BURLINGTON, VERMONT

'Burlington' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and is the shire town of Chittenden County, Vermont. With a population of 38,889, the city is the core of one of the nation's smaller metropolitan areas. The urbanized area consists of the cities of Burlington, South Burlington, and Winooski; the towns of Colchester, Essex, and Williston; and the village of Essex Junction. As of 2000, the metropolitan area contained the three northwestern counties of Chittenden, Franklin, and Grand Isle, with an estimated 2006 population of 206,007, approximately one third of Vermont's total population.^[2]
[3]

Contents

Government

Demographics

Geography

Climate

Economy

Personal Income

Industry

History

War of 1812

Modern

Health

Education

Culture and landmarks

Local music

Lodging

Media

Newspapers & Other Publications

Television

Sports

Transportation

Major Routes

Sister cities

Notable residents

References

Articles

External links

Government

Burlington has a city council-mayor form of government.
[2] Democrats and the Progressive Party share seats. U.S. Senator Bernard Sanders was mayor of Burlington from 1981 to 1989. Bob Kiss, the current Mayor, is a Progressive who was elected in 2006. The City Council has 14 seats, which are currently occupied by 5 Democrats, 4 Progressives, 3 Republicans, and 2 Independents. Peter Clavelle, Burlington's longest serving Mayor, held that office from 1989 to 1993, and again from 1995 to 2006.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 38,889 people, 15,885 households, and 7,052 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,682.0 people per square mile (1,421.9/km²). There were 16,395 housing units at an average density of 1,552.3 per square mile (599.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.27% White, 1.78% Black or African American, 0.47% Native American, 2.65% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.54% from other races, and 2.27% from two or more races. 1.40% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 15,885 households out of which 21.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.4% were married.^[4] 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 55.6% were non-families. 35.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the city the population was spread out with 16.3% under the age of 18, 25.4% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males.
The median age is 32.1, well under the state figure of 40.7, and under the national figure of 37.6.^[5]
The average family size is 2.2 people. 12.59% of the people are married with children. 8.16% have children and are not married.^[5]

Geography

The city is situated on an arm of Lake Champlain. It was built on a strip of land extending about 6 m. south from the mouth of the Winooski river along the lake shore and gradually rises from the water's edge to a height of 275 ft.;

Climate

Monthly Normal High and Low Temperatures for Burlington
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
	27/9	29/11	40/22	53/34	68/45	76/55	81/60	78/58	69/50	56/39	44/30	32/17
''[7]''

Vermont has winters full of temperatures and fluffy white snow just perfect for skiing and other activities. Spring cleanses lands and brings 40 to 50 degree temperatures. Our summers are moderate with few days breaking the ninety degree mark. Fall's cool nights cue the maple trees to explode into a symphony of reds, oranges, and yellows.
Differences between winter and summer temperatures are greater in the state than in most other parts of New England. Overall, the coldest temperatures generally prevail in Vermont's mountains and in the northeast, and the warmest temperatures are recorded in the valleys.
Saint Johnsbury, in the northeast, has an average January temperature of about -8.1 C (about 17.5 F) and an average July temperature of about 20.8 C (about 69.5 F); Rutland, in the central part of the state, has a mean January temperature of about -5.8 C (about 21.5 F) and a mean July temperature of about 20.8 C (about 69.5‹ F). The temperature extremes in Vermont have ranged from -45.6 C (-50 F), in 1933 at Bloomfield in the northeast, to 40.6 C (105 F), in 1911 at Vernon in the southeast.
Annual precipitation in Vermont is about 1015 mm (about 40 in) and is fairly evenly distributed over the course of a year except in the north and west, where more moisture is received in summer than in winter. Almost all of Vermont receives heavy snowfall, with some mountain areas getting up to 3175 mm (125 in) a year. Vermont is rarely struck by hurricanes or tornadoes.

Economy

Personal Income

The median income for a household in the city was $33,070, and the median income for a family was $46,012. Males had a median income of $30,144 versus $25,270 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,011. About 10.4% of families and 20.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.4% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.

