Commentary Series

New Year’s Eve

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When it comes to New Year’s Eve, commentator Marialisa Calta says that – for her at least – the party just isn’t what it used to be.
VPR News

Civil commitment bill plans unveiled

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As Vermont lawmakers gear up for next year’s legislative session, state representative Kurt Wright unveiled plans yesterday for a new bill on civil commitment.
Commentary Series

Home for the holidays

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This is the time of year when most of us try to be “home for the holidays” with our families – even those for whom commentator John Scagliotti* says the words “home” and “family” have taken on new meaning.
Commentary Series

Manpower

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Commentator Bill Seamans says that one of the most urgent challenges facing Americans in the New Year will be deciding on a new strategy for the conflict in Iraq.
VPR News

Interview: Tom Slayton, Vermont Life Magazine

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After 21 years as Editor-in-Chief of Vermont Life Magazine, Tom Slayton is leaving to pursue other writing interests. VPR’s Neal Charnoff sat down recently with Slayton to talk about his tenure at Vermont Life, and the mission of the magazine
Commentary Series

Year’s end thanks

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Winter days are short and nights are long. But commentator Allen Gilbert is reminded that our communities are vibrant throughout the year thanks to special individuals among us.
VPR News

Midday Report: December 27, 2006

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New Hampshire officials are looking for volunteers to help victims of last May’s floods find housing; Steve Delaney looks at Vermont’s involvement in the war in Iraq in the second part of our series, Year in Review: 2006
VPR News

The Year in Review: 2006 – Part 2, War

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During the past year, the intensity of Vermont’s connection to the war in Iraq diminished as more National Guardsmen came home. But as VPR’s Steve Delaney reports in our Year-in-Review series, the casualties continued.
Commentary Series

Bless these hounds

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oday is Boxing Day – an English tradition having to do with charitable giving, thanking tradespeople and sporting events like fox hunting. Which brings us to commentator Philip Baruth. Recently, Philip was asked to bless a pack of fox hounds in Charlotte. And he did it at least, he thinks he did.
Commentary Series

Library

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When commentator Caleb Daniloff has a bit of time off, he likes to visit the local library. He says it’s more than just a public building filled with books. It’s a reminder that not all stories come bound between two covers.
VPR News

Essex school setting up memorial scholarship

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Four months after a teacher was shot and killed in a classroom, the Essex Elementary School is still healing from the shooting spree. As part of that healing process the school is setting up a memorial scholarship to honor 56-year-old Alicia Shanks.
Commentary Series

Room at the Inn

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Part of the Christmas Story tells about being turned away from the Inn, and finding shelter in a stable. It’s a lesson that commentator Gloria Gonzalez thinks is still relevant today.
VPR News

Stafford remembered for service to Vermont

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Vermont Governor Jim Douglas has ordered all flags at state facilities lowered to half-staff in honor of the late Senator Robert Stafford. Vermont Senator-elect Bernie Sanders says Stafford was an example of the best of Vermont’s political traditions.
Commentary Series

Solstice

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As we celebrate the Winter Solstice, commentator John Elder is thinking about the creative power of community in a time of global challenge.
Commentary Series

Hanukkah

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At this time of year quite a few different holiday and religious traditions share the calendar quite comfortably, and commentator Madeleine Kunin thinks that this is no coincidence.
VPR News

Brock won’t contest recount

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For the first time in Vermont history, a recount has changed the unofficial outcome of a statewide election.When the results were final, Auditor Randy Brock said he would not contest the recount.
VPR News

Interview: Tim Bombardier, ‘Operation Granite Street’

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It was called “Operation Granite Streets” – an investigation in Barre City lasting more than two months that just a couple of days ago resulted in more than 25 drug-related arrests. Tim Bombadier is the Barre City Police Chief. He spoke with Mitch Wertlieb and said the drug dealing had an affect that goes beyond the people involved directly in the transactions.
Commentary Series

Forward in Iraq

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As President George W. Bush struggles to find a new way forward in Iraq, commentator Barrie Dunsmore gives us his view that one of the president’s continuing goals is unachievable.
Commentary Series

Young Wretch

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Across Vermont thousands of people have been buying Christmas trees – or cutting their own. Commentator Peter Gilbert tells us about a Robert Frost poem in which the narrator struggles to feel the holiday spirit toward a neighbor who’s cut a Christmas tree on his land without asking.
VPR News

Interview: Peter Welch on Iraq war oversight hearings

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Congressman-elect Peter Welch says he expects the U.S. House will hold oversight hearings concerning the war in Iraq when Democrats take control of the House in January. Welch sat down this week with VPR’s Bob Kinzel, to discuss his views on the subject.
VPR News

Blood drive on track to set record

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Hundreds of people have been to Rutland’s Historic Paramount Theater today – not to see a show, but to give blood. As VPR’s Nina Keck reports, Red Cross officials say they’re on track to set a new single day donation record for Northern New England.
VPR News

Interview: Peter Bufano, Cirkestra circus music

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The band, Cirkestra performs tonight in Montpelier. Their CD, “Alice”, was composed for Vermont’s Circus Smirkus troupe. Band leader, Peter Bufano spoke with Mitch Wertlieb and said while Cirkestra’s music often goes beyond the stereotypical big tent sound, it does have roots that reach far back into the past:
Commentary Series

Anti-Santa

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Commentator Mike Martin has been thinking about how different Saint Nicholas traditions reflect the cultures they come from.
Commentary Series

Mahfouz

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Books are popular gifts, and for one that combines classic storytelling with the urgency of current events, commentator Jay Parini says that the work of one particular author comes immediately to mind.
VPR News

Interview: Chris Morrow, Buying Local

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If you’re still heading out to do some holiday shopping, there’s a message many local business owners have for you: “Buy local, or it’s Bye-Bye Local.” That’s the catch phrase for a concentrated effort by local business owners to keep consumer spending in Vermont.
VPR News

Town of Alstead releases book about flood

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A little over a year ago the Connecticut Valley town of Alstead, New Hampshire, was ravaged by a flood that killed four people.About 50 families lost their homes when a wall of water roared through the town’s main valley.Now the local historical society, with help from almost everyone in town, has put together a book about the catastrophe.
Commentary Series

Norm

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Listening to those who oppose the war in Iraq has reminded commentator Willem Lange of an old friend who died fighting against a different war.
Commentary Series

Re-counting

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As the state auditor’s race finally approaches the finish line next week after a statewide re-count, commentator Deborah Luskin reflects on what it’s like to be a “re-count counter”.
VPR News

State Police troopers honored

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Six Vermont State Police troopers involved in the fatal shooting of a man in Corinth last June are being recognized for their actions.
VPR News

Vermont opposes Kansas coal-fired power plants

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Vermont and seven other northeastern states have a pact to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the region, by twelve million tons over the next twelve years. Those states are opposing a plan under consideration in Kansas to build a set of new coal-fired power plants that would emit more than enough carbon dioxide to offset the savings in the Northeast.
VPR News

Interview: Patrick Leahy, Senate Judiciary Committee Priorities

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When the new Congress convenes in January, Senator Patrick Leahy will become chairman of the Senate Judiciary committee. Today Leahy outlined his priorities for the committee in a special address at Georgetown Law School. Following that speech, Leahy talked with VPR’s Bob Kinzel about the reasons why he wants the committee to have a new focus.
Commentary Series

Aging

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Commentator Madeleine Kunin has been thinking about the predicted increase in elderly Vermonters – why it’s happening and the challenges and opportunities that come with it.
VPR News

Midday Report – December 12, 2006

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The winner of last weekend’s $4.5 million Megabucks ticket sold in St Albans still hasn’t claimed the money; some Burlington parents are angry that a Vermont National Guard obstacle course is being used at the high school; financial experts advise of the pitfalls of shopping with credit cards; Tinmouth voters approve a plan to change the town’s 220-year tradition of open-floor town meetings.
VPR News

State Police find lost hunter

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Neal Hogan, a hunter for thirty years, went into the woods of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom on Saturday morning. He got separated from his companions, and his dogs. Hogan had no map no compass, and no survival gear. The State Police found him just after midnight, wet, cold and very tired.
VPR News

Midday Report – December 11, 2006

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Barack Obama’s New Hampshire visit draws a response that long-time politicians say is unrivaled; plans are already underway for next year’s Christmas at the U.S. Capitol, when the tree will be harvested from Bennington County; State Police give safety advice after a fifth search and rescue for a lost hunter.
Commentary Series

Iraq study report

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The bi-partisan Iraq Study Group’s call for a fundamental shift in U.S. Iraq policy is, according to commentator Barrie Dunsmore, a remarkably stark warning to the President, the Congress and the American people.
Commentary Series

Cow power

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Vermont’s dairy farmers are developing a new product, according to commentator Ron Krupp, in a process that’s a little like turning lead into gold.
Commentary Series

Prison poems

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Commentator Deborah Luskin says that teaching writing to a prison population is an effective way to help people come to terms with their lives, and prepare to rejoin the community.
Commentary Series

Resort workers

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We’ve heard a lot lately about the plight of illegal immigrants working in Vermont agriculture, but commentator Bill Shutkin says that not all immigrant workers are illegal – and they’re not all found on the farm.
VPR News

Sen. Jeffords’ Environment Committee farewell speech

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Vermont’s Jim Jeffords is in his final days as a U.S. Senator this week. Jeffords bade farewell to the Senate in a floor speech in September. He has served in the body for 18 years. But on December 6, the Senate’s environment committee suspended some bitter debate to say goodbye to its former chairman.
VPR News

From Prison to Community: Part 4, Community High School

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Vermont’s largest high school has no principal and no sports teams. There are no parent teacher conferences either. Yet every one of the school’s students has been in trouble. In part four of this week’s prison series, VPR’s Steve Zind tells us about this unique educational institution.
VPR News

Senate Environment Committee says goodbye to Jeffords

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Vermont’s Jim Jeffords is in his final days as a U.S. Senator this week. Jeffords bade farewell to the Senate in a floor speech in September. He’s served in the body for 18 years. But today the Senate’s environment committee suspended some bitter debate to say goodbye to its former chairman. Our correspondent Todd Zwillich was there.
Commentary Series

Unmarried Independent

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Someone once said that “all politics is local”. And during the recent elections, commentator Willem Lange was reminded that it might also be said that “all politics is personal”.
Commentary Series

Outside story

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It’s often said that winter days are “a good time to be inside with a good book”, but commentator Tom Slayton says they’re also a good time to be “outside” with a good book – and he’s got one particular book in mind.
VPR News

Midday Report – December 6, 2006

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An advocacy group says its year-long investigation of Vermont’s juvenile detention facility uncovered cases of inappropriate physical force against the residents; Senator-elect Bernie Sanders says the Social Security system could be saved by raising the cap on taxable income; this morning, Senator Jim Jeffords attended his last meeting of the Environment and Public Works Committee; police efforts to reduce traffic fatalities seem to be working.
VPR News

Midday Report – December 5, 2006

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It may be Christmas before the ballot recount is complete in the race for Vermont state auditor; Vermont is in second place this year on an annual nationwide list by states of health rankings; AARP Magazine is praising Governor Jim Douglas for signing legislation that makes affordable health insurance available to everyone in the state, but some lawmakers are uncomfortable with the recognition; more…
VPR News

From Prison to Community: Part 2, Challenges

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Because of over crowded prisons and high incarceration costs, most Vermont inmates only serve their minimum sentence behind bars. They do the rest of their time in the community. Corrections officials say this conditional reentry program works well. But as VPR’s Nina Keck reports, the challenges some offenders face can become even larger “out of jail.”
Commentary Series

Pearl Harbor

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This Thursday, December 7th, marks the sixty-fifth anniversary of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor that propelled America into World War II. Commentator Vic Henningsen recalls how he learned what “remembering Pearl Harbor” was really about.
Commentary Series

Chris Graff

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Much has already been said about Chris Graff, his years as a Vermont journalist, and the book he’s just written – but commentator David Moats has a few observations of his own to add, about both the book and the man.
VPR News

Vermont Guard soldiers in Iraq on different mission

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One year ago there were more than a thousand members of the Vermont Guard serving in Iraq. Today there are about one hundred. As VPR’s Steve Zind reports, the past year marked a dramatic transition in the deployment of Vermont’s part time soldiers.
VPR News

From Prison to Community: Part 1, Conditional Reentry

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Depending on the prison, Vermont spends between $40,000 and $70,000 a year to house a single inmate in-state. Because of the high incarceration costs and over- crowded prisons, most Vermont inmates now finish their sentences, heavily supervised in the community.
Commentary Series

No Child Left Behind

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School districts in Vermont and elsewhere have asked a federal court to reconsider an earlier lawsuit challenging the No Child Left Behind Law. Commentator Cheryl Hanna shares her views on the lawsuit and its chances for survival.
VPR News

Midday Report – December 1, 2006

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Democratic State Representative John Tracy resigns his seat in the Vermont House to take a staff job with Senator Patrick Leahy; incoming state Representative Rachel Weston, who’s Tracy’s successor, describes her election and her orientation this week in the Statehouse; Terry Gildea of the Capitol News Connection reports diminishing optimism over whether Congress will provide emergency relief to farmers in Vermont and elsewhere.
VPR News

Interview: Mark Breen, Eye on The Sky

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VPR looked back into the archives for early listener comments about Eye on the Sky. We found one from author, E. Annie Proulx and asked VPR producer, Betty Smith to read it. And VPR’s Mitch Wertlieb spoke with meteorologist Mark Breen about the early days of the broadcast.
Commentary Series

One school

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On November 7th, Weathersfield voters agreed to finance the transition from two schools to one, for grades K through 8, since Weathersfield doesn’t have a high school. Commentator Edith Hunter says it’s the end of an era.
Commentary Series

ABBA Museum

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Stockholm is slated to open an ABBA-themed museum in 2008. But Commentator Philip Baruth is making a desperate, last-ditch effort to get the city to scrap the project.
VPR News

Harris Hill Ski Jump canceled

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A renowned winter sporting event in Brattleboro has been canceled because repairs to the Harris Hill ski jump would be too expensive.
VPR News

Interview: Jack Hoffman, Vermont Broadband Council

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High speed Internet access is taken for granted by most people, but in a lot of rural areas of Vermont and other states, it’s still not available for a variety of reasons. Jack Hoffman is Chairman of the Vermont Broadband Council. He spoke with Mitch Wertlieb and said the simplest explanation for why rural areas are often staring at a digital abyss is money.
VPR News

Singing group a comfort to those in hospice care

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One of the tenets of the Hospice movement is that there’s always something that can be done to enrich a dying person’s last days of life. In Brattleboro, the list of Hospice services even includes live music, as VPR’s Susan Keese Reports.
Commentary Series

Localvore winter

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Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, and the harvest is well and truly over, what options do we have for local foods in the long winter months ahead? Commentator Helen Labun Jordan has been studying the problem.
Commentary Series

Safe schools

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In light of events like the recent Essex School shooting, Vermont schools have been implementing new security measures this fall. Commentator Mike Martin has been thinking about how we can ensure that they’ll still be places for happy, productive learning.
Commentary Series

Taxes

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Most people’s property taxes come due right about now. And although Willem Lange says he doesn’t mind paying taxes, he does sometimes mind where they go.
VPR News

New hope for Bemis Block on anniversary of fire

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A year ago, firefighters from 16 departments spent the day after Thanksgiving fighting a fire on Hardwick’s Main Street. On this first anniversary, there’s new hope for rebuilding. VPR’s Amy Noyes reports:
Commentary Series

The Pandora Suite

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Sabra Field has produced a new and very unusual series of prints. Here’s commentator Tom Slayton with a preview.
VPR News

Interview: Dan Blodgett, Wild Turkeys

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Doug Blodgett is a Vermont State Wildlife Biologist. He spoke with Mitch Wertlieb about the wild turkey. Once close to extinction in Vermont, it’s thriving these days thanks to some concerted conservation efforts.
Commentary Series

First Thanksgiving

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This time of year, we decorate our classrooms with cut-outs of construction paper pilgrims, but commentator Marialisa Calta says that some of the stories we tell to go with them are more myth than history.
Commentary Series

Thanksgiving

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(HOST) It’s time to count our blessings. And commentator Ruth Page has quite a long list of things – and people – she’s grateful for this year.
Commentary Series

Negotiations

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While the White House and the new Democratic leaders in Congress await proposals for a new strategy for Iraq from the Baker Hamilton Commission, commentator Barrie Dunsmore tells us this morning about one proposal that Commission seems certain to make.
Commentary Series

Farm labor

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Now that the elections are behind us, commentator Allen Gilbert hopes that the labor problems facing Vermont dairy farms will finally get some much-needed attention.
Commentary Series

Nuclear Club

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The club of nuclear nations is growing. And commentator Olin Robison says that this new round of nuclear proliferation should concern us all.
Commentary Series

Temper

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Much has been said lately about the conflicting value systems of scientific discovery and religious faith. Commentator Edith Hunter recalls a writer who thought he had found a way to reconcile the two.
Commentary Series

Vote counting

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Commentator Lee Michaelides says that voting machines haven’t entirely eliminated the volunteer ballot counter – and he ought to know.
VPR News

Midday Report: November 16, 2006

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Where to look for flu shots this year, and common-sense ways to avoid the virus; accentuating the positive as the ski industry chafes under the influence of weather too warm to make snow; a Bennington man accused of abusing 32 dogs is now saying he wants his pets back.
Commentary Series

Had enough

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Americans are once again vigorously debating what to do about the war in Iraq. And commentator Bill Seamans wonders what consequences the outcome will have for the military.
VPR News

Welch begins orientation

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Peter Welch was off to the Capitol Hill Hyatt where he and the other Freshman members are staying for this week of orientation.
VPR News

Missing hunter found

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A missing hunter has been found in Mount Tabor. Vermont State Police located Walter Babcock early this morning.
VPR News

This I Believe, VT: Terry Ryan

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All this week during Morning Edition, we’re hearing essays submitted by Vermonters to “This I Believe”, the national radio project exploring the principles and values that guide our lives.Terry Ryan went to sea as a young man in search of adventure. He found it, and he also found a set of beliefs that continue to inform his life today. Here he is with his essay for “This I Believe”.
VPR News

This I Believe, VT: Alexxandra Shuman

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This week VPR is sampling essays written by Vermonters for “This I Believe”, the national radio series exploring the principles and values that guide our lives. Alexxandra Shuman is a young woman whose urgent search for happiness lead her to acquire a deep understanding of her beliefs. Here she is with her essay for “This I Believe.”
Commentary Series

Apples

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Apples are among the last crops of the season, and commentator Ron Krupp has been taking stock of this year’s harvest.
Commentary Series

Bernie

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Vermont has long been known for electing moderate voices to the U.S. Senate – a practice that commentator Frank Bryan fears is now over.
VPR News

This I Believe, VT: Dale Long

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This week VPR is bringing you a sample of essays written by Vermonters for “This I Believe”, the national radio series exploring principles and values that guide our lives.
VPR News

Wild turkeys make comeback in Vermont

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Several decades ago, there were no wild turkeys in Vermont. Today, the big birds are a familiar sight in fields and back yards across the state. VPR’s Steve Zind looks at how the wild turkey has made its surprising comeback.
Commentary Series

Rumsfeld’s resignation

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The Democratic party victories in Tuesday’s elections were certain to have some impact on future American foreign policy. But as commentator Barrie Dunsmore tells us this morning, that impact may now be greater than might have first been imagined.
VPR News

Backstage: Fiddler on the Roof

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One of Broadway’s most beloved musicals has returned to Burlington, in a production by the Lyric Theater Company. “Fiddler on The Roof” is loosely based on the stories of the Russian Jewish author Sholom Alechiam.
VPR News

Rooney asks for dismissal of charges

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The man accused of killing a University of Vermont student last month is asking a judge to dismiss the charges because an FBI agent wrote an anonymous story about the case that appeared in a Burlington newspaper.
Commentary Series

The morning after

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Commentator Philip Baruth attended the Democratic Election Night Victory Party at the Wyndham Hotel, and it reminded him of nothing so much as the climax of Irwin Allen’s 1972 blockbuster disaster film The Poseiden Adventure.
Commentary Series

New direction

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If we’re serious about burying campaign hatchets and promoting a new spirit of compromise in politics, commentator David Moats thinks we should consider the example set by Abraham Lincoln at the close of the Civil War.
VPR News

Interview: Carl Reidell, IP tire test burn

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Perhaps no one is more concerned about start of a test burn of tire chips at the International Paper mill on the New York side of Lake Champlain than Carl Reidell, a retired University of Vermont Environmental Studies Professor, who lives closer to the plant than just about anyone. He spoke with Mitch Wertlieb about the issue.
VPR News

State Auditor race still undecided

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The race for state auditor is still undecided. Incumbent Republican Randy Brock and Democratic challenger Thomas Salmon traded leads as votes were counted through the evening last night.
VPR News

