKILLS ARE A BIG HELP WHEN IT COMES TO SCRABBLE, WHICH HE VIEWS AS A MATH GAME.

I thought I could beat a Scrabble champion but found out there’s no F in “way”

BY HANNAH FEUER • hfeuer@sevendaysvt.com

beard and an “RIT Tigers” muscle tank, he seemed more aptly dressed for a weight lifting competition than a board game.

Before we started, Spargo asked me about my Scrabble experience. “I’ve played casually,” I replied, bracing myself for a shellacking.

The procedural matters alone were intimidating. After every play, I had to write down the word, call out the score, cross off which tiles had been played and hit the buzzer — all without running down the timer.

As a newcomer, I was granted certain privileges. Spargo gave me freebie challenges and overtime without penalty. He also handed me a cheat sheet with common two- and three-letter words, along with common words containing J, Q, X and Z. For example, I learned that “zzz” is a word — though probably the most useless word in Scrabble, since it would have to be played with just one Z and two blanks.

Those advantages proved futile. By only the third turn, Spargo had played “subpoena” on a triple word score for 83 points.

On his fifth turn, Spargo played “campo” for 26 points. “That’s Spanish!” I proclaimed.

Spargo dared me to challenge. Of course, there it was in the dictionary — though Spargo didn’t know its meaning: a grass plain with occasional stunted trees.

I was proud of my highest-scoring play, “quag,” on a triple word score for 42 points. But to no avail: The final score was a whopping 487 to 219.

“You did a really good job with the procedures,” Spargo kindly told me after we shook hands.

At around 6 p.m., the lone Scrabble club member of the night showed up. Noah Horowitz, 24, had heard about the club on Facebook and been to two previous meetings. He was getting the hang of things, he said, his scores steadily improving.

“This [cheat sheet] really helps with the barrier between playing with someone who’s really experienced and someone who’s not,” Horowitz said. “I now know all of the base words that are really helpful.”

Yet, against Spargo, Horowitz fared no better than I had. He lost, 485 to 210. Spargo doesn’t win every Scrabble club game. Other expert players who have showed up at the Boardroom include Jeffrey Nelson, ranked second in Vermont, and three-time national champion Joe Edley. Even Scrabble celebrity Mack Meller, the No. 1 player in America, once stopped by.

Most of the time, though, Spargo is leaps and bounds ahead of the pack. Still, he encourages everyone to come try the game, regardless of their skill level.

“It really doesn’t matter how much you know about Scrabble or how good your vocabulary is,” Spargo said. “Whether you win or lose, it’s just about having a good time.” ➆

Comic Relief

A Middlebury College professor uses graphic novels to breathe new life into the study of history

Middlebury College

professor Rebecca

thinks history has a public relations problem.

Since 2008, the number of undergraduates receiving degrees in history has fallen more steeply than any other major. In 2019, that number reached a historic low, according to the American Historical Association. Bennette doesn’t blame students who choose different majors — she herself hated history in high school, when she associated the subject with painstaking memorization.

But as chair of Middlebury’s history department, Bennette finds these trends concerning. So she’s spreading the word that history is valuable, both to students and the general public. In her new firstyear seminar, “History, Representation and the Graphic Novel,” she uses comics to teach about historical atrocities, from slavery to the Holocaust. She’s also on television. A specialist in 19th- and 20th-century Germany, Bennette is an expert commentator in the new Hulu docuseries “Hitler: The Lost Tapes of the Third Reich.”

History, Bennette said, shouldn’t be mistaken for a “pie in the sky” field. Insistent that “there are no useless degrees at a place like Middlebury,” as she put it, she is a staunch advocate for the liberal arts. As a practical matter, historical pattern recognition can be useful for preventing modern-day human rights abuses, Bennette said. But more broadly, she believes that a liberal arts education can open doors for students in the same way it did for her.

“I grew up in a family with no money,” Bennette said. “If I thought I was condemning [students] to a useless education that they were going to pay for, and then no job prospects, that would be morally unacceptable.”

Bennette grew up in Youngstown, Ohio, the child of a Japanese immigrant mother. In first grade, Bennette remembers, a boy called her a racial slur. She came home upset and told her mother, who asked Bennette to think about whether she believed the boy’s words. The incident was a heartbreaking but valuable lesson in selfworth, Bennette said. It would steel her for her first year at Johns Hopkins University, when her roommate put up a sign in their dorm room that read “No Japs.”

“A lot of times, you have to forge ahead,” Bennette said. “Even when you’re saying

EDUCATION

things that people don’t want to hear, even when people are treating you as if you don’t belong.”

Bennette is drawn to graphic novels, a medium she sees as giving voice to people who have been largely left out of history textbooks. The form, she said, allows for narrative experimentation that brings new meaning to familiar stories.

Presenting history through the lens of visual storytelling doesn’t mean simplifying or trivializing atrocities, Bennette said.

“It’s not a dumbing down of what’s being taught. It’s teaching it in a more accessible way,” Bennette said. “If not enjoyable — perhaps that’s not the right word when we’re dealing with atrocities — it’s always difficult, but at least engaging.”

Bennette compares historical facts to Lego bricks: No two people will build exactly the same structure with the same blocks, just as history can be interpreted in a number of different ways.

She brought that philosophy to class during a recent discussion of Maus: A Survivor’s Tale, a 1986 graphic novel by Art Spiegelman that tells the story of his Holocaust survivor father. Rather than

lecturing from the front of the room, Bennette sat at a table with her 16 students and got them to do most of the talking. She asked a series of questions: What are the advantages of graphic novels as a medium for teaching history, and what are the dangers? How did the students feel about

out that the medium allowed Spiegelman to heighten symbolism through his illustrations.

“This kind of metaphor is not something that you would really be able to employ with writing,” said one student, noting the novel’s depiction of Jews as mice in reference to the Nazis’ association of Jews with vermin.

“Victims of atrocities are humanized in graphic novels,” another student added. “You just keep seeing that 6 million statistic [of Jews murdered in the Holocaust], but in the graphic novel, you see people with their families, living their lives.”

the novel’s use of humor? If they had to put Maus in a bookstore, what section would they put it in, and for which age group would they recommend it?

The class seemed to agree on 10 years old as the minimum age, though there was disagreement about whether Maus should be classified as memoir, nonfiction history or historical fiction. Students also pointed

Bennette also urged students to consider the historical context of the novel itself. Spiegelman initially had trouble publishing his work in the era of the superhero comic, when many critics thought graphic novels were structurally incapable of serious literary expression. But attitudes changed, and in 1992 Maus became the first graphic novel to win a Pulitzer Prize.

“Now, no one’s going to look twice when you teach this,” Bennette said. “But

IT’S NOT A DUMBING DOWN OF WHAT’S BEING TAUGHT. IT’S TEACHING IT IN A MORE ACCESSIBLE WAY.

REBECCA AYAKO BENNETTE

when it first came out, people were like, ‘It’s trivializing. How dare you!’”

Other graphic novels on Bennette’s syllabus include They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, a memoir of the Japanese American actor’s childhood experiences in an internment camp; Ghost River: The Fall and Rise of the Conestoga by Lee Francis, the story of a group of Native Americans murdered by white settlers in Pennsylvania; and Grass by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim, about sexual slavery perpetrated by the Japanese Imperial Army.

Bennette chose these works, she explained, because they highlight underrepresented voices in history. For example, Bennette said, the events of

her students. Of course, every hand in the room goes up. Students who care about social justice ought to care about history, Bennette said.

She acknowledges that critics might deem her defense of the history degree as elitist or ignorant of the realities of crippling college debt. But she also rejects the idea that a history degree consigns people to a life of poverty. Students often don’t end up working in the field they studied, she said, and history prepares students for high-paying careers in business management, education and law. For college administrators, finances are also part of the programming calculus. Citing low enrollment and a budget deficit, University of Vermont administrators in 2020 proposed cutting more than two dozen academic programs from the College of Arts and Sciences, which includes the history department. The proposal was met with intense pushback, and most of the cuts have so far not been implemented. But budgets reflect an institution’s values, Bennette said, and some seem too eager to cut the humanities first.

“It’s not about cash; it’s about investment,” Bennette said. “An institution can have all the resources in the world. If it doesn’t care, it doesn’t care.”

Ghost River have historically been called the Paxton Boys Massacre, named for the perpetrators who were known as Pennsylvania’s most violent colonists. Bennette questioned that nomenclature. “They were men who murdered in cold blood a bunch of Native Americans — so why are we calling them boys?” she asked. Ghost River tells the story from the perspective of the Native American victims.

Middlebury first-year River Costello said he doesn’t mind reading the dense tomes that typically make up a history course syllabus, but he was excited about studying the subject through graphic novels. He said he was surprised by the breadth and depth of the reading material.

“I didn’t really think that there would actually be enough out there to make a class out of studying graphic novels,” Costello said.

In class, Bennette asks some questions that do have straightforward answers. “How many of you think that we should try and stop human rights abuses, atrocities and genocides?” she frequently asks

While the undergraduate study of history has taken a nosedive nationwide, some elite universities have bucked the trend. At Yale University, history was the most popular major for the class of 2019. At Middlebury, there are about the same number of history majors now as there were 15 years ago, according to Bennette.

As a first-generation college student, Bennette is no stranger to financial pressure. At Johns Hopkins, she had originally planned to study chemistry until a course on Western civilizations showed her that learning history wasn’t simply memorizing a series of disjointed facts.

Education has meant everything to Bennette, who said she feels like an embodiment of the American dream. She was one day shy of accepting a spot at University of Chicago Law School when she decided to pursue a doctorate in history at Harvard University instead. Beyond her passion for the subject, the decision was partly financial: Law school tuition would have required loans, while Harvard paid her to get a PhD.

Higher education is at a crossroads, Bennette said, with the humanities under threat. In order to stay relevant, she said, academia needs to evolve with the times.

Her course is one way to reengage students by “meeting them where we are now, not where we were 20 years ago,” Bennette said. “History is a moving target, and you’ve got to keep moving with it.”

Trouble Brewing

Citizen Cider enters the beer market — and alienates some of its staff

The founders of Citizen Cider made a clear distinction when they launched their first alcoholic beverage a dozen years ago: They weren’t a beer company, and their product wasn’t like beer. They compared their applebased fermented cider to wine and emphasized its appeal to every type of person, every citizen.

That distinction shifted in June, when Citizen Cider released Hey Bub, a light beer sold in red-and-gold cans with a depiction of a guy on a lawn mower. The company hosted a Bub Fest launch party at its Burlington pub and hung a giant “Hey Bub” banner o the balcony.

It was a classic case of product diversification. Using existing equipment and distribution channels, the company veered

into a new area of business to attract di erent customers. Unlike other new products Citizen Cider has introduced, such as hard seltzer and nonalcoholic cider, the company makes no mention of Hey Bub on its website or social media pages and issued no announcement to the media about its release. Hey Bub has its own website, Instagram account and proletarian ideology, favoring the motto “Keep it light.”

Citizen Cider’s foray into the beer business did not go down smoothly with some of its sta , particularly those working in the Pine Street restaurant and taproom, which sells Hey Bub alongside Citizen’s array of ciders. More than a dozen employees across the company have left Citizen Cider in recent weeks, many

citing incidents related to the Hey Bub release and what they view as its o ensive marketing.

Several of those employees, as well as some past Citizen Cider workers, spoke to Seven Days about their frustrations with the company. It wasn’t the beer itself or the reduced attention to cider that upset them. It was how Citizen Cider’s leadership opted to sell the beer — with messaging and methods that they considered narrow-minded at best and misogynistic and homophobic at worst, they said.

“They made very clear e orts to make sure that the beer is marketed to a very specific group of people,” one former employee said. “They have made it exclusive instead of inclusive.”

That specific group, according to several employees: straight, white, blue-collar men.

The Hey Bub upheaval illustrates the challenges for companies that shift their culture to reach di erent audiences than the customers they traditionally courted. That was the hard-earned lesson for brewer Anheuser-Busch this spring after it engaged an Instagram influencer, a transgender woman, to promote Bud Light. Vocal and viral backlash among the brand’s conservative drinkers followed, leading to a drop in sales. The beer company then walked back its trans-accepting promotion in favor of an ad campaign focused on football and country music.

SIDEdishes

SERVING UP FOOD NEWS

Paprika Catering to Open Empanada Shop in Waterbury

After two years of selling empanadas at pop-ups and farmers markets, PAPRIKA CATERING is going brick-andmortar in Waterbury. JACQUELINE DE ACHAVAL and JENNIFER MCCABE-DE ACHAVAL will open an empanada shop at 44 Foundry Street in mid-October or early November.

PAPRIKA will offer Argentinean-style baked empanadas for on-site dining as well as takeout. The menu will feature at least nine varieties made with local ingredients, including the Buenos Aires — a traditional steak, malbec and hard-boiled egg combo — and vegetarian and vegan options such as the Fall, with butternut squash, caramelized onion, walnuts and basil. Desserts inspired by de Achaval’s childhood in Argentina will also be available.

“It’s a growth opportunity,” de Achaval said. “We see good things coming up.”

Until now, the Waterbury couple have worked from STOWE STREET CAFÉ, where they began hosting Wednesday pop-ups in October 2021. They’ve expanded to five or six events a week, including private catering and pop-ups at area businesses such as CALEDONIA SPIRITS and SHELBURNE VINEYARD

Earlier this year, they worked with Stowe Street Café owner NICOLE GRENIER to build a U.S. Department of Agricultureinspected commercial kitchen in the café’s basement. Paprika’s new space nearby — 20 feet closer to the couple’s house, McCabe-de Achaval said — was the longtime home of Aztlan Foods, which closed in the spring. It will also

cofounder of Citizen Cider, said the creation of Hey Bub involved “input from employees across the spectrum of the company, and we looked at it as our most collaborative beverage development project to date.”

He attributed the internal hubbub to “the power of miscommunication” and added, “In the absence of good communication, people can draw a lot of assumptions about one another that aren’t true.”

Most of the Citizen Cider workers interviewed by Seven Days asked to remain anonymous, saying they worry that their candor or complaints could taint their standing in new positions or their future job prospects. Since they began speaking with the newspaper, a Reddit post about the commotion at the company has been shared widely on social media.

The turmoil started soon after Citizen Cider started selling Hey Bub. During LGBTQ Pride Month in June, the pub sta — mostly women, many who identify as lesbian, queer, trans or gender-nonconforming — decorated its chalkboard of weekly food and drink specials with rainbow colors and Pride messages.

“Happy Pride Y’all,” read one brightly lettered message on the specials board. “Now pouring: Hey Bub lite beer made here!” Underneath that, the board advertised the “Sloshie of the Gay,” for the week’s special frozen slush drink. Rainbows lined the bottom of the sign.

By the next day, someone had erased the board, several employees told Seven Days Pub sta redrew the rainbow designs on the board, along with the Hey Bub message, and it was wiped away again.

Citizen Cider leaders told sta that they wanted promotion of Hey Bub to remain “neutral,” several former employees told Seven Days. A few employees said they overheard a Citizen Cider director tell someone, “We can’t have that shit” associated with Hey Bub, referring to the Pride messages on the taproom chalkboard.

Megan Maher, former general manager of the Citizen Cider restaurant, met with the company’s owners and other leaders.

“We have a lot of queer sta here, and it felt like you were really trying to erase us from your brand,” she recalled telling them.

“I don’t understand why this company, whose values were founded on ‘cider for everyone, cider for the people,’ all of a sudden you have a brand that’s now excluding entire groups of people. And you’re asking queer people to sell it.”

Heilenbach disputed that anyone at the company disparaged the LGBTQ community. “We would never tolerate that kind of behavior, because we value all communities, including LGBTQ,” he said.

The tension at Citizen Cider escalated

with Bub Fest on July 13. According to several employees, Heilenbach and other company leaders wanted pub sta to wear Hey Bub T-shirts with suggestive phrases on the back. One showed a man riding a mower and hoisting a red beer can under the words “Keep It Trimmed.” Another depicted a man on a tractor with the phrase “Get Plowed.” A third read “Approved for Hooking Up” alongside an image of a man fishing.

Most employees Seven Days spoke to said they viewed “Keep It Trimmed” as a reference to women’s pubic hair. “Get plowed” and “hooking up” commonly refer to a sexual encounter.

Many of the Citizen sta , particularly young female servers, told their manager

that they were uncomfortable wearing the shirts. Two young servers told Seven Days that they regularly deal with male customers who call them “sweetie” or touch them without permission.

“They come in and get drunk,” one of the servers said. “And then you have these girls wearing these shirts — it creates just this really toxic environment.”

Mo Cummings, a former Citizen Cider bartender who worked during Bub Fest, loudly protested and refused to wear the shirt, she said during an interview a few weeks after the event. Bub Fest attendees could buy the T-shirts, and Cummings sco ed at some who did.

Before Bub Fest began, Maher and

another Citizen Cider manager found plain T-shirts and hurried to Michaels craft store for supplies to iron on the Hey Bub logo. The pub sta wore those instead of the original slogans.

In an email response to questions from Seven Days, Heilenbach wrote that the marketing team created “puns” to match the images on the T-shirts, and employees were under no obligation to wear them. They could choose any clothing or other method to promote Hey Bub, he wrote.

But the incident left a bad taste among the pub sta , several workers said. Some told Seven Days they feared they’d lose their jobs if they voiced their displeasure. A few days later, Cummings, who identifies as queer,

THIS IS 2023. YOU DON’T NEED TO PUT ... SEXUALLY HARASSING WORDS ON YOUR SHIRT TO SELL YOUR BEER. MO CUMMINGS

was fired and told the reason was her “bad attitude at Bub Fest,” she said. Heilenbach said Cummings lost her job because of “performance issues.”

Hey Bub is hardly the first U.S. brand to promote beer via sexual innuendo and references to drunken behavior. But several Citizen employees said alcoholic beverage companies need to respond to heightened awareness and sensitivity to sexual assault and harassment of women in the post-#MeToo era.

“This is 2023,” Cummings said. “You don’t need to put fucking sexually harassing words on your shirt to sell your beer.”

From its inception, Citizen Cider took a di erent approach with its cider, embracing slogans such as “Be a Good Citizen.” Several workers from various positions in the company said they joined the sta there because of the company’s “good vibes,” as one put it, citing its commitment to sourcing from local apple orchards and its attitude of tolerance. Last year, in honor of Pride Month, Citizen released Spill the Tea, a green tea-infused cider in a can with a psychedelic design of a face adorned with elaborate eye makeup, as an homage to drag queens. Spill the Tea is a “celebration of inclusivity, passion, and pride; made by the people and made for everyone!” according to a product description on Citizen’s website.

“We never talked about inclusivity in the workplace as much as we did about inclusivity of cider, and that’s what makes cider di erent, and that cider is for everyone,” one employee said. “If you look at a lot of Citizen’s branding, it has a lot of that ‘cider is for everyone.’”

Companies build their marketing

on those “intangibles” — attitudes and emotional connections that customers associate with a brand as much as they do with the product itself, said Mike Kallenberger, a beverage industry marketing consultant and brand expert at First Key Consulting. Based in the Milwaukee area, he is a past instructor for the Business of Craft Beer continuing education course at the University of Vermont. It’s “risky” for a company to veer away from its principles, even when diversifying with a di erent product, he added.

“Most companies have some core values,” Kallenberger said. “Those core values of the company should hold throughout” the release of new products. In his email responses, Heilenbach wrote that Citizen Cider’s values haven’t changed.

“Our commitment to inclusivity and support of the LGBTQ community is unwavering and has been since we started this company,” he wrote. “Any feedback our employees have expressed to us is heard and we have had an open and honest discussion about it.”

Heilenbach founded Citizen Cider in 2011 with partners Bryan Holmes and Kris Nelson. Holmes is the company’s vice president of product development, and Nelson remains an owner but is no longer involved in day-to-day operations, Heilenbach said.

They began pressing and selling their first beverage, Unified Press, out of a tasting room in Fort Ethan Allen in Essex. The Burlington pub opened in 2014 on Pine Street, where the company now has its o ces. Citizen Cider moved much of its

Spice Is Nice Savoring chile momos at Namaste Kitchen in Shelburne

Before I even took my first bite of Namaste Kitchen’s chile momos back in 2022, I knew the dish was something special. I’d come across a photo while searching the new restaurant’s menu online: a plate of perfectly pleated dumplings glistening with a deep red, sticky coating. I’m a sucker for stuffed dough (pierogi, tortellini, samosas, you name it), and a dumpling tossed in a spicy sauce struck me as unusual yet natural. I had to have it.

At the time, Pabi and Santa Pradhan had just opened Namaste Kitchen on Shelburne Road in the spot previously occupied by Himalayan Kitchen and Bar. My husband and I split that first order of chile momos. But when I stopped by the family-owned Nepali restaurant on a recent evening, the momos were all mine.

On the menu just below the regular momo offerings ($7.99 to $9.99) — vegetable, chicken, beef or pork, steamed or fried — the chile momos ($10.99) include the dumplings of your choice fried then tossed in a flavorful chile sauce with bell peppers and onions, served with a side of fresh tomato sauce.

I ordered the veggie variety, and the server asked how spicy I preferred the dish. “Medium?” I said tentatively, emboldened by the full carafe of water on the table.

The eight dumplings arrived puffed and crispy from their tumble in the fryer. The gingery, garlicky, spiceinfused sauce tingled on my lips, and the finely chopped cabbage and onion made for a steamy, soft filling. The cold tomato dipping sauce added brightness and toned down both kinds of heat: spice and temperature. The sweet crunch of tender-crisp peppers and onions complemented the deep savoriness of the two sauces.

The heat level was palatable but spicy enough to leave a lingering warmth in my face, reminiscent of the pleasant feeling after a day spent in the sun.

Although chile momos were new to me last year, the Pradhans’ eldest daughter, Sunita, 28, grew up on the dish.

“It’s something we always ate since we were kids. I remember my whole life making momo at home,” she said. In 2012, the Pradhans left Nepal — where Pabi ran a small restaurant out of their home — to join extended family in Vermont. Sunita helped in the home kitchen, but Namaste Kitchen’s momos are solely her mother’s territory. “My mom is really strict about how they look — she wraps every single one. She won’t even let me touch them,” Sunita said.

Instead, when she’s on break from college in Pittsburgh, Sunita shares front-of-house responsibilities with her sisters, Tuka and Ishmita, and their sister-in-law, Pranisha Subba. Brother Jeewan serves and also cooks, spending much of his time making naan.

The menu includes a variety of Nepali specialties, such as thali combination platters; chow mein (noodles); thukpa (noodle soup); and vegetable, meat and seafood curries.

The Pradhans cook them all by heart.

“My mom has been cooking for so long, she just knows what she’s doing. She doesn’t even measure anything,” Sunita said. When an out-of-state customer asked for a curry recipe, Sunita recalled apologizing: “I’m so sorry. I can’t give it to you because there is no recipe — my mom just cooks!”

Luckily for me and my chile momos obsession, Namaste Kitchen is right down the road. ➆

“One Dish” is a series that samples a single menu item — new, classic or fleeting — at a Vermont restaurant or other food venue. Know of a great plate we should feature? Drop us a line: food@sevendaysvt.com.

INFO

Namaste Kitchen, 3182 Shelburne Rd., Shelburne, 497-2844, facebook.com/namastekitchenvt

be USDA inspected, allowing Paprika to process meat for frozen empanadas that it hopes to sell to breweries, schools and other wholesale accounts.

food+drink

“The opportunity came up for us to move into a space where we have more production time,” McCabe-de Achaval said. “The cherry on the sundae was that we could have this space in our community for guests to enjoy our empanadas right on-site.”

Appalachian Gap Distillery in Middlebury Switches Ownership

WAGON

graduate with a passion for sustainability, he said the distillery was a natural fit. In 2021, the company became the first distillery in the nation to o set its carbon footprint entirely.

“We just kind of hit it o in terms of their ethos and approach to making spirits,” Drucker said of the founders. That ethos involved “wanting to utilize local ingredients, supporting organic farms as much as possible and generating the right energy through solar.”

APPALACHIAN GAP DISTILLERY cofounders LARS

HUBBARD and CHUCK BURKINS sold majority ownership of their Middlebury distillery to longtime employee WILL DRUCKER in July.

The pair launched the distillery in 2011 with a focus on whiskey after taking a course at New York’s Cornell University on artisanal distilling. In 2018, Drucker, living in Brooklyn at the time, partnered with Appalachian Gap to brew SPLIT SPIRITS, his idea for a whiskey line infused with flavors from various types of wood.

In 2020, Drucker moved to Vermont and became more involved in Appalachian Gap’s sales and marketing operations. A Middlebury College

Drucker declined to share the purchase price but said he financed it with a combination of personal funds and money from friends and family. Hubbard and Burkins will maintain a share of the company, he said, which reduced the cash requirement.

At the helm of Appalachian Gap, Drucker said he plans to launch a bourbon that’s been aged for roughly five years and work more closely with local bars and restaurants.

“We’re not trying to go nationwide, necessarily,” Drucker said. “A lot of our products are very rooted in Vermont, and so we want to lean into that.”

CONNECT

Follow us for the latest food gossip!

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

food+drink

production to a site on Flynn Avenue a few years later. Heilenbach declined to provide current employee numbers at Citizen Cider, citing a company policy against disclosing internal information. In December 2020, the Burlington Free Press reported that the company had 55 employees, down from 90 pre-pandemic.

Since its founding, the company has launched multiple new products, including hard seltzer, ready-to-drink cocktails and a nonalcoholic line of cider called All Times.

About two years ago, Citizen Cider began co-packing — manufacturing and packaging smaller companies’ products — for a local microbrewery, which Heilenbach declined to identify. The cider production operation had all the equipment necessary to make craft beer, other than a brewhouse, which Citizen Cider installed in early 2022, Heilenbach said. Citizen’s team worked with its co-packing partner on its recipes, then began to tinker with a beer formula of its own.

The brewers saw a “void in the market for an a ordable light beer, made locally,” Heilenbach wrote in his email. “Hey Bub is unique in that it is made within the craft industry but in a style that is quite uncommon in that market.”

Zero Gravity may disagree. The Burlington craft brewery released McLighty’s Light Lager last year as “the best light beer you’ve never heard of ... from the Green Mountains of Vermont.”

Nationwide, cider sales have softened, ending 2022 with a 9.8 percent drop to $536.5 million, according to market research firm NielsenIQ. Craft cider brewers, though, o set that trend with a 5.7 percent increase.

Citizen’s sales remain strong and had nothing to do with the decision to add Hey Bub, Heilenbach said. He declined to provide specific figures.

“Truly the reasons for diversifying our product line are to reach a wider variety of consumers, hopefully bring new consumers to try our current products, and to keep the work interesting,” he wrote.

The beer, which sells in a 12-pack for $13.99 at City Market and is widely available in Burlington, has received a good response in its two months on the market, Heilenbach wrote: “There is a lot of price fatigue and flavor fatigue right now and Hey Bub checks both boxes in terms of what many customers are searching for on the shelf.”

However, concern about the internal

strife at the company has prompted Carina Driscoll to take Citizen’s canned ciders and hard seltzers o the menu at her Burlington restaurant, Butter Bar & Kitchen, she said. A customer had asked for a cider other than Citizen’s and mentioned the employee uproar, Driscoll told Seven Days.

“We’ve pulled it for the time being, until we understand more,” Driscoll said. “But it’s a no-brainer to support workers who are asking their company culture to shift and get with the times.”

The separate marketing for Hey Bub grew out of Citizen Cider’s attempt to break into a new niche, Heilenbach said. In the beverage industry today, companies no longer define themselves by one type of product, he said.

“The concept of categories being really

distinct is sort of antiquated, that if you make beer, you’re just a brewery; you make wine, you’re just a winery; you make cider, you’re just a cidery,” he said. “If you look at the broader landscape of beverage in 2023, those subcategories have kind of lost their definition.”

But the divergent personalities of Citizen’s cider and beer are exactly what led to the strain in Citizen Cider’s workforce.

“It’s not the inclusive vibe that Citizen Cider, what they say they’re about,” one of the former pub servers said of Hey Bub. “All of us who work there came to work for Citizen Cider.” ➆

INFO

Learn more at citizencider.com and heybubbeer.com.

Watching Out

Cartoonist Alison Bechdel headlines the Green Mountain Book Festival

Eight days before she was to deliver the headliner address opening Burlington’s Green Mountain Book Festival, Alison Bechdel confessed that she was still trying to get her talk together.

Bechdel is best known as the creator of “Dykes to Watch Out For,” the groundbreaking comic strip that ran in newspapers for 25 years; and Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic , the 2006 graphic memoir about her father that was adapted into a Broadway musical that won five Tony Awards. She works in a studio tucked in the back of her home on a steep mountain road in West Bolton. Brushes and steelnibbed pens stand at attention there. Books line two tall bookcases and assorted shelves, while others form a Jenga tower on a small table. Softly lit on the day we talked, the studio is neat and orderly, with warm wooden floors.

Pine?

“I think it’s a veneer,” Bechdel said. But her five studio windows look out on solid wood, trees still lush and green. It’s peaceful — “this time of year, especially,” Bechdel said. “It’s so quiet, September.”

So it seemed incongruous to see Bechdel, her slight frame cradled in an o ce chair, a bit anxious as she considered her upcoming talk, “An Evening With Alison Bechdel,” on Friday, September 29.

“It’s cool that they’re asking a cartoonist to give this keynote, and it’s cool that they’re asking a queer person to do it,” she said. “I would love to just be able to talk about how ‘Isn’t it interesting that comics are now a legitimate literary form?’ but we don’t have the leisure for that sort of idle chitchat.”

Book banning is on the rise, and the topic is a timely focus of this year’s book festival, which runs through Sunday, October 1, the start of the American Library Association’s Banned Books Week. Fun Home is among the books that have been challenged across the country, coming in at No. 31 on the association’s Top 100 Most Banned and Challenged Books list for the decade spanning 2010 to 2019.

Bechdel used to pay little attention. “I have a lot of work to do,” she said. “I don’t want to have to address people who are censoring my book.” That felt like a waste of time, she said, “but now it’s just unavoidable.”

Besides Bechdel’s talk, the festival’s lineup includes a speech by Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman, who’s been traveling the state on a “banned books tour”; a fourauthor panel discussion on “Book Banning, Censorship and Rewriting Classics to Sanitize for Cultural Shifts”; and a reading of banned kids’ books. It all comes just a week after the release of two new reports showing a sharp uptick in challenges to books and indicating that public libraries have been increasingly targeted, in addition to school classrooms and libraries.

PEN America, a free speech organization, recorded 3,362 instances of book removal or restriction in K-12 schools during the 2022-23 school year, an increase of 33 percent over the year before. More than 1,550 individual titles were targeted. Florida school districts had the most bans — 1,406 — followed by Texas, Missouri, Utah and Pennsylvania.

Forty-four percent of those books were removed while investigators decided if restrictions were needed. Subjects of violence and physical abuse were most often cited, followed by topics of health and well-being; sexual experiences between characters; characters of color; and themes

related to race, racism, LGBTQ+ characters, grief and death. Many books contain more than one type of this content.

In a separate study, the American Library Association found a record surge in attempts to censor materials and services in public libraries. It recorded 695 challenges in the first eight months of this year, a 20 percent increase over the same period last year, which saw the highest number of book challenges since the association began compiling data more than 20 years ago.

The majority of those challenges targeted books written by or about a person of color or a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, the association said.

“They’re not so much banning books

as they’re banning people,” Bechdel said, echoing a slogan that resonates with her. “It’s the queer characters and the Black characters and the characters of color. Those are the books they don’t want kids to have access to.”

Challengers often say they are exercising their parental rights. “What about the rights of the parents who want their kids to have access to those books?” Bechdel asked. “What about the rights of children who deserve to have access to those books?”

Fun Home tells the story of Bechdel’s closeted gay father, who died — she suspects by suicide — four months after she told her parents she was a lesbian.

“ Fun Home is the book that’s getting censored,” Bechdel said, “and Fun Home

I DON’T WANT TO HAVE TO ADDRESS PEOPLE WHO ARE CENSORING MY BOOK, BUT NOW IT’S JUST UNAVOIDABLE.

ALISON BECHDEL

SPREADING THE WORD

Twenty-nine authors will gather with readers in Burlington this Friday, September 29, through Sunday, October 1, to celebrate free speech, diverse voices and the love of books at the second annual Green Mountain Book Festival.

In the lineup are Caldecott Medal recipient JASON CHIN, National Book Award finalist KEKLA MAGOON, 2023 Academy of American Poets laureate fellow JOSEPH BRUCHAC, Romance Writers of America lifetime achievement award honoree ANNE STUART and Dayton Literary Peace

Prize in Fiction winner BRAD KESSLER

Lt. Gov. DAVID ZUCKERMAN will speak briefly before cartoonist and author ALISON BECHDEL takes the mic on Friday for the headliner address in Burlington City Hall Auditorium.

Tickets are $25.

All other festival events are free. Most take place at Fletcher Free Library.

New this year is a full day devoted to children’s literature. “We really want it to be an exciting and welcoming day for all young readers, from toddlers, who love picture books and board books, up to teenagers,” said author KATE MESSNER, who coordinated that Sunday programming.

Children will get to draw with Chin and take a writing workshop with JO KNOWLES, CHRIS TEBBETTS, LINDA

URBAN and SUSAN TAN. Bruchac, Chin, Magoon, Messner and LOREE GRIFFIN

BURNS will share the inspirations behind their nonfiction, as well as their sometimes surprising research.

Other new events include a children’s parade, forming at 11 a.m. on Saturday in front of city hall, bookmaking workshops and a slate of vendors in the library’s main reading room.

Returning is the popular Lit Night at the Lamp Shop, a Saturday evening of poetry readings and performances at the Light Club Lamp Shop nightclub. ➆

INFO

Green Mountain Book Festival, Friday, September 29, through Sunday, October 1, various locations in Burlington.

$25 for “An Evening With Alison Bechdel”; other events free. greenmountainbookfestival.com

is about the dangers of people not being able to be who they are.”

Bechdel feels obligated to speak out; she just struggles with how. “Things are grim,” she said. “But you can’t just say that … No one can bear to listen.”

When Bechdel started her comic strip, in 1983, “I wrote it, really, out of survival,” she said, “out of my own desire to see myself reflected in the world, and people like my friends.” She named it “Dykes to Watch Out For” spontaneously. “But I liked its contradictory meanings,” she says on her website. “‘Watch out for’ as in ‘seek out,’ and ‘watch out for’ as in ‘avoid.’”

It seems to have gained a third meaning: “watch out for” as in “protect.”

A major reason Bechdel quit writing

the strip in 2008 was that she no longer felt the same sense of urgency, she said. Queer people were more widely represented. Society had moved beyond equating their identity solely with their sexuality. “And now we’re all getting dragged back there,” she said.

Bechdel would rather focus on her next book, a graphic novel she called “autofictional.” In it, she will portray a version of herself, but unlike Fun Home and Are You My Mother?: A Comic Drama, a memoir about her mother, this book won’t adhere closely to facts. “It’s hard to force oneself into that kind of scathing revelation and honesty,” she said.

“So I’m writing a book about how I live in rural Vermont with my partner, Holly, on our pygmy goat sanctuary.” (The first two statements are true, the last, not!) The book is called Spent. It’s about money, and Bechdel expects it to be published in early 2025.

“Dykes to Watch Out For” fans will be glad to hear that Bechdel has resurrected four of the strip’s characters, Lois, Ginger, Sparrow and Stuart, for her new book and moved them to Burlington. “They’re all in their sixties now, like me,” said Bechdel, 63. Sparrow and Stuart’s daughter, who was a baby in the strip, has just left for college. The old friends are community pillars, working hard, running organizations and playing pickleball.

June marked the 40th anniversary of the strip as well as its release as an audio series from Audible, a combination Bechdel called “thrilling.” Playwright Madeleine George, who wrote the adaptation, told the New York Times, “My first Hippocratic oath was: Do no harm to the strip.” Jane Lynch narrates, and the voice actors include Carrie Brownstein as Mo, Roberta Colindrez as Lois and Roxane Gay as Jezanna.

Actor Jake Gyllenhaal bought the movie rights to the musical version of Fun Home, intending to play Bruce, Bechdel’s father. Though she is not involved with the project, Bechdel said Gyllenhaal is currently out. “They’re still trying to make this movie happen, but it will have a different star,” she said.

Bechdel, meanwhile, is happy to focus on her book, “the thing I love doing most of all,” she said.

“I love the drawing. And so, even though I have an almost impossible deadline and I’m totally panicked about it, I’m so happy that after I do this talk next weekend, I don’t have to do anything except draw and write.” ➆

INFO

“An Evening With Alison Bechdel,” Friday, September 29, 6:30 p.m., at Burlington City Hall Auditorium. $25. greenmountainbookfestival.org

Oct. 6-8, 2023

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At first it seemed like Mali Obomsawin just wanted to talk about her music. But the awardwinning bassist, composer and singer-songwriter is also a community organizer and advocate for Indigenous rights, and her music is interwoven with her Indigenous heritage. And because she’s performing in Vermont, her conversation with Seven Days quickly turned to what she calls the state’s problem with “pretendianism,” or the practice of people falsely claiming Native ancestry.

Obomsawin, 28, is a citizen of the Odanak First Nation of the Wabanaki confederacy, which includes the Abenaki and four other culturally and linguistically related tribes — the Penobscot, Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy and Maliseet — whose traditional territory extends from the northeastern U.S. into Canada.

Although the State of Vermont began formally recognizing Abenaki tribes in 2012, none of those tribes is recognized by the federal government or the Odanak Nation. In fact, Obomsawin and fellow Odanak citizen Jacques Watso were speakers at a May 2022 event at the University of Vermont, called “Beyond Borders,” that overtly challenged those tribes’ Abenaki heritage — part of a broader conversation among Indigenous people and academics now calling those claims into question. Members of Vermont’s Abenaki community were not invited to speak.

Born in Stratford, N.H., Obomsawin grew up in Farmington, Maine, in a converted barn that was once used for storage by Bread and Puppet Theater and that still housed some of its papier-mâché creatures. Her mother is a Sephardic Jew, and her Odanak father a professional blues and jazz musician with whom Obomsawin began performing in fifth grade.

An alum of the Berklee College of Music and Dartmouth College, Obomsawin first achieved musical acclaim through the folk-rock trio Lula Wiles. She later struck out on her own to compose music more deeply rooted in her Native heritage. Her internationally acclaimed 2022 debut album, Sweet Tooth, is by turns haunting, soulful, thunderous and frenetic, with compositions that blur genre boundaries and “live in the liminal space,” she said, “between free jazz and folk music.”

“Telling Indigenous stories through the language of jazz is not a new phenomenon,” Obomsawin explains on her website.

“My people have had to innovate endlessly to get our stories heard ... but sometimes words fail us, and we must use sound.”

Indeed, many of Obomsawin’s vocals are sung in the Abenaki, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot languages, which she

Chord and Discord

is learning, while others are vocables, or syllables not in a specific language but that serve as rhythmic or melodic accompaniment.

Obomsawin performs at the Flynn Space in Burlington this Friday, September 29. She spoke to Seven Days from her home in Old Town, Maine, just outside the Penobscot reservation.

Tell me a little about the origins of your music.

It comes from various strains of musical lineage from the Northeast: folk music, fi ddle music and traditional Wabanaki music. I also grew up playing jazz. So my music is really just a representation of the sounds of this area. There are a lot of Indigenous people who played jazz, so it all informs each other. In the beginning of what today we call jazz, everybody was playing a little bit of everything. Back in Appalachia, especially, people who played some fiddle tunes also played country tunes and swing tunes, and it was that mixing pot from the very beginning. Then the music industry separated things into di erent genres for marketability’s sake.

ere’s a track on Sweet Tooth called “Blood Quantum,” a reference, presumably, to the controversial practice of measuring who is Native based on their genetics and thus who qualifies for tribal membership. What are you saying about this notion?

There are two poles of the album. It starts with “Odana” and “Lineage” and ends with “Fractions” and “Blood Quantum.” The overall shape of the suite is that we have this very strong philosophy of community and family, and that is the heart of what it means to be Indigenous: You come from a specific family in a community that is related to each other and related to the land.

Through colonization, we get away from that grounding and that philosophy — or the state tries to push us away from that — and it becomes about blood measurements. And that fractures the community. I’m aware of the waters I’m treading in, in that this interview will be [published] in Vermont, where we have a really serious pretendian problem.

You used that term at the “Beyond Borders” event last year. ere, you said the Abenaki identity is “not based on DNA. It’s not a race. It is a community. at means that you cannot claim to be Indigenous if the Indigenous community doesn’t claim you back.” If Abenaki is not a race, is it a religion, an ethnicity or an identity?

musician Mali Obomsawin talks music, community and Vermont’s “pretendian problem”

We are not a race because we have collective rights, not individual rights. In the United States, a lot of the federal court cases that are trying to strip away [tribal] sovereignty are trying to characterize us as a race and say that we can’t have rights as a race because that is racial privileging. But we are sovereign nations and we hold collective rights, not because of our race but because of agreements our ancestors made.

That being said, it’s not just a religion. I really try to stay away from the word “identity” because it’s vague and confusing. We are a nation, as simple as that, and we inherit our rights from our families and our ancestors who were here first.

How did Vermont’s Abenaki community respond to your comments last year?

Indigenous women are the strongest voices talking against race-shifting and pretendianism, and we are often met with pushback from men, especially in the misogynist culture we are all swimming in. Men make us out to be hysterical and crazy for bringing this stuff up and making a big deal out of nothing. That’s definitely very much the attitude I’ve gotten from the very misogynist pretendian Abenaki movement in Vermont.

You see all the major figureheads of their groups are men, and they take on very domineering tactics. They talk over women and scoff at them. Being the only Indigenous woman in the [Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs] meeting, I’ve definitely been surrounded by that attitude. I’m glad that I’m going to have my crew with me when I roll into Burlington, because I’m not exactly comfortable being on my own in Vermont.

No other religious, racial or ethnic group is asked to document its heritage the way Native people are. If I interview the rabbi at our local synagogue, I wouldn’t ask her to verify that her great-greatgrandmother was Jewish. Why do we expect that of those who identify as Abenaki?

This is something that people often get confused about, conflating it with the white government having opinions about blood quantum. But in Indigenous communities, long before colonization,

if you walked up to an Indigenous community from the outside, people would ask you, “Who are you related to? Why are you here?”

The explanation has to do with your family. The first thing you do when you meet other Indigenous people, even in your own community, is say, “Who’s your mom? Who’s your cousin? How am I related to you?” You have to acknowledge and respect that, in the Indigenous community, we have the protocol of asking people who their ancestors are and who their family is. It’s not offensive to us.

When you perform at tribal venues, do those shows differ from playing other venues?

For sure! My first tour of this album actually focused on rezzes and towns and cities near reservations. In Bar Harbor, Maine, we played at the Abbe Museum, which is the Wabanaki-focused museum that’s understood as intertribal territory, especially between the Penobscot and Passamaquoddy.

Last November we played at the Musée des Abénakis. It was cool to perform in that particular venue, which is the first Indigenous museum in Québec, founded in 1965. The building that it’s in used to be the Catholic school on the rez. So we reclaimed that space and turned it into a place where we can learn about our own culture and history. It was a really powerful show.

How so?

There were elders in the audience. I have some source recordings [from the mid-20th century] that I play during “Pedegwajois,” and there were elders in the room who’d known [the Abenaki storyteller] Théophile Panadis. For them to hear him speaking and recognize his voice, especially in the building where they taught us to not speak our language, was really, really powerful. It was a beautiful moment. ➆

This interview was edited and condensed for clarity and length.

