2/4/12: Duane Merrill and his son Ethan are antique dealers who have a deep appreciation for all things old. Last Saturday, Eva headed to Merrill's Auction Gallery in Williston to see them in action.

Music: Kevin MacLeod, "Fig Leaf Rag - distressed", Rick & The Ramblers Western Swing Band, What Goes Around, "You Got What I Want"... Read more

Jerry Manock’s Burlington office is crammed with industrial-design jobs that never saw the light of day: a hockey skate with an adjustable blade; a “Cubic” furniture building block that IKEA almost bought; and a model for the “rumbler,” a bathroom-scale-like device designed to vibrate at a frequency to maintain elder bone density.

Any number of factors — timing, money, patent problems — can kill a great invention. ... Read more

A hard day at work for John Kinne is when he suddenly has three minutes to save someone from irreversible brain damage at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington. But Kinne, a 61-year-old New Jersey native who lives in Jericho Center, takes it in stride as one of Vermont’s three extracorporeal perfusionists.... Read more

1/9/12: Eva visits Onion River Cobbler in Winooski, where business is booming and owner Steven Hopkins, aka "The Cobbler," has been a fixture in town for 27 years.

Music: Brothers McCann, Different Colors, "Shambles"

Tom Swenson, 27, is hard at work on the computer in his spacious office. He spends much of his 50-hour workweek behind a desk, laboring on a program that would look familiar to music or film editors. But Finale Fireworks has far more eruptive results than does Pro Tools or Final Cut. Surrounded by dummy shells and PVC piping, the pyrotechnician is plotting out a New Year’s Eve fireworks show.... Read more

12/18/11: Eva revisits Vermont people and businesses affected by Tropical Storm Irene in Warren, Waitsfield, Waterbury, Jamaica and Wilmington to see how they are faring four months later.

Music: Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, "The Mad, Mad River"

Full video of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals at the Flynn Center taken by Rachel Hebert... Read more

Welcome to the holiday season — and to the Seven Days holiday guide to gifts. Every Wednesday during the holidays, we’ve offered ideas for just about everyone on your list. For greater variety, a different writer has weighed in each week: same set of recipients, unique presents of mind. (Note: Some of these recipients may be figments of our imaginations.)

And what do we want this year? Just for you to shop local, please and thank you.... Read more

12/12/11: On Monday afternoon, hundreds of Vermont school kids celebrated the grand opening of the Pump House, Jay Peak's indoor water park. Eva found her inner kid — floating along the river that encircles the park, hurtling down La Chute and slipping down the blue and green tubes over and over again.

Music: La Strada, New Home, "Wash On By"... Read more

Welcome to the holiday season — and to the Seven Days holiday guide to gifts. Every Wednesday through December 21, we’re offering ideas for just about everyone on your list. For greater variety, a different writer weighs in each week: same set of recipients, unique presents of mind. (Note: Some of these recipients may be figments of our imaginations.)

And what do we want this year? Just for you to shop local, please and thank you.... Read more

Susan McMillan looks at the crisscrossed scars on her forearms. She still remembers her attacker’s name. “That was Cuddles,” she says.

It’s an occupational hazard.... Read more