Sanders will have to reorient attitude for Senate

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Vermont this morning has a new Congressman and a new Senator. Voters shifted independent Congressman Bernie Sanders to the Senate. He replaces the retiring Jim Jeffords. And replacing Sanders in the House is Democrat Peter Welch. From Capitol Hill, Chad Pergram explains what this means for the state’s Congressional Delegation.
VPR News

Douglas is reelected

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Incumbent Republican governor Jim Douglas was re-elected last night to another two years in office. Douglas defeated his Democratic challenger Scudder Parker by more than a 15-point margin.
Commentary Series

Talking politics

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It’s conventional wisdom that by now, we’re all sick and tired of talking about politics, but commentator Mike Martin reminds us that vigorous political debate signifies a healthy democracy.
Commentary Series

Time to vote

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Commentator Madeline Kunin is here today with some thoughts on the importance of Election Day.
VPR News

Sanders declares victory

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U.S. Senator-elect Bernie Sanders says the time is long overdue for the United States Senate and House to start representing the working families of America.
VPR News

Line greets morning voters in Rutland

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Voter turn out seems to be high in many Vermont communities. In Rutland City ballot officials at the Godnick Senior Center, one of four voting places in the city, say there was a long line of people waiting to get in when the doors opened at 7am this morning.
Commentary Series

Voting as it used to be

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When you step into the voting booth tomorrow and pull the curtain closed behind you, commentator Neil Stout says you might pause to consider that voting hasn’t always been conducted in private, or for that matter – written down.
VPR News

Midday Report: November 3, 2006

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The civility of Vermont’s campaign for Congress is getting national attention in a year of mud-slinging TV ads; we hear from an independent candidate who’s running for Governor, and for the U.S. Senate; more…
VPR News

Record political advertising testing some broadcaster’s limits

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If you’re interested in peeking under the hood of a political campaign, go to the Federal Elections Commission’s Website and scroll through a candidate’s campaign filings. From among the hundreds of pages of disbursements for gasoline, pizza and campaign workers’ salaries, one expense will jump out: The cost of advertising.
VPR News

New Voices: Emmanuel Lucenge Siriwayo

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Today on New Voices we hear from Emmanuel Lucenge Siriwayo of the Democratic Republic of Congo. A graduate of a Congolese University, he worked for the U.N. in several different countries. His troubles started when he returned home in the midst of the Congolese Civil war.
VPR News

Interview: Peter Diamondstone, U.S. Senate Candidate

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As part of VPR’s continuing midterm election coverage, we’re speaking with a wide variety of candidates seeking statewide office. Today, Mitch Wertlieb speaks with Liberty Union Party Senate candidate Peter Diamondstone, whose campaign stresses his own credentials, but to a greater degree, a sharp criticism of one of his opponents.
VPR News

New Voices: Joseph Kerlin-Smith

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Joseph Kerlin-Smith lived in Ethiopia until his parents died. He was almost twelve when he and his younger sister Anna were adopted by a family in Marlboro. He’s now a senior at Brattleboro Union High School. Today in New Voices, he talks about his old life and his new one.
VPR News

Interview: Gabor Rona, Military Commissions Act

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Gabor Rona is a former professor at Woodbury College and the current International Law Director for Human Rights First. He spoke with Mitch Wertlieb about what the Military Commissions Act of 2006 means for the future of the hundreds of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.
VPR News

Interview: Bruce Marshall, U.S. House Candidate

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Green Party candidate for the US House Bruce Marshall talks with Mitch Wertlieb about the central issue of his campaign, which he says is more important than anything any of the major party candidates or the mainstream media is willing to talk about.
Commentary Series

Malthus revisited

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Recently, the United States reached another population milestone, prompting many pessimistic predictions about the future. But commentator Olin Robison thinks we may be over-reacting.
Commentary Series

Hungarian revolution

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During the last days of October fifty years ago, commentator Vic Henningsen says that the world watched in amazement as it appeared – for an all-too-brief-moment – that an eastern European nation might throw off the yoke of Soviet oppression.
Commentary Series

H.P. Lovecraft

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It’s nearly Halloween, and commentator Joe Citro has been thinking about one of New England’s writers of scary stories – not as well known as some perhaps, but one of the best.
VPR News

Midday Report – October 27, 2006

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Top stories at the noon hour: Former Windham County sheriff Sheila Prue is upset that Auditor Randy Brock is referring to her criminal embezzlement conviction in a campaign ad; political analyst Eric Davis of Middlebury College says that in spite of very heavy spending on TV ads, the candidates have been unable to change the level of allegiance they’re receiving from potential voters; more….
VPR News

Interview: Peter Moss, U.S. Senate Candidate

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As a part of VPR’s continuing mid-term election coverage, we’re speaking with a wide variety of statewide candidates for office. Today Mitch Wertlieb speaks with U.S. Senate candidate Peter Moss about his plan of action on a wide range of issues.
Commentary Series

Slogans

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During wartime, slogans can play a significant role in maintaining support on the home-front. But as commentator Barrie Dunsmore tells us this morning, for the war in Iraq, the time for slogans is probably over.
Commentary Series

Literacy

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As election day approaches, commentator Peter Gilbert has been thinking that if there were a silver bullet for creating both good and successful citizens, it would be education. Education starts with the ability to read. And in Vermont, literacy programs to promote reading and books can be found everywhere from play pens to prisons.
Commentary Series

Nobel Peace Prize

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The name of the latest winner of the Nobel Peace prize rang a bell with commentator Madeleine Kunin – and reminded her of an inspiring dinner conversation.
Commentary Series

100 calorie snacks

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Cold weather and weight gain don’t necessarily have to go together. Commentator Rachel Johnson says you can take the guesswork out of portion control with 100-calorie snacks.
Commentary Series

Citro Effect

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October is the month for scary stories and things that go bump in the night. And that always reminds commentator Philip Baruth of something he likes to call “the Citro effect.”
VPR News

AARP challenges GMP sale

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An advocacy group is challenging the planned sale of Green Mountain Power. AARP Vermont says that some of the proceeds from the sale should go back to the utility’s customers.
VPR News

Midday Report – October 20, 2006

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Vermont’s unemployment levels remain steady; experts say interest is growing residential-sized wind power turbines of up to ten kilowatts; a sense of unease is felt around Congress, caused by uncertainty over who will be in charge of what after the November elections.
Commentary Series

New school in Peru

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The town of Peru hasn’t had a school for quite a few years, but that may change. And commentator Bill Shutkin* says the possibility of a new school has sparked a lively debate about Peru’s future.
Commentary Series

Dog River

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Tom Slayton still visits the Vermont river near where he grew up. Here are some of his recent observations.
VPR News

Midday Report – October 19, 2006

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Wal-Mart expand a low-cost prescription drug program to 14 more states, including Vermont; the chief suspect in the abduction and murder of University of Vermont student Michelle Gardner-Quinn faces new but unrelated charges today; political analyst Eric Davis says this election year could be a major power shift between Republicans and Democrats.
Commentary Series

Curtain project

By |
Vermont preservationists have recently turned their attention to a particular kind of artifact from a by-gone era of popular entertainment, and commentator Deborah Doyle-Schechtman says the results are exciting.
VPR News

Midday Report – October 16, 2006

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Brian Rooney, the primary suspect in the abduction and death of UVM student Michelle Gardner-Quinn, is scheduled to appear in court in about an hour; a police officer is reported injured at Huntington Gorge, the site where Gardner-Quinn’s body was found on Friday; Senator Patrick Leahy discusses how the Judiciary Committee could challenge the Bush administration; the candidates for U.S. House have three debates scheduled this week.
Commentary Series

Intervale

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Fall is upon is, the harvest is under way, and commentator Ron Krupp says he’s especially grateful to be able to garden in Burlington’s Intervale.
VPR News

Police announce body of missing student found

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Reporter John Dillon was at City Hall when Burlington Police announced the latest results of their investigation into missing UVM student, Michelle Gardner-Quinn. He spoke with VPR’s Neal Charnoff live in the studio about the week-long search that has come to a grim ending.
Commentary Series

Passing through

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Fall Migration is currently at its peak, and on most nights now over Vermont, songbirds are heading south to their wintering grounds. As commentator Brad Kessler tells us, the migrating birds mean many things to many different people.
Commentary Series

Young Vermonters

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Candidates in Vermont’s fall elections have targeted many issues as key policy areas – including how to retain more young Vermonters. Commentator Helen Labun Jordan has mixed feelings about this particular campaign issue.
Commentary Series

North Korea

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Commentator Barrie Dunsmore says that the North Korean nuclear test makes the world less safe, and that it demonstrates still another policy failure for those who claim negotiating with your enemy is appeasement.
Commentary Series

Burt’s Bees

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Burt’s Bees might have been the micro-business that got away from Vermont, but commentator Timothy McQuiston says there are now ways to keep the next entrepreneur at home.
VPR News

Early voting for November elections begins

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Early voting for November’s General Election is under way. In 2004, a fifth of Vermont’s voters chose to cast their ballot using this system. As a result, the state’s political parties are starting to use new strategies.
Commentary Series

Uninformed

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Despite her family’s long history of interest in politics, commentator Edith Hunter says it’s still a challenge to remain politically well informed.
Commentary Series

Discouraged

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If you were disappointed with your garden this year – and many people were – commentator Henry Homeyer says don’t be discouraged – there’s always next year.
Commentary Series

Keats poem “To Autumn”

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Fall colors were at their peak in much of Vermont this past weekend, and for commentator Peter Gilbert they brought to mind a famous poem that’s been called “…as close to perfect as any shorter poem in the English language.”
Commentary Series

Turkey vultures

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Commentator Ted Levin has been keeping track of various birds as they begin to migrate south for the winter, and he says that watching one of our most attractive fliers almost makes him forget about their most unattractive eating habits.
VPR News

Midday Report – October 9, 2006

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Democratic gubernatorial candidate Scudder Parker accuses Governor Jim Douglas of playing politics in a debate over wilderness land; Republican U.S. Senate candidate Rich Tarrant continues his criticism of some of the votes of Congressman Bernie Sanders; VPR is hearing from minor candidates for major office, including congressional candidate Chris Karr; the family of a Brandon man who died in a jail more than a year ago sues the state for not providing medical treatment for heroin withdrawal.
VPR News

Interview: Eric Lipton, Journalist, The New York Times

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Eric Lipton now covers Homeland Security stories for the New York Times and will speak later today at UVM about the rewards and daunting challenges of journalism. He spoke with Mitch Wertlieb and said two of the most difficult assignments of his career were covering Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami that devastated much of Southeast Asia.
Commentary Series

Racquetball with Barbara

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Former First Lady Barbara Bush’s recent visit to Vermont in behalf of Republican hopeful Martha Rainville inspired one of commentator Philip Baruth’s occasional flights of fancy – one in which he imagines a truly epic game of racquetball.
VPR News

Midday Report – October 4, 2006

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The Jamaica Select Board votes unanimously to ask the Legislature to change the property tax system; the federal government sues the state of Vermont to stop an investigation into whether the National Security Agency was given improper access to Vermonters’ phone records; interview with Keith Stern, an independent candidate for U.S. House.
Commentary Series

October surprise

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As the political juggernaut picks up steam during the final weeks of this campaign season, commentator Bill Seamans is wondering what political revelations are yet to come.
Commentary Series

October surprise

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As the political juggernaut picks up steam during the final weeks of this campaign season, commentator Bill Seamans is wondering what political revelations are yet to come.
Commentary Series

109th Congress

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As members of congress return home for the final weeks of mid-term election campaigning, commentator Olin Robison is taking stock of what they’ve accomplished – and what they haven’t.
Commentary Series

Privacy

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Can a gated community guarantee your privacy? Commentator Allen Gilbert thinks there are other ways that your privacy can be compromised.
Commentary Series

Missing Link

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Sometimes science can seem to resemble one giant game of fill-in-the-blanks. And it’s a process that fascinates commentator Ruth Page.
VPR News

Guard engineers arrive in Iraq

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About 80 Vermont National Guard engineers have arrived in Iraq. The soldiers from the 131st Engineer company out of Springfield arrived this weekend after completing training at Fort McCoy in Wisconsin.
VPR News

Midday Report – October 2, 2006

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Teachers and the school board in Brattleboro and nearby towns have reached a tentative contract agreement; scientists say new pollutants ranging from caffeine to insect repellent have been detected in Lake Champlain or its tributaries; New Haven dedicates its post office to Matthew Lyon, a Vermonter who became a symbol of free speech in the post-Revolutionary War period; the Gill Odd Fellows Home in Ludlow will not lose its certification as a Medicare provider.
VPR News

Statehouse a busy tour destination at foliage time

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Only a handful of the people who tour the Statehouse in Montpelier at foliage time are Vermonters. To find out what we are missing, we decided to tag along with 81-year-old Jim Murray, a recent transplant to Vermont who loves the Statehouse, its history and his job as a volunteer guide.
VPR News

Interview: Steve Yinuzzi, Bellows Falls fire

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A blaze in the village of Bellows Falls Saturday night badly damaged a building that houses Oona’s Restaurant. No one was injured in the blaze, and the fire was put out after about 4 hours. Steve Yinuzzi is the Bellows Falls Deputy Fire Chief. He spoke with Mitch Wertlieb about the fire.
VPR News

Lake George commemorates tour boat tragedy

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A year ago today a tour boat carrying 47 sightseers capsized on Lake George. Twenty people died, most of them senior citizens from Michigan. On Sunday the town of Lake George unveiled a monument to commemorate the tragedy.
VPR News

Broadcasters face challenges on tower construction

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For the last ten years, broadcast companies, including Vermont Public Radio have wanted new towers on Mount Mansfield to accommodate new services and to extend the reach of their signals. Yet they’ve faced challenges in protecting the environment and nearby hiking trails.
Commentary Series

State house tour

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Foliage season is near peak and it’s a busy time at the Vermont statehouse. Every day visitors by the busload troop into the capital building for a guided tour. Only a handful of those who take the tour are Vermonters. To find out what we’re missing, we decided to tag along with eighty-one year old Jim Murray, a recent transplant to Vermont who loves the statehouse, its history and his job as a volunteer guide.
Commentary Series

Edible estates

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There’s a renewed interest in converting lawn space to garden space, and commentator Charlie Nardozzi says that this is the best time of year to start the transformation.
VPR News

Questions on aging to be answered at event

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Tomorrow there’s an Aging in Place Information Fair in South Burlington, in which non-profit and for-profit agencies that deal with questions that affect aging Vermonters, will be ready to answer those questions.
Commentary Series

Weston show

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This weekend in Weston, there will be a display of paintings that embody the tension between the mythic, pastoral ideal of Vermont’s past and the hard reality of rural life in our state. Commentator Tom Slayton tells us about the exhibit.
VPR News

Forum to address budget choices

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Vermont is facing some hard choices in the coming year. There are large projected deficits in budgets for public services, road projects, education, health care and more.
VPR News

Midday Report – September 27, 2006

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Senator Jim Jeffords made his final speech on the Senate floor this morning and warned his colleagues about the fiscal irresponsibility of Congress; political analyst Eric Davis says the progression of Jeffords’ career has been unique; Dr. Paul Reiss of Williston is among 2,000 doctors rallying in Washington D.C. for health care reform; Lewis Creek in Ferrisburgh will be treated with lampricide to control sea lamprey.
Commentary Series

Covered bridges

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Covered bridges are so much a part of Vermont’s landscape – and our daily lives – that it’s easy to forget how unusual they really are. And commentator Deborah Doyle-Schechtman says they shouldn’t be taken for granted.
VPR News

UVM president back on the job

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University of Vermont President Dan Fogel is back on the job. Two months ago he was hospitalized with acute pancreatitis.
VPR News

Interview: Robert Rachlin, ‘Islamo-Fascism’

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Robert Rachlin is an attorney who spoke about the new war terminology recently at the Vermont Law School in South Royalton. Mitch Wertlieb recently spoke with him and asked about whether the comparisons to fascism and radical Islam in terms such as ‘Islamo-fascism’ are in his view, valid.
Commentary Series

Lebanese/Israeli 2View

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Among those watching nervously as hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel exploded along the southern Lebanese border recently, were Stan Rashid and Elnor Rozenrot. They both have deep roots in the Middle East and they followed events closely. Today they share personal points of view – about the cease-fire, winning and losing, and the future.
VPR News

Vermont history comes alive in national art galleries

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After more than six years of extensive renovations, two Washington D.C. attractions have reopened: the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery and the American Art Museum. VPR’s Washington correspondent Chad Pergram visited both, to see how Vermont is represented in these national institutions.
VPR News

Midday Report – September 25, 2006

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About 80 Vermont National Guard engineers are headed to Iraq within days; a developer says his Wal-Mart store would have a minor impact on Saint Albans; drivers are warned about moose on the roads; Burlington’s lead abatement program may be in jeopardy; a teddy bear is blamed in the deaths of 2,500 trout at a New Hampshire fishery.
Commentary Series

Then and now

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Commentator Olin Robison says that – compared to the chaos and confusion of today’s world – the cold war years don’t look so bad.
Commentary Series

Monarchs

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This is the time of year when the monarch butterfly begins it’s long migration south, and commentator Ted Levin says it’s an astonishing trip for such a fragile creature.
Commentary Series

Troop creep

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While Americans have been debating whether or not to begin reducing our military presence in Iraq, commentator Bill Seamans notes that the number of American troops there – has actually been quietly increasing.
Commentary Series

More than tests

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School testing is all the vogue in education circles these days, but when school resumed this fall, commentator Mike Martin found himself thinking instead about what it is that keeps kids interested in school.
Commentary Series

Iraq and terror

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Many Americans question President Bush’s credibility when he says that success in Iraq is necessary to win the War on Terror. Commentator Madeleine Kunin is one of them.
Commentary Series

September Song

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During the long month of August, summer can seem almost without end. The memory of winter has receded just enough that we can trick ourselves into thinking that time is suspended. Then comes a cold night that puts the furnace or the wood stove to work, and the first color in the trees. It reminds us that not only is summer passing, but so are they days we’re given to mark the seasons’ changing. Here’s a reflection on autumn in Vermont and time’s passage by writer Howard Coffin.
Commentary Series

Iraq and Bush

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Many Americans are weighing President Bush’s credibility when he says that success in Iraq is critical to winning the War on Terror. This morning, we heard from Madeleine Kunin. This afternoon, we hear another perspective from commentator Frank Bryan.
VPR News

Interview, NPR’s Peter Overby on Politics Media & Money

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NPR’s chief political reporter Peter Overby will help us explore the world of campaign finance and image making by candidates at today’s VPR symposium on politics, media and money. He spoke with Mitch Wertlieb about these issues, and whether he thinks this election season seems especially negative and aggressive.
Commentary Series

Money and politics

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In the fall of 2001, commentator Philip Baruth wound up at a small dinner in Burlington for Democratic strategist, James Carville. Carville put forward a concept for campaign funding reform that Philip has never seen discussed elsewhere but it’s an idea that Philip thinks has a certain wild, out-of-the-box appeal to it.
Commentary Series

Chester A. Arthur

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Calvin Coolidge is only one of two American presidents who hailed from Vermont. The other is not as well known – or as beloved – as Coolidge, but the two men have more in common than one might think. Here’s commentator Peter Gilbert.
VPR News

Burke looks to manage growth

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Officials in the Northeast Kingdom town of Burke say they’re trying to manage the growth they expect with development of the local ski resort.
VPR News

Rainville calls for amendment on term limits

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Republican U.S. House candidate Martha Rainville is calling for a constitutional amendment to limit lawmakers in the House and Senate to spending no more than 12 years in either chamber.
Commentary Series

Prebates

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Commentator Allen Gilbert has been listening to the discussions around “prebates.” He thinks that a simple concept is being spun into something that it isn’t.
VPR News

AIDS arrival in Vermont remembered

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As the nation marks the 25th anniversary of the first diagnosis of AIDS this year, one doctor remembers the disease’s arrival in Vermont and the concern and confusion surrounding that first case.
VPR News
cronkite_150a.jpg

Interview: Walter Cronkite

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He was once considered the most trusted man in America and despite signing off from his signature news program in 1981, Walter Cronkite’s image and voice remain among the most iconic in journalism. In 2006 he spoke with Mitch Wertlieb about his storied career and today’s media landscape.
Commentary Series

Ideological struggle

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In a series of speeches this month, President Bush has elevated the War On Terror to “The decisive ideological struggle of the 21st century.” This morning commentator Barrie Dunsmore examines that claim.(DUNSMORE) President Bush told us on the fifth anniversary of 9/11 that the War on Terror represents “…a struggle for civilization between tyranny and freedom.”
Commentary Series

Vt declares war

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Although the sixty-fifth anniversary of Pearl Harbor isn’t until December 7th, commentator Vic Henningsen reminds us that Vermont got a bit of a jump start on World War II.
VPR News

