Vermont Edition

The neon street sign. The Phish memorabilia. The gravy fries. The iconic stage. For those who loved Nectar’s restaurant, bar and music venue in Burlington, these were the hallmarks of a good time for nearly 50 years. We’ll relive Nectar’s storied history with Seven Days music editor Chris Farnsworth and what the closure of one Burlington music club signals about the local music scene in our region. Lee Anderson, owner of the music venue Radio Bean, explains how important it is to have a network of venues for up-and-coming musicians.

Every summer, the Vermont Edition team heads to a local fair for a special live broadcast, and this year we chose the Vermont State Fair in Rutland. Our team set up shop right by the milking parlor at the fairgrounds as the food was getting fried, the kids were gearing up for the 4H competitions, and the rides were getting ready to provide the ambiance of summer fun. We spoke with the fair's president, Robert Congdon, Jr., who told us about the past and present of this storied Rutland tradition. We also heard from Marsha Johnson who is the superintendent of the Bucket of Junk Sculpture Contest, the writing contest, and runs the fair museum. UVM Extension 4H Coordinator for Rutland & Bennington Counties, Moonshine "Mooney" Shorey, talked to us about the 4H contests and brought along some young competitors. We got an on-air magic trick from magician Blaine Goad, a close encounter with a large snake courtesy of Alex Knapp, owner of Captain Aquatics Fins and Scales, and lastly, talked with Willie Tyler of Willie's BBQ. Broadcast live on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m. Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

The use of artificial intelligence for therapy is growing, including for minors. AI makes therapy more accessible. But clinicians want to make sure kids get medically sound advice and stay safe. We weigh the pros and cons of this mental health approach with Dr. Steven Schlozman, the chief of child psychiatry at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, as well as an associate professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at UVM’s Larner College of Medicine, and Shannon Newell, who works with the Greater Rutland County Supervisory Union and is president of the Vermont Association of School Psychologists. Plus: Dartmouth researchers recently conducted the first-ever clinical trial of an AI therapy chatbot. Nicholas Jacobson is the study’s senior author. He’s an associate professor of biomedical data science, psychiatry, and computer science at Dartmouth. He also directs the AIM HIGH Lab at Dartmouth, which stands for AI and Mental Health: Innovation in Technology Guided Healthcare. Broadcast live on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m. Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

Today on Vermont Edition, we'll talk with climate writer and activist Bill McKibben of Ripton. In his new book, he makes the case for solar power as the cheapest energy source on the planet. And he says it’s time to stop thinking of solar as “alternative energy” and bring it into the mainstream. Then, programs to support Vermont veterans have lost staff due to cuts in federal funding this summer. We’ll talk with the head of the Vermont National Guard’s family programs, and an organizer with a storytelling group for local vets.

How today's college students navigate romance in a digital age

Town by town: The 251 Club

In Vermont, annual precipitation has increased six inches since the 1960s. That, plus the state’s steep terrain, make Vermont a laboratory for the study of intense rainfall and flooding. Today on Vermont Edition, The New Yorker magazine staff writer John Seabrook explores how Vermont manages its rivers in his latest article. He sees scientists, land use planners and policymakers breaking away from tradition, and making choices that other states could mimic. We’ll also hear from Kevin Geiger, a land-use planner with the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission, in Woodstock. Plus, Jordan Barry of Seven Days shares the latest food news from around our region.

Canada and the U.S. are in an intense period of negotiations over a trade deal. Many Canadians are boycotting the States this summer over President Trump’s policies and 51st state rhetoric. We talk with Shawn Appell, host of our sister show on the CBC, Radio Noon in Québec, about what he's hearing from his listenership regarding their feelings on travelling to Quebec in the age of Trump. Then, during the pandemic lockdown musician and songwriter Katy Hellman began to dig into her Irish heritage, particularly the folklore of the pre-Christian era. She used her newfound passion as inspiration for her newest musical venture Emerald Ground Water. Their new album is called "The World Below." Lastly, a new musical comedy video series explores the natural world and our connection to it. It’s called “Biraland,” and it’s a 20-part video series created by Bira Vanara. He’s a multimedia artist and musician in Middlebury. "Biraland" features a host of wacky characters, catchy original music and wild effects, all conceived of and performed by its creator. Biraland was funded in part by Vermont Public’s Made Here Fund, which supports a diverse group of video and filmmakers across the state.

Money runs out to pay federal defense lawyers, and Champlain College hones in on cybersecurity

Today on the show, we explore the sibling dynamic, and how some families have multiple high achieving kids. Susan Dominus is a staff writer at The New York Times Magazine. Her new book, “The Family Dynamic,” looks at classic sibling examples, like the Bronte sisters, and modern ones. We’ll talk with two New Hampshire sisters featured in the new book – Olympic triathlete Sarah True and renowned novelist Lauren Groff. Plus, two Vermont brothers who come from a VERY large family.

