Shelby Marchessault picked up the win for the Thunderbirds HIGHGATE - The Missisquoi Valley Union Thunderbirds hosted the South Burlington Wolves for a Division I high school softball matchup on Friday After a quick one-two-three top of the first the MVU bats came alive quickly in the bottom half of the first Avery Guyette scored on a fielder's choice to start the MVU A Cayley Renaudette ground ball to the right side of the infield scored the second MVU run The top of the second was another one-two-three half Jillian Wagner hit a two-run single up the middle to extend the MVU lead This was followed by RBI singles from Addison Gates and Kirby King the Wolves had runners on second and third with no outs Marchessault struck out the next two batters to get two quick outs in the inning Shelby spoke of her experience on the mound: “I was really excited to get the start today I found my rhythm and continued to feel better I felt like I could trust my defense all game.” MVU Head Coach Bill Sheets spoke about the MVU effort: “I thought we played a great game This was a great game to get better as a team Kudos to Shelby on her first varsity win.” Email notifications are only sent once a day Get a selection of the Messenger's best reporting direct to your inbox each and every morning St Albans Messenger is a weekly newspaper established in 1861 covering Franklin County Samessenger.com publishes new content daily Our beat reporters are on the ground covering local government Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: If you're looking for "I Spys," dating or LTRs This story is just one of many upcoming articles slated to be published before Town Meeting Day showcasing the total earnings of public school district town and city employees – whose income is funded by taxpayers – in Chittenden County for fiscal year 2024 The purpose is to provide community members a glimpse into where their tax dollars are going and lay the basis for more comprehensive follow-up stories The Burlington Free Press received the following data towns and cities themselves via public record request Administrators account for the top ten highest paid employees on the South Burlington School District’s payroll in fiscal year 2024 topped the list in the South Burlington School District with gross earnings of $199,396.16 in fiscal year 2024 The district had 850 employees with a payroll total of $38,697,726.20 in FY24 Gross earnings may comprise more than base salary miscellaneous stipends such as coaching and health stipends and more Other top earnersSouth Burlington High School Principal Patrick Burke was the second-highest earner in FY24 Former Orchard Elementary School Principal Mark Trifilio who announced his retirement last February fifth and sixth place on the list of highest-paid employees in FY24 went to Rick Marcotte Central School Principal Lissa McDonald Gertrude Chamberlin Elementary School Principal Holly Rouelle and Frederick H Tuttle Middle School assistant principal David Hyatt followed by Rouelle with $159,966 and Hyatt with $155,125 whose employment contract the school board chose not to renew last March was the seventh highest paid school employee taking home $142,618 in gross earnings in FY24 The last three spots on the top 10 list went to the following employees: senior director of finance and operations Timothy Jarvis executive director of learning Alyssa Backman and South Burlington High School assistant principal John Craig followed by Backman with $139,940.01 and Craig with $138,692 Here is a list of the top 20 earners in the South Burlington School District. For a complete list of all district employees' salaries, please see our related database. Megan Stewart is a government accountability reporter for the Burlington Free Press. Contact her at mstewartyounger@gannett.com This story was updated because an earlier version included inaccuracies about a school board race It's a light Town Meeting Day for South Burlington voters South Burlington residents will decide on March 4 whether to pass or fail the city and school district budgets The city budget this year would raise the tax rate by 3.33% while the school district budget would increase by 5% South Burlington was one of many Vermont communities that struggled to pass their school budgets after historic double-digit education property tax increases in the Green Mountain State It took South Burlingtonians three attempts to pass a school budget South Burlington will also choose the victors of six races for public office: two city council seats and four school board seats Meeting: Monday Voting: Tuesday at City Hall Senior Center for district 18; F.H Tuttle Middle School for districts 9 and 11; Chamberlin School for district 10; and Orchard School for district 12 Proposed budget: $55,870,081 with a 3.33% tax rate increase Who’s running for city council: Incumbent Tim Barritt is running for a three-year seat; Elizabeth Fitzgerald will face off against Lydia Diamon for a two-year seat South Burlington School District informational meeting: Same day and time as regular informational meeting Proposed school district budget: $71,507,854 a 5% increase from last year’s budget of $68,082,002 Who’s running for school board: Incumbents Timothy Warren and Laura Williams are running unopposed for their three-year school director seats; Seamus Abshere and Jennifer Lawrence will compete for a two-year seat; and Daniel Boyer is running unopposed for the one year remaining on a two-year seat Megan Stewart is a government accountability reporter for the Burlington Free Press Contact her at mstewartyounger@gannett.com Mighty Rice trailed for just the second time this season when South Burlington struck first in the opening period of Thursday's Division I high school boys hockey championship game Rice also surrendered a third-period lead when Lucas Van Mullen's turnaround laser leveled the contest with 10 minutes But the team that ran circles around its competition all winter also showed its grit with everything at stake and overtime looming Oliver Quong's rebound tally with 1:22 left broke a deadlock as No 1 Rice outlasted third-seeded South Burlington seizing the second of back-to-back crowns and Division I's first perfect season in 21 years One year after claiming their first title since 1995 the Green Knights outscored opponents 136-17 in a 23-0 campaign They played just two games decided by one goal and Thursday was nearly a third before one final tally with 3 seconds to go "Best coaches, best team ever," said Quong, who also scored the game-winner in last year's title-game win over South Burlington we knew we had the team for it — we just put it together and got it done." Rice coach Justin Martin said the undefeated season "hasn't really sunk in yet." they love to compete and they are about as coachable as any group I’ve had at the high school level," Martin said "We were afraid to talk about (the perfect season) for a while and now that it’s finally here Quong finished with two goals and two assists Tyler Russo also had two tallies to go with a helper while Baylor Lamos (three assists) and Brendan Patterson (two assists) helped Rice figure out a determined South Burlington side that executed coach Sean Jones' game plan This Rice team is super-talented top to bottom We knew we were going to have to be on our game," Jones said "We knew we were going to have