From Seven Days

  • Vermont Officials Recover an Antique Weather Vane Stolen From a Train Station in 1983

    Vermont officials have recovered an antique weather vane stolen in the last century, solving a 41-year-old cold case. Modeled after the first steam locomotives, the five-foot-long copper piece was installed atop the White River Junction train station in 1910. It remained perched there until it was stolen in 1983 amid a rash of such thefts from buildings in northern New England. "I don't think anyone was expecting it to come back," said Judith Ehrlich, historic preservation officer for...

  • At the Phoenix Gallery, the Group Show “Flora” Is Like a Field of Wildflowers

    The rhyming dyad "flower power" is a throwback to 1960s hippie culture and anti-war demonstrations. But the expression could just as easily refer to the awesomeness of nature's florescence every single year. Another time-worn phrase — "hope springs eternal" — suggests that blossoms symbolize optimism against all odds. And who couldn't use that right now? At the Phoenix gallery in Waterbury, an exhibition titled simply "Flora" delivers more than a seasonal punch in the psyche. Phoenix...

  • Now Playing in Theaters: May 15-21

    In addition to La Chimera, here's what is playing in Northern and Central Vermont movie theaters this week. Listings include new movies, vintage films and a directory of open theaters. new in theaters BACK TO BLACK: Marisa Abela plays Amy Winehouse in this biopic about the making of her best-selling album, directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson. With Eddie Marsan and Jack O'Connell. (122 min, R. Essex, Majestic, Roxy, Savoy) IF: What happens to imaginary friends when...

  • Bristol Journalist Alex Belth Compiled an Anthology of Classic Celebrity Profiles From the 1960s and ’70s

    In 1966, writer Doon Arbus got an assignment from the New York Herald Tribune to profile James Brown on the occasion of the singer's first-ever show at Madison Square Garden. Long before most of white America had heard of the "Godfather of Soul," Arbus, daughter of famed photographer Diane Arbus, spent hours with Brown at his house in Queens, N.Y., then traveled with him to a show in Virginia Beach. Arbus even convinced Brown to let her, a 20-year-old white woman, stay in the hotel with...

  • A Pop Star Falls for Anne Hathaway in the Escapist but Uninspired Rom-Com 'The Idea of You'

    The pandemic changed the way people watch movies and the way critics write about them. Here at Seven Days, where we used to limit ourselves to reviewing films currently in local theaters, the choices have opened up to include new streaming fare. The explosion of options is a welcome change for the most part: Who really wants to hear a critic's take on something they would never choose to watch? We all have our personal tastes, and if you love inspirational sports dramas or Transformers...

  • A Local Veteran Discusses Lessons Learned From War-Gaming a Second Trump Presidency

    It's January 20, 2025, and Donald Trump is being sworn in for a second presidential term. In the weeks leading up to the inauguration, his rhetoric on border security has become increasingly inflammatory. Addressing a large rally, he has vowed to issue an executive order on his first day in office to "take back control of our border and use our powerful military and brave patriots to do the job that Biden failed to do." In response, far-right extremist groups such as the Proud Boys and...

  • As School Budget Season Drags On, Residents Put Education Spending Under the Microscope

    Last week, administrators in the Mount Abraham Unified School District invited Bristol parent Shawna Gabbeitt to their central office to look over financial documents. Gabbeitt, a bookkeeper, had filed an extensive request for public records about school spending after voters rejected the district's budget on Town Meeting Day. She had become more concerned about the district's financial practices after receiving dozens of documents, Gabbeitt said, and later shared her misgivings on...

  • Growing Pains: How Warmer, Wetter, Wilder Weather Is Compelling Vermont Farmers to Adapt

    Scott Farm in Dummerston is known for heirloom apples. In a good year, its apple harvest totals more than half a million pounds of varieties such as copper-skinned Ashmead's kernel and a 16th-century French apple called Calville blanc d'hiver. Last year was not a good one. The orchard lost 90 percent of its apples to a record-breaking May 18 freeze, which was attributed, like many recent extreme weather events, to the destabilizing effects of climate change. Exceptionally low February...

  • New Chef and Menu at the Big Spruce in Richmond

    After a brief expansion to breakfast and lunch, the Big Spruce in Richmond has returned to serving only dinner, with a fresh approach from newly hired executive chef Christian Kruse. As of the first week of May, the menu at the 3.5-year-old restaurant has completed its evolution from a Mexican roster of tacos and enchiladas to what Kruse described as contemporary American fare. Current offerings range from poutine to shrimp ceviche in the "snacks" portion of the menu. Main courses...

  • Leo & Co. to Open in Essex’s Former Sweet Clover Market

    The team from Salt & Bubbles Wine Bar and Market is branching out, but not far. This summer, they'll open Leo & Co. down the sidewalk at 21 Essex Way, the previous site of Sweet Clover Market in the Essex Experience. Owner Kayla Silver expects the casual counter-service café and market to start serving juices, smoothies, sandwiches, salads and soups in July. She will oversee operations with help from Salt & Bubbles general manager Taylor Rosner. Burlington chef Diego Treviño, previously...

  • Grilling the Chef: Robert Smith III Leads a Fresh Chapter at Ferrisburgh’s Starry Night Café

    Chef Robert Smith III Position: Executive chef Age: 31 Cuisine type: Italian-inflected California cuisine with fresh, seasonal ingredients Experience: On-the-job training in Vermont, from dishwashing at Kitchen Table Bistro to holding all stations at Texas Roadhouse to three years cooking at Guild Tavern. Moved to Los Angeles at 22 and spent four years at chef Michael Cimarusti's two-Michelin-starred Providence — including off-site events in Mexico and cooking onstage for Bob Weir of the...

  • The Magnificent 7: Must See, Must Do, May 15-21

    Spring has sprung, and there's no shortage of ways for Vermonters to connect learn and have a good time. We've compiled seven must-do events, including performances by Persian violinist Mehrnam Rastegari and Mediterranean psychedelic-surf trio Habbina Habbina at the Bandwagon Summer Series in Putney. Take a Trance on Me Saturday 18 This year's Bandwagon Summer Series, presented by Next Stage Arts, kicks off at the Putney Inn with an unbeatable double billing....