Cover Story
Dead-icated: Vermont’s Love Affair With the Grateful Dead
Help us pay for in-depth stories like this one by becoming a Seven Days Super Reader. It was already the third time I’d heard “Franklin’s Tower” that day, and I hadn’t even reached the festival gates. Strains of the 1975 Grateful Dead classic wafted over the hot, humid parking lot outside the Dead of Summer Music Festival…
What Ales You to Move to Former Manhattan Pizza & Pub Space
Updated August 19, 10:45 a.m. The owner of What Ales You has announced on social media that the 54-year-old downtown Burlington college bar will move out of its St. Paul Street basement to a new spot around the block. Syd Eren said he will continue serving for another week or so in the original bar location.…
Obituary: Michael Polli, 1948-2025
Michael Jon Polli, known to most as “Mickey,” passed away in Lebanon, N.H., on August 7, 2025. He was 77 years old. Michael was born on July 2, 1948, in Hanover, N.H., to Vincent and Doris (Leani) Polli and lived his entire life in Bradford, Vt. After graduating from Bradford Academy in 1966, Michael attended…
Obituary: Ellis A. Jacobson, 1952-2025
Ellis A. Jacobson, age 72, passed away peacefully at home with his family in Montpelier, Vt., on July 19, 2025, after a brief, fierce battle with pancreatic cancer. Ellis was born in Portland, Maine, on August 28, 1952, to Nellie (Levin) and Myer Jacobson. Ellis was an artist, sculptor, mask maker, educator, curator, director, writer,…
Obituary: Roland Tougas, 1947-2025
Roland Joseph Tougas, 78, of Milton, Vt., passed away peacefully at home on July 26, 2025. He was born on April 7, 1947, in Bridgeport, Conn., to Lucien and Juliette (Marson) Tougas. As a teenager, Roland moved with his parents to Brownington Center in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, where the family ran the town’s country store.…
Obituary: Robert J. Dimke, 1933-2025
Robert J. Dimke, loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, passed away peacefully on August 9, 2025. Bob was a longtime resident of Hinesburg, Vt. He loved the local community and working the land he and his wife shared with their many dogs. Bob was passionate about his family, dogs, gardening and sports, especially baseball. He…
Obituary: Lita Y Murphy, 1942-2025
On August 3, 2025, Lita Y Murphy peacefully passed away, surrounded by her family and friends. She had fought a six-year battle with bone cancer with courage and grace. Lita was born in Temuco, Chile. She studied English at the Universidad de Concepció n. This is where she met her soul mate, Bill Murphy. After…
Obituary: Jon Lines, 1963-2025
Jon Lines passed to the beyond in the early morning hours on August 8 after a brief struggle with a hard illness. Surrounded by family, friends, and a soundtrack curated by siblings, cousins, nieces and nephews, he left this world with the love and care he brought to it. Growing up in the South End…
In Memoriam: Cheryl Malkin, 1951-2025
Cheryl Malkin, born in Montréal in 1951, daughter of Lionel and Adele Malkin, passed away on June 22, 2025. A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, August 22, 2025, from 4 p.m. ’til dusk at Kill Kare State Park, 2714 Hathaway Point Road, St. Albans Bay. Cheryl’s family truly wishes this to be…
Obituary: Ethan Pinsonneault, 1997-2025
Ethan Pinsonneault passed away on August 3, 2025, at the age of 28, after a yearslong battle with addiction. Ethan was born in Vermont on February 16, 1997, to Mahala Conard and Nathan Pinsonneault. He loved Thomas the Tank Engine, the movie Cars, riding his bike, and spending time with his grandparents, siblings and other…
Obituary: Esther Farnsworth, 1928-2025
Esther Farnsworth of Montpelier, Vt., died peacefully on August 1, 2025, at the Hummingbird Center in Berlin, Vt. Esther was born in Springfield, Mass., on December 8, 1928, one of four children born to Gladys and Donald Havens. The family later moved to Burlington, where she graduated from Burlington High School and the University of…
Boaters Scramble After a Marina Loses Its Lease in Charlotte
Dozens of boat owners are scrambling to find safe harbor for their vessels after a marina operator in Charlotte lost his lease after 20 years in business. Andy O’Brien, owner of the Charlotte Sailing Center, was informed at the end of July that the owner of the property, Lake Champlain Transportation, was not renewing his…
Fruit Grower Opens Old Tower Ice Cream in Jeffersonville
The owners of Waterman Orchards in Johnson have opened Old Tower Ice Cream in a renovated granary at 4968 Route 15 in Jeffersonville, less than 10 miles from where they grow the blueberries for their signature flavor. The new scoop shop offers about a dozen hard ice cream flavors freshly churned on-site, as well as milkshakes, sundaes and creemees…
Obituary: Jane B. Dworshak, 1932-2025
Jane B. Dworshak passed away peacefully on August 4, 2025, at the McClure Miller Respite House, surrounded by her family. She was 92 years old. Born in East Orange, N.J., to Edith and Clarence Bowman, Jane’s younger years were split between schooling in Philadelphia and summers at the New Jersey shore. These coastal summers instilled…
Obituary: William “Bill” Ravell, 1938-2025
William Hurd Ravell III, 86, a resident of Shelburne, Vt., and a retired U.S. Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer, died peacefully on the morning of August 4, 2025 — Coast Guard Day. A sailor, artist, fisherman, gardener, cook, guitar player and all-around handyman, Bill brought joy to all those around him. Raised in Mays Landing,…
Activists Urge Burlington to Block ICE From Using Airport
More than 100 protesters expressed outrage on Wednesday afternoon that ICE agents are using the Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport to transport detained immigrants as part of President Donald Trump’s massive deportation operation. The protesters spilled into a hallway outside a room at the airport where the Burlington Airport Commission met. During the public comment…
Ask the Rev: How Do I Stop a Coworker From Microwaving Fish in the Office?