to play really simple hockey I think we put ourselves where we wanted to be and got into good position to win Van Mullen had both of South Burlington's goals who gave up 11 combined goals in the two regular-season losses to Rice focused on keeping Rice's quick skaters to the outside "as much as possible," Jones said "That worked well for a while," Jones said Martin: "Everything was a struggle to get pucks through." Van Mullen finished Butler's back pass in front of net for a 1-0 lead 2:35 in banging a rebound off a South Burlington defenseman and into the back of the net Rice's Patterson and Quong struck on a beautiful connection Patterson delivered a two-line pass right on the tape for Quong Van Mullen supplied the tying goal early in the third The senior whipped around from the left faceoff area his rocket nipping the crossbar on its way into the net He’s an unbelievable athlete and competitor," Martin said of Van Mullen South Burlington freshman goalie Alex Chagnon piled up 24 stops including nine in the final frame to keep the game even But Rice was relentless in the lead up to the game-winner and Quong wiggled free on a rebound chance "It just feels great to know you have a whole team on your back," Quong said "We just worked so hard this season to win this game." Quong then assisted Russo on the fourth goal for the exclamation on a perfect season "We haven’t had a ton of pressure so it’s interesting to see how the group would respond when it gets to be a pressure-cooker," Martin said "We were on the good side of a bounce again this year Henry Monaghan turned back 20 saves for his second consecutive championship win in net for Rice Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter: @aabrami5. Jan. 18: 10-0 over Northeastern Clinton (N.Y.) March 5: 11-0 over Burlington (quarterfinals) March 8: 5-0 over Mount Mansfield (semifinals) March 13: 4-2 over South Burlington (championship) It may be more happenstance than by design that six Saint Michael’s College alumni are currently employed by the South Burlington Police Department But the prevalence speaks to the special relationship between the organizations Mike’s complements the real-world work deployed by officers and staff at SBPD Some officers have even come to campus to teach classes in the Criminology program bringing those real-world examples into the learning process Saint Michael’s Fire & Rescue student volunteers also have a leg up in understanding the unique demands of a career as an emergency responder The relationship between the College and the police department started before the Criminology program at St but it has continued to develop and strengthen over time – even as rhetoric around police’s role in the community has changed Corporal Darren Beers ’99 (left) and Sergeant Martin Maloney ’18 (right) – both Saint Michael’s College alumni working at the South Burlington Police Department – pose on the College campus with the department’s fall 2024 intern Mike’s Criminology student Sarah Gardella ’26 (center) (Source: Saint Michael’s College Boucher Career Education Center Instagram) Criminology and Psychology student Sarah Gardella ’26 came of age amidst the George Floyd protests and calls for defunding the police Her dream job: to work for the Innocence Project which seeks to exonerate people who have been wrongfully convicted Gardella initially questioned whether to accept an internship at a police department to fulfill the internship requirement for her Criminology major she decided to keep an open mind and a willingness to challenge her own preconceptions Gardella was positioned within the Bureau of Investigations at the South Burlington Police Department during her fall 2024 internship She immediately found officers who cared about their community and about doing their best during what is often the worst day for the people they encounter She gained empathy and a higher appreciation for what officers face day-to-day was cussed at by a person confronted by police talked with restorative justice volunteers conducted officer surveys and helped write marketing materials after hearing from South Burlington officers in her Theories of Crime class and taking a class on restorative justice she witnessed what she was taught being implemented in person Deputy Chief Sean Briscoe of the South Burlington Police Department is a frequent guest speaker in Saint Michael’s College Criminology classes crisis workers responding in tandem with police and a focus on the mental health of officers are all practices that Saint Michael’s students learn about in Criminology courses – and that are put into practice in South Burlington These modern approaches which center human dignity and seek non-punitive resolution for minor infractions have shown to be effective South Burlington is the only department in the state to have a restorative justice program – in this case the Community Justice Center – housed within the station itself who was skeptical when he first came to South Burlington following 26 years policing in upstate New York “The CJC is an amazing addition to the police department and justice system in Chittenden County.”   who often serves as a guest lecturer at St said the restorative justice work makes officers’ jobs easier He was heartened to see the City of South Burlington step up and foot the bill when funding waned while the state was working out where to deploy community justice centers across the state Restorative justice is a process that allows a low-level or first-time offender to bypass the traditional criminal justice and court system if they seek to understand the impact their action had on others and work to repair that harm the nine-year average for those who completed the program was nearly 95% The recidivism rates (the rate at which the person re-offends) were 10% (6% for a different offense recidivism rates without restorative justice were 44% for those on probation and 87% for those who were incarcerated “To be someone who has caused harm and to be able to hear about how their actions impacted the person harmed directly and make things right is powerful,” said Josef Lavanway Director of South Burlington’s Community Justice Center “Coupled with building community connection responsible parties understand the impacts on our community and feel like they are a part of the community.”  