Success Stories

The Citizens have done the following:

  • Formed a Media Committee,
  • Hosted CBC reporter Chantale Lavigne when she recorded a fifteen minute segment broadcast in French by Dimanche Magazine, Sunday morning, CBC, Montreal,
  • Hosted a fund raising event at the Hudak Farm in the Town of St. Albans with the Vermont Natural Resources Council,
  • Hosted the Festival for a Local Vermont, with the Vermont Natural Resources Council, at which Bread and Puppets performed, Peter des Laurier, Mayor of St. Albans, and Vermont Senators Peter Welch and Vince Illuzzi spoke,
  • Lobbied legislators in Montpelier about growth issues in 2005 and 2006,
  • Twice appeared on call in shows on Community Television, Channel 15, St. Albans,
  • Hosted speaker and Senator Ginny Lyons, Chair of the Williston Selectboard, to discuss the experiences of her town and excessive retail growth.
  • Taken part on a radio call in show at Goddard College,
  • Taken part in the panel discussion with Canadian labor organizer, Hermann Dallier, and Johanne Desbiens and Syvier Lavoie, workers and organizers from the closed Wal-Mart store in Jonquire, Quebec, Emma Mulvaney-Stanuk, Director of the Vermont Livable Wage Campaign, Noelle Mackay, Executive Director of the Vermont Forum on Sprawl.
  • Challenged the U.S. Corps. Of Engineers regarding affected wetlands,
  • Challenged the Water Resources Board on Storm Water Run-off.
  • Hosted speaker Bill McKibben at a fund raiser,
  • Appealed the decision of the Development Review Board of the Town of St. Albans in the Superior Court regarding conflicts of interest pertain to that Town granting a permit for the store. The courts will not address substantive issues until it has resolved the conflicts of interest.
  • Obtained party status before the District 6 Environment Board, and.
  • Become significantly more experienced at what we are doing than when you last contributed to our efforts.
  • Successfully argued that conflict of interest tainted the DRB hearings for the first Wal-Mart permit, forcing the Town to vacate the decision in order to avoid litigation (October 4, 2006).