Commentary Series

Memory train

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The New Year’s holiday is a time for reflection on the past as well as an opportunity to make plans for the future. Commentator Alan Boye spent a recent evening walking whild contemplating this passing of time.
Commentary Series

The New Year

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Commentator Edith Hunter has been thinking about why we mark the turn of the year and celebrate when days are at their darkest.
VPR News

Midday Report: December 30, 2005

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Vermont will have to dip into its own coffers to make up a $10 million shortfall in the federal program that helps low-income people heat their homes. More Vermont Guardsman are due home today, and a look back at the year’s biggest nature stores as we wrap up our 2005 Year in Review.
Commentary Series

Adventures

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Commentator Willem Lange likes best reading stories written in the first person, mostly because they’re about…well, persons.
VPR News

State will make up for LIHEAP shortfall

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This month Congress decided not to increase funding for the low income heating assistance program called LIHEAP. Supporters said the money was needed to make up for dramatically higher energy costs this winter.
VPR News

Midday Report: December 29, 2005

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Rutland looks to raise $1millon owed in delinquent taxes; the New Year will ring in with a hike in the minimum wage. And from dilemmas on dams to a call for secession, the issues affecting Vermont towns as our 2005 Year in Review continues.
Commentary Series

Gathering places

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Vermont is people, but it’s also places. Commentator Tom Slayton is here with some comments on the special places that help make Vermont what it is.
Commentary Series

Friends

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It’s time to take stock of things – and count our blessings – and commentator Henry Homeyer says that a new friendship makes his list of things to be grateful for this year.
VPR News

Midday Report: December 28, 2005

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Federal officials order a shut-down of Vermont’s largest slaughterhouse. And our Year in Review series continues with a look back at Vermonters helping others in the wake of the Katrina disaster and others.
VPR News

2005: The Year in Review, Part 6 – Tragedies

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Disasters occur when a sudden shocking event takes lives and destroys property. Tragedies occur when disasters are made worse by human error. There were some of both in the past year, but as Steve Delaney reports in this section of our year in review, the year’s leading tragedy was so intense that its ripples were felt half a continent away.
Commentary Series

Wrong message

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Commentator George Schiavone has been listening to all the recent criticism of President Bush and the current administration – and he’s becoming increasingly concerned by what he’s hearing.
Commentary Series

Chinasaurs

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In recent years, dinosaurs have become big screen celebrities, but as with so many Hollywood icons, what’s on the screen may not accurately reflect reality, according to commentator Ted Levin.
VPR News

2005: The Year in Review, Part 5 – Issues

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News stories divide into events and issues. Events get short, intense coverage, and then fade. Issues don’t fade because the questions they contain are usually hard to answer. As Steve Delaney reports in this section of our year-in-review, one issue in particular turned up again and again.
VPR News

Danby quarry provides marble for large-scale projects

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When a chunk of marble fell off the U.S. Supreme Court Building last month, it was widely reported that the stone was from Vermont. What the news accounts didn’t say was how much Vermont Marble is in the nation’s capital: The Jefferson Memorial, the Senate office building, parts of the white house and the Pentagon.
VPR News

Manhattan Burton store draws riders and fashion conscious

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This fall, Burton snowboards opened the doors to its new flagship store in the middle of Manhattan. Burton’s choice of New York reveals a hidden aspect about the residents of a place known more for its asphalt than its aspen slopes.
Commentary Series

Spying

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Commentator Madeleine Kunin thinks that the recent revelations about secret domestic surveillance of Americans are alarming – and at the same time – very “deja-vu”.
Commentary Series

Sleigh Bells

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Some holiday traditions are cultural, involving many people. Others are more individual. Commentator Alan Boye has a Christmas Eve tradition that falls into the personal category.
VPR News

Midday Report: December 23, 2005

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With North Dakota in its sights, Vermont might be moving up on the nation’s population ladder and we recall the highlights of arts and culture in Vermont as our 2005 Year in Review continues.
VPR News

Health care reform plan raises questions

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Governor Jim Douglas has unveiled his new health care reform plan.Douglas says his goal is to make certain that all Vermonters have access to affordable health care insurance.But Gaye Symington, the Jericho Democrat, questions whether the Republican proposal will lower costs or improve access to care.
VPR News

2005: The Year in Review Part 2 – Politics

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Think of politics as a pyramid with the highest offices at the top. When there’s room at the top, there’s a lot of scrambling underneath, as people try to move up. As Steve Delaney reports in today’s installment of our 2005 year-in-review, that’s what’s been happening this year in Vermont.
Commentary Series

Christmas shopping

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While most of us were heading for the local stores to do our gift shopping, commentator Edith Hunter put another log on the fire, opened a book and did hers without leaving home.
Commentary Series

The Wind Power Debate — Elizabeth Courtney

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This morning, VPR’s special 10-part commentary series on Wind Technology in Vermont concludes with Elizabeth Courtney, who says that – important as it is – wind power should be just the beginning of the alternative energy debate.
Commentary Series

Oversight

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The political uproar over domestic spying has reminded commentator Bill Seamans that terror experts say that one of the major objectives of terrorism is to exploit the apparatus of freedom in liberal societies.
Commentary Series

The Wind Power Debate — Ned Coffin

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As our special commentary series on wind power continues, Ned Coffin considers voters who grant tax credits, neighbors who lose pristine ridgeline views and the question of who should benefit from this new technology.
Commentary Series

December

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December is a complicated time for commentator Bill Shutkin, and it’s not just a matter of trying to figure out what to buy for Uncle Jim.
VPR News

Midday Report – December 19, 2005

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Legislative leaders lay out their priorities for the session that opens next month; advocates for the elderly plan changes to make Burlington a leading elder-friendly city; the Rutland ambulance service recovers $350,000 in a lawsuit over a new ambulance that caught fire the day after it arrived in the city; Presidents Bush criticizes senators who helped reject an extension of the Patriot Act.
Commentary Series

The Wind Power Debate — Bob McCullough

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Yesterday, as part of our special commentary series on the wind power debate in Vermont, historian Tyler Resch recalled newspaperman Bob Mitchel’s editorial about how wind-generated power got its start on Grandpa’s Knob. But that wasn’t Vermont’s only contribution to the development of wind power technology, according to historian Bob McCullough.
Commentary Series

The Wind Power Debate — Tyler Resch

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As Vermonters debate various proposals to generate electricity by wind power, historian Tyler Resch* recalls a successful experiment in wind power that goes back to pre-Pearl Harbor days.
VPR News

Midday Report – December 16, 2005

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Vermont National Guard members arrive at the Burlington airport after a year in Kuwait; Senator Patrick Leahy takes the lead in today’s vote on the Patriot Act; the Vermont FoodBank sees an increase in demand for food aid; Rutland forgives some snow ban parking tickets.
VPR News

Lawsuits filed in Lake George boat accident

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Federal investigators say it could take more than a year to definitively determine why a Lake George tour boat suddenly overturned on a calm October Sunday. But lawsuits and proposed legislation have followed the accident that killed 20 elderly sightseers.
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Poetry Slams

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How self-expression, audience participation and some harsh judges make a poetry slam a unique literary experience. Our guest is Geof Hewitt, a Vermont slam champion and writing advocate. Hosted by Fran Stoddard.
Commentary Series

The Wind Power Debate — Sabra Field

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This morning in our special commentary series on the wind energy debate in Vermont, we hear from artist Sabra Field, who has incorporated wind turbines into her representations of what she calls the “cultural landscape”.
Commentary Series

Ending the war

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Some leading Democrats are struggling to offer a specific alternative to the Bush administration’s Iraq policy. But as commentator Barrie Dunsmore tells us, if history is any lesson- that may not be necessary.
Commentary Series

The Wind Power Debate — Karla Wilbur

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Several communities in Vermont are already feeling the consequences of the wind energy debate. Yesterday in our special commentary series on wind energy development in Vermont, we heard about the proposed expansion of a wind farm in Searsburg. Today we’ll hear from the Northeast Kingdom. In the town of Sheffield, support for a wind project has just been expressed in a non-binding vote. Karla Wilbur was among the minority who voted “no”.
Commentary Series

The Wind Power Debate — Al Robertson

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In some Vermont towns the wind energy debate has gone beyond the theoretical. This morning we heard from the Northeast Kingdom town of Sheffield, where Karla Wilbur has actively opposed a proposed wind project. This afternoon, we hear from Al Robertson, who was among those who supported it in a recent non-binding vote.
VPR News

Midday Report – December 14, 2005

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Vermont Yankee moves a step closer to approval of a 20 percent uprate; the Vermont Nature Conservancy receives a big grant for stream and wetlands restoration from the Lowe’s home improvement company; last night was the coldest night of the season, so far; Windsor is off the list of Vermont communities interested in hosting a prison work camp.
Switchboard

What are you listening to?

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Bob Kinzel and Steve Zind co-hosted our annual look at the best music of the year. We heard from many listeners leading up to Switchboard’s 2005 music program, and some VPR staff jumped in with their favorite music, too.
Commentary Series

The Wind Power Debate — Gina Owens

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The debate about the merits of wind energy has become more than philosophical in Searsburg. A proposal received by the USDA Forest Service would expand an existing wind tower field onto public land on the Green Mountain National Forest. District Ranger Gina Owens finds herself at the eye of the storm.
VPR News

Semi-pro basketball coming to Barre

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Vermont is getting a semi-pro basketball team. The Vermont “Frost Heaves” will hit the hardwood next year as a member of the American Basketball Association.
Commentary Series

Scoring the SAT’s

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Students applying to college early action or early decision find out in December whether they’ve been accepted. It’s a nerve-wracking experience, and commentator Allen Gilbert wonders how a student’s talents can be accurately measured.
VPR News

Midday Report – December 13, 2005

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A nursing shortage is predicted as the current generation of nurses retire; Senator Patrick Leahy introduces legislation that would extend the Patriot Act for three months; the father of a Springfield boy who died as a result of a ski accident while on a school-sponsored outing is suing the school district and the ski resort; a new bill would make school purchases of farm products easier; a 2,000-seat baseball stadium is proposed for Bennington.
Commentary Series

Lights

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‘Tis the season for outdoor lighting displays, and every town has at least one house that seems to go all out – to the delight – and occasional consternation – of the neighbors. Commentator Linda DuCharme remembers one Christmas of the latter sort.
Commentary Series

No tomorrow

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Commentator Willem Lange says that watching the videos of Christmas shoppers makes him feel a little gloomy.
Commentary Series

Johnny Cash

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The new movie about Johnny Cash has reminded commentator Jay Craven of the time the Man in Black toured Vermont and New Hampshire, with somewhat mixed results.
VPR News

Storm creates slippery roads

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Today’s snow storm created slippery roads across the state and caused many schools to close in southern Vermont.
VPR News

Midday Report – December 9, 2005

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Six-hundred Vermont National Guard soldiers will be home as soon as their paperwork is processed; New Hampshire fights to keep its presidential primary status; Senator Patrick Leahy is in the middle of negotiations on the Patriot Act; a Lyndon State College student is safe after spending the night lost in the woods; police urge drivers to be aware of hazardous conditions due to today’s snowfall.
VPR News

Interview: Commander Sergeant Major Jeffrey Goodrich

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Some 600 Vermont National Guard men and women are back in the United States after spending the past year on duty in Kuwait. Commander Sergeant Major Jeffrey Goodrich from Norwich is one of them. He spoke with Mitch Wertlieb about how it feels to finally be back on US soil.
Commentary Series

New England wilderness

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Wilderness is as much a concept as a location. Commentator Tom Slayton has been thinking about New England’s highly accessible wilderness.
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Homeschooling

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Homeschooling is a choice some families make for a variety of reasons, and it raises a host of academic and social questions. We talk with experts from Vermont’s homeschool community about what it takes to teach your children at home. Hosted by Fran Stoddard.
Commentary Series

Home schooling

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Long before homeschooling became an eductional buzz word, commentator Edith Hunter chose that option for one of her sons. It was a decision, she says, that worked out well.
VPR News

Vermont woman is world class arm wrestler

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Heather Pembrook spends her summers checking water quality in Vermont’s lakes. In the winters she works at the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation lab in Waterbury. And as VPR’s Steve Zind reports, the rest of the time she’s making a name for herself in the world of arm wrestling.
VPR News

Teacher apologizes for quiz

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A Bennington high school English teacher who gave students a quiz that criticized President Bush is still on the job. Mount Anthony Union High School Teacher Bret Chenkin has apologized for the quiz.
VPR News

Midday Report – December 8, 2005

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Several hundred Vermont Guard members return to the United States today; lift tickets hit $80 at some Western ski resorts; Merchants’ Bank in Hardwick starts a fund for those families and businesses displaced by a major fire; two UVM students work with an Alburg group to recycle abandoned mobile homes; South Burlington holds two education session on Vermont’s property tax system; Alstead, NH, police receive a donation to help with flood recovery.
Commentary Series

9/11 Commission Report

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The 9/11 Commission has given failing grades to federal government’s reforms on terrorism preparedness. Commentator Bill Seamans can’t understand why the American public isn’t in an uproar about it.
Commentary Series

Santa Lucia

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Recently commentator Philip Baruth and his family held their annual Santa Lucia party which Philip swears was crashed at the last moment by Vice President Dick Cheney. And that’s probably all that needs to be said by way of introduction.
Switchboard

Hurricane Relief Continues

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Three months after Hurricane Katrina, the Gulf Coast is still suffering badly from the storm’s aftermath. We’ll talk with three Stowe firefighters who spent Thanksgiving week helping with relief efforts in Mississippi. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
VPR News

Midday Report – December 6, 2005

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Mental health advocates say Vergennes was too quick to reject a new mental health facility; Governor Douglas says seven states in the northeast and Canada are ready to sign a greenhouse gas declaration; service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are more prone to PTSD than those who returned from Vietnam; the U.S. Supreme Court hears a case that involves Vermont Law School; 27 Dartmouth students leave for Nicaragua, for a two week community building trip.
Commentary Series

Scrappy

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Some of the best memories of the summer will continue to warm us through the long, cold days of winter, according to commentator Kristen Laine.
Commentary Series

Two holidays

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This year Christmas and Hannukkah fall on the same day, and although the two remain very different celebrations, commentator Madeleine Kunin says that the date isn’t all they have in common.
VPR News

Retirement program unfunded liability causes concern

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According to new report, the Vermont Teachers Retirement program has an unfunded liability of $315 million. State Treasurer Jeb Spaulding says taxpayers in Vermont will face some serious consequences if lawmakers don’t address this problem during the upcoming session
Commentary Series

Building Trails

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Before the deep snows arrive is the best time to work on the many cross country ski trails that criss-cross Vermont, and that’s just what commentator Alan Boye did on a recent weekend.
VPR News

Midday Report – December 2, 2005

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The Vermont Chamber of Commerce presents its annual Citizen of the Year award to Senator Jim Jeffords; Senator Patrick Leahy didn’t find much he liked in the president’s plan for victory speech on Iraq; an AARP consultant says the state needs to improve housing for elderly people; teachers in Barre vote to authorize a strike for December 9, if they can’t reach an agreement on wages and benefits before then.
Commentary Series

Happiness

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As we all begin to wish one another “Happy Holidays,” commentator Brendan Fisher considers what science has learned about what makes us happy.
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Mythology

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Mythological stories have existed throughout human history, from the Greek god Zeus to the Indian monkey god, Hanuman. We discuss epic stories and myths with Ken Davis, author of the new book Don’t Know Much About Mythology. Hosted by Fran Stoddard.
Commentary Series

Faceless

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Collectors of old, interesting *stuff* love to rummage through New England, looking for treasures. Collectors of old, interesting *stories* do too – like commentator Joe Citro.
Commentary Series

Health care

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Commentator Edith Hunter would like to see all Vermonters take an active role in the current health care debate. And recently, she decided to do just that.
Commentary Series

Rosa Parks

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Tomorrow we observe the anniversary of a major turning point in American history – an event that commentator Olin Robison says now seems all the more stunning for it’s every day origins.
Commentary Series

Wood heat

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This winter, for the first time, commentator Caleb Daniloff is discovering the joys – and the challenges – of heating with wood.
VPR News

Interview: Tim Courtney, Relief Volunteer

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Tim Courtney is a Stowe firefighter and teacher at Morristown Elementary School who returned recently from the Gulf Coast where he was part of a group of Vermonters doing volunteer work to help victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
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Secretary of State Deb Markowitz

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Questions about a governor’s right to seal records from public access have been in the news this fall. We talk with Secretary of State Deb Markowitz about this and other issues facing her office. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
VPR News

Robin Lloyd, Filmmaker, Activist

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Vermonter, Robin Lloyd, is an activist and Director of Green Valley Media. She was arrested recently at a facility in Fort Benning, Georgia that used to be known as the School of the Americas, or SOA.
Commentary Series

Debt

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Congressional discussions have led commentator Allen Gilbert to think about the way we have become a debt-ridden society.
Commentary Series

Emergency response

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Commentator Casey Huling is a volunteer fire fighter in Thetford, who says that his town’s approach to emergency services is based on several common sense ideas that could be helpful anywhere.
VPR News

Midday Report – November 28, 2005

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The Vermont Council on Rural Development awards two grants to promote made in Vermont” wood products; retired North Bennington Fire Chief Martin Percey is killed in a car accident; the Health Department studies a connection between nuclear power plants and radiation in baby teeth; the Brattleboro Reformer hires Sabina Haskell as its new editor.
VPR News

Lead sinkers still a threat to loons

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For almost 30 years, Vermonters have been trying to restore the population of the common loon. But the tiny lead sinker used by fishermen is still a big threat to the loon.
Commentary Series

Chorus

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As the holiday season goes into full swing, Commentator Vic Henningsen reflects on that crucible of childhood, the Middle School Christmas concert.
Commentary Series

Lettuce in November

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Commentator Ruth Page says science shows immense danger from earth-warming, and she sees far too little effort from our government to help alleviate it.
VPR News

Long-term impact of floods evident in Alstead

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The floods that swept through southwestern New Hampshire last month are more than a memory in the hardest hit towns. Anticipated federal help has been confusing and disappointing. The long term impact is especially evident in Alstead. There, in minutes, a wall of pent-up water wiped out homes, livelihoods and lives.
Commentary Series

Thanksgiving

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Today is commentator Olin Robison’s favorite holiday. In fact, he considers Thanksgiving to be one of the best days of the year.
Commentary Series

Water music

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This Thanksgiving, commentator Tom Slayton is thinking about visions and the human impulse to share them.
Commentary Series

Special forces

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As Americans have been pausing to remember President John F.Kennedy on the anniversary of his death, commentator Bill Seamans has been thinking about him for very different reasons.
Commentary Series

Christmas pudding

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Even though the holiday season is just getting under way, commentator Marialisa Calta says it’s not to soon for one particular project.
VPR News

Small plane crashes in Williston

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Police say a Connecticut man was flying the small plane that crashed in Williston last night. 49-year-old Donald Roberge of Ellington, Connecticut, died in the crash of the twin-engine Piper Aztec.
VPR News

Midday Report – November 22, 2005

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The Vermont Public Interest Research Group issues its annual warning about toy safety; Vermont’s unemployment rate rose for the fourth consecutive month in October to four percent; the Vermont Health Department gives guidelines for preparing turkey and storing the leftovers safely; the entire town of Marlboro wants to be included in emergency planning for a disaster at the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant.
Switchboard

Governor Jim Douglas

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Health care reform, the International Paper tire burn and low income heating assistance are some of the issues we discuss with Governor Jim Douglas. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
Commentary Series

Freshman 15

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Many of us will welcome home college students this week for the Thanksgiving holiday. Some of them will undoubtedly weigh more than when they left a few months ago as they’ve piled on the dreaded Freshman 15 – the weight-gain many college students experience in their first semester. But commentator Rachel Johnson says that our kids’ experiences can teach us a thing or two as well.
VPR News

Arthur Gibb’s life celebrated

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The life of former state senator Arthur Gibb was celebrated on Friday at a special ceremony at the Statehouse. Gibb, who served 24 years in the Vermont Legislature, died on November 1st at the age of 97.
Commentary Series

Hard lessons

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Commentator Brian Porto has run across a story that he’s sure will be of interest to young people hoping to attend college on athletic scholarships – and their parents.
VPR News

Midday Report – November 18, 2005

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Winooski celebrates it redesigned downtown; deer poaching is still a problem in rifle season; UVM students rally for fair wages while university trustees meet; Congressman Bernie Sanders continues to fight some provisions of the Patriot Act; there’s a Statehouse memorial service this afternoon for the late state senator Arthur Gibb.
VPR News

Midday Report – November 17, 2005

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Single-home construction in Vermont was down during the first nine months of this year; today is the 30th annual Great American Smoke-Out; the city of Montpelier and its employees owe the employees’ pension fund $230,000; poultry farmers prepare for their busy season; the US Department of Labor says Vermont leads New England in on-the-job safety.
Commentary Series

French riots

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Commentator Mike Martin has been following French news reports closely – to hear what the French media are saying about the recent events there. And he thinks that French sports fans might teach French politicians a thing or two about diversity.
Switchboard

Domestic Violence

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We take a look at the topic of domestic violence—the causes, effects and resources for those affected by it. Guests are Wynona Ward, founder of Have Justice-Will Travel, and Regina Rice of Women’s Information Services in Lebanon, NH. Hosted by Nina Keck.
VPR News

Parker criticizes Iraq war

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Scudder Parker, the Democratic candidate for governor, strongly denounced the war in Iraq today. But Parker sidestepped direct criticism of Republican Governor Jim Douglas, who has supported President Bush on the war.
VPR News

Midday Report – November 16, 2005

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Democratic gubernatorial candidate Scudder Parker speaks out against the war in Iraq; Governor Jim Douglas chides International Paper for rejecting his olive branch in the tire burning dispute; nuclear safety officials say the safety margins at Vermont Yankee would be lowered if it wins approval for boosting power; Vermont’s minor league baseball team is renamed the Lake Monsters; two farm animals are killed in Lebanon, NH.
VPR News

Tire hearing draws nearly 200

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Nearly two hundred people turned out last night for a hearing in Middlebury on a request by International Paper Company to conduct a test burn of tires at its Ticonderoga, New York plant.
Commentary Series

Sedition

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On Veterans Day, President George W. Bush attacked those who have accused him of invading Iraq under false pretenses as “deeply irresponsible.” As commentator Barrie Dunsmore explains, Presidents trying to stifle dissent in wartime is nothing new.
Commentary Series

Giant squid

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A thrilling scientific discovery recently caused commen-tator Peter Gilbert to think of the work of Victorian poet Alfred Lord Tennyson.
VPR News

Vermont tires burned out of state

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At last week’s public hearing on International Paper’s request to test burn tires in Ticonderoga, some of the company’s supporters complained that Vermont opponents were applying a double standard. They contend that Vermont sends its tires out of state to be burned, but objects to tire burning in Ticonderoga.
VPR News

Midday Report – November 15, 2005

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State agencies hold a hearing tonight in Middlebury on the proposed test burn of tire fuel at International Paper; doctors try to counsel patients about the compleicated new Medicare prescription benefit; city officials in Rutland have rejected stock car racing at the fairgrounds; Castleton State College receives zoning permission to build new dormitories; Bennington resists being the site of a prison work camp.
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Legislature’s Health Care Hearings

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The Legislature’s Health Care Commission has been conducting public hearings to find out what Vermonters want to change about how health care is delivered in the state. We talk with three members of the commission about what they’ve learned from the hearings, and what their next steps will be. Guests are Senators Jim Leddy and Kevin Mullen, and Representative John Tracy. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
VPR News

Midday Report – November 14, 2005

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Two dozen Vermont Guard members return from Iraq; education officials speak about Vermont enrollment trends; Vermont’s foliage season had a rough year; the Abenaki respond to a ruling that the group has not met the requirements for federal recognition.
Commentary Series

Bulbs

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Commentator Henry Homeyer finds planting bulbs – indoors and out – a good cure for those rainy day blues.
VPR News

2nd Lieutenant Mark Procopio remembered in Burlington

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Mourners gathered Saturday at the University of Vermont to remember Vermont National Guard Second Lieutenant Mark Procopio. Procopio was killed on November second in Ramadi, Iraq, while trying to aid a helicopter that had been shot down.
VPR News

Winooski plans celebration

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The City of Winooski is planning a downtown celebration next week to celebrate its massive redevelopment project.
VPR News

Midday Report – November 11, 2005

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One person died after being shot in an altercation with police at the Barre Town police station yesterday; Congressman Bernie Sanders is in the middle of the fight over budget cuts; ceremonies all across Vermont commemorate Veterans’ Day; flags on state buildings are flying at half-staff in honor of Mark Procopio, who was killed in Iraq last week; the Unitarian Universalist Church in Rutland dedicates a memorial to soldiers and civilians killed in Iraq.
Commentary Series

Foreign policy

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Lately commentator Olin Robison has been thinking a lot about the future of American Foreign Policy, and how it may change after the 2008 – and he says he’s not the only one..
Commentary Series

Vet Day

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Tomorrow is the day when Americans honor the service and sacrifice of our veterans with parades and patriotic ceremonies. Commentator Kirsten Laine especially enjoys the marching bands.
VPR News

Midday Report – November 10, 2005

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The president of Voices for American Children speaks in Montpelier against programs cuts supported by the Bush administration; Governor Douglas offers to help pay for an electrostatic precipitator at International Paper; a UVM researcher studies human behavior during Hurricane Katrina; Stephen Dates is appointed to fill the House seat vacated by George Schiavone.
Switchboard

Depression

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Serious depression affects one in ten people and has a devastating impact on those who suffer with it. We talk about the symptoms and treatment of depression, and hear about new research that’s being done. Guests are Dr. Terry Rabinowitz, an associate professor of psychiatry and family medicine at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and director of the Psychiatric Consultation Service at Fletcher Allen Health Care, and Kelly J. Rohan, an assistant professor in the UVM Department of Psychology. Hosted by Nina Keck.
Commentary Series

Jim and John’s wall

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Commentator Philip Baruth has been watching his neighbors build a stone wall, and watching them work has made him feel shiftless and lazy. It’s also made him think about Robert Frost and the civil union debate five years ago.
VPR News

Midday Report – November 9, 2005

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Bishop Salvatore Matano officially replaces retiring Bishop Kenneth Angell of the Burlington Catholic Diocese; when New York state holds an environmental impact hearing tonight in Ticonderoga over the test burning of tire-based fuel at International Paper, several busloads of Vermonters will be there to protest; University of Vermont President Daniel Fogel is off-campus to deliver a speech to the Rutland County Development Corporation.
Commentary Series

Arts funding

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In recent years, Vermont has developed a thriving arts community, but commentator Jay Craven says that a lack of adequate funding is beginning to reverse that trend.
Commentary Series

Radical conservation

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Commentator Ted Levin says that returning the wolf to the northeast is part of an inclusive environmental concept that also recognizes the role of the human population.
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Wolves in Vermont

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Does Vermont want a wolf population to return to the state? We discusses the controversial issue with Peggy Strusacker, the wolf project leader at National Wildlife Federation, and Jackie Folsom of the Vermont Farm Bureau. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
VPR News

Midday Report – November 8, 2005

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A small plane operated by a Bennington company crashes into a New Hampshire Wal-Mart; Canada’s consular-general is in Vermont to a discuss border ID system; a convoy of buses will head to Ticonderoga tomorrow to voice concerns about a test burn of tire chips at International Paper.
VPR News

Leahy pushes to prohibit torture

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Senator Patrick Leahy is actively involved in an effort to prohibit the United States government from using torture or other means of inhumane treatment to obtain information from suspected terrorists.
VPR News

Leahy receives award

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Over the weekend, Senator Leahy was the recipient of the Vermont Press Association’s Matthew Lyon First Amendment award.
VPR News

Midday Report – November 7, 2005

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A low-cost airline that flies into Burlington files for bankruptcy; the Sec. of State says a court ruling on public records should have gone further; a criminal investigation into last month’s fatal boat accident on Lake George is still open; the Mississquoi Valley Union High School district votes tomorrow on its budget.
Commentary Series

Guy Fawkes Day

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On the four-hundredth anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot, commentator Peter Gilbert tells us about the origin of Guy Fawkes Day in England, and just perhaps the origin of a character’s name from Harry Potter as well.
Commentary Series

Libby trial

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The White House would like the indictment of Vice President Cheney’s chief of staff in the CIA leak case, to be the end of the story. Commentator Barrie Dunsmore explains why it won’t be.
Commentary Series

Pad North

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Email is a quick and easy means of communication, and to make it even more efficient, commentator Edith Hunter has developed a kind of email short-hand.
Commentary Series

Houdini

By |
Among his Halloween reflections, commentator Joe Citro has been thinking about a seventy-nine year-old mystery.
Commentary Series

Feeling no pain

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If you don’t expect something to hurt much, it may not. Research proves that the placebo effect is genuine, says commentator Ruth Page.
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Aiken Lecture Discussion: Globalization

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We debate the issues raised by economist Jagdish Bhagwati about the impact globalization has on the lives of people in developing countries. Guests are University of Vermont Economics Chair Stephanie Seguino and Middlebury College Economics Chair Sunder Ramaswamy. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
VPR News

Payment for federal pandemic plan causes concern

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State health officials say they’re pleased with a new federal plan to deal with a possible pandemic flu outbreak. They’re concerned, though, that the proposal calls on individual states to pay for 75% of the cost of new anti-viral drugs and vaccines.
Commentary Series

Two views — VT/NY debt

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In 1791, New York opposed Vermont’s petition to become the 14th state – until Vermont paid thirty thousand dollars in reparation for New York’s loss of property in the Green Mountains. Commentators Neil Stout and Frank Bryan have Two Views of the fairness of that settlement. Here’s Neil Stout.
Commentary Series

All Saints Day

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Recently, commentator Nils Daulaire has been involved in a project that he hopes will improve the lives of families around the world.
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Wind Power Debate

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Proposals for wind power projects are spurring strong debate in Vermont. We debate whether the state should encourage wind energy projects. Guests are James Moore, energy specialist for Vermont Public Interest Research Group, and Brian Kelly, president of Kingdom Commons. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
VPR News

Reports say Douglas began early 2001 gubernatorial campaign

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When Democrat Scudder Parker announced his candidacy for governor this past weekend, 53 weeks before Election Day, incumbent Republican Governor James Douglas said it was too early. But news reports from the time show Douglas was actively campaigning for governor much earlier when he first ran in 2001 and 2002.
VPR News

Midday Report – November 1, 2005

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The state borrows $7 million from itself for emergency heating fuel assistance; a New Hampshire abortion case is pending before the U.S. Supreme Court; attorneys for convicted murderer Donald Fell ask for hearings on alleged prosecutorial misconduct during his death penalty trial.
Commentary Series

Halloween

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Commentator Stephanie Montgomery remembers when October thirty first was the holiday of homemade entertainments and make-do creativity. And in those days children were heroes because witches were – oh, so real.
VPR News

Midday Report – October 31, 2005

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Senator Patrick Leahy says he’s disappointed in the nomination of Samuel Alito for Supreme Court justice; Democrat Scudder Parker announces his candidacy for governor, one year before the election; Mount Ascutney Hospital and the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center will share patient prescription information; safety tips for trick-or-treating; the annual Rutland Halloween Parade steps off at 6:30 this evening.
Commentary Series

Simple needs

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While his power was out this week, commentator David Moats was reminded of some lessons he learned from his father about the simplicities of life.
VPR News

Early snow lets Killington open for weekend

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This week’s winter weather may have caused many problems around the state, but it’s been a boon to the ski industry. As VPR’s Nina Keck reports, Killington announced today it will be open for business this weekend – almost two weeks ahead of schedule.
VPR News

Midday Report – October 28, 2005

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More than 10,000 people are still without power more than three days after a heavy wet snow; in Washington, the buzz over the withdrawal of Harriet Miers from consideration as a Supreme Court nominee is balanced by the buzz over high-level indictments expected this afternoon; merganser ducks may be part of the cause of a decline in the Battenkill brown trout population; remembrance of Vermont Supreme Court Justice Winn Underwood, who died last week at 83.
VPR News

Leahy stunned by Miers’ withdrawal

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Senator Patrick Leahy says he’s surprised that Harriet Miers has withdrawn her name as a nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court. Leahy is now urging President Bush to nominate a moderate person to fill the vacancy. Leahy says “ultra conservatives” should not be rewarded for undermining Miers’ candidacy.
VPR News

CVPS power outages costliest ever

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Central Vermont Public Service says it’s facing what may be the costliest restoration of power ever. A utility spokesman said on Thursday that the cost to bring power back after this week’s storm may reach $1.5 million dollars.
VPR News

McDonald’s to sell Vermont-roasted coffee

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McDonald’s will start selling organic Vermont-roasted coffee at its New England restaurants next month. The deal calls for Green Mountain Coffee of Waterbury to supply “Newman’s Own” organic-blend coffee to more than 650 McDonald’s restaurants.
Commentary Series

VT fiction guide

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Long before Vermont locations became popular in film, scenes from the Green Mountains found their way into print. Commentator Tom Slayton says that a new book provides an exhaustive survey of fiction set in Vermont.
Commentary Series

Vermont brand

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The word “Vermont” means high quality to consumers across the country. Commentator Timothy McQuiston explains how the Vermont attorney general wants to make sure that the labeling of the Vermont products is as pure as the product itself.
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Canadian News Media

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U.S. politics and culture have a strong influence on Canadian life. We discuss how that’s reflected in the news that’s broadcast and published for Canadian audiences. Guests are Phil Authier, reporter for the Montreal Gazette, Paul Martin, UVM professor of Canadian Studies, and David Gutnick, writer/producer at CBC-Montreal. Hosted by Traci Griffith.
VPR News

Midday Report – October 27

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Sen. Patrick Leahy is surprised by the withdrawal of Harriet Miers as a Supreme Court nominee; a New Hampshire abortion law will be argued before the Court; Brian Dubie’s decision not to run for the Senate changes the political landscape for Vermont Republicans; McDonald’s will sell organic Vermont-roasted coffee at its New England restaurants; an effort to ban motorboats on Silver Lake fails; the results of a five-year study of the Battenkill trout stream are discussed.
Commentary Series

Conspiracy

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Who knew what when – who told whom – and who did what – questions like these are once more in the news – both here and abroad. Commentator Bill Seamans says that some people think they see a pattern.
Commentary Series

Can’t cook

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October is a time when many Vermonters are thinking about food; we’re harvesting the last produce before winter and Thanksgiving is not far away. Commentator Helen Labun Jordan is thinking about her generation’s own relationship with food.
VPR News

40,000 lose power due to storm

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A spokesman for Vermont’s largest power company says the heavy, wet snow that fell in the past 24 hours has added up to one of the worst storms in the company’s history.
VPR News

Midday Report – October 26, 2005

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Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie won’t run for US Senate next year; a heavy wet snowfall snaps trees and power lines across the state; an AARP poll describes what Vermonters think of health care; the Department of Health offers free access to “Quitnet,” a Web site that helps people quit smoking.
Commentary Series