Restorative justice combined with crisis workers from the Howard Center which respond to calls with South Burlington police in situations when mental health issues may be a factor have resulted in responses that don’t rise to the level of an arrest Gardella said she has a huge interest in the system and the insights she gained from seeing it from within were eye-opening “If my path did take me along the policing route my end goal would be to make changes within,” she said “Because I do think you need good people running it and if you’re not going to be that person willing to stand up Since graduating from Saint Michael’s College in 2018 Martin Maloney’s career with the South Burlington Police Department has taken him from evening patrol officer to detective to sergeant He credits some of his preparation for police work to being on the Rescue Team at St Mike’s as a trained EMT and to the service-oriented Mobilization of Volunteer Efforts (MOVE) trips he took while in school Maloney said the skills and lifestyle of Fire & Rescue student volunteers transfer well to police work – from similar job duties He said students are very well trained and highly motivated “It’s as close to a full-time department as you can get as a college student,” Maloney said Officer Lucas Petruzziello ’24 (left) and Sergeant Martin Maloney ’18 (right) are both Saint Michael’s College grads who went on to become officers with the South Burlington Police Department Mike’s Rescue program and sometimes serves as a guest speaker in Criminology classes maintaining that close connection between the College and SBPD Another feeder program is South Burlington’s Beach and Parks Patrol These bike patrol ambassadors issue parking tickets as well as provide monitoring assistance and information to help maintain peace in public spaces during the summer It’s a great summer job for a college student “It’s a really good opportunity for the organization [SBPD] to get to know them and for them to see if it’s something they want to get themselves into,” Maloney said Mike’s students participated in the bike patrol program and both went on to pursue training to become South Burlington police officers I spent a lot of time with the officers here,” he said of his experience on Parks Patrol “I respected all of them and wanted to do what they were doing.”  There was no Criminology program while Sgt He said faculty catered his course content to his interests which included understanding the physiological impacts of drug addiction and mental illness His work in STEM research has continued to be useful “Having that fine attention to detail is very important for police work and in my role as a detective that became even more and more evident,” he said Psychology and Sociology courses gave Maloney a greater understanding of human nature “Understanding how people think and what motivates people is really valuable whether you’re in an interrogation room or on the street trying to negotiate with someone who has barricaded themselves or is holding someone hostage,” Maloney said The Saint Michael’s College and South Burlington Police Department Connection: Corporal Darren Beers’ 99 (left) Criminology student and police department intern Sarah Gardella ’26 and Sergeant Martin Maloney ’18 Deputy Chief Briscoe said having any college degree is beneficial as a police officer “We find that those that have taken the time to dedicate themselves to their education and the time to logically solve issues and think their way through a problem make better problem-solvers as police officers,” Deputy Chief Briscoe said He said there are studies that show college-educated police officers tend to use force less make fewer arrests because they have greater communication and negotiation skills and are less likely to have disciplinary issues Much of police work may not be what people perceive Briscoe said – it’s serving the community and addressing unmet social needs which is where many of these soft skills come in handy Petruzziello became a full-blown officer in February Mike’s to compete in swimming and studied Political Science and Environmental Studies but said police work wasn’t on his radar He fell in love with the service-oriented lifestyle of being part of Fire & Rescue which naturally led to Parks Patrol Petruzziello said it has been a very rewarding experience The school’s commitment to being involved in serving the community made an impact “The community there gives you a sense of values – of caring for the people around you,” he said  In addition to policing, St. Mike’s Criminology students go on to fields in social service, law, restorative justice, and corrections. For more information about Saint Michael’s College’s Criminology program, click here.>>  A clinic providing free health care for those who are uninsured or underinsured has opened in South Burlington offering primary care as well as specialty consultations in dermatology and we’re hoping it can make a real difference for those who often fall through the cracks," Dr told the Burlington Free Press in an email Monday Waheed is a neurologist at the University of Vermont Medical Center and a professor at the Larner College of Medicine He has been working on this project for the last couple of years to get the clinic open The Free Access Health Clinic does not provide emergency care and is not a walk-in or urgent care clinic Providers at the clinic do not offer prescriptions for narcotics or any controlled substances KFF found that about 21,200 Vermonters were uninsured in 2023 That compares to a national average of 8% of the population being uninsured The Free Access Health Clinic is also hoping to offer shorter wait times than Vermont's hospitals which often schedule appointments for months into the future Let's go back over what the free health care clinic offersHighlights of the clinic include: There are already 31 volunteers staffing the clinic but more are neededThere are currently 31 volunteers making up the team at the Free Access Health Clinic The clinic is "actively seeking" more volunteers The clinic is located at 400 Swift Street, Suite 100 in South Burlington, and is open on Saturdays only, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. You must fill out the new patient online form in advance for an appointment. Visit freeaccessclinic.org "We're offering more than free health care − we're offering the opportunity for our patients to lead healthier more fulfilling lives," Waheed said in a news release we are providing essential medical services while also connecting individuals with the resources they need for advanced treatment when necessary." Contact Dan D’Ambrosio at 660-1841 or ddambrosio@gannett.com Their reward? A date at the Final Four Top-seeded Burlington did just enough to dispatch No undone by untimely injuries in each of the past two playoff seasons during Friday night's Division I high school boys quarterfinals BHS and South Burlington will square off in Monday's semifinals at Patrick Gym are matched up in the other Final Four tilt More: Vermont H.S. playoff scores for Friday, Feb. 28: See how your favorite team fared For more on the BHS-CVU and SB-Rutland games Champlain Valley entered the quarterfinals 0-2 against the mighty Seahorses having lost its two regular-season matchups by a combined score of 140-79 It was a different story Friday night at Patrick Gym Champlain Valley (9-13) fell just a few baskets shy of taking down Burlington (20-1) The Redhawks held the Seahorses to a season low in points The Redhawks fully dictated the pace of the game taking advantage of Vermont's no-shot clock rule holding onto the ball offensively for minute-long possessions they did a really good job of following the game plan to a T," Redhawks coach Ernie Duncan said but the Redhawks typically scored on those possessions keeping the game close "I think my kids did really well staying disciplined on the defensive end as they (the Redhawks) did a good job of staying disciplined on the offensive end," Seahorses coach BJ Robertson said The Seahorses were successful in driving into the paint and getting to the free throw line but not as frequently as they're accustomed to "Our defense leads to offense so when teams slowed it down on the offensive end it's hard to get out and run and get some transition buckets which normally we do," Robertson said Burlington's free throws helped keep the team afloat early The