Friday, February 16, 2018
Several members of the local chapter of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees told Seven Days that they do not support Driscoll — and never knew about the endorsement vote.
"There was never an email, never a discussion, none of the union members voted," said Ted Miles, a Burlington code enforcement inspector who is a member of the AFSCME union. Miles, who said he'd cast his Town Meeting Day ballot for incumbent Mayor Miro Weinberger, also questioned the critiques that other union members had for the current administration.
"It was definitely not any kind of unanimous endorsement by any stretch of the imagination," Miles said.
Tags: Carina Driscoll , mayor , Miro Weinberger , endorsement , Infinite Culcleasure , AFSCME , Image , Web Only
Thursday, February 15, 2018
"We’re fortunate we’re one of the safest states in the country, and I believe our gun laws are balanced," the first-term Republican said Thursday afternoon. "They balance public safety with our rights."
Rather than limiting access to firearms, Scott said the state should focus on providing more training and drills in schools so that staff and students can prepare for active-shooter situations.
"We should do more [training], and certainly we should be vigilant at this point in time," Scott said, citing concerns about "copycat" shootings in the wake of the Florida massacre.
Sen. Phil Baruth (D/P-Chittenden), an outspoken gun control proponent, saw it differently. He said the latest incident should "increase the shame" on the Vermont Senate, which he criticized for failing to address gun violence.
"We are doing jack shit about a problem that’s every bit as pressing nationwide as the opioid epidemic," Baruth said Thursday. "And the reason I say that is not to denigrate what’s happening with the opioid epidemic — people are dying — but the mass-shooting epidemic that we’re experiencing is decaying American life at its foundation."
Tags: firearms , guns , gun control , universal background checks , Phil Baruth , Phil Scott , Dick Sears , TJ Donovan , Florida shooting , Image , Web Only
Gram's first day behind the microphone will be February 26. He replaces Mike Smith, who is leaving on February 19 after two and a half years as host of "Open Mike." The program will get a new name, which has yet to be determined, according to station owner Steve Cormier.
The search for a new host, he said, involved calling people and soliciting suggestions. That's when Gram's name surfaced. "He came in, we talked to him and we offered him the job," said Cormier. "Sometimes it's that simple."
Gram's a serious newsman, but he's known in Statehouse circles for a sharp sense of humor that seems likely to translate well to radio. In both respects he's not unlike Mark Johnson, who hosted the show at WDEV for 16 years before, ironically, becoming an editor at VTDigger in 2015.
Tags: Dave Gram , Steve Cormier , WDEV Radio , Mark Johnson , Mike Smith , Image , Web Only
William Bowler, 24, of Swanton, and Alexander Charbonneau, 30, of Burlington, allegedly committed six additional shootings before police arrested them late Wednesday. The men are each charged with felony and misdemeanor counts of unlawful mischief and are scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.
The shootings occurred throughout the Queen City with no discernible pattern and frustrated investigators for two years. The men targeted cars parked on or near streets and inflicted damage that ranged from $500 to $2,000 per vehicle, police said.
Tags: William Bowler , Alexander Charbonneau , Burlington , police , BB gun , vandalism , Image , Web Only
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
It's the first time "in a very long time" that the local chapter of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees has endorsed a candidate for mayor, union president Karl LaBounty said at a press conference Wednesday.
"This year we felt that it was a time to stand up again," LaBounty said.
The AFSCME Local 1343, Council 93 union includes more than 200 workers from the Burlington Parks, Recreation & Waterfront Department; the Department of Public Works; the library; the airport; the city clerk and treasurer's office; the Community and Economic Development Office; as well as staff from the Burlington school district.
Tags: Carina Driscoll , Miro Weinberger , Infinite Culcleasure , Burlington mayor , AFSCME Local 1343 , Council 93 , endorsements , Image , Web Only
Eric Rademacher, who resigned after his 2015 arrest, had been slated to go on trial later this year for a charge of driving under the influence. His first trial, in February 2017, ended with a hung jury.
On March 2, 2015, Rademacher was called to a traffic accident in Killington around 4:30 a.m., authorities said. Officers on the scene reported smelling alcohol on his breath, and a preliminary breath test measured his blood-alcohol level over the legal driving limit, authorities said. Rademacher's attorney contested the accuracy of the test during nearly two years of litigation.
