Tonya Durant has built a devoted following as Anita Cocktail, the powerhouse momma hen to a big brood of drag performers in Rutland County. An unusual drag artist, Durant is a biological woman whose drag persona has also been female—until now.

Anyone who’s been in the Brandon area for any length of time has at some point crossed paths with Sheila Gearwar at the beloved Brandon House of Pizza on Center Street, which she has owned and/or managed since 2011.

Community service is part of Vermont culture: everyone pitches in however they can to make this brave little state work. Few embody this as fully as Charles “Butch” Shaw, who has decided after 15 years as a State Representative to pass the legislative torch.