May 12-18, 2010
Home & Garden Issue: A UVM Expert Predicts Bug Invaders; VT Company Revives the Clothesline; How to Turn Lawn into Garden
Burlington Telecom Won’t Make Lease Payment
Burlington Telecom, the beleaguered municipal utility that owes taxpayers $16.9 million, will not make a scheduled lease payment due today to CitiCapital. As noted in “Fair Game” two weeks ago, Burlington Telecom and city officials have been in talks with Citi, hoping to avoid defaulting on the $33.5 million lease. Burlington officials are encouraging Citi…
Lurid Digs
A warning before we begin: Some of these links are absolutely NOT okay for work viewing (even on Casual Friday). My gay friends were all a-twitter this week with Lurid Digs — a blog-style site dedicated to “horrifying gay amateur interiors.” By trolling the Internet to find gay men shooting amateur porn in horrifyingly decorated…
Sidewalk Sitting Ban Proposed in Burlington
A proposed ordinance being reviewed by Burlington City Councilors could ban people from sitting on the sidewalks of five key downtown streets that feed onto the Church Street Marketplace. The ban would also extend to sandwich board signs or other types of advertising, though it would allow any existing licensed “encumbrances” to continue until their…
Rock You Sideways
As the well-known Bible story goes, Jesus pulled the world’s greatest party trick by turning water into wine at a wedding that had run dry. Talk about a savior, right? Anyway, it turns out JC’s trick was kid’s stuff, at least compared to the efforts of Maynard Keenan’s efforts to legitimize northern Arizona as world…
“Earthquake Defense” Will Make Haitian a Free Man — Probably
Did the “earthquake defense” work for Felicier Edmond, a Haitian immigrant busted illegally crossing the Canadian border into Vermont? Looks that way. Edmond secured a plea deal in federal court in Burlington on Tuesday that got him a lesser charge (a misdemeanor instead of a felony) and no additional jail time in exchange for a…
Missing Pages in the May 12 Issue
Due to a production error, we printed last week’s page 39 & 48 in this week’s newspaper. You can read the full text of Megan James’ piece “Finer Weave” or download the pdf of the correct page 39 here. You can read the full text of Dan Bolles’ piece on Unrestrained, “Pedal to the Metal”…
Raw Salmon: Vermont’s State Auditor In His Own Words
In this week’s “Fair Game,” State Auditor Tom Salmon demonstrated his way with words. I had queried him about an email sent from his office, welcoming Sen. Ed Flanagan into the auditor’s race. Using state computers for political business is not allowed, as is spelled out in the state’s personnel manual and other administrative bulletins.…
Show and Tell
Art Review: “Alter(ed) Ego, Family and Friends,” Flynndog, Burlington. Through May 30.
WTF: Why do panhandlers hang out in that spot on Main Street?
WTF: We just had to ask…
Letters to the Editor
Hooked on “Hackie” I just moved to Vermont a few months ago, and I’m already hooked on the biweekly “Hackie” column. Jernigan Pontiac’s writing makes me feel like I’m in the cab with him, and I seem to visualize his stories in surreal false color. Kind of like a waking dream. Thanks for the column,…
Pick Your Poison
Toxicodendron radicans and other garden goblins give Vermonters the itch
House Calls
The award-winning team from Peregrine Design/Build explains how planning can save homeowners cash
Letting It All Hang Out
The old-fashioned clothesline is new again, putting the wind to work
Free Will Astrology
Here’s the weekly astrological forecast for May 12 – 19, 2010. What’s your sign, baby? They’re all here… TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “I can’t live the button-down life,” says cartoon character Homer Simpson. “I want it all: the terrifying lows, the dizzying highs, the creamy middles.” Born May 10, Homer is unusual for a Taurus.…
Finer Weave
A Montpelier business offers carpets you can step on without stepping on human rights
Blight Moves
UVM’s Plant Diagnostic Clinic is Vermont’s first line of defense against invasive weeds, diseases and bugs
What’s Up With Bite Me Organic Pizza?
A Craiglist ad that went up on May 10 implied that Bite Me would be shutting its doors. “Restaurant closing…Everything must go,” it proclaimed. “Ovens, POS systems, dishwashers, sinks, etc. all need a new home.” Although we were unable to reach owner Jack O’Brien, staffers at the restaurant, including his daughter Emily, say the post…
Burlington Bombarded by Bovines
In keeping with the grand tradition of Vermont being about a half a decade behind on every major trend, the painted fiberglass cows have arrived in downtown Burlington. Today (Tuesday), crews put the finishing touches on the lumbering herd, drilling them into their concrete moorings to ensure that no cow tipping takes place. The bedazzled…
