Soccer Pursuit

Lyndonville and state police chased a St. Johnsbury man alleged to be armed and violating a protective order in Lyndon Center last Saturday. They chased the guy through the Lyndon Institute grounds going right through a female soccer team match in progress. Extra strikers on the field............he was captured after being boxed in on the footbridge leading into town. 

The Russian Cyclist With the Luck of the Irish

Watch this video of a Russian cyclist caught in the middle of an accident between two motor vehicles. Amazingly lucky that he's alive and walked away. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmnABODVFl0&ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000618 

Perry Family Members Indicted in New Hampshire--We're Not In Vermont Anymore, Toto

The melee at Canobie Lake Amusement Park in in Salem, NH has resulted in indictments of three Lyndon area family members for riot and assault on police officers. http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140918/GJNEWS_01/140919259/0/SEARCH

Unlike being criminally charged in Vermont where the corrections philosophy is heavily weighted toward reintegration of the criminal offender back into society--often much to soon and without a real hope of success--New Hampshire is a very different world. They will likely do heavy time in the NH prison system. And Lyndon/Lyndonville will be a better place....... 

Let's Annex Littleton, NH

Reading the paper yesterday it looks like the crime rate in Littleton is right up there with the best of the Northeast Kingdom. Let's annex them. Best of all, they have a Walmart!! Oh, but that means we'd have to pay sales tax.......never mind. 

Death Row 35 Gang Members Active in St. J.

DR35 was originally active in Lyndonville a couple of years ago robbing and threatening people on the streets. They were all arrested and are presently in St. J. in various stages of probation and parole. Last week, a DR35 member allegedly beat up three Caledonia School students at afternoon dismissal--victims were two boys and a girl. When told that the police had been called, the victims were told by the perp that he would be back to finish them off. No charges filed yet. The victims are too afraid to press charges. To be continued............

Hummus To Assault For

I had a girlfriend from Beirut in the mid-1980s who made hummus to die for. Apparently there's a woman in St. Johnsbury who makes hummus to assault for. Living in one of the crappy hotel probation and parole apartment buildings off Eastern Avenue, she came home the other night to find people partying in the hallway. Three women came to her apartment seeking hummus which she didn't have. Expressing extreme disappointment, two of her neighbors punched and kicked her in their disappointment. Assault charges are pending. Do they serve hummus in lockup?  

Domestic Violence in Vermont--Amazingly High

There are about 625,000 people living in Vermont. Last year 85,000 of them were victims of domestic violence. That's almost 14% of Vermont's population. I'm told tere is culture here of men being in charge of families and acceptance that being in charge is an enforceable "right." Vulcan mind melds anyone?

Drive By Shooter Problems

Alleged drive by shooter Chino Rodriguez has a problem. His friend Michael Roya, who swears that he, not Chino, did the drive by shooting alone, must have been a very busy and dexterous man. The police announced that they found two different calibers of shell casings at the shooting scene. Picture, if you will, Royo driving the car and texting invective to the victim using Chino's cell phone whilst firing not one, but TWO pistols. How did Michael "Terminator" Royo manage it??!!  The only thing likely to save either of them will be an incompetent prosecutor----Bye bye boys.

Note--Roya was in court yesterday for violating conditions of a prison furlough while living in........drum roll please........Lyndonville. The judge, with infinite wisdom, released him to his home on the SAME conditions he is charged with having violated. Vermont judicial discretion. Priceless. 

Lyndonville Denizen Missing

You've likely seen him cycling around town. Clean shaven on an old bicycle. Steve Cross is his name. He went missing this weekend after calling 911 to say he was despondent and thinking about taking his life. Vermont State Police came knocking Saturday night on my friend Barry's door and that of his tenant who is a friend of Steve's. They were looking for him to get him help. Steve's not been seen around town. If you see him, let the VT State Police know. 

FOLLOWUP--John is OK.

Scotland Ready to Secede---Vermont?

The latest polling in the UK shows that a yes vote on Scot secession is likely to succeed.  http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/sep/06/scots-radical-new-deal-save-the-union

If successful, it will likely rekindle the Vermont secession movement. Despite Thomas Naylor's Second Vermont Republic movement's unfortunate association with a Southern US racist secession organization (  http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2008/summer/north-meets-south ), there's much to be argued in favor of Vermont secession. More to come in future blog posts on this topic from Constitutional and political perspectives.

Postscript-- Thomas Naylor died in the Spring of 2013.
http://www.splcenter.org/home/2012/spring/thomas-naylor-controversial-vermont-secessionist-dies

Stranger Followup--The Kirby Vacuum Man

He wins the prize for worst salesman of the year. A neighbor got him to say what he was selling. That long sleeve flannel shirt on a summer day made him look more like an addict hiding track marks. Nice to know he was benign. 

The Grindstone Cafe

Where the denizens of Lyndonville hang out to feel the pulse of the town.

The Stranger at the Door

Finishing dinner at around 5:30 when I hear a very strong knocking on my front door. Looking out I can see a male a about six feet tall, goatee, wearing a long sleeve lumberjack type shirt on this hot and humid day. Open the door a crack keeping my foot behind to prevent a forced entry. Ask him what he's selling. Garbage answer given, but he's holding a " house gift" of a small basket with snacks wrapped in saran wrap. Bad vibe about this..........ask him again what he's selling and he says, "Things for the home." Right.

Door shut and he's still talking in an annoyed tone while I go and strap on my 9mm. Looking out the bedroom window I see a late model mini-van. It kind of looks like the driver isn't the guy who came to my door.  Out I go down the driveway to where I can get a read on his plate number. By the time I get back inside and look out the window-----he's gone.  Thought maybe he's further down the block at another house, so I go out again. But, he's totally gone. Forced entry attempt?  The Lyndonville Police have the description and plate number. 

Drive by Shooter--Chino or Friend?

Chino Rodriguez is sitting in jail charged with attempted murder in the drive by shooting in the butt of a River Rd., St. J man last month. Chino is purported to be, or has been, (if anyone actually ever leaves), the Latin Kings. So a Michael Roya has come forward to say that he drove the drive by car, shot the 380auto (just badly aimed warning shots) all whilst texting invective and threats to the victim on Chino's phone. A man with busy hands! And then there are those 380auto rounds found at Chino's apartment in Cabot.............wonder if Roya is a Latin King taking the fall for a more senior member or just a guy owing Chino a favor. Stay tuned. The St. J PD is investigating. 

Guns, Guns and Burglary

Lyndon and Lyndonville have lately seen a spate of daytime home burglaries that appear to be targeting home owners who possess firearms--particularly the pistol variety. A local at the Grindstone Cafe says it's reminiscent of a burglary krew a few years ago that came up from NYC to hit rural gun shops. Hit 'em and run back to NYC to sell them out of the trunk for cash. Easy money The Bronx Way. 

The perps have hit homes with loose 44 mag revolvers and carried off small home safes with semi-automatics inside. Bolt those safes to the floor folks. Are they locals or tourists? Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe instead of leaving home without it, concealed carry would be a better idea. After all, ya don't need a permit to carry concealed in Vermont and ya can't steal what isn't there. 

Good luck to Lyndon Police Chief Jack Harris. It's likely not an easy case to solve given the resources available to most small town departments.