Watch After The Rodeo Live On Vermont Edition

We were thrilled to have Vermont trio After The Rodeo perform live during Wednesday's Vermont Edition. Watch the performance below!

Join Vermont Edition For a Live Perfomance By Dwight & Nicole

 

On Wednesday, Feb. 20, Vermont Edition brings you a performance by Nicole Nelson and Dwight Ritcher, live from our studios in Colchester.

Nicole Nelson grabbed the spotlight last fall as a contestant on the NBC musical competition show "The Voice." She impressed a national audience with her singing talent and emotion, and wowed a packed Vermont Statehouse last month when she sang at the governor's inauguration.

The staff of Vermont Edition invites you to see Dwight & Nicole perform live at VPR's main studios in Colchester. Seating as limited to just 20, so starting today, we are accepting RSVPs on a first-come, first-served basis. (Audience must be seated by 12:30 p.m.)

Enjoy the short lunchtime concert in person, listen to host Jane Lindholm interview Dwight & Nicole, and stay for refreshments and conversation with the Vermont Edition staff.

To RSVP to attend the live performance of Dwight & Nicole on Wednesday, Feb. 20, on Vermont Edition, click here.

VPR's Expanded Legislative Coverage

The Legislature convenes this week, and VPR News will bring you broader and deeper coverage throughout the 2013 session.

The session begins on Wednesday, and Vermont Edition will broadcast live from the Statehouse at noon. Jane Lindholm will speak with House and Senate leaders about the goals and priorities for the session.

On Thursday, January 10, VPR News will carry live coverage of Gov. Peter Shumlin’s inaugural address at 1:30 p.m., hosted by Jane Lindholm and Bob Kinzel.

VPR’s audio stream from the Vermont House and Senate goes live beginning a 10 a.m. on Wednesday. The stream can be heard online at VPR.net or via VPR’s iPhone and Android apps, allowing listeners to tune in to proceedings anytime, anywhere.

Listen throughout the session for expanded legislative coverage. Reporters Bob Kinzel and John Dillon will continue their in-depth coverage of day-to-day developments, trends, and features, with a greater concentration on breaking news.

On Saturdays at 9:30 a.m., host Peter Biello will interview Bob Kinzel about the developments of the past week and a preview of the coming week.

In addition, reporter Kirk Carapezza will spend several days a week in Montpelier covering the Legislature for VPR’s digital reports. He’ll keep a legislative blog, post photos from the Statehouse, and update followers via Twitter (@KirkCarapezza) and VPR’s Facebook page.

You can keep up with all of VPR’s Legislative coverage at VPR.net.

Schedule Of Debates On VPR

VPR will host six live candidate debates this campaign season. Hosted by Bob Kinzel and Jane Lindholm , the debates will be live at noon and rebroadcast at 7pm.

Listeners are asked to record questions for any debate in advance by calling (802) 552-3425, or email questions to vermontedition@vpr.net.


US HOUSE: Wed, Oct 10
(R) Mark Donka
(D) Peter Welch*

US SENATE: Fri, Oct 12
(R) John MacGovern
(I) Bernie Sanders*

AUDITOR: Wed, Oct 17
(D/P) Doug Hoffer
(R) Vince Illuzzi

ATTORNEY GENERAL: Fri, Oct 19
(R) Jack McMullen
(D) Bill Sorrell*
(P) Ed Stanak

LT. GOV: Wed, Oct 24
(D/P) Cassandra Gekas
(R) Phil Scott*

TREASURER:  Fri, Oct 26
(D) Beth Pearce*
(P) Don Schramm
(R) Wendy Wilton

* indicates incumbent

Vermont Garden Journal Returns

The Vermont Garden Journal returns to VPR this week. For the third year, horticulturist Charlie Nardozzi will share weekly tips for successful organic gardening and the latest gardening news. Listen for the Vermont Garden Journal Friday evenings at 5:55 and Sunday mornings at 9:35.

Charlie covers a diverse array of topics for both veteran and new gardeners. Learn about pruning, pests, veggies, annuals and perennials, shrubs and fruit trees, edible landscaping and...

Let's just say just about anything that grows in the northeast!

You can also expect to hear Charlie on Vermont Edition during the growing season.

Follow the Vermont Garden Journal on our website. Be sure to go back through our 2010 and 2011 programs to find more topics and links to helpful resources.