Industry

The city is home to the corporate headquarters of Bruegger's, a chain of 260 bagel bakeries, and Lake Champlain Chocolates. Downtown on Church Street is the Burlington Town Center mall with over 75 specialty shops and 15 national retailers such as Macy's and Old Navy.
The G.S. Blodgett Company, one of the oldest and largest commercial oven companies in the country, manufactures restaurant equipment. Its history dates back to the mid 1800s.
IDX Systems, now a division of General Electric, develops software for the hospital industry and is headquartered in South Burlington. Vermont Teddy Bear Co. whose founder started on a cart on Burlington's Church Street, is now a publicly traded company that ships custom teddy bears worldwide.
The Magic Hat Brewing Company, one of the nation's larger craft breweries, is located in South Burlington, just outside the city limits. Burlington is also the birthplace of the ice cream enterprise Ben & Jerry's, founded in 1978 in a renovated gas station, which was at that time located at the southwest corner of College and Saint Paul Streets. It is now headquartered in South Burlington.
The largest industrial facility in Vermont is IBM's semiconductor plant a few kilometers East of Burlington in Essex Junction. Many small industrial and service companies are located in the Burlington area.
Burlington is home to Burton Snowboards' central offices - one of the original manufacturers of snowboarding goods and the largest in the market.

History

War of 1812

The War of 1812 was not popular in Vermont. Along with the rest of New England, Vermont did not provide militia units or financial support. This was a serious blow to the cause. Vermont voted Federalist which opposed the war. 1812:A look back a Burlington's 20-minute war, Johnson, Tim, , , Burlington Free Press, July 29, 2007, page 4A
5,000 troops were stationed here at one point during the War of 1812, outnumbering residents. About 500 of these died of disease.^[8]
In a skirmish on August 2, 1813, the British shelled Burlington. This has either been cited as a bold stroke by the British with an ineffectual response from the Americans; or a weak sally by the British properly ignored by the Americans, depending on who related the story. The cannonade lasted for about ten minutes and did not affect the outcome of the war. The American side was commanded by Naval Lieutenant Thomas MacDonough, later the hero of the Battle of Lake Champlain. 1812:A look back a Burlington's 20-minute war, Johnson, Tim, , , Burlington Free Press, July 29, 2007, page 4A

Modern

The city was named one of the top four "places to watch" in the United States.^[9] The ratings were based on what was perceived as ideal for older residents. Criteria included what makes a community livable: new urbanism, smart growth, mixed-use development, and easy-living standards

Health

Burlington is the home of Fletcher Allen Health Care, a tertiary referral hospital for Vermont and northern New York State, Level I Trauma Center, and teaching hospital.
In 2006, Men's Health magazine graded Burlington the ninth best city in the nation to live in, out of 100. The criteria were health, quality of life and fitness.^[10] In 2007, it was rated 11th out of 100, for auto safety. The criteria were observing speed limits, accident infrequency, and seatbelt use.^[11]

Education

Burlington is a college town, home to the University of Vermont (UVM), Burlington College, and to Champlain College, as well as a Community College of Vermont campus. Saint Michael's College is located in nearby Colchester.

Culture and landmarks

The Church Street Marketplace, a pedestrian mall in the heart of the city, is the site of festivals throughout the year. Events such as the South End Art Hop and public galleries such as The Firehouse Gallery and Pine Street Art Works, provide a forum for the visual arts.
The Burlington Waterfront on the shore of Lake Champlain has bench swings, shoreline, walking and bike paths. It provides a place to view the Adirondacks. ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center, Vermont's first LEED Certified Green Building, is located at the waterfront and harbors over 70 species of fish, amphibians, invertebrates, and reptiles.
Dragon boat racing to benefit charity have been held in Lake Champlain in August since 2006.^[12]

Local music

Burlington has had a long and varied history of local music. The city has, over the years, supported a number of local bands as various "scenes" waxed and waned, and has even launched a handful of national acts. The most famous of these was Phish, which originated at the University of Vermont circa 1983 (they also attended Vermont's Goddard College), and which gave its final performance in 2004.
Other notable acts with ties to the city include Strangefolk, Chuch, Itation Sound, The Essex Green, Raq, Colin Clary, James Kochalka, The Smittens, The Milkman's Union, The Jazz Mandolin Project, Pork Tornado, Anais Mitchell and KT Tunstall.

