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4/27/13: After almost 17 years in business, Waterfront Video will close its doors April 30. The age of Netflix and instant streaming has finally brought about the demise of the last video store in Burlington. Eva talks to Waterfront staff, regulars and movie lovers about what the store meant to them.
Music: The Jazz Guys, "The Best Five Minutes of Your Life"
4/7/13: The Reward Volunteers app was created by Cabot Creamery Cooperative to celebrate the work of volunteers with recognition and prizes. Using this app for the iPhone and internet, individuals across the country have logged over 90,000 volunteer hours for about 1,800 organizations.
Eva visits with three Vermont organizations and meets volunteers that have logged hundreds of hours using the Reward Volunteers app. The Junior League of Champlain Valley makes dinner for residents of The Ronald McDonald House in Burlington. A mentor and a mentee spend an afternoon together thanks to the Community Friends Mentoring Program of the HowardCenter. Volunteers at TARPS (The Animal Rescue and Protection Society) in Chester feed multiple litters of newborn kittens.
Music: Brothers McMann, Different Colors, "True Heart Speak"
This episode of Stuck in Vermont was brought to you by
Cabot Creamery Cooperative.
3/28/13: Sugar maker and chef Joey Russo is a busy man. From Memorial Day to Valentine's Day he runs Joey's Junction Bakery & Cafe in Highgate Center. His partner El Towle fills the space with eclectic art and Joey provides the maple syrup-fueled food. During sugaring season you can find Joey in Belvidere boiling sap from 50,000 trees to make sweet syrup for his business, The Green Mountain Maple Sugar Refining Company.
Music: "Also Sprach Zarathustra" composed by Richard Strauss, "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, both performed by Kevin MacLeod
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12/14/12: Spencer P. Crispe is a 7th generation Vermonter and the 4th generation in his family to practice law at the Crispe & Crispe Law Firm in Brattleboro. Unlike most attorneys, Crispe is as comfortable in the mosh pit and at the skatepark as he is in the courtroom. He uses his knowledge of the law to promote the ideals of hardcore punk such as civil rights, social justice and equality.
In November, Crispe celebrated 20 years of being straight edge (a completely drug, alcohol and smoke-free lifestyle) with a show at 242 Main in Burlington and a performance by his hardcore punk band My Revenge!. In December, Eva caught up with Crispe at Talent Skatepark in South Burlington for "Old Guy Skate Night".
This episode of Stuck in Vermont was brought to you by
Cabot Creamery Cooperative.
2/14/13: The Valentine Phantom has been secretly papering downtown Montpelier with hearts every Valentine's Day since 2002. Eva goes out early Thursday morning hoping to catch the bandit in action but things do not go as she planned. After the town has been transformed with hearts, a transformed-Eva talks to residents about what this unique event means to them.
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Music: Colin Clary, YOW, "Top Secret Secret Project"
Ryan Power, It Is Happening..., "Love Concentrate"
La Strada, New Home, "There's Only Love"
1/20/13: Robert Achinda believes in miracles, and after hearing his story, some Vermonters do too.
Originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mr. Achinda, his wife Anna and 3 of their children fled to Tanzania in the '90s to escape civil war. The Congo conflict has become one of the bloodiest since World War II, leaving millions dead and hundreds of thousands displaced.
For the past 8 years, Mr Achinda has been in the United States living separately from his family of 9. Until Mr Achinda was granted asylum, his family was not able to join him - this process took 7 years.
Vermont was not the first place Mr Achinda imagined when he dreamt of America, but he has called it home for the past 6 years and has made many friends here.
In the fall of 2012, Mr Achinda was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and given 6 months to live. North Ferrisburgh residents Lisa and Tom Bove rallied the community in his support. The Office of Senator Patrick Leahy helped expedite the Achinda family's processing through the Department of State as well as helping to obtain visitor visas for Mr Achinda's mother and sister-in-law. Floery Mahoney and her mother Debbie Allen of the Terry F Allen Family Charitable Trust donated airplane tickets for the family and computers for the childen. The Community Bible Church rented a Charlotte home for the Achindas and local donations of furniture, food and clothing poured in from the surrounding community.