To learn more about Charlie, check out his website. We'll be seeing you in the garden!

VPR Wins Two Gracie Awards For Tropical Storm Irene Coverage

Vermont Public Radio has been honored with two 2012 Gracie Awards® for its coverage of Tropical Storm Irene. The Vermont Edition staff was recognized in the public media category for Outstanding Breaking News Coverage following Tropical Storm Irene. Reporter and Vermont Edition Producer Samantha Fields was recognized in the Outstanding Hard News Feature category for her story, “Town Rallies Around Residents Who Lost Homes,” in Plymouth.

In the days following Tropical Storm Irene, Vermont Edition provided critical information to people in need, including breaking news about washed out roads and bridges, utility outages, and emergency food and shelter resources. The program broadcast updates from emergency management officials, and state and local officials, assisted with inquires about missing persons, and provided extensive resources online for those affected, and for those looking to volunteer. Vermont Edition expanded its broadcast format to provide two-hour live programs twice a day, focused on storm response and relief efforts.

Managing Producer Patti Daniels said, "those were long days, but the awful circumstances that were enveloping so many towns drove us to keep providing as many resources and services as possible. We're honored to be recognized, but our real motivation is the faith and reliance that listeners placed in us during and after the storm."

The Gracie Awards are presented by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation, for excellence in programming created for women, by women and about women. The Gracies strive to encourage the realistic and faceted portrayal of women in entertainment, commercials, news, features and other programs. A full list of 2012 Gracie Award winners can be found here.

Bob Kinzel and The Barn Band Release "The Spirit Of Vermont"

You know VPR Reporter Bob Kinzel for his outstanding coverage of the Statehouse and Vermont's political scene. But did you know that he's also an accomplished musician? His band, The Barn Band, recently released an original song to raise money for Irene recovery. Jane Lindholm spoke with Bob about the song on today's Vermont Edition. Check out the full video of "The Spirit of Vermont" and its lyrics below.



The Spirit of Vermont

Mother Nature
Do what you want
You can’t break
The spirit of Vermont.

Try anything,
Take your best shot,
You can’t break
The spirit of Vermont.

Big rains came
Flooded our land,
We joined together,
We took a stand.

Folks in Waterbury,
All gathered round,
Went door to door,
Rebuilding the town.

CHORUS

Roads got washed out,
Soon it was clear,
Rochester to Rutland,
You can’t get there from here.

Some folks lost all,
But all lent a hand,
From mucking the floors
To clearing the land.

CHORUS

Now the sun is shining
There’s lots to be done,
Down in Wilmington,
It’s already begun.

We’ll end up stronger
Than we did at the start,
We helped each other,
With our hands and our hearts.

CHORUS

Remembering 9/11

Like so many others, I’m reflecting this week about the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

I didn’t work at VPR back then, in fact, I had only recently moved to Vermont. Without cable or internet in the old Shoreham schoolhouse that was my new home, VPR was my only link to what happened that day. I didn’t even see video footage of the attacks until a week later. Ten years on, I am still grateful to VPR for being both my source of information and of comfort in the days that followed.

The 9/11 terrorist attacks and Tropical Storm Irene are very different events, of course, but as we have received comments and calls from listeners about our coverage of the storm and its aftermath, I can’t help but draw comparisons. It is a big responsibility to be your lifeline and a source of comfort in times of crisis, but it is one we take very seriously.

This week, VPR is remembering 9/11. Listen for interviews, stories, commentaries, and an audio “memory quilt” of your reflections, which was produced in partnership with the Vermont Folklife Center. On Friday, join a conversation about 9/11 on Vermont Edition at noon and 7 p.m. And on Sunday, listen beginning at 8 a.m. for special coverage from NPR.

You can explore our coverage and share your reflections online here.

Rollin' on the (Connecticut) River

From serving as a source for food, a transportation pathway and the conduit for log drives to today's many recreational pursuits, residents of our area have long held the Connecticut River in high regard.

As do we at VPR.

So on Wednesday, August 24, the Connecticut River will take center stage on Vermont Edition. We'll broadcast live just a few hundred yards from the river at the Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich.

Our panel of experts will discuss the river's history, health, challenges and future.

We would love to have to join us on our journey by emailing details of the biggest fish you caught there, fond memories you have or observations you've made of the Connecticut River. Email them to Vermontedition@vpr.net.

