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The Federal Council of Bricklyn Enacts Six Month Moratorium on Permitting of New Data Centers

A gathering of LEGO figures resembling Vikings sitting at a round table with drinks and plates, facing an audience of other LEGO figures in a wooden hall, with a fire burning in the background. — Federal Council members ready for arrival of Council President at the Bricklyn Longhouse on Tuesday. Note that for meetings at the Longhouse members of the Council wear special attire, including Viking-era head gear and (for the men) long costumed beards. On the table are mugs of ale and Bricklyn-style donuts with flat centers. Photo by Bricklyn Eagle’s Ann Tiler Anderson, using assistance from GPT-4o AI.

A group of LEGO figures depicting a serious woman in a black suit with a red hairstyle and a Viking helmet, seated at a round table, flanked by two other LEGO figures wearing Viking helmets and green outfits. — Council President Hilma Plater-Zybrick arrives to call Tuesday’s meeting of the Federal Council to order. Photo by Bricklyn Eagle’s Ann Tiler Anderson, using GPT-4o AI.

A crowd estimated at about 200 people jammed into the Bricklyn Longhouse and into two large tents set up alongside the Longhouse and connected to it by video for the January 6th meeting of the Federal Council of the Realm of Bricklyn.

Various officials of the Realm of Bricklyn were also in attendance, including Federal Chancellor Malter Thurnbrick whose office would be charged with leading the data center study called for in the moratorium resolution.

Many of those supporting the proposed data center moratorium also decried the explosive growth in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) that has triggered the demand for large-scale dat centers. Data centers, in turn, were said to have significant adverse environmental and social impacts.

In contrast, those opposing the moratorium on new data centers feared that delay would severely damage the Realm’s economy, as businesses looked to move their operations to more “AI and data center friendly” locations. They also touted what they saw as many other benefits resulting from AI, especially in terms of health care and business efficiency, while downplaying the potentially negative environment impacts.

➤ Editor’s Note: so you can evaluate our own biases in reporting on AI and data centers, please see our statement “On the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence by The Bricklyn Eagle.”

Before taking up the data center moratorium resolution, the Federal Council addressed two other items: first, the Council heard a rare formal public apology; and second, Council President Plater-Zybrick read Chief Prognosticator’s response to the Council’s request for his comments on the moratorium resolution.

The Head of the Bricklyn Chamber of Commerce Offers Formal Public Apologies

Council President Hilma Plater-Zybrick gaveled the Council meeting to order, and called Chamber of Commerce head Tom Brickorti and Bricklyn Environmental Alliance leader Jenny Brickdeur to come to the front of the Longhouse and stand facing each other. so that Brickorti could make a public apology for the Chamber of Commerce’s unethical conduct towards the BEA.

Mr. Brickorti, draped in a long red scarf (symbolizing apologies), walked to the front of the Longhouse.

Two LEGO figurines stand near a small campfire, one wearing a red scarf and blue jacket, and the other in a green shirt, engaged in conversation. — Tom Brickorti apologizing to Jenny Brickdeur. Photo by Bricklyn Eagle staffer Ann Tiler Anderson, using GPT-4o AI.

As called for by Bricklyn custom, Brickorti donned the red ceremonial scarf worn by those making public apologies.

He then bowed first to the Council, then turned and bowed to the public, and finally made a half turn and bowed to Ms. Brickdeur who faced him across the Longhouse’s ceremonial flame.

Brickorti then offered his apology:

“On behalf of the Chamber of Commerce I stand here to apologize to the members of the Bricklyn Environmental Alliance, to the Federal Council, and to all Bricklynites for the actions one of our staff took in tricking the Alliance into printing and displaying throughout the Realm a poster they would not otherwise have used in their efforts to support the moratorium resolution. Our staffer has been fired, and on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce, I apologize for this act of chicanery. We will also compensate the Alliance for any additional costs they have borne as a result of what we have done.”
➤ For details on this incident, see the Bricklyn Eagle’s December 29, 2025 news story.

Ms. Brickdeur replied by accepting the red scarf tendered her by Mr. Brickorti and said: “On behalf of the Bricklyn Environmental Alliance, we accept your apology.”

Apparently, this was the first public apology session conducted at a Federal Council meeting since 2014 when two Councilors apologized for making threatening gestures and shouting at each other during a Federal Council meeting.

📍 For two other examples of public apologies, see these stories from Indianapolis and Los Angeles.

Council President Hilma Plater-Zybrick Reports on Correspondence from the Chief Prognosticator

Following a five minute recess, Council President Plater-Zybrick reclaimed her gavel. She then read into the record a brief statement from the Chief Prognosticator in response to the Council’s request for their advice on the moratorium resolution.
➤ See The Bricklyn Eagle’s Dec. 20, 2025 article for more on the Council’s request.

