Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) coasted to reelection Tuesday night, winning a third term to the U.S. Senate without breaking a sweat. The Associated Press called the race for him at 7:00 p.m. sharp, the moment polls closed.
About two hours later, the AP projected that U.S. Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) won a seventh term representing Vermont’s at-large seat in the U.S. House.
Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist from Burlington, faced Republican real estate agent Lawrence Zupan of Manchester, as well as seven other candidates, in a race that never quite took off. Sanders campaigned infrequently in the state, spending much of his time stumping for Democratic candidates across the country. He agreed to take part in just one debate and one candidate forum.
With 253 of 275 precincts reporting at 11:35 p.m., Sanders had 66 percent of the vote compared to 27 percent for Zupan.
At a Vermont Democratic Party gathering at the HiltonBurlington, Sanders told an enthusiastic crowd, “Being a United States senator from Vermont has been the honor of my life.”
Tags: Senator , Bernie Sanders , Lawrence Zupan , Vermont , elections , Peter Welch , Anya Tynio , Laura Potter , Cris Ericson , Image , Web Only
Since Seven Days reported on the "Grab Them by the Ballot" campaign, the story has gone viral, garnering publicity from such outlets as the UK's Daily Mail — and vitriolic responses from others. Organizer Dawn Robertson said the response has only hardened the resolve of most of the 10 women who dropped trou in a bold statement on sexuality, empowerment and ownership of their bodies.
The response has been particularly harsh from right-wing news organizations and websites. Fox News, Breitbart and the Blaze wrote about the “Democrat women” who decided to protest Republican policies with nudity. “YUCK!” screamed a headline from the Gateway Pundit, a website rife with conspiracy theories. “Democrat Women Get Naked to Protest GOP With ‘Grab Them by the Ballot’ Campaign.”
Rush Limbaugh, too, decided to disparage the women on his talk-radio show.
“They replace the vagina hats as a means of inspiring and spurring female [turnout],” he said on his November 2 show, according to a transcript posted on his website. “No matter where you look on the left, you have virtually nothing but hatred motivating people. Hatred and anger.”
Tags: Vermont , nude photo shoot , Grab Them by the Ballot , Slideshow , Image , Web Only
Monday, November 5, 2018
The restaurant inside the Old Stone Mill will close Sunday as building owner Middlebury College ponders new uses for the historic structure.
"It's bittersweet," said John Hughes, who has owned the restaurant with wife Beth Hughes for 13 years.
The final closing time Sunday might not be the usual 2 p.m., he added.
"I'm pretty sure we'll be serving until the last of the regulars stop coming in or I run out of food," Hughes said.
Tags: Middlebury College , Storm Café , John Hughes , Beth Hughes , food , restaurant , Image , Web Only
Friday, November 2, 2018
Police Chief Brandon del Pozo said the vandal targeted white people, including Samuel de Champlain and Ethan Allen, depicted leading the parade. A Native American figure was unscathed, according to del Pozo.
“An unknown person applied a solvent to the faces of the people in the front of the mural,” del Pozo said, adding that the chemicals “melted the paint and the finish down to the wood.”
Once the faces were removed from the 124-foot-long mural, del Pozo said, the vandal spray painted pink dollar signs in their places. It marked the second time the mural had been recently vandalized.
“About two weeks ago … somebody spray painted ‘colonizers’ across the mural,” del Pozo said, “but it was over the laminate, so it could be removed.”
Tags: mural , Church Street , Burlington , Native American , diversity , Miro Weinberger , Albert Petrarca , Brandon del Pozo , Burlington Police Department , Everyone Loves a Parade , public art , Image , Web Only
Thursday, November 1, 2018
This time around, Colston, a Democrat, has his sights set on a vacant seat representing the Onion City in the Vermont House. Incumbent Rep. Clem Bissonnette (D-Winooski) has announced that he won't run for reelection.
But it won't be a shoo-in for Colston.
Bissonnette, who is moving to the Northeast Kingdom with his wife, didn't announce his retirement plans until after he'd won the primary in August. That means voters on Tuesday will see Bissonnette's name on the ballot — but not Colston's.
If Bissonnette wins, he’d be forced to give up the seat because he no longer lives in the district. That would leave it to Vermont's governor to name someone to fill the vacancy. If Republican Gov. Phil Scott wins reelection, the appointment could cost Democrats a seat in the House, though governors traditionally choose a member of the same party that's vacated the seat.