VPR Cooks: Chocolate Hummus (No, Really!)

As if a sunny, beautiful Friday morning wasn't awesome enough, this is the first email I opened when I arrived at work today. Win!

Producer/Announcer Peter Biello is our resident vegetarian and is known for sharing his creative, healthy recipes with the Vermont Public Radio staff. (We're also pretty sure he's responsible for occasionally leaving quantities of decidedly less healthy candy in the VPR kitchen, but that rumor has yet to be confirmed...)



Anyway, back to chocolate hummus, which combines two of my favorite foods. It was delicious spread on graham crackers with a cup of coffee - and it's a nice way to enjoy chocolate in a somewhat nutritious form! If you need more detail, you'll find the original recipe here.

And don't miss Vermont Edition today at noon and 7 p.m. when we'll celebrate chocolate and hear from local chocolatiers!

Book It: Time for the Vermont Edition Summer Reading Show

I am the luckiest substitute host ever! Seems every time Jane Lindholm goes on vacation, I get to fill in for one of the Vermont Edition reading shows, and I admit to having a special fondness for them because, well, I love to read...and to hear what others are reading so I can get a lead on that next great book!

This Friday we're celebrating the summer reading season with a terrific panel of guests including Linda Ramsdell, owner of The Galaxy Bookshop in Hardwick, and Bennington College Librarian Oceana Wilson, who won the 2009 national "I Love My Librarian" award, sponsored by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the New York Times.

And of course we'd love to hear your suggestions. Whether it's novels, non-fiction, memoir, poetry, science, even the back of a cereal box you found especially compelling, add your favorites here. I've already listed my recommendations, so hop to it...summer may have only just started, but it's short!

We'll also take your phone calls during the program this Friday at noon. You can catch a rebroadcast that evening at 7.

So forget all that nonsense you hear about "no one reads" anymore...prove that books are alive and well and being devoured by readers like you, by contributing to the annual Summer Reading Show on VPR!

Montpelier's Change In Power

There’s always a sense of excitement and anticipation in Montpelier early in January when the Legislature is preparing to go back into session.

It’s heightened in odd-numbered years like this, following an election, when an entirely new House and Senate are seated.

But for people who follow politics, it doesn’t get much more exciting than this. There’s a new governor for the first time in eight years. Power is shifting from one party to another.

Plus, when the oaths of office are administered on Thursday, there will be a new secretary of state and lieutenant governor.

Even as preparations are finalized for all of this, there’s a bittersweet nostalgia as Gov. Jim Douglas packs up the memories of a 38-year career in state politics.

VPR is your home for coverage of this change in power. This Wednesday, January 5th at noon, Vermont Edition will broadcast live from the Statehouse just hours after the opening gavels fall. Later that afternoon, at 2, tune in for Gov. Douglas’ farewell address.

On Thursday, we’ll have special coverage again beginning at 1:30 p.m. when Peter Shumlin takes the oath to become governor, and then sets out his vision in his first inaugural address.

And finally, Gov. Shumlin will take your questions when he appears on Vermont Edition on Friday at noon, with a rebroadcast at 7 p.m. Email us at vermontedition@vpr.net to ask a question in advance.

You can follow the legislature throughout the session with VPR's live audio stream from the Vermont House and Senate. You can listen to the Legislature in action, follow the progress of important legislation and listen in on the proceedings while they are happening.

Vermont Edition Broadcasts Live From The CBC In Montreal

Hydro-Quebec was designated by the Vermont Legislature as a renewable energy source this spring. But the decision was not without controversy, as critics examine the environmental impact of the utility's plan to generate more power for New England. Tomorrow, Vermont Edition travels to Montreal to find out what Canadians are saying about this issue.

We'll speak with Claude Demers, Hydro-Quebec's science communicator, and Daniel Breton, an environmentalist with the organization MCN21. What's your take on Hydro-Quebec? Let us know at vermontedition@vpr.net, and listen tomorrow at noon and again at 7 p.m.

VPR will be following the Hydro-Quebec issue all summer. Explore our coverage here, and thank you for listening!

Photo: VPR's John Dillon reporting on the Rupert River in Quebec.

Welch, Leahy, and Sanders - Oh My!

By some miracle of scheduling, the Vermont Edition team has managed to schedule ALL of Vermont's congressional delegation - Rep. Peter Welch, Sen. Patrick Leahy, and Sen. Bernie Sanders - within three weeks.

