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Monday kicked off with sunshine that turned into heavy clouds, then ultimately turned into showers that are currently rolling through Burlington. Those temps sitting comfortably in the low to mid 50s today will dip back into the 30s overnight as the rain clears out. Tuesday brings a mostly dry reprieve with morning clouds breaking for afternoon sun, though northwest winds will keep things cooler around 50. Wednesday looks soggy with steady rain developing by afternoon, and Thursday keeps the unsettled pattern going with morning showers. The weekend ahead stays cool and damp with Saturday showers and another round of rain possible Sunday, both days struggling to reach the mid 40s.

Still time to catch this afternoon's events before the rain hits. Tonight brings dueling city council meetings at 6 PM (watchable online too), with Burlington's Council confirming Phil Lewis as the new Parks and Recreation Director plus pushing through BED's first fee update since 2010 and , while Winooski's Council tackles child care grants and updates to their horseback riding ordinances. Main Street Landing hosts a screening of "Love Chaos Kin" at 6:30 PM, exploring transracial adoption with the filmmaker and families present for discussion. The UVM Mens’s Basketball team takes on Western New England at Patrick Gymnasium at 7pm. Queen City Brewery's fermentation enthusiasts can learn sourdough secrets from Liz of Getty Goods at 6 PM, while Spanish speakers gather for their supportive Monday chat at Three Needs on Pearl Street at 7 PM.

Tuesday's lineup spans from high culture to hip shaking. The Flynn welcomes Nobuntu at 6 PM, Zimbabwe's two-time award-winning female a cappella quartet. Switchback's Latin Dance Night kicks off with beginner bachata at 6 PM before the social dancing takes over. Holy Family Parish in Essex Junction hosts the Champlain Valley Quilt Guild with thread painting artist Jan Doyle at 6:30 PM. Burlington Emergency Vet offers their monthly virtual pet loss support group at 7 PM for those needing a compassionate space to grieve. Tuesday Trivia launches at Higher Ground at 7:30 PM, promising monthly brain battles in the Showcase Lounge.

Wednesday through Thursday pack in everything from practical skills to political discourse. Wednesday sees Burlington Tech Center teaching free digital job search training at 6 PM on Church Street, while Old Spokes Home begins their three-week bike maintenance series with both open and women/trans/nonbinary cohorts available. UVM Health Sciences students host a film screening on alcohol use disorder at 7 PM in Given Medical Building with free glassware for estimating standard drinks. Off Center's musical thriller "Thrill Me" continues its sold-out run at 7:30 PM, with The Lone Bellow bringing their sixth album to Higher Ground at 8 PM. Thursday features UVM's Engineering & Technology Fair for those looking for new careers in the technology field, from noon to 3 PM, while GZA celebrates 30 years of "Liquid Swords" at Higher Ground at 8 PM with his full band.

Thursday also delivers a concentrated dose of civic engagement and culture. The Colchester Milton Rotary explores Building Burlington's Future with Sam Donnelley at 11:30 AM, examining housing, safety, and economic challenges. Local artist Lydia Kern celebrates her flower-filled sculpture "Anthology" with a noon press event in City Hall Park, while Cathedral Arts presents a free violin and piano recital featuring Debussy, Poulenc, and Busoni at noon. South Burlington residents can preview the legislative session at their 5 PM forum with state reps, followed by adult paint night at the Senior Center at 6 PM complete with picnic fare. Burlington’s Ward 6 wraps the evening with their NPA meeting at DPW starting with a 6 PM community dinner before diving into downtown safety updates from the Church Street Marketplace, Fletcher Library, and interim police chief.

Today is a mild bump above the Nov 3 norm, running about +4° on the high and +5° on the low. The next few days lean late-fall, with highs roughly 2° below normal and lows near seasonable.

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We’ve got an official Meetup group for Burlington! The city’s packed with things to do. Btown Brief highlights it, and Btown Brief IRL gets you out experiencing it with people.

Always a great turn out! Another coffee meetup this Saturday at 10am at Zero Gravity. It’s always great seeing familiar faces, and even better meeting new ones each week. We’ll chat about Vermont living, touch on a bit of local news, and share what’s worth checking out around town this weekend. Come hang, have a coffee, and join the conversation.