Dear Reverend, I work in a fairly small office that has an open kitchen. For years, we’ve had an unwritten rule that nobody microwaves fish because it stinks up the place. A new person started about three months ago, and they have done it twice so far. Everyone has been annoyed by it, but nobody…
After Vowing to Curb Reports, Legislators Are Ordering Up More Than Ever
Earlier this year, Vermont lawmakers took up a monumental task: reshaping how the state governs and finances schools. With precision and clarity, the General Assembly tackled some of the leading reforms in the marquee education bill. But for many of the thornier decisions, legislators deferred to a familiar solution: more reports. Lawmakers delegated key questions…
Book Review: ‘Last Day of My Face,’ James Shea
James Shea’s new poetry collection, Last Day of My Face, progresses as if it were two books. The second begins two-thirds of the way through, where the poems’ shape, style, rhythm and mode of narration change in every respect. For the first 43 pages, the apparently characteristic Shea composition is succinct and quite solitary in…
New Book on Historic Craftsbury Benefits the Public Library
After studying a two-volume description of historic Craftsbury architecture, Tom Twetten was left wanting more. Craftsbury Historic Sites & Structures Survey of 1983, conducted to qualify sites for the Vermont State Register of Historic Places, “is beautifully done — very thorough on surrounds and roof pitches and foundations,” Twetten said. “But if you’re not a…
NOTICE OF SELF STORAGE LIEN SALE
BURLINGTON SELF STORAGE, LLC 1825 SHELBURNE ROAD SOUTH BURLINGTON, VT 05403 Notice is hereby given that the contents of the self storage units listed below will be sold at public auction by sealed bid. Name of Occupant, Storage Unit#, unit size: Beardsley, Unit #37, 5×10 Said sales will take place on Friday 08/08/25, beginning at…
Proposed Invasive Plant Control Measures
The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation proposes to conduct treatments to control invasive exotic plants on properties owned by the State of Vermont in Rutland County. The proposed treatment area will not exceed 30 acres in size. Application will include foliar and cut stem methods utilizing common site-specific herbicides such as Rodeo or…
Zephyr Teachout Takes Over as Unadilla Theatre’s Artistic Director
At the age of 101, Unadilla Theatre founder Bill Blachly decided this was the year to hand over the artistic directorship of his seasonal enterprise in Marshfield. His replacement choice was no surprise. Since 1983, Blachly has produced scores of modern and classic plays with timeless themes in the rustic setting of a hill farm.…
Retro Realm Arcade Presses ‘Play’ in Middlebury
Debbie Gardner of New Haven brought her 4- and 7-year-old grandchildren to Middlebury’s Retro Realm arcade on a recent Thursday so that they could play alongside other kids. But when she spotted familiar games from the arcades of her teen years — including an original 1981 Ms. Pac-Man — she joined right in. As the…
Soundbites: Who Killed Nectar’s?
