The Healer Within You
Practitioners of holistic medicine say sustainable health and wellness functions best as an ongoing balance between mind and body.

While the aim of traditional medicine is to treat a symptom, it doesn't always address the cause, something Dr. Pam Halton, founder of The Healer Within You, says is a crucial component of wellness.

Halton is a specialist in Network Spinal Analysis, a gentle type of chiropractic care that teaches a person's nervous system to self-correct. This technique and other chiropractic methods work with anyone of any age in any condition, she said.

The therapies and products offered strive to teach patients how to heal themselves.

"If we can (eliminate) stress and tension from the nervous system, the body can correct itself," Halton said, adding that because the nervous system is the communication hub for every system in the body, focusing attention on the spine can have a positive effect elsewhere.

"One woman got her hearing back; another had allergies to aerosols clear up that were so bad she couldn't walk down that aisle in the grocery store," Halton said.

Halton's own personal health trauma, a severe injury to her back, was what led her to discover the benefits of NSA.

Halton brings to her practice a background in scientific research, environmental engineering, teaching and counseling. She has served as a director for several wilderness programs, a Wilderness First Responder, and has worked as a chiropractor and wellness educator for many years.

An initial visit to The Healer Within You begins with an extensive work-up lasting up to two hours that consists of recording a patient's case history, taking into account physical, mental and emotional health. Halton also inquires about lifestyle including the patient's exposure to external stresses.

Next, computerized diagnostics assess different parts of the nervous system. The diagnostic assessment also includes a measurement of the amount of nerve signal going to the muscles, a postural analysis, an examination of the patient's muscular skeletal system, assessment of spinal curvature, the alignment of the vertebrae, the patient's overall range of motion, and other factors.

The Healer Within You also serves as an educational center. Clients have access to a host of literature, videos and DVDs. Classes, including yoga, nutrition, and detox cleansing, will be offered in the future. Halton also offers a variety of products to improve overall personal health and the environmental health of the home.

The Healer Within You accepts patients through appointment on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The business celebrated its grand opening March 1.

Halton can be reached by calling 802.318.5329 or 802.878.1987, or via e-mail at healerwithinu@ gmail.com. The business is located at 528 Essex Road, Suite 205, Williston 05495. Interested people can also find out more by visiting thehealerwithyou.com.



Josie's Little

Preschool

Josie Palmer Leavitt has opened a new home-based child care center, Josie's Little Preschool, in her home at 228 Palmer Road in Hinesburg.

Leavitt, formerly the owner of Family Time, a 3,600-square-foot interactive play center on Route 2 in Williston, had most recently worked for Clear Channel radio in the Burlington area.

With two daughters now in elementary school, Leavitt spent the past several months preparing to launch her child-care service, attending more than 17 hours of classes in early childhood subjects (the state requires six hours, she said) and gaining state certification and licensing.

Josie's Little Preschool is approved to care for up to six children age 1 to 5 years. They are in Leavitt's care full-time during the day. In addition, her license allows her to accept four school-age children during after-school hours, in addition to her own two daughters.

Leavitt said she decided to change careers this year so she could remain at home and spend more time with her daughters when they return home from school each day.

She is currently caring for three preschool children as a single caretaker, she said, but her mother has taken cardiopulmonary resuscitation classes and received her own certification as a back-up caretaker.

Also, as additional children register, she will employ a second caretaker who is now becoming certified.

Leavitt said she prefers to provide a loving, homelike atmosphere for the children in her care. Even though she anticipates hiring additional caretakers as soon as registration grows to a point where it is economically feasible, she will accept a smaller number of children so that all of her charges can receive individual attention.

She has designed her child-care services to be home-like, low key and flexible, but with an emphasis on encouraging children to learn about their world and develop socially, intellectually and artistically, she said. Nutritious meals and snacks are part of the service, she said.

Leavitt graduated from Champlain College in 1991 with an associate's degree in merchandising, receiving a second associate's degree in public relations and communications from Champlain in 1995.

She is continuing her exploration of early childhood education, attending courses in disciplines that interest her as well as those required by the state to maintain her license.

Leavitt said she self-funded her Family Place business and decided to do the same for Josie's Little Preschool with the help of her husband, who is a software engineer for General Electric.