Interview: Frank Bryan, Primary analysis

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Frank Bryan, Professor of Political Science at the University of Vermont says the only real surprise from yesterday’s voting may be the victory of State Senator Matt Dunne over Representative John Tracy in the Democratic primary for Lt. Governor. Includes correction.
Commentary Series

Search for an optimist*

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Commentator Olin Robison says that finding anyone in the International community right now to express optimism about the conflict in the Middle East is a little like the philosopher Diogenes* looking for an honest man – the search may be in vain.
VPR News

Midday Report: September 12, 2006

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Vermonters are deciding nominations in three state-wide races and a number of local contests, on this primary election day; measuring the effect of new big box stores on the Rutland area; more…
Commentary Series

Localvore lessons

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Many Vermonters accepted the challenge to spend the month of August eating meals made with food from within 100 miles of home. Commentator Helen Labun Jordan was among them, and now she’s digesting the lessons she learned – as a localvore.
Commentary Series

Ostriches

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Like many Vermonters, commentator Ruth Page has always enjoyed watching and learning about birds, but recently she turned her attention from the back-yard-feeder variety to something considerably larger.
VPR News

Interview: Mike Penchina remembers 9/11

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Mike Penchina is a 63-year-old retired New York City firefighter. Like virtually everyone stunned by the events of 9/11, he recalls where he was and what he was doing when he heard the news. But unlike most, he also knew he couldn’t remain where he was.
Commentary Series

Halberstam

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Commentator Jay Craven remembers penetrating comments he heard shortly after 9/11 that continue to resonate for him, five years later.
VPR News

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont premiums to increase

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According to a new state report, individuals with private insurance coverage will have to pay almost $200 million in additional health care costs because Medicaid and Medicare are not paying the full cost of their services. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont, the state’s largest private insurer, says the cost shift will boost premiums next year.
Commentary Series

My big, fat fall flowers

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Just as our hillsides begin to blaze with color, our flower gardens begin to fade – except in commentator Charlie Nardozzi’s garden – where he likes to hold onto the bright colors of summer just a little bit longer.
VPR News

Midday Report – September 7, 2006

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IBM’s company-wide downsizing affects some workers in Vermont; candidates for statewide office are on the campaign trail; Vermont malls and retailers nationwide report strong summer sales; UVM’s College of Medicine receives a research grant; Mendon officials ask voters if they want to back out of a deal for a regional recreation center.
Commentary Series

Iraq brain drain

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Commentator Bill Seamans says that Iraq is in danger of losing one of its most valuable resources – one that would be critical to any rebuilding effort.
Commentary Series

Hill farm photos

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The hard work of Vermont’s hill farmers can be seen in the open fields and pastoral vistas of this state. Commentator Tom Slayton says that a photography exhibit currently at the Fairbanks Museum in St. Johnsbury gives an insight into that vanishing way of life.
VPR News

PSB hears VELCO on power line delays and cost

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The cost of a proposed transmission line from Waterbury to Stowe has doubled, and the project will be delayed for a year. Officials from the Vermont Electric Power Company were before the Public Service Board today to explain the reasons behind the cost increase.
VPR News

Price Chopper lawsuit settled

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The Vermont Attorney General’s office has settled a lawsuit with the Price Chopper supermarket chain over claims of false advertising.
VPR News

Midday Report – September 6, 2006

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Former First Lady Barbara Bush campaigns for GOP House candidate Martha Rainville; national Democratic fundraisers indicate faith in Peter Welch’s ability to beat Rainville in November; tar spot fungus presents a new threat to maple trees in the Northeast.
Commentary Series

9/11, the movie

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Recently commentator David Moats saw the movie about the events of nine-eleven. It didn’t move him as much as he expected – but it did make him think.
VPR News

Vermont faces shortage of endocrinologists

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With obesity rates rising, health experts say the number of diabetics will grow exponentially in the years to come. But Vermont and rest of the nation face a growing shortage of endocrinologists, the doctors trained to treat the disease.
Commentary Series

Pluto

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News headlines about Pluto grabbed the attention of millions. And its fall from planetary grace was debated by hundreds of scientists. But its discovery seventy-five years ago was a solitary affair. Commentator Allen Gilbert tells the story.
Commentary Series

Appeasement

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Some members of the Bush administration relate those who question the Iraq war to defeatists who sought to accommodate Nazi Germany before the outbreak of World War II. Commentator Vic Henningsen takes a look at the phenomenon of what was called “appeasement.”
Commentary Series

Food and Friends

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Sharing a meal with family and friends is a holiday tradition, and commentator Marialisa Calta says it’s also a nearly fool-proof way to enrich your life.
Commentary Series

Peaches

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It’s been a good year for commentator Edith Hunter’s fruit trees. One in particular has kept her very busy indeed.
Commentary Series

Diplomatic chicken

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Iran’s refusal to comply with a United Nations demand that it suspend its uranium enrichment activities, brings it ever closer to a collision in its game of “diplomatic chicken” with the world. This morning commentator Barrie Dunsmore assesses where we are on that road.
Commentary Series

Food safety

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As we look forward to the long holiday weekend, commentator Rachel Johnson suggests some simple ways to avoid a cook’s nightmare during our Labor Day celebrations.
Commentary Series

End of summer

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Commentator Madeleine Kunin is feeling nostalgic as we turn the page in our calendars from August to September.
VPR News

Interview: Frederick Lane, ‘The Decency Wars’

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In the new book “The Decency Wars – The Campaign to Cleanse American Culture”, Burlington author Frederick Lane provides a modern history of the ongoing cultural debate, and argues that conservative politicians who want to legislate what’s seen and heard, and groups like Focus on the Family and the Parent’s Television Council, aren’t really concerned about decency at all.
Commentary Series

Pa’s Arrest

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Today marks the 20th anniversary of an event that thrust commentator Caleb Daniloff’s father into the international spotlight. Lately, Caleb’s been reflecting on how his view of his father has changed since then.
Commentary Series

Public nudity

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There’s been a problem brewing in Brattleboro regarding public nudity, and commentator Cheryl Hanna thinks she may have a creative – if unlikely – solution.
Commentary Series

Inspiration

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Commentator Jay Craven has been on the road this summer with his new film – and it’s gotten him thinking about how characters from his life sometimes find their way onto the screen.
Commentary Series

Farm crisis

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Wet weather had an adverse effect on many crops this year, and commentator Ron Krupp says that may, in turn, put more family farms at risk.
Commentary Series

Strong language

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Marrying into another language and culture inevitably entails moments of frustration, and helplessness. At those moments, it’s good to be able to swear in many languages. Fortunately, commentator Philip Baruth’s father-in-law is a world-wide authority on strong language. Here’s Philip.
Commentary Series

19 cent gas

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If three-dollar-gas is a shock to you, imagine how you’d feel if you pumped gas at nineteen cents a gallon fifty years ago. Henry Harlow of Weathersfield, remembers the days of full service under the Texaco Star.
VPR News

Williams arraigned in Essex shootings

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The man charged with fatally shooting two women in Chittenden County this week is being evaluated at the Vermont State Hospital. Judge Edward Cashman has ordered Christopher Williams held without bail.
Commentary Series

Tucker speaks

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Commentator Willem Lange has a ghost writer this week. It sounds a lot like Willem, but he insists that the ideas expressed are entirely those of his long time canine companion Tucker.
VPR News

MIdday Report – August 25, 2006

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Christopher Williams appears in District Court in Burlington to face charges in yesterday’s shootings in Essex; Essex school officials delay the opening of the elementary and middle schools for a week; Chittenden County’s mutual assistance pact among local and state law enforcement agencies was put into motion yesterday; tomorrow the Black River Action Team gathers in Springfield and Ludlow to cleanup the waterway.
Commentary Series

Manifest destiny

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Commentator Olin Robison has been thinking about current American Foreign Policy, and that in turn has reminded him of the doctrine of Manifest Destiny.
VPR News

Multiple shootings in Essex – 5:50 p.m.

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A tragic scene unfolded today at the Essex Elementary School and two nearby homes. Police say two people have died in a series of shooting incidents. Four others were injured. Police say they have a suspect in custody and that he was injured after shooting himself. Officials have not yet released the names of the victims, the injured or the suspect.
Commentary Series

Water chestnuts

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The southern arm of Lake Champlain is host to several varieties of nuisance plants. Commentator Tom Slayton recently got better acquainted with one of them.
Commentary Series

War Tapes

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Commentator Allen Gilbert recently saw the film, “The War Tapes.” He says it’s not the easiest film to watch, but he highly recommends it.
Commentary Series

Airport insecurity

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Flying in the wake of the recent London terror alert has prompted commentator Mike Martin to wonder if we should think more about people – not things – to improve airport security.
VPR News

Midday Report – August 22, 2006

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The gubernatorial campaign focuses on renewable energy; GOP House candidates Mark Shepard and Martha Rainville debated abortion on WDEV radio this morning; a group of agriculture specialists from Haiti and the Dominican Republic wrap up a 20-day tour of Vermont farms; the Health Department looks at Vermont’s risk of West Nile virus.
Commentary Series

Richard III Society

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Commentator Peter Gilbert will be reading the “In Memoriam” notices in The New York Times carefully tomorrow – to see if a notice honoring a man who died 521 years ago will be printed again this year.
Commentary Series

Winner and Losers

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The Americans, the Israelis and the Lebanese militant movement Hezbollah are all saying they were the winners of the latest Lebanese War. This morning’s commentator Barrie Dunsmore examines those claims.
VPR News

Vermont Air National Guard sixtieth anniversary marked

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At the Burlington waterfront tomorrow, viewers will get a first hand look at the U. S. Army’s Golden Knights Parachute team and the Air Force flight demonstration team, the Thunderbirds. It’s part of the “Wings Over Vermont” marking the sixtieth anniversary of the Vermont Air National Guard.
VPR News

Midday Report – August 18, 2006

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The time is right to persuade candidates to take up specific issues; the Douglas administration says it will consider re-establishing a state Mental Health Department with a full-time commissioner; another caucus may be added to the calendar before the New Hampshire primary.
VPR News

Interview: Dartmouth researchers develop security scan for liquid explosives

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The alleged terrorist plot in the UK last week involved a plan to detonate liquid explosives smuggled on board in drink containers. Gregory Burke is a research associate at Dartmouth Medical School who helped develop a liquid scanning device more than two years ago. He says that while there are numerous technologies available to detect potentially destructive materials, it will be some time before airports will be equipped to handle a similar threat.
Commentary Series

Weeds

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Commentator Henry Homeyer has some practical advice about weed management for gardeners who want to get the most enjoyment out of what’s left of the summer.
VPR News

Vermont woman held for disrupting flight

By |
A Vermont woman who caused a disturbance on a trans-Atlantic flight will remain in custody through next week. A federal judge today scheduled a probable cause hearing for next Thursday, and ordered 59-year-old Catherine Mayo to remain behind bars until then.
VPR News

Midday Report – August 17, 2006

By |
Republican Brian Dubie announces his re-election campaign for lt. governor; the Vermont woman whose panic attack disrupted a transatlantic flight yesterday faces federal criminal charges; mental health advocates call on the Douglas administration to name a commissioner-level appointee to oversee the state’s struggling mental health system; Congressman Bernie Sanders speaks out on college afforability; the town of Brattleboro says a suggested site for a public beach isn’t suitable.
VPR News

Vermont Guard troops to train on Mexican border

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Governor Jim Douglas has approved a plan to send roughly 130 members of the Vermont National Guard to the Mexican border, to beef up patrols there. The soldiers will conduct their annual two-week training period in Arizona to help reduce the number of illegal aliens who are entering the country.
VPR News

Activists focus candidates’ attention on global warming

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Environmental activists hope to make global warming an issue in this fall’s elections. They’re planning a walk from Addison County to Burlington to call attention to the issue. On Thursday, environmentalists will take their case directly to the candidates by marching on their campaign headquarters.
VPR News

Museum celebrates Bennington Battle Day

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Wednesday is Bennington Battle Day in Vermont. On this date in 1777 British soldiers from General John Burgoyne’s army had moved to within ten miles of Bennington when they were met in battle by militia members from New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Vermont.
VPR News

Midday Report – August 16, 2006

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130 members of the Vermont National Guard will spend the first two weeks of September in the Arizona desert as part of the effort to tighten up the Mexican border; a group in Chester opposes a quarrying operation next to the town’s school; Vermont Auditor Randy Brock launches a review of Brattleboro’s financial management of its new parking garage and planned improvements to its railroad station; Bennington Battle Day is observed today.
VPR News

State puts premises ID plan on hold

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The Agency of Agriculture has postponed a controversial proposal that would require all farms with livestock to register with the government. Agriculture Secretary Steve Kerr says he put the plan on hold because of concerns that farmers’ privacy could not be protected.
VPR News

Markowitz announces re-election campaign for Secretary of State

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Secretary of State Deb Markowitz says it’s critical for lawmakers to consider new campaign finance reform legislation in January. Key provisions of Vermont’s previous law were overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this summer. Markowitz made the comments as she announced her candidacy on Tuesday for a fifth term in office.
VPR News

Midday Report – August 15, 2006

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Secretary of State Deb Markowitz announces her re-election campaign; the Vermont Agency of Agriculture puts on hold a controversial proposal to require all farms with livestock to register with the federal government; lake scientists look at how seasonal changes affect blue-green algae blooms.
Commentary Series

Localvores

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Commentator Janisse Ray is a writer who lives in Brattleboro. A native of the South, she is taking her place at Vermont’s table.
VPR News

Midday Report – August 14, 2006

By |
New political ads come out very quickly these days, as Vermont candidates for high office try to hitch-hike on breaking news events; Howard Dean says Joe Lieberman should drop out of the Connecticut Senate race; State police investigate 13 burglaries at state parks since July 4; a nutritionist advises people to clean out refrigerators before going on vacation.
Commentary Series

Real camp

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There are soccer camps, computer camps, even SAT preparation camps. But Willem Lange says real camp happens only in the woods.
VPR News

Financial settlement reached in 2004 Vermont Yankee fire

By |
The owners of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant have agreed to pay utilities for a shutdown caused by a fire two years ago. But a nuclear watchdog group wants Yankee to go one step further. The group wants Yankee to admit that the fire was caused by changes related to the power increase at the reactor.
VPR News

Community theater and students team up for ‘Honk’

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For 70 years, the St. Johnsbury Players have been staging community theater. As part of the celebration this summer, they’ve teamed up with high school students to stage Honk, a musical adaptation of The Ugly Duckling. Honk is a family show that has been a huge commercial and critical success in London, and it’s become popular with touring and high school theater groups.
VPR News

Midday Report – August 11, 2006

By |
The idea of a natural gas-fired electric generating plant in the Northeast Kingdom has attracted wide notice; Governor Jim Douglas’ endorsed a plan to make Vermont more self-sufficient in energy generation and conservation, but he’s been under fire on energy issues; the 38,000 customers of Vermont Gas will see their rates go up about 14 percent under a settlement approved by state utility regulators.
VPR News

Interview: ‘The War Tapes’ documents soldiers’ experiences

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“The War Tapes” is a documentary filmed by three members of New Hampshire’s National Guard who served in Iraq. They filmed nearly everything they saw – including combat – and revealed many candid and uncensored feelings about being on the front lines of the war. Mitch Wertlieb talks with teh film’s producer, Chuck Lacy, and Sergeant Zack Bazzi, who participated in the project.
Commentary Series

Malian’s Song

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Commentator Tom Slayton has been looking over the latest children’s book from the Vermont Folklife Center. He says it takes a different point of view on the French and Indian War.
VPR News

Interview: Star-gazing and the summer sky

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On Monday night, VPR will host its second Eye on the Night Sky star-gazing party, from Burke Mountain in the Northeast Kingdom. We’ll be looking for the Perseid meteor shower, among other celestial wonders, and in advance of that star-gazing event I spoke with Marcelo Gleiser, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Dartmouth College, about some of the most exciting new discoveries in space:
VPR News

Douglas endorses renewable energy plan

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Governor Jim Douglas has endorsed an initiative that aims to have the country get 25 percent of its energy from renewable sources. But critics say the governor’s support is hollow, because he remains opposed to large-scale wind projects.
VPR News

VFW disavows anti-Sanders memo

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A national veterans group says its name is being improperly used to criticize independent U.S. Senate candidate Bernie Sanders. The Veterans of Foreign Wars issued a statement on Thursday saying it does not want its name associated with a political attack in Vermont.
VPR News

Midday Report – August 10, 2006

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: So far no flights have been affected at the Burlington International Airport following a terror plot that was broken up in Britain; U.S. Senate candidates Bernie Sanders and Rich Tarrant trade barbs over terrorism and intelligence budgets; the state will again treat Vermont waterways with a chemical to kill sea lamprey; more…
VPR News

Parker criticizes Douglas’ energy policy

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Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Scudder Parker says Vermont is an energy crisis is looming this winter, and that Governor Jim Douglas is not being proactive in dealing with the problem.
VPR News

Midday Report – August 9, 2006

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Governor Jim Douglas campaigns for Lamoille Senate candidate Jim Black, who’s running against incumbent Susan Bartlett; Edith Hunter describes Ned Lamont’s connection to Vermont; State Auditor Randy Brock launches his re-election campaign.
Commentary Series

Peace efforts

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Commentator Bill Seamans says that some long standing assumptions are crumbling along with buildings and infrastructure in the current Middle East conflict.
Commentary Series

Collective good

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For some, the term “collective action” is an oxymoron. For commentator Bill Shutkin, it’s the next frontier in the effort to combat global warming.
VPR News

Scholarship proposal enters Lamoille Senate campaign

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Governor Jim Douglas made a political appearance in Johnson Wednesday morning in support of Republican State Senate candidate Jim Black. Black is running against Democrat Susan Bartlett, who chairs the Appropriations Committee.
VPR News

Interview: David Mindich, anti press policies

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David Mindich, chairs the Journalism and Mass Communications department at St. Michael’s College. He spoke with Mitch Wertlieb about a resolution he authored outlining a series of actions by the Bush Administration, restricting the flow of information.
Commentary Series

Cuba

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With Cuba once again in American headlines, commentator Olin Robison says that the main reason the United States has had so much trouble establishing a constructive policy towards Cuba is that it is so close.
Commentary Series

Paris beach

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Commentator Mike Martin is in Paris – once again in the grip of a summer heat wave – but he’s called to say that Parisians have come up with a way to cool off that’s very creative – and very French.
VPR News

State to airdrop rabies vaccine

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Planes will be in the skies across northern Vermont beginning August 22nd as part of an effort to vaccinate wildlife against rabies.
VPR News

Midday Report – August 7, 2006

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Governor Jim Douglas is selected to lead a new health care initiative launched by the National Governors’ Association; the captive insurance industry congregates in Burlington; a public hearing will be held tonight on the proposed 93-mile Lamoille Rail Trail; a funeral service has been held for the prominent Vermont attorney and judge Charles Marro.
VPR News

Heat wave shuts down blood drives

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Recent record high temperatures are being cited as the cause of a severe blood shortage in Vermont. The Red Cross is looking at a deficit of 2,500 units of blood, or about a two-day supply for the state.
Commentary Series

Media on Middle East

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There are many aspects of the latest Middle East war that make it different from previous such wars. This morning, commentator Barrie Dunsmore tells us about one difference that could have a bearing on the outcome.
Commentary Series

Palettes

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Commentator Deborah Doyle-Schechtman says there’s a new show in town and that it’s impressive for a number of reasons.
VPR News

Midday Report – August 3, 2006

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61 schools failed to meet yearly education standards set by the federal No Child Left Behind law; the commander of the Tactical Force Unit credits the cooperation of police and first response units for helping to peacefully end a hostage incident yesterday in Thetford; Democratic congressional candidate Peter Welch unveils his plans to preserve social security.
VPR News

Interview: Lisa Janicki, StoryCorps

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Lisa Janicki is a StoryCorps facilitator. She gave Mitch Wertlieb a tour of the booth and spoke about the project which records personal stories and conversations for Archival in the Library of Congress.
Commentary Series

Round Schoolhouse

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Vermont has a good track record for preserving landmarks with historical significance, and commentator Joe Citro is happy to report that another small, but very unusual building in Southern Vermont is about to get some much needed care.
Commentary Series

Small steps

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Making healthy changes in our daily routine doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Commentator Rachel Johnson has four small steps we can take every day to help stay healthy.
Commentary Series

Melted stone

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With talk, once again, of nuclear proliferation, military campaigns and preemptive strikes, commentator Edith Hunter has been reminded of a conversation that took place at her dinner table nearly fifty-seven years ago.
Commentary Series

Phineas Gage

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Whenever he’s muscling fieldstone to build stone walls, commentator Peter Gilbert can’t help but think of an industrial accident that happened in Vermont – and made medical history.
Commentary Series