WE HAVE THIS VERY STRONG PHILOSOPHY OF COMMUNITY AND FAMILY, AND THAT IS THE HEART OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE INDIGENOUS.

MALI OBOMSAWIN

Love Letters

Twenty-year-old Angus Montgomery started delivering mail to the City-5 route in Montpelier on September 2. He took over the route from his dad, Craig Montgomery, who inherited it from his father, Dave Montgomery. And Dave followed in the footsteps of his pop, Harold Montgomery. Four generations of postal carriers from the Montgomery family have walked the same route for decades in the Capital City.

City-5 includes the quaint Meadow neighborhood, which is north of downtown and hugs the Winooski River. It takes about 29,000 steps to walk the 10-mile route. This is a tight-knit community, and many residents became friends with Craig and his dad over the years. A few even remember his grandpa Harold. Craig grew up in this neighborhood, and his dad still lives there. Many of the dogs on this route love Craig, who stops to give pets and biscuits. He knows them all by name.

In her latest episode of “Stuck in Vermont,” Seven Days senior multimedia producer Eva Sollberger followed Craig on his emotional last day of work on September 1. Residents left goodbye signs, cards and flowers out on their porches for him. There were many hugs, dog cuddles and tears. A few weeks after retiring from the U.S. Postal Service, Craig moved to North Carolina, where he will work in the bar industry with his brother. Over 31 years as a mailman and 16 years of walking this route, Craig saw children grow up

and beloved pets come and go. He became a part of the hood, and now his son Angus has taken on the Montgomery mailman mantle.

Like his dad, Angus has more than a few tattoos and an easy smile. Sollberger followed Angus on a Tuesday afternoon as he delivered mail along the Vine and Summer street loops. He has already worked through the highvolume stress of the pandemic and the early July floods that stopped delivery service for two days and relocated the main post o ce. His route takes him past the winding Winooski River and some homes and o ces that are still rebuilding after the water damage. Toward the end of his route, Angus delivered mail to his grandpa Dave’s house. The two of them sat down to look at old family photos and compare notes about how the work has changed over the years. Through it all, the Montgomerys carry on and continue to deliver the mail on time.

Sollberger spoke with Seven Days about filming the episode.

How did you hear about this family?

Tom Greene, the owner of Hugo’s restaurant in Montpelier, shared an eloquent post on Facebook about Craig’s last day and how meaningful it was to have the same family deliver mail in his neighborhood for decades. Seven Days publisher Paula Routly shared his post with our editorial sta shortly before Craig’s final day on the job. Greene was able to get me in touch with Craig, and I asked him if he’d like to be fi lmed. Craig didn’t really want me to follow him around on

his last day. He was leaving the state in a few weeks and knew it would be di cult to say goodbye to everyone. But time was ticking, so Craig let me tag along. I am so glad he did.

It was an emotional day.

There were many tears, and I got verklempt, as well. I felt very lucky to be there, although it was di cult to keep up at times! Craig moves fast. Many people on his route know him and his family; they have become important parts of each other’s lives over the years. As an outsider, I felt very privileged to get a glimpse into this vibrant community. As sad and heartfelt as many of these goodbyes were, Craig had to keep moving, so we were always on to the next home within a few minutes.

It was also hard to see the flood damage that lingers downtown and along the route. Everyone has made great progress, but there is still a lot of work to be done. Craig and his family have experienced multiple floods and all sorts of inclement weather.

What was it like meeting Angus?

Angus joined his dad for the second half of his last day. Craig introduced him to people on his route, and many of them already knew Angus. Both father and son are so friendly and nice to be around; they are alike in many ways. When I followed Angus a few weeks later on his solo route, a resident said she mistook him for his dad. Their laughs are almost identical — and the dogs all love Angus, too.

It was great to meet Dave, too.

The apple does not fall far from the tree in the Montgomery family. Dave is charming and tells great stories. He used to answer the letters addressed to Santa, and he often dressed up as the jolly man, too. Angus delivers mail to his grandpa Dave every day. Such deep community roots are so rare these days.

Did this story pull at your heartstrings?

This is a very special family and unique story. I got shivers a few times, kind of like what Craig called his “postal Spidey-Sense.” Linda Lyles was the first resident along his route whom I met, and she welcomed me to the hood. She moved here from Florida with her husband four and a half years ago. Linda and Craig became good friends, and you can often fi nd her working on adult coloring books by her window. Now Angus stops to say hello when he delivers her mail. This is one of the reasons Linda moved here, for this welcoming smalltown community feeling. ➆

Seven Days senior multimedia producer Eva Sollberger has been making her award-winning video series, “Stuck in Vermont,” since 2007. New episodes appear on the Seven Days website every other ursday and air the following night on the WCAX evening news. Sign up at sevendaysvt.com to receive an email alert each time a new one drops. And check these pages every other week for insights on the episodes.

Four generations of postal carriers have walked the same route in Montpelier

THE APPLE DOES NOT FALL FAR FROM THE TREE IN THE MONTGOMERY FAMILY.

NIGHT OF NOIR: HANGOVER SQUARE & THEREMIN NOIR

Friday, October 20th, 2023 | 6:00 pm at UVM Recital Hall

VTIFF & UVM’s Lane Series present the wild 1945 noir Hangover Square, followed with a live concert by the Theremin Noir Trio. Tickets on sale now at www.uvm.edu/laneseries.

OCT 20–29 2023

More and more Vermont businesses like Burke Law turn to NSB as their banking partner. From commercial loans to lines of credit, we have the products and services you need to grow your business. Find out what we can do for your business from bankers who live and work in your community.

“ NSB IS A BIG PART OF OUR IDEAS FOR GROWTH AND OUR DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS. ”

— Jessica

On Saturday, September 30, the Vermont Symphony Orchestra will perform under the baton of its first new music director in more than two decades: Andrew Crust. Yes, that Andrew Crust — the one whose name Cate Blanchett’s imperious conductor character in the movie Tár tosses out as a possible replacement for the assistant conductor she has just sacked.

e scene came as a surprise to Crust, who heard of it from a friend attending the film’s Los Angeles premiere.

In real life, Crust, who also conducts the Lima Symphony Orchestra in Ohio and regularly guest conducts with orchestras around the country, will lead a concert of Romantic-era music on the Flynn Main Stage. e program features Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and Bedřich Smetana and culminates with Johannes Brahms’ Double Concerto for Violin and Cello in A Minor, Op. 102. It will be an evening of soaring melodies, thrilling timpani rolls and minor-tomajor-key climaxes.

e Brahms and the two young soloists who will play it — violinist Simone Porter and cellist Joshua Roman — were already programmed when Crust was named to his new position in

March. e double concerto is a nod to Crust’s beloved predecessor, conductor-violinist Jaime Laredo, who helmed the orchestra for 20 years:

e VSO last performed the work in 2003 with Laredo and cellist Sharon Robinson as the soloists.

Fortunately, Crust said during a phone call, “Brahms is one of my top-three favorite composers of all time.” (Gustav Mahler figures second, and third place depends on whom he’s studying, he said.)

e conductor noted the double concerto’s origin story. “It’s the last piece [Brahms] wrote for orchestra,” he said. “I think it’s very personal for him, a kind of olive branch composition for [his estranged violinist friend] Joseph Joachim.” (Brahms’ letter supporting Joachim’s wife was used against Joachim in his divorce trial.) “In my mind, the cello represents Brahms.”

Crust chose British composer ColeridgeTaylor’s dramatic Ballade in A Minor and selections from early Czech nationalist Smetana’s symphonic cycle Má Vlast (“My Fatherland”) to round out the Romantic context. e two works were composed in the decades after and before Brahms’ 1887 double concerto, respectively.

Explaining his programming, Crust said,

“My vision going forward is to try and always provide something the audience doesn’t know but will love” — in this case, the Coleridge-Taylor — “and an anchor piece that people will go away singing” — namely, the “Moldau” movement of . He added that he plans to program every Flynn concert with “at least one female composer or composer of color.” (Coleridge-Taylor, whose father was from Sierra Leone, checks the box this time).

e VSO concert is subtitled “A New Beginning,” which Crust said describes “a celebration of the start of our 89th season, a time to reflect on our past and Jaime Laredo’s tenure, a chance [for audiences and the musicians] to get to know me,” all while “I’m getting to know this new orchestra through sound.”

“When there’s someone new holding the stick,” he said, “everything changes.” ➆

INFO

VSO at the Flynn: “A New Beginning,” Saturday, September 30, 7:30 p.m., Flynn Main Stage in Burlington. $8.3559. vso.org

El Conde ★★★★

Netflix may put out a lot of cookiecutter content, but the streaming service is also still angling for awards. Witness El Conde (“The Count”), the latest from Chilean director Pablo Larraín, best known in the U.S. for his highly unconventional biopics Jackie and Spencer.

This, too, is a wacked-out biopic of sorts: Its subject is Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, who took control of the country in a 1973 coup covertly supported by the U.S. Under his lengthy regime, thousands of dissidents were tortured and killed. And, in Larraín’s satirical version of history, he’s a literal vampire with a special fondness for consuming human hearts in smoothie form.

Nominated for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, El Conde is now streaming on Netflix.

The deal

The man we know as Augusto Pinochet (1915-2006) was actually born in 18th-century France as Claude Pinoche, an orphan vampire. (In Larraín’s universe, you can be born with fangs. Just go with it.) As a young soldier, he witnessed the execution of Marie Antoinette and became a staunch enemy of all left-wing revolutionary movements, spiriting away the queen’s severed head as a souvenir.

Fast-forward to the early 21st century. Under his new identity, Pinochet (Jaime Vadell) has become a general in the Chilean army, violently overthrown the country’s socialist government, ruled for nearly 20 years, been deposed and finally faked his own death to escape accountability for his crimes. Now, with his wife (Gloria Münchmeyer) and his loyal henchman (Alfredo Castro), the former dictator retires to a secluded country estate, where he declares himself ready to die for real.

But Pinochet’s children don’t trust him to go gentle into that good night, especially after they hear about a series of brutal murders-by-heart-removal in Santiago. They conspire with the Catholic church to enlist a young “exorcist nun,” Carmencita (Paula Luchsinger), to take out the immortal patriarch.

Will you like it?

In today’s movie landscape, where history is often refracted through the lens of comic books, there’s nothing outlandish about

REVIEW

portraying a real dictator as a bloodsucker. But don’t expect El Conde to be a Quentin Tarantino-esque blend of history and B-movie action or a South American version of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Sure, there’s a fun moment when Carmencita — who arrives in the guise of an accountant — opens her valise to reveal a stake collection of which Van Helsing would be proud. Just don’t hold your breath for her to use those weapons in an action scene.

Narrated archly by a voice (Stella Gonet) that sounds like an o -brand Helen Mirren, El Conde is a Brechtian satire. It holds its characters at a cold remove, inviting us to marvel at the infinite variety of their hypocrisy and greed. Even the narrator is not above such vices, as we eventually learn in a delicious reveal.

Luchsinger gives a star-making performance as Carmencita, whose real weapons are words and a killer smile. The nun questions each family member individually about their financial malfeasance, building a damning case even as she radiates a flirtatious sympathy that is absurdly at odds with her accusations. Confused, disarmed and seduced, the Pinochets open up and reveal the depths of their corruption.

The film comes most alive in these scenes and others in which Larraín goes

for his targets’ jugulars. The rest of the time, because no one in El Conde changes in any meaningful way, we may not feel especially invested in the story, which feels more like a gothic fever dream than a story at all.

What a fever dream, though! Shooting in black and white with a specially made, crane-mounted digital camera, Larraín and cinematographer Edward Lachman used vintage lenses to make El Conde resemble classic expressionist cinema. The play of light and shadow is mesmerizing, as are the practical e ects used for the vampires’ flight.

While Pinochet and his decrepit cronies recall Nosferatu, Carmencita is coi ed and posed like Maria Falconetti in The Passion of Joan of Arc. The only young person in this chamber drama, she literally glows with eagerness to be a holy martyr — but even her major ingénue energy turns out to be a cruel joke.

El Conde is a glittering pageant of human nastiness with a theatricality that nods knowingly to the early decades of film. Imagine The Favourite if it had been about recent historical tyrants whose abuses of power felt all too relevant to us. While the movie’s message is neither subtle nor new — Pinochet and his ilk are “heroes of greed,” capitalist monsters — the film’s twists have a provocative kick, and its imagery is as

haunting as anything you’ll encounter in spooky season.

IF YOU LIKE THIS, TRY...

NO (2012; Prime Video, rentable): Larraín has made three previous films about Pinochet’s regime. is one is about the referendum that began the process of deposing the dictator in 1988, with Gael García Bernal as the ad exec tapped to sell a no vote to the people. e other two (both streaming on Kanopy and OVID) are Post Mortem and Tony Manero

THE CLUB (2015; Kanopy, PLEX, Tubi, rentable): In El Conde, the Catholic church plays an ambiguously heroic role in opposition to Pinochet. Larraín has a lot more to say about the church in this drama about four Chilean priests living together in exile for various forms of misconduct.

CHILE ’76 (2023; Hoopla, rentable): ree years after Pinochet’s coup, a disaffected Chilean socialite tries to do good by sheltering a dissident in this acclaimed recent political thriller from director Manuela Martelli.

NEW IN THEATERS

THE CREATOR: An ex-soldier (John David Washington) finds the perfect weapon for a war between humans and artificial intelligence in this sci-fi adventure directed by Gareth Edwards (Godzilla). (133 min, PG-13. Bijou, Essex, Majestic, Marquis, Paramount, Star, Stowe, Sunset)

DUMB MONEY: This comedy directed by Craig Gillespie (I, Tonya) relates the stranger-than-fiction tale of how a grassroots online movement made GameStop the hot stock. Paul Dano and Pete Davidson star. (105 min, R. Big Picture, Essex)

MANHATTAN SHORT FILM FESTIVAL: Viewers vote on their favorite of 10 short films. (Roxy)

PAW PATROL: THE MIGHTY MOVIE: A meteor endows the titular pups with superpowers in this family animation directed by Cal Brunker, with the voices of Dan Duran and Kristen Bell. (92 min, PG. Bijou, Essex, Majestic, Marquis, Paramount, Star, Sunset)

SAW X: Terminally ill Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) decides to slaughter some medical scammers in the long-running horror franchise. With Shawnee Smith; Kevin Greutert directed. (118 min, R. Essex, Majestic, Star)

CURRENTLY PLAYING

ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSEHHH1/2 Two Mexican American teens find friendship in this adaptation of Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s novel. (96 min, PG-13. Palace)

BARBIEHHHH Margot Robbie plays the Mattel toy as she experiences her first-ever existential crisis. (114 min, PG-13. Bijou, Majestic, Palace, Roxy, Savoy, Stowe, Sunset; reviewed 7/26)

BLUE BEETLEHHH An alien scarab transforms a teenager (Xolo Maridueña) into a superhero in this action adventure. (127 min, PG-13. Majestic)

BOTTOMSHHHH Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri play lovelorn high school friends who hatch a wild scheme to get close to their crushes in this comedy. (91 min, R. Majestic, Roxy, Stowe; reviewed 9/13)

CAMP HIDEOUT: A troubled teen takes refuge in a church summer camp in this family comedy. (100 min, PG. Roxy)

THE EQUALIZER 3HHH Denzel Washington is back as the former government assassin in Antoine Fuqua’s action thriller. (109 min, R. Majestic, Palace)

EXPEND4BLESH1/2 In the fourth installment of the ensemble action series, Jason Statham, Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren and 50 Cent battle terrorists once again. (103 min, R. Essex, Majestic, Palace, Sunset, Welden)

GOLDAHH1/2 Helen Mirren plays Golda Meir, former prime minister of Israel, in this drama about the Yom Kippur War. (100 min, PG-13. Palace)

A HAUNTING IN VENICEHHH Kenneth Branagh returns as detective Hercule Poirot in this Agatha Christie adaptation. (103 min, PG-13. Bijou, Essex, Majestic, Palace, Sunset)

THE INVENTORHHH1/2 Stephen Fry voices Leonardo da Vinci in this animation about the Renaissance innovator. (92 min, PG. Palace)

IT LIVES INSIDEHH1/2 A teen (Megan Suri) must embrace her Indian heritage to fight the demon possessing her friend in this horror flick. (99 min, PG-13. Majestic)

JAWAN: Atlee directed this Hindi action thriller about a man seeking justice, starring Shah Rukh Khan. (169 min, NR, Majestic)

JULESHHH Ben Kingsley plays a man who befriends an alien he finds in his backyard in this drama from Marc Turtletaub. (90 min, PG-13. Savoy)

MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 3HH Nia Vardalos and John Corbett return as a couple bringing their grown daughter to Greece. (91 min, PG-13. Big Picture, Majestic, Palace, Welden)

THE NUN IIHH1/2 Taissa Farmiga is back as a plucky nun chasing down a veil-wearing demon in this belated horror sequel. (110 min, R. Essex, Majestic, Palace, Roxy, Welden)

OPPENHEIMERHHHHH Director Christopher Nolan tells the story of the man (Cillian Murphy) who played a key role in creating the atomic bomb. (180 min, R. Majestic, Palace, Roxy; reviewed 8/2)

ORIGIN OF EVILHHH1/2 A woman wants a piece of her estranged family’s wealth in this French thriller from director Sébastien Marnier. (123 min, R. Roxy)

THE RETIREMENT PLAN: Nicolas Cage plays a tough guy turned beach bum who comes out of retirement to get his daughter out of a jam in Tim Brown’s action comedy. (103 min, R. Palace)

THEATER CAMPHHH1/2 A staff of thespians must make an unusual alliance to save their beloved summer retreat in this comedy starring Ben Platt. (92 min, PG-13. Savoy)

OLDER FILMS AND SPECIAL SCREENINGS

THE EXORCIST 50TH ANNIVERSARY (Essex, Sun & Wed 4 only)

GKIDS PRESENTS STUDIO GHIBLI FEST 2023: HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE (Essex, Wed 27 only)

JURASSIC PARK (Star)

NO HARD FEELINGS (Sunset)

STOP MAKING SENSE (Essex, Fri-Mon & Wed 4 only)

STRAYS (Sunset)

TALK TO ME (Sunset)

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT

MAYHEM (Majestic)

OPEN THEATERS

Capitol Showplace and Catamount Arts are currently closed until further notice. (* = upcoming schedule for theater was not available at press time)

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

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

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

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

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

*MERRILL’S ROXY CINEMAS: 222 College St., Burlington, 864-3456, merrilltheatres.net

*PALACE 9 CINEMAS: 10 Fayette Dr., South Burlington, 864-5610, palace9.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

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

Note: These capsule descriptions are not intended as reviews. Star ratings come from Metacritic unless we reviewed the film (noted at the end of the description). Find reviews written by Seven Days critic Margot Harrison at sevendaysvt.com/ onscreen-reviews.

*APY = Annual percentage yield. 4.65% apy for 5 months is accurate as of 9/1/2023. Minimum balance of $250. Several other rates and terms are available. Rate subject to change without notice. Fee incurred by early withdrawal of funds may affect your actual APY.

Praxis Makes Perfect

UVM’s Fleming Museum presents a first-ever art faculty show STORY & PHOT0S BY AMY

The University of Vermont launched its studio art program in 1924 and opened the Fleming Museum of Art on campus in 1931. Yet the museum has never hosted a show by the faculty, who teach nearby in Williams Hall. “Praxis: Recent Work by Studio Art Faculty at UVM” is a late correction to that oversight — and a logical one, now that the museum has joined the university’s School of the Arts.

The latter was created in 2022 to bring together and encourage cross-pollination among UVM’s arts programs (formerly departments): music, theater, dance, art and art history, creative writing, and film and television studies.

After the Fleming joined earlier this year, executive director Sonja Lunde put out a call to all studio art faculty for work made since 2000. Submissions came in from 15 professors and lecturers, including some proposals for work yet to be executed.

Curator Kristan Hanson chose which pieces to exhibit and how, naming the show “Praxis” to reference both the teaching and studio practices of the participants.

The gallery’s entry features a trio of large, muted-palette photographs with eerie touches by Bill McDowell opposite a riot of color in Mildred Beltré Martinez’s colored pencil work on paper and three paintings by Pamela Fraser.

Martinez’s “Unseen” is a fitted arrangement of colored blocks and bars, reminiscent of a Tetris game, that hides a message — “See the unseen” — in its light-brown bars made from walnut ink. Purposefully, the work hangs opposite McDowell’s “Untitled (Erased Lawn Jockey), From North Elba,” depicting the base of a statue whose absent figure somehow casts a shadow. Seeing the unseen, indeed.

Fraser’s graphic acrylics of floral imagery, inspired by wallpaper designs by Austrian Swedish architect Josef Frank, are a departure for the formerly abstract painter. “It’s all a little bit corny, and I enjoy pushing that,” Fraser said by phone. The striking combination of reds, purples and greens is partly inspired by Josef Albers’ color theories; Fraser, one of three associate directors of the School of the Arts, wrote the 2018 book How Color Works: Color Theory in the 21st Century

REVIEW

More of Albers’ influence can be seen in work by Steve Budington, who studied with Albers’ student Robert Reed. Budington makes gorgeous mixed-media paintings that combine elements of landscape with the abstraction of nautical signal flags.

In “Monhegan hillshade, wind, signal flag (I need help),” executed during his

recent stay at Maine’s Monhegan Artists’ Residency, Budington overlaps two canvascovered wood panels and connects them with a section of framing painted fluorescent yellow. One panel is a blue-hued satellite-view rendering of Monhegan Island, complete with elevations and a wind map. The other is a wind-ru ed, layered

white flag marked with a red X — the international sign for needing aid.

It’s unclear where in that landscape aid is needed. Budington, who curated a simultaneous exhibition of five New York City painters in the Francis Colburn Gallery of Williams Hall, said he uses framing pieces to reference the idea that

“our understanding of landscape is always partial.”

Partial leaves form the basis of images by Jenn Karson, an intermedia artist who is interested in artists’ use of artificial intelligence. “Stories of Consumption: Damaged Leaf Dataset Table III” and “IV” show photographs of 800 oak leaves she collected on her property that had been chewed by spongy moths.

“Every form is so incredible and so intricate,” Karson said in a presentation on the project for the Creative AI Vermont symposium in April, which she co-organized.

The defoliated trees put out leaves that were regenerated, if disfigured, and Karson collected those, too, and fed both data sets into a program that generated its own new leaf forms. Five of those AI-created images, machine-engraved on aluminum against an indigo background, form “Machined Leaves for the

Dying Red Oak” — a hopeful use of AI amid the art world’s recent flurry of negative reactions to the tool.

Karson’s reflective metal works resonate with Jane Kent’s silkscreens, whose subject is mirrored reflection, on the opposite wall. Seven works show cartoon-like mirrors, some on wallpaper, their reflections indicated by stripes. “The idea of reflection is super-challenging because it changes all the time,” Kent said by phone. It also has a long history, reaching back to the puzzling mirror image in Diego Velázquez’s 1656 painting “Las Meninas.” Kent, who has been making prints for 40 years, began the drawings for her current pieces during the pandemic. Art historian Susan Tallman described them as “an invitation to look at looking” on the website of New York’s Lower East Side Printshop, where Kent produced her mirror-themed work in 2022.

Visitors to “Praxis” will find that a spinning disco ball animates the gallery lighting. That sets a positive mood for multidisciplinary artist Ace Lehner’s sitespecific installation “Barbershop: The Art of Queer Failure.” Curtained in gold fringe, the space is outfitted with a barber’s chair, pom-pom-framed mirror and zebra-print rug. Based on Jack Halberstam’s theory of “queer failure,” Lehner’s work also attempts to counter the recent decline in bars and other celebratory spaces for queer people.

On the exhibit’s opening night, Lehner’s installation went live: He gave haircuts to seven people, including curator Hanson, in return for the participants’ agreement to advocate for queer and trans people. A video with the artist’s voice-over shows visitors the process.

Viewers can find fascinating windows into many more UVM faculty members’ praxes in this inaugural exhibition. And former professors’ work, some of it long held in storage, now appears in the museum’s newly revamped Collections and Wolcott galleries. According to Lunde in an email, “Praxis” is not a one-off: Going forward, the Fleming’s leadership plans to feature faculty work “about every three years.”

“Praxis: Recent Work by Studio Art Faculty at UVM,” through December 8 at the Fleming Museum of Art, University of Vermont, in Burlington. uvm.edu/fleming

NEW THIS WEEK

chittenden county

MICHAEL STRAUSS: Brilliantly colored paintings in acrylic and pastel. Reception: Sunday, October 15, 1-3 p.m. September 28-November 5. Info, 899-3211. Emile A. Gruppe Gallery in Jericho.

barre/montpelier

‘S.L.U.A.T.H.’: An annual crowdsourced exhibit of art rescued from yard sales, free piles, estate clean-outs, junk stores and flea markets. Many pieces up for auction. October 2-November 8. Info, 479-0896. Espresso Bueno in Barre.

WENDY HACKETTT-MORGAN: Paintings of horses that straddle abstraction and realism. Reception: Friday, October 6, 4-8 p.m. September 29-November 18. Info, 262-6035. T.W. Wood Gallery in Montpelier.

stowe/smuggs

MARGARET JACOBS: New sculpture and jewelry by the multimedia artist and member of the Akwesasne Mohawk tribe. Reception: Friday, October 13, 6-7 p.m. September 27-November 29. Info, 635-2727. Red Mill Gallery, Vermont Studio Center, in Johnson.

rutland/killington

‘THEN AND NOW’: Works by member artists throughout the 1890s mansion. Reception: Friday, September 29, 5-7 p.m. September 29-October 28. Info, 775-0356. Chaffee Art Center in Rutland.

upper valley

CLIMATE FARMER STORIES: A multimedia exhibit featuring the stories and portraits of 25 Upper Valley farmers who use agricultural methods that mitigate and adapt to climate change. October 1-24. Info, 295-6688. Junction Arts & Media in White River Junction.

‘LOCAL COLOR’: The 12th annual showcase of paintings, photographs, mixed-media works, sculptures and ceramics by more than 60 area artists. Reception: Friday, September 29, 5:30-7:30 p.m. September 29-November 4. Info, 457-3500. Artistree Community Arts Center in South Pomfret.

northeast kingdom

ADELAIDE MURPHY TYROL & RICHARD J MURPHY: “A Sense of Place,” nature-based paintings and photographs, respectively. Reception and artists’ talk: Saturday, September 30, 5-7 p.m. September 30-November 12. Info, 533-2000. Highland Center for the Arts in Greensboro.

manchester/bennington

‘THE WEE WORLDS OF SALLEY MAVOR’: An exhibition of bas-relief embroideries, featured as illustrations in many children’s books, by the Massachusetts artist. Reception: Saturday, September 30, 2-4 p.m., with artist talk 3 p.m. ASHLEY BRYAN: “The Spirit of Joy,” an exhibition of toys, puppets, painting and photography by the late children’s book illustrator and author, who centered stories of Black life and African folk tales. “Joyful Remembrance”: Saturday, September 30, 1-2 p.m., four panelists share personal and professional memories of Bryan (registration required); followed by public reception 2-4 p.m. September 30-January 7. Info, 362-1405. Southern Vermont Arts Center in Manchester.

ART EVENTS

ARTS SO WONDERFUL SHOW & FUNDRAISER: An exhibition, live music by Lighthouse Quintet and body painting by Kadena to benefit the nonprofit arts organization. Courtyard Marriott Burlington Harbor, Saturday, September 30, 7:30-9:30 p.m. $10. Info, artssowonderful2@gmail.com.

A New Book Recaps the Long Career of Vermont Painter Fred Swan

onto a canvas with his sister and her friend, who happened to be the niece of abstract painter Jackson Pollock.

“We thought we were painting like Jackson Pollock,” Swan said, laughing.

Swan also liked to make sculptures. He once fashioned a wastepaper basket out of toothpaste caps, and he made miniature Greek temples out of clay.

Swan thinks of his acrylic paintings of Vermont as “miniature,” explaining, “Everything is so small-scale here. Small population, a small capital building, even our valleys and our mountains are kind of small.”

Barre artist Fred Swan’s paintings of the New England countryside often evoke a common reaction: “Oh, I know where that is!”

Swan has painted real landmarks, such as the Stowe Community Church and Saint Anne’s Shrine in Isle La Motte. But most of the time, viewers are mistaken: Much of the idyllic scenery Swan paints lives only in his imagination: a winter wonderland with snow blanketing neighborhood roofs; an apple tree in front of a bright red pickup truck.

“By the time I’m done with [a painting], it doesn’t look anything like the photograph or the sketch that I originally started out with,” Swan told Seven Days

A new coffee table book offers insights on his artistic process. Published by St. Albans’ Champlain Collection, The Art of Fred Swan is a 96page retrospective of the 80-year-old artist’s career. It includes a brief history of Swan, who continues to work in his basement studio, testimonials from his collectors and images of his paintings from the 1970s to today.

Since Swan’s first art show, in 1972, his work has been displayed at galleries across Vermont. In 1979, Swan achieved national recognition when he won the

BTV MARKET: An outdoor market featuring wares by local artists, makers, bakers and more, accompanied by live music and lawn games. Burlington City Hall Park, Saturday, September 30, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Info, 865-7166.

cover contest of the Saturday Evening Post, a magazine famously illustrated by Norman Rockwell. Swan’s work has also been featured in the private collections of pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson and entrepreneur Malcolm Forbes.

Some locals know Swan for a different reason: He was their high school math teacher. Swan taught at Lamoille Union High School in Hyde Park from 1970 to 1974 and Spaulding High School in Barre starting in 1975. He retired in 2001 to focus on painting.

Swan said he had a passion for art from a young age. Growing up in Deep River, Conn., he was frequently immersed in a creative project. He recalled haphazardly splashing paint

CURRENTLY SPEAKING: VANESSA GERMAN: An in-person conversation with the self-taught multimedia artist and curator Rachel Moore, in conjunction with the exhibit “A Place of Memory.” The Current, Stowe, Thursday, September 28, 5 p.m. Info, 253-8358.

Details are the lifeblood of Swan’s paintings, which can take 500 hours to complete. He meticulously renders each blade of grass, leaf and petal with a rigger brush just a few millimeters wide. Close observers of his landscapes will often find a tiny cat.

Other subtle suggestions of life might take the form of a snowman, a ladder leaning against a tree, a newly mowed field. “I’m interested in the appearance of the interaction of people with the landscape, but the people are not there,” Swan said.

Rural landscapes might appear desolate, but many of Swan’s winter scenes evoke the setting of a feelgood Christmas movie. This cheerful aesthetic sells. Daniel Pattullo, owner of Village Frame Shoppe in St. Albans, said Swan’s work is consistently the top product at his store.

“The old barns, the old houses, they bring back memories from times past here in Vermont,” Pattullo said. “He captures the essence of New England in his paintings.”

Others might find Swan’s themes sentimental, but the artist isn’t interested in overanalyzing his work. He just does what he loves, he said, and acclaim seems to follow.

“Vermont is so beautiful,” Swan said. “How could you not paint it?” ➆

INFO

ART SHOWS

FALL OPEN STUDIOS WEEKEND: Artists and artisans around the state invite the public into their workspaces in this event presented by Vermont Craft Council. Find map at vermontcrafts. com or at participating studios. Various Vermont locations, Montpelier, Saturday, September 30, and Sunday, October 1, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. Info, vermontcraftscouncil@gmail.com.

GRANITE LECTURE AND FILM SERIES: GEORGE

KURJANOWICZ: The artist, who designs and creates monumental contemporary and public sculpture internationally, discusses his projects and his craft. Vermont Granite Museum, Barre, Thursday, September 28, 6-7 p.m. Free. Info, 249-3897.

LOCAL ARTIST MARKET: Works by Vermont creatives and food from Wood Belly Pizza. REI, Williston, Saturday, September 30, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Info, 312-3160.

OPEN STUDIO: Draw, collage, paint, move, write and explore the expressive arts however you please during this drop-in period. Available in studio and via Zoom. Most materials are available in the studio. All are welcome; no art experience necessary. Expressive Arts Burlington, Thursday, September 28, 12:30-2:30 p.m. Donations. Info, info@expressiveartsburlington.com.

PHARRIGAN OPEN STUDIO: Photographs of land and water and objects; percentage of sales to benefit the Vermont Community Foundation flood recovery fund. PHarrigan Fine Arts, Burlington, Saturday, September 30, and Sunday, October 1, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Info, harriganpeg@gmail.com.

RENEE GREENLEE: “Blue Alchemy,” an installation of 12 cyanotypes on silk that explore the Lake Champlain Watershed; with projections by Vanish Works and music by Cam Gilmour. Rain date: October 1. The Frame, Burlington, Friday, September 29, 6-9 p.m. Info, greenlee.renee@gmail.com.

SAMPLER ID DAY: If you own an American-made school girl sampler or other embroidery, the Henry Sheldon and Rokeby museums would like to see, photograph and record it in the online National Sampler Archive. Participants receive a professional photograph of their sampler and learn more about its history. Ilsley Public Library, Middlebury, Saturday, September 30, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. Info, samplersvt@gmail.com.

STUDIO TOUR: Glass artist Mary Tapogna shows lamps, campy art and whimsical work in mosaics in her home and studio. Hail Mary Mosaic Studio, Lyndonville, Saturday, September 30, and Sunday, October 1, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Info, 971-227-5588.

ONGOING ART SHOWS

burlington

‘60 YEARS OF BREAD & PUPPET’: Puppets, prints and banners by Peter Schumann, founder of the puppet theater group based in Glover. Through December 1. Info, hello@karmabirdhouse.com.

Karma Bird House Gallery in Burlington.

‘ABENAKI: FIRST PEOPLE EXHIBITION’: The council and members of Alnôbaiwi (in the Abenaki way) and the museum open a new exhibition featuring the Abenaki Year, the seasonal calendar of people who lived in the area for more than 8,000 years before Europeans arrived, as well as works by contemporary Abenaki artisans and a replica of a 19th-century Abenaki village. Through October 31. Info, 865-4556. Ethan Allen Homestead in Burlington.

ADDISON BALE: New paintings whose gestural aesthetic takes inspiration from New York’s aging infrastructure, signage and detritus. Through November 5. Info, 917-846-1719. Foam Brewers in Burlington.

‘ART AND THE MATTER OF PLACE’: A small exhibition of works in the Wolcott Gallery that encourages critical thinking about place and why it matters.

‘PRAXIS’: An exhibition of recent work by more than a dozen studio art faculty at UVM in an array of mediums. Through December 8. Info, 656-0750.

Fleming Museum of Art, University of Vermont, in Burlington.

ART AT THE HOSPITAL: Oil paintings by Louise Arnold and Jean Gerber and photographs by Mike Sipe (Main Street Connector, ACC 3); photographs on metal by Brian Drourr (McClure 4 ); acrylics and mixed-media painting by Linda Blackerby (Breast Care Center) and Colleen Murphy (EP2). Curated by Burlington City Arts. Through September 30. Info, 865-7296. University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington.

ASHLEY ROARK: “All the Things,” cyanotype collages that explore objects as symbols by the Burlington artist. Through September 30. Info, 338-7441. Thirty-odd in Burlington.

CAROL MACDONALD: “Emergence (Coming to Light),” new monotypes by the Vermont artist. Through September 28. Info, 863-6458. Frog Hollow Vermont Craft Gallery in Burlington.

CAROLYN BATES: “Street Murals of Burlington,” photographs from a new book by the local professional photographer. Through October 31. Info, 862-5010.

First Congregational Church in Burlington.

‘HOW PEOPLE MAKE THINGS’: An installation inspired by the Mister Rogers’ factory tours includes hands-on activities in cutting, molding, deforming and assembly to show participants how certain childhood objects are manufactured. Through January 7. Info, 864-1848. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain in Burlington.

‘OUTSTANDING: CONTEMPORARY SELF-TAUGHT

ART’: A group exhibition in a variety of mediums and idiosyncratic styles by artists who are outside of mainstream categories of art making. Through October 1. Info, 865-7165. KATE LONGMAID: Contemporary portraiture, still life and landscape paintings in oil and acrylic gouache by the Vermont artist. Through December 17. Info, 865-7296. BCA Center in Burlington.

‘ONGOING ABSTRACTION’: Contemporary artworks by Stacey Fisher, Andrew Kuo, Meg Lipke, Rachel Eulena Williams and Sun You; curated by Steve Budington, associate professor of painting and drawing. Through September 29. Info, sbudingt@ uvm.edu. Francis Colburn Gallery, University of Vermont, in Burlington.

ROSA LEFF: “Blown Away,” familiar scenes of urban life in intricately cut paper. Through September 30. Info, 324-0014. Soapbox Arts in Burlington.

chittenden county

ART AT THE AIRPORT: Acrylic abstract paintings by Matt Larson and acrylic floral paintings by Sandra Berbeco, curated by Burlington City Arts. Through September 30. GABRIEL BORAY & COLOSSAL

SANDERS: Acrylic paintings of Vermont with a focus on cows, and satirical digital montage illustrations, respectively. Second-floor Skywalk. Through December 5. JULIA PURINTON: Abstract oil paintings inspired by nature; in the North Concourse. Through February 29. Info, 865-7296. Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport in South Burlington.

BIRDS OF VERMONT EXHIBIT: An exhibit showcasing the history of birds in art, as well as a display of the tools a wood carver uses to create lifelike birds. Through September 30. Info, 846-4140. South Burlington Public Library Art Wall.

‘BUILT FROM THE EARTH’: An exhibition of masterful Pueblo pottery from the Anthony and Teressa Perry Collection of Native American art.

‘OBJECT/S OF PLAY’: An interactive exploration of the creative processes of American toy designers Cas Holman and Karen Hewitt. ‘POP UP’: An exhibition of contemporary inflated sculptures inside and outside the museum featuring three artists and artist teams from the field of pneumatic sculpture: Claire Ashley, Pneuhaus and Tamar Ettun. (Outdoor sculptures not on view on days with excessive wind.) STEPHEN HUNECK: “Pet Friendly,” an exhibition of hand-carved and painted furniture, sculptures, relief paintings, bronze

6:30

Concrete

art

sculptures and more by the late Vermont artist. Through October 22. Info, 985-3346. Shelburne Museum.

CHRISTINE MITCHELL ADAMS: “I Am Your Playground,” drawings that explore the shifting sense of self and identity as a parent/caregiver within the lens of play. Through September 30. Info, christinemitchelladams@gmail.com. MATT

LARSON & NANCY CHAPMAN: Nature-inspired abstract paintings. Curated by Burlington City Arts. Through October 17. Info, 865-7296. Pierson Library in Shelburne.

DEBBA PEARCE: “Ethereal Landscapes,” paintings in alcohol inks. Through September 30. Info, 660-4999. Art Works Frame Shop & Gallery in South Burlington.

‘THE FALL OF ADAM’: A group photography exhibition that explores the effects of technology on art and society. Reception: Sunday, October 8, 3-5 p.m. Through October 22. Info, 777-3686. Darkroom Gallery in Essex Junction.

JOSEPH SALERNO: “Inside & Out: Landscapes to Relics,” al fresco oil paintings by the Vermont artist. Through November 4. Info, 985-3848. Furchgott Sourdiffe Gallery in Shelburne.

LARS JERLACH AND HELEN STRINGFELLOW: “Tectonic industries: If you had followed the directive, you wouldn’t be here,” an immersive, multimedia installation transforming the gallery with painting, audio, video and sculptural elements. Through October 13. Info, bcollier@smcvt.edu. McCarthy Art Gallery, Saint Michael’s College, in Colchester.

‘LET THE LIGHT IN’: New paintings by Vermont artists Liz Hawkes deNiord, Joy Huckins-Noss, Jill Madden and Julia Purinton, curated by Essex High

School student Xandra Ford. Through October 19. Info, gallery@southburlingtonvt.gov. South Burlington Public Art Gallery.

‘SPARK: FUELING A LOVE OF BIRDS’: An exhibition of works by more than 60 artists and writers expressing avian admiration. Through October 31. Info, 434-2167.

Birds of Vermont Museum in Huntington.

‘STORIES FROM THE SOUTHERN BORDER’: A traveling exhibit that shares portraits and stories from those who live near the U.S. southern border and is designed to inform and elicit discussion about immigration and its challenges. Talk: Saturday, September 30, 5 p.m., remarks by Jan Steinbauer, board member of Chittenden Asylum Seekers Assistance Network. Wednesday, September 27, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., and Satursday, September 30, 4-6 p.m. Info, 862-8866. Ascension Lutheran Church in South Burlington.

barre/montpelier

‘ROCK SOLID XXIII’: An annual exhibition that showcases stone sculptures and assemblages by area artists, as well as other work that depicts the qualities of stone. Main-floor gallery. Through October 28. ANN YOUNG: “Autumn Pond Abstract,” oil paintings of water shield plants found in the artist’s pond in the fall. Through December 30.

ELINOR RANDALL: “Deep Impressions,” a survey of the master printmaker’s work 1954 to 2013. Curated by NNEMoCA. Second-floor gallery. Through October 28. KATE ARSLAMBAKOVA: “Primordial,” paintings influenced by surrealism that bring the microscopic world into focus. Third-floor gallery. Through October 28. Info, 479-7069. Studio Place Arts in Barre.

ART AT THE KENT: ‘TRACES’: Nearly two dozen Vermont artists present works in wax, wood, paint, clay, fabric, metal and photographs in this annual exhibition. Closing reception: Sunday, October 8,

3-5 p.m. Through October 8. Info, thekentmuseum@ gmail.com. Kents’ Corner State Historic Site in Calais.

DELIA ROBINSON: “Gravitational Reprieve,” imaginative works by the Montpelier artist, painted in response to Vermont floods. Through October 6. Info, robinson.delia@gmail.com. Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin.

EARL HENRY FOX: “Oblique Fixations,” a survey of recent work by the painter, woodworker and mixed-media artist. By appointment. Through November 17. Info, 720-215-9519. Grist Mill Studios in East Calais.

‘ELEMENTS OF SHELTER’: Original works in wood, metal and glass by Yestermorrow faculty members Thea Alvin, Meg Reinhold, Nick Pattis, Anna Fluri, Sophia Mickelson and Johno Landsman, in conjunction with the Waitsfield design/build school. Through May 31, 2025. Info, 828-3291. Vermont Arts Council Sculpture Garden in Montpelier.

‘ENOUGH SAID? COUNTING MASS SHOOTINGS’: An installation that addresses rampant gun violence in the U.S., featuring artworks by Susan Calza, Samantha M. Eckert and Felix Gonzalez-Torres. Through November 30. Info, 224-6827. Susan Calza Gallery in Montpelier.

‘FRUITS OF THE FOREST FLOOR’: A juried, mushroom-themed group show with painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography, fiber arts, ceramics, jewelry and more by New England artists. Through December 15. Info, chelsea@ northbranchnaturecenter.org. North Branch Nature Center in Montpelier.

MARJORIE KRAMER: Portrait and landscape paintings by the gallery member. Through October 1. Info, marjkramer@gmail.com. The Front in Montpelier.

PREYA HOLLAND: Nature and landscape photography inspired by the beauty of Vermont and New

England. Through September 30. Info, 479-0896. Espresso Bueno in Barre.

