Sep 2-8, 2015
Four years After Irene, Waterbury Is Completing Its Comeback; Vermont Labor Pains: Which Workers Are Employees?; Meet Miss Vermont, Science Nerd; Restaurants’ Last Supers;
Cover Story
Waterbury Works: Completing a Town’s Post-Irene Comeback
Visitors still have to wear hard hats and negotiate a maze of construction materials to get to the new public entrance of the State Office Complex in Waterbury. The building faces the Winooski River, and on a Thursday in mid-August the sun-dappled waterway was tranquil. That was in contrast to four years ago, when Tropical…
Obituary: Larry James Tatro
Larry James Tatro, age 56 years, died Monday September 7, 2015, at The University of Vermont Medical Center. A longtime resident of Highgate, Larry had recently been residing on Blake St., in Swanton Village. Born in St. Albans on, October 7, 1958, he was the son of the late Clyde and Arlene (Bonya) Tatro. He…
Obituary: Harriett H. (Jaques) Curavoo, 1926-2015, Colchester
Harriett H. (Jaques) Curavoo of Colchester passed away suddenly September 2, 2015, at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington. Harriett was born in Starksboro on April 8, 1926, to Fred S. and Julia V. (Quirk) Jaques. Harriett grew up in Huntington. She graduated from Burlington High School, class of 1946. Harriett was employed…
Bow Thayer On His Hybrid Axe, the Bojotar
At the Tweed River Music Festival in Waitsfield earlier this month, Bow Thayer owned the main stage on Saturday night. And why not? He’s the founder of the fest. Thayer fronted a top-notch band that slinked its way through “Funeral Crasher,” a track from his standout new record Sundowser. And he was playing the tune…
Champlain Valley Fair in Portraits: The Workers, Competitors and Revelers
Every year the Champlain Valley Fair brings an influx of new faces to Chittenden County. Artists, cooks, salespeople, ride operators and agricultural aficionados from all walks of life set up shop in Essex Junction, and attendees come from every nook and cranny of the state to take it all in. Borrowing a concept from Brandon…
Pete’s Posse, Down to the Core
(Epact Music, CD, digital download) Vermont music master Pete Sutherland has been a major player in the acoustic music scene in New England and beyond since the 1970s, when he fronted the Arm and Hammer String Band. That eclectic group was one of the first in Vermont to play “old-timey” music. On Sutherland’s most recent…
Soundbites: Currently Nameless Return; Lazerdisk, Too
Name That Tune Naming your band is a pain in the ass. For one thing, getting four or five or eight people to agree on anything, let alone the moniker that will represent them for all of eternity, is impossible. For another thing, coming up with a good name is just plain hard. You want…
Vedora, II
(Self-released, CD, digital download) On their 2012 full-length debut, When Dusk Falls, Burlington alt-rockers Vedora displayed versatility and curiosity. The requisite guitar jangle characteristic of the genre was offset by stylistic diversions into reggae, Latin rock, rockabilly and piano balladry. And it was all shrouded in a dusky haze courtesy of the moody songwriting of…
Theater Review: The Glass Menagerie
Almost every great story begins with intolerable conditions that a character must overcome. The powerful story in Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie, which premiered in 1944 and is now playing at Weston Playhouse, turns on how long each of the four characters can delay making such a change. Amanda Wingfield’s husband abandoned their family years…
Free Will Astrology (9/2/15)
ARIES (March 21-April 19): “Excess is the common substitute for energy,” said poet Marianne Moore. That’s a problem you should watch out for in the coming weeks. According to my astrological projections, you’re a bit less lively and dynamic than usual. And you may be tempted to compensate by engaging in extreme behavior or resorting…
And They’re Off: Lisman, Dunne Join Race for Vermont Governor
The 2016 governor’s race is getting more interesting by the day. Two candidates — Republican Bruce Lisman and Democrat Matt Dunne — clarified this week that they are indeed running, setting the stage for primaries for both parties. Dunne plans to make his candidacy official Wednesday. He told Fair Game he’s still on the “listening tour” he…
Who’s an Employee? Labor Dispute Divides Vermont
Bob Schwartz’s business — a Vermont construction company that bills $2 million a year — appears to have little in common with Uber, the multinational car service valued at $40 billion. But they do share one thing: Both companies have attracted the scrutiny of the Vermont Department of Labor, which is questioning whether or not…
Nest House Hunt Update: Where Is James Q. Now?
