

Cover Story
Vermont Colleges Laid Testing Plans to Restart Safely. Will They Work?
Every day, another campus cracks. As U.S. colleges and universities barrel toward the most unpredictable semester in generations, hundreds have abandoned their hopes of bringing…
Obituary: Deborah Susan Beckett, 1957-2020
Former Williston town clerk and Army National Guard member served her community and country
Obituary: Avery Vaillancourt, 2000-2020
Young artist and environmentalist visited all but three U.S. states
Obituary: Norman Schnayer, 1936-2020
Botanist left the world hoping good would triumph over evil in 2020 presidential election
Obituary: Jeffrey Lee, 1950-2020
Burlington man remembered for his gentle nature, good humor and love of learning
Obituary: Kennard Fearing, 1929-2020
Northfield man earned national teaching awards and a Purple Heart
Obituary: William Chris McNeil, 1969-2020
Alabama man always considered himself a “rebel” from Vermont
Obituary: Robert M. Carpentier, 1956-2020
Burlington man enjoyed hunting, fishing and model cars
Obituary: Jessica Anne Pomerleau-Halnon
Beloved owner of Jess Boutique and Expressions ‘blazed her own path’
The Magnificent 7: Must See, Must Do, August 20 to 26
1. Hot Jazz More than 60 years before Kanye West welcomed Easter Sunday at Coachella with his Sunday Service Choir, gospel singer Mahalia Jackson rang…
Despite Fewer Passengers, BTV Is Weathering the Pandemic
Gene Richards had been looking forward to celebrating Burlington International Airport’s 100th birthday this month. The facility’s aviation director had scheduled an air show featuring…
Endurance Athlete Katie Spotz Runs Across Vermont for Charity
Katie Spotz ran across Vermont earlier this month so she could help people across the Atlantic Ocean. A long-distance runner and endurance athlete, Spotz has…
Free WIll Astrology (8/19/20)
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “Magic lies in challenging what seems impossible,” says Leo politician Carol Moseley Braun. I agree with her but will also suggest…
Homeboy Aurelio, ‘Homeboy Aurelio’
(Self-released, digital) When Burlington’s Alex Vitzthum, one of the minds behind Homeboy Aurelio, emailed me earlier this year to submit the band’s new, self-titled album,…
Bottom Line: Thirty-odd Tries to Keep It Real in the Middle of a Pandemic
In the coronavirus era, the word “pivot” is suddenly everywhere. It smacks of Allbirds and Slack channels and free kombucha, a bland shorthand for not…
My Chef Friend Insists on Cooking at Parties
Dear Reverend, A good friend of mine is a professional chef. Every time I go to her house, she cooks amazing food for everybody there,…
Soundbites: RETRO SPEC Creates a New Model for Entertainment
The pandemic has had a profound effect on the performing arts industry. But enterprising local minds, Vermont’s warm summer and rolled-back capacity limits on public…
Steve Benen Issues a Challenge to the GOP in ‘The Impostors’
It seems subtly symbolic that the type on the cover of Vermont author Steve Benen’s latest book is right justified. “It’s of note,” he conceded,…
Mavstar, ‘Magnús Ver Mavússon’
(Equal Eyes Records, digital) Burlington rapper Mavstar, aka Marek Lorenc, has built himself up from a kid bum-rushing open mics — often with an actual…
Musicians Jeremiah and Annemieke McLane Recover From a House Fire
Early in the morning of Tuesday, August 4, the Sharon home of musicians and educators Annemieke and Jeremiah McLane and their 7-year-old son, Luke, was…
Why Is Vermonters’ Response to the Census So Low?
Jason Broughton, Vermont’s state librarian, saw firsthand the importance of the U.S. Census this spring. He was anticipating federal CARES Act funding to equip public…
Building the Bench: How Democratic Women Are Preparing to Run Vermont
When the Vermont House voted last year to codify abortion rights in state law, Rep. Bob Bancroft (R-Westford) led the opposition, introducing a flurry of…
Letters to the Editor (8/19/20)
Map Check [Re Bite Club: “New Yorkers Bring New Indian Restaurant to Burlington,” August 10]: This news is very welcome, as I live close by….
Amid Historic Voting Numbers, More Vermonters Cast ‘Spoiled’ Ballots
The number of Vermonters who voted by mail soared to record levels in last week’s primary — but so did the number of botched ballots….
Vermonting: Hiking, and Eating, Around Middlebury
The possibility of a road not taken failed to materialize last week in Middlebury, where I had intended to choose from among several walks for…
The Whey Forward: How the Pandemic Has Reshaped Vermont’s Farmstead Cheese Industry
At the Burlington Farmers Market on August 8, Orb Weaver Creamery’s cheese was all dressed up, wrapped in paper celebrating the Vermont Cheesemakers Festival. In…
Rolling Smoothie Bar Root Juice Hits the MRV
The good-looking intersection of East Warren and Roxbury Mountain roads in East Warren — a standout four corners in the Mad River Valley — just…