TRACEY HAMBLETON: “Barre Painted Fresh,” oil paintings of the city’s landmark buildings, granite quarries and hillside houses. Through October 15. Info, 249-3897. Vermont Granite Museum in Barre.

stowe/smuggs

JO WEISS: “Absence/Presence,” paintings and drawings on paper. Reception: Sunday, October 15, 2-3 p.m. Through December 2. Info, 646-519-1781. Minema Gallery in Johnson.

‘LAND & LIGHT & WATER & AIR’: The 16th annual group exhibition of landscape paintings featuring more than 90 regional artists. Through December 23. ‘NATURE’S ABSTRACTION’: A group exhibition of nature-inspired paintings that transcend traditional representation. Through November 5. LEGACY COLLECTION: A showcase exhibition of paintings by gallery regulars as well as some newcomers. Through December 23. Info, 644-5100. Bryan Memorial Gallery in Jeffersonville.

‘A PLACE OF MEMORY’: An exhibition that questions public representation and how cultures and countries define their past through monuments, memorials and sculptural objects, featuring indoor and outdoor artwork by Woody De Othello, Nicholas Galanin, Vanessa German, Deborah Kass and Nyugen E. Smith. Through October 21. Info, 253-8358. The Current in Stowe.

SAMANTHA M. ECKERT: “The Color of the Sky Is Pink,” new sculpture and installation. Closing reception and artist’s talk: Thursday, September 28, 3 p.m. Through September 28. Info, 635-1469. Julian Scott Memorial Gallery, Vermont State University-Johnson.

SCOTT LENHARDT: An exhibition of graphic designs for Burton Snowboards created since 1994 by the

Either way, you deserve nothing less than Topnotch.

Vermont native. Through October 31. Info, 253-9911. Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum in Stowe. VERMONT WATERCOLOR SOCIETY: Paintings by 20 watercolor artists. Through September 30. Info, 760-7396. Visions of Vermont in Jeffersonville.

mad river valley/waterbury

BANNERS ON BRIDGE STREET: Colorful doublesided banners painted with repurposed house paint by nine local artists decorate the street. Through October 15. Info, 496-3639. Waitsfield Village Bridge.

DENIS VERSWEYVELD: “Still Life,” sculpture, paintings and drawings by the Vermont artist. Through September 30. Info, 244-7801. Axel’s Frame Shop & Gallery in Waterbury.

GREEN MOUNTAIN PHOTO SHOW: The 33rd annual exhibition of works by professional and amateur photographers, local and national. Through October 8. Info, 496-6682. Red Barn Galleries, Lareau Farm, in Waitsfield.

‘THE MAD CONTEMPORARY’: An exhibition of cartoon artworks by more than a dozen Vermont artists. Through October 1. Info, 496-6682. Mad River Valley Arts Gallery in Waitsfield.

‘NOR’EASTER’: Paintings by Terry Ekasala, Rick Harlow and Craig Stockwell. By appointment. Through October 5. Info, 777-2713. The Bundy Modern in Waitsfield.

TRYSTAN BATES: “The Starling Symphony,” a five-part exhibition of abstract collage, sculpture, prints and mixed media that examines the ways in which we process, assimilate and store information. Through November 17. Info, joseph@thephoenixvt. com. The Phoenix in Waterbury.

middlebury area

CHELSEA GRANGER: “The Future Belongs to Ghosts,” a solo exhibition of paintings that grapple with grief, honor the dead and offer thanks. Through October 31. Info, 877-2173. Northern Daughters in Vergennes.

‘THE DECISIVE MOMENT’: A group photography exhibition, juried by Aline Smithson, on the theme of the singular moment when motion and composition come together to create a unified whole. Through September 27. Info, 388-4500. PhotoPlace Gallery in Middlebury.

‘FINDING HOPE WITHIN’: Subtitled “Healing & Transformation Through the Making of Art Within the Carceral System,” an exhibition of artwork created by prisoners. Curated by A Revolutionary Press in partnership with Vermont Works for Women and others. Through October 14. Info, 877-3406. Rokeby Museum in Ferrisburgh.

‘FROM HOMESPUN TO COUTURE: FASHION IN HISTORIC MIDDLEBURY’: An exhibition featuring local advertisements, newspapers, fashion magazines, photographs, trade cards, catalogs and other documentation from the museum’s archives; curated by Eva Garcelon-Hart. Through January 13.

‘STELLAR STITCHING: 19TH CENTURY VERMONT

SAMPLERS’: An exhibition of needlework samplers made by young girls in the 19th-century that depict alphabets, numerals and decorative elements. Through January 13. ‘VARIETY SEW: A SAMPLING OF TEXTILE TOOLS AND DEVICES’: Sewing machines, spinning wheels and myriad sewing paraphernalia from the permanent collection. Through September 30. Info, 388-2117. Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History in Middlebury.

‘THE LIGHT OF THE LEVANT’: An exhibit of early photography in the late Ottoman Empire, which encompassed contemporary Greece, Turkey and

most of the Arab world. ‘TOSSED’: Nearly 20 works that make use of found, discarded or repurposed materials, curated by museum exhibition designer Ken Pohlman. Through December 10. Info, 443-5007. Middlebury College Museum of Art.

‘MACRO | MICRO’: An exhibition of large and small works in a variety of mediums by more than 40 artists, featuring the monumental and the miniature. Through November 4. Info, 989-7225. Sparrow Art Supply in Middlebury.

PENNY BILLINGS AND HOLLY FRIESEN: “Nature’s Inner Light,” paintings of the New England and Québec landscape. Reception: Thursday, October 5, 5-6:30 p.m. Through November 15. Info, 989-7419. Edgewater Gallery at the Falls in Middlebury.

rutland/killington

‘THE ART OF THE CREATIVE PROCESS’: An exhibition of sculpture, photography, painting, fabric art and illustration by Kerry Fulani, John Lehet, Amy Mosher, Judith Reilly and Ashley Wolff, respectively, as well as works by Vermont lighting design company Hubbardton Forge. Through October 8. Info, 468-2711. Stone Valley Arts in Poultney.

‘BROOM ART’: The inaugural exhibition in the new gallery features paintings and sculpture made with brooms by artists Warren Kimble, Sandy Mayo and Fran Bull. Through November 30. Info, 558-0874. Conant Square Gallery in Brandon.

NEW MEMBERS EXHIBITION: Fused-glass work by Garrett Sadler, wood crafts by Guy Rossi, landscape paintings by Brian Hewitt, pastel paintings of animals and nature by Lynn Austin, and sculpture and realist paintings by Liza Myers. Through October 31. Info, 247-4956. Brandon Artists Guild.

SCULPTFEST23: New works by 10 artists are sited along the new sculpture trail in this annual celebration of the medium. Through October 22. Info,

EDGEWATER GALLERY

with two locations in Middlebury and over 90 artists working in 2-D and 3D painting / photography / collage sculpture / ceramics / glass / wood / jewelry

EDGEWATER AT HOME

Lower level, Edgewater Gallery on the Green 6 Merchants Row a curated collection of furniture, linens, pottery and unique accessories for your home

FINE ART CONSULTATION SERVICES AVAILABLE

GALLERY HOURS:

Tuesday - Saturday 10AM – 5PM

Sunday 11AM – 4PM or by appointment

One Mill St and 6 Merchant’s Row, Middlebury Vermont 802-458-0098 & 802-989-7419 edgewatergallery.com

438-2097. The Carving Studio & Sculpture Center in West Rutland.

SHA’AN MOULIERT: “I Am VT Too, Rutland,” photographs of Rutland-area BIPOC residents and their stories, presented by the Root Social Justice Center and Rutland Area Branch of the NAACP. Panel discussion: Saturday, September 30, 1-2:30 p.m., at the Hub CoWorks, followed by reception at the gallery, 2:30-4:30 p.m. Through November 4. Info, cmm02180@castleton.edu. Vermont State University-Castleton Bank Gallery in Rutland.

champlain islands/northwest

TINA & TODD LOGAN: Acrylic paintings and 3D works, respectively, by the married artists. Through October 1. Info, 308-4230. Off the Rails at One Federal in St. Albans.

upper valley

ALINA PEREZ & AREL LISETTE: “Living Proof,” charcoal and pastel drawings that address the oscillation of health and illness, pain and resurrection. Through September 30. Info, 347-264-4808. Kishka Gallery & Library in White River Junction.

KUMARI PATRICIA YOUNCE: Landscape paintings in a sensory relationship with place and people. Artist talk: Friday, September 29, 6 p.m. Through October 28. Info, 738-0166. Jai Studios Gallery and Gifts in Windsor.

‘SANCTUARY’: A group exhibition of prints that address the theme by 15 studio members and friends. Through October 20. Info, 295-5901. Two Rivers Printmaking Studio in White River Junction.

SUSAN SMEREKA: “Family,” collaged prints by the Burlington artist. Through September 30. Info,

UPPER VALLEY SHOWS » P.62

art

CALL TO ARTISTS

2023 MEMBERS’ ART SHOW & SALE: The Current in Stowe invites member artists to submit work for the annual unjuried exhibition. All mediums welcome. Apply at thecurrentnow.org. Deadline: October 15. Online. Info, 253-8358.

2023 PHOTOGRAPHY SHOOTOUT: “Texture” is the theme of this year’s exhibition, which will be October 11 to November 11. All capture and processing methods are welcome. Drop off your entry (one or two photos) on October 7 by 4 p.m. Prizes will be awarded.

Axel’s Frame Shop & Gallery, Waterbury. $20. Info, 244-7801.

AIAVT 75-YEAR ARCHITECTURE

AWARDS: A competition in honor of AIA Vermont’s 75th anniversary. The award will recognize buildings of architectural significance completed over the past 75 years in Vermont. Application at aiavt.org. Online. Through October 20. Free. Info, 448-2169.

ART TO GO LUGGAGE AUCTION: Seeking local artists to paint or collage naturethemed designs on Monos luggage, which will be auctioned October 14 to 27 to benefit Come Alive Outside’s outdoor gear library. Email arwen@comealiveoutside.com for time to pick up the luggage. Artists will receive a piece of luggage as thanks for their contribution. Merchants Row, Rutland. Through September 30. Info, 518-423-5337.

BURKLYN ARTS HOLIDAY CRAFT

MARKET: Burklyn Arts invites artists to apply for a booth at the 54th annual holiday market on December 2 at Catamount Arts’ ArtPort event space. Details and application at burklyn-arts.org. Online. Through October 7. $120 per booth. Info, elly. barksdale@gmail.com.

‘CELEBRATE!’: Seeking art and craft by SPA member-artists for upcoming exhibition on all three floors of the art center. Deadline: October 7. More info at studioplacearts. com. Studio Place Arts, Barre. $20-35. Info, submissions.studioplacearts@gmail.com.

‘CYCLES’: Inclusive Arts Vermont invites artists to submit work for an upcoming touring exhibition that interprets the theme in any way. Artists with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Apply at inclusiveartsvermont.org. Deadline: September 22. Online. Info, exhibitions@ inclusiveartsvermont.org.

HOLIDAY MARKET: Sparrow Art Supply in Middlebury seeks original artworks for its annual artisan market. The theme is “home is where the art is.”

603-443-3017. Scavenger Gallery in White River Junction.

‘VERMONT FEMALE FARMERS’: Forty-five photographs by Plymouth-based JuanCarlos González that focus on the impactful contributions that women farmers are making to the state’s culture, identity and economy. Through October 31. Info, 457-2355. Carriage Barn Visitor Center, MarshBillings-Rockefeller National Historic Park in Woodstock.

VERMONT PASTEL SOCIETY: A juried exhibition of paintings by 19 members of the artist group. Reception: Friday, October 6, 5-7 p.m. Through November 18. Info, 295-4567. Long River Gallery in White River Junction.

Guidelines and entrance form at sparrowart-supply.square.site. Deadline: November 5. Online. Free to enter; $5 per category if accepted. Info, 989-7225.

HOLIDAY SHOWCASE & CRAFT FAIR: The annual sale November 18 at Bellows Free Academy benefits the BFA Fairfax baseball team’s spring training trip to Florida. Register at bit.ly/BFAcraftFair2023. Online. Through October 28. $50-75 per booth. Info, 355-0832.

‘MY DOG AND THE WOLF’: Radiate Arts Space is sponsoring an unjuried art exhibit about the dog-wolf connection: about people and their dogs, humans’ role in the domestication of the wolf, and why and how it has resulted in such a variety of breeds. Workshops October and November, celebration in December. Richmond Free Library.Through November 1. Info, mauie@ gmavt.net.

‘REFLECTIONS’: Edgewater Gallery on the Green in Middlebury is seeking submissions for an upcoming juried show for emerging artists. Guest jurors are John and Gillian Ross of Gallery Twist in Lexington, Mass. Deadline: October 20. More info at edgewatergallery.com. Online. $15 for three images. Info, 989-7419.

SUNDOG POETRY BOOK AWARD: The annual award for a first or second book of poetry is now open for submissions from any Vermont-based poet. The winner’s manuscript will be published through Green Writers Press and receive a cash prize, 50 book copies and promotional support. This year’s final judge is Matthew Olzmann. Deadline: September 30. Details at sundogpoetry.org. Online. $25. Info, hello@ sundogpoetry.org.

‘TREES FOR ALL SEASONS’: Artists are invited to submit one or two theme-based works in any medium including photography for an upcoming exhibit at the Jericho Town Hall. Must be able to be hung on a gallery hanger system. Details at jerichovt.org. Deadline: October 6. Online. Info, catherine.mcmains@gmail.com.

‘WHO ARE WE? PIECES OF THE IDENTITY PUZZLE’: November is a time for reflection and introspection. The gallery is seeking artwork depicting your take on identity, whether personal or as a people. All mediums accepted. Deliver work on or before Wednesday, November 8. Register at melmelts@yahoo.com. The Satellite Gallery, Lyndonville. $20. Info, 229-8317.

northeast kingdom

ANN YOUNG: Figurative paintings by the Vermont artist. Through September 30. Info, oliveylin1@ gmail.com. 3rd Floor Gallery in Hardwick.

ISA OEHRY: “Looking Out,” paintings of animals. Through September 27. Info, 525-3366. Parker Pie in West Glover.

MERYL LEBOWITZ: “All Over the Place,” new landscape paintings by the Vermont artist. Through October 8. Info, 229-8317. The Satellite Gallery in Lyndonville.

MICHAEL ROOSEVELT: “A Life in Print,” fine-art prints, linocuts and engravings. Through September 30. Info, 748-0158. Northeast Kingdom Artisans Guild Backroom Gallery in St. Johnsbury.

PHILIP HERBISON: “Water in Motion” and “Assemblages,” photographs of large bodies of water, and wood sculptures using the scraps of

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other works, respectively. Through December 31. Info, 748-2600. Catamount Arts Fried Family Gallery DTWN in St. Johnsbury.

‘WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND’: An exhibition of objects that explores the practical, spiritual and ecstatic human relationship to wheels and what they enable. Through May 31, 2024. Info, 626-4409. The Museum of Everyday Life in Glover.

brattleboro/okemo valley

‘GLASSTASTIC’: Glass creatures dreamed up by children in grades K-6, brought to 3D life by glass artists, and situated in a habitat designed by Cynthia Parker-Houghton. ‘PRIDE 1983’: Photographs, artifacts and audio recordings that explore the origins and legacy of Burlington’s first Pride celebration. A production of the Pride Center of Vermont and Vermont Folklife, curated by Margaret Tamulonis. ALEX EGAN: “Drawing Room,” a series of paintings that make up an imaginary house. ANINA MAJOR: “I Land Therefore I Am,” ceramic sculptures and other objects that explore self and place, belonging and identity, by the Bahamas-born artist. AURORA ROBSON: “Human Nature Walk,” an immersive site-specific installation inspired by the natural forms of the Connecticut River and fashioned from plastic debris intercepted from the waste stream. Visitors are invited to contribute clean plastic bottle caps in designated sections of the installation.

HANNAH MORRIS: “Movable Objects,” narrative multimedia paintings in the gallery’s front windows. LELA JAACKS: Outdoor abstract sculptures by the Vermont artist. ROBERLEY BELL: “Where Things Set,” an installation of distinct but related sculptures and drawings. Through October 9. Info, 257-0124. Brattleboro Museum & Art Center.

ANDY WARHOL: “Small Is Beautiful,” 100 of the artist’s smaller-format paintings, from the Hall collection. RON GORCHOV: A 50-year survey of the American abstract artist’s work, featuring shaped canvases from the 1970s to large-scale paintings in his last years. SUSAN ROTHENBERG: Nearly 30 figurative, gestural paintings by the late American artist from throughout her career. Weekends only; reservation required. Through November 26. Info, info@hallartfoundation.org. Hall Art Foundation in Reading.

FRAN BULL: “The Art Life,” paintings, prints and sculpture by the Vermont artist. Through October 15. Info, 251-8290. Mitchell Giddings Fine Arts in Brattleboro.

‘GLASS | PASTEL’: A group exhibition of blown and sculpted glass along with pastel paintings by nine local artists. Through November 4. KIM GRALL & KATHLEEN ZIMMERMAN: “One Artist Bound to Earth,” mixed-media encaustics on paper, birch bark and gourds; and “Solo Spotlight,” serigraph and intaglio prints, respectively. Through October 14. LEN EMERY: An exhibition of aerial, journalistic and fine art photography by the latest member of the gallery’s Working Artist Program. Through September 29. Info, 289-0104. Canal Street Art Gallery in Bellows Falls.

PHOTOGRAPHY: FOUR PERSPECTIVES: An exhibition of images in different styles and subject matter by Al Karevy, Davida Carta, Joshua Farr and Vaune Trachtman, members of the Vermont Center for Photography in Brattleboro. Through November 12. Info, 451-0053. Next Stage Arts Project in Putney.

VAUNE TRACHTMAN AND RACHEL PORTESI: An exhibition of images by the Vermont-based alternative-process photographers. Through October 29. Info, 387-5566. Michael S. Currier Center, Putney School.

manchester/bennington

‘FOR THE LOVE OF VERMONT: THE LYMAN ORTON COLLECTION’: More than 200 works of art that capture Vermont’s unique character, people, traditions and landscape prior to the 1970s from the collection of the Vermont Country Store proprietor. Also displayed at Bennington Museum. Through November 5. Info, 362-1405. Yester House Galleries, Southern Vermont Arts Center, in Manchester.

‘A HISTORY OF BENNINGTON’: An exhibition of artifacts that invites viewers to examine how history informs and affects our lives. Through December 31. ‘FOR THE LOVE OF VERMONT: THE LYMAN ORTON COLLECTION’: More than 200 pieces of art, primarily from the 1920s to 1960, acquired by the founder of the Vermont Country Store. Simultaneously exhibited at the Southern Vermont Art Center in Manchester. Through November 5. Info, 447-1571. Bennington Museum.

NORTH BENNINGTON OUTDOOR SCULPTURE

SHOW: An outdoor exhibition featuring 77 sculptures by 59 artists, curated by Joe Chirchirillo. Through November 12. Info, nbossvt@gmail.com. Various Bennington locations.

randolph/royalton

ASTRO DAN DAN: “Manufactured Phonies,” a show of prints and paintings by the Hanover, N.H.-based artist, aka Daniel Matthews. Through September 30. Info, 889-9404. Tunbridge Public Library.

CAROLYN EGELI & CHRIS WILSON: Landscape oil paintings and figurative sculptures, respectively. Through November 5. Info, 728-9878. Chandler Center for the Arts in Randolph.

LINDA BLACKERBY & BETTE ANN LIBBY: Abstract paintings and mixed-media mosaic works, respectively. Through October 1. Info, 279-5048. ART, etc. in Randolph.

MARK ROSALBO: “The Bad Thing,” recent paintings by the local artist. Through October 1. Info, markrosalbo@gmail.com. The People’s Gallery in Randolph.

‘NO PLACE LIKE HERE: PHOTOGRAPHS FROM VERMONT, PAST AND PRESENT’: Vermont photographs, 1978-98 by Peter Moriarty, main gallery; and Farm Security Administration photographs of Vermont 1936-43, center gallery. Through October 29. Info, 767-9670. BigTown Gallery in Rochester.

TANYA LIBBY: Detailed paintings from nature. Through October 14. Info, 889-3525. The Tunbridge General Store Gallery.

online

ARMCHAIR AUCTION: The Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History presents a virtual auction of artworks and other items to benefit its annual programming and exhibitions. Through October 2. Info, 388-2117. Online.

outside vermont

ELLIOTT KATZ, GAAL SHEPHERD & ROGER

WELLS: Three solo exhibitions by the Vermont and New Hampshire artists. Through October 6. Info, 603-448-3117. AVA Gallery and Art Center in Lebanon, N.H.

‘HOMECOMING: DOMESTICITY AND KINSHIP IN GLOBAL AFRICAN ART’: More than 75 works drawn from the museum’s collection of African and African diaspora art that emphasize the role of women artists and feminine aesthetics. Through May 25. KENT MONKMAN: “The Great Mystery,” four new paintings by the Cree artist along with five works in the museum’s collection that inspired them, by Hannes Beckmann, T.C. Cannon, Cyrus Edwin Dallin, Mark Rothko and Fritz Scholder. Through December 9. Info, 603-646-2808. Hood Museum, Dartmouth College, in Hanover, N.H.

‘PORTABLE UNIVERSE: THOUGHT AND SPLENDOUR OF INDIGENOUS COLOMBIA’: Nearly 400 artworks, including jewelry, masks, effigies, textiles and more, dating from about 1500 BC to the present. Through October 1. ‘THE POP OF LIFE!’: An exhibition of 70 iconic pop-art works from the museum’s collection. Through March 24. Info, 514-285-2000. Montréal Museum of Fine Arts.

ROBERT BURCHESS: “Through a Glass Darkly: Faces and Figures,” drawings by the Vermont artist. Through September 27. Info, robertburchess@ gmail.com. Howe Library in Hanover, N.H. ➆

music+nightlife

‘The Gang Saves the Bar’

No, this isn’t a lost episode of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” But if you love the story of a ragtag crew of friends rolling up their sleeves to save their favorite drinking hole, you’ll want to know what a group of like-minded Montpelier music fans is doing this weekend for Bent Nails Bistro.

Langdon Street has been a special part of Montpelier’s music scene for as long as I can remember — starting with the gem that is Buch Spieler Records. In business since 1973, the vinyl shop took a serious hit during the July flood but is currently renovating its retail space with plans to reopen soon.

And then, at the end of the street, there’s Bent Nails Bistro.

The club opened in 2021 after another bar and music venue, Sweet Melissa’s, went under during the pandemic. Before that, the space was home to Langdon Street Café, a bohemian co ee shop and nightspot that was sort of a spiritual cousin to Burlington’s Radio Bean. All three venues on that site have been integral to the live music scene in the Capital City, hosting a wide range of acts, from metal bands to singer-songwriters to rappers to goth DJ nights.

When I visited Bent Nails soon after the flooding, things looked grim. Co-owner CHARIS CHURCHILL was already knee-deep in the cleanup and repairs, but it was clear a long road to recovery lay ahead — and an even longer one before the venue’s little stage would host music again.

“We’re going to try and get back as quickly as we can,” Churchill told me that day as she took in the state of her club, wearing mud boots and covered in dirt. “This place means a lot to people here, especially music fans.”

Now some of those fans have banded together to help get the club back on its feet. Led by entrepreneur and event organizer LINDA WINTER, a committee of five Bent Nails regulars is throwing a block party this Saturday, September 30, on Langdon Street to raise funds for the beleaguered café.

“It’s pretty crazy, because we’re all people that probably would never have met or hung out anywhere else in the world except Bent Nails,” Winter told me by phone. “I didn’t even know all of their last names or have their phone numbers; I just knew them as people I’d see at the bar, enjoying the music just like me.”

SUNDbites

News and views on the local music + nightlife scene

“I’ve been hanging out in this space forever, whether it was Langdon Street Café or Sweet Melissa’s or Bent Nails,” Winter said. “It’s such a special place for this community, a spot you can hear music just about every night of the week. And it really became our third place, a spot where you can feel comfortable and safe and surrounded by people who love music.”

Winter said. “They’re playing for free! We’re all doing this out of pure love for a place we want back in our lives.”

The event is free, but donations are encouraged. Check out bentnailsbistro. com for more information and set times. Welcome back, Bent Nails Bistro!

Listening In

(Spotify mix of local jams)

1. “COVER ME UP” by Reid Parsons

Along with SABRINA FADIAL, CARA LYNDSEY, SALLY HAFER and WILL ROBERTS, Winter organized the Bent Nails Music Festival Fundraiser, a one-day fest featuring 12 bands on two stages: an outdoor stage at the end of Langdon Street and the stage inside Bent Nails, marking the club’s o cial return to hosting live music.

The fundraiser’s lineup is chockfull of Bent Nails regulars, including singer-songwriters SARAH MUNRO & MARK LEGRAND, R&B act SOUL PORPOISE, vintage rockers ATOM & THE ORBITS, and the bar’s house band, the NAILERS. It’s a fitting cross-section of a vital small-town music scene, one of the most interesting in the state. The lineup underscores Bent Nails’ crucial role as a hub for Montpelier’s artists, along with Charlie-O’s World Famous and Hugo’s (both of which are also in the process of recovering from flood damage).

“You can tell how much it means to these bands to get Bent Nails back,”

2. “BLOODBATH & BEYOND” by Orphanwar

3. “THE SLIME” by Ryan Power

4. “WON’T BACK DOWN” by Omega Jade, Sinnn

5. “VINEYARD” by Chad Hollister

6. “MUD STRUT” by the Wet Ones!

7. “MI CANCIÓN” by Marcie Hernandez

Scan to listen sevendaysvt. com/playlist

On the Beat

Feel that crisp air creeping in? Smell all that pumpkin crap? Summer is dead, people — long live the spooky season. And, just as all the cardboard skeletons and fake spiderwebs start popping up, here comes the ghastly specter of MATT HAGEN, harbinger of Samhain, Burlington’s own Elvira. That’s right, the guitarist and member of approximately 84 different bands (the HIGH BREAKS, SURF SABBATH) returns for his annual tradition of playing a slew of murder ballads during his weekly residency at the 126 in Burlington. Every Monday in October, from 9 to 10 p.m., Hagen will present a different set of killer tunes, each with its own theme, culminating in an interactive whodunit that the audience must solve on October 30. Hagen’s friends will join him throughout the series, including indie pop singer ANDRIANA CHOBOT, JOHNNIE DAY DURAND and her saw, keyboardist MIKE FRIED, and drummer extraordinaire DAN RYAN

Point CounterPoint is turning 60! The long-running chamber music camp, located on the shores of Lake Dunmore in Addison County, was founded in 1963 by New Jersey pianist, composer and teacher EDWIN FINCKEL as a place for his students to continue learning their craft over the summer. His son DAVID FINCKEL, one of the first campers in the

Eye on the Scene

Last week’s live music highlights from photographer Luke Awtry

program, went on to become the artistic director of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in New York City.

The camp has changed hands a few times over the years, but since 2008 it’s been under the watchful eye of owner and executive director JENNY BECK. Beck has overseen developments such as adult chamber music workshops and the New Music on the Point program, which encourages students to interact with the latest chamber music releases.

The camp has hosted more than 10,000 young musicians over the years, making it one of the leading chamber music programs in the country, so it’s only fitting that for its 60th anniversary, Point CounterPoint is welcoming back many former campers for an Alumni Chamber Music Concert.

Held on Friday, September 29, at the Congregational Church of Salisbury, which has hosted Point CounterPoint performances for more than 40 years,

the concert features camp alumni performing music they learned as kids in the program.

“It’s going to be incredibly special to welcome back the generations of campers and their families to celebrate this occasion,” Beck said by phone. “We wanted to put on a free performance as a sort of thank-you to this community and the region that’s been our home for so many decades.”

For more information on the concert and Point CounterPoint’s summer programs, visit pointcp.com.

The fourth annual Indigenous Peoples’ Day Rocks celebration will go down on Saturday, October 7, at the Stowe Events Field. Organized in partnership with CHIEF DON STEVENS and the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation, the event has a mission to “create a year-round vessel and engine to honor, celebrate, and support our Indigenous peoples whose lands we live on,” according to a press release.

Along with workshops featuring Native language educators, historians, preservationists, storytelling, and Native art and culture, a full slate of musicians is set to play, including former NAMED BY STRANGERS multi-instrumentalist MORGAN LAMPHERE, the DAVE KELLER BAND and Blues Hall of Fame inductee JOE LOUIS WALKER The event is free, but donations are encouraged. For more information, pop over to ipdrocks.com. ➆

On the Air

Where to tune in to Vermont music this week:

“WAVE CAVE RADIO SHOW,” Wednesday, September 27, 2 p.m., on 105.9 the Radiator: DJS FLYWLKER and GINGERVITUS spin the best of local and nonlocal hip-hop.

“EXPOSURE,” Wednesday, September 27, 6 p.m., on 90.1 WRUV: live local music played in studio.

“ROCKET SHOP RADIO HOUR,” Wednesday, September 27, 8 p.m., on 105.9 the Radiator: Host TOM PROCTOR plays selections of local music.

“THE SOUNDS OF BURLINGTON,” Thursday, September 28, 9 p.m., at wbkm.org: Host TIM LEWIS plays selections of local music.

THE

RED NEWTS,

OLDE NORTHENDER PUB, BURLINGTON,

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22: The Olde Northender Pub is a North Street bar known for the motto “Start your bender at the Olde Northender.” You’re more likely to witness a full-blown eclipse than live music at the dive, but some sort of cosmic alignment must have happened last Friday to allow Burlington’s Red Newts to throw their 10-year anniversary show there. On further investigation, I found it to be an inside job. Ex-N’ender ’tender Nick Losito started the band while working there and added more members, including Sarah Cutler on lead vocals, until the sound was locked in. I jokingly asked the bartender if the Red Newts were the only band allowed to play there, and without a second of hesitation, he replied with a very emphatic “Yes.” Happy 10th to the Red Newts — can’t wait to catch ya at the N’ender for the 20th.

“CULTURAL BUNKER,” Friday, September 29, 7 p.m., on 90.1 WRUV: Host MELO GRANT plays local and nonlocal hip-hop.

“ACOUSTIC HARMONY,” Saturday, September 30, 4 p.m., on 91.1 WGDR: Host MARK MICHAELIS plays folk and Americana music with an emphasis on Vermont artists.

“ALL THE TRADITIONS,” Sunday, October 1, 7 p.m., on Vermont Public: Host ROBERT RESNIK plays an assortment of folk music with a focus on Vermont artists.

CLUB DATES music+nightlife

live music

WED.27

Baby Fearn and the Plants, tip/toe, Reid Parsons (indie) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

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

Dan Ryan Express (jazz) at American Flatbread Burlington Hearth, 5:30 p.m. Free.

Dopapod (jam) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 8 p.m. $20/$30.

Emmy McDonnell, Hallie Hase (singer-songwriter) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 7 p.m. $5/$10.

Jazz Jam Sessions with Randal Pierce (jazz) at the 126, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

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

Lazy Bird (jam) at Red Square, Burlington, 8 p.m.

Free.

Live Jazz (jazz) at Leunig’s Bistro & Café, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. Free.

The Mattson 2, Paper Castles (psych jazz) at Monkey House, Winooski, 8 p.m.

$12/$14.

Ron Gagnon (acoustic) at 14th Star Brewing, St. Albans, 6 p.m. Free.

Thaya Zalewski Quartet (jazz) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. $10.

Wednesday Night Dead (Grateful Dead covers) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7 p.m. $5.

Willverine (electronic) at the Wallflower Collective, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. Free.

THU.28

Blue Northern (R&B) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 6 p.m. Free.

Duke Aeroplane & the Inflatable Gator Band (r&b) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 8 p.m.

Free.

Grace Palmer and Socializing for Introverts (rock) at Red Square, Burlington, 6 p.m.

Free.

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

Josh Panda (singersongwriter) at Butter Bar & Kitchen, Burlington, 6 p.m.

Free.

Milton Busker & the Grim Work (folk rock) at Red Square, Burlington, 6 p.m.

Free.

SUN.1 // DREW HOLCOMB AND THE NEIGHBORS [ROOTS]

Howdy, Neighbor

Drew Holcomb began his musical career as a solo artist in Memphis, Tenn. Relocating to Nashville, he formed DREW HOLCOMB AND THE NEIGHBORS and went on to release nine albums with his band and work with songwriters such as Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show and country singer Natalie Hemby. The band’s latest album, Strangers No More, has received warm reviews from publications such as American Songwriter, which described the positiveminded record as the band’s “guidebook to freedom.” Drew Holcomb and the neighbors swing through South Burlington to play the Higher Ground Ballroom on Sunday, October 1, with openers

JOSIAH AND THE BONNEVILLES.

The Nude Party, Lady Apple Tree (indie rock) at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, 8 p.m. $20/$25.

Rashadicus (psychedelic) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 8 p.m. $12/$15.

Red Hot Juba (funk) at Black Flannel Brewing & Distilling, Essex, 6 p.m. Free.

Xander Naylor Group (jazz) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

FRI.29

Blues & Beyond, Ali T (blues, indie) at the Underground, Randolph, 7:30 p.m. $14.

Chris Peterman (jazz) at Bleu Northeast Kitchen, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. Free.

The Complaints (rock) at Gusto’s, Barre, 9 p.m. Free.

Connor Kelly & the Time Warp, Earthworm (rock) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 8 p.m. $10.

Dave Mitchell’s Blues Revue (blues) at Red Square, Burlington, 2 p.m. Free.

Find the most up-to-date info on live music, DJs, comedy and more at sevendaysvt.com/music. If you’re a talent booker or artist planning live entertainment at a bar, nightclub, café, restaurant, brewery or coffee shop, send event details to music@sevendaysvt.com or submit the info using our form at sevendaysvt.com/postevent.

Free Range Band (covers) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 9 p.m. Free.

Girls on Grass, the Romans (rock) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. $10/$15.

The High Breaks (surf rock) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

Jester Jigs (rock) at Red Square, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

Justice 3 (rock) at 14th Star Brewing, St. Albans, 6 p.m. Free.

LACES, Rockin’ Worms, Noah Kesey Magic Band, Armandodillo (rock) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. $18/$22.

The Lil Smokies, Town Mountain, Two Runner (bluegrass) at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, 7 p.m. $25/$30.

Liz Reedy (singer-songwriter) at Taps Tavern, Poultney, 6 p.m. Free.

Lowell Thompson (Americana) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 4 p.m. Free.

Mitch & Devon (covers) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 5 p.m. Free. Periscope Dream (rock) at Monopole, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 p.m. Free.

Quadra, Phil Abair Band (covers) at the Old Post, South Burlington, 7 p.m. Free. Rap Night Burlington (hip-hop) at Drink, Burlington, 9 p.m. $5.

The Shane Murley Band (rock) at Jericho Café & Tavern, 7 p.m. Free.

The Warped Tour Band (pop-punk tribute) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 7 p.m. $20/$23.

SAT.30

50 Cal (rock) at McKee’s Pub & Grill, Winooski, 9 p.m. Free. Bent Nails Music Festival Fundraiser (fundraiser) at Bent Nails Bistro, Montpelier, noon. Donations accepted.

Canyon Dreams (blues) at Jericho Café & Tavern, 7 p.m. Free.

Dan Parks, Mark Steffenhagen (covers) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 5 p.m. Free.

Dead Solace, Burning Monk, Senseless, Slugs, Torn (hardcore) at Monkey House, Winooski, 8 p.m. $10/$15.

Duncan MacLeod (jazz) at Bleu Northeast Kitchen, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

Erin Cassels-Brown, Noah Kesey Magic Band, Rangus (indie) at the Barrage, Holland, 7 p.m. $10.

Jackson Garrow (acoustic) at 1st Republic Brewing, Essex, 6 p.m. Free.

Queen City Ghostwalk Tours

SEP.-OCT.; SEE WEBSITE FOR DETAILS BURLINGTON

Tiny Humans, Big Emotions: Dad Guild Workshop

THU., SEP. 28

ROBERT MILLER COMMUNITY CENTER, BURLINGTON

True Crime

Burlington Tour

THU., SEP. 28

COURTHOUSE PLAZA, BURLINGTON

An Evening with Alison Bechdel

FRI., SEP. 29

CONTOIS AUDITORIUM AT CITY HALL, BURLINGTON

Blues & Beyond with Ali T

FRI., SEP. 29

THE UNDERGROUND - LISTENING ROOM, RANDOLPH

Goodnight Garden

SUN., OCT. 1

HORSFORD GARDENS & NURSERY, CHARLOTTE

Japanese Bookbinding Workshop

SUN., OCT. 1

FLETCHER FREE LIBRARY, BURLINGTON

Pop-up Accordion Book Making Workshop for Kids

SUN., OCT. 1

FLETCHER FREE LIBRARY, BURLINGTON

Our American Family

TUE., OCT. 3

THE DOUBLE E PERFORMANCE CENTER, ESSEX

Living with Loss: A Gathering for the Grieving

WED., OCT. 4

ONLINE

Kabaka

Pyramid

WED., OCT. 4

THE GREEN AT THE ESSEX EXPERIENCE, ESSEX

Local Maverick’s 3rd Birthday Bash!

THU., OCT. 5 NECTAR’S, BURLINGTON

True Crime

Burlington Tour

THU., OCT. 5

COURTHOUSE PLAZA, BURLINGTON

Western Terrestrials with Danny & e Parts

FRI., OCT. 6

THE UNDERGROUND - LISTENING ROOM, RANDOLPH

Mediterranean Dinner

SAT., OCT. 7

RICHMOND COMMUNITY KITCHEN, RICHMOND

Deep North Storytelling and Book Launch

SUN., OCT. 8

O.N.E. COMMUNITY CENTER, BURLINGTON

Emma’s Revolution

SUN., OCT. 8

ROOTS & WINGS COFFEEHOUSE, NORWICH

Butternut Lasagna & Pumpkin Tiramisu

Featuring Cooking With Stephanie

MON., OCT. 9

RED POPPY CAKERY, WATERBURY

True Crime

Burlington Tour

THU., OCT. 12

COURTHOUSE PLAZA, BURLINGTON

e Village Idiots: 10th Anniversary Show

FRI., OCT. 13

THE UNDERGROUND - LISTENING ROOM, RANDOLPH

music+nightlife

Wednesday Night Dead (Grateful Dead covers) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7 p.m. $5.

JD Tolstoi (electronic) at Taps Tavern, Poultney, noon. Free.

Jonny Mop (covers) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 9 p.m. Free.

Josh West & Friends (rock) at Monopole, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 p.m.

Free.

Kitbash (indie rock) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 11:30 p.m. $10/$15.

Left Eye Jump (blues) at Red Square, Burlington, 2 p.m. Free.

Motherhood, Zenizen (rock) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

Strange Machines, Double You (jam) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 8 p.m. $15. Sun Room, Sports Team (rock) at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $20/$25. Woods, Anna St. Louis (indie) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 9 p.m. $17/$20.

SUN.1

Bob Recupero (singer-songwriter) at Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Waitsfield, 3 p.m. Free.

Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors, Josiah and the Bonnevilles (roots) at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $20/$25.

End of the Line (Allman Brothers tribute) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $15/$20.

Sunday Brunch Tunes (singer-songwriter) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 10 a.m.

TUE.3

Bettenroo (folk) at Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Waitsfield, 5 p.m. Free.

Big Easy Tuesdays with Back Porch Revival (jazz) at the 126, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

Bluegrass Jam (bluegrass) at Taps Tavern, Poultney, 7 p.m. Free.

Ethel Cain, 9Million (indie) at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, 8 p.m. $25/$29.

Honky Tonk Tuesday with Wild Leek River (country) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 9 p.m. $10.

Jason Dea West, Flint & Steale (Americana) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 7 p.m. $7/$10.

WED.4

Andy Frasco & the U.N., Cool Cool Cool (rock) at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, 8 p.m. $25/$29.

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

Fresh Pressed Wednesday with Rabbit Foot, Hand In Pants, Dilemma (indie) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 9 p.m. $5/$10.

Jazz Jam Sessions with Randal Pierce (jazz) at the 126, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

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

Free.

Lazy Bird (jam) at Red Square, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

Live Jazz (jazz) at Leunig’s Bistro & Café, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Willverine (electronic) at the Wallflower Collective, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. Free.

djs

WED.27

DJ CRE8 (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 11:30 p.m. Free.

THU.28

DJ Chaston (DJ) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

DJ Two Sev (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 11 p.m. Free.

Mi Yard Reggae Night with DJ Big Dog (reggae and dancehall) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 9:30 p.m. Free.

The Pink Party (DJ) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 8 p.m. $16/$18.

Queer Dance Party & Drag Show (DJ) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 8 p.m. $10/$15.

Taylor Swift Laser Dance Party (DJ) at Club Metronome, Burlington, 7 p.m. $20.

Unhappy Hour (DJ) at Paradiso Hi-Fi, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

Vinyl Night with Ken (DJ) at Taps Tavern, Poultney, 6 p.m. Free.

FRI.29

DJ C-Low (DJ) at Club Metronome, Burlington, 10 p.m. $5.

DJ Craig Mitchell (DJ) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

DJ LaFountaine (DJ) at Gusto’s, Barre, 9 p.m. Free.

DJ Rekkon (DJ) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 9 p.m. Free.

DJ Taka (DJ) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 11 p.m. $10/$15.

JP Black (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

SAT.30

Blanchface (DJ) at Manhattan Pizza & Pub, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

DJ A-Ra$ (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, midnight. Free.

DJ Raul (DJ) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

DJ Taka (DJ) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 11 p.m. $10/$15.

Harry Styles vs. One Direction (DJ) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 8 p.m. $18/$20.

herodose (DJ) at Club Metronome, Burlington, 10 p.m. $10/$15.

Matt Payne (DJ) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

Molly Mood (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

Shantyman (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

MON.2

Memery (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

WED.4

DJ CRE8 (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 11:30 p.m. Free.

The Thrive Ball (DJ) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 7 p.m. $20/$25.

open mics & jams

WED.27

Irish Sessions (Celtic, open mic) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

Open Mic (open mic) at Monopole, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 p.m. Free.

Open Mic with Danny Lang (open mic) at Taps Tavern, Poultney, 7 p.m. Free.

MON.2

Open Mic (open mic) at Stone Corral, Richmond, 7 p.m. Free.

Open Mic Night (open mic) at Despacito, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

TUE.3

Venetian Soda Open Mic (open mic) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

WED.4

Irish Sessions (Celtic, open mic) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

Lit Club (poetry open mic) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Open Mic (open mic) at Monopole, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 p.m. Free.

Open Mic with Danny Lang (open mic) at Taps Tavern, Poultney, 7 p.m. Free.

comedy

WED.27

Face/Off: A Standup Comedy Switcheroo (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

Standup Comedy Open Mic (comedy open mic) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

Whale Tales: An Evening of Comedic Storytelling (comedy) at Club Metronome, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

THU.28

BFC Comedy Fundraiser (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. $20.

Weird & Niche (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 8:45 p.m. $5.

FRI.29

David Nihill (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. $30.

Three Leaves Comedy Showcase (comedy) at the 126, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

SAT.30

David Nihill (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. $30.

Vermont Comedy All Stars Live Standup Comedy Showcase! (comedy) at Next Stage Arts Project, Putney, 7:30 p.m. $12 /$15.

SUN.1

$5 Improv Night (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 p.m. $5.

MON.2

Comedy Open Mic (comedy open mic) at the 126, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

WED.4

Standup Comedy Open Mic (comedy open mic) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 8:30 p.m.

Talk Show With Max Higgins (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 p.m. $10.

trivia, karaoke, etc.

