Take a Bow

Saturday 11

New York City’s DragonBoot Quartet bring compelling string compositions to Waterbury Congregational Church for an afternoon of nimble musicianship. The vibrant foursome — all current students of the Juilliard School — plays familiar favorites by Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as well as contemporary works by American composer and Pulitzer laureate Caroline Shaw.

Best Rest

Wednesday 15

Girls’ Night Out With Beth Kruger at the Essex Resort & Spa invites women over 40 to step into the New Year seeking balance, harmony and a bit of self-care. The event kicks off with a refreshing spa experience — including use of the sauna, hot tub and steam room — followed by refreshments around the fireplace and a deep dive into Kruger’s “Menopause Toolkit.”

Finding Their Footing

Saturday 11

The Marble Valley Dance Collective captivates audience members with New Dances Dawning, staged at Vermont State University’s Casella Theater in Castleton. Eighteen dancers from the state’s southwest region evoke a sense of unbridled joy, community and belonging through movement — emphasizing the nonprofit’s mission of forging deep connections through dance.

Clap Your Hands

Saturday 11

Prolific local songwriter Matt Hagen takes center stage for Burlington’s FlynnZone Kids Hour — a monthly performance series in the Flynn lobby designed for wee ones ages 3 to 5. Through musical improvisation, Hagen leads kiddos and their caregivers in interactive, playful songs built to foster imagination, make memories and introduce children to the arts.

Ski Ya There

Saturday 11

Sleepy Hollow Inn’s Full Moon Ski Party in Huntington invites snow sports enthusiasts of all ages and abilities to ski beneath the milky twilight and snowshoe out on the moonlit floor. The event opens with a free ski lesson, followed by folks taking to the trails with headlamps — or opting for the 1K lighted loop. The adventure concludes with music, hot drinks and treats by the fire.

Dynamic Duo

Saturday 11

Boston juke-joint revival band the Smack Dabs and virtuosic New England foursome Rhythm Future Quartet light up the night with a soulful double bill at Next Stage Arts in Putney. Audience members get groovy with the former’s 1930s good-time swing blues and the latter’s hot-club jazz tunes (think Django Reinhardt) — an energy so contagious, listeners can’t help but tap a toe.

Swiss Scapes

Ongoing

Acclaimed German artist Thomas Struth‘s exhibition of large-scale color photographs at Hall Art Foundation in Reading showcases the rural landscapes of Northern Switzerland. Struth’s soft, unidealized shots were taken in the early 1990s and began as a commissioned project for a private hospital in Winterthur — the works serving as a portal for patients to the outside world.

United States Attorney for Vermont Nikolas Kerest announced his resignation Monday. This is common practice pending a presidential inauguration and party change. President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in January 20 and will select his own pick for attorney.

Kerest was appointed to the position by President Joe Biden in 2021 and oversaw a group of 51 employees during his time.

In a press release from his office, Kerest said “representing the United States as a member of the U.S. Attorney’s Office team for over fourteen years and as its leader for the past three years has been the highlight of my career. Public service is a gift.”

Kerest previously served as an assistant United States attorney in Burlington since 2010.

During his tenure in the position, his office focused on addressing violent crime, something that had spiked in Vermont. He supported the Chittenden County Gun Violence Task Force, and worked with local law enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations to remove violent offenders from the streets.

Kerest’s office also focused on enforcing federal civil rights laws, as well as educating Vermonters about their rights under these laws. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has also taken significant steps to address elder financial fraud in Vermont, prosecuting offenders of those crimes.

His office also successfully represented the Federal Highway Administration against challenges to the construction of Burlington’s Champlain Parkway.

Assistant United States Attorney Michael Drescher will become acting attorney when Kerest officially steps down on inauguration day. Kerest’s office stated he hasn’t determined his next career steps yet.

Sydney P. Hakes is the Burlington city reporter. Contact her at SHakes@gannett.com.

SOUTH BURLINGTON — Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman said Monday that he expects Vermont lawmakers to affirm John Rodgers’ victory in the race for the state’s second-highest office when the Legislature convenes later this week.

Zuckerman, a Progressive/Democrat, won fewer votes in November’s election than Rodgers, a Republican. But neither candidate secured more than 50% of the vote, triggering a constitutional process whereby the Legislature crowns the winner.

In the days after the election, Zuckerman conceded the race, though he nodded in a radio interview to the possibility that legislators could, technically, still name him lieutenant governor — and that they might have good reason to do so. His comments drew sharp criticism at the time from current and former state political leaders. 

Zuckerman said Monday at a press conference in South Burlington — which he convened to offer parting thoughts, he said, before leaving office — that he had not been in contact with legislators about how they would vote “since a few days after” the election.

“The Legislature will make its decision. I suspect they will elect John Rodgers. I haven’t heard anything otherwise,” Zuckerman said in response to a reporter’s question.

Zuckerman has frequently criticized Republican Gov. Phil Scott — with whom Rodgers is a close ally — throughout his tenure in office. And he took aim again at the governor in his remarks Monday, calling on Scott’s camp to bring “real options” to the negotiating table with legislators on key issues, including reforming the state’s education funding system and making housing and other aspects of life in the state more affordable.

That hasn’t always been the case over recent legislative sessions, he argued. 

“The governor has hundreds of staff to develop policy proposals, and the Legislature has no individual staff and is part-time for less than half the year,” Zuckerman said. “It is up to the governor, after eight years, to lead — not by pointing fingers at the Legislature, but by coming up with policies that reflect Vermonters’ wishes for good local public schools and affordable housing.”

Zuckerman encouraged policymakers, too, to consider increasing taxes on the state’s wealthiest residents and many second-home-owners, highlighting aspects of progressive economic policies he has championed in the state for decades. 

In response to a question, the three-term lieutenant governor told reporters that he had not decided whether he would run for political office again. But he said that, at least in the short-term, he planned to stay active in politics by hosting a public-affairs radio show. 

“It’s not what I’m here to advertise,” Zuckerman said. “But I’ll be talking about issues every week with people, having Vermonters on to talk about what their struggles are, and trying to get out there what’s going on in the Statehouse.”