

Cover Story
Vermont Museum Leaders Reflect on the Past and Pandemic Present to Rethink the Future
It’s peaceful at the Rokeby Museum these days. The small, seasonal museum in Ferrisburgh has been closed all winter — as have most Vermont museums,…
The Magnificent 7: Must See, Must Do, March 11 to 17
Even when dealing with a global health crisis and social unrest, Vermonters continue to connect, learn and have a good time. We’ve compiled seven of this week’s must-do events, including a talk on Black railway porters who contributed to the formation of the Black labor movement.
Obituary: Laban Carrick Hill, 1960-2021
Children’s book author was a voice for racial and social justice
Obituary: David B. Gaylord, 1931-2021
Former Army captain and banker loved woodworking and keeping connected with loved ones
Obituary: Debra Ann Verrinder, 1952-2021
Middlebury-born woman was a postal worker, animal lover and avid writer
Xusana Davis Is on a Campaign to Root Out Racial Bias in Vermont
Xusana Davis would love to lose her job. Vermont’s first executive director of racial equity says nothing would please her more than if state leaders…
Free Will Astrology (3/3/21)
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): For you Pisceans, March is Love Yourself Bigger and Better and Bolder Month. To prepare you for this festival, I’m providing…
A Trip ‘To the Ends of the Earth’ Is No Remedy for Loneliness
Our streaming entertainment options are overwhelming — and not always easy to sort through. This week, I watched a new film from one of Japan’s…
In His New Book, Vermont Author Larry Olmsted Reconsiders Sports Fandom
Die-hard sports fans are often dismissed as lazy, ignorant and male — “hard-drinking, hard-eating, jersey-wearing” guys, in Larry Olmsted’s words — and he’s not having…
Letters to the Editor (3/3/21)
Help for Hummingbird I’m a lifelong backyard birder, and my question was not so much “WTF: How Do You Help a Rescued Hummingbird in Winter?”…
Bottom Line: How Play It Again Sports Traded Team for Solo Athletics Amid the Pandemic
For Duncan Macdonald, co-owner of Play It Again Sports in South Burlington, his experience with the pandemic last spring typified the immortal words of baseball…
From the Publisher: Seven on Sunday
The 23 reporters and editors employed at Seven Days write dozens of stories each week — about local news, food, arts, businesses and people. But…
Jen Ellis Parlays Bernie-Mitten-Meme Celebrity Into Charity
Jen Ellis has received emails from people in Russia, Israel, Norway, Ireland, France, Australia, Germany and across the U.S. The thousands of notes are mostly…
Unequal Treatment: A Professor Schools Legislators on Biases in Health Care
What’s all this talk we hear about systemic racism? In progressive, chill Vermont, such a thing couldn’t be a problem. Well, OK, maybe racial bigotry…
Should My Boyfriend Ask His 40-Year-Old Son to Take a Paternity Test?
Dear Reverend, My boyfriend of eight years has a serious dilemma. Fred and his ex-wife, Sarah, had a son 40 years ago. Fred believes the…
A Flower Display in Burlington Honored the COVID-19 Dead
A colorful display on Burlington’s Church Street caused passersby to pause, pull out their smartphones and take photos on Monday. Orange roses and fuchsia phalaenopsis…
Roost.World, ‘Cheapbabyy27’
(Self-released, digital) Roost.World’s Cheapbabyy27 instantly evokes visions of an alien spacecraft descending to Earth. The ship’s titanium-alloy entrance ramp extends downward into billows of vanilla…
Book Review: ‘the blue-collar sun,’ Lucas Farrell
Townshend farmer and author Lucas Farrell has won the inaugural Sundog Poetry Book Award for the blue-collar sun. Vermont poet laureate Mary Ruefle judged the…
Drive & ILLu, ‘Late to the Party’
(Equal Eyes Records, digital download) The pairing of Drive and ILLu was perhaps inevitable. Drive is a talented young rapper representing Lamoille County, and ILLu…
Generator Introduces BIPOC Scholarships
Black, Indigenous and other people of color historically have struggled to overcome institutional and cultural barriers, and careers in STEAM — science, technology, engineering, the…
Tunbridge Public Library Fosters Intergenerational Connections Through Reading
This winter, in the tiny town of Tunbridge, librarian Mariah Lawrence organized a virtual book club with a specific goal: connecting people of different ages…
Allan Nicholls on the Digital Reissue of His Band’s 1965 LP, ‘J.B. and the Playboys’
Vermont audiences might know Allan Nicholls best now as a member of the vaudeville-inspired Americana comedy band the Hokum Brothers, but he’s had a long…
Book Review: ‘The Power Line,’ Christopher Shaw
Released in late summer 2020, Christopher Shaw’s The Power Line escaped our attention until recently, but the book is an uncommon accomplishment that merits a…
WTF: Why Do So Many Vermont Beers Come in 16-Ounce Cans?
In 2011, John and Jen Kimmich, owners of the Alchemist, began building a production brewery to package their beers for retail sale. And they made…
Some Vermonters Are Being Forced to Return Their Unemployment Benefits
Matthew Mitchell and his boyfriend, Rodraco Ealey, were headed to their jobs at the Capitol Plaza in Montpelier last July when their car broke down….
Chic Full Gay Supports Pride Center of Vermont and Budding Businesses With Popular Pop-Up
Last week was a big one in national fried chicken sandwich news. On February 24, McDonald’s rolled out its new crispy chicken sandwich, becoming the…
Jr. Iron Chef VT Swaps Out 2021 Contest for Monthly Recipe Challenge
On the afternoon of February 15 at St. Mark Catholic Church in Burlington’s New North End, three Burlington School District employees were juggling laptops, video…
Restaurant Vet Jean-Luc Matecat to Be Rookie Owner of Pioneer Lakeshore Café
Jean-Luc Matecat started washing dishes at the Common Man restaurant in Warren when he was 11 and has worked in restaurant kitchens ever since. Next…
Nourish Deli & Bakery Launches St. Albans Storefront
On March 8, Dara and Ric Lavallee will celebrate the grand opening of Nourish Deli & Bakery at 15 Center Street in St. Albans. The…