Rep. Welch joined Jane Lindholm last Tuesday and took your questions, and Sen. Leahy (pictured in the studio before the show, at left) was on today's program - you can hear the show again tonight at 7. Bernie Sanders will be our guest next Tuesday, June 8th to complete the trifecta. If you have questions for Sen. Sanders, please email them to vermontedition@vpr.net.

The opportunity to ask questions of our elected officials and other newsmakers is one of the hallmarks of Vermont Edition and public radio. With so much going on in the state and country recently, we are pleased to be able to connect you with all of Vermont's congressional delegation in such a short time. I hope you'll tune in!

Shooting Pike In A....Lake?

The VPR staff is a motley crew of musicophiles and journalists, engineers and development experts, Vermonters and transplants, lifelong radio folks and those for whom learning broadcast writing was like learning a second language (yours truly included!). That diversity is what makes VPR such an interesting place to work, and it often helps a piece of programming come together.

Case in point: Patti Daniels, Vermont Edition's senior producer, emails the staff yesterday: So here's a odd story we'd like to cover: apparently Vermont is the only state that allows pike shooting. As we understand it, this entails shooting your rifle (shotgun?) into the water to stun pike into submission, and then pulling them up in a basket. Or maybe a sack. If you know someone who shoots pike, please let the Vermont Edition team know.

A few hours later, Patti writes: VPR's staff has a (surprising) wealth of information on pike shooting, or "pickerel shooting" in the local vernacular. I've learned there are no baskets or sacks needed, you just grab the stunned fish with your hands. Pike have nasty teeth, and this seems as potentially dangerous as shooting into the water in which you stand. Thanks again for your help.

But it didn't end there. Production Associate Ric Cengeri shared a bit of history: From a 2004 NY Times article: "Permitted from March 25 to May 25, only on Lake Champlain, fish shooting has probably existed for a century. It also used to be legal in New York, which borders the huge apostrophe-shaped lake.

Then, News Editor Ross Sneyd chimes in: We're all very much looking forward to the pickerel pie that Vermont Edition will be preparing after Jane heads out to the lake for a little target practice.

(I'm pretty sure he was kidding, but Jane does like to experience her stories first-hand!)

Next, a question from Audio Engineer Sam Sanders: Pike and pickerel are not the same fish -- are they?

Reporter Susan Keese: I seem to recall that pike were incredibly bony, scaly (sharp), hard to eviscerate and turn into a meal. I can't imagine adding buckshot to the disagreeable equation. I think the only excuse for fishing for them is to get away from home.

Production Associate Brian Jones, himself an avid fisherman: They are not the same, but they are very similar members of the same family. Pike (Esox lucius) grow to be much larger than Pickerel (Esox niger). Otherwise, a slight difference in coloration is the main difference... Attached is a pic of the largest Northern Pike I've caught, and of course released. 32 inches. (At left).

Membership and Underwriting Director Dan Palow said, O boy, here come the fish tails!

Knowing that we are persnickety about grammar, he follows up, yes, I meant tails not tales.

You'd think it would have stopped there, but as I write this, I'm listening to a conversation in the kitchen about this very topic. I love this place.

Careening down a mountainside at 35 mph

I moved to Vermont from Miami, Florida, so most people are stunned when I confess that Winter has become my favorite season. A major reason is that I can go sledding in Vermont at speeds that defy reason.

Recently, on assignment for a piece for Vermont Edition, I broke out my Hammerhead Sled and tested the community hill in St. Albans called Hard'ack. Hard'ack includes a snowboarding hill, cross country and snowshoeing trails and a hockey rink. But I was there for their sledding hill - a straight run with just enough dips and bumps to make it exciting. The Vermont-made Hammerhead Sled is the 21st Century's answer to the old Flexible Flyer - only lighter and faster, with steering like a sports car. I also own a Mad River Rocket (another VT company) and a Swiss Bob.

I spent both Saturday and Sunday at Hard'ack, ripping down the hill at speeds I'm guestimating at around 35 miles per hour. As much as the speed thrilled me, what impressed me most was the camaraderie amongst the sledders and the fun that parents were sharing with their children. What a great way to enjoy these winter months.

