Federal Ruling Weakens Defense of Marriage Act

A federal judge in Massachusetts Wednesday handed a major victory to Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) opponents, ruling that parts of the infamous law are unconstitutional.

Enacted in 1996 during the presidency of Democrat Bill Clinton, DOMA amended federal law to define marriage solely as a union between a man and a woman.

The case was brought to federal court by seven married same-sex couples and three widowers from Massachusetts. Under the ruling, the plaintiffs are entitled to the same federal spousal benefits and protections as heterosexual married couples.

Judge Joseph L. Tauro sided with the plaintiffs. He reasoned that DOMA does not truly provide nationwide consistency when it comes to defining marriage because not all states define heterosexual marriage equally. For example, a 13-year-old girl can marry a 14-year-old boy in New Hampshire, he noted. He also added that prior to 1996 no state had granted marriage to same-sex couples, therefore he questioned the rationale behind the law's intent to preserve the "status quo" and address what Congress deemed "social problems."

Combo Platter: Shelburne Steakhouse open; August First bread bike

by Alice Levitt and Suzanne Podhaizer

Steak Stuff

For various reasons — contractors, licensing issues — many restaurants open weeks or even months after their owners' hope they will. Not Shelburne Steakhouse. Owners JoAnne Paquette and Eric Fritzeen had scheduled a "sneak preview" for this Friday, with dinner and a concert by Radio Flyer. However, the twosome were just too eager: "Monday, this was a construction zone," says Paquette. "I got up in the morning and said to Eric, 'I'm done being a construction site. We're opening!'" Tuesday night, 40 people visited the dining room. On Wednesday, word of mouth brought in 130 guests.

What were they eating? Homegrown veggies, for one thing. The staff uses Intervale compost to nurture plants right at the restaurant. They're used on the salad bar and in meat-free entrées such as eggplant baked with Shelburne-Farms-cheddar bechamel and spinach. Beef options range from bacon 'n' bleu-crusted filet mignon to slow-roasted ribs. On the New-England-caught seafood side, eaters find crab-stuffed lobster tails and bouillabaisse. There are also lamb, duck and pork dishes, all prepared by Levi Carter, formerly of A Single Pebble and Clover House.

The opening was not without its flaps.

UVM's Cadaver Donations Are Back in the Black

Last year, it felt like invasion of the body snatchers at the University of Vermont. This year, UVM is once again grateful for all its dead.

As Seven Days reported last October, for the first time in living memory the UVM College of Medicine faced a critical shortage of cadaver donations in 2009. At the time, the problem was so acute that if the numbers didn't pick up soon, the school faced the unpleasant prospect of hunting around for cadavers at other medical schools or worse, purchasing cadavers from a for-profit body broker. After all, gone are the days when 19th-century UVM's doctors-to-be raided the military cemetery in the Old North End for bodies to practice on. 

Rod Parsons, who chairs UVM's anatomy and neurobiology department, can't quite put a finger on what caused the body count to dry up last year by nearly half. It may have been a statistical blip, he theorizes, compounded by the fact that the supply hasn't kept pace with the growing demand for whole cadavers and assorted body parts used in education, research, and training. For sure, the Grim Reaper didn't take a holiday last year, as the usual 5000 or so Vermonters shuffled off their mortal coils last year, at a rate of about 100 per week, according to Vermont's chief medical examiner.

Parsons theorizes that the shortfall may have had something to do with the economic downturn. Counterintuitively, body donations sometimes drop off in lean economic times, in part because there are costs associated with leaving one's body to science — as much as $1800 in the Green Mountain State, according to the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Vermont.

This week, however, Parsons is pleased to report that UVM's body count is back in the black.

Cylons in Bristol?

If you get the Daily 7, you already know the New York Times just published a fascinating, super-creepy interview with a robot (or cyborg, or whatever you want to call her) who lives at a Bristol nonprofit.

Two years ago in our paper, Mike Ives wrote about visiting that nonprofit -- it's LifeNaut.com, a branch of the Terasem Movement Foundation -- and explored the ideas behind creating creepy robots that imitate dead people. The piece has my favorite subhead ever: "A Bristol nonprofit wants to replicate your brain and bequeath it to a robot."

Campaign Trail: Shumlin's New TV Ad, Peyton's "Censorship" Lawsuit and a Bartlett Photo Mashup

State Sen. Peter Shumlin is up with the first television ad of the 2010 governor's race.

If you watch network TV, there's a good you'll see it in the days ahead: the 30-second spot is airing 13 to 15 times daily on three stations (WCAX, WPTZ and WFFF) for at least the next two weeks, according to Shumlin campaign manager Alex MacLean. The media buy could be extended past two weeks, MacLean says, and more ads are in the works.

The August 24 Democratic primary is still seven weeks away but MacLean says Shumlin feels it's important to get his message out now. In early polling (whose methods are now being called into question), Shumlin is trailing two of his four Democratic rivals — State Sen. Doug Racine and Secretary of State Deb Markowitz — in hypothetical match-ups against Republican candidate Brian Dubie.

California Newspaper Finds Salvation in Vermont Business Law

A California newspaper once on the brink of collapse is being heralded as a new model for journalism — and it's largely thanks to Vermont.