Statement of Chief Prognosticator David Bricks:

“In light of concerns some have raised about potential bias the Office of the Chief Prognosticator might have in commenting on a resolution that relates to the use of artificial intelligence, we have concluded that the Chief Prognosticator will not comment on the data center resolution before the Council. …

“We cannot indicate whether our Office uses, or does not use, any form of artificial intelligence in our work. …

“As provided in Section 3.7 of the Constitution of the Realm of Bricklyn: ‘The Office of the Chief Prognosticator’s data analysis and methodologies shall not be divulged to any members of the public, including members of the Federal Council or to any other officials in the Realm of Bricklyn. Only the Chief Prognosticator and his or her Deputies confirmed by the Federal Council shall have access to that Office’s data analysis and methodologies.’ “

Public Comments Offered on the Data Center Moratorium Resolution

A scene depicting Lego figures, including a monster, two boys holding a sign reading 'STOP AI: FRANKENSTEIN TECHNOLOGY,' with Viking figures in the background. — Echoes of Joni Mitchell’s song, “Shine.” Photo by Ann Tiler Anderson, with assistance of GPT-4o.

Some two dozen individuals and groups briefly spoke during the two hour set aside for public comment on the data center moratorium resolution.

Speaking on behalf of its over 300 members, Bricklyn Environmental Alliance Director Jenny Brickdeur told the Councilors that it was “essential that we take the time to learn about the consequences a massive data center might have on our environment and how we use our limited undeveloped lands.”

Brickdeur added, “we are not anti-business, in fact many of our members are small business owners. But we cannot put our environment at risk, and we cannot saddle Bricklyn ratepayers — including business ratepayers — with what are now the largely unknown energy costs that might result from the demands a large data center would place on the realm’s energy supplies and supporting infrastructure.”

➤ Further comments from Ms. Brickdeur and others supporting the resolution can be found in recent Letters to the Editor we have previously published.

A scene featuring two Lego figures in business attire, one holding a sign that reads 'AI WILL BUILD BRICKLYN'S FUTURE,' with Viking helmet decorations in the background. — Opposing the data center resolution. Photo by Ann Tiler Anderson, with assistance of GPT-4o.

In contrast, those opposing the resolution, led by Bricklyn Chamber of Commerce Director Tom Brickorti and Dunk Them Donuts CEO David Plater Broffman, stressed the risks that passing a two-year moratorium would have for Bricklyn’s business community.

As Brickorti noted, “we will be placed at an extreme competitive disadvantage with other Inland realms, several of which are already proceeding with the development of data centers.”

Dunk Them’s CEO Broffman, looking back at the overflow crowd assembled in the Longhouse, stood at the microphone and said, “As I have already noted in public remarks, the future of Dunk Them Donuts’ expansion in the Realm of Bricklyn, and especially in our Bricklyn Junction home, will be put at risk if this two-year moratorium is put in place.

A Lego figure wearing sunglasses and a red 'DUNK THEM' shirt holds a pink donut while standing at a table surrounded by other Lego figures dressed in Viking attire. — Dunk Them Donuts CEO addressing audience at the Federal Council’s Tuesday night meeting. Photo by Ann Tiler Anderson, with assistance of GPT-4o.

“As Mr. Brickorti just explained,” added Broffman, “we live in a highly competitive environment. I see many of our 800 employees here in the audience. They understand the stakes!

“I do not mean to be threatening, but simply want you on the Federal Council to understand the risks you are exposing our employees to by shutting off our company’s ability to expand our use of artificial intelligence and other technologies essential to business growth in the coming years.

➤ Further comments from those opposing the moratorium can be found in Letters to the Editor we have previously published.

Councilors Debate Resolution Calling for a Two-Year Moratorium on the Permitting of Large-Scale Data Centers

Following the conclusion of the public comment period, Council President Plater-Zybrick recognized Councilor Bob Senbrick to speak to the data center moratorium resolution he had introduced.

A Lego figure wearing a Viking helmet and glasses, dressed in a vest with a bow tie and flower, standing in front of a bookshelf. — Councilor Bob Senbrick before start of yesterday’s Federal Council meeting.. Photo by Eagle staffer Ann Tiler Anderson, using GPT-4o AI.

Nattily attired in his trademark bowtie, and vest with a pinned flower, Senbrick — the longest serving member of the Council — rose to speak.

“Why this resolution?” he began. “Because the simple truth is that Bricklyn is unprepared to deal with large-scale data center proposals that could have profound impacts on not just neighboring properties, but on the Realm as a whole.

“We need to ensure that our zoning and energy code regulations provide clear standards for data centers so that if they come, they will fit with our energy and land use policies, and be good neighbors.”

“I’m particularly concerned,” Senbrick continued, “with what we’ve heard today from the Bricklyn Environmental Alliance and others about the enormous demand data centers could place on the Realm’s energy infrastructure, and on our long-held policy of maximizing use of renewable energy sources including wind, solar, and hydro power.