I’ve never been particularly good at biting my tongue — I’m guessing most writers share that attribute. But I needed to exercise restraint a few months ago after I reported that Nectar’s was “taking a pause,” as its owners called it, and shutting down for the summer. Amid all the social media posts about how…
History Informs Lake Champlain Maritime Museum Rowing Clubs
Light winds ruffled the water at North Harbor in Vergennes on a hot summer evening. Nineteen rowers set off in three wooden boats, undeterred by a few waves and intense humidity. They arranged their heavy oars and adjusted their foot braces, ready for their weekly three-mile expedition across Lake Champlain to New York. But storm…
‘Gone Guys’ Documentary Spotlights the Struggles of Boys and Young Men
For adolescent boys in rural Vermont, finding places to express themselves and be vulnerable can take many forms. For some, that looks like going to the gym. For others, it’s joining a Boy Scout troop. At Montpelier High School, it’s taking a “Healthy Masculinity” class. As shown in a new Vermont-made film, these are just…
Letters to the Editor (8/6/25)
Delicious Tip A few months ago, you had an article about Bumblebee Bistro in Enosburg Falls [“Homegrown Honey: Franklin County Is Abuzz Over Bumblebee Bistro’s Gifted Young Chef,” April 29]. Yesterday my wife and I met some good friends there for lunch, and it was excellent. Thanks for the tip. Bob Vacca Newport Problem With…
Eye on the Scene: Fools Block Party in Burlington
Fools Block Party, Church Street Marketplace and City Hall Park, Burlington, Saturday, August 2: I was shocked when news broke in February that Festival of Fools, Burlington City Arts’ annual three-day street performance celebration, had been canceled this year. Through the generosity of a list of local businesses longer than my word count, the festival was…
‘Spaces & Places’: A Group Show at the Supreme Court Gallery
Shortly after justice Marilyn Skoglund was appointed to the Vermont Supreme Court nearly 20 years ago, state curator David Schutz recalled, she phoned him and asked, “David, can we please get rid of the dead justices?” After moving the paintings of late esteemed jurists upstairs — the only portrait in the entry now is of…
Now Playing in Theaters: August 6-12
new in theaters FREAKIER FRIDAY: Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan reprise their roles 22 years after the hit comedy about a magical mother-daughter body swap (itself a remake of a novel adaptation). With the daughter now a mother, who will be swapped this time? (111 min, PG. Bethel, Capitol, Essex, Marquis, Playhouse, Star, Sunset,…
From the Publisher: ‘Ripple’ Effect
“Rock ‘n’ roll” music was prohibited in my house growing up. I remember watching news coverage of the Beatles’ first U.S. tour on our family’s black-and-white television. My parents — especially my dad — were horrified by the footage of young women screaming, crying and, in some cases, passing out during the concerts. Nothing like…
Burlington Library Turns Chain-Link Fence Into Story Stroll
Downtown Burlington has no shortage of construction this summer. Neon yellow vests and hard hats are the season’s hottest look, and “Road Closed” signs are popping up like rodents in a Whac-A-Mole game. The old Burlington YMCA is in the process of being converted into apartments. A block away, the hulking, decaying Memorial Auditorium awaits…
A Heart of Stone: Art Project Pictures Barre’s Recovery
Community organizer and poet Shawna Trader doesn’t love the word “community,” which she feels is overused. But she acknowledges that the thing itself is vital, especially during disasters such as the flooding that devastated Barre and other parts of Vermont the past two summers. So when painter and fellow Barre resident Dierdra Michelle approached her…
Free Will Astrology (8/6/25)
LEO (Jul. 23-Aug. 22): In the Arctic, the sun shines for 24 hours a day during midsummer. There is no night, only the surreal glow of prolonged gold. The human body, confused by the unending day, may be confused about when to sleep. For some this creates disorientation and for others, a strange euphoria. In…
Album Review: Sulk Fangs, ‘Remind Me of Who I Was’
(Self-released, digital) Singer-songwriter Matt Bushlow’s folk-rock project Sulk Fangs has steadily picked up steam since debuting with 2022’s References EP. He dropped three more EPs in 2023, followed by the excellent Where the River Goes the following year. Bushlow’s first LP, Remind Me of Who I Was, continues a fine run of songwriting and sonic…
A Couple Is So Happy ‘Together’ in a High-Concept Horror Flick
It’s nice to know classical philosophy is alive and well in pop culture. A lawsuit filed in May alleges that the makers of the body horror film Together — which was gathering festival buzz — stole their ideas from a 2023 indie rom-com called Better Half. Both movies name-check the creation story of a romantic…
Obituary: Thomas B. Hanna, 1949-2025
Tom was born in Burlington, Vt., son of John T. Hanna and Dorothea Smith Hanna. He lived in Burlington and spent summers at Cedar Beach in Charlotte. He was very close to his grandparents, C. P. Smith Jr. and Doro F. Smith. Tom is survived by his daughter Katherine Smith Hanna; his daughter Torrey Hanna…
Burlington’s Boba Bubble: Sampling Four Bubble Tea Spots
The Chittenden County boba scene is growing. We checked out four spots to find out what the beverage is all about, from the University Mall to City Hall Park.
Atla’s Conchas Starts a Sweet New Chapter in Randolph
Caroline Anders and Mauricio Lopez Martinez left NYC for Vermont. They’ll relaunch their popular Oaxacan micro-bakery at the Chelsea Farmers Market this month.
Four Corners of the Earth Deli Is for Sale — Art Not Included
After a quarter century, Ladislav Pancisin hopes to sell the business and pass on his global roster of sandwich recipes, from Jamaican avocado to Lebanese lamb.
Magnificent 7: Must See, Must Do, August 6-13
Explore our editor’s picks for must-do events in Vermont this week, including Mumford & Sons and Friends with special guest Noah Kahan in Essex Junction.
Sisters Unwittingly Filmed While Undressing Describe the Harm It Caused
Filmmaker and college instructor Bill Simmon set up hidden cameras in a changing room. Two sisters found out years later that the images he took had been viewed millions of times on porn sites.
