Tuesday, July 5, 2016
The ad features the Townshend Democrat sitting at a kitchen table — his hand grasping a mug decorated with a peach — highlighting his progressive bona fides. He notes that he authored a law banning hydraulic fracturing, though he neglects to mention that no fracking had been planned for Vermont when he introduced the legislation. Galbraith pledges to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour and make tuition at state colleges free — paid for by "ending special-interest tax breaks." And he signs off with a nod to Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-Vt.) declaration that his presidential campaign was not financed by billionaires, saying, "Paid for by Galbraith for Vermont — not the special interests."
The ad also makes reference to Galbraith's diplomatic career, featuring a photo of then-vice president Al Gore swearing him in as ambassador to Croatia and another of him sitting with the late prime minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto, a longtime friend.
Tags: Peter Galbraith , television advertising , Election 2016 , Image , Video , Web Only
Saturday, July 2, 2016
Ex-NBA great Shaquille O'Neal is expected to perform a stunt for a reality TV show filming an episode next week on Lake Champlain.
A producer for the NBC show "Running Wild With Bear Grylls" visited the Coast Guard station on the Burlington waterfront Thursday to ask them to participate in the event, said Jason Balmer, a petty officer first class who met with the producer.
The producer said the 7-foot-1 legend, who will be inducted this year into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, would likely be a guest on an episode to be shot Friday or Saturday on the New York side of the lake, according to Balmer. It would be filmed near the town of Willsboro, about 30 miles south of Plattsburgh. The episode will involve an aquatic derring-do, maybe involving a helicopter and a drone.
Tags: Shaquille O'Neal , Burlington , Coast Guard , Lake Champlain , Running Wild With Bear Grylls , Image , Web Only
Thursday, June 30, 2016
“I’ve been straight up that we do not want this event back in our community in 2017,” Colchester Police Chief Jennifer Morrison announced at a public meeting Wednesday.
Trash, trespassing, drunks and parking problems made the mega-flotilla on Lake Champlain a mess last year, some residents said at the police department meeting to address public concerns as the event looms.
Tags: raftapalooza , Colchester , Thayer Beach , Image , Web Only
Friday, June 24, 2016
Since losing California to Clinton more than two weeks ago, Sanders has alternately sounded a combative and a conciliatory tone. In a speech Thursday night in New York City called "Where we go from here," he largely avoided mentioning his Democratic rival and pledged to continue fighting for his progressive priorities.
But asked directly Friday morning on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" whether he would vote for Clinton this fall, Sanders provided an unambiguous response.
"Yes," he said. "Yeah, I think the issue right here is, I'm going to do everything I can to defeat Donald Trump."
Tags: Senator , Bernie Sanders , presidential campaign , Recommended Reading , Image , Video , Web Only
Thursday, June 23, 2016
"We focused attention on the obligation of Congress to act," said U.S. Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), who joined his colleagues for much of the protest. "The response I got on social media from Vermonters — the calls to our office — has been greater on this event than anything else since I've served in Congress. And it's been overwhelmingly positive."
Democrats took control of the House floor late Wednesday morning and did not leave until roughly 1 p.m. Thursday. They stalled all congressional action until late Wednesday night, when House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Republican leaders reconvened to push through a major spending bill and other legislation. GOP lawmakers then left town — despite chants of "no bill, no break!" — for their annual Independence Day recess.
Tags: Peter Welch , gun control , Image , Video , Web Only
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
"That's something I've never done in my life," he said. "But every moment of silence has been followed by moments of total inaction, and obviously our job is to do something — to have a debate on a bill and pass some common-sense gun legislation."
Welch took his protest a step further Wednesday, joining a highly unusual sit-in on the House floor to demand a vote on gun-control legislation. Democratic lawmakers interrupted the chamber's proceedings that morning and vowed to remain in the well of the House until Republican leaders scheduled a vote.
"It's been a spontaneous avalanche of support among our colleagues," Welch said Wednesday afternoon during a phone interview from the House cloakroom. "Members feel good that finally we're doing something to indicate clearly and explicitly with our actions that we want action, we want to do our job, we want to vote."
Tags: Senator , Peter Welch , Patrick Leahy , Bernie Sanders , gun control , Recommended Reading , Image , Web Only
The vanguard of the group, which says it has no leadership and convenes annually to celebrate peace, nature and community, began arriving last week at a site northeast of Manchester Center. They are establishing a water supply, setting up kitchens and digging latrines. U.S. Forest Service officials expect as many as 10,000 more people to arrive in the coming weeks.