Lodging

Due to the increased tourism to the city, several new and higher end hotels have taken up stake in Burlington. Marriott completed construction of a Courtyard brand hotel on the Burlington Waterfront, while Hilton purchaced and remodeled a Wyndham hotel also on the waterfront. A Sheraton and Doubletree are also available, as well as the less expensive Holiday Inn, Best Western, Comfort Inn, Howard Johnson, and Days Inn.

Media

Newspapers & Other Publications

Burlington is served by the

★ ''Burlington Free Press'' newspaper which is delivered throughout Vermont^[13]

★ Seven Days, a free weekly newspaper, delivered in bulk to pickup points in the Burlington metropolitan area, emphasizing arts and culture^[14]

★ Vermont Business Magazine ^[15]

Television

The Burlington area is served by 4 network television stations. They include Fox 44 WFFF, ABC 22 WVNY, NBC 5 WPTZ, anc CBS 3 WCAX. Only CBS and NBC operate news departments. Channel 3 is the only Burlington based news channel, while NewsChannel 5 is based in Plattsburg NY with a bureau in Burlington as well.
The following cable channels are also Burlington based:

★ VCAM-Channel 15^[16],

★ RETN-Channel 16^[17]

★ Channel 17^[18].

Sports

Club	Sport	League	Stadium
Vermont Lake Monsters	Baseball	Minor League Baseball';' Class A (Short Season)	Centennial Field
Vermont Frost Heaves	Basketball	American Basketball Association';' Blue Conference	Memorial AuditoriumThe Auditorium (Barre, VT)
University of Vermont Catamounts	Multiple sportsMost notably Men's Hockey and Men's and Women's Basketball	NCAA Division IAmerica East Conference	Patrick Gym, Centennial Field, Gutterson Fieldhouse

Burlington is home to the Vermont Lake Monsters, a Class A minor league baseball team. Formerly the Vermont Expos baseball club of the New York-Penn League, it plays on the campus of UVM at Centennial Field.
Burlington is also home to a professional basketball franchise, the Vermont Frost Heaves, for half of their season. The team, which is part of the American Basketball Association (ABA), splits their inaugural 2005-2006 season home games between Burlington and Barre. The Frost Heaves, owned by ''Sports Illustrated'' writer Alexander Wolff, play their Burlington games at the Memorial Auditorium, on South Union Street, at the corner of Main.
There is also a rugby union team in Burlington, the Burlington RFC.
Daniel W. Fish, a former member of the Air Force's Wings of Blue, was the first person to obtain a permit and skydive in the city of Burlington.
Burlington also hosts the Vermont City Marathon each year, which draws thousands of competators each Memorial Day weekend.

Transportation

Burlington is the central focus of the Chittenden County Transportation Agency, providing bus service to and from the surrounding communities (and the shopping districts of South Burlington and Williston). Burlington is also the headquarters of the Lake Champlain Transportation Company with seasonal service provided between Burlington's King Street ferry terminal and Port Kent, New York.
Burlington International Airport provides the area with commercial service to major regional hubs and international airports. In spite of its name, it does not offer direct flights to destinations outside the United States and does not have Customs and Immigration facilities. The name dates to a time when it offered flights to Montreal. Vermont Transit provides intercity bus service from a depot south of downtown, while Amtrak rail service stops in the nearby village of Essex Junction.

Major Routes

★ Interstate 89

★ U.S. Route 2

★ U.S. Route 7

Sister cities

Burlington has four sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI):

★ Yaroslavl, Russia

★ Arad, Israel

★ Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua

★ Bethlehem, Palestinian territories

★ Moss Point, Mississippi -- In the fall of 2005, the city decided to help out Moss Point which was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, and held a concert called Hurricane Benefete to raise money.

