Friday Night Follies

Another new look for House Speaker Gaye Symington! Her second haircut in two weeks - what's up?

Does look gubernatorial doesn't it?

Let's face it - the Vermont Democratic Party has an opening for a 2008 gubernatorial candidate. Symington does have more of a CEO pedigree and style. An M.B.A., too.

Speaker Gaye says H. 520  - the global warming/climate change bill - that includes the $35 million tax over five years on Entergy Vermont Yankee Nuclear is a "must pass." So's the Broadband Bill that will get Vermonters like State Sen. Dick McCormack off the old-fashioned 56K Internet connection.

McCormack would not deny today that he's "thinking about running for governor." In past times, Ol' Dick was considered "too left," but maybe that's what the Ds need, eh? A "lefty" who brings out the "righty" in Gov. Scissorhands?

Speaking of hair - couldn't resist this 18-year-old redhead on Upper King Street earlier this evening. Her name's Heather Marshall.

She's not thinking about running for governor...yet.

Speaking about graffiti- our Progressive Mayor Bob Kiss is cracking down!  This from City Hall this week:

An ordinance change proposed by the City of Burlington will change the way the City deals with graffiti offenders.  The ordinance change was developed by the “Graffiti Removal Team” and has the support of Burlington Mayor Bob Kiss, Police Chief Thomas Tremblay and other City departments.

Graffiti “tagging” is the act of spray-painting a moniker on public or private property.  The City of Burlington’s “Graffiti Removal Team” (GRT) has been distributing free clean-up kits and leading groups of volunteers on clean-ups of tagging in Burlington since 2001, but these actions alone haven’t solved the problem alone.  The GRT formed an Action Committee with community members, business owners and police officers this past January to start discussing new solutions.  Many diverse perspectives resulted in a multi-faceted action proposal, including providing artistic alternatives for youth, increasing numbers of clean-up volunteers, educating about how vandalism hurts our neighborhoods and giving offenders stiffer penalties.

As things stand now, a tagger who is charged usually waits 2 to 3 months before going to a Reparative Justice Panel or to trial.  In the meantime there is nothing to prevent additional tagging, and in the end, experience has demonstrated, a light sentence is often imposed.  The committee drafted a City Ordinance that would impose a $500 fine on anyone caught defacing property.

And here's a shot Producer Joe Merone snapped before this afternoon's taping of "Vermont This Week" out at Vermont Public Television. That's Dan Barlow (left), the new guy at the Rutland Herald/Times Argus Statehouse bureau and John McCright, news editor at the Addison Independent.

Had a good time and was fairly lucid despite the "chemo fog" inside the skull from Wednesday.

Dan's 28 years of age. The new generation.  I was telling him before the show how I first worked at Vermont Public Television 28 years ago as a janitor!

It was during the annual auction when the joint was jumping with people performing and volunteering and, of course, the one and only Jack Barry as master of ceremonies. Made my first appearance on the "Vermont This Week" panel back in 1983 representing the Vanguard Press.

Remember the late, great Vanguard?

Aging gracefully am I.

How about you?

Comments

[RogerGriswold]

Ugh. Gaye looked alot better with long hair.

Yes, the Vanguard... My first illustration for them was a cover, also in 1983, of Dick Snelling and Dick Saudek driving down from Quebec after making a deal with Hydro Quebec.