Freyne Land

Former Manchester state representative, 8th generation Vermonter and distinguished blues-harp player Bob Stannard is departing his executive-director post at the  non-profit Better Bennington Corporation to return to the Statehouse on a daily basis come January.

Stannard, [pictured here with wife Alison at Saturday evening's VPIRG anniversary celebration]  tells Freyne Land he's been signed up to be a Montpeculiar lobbyist for the Citizens Action Network.

"Act 160 basically positioned the Legislature to have a role in therelicensing of Vermont Yankee and whether that’s voted on in 2008 or 2009 isgoing to be up for debate," said Stannard.

"I don’t like to consider myself a lobbyist because that implies that I’m a contract lobbyist and I take on anybody who pays me," said the blues-harp player.

"I consider myself to be more of an advocate than a lobbysist," said Stannard. "I takeon a cause that I believe in. I tell people I can sell gasoline to aman on fire if I think it’s good gas. I HAVE TO BELIEVE IN THE GAS!

"Andfor me to be able to leave a very nice life where I was having a greattime, liked by everybody, doing good work... to walk away from that to goback into arguably the most controversial issue fror thenext two years - that wasn’t an easy decision.

"My wife and I talked it over. I owe it to my great-grandchildren who aren’t born yet to do it."

Dropped by Uncommon Grounds on Church Street after the Ol' "Inside Track" went to the printer. Put a little more flesh on the bones of the Freyne Land post below about Monday's protest at Rep. Peter Welch's Burlington HQ.

I know. The Freeps blew it off. But, hey, Welchie is our only congressman and people got arrested. Even Brian Joyce (WCAX) and Stew Ledbetter (WPTZ) made it.

A few other things, too.

But the pleasant surprise up at the Church Street Marketplace's oldest coffee shop was that Kimberlee Forney, the artist behind the marvelous, warm, colorful canvases that have lined the walls since October began, was having a little "opening."

All month, the regulars have been commenting favorably on her wallscapes.  Now we have a face to go with them. She's even got a website!

Kim turns 29 in December. A Vermont native. Her dad's a state court reporter - last of a breed.

And the artist - an artist with a future - is currently calling his basement in Milton "home."

C'mon. Vermont Democratic Congressman Peter Welch says he opposes the War in Iraq. Over and over he says it. He said it again as recently as Friday at the Sheraton.

But a bunch of old Vermont hippies take exception to the fact Rep. Welch keeps voting for the war-funding bills that keep it chugging along. They were there in March, too. The late, great Grace Paley of Thetford was with them.

And they don't like a few other Iraq War-related votes cast by Ol'  Welchie.

Picky. picky.

That's Boots Wardinski, 64, a Newbury farmer and former Marine, being escorted out of Congressman Welch's Main Street Burlington office after closing on Monday.

Can't they just ignore the Iraq War like good citizens and wait until a new president moves into the White House in 2009?

No, they can't.

Thank god.

Big turnout at the Sheraton presser on Friday. Traumatic Brain Injury [TBI] was the hot topic. Democratic State Sen. Ed Flanagan, recovered from his horrible auto accident of two years ago, was the star. He said he felt “close to 100 percent recovered - like in the high-90s.”

Freshman Democratic Congressman Peter Welch [taking a question, at right, from Ch. 3’s Kate Duffy], whose brother sustained TBI several years ago, also participated.

Yours truly couldn’t ignore the 800-lb TBI gorilla lurking in the corner.

PRESS: Is there any hope in terms of reducing Traumatic Brain Injury, probably the best cure would be to bring the troops home from Iraq? Anything happening on that front?

WELCH: On bringing the troops home?

PRESS: Yeah.

WELCH: Well, we should bring the troops home and what I believe we have to do in Congress is be willing to use the power of the purse ‘cause that’s the power we have and I’m willing to do that. The president is stubbornly clinging to a failed policy and he’s shown no signs of budging. The president didn’t pay attention to the vote of the American people. He didn’t pay attention to the recommendations of the bipartisan Iraq Study Commission. He pays no attention whatsoever to our retired generals who can speak freely - most recently Gen. Sanchez - who said the war is a catastrophe.

The commander-in-chief has an awful lot of power and he’s not using it wisely for us.

And all we can do is sit back and let him continue to not use it wisely, eh?

Did downtown Burlington today.

So did a lot of people, and French was still being spoken.

People were dancing, too.

Dancing on their heads.

Literally.

Kinda reflects the current condition of the political system here in the United States of America, eh?

Which made it all the more encouraging to find one United States Senator making a book run. 

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, a U.S. Senator who does his own reading!

Bumped into Sen. Bernie Sanders at Borders. He was after the latest hot Blackwater book that's climbing the charts. Yes, indeed - The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army!

Encouraging sign, eh?

An information-gathering member of the U.S. Senate working on the weekend.

Yes!

Then strolling down the street, I bumped into this "power couple" on the city-hall block.

The Vermont career cop and the Vermont career anchor-babe!

The professional law enforcement official and the television journalist.

Lt. Helrich of BPD and Anchorwoman Kelly of WCAX-TV.

Emmet and Kristin.

Recently wed.

Legit at last!

Couple cuties.

There's a TV series there, folks....

Gov. Jim Douglas was in great form for his weekly presser at 11 a.m. this fine morning. Had his successor as state treasurer [and perhaps as governor?], Democrat Jeb Spaulding with him for the "dog & pony" opening.  About how we better all start figuring out how to plan to pay for our "Baby Boom Generation" retirement.

Buy lottery tickets.

Just kidding.

The "mainstream" press will have that one.

