Category: burlington

Burlington Parks and Rec Join Community to Cleanup Lake Champlain

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Lake Champlain has the highest levels ever. Debris marks the landscape, keeping the beaches and bike path off limits. Parks and Rec organized a cleanup. Not well publicized, so it was not well attended. Bright beautiful sun. Some might say that the weather and Lake Champlain make Burlington what it is. Maybe. It could also be that the people care about their environment, maybe to a fault. And when they give up four hours on a Saturday morning to pick up garbage, you have to feel better about your community.

Mayor Kiss Showed Up.

Mayor didn’t say anything publicly, you know, like, “thanks.” And lots of people just rode by, walked by, or jogged by without comment. I mean, like, “don’t you care?”  Marathoners showed up, but not many. They’re too busy training, hoping someone will clear a path so they can run. A person approached me. “What’s this?” “It’s a cleanup.” “I didn’t hear about it.” Then she walked away.

Zack Describes The Pickup

Lots of wood to pick up. Some had nails. Some can be used to make furniture or heat homes. Zack had a list telling us what to pickup and what to leave.

Pile Up the Bike Path

Bigger pieces on the bike path. Smaller ones in plastic bags.

Rake the Shorleline

No real plan. Just take a stretch of affected shore and pickup the debris.

Fill the Truck

Good exercise, lifting and bending. Picked up the stuff.

No branch too big or too small

The twigs and garbage didn’t fit nicely together. Lots of trips back and forth.

Watch out

 

Community

Kid out for a bike ride stopped by to help. No better lesson about the value of community. I didn’t know anyone, except to know they care about where they live in the same way I do. Tell that to the kid!

 

Lake Champlain Remains On Land

More Weather

 

Sharon Sits in the Parking Lot at Perkins Pier

 

Perkin's Pier from the Peninsula

The Lake overflows, ebbs, and overflows, again. We may be prevented from doing what we do due to the high water level. But we cannot blame the Lake. Hey, most of the world doesn’t have water to drink up, wash in, or play on. Lake Champlain does what it does without asking our permission and without regard to our needs. It demands our respect and our stewardship. While we cannot tell it what to do, we can make it sick and unhealthy. Too often, we take the Lake’s power and beauty for granted. Very sad.

Bike Path

Returning To Church Street

Back To Business

Caveman reappeared, svelte and strong. Wants to collaborate to produce a mixed media doc about the denizens of Church Street.

You Want Music?

Paul’s got a gutitar, but no case. No tunes, just strums.

Almost Left
Justin Time

He lasted from November 12 to May 12. Girlfriend wanted him to stop drinking. Couch crashing. No plan, so he sits and begs, again.

Rough Start

Oft told story. Did some stupid shit. Got sucked up by the system. Couldn’t pay court costs. Back to jail. Vicious circle. Smart and aware, but not formed.

Sunnier Side of the Street

Why did she move to the other side of the street? Better weather? Better donations? “I just needed a change,” she said.

Catching His Breath

Has just the requisite amount of energy for the day, everyday.

All A's
All A's

Happens fast. Wife has an accident. Kid overdoses. Sucks the wind from the sails. Not giving up, though.

 

Early May Saturday on Church Street

 

So, you think nothing doing on Church Street early Saturday morning.

 

Thomas, right, has a job, but gets in trouble because Burlington doesn’t have much for the underaged. He slept not in a bed, because Spectrum kicked him out for drinking. “A place can do you a lot of good….The sun comes up faster when you sleep on the street.

Wonderful Charlie. Sweet and cheerful. He needed a place to smoke his cigar and sip his coffee. Couldn’t tell him the City Council has been considering banning smoking on the thoroughfare.

John headed towards Sweet Potato, a free breakfast site in a Church. Makes you almost want to reconsider taxing not-for-profits.

Paul had another bad night on the street.

Sandy just smokes and watches.

Stephanie collects, but not for drugs or booze. “I wash the bottles and give them to the Humane Society. Keeps the streets clean and the animals happy.”

And then there were the bears and pidgeons, natural friends.

Around the corner, some guy slept in City Hall Park, maybe to be the first in line at the Farmer’s Market.