Feb 4-10, 2009
Vermont’s Antislavery Reputation; Burlington Prof Goes Undercover; As a Crisis Looms in Arts Funding, Vermont’s Lyman Orton Takes Action
New Gay Bar in Vermont
Amber LeMay reports that there’s a new gay bar opening in South Burlington, next to Higher Ground. WCAX, of all places, confirms. Welcome, Two Friends Bistro and Lounge! That brings the grand total of gay bars in Vermont to 1. UPDATE: Lauren “Ober and Out” Ober of the Burlington Free Press has been on the…
Leahy Urges Use of Truth & Reconciliation Commission to Investigate Bush
Senate Judiciary Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) today said it may be a good idea to set up a truth and reconciliation commission as a way to determine how best to handle the Constitutional transgressions of the Bush Administration. Leahy suggested the concept during a speech today at his alma mater, Georgetown University, where he…
Welch Gathers Input for Climate Bill
It’s not every day that a Congressperson holds an open meeting in your building. But that’s what happened this morning when House Rep. Peter Welch met with environmental types at the Burlington headquarters of Vermont Energy Investment Corporation. The VEIC HQ is right above the Seven Days office, so I climbed a few stairs and…
Spaulding: Won’t Run For Governor in 2010
Democratic State Treasurer Jeb Spaulding has taken himself out of the running for governor in 2010, according to an e-mail he sent this morning to staff and supporters: Here is the full text of Spaulding’s note: “After a good deal of consideration, conversation, and introspection, I have decided to forgo a campaign for Governor in…
Same-Sex Marriage Bill Introduced in Legislature
Hundreds of people crammed into a ceremonial room at the Vermont State House today to cheer the introduction of legislation that would legalize same-sex marriage in Vermont. The bill’s lead sponsors — Rep. Mark Larson (D-Burlington) and Rep. David Zuckerman (P-Burlington) — said 59 legislators have signed onto the original legislation. “A number of our…
Burlington-area Congolese Women Head to D.C. Protest
Seven Congolese women from the Burlington area are driving to Washington D.C. today. Tomorrow, they’ll join a protest outside the White House gates concerning human-rights abuses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “We are going to protest because of what is going on in Congo,” Kanene Felo, one of the seven women, told Seven…
Getting By: France or Bust
At the end of last year, I blogged about a new column that we’ve started, called “Getting By”. Every other week in “Getting By,” we share stories about how Vermonters are coping with the recession. We also feature tips and money-saving strategies to help you “get by.” This week in the column, I wrote about…
Taste Testing the Grilled Cheese Movement
[image-x] On a recent Tuesday, I found myself in the basement of the UVM DavisCenter thanking whatever higher power blessed me with a lactose tolerance. I was examining an enticing menu of creativelyfilled grilled cheese sandwiches made by the student-run,non-profit group FeelGood. With local chapters across the nation, this group sells grilled cheesesandwiches from locally-donated…
A Shameless Movie Rec (Mainly for Horror Fans)
OK, so I reviewed a bad movie called The Uninvited this week. (The Unexcited was more like it in the theater where I saw it. Teens were texting and giggling throughout.) And I spent most of my allotted words raving about the superior 2003 Korean horror film it was (very loosely) based on, A Tale…
Mayoral Debate Recap
Last night’s mayoral debate was a hoot. The Film House on the waterfront was packed, and the candidates covered a lot of ground. If you missed it and would like to find out what transpired, you’ll be able to watch the debate shortly on the WPTZ website and the Channel 17 website. You can also…
Texas House Rep Addresses Vermont Civil War Monument
Historical controversies, apparently, beget strange bedfellows: A Republican House Rep from Texas has joined the fight to protect a Vermont Civil War monument. In case you haven’t heard: On January 29, the Burlington Free Press reported that the mega-retailer Wal-Mart wants to open a 144,000 square-foot store near a monument that honors Vermont’s Civil War…
Burlington Mayoral Debate Tonight!