Josie's Little Preschool is located at 228 Palmer Road, Hinesburg 05461. Leavitt can be reached by phone at 802.482.4375.

She maintains a Web site at josieslittlepreschool.com.







PHOTO

Caption:

Owners Scott Day (left) and Pat Brown (right) at Mojo's Restaurant in St. Albans.



Mojo's Restaurant

Mojo's Restaurant in St. Albans, which opened Jan. 15, is located at 133 North Main St.

It is co-owned by Pat Brown and Scott Day. The leased space is 1,460 square feet.

Day, who is the head chef states, "I've been in the business forever." Brown came to the venture from a nearly three-year stint in massage therapy. As a former Burlington football coach, Brown says he was first interested in massage because of the sports medicine aspect. "This is my first adventure in the restaurant business." says Brown.

The co-owners met while working at IBM and brainstormed the idea for approximately two years before finding the right space. They decided on the space in St. Albans for a number of reasons: location, large parking area, car and foot traffic, and the post office, which recently relocated to the shopping complex nearby.

Mojo's Restaurant employs 10 part-time staff and offers a homey, down-to-earth atmosphere and menu. A few customer favorites include meat lasagna, Michigan's (a hot dog served with a spicy hamburger mixture), and Poutine (a Canadian dish made of hand-cut fries, smothered in gravy and curd cheese). There's more than just meat on the menu, however. Mojo's also offers thick, grilled cheese sandwiches and a variety of soups and salads. Mojo's uses two local merchants for fresh vegetables, Norm Marshall and Jim Lewis. Meat is purchased from Bob's Meat Market in St. Albans. Amaretto cheesecake and a chocolate torte with raspberry sauce will tempt even the most serious dieter. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters teas, coffees and cocoa are also available.

Mojo's Restaurant is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Friday, Mojo's is open until 9 p.m. Mojo's is closed Monday. Summer hours will be 11 a.m. until 9 p.m.

Mojo's mailing address is 133 North Main St., St. Albans 05478. The phone number is 802.524.9282, and the fax number is 802.524.1874. The e-mail address is mojosrestaurant@gmail.com.



Sadie Katz Deli

Many Burlington residents have long awaited the opening of an authentic New York-style deli. Sadie Katz Deli has made that dream a reality at 189 Bank St. in Burlington, with the transition of the historic Oasis Diner into its new incarnation.

Yves Bradley of Pomerleau Real Estate facilitated the transaction.

Glenn Walter, who also continues his business at Three Needs on College Street in Burlington, has fulfilled his passion with his first business - his passion and legacy with the opening of Sadie Katz Deli. His father and grandfather owned nightclubs in New York City in the 1940s and 1950s.

"Since I first came to Burlington I've always wanted a New York-style deli," he says enthusiastically. "I finally decided I'd have to do it myself."

Having graduated in economics and finance from New Hampshire College and after a year at the London School of Economics, Walter became a cook and restaurant manager in California, as well as a home-brewer. He met Greg Noonan, owner of The Vermont Pub and Brewery in Albany, N.Y, made his way to Burlington and opened Three Needs Brewery 12 years ago. His wife, Stacey Steinmetz, is marketing director for Magic Hat Brewery. It is for her grandmother, who owned a soda fountain and gift shop in Manhattan, that the deli is named.

Walter has kept the essence of the well-known 1,100-square-foot landmark, with the same benches and counter space, and much the same staff, with six or seven employees as he opens.

It's all New York. The company that provides 5 million pounds of meat a year for New York delis, along with Lester's in Montreal, delivers turkey and brisket, corned beef and pastrami to the Bank Street location; H&H Bagels come directly out of Manhattan, and a bakery down the street from his grandfather's nightclub provides breads.

Sour and half-sour pickles, tuna and egg salad, burgers and hot dogs; matzo ball and mushroom barley soups, French fries, coleslaw and green and potato salads all appear on the menu.

Beer, wine, liquor are on the menu, along with French-pressed coffee, freshly squeezed juice, and traditional New York Jewish deli favorites: soda, including Dr. Brown's cream, cherry and Cel-ray; thick milkshakes; chocolate and strawberry phosphates, and authentic egg creams, made with only Fox's U-Bet chocolate syrup.

