NEWFANE — Vermonters who wish to ensure Vermont Yankee retires on schedule in March 2012 are mobilizing a citizen effort, kicked off by the “Positively Charged Music Festival,” an outdoor concert.
The event, on Saturday, Sept. 17 at Amazing Planet Farm and Justice Center, a solar-powered vegetable farm on 218 Williamsville Rd., will feature seven top bands from the three states - Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts - that are in the Vermont Yankee evacuation zone.
According to concert organizers BeyondVY.org and the Safe and Green Campaign, the attempt by the Louisiana-based owner of the plant, Entergy, to keep the reactor open defies both the will of the Vermont people as well as the company's own written promise, made in 2002, to respect Vermont's authority to determine its own energy future.
In April, Entergy sued Vermont in federal court to keep Vermont Yankee running for at least another 20 years.
“This is a blatant attempt by Entergy Nuclear of Louisiana to use the right-leaning federal court system to usurp Vermont law in order to keep operating beyond their license mandate,” says concert organizer and alternative energy activist Dan DeWalt of South Newfane.
DeWalt said musicians from around Vermont leapt at the chance to be a part of the all-volunteer effort.
DeWalt's own band, Simba, will be joined by High Fidelity with reggae master King I, The Eames Brothers Band, Clayton Sabine, Mo Ambesa, and Shokazoba.
Also performing will be Burlington's Pulse Prophets, whose reggae rhythms often touch upon subjects of social justice.
The Eames Brothers Band, a Montpelier-based blues outfit, will connect their central Vermont fan base to the issue of VY.
Simba, which formed more than 20 years ago to support an anti-nuclear power event, will gather their horns with triple drumming firepower to bring calypso, salsa, funk and ska into the musical mix.
Mo Ambesa, dedicated to raising fans' awareness about issues, will bring a unique mix of reggae, afro beat and hip hop to the concert.
Brattleboro singer/songwriter Clayton Sabine rounds out the local Vermont bands.
Hailing from New Hampshire, High Fidelity will feature the Trinidadian singer, Boston-based King I.
Shokozoba, from Northampton, Mass, is an afro-beat ensemble that doesn't shy away from singing about issues of the day.
Local vendors will provide food, and alternative energy nonprofits will be on hand with information and educational materials.
Organizers are asking festival-goers to donate $10 per person to offset costs, although no one will be turned away for lack of ability to pay.
Organizers are welcoming more volunteer help and encourage folks to contact them or to get more information about the festival by visiting www.ReplaceVY.org.