WEEKEND HUM ( 6-17-06 )

ESSEX HIGH ON LOWE'S
Lowe's Home Center continues march toward Susie Wilson Road. With a story that has slipped under the media radar for the most part, the Essex Reporter gives follow-up info on the home improvement giant's plans to build store #2 in the area. Lowe's is considering a 103,000 foot store, which is their tiniest model. The usual particulars concerning drainage, parking and traffic are on the drawing board. For much more, pick up a copy of the Reporter (we'd tell you to go to their site but they still have the June 1 edition showing) and peruse it while you're waiting for the Essex Junction Five Corners Light.

WHAT'S UP, BROUGH
Rising Hum about artist Jan Brough of East Calais. She's a trendybear waiting to happen. Check out these Vermont inspired oil paintings or go to Apple Mountain to view a special exhibit featuring a Lake Champlain series of paintings. Coming up with the marbles to buy one of these puppies is a different story.

SYRUPY STORY
According to DepAg reports, Vermont kicked double ass in maple syrup production. Vt had 460,000 gallons produced, with Maine a lame second with 300k. Why? increased taps and favorable conditions.
One item the report doesn't address is Quebec production. If one looks closely at mass market syrup, one just might find, occasionally, the syrupy yumminess comes from...Canada.

RAINY DAYS AND MONDAYS
Vermont ended up with a raucous 7+ inches of rain in May. June is rockin', with almost 3 inches so far and a shipload of rain predicted for Monday. Also, remember last July, when the wet stuff snuffed out a lot of parties.
Well, good news, amigos. This July will be relatively dry and pleasant.

ABBOTT FORMING
Remember when the Auditor of Accounts race was sleepyville. Every year Alexander the Great would run, would win, and nobody cared. Not any more, friends.
Prog Martha Abbott has joined Tom Salmon Jr. and Randy Brock in the battle for the state auditor position. So you have a first-term incumbent who drove shaky Liz Ready out of the building; a dashing son of a dashing former Gov; and a prog who could do damage, as they say in Jersey. Get interested.

FIVE CORNERS UPDATE
Had a sleepover at the Essex Junction Five Corners Light last night. Arrived around 7 p.m., sensing it was going to be a long wait. So we got in our jammies, opened the bag of unshelled peanuts, and threw Caddyshack into the portable DVD player. Don't you love that movie? We think Rodney Dangerfield's death last year should have been a national day of mourning.
Anyway, when the light changed the next morning, we drove off, leaving the intersection strewn with peanut shells, or as they call them in Georgia - mulch!