Dec 16-22, 2020
Good News, Positive Trends and Stories of Resilience From an Awful Year; COVID-19 Claims a Hardwick Couple Who Were Inseparable for Nearly 68 Years; Backcountry Skiing Guru David Goodman’s New Book Makes a Grand Entrance
Cover Story
Good News, Positive Trends and Stories of Resilience From an Awful Year
More than 1.6 million people worldwide have died of COVID-19 so far this year; more than 300,000 of them were in the United States, and 100 were in Vermont. The coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the U.S. economy. It’s driving up rates of depression, anxiety and overdose deaths, and causing record numbers of…
The Magnificent 7: Must See, Must Do, December 31 to January 6
1. In the House In 2018, Queen City revelers welcomed a fresh New Year’s Eve custom: Highlight, a citywide celebration featuring artsy and family-friendly entertainment. Presenting organizations Burlington City Arts and Signal Kitchen Projects aren’t letting the COVID-19 pandemic keep them down. They’ve moved the event to the online platform Run the World, where viewers can…
The Magnificent 7: Must See, Must Do, December 24 to 30
1. Holiday Music In a typical year, the Seven Days calendar section would be peppered with listings for local choirs leading participatory performances of George Frideric Handel’s Messiah. It’s no surprise that that’s not the case this year. The Choir of College Street Congregational Church in Burlington takes the tradition to an online platform, offering…
Obituary: William McHenry Keyser, 1952‑2020
Founder of the Shelburne Bike Club lived by a motto: “Go fast, take chances”
Obituary: Bruce Scott Campbell, 1957‑2020
Shelburne man was an artist at heart who faced death “astonished and alert”
In Memoriam: April Lynn Moore, 1968‑2019
[Image-1] April 8, 1968-December 19, 2019 We are still reeling from the reality that you are gone. The pain and loss are unimaginable. We are trying to learn how to live without you by our side. Sometimes we are able to soothe the rawness of our pain with memories of you. Your light, love, and…
Obituary: Joseph Edward Hasazi, 1943‑2020
South Burlington man made outstanding contributions to the field of psychology in Vermont
The Magnificent 7: Must See, Must Do, December 17 to 23
1. Razzle Dazzle Over the course of several months, more than 100 performers and dozens of crew members came together (safely) to harness the spirit of the holiday season. The result is Lyric Theatre’s Miracle on Green Tree Drive: A Lyric Family Christmas Special. From December 20 through January 20, audience members may access the…
Obituary: Virginia L. Sweetser, 1981‑2020
Veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom was a friend to many and a fighter for those without a voice
Vermont-Based Böswellness Uplifts African Communities That Supply Frankincense and Myrrh
During the season of giving, no holiday gifts are more traditional than frankincense and myrrh. A Vermont-based company produces essential oils made from both and, in turn, provides its African partners with gifts that keep on giving, including food, safe drinking water, basic medical services and reliable income. Böswellness is one of the world’s only…
A New Wave of Outbreaks in Eldercare Homes Is Worse Than the First
Jean Baker and her mother, Joan Bruns, lived just 10 miles from one another, but they endured the pandemic apart. Baker’s weekly visits to see Bruns at Elderwood at Burlington, the nursing home in the city’s New North End, ended abruptly in March when such homes began indefinite lockdowns. During phone calls, Baker could hear…
The Endangered Alphabets Project Releases a New Book of Puzzling Word Searches
What do you get for the word nerd in your life who has everything — and is a glutton for punishment? How about Endangered Alphabets Word Search Puzzles, the new book from Vermont-based Endangered Alphabets Project? Sold on the nonprofit’s website, the book consists of word searches written in 11 obscure scripts from around the…
COVID-19 Claims a Hardwick Couple Married for Nearly 68 Years
Dona and Patricia Bessette became so close during their six-decade marriage that they were “totally connected” in their daughter Linda’s mind — Mom and Dad, Mem and Pep. She had long suspected that if one died, the other wouldn’t be far behind. A few years ago, Dona passed out at home, and Patricia, thinking he…
Essex-Based Art Herstory Cards Feature Female Painters of Centuries Past
Does the name Artemisia Gentileschi ring a bell? How about Clara Peeters? Rachel Ruysch? Pat yourself on the back if you knew any of those artists from centuries ago; most people haven’t a clue. And Erika Gaffney would like to change that. Gaffney, who lives in Essex, is the entrepreneur behind Art Herstory, a line…
Free Will Astrology (12/16/20)
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): According to researcher Nick Watts and his documentary film The Human Footprint, the average person speaks more than 13 million words in a lifetime, or about 4,300 per day. But I suspect and hope that your output will increase in 2021. I think you’ll have more to say than usual —…