Fake novel

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Commentator Philip Baruth is outraged at the glut of fake news, and now fake novels, that are hitting Americans from all sides these days. More specifically, he’s outraged that he’s not getting the calls to write them.
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Health Care Poll Results

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The AARP is unveiling the results of the most comprehensive health care poll ever conducted in Vermont. We discuss the poll’s findings and what they mean for health care reform in the state. Guests are AARP state director Greg Marchildon and AARP national coordinator for health care, John Luehrs. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
Commentary Series

Holding the drum

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This is about the time that some of the students who recently started college begin to experience difficulty. They call home to say that college is not what they thought it would be. Commentator Vic Henningsen reflects on how parents face this challenge.
VPR News

Midday Report – October 24, 2005

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Alstead, NH, continues toward recovery after flood two weeks ago; GOP Senate candidate Richard Tarrant says health care reform will be one of the top priorities in his upcoming campaign; New Hampshire feels the effects of a forest ten caterpillar infestation on timber harvesting and male sugar production.
Commentary Series

Trafalgar

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Today, October twenty first, is the two hundredth anniversary of what’s been called the most decisive naval battle, both tactically and strategically, in history. Commentator Peter Gilbert explains.
VPR News

Midday Report: October 21, 2005

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Senator Leahy gets a new round of questions ready for Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers; the state auditor says there are serious flaws with the statewide voter checklist system; more…
VPR News

Vermont unemployment rate rises

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Vermont’s unemployment rate continues to rise. The jobless rate edged up two-tenths of a percentage point in September to 3.7%.
Commentary Series

Lawyers, planners

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Part of the current debate about who should be a Supreme Court justice has to do with how the Constitution is interpreted, and commentator Bill Shutkin has been considering that question.
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Advertising and Media Literacy

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Commercial messages are a constant presence—from TV ads to more subtle forms of mass communication. We’ll look at the messages we get with a marketing expert and an advocate for media education. Hosted by Traci Griffith.
Commentary Series

Judith Miller

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While President Bush braces himself for the possibility that two senior White House aides will be indicted for leaking the identity of a CIA operative, commentator Barrie Dunsmore gives us his perspective on the meaning of the case.
Commentary Series

Flickers

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Birds of all kinds are winging south now, and commentator Ted Levin has been observing their passage.
VPR Presents

NPR StoryCorps creator David Isay

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NPR StoryCorps creator David Isay shares clips from his radio documentaries and talks about telling stories that bring neglected American voices to a national audience.
Commentary Series

Farm energy

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The cost of energy is having a significant impact on farmers, but as commentator Vern Grubinger reports, many of them have developed innovative ways to deal with the situation.
Switchboard

Hunger

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More than 5 1/2 million pounds of food are distributed each year to Vermonters who experience hunger. Bob Kinzel talks with Ertharin Cousin, head of America’s Second Harvest, Deborah Flateman, director of the Vermont Foodbank, and Melinda Bussino, director of the Brattleboro Area drop-in center about working to end hunger on the national, state and local levels.
Commentary Series

Broad band in Vt

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Many Vermont communities are having to work on their own to get faster access to the Web. Commentator Allen Gilbert looks at a recent Public Service Board case to help understand why.
Commentary Series

Changing

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Recently, commentator Edith Hunter found herself contemplating the future from a vantage point in the past – through the pages of a book.
VPR News

Times managing editor speaks at Middlebury

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The managing editor of the New York Times is speaking in Vermont Monday evening. Jill Abramson’s visit to Middlebury College coincides with speculation about how the paper handled the Judith Miller freedom of the press case.
VPR News

Midday Report – October 17, 2005

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A health care summit is underway in Killington; Rutland tries to prevent Eurasian milfoil from spreading into the municipal reservoir; the managing editor of the New York Times speaks at Middlebury College tonight; evacuees return to Keene, NH, after a leaving due to a new flood threat; Arlington representative Larry Molloy wins $200,000 in the Powerball lottery game.
VPR News

Midday Report – October 14, 2005

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The state releases the latest Youth Risk Behavior Study; Middlebury College sells a parcel of land; the new headquarters open for the new Mississiquoi National Wildlife Refuge; speculation continues about Harriet Miers; water tests are recommended for people affected by floods; more….
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The Future of News

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As traditional news organizations change with new technology, bloggers and citizen journalists are playing a bigger role in reporting and distributing information. Guests are Bill Felling, the national editor for CBS News, and Dan Gillmor, a prominent blogger and author of We The Media. Hosted by Traci Griffith, Saint Michael’s College journalism professor.
VPR News

Midday Report – October 13, 2005

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Governor Jim Douglas outlines several ideas that he says will help alleviate a shortage of affordable housing; the state considers a plan to turn a former IBM facility in Essex into a new crime and health laboratory; Ferrisburgh breaks ground for the reconstruction of the town’s Grange Hall, destroyed by arson last February; four people are still missing after weekend floods in southwestern New Hampshire.
Commentary Series

Imagination

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When commentator Jay Craven saw how the recent weather disasters threatened our sense of national security, he decided to take another look at the Nine Eleven Commission’s report on the circumstances surrounding the terrorist events, where he found an interesting parallel.
VPR News

Energy experts stress multiple steps to reduce usage

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According to energy experts at Efficiency Vermont, it’s unlikely that there’s one single step that Vermonters can take to significantly reduce their energy use during the winter, but these experts say addressing a group of smaller issues could make a big difference.
Commentary Series

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By |
wegfiBG’nee r/, ,m /mfddebgg;/k/sdvk m,xnjm, ,mdnsvjlkNDFvjknDf/vjnFD/bnDF/bnjDFbjnDF?
Commentary Series

Soccer ode

By |
Commentator Philip Baruth has begun to believe that it’s actually soccer, rather than science or religion or philosophy, that holds the key to human enlightenment.
Commentary Series

Coming out

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Today – October 11th – is “national coming out day” and commenator John Scagliotti (skag-lee-OTT-ee) is thinking about the recent Vatican edict concerning gay seminarians.
Switchboard

How to Save on Home Heating

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We look at ways to help reduce home heating costs this winter. Guests are Paul Scheckel, author of The Home Energy Diet and Rachel Pendleton, a specialist at Efficiency Vermont and author of an energy advice column. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
VPR News

Relief officials to meet in Alstead

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State and federal officials meet tomorrow in Alstead to coordinate relief and reconstruction efforts of flood-ravaged southwestern New Hampshire.
VPR News

Midday Report – October 11, 2005

By |
Authorities say 10 of the 14 people missing after weekend floods have been found safe; peak foliage season is declared in central Vermont; plans are moving forward on a multi-million dollar regional recreation center in Rutland County; two legislative committees meet in Rutland to hear what residents have to say about health care, and how to pay for it; Colchester teachers are on strike for a second day.
Commentary Series

Ratification

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There has been great controversy over recent efforts to rig the vote on the Iraqi constitution. But commentator Vic Henningsen says we shouldn’t be surprised.
VPR News

Keene begins cleanup

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In New Hampshire, residents of Keene and surrounding towns began pumping out their basements and trying to salvage their homes after weekend floods.
VPR News

Midday Report – October 10, 2005

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A band of heavy leaves destruction across eastern New York, and southern Vermont and New Hampshire; four deaths are reported and several people are still missing; Guy MacMillan of the Keene Sentinel says evacuations went smoothly in places where they were ordered; in Vermont, damage was lighter and there were no casualties; teachers are on strike in Colchester today; most federal offices and courts are closed for Columbus Day, but most state offices in Vermont are open.
VPR News

Interview: Daniel Bernard Roumain, composer

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Daniel Bernard Roumain’s compositions blend elements from different musical genres, and he has collaborated with artists including Phillip Glass, Cassandra Wilson and DJ Spooky. Roumain will be giving a performance and lecture tonight at Marlboro College.
Commentary Series

Chicago bird call

By |
While the White Sox fly home from Boston to prepare for the American League Championship series, commentator Ted Levin reports on the wild birds of Chicago’s major league ball parks.
Commentary Series

Foliage

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(HOST) Jack Frost may get all the credit, but commentator Vern Grubinger says that fall color is actually the result of a process within the tree itself.
Commentary Series

Montpelier’s 200th

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This weekend, Montpelier will be celebrating its 200th anniversary as Vermont’s capital. Commentator Tom Slayton lives in Montpelier and has these thoughts on the upcoming celebration.
VPR News

Sanders votes against energy bill

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Congressman Bernie Sanders voted against an energy bill passed by the U.S. House that he called a “blatant abuse of power” by Republicans.
VPR News

Memorial scheduled for Central Vermont historian

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A memorial service for Dick Hathaway, the Central Vermont historian, educator and auctioneer who died last month, will be held Saturday at the Vermont College Campus of Union Institute in Montpelier.
VPR News

Midday Report – October 7, 2005

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Seven towns share nearly $2 million in Housing and Economic Development grants; Montpelier begins a three-day bicentennial celebration as the capital city of Vermont; Sen. Leahy influences a bill that regulates the detention, interrogation and treatment of prisoners held by American military officials; Representative George Schiavone (R-Shelburne) will resign from the Legislature October 15; two coffee producers from Rwanda are visiting Green Mountain Coffee Roasters in Waterbury.
Commentary Series

Tomb room

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(HOST) As Halloween approaches, commentator Joe Citro has a scary story about that staple of the season – a haunted mansion.
VPR News

Backstage with ‘The Tempest’

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For ten years, Montpelier’s Lost Nation Theater has welcomed autumn with their Fall Foliage Shakespeare series. The tradition enters its second decade with the music and magic of “The Tempest.”
Commentary Series

Moving

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Commentator Madeleine Kunin packed up and moved recently, and she found that the process was a – well – moving experience – in more ways than one.
VPR News

Midday Report – October 5, 2005

By |
Sen. Patrick Leahy meets with Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers; the captain of the capsized Lake George tour boat submits a urine sample to investigating authorities; the Legislature’s Health Care Reform Commission embarks on a series of public meetings to gather ideas; Vermont officials have abandoned plans for a new state office building in St. Johnsbury; Rutland officials try to determine why hundreds of thousands of dollars of restricted city funds were transferred to the general fund.
VPR News

Leahy meets with Miers

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Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy met with Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers on Wednesday.
VPR News

Shumlin will not run for U.S. House

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Former State Senator Peter Shumlin will not be a candidate for the U.S. House. That could eliminate the possibility of a Democratic primary for the seat.
VPR News

Interview: Lester Brown, Earth Policy Institute

By |
The world’s water supply is a serious global crisis that’s already underway, and will only get worse in the years to come. That’s the warning from Lester Brown, Founder and President of the Earth Policy Institute, who says the world’s water supply is in jeopardy.
VPR News

Tour boat owner notes safety record

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The owner of the boat that capsized on Lake George on Sunday says his company has been in business for more than a quarter-century and had a perfect safety record until the tragedy.
Commentary Series

America’s export

By |
When commentator Peter Gilbert was traveling in rural Asia and Africa thirty years ago, the people he met tended to associate the United States with three famous Americans. The names they mentioned might hold a lesson for former White House counselor Karen Hughes, as she works to repair the U.S. image abroad.
VPR News

Leahy to meet with Miers

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Tomorrow, Senator Patrick Leahy will meet with Harriet Miers, who was nominated yesterday by President Bush to a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court.
Commentary Series

Energy saving

By |
Energy saving can make us richer by saving our money. Commentator Ruth Page points out that there are a number of ways to do this, including making stronger but lighter cars.
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Federal Transportation Projects

By |
Vermont will receive a billion dollars in federal transportation funds over the next five years, but some of that money requires matching funds from the state. Host Bob Kinzel talks with state Transportation Secretary Dawn Terrill about transportation funding and the state’s priority projects.
VPR News

Leahy has questions for Miers

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Vermont senator Patrick Leahy says he has some serious questions for President Bush’s new nominee to the U. S. Supreme Court, White House counsel Harriet Miers.
VPR News

Midday Report – October 3, 2005

By |
Sen. Patrick Leahy won’t hurry to start confirmation hearings for Harriet Miers; a labor board will look into the firing of an elected union negotiator; the cause of a deadly boat accident on Lake George is still unknown; Vermont charities are worried they’ll receive fewer donations after record giving to hurricane victims.
VPR News

Tulane student adjusts to Middlebury College

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Vermont colleges opened their doors this fall to students from the Gulf Coast, whose own schools were shut down by Hurricane Katrina. Lynne McCrea visited with one of the students, who are trying to absorb the big turn in his life.
Commentary Series

Safer?

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Commentator Willem Lange can’t help but wonder: If we’re safer nowadays than we used to be, why don’t we feel safer?
VPR News

IDX sold to GE

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The South Burlington-based healthcare technology firm IDX Systems will be sold to a division of the General Electric Corporation.
VPR News

Midday Report – September 29, 2005

By |
IDX is sold to General Electric for $1.2 billion, sending ripples through Vermont’s business and political communities; proposals for ridge-top wind turbines generate more conflict than energy; NH Republican Congressman Jeb Bradley says he will return $15,000 in campaign funds to Tom DeLay’s political action committee.
Commentary Series

Directions

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As a child, commentator Stephanie Montgomery grew up listening in on the party line when her mom wasn’t looking. She still misses getting the news firsthand. Here she regrets another loss to communities as country life yields up ever more of its inefficient but colorful ways.
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Early Education

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Studies show that providing high quality early education will reap big benefits later on, especially to Vermont’s poorest children. But who’s best qualified to provide it? And how should we pay for it? We talk with Vermont’s Education Commissioner Richard Cate and Terri Edgerton, Director of the Rutland County Parent Child Center. Hosted by Nina Keck.
Commentary Series

Baby snappers

By |
Commentator Ted Levin is used to getting calls from neighbors about backyard wildlife, but a call this summer led to a rather unusual rescue effort.
VPR News

Midday Report – September 28, 2005

By |
Rutland’s mayor appoints his brother-in-law as interim city treasurer; Vermont’s fall foliage is running a week behind schedule; the US Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a Vermont campaign finance case; Windsor bans smoking in town-owned vehicles; three teens are charged for paintballing a Hanover High School building.
VPR News

Interview: Dr. William Schulz, Amnesty International USA

By |
One of the casualties of the war on terrorism waged since the attacks of September 11th four years ago is human rights. That’s the view and message that will be discussed in Brattleboro tomorrow night in a lecture by Dr. William Schulz, the Executive Director of Amnesty International USA.
Commentary Series

Posse two

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Commentator Bill Seamans thinks that hurricanes Katrina and Rita may contribute to the significant erosion of more than just our coastlines.
Commentary Series

Directions

By |
As a child, commentator Stephanie Montgomery grew up listening in on the party line when her mom wasn’t looking. She still misses getting the news firsthand. Here she regrets another loss to communities as country life yields up ever more of its inefficient but colorful ways.
Commentary Series

Seasons turn

By |
It seems that the seasons have indeed turned, and summer has been transformed into fall. Commentator Vic Henningsen reflects on the elusive moment of transition.
Switchboard

Governor Jim Douglas

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Governor Jim Douglas is our guest. Douglas is pressing the Legislature to approve changes to the state’s Medicaid program, and lawmakers are looking at overall reform to the state health care system. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
Commentary Series

Truth will out

By |
Recently President Bush held a press conference at the Pentagon to tout the progress of newly-trained Iraqi forces in Iraq. But what commentator Philip Baruth heard was something else entirely: the sound of reality slowly forcing its way to the surface.
Commentary Series

Waterfront Market

By |
Farmer’s Markets are a popular feature of summer in Vermont, but commentator Ron Krupp would like to see them become a year-round fixture – especially in one particular location.
VPR News

Midday Report – Spetember 26, 2005

By |
Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: a Brattleboro environmental group wants the city to reduce energy consumption by 10% in five years; advocates for the poor, home heating aid specialists, the utilities and the state’s public service department meet on behalf of those who need heating help; James Morse retires as commissioner of the Department for Children and Families this week; 13 Vermont ambulances are on duty in Texas, helping in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita.
Commentary Series

Sports Economy

By |
Vermont’s great outdoors used to be great for outdoor equipment manufacturers, but now they’ve almost all left the state. Commentator Timothy McQuiston ponders the reasons why.
Commentary Series

Bulbs

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Many of our favorite springtime flowers are planted as bulbs in the fall, and commentator Charlie Nardozzi suggests planting some unusual bulbs this year for a little extra variety.
Commentary Series

Sean Burch

By |
This summer commentator Brian Porto read a newspaper article that reminded him of why sports have a strong emotional appeal for him – and for countless other Americans.
VPR News

Midday Report – September 23, 2005

By |
Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: another Vermont National Guard soldier has been killed in the Iraq War; the Attorney General’s office is concerned that some dealers are overcharging for gas; Senator Patrick Leahy’s decision to vote Yes on John Roberts’ Supreme Court nomination surprised some observers; the Connecticut River valley receives federal recognition as a scenic byway; State Representative John Tracy announces he won’t run for mayor of Burlington.
VPR News

Interview: Deb VanDyke, March for Peace

By |
Vermonters opposed to the war in Iraq are invited to take part in what organizers are calling a “March for Peace.” It’s a part of a nationwide anti-war effort and events locally are happening in Montpelier tomorrow morning.
VPR News

Backstage with ‘The Voices Project’

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(Host) A new musical touring Vermont gives teenagers a chance to communicate with their peers and their parents. The words, and the music, come straight from the hearts of young adults. VPR’s Neal Charnoff goes Backstage with “The Voices Project.”
Commentary Series

Future of News

By |
Three thousand people, mainly family and friends, paid their final respects to the late ABC news anchorman Peter Jennings on Tuesday in New York city. Commentator Barrie Dunsmore was among them.
Commentary Series

Rangers

By |
It was just 246 years ago this week that a secret military expedition was making its way up Lake Champlain. Recently commentator Willem Lange had the opportunity to learn more about the men involved and what they were up to.
VPR News

Sanders works to form coalition

By |
Congressman Bernie Sanders is working to put together a coalition of liberal and conservative members to fight a new plan proposed by the Republican Study Committee in Washington D.C..
VPR News

Midday Report – September 22, 2005

By |
Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Vermont Guard members get ready for Hurricane Rita; disagreements continue in the Rutland Treasurer’s office; Burlington hosts a renewable energy conference; the Vermont Restaurant and Lodging Association has some worries about foliage season; officials warn that methamphetamine problems will arrive in the state soon; New Hampshire Sen. John Sununu is asking sharp questions about the cost of cleaning up after Hurricane Katrina.
VPR News

Interview: Paul Bruhn, Preservation Trust of Vermont

By |
Today is the first official day of autumn. But the turning of leaves that bring sweeping landscapes of red and gold across the mountains would not paint quite the picture they do without the signature backdrop of historic town buildings, churches and covered bridges that anchor the scene. Those places remain and thrive largely because of the efforts of the Preservation Trust of Vermont – celebrating its 25th anniversary this Saturday.
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Money Management

By |
Americans have heard for years that we need to be saving more money, but we fall short of that goal for a variety of reasons. We’ll take a look at money management and how people can take command of their financial future. Hosted by Nina Keck.
Commentary Series

Gas

By |
Commentator Mike Martin has been thinking about the high price of gas – and why we seem to think that “real men” need big cars.
Commentary Series

Preservation Trust’s 25th

By |
Vermonters are fortunate to have many historic buildings still standing and in use. Commentator Tom Slayton says that’s due in large part to twenty five years of sustained effort by Vermont’s Preservation Trust.
Commentary Series

Cucumber Problems

By |
Most Vermonters love vegetables fresh from the garden but commentator Edith Hunter says that even in the garden it’s sometimes possible to have too much of a good thing.
Commentary Series

Lear’s Storm

By |
Since Hurricane Katrina and with hurricane season still very much with us, Commentator Peter Gilbert has been thinking about Shakespeare’s play King Lear.
VPR News

Jeffords criticizes EPA proposal

By |
Senator Jim Jeffords says a proposal to ease reporting requirements for toxic waste spills is an assault on one of the most successful environmental laws.
VPR News

Midday Report – September 21, 2005

By |
Top stories across the region at the noon hour: Senator Patrick Leahy will vote for John Robert’s as Chief Justice of the United States; a New York soldier is killed in Iraq while serving with the Vermont National Guard; five people have been appointed to serve on a police oversight board in Brattleboro; the regional economy feels the effect of far-away events; the historic site Hildene is now open year-round; some New Hampshire vendors say gas prices are cutting into lottery ticket sales.
VPR News

Interview: Honyue Guo, Vermont Peace Academy

By |
oday is the “International Day of Peace.” The United Nations General Assembly set aside this day in 2001 with a call for the world to observe a day of global ceasefire and nonviolence. Here in Vermont, Windsor High School has teamed up with the Vermont Peace Academy to recognize the day.
Commentary Series

Roberts Vote

By |
With the Senate set to vote on the confirmation of Judge John Roberts for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, commentator Cheryl Hanna has been agonizing over how she might decide.
Commentary Series

Lear’s Storm

By |
Since Hurricane Katrina and with hurricane season still very much with us, Commentator Peter Gilbert has been thinking about Shakespeare’s play King Lear.
Switchboard

Congressman Bernie Sanders

By |
Congressman Bernie Sanders is our guest. He discusses energy prices, Judge John Roberts and support for dairy farmers. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
Commentary Series

History

By |
An historical re-enactment recently demonstrated to commentator Caleb Daniloff just how present the past can be.
VPR News

Midday Report – September 20, 2005

By |
Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: New England Coalition’s executive director leaves his post; the Public Service Board visits Vermont Yankee to examine the proposed site for dry cask storage; Hinda Miller announces her candidacy for mayor of Burlington; the Rutland City treasurer acknowledges shortcomings in the city’s billpaying; Vermont’s education commissioner says St. Johnsbury’s schools should merge with a larger district; more….
VPR News

Family returns home to Mississippi after Katrina

By |
When Hurricane Katrina roared through their Gulf Coast community, Dan and Lisa Noel and their three boys picked up and came to Vermont. The couple grew up near Montpelier and still have family here. This weekend, they headed back to their damaged home in Mississippi to begin a long recovery.
Commentary Series

Looting

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In the wake of events in New Orleans, commentator Allen Gilbert has been thinking about a course he once took on moral development.
Commentary Series

Orangutans

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Orangutans share many traits with humans, including the need to spend up to nine years being carefully taught by their mothers. Without that teaching, they cannot survive in a jungle any more readily than a human baby could do so, as commentator Ruth Page explains.
Commentary Series

Gas

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Commentator Mike Martin has been thinking about the high price of gas – and why we seem to think that “real men” need big cars.
Commentary Series

Looting

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In the wake of events in New Orleans, commentator Allen Gilbert has been thinking about a course he once took on moral development.
VPR News

Medicaid overhaul plan causes concern

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Concern is growing about the Douglas Administration’s plan to overhaul the state Medicaid program. The administration wants the Legislature to agree to the deal by September 28th. But key lawmakers and a number of advocacy groups want more time to study the proposal.
VPR News

State may exchange land for runway development

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The state of Vermont may give some land to Casella Waste Management for its landfill in Coventry in exchange for some help in developing a new runway at the neighboring Newport State Airport.
VPR News

Gas prices drop

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Gasoline prices are falling across Vermont and nationwide as supplies firm up and the market stabilizes in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
VPR News

Katrina evacuees react to Bush speech

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Two Vermont residents watched President Bush’s speech from New Orleans with special interest last night. The two were among those who rode out Hurricane Katrina when it hit the Crescent City.
Commentary Series

Apples

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Recently, commentator Vern Grubinger was surfing the Internet when he accidentally discovered an abundance of official state food.
Switchboard

Vocational Education

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We look at the changing face of vocational education—what it’s like today, and why employers say we need it. Guests are Lyle Jepson of Rutland’s Stafford Technical Center and Chip Evans of Vermont’s Human Resources Investment Council. Hosted by Nina Keck.
VPR News

Interview: Jack McGuire, American Red Cross

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Overshadowed for obvious reasons by the outpouring of public money to help relieve the calamity wrought by Hurricane Katrina is the ongoing effort by the American Red Cross to get blood donations. That core mission will be emphasized this week as Jack McGuire visits Vermont.
Commentary Series

Katrina Lessons

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Commentator Bill Seamans is hopeful that the massive disaster management failure on the Gulf Coast will have a positive influence on future American domestic policies.
Commentary Series

Katrina Aftermath

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The third world quality of images documenting Katrina’s aftermath in New Orleans didn’t really surprise commentator Madeleine Kunin. It reminded her of a visit she made there a few years ago and reinforced impressions of a side of the city rarely seen by Mardi Gras visitors.
Commentary Series

Swifts

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The seasonal migration of birds is well underway, and commentator Ted Levin has been thinking about a family of chimney swifts he encountered this summer.
Commentary Series

Swifts

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The seasonal migration of birds is well underway, and commentator Ted Levin has been thinking about a family of chimney swifts he encountered this summer.
Commentary Series

Federal Help

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The events in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast have rocked the nation and overwhelmed Americans no matter where they live. Commentator Philip Baruth has been thinking about the hurricane’s punch and trying his best to place it in the context of his own city.
Commentary Series

Swifts

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The seasonal migration of birds is well underway, and commentator Ted Levin has been thinking about a family of chimney swifts he encountered this summer.
Commentary Series

VT Flood Recovery

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In the wake of Hurricane Katrina we have heard a lot about the Mississippi Flood of April 1927 and the changes it brought. Commentator Vic Henningsen says that Vermont had its own flood story that year.
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New energy law’s impact on Vermont

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The energy bill passed by Congress has strong critiques and supporters. We’ll talk with Dan Reicher, a former official in the Department of Energy, about how the new law will affect Vermont’s energy future. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
VPR News

Midday Report – September 13, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the ownership of Huntington Gorge may be about to change hands; the national executive director of the AARP says Vermont is moving to address prescription drug prices; the managers of college endowments in Vermont meet this afternoon; Vermont band leader Sterling Weed died Sunday in St. Albans at 104 years of age.
Commentary Series

VT Flood Recovery

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In the wake of Hurricane Katrina we have heard a lot about the Mississippi Flood of April 1927 and the changes it brought. Commentator Vic Henningsen says that Vermont had its own flood story that year.
Commentary Series

VT Flood Recovery

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In the wake of Hurricane Katrina we have heard a lot about the Mississippi Flood of April 1927 and the changes it brought. Commentator Vic Henningsen says that Vermont had its own flood story that year.
VPR News

Midday Report – September 12, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the confirmation hearings for Judge John Roberts are getting underway in the Senate Judiciary Committee; people on Medicare will learn about prescription drug coverage this week; oil, gas and firewood prices are up sharply, in addition to gasoline; the Public Service Board continues to examine a dramatic cost increase of a new power line for northwestern Vermont.
VPR News

Fair People: Louis Figueroa, Vermont State Fair

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Over the last week we’ve heard the voices from a variety of people who are part of the fabric of the fairs and field days. Today, we have the story of Louis Figueroa. We caught up with him at the Vermont State Fair in Rutland, where he was wearing a red plaid jacket and a big smile.
Commentary Series

Chief Justice

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As the U.S. Senate has been preparing to debate the John Roberts nomination, commentator Olin Robison has been considering the importance of the hearings – and the possible outcome.
Commentary Series

Constitution Day

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On September 17, 1787, the 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the United States Constitution. Commentator Cheryl Hanna tells us of a new way Americans will be remembering this historic event.
Commentary Series

Working

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As we put the long Labor Day weekend behind us and return to the workaday world, commentator Mike Martin has been wondering if we work to live – or live to work.
VPR News

Newport high school teachers to wear badges

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The regional high school in Newport is requiring staff to wear ID badges this year. North Country Union High School Principal Bill Rivard says the purpose of the badges is to ensure that students know who is a safe adult in the school.
VPR News

Interview: Dennis Willmott, Big Joe Burrell Exhibit

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One of the exhibits at this weekend’s annual South End Art Hop in Burlington features a tribute in pictures to the saxophone player Big Joe Burrell, who died last year just shy of his 81st birthday. The photos will be on display at the Advance Music store in downtown Burlington.
VPR News

Leahy & Jeffords want EPA ruling overturned

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Vermont’s Senators Patrick Leahy and Jim Jeffords have called for members of Congress to overturn the EPA rule that takes power plants off the list of regulated mercury sources.
Switchboard

Bullying

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A new school year is filled with pressure for kids, and among those challenges is how to deal with bullies. We talk with leading experts on the damage bullying does to kids and how it can be prevented. Guests are Doug Wilhelm, author of The Revealers, and Robert Bryant of Second Growth. Hosted by Nina Keck.
VPR News

Midday Report – September 8, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the federal government’s response to a Douglas administration request to save Vermont’s Medicaid system still leaves the program hundreds of millions of dollars in debt; a Milton resident is part of a national disaster response team that finds missing people and re-connects them to their families; State Representative Robert Wood has died; Entergy Vermont Yankee is testing part of its emergency notification system this week.
VPR News

Supreme Court hears war protestor case

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The Vermont Supreme Court met in Brattleboro on Thursday on one of its periodic visits around the state. Among the cases it heard was an appeal by an elderly anti-Iraq war protester convicted of disorderly conduct.
VPR News

Douglas won’t put moratorium on gas tax

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Some states have called a moratorium on gasoline tax collections to help offset recent price increases, but Governor James Douglas says Vermont won’t follow suit. Vermont charges a gasoline tax of 20 cents per gallon.
VPR News

Fair People: Ethel Turner, Champlain Valley Fair

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Fair people Some play a starring role in agriculture exhibits, booths featuring games of chance, or rides designed to thrill young and old alike. Others work behind the scenes, sometimes in very unusual jobs. Such is the case with a woman we talked with this year at the Champlain Valley Fair.
VPR News

Leahy & Jeffords look for answers and pay respects

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Vermont’s two U.S. senators are taking an active role in the Congressional oversight of federal hurricane relief efforts. And they joined colleagues in paying their last respects to Chief Justice William Rehnquist, whose body lay in repose at the Supreme Court.
Commentary Series

Media Storm

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Hurricane Katrina has had many consequences. According to commentator Barrie Dunsmore, one of them may be a less deferential national news media.
Commentary Series

Reporter’s Notebook: Goodbye from Iran

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"In Iran everything is possible and everything is impossible," – Woman in a restaurant. "Iranians are jealous of Afghanistan and Iraq. They are free and we are not." – Tehran taxi driver. In Iran, there is a certain degree of freedom for people to speak out and criticize the government. But there are red lines you can’t cross, and, as one Iranian said, you can’t be sure from one day to the next where those red lines are.
VPR News

Clavelle won’t run again

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Burlington Mayor Peter Clavelle announced today that he won’t run for re-election. Clavelle is in his seventh term as mayor of the state’s largest city.
VPR News

Bankruptcy laws changing in October

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Next month, the bankruptcy laws change across America. Credit companies had complained to Congress that they couldn’t collect debts from people who had sought protection from creditors by filing personal bankruptcy. Starting in October, that protection will be harder for individuals to get.
VPR News

Vermont joins energy lawsuit

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Vermont, fourteen other states and New York City are suing the U.S. Department of Energy over its failure to enact stronger energy standards for nearly two dozen common appliances.
VPR News

Midday Report – September 7, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Burlington Mayor Peter Clavelle will step down when his term ends in April; orange juice is being recalled in Vermont due to possible salmonella bacteria; the bankruptcy court in Rutland sees a surge of filings; Rockingham may ask employees to work longer hours four days a week to conserve energy; Governor Jim Douglas holds the latest in a series of public meetings on health care this evening in Lyndonville.
VPR News

Leahy calls for investigation of Katrina aftermath

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As ranking Democrat of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Patrick Leahy has more than Supreme Court confirmation hearings on his mind. He says Congress needs to investigate the Federal government including FEMA’s response to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Commentary Series

Warren Austin

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President Bush’s recent appointment of John Bolton as Ambassador to the UN caused commentator Peter Gilbert to recall America’s first Ambassador to the UN — who hailed from Vermont.
Commentary Series

What if?

