Burlington Free Press
NORTHEAST KINGDOM
WATERFORD — There’s no tourist fare at Stiles Pond. Only a gravel pull-off across from what looks more like a little lake. To passersby it probably gives the same impression as any of Vermont’s glassy, hill-flanked waters, with Fairbanks Mountain...
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Celebration of art and entertainmentmen
June is a prime month on the Verm mont arts and entertainment scene, with the Bur-B lington Discover Jazz Festival doing g its thing and the start of the outdoor conc cert season. We’ll touch upon those events s in this rundown of 30 fun things to do...
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SOUND OF MUSIC
The hills of Vermont (and the valleys, too) will be alive with the sound of music as the state’s lively music scene heads outdoors this summer. h The season starts in late spring, really, when it’s safer to stand outside without wondering what the...
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Report: U.S. plans to cut military support to NATO
The United States intends to significantly reduce military contributions available to assist European allies in a crisis, including fighter jets, warships and midair refueling aircraft, German news outlet Spiegel reported May 26. The NATO alliance is...
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‘A blissful 15 year run’
El Cortijo Taqueria in downtown Burlington will close in early June, but in the following week will be replaced by a new restaurant. The Farmhouse Group, which oversees several Burlington-area restaurants including El Cortijo, announced May 27 that...
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Cannabis legalization spurs innovation
Innovation in health care saves lives. But not all health innovations have enough evidence to actually benefit patients. Barriers to innovation are often higher in illicit or restricted markets, including cannabis, stem cells and cryptocurrencies....
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AI draws boos at commencements
common hot topic: artificial intelligence. “OK, I struck a chord. May I finish?” said real estate development executive Gloria Caulfield as the audience erupted in loud booing at a ceremony at the University of Central Florida on May 8, reported the...
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‘ITEMS ARE GOING TO A GOOD HOME’
Burlington’s Spring Move Out Project continues to evolve as it approaches a third decade redirecting furniture from landfills into homes while helping students out of their college housing. The second day of the 26th edition of the event on Thursday...
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COVID-19 tax relief may be possible for some
DETROIT – Oodles of taxpayers – from the very well off to the barely making it – could be owed a chunk of change from the Internal Revenue Service after a complex court decision involving what rules did and didn’t apply during the COVID-19...
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Raven issue prompts concert cancellation
ESSEX — Vermont musician Troy Millette has postponed plenty of concerts because of illness, family obligations or bad weather. Rain, sure. But ravens? Never, at least not until this week. Millette’s May 30 show, which was set to open the outdoor...
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Trump defends DOJ fund amid growing GOP revolt
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump is digging in over the Justice Department’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund as Senate Republicans revolt over a pot of money that could funnel payments to the president’s allies, including Jan. 6...
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Parades taking place all over VT for Memorial Day
Looking forward to paying honor at a Memorial Day parade? This year, the holiday falls on Monday, May 25, and communities all across Vermont are preparing to commemorate the holiday with parades and special events. Always observed on the last Monday...
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‘It says a lot about this generation’
The Winooski School Board this week added two new, and much more youthful, members to its ranks. Local high school students Barakit Gyi, a rising sophomore, and Gabriella Dzessou, a rising junior, will represent their peers on the board for the next...
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New lights change traffic patterns along Pine Street
Construction and traffic disruption will continue on Burlington’s streets as the city carries on with the creation of a thoroughfare from the interstate to downtown. Drivers and pedestrians alike likely noticed the change in traffic patterns along...
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‘We need to celebrate who we are as a people’
Over the last few years, many states have made it harder for transgender people to access gender-affirming care, or in some cases have outright banned it for minors. Transgender people in many states have been restricted from playing sports or using...
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See inside historic homes, UVM mansion
Preservation Burlington’s annual homes tour is coming back this June with a bounty of old architecture to appreciate. This summer, you can tour the 19thcentury Queen Anne mansion, a Greek Revival-Italianate mashup on South Union Street and a 1965...
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VT rocker sets dates for new album, music festival
Vermont rocker Grace Potter has a new album due this summer, less than a month before the latest installment of her Grand Point North festival returns to Burlington. The album, “Trespasser,” comes out Aug. 21 via record distributor Thirty Tigers....
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President Trump leaves Beijing with few wins
BEIJING – President Donald Trump left China on May 15 with no major breakthroughs on trade or tangible help from Beijing to end the Iran war, despite two days spent heaping praise on his host, Xi Jinping. Trump’s visit to America’s main strategic and...
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Parking tickets may rise with license plate camera
A car-mounted camera is indeed coming to Burlington to let parking staff scan more license plates and write tickets more quickly. But before city councilors said yes to the plan, they had questions about data privacy and sharing intel with law...
