Montpelier Fashion Show [270]

6/2/12: The 8th Annual Montpelier Fashion Show drew crowds on Saturday, despite the rain.  12 downtown businesses and 4 Vermont designers displayed their duds on the runway with the help of over 60 models. This year's theme was "Wildlife" and the Nongame Wildlife Fund was on hand to bring awareness to Vermont's declining bat population - and yes, even Batman walked the catwalk.

Music: Joshua Panda, "Come on up to the House"
Let's Whisper, The Shortest Days, "Meet Me on the Dance Floor"

This episode of Stuck in Vermont was brought to you by

Cabot Creamery Cooperative.

A Neighborhood's Future is Up in the Air [268]

5/21/12: Burlington International Airport has grown in size over the years and this means an increase in noise for the South Burlington residents that live nearby.  Under an FAA relocation program, the airport has bought about 120 homes in the areas surrounding the airport that are within the 65-decibel noise zone.  Demolition permits are pending for 57 of these properties which are being held up by a resident's zoning appeal.

But what happens to the residents who remain in this ever-evolving, partially vacant neighborhood - whether they are eligible for the relocation program or not?

Eva talks to residents and airport representatives about this neighborhood in flux.

Music: Greg Davis, Somnia, "Clouds As Edges"

 

This episode of Stuck in Vermont was brought to you by

Cabot Creamery Cooperative.

Rusty DeWees [260]

3/10/12: Rusty DeWees, AKA The Logger, helped kick off the Hyde Park Opera House's yearlong Centennial Celebration last weekend with two packed shows.  Rusty got his start in the theater back when he was 13 in “Fiddler on the Roof."

Eva tags along with Rusty as he visits a class at Lamoille Union High School and gets a tour of his country home.

Onion River Cobbler [252]

1/9/12: Eva visits Onion River Cobbler in Winooski Vermont where business is booming and owner Steven Hopkins, AKA "The Cobbler," has been a fixture in town for 27 years.

Music: Brothers McCann, Different Colors, "Shambles"

Four Months After Irene [250]

12/18/11: Eva revisits Vermont people and businesses affected by Tropical Storm Irene in Warren, Waitsfield, Waterbury, Jamaica and Wilmington to see how they are faring four months later.

Music: Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, "The Mad, Mad River"

Full video of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals at the Flynn Center taken by Rachel Hebert

Previous flood videos by Eva Sollberger:

Tropical Storm Irene Hits Vermont

Waterbury, 4 days After Irene

Waitsfield and Warren, 5 Days After Irene

Wilmington, One Month After Irene

Jamaica, One Month After Irene

Extras:

Article by David Goodman about the Ayers family in Waterbury

Series of videos by David Goodman interviewing Gleason Ayers

Donate $4 to help The Green Cup in Waitsfield

Pete's Greens Barn Warming [248]

12/3/11: Last Saturday Pete's Greens welcomed the community to tour their new barn, less than one year after they lost their historic barn to fire. The four season organic vegetable farm garnered massive local support after the setback and is back stronger than ever. Eva talks to CSA share members and visitors to find out the secret to Pete's success.

Music: Kevin MacLeod, "Sunshine A"

 

Vermont Tech Jam 2011 [245]

‎10/28/11: At this year's 5th annual Vermont Tech Jam, 82 exhibitors and over 2000 people visited the old Borders store in downtown Burlington Friday and Saturday. Over 400 of the attendees were middle school and high school students from all over the state and there were talks by Governor Shumlin and IBM scientist John Cohn as well as some panel discussions.

Events like these highlight Vermont's thriving technology sector, provide a space for people to make connections and show students the  wealth of opportunities available in their own backyards.

Music: Lowell Thompson, Crown Pilot, "Green Doors"

Flying with "Vid" [244]

10/23/11: Pirogi-making pilot David "Vid" Miller takes Eva on an evening flight in a 1978 Cessna 172N that flies out of the Burlington International Airport and over the Champlain Valley. As a special treat, they fly through a hole in the clouds and catch a brilliant sunset.

David is a flight instructor for the Vermont Flight Academy and owns Pirogi Union.

Music: Joshua Panda, What We Have Sewn, "If I Had A Balloon," "Diamonds In The Sand"

 

Matthew Thorsen & "Sound Proof" [243]

10/15/11: This weekend, photographer Matthew Thorsen's traveling, multimedia exhibit "Sound Proof," presented by Big Heavy World, opened at the Magic Hat Artifactory.

In the 1990s, the prolific Thorsen documented the vibrant Burlington music scene through the lens of his camera. "Sound Proof" includes an audio component so you can hear the actual story behind the image and some of the music that made that time so unique (check it out online here).

Despite the dismal weather, people turned up for the art, the live music, the beer and the walk back in time. "Sound Proof" will be at Magic Hat through the end of October, check Big Heavy World's website to see where the show will be next.

