36 HOURS IN BURLINGTON

Back in September, 2007 The New York Times had a commissioned puff piece marketing Burlington's waterfront, which I discussed here. Yesterday's travel section featured Burlington again as a get-away venue - for 36 hours. There are some photos, too. Typical of the Times to focus on all the trendy places where out-of-towners may spend their cashed in 401(k)s. I guess it's the personal opinion of author Katie Zezima, but she leaves out an awful lot of other delights of Burlington. (How do certain restaurants get reviewed and others don't?) I guess it's because I live here; I am aware of the places she highlights, but the Burlington she describes is a tourist one that most residents don't experience or don't connect to. (Just as when I lived in Houston, London or NYC, I only visited touristic sites with relatives or visiting friends.)

She describes a nice little known oasis just three minutes' walk from my home.

Not sure of the time? Find out at the Burlington Earth Clock, a 43-foot-wide sundial at Oakledge Park and Beach (end of Flynn Street) made of slabs of granite from local quarries. Stand in the middle and look toward the mountains; the stones in front of you represent where the sun sets during equinoxes and solstices. On the other end of the park is a studio-size treehouse, suspended among nine large trees. It’s a childhood fantasy come true.

No doubt city councilors will praise this article (as they did the one in 2007). I guess I should be prepared to see lots of out-of-state license plates in my neighbourhood. No wonder Kiss and the councilors are urging us to vote yes tomorrow on the $5.5-million bond issue for a 3-year upgrading of Burlington's rundown streets. Fuck the tax payers: Gotta keep those tourists coming into our city so they can avoid the bumps on Flynn Avenue as they drive down to connect with nature!