In Vermont, one hyperlocal newsroom aims to fill a void
Record
ceased publication at the end of March, Waterbury, Vermont, was on its way to becoming another news desert. At the time, Lisa Scagliotti a longtime Waterbury resident who used to work as managing editor of two of the
Record’s sister weeklies was running a journalism internship program at the University of Vermont: training students, offering editing and feedback, and helping aspiring journalists place work in local publications. When covid-19 interrupted daily life, students’ schedules were upended, and Scagliotti’s local paper shut down. So she and her students seized the moment and launched their own publication: the
Home Malone, 4610 Magazine St.
Home Malone and Mignon Faget, both on Magazine Street, have installed storefront floats to bring Carnival to shoppers and passers-by.
Home Malone is festooned with decorative elements from its own shop and those created by Stronghold Studios, complete with their silhouetted “Throw Me Somethin’ Mister” revelers. Kristen Malone said they put their creative minds together and the result is a team effort.
In keeping with Audubon Riverside theme “There Is a House in New Orleans” for the Krewe of House Floats, the Home Malone float carries the theme “Tropical Green House.”
Malone started out making painted furniture and art objects in her carport in 2011. “My parents were both creative and entrepreneurs,” Malone said, “so I have been around this all my life.”
Last year there were 10 entries for the Christmas Cracker, this year there were 19 racing on Saturday and 18 on Sunday, which, given current circumstances, again shows the strength and resilience of the fleet. Mind you, an Illusion is the ideal boat to self isolate when afloat!
On Saturday, the SSW erly F5 gusting F6 breeze allowed a reasonably long course and with Class Captain Mark, who had loaned his boat to his son Alex, doing the mark laying, there were no complaints!
A clean start for the first race, with the majority remaining on starboard until they started calling for water on Selwyn Pontoon.