The Cherry Coal
A personal blog about art & democracy in Vermont
On Monday, May 23, Burlington’s city councilors attended a work session to discuss Memorial Auditorium, with a presentation by CEDO Director Brian Pine and Assistant Director for Community Works Samantha Dunn. The agenda of this public meeting did not have a public comment agenda item, but councilors welcomed a two-minute statement: “You were elected to […]
An ordinance passed last year in Burlington, Vermont, directs city funds for public art only to work that is permanent and purchased from individual artists. In December, 2021, Hyperallergic kindly invited me to re-draft the earlier ‘On the Percent for Public Art Ordinance’ commentary for an audience that is much wider than the City of […]
The past two years have made it very clear that society has flaws baked-in; that the machinery of our democracy was built with bad math, and that people have suffered through history because of this. The bad math has created pockets of privilege — the kind that etches frailty into faith that government is fair-minded. A […]
Sending word that the Save 242 Main petition has come closer to its goal since the last update over a year ago. The continual advocacy; petition signatures; and the important comments that were gathered via the petition all played a role in the year’s events. The petition and its comments were shared directly with […]
On October 24 the Vermont Arts Council recognized several Vermonters for their contributions to the arts in the state during a ceremony for The Vermont Arts Awards. François Clemmons of Middlebury received the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts. Douglas Anderson of Middlebury received the Arthur Williams Award for Meritorious Service to the Arts. […]
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 […]
