Bridget Higdon

2 days ago | essexreporter.com | Bridget Higdon

ESSEX WESTFORD SCHOOL DISTRICT — Vermont’s cultural diversity will be on display through food, music, dance, art and storytelling next month at Essex High School. Open to the public, EWSD’s 2nd Annual Multicultural Festival, set for 5-8 p.m. May 2, will include food, interactive performances, educational activities and local vendors. Last year, hundreds of EWSD families and community members attended.

3 days ago | samessenger.com | Bridget Higdon

SWANTON — Trey Hancock doesn’t visit his high school very much anymore, but on Saturday, he was happy to be back in Missisquoi Valley Union’s gymnasium in support of a good cause. At the school’s first Mudseason Handmade Market, Hancock was one of 60 vendors showcasing their wares to the community. Vendor fees raised about $3,000 for MVU’s National Arts Honors Society. Since graduating in 2018, Hancock said he’s been lucky to turn his passion for art into paying gigs.

3 days ago | samessenger.com | Bridget Higdon

SWANTON — Lawrence Nixon loves seeing his home from a vantage point available to few others – up the air. Nixon got his first drone three years ago as a Christmas present from his wife. Though he later lost it over the ocean in Maine, he’s since bought a new one and learned to capture stunning aerial images of Franklin County and beyond. “I like learning what I can about a place from that different perspective,” he said.

6 days ago | samessenger.com | Bridget Higdon

ST. ALBANS CITY — Sugarmakers this week are busy gathering every last drop of sap while finalizing details for the upcoming Vermont Maple Festival. Scheduled for April 24-26 in downtown St. Albans, the 58th annual festival will return with all of your favorite activities and maple treats. “The maple cream for 475 dozen donuts is being made right now, the maple candies too,” festival co-chair Stephen Tetreault said.

1 week ago | samessenger.com | Bridget Higdon

SWANTON — Following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, seventh-grader Caleb Bourdeau already knows he wants to work in the field of construction and engineering when he grows up. But on Wednesday, at Franklin County’s first Trades and Apprenticeship Day, he discovered just how diverse those jobs can be. He could be a material supplier or general contractor, for example, or operate an excavator or work for public works.