In a notice Friday dismissing the charge, Assistant Attorney General Evan Meenan cited Rademacher's completion of both a residential alcohol-treatment program and lengthy outpatient counseling. "This treatment will hopefully enable [Rademacher] to avoid engaging in behavior like that which led to charges in this case," Meenan wrote.
Tags: Eric Rademacher , DUI , Vermont State Police , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
Members of the BHS Social Justice Union wept with joy and cried "We did it!" after the school board voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve their request to raise the flag.
A ceremony and flag raising is tentatively planned for Monday.
"I'm overwhelmed, honestly. I'm just so happy that they did the right thing and we're finally heading in the right direction," said Eliza Abedi, a 17-year-old senior and cofounder of the Social Justice Union.
"This is so beautiful," said Binti Malawia, a 16-year-old sophomore. "We're finally being heard."
The two were among about a half dozen students who appeared before the board. The students read a resolution saying that people of color make up 35 percent of the school district and want to be recognized. "Flying the BLM flag not only recognizes students of color, but it also creates a welcoming ethos and helps to bridge Burlington communities together," the student resolution stated.
Some critics of the Black Lives Matter movement feel it unfairly stereotypes police and creates racial division with talk of white privilege.
Although students mentioned the possibility of a backlash for flying the flag, there was none during the meeting at Lyman C. Hunt Middle School. The board members briefly debated the details but were supportive. There was no public comment before the vote.
The school board did get a legal opinion, though, from school district general counsel Joe McNeil on the free speech implications of saying yes to the Black Lives Matter flag. A yes to the resolution would not turn the flagpole into a "public forum" that would force the board to approve all flag requests, even ones for highly controversial symbols such as swastikas, McNeil said.
The Burlington students were inspired by a similar effort at Montpelier High School, which raised a Black Lives Matter flag on February 1 at the start of black history month.
The Burlington students were interested in flying the flag every February, but the motion that passed covers just 2018. Acting board chair Stephanie Seguino suggested it might be better for students to return next year to make a fresh request. Mark Porter, the former board chair, supported the resolution and suggested the district offer equal treatment to similar requests from other populations of students in the district, be they Asian American or members of the LGBT community.
Tags: Burlington , Black Lives Matter , Burlington School Board , Mark Porter , Stephanie Seguino , Burlington High School Social Justice Union , Image , Web Only
Vermont Attorney General T.J. Donovan posted hundreds of his office’s documents online in a transparency campaign launched this week. The goal, Donovan said Tuesday, is to publish every public records request received by the office, along with its responses.
“If we’re going to release it to somebody, let’s release it to everybody,” he said.
The system is already online, showing some requests from 2018. Donovan's office said Tuesday that all of the records from 2017 are posted.*
“On average last year, we did one [records request] every three days,” Donovan said. “We produced over 10,000 pages of records.”
Tags: TJ Donovan , transparency , Brady Toensing , Jay Diaz , ACLU , public records , Image , Web Only
The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources has refused environmental groups' request for a key document related to the state's ongoing water quality efforts, even after officials shared the same document with Seven Days.
ANR's top attorney launched a review of the denial after a reporter pointed out the agency’s uneven application of state law.
The document in question — a 108-page draft of Vermont’s stormwater management rules, developed last fall — is full of dry, technical jargon. But to environmental advocates, it promises answers. The finalized rules were due by the end of 2017, but the agency missed its deadline.
Tags: Agency of Natural Resources , Conservation Law Foundation , Lake Champlain Committee , Vermont Natural Resources Council , Jared Carpenter , Rebekah Weber , Julie Moore , environment , water quality , public records , Lake Champlain , Image , Web Only
Monday, February 12, 2018
Porter made his decision partly in response to criticism over his late-night remarks about alleged racial bias and potential conflicts of interest at a recent school board meeting, he told Seven Days on Monday.
"I'm obviously not impartial, which is really something that the board chair has to be, because you have to represent 11 other people," Porter said. He added: "I just felt it best to step back and be fair and let everybody else have their say also." But Porter said he will continue to express his opinions. "I don’t want to be quiet anymore," he said.
Tags: Burlington , school board , Town Meeting Day , Mark Porter , Stephanie Seguino , Jeff Wick , Image , Web Only