RE: your article about moving the farmers market because of City's plan to mall/maul City Hall Park.
It's not a done deal.
Last Tuesday Keep the Park Green collected almost 2000 signatures to put on the March ballot a motion to scrap the plan for City Hall Park. I myself collected 125 signatures in three hours at the Ward 4 polling site. For many people who signed the petition it was not just about saving trees. They questioned the 4 million dollar price tag, the need for a "splash pad," instead of a central fountain, increasing the paved surface area in the park, and wiring it for more performances. They wanted peace and quiet and a green place with shade trees and gardens in the midst of an all to rapidly developing downtown. Parents commented that there was no place to take kids when they were downtown; they wanted a little playground on sawdust with a swing set and slide, and a bathroom, not a portpotty cubicle. Senior signatories wanted benches with backs, not stone blocks to sit on. I was collecting signatures right next to where Kurt Wright greeted voters. He saw the line at my table, and overheard discussions. I asked him, "Kurt, what will the Council do when voters say no?" He said he'd certainly look at another plan.
So take heed FM venders and Burlington Voters. This unpopular plan is not a done deal. We'll be voting on it in March. And it will go down.
Are 40% of Burlington voters "reactionary fringe?" No more than are the people who support the Mayor's development plans "facist lackeys of corporate greed". It's fun to call names but really what good does it do? We, who opposed the Sinex Mall are a sizable minority who have a different philosophy of development and transparency than the Mayor and many members of City Council, , and unfortunately, a growing (and classic) distrust of the relationship between consultants, city government, the established non-profit sector and developers. That's why we are bringing the lawsuit and continuing the fight. While we do this we invite everyone to engage in civil dialogue about the future of our city and lets please TALK ISSUES, not take offense at questions, and try to be transparent and avoid labels and personal attacks. Myself I fully support some of the mayor's initiatives, and strongly oppose others. If the lawsuit stops the Sinex development we welcome the chance to work with the City on a new plan. We will fight for the same input and co-development on the Southern Connector, City Hall Park, Mem Auditorium and the Moran Plant and we will continue the important conversation about how we can avoid gentrification and provide affordable housing in Burlington - which many of us believe is linked to increasing the minimum wage and taking a long hard look at current definitions of "low income" and "affordable." Let us accept that there are different philosophies at play here, Democrat, Republican Old Progressive, New Progressive Socialist, Independent, Green and different opinions within each sector. And lets talk issues and what we believe are factsnot adopt the style and lack of substance of the current national dialogue. D. Schein
Re: “'Durang Bang'”
it's great to go to the theater and nearly die laughing. Lost Nation Theater's production of DURANG BANG is out to lunch hilarious. Don't miss it. Margo Whitcomb's direction is perfectly warped and the cast live in the loony DURANG world of fun-house parody, non-sequiturs and three stoogalistic comedy like it's their home planet. A treat to see comic virtuosity live onstage. Go. You'll be tickled. You'll be gasping.