Aug 21-27, 2019
Hooked: Vermont Delivers Help for Pregnant Women With Opioid-Use Disorder; Should Burlington, South Burlington and Winooski Schools Consolidate?; Talking Gardening With Champlain Valley Fair Veggie Judges
Cover Story
How Far Along? How Vermont Delivers Help for Pregnant Women With Opioid-Use Disorder
Until she died last year, my youngest sister, Madelyn Linsenmeir, was sick for most of her adult life with a chronic, relapsing disease: opioid-use disorder. Not that you would have known it if you met her when she was well. Maddie was girl-next-door pretty, with a freckled face and wide smile, and the openhearted exuberance…
The Parmelee Post: Following Burlington Busts, Fatal Weed Overdoses at All-Time Low
Federal law enforcement officials on Wednesday announced that deadly cannabis overdoses are at their lowest levels in the nation’s history. Citing a string of recent busts in Burlington, the Drug Enforcement Administration said that fatal overdoses from cannabis consumption now stand at zero deaths per — well, probably ever. “Thanks to busts we’ve made at…
Obituary: Karin Caldwell, 1952-2019
Starksboro back-to-the-lander was a hardworking ‘free spirit’
Obituary: Gladys Agell, 1930-2019
The life celebration for Gladys Agell will be held on Sunday, September 8, 2019, at 11 a.m. at the Vermont College of Fine Arts in the College Hall Chapel, in Montpelier, Vt. The Hooker and Whitcomb Funeral Home, 7 Academy Street in Barre, assisted the Agell family with the arrangements.
The Cannabis Catch-Up: You’ve Been Warned
If you’re a Vermonter who’s had to renew a vehicle registration in the last few weeks, you’ve likely received a warning in the mail from the state Department of Motor Vehicles. “Drug-impaired driving is a problem on America’s highways,” the message reads. “Like drunk driving, drugged driving is impaired driving, which means it is dangerous…
Our Lady Peace’s Raine Maida Opens Up About Relationships and Fatherhood
Canadian rockers Our Lady Peace were one of the quintessential bands of the 1990s alternative boom. The group shared qualities with many of its guitar-driven contemporaries, such as angsty power chords and propulsive beats. But front person Raine Maida’s iconic jolts from chest voice to falsetto singing and enigmatic, labyrinthine lyrics helped set the group…
‘Good Boys’ Does Its Best to Be ‘Superbad’ but Is Just Bad
So, the truth is, they’re not good boys. Or bad boys. They’re boring, poorly written boys. I don’t mean the three young stars of this fantasy-based fiasco, but the underdeveloped, completely unbelievable characters they play. Lazily and cynically conceived, this is the closest thing to a child labor violation ever released by a major studio.…
Matt Saraca and John Townsend, ‘Nineteen Years’
(Self-released, digital) Burlington musicians Matt Saraca and John Townsend play in the ethereal Americana trio Silver Bridget, alongside musical-saw master Johnnie Day Durand. The world has yet to see an official release from the enthralling group, which is known for its spine-tingling interpretations of popular songs such as the Beatles’ “She’s Leaving Home” and Elvis…
How Do I Broach the Subject of Manscaping?
Dear Reverend, My partner really likes to put his balls in my mouth, which I’m totally OK with, but every time he does it, I wind up with a nose full of ass. And he’s not exactly well manicured in that department. How do I broach the subject of manscaping with him? Tangled Teabag (male,…
In White River Junction, Revenge of Movie Night Fosters Film Community
Ben Peberdy held a VHS tape aloft with a plastic sword stuck through the middle, à la Excalibur. It was August 29, 2017, the date that marked the end of the Knights of the Mystic Movie Club. A crowd of 40 people shouted in revelry. Earlier that night, Peberdy had announced that if any of…
Richard Linklater’s Adaptation of the Comic Novel ‘Where’d You Go, Bernadette’ Loses Its Way
Certain literary formats don’t translate well to the screen. Maria Semple’s best-selling 2012 novel Where’d You Go, Bernadette tells the story of one woman’s midlife crisis primarily through “found” materials such as emails, reports and memos. At first glance, director Richard Linklater (Boyhood, Before Sunrise) might seem like a good fit for Semple’s delicate combination…
Eric George, ‘Where I Start’
(Self-released, CD, digital) In 2014, Vulture compiled a list of hit songs penned in incredibly short time frames. According to the story, titled “Is Sia the World’s Fastest Songwriter?,” Kanye West came up with “All Falls Down” in 15 minutes. These smash singles might strengthen the case for lightning-speed composing, but what happens when a…
Eat This Week, August 21 to 27, 2019: Pick and Eat
Longtime Vermont chef Lee Duberman, who currently lives in Mexico, is back in state for a visit and doing a few cooking gigs while she’s here. She and her husband, mixologist Richard Fink, will be at Green Mountain Girls Farm on Sunday, August 25, for a farm tour and lunch. Duberman will prepare a meal…
Book Review: ‘The Not Good Enough Mother,’ by Sharon Lamb
According to the Vermont judiciary, Sharon Lamb is an expert on motherhood. As a psychologist and forensic evaluator, she assesses whether parents are ready — stable enough, sober enough — to be reunited with their children, and on what terms. Since 2014, the number of young children in the care of Vermont’s Department for Children…
Theater Review: ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,’ Weston Playhouse
In 1962, when Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? premiered, only 2 percent of Americans divorced. Married people stayed married, and married people argued. Edward Albee’s play captured the psychological damage that words could inflict, and it was shocking then for its profanity and naked cruelty. But the play is more than a verbal slugfest, as…
Hackie: Walden, Not the Pond
En route to an early Sunday morning pickup, I wondered, How has this town escaped my radar? It’s been hiding in plain sight. When you drive for a living, as I do, your workday allows for hours and hours of reflection. For a naturally dreamy guy like me, it’s a perfect fit. My assignment on…
St. Albans Brutality Case Shows Limits of Police Accountability Law
The St. Albans City Council summoned Police Chief Gary Taylor last week to explain his handling of a police brutality incident in which a senior officer punched a handcuffed woman in a holding cell. Yet the only person who actually asked the chief a question was 68-year-old Elaine Robtoy, who’d come to register her disgust.…
Should Burlington, South Burlington and Winooski Consolidate Schools?