By April, Sadie Katz Deli will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. seven days a week and a full breakfast menu will be served, accompanied by mimosas or Bloody Marys. Until that time, there are coffee, bagels and buttered rolls for breakfast to go, and the deli will be open Monday through Friday from for lunch,11 a.m. until 3 p.m.; 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Walters emphasizes that Vermont Coffee Roasters coffee will be served; the only place in Burlington where it's available by the cup.





Chop Shop Hair Salon

Glenn D. Brown opened a new hair salon, Chop Shop Hair Design, in a newly renovated space at 40 Main St. in Burlington last fall.

Brown, who grew up in the Brattleboro area, has been working in the hair care industry since his early days as a barber's apprentice, spending several years in Florida and California before returning to live and work in Vermont. He went back to school at O'Brien's in Burlington to study cosmetology, and got his Vermont license in 2004.

Brown's first job after school was at Bimini Bill's on Church Street. He then served as district manager for Frank Cooper, Inc., the parent company for Bimini Bill's, traveling around to various shops in the area and learning more about the business. Wanting to focus more on customer service in one location, he decided last winter to open his own salon, and contacted Yves Bradley at Pomerleau Real Estate to help him locate the right space. He also contacted the Small Business Association to apply for a loan guarantee for the start-up.

In August, Brown signed a lease with ICV Investment Corp. on of Vermont for a 780-square-foot store-front that was formerly Mirror Mirror, at the corner of Main and Battery streets. The interior space required extensive renovation and fitting out for use as a hair salon, Brown says. ICV handled the construction and subcontracting. He was able to open the salon in mid-September.

Financing for the business was acquired through the Lyndonville Savings Bank, which now is Community National Bank.

The shop features two hair dressers, Brown and Sarah Parenteau. Services focus on hair care, color, and styling, as well as extensions and waxing.

"I'd like to bring in one more stylist eventually," Brown says. "But these are intimate quarters and I don't want to grow too large. I like being able to focus on quality of service and individualized care." He says he was pleased to find that his clients from the past were able to find him and are patronizing the new location.

Chop Shop Hair Design is open on Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The shop is closed on Sunday.

Brown can be reached at 802.660.4343, or by e-mail at info@chopshophairdesign.com. His mailing address is 40 Main St., Burlington 05401. He maintains a Web site at chopshophairdesign.com.



PHOTO

Caption:

Darko Vujanovic, owner of Euro Corner Food & Café on Main Street in Burlington.

Photo credit: Mike Reilly



Euro Corner

Euro Corner Food & Café opened in late-October 2007 in downtown Burlington.

Darko Vujanovic owns the business at 61 Main Street, in a 1,400-square-foot space previously occupied by Euro Café.

V/T Commercial was the rental agent for the property.

Euro Corner offers espresso coffees and a variety of teas, along with Paninis, salads, and homemade soups, pies, cakes, and daily specials. The owner also bills the site as an Internet café, offering customers free Wi-Fi.

Vujanovic says he wanted to create something unique at Euro Corner. "It's deli food to eat at a restaurant-quality level." At the same time, he believes there is a little something for everyone at his restaurant. "Whether you want a café with Internet, a take-out deli, or an eat-in restaurant, you've got it," he says.

Among the specialties at Euro Corner, according to Vujanovic, are oven-baked meat pies with ground beef and onions, as well as cheese pies, spinach pies, and potato pies. He says all are made on-site with homemade dough, and are available in whole- or half-pies.

Euro Corner offers meats and aged cheeses from throughout Europe, including Bulgarian feta cheese, Yugoslavian smoked meats, and German white salami. Hot sandwiches range from a vegetarian offering to smoked meat and cheese sandwiches to the more classic American ham and turkey, among others. "Whoever you are, whatever you like to eat, you can get it here," notes Vujanovic.

The newly expanded menu at Euro Corner includes a wide variety of salads, featuring a Euro salad - with bacon, chicken tenders and feta cheese - and homemade soups. "We offer ten to twelve soups daily," adds Vujanovic. Five to ten deserts are on the menu each day, including baklava, the "triple pleasure," which employs three different creams, and the banana and chocolate-rich "cat's eye."

Originally from Bosnia, Vujanovic moved to Vermont in 1999 and has gained six years of local business experience. Vujanovic operates a trucking business, Euro Transportation, and has worked in the A Taste of Europe, the European food store his family runs in Winooski. He operates Euro Corner with help from his fiancé, Sanela Golubovic.