“Whats more,” Senbrick concluded, “the energy demands being triggered by increasingly complex artificial intelligence programs and other technologies may well require construction of a nuclear reactor, something our Realm is quite unprepared to deal with. All the more reason we need the time that a moratorium will give us to plan more effectively.”

President Plater-Zybrick next recognized the youngest member of the Federal Council, South Burlington’s Jessica Tiler Jemison, who had seconded Senbrick’s resolution.

A smiling LEGO figure wearing a Viking helmet, sitting at a table with a mug and a plate, against a backdrop resembling a medieval tavern. — Councilor Jessica Tiler Jemison during yesterday’s Federal Council meeting. Photo by Bricklyn Eagle’s Ann Tiler Anderson, using GPT-4o AI.

Jemison noted that while she supported Senbrick’s resolution, she remained “troubled” by the rapid expansion in the use of artificial intelligence, which, she said, “is driving the call for massive data centers.”

“I have been assured by Councilor Senbrick,” added Jemison, “that the intent of his resolution is that the study to be undertaken will also examine the possible regulation of AI, as its use is obviously closely tied to the need for data centers.”

Is the Proposed Moratorium Legal?

Bricklyn Junction Councilor Mario B. Marconi next spoke against the resolution, noting the key role that Dunk Them Donuts plays in Bricklyn Junction, and its importance to the city’s economy. “This resolution, with its very lengthy moratorium, is reckless,” said Marconi. “While I respect Councilor Senbrick, I ask him to weigh the impacts his resolution could have on thousands of hard working Bricklynites, and consider withdrawing the resolution.”

Councilor Marconi also asked the Realm’s Chief Attorney, William Brickstone, to verify that the proposed moratorium would be upheld if challenged in court.

A Lego figure dressed in a suit holds a microphone and a document in a crowded assembly hall, with attendees seated in the background. — Bricklyn Chief Attorney William Brickstone addressing members of the Federal Council in the Bricklyn Longhouse last night. Photo by Bricklyn Eagle’s Ann Tiler Anderson, using GPT-4o AI.

Brickstone replied that though there is no direct Bricklyn law or judicial precedent involving land use moratoria, he was “confident the proposed moratorium would be upheld.”

Brickstone explained that “In the absence of Bricklyn law or relevant judicial rulings on a particular issue, Bricklyn’s Supreme Court has said it can take note of how the statutes and courts of the neighboring state of Vermont have addressed the same kind of issue.” See Henry Brickson v. Realm of Bricklyn, 27 Brick 322 (2013).

“For example,” said Brickstone, “while a two-year moratorium may be viewed by some as quite lengthy, or even reckless, it is clearly within the time frame Vermont law allows.” Citing [24 VT § 4415 ]. This form of “persuasive authority” would likely be cited by the Realm of Bricklyn Supreme Court.

Attorney Brickstone also cited a Vermont Supreme Court case [ In re Interim Bylaw, Waitsfield, VT, 170 Vt. 541 (1999) ] which upheld a moratorium that temporarily prohibited one and two-family dwellings in the Town of Waitsfield’s forest reserve zoning districts or on land above an elevation of 1,700 feet.

As Brickstone noted, “The Vermont Supreme Court found that the town’s moratorium reflected a legitimate municipal interest in resource protection, while also noting that the plaintiffs had not shown that the moratorium denied them all ‘economically beneficial’ use of their property, as other possible uses remained. The reasoning of this Vermont Supreme Court decision, “said Brickstone, “would very likely be given considerable weight by our own Court.”

Federal Council member Bill B. Butler — Federal Council Member from South Bricklyn and railroad engineer, Bill B. Butler, aka 3Bs. Photo from The Bricklyn Eagle archives.

Speaking next, South Bricklyn Councilor Bill B. Butler noted that “even though Councilor Senbrick’s proposed data center moratorium is likely legal, I nevertheless have “very mixed feelings about the moratorium proposal.”

As Butler explained, “I share many of the concerns expressed on both sides, and am looking to see if there’s some room for compromise.”

“Having said that,” Butler added, “I’d like to ask, Madame President, for a 15 minute recess.”

Council President Plater-Zybrick polled the Council, which unanimously agreed to Butler’s request.

A Compromise Takes Shape

Three LEGO figures stand in an indoor setting with wooden walls. One figure wears glasses, a green vest, and a horned helmet; another is dressed in a red outfit with a cowboy hat; and the third figure is in a brown outfit with a horned helmet. — Discussing Councilor Butler’s proposed amendment, from left to right Councilor Senbrick, Federal Chancellor Thurnbrick; and Councilor Jemison. Photo by Bricklyn Eagle’s Ann Tiler Anderson, using GPT-4o AI.:

During the break, the seven Councilors could be seen huddling in several small groups joined by Federal Chancellor Thurnbrick, Bricklyn Planning Director Tim Brickedy, Bricklyn Energy Department Director Joanna Brightbrick, along with the Environmental Alliance’s Jenny Brickdeur and the Chamber’s Tom Brickorti.