Seahorses scored five of their seven total points from the free throw line Burlington was 15 of 16 from the free-throw line Burlington leading scorer Abdi Sharif scoring seven of his game-high 18 points from the line Sharif made two critical free throws with under 15 seconds left for the game's final margin sending Burlington back to the semifinals for the second straight season "We take a lot of free throws after practice so just remembering all those free throws I took really helped me stay calm," Sharif said Luke Allen led the charge for CVU with 16 points including a big 3-pointer to get the Redhawks within one late in the fourth quarter Yet the Redhawks could not get a 3-point shot to fall in the final minute After a first-round bye gave South Burlington a week off between games coach Sol Bayer-Pacht worried his offense might stagnant Friday With a second-quarter run fueled by their self-proclaimed best defense in the state the Wolves separated from Rutland and never looked back booking their program's first Final Four berth since 2021 We want to be the best defensive and rebounding team in the state," Bayer-Pacht said "I thought we did a nice job really disrupting (Rutland’s) offense and applying good ball pressure but we played smart and that was nice to see." Kai Davidson buried four 3-pointers to register a career-high 14 points to go along with four steals and Oli Avdibegovic (13 points 10 rebounds) recorded double-doubles as South Burlington (15-6) stifled Rutland in the middle quarters More: From ball boy to varsity, Kai Davidson plays impactful role for South Burlington basketball Davidson opened the second period with a steal and breakaway layup Davidson also canned a pair of 3-pointers and Aguek's first triple pushed the margin to double digits for the first time Avdibegovic and Goyette led a 13-3 spurt to balloon the advantage to 42-24 in the final two minutes of the third "We are pretty confident in our defense more than anything," Avdibegovic said South Burlington exited early in the playoffs in the each of the past two seasons when its top player the Wolves didn't have Paul Comba (illness) other players stepping up when others are missing." South Burlington handed BHS its lone loss of the regular season "It hasn’t been easy necessarily in the playoffs but this group deserved this opportunity and that’s the message," Bayer-Pacht said "That was the monkey off our back that we need and now we are just getting going." Cooper Sparks tallied 11 points and Dez Krakowka added eight Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter: @aabrami5 Contact Judith Altneu at jaltneu@gannett.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @Judith_Altneu You’d come off like a kid with a box full of toys whining to mom about how there’s nothing to do This list also omits a handful of other outdoor performances that we’ll mention in our upcoming summer-concert preview Some of these activities are free or offered at modest cost so that even if you’re pinching pennies in these volatile times you might be able to take your mind of the need for penny-pinching for at least a little while 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 1, the Vermont Stage production of the musical-within-a-musical titled – somewhat confusingly, given the show’s premise – “[Title of Show]” – continues its run that began April 30 and goes through May 18, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington. $34-$59. www.vermontstage.org ‘Horror’ in Hyde Park7 p.m. Thursday, May 1, in a rare appearance outside of October, “The Rocky Horror Show” brings creepy camp courtesy of the Lamoille County Players through May 11 to the Hyde Park Opera House. $10-$20. www.lcplayers.com 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 1-Saturday, May 3, 2 p.m. Saturday, May 3, the Middlebury College Theatre Department presents the dark comedy “The Walls” by Argentine playwright Griselda Gambaro, Seeler Studio Theatre, Mahaney Arts Center, Middlebury College. $5-$15. www.middlebury.edu/college/box-office 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 1-Saturday, May 3, 9:30 p.m. Friday, May 2-Saturday, May 3, Vermont-raised comic Tina Friml, fresh off another appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” returns home for five sets at the Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington. $30. (7:30 p.m. Friday is sold out.) www.vermontcomedyclub.com 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 2, Burlington-based singer-songwriter Julia Randall marks the release of her debut album, “Rom-Com Industrial Complex,” with a show supported by Kendra McKinley and Grace Palmer, Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington. $10-$15. www.radiobean.com Time for ‘Dinner’ in Essex7:30 p.m. Friday, May 2, the complicated love-and-mistaken-identity story “Don’t Dress for Dinner” by Marc Camoletti, presented by the Essex Community Players, unfolds through May 17, Memorial Hall, Essex. $16-$20. www.essexplayers.com 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 2-Saturday, May 3, 2 p.m. Sunday, May 4, a contender for best theatrical show title of the year, the adult puppet show “Puppet Séance: An Occult Summoning and Also a Variety Show and Also an Advice Show” by Stoph Scheer and Anthony Sellito-Budney moves in for three performances presented by Lost Nation Theater, Montpelier City Hall Arts Center. $19-$24. www.lostnationtheater.org 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 3, the Aurora Chamber Singers offer their spring concert, “By the Still Water,” College Street Congregational Church, Burlington. $10-$30. www.aurorachambersingers.org 8 p.m. Saturday, May 3, sharing a double bill, musicians Medium Build and Petey USA play solo acoustic shows at The Stone Church, Brattleboro (www.stonechurchvt.com) and Tuesday, May 6, the Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington. (www.highergroundmusic.com) Both shows are sold out Pianist leads VYO’s Gershwin tribute3 p.m. Sunday, May 4, pianist Jeffrey Biegel accompanies the Vermont Youth Orchestra as part of the Rhapsody National Initiative, an effort to present Peter Boyer’s piano concerto “Rhapsody in Red, White, and Blue” in all 50 states to celebrate the 100th anniversary of George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” the Flynn, Burlington. $20-$23. www.flynnvt.org or www.vyo.org 7 p.m. Sunday, May 4, Americana singer-songwriter Kris Delmhorst performs at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center. $15 in advance, $18 day of show. www.zenbarnvt.com 7:30 p.m. Monday, May 5, rising singer-songwriter MJ Lenderman & the Wind headlines a show that also features This Is Lorelei, Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington. Sold out. www.highergroundmusic.com 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 7, a Northern Stage production telling the tale of life on the land in the Green Mountain State, “The Vermont Farm Project: A Farm to Stage Musical,” begins its run through May 25, Byrne Theatre, Barrette Center for the Arts, White River Junction. $5-$94. www.northernstage.org ‘Whose Live” at the Flynn7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 7, the current cast members of the TV show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” turn up on stage for “Whose Live Anyway?” at the Flynn, Burlington. $38.25-$69.75. www.flynnvt.org 