Euro Corner may be reserved for private parties and events, and Vujanovic reports he has rented the space nearly every weekend. The café and restaurant is permitted for 40 patrons. Vujanovic plans a number of outside tables for the warm weather, and is currently seeking appropriate permits.

Euro Corner's winter hours are 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday.

The mailing address is 61 Main St., Burlington 05401 and the telephone number is 802. 865.3878.



PHOTO

Caption:

Chris Leavitt, Jasmine, Jade, and Josie Palmer Leavitt of Josie's Little Preschool.

Photo courtesy of Josie's Little Preschool



Josie's Little Preschool opens

Josie Palmer Leavitt has opened a new home-based child care center, Josie's Little Preschool, in her home at 228 Palmer Road in Hinesburg.

Leavitt, formerly the owner of Family Time, a 3,600-square-foot interactive play center on Route 2 in Williston, had most recently worked for Clear Channel radio in the Burlington area.

With two daughters now in elementary school, Leavitt spent the past several months preparing to launch her child-care service, attending more than 17 hours of classes in early childhood subjects (the state requires six hours, she said) and gaining state certification and licensing.

Josie's Little Preschool is approved to care for up to six children age 1 to 5 years. They are in Leavitt's care full-time during the day. In addition, her license allows her to accept four school-age children during after-school hours, in addition to her own two daughters.

Leavitt said she decided to change careers this year so she could remain at home and spend more time with her daughters when they return home from school each day. She is currently caring for three preschool children as a single caretaker, she said, but her mother has taken cardiopulmonary resuscitation classes and received her own certification as a back-up caretaker.

Also, as additional children register, she will employ a second caretaker who is now becoming certified.

Leavitt said she prefers to provide a loving, homelike atmosphere for the children in her care. Even though she anticipates hiring additional caretakers as soon as registration grows to a point where it is economically feasible, she will accept a smaller number of children so that all of her charges can receive individual attention.

She has designed her child-care services to be home-like, low key and flexible, but with an emphasis on encouraging children to learn about their world and develop socially, intellectually and artistically, she said. Nutritious meals and snacks are part of the service, she said.

Leavitt graduated from Champlain College in 1991 with an associate's degree in merchandising, receiving a second associate's degree in public relations and communications from Champlain in 1995. She is continuing her exploration of early childhood education, attending courses in disciplines that interest her as well as those required by the state to maintain her license.

Leavitt said she self-funded her Family Place business and decided to do the same for Josie's Little Preschool with the help of her husband, who is a software engineer for General Electric.

Josie's Little Preschool is located at 228 Palmer Road, Hinesburg 05461. Leavitt can be reached by phone at 802.482.4375. She maintains a Web site at josieslittlepreschool.com.



Bonnie & Clyde Antiques

Kim Finley recently opened Bonnie & Clyde Antiques on Route 7 in Ferrisburg, featuring a variety of furniture, decorative arts and crafts, and costume jewelry. The shop occupies the first floor of the historic 1810 house.

Whether looking for paintings, mirrors, furniture, porcelain, bisque, Roseville pottery, antique German dolls, or jewelry, customers will find Finley's inventory has items from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.

"I have pretty much everything someone may be looking for, and at least one of it," Finley says. "I have a lot of unique items."

Some of the unique items include fairies from the early-1920s obtained on one of her many trips overseas. A large portion of the antiques are obtained locally.

"I have enough jewelry to fill five cases. I have beautiful cameos. I usually buy what I like, and then if I don't sell them, I can keep them and use them in my home. I love buying things and finding out their history."

Finley painted and decorated the four large rooms, using the ambience and character of the building to enhance her store. A fireplace provides a focal point in the main sales room. An original photograph of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow holds a prominent place in one of the rooms. The photo is not for sale. The shop's unusual name comes from Finley's fascination with the folk history surrounding the 1930s gangsters.

Bonnie & Clyde Antiques is located at 5467 Route 7, Ferrisburg 05456. The phone number is 802. 877.0046. The store is open from noon until 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and by appointment. Hours will be extended during the summer.