On returning to their seats after what had turned into an hour long recess, President Plater-Zybrick recognized Councilor Butler. The South Bricklyn Councilor turned to Bricklyn Councilor Senbrick and asked if Senbrick would agree to amend his resolution by shortening the duration of the moratorium from two years to six months, with a provision that by future vote of the Council this six month period could be extended by up to an additional three months.

Councilor Senbrick taking off his reading glasses, looked back at Butler and said that he would agree to this shortened time frame “out of a desire that the Federal Council speak with a unified voice on this important issue,” and “having received assurances from Chancellor Thurnbrick that his Office, with help from the Planning and Energy Departments, could complete the study called for in my resolution within the shortened six to nine month time frame.

After Councilor Jemison seconded the amended resolution, the Federal Council approved it by unanimous vote and adjourned the meeting.

Conversations Continue after Adjournment

In a sign of good will, Tom Brickorti and Jenny Brickdeur could be seen chatting amiably, while Council members and others milled in the Longhouse, though it was past eleven in the evening.

We were able to speak briefly with several of the Councilors. We spotted Councilors Senbrick and Butler standing arm in arm.

Two LEGO figures stand together in an indoor setting, one wearing sunglasses and a green vest while the other is dressed in a brown vest with a bow tie and a flower. — Councilors Butler and Senbrick after the meeting. Credit; Bricklyn Eagle’s Ann Tiler Anderson, using GPT-4o.

Councilor Senbrick told us he was “completely satisfied” with Butler’s proposal to shorten the moratorium. Senbrick also acknowledged that Chancellor Thurnbrick and his staff “will have a lot of work to do in putting together their report and recommendation in less than six months,” adding that “I’m keeping my fingers crossed no other major issues demand their attention in the months ahead.”

Councilor Butler nodded in agreement and said: “I was very glad that Bob was willing to agree to our shortening the moratorium’s duration. We were headed for a very divisive outcome, with not just a split vote on the Council, but with a deep split between two key constituencies, the business community and environmental advocates.

“I had been thinking,” Butler continued, “about offering an amendment to Bob’s resolution before the meeting, and briefly sounded out Bob and Hilma about it, but it was in hearing Tom Brickorti’s apology at the start of the meeting that drove home for me that we Bricklynites really need to keep each other’s best interests at heart, and I thought that shortening the length of the moratorium was one way of doing that, of course if Chancellor Thurnbrick also felt it could work.”

Two Lego minifigures engaged in conversation, one wearing a green outfit and cap, and the other dressed in a formal black suit. — Councilor Butler and Council President Plater-Zybrick speaking after the Council meeting concluded. Photo by Bricklyn Eagle’s Ann Tiler Anderson, using GPT-4o.

Council President Plater-Zybrick looked at Councilor Butler and added: “We Bricklynites know that it’s up to all of us to really listen to what those we may disagree with have to say. Like Bill, I came into the meeting with some mixed feelings.

“As the one at-large member of the Council,” she continued, “I especially want to respect the voices of all Bricklynite, wherever they live. I could hear the concern from those who live or work in Bricklyn Junction, including the many Dunk Them Donuts employees who came to the Council meeting.

“I was glad that Bob and all the members of the Council could come around to supporting Bill’s amendment to the resolution. It was a very important signal to send to all segments of the Bricklyn community.” ✥

Previously posted in The Bricklyn Eagle:

➤ 12.27.25: Data Center Moratorium Supporters & Opponents Mobilize Amidst Evidence of Poster Chicanery
➤ 12.20.25: Does the Office of the Chief Prognosticator Use ChatGPT or Other AI Programs?
➤ 12.16.25: Data Center Moratorium Resolution Introduced. Hearing Scheduled
➤ 12.01.25: Does a Moratorium on Data Centers Make Sense for Bricklyn?
➤ 11.28.25: Federal Council Member Calls for Two-Year Moratorium on New Data Centers

We welcome Letters to the Editor. Please email to: bricklynvt@gmail.com

To the Editor: Why is it that none of those wise men and women who sit on the Federal Council asked how much this in-depth study will cost? You’d think that would be one of the most important things to know. But not a word mentioned by our Councilors. Of course, we know who will be picking up the tab: we the Bricklyn taxpayers! — Ruth B. Raucous, Bricklyn, VT.

To the Editor: As one of your Vermont readers, I was intrigued by your practice of having “public apologies” made, at least occasionally, at your Federal Council meetings. We would need dozens upon dozens of such apologies from our President and his Cabinet members to even scratch the surface of their lies, misconduct, corruption, and plain nastiness. — Zev S., South Burlington, VT.