Tourism-heavy towns often have a lot of AirBnBs per capita. Some towns, like Londonderry, are putting stricter rules in place on short-term rentals. Their goal, in large part, is to maintain housing for full-time residents — Vermont has a housing shortage, after all. But some short-term rental owners think the new rules are too strict and end up hurting the local economy. Vermont Public reporter Howard-Weiss Tisman shares an update on current debates over short-term rentals in southern Vermont towns. We also hear from Julie Marks, the founder and executive director of the Vermont Short Term Rental Alliance, the chair of Londonderry's housing commission Patty Eisenhauer, and Nate Lantieri of the Vermont Housing Finance Agency. Broadcast live on Monday, July 28, 2025, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m. Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

For 29 years, Robert Resnik celebrated folk and world music as the host of the Vermont Public music show All the Traditions. He passed away earlier this week. Through his show, he elevated local musicians and introduced listeners to new sounds and styles. He was also a musician himself and played more than two dozen instruments. We’ll share memories with friends, fellow musicians, and our listeners. Then: A new addiction treatment clinic has opened in Bennington.We’ll talk with Vermont’s deputy health commissioner about how this clinic fits into the state’s hub and spoke system.

Vermont state symbols and how they came to be

Love 'em or hate 'em, jam bands have infiltrated our culture and forever changed the music industry. There’s the Grateful Dead and Phish, but also Widespread Panic, The String Cheese Incident, and The Dave Matthews Band. Author Mike Ayers joins Mikaela to talk about his new oral history which chronicles the rise of the jam band genre in the 1990s, and the culture that surrounded them. It's called "Sharing in the Groove: The Untold Story of the 90s Jam Band Explosion and the Scene that Followed." We talk about some of the biggest jam bands to come out of this region, and remember some of the most iconic local concerts. Mike Ayers is a veteran music journalist, and he’s been to more than 20 Grateful Dead shows and 130 Phish shows. Broadcast live on Tuesday July 22, 2025, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m. Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

Last year, Vermont became just the second state in the nation to ban a type of pesticides called neonicotinoids. Now, that ban is going into effect. Many farmers use these treated seeds to keep pests away, but pollutes water and hurts fragile pollinator populations, like honey bees. The Vermont state government is in charge of enforcing this ban. It also has a role in determining exemptions. Who still gets to use neonics, and under what conditions? We’ll hear how the state is making those choices, using information from local farms. We’ll also learn about other neonics restrictions in Quebec and New York.

To make a feature film, you don’t have to move to Hollywood. It might take a little more resourcefulness, but you can do it right here in our region. Three local film professionals join Vermont Edition to talk about their latest projects: Chad Ervin, president of the Vermont Production Collective and director of the documentary Gone Guys; Emma Schlenoff, producer of The Obelisk and a Vermont Production Collective board member; and Alexey Hartlieb-Shea, who co-wrote The Obelisk and stars in it. Then; Shelburne Museum in Chittenden County celebrates a wide range of American art. If you visit, you’ll find everything from a round barn full of circus-themed figurines, to a Ticonderoga steamboat permanently beached on a green field. Through the end of October, you can also visit the exhibition “Making a Noise: Indigenous Sound Art.” The pieces on display are all by Indigenous artists, and they merge sound and textile design to create interactive works. Victoria Sunnergren is Shelburne Museum’s curator of Native American Art. She tells us more about the artists and their work. Broadcast live on Thursday, July 17 2025, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

Many longtime educators understand that the traditional one-size-fits-all approach to teaching is not always effective. There are different types of learners with unique needs. Landmark College in Putney is designed for students who learn differently, like those with dyslexia, autism, or ADHD. The college marks its 40th anniversary this fall, and its new president Jim Dlugos is optimistic about its future. The Willowell Foundation runs outdoor learning programs in Addison County that let young students chart their own paths. Founder and executive director Matt Schlien discusses his efforts to revive the Walden Project, a high school program focused on ecology, wellness, civic engagement and time outdoors. Broadcast live on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m. Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

Sunil "Sunny" Eappen is the president and CEO of the University of Vermont Health Network. It’s the largest hospital system in Vermont where health insurance premiums are among the highest in the country. We talk with Dr. Eappen about why that is, and the role hospitals play in setting health care costs. He also discusses how he’s thinking about the hospital system’s budget for the coming year.

President Trump’s new travel ban is in effect. For a month now, people from 12 countries have been barred from entering the U.S., including Afghanistan, Burma and Eritrea. Seven other countries are partially banned, and the President has floated the idea of banning several more. We’ll hear how the travel ban affects refugees, green card holders, international students and others in our region. joined from Brattleboro by Joe Wiah, director of the Ethiopian Community Development Council, a refugee resettlement agency in Brattleboeo, Tracy Dolan, the director of Vermont’s state refugee office, and Kristen Connors, an immigration attorney at Montroll, Oettinger and Barquist in Burlington Plus: The Mexican consulate recently set up a mobile location in Brattleboro. We’ll hear from a Mexican farmworker living in Vermont amid the Trump Administration’s immigration crackdown.

A good jingle is short, catchy and teaches you a business name or phone number that you can't get out of your head — maybe even for years. This hour we celebrate the art of the local jingle. We from some jingle writers who have written some legendary earworms. Jim Giberty is based in Bethel and wrote ads for local ski areas, as well as some broader New England gems, most notable, The Lobster Claw in Cape Cod. Cary Reich is based in Florida, but penned songs for Pizza Putt and Wendell's Furniture that will be familiar to longtime Vermonters. And we hear from Daisy Nell, a folk musician who has just so happened to have her songs become local jingles - her most famous being from the 1980s for the Snowsville General Store. Broadcast live on Thursday, July 10, 2025, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m. Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.