Back to Butler

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This is hiking season and a busy time for those who maintain Vermont’s trails and shelters. Commentator Vic Henningsen reflects on the life of a Long Trail caretaker.
Commentary Series

Catamount Health

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Thanks to the recent creation of Catamount Health, you might think that the affordable health care debate in Vermont is over – and commentator John McClaughry agrees that it is – but he doesn’t think it’s over for long.
VPR News

Sanders leads Tarrant in poll

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A new public opinion poll shows Congressman Bernie Sanders with a twenty one point lead over Republican Richard Tarrant in the race for the US Senate.
VPR News

Midday Report – July 31, 2006

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The Vermont National Guard and the Veteran’s Administration hopes to get a million dollar grant to help soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan; the American Precision Museum in Windsor receives nearly $137,000 for its Collections Information Project; two skating rinks in Washington County have their tax status reconsidered; a Dorset woman heads to Afghanistan to consult on a land mine project for the Department of State; Murray Bookchin died on heart failure Sunday.
Commentary Series

NGO’s

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The influence of California’s Cardinal Mahoney on this year’s immigration debate has reminded commentator Olin Robison of how important the non-profit sector is in American life – and around the world.
Commentary Series

Reunion and community

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Summertime is reunion time. Family reunions are center-stage right now, and class reunions have been filling up the calendar for weeks. Commentator Frank Bryan has been considering why reunions are compelling for so many of us, and he thinks he’s found the answer.
Commentary Series

Northern Forest

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Summer is a good time to explore some of the less familier parts of New England, and commentator Willem Lange has a few tips on enjoying the northern paradise that’s our home.
VPR News

Midday Report – July 28, 2006

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Central Vermont Public Service announces plans to buy the southern territory of Vermont Electric Cooperative; anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan has cancelled a scheduled visit to Vermont this weekend; Terry Gildea reports on Senator Leahy’s testimony on the Freedom of Information Act; more….
VPR News

Tarrant not fazed by poll numbers

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In the past few months, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Richard Tarrant has spent several million dollars for a series of TV ads. Have the ads been effective in boosting support for Tarrant around the state? According to the Cook Report, the non partisan political newsletter, the answer is no.
Commentary Series

Global warming

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Going to the movies has long been a way to escape reality, but commentator Madeleine Kunin says that after going to the movies this summer, many people are confronting reality – instead of avoiding it.
VPR News

Rainville promotes energy conservation

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Republican U.S. House candidate Martha Rainville says the nation needs to promote energy conservation as well as local energy projects such as home wind generators and solar panels.
VPR News

Midday Report – July 27, 2006

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Levels of fine particulate matter in the air are elevated today, creating a health hazard for sensitive groups; reaction to the findings this week on the probable cause of a fatal tour boat accident on Lake George; the newly approved Human Papilloma virus vaccine is now available in Vermont; U.S. House candidate Martha Rainville unveils her national energy plan.
Commentary Series

Condi’s shuttle

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As world leaders search for possible solutions to the current Middle East crisis, commentator Bill Seamans has been watching the progress of one diplomatic effort in particular.
Commentary Series

VT Campaign Finance Law

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Last month, the United States Supreme Court struck down Vermont’s Campaign Finance Law. Commentator Cheryl Hanna shares her thoughts on what’s next for Vermont’s political landscape.
VPR News

Midday Report – July 26, 2006

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State officials move to implement the health care reforms passed this spring by the Legislature; several hundred Vermonters participate in a test of the state’s planning for a bird flu pandemic; a Vermont dairy farmer says America’s agriculture policies are crippling developing nations; the owner of the Grafton Village Cheese Company wants to open a new cheese factory in Brattleboro.
Commentary Series

Suez anniversary

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The current conflict in the Middle East has reminded commentator Peter Gilbert of another crisis, that helped define the role of the United States in the region – fifty years ago today.
Commentary Series

Souvenirs

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Vermont is known for independence in many ways, from politics to local food to creative artists and craftspeople. This summer, commentator Helen Labun Jordan suggests it’s time to add another item to that list: our souvenirs.
Commentary Series

Bridges

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Bridges are distinctive in any setting, and commentator Tom Slayton says there’s a new book that celebrates their place in the Vermont landscape.
Commentary Series

Water

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Fresh water is abundant in Vermont – especially this year, after the soaking rains of late spring and early summer. But commentator Ruth Page says that’s not so in many parts of the world, and she’s concerned that the problem is growing.
Commentary Series

Film tour

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Commentator Jay Craven is on the road this summer, with a One Hundred Town Tour for his new film, “Disappearances” and he says that already there have been dozens of what he calls “unexpected moments”.
VPR News

Midday Report – July 21, 2006

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State officials crackdown on traffic fatalities, which could be the highest this year in two decades; the Times-Argues reports the National Democratic Party’s congressional campaign committee is prepared to spend $600,000 on TV ads for Peter Welch; Capitol Hill update on Senators Patrick Leahy and Jim Jeffords.
VPR News

Mexican farm workers arrested in Corinth

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When federal authorities conducted a national round-up of illegal immigrants last month, the crackdown hit hard on a family farm in Corinth. Agents arrested a Mexican couple who had lived and worked on the farm for 18 months.
VPR News

Police say man videotaped neighbors on his own

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A Brattleboro Police officer repeatedly picked up tapes from a Clark Street man who’s been videotaping his neighbors. But Brattleboro police chief John Martin told an angry neighborhood gathering last night that Paul Canon acted on his own in making the tapes.
Commentary Series

Summer camp

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Some of commentator Edith Hunter’s best summer memories recall days spent at the shore in surroundings that were simple – but thoroughly satisfying.
VPR News

Premises ID hearings scheduled

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The Agency of Agriculture will hold a series of hearings starting next week on its farm registration program for livestock operations.
Commentary Series

Iraq strategy

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Given the rapidly escalating conflict in the Middle East, commentator Olin Robison has been thinking a lot about what it might take to devise a successful exit strategy from the war in Iraq – and how such an effort could factor into coming elections.
VPR News

Midday Report – July 19, 2006

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Transportation Secretary Dawn Terrill is stepping down will be replaced by a close confidant of the governor; campaign styles are emerging in this election cycle’s crop of candidates; meteorology professor Nolan Atkins on yesterday’s severe storm in Barnet; Jewish organizations are putting together a rally of support for Israel tonight at six at the Ohavi Zedek synagogue in Burlington.
VPR News

Bush critics offer impeachment workshops

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Advocates of impeaching President Bush say there’s more than angry talk to their movement. On Wednesday, in three locations around Vermont, they’re holding classes on impeachment for citizens who’d like to see it happen.
VPR News

Board approves emergency dairy subsidies

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The Vermont Emergency Board has given its unanimous approval to a plan to spend $8.6 million on state subsidies for dairy farmers. The first payments will be made next week and should continue for the next five months.
Commentary Series

Lebanon

By |
Commentator Barrie Dunsmore covered many of the Middle East conflicts of the past forty years. This morning he puts the current crisis into that historical perspective.
VPR News

Welch outlines environmental policy

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Democratic U.S. House candidate Peter Welch says he wants to end tax breaks given last year to oil and gas companies and put the money instead into renewable energy, alternative fuels and energy efficiency.
VPR News

Midday Report – July 18, 2006

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Peter Welch outlines the environmental plank of his campaign for Congress; there’s a turnover in the state Senate as several long-time legislators retire; Independent Congressman Bernie Sanders will be on the ballot in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate, but says he won’t accept the nomination; available electricity available lets the region’s utilities keep up with demand caused by hot summer weather.
VPR News

New Farmer’s Diner to open in Quechee

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(Host) When the Farmer’s Diner closed in Barre last year, owner Tod Murphy said he was still committed to the idea of a restaurant that relies on local producers for most of its food. As VPR’s Steve Zind reports, Murphy plans to try again next month when he opens a new Farmer’s Diner in Quechee.
Commentary Series

Look-alikes

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According to commentator Philip Baruth, the Burlington Bikepath is experiencing an alarming amount of erosion. But it’s not himself or his family that Philip’s worried about it’s the celebrity look-alikes who bike and jog the path on a daily basis. Here’s Philip.
Commentary Series

Flag debate

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By now, all the traditional signs of summer have arrived: cookouts, ball games, parades, fireworks – and commentator Vic Henningsen reminds us of one more sign of the season.
VPR News

Midday Report – July 17, 2006

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Democrats outline their priorities for the fall elections; dignitaries gather at UVM to launch a $16 million transportation study center; an advertising executive predicts that all the money spent on campaigns this year will generate an allergic reaction among voters.
Commentary Series

Cezanne

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Many consider the French artist Paul Cezanne the father of modern painting, but one hundred years after his death commentator Mike Martin observes that he suffered for it and was often misunderstood.
Commentary Series

Shop Girl

By |
A new movie by Steve Martin has commentator Peter Gilbert thinking about what characteristics Americans generally think of when they think of Vermonters.
Commentary Series

Summer camp

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Shortly before camp season got underway this summer, commentator Caleb Daniloff spent time exploring an empty sleepaway camp in Sharon. He found the presence of campers past almost palpable.
VPR News

Midday Report – July 14, 2006

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The GOP begins a series of public meetings to generate recommendations for the party’s Vermont campaign platform; candidates release quarterly campaign finance reports; border states continue their effort to slow or stop a Bush administration proposal to make crossing the Canadian border a more formal process; more….
VPR News

Interview: Michael Mello, Vermont Law School

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Michael Mello is a Vermont Law School Professor. He spoke with Mitch Wertlieb about the recent ruling in a case where drugs and weapons discovered in a raid on an Island Pond home were inadmissible as evidence because police failed to knock and announce their presence before entering.
Commentary Series

Cells

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Cell phones are everywhere these days, and commentator Tim McQuiston says they’re being put to use in some rather surprising ways.
Commentary Series

Philanthropy

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Billionaire Warren Buffett recently announced that he’ll contribute the bulk of his wealth to the Gates Foundation, and commentator Madeleine Kunin applauds his decision.
VPR News

Midday Report – July 13, 2006

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A public meeting tonight looks at the next steps for replacing the Vermont State Hospital; Republican Linda Moomey announces her candidacy for Secretary of State; a loon census will be taken this weekend in Vermont and New Hampshire.
Commentary Series

The big 8-1

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Lately, commentator Bill Seamans has been contemplating the phenomenon that occurs when you accumulate enough birthdays that everyone around you starts to look like a little kid.
VPR News

Midday Report – July 12, 2006

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Governor Jim Douglas dedicates a plaque to the men who built Vermont’s Interstate; U.S. Senate candidate Craig Hill criticizes the Democratic Party’s stance on his candidacy; Dennis Morrisseau changes his U.S. candidacy from Republican to independent; the town of Athens asks for state help in repairing damage to local roads and bridges caused by last month’s flooding; the Crossroads Arts Council is disbanding after 35 years of bringing art and entertainment to the Rutland region.
Commentary Series

New vision

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We Vermonters are known for our expertise at conserving our land and natural resources, but commentator Bill Shutkin says current trends suggest that we may be less skilled when it comes to saving our other critical resource, our people.
Commentary Series

Health care

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A health care reform deal was reached between the legislature and the governor this spring. But commentator Allen Gilbert says that there’s broad recognition that we’re still not where we need to be.
VPR News

Midday Report – July 10, 2006

By |
A $4.5 million settlement with Microsoft will provide educational technology to 135 Vermont schools; the Douglas administration meets with a delegation from the French Consulate-General; two of the three main candidates for U.S. House agree to a debate series on village greens over the next four weekends; Route 123 in Alstead, NH, will be closed for six weeks this summer to repair damage from fall floods.
Commentary Series

Dirty dozen

By |
Commentator Charlie Nardozzi’s getting excited about the season’s fresh fruits and vegetables. There are some things, though, that he feels we should be cautious of before we eat. Here’s Charlie.
Commentary Series

Freedom

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This morning, commentator Barrie Dunsmore looks at two stories in the news on the Fourth of July that illustrate the significance of that famous two hundred-thirty year-old American declaration of freedom.
VPR News

Midday Report: July 7, 2006

By |
Senator Leahy attends immigration field hearings; Democratic Congressional Candidate Peter Welch says he has a plan for 21st century jobs;
Commentary Series

Hill House

By |
Today Commentator Joe Citro joins us to talk about one of the scariest homes ever to be written about…but no one is quite sure where it is.
VPR News

Backstage with ‘Venecia’

By |
The Parish Players of Thetford are celebrating their fortieth year of community theater with an unusual comic fantasy, for adults only. It’s set in a brothel in Argentina.
Commentary Series

Collapse

By |
Commentator Christopher Wren has been watching with growing concern as American policies change in response to the threat of terrorism, and he offers the following cautionary tale.
Commentary Series

School supervisors

By |
Education Commissioner Richard Cate has proposed downsizing the number of Vermont school districts, and that has reminded commentator Edith Hunter of a proposal she made concerning school supervision, when she was a member of the local school board.
VPR News

Midday Report – July 5, 2006

By |
The next in the line of 21 lawsuits alleging sexual abuse of boys by priests in Vermont’s Roman Catholic Diocese has been pushed back to September; despite the buzz surrounding Powerball and Megabucks, instant ticket sales account for roughly a huge piece of all Vermont lottery revenue; the Plainfield Health Center is designated as a federally qualified health center; Vermont state officials promise to help Medicaid recipients meet new federal rules on proof of identity.
Commentary Series

World Cup — Robison

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Today, commentator Olin Robison talks about the World Cup competition, which has occupied so much world attention over the last month.
Commentary Series

French and Indian war

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On Independence Day, here’s commentator Peter Gilbert to tell us about the war that made Independence Day possible. It’s been nicknamed the War that Made America — and it’s not the American Revolution.
Commentary Series

4th

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Everyone has rituals on certain holidays. Here’s one of commentator Tom Slayton’s regular July 4th observances….
VPR News

Midday report – July 3, 2006

By |
35 Vermont National Guard soldiers are expected to return from Afghanistan next week; renovation work continues on Burlington City Hall’s clock tower after weather delays; a Johns Hopkins study shows the merits of Vermont’s graduated driver’s licenses for teens; Vermont politicians participate in two alternative energy demonstrations in Burlington.
Commentary Series

Little Siberia

By |
When he was growing up, commentator Philip Baruth’s family raised Siberian Huskies at a kennel in Upstate New York. To this day, he can’t see a husky without remembering the best, and the worst, of those adolescent years.
Commentary Series

Honors

By |
Honors and recognition are usually bestowed in large, pubic ceremonies, but commentator Howard Coffin says that “small and private” can be an equally satisfying way to celebrate a lifetime dedicated to education and public service.
Commentary Series

Cheese steak

By |
Recent news from Philadelphia reports that the City of Brotherly Love has landed a hard punch to America’s stomach. Commentator Nancy Nahra has the story.
VPR News

Midday Report: June 28, 2006

By |
The weather continues to batter Vermont farmers, while the politicians fret over how best to help them and that makes tomorrow’s farm summit perhaps more important than when Governor Jim Douglas called for it earlier this month, and well before the latest rains began.
VPR News

Interview: Stephan Jost, Georgia O’Keeffe exhibit, Shelburne Museum

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“Simple Beauty”, the new Georgia O’Keeffe exhibit at the Shelburne Museum, provides a broad scope of works by the artist best-known for her detailed paintings of flowers and southwestern motifs. But earlier works reveal origins of the style that would come to mark O’Keeffe’s more familiar paintings, as Mitch Wertlieb found when he took a tour with the Director of the Shelburne Museum, Stephan Jost.
Commentary Series

Troop cuts

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When and how to bring U.S. troops home from Iraq is much in debate these days, and commentator Bill Seamans says it’s likely to become even more of a political hot potato.
Commentary Series

Reunions

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Class reunions offer many surprises and sometimes reassuring consistencies. Commentator Madeline Kunin recently attended her 50th college reunion and she joins us today with some thoughts.
Commentary Series

The Bittern

By |
Commentator Ted Levin has been out with a tape recorder again, this time in pursuit of a bird that’s fairly common to our wetlands, but not easy to see.
Commentary Series

Embracing change

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The Fourth of July is just ahead, and commentator Allen Gilbert has been thinking about how the founders’ declaration of American independence institutionalized change.
VPR News

Midday Report – June 26, 2006

By |
The Supreme Court of the United States has thrown out Vermont’s campaign finance law; farmers feel impact of continued rains; the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital has received a one million dollar gift, its largest ever.
Commentary Series

Travel Tales: Old Route Five

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All this week VPR commentators have been recalling some of their favorite travel experiences. And today, to conclude our series of Travel Tales, Willem Lange takes a trip up one of Vermont’s oldest roads.
VPR News

World Cup attracts enthusiastic crowd in Burlington

By |
The conventional wisdom is that Americans won’t lose much sleep over USA’s loss to Ghana in World Cup Soccer. But as Mitch Wertlieb found out as he made his way through a crowd of some 60 people at the Euro Gourmet Market and Caf ‘ in Burlington, the passion for soccer was palpable.
VPR News
swan120.jpg

Soldier Stories: David Swan

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David Swan of Chazy, New York commanded 27 men in the Vermont National Guard. As part of Task Force Saber, Swan’s unit patrolled in the Tamim area of Iraq.
VPR Presents

War vs. Truth: Freedom’s Dilemma

By |
Barrie Dunsmore discusses the tension between the First Amendment rights of the news media and the national security responsibilities of the federal government.
Commentary Series

Travel Tales: Travel as turning point

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This week VPR commentators are telling some of their favorite travel tales. As an American teen living in Moscow, commentator Caleb Daniloff traveled into the Russian countryside on summer weekends to camp with his friends. Today, Caleb recalls what he left – and found – there.
VPR News

Prue due back in court

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Windham County Sheriff Sheila Prue is due in court tomorrow to answer criminal charges related to her management of the department.
VPR News

Midday Report: June 22, 2006

By |
Vermont’s second largest electric utility is being sold, to a Canadian company; Governor Douglas is in western Canada for the rest of the week at an economics and energy conference;
VPR News

Verizon attorneys have little to say to PSB

By |
Attorneys for Verizon had little to say to the Vermont Public Service Board today. Verizon says it’s illegal to disclose to the Board whether or not the company provided the federal government with state phone records as part of a national anti-terrorism program. The Douglas Administration disagrees with this analysis and is calling on Verizon to prove that it acted legally in this case.
Commentary Series

Travel Tales: Hospitality

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All this week VPR commentators are recalling momorable travel experiences. Today commentator Mike Martin observes that sometimes travelers depend upon the kindness of strangers – and recalls a trip when he learned this firsthand.
VPR News

Midday Report – June 21, 2006

By |
Northwestern Vermont continues to lead the rest of the state in growth; the state’s electric utilities warn against a rash of dangerous thefts from their property; the Rural Energy Council looks at the mix of energy sources for the state’s future growth; the Vermont Ski Areas Association says visits to the state’s ski resorts were down six percent this winter, due to weather.
VPR News

Tarrant touts free market dairy system

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Republican U.S. Senate candidate Richard Tarrant says he believes the best way to insure the future health of the state’s dairy industry is to move toward a free market system and to reduce government involvement in the pricing of milk.
Commentary Series

Travel Tales: Namibia

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This week VPR commentators are recalling trips to destinations near and far. Today, commentator Henry Homeyer describes his trip to Namibia in celebration of his 60th birthday, and considers what it means to be a life-long traveler.
VPR News

Midday Report – June 20, 2006

By |
Top Democrats in the Legislature want the state emergency board to provide financial assistance to dairy farmers hit by flooded fields and low milk prices; Governor Jim Douglas officially kicks off his re-election campaign; the former Lincoln family estate in Manchester will keep its tax exempt status; Bellows Falls and the surrounding town of Rockingham meet tonight to begin talks that could lead to a merger.
Commentary Series

Travel Tales: Road games

By |
June marks the start of the summer travel season and all this week VPR commentators are recalling trips to destinations near and far. Car trips with children can be especially challenging and commentator Vic Henningsen has the story of a car game that lasted almost twenty years.
VPR News

Midday Report – June 19, 2006

By |
There are dueling news conferences today in the congressional campaign between Democrat Peter Welch and Republican Martha Rainville; Rutland’s regional airport gets a new name and looks at building a longer runway; state’s fourth conference on disabilities in the workplace is underway today.
VPR Presents

The Making and Breaking of Public Heroes

By |
A distinguished panel, including Democratic National Committee chair Howard Dean, Newsweek political correspondent Howard Fineman, Republican Advisor Ron Kaufman, former CBS News political editor Dotty Lynch and political communications director Howard Wolfson, discusses the media’s role in making and breaking public heroes.
VPR News

