Oct 21-27, 2020
The Climate Crisis Brings Both Deluges and Droughts to Vermont; Photographer Terry J. Allen Chronicles Early Voting in Central Vermont; Black Staff Say Burlington Nursing Home Failed to Protect Them From Abuse
Cover Story
Trickle to Torrent: The Climate Crisis Brings Both Deluges and Droughts to Vermont
On Halloween of 2019, an unexpectedly powerful storm system ripped through Vermont and northern New York, dumping up to five inches of rain, washing out roads and causing widespread power outages. According to the National Weather Service, record-breaking precipitation drove 10 rivers to surge to flood stage. Less than a year later, 315,000 Vermonters, or…
Obituary: Susan Marie Moegenburg, 1966-2020
Shelburne woman left a tangible legacy of land conservation
Obituary: Robert J. McComiskey, 1983-2020
Pitmaster at Hobo’s Restaurant was known for his outstanding barbecue fare
The Magnificent 7: Must See, Must Do, October 22 to 28
1. Representative Government “Our goal is to reach as many people as possible to encourage them to vote this year, while entertaining them, as well,” said Vermont drag performer Amber LeMay of the October 24 livestream event “Don’t Blow It, Vote!” Presented by the House of LeMay founder along with Higher Ground, this virtual variety…
A Box of Stars, ‘Big Hole in the Sky’/’Museum of Light’
(Self-released, digital) A Box of Stars aren’t a band anymore — at least not right now. The former four-piece dream-folk outfit succumbed to the perennial enemy of rock and roll: life. The pandemic, ramped-up educational trajectories and artistic wanderlust conspired to leave Burlington’s Macaulay Lerman as the band’s sole proprietor. So what did he do?…
Free Will Astrology (10/21/20)
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “I loathe narcissism, but I approve of vanity,” said fashion writer Diana Vreeland. Here’s how I interpret that: People who care mostly for their own feelings and welfare, and who believe they’re more important than everyone else, are boring and repellent. But those who enjoy looking their best and expressing their…
Harpoons, ‘Pangs of Conscience’
(Self-released, digital) There’s a memory bubbling around in the back of my brain. It’s been there since I was a child, and I honestly don’t remember what it’s from, or even if it’s real or something 6-year-old me imagined. I’m sitting in the living room, prostrate before a big-box TV and watching a comedy sketch…
Book Review: ‘The Meeting Place,’ Dede Cummings
Brattleboro author and publisher Dede Cummings’ second collection of poetry, A Meeting Place, was released in March by Irish publisher Salmon Poetry. The title, as the opening poem makes clear, refers to the Algonquian word Wantastiquet, for the place where the West River meets the Connecticut River. Thinking of the book itself in terms of…
Photo Essay: Terry J. Allen Chronicles Early Voting in Central Vermont
The 2020 U.S. General Election is almost here. And, in Vermont and all over the country, voting is already in full swing. Record numbers of Americans from coast to coast are showing up to polling places early or casting mail-in ballots. According to the Vermont Secretary of State’s Office, as of October 19, Vermonters had…
Black Staff Say Burlington Nursing Home Failed to Protect Them From Abuse
Employees of one of Vermont’s largest nursing homes, Elderwood at Burlington, say they have faced repeated racial attacks, both verbal and physical, on the job. Managers, they say, have ignored their complaints and failed to protect them from a particularly hostile and violent patient. “I have never experienced the type of racism that I am…
Can Anyone Do Anything About Bike Theft?