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PopUp Bagels chain to open first VT location
A New England chain known for its “grip, rip and dip” style for eating bagels is showing signs — literally — of opening its first Vermont shop. PopUp Bagels, founded during the COVID-19 pandemic by Adam Goldberg in Westport, Connecticut, will move...
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‘I just have kind of grown to love Italy’
As Leslie McCrorey Wells planned to open her latest enterprise, Alimentari Café & Provisions, she considered the space next to Pizzeria Verita, one of the three restaurants she co-owns on St. Paul Street. She moved her office there to try it out. “It...
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USPS rule would allow handguns to be mailed
The U.S. Postal Service could soon allow handguns to be mailed for the first time in nearly a century if a proposed rule under the Trump administration is approved, with opponents of the move calling it a potential “gun trafficking pipeline.” Since...
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Birders welcome ‘timberdoodles’ back
SHELBURNE — Song sparrows and goldfinches sang in the trees at Shelburne Bay Park as birders from Queer Birders of Burlington peered at them through their binoculars. Between quiet moments on the trail, they swapped stories about birds and frogs they’d...
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Trade court rules against tariff in defeat for Trump
A federal court dealt another blow to President Donald Trump’s trade agenda May 7, ruling against a 10% global tariff the president imposed earlier this year to replace tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court. A panel of judges for the Court of...
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Charting his own path
It’s been nearly 1,000 years since King Henry IV stood barefoot in the Italian snow to beg forgiveness after clashes with Pope Gregory VII, and over two centuries since Napoleon imprisoned Pope Pius VII in France. Now, a battle is underway between a...
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First-ever International Food Festival sells out
SOUTH BURLINGTON — Fragrant smells, masses of people and bassheavy music accompanied by lively chatter filled Market Street on April 16 for the city’s first-ever International Food Festival. Sixteen international Vermontbased vendors, serving cuisines...
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Microplastics may be warming Earth
Two of our planet’s most serious environmental issues – microplastics and global warming – have collided in a new scientific study released May 4. Microplastics are in our oceans and mountains, our food, and even our bodies. And now, according to the...
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Microplastics could be overestimated
It seems like every day a new study finds tiny plastic particles called microplastics where they should not be: in our bodies and our food, water and air. h Yet finding and identifying microplastics is extremely challenging, especially given their...
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Controversy persists on Abenaki statue
A controversial statue donation from Vermont Abenaki is headed back to City Council. Burlington’s racial equity committee recommended the council accept the gift from the Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi despite scrutiny over the authenticity of the...
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MAY ARTS PICKS
Is there a more beautiful time in northern Vermont than May? Lawns grow lush, trees come to life and that bright ball of light in the sky starts to show up just a little more often. You know what else is beautiful about Vermont in May? The arts scene...
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U.S. to close its flagship Gaza mission
TEL AVIV – A U.S. military-run center near Gaza that critics say failed in its missiontomonitortheIsrael-Hamasceasefire and boost aid flows to besieged Palestinians is set to be shut by the Trump administration, sources familiar with the matter told...
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‘Seen them pull themselves apart’
University of Vermont scientists are working to understand a mysterious disease that has killed billions of starfish along the North America's west coast since 2013, according to a community announcement. A new study by UVM researchers may help...
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Vermont musician inducted to hall of fame
A Vermont musician will be honored with a nationwide hall of fame induction this weekend, providing a capper to his six-decade career. Rick Norcross, who spent most of his musical life living in Burlington, will be inducted in the Heroes of Western...
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Spring flowers in bloom
After a long, cold New England winter, signs of spring are finally beginning to pop up throughout the region, including the blooming flowers which the season is known for. Whether daffodils, tulips or cherry blossoms, the colorful blooms of spring are...
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A place to take a break
ESSEX — Toney Edmonds became a baker almost by accident. He’s been working in the restaurant business since he began washing dishes at age 15 and was on a management track with the chain bakery la Madeleine when he found himself baking in the kitchen....
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Get in touch with nature
WINOOSKI — Flecks of dirt tumbled to the floor of the Winooski Memorial Library as kids and parents rolled balls of mud between their hands. They sprinkled goldenrod and New England aster seeds into their earthy art projects, fashioning a buffet for...
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FESTIVAL OF FOOLS RETURNS
Following a tumultuous year that saw the cancellation and quick revival of the Festival of Fools, Burlington City Arts is making plans for a problem-free gathering this summer. The 18th Festival of Fools takes place Friday, July 31 and Saturday, Aug....
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‘We’re trying to inspire people’
Kevin Chap worked behind the scenes in New York on reality-television shows as that genre grew in popularity in the first decade of the 2000s. He was doing well and had put himself in a position to pitch shows to networks. But he was miserable. So he...
