Feb 13-19, 2019
A Scholarship Program Brings Syrian Students to St. Johnsbury Academy; Blackface History at UVM; Comic Beth Stelling on Her Podcast ‘We Called Your Mom”
Cover Story
Scholarship Program Brings Syrian Students to St. Johnsbury Academy
Majd Alabas, 17, got down on all fours on the wrestling mat at the former Black Bear Tavern & Grille in St. Johnsbury and braced…
Habitat: Backyard Hockey Rink
For Patty Kelly and Jason Gaudette, the coldest months of the year are all about one thing: hockey. When Thanksgiving rolls around, they and their…
Skiing Through Life: A Winter Tradition Passes to the Next Generation
Five months before my daughter was born, I strolled through my college town of Crested Butte, Colo. The ski shops offered summer sales, so I…
Born to Run: Vermont Sled Dogs Delight, Compete and Educate
One sure way to get kids excited about learning? Make the lesson about dogs. It works for Adrienne Magida. In mid-February, her first and second…
The Cannabis Catch-Up: A Tiger, Mike Tyson and Weed
There were plenty of weird weed stories this week, but there’s one out of Texas that takes the cake. Someone entered an abandoned home in…
Dinner Via Mr. Delivery in Burlington
The weather delivered the usual — snow, cold and wind — on the Saturday night I decided to eat dinner via Mr. Delivery, a restaurant…
Persian Delights: Eating Iranian in Montréal
Hemela Pourafzal says that if you go to Iran and ask, “Where is a good restaurant?” people will likely tell you, “Don’t go to a…
Vermont A Cappella Group Sends Love With Singing Valentines
Every February 14, the internationally ranked Barre-Tones turn Cupid and visit workplaces, homes and senior living facilities to spread messages of love. The central Vermont-based…
Scarlett Letters: We’re Ready to Have Sex but Worried About Pain
Dear Scarlett, My boyfriend and I have been together for more than a year, and we love each other a lot. We haven’t had sex…
Quick Lit: Laurie Essig Busts Romance in ‘Love, Inc.’
Humans have devised a number of clever bulwarks against the meanness of the outside world: memes, weighted blankets, pillow forts, tea infusers shaped like hedgehogs….
WTF: Why Are Some People Called for Jury Duty While Others Never Are?
Vermont’s most celebrated poet, Robert Frost, once wrote, “A jury consists of twelve persons chosen to decide who has the better lawyer.” It’s unclear how…
The Mommyheads’ Adam Elk on Success, Failure and Finding an Unexpected Audience
“If you wanna do music, you have to have a really thick skin,” says Adam Elk, front person of the long-running, progressive indie-rock band the…
Movie Review: A Battle of the Sexes Doesn’t Go as Expected in ‘The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part’
When The Lego Movie hit theaters in the winter doldrums of 2014, it stunned critics by being self-aware, sophisticated and just plain funny. Now, two…
Letters to the Editor (2/13/19)
UVM History Lesson [Re “Historic Blunder? State Halts Repairs to UVM’s Ira Allen Chapel,” January 30]: The comparison between the fraternity Lambda Iota and the…
Splitting Chittenden: The County’s Senate District Is on the Chopping Block
Last week, the Vermont Senate approved a bill on a voice vote that would bring an end to the six-member Chittenden County Senate district. No…
Crumbling Local Roads Fuel Talk of a Vermont Gas Tax Hike
Chris Viens has watched with dismay as the roads in Waterbury have steadily deteriorated under his feet. His town’s underfunded highway crews, facing greater maintenance…
Northern Front: Progs See an Opening in Burlington’s Most Conservative District
Kienan Christianson listened politely at 21 Woodbury Road while owner Anna Niemiec dished on several hot Burlington topics: the renovation of City Hall Park, the…
Perky Planet Coffee Now Serving in Burlington
Burlington got a new café last week when Perky Planet Coffee made its debut at 170 St. Paul Street, on the corner of King Street….
Scott André Campbell: Depth and Playfulness in ‘Submission’ for Champlain College
Champlain College’s current artist-in-residence, Scott André Campbell, has been working on “Submission” every day this month. The abstract work is a large triptych of 16-by-5-foot…
Eat This Week, February 13 to 19, 2019: Be Mine
In the hills of Greensboro, near the frozen shores of Caspian Lake, friends and sweethearts trek to the Highland Lodge for an inspired winter feast….
Album Review: Eric George, ‘Song of Love’
(Self-released, digital) Burlington singer-songwriter Eric George is known for his acoustic folk, country and Delta blues-style tunes. On Song of Love, his sixth musical release…
Soundbites: Waking Windows, Yoko Ono and a New Home for Burlington Records
When I was sliding sideways and backwards in my car down Burlington’s Cliff Street during last week’s flash ice storm, I found myself longing for…
Album Review: Plastique Mammals, ‘Northern Sound’
(Self-released, cassette, digital) Are you an insomniac? Or are you perhaps an early riser whose mind still floats along on beta waves in the bleary-eyed…
Two Vermont Galleries Take Community Engagement Seriously
Given the constant reminders of a bitterly divided nation, the scads of scandals and investigations, it was refreshing to visit a pair of Vermont arts…
Free Will Astrology (2/13/19)
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) “A freshness lives deep in me which no one can take from me,” wrote poet Swedish poet Gunnar Ekelöf. “Something unstilled,…
The 2019 Oscar Nominated Live Action Short Films Offer Creativity and Controversy
As is frequently the case in award season’s home stretch, tension is mounting as controversies rage. As is less frequently the case, the hubbub is…
In ‘Off Season,’ Cartoonist James Sturm Explores Unions Divided
The publisher’s description of Vermont cartoonist James Sturm’s latest graphic novel, Off Season, starts with a question: “How could this happen?” The query could be…
Comedian Beth Stelling on New Podcast ‘We Called Your Mom’
For most kids, few words inspire as much terror as “I’m calling your mother.” Whether it comes from a teacher who’s miffed that you skipped…
In Williston, Youth Offenders Face Justice Panel of Peers
Jessica and Ted considered themselves to be more cyber-savvy than many parents. They limited their son’s online activities by not giving him his own smartphone,…
Serving Beer and Generosity at Lawson’s Finest Liquids Taproom
“Sharing is caring,” noted Nick Zeeben. He was loading cases of beer into the back of a pickup truck in the parking lot of Lawson’s…
Feldman’s Opens Shelburne Bagel Shop; Burlington Bagel Bakery Opens Downtown
Feldman’s Bagels will open its third bagel shop and café next month at 2989 Shelburne Road in Shelburne, site of the former Bruegger’s Bagels. The…
It’s Nearly Go Time at Collaborative Brewing in Waitsfield
The tanks are in at Collaborative Brewing at 264 Mad River Park in Waitsfield. “We’re getting really close to actually being able to brew in…
