Posted By Dan Bolles on Thu, Nov 30, 2017 at 11:27 AM

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Vermont Production Council

'The Bachelor: Winter Games' Arrival Celebration flyer

"The Bachelor" is coming to Vermont — Manchester, specifically.

Earlier this fall, reports began circulating that ABC television would be shooting  "The Bachelor: Winter Games," a spinoff of the network's hit reality dating series, "The Bachelor," at a ski resort in Vermont. Details have been sparse these past few months — including where, precisely, the show would be filmed.

On Tuesday the Vermont Production Council circulated a flyer on Facebook and Twitter announcing an "arrival celebration" parade for the show. The shindig is scheduled for Tuesday, December 5, on Main Street in Manchester. (BTW, given its proximity to Manchester, the smart money would seem to be on Stratton Mountain Resort as the filming locale.) Fans of the show can take part in welcoming, as the above flyer puts it, "Bachelor nation favorites … from across the globe as they prepare for winter competitions & a journey to love."

According to a report from the Bennington Banner, those wishing to join in the love journey — as spectators, that is — can register at the Stratton Magazine office in Manchester from now until Saturday, December 2.

"The Bachelor: Winter Games" is scheduled to air on ABC in February.

Tags: The Bachelor: Winter Games , Vermont Production Counil , Image , Web Only

Posted By Sadie Williams on Tue, Nov 28, 2017 at 1:45 PM

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Courtesy of Armando Veve

Armando Veve

Armando Veve's meticulous graphite drawings combine objects from everyday life in surreal, whimsical and often thought-provoking ways. His work elicits a sense of wonder, a quality for which the South Burlington High School grad has lately been receiving a lot of attention. Most notably, Forbes has included him on the 2018 edition of the its annual 30 Under 30: Art & Style list.

Tags: Armando Veve , art , illustration , Image , Web Only

Posted By Dan Bolles on Mon, Nov 20, 2017 at 12:55 PM

It's Monday, which means it's time for your weekly dose of locavore levity: the Joke of the Week! This week's joke comes from Burlington's Richard Bowen. Take it away, Richard…

Tags: Richard Bowen , humor , standup , Vermont comedy , Image , Web Only

Posted By Amelia Devoid on Fri, Nov 17, 2017 at 12:47 PM

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Courtesy of Joseph Pensak

Joseph Pensak

Hallowell is the musical alias of  Joseph Pensak, perhaps better known as the minister of the Presbyterian church Redeemer Burlington. Pensak is preparing to release his upcoming full-length debut as Hallowell on Great Comfort Records — the New Jersey label responsible for Sufjan Steven's Seven Swans. To raise awareness (and money) for the album, Pensak has unveiled a music video for the album's first single, "Follow (ft. Elin Smith)."

Tags: New City Galerie , Joseph Pensak , Elin Smith , indie , folk , Great Comfort Records , Bleach Day , Image , Web Only , Video

Posted By Elizabeth M. Seyler on Mon, Nov 13, 2017 at 1:36 PM

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Elizabeth M. Seyler

Hemp in a grow tent at Green State Gardener

In 25 years of growing organic veggies, I've never met a plant quite like cannabis. It responds to pruning the same way basil or broccoli does — by sending out multiple shoots that eventually flower. It thrives in nutrient-rich soil with the right amounts of light and water. And it's susceptible to the usual insects and diseases.

But terms like "mother plant," "screen of green," and "cloning" never quite enter the conversation when we're talking tomatoes and peppers.

Those cannabis terms rolled off Jahson Friedman's tongue on Saturday at Green State Gardener's "Free Cultivation Class: Vegging and Flowering" in Burlington. A GSG employee and registered medical cannabis cardholder, Jahson Friedman — who goes just by the name Jahson — is a consummate practitioner of the art and science of nurturing  the flowering plant.

Tags: Cannabeat , Burlington , cannabis , Green State Gardener , cannabis agriculture , CBD , hemp , Image , Web Only

Posted By Dan Bolles on Mon, Nov 13, 2017 at 12:20 PM

It's Monday, which means it's time for your weekly dose of locavore levity: the Joke of the Week! This week's joke comes from Burlington's Sky Sandoval. Take it away, Sky…

Tags: Sky Sandoval , humor , standup , Vermont comedy , Image , Web Only

Posted By Amelia Devoid on Fri, Nov 10, 2017 at 11:05 AM

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Taylor Kracher

Lean.Tee, 'Cerulean Spin'

When the temperature drops and my broke self feel nervous about cranking the thermostat, my bed becomes a down blanket oasis. Maybe that explains why I deeply enjoy seeing the tag "bedroom" as a musical genre. The concept of an artist escaping into their imagination, safely within their sleep nook speaks to my sun in Pisces. There's often an audible intimacy in the softness that the bedroom environment inspires.

Taylor Kracher recorded his debut EP, Cerulean Spin, as Lean.Tee in his bedroom, during the first summer he spent in Vermont. Kracher is a self-declared "trial and error" producer; he plays to his own loops and filters layers of rain and birdsong. And, yeah, it all sounds kinda dreamy.

Tags: Burlington , Lean.Tee , R&B , piano , pop , DIY , indie , electronic , Image , Web Only

Posted By Sadie Williams on Fri, Nov 10, 2017 at 9:41 AM

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Institute for Local Self-Reliance

Stacey Mitchell (left) and Olivia LaVecchia

It should come as no surprise that independent bookstores are more than a little miffed at online monolith Amazon. But mom-and-pop book shops aren't the only businesses affected by the retail giant's ever-expanding reach and dominance. The massive corporation captures one of every two American dollars spent online. That's according to a 2016 report published by Stacy Mitchell and Olivia LaVecchia of the nonprofit advocacy group Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

But two Vermont bookstores are fighting back — or at least, talking about fighting back. Phoenix Books, Northshire Bookstore and local news website VTDigger present a pair of public discussions this week with Mitchell as the featured speaker. The idea: Present listeners with enough info to arm them for the coming retail war — or, more likely (and less dramatically), the long, slow, uphill trudge.

Tags: Bookstores , retail , Amazon , online business , Image , Web Only

Posted By Rachel Elizabeth Jones on Fri, Nov 10, 2017 at 8:42 AM

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Rachel Jones

Drying posters

Do you remember where you were a year ago, when the polls closed, the votes were tallied, and Donald J. Trump was elected 45th president of the United States? In commemoration of this momentous anniversary, community members gathered Thursday night in Burlington for an original and colorful protest: For a $5-10 donation, guests could create their very own poster art by throwing paint-filled balloons at images of Trump and members of his administration.

Tags: Donald Trump , Iskra Print Collective , Burlington , Image , Web Only

Posted By Amy Lilly on Thu, Nov 9, 2017 at 3:18 PM

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Courtesy Glenn Moody Studios

Robert De Cormier

When choral conductor and arranger Robert De Cormier passed away on Sunday at the age of 95, the remembrances were swift and heartfelt. A resident of Belmont with his wife, Louise, since 1956, he was beloved by all, in part because he worked with musicians across all spectrums — musical and otherwise.

Trained at the Juilliard School, De Cormier directed the New York Choral Society for 17 years; he also served as musical director and arranger for the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary for 30 years. He performed and recorded with such classical-music greats as Jessye Norman, Kathleen Battle and James Levine, while also arranging music for the likes of Harry Belafonte and Pete Seeger.

Tags: Robert De Cormier , choral music , Counterpoint , Vermont , Image , Web Only