Vermont

Guster’s singer volunteers for ‘most magical thing on earth’ with 12-hour dance in Lincoln

Published

5 months ago

November 14, 2025

Guster’s singer volunteers for ‘most magical thing on earth’ with 12-hour dance in Lincoln

Ryan Miller learned of Zeno Mountain Farm a half-dozen years ago from his Guster bandmate Luke Reynolds, who had recently moved to Lincoln in Addison County.

It was a camp in town, Reynolds told Miller, geared toward helping people with disabilities. Year-round, folks with and without disabilities worked on an even plane to put on shows, all for free. Miller went to one of Zeno Mountain Farm’s annual plays, the musical “Best Summer Ever,” and discovered a “gateway drug” that has kept him in the world of Zeno Mountain ever since.

“When I walked in there and saw the play and saw this place and saw this community, I was like, ‘Well, this is the most magical thing on earth,’” said Miller, who lives in Williston. “It feels like science fiction.”

Miller corralled many of Vermont’s highest-profile musicians to perform Nov. 16 in a 12-hour dance marathon at Zeno Mountain. The fundraiser was expected to raise about $100,000, said Peter Halby, who founded the nonprofit camp with his family. That totals roughly a sixth of the organization’s annual budget.

“We take care of each other together,” Halby said in describing Zeno Mountain’s mission. “We really want to push the definition of inclusion.”

A sense of community in Lincoln, Vermont

As the org says online, Zeno Mountain Farm aims to support “people with disabilities, cancer and traumatic brain injuries, along with veterans, people in recovery and ever-expanding kindred groups.”

The group had roots in California before moving to Lincoln in 2008. The next summer came Zeno Mountain’s first monthlong summer camp, and over time, the team “realized the Zeno model worked to create a society without margins for everyone.”

Of the hundreds of people involved in Zeno Mountain Farm, only four staff members are paid regularly. No one pays to attend. There are no distinctions between counselors and campers. Everyone works together to put on plays and concerts and travel “to all of the sweet spots of Vermont,” Halby said.

Zeno Mountain strives to avoid defining those with disabilities as “almost less-than,” Halby said.

“It’s just like one element of who they are,” he said.

Zeno Mountain Farm offers about 15 residential camp sessions a year totaling nearly 100 days, Halby said, with 50 to 100 people in attendance per session. He said the goal is to invite the same people every year, building a sense of community for those who often bounce around between homes and otherwise miss the thread of togetherness.

“People go back every year,” Miller said. “It really becomes this family, like a real family.”

Zeno Mountain Farm exists “on this incredible network of volunteers,” Halby said. “It’s hundreds of people, hundreds of Vermonters.”

Miller is one of those Vermonters.

“He has taken this on,” Halby said of Miller and his work on the upcoming dance marathon. “He’s so into it. He gets Zeno. He’s such a light and so great at this, and he pours his heart into it.”

Guster singer gets to work

When he saw his first play at Zeno Mountain, Miller was struck by how there was no delineation between actors with or without disabilities. If an actor had trouble speaking a line, they were given the space to speak it. A performer with trouble walking would have someone walking with them. It seemed to Miller to be a place with no race, no age, no particular ability or disability, no hierarchy.

“It’s so hard to be cynical within the walls of the place,” he said.

Miller has been coordinating performers for the half-day dance marathon. Vermont musicians including Brett Hughes, Lowell Thompson, Troy Millette, Matt LaRocca, Mark Daly (Madaila), Eric Maier (formerly of Madaila), Sadie Brightman and James Kolchalka are scheduled for this year’s event.

Miller — who seems to know everyone connected to Vermont’s music scene and many not — is so into Zeno Mountain that the man, who spends months every year on the road with his rock band, has agreed to serve as a board member for the organization.

“I’m not a fundraiser kind of guy,” Miller said. “I don’t want to come in as, like, Daddy Warbucks. What I can do is come in and try to connect people.”

Miller said he aims to be optimistic about life. Zeno Mountain Farm, he said, helps him feel good about humans.

“I think you take that outside of Zeno,” Miller said. “It serves as ballast in my moral maneuverings.”

If you go

WHAT: Zeno Mountain Farm annual dance marathon fundraising event

WHEN: 1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 15-1 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 16

WHERE: Zeno Mountain Farm, 950 Zeno Road, Lincoln

INFORMATION: To donate, sponsor a dancer or take part in the dance marathon, visit zenomountainfarm.org or fundraise.givesmart.com/e/aahyTg?vid=1muq04

Contact Brent Hallenbeck at bhallenbeck@freepressmedia.com.