To the Editor: Hey, Walt, Bricklyn is certainly a stellar example of how to run a realm. I’m impressed by the apology tradition and by the willingness of Bricklynites to talk things out and compromise. I hate to admit it, but I’m mostly taken by the Viking hats and think the ladies should have them as well. Come to think of it, maybe even the beards too. … Well done, Bricklynites. –– Pat D., Burlington, VT.

Reply from the Editor: Dear Pat D. We appreciate your interest in both our apology tradition and the Viking style helmets that Federal Council members (male and female) wear during Council meetings held in the Longhouse. Our October 7, 2025 article on the history and use of the Bricklyn Longhouse included an explanation of the style of helmets used. We hope you and other readers take a look at that article. Have to say, however, that there is no tradition of female Councilors donning the beards that many male Councilors put on during meetings!

To the Editor: While I appreciate The Bricklyn Eagle’s solid news reporting, I wish you’d take an Editorial stand against AI and the data centers they require. Instead of improving our lives, they will be wreaking havoc with not just our environment, but with our our social cohesion. I agree with the words of Joni Mitchell mentioned in your article, saying we need to shine a light on our “Frankenstein” technologies.

Let me just add that several years ago our Federal Council dealt with a somewhat similar situation when it took the bold step of banning the operation of Facebrick, the Facebook subsidiary serving Bricklyn, because of the company’s neglect of legitimate privacy concerns and its monopolistic practices. I’m hoping that consideration of the growing impact of AI programs, and the need for their regulation, will be part of the study the Federal Council just authorized. — Martin Plater Nelson, South Bricklyn, VT.

Does a Moratorium on Data Centers Make Sense for Bricklyn?

➤ Note from the Editor: We have invited Professor Emerita Lisa Plater Larsen to provide her thoughts on the data center moratorium resolution soon to be considered by the Bricklyn Federal Council. See our prior reporting on the proposed resolution.

December 1, 2025
by Lisa Plater Larsen

A Lego figurine of a woman with gray hair and glasses, sitting at a desk, writing on a notepad. Next to her is a book titled 'Does Bricklyn Still Need a Mayor-King?' — Credit: Ann Tiler Anderson, with help from GPT-4o AI.

Lisa Plater Larsen is Professor Emerita of Political Science at Bricklyn University.

She is the author of Does Bricklyn Still Need a Mayor-King? (2025) and The Role of the League of Inland Cities in Shaping Trade Policy (2022). Both books are available from The Bricklyn University Press.

The Bricklyn Federal Council has been asked to enact a two-year moratorium on the approval of any new data center. Does such a pause make sense? — or is it simply a tactic being used by those who stand in the way of economic development or fear the spread of artificial intelligence technology?

Data centers present both opportunities and challenges for Bricklyn. They could meet the growing needs and opportunities of our realm’s businesses, with resulting economic benefits. Yet they would also need copious amounts of energy to operate (with resulting environmental impacts), as well as large tracts of land for the massive structures they require. Data centers have the potential to alter the character of our neighborhoods, as well as our treasured open spaces.

An aerial view of a large data center building surrounded by open land, with sunset lighting creating a warm glow in the background. — The Google Data Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa, in aerial photo taken on Feb. 18, 2017. The facility has since been expanded and is over 2.9 million square feet in size. It is staffed by 130 employees.
Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license

Data centers have also undergone changes in recent years, becoming larger and more focused on handling the boom in demand for artificial intelligence. As Microsoft has recently noted, “we have introduced a wave of purpose-built data centers and infrastructure investments we are making around the world to support the global adoption of cutting-edge AI workloads and cloud services.” See the photo below from the Microsoft post just linked to.

Aerial view of Microsoft's new AI datacenter campus in Mt Pleasant, Wisconsin, showcasing large buildings and numerous cooling units.

Mr. Burns & Waylon Smithers in nuclear power plant control room. — Photo of Waylon J. Smithers (left) and C. Montgomery Burns (right) in control room of Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. Along with David Plater Broffman, CEO of Dunk Them Donuts, they reached a secret agreement with Bricklyn Mayor-King Spiro Brickburger to construct a nuclear power plant in Bricklyn. Photo obtained by The Bricklyn Eagle; and developed with assistance of Dall E-3 AI.

The surfacing last year of a “secret” 2019 nuclear agreement — a document that tied the relocation of the Simpson family and friends to the construction of Bricklyn’s first nuclear power plant at the Fairgrounds and Riverside Park — has also understandably left many Bricklynites shaken
— not simply because the plant would have been located along a valued recreational stretch of the Brickooski River, but because so few in Bricklyn knew such a commitment had ever been made.

When government action touches our community in such a significant way, transparency is not optional, it is essential.