Midday Report – June 15, 2006

By |
The Progressives announce Anthony Pollina won’t be running for office, but Martha Abbott will; new report from the U.S. Census Bureau says Vermont added 300 new businesses in 2004 and economists say the northeast is avoiding economic hard times; Vermont leads the nation in maple syrup production with 460,000 gallons.
VPR Series and Specials

Soldier Stories

By |
VPR brings you the stories and experiences of soldiers from Task Force Saber war as they prepare to return home in our VPR Special Report, "Soldier Stories" this week during Morning Edition.
VPR News

Midday Report – June 14, 2006

By |
Governor Jim Douglas honors fifty Vermont veterans on Flag Day; the heavy spring rains caused about $30 million damage to farm fields statewide, so far; Barre voters approve the school budget but turn down the city budget; UVM concludes a week-long retreat for national leaders in the food systems industry; the list of possible presidential candidates visiting New Hampshire continues to grow.
VPR News
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Soldier Stories: Sebastian Szykier

By |
Today and in coming days, we’ll hear some of those experiences in our series "Soldier Stories." We begin with Guardsman Sebastian Szykier of Brattleboro. He was a member of a tank crew near Ramadi.
Commentary Series

Green belt initiative

By |
Throughout Vermont, there are conservation groups doing the good work of keeping Vermont green. Commentator Tom Slayton recently met with members of one such group near Shelburne.
Commentary Series

After the rain

By |
All the rainy weather we’ve had recently doesn’t seem to have dampened commentator Ruth Page’s spirits very much. In fact, she’s found a silver lining in all those grey days.
VPR News

Live report from Mississippi

By |
VPR’s Steve Zind is with Vermont Adjutant General Michael Dubie in Mississippi, where the General is welcoming the troops. He spoke with Steve Delaney on VPR’s Midday Report about what the soldiers are telling Dubie about their experiences.
VPR Series and Specials

Soldiers Return

By |
About four hundred members of the Vermont National Guard are returning to Camp Shelby, Mississippi, having served almost a year in Iraq during their 18-month deployment. Their return means that nearly all of the Vermont Guard members who served in the war are on their way home.
VPR News

Welch launches campaign

By |
State Senator Peter Welch is riding the train today to kick off his Get America Back on Track campaign for the U.S. House.
Commentary Series

History lesson

By |
John Negroponte’s graduation speech at St. Johnsbury Academy last week included a mistaken assumption about a bit of Vermont history, and commentator Allen Gilbert would like to set the record straight.
Commentary Series

Dropping the ball

By |
Commentator Brian Porto is concerned that current trends in college sports may have unintended – and unfortunate – consequences on our health later in life.
Commentary Series

World Cup

By |
The month-long World Cup Soccer Tournament has just gotten under way, and commentator Cheryl Hanna has been thinking about what this competition, and this sport, means for women – here in America and beyond.
Commentary Series

Zarqawi

By |
This morning, commentator Barrie Dunsmore has some thoughts on the death, in an American air attack, of the infamous terrorist Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi.
Commentary Series

Zarqawi

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This morning, commentator Barrie Dunsmore has some thoughts on the death, in an American air attack, of the infamous terrorist Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi.
VPR News

Interview: Barbara Snelling

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Barbara Snelling recently visited our VPR studios to reflect on her life in Vermont politics and the state’s current cultural and political landscape, and Mitch Wertlieb asked her about the toughest challenges she faced when she was elected Lt. Governor following the death of her husband in 1991:
Commentary Series

Rattle snakes

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Commentator Ted Levin recently took a walk with Alcott Smith, a retired veteranarian who monitors Vermont’s rare and endangered population of Timber Rattlesnakes – and he took along a tape recorder.
VPR News

Vermont Yankee hearings under way

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Hearings are under way by federal regulators about whether the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant should be allowed to operate until 2032.
VPR News

Midday Report – June 7, 2006

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Rutland City’s Board of Aldermen begin budget deliberations tomorrow; both of Vermont’s U.S. Senators vote against it a Constitutional Amendment to ban same-sex marriages; New Hampshire’s congressional race is declared a tossup between Republicans and Democrats.
Commentary Series

Osirak

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Current diplomatic efforts to restrict nuclear development in Iran reminds commentator Bill Seamans of a similar showdown in the early 80’s with Iraq.
Commentary Series

English

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Commentator Gloria Gonzalez agrees that learning English is an important goal for non-English-speaking immigrants. But in small-town-Vermont, finding language lessons can be a challenge.
Commentary Series

Osirak

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Current diplomatic efforts to restrict nuclear development in Iran reminds commentator Bill Seamans of a similar showdown in the early 80’s with Iraq.
VPR News

Midday Report – June 6, 2006

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Burlington Democrat John Tracy announces his candidacy for lieutenant governor; Barre Mayor Tom Lauzon on the city’s effort to erase an operating deficit; Rutland Mayor John Cassarino wants to increase city spending in the next fiscal year by 18 percent over the current year; advice on how to lessen your chances of a bad encounter with bears.
Commentary Series

English

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Has English won the race to become the global language? Commentator Nancy Nahra says that if you counted only the people who speak the language on their birth certificates – the Chinese would win hands-down. But in a new twist – most people who speak English today never learned it at their mother’s knee.
Commentary Series

Hydrangeas

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Commentator Charlie Nardozzi reports that lots of northern gardeners are getting the blues again – but they’re happy about it, because along with the blues come the reds, the whites and the pinks. Here’s the story.
Commentary Series

Immigration

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As the immigration debate continues, commentator Madeleine Kunin remembers her own arrival in this country, and reflects on what it feels like to be a new immigrant in Vermont.
VPR News

Midday Report – June 5, 2006

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John Negroponte delivers the commencement address at St. Johnsbury Academy, where his son is among the graduates; three fledging eagles take flights at the Dead Creek Wildlife area in Addison County; behavioral scientists worry that people affected by Hurricane Katrina are ready for new storms.
Commentary Series

Welfare

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Ten years ago, commentator Annie Downey was among those directly affected by the sweeping welfare reforms enacted during the Clinton administration. Today, she takes stock of the impact those reforms have had on her life.
Commentary Series

Vermont and Quebec

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When he attended the VT Trade Expo last week, commentator Mike Martin found out what Vermont’s leaders are doing to keep our special relationship with Quebec healthy.
Commentary Series

Negroponte

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News that National Intelligence Director John Negroponte will give St. Johnsbury Academy’s commencement speech this coming Monday, reminded commentator Jay Craven of a film he shot twenty-six years ago in Central America.
Commentary Series

Lawns

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Here’s commentator Ruth Page who’s fed up with lawn care, but not for the reasons you might suspect.
Commentary Series

Young workers

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Recently Hillary Clinton made a series of disparaging remarks about the work ethic of the younger generation. Commentator Philip Baruth spent two back-to-back weekends working with young writers this month, and he begs to differ.
VPR News

Legislative session ends

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The Vermont Legislature returned to the Statehouse today to hold a special veto session. But as VPR’s Bob Kinzel reports, the session lasted less than a minute and it involved just a handful of legislators.
Commentary Series

District downsizing

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Education Commissioner Richard Cate has proposed downsizing the number of Vermont school districts. Commentator Allen Gilbert, who is a school board member, thinks that there are a lot of unanswered questions about the plan.
Commentary Series

The lawn

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With the long rains of May, many residents had trouble tending their lawns. But when commentator Caleb Daniloff finally managed to get his mower out between showers, he found more than just long grass.
VPR News

Midday Report – May 30, 2006

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There’s a new Vermont law on the books to protect consumers from opportunistic spikes in the pricing of petroleum products; U.S. Customs agents are requiring more travelers from Canada to show their identification when they enter the United States at Derby Line; Memorial Day is being observed today in New Hampshire; 13-year-old Lucy Weber of Weybridge will compete this week in the national spelling bee in Washington.
Commentary Series

Ghost Soldiers

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The celebrated author Dorothy Canfield Fisher is not the only famous member of her family. As we observe Memorial Day 2006, commentator Peter Gilbert has the story of her son, James, one of Vermont’s greatest World War Two heroes.
Commentary Series

Andersonville

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Every year around this time, commentator Howard Coffin honors the memory of a young man who left Vermont more than one hundred and forty years ago – and never came home.
VPR News

Interview: Tim Lewis, Memorial Day Date Change

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Vermont was until very recently the last state to recognize Memorial Day on its original designation of the 30th, rather than on the last Monday of the month. When that changed it didn’t sit well with Tim Lewis, a native Vermonter who heads the television studies program at Lyndon State College.
VPR News

Stamp issued honoring Samuel de Champlain

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Sixteen years after Elvis Presley died, the U.S. Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp in his honor. It’s taken a bit longer for the postal service to get around to honoring Samuel de Champlain, but this week, a stamp devoted the French explorer goes on sale.
Commentary Series

Home Front Heroes

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As we prepare to observe Memorial Day, commentator David Moats is thinking about the many acts of heroism and sacrifice that quietly take place on the home front.
VPR News

Officials urge Vermont veterans to monitor personal data

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State officials are urging Vermont veterans to protect their personal information after the theft of millions of computerized records. The data was stored on computer equipment stolen from the home of a Veteran’s Administration employee in the Washington, D.C. area. Officials offered advice on Friday to the thousands of Vermont veterans who may be affected.
VPR News

Midday Report – May 26, 2006

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Lieutenant Governor Brian Dubie says there are steps veterans can take to ensure that their information is not misused; the Springfield selectboard wants to reduce the scale of a proposed new police station; the Senate immigration bill contains provisions important to Vermonters and Canadians; Brattleboro teachers could begin the next school year without a contract agreement; the Health Department wants to expand methadone treatment for heroin addicts in southwestern Vermont.
Commentary Series

Torture

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The United Nations Committee on Torture last week was highly critical of America’s treatment of detainees being held in prisons in Cuba and elsewhere since 9/11. This morning, commentator Barrie Dunsmore notes the significance of this unprecedented development.
Commentary Series

Kennedy

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Remembering an unusual speech has led commentator Vic Henningsen to think about the changing nature of national commitment and presidential leadership.
VPR News

Midday Report – May 25, 2006

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon our: Republican Congressional candidate Martha Rainville says she supports using the National Guard to secure the Mexican border; Governor Jim Douglas signs a health care reform bill into law; the publisher of a study ranking Vermont as the smartest of the 50 states says it’s due to regional excellence in education; the Vermont Supreme Court won’t reverse the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power plant’s 20 percent power increase; more…
Commentary Series

Baghdad ER

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There’s a new television documentary that commentator Bill Seamans says captures powerful and compelling images of life – and death – in a combat zone.
Commentary Series

Memorial

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Memorial Day traditionally honors those who dedicated their lives to military service, but this year commentator Tom Slayton is reflecting on the fact that there are many ways to serve.
VPR News

Midday Report – May 24, 2006

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Lowe’s Home Centers and the Conservation Law Foundation have settled their long-running dispute over storm-water runoff; the Union of Concerned Scientists has just completed a nationwide survey of school bus pollution and the steps being taken to minimize it; a new tax appraisal for the Bellows Falls dam has angered the hydroelectric station’s new owners; the CEO of Green Mountain Power speaks on oil and utility prices; more…
Commentary Series

Mountains

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We Vermonters love our mountains, and we’ve always been happy to share them with visitors – according to commentator Edith Hunter – who has a story to illustrate the point.
Commentary Series

Buying local

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A recent study shows that Vermont consumers lead the nation in support of local food production, but commentator Vern Grubinger says that same study suggests it wouldn’t be very hard to do a great deal more.
VPR News

Democrats will not challenge Douglas vetoes

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Democratic legislative leaders have decided not to challenge Governor Jim Douglas’s two vetoes from the recent session. The Democrats have concluded that they don’t have the votes to overturn vetoes of the GE seed bill or gender identity legislation.
VPR News

First Lady visit profitable for Rainville campaign

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When First Lady Laura Bush came to Vermont last week, her visit was purely political. For that reason, it couldn’t be charged to taxpayers. As VPR’s Steve Zind reports, the campaign of congressional candidate Martha Rainville was happy to pick up the sizeable tab.
VPR News

Stormwater lawsuit dismissed

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A lawsuit demanding release of state government documents about how stormwater regulations were drafted has been dismissed.
VPR News

Midday Report – May 23, 2006

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Forest tent caterpillars are threatening Vermont’s maple and other trees this spring; Democratic congressional candidate Peter Welch focuses on minimum wages and economic security for Vermonters; a diabetic inmate files suit against the Vermont Corrections Department; this has been the wettest May on record for Vermont.
Commentary Series

Energy

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Vermont’s electric utilities have requested rate increases. Commentator Timothy McQuiston takes a look at some possible long and short-term solutions to Vermont’s power generation problems.
Commentary Series

Eagle nest

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When he heard that Bald Eagles were once again nesting in Vermont, commentator Ted Levin decided to pay them a visit. He took binoculars so he could watch from a distance. And he takes us with him as he watches the nest – near several busy roads and working farms – and reflects on the return of this remarkable bird to Vermont.
VPR News

Midday Report – May 19, 2006

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Live coverage of First Lady Laura Bush’s visit to Vermont to endorse Republican Martha Rainville for U.S. House; independent Congressman Bernie Sanders officially announces his candidacy for U.S. Senate.
Commentary Series

Globalization

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Commentator Olin Robison says that although the labor demonstrations in Paris and the immigration marches in Los Angeles were in response to different policy issues – he thinks they have something fundamental in common.
Commentary Series

Nothing gold

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Spring is here in all its glory, and here are Robert Frost and commentator Peter Gilbert on the fleeting colors of the season.
VPR News

Midday Report – May 18, 2006

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Governor Jim Douglas vetoes a gender discrimination bill; Bishop Salvatore Matano defends the Catholic church’s move to protect its local parishes from judgments in abuse lawsuits; Vermont hospitals work to prevent an outbreak of whooping cough; mmbattled Windham County Sheriff Sheila Prue is says she doesn’t plan to step down.
Commentary Series

Vacation

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If you like to avoid summer crowds, spring is a good time to take a vacation. And, for commentator Caleb Daniloff, going on vacation is all about redefining your relationship with time.
VPR News

Midday Report – May 17, 2006

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Northwestern Vermont Medical Center vaccinates its staff against whooping cough; Education Commissioner Richard Cate proposes major changes to how public schools are governed; state police hold a news conference to discuss last week’s Winhall homicide.
Commentary Series

Green algae

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Some of our greatest discoveries involve the humblest of materials – like bread mold and penicillin – and commentator Ruth Page says that the green film you sometimes see on the surface of water may help reduce air pollution.
VPR News

Shumlin to run for state Senate seat

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Former Windham County Senator Peter Shumlin is going to run this fall for the state Senate seat being vacated by Senator Rod Gander who is not seeking re-election.
Commentary Series

Describing trees

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Watching the leaves emerge again this spring, commentator Bill Shutkin has been reminded that simply appreciating the world around us doesn’t necessarily mean that we understand it.
VPR News

CVPS requests rate increase

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Vermont’s largest utility is requesting a six percent rate increase to cover investments in power distribution and transmission.
VPR News

Midday Report – May 15, 2006

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Governor Jim Douglas vetoes a bill that would make seed manufacturers liable for damages caused to organic farm fields; Republican Mark Shepard continues campaigning for the U.S. House primary; Vermont Emergency Management officials say the state was spared the flooding that hit neighboring states; two more arson fires were set over the weekend in Rutland, making a total of about thirty that police say are probably linked.
VPR News

Hundreds turn out in Rutland to thank Jeffords

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Jim Jeffords is attending lots of award presentations and parties as he winds down his long senate career. One of those parties was held Friday night at Rutland’s Paramount Theater and hundreds were on hand to thank Jeffords for his ongoing support of the arts.
Commentary Series

Gift for Mom

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Commentator Philip Baruth recently stumbled on the perfect Mother’s Day gift for his sainted Mother a Mother’s Day scratch-off lottery ticket worth up to 250,000$. Here’s Philip.
Commentary Series

Gift for Mom

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Commentator Philip Baruth recently stumbled on the perfect Mother’s Day gift for his sainted Mother a Mother’s Day scratch-off lottery ticket worth up to 250,000$. Here’s Philip.
Commentary Series

Hayden

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The man President Bush has nominated to be the next director of the CIA, General Michael Hayden, is getting good notices from the intelligence community. But, as commentator Barrie Dunsmore tells us this morning, he does carry some political baggage.
Commentary Series

Working moms

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As Mother’s Day approaches, commentator Cheryl Hanna has been remembering what it was like to grow up with a mother who worked – and some of the things about that experience she has now come to appreciate.
VPR News

Morris Earle dies

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Morris Earle, the Vermont lawyer who founded the Small-Is-Beautiful movement and was a perennial candidate for Congress died this week in Salisbury.
VPR News

Midday Report – May 11, 2006

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The Legislature adjourned near midnight, but may return if the governor vetoes a bill on GMO seeds; a compromise is reached on scholarship funding; Governor Jim Douglas is in Newport, RI, for the annual meeting of New England governors and eastern Canadian premiers; a new economic forecast says Vermont’s economy will outpace the New England average between now and 2010, but will lag behind the national norm.
Commentary Series

Forbidden fruit

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The pumpkin has just been designated New Hampshire’s state fruit, and that’s reminded commentator Vic Henningsen of the time when the United States Supreme Court did a little cultivation in the vegetable patch.
VPR News

Nonprofit group wants court to overrule nursing decision

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Last summer state regulators gave the Professional Nurses Services of Winooski permission to serve patients in Vermont who get Medicaid and Medicare coverage. But the nonprofit Vermont Assembly of Home Health Agencies says that could make it harder for them to provide services.
VPR News

Midday Report – May 10, 2006

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Another voice has joined the chorus of those calling for a clear withdrawal date for American troops in Iraq; the Vermont Legislature is still moving toward adjournment, possibly late today; state transportation officials will be in Rutland tonight to discuss long term priorities for Vermont’s rail system; more…
Commentary Series

May

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The month of May in France is for long weekends and new ideas. Commentator Mike Martin has been thinking about how the French are trying to preserve their way of life despite the pressures of globalization.
Commentary Series

Peak oil

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Some people claim to see the future in tea leaves, but commentator Vern Grubinger thinks you can see what’s coming in the rising cost of gas.
VPR News

Midday Report – May 9, 2006

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Significant hurdles remain before the Legislature can adjourn; a legislative conference committee agrees on minimum sentences for certain sex crimes; tips on increasing the curb appeal of your home; health officials in Maryland try to determine why 27 of 130 Vermonters on a weekend trip got sick there.
VPR News

Culinary experts gather in Manchester

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Hundreds of culinary experts and restaurateurs are in Manchester this week, including some of the nation’s top chefs. They’re gathered at the Equinox Hotel for a four day symposium on Food, wine and spirits.
VPR News

Midday Report – May 8, 2006

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Governor Jim Douglas could cast as many as four vetoes, as the Legislature goes into what should be its final week; Con Hogan endorses Scudder Parker, Democratic candidate for governor; the Essex Town School Board is expected to announce its choice for a new superintendent tonight; thirty suspicious fires in the last three months have Rutland police on the lookout for an arsonist; Barre plans to study the viability of generating electricity from water; more…
Commentary Series

Two immigrants

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Commentator Gloria Gonzalez is a relative newcomer to the Green Mountains, and she has become friends with another recent arrival – she’ll call her “Martina”. They have a lot in common, but there’s one big difference, and it’s central to the current debate about immigration.
Commentary Series

Old Home Days

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Commentator Peter Gilbert says that here in New England at least, today’s creative economy approach to community development has a lot in common with traditional Old Home Days – and even a couple of classic children’s books.
VPR News

Book Interview: My Father Is A Book

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Twenty years after novelist Bernard Malamud’s death comes the first overview of his life and work, written by his daughter, Janna Malamud Smith. In the memoir My Father Is A Book, Smith paints an intimate portrait of Bernard Malamud’s private and professional life.
VPR News

Midday Report – May 5, 2006

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State Senator Ed Flanagan makes his first appearance at the Statehouse since a near-fatal traffic accident five months ago; schoolchildren celebrate a farm-to-school produce program at the Statehouse; Congressman Bernie Sanders works to restore cuts to the Commodity Supplemental Food Program; cancer survivors and their families gather for the sixth annual “Stowe Weekend of Hope.”
VPR News

Interview: Liz Jeffords, Stowe Weekend of Hope

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Cancer survivors and their families will gather in Stowe today for the 6th annual Stowe Weekend of Hope – a retreat and educational forum that over the next 3 days will provide information from top cancer researchers on innovations and emerging treatments.
Commentary Series

Griswold House

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Ghost stories and legends often grow up around real-life events, and commentator Joe Citro has found a good example of that phenomenon in an old brick house in Williston.
Commentary Series

Goya

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A dramatic image depicting artistic inspiration is currently on view at the Fleming Museum in Burlington. Commentator Anne Galloway went to see it recently and was surprised to discover that she can relate to it – quite personally.
VPR News