The Eye on the Sky Guys on Climate Change

From Vermont Edition Editor Steve Zind:

We hear a great deal about climate change globally, but we're curious how these changes are affecting our region. So we've asked VPR's Eye on the Sky meteorologists Mark Breen and Steve Maleski of the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium to talk to us about the long term trends they're seeing in New England's weather - and help us understand if any of the changes we observe from our windows, like seasonal variations and migratory habits of New England birds are related to global climate trends.

It'll be interesting to hear their take, too, on the renewed
debate over climate change research and find out, in their view, what conclusions we can have confidence in and what questions remain.

VPR continues its coverage of the issue tomorrow night at 8 with a special documentary from Marketplace, The Climate Race. We hope you'll join the conversation!

I'll have my own Cheese Festival

Say "cheese" and I'm hungry for a block of some delicious Vermont-made creation. So when Jane Lindholm hosted a Vermont Edition program last week devoted entirely to Vermont artisan cheeses, I was out of my head, ready to try many varieties. I figured I'd buy a ticket to the Vermont Cheesemakers Festival at Shelburne Farm on Sunday. And then my world crumbled like a wonderful old blue cheese - the event was sold out! Curses!

So I developed Plan B. Saturday morning, I bundled myself off to the Burlington Farmers Market in search of some locally crafted cheeses to have my own Vermont Fromage Fest. During the Vermont Edition cheese show, I jotted down the name of every cheese and cheese producer that callers and e-mailers mentioned as being a worthy purchase. One of those mentioned was Boucher Family Farm, which just happened to be at the market on Saturday. I snatched up their Gore-Dawn-Zola and Brother Laurent. I also picked up Willow Hill's Autumn Oak and a block of Vermont Ayr. I also had some Neighborly Farms Green Onion Cheddar at home in the fridge.

When I hunkered down to have my own cheese party, my disgust at not getting a ticket to the Cheesemakers Festival subsided with each delectable mouthful of the wonderful selections I made earlier in the day. And I counted my blessings for living in a state where I can easily find some of Planet Earth's finest cheeses each and every day.

Jane Lindholm: Vermont Edition Turns Two

Vermont Edition Host Jane Lindholm shared these thoughts about the program's anniversary and new evening rebroadcast:

Vermont Edition turns two today. That's two years, 500 shows, and interviews in the quadruple digits. When I started here I rarely hosted dinner parties, let alone a public radio program but I was pretty sure I would like it. And I do; I love hosting Vermont Edition. I get to talk to fascinating people and learn new things every single day. What a great job!

What I was less certain of when the show hit the air was how listeners would respond. It’s been gratifying to see such a positive response. Vermont Edition has gained a loyal following and found a comfortable place for itself in the regional news landscape. Even more exciting is how crucial listeners have become to the success of the program—contributing topic ideas, participating in the conversations, and keeping me in check.

But many have also approached me expressing frustration that they couldn’t hear the program at noon. There was a sense that they were missing out on conversations with Vermont’s political leaders, artists, and newsmakers. Programming VPR's schedule is beyond my pay grade, but I was thrilled when VPR made the decision to rebroadcast Vermont Edition in the evenings. It means that people who can’t turn the radio on at noon, who don’t get a lunch break, or don’t have the ability to podcast the program can still hear it.

I know this isn’t a decision that every single listener will be as excited about as I am, but it is a direct result of listener requests. I hope you’ll listen at 7 p.m. and let us know what you think.

And I want to take this time to say thanks. Your participation has made Vermont Edition a dynamic, exciting, and intelligent show. I’m continually impressed by the questions you ask on the program and the comments you send my way. So thanks. And thanks, especially, for listening.

Jane Lindholm

Host, Vermont Edition

Listen to Vermont Edition at Noon and 7 p.m.

Beginning next Monday, you will be able to hear VPR's Vermont Edition twice each weekday, live at noon, with a rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

Vermont Edition began broadcasting daily two years ago, and since then it has grown in popularity and has become essential listening for folks across the region. As a result, many requests have come in to VPR to add a broadcast of the program in the evening so it would be available to a wider audience.

Here's the new evening lineup: Vermont Edition is at 7, The World moves to 8 p.m., and George Thomas continues his two-hour jazz show beginning at 9 p.m. On Fridays, legend Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz airs at 9 p.m., followed by George Thomas until midnight.

As with any program change, we've been getting questions from listeners about how we came to this decision. Visit our website for answers to some frequently-asked-questions, and for a printable version of the new schedule.