

A Testy Forum on Abenaki Heritage Held at Vermont Statehouse
A meeting with Abenaki leaders from Québec devolved into a shouting match over who has the right to claim they are Abenaki.
Montpelier to Pay City Manager $240,000 for Early Termination
The city council has ratified an agreement with Bill Fraser, who learned last week that his contract would be terminated a year early.
Obituary: Z. Philip Ambrose, 1936-2025
Beloved UVM classics professor created a fellowship for students of his discipline
Obituary: Tom Clark, 1944-2025
Founder of consulting firm Clark Automation appreciated the simple things in life, including a frigid, snow-covered Vermont morning and a well-stacked woodpile
$1 Billion Sale of Employee-Owned Firm Will Lead to Worker Windfalls
Some workers invested in the employee stock ownership plan at Vermont Information Processing will receive millions when it’s sold to the private equity firm Warburg Pincus.
Obituary: Judith Pensack, 1933-2025
Dental hygienist often remarked that she hated putting her hands in people’s mouths, but she loved teaching dental hygiene to young students
Obituary: Brien August Ducharme Jr., 1934-2025
Logger enjoyed being in the woods and sharing his love of nature and gardening with his family and friends
Obituary: Laurel Colomb Ashley, 1934-2025
Vermont native and mother of two spent 22 years working in the Essex Junction schools
Obituary: Joseph Cross, 1949-2025
Special agent for U.S. Treasury had a deep connection to Vermont
Obituary: Richard Andrew Walton, 1938-2025
High school librarian and hospice volunteer valued his family and friends above all
Obituary: Sandra “Sandy” Baird, 1940-2025
Burlington woman’s sense of mission, devotion to civic engagement and unstoppable drive to help the oppressed left indelible mark on the city
Rock of Ages Granite Quarry Ends Tours After 100 Years
One of the world’s largest operating quarries, located in Barre, will no longer open to the public, due to visitor safety and other concerns.
Obituary: Stewart Pierson, 1937-2025
Reverend will be remembered for his happy smile and his from-the-heart sermons
Obituary: Robert Orville Sinclair, 1922-2025
UVM agricultural economics professor and researcher taught or advised hundreds of students in a distinguished career
Obituary: Kenneth J. Swearingen, 1926-2025
Because of their common roots in Hannibal, Mo., Burlington man developed a lifelong passion for reading Mark Twain
Obituary: Brian Alexander Stephany, 1971-2025
Area paint contractor was known for his trademark look which included a long ponytail and paint-speckled Atlanta Braves hat
Obituary: Yasin Faraj Faour, 1944-2025
Devoted husband, father and grandfather will be remembered for his gentle demeanor, unwavering kindness and willingness to lend a helping hand
Vermont School Officials Say Transgender Athletes Will Compete
An executive order from President Trump prohibits transgender girls in school sports. But in Vermont, it’s illegal to deny them equal opportunities.
When Love Stinks, Let the Humane Society Dump (on) Your Ex
For Valentine’s Day, a South Burlington animal shelter is raising money by writing your former lover’s name on a cat litter box or dog poop bag.
Vermont Lawmakers Wary of Calling for Constitutional Convention
Legislators showed little interest on Thursday in supporting the push for a second constitutional convention, saying it’s backed by right-wing groups
Falling for the Love & Marriage Issue
In this theme issue, ‘Seven Days’ explores love’s many forms. Stories cover sex ed for seniors, queer joy, platonic intimacy and Instagram-worthy wedding cakes.
A New AARP Vermont Webinar Series Offers Sex Ed to Seniors
Host Jenna Emerson covers a range of topics, from sexual mythbusting and modern sexuality to online dating and spicing up long-term relationships.
‘Scaffolding’ at AVA Gallery Is a Scavenger Hunt for Art
Faced with closing its main galleries to refinish the floors, exhibition manager Sam Eckert curated a group show that runs through AVA’s whole building.
Justice Proves Elusive in Oscar-Nominated ‘The Seed of the Sacred Fig’ and ‘Nickel Boys’
Two powerful Oscar-nominated dramas, one from an Iranian dissident filmmaker and one based on Colson Whitehead’s acclaimed novel, examine systemic injustice.
Ask the Rev: My Best Friend Is Pregnant and Only Talks About Baby Stuff
A bestie struggles to feign interest in her pal’s excessive baby talk. Here’s advice for navigating major life changes in a longtime friendship.