Three cities, three school districts and $305 million. That’s the rough combined price tag for approved or proposed big-ticket school construction projects in Burlington, South Burlington and Winooski — at sites that are within a five-mile radius. The giant tab and small distance between the campuses raises an obvious question: Should the three most urban…
Art Review: ‘Made in Vermont,’ Hall Art Foundation
Reading, a one-road town in Windsor County with a population of 666 and mainly farms nearby, happens to host one of the best places in Vermont to see international contemporary art. The Hall Art Foundation, founded by Andy and Christine Hall, consists of a group of five buildings: a 19th-century farmhouse, its three barns and…
Efficiency Vermont’s Mission Could Expand — to Fossil Fuels
When contractors for Efficiency Vermont suggest ways in which homeowners can reduce their energy use, they are focused on lowering electric bills. They outline cash incentives to replace incandescent lights with LEDs. They offer rebates to encourage households to buy more energy-efficient refrigerators, washers, dryers and space heaters. And they turn people on to gadgets…
Soundbites: What to Do While I’m Out of Town
August Rush You know that Lloyd Bridges bit from Airplane! in which he keeps saying, “Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit smoking,” or, “Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue”? Well, call me Lloyd Bridges, because it looks like I picked the wrong week to go on vacation.…
Letters to the Editor (8/21/19)
Firearms Facts [Re Feedback: “Fact-Check, Please”; “Not-So-Great Guns,” August 14]: Yes, fact-check. Recent writers have made quite a few misstatements about guns. I suggest that the anti-gunners educate themselves before deciding where they stand. Some of the misstatements: • Military assault weapons. The AR-15 pattern rifle is not military; it just resembles the M-16 and…
A New Comic Book Explains How Government, Democracy Work
Only one quarter of grown-ass adults can correctly name all three branches of the U.S. government, according to a 2017 study by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. This bad. This very bad. But a new project by Vermont’s Center for Cartoon Studies offers a glimmer of hope that the next…
Sanders Superfans Rent South Burlington ‘Beds for Bernie’ on Airbnb
Visitors to Vermont can now make a political statement by choosing where to lay their heads. Using Airbnb, Tony and Carolyn Basiliere are proudly renting two Beds for Bernie in their South Burlington home. They donate a portion of the profits from each night’s stay to Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) 2020 presidential campaign. “My wife…
Middlebury New Filmmakers Fest Tackles Health Care, Immigration and Other Issues
Nearly three decades ago, long before she became an award-winning filmmaker, Cindy Meehl was despondent. Her dog, a 6-year-old shar-pei, was dying. On the verge of losing hope, she broke down in tears at a pet food store. A stranger approached and suggested Meehl take her dog to the integrative veterinary clinic of Dr. Marty…
Free Will Astrology (8/21/19)
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Yisrael Kristal was a Polish Jew born under the sign of Virgo in 1903. His father was a scholar of the Torah, and Yisrael began studying Judaism and learning Hebrew at age 3. He lived a long life and had many adventures, working as a candle maker and a candy maker.…
Grilling the Chef: John Patterson Goes Country at the Inn at Shelburne Farms
Chef John Patterson Position: Executive chef, the Inn at Shelburne Farms Location: Shelburne Age: 39 Cuisine type: Contemporary American focused on seasonality and regionality Education: The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College, Philadelphia, Pa. Experience: Most recently, executive chef at Fork in Philadelphia and sous chef at Gramercy Tavern in New York City What’s on…
Talking Gardening With the Champlain Valley Fair Veggie Judges
I was a county fair kid. Every year growing up, I dragged an extremely reluctant goat around an arena in southwest Colorado, and then sold it at auction to some generous sucker who probably got about five pounds of meat off the entire scrawny specimen. The fair was the social event of my summer. I…
New Owners Take the Reins at Burlington’s Daily Planet
The Daily Planet, which opened in 1982 at 15 Center Street in Burlington, will soon have new owners, co-owner Copey Houghton said. The restaurant is under deposit in a deal in which Houghton will sell it to David Warshow. After a year, bar manager Ian Cyr will become a second owner. Cyr, 33, grew up…
Thirst Coconut Water Refreshes Riders on Burlington Bike Path
A new Vermont-based company is bringing coconut water to the Burlington bike path. The storefront window near Local Motion at 1 Steele Street is the retail home of Thirst Coconut Water, owned by Liz Proutt and Gui Meireles. The couple opened the storefront in early June to sell their locally processed coconut water and have…