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As Iraq has been struggling to write and approve a constitution, commentator Vic Henningsen has been thinking about what was going on prior to the signing of the American constitution on September 17th, 1787 – and playing a little game.
Switchboard

Vermonters and Hurricane Relief

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Vermont trucks carrying relief supplies to the victims of Hurricane Katrina have arrived in Mississippi and Vermont National Guard members are in New Orleans. We talk with General Martha Rainville, Public Safety Commissioner Kerry Sleeper and Lt. Governor Brian Dubie about the state’s relief efforts. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
VPR News

Midday Report – September 6, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Governor Jim Douglas is swearing in Supreme Court Justice Brian Burgess; a dispute over softwood imports is poisoning the relationship between the U.S. and Canada; VPR’s Steve Zind reports that Iran’s cultural heritage is often in conflict with modernity.
VPR News

Senators propose gas gouging legislation

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A pair of Republican state senators say they’re convinced that some businesses in the state are guilty of unfairly gouging consumers over the price of gasoline in the past week and they’re proposing legislation to discourage this practice in the future.
VPR News

Leahy to play critical role in Roberts hearings

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The Senate Judiciary committee is expected to begin confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee John Roberts later this week or early next week. As the ranking Democrat on the panel, Senator Patrick Leahy will play a critical role in the committee’s review of the nomination.
Commentary Series

Antibiotics in Farm Animals

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Some seventy percent of our medical antibiotics are being used in farm animals. Commentator Ruth Page points out that such overuse helps disease organisms evolve to resist the controls; and that hurts all of us.
VPR Series and Specials

Fair People

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They converge at this time of year to show us the glory of the harvest and the excitement of the midway. Whether it’s working the ox pulls, driving teams of Belgians, or driving a car in the demolition derby, they do their part to carry on fair traditions. Join VPR as we travel to different Vermont fairs and spend some time learning about the people behind the fun.
Commentary Series

Reporter’s Notebook: Freedom and the law

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What is to be done, Muslims? I myself do not know. I am neither Christian nor Jew, neither Magian nor Muslim. I am not from east or west, not from land or sea I am not of earth, not of water, not of air, not of fire… My place is placeless, my trace is traceless No body, no soul, I am from the soul of souls – Rumi This morning I had a rather combative interview with a woman journalism teacher who blamed journalists for many of the problems they have with the Iranian government – accusing them of exaggeration and distortion and being only interested in writing "bad news" instead of what she called "constructive criticism." She told me it was the government’s job to hold journalists accountable.
Commentary Series

AOL

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Commentator Allen Gilbert took special note of a recent legal settlement involving the Internet service provider, America Online.
Commentary Series

Summer Camp

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As Labor Day weekend comes to an end, and summer campers everywhere pack up their memories and head for home, Commentator Caleb Daniloff recalls a not-your-average summer camp experience he had as a boy.
Commentary Series

Kelly Bay Color

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In most parts of Vermont, fall color is still a few weeks away, but commentator Alan Boye took a walk recently where the leaves are already turning.
Commentary Series

Reporter’s Notebook: A separate reality

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"(Observers) have constantly underestimated not only the political astuteness of the ruling ayatollahs, but also their resolve, determination, and sense of historical mission. More seriously, they have underestimated the fact that the ruling clerical elite see its fate as irrevocably tied to the destiny of the Islamic Republic. Unlike the Shah and his political and military elite, they have nowhere to go outside of Iran and are committed to defend the regime and to fight for it to the last man." Said Amier Arjomand in "The Turban for the Crown – The Islamic Revolution in Iran". Hello again, When we arrive at the offices of Zaynab we’re led into a small room and invited to sit down while we wait for our appointment. On the coffee table in front of us are two silver trays and scattered pieces of bread.
VPR News

Chris Chapin remembered

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Chris Chapin of Proctor was remembered today as a dedicated soldier committed to a life of service, a loving family man, and a true friend.
VPR News

Vermont sends National Guard for hurricane relief, donation centers organized

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Governor Jim Douglas and Vermont National Guard Adjutant General Martha Rainville announced on Thursday the state’s response effort for hurricane victims. The Vermont Guard is sending about 125 soldiers to Louisiana and Mississippi over the next three days. Douglas is asking Vermonters to donate badly needed goods to hurricane victims at designated collection centers on Friday and Saturday.
VPR News

Midday Report – September 2, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Vermonters are contributing very generously to the emergency supply drop-off centers that have been established around the state to gather in relief supplies for the Gulf Coast; a UVM disaster expert on looting and disruption of life in hurricane-affected areas; VPR’s Steve Zind reports from Iran on the morality police; gasoline prices continue to climb in Vermont.
VPR News

State sets up Operation Special Delivery for Hurricane Relief

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Governor Jim Douglas and Vermont National Guard Adjutant General Martha Rainville announced on Thursday the state’s response effort for hurricane victims. The Vermont Guard is sending about 125 soldiers to Louisiana and Mississippi over the next three days. Douglas is asking Vermonters to donate badly needed goods to hurricane victims at designated collection centers on Friday and Saturday.
Commentary Series

The UN at 60

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The United Nations marks a birthday this month, and commentator Olin Robison says the celebration will reflect many challenges ahead that won’t be easy to resolve.
Switchboard

Aging and Fitness

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Over half of Vermonters have a weight problem and those extra pounds are causing an alarming increase in chronic diseases. We talk about what the state is doing to fight obesity and why exercise at any age can help you start feeling better and younger. Hosted by Nina Keck.
Commentary Series

Reporter’s Notebook: Brain drain and a freer society

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"How was man created, in the view of Islam? First, God addresses the angels, saying, ‘I want to create a vice-regent for Myself upon Earth.’ See how great is the value of man according to Islam? Even the post-Renaissance humanism of Europe has never been able to conceive of such exalted sanctity for man. The angels cried out, saying, ‘you wish to create one who will engage in bloodshed, crime, hatred and vengeance.’
VPR News

Coppenrath headed to Euroleague

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Former University of Vermont men’s basketball standout Taylor Coppenrath has signed a professional contract to play this season for AEK in Athens, Greece.
VPR News

Rutland can regulate fairground auto racing

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The city of Rutland can regulate automobile racing at the fairgrounds after all. State officials say Vermont law requires local permission for racetracks as well as a permit from the Racing Commission.
VPR News

Midday Report – September 1, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: a number of Red Cross volunteers from Vermont are now moving into the hurricane-devastated Gulf Coast; the panel that advises Vermont on nuclear power asserts its independence from state administration policy on Vermont Yankee; there’s been another legal setback for a West Rutland man who a Vermont vanity license plate with a religious message; gas prices in Vermont range from $2.72 to $3.13 a gallon.
VPR News

Interview: Beth Finlayson, Red Cross

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Regional Red Cross Officials are looking for volunteers to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Some have already left for the Gulf Coast region and have been reporting back on what they’re finding and what else is needed.
VPR News

Cholera outbreak concerns Iranian officials

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Many issues make Iran a global hot spot, including an impasse over nuclear research and the election of a new conservative president. But inside Iran, this summer’s outbreak of cholera has the country’s attention and officials fear it could get worse in the fall.
VPR News

Fell lawyers accuse prosecutors of lying

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Lawyers for convicted murderer Donald Fell are accusing federal prosecutors of lying to the court. In July, a Vermont jury sentenced Fell to death for the kidnapping and murder of a Clarendon woman five years ago. It was Vermont’s first death penalty trial in 50 years.
VPR News

Gas prices rise in Vermont

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Gasoline prices are now more than three dollars a gallon at some Vermont stations. At a Cumberland Farms gas station in Montpelier the price jumped this morning to three dollars and twelve cents-a-gallon, up more than sixty cents-a-gallon from a week ago.
VPR News

Report From Iran: Nuclear Capacity

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For the past week, VPR’s Steve Zind has been in Iran, where the hottest current issue is the country’s effort to negotiate a nuclear future that retains all options from electricity to weapons. A few weeks ago Iran signaled the failure of a long effort to negotiate the nuclear issue with three European countries. Zind talks with an influential professor of diplomacy who’s urging a different approach, one that he says does not reflect the current official thinking in Iran.
VPR News

Midday Report – August 31, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the remnants of Hurricane Katrina are entering the VPR listening area; Sergeant first class Chris Chapin will be laid to rest on Friday; VPR’s Steve Zind reports from Iran on efforts to negotiate for nuclear capacity; residents of Waterbury and Duxbury have voted a second time to spend $5.5 million to improve Thatcher Brook Primary School; Governor Jim Douglas plans to make at least eight stops at summer fairs through the weekend.
VPR News

Interview: Beth Burgess, Vermont Children’s Forum

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A new Census report says the percentage of Vermonters living in poverty has dropped significantly. But what about children how are they fairing in 2005? The latest ‘Kids Count’ report focuses on just that. Prepared by the Vermont Children’s Forum, the full report comes out tomorrow.
Commentary Series

Disaster Prep

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The massive rescue and relief effort following Hurricane Katrina has reminded commentator Bill Seamans that we may not be as well prepared as we should be for other potential disasters.
Commentary Series

Federalism

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With the Iraqi people in the process of approving a National Constitution, commentator Cheryl Hanna explores some of the tensions that still plague our own Constitution after more than 200 years.
Commentary Series

Family Vacations

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Today Commentator Philip Baruth compares the traditional family vacation to the traditional chain gang, and finds the two not entirely dissimilar.
Switchboard

WCAX Court Ruling

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The Vermont Supreme Court has ruled that WCAX-TV must turn over to investigators tape of a student riot in progress. We talk with the state’s attorney in the case, and with media experts about the implications for the freedom of the press in Vermont. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
VPR News

Midday Report – August 30, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: state health officials are uncertain about the availability of this year’s flu vaccine; SAT scores are up slightly in Vermont this year; the Red Cross in Vermont is helping people in this region give aid to those hit by Hurricane Katrina; the remnants of Katrina will drop heavy rain on Vermont by Wednesday.
VPR News

Report From Iran: Journalism in Iran

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In today’s Report From Iran, Steve Zind talks bout how returning as a journalist brings a different set of rules to how he is viewed by the government and discusses the role of Iranian journalists.
VPR News

Leahy still undecided after Roberts meeting

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Senator Patrick Leahy met with Supreme Court nominee Judge John Roberts on Monday. But even after an hour-long meeting, Leahy hesitated to reveal any substantive details from their discussion.
Commentary Series

Terry Colman

By |
American Legion baseball has long been a popular summer sport in Vermont, and commentator Ted Levin says that for more than 30 years, just one man has provided most of the hustle to keep it going in his town.
Commentary Series

Reporter’s Notebook: Harmonizing with modernity and taxis

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"Look Mr. deBellaigue – I’m Iranian. I can’t remember drinking alcohol or looking lustfully at any woman other than my wife. I can’t remember going without saying my prayers. Behind this lies a thought, an essence, and this essence has to be made to harmonize with modernity. Then, our problems will be solved." Christopher deBellaigue "In the Rose Garden of the Martyrs." "Here in Iran, no matter what the differences are between us, we are all the same here," she says, pressing her hand to her chest.
Commentary Series

Mother Power

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Cindy Sheehan’s protest vigil at Crawford Ranch has reminded commentator Joann* Davis of other activist mothers – whose efforts to bring about change have sometimes been very effective.
Commentary Series

Ragweed

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Hot, dry, late-summer days are powerful pollen producers and commentator Henry Homeyer has some advice for those who suffer from hay fever.
VPR News

Midday Report – August 29, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Senator Patrick Leahy meets with Supreme Court nominee John Roberts; Rutland holds a public meeting on a proposal to allow auto racing at the State Fairgrounds there; VPR’s Steve Zind reports from Iran; former governor Madeline Kunin will deliver the keynote address as UVM formally opens its academic year.
Commentary Series

St. Fiacre

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(HOST) You might say that gardening is a pretty down-to-earth activity, but commentator Ron Krupp says that this coming Tuesday gardeners world-wide will observe a day that honors their patron saint.
Commentary Series

Gaza

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Israel’s removal of settlers from Gaza and four small settlements on the West Bank has created a new situation in the region. Commentator Barrie Dunsmore says whether for good or ill – depends on what each side does next.
VPR News

Supreme Court orders WCAX to give prosecutors UVM riot tape

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The Vermont Supreme Court has ordered South Burlington television station WCAX to provide state prosecutors with videotape of a student riot last fall. he court said that WCAX did not have any constitutional right to withhold the un-aired tape. The station says it will comply with the court order.
VPR News

Midday Report – August 26, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the Vermont Supreme Court has ordered WCAX-TV to provide state prosecutors with videotape of a student riot last fall; Landmark College in Poultney celebrates its twentieth anniversary; Senator Patrick Leahy is trying to halt the Bush administration’s effort to weaken mercury emission standards; VPR’s Steve Zind reports from Iran; Maint Michale’s College Hall of Famer Bo Birsky Class of ’41 has died.
VPR News

Sharon syrup producer wins key legal decision

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A maple syrup producer from Sharon has won a key legal decision in a federal court fight against global warming. Sugar maker Arthur Berndt says he joined the lawsuit because he believes the maple woods in New England are starting to feel the effects of climate change.
Commentary Series

Reporter’s Notebook: Politeness and humble phrases

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"The Iranian custom of great hospitality is most widespread, but it vitiates its good intentions once the guest realizes that his host is producing phrases not to feeling but to custom," writes Anthony Smith in his book, Blind White Fish in Persia. Iranians have a deeply ingrained custom of formalized politeness. Whatever the differences in style, tastes and outlook between older and younger Iranians this custom—ta’roof—remains undiminished by time and tide. When I applied for my press credentials at the government ministry, we (my cousin, my translator and I) were told that we would need to employ an agency that works with foreign journalists in order to "deputize" my translator. We drove to the agency and after much discussion, an agreement was reached.
Switchboard

Historic Preservation

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We look at how towns undertake historic preservation projects, and why they matter to the Vermont landscape. Guests are Paul Bruhn of the Preservation Trust of Vermont and Doug Porter of the UVM Historic Preservation Program. Hosted by Fran Stoddard.
Commentary Series

Behind the razor wire

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Commentator Stephanie Montgomery recently had the opportunity to conduct a memoir writing workshop at Windsor Prison. She is still thinking about the different challenges both she and the inmates encountered.
Commentary Series

Reporter’s Notebook: Credentials, censorship and protest

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Salam all, Greetings from the Hotel Naderi (actually an internet cafe nearby). The Naderi is like stepping back to the 1940s or 50s—with high ceiling rooms and a lobby with well-worn ornate furnishings. The ancient hotel switchboard looks like something out of Lily Tomlin’s old telephone operator sketch. For $15 a night I get a room with beds about three feet wide and mattresses three inches thick. The room is in the back and looks out over a garden.
Commentary Series

Food odometer

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Commentator Vern Grubinger says that restaurants like Smoke Jack’s in Burlington and the Riverview Cafe in Brattleboro are featuring something new on their menus.
VPR News

Dubie to make Senate run decision soon

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Lieutenant Governor Brian Dubie says he’ll make a decision about running for higher office in the next few weeks. Dubie is strongly considering a run for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate.
Commentary Series

Voting rights

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A documentary and an anniversary have reminded commentator Jay Craven that the protection of voting rights requires an ongoing commitment.
VPR News

Obesity study confirms Americans are getting fatter

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For about two years, health advocates have been saying that Americans are getting fatter, and a new study by the group “Trust for America’s Health” bears that out. In every state but Oregon, adults are heavier than they were at the beginning of the decade.
VPR News

Midday Report – August 23, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: high oil prices prompt people to consider heating with firewood; Rockingham voters kill deal to buy a hydroelectric dam in the village of Bellows Falls; an obesity study confirms that Americans – including Vermonters – are getting fatter; a committee looks a simplifying Act 68.
VPR News

Rockingham voters reject dam sale

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The town of Rockingham will not buy the Bellows Falls hydro dam. By a 58-vote margin yesterday, Voters rejected a long term contract with two Canadian energy companies to purchase the 49 megawatt power station.
Commentary Series

Railroads

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Plans to enlarge a train tunnel in Bellows Falls has got commentator Allen Gilbert thinking about the importance of railroads in the region.
VPR News

Transportation funds may come with price

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A big increase in federal transportation funds for Vermont would appear to be all good news. But for some projects, matching funds have to be raised in a state where those resources are getting harder to come by.
VPR News

Lois McClure sails into NYC

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The crew of the canal schooner Lois McClure is calling its journey to New York City a great success. The nineteenth century replica canal boat sailed into Manhattan on Tuesday, kicking off an event promoting Vermont and many of its specialty products.
Commentary Series

Kelo case

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Commentator John McClaughry thinks that new state laws may be needed after the recent Supreme Court ruling on the concept of eminent domain.
Commentary Series

Yard sales

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You find some of the darndest things at yard sales. Recently commentator Peter Gilbert found a family board game, and it was not a…Trivial Pursuit.
VPR News

Millennials head off to college

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You’ve heard society’s labels for people born after World War II: The Baby Boom Generation. Generation X, and then Generation Y. Well the newest group, those born after 1980, are the Millennials and many of them are heading off to college this month.
VPR News

Midday Report – August 19, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Senator Patrick Leahy comments on Iraq war documents released by the State Department; the Rockingham Selectboard makes a final stab at persuading townspeople to buy the Bellows Falls Power Dam; college campuses try to accommodate parents of new students.
Switchboard

Vermont’s Refugee Communities

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Refugees from more than a dozen countries have arrived in Vermont over the last 25 years. We look at Vermont’s refugee communities and how they’ve adapted to life here. Hosted by Fran Stoddard.
Commentary Series

Camus

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A bit of summer reading took commentator David Moats on an unexpected journey – back to college and the Vietnam era, back to the post World War II years in France, and ultimately, back to a colleague in Middlebury.
VPR News

Utility regulators criticize Verizon

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State utility regulators are strongly criticizing Vermont’s dominant phone company. The Public Service Board says Verizon’s service quality has suffered, and that the company has been slow to roll out new broadband Internet technology.
VPR News

Sterling Weed still playing at 104

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Vermont’s Big Band leader Sterling Weed attracted national attention when he played the saxophone and directed his “Imperial Orchestra” at his own 100th birthday party in Saint Albans.Four years later, he’s still playing music.
Commentary Series

General Martha Rainville

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On Tuesday, commentator Philip Baruth expressed reservations about General Martha Rainville’s potential congressional candidacy. Today commentator Dick Mallary offers another point of view on the subject.
Commentary Series

Candidate Rainville

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Recently Major General Martha Rainville, Commander of the Vermont National Guard, made it clear she’s interested in the House seat currently held by Bernie Sanders. Commentator Philip Baruth thinks she should run but only as Martha Rainville.
VPR News

Author finds way to have more with less

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Sixteen years ago, Jim Merkel became frustrated with American consumerism. He scaled his lifestyle down radically and now says he lives comfortably on $5,000 a year. Tonight in Rutland Merkel will be talking about ways people can have more with less. VPR’s Nina Keck has more.
Switchboard

Political Developments in the Arab World

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We take a look at recent political developments in the Arab World, the role of the United States and the prospects of democracy. Our guest is Gregory Gause, Director of University of Vermont’s Middle East Studies program. Hosted by Steve Zind.
VPR News

Sanders takes aim at energy prices

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Congressman Bernie Sanders is taking aim at high oil and gas prices. Sanders introduced a bill that requires the release oil of from the strategic petroleum reserve and authorizes the president to impose price caps to stabilize fuel costs for consumers.
VPR News

Midday Report – August 16, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Congressman Bernie Sanders takes aim at high gas prices; Manchester wants to take ownership of a small water system; Bolton considers allowing all terrain vehicles on some town roads; the 1860’s replica canal schooner Lois McClure sailed into New York City this morning; the State Board of Education is meeting at this hour to discuss capital construction cost and quality issues.
VPR News

Vermonters embrace podcasting

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Internet users are discovering podcasting. It’s the newest way to express yourself online, using easily recorded audio and a burgeoning number of podcasting Web sites.
VPR News

Midday Report – August 15, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: International Paper has submitted another permit for a test-burn of rubber tire chips to help fuel its plant in Ticonderoga; Rabbi Yitzahk Rafkin of the Orthodox Chabad of Vermont Synagogue says the resettlement in Gaza is very much on the minds of people attending services; Congressman Bernie Sanders will make an announcement tomorrow on legislation he’s sponsoring to fight rising gas prices.
VPR News

Interview: Rita McCaffrey, Dismas House

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Dismas House in Vermont is one of the organizations that provides transitional housing for former inmates. In the second part of our special two-part report on the, nationwide discussion around the release of prisoners from overcrowded facilities, VPR’s Steve Zind talks with Rita McCaffrey, one of the founders of dismas house about the program.
VPR News

Transitional housing offers former inmates support

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In the past two years the Vermont Department of Corrections has been trying to change the way it returns inmates to communities once their time is served. In this special two-part report, VPR’s Steve Zind examines the nationwide discussion around the release of prisoners from overcrowded facilities.
Commentary Series

The Grange

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Grange halls are a common sight in Vermont, and many of them still have active memberships. Recently, commentator Ron Krupp had the opportunity to learn more about the Grange and its place in a farming community.
VPR News

Burlington College hosts Home Movie Day

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Old home movies are increasingly valuable to historians and film experts.Despite their choppy black and white images, they’re a rich source of family memories. On Saturday at Burlington College, some people will be trying to change that as part of the worldwide “Home Movie Day.”
Commentary Series

Posse

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This week, commentator Bill Seamans has been reflecting on real and potential losses, of a good friend on the one hand and civil liberties on the other.
VPR News

Douglas to hold health care forums

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Governor Jim Douglas is reaching out to the public for advice on how to reform the state’s health care system. Douglas will hold a series of forums this summer and fall as he develops a proposal for the Legislature.
VPR News

Midday Report – August 11, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Governor Jim Douglas introduces a way for Vermonters to contribute ideas to the state’s health care debate; a group called Coalition 21 seeks to bridge the difference in opinion on health care reform; a study says Vermont health insurance premiums contain little markup to compensate for the cost of treating the uninsured; radio producer Ev Grimes has passed away at her home in Grand Isle.
Switchboard

Annual Gardening Show

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Garden expert Charlie Nardozzi answers questions about growing vegetables, keeping pests away and getting the most from your garden for the rest of the growing season. Hosted by Fran Stoddard.
Commentary Series

Peter Jennings

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Commentator Barrie Dunsmore was a close friend and colleague of ABC anchorman Peter Jennings, who died of lung cancer on Sunday. This morning, Dunsmore reflects on that 40-year relationship.
Commentary Series

Katahdin

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Mountain weather can be tricky, even dangerous, as commentator Tom Slayton found out on a recent trip to Katahdin, Maine’s highest mountain in far-northern Baxter State Park.
VPR News

Midday Report – August 10, 2005

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Top stories developing around the region at the noon hour: Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy announces another $40 million in transportation funding for Vermont; Senator Jim Jeffords announces UVM will be the site of a transportation study center; Connecticut River Valley and the northwest corner of Vermont may be vulnerable to blips in the housing market; Ed Pagano settles in as Senator Leahy’s new chief of staff.
Commentary Series

Islands

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Islands and low-lying beaches in the Pacific Ocean are being drowned as warmed sea-waters rise. Much of the change is blamed by scientists on global warming, as commentator Ruth Page explains.
Commentary Series

Equal pay

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Do you suspect that you’re being underpaid in your job? Commentator Cheryl Hanna discusses a new law in Vermont that might help you find out.
VPR News

Community leaders meet to explore conflicts

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Vermont is a state in transition, with natives and newcomers sometimes in conflict over issues ranging from school taxes to local development. On Tuesday, more than 200 community leaders gathered at the Statehouse to find ways to bridge those divides.
VPR News

Midday Report – August 9, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: by the end of this week, the Legislature’s health care reform commission will have hired a director; Vermont’s Council on Rural Development is holding a roundtable discussion all day today in Montpelier; a survey shows that Vermont business leaders are optimistic about the next six months; the captive insurance industry converges at a conference in Burlington.
Switchboard

Vermont’s Housing Market

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We examine the real estate market in Vermont and the economic factors that are driving the current conditions. Guests are Jeffrey Carr of Economics and Policy Resources and Sarah Carpenter of Vermont Housing and Finance Agency. Hosted by Steve Zind.
Commentary Series

Flying

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Commentator Caleb Daniloff recently found that a little distance between you and the earth can put a whole new spin on things.
VPR News

Midday Report – August 8, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Howard Dean will address a gathering of Democrats in Burlington this evening; Rockingham wants the state to pay for half of the renovation costs at two schools; Barrie Dunsmore remembers Peter Jennings, who died on Sunday of lung cancer.
VPR News

Interview: Scott Wiedensaul, Ivory-Billed Woodpecker

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At least one ornithologist has referred to it as the “Elvis” of the bird world. And now it seems that some recent “Elvis” sightings were no mirage, as skeptics had suggested. The latest evidence points to the triumphant return of a bird believed extinct for decades – the Ivory-billed Woodpecker.
VPR News

Dubie travels to Cuba

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Lieutenant Governor Brian Dubie plans to fly to Cuba this morning to help deliver 100 Vermont cows to Cuban farmers. It’s part of Dubie’s ongoing effort to develop an agricultural trade relationship between Vermont and Cuba.
Commentary Series

August music

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Music abounds in Vermont in the summertime. Commentator Olin Robison reflects on the many musical pleasures of August in the Green Mountains.
VPR News

Guard settles into Iraq duties

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About 400 Vermont National Guard members are settling into their duty stations in the Iraqi city of Ramadi. The soldiers are part of Task Force Saber, a brigade combat team led by the Pennsylvania National Guard.
VPR News

Midday Report – August 4, 2005

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Top stories developing around the region at the noon hour: the U.S. Economic Development Agency earmarks a million dollars to promote the Vermont brand of wood products; a plan to build up to 30 wind turbines in the Green Mountain National Forest gets favorable reviews; steps to remedy problems in the Battenkill River are about to be taken; Brattleboro is still looking for community members to serve on a police oversight board.
VPR News

Backstage with “Sky Girls”

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Women pilots never flew combat missions in the Second World War. But the war effort depended on a group of a thousand women who shuttled warplanes from factories to airfields, trained male pilots and even provided target practice. VPR’s Steve Zind has this backstage preview from Dorset of a play dedicated to the Sky girls.
Commentary Series

Stone storm

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We’re used to hearing about large hailstones falling during summer storms, but commentator Joe Citro says that many old stories tell of showers of rocks and other projectiles. And where they came from remains a mystery.
Commentary Series

AFL-CIO split

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Commentator Ellen David Friedman reflects on why the break-up of the AFL-CIO took so many union members by surprise.
Switchboard

Home Repairs

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Home repairs can be an expensive and frustrating proposition. Home repair experts Henri de Marne and Kitty Werner join host, Fran Stoddard to offer advice on completing your home projects.
VPR News

Commission examines rising health care costs

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Vermont policymakers got a crash course in health care statistics on Wednesday. The new Health Care Commission examined the factors behind the rising cost of care. And at the same time, a committee that oversees hospital expenditures got its first look at annual budgets.
VPR News

Midday Report – August 3, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: two causeways may be removed from Lake Champlain in the next two years; one challenge for the new legislative Health Care Commission is pinning down the true cost to businesses of health insurance; Green Mountain Power is switching many of its trucks over to partial biodiesel fuel; the governors of Vermont and New Hampshire promote the Connecticut River Valley.
VPR News

Midday Report: August 2, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Vermont Law School is launching a new institute for energy and the environment; the Select Board in Bennington has rejected a cap on the size of big-box retailers in town; federal transportation dollars are earmarked for rail projects in western Vermont.
Switchboard

Health Care Commission

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Vermont’s Health Care Commission is charged with recommending significant reforms to the state’s health care system. Bob Kinzel talks with members of the commission about what they expect to accomplish before the Legislature reconvenes in January. Guests are commission co-chair Jim Leddy and former House Speaker Walt Freed who is one of Governor Jim Douglas’ appointees to the commission.
VPR News

Leahy says Bolton appointment sends wrong message

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Senator Patrick Leahy says President Bush’s recess appointment of John Bolton to the United Nations sends exactly the wrong message to the rest of the world about the United States’ willingness to reach agreement on difficult and controversial issues.
VPR Series and Specials

Report from Iran

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Last year in his five-part "Iran Journal", Steve Zind took VPR listeners on a personal journey through Iran: from the teeming streets of Tehran to the mountain village that was the ancestral home of his grandfather’s family. Now, he returns to delve further into Iranian politics, culture and modern life.
Commentary Series

Jemima

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Two hundred and fifty years ago this summer, a small group of settlers were walking the hills of Vermont against their will – all the way from the southeastern corner of the state to the lower reaches of Lake Champlain. Commentator Alan Boye has the story.
VPR News

Midday Report – July 29, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Burlington International Airport will gain 12 security screeners under a proposal by the TSA; some Barre residents will see their water and sewer rates will more than double in September; update on the Vermont congressional delegation’s week in Washington; a downtown landmark in Bennington since 1872 is being sold; two NH Supreme Court justices are under fire for a ruling on seizure of private property.
Commentary Series

Junk Food Nation

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Summertime is full of opportunities to indulge in sugary, fatty snacks. As the father of two boys, commentator Vern Grubinger tries to avoid junk food, but some of his own childhood eating habits didn’t exactly prepare him for the job.
VPR News

Vermont Yankee back on line

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The Vermont Yankee nuclear plant is running again and producing power for the New England electric grid. The plant went back on line this afternoon after a three-day shutdown. The shutdown was triggered when an insulator failed in the plant’s outdoor switchyard.
VPR News

Clarification

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This week on Switchboard, Sen. Patrick Leahy said he did not think that Supreme Court nominee Judge John Roberts would be confirmed by the Senate if Roberts did not support Roe vs. Wade as settled law. However, Leahy says he will not determine how Roberts’ position on Roe vs. Wade will affect his vote on the nominee until he has heard the Senate Judiciary Committee testimony. Leahy did say he would not vote for Roberts if Roberts indicated he would be an activist justice.
VPR News

Bug Camp explores insect life

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Most people spend the summer months trying to keep the bugs at bay. But one group of young people is reveling in Vermont’s insect life this week. VPR’s Steve Zind paid a visit to Bug Camp.
Commentary Series

Hiram Powers

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Many Vermonters have achieved international recognition, and today commentator Tom Slayton has the story of a Woodstock boy who found fame and fortune as one of the most important sculptors of his generation.
Commentary Series

Weeds

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Tall weeds like purple loosestrife are getting ready to spread their seeds, and commentator Henry Homeyer advises cutting them down to keep seeds from getting into your soil – even if it means a little less time in the pond on a hot sunny day.
Switchboard

Farmers’ Roundtable

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Steve Zind talks with a group of farmers about the challenges and rewards of dairy farming in Vermont. Guests include Judy Clark of Applecheek Farm in Hyde and Cabot Farmer Jackie Folsom, President of the Vermont Farm Bureau.
VPR News

The Moving Wall comes to Bennington

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The Moving Wall arrived in Bennington Tuesday. The sleek black monument is a half-size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, complete with the names of more than 58,000 U.S. soldiers who died in that war.
VPR News

Leahy wants Roberts’ support for Roe vs. Wade

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Senator Patrick Leahy says he doesn’t think Judge John Roberts will be confirmed to fill a vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court if Roberts doesn’t proclaim his support for the landmark court ruling on abortion, Roe vs. Wade. (Updated 7/28/05)
Commentary Series

Counter terror tactics

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Commentator Bill Seamans says that police and military worldwide are taking a renewed interest in counter terror tactics developed by the country with the most experience in dealing with suicide bombers: Israel.
Commentary Series

Captives

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Two-hundred-and-fifty years ago, Vermont and New Hampshire were frontier territories, caught up in the French and Indian Wars. Commentator Peter Gilbert says that, for some families, it was a time of captivity and ransom.
VPR News

Midday Report – July 26, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Vermont Fish and Wildlife officials are unable to confirm that there has been another fish kill on the upper Winooski River; Brattleboro takes the final step toward creation of a special downtown tax district; there’s still no word on how long the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant will remain off-line; a non-profit group studies strontium levels near nuclear power plants.
VPR News

Interview: Brian Shaw, The Tooth Fairy Project

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What can the study of baby teeth reveal about radiation levels in communities located closest to nuclear power plants? Plenty, according to members of the Citizens Awareness Network, who will hold a press conference in Brattleboro later this morning to discuss results of a study called the Tooth Fairy Project.
VPR News

Brattleboro Town Meeting approves budget request

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(Host) Brattleboro’s Representative Town Meeting took the final step in creating a special downtown tax district last night. In a special town meeting last night the legislative body approved an $80,000 budget request from the downtown improvement group Building a Better Brattleboro.M
Commentary Series

Packrats

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Commentator Caleb Daniloff says he’s discovered the secret to time travel: spend the weekend going through boxes of your old stuff.
Commentary Series

Jamaican click beetle

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Lightening bugs offer an impressive display this time of year, but commentator Ruth Page says another little beetle can actually choose to light up either of two colors, yellowy-green or bright orange, to announce its presence to potential mates.
Switchboard

Senator Patrick Leahy

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Senator Patrick Leahy is one of the key players in the confirmation process of Supreme Court nominee John Roberts. Bob Kinzel talks with Leahy about the Supreme Court and other issues before the U.S. Senate.
VPR News

Midday Report – July 25, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: a commission begins considering how to strengthen the Vermont Teachers’ Pension Fund; a group of Manchester residents makes a new offer to buy land that’s under contract to a Florida businessman; Brattleboro votes on a budget for the new downtown tax district; Congressman Bernie Sanders assails potential funding shortfalls for veterans’ programs; Governor Jim Douglas attends a groundbreaking for a bridge construction in Colchester.
VPR News

New approaches to treatment of PTSD studied at Vermont hospital

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As an increasing number of soldiers return home from duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, researchers at the Veterans Administration Hospital in White River Junction are studying new approaches to treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. As VPR’s Steve Zind reports, they’re focusing their work on women.
Commentary Series

Burgess appointment

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Governor Jim Douglas recently appointed trial court judge Brian Burgess to the Vermont Supreme Court. Commentator Cheryl Hanna shares her thoughts on what this might mean for the future of Vermont.
VPR News

Midday Report – July 22, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the town of Rockingham will vote yet again on whether to acquire the Bellows Falls hydro dam; Vermont’s unemployment rates rose four-tenths of a percentage point to 3.5 percent in June; it was a busy week in Washington for the Vermont Congressional delegation, especially for Bernie Sanders and Patrick Leahy; the annual Regatta for Lake Champlain is scheduled for tomorrow; more….
VPR News

Midday Report – July 21, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: more changes to the membership of Vermont’s Human Rights Commission; the chairman of Brattleboro’s public access television station is censured; interview with an entering freshman at Norwich University; a permit is denied for a mansion at the base of Mount Equinox in Manchester; Banknorth posts a nine percent rise in operating earnings.
VPR News

Interview: Shirley Boyd-Hill, Vermont Human Rights Commission

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The Vermont Human Rights Commission drew attention this spring when Governor Jim Douglas chose not to reappoint the only African-American on the panel, at the time making it an all-white commission. Now the Human Rights Commission does have African American representation restored with the appointment of a new member: Shirley Boyd-Hill of Fairfax.
Switchboard

The Orphan Trains

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A century ago, trains carried children from crowded orphanages in Boston to the small towns of Vermont. At each stop families stepped forward to adopt the children. Steve Zind talks about the reasons behind these trains, their history and their impact.
VPR News

Leahy urges colleagues not to rush to judgment on Roberts

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Senator Patrick Leahy is urging his colleagues not to rush to judgment on President Bush’s nominee to the United States Supreme Court. Leahy says he plans to carefully review the writings of U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge John Roberts in the coming weeks. He says he won’t decide how to vote on the nomination until after the Senate Judiciary committee holds confirmation hearings in September.
VPR News

Midday Report – July 20, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Senator Patrick Leahy and other Democrats begin their review of Supreme Court nominee John Roberts; outbreaks of blue-green algae can now be traced on line; public transportation systems work to off-set the cost of fuel; Elitot Spitzer leads George Pataki in a New York poll on the 2006 political races.
VPR News

Leahy will mull Roberts’ record

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The top Democrat on the panel that will vet the judicial record of President Bush’s pick to be the next justice on the nation’s highest court is also one of Vermont’s senators.
VPR News

Kilmartin to sponsor death penalty legislation

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The sponsor of a proposed capital punishment bill in Vermont says the decision by the jury in the Fell trial to impose the death penalty indicates to him that Vermont is ready for a full debate of this issue next winter.
VPR News

Backstage with ‘Copenhagen’

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A real-life historical mystery is the basis for a play opening in Weston this week. Michael Frayn’s Tony-winning play “Copenhagen” examines what really happened at a private meeting in 1941 between two famous atomic physicists.
Commentary Series

Karl Rove

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Is the case of Presidential advisor Karl Rove and the outing of a covert agent a big deal or a partisan political squabble? Commentator Barrie Dunsmore has some thoughts on the matter.
VPR News

Republicans join Health Care Commission

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Two Republicans joined Vermont’s new Health Care Commission on Tuesday. The two former legislative leaders represent Governor Jim Douglas, and one of them urged the panel to focus on cost as it attempts to reform how health care is paid for and delivered.
VPR News

Midday Report – July 19, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: a chemical spill at the Cabot Creamery has killed thousands of fish in the upper Winooski River; the Vermont Supreme Court has rejected a Lake Bomeseen group’s appeal of a higher classification for a wetland; the issue of ownership of the Bellows Falls hydro dam could still be resurrected; another day of high temperatures and high humidity is expected to make for high electricity demand in Vermont.
Switchboard

