Kyle Nuse grew up in Johnson and has fond childhood memories of visiting the town dump. In those days, the garbage was thrown into a hole in the ground and covered up with dirt. At the age of 45, Nuse still enjoys trips to the dump, not only to drop off trash and recycling but also to catch up with her neighbors. The scene seemed like a perfect fit for this week’s Connections Issue.
The Lamoille Regional Solid Waste Management District operates five drop-off locations, including the Johnson Transfer Station, which is no longer a landfill — the pile of trash was transformed into a scenic, grassy hill surrounded by wildflowers. Garbage is collected and trucked to the state’s one remaining landfill, in Coventry. But most people still affectionately call it “the dump,” and it is a busy social hub where many locals connect. Even dogs love a trip to the dump, which includes a treat from the attendant.
Keith Bradley, 52, has worked at the Johnson Transfer Station for eight years as a site attendant, and he knows many of the people who come through to drop off refuse, recycling and compost. Bradley and Nuse always catch up at the attendant hut, where Nuse declares what she is depositing and pays by check.
In the latest episode of “Stuck in Vermont,” Seven Days senior multimedia producer Eva Sollberger visited the Johnson dump and saw a lot of familiar faces: Bradley was her classmate, Mary Jean Smith was her sixth-grade teacher, Nuse was featured in a video from 2018, and Leonard Prive was profiled in 2024.
Filming date: 7/18/25
Music: Zachariah Hickman, “All the Fixings”