Jul 31 – Aug 6, 2019
A Reporter Explores Campground Culture at North Beach; Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner in the Champlain Islands; Burlington Hip-Hop Group 99 Neighbors Sign a Record Deal
Cover Story
A Reporter Soaks Up Campground Culture at North Beach
People often speak of the simplicity of camping. There is, in fact, nothing simple about inflating a sleeping pad with your own pipes, only to have it deflate slowly beneath you throughout the night. This turn of events will force you to get up at least twice, depending on your discomfort threshold, and grope around…
Obituary: Henry H. Huston Sr., 1931-2019
Henry H. Huston Sr., 88, of Burlington, Vt., died peacefully on July 21, 2019. Barbara, his wife of 58 years, passed away in 2010, and his thoughts were with her every day. He is survived by his daughter Ann and her son Joseph; by his son Henry Jr. and his son Lincoln; and by many…
Obituary: Julian Joseph Jaffe, 1926-2019
Julian Joseph Jaffe, a longtime resident of Burlington, passed away at the McClure Miller Respite House on July 31, 2019. He was born February 17, 1926, in Bronx, N.Y., to Paul and Frieda (Schall) Jaffe. The family moved to a farm in East Hampton, Conn., in 1935, at the height of the Great Depression. Times…
Big Vermont Dairy? Merger Gives Farmers a Measure of Hope
Dairyman Rich Berard of Fairfield had just cast a vote that would decide his future on Monday afternoon when a fellow farmer approached him in a St. Albans parking lot. “This is a half ton?” the man asked, slapping the side of Berard’s heavy-duty Dodge pickup. “Yup,” Berard replied. “Well, you’re gonna have to get…
Inconceivable and Verdantrics Theater Companies Hit the Stage
The Inconceivable Theatre Company assembled in a community art space in the basement of the town center building in Richmond under the watchful eyes of children’s art and large papier-mâché bumblebees. They cracked jokes and compared Goodwill jeans, and one of them scarfed down a prerehearsal hot dog. Bustling around them all was Sofia Carfaro,…
Vermont Stage Launches Youth Theater Program
Young Vermonters will have new opportunities to learn about theater on and off the stage with Vermont Stage Youth Company at Main Street Landing, a year-round theater education program with multiple productions, workshops and classes launching this fall. Kids and teenagers ages 11 to 20 will be able to join one of two companies and…
Page 32: Short Takes on Five Vermont Books
Seven Days writers can’t possibly read, much less review, all the books that arrive in a steady stream by post, email and, in one memorable case, a gaze of angry raccoons. So this monthly feature is our way of introducing you to a handful of books by Vermont authors. To do that, we contextualize each…
WTF: What’s Up With the Long-Defunct Sand Bar Inn?
Conventional wisdom holds that the first three rules for choosing commercial real estate are location, location and location. If that’s the case, what’s the deal with the old Sand Bar Inn, a long-vacant motel on the west side of the Sandbar Causeway in South Hero? If ever a spot were prime for commercial ka-ching, this…
Historic Dustup: Standoff Shutters Orwell’s Museum
Kate Hunter is not a party to the bitter squabble that has closed Orwell’s history museum, but she’s the one who gives visitors the bad news. The young librarian runs the Orwell Free Library on the first floor of a historic Main Street home. The Orwell Historical Society Museum is upstairs, where it has been…
Staff Turnover Bedevils Vermont Democratic Party
The Vermont Democratic Party has just hired a new executive director — the paid staffer who manages party operations. Scott McNeil is a Massachusetts native who’s been executive director of the North Dakota Democratic party. “Scott is a strong manager, a good administrator and fundraiser,” said VDP chair Terje Anderson. “He’s the kind of guy…
Soundbites: 99 Neighbors Sign With Warner Records
Democracy in Action It’s come to my attention that some folks don’t fully comprehend democracy. The democratic process to which I’m referring is Seven Days’ annual Grand Point North Local Band Contest. As always, our readers choose the nominees and winner. The contest’s champion is awarded the highly coveted task of opening the two-day festival,…
Art Review: ‘Sarah Amos: Unique Multiples,’ BCA Center
In a video on her website, artist Sarah Amos says that printmaking is “a brilliant vehicle for my constant inquiries.” Without the benefit of asking her, a viewer can’t know for certain which questions she has for the world, for herself or for the creative process. There is only the result — her answers —…
Beach House’s Victoria Legrand on Touring, John Waters and Parallel Universes
In the 21st century, Beach House have come to define the indie music subgenre known as dream pop. The Baltimore duo’s music floats in a hazy realm full of woozy organs, lustrous synths and front person Victoria Legrand’s unearthly vocals. “Mysterious” is the watchword. As Pitchfork contributor Jayson Greene pointed out in his glowing review…
More Trouble Bruin: Killing of Home-Invading Bear Is Only the Latest Instance
A Wilmington homeowner killed a bear with a crossbow after it barged into his kitchen, according to Vermont Fish & Wildlife Commissioner Louis Porter. The July 20 incident was a case of a homeowner legally defending himself — and not the only such instance in Vermont this year, Porter said. Game wardens and residents have killed…
I’m Married to a Man but Fantasize About My Female Coworker
Dear Reverend, I’ve been married to a man for 10 years but often fantasize about my female coworker. I definitely feel something between us. Recently she asked me to go on a trip with her that would require us to sleep in the same room. She recommended it as a way to save money. Do…
Free Will Astrology (7/31/19)
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Let’s check in with our psychic journalist, LoveMancer, who’s standing by with a live report from inside your imagination. What’s happening, LoveMancer? “Well, Rob, the enchanting creature on whose thoughts I’ve been eavesdropping has slipped into an intriguing frontier. This place seems to be a hot zone where love and healing…
