Several years ago, Roberta (Wright) Mills of Florence asked me to explore the genealogy of her great-great-grandfather Eli Gilbar to see if we could find any evidence of Native American ancestry. While no traces of Native American forebears have yet surfaced in this family, Eli nonetheless emerged as opportunity to investigate another lost French-Canadian surname.

The Brandon Selectboard convened for its regular meeting on Monday evening. 

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.