7:30 Thursday, May 8, the Middlebury Acting Company begins its run (through May 18) of “Wharton Between the Sheets,” the work by Massachusetts playwright Anne Undeland about the mid-life romance of novelist Edith Wharton, Town Hall Theater, Middlebury. $15-$39. www.townhalltheater.org Concert caps Young Tradition Festival7 p.m. Saturday, May 10, the 2025 Young Tradition Festival celebrating up-and-coming traditional musicians culminates with a concert by The Pine Tree Flyers and the Young Tradition Touring Group, Contois Auditorium, Burlington City Hall. $25. www.vtfolklife.org/young-tradition-festival 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 10, the Vermont Symphony Orchestra completes its season with “Mahler’s Titan,” a performance of the Czech composer’s First Symphony as well as Vermont composer Alexandra du Bois’ civil-rights-inspired “Fanfare for Orchestra” and “My Name Is Amanda Todd” by Jocelyn Morlock, the Flynn, Burlington. $8.35-$62. www.flynnvt.org Lincoln concert series ends season7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 10, the final Burnham Presents concert of the season offers a performance featuring Nordic/Appalachian music and culture courtesy of Bruce Molsky and Ale Moller, Burnham Hall, Lincoln. $20-$30. www.burnhampresents.org 4 p.m. Sunday, May 11, the Hinesburg Artist Series marks spring and Mother’s Day with a concert featuring the Hinesburg Community Band and South County Chorus, Champlain Valley Union High School auditorium, Hinesburg. Free; donations accepted. www.hinesburgartistseries.org 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 13, the performance “Trekking Mexico” features traditional music and dance from our southern neighbors, the Flynn, Burlington. $32.75. www.flynnvt.org 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 14, indie-rockers The Ophelias join English Major for a show at Radio Bean, Burlington. $12 in advance, $15 day of show. www.radiobean.com Higher Ground offers A Place to Bury Strangers8 p.m. Wednesday, May 14, New York noise-makers A Place to Bury Strangers (word of advice: bring your earplugs) follow The Mall in the Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington. $20 in advance, $25 day of show. www.highergroundmusic.com 7 p.m. Friday, May 16, the concert “American Patchwork Quilt” features American folk and jazz music flavored with influences from West African and East Asia, the Flynn, Burlington. $27.50. www.flynnvt.org Sci-fi sounds at Nectar’s9 p.m. Friday, May 16, musician Lindsay Olsen, who goes by the stage name Salami Rose Joe Louis and has made what Pitchfork calls “a handful of grand sci-fi concept albums,” joins Breathwork at Nectar’s, Burlington. $15. www.liveatnectars.com 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 17, 3 p.m. Sunday, May 18, the Bella Voice Women’s Chorus of Vermont presents two performances of its spring concert with guest artists Solaris Vocal Ensemble, McCarthy Arts Center, St. Michael’s College, Colchester. $35. www.bellavocevt.org 4 p.m. Sunday, May 18, the jazz/Latin/classical quartet Frevo performs as part of the Westford Music Series, Westford Common Hall. Free; donations accepted. www.facebook.com/westfordmusicseries 8 p.m. Monday, May 26, a Memorial Day concert featuring indie-rock singer-songwriter Samia plus opener Raffaella takes place in the Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington. $25 in advance, $30 day of show. www.highergroundmusic.com ‘BabyCakes’ comes to Full Circle7 p.m. Friday, May 30, the Burlington-based Full Circle Theater Collaborative presents a Vermont cast in local playwright Leila Teitelman’s grief-centered work “BabyCakes,” Off Center for the Dramatic Arts, Burlington. $15-$20. www.fullcircletheatervt.org 1 and 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 31, the Vermont Ballet Theater presents two performances of its spring show “Celebration of Dance,” the Flynn, Burlington. $18.90-$30. www.flynnvt.org Contact Brent Hallenbeck at bhallenbeck@freepressmedia.com Job hunting this year? South Burlington is one of the best places to do it Personal finance company WalletHub just released its list of best cities for jobs in 2025 WalletHub compared 182 cities — including the 150 most populated U.S plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state "It’s important to look at more than just the number of jobs available or the unemployment rate when determining the best place to find employment," a WalletHub analyst said Here's why South Burlington took one of the top spots South Burlington ranked high across the two key metrics WalletHub used to determine the best cities for jobs: job market and socioeconomics The job market metric included categories like job opportunities employment growth and monthly starting salary The socioeconomics rank included categories median annual income and commute time Each city was ranked based on the metrics out of a possible total of 100 points While South Burlington was named the fourth-best city for jobs the third-seeded South Burlington boys outlasted No 1 and reigning champion Rice broke free of No 5 Mount Mansfield for a 5-0 decision in the D-I semifinals the fourth-seeded Essex girls rallied to knock off defending champion and No 1 Burlington/Colchester for a 2-1 win at Leddy Arena to close out semifinal weekend Also on Saturday, No. 2 BFA-St. Albans staged its own comeback in ousting No. 3 Spaulding 2-1 The D-I championship doubleheader is scheduled for March 13 at Gutterson Fieldhouse For more on the South Burlington and Rice boys' semifinal wins and Essex girls' triumph Hughart lift Essex into D-I girls hockey finalTaylor Senecal produced the goals Behind Senecal's two strikes and Hughart's incredible 28-save performance the Hornets solved Burlington/Colchester for the program's first title-game appearance in four years After Holley MacLellan gave the Sealakers a 1-0 lead at the first intermission Senecal supplied the equalizer at the 3:43 of the second period Senecal zoomed into BC's defensive third and knocked in the go-ahead goal 20 seconds in "She’s so much fun to watch. We've learned how to play with her," over the season, Essex coach .Jerry Gernander said of Senecal, a member of the United States 18-and-under national team that won gold at the world championships last year But Essex's 2-1 lead had to withstand the SeaLakers' onslaught for the remaining 14 minutes helping her squad kill a pair of BC power plays while totaling 17 saves in the period You don’t really know where you stand with her and that’s awesome for a goaltender," Gernander said She is pretty steady throughout and tonight she was awesome." The win was Essex's first in three tries vs "We are a team that shows up some nights and doesn’t other nights So I’m glad we were able to bounce back," Gernander said "I thought we came out and played a really smart game from start to finish." Albans rolled into Cairns Arena with momentum with Duffy Smith scoring 25 seconds into the game South Burlington already flipped one deficit in these playoffs we gotta be who we are all game," South Burlington coach Sean Jones said South Burlington star Lucas Van Mullen popped in a pair of goals 25 seconds apart midway through the opening frame and Drew Dougherty struck on the power play to get the Wolves ahead 3-1 by the first intermission BFA got one back on Gavin Clark's power play