Change in the air?

What do you think?

Bye-bye summer, eh?

Still, though, plenty of flowers holding in there in Vermont's Queen City - this batch on South Union Street yesterday.

Nice.

Also, I didn't have room to take note of Independent U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders' new press secretary in the print column so here he is - Will Wiquist. Would you believe he's been living in an apartment across the street from yours truly in Burlington's South End?

Yes, indeed. Here's a shot of Will as he made the final move-out last weekend.

Previously, Wiquist, 29,  worked as comptroller on Democrat Peter Welch's successful 2006 congressional race. Then he was briefly with the Vermont Department of Public Service working on telecom policy. Will's a money/numbers guy, previously a senior campaign finance analyst with the Federal Elections Commission. No past press job, unlike his immediate boss, Ol' Bernardo's Communications Director Michael Briggs, who was with the Chicago Sun-Times for years.

Will informs us he graduated Franklin & Marshall College with a double-major in English and Government. Entirely "appropriate" he says, "given that my parents were English and History teachers respectively.  Coincidentally," he adds in an e-mail, "the only other F&M alum I’ve met in VT is our own City Councilor Joan Shannon."

As for his Vermont roots, Rookie Press Secretary Wiquist informs Freyne Land, "My mom was born in Fletcher Allen while my grandpa was working in Vergennes running the old Week’s School.  My mom’s parents were pre-ski boom Stowe born-and-bred (ie poor farmers)."