Midday Report: May 4, 2006

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Negotiators from the House and Senate are near agreement on a health care reform bill; update on other bills pending in the Legislature; teachers in the Chittenden East Supervisory Union went on strike this morning; a national education publication finds that New England schools are all well below the national average; Work to clean up and repair a rock slide in Montpelier is expected to be finished at the end of the month.
VPR News

Interview: John Hall, Department of Housing and Community Affairs

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a recent study on mobile homes found that a significant number of them are old and need to be updated or replaced. On the plus side, Governor Douglas recently signed into law a recommendation by the advisory commission that conducted the study that makes it easier for people living in mobile home parks to form ownership cooperatives.
Commentary Series

Tom Delay

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Corruption in Washington has been much in the news lately, and it’s gotten commentator Olin Robison thinking about Tom Delay and what he represents.
Commentary Series

Fear

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Commentator Madeleine Kunin says that there’s so much on her list of “things to worry about” these days – it’s hard to know where to start.
Commentary Series

Whaleshark

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Sharks are generally considered to be ill- tempered creatures, but commentator Ruth Page says there’s one that has a comparatively sunny disposition.
VPR News

Midday Report: May 1, 2006

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The Legislature broke through a logjam late last week and is now poised to finish work on the remaining big issues on this year’s agenda; some Vermonters plan to participate in the scheduled nationwide demonstrations for immigrant rights; economist John Kenneth Gailbreath, who lived part-time in the Newfane area, died at 97.
VPR News

Vermont residents remember Galbraith

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Many Vermonters are remembering their part-time neighbor, John Kenneth Galbraith. The world-renowned economist died over the weekend at a hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
VPR News

Index cards open window to Vermont history

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In a basement room of the Secretary of State’s office in Montpelier there’s an old manual typewriter sitting on a shelf. The keys stick from neglect, but the typewriter has sentimental value to Vermont’s State Archivist.
Commentary Series

MySpace

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Young people are facing questions about privacy that didn’t exist a dozen years ago. Commentator Allen Gilbert takes a look at two Web sites that have been the subjects of recent news stories.
Commentary Series

John Fowles

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As you’re compiling your summer reading list, you might think about re-visiting an old favorite. When English writer John Fowles died last fall commentator Vic Henningsen re-read Fowles’ masterpiece. Ever since, he’s been considering the enduring hold some books have on their readers.
VPR News

Franken comes to Brattleboro

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For Al Franken, the former Saturday Night Live comedian, visiting Brattleboro was something like coming home to the progressive heartland.
Commentary Series

Azerbaijan

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This morning, commentator Barrie Dunsmore tells us that the Bush administration’s dedication to democracy is taking a back seat to what have become higher priorities.
Commentary Series

Capital

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The death penalty has been in the news again lately and that’s gotten commentator Willem Lange thinking about crime, punishment and American justice.
VPR News

Missing girl back in Vermont

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Police say a 15-year-old girl is back in Vermont today two days after going to Maine with a man she met on the Internet site MySpace.com.
VPR News

Midday Report – April 27, 2006

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Religious leaders ask Governor Jim Douglas to sign a health care bill; Barre police officers and the city struggle to reach a new contract agreement; Phil Dodd of the Vermont Property Owners Report says the housing boom has hit its peak; a report by the American Lung Association gives Rutland County a “B” for in air quality.
Commentary Series

Spring

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Commentator Tom Slayton has been watching the early signs of spring in Vermont – and they remind him of another early spring, several hundred years ago.
VPR News

Angell suffers mild stroke

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Retired Bishop Kenneth Angell has suffered a mild stroke and has been admitted to the Medical Center Hospital of Vermont.
VPR News

Midday Report – April 26, 2006

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State regulators give Vermont Yankee permission to store highly radioactive waste on a site in Vernon; a coalition wants the Legislature to reject the governor’s plan to spend tobacco settlement funds on a new college scholarship program; an AFL-CIO study says Vermont has the second best record among the states for workplace fatalities; Howard Dean speaks about his failed presidential campaign more than two years ago.
Commentary Series

Three dollar gas

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Gas prices are rising at an alarming rate and the Bush administration is promising to study the problem. Commentator Bill Seamans thinks that’s not enough.
Commentary Series

Lawn care

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Now that we’ve gotten some much needed rain, everything is greening up fast – including our lawns – and commentator Henry Homeyer says it’s time for a few quick and easy lawn care tips.
Commentary Series

Half way house

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Spring is an in-between time, a brief interval between winter and summer, especially in Northern New England. It’s a quality that recently inspired commentator Edith Hunter to contemplate the dilemma of being caught between competing interests.
VPR News

Jeffords honored by Castleton State College

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Thanks to a nearly two million dollar federal grant, Castleton State College is enlarging and renovating its science and math center. Senator Jim Jeffords helped secure the funding and was honored today along with former Senator Robert Stafford at a ceremonial groundbreaking.
VPR News

Midday Report – April 24, 2006

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Castleton State College holds a groundbreaking ceremony for a new math and science building; a new law eases some restrictions on homeschooling; the Legislature sends mixed signals over the solution to health care reform; Rep. Mary Morrissey will wait till the primary to endorse a U.S. House candidate; California lawmakers consider a plan that move their primary as early as New Hampshire’s.
Commentary Series

Map and compass

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When you’re hiking off the beaten track, there are lots of ways to figure out where you are, but commentator Alan Boye says that knowing where you are is sometimes less important than simply being there.
VPR News

Midday Report – April 21, 2006

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Almost 70 Vermont legislators want Congress to begin an investigation that could lead to impeachment proceedings against President Bush; He’s George Scribner, Jr., of Belmont is named Game Warden of the Year; Congress returns after an Easter recess; brush fire danger remains high across Vermont due to a dry spring; Rutland is delays $100,00 in paving projects to keep the city’s budget in balance; a ruling could give landowners on Lake Bomoseen more access to wetlands near the shoreline.
Commentary Series

Cervantes

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If you’re looking for the perfect novel to read on vacation this summer, commentator Peter Gilbert recommends the very first – and possibly the very best – novel ever written.
VPR News

Midday Report – April 20, 2006

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Governor Jim Douglas struggle with Senate Democrats over a health care reform package that he threatens to veto; the Caledonian Record reports that Vermont soldier Sergeant Zeb LaPoint has been wounded in Iraq; members of the National Peace Corps Association are in Vermont today to influence the way American farmers practice agriculture; a Jericho house that was built too close to a wetland will be destroyed this summer; more….
VPR News

Midday Report – April 19, 2006

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Congressman Bernie Sanders asks President Bush to convene an emergency energy summit; Governor Jim Douglas introduces a campaign to encourage high school students to go to college; a civil lawsuit against the Catholic Diocese of Burlington is settled out of court; low humidity, little rainfall and high winds create an elevated risk of brush fires; more….
VPR News

Rainville to return campaign contribution

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Republican U.S. House candidate Martha Rainville announced late this afternoon that she’s returning a campaign contribution she received from a political action committee.
VPR News

Midday Report – April 18, 2006

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Rutland’s treasurer says the city’s finances are improving; the Williston selectboard authorizes construction of a new fire station; the Legislature struggles with how to pay for transportation projects; the selectboard in Williamstown dismisses the town manager just four months after hiring her.
Commentary Series

Bay of Pigs

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Today marks the anniversary of something most Americans prefer to forget. Commentator Vic Henningsen believes its worth remembering and discussing.
Commentary Series

Sweet peas

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Flower fashions come and go, and commentator Ron Krupp thinks that it’s time for one old favorite to make a come-back.
VPR News

Midday Report – April 17, 2006

By |
A survey of Vermont teachers on the No Child Left Behind law is released; prom season prompts an effort to reduce alcohol-related deaths among teenagers; Vermont’s earthquake faultlines are active, but generally not dangerous.
Commentary Series

Nuclear Iran

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This week, Iran claimed to have moved closer to becoming a nuclear power. This morning, commentator Barrie Dunsmore examines a new report that the U.S. military is planning air strikes to prevent that from happening.
VPR News

Midday Report – April 14, 2006

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Domestic violence victims and their pets would be protected by a court order under a bill endorsed by a Senate committee; an ongoing shortage of priests leads to decisions on whether to close or consolidate some Catholic parishes; a proposal for a crematorium in Westminster has been rejected; Congress prepares to revisit immigration after their spring recess.
Commentary Series

Young love

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With spring now upon us, Commentator Cheryl Hanna has been thinking about young love and the challenges some of our teenagers face in finding it.
VPR News

Midday Report – April 13, 2006

By |
Key committees of the state Senate say tobacco taxes should be the primary way to pay for health care reform; Rev. William Sloane Coffin is being remembered by friends and acquaintances; the company that runs a mobile methadone program in the Northeast Kingdom wants to open mobile clinics in Brattleboro and Springfield; sugarmakers are finished for the season.
VPR News

Interview: Grace Paley, William Sloane Coffin

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A former chaplain of Yale University who gained national attention as a Vietnam War protester and later as an advocate for nuclear disarmament has died at his home in Strafford at the age of 81. Author Grace Paley knew William Sloane. She recently spoke with Mitch Wertlieb about his life.
Commentary Series

Poetry Out Loud

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This evening at five o’clock, central Vermont high school students will gather at the Pavilion in Montpelier to recite poetry aloud – from memory. Commentator Peter Gilbert explains.
VPR News

Health officials prepare for meth in Vermont

By |
The problem of methamphetamine addiction is not yet wide-spread in Vermont, but public health and addiction experts are warning that the problem will arrive here soon. “Meth” is a highly addictive drug made by cooking a combination of toxic chemicals and over-the-counter drugs.
VPR News

Midday Report – April 12, 2006

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Martha Rainville’s campaign for the U.S. House is endorsed by GOP lawmakers; discussion continues around whether premises ID and animal ID should be implemented; a flu pandemic summit is planned for tonight for first responders in the Upper Valley; Bellows Falls Police Chief Keith Clark joins the race for Windham County sheriff; a federal judge says Radio Free Brattleboro can never again broadcast unless the station gets a license from the Federal Communications Commission; more….
VPR News

Spring’s arrival influences work for some

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For people whose work is tied to the natural world, spring quickens the pace of life and provides them with a source of inspiration. Recently, we visited with four such Vermonters who reflected on spring’s arrival and how it influences their work.
Commentary Series

Sports & politics

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Commentator Philip Baruth has come to the conclusion that there are only two sorts of people, those who love sports and those who love politics and they inhabit two entirely different Americas.
Commentary Series

Community

By |
A sense of community is something everyone seems to want. Commentator Edith Hunter thinks it’s something that many of us feel we have lost.
VPR News

Midday Report – April 11, 2006

By |
The state auditor charges Windham County Sheriff Sheila Prue with using public money for a wide array of personal expenses; the Legislature looks at laws governing public access to government documents; Bernie Sanders joins the TV ad game in his race against Rich Tarrant for the U.S. Senate; farmers begin spring chores; a hearing is scheduled for tonight in Brattleboro on the Vermont Yankee evacuation plan; a Claremont, NH woman is charged with throwing a drinking party for about 20 teens.
Commentary Series

Border crossing

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Commentator Tim McQuiston is concerned that attempts to address security issues along Vermont’s common border with Canada may have some unintended – and unfortunate – consequences.
Commentary Series

Immigration

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When commentator Madeleine Kunin listens to the immigration debate, she is reminded of one of America’s Founding Fathers – and of her own mother.
VPR News

Midday Report – April 10, 2006

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The Democratic State Committee declines to ask the Legislature to call for President Bush’s impeachment; a pro-immigrant rally is scheduled at a Burlington elementary school this afternoon.
VPR News

Impeachment resolution will bypass Legislature

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The Democratic state committee wants Congress to start impeachment proceedings against President Bush. But at a weekend meeting, the committee heeded the advice of lawmakers and decided not to involve the Legislature in the impeachment debate.
Commentary Series

Outrage

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Commentator Willem Lange has been watching the news and listening to public reaction, and wonders why very few people seem upset.
Commentary Series

Eureka school

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Vermont’s one-room school-houses are mostly gone now, but one of the last survivors has been restored as a museum, and commentator Alan Boye recently paid it a visit.
VPR News

Democrats tout Massachusetts health plan

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Democratic leaders say a bi-partisan health care reform plan adopted in Massachusetts this week is a good model for the state of Vermont. However Governor Jim Douglas isn’t very enthusiastic about the proposal.
VPR News

Midday Report – April 6, 2006

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Update of bills pending in the Legislative; Auditor Randy Brock may be challenged for re-election; questions of fairness are raised in the GOP primary race for the open U.S. House seat; a Twinfield Union High School senior will be expelled for the rest of the year for allegedly pointing a BB gun at another student.
Commentary Series

Goshawk

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In Vermont, the line between the domestic world and the wild one is sometimes pretty thin. Recently, commentator Ted Levin witnessed an event that nearly erased the line altogether.
VPR News

Midday Report – April 5, 2006

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Vermont’s health commissioner Dr. Paul Jarris is leaving his post at the end of May; voters in the town of Jamaica want to buy the town bank; reports of a catamount sighting in Pittsford.
VPR News

Interview: Kate Jerman, Outright Vermont

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Kate Jerman is the co-executive director of Outright Vermont. She spoke with Mitch Wertlieb about the Williston School Board’s decision to reschedule an anti-bullying presentation by the organization after it had been cancelled.
VPR News

Jarris stresses difference in avian flu and pandemic virus

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Vermont Health commissioner Dr. Paul Jarris says he won’t be surprised if evidence of the avian flu is discovered in the state by the end of the year. But Dr. Jarris says it’s very important to realize that doesn’t mean that Vermont will be exposed to the human pandemic flu virus.
Commentary Series

Muir vs Pinchot

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Listening to all the criticism of the new plan to add 27,000 acres to the Green Mountain National Forest, has thrown commentator Bill Shutkin into a time warp.
Commentary Series

Big Bang

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How did our thirteen point seven (13.7) billion-year-old universe get started? Commentator Ruth Page says that evidence for its birth in trillionths of a second is now at hand – to cosmologists who understand it.
VPR News

Midday Report – April 4, 2006

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Congressman Bernie Sanders comments on Tom DeLay’s resignation; the Vermont National Guard soldier killed in Afghanistan last week might have been killed by friendly fire; a report says Vermont spends more money per pupil on education than almost any other state; local woodworkers try to brand their crafts with the Vermont name.
VPR News

Interview: Alex Wolff, President, Vermont Frost Heaves

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Alex Wolff is a columnist for Sports Illustrated and President and GM of Vermont’s new minor league basketball team the Frost Heaves. He spoke with Mitch Wertlieb about the Frost Heaves, the NCAA tournament, the NBA finals and the steroid scandals effect on professional and Olympic sports.
Commentary Series

Incentives to stay

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Commentator Allen Gilbert has been thinking about the way we face change. He has an idea for how we might address the demographic changes that some say Vermont will soon undergo.
Commentary Series

Corruption

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Commentator Dick Mallary has been listening to the news from Washington DC lately and thinking a lot about corruption in high places.
VPR News

Midday Report – April 3, 2006

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Entergy Nuclear executive Jay Thayer leaves his post at Vermont Yankee; Bellows Falls takes up the fluoride debate; ski resorts are closing for the season; Pre-Tech Precision Machining of Williston becomes an employee-owned business; Brig. Gen. Michael Dubie takes over as adjutant general of the Vermont National Guard; Bob Kiss will be sworn in as mayor of Burlington this evening.
VPR News

Interview: Sandra Steingard, ‘Nothing Like Dreaming’

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Sandra Steingard is a Psychiatrist and “Nothing Like Dreaming”, the 2004 full-length feature by Vermont filmmaker Nora Jacobson, will get a free screening in Burlington tonight. Medical Director of the Howard Center for Human Services. She will discuss the film after its screening tonight along with director and writer Nora Jacobson.
Commentary Series

Bittinger on Achsa Sprague

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To conclude our Women’s History Month series of stories about remarkable Vermont women – told by Vermont women who are notable in their own right – commentator Cyndy Bittinger tells about Achsa Sprague.
VPR News

Vermont Women: Achsa Sprague

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To conclude our Women’s History Month series of stories about remarkable Vermont women – told by Vermont women who are notable in their own right – commentator Cyndy Bittinger tells about Achsa Sprague.
Commentary Series

Hunter on Winnie Perkins

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VPR is celebrating Women’s History Month with the remarkable stories of Vermont women who made significant contributions to our history and culture – told by Vermont women notable in their own right. Today, commentator Edith Hunter has the story of local historian Winnie Perkins – whose meticulous notebooks contain a wealth of detail about early Vermont families and community life.
VPR News

Midday Report – March 31, 2006

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Vermont Advisory Committee to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission holds a public hearing on immigration; Vermont’s congressional delegation is involved in a debate over gasoline additives; lawmakers don’t expect a major feud this year on funding for the Bennington Bypass.
VPR News

Vermont Women: Winnie Perkins

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Today, commentator Edith Hunter has the story of local historian Winnie Perkins – whose meticulous notebooks contain a wealth of detail about early Vermont family and community life.
Switchboard

Surviving Traumatic Brain Injury

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Brain injuries can have instant and debilitating consequences for how a person thinks, acts and moves. We hear the stories of people who’ve dealt with the physical, social and emotional tolls of brain injury, and we’ll learn about the process of rehabilitation and recovery. Hosted by Fran Stoddard.
Commentary Series

Deborah Clifford on Ann Story

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During Women’s History Month, VPR is honoring Vermont women and their remarkable stories – told by Vermont women who are notable in their own right. Today commentator Deborah Clifford talks about Ann Story – a Vermont pioneer and a larger-than-life legend.
Commentary Series

AP controversy

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Last week a well-known newsman was fired by the Associated Press. And it’s left commentator Tom Slayton with unresolved – and uncomfortable – questions.
VPR News

Midday Report – March 30, 2006

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Testimonials to Sergeant John Stone pour forth following his death in Afghanistan; Vermont is may avoid a reduction in payments from tobacco companies that other states have seen; as the first fiscal quarter ends, a TD Banknorth analyst looks at the financial horizon.
Commentary Series

Springfield shop women

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For Women’s History Month, VPR is featuring stores of Vermont women who made significant contributions to our history and culture, as told by women notable in their own right. Today commentator Ann Lawless tells of the shop women of Springfield, who went to work in the Machine Tool Industry during World War One.
Commentary Series

Withdrawal

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Lately we’ve been hearing more about the possibility of long-term American involvement in Iraq. Commentator Bill Seamans is thinking about how much our expectations have changed.
VPR News

Midday Report – March 29, 2006

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Democratic gubernatorial candidate Scudder Parker says he use a collaborative management style as governor; former New York Times columnist and Washington bureau chief Tom Wicker speak at Castleton State College; Vermont’s per capita income has inched up but is still lower than the national level.
Switchboard

Scudder Parker

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Democratic gubernatorial candidate Scudder Parker is our guest. We get to know the candidate and his platform, and find out why he decided this is the year to run for governor. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
Commentary Series

Rumsfeld

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Commentator Philip Baruth claims to meet the oddest people in the oddest places. Recently, according to Philip anyway, he came across Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in the oddest place of all.
VPR News

House honors Representatives

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The House unanimously adopted a resolution honoring Representatives Cola Hudson, a Republican, and Michael Obuchowski, a Democrat. They’ve each served 17 terms in the House – 34 years apiece.
VPR News

Midday Report – March 28, 2006

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The acting supervisor of the Green Mountain National Forest responds to criticism from all sides of the new forest management plan; Vermont’s unemployment rate went up one tenth of a percent in February to 3.5 percent; an author investigates the “hidden life of garbage”; UVM has proposed a five percent tuition increase for out-of-state students and a four percent rise for Vermonters.
VPR News

Author tells the ‘Hidden Life of Garbage’

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One day, Heather Rogers set out to find out where her garbage went after she left it on the curb to be hauled away. Eventually she went a lot further, exploring the history, politics and economics of waste disposal. Rogers’ book about her experiences is called “Gone Tomorrow: the Hidden Life of Garbage.”
Commentary Series

Caroline Ardelia Yale

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This week – in recognition of Women’s History Month – VPR is honoring Vermont women who made significant contributions to our culture and history. The women telling their stories are notable in their own right. Today, commentator Cyndy Bittinger has the story of Caroline Yale – a Charlotte native who revolutionized education of the deaf.
VPR News

Vermonters closely watch federal immigration debate

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The state’s dairy farmers and Vermonters who help illegal immigrants are keeping a close eye on the U.S. Senate this week. On Monday, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved an amendment that would allow foreign workers to get visas to work in the dairy industry.
VPR News

Norwich University sued for hazing

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A former freshman at Norwich University in Northfield is suing the school for hazing. President Richard Schneider said in an email that disciplinary action has been taken against the students involved, but he did not describe the acts of hazing or identify the person who filed suit.
VPR News