The Death Penalty in Vermont

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A jury decision to give Donald Fell the death penalty has many Vermonters examining where they stand on capital punishment. Bob Kinzel hosts a conversation about what Vermonters think of the issue, and whether capital punishment will be reintroduced at the state level. Our guests are Michale Mello, Vermont Law School and Rep. Duncan Kilmartin of Newport.
VPR News

Interview: Jean Connor, ‘A Cartography of Peace’

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Vermont poet Jean Connor had a fulfilling professional career, spending over thirty years as a New York State librarian. It wasn’t until her retirement in Shelburne that she began writing poetry. One of those poems was selected by U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser for his series American Life in Poetry.
VPR News

Midday Report – July 18, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: governors are concerned about the costs of new federal ID requirements; New Hampshire John Lynch defends his state’s tradition of holding the first primary in presidential elections; the state’s Health Care Reform Commission is still searching for an executive director; officials say Burlington schools must cut staff and other costs or raise taxes to avoid a budget deficit next year; resurfacing begins on a rough stretch of I-89.
VPR News

Lois McClure moves from lock into Whitehall

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An 1860’s replica sailing vessel has reached a milestone in its journey from Lake Champlain to New York City. The 88-foot Lois McClure has made its way through a series of locks in the Champlain Canal and is now on the Hudson River.
Commentary Series

Throwing down with Karl Rove

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In the following story, commentator Philip Baruth claims that he attended the VPR Listener Picnic on Saturday, and then later got into an altercation with a national political operative on Burlington’s waterfront. The part about the picnic is true at least…but the other parts?
VPR News

Backstage with ‘Mornings at Seven’

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This year’s summer season at Bennington’s Oldcastle Theatre is devoted to American classics. “Morning’s at Seven,” has been a hit in four separate Broadway productions. The play takes a humorous look at the dreams and foibles of an extended American family.
VPR News

Fell sentenced to death

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The jury in the Donald Fell murder trial has sentenced Donald Fell to death for the murder and kidnapping of Terry King five years ago. The sentence was handed down a few minutes before noon on Thursday.
VPR News

Midday Report – July 14, 2005

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Top story in Vermont at the noon hour: in a decision handed down a few minutes before noon, jurors have sentenced Donald Fell to death for committing the murder of Terry King five years ago. Following five hours of deliberations Wednesday night and several hours Thursday morning, the jury returned its verdict, putting an end for now to Vermont’s first capital punishment trial in almost fifty years. John Dillon reports live from the federal courthouse in Burlington.
Commentary Series

Neil Rappaport

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Photographers often publish collected images of small town life, but commentator Tom Slayton says that a new book of photographs is a stand-out in the genre.
Switchboard

Reporters & Sources

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The jailing of a New York Times reporter has reignited the conversation about confidential sources and journalistic ethics. We’ll examine where reporters can and should draw the line on protecting sources.
VPR News

Midday Report – July 13, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: defense attorneys make their closing arguments in the capital punishment trial of convicted murderer Donald Fell; voters in Rockingham opt not to buy the Bellows Falls hydroelectric dam.
Commentary Series

Weaponizing space

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Discovery is on the launchpad and it appears that America’s return to space is imminent – and commentator Bill Seamans says that a new space race is likely to be just around the corner, too.
Commentary Series

Fireflies

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It’s that time of year when fireflies come out at dusk. Commentator Peter Gilbert recalls treasured childhood memories of trying to catch fireflies and wonders what makes them so special.
VPR News

Jury will soon decide Fell’s fate

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A jury in federal court will soon decide the fate of Donald Fell. Defense lawyers and prosecutors are scheduled to give their closing arguments Wednesday in Vermont’s first death penalty case in almost fifty years.
VPR News

Husky to lay off workers

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A major employer in Chittenden County is laying off about sixty workers. Husky Injection Molding says that it’s transferring part of its operation to Canada and that the employees will no longer be needed in Vermont.
VPR News

Midday Report – July 12, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Senator Patrick Leahy met this morning with President Bush about the Supreme Court vacancy; prosecutors in the Donald Fell trial decide not to call a witness about recent assault allegations unrelated to the trial; utility regulators want another look at the VELCO power line proposed for western Vermont; the Wilderness Society asks for changes in the Green Mountain National Forest’s draft management plan.
VPR News

Interview: Erick Tichonuk, First Mate, Lois McClure

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Almost two weeks ago, the 88-foot “Lois McClure” left the docks of the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum and headed south, enroute to New York City. Erick Tichonuk is the first mate on the schooner. He spoke with Mitch Wertlieb about how the ship is doing on her journey through the locks.
Switchboard

Annual Baseball Program

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The All-Star game, steroid use and the never-ending rivalry between the Red Sox and Yankees – these topics and others are on deck for Switchboard’s annual baseball program. Bob Kinzel’s guests are Jack Healy, sports director at WSYB in Rutland, and former lieutenant governor Doug Racine.
VPR News

Midday Report – July 11, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the Department of Fish and Wildlife wants to hear wants to hear opinions on a new wildlife management plan; the main sections of Lake Saint Catherine in Poultney are free of Eurasian milfoil; Senator Patrick Leahy is scheduled to meet with President Bush on Supreme Court nominations; Brattleboro officials are looking for residents to keep tabs on the local police department; Westminster residents vote for town clerk.
Commentary Series

Hunger

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Summer is a time of abundant fresh food in Vermont, but commentator Jay Craven is reminded that hunger is still a pervasive problem in our land of plenty.
Commentary Series

Rowing

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Recently, commentator John Morton investigated a sport that combines physical challenge with the added attraction of just being on the water very early in the morning.
Commentary Series

Getting away

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Once again the news was grim this week, and commentator Willem Lange is looking forward to getting away to a place that feels far from the trouble.
VPR News

Douglas appoints Burgess to state Supreme Court

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Governor Jim Douglas announced today that he’s appointing Judge Brian Burgess to the state Supreme Court. The 54-year-old Montpelier resident has been a trial court judge for a dozen years and has served in several departments of state government, including as deputy attorney general.
VPR News

Midday Report – July 8, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: attorneys in the Donald Fell trial are hashing out ground rules for the closing portion of the case; the U.S. Justice Department issues as scathing report on the Vermont State Hospital in Waterbury; all eyes will be on Senator Patrick Leahy next week when he meets with President Bush to discuss Supreme Court nominations; Governor Jim Douglas urges Vermonters to report any suspicious activities to authorities.
VPR News

Power plant coming to Ludlow

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A new wood-chip-fired power plant is coming to the town of Ludlow. Access Energy says the plant will generate twenty megawatts of power.
Commentary Series

Mythical village

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History books tell us a lot about the founders of New England, but today commentator Joe Citro recalls a founding father you may not have heard about.
VPR News

IDX says London employees are safe

By |
IDX, a medical software company from South Burlington, has about 500 employees in London near onr of the subway stops where the terrorist attacks took place.
Switchboard

The Health of Lake Champlain

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A new report says there’s good news and bad news. Steve Zind talks with the report’s authors, Bill Howland of the Lake Champlain Basin Program and Mary Watzin, director of the Rubenstein Ecosystem Science Laboratory.
Commentary Series

New Dean Profile

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The national news media usually portray former Vermont Governor Howard Dean in caricature. But this morning, VPR commentator Barrie Dunsmore tells us about a new magazine profile that goes beyond the cliches.
Commentary Series

The good/bad season

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The unusual late winter weather this year was good news for Vermont’s ski industry, but not so good for maple sugaring. Commentator Timothy McQuiston weighs in on the final results from these two quintessential Vermont industries and their paradoxical relationship.
VPR News

Witnesses testify about Fell’s youth

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Witnesses in Donald Fell’s death penalty trial say that he was an eager student, both as a young boy and later as a prison inmate. The testimony is part of the defense team’s effort to convince the jury to spare Fell’s life.
VPR News

Midday Report – July 6, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the penalty phase in the death penalty trial of Donald Fell continues in federal court in Burlington; a new Vermont law allows individuals to freeze their credit reports; a Bennington College student could reach a financial settlement with the school over injuries she sustained when she fell through a window in March; two schools in Bennington receives a $30,000 state grant for health and counseling services.
Commentary Series

Woodchuck

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This year, commentator David Moats got back to his gardening roots, so to speak, in a big way. And now, with a garden full of tasty shoots above ground, he’s faced with the age-old struggle between man and beast – and so far the beast is winning.
Commentary Series

Northern Cardinal

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Once rare in the northeast, cardinals are now commonly found in New England. Commentator Ted Levin considers how this colorful bird found its way to Vermont.
VPR News

Red Cross issues emergency appeal for blood

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The American Red Cross in Burlington has issued an emergency appeal for blood donations. In a statement late this afternoon, Red Cross officials said supplies are so low that the Red Cross has cut shipments of blood to area hospitals.
VPR News

Midday Report – July 5, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: seven people spend an hour and half stuck in an elevator at the Bennington Battle Monument; the Department of Employment and Training and the Department of Labor and Industry officially merged on July 1, creating the Department of Labor; a new program allows high school students to take a free “Introduction to College Studies” course at any of the Vermont State Colleges; a family in Jamaica searches for a Hungarian-speaking parakeet.
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Battles Near Lake Champlain

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Lake Champlain has been the backdrop of countless military battles. Historian Howard Coffin joins host Bob Kinzel to discuss Coffin’s new book, Guns Over the Champlain Valley and the military history of the region.
Commentary Series

Knotweed

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Here in Vermont, certain plants clearly contribute to our sense of place. Commentator Bill Shutkin has decided to take on one that doesn’t.
VPR News

Vermonters take to road

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Despite rising gasoline prices, a record number of Vermonters are expected to take to the highways this holiday weekend.
VPR News

Midday Report – July 1, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the first day of the new fiscal year is also the effective date of dozens of new Vermont laws; the defense team’s effort to spare Donald Fell from the death penalty began in earnest this morning; Senator Patrick Leahy leads an effort to revoke new EPA rules that ease the enforcement of mercury pollution standards; Leahy also praises retiring Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor; more….
Commentary Series

Supreme Court

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The United States Supreme Court is finished with this year’s session. Commentator Cheryl Hanna is rethinking some of the Court’s rulings and what they might mean for Vermont.
VPR News

Changes in Canadian prescription drug laws

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Governor Jim Douglas says he doesn’t believe Vermont’s program to help consumers purchase lower cost prescription drugs from Canada will be affected by some proposed changes in Canadian drug laws. But Douglas says the current controversy underscores the limitations of re-importation programs.
VPR News

Bill would save air traffic control jobs in Burlington

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The U.S. House has passed an amendment, sponsored by Congressman Bernie Sanders, that would prevent the Bush administration from closing down the Flight Service Station in Burlington. Sanders’ action could protect 32 air traffic specialist jobs in Burlington.
VPR News

Midday Report: June 30, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: a rare whooping crane is spotted in Vermont; census figures released today have implications on land use patterns in communities all over Vermont; teachers’ union members in the Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union have voted overwhelmingly to accept a new contract offer.
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Demise of the Honey Bee

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In his new book, "Bees Besieged," Vermont author Bill Mares investigates the reasons why the beekeeping industry is struggling to survive and what it means for the rest of us.
VPR News

Leahy challenges EPA ruling

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Senator Patrick Leahy has initiated a parliamentary procedure to force the full Senate to review a decision by the Bush Administration that exempts mercury emissions from power plants from the Clean Air Act.
VPR News

Midday Report – June 29, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: workers hold a rally at the Specialty Filaments plant in Burlington; economists have a positive read on the region’s economy; the prosecution rests its case in the penalty phase of the Donald Fell trial.
Commentary Series

Leaf beetles

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Now that the leaves are out, so are the critters that like to nibble on them. Commmentator Charlie Nardozzi has some advice for dealing with two exotic leaf beetles.
Commentary Series

Scotland

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Commentator Ruth Page tries not to gush as she expresses her enthusiasm for the beauty of Scotland in the spring.
VPR News

Fell’s defense urges jurrors to choose life

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The penalty phase has begun in the capital punishment trial of Donald Fell. Federal prosecutors say Fell deserves to die for kidnapping and killing a North Clarendon woman five years ago. But defense lawyers urged jurors to choose life without the possibility of release. They say Fell was abused as a child, and has taken responsibility for his crimes.
VPR News

Welch announces House run

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Senate president Peter Welch wants to be Vermont’s next U.S. Congressman. Welch announced his plans to seek the Democratic nomination for the U.S. House at the Statehouse Tuesday afternoon.
VPR News

Midday Report: June 28, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the judge in the Donald Fell trial won’t allow the jury to see photos of murder victim’s face; Democratic state Senator Peter Welch will announce today that he’s running for Congress; power companies watch electric usage rise during this weeks’ hot weather; former UVM basketball star Taylor Coppenrath is eligible in tonight’s NBA draft.
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Business Perspective on Health Care

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The business community in Vermont is divided over how to reform the state’s health care system. Bob Kinzel hosts a conversation with the state’s business leaders about their differences on the issue.
Commentary Series

Eric Aho

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It may seem a little odd to be thinking about winter after the heat of the past few days. But commentator Anne Galloway says that, recently, she had a good reason to do just that.
VPR News

Midday Report – June 27, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the University of Vermont opens a new high-tech business incubator; Senator Patrick Leahy on the possible retirement of Chief Justice William Rehnquist; the impact of red tide reaches Vermont’s restaurants; the sentencing phase of the Donald Fell trial is set to begin; Green Mountain Power asks customers to limit their use of electricity today.
Commentary Series

Primroses

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Commentator Henry Homeyer says that primroses are the unsung heroes of the garden, providing bright colors that will grow in the shade as alternatives to the standard shade plants such as hostas and ferns.
VPR News

Vermonters celebrate Italian heritage

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Vermont history buffs will gather this weekend at the Tunbridge Fairgrounds for two days of demonstrations, exhibits and presentations. This year, the annual History Expo will include stories about immigrants who crossed oceans to come to Vermont.
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What’s for Dinner?

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A look at family dinners – why they’re important and how to keep the tradition alive. We share suggestions for quick and easy recipes that make the most of the time you have with your family.
Commentary Series

Bolton nomination

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As the nomination of John Bolton to be the next American Ambassador to the United Nations remains stalemated in a Senate procedural battle, commentator Barrie Dunsmore tells us what may be the real reason behind this controversial appointment.
VPR News

Kaczynski in Burlington to protest trial

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David Kaczynski, the brother of the man known as the Unabomber, came to Vermont on Wednesday to add his voice to those protesting a federal death penalty trial now underway in Burlington.
VPR News

Midday Report – June 22, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: this afternoon, Republican Governor Jim Douglas is to veto the health care reform bill; Democrats in the Legislature launch a health care commission to study how Vermonters think health care should be structured; the Lake Champlain Basin program issues a state-of-the-lake report; the employees union at Specialty Filaments is plans to file an unfair labor practice complaint.
Commentary Series

Dickinson and Gilmore

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Current events and the public debate about the death penalty and the right to die have caused commentator Peter Gilbert to think about Emily Dickinson and Gary Gilmore, and to reflect on the under-appreciated power of poetry.
Commentary Series

Mulch

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So far, this gardening season has been a roller-coaster ride with rain and low temperatures, followed by heat and humidity, and then more rain. But, according to commentator Ron Krupp, cool, wet conditions may be good for the hay crop, which may, in turn, result in plenty of mulch for the garden.
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Governor Douglas

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Governor Jim Douglas is Bob Kinzel’s guest. They discuss the prospects for health care reform, changes to the corrections system and an early education initiative.
VPR News

Midday Report – June 21, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Saxton’s River trustees ask the town to voice its support for purchasing a hydroelectric dam; murder trial of Donald Fell continues in federal court in Burlington; former Vermont Supreme Court Justice James Morse has set a date for his retirement from state government; Burlington may crack down on sidewalk gardening; on this day in 1788, New Hampshire ratified the U.S. Constitution; the summer solstice coincides with a full moon.
VPR News

Midday Report – June 20, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Donald Fell’s defense attorney says he won’t contest most of the facts in the murder case; Attorney General William Sorrell releases a report on why prescription drug prices are so high; the role of civility in Vermont politics; Governor Jim Douglas plans to present a new health care reform plan to the Legislature in January that doesn’t include a tax on health care premiums.
VPR News

Midday Report – June 17, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: a delegation of trade union leaders from Iraq arrives in Vermont tomorrow; four retail chain stores in the Northeast Kingdom have been fined for pricing violations; more rain means more transportation problems for Essex County in the Adirondacks, which is already dealing with flood damage from earlier downpours; there’s a buzz on Capitol Hill about Congressman Bernie Sanders’ successful effort to repeal portions of the USA Patriot Act.
VPR News

House votes with Sanders on Patriot Act issue

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The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives defied President Bush on Wednesday by voting with Vermont Congressman Bernie Sanders to curb FBI powers to seize library and bookstore records under the Patriot Act.
VPR News

Midday Report – June 16, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the Vermont Legislature convened a special session this morning to prevent a threatened veto of the state budget; a VPR poll shows Vermonters are divided on how they want to pay for health care, but they are certain how they don’t want it funded; federal regulators fault the performance of some state and local governments in last month’s Vermont Yankee evacuation drill; more….
Commentary Series

Father’s Day

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With Father’s Day fast approaching, commentator Cheryl Hanna is concerned that not all American families will be celebrating. She shares her thoughts on why this might be so.
Commentary Series

EPA

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You win some, you lose some. Commentator Ruth Page reports on both good and bad news in recent EPA regulations.
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Summer Reading

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Summer is the season for reading! Guest host Mitch Wertlieb looks at what books are in your beach bag and on your nightstand. It’s a discussion of beloved old favorites and the new books you plan to dig into this summer.
VPR News

Douglas signs renewable energy bill

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Governor Jim Douglas was joined by lawmakers at a wind generator manufacturing plant in Barre on Tuesday to sign into law a new renewable energy initiative.
Commentary Series

Skinny hippos

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High school graduation is a rite of passage that we look forward to, and back on. What kind of knowledge should students have when they reach that milestone, asks commentator Allen Gilbert.
Commentary Series

Biodiversity

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With the return of warm weather, commentator Vern Grubinger has been visited by some of his wilder neighbors, and they’ve gotten him thinking about Vermont’s biodiversity.
VPR News

Midday Report: June 13, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: a new Medicaid agreement allows more elderly Vermonters to stay in their homes; a Cuban delegation shops for cattle in Putney; former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw addresses Dartmouth graduates; the American Red Cross says blood reserves in Vermont are down to 85 percent of projected need.
VPR News

Word for Word: Brokaw addresses Dartmouth grads

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About 12,000 people gathered on the Dartmouth Green in Hanover, New Hampshire, on Sunday morning for the graduation ceremonies of the class of 2005. Among the speakers and recipients of honorary degrees was Tom Brokaw, former anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News.
Commentary Series

Webster’s stump

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Long before skiing and concerts attracted huge crowds to the Green Mountains, 15,000 people walked and rode by horseback and wagon to a remote hilltop in Southern Vermont for a political rally. Commentator Alan Boye recently visited the spot himself.
VPR News

Leahy predicts more extreme judicial nominees

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Senator Patrick Leahy says he’s disappointed moderate Republican senators haven’t opposed most of President’s Bush’s judicial nominees recently. Leahy says this will encourage the president to nominate more “extreme” candidates.
VPR News

State on target for surplus

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Administration Secretary Charlie Smith says the state remains on target to record a roughly $45 million dollar surplus when the 2005 fiscal year concludes at the end of the month.
VPR News

Midday Report – June 10, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: a federal appeals court blocks plans to log a section of the Green Mountain National Forest; a nuclear power plant security bill sails through a Senate committee; Independent Congressman Bernie Sanders doesn’t expect serious Democratic opposition in the 2006 U.S. Senate race; Internet sales of Vermont hunting, fishing and trapping licenses are being labeled a success; heavy rains washed out many roads east of Lebanon, NH last night.
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Congressman Bernie Sanders

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Congressman Bernie Sanders joins Bob Kinzel to discuss trade policies, medical marjijuana laws and new versions of the Patriot Act.
Commentary Series

Upward mobility

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Commentator Madeleine Kunin is concerned that the rising cost of education and tax advantages that favor the wealthy is making upward mobility a much steeper climb for many Americans.
VPR News

Midday Report – June 9, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: leaders in the Democratic Party seems to be choosing up sides over national Chairman Howard Dean; the town of Crown Point, New York, is celebrating the recovery of a stolen historic weathervane; rising energy prices are a concern for municipal budgets; Sunderland votes to keep its school open; Governor Douglas leads a trade mission to Quebec.
VPR News

Paving the Way: The Roads to Pave

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There are 3,200 miles of state maintained highways in Vermont. Maintaining those roads is a battle against the elements and budget constraints. And the state is gradually losing ground.
Commentary Series

Watergate

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For commentator Barrie Dunsmore, the revelation of the identity of Deep Throat is a reminder of how Watergate shaped several decades of U. S. Mideast policy.
Commentary Series

Orioles on the life list

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When the Ivory Billed Woodpecker, long thought to be extinct, reappeared recently, it made headlines around the world. Today, commentator Ted Levin tells of another species that disappeared and then made a comeback – in less dramatic fashion.
VPR News

Midday Report – June 8, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: negotiations continue over the Vermont State Colleges faculty contract and its role in a possible veto of the state budget; Democrats have decided not to fight a threatened veto of their health care package; legislation to beef up security at nuclear power plants is a little closer to becoming law; Howard Dean is defending his recent criticism of Republicans; more…
Commentary Series

Open government

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Commentator Helen Labun Jordan spent the spring observing the Vermont legislature as a student intern at the Lake Champlain Committee. Now, with the session ending and her internship complete, she has these thoughts on what it taught her.
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Legislative Session

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The Legislature has adjourned without a budget agreement. Bob Kinzel hosts a reporters’ round table to look back at the people and issues of the 2005 Legislative session, and to look ahead at the prospects for a special budget session later this month. The panel includes Ross Sneyd of the Associated Press, Kristin Carlson of Channel 3 News and Darren Allen, chief of the Vermont Press Bureau.
VPR News

Midday Report: June 6, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the legislature will return to Montpelier if Governor Jim Douglas keeps his promise to veto the budget the lawmakers just passed; it’s likely the Senate will over-ride Douglas’ vetoes of the budget and the health care plan, and that the House will not; a conference for employee-owned businesses opens today; federal prosecutors want to use money seized from the Law Centers for Consumer Protection to repay some of its victims; more…
VPR News

Legislature to return after adjournment

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The Legislature adjourned on Saturday night but lawmakers will be coming back to Montpelier in several weeks. That’s because Governor Douglas has vowed to veto the budget bill over a provision dealing with a labor dispute at the Vermont State Colleges.
VPR News

Prospective jurors weigh death penalty

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For the first time in fifty years, a Vermont jury is being asked to consider the death penalty. The process for selecting the jury in the federal murder trial of Donald Fell involves lengthy questioning by the judge and lawyers for both sides.
Commentary Series

It can happen here

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Commentator Philip Baruth has often had the unsettling sense that a book has found its way to him at a particular moment. But recently, he thinks the books have started to team up to make their message heard.
Commentary Series

D-Day Anniversary

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On June 6th, 1944 allied forces stormed the beachheads of Normandy. Germany surrendered 11 months later, but the end of the war began with the Allied Invasion of France. Commentator Stephanie Montgomery offers her thoughts for the 61st anniversary of D-Day.
VPR News

Midday Report: June 3, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: both houses of the Legislature are expected to pass a health care bill today, setting up a probable veto by the governor; Congress is about to return to Washington to face some unfinished issues involving presidential nominations; the fourth annual Strolling of the Heifers is underway in Brattleboro; the skies over Chittenden County are dotted with hot air balloons.
VPR News

Heifers stroll in Brattleboro

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Tomorrow almost a hundred cows will parade down Brattleboro’s Main Street. The fourth annual Strolling of the Heifers celebration kicked off last night with its yearly farm summit.
VPR News

Gander adds voice to dry cask debate

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A Windham County senator who’s suffering from cancer has been too sick to be at the Statehouse all year. But on Friday, Democratic Senator Rod Gander came to Montpelier to add his voice to the debate over storage of spent nuclear fuel at Vermont Yankee.
Commentary Series

Spring peepers

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Spring in New England is fleeting, but commentator Kristin Laine has found something of lasting value in this briefest of seasons.
VPR News

Eaglets take flight

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An eagle breeding program in Addison County reached a milestone today. Three of six young birds took flight for the first time early this morning.
VPR News

Midday Report – June 2, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: lawmakers near agreement on health insurance funding; Dairy Day is underway at the Statehouse, with an emphasis on teaching non-farm children about dairying; CVPS customers receive refunds this month; Brattleboro Union High school considers installing security cameras; the Fish and Wildlife Board changes an earlier decision on the management of Vermont’s deer herd; eagles in a breeding program take their first flight.
Commentary Series

French whine

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Commentator Timothy McQuiston explains how Vermont can best market its high-quality products, while offering some insight into the old saying, “Do you want some whine with that cheese?”
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Future of Private Colleges

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Vermont is home to numerous private liberal arts colleges. Steve Zind and his guests talk about the challenges these institutions face – from rising tuition costs to the changing demands of prospective students.
VPR News

Midday Report – June 1, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the stakes get higher as Vermont political figures maneuver toward health care reform and adjournment; the interim superintendent at the Springfield prison plans to recruit 10 new correctional officers; New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton was in Plattsburgh this morning; eaglets will be released from their nest boxes tomorrow; the Fish and Wildlife Board takes a second look at deer herd management rules; more….
VPR News

Midday Report: May 31, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: lawmakers at odds with each other and with the governor over how to expand health care coverage; Lt. Governor Brian Dubie addresses an international energy forum in Montreal; a UVM rowing coach is charged with driving 126 mph on I-89; tent caterpillars are threatening Vermont’s maple trees; Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center plans a new substance abuse program.
Commentary Series

Star Wars

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The new Star Wars film as political commentary? Commentator Allen Gilbert takes a look at the buzz around Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
Commentary Series

The reality of private accounts

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Proponents of Social Security reform argue that private accounts will yield higher returns than Social Security. But commentator Stephanie Seguino says that when you really examine the math and logic behind this claim, the numbers just don’t add up.
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Legislature Nears Adjournment

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This may be the final week of the Legislative session if lawmakers are able to reach agreement on a number of key issues. Bob Kinzel talks with House Speaker Gaye Symington about many of the issues that need to be addressed in the final days of the session.
Commentary Series

Memorial Day

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This Memorial Day, commentator Caleb Daniloff is reflecting on makeshift tributes and the act of remembering.
Commentary Series

Planting traditions

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New England gardeners like to have most of the garden planted by Memorial Day, but commentator Henry Homeyer says it’s not a hard and fast deadline – and for good reason.
VPR News

Midday Report: May 27, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Vermont senators Jim Jeffords and Patrick Leahy vote against ending debate on a controversial Bush nominee; Vermont Yankee is among the two dozen nuclear power plants across the country that don’t have backup emergency sirens; Fairlee and Brookfield become designated “village centers”; some Rockingham citizens try to block the purchase of a hydro-electric dam; a former Springfield machine tool plant may be sold to a private developer.
Commentary Series

Tsushima

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The Battle of Tsushima is far from well-known now in the United States. But for a century, that critical naval engagement has cast a very long shadow. Commentator Peter Gilbert explains.
VPR News

House approves contraceptive legislation

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The Vermont House has given its approval to legislation that will allow pharmacists to dispense the so called “morning after” contraceptive pill. An effort to block the sale of these pills to women under 16 without a doctor’s prescription was rejected by a two to one margin.
VPR News

Midday Report: May 26, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Sad news out of Barre today with the deaths of three children; change is likely in the rules managing Vermont’s deer herd; key lawmakers push forward on the storage of nuclear waste at Vermont Yankee; the Friends of Mississquoi Bay will hold a second annual gathering this evening to advocate for cleaning up the northeast arm of Lake Champlain.
Commentary Series

Threatened wildflowers

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It’s the time of year when trilliums and Canada mayflowers are found in Vermont’s woodlands. Commentator Tom Slayton has been enjoying the spring wildflowers on his walks and has some thoughts about their fragile beauty.
Commentary Series

Portions

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Getting together with family and friends for Memorial Day almost certainly means having lots of good food around. Commentator Rachel Johnson has some practical tips for healthy eating while you celebrate.
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Kurt Andersen

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Steve Zind’s guest is Kurt Andersen, host of the weekly public radio program Studio 360. They discuss the how the arts and popular culture are reflected in everyday life, and how reporting on arts and entertainment has changed.
VPR News

Contraceptive bill expected to pass

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Vermont would become the seventh state to allow pharmacists to dispense the so-called “morning-after” contraceptive pill without a prescription, under a bill approved by a House committee.
VPR News

Midday Report: May 25, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: a teachers’ strike in Orleans ends with a contract tentative agreement; the Vermont House prepares to debate the so-called morning after pill; Congressman Bernie Sanders votes in favor of a stem cell research bill; a compromise is reached on a vetoed state pension bill; a controversial Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 91 in Hartford is being scaled back.
Commentary Series

CPB controversy

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Commentator Barrie Dunsmore is troubled by recent criticisms of National Public Radio’s Middle East news coverage by the head of the government agency which provides substantial NPR funding.
Commentary Series

State of Ag

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How many farms has Vermont lost over the last generation? According to commentator Vern Grubinger, who’s been looking at some agricultural statistics, the answer to that question might surprise you.
VPR News

Midday Report – May 24, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: no Vermonters were among the four soldiers killed in a bomb attack 30 miles south of Baghdad; the Business and Industry Expo opens tomorrow in Burlington; planners in Brattleboro will pass along a recommendation for a temporary 65,000 square foot size limit on retail stores; a federal mediator has been assigned to the labor dispute that has closed seven schools in an Orleans County Supervisory Union.
VPR News

Brattleboro planners will recommend retail size limit

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Planners in Brattleboro will pass along a recommendation for a temporary sixty-five- thousand-square-foot size limit on retail stores in town. The interim zoning bylaw goes to the town’s selectboard early next month for approval.
VPR News

State invests in GMP

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Green Mountain Power held its annual shareholders’ meeting on Monday. And company officials welcomed the state of Vermont as their newest investor.
Commentary Series

Mayflies

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One insect in particular seems to embody the ephemeral quality of spring in Vermont – especially if you enjoy fly fishing – and commentator Ted Levin says it’s not the mostquito or the black fly.
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Paying for Health Care Reform

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Host Bob Kinzel talks with Representative John Tracy, Senator Jim Leddy and Administration Secretary Charlie Smith about the differences that remain between lawmakers and the Douglas administration in funding health care reform.
VPR News

Midday Report: May 23, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Vermont joins the list of states that ban the gasoline additive MTBE; a teachers’ strike forces Lake Region Union High School to close; the state invests in Green Mountain Power shares; Secretary of transportation meets with Rutland civic leaders about the city’s railyard project; Brattleboro may impose a temporary cap on the size of retail developments.
VPR News

Interview: Jon Matthewson, Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History

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The name John Deere has become synonymous with tractors and is known to just about everyone in the country. What’s not as well known is that Deere was born in Vermont. You can learn a lot more about the origins of Deere’s considerable legacy and underrated role in powering America’s economic engine at an exhibit currently on display at the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History in Middlebury.
Commentary Series

Vermont corner

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On a map, the southeastern corner of Vermont forms a precise little point, but on a recent walk, commentator Alan Boye found that the reality looks quite different.
VPR News

Midday Report: May 20, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the showdown in the U.S. Senate over judicial nominees and filibusters builds toward a climax; the Equinox Hotel in Manchester offers to improve its trail system if residents allow a building project to proceed; Vermont Yankee has won a round in its effort to store spent nuclear fuel in above-ground casks; Vermont license plates were first issued 100 years ago; Vermont’s unemployment rate is at its lowest point in almost four years.
VPR News

Senate votes to ban smoking

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The Vermont Senate has voted to ban smoking in virtually all public places. The major debate over the bill came on a provision that prohibits smoking in private clubs.
Commentary Series

Wilderness roads

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Ruth Page points out that there is top value in keeping protected forests closed to road-building to preserve all the thousands of species of plants and animals living in wilderness.
VPR News

Midday Report: May 19, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Governor Jim Douglas defends his opposition to tax-based funding for health care; a legislative committee postpones action on the state’s new deer hunting regulations; teachers go on strike at Lake Region Union High School; the Senate considers whether smoking should be banned in all indoor public spaces; efforts are underway to preserve Civil War battle flags; the U.S. Postal Service investigates an anthrax hoax at Norwich University.
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Mesmerized by Math

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Steve Zind talks with Dartmouth math professor Dan Rockmore about the intriguing problems that still puzzle mathematicians, the challenges of learning math and why we should bother.
VPR News

May 18, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the Senate is expected to pass a health care plan that’s funded by a payroll tax; a Senate committee wants to learn more about the tension between faculty and management at the Vermont State Colleges; Brian Dubie on his political future; the Peebles department store plans a new store in Springfield.
Commentary Series

Public education

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Health care is on everyone’s mind as the Legislature struggles to pass a reform bill. Commentator Allen Gilbert looks at another public endeavor that also faced many challenges.
Commentary Series

Live & Learn: Dan Fogel, President, UVM

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This week VPR is hearing from graduating college seniors and college presidents about what it’s like to Live and Learn in the Green Mountains. This morning we heard from a Middlebury graduate on his future plans. This afternoon, we hear from University of Vermont President Dan Fogel about the educational value of social engagement and learning by doing.
VPR News

Midday Report: May 17, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: a VPIRG report says Vermonters are paying the price for short-sighted energy policies; Governor Jim Douglas unveils a new National Guard poster; an Army helicopter pilot from Lebanon, NH, receives a medal for bravery; the Rutland State Airport may need a longer runway; two students are named this year’s Presidential Scholars.
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Lt. Gov Brian Dubie

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Lieutenant Governor Brian Dubie is Bob Kinzel’s guest. They discuss key issues still in play as the Legislature nears the end of its session, and speculation as to whether or not Dubie will run for a higher office in 2006.
Commentary Series

Living and Learning: St. Michael’s College

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This week Vermont Public Radio is hearing from graduating college seniors and college presidents about what it’s like to Live and Learn in the Green Mountains. This morning we heard from Marlboro graduate Hannah Wilson, whose studies took her to Sri Lanka in pursuit of a goal to work in international trauma relief. This afternoon, we hear from Saint Michael’s president Marc vanderHeyden about the challenges of preparing students for a global workplace.
VPR News

Midday Report: May 16, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: a mental health association says that morale at the Vermont State Hospital is low and getting lower; a new poll finds that Americans’ views on gay marriage are similar to those found in recent polling results in Vermont; Shrewsbury looks for ways to preserve and promote its uniqueness; residents of New Haven hold a special town meeting tonight to re-examine the town’s appeal of a Velco electric transmission project.
VPR News

