Cruiser-Crushin' Vermont Farmer Becomes an Internet Hero

By now you're probably familiar with Roger Pion, the Newport farmer who went all HULK SMASH on seven Orleans County Sheriff's Department vehicles last week. Pion, who was reportedly angry over a previous marijuana arrest, is now facing more than a dozen charges in connection with his tractor rampage.

But it's not all bad news for Pion — he's got the Internet on his side. Shortly after Pion's story hit the news, someone created a Facebook page called "Roger Pion, the magnificent," which has accumulated 1512 likes as of this writing. On that page you'll find some excellent works of Photoshop — Pion in his finest Ethan Allen get-up, his now-infamous tractor in progressively wilder situations, plus other takeoffs on popular online memes. That's right: Roger Pion is now an Internet folk hero.

Community Rallies Around Destroyed Hot Tamale

Things haven't been easy for Moana Dixon lately. Her mother, Hot Tamale's founder and executive chef Cheryl Kaheleilani  was in the hospital on Friday night, but Dixon kept the Johnson Mexican take-out eatery open late to cook for a number of orders, including a party of more than 10 people getting food for a regular customer's birthday.

"I was cooking chips," remembers Dixon. "I had a whole bunch of orders — we make everything fresh — I dropped in a batch  of chips and I turned away from the stove and thought, "Shoot! I have to turn it off really quickly.' Someone asked me a question and I got distracted and stepped away from the stove."

The grease fire quickly moved across the deck of the rental house at which Dixon and McCabe also live. Before long, Dixon heard the propane tank out back hissing. She grabbed her dog and purse from upstairs and fled just before the house became engulfed in flames. "I thought, 'Holy shit, that's a fire,'" she says. Indeed, firefighters from eight different departments battled the blaze for close to seven hours. The house next door also caught on fire.

7 Takeaways From Tuesday's Attorney General Debate in Shelburne

Neither candidate made any gaffes.

But Democrats T.J. Donovan and Bill Sorrell did face plenty of tough questions from a standing-room-only crowd in Shelburne last night at the third of nine debates before the August 28 primary for attorney general.

Seated on metal folding chairs on stage at Shelburne Town Hall, Sorrell defended his 15-year record as AG while Donovan, the Chittenden County State's Attorney, made the case for change.

What did the audience learn about the candidates in 90 minutes? Quite a bit actually.

Here are seven takeaways from the debate. Click here a list of upcoming AG debates — including the Seven Days/Channel 17 matchup at Burlington City Hall next Wednesday, August 15.

1.Biography will not decide the race

Both were born and raised in Burlington. Both had a lot of sisters (Donovan has five, Sorrell has four) and no brothers. Their families are deeply connected. But Sorrell did drop one family anecdote during his opening statement that elicited a few "aah"s from the crowd and might endear him to some voters in Shelburne. His great-grandfather was apparently the head caretaker on Shelburne Farms — and has a signed note of appreciation from the estate's patriarch, William Seward Webb, that now hangs on Sorrell's wall.

New Leadership at the Green Mountain Film Festival

Big news for the Green Mountain Film Festival came at press time today: There's been a major changing of the guard at Focus on Film, the fest's parent nonprofit. Donald Rae, executive director of FOF for the past six years, has stepped down, along with the rest of the board.

The board's new president is Terrence Youk, owner of Montpelier's Savoy Theater (pictured), who says in a press release that he sees this as "a timely opportunity to bring the Savoy under the wing of the Focus on Film nonprofit."

Always a venue for the GMFF, the Savoy has held several public funding drives to address its financial vicissitudes in the past few years. Like many local independent theaters, it faces an uncertain future in the digital era. Is Youk taking this opportunity to rebrand the theater as a nonprofit community resource with an educational mission? Watch this space for updates.

 

Attorney General Candidates Scheduled for Nine Debates

Last week, the two Democratic candidates for attorney general debated for the first time in Strafford and on the set of WCAX's "You Can Quote Me." They also debated whether they're debating enough.

This week, Attorney General Bill Sorrell and Chittenden County State's Attorney T.J. Donovan are back to just plain debating — twice. Tonight they'll face off at a Shelburne Town Hall debate hosted by the Chittenden County Democratic Party. On Thursday, they'll go head-to-head on Vermont Public Television. Next Wednesday, August 15, Seven Days and Channel 17 are hosting an AG's primary debate at Burlington City Hall.

Below is a schedule of the debates scheduled thus far. Stay tuned for additions, as both campaigns have expressed a willingness to schedule a few more. Cuz nine debates clearly won't do the trick.

• Tuesday, July 31 — Vi Coffin Memorial Forum — Strafford Town House — 7 p.m. — See coverage from the Valley News, the Burlington Free Press and the BFP's vt.Buzz blog. Listen to the debate here.
• Wednesday Aug. 1 — Taping of WCAX's "You Can Quote Me" — Two-part debate to be broadcast Sunday, Aug. 5 and Sunday, Aug. 12 — See coverage from WCAX, the Associated Press and the Times Argus. Watch part 1 of the debate here.
  