Nest House Hunt follows first-time home buyers on the search for their dream homes. In the summer, we introduced you to House Hunter James Q. of Burlington. A 28-year-old health care IT consultant, James is hunting for a duplex — ideally, he says, in Burlington, South Burlington or Winooski. In the year that he’s been…
Burlington Institution Bove’s to Close
If you crave old-school cocktails at bargain prices, “lettuce with dressing” or Vermont’s most famous lasagna, it’s time to schedule a final visit to Bove’s Restaurant. After 75 years in business, the Pearl Street landmark will close on December 23. Related Stories
Seven Days Uncovered: 1995-2015
7,300 days and 1,040 issues later… we’re celebrating our 20th year. Now through October 1, stop by the Skinny Pancake on the Burlington Waterfront to view an art show featuring 40 of our favorite covers, 1995-2015. Take one home! Bid on your favorites at our silent auction closing party to benefit SEABA. All covers include…
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Mr. Sausage at the Fair [SIV411]
8/30/15: For the past 36 years, Stan Gumienny, AKA Mr. Sausage of Vermont, and his daughters Jill and Julie, have been serving up hot food at the Champlain Valley Fair in Essex Junction. Eva met the Mr. Sausage of Vermont family, talked to some regulars and of course, tried some pork made with Stan’s special…
Alan LePage on Farming’s Highs and Lows
Alan LePage lifts the willowy white fabric blanketing a row of sweet potatoes. “These thrive in 90 to 100 degrees,” he says. “You can get slow growth at 80, but any lower than that — nothing. We try to control every aspect of their environment.” The roots and suckling yams grow insulated under black weed…
Art Review: ‘Excerpts From the West Side,’ RLPhoto
Don’t mind the “South Gallery” sign on the door of 27 Sears Lane in Burlington. Launched just last July, that gallery “is morphing into a looser exhibition space platform,” according to co-gallerist Clark Derbes, “from the inventoried commercial gallery model of the previous year.” So what might have been unhappy news isn’t. Rick Levinson, photographer…
Stone Corral Brewery Brings Its Beers to Richmond
After six months of build-out in its new Richmond location, Stone Corral Brewery will reopen on Friday, September 4, says owner-brewer Bret Hamilton. The new taproom will offer flights and pints of its classic German, Belgian and English styles, including Kölsch, Palomino Pale Ale and Latigo Scottish ale, along with a new double-chocolate maple porter…
Letters to the Editor (9/2/15)
Sanders Staffer Says… [Re Fair Game: “Anger Management,” August 26]: This article does a poor job of being balanced. The headline is a cheap swipe. Using multiple unnamed sources to make irreverent accusations against the senator (like he’s “an asshole”) is textbook yellow journalism and tells us nothing substantive. As a former Bernie staffer, I…
German Food: It’s What’s for Dinner at Michel’s
Last Saturday, August 29, was the official opening day of Michel’s German Food, an authentic German take-out restaurant next to Higher Ground in South Burlington. General manager and University of Vermont graduate Addi von Eynern has been working on the project since February with owner Norbert Sass, her father. When Seven Days spoke with von…
Novelist Jennifer McMahon Spins a Tale of Motel Hell
With seven popular suspense novels under her belt, Jennifer McMahon of Montpelier has carved out a niche as a writer of modern Vermont gothics. Many of her books pivot on that hoariest of genre tropes: the disappearance, abduction or mysterious transformation of a young girl. But, unlike the white-gowned maidens of old-time gothics, McMahon’s doomed…
Miss Vermont Is a Science Nerd
Alayna Westcom didn’t earn her Miss Vermont 2015 crown by being just another pretty face. You might say she took a scientific approach to winning. In April, Westcom wowed the Miss Vermont judges in the talent portion of the pageant not by singing a song, playing a musical instrument or performing a magic act, but…