WED.27

4Qs Trivia Night (trivia) at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski, 6 p.m. Free.

Trivia Night (trivia) at Stone Corral, Richmond, 7 p.m. Free.

Venetian Trivia Night (trivia) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

THU.28

Karaoke Night (karaoke) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7 p.m. Free.

Karaoke Night (karaoke) at Gusto’s, Barre, 8 p.m. Free.

Trivia (trivia) at Highland Lodge, Greensboro, 7 p.m. Free.

Trivia Night (trivia) at McGillicuddy’s

Five Corners, Essex Junction, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Trivia Night (trivia) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Trivia Thursday (trivia) at Spanked Puppy Pub, Colchester, 7 p.m. Free.

SUN.1

Sunday Funday (games) at 1st Republic Brewing, Essex, noon. Free.

Venetian Karaoke (karaoke) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

MON.2

Trivia Monday with Top Hat Entertainment (trivia) at McKee’s Pub & Grill, Winooski, 7-9 p.m. Free.

Trivia with Craig Mitchell (trivia) at Monkey House, Winooski, 7 p.m. Free.

TUE.3

Karaoke with Motorcade (karaoke) at Manhattan Pizza & Pub, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

Taproom Trivia (trivia) at 14th Star Brewing, St. Albans, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Trivia Night (trivia) at the Depot, St. Albans, 7 p.m. Free.

Trivia Tuesday (trivia) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 7 p.m. Free.

Tuesday Trivia (trivia) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

WED.4

4Qs Trivia Night (trivia) at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski, 6 p.m. Free.

Trivia Night (trivia) at Stone Corral, Richmond, 7 p.m. Free.

Venetian Trivia Night (trivia) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free. ➆

REVIEW this music+nightlife

tip/toe, Hot Girls Don’t Trust the Government

(SELF-RELEASED, DIGITAL)

Of the many things to love about tip/toe’s new album, its title is one of the best — and most revealing. By declaring that Hot Girls Don’t Trust the Government, the Burlington pop artist frames herself as unfiltered, fired up, opinionated, and part of a highly visible faction of young people who are one or two highly publicized human rights atrocities away from burning everything down.

So who can you trust if you’re young and queer or trans? On opener “LOL,” tip/toe, aka Eve Meehan, raps over G-funk beats: “Find your people and prepare to fight.” The line is the album’s essential pull quote, a slogan encapsulating the power and importance of community as a remedy for society’s sickness. As Meehan wrote in an email to Seven Days, “Trans and queer joy in the face of brutal oppression and violence is the ultimate resistance.”

Meehan is a chameleon, adding vocal e ects and filters only to strip them away later. She’s equally compelling as a singer and a rapper, sometimes wearing both hats on the same track.

Production-wise, her songs have never sounded

Kristian Montgomery and the Winterkill Band, Lower County Outlaw

(SELF-RELEASED, DIGITAL)

Florida native Kristian Montgomery settled easily into Vermont life when he moved here in 2020, making a happy home in Wallingford complete with goats, horses and fowl. His sound, on the other hand, may not have fit into the Green Mountain musical landscape quite as well.

“I’m unique to the scene and don’t fall in with the jam bands, and the bluegrass scene is not where I’ll find a permanent residency,” Montgomery wrote in an email to Seven Days. “The country vibe doesn’t fit my unconventional songwriting,” he went on, adding that while he and his backing group, the Winterkill Band, are loud at times, “we aren’t a consistent scream ... We fit somewhere in between all of the above.”

Kristian Montgomery and the Winterkill Band just released their fourth album in three years, Lower County Outlaw. Though somewhat genre bending, the record’s country-rock sound leans on a tried-and-true blend of bluesy guitar ri s, rock and roll drums, and captivating vocals, tempered with pop and alt-rock melodic sensibilities.

Lower County Outlaw is a strong album. The team Montgomery assembled to record it — John Clark on

fuller. Cinematic flourishes of strings add drama. She brings in a broader textural palette of beats. Some are wooden and hollow, others dense and metallic, the variations deepening the impact of their scintillating patterns. And Meehan’s hooks are stronger and more memorable. Here is an artist hard at work pushing not just societal boundaries but her own creative ones, too. Though dark themes recur throughout Hot Girls, such as rampant transphobia, depression and life in a deteriorating world, Meehan has a knack for packaging them in a way that’s, well, pretty fucking fun.

While keeping some of the icy, trap-inspired sounds of her 2020 record IPSHST, as heard on the eerily beautiful and alienating “butterflies!” and languid trip-hop dreamscape “t girl,” her new album bursts with genre experimentation and musical variance. She masterfully adds breezy aughts indie rock (“junie falls”) and synth-pop (“did u know?!”) to her growing roster of sounds.

Meehan also has a great sense of humor. On “t girl,” she practically winks as she sings, “T girls take over the world / They’re coming for your boys / Yeah they turn them into girls / They’ve always got a plan / Just to take over the world.” She twists the words of transphobes into a snarky taunt, happily manifesting their unfounded fears as a utopian reality.

Meehan is part of a growing roster of Vermont pop artists who stimulate the brain as easily as they do the hips. Her work captures the queer Gen Z zeitgeist like that of few other Queen City artists.

Hot Girls Don’t Trust the Government is available on SoundCloud, Spotify and Apple Music. Catch tip/toe at the Benefit for Epona at the Old Labor Hall in Barre this Saturday, September 30, and at the Vermont Comedy Club in Burlington on Wednesday, October 4, as a guest and performer on the debut installment of “Talk Show With Max Higgins.”

me, you’ll know I’m telling it straight and it ain’t gonna be sugar,” he writes on his band’s website — and that attitude radiates through his music.

The group has also mastered the art of space, as evidenced by the album’s penultimate track, “A Little Lower.” The song isn’t overcrowded with noise, which allows the listener room to appreciate the pop of the snare, the quality of the vocals and the infectious groove of the guitar solo during the breakdown.

Lower County Outlaw also succeeds in bringing variety. Montgomery harks back to his days as an alt-rocker in Florida on “Around and Around” — I can practically hear Chris Cornell singing this ’90s grunge era-style rock ballad. Other cuts, like “Gypsy Girl,” lean more into country-pop. “Lost in Memphis” is harder, with a heavy metal-inspired guitar ri , while “Easy to Forget You When I’m Gone” would be right at home on a modern country radio station.

guitar, Dave Leitch and Mark Harding on bass, and drummer Andrew Koss, who also engineered and produced — shows considerable technical skills and plays well together. Key to this album’s appeal is its authenticity. The sound is unforced, confident and catchy without being pushy. Montgomery is a selfproclaimed straight shooter — “I promise you’ll feel

Montgomery’s music may not fit squarely in one genre, but that’s also what makes Lower County Outlaw great. Kristian Montgomery and the Winterkill Band, Vermont welcomes you with open arms. If the residents of the Green Mountains are known for jam bands and bluegrass music, we are equally known for independence and following the beat of our own drum. In this way, you are right at home.

Listen to Lower County Outlaw on all major streaming platforms.

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BECAUSE YOU GOTTA GET TO THE MOUNTAIN!

SEPTEMBER 27-OCTOBER 4, 2023

WED.27 activism

JAMIE MCCALLUM: The Middlebury College sociology professor examines how the pandemic has changed the labor movement. Manchester Community Library, Manchester Center, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 262-2626.

business

MAGNETIC MESSAGING:

LEVERAGING WORDS FOR ORGANIC CLIENT

ATTRACTION: Business owners learn how to optimize their websites to appeal to their ideal customers. Peoples Trust, 1 Franklin Park W., St. Albans, 6-7:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 524-7830.

QUEEN CITY BUSINESS

NETWORKING

INTERNATIONAL GROUP: Savvy businesspeople make crucial contacts at a weekly chapter meeting. Burlington City Arts, 11:15 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 829-5066.

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS OF FRANKLIN COUNTY

LAUNCH EVENT: Businessoriented twenty-, thirty- and fortysomethings learn about a new group’s mission and membership benefits. Jeff’s Maine Seafood, St. Albans, 5-7 p.m. Free; preregister; cash bar. Info, info@fcrccvt.com.

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 beyond. BYO snacks and drinks. Must Love Yarn, Shelburne, 5-7 p.m. Free. Info, 448-3780.

dance

WESTIE WEDNESDAYS

DANCE: Swing dancers lift and spin at a weekly social dance. North Star Community Hall, Burlington, 8-9 p.m. $5 suggested donation. Info, 802westiecollective@gmail. com.

education

WIRED WEDNESDAYS: AVOIDING DIGITAL SCAMS: Real world examples help to identify and avoid digital scams, while staying safe on the internet. Fletcher Free Library New North End Branch, Burlington, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 863-3403.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘DINOSAURS OF ANTARCTICA

3D’: Antarctic scientists dig into the ancient world of bug-eyed giants and egg-laying mammals that once populated this polar landscape. Northfield Savings Bank 3D Theater: A National Geographic Experience, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 11 a.m., 1 & 3 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $14.50-18; admission free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.

EDITING WITH DAVINCI

RESOLVE: Attendees learn how to perfect film footage in a popular program. RETN & VCAM Media Factory, Burlington, 1-3 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister. Info, 651-9692.

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 Emily Hamilton 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.

‘GREAT WHITE SHARK

3D’: Viewers learn the true story behind one of our most iconic — and misunderstood — predators. Northfield Savings Bank 3D Theater: A National Geographic Experience, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 10:30 a.m., 12:30, 2:30 & 4:30 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $14.50-18; admission free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.

‘JOURNEY TO SPACE 3D’: Sparkling graphics and vibrant interviews take viewers on a journey alongside NASA astronauts as they prepare for stranger-than-sciencefiction space travel. Northfield Savings Bank 3D Theater: A National Geographic Experience, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 11:30 a.m., 1:30 & 3:30 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $14.50-18; admission free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.

‘KEYS BAGS NAMES

WORDS’: In recognition of World Alzheimer’s Day, local organizations screen this new documentary about the realities, both heartbreaking and hopeful, of living with dementia. Burlington City Hall Auditorium, 6:45-9 p.m. Free. Info, 440-1881.

‘WILD AFRICA 3D’: Viewers are plunged into the magical vistas of the continent’s deserts, jungles and savannahs. Northfield Savings Bank 3D Theater: A National Geographic Experience, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, noon, 2 & 4 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $14.50-18; admission free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.

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 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.

= ONLINE EVENT

food & drink

ALL ABOUT FOOD: A FOOD LOVERS’ GROUP: A monthly discussion group samples new topics of tasty conversation at every meeting. Manchester Community Library, Manchester Center, 2-3 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 549-4574.

COMMUNITY SUPPER: Neighbors share a tasty meal at their local library. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 6 p.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.

WPP COMMUNITY DINNER: Local chef Hakima Laita cooks a delicious Moroccan meal for pickup or eating in. Presented by Winooski Partnership for Prevention. O’Brien Community Center, Winooski, 4-5:30 p.m. Free; preregister; limited space. Info, 655-4565.

games

MAH-JONGG OPEN PLAY: Weekly sessions of an age-old game promote critical thinking and friendly competition. Manchester Community Library, Manchester Center, 12:30-3:30 p.m. Free. Info, 362-2607.

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.

SEATED & STANDING YOGA: Beginners are welcome to grow their strength and flexibility at this supportive class. Manchester Community Library, Manchester Center, 9-10 a.m. Free. Info, 549-4574.

VERMONT SUICIDE PREVENTION

SYMPOSIUM: Online speeches and seminars address the issues affecting Vermonters’ mental health. Presented by the Vermont Suicide Prevention Center. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. $25-100; preregister. Info, 254-6590.

All Strings Must Pass

Nine-time Grammy Award-winning chamber ensemble the Emerson String Quartet makes its 33rd — and final — appearance at Middlebury College, kicking off the school’s Performing Arts Series with an unmissable show. The group’s farewell tour ends a storied 47year run of world-class musicality, collaborations with acclaimed composers and honorary Middlebury degrees. The show at Memorial Chapel features works by Dmitri Shostakovich, Maurice Ravel and others, as well as a new work by Sarah Kirkland Snider, “Drink the Wild Ayre,” which was co-commissioned by the quartet and the college.

EMERSON STRING QUARTET

Saturday, September 30, 7:30 p.m., at Memorial Chapel, Middlebury College. $5-25. Info, 443-6433, middlebury.edu.

language

BEGINNER IRISH LANGUAGE

CLASS: Celtic-curious students learn to speak an Ghaeilge in a supportive group. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, noon-1 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

ELL CLASSES: ENGLISH FOR BEGINNERS &

INTERMEDIATE STUDENTS:

Learners of all abilities practice written and spoken English with trained instructors. Presented by Fletcher Free Library. 6:30-8 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, bshatara@ burlingtonvt.gov.

montréal

‘AURA’: An immersive light show and soundscape highlights the rich history and stunning architecture of the Québec church.

Notre-Dame Basilica of Montréal, 6 & 8 p.m. $18-32; free for kids 5 and under. Info, 866-842-2925.

music

JAZZ CAFE: NEW KANON JAZZ

TRIO: Rutland area saxophonist and music teacher Zachary Hampton selects some of his

favorite jams for a special appearance with the trio. BYOB. Stone Valley Arts, Poultney, 7 p.m. $10 suggested donation. Info, stonevalleyartscenter@gmail. com.

LIVE IN THE ORCHARD: THE

MEATPACKERS: The beloved local band serves up its signature brand of contagious bluegrass. Shelburne Orchards, 12:30-2 p.m. Free. Info, 985-2753.

ZACH NUGENT UNCORKED: The sought-after guitarist plays a weekly loft show featuring live music, storytelling and special guests. Shelburne Vineyard, 6-8:45 p.m. Free. Info, 985-8222.

seminars

MENTOR TRAINING FOR JUSTICE-INVOLVED WOMEN: Volunteers receive training to help trauma-affected women. Mercy Connections, Burlington, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 8467164, jnelson@mercyconnections. org.

SORTING THE NEWS FROM THE CHAFF: Veteran journalist and

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.27 burlington

BABYTIME: Librarians bring out books, rhymes and songs specially selected for young ones. Pre-walkers and younger. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

IMAGINATION STATION: Giant Jenga, Hula-Hoops and jump ropes entertain shoppers of all ages in between stops. Church Street Marketplace, Burlington, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 863-1648.

STEAM SPACE: Kids explore science, technology, engineering, art and math activities. Ages 5 through 11. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 5-6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

STORIES WITH SHANNON: Ages 2 to 5 gather in the library’s youth section for story time, songs and fun. No preregistration needed. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

TODDLER TIME: Books, rhymes, songs and open-ended play for 1- and 2-yearolds and their caregivers. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 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 a.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

LEGO FUN: Budding architects and engineers use their imaginations and the classic blocks to build creations to display in the library. Children under 8 must bring a caregiver. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 2:30-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

MIDDLE SCHOOL MAKERS: COOKING: Middle school students in grades 5 to 8 create kitchen confections with secret ingredients, listed on the library’s website. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 4-5:30 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

barre/montpelier

CHESS CLUB: Youngsters of all skill levels get one-on-one lessons at the School St. picnic tables. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 3:30-5 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

OUTSIDE AFTERSCHOOL: Undeterred by the library’s repairs, librarians lead students in games and art every weekday at the School St. picnic tables. KelloggHubbard Library, Montpelier, 2:45-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

mad river valley/ waterbury

LEGO CHALLENGE CLUB: Kids engage in a fun-filled hour of building, then leave their creations on display in the library all month long. Ages 9 through 11. Waterbury Public Library, 3-4 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 244-7036.

manchester/ bennington

MCL FILM CLUB: Teen auteurs learn how to bring stories to life on camera. Manchester Community Library, Manchester Center, 3:30-5 p.m. Free. Info, 362-2607.

randolph/royalton

FAMILY-FRIENDLY MUSHROOM

MEANDER: Melany Kahn, author of the kids’ foraging book Mason Goes Mushrooming, leads fun guys of all ages through the forest in search of fungi. Allis State Park, Randolph, 4-6 p.m. Free. Info, abelisle2@comcast.net.

THU.28 burlington

GROW PRESCHOOL YOGA: Join Emily from Grow Prenatal and Family Yoga for songs, movement and other fun yoga activities. Ages 2-5. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11:30 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 863-3403.

IMAGINATION STATION: See WED.27.

TINY HUMANS, BIG EMOTIONS: Author and parenting coach Alyssa Campbell teaches dads and other masc-identifying caregivers how to build emotional intelligence in themselves and their kids.

Robert Miller Community & Recreation Center, Burlington, 7-8:30 p.m. Free; preregister; limited space. Info, 318-4231.

chittenden county

BLOCK AND BIRD: KIDS DRAWING PROGRAM WITH THE VERMONT BIRD MUSEUM: All materials are supplied for this workshop that teaches kids ages 6 and older how to draw birds. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 3-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

LEGO TIME: Builders in kindergarten through fourth grade enjoy an afternoon of imagination and play. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 3-4 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

PRESCHOOL MUSIC WITH LINDA

BASSICK: The singer and storyteller extraordinaire leads little ones in indoor music and movement. Birth through age 5. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

PRESCHOOL PLAYTIME: 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

OUTSIDE AFTERSCHOOL: See WED.27.

TAMIL STORY TIME WITH PAARU: Preschoolers sing and listen to stories in this South Asian language. KelloggHubbard Library, Montpelier, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

stowe/smuggs

WEE ONES PLAY TIME: Caregivers bring kiddos 3 and younger to a new sensory learning experience each week. Morristown Centennial Library, Morrisville, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 888-3853.

mad river valley/ waterbury

JUBAL HARP & SONG: Judi Byron plays folk ditties, rhymes, and counting and movement songs for babies, toddlers and preschoolers to sing and dance along to. Waterbury Public Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

PRESCHOOL PLAY & READ: Outdoor activities, stories and songs engage 3- and 4-year-olds. Waterbury Public Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

FRI.29 burlington

‘BLIPPI: THE WONDERFUL WORLD

TOUR’: The beloved star of popular educational YouTube videos takes to the stage to teach kids about the cities around them. The Flynn, Burlington, 6 p.m. $29-65. Info, 863-5966.

chittenden county

LEGO BUILDERS: Each week, children ages 8 and older build, explore, create and participate in challenges. Children ages 6 to 8 are welcome with an adult. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 3-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

TEEN: DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: Local wizards and warlocks ages 12 and up play a collaborative game of magic and monsters. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 5-6 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

barre/montpelier

OUTSIDE AFTERSCHOOL: See WED.27.

upper valley

STORY TIME: Preschoolers take part in tales, tunes and playtime. Latham Library, Thetford, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 785-4361.

manchester/ bennington

YOUNG ADULT DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: Teens battle beasts with swords and spell books. Drop-in and recurring players are welcome. Ages 12 through 16. Manchester Community Library, Manchester Center, 2-4 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 549-4574.

SAT.30 burlington

FACE PAINTING AND CARICATURES: Little Artsy Faces and Marc Hughes Illustrations paint faces in more ways than one at the corner of Bank and Church streets. Church Street Marketplace, Burlington, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 863-1648.

stowe/smuggs

MUSICAL STORY TIME: Song, dance and other tuneful activities supplement picture books for kids 2 through

5. Morristown Centennial Library, Morrisville, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 888-3853.

mad river valley/ waterbury

TALKING HANDS THEATRE PUPPET

SHOW: You have to hand it to the performers who bring stories alive at this family-friendly performance. Living Tree Alliance, Moretown, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. $24-40. Info, info@livingtreealliance.com.

manchester/ bennington

NOTORIOUS RPG: Kids 10 through 14 create characters and play a collaborative adventure game similar to Dungeons & Dragons. Manchester Community Library, Manchester Center, 1-2 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 362-2607. STEAM SATURDAY: Little ones have fun with foundational science and art. Manchester Community Library, Manchester Center, 11 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 362-2607.

SUN.1 burlington

CHAMPLAIN VALLEY BUDDY WALK: Champlain Valley Down Syndrome Group and allies walk to raise funds for awareness and support. Battery Park, Burlington, noon-3 p.m. $10-30; preregister. Info, tmcq@vermontbiz.com.

MASKS ON! SUNDAYS: Elderly, disabled and immunocompromised folks get the museum to themselves at a masksmandatory morning. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 9-10 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 864-1848.

chittenden county

DRAG QUEEN STORY HOUR: Rev. Yolanda reads a Sukkot story to kids 8 and under. Temple Sinai, South Burlington, 3-4 p.m. Free. Info, 862-5125.

MON.2 chittenden county

READ WITH SAMMY: The Therapy Dogs of Vermont emissary is super excited to hear kids of all ages practice their reading. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

upper valley

STORY TIME WITH BETH: A bookseller and librarian extraordinaire reads two picture books on a different theme each week. Norwich Bookstore, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 649-1114.

manchester/ bennington

NEW MOMS’ GROUP: Local doula Kimberleigh Weiss-Lewitt facilitates a community-building weekly meetup for mothers who are new to parenting or the area. Manchester Community Library, Manchester Center, 9-10 a.m. Free. Info, 549-4574.

TUE.3

chittenden county

KID CRAFTERNOON: Kids and teens make space-themed treasures after school. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 3-4 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

PLAYGROUP & FAMILY SUPPORT: Families with children under age 5 play and connect with others in the community. Winooski Memorial Library, 10:3011:30 a.m. Free. Info, 655-6424.

PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: Little ones enjoy a cozy session of reading, rhyming and singing. Birth through age 5. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

TODDLERTIME: Miss Alexa delights infants and toddlers ages 1 to 3 and their adult caregivers with interactive stories, songs, rhymes and more. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

manchester/ bennington

STORY TIME: Youth librarian Carrie leads little tykes in stories and songs centered on a new theme every week. Birth through age 5. Manchester Community Library, Manchester Center, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 362-2607.

WED.4 burlington

BABYTIME: See WED.27.

STEAM SPACE: See WED.27.

chittenden county

AFTERSCHOOL ACTIVITY: LEGO &

BOARD GAMES: Blocks and boards make for a fun, creative afternoon. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 2-3 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

BABY SOCIAL TIME: See WED.27.

BABY TIME: Parents and caregivers bond with their pre-walking babes during this gentle playtime. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

JEWELRY MAKING WITH CASEY: Crafty kids string beads together to create necklaces with names. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

PLAY TIME: Little ones build with blocks and read together. Ages 1 through 4. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 1010:45 a.m. Free. Info, 878-6956. mad

river valley/ waterbury

QUEER READS: LGBTQIA+ and allied youth 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.

TEEN HANGOUT: Middle and high schoolers make friends at a no-pressure meetup. Waterbury Public Library, 3-6 p.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

manchester/ bennington

MCL FILM CLUB: See WED.27. K

educator Mark Timney shares strategies for evaluating sources. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 4-5:30 p.m. Free; preregister; limited space. Info, 878-4918.

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.

theater

‘CADILLAC CREW’: Vermont Stage’s latest production follows four female Civil Rights activists on the eve of a landmark Rosa Parks speech. Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $24-64. Info, 862-1497.

‘GLORY DENIED’: Opera Company of Middlebury presents the Vermont premiere of Tom Cipullo’s soaring score, inspired by the true story of Vietnam prisoner of war Jim Thompson. Town Hall Theater, Middlebury, 7:30 p.m. $57-77; free for veterans and guests under 26. Info, 382-9222.

words

DAYTON J. SHAFER: Performance and poetry merge in the author’s chapbook Homeslice. Presented by Kellogg-Hubbard Library. 6:30-7:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 223-3338.

FRIENDS BOOK SALE: Booklovers find great bargains at the annual Friends of the Fletcher Free Library book sale. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 3-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

THU.28 community

SHELBURNE FORWARD

TOGETHER: Townsfolk join task forces dedicated to local wildlife conservation, affordable housing solutions and pedestrian accessibility. Childcare available. Shelburne Community School, 6:30-9 p.m. Free. Info, 223-6091.

crafts

KNIT FOR YOUR NEIGHBOR: All ages and abilities are invited to knit or crochet hats and scarves for the South Burlington Food Shelf. All materials are 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.

dance

BARNARTS FEAST & FIELD

MUSIC SERIES: DJ DANCE PARTY: Farm-fresh foods and dance-worthy tunes are on the menu at the final feast of the year. Fable Farm,

The Truck Stops Here

LGBTQ Vermonters and their allies don their best costumes, glitter, fairy wings and unicorn horns for the annual Fire Truck Pull, a sweaty, ecstatic fundraiser for Outright Vermont. Following a super queer, super colorful block party, teams of donors roll up their sleeves and work together to pull a fully loaded fire engine up Church Street. After another tough year for trans and queer youth in the U.S., Outright set a record-high fundraising goal of $200,000, which will go toward the organization’s mission to provide Vermont’s LGBTQ kids with GSA funding, summer camps, emotional support and inclusive schools.

FIRE TRUCK PULL

Saturday, September 30, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., at Church Street Marketplace in Burlington. Minimum $3,000 in funds raised per team of 12; free for spectators; preregister. Info, 865-9677, outrightvt.org.

Barnard, 5:30-8:30 p.m. $10-20. Info, music@barnarts.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

education

JOHNSON MEMORIAL BUILDING

CELEBRATION: Community members are welcome at this shindig celebrating a newly renovated school building. Johnson Memorial Building, Middlebury College, 4:30-9 p.m. Free. Info, 443-3136.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘ANXIOUS NATION’: NAMI

Vermont screens this 2022 documentary about the rise in anxiety diagnoses among youths around the country. Q&A follows. Mental health resources provided. Fuller Hall, St. Johnsbury Academy, 6-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, 876-7949.

‘DINOSAURS OF ANTARCTICA 3D’: See WED.27.

‘GREAT WHITE SHARK 3D’: See WED.27.

‘JOURNEY TO SPACE 3D’: See WED.27.

‘KEYS BAGS NAMES WORDS’: See WED.27. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum.

Opera House, 7:30-9:30 p.m. $20 suggested donation. Info, 522-6732.

THROWDOWN THURSDAYS: Sugarbush hosts a weekly summer shindig featuring live tunes, doubles cornhole tournaments and disc golf competitions. Lincoln Peak Vineyard, New Haven, 5-8 p.m. Free. Info, 552-4007.

politics

AN EVENING WITH THE GRAFFS: Chris and Garrett Graff, a fatherson duo of longtime political commentators, discuss the relationship between media and politics and answer Vermonters’ questions. Flynn Space, Burlington, 5:30-7:30 p.m. $35. Info, egschabel@vtchamber.com.

kicks off a new project that will make the waterfront more accessible to those with disabilities. Waterfront Park, Burlington, 2 p.m. Free. Info, 864-2499.

crafts

SCRAPBOOKING GROUP: Cutters and pasters make new friends at a weekly club. Manchester Community Library, Manchester Center, 10 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 549-4574.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘DINOSAURS OF ANTARCTICA 3D’: See WED.27.

‘GREAT WHITE SHARK 3D’: See WED.27.

‘WILD AFRICA 3D’: See WED.27.

food & drink

ARE YOU THIRSTY, NEIGHBOR?: A special discount cocktail menu sparks conversations and connections over cribbage and cards. Wild Hart Distillery and Tasting Room, Shelburne, 3-8 p.m. Free. Info, info@wildhartdistillery.com.

VERGENNES FARMERS MARKET: Local foods and crafts, live music, and hot eats spice up Thursday afternoons. Vergennes City Park, 3-6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 233-9180.

games

THE CHECK MATES: Chess players of all ages face off at this intergenerational weekly meetup. Manchester Community Library, Manchester Center, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 549-4574.

DUPLICATE BRIDGE: A lively group plays a classic, tricky game with an extra wrinkle. Waterbury Public Library, 12:30-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 244-7223.

health & fitness

SIMPLIFIED TAI CHI FOR SENIORS: Eighteen easy poses help with stress reduction, fall prevention and ease of movement. Manchester Community Library, Manchester Center, 3:15-4 p.m. Donations accepted. Info, 362-2607.

TAI CHI THURSDAYS: Experienced instructor Rich Marantz teaches the first section of the Yang-style tai chi sequence. Manchester Community Library, Manchester Center, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 645-1960.

montréal

‘AURA’: See WED.27.

music

CRICKET BLUE: The folk duo brings an intimate, textured, melodic night of music to town. Willey Memorial Hall, Cabot, 7-9 p.m. $12-15. Info, 793-3016.

SCOTT COOK WITH PAMELA

MAE: The Canadian roots rocker is joined onstage by his bassist partner. Plainfield Town Hall

THOUGHT CLUB: Artists and activists convene to engage with Burlington’s rich tradition of radical thought and envision its future. Democracy Creative, Burlington, 6-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, tevan@democracycreative.com.

talks

DIVERSITY SPEAKER SERIES:

CEDRIC KING, TIM WISE & SANDRA CLARK: An amputee veteran, an anti-racist author and an award-winning journalist discuss their experiences. The Flynn, Burlington, 7 p.m. $13-38. Info, 863-5966. tech

TECH AND TEXTILES: Crafters work on their knitting or crocheting while discussing questions such as how to set up a new tablet or what cryptocurrency even is. George Peabody Library, Post Mills, 1-5 p.m. Free. Info, 333-9724.

theater

‘CADILLAC CREW’: See WED.27. words

EVENING BOOK GROUP: In the first monthly session following the summer hiatus, readers discuss Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over by Nell Painter. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 6-7 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

FRIENDS BOOK SALE: See WED.27, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

HAMILTON E. DAVIS: The author of Mocking Justice: Vermont’s Biggest Drug Scandal tells the story of how a St. Albans cop framed dozens of innocent people for narcotics crimes in the 1970s. St. Albans City Hall, 6-7 p.m. Free. Info, 527-7243.

JONI B. COLE: The White River Junction writing teacher launches her new collection of essays, Party Like It’s 2044: Finding the Funny in Life and Death. Norwich Bookstore, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 649-1114.

FRI.29 community

GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY: The Community Sailing Center

‘JACK LONDON’S MARTIN EDEN’: A poor sailor falls for a high-society lady in this new adaptation of the classic autobiographical novel. Q&A with director Jay Craven follows. Bennington Museum, 7 p.m. $10-12. Info, 447-1571.

‘JOURNEY TO SPACE 3D’: See WED.27.

‘WILD AFRICA 3D’: See WED.27.

food & drink

CHAMPLAIN VALLEY DINNER

TRAIN: Travelers savor a threecourse meal and scenic landscape views during a three-hour trip in a kitchen car. Ages 5 and up. Union Station, Burlington, 4-7 p.m. $99-148.50; preregister. Info, 800-707-3530.

CONGEE COOK-OFF: Acupuncturists and other staff compete to cook the coziest bowl of rice porridge. First 25 arrivals get a free dip in the floatation tank. Wellness in Vermont, Montpelier, 3-6 p.m. Free. Info, 223-0954.

RICHMOND FARMERS MARKET: Vendors present a diverse selection of locally produced foods and crafts as picnickers enjoy music from a different local band each week. Richmond Town Park, 3-6:30 p.m. Free. Info, rfmmanager@ gmail.com.

games

GAME NIGHT: Whether your favorite game is Candy Land, Connect 4 or Codenames, there’s something for everyone at this all-ages party. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, 748-8291.

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.

WOMEN’S HEALTH AND CANCER CONFERENCE: Patients, healthcare providers, researchers and caregivers gather for a day of learning at this year’s conference, “The Changing Landscape of Cancer.” Virtual options available. Davis Center, University of Vermont, Burlington, 8 a.m.-4

The future is here.

We guarantee you’ll find something new at this career and tech expo — a job, a degree program, a professional connection.

At the Vermont Tech Jam, you’ll meet dozens of local recruiters from companies working on everything from semiconductors to software, robotics systems to battery-powered airplanes, AI to UX and everything in between.

KEYNOTE+RECEPTION: 3-5 P.M.

Will Vermonters go for lab-grown meat?

The USDA recently approved the production and sale of “cell-cultivated chicken.” What kinds of challenges and opportunities does no-slaughter meat present?

BY

Dr. Rachael Floreani and Irfan Tahir, two UVM-based pioneers in the rapidly evolving field of cellular agriculture, explore those questions in a keynote conversation.

p.m. Free. Info, cancer@uvmcc. med.uvm.edu.

montréal

‘AURA’: See WED.27.

music

BLUEGRASS & BBQ: HARD

SCRABBLE: The band tickles the banjo strings and Southern Smoke provides the nosh. Shelburne Vineyard, 6-8:30 p.m. $10; free for kids under 12. Info, 985-8222.

MALI OBOMSAWIN: The Abenaki bassist, songwriter and former member of Luna Wiles plays tunes from her acclaimed debut album, Sweet Tooth. Flynn Space, Burlington, 7 p.m. $25. Info, 863-5966.

UVM LANE SERIES: DOVER

QUARTET: Classical compositions carry through the air courtesy of the Grammy Award-nominated chamber ensemble. University of Vermont Recital Hall, Burlington, 7:30-9 p.m. $6.50-45. Info, 656-4455.

theater

‘CADILLAC CREW’: See WED.27.

‘THE GLASS MENAGERIE’: A family struggles to get by in Depression-era St. Louis in this Valley Players production of the classic Tennessee Williams play. Valley Players Theater, Waitsfield, 7-9:30 p.m. $14-18. Info, 583-1674.

‘GLORY DENIED’: See WED.27.

‘LOVE LETTERS’: This two-person Stowe Theatre Guild production follows a pair of lifelong pen pals through various stages of life. Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center, Stowe Mountain Resort, 7:30-9 p.m. $25. Info, 760-4634.

‘MURDER IN THE STUDIO’: The Essex Community Players present three radio play adaptations of riveting Agatha Christie whodunits. Essex Memorial Hall, 7:309:30 p.m. $12-14. Info, tickets@ essexcommunityplayers.com.

words

FRIENDS BOOK SALE: See WED.27, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

GREEN MOUNTAIN BOOK

FESTIVAL: Alison Bechdel headlines this weekend-long celebration of the written word, featuring panels, readings and a focus on banned books. See green mountainbookfestival.org for full schedule. Various downtown Burlington locations, 6:30-8 p.m. Free. Info, info@greenmountain bookfestival.org.

SAT.30 agriculture

2023 DRAFT ANIMAL-POWER

FIELD DAYS: Draft horses, oxen, working dogs and their human teamsters show how it was done back in the day, with activities, wagon rides and demos. Full schedule available on website. Shelburne Farms Breeding Barn, 7 a.m.-5 p.m. $25-95. Info, dapnetinfo@gmail.com.

business

NORTH BY NORTHEAST:

NAVIGATING YOUR SMALL BUSINESS: Small business owners and solo entrepreneurs gather for a day of free resources, connections, inspiration and lunch. Vermont State UniversityRandolph, Randolph Center, 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Free. Info, smunro@vtsbdc.org.

community

EXPLORE ESSEX: Passport Week celebrates the town’s business, entertainment and recreational opportunities and includes a daylong community fest on October 7. Essex Town Offices. Free. Info, 878-1341.

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

SEP. 30 &

All Sheeps and Sizes

Sweater season kicks off with a baang at the Vermont Sheep & Wool Festival, an annual gathering of the Green Mountain State’s many spinners, weavers, knitters, herders and alpaca farmers. Attendees spot incomparable cashmeres and magnificent mohairs at the fleece show; compete to create the best shawls, sweaters and scarves; check out the beloved herding show from Jim McRae and his border collies; attend talks about raising goats, shearing bunnies and diversifying herds; and pick up new skills at workshops, including spinning, rug hooking, felting and tapestry weaving.

VERMONT SHEEP & WOOL FESTIVAL

Saturday, September 30, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, October 1, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at Tunbridge Fairgrounds. $5-8; free for toddlers. Info, vtsheepandwoolfest@gmail.com, vtsheepandwoolfest.com.

dance

MONTPELIER CONTRA DANCE:

To live tunes and gender-neutral calling by Nils Fredland, dancers balance, shadow and do-si-do the night away. Capital City Grange, Berlin, beginners’ lesson, 7:40 p.m.; dance, 8-11 p.m. $5-20. Info, 225-8921.

environment

RIVERBANK CLEAN-UP: Volunteers scoop up junk from their local waterfront with Friends of the Winooski River. Wear long pants and sleeves, closed-toed shoes, heavy-duty gloves and face masks. Plainfield Recreational Field, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 279-3771.

etc.

FREE STUDENT SATURDAY: College students peruse the museum’s collections for free once a week all month long. Student ID

and demos. Various Cabot locations, noon-5 p.m. Free. Info, 793-3016.

SOUTH BURLINGTON ENERGY

FESTIVAL: There’s something for everyone at this daylong festival, featuring fun, food, raffle prizes, sustainable energy tips and seminars. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4107.

VERMONT SHEEP AND WOOL

FESTIVAL: Fiber lovers flock to this annual fair featuring contests, farm animals, spinning classes, herding demonstrations and reams of vendors. See calendar spotlight. Tunbridge World’s Fairgrounds, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. $5-8; free for toddlers. Info, 592-3153.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘DINOSAURS OF ANTARCTICA 3D’: See WED.27.

‘GREAT WHITE SHARK 3D’: See WED.27.

‘JOURNEY TO SPACE 3D’: See WED.27.

‘WILD AFRICA 3D’: See WED.27.

food & drink

BURLINGTON FARMERS MARKET: Dozens of stands overflow with seasonal produce, flowers, artisanal wares and prepared foods. 345 Pine St., Burlington, 9 a.m.2 p.m. Free. Info, 560-5904.

CAPITAL CITY FARMERS MARKET: Meats and cheeses join farm-fresh produce, baked goods, locally made arts and crafts, and live music. Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpelier, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, montpelierfarmersmarket@gmail. com.

CHAMPLAIN VALLEY DINNER

TRAIN: See FRI.29.

NORTHWEST FARMERS MARKET: Locavores stock up on produce, preserves, baked goods, and arts and crafts from over 50 vendors. Taylor Park, St. Albans, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 242-2729.

ST. JOHNSBURY FARMERS

wellness goals with a race and all-ages carnival. Oakledge Park, Burlington, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. $35; preregister. Info, nicolek@stepsvt. org.

lgbtq

BENEFIT CONCERT FOR EPONA

ROSE: Queer and trans musicians, including tip/toe, genderdeath and Blair Mountain, raise funds for the legal fees of a transgender woman in Arizona. Old Labor Hall, Barre, 7-10 p.m. $5-25. Info, 845-598-0655.

BLOOD DRIVE: In celebration of the recent elimination of sexual orientation bans at blood drives, the House of LeMay hosts an extra-fabulous drive for all donors. First Congregational Church, St. Albans, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Free; preregister; limited space. Info, 800-733-2767.

FIRE TRUCK PULL: Teams of tuggers use all of their strength to haul a fully loaded fire truck up Church Street. Funds raised support Outright Vermont’s work with queer and trans youth. See calendar spotlight. Church Street Marketplace, Burlington, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Minimum $3,000 in funds raised per team of 12; free for spectators; preregister. Info, 865-9677.

montréal

‘AURA’: See WED.27, 7 & 9 p.m.

music

AMYTHYST KIAH: The Grammynominated rocker redefines roots music with her inventive rhythms. Dibden Center for the Arts, Vermont State UniversityJohnson, 7-9 p.m. $16-51. Info, 748-2600.

‘BENNIE AND THE JETS:

AN ELTON JOHN TRIBUTE’: Audiences remember when rock was young and find that their feet just can’t keep still at this pitchperfect tribute show. Paramount Theatre, Rutland, 7 p.m. $30-39. Info, 775-0903.

BTV MARKET MUSIC: BACK

required. Shelburne Museum, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. Info, 985-3346.

fairs & festivals

BROWNINGTON HARVEST FEST 2023: Revelers welcome autumn’s chill with a petting zoo, face painting, freshly pressed cider, local food, live music and more. Evansville Trading Post, Brownington, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. Info, 754-6305.

BURKE FALL FESTIVAL: The annual festival kicks off with a parade, followed by a craft fair, live music, an interactive reptile show, kids’ games, pony rides, rubber duck races and a barbecue. East Burke Village, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Free. Info, 626-4124.

CABOT CHEESE AND CULTURE

FESTIVAL: A cheese-y celebration brings together Vermont cheesemakers with producers of fermented foods and beverages for tasting, education, workshops

MARKET: Growers and crafters gather weekly at booths centered on local eats. Pearl St. & Eastern Ave., St. Johnsbury, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, cfmamanager@gmail. com.

SWEET AND SAVORY

APPLE RECIPES: Home cooks put their orchard hauls to use in gluten- and refined sugar-free recipes of all kinds. Presented by City Market, Onion River Co-op. 10-11:30 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, info@citymarket. coop.

games

CHESS CLUB: Players of all ages and abilities face off and learn new strategies. ADA accessible. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

health & fitness

STEPS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE 5K & FAMILY FIELD DAY: Fundraisers for Steps to End Domestic Violence close out a month of

PORCH REVIVAL: Midday visitors to downtown Burlington enjoy the energetic repertoire of traditional jazz, ragtime, acoustic blues, gospel and more. Burlington City Hall Park, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free. Info, 865-7166.

EMERSON STRING QUARTET: The esteemed foursome opens Middlebury’s Performing Arts Series with a stop on its farewell tour. See calendar spotlight. Mead Memorial Chapel, Middlebury College, 7:30 p.m. $5-25. Info, 443-6433.

‘THE SIXTIES SHOW’: Audiences travel back to a groovier time with an epic tribute to the music of the 1960s, played by former members of the Who, Bob Dylan’s band and more. Strand Center for the Arts, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 7:30 p.m. $3757. Info, 518-563-1604, ext. 105.

TOM CLEARY: A jazz pianist plays his original compositions. The Phoenix, Waterbury, 7:30-9 p.m. $10-25. Info, turnmusicvt@gmail. com.

Steps for Social Change Steps for Social Change

This event honors the first African American graduate of UVM and those who have carried on his legacy in their work to strengthen diversity, equity, and inclusion.

This year’s reception recognizes the life of David Bethuel Jamieson, queer artist, activist, and the former president of UVM’s Black Student Union known for his involvement and documentation of the Waterman Takeovers in the 1980s and 90s.

Join us as we celebrate these profound legacies and announce the recipient of the 2023 Dr. H. Lawrence McCrorey Award for Inclusive Excellence.

Bring e coziness home f Christmas

VSO AT THE FLYNN: A NEW BEGINNING: The VSO opens its 2023-24 season with conductor Andrew Crust, cello and violin soloists, and a free preconcert discussion at 6:30. The Flynn, Burlington, 7:30-9:45 p.m. $8.3559. Info, 864-5741.

outdoors

SEPTEMBER BIRD-MONITORING

On Friday, Sept. 29, head to Church Street for an

“Elfie Selfie” giveaway cha enge

with Klarborg — a Danish home design brand bringing its whimsical universe of characters to Burlington for the first time.

Find the family (look for elf caps), snap a selfie with them and you’ll be entered to WIN A GIFT CARD to bring home your own Klarborg items from:

HOMEPORT

THE COUNTRY CHRISTMAS LOFT

community

EXPLORE ESSEX: See SAT.30. crafts

YARN CRAFTERS GROUP: See WED.27, 1-3 p.m.

environment

BILL MCKIBBEN, EVE SCHAUB, JUDITH ENCK AND JOE

vendors at an outdoor marketplace. Winooski Falls Way, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 655-6410.

health & fitness

COMMUNITY MINDFULNESS

WALK: Birders at every experience level join museum staff in recording all the feathery friends living on the grounds. BYO binoculars. Birds of Vermont Museum, Huntington, 8-9 a.m. $10-15 suggested donation; preregister; limited space. Info, 434-2167.

sports

MAMBAFEST: Cyclists ride along the North Branch Trails, with stops where they must prove their dance skills, marksmanship and more. Proceeds benefit the Montpelier Strong Recovery Fund. Montpelier Recreation Field, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. $20-40; preregister. Info, info@bikemamba.org.

talks

HOWARD COFFIN: A historian details the myriad disasters and tragedies of 1816, Vermont’s year without a summer, and the religious revival they prompted. Moretown United Methodist Church, 2-3 p.m. Free. Info, 461-5054.

theater

‘CADILLAC CREW’: See WED.27, 2 & 7:30 p.m.