Live-blogging coverage begins below at 6:45 p.m. Click here for live video on WPTZ.com at 7 p.m. For post-debate video and future broadcasts on Ch.17 click here. <a href=”http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&task=viewaltcast&altcast_code=981f7ba7ec” >Burlington Mayoral Debate</a> Burlington is a Mecca for young professionals. Can the next mayor keep it that way? Ask four of the five candidates onWednesday, Feb.…
News Quirks
Curses, Foiled Again Police in Council Bluffs, Iowa, reported that a man who threatened a store clerk with a gun took cash and then pulled out a can of pepper spray and tried to spray the clerk. Instead, he accidentally sprayed himself in the face and ran away. • A shoplifter who made off with…
Out of Rwanda
Theater Review: I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given to Me by a Young Lady from Rwanda
Free Will Astrology
Here’s the weekly astrological forecast for February 4 – 11, 2009. What’s your sign, baby? They’re all here… ARIES (March 21-April 19): I was watching a martial arts competition on ESPN TV. It featured a fierce, macho dance-off, in which rivals took turns brandishing their high-octane warrior choreography. At one point the announcer waxed poetic…
Vignettes
State of the Arts: Quadricentennial, Art from the Heart, Snow Good, 3-D Comes to VT
Letters to the Editor
HAPPY WITH BOLLES I liked Dan Bolles’ short piece a lot — [“Not Happy? Blame Myspace,” January 14] really captured the feel of Radio Bean and the winter-weather-hindered show going we’re all experiencing right now. Rock on for getting out to see the show; [the article’s] assuming title, “Pretend You’re Happy,” made me a bit…
Twin Peaks
Art Review: “Art Now: Doug and Mike Starn,” Middlebury College Museum of Art. Through April 16.
![Peace & Justice Center’s 30th [SIV114]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sevendaysvt.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/episode114.webp?resize=400%2C300&ssl=1)
Peace & Justice Center’s 30th [SIV114]
1/30/09: The Peace & Justice Center celebrated their 30 year anniversary last Friday with thirty cakes paraded down Church St and a cake-eating party in the evening. Mayor Bob Kiss declared January 30th Peace & Justice Center Day in Burlington. Eva talked to long time supporters of the PJC about why their mission is important…
Intervale Ski Update
Local Motion volunteers have groomed 2 miles of cross country ski trails at the Intervale Center. The trails were supposed to be groomed on Wednesday night, but according to Chapin Spencer, the nonprofit’s executive director, a steering column failure caused a 36-hour delay. Now, he tells Seven Days, “Things are going great. The conditions this…
Is Doctor Dean … In?
Within minutes of the news being broadcast that former Sen. Tom Daschle was withdrawing his name from consideration as Secretary of Health and Human Services, the familiar name of Gov. Howard Dean’s name rocketed across the blogosphere as the preferred replacement. There’s already a Facebook group (called Appoint Howard Dean to HHS!) and this thread…
Best Bites: A Single Pebble’s Tasting Lunch
Time for another installment in our weekly Best Bites series, where Seven Days writers share some of their favorite restaurants and meals… If it’s early afternoon and you’ve got an empty stomach (and $15 bucks), you can drop the dough on a turkey sandwich, bag of chips and an organic fruit juice; but if you…
Burlington’s “Little” Green Man for Mayor
Last week, James Simpson, the Burlington Green Party candidate for mayor, called our office to complain about the way Seven Days is promoting its mayoral candidates forum, which takes place this Wednesday, February 4, at 7 p.m. (Click here for more info, or to suggest a question.) We advertised the event as a debate among…
The Logger to Speak at Champlain College
[image-x] Rusty Dewees, famous for his “Logger” comedy routine, is bringing his skills and “backstage secrets” to Champlain College’s Alumni Auditorium. While Dewees is perhaps Vermont’s most beloved comedian, he is far more than the blue collar logger act he plays. Dewees is an entrepreneur, musician, actor, producer, and “master of duct tape.” The 1984…
Vermont 3.0 Legislative Forum — Round-up and Video
For a little over a year now, Seven Days has been working with a group of educational, governmental and private sector partners on a series of job expos called Vermont 3.0 Creative/Tech Career Jams. The last one we did was in October. Last Wednesday, Vermont 3.0 hosted a discussion between five Vermont CEOs and a…