Midday Report – March 27, 2006

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The chairman of the Public Service Board has withdrawn himself from ruling on a proposed wind farm in East Haven; incoming Burlington mayor Bob Kiss begins making appointments; The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is looking for a team of volunteers to baby-sit this year’s crop of young eagles at the Dead Creek Wildlife Management area in Addison; the rebuilding of Ferrisburgh’s historic Grange hall that was destroyed by arson fire could be postponed by questions about insurance coverage.
VPR News

Interview: Arts Council’s palette project

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Recently the Vermont Arts Council distributed 30,000 paper palettes to town organizations and schools throughout Vermont as well as 7,000 maple artist palettes, and said, “Show us what you got.” Mitch Wertlieb talks with Alex Aldrich, executive director of the Vermont Arts Council, about the project.
Commentary Series

The sisters of St. Joseph

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This week VPR celebrates Women’s History Month by recognizing Vermont women who made significant contributions to our history and culture. Their remarkable stories will be told by Vermont women notable in their own right. Today, commentator Marcelle Leahy honors an order of Catholic nuns – who transformed care for the sick in Vermont.
Commentary Series

At the plate

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Commentator Rachel Johnson has been thinking a lot lately about what she calls “His & Hers Eating” – when men and women share a table and a fridge.
VPR Series and Specials

Vermont Women

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VPR presents a special commentary series recognizing women who made significant contributions to Vermont’s history and culture. Their remarkable stories are told by Vermont women notable in their own right.   Monday, March 27 Marcelle Leahy speaks about the sisters of the Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph. Led by Jeanne Mance, the sisters established a school of nursing in Burlington, and transformed care for the sick in Vermont.
VPR News

State Senate seeks solution to avoid gas tax hike

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The Senate Transportation Committee is searching for ways to avoid increasing the state gas tax as part of an overall plan to take full advantage of new federal transportation money. As VPR’s Bob Kinzel reports, there are a variety of options under consideration.
Commentary Series

New Plants

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Spring is fast approaching and commentator Charlie Nardozzi says there are lots of new varieties of flowers and vegetables that could spruce up your garden and yard this year.
VPR News

Congressional delegation protests journalist’s dismissal

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The state’s congressional delegation and Governor Jim Douglas are protesting the abrupt dismissal of a veteran Vermont journalist. The politicians said they’d like to see the Associated Press reinstate Chris Graff, who was fired this week after 25 years as AP’s correspondent in Montpelier. The delegation’s letter caps a turbulent week in the Vermont news media.
VPR News

Text of delegation letter to AP regarding journalist’s dismissal

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Vermont’s Congressional delegation and Governor Jim Douglas are rallying in support of Chris Graff, who was recently dismissed as head of the Vermont Associated Press. Read the letter they sent to the President and CEO of the Associated Press in New York City, calling for Graff’s immediate reinstatement.
VPR News

Midday Report – March 24, 2006

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Vermont’s Congressional delegation and Governor Jim Douglas are rallying in support of Chris Graff, who was recently dismissed as head of the Vermont Associated Press; Congressman Bernie Sanders rallies support for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program; financing remains a roadblock for mental health programs; the annual ceremonial tree tapping is held this afternoon; lawmakers debate the state budget package.
VPR News

Text of delegation letter to AP regarding Chris Graff’s dismissal

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Vermont’s Congressional delegation and Governor Jim Douglas are rallying in support of Chris Graff, who was recently dismissed as head of the Vermont Associated Press. Read the letter they sent to the President and CEO of the Associated Press in New York City, calling for Graff’s immediate reinstatement.
VPR News

Despite efforts, nursing shortage still looms

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Despite an effort to increase the ranks of nurses in Vermont’s health care system, the head of the University of Vermont’s nursing program says a nursing shortage still looms in the state.
Commentary Series

Jim Freedman

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Commentator Peter Gilbert remembers his old boss, Dartmouth President Emeritus James O. Freedman, who died on Tuesday, March 21st at the age of seventy.
Switchboard

Future of Health Care

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What does the future of health care look like for Vermont and the country? We discuss the University of Vermont’s George D. Aiken Lecture, Future of Health and Wellness, delivered by former Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher. Our guests are Peter Hofstetter, CEO of Northwestern Medical Center; Betty Rambur, Dean of Nursing and Health Sciences at UVM; and Dr. Scott Luria, primary care internist at Fletcher Allen. Hosted by Fran Stoddard.
VPR Presents

Visioning the Future and Vermont

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Part of the George D. Aiken Lecture Series, Former Surgeon General of the United States Dr. David Satcher discusses the future of healthcare in America.
VPR News

Commission meeting looks at rural sprawl

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Thursday evening the Windham Regional Commission, the planning authority for the southeast corner of Vermont, is holding a public meeting in Townshend to discuss rural sprawl and how to prevent it.
VPR News

Debate continues over state budget priorities

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Democratic leaders of the Vermont House say their version of the 2007 state budget would do more for housing and a variety of other programs than the governor’s proposal would. But Governor Jim Douglas says it doesn’t do enough for programs directed at young people with substance abuse issues.
VPR News

Midday Report – March 23, 2006

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A legislative panel has endorsed a plan to replace the Vermont State Hospital in Waterbury with a range of other psychiatric services and facilities; the management plan for the Green Mountain National Forest is being criticized by most of the user groups that want access to the land in central and southern Vermont; more…
VPR News

Interview: Environmentalists respond to national forest plan

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The U.S. Forest Service has released its final management plan for the Green Mountain National Forest. Some environmental groups have raised objections to the proposal. Jamie Fidel is with the Vermont Natural Resources Council. He has released a statement on behalf of the Vermont Wilderness Association, a coalition of environmental groups.
VPR News

Animal ID system gets strong response from farmers

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Vermont will soon require any farm with livestock or poultry to register with the state. It’s the first step toward a proposed national animal identification system. The purpose of the program is to track down and eradicate disease. But the proposal is controversial, and both sides spoke out on Wednesday at the Statehouse.
VPR News

Canadian consul urges Vermont to oppose passport plan

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The Canadian Consul for New England wants Vermont lawmakers to oppose a plan by the Bush administration to require passports for travel into Canada. The Department of Homeland Security says the plan is needed to strengthen security between the two countries. But Canadian and Vermont officials say the measure will undermine trade and tourism.
VPR News

Afghan parliament member warns of oppression in her country

By |
A member of the Afghan parliament says despite efforts to bring democracy to her country, regional warlords hold the power. Malalai Joya says the result is the same lack of freedom and women’s rights that marked the period when the Taliban was in power. She is visiting the Upper Valley to raise awareness of the situation in her country.
Commentary Series

True to your school

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Commentator Mike Martin was pleased that most Vermont towns passed their school budgets without a lot of fuss this year, and many towns voted to protect state education funds.
Commentary Series

Egypt

By |
Commentator Madeleine Kunin recently visited Egypt. She says it was everything she expected – and much more.
VPR News

Midday Report – March 22, 2006

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The education commissioner releases Vermont’s assessment test scores; the owner of Vermont’s only nuclear power plant will pay utilities for replacement power after a fire two years ago; officials from the town of Lyndon and village of Lyndonville consider a merger; Killington is about to host the U.S. freestyle ski championships; a Williamstown inn and restaurant could be converted into transitional housing for patients who have been discharged from the Vermont State Hospital.
Switchboard

The Future of Instant Runoff Voting

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Instant Runoff Voting had its first big test on Town Meeting Day. Backers say Burlington’s positive experience demonstrates the need to use it in all statewide elections, but opponents still have reservations. Our guests are Paul Burns, executive director of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group and Former Burlington Democratic Rep. Sandy Baird. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
VPR News

Midday Report – March 21, 2006

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Bob Kiss, the newly elected mayor of Burlington, resigns his seat in the Vermont House; cold weather has the sugaring season on hold; Springfield businessman Keith Stern will run for the U.S. House as an independent; Burr and Burton Academy in Manchester wants to create a satellite campus to accommodate new students.
VPR News

No charges against officials in prison drug smuggling case

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The state says it won’t file charges against Department of Corrections personnel who failed to report an inmate for drug possession. The inmate had concealed roughly 160 bags of heroin and prison officials allowed her to destroy it, rather than reporting her to authorities. Officials say they wanted to act quickly out of concern for the woman’s health.
Commentary Series

Carbon Dioxide

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Commentator Ruth Page suggests that we should have taken advice from Alice in Wonderland’s Red Queen and started running much sooner in order to keep ahead of the dangers from greenhouse gas.
VPR News

Midday Report – March 20, 2006

By |
Peace advocates gather at the Statehouse to say American troops in Iraq should come home now; scores of businesses will be honored this afternoon for being in business more than a century; Manchester officials are hopeful that improvements are on the way for one of the state’s more notorious intersections; New Hampshire’s unemployment rate went up a fraction in February, but still is lower than the national average.
VPR News

Village of North Bennington considers secession from Bennington

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Several towns and villages around Vermont have debated whether to merge in recent years. But the village of North Bennington may take the opposite approach. Voters in the village gather for their annual meeting on Tuesday. An item on the warning asks if the village’s 1,400 residents want trustees to explore seceding from the town of Bennington.
Commentary Series

Goodbye Kirby

By |
When commentator Brian Porto heard of the recent death of Baseball Hall-of-famer Kirby Puckett, he felt sad – both for loss of an outstanding athlete and also for the loss of a personal struggle.
VPR News

House approves gas tax increase

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After another full day of debate, the Vermont House has given its final approval to legislation raising the gas tax by four cents a gallon and the diesel tax by six cents a gallon. The vote on the bill was 91 to 49.
VPR News

Vigil planned for third anniversary of Iraq invasion

By |
Vermonters protesting the war in Iraq are gathering in Rutland on Saturday to mark the third anniversary of the start of the conflict. The gathering is one of hundreds of events planned across the country to coincide with the anniversary.
Commentary Series

US and Russia

By |
The ever-increasing policy differences between the United States and Russia have commentator Barrie Dunsmore wondering where relations between the two may now be heading.
Commentary Series

Promise scholarships

By |
There’s been a lot of discussion lately about how to keep young Vermonters from leaving the state for eductation and employement. Governor Douglas thinks that in-state college scholarships would help, and Vermont Tech President Ty Handy agrees.
Switchboard

Long-term care for the elderly

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As our population ages, we face difficult decisions in caring for elderly family members. We talk with experts from the Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging about options for long-term care. Hosted by Nina Keck.
VPR News

House debates gas tax plan

By |
The House is debating a plan to raise the gas tax by four cents a gallon. Backers say the proposal is needed to allow the state to take full advantage of a new federal transportation law.
Commentary Series

Real Vermonters

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March is a month filled with Vermont traditions: town meeting day, sugaring, mud season. It’s also a time when commentator Helen Labun Jordan is thinking about what it means to be a part of the state.
Switchboard

Peter Welch

By |
Senate President Pro Tem Peter Welch discusses the key issues that lawmakers will consider in the second half of the legislation session, including health care reform, various proposals to raise $25 million for the Transportation Fund, Governor Douglas’ college scholarship plan and efforts to increase the cigarette tax.
Commentary Series

Obama visit

By |
This past week Barak Obama came to Burlington. Thousands turned out, and hundreds were turned away. Commentator Philip Baruth was among those who heard Obama speak – and to say that he was impressed is probably an understatement.
Commentary Series

The Aud

By |
USA Today has called the Barre Auditorium “one of the ten finest places in the country to watch a high school basketball game.” It’s where Vermont’s Division 2, 3 and 4 boys and girls State Basketball finals were recently held – and commentator Howard Coffin was among the enthusiastic fans.
Commentary Series

Affordable housing

By |
Experts are concerned about the “Graying of Vermont,” but when it comes to attracting more young people to settle here, commentator Tim McQuiston thinks affordable housing will be a key factor.
Commentary Series

Bystander effect

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Today is the anniversary of a sad event in American urban history, and it reminds commentator Peter Gilbert of the power of a group to influence individuals’ opinions, attitudes, and actions – consciously or unconsciously.
VPR News

Power line challenges rejected

By |
Challenges to a new electricity transmission line proposed for the Champlain Valley all have been rejected by the Vermont Supreme Court.
Commentary Series

Scrabble

By |
Board games have long been a favorite activity for long Vermont winter evenings. Commentator Willem Lange pays tribute to an obscure, out-of-work architect who invented one of the world’s most popular pastimes.
Commentary Series

Mountain tops

By |
Commentator Ruth Page talks about mountaintop mining in West Virginia and the several kinds of damage it can inflict on both Nature and human beings.
Switchboard

Annual Weather Program

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VPR’s Eye On The Sky Guys – Mark Breen, Chris Bouchard and Steve Maleski – talk about huge storms, precise forecasts and a winter of weird weather. Hosted by Fran Stoddard.
Commentary Series

Weather

By |
Seems like everybody’s talking about this winter’s odd weather these days, but Vermonters have always loved to talk about the weather – and commentator Howard Coffin says that it was a favorite topic in letters between soldiers fighting in the Civil War and loved ones at home.
Commentary Series

Moderate Islam

By |
What does the recent cartoon uproar in Europe have to do with Napoleon and Rolling Stone Magazine? Commentator Mike Martin says, “More than you might think.”
VPR News

80% participation in IRV

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We have this clarification on Instant Runoff Voting in yesterday’s mayoral election in Burlington. Figures at City Hall show that about 80 percent of the voters who cast ballots in the mayoral election also made a second-place choice and participated in the IRV system.
VPR News

Alburgh restores the ‘h’ to its name

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Residents of the Grand Isle town of Alburgh finally have their h back. They voted this week to spell the town’s name with an h at the end – the way it originally appeared when Alburgh was chartered in 1781.
Commentary Series

Consuelo Bailey

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Today is International Women’s Day, and commentator Cyndy Bittinger reminds us of a Vermont woman who became a trailblazing powerhouse in both state and national politics – Consuelo Northrup Bailey.
Switchboard

Town Meeting Day

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A special 90-minute Town Meeting Day Switchboard covering breaking news from Town Meetings across the state. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
Commentary Series

Women and town meeting

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The New England town meeting is said to be one of the purest forms of participatory democracy, and recently, commentator Frank Bryan found further evidence to support this claim.
Commentary Series

Paradox

By |
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the social problems we face today, but commentator Bill Shutkin believes it’s still possible to respond creatively.
VPR News

UVM wins research grant

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The University of Vermont has won a $16 million grant to finance the statewide Vermont Genetics Network, a collaboration on biomedical research.
VPR News

Blogger’s journalistic credentials questioned

By |
The Governor’s weekly press conference is a long standing tradition. It’s a chance for reporters to question the chief executive for details about his politics and policies. Recently, though, questions have been raised about the questioners.
Commentary Series

Town budgets

By |
Voting on your school budget at town meeting is never easy. Commentator Allen Gilbert – who serves on his local high school board – looks at budgets from a board member’s perspective.
Commentary Series

Closer to home

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Used to be that most Americans lived on or close to a farm and ate food that was mostly produced nearby. Times have changed, but commentator Ron Krupp says that choosing to eat food that is locally grown is still a good idea.
Commentary Series

Snow drops plus

By |
About this time every year, New England dwellers begin to look around for the first signs of spring, and commentator Henry Homeyer reports that he’s found one – his snowdrops are up.
Commentary Series

American ports

By |
The Dubai World Ports controversy has continued to dominate Washington’s political dialogue this week. This morning, commentator Barrie Dunsmore adds his thoughts.
Commentary Series

Town Report

By |
In anticipation of Town Meeting, commentator Edith Hunter has been perusing her town report – another New England tradition for nearly two hundred years.
Switchboard

The Annual Oscars Program

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The Academy Awards are around the corner and it’s time for our annual Oscars program! Self-described "movie buff" Neal Charnoff hosts a discussion of the year’s best movies and performances. Filmmaker Jay Craven and UVM film professor Hilary Neroni are our guests.
Commentary Series

Brokeback Mountain

By |
The Academy Awards are this weekend and the movie Brokeback Mountain has received eight nominations, but commentator John Scagliotti thinks that the film’s story is seriously flawed.
Commentary Series

The long war

By |
Donald Rumsfeld has recently suggested that the conflict in Iraq may become known as The Long War. Commentator Bill Seamans wonders what that would mean for future military recruitment.
Commentary Series

Winter birds

By |
From forest branch to back-yard feeder, birds brighten up our spare winter landscape. Commentator Tom Slayton has observed quite a variety lately, from exotic to domestic, both large and small.
Switchboard

Adjutant General Michael Dubie

By |
Michael Dubie is the newly elected Vermont Adjutant General who will succeed Martha Rainville when she steps down to pursue her congressional campaign in April. We talk about what motivated him to pursue this position, Vermont’s role in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the challenges ahead for the Guard.
Commentary Series

Wonder-ice

By |
This morning commentator Philip Baruth tells a story about an ice storm that changed his life, and his view of American life, forever.
Commentary Series

Parent trap

By |
A new study suggests that becoming a parent in modern day America could be hazardous to your mental health, but commentator Rebecca Coffey says there are ways to reduce the risk.
Commentary Series

Vermont’s campaign finance law

By |
Tomorrow the United States will hear arguments in Randall v. Sorrell, a case testing the constitutionality of Vermont’s campaign finance law. Commentator Cheryl Hanna shares her thoughts on what this case means for Vermont and for the nation.
Commentary Series

The green tree frog

By |
Green Tree Frogs aren’t usually found in Northern New England, but for the last year one enterprising amphibian has been commentator Ted Levin’s house guest – thanks to the wonders of air travel.
Commentary Series

Morning star

By |
Commentator Alan Boye thinks that greeting the sun on an early morning walk is one of the best ways to brighten up a late winter day.
VPR News

Welch would support Rumsfeld resolution

By |
(Host) Democratic congressional candidate Peter Welch says he would support a resolution in Congress calling for Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to resign or be fired.
VPR News

Midday Report – February 24, 2006

By |
State Senator Peter Welch supports a resolution calling on Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to resign; Londonderry votes on a commercial wind project proposed for Glebe Mountain; Capitol Hill update from reporter Jill Morrison; New Hampshire moves closer to upping the ante on instant lottery tickets.
VPR News

Londerry votes on contentious on wind power project

By |
Voters in Londonderry head to the polls on Friday to weigh in on commercial wind development on the town’s most visible peak. The wording on the ballot is general. The specific project behind it is a wind energy proposal that’s already stirred up a storm.
VPR News

Interview: Filmmaker Eugene Jarecki, ‘Why We Fight’

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The documentary, “Why We Fight,” by Vermont filmmaker Eugene Jarecki takes as its starting point the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. “Why We Fight” is a film that explores America’s history since World war II to uncover what its director feels are the real and largely unexplored reasons about why America goes to war in places like Iraq.
VPR News

House supports plan for energy independence

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The Vermont House has endorsed legislation to make the state more energy independent over the next decade. The legislation calls on the state to expedite the construction of renewable energy projects and it calls for a public education process to help determine the state’s future energy sources.
VPR News

Bill would have schools buy from local farms

By |
The Vermont House is backing legislation that encourages local schools to purchase more of their food products from neighboring farmers. The bill is a top priority of the House Agriculture committee.
VPR News

Williston teenager missing

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Vermont authorities have issued a nationwide alert in their search for a 19-year-old Williston woman who they say met a man on the Internet and later disappeared. Police say Christina Boutin was last seen with 35-year-old Michael Phillip Tegge at the Amtrak station in Rutland on Tuesday.
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Future of Vermont’s Landscape

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What does the future hold for Vermont’s changing landscape? We’ll discuss the University of Vermont’s George D. Aiken Lecture Hands on the Land. Fran Stoddard’s guests are historic preservation expert Bob McCullough and geomorphologist Paul Bierman. They’ll discuss Jan Albers’ and Darby Bradley’s talk on the history and future of Vermont’s landscape.
Commentary Series

Hospitals

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Medical care has changed considerably in recent years, and commentator Willem Lange marvels at how far we’ve come in improving a usually disagreeable experience.
Commentary Series

Frost heaves

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You know it’s mid-winter in northern New England when you see orange “Frost Heave” signs along the side of the road. Commentator Kristen Laine has recently discovered that they can have a double meaning.
VPR News

UPC files windmill project application

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The company seeking to erect 26 electricity producing windmills on ridge lines in the Northeast Kingdom communities of Sutton and Sheffield has filed an application for the project with the state.
VPR News

House rejects prison term proposal

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The Vermont House has rejected a proposal that would have required judges to sentence people convicted of certain sex crimes to a minimum term in prison.
Commentary Series

Washington’s crossing

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Today is Washington’s birthday, and commentator Peter Gilbert has been reading a fascinating book about General Washington’s role in the American Revolution, and its potential to inspire us today.
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Transportation Dollars