It is against this backdrop that the debate here in Bricklyn over a temporary moratorium on large-scale data center development has emerged. Though the two issues — nuclear power plants and data centers — differ in substance, they share a common thread: the need for thoughtful, fact-based policies that will better guide and inform decision-making.

Two Lego figures holding a sign that reads 'PAUSE DATA CENTERS?' in a grassy field.

A moratorium is not, as some suggest, a declaration of hostility toward the business community or toward progress. It is a pause — a civic deep breath you might call it — that will give the Federal Council the time to consider fundamental questions such as:

What energy sources and infrastructure would be required to support data centers, and who would pay for it?

What performance standards would best ensure that a new data center does not have adverse impacts on the environment or on nearby neighborhoods?

How would data centers relate to the realm’s long-term goals for the use of industrial parcels?

Would it be desirable, or even possible, to co-locate a new data center with a new nuclear power plant?

… and perhaps the most challenging question:

A lively office scene featuring LEGO characters at work, with two characters holding coffee cups, one character engaging with a computer, and a doughnut on the table. — ChatGPT’s offices in Bricklyn. Photo by Ann Tiler Anderson, with assistance from Dall E-3 AI.

Do we desire to impose any limitations on the use of artificial intelligence technologies — and what impacts would such limitations have?

A short-term moratorium can provide us with the opportunity to focus on these and other questions, and allow the Federal Council to develop policies based on sound information and input from all interested Bricklynites.

Yes, a moratorium will result in delay. But it will be a pause that gives us the chance to refresh how we deal with controversial new technologies — foremost among them artificial intelligence — before making commitments we may long regret. ✥

A colorful cartoon-style illustration depicting the head of an eagle made from building blocks, with a blue background and various colored circular pieces underneath.

We welcome Letters to the Editor. Please email to: bricklynvt@gmail.com

To the Editor: Hello, Walt — couldn’t agree more that important questions need to be investigated and answered before the building of a gynormous modern day power plant. I grew up in a place and lived as a young adult in a place filled with chemical and other factories. One day, the stench was so bad that we called the plant most likely to be the culprit and asked what the hell were they making there. Rates of cancer in industrial hubs were unacceptably high.

Yes, jobs did disappear as many factories went elsewhere, but I don’t think government made much of an effort to be of service. So …. go slow with these modern day power monoliths and study the impact they will have on humans, the environment, sound levels, etc. As detailed in the article, questions about impact abound and must be explored as well as others that may arise as the studies continue. — Pat D., Burlington, VT.

To the Editor: Professor Larsen appears to want to leave Bricklyn in the dust, falling far behind other Inland communities in advancing artificial intelligence. Given the pace of developments with this technology, a delay of two years while Bricklyn officials try to sort things out is really the equivalent of what two decades used to be. Let’s get a data center built and then learn as we go. — Kevin B. Campbell, Bricklyn, VT.

To the Editor: I have a message for Bricklyn elected officials that many Bricklynites share: WE DON’T WANT A GIANT DATA CENTER AND WE DON’T WANT ANY MORE AI !! — Ellen B. Richardson, Bricklyn Jct., VT.

To the Editor: Artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics are going to have a profound and transformative impact on our country and the entire world. The question is not whether these technologies will advance. They will. The question is: Who will control this technology? Who will benefit from it? And who will be left behind?

Let me be clear: If we do not act, AI, automation and robotics could be devastating for the working class. Last month, I released a report showing that these technologies could replace nearly 100 million jobs in America over the next decade . …

Here is the bottom line: AI and robotics are revolutionary and transformative technologies. They must benefit all of us, not just a handful of billionaires. We do not simply need a more “efficient” society — we need a more just, humane and democratic society where people live healthier, happier and more fulfilling lives. — U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, Burlington, VT.
— Above comments excerpted from email received by Outland Liaison to Bricklyn, Wayne Senville, from Senator Sanders.

The Drury Brick Company: Gone from Vermont, but Still Cranking Out Bricks in Bricklyn

➤ See also our related article: Bricklyn Celebrates 150th Anniversary of Drury Bricks

November 16, 2025

by Winifred Tiler Jackson

The manufacture of bricks in northwestern Vermont has a long history, and the Drury Brick Company has been at the heart of it, providing bricks for hundreds of buildings.

As local historian Bob Blanchard has noted: “Drury bricks are to be found everywhere in the Burlington area. … In the late 1880s and early 1900s, local demand for brick was nearly insatiable. …

Historic postcard of the Carnegie Library in Burlington, Vermont, showcasing its brick architecture and prominent front entrance. — The Fletcher Free Library’s Carnegie building in Burlington, Vermont, was built in 1904 with Drury manufactured bricks. Andrew Carnegie donated $50,000 for its construction

“The Drury brickyard was the biggest in the state, producing enough bricks not just for local consumption, but also distributing them to neighboring states. …

“Founded in 1867, it was also the last active brickyard in Vermont when it closed in 1971. [Drury’s] ability to hang on until 1971 is quite remarkable given their by then antiquated facilities. But modern, more efficient brick producers, mainly in the south proved too much to contend with … .” From “Burlington Area History. Facebook, [search “brick making” for several posts by Bob Blanchard and comments].

