Inside Seven Days

Looking for some educational family fun this summer — and a chance to win a free trip to Washington, D.C.? Help the kids in your life take the Good Citizen Challenge, an interactive, nonpartisan civics activity. It recognizes and rewards participants for learning about their communities, keeping up with local news and taking action to help others.

Organized by Seven Days and its parenting publication Kids VT — with help from the Vermont Historical Society and the Vermont Community Foundation — the nonpartisan Good Citizen Challenge is open to all K-12 students.

This summer’s Challenge is timed to coincide with an exhibit at the Vermont History Museum, opening July 3, that explores the life and work of the first commercial globe-maker in the Americas, James Wilson of Bradford; he made his first globe in 1810. Wilson’s globes helped people in the U.S. understand more about the world and their place in it.

This summer’s Good Citizen Challenge includes 25 activities, such as:

• Visiting the Vermont History Museum (participants and their families get in free)
• Reading an issue of a local community newspaper
• Searching for the deed for a property
• Writing a poem or making a piece of art about Vermont’s state motto: Freedom and Unity
• Listening to a podcast from Vermont Public Radio
• Using Front Porch Forum to organize a donation drive for a charity
• Having a respectful conversation with someone who has opposing views

Participants must complete at least five activities in a row on the bingo-like Challenge scorecard, then upload a photo of the completed scorecard, along with contact information and evidence of their work, to goodcitizenvt.com. All who finish five activities in a row will receive a Good Citizen sticker and patch, a pocket constitution donated by Phoenix Books, and an invitation to a VIP reception at the Vermont State House in Montpelier this fall. They will also be entered into a drawing for an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. from Milne Travel, a new globe, a gift card to Phoenix Books and other prizes. There is no cost to enter.
A Challenge scorecard can be found in the Summer issue of Kids VT, which is inserted into the May 18 issue of Seven Days; Kids VT is available all season long at drop off locations in Northwestern Vermont. Participants can also download the scorecard at goodcitizenvt.com, or pick one up at the Vermont History Museum. The deadline to enter is Labor Day, September 5.

Seven Days and Kids VT organized the first Good Citizen Challenge in 2018 to raise awareness of civics education and help bridge the partisan divide; the most recent Challenge took place during the 2020-2021 school year. More than 400 K-12 students from 43 Vermont towns participated.

“We know from surveying past participants that kids who complete the Good Citizen Challenge learn new things about Vermont history, feel more connected to their communities and are more aware of local news,” said Good Citizen Challenge creator Cathy Resmer, deputy publisher of Seven Days and editor of Kids VT. “Helping your kids take the Good Citizen Challenge is a great way to prompt conversations about what it means to be an informed and responsible citizen. And it gives parents and camp directors ideas for fun day trips or rainy day projects.”

Partners in this summer’s Good Citizen Challenge also include VPR and Vermont PBS, Front Porch Forum and the Vermont State House. Phoenix Books is donating pocket-sized U.S. constitutions as well as gift cards to be used for prizes.

“We’re excited to partner with Seven Days and Kids VT on this Good Citizen challenge to get everyone out and exploring our wonderful state,” said Amanda Kay Gustin, director of collections and access for the Vermont Historical Society. “Learning history is crucial to understanding the world around you, and we hope to see many participants at the Vermont History Museum this summer.”
Said Scott Finn, CEO of VPR and Vermont PBS: "We're thrilled to partner with Seven Days on this initiative, which makes civics fun and real for young people. It strengthens Democracy, in the same way our reporting does."

“Front Porch Forum is delighted to support the Good Citizen Challenge again in 2022,” said Front Porch Forum’s cofounder and CEO, Michael Wood-Lewis. “Helping neighbors connect and build community is more important than ever. The Challenge is a great way to learn about the world, connect with others — and make Vermont a little better along the way. Thank you, Seven Days!”

Find more information and a Challenge scorecard at goodcitizenvt.com.

Seven Days won 23 first-place awards — our best showing ever — at the New England Newspaper & Press Association (NENPA) convention in Boston last weekend — including General Excellence and Reporter of the Year.

Nearly 2,000 entries were submitted and evaluated by New England Newspaper & Press Association’s distinguished panel of judges. Seven Days competed against dozens of other newsweeklies around the region in the large-circulation weekly category.