Remembering Five Famous Local Animals We Lost in 2020
Every so often, an animal captures the heart of the general public. This year, those creatures included the winner of Alaska’s annual Katmai Conservancy Fat Bear Week tournament; Joe Biden’s shelter dog, Major; and every feline who participated in the worldwide phenomenon of cat-butt Zoom-bombing. On a sadder note, in Vermont and New Hampshire, 2020…
American Dream Online Play-Reading Series Addresses Racial and Social Injustice
At a time without the possibility of live performance, Middlebury Acting Company has sought out a new role for itself and new subjects for Vermont audiences. The company created an online play-reading series called the American Dream Project, selecting six plays — five written by people of color — that reflect the racial and economic…
Letters to the Editor (12/16/20)
Programs Over Profit The University of Vermont’s decision to cut at least 23 programs of study due to low enrollment is troubling [Off Message: “UVM Announces Plan to Eliminate More Than Two Dozen Academic Programs,” December 2]. Administrators and trustees of public universities should go beyond enrollment numbers and consider how small programs support the…
A Barre Woman and Her Friends Play Santa for Families in Need
Renita Marshall was scrolling through Facebook several years ago when a neighbor’s post stopped her cold. “‘We might not have a tree or presents, but at least we have each other,'” a woman wrote to her four daughters, according to Marshall. “‘And that’s what the holidays are all about.'” It was a call to action…
Soundbites: The New Central Vermont Community Radio
Some big news out of Goddard College: Its radio station, WGDR-FM, is in the process of becoming an independent entity after nearly 50 years of operation. While it’s possible that the physical station itself, including tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of broadcasting equipment, a performance area and other facilities, will remain on the Plainfield…
6radley, ‘Blood in the Water’
(Self-released, digital) An October Instagram post from Bradley Yandow, aka South Burlington trap metal artist 6radley, shows a stack of pay stubs Yandow says he earned as a paper boy saving up for guitar lessons. “Been grinding for my music since 12,” he wrote in the caption. The singer, rapper and guitar player has indeed…
‘Mank’ Is a Glorious Pastiche With an Empty Center
Our streaming entertainment options are overwhelming — and not always easy to sort through. This week, I watched Mank, director David Fincher’s tribute to old Hollywood and to his late father, Jack Fincher, who wrote the screenplay. The film was released on Netflix after a brief theatrical run and is likely to be an awards…
Xander Naylor, ‘Continuum’
(Chant Records, CD, digital) I was at a house party in 2008 with some bandmates. It was a pretty tame affair for the most part, but a failure to ask the important questions led me to ingest a rather robust mushroom chocolate. Long story short: I suddenly no longer desired the company of other humans.…
I Can’t Have an Orgasm During Sex, but My Boyfriend Finishes Fast. What Do I Do?
Dear Reverend, I feel like whenever I have sex, I can’t have an orgasm, but my boyfriend finishes so fast. What do I do? Auntie Climactic (female, 19) Dear Auntie Climactic, This reminds me of a scene in a movie I recently saw that took place in a sex education class. The teacher compared women…
From the Publisher: Seasonal Help
Outdoor classrooms, volunteer mask makers, virtual prom: Some positive local stories have emerged from this terrible year, and our cover package this week gathers and puts a bow on them. The silver lining for Seven Days these past nine months has been the love we’ve received from more than 2,000 Super Readers. While ad revenue…
Backcountry Skiing Guru David Goodman’s New Book Makes a Grand Entrance
In 1987, David Goodman was a fledgling journalist living in Boston when he got a call from the Appalachian Mountain Club. That year, he’d written a piece for Cross Country Skier magazine about the revival of backcountry skiing, a back-to-the-land-esque movement of purists and adrenaline junkies. Disillusioned with the commercialization of downhill skiing, Goodman suggested,…
Grilling the Chef: At Healthy Living, Matt Jennings Is Thinking Ahead
In July 2019, a year after chef Matt Jennings closed his Boston restaurant, Townsman, he moved with his family to Vermont. He lives with his wife, Kate, a pastry chef, and their two sons in Charlotte, where they grow vegetables and raise animals. “I’ve always loved Vermont, and my wife is originally from Arlington,” said…
Four New Vermont Bakeries Offer Their Wares Directly to Consumers
In these challenging times, we’ve noticed a small, sweet (and sometimes savory) trend. Over the past nine months, a new crop of bakers in and around Burlington has been whisking, crimping and piping their way into our hearts and homes. Aided by social media, word of mouth and changing consumer behavior, these new bakeries are…
