Local Lowdown

Flea Market September 18, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Looking to decorate your dorm room? Head to the Town Hall Theater for a one-of-a-kind flea market. Browse through jewelry, rugs, antiques and more from over 25 vendors. You will feel great about any purchase, as the flea market is a fundraiser for the Town Hall ...

Chocolate shop excites all palates

“To bring people fresh food and community and just a place to get away from the everyday, [to] be happy for a little bit,” said Stephanie Jackson, co-owner of Middlebury Chocolates. “That’s my overall goal.” And, looking around the high ceilings and openness of the café nestled by the river, ...

One in 8700

In 1990, siblings Andy and Jen Li moved to the United States from China. Jen, who has now lived in Middlebury for six years, believes there is a big difference between the two countries. Nonetheless, she is glad to be raising a family here. “It is a very nice and enjoyable community,” she said. The ...

Local Wanders

Monroe Street Books owners Dick and Flanzy Chodkowski have watched their business change since it first opened in 1991. An ever-expanding repertoire of books and the growing popularity of online book-selling has shaped how the store has conducted business. Yet, one thing has not changed- the charm of ...

51 Main fills docket for upcoming year

51 Main at the Bridge, the popular restaurant and entertainment venue in downtown Middlebury, has a plethora of events planned for the upcoming year. Community discussions, live music and opportunities for students to showcase their talents are part of the varied lineup. Sarah Franco, 51 Main’s cultural ...

Middlebury grad opens bakery

Many Middlebury graduates go on to accomplish feats all over the world, in destinations as far-flung as Cape Town, China and the Arctic Circle. Julianne Jones ’07 plans to make her mark much closer to home. With the opening of her new bakery, Vergennes Laundry, in Vergennes, scheduled for later this ...

One in 8700: Laura Asermily, Middlebury Town Energy Coordinator

The College’s colors may be navy and white, but most know that Middlebury, the town and the College, tries hard to stay green. At the forefront of the town’s efforts to reduce environmental impact is Laura Asermily, the Middlebury Energy Coordinator. Appointed by the Middlebury Select Board, Asermily ...

Restaurants heat up dining scene

It doesn’t matter how much of a quinoa fanatic you are, how many red velvet cupcakes you’ve been hoarding nor how desperately loyal you are to That Special Panini, because there comes a time of year — right about when the ugly sweaters begin to replace shorts and when you’re really questioning ...

Need to find that back-to-school buzz?

Carol’s Hungry Mind Cafe, Sama’s Café, the Stoneleaf Teahouse and 51 Main have menus suited for all taste buds and are ready to caffeinate the student body. 51 Main Tuesday to Saturday, 11 a.m. until late Complete with a lunch, dinner, dessert and snack menu, an assortment of exotic drinks and ...

The Pragmatist

Farmer’s markets and natural foods stores are springing up in towns and cities across the country; in Vermont alone the number of farmer’s markets has shot up from 55 to 84 in the past five years. The increasing availability of organic and conventional produce, whether local or not, has brought ...

Local Lowdown - Summer Edition

Local Wanders - 5/6

Walking into Vermont HoneyLights is a breath of fresh air. Located on Main Street in Bristol, Vermont HoneyLights is a family-owned and operated business that sells beeswax candles and accessories. The store’s interior is complete with whitewashed wooden floors and displays of ornately molded beeswax ...

Vermont celebrates civil unions

As Gaypril comes to a close and talks of gender-neutral housing dominate recent conversation on campus, the town of Middlebury reflects on its own progress in the always-charged sexuality debate. April 26 marked the 10-year anniversary of the civil union in Vermont. The Civil Union Bill, which took ...

One in 8,700: where the personalities of Middlebury proper are celebrated

In the pre-dinner lull, Narender Kaur sits down in the main dining area and leans an elbow on a tabletop bearing a bejeweled image of Ganesha, an elephantine Hindu deity. Kaur has no specific position at the restaurant; she waits tables, manages, works at the cash register and does whatever else is ...

State House keeps it local: Middlebury artist commissioned for Governor Douglas' official portrait

They line the walls of the State House in Montpelier. Eyes of past leaders gaze out at Vermont tourists and legislators. They are silent, yet powerful reminders of the past. The official portraits of the Vermont governors are valuable bits of history, honoring the work and legacy of the state’s leaders. ...

Carol's Hungry Mind steps up service

Don’t be surprised if the next time you grab coffee at Carol’s Hungry Mind a hand thrusts a plate of pita and hummus into your hands and you hear, “Try this.” The hand and the voice belong to Elizabeth Lundberg, the new business manager at Carol’s, and the sample, whether hummus or a small ...

Local lowdown - 5/6

Local playwright shows “My Ohio” May 6 and 7, 8-9 p.m., May 8, 2-3p.m. and 8-9 p.m., May 9, 2-3 p.m. Come down to the Town Hall Theater for a few laughs this weekend. Local Middlebury resident and playwright Dana Yeaton presents her new musical, “My Ohio.” Tickets are $24 for the general public, ...