1st Place Awards

Reporter of the Year
Chelsea Edgar

General Excellence
Seven Days staff

Best Coverage of Coronavirus
Best Human Interest Feature Story
Chelsea Edgar, "Mother Load: A Year in the Life of Three Single Moms in Vermont"

Science/Technology Reporting
Derek Brouwer, "Flight Path: BTV's Beta Technologies Is on the Cusp of a Breakthrough for Electric Aviation"
From the judges:  "Top shelf reporting on an emerging Vermont startup Beta Technologies. Well written and thorough reporting."

Climate Change or Weather Reporting
Kevin McCallum & Ken Picard, "Trickle to Torrent: The Climate Crisis Brings Both Deluges and Droughts to Vermont"
From the judges: "McCallum and Picard’s reporting on the aging water systems and potential for indoor farming is top notch."

Coverage of Protests and Rallies
Chelsea Edgar, "'Torn Apart': Fault Lines Over Trump, Racism and Justice Divide the Town of Johnson"
From the judges: "This entry excels by bringing in a multitude of voices and perspectives that reveal the many nuances of the community's divide. Well-crafted, empathetic and even-handed writing."

Crime and Courts Reporting
Colin Flanders, "Case Dismissed? Questions Persist About Police Investigation Into Ralph Jean-Marie's Disappearance"
From the judges: "This story exemplifies the importance of accountability journalism. The journalist moves beyond the official story from police to point to unexplored paths — and then delivers the evidence-driven story in a way that cannot be ignored."

Education Reporting
Alison Novak & Courtney Lamdin, PCBs at Burlington High School
From the judges: "While the subject matter can be technical, the writers took great pains to make the information clear and understandable. An impressive effort on a huge community story."

Environmental Reporting
Kevin McCallum, "Beekeepers Worry Pesticide-Treated Seeds Contribute to Hive Deaths"

Environmental Reporting
Margaret Grayson, "The Vermont Wild Bee Survey Finds and Identifies Hundreds of Species"
From the judges: "The stories feature solid reporting on a vitally important issue that threatens the food chain — as well as steps that officials are considering in order to deal with the issue."

Food Page or Section
Jordan Barry, Melissa Pasanen & Sally Pollak, Food + Drink section, March 3, 2021
From the judges: "This is local food journalism at its best: Timely, inclusive and compelling."

Government Reporting
Courtney Lamdin, Colin Flanders & Sasha Goldstein, "Dodson Plagiarized Portions of Report on Burlington Police Transformation"
From the judges: "Seven Days delivers a textbook example of excellent enterprise reporting, uncovering plagiarized passages of a "blue ribbon" report on police reform. This story should hang in every newsroom as an example of what municipal reporters can (and should) do."

Investigative /Enterprise Reporting
Derek Brouwer, "Investors With Questionable Records Want to Buy Five Vermont Nursing Homes. Will the State Let Them?"

Local Election Coverage
Courtney Lamdin, Burlington's Mayoral Race

Obituaries
Colin Flanders, "COVID-19 Claims a Hardwick Couple Married for Nearly 68 Years"

Arts & Entertainment Reporting
Dan Bolles, "Banjo Great Gordon Stone Celebrated With Posthumous Album"
From the judges: "A good feature can lead the reader to learn something, to become more appreciative of a subject or genre — and in rare occasions open a door to a whole new level of appreciation of a particular art form or subject they never knew, understood, or heard of before. This writer accomplishes all three in this informative, easy reading tribute that probably helped expose the subject to new audiences in his own home state and neighborhood."

Reporting on Religious Issues
Chelsea Edgar, "In Enforcing Pandemic Precautions, Vermont Treads Lightly in Houses of Worship"

Entertainment Video
Eva Sollberger, "Winter Dipping With Katharine Montstream and the Red Hot Chilly Dippers"
From the judges: "Beautifully shot and captures the intensity of this community of dippers."
Feature Video
Eva Sollberger, "Founders Hall on Saint Michael's Campus Is Selectively Dismantled"

News Video
Eva Sollberger, "Stuck in Vermont: The Tran Family Patriarch Gets Vaccinated"

Sports Video
Eva Sollberger, "Stuck in Vermont: 'American Ninja Warrior' Amir Malik Trains in Essex"

Headline Writing
Seven Days staff