Tuesday, January 27, 2015
File: Paul Heintz
WCAX-TV photographer Robin Beams during a May 2014 press conference at the Alchemist Brewery.
Like a bunch of thirtysomething bros from Boston, members of the House General, Housing and Military Affairs Committee will make a pilgrimage to the Alchemist's Waterbury brewery Thursday morning to, um, do work and stuff.
"It's purely educational," insists Rep. Tom Stevens (D-Waterbury), who introduced himself at a Democratic caucus last December as "the representative from Heady Topper."
The committee's headed to the land of Heady primarily to tour a 27-unit affordable housing project. It's under construction in Waterbury on the site of a former state building badly damaged by Tropical Storm Irene. Then the eight House members will head north to the Alchemist.
"Given the portfolio of our committee and given the fact that we have so many new committee members, seeing this [project] in this stage will help our committee understand the benefits of affordable housing," says Stevens, the committee's vice chair. "Alcohol is also in our portfolio, so we decided we'll kill two birds with one stone and we'll visit the brewery."
Tags: Vermont House , Alchemist Brewery , Heady Topper , Tom Stevens , Image , Web Only
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Montpeculiar is an occasional feature on life and times in the Vermont Statehouse.
As he has every January for the past five years, former governor Jim Douglas descended upon the Statehouse last week with a small crowd of smartly dressed college kids in tow.
Like a star quarterback returning to his alma mater, the Middlebury Republican gripped and grinned his way through the state capitol, hugging old friends and cracking corny jokes.
“Madame chair-babe!” Douglas exclaimed as Sen. Peg Flory (R-Rutland), the Senate Institutions Committee chair, approached him in the ornate Cedar Creek Room.
“There’s a long story,” Flory explained to a red-faced reporter before turning back to the governor emeritus. “How are you? It’s so good to see you.”
“It’s nice to be seen, except I keep looking older than the fella on the wall,” Douglas said, gesturing to Kate Gridley's portrait of himself hanging just outside the governor’s ceremonial office.
“We all are,” Flory remarked as she carried on toward the Statehouse cafeteria.
As he has every January for the past five years, former governor Jim Douglas descended upon the Statehouse last week with a small crowd of smartly dressed college kids in tow.
Like a star quarterback returning to his alma mater, the Middlebury Republican gripped and grinned his way through the state capitol, hugging old friends and cracking corny jokes.
“Madame chair-babe!” Douglas exclaimed as Sen. Peg Flory (R-Rutland), the Senate Institutions Committee chair, approached him in the ornate Cedar Creek Room.
“There’s a long story,” Flory explained to a red-faced reporter before turning back to the governor emeritus. “How are you? It’s so good to see you.”
“It’s nice to be seen, except I keep looking older than the fella on the wall,” Douglas said, gesturing to Kate Gridley's portrait of himself hanging just outside the governor’s ceremonial office.
“We all are,” Flory remarked as she carried on toward the Statehouse cafeteria.
Tags: Jim Douglas , Middlebury , Montpeculiar , Image , Web Only