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Vermont needs to raise $25 million in matching funds to receive federal transportation money. Some lawmakers have suggested new fees or increasing the gas tax to raise the money. We discuss ways to ease the strain on Vermont’s Transportation Fund. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
VPR News

Midday Report: February 21, 2006

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Martha Rainville promises to look into questions about where some of the money for her Congressional campaign came from; a check-up on how Vermont’s economically vital ski season is progressing;
Commentary Series

Learning from history

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Both policy makers and pundits like to draw historical analogies to support their positions on current affairs. Commentator Vic Henningsen has been thinking about the validity of using the past as our guide to the present.
Commentary Series

Athletic maturity

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Recently, newspapers and newsmagazines have been full of stories about the opinions and the lifestyle of World Cup ski champion Bode Miller. These stories have convinced commentator Brian Porto that, even at age 28, Miller still has a lot of growing up to do.
Commentary Series

Techno-work

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Over a decade ago, the business world was welcoming a new tool: the Internet. Now, businesses employ many workers who grew up taking the Internet for granted. Commentator Helen Labun Jordan reflects on how early expectations are matching up with reality.
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Poverty

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Poverty is a social crisis that has been hidden from view. Our guests are Hal Colston of Neighbor Keepers and Gretchen Morse of the United Way. We look at the reasons people fall into poverty, and ways communities can lend support. Hosted by Fran Stoddard.
Commentary Series

Memoirs

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Commentator Stephanie Montgomery has been following the debate over truth and falsehood playing out in the media over James Frey’s memoir of his life as a criminal and drug addict. She believes even one intentional misrepresentation damages the relationship between leaders and those who write memoir.
VPR News

Interview: Patrick Garrity, Winter Olympics

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The Winter Olympics are well under way in Turin, Italy with Belmont, Vermonter Hannah Teter making news as the gold medal winner in the women’s halfpipe. Burlington Free Press reporter Patrick Garrity is covering the event. He spoke with Mitch Wertlieb about Teter and the other Vermont competitors as well as what it’s like covering the games.
VPR Presents

Visioning the Future and Vermont

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Part of the George D. Aiken Lecture Series, Jan Albers, Ph.D. and Darby Bradley, J.D. examine the history, current pressures, and possible future of Vermont’s landscape.
Commentary Series

Defense review

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The Pentagon has just issued a new review of American defense systems, and commentator Bill Seamans says that military and policy analysts are busy reading between the lines.
Commentary Series

New England Charity

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A recent study of charitable giving in New England takes a closer look at some oft-cited figures that seem to show that New Englanders are less generous than people in other parts of the country. Commentator Peter Gilbert explains.
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Winter Olympics

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The Winter Olympics are underway this weekend and we take a look at the Games. Our guest, John Morton, will discuss some of the major problems that face the Olympics. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
VPR News

Midday Report – February 14, 2006

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Snowboarder Hannah Teter of Belmost wins a gold medal in the half-pipe; skier Bode Miller of New Hampshire is disqualified from the men’s combined Alpine; Gene Robinson, the Episcopal Church’s first openly gay bishop, has started treatment for alcoholism; a poll suggests a lack of public knowledge about mercury in teeth fillings; divers plan to recover more artifacts from an important Revolutionary War battle on Lake Champlain.
VPR News

Warren Kimble honored

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Yesterday in Brandon over a hundred people gathered to pay tribute to Warren Kimble, and his wife and business partner Lorraine, for their years of support and community activism.
Commentary Series

Learning languages

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If your high school French is mostly a distant memory, it may be because you didn’t start learning it young enough. Commentator Mike Martin says many educators today believe that languages should be taught at the elementary school level.
Commentary Series

Weather

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Gardeners pay close attention to the weather, and commentator Henry Homeyer says that’s true even during the relative inactivity of winter months.
VPR Series and Specials

Iran Today

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While Iran confronts the outside world over its efforts to develop nuclear technology and the strident rhetoric of its President, the people of Iran confront domestic issues like joblessness, poverty, women’s rights and freedom of expression. VPR’s Steve Zind recently returned to Iran to talk with people about the challenges of daily life there.
VPR News
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Iran Today: Part Five, Press Freedoms

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In the past there have been periodic crackdowns in Iran on newspapers and recently there have been signs that the government is moving to prevent coverage of sensitive issues. Authorities are also increasing its efforts to limit what information Iranians can access online. In the final part of this week’s series Iran Today, Steve Zind explains that determining where those lines are can be tricky and dangerous.
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Howard Dean

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Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean discusses the mid-term elections, the lobbying scandal in Washington and his efforts to revitalize the Democratic Party. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
VPR News

Douglas won’t support new health care plan with tax increase

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House Democrats are drafting a new health care reform plan that will provide comprehensive benefits to uninsured Vermonters based on their ability to pay for this coverage. Governor Jim Douglas says he’s willing to look at the plan but he says he won’t support it if it requires a tax increase.
Commentary Series

Vermont quiz

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Vermont is a place rich in history and natural attractions. Commentator Tom Slayton says a recent quiz he dreamed up produced some surprising answers!
Commentary Series

Tee shirts

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Like many Vermonters, Commentator Cheryl Hanna was disturbed to learn that some people were escorted out of the President’s State of the Union address for wearing T-Shirts and has an idea about what to do about it.
Commentary Series

No picnic

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It takes real will power to get through a Vermont winter. Commentator Vic Henningsen reminds us of a story that provides inspiration to keep on going.
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Elite Ski Academies

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Vermont’s ski academies are filled with teens who dream of making it. We talk with Olympian Doug Lewis and Sverre Caldwell: Nordic head coach and former headmaster at Stratton Mountain School about developing a talented skier into an international competitor. Hosted by Fran Stoddard.
VPR News

Missing UVM sign found

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The University of Vermont has found its missing cat, but the cat burglar remains a mystery.
VPR News

Sanders launches discounted oil program

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Vermont Congressman Bernie Sanders today joined a Venezuelan ambassador, the CEO of a CITGO oil company and others to launch a program under which low-income Vermonters will get free or discounted home heating oil.
VPR News

Compromise reached in riot bill update

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A compromise has been reached in the Vermont Senate on a way to update the state’s riot act without threatening news reporters and other observers with arrest.
VPR News

Energy efficiency standards bill has no enforcers

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The Vermont House has given preliminary approval to a bill that would require residential furnaces and other appliances to meet energy efficiency standards. But the bill still has no mechanism for enforcing the policy.
Commentary Series

IRV*

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This March, voters in Burlington will test-drive their new Instant Runoff Voting system. Commentator Philip Baruth predicts that there will be some early confusion — and then Burlington voters will move on. But campaign strategists, unfortunately, will never recover.
Commentary Series

Tolerance

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uth Page thinks mere tolerance is cold and unhelpful. She suggests trying something warmer, such as friendliness, so that we and others can come to understand each other better.
Commentary Series

Budget plan

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As the legislature considers the governor’s budget proposals, commentator Allen Gilbert is reminded of a famous quote about money – and where to find it.
Commentary Series

Child molesters

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The controversy over Judge Cashman’s sentencing of an admitted child rapist prompted commentator Rebecca Coffey to do some research on national and state statistics about victims and offenders.
Commentary Series

Steelers

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Commentator Joe Deffner will be in church twice tomorrow – once in the morning and later in the day around kickoff time for the Super Bowl.
Commentary Series

Hamas victory

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This morning, commentator Barrie Dunsmore looks at the implications of the victory of the Islamic militant party Hamas in the recent Palestinian elections.
VPR News

Midday Report: February 3, 2006

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Should the police have authority to remove the press from a riot scene? New information on last fall’s deadly sinking of a Lake George tour boat; next week will be a busy one for Vermont’s senior senator.
VPR News

Woman finds comfort planning for funeral

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It’s not unusual for people to tell their loved ones whether they want to be cremated or buried once they die. However, not many of us choose to order our coffin in advance and have it delivered to our house. VPR’s Steve Zind has a story about once such person.
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Population Media Center

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Education around social and health issues is a challenge for many developing countries. A Vermont-based organization is making progress with an unusual approach: using entertainment to change behavior. We talk with Bill Ryerson, director of the Population Media Center. Hosted by Fran Stoddard.
Commentary Series

Hamas surprise

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While American intelligence didn’t anticipate Hamas’s victory in the Palestinian elections, commentator Bill Seamans thinks it’s also significant that Israeli intelligence didn’t forsee it either.
VPR News

Real estate agents busy despite rate hikes

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Yesterday’s announcement by the Federal Reserve Board to increase the short term interest rate is the latest of 14 rate increases since June of 2004. Some worried that the rate hikes would put a damper on the state’s booming real estate market.
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Congressman Bernie Sanders

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Congressman Bernie Sanders is our guest. We discuss Iraq, health care reform, the president’s domestic surveillance program and lobbying reform efforts in Washington. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
Commentary Series

Wal-Mart

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Wal-Mart is once again proposing to expand services in Vermont. This morning we heard from commentator Ellen David Friedman’s view of WalMart. This afternoon, we hear a second view from commentator John McClaughry.
Commentary Series

Wal-Mart

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WalMart is once again proposing to expand services in Vermont, and today we have Two Views of the impact WalMart’s policies have on the public. This morning we hear from commentator Ellen David Friedman.
VPR News

Two lawmakers back municipal vote bill

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Two Lamoille County lawmakers are backing a bill that would make it more difficult for people unhappy with the results of a municipal vote to petition for a new one.
Commentary Series

Borderlands

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Recently, commentator Alan Boye took a walk to find the northeast corner of Vermont. What he discovered there was a strange part of Vermont’s geography.
Commentary Series

Good old days

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Commentator Willem Lange looks back and remarks on the changes – and the lack of change – during his lifetime.
Commentary Series

Eavsdropping

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Two law suits have been filed to stop President Bush’s authorization of listening in on Americans’ phone calls here at home. Commentator Peter Gilbert clarifies the Constitutional and political issues involved.
VPR News

Midday Report – January 27, 2006

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While Senator Patrick Leahy has been visibly involved in Judge Samuel Alito’s Supreme Court nomination, Senator Jim Jeffords is weighing in as well; the Judiciary Committee of the Vermont Senate holds a confirmation hearing for Brian Burgess today; Judge Edwards Cashman’s sentence of a child sex offender continues to reverberate in Montpelier.
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Art & Community

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Art centers are cropping up in small towns throughout Vermont and supporters say their impact extends beyond artists. We discuss the arts and what they mean to our communities. Guests are Sue Higby, executive director of Studio Place Arts in Barre and Bill Botzow, artist and former chair of the Vermont Arts Council. Hosted by Fran Stoddard.
Commentary Series

Winter hiking

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One of the newest sports in Vermont isn’t really that new at all. Here’s commentator Tom Slayton with a different way of thinking about winter.
Commentary Series

The way home

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Adventure, someone once said, is what happens when you make mistakes. Commentator Vic Henningsen had occasion to reflect on this recently, when he almost literally got lost in his own backyard.
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Mandatory Sentencing

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The controversial sentencing of a sex offender has prompted some people at the Statehouse to consider a mandatory minimum sentence for such criminals. We talk with Essex-Orleans Senator, Vincent Illuzzi and Senator Dick Sears, Judiciary Committee Chair. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
Commentary Series

Fact free zone

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After listening to the uproar over a recent best seller, commentator Bill Shutkin reflects on the consequences of sacrificing facts for dramatic effect.
Commentary Series

Ants

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Among what creatures on earth does true teaching occur – not just copycatting, but learning from a teacher? Commentator Ruth Page has the answer.
VPR News

Vermonters celebrate Robert Burns

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Millions of people around the world will raise glasses of Scotch whiskey, recite poetry and eat haggis tonight – all to honor Scottish poet Robert Burns.The author of such works as “Auld Lang Syne” and “My Love is Like a Red Red Rose” was born on this date in 1759.
VPR News

Petroleum association concerned about gouging legislation

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The Vermont Attorney General’s office is urging lawmakers to pass legislation that would prohibit price gouging by retail gasoline stations. The Vermont Petroleum Association has some concerns with the plan and says passage of the bill could affect the supply of gas in Vermont in the future.
Commentary Series

Promises

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In his State-of-the-State address, Governor James Douglas proposed an expansive new program of college scholarships. Commentator Allen Gilbert says that hard questions need to be asked about the plan.
Commentary Series

Vermont mammals

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Reflecting on our recent days of inconsistent weather, commentator Ted Levin notes that nature is ever-changing, and that Vermont’s animal population has been adapting to climate changes ever since the last ice age.
Commentary Series

Wild weather 2005

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Winter offers most gardeners a rare opportunity to take stock of the last growing season and plan for the one ahead. Commentator Ron Krupp has found himself thinking mostly about the weather.
Commentary Series

Olympics

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Commentator John Morton says that olympic swimmers compete in minutes and seconds, while ice dancers depend on the largely subjective decision of judge. For endurance sports like cross country skiing and biathlon it’s even trickier.
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At-Risk Youth

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Adolescence is tough for every teenager, but some youth have especially difficult challenges — from truancy and substance abuse, to abandonment and homelessness. We talk with Mark Redmond of Spectrum Youth and Family Services and Andrea Torello of the Mobius mentoring program about how adults can make a positive connection with troubled teens. Hosted by Fran Stoddard.
Commentary Series

Cashman sentence

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Commentator Vince Illuzzi thinks that the question of whether or not justice has been served in the recent controversy over the sentencing of a convicted sex offender is a good one – but he would apply it to the public “rush to judgement” of Judge Cashman as well.
VPR News

Interview: Senator Patrick Leahy, Alito Nomination

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In an interview with VPR’s Bob Kinzel this afternoon, Senator Leahy said he’ll vote against Judge Samuel Alito’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court because he’s concerned that the judge will try to expand presidential power in the future.
VPR News

Interview: Paul Blake,Deputy Commissioner, Vermont Dept. of Health

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Plans to establish a small satellite or “subacute” mental health treatment center in Vergennes have been scraped, following a rejection of the idea by officials in Vermont’s smallest city. Paul Blake is the Deputy Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Health. He spoke with Mitch Wertlieb about what a subacute facility is, and what the next move will be.
Commentary Series

Symbols

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Lately, commentator Olin Robison has been thinking a great deal about the long term importance of democratic symbols.
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Governor Jim Douglas

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We discuss Governor Jim Douglas’s priorities for the session including health care reform, ways to reduce property tax burdens, and restrain school budgets and his plan to make higher education more affordable. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
VPR News

Douglas unveils budget

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Governor Jim Douglas unveiled next year’s state budget Tuesday. The governor says the plan will help make Vermont a more affordable place to live.
VPR News

Midday Report – January 17, 2006

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Governor Jim Douglas prepares to deliver his annual budget address this afternoon; doctors join the effort to strengthen seatbelt laws; political analyst Eric Davis on Martha Rainville’s possible candidacy for U.S. House; environmental violations at the wastewater treatment plant will cost the city of Newport more than $12,500.
Commentary Series

Valley economy

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The Vermont Retail Association recently released a study that concludes that the implementation of the sales tax has been the primary reason for the decline of retail sales in Vermont along the Connecticut River. Commentator Timothy McQuiston disagrees and suggests that it was caused by a different, but no less monumental, change in Vermont public policy.
Commentary Series

Alito hearings

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The confirmation hearings for Judge Samuel Alito reminded commentator Peter Gilbert of how important it is for all high school history students to learn about the Constitution and our democratic form of government.
VPR News

Midday Report – January 16, 2006

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About 60 soldiers from Delta Company, first Battalion of the 172nd Armor Regiment, are back in the United States; Adjutant General Martha Rainville may reveal her political intentions soon; communities across Vermont mark the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; three Middlebury College students are rescued from the Long Trail; UVM students move into a new 400-bed dorm; a Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center program for chronically ill and disabled teenagers is struggles to stay open.
VPR News

Despite initial study, organic farming seen as viable

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A recent study by the University of Vermont seemed to cast a negative light on the business side of organic dairy farming. The study found that two-thirds of the farms that were studied failed to make a profit in 2004. But the researcher says the findings have to be taken in context.
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Influential People in Vermont History

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We discuss the personalities that loom large in Vermont history, including some people who may no longer be household names. Our guests are Michael Sherman, co-author of "Freedom and Unity"; Kevin Graffagnino, director of the Vermont Historical Society. Hosted by Fran Stoddard.
Commentary Series

Waterman book

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Some writers challenge us to consider life outside our own customary comfort zone, and commentator Tom Slayton says that can be both unsettling – and satisfying.
Commentary Series

Strict construction

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Supreme Court nominee Joseph Alito has been criticised both for his strict interpretation of the Constitution in regard to abortion rights and for not interpreting it strictly enough in regard to presidential power. To better understand what this means, commentator Vic Henningsen takes a look at the idea of “strict construction”.
Commentary Series

Fake novel update

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Last October, Commentator Philip Baruth wrote a piece about a thiller secretly commissioned by the pharmaceutical lobby. Not long after, he began to receive anonymous emails about the fake novel at the heart of the controversy and this is no playful satire. This is true. Here’s Philip.
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House Speaker Gaye Symington

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Speaker of the House Gaye Symington is our guest. We talk with Symington about the Democrats agenda for the session and her reaction to plans the governor laid out in his State of the State Address. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
Commentary Series

Less is more

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When it comes to setting personal goals for the year just getting under way, commentator Mike Martin suggests keeping it simple…more…or less.
Commentary Series

Golden Bear

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Commentator Ruth Page describes action being taken to preserve the handsome, endangered Golden Bears living in a rainforest in British Columbia.
Commentary Series

Search warrants

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Given the current controversy over unauthorized wiretaps and domestic survellance, commentator Allen Gilbert has decided to review the historical roots of search warrants and privacy protections.
Commentary Series

“Bert”

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Many Vermonters have surprising ties to the world beyond the Green Mountains, and according to commentator Edith Hunter, Bert Frothingham of Windsor was one of them.
Commentary Series

Domestic spy

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They say great minds think alike but at commentator Caleb Daniloff’s house, the similarities have gone too far, and he’s determined to get to the bottom of it.
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Winter Health

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Flu season is upon us and nasty colds are making the rounds. We talk about special measures you can take this winter to stay healthy, eat well and feel good. Guests are physician Ben Littenberg and nutritionist Jean Harvey-Berino. Hosted by Fran Stoddard.
VPR News

Midday Report – Janaury 5, 2006

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Lawmakers and the Douglas administration say they’ve developed a $7 million emergency prescription drug assistance plan; Governor Jim Douglas will deliver his annual state-of-the-state address before a joint session of the Legislature this afternoon; a town board in Bennington has given preliminary approval to a plan to replace an existing Wal-Mart with a new store more than twice as large; Ty Handy takes office as the new president of Vermont Technical College in Randolph Center.
VPR News

Returning soldier answers student’s questions

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In November 2004, VPR spoke with First Lieutenant Chris Day. Day is a social studies teacher at Brattleboro Area Middle school, whose National Guard unit spent the past year in Kuwait.He’s one of nearly 700 guardsmen who returned to Vermont just before Christmas. VPR’s Susan Keese caught up with him on his first day back in class.
Commentary Series

Young Vermonters

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There has been a clear trend in Vermont’s population over the last several years: we’re getting older. And that has a lot of people asking what could make today’s young Vermonters decide to settle here instead of leaving the state. Commentator Helen Labun Jordan has some thoughts on this issue.
Commentary Series

Future of Supreme Court

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With the confirmation hearings for Samual Alito to replace Sandra Day O’Connor just around the corner, Commetator Cheryl Hanna reflects upon the future of the United States Supreme Court.
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Reporter’s Roundtable

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Lawmakers have returned to Montpelier for the second half of the Legislative session. We hold a reporters’ roundtable on the top issues the lawmakers face. Guests are VPR’s John Dillon, Ross Sneyd of The Associated Press and Kristin Carlson of WCAX. Hosted by Bob Kinzel.
VPR News

Guilford school to re-open next week

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School officials in Guilford say it will be next week before pupils and teachers will be allowed to return to the Guilford Central School, where a small fire on December 26th triggered oil fumes.
VPR News

Clavelle endorses Miller

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Burlington Mayor Peter Clavelle says he’d like to see Hinda Miller succeed him as chief executive of Vermont’s largest city.
VPR News

Midday Report – January 3, 2006

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The Legislature reconvenes at the Statehouse; farmers show their colors on both sides of the debate over a GMO liability bill; Representative John Tracy on whether there will be movement on health care reform; the longest-serving members of the House say the body is more partisan and has less decorum than when they arrived there 34 years ago.
Commentary Series

Longfellow

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A recent speech by President Bush inspired commentator Jay Craven to look up an old poem – and he found a complicated view of the holiday wish for “peace on earth”.
Commentary Series

Vermont agriculture future

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Despite the recent extension of federal dairy subsidies, commentator John McClaughry says that with a new five year farm bill coming before Congress in the New Year, it’s a good time to reassess how federal farm policies affect our state.