The Week Ahead: November 5-11, 2012

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It's election week! Here's what's happening in the world of Vermont politics and news this week. Got an event you want listed in next week's calendar? Email us by Friday to submit it.

Monday, November 5

• It's the last day of campaigning before the big day, and the last day to request an absentee ballot (click here for more info.)
• Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin has a light (or incomplete) schedule for today. His campaign website shows the guv honking and waving at 7:30 a.m. in Barre, "visiting businesses and walking" in Richmond at 9:30 and doing the same at Five Corners in Essex at 10:45. Full schedule.
• Republican gubernatorial candidate Randy Brock starts the day with a 6:30 a.m. interview on ABC 22/Fox 44, and ends at 5:30 p.m. in the Springfield "GOP Victory Office." He'll be on "Charlie, Ernie and Lisa" on WVMT-AM at 8 a.m. Full schedule.
• Republican Lt. Gov. Phil Scott kicks off a "vote tomorrow" tour today, with the gimmicky idea of making 14 stops in each of Vermont's 14 counties, and spending 14 minutes at each location. The lite guv starts at the ungoldly hour of 4:45 a.m. in St. Albans and finishes at 6:35 p.m. in Barre. Full schedule.
• Republican candidate for attorney general Jack McMullen has just two stops on his schedule for today: a 2 p.m. sign wave outside the Sheraton Hotel in South Burlington, and a somewhat inexplicable 6 p.m. visit to the Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism. Presumably to court the all-important undecided herbalist bloc.
• At 9 a.m., "The Mark Johnson Show" on WDEV-FM welcomes guests Howard Dean and Vermont Pundit Laureate Eric Davis. Listen live.
• At noon, Vermont Public Radio's topic on "Vermont Edition" is the middle class — that nebulous group politicians have been courting so hard this year. Guests are UVM economics professor Elaine McCrate and Dartmouth sociology professor Marc Dixon. Listen live.
• Obama and Romney won't talk about climate change, but Norwich University will. At 7:45 p.m., award-winning microbiologist Dr. Brigit Sattler gives a talk titled "Ice and Life: Living Cryosphere" about the impact of melting polar icecaps on the ecosystem.

Rest of the week after the break...

Tuesday, November 6

• Time to vote! Polls open as early as 5 a.m. in some areas. Click here to find your polling place. 
• At 9 a.m., Secretary of State Jim Condos is the guest on "The Mark Johnson Show." You know, 'cause he doesn't have much else going on. Listen live.
• At noon, Condos is the guest on "Vermont Edition." Listen live.
• At 5:30 p.m., Vermont Democratic Party chair Jake Perkinson and Vermont GOP chairman Jack Lindley slug it out one last time on WCAX-TV. Kristin Carlson referees.
• At 7 p.m., the polls close. Join the Seven Days live blog at sevendaysvt.com for team coverage and up-to-the-minute results. Paul Heintz will be with Vermont Dems (and Independent U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders) at the Hilton in Burlington. Andy Bromage will be with Republicans at the Capitol Plaza in Montpelier. Kevin J. Kelley will be with the Progressives at Magnolia's Bistro in Burlington. Tyler Machado will be heading up our live blog and social media. Ken Picard will be anchoring live election coverage on Channel 17/CCTV (embedded stream on our website). And Kathryn Flagg will be checking in at polling sites and bringing you the latest updates and vote totals.

Wednesday, November 7

• At noon, "Vermont Edition" will produce a "big old election roundup," the show's producer tells us. Guests to be determined. Listen live.

Thursday, November 8

• At 7 p.m., the Burlington City Council will hold a make-up meeting for the one cancelled last week due to Superstorm Sandy. Among other things, the council takes up a resolution by Councilor Vince Brennan (P-Ward 3) to hire an independent investigator (for as much as $10,000!) to review Burlington police conduct during the July 29 protest that ended in cops firing pepper balls into a crowd of demonstrators. And Occupy Vermont will be there in force.

Friday, November 9

• At 10 a.m., Lt. Gov. Phil Scott gives a Veterans Day talk (actual Veterans Day is Nov. 11) at the American Legion in Barre.
• At noon, "Vermont Edition" breaks down the impact of money on this election with Middlebury College profs Bert Johnson and Matt Dickinson. Listen live.

Saturday, November 10

• The American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont holds its annual meeting today at the National Life building in Montpelier. The business portion of the meeting starts at 9:30 a.m. with updates on ACLU activities, awards and a fundraising auction. The keynote speaker is Garret Keizer, a Vermont author and contributing editor of Harper's Magazine. His talk about privacy starts at 1:15 p.m. The public is welcome.

Sunday, November 11

• Take a break from politics. You've earned it.