Live & Learn: Hannah Wilson, Marlboro College

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A flight of wooden stairs in what used to be an old barn leads to the dining hall of Marlboro College. It’s the hub of this tiny rural campus in the foothills of the Green Mountains in southern Vermont. Students here design their own course of study. And that was a draw that proved irresistible to Hannah Wilson, a native Vermonter who grew up in Shrewsbury.
VPR News

Senate approves recognition for Abenakis

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The Senate has unanimously approved legislation that gives formal state recognition to the Abenaki people. The vote marks the first time ever that lawmakers have supported the Abenaki effort to gain legal status in the state.
VPR News

Vermont Air Guard will stay open

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When the Department of Defense released a list of military base closings and realignments Friday, Vermont Guard officials were relieved to find that the state’s air guard is not only spared, but slated for expansion.
Commentary Series

Longevity

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With birds migrating and the baseball season warming up, it’s probably not surprising that commentator Ted Levin has been thinking about Cal Ripken Jr., longevity records…and the Arctic tern.
VPR News

Midday Report – May 12, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Vermont Air National Guard officials are anxiously awaiting word on whether their base at the Burlington International Airport will be closed; more…
VPR News

Interview: Senator, Jim Jeffords

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Earlier this week, VPR’s Bob Kinzel sat down with Senator, Jim Jeffords to discuss his decision not to seek another term, the issues that the senator wants to work on over the next eighteen months and a recent trip to Cuba.
VPR News

Douglas fears Abenaki legislation poses risk

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The Senate Judiciary Committee has unanimously voted to support legislation granting the Abenaki formal state recognition. Members of the committee say they don’t think the plan will necessarily help the Abenaki in their effort to win federal recognition.
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Future of the National Forest

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The Green Mountain National Forest covers more than 400,000 acres of Vermont and the forest service has been trying to balance a variety of competing interests to come up with a new management plan. Steve Zind and his guests discuss the plan and take your calls.
Commentary Series

Mistakes

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Recently, commentator Edith Hunter has been reading a book about morality in politics. The book’s premise is that liberals are just as moral as conservatives – only governed by a different set of moral values.
Commentary Series

Getting warmer

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It’s that wonderful time of year when apple trees and lilacs start flowering in Vermont, but commentator Vern Grubinger says they’re flowering sooner than they used to.
VPR News

May 11, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Governor Jim Douglas signs a law requiring carbon monoxide detectors in residential buildings; Progressive Anthony Pollina is expected to announce his interest in running for lieutenant governor; officials in Killington seem pleased that the New Hampshire Legislature has taken another step toward enabling their town to secede from Vermont; water quality specialists report on the effect of stormwater runoff on Burlington Bay.
VPR News

Report details drug company gifts to health care providers

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Physicians, hospitals and universities in Vermont received $3.11 million from drug companies during the last fiscal year. In a report released on Tuesday, the Vermont Attorney General’s office says that’s a 26 percent increase over the previous year.
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Vermont’s Political Landscape

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Next year’s races for U.S. Senate and U.S. House are wide open and the list of potential candidates is long. Bob Kinzel hosts a discussion of the 2006 election with Middlebury College political science professor Eric Davis, Ross Sneyd from the Associated Press and VPR’s John Dillon.
Commentary Series

Deal of the Century

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It’s time now for another installment of “Urban Troubleshooter” from commentator Philip Baruth. In this episode, Philip confronts the ultimate political nightmare: an open Vermont Senate seat.
VPR News

May 9, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Governor Jim Douglas lays out his newest idea for providing universal access to health care; it’s carbon monoxide week in Vermont; top employers project an increase in sales in the second quarter; an eagle breeding program says new eaglets are safely installed in artificial nests; a rash rabies cases are reported in Vermont’s wild animal population; Congressman Bernie Sanders holds an anti-poverty town meeting tonight in Springfield.
Commentary Series

Bethel-Gilead

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If your favorite forest trail is still too wet for hiking this weekend, commentator Alan Boye says that an old dirt road offers a good alternative.
VPR News

‘Daughter of Heaven-A Memoir with Earthly Recipes’: interview with Leslie Li

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When Chinese-American author Leslie Li’s grandmother arrived from China to live with her family, she brought with her customs and a traditional cuisine which opened Li’s heart and mind to her ancestry. Leslie Li writes about her family, and her personal journey, in the new book, “Daughter of Heaven-A Memoir with Earthly Recipes”. As the title suggests, the book is a combination of family remembrance and observation, punctuated by an assortment of her grandmother’s recipes.
VPR News

May 6, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: a prominent Vermonter finds a disconnect between the college campus and the world of politics; Vermont’s nonprofit home health agencies want more time before a for-profit company is allowed to break up their monopoly; a discussion of what’s at stake in the so-called “nuclear option” in the Senate; a Florida businessman defends his plans to build an 11-bedroom vacation home on a popular hiking trail in Manchester.
Commentary Series

Violent offenders

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Commentator Cheryl Hanna has been reflecting upon the murder of 31-year-old Laura Winterbottom, and what her death might teach us about violence in our community.
VPR News

Derailment cleanup continues

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Authorities are waiting for equipment to get some derailed freight cars back on the tracks in Bellows Falls, but the ensuing highway traffic jam on the other side of the river in New Hampshire has been cleared up.
VPR News

Museum visitors take turns as crime scene sleuths

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These days, television characters seem to be solving more crime mysteries than ever. So the Montshire Museum in Norwich saw an opportunity to explore the world of forensic science. Enter the exhibit “Crime Lab Detectives,” where there’s a mystery for everyone who walks through the door to solve.
VPR News

May 5, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: an agreement is signed to attempt to control sea lampreys in Lake Champlain; General Dynamics in Burlington has won a $900 million contract to produce the Hydra-70 rocket; a bill would make it easier to penalize drivers who don’t stop for flashing school bus lights; food education enjoys a revival in Vermont schools; Governor Jim Douglas plants a tree in advance of Arbor Day, tomorrow.
VPR News

Interview: Mary Alice McKenzie, General Counsel, Vermont State Colleges

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The growing rift between faculty members at Vermont’s State Colleges and Chancellor, Robert Clarke grew larger this week when the faculty of Johnson State College issued a “no-confidence” vote directed at Clarke joining Castleton, Lyndon and Vermont Technical College in expressing their dissatisfaction with the Chancellor. (On Friday, an interview with Ernest Broadwater of the VSC Faculty Federation.)
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Attorney General Bill Sorrell

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The investigation into the Fletcher Allen Renaissance Project, rules on labeling Vermont products and the recently filed state lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency are some of the issues that Attorney General Bill Sorrell has been focusing on lately. Thursday on Switchboard, host Steve Zind talk with Sorrell about these issues and others, and takes your calls.
Commentary Series

Terror 101

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The war on terror has affected many aspects of daily life, and commentator Bill Seamans says that now it’s changing what some of us will study in school.
Commentary Series

Arbor Day

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Commentator Ruth Page offers an appreciation of the variety and profound reassurance of trees in all of our lives as Vermont Arbor Day approaches, this coming Friday.
VPR News

Vermon News Briefs

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Senate committee continued to take testimony today on a bill that would officially recognize the Abenaki in Vermont. more…
VPR News

May 4, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Senate leaders have a new approach to setting limits on the size of big-box retail stores; Washington Electric Co-operative makes electricity from garbage at a new power plant; a historic building in downtown Rutland gets a tax break; attorneys in the Donald Fell capital murder trial began questioning prospective jurors this morning; the president of the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center says he’ll step down next year.
VPR News

Welch believes Democrats won’t back Sanders without conditions

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Senate president pro tem Peter Welch says he believes Vermont Democrats will have a hard time supporting Congressman Bernie Sanders’ bid to win next year’s U.S. Senate race unless Sanders is willing to back a number of Democratic candidates for statewide office.
VPR News

Interview: John King of Vermont Public Television

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Last year, the Republican chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting hired an outside consultant to keep track of the guests on the PBS show Now with Bill Moyers. Mitch Wertlieb spoke about these and other issues with the President and General Manager of Vermont Public Television John King, at VPT’s studios in Colchester.
VPR News

College to review annual celebration

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Officials at Saint Michael’s College in Colchester say they’ll be discussing the future of an annual spring celebration after 101 people were cited for underage drinking.
VPR News

Douglas signs mercury bill

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Governor Jim Douglas signed a new law today that aims to protect Vermont’s environment from mercury pollution.
Commentary Series

Per capita income

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Commentator Tim McQuiston says that Vermont is on something of an economic role. He says it’s not easily explained. Nor is it obvious in daily conversations with business people. But it’s there nonetheless.
Commentary Series

Ivory Bill

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Commentator Ted Levin is thrilled by reports of the sighting of an ivory-billed woodpecker in the wild – instead of a museum.
VPR News

Young pianist fights neuro-muscular disorder

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Nineteen-year-old Jocelyn Woods is a talented composer and pianist who suffers from a neuro-muscular disorder. For the last 18 months, she’s been in a hospital bed in an upstairs room at her family’s small home. Her parents are trying to change that, but there are many obstacles.
VPR News

May 3, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Governor Jim Douglas signs a new law on mercury pollution; former House Speaker Walter Freed rethinks his retirement from politics now that a U.S. Senate seat and a U.S House seat will be open next year; an eagle breeding program enters its second year; the Fairbanks Museum in St. Johnsbury has been home to two stuffed Ivory-billed woodpeckers for more than 100 years.
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Legislative Update

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What issues will dominate the final weeks of the Legislative session? Bob Kinzel’s guest is Senate President Pro Tempore Peter Welch. They’ll discuss the prospects for health care reform, the state’s energy future, new corrections initiatives and many other issues.
VPR News

Supreme Court hears law school case

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The U.S. Supreme Court will be hearing a case on whether schools can close their doors to military recruiters without jeopardizing federal education funds.
VPR News

May 2, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: jury selection begins today in federal court in Burlington, in the capital murder case of Donald Fell; the Vermont House has a plan to help the elderly and disabled pay for prescription drugs that they might not otherwise be able to afford; a woman who was accused of leading police on a high-speed chase will not face criminal charges; Leonard Wing Jr., retired Brigadier General of the Vermont Army National Guard, has died.
VPR News

Douglas’ announcement not to run

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The following is a transcript of Governor Jim Douglas’ announcement on 5/2/05 not to run for the Senate in 2006. To hear his announcement, click on the “Listen” icon.
VPR News

Douglas wanted to end speculation about run

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Governor Jim Douglas said on Saturday that he will not be a candidate for the U.S. Senate next year. Douglas said he wanted to put an end to speculation that he might run, calling it “a distraction” from the job he’s trying to do.
VPR News

Then & Now: Admiral Dewey

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Vermonter George Dewey is considered one of the great heroes of the Spanish-American War. And though his fame has faded over the last century, Admiral Dewey maintains a commanding presence’ at Vermont’s Statehouse.
Commentary Series

The Food Un-Pyramid

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Commentator Marialisa Calta has been munching on whole grains while mulling the significance of the new USDA Food Pyramid.
Commentary Series

The food un-pyramid

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Commentator Marialisa Calta has been munching on whole grains while mulling the significance of the new USDA Food Pyramid.
VPR News

Permit required for Omya waste

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A state environmental official has ruled against the Omya Corporation in a dispute over its mining waste. Environmental Conservation Commissioner Jeff Wennberg says the rock waste is contaminated with chemicals and may pose a threat to public health and safety.
VPR News

Vermont congressional delegation votes against budget resolution

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The three members of Vermont’s congressional delegation were on the losing side of Thursday’s close vote on the 2006 federal budget resolution. Congressman Bernie Sanders and Senators Jim Jeffords and Patrick Leahy voted against the $2.6 trillion spending plan.
VPR News

UVM breaks ground on new student center

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On Saturday, the University of Vermont breaks ground for its big new student center. It’s a key component of the UVM growth plan even though the original concept has been scaled back to match the available funds.
VPR News

Midday Report: April 29, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the University of Vermont prepares to break ground for its big new student center; Senator Patrick Leahy fine tunes a bill to set guidelines for asbestos lawsuits; Leahy and New Hampshire Republican Judd Gregg try to get notorious Liberian warlord Charles Taylor put on trial; Vermonters enlist in the Peace Corps; Vermonters react to news of an Ivory-billed Woodpecker sighting.
VPR News

Interview: Bake sale to benefit International Paper anti-pollution technology

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Members of two Addison County citizens’ groups are offering to help International Paper raise an estimated $9 million for anti-pollution equipment – with a bake sale. People for Less Pollution and Moms for Safe Milk are spearheading the Bake Sale for Clean Air effort, which comes as Vermont and New York politicians debate the environmental ramifications of IP plan to burn tire chips at its Ticonderoga, NY, plant.
Commentary Series

The Social Band Project

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Music is a big part of Vermont’s present and its past. Today commentator Tom Slayton takes a look at a choral group that’s singing some brand new Vermont compositions that echo some of our attitudes and traditions.
VPR News

Douglas expresses strong opposition to Abenaki recognition

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Governor Jim Douglas says he’d have a hard time signing legislation that gives formal state recognition to the Abenaki Indian tribe. Douglas called on lawmakers to drop their effort to pass such a bill because the legislation could bolster the Abenakis’ application to win federal recognition — a situation the governor says could result in land claims and casino gambling in Vermont. Supporters of the legislation say they strongly disagree with Douglas’s assessment of the bill.
VPR News

April 28, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Governor Jim Douglas signs a bill that bars workplace rules that force employees to keep their wages a secret; a hazardous waste site in Williston has been added to the Environmental Protection Agency’s national priority list of Superfund sites; the U.S. House has authorized the issue of yet another one dollar coin; the state Health Department has ordered a Howard Johnson’s motel in White River Junction to close most of its rooms.
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Annual Bird Show

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Naturalist Bryan Pfeiffer joins host Steve Zind for a talk about all things bird related – from how to find and identify them to their breeding and nesting habits.
VPR News

Governor optimistic about health care reform compromise

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Governor Jim Douglas says he’s optimistic about the chances for a comprehensive health care reform bill this year after reviewing a new draft plan developed by Senate Democratic leaders. The proposal is designed to reduce the number of uninsured people in Vermont by imposing a payroll tax on businesses that don’t offer coverage to their employees. This money would be used to help fund a basic health care plan for these employees.
VPR News

April 27, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: lawyers for the Food and Drug Administration and for the State of Vermont meet in federal court in Burlington; state officials call for the demolition of the state-owned DuFreyn Dam across the Battenkill River; a plan to restart a commuter train in Chittenden County has apparently derailed; 18 barns across the state share more than $150,000 in matching funds for repairs and historic preservation; more….
VPR News

Douglas won’t be pressured on Senate run

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Governor, Jim Douglas, says he won’t be pressured by national Republican Party officials to run for the U.S. Senate next year if Douglas doesn’t believe it’s the right thing for him to do.
VPR News

Major Parrish exhibit tours country

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Painter, Maxfield Parrish, was one of the most prominent members of the Cornish Arts Colony of New Hampshire and Vermont. Now a major retrospective of Parrish’s work is touring the country.
Commentary Series

Marine’s Hymn

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Today is the 200th anniversary of an event that, according to commentator Peter Gilbert, connects Reverend William Sloane Coffin to George Herbert Walker Bush, and the lyrics of the Marine’s Hymn.
Commentary Series

Bolton

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The nomination of John Bolton to be U. S. ambassador to the United Nations may be in trouble, but – as commentator Barrie Dunsmore tells us – maybe for the wrong reasons.
VPR News

Midday Report – April 26, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour; the Vermont Public Interest Research group is holding a news conference at the Capitol in Montpelier, to promote its effort to collect old computer parts from around Vermont; more…
VPR News

Interview: Lawrence McCrorey

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Launched in 1988, Vermont’s Human Rights Commission was designed to hear allegations of discrimination in the community. The state panel has five members, appointed by the Governor, and until recently at least one of those members was an African-American. That representation disappeared when educator Kevin Christie was replaced by a female attorney, who is white.
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Governor Douglas

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Governor Jim Douglas joined host Bob Kinzel and a studio audience Tuesday night, live from Capitol Plaza in Montpelier. Listen online to their discussion of health care reform, the state’s projected Medicaid deficit, dry cask storage of radioactive wastes at Vermont Yankee and how the state’s political landscape has changed with Senator Jeffords’ announcement that he will not seek re-election to the U.S. Senate.
Commentary Series

Lonesome Jim

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Last week, Vermont Senator Jim Jeffords announced that he will retire at the end of his current term. Commentator Philip Baruth wasn’t exactly surprised by the move, but he was genuinely moved.
VPR News

April 25, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Governor Jim Douglas, top Legislative Democrats and officials from the AARP launch Vermont’s new prescription drug re-importation program; the former head of Fletcher Allen Health Care is in federal court for sentencing on charges he misled state regulators about the true cost of an expansion project; the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation lifts a burn ban; a look back at the ski and maple seasons; more….
VPR News

Rutland courthouse opens

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Downtown Rutland’s new ten-million- dollar courthouse opens its doors today. The building has been under construction for almost eighteen months and will house Rutland’s district and family courts.
VPR News

Alliance Heads to IBM Meeting

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A group trying to organize IBM’s workers will be sending representatives from New York, Vermont, Colorado and other states to Big Blue’s annual meeting in South Carolina next week.
Commentary Series

Health Care or Health Financing?

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All this week, in our Hands-on Health Care series, VPR commentators have been considering what it may take to cure Vermont’s Health Care ills. There are two competing Health Care recovery plans currently being debated in Montpelier. Yesterday, commentator John McClaughry took a critical look at the legislature’s proposal. Today, commentator Ellen David Friedman wraps up our series with her thoughts about the Governor’s plan.
VPR News

Midday Report – April 22, 2005

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Top Stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Some surprises on the management of the state’s deer herd; Senator Leahy prepares for the looming battle over filibusters and President Bush’s judicial nominations; More…
VPR News

Energy Legislation Draws Critics and Advocates

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The Vermont House has overwhelmingly approved legislation that’s designed to promote conservation and renewable energy projects. Supporters say it will help the state make the transition to an era of cleaner energy. Opponents argue it will lead to higher electric rates.
Commentary Series

Single Payer Plan

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As VPR continues to search for a Hands-on Health Care solution for Vermont’s Health Care ills, commentator John McClaughry worries that a single-payer system would create a state monopoly that would degrade health care in Vermont.
Commentary Series

Lucy Bugbee

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Tomorrow is the 35th anniversary of Earth Day, when 20 million people across America came together to address their mutual concern for the environment. In honor of that event, commentator Ted Levin remembers Vermont conservationist Lucy Bugbee.
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Hands on Health Care

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Steve Zind talks with three key players in Vermont’s health care system. A physician, a hospital administrator and a health insurance representative weigh in on how the system works from their perspectives – and how it can be improved. Guests are Dr. Harvey Reich, president of theVermont Medical Society and director of critical care medicine and respiratory care at Rutland Regional Medical Center; Kevin Goddard, Vice President of Marketing and External Affairs at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of VT; and Daria Mason, CEO of Central Vermont Medical Center.
VPR News

Vermont Schools Join Federal Lawsuit

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Schools in Pittsford, Brandon, Leicester, Sudbury and Whiting are joining with school districts in Michigan and Texas and several state teachers’ associations to take on the U.S. Education Department in federal court.
VPR News

Fight Looms for Jeffords’ Seat

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When Senator Jim Jeffords announced yesterday that he would not seek a fourth term, it was not the first time he transformed the political landscape.
VPR News

Jeffords’ Announcment Changes Landscape

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Senator Jeffords’ announcement that he won’t seek re-election was an earthquake that rumbled across Vermont’s political landscape because it has the potential of affecting the line up for many of the statewide races in 2006.
Commentary Series

Creative Health Care Thinking

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This week, VPR commentators are taking a Hands-on Health Care approach to considering what it may take to cure Vermont’s Health Care ills. Today, commentator Mary Barrosse Schwartz admits that she isn’t completely convinced by either of the two competing Health Care recovery plans currently being debated in Montpelier – but she thinks that both proposals reflect some creative thinking.
VPR News

House Debates Health Care Bill

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The chairman of the special House committee on Health Care says it’s critical to make major reforms to the state’s health care system if all Vermonters are going to have access to health care and if costs are to be contained in the future.
VPR News

Interview: Nick Rahaim

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For some students on college campuses around North America, April twentieth is “420 Day”, meaning they will take part in what’s become in recent years an annual protest against federal laws prohibiting the use and possession of marijuana.
VPR News

Bishop Matano is Ordained

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(Host) Fourteen-hundred people celebrated the appointment of a new Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington yesterday. Salvatore Matano was ordained in a carefully orchestrated three-hour ceremony at Saint Joseph’s Co-Cathedral.
VPR News

Settlement Reached in Dairy Farm Proposal

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The legal battle over a large dairy farm proposed for Charlotte is over for now. A citizens group and farmer, Clark Hinsdale, have reached a settlement that calls for Hinsdale to withdraw his application for a large farm permit.
Commentary Series

Health Care Priorities

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As VPR commentators take a Hands-on Health Care approach to finding a cure for Vermont’s Health Care ills, commentator Dick Mallary suggests that the legislature must tackle the fundamental question of how to fairly “ration” services.
Commentary Series

Rattlers

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Commentator Ruth Page invites us to respect and admire rattlesnakes and to appreciate their important niche in America’s ecology.
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Hands on Health Care

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Bob Kinzel and his guests examine the pros and cons of a new plan drafted by the House Health Care committee. Guests are the panel’s chairman John Tracy, and Rutland Town Rep. David Sunderland who opposes the bill.
Commentary Series

Health Care Facts

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This week, VPR commentators are taking a Hands-on Health Care approach to considering what it may take to cure Vermont’s Health Care ills. Today, commentator Nils Dauliare reflects on the realities behind the health care debate.
VPR News

Dry Spring Leads to Burning Ban

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A statewide ban on outdoor burning is going into effect today. Officials say the dry spring has led to a very high fire danger throughout Vermont.
VPR News

Midday Report – April 18, 2005

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the state considers an outdoor burning ban in light of extreme dry conditions; General Electric buys a division of Bombardier Capital; learning how to keep elder Vermonters in their homes rather than in nursing homes; and an old wooden bridge in far northern New Hampshire is for sale.
VPR News

Word For Word: Death With Dignity

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A controversial bill being considered by a House committee of the Vermont Legislature would enable terminally ill patients to end their lives with the help of a physician.
VPR News

‘Lucky Child’: interview with Loung Ung

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Author,Loung Ung was five-years-old when she and her family were forced to leave their small Cambodian village. Her book “First They Killed My Father” told of her effort to survive in a war-torn country, despite the loss of her parents and two of her siblings. In her new book, “Lucky Child”, Ung continues her story, recounting her assimilation into American culture in Vermont, and her struggle with post-traumatic stress and the scars of war.
Commentary Series

Maple Season

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Although this spring’s mixed weather has kept maple production on the low side, commentator Tom Slayton has found time to visit a couple of sugarhouses. It’s one of his favorite rites of spring.
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Death With Dignity

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The debate over Physician Assisted Suicide, or Death with Dignity. Once again the legislature is considering a bill to legalize doctors helping patients to die. Steve Zind talks with two doctors—Dr. John Fogarty and Dr. Diana Barnard—who have differing views on the idea.
VPR News

April 14, 2005 — Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Lawmakers will hear public input on the notion of dry-cask spent fuel storage at VT Yankee; top legislative leaders get involved in a faculty contract dispute at the state colleges; the Bennington Museum curator is promoted to Director.
VPR News

Interview: Barbara Duncan – Wind Energy Forum

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The ongoing conversation about wind energy comes to the Montshire Museum in Norwich tonight, featuring an array of perspectives from energy experts who will discuss where wind power may or may not fit in the future of providing energy throughout Vermont and New Hampshire.
Commentary Series

Nanotech

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Where Vermont was once the computer memory capital of the world, commentator Timothy McQuiston tells us how nanotechnology could be the next big thing.
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Legislative session so far

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House and Senate Republican leaders join Bob Kinzel to assess the progress of the 2005 Legislative session from their persepctive. House minority leader Peg Flory and Senate minority whip Kevin Mullin also discuss their priorities for the year and how they differ from the Democrats’ agenda.
Commentary Series

Generation War

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Last Friday morning, we heard a commentary from Willem Lange on the Social Security debate. Today, commentator Cheryl Hanna offers another perspective. She is concerned that one aspect of the debate may seriously weaken the fabric of our community.
Commentary Series

How We Die

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With death and dying so much in the headlines lately, commentator Bill Meub has been reflecting on his own end-of-life arrangements.
VPR News

April 11, 2005 — Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: some wealthy Vermonters say the crisis in Medicaid can be solved by raising taxes on them; prime camping spots in the state park system are being reserved at a brisk pace this spring; more…
VPR News

Leahy Reflects on Pope

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Senator Patrick Leahy says being able to attend the funeral of Pope John Paul the second is one of the most important events of his 30-year career in the United States Senate.
VPR News

Vermont News Briefs

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The Wheelabrator incinerator, wireless phone service taxes and a Enosburg-based National Guard unit are in the Vermont headlines today.
VPR News

Then & Now: Statehouse Ceilings

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Architecturally, Vermont’s Statehouse is a relatively simple building. The most elaborate effects are in its detailed plaster ceilings, where a single lotus petal weighs 500 pounds.
VPR News

Interview: Martha Sirjane Genetically Engineered Seed Forum

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With a bill on the use of genetically modified seeds being debated by state lawmakers, Vermonters are becoming increasingly aware about issues related to food and food safety. Those topics will be discussed Saturday at a forum in Rutland with a list of guests that includes both organic and conventional farmers, a national food safety expert, and a minister.
VPR News

Questions Raised on DNA Discovery Timeline

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In the past month, Vermont’s DNA database has provided critical evidence in two murder investigations. Law enforcement officials say these are clearly success stories. But questions remain why it took four years to make a match in one of the cases.
VPR News

Backlog of Transportation Projects Raises Concerns

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The House has given its strong preliminary approval to next year’s transportation bill. Although the plan increases funding for paving and bridge repairs, backers of the bill are concerned that the state still has a sizeable backlog of important maintenance projects.
VPR News

April 8, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: A reality check on Senator Leahy’s effort to curb mercury pollution in the northeast; Vermont National Guard members gather at the Champlain Valley Fairground for a medal award and welcome home ceremony;more…
Switchboard

Economics 101

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Steve Zind talks with Associate Professor Matthew Slaughter of Dartmouth’s Tuck Business School about the meaning and real impact of economic factors like trade deficits, the national debt and the value of the dollar.
Commentary Series

Trainspotting

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If you ever had the desire to wander around the Maine wilderness, a surprise might be waiting. Commentator Joe Citro is here today to explain.
VPR News

April 6, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hourh: travel and tourism officials across New England are hoping this will be a big summer for international visitors; a Vermont priest witnesses the historic events in Rome first-hand this week; the Abenaki claim to federal tribal status has been elevated to “active” consideration in Washington, according to a top tribal official.
VPR News

Abenaki Recognition Legislation Faces Opposition

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The Vermont Attorney General’s Office says it’s opposing legislation that would give official state recognition to the Abenakis because it’s worried that this step might lead to federal recognition of the tribe.
VPR News

CVPS Placed on Credit Watch

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There’s a new warning out about the finances of the state’s largest power company. State regulators recently ordered the Central Vermont Public Service Corporation to lower rates and make refunds to customers.
Commentary Series

Migration

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When commentator Ted Levin tries to imagine a time – anytime – a season, a month, a week, perhaps even a day during the course of the year when birds are not migrating over Vermont, he can’t.
VPR News

April 5, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Governor Jim Douglas proclaims April is Child Abuse Prevention Month; a new law protects consumers from telemarketing fraud; the Senate passes a bill that would hold GMO manufacturers liable for damages caused by their seeds; Bennington voters decide whether to cap the size of retail buildings; maple syrup is sent to Vermont soldiers in Iraq (call 899-9926 for information); more….
Switchboard

Abenaki Indians

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Should Vermont officially recognize the state’s Abenaki Indians? The topic has been reintroduced in the Legislature and Bob Kinzel’s guests discuss the arguments for and against recognition.
Commentary Series

Humvee Armor

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There is virtually no one in America who would not say they “support the troops in Iraq.” But, as commentator Barrie Dunsmore notes, for a number of the American military casualties of that war those may be empty words.
VPR News

April 4, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Congressman Bernie Sanders says 2,500 flight support jobs at airports across the country are in danger; spring rains and melting snow are causing some Vermont rivers and streams to rise out of their banks; Rutland County officials promote the creation of an independent rail agency; the Polish community in Rutland marks the passing of Pope John Paul II.
VPR News

Interview: Casey Murrow on ‘This I Believe’

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As we’ve been hearing, the legacy of Edward R. Murrow lives on with the return of the series “This I Believe,” and we’ve heard a bit as well from Casey Murrow, who lives in Putney and is the son of the famed CBS news anchor. Mitch Wertlieb talks with Casey Murrow and asked him more about the series, starting with the origins of “This I Believe.”
VPR News

Then and Now: USS Constitution Chair

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We sit behind the governor’s desk at the Statehouse, in a 147-year old chair that was made for the state of Vermont from an American history icon – the U.S.S. Constitution.
Commentary Series

Thanks to the Cats

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Commentator Brian Porto isn’t usually a big fan of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, but thanks to the University of Vermont Catamounts, this year was different.
VPR News

Signs of Spring

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This time of year, most of us can’t get enough of the signs that spring is really here. All this week, listeners have been sharing those signs with VPR’s Eye on the Sky meteorologist Mark Breen, and he’s been sharing them with us.
VPR News

Backstage with the City Center Ballet’s ‘Cinderella’

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Over the next two weekends a unique group of dancers will perform a never before seen ballet in Woodstock and the Upper Valley. The story of Cinderella will be brought to life by Lebanon’s “City Center Ballet Company.” The dancers are young, unusually dedicated, and led by an extraordinary artistic director, as VPR’s Susan Keese Reports.
VPR News

Interview: ‘Nothing Like Dreaming’

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A new film by Vermont native Nora Jacobson is an exploration of friendship, mental illness and the healing power of art. In “Nothing Like Dreaming,” Emma is a bright 17-year-old girl who works in the Statehouse cafeteria, a backdrop to debates about gay marriage, gun control and drunk driving legislation. When Emma is consumed by grief over the death of a friend, she finds solace by becoming a sculptor’s apprentice and together they build a rare, strange instrument known as a fire organ.
VPR News

April 1, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Vermont House members voted moments ago not to override the governor’s veto of a state pension reform bill; a recommendation to remove the Mississquoi Bay causeway is criticized; Congress prepares to take up the nomination of nomination of Stephen Johnson to head the EPA; the Vermont Antiquarian Booksellers Association holds its twelfth annual Spring Book Fair; the murder trial of two Isle La Motte may be moved out of Grand Isle County.
VPR News

Man Arrested in 1991 Murder of Patricia Scoville

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A DNA database promoted by the parents of murder victim Patricia Scoville has led to the arrest of a suspect in her killing. Scoville was sexually assaulted and killed in 1991 while hiking in Stowe. The case was one of the state’s longest unsolved murders. Authorities say it was DNA evidence that led to the arrest of a Kirby man for the murder. The suspect, Howard G. Godfrey, was arraigned on Thursday in Vermont District Court.
VPR News

March 31, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: in about an hour, a Kirby man will be arraigned in the 1991 slaying of Patricia Scoville in Stowe; Vermont’s Education commissioner asks students to be on the lookout for signs of trouble; two Bennington College students remain in critical condition after falling through a window at the school’s art center; Robert Kinsey has died; the Transportation Agency holds a public hearing transporting freight to and from Middlebury.
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Alcohol Abuse

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The problems associated with alcohol devastate families and overburden state resources. Barbara Cimaglio, Director of the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division of the Vermont Department of Health and Suzanne Daley, a counselor at Serenity House in Rutland, talk about curbing alcohol abuse in Vermont through prevention, treatment and recovery. Hosted by Steve Zind.
Commentary Series

Herbert Elliott

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Life on a Vermont hill farm has inspired more than a few poets over the years, but commentator Tom Slayton says that it’s still an unexpected pleasure to find the combination of both hill farmer and poet in one man.
VPR News

March 30, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: health care is front and center in the Legislature as lawmakers try to reform health care delivery; where and how Vermont gets its energy will be discussed in a public forum sponsored by Green Mountain Power in Montpelier tonight; freelance writers in Vermont celebrate a major legal victory; Burlington Police and the Women’s Rape Crisis Center hold a forum tonight in response to concerns about the murder of Laura Winterbottom.
VPR News

Short Power Supply Raises Concerns

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The Stowe Electric Department is warning developers that a short supply of electricity could affect future projects. That’s raising the stakes for construction of a new power line for the whole region.
VPR News

‘Speak Softly, She Can Hear’: Interview With Pam Lewis

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A new novel by former Vermonter Pam Lewis explores the how a life can be changed by one deadly mistake. “Speak Softly, She Can Hear,” begins in 1965 as two prep school girls secretly travel to Vermont for a night of sexual experimentation. When their adventure takes a tragic turn, they must cover up a brutal death, nearly dying themselves in Vermont’s harsh climate. The girls vow to keep their trip, and the tragedy, a secret for the rest of their lives.
VPR News

March 29, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the Stowe Electric Department warns developers that a looming power shortage may curtail new projects; Archibishop Desmond Tutu speaks this afternoon at the University of Vermont; Central Elementary School in Bellows Falls has reopened after vandals damaged the school this weekend; the Vermont chapter of the National Youth Rights Association is at the Statehouse in support of lowering the state’s drinking age.
VPR News

Douglas Opposes Expansion of Records Bill

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Should government agencies pay legal fees if they lose lawsuits after denying access to public records? Vermont media organizations think so. But a bill in the Senate Judiciary Committee faces opposition from the Douglas administration and local government officials.
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Health Care Reform

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Former Human Services Secretary Con Hogan and Dr. Deb Richter have just written a new book, At The Crossroads – The Future of Health Care in Vermont. They analyze the major problems with Vermont’s current system and suggest ways to help make the system more cost effective. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
Commentary Series

Set shot

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Recently, a potent combination of mud season, cabin fever and the NCAAs inspired commentator W. D. Wetherell to take his son on an outing.
VPR News

March 28, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: a special legislative committee’s comprehensive health care plan would make fundamental changes in how Vermonters receive health care; former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani will address Middlebury College’s graduating class; Don Hovey, the longtime newspaper editor at the Caledonian Record in St. Johnsbury, died over the weekend; Dana Eidsness is Vermont’s new director of International Trade.
VPR News

Toolkit Helps Families Deal With School Harassment

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A little over a year ago, Vermont adopted new laws on school harassment based on race, national origin, gender and other protected categories. Now a southern Vermont organization has created a how-to kit for families who may need the law to resolve a problem.
VPR News

Interview: Sugaring the Old Fashioned Way

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Warmer days and cool nights – it’s the height of sugaring season. The knack for tapping and turning fine sap into Vermont maple syrup is perfected over time, and it’s an art Carroll Towne has been practicing since he was ten years old. Towne is a 78-year old retired dairy farmer in Milton. Mitch Wertlieb walked with him recently along a snow-covered ridgeline that opens into a maple grove near his farm.
VPR News