The Point Reyes Light, a Pulitzer Prize-winning newsweekly serving Marin County, recently incorporated in Vermont as "low profit" limited liability company, or L3C. That means it can accept donations from charities while still remaining a for-profit company. It's a hybrid business model that Vermont passed into law two years ago and it's garnering widespread attention for its potential to save the struggling newspaper industry.

Like many newspapers, the Point Reyes Light was shedding reporters, editors and photographers as advertising and circulation revenues vanished, and the quality of news was suffering, says business manager Renee Shannon. In recent years, the newsroom went from two editors, two full-time reporters and several interns to only one of each and a controversial editor-in-chief was ruffling readers' feathers.

A group of journalists, educators and philanthropists wanted to rescue the paper by purchasing it and making it a nonprofit. But they found that federal tax code would make nonprofit status prohibitively complex. Through a colleague, the publisher of the alternative weekly East Bay Express, they learned that in Vermont, they could set up as a "low-profit" venture and still accept funds from nonprofits.

So they established the Marin Media Institute, a nonprofit that owns and directs operating funds to the Point Reyes Light.

Alice Eats: QTee's

237 North Winooski Avenue, Burlington 658-3668

I didn't think I'd have to do this, but apparently I do: There are people out there who still don't know about QTee's. Whenever I explain where 99 Asian Market is — right across the street from QTee's — it seems people don't know what I'm talking about. "Where Dairy Queen was," I clarify. Then they understand, but it hasn't been Dairy Queen for years. The inevitable next question: "Is it still good?"

As far as Burlington-area fast food goes, it's among the best. Each month I take a picture of QTee's rotating creemee-flavor schedule and follow it religiously. They always have chocolate and vanilla, but other flavors, from orange to Kahlua, appear in two-day spurts. I like to show up on mint and pistachio days. I've yet to make it over for blueberry, but it's on my calendar — literally.

First things first, though. Pre-creemee, I recommend stopping inside for something savory. I just discovered the Roadhouse burger: two patties with cheese, bacon, barbecue sauce and an onion ring. It sounds simple but it's sublime, with just the right mix of salt, sweetness and crunch.

Interview with a Wine Guy: Mission Fondue

[Editor's Note: Haylley Johnson is one of Seven Days' two summer food interns. She'll be writing a series of blog posts on cooking and wine pairing. Here's the first one.]

Interview with a Wine Guy: Mission Fondue

Picking out good wine can be tricky, and pairing wine with a meal even more so. For novice wine lovers — like me — not knowing where to begin makes it nearly impossible. I decided to ask a few local wine shop owners for help.

This week, Brad Kelley, owner of the Burlington Wine Shop, suffered my endless inquiries.

Kelley originally started enjoying wine the way some do: turning 21, trying plenty of vino and asking plenty of questions. Soon, he found himself with a job at the wine shop on St. Paul Street. When the owners decided to sell, Kelley decided to buy, and the Burlington Wine Shop was born.

Here's his perspective on pairing wine with a Euro classic...

SD: I’m making Swiss fondue tonight and I’ve got a loaf of homemade whole-wheat bread. What wine would pair well with that?

Combo Platter: The Monday Food-News Round-up

Another holiday weekend, another triumph for I Que, the highly respected BBQ team that includes Vermont's John Delpha, chef and co-owner of The Belted Cow Bistro . I Que was named Reserve Champion at Lake Placid's I Love Barbecue Festival over the long weekend, second only to Massachusetts-based I Smell Smoke. They also placed second in ribs and fourth in pork. Though the event is all about barbecue, there was also a grilling competition. Delpha and I Que took home Reserve Grand Champion in that event, too. For full results, click here.

Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery and Vermont Smoke and Cure made a national splash when they appeared at the Fancy Food Show in New York last week. Sarah Moulton, food correspondent for "Good Morning America," gave both some love in her report on the event. Unfortunately, the celebrity chef made some big boo-boos: She called Butter & Cheese's award-winning Bijou its newest release. Curd watchers know that the ultra-creamy Cremont holds that title. (Click here to see what the New York Times had to say about the fab new fromage.) Moulton further embarrassed herself when she raved about Vermont Smoke and Cure calling it "Vermont Fire and Smoke." She also exclaimed, "local pigs and cows go into this!" While Smoke and Cure has a special all-Vermont line, the company openly admits that the meat in the products Moulton showcased comes from out of state. Check out her flubs here.

Two Area Food Pioneers Pass Away

Two veterans of the Vermont food industry both passed away on Friday, July 2: Anthony Joseph Merola and George L. Solomon.

As a youth, George Solomon worked at his father's company, Solomon's Wholesale Beef. He and his wife took over in 1970, and founded a coffin company some 10 years later. In 2003, Seven Days associate editor Ruth Horowitz accompanied Solomon on a coffin-and-culinary trip to Montrèal.

Read George L. Solomon's obituary.

Merola and his wife, Dorothy, used to own Dot's Market on Archibald Street in the Old North End and Merola's Market, which originally opened as the M&M Market on Pearl Street in the Radio Deli spot. Under different ownership, it is now located in the New North End.

Read Anthony Joseph Merola's obituary.

Their passing marks the end of an era.