The forest service stationed officers a few miles down the road from the campsite, and a Rutland County sheriff’s deputy idled Tuesday at the intersection of Route 7 and Brooklyn Road, eight miles below the gathering. While early arrivals have been able to park relatively close to the site, those who come next week will likely have to hike in from miles away.
The forest service says that the gatherings, which have been held on federal land around the country, “can stress the services and resources of a small, rural community.” The nearby town of Mount Tabor has a population of just 250.
The forest service, which is providing daily media updates, said Wednesday that authorities have issued 16 warning notices and eight violation notices for traffic or drug-related offenses.
Forest service spokesman Ethan Ready said the Rainbow Family traditionally leaves behind several people after the main celebration to clean up the site.
The site, a looping hiking trail atop Mount Tabor with a large meadow in the middle, includes several kitchen areas where food is prepared for a mass evening meal. Guests pitch their tents wherever they please.Teams on Tuesday were busy bringing in food and water, digging toilet trenches and even setting up pipes that will eventually carry water from nearby springs, a woman who goes by “Feather” explained.
“We share what we have together and we pray for peace and love around the world and Mother Earth,” Feather said. “Welcome home.”
A first-time visitor was greeted warmly by almost everyone at the campsite.
“Welcome home man!”
“Want to help me drag this cart to a kitchen?”
“Peace, brother.”
“Stop and sit and hang out for a minute.”
“Want to dig a shitter?”
But this question popped up too: “It’s a cop! Are you a cop?”
Tags: Rainbow Family of Living Light , Mount Tabor , U.S. Forest Service , Green Mountain National Forest , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
At issue were a series of proposals to strengthen the nation's gun laws. Like his district-mate, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Sanders supported measures that would bar those on federal terrorism watch lists from buying firearms and require those engaging in private sales to undergo federal background checks. The pair opposed a Republican proposal to delay for 72 hours the purchase of firearms by those on terrorism watch lists.
All of the measures failed.
For Sanders, who has been busy campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination, the votes were his first since January 12. According to GovTrack.us, Sanders missed another 19 votes last fall. The senator declined an interview request, and a spokesman did not respond to questions about his long absence.
Tags: Senator , Bernie Sanders , Patrick Leahy , Scott Milne , presidential campaign , Recommended Reading , Image , Web Only
Friday, June 17, 2016
Beth Howe, who was walking to work in Colchester when she scrambled up an embankment onto I-89 to help, and Sgt. Cory Lozier received a Lifesaving Award at the Vermont Department of Public Safety's annual awards and promotions ceremony.
"Your actions are a credit to you and are honorably recognized," Detective Sgt. Julie Scribner told Howe and Lozier during the ceremony, according to prepared remarks.
Howe and Lozier pulled Danielle Houle-Charbonneau, who was badly injured, from her car moments before it was engulfed in flames. Houle-Charbonneau, a 45-year-old Swanton resident whose car was hit from behind in a large pileup, has had several surgeries and is still recovering.
The Department of Public Safety also recognized civilians who rescued a woman from a burning home in Milton, pulled a driver out of a burning car in Springfield, and cared for a woman involved in a motorcycle collision in Bethel.
Tags: Vermont State Police , accident , Colchester , car accidents , Beth Howe , Cory Lozier , Image , Web Only
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Hours after the polls closed Tuesday, nervous network execs still hadn't called Kentucky's Democratic presidential primary. By midnight, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton was leading Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) by fewer than 2,000 votes out of 455,000 cast, with all but four precincts reporting.
Across the country, the results were far clearer: Sanders won Oregon by roughly six percentage points. His wife, Jane O'Meara Sanders, delivered the news to him as he addressed thousands of supporters at a rally in Carson, Calif.
Though Sanders likely netted several delegates to the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, Clinton crept ever closer to the majority she will need to seal the party's nomination. Including some but not all of those awarded Tuesday, Clinton was leading Sanders 1,767 to 1,488 among pledged delegates, according to the Associated Press. Counting superdelegates, Clinton had reached 2,291 — less than 100 shy of the 2,383 she needs.
But as he does nearly every election night, Sanders declared in Carson that he would remain in the race "'til the last ballot is cast."
Tags: Senator , Bernie Sanders , Hillary Clinton , Kentucky , Oregon , presidential campaign , Recommended Reading , Image , Web Only