A whole bunch of community journalism in this week’s media roundup, which is great to see. No matter how strong our statewide outlets are (Narrator: They aren’t), our local weeklies are a vital link in the chain. They provide on-the-ground news and information that no one else will. Got some great stories from the local press to tell you about, but first let’s dip a toe into community access television, shall we?

Becca Balint didn’t have to do this. U.S. Rep. Becca Balint did a half-hour interview with All Things LGBTQ, a weekly news/interview show that airs on community access television outlets around the state (and is posted on YouTube). The interview is a couple weeks old, but (a) I only saw it last week and (b) it’s well worth your time. Balint talks about maintaining sanity in Trump’s Washington, the importance of reading books, and even performs a song. Our Congresscritters have plenty of fish to fry, and Balint didn’t have to take time for community access TV, but I’m glad she did.

A grassroots look at the Copley closure. Last Friday evening, Copley Hospital in Morrisville announced it would close its birthing center. I have decidedly mixed feelings about the move — we’re going to see cuts in our community hospitals, and some will be painful — but it’s a real sign of cowardice to announce it after hours on a Friday. Which just meant that ace News & Citizen reporter Aaron Calvin had to give up part of his weekend to turn out a report on the decision. The story was covered by several larger outlets, but only a local paper will focus on what the move will mean for the community it serves.

Oh hey look, it’s Aaron Calvin again. This time, Calvin posted a story for the N&C’s sister paper, The Stowe Reporter, about the town Development Review Board rejecting a proposal to put up a mixed-use building downtown. When I started reading this story, I knew I’d be rolling my eyes by the end of it, and I wasn’t wrong. The DRB ruled that the development would cause an “undue adverse effect on the scenic and natural beauty of the area,” which, c’mon now, it’s the busiest street in town! Also, as Calvin relates, the project had already been approved by the town’s Historic Preservation Commission. I say, if that body didn’t object to the plan, then I smell a bad case of NIMBY at the Stowe DRB.

The summer of their discontent in SoBu. The Other Paper posted a good piece by Liberty Darr about bad feelings in the South Burlington school district after a contentious budget season, including a dramatic turnover on the school board and the teachers’ union calling for the dismissal of the superintendent. Yikes.

Community radio station goes dark. The Bennington Banner reports that WBTN Radio has gone off the air after 72 years of community service. The station is staffed entirely by volunteers and depends on local support to keep going. And it’s not going, at least not nearly enough, in terms of person-hours or financial resources. The station’s future is undecided, but it sure doesn’t look good.

Women’s soccer team on the rise, with an international star on board. From the University of Vermont’s Community News Service, a great article on Vermont Green, the highly successful men’s semi-pro team, trying to organize a women’s squad. They’ve got one highly notable resource: the head coach is former US Women’s National Team star Sam Mewis. Two recent exhibition matches drew overflow crowds. Given the enthusiastic support for Vermont Green, hopes are high for women’s soccer to take root as well.

A great photo captures the magic of graduation. Most if not all of Vermont’s weeklies featured coverage of high school graduation festivities, but only The Shelburne News enjoyed the talents of longtime photographer Al Frey for its coverage of commencement at Champlain Valley Union High. His photo will absolutely bring a smile to your face. He managed to catch the moment where all the grads flung their bright red mortarboards into the air. Wonderful.

Student orchestra goes viral. This isn’t much in the way of journalism, just a media outlet feasting off a social media phenomenon. But it made me very happy inside, and I want to share the joy. WCAX-TV ran a piece about the combined 4th through 12th grade student orchestra from the Essex-Westford schools going viral on TikTok for their rendition of the Led Zeppelin classic “Kashmir.” The orchestra numbers 144, which is downright Mahlerian in scope. Very fun. And a remarkable feat of organization.