The Cherry Coal
A personal blog about discovering humanity.
The first of Burlington’s new public bulletin boards are appearing on St. Paul Street, with more to follow on Bank Street, Cherry Street, and City Hall Park in the future. The advocacy that argued for public bulletin boards was a marathon, joined by musicians and volunteers supporting their music scene over a period of close […]
This post is meant for anybody who cares about other people. Some people seem like they’re born with the skills to act on their compassion in a way that is practical and effective and translates into actually making the world a better place. I’m not in that category, it turns out. I’ve come into a […]
Image: General George Washington Resigning His Commission, John Trumbull, oil on canvas, commissioned 1817, public domain. Burlington’s government has roots that auger downward through history to touch a bedrock of first principles. These are the organizing thoughts that define fairness in human experience where individuals have chosen to live together as a commonwealth. From those […]
Burlington has been doing a lot of downtown planning — redesigning City Hall Park; creating a unified design template for downtown amenities; creating a new look and feel for transportation throughout the city core with Great Streets BTV and redevelopment of the Cherry & Bank streetscapes. The planning is a prelude to a large investment […]
The work to save 242 Main is important for a long list of reasons, including what it means to everyone who went there, and as a symbol of the City of Burlington respecting its young people. That’s a message that’s being carried forward by all of us with this petition: A gracious reminder to city […]
Our daily routines — no matter how personal, joyful, or mundane — happen in the context of a local government that affects the quality of our lives. We elect our friends, neighbors, and wise or energized community voices with a simple faith in their ability and willingness to steer government forward toward more fairness in […]
Sending heartfelt thanks out to everyone who voted for me in this election. Every vote was an affirmation. I have the gift of your encouragement, if not a city council seat, and you’ve inspired me. Sending special thanks out to those who supported the campaign itself — financially or with the treasure of your time […]
Community groups highlight need for improved citizen participation; Ward 3 candidate champions change BURLINGTON February 22, 2018 The Burlington Ward 3 City Council campaign of James Lockridge, Independent, announces endorsement by the Burlington Democratic Socialists of America and the Coalition for a Livable City. “My fight for human dignity in Burlington — for a government […]
Tonight, I answered questions about policy and issues with my Ward 3 City Council opponents Lizzie Haskell and Brian Pine at the Channel 17 Live Town Meeting Forum for Ward 3 candidates. Morgan True of VTDigger moderated the live TV broadcast, produced by Kim Villemaire. The CCTV crew was kind enough to send the questions in […]
With thanks to producer Charlie Giannoni and CCTV, video of the February 8 Wards 2 & 3 Neighborhood Planning Assembly Candidate Forum can be viewed online. It was a genuine pleasure to answer questions alongside my opponents Brian Pine and Lizzie Haskell. The conversation with Ward 3 residents reinforced our need for a City Council […]
The Burlington Free Press kindly published a guide to Burlington City Council candidates, providing responses that were edited for space. Unedited questions and answers are below. 1. What concrete step can the City Council take to make housing more affordable for Vermonters? Please specify an actual action item. We need to live up to our […]
City Councilors Wright, Hartnett and Knodell proposed a resolution that would alter the language of a March ballot item in support of which citizens gathered more than 1,780 validated signatures on their petition. I spoke in opposition to this suppression of the public voice at the City Council meeting last night. Councilors voted to preserve the […]
Update 8/17/2018: Seven Days reported on the release of the Mural Task Force recommendations this week.
I hope this short video — a project that my political opponent and I produced collaboratively — is a happy reminder of the quality of our local democracy. Happy New Year to all as we enter the adventure of 2018 together, making our city an even better place to live and grow! Press Release City […]
The city council has been doing ordinance housekeeping relating to quality of life issues downtown — refining or removing some that relate to public drunkenness, cat-calling, public urination, and others. Up from this process, with credit due to Stephen Marshall, an advocate for the homeless (see his blog), came the realization that the city is criminalizing […]
A heavy debt of respect and gratitude is due to the people of Burlington who raised their voice to save Memorial Auditorium. That voice is noble and growing in power. WCAX reports tonight that Mayor Weinberger is committed to restoring Memorial Auditorium and keeping it in the public domain, “A plan to modernize Memorial Auditorium […]
Thank you, Vermont Business Magazine, for sharing this news. The Governor’s Highway Safety Program recently presented its annual ‘Lifesaver of the Year’ award to James Lockridge, Executive Director of the Youth Safety Council of Vermont. The award was presented by Governor Phil Scott, Chief of the Vermont Governor’s Highway Safety Program Keith Flynn, Vermont Motor […]
Sending a respectful welcome and congratulations to colleague Brian Pine for announcing his bid as an opponent for the Ward 3 City Council seat. It’s a pleasure to be a part of demonstrating how much commitment our Ward has to upholding progressive ideals at City Hall. Thank you for voting for me in March. See the VTDigger […]
Kiah Morris VT State Representative, Diana Gonzalez, and Debbie Ingram shared practical campaign knowledge and personal insights at the Rights & Democracy Political Revolution Burlington Movement Politics Training! on Saturday. I’m entering politics with humility, grateful for the lift. Thank you Shay Totten and Isaac Grimm for the schooling.
Sending thanks out to Vermont Law School and the team that organized the ‘Energize Democracy’ workshop yesterday. I’m entering the city council campaign as a citizen who’s ‘energized’ to move Burlington toward a fairer, more inclusive and empowering city government. Thanks to Kathleen Falk, former Gov. Madeleine Kunin, Randy Brock, Sen. Joe Benning, Ruth Hardy, VLS Professor […]