tally in the second period but Jack Kelly polished off a four-point night with a goal early in the third they just keep working and they keep getting better every day." Rice didn't score in the first period of Saturday's semifinal vs And the score remained 0-0 for the first four-plus minutes of the second frame It was "probably" the longest prolific Rice had gone without scoring a goal to start a game "(MMU) played really hard and they had a game plan and they executed it beautifully," Martin said "They were physical with us and they made every play difficult for us." But a faceoff win turned into a breakaway for Oliver Quong who deposited the opening tally at 10:23 of the second the speedy Quong flung in a wrister for an unassisted tally for a 2-0 margin And the Green Knights were off and running We’ve done it maybe 50 times and that’s the first time we’ve scored off it," Martin said of the first goal he came ready to play and really set the tempo for us Quong capped his hat trick during a three-goal third period for the Green Knights (21-0) Pierre Heroux struck for his first career tally and Baylor Lamos handed out three assists "We just wore them out and that’s kind of been our M.O professor of neurological sciences at the Larner College of Medicine is one of the founders of a new free health clinic in South Burlington that offers primary care and basic diagnostic services for Vermont’s uninsured and underinsured residents The Free Access Health Clinic at 400 Swift Street operates on a non-profit model and describes itself as a community-driven solution to the state’s affordable health care crisis and we also have dermatology care,” Waheed says The team operating the program includes 31 volunteer physicians The clinic is one potential solution to a common problem seen by many health care providers When people delay or forgo basic primary care due to affordability constraints many will likely end up in the emergency room exacerbating costs and sometimes causing irreversible bodily damage “What could be prevented by seeing a good primary care physician and initiating all that primary care—all the preventative care never happened,” Waheed says then you have to restart from scratch and again.” The clinic is not an emergency room or urgent care and operates on an appointment-only basis it’s common that patients require significant aftercare like prescriptions or other diagnostic testing Waheed explains that to further aid with those costs the team has partnered with the University of Vermont Medical Center and if the patient fulfills the criteria determined by the center like receiving medication and additional testing “We cannot cover each and every thing and we need to practice within our scope because we also know our limitation,” he says “This is not a major hospital; this is a small scope But the level of care you get in any physician’s office While the clinic currently only offers care to adults it plans to expand specialties as it grows based on patient needs and volunteer availability It has already announced that mental health and psychiatry services are coming soon The team is also accepting community donations at freeaccessclinic.org/donate/ “We’re offering more than free health care We’re offering the opportunity for our patients to lead healthier Read full story at The Other Paper University of Vermont home The OnLogic building on Interstate 89 south of Burlington is already eye-catching framed by dramatic bands of light from ground to roof − but now a monumental sculpture on the building grounds ups the eye appeal even more "That Place in the Stars," by Vermont artist Christopher Curtis features a swooping 24-foot high spire bisected by a 21-foot wide arch that anchors it to the ground The stainless steel sculpture stands nearly three stories high OnLogic's $60 million headquarters building is located in South Burlington's Technology Park "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to host this wonderful piece of art at our new site," Roland Groeneveld "We hope visitors using the Technology Park walking trails have the opportunity to experience this beautiful sculpture for themselves." 'That Place in the Stars' joins 'Whales Tails' in South Burlington's Technology ParkCurtis said in a statement he's "thrilled" to have his sculpture near the "Whales Tails," a public sculpture he said he has admired for years "I hope 'That Place in the Stars' invites viewers to contemplate the sky embodying themes of wonder and exploration," he said Curtis has long been dedicated to creating public art and has sculptures on display at government and corporate spaces throughout the United States The sculptor installed "That Place in the Stars" on Wednesday Started around the kitchen table in conversations between Groeneveld and his wife OnLogic has grown to become an international company with some 300 employees − 200 of them in Vermont − building about 100,000 computers every year for some 6,000 customers ranging from railroads to robotic farming companies undersea exploration companies and automotive firms More: Local tech company plans massive expansion in South Burlington For more information about Christopher Curtis and his work, visit www.christophercurtis.com SOUTH BURLINGTON – Those end-of-practice 3-on-3s Motivation disguised as chirps from a teammate's dad Striking the right balance between winning and enjoying the game Two months into his stay at Mount St. Charles Academy in Rhode Island, Lucas Van Mullen realized he longed for what he left behind at South Burlington High School "There's a reason I love hockey so much," Van Mullen said "and it was because of people like (coach Sean Jones) and my teammates "Those are the memories and moments that I missed I just made the decision that I didn’t necessarily want to go through the whole juniors process and try my luck at being a (college) freshman at 20 or 21." Returning to South Burlington in time for his senior season, Van Mullen found bliss, and then made some history: After switching from blue line to forward this winter to supply 26 goals and 31 assists and lead the Wolves to a Division I championship-game appearance Van Mullen retains the title of the Free Press' Mr which has been handed out annually since 1992 to the state's top player "He’s the type of player you need to be aware of at all times he’s the complete package," Rutland coach Mike Anderson said "He is a pretty special player and a guy who can take over the game himself."   