‘THE GLASS MENAGERIE’: See FRI.29.

‘LOVE LETTERS’: See FRI.29.

‘MARROWBONE’: Audiences walk into the autumn woods to take in a theater of stories in word, gesture and song. Look for Marrowbone parking signs. Geary Rd., Lincoln, noon-2 p.m. $5-25; preregister. Info, marrowbonevt@ gmail.com.

‘MURDER IN THE STUDIO’: See FRI.29, 2-4 & 7:30-9:30 p.m.

words

FRIENDS BOOK SALE: See WED.27, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

GREEN MOUNTAIN BOOK

FESTIVAL: See FRI.29, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

SUN.1 agriculture

2023 DRAFT ANIMAL-POWER

FIELD DAYS: See SAT.30, 7 a.m.12:30 p.m.

MUSIC FROM THE LAND! FARMER OPEN MIC NIGHT: Local growers bust out the banjos, basses and beyond for a night of community and cheer. Sweet Rowen Farmstead, West Glover, 4-6 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 262-2626.

DONAHUE: Four authors and organizers discuss the lies we’re told about recycling and how we can move toward a plastic-free world. Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester, 2 p.m. $10; preregister. Info, 362-2200.

fairs & festivals

FALL FESTIVAL: This familyfriendly autumnal celebration boasts wagon rides, live music, food trucks and a corn maze. No pets. Isham Family Farm, Williston, 1-4 p.m. Free. Info, 872-1525.

MARSHFIELD HARVEST

FESTIVAL: ’Tis the season for cider pressing, live music, wagon rides, a chili cook-off and more. Old Schoolhouse Common, Marshfield, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.

MONTPELIER FALL FESTIVAL & FUN RUN: Food, live music and games reward participants in a one-mile race at this annual community shindig. Vermont Statehouse lawn, Montpelier, noon-4 p.m. Free. Info, festival@ mrpspie.org.

VERMONT SHEEP AND WOOL

FESTIVAL: See SAT.30.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘DINOSAURS OF ANTARCTICA

3D’: See WED.27.

‘GREAT WHITE SHARK 3D’: See WED.27.

‘JOURNEY TO SPACE 3D’: See WED.27.

‘WILD AFRICA 3D’: See WED.27.

food & drink

CHAMPLAIN VALLEY DINNER

TRAIN: See FRI.29.

TAP TO TABLE: An open-air autumn market celebrates Vermont’s craftspeople, artists, specialty foods and live music.

Stewart Maple Marketplace, Cuttingsville, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. Info, 282-8072.

ST. ALBANS OKTOBERFEST: St. Albans’ first annual Bavarian bash promises great food, drinks, games and music. Ages 21 and up. Hard’ack Recreation Area, St. Albans, noon-6 p.m. $5-25. Info, 443-798-5380.

STOWE FARMERS MARKET: An appetizing assortment of fresh veggies, meats, milk, berries, herbs, beverages and crafts tempts shoppers. 2043 Mountain Rd., Stowe, 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Free. Info, stowefarmersmarket@ gmail.com.

WINOOSKI FARMERS MARKET: Families shop for fresh produce, honey, meats, coffee and prepared foods from more seasonal

PRACTICE: New and experienced meditators are always welcome to join this weekly practice in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hahn. Sangha Studio — Pine, Burlington, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, newleafsangha@gmail.com.

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.

SHELBURNE FARMS 5K: With sign-ups limited to just 200 racers, this exclusive Race Vermont event sells out fast. Shelburne Farms, 8-10 a.m. $35. Info, rayne@racevermont.com.

holidays

SUKKOT ON THE FARM

FESTIVAL: Cider pressing, sauerkraut making, scavenger hunts, Jewish traditions and a performance by the Musical Munchkins make for a fabulous family fall fest. Living Tree Alliance, Moretown, 10 a.m.-noon. $30. Info, info@livingtreealliance.com.

montréal

PIKNIC ÉLECTRONIK MONTRÉAL: A weekly throwdown pairs top-quality electronic music with a breathtaking view of Montréal from Île Saint-Hélène, aka St. Helen’s Island. Parc JeanDrapeau, Montréal, 4-10 p.m. $22-47; preregister. Info, info@ piknicelectronik.com.

music

PURPLE: A TRIBUTE TO PRINCE: Craig Mitchell interprets Prince’s biggest hits in front of a seven-piece band. White Church, Bethel, 4-6 p.m. Free; preregister; limited space. Info, 262-2626.

SARAH MCQUAID: Lush vocals and a masterful stage presence define the songs off this eclectic songwriter’s new album, The St. Buryan Sessions. Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Upper Valley, Norwich, 7:30 p.m. $20. Info, 649-8828.

‘A SENSE OF PLACE — VOICES FROM PRAGUE, PARIS AND BUDAPEST’: Chamber music for flute and piano evokes Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Artistree Community Arts Center, South Pomfret, 3 p.m. $15. Info, 457-3500.

SUNDAY MUSIC SERIES: COLIN

MCCAFFREY: The songwriter springs to life as a solo artist, showcasing his original work and sharing the story of each ditty. Virtual option available. Deborah Rawson Memorial Library, Jericho, 2-3:45 p.m. Free. Info, 899-4962.

theater

‘CADILLAC CREW’: See WED.27, 2 p.m.

‘THE GLASS MENAGERIE’: See FRI.29, 2-4:30 p.m.

‘GLORY DENIED’: See WED.27, 2 p.m.

‘MARROWBONE’: See SAT.30.

‘MURDER IN THE STUDIO’: See FRI.29, 2-4 p.m.

words

FRIENDS BOOK SALE: See WED.27, noon-5:30 p.m.

GREEN MOUNTAIN BOOK

FESTIVAL: See FRI.29, 10 a.m.3:45 p.m.

MADELEINE MAY KUNIN: The former Vermont governor welcomes listeners into a world of sunshine and serenity with her second collection of poetry, Walk With Me. Taso on Center, Rutland, 2 p.m. Free. Info, 855-8078.

MARY MINTZ: The president of the Jane Austen Society of North America gives an address titled “Jane Austen’s Reputation: Highlights of Her First Century in American Periodicals.” Richmond Free Library, 2-4 p.m. Free. Info, 503-5109.

MON.2 community

EXPLORE ESSEX: See SAT.30.

crafts

KNIT WITS: Fiber-working friends get together to make progress on their quilts, knitwear and needlework. Manchester Community Library, Manchester Center, 3-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 362-2607.

WATERCOLOR PAINTING:

Instructor Pauline Nolte leads experienced painters and new dabblers in four weekly sessions. All supplies provided. Waterbury Public Library, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free, space is limited; preregister. Info, 244-7036.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘DINOSAURS OF ANTARCTICA

3D’: See WED.27.

‘GREAT WHITE SHARK 3D’: See WED.27.

‘JOURNEY TO SPACE 3D’: See WED.27.

RICK WINSTON: The local film historian reads from his memoir, Save Me a Seat!: A Life with Movies, and talks to fellow author Howard Norman about the storied past of the Savoy. Savoy Theater, Montpelier, 7-9 p.m. Free. Info, 454-7103.

‘WILD AFRICA 3D’: See WED.27.

health & fitness

ADVANCED TAI CHI: Experienced movers build strength, improve balance and reduce stress. Holley Hall, Bristol, 11 a.m.-noon. Free; donations accepted. Info, jerry@skyrivertaichi.com.

LAUGHTER YOGA: Spontaneous, joyful movement and breath promote physical and emotional health. Pathways Vermont, Burlington, 2-3 p.m. Free. Info, chrisn@pathwaysvermont.org.

LONG-FORM SUN 73: Beginners and experienced practitioners learn how tai chi can help with arthritis, mental clarity and range of motion. Holley Hall, Bristol, 11 a.m.-noon. Free; donations accepted. Info, wirlselizabeth@ gmail.com.

YANG 24: This simplified tai chi method is perfect for beginners looking to build strength and balance. Congregational Church of Middlebury, 3:30-5:30 p.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, wirlselizabeth@gmail.com.

montréal

‘AURA’: See WED.27. talks

AN ITALIAN ODYSSEY: Nicole Librandi presents and discusses images of her weeklong odyssey in Tuscany. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 5:306:30 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

words

ADDISON COUNTY WRITERS

COMPANY: Poets, playwrights, novelists and memoirists of every experience level meet weekly for an MFA-style workshop. Swift House Inn, Middlebury, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, jay@zigzaglitmag.org.

MICHELE CAMPBELL: A law student’s internship spirals into betrayal, corruption and murder in The Intern, a new thriller from the author of It’s Always the Husband. Norwich Bookstore, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 649-1114.

TUE.3

activism

RIGHTS & BITES: ACLU of Vermont supporters and community members mingle with advocates and legal experts over refreshments at a get-together featuring prizes and giveaways.

Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 5:30-7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, sgomory@acluvt.org.

climate crisis

PIZZA & POWER: GREEN & JUST

ELECTRICITY FOR VT: Locals learn where their electricity comes from and how they can advocate for a greener grid. Gluten-free and dairy-free options available. Childcare provided. Champlain Valley Unitarian Universalist Society, Middlebury, 5-7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 522-6684.

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.

EXPLORE ESSEX: See SAT.30.

dance

MORRIS & MORE: Dancers of all abilities learn how to step, clog and even sword fight their way through medieval folk dances of all kinds. Revels North, Lebanon, N.H., 6 p.m. Pay what you can. Info, 603-558-7894.

SWING DANCING: Local Lindy hoppers and jitterbuggers convene at Vermont Swings’ weekly boogie-down. Bring clean shoes. Beginner lessons, 6:30 p.m. Champlain Club, Burlington, 7:30-9 p.m. $5. Info, 864-8382.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘DINOSAURS OF ANTARCTICA

3D’: See WED.27.

‘FOUR WINTERS’: A 2022 documentary reveals the story of more than 25,000 Jewish Holocaust escapees who formed resistance brigades in the forests of eastern Europe. Next Stage Arts Project, Putney, 7-9 p.m. $10. Info, 451-0053.

‘GREAT WHITE SHARK 3D’: See WED.27.

‘JOURNEY TO SPACE 3D’: See WED.27.

‘OUR AMERICAN FAMILY’: Essex CHIPS screens this 2021 documentary about a Philadelphia family grappling with the generational effects of addiction. Double E Performance Center’s T-Rex Theater, Essex, 7-10 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, office@ essexchips.org.

‘WILD AFRICA 3D’: See WED.27.

food & drink

COOKBOOK CLUB: Readers choose a recipe from Flavors of the Sun: The Sahadi’s Guide to Understanding, Buying and Using Middle Eastern Ingredients by Christine Sahadi Whelan to cook and share with the group. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 5:30-6:45 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 846-4140.

NORTHFIELD FARMERS

MARKET: A gathering place for local farmers, producers and artisans offers fresh produce, crafts and locally prepared foods. Depot Square, Northfield, 3-6 p.m. Free. Info, 485-8586.

OLD NORTH END FARMERS

MARKET: Fresh local produce, bread, honey and prepared food bring good vibes to the Queen City’s melting pot. Dewey Park, Burlington, 3-6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 355-3910.

health & fitness

TAI CHI TUESDAY: Patrons get an easy, informal introduction to this ancient movement practice that supports balance and strength. Manchester Community Library, Manchester Center, 9-10:15 a.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, 362-2607.

language

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS: Instructor Andrea Thulin helps TUE.3 » P.80

Girls

W

Girls on the Run is a girl-empowerment organization that inspires participants to be joyful, healthy and confident using evidence-based lessons that combine relationship building, community strengthening, and goal setting with physical movement. Girls on the Run designs programs to strengthen third-to-eighth-grade girls’ social, emotional, physical and behavioral skills

successfully navigate life experiences.

A Flood of Relief

Keeping Vermont Farmers Growing

Share a Locally Sourced Dinner and Evening of Homegrown Entertainment

An extraordinary evening hosted by Luis Guzman and Tom Calagna to help Vermont farmers recover from the flood.

Performances by Central Vermont sensations Jon Gailmor, Chad Hollister, Jess O’Brien with PittCrew, and Fair Sparrow with Patti Casey, Susannah Blachly and Ally Tarwater

Oct 7, 2023 | 5PM Dinner | 7PM Show

Tickets and more info: highlandartsvt.org

non-native speakers build their vocabulary and conversation skills. Manchester Community Library, Manchester Center, 5:307 p.m. Free. Info, 549-4574.

PAUSE-CAFÉ FRENCH

CONVERSATION: Francophones and French-language learners meet pour parler la belle langue Burlington Bay Market & Café, 5-7 p.m. Free. Info, 343-5493.

montréal

‘AURA’: See WED.27.

music

COMMUNITY SINGERS: A weekly choral meetup welcomes all singers to raise their voices along to traditional (and notso-traditional) songs. Revels North, Lebanon, N.H., 7:30 p.m. Pay what you can. Info, 603-558-7894.

outdoors

AUDUBON/SLATE VALLEY BIRD

WALK: Enthusiastic ornithologists go on a gentle hike and search for feathered friends. Endless Brook Trails, Poultney, 7:30 a.m. Free. Info, 598-2583.

politics

MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING

COFFEE CHATS: AARP VT and the City of Burlington team up to discuss housing needs and options. The Bagel Café & Deli, Burlington, 9-10 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 951-1302.

words

BURLINGTON

LITERATURE GROUP: ORHAN PAMUK: Readers analyze the Nobel Prize-winning author’s novel My Name Is Red over five weeks. 6:30-8 p.m. Free. Info, info@nereadersandwriters.com.

SYDNEA LEA AND MARJORIE RYERSON: Two celebrated Vermont authors read from their latest respective collections, What Shines and The Views from Mount Hunger. Ilsley Public Library, Middlebury, 6-7 p.m. Free. Info, becky@vermontbookshop. com.

WED.4 activism

DAARA: DISABLED ACCESS AND ADVOCACY OF THE RUTLAND AREA: Community members gather online to advocate for accessibility and other disability rights measures. 8:30 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 779-9021.

business

QUEEN CITY BUSINESS NETWORKING INTERNATIONAL GROUP: See WED.27.

community

EXPLORE ESSEX: See SAT.30.

crafts

YARN CRAFTERS GROUP: See WED.27.

dance

WESTIE WEDNESDAYS DANCE: See WED.27.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘DINOSAURS OF ANTARCTICA

3D’: See WED.27.

‘GREAT WHITE SHARK 3D’: See WED.27.

‘JOURNEY TO SPACE 3D’: See WED.27.

‘WILD AFRICA 3D’: See WED.27.

food & drink

COMMUNITY SUPPER: See WED.27.

FOOD LABELING, SOCIALIZING AND BAKING IN A GLUTEN-FREE

WORLD: Celiac health coach Monica Buzzell shares tips for baking, shopping and avoiding wheat out in the world.

Presented by Women Business Owners Network Vermont.

8:30-10 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 503-0219.

S’MORES PIE WITH THE PIE GUY: Gary Stuard demonstrates how to make a classic treat that wouldn’t be out of place at an autumnal bonfire.

Presented by City Market, Onion River Co-op. 5:30-7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, info@ citymarket.coop.

games

MAH-JONGG OPEN PLAY: See WED.27.

health & fitness

CHAIR YOGA: See WED.27.

SEATED & STANDING YOGA: See WED.27.

VERMONT SUICIDE PREVENTION

SYMPOSIUM: See WED.27, noon1 p.m.

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

language

BEGINNER IRISH LANGUAGE CLASS: See WED.27.

ELL CLASSES: ENGLISH FOR BEGINNERS & INTERMEDIATE STUDENTS: See WED.27.

SPANISH CONVERSATION: Fluent and beginner speakers brush up on their español with a discussion led by a Spanish teacher. Presented by Dorothy Alling Memorial Library. 5-6 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, programs@damlvt.org.

montréal

‘AURA’: See WED.27.

music

LIVE IN THE ORCHARD: THE MEATPACKERS: See WED.27. MARTIN BARRE: The Jethro Tull guitarist runs through the halfcentury history of the beloved band. Paramount Theatre, Rutland, 7:30 p.m. $40-55. Info, 775-0903.

MICHAEL FRANTI & FRIENDS:

The high-energy musician plays hopeful hits to raise cash for the Vermont Flood Response and Recovery Fund. Spruce Peak at Stowe, 6 p.m. $10-40; free for kids 5 and under. Info, 760-4634.

ST. J BLUEGRASS JAM: Local musicians play together at an informal shindig, with a dessert potluck intermission halfway through. St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church of St. Johnsbury, 6:30-9 p.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, 748-2600.

seminars

MENTOR TRAINING FOR JUSTICE-INVOLVED WOMEN: See WED.27.

sports

GREEN MOUNTAIN TABLE TENNIS CLUB: See WED.27.

talks

BOB BLANCHARD: The author of Lost Burlington, Vermont shares historic photos and regales listeners with the stories behind them. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 6-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

theater

‘BRIGHT HALF LIFE’: Theater students present this nonlinear story of two women who meet, fall in love and grow together over the decades. Royall Tyler Theatre, University of Vermont, Burlington, 7:30-9 p.m. $19-22. Info, theatre@uvm.edu.

‘CADILLAC CREW’: See WED.27.

words

SEAN HILL: An editor, teacher and the author of the poetry collection Dangerous Goods reads from his work. Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, 8-9 p.m. Free. Info, 635-2727. ➆

THE FOLLOWING CLASS LISTINGS ARE PAID ADVERTISEMENTS. ANNOUNCE YOUR CLASS FOR AS LITTLE AS $16.75/WEEK (INCLUDES SIX PHOTOS AND UNLIMITED DESCRIPTION ONLINE). SUBMIT YOUR CLASS AD AT SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POSTCLASS.

art

2D ROBOTS FOR GRADES K-3: Become a robot designer and engage your imagination through drawing and printmaking. Will your robot have a task/purpose? How will it move? What colors/materials will it need?

Children will design imaginative, mechanical and geometric robot prints using Legos and practice drawing skills, shading, printmaking, problem solving, collaboration and more! Every Fri., Oct. 6-27, 3:30-5:30 p.m. Cost: $140 for 4 meetings. Location: Camp Meade, 961 Route 2, Middlesex. Info: Annie Sklar, 802279-3148, planetaryartcamp@ gmail.com, campmeade.today.

AFTERSCHOOL GLASSMAKING: Practice the real-life magic of glassmaking! Kids will explore this mesmerizing art form through techniques of fusing and blowing glass. Glassmaker Sam Lightner will guide students through fun projects that result in very cool objects to take home — enchanted wizard wands, colorful pumpkins, ornaments, jewelry pieces and more! Every Wed., Oct. 4-Nov. 15, 4-6 p.m. Cost: $305 for 7 meetings, incl. materials. Location: Camp Meade, 961 Route 2, Middlesex. Info: Annie Sklar, 802-279-3148, planetaryart camp@gmail.com, campmeade. today.

NATURE DRAWING FOR KIDS: Come explore your love of drawing and nature at Camp Meade! We will explore mark making on paper, matching this “drawing alphabet” to the textures and shapes of nature through close observation, then using this alphabet to tell a visual story about the things in nature that fascinate us. Sat., Oct. 7, 10-11

a.m. Cost: $20. Location: Camp Meade, 961 Route 2, Middlesex. Info: Annie Sklar, 802-279-3148, planetaryartcamp@gmail.com, campmeade.today.

PAINTING WITH MUSHROOMS: Maybe you’ve foraged, grown or eaten mushrooms, but have you painted with them? Many mushrooms and lichens can be used to make inks in a spectrum of earthy colors. Rachel Mirus will demonstrate the ink-making process with local lichens and mushrooms that produce color and experiment with making art using mushroom inks. Sat., Oct. 7, 1-2

p.m. Cost: $25. Location: Camp Meade, 961 Route 2, Middlesex. Info: Annie Sklar, 802-279-3148, planetaryartcamp@gmail.com, campmeade.today.

PLAYING WITH COLOR

WORKSHOP: A workshop exploring how our perception of color influences how we make and appreciate art. Using color-focused art projects, we’ll learn about color vision and how our brains process visual information and explore contrasting and equiluminant colors to better understand how our brains shape our perceptions of art. Sat., Oct. 28, 1-3

p.m. Cost: $40. Location: Camp Meade, 961 Route 2, Middlesex.

Info: Annie Sklar, 802-279-3148, planetaryartcamp@gmail.com, campmeade.today.

SCRATCH PAINT SPIDERWEBS: Intricate and delicate spiderwebs are visually fascinating subjects for art. In this workshop, we will explore an unconventional approach to capturing webs using acrylic scratch paint. Participants will learn how to prepare DIY scratch paint from any acrylic paint, test different scratch tools and make their own web illustration. Sat., Oct. 28, 10-11 a.m. Cost: $25. Location: Camp Meade, 961 Route 2, Middlesex. Info: Annie Sklar, 802-279-3148, planetaryart camp@gmail.com, campmeade. today.

business

HOW THEY BUILT IT: VT

COMEDY CLUB: Burlington entrepreneurs on how they’ve built their businesses. Join us as we welcome some of Burlington’s most beloved business owners to share how they started and how they built their businesses to what they are today. is week we’re highlighting the founders of Vermont Comedy Club! Tue., Oct. 17, 6 p.m. Cost: $10. Location: Switchback Brewing Company, Burlington. Info: info@localmaverickus.com, sevendaystickets.com.

culinary

BUTTERNUT LASAGNA & PUMPKIN TIRAMISU: Join Janina of Red Poppy Cakery and Chef Stephanie for a delicious evening! Learn pasta-making and assemble butternut squash lasagna, then savor pumpkin tiramisu. Prepare these fall favorites family-style, enjoy a meal and take home the recipes. Perfect for fall food enthusiasts! Mon., Oct. 9, 5 p.m. Cost: $100. Location: Red Poppy Cakery, 1 Elm St., Waterbury Center. Info: sevendaystickets.com.

COOKING WITH STEPHANIE:

CHARCUTERIE BOARDS: Join Stephanie at Local Maverick for a hands-on demo charcuterie class, featuring a variety of local cheeses, meats and other products. Food brings people together, creating memories that last forever. Invite your friends! Stephanie guides everyone as you create an aesthetically appealing and delicious charcuterie board.

u., Oct. 19, 6 p.m. Cost: $65.

Location: Maverick Market at 110, 110 Main St., Ste. 1C, Burlington. Info: sevendaystickets.com.

empowerment

CAMPERVAN ARCHITECT:

“Campervan Architect: Design, Build and Wander” is a comprehensive two-day class designed to empower individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to build their very own customized camper van. is immersive experience combines a lecture-style session and a hands-on workshop to guide students through the process of creating their dream mobile living space. Oct. 21-22,

9 a.m.-3 p.m. Cost: $259/2-day comprehensive workshop w/ meals, swag, VanSpace 3D subscription & informational DIY packet incl. Location: TBD in Burlington, dependent on class size. Info: Ozzie Vans & Top Notch Vans, Emily Koons, 802637-9033, info@ozzievans.com, topnotchvanco.com/products/ weekend-workshops-1.

language

JAPANESE LANGUAGE CLASSES: e Japan America Society of Vermont will offer 10 weekly interactive, online Japanese language classes at various levels in fall 2023, starting in October. Please join us for an introduction to speaking, listening, reading and writing Japanese, with emphasis on the conversational patterns used in everyday life. Weekly,

class each

weeks. Location: Online. Info: 802-825-8335, jasvlanguage@gmail.com, jasv. org/v2/language.

music

JAZZ IMPROV LAB: Calling all high school jazzers! In this six-session class, jazz pianist, composer and educator Bruce Sklar will guide students through the process of preparing and practicing for auditions, with a focus on developing students’ improvisation skills using repertoire drawn from Vermont’s regional and All-State Music Festival audition requirements.

Mondays, Oct. 2-Nov. 20, 5:45-7:15 p.m.; no class Oct. 9 & 30. Cost: $185/6 meetings. Location: Camp Meade, 961 Route 2, Middlesex. Info: Annie Sklar, 802-279-3148, planetaryartcamp@gmail.com, campmeade.today.

MIDDLE SCHOOL JAZZ LAB: Become a hip cat — learn to speak the language of jazz! Students will work with renowned jazz pianist, composer and educator Bruce Sklar to learn the musical skills and vocabulary of improvisation while exploring their own creative voices as artists. Open to middle school students who play any instrument, including vocalists. Mondays, Oct. 2-Nov. 20, 4-5:30 p.m.; no class Oct. 9 & 30. Cost: $185/6 meetings.

Location: Camp Meade, 961 Route 2, Middlesex. Info: Annie Sklar, 802-279-3148, planetaryart camp@gmail.com, campmeade. today.

TAIKO TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS!: Kids & Parents

Taiko, Tue. & u., 4-5:30 p.m.

Adult Intro Taiko, Tue. & u., 5:30-7 p.m. Accelerated Taiko, 7-8:30 p.m. Drums provided! Fourweek classes. Visit our space next to Nomad Coffee. Location: Taiko Studio, 208 Flynn Ave, Burlington. Info: Stuart, 802-999-4255, classes@burlingtontaiko.org,

WORLD DRUMMING

WEDNESDAYS!: Weekly Wednesday classes for kids & parents, 4-5:30 p.m. Adult Djembe, 5:30-7 p.m. Conga Beginners, 7-8:30 p.m. Drums provided. Four-week classes start Oct.

4. Our space is next to Nomad Coffee. Location: Taiko Studio, 208 Flynn Ave, Burlington. Info: Stuart, 802-999-4255, classes@ burlingtontaiko.org,

martial arts

AIKIDO: THE POWER OF HARMONY: Cultivate core power, aerobic fitness and resiliency. e dynamic, circular movements emphasize throws, joint locks and the development of internal energy. Inclusive training and a safe space for all. Visitors welcome! Introductory classes begin on Tue., Oct. 3: youths ages 7-12 at 4:30 p.m.; adult classes at 6 p.m. Beginners’ classes 4 days/week. Membership rates incl. unlimited classes. Contact us for info about membership rates for adults, youths & families.

Location: Aikido of Champlain Valley, 257 Pine St., Burlington. Info: Benjamin Pincus, 802-9518900, bpincus@burlingtonaikido. org, burlingtonaikido.org.

well-being

FACING CHANGE: LIFE’S TRANSITIONS

&TRANSFORMATIONS: From the joys of births and weddings to the sorrows of death, illness and divorce to grappling with relocation, family struggles, identity issues, job changes, trauma and loss, change can leave us feeling unmoored and powerless. Facing Change is a small group experience focusing on embracing the transformative power of change. Wed., Oct. 18, 6 p.m. Cost: $5-25. Location: Online. Info: 802-8258141, sevendaystickets.com.

HOLIDAY OPEN MEMORIAL:

REMEMBERING IN COMMUNITY: Join this virtual space to come together in remembrance of those we love who have died. Join together in music, poetry and ritual. Attendees have the option to share about the loved one they are remembering. is is not a religious memorial. People of all spiritual and secular worldviews are welcome. Wed., Dec. 13, 4 p.m. Cost: $5-25. Location: Online. Info: 802-825-8141, sevenday stickets.com.

LIVING WITH LOSS: A

GATHERING FOR THE GRIEVING:

During Living with Loss: A Gathering for the Grieving, we will explore how ritual, connection and community help us through times of loss. is gathering is an opportunity for those who have experienced loss to find connection through meditation, ritual and community sharing. Wed., Oct. 4, 6 p.m. Cost: $5-25. Location: Online. Info: 802-8258141, sevendaystickets.com.

VISION CAMP LIVE: Get a personal blueprint to get unstuck, gain clarity, build confidence and design a life you love! Gain a complete blueprint to transform your life, including a five-point test to determine your next steps, tools to dissolve resistance, a system to accelerate your results, and strategies to eliminate fear, doubt and worry. Sat., Oct. 28, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Location: Town Hall eater, 68 S. Pleasant St., Middlebury. Info: Coach Christal, 919-2929305, sevendaystickets.com.

writing

tai chi

NEW BEGINNER TAI CHI CLASS: We practice Cheng Man-ch’ing’s “simplified” 37-posture Yangstyle form. e course will be taught by Patrick Cavanaugh, a longtime student and assistant to Wolfe Lowenthal; Wolfe is a direct student of Cheng Manch’ing and founder of Long River Tai Chi Circle. Opportunities for learning online are also available! Starts Oct. 4, 9-10 a.m.; registration open until Oct. 25. Cost: $65/mo. Location: Gym at St. Anthony’s Church, 305 Flynn Ave., Burlington. Info: Patrick Cavanaugh, 802-490-6405, patrick@longrivertaichi.org, longrivertaichi.org.

HORROR WRITING WORKSHOP FOR TEENS: Four-week writing workshop with Vermont author Ann Dávila Cardinal. We’ll discuss what scares us, the world of horror literature and films, and how to write a story that grabs readers and doesn’t let them go. Bring a laptop, paper and ink (or the blood of your enemies), and be ready to write! Every Wed., Oct. 4-25. Cost: $105 for 4 meetings.

Location: Camp Meade, 961 Route 2, Middlesex. Info: Annie Sklar, 802-279-3148, planetaryart camp@gmail.com, campmeade. today.

Bandit

AGE/SEX: 7-year-old neutered male

ARRIVAL DATE: July 25, 2023

SUMMARY: He’s sweet, he’s soft, and he loves affection! This Bandit is sure to steal your heart. He loves toys! You’ll notice that he walks a bit differently than a typical cat, due to some congenital abnormalities, but he gets along well and has shown improvement with pain and arthritis medication, which he’ll need to continue to be comfortable. Scoop up our most beloved boy and bask in his cuteness!

DOGS/CATS/KIDS: Bandit has no known history with other animals or children.

Visit the Humane Society of Chittenden County at 142 Kindness Court, South Burlington, Tuesday through Friday from 1 to 5 p.m. or Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 862-0135 or visit hsccvt.org for more info.

DID YOU KNOW?

Cats need enrichment, too! Providing stimulating activities such as interactive playtime, high places to climb to, window perches and food puzzles can help mitigate a variety of common behavior concerns, including hyperactivity and ankle biting.

Sponsored by:

CLASSIFIEDS

on the road

CARS/TRUCKS

2011 SUBARU OUTBACK

3.6R

Limited, fully loaded. Heated/power everything, trailer hitch, backup camera, navigation, snow tires, remote start. Blue exterior, tan leather interior. 98K miles. $12,500. Contact Alan at 864-9128.

RECREATIONAL VEHICLES

2020 JAYCO 21-FOOT CAMPER Jayco Flight SLX-184BS travel trailer in Richmond. Excellent shape. Queen bed + bunks & slide-out. $16,000. Contact browndogvermont@ gmail.com.

housing

HOUSEMATES

HOMESHARE W/ LOVING PETS

So. Burlington: Mid-30s professional w/ lovable dog & cat seeks LGBTQfriendly housemate. Enjoys horseback riding & reading. Shared BA. $650/mo. + utils. Call

802-863-5625 or visit homesharevermont. org for application. Interview, refs. & background checks req. EHO.

HOMESHARE IN THE ‘NOOSK Winooski: Share apt. w/ private BA w/ woman in her 30s who loves “Survivor,” “ e Bachelor” & One Direction. Convenient to UVM. No rent, just parking/utils. costs, in exchange for once/week transportation & fl exible evening companionship Mon.- u. Call

CLASSIFIEDS KEY

housing ads: $25 (25 words) legals: 52¢/word buy this stuff: free online

802-863-5625 or visit homesharevermont. org for application. Interview, refs. & background checks required. EHO.

OFFICE/ COMMERCIAL

OFFICE/RETAIL SPACE AT MAIN STREET LANDING on Burlington’s waterfront. Beautiful, healthy, affordable spaces for your business. Visit mainstreetlanding.com & click on space avail. Melinda, 864-7999.

FOR RENT

2-BR APT.

4 N. Winooski Ave. $1,600. 2-BR, 3rd fl oor, no elevator. Completed new renovation. Max 2 tenants. No pets, NS. No parking avail. Landlord refs. req. Avail now. Call 802-238-6064 between 9 a.m. & 5 p.m.

4-BR HOUSE IN SHELBURNE

4-BR, 1 full & 2 half BA. 86 Hullcrest La. $3,500/ mo. + utils. Avail. now. No pets. Email 802draco@gmail.com.

ser vices

AUTO

DONATE YOUR CAR TO CHARITY

Running or not! Fast, free pickup. Maximum tax deduction. Support Patriotic Hearts. Your car donation helps veterans! 1-866-5599123. (AAN CAN)

dep. security deposit

W/D washer & dryer

ELDER CARE

FIND SENIOR LIVING

My Caring Plan has helped thousands of

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 and similar Vermont statutes which make it illegal to advertise any preference, limitations, or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, handicap, presence of minor children in the family or receipt of public assistance, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or a discrimination. The newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate, which is in violation of the law. Our

readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. Any home seeker who feels he or she has encountered discrimination should contact:

HUD Office of Fair Housing 10 Causeway St., Boston, MA 02222-1092

(617) 565-5309

— OR —

Vermont Human Rights Commission 14-16 Baldwin St. Montpelier, VT 05633-0633

1-800-416-2010 hrc@vermont.gov

services: $12 (25 words) fsbos: $45 (2 weeks, 30 words, photo) jobs: michelle@sevendaysvt.com, 865-1020 x121

families fi nd senior living. Our trusted, local advisers help fi nd solutions to your unique needs at no cost to you. Call 866-386-9005. (AAN CAN)

FINANCIAL/LEGAL

$10K+ IN DEBT?

Be debt-free in 24-48 mos. Pay a fraction of your debt. Call National Debt Relief at 844-9773935. (AAN CAN)

APPEAL FOR SOCIAL SECURITY

Denied Social Security disability? Appeal! If you’re 50+, filed SSD & were denied, our attorneys can help. Win or pay nothing. Strong recent work history needed. Call 1-877-311-1416 to contact Steppacher Law Offi ces LLC. Principal offi ce: 224 Adams Ave., Scranton, PA 18503. (AAN CAN)

FREE AUTO INSURANCE QUOTES

For uninsured & insured drivers. Let us show you how much you can save! Call 855-569-1909. (AAN CAN)

HEALTH/ WELLNESS

DISCOVER OXYGEN THERAPY

Try Inogen portable oxygen concentrators. Free information kit. Call 866-859-0894. (AAN CAN)

LIFE COACHING

Looking for support navigating anxiety to regain focus & peace in these trying times? Visit sage-lotus.com or call Lauren at 802-2385259 for a free 20-min. consult.

MASSAGE FOR MEN BY SERGIO

Time for a massage to ease those aches & pains. Deep tissue & Swedish. Contact me for an appt.: 802-324-7539, sacllunas@gmail.com.

PSYCHIC COUNSELING

Psychic counseling, channeling w/ Bernice Kelman, Underhill. 40+ years’ experience. Also energy healing, chakra balancing, Reiki, rebirthing, other lives, classes & more. 802-899-3542, kelman.b@juno.com.

print deadline: Mondays at 3:30 p.m. post ads online 24/7 at: sevendaysvt.com/classifieds questions? classifieds@sevendaysvt.com 865-1020 x115

HOME/GARDEN

ALL AROUND RENTAL

Large & small equipment rentals. Excavators, skid steers, boom/scissor lifts, splitters, chippers, pressure washers, concrete tools & more! Located in St. Johnsbury. Call 802-748-7841 or visit allaroundrental.com.

BEAUTIFY YOUR HOME

Get energy-effi cient windows. ey will increase your home’s value & decrease your energy bills. Replace all or a few! Call 844-3352217 now to get your free, no-obligation quote. (AAN CAN)

NEVER CLEAN YOUR GUTTERS AGAIN! Affordable, professionally installed gutter guards protect your gutters & home from debris & leaves forever. For a free quote, call 844-947-1470. (AAN CAN)

SECURE YOUR HOME

Secure your home w/ Vivint Smart Home technology. Call 855-621-5855 to learn how you can get a professionally installed security system w/ $0 activation. (AAN CAN)

PET

DOG BOARDING/ DAYCARE

Couple in Richmond (1 is stay-at-home) offer dog boarding & daycare. Maximum 2 at any time. Rates:$35 for daytime; $50 overnight. Refs. avail. Email rod@ rodcainmassage.com.

MOVING/HAULING

LAST MINUTE MOVERS

We are Last Minute Movers, the guys here to “save the day when you need it done right away.”

Professionally trained & fully insured. Email rickmarkoski@gmail. com to experience the difference today w/ a complimentary in-home consultation.

(1533) Woodworking & Machinery

ONLINE

300± Lots of Woodworking Machinery. Including: Delta Unisaw 10” Tilting Arbor Saw, Woodworker/Cabinet Maker’s Table, Shop Made Work Bench, Porter Cable Profile Sander, Makita Power Planer, Panavise, Delta 13” Scroll Saw, Delta 1” Belt/5” Disc Sander, Subaru 3300 PSI Pressure Washer, DeWalt 3/8” VSR Drill, 5 Drawer Tool Box, Black & Decker Cordless String Trimmer, (2) Husky Portable Work Benches, HP Laptop, Car MD Handheld Analyzer and MUCH MORE!

buy this stuff

MISCELLANEOUS

DISH TV $64.99

$64.99 for 190 channels + $14.95 high-speed internet. Free installation, Smart HD DVR incl., free voice remote. Some restrictions apply. 1-866-566-1815. (AAN CAN)

DIRECTV SATELLITE TV Service starting at $74.99/mo.! Free install. 160+ channels avail. Call now to get the most sports & entertainment on TV. 877-310-2472. (AAN CAN)

MALE ENHANCEMENT

PILLS

Bundled network of Viagra, Cialis & Levitra alternative products for a 50-pills-for-$99 promotion. Call 888531-1192. (AAN CAN)

WANT TO BUY

TOP CASH FOR OLD GUITARS

1920-1980 Gibson, Martin, Fender, Gretsch, Epiphone, Guild, Mosrite, Rickenbacker, Prairie State, D’Angelico & Stromberg + Gibson mandolins & banjos. 877589-0747. (AAN CAN)

PETS

AKC BERNESE MOUNTAIN DOGS 5 girls, 9 weeks old. Potsdam, N.Y. Photos on Facebook (Burning Farm) & TikTok (theburningfarm). Call or text Chelsei at (702)339-0274

music INSTRUCTION

GUITAR INSTRUCTION Berklee graduate w/ 30 years’ teaching experience offers lessons in guitar, music theory, music technology, ear training. Individualized, step-by-step approach. All ages, styles, levels. Rick Belford, 864-7195, rickbelford.com.

Veterinary Clinic 2757 Route 5, Derby, VT 4500± SF Clinic on 2.8± Acres. Great office space, highly visible location. LIVE Auction: Thurs. Oct. 5 @ 11AM Register & Inspect 10AM LIVE Auction: Tues. Oct. 17 @ 11:30AM Register & Inspect from 10:30AM 4t-hirchakbrothers092723 1 9/22/23 2:30 PM LEGALS »

CALCOKU BY JOSH REYNOLDS

DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK: ★★★

Fill the grid using the numbers 1-6, only once in each row and column. e 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: ★★★

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. e same numbers cannot be repeated in a row or column.

ANSWERS ON P.86

★ = MODERATE ★ ★ = CHALLENGING ★ ★ ★ = HOO, BOY!

WANT MORE PUZZLES?

Try these online news games from Seven Days at sevendaysvt.com/games.

NEW ON FRIDAYS:

Put your knowledge of Vermont news to the test.

See how fast you can solve this weekly 10-word puzzle.

NEW EVERY DAY:

Guess today’s 5-letter word. Hint: It’s in the news!

Legal Notices

CHAMPLAIN VALLEY SELF STORAGE

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 live auction of the following units on or after 10/20/23:

Location: 2211 Main St. Colchester, VT

Gregory Stowe, unit #729: household goods Richard Foy, unit #958: household good Auction pre-registration is required, email info@ champlainvalleyselfstorage.com to register.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS GOODRICH MEMORIAL LIBRARY BUILDING MAINTENANCE

The Goodrich Memorial Library is requesting sealed proposals for the cleaning and repointing of building exterior brick walls, repairing and painting of outside woodwork including front entryway, repairing and replacing front walkway and repairing the inside entryway marble floor. A detailed scope of work can be downloaded from the Goodrich Memorial Library Web site at: goodrichlibrary.org/maintenance. Proposals will be accepted until 12:00pm, Thursday, September 28, 2023 by e-mail to director@goodrichlibray.org or by mail or hand delivery with “Goodrich Memorial Library Maintenance Project” in the subject line or on the envelope to: Goodrich Memorial Library, 202 Main Street, Newport, Vermont 05855.

Questions? Contact Board of Trustees Chair James Johnson or Library Director Joanne Pariseau (802) 334-7902 or director@goodrichlibrary.org.

The Goodrich Memorial Library is an equal opportunity provider and employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, religion, gender or familial status.

NOTICE OF TAX SALE BUEL’S GORE

The resident and non-resident owners, lien holders and mortgagees of lands in Buel’s Gore in the County of Chittenden are hereby notified that the taxes and utility charges assessed by the Buel’s

Gore Supervisor remain, either in whole or in part, unpaid on the following described lands, to wit:

Property Owner: Loren T. Palmer and David C. Palmer

Property Address: State Route 17 and Old County Road

Parcel ID #10.000

All and the same lands and premises conveyed to the said David C. Palmer by Decree of Distribution of the Estate of David Frank Palmer dated October 4, 2012 and recorded in Volume 19, Page 182, and all and the same lands and premises conveyed to the said Loren T. Palmer and David F. Palmer (now deceased) by Warranty Deed of Loren Palmer and Marjorie Palmer, dated July 2, 1992 and recorded at Volume 17, Page 150, of the Land Records of Buel’s Gore, Vermont.

Tax Years: 2011-2023

Amount of delinquent taxes, interest, cost and penalties: $9,510.38

Reference may be made to said deeds for a more particular description of said lands and premises, as the same appear in the Land Records for Buel’s Gore.

So much of such lands will be sold at public auction at the parking area at the Appalachian Gap on Route 17 in Buel’s Gore, on the 17th of October, 2023 at 10 o’clock in the forenoon, as shall be requisite to discharge such taxes and delinquencies with interest, costs and penalties. Property owners or mortgagees may pay such taxes, interest, costs and penalties in full by cash or certified check made payable to Buel’s Gore. At tax sale, successful bidders must pay in full by cash or certified check. No other payments accepted. Any questions or inquiries regarding the above-referenced sale should be directed to the following address:

Kristen E. Shamis, Esq. Monaghan Safar PLLC 27 Main Street Burlington, VT 05401 kshamis@msvltlaw.com

Monaghan Safar PLLC, and Buel’s Gore give no opinion or certification as to the marketability of

title to the above-referenced properties as held by the current owner/taxpayer.

Dated this 13th day of September, 2023.

NOTICE OF DISINTERMENT

This notice serves to inform of Sandra Smallwood Rendall’s intent to disinter the cremated remains of Franklin Smallwood from Lakeview Cemetery in Burlington, VT. Any family member, town cemetery commissioner or other authority responsible for cemeteries in the municipality can object to the proposed removal by filing a complaint in probate court.

