Author archive
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 […]
Liisa Reimann Rivera and Ron Wanamaker of Preservation Burlington were kind to converse with me on their CCTV show about the “challenges and opportunities associated with preserving this nearly century-old landmark.” Find the video here https://www.cctv.org/watch-tv/programs/fate-memorial-auditorium
Katie Jickling of Seven Days writes about how “Burlington residents came out en masse Tuesday night to advocate for the preservation of Memorial Auditorium.” Seven Days photo by Matthew Thorsen.
Jess Aloe and Dan D’Ambrosio of the Burlington Free Press write, “About 75 members of neighborhood planning groups from across Burlington expressed overwhelming support Tuesday night for preserving Memorial Auditorium.” Read the article here http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/2017/09/26/burlington-neighborhood-groups-want-memorial-auditorium-saved/703192001/ Burlington Free Press photo by Glenn Russell.
Priscilla Liguory of WCAX reported about the September 26 public assembly hosted by the All-NPA, a community discussion at City Hall about the future of Memorial Auditorium. “The building was also home of 242 Main, which was a music venue where residents and visitors enjoyed concerts for decades. “It’s on the city to recognize that […]
Stewart Ledbetter of NBC 5 reported Mayor Weinberger’s announcement that he would pursue a Request For Proposals process to secure a future for Memorial Auditorium that did not involve demolishing the historic and beloved civic structure. Mayor Weinberger’s statement, released the day before a public assembly to be hosted by the All-NPA (Neighborhood Planning Assemblies) […]
Renee Wunderlich of NBC 5 included me in a story about the NPA-sponsored public assembly for Memorial Auditorium at Contois Auditorium in City Hall on September 26. See the video here http://www.mynbc5.com/article/quest-to-save-memorial-auditorium/12480254
Follow the link below to VTDigger’s reporting on my announcement to run for City Council. (Thank you, Morgan True!) Lockridge to run for Burlington City Council
We’ve had some heartwarming progress with the effort to save 242 Main. Here’s an overview: In Burlington, Vermont we have ‘Neighborhood Planning Assemblies’ in each ward. They’re citizen-led components of the city government that meet each month and send their resolutions to the city council. I presented about 242 Main to all of them and […]
Emily Greenberg of VTDigger reports on the Neighborhood Planning Discussion about a public path forward for Memorial Auditorium. “Burlington had prepared a request for development proposals for the auditorium and adjacent lots known collectively as the Gateway Block. Last year when the University of Vermont announced it would explore the possibility of an off-campus arena, […]
UPDATE 7/15/2017: Video of this event is available at RETN. Please join me for this June 30 event. Peter Moskowitz’ book ‘How To Kill A City: Gentrification, Inequality, and the Fight for the Neighborhood’ illuminated ideas that could help keep Burlington’s growth ethical and fair. I feel fortunate that we have an opportunity to learn from him […]
We’re a city that has a long-valued sense of community, in which our successes and tragedies are shared and our human condition informs our decisions. While the city has transformed continuously there has been a constant recognition that as a people, we aspire to be our best selves. In the face of war — in […]
Burlington may be opening the door to a community-driven solution for preserving Memorial Auditorium… and 242 Main. Today, Mayor Weinberger was quoted by Molly Walsh in Seven Days’ Off Message blog, “The city will now move forward over the course of 2017 with our original plan for an inclusive, competitive RFP for the Gateway Block […]
This open letter to the Burlington City Council was written for Rights & Democracy with Shay Totten. It is guided by the Fair Development tool that is meant to keep Burlington’s growth equitable among multiple stakeholders, and governed by putting people first. We’re asking that the city council ensure than an open, transparent and public process is used to guide […]
A conversation at the December 13 Community Development Neighborhood Revitalization Committee meeting of the Burlington city council has begun to set a course for the future of Memorial Auditorium that can give us all optimism. See the post at https://medium.com/@jameslockridge/memorial-auditorium-242-main-an-open-letter-to-burlington-vermont-dae5ff3e5631#.hzkncjw5h With thanks to everyone for supporting this petition, I hope you’ll share it tinyurl.com/Save242Main and continue to be […]
We all share a hope that our next generation is informed, critically minded, self-confident, and empowered to lead with compassion and reason. One of Burlington’s significant cultural achievements — 242 Main — is a beacon of this commitment. We also know that if we don’t step forward to play a role in shaping the future of our city, there […]
Dan Bolles at Seven Days writes about the closing of 242 Main due to neglectful maintenance at Memorial Auditorium. “Memorial is, to use a technical term, a shithole. But it just so happens to be the shithole that has housed 242 since 1985, making it the oldest all-ages punk-rock club in the country. Given the […]
Essay by Genese Grill. Image of Herbert Marcuse by Thierry Ehrmann. Note: Artist & scholar Genese Grill helps us take a few steps back from the sapping practicality of our daily political experience; back to where the soul participates in the decisions that shape our world and our relationship to it. Herbert Marcuse’s classic book, One-Dimensional […]
242 Main opened its doors in the spring of 1985, establishing itself by a firm margin as the nation’s longest-running all ages venue and, from the start, a youth-driven safe space. Some of this history was captured in 2015 by both Vice Magazine and Seven Days, as 242 celebrated its 30th anniversary. 242 Main has been at the heart of some […]