• Tuesday, Aug. 7 — Chittenden County Democrats' Debate — Shelburne Town Hall — 7 p.m.
• Thursday, Aug. 9 — Vermont Public Television Debate — 8 p.m.
• Monday, Aug. 13 — Debate on WDEV's The Mark Johnson Show — 9 a.m.
• Wednesday, Aug. 15 — Seven Days & Channel 17 Debate — 5 p.m. — Burlington City Hall (and streamed live on 7dvt.com)
• Thursday, Aug. 16 — Burlington Free Press Debate, Pt. 1 — Noon — Streamed live on burlingtonfreepress.com
• Tuesday, Aug. 21 — Burlington Free Press Debate, Pt. 2 — Noon — Streamed live on burlingtonfreepress.com
• Thursday, Aug. 23 — VPR's Vermont Edition — Noon

Protestors Block Crane Path at Lowell Wind Project (VIDEO)

Updated below — Six protesters arrested for blocking road.

After gathering at 5 a.m. this morning, a group of 20 or so "mountain occupiers" hiked to the ridge of Lowell Mountain to block construction of wind turbines. Their plan: Camp out in the crane path — a crucial thoroughfare for construction at Green Mountain Power's Kingdom Community Wind project — until "the situation is resolved," according to a press release put out by the demonstrators.

Protesters have formed a human blockade, where occupiers are singing, chanting and brandishing signs that read "Stop Destroying Vermont" and "Shumlin Lies." An additional 25 protestors have joined the barricade since early this morning, bringing their numbers to around 45. 

The protesters made the march to the ridge line by way of Don and Shirley Nelson's adjoining property, and were on site to block construction vehicles at 7 a.m.. They're making their stand on the same piece of land where, in December, six protesters and one reporter were arrested for trespassing. The ownership of the land is currently in dispute between the Nelsons and GMP.

Craftsbury Commons resident Steve Wright, an outspoken opponent of the wind development, is stationed near the access point on Route 100. Wright told Seven Days by phone that the drumming and chanting from the ridge line can be heard in the valley east of the project. While Wright hiked the ridge line for 25 years, his "aging legs" didn't let him join the protest this morning.

"This is not about stopping the project," Wright says, acknowledging that construction will inevitably continue at the 21-turbine wind development. "This is about stopping other projects that are as ill- thought-out and land abusive — projects that really don’t do anything for climate change action."

Donovan Discloses Polling Questions — At Least to Reporters

Seeking to put behind him allegations that his campaign engaged in push polling, Chittenden County State's Attorney T.J. Donovan on Friday provided reporters with a fleeting glimpse of the poll in question.

Donovan's campaign set restrictions on how the press could report on the poll. Reporters were allowed to view the poll's questions during a half hour period Friday afternoon, but they were barred from reporting on the wording of all but a couple questions. (Pictured at right is campaign manager Ryan Emerson displaying the thing.)

The unusual move comes after two recipients of the poll who support Donovan's rival in the Democratic primary for attorney general — incumbent Bill Sorrell — told Seven Days they believed the poll intended to dissuade voters from voting for Sorrell, not gauge public opinion. Unlike a conventional public opinion survey used to hone a candidate's message and determine how a candidate is doing, push polls are generally deployed in the late stages of a campaign to spread negative — and sometimes false — information about a rival to a large number of voters.

Seven Days asked the Donovan campaign to provide copies of the poll early this week before the story went to press, but the Donovan campaign declined the request. After the Sorrell campaign pressed Donovan on the point Thursday in a letter from one campaign to the other, the challenger decided to allow limited access.

So, was Donovan's poll a push poll? We'd tell you, but we're not allowed to.

Just kidding!

In Email Exchange, AG Candidates Call on Each Other to Debate More, Stop Hatin' & Release Poll

There's really nothing more passive aggressive in politics than the old campaign-to-campaign email exchange — cc'ing the media, of course.

That tactic emerged in the Democratic race for attorney general Thursday as incumbent Bill Sorrell and challenger T.J. Donovan traded barbed requests through the press.

It started in the morning with an email from Donovan campaign manager Ryan Emerson to his counterpart on the Sorrell campaign, Mike Pieciak, calling for more debates before the Aug. 28 primary.The candidates have already taken part in two debates and are scheduled for seven more.

"What better way to inform the public than engaging in more debate?" Emerson wrote. "I know that both campaigns are very busy, but I'm sure we can work together to adjust our schedules accordingly. Will Bill Sorrell join T.J. Donovan by committing to three more debates?"

