After a court hearing, the McAdams won the right to do whatever they wanted--as is the perogative of anyone who lives in a $1.6 million Turtle Creek home, damn it (or, maybe, dam it). But the McAdams then took to court the 14 townsfolk complaining about their construction; the McAdams were "claiming discrimination because they were outsiders," reports the Free Press. As a result of the McAdams' decision to go after their critics, Vermont legislators have created new legislation that disallows folks from trying to restrict someone's...whatchacalit...right to free speech, since apparently the Constitution ain't enough. The new state law's awaiting action in the Vermont House. In the meantime, the McAdams have what I believe the Vermontians call a "damned dam." Oh, has no one seen the movie Funny Farm? To quote Chevy Chase, "We came to Redbud filled with hopes and dreams of a better life. And basically, we've seen those hopes and dreams crushed and battered before our very eyes." --Robert Wilonsky