Altogether Interiors

A new home interior business, Altogether Interiors, opened in January at 11 Maple St. in Essex Junction.

Co-owners Deborah Overton and Lauren Kolisko bring years of experience to their new venture. Overton is an interior decorator/designer and personal shopper who travels both the United States and abroad to stay current on interior decorating trends. Kolisko's strength includes window treatments and linen designs.

The space, which is approximately 1,000 square feet, combines an office and workshop. The business shares the location with Wayne Russin, an upholsterer. The store previously housed an antiques shop.

"Anyone can afford decorating services." says Overton. "There are a lot of businesses wanting to get into downtown Burlington ... We want to keep our overhead lower to give that cost savings to our clients."

Essex Junction has very few decorating services. Both she and Kolisko felt this was an ideal place to locate their business. "Five Corners is known by everyone just about, throughout Burlington and Stowe. It was the perfect opportunity and perfect location."

Currently, the staff consists of Overton and Kolisko.

Altogether Interiors will include local artists in their new space. "We'd like to give (artists) an opportunity to share their wares. I have a young man that does wall painting. He's going to be doing some faux wall painting in our space," says Overton.

Altogether Interiors hours are by appointment. Studio hours vary. Potential clients are encouraged to call ahead. The mailing address is 11 Maple St., Suite 11, Essex Junction 05452. The phone number is 802.288.1100. The e-mail address is info@altogetherinteriors.com.



PHOTO

Caption:

Owners Scott Day (left) and Pat Brown (right) at Mojo's Restaurant in St. Albans.



Mojo's Restaurant

Mojo's Restaurant in St. Albans, which opened Jan. 15, is located at 133 North Main St.

It is co-owned by Pat Brown and Scott Day. The leased space is 1,460 square feet.

Day, who is the head chef states, "I've been in the business forever." Brown came to the venture from a nearly three-year stint in massage therapy. As a former Burlington football coach, Brown says he was first interested in massage because of the sports medicine aspect. "This is my first adventure in the restaurant business." says Brown.

The co-owners met while working at IBM and brainstormed the idea for approximately two years before finding the right space. They decided on the space in St. Albans for a number of reasons: location, large parking area, car and foot traffic, and the post office, which recently relocated to the shopping complex nearby.

Mojo's Restaurant employs 10 part-time staff and offers a homey, down-to-earth atmosphere and menu. A few customer favorites include meat lasagna, Michigan's (a hot dog served with a spicy hamburger mixture), and Poutine (a Canadian dish made of hand-cut fries, smothered in gravy and curd cheese). There's more than just meat on the menu, however. Mojo's also offers thick, grilled cheese sandwiches and a variety of soups and salads. Mojo's uses two local merchants for fresh vegetables, Norm Marshall and Jim Lewis. Meat is purchased from Bob's Meat Market in St. Albans. Amaretto cheesecake and a chocolate torte with raspberry sauce will tempt even the most serious dieter. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters teas, coffees and cocoa are also available.

Mojo's Restaurant is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Friday, Mojo's is open until 9 p.m. Mojo's is closed Monday. Summer hours will be 11 a.m. until 9 p.m.

Mojo's mailing address is 133 North Main St., St. Albans 05478. The phone number is 802.524.9282, and the fax number is 802.524.1874. The e-mail address is mojosrestaurant@gmail.com.



Wholeness Center opens on Church Street

The Maharishi Ayurvedic Health and Wholeness Center has opened in the Burlington Downtown Mall on Church Street.

The store is part of the Maharishi Invincibility Center, located at 19 Church St., above the Peace and Justice Center, according to Manager Thomas Hall.

Products featured at the center include herbal supplements produced with naturally organic wild-crafted herbs and ingredients. Vedic organic honey comes from the Amazon in Brazil, for instance, free of industrial pesticides or herbicides, Hall said.

Also available through the center are products such as clothing made from organic cotton fabrics, as well as books and audio materials, cards and gourmet foods and beverages.

Hall said such items also are made available within an Invincibility Center, where products are sold and additional programs are held. But his current location is not large enough to accommodate both. He has a one-year lease on the space, and is looking for a larger, permanent location in the Burlington area.

The programs and activities of the Maharishi Center are part of the activities of the Maharishi Vedic Educational Development Corp., headquartered in Maryland.

- Pat O'Brien