Then and Now: Stained Glass Skylight

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When Vermont and the “Friends of the Statehouse” set out to renovate the capitol in the 1990’s, one project involved solving a mystery of a thousand pieces. Today in our series “Then and Now,” curator David Schutz explains the mystery by going inside the elegant Cedar Creek reception room and looking upward at two stained glass skylights.
Commentary Series

Curriculum

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Recently, commentator David Moats was concerned to read an article suggesting that our educational system may be missing a fundamental component.
VPR News

Health care reform plan unveiled at Statehouse

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Vermonters are getting their first look at a comprehensive health care plan drafted by a special legislative committee. The legislation would set up a publicly financed system that could be funded through payroll or income taxes. It also includes new regulatory oversight of hospitals and other providers.
VPR News

March 25, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Vermont’s biggest hospital and its nurses union have restructured the final year of their contract; one of Brattleboro’s largest employers will not be emerging from bankruptcy later this month as hoped; Senator Patrick Leahy and Senator John Cornine are lauded for a bill that would strengthen the Federal Freedom of Information Act; the Equinox Hotel in Manchester tries to get state environmental officials to close a popular hiking trail.
VPR News

Bill would ease use of advanced directives

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Backers of a new advanced medical directives bill say they’re optimistic that the measure will receive full legislative approval this year. Earlier this month the House Human Services Committee gave its unanimous support to the legislation. The measure is now being considered in the House Judiciary committee.
VPR News

Vermonters comment on planning for end of life care

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The Vermont Ethics Network estimates that roughly 25 percent of all Vermonters have advanced directives in place, and it expects this number will grow significantly in the coming months. Producer Patti Daniels asked people in downtown Montpelier whether the Terri Schiavo case has them thinking about their own end of life care.
VPR News

House to vote on budget Friday

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Thursday night, the Vermont House gave preliminary approval to next year’s state budget. The major battle over the bill was an unsuccessful effort by the Republicans to include Governor Jim Douglas’ Medicaid reform plan in the legislation.
VPR News

Backstage with Dangerous Liaisons

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A new Chittenden County theater company is hoping that intrigue, seduction and scandalous behavior will rekindle interest from area theater-goers. VPR’s Neal Charnoff goes “Backstage” with the Equinox Theater Company’s production of “Dangerous Liaisons.”
VPR News

March 24, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the governor’s office announces that two public meetings about tire burning will be held with International Paper; 14 Vermonters got an official National Guard are deployed to Iraq; foreign language instruction receives recognition; Governor Douglas and Quebec Premier Jean Charest schedule a meeting for this summer; a 100-year-old stuffed bald eagle is missing from its display case at the library in Newport; more….
VPR News

Interview: Farming trends in urban and suburban Vermont

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Surprising figures on farming activity in Vermont’s most populous county are spurring a new study that the state’s Agriculture secretary calls the first ever comprehensive look at agriculture in urban and suburban Vermont. Mitch Wertlieb discusses the findings of the study with Greg Brown of the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission.
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Advanced Directives

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The case of Terri Schiavo has heightened awareness about living wills and advanced directives for health care. Key lawmakers discuss a new advanced directive bill being considered in the Vermont House. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
VPR News

Schiavo case prompts discussion of end of life care

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The legal fight over who controls the fate of Terri Schaivo, the brain-damaged Florida woman whose case has touched Congress and the courts, may have a beneficial side-effect. VPR’s Nina Keck reports it’s making many Americans think about their own end-of-life wishes.
VPR News

March 23, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the Vermont State Teachers’ Retirement Board opposes President Bush’s Social Security reforms; the Senate debates a motion to override a veto by Governor Jim Douglas; Governor Douglas makes a public appeal to keep some violent sexual predators in treatment after their sentences expire; more….
VPR News

Burlington plans to launch municipal cable TV service

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The city of Burlington wants to become the first municipality in the state to enter the cable TV business. But its potential rival, Adelphia Communications, says it’s worried about unfair competition and potential subsidies from the city. The Public Service Board will hold a hearing on the case Wednesday night.
Commentary Series

Mexican Summit

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As President Bush hosts a summit meeting with the presidents of Mexico and Canada, commentator Bill Seamans reflects on some of the issues that are likely to be discussed.
VPR News

Senate Democrats prepare for override vote Wednesday

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Senate Democrats say they have the votes to override Governor Jim Douglas’s veto of a bill that consolidates the operations of three state pension funds. The Democrats say their initiative will save the state three billion dollars over the next 30 years.
VPR News

Newport mobile methadone faces decision this week

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The company that is still awaiting final approval to bring a mobile methadone clinic to St. Johnsbury is setting its sights next on Newport. The state’s Public Oversight Commission is to decide on Thursday whether to recommend sites in the two Northeast Kingdom communities to be served by the mobile clinic.
VPR News

March 22, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: leaders of the Vermont State Senate have put off a confrontation with Governor Jim Douglas over a veto; Senator Jim Jeffords announces a federal grant for the Burlington Police Department; Jeffords has hired Carolyn Dwyer to organize his 2006 re-election campaign; despite rising gas prices, a Banknorth economist says the economic sky is not falling; Burlington police arrest a suspect in the homicide of Laura Winterbottom; more….
VPR News

Interview: Advance directives for end of life care

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With much of the country closely watching the life-or-death drama being played out in the Terry Schiavo case, the Vermont Ethics Network is urging Vermonters who want to avoid that potential dilemma to obtain a new “advance directive for health care” form. The free document helps Vermonters specify in writing whether or not they want to be kept alive by a feeding tube in the event they are unable to think or act for themselves.
Switchboard

Senator Jeffords

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Senator Jim Jeffords discusses the President’s plan to change Social Security, the impact of federal budget cuts in Vermont, new fights over judicial nominees and the situation in Iraq. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
VPR News

Vermont senators oppose congressional role in Terry Schiavo case

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Both of Vermont’s U.S. senators say they oppose legislation involving Congress in the controversy over Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube. Senators Jim Jeffords and Patrick Leahy say it’s inappropriate for Congress to attempt to overrule a state court. They say the new legislation creates a dangerous precedent.
VPR News

Written instructions urged for end of life care

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A statewide group is using the Terry Schiavo case to promote its long-held view that people should provide written instructions for health care decisions in which they may not be able to participate.
VPR News

Health clinic serves homeless teens

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A health care clinic designed to serve homeless teenagers has opened in Burlington. The drop-in clinic on Pearl Street will be operated by the Community Health Center of Burlington and Spectrum Youth and Family Services.
VPR News

‘Bones of the Earth’: interview with Howard Mansfield

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New England is a region of landmarks, many of the oldest kind: stones and trees, or what author Howard Mansfield calls The Bones of the Earth. In his new book, The Bones of the Earth, Mansfield uses these landmarks to explore the loss of cultural memory in our region. Mansfield says that by asking questions about the past, we can reinvent our view of the future.
VPR News

March 21, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Vermont’s three members in Congress were caught off-guard by a vote designed to open a legal pathway for the parents of Terri Schaivo; the House takes up a carter amendment that would allow Burlington to use instant runoff voting in mayoral races; State Archivist Gregory Sanford explains Vermont’s 14 years of independence before joining the United States; Catamount fans boosted business in Worcester, MA, over the weekend.
VPR News

Then and Now: Bust of Abraham Lincoln

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In the main hall of the Statehouse, there’s a bust of Abraham Lincoln that came to Vermont in an unlikely way. No one knows if its sculptor, Larkin Mead, even intended for it to be on public display. But as curator David Schutz explains, the Lincoln bust tells of Vermont’s link to the Civil War.
Commentary Series

Restraining Order Case

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What rights do victims of domestic violence have when it comes to police protection? Commentator Cheryl Hanna discusses a current Supreme Court Case that could drastically change how the police respond to one of our community’s biggest problems.
VPR News

Democrats attempt override of governor’s veto

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Democratic leaders will attempt next week to over-ride Governor Jim Douglas’ veto of a pension bill. The governor rejected the legislation because of the make-up of a proposed pension fund investment committee. But the Democrats say the governor’s criticism is unfounded.
VPR News

Proposed changes to open records law spark disagreement

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Disagreement is growing over a proposal by members of the Vermont media to amend the state’s open records law. Representatives of the Vermont Press Association want to require that public agencies pay their legal fees when they lose lawsuits over access to public records.
VPR News

Former legislator Reed free on parole

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A former Vermont legislator convicted for his role in a 1984 murder is free on parole. Gregory Reed has been out of prison on furlough for four years. The Vermont Parole Board voted on Thursday to grant Reed parole, which is less restrictive than furlough.
VPR News

March 18, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the Senate Economic Development Committee is scheduled to take up the issue of state recognition for Vermont’s Abenaki Indians; the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant has earned a passing grade from the NRC; Congressman Bernie Sanders speaks on the baseball steroid hearings in Congress; Middlebury College hosts the men’s hockey Division III championship; the eighth annual Green Mountain Film Festival begins in Montpelier; more….
VPR News

Douglas vetoes state pension investment bill

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In his first veto of the year, Governor Jim Douglas has rejected a bill allowing state pension systems to jointly invest their portfolios. The governor said he agrees with the concept of the legislation but his criticism has to do with the way the new system is structured.
VPR News

House set to pass minimum wage bill

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On Thursday the Vermont House gave its preliminary approval to legislation that increases the state minimum wage and guarantees future increases through a cost of living index. The vote on the bill was 81 to 57.
VPR News

Interview: Green Mountain Film Festival opens Friday

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The big budget Hollywood blockbuster films have had their Oscar day in the sun and now it’s time for independent, harder to find films to shine. The eighth annual Green Mountain Film Festival kicks off on Friday in Montpelier. Mitch Wertlieb gets a preview from writer and member of the committee organizing the festival, Susan Ritz.
VPR News

Leahy names new chief of staff

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A veteran aide to Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy will become chief of staff when current chief Luke Albee leaves next month. Ed Pagano has been on Leahy’s staff since 1993 and is currently the senator’s senior counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Commentary Series

St. Patrick

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Commentator Willem Lange never fully appreciated the full effect of the career of St. Patrick until a recent VPR tour to the land of the Ould Sod.
Commentary Series

World TB Day

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March 24th is World TB Day, and, as commentator Helen Labun Jordan observes, reexamining the facts of tuberculosis is a sobering exercise, not only for global health workers, but for those designing health policy closer to home.
VPR News

Bennington Museum director steps down

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The executive director of the Bennington Museum is stepping down to become head of an automobile museum under construction in New York State. The resignation of Richard Borges will be effective June 30.
VPR News

UVM medicine professor pleads guilty to falsifying research

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A former professor at the University of Vermont College of Medicine says he made up data used to win federal research grants. The U.S. Attorney’s office says that 49-year-old Doctor Eric Poehlman has agreed to plead guilty to making false statements in an application for a $542,000 grant.
VPR News

Family settles with state over inmate’s death

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The state has agreed to settle a wrongful death suit involving a prison inmate who committed suicide after almost three months of solitary confinement. Lawyers for the family of James Quigley say they will announce the settlement on Friday at a Statehouse news conference.
VPR News

March 17, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Under unusually tight security, the Vermont Legislature votes on whether to retain all four sitting justices of the Vermont Supreme Court; it’s Match Day for fourth-year medical students, including 80 students at UVM, who find out which hospitals they’ll be assigned to for their clinical residencies; Democratic Rep. John Tracy plans to run for mayor of Burlington; a history of Irish immigration to Vermont; more….
VPR News

Interview: Supreme Court case examines use of TV news tapes

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Vermont’s Supreme Court is hearing a case that could affect the way media outlets cover stories. Prosecutors want to identify people who rioted at the University of Vermont after the Boston Red Sox beat the New York Yankees in last fall’s American League Championship series, and they want television station WCAX to hand over un-aired videotape of the riot that could help them do just that. WCAX is refusing the request.
Switchboard

Baseball Vagabond Bill Lee

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Former Red Sox pitcher Bill Lee has written a new book, Have Glove Will Travel – Adventures Of A Baseball Vagabond. He’ll discuss key issues from the book, analyze the Red Sox chances of repeating as World Champions and weigh in on the current controversy over steroids. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
Commentary Series

Collapse

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There’s a new book out on why systems – both natural and social – fall apart. And it’s given commentator Tom Slayton fresh food for thought.
VPR News

Dubie breaks tie in vote to ban mercury batteries

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Lieutenant Governor Brian Dubie cast his first tie-breaking vote in the Senate on Wednesday to break a deadlock on a bill that regulates mercury. Dubie’s vote means that the legislation now exempts certain products from a proposed statewide ban on mercury. Those products use mercury batteries made in Bennington. And the lieutenant governor said he was concerned about jobs at the Bennington battery plant.
VPR News

Sugarmakers hope season will start this week

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Maple sugar producers in southern Vermont hope temperatures might rise enough on Thursday or Friday for the sap to start running. The season is nearly two weeks late in some parts of the state.
VPR News

March 16, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the Legislature will vote by secret ballot tomorrow whether to retain members of the Vermont Supreme Court; Secretary of State Deb Markowitz says all the justices are properly installed in office, despite some claims otherwise; the U.S. House approves $16 million for transportation projects in Vermont; the UVM Catamounts are the buzz in the NCAA basketball tournament; an agriculture deal with Cuba is in jeopardy.
VPR News

Doctors join hospitals in criticizing governor’s Medicaid plan

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The Vermont Medical Society says the governor’s plan to cut payments to health care providers to help stabilize the state’s Medicaid program will have a devastating impact on doctors throughout the state. Instead of implementing these cuts, the doctors are urging lawmakers to support a package of tax increases to ensure a reasonable growth in the Medicaid program.
VPR News

Environmentalists warn against lawn care chemicals

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A regional environmental group is taking on the nation’s largest lawn care service. The Toxics Action Center says the ChemLawn company uses a variety of potentially dangerous pesticides. But a company spokesman says all its materials are approved by federal regulators and are safe when used properly.
VPR News

Jeffords, Leahy criticize new emissions rule

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Vermont’s two U.S. senators have strongly criticized a new Bush administration rule that regulates mercury emissions. The Vermont delegation says the rule will allow Midwestern coal-burning power plants to continue to pollute.
VPR News

High radiation reading taken near Vermont Yankee

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State officials want Entergy Vermont Yankee to explain by April 1, why a radiation monitor near the plant showed unusually high levels. A monitor on the plant fence line indicated levels above state standards sometime during the last three months of 2004.
Commentary Series

Energy

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The cost of energy is a hot topic in Vermont this winter, and commentator Tim McQuiston says that a new business coalition has just joined the debate.
VPR News

March 15, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Both Vermont Senators attack the new Bush mercury pollution rules; a partisan squabble over the level of state spending to clean up Lake Champlain; the Vermont Medical Association advocates higher taxes to support Medicaid; preliminary results of a Town Meeting Day survey; the Stowe Reporter gets a new editor.
Commentary Series

Spring Houseplants

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In spite of the fact that there’s plenty of winter weather still ahead, commentator Henry Homeyer says that there’s something you can do to flex those green thumbs.
Commentary Series

Eels

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Though you may not like to eat sauteed eel, Ruth Page thinks you should try it. And, at least, you may be impressed by their endless-travel lifestyle.
Switchboard

Live from Brattleboro

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The arts, politics and history of Brattleboro converge to make this small a city a unique Vermont community. We broadcast live from the Latchis Theatre in downtown Brattleboro and examine the spirit and identity of the town. Hosted by Steve Zind.
VPR News

Initial results from Doyle survey released

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According to the preliminary results of Senator Bill Doyle’s Town Meeting Day survey, an overwhelming number of Vermonters support efforts to expand the state’s bottle deposit law. Respondents also think that doctors should be allowed to help terminally ill patients die.
VPR News

Supreme Court hears arguments on access to information

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The Vermont Supreme Court heard two arguments on Monday involving access to information. One centered on former Presidential candidate Howard Dean’s decision to keep many of his gubernatorial records sealed. The other concerned a television station’s refusal to give authorities videotape of a riot on the University of Vermont campus.
VPR News

Panel explores civics and heroism

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The University of Vermont is hosting a panel discussion on Monday afternoon, “Politics and the Public Trust: The Next Generation of Civic Heroes.” The panel includes attorney, author and environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
VPR News

March 14, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: police remove a man who disrupted this morning Supreme Court session; maple sugaring season begins officially; Vermont make a foray into the European maple market; UVM men’s basketball team makes the NCAA tournament.
VPR News

Bill would support advance directives for end of life care

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Legislation that would give people additional rights to determine their end of life health care has been unanimously adopted by the House Human Services committee. Backers of the bill say it’s needed because the current system is too complicated and is occasionally ignored by doctors.
VPR News

Catamounts head to NCAA tournament

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The University of Vermont men’s basketball team is returning to the NCAA tournament for the third year in a row, with a date against the Syracuse Orangemen on Friday in Worcester, Massachusetts. The Catamounts enter the Austin regional of “bracketville” as a number 13 seed, the highest ranking the team has ever enjoyed, and fans can be forgiven if they’re already thinking “upset.”
VPR News

Word for Word: public testimony on health care

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Health care reform is at the top of the legislative agenda this year. House and Senate committees have heard from hospitals, insurance companies and health policy specialists. Last week, it was the public’s turn to testify. Vermonters from all over the state came to the House chamber in Montpelier to tell their own health care stories, and to offer their hopes and ideas for change. Today in “Word for Word,” we bring you a sample of what they said.
VPR News

Then and Now: Fossils underfoot at the Statehouse

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When Vermont’s Statehouse was built in 1859, prehistoric stone from a quarry in Isle la Motte was used because it said something about the state’s past. What people didn’t realize at the time was the full historic significance of the stone. This morning in our series Then and Now,’ curator David Schutz walks us into the Statehouse to explore what lies underfoot.
Commentary Series

Spelling Bee

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Recently, commentator Philip Baruth was one of the judges for the final round of the Spelling Bee for Literacy, sponsored by the Vermont Humanities Council. He learned a great deal, not only about spelling, but about grudges and the human desire for revenge.
Commentary Series

Roosevelt

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The national dialogue about the future of Social Security has reminded commentator David Moats of a similar debate that took place over 50 years ago.
VPR News

Lawmakers want to limit dry cask storage

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Lawmakers have received a formal request from Entergy-Vermont Yankee for a high-level nuclear waste site near the Connecticut River. Legislative leaders say they want to limit the storage to waste produced at the plant until its license expires in 2012. They also say Yankee should pay for the privilege of storing its waste near the Vernon reactor.
VPR News

Backers say universal health care has broad suppport

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Backers of a Town Meeting health care referendum that calls for a publicly financed universal access system say the success of their initiative in more than 20 towns demonstrates strong grass roots support for their plan. The group is calling on Governor Jim Douglas to reconsider his opposition to a single payer health care proposal.
VPR News

Court to rule on police use of TV news tapes

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The Vermont Supreme Court will decide whether television station WCAX must give prosecutors un-broadcast videotape of a disturbance at the University of Vermont. Prosecutors are appealing a ruling that the station has a qualified First Amendment privilege to keep under wraps material that it did not use in its news reports.
VPR News

NCAA ski championships in Stowe

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The University of Vermont has fallen to second place in the NCAA Skiing Championships in Stowe. The Catamounts’ 30-point advantage was wiped out by Denver on Thursday.
VPR News

March 11, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the fight over public access to Howard Dean’s gubernatorial records goes before the state’s high court next week; more than 150 Vermonters packed the House chamber on Thursday night to offer their suggestions about improving Vermont’s health care system; a Senate committee blocks the Bush administration’s efforts to soften the standards for air pollution; more….
VPR News

Interview: ‘Big Box Development’ focus of law school conference

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If Thursday night’s sold out event is any indication, the issue of huge retail stores like Wal-Mart coming to town is still a topic of great interest in Vermont. The two-day symposium and debate on “Small Town America in an Era of Big Box Development” kicked off at the Vermont Law School in South Royalton and continues through Friday, addressing the pressures and opportunities that make up our rapidly changing retail climate.
VPR News

Bennington College program highlights post-Apartheid South Africa

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America has been a model of democracy for countries around the world. But the United States’ war of independence is part of long-past history. This week, students in Bennington College’s new Democracy Project are learning and exchanging insights with visitors from South Africa’s black townships. There, the passion for dignity and freedom still burns hot.
VPR News

‘African Sanctus’ debuts in Rutland

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This Sunday evening, Rutland’s Grace Congregational Church will be transformed by a unique commingling of sounds. African drumming and chanting will mix with traditional western choral music in a Latin mass. Some 150 singers, musicians, dancers and technicians will join Music Minister Rip Jackson and British composer David Fanshawe to present the Vermont debut of Fanshawe’s “African Sanctus.”
Commentary Series

Two Views of Judicial Retention

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Four justices of the Vermont Supreme Court are currently under review to determine if they get to remain on the bench. A challenge has arisen during the process concerning the interpretation of the Vermont constitution in two recent controversial decisions. Commentators Cheryl Hanna and John McClaughry offer Two Views of the judicial retention debate. Here’s Cheryl Hanna.
VPR News

March 10, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the man described by Senator Patrick Leahy as the best chief of staff in Washington is leaving his job; Democratic legislators and Governor Jim Douglas hold opposing news conferences on health care reform; the Champlain Valley Agency on Aging says its federal appropriation has been frozen, but not its expenses; a New Hampshire town votes to censure its Select Board over a personnel issue involving a deployed National Guard soldier.
VPR News

Clear Skies Act stopped in committee

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Independent Senator Jim Jeffords is thrilled that President Bush’s Clear Skies Act failed in committee on Wednesday in a tie vote. But this doesn’t mean the issue is completely dead. If Mr. Bush continues to pressure Republicans they can bring the bill up again with just 72 hours notice.
Commentary Series

Dan Rather

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The departure of Dan Rather as anchorman of the CBS Evening News has commentator Barrie Dunsmore thinking about network television news – past and future.
Switchboard

Annual Weather Show

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VPR’s Eye on the Sky weather forecasters Mark Breen and Steve Maleski talk about the lore and the science of New England weather – and they take your calls. Hosted by Steve Zind.
VPR News

Hospitals and Douglas administration at odds over Medicaid deficit

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Vermont hospital executives came to Montpelier on Wednesday to add their voice to the health care debate. They’re worried about the governor’s plan to cut Medicaid payments to hospitals. The hospitals have a plan of their own that calls for a temporary tax but that met with a cool reception in the governor’s office.
VPR News

Sanders’ amendment would repeal some parts of USA Patriot Act

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Congressman Bernie Sanders has introduced legislation that repeals several sections of the USA Patriot Act. The original law was passed in the weeks after the terrorist attacks of September 11th to give law enforcement agencies additional tools to monitor and apprehend people who are suspected of plotting acts of terrorism.
VPR News

Leahy’s long-time chief of staff moves on

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Senator Patrick Leahy’s chief of staff is leaving his post. Luke Albee has worked for Leahy for 20 years, serving as chief of staff since 1993. Albee is going to work as a lobbyist with a Washington firm.
VPR News

Bill would charge seceding towns with ‘exit fees’

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Divorce can be costly, and some lawmakers want the town of Killington to know that before it continues its drive to leave Vermont for New Hampshire. Three House members have introduced a bill that would charge exit fees to towns if they want to leave Vermont.
VPR News

March 9, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee rejects legislation that would relax the Clean Air Act; political analysis of Howard Dean’s first weeks as Democratic National Committee chair; state revenues are down a bit in the last month; the Windham Regional Commission urges the Public Service Board to wait for the Legislature to weigh in before it rules on Vermont Yankee’s request for dry-cask storage; more….
VPR News

Two reports on mercury may affect EPA emissions rule

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Opponents of a proposal to regulate mercury emissions at Midwestern coal-burning power plants are hoping that information in two new reports will have an impact on the regulations. The Environmental Protection Agency is set to issue a key rule on mercury emissions next week. Mercury has been linked to numerous health problems.
VPR News

Radio Free Brattleboro steps aside for new low-power station

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Radio Free Brattleboro may be nearing the end of its battle with the Federal Communications Commission. The tiny, all-volunteer station, which can only be heard in Brattleboro, has been operating without a license despite FCC efforts to shut it down.
VPR News

Sanders opposes federal Medicaid waiver for Vermont

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Congressman Bernie Sanders says he opposes Governor Jim Douglas’s plan to reform the state’s Medicaid program. The governor is seeking a waiver from the federal government to give the state much greater flexibility in using federal funds.
VPR News

Legislature seeks role in approval of Medicaid waiver

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The Legislature is expected to pass a bill this week that requires the Douglas administration to get specific legislative approval for a proposed federal Medicaid waiver. It could be several months before the details of the waiver are finally negotiated and the delay could affect how lawmakers review the plan.
VPR News

Dean attends terrorism conference in Spain

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Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean is scheduled to attend a four-day summit on terrorism in Madrid. The conference, which opened on Tuesday, comes almost one year after the city suffered one of Europe’s worst terrorist attacks.
VPR News

March 8, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Former Human Services Commissioner Cornelius Hogan and two co-authors argue in a new book that Vermont should have a statewide funding system for health care; a coalition of activists and politicians speak out in Montpelier against President Bush’s proposed budget cuts; police ask for public help regarding a the body of Brattleboro resident Patrick Butler, found lying on some ice under a bridge that spans the Connecticut river.
Commentary Series

Art of Achievement

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Over the years, Vermont has inspired and sustained many outstanding visual artists. Commentator Anne Galloway says that a new exhibit celebrates their contribution to the creative life of the state.
Switchboard

Congressman Sanders

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Congressman Bernie Sanders has been holding a series of Town Meetings around Vermont concerning President Bush’s proposal to change Social Security. Sanders discusses his findings and address many other key issues pending before Congress. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
VPR News

Board revises proposed changes for deer hunting

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The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Board will consider several revisions to proposed changes in the state’s fall deer hunting season. The revisions comes after a series of crowded public hearings last month in which hunters expressed their dissatisfaction with the way the state’s deer herd is being managed.
VPR News

Backers of Guard resolution take cause to Statehouse

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Organizers of a Town Meeting vote on the Iraq War say their next stop is the state Legislature. Last week, 50 towns passed some form of a resolution questioning the role of the National Guard in the conflict. Those who worked on the effort say they hope lawmakers will now set up a commission to examine the war’s impact at home.
VPR News

Residents, senators raise questions about I-91 checkpoint

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A U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 91 is beginning to wear on residents and prompt questions by Vermont’s congressional delegation. At a congressional hearing last week, U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy told Customs and Border Patrol Commissioner Robert Bonner that the I-91 checkpoint is stopping honest people who are simply driving through their home region.
VPR News

Concord buys back totaled plow

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Officials in the Northeast Kingdom town of Concord are displaying a little bit of Yankee thrift. Their relatively new, 2001 town plow was totaled in an accident last month. But it would cost so much to buy a new one that the town decided to buy the wrecked one back from its insurance carrier, fix it and put it back on the road.
VPR News

March 7, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Governor Jim Douglas holds economic security forums around the state; Democrats are skeptical a federal waiver will lead to substantive Medicaid reform; plans to create a regional recreational facility in Rutland County are moving forward; leaders of Southwestern Vermont Health Care want to build a retirement village on the medical center’s Bennington campus; school children in Irasburg mark the 101st birthday of Dr. Seuss.
VPR News

Teen driving deaths down after new license rules

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According to a new report, Vermont has one of the lowest death rates for teen drivers in the country. This represents a significant change from several years ago. Vermont Highway safety officials say the state’s new graduated license law is a big reason why the trend has changed and they want to expand the law.
VPR News

Then and Now: Gas lamps light the Statehouse

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Inside the Statehouse, the Vermont story can be seen and heard in the people, the laws that are passed, and the many artifacts that have been collected there. Today in our series “Then and Now,” curator David Schutz tells how frugality was behind the preservation of gas lamps that are now a national treasure.
VPR News

Public input sought on Circumferential Highway plan

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The state wants public input on how to improve the transportation network in the Essex-Williston area. The Transportation Agency has scheduled three public meetings for later this month. Officials say all options are on the table – from the proposed Circumferential Highway to building nothing at all.
VPR News

National Guard soldiers leave for training in Mississippi

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More Vermont National Guardsmen are headed to Mississippi for training before they head to Iraq. The 35 soldiers scheduled to leave on Saturday will replace soldiers who left earlier this year, but couldn’t continue because of medical, dental or other issues.
VPR News

Passenger plane makes emergency landing in Burlington

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Frozen flaps on a U.S. Airways plane are thought to be the cause of an emergency landing at the Burlington International Airport. The passenger jet that was inbound from Washington landed without incident at about 5:30 Thursday afternoon.
VPR News

March 4, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean and conservative commentator Pat Buchanan find common ground; a technology group managed by Dartmouth College launches an $8.5 million program; Capitol Hill reporter Melinda Wittstock says Vermonters may have started a dialog in Washington on the use of the National Guard; Senator Jim Jeffords praises the president’s nominee to head the EPA; Vermont is named the third most livable state.
Commentary Series

The Old West Church

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Commentator Tom Slayton says that there is a church in Central Vermont that was built in the early 1800s, has changed hardly at all since then and is still in use today.
Commentary Series

Climate Stability

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Commentator Brendan Fisher says that, although the United States declined to participate in the Kyoto Treaty, regional American efforts may contribute substantially to climate stability after all.
Commentary Series

Norumbega

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We’ve all heard the stories about the Spanish searching for Inca gold, but commentator Joe Citro is willing to bet that you haven’t heard the story about a mythical city of gold in New England.
VPR News

New bishop named for Burlington Diocese

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Vermont Catholics have a new leader. On Thursday, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington announced that Pope John Paul the Second has appointed Monsignor Salvatore Matano to succeed Bishop Kenneth Angell when Angell retires.
VPR News

Omya Act 250 infraction excused

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The state has decided not to take enforcement action against the Omya Corporation for an Act 250 violation. An environmental activist has criticized the decision, saying officials have sidestepped their responsibility to uphold the law.
VPR News

Vermont Guard resolutions spark national discussion

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On Town Meeting Day, 48 Vermont communities voted for some version of a resolution that asked elected officials to examine whether it’s appropriate to use National Guard troops in foreign deployments, specifically to Iraq.
VPR News

Skiers charged $16,400 for rescue

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Four skiers from Pennsylvania are being billed more than $4,100 apiece for the cost of rescuing them after they got lost in the backcountry near Killington. Vermont State Police sent the bills to the men because authorities determined they were negligent.
VPR News

March 3, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Pope John Paul the Second names Monsignor Salvatore Matano of the Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island, to become the next bishop of Vermont Catholic diocese; there was a small earthquake along the Canadian border in northern New York last night; Eric Davis says there is a ripple effect from resolutions taken up at Town Meeting; wiring is blamed for a fire in Brattleboro that left three people homeless.
Switchboard

Deer Herd Management

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The Fish and Wildlife Board has just completed a series of hearing around the state, listening to complaints and suggestions about the management of the deer herd. Fish and Wildlife Board Chair Rob Borowske, former Vermont Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Steve Wright and hunter and Bill Torrey discuss the proposed changes. Hosted by Steve Zind.
VPR News

School officials pleased with budget results

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School officials say they’re pleased that voters supported budgets in most Vermont communities on Town Meeting Day. They say the results demonstrate that most voters understand the difficult factors facing many school boards.
VPR News

Markowitz says resolutions may affect Legislative debate

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Vermont Secretary of State Deb Markowitz says resolutions on the Town Meeting Day ballot brought out strong concerns from the voters. One resolution that called for legislative leaders to pursue universal health care in the state was approved in more than 20 towns.
VPR News

Town clerk works from home

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Ruth Miller’s commute to work has gotten a lot shorter. The new North Hero town clerk just has to walk into her basement.
VPR News

Coppenrath named conference player of the year

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University of Vermont basketball star Taylor Coppenrath is the unanimous selection as the America East player of the year. He’s only the second player in conference history to win the award three times.
VPR News

March 2, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the country at the noon hour: the Vermont State Employees’ Association will appeal the decertification of the Vermont State Hospital; Secretary of State Deb Markowitz declares Town Meeting Day 2005 a success; Howard Dean tells Democrats in Mississippi that the party won’t concede the south to Republicans; voters in Montgomery have rejected a plan for expanded sheriff’s patrols in three towns.
VPR News

Vermont towns see Iraq war as local issue

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In Vermont, almost 50 towns have opposed the use of the National Guard for the war in Iraq. The votes came during the state’s traditional grass-roots meetings in which the hot topics are usually school budgets or the purchase of a new town truck. But this year, the Iraq War was a local issue too. (This story aired on National Public Radio.)
VPR News

Towns approve school budgets, despite increases

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It appears school budgets around the state generally fared well at town meeting, with little debate. That’s despite the fact that, statewide, budgets increased an average of 6.5 percent. VPR’s Steve Zind visited one town to see how voters would deal with a proposed school budget hike.
VPR News

Killington supports secession effort after divisive town meeting

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The town of Killington will push ahead with efforts to secede from Vermont. A resolution directing the town selectmen to stop efforts to join New Hampshire was defeated by town meeting voters 117 to 45. Local officials have been threatening to leave Vermont because of what they call unfairly high property taxes. Debate on the issue got ugly.
VPR News

Rutland moves forward with railyard project

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A $100 million railyard relocation project that’s been proposed for Rutland City and Rutland Town got a boost from the voters. Rutland City approved a redevelopment plan that includes the project by a nearly two to one margin, but the vote in Rutland Town was much closer.
VPR News

Sounds of Town Meeting Day

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Town Meeting Day brings together many people, issues and sounds. It takes all of these to make up the distinctive tradition of Vermont’s grass roots democracy. VPR’s Betty Smith was with the hundred voters who turned out in West Windsor on a snowy morning and filed this audio postcard.
VPR News

National Guard resolution finds support

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Towns that considered an anti-Iraq war resolution at their town meetings are overwhelmingly voting in favor of it. More than 50 communities voted on a resolution questioning the use of National Guard troops in the Iraq war.
VPR News

Towns pass universal health care resolution

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It appears that a town meeting resolution in support of universal health care coverage was approved by voters in nearly all of the communities that considered it. The resolution called for local and state officials to support state-financed universal health care.
VPR News

Burlington rejects YMCA proposal for Moran plant

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Burlington voters spoke out strongly against a plan to relocate the YMCA to the city’s waterfront. A referendum on whether the city should sell the old Moran Generating Station on the waterfront to the Greater Burlington YMCA was defeated: 4,743 to 2,693.
VPR News

Dorset elects new town clerk

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Voters in Dorset have a new town clerk. She’s Sandy Pinsonault, a Dorset resident who has worked for six years as assistant town clerk in Manchester.
Switchboard

Town Meeting Day

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Special 90-minute coverage of Town Meeting Day includes field reports from towns across the state, updates on which towns passed special resolutions and your calls. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
Commentary Series