Van Mullen is also the paper's first two-time Mr I truly think if I had a different coach or a different team I would not be as successful as I was," Van Mullen said "(Jones) knew exactly how to make the game fun and put me in position to use my talent." Van Mullen's humbled response to earning the award again didn't surprise his coach "What (Van Mullen) does off the ice is as important if not twice as important as what he gives us on the ice," Jones said but he should be selfishly proud of winning it two years in a row." But Van Mullen's final year in Wolves' blue and white started slow Jones first utilized Van Mullen and others in hybrid roles And South Burlington also suffered back-to-back 3-2 defeats to North Country and Rutland around the holidays that left the locker room at an emotional crossroad "We were simultaneously embarrassed and so fired up after that," Van Mullen said When he learned of that night's first line group 'I betcha you guys won't forecheck or backcheck I betcha you guys will be pretty bad actually,' or something along those lines," Van Mullen recalled "We made it our sole mission to backcheck and forecheck harder than we’ve ever done in our lives that game." with Jack Kelly scoring the winner with 14 seconds left in regulation for a 3-2 decision over BFA-St The move that solidified future success followed a Van Mullen-Jones conversation 'I can play forward and still be a defenseman,'" Jones said "We talked about that and his understanding of roles on the ice and spaces and shape … it made complete sense to give him the opportunity at forward knowing that he was well aware of his defensive responsibilities We were not losing anything with him up there." the Wolves went 13-3 to reach its second straight title game vs Rice Underdogs against the unbeaten and reigning champion Green Knights the Wolves struck first on Van Mullen's close finish in the early minutes I soon learned later in the season that most goals are scored on rebounds or right in front of net," Van Mullen said More: Late winner decides Rice boys hockey's title defense, first perfect season in 21 years Van Mullen also fired in the game-tying goal on a wicked turnaround shot early in the third period before Rice pulled away to secure back-to-back crowns And although South Burlington settled for runner-up honors again Van Mullen was more than content with this chapter of his sports career "I came back and decided to play my senior year here It was the most fun year of hockey I’ve ever had," Van Mullen said Everyone wanted to succeed and have fun — it was the perfect balance of athletics and camaraderie." 2024: Lucas Van Mullen, South Burlington 2023: Jackson Strong, Rice 2022: Justin Prim, Essex 2021: Finn O’Hara, Harwood 2020: Dan Ellis, BFA-St. Albans 2019: Jonah Janaro, Essex 2018: Ryan Young, Essex 2017: Denver Heath, Spaulding 2016: Matt Needleman, BFA-St. Albans 2015: Erik Short, Essex 2014: Matty Cuce, Colchester South Burlington is the safest city in America Personal finance company WalletHub just released its list of safest cities in America WalletHub said the list was compiled based on data of traffic fatalities and assaults unemployment rates and the number of people who are uninsured "The safest cities in America protect residents from these threats of bodily harm and property damage they also help secure people’s financial safety," a WalletHub analyst said Here's why South Burlington took the top spot WalletHub ranked South Burlington as the safest city in America in part because of its safe roads "It has one of the lowest pedestrian fatality rate in the country along with the 13th-lowest percentage of uninsured motorists," the study said the city benefits from having the ninth-most EMTs and paramedics per capita." The study also found South Burlington scores well in terms of financial safety The city has the lowest unemployment rate in the country the second-lowest share of seriously underwater mortgages and the third-fewest non-business bankruptcy filings per capita over the past year WalletHub said South Burlington scored high because it is safe from natural disasters Burlington ranked high for having a low risk of natural disasters and a high financial safety risk rating Which cities are the safest in America?While South Burlington was named the safest city in America WalletHub said it examined three factors: home & community safety natural-disaster risk and financial safety These factors were broken down into further categories to calculate scores for each cities Scores totaled up to 100 and were weighted to find the average South Burlington Police Chief Shawn Burke will step down from his current role to serve as the interim chief of the Burlington Police Department Burke will remain in his South Burlington role until March 21 Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak announced the decision Feb stating that she is “exceedingly grateful to have Shawn Burke returning to Burlington to serve as our Interim Chief of Police Chief Burke served most of his career here in the City of Burlington and under his leadership I am confident that we can continue to build a department that is responsive to our community’s needs.” Current Police Chief Jon Murad announced his decision to not seek reappointment in early November 2024 Murad will assist in the transition and will conclude his service in Burlington on or before April 7 Burke’s law enforcement career spans 31 years in Vermont municipal policing and he has served in both the Burlington and South Burlington Police departments He began his career as a uniformed patrol officer with the Woodstock Police Department in 1993 and joined Burlington Police in 1997 Burke became a leader in both the Uniformed Services Bureau and the Detective Services Bureau Burke retired from Burlington Police in 2018 having attained the rank of deputy chief for operations to serve as the chief of police in South Burlington Burke currently serves on the Vermont Domestic Violence Fatality Review Commission; the Department of Public Safety’s School Crisis Planning Team; as the first vice president of the Vermont Association of Chiefs of Police; and as the chair of the Vermont Law Enforcement Advisory Board No replacement for Burke's position in South Burlington has been announced Mulvaney-Stanak said that she's thankful for city leaders there for "understanding that strong leadership for the BPD will benefit not only the Queen City but will serve to make our entire region safer for everyone who lives and visits here.”  Sydney P. Hakes is the Burlington city reporter. Contact her at SHakes@gannett.com A championship rematch and a classic rivalry are on tap for tonight's Division I boys and girls high school hockey finals at Gutterson Fieldhouse top-seeded and defending champion Rice (22-0) and No 3 South Burlington (16-6) square off for the second straight year 4 Essex (13-8) will meet in the championship for the seventh time in their storied history More: 2025 Vermont high school boys hockey playoff primer and round-by-round predictions More: 2025 Vermont high school girls hockey playoff primer and round-by-round predictions The Rice-South Burlington matchup kicks off the doubleheader at 6 p.m BFA and Essex will follow at approximately 8 p.m For live updates from both championship tilts and links for how to watch The most recent in-game updates will be displayed at the top Albans 1Essex wins its first D-I hockey championship since 2021 Stay tuned for more coverage later tonight Albans 1The Comets pulled their goalie at the start of their power play Calleigh Bruyns scores the empty netter to become the third Division I girls hockey player ever to record a hat trick in a championship game The Comets have a skater advantage for the next two minutes after an Essex skater goes to the penalty box Albans can not capitalize on its second power play opportunity of the night in the closing minutes of the second period The Comets looked to cut Essex's lead down to one with Lilly Ferraro having a one-on-one breakaway opportunity Taylor Senecal races down the other end and scores her second goal of the night for Essex Albans on the board firing the puck into the top right corner of the net This game is delivering on lots of action!! The Hornets are outshooting