NOTICE OF TAX SALE TOWN OF COLCHESTER

The resident and non-resident owners, lien holders and mortgagees of lands in the Town of Colchester in the County of Chittenden are hereby notified that the taxes and stormwater fees assessed by such Town remain, either in whole or in part, unpaid on the following described lands in such Town, to wit:

Property Owner: David Angolano

Property Address: 85 Gorge Road Parcel ID # 18-017021-0000000

All of the same lands and premises conveyed to the said David J. Angolano by Warranty Deed of Henry D. Angolano and Lucienne Angolano dated December 12, 1998 and recorded at Volume 304, Page 141 of the Land Records of the Town of Colchester, Vermont.

Tax Years: 2022 - 2023

Amount of delinquent taxes, stormwater fees, interest, cost and penalties: $3,956.34

Property Owner: K&N Enterprises, LLC

Property Address: 574 Prim Road Parcel ID # 49-020002-0000000

All of the same lands and premises conveyed to the said K&N Enterprises, LLC by Warranty Deed of Andre J. Thibault and Gisele K. Thibault dated May 24, 2018 and recorded at Volume 837, Page 595 of the Land Records of the Town of Colchester, Vermont.

Tax Years: 2021 - 2023

Amount of delinquent taxes, interest, cost and penalties: $17,483.37

Property Owner: Estate of George Kuntz

Property Address: 84 Causeway Road

Parcel ID # 30-002002-0000000

All of the same lands and premises conveyed to the said George Kuntz (now deceased) by Executor’s Quitclaim Deed of George F. Kuntz, Jr. and Holly J. Searfoss dated November 25, 1996 and recorded at Volume 267, Page 484 of the Land Records of the Town of Colchester, Vermont.

Tax Years: 2022 - 2023

Amount of delinquent taxes, stormwater fees, interest, cost and penalties: $8,100.42

Property Owner: Debora Lamphere

Property Address: 261 Holy Cross Road

Parcel ID # 50-041022-0000000

All of the same lands and premises conveyed to the said Deborah Lamphere by Warranty Deed of Thomas James Walker and Megan Elizabeth Walker dated June 11, 2018 and recorded at Volume 838, Page 114 of the Land Records of the Town of Colchester, Vermont.

Tax Years: 2020 - 2023

Amount of delinquent taxes, stormwater fees, interest, cost and penalties: $9,639.41

Property Owner: Timothy Muir and Frances Muir

Property Address: 15 Valiquette Court

Parcel ID # 49-010002-0000000

All of the same lands and premises conveyed to the said Timothy Muir and Frances D. Muir by Warranty Deed of Gerald A. Lemons, Sr. and Theresa L. Lemons dated March 7, 1998 and recorded at Volume 286, Page 252 of the Land Records of the Town of Colchester, Vermont.

Tax Years: 2019 - 2023

Amount of delinquent taxes, stormwater fees, interest, cost and penalties: $2,060.23

Property Owner: T.A. Muir, Inc.

Property Address: 17 Valiquette Court

Parcel ID # 49-007022-0000000

All of the same lands and premises conveyed to the said T.A. Muir, Inc. by Warranty Deed of Francis F. Valiquette and Janice M. Valiquette dated May 18, 1995 and recorded at Volume 246, Page 533 of the Land Records of the Town of Colchester, Vermont.

Tax Years: 2021 - 2023

Amount of delinquent taxes, interest, cost and penalties: $760.57

Reference may be made to said deeds for a more particular description of said lands and premises, as the same appear in the Town Clerk’s Office of the Town of Colchester.

So much of such lands will be sold at public auction at the Town of Colchester, 781 Blakely Road, Colchester, Vermont 05478, on the 19th day of October, 2023 at 10 o’clock in the forenoon, as shall be requisite to discharge such taxes with interest, costs and penalties, unless previously paid. Property owners, mortgagees, and lien holders may pay such taxes, interest, costs and penalties in full by cash or certified check made payable to the Town of Colchester. At tax sale, successful bidders must pay in full by cash or certified check. No other payments accepted. Any questions or inquiries regarding the above-referenced sale should be directed to the following address:

Kristen E. Shamis, Esq.

Monaghan Safar PLLC 27 Main Street Burlington, VT 05401

kshamis@msvtlaw.com

(802) 660-4735

Monaghan Safar PLLC, and the Town of Colchester give no opinion or certification as to the marketability of title to the above-referenced properties as held by the current owner/taxpayer.

Dated at Colchester, Vermont, this 11th day of September, 2023.

Town of Colchester

PUBLIC HEARING

WINOOSKI DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD

A public hearing will be held by the Winooski Development Review Board on Thursday, October 19, 2023 beginning at 6:30 p.m. to consider the following:

PLACE AN AFFORDABLE NOTICE AT: SEVENDAYSVT.COM/LEGAL-NOTICES OR CALL 802-865-1020, EXT. 142.

Planned Unit Development – Final Plan Review: 205 West Allen Street

Applicant has submitted a zoning permit application to develop a Planned Unit Development (PUD) at 205 West Allen Street to create two new dwelling units for a total of three units on the property. This application also includes a request for a dimensional wavier to the required minimum setbacks. PUDs are permitted in the Residential C Zoning District and require approval from the Development Review Board before a zoning permit can be issued. A PUD is considered a major subdivision. The standards for PUDs are outlined in Section 6.3 of the City’s Unified Land Use and Development Regulations.

The Development Review Board will hold a public hearing on this request before rendering a decision. Decisions of the Development Review Board can be appealed by “interested persons” (as defined by 24 V.S.A. § 4465) to the Environmental Division of the Vermont Superior Court.

This hearing will begin at 6:30pm. Members of the public that are interested in participating in this hearing can do so by attending in person at Winooski City Hall, 27 West Allen Street, Winooski, VT; or electronically by visiting https://us06web. zoom.us/j/85926681378 or by calling (301) 715 8592 and using Webinar ID: 859 2668 1378. Toll charges may apply.

Members of the public interested in participating are requested, but not required to make their intentions known by completing the public comment request form located on the City’s website at https://www.winooskivt.gov/FormCenter/

Human-Resources-6/Public-Comment-RequestForm-61 at least 24 hours in advance to ensure this information is included in the record of the hearing. Failure to provide information in advance will not prohibit your participation at the meeting.

Questions or comments can be directed to Eric Vorwald, AICP, City of Winooski Planning & Zoning Manager by emailing evorwald@winooskivt. gov. Information related to the Planned Unit Development will also be available on the City’s website by visiting https://www.winooskivt.gov/ AgendaCenter and navigating to the Development Review Board section.

STATE OF VERMONT SUPERIOR COURT

DIVISION CHITTENDEN UNIT

DOCKET NO.:23-PR-02724

In re ESTATE of Donald L. LaBombard

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

PROBATE

To the creditors of: Donald L. LaBombard, late of Shelburne, Vermont

I have been appointed to administer this estate.  All creditors having claims against the decedent or the estate must present their claims in writing within four (4) months of the date of this publication of this notice.  The claim must be presented to me at the address listed below with a copy sent to the Court.  The claim may be barred forever if it is not presented within the four (4) month period.

Dated: September 15, 2023

Signature of Fiduciary: /s/Brian D. Hazard, Executor c/o Harry C. Parker, Esq., Bauer Gravel Farnham, LLP 38 Community Lane, South Hero, VT 05486 hparker@vtlawoffices.com

Name of Publication: Seven Days

Publication Date:  9/27/2023

Name of Probate Court: State of VermontChittenden Probate Division

Address of Probate Court: PO Box 511, 175 Main Street, Burlington, VT 05402

BURLINGTON DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2023, 5:00 PM

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

Hybrid & In Person (at 645 Pine Street) Meeting Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83225696227? pwd=SGQ0bTdnS000Wkc3c2J4WWw1dzMxUT09

Webinar

Passcode:

1. ZP-23-398; 300 Flynn Avenue (NMU, Ward 5) Howard Center for Human Services, Inc. / Joe Weith Conditional use approval to demolish existing 24,042 square foot building to construct a new 50,100 square foot building.

2. ZAP-23-11; 457 South Willard Street (RL, Ward 6) Hope Green / Mark Hall Appeal of Notice of Violation, ZCPT-23-24, for fence replacement.

Plans may be viewed upon request by contacting the Department of Permitting & Inspections between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Participation in the DRB proceeding is a prerequisite to the right to take any subsequent appeal. Please note that ANYTHING submitted to the Zoning office is considered public and cannot be kept confidential. This may not be the final order in which items will be heard. Please view final Agenda, at www.burlingtonvt.gov/dpi/drb/agendas or the office notice board, one week before the hearing for the order in which items will be heard.

The City of Burlington will not tolerate unlawful harassment or discrimination on the basis of political or religious affiliation, race, color, national origin, place of birth, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, veteran status, disability, HIV positive status, crime victim status or genetic information. The City is also committed to providing proper access to services, facilities, and employment opportunities. For accessibility information or alternative formats, please contact Human Resources Department at (802) 540-2505.

TOWN OF RICHMOND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW

BOARD AGENDA OCTOBER 11, 2023 AT 7:00 PM

Location: 3rd floor meeting room Richmond Town Offices, 203 Bridge Street Richmond VT, 05477

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom. us/j/82607801509

Meeting ID: 812 7003 3916

Passcode: 550860

Call-in: +1 929 205 6099 US (New York)

Application materials may be viewed at http:// www.richmondvt.gov/boards-minutes/ developmentreview-board/ before the meeting. Please call Tyler Machia, Zoning Administrator, at 802-434-2430 or email tmachia@richmondvt.gov with any questions.

Public Hearing

Item 1

SUB2023-13 Hillview Heights LLC Parcel

ID#HV2427

The applicants, Hillview Heights LLC, are seeking final subdivision approval for a seven-lot subdivision. The Applicants are proposing 6 new single family residential lots and 1 existing residential lot. All lots are to be subdivided from an existing 85-acre parcel.

TOWN OF BOLTON DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD

PUBLIC HEARING: OCTOBER 12, 2023

The Town of Bolton’s Development Review Board will hold a public hearing on October 12, 2023, at 6:30pm.

Place: Virtual or Municipal Conference Room, 3045 Theodore Roosevelt Highway, Bolton, VT, 05676.

Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86256086982?pwd=c 3pnQXh6MXpEc09zbUt3RklQUGVzZz09

Call (audio only): +1 646 558 8656 Meeting ID: 862 5608 6982

Passcode: 279899

The following applications will be reviewed:

2023-10-DRB; Applicant: AKCEN Investments LLC, 39 Champ Ln., is seeking a conditional use review for the construction of a multi-family dwelling. (Tax Map# 03-038.000)

2023-11-DRB; Applicant: CSC Properties LLC, 41 Champ Ln., is seeking a conditional use review for the construction of a multi-family dwelling. (Tax Map# 03-037.001)

2023-12-DRB; Applicant: Charmaine & Ken Godin, 14 Hummingbird Ln., is seeking a variance to allow extra square footage for an accessory dwelling unit. (Tax Map#15-4110014)

2023-13-DRB; Applicant: Acreage Capital, LLC, 3047 Theodor Roosevelt Highway, is seeking a variance

to reduce property line setback more than 50% in order to utilize existing concrete footings for an accessory structure unit. (Tax Map#02-034.000)

Additional information can be obtained through email by calling 802-434-5075, or by email at zoningbolton@gmavt.net. Pursuant to 24 VSA § 4464 and § 4471, participation in this local proceeding, by written or oral comment, is a prerequisite to the right to take any subsequent appeal.

TOWN OF ESSEX PLANNING COMMISSION NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING OCTOBER 12, 2023, 6:00 PM

Hybrid & In Person (Municipal Conference Room, 81 Main St., Essex Jct.) Meeting. Anyone may attend this meeting in person at the above address or remotely through the following options: Zoom link: https://www.essexvt.org/1043/ Join-Zoom-Meeting-Essex-PC Call (audio only): 1-888-788-0099 | Meeting ID: 923 7777 6158 # | Passcode: 426269 | Public wifi is available at the Essex municipal offices, libraries, and hotspots listed here: https://publicservice.vermont.gov/ content/public-wifi-hotspots-vermont

Continued - Simple Parcel: Hans Huessy and Margaret Laggis are proposing to create a new lot by subdividing 10.45 acres from a 114.13-acre existing parcel, located at 1070 Old Pump Road in the Conservation (C1) Zone. Tax Map 12, Parcel 28.

Application materials may be viewed before the meeting at: https://www.essexvt.org/182/ Current-Development-Applications. Please call 802-878-1343 or email COMMUNITYDEVELOPMENT@ESSEX.ORG with any questions. This may not be the final order in which items will be heard. Please view the complete Agenda, at https://essexvt.portal.civicclerk.com or the office notice board before the hearing for the order in which items will be heard and other agenda items.

INDIAN BROOK PARK ANNUAL FALL CLEAN-UP DAY

Saturday, October 21, 2023, Noon to 2 p.m.

(Bad weather date: October 22)

Help the Essex Conservation & Trails Committee remove invasive plants. Wear work gloves, sturdy shoes, and bug repellant. Bring shovels or loppers if you have them. Other tools and water will be provided.

NO ENTRY FEE FOR VOLUNTEERS

For more information contact Town Planner Kent Johnson at kjohnson@essex.org or 878-1343.

PUBLIC HEARING WINOOSKI DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD

A public hearing will be held by the Winooski Development Review Board on Thursday, October 19, 2023 beginning at 6:30 p.m. to consider the following:

Request for Conditional Use Approval: 133 Elm Street

Applicant has submitted a request to establish a commercial recreation & entertainment use in an existing structure located at 133 Elm Street. This property is located in the City’s Industrial Zoning District and the proposed use is listed as Conditional in the City’s Land Use Table (Section 2.4) as included in the Unified Land Use and Development Regulations (ULUDR). Conditional uses are reviewed under Section 6.7 of the ULUDR.

This hearing will begin at 6:30pm. Members of the public that are interested in participating in this hearing can do so by attending in person at Winooski City Hall, 27 West Allen Street, Winooski, VT; or electronically by visiting https://us06web. zoom.us/j/85926681378 or by calling (301) 715 8592 and using Webinar ID: 859 2668 1378. Toll charges may apply.

Members of the public interested in participating in the above captioned hearing are requested, but not required to make their intentions known by completing the public comment request form located on the City’s website at https://www. winooskivt.gov/FormCenter/Human-Resources-6/ Public-Comment-Request-Form-61 at least 24 hours in advance to ensure this information is included in the record of the hearing. This will also allow the chair to recognize participants to provide testimony at the appropriate time during the hearing.

The Development Review Board will hold a public hearing on this matter before rendering a decision. Decisions of the Development Review Board can be appealed by “interested persons” (as defined by 24 V.S.A. § 4465) to the Environmental Division of the Vermont Superior Court.

Questions or comments on this matter can be directed to Eric Vorwald, AICP, City of Winooski Planning & Zoning Manager by calling 802.655.6410 or visiting Winooski City Hall at 27 West Allen Street during normal business hours. Information related to this matter can also be viewed at Winooski City Hall during normal business hours.

PROPOSED STATE RULES

=====

By law, public notice of proposed rules must be given by publication in newspapers of record. The purpose of these notices is to give the public a chance to respond to the proposals. The public notices for administrative rules are now also available online at https://secure.vermont.gov/ SOS/rules/ . The law requires an agency to hold a public hearing on a proposed rule, if requested to do so in writing by 25 persons or an association having at least 25 members.

To make special arrangements for individuals with disabilities or special needs please call or write the contact person listed below as soon as possible. To obtain further information concerning any scheduled hearing(s), obtain copies of proposed rule(s) or submit comments regarding proposed rule(s), please call or write the contact person listed below. You may also submit comments in writing to the Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules, State House, Montpelier, Vermont 05602 (802-828-2231).

Vermont Passenger Tramway Rules.

Vermont Proposed Rule: 23P031

AGENCY: Department of Labor

CONCISE SUMMARY: This is an amendment of an existing rule, which is being revisited primarily for the purpose of adopting by reference the most recent industry standard. This is the 2022 edition of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) B77.1, the American National Standard for Passenger Ropeways - Aerial Tramways, Aerial Lifts, Surface Lifts, Tows and Conveyors Safety Requirements. The rule also includes a Vermontspecific Addendum, further supplementing the national standard.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Dirk Anderson, Department of Labor, P.O. Box 488, Montpelier, VT 05601 Tel: 802-828-4391 Fax: 802-828-4046 Email: dirk.anderson@vermont.gov

URL: https://labor.vermont.gov/.

FOR COPIES: Mike Nellis, Department of Labor, P.O. Box 488, Montpelier, VT 05601 Tel: 802-777-2242 Fax: 802-828-4046 Email: mike.nellis@vermont. gov.

Child Support Guidelines. Vermont Proposed Rule: 23P032

AGENCY: Agency of Human Services, Office of Child Support

CONCISE SUMMARY: This rule governs the guidelines used for calculating child support obligations in Vermont. 15 V.S.A. § 654 states that the Secretary may amend the guideline from time to time as may be necessary, but not less than once every four years. Federal law, 45 C.F.R. § 302.56 (e), mandates that the child support guidelines be reviewed, and revised, if appropriate, at least once every four years to ensure the application results in appropriate child support order amounts. The existing child support guidelines went into effect 1/2/2020, so OCS has conducted a review to ensure the associated tables that convert gross income to after tax income and identify expenditures on children adjust for current tax rates and economic conditions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Lisa Rivers, Office of Child Support, NOB 2 South, 280 State Drive, Waterbury, VT 05671 Tel: 802-585-8209 Fax: 802-241-0524 Email: lisa.rivers@vermont.gov URL: https://dcf.vermont.gov/ocs/parents/calculator.

FOR COPIES: Jessica Seman, Office of Child Support, NOB 2 South, 280 State Drive, Waterbury, VT 05671 Tel: 802-585-4024 Fax: 802-241-0524 Email: jessica.seman@vermont.gov.

Support Groups

A CIRCLE OF PARENTS FOR MOTHERS OF COLOR

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 Wed., 10-11 a.m. For more info or to register, please contact Heather at hniquette@pcavt.org, 802-498-0607, pcavt.org/family-support-programs.

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 Fri., 10-11 a.m. For more info or to register, please contact Heather at hniquette@ pcavt.org, 802-498-0607, pcavt.org/ family-support-programs.

A CIRCLE OF PARENTS W/ LGBTQ+ CHILDREN

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 Mon., 10-11 a.m. 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

Do you have a drinking problem? AA meeting sites are now open, & online meetings are also avail. Call our hotline at 802-864-1212 or check for in-person or online meetings at burlingtonaa.org.

ALL ARTISTS SUPPORT GROUP

Are you a frustrated artist? Have you longed for a space to “play” & work? Let’s get together & see what we can do about this! Text anytime or call 802-777-6100.

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 Tue. of every mo., 5-6:30 p.m., at the Dorothy Alling Memorial Library in Williston; this meeting also has a virtual option at the same time; 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 the 4th Tue. of each mo., 3 p.m., at the Residence at Otter Creek, 350 Lodge Rd., Middlebury; contact Daniel Hamilton, dhamilton@residence ottercreek.com or 802-989-0097.

The Shelburne Support Group for

Individuals w/ Early Stage Dementia meets the 1st Mon. of every mo., 2-3 p.m., at the Residence at Shelburne Bay, 185 Pine Haven Shores, Shelburne; contact support group facilitator Lydia Raymond, lraymond@residence shelburnebay.com. The Telephone Support Group meets the 2nd Tue. of each mo., 4-5:30 p.m. Prereg. is req. (to receive dial-in codes for toll-free call). Please dial the Alzheimer’s Association’s 24-7 Helpline, 800-2723900, for more info. For questions or additional support group listings, call 800-272-3900.

AMPUTEE SUPPORT GROUP

VT Active Amputees is a new support group open to all amputees for connection, community & support. The group meets on the 1st Wed. of the mo. in S. Burlington, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Let’s get together & be active: running, pickleball & ultimate frisbee. Email vtactiveamputees@gmail.com or call Sue at 802-582-6750 for more info & location.

ARE YOU HAVING PROBLEMS W/ DEBT?

Do you spend more than you earn? Get help at Debtor’s Anonymous & Business Debtor’s Anonymous. Wed., 6:30-7:30 p.m., Methodist Church in the Rainbow Room at Buell & S. Winooski, Burlington. Contact Jennifer, 917-568-6390.

BABY BUMPS SUPPORT GROUP FOR MOTHERS & PREGNANT WOMEN

Pregnancy can be a wonderful time of your life. But it can also be a time of stress often compounded by hormonal swings. If you are a pregnant woman, or have recently given birth & feel you need some help w/ managing emotional bumps in the road that can come w/ motherhood, please come to this free support group led by an experienced pediatric registered nurse. Held on the 2nd & 4th Tue. of every mo., 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the Birthing Center, Northwestern Medical Center, St. Albans. Info: Rhonda Desrochers, Franklin County Home Health Agency, 527-7531.

BETTER BREATHERS CLUB

American Lung Association support group for people w/ breathing issues, their loved ones or caregivers. Meets on the 1st Mon. of every mo., 11 a.m.-noon at the Godnick Center, 1 Deer St., Rutland. For more info, call 802-776-5508.

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.

CANCER SUPPORT GROUP

The Champlain Valley Prostate Cancer Support Group will be held every 2nd Tue. of the mo., 6-7:45 p.m. via conference call. Newly diagnosed? Prostate cancer reoccurrence? General discussion & sharing among survivors & those beginning or rejoining the battle.

Info, Mary L. Guyette RN, MS, ACNS-BC, 274-4990, vmary@aol.com.

CENTRAL VERMONT CELIAC SUPPORT GROUP

Last Thu. of every mo., 7:30 p.m. in Montpelier. Please contact Lisa Mase for location: lisa@harmonizecookery.com.

CEREBRAL PALSY GUIDANCE

Cerebral Palsy Guidance is a very comprehensive informational website broadly covering the topic of cerebral palsy & associated medical conditions. Its mission is to provide the best possible info to parents of children living w/ the complex condition of cerebral palsy. Visit cerebralpalsyguidance.com/ cerebral-palsy.

CODEPENDENTS ANONYMOUS

CoDA is a 12-step fellowship for people whose common purpose is to develop healthy & fulfilling relationships. By actively working the program of Codependents Anonymous, we can realize a new joy, acceptance & serenity in our lives. Meets Sun. at noon at the Turning Point Center, 179 S. Winooski Ave., Suite 301, Burlington. Info: Tom, 238-3587, coda.org.

THE COMPASSIONATE FRIENDS

SUPPORT GROUP

The Compassionate Friends international support group for parents, siblings & families grieving the loss of a child meets every 4th Tue. of the mo., 7-9 p.m., at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, 2 Cherry St., Burlington. Call/email Alan at 802-233-0544, alanday88@ gmail.com, or Claire at 802-448-3569.

DECLUTTERERS’ SUPPORT GROUP

Are you ready to make improvements but find it overwhelming? Maybe 2 or 3 of us can get together to help each other simplify. 989-3234, 425-3612.

DISCOVER THE POWER OF CHOICE!

SMART Recovery welcomes anyone, including family & friends, affected by any kind of substance or activity addiction. It is a science-based program that encourages abstinence. Specially trained volunteer facilitators provide leadership. Sun. at 5 p.m. The meeting has moved to Zoom: smartrecovery. zoom.us/j/92925275515. Volunteer facilitator: Bert, 399-8754. You can learn more at smartrecovery.org.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SUPPORT

Steps to End Domestic Violence offers a weekly drop-in support group for female-identified survivors of intimate partner violence, including individuals who are experiencing or have been affected by domestic violence. The support group offers a safe, confidential place for survivors to connect w/ others, to heal & to recover. In support group, participants talk through their experiences & hear stories from others who have experienced abuse in their relationships. Support group is also a resource for those who are unsure of their next step, even if it involves remaining in their current relationship. Tue., 6:30-8 p.m. Childcare is provided. Info: 658-1996.

FAMILY & FRIENDS OF THOSE EXPERIENCING MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS

This support group is a dedicated meeting for family, friends & community members who are supporting a loved one through a mental health crisis. Mental health crisis might include extreme states, psychosis, depression, anxiety & other types of distress. The group is a confidential space where family & friends can discuss shared experiences & receive support in an environment free of judgment & stigma w/ a trained facilitator. Wed., 7-8:30 p.m. Downtown Burlington. Info: Jess Horner, LICSW, 866-218-8586.

FAMILY RESTORED: SUPPORT GROUP FOR FRIENDS & FAMILIES OF ADDICTS & ALCOHOLICS Wed., 6:30-8 p.m., Holy Family/St. Lawrence Parish, 4 Prospect St., Essex Jct. For further info, please visit thefamilyrestored.org or contact Lindsay Duford at 781-960-3965 or 12lindsaymarie@gmail.com.

FCA FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP

Families Coping w/ Addiction (FCA) is an open community peer support group for adults (18+) struggling w/ 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 thdaub1@gmail.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 twice a week.: Mon., 4-5:30 p.m., at the Unitarian Universalist Church, Norwich, Vt.; & Wed., 6:30-8 p.m., at Hanover Friends Meeting House, Hanover, N.H. For more info & a list of additional meetings throughout the U.S. & the world, call 603-630-1495 or visit foodaddicts.org.

G.R.A.S.P. (GRIEF RECOVERY AFTER A SUBSTANCE PASSING)

Are you a family member who has lost a loved one to addiction? Find support, peer-led support group. Meets once a mo. on Mon. in Burlington. Please call for date & location. RSVP to mkeasler3@ gmail.com or call 310-3301 (message says Optimum Health, but this is a private number).

GRIEF & LOSS SUPPORT GROUP

Sharing your sadness, finding your joy. Please join us as we learn more about our own grief & explore the things that can help us to heal. There is great power in sharing our experiences w/ others who know the pain of the loss of a loved one & healing is possible through the sharing. BAYADA Hospice’s local bereavement support coordinator will facilitate our weekly group through discussion & activities. Everyone from the community is welcome. 1st & last Wed. of every mo. at 4 p.m. via Zoom. To register, please contact bereavement program coordinator Max Crystal, mcrystal@bayada.com or 802-448-1610.

GRIEF SUPPORT GROUPS

Meet every 2nd Mon., 6-7:30 p.m., & every 3rd Wed. from 10-11:30 a.m., at Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice in Berlin. The group is open to the public & free of charge. More info: Diana Moore, 224-2241.

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 twice a mo., the 1st & 3rd Sat. of every mo. from 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., 2-3 p.m. Pathways Vermont Community Center, 279 N. Winooski Ave., Burlington. Info: 802-777-8602, abby@ pathwaysvermont.org.

HELLENBACH CANCER SUPPORT

People living w/ cancer & their caretakers convene for support. Call to verify meeting place. Info, 388-6107.

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 899-4151 for more info.

INTUITIVE EATING SUPPORT GROUP

Free weekly peer-led support group for anyone struggling w/ eating &/or body image. The only requirement is a desire to make peace w/ food & your body. Meeting format is: a short reading from Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole & Elyse Resch, 4th edition, followed by open sharing & discussion. Come find community through sharing struggles, experience, strength & hope. Located at the Pickering Room, Fletcher Free Library, Sun. 1-2:30 p.m. Contact 202-553-8953 w/ any questions.

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.

KINSHIP CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP

A support group for grandparents who are raising their grandchildren. Led by a trained representative & facilitator. Meets on the 2nd Tue. of every mo., 6:30-7:45 p.m., at Milton Public Library. Free. For more info, call 802-893-4644 or email library@miltonvt.gov. facebook. com/events/561452568022928.

LAUGHTER YOGA

Spontaneous, genuine laughter & gentle breathing for physical & emotional benefit. No yoga mat needed! This group is held every Mon., 2-3 p.m., at Pathways Vermont Community Center, 279 North Winooski Ave., Burlington. Contact Chris Nial for any questions: chrisn@ pathwaysvermont.org.

LGBTQ SURVIVORS OF VIOLENCE

The SafeSpace Anti-Violence Program at Pride Center of Vermont offers peer-led support groups for survivors of relationship, dating, emotional &/or hate-violence. These groups give survivors a safe & supportive environment to tell their stories, share info, & offer & receive support. Support groups also provide survivors an opportunity to gain info on how to better cope w/ feelings & experiences that surface because of the trauma they have experienced. Please call SafeSpace at 863-0003 if you are interested in joining.

LGBTQ VETERANS

Share the struggles & celebrate the joys of being a service member & LGBTQIA+ in this peer-led discussion group. Meetings are at the Rainbow Bridge Community Center in Barre on the 2nd & 4th Tue. of each mo. Visit rbccvt.org for more info.

LIVING THROUGH LOSS

Gifford Medical Center is announcing the restart of its grief support group, Living Through Loss. The program is sponsored by the Gifford Volunteer Chaplaincy Program & will meet weekly on Fri., 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., in Gifford’s Chun Chapel. Meetings will be facilitated by the Rev. Timothy Eberhardt, spiritual care coordinator, & Emily Pizzale MSW, LICSW, a Gifford social worker. Anyone who has experienced a significant loss over the last year or so is warmly invited to attend & should enter through the hospital’s main entrance wearing a mask on the way to the chapel. Meetings will be based on the belief that, while each of us is on a unique journey in life, we all need a safe place to pause, to tell our stories &, especially as we grieve, to receive the support & strength we need to continue along the way.

MARIJUANA ANONYMOUS

Do you have a problem w/ marijuana?

MA is a free 12-step program where addicts help other addicts get & stay clean. Ongoing Wed., 7 p.m., at Turning Point Center, 179 S. Winooski, Suite 301, Burlington. Info: 861-3150.

MYELOMA SUPPORT GROUP

Area myeloma survivors, families & caregivers have come together to form a Multiple Myeloma Support Group. We provide emotional support, resources about treatment options, coping strategies & a support network by participating in the group experience w/ people who have been through similar situations. 3rd Tue. of every mo., 5-6 p.m., at the New Hope Lodge on East Ave. in Burlington. Info: Kay Cromie, 655-9136, kgcromey@aol.com.

NAMI CONNECTION PEER SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS

Weekly virtual meetings. If you have questions about a group in your area, please contact the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Vermont, program@ namivt.org or 800-639-6480. Connection groups are peer recovery support group programs for adults living w/ mental health challenges.

NAMI FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP

Weekly virtual & in-person meetings. ASL interpreters avail. upon request. Family Support Group meetings are for family & friends of individuals living w/ mental illness. If you have questions about a group in your area, please contact the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Vermont, info@namivt.org or 800-639-6480.

NARCONON SUNCOAST DRUG & ALCOHOL REHABILITATION & EDUCATION

Narconon reminds families that overdoses due to an elephant tranquilizer known as Carfentanil have been on the rise in nearly every community nationwide. Carfentanil is a synthetic opioid painkiller 100 times more powerful than fentanyl & 1,000 times stronger than heroin. A tiny grain of it is enough to be fatal. To learn more about carfentanil abuse & how to help your loved one, visit narconon-suncoast.org/drug-abuse/ parents-get-help.html. Addiction

screenings: Narconon can help you take steps to overcome addiction in your family. Call today for a no-cost screening or referral: 1-877-841-5509.

NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS

is a group of recovering addicts who live without the use of drugs. It costs nothing to join. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using. Held in Burlington, Barre & St. Johnsbury. Info, 862-4516 or cvana.org.

NARCANON BURLINGTON GROUP Group meets every Mon. at 7 p.m., at the Turning Point Center, 179 S. Winooski Ave., Suite 301, Burlington. The only requirement for membership is that there be a problem of addiction in a relative or friend. Info: Amanda H., 338-8106.

NEW (& EXPECTING) MAMAS & PAPAS!

EVERY PRIMARY CAREGIVER TO A BABY!

The Children’s Room invites you to join our weekly drop-in support group. Come unwind & discuss your experiences & questions around infant care & development, self-care & postpartum healing, & community resources for families w/ babies. Tea & snacks provided. Thu., 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Bring your babies! (Newborn through crawling stage.) Located in Thatcher Brook Primary School, 47 Stowe St., childrensroomonline. org. Contact childrensroom@wwsu.org or 244-5605.

NORTHWEST VERMONT CANCER

PRAYER & SUPPORT NETWORK

A meeting of cancer patients, survivors & family members intended to comfort & support those who are currently suffering from the disease. 2nd Thu. of every mo., 6-7:30 p.m., St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 11 Church St., St. Albans. Info: stpaulum@myfairpoint.

net. 2nd Wed. of every mo., 6-7:30 p.m., Winooski United Methodist Church, 24 W. Allen St., Winooski. Info: hovermann4@comcast.net.

OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS (OA)

A 12-step program for people who identify as overeaters, compulsive eaters, food addicts, anorexics, bulimics, etc. No matter what your problem w/ food, we have a solution! All are welcome, meetings are open, & there are no dues or fees. See oavermont.org/ meeting-list for the current meeting list, meeting format & more; or call 802-863-2655 anytime!

PONDERING GENDER & SEXUALITY

Pondering Gender & Sexuality is a twicemonthly facilitated mutual support group for folks of any identity (whether fully formed or a work in progress) who want to engage in meaningful conversations about gender, sexuality & sexual orientation, &/or the coming-out process. Discussions can range from the personal to the philosophical & beyond as we work together to create a compassionate, safe & courageous space to explore our experiences. The group will be held on the 2nd Sun. & 4th Tue. of every mo., 1-2:30 p.m., either virtually or at Pride Center of Vermont. Email pgs@pridecentervt.org for more info or w/ questions!

POTATO INTOLERANCE SUPPORT

GROUP

Anyone coping w/ potato intolerance & interested in joining a support group, contact Jerry Fox, 48 Saybrook Rd., Essex Junction, VT 05452.

QUEER CARE GROUP

This support group is for adult family members & caregivers of queer &/or questioning youth. It is held on the 2nd Mon. of every mo., 6:30-8 p.m., at Outright Vermont, 241 N. Winooski Ave. This group is for adults only. For more info, email info@outrightvt.org.

READY TO BE TOBACCO-FREE GROUPS

Join a free 4-5-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!

RECOVERING FROM RELIGION

Meets on the 2nd Tue. of every mo., 6-8 p.m., at Brownell Public Library, 6 Lincoln St., Essex Junction, unless there’s inclement weather or the date falls on a holiday. Attendees can remain anonymous if they so choose & are not required to tell their story if they do not wish to, but everyone will be welcome to do so. The primary focus of a Recovering From Religion support group is to provide ongoing & personal support to individuals as they let go of their religious beliefs. This transitional period is an ongoing process that can result in a range of emotions, as well as a ripple effect of consequences throughout an individual’s life. As such, the support meetings are safe & anonymous places to express these doubts, fears & experiences without biased feedback or

proselytizing. We are here to help each other through this journey. Free.

REFUGE RECOVERY MEETING

Burlington Refuge Recovery is a Buddhist-oriented, nontheistic addiction recovery group that meets every Tue. at 6:45 p.m. at Turning Point Center, located at 179 S. Winooski Ave. in Burlington.

SCLERODERMA FOUNDATION NEW ENGLAND

Support group meeting held on the 4th Tue. of every mo., 6:30-8:30 p.m., Williston Police Station. Info, Blythe Leonard, 878-0732.

SEX & LOVE ADDICTS ANONYMOUS 12-step recovery group. Do you have a problem w/ sex or relationships? We can help. Info: Shawn, 660-2645. Visit slaafws.org or saa-recovery.org for meetings near you.

SEX ADDICTS ANONYMOUS, MONTPELIER

Do you have a problem w/ compulsive sexual behavior? A 12-step program has helped us. SAA Montpelier meets twice weekly at 6 p.m.: Mon. virtual meeting, details at saatalk.info; Thu. face-toface at Bethany Church, Montpelier. Details at saa-recovery.org. Contact saa.vtrecovery@gmail.com or call 802-322-3701.

SEXUAL VIOLENCE SUPPORT

HOPE Works offers free support groups to women, men & teens who are survivors of sexual violence. Groups are avail. for survivors at any stage of the healing process. Intake for all support groups is ongoing. If you are interested in learning more or would like to schedule an intake to become a group member, please call our office at 864-0555, ext. 19, or email our victim advocate at advocate@sover.net.

SOCIAL ANXIETY SUPPORT GROUPS

For screened adults ages 28-40. Therapist-led sessions. For more info, contact diane@ldtayeby.com.

STUTTERING SUPPORT GROUPS

If you’re a person who stutters, you are not alone! Adults, teens & school-age kids who stutter, & their families are welcome to join 1 of our 3 free National Stuttering Association (NSA) stuttering support groups at UVM (join by Zoom or in person). Adults: 5:30-6:30 p.m., 1st & 3rd Tue. monthly; teens (ages 13-17): 5:30-6:30 p.m., 2nd Thu. monthly; school-age children (ages 8-12) & parents (meeting separately): 4:15-5:15 p.m., 2nd Thu. monthly. Pomeroy Hall (489 Main St., UVM campus). Info: nsachapters.org/ burlington, burlingtonstutters@gmail. com, 656-0250. Go, Team Stuttering!

SUICIDE SURVIVORS SUPPORT GROUP

For those who have lost a friend or loved one through suicide. 6:30-8 p.m., on the 3rd Tue. of every mo. Maple Leaf Clinic, 167 N. Main St., Wallingford. Info: 446-3577.

SUICIDE HOTLINES IN VT

Brattleboro, 257-7989; Montpelier (Washington County Mental Health Emergency Services), 229-0591; Randolph (Clara Martin Center Emergency Service), 800-639-6360.

SUPPORT GROUP FOR WOMEN who have experienced intimate partner abuse, facilitated by Circle (Washington Co. only). Please call 877-543-9498 for more info.

SURVIVORS OF SUICIDE

If you have lost someone to suicide & wish to have a safe place to talk, share & spend a little time w/ others who have had a similar experience, join us on the 3rd Thu. of every mo., 7-9 p.m., at the Faith Lighthouse Church, Route 105, Newport (105 Alderbrook). Please call before attending. Info: Mary Butler, 744-6284.

SURVIVORS OF SUICIDE: S. BURLINGTON

This group is for people experiencing the impact of the loss of a loved one to suicide. 1st Wed. of each mo., 6-7:30 p.m., at the Comfort Inn & Suites, 3 Dorset St., S. Burlington. Info: Bob Purvee at (802) 922-4283 or ripurvee1@ yahoo.com, or Aya Kuki at (802) 881-3606 or ayakokuki@gmail.com

TOPS Take Off Pounds Sensibly chapter meeting. Hedding United Methodist Church, Washington St., Barre. Wed., 5:15-6:15 p.m. For info, call David at 371-8929.

TRANS & GENDER-NONCONFORMING SUPPORT GROUP

As trans & GNC people in the world, we experience many things that are unique to our identities. For that reason, the Transgender Program hosts a support group for our community on the 1st & 3rd Wed. of every mo., 6:30-8 p.m., either virtually or at Pride Center of Vermont. The Trans & GNC Support group is for Vermonters at all stages of their gender journey to come together to socialize, discuss issues that are coming up in their lives & build community. We welcome anyone whose identity falls under the trans, GNC, intersex & nonbinary umbrellas, & folks questioning their gender identity. Email safespace@pridecentervt.org w/ any questions, comments or accessibility concerns.

TRANSGENDER FAMILY SUPPORT

We are people w/ adult loved ones who are transgender or gender nonconforming. We meet to support each other & to learn more about issues & concerns. Our sessions are supportive, informal & confidential. Meetings are held at 5:30 p.m., the 2nd Thu. of each mo., via Zoom. Not sure if you’re ready for a meeting? We also offer 1-on-1 support. For more info, email rex@pridecentervt.org or call 802-318-4746.

WOMEN’S CANCER SUPPORT GROUP

FAHC. Led by Deb Clark, RN. Every 1st & 3rd Tue., 5-6:30 p.m. Call Kathy McBeth, 847-5715.

YOUNG ADULT SUPPORT GROUP

A support group for young adults to build community & access peer support. This group meets weekly on Thu. from 3-4 p.m. at Pathways Vermont Community Center, 279 North Winooski Ave., Burlington. Contact Chris Nial for any questions: chrisn@pathwaysvermont.org.

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

Seasonal Positions & Flexible Schedules

Looking for a job for a few weeks or months? We have positions in our smokehouse, call center and warehouse. Flexible shifts to meet most schedules, paid training, a fun work environment making the World’s Finest Hams, Bacon and Smoked Meats for customers around the country.

Apply in person: 210 East Main St, Richmond

(Just 15 minutes from Burlington or Waterbury)

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT/ INTAKE COORDINATOR

Vermont Center for Anxiety Care Matrix Health Systems

Exclusive Burlington waterfront location

Duties:

• Manage online client applications for mental health services

• Telephone screening of new clients

• Health insurance verification

• Manage client wait list

• Coordinate case assignments

• Telephone and in-person patient reception

• Implement health safety protocols

• Administrative support to practice director

Required skills:

• Friendliness and effective verbal communication

Computer skills:

• Spreadsheets, JotForms, scanning, faxing, email, MS Word

• Efficiency and organization

Send resume to Alesia: alesia@ocamhs.com

HVAC Technician Full-time

The Facilities Department at Saint Michael’s College is inviting applications for a full-time HVAC Technician. This position supports the department in maintaining a comfortable, safe, and efficient environment by providing timely responses to issues and ensuring all campus systems are fully operational. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to inspecting, maintaining, repairing, replacing, and testing all HVAC systems and components throughout campus; coordinating annual inspections and repairs with contractors; and planning and implementing renovation/upgrade/repair projects. This position will require regular work hours, as well as occasional on-call evening, weekend, and holiday times.

Complete job description, benefits & to apply online: bit.ly/SMCHVAC

Operating Room RN or Certified Surgical Technologist

NORTHEASTERN VERMONT REGIONAL HOSPITAL

(NVRH): Join our team of experienced nurses and provide exceptional patient care in Perioperative Services. We offer competitive wages, loan repayment, generous paid time off, and a comprehensive benefits package. Don’t miss out on this amazing chance to advance your career and join a healthcare team that delivers excellent services to the community.

Apply now and experience the rewards of being in a supportive and thriving environment at NVRH.

NVRH.ORG/CAREERS

Assistant Director, Accessibility Resources Office

For position details and application process, visit  jobs.plattsburgh.edu and select “View Current Openings” SUNY Plattsburgh is an AA/EEO/ADA/VEVRAA employer committed to excellence through diversity and supporting an inclusive environment for all.

MU

Are you our next Guest Services Representative? Buyer? Produce Associate?

Scan to see all open positions!

Program Manager

Mad River Mentoring (MRM) is a communitybased mentoring program serving the Mad River Valley. MRM provides 1:1 mentoring for youth aged 8-18 who reside or attend school in the valley. Our goal is to develop quality adult-to-youths relationships that increase access to the support and resources that youth need to improve their wellbeing, sense of belonging and quality of life.

Overview: The Mad River Mentoring Program Manager will have the opportunity to help build a resource for our community. This virtual position will provide a great deal of flexibility regarding working hours, although some work must be completed in person with youths after school. You will have the support of an active advisory board. This position is part-time, 10 to 20 hours a week.

Compensation range: $20.00-$25.00/hour based on experience. Please submit a cover letter and resume to madrivermentoring@ gmail.com. Please include contact information for three referencesone professional, one supervisory and one personal.