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Review of police actions released
Through bullhorns and crowd chatter, people predicted the immigration raid in South Burlington last month would mark Vermont’s entry on the nationwide list of flareups surrounding aggressive federal operations. On that front, they were right. But...
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Lake Champlain fishing marks start of spring
Louie Lamphere started fishing on Lake Champlain as soon as he could crawl over the gunnels of his father’s fishing boat near their farm in Milton. That was more than 80 years ago, but the first day of spring fishing is still the best day of the year...
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To another level
The musical phenomenon that is Noah Kahan moves to another level with the new Netflix documentary “Noah Kahan: Out of Body.” The hour-and-a-half film details Kahan’s chaotic life since his 2022 album “Stick Season” made him a superstar. The...
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JAZZ FESTIVAL 2026 LINEUP
Mavis Staples, Tank and the Bangas, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and more will perform as the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival unfolds June 3-7. Those concerts, plus performances involving skaters at the Andy “A_Dog” Williams Skatepark and Leddy...
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National Mall to get Freedom 250 makeover
WASHINGTON – Livestock competitions, rodeo events and a 110-foot Ferris wheel are coming to the National Mall this summer as part of a White Housebacked, “World’s Fair-style” celebration marking the nation’s 250th anniversary. The 16-day event, dubbed...
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Outdoor vacation activities for kids
April is officially underway, bringing spring flowers, rain showers and, soon, school vacation to New England. Now that the weather is beginning to warm up, kids across Vermont are likely looking forward to an entire week away from school so they can...
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Vermont mosque races to raise money
One of Vermont’s few mosques is racing against the clock to purchase two new buildings its leaders say will better serve the growing Muslim community around Burlington. The Islamic Community Center of Vermont, which currently operates out a cramped...
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Elementary students win recycling challenge
Champlain Elementary School fifthgraders listened intently to a lesson on battery recycling on a recent morning. The students, already recognized for their recycling dedication, were eager to build on their school’s success. Champlain Elementary...
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Airlines weather Iran war turbulence
A combination of rising prices and geopolitical uncertainty are making many American travelers question if it’s better to stay closer to home or travel farther afield this summer. “Out of the three international trips, I’ve already canceled the first...
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Paved path, parking lot coming to Hubbard Park
South Burlington’s Hubbard Park is going to look less natural in a few months. The park is set for a modest makeover through several construction projects after a sometimes divisive debate on access for people with disabilities, traffic and leaving...
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RARE SIGHTS AND BOUNTIFUL BIRDS
Follow Burlington’s bike path far enough north, and you’ll find a bridge arcing over where the Winooski River pours into Lake Champlain. From up there on the planks and through the trusses, you can spy a sandy beach ahead, crisscrossed with bleached...
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BEST OF THE NORTHEAST
Looking for a location for your next quiet getaway? You don’t have to leave the Green Mountain state. Vermont has two of the best small towns in the Northeast, according to a recent ranking from USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards. The...
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U.S.-Iran ceasefire on tenuous ground
President Donald Trump’s ceasefire with Iran was on tenuous ground on April 9 after Israel launched its deadliest day of strikes on Lebanon yet and Tehran vowed not to desert its allies. A day after announcing the Iran war ceasefire, Trump took to...
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The high cost of U.S. health care
In announcing its “Great Healthcare Plan” in January, the Trump administration became the latest in a long history of efforts by the U.S. government to rein in the soaring cost of health care. h As a physician and professor studying the intersection of...
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Dentists in Vermont on the rise with new clinic
A Detroit dental school is slated to open a clinic and educational program in Colchester early next year, with the promise that its students will serve thousands of Vermonters annually for about half the cost of a private practice dentist. The clinic...
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Cases of deadly disease raise alarm with doctors
A handful of children have been hospitalized for a potentially deadly bacterial infection, alarming some doctors about the possible return of a oncefeared contagious disease that vaccines tamed. Serious cases of Haemophilus influenzae type B, or Hib,...
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Public defender shortage ripples across legal system
The Oregon Supreme Court on Feb. 5 issued a ruling that will have a wide impact. More than 1,400 criminal cases had to be dismissed, the justices ruled, due to lack of adequate counsel available for defendants. Like other states, Oregon must provide...
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New vendors coming to Church Street Marketplace
Peruvian food, African crafts and wearable watercolor art — all cooked, crafted or created by Vermonters — will soon appear on Church Street. Three new cart vendors were approved by Church Street Marketplace officials for the promenade’s May 2026June...
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New graduates finding challenging job market
In 2025, new college graduates wanted remote, high-paying jobs that aligned with their values. In 2026, they just want a job. With 89% worrying artificial intelligence could replace entry-level roles – up from 64% last year – 67% of graduates now say...