Red Panda Opens in Burlington With Himalayan Cuisine
There’s a new Nepali/Indian/Indo-Chinese restaurant in town as of last week. Red Panda opened on Tuesday, July 23, at 161 Church Street in Burlington. The space was formerly occupied by Thai Dishes, which closed earlier this year after a five-year run. The owners and staff of Red Panda, led by Dan Raut, prepare dishes from…
Peter Neri, ‘Rough Edges’
(Self-released, CD, digital) Peter Neri is an artist, writer and guitarist from Sharon, Vt. His new album, Rough Edges, marks his third solo release. It is a knockout, a top-shelf selection of fingerstyle Americana songs. Such fare rests on technical skills, and Neri’s got them. What shines through on his latest effort, though, is the…
Sweet Babu Closes Storefront, Will Open Kitchen-Only Space
Winooski’s Sweet Babu will close its retail storefront at 25 Winooski Falls Way on August 17. According to a post on the café’s Facebook page, “the business in its current location and iteration are unsustainable.” Owner Shana Goldberger started selling cookies at the Winooski Farmers Market in 2014. She opened the dessert bar at the…
The Path, ‘Chaotic Good’
(State of Mind Recordings, CD, vinyl, digital) We’re often told to stifle our aggression, refine our anger and take the high road. And, really, it’s no surprise given the age we live in. Violence, hatred and injustice abound; conflict is everywhere. And while cooler heads are no doubt needed, this is traditionally a time for…
Eat This Week, July 31 to August 6, 2019: Mad River Food Flow
Food-hopping in the Mad River Valley, a perennial delight, will blossom in coming days at Mad River Taste Week. From tastings to tours to demos, the weeklong event will showcase brewing, beekeeping, cider making, cheese-and-beer pairings, hydroponic farming and more. Festivities begin Saturday, August 3, at 5 p.m. with a pig roast on the Mad…
Quentin Tarantino’s Brilliant Nostalgia Trip Takes Viewers ‘Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood’
Quentin Tarantino’s new film is a valentine to old Hollywood. The director casts a lingering look back at the legendary haunts: Musso & Frank Grill, Casa Vega, the studio lots where TV westerns were shot, and the mansions high in the hills from which the old guard watched the new advance. Al Pacino is priceless…
Book Review: ‘Their Names Are Mine,’ by Rajnii Eddins
In his new book of poetry, Their Names Are Mine, Rajnii Eddins says his New Year’s resolution is “to tell the truth to white people.” For me, it’s hard to think about this without my mind wandering off to Christmas and Kwanzaa, which ultimately makes me think of snow, and, well, snow — that’s white,…
Mysteries Abound ‘Under the Silver Lake’ in an Absurdist Neo-Noir
We ran short of theatrical releases last week, so I opted to see a streaming movie that never hit Vermont multiplexes. And we have a theme. If Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood memorializes a bygone Los Angeles, Under the Silver Lake (now on Amazon Prime and other platforms) is about LA right now.…
Theater Review: ‘The Father,’ Unadilla Theatre
Time takes a toll on the body and mind and provides us all with a private drama. When a family member suffers from dementia, the pain becomes more public. In support groups and tearful conversation with confidants, we share the sorrow of seeing a loved one set adrift on a boundless, bewildering sea. French playwright…
Letters to the Editor (7/31/19)
Next Up: N.H. Issue? I’ve been reading your fine publication for about 12 years and enjoy your annual Adirondack Issue [July 24] — to a degree. While grazing this edition in recent years, I’ve wondered: If we’re going to devote such homage to our neighbors to the west, why not our neighbors to the east…
Rebranding Burlington: Hotels, Chamber of Commerce Plan to Boost Visitor Economy
When you think about Burlington, what comes to mind? Maybe it’s the stunning sunsets on Lake Champlain, people-watching on Church Street or the so-called World’s Tallest Filing Cabinet on Flynn Avenue, a true claim to fame. Maybe you think of Ben & Jerry’s, the vibrant arts scene or that unmistakable vibe that seems to separate…
Brandon’s Barn Opera to Get a New Home, in a Barn
Imagine how much more engaging real estate shows would be if all prospective buyers were like Joshua Collier. When hunting for a new home for his nonprofit Barn Opera, the artistic director, a tenor, tested the acoustics in more than 50 barns by — what else? — singing in them. After all, cavernous farm buildings…
Obituary: Judith Fiermonte, 1949-2019
Judith Ann Fiermonte of Santa Rosa, Calif., passed away on June 29 after a recent diagnosis of cancer. Her absence creates a void that has left so many struggling with the shock of this tremendous loss. Judy was born August 5, 1949, in Newport, Vt., to Dr. Frank and Lucille Fiermonte. She lived in Derby,…
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner — and a Banana Stand — in the Champlain Islands
Who doesn’t love an island getaway? Since I’m only a month into working at Seven Days, my vacation time hasn’t kicked in yet — so when I had the chance to take a daytrip to the Champlain Islands, I put on my tropical-print shirt, slathered on the sunscreen and headed northward. The towns that make…
Pitchfork Farm Extends Its Season by Pickling Produce
At Pitchfork Farm, an organic vegetable farm at the Intervale Center in Burlington, the crew breaks every day for a lunch of bean burritos made on-site. Rob Rock, co-owner of Pitchfork, said he’s eaten at least 1,500 burritos over the past five years, maybe closer to 2,000. Last year, more than a thousand burritos into…
Micro Mobile Kitchen Serves Up Persian Food
A Burlington man has combined his two interests — transportation technology and Persian food — to create Micro Mobile Kitchen, a new food business that serves Iranian kebabs from an electric-powered vehicle. Daryoush Khamnei is the engineer and cook behind MMK. He converted an apparatus about the size of a golf cart — classified as…