After 8 years of living apart, the Achindas were reunited in late January (one son has yet to arrive) and introduced to their new home. Eva caught up with them at the Community Bible Church where a reception was being held in their honor. After undergoing intense chemotherapy, Mr Achinda's diagnosis is better than expected, and it remains to be seen if the miracles will continue.
Mr Achinda hopes to pay it forward with his non-profit organization, International Solidarity for Peace & Development (ISOPEDE Inc) which will help both immigrants and Africans alike.
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1/17/13: Since the 1970s, father and son team Art and Richard Lavigne have been selectively logging the 400 acres of forest at Shelburne Farms. Eva catches up with brothers Richard and Peter Lavigne as they carefully harvest a 10 acre woodlot behind the Farm Barn and talks to Marshall Webb about the farms' working landscape.
Music: Kangaroo, Demos, "Bodhi Tree"
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1/10/13: After 18 years as a leader of the education programs at the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, Joan Robinson is leaving behind an impressive legacy. A theatrical arts educator with a zest for life and a love of teaching, Robinson's decades of work at the Flynn have helped shape its Education Department to include programs which serve about 50,000 Vermont students each year. Her ability to integrate drama and movement into classrooms and make "Words Come Alive!" for both teachers and students is what makes Robinson's teaching style so unique.
Robinson will continue teaching drama part-time at the Integrated Arts Academy at H.O. Wheeler (a school which she helped design) and will still serve as a teaching artist for Flynn programs on occasion. Eva talks to teachers, students and Flynn staff about the impact of Robinson's work in schools across Vermont.
Music: Antara, Harbor All the Strays, "Ground Level Up"
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1/3/13: Sometimes a good photo can play a significant role in a shelter animal's quest for a home. Kelly Schulze, the photographer behind Mountain Dog Photography, has been volunteering weekly at the Humane Society of Chittenden County since 2009 with her husband Ian, who is known as "The Cat Whisperer." They have captured 1600+ animals' photos which have helped many of them find families. Eva visits them in action at the HSCC and takes a trip out to Monkton to meet their furry brood of 5 dogs, 6 cats and 5 chickens.
Music: The Smittens, The Coolest Thing About Love, "Baby, Don't You Know," "All the Love in the World"This episode of Stuck in Vermont was brought to you by
12/15/12: Silvio Mazzarese is a fourth generation Italian jeweler who has lived all over the world. In 2008, he moved to Jeffersonville with his family and opened Ornament Studio.
After Silvio's shop was robbed earlier this month, the close-knit community came together to cash mob the store and to show their support.
Music: Bert Hirsch, "Ro-ro-rolling Along"
This episode of Stuck in Vermont was brought to you by
Cabot Creamery Cooperative.
11/30/12: Ferdinand Gamache AKA as Junior, is a third generation Vermont dairy farmer who has been collecting John Deere memorabilia for the past 20 years. His wife Joyce has a collection of her own, rescuing stray cats and caring for them in the dairy barn alongside the cows. Joyce and Junior recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and Eva visited with them at their farm in St. Albans.
Music: Bert Hirsch, "The Little Things in Life"
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11/11/12: It does not get much more Vermont than actor, filmmaker and dairy farmer, George Woodard. This year marks the 100 year anniversary that Woodard's Waterbury Center dairy farm has been in his family. Eva caught up with Woodard for an early morning milking and also saw his sold out show last weekend at the Hyde Park Opera House which was the final event in their Centennial Celebration.
This episode of Stuck in Vermont was brought to you by
Cabot Creamery Cooperative.
9/29/12: The Human Canvas is a creative performance duo made up of DJ Frank Grymes and body painting artist Kadina Dinash. Since 2006 this engaged couple have been bringing their eclectic shows to Vermont and beyond.
This has been a busy Halloween season for them with 9 gigs in 5 days. Eva caught up with them at Nectar's in September for Mildred Moody's Full Moon Masquerade.
Music: Diplo "Horsey" Lazerdisk Party Sex Remix
This episode of Stuck in Vermont was brought to you by
Cabot Creamery Cooperative.