Steampunk Rolls Into Springfield
If you plan to be in Springfield the weekend of September 11 to 13, you’ll likely encounter men and women in Victorian-style getups — some with elaborate, multi-lensed monocles — and a preponderance of clockwork gewgaws. The explanation for all this anachronism? Steampunk. Yes, this month, the Windsor County town of about 10,000 will host…
I Really Like My Yoga Teacher, and I Thought She Liked Me Back
Dear Athena, I have been taking this yoga class, and I started to have a crush on the teacher. So, after a while, I asked her out for coffee after class. She said yes, and we had a great time. We met a few more times, and I felt like things were really starting to…
Arlington Besties
Beaming from the backseat of my cab, Cookie announced for my benefit, “I’m taking these two out for their 20th wedding anniversary.” Next to her sat her daughter, Kiley. Kiley’s husband, Carlos, was beside me in the shotgun seat. “L’Amante is shutting down at the end of this month, and that’s their favorite restaurant,” Cookie…
Back to Blue: Lake Champlain Plan Targets Treatment Plants
It was warm and sunny on Friday afternoon two weeks ago in St. Albans, but the town beach was deserted. That’s because the water washing ashore was thick with blue-green algae, a potentially toxic threat to people and pets. “Beach closed” signs were posted up and down the stretch of lake in bulb-shaped St. Albans…
Plastic Pollution Inspires an Outdoor Sculpture Show
For the second year, ECO-Visions is presenting an outdoor sculpture exhibit at King Farm, a Vermont Land Trust property in Woodstock. This year’s theme, “Intersections: Our Natural and Synthetic Worlds,” was inspired in part by the five trillion pieces of plastic floating in the world’s oceans. Sixteen participating artists investigate this idea in the exhibit.…
No Escape
Owen Wilson finds himself “behind enemy lines” again, only this time he doesn’t play a naval aviator (as he did in that 2001 film), and he’s far from Serbia. He’s a company man named Jack Dwyer who has transplanted his wife (Lake Bell) and two young daughters from Texas to an unnamed Southeast Asian nation…
Pre-Art Hop, New Public Murals Make Pine Street Pop
As the South End Art Hop gears up for its 23rd annual extravaganza from September 11 to 13, artists Max Hodgson and Dana Heffern got a head start on the weekend by creating two new murals on Pine Street. Heffern had help from a posse of Burlington College students and professors. Burlington native Hodgson is…
The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Set in the late 1970s, The Diary of a Teenage Girl feels like a film that could have been made then, too, long before the era of trigger warnings. First-time director-screenwriter Marielle Heller takes a matter-of-fact, unperturbed approach to subject matter that some modern viewers will find “triggering” indeed. But her film doesn’t glamorize the…
Winooski VFW Will Tank Before Giving Up Its Landmark Sherman
The Winooski Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1767 could use some quick cash. The leaky roof needs to be replaced. Monthly utility bills have been tough to pay. With the World War II generation dying off, Post 1767 has lost 70 percent of its members in the past two decades, and revenue from annual dues…
Taiwanese Food on a Conveyor Belt at the Mall
On Monday, August 31, at 11 a.m., the front entrance of Burlington Town Center was starting to look like the mall in George Romero’s 1978 Dawn of the Dead. Shoppers stopped to gaze or slowly ambled past, slack-jawed, their eyes fixed. But these were no zombies. The living were mesmerized by the spectacle of A…
Why Are Top Vermont Restaurants Closing?
On May 4, Vermont diners got a surprise announcement, and the news wasn’t good. After six years in business, a move to downtown Burlington and a semifinalist nod from the James Beard Foundation, Bluebird Tavern had served its final meal. In July, L’Amante’s owners, Kevin and Kathi Cleary, revealed that they would close their 12-year-old…
