On a sunny afternoon in late May, Vermont Public held a community picnic in St. Albans’ Taylor Park. It was a chance for the community to come together, eat food, listen to music, and chat with Vermont Public reporters and producers about their community and the issues that matter most to them in the 2024 elections. It's part of our Citizens Agenda approach to the elections.
The community picnic featured a panel discussion about the economic challenges and opportunities in Franklin County. It was moderated by Vermont Public’s Mitch Wertleib, the host of the daily Frequency podcast and the weekly TV show Vermont This Week. The panelists were:
- Elisabeth Nance, who until recently was the economic development coordinator for the Franklin County Industrial Development Corporation. She was also Swanton’s first economic development coordinator
- Rep. Mike McCarthy, a Democrat representing Franklin County, a former small business owner, and the past chair of the St. Albans Downtown Board and the St. Albans city council
- Kelley Viens, the recreation director for the St. Albans Recreation Department
- Heather Darby, a University Vermont professor of agronomy and soils who works closely with farmers throughout Franklin County
- Jason Gagne, the owner and operator of Gagne Maple, a 30-thousand tap maple farm in Highgate, and the vice president of the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association
Broadcast live on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.
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