Now Playing in Theaters: February 12-18
In addition to The Brutalist, here’s what is playing in Northern and Central Vermont movie theaters this week. Listings include new movies, vintage films and a directory of open theaters.
Plan Would Strip Rulemaking From State Board of Education
Education Secretary Zoie Saunders said the move would increase efficiency. Critics, though, argue it would concentrate too much power within the agency.
Life Story: Sergei Ushakov ‘Made Thousands of Musicians Sound Incredible’
A fixture behind the soundboard at Nectar’s in Burlington, the surly Russian built a reputation as one of the area’s finest sound engineers.
Vermont Aid Workers Reel in Wake of Rapid USAID Cuts
The sweeping cutbacks to the $40 billion international development agency hit many contractors in Vermont. Many believe the jobs are permanently gone.
Brides Say ‘Yes’ to the Bling at Elli Parr in South Burlington
With DIY jewelry-making workshops and private bridal consultations, the boutique helps wedding parties accessorize for the big day.
Squishy Feelings: A Sex Educator on the Virtues of Platonic Intimacy
Sarah Diedrick explores how modern friendships are reshaping what it means to be platonic — signaling a new frontier for relationships.
Q&A: Evan Perkins Shares His Wild Ice Skating Videos Online
Take a Nordic skating trip on Lake Champlain with a farmer who spends the winter in search of wild ice. Go behind the scenes of this “Stuck in Vermont” video.
The Folk Alliance International Conference Comes to Montréal
The largest folk music conference in the world offers musicians a chance to compare notes on a wide-ranging and changing industry.
Burlington Play-Reading Group the Neighbors Marks 135 Years
Punch, party sandwiches and a play — unrehearsed and kept secret until members see their playbill — are among the charming quirks of this beloved social club.
Craig Harrison Takes Joyous Portraits of Drag in the Northeast Kingdom
St. Johnsbury’s Catamount Arts features “I am___: Portraits Illuminating Identity,” a series taken at drag events at a volatile time for the LGBTQ+ community.
Free Will Astrology (2/12/25)
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Borrowing the words of Aquarian author Virginia Woolf, I’ve prepared a love note for you to use as your own. Feel…
Album Review: Mushroom Teeth, ‘Mushroom Teeth Vol: 2’
The Enosburgh progressive metal duo continues its rotating-bassist project with a new album of dense and atmospheric instrumental jams.
Catching Up With ‘Some Stars of Native American Comedy’
From takedowns of sports team mascots to calling out clueless questions about spirit animals, four Indigenous comedians riff on life on and off the rez.
Cardy-o-grams 2025
Valentine’s Day notes of affection, gratitude and admiration from Seven Days Readers
Garth and Clara Peterson Love in Sickness and in Health
Together for 67 years, the Waterbury High School sweethearts eloped when she was 19 and he 22. Alzheimer’s has stolen her personality but not their romance.
Theater Review: ‘The Play That Goes Wrong,’ Vermont Stage
The popular 2012 play is a dynamo of a farce, spewing gags like a spinning turbine. Vermont Stage’s production is nonstop comedy.
After Wildfires, Care Bears Are Headed to California Kids
The Teddy Bear Project, an endeavor of South Burlington resident Nina Meyerhof, will provide hundreds of stuffed animals to children affected by the recent disaster.
From the Deputy Publisher: Farewell to an X
‘Seven Days’ will no longer publish an ‘X Post of the Week’ about Vermont. Deputy publisher Cathy Resmer explains why — and introduces a new feature.
Letters to the Editor (2/12/25)
Wake Up, Dems [Re Feedback: “Rodgers Rules,” February 5]: Reading all the letters to the editor about the cover story “Man at Work” [January 22],…
Vermont Officials Say Tire Shop Signs Violate Billboard Law
A Westport, N.Y., tire shop’s roadside signs in Vermont are riling locals who say they are illegal eyesores. The state agrees.
Peace Burger Opens at Afterthoughts in Waitsfield
A smash burger pop-up that started at the Waterbury Farmers Market last spring found a home for its fast-food classics in the Mad River Valley’s newest live music venue.
Magnificent 7: Must See, Must Do, February 12-19
Explore our editor’s picks for must-do events in Vermont this week, including the wild and wacky Artful Ice Shanties at Retreat Farm in Brattleboro.