Turning to Brickmaking in Bricklyn

What is little known to most Vermonters is that the Drury Brick Company also built a LEGO-scaled brickmaking complex in Bricklyn.

➤ Lego-scale: All of the buildings in the Realm of Bricklyn, including the Drury brickmaking facilities, were built at 1:45 scale, when compared to Outland (human-scaled) buildings. In other words, a 45 foot high building in Burlington, Vermont, would be one foot high in Bricklyn.

This LEGO-scaled brickmaking facility continues to this day, using clay from deposits along the Brickooski River (known to Vermonters as the Winooski River) for the manufacture of bricks.

A LEGO scene depicting men working at a brickyard, with some digging clay from a hill, others transporting it in wheelbarrows, and a barge named 'ms DRURY VT' on the river. — Drury’s operations still include a barge used for the transport of clay from sites along the Brickooski River to the brickyard.
All photos of Drury operations in Bricklyn, VT, from archives of Bricklyn Historical Society, with assistance from GPT-4o AI.

Opened in 1875, Drury Bricks’ Bricklyn brickyard remains fully operational. It includes kilns, drying racks, and other accoutrements needed for turning clay into bricks; as well as for storing and then transporting the bricks to customers’ building sites.

This Bricklyn brickmaking complex, though barely known in the Outland world, is renowned among Inland cities.

Drury-made bricks became ubiquitous in Bricklyn during the boom years of the late 19th and early 20th century when the city’s population was rapidly growing.

A LEGO scene depicting a brickyard with a wooden shed, piles of brown bricks, and miniature figures dressed in early 20th-century work attire, labeled 'DRURY BRICKS BRICKLYN, VT'. — **1923 photos from Bricklyn Historical Society, with assistance from GPT 4.o AI.**

Two LEGO figures in front of a brick kiln, one holding a shovel and the other carrying a tray of bricks, with a brick building in the background. — **1923 photos from Bricklyn Historical Society, with assistance from GPT 4.o AI.**

Many Bricklyn buildings have been built with Drury-made bricks:

A colorful LEGO scene depicting a clean-up event titled 'Clean Day Bricklyn' in front of a red school building. Various LEGO figures are engaged in cleaning activities, holding mops, buckets, and brushes, creating a lively atmosphere. — Above: a relatively recent use of Drury bricks can be found in the Red Brick Middle School on South Street in Bricklyn — built in 2007. In this 2025 photo, students are participating in Clean Day Bricklyn. credit: Bricklyn Eagle photographer Ann Tiler Anderson, with assistance from Dall E-3 AI.

A detailed LEGO model of a street scene featuring a bakery with a sign displaying the French flag. Two LEGO figures, a chef holding a pastry and a customer, are conversing in front of the storefront. The scene includes colorful buildings and a red and white striped road. — The Southwest Corner building in Bricklyn. Credit: Bricklyn Eagle photographer Ann Tiler Anderson.

Many downtown Bricklyn buildings, such as the Southwest Corner Building (above), make use of a pleasing buff or cream colored brick. The brick draws on clay deposits found along a portion of the Brickooski River that are low in iron and high in lime, yielding its cream color.

In 1972, the Drury Brick Company sold its Bricklyn site and facilities to a group headed by Lester Tiler Broffman (father of Dunk Them Donuts’ current CEO David Tiler Broffman), and was renamed “Drury Bricks.”

At the time, in gratitude for saving the jobs of hundreds of brick workers, there was even an effort to rename Bricklyn “Druryville.” This idea did not take hold, as many thought that name sounded too similar to “Drearyville.”

A colorful scene featuring LEGO figures seated at a table in a café called 'Dunk Them Bricks,' enjoying hot beverages and donuts, with a brick wall backdrop. — Photo by Ann Tiler Anderson, with assistance from GPT-4o AI.

In 2021, Drury Bricks became a wholly owned subsidiary of Dunk Them Donuts.

With this corporate takeover, one local wag took to calling the brickmaking operation “Dunk Them Bricks,” a moniker which caught on and is even displayed on the walls of several Dunk Them Donuts outlets.

The donut chain has gone so far as to create a line of donuts in the shape of bricks — great for dunking in a hot mug of coffee.

Dunk Them Donuts recently funded the installation of a genuine, human-scale Drury Brick in an open space next to the Bricklyn railyard. It honors a century and a half of brickmaking in the Realm of Bricklyn. For more details, see “Bricklyn Celebrates 150th Anniversary of Drury Bricks.”