Notable residents

★ Warren Austin, former U.S. Senator from Vermont and Ambassador to the United Nations.

★ Ralph Abraham, mathematician.

★ Ben Bagley, musical theater producer and innovator.

★ Orson Bean, film and stage actor.

★ Alison Bechdel, cartoonist best known for the comic strip Dykes To Watch Out For.

★ Harry Blanchard, Formula One driver who raced for the Porsche team.

★ Murray Bookchin, Environmentalist and noted Anarchist philosopher.

★ Ted Bundy, American serial killer.

★ Peter Clavelle, former Mayor of Burlington.

★ Grace Coolidge, wife of Calvin Coolidge and First Lady of the U.S.

★ Howard Dean, Current Chairman of the Democratic Party, former presidential candidate in 2004, and former governor of Vermont.

★ Judith Steinberg Dean, physician; First Lady of Vermont 1991-2003

★ John Dewey, philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer.

★ John Engels, American Poet, author of "Big Water" and "Recounting The Seasons".

★ John Chipman Farrar, writer and publisher.

★ Jon Fishman, former drummer for variety band "Phish"

★ Kevin McKenzie, Artistic Director American Ballet Theatre.

★ Mike Gordon, former bassist for variety band "Phish"

★ Paul Hackett, football coach.

★ Henry Hitchcock, the first Attorney General of the State of Alabama.

★ Philip H. Hoff, former governor of Vermont

★ Fred W. Householder, Jr., linguist and classicist

★ Oliver O. Howard, U.S. Army officer and general in the American Civil War.

★ Eugene Hutz, actor and lead singer of Gogol Bordello.

★ Horatio Nelson Jackson, the first person to drive an automobile across the United States.

★ James Kochalka, Cartoonist, Singer/Songwriter

★ Madeleine M. Kunin, U.S. Diplomat and governor of Vermont.

★ Page McConnell, former keyboardist for for variety band "Phish"

★ Ross Powers, Olympic gold medalist.

★ Mike Rosenberg, Philanthropist.

★ William Hepburn Russell, founder of the Pony Express.

★ Bernie Sanders, U.S. Senator from Vermont.

★ Birdie Tebbetts, Major League baseball player.

★ Len Whitehouse, Major League baseball player and Assistant Coach of Burlington High School's varsity baseball team.

References

1. Mayor's Office
2. [1]
3. http://www.census.gov/popest/states/NST-ann-est.html
4. http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/QTTable?_bm=y&-qr_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U_DP2&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U&-_lang=en&-_sse=on&-geo_id=16000US5010675 retrieved July 21, 2007
5. http://www.bestplaces.net/city/Burlington_VT-5010675010.aspx
6. http://www.bestplaces.net/city/Burlington_VT-5010675010.aspx
7. http://www.ustravelweather.com/weather-vermont/
8. Grant may help Burlington reclaim War of 1812 heritage, Logan, Lee, , , Burlington Free Press, July 8, 2007,
9. http://www.rismedia.com/wp/2007-07-23/aarp-the-magazine-announces-top-five-places-to-live-and-retire retrieved on July 24, 2007
10. "Best and Worst Cities for Men",''Men's Health'', January/February 2006, page 129
11. "The Capitals of Crash",''Men's Health'', April 2007, page 86
12. Dragon boats fill the waters off Burlington, , , , Burlington Free Press, August 6, 2007,
13. http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage retrieved July 30, 2007
14. http://www.sevendaysvt.com/masthead.html retrieved July 30, 2007
15. http://www.vermontbiz.com/vermontbiz Vermont Business Magazine
16. http://vermontcam.org
17. http://retn.org
18. http://www.channel17.org

Articles

★ Article on Burlington Community Land Trust in Dollars & Sense magazine

External links

★ Official Site of the City of Burlington

★ City of Burlington Sister Cities

★ Preservation Burlington

★ WikiBurlington

★ Elevation data: [ USGS—City of Burlington, VT]