If you want to connect outside of coffee meet-ups, join the Telegram chat. It’s the easiest place to see what others are up to, share ideas, and make casual plans while I keep improving how these events run. Feedback is always welcome! It’s just a one-man team so any sounding boards are great.

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On Vermont Health Connect, annual premium prices have doubled, or more

Mindel's son Lei just beat leukemia after 174 days in the hospital and $2 million in medical care. Her family paid $19,192 this year with subsidized insurance, but next year's premium alone will exceed $40,000 without federal help. Nearly 30,000 Vermonters face similar impossible math as enhanced tax credits expire December 31, with some seeing 300% premium increases. The state stands to lose $65 million in federal assistance, more than most states because Vermont already has some of the nation's highest insurance premiums.

Judges: Food Assistance Benefits Must Continue

Vermont joined 24 other states suing to block the suspension of SNAP benefits that would have begun this weekend. The state had already moved to temporarily cover $6 million for 38,000 households through mid-November. Judge McConnell in Rhode Island ordered use of emergency reserves "as soon as possible," while Judge Talwani in Massachusetts called the suspension "unlawful." Attorney General Charity Clark celebrated the ruling, though the administration must decide by Monday whether to pay partial or full benefits to the 65,000 Vermonters relying on 3SquaresVT.

Head Start programs in two Vermont regions may face temporary closure amid federal shutdown

Champlain Valley Head Start runs out of funding Saturday and will exhaust reserves by December 5, forcing all 63 staff into furloughs and leaving 233 children without care. Northeast Kingdom Community Action's program faces similar December 1 closure affecting 160 children across eight rural locations. Both directors have applied for state emergency funding but haven't heard from federal officials since the shutdown began. Sanders calls it "beyond comprehension" that House Republicans remain on vacation during the crisis affecting 1,250 Vermont children in foster care or poverty.

New court docket for 'repeat offenders' launches in Chittenden County

The new "accountability court" targets 110 people with five or more pending cases who Burlington Police say account for 842 downtown incidents among just 20 individuals. Special prosecutor Zach Weight and retired Judge Martin Maley oversee the docket, part of Governor Scott's public safety push that could expand statewide after its three-month Chittenden County trial. Critics like defense attorney Jessica Burke worry it sidesteps elected prosecutors and rushes solutions, asking whether the state is "trying to shift accountability to individuals whose needs aren't being met by throwing them in jail so we can go Christmas shopping without having to look at it."

County prosecutor, chief give crime update

George met with Governor Scott about the backlog crisis, ultimately agreeing to add prosecutor Zack Weight who's "immediately started taking folks with 5 or more dockets that are really the folks in the community that people are most upset about." Burlington Police resolved August's Church Street murder involving multiple juveniles while the Drug Unit intensifies City Hall Park enforcement targeting crack cocaine trafficking, including one dealer operating from Decker Towers. BPD reports officer applications are up 10% after recruiting at the Champlain Valley Fair and partnering with Building Burlington's Future on recruitment videos.

Emerge Vermont Has Helped Dozens of Women Get Elected

Since 2013, Emerge Vermont has trained over 230 Democratic women for office, with graduates holding 62 of 78 women's seats in the legislature and chairing over half the standing committees. Their 81% election success rate in 2024 helped push women to a record 43% of legislative seats. Meanwhile, Republican women have dwindled to just 14 in the House with zero in the Senate since 2018. Rep. Carolyn Branagan explored creating a GOP counterpart but found little interest from party leaders, leaving Republican women to "learn on your own, because there's no one there to help you."

Vermont's redistricting task force grapples with school choice as work proceeds on three map proposals

Task force members discovered half of 122 students using Barstow district's school choice funds never graduated from its 8th grade, with many attending $60,000-per-year Killington Mountain School ski academy on taxpayers' dime. Three redistricting proposals emerged: one creating 13 districts around technical centers, another building regional high schools, and a third using BOCES-style cooperation zones. With only two meetings left before January's legislative deadline, co-chair Edye Graning called the timeline "herculean," lamenting they lack time for quality analysis on this transformational restructuring affecting Vermont's 119 districts.