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Tourism Specialist

can also apply online via our website shipvds.com or email Tom Knox directly at tknox@shipvds.com

PART-TIME & PER-DIEM WORK AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY- $16.25/HR

The Williston and Georgia South I-89 Welcome Centers are looking to hire part-time and/or per diem employees with great customer service skills. Duties include custodial tasks and physical tasks including snow removal. Must be able to work weekends & some holidays.

To apply, please email welcomecenters@vermont.org or fill out an application at the Williston Welcome Centers.

Hey!

Do you love...

...playing with kids

...spending time in nature

...teaching about social justice?

We’ve got the job for you!

The Schoolhouse Learning Center in South Burlington seeks flex and afterschool teachers for our natureand play-based program. Candidates should enjoy spending a lot of time outdoors in all weather, hiking, exploring, and teaching children about the natural world, as well as supporting a social-justice focused curriculum.

Learn from a fantastic team of experienced teachers, in a progressive school with a long track record of success.

Find out more and apply: www.theschoolhousevt.org/ employment

802-658-4164

(802) 862-7662

DELIVERY DRIVERS WANTED

We are currently accepting applications for both part time and full time positions. We have several different shifts available.

Feel free to stop in to our office at 54 Echo Place, Suite# 1, Williston, VT 05495 and fill out an application.

You can also apply online via our website at shipvds.com or email Tom Knox directly at tknox@shipvds.com

Food Programs Assistance

HOPE, a non-governmental poverty relief organization, seeks a team member to assist our Food Programs Coordinator in all aspects of operating one of the largest food programs in the region. Our work includes provision of non-perishable foods, as well as a thriving partnership with local farmers, and off-site food distributions in underserved areas of Addison County. Duties include managing the food shelf inventory, ordering food from suppliers, stocking shelves, maintaining the cleanliness of the food shelf and storage areas, receiving and packing food orders for delivery, providing support and training for food shelf volunteers, ensuring coverage of the food shelf during business hours, and more. Must be able to lift and carry up to fifty pounds, stand for periods of time, have excellent organizational & communication skills.

Work schedule is 7:30 am to 3:30 pm, Monday through Friday. Excellent organizational skills, including inventory management, and knowledge of food safety protocols required.

Send resumes to: receptionist@hope-vt.org

Hayward Tyler is a leading manufacturer of industrial pumps and motors in Colchester, VT. IT

UPCOMING JOB FAIRS

Bolton Valley Job Fair Hosted at J Skis, Pre-Season Stoke and Pass Printing Party! Thursday, October 5, 4:00-8:00 at the J Skis/ Ski the East Headquarters at 247 Main Street, Burlington, VT.

Bolton Valley On-Site Job Fair:  Saturday, October 14, 11:00-3:00 in Fireside Lounge, 4302 Bolton Valley Access Road, Bolton Valley, VT.

Jobs Available in: Snowmaking • Ski Patrol • Hotel Front Desk • Lift Operations • Backcountry and Nordic Center • Rental and Retail Shop • Instruction •Food and Beverage • Guest Services • Resort Facilities Maintenance and Cleaning and more!

For more information and to apply visit www.boltonvalley.com/the-resort/employment/

Annual Giving & Stewardship Coordinator

Are you a master wordsmith with a flair for fundraising? Put your skills to work at Champlain College! As the Annual Giving and Stewardship Coordinator you will be charged with orchestrating a symphony of donor appreciation, enhancing loyalty, and helping our institutional priorities shine!

champlain.edu/careers

View opportunities here

Goddard College, a leader in non-traditional education, has the following full-time, bene t eligible and part-time position openings:

ADMISSIONS COUNSELOR

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF CAMPUS OPERATIONS

• COMPETITIVE SALARY

• EXCELLENT BENEFITS PACKAGE

If you meet our requirements and are interested in an exciting opportunity, please forward your resume and salary requirements to:

Hayward Tyler, Inc., Attn: HR Department 480 Roosevelt Highway, PO Box 680 Colchester, VT 05446

Careers@haywardtyler.com

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES

HELP DESK ASSISTANT – PT

To view position descriptions and application instructions, please visit our website: goddard.edu/about-goddard/employment-opportunities/

92 JOIN OUR TEAM!

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

Line Cook

SHARED LIVING PROVIDER

In search of a person for a shared roommate position, to live with and provide support for a young woman and her service dog.

The sunny apartment is in central Winooski, recently renovated, with 2 bedrooms and bathrooms, in a secure access building and parking garage. Support would include assistance with cooking, home care, and transportation.

Requirements include:

• A safe, working, and insured automobile.

• Payment of $285/month for utilities & parking garage access.

• Passing a criminal background check

The preferred candidate would:

• Have a shared interest in music and the arts.

• Have an understanding of neurodiversity.

• Be caring and kind to all people.

Compensation includes a $30,000 yearly Tax-free Stipend.

Contact Rebecca at : RebeccaLO@howardcenter.org or 802-324-5729

howardcenter.org • 802-488-6500

Absence Specialist

We are seeking an absence management expert to join our team and provide service to our member institutions, Champlain College, Middlebury College, and St. Michael’s College, as well as their employees. Our Absence Specialist is responsible for administering medical Leave of Absence (LOA) and disability programs, ensuring compliance with federal and state laws and institutional policies. Your role will involve providing exceptional customer service, supporting employees, coordinating with HR teams, and ensuring accurate payroll processing.

Experience, Education & Abilities:

• A bachelor’s degree in Human Resources or related field or equivalent experience

• Five years of experience in all types of leave administration

• PHR or SPHR a plus

• Knowledge of federal and state laws related to FLSA, ADA, LOA, Worker’s Compensation, etc., including required LOA documentation practices

• Experience utilizing Payroll and Benefits Systems

This position provides a hybrid work setup, allowing you to work from home and our o ce in Shelburne, VT.

If you’re passionate about supporting employees, thrive in a collaborative environment, and are committed to continuous learning and improvement, we want to hear from you!

Apply here: https://egqw.fa.us2

Full-time position open. $20 an Hour plus counter tips.

• Part Time position open. $18/hour plus counter tips.

• Experience preferred but not necessary. Must be available Saturdays.

• Our kitchen is bright, air-conditioned and on the first floor Come on in and fill out an Application!

Ken’s Pizza and Pub, 71 Church Street, Burlington, VT

Program Coordinator

PLUMBER

The Facilities Department at Saint Michael’s College is inviting applications for a full-time Plumber. This position supports the department in maintaining a comfortable, safe, and efficient environment by providing timely responses to issues and ensuring all campus systems are fully operational. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to inspecting, maintaining, repairing, replacing, and testing all plumbing systems and components throughout campus; coordinating annual inspections and repairs with contractors; planning and implementing renovation/upgrade/repair projects; and addressing daily work orders. This position will require regular work hours, as well as occasional on-call evening, weekend, and holiday times. For a complete job description, benefits information, and to apply online, please visit: https://bit.ly/SMCPLU

The program coordinator will develop, implement, and supervise current and future recreation programs for the Town of Waterbury, including afterschool and summer programs. The position is responsible for implementing lesson planning and activities, a positive learning environment, establishing a positive rapport with students, guardians and co-workers, and preparing materials and supplies. During the summer, the program coordinator will also be a camp director at the Waterbury Recreation Summer Camp. Waterbury Recreation is a licensed-exempt afterschool program. We are looking for fun, energetic and motivated staff to join our team. To learn more about the position, please visit: www.waterburyvt.com/ departments/finance

General Assembly

Seasonal Positions for the 2024 Legislative Session

The Legislative support offices are currently hiring. The nonpartisan offices are an interesting, challenging, and exciting place to work. You will be part of a highly professional and collegial team that is proud of, and enthusiastic about, the mission of the state legislature.

To apply, please go to 'Career Opportunities' at legislature.vermont.gov.

We have several exciting career opportunities available!

Youth Coach

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROJECT CONSULTANT

Three-year, Part time contract beginning Fall 2023

The Vermont Judiciary is currently recruiting a Behavioral Health Project Consultant. This person will work with the Vermont Judiciary Commission on Mental Health and the Courts and its justice partners and stakeholders to assist with expanding and improving the judicial response to mental and behavioral health issues, to assist with the development and implementation of training curriculum and materials, and to facilitate and support justice partners and stakeholders in the Commission’s work. A BA in Behavioral Science, Social Services, Psychology, or related fields with 5+ years of experience in project management or policy development in areas related to mental/behavioral health treatment providers and evidence-based practices for mental/behavioral health, substance abuse disorders, and/or co-occurring disorders. EOE. For further details see vermontjudiciary.exacthire.com/job/115182

To Apply submit a resume to JUD.jobs@vermont.gov

Warming Shelter Coordinator

Deputy State’s Attorney Positions

The Vermont Department of State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs is hiring full-time Deputy State’s Attorneys in Franklin County (St Albans), Orleans County (Newport), and Bennington County (Bennington), plus a limited-service Deputy State’s Attorneys position in Lamoille County (Hyde Park). A DSA represents the State’s Attorney’s Office in prosecuting criminal and certain civil offenses.

Minimum Qualifications: J.D. degree and admission to the Vermont Bar, or a candidate who has passed the VT bar exam by reading the law. A candidate pending bar results or admission to the Vermont bar may be considered.

Wholesale Sales Representative

We seek an experienced sales representative to build new relationships and deepen existing relationships with customers, broaden our exposure and grow our revenue. This position is primarily focused on selling to resellers of our seed through both inbound and outbound channels.

To see a full job description and list of qualifications and responsibilities visit: highmowingseeds.com

To Apply: Email resume, cover letter, and references to jobs@highmowingseeds. com. Please put the job title in the subject line. No phone calls, please.

Full-Time Carpenter

The Facilities Department at Saint Michael’s College is inviting applications for a full-time Carpenter. This position supports the department to ensure all campus buildings are functional, comfortable, and secure by providing timely responses to issues. Responsibilities include but are not limited to repairing and maintaining all campus buildings and building components, maintaining painting of the interior and exterior of all campus buildings, planning and implementing renovation/upgrade/repair projects with contractors, and addressing daily work orders. For a complete job description, benefits information, and to apply online, please visit: bit.ly/SMCCJ23

For a complete list of openings and full job descriptions, go to prosecutors.vermont.gov/job-opportunities. Positions open until filled. Inquiries can be made by emailing sas.jobs@vermont.gov

Phlebotomy Apprenticeship Program

INVEST IN YOURSELF

Our apprenticeship program is a paid opportunity to become a phlebotomist with NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED.

APPLY NOW www.iaahitec.org/phlebotomy

REGISTRATION DEADLINE

Wednesday, October 11, 2023

$2,000 SIGN ON BONUS

• Guaranteed paid employment on day one of training

• Direct patient care

• Team environment

• Full Benefits

• Dedicated support during the 5-week program

• Paid Certified Phlebotomy Technician Exam

Entering its fourth decade, the Vermont Women’s Fund seeks a new director who will be its lead voice and champion. e ideal candidate is committed to working with the VWF Council to grow the fund and build capacity to improve the economic and social conditions experienced by Vermont women and girls. e most successful candidate will be a curious and collaborative fundraiser whose vision garners robust charitable support and inspires donors, leaders, organizations, and businesses to maximize their collective impact.

If this sounds like a good t for you, visit vermontcf.org/careers for complete job descriptions and instructions for applying.

External candidates are eligible for a one-time sign on bonus paid over 3 installments. Amounts reflect gross pay, prior to applicable tax withholdings and deductions required by law. Current University of Vermont Health Network employees are excluded and additional terms and conditions apply.

rebecca.spencer@vthitec.org

SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENETIC INFORMATION, OR BECAUSE THEY ARE AN INDIVIDUAL

Are you a critical thinker, an excellent fundraiser, and passionate about making a di erence in the lives of Vermont women and girls?

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

Assistant Director of Financial Aid

Saint Michael’s College invites applications for an Assistant Director of Financial Aid position. The Assistant Director of Financial Aid plays a crucial role in helping students and their families navigate the complex world of financial aid. This position involves assisting in the planning, coordination, and administration of financial aid programs to ensure that eligible students receive guidance on the financial assistance they need and qualify for in order to pursue their education. In addition, the Assistant Director of Financial Aid will serve as the college’s alternative VA School Certifying Official and assist military veterans, service members, and their dependents in utilizing their education benefits provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This role involves a combination of administrative, advisory, and advocacy duties. For a complete job description, benefits information, and to apply online, please visit: bit.ly/SMCADFA

Water Resources Department Staff

The Town of Richmond, VT is recruiting staff for the Water Resources Department. Open positions include Operator in Training, Lead Mechanical Operator, and Assistant Water and Wastewater Superintendent.

All interested parties are encouraged to apply and training is available for qualified applicants. This is a great opportunity for someone looking to start a career in the Water Resources Industry or for someone with current Water Resources Industry experience and certifications looking for the next step in their career.

The Richmond Water Resources department has about 500 water and wastewater accounts serving about 1000 people. The wastewater facility has a very active septage receival program. Please send cover letter, resume & 3 current references to: Town of Richmond, P.O. Box 285, Richmond, VT, 05477. Or email to scote@richmondvt.gov. Questions directed to Steve Cote, Water and Wastewater Superintendent, at (802) 434-2178

Job Descriptions for Open Positions:

OPERATOR IN TRAINING: bit.ly/RichmondOPERATOR

LEAD MECHANICAL OPERATOR: bit.ly/RichmondLEADmechop

ASSISTANT WATER & WASTEWATER SUPERINTENDENT: bit.ly/RichmondWATERsuper

CCTV CO DIRECTOR

at the University of Vermont is seeking your talent to join our team as a Cook Senior! We're dedicated to creating flavorful, plant-based meals using fresh, local ingredients to provide healthy and diverse options for our community. Receive a $500 Sign On Bonus.

View multiple full and part-time positions, including culinary jobs, service staff, supervisors, drivers and dishwashers.

CCTV Center for Media & Democracy is a nationally recognized and locally appreciated community media center housing Town Meeting TV, CCTV Productions, and the VT Language Justice Project. CCTV has transitioned from a founding executive director to a shared leadership model comprising Co-Directors of Operations & Projects. The Co-Director we are seeking is senior level, responsible for operations, and oversees four key areas: Financial Management, Technical Support, Revenue Development, and Human Resources. This position supervises and works with the Business Manager, Technical Services Director/team, and the Development Director/ team to ensure financial security and continuity of operations. The Co Director (of Operations) will work in tandem with the current Co Director (of Projects) to provide overall organizational leadership. Help move CCTV into the next decade. Work with a stellar staff to open the doors of local democracy and expand the organization’s reach and impact in pursuit of media justice.

On-the-job training

• Flexible scheduling

• Earn an extra $3/hr when you work Monday-Friday from 4:30pm to close or any weekend shift

• Benefits start day 1 for Full Time

• PTO, 401K, Health/Vision/Dental

• Career advancement path from the front line to management. Sodexo is an EEO/AA/Minority/ Female/Disability/Veteran Employer.

CCTV is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. We place a high value on workforce diversity. People of color, women, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people are strongly encouraged to apply. To read a complete job description, including salary range and resume scoring rubric visit cctv.org

Send letter & resume to CCTVopsdir@gmail.com. Open until filled.

Shared Living Provider

Mechanic/Truck Driver

Shelburne’s Highway Department has an immediate opening for a full-time Mechanic/Truck Driver. This position is responsible for the maintenance of all Town vehicles and other machinery and equipment. The successful candidate will also operate trucks and other equipment, in addition to plowing snow.

A high school diploma or equivalent and five years of related experience; CDL or the ability to obtain a CDL; Vermont State Vehicle Inspection License; and background check are required. Full job description is available at shelburnevt.org/237/Human-Resources

Salary range $30-$35/hr. with generous insurance package, vacation and sick time, & paid holidays. From dump trucks to police cruisers, help keep Shelburne rolling smoothly! Submit resume/application to Susan Cannizzaro: scannizzaro@shelburnevt.org.

Assistant Town Manager

The Town of Stowe is seeking to hire a full-time Assistant Town Manager to assist in the administration of the municipal government. Stowe is a four season resort community that is highly regarded for its natural beauty and outdoor recreational opportunities.

Senior Facilities Maintenance Technician

VSAC is seeking a Senior Facilities Maintenance Technician who will be responsible for the general condition of the building including overseeing routine maintenance, coordinating repair services on facility equipment, and performing weekly/monthly checks on facilities operations. Additionally, this position will process incoming/outgoing mail for VSAC and tenants, authorize payment of minor repairs, place service calls as appropriate and assist with the administration and maintenance of Building Monitor Systems.

To view the full job description and to apply online please visit: vsac.org/careers

The Assistant Town Manager’s primary role is to assist the Town Manager in the day-to-day administration of the municipality by helping to provide oversight, answering public inquiries, providing research, supporting various committees, participating in teams of municipal employees to solve problems and advancing municipal policy objectives, and may serve as Acting Town Manager in their absence.

Bachelor’s degree in business, public administration, or related field supplemented with experience in local government or public administration and progressively responsible experience in a professional office setting is preferred, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Pay range $75,000 to $80,000, but may vary depending on experience and qualifications.

The Town of Stowe currently offers an excellent benefit package including BCBS health plans with a 5% or 10% employee premium share, dental insurance, generous paid leave including 13 paid holidays, 10.6% employer contribution to VMERS pension plan, life insurance and more.

Job description and employment application can be obtained at: townofstowevt.org. Submit letter of interest, resume and employment application to: Town of Stowe, c/o HR Director, PO Box 730, Stowe, VT 05672 or by email recruit@stowevt.gov. Position open until filled.

The Town of Stowe is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Seeking an SLP willing to provide complete personal care for an enjoyable and grateful 59-year-old woman. An accessible home will best meet her needs and we are willing to help with this.

She enjoys quiet time with her stuffed animals and matchbox cars, watching her favorite shows, country music, and the companionship of people and pets. Please contact Jessica Fox at jfox@howardcenter.org or 802.488.6529.

REGISTERED NURSE

Community Health Centers is seeking a Registered Nurse to join the team at CHC’s Safe Harbor location in Burlington, Vermont. Our RN’s work as collaborative members of the clinical team, helping to facilitate patient care activities and patient flow. Come join our mission minded team!

Basic Qualifications

• Registered Nurse Licensure

• Good standing with Vermont State Board of Nursing

• Basic Life Support Certification

• Strong clinical skills, and able to thrive in a fast-paced medical team environment

• Familiarization with electronic medical record and electronic scheduling systems

• Strong organizational skills and ability to work independently, anticipate needs, creatively problem solve and take initiative to improve patient care at CHC

Learn more and apply today at:

chcb.org/careers

We are an equal employment opportunity employer, and are especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of the organization.

COMMUNITY BANKERS CHITTENDEN COUNTY

BUILDERS | MAKERS | DOERS

THERE IS NO BETTER TIME TO JOIN OUR TEAM!

Northfield Savings Bank, founded in 1867, is the largest LOCAL BANK in Vermont. We are committed to providing a welcoming work environment for all. Consider joining our team as a Community Banker at our Shelburne Road Branch or our Church Street location!

RELEVANT SKILLS:

• Customer Service • Cash Handling (we’ll train you!)

Even better… if you have prior banking experience, we encourage you to apply!

If you are 18 or older and have a high school diploma, general education (GED) degree, or equivalent, consider joining the NSB Team!

Please

email your resume to Hannah.indigoburlington@gmail.com 4t-Indigo092723.indd 1 9/22/23 12:55 PM

Legal Office Coordinator

SRH Law, a mission-driven Burlington law firm, seeks Legal Office Coordinator.

SRH Law PLLC (formerly Dunkiel Saunders) is seeking a motivated and skilled Legal Office Coordinator to join our mission-driven law firm. The Legal Office Coordinator is the backbone of our office and the first person that clients see when they walk in. This position provides general administrative support to attorneys and paralegals, front desk/ reception coverage, and assistance with facility management, organization, scheduling, and day-to-day office functioning. The ideal candidate has a good eye for detail, can work eff ectively as a team member with other professionals, can prioritize and manage multiple tasks simultaneously, and has strong organizational and interpersonal skills. Candidates should be conversant with Microso Office Suite and Adobe Acrobat, and be comfortable efficiently learning other cloud-based so ware and applications. Experience in office administration is strongly preferred.

SRH Law works with clients—including businesses, nonprofits, cooperatives, government entities, and individuals—who share our commitment to making a difference in their communities and the broader world. We take our inspiration from our clients’ good work and help them excel in their business or mission by resolving their legal issues with creativity and integrity, and we are looking for a team member to help us accomplish this important work.

OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH

NSB has training opportunities to engage employees and assist with professional development within our company. The average years of service for an NSB employee is 9! If you’re looking for a career in an environment that promotes growth, join our team!

WHAT NSB CAN OFFER YOU

Competitive compensation based on experience. Well-rounded benefits package. Profit-Sharing opportunity. Excellent 401(k) matching retirement program. Commitment to professional development. Opportunities to volunteer and support our communities. Work-Life balance!

Please send an NSB Application & your resume in confidence to: Careers@nsbvt.com

Equal Opportunity Employer/Member FDIC

Director of Human Resources

The Director of Human Resources provides leadership and strategic thinking in the areas of labor and employer relations and human resources for the Washington Central Unified Union School District. The Director develops and enforces procedures to assure compliance with federal and state laws and regulations, board policies and negotiated agreements to effectively and efficiently achieve the District mission. This person must lead, coordinate, implement, supervise and provide labor relations services, personnel administration, recruitment, retention, employee development and diversification.

Bachelor’s degree or higher in an appropriate discipline plus 5 to 6 years of relevant experience, or a combination of education and experience from which comparable knowledge and skills are acquired. Experience must include management experience in an educational field or similar with experience administering collective bargaining agreements.

Washington Central Unified Union School District is a public school district serving over 1,400 students in preschool through grade 12 in the Central Vermont towns of Berlin, Calais, East Montpelier, Middlesex and Worcester with 6 schools, both elementary and middle and high school levels.

Washington Central is dedicated to providing quality education to its students and is guided by three areas of focus: Academic Achievement, Safe & Healthy Schools and Humanity and Justice. Washington Central offers a variety of benefits such as competitive salaries and benefits, career growth opportunities and access to a supportive work environment.

Competitive salary and benefits. 401(k) plan with employer match, dependent care account, employer-paid health insurance, free parking, paid vacation, and excellent work life balance.

employer

Interested persons should e-mail a letter of interest and resume to applications@srhlaw.com by October 6, 2023.

Vermont is known for its pristine outdoors, vibrant communities, and friendly neighbors. Whether you are looking for a scenic town to raise your family or an outdoor paradise to explore on your weekends, the Green Mountain State has something for everyone. With its natural beauty and great schools, Vermont is the perfect place to live, work, and thrive.

Interested candidates may apply through SchoolSpring.com, Job ID#4424486 or by sending a resume and cover letter to Susanne Gann at hrmail@u32.org

While we appreciate all interest in this exciting opportunity, only candidates most closely aligned with our search will be contacted. Resumes will be accepted until the position is filled.

SCARIES?

YA / Desk Librarian

• Tech skills needed

• MLS or equivalent

• 30 hours/week

Circulation Supervisor

• Library experience preferred

• Must have supervisory and scheduling skills

• Full time

Both positions offer benefits including health, retirement, generous PTO. RFL is a large (by VT standards) public library serving 22,000 residents with 80,000 print and 75,000 online titles.

For details see: rutlandfree. org/join-the-library

Apply with letter & resume to randal@rutlandfree.org

Closing date Oct.

Program Enrollment Specialist

HOPE, a non-governmental human services organization, seeks a part time team member to complete enrollment paperwork with people eligible for financial assistance in finding and keeping housing. Must have computer skills, be focused and detail oriented, and have excellent organizational and customer service skills, as well as experience working with persons who have high housing barriers, including substance use and mental health disorders. The first half of the shift will be spent completing required programmatic forms and assessments, and the latter half at the front desk assisting walk in persons and answering the phone. Tuesday –Friday, noon to 4 pm. Send resumes to: receptionist@hope-vt.org

Events Coordinator (Part-Time)

This opportunity is available to a dynamic, hard-working individual looking to develop their hands-on experience with a community-based arts organization.

What we are looking for in a candidate: The ideal candidate for the Events Coordinator will have experience handling event planning and coordination, and serve as a cheerful and helpful point of contact for visitors and outside inquiries to Artistree.

Schedule and compensation: This is a part-time, hourly position with pay rate in the range of $20.00/hour based on experience. The standard schedule will be approximately 20 hours per week, with flexibility and some availability on evenings and weekends required. There may be adjustments to the schedule during the summer, or at other times based on Artistree’s program and event schedule.

To apply: Please send a cover letter, resume, and a list of two to three professional references to programming@artistreevt.org

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE VPQHC, Inc.

Are you passionate about working for a mission-driven organization? Do you like working with a great team, on meaningful projects, in a flexible and supportive environment? Are you a finance professional? This may be the role for you!

VPQHC is searching for a Director of Finance. Recently recognized as Vermont’s Community Star, VPQHC is on a mission to improve the quality of healthcare for Vermonters. Our team of passionate professionals works on a variety of exciting and meaningful projects throughout the state, region, and nationally. The Director of Finance is a full-time senior-level position, and will be an integral part of the team, managing the financial operations of the organization, and ensuring VPQHC’s financial health and sustainability. VPQHC is a Montpelier-based nonprofit; the position comes with excellent benefits, a flexible schedule, and hybrid/remote work options.

Learn more and apply: vpqhc.org/employment

Director of Information Technology

Lamoille North Supervisory Union (LNSU) is seeking a visionary leader when it comes to how technology can be used to transform the way students learn and how educators can provide instruction. The Director of Information Technology will maintain and leverage a high-level view across the organization and cultivate collaborative teams to transform the educational and operational technology landscape in alignment with the organization’s vision, values, regulatory obligations, and measurable outcomes. The Director will build on LNSU's mission of equity, access. and opportunity by being a creative, dynamic, and responsive leader charged with developing and implementing a strategic vision in all areas of technology that will support LNSU’s, and its school districts’ instructional and operational goals. Interested candidates can apply on-line at schoolspring.com/job.cfm?jid=3968040 or can submit a letter of interest, resume and three current reference letters to: Deborah Clark, Business Manager at dclark@lnsd.org.

Lamoille North S.U., 96 Cricket Hill Road, Hyde Park, VT 05655 Equal Opportunity Employer

MANAGER, LOSS CONTROL (REMOTE)

The Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VLCT) has an immediate need for an experienced Manager, Loss Control. This professional management position within the Risk Management Services Department is responsible for managing the activities of Loss Control Division staff and member-focused programs for VLCT PACIF, a statewide property, casualty, and workers’ compensation insurance fund. The successful candidate will provide loss control services directly to a modest number of municipalities in northwestern Vermont in addition to management duties. Work will be performed in the field, remotely, and in the office.

Education requirements:

A bachelor’s degree in public administration, risk management, engineering, occupational safety & health, or related field or equivalent experience. A minimum of seven years of loss control, safety or risk management experience and three years of supervisory or management experience. Extensive knowledge of property, casualty and workers’ compensation insurance and risk management techniques. Proven ability to train others. Safety or risk management certification (e.g., CSP and ARM) and a commitment to attain ARM designation are highly desired.

Physical requirements:

The ability to lift 40 pounds regularly. The ability to respond quickly to sounds. The ability to move

safely over uneven terrain. The ability to climb stairs and ladders. The ability to see and remove oneself from dangerous situations. When possible, reasonable accommodation can be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the described essential functions of the position.

Salary commensurate with experience. Hiring salary range is $85,000 – 95,000.

VLCT offers an excellent total compensation package, including:

• Employer-paid health, dental & vision insurance

• Retirement, short- and long-term disability benefits

• Paid vacation, sick, holiday and volunteer time

• A vehicle for work-related travel

• A full list of benefits will be provided upon request.

• A remote work environment that meets core work objectives, such as providing onsite service to members, is available.

To view the full job description and to apply, visit: vlct.org/careers. Please plan to provide a cover letter, resume, and three professional references.

Application deadline is Monday, October 9. Resume review begins immediately.

Applications accepted until position filled.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Engaging minds that change the world

Seeking a position with a quality employer? Consider The University of Vermont, a stimulating and diverse workplace. We offer a comprehensive benefit package including tuition remission for on-going, full-time positions. Northeast Kingdom Regional Coordinator - Ext. - Migrant Health & Education - #S4648PO - Migrant Education Regional Coordinators connect with migratory agricultural workers living in Vermont and work collaboratively with Farmworker Education and Migrant Health team members to effectively implement education and health services, activities, and projects. Regional Coordinators are responsible for identifying eligible migratory farmworkers, enrolling them and their family members into applicable programs, and facilitating educational services for enrolled students. They utilize judgement to prioritize work and select appropriate methods to respond to needs as they arise. This position functions with minimal daily supervision, while working in collaboration with a statewide team of outreach professionals and program coordinators to fulfil programmatic objectives. An undergraduate degree and one to two years’ related experience OR an equivalent combination of training and experience is required. Applicants must be proficient in Spanish and English and demonstrate cultural humility as well as the ability to plan, organize, and coordinate effectively and independently. Strong interpersonal communication skills, capacity to work with diverse audiences, and proficient computer/multimedia skills are essential. Applicants must be willing to travel and work a flexible schedule, which at times may include evenings and weekends.

The University is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of the institution. Applicants are encouraged to include in their cover letter information about how they will further this goal.

Sustainability Metrics Project Coordinator - CALS Dean’s Office#S4641PO - The UVM Food Systems Research Center seeks a coordinator for a large project called “Measuring Sustainability of Food Systems.” The coordinator will support five project teams, each looking at a different food system in northern New England, by planning and reporting, assisting with communication and stakeholder engagement, and facilitating collaboration. The University is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of the institution. Applicants are encouraged to include in their cover letter information about how they will further this goal. Finalists for positions are subject to a criminal background check.

Review of applications begins immediately and will continue until suitable candidates are found.

For further information on these positions and others currently available, or to apply online, please visit www.uvmjobs.com Applicants must apply for positions electronically. Paper resumes are not accepted. Open positions are updated daily. Please call 802-656-3150 or email employment@uvm. edu for technical support with the online application.

The University of Vermont is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

Seven Issue:

Due:

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Mechanical Inspectors & CNC Operators

Pre-Tech is currently accepting applications for full-time Mechanical Inspectors and CNC Operators on both 1st and 2nd shift in our Williston, Vermont facility. Great working environment with generous benefits including paid holidays, vacation time, paid sick time, medical, dental, and paid life insurance. The package includes profit sharing & matching 401(k).

Hours are 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM Monday through Friday for 1st shift and 3:00 PM to 1:30 AM Monday through Thursday for 2nd shift.

Interested candidates should see details and submit applications or resumes online: Pretechplastics.com

Professional Careers in WORLDWIDE TRAVEL

Join Country Walkers and VBT Bicycling Vacations, an award-winning, Vermont-based active travel company, and be part of our high performing, international team. We have amazing opportunities for a Sales professional interested in supporting worldwide travel adventures with a leader in the industry, positively impacting established brands and working with a team of collaborative and gifted travel pros.

TOUR SALES CONSULTANT

If you’re passionate, driven by excellence, want to make a difference and are looking for balance in your quality of life – check us out! Ready to learn more?

Visit our career pages: VBT.com or countrywalkers.com & submit your resume to nvoth@vbt.com.

YOUTH PROGRAMMING COORDINATOR

We believe that not only are young people our future, they are also capable of creating important change in the now. We are seeking a team player to coordinate our program inspiring and empowering youth to be leaders and advocates for reducing substance misuse and improving health and wellness in their community.

We want a self-motivated individual who is good at building relationships and fostering collaboration with and between others, particularly youth. This position will teach, support, and encourage teens to use their voice to address substance misuse prevention issues as part of afterschool clubs. A minimum of 3 years of experience working with adolescents a must. Experience in the substance misuse prevention or public health field and with public speaking, communications, video production, project management, and grant reporting are highly beneficial.

This is a full-time benefited position with a flexible schedule and opportunity to work some hours remotely. If interested, please include a cover letter and resume with your application. Salary is $41,600-$45,760 based on qualifications and experience. Additional details about the Burlington Partnership for a Healthy Community and this position are available at burlingtonpartnership.org

If interested, please apply online at nfivermont.org/careers.

NFI is an Equal Opportunity Employer and, as such, prohibits discrimination against any employee or applicant based on race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, ethnic background, disability, or other non-work-related personal trait or characteristic to the extent protected by law.

Nursing In-Person Hiring Event

Monday, October 16th • 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH

We will have tours, interviews, and on-the-spot offers for the following positions:

•Registered Nurses

•Nursing Students (NRP)

•Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs)

•Licensed Nursing Assistants (LNAs)

•Medical Assistants

•Surgical Technicians

You will have the opportunity to tour our incredible facility, meet unit managers, recruiters, leadership, and benefits team members. This event is designed to maximize your time by answering all your clinical, benefits, salary, and lifestyle questions.

If you are coming from out of the area and are interested in staying over in the Lebanon/Hanover, NH area, we have negotiated discounted rates at area hotels. Enjoy the beauty of a Fall weekend and then join us on Monday at our career event.

We will have refreshments, raffle prizes, and lots of smiles and friendly people. We are excited to tell you about this amazing organization and why a career here can improve your personal and professional life. Learn

DHnursing.org

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

POST YOUR JOBS AT: SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POSTMYJOB PRINT DEADLINE: NOON ON MONDAYS (INCLUDING HOLIDAYS) FOR RATES & INFO: MICHELLE BROWN, 802-865-1020 X121, MICHELLE@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

HRS – COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Burlington Housing Authority is expanding our team of professionals in the Housing Retention and Services department. We’re looking for a full time Housing Retention Specialist- Community Outreach. This full time position aids community members who are experiencing homelessness and need support navigating housing systems and locating and securing housing in the Chittenden County community. The Housing Retention Specialist – Community Outreach works collaboratively with community service agencies and providers in addition to Chittenden County Coordinated Entry, BHA Section 8, and Property Management.

This position works with the homeless community members to help with the application process, provides support to increase client’s awareness of resources, increase the overall resiliency, and promote stability and proactivity over crisis management. The Housing navigator provides direct retention services which may include home visits, supportive counseling, and coordinating services which may benefit the household.

An Associate’s degree required in human services or related field. Previous experience in direct service and advocacy preferred. Exhibits effective verbal and written communication skills. Knowledge of the social services network is preferred. Proficiency with Microsoft Office and internet navigation required. Excellent timemanagement skills and the ability to work independently are required.

BHA serves a diverse population of tenants and partners with a variety of community agencies. To most effectively carry out our vision of delivering safe and affordable housing to all, we are committed to cultivating a staff that reflects varied lived experiences, viewpoints, and educational histories. Therefore, we strongly encourage candidates from diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals, and women to apply. Multilingualism is a plus!

Our robust benefit package includes premium medical insurance with a health reimbursement account, dental, vision, short and long term disability, 10% employer funded retirement plan, 457 retirement plan, accident insurance, life insurance, cancer and critical illness insurance.

We provide a generous time off policy including 12 days of paid time off and 12 days of sick time in the first year. In addition to the paid time off, Burlington Housing Authority recognizes 13 (paid) holidays and 2 (paid) floating cultural holidays.

Interested in this career opportunity? Send a cover letter and resume to: humanresources@burlingtonhousing.org.

Human Resources

Burlington Housing Authority 65 Main Street, Suite 101

Burlington, VT 05401

Police Officer

The Richmond Police Department is currently accepting applications for a Full Time Police Officer. Our Department’s focus is a community based approach that encourages a collaborative effort utilizing a variety of services in problem solving. Richmond is a quiet suburb in Chittenden County, serving a population of 4,200 citizens.

The Richmond Police Department offers a competitive benefits package including take home cruiser in a 30 mile radius, Vermont Municipal Employees Retirement System Group D, paid vacation, holidays, sick leave, medical, dental, and life insurance and upon completion of mandatory training. The starting salary is $29.59 per hour, as set forth in the NEPBA (New England Police Benevolence Association) contract. Lateral transfers are eligible to receive credit for experience.

Requirements:

• High School Diploma or GED.

• Must have no felony or serious misdemeanor convictions, nor any habitual or serious traffic offenses, domestic violence or assault convictions. Other violations, which may adversely affect a law enforcement career, will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

• Ability to obtain and maintain a valid Vermont State driver’s license.

• Able to pass Vermont Police Academy entrance exam.

• Pass Vermont Police Academy Physical Fitness Exam

• Pass a polygraph and comprehensive background investigation.

Entrance requirements can be found and reviewed at vcjtc.vermont.gov/training/three/entrance-standards

Please submit resumes along with a letter of interest to:

Town of Richmond

Attention: Town Manager Josh Arneson

203 Bridge Street, Richmond, VT 05477

Or email to: jarneson@richmondvt.gov

burlingtonhousing.org

Burlington Housing Authority is an Equal Opportunity Employer

LINE COOK

Goodwater Brewery is looking for someone to join our incredible, laid-back team. The ideal person should be self-motivated, passionate about food, have a creative mentality and a good work ethic. Experience preferred but not required. No late nights and stable work. Send resume to: marty@goodwaterbreweryvt.com

TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP

VERMONT PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION

The Vermont Public Utility Commission is seeking applications from individuals who wish to join an advisory group that will play a pivotal role in developing the potential Clean Heat Standard for Vermont’s thermal sector. We invite you to become a part of this important initiative.

What Role Does the Technical Advisory Group Play?

STAFF ATTORNEYS AND INTAKE SPECIALIST

STAFF ATTORNEY

Burlington, VT

The Technical Advisory Group will assist the Commission in designing the ongoing management of the potential program, which would establish a new regulatory structure based on a marketplace of “clean heat credits.” This advisory group will advise the Commission on many of the technical aspects of the program, such as the accounting methodology and values for clean heat credits. Along with the separate Equity Advisory Group, this is one of two groups that will play advisory roles in the development of the Clean Heat Standard.

Who We’re Looking For:

Vermont Legal Aid and Legal Services Vermont work closely together to help low-income Vermonters resolve their civil legal issues.

Vermont Legal Aid seeks a 1-year, for an 80% to 100% time, Staff Attorney for our Poverty Law Project to do general poverty work and disaster relief.

We encourage applicants from a broad range of backgrounds, and welcome information about how your experience can contribute to serving our diverse client communities. Applicants are encouraged to share in their cover letter how they can further our goals of social justice and individual rights. VLA and LSV are equal opportunity employers committed to a discrimination-and-harassment-free workplace. Please see our Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion: vtlegalaid.org/about-vla/diversity-inclusion.

We encourage applicants from a broad range of backgrounds, and welcome information about how your experience can contribute to serving our diverse client communities. Applicants are encouraged to share in their cover letter how they can further our goals of social justice and individual rights. We are an equal opportunity employer committed to a discrimination-and-harassment-free workplace. See our Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion: vtlegalaid.org/commitment-diversity-inclusion

The group will be comprised of up to 15 members. The advisory group will need representation from individuals who have expertise in one or more of the following areas: technical and analytical expertise in measuring lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions; energy modeling and data analysis; clean heat measures and energy technologies; sustainability and non-greenhouse-gas-emissions strategies designed to reduce and avoid impacts to the environment, mitigating environmental burdens as defined in 3 V.S.A. § 6002; public health impacts of air quality and climate change; delivery of heating fuels; land use changes, deforestation and forest degradation; and climate change mitigation policy and law. The members will also need to include representatives from the following departments and agencies: the Department of Public Service, the Agency of Natural Resources, and the Department of Health. The specific state agencies identified as required members of this group are requested to respond to this solicitation.

What to Expect?

Vermont Legal Aid seeks full-time Staff Attorney for Medical-Legal Partnership: General responsibilities: interview prospective clients, assess legal problems, and identify legal advice; individual and systems advocacy in a variety of forums on behalf of clients; conduct factual investigations and analysis; legal research; prepare briefs and argue appeals; become proficient in law handled by the specific law project. See vtlegalaid.org/about-vla/jobs for details.

General responsibilities: interview prospective clients, assess legal problems, and identify legal advice; individual and systems advocacy in a variety of forums on behalf of clients; conduct factual investigations and analysis; legal research; prepare briefs and argue appeals; become proficient in law handled by the specific law project. The position also includes doing disaster relief work, which may include participating in clinics and outreach activities.

Starting salary is $59,800, with additional salary credit given for relevant prior work experience. Four weeks paid vacation and retirement, as well as excellent health benefits. Attorney applicants must be licensed to practice law in Vermont, eligible for admission by waiver, or have passed the UBE with a Vermont passing score. This position is based in our Burlington office. In-state travel in a personal vehicle

The full scope of the Technical Advisory Group can be found at 30 V.S.A. §§ 8124(d)(2), 8127(b) and 8128 of Public Act No. 18 (2023 Vt., Bien. Sess.). Initial terms of service for group members will be two years. Applicants should expect that monthly meetings will be necessary in the first year. The exact meeting schedule, frequency, and procedures of the group will be determined once the group is formed. Because of the unique expertise of each member, attendance by all group members at the meetings will be crucial. Compensation: Members not otherwise compensated by their employer are eligible for per diem compensation and expense reimbursement as per 32 V.S.A. § 1010(b).

Application deadline is August 7, 2023. Your application should include a cover letter and resume, bar status, writing sample, and three professional references with contact information, sent as a single PDF. Send your application by e-mail to hiring@vtlegalaid.org, include in the subject line your name and “VLA MLP Attorney” April 2023. Please let us know how you heard about this position.

Why Should You Apply?

Help shape Vermont’s energy policy: As a member of the Technical Advisory Group, you will actively participate in the development of Vermont’s potential Clean Heat Standard, offering your valuable expertise on how to design and implement this new policy aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the thermal sector.

Legal Services Vermont seeks a full-time Staff Attorney and an Intake Specialist:

See vtlegalaid.org/work-at-vla for job description details and vtlegalaid.org/our-projects for specific project information.

Starting salary is $63,800+, with additional salary credit given for relevant prior work experience. Four weeks paid vacation and retirement, as well as excellent health benefits. Attorney applicants must be licensed to practice law in Vermont, eligible for admission by waiver, or have passed the UBE with a Vermont passing score. In-state travel in a personal vehicle required.

How to Apply:

Legal Services Vermont is an innovative non-profit law firm that provides civil legal services to a broad spectrum of low-income clients in a high-volume practice. Our advocates represent individual clients, participate in court clinics and also staff our helpline to screen new clients and provide legal advice. Working closely with Vermont Legal Aid, we help low-income Vermonters resolve their civil legal issues. Our office is located in Burlington, VT.

• Write a letter of interest expressing your desire to join the Technical Advisory Group.

• Specify which entity you will represent/ the expertise you will provide, and your qualifications to provide that expertise.

• Explain your motivation for wanting to serve on the Technical Advisory Group.

Staff Attorney General Responsibilities: We are seeking an attorney advocate to work in our core service areas, with a focus on housing and eviction cases. Job duties include individual client representation, assisting clients on our helpline, and other legal assistance projects. See legalservicesvt.org/about-lsv/ careers for job description details.

• Include your resume/curriculum vitae.

Please submit your letter of interest via email to: puc.businessmanager@vermont.gov.

Application deadline is October 15, 2023. Your application should be sent as a single PDF and include a cover letter and resume, bar status, writing sample, and at least three professional references with contact information.

Starting salary is $59,800, with salary credit given for relevant experience, & excellent benefits package. Application deadline is August 7, 2023. Your application should include a cover letter and resume, sent as a single PDF. Send your application by e-mail to Sara Zeno at szeno@legalservicesvt.org with the subject line “Hiring Opportunity.” Please let us know how you heard about this position

Send your application by e-mail to hiring@vtlegalaid.org, include in the subject line your name, and “Poverty Law Project 2023.”