the Comets 8-7 Essex catches a break with the referees failing to call a too-many-skaters on the ice penalty in the closing seconds Taylor Senecal collects the puck near her own goal and goes coast-to-coast weaving her way around defenders Albans 0The Hornets score the power play goal with Calleigh Bruyns punching in the rebound following the Comets' goalie save Albans is a woman up after an Essex player gets sent to the box for a tripping Morgan Hughart makes a great save to deny the Comets The puck ricochets right to Calleigh Bruyns and she punches the puck into the net giving the Hornets the early lead Lucille Mehaffey gets credited with the assist Albans-Essex starters for D-I girls hockey championship gameBFA-St Green Knights add another in final seconds and go back-to-back completing the first perfect season in Division I in 21 years South Burlington (16-7) with a valiant upset bid Rice has 23-22 shots advantage for the game Lucas Van Mullen levels the game with a laser from the left faceoff area The South Burlington star rifles shot off the cross bar and in South Burlington 1South Burlington's Jack Kelly slips behind defense and Rice goalie Henry Monaghan knocks away chance Oliver Quong flicks in wrister for go-ahead goal Quong took a two-line pass from defenseman Brendan Patterson to create the goal opportunity 6:07 left in second period: South Burlington 1 Rice 1South Burlington's Lucas Van Mullen can't quite get shot off in front of goal Then Vincent Lanzetta's rip is nearly spilled for a rebound chance for Rice Rice's Oliver Quong zooms in transition but South Burlington goalie Alex Chagnon gathers hard shot without allowing a rebound 12:55 left in second period: South Burlington 1 Rice 1Rice with a couple shots early in the second South Burlington had a 12-10 edge in shots on net Rice goalie Henry Monaghan had to make a couple point-blank saves in the final couple minutes of the period Lucas Van Mullen and Tyler Russo scored 31 seconds apart early in the first looked like it bounced in off a South Burlington defenseman South Burlington strikes first: Lucas Van Mullen takes away finish from Christian Butler's back pass Both title games will be streamed on the NFHS Network (subscription required) Rice vs South Burlington in the D-I boys hockey final BFA vs Essex in the D-I girls hockey final Regular-season matchups: Rice swept both meetings this winter Head-to-head tournament meetings:  Rice leads 4-2 following last year's championship victory (2-1) Rice's playoff history: Rice enters its fourth straight championship-game appearance The Green Knights are 3-5 all-time in the finals and have a 39-48 win-loss tournament record overall South Burlington's playoff history: The Wolves are 30-41 in tournament play in their history The program's most-recent championship came in 2013 Regular-season matchups: BFA went 2-1 vs Essex this winter Head-to-head tournament meetings: Essex leads 7-5 (including 4-3 in the title games) The Hornets also won the teams' most-recent playoff matchup BFA's playoff history: The Comets are 51-12 all-time in tournament play Essex's playoff history: The Hornets own a 38-14 all-time mark in tournament play They won three straight titles from 2019-2021 with the third crown an awarded championship due to an opponent's COVID case Contact Judith Altneu at jaltneu@gannett.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @Judith_Altneu Due to low numbers, South Burlington High School will not field a girls ice hockey team this winter The Wolves tried every avenue available to them to try and have a season called around to different schools trying to join forces The Wolves did get approval for three eighth-graders to play varsity but that approval came a week-and-a-half before tryouts started on Dec Those players already committed to their club teams and would not be fully available to coach Courtney Barrett More: The top returning Vermont high school girls basketball players? Our 2024-25 watchlist. Barrett had a total of 11 girls interested in playing but she really needed at least 10 full-time skaters to have multiple lines "It's really hard to coach varsity ice hockey without 14 skaters because someone's going to be on vacation someone's going to be sick or hurt," Barrett said The four to five players still interested in playing competitive hockey are joining the Burlington/Colchester SeaLakers through the Vermont Principals' Association member-to-member agreement The SeaLakers are the defending Division I champions The Wolves graduated eight seniors last year, including Burlington Free Press all-state second-teamer Sabrina Brunet Barrett also said the small number of girls playing hockey at the youth level games scheduled during both winter breaks and hockey being an expensive sport relative to others were factors that hurt the Wolves' participation More: The top returning Vermont high school boys basketball players? Our 2024-25 watchlist. Barrett will be running a skills clinic two times a week for the players who chose not to play with the Burlington/Colchester team those eighth-graders and others interested in taking the ice Barrett will help the players grow their skills with instruction "When I first took the job six years ago I had to teach five to seven kids how to play hockey from not knowing how to skate to scoring your first goal your senior year," Barrett said "So I'm going to have to do a little bit of that again." While several hockey teams have joined forces over the years including Burlington/Colchester Champlain Valley/Mount Mansfield and the Kingdom Blades Barrett hopes that girls hockey can return to South Burlington as soon as next season "I'm going to do all that I can to create the future of SB hockey and try to build a program back get some more players into it," Barrett said "None of those four or five that are playing are seniors right now all signs point to a competitive season next year." Joann is now set to shutter all its stores around the country, including several locations in Vermont The fabric and craft retail chain was auctioned off to a new ownership group on Saturday after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy twice in the last year The new ownership group announced Monday it will shut down operations after holding going-out-of-business sales at all stores The company had previously announced the closure of roughly 500 of its more than 800 stores around the country including most of its locations in Vermont When is Joann closing its stores?Joann was auctioned off to GA Group When is Joann starting closing sales?Going-out-of-business sales at the 500 stores that were previously confirmed to be closing started on Feb The sales will now roll out to all of the retailer's remaining stores According to USA TODAY most stores have base discounts around 10-20% with some Christmas items discounted as much as 75% off The retailer has more information available for customers on its restructuring website, joannrestructuring.com Joann locations in VTJoann previously announced that two of its three locations in Vermont would be closing with its South Burlington store remaining open Here's a list of the retailer's Vermont locations: Melina Khan is a trending reporter for the USA TODAY Network - New England, which serves more than a dozen affiliated publications across New England. She can be reached at MKhan@gannett.com