Boys & Girls Club of Burlington gives $150 gift cards to hundreds of families relying on SNAP

The nonprofit distributed $90,000 in gift cards Friday to 600 families, 85% of whom depend on SNAP benefits threatened by the shutdown. The club increased dinner portions with more protein while families wait until November 7 for state emergency funding to kick in. Benosky says kids still arrive with smiles but anxiety runs deep as families face the gap between federal cutoff and state assistance. The organization seeks donations marked "food" plus electronic gift cards to Costco and Hannaford to help bridge the nutrition gap for Burlington's most vulnerable children.

Vermont International Film Festival Sets Attendance Record

The 10-day festival drew 9,065 attendees, up 26% from last year's record, with 38 of 77 programs selling out and generating a $55,000 profit. John Waters' sold-out narration of "Female Trouble" produced an unexpected reunion when an audience member revealed the famous Christmas tantrum scene was filmed in his childhood basement. Festival director Steve MacQueen attributes success partly to expanded programming following the Roxy Cinema closure, which broadened VTIFF's audience beyond traditional film buffs to include Burlington's entertainment-starved moviegoers seeking any theatrical experience.

South Burlington takes new e-bike regulations for a spin

Despite zero e-bike accidents in South Burlington according to police data, the bicycle committee recommends 15 mph advisories on paths and 10 mph on sidewalks after complaints about speed and safety. Earl's Cyclery owner Joe Drennan sees problems arising from mixing older cyclists seeking assistance with younger riders unfamiliar with road rules, calling it "a recipe for disaster." The committee distinguishes between legitimate e-bikes and unregulated "e-motos" often purchased online that exceed legal speeds, with battery fire hazards emerging as Local Motion's primary safety concern.

Jitters Café Coming to Burlington Square - UVM alum Tim LaPrade brings his Massachusetts café to 142 Bank Street in December, expanding from morning pastries to evening small plates with full bar. Local partners include former EB Strong's manager Sierra Beardsworth, betting on helping downtown "bring it back."

Black Ash Tree Crusade - Milton arborist Kris Dulmer volunteers time and money injecting rare black ash trees with expensive insecticide, racing against emerald ash borer that already killed his childhood grove in Chester. "Time is running out," he warns, seeking help to save 20-30 Chittenden County sites.

The No. 3 Men's Soccer team extended its nation-leading unbeaten streak to 26 games on Friday with a commanding 2-0 Senior Night victory over UAlbany. After a scoreless first half in the downpour, David Ismail broke the tie in the 55th minute. Philipp Kühn sealed the win with a penalty kick in the 90th minute, while goalkeeper Niklas Herceg secured his eighth shutout of the season, the best in the America East.

On the ice, the Women's Hockey team hosted a dramatic two-game series against Boston College. On Friday, in front of 1,400 students for the "Catamount Classroom Game," Vermont edged out the Eagles 4-3. The Catamounts took a 4-2 lead in the third period off goals from Josie Hemp and Morgann Skoda and held on for the win.

Saturday's "Military Appreciation" rematch was a tense goaltender's duel. UVM's Ellie Simmons made 31 saves, leading the team to a 0-0 draw through overtime. While BC won the shootout for an extra conference point, the Catamounts' performance secured them the regular-season series win over the Eagles.

Put out the newest Wednesday edition just last week! Let me know what you think and if I should adjust. I have plans for a rotation of Food Deal highlights, Poll Questions, Top Reddit Posts, Volunteer Opportunities, Reader Photos, Restaurant Spotlights, Small Business Features, and Btown Explained (quick local deep dive). Or Dine Out Review, Podcast Pick, Pet of the Week (adoptable to user submitted), new local Job Highlights, a Burlington Throwback Photo or Fact, and a quick Burlington Game like “Spot That Location”, VT crossword, or unscramble popular Burlington terms.

Here are some of my favorite btownbrief links:

Full list of 202+ activities to do at anytime is always waiting here when you need a plan: 202+ Things to Do

Full list of restaurant reviews here.

Soon to be updated with even more Burlington food deals. View the full list of food & drink deals here.

Keep those tips and story ideas coming our way. Whether it's a neighborhood concern, a local success story, or just something that made you smile on Church Street, we want to hear about it. Stay warm out there this week, and we'll see you Wednesday.

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