Yours truly went for the political jugular and the Guv's absence from the Tree-Hugger Wind Power Crowd's big conference at the Sheraton put on by Renewable Energy Vermont.

Q. A big crowd at the Sheraton and you’re usually at those conferences. They say a picture’s worth a thousand words. Does your absence from the picture tell an accurate picture that the Governor of Vermont is perhaps the leading opponent of wind energy development in the state?

DOUGLAS: I think the director of that organization indicated that he hadn’t invited me.

Q. But the fact they wouldn’t even think to invite you? How distant? What another world you’re in when it comes to the energy picture, whereas wind-energy seems to be growing in popularity. But you are the No. 1 opponent of wind power, are you not?

DOUGLAS: I was disappointed that I wasn’t invited, frankly. They invite me in election years to appear with the candidate they’ve already anointed, so I was disappointed and certainly would be pleased to participate. It’s too bad that it was politicized.

But frankly, other than wind, I think that we’re really on the same page. I’ve been a strong supporter of methane, of bio-diesel, of the grants through our Clean Energy Fund, of small-scale hydro, of the renewable and clean sources of power we have for base load generation of electricity for our state. The pellet and switchgrass development and hydrogen fuel-cell research that’s underway. I’m a strong supporter of alternative energy, and with the one exception of industrializing our ridge lines, I agree with them.

What a guy!

Q. So primarily it’s an aesthetic issue with you, Governor?

DOUGLAS: Well, largely. It’s a matter of weighing the benefit versus the cost. I’ve told you this before, you know, people come up to me and say, 'Put up wind turbines, so we can close Vermont Yankee.’

And they really think we could generate an equivalent amount of electricity from wind turbines as we get from the nuclear power plant and, of course, it isn’t even close.

If it were, maybe we’d be having a different discussion, but to get maybe 6 percent of our electricity from the maximum number of towers that have been proposed, I really think the clear-cutting, the impact on wildlife, the aesthetic impact really doesn’t justify it.

Q. But you’ve seen the polling data or the survey data. Is this the first issue of the ‘08 campaign right here?

DOUGLAS: Well, Stewart, I can’t answer that...I don’t make my decisions based on polls and never will. I’ll tell you how I feel about something. But I respect the process. The Public Service Board has made a decision [on Sheffield] and I certainly respect that.

Republican Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie [right] gave some lively opening remarks at the packed Renewable Energy Conference at the Sheraton-Burlington this morning. "Wind power " and photovoltaics were gospel and Doobie-Doo expressed an open-mindedness on the issue not shared with his running mate - Gov. Jim Douglas.

As morning keynote speaker Paul Gipe put it later, "Vermont is resting on its laurels" when it comes to its environmental reputation. Wind energy in the Green Mountain state is sorely lagging.

"These things we can do together and these things we should do together, and from the perspective where I sit, although there are differences between our governor and our legislature and individuals," said Dubie, "we’re gonna work through those differences and we’re gonna find solutions and we’re gonna continue to move this state forward. Together.

"I’m gonna close with a conversation I had a year ago on a roof-top in Iraq," said Brian. "On a Baghdad evening, while I looked over the skyline, it was a beautiful night, but it wasn’t peaceful. And I was sitting next to a commanding general and he turned to me and he said ‘We need to find ways to make America less dependent on oil from dangerous parts of the world.'

"It is my belief that the work that you do is really carrying on the challenge that that general gave to me," Dubie told the green energy crowd.

"So I applaud you. We need you. We need you to inspire the next generation. We need you to help us train and retain the next workforce. We need you to enhance our moral authority around the world and we can do that by having a more energy-independent nation.

"I want to repeat that: Your work will enhance our moral authority around the world. Think about that for a while. I’ve heard people say that," said our GOP Lite-Gov, " and it makes sense to me."

Yes. He really said that.

I'm heading back for the afternoon session....

It was inevitable, wasn't it?

This fromThe Hollywood Reporter:

Two of Hollywood's most politically active stars are teaming for a political thriller.

George Clooney and Leonardo DiCaprio are indiscussions to partner for "Farragut North," based on the upcomingBroadway play by Beau Willimon. Clooney would direct and produce theadaptation, which is set up at Warner Bros., while DiCaprio would starand produce.

Titled after the Washington Metro station that islocated near many lobbyists' offices, the play is loosely based onHoward Dean's 2004 presidential election campaign, during whichWillimon worked for the Democrat.

The story follows a young, idealistic communicationsdirector who works for an inspiring, though unorthodox, presidentialcandidate. During the campaign, his career is done in by more seasonedpoliticos who thrive on poisonous partisan politics, dirty tricks andback-stabbing.

The buzz is that Leonard DiCaprio will play Ho-Ho and Clooney will play Joe Trippi.

Cool.

Wonder who'll play yours truly in those Sunday-night, off-the-record, Trippi-Freyne rendezvouses at Finnigan's Pub on College Street?

Joe needed someone to vent to - in confidence, of course.

Someone who "understood" Howard Dean.

Yes, indeed.

Burlington Old-North-Ender Marc Estrin has notified us about his latest book - out this week!

It's a novel titled The Lamentations of Judith Marantz.

Marc forwarded the first review

Here's Estrin's website.

Cool.

Fred Lane is one of those wireless-laptop-in-the-coffee-shop guys. Southend of Burlington. Speeder's.

Some do homework or write mail - Fred writes books!

The other day he completed his latest [4th, I think]. He's also an expert witness and serves on the school board. More here.

Lane's latest, which will be published by Beacon Press in Boston, is titled:

The Court and the Cross: the Religious Right's Crusade to Reshape the Supreme Court.

It'll hit the streets next May, Fred tells us. He began writing it in early July.

Cool.

Can't wait.