Please also submit your letter via mail to the PUC Business Manager, 112 State Street, 4th Floor, Montpelier, VT 05620-2701.

The application Deadline is October 9, 2023

For more information about the Technical Advisory Group and its role in shaping Vermont’s Clean Heat Standard, please refer to the bill as enacted, at this link: legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2024/S.5

Intake Specialist General Responsibilities: The Intake Specialist will work on our helpline to return incoming calls or online inquiries for civil legal assistance and assist our advocates and attorneys in a collaborative environment. The work environment is a fast-paced, high-volume setting that often requires multi-tasking while maintaining a high level of attention to detail. The job duties include assessing

Please let us know how you heard about this position.

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

Direct Support Professional

Why not have a job you love?

Benefit package includes 29 paid days off in the first year, comprehensive health insurance plan with premium as low as $13 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 five years running.

Job Highlight - Direct Support Professional:

Provide one on one supports to individuals with intellectual disabilities or autism in their home, the community or their workplace. Make a big difference in someone’s life, including yours! This is a great entry level position and for those looking to continue their work in this field. Starting wage is $20/hr with a sign on bonus of $1,000 at 6 months. Send resume to staff@ccs-vt.org.

Great jobs in management ($48,000 annual), and direct support ($20-$21/hr) at an award-winning agency serving Vermonters with intellectual disabilities.

See all our positions at ccs-vt.org/current-openings/ Make a career making a difference and apply today!

HANDYMAN

Part time job with the following maintenance tasks for several apartment buildings:

• Interior/exterior carpentry

• Light plumbing work

Now Hiring at Southern State Correctional Facility.

Tree Trimming Crew Journeyperson

The Town of Stowe Electric Department is seeking a Tree Crew Journeyperson to work as part of our threeperson tree crew.

This role is responsible for ensuring the safe removal of trees and brush near and around high voltage power lines and to maintain SED’s ROWs. These responsibilities are vital to our ability to provide safe and reliable electricity in an efficient manner. Climbing experience and a valid Vermont CDL are required. $25-$35 /hour.

First or Second Class Lineworker

The Town of Stowe Electric Department is seeking a Certified 1st Class or 2nd Class Lineworker to join our team of highly skilled professionals.

This role is responsible for ensuring customers receive safe and reliable electricity in an efficient manner. Tasks include working on de-energized and energized lines utilizing rubber glove practices in all scenarios. A valid Vermont CDL is required. $49.28/hour First Class/$40.90/hour Second Class.

Benefits include:

• 6 Weeks PTO After First Year

• Low-Cost Health Insurance

• Employer-Provided Dental

• $100k Life Insurance

• 401(a) & 457(b) Retirement Plans

• Union Position

• Excellent Work Environment

View full job description at StoweElectric.com/jobs

• Light electrical work

• Carpet/Linoleum installations

Hours per week and schedule are flexible. Pay is negotiable based on experience.

Send inquiries to: lisamno@gmail.com or call Tom at 802-777-7374

2v-McHawkApartments092023.indd

VSCS is seeking leaders for the following positions:

• Director of Business Operations

• Director of Governmental and External Affairs

The positions are hybrid remote, based in Montpelier, VT. We welcome individual differences that can be engaged in the service of learning.

For more information: vsc.edu/employment

Now Hiring at Southern State Correctional Facility.

Now Hiring at Southern State Correctional Facility.

Now Hiring at Southern State Correctional Facility.

Now Hiring at Southern State Correctional Facility.

Now Hiring

Now Hiring

Now Hiring

Now Hiring

• Registered Nurses (RNs)

Now Hiring

• Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) Wellpath offers comprehensive benefits!

• Registered Nurses (RNs)

• Registered Nurses (RNs)

• Registered Nurses (RNs)

• Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) Wellpath offers comprehensive benefits!

For more information, contact:

• Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) Wellpath offers comprehensive benefits!

• Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) Wellpath offers comprehensive benefits!

• Registered Nurses (RNs)

• Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) Wellpath offers comprehensive benefits!

For more information, contact:

For more information, contact:

For more information, contact:

Angela McKinzie // 678-822-1956 // amckinzie@wellpath.us

For more information, contact:

Angela McKinzie // 678-822-1956 // amckinzie@wellpath.us

Angela McKinzie // 678-822-1956 // amckinzie@wellpath.us

Angela McKinzie // 678-822-1956 // amckinzie@wellpath.us

Angela McKinzie // 678-822-1956 // amckinzie@wellpath.us

What’s your why? // wellpathcareers.com

What’s your why? // wellpathcareers.com

What’s your why? // wellpathcareers.com

What’s your why? // wellpathcareers.com

What’s your why? // wellpathcareers.com

Join our innovative and award-winning team to help bring more affordable housing to Vermont!

Controller

The Controller prepares monthly financial statements, ensures accurate accounting and reporting of federal and state grants, leads the management of VHCB’s loan portfolio, and supports program staff in the analysis of grant and program financial performance.

This position is open until October 16th.

Housing Stewardship Coordinator

The Housing Stewardship Coordinator will support the sustainability and impact of Vermont’s network of community-based housing non-profits. We offer a comprehensive benefit package and an inclusive, supportive work environment.

Federal Housing Programs Manager

We’re looking for a skilled professional to independently support our federal housing programs while working in a collaborative problem-solving environment.

This position is open until filled; application deadline is October 9, 2023.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer

Candidates from diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. We offer a comprehensive benefit package and an inclusive, supportive work environment.

For full job descriptions, salary information, and application instructions please visit vhcb.org/about-us/jobs

EQUITY ADVISORY GROUP

VERMONT PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION

The Vermont Public Utility Commission is seeking applications from individuals who wish to join an advisory group that will play a pivotal role in shaping the potential Clean Heat Standard for Vermont’s thermal sector. We invite you to become a part of this important initiative.

What Role Does the Equity Advisory Group Play?

The Equity Advisory Group will assist the Commission in ensuring an equitable share of clean heat measures is delivered to low- and moderate-income Vermonters and that heating fuel remains affordable for people who cannot immediately install such measures. Along with the separate Technical Advisory Group, this is one of two groups that will play advisory roles in the development of the Clean Heat Standard.

Who We’re Looking For:

The advisory group will be comprised of up to 10 members, each representing a stakeholder group or groups. The group will need representation from renters, rental property owners, and individuals with socioeconomically, racially, and geographically diverse backgrounds. The members will also need to include representatives from the following agencies and organizations: a community action agency with expertise in low-income weatherization, a community action agency with expertise in serving residents of manufactured homes, Efficiency Vermont, the Vermont Association of Area Agencies on Aging, the Vermont Housing Finance Agency, the Vermont Fuel Dealers Association, the Department of Public Service, and the Department for Children and Families’ Office of Economic Opportunity. The specific entities and state agencies identified as required members of this group are requested to respond to this solicitation.

What to Expect?

The full scope of the Equity Advisory Group can be found at 30 V.S.A. § 8129 and Section 6(k) of Public Act No. 18 (2023 Vt., Bien. Sess.). The term of service will be approximately two years. Applicants should expect that monthly meetings will be necessary in the first year. The exact meeting schedule, frequency, and procedures of the group will be determined once the group is formed. Because of the unique representation of each member, attendance by all group members at the meetings will be crucial.

Compensation: Members not otherwise compensated by their employer are eligible for per diem compensation and expense reimbursement as per 32 V.S.A. § 1010(b).

Why Should You Apply?

Help shape Vermont’s energy policy: As a member of the Equity Advisory Group, you will actively participate in the development of Vermont’s potential Clean Heat Standard, offering your unique perspective on how to equitably design and implement this new policy aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the thermal sector.

How to Apply:

• Write a letter of interest expressing your desire to join the Equity Advisory Group.

• Specify which group(s)/interests you will represent and your qualifications to represent those group(s).

• Explain your motivation for wanting to serve on the Equity Advisory Group.

Please submit your letter of interest via email to: puc.businessmanager@vermont.gov.

Please also submit your letter via mail to the PUC Business Manager, 112 State Street, 4th Floor, Montpelier, VT 05620-2701.

The application Deadline is October 9, 2023

For more information about the Equity Advisory Group and its role in shaping Vermont’s Clean Heat Standard, please refer to the bill as enacted, at this link: legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2024/S.5

Soup & Salad Prep

Must love colorful foods & working with a team!

FT, Tuesday-Saturday from 9-5PM. Email gk@tomgirl.co to apply!

Sunrise Crew

Smoothies & Service

FT Tuesday-Saturday

PT 2 Shifts + 1 Weekend Day

tomgirl.co/join-our-team-1

COMMUNITY ADVOCATE/PRO BONO PROJECT COORDINATOR

Legal Services Vermont is looking to fill a full-time position for a Community Advocate/Project Coordinator for a new initiative to expand our Pro Bono legal work. We are an innovative non-profit law firm that provides civil legal services to a broad spectrum of low-income clients in a high-volume practice. Our advocates assist individual clients, participate in court clinics and also staff our helpline to screen new clients and provide legal advice. Working closely with Vermont Legal Aid, we help low-income Vermonters help themselves to resolve their civil legal issues.

This position will be funded under a two year grant that will run until September 30, 2025, with the potential for extension depending on the availability of funding.

The Project Coordinator will work with newly-licensed attorneys to connect them with volunteer opportunities to assist lowincome clients. Project duties will include working with volunteer lawyers and clients to coordinate volunteer opportunities, tracking case assignments and outcomes, developing training materials and setting up trainings, and working with partner agencies to support the project. The Project Coordinator will work under the supervision of the attorney who manages LSV’s Pro Bono program.

We are looking for candidates with strong communication skills; a demonstrated commitment to community engagement and public interest advocacy; the ability to organize a large volume of work; the ability to work with a diverse clientele; and a collaborative work style. The position is based in Burlington.

We are an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and culturally competent staff to serve our increasingly diverse client community. We encourage applicants from a broad range of backgrounds, and welcome information about how your experience and skills can contribute to serving our client communities.

Hiring level will depend on background and qualifications. Starting salary is $44,200, with salary credit given for relevant experience, and an excellent benefits package.

Application deadline is October 9, 2023. Your application should include a cover letter and resume, sent as a single PDF. Send your application by e-mail to Sara Zeno at szeno@legalservicesvt.org with the subject line “Hiring Opportunity.” Please let us know how you heard about this position.

GO HIRE.

Job Seekers:

• Search for jobs by keyword, location, category and job type.

Job Recruiters:

• Post jobs using a form that includes key info about your company and open positions (location, application deadlines, video, images, etc.).

• Accept applications and manage the hiring process via our applicant tracking tool.

• Easily manage your open job listings from your recruiter dashboard.

• Set up job alert emails using custom search criteria.

• Save jobs to a custom list with your own notes on the positions.

• Apply for jobs directly through the site.

jobs.sevendaysvt.com

fun stuff

LIBRA

(SEP. 23-OCT. 22)

If you have ever contemplated launching a career as a spy, the coming months will be a favorable time to do so. Likewise if you have considered getting trained as a detective, investigative journalist, scientific researcher or private eye. Your affinity for getting to the bottom of the truth will be at a peak and so will your discerning curiosity. You will be able to dig up secrets no one else has discovered. You will have an extraordinary knack for homing in on the heart of every matter. Start now to make maximum use of your superpowers!

ARIES (Mar. 21-Apr. 19): Author Diane Ackerman says it’s inevitable that each of us sometimes “looks clumsy or gets dirty or asks stupid questions or reveals our ignorance or says the wrong thing.” Knowing how often I do those things, I’m extremely tolerant of everyone I meet. I’m compassionate, not judgmental, when I see people who “try too hard, are awkward, care for one another too deeply, or are too open to experience.” I myself commit such acts, so I’d be foolish to criticize them in others. During the coming weeks, Aries, you will generate good fortune for yourself if you suspend all disparagement. Yes, be accepting, tolerant and forgiving — but go even further. Be downright welcoming and amiable. Love the human comedy exactly as it is.

TAURUS (Apr. 20-May 20): Taurus comedian Kevin James confesses, “I

discovered I scream the same way whether I’m about to be devoured by a great white shark or if a piece of seaweed touches my foot.” Many of us could make a similar admission. The good news, Taurus, is that your anxieties in the coming weeks will be the “piece of seaweed” variety, not the great white shark. Go ahead and scream if you need to — hey, we all need to unleash a boisterous yelp or howl now and then — but then relax.

GEMINI (May 21-Jun. 20): Here are famous people with whom I have had personal connections: actor Marisa Tomei, rock star Courtney Love, filmmaker Miranda July, playwright David Mamet, actor William Macy, philosopher Robert Anton Wilson, rock star Paul Kantor, rock impresario Bill Graham and author Clare Cavanagh. What? You’ve never heard of Clare Cavanagh? She is the brilliant and renowned translator of Nobel Prize laureate poet Wisława Szymborska and the authorized biographer of Nobel Prize laureate author Czesław Miłosz. As much as I appreciate the other celebrities I named, I am most enamored of Cavanagh’s work. As a Gemini, she expresses your sign’s highest potential: the ability to wield beautiful language to communicate soulful truths. I suggest you make her your inspirational role model for now. It’s time to dazzle and persuade and entertain and beguile with your words.

CANCER (Jun. 21-Jul. 22): I cheer you on when you identify what you want. I exult when you devise smart plans to seek what you want, and I celebrate when you go off in high spirits to obtain and enjoy what you want. I am gleeful when you aggressively create the life you envision for yourself, and I do everything in my power to help you manifest it. But now and then, like now, I share Cancerian author Franz Kafka’s perspective. He said this: “You do not need to leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. Do not even listen, simply wait. Do not even wait, be quite still and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked. It has no choice. It will roll in ecstasy at your feet.”

LEO (Jul. 23-Aug. 22): Let’s talk about changing your mind. In some quarters, that’s seen as weak, even embarrassing. But I regard

LATEST

it as a noble necessity, and I recommend you consider it in the near future. Here are four guiding thoughts. 1) “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”

—George Bernard Shaw. 2) “Only the strongest people have the pluck to change their minds, and say so, if they see they have been wrong in their ideas.” —Enid Blyton. 3) “Sometimes, being true to yourself means changing your mind. Self changes, and you follow.” —Vera Nazarian. 4) “The willingness to change one’s mind in the light of new evidence is a sign of rationality, not weakness.” —Stuart Sutherland.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sep. 22): “The soul moves in circles,” psychologist James Hillman told us. “Hence our lives are not moving straight ahead; instead, hovering, wavering, returning, renewing, repeating.” In recent months, Virgo, your soul’s destiny has been intensely characterized by swerves and swoops. And I believe the rollicking motion will continue for many months. Is that bad or good? Mostly good — especially if you welcome its poetry and beauty. The more you learn to love the spiral dance, the more delightful the dance will be.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Have you been sensing a phantom itch that’s impossible to scratch? Are you feeling less like your real self lately and more like an AI version of yourself? Has your heart been experiencing a prickly tickle? If so, I advise you not to worry. These phenomena have a different meaning from the implications you may fear. I suspect they are signs you will soon undertake the equivalent of what snakes do: molting their skins to make way for a fresh layer. This is a good thing! Afterward, you will feel fresh and new.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

According to legend, fifth-century Pope Leo I convinced the conquering army of Attila the Hun to refrain from launching a full-scale invasion of Italy. There may have been other reasons in addition to Leo’s persuasiveness. For example, some evidence suggests that Attila’s troops were superstitious because a previous marauder died soon after attacking Rome. But historians agree that Pope Leo was

VIDEO!

a potent leader whose words carried great authority. You, Sagittarius, won’t need to be quite as fervently compelling as the ancient pope in the coming weeks. But you will have an enhanced ability to influence and entice people. I hope you use your powers for good!

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Singersongwriter Joan Baez has the longevity and endurance typical of many Capricorns. Her last album, in 2018, was released 59 years after her career began. An article in the New Yorker describes her style as “elegant and fierce, defiant and maternal.” It also noted that though she is mostly retired from music, she is “making poignant and unpredictable art,” creating weird, hilarious line drawings with her nondominant hand. I propose we make Baez your inspirational role model. May she inspire you to be elegant and fierce, bold and compassionate, as you deepen and refine your excellence in the work you’ve been tenaciously plying for a long time. For extra credit, add some unexpected new flair to your game.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Aquarian author and activist Mary Frances Berry has won numerous awards for her service on behalf of racial justice. One accomplishment: She was instrumental in raising global awareness of South Africa’s apartheid system, helping to end its gross injustice. “The time when you need to do something,” she writes, “is when no one else is willing to do it, when people are saying it can’t be done.” You are now in a phase when that motto will serve you well, Aquarius.

PISCES (Feb. 19-Mar. 20): I invite you to spend quality time gazing into the darkness. I mean that literally and figuratively. Get started by turning off the lights at night and staring, with your eyes open, into the space in front of you. After a while, you may see flashes of light. While these might be your optical nerves trying to fill in the blanks, they could also be bright spirit messages arriving from out of the void. Something similar could happen on a metaphorical level, too. As you explore parts of your psyche and your life that are opaque and unknown, you will be visited by luminous revelations.

supported by:

Eva Sollberger’s

WOMEN

seeking...

HARDWORKING AND LOVE TO DANCE

My friends would say I’m a hardworking, kind, giving, caring person who has a lot of energy. I enjoy walking, biking and watching movies. Although I’m a petite person, I love to eat, yet not big on cooking! I’m looking for a new friend to spend time with and laugh together. My friends say I’m pretty and petite! Boots22960 63, seeking: M

CHILL, FUN, GREAT CONVERSATIONALIST

I enjoy good food and good conversation with good company. No one has beat me at Scrabble. I am competitive but also a sweetheart. I’m not very active these days, but my mind sure is! I love to be around people who can make me laugh and don’t take life too seriously. Cora 82, seeking: M, l

LAID-BACK, OLD-SCHOOL

I am a loving, caring, honest and dependable woman. I care about family and old and new friends. I would do what I can to help others. I believe in God. Looking for someone of the same, plus kind and gentle, to be someone my family would also like. sunshineCarol, 75, seeking: M, l

LIVING LIFE NOW

I am looking forward to seeing someone who is willing to explore life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Mature adult dude with laughter and excitement. GypsyPoppins, 66, seeking: M, l

WANT TO RESPOND?

You read Seven Days, these people read Seven Days — you already have at least one thing in common!

All the action is online. Create an account or login to browse hundreds of singles with profiles including photos, habits, desires, views and more. It’s free to place your own profile online.

l See photos of this person online.

W = Women

M = Men

TW = Trans women

TM = Trans men

Q = Genderqueer people

NBP = Nonbinary people

NC = Gender nonconformists

Cp = Couples

Gp = Groups

HONEST, KIND, FUNNY, ADVENTUROUS, CURIOUS

I’m comfortable being on my own but want to share adventures and experiences with that special someone.

I love to hear people’s stories; I’ve been told I’m a good listener. I’m looking for someone who is kind, likes to laugh and loves experiencing new things; ideally starting off as a friendship that grows to a deeper and more caring relationship.

Friendlysoul, 67, seeking: M, l

CLASSICAL MUSIC/ATHLETE

Mellow, low maintenance, self-sufficient. Love sunshine and warmth. Enjoy reading, walking, sailing, kayaking, swimming. (Gold medalist in Vermont and Tucson Senior Games.) Like to watch Netflix and PBS “Masterpiece” mysteries. My family and friends are tops with me. Thrifting is fun. Museums and history. Recumbent around BTV nowadays. Wish for a kind, cultured, good-humored man. Choralmusic83, 83, seeking: M, l

NOT SO DESPERATELY SEEKING

Fat, funny, farty (sixtysomething)

femme seeks same in a man. Must be clean, clever and kind.

CatsANDdogs 66, seeking: M

LOVE AND COMPASSION FOR ALL

I am very active and young for my age. You’ll usually find me outdoors, in my flower garden or with my horse. Lived in Essex for many years before moving to Utah in 2008. Retired now but work temporary jobs and in stables where I am usually with my horse. Have a dachshund and cat. Have always loved Vermont. equus 72, seeking: M, l

OPTIMISTIC, DRIVEN, BUBBLY BABE

Smiles, affectionate, hardworking, passionate, emotionally intelligent. Wants to find the love of her life. You: good head on your shoulders, know what you want, motivated, emotionally intelligent and want a future with a really cute girl with a pretty smile. An affinity for old farmhouses will get you extra brownie points! Battlebeautyfarmhouse, 33, seeking: M, l

ADVENTUROUS, ENJOY LIFE, SUNSHINE

I am energetic, love to try new things, adventures, short trips. I have a cat for company, live simply, low maintenance, bilingual. Seeking someone who likes to explore Vermont, Québec. A great cook would be a plus. Funny, good conversationalist, conservative in politics, but I will respect your political choices, a bit old school, a gentleman. Luvtosmile, 78, seeking: M

WIDOW STARTING OVER

I’ve been working for the same health care provider for over 40 years and plan to retire in the next 18 months. I own my home and have worked since 16, so no “gold digger” here. I’m 5’6, some “love handles,” hazel/blue eyes and short medium brown hair with highlights. I love going to Maine on weekend getaways. Here’s to our next adventure! LilyMae23, 63, seeking: M, l

QUIRKY HOMESTEADIN’ SWAMP HAG

Just your run-of-the-mill hermitess growing and cooking loads of food.

I’m a cynical leftist who loves the Earth and all the critters. I’d love to meet someone with similar ideals and goals to join me on the homestead.

I’m goofy, serious, quiet and loud. I have a yarn and seed addiction. Let’s go for a walk! VTHomesteader 42 seeking: M, W, TM, TW, Q, NC, NBP, l

SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL

Fierce femme with a tender heart seeks someone sweet as baklava whose eyes I can fall into. Interests include doubleshot espresso, watching the rain fall from my front porch and discovering beauty in all forms. Must have curiosity, a heart of gold and be willing to shower me in adoration. tamaracktrees, 24, seeking: M, W, TM, TW, Q, NC, NBP

NOT DEAD YET

I considered myself a high-heels, makeup-at-all-times city girl until I moved to Vermont 12 years ago. I never even owned a car, and all my Boston/New York friends wondered how I would survive. Well, not only did I survive, but I learned how to fish in a lake year-round and even how to shoot a gun. CLC 77, seeking: M, l

LIFE IS GOOD

Nice lady seeking wonderful guy. CookiesandCream 65 seeking: M, l

SUNSHINE AND WANDERLUST

Seeking fun-loving, easygoing people for friendship and maybe more. Wonderful weather these days. Who’s up for enjoying it? CarolinaGirl 36, seeking: M, TM, Q, NC, NBP, l

ACTIVE WATER AND MOUNTAIN PERSON

Do you ever not want to go alone? Traveling is something I want to do with someone. I go to music events and theater in Vermont and beyond. I love to dance. I don’t mind my alone time at home. I’ve been single for 15 years. Hopefully you are fun, happy, active and loving. Time4Me2, 65 seeking: M, l

MEN seeking...

DEPECHE MODE, SAMHAIN, 2ND DATE?

Overeducated and overworked humanist intellectual (long compared in appearance by friends and strangers alike to a “plump Johnny Depp”) seeks woman of exceptional integrity for investigating futures capable of most pleasantly surprising us both. Objet 51 seeking: W, l

PASSIONATE, CREATIVE, CURIOUS ARTIST

I possess strong interests in the arts and metaphysical/spiritual subjects. I feel things intensely and am a romantic. I write fiction and paint. I read literature and am devoted to classical music, especially the postRomantics. I love the ocean. I value the feminine soul and female beauty. I favor in-depth conversations. I’m a good listener. Let’s meet for coffee! RooktoQueen7 71, seeking: W, l

FRANKLIN COUNTY

Hi. 52, single, open-minded, hosting top bottom. Looking for whatever comes my way. Looking for real friends.

Single, gay, love all ages. SingleVtguy, 52, seeking: M, TM, TW, Q, l

MELLOW, SPIRITUAL FOCUS

“Be here now.” “In the world but not of the world.” Love is all that matters. Always searching to improve that focus and honesty. Tantric love included. aroscan 73, seeking: W, l

HANDSOME AND CHARMING

Would rather share who I am face-toface! TimeAfterTime, 62, seeking: W

53-Y/O SINGLE PROFESSIONAL MALE

I’m a 53-y/o professional white male looking to start a serious relationship with the right woman. I enjoy kayaking, hiking, running, working out, music, science and history. I also enjoy mountain biking, dining out, shopping and having long, stimulating conversations.

Cheeselove1979 53, seeking: W, l

OPEN, HONEST

I am honest, open and happy to answer questions. I want to have conversations and form connections. falcon, 76, seeking: W

POET SEEKING INTELLECTUAL FRIENDS, BOYFRIEND

I’m a poet and intellectual seeking friends to discuss poetry with. I am open to adults of any age and gender, but they must be comfortable with online communication via email or social media sites. Additional topics of conversation can be cinema, art, history, music, novels, science, handcrafts and D&D.

I’m not interested in video gaming or TV shows. sea2sea 30, seeking: M, l

HEALTHY OUTDOOR LOVER

Lived in Europe and the D.C. area most of my life before retiring in Vermont, where I built my dream house for two. Bike toured in Europe, Canada and the Northeast. Enjoy day hikes and cross-country skiing. Love my garden and other people’s pets. Enjoy cooking, eating well and having pleasant, faceto-face, meaningful conversations. lovegaia 82, seeking: W, l

SIMPLE, DOWN-TO-EARTH ROCKER

We are a man and his dog. Must take the pair and not just the black furry one. I work out three times a week, love live music, festivals, road trips, lots of cuddling. Very touchy-feely. I would like a beautiful soul and amazing chemistry. How about you?

AdudeinVT 56, seeking: W, l

TALKATIVE AND ADVENTUROUS

Looking for conversation and companionship and someone to share travel adventures. Was a high school history teacher. Now work on oil paintings and as a woodshop teacher at camp. Love all things physical — hiking, running, biking, swimming, etc. Also an avid reader of books, fiction and nonfiction, which make for wonderful talks. Two kids in college currently. EightBells38, 68, seeking: W, l

LAID-BACK, EASYGOING, HARDWORKING

Honest, hardworking, trustworthy man. I like laughing, having a good time and making memories. Looking for the same with a strong sex drive and an open mind. I’m not looking to change you; I just want to enhance our lives. I love to spoil my partner. Just ask for a picture. I’m a middleaged handsome man who works a lot. HappyGoLucky72, 51, seeking: W, l

WANDERING SOUL, DAD, SILENT, MINDFUL

Let’s just get together IRL and see what happens. supernovaender, 42, seeking: W, l

OUTDOORSY AND SOCIAL

New to Vermont from Colorado. I would consider myself a mountain person who loves spending time with someone in the mountains and ski resorts or any sort. Apart from outdoor things, karaoke is also my thing, and I can sing ’til my Adam’s apple dries out. Looking for someone who can share fun moments together. MountainKnight12 27, seeking: W, Cp CARING, GIVING, KNOWLEDGEABLE, QUIET, DETAILED

I’m looking to date and have fun with a woman and am hoping that it would lead to a long-term relationship. I am young at heart and don’t like a lot of rules. Don’t like acting old. Looking for a woman who is a bit quirky, spicy and wears unique jewelry. Make_It_Happen, 65 seeking: W, l

MY ACRONYM...

Benevolent. Academic. Dependable. Able. Sane (as can be with my current occupation). Sexy (in my own mind). TeddyBear 56, seeking: W, l

TRANS WOMEN seeking...

HONESTY, COMMON SENSE A MUST 53-y/o single trans woman. Have a few pounds around the center. LOL. I’m finally ready to meet someone who will not be embarrassed to be seen in public with me. Love to get dolled up for someone. I’m easygoing. My ideal person would be female. Interesting to kinky. Do you think you could be my dominant other? Shygurl 53, seeking: 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, 58, seeking: M, l FABULOUSLY FUTCH

Tall, smart trans woman looking for my people. I live in Middlebury. Any background in punk or politics is a plus — let’s make some noise! sashamarx 53 seeking: M, W, TM, TW, Q, NC, NBP, Cp, l

COUPLES seeking...

COUPLE LOOKING FOR FUN

We are a married couple looking for another couple or female for sexual encounters. We are clean and discreet. Would love to chat to see if we are compatible — he is muscular and 5’11; she is curvy and 5’0. New to this lifestyle. Incognito1984, 38, seeking: W, Cp SNOW AND SUN EQUAL FUN

Borders and boundaries are sexy. We’re pretty cute. We like to have fun, and we bet you do, too. Happily married couple (W, 35; M, 45), open-minded and looking to explore. Love playing outdoors. Looking to meet a couple, man or woman for fun and adventure. Ideal meetup is a cottage in the mountains with great food and lots of great wine. SnownSun, 46, seeking: Cp, l

LOVERS OF LIFE

We are a 40s couple, M/F, looking for adventurous encounters with openminded, respectful M/F or couples. Looking to enjoy sexy encounters, FWBs, short term or long term. sunshines 42, seeking: M, W, Q, Cp

INTREPID LANDSCAPERS

WAITING IN LINE

We were both getting supplies. You had grasses, flowers; I had rocks, dirt. We talked about Seattle (the Chill!) and many other things. I think the folks ahead of us took a long time, but I didn’t mind. You gave off such a nice warm vibe that I kicked myself for not asking if I could give you my number. When: Saturday, July 22, 2023. Where: Home Depot. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915797

WALKING ON PERU STREET

Sunday afternoon. We passed when you were walking east. You were wearing all black and have blond hair. From a distance, I had assumed you were a college student, so I wasn’t prepared for interaction. I was wearing a brown T-shirt and sunglasses and was walking the other way. We exchanged smiles. Want to go for a walk together?

When: Sunday, September 24, 2023. Where: Peru Street sidewalk.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915851

SCHMETTERLING WINE SHOP HOTTIE

You: serving up sensuous wine and station recommendations with our tasting! I was getting biodynamic vibes — are you interested in skin contact with a bubbly blonde? When: Saturday, July 22, 2023. Where: Middlebury.

You: Man. Me: Woman. #915796

CROSSWALK COLLISION SPARKS

You had rollerblades dangled over your shoulders and smelled like a copse of firs in a November rain. I saw you careening into my path, in your Wordle world, and could have said something. at only our wrists bumped, I am forlorn. Let’s do it again sometime and maybe get our forearms involved. When: Saturday, September 23, 2023. Where: Waterfront Park. You: Man. Me: Man. #915850

HEY, NEIGHBOR

I was running an errand when you stopped me to chat about getting rid of your bed. When I came back around, you were tending to plants in between hits of your vape. I’d love to get together and listen to you talk for hours about anything and everything. When:

Saturday, July 22, 2023. Where: at the five-way intersection in the North End. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915795

ROCKFIRE FIREWALK

I was walking in front of you. I stopped at the exit, and our eyes met. You were talking about Halloween jacko’-lantern displays with your mom (?). ere’s a great one in Jericho, and I’d love to take you. When: Saturday, September 16, 2023. Where: Rockfire.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915849

LOST HAM

You left a ham in my garden on my porch camera. It was a bone-in ham. I don’t know if you put it my azaleas as a prank or perhaps to get my attention, but color me intrigued. If you are interested, I’ll be in City Hall Park on ursdays at 4 p.m., drinking water from a gallon jug at the steps. When: Tuesday, July 18, 2023. Where: South Burlington.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915794

POEM BOY ON WILLARD STREET

You: pushing a bike, glasses, blondish, work in city design/planning. Me: also blondish, pink dress. We talked about the bike lane and grad school. You brought up Wendell Berry, the writer. How often does someone quote your favorite poet to you on the street? I thought you were rare and beautiful. You should buy me a drink. When: Sunday, October 29, 2023. Where: South Willard Street. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915848

REVEREND Ask

De Rev end,

I’m from the South, but I moved to Vermont in the spring and share an apartment with two Vermonters. I’m already freezing, but they’re still wearing T-shirts and say they don’t turn on the heat until November. ey tell me it’s too expensive and we should wait, but I think they’re crazy. Are all Vermonters like this? How do I make them understand I might die if I can’t get warm?

B rlington Boy

(MAN, 25)

ISABELLA, TWICE ENCOUNTERED

First, helping you over a Williston counter. Second, mutually appreciative double-take greetings shared at a big South Burlington hardware store. As you are the most startlingly elegant woman I’ve encountered in years, I promised myself on that second moment that should a third occur, I’d immediately ask you to dinner. If we can, however, let’s not leave that possibility to chance. When: Tuesday, June 20, 2023. Where: Lowe’s. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915793

BIKE PATH DOG PASSING

We passed each other on the bike path by the dog park. I gave your dog a treat, and you dropped the leash a few times. I was wearing a green hat. You had on a crop top. I couldn’t stop talking about how I should have asked for your number to my friend who I was with. When: Sunday, September 17, 2023. Where: Burlington bike path. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915847

CEREAL EATER

You were eating a bowl of corn flakes. When I asked you where you got them, you told me to scram, but for the second we made eye contact I could see our future together in your eyes. Us growing old together, the whole nine yards. What do you say: Will you give us a chance? When: Tuesday, July 18, 2023. Where: Pomeroy Park. You: Man. Me: Man. #915792

BELVIDERE, PINK TALKING PHISH, 9/16

You glided up and asked about the munchies at the show. I just spent my last $20. Wish I could have bought you a plate. It was too quick, and I forgot your name. A quick glimmer of light is better than nothing at all. When: Saturday, September 16, 2023. Where: Belvidere. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915846

SPARKS AT TAKA

We met at 1:30 a.m. in Lamp Shop. You told me you liked the songs I had sung earlier that night. We danced a few songs together, fun and hot and sloppy. Our eye contact was enchanting. You and your buddies left right at 2. I didn’t get your name, much less your number. Maybe you’ll see this and respond? When: Saturday, July 15, 2023. Where: Radio Bean. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915791

De B rlington Boy,

TIN QUEEN IN CENTRAL VERMONT

Hi, Tin Queen! You are very, very pretty! I want that date! Dreaming about garlic, mermaids, ants ... Can I be your Iceman? Hope you read this!

When: ursday, September 14, 2023.

Where: 10 miles from Montpelier.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915845

CHARLOTTE RUNNER

DODGING A BIKE

Hi. You were running south on Lake Road. I was on my bike and had just turned onto Lake from Converse Bay Road. Because I was checking my speedometer, I think I spooked you a bit, and you stepped off into the grass. Two things to say about that: 1) I’m sorry. Totally my fault. 2) You are beautiful. When: Wednesday, July 12, 2023. Where: Charlotte.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #915790

COLCHESTER MOTORCYCLE BRS, DREAM RIDE?

DMV basic motorcycle safety weekend class. You asked me about my “dream ride.” I said I wasn’t sure, maybe a Triumph. I’ve learned more, have a better answer. Would love to chat bikes, have coffee, go for a ride. I was surprised by my perfect score on the skills test. You had an intense gaze I can’t quite forget. When: Sunday, September 10, 2023. Where: Colchester DMV.

You: Man. Me: Woman. #915844

THE CANTEEN, TWO TALL BRUNETTES

We exchanged cordial and friendly hellos, and I asked you about the wondrouslooking strawberry sundae in your hand. You and your friend shared it and were quite pleased afterward. You stated you were swimming upstream of Waitsfield. My friend and I were riding and then swimming at Blueberry Lake. Do you live in the Valley? When: Friday, July 7, 2023. Where: the Canteen, Waitsfield. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915789

BIRD-WATCHER

I saw you from across the park spying on me with your binoculars and thought it was charming. I spotted a thrush by my bench but hoped you had your eye on something else. If that’s true, we should meet sometime. I left before you walked over because all the pollen caused horrible congestion. When I returned, you had left. When: Saturday, June 24, 2023. Where: Waterfront Park. You: Man. Me: Man. #915788

HEY NOW, KCK MATCH

You and I would get along swimmingly. Sporty: check. Grateful Dead: check. Travel: check. Looking for an LTE: check. And many more. When: ursday, September 14, 2023. Where: match. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915843

OLIVE GREEN TRIVIA GODDESS

You were the olive green goddess with straight dark hair at Tuesday night trivia. I wore the coral polo at the table between yours and the bar. We exchanged glances numerous times, but you vanished before the night was over. Where did you go? When: Tuesday, September 12, 2023. Where: Burger Bar. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915842

BMW CONVERTIBLES, FOLINO’S

I parked next to your black convertible in my silver vert, and you said “Bimmer twins.” Too much sun and not enough food; I couldn’t pull it together. Go for a cruise sometime? When: Wednesday, July 5, 2023. Where: Folino’s downtown. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915787

ICE CREAM AISLE AT HANNAFORD

We chatted briefly while looking for ice cream, but sadly our go-to flavors were out of stock. I wish I had asked for your number, but I missed the chance. Maybe we could get together sometime? Cherry Garcia’s on me! When: Friday, September 8, 2023. Where: North Ave. Hannaford. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915841

MY CAMERADO

I saw you across the room in the upstairs theater lobby. You: dark hair, in jeans and a white button-down shirt. I wore a beret. Our eyes met, and you smiled. Forty years flashed by, and I am glad for every minute and for all those to come. I’d like to travel with you still. When: Saturday, September 2, 2023. Where: UVM theater. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915840

AT POMEROY PARK

BOOKWORM

I was born and raised here, and I can assure you that waiting as long as possible to turn on the heat is, indeed, a classic Vermont thing. Is it because we’re frugal, climate conscious, trying to be tough or just plain stubborn? Most likely a little of each.

When I was a kid, my dad relied on two woodstoves to heat our big house, and I tell ya what — it didn’t work all that great. I spent most winters of my younger years freezing my face off, even inside. Because of that experience, I hate being cold in my home, so I crank the heat whenever I want. Sometimes I regret my choices when the bill comes, but generally I think it’s worth it.

Speaking of bills: If you can afford it, offer to pay a larger portion of the heating cost — at least for the month or two that you want it on earlier than your roommates. If that’s not an option, perhaps you could invest in a portable space heater. Cheaper ideas include layering on more clothing and cozying up in a blanket with a hot beverage. Your roomies may also have some tips for staying toasty.

Great minds think alike; both of us were taking in the sun at the park. I’d love to hear about the book you were reading sometime, or if you ever need a buddy for basking in the sunlight with, don’t be shy. When: Wednesday, July 5, 2023. Where: Pomeroy Park. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915785 However,

I understand that climate comfort is relative and you’re already feeling frosty. However, as I’m sure you’ve been told, it’s going to get a whole lot colder. In January, you’ll remember this weather fondly. My advice is to muscle through the fall as best you can to get your body acclimated for when the temperature really takes a nosedive.

Good luck and God bless, The Rev end

If you’ve been spied, go online to contact your admirer!

I’m a 60s bi male seeking 60s to 70s guys for for M-to-M fun. Easygoing. In the NEK. #L1699

I’m a class of ’84 SMC graduate seeking a true connection. I’m a local resident. Tall, attractive man who loves to swim, walk and go slow. Nondemanding, optimistic and smiling. Like to meet you. Closeness and trust are most important. #L1698

I’m a 73-y/o woman seeking a man, 68 to 78. I am a Christian woman (look younger than I am) wanting a male companion to just live life with. Conversation, movies, dinners in or out. Someone to enjoy life with again. #L1695

I am a male seeking a female, age 50 to 65, for sensual pleasure. #L1697

I’m a 72 y/o M who admires very mature women. I find myself sexually attracted to these ladies of distinction. I would love to meet one in her upper 70s or 80s. #L1696

GM bottom looking for playmates. Age and race not important. Just fun, hot sex without strings. Also interested in three-way. Rutland County. Call/text. #L1694

Need an heir? Too busy on that career? Let’s meet on that. #L1684

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I’m a very unique lady who’s seeking a gentleman. Very passionate, honest, loyal, humble. I love to garden, read, listen to music and watch a good movie. Love to walk in the beautiful nature and earth, as well. Hoping to meet a man with the same likes. #L1693

I’m a 79-y/o woman seeking a man, 70-plus y/o. Want companionship as well as a friend. Willing to stay home or travel — whichever you want to. Want to help anyone who needs it. #L1691

Handsome straight man wanting an erotic exchange with another handsome straight man, but only in a full threesome with your wife, fiancée or girlfriend. #L1692

Gracious, faithful, educated, humorous soul seeks a fit, tender and natural female counterpart (55 to 65) to bask in autumn splendor. Let’s hike, bike, frolic, listen, ponder and share! I’m a worthy companion. #L1690

58-y/o SW. Humbled, thoughtful. Hoping for a safe, kind, honest relationship with a man. Calm in nature, love for nature. Morning coffees, long walks, talks, sunsets, art, music, dance, friends, family, laughs! Willing to see and resolve suffering. Unconditional love and support find me at home. Phone number, please. #L1680

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Man, early 70s. Still grieving from two-plus years ago, but moving on. Funny, engaging, storyteller, listener. Interesting life (so far!). Greater Montpelier-Barre area. Looking for a woman friend: have fun, eat out, do stuff. Maybe more, but maybe not. Companionship. #L1687

Dragonfly, hummingbird / warm winds, butterfly, / sun in bright sky, sun inside, / Iris, tigerlily, / Bright flowers in summer sun, / Dreams that fly, Come back in spring, / Lalee, lalee, lalee, liii. / Grown up boy for similar girl. #L1686

I’m a SWM, 38, attractive, pierced nipples, friendly tattoos, purple and blue hair and goatee. No booze, no drugs. Looking for a kindred spirit, female, 18 to 58. #L1685

I’m a working man, 33, seeking a working woman, 25 to 33, to get to know and possibly build a life together. Born in Vermont to European family. Nonsmoking; no drugs. #L1683

Describe yourself and who you’re looking for in 40 words below:

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I’m an older guy with a high libido looking to meet a woman with similar interests to hopefully develop a LTR. My interests are country living, travel, humanpowered sports, music, art, gardening, etc. I’m secure and happy; very fit and healthy; a financially secure large-property owner; a curious, free-spirited adventurer; a singer and musician; a connoisseur of peace and quiet. 420-cool, friendly, compassionate, experienced and well endowed. You are your own beautiful self with a lust for life. Willing to travel for the right gal. Ability to sing, slender and body hair a plus. #LL1677

I’m a man, 72, seeking a woman, 45 to 70. Looking for a friend to go to dinner, movie, walking. I am fit for my age and seek the same in a woman. Phone number, please. #L1681

I’m a man seeking a woman. Very passionate, sexual and loyal man. Honest, loving, treat-youlike-a-lady guy seeking special woman, 35 to 60ish. No drugs or drunks. Must be honest and supportive emotionally. #LL1678

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Movie Review: ‘The Unknown Country’ 8 MINS. A Young Man’s Path Through the Mental Health Care System Led to Prison — and a Fatal Encounter 40 MINS.

Circus of Life: Inside Bread and Puppet Theater as Founder Peter Schumann, 89, Contemplates His Final Act 39 MINS.

Movie Review: ‘How to Blow Up a Pipeline’ 8 MINS.

Thrill Ride: Vermont Drummer Urian Hackney Is on a Wild Ride Through the Rock World 29 MINS.

Happy Days: Burlington High School Class of 1953 Holds ‘Final’ Reunion 13 MINS.

Movie Review: ‘Red, White & Royal Blue’ 8 MINS.

Talking to the Hand Is a Bad Idea in the Gritty Australian Horror Flick ‘Talk to Me’ 8 MINS.

This Stud Has Just One Job, and He’s the GOAT 8 MINS.