Tags: Hal Colston , Clem Bissonnette , Diana González , Winooski , write-in , Phil Scott , Election 2018 , Legislative Races 2018 , Image , Web Only
Wednesday, October 31, 2018
The sides agreed to a settlement instead of arguing the case before the Public Utility Commission. The commission approved the terms of the deal October 25; the new rates go into effect November 1.
While natural gas costs are down about 2.4 percent, according to Vermont Gas spokesperson Beth Parent, the company's "base rate" is on the rise. That figure is controlled by state regulators and covers costs such as staff salaries, infrastructure and vehicles.
“Those [costs] are up about 3.9 percent,” Parent said.
The company's base rate is adjusted less frequently than gas rates because changes require specific approval from the Public Utility Commission. The increase this time around means the typical residential customer will pay about $1.75 more each month.
Tags: Vermont Gas , Department of Public Service , Public Utility Commission , natural gas , Image , Web Only
"It's my understanding that you may have had some past encounters with Robert Mueller," read the email Jennifer Taub received on October 22 from Simon Frick, a researcher from a group called Surefire Intelligence. "I would like to discuss those encounters with you.”
Frick asked Taub for her "beginning rate" to talk about any encounters with Mueller and offered to pay her "for any references that you may have."
Frick, though, picked the wrong person to try to involve in such a scheme. Taub told Seven Days on Wednesday that she has never met or spoken to Mueller, who's investigating President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign. Moreover, she has been a public critic of many of the Trump administration's policies. And the Harvard Law School graduate has extensive media contacts: She has been quoted in numerous national outlets and appeared on CNN as a legal expert.
Taub played a key role in unraveling the scheme this week, when she forwarded the email to Mueller's office and then talked to the Atlantic about the bizarre events.
"It's very sloppy," said Taub, who lives in Northampton, Mass. "I just laugh. You probably shouldn't pick me. One theory is they're casting a very wide net, and they don't even care if people know."
Tags: Jennifer Taub , Vermont Law School , Robert Mueller , Special Counsel , Image , Web Only
Monday, October 29, 2018
“Right now, my focus is on the year 2018, but if you’re asking me to make an absolute pledge as to whether I’ll be running for president or not, I’m not going to make that pledge,” Vermont's junior senator said. “The simple truth is I have not made that decision. But I’m not going to sit here and tell you that I may not run. I may. But on the other hand, I may not.”
Asked again whether he would commit to serving out a third term, Sanders said, “If I’m elected president of the United States? Mmm. Probably impossible to be a senator and a president at the same time. So the answer to that is probably no. But I haven’t made that decision as to whether I’ll run.”
He added, “If I run [for president] and win, the likelihood is I will not be Vermont’s senator.”
Tags: Senator , Bernie Sanders , U.S. Senate , Lawrence Zupan , Folasade Adeluola , Russell Beste , Bruce Busa , Edward Gilbert Jr. , Brad Peacock , John Svitavsky , 2020 , Election 2018 , Statewide 2018 , Image , Video , Web Only
Zupan repeatedly slammed Sanders’ brand of democratic socialism and said Sanders supports the kinds of policies that led to North Korea’s dictatorship and Venezuela’s failed economy. Sanders dismissed the attacks and accused Zupan of echoing national Republicans.
The debate, jointly sponsored by Vermont Public Radio and Vermont PBS, covered a wide range of hot-button political topics, and the two candidates agreed on almost nothing.
Tags: Senator , Bernie Sanders , Lawrence Zupan , Vermont PBS , Vermont Public Radio , VPR , debate , Senate , U.S. Senate , immigration , climate change , transgender , LGBT , abortion , Election 2018 , Statewide 2018 , Image , Web Only
Friday, October 26, 2018
The new name will be the David W. Howe Memorial Library. Howe was a UVM alumnus and a publisher of the Burlington Free Press who died in 1969. A dedication plaque in the library says that Howe's "lifelong interest in the progress of his newspaper, community, state and university helped stimulate others to greater achievements."
The decision is subject to another vote Saturday by trustees, and is expected to pass.
University President Tom Sullivan praised the move, which was recommended by a campus Renaming Advisory Committee.
Tags: Guy Bailey , Bailey/Howe Library , University of Vermont , David W. Howe Memorial Library , David W. Howe , Tom Sullivan , Image , Web Only