802 News with Mark Johnson

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The Northeast Kingdom filmmaker's latest documentary "Every Day: Big and Small" features a series of uplifting vignettes about lesser-known places, organizations and people building community, resilience and connection in Vermont. The film premieres Sept. 25th in Burlington and will tour in various locations through Oct. 11. Go to Catamount Arts for tickets and show times. 

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Winthrop is best known as the former owner/publisher of two independent weeklies -- the Vanguard Press and Vermont Times -- but he also reported in-depth pieces for the two publications, as well as the Vermont Sunday Magazine. His new book "On the Record" chronicles 17 cover stories from 1978 to 2005 along with current day updates. Many of the decades-old stories discuss issues still relevant today, including the cost of health care, the effectiveness of sending people to prison and political activism in Vermont. 

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A massive project is underway to document the history between 1850-1950 of four major immigrant groups in Burlington -- the Jewish, French-Canadian, Irish and Italian communities in the city's Old North End. Organizers Aaron Goldberg and Bob Duncan say the project mapping the four communities will be available for people to view online. The mapping project is under the auspices of The Lost Mural Project.

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Democrats and Progressive Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak are at odds over community concerns about open drug usage and homeless encampments in Burlington, particularly downtown. Democrats are calling for more enforcement. The mayor says Democrats want to “arrest and imprison” their way out of a complex crisis. In this edition of 802 News, journalist Michael Powell discusses his just-published story in The Atlantic magazine that examines cities like Burlington that have emphasized "harm reduction" when dealing with drug usage. 

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Esther Charlestin is an education consultant, former Middlebury Selectboard member and chair of the Vermont Commission on Women. She ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2024, losing to Gov. Phil Scott. She's running in the Democratic Party primary for lieutenant governor against Ryan McLaren and Molly Gray. The primary is August 11, with the winner facing incumbent Republican John Rodgers.

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Peter Gould is a Renaissance man -- an author, activist, teacher and theater director. He came to Vermont in the 70's during the back to the land movement and joined a commune in Guilford. In May he testified at the Legislature about his recent book that discusses the for-profit prison industry. Vermont contracts with a Core Civic facility in Mississippi. Gould, who lives in Brattleboro with his wife, Mollie Burke, will soon begin his 29th season directing "Get Thee to the Funnery," a Shakespeare summer camp for kids in Greensboro. Gould, 80 years young, says he's lived a magical life.

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Speaker of the House Jill Krowinski is not running for re-election in November after 14 years as a legislator and speaker since 2021. The 46-year-old Burlington Democrat discusses accomplishments, disappointments and challenges including a swatting incident and a stalker who required court intervention. 

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Ryan McLaren, a former top aide to Sen. Peter Welch, is running for lieutenant governor. He faces Molly Gray and Esther Charlestin in the August Democratic Party primary. The winner will face incumbent John Rodgers, a Republican, in November. McLaren, 40, says his campaign is focused on hope, housing and health care and his "opponent in this race is nihilism, the sense (people have) that nothing matters."  He suffered a spinal cord injury skiing in 2017 that resulted in partial paralysis. 

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Molly Gray, a former lieutenant governor, wants her old job back and is in a three-way primary for the Democratic Party nomination. The winner will face incumbent Lt. Gov. John Rodgers, a Republican, in November. Gray, 42, was elected as lieutenant governor in 2020 and lost a bid in 2022 for Vermont's lone seat in the U.S. House in the primary to Becca Balint. Since then, she's served as executive director of the Vermont Afghan Alliance.

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Amanda Janoo, an economics and policy expert, is running for governor. She faces child care advocate Aly Richards for the Democratic Party nomination. The primary will be in August. Janoo, 38, grew up in Strafford, Vermont, lives in Burlington and works with the Wellbeing Economy Alliance.