A LEGO-themed scene depicting workers at 'Drury Bricks' in Bricklyn, VT, featuring four characters in blue overalls, hard hats, and a work environment with machinery and a sign. — Drury Bricks has continued to modernize its Bricklyn brick fabrication plant. credit: Bricklyn Eagle photographer Ann Tiler Anderson, with assistance from GPT-4o AI.

Dunk Them Donuts CEO David Tiler Broffman told us that “Drury Bricks continues to be a valuable member of the Dunk Them Donuts family. Bricks, like donuts, are an integral and time-honored part of the Realm of Bricklyn’s economy. …

“As long as there are ample clay deposits in the Brickooski River, and we are certain there will be for decades to come, Drury Bricks will remain one of the Realm’s economic engines.” (D. Broffman, personal communication, November 3, 2025).

Two other much smaller “specialty” brick makers also continue to thrive in Bricklyn, and provide important services for the end users of bricks.

“My Colored Brick” focuses on the production of bricks having a range of colors. Coloring is usually accomplished by either adding colorant oxides or dyes to the clay mixture before it is fired or set, or by changes in the oxygen level during firing. For example, low oxygen “reduction firing” is often used to create blue colored bricks. Producing bricks in a variety of colors is both an art and a science. 📍See also “What determines the colour of a brick?” and “Influences on Colour“.

A colorful LEGO street scene featuring a detailed building with flower decorations, signs, and mini-figures on the sidewalk.

Distinctive blue, green, and even violet colored brick buildings can be found in downtown Bricklyn. Above is a view along Lower North Street.
Credit: Bricklyn Eagle staff photographer Ann Tiler Anderson.

The “Matching Bricks Company” has a different, but equally important, role. It produces replacement bricks for buildings with damaged or defaced bricks. These bricks are made to closely match the color, grain (surface texture), and general condition of undamaged bricks from the involved building

A group of Lego figures holding protest signs that read 'Support the IUBM', 'Higher Wages', and 'Childcare!', standing in front of a brick building. — Credit: Paul Macro of The Bricklyn Eagle, with assistance of GPT-4o AI.

All told, the brick manufacturing sector provides some four hundred good paying jobs for Bricklynites. To this one can also add dozens of skilled brick masons and brick layers working for contractors or independently.

While we do not have room today to cover the role of the Inland Union of Bricklayers & Masons (IUBM) in organizing for workers’ rights, and the impact of the 2023 strike by the IUBM against Dunk Them Donuts and its Drury Bricks subsidiary, we would refer you to the entry about the IUBM in the online Bricklyn Glossary. ✥

W.T. Jackson’s Suggestions for Viewing on YouTube:

How Bricks Are Made, by Insider, offers a short five minute overview of the brickmaking process (note that in Bricklyn, clay is typically used, not shale as shown in this video, though occasionally shale is mixed in with the clay).

Inside Japan’s Oldest Brick Factory: How Red Bricks Are Made, by
Japanese craftsmanship -Kodawari, takes a look at the production of beautiful red bricks in the Okada Brick Factory, which opened in 1897. The video covers the key steps in the process: clay being dug; refined; and molded into bricks, and then the bricks being cut; dried; stacked; fired; and finally packaged for shipment. Don’t miss the views of an 1898 building built with Okada bricks (at 17:37 in the video). Also, be sure you have captions visible to read the descriptions of what you’re viewing.

The Nile Series: Brick-making tradition lives through centuries, by CGTN Africa, looks at bricks still made in Egypt using methods that are thousands of years old — molding mud from the Nile River, then adding straw and manure before baking the bricks. Truly fascinating. If you want more on Egyptian brickmaking, see “DIG IN! Authentic Brick Making in Egypt,” by Appian Media.

Colorful LEGO-style eagle head graphic with large eyes and a beak, surrounded by circular LEGO pieces of various colors.

We welcome Letters to the Editor. Please email to: bricklynvt@gmail.com

A black-and-white newspaper page titled 'THICK AS A BRICK,' featuring an article about a disqualification decision involving a young prizewinner. The page includes images of several individuals near the article, which discusses protests and controversies related to a performance.

To the Editor: Wow! W.T. Jackson really went to town in writing this. But I have to ask, can I just enjoy seeing our wonderful brick buildings without understanding their chemistry? Because when it comes to trying to understand the science of brick making or of producing colored bricks, I have to admit that I’m just what this Jethro Tull album of mine says, Thick As A Brick! — Tommy T. Brickface, Bricklyn, VT.

Close-up of a LEGO car with a minifigure wearing sunglasses in the driver's seat, surrounded by other toy vehicles and a detailed road setting.

To the Editor: I’m in Mr. Arnold’s English composition class at Bricklyn High School this year. As one of our assignments