Scale Insects

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The males of many scale insect species come in such a mix of weird forms that science is still trying to figure them all out. Ruth Page points out that some scale insects can reproduce and some can’t; males die along with the suicidal bacteria inside them; and none of the adult males can eat.
VPR News

Montpelier votes on school construction plan

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Montpelier voters declined several key ballot items on Tuesday that affect the future of the city’s schools. As VPR’s Bob Kinzel reports, the issues in Montpelier are also being debated in many communities across the state.
VPR News

20 towns vote on universal health care

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Twenty towns across the state took up a non-binding resolution that calls for the state to support universal health care. One of those towns was Westford, where the resolution passed after some discussion.
VPR News

Leahy still opposed to court nominee

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President Bush spent some political capital two weeks ago when he re-nominated federal judges the Senate rejected in his last term. But Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy once again refuses to confirm William Myers for a lifetime appointment to the ninth circuit court of appeals.
VPR News

March 1, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Secretary of State Deb Markowitz says there have been no town meetings cancelled due to snow; there’s a different pattern of voter concerns in Franklin County this year; towns grapple with the cost of education; seven Vermont legislators have asked New York Governor George Pataki to stop International Paper Company from burning tires; there’s been another skiing fatality in Vermont; more….
VPR News

Rutland town discusses railyard proposal in advance of vote

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Rutland Town and Rutland City have been working for several years on a $100 million plan to move the city’s congested railyards to a larger parcel of land in Rutland Town. Residents of the two communities will have their first chance to weigh in on the project on Tuesday in separate ballot items.
VPR News

Rockingham passes town budget, Guard resolution

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The town of Rockingham was among dozens of towns across the state that held town meetings on Monday night. Voters unanimously passed an essentially level-funded town budget after some scrutiny and a minimal amount of haggling.
Commentary Series

Hunter Thompson

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This morning, commentator Philip Baruth discusses the death of one of his writing heroes, Hunter S. Thompson, who committed suicide recently at his home in Colorado.
Commentary Series

Teamwork

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Reflecting on the hot debate ignited by so many issues these days, commentator Bill Shutkin thinks we might want to steal a few secrets of success from our favorite sports teams.
VPR News

Rail yard ballot item raises controversy in Rutland

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Town meeting day voters in Rutland City and Rutland Town will be considering the pros and cons of a $100 million rail yard relocation project. While many in the community are in favor of the move, VPR’s Nina Keck reports debate over the proposed site has heated up in recent weeks.
VPR News

Towns take up debate on Guard resolution

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If early town meetings are any indication, Vermont’s reaction to a resolution involving the Iraq war will be passionate and varied. On Saturday, Westminster voted for the resolution, Starksboro decided it to table it and Thetford spent an hour discussing and amending it.
VPR News

Two die in snowmobile accident

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Two Northeast Kingdom residents have died in a snowmobile crash in Barton. Thirty-year-old Freddy Geraw of Barton and his nephew, 12-year-old Michael Geraw of Newport, were killed Friday night when the snowmobile they were riding went off a VAST trail, down an embankment and into the Barton River.
VPR News

February 28, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Town Meeting Day might be affected by wintry weather; 20 towns will vote on whether to ask their local leaders to work on universal health care; a proposed $100 million rail yard relocation project and a multi-district recreational facility will be on Rutland area town meeting agendas; retailers in upstate New York report a significantly higher number of Canadians are coming south to shop due to a strong Canadian dollar.
VPR News

Voters grapple with school budgets and property tax rates

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Many communities across the state will be voting on their school budgets on Town Meeting Day. These budgets, on average, are increasing at a rate of six and a half percent this year. Governor Jim Douglas says this rate isn’t sustainable and he’s urging voters to scrutinize their local budgets. Many local officials welcome that scrutiny because they feel most of the factors driving up costs are largely out of their control.
VPR News

Then and Now: Washington’s Statehouse Portrait

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The Vermont story can be seen and heard throughout the Statehouse. Its in the people and in the laws that are passed. It’s also in the many artifacts that are collected under the golden dome. Today, state curator David Schutz takes us inside “Representatives Hall,” where a giant portrait commands attention and at one point drew the citizens of Montpelier to its rescue.
VPR News

February 25, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Howard Dean is excited by the response he’s gotten from grass-roots Democrats; one of the architects of Act 60 has been hired as a consultant to the House Health Care committee; Congressman Bernie Sanders says he thinks there will be a storm over cuts in a college funding program when Congress resumes; the president of a Canadian think tank says the northeast border between the U.S. and Canada should be dissolved.
VPR News

Seniors compete in masters’ downhill skiing

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Picture a ski racer hurling down a slalom course with arms out front, body tucked and skis scraping against icy snow. Did you imagine gray hair under the helmet or arthritic knees over the skis? You could have, because older racers are still competing in the New England Masters’ Racing Program.
VPR News

Guard service, universal health care on Town Meeting warnings

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In Vermont, the first Tuesday in March is a day dedicated to the details of local government. But Vermont also has a tradition of raising national, even international, issues at Town Meeting. Next week, dozens of towns will debate universal health care and the Iraq War. Organizers of the non-binding ballot initiatives say these issues are intensely local as well.
VPR News

Committee backs nominee for Corrections commissioner

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A Senate committee has unanimously endorsed Robert Hofmann of Waterbury to be the new corrections commissioner. The Senate Judiciary Committee put him on notice, though, that legislators are opposed to any plans to send female prisoners out of state.
VPR News

Teens rally against smoking in movies

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The Vermont Health Department and a statewide youth group are trying to counteract images of smoking in movies. Members of the youth group OVX, or Our Voices Exposed, plan to gather at the teen center in Milton on Sunday, a few hours before the Oscars are broadcast nationwide from Hollywood.
VPR News

Attorney General’s office backs identity theft laws

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The issue of identity theft came up in the Statehouse on Thursday as lawmakers discussed how to react to a massive breach of consumer financial data. The ChoicePoint credit reporting agency says 111 Vermonters are among the thousands of people whose information was distributed to scam artists. The Attorney General’s office says Vermont law should require companies like ChoicePoint to tell consumers if their personal data was stolen or compromised.
VPR News

Hospitals’ association presents health care reform plan

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The state’s hospitals presented their plan on Thursday to help reform the state health care system. A first step is an increase in a broad-based tax, such as the state income or sales tax, to buy the state five years’ time for stabilizing the Medicaid public health insurance system.
VPR News

Verizon, state near settlement on fines

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Vermont’s dominant local phone company will make customer refunds and network upgrades if a proposed agreement with state regulators wins final approval. The agreement settles $8 million in penalties the Department of Public Service issued against Verizon Vermont for service quality shortcomings in 2003.
VPR News

February 24, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Vermont Assistant Attorney General Julie Brill testifies before the House Commerce Committee on identity theft; senators express their unhappiness with an administration shakeup during a cabinet confirmation hearing; members of the State Senate attend the funeral of the late State Senator Julius Canns; Governor Jim Douglas meets with President Bush’s new secretary of Health and Human Services; more….
Commentary Series

Drug Reimportation

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It’s often said that you get what you pay for, and commentator John McClaughry has been thinking about how this bit of folk wisdom may apply to the debate about drug reimportation.
Commentary Series

Apologies

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An apology can be a powerful healing agent. Commentator Caleb Daniloff confesses that he is finding out first-hand this is as true for the offender as for the victim.
Switchboard

Oscar Preview

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The golden statuettes will be handed out to Hollywood’s elite next week. Fresh Air film critic David Edelstein and Danis Regal of the Vermont Film Commission announce their picks and discuss the year’s best movies. Hosted by Neal Charnoff.
VPR News

Renewable energy bill gets initial approval from Senate

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The Senate has given its preliminary approval to legislation that will require Vermont utilities to invest more heavily in renewable energy sources in the future. The vote on the bill was 24 to 3. Backers of the plan argue it will help the state become more energy independent and will boost the state economy. Opponents say the measure will drive electrical rates higher.
VPR News

Lawmakers skeptical of Vermont Yankee request for exemption

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Lawmakers have put the owners of Vermont Yankee on notice that they’re not likely get a quick OK for storing high level nuclear waste at the plant. Yankee wants a one-word change to state law that would exempt its waste storage from legislative review. But key legislators say it won’t be that easy.
VPR News

Vermont fugitive arrested in New Hampshire

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Police have captured Vermont’s most wanted fugitive. Forty-eight-year-old Edward Bessette, Jr., has been wanted on a sexual assault charge since 1988. He was arrested Friday in an emergency room in Manchester, New Hampshire.
VPR News

February 23, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Congressman Bernie Sanders speaks out against proposed cuts in a federal college tuition program; the flag at the Statehouse is at half-staff for State Senator Julius Canns, who died Sunday; James Volz describes his new role on the Public Service Board; the owners of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant won’t contest a fine issued by state regulators; towns consider a resolution questioning the use of National Guard troops in Iraq; more….
VPR News

Douglas won’t support mandatory renewable energy bill

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Governor Jim Douglas says he won’t support legislation that requires Vermont utilities to provide a certain portion of their overall energy from renewable sources by 2013. The bill caps the renewable mandate for a utility’s energy portfolio at 10 percent of its current retail sales level.
VPR News

Supporters of Guard resolution prepare for Town Meeting Day

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This year at Town Meeting many Vermont towns will consider a resolution calling into question the use of National Guard troops in Iraq. The campaign’s organizers, a statewide network of antiwar groups, say 53 towns will vote on the non-binding ballot item.
Commentary Series

The Draft

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As the conflict in Iraq continues, commentator Bill Seamans says that military recruiters are beginning to fall short of their goals.
VPR News

Senate set to pass Peeping Tom bill

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The Vermont Senate voted unanimously on Tuesday to outlaw officially the behavior of a Peeping Tom. The legislation makes it illegal for a person to view or photograph another individual who is partially clothed or naked in a setting where there’s a reasonable expectation of privacy.
VPR News

Hunting hearings continue

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Northeast Kingdom hunters will have a chance on Tuesday night to speak out regarding proposed deer-hunting regulations. Under the proposal, deer hunters would be allowed to take only one buck a year. In previous seasons, hunters could take up to three bucks between the archery, rifle and muzzle loading seasons.
VPR News

February 22, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Governor Jim Douglas’ top aides take up their new assignments in the cabinet; ski resorts hope this week’s snow will save the season; a so-called “Peeping Tom” bill wins preliminary approval in the Vermont Senate; an old school building in Bennington finds a new purpose; a memorial service is planned for folk singer Rachel Bissex who died of cancer on Monday at age 48.
VPR News

Senators examine programs for incarcerated addicts

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Earlier this month, a dozen state senators boarded a bus for a bumpy ride to prison. They’re trying to figure out what to do about the chronic overcrowding in Vermont’s corrections system. They heard firsthand from inmates and drug offenders about successful alternatives to prison.
VPR News

Interview: Anniversary of US hockey victory over USSR

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The NHL may be a no-show for the foreseeable future but Tuesday’s 25th anniversary of the 1980 Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, should revive memories of what is arguably the greatest moment in hockey history, if not the most shocking and emotional: The U.S.A men’s team’s incredible victory over the heavily favored squad from the Soviet Union. Mitch Wertlieb talks with Wayne Coffey, author of “The Boys of Winter: The Untold Story of a Coach, a Dream, and the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team.”
Switchboard

Governor Douglas

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Governor Jim Douglas discusses political and policy halfway through the Legislative season. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
Commentary Series

Town Meeting Controversy

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One week from today, Vermonters will once again gather to do their town’s business. Road maintainance will top many agendas, just as commentator Edith Hunter says it did over one hundred years ago.
Commentary Series

Predators Return

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Whether or not you believe that there are catamounts still roaming the Green Mountains, commentator Ted Levin says that it’s very likely there soon will be.
VPR News

Families welcome home 185 National Guardsmen

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On Monday, the first group of Vermont Army guard soldiers deployed in the Middle East came home to be reunited with their families. The men and women of “Task Force Red Leg” have spent most of the past year Iraq. Their group suffered the first Vermont Guard casualties in combat in over a half century.
VPR News

State Senator Julius Canns dies at 82

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State Senator Julius Canns of Caledonia died on Sunday at his home in St. Johnsbury on his eighty-second birthday. He had been ill with cancer for some time.
VPR News

February 21, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: 200 Vermont National Guard soldiers return to the state; a Senate bill would require utilities to include renewable sources in their mix of power supply; State Supreme Court justices will have a chance this week to answer criticisms that arose in a public hearing on their performance; Senator Julius Canns died on Sunday in St. Johnsbury, on his eighty-second birthday.
VPR News

Interview: National Guard soldiers return to Vermont

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At an early morning ceremony on Monday, Vermont families were reunited with soldiers who’ve been deployed to the Middle East. Steve Zind was at the Burlington airport for their homecoming and talks with Mitch Wertlieb about the reunions.
VPR News

Then and Now: Ceres, goddess of agriculture

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Inside the Statehouse, the Vermont story is everywhere. It’s in the people and in the laws that are passed. It’s also in the fixtures, the furniture and the art. On Monday mornings we’ll hear some of those stories. Today, we take a long hike up some winding stairs to the very top of the Statehouse dome, where curator David Schutz tells the story of “Ceres.”
VPR News

Interview: Coin drop benefits Ethiopian orphans

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Ethiopia is one of the neediest countries in the world and there are a staggering number of orphans in the African nation. At least 1.2 million Ethiopian children are parentless. But that sad figure is inspiring an effort by students from all over the Upper Valley to help. Carol Foster is the president of the non-profit Human Capital Foundation, based in Wilder. The foundation was set up to help people in developing countries stricken hard by the AIDS epidemic.
Commentary Series

Silent Stones

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Vermont schools’ February vacation is upon us, and many of us dream of warm beaches. Commentator Peter Gilbert thinks of Hawaii and tells us about dramatic developments in understanding Hawaii’s prehistory – the time before there were written records.
VPR News

Backstage with ‘Mirette’

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The play “Mirette” is based on the children’s book “Mirette on the High Wire,” by Vermont author Emily Arnold McCully. A three-week run of the musical starts this weekend at the Eclipse Grange theatre in Thetford.
Commentary Series

Aldis Hill

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Many towns in Vermont maintain interesting walking trails. Commentator Alan Boye recently explored such a trail in Saint Albans.
VPR News

Dean’s first week at the DNC

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Howard Dean is completing his first week as the new chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Dean is pledging to provide new financial resources for state party committees as part of his overall plan to rebuild the party from the grassroots up. And he hopes to implement a plan that the Republicans have used for years.
VPR News

February 18, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: a Ferrisburgh man admits he set three fires this week; members of the Vermont Press Association testify at the Statehouse in support of the “Right to Know” law; roundup of news on the Vermont congressional delegation; National Guard troops are due back in Vermont on Monday.
VPR News

Interview: Right to know laws

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In a recent survey of 100,000 U.S. high school students, one-third of the students answered that newspapers should get government approval before publishing stories. In response, the editor of the Bennington Banner is testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding a provision of Vermont’s so-called Right to Know law. Mitch Wertlieb talks with Sabina Haskell, editor of the Bennington Banner, about the law.
Commentary Series

Ends, Means

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When former Fletcher Allen Health Care CEO William Boettcher recently pleaded guilty to the criminal charge of defrauding regulators about the costs of the Renaissance Project, commentator Bill Meub was reminded of the old saying that the ends never justify the means.
VPR News

Lawmakers criticize timing of cabinet shake-up

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A shake-up at the top of the Douglas administration has heightened tensions at the Statehouse. Democratic legislators have criticized the cabinet reshuffling. But Governor Jim Douglas says the lawmakers should mind their own business and let him do his job.
VPR News

Third fire hits Ferrisburgh

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The Vermont State Police are investigating the cause of another fire in Ferrisburgh. Fire crews from several Addison County departments responded at about three o’clock this morning to a storage barn fire on Sand Road.
VPR News

February 17, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Governor Jim Douglas tries to expand the eligibility rules for the earned income tax credit, which benefits low-income wage earners; Major General Martha Rainville has been re-elected as commander of the Vermont National Guard; Vermont Secretary of State Deb Markowitz introduces young Vermonters to the Town Meeting tradition; the Vermont Senate has approved roughly $30 million in adjustments to the current year’s state budget; more….
Commentary Series

Property Rights

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Improving local economies is a critical issue for many towns and cities. Commentator Cheryl Hanna discusses an upcoming Supreme Court case that will likely impact the future of economic development throughout Vermont and the Nation.
Switchboard

The Antiquing Craze

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What’s driving the renewed interest in antiques and how can you determine the value of your old possessions? John Fiske of New England Antiques Journal, and antique dealer Mike Seward take your questions. Hosted by Steve Zind.
VPR News

Bottle deposit law may be updated

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The Vermont Grocers’ Association says it will oppose legislation to expand the state’s bottle deposit law. The grocers say the proposal is unnecessary because of the success of mandatory recycling programs throughout the state. Supporters of the bill strongly disagree with the analysis.
VPR News

Leahy backs Jeffords’ re-election bid

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U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy says he’ll back the re-election of his independent colleague, Jim Jeffords. Leahy’s comment comes on the heels of word from Republican Governor Jim Douglas that he will support Jeffords’ re-election.
VPR News

Chemical spill sickens 20 at UVM laboratory

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A University of Vermont building is closed today after a laboratory chemical spill. About 20 people were sickened with symptoms including headaches and nausea. UVM spokesman Enrique Corredera says everyone was okay after getting out of the building and breathing fresh air.
VPR News

February 16, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Senator Patrick Leahy co-writes the Open Government Act with a conservative Republican; the Burlington Coast Guard station sees a sharp increase in ice rescues; on Tuesday night, a spirited crowd of hunters told the Fish and Wildlife Board they want changes in the state’s deer hunting regulations; more…
VPR News

Interview: Thin ice keeps rescue workers busy

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It’s not an uncommon sight during a Vermont winter: trucks and other vehicles parked out on the ice of Lake Champlain. But people have had to be rescued recently when their trucks either fell through the soft ice or got stuck far from shore. Mitch Wertlieb talks with Burlington Coast Guard Petty Officer Eric Mosely, who says rescue personnel have been kept very busy this season dealing with the consequences of short-sighted lake excursions.
VPR News

Town Meeting advocates want a state holiday

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The institution of Town Meeting in Vermont could be strengthened if lawmakers took steps to make it easier for workers to get time off to attend their local town meeting. That’s the opinion of UVM political science professor Frank Bryan, who’s the co-author of a new book about Town Meeting entitled, “All Those in Favor.”
Commentary Series

The New Arena

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You know those TV commercials with the crash test dummies where a car is driven into a cement wall in slow motion? Well, that’s what commentator Tim McQuiston thinks the proposed Burlington-area arena is starting to look like: a slow-motion car crash.
Switchboard

Strengthening Town Meeting

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Political science professor Frank Bryan and writer Susan Clark who will discuss their new book “All Those in Favor – Rediscovering The Secrets of Town Meeting and Community”. The book provides some practical advice for Vermonters who want to preserve and enhance the institution of Town Meeting. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
VPR News

Senate committee passes Peeping Tom bill

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The Senate Judiciary Committee has given its unanimous approval to the so-called “Peeping Tom” bill. Backers of the legislation say it’s needed because Vermont doesn’t have strong trespassing laws. But opponents argue the proposal could have unintended consequences.
VPR News

Second school evacuation drill sees success

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Officials say they’re pleased with Tuesday’s school evacuation drill in the towns closest to the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant. The drill was a second try after an earlier exercise that left students waiting for school buses that failed to arrive.
VPR News

Morgan Horse museum to stay in Vermont

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The National Museum of the Morgan Horse will be staying in Vermont, at least for time being. The non-profit American Morgan Horse Institute, which owns the museum, has postponed a decision on moving it from Shelburne to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky.
VPR News

Douglas won’t campaign against Jeffords

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Governor Jim Douglas says he will not campaign next year against the re-election of U.S. Senator Jim Jeffords. The Republican governor says that he and Jeffords have been good friends for decades and that he believes Jeffords has done a great job as a senator.
VPR News

Bellows Falls tunnel can accommodate larger trains

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Railroad officials say the Bellows Falls Tunnel can accommodate larger, double-stacked railroad cars without being altered. A member of the Railroad Association of Vermont told Transportation Agency officials and lawmakers that bits of the track can be lowered instead of reworking the historic stone-tunnel.
VPR News

February 15, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: UNICEL is making a $45 million improvement in its Vermont networks; 19 communities will vote on Town Meeting Day on whether the state should work toward a universal health care system; a skier has died at Stowe while making an extreme-skiing movie; Dummerston’s Will Ackerman won a Grammy; Howard Dean is the topic of the latest argument between New York’s Republican and Democratic party state chairmen.
VPR News

Interview: Hearings begin on deer hunting regulations

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Deer hunters and wildlife officials may disagree on how to solve the problem, but one thing they do agree on is that deer kill figures in Vermont were very disappointing this past year. That’s why big numbers are expected at four public hearings held by the state Fish & Wildlife Board on proposed deer hunting regulations. Mitch Wertlieb talks with Rob Borowske, chairman of the Fish and Wildlife Board, about the hearings that begin Tuesday night.
VPR News

Gulf War Illness to be studied under federal grant

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Congressman Bernie Sanders has secured a $5 million federal grant to study the specific causes of Gulf War Illness. It’s estimated that as many as 100,000 soldiers who served in the first Gulf war in the early 1990s have reported a number of illnesses that could be related to chemical exposure in the battlefield.
Commentary Series

Sixth Sense

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Commentator Ruth Page doesn’t think wild animals need a “Sixth Sense” to warn them of tsunamis; feeling earth-motions under their feet might be enough.
Switchboard

Strengthening Town Meeting

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Political science professor Frank Bryan and writer Susan Clark who will discuss their new book All Those in Favor – Rediscovering The Secrets of Town Meeting and Community. The book provides some practical advice for Vermonters who want to preserve and enhance the institution of Town Meeting. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
VPR News

Drug use high among young Vermonters

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A new study shows the rate of illicit drug use by young people in Vermont is among the highest in the nation. Officials say the figures are nothing new and efforts are under way to address the problem.
VPR News

Health care subject of sharp political divisions

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At the beginning of the Legislative session, Republican and Democratic leaders pledged to work cooperatively on key health care issues. But last week, sharp political divisions emerged over a drug re-importation bill. A big Medicaid deficit and an overall health care reform initiative also could set off fierce political battles at the Statehouse.
VPR News

Jeffords asks New York governor to stop tire burn

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Vermont Senator Jim Jeffords is asking New York Governor George Pataki to prevent the International Paper Company from burning tire chips. In a letter to Pataki on Monday, Jeffords said he didn’t want Vermont, which is down wind of the Ticonderoga plant, to be used as a guinea pig for the tire chip test burn.
VPR News

Resolution would give recognition to Abenaki

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A committee of the Vermont Senate plans a hearing this week on whether to offer recognition of the Abenaki Indians. The resolution would offer the Legislature’s recognition of the tribe.
VPR News

February 14, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Senator Jim Jeffords has called on New York Governor George Pataki to stop a test burn of tires at International Paper in Ticonderoga; Vermont’s energy policy will be the topic in a key state Senate committee this week; a Senate committee plans a hearing this week on whether to offer recognition of the Abenaki Indians; the president of Lake Champlain Chocolates comments on Valentine’s Day business; mores…
VPR News

Towns near Yankee plant say evacuation concerns go unresolved

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Twenty years ago the owners of Vermont Yankee commissioned a plan for getting people to safety if there were a nuclear accident. The plan is supposed to be a shared effort among the plant, the state and the people. But lately, some of the people in southeastern Vermont are wondering if they’re having their say.
Commentary Series

Romantic Food

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To update an old saying, the way to a person’s heart is through his – or her – stomach, and commentator Marialisa Calta has some advice for heating things up in the kitchen.
Commentary Series

Valentine’s Day

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Commentator Willem Lange has discovered over the years that good intentions aren’t enough for a successful Valentine’s Day. You’ve got to use your brains, too.
VPR News

Broadcasters seek permit for new Mt. Mansfield towers

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A coalition of Vermont broadcasters wants to build three new towers on Mount Mansfield as part of the transition to digital television. The group has filed for an Act 250 permit for the project. The plans call for the existing towers on the mountain to be removed within four or five years.
VPR News

Douglas announces major changes in cabinet posts

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Governor Jim Douglas has announced a major shake-up in his administration. He said that his closest aide, Administration Secretary Michael Smith, will become secretary of the Human Services Agency. Meanwhile, the current Human Services Secretary, Charles Smith, will become administration secretary.
VPR News

February 11, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the Vermont Senate is about to pass a bill that would add annual cost-of-living adjustments to the state’s $7.00 minimum wage; a woman critically sickened by a carbon monoxide leak near the University of Vermont is improving; Howard Dean is poised to become the chair of the Democratic National Committee; Corinth and Topsham in Orange County are still the most affected by power outages from the latest heavy snowfall.
VPR News

GOP health plan would allow out-of-state insurance

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House Republicans have unveiled a health care proposal at the Statehouse that would implement major changes to the state’s health care insurance system. Under the approach, consumers would be allowed to purchase insurance policies from companies doing business in any state in the country – policies that would not include many of Vermont’s insurance mandates. Democrats say the plan will increase premiums for older and less healthy Vermonters.
VPR News

Douglas opposes president’s budget cuts

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Governor Jim Douglas says he’s concerned about the impact that President Bush’s budget cuts will have on key programs in Vermont. The governor says he hopes to work with the state’s congressional delegation to overturn many of the cuts.
VPR News

Vermont Guard soldiers due back in U.S. on Thursday night

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About 185 Vermont Army National Guardsmen and woman are on their way home from Iraq. National Guard spokeswoman Lieutenant Veronica Saffo says the soldiers were in Ireland early Thursday afternoon, where their plane was refueled before their flight to Fort Dix, New Jersey.
VPR News

Storm knocks out power to thousands

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Thousands of Vermonters are without power on Thursday, mostly on the eastern side of the state. Central Vermont Public Service reports that 4,700 customers were without service Thursday afternoon, with most of them on the eastern side of Central Vermont. That’s down from 8,500 earlier in the day.
VPR News

February 10, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Governor Jim Douglas says he will sign the prescription drug re-importation bill that’s due soon on his desk; State Representative John Tracy says his health care committee could have made more progress on the big issues if it hadn’t had to shepherd the re-importation bill; representatives of the railroad industry appeared today before the Senate Transportation Committee; wet and heavy snow has caused extensive power outages.
VPR News

February 9, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Senator Patrick Leahy and others launch a new initiative on health insurance for members of the National Guard; Springfield mourns the loss of a 10-year-old boy killed in a skiing accident in Ludlow; school guidance counselors say the key coping with a tragic death is to help kids talk about it; more….
VPR News

Senate supports minimum wage increase

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The Vermont Senate has given preliminary approval to legislation that will automatically increase the state minimum wage based on the consumer price index. The vote on the plan was 19 to 4, and Governor Jim Douglas says he’ll support the bill.
VPR News

Farmers speak in favor of GE seed law

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A group of farmers came to the Statehouse on Wednesday to speak in favor of genetically engineered seeds. The farmers told lawmakers that the gene-altered crops save them money, and that liability legislation isn’t needed.
Commentary Series

CWC and NOFA

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Commentator Ron Krupp says that conservation of agricultural land – and ways to make communities stronger – will be topics of discussion in Randolph this weekend.
Switchboard

Future of the Vermont State Hospital

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The reorganization of the Vermont State Hospital affects a broad array of mental health services. Mental health advocate Anne Donoghue and Charlie Smith, secretary of the Agency of Human Services, discuss what is ahead for the patients and staff of the Waterbury facility. Hosted by Steve Zind.
VPR News

Robert resigns from Fletcher Allen board after teddy bear controversy

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The head of the Vermont Teddy Bear company resigned from her seat on the board of directors at Fletcher Allen Health Care on Wednesday. Elisabeth Robert said that she would step down from her position on the hospital board because it would be in the organization’s best interest.
VPR News

Interview: Rise in housing prices outpaces rise in median income

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The good news is that family income is up on average around Vermont. But the bad news for a family looking to buy a new home is that housing prices are rising much faster than median incomes, especially in Chittenden County. The information is contained in a new report on housing affordability. Mitch Wertlieb talks with Sarah Carpenter, executive director of the Vermont Housing Finance Agency, about the findings.
VPR News

February 8, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the Vermont House debates drug re-importation and is expected to approve the measure by a wide margin; the Douglas administration rolls out its plan for the shut-down of the State Hospital; the state panel that regulates judges’ conduct has dismissed a complaint alleging that Supreme Court Justice John Dooley violated the code of judicial conduct; Senator Jim Jeffords says the president’s budget is a fiscal time bomb; more…
VPR News

Lawmakers propose ban on cell phone use in cars

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A group of lawmakers wants to make it illegal to use a hand-held cell phone while driving a car. Industry representatives and the governor’s highway safety council say they’d like to expand the legislation to include other forms of driver distraction.
VPR News

House approves prescription drug bill

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The Vermont House has given preliminary approval to legislation that allows individuals to purchase prescription drugs from Canada. Backers of the bill acknowledge that the measure is a short-term solution to the problem of higher drug costs.
VPR News

State hospital outlines plan

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Although Governor Jim Douglas wants to close the Vermont State Hospital, administration officials say the institution will still be needed for at least another year to treat a core group of people with severe mental illness.
Commentary Series

Gender Policies

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These days, most women are as active in the workplace as men, but commentator Libby Sternberg says that one-size-fits-all policies based on the working patterns of men don’t necessarily address the needs of working women.
Switchboard

Senator Leahy

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Vermont U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy discusses the president’s plan to reform Social Security, the outlook for Iraq and his role in reviewing any possible U.S. Supreme Court nominees. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
VPR News

February 7, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the House prepares to vote on a drug re-importation bill that the Democratic leadership wants to have before the governor by May; Bennington’s new zoning by-law that limits the size of retail development is getting its first test; a family asks Dartmouth College to mandate the use of helmets at the college-owned ski area; more…
Commentary Series

Remembering Churchill

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Forty years after watching the funeral of Winston Churchill as a boy, commentator Peter Gilbert still remembers the pageantry of that occasion and feels the pull of that historic man.
VPR News

Funeral held for Sergeant Jesse Strong

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Hundreds of people filled the Lake Region Union High School Gymnasium in Orleans on Friday to pay their respects to Marine Sargent Jesse Strong. Last week, Strong became the fifteenth soldier with Vermont ties to die in the war in Iraq.
VPR News

Debate continues over liability for genetically engineered seeds

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Agriculture Secretary Steve Kerr says he has serious concerns about legislation that would make manufacturers of genetically engineered seeds liable for damages to nearby organic farms. Kerr says he’s worried that the seed manufacturers might withhold their products from Vermont farmers if the Legislature passes the law.
VPR News

Governor skeptical of Circ Highway alternative

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Governor Jim Douglas doesn’t think roundabouts are the solution to some of Chittenden County’s tough traffic problems. At the five corners in Essex Junction, he says a roundabout would take up too much room. But supporters of alternative solutions to the Circumferential Highway say roundabouts are the solution. And they say the governor’s got his facts wrong.
VPR News

Entergy to apply for dry cask storage

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The owners of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant say they’ll apply by the end of March to store highly radioactive spent fuel in dry casks on the plant grounds in Vernon. Entergy Nuclear will ask the Public Service Board for a certificate of public good to build the new storage capacity.
VPR News

Budget adjustment bill goes to Senate

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The Vermont House has given final approval to more than $30 million in adjustments to state spending. There were a couple of technical amendments to the budget adjustment bill this morning before final approval.
VPR News

State veterans’ home investigated by attorney general

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The attorney general is investigating allegations of financial wrongdoing at the state Veterans’ Home. Commandant Earle Hollings resigned Wednesday and left his $90,000 a year post immediately. He has held his post at the state-owned 169-bed nursing home for veterans for five years.
VPR News

Interview: Choreographer Liz Lerman

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For choreographer Liz Lerman, no one is too old or too young to dance. Since founding the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange 25 years ago, Lerman has focused on bringing dance to communities around the world, and inviting people from all walks of life to experience the joy of creative expression. Lerman talks with VPR’s Neal Charnoff about why dance and other art forms matter in our lives.
VPR News

February 4, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Funeral services are planned for this afternoon in Orleans for Sergeant Jesse Strong, the Marine from Albany killed in Iraq last week; Senator Jim Jeffords was at the FDR memorial on Thursday to oppose President Bush’s plans for privatizing portions of Social Security; the president of the Unitarian Universalist Association will be preaching in Burlington this weekend; a pair of peregrine falcons has been hunting pigeons in Rutland.
VPR News

Interview: A waltz lesson

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In anticipation of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra’s annual Waltz Night on Saturday evening in Burlington, Mitch Wertlieb takes a dance lesson from Maggie Hayes, the former director of the Dance Program at the University of Vermont.
VPR News

Apartment fire kills two in Berlin

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Fire investigators are still trying to determine what caused a fire that killed two people in a Berlin apartment building on Thursday. Relatives identified the victims as 25-year-old Derek Williams and 21-year-old Jessica Doucette.
Commentary Series

Transportation

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With new leadership in the Agency of Transportation, and ongoing public discussion of controversial projects like the circumferential highway and Bennington bypass, commentator Helen Labun Jordan has been thinking about how she views her options for getting around the state.
VPR News

Legislature debates local option taxes

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The head of the House Ways and Means Committee is taking a cautious approach to a plan that would give all towns in Vermont the authority to levy local option taxes. Rockingham Representative Michael Obuchowski doesn’t support this blanket approach. He says cases should be reviewed by lawmakers.
VPR News

Brattleboro Retreat offers to take State Hospital patients

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The Brattleboro Retreat, a non-profit psychiatric facility, has offered to treat some of the patients now housed at the Vermont State Hospital. Earlier this week, the Waterbury hospital lost its federal certification and its federal funding after two patients escaped. In response, Governor Jim Douglas wants to close the hospital and move most of the patients within a year. Retreat officials say they’re ready to meet the need.
VPR News

Vermont Teddy Bear sells out of controversial bear

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The Vermont Teddy Bear company has sold out of its controversial “Crazy for You” bear and says it won’t manufacture more. The straight-jacketed teddy bear was widely criticized as being offensive to the mentally ill.
VPR News

Two former Fletcher Allen executives charged with conspiracy

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Two more former executives of Vermont’s largest hospital have been charged with misleading state regulators about the true cost of Fletcher Allen’s expansion project. Former chief financial officer David Cox and former senior vice president David Demers have been charged in federal court with conspiring to lie to health care regulators.
VPR News

February 3, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the head of the Vermont Veterans Home in Bennington resigns and two top managers are placed on leave; legislators make an important decision about dry cask storage; a federal agency issued a recall seven years ago for the vent pipe believed to have contributed to a carbon monoxide death this week; the New England Carpenters Union opens its training center and union hall in South Burlington; more….
Commentary Series