10/11/12: Pianist Annemieke Spoelstra hails from The Netherlands and has called Vermont home since 2004. Her recent concert, "Musical Imagionairies," combined classical piano music with her nature photography at the McCarthy Arts Center at St. Michael's College in Colchester. Before the show, Eva and Annemieke took a walk by the river in Winooksi to talk about her love of the outdoors.
This episode of Stuck in Vermont was brought to you by
Cabot Creamery Cooperative.
9/12/12: The Harbor Hide-A-Way has been a fixture on Shelburne Road since 1941 when Wallace and Eleanor White first opened their doors. In the decades to follow, the Hide-A-Way became a popular restaurant known for its eccentric decor and tasty vittles, serving regulars and out of towners alike. Even Katharine Hepburn and Bob Dylan are said to have stopped by for a bite.
In the 80s, the restaurant changed hands and in 1987, the Hide-A-Way closed its doors for good. For the past 25 years, it has remained vacant. An emblem to the past, its deteriorating lighthouse marked the entrance to Bay Road.
Recently purchased by the DuBruls who own the neighboring Automaster, the Hide-A-Way and its surrounding buildings were demolished last week.
After decades of decay, many agree this eyesore was ready to come down. But for some, watching the lighthouse fall signifies the end of an era.
Eva takes a look back at what made the Harbor Hide-A-Way so unique in this memorial to a one-of-a-kind Vermont spot.
Read more about the Hide-A-Way here.
Watch a longer version of the demolition here.
Music performed by:
Kevin MacLeod
Fig Leaf Rag - distressed
Scott Joplin
Gymnopedie No 1
Erik Satie
This episode of Stuck in Vermont was brought to you by
8/7/12: For the past 13 years, Partners in Adventure has been providing summer camps for Northern Vermonters with and without disabilities between the ages of 8 to 25. Eva catches up with campers at a hip hop class led by local dancer Karen Amirault at the Essex Alliance Community Center in Essex Junction.
Music: Kevin MacLeod, "Future Cha Cha"
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8/23/12: The Lake Champlain Community Sailing Center is a popular fixture at Burlington's waterfront. For 18 years it has provided lake access to young and old alike, balancing education with recreation and doing everything they can to connect people to the lake.
After a landlocked summer, Eva gets out on the water in a Carolina Skiff boat with Executive Director Kate Neubaeur, tries to stay vertical on a Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP) and tags along on an adult Keelboat course. Although its summer courses are drawing to a close, the Sailing Center offers programs through October.
Music: Kangaroo, Demos, "Waters of the World"
7/28/12: John's Shoe Shop North in Richmond is closing its doors after 22 years of being in business. Owner Cindy Feloney is a third generation shoe expert and her grandfather John Plesniarski opened the first John's Shoe Shop in Burlington in 1919. Mayfred and Judy Plesniarski, Feloney’s parents, ran the second John's Shoe Shop in Hamilton, NY.
A woman who knows both shoes and feet, Feloney is not closing for any pressing economic reasons. Her parents worked into their 70s and always advised their daughter against staying in business too long. In the store's final months, Eva stopped in to hear Cindy's stories, meet her faithful clientele and buy some discounted shoes!
Music: Kevin MacLeod, "Amazing Plan" and "Olde Timey"
This episode of Stuck in Vermont was brought to you by
Cabot Creamery Cooperative.
7/20/12: It's Friday night at The Connecticut Valley Fairgrounds in Bradford and the sound of lawn mowers fills the air - but these aren't your average mowers. The members of the Redneck Lawnmower Racing club compete throughout the summer but the Bradford Fair is a chance to show off their need for speed to bigger crowds. Eva catches up with the speed demons to find out what drives them.
Music: Waylon Speed, HorseShoes & Hand Grenades, "C.T. Tanker"
This episode of Stuck in Vermont was brought to you by
Cabot Creamery Cooperative.
6/28/12: Dirt Divas is a Vermont Works for Women mountain-biking program for girls entering grades 6-8. Eva strapped on a helmet cam and went along for the ride Thursday at the Catamount Outdoor Family Center in Williston.
Music: Avi & Celia, Off the Floor, "Down to You"
This episode of Stuck in Vermont was brought to you by
Cabot Creamery Cooperative.
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