In the summer of 2015, Dustin Eager was working at Burlington bar Red Square after graduating from the University of Vermont. He’d recently bought a bike for the first time and was enjoying local explorations on two wheels. He’d usually bring the bike inside while he was at work, but one evening after a late…
Retail Therapy: At AroMed Essentials, Products Soothe Aches and Pains — and Smell Good
Krista Harness stopped at AroMed Essentials in downtown Montpelier last week to pick up a special cream and other gifts for a friend recovering from a major medical issue. As she handed her credit card to shop owner Lauren Andrews, she raved about the Relief Lotion and its “magic recipe” for mitigating muscle soreness, joint…
Vermont International Film Festival Returns With a Focus on Journalism
Cries of “fake news” fill the political sphere. Social media companies reckon with a misinformation epidemic. Newsrooms confront their own biases. Clearly, 2020 is a pivotal year for journalism, and this year’s Vermont International Film Festival is taking a long, hard look at the profession. Running from October 23 to November 1, this year’s VTIFF…
Documentary About Journalists in the Philippines Warns That Democracy Dies by ‘A Thousand Cuts’
Our streaming entertainment options are overwhelming — and not always easy to sort through. This week, I previewed one of the offerings of this year’s all-virtual Vermont International Film Festival. A Thousand Cuts will stream on October 31 and November 1; a related live Q&A on November 1 at 8 p.m. features journalist and documentarian…
My Girlfriend Wants to Sell Her Unwashed Underwear Online
Dear Reverend, My girlfriend lost her job due to the pandemic. She has been getting unemployment, but it’s not anywhere near what she used to make. She wants to start selling her unwashed underwear online to make extra money. I think it’s creepy and gross, and I don’t think she should do it. Panty Perplexed…
Bike Share Company Offers Free Rides to the Polls on Election Day
Burlington, South Burlington and Winooski voters who want to head to the polls to cast a ballot in person are in luck, transportation-wise. Two-wheeled trips through Greenride Bikeshare will be free all day on November 3, according to Gotcha, the South Carolina-based company that operates the alternative transportation system. “We want everyone to be able…
Burlington Councilors Met With No Public Notice in Another Violation of Law
Members of a Burlington City Council subcommittee admitted on Monday that they violated Vermont’s open meeting law last month — the second infraction by councilors in recent weeks. The three-person Community Development and Neighborhood Revitalization Committee, which focuses on quality-of-life issues, met a month ago to discuss a proposal that would require landlords to have…
New Policies Target Sexual Misconduct in the Vermont National Guard
The Vermont National Guard has long accommodated a notorious culture of sexual misconduct. But this year, under new leadership, it has commenced an outside audit of that culture and adopted a comprehensive slate of measures meant to protect its members from harassment and assault. These protocols are designed to make hiring and promotions more equitable…
Letters to the Editor (10/21/20)
Seeking Sanity Last week’s cover story, “De-Stress Signals,” and specifically the “Into the Wild” article, resonated very strongly with me. As it has been for most people, COVID-19 has been just one in a long list of anxiety producers in my life in 2020. Recent parental death; the profound hurt and utter confusion of a…
Autumn Records’ Greg Davis Launches Vinyl Subscription Service
Sigh. I’m starting this week with a little bit of housekeeping. Last Friday, New York City ensemble the Queen’s Cartoonists were meant to play a show at the Shelburne Museum. But the dang rain and frigid temperature meant an outdoor, socially distant show was just not possible. However, as promised by the Flynn, who presented…
It’ll Do Darkroom Opens in Burlington
A Burlington resident opened a free public darkroom in early October, aiming to make film photography and darkroom developing more accessible. Mitchell O’Neill took his first darkroom class in 2017 at Burlington City Arts. He found the developing process “magical,” he said. He’d been shooting film for a long time, but developing it added a…
Seven Delicious Meals for $12 or Less
We’ve been running a series called “Dining on a Dime” on our Bite Club blog since 2016. Over the years, we’ve enjoyed well-made, filling bites — substantial enough to qualify as a small meal or better — for $12 or less at 96 different establishments. We often discuss raising the price limit for the weekly-ish…
Hardwick’s Caja Madera Food Truck Settles in a Winter Location
This week, chef-owner Bryan Palilonis opens his Caja Madera food truck for the winter in a renovated two-bay, heated garage on Route 15 in Hardwick, across from the Aubuchon Hardware store. In that temporary covered location, Palilonis offers lunch and early dinner out of Caja Madera’s converted horse trailer. Next week, he’ll add breakfast. Most…