Spirits of Desire

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(HOST) For a short time during the 19th century, Vermont was the center of the paranormal universe. Commentator Joe Citro joins us today to tell us of a new novel about that era.
Commentary Series

The Cost of Schools

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As the legislature reviews the cost of doing state business, commentator John McClaughry reflects on a study of government employment patterns that offers some provocative statistics.
Switchboard

End of Life Care

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Dr. Ira Byock is the author of Dying Well – Peace and Possibilities at the End of Life. He’ll discuss how we approach death and how to improve the way we deliver end of life care. Hosted by Steve Zind.
VPR News

Dean wins backing of New York Democrats

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Howard Dean’s bid to become the national chairman of the Democratic Party has gained more momentum. On Wednesday, Democratic Party leaders in New York threw their support behind the candidacy of the former Vermont governor and one-time frontrunner in the Democratic presidential campaign.
VPR News

Jazz musician Big Joe Burrell dies at 81

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A legendary Vermont musician has died. Big Joe Burrell died on Wednesday at the age of 81 from complications from surgery. Burrell has been entertaining crowds around Vermont for nearly 30 years as a solo performer and with his group, the Unknown Blues Band.
VPR News

February 2, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: a plan is due by week’s end to accelerate the closing of the Vermont State Hospital; almost 200 UVM students are still in a hotel while their Redstone Apartments are tested for safety; Killington leaders visit New Hampshire to discuss their secession effort; a federal agency approves a transfer of licenses for hydroelectric dams to TransCanada; Howard Dean moves strongly toward the chairmanship of the Democratic Party; more….
VPR News

Interview: ForesTrade owner returns from tsunami-devastated area

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One of the owners of a Brattleboro-based coffee company that does business in Indonesia has just returned from Sumatra, one of the areas hit hard by the tsunamis that devastated much of Southeast Asia. Thomas Fricke and his wife Sylvia Blanchet are the founders of ForesTrade, which markets fair-trade coffee and spices from around the world.
Commentary Series

Buster Gets Busted

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(HOST) Recently a PBS television cartoon character named Buster has made headlines with a visit to Vermont. Some PBS stations will not be showing Buster’s Vermont visit, but commentator John Scagliotti is pleased to see that Vermont Public Television is taking a different approach.
Commentary Series

History Lesson

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Reading by the woodstove is a favorite winter pastime for commentator Edith Hunter. But this year, mindful of the warning that those who do not heed the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them, she has been reading classic accounts of war.
VPR News

Reiber confirmed as Supreme Court chief justice

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The Vermont Senate has unanimously confirmed Paul Reiber as Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court. For the past 15 months, Reiber has been serving as an associate justice on the court. Reiber replaces Jeffery Amestoy who stepped down from the court last year.
VPR News

International Paper files for test tire burn

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The International Paper Company wants permission to burn tires for two weeks at its Ticonderoga Mill on Lake Champlain. The company announced on Tuesday that it filed an application with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for the test burn.
VPR News

Resolution supports keeping Morgan Horse museum in Vermont

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Vermont lawmakers are trying to keep the National Museum of the Morgan Horse from moving from Shelburne to Kentucky. The Morgan horse is the state animal of Vermont. Chelsea Representative Sylvia Kennedy has proposed a resolution in the Legislature urging the Morgan Horse Institute, which owns the museum, to stay in Vermont.
VPR News

Interview: Vermont filmmaker wins top award at Sundance

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A filmmaker from the Mad River Valley took home a top prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, which ended this weekend. The film, “Why We Fight,” was awarded the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary. Directed by Eugene Jarecki, “Why We Fight” is a non-partisan examination of the political, corporate and military motivations for war.
VPR News

February 1, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Governor Jim Douglas announces that the long-troubled Vermont State Hospital in Waterbury has lost both its federal certification and its federal funding after two patients escaped last week; Vermont’s new environmental court is officially open for business, replacing the Environmental Board; more than 9,300 corporations and trade names were registered with the state last year.
VPR News

Judge sworn in to new Environment Court

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Vermont’s new Environmental Court officially opened for business on Tuesday. The court’s two judges will hear appeals of land-use decisions under Act 250. One of those judges, Thomas Durkin of Brattleboro, was sworn in on Monday.
Switchboard

Progressive Caucus

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Legislators with the Progressive Party are looking to assert their own agenda at the Statehouse. They discuss their top priorities for the session. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
VPR News

State party leaders back Dean for DNC chair

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Howard Dean’s campaign to become the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee got a big boost on Monday afternoon. State party chairs from around the country strongly endorsed Dean’s candidacy, making him the front-runner for the post.
VPR News

Hearing planned on consolidation of transportation districts

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A public hearing at the Statehouse on Tuesday night could determine how fast a plan to consolidate some district transportation offices moves forward. The Douglas administration wants to reduce the number of administrative districts from nine to six – a move that would save roughly $750,000 and eliminate about a dozen jobs. It’s the first step of a larger proposal to consolidate operations at the agency.
VPR News

Cabot Creamery lays off 31 production workers

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A slump in sales has prompted Cabot Creamery to lay off 31 of its production workers. Cabot hopes to rehire the employees in its cheese and wrap production line in three to four weeks. Officials say this is traditionally a slow time for sales.
VPR News

Claremont man gives away downtown business

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A Claremont, New Hampshire, man is giving the video game arcade he opened in downtown Claremont two months ago. Koloski says the giveaway is part of an overall plan to fill up empty storefronts in downtown Claremont.
VPR News

‘Reef Madness’: interview with David Dobbs

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The controversy over Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution versus what is now called the theory of “intelligent design” continues to play out in contemporary society. The debate echoed another nineteenth century conflict over the origin and geology of coral reefs. How these arguments dominated and split the nineteenth century scientific world is the subject of a new book, “Reef Madness: Charles Darwin, Alexander Agassiz and the Meaning of Coral,” written by Montpelier author David Dobbs.
VPR News

January 31, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: an investigation continues into the carbon monoxide poisoning that killed one person and injured several others on Sunday near UVM; the Health Department gives tips for avoiding carbon monoxide exposure; a report is issued on the legal issues surrounding medical care at the end of life; judicial retention hearings for trial court judges and Supreme Court justices are scheduled for this week.
VPR News

1 killed, 9 injured after carbon monoxide leak

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One person died and nine others were injured on Sunday afternoon following a carbon monoxide leak at an apartment complex near the University of Vermont. Twenty-three-year old Jeffrey Rodliff of St. Johnsbury died in the incident. UVM spokesman Enrique Corredera says the Redstone apartment complex where the incident occurred is not technically UVM housing, but does house many UVM students.
VPR News

Interview: Covering the Israeli-Palestinian Crisis

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Covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is no easy task, but a Vermont native who writes for the New York newspaper Newsday says the story is so compelling and critical to the fortunes of the Middle East and the world, that he welcomes the challenge. Andrew Metz is from Shelburne and now lives in Albany, New York. He’s been covering the conflict since the most recent Palestinian intifada began five years ago.
VPR News

New power plant proposed for Hinsdale, NH

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The Connecticut River town of Hinsdale, New Hampshire is considering a proposal for a 40 megawatt, wood-burning power plant. The $90 million complex would include a construction and demolition processing facility.
Commentary Series

The School Board

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Commentator Philip Baruth is just finishing up a two-year stint as a Burlington School Board member. And today he offers us a rare glimpse of that secret, tempestuous world. Here’s Philip.
Commentary Series

Social Security

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President Bush has identified sweeping changes to the Social Security system as one of the top priorities for his second term. But are the changes needed? Commentator Allen Gilbert doesn’t think so.
Commentary Series

Petroglyphs

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When we think of ancient cave and rock paintings, we usually think of the American southwest, but one of commentator Alan Boye’s recent walks took him to the site of some right here at home.
Commentary Series

Fletcher Allen

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Former Fletcher Allen Health Care CEO William Boettcher pleaded guilty to a federal felony charge last week. But to commentator Tim McQuiston, it still doesn’t feel as if the whole mess is firmly behind us – not yet anyway.
VPR News

Board approves VELCO transmission line, imposes conditions

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State regulators have approved a $130 million transmission line for the northwestern side of the state. But the Public Service Boards imposed many conditions on the project, including a requirement that the line be buried near Lake Champlain in Shelburne. The board also said the Vermont Electric Power Company had done a poor job of planning for the region’s energy needs.
VPR News

VLCT critical of funding for prison education program

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The Vermont League of Cities and Towns is accusing the Douglas administration of raiding the state’s Education Fund. The administration wants to take $775,000 from the fund to pay for a special education program for inmates. The VLCT argues that it’s wrong to ask property taxpayers to foot the bill for this program.
VPR News

Key Democrat backs Dean for party leadership post

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Howard Dean has won the backing of a powerful Democrat in his bid to head the national party. Harold Ickes says he is supporting the former Vermont governor to be chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
VPR News

January 28, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: A much anticipated Public Service Board ruling is expected today on Velco’s proposed Northwest Reliability Project ; replacing the Vermont State Hospital could cost $4.5 million more a year than its current annual operating costs, according to a draft report; there was some interest this week that it was Senator Jim Jeffords, and not Patrick Leahy, who voted against confirming Condoleezza Rice as Secretary of State; more….
VPR News

Organic farmers threatened by GMO seed liability, report says

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A new report says that organic farming is growing rapidly in Vermont, yet faces a threat from the increasing use of genetically modified crops. The concerns are about liability. Organic farmers could lose certification if their crops are contaminated. Or farmers could be sued for patent infringement if their own crops become pollinated by the new varieties.
VPR News

Vermont Marine killed in Iraq

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A Marine from Albany, Vermont, has been killed in Iraq. Twenty-four-year-old Sergeant Jesse Strong was one of four Marines killed in the attack in Iraq’s Anbar province on Wednesday.
VPR News

Politics enters debate on health care reform

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The political fight for health care reform is heating up at the Statehouse. House Republicans are challenging Democratic leaders to enact a Medicaid reform bill by the end of this year’s session. The Democrats say they aren’t going to be pressured into passing a bill that doesn’t meet the needs of the state.
VPR News

Reports describes role of tourism in state’s economy

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According to a new study, tourism in Vermont has become a billion and a half dollar industry that accounts for 10 percent of all jobs in the state. The study measured the impact of tourism on the state economy during 2003.
VPR News

January 27, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: two Vermont same-sex parents whose families are featured in a PBS children’s program are upset the network won’t distribute the show; the Senate Judiciary Committee is likely to vote to confirm Paul Reiber as chief justice of the Vermont Supreme Court; a new tourism report underscores how vital tourism is throughout Vermont; a new animal identification system is being used to track animals with potentially dangerous diseases; more….
VPR News

Feral cats cared for by volunteers

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Winter cold snaps are especially hard on the many feral cats that populate Vermont. Feral cats are the offspring of abandoned house cats. They rarely make good pets. And most are terrified of human contact. But the animals have their benefactors.
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Born to Run

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Whether it’s a community 5-K or a marathon, Vermonters love to run. Dr. Carol Blattspeiler and coach Mike DeSanto discuss the motivations and tribulations of running. Hosted by Steve Zind.
Commentary Series

Fam-Speak

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As commentator Caleb Daniloff observes, families tend to create their own vernacular. And the words they use say a lot about who they are.
VPR News

Senators cast votes on key Bush appointments

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Vermont’s two U.S. senators have taken different positions concerning the confirmation of Condoleezza Rice as the country’s new Secretary of State. The Senate confirmed Rice by a vote of 85 to 13.
VPR News

Health Department launches healthy teeth campaign

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The Vermont Health Department has launched a public education campaign to inform people about dental health. The campaign is especially geared toward informing parents about how to keep their kids’ teeth healthy.
VPR News

January 26, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Senator Patrick Leahy is voting against the nomination of Alberto Gonzales to be the new attorney general; Vermont lawmakers consider removing 2008 as the automatic expiration date for local option taxes; Agriculture Sec. Steve Kerr says the new chairs of agriculture committees will make a difference those committees’ agendas; the Health Department launches an education campaign about dental health; more….
VPR News

Opening day at the 71st annual Farm Show

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For nearly three-quarters of a century, the Vermont farm show has attracted farmers, industry people and those who simply enjoy checking out what’s new in farming. VPR’s Steve Zind visited this year’s farm show on opening day to see what’s changed and what remains the same.
VPR News

Health care system isn’t designed for chronic illness, commissioner says

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Health commissioner Dr. Paul Jarris says it’s critical to reform how our health care system reimburses doctors and other providers for services to patients with chronic illnesses. Jarris says the current health care system isn’t designed to provide the kinds of preventative care that are needed to effectively treat chronic conditions.
VPR News

Flory elected leader of House Republican caucus

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Representative Peg Flory of Pittsford has been elected leader of the Vermont House’s Republican caucus. Flory replaces Representative Richard Hube of Londonderry, who stepped down for health reasons.
VPR News

January 25, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the Judicial Retention Committee reviews the performances four State Supreme Court justices; a Plainfield doctor leaves on Friday for a month of aid work in Indonesia; the developer of a proposed Wal-Mart store will pay for an independent impact review; Vermont has joined a multi-state settlement against three insurance companies charged with improperly denying disability claims; the 71st Vermont Farm Show opens in Barre today.
VPR News

Rutland optimistic about downtown redevelopment

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Several prominent stores have closed their doors recently in downtown Rutland and this year’s holiday season was not nearly as profitable as many retailers had hoped. But new developments – plus lots of renovation – are keeping local officials optimistic about the long-term potential for the historic downtown district.
VPR News

Developer to pay for Wal-Mart impact study

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The developer of a proposed Wal-Mart store in St. Albans town says his company will pay for an independent review of traffic and economic studies. The town’s Development Review Board asked for the additional studies last week. The board said it needed more information before it could decide whether the project should be built.
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Chronic Care Initiative

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Vermont Health Commissioner Dr. Paul Jarris is leading the state’s effort to develop a comprehensive plan to help patients with chronic illnesses. The state has made this program a top priority because chronic care illnesses account for the vast majority of all health care money spent in Vermont. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
Commentary Series

Condi Rice

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As President Bush begins his second term, Commentator Cheryl Hanna has been thinking about the importance of some of his appointments to the highest levels of government.
VPR News

Senate to take up drug re-importation legislation

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Legislation allowing Vermonters to purchase prescription drugs from Canada will be debated on the Senate floor this week. Backers of the bill say the plan will make many popular drugs available at considerable savings but skeptics argue the proposal will have very little impact on most people in the state.
VPR News

National Guard soldiers to return from Iraq in six weeks

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The Vermont National Guard is preparing for the return of about 200 soldiers who were sent to Iraq almost a year ago. The soldiers of the first battalion of the 86th Field Artillery are expected to leave Iraq in a month or six weeks.
VPR News

January 24, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: a bridge linking New York and Vermont reopens to traffic after a five-inch gap formed on its deck; a Sunderland effort to exempt serving soldiers from local property taxes runs afoul of state law; Dr. Judith Ramaley lectures at Marlboro College on the role of science in education and civic life; the 71st annual Farm Show opens tomorrow in Barre; Northfield seeks an entertainment coordinator for its popular Labor Day festivities.
VPR News

Somali Bantu woman reunited with her children in Burlington

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Chittenden County is home to a small community of Somali Bantu refugees. Their new life in Vermont is challenging, but far better than the life they left behind. For one woman, however, leaving Africa to come to the United States required a heart-wrenching “Sophie’s Choice,” when she had to leave two of her children behind.
VPR News

Interview: Sciences and education

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What are the connections linking citizenship, science and education in the twenty-first century? In light of recent controversies concerning the teaching of evolution in public schools, and comments made about women’s abilities in the field of science made by the president of Harvard, the question is as relevant as it is weighty. And it will be explored in a discussion led by former University of Vermont President Judith Ramaley on Monday night at Marlboro College.
Commentary Series

Immigration

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Once again, immigration policies here and abroad are being sharply debated. Commentator Olin Robison reflects on the issues involved.
VPR News

Confirmation hearings begin for Chief Justice Reiber

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Vermont Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Reiber says the state needs to make sure it has the resources to run an effective judicial system. In remarks to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Reiber said that’s one of the biggest challenges facing the court. The committee is holding hearings to considering the nomination of the chief justice.
VPR News

Senate committee approves drug re-importation plan

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A key Senate committee has approved a plan that would authorize importing low-cost drugs from Canada and Europe. The Senate Finance Committee unanimously approved Vermont joining a four-state initiative known as ISaveRX.
VPR News

January 21, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Chad Pergram reports on inaugural events from Capitol Hill; Howard Dean held an “Un-auguration” event in Burlington for 250 supporters; Vermont Supreme Court Justice Paul Reiber begins a confirmation process to become chief justice; preparation begins to tear down Rutland’s parking deck – once touted as the key to a strong downtown; Newark Balkan Chorus performs a tribute to its founder, Evanne Wyrick, who died yesterday of cancer.
VPR News

Leaders differ on new taxes to solve Medicaid deficit

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With Vermont facing a multi-million dollar deficit in its Medicaid program, some advocates want the Legislature to consider new taxes to fill the budget gap. But “tax” is not a popular word in the Statehouse these days. Governor Jim Douglas says taxes are not an option. And the Senate Democratic leader is also leery of the idea.
VPR News

Rockingham to participate in hearings on hydro-dam sale

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The Public Service Board will allow the town of Rockingham and its two Canadian partners to participate in hearings on the pending sale of the Connecticut and Deerfield River hydroelectric dam network. Lawyers say they asked for the special status because of potential legal mix-ups in the sale.
VPR News

Rutland to vote on moving railyard out of downtown

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The fate of the Rutland railyard will be decided by voters in Rutland Town and Rutland City on Town Meeting Day. The $100 million plan would move the railyard to a 77-acre plot shared by the city and town.
Switchboard

Speaker Symington

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Gaye Symington (D-Jericho) is the first woman to hold the position of the Speaker of the House. She discusses her legislative agenda for the new biennium. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
Commentary Series

Flying Cell Phones

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Commentator Ken Sheldon has been trying to imagine what it would be like to be trapped in an airplane, listening to other people’s one-sided cell phone conversations, and he’s formulating a plan to fight back.
VPR News

Patients, care givers concerned about proposed Medicaid changes

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Low-income people and health care providers are worried about Governor Jim Douglas’ proposal to overhaul Medicaid. Those on fixed incomes say they can’t afford to pay the higher premiums the governor has proposed. And hospitals and doctors are concerned that they’d be paid less if the reforms were enacted.
VPR News

Vermont Army Guard deploys 330 to Middle East

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Wednesday’s sendoff of Vermont Army National Guard troops was the last scheduled deployment, for now. After training in Mississippi, this group will probably be sent to Iraq to provide security. Friends and family came to Essex Junction to hear speeches from the governor and other officials, and to say their goodbyes.
VPR News

January 19, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the Vermont Army National Guard deploys 330 soldiers who are likely headed to Iraq; Governor Jim Douglas prepares to deliver his 2005 budget address; Republican Peg Flory will run again to be House minority leader; a VELCO spokesman questions whether it’s wise for Vermont lawmakers to urge the PSB to reject a major new power line proposal; a Dartmouth College student dies almost a year after a skiing accident; more….
VPR News

Interview: Program provides tax assistance to low-income residents and refugees

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The start of the New Year isn’t a bad time to start thinking about tax day. Although it’s not an enjoyable prospect, it’s even more daunting for low income residents and refugees who are new to the country and unfamiliar with the complicated U.S. tax code. Now a new program is being offered to help ease those concerns. Mitch Wertlieb talks with Karen Richards, director of the Poverty Law Project at Vermont Legal Aid.
Commentary Series

Education Week

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Vermont didn’t fare so well in school rankings issued by the national magazine, Education Week. Commentator Allen Gilbert takes a closer look at the rankings.
Commentary Series

Moonlight

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Moonlight is a guide for some of Earth’s creatures, who depend on it as a signal to spawn or a way to find food during nighttime foraging, as commentator Ruth Page points out.
Commentary Series

Welfare Reform

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Last fall, a study measuring the success of welfare reform around the country gave Vermont poor marks – and commentator John McClaughry says it isn’t hard to figure out why.
VPR News

Former Fletcher Allen CEO pleads guilty to misleading regulators

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The former chief executive of Fletcher Allen Health Care pleaded guilty on Tuesday to misleading regulators about the true cost of a multi-million dollar hospital expansion project. William Boettcher’s plea to a federal conspiracy charge is a major milestone in the case. But state and federal prosecutors say the investigation remains open, and that more charges are possible.
VPR News

House Republican leader resigns leadership post

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The Republican leader of the Vermont House has resigned his leadership post. Representative Richard Hube of South Londonderry says he has health issues that forced him to make what he describes as a difficult decision.
VPR News

Outgoing UNICEF director named president of World Learning

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The outgoing director of UNICEF will become the next president of Brattleboro’s World Learning and School for International Training. Carol Bellamy has led the United Nations Children’s Fund for the past ten years and she’s a former director of the Peace Corps.
VPR News

Florida Democrats back Dean’s DNC bid

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Democratic National Committee members from Florida have unanimously voted to support former Vermont Governor Howard Dean in his bid to lead the Democratic Party.
VPR News

January 18, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the former chief executive of Vermont’s largest hospital has reached a plea agreement with state and federal officials; Congressman Bernie Sanders speaks out against the privatization of Social Security; the state Public Service Board is asked to reject a recent inspection of Vermont Yankee; out-of-bounds skiers are liable for the cost of their own rescue; Governor Jim Douglas will attend President Bush’s inauguration on Thursday.
VPR News

Interview: early 20th century Vermont in photographs

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A new photography exhibits debuts on Tuesday at UVM’s Fleming Museum. Mitch Wertlieb talks with Fleming Museum curator Evelyn Hankins about the collection, which she says offers a window into early 20th century life in Vermont as well as an opportunity to see how the goals of photography were changing at that time in history.
Switchboard

Childhood Depression

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Millions of young people under the age of 18 suffer from depression. Adolescent psychiatrist Doctor David Fassler talks about how to recognize, treat and prevent childhood. Hosted by Steve Zind.
Commentary Series

Powerful Images

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Commentator Philip Baruth has been amused recently by several controversies surrounding images, and their political implications – a fitting subject on this Martin Luther King Day.
VPR News

January 17, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: House Speaker Gaye Symington speaks on diversity in Vermont, at the Alumni Auditorium of Champlain College; UVM professor emeritus Robert Gussner speaks about planting the seeds of non-violence; hockey players and recreational skaters have been making good use of Rutland’s new field-house; divisions of the Human Services Agency are seeking the biggest share of $33 million in additional spending midway through the current budget.
VPR News

Site found for St. Johnsbury mobile methadone clinic

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After a lengthy search, operators of two mobile methadone clinics in the Northeast Kingdom say they’ve found a St. Johnsbury site for one of the facilities. A second mobile clinic would be located in Newport.
VPR News

Diocese officials meet Saturday on church consolidation

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Officials of the Roman Catholic diocese in Vermont are beginning a series of meetings on how to deal with a priest shortage in the state. Parishioners and priests will meet on Saturday to discuss consolidating churches in response to a clergy shortage that they believe only will get worse.
VPR News

January 14, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Governor Jim Douglas announces $3 million in community development grants; Vermont leaders are active in retaining a two-year limit on National Guard activation; Rockingham opposes a proposed cell-phone tower in Springfield; new efforts in Rutland may be curbing prescription fraud and abuse; long-time Windsor High School principal Ronald Torrey has died; ski areas welcome the return of cold weather on one of the biggest holiday weekends.
VPR News

Pfizer executive testifies in favor of drug re-importation

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A drug industry executive told lawmakers on Thursday that allowing people to buy cheaper prescriptions from other countries will save lives and save money. Several House and Senate committees are working on the re-importation issue. Democratic leaders want to pass a bill by Town Meeting Day.
VPR News

Democrats raise questions about Dubie’s possible appointment

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The possible appointment of Lieutenant Governor Brian Dubie to a key international aviation post continued to draw controversy on Thursday. Democrats want to know if Dubie pursued this position before the November election. He says the answer is ‘no.’ And there’s a debate as to whether the governor has the authority to fill a vacancy if the lieutenant governor resigns.
VPR News

Keene, NH plans for police response to student incidents

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A committee in Keene, New Hampshire, has come up with a plan for paying police who deal with disturbances involving Keene State College students. The committee of city and college officials suggests Keene State set aside $10,500 to cover student disturbances on or near campus.
VPR News

January 13, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the Legislature convenes a committee meeting prescription drug re-importation; the Legislative Rules Committee approves a change to a proposed ban on personal watercraft on Lake Willoughby; the 14th annual Vermont Economic Outlook Conference opens tomorrow; communities around the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant plan another mock school evacuation; high school basketball game ends with 5 to 2 score.
Switchboard

Olin Robison

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Olin Robison is retiring this year as president of the Salzburg Seminar, which has been promoting international dialogue for more than half a century. We discuss America’s role in global affairs and how the world’s political landscape is changing. Hosted by Steve Zind.
VPR News

Dubie explores ambassador post

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Lieutenant Governor Brian Dubie is exploring whether he can balance his Vermont political duties with a potential appointment to an international aviation post. The appointment is made by the White House. It’s unclear if Dubie would be able to stay on as lieutenant governor if President Bush selects him for this job.
VPR News

Torti named Natural Resources secretary

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Governor Jim Douglas has picked an appointee from the Dean administration as his new Secretary of Natural Resources. Douglas named Tom Torti, who has served for eight years as commissioner of state buildings, to head the environmental agency.
VPR News

Bennington may buy land for car show

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Voters in Bennington will decide on Town Meeting Day whether the town should buy land for a permanent home for a local car show. The car show has been held for the past 18 years at the site of the former Bijur factory.
VPR News

January 12, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Governor Jim Douglas appoints Tom Torti as the Agency of Natural Resources secretary; Vermont takes a lead in opposing a new Pentagon on National Guard deployments; International Paper prepares a new application for a test burn of tire-based fuel at its plant in Ticonderoga; the mental health community protests a Vermont Teddy Bear Company product.
VPR News

Douglas hopes Dubie will serve out term as lt. governor

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Governor Jim Douglas says he hopes it will be possible for Lieutenant Governor Brian Dubie to serve out his full term in office. Dubie is under consideration for a presidential appointment to a United Nations agency that regulates international air travel.
Switchboard

Governor Jim Douglas

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Governor Jim Douglas is beginning his second term and we talk with him about his priorities and how he expects to work with a Democratically-controlled Legislature. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
Commentary Series

Armstrong Williams

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For VPR commentator Barrie Dunsmore, last week’s story that a prominent conservative commentator took government money to publicly promote government policy, comes as no surprise.
VPR News

Bill would give state aid to tsunami victims

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Backers of a plan to appropriate $50,000 from the state’s General Fund for tsunami relief are hoping their bill will be put on a fast track for consideration. However there are some concerns about the proposal at the Statehouse.
VPR News

Dean announces bid for Democratic Party chair

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Former governor Howard Dean has announced that he’s decided to seek the chairmanship of the national Democratic Party. For the past few months, Dean has been exploring a possible run for the position but he said he wouldn’t run unless he thought he had a good chance of winning.
VPR News

Some Employment and Training offices likely to close

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The Department of Employment and Training could be in for some big cuts, including the closing of several of its 12 regional offices around Vermont. Employment Commissioner Patricia McDonald says she can’t release details of the plan until the governor’s budget address next week. But she says changes are in the works.
VPR News

January 11, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Howard Dean is running for chair of the DNC; Congressman Bernie Sanders announces funding for VA clinic programs; the Springfield Select Board may offer a tax exemption on new homes; the House Appropriations Committee chair says the Medicaid deficit is the biggest challenge her committee faces; the woman who lost her husband and three children in a car crash in Hardwick is back in Florida and improving.
VPR News

January 10, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: House Speaker Gaye Symington prepares to name three legislators to the Judicial Nominating Committee; a proposed housing project in Manchester wouldn’t affect an area where hundreds of bats are known to hibernate; hearings are scheduled to get publis input on proposed changes to deer hunting regulations; a USDA official from Brattleboro is headed to Afghanistan as an agricultural adviser; New Hampshire police try change a seatbelt law.
Commentary Series

Onion River Arts

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Montpelier’s Onion River Arts Council closed after this year’s First Night events. It came as a surprise to many, since Onion River had been a cultural fixture for thirty-one years. Commentator Jay Craven reflects on the Onion River legacy.
Commentary Series

Ukraine

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Observers from many countries traveled to Ukraine in December to witness the election process. Commentator Dick Mallary was among them.
VPR News

National Guard leader opposes change to two-year limit

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The leader of the Vermont National Guard says she’ll speak out against a potential change in Pentagon policy that would allow more frequent call-ups of Guard and Reserve soldiers. Adjutant General Martha Rainville says the plan could hurt recruitment and change the nature of the Guard from a part-time to a full-time force.
VPR News

Puerto Rico Democrats back Dean for DNC chair

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The leader of the Democratic Party in Puerto Rico says the group is backing Howard Dean to head the U.S. Democratic National Committee. Party leader Roberto Prats says the Popular Democratic Party will support the candidacy of the former presidential candidate.
Commentary Series

Food Model

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As kids return to school after the holidays, commentator Ron Krupp has the story of an innovative food program in the Burlington school system.
VPR News

House committee assignments come with some surprises

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Legislative leaders have made committee assignments for the 2005 session, and the appointments have a few surprises. In the House, Democratic Speaker Gaye Symington has named Republicans to chair two panels. And she picked a Progressive organic farmer to lead the Agriculture Committee.
VPR News

January 7, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing around the region at the noon hour: committee assignments are announced in the House of Representatives; live interview with Governor Douglas on drug re-importation; another group of Vermont National Guard soldiers is on its way to Iraq.
VPR News

Douglas’ second inaugural address

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This afternoon Governor Jim Douglas was sworn into a second term in office. Douglas challenged lawmakers to send him a health care reform proposal during the first year of the new session. The governor also made it clear that he’ll oppose any effort to raise taxes to help solve the state’s budget problems.
VPR News

Democratic response to Douglas’ inaugural address

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Moments after the governor’s speech, Democrats crowded into their new Statehouse caucus room, the one reserved for the majority party. They were there to give their party’s reaction to the governor’s inaugural address. But it started out almost as a political pep rally.
VPR News

Governor’s inaugural luncheon

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Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean joined his successor today for a lunch honoring the second inauguration of Governor Jim Douglas.
VPR News

Former Rep. and Senator Gerry Morrissey dies

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Gerry Morrissey, who rose to statewide notoriety when he defeated the legendary former speaker of the House in 1994 and then went on to serve in the state Senate, has died. He was 58.
VPR News

January 6, 2005 – Midday Report

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: In two hours Republican Gov Jim Douglas will be sworn in for a second term; Senate President Pro Tem Peter Welch discusses legislative priorities; former Representative and Senator Gerry Morrissey of Bennington died this morning at home; Democrat John Lynch is sworn in as New Hampshire’s new Governor.
Commentary Series

Sabra Field

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Commentator Tom Slayton says that a new book allows us to experience Vermont through the eyes – and words – of one of our most iconic graphic artists.
Switchboard

Global Fight Against AIDS

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Experts say the AIDS situation worldwide remains critical and many are urging a new approach to fighting the spread of the disease. Doctor Nils Daulaire, president of the Global Health Council, is our guest. Hosted by Steve Zind.
VPR News

National education report

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A national report says Vermont ranks fourth in the nation in the amount of money it spends on education per student but inequities exist in spending among school districts.
VPR News

Legislative freshmen

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The opening day of the legislative session holds few surprises. But that doesn’t mean it lacks excitement – especially for the newest members of the legislature. VPR’s Steve Zind reports.
VPR News

Study finds wind turbines in path of bird migration

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New research says that four wind turbines planned for a mountain in the Northeast Kingdom pose a potential risk to migrating birds. The study was done for the state Agency of Natural Resources. Officials there say they want to see more research before the project is built.
VPR News

January 5, 2005 – Midday Report

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Rep. Gaye Symington has been elected Speaker of the VT House; Waterbury voters will reconsider their approval of a town/village merger when they go to the polls next week; the Governor of NY gives his State of the State message today, the Governors of NH and VT are sworn in tomorrow.
Commentary Series

Dear Howard

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On February 10th, the Democratic National Party will choose a new chairman. Among the declared candidates is Vermont’s ex-Governor Howard Dean. This morning commentator Philip Baruth offers his own unique strategy for victory.
VPR News

Sanders to push for drug re-importation in new Congress

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Congressman Bernie Sanders says the passage of legislation allowing individuals to re-import drugs from Canada will be one of his top priorities for the new Congressional session. Sanders says he also wants to help mobilize grass roots support to defeat President Bush’s plan to partially privatize Social Security.
VPR News

Legislature set to convene on Wednesday

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Lawmakers are returning to Montpelier for Wednesday’s start of the 2005 Legislature. A number of Democratic leaders were in the Statehouse on Tuesday as they prepare to take over the majority in the House and extend it in the Senate.
VPR News

Newport approves mobile methadone clinic

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Newport’s City Council has approved a mobile methadone clinic. Under the terms approved Monday night, the clinic will be parked in the city recycling lot beginning in April.
VPR News

Windsor adopts new school harassment policy

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School officials are investigating a case of student harassment at Windsor High School. The school also is adopting a new harassment policy. School Superintendent Brenda Needham wouldn’t provide any details about the alleged harassment.
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Reporters’ Roundtable

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As the new legislative session opens, the top political reporters in the state look ahead at the lawmakers’ priorities over the next two years. Panel includes VPR’s John Dillon, Ross Sneyd of the Associated Press and Candace Page of the Burlington Free Press. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
VPR News

Business tax credit program criticized in auditor’s report

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A final report by the state auditor has strong criticism for a state program that gives tax credits to businesses that create jobs. The investigation by outgoing Auditor Elizabeth Ready says credits have gone to some companies that have laid off workers. Ready wants the Legislature to place a moratorium on the tax credits until the program is reformed.
VPR News

Hospitals release report cards on patient care

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Vermont hospitals released a report card on Monday that measures how well they’re doing at providing health care to their communities. Two years ago, the Vermont Legislature passed a bill requiring hospitals to produce the reports. The effort also reflects a nationwide trend to improve the quality of health care.
Commentary Series

Joseph Smith

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This year marks the bicentennial of the birth in Vermont of the founder of Mormonism, Joseph Smith. Commentator Allen Gilbert explores the appeal of this uniquely American religion.
Commentary Series

Winter Sky

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Commentator Ted Levin thinks that this time of year – with its cold, clear night sky – is perfect for star gazing.
VPR News

Year in Review, Part 6: Transitions

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All this week, VPR has been looking back at 2004, with its ups and downs. Today, as we enter the new year, we say goodbye to some familiar faces. In the conclusion to our “Year in Review” series, VPR’s Steve Delaney reflects on some of those who made their mark on this state and who are now gone.