Music: Dirty Blondes, Sex the Elastic

Jamaica, One Month After Irene [242]

9/24/11: One month after Tropical Storm Irene devastated the quaint Southern Vermont town of Jamaica, Eva takes a tour of the damage with VT State Representative Oliver Olsen.

See stills here.

Music: F. Chopin, Fantaisie - Impromptu in C# Minor Opus 66, as interpreted by Annemieke Spoelstra,"Toccare"

 

Wilmington, One Month After Irene [241]

9/23/11: The southern Vermont town of Wilmington is beginning its slow road to recovery, one month after Tropical Storm Irene caused one billion dollars of damage to Vermont's roadways, bridges, homes and businesses. In Wilmington's picturesque downtown, about 40 businesses were affected by flooding, including the town's infrastructure which has relocated.

Despite the boarded up windows and piles of debris, hopeful signs around town proclaim, "Wilmington, where amazing happens."

 

Waitsfield & Warren, 5 Days After Irene [239]

9/2/11 - Eva tours Waitsfield and Warren with local resident, Tracy Martin. Although it is only 5 days after the flooding, much progress has already been made and American Flatbread is open for dinner.

Stops are also made at The Green Cup and The Pitcher Inn.

Waterbury, 4 Days After Irene [238]

9/1/11: 4 days after Tropical Storm Irene hit Vermont and the town of Waterbury is in the process of cleaning and rebuilding. Despite suffering massive property losses, the people I spoke to seemed upbeat and positive. Community spirit is high as neighbors and volunteers join together to dig in and clean up.

Featured in this video are Jeff Lang of The Alchemist Pub & Brewery and Jeremy Ayers who sells his pottery at the Burlington Artists Market.

 

LUHS Reunion, Class of 1991 [235]

8/12-13/11: Lamoille Union High School's Class of 1991 celebrated their 20 year reunion this weekend at the Rusty Nail in Stowe and Lamoille County Field Days in Johnson.

Eva never graduated from LUHS but she showed up for a nostalgic walk down memory lane with her former classmates.

LUHS Class of 1991 Reunion PHOTOS

Eva takes a walk down memory lane with her former classmates from Lamoille Union High School at their 20 year reunion (can you find Eva in the pic above?).  Check out the photos here, the video will air Wednesday.

Green Mountain Draft Horse Field Day [233]

7/30/11: The Green Mountain Draft Horse Association presented Draft Horse Field Day at Shelburne Farms on Saturday. Horses, oxen and mules were in attendance for reaping, threshing, and plowing demonstrations.

Visitors hitched rides on wagons to experience Shelburne Farms as it was meant to be seen, from a horse's perspective.

Music: Kevin MacLeod, "Sheep May Safely Graze" - Aria from BWV 208, Johann Sebastian Bach

 

 

Camp Splash at the Y [232]

7/19/11 This summer the Greater Burlington YMCA is providing free swimming lessons to youths at Myers Pool in Winooski.

With the recent tragic drownings in Vermont, water safety education is more important than ever.

Music:
Let's Whisper, The Shortest Days, "Shortest Days," "California Girls"

New Duds [229]

6/22/11: Husband and wife team, Tessa and Torrey Valyou are New Duds - they handprint and handmake wearable art and fabric goods in Colchester  Vermont.

Perhaps best known locally for their "Burlington" and "Octopus Brigade" tees, these UVM graduates have spent the past 3 years growing New Duds into a successful business.

Music: Rubblebucket, Omega La La, "Silly Fathers," "Came Out of a Lady"

An interesting side note: New Duds printed some posters for fellow UVM-grads Rubblebucket whose new album was released this month.

You can find New Duds at the BCA Summer Artist Market on Saturdays in City Hall Park and you can sign up for a summer class to silkscreen some New Duds with Torrey Valyou at BCA.

Training with Traynor [225]

5/29/11: One year ago, Paula Traynor decided to change her life. She wanted to set a good example for her newborn daughter and this meant eating better and losing weight.

Dropping from almost 300 pounds to 167 pounds, Paula celebrated this significant one year anniversary by running 13.1 miles at the KeyBank Vermont City Marathon.

Paula keeps a blog called "If it was easy, everyone would do it!" chronicling her journey and organizing weight loss challenges for her friends and family.

Music: Bearquarium, "Up and Up"

Charlie's Boat House & the Flood of 2011 [223]

5/13/11: Lake Champlain's record high water levels have affected many Vermonters adversely this spring. Charlie's Boat House sits at the end of North Avenue where the Winooski River meets Lake Champlain in Burlington.

This historic landmark and summer fixture dates back to the 1920s. Charlie Auer was preparing to open for the summer season when the flooding began and now he is not sure what the future holds for the Auer Family Boat House.

Eva visited Charlie and his sister Christine last summer in happier (and drier) times (watch the video). This week she returns to the boat house to survey the water damage with Charlie.

And as the rain continues, the questions still remain, does this historic landmark have a future? And what would Burlington be like without it?