Source link

Click to comment

Vermont

Wrong-way driver stopped on I-89, charged with DUI

Published

7 hours ago

April 19, 2026

Press Room

Wrong-way driver stopped on I-89, charged with DUI

BOLTON, Vt. (WCAX) – A wrong-way driver was safely stopped on Interstate 89 overnight Sunday.

Vermont State Police say just before 12:30 a.m., they stopped the car near marker 77, near Bolton.

The driver, Denise Lear, 60, of Revere, was charged with driving under the influence and gross negligent operation.

Lear is expected in court Monday.

Source link

Vermont

Women’s Lacrosse Bested in Burlington by Vermont – University at Albany Great Danes

Published

20 hours ago

April 18, 2026

Press Room

Women’s Lacrosse Bested in Burlington by Vermont – University at Albany Great Danes

Score: UAlbany 4, Vermont 14

Location: Virtue Field | Burlington, Vt.

Records: UAlbany (10-5, 5-1 America East) | Vermont (8-6, 4-1 America East)

Short Story: UAlbany women’s lacrosse fell to the Vermont Catamounts on Saturday afternoon.

Key Stats

Grace Cincebox recorded a total of 14 saves with 13 goals allowed for a .565 save percentage.

Ravan Marsell led the Great Danes with two points on one goal and one assist.

Four different UAlbany players scored in the contest.

Reggie Williams was the team’s leader with three ground balls.

Delilah Mile caused a team high three turnovers.

How It Happened

The Catamounts came out of the gates hard and heavy, scoring all three goals between both sides in the first quarter.

Vermont would take an 8-0 lead in the second quarter before Amanda Williamson found the back of the net on a women-down goal to put the Great Danes on the board and make it 8-1.

The Great Danes would allow one more goal in the first half to trail 9-1 after 30-minutes of play.

Grace Cincebox would enter the half with 10 saves.

Riley Forthofer started the Great Danes off in the second half to make it a 9-2 game, before Vermont put up three more goals to take a 12-2 lead entering the final quarter of play.

Mya Carroll and Ravan Marsell both scored on back-to-back free-position goals to make it a 12-4 game.

The Catamounts finished the game with two more goals to take the win 14-4.

Up Next
The Great Danes will next have a bye week and wait to see the outcome of next week’s Vermont vs UMass Lowell game to see who will host the America East Tournament.

Social Central: Stay up to date with UAlbany women’s lacrosse by following the team on Instagram (@UAlbanyWLax), Facebook (UAlbany Women’s Lacrosse), and X (@UAlbanyWLax) for all of the latest news and highlights throughout the year.

Source link

Vermont

Vermont lands two cities in America’s top 15 happiest list

Published

1 day ago

April 18, 2026

Press Room

Vermont lands two cities in America’s top 15 happiest list

Is creativity the missing key to better health?

Research suggests creative activities like art, music and crafts may benefit mental health as much as other key health habits.

Here’s another reason Vermont is the best New England state: It’s home to one of the top 5 happiest cities in the United States.

Plus, it has another within the top 15.

Massachusetts, on the other hand, doesn’t even break the top 50. Nor, does Connecticut or Rhode Island.

The personal finance website analyzed 182 of the largest cities in the country, and ranked Boston 63rd overall. Although the city is home to some of the nation’s top universities, high-ranking hospitals, and well-regarded companies, it didn’t break the top 50.

To get the rankings, WalletHub compared the cities using 29 metrics, including life-satisfaction index, depression rate, poverty rate, job security, and acres of parkland per 1,000 residents. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, and cities were assigned an overall happiness score.

Here’s a look at how the cities ranked.

South Burlington is No. 4 happiest city, Burlington is No. 11

South Burlington came on top for Vermont in WalletHub’s list of the happiest cities in the United States, ranking at No. 4. In scored very high for emotional and physical well-being coming in at the No. 4 spot, which made up for coming in No. 48 for community and environment. It was No. 9 for income and employment ranking. That gave it a total happiness of score of 70.15

Burlington wasn’t far behind at all, taking the No. 11 spot on the list and a happiness score of 67.54. It’s highest score was for income and employment ranking where it came second. It ranked No. 13 for community and environment and No. 21 for emotional and physical well-being.