Jan 20-26, 2010
Health and Fitness Issue: Game for the Olympics – Where to Try Out the Winter Sports; A Workout for Cooks – Grab That Pot and Start Pumping
Wright Under the Wire
With less than 10 minutes to spare, former Former Burlington City Councilor Kurt Wright walked into City Hall Monday with the 30 signatures needed to get his name on the ballot. Wright, a Republican, will challenge incumbent Democrat Russ Ellis in Ward 4. Wright has twice served on the council, first from 1995 to 1999…
Video: Racine Says, “I’m the only one who’s beaten Brian Dubie”
State Sen. Doug Racine (D-Chittenden) had just finished praising his Democratic rivals in the 2010 governor’s race when he tossed out what could become an important part of his campaign message: “And by the way, I’m the only one who’s beaten Brian Dubie.” (The quip comes at minute 1:53). Racine, who’s been running for a…
Live Tweeting Winooski City Council Meeting Tonight
If you live in Winooski, or if you’re just curious what the heck is going on with our city council, check out this Twitter feed tonight starting at 6 p.m. I set it up to enable two Champlain College students to live tweet the city council meeting. I mean, why not, right? There’s no other…
Two-Term Progressive Councilor Won’t Seek Reelection
Two-term Progressive City Councilor Clarence Davis is not running for reelection, but a familiar face is running in his place. Davis, who represents Ward 3, decided not to run for reelection so he could spend more time at home, rather than at City Hall until the wee hours of the morning. Go figure. Up until…
Democrats to Debate Vermont’s Education Future
All five Democrats hoping to be governor will debate the hot topic of education Monday at a University of Vermont forum. Gov. Jim Douglas, in both his state of the state and budget addresses to the legislature, called on lawmakers, school boards and schoolteachers to make sweeping changes in the state’s education fund — from…
The VT Supreme Court Asks: Is Your Pet a “Companion” or a “Thing”?
The question, “Is your dog or cat more like your child than your toaster?” seems like a no-brainer to most pet owners. We buy them their own toys, clothes and bedding, feed them top-shelf vittles made from choice cuts of meat and endangered seafood, and provide them with expensive daycare, health insurance and medical services…
As Goes Massachusetts, So Goes Vermont?
Does Republican Scott Brown’s U.S. Senate victory Tuesday bode well for Republicans in another liberal New England state like Vermont? Republicans say — of course. Brown’s victory over Democrat Martha Coakley means that senate seat will be held by the GOP for the first time in almost 40 years. “Last night’s victory has shown that…
Douglas: Leave Vermont Yankee Fate to ‘Experts,’ Not Lawmakers
When it comes to Gov. Jim Douglas and Vermont Yankee, the more things change, the more things stay the same. Despite the recent discovery of high levels of radioactive isotope in the groundwater near Vermont Yankee, Douglas continued to express his belief that lawmakers should allow state regulators to decide whether Vermont Yankee should continue…
Financing Local Film: A Cautionary Tale?
Last week WCAX and the Addison Independent reported on a state inquiry into the funding of Addison storyteller Mac Parker’s film Birth of Innocence. Like many low-budget filmmakers, Parker appears to have solicited small sums of money from a large number of individuals to fund his production. At issue is whether these were “loans” (to…
Vermont Yankee Radiation Contamination Levels Spike
UPDATED at 9:30 p.m. (see below) Tritium levels in water tested at Vermont Yankee spiked dramatically today, state health officials told legislative leaders. While it’s easy to joke about Vermont Yankee’s “leak of the week,” the revelations today about the striking rise in tritium contamination could spell considerable trouble for Entergy. State health officials…
Benefit Concert for Haiti on Saturday
A group of Vermont musicians have organized a concert Saturday to benefit earthquake relief efforts in Haiti. An announcement about the event came in too late for our print calendar, so I’m posting it here. Live from the Core and the Green Mountain Mahler Festival are collaborating with Bread and Puppet to present a reading…
VT Artist’s Body Recovered in Haiti
As many people know by now, Flores (Flo) McGarrell, a 35-year-old visual artist from Newbury, VT, died in the earthquake that hit Haiti last week. He had been living in Haiti for about a year working as the director of FOSAJ (Fanal Otantik Sant D’A Jakmel) a community arts center in the port city of…
Figured Out
Art Review: “Women to Watch 2010: Contemporary Figurative Painting,” Amy E. Tarrant Gallery, Flynn Center, Burlington. Through March 29.
The 20/20 Challenge: Stowe (Week #6)
One Snowboarder’s Quest to Hit 20 Vermont Resorts in 20 Weeks
News Quirks
Community Investments Hoping to capitalize on their success, Somali pirates have set up an exchange to sell shares of their raids to investors. Operating mostly out of Haradheere, sea gangs have made tens of millions of dollars from ransoms, according to Reuters, and their success is attracting Somali financiers in other nations to back their…
Song and Dance Man
Burlington Chamber Orchestra’s Michael Hopkins explores winter, Copland and choreography
Fighting the Bite
A UVM engineering professor investigates Africa’s most dreaded disease: malaria
![Cysts Happen [SIV160]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sevendaysvt.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/episode160.webp?resize=400%2C300&ssl=1)
Cysts Happen [SIV160]
1/17/10: Cysts Happen, but what do you need to know if theyhappen to you? After having a melon-sized ovarian cyst removed this summer, Eva spoke to other women who have experienced ovarian cysts and to her surgeon Cheung Wong, MD, the Director of Gynecologic Oncology at Fletcher AllenHealth Care. Why do ovarian cysts happen? What…
Free Will Astrology
Here’s the weekly astrological forecast for January 20 – 27, 2010. What’s your sign, baby? They’re all here… ARIES (March 21-April 19): Philosopher David Pearce is committed to the abolition of suffering. While he acknowledges that we’ve got a long way to go before accomplishing that goal, he believes it’s possible, mostly with the help…
Four Decades Later, Burlington Wins Approval for “Southern Connector”
Burlington Public Works Director Steve Goodkind remembers working on the “Southern Connector” highway project as a young municipal engineer 30 years ago. On Tuesday, he announced that the city has won long-sought approval from the feds that will let the stalled highway project go forward. Goodkind (pictured) joined Mayor Bob Kiss and Ernie Blais from…
Douglas Outlines Austere Final Budget
In his final budget address to lawmakers, Gov. Jim Douglas compared the devastating flood of 1927 that wiped out many of Vermont’s roads, bridges and farmlands to today’s economic crisis. “The Great Flood of 1927 was a defining moment in our state’s history not just for the magnitude of destruction, but for the effort to…
Gov. Jim Douglas’ Final Budget Address: Full Text
Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, members of the General Assembly, distinguished guests, myfellow Vermonters: In the late fall of 1927, the skies opened and a great flood devastated our state. Vermont’s transportation, industrial and agricultural infrastructure was washed away over two long days. On a visit back home less than a year after the flood, President…
Best Bites: Caribbean Buffet
12 North Winooski Avenue, Burlington 865-4514 At first glance, Caribbean Buffet might look slightly fly-by-night. It’s certainly no-frills, with paper napkins and bottles of hot sauce on each table that appear to be eligible for social security. Forget about appearances. An evening at the hole-in-the-wall is more like a private dinner party with a witty, eminently…
