Category: People of Shelburne

Pretty soon Jeff Kapsalis might be the coolest dad in Vermont. He’s the owner of a budding business, Naturally Cool Vermont, launched this week. All the while, he makes time for late school busses and story time with the kids. Though Kapsalis was born in Fairfax, Va., the family moved to Shelburne when he was… Read More

For classically trained tuba player and conductor Yutaka Kono, music is a first language. He first traveled to the U.S. from Tokyo, Japan as an exchange student at the age of 16 and never left. Even as a child, Kono understood the importance of music education. Not surprisingly, he and his family have easily found… Read More

By Julia Donnini Flurries in April don’t get everyone down. For people like David Palmer, freezing nights mean business. At his family’s authentic sugar house, he keeps busy being a one-stop shop for maple fiends. Here, sap turns from liquid to candy, syrup to sugar. Palmer’s grandmother started the business post-WWII when sugar was still… Read More

Steve Luhr thrives on adventure. Born in the Windy City, Luhr transplanted to Vermont in 1967 with the start of his father’s new job at the University of Vermont. From there, the clan settled in to rural life in Ferrisburgh, Vt. After receiving a degree in Business Administration from Linden State College, Luhr worked as… Read More

  Born and raised in Babylon, N.Y., south of Fire Island, Linda Retchin is the middle child of three sisters. Older sister Judy is a superior court judge and her younger sibling Nancy is a Shakespearean actress and artist in New York City. Retchin has been a Vermonter for 27 years and her extended family… Read More

“You have to let weeds happen,” Terri Severance explains of her oft-admired garden. And she knows the metaphor translates further. The Shelburne artist is a vessel for whimsy and magic. More officially, she wields the titles of soul coach, mother of two daughters, fairy and gnome camp founder, and Waldorf-inspired nursery school director. And sporting… Read More

Artist, therapist, and creativity coach, Kate Longmaid lives in Shelburne with her husband Stephen Baad. She was born and raised in Bryn Mawr, a suburb outside of Philadelphia; although she was conceived far from home, in Bangkok, where her father worked as an urban planner. Because of that influence, she grew up with Thai furniture,… Read More

Jonah Kessel, son of Herb and Barbara Kessel, was raised in Shelburne with his two brothers Andrew and Adam. From the start, Kessel created his own path: “I didn’t take a traditional route through university,” he states. Kessel studied all over, beginning at Tulane University, Massey University in New Zealand, James Cook University in Australia,… Read More

Raised in Long Island, Ny., Melinda Haselton was fourth of five children. After attending a Waldorf school in the area, she went on to Drew University to study World Religions. It was here that she fostered a love for eastern religions. She spent a semester of junior year in Nepal and quickly fell for the… Read More

Mark Boedges was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. Initially, the current plein air painter and gallery owner pursued a degree in engineering. After joining his roommate for one philosophy course at the University of Kansas, Boedges switched his focus. He graduated in 1996 with a BA in Philosophy. Afterward, Boedges moved to Colorado… Read More