Rather than directly responding to the Donovan email, Sorrell's campaign issued its own requests by email later in the day. In a letter to Donovan, Sorrell called on his opponent to publicly release a script of the questions his campaign asked in a recent poll of 400 Vermonters. Two Sorrell supporters who participated in the poll characterized it to Seven Days as a "push poll" intended to influence voters, not gauge public opinion — though Donovan's campaign maintains it was a rigorous, scientific survey.

Citing Vermont's tradition of civility in politics, Sorrell also called on Donovan to sign a "positive campaign pledge," which he helpfully included as an attachment to the email. The four-part pledge would bar the candidates from engaging in or condoning "negative or defamatory attacks" on each other's character and issuing campaign materials that mislead or distort the other's record.

"Join me in signing the attached pledge to run a positive issue oriented campaign and to refrain from negative campaigning," Sorrell wrote. "Our party is made stronger by positive issue oriented debate, but can be torn apart by employing negative campaign tactics."

So, will each of the campaigns accede to their opponent's request?

Yes, yes and yes! (Well, kind of.)

Chief Schirling Says Pic 'Clearly' Shows Protester Reached for Cop's Baton, Photographer Disputes Chief's Version

Updated below: Chief Schirling retracts statement, apologizes for mistake. 

Does this photograph show a protester from Sunday's clash with Burlington police grabbing a cop's baton?

Burlington Police Chief Michael Schirling said on Vermont Public Radio's "Vermont Edition" today that the photo — snapped by Dylan Kelley and posted online at Seven Days — "clearly" shows the demonstrator in the black bandana grabbing the baton of police Lt. Art Cyr.

"What I see in the photograph, they have a hold of it," Schirling told VPR host Steve Zind. "They are clearly resisting and you can clearly see in the left of the photo, a man in a black bandana grabbed hold of Lt. Cyr's baton, and that is what precipated the first event."

Activists and cops have traded accusations about who's to blame for the incident in which police fired "stingball pellets" into a crowd of demonstrators blocking a bus of dignitaries from leaving a conference of New England governors and eastern Canadian premiers. The tension gave way to a moment of cooperation yesterday when demonstrators and their lawyer called for a dialogue with police about the events that led to the clash.

After hearing Schirling's remarks on VPR, the photographer who took the picture said he was "livid," calling Schirling's claim "an absolute lie."

"If you look at the picture, it clearly illustrates that that person's hand is not wrapped around the baton," said Dylan Kelley, who has photographed occupy protests around the country. "It is wrapped around a flag or banner or something else. If you zoom in on that lower left hand corner of the frame, and you look at that person's hand, it is not wrapped around the baton."

Kelley, who said he was at most four feet away from Cyr, sent Seven Days higher-resolution version of the photograph, which we zoomed in on and cropped to publish here. From the photograph, it's difficult to say what the bandana-clad protester is clutching, and Schirling was not immediately available Thursday afternoon to respond to Kelley's comments.

Update - 4 p.m.

Upon viewing the close-up of the photograph, Chief Schirling has retracted his earlier statement made on Vermont Public Radio. In a statement emailed to Seven Days and VPR Thursday afternoon, Schirling said:

"On the show earlier today I described a photograph from the 7 Days website that was given to us this morning as showing a man grabbing an officer's baton. A few moments ago 7 Days emailed us a much higher resolution enhanced version of the photograph. Upon examination of this new photograph we realize it is not the baton. We will work during our investigation and 'after action' review to try to determine what it is. Our assessment of this portion of the event was based solely on the photograph available earlier in the day. I want to be sure we set the record straight as quickly as possible as new information comes to light. I apologize for the error. We continue to ask that anyone with information about this incident, video, photographic, or otherwise, contact us so we may be as thorough as possible."

ACLU Asks Police to Disclose How They're Using Data Gathered From VT Drivers

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Vermont has called on local law enforcement agencies to disclose how they're using, sharing and storing data gathered automatically from passing motorists on Vermont's highways.

This week, the ACLU of Vermont joined affiliates in 34 other states in requesting information on police use of automated license plate readers, or ALPRs. The use of ALPRs in Vermont was first reported in a December 8, 2010 Seven Days cover story, "Digital Apprehensions: High-tech computer crime fighting has arrived in Vermont — but at what price?"

ALPRs are digital devices mounted on patrol cars or stationary objects along roadways, such as telephone poles and highway overpasses, that scan every license plate that enters their fields of view. An ALPR, which is capable of scanning several thousand license plates per hour, is connected to a computer in the patrol car that alerts the officer whenever it gets a "hit." The technology can be used to identify drivers who are runaways, have outstanding warrants, are driving under suspended or revoked licenses, or have recently fled the scene of an accident or crime.

Although ALPRs are still believed to be in limited use in Vermont — as of 2011, only six law enforcement agencies in the state had them — they have been used successfully to fight crime. The St. Albans Police, for example, working with the Vermont Fusion Center in Williston, used one in 2010 to nab a suspect believed to be responsible for a series of armed bank robberies in Franklin County in 2009.