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April arts events feature Nick Offerman, ‘Our Town’
April is the first full month of spring (yay!) and the month taxes are due (boo!). It’s also a bountiful month for the arts scene in Vermont. Picking the top 30 arts-and-entertainment events is kind of like picking the 30 prettiest daffodils blooming...
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Culinary top prize
A Burlington chef with a vegetableforward cuisine and a Brooklyn bartender who grew up in Vermont are advancing to the final round of the James Beard Awards, the top prize in the American restaurant scene. Vermont had a half-dozen semifinalists based...
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FBI: Synagogue attacker had ties to Hezbollah
The man who crashed an explosiveladen truck into a Michigan synagogue where scores of children were at day care acted as an operative of Hezbollah, the foreign terrorist organization based in Lebanon, federal officials said March 30. Ayman Mohamad...
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‘She is so talented’
Ivy Mix knew only small-town life growing up in Vermont. In 2003, she decided that needed to change. “I realized the world was a very big place,” she said recently. “I thought I might want to go someplace and see something.” She left for Guatemala to...
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BITES OF DELIGHTS
MANCHESTER — While other kids played outside during family gatherings, Tiara Adorno stayed indoors with grandma, helping her roll pasteles. She had a passion for food, and she’d pursue it years later in culinary school, then in the dining hubs of San...
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ICE raid triggers wave of complaints
The FBI is investigating “assaults perpetrated against” officers during the immigration raid that drew hundreds to a South Burlington street this month and has spurred sharp debate about local law enforcement, according to Burlington’s police...
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Trump delays strikes on Iran power plants
The Pentagon is weighing sending an additional 10,000 troops to the Middle East as the war with Iran rages, multiple news outlets reported. It remained unclear when a decision will be made on whether to send the additional combat soldiers, according...
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‘ Trump slump’ hit U.S. tourism in 2025
With an upcoming FIFA World Cup being staged across the nation, 2026 was supposed to be a bumper year for tourism to the United States, driven in part by hordes of arriving soccer fans. And yet, the U.S. tourism industry is worried. While the rest of...
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Treasures of Vermont’s music history in storage
Lauren Posklensky arrived in Burlington as a self-described sheltered teen from New Jersey who wanted to ease into the city’s music scene. “It was a little scary, honestly,” she said, especially for a shy and slight youth wary of strangers in...
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Mullin to lead DHS amid partial shutdown
WASHINGTON – With immigration hard-liner Markwayne Mullin scheduled to be sworn in as the head of the Department of Homeland Security on March 24, the pugilistic Oklahoma Republican senator is tasked with leading a critical federal agency that has been...
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‘WHERE PEOPLE COME TOGETHER’
Outstanding Restaurateur is to the James Beard Awards what Best Picture is to the Oscars, top of the crop. It’s devoted to people who run their establishments with integrity, creativity and building community in mind. Leslie McCrorey Wells is one of...
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Movement fights mental health crisis
Jayla Cole never experienced the carefree teenage years. She could not get a driver’s license because of epilepsy and frequent seizures. She didn’t want to take photos or selfies because Bell’s palsy left her with facial paralysis – a twisted smile...
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Chef Vogel gets James Beard nod
MONTPELIER — Max Vogel’s fascination with food stems from his inability to eat a whole lot of it as a kid. Growing up outside Baltimore with an array of allergies, he became intrigued by food in part because it was the forbidden fruit — literally, in...
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Troops deployed to Middle East region
Despite President Donald Trump’s promises of the war with Iran ending soon and broad domestic disapproval of further involvement, the United States is sending more troops to the region, a defense official said. The 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit,...
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‘Theater really was a lifeline for me’
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — North- ern Stage’s upcoming production, “The Children,” tells the story of two retired scientists living in the aftermath of nuclear disaster. They are visited by an old friend, who arrives with a suggestion that stirs tumult in...
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Group hopes to reach more fans with new album
Nicole Nelson wasn’t seeking fame or fortune when she sang on “The Voice” in 2012. She appeared so her parents and grandparents could sit in the comfort of their homes and watch her perform — not to become, as another music-competition show puts it, an...
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U.S. intelligence official quits over war
The head of the National Counterterrorism Center resigned in protest over the Iran war as Israel said on March 17 it had killed Iran’s top intelligence official. Joe Kent, a conservative politician and decorated former Army Ranger and CIA...
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NASA sets launch date for mission around moon
After issues with the SLS rocket have been resolved, NASA teams have concluded they are “go” for the launch of the Artemis II mission and will send the crew of four astronauts around the moon in the coming weeks. The SLS rocket will roll out of the...
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