By Julia Purdy RUTLAND —There’s a new kid on the block—a free web application that takes participatory democracy to a new level. It’s NewGrassRoots and it’s the invention of Ben Brown, who grew up in Rutland and calls himself “a […]
Tag: julia purdy
Opinion
Marijuana tourism: a Trojan horse
By Julia Purdy What if Vermont legalized fun-time marijuana? The 196-page report from the RAND Corporation, commissioned by Governor Peter Shumlin, addresses that question in mind-boggling detail, but with no guarantees and many caveats that are beyond Vermont’s control. The […]
State News
Group to take action opposing the legalization of recreational weed
Smart Approaches to Marijuana chapter takes root in Vermont By Julia Purdy At the start of 2012, both Colorado and Washington State voters legalized recreational marijuana. However, the votes amounted to nothing like a landslide, as many expected, with about […]
Arts, Dining & Entertainment
A visit with Bernice Ende, Lady Long Rider
Photos by Julia Purdy Bernice Ende, a.k.a. Lady Long Rider, leads her two Norwegian Fjords (Essie Pearl and Montana Spirit) across a pasture in Plymouth before they departed for New York. By Julia Purdy Some people challenge themselves by jumping […]
Arts, Dining & Entertainment
Remembering “Ransom”
By Julia Purdy If being memorable is a measure of a compelling production, the play “Ransom,” coming to the Chandler Music Hall in Randolph on Saturday, Nov. 8, scores high. The scenes and the music have remained with me since 2010, […]
Column
A scenic drive up the Route 100 Byway showcases the best of Vermont, past and present
By Julia Purdy The 138-mile Scenic Route 100 Byway zigzags up the center of the state, from Massachusetts almost to the Canadian border at Newport, stitching together the two halves of Vermont in a continuous panorama of villages, farmlands, mountains, […]
Column
Accessible outings in the Green Mountain National Forest
By Julia Purdy In recent years the U.S. Forest Service has made it even easier for visitors with disabilities to experience the forest up close and Vermont’s Green Mountain National Forest is no exeption. Initial efforts locally were spearheaded at […]
Column
“Without fear or favor”—the road to our Voter’s Oath
By Julia Purdy The Freeman’s Oath—renamed the Voter’s Oath in 1994—is unique to Vermont. Like so much that is exceptional about Vermont, it is traceable to our very beginnings. It may come as a surprise to many that Vermont does […]
Column
“A penny for the Guy”
By Julia Purdy On October 31 in small-town England, fireworks and the fires of Bonfire Night will blend their smoke with the thick autumn mists that drift across a moonlit sky. Families will stream through the dimly-lit streets, energized by […]
Local News
Driving while impaired: Colorado and Washington states study effects of legalization
By Julia Purdy Editor’s note: This is the first of two articles tracking the effects of marijuana legalization on public safety. In December of 2012, four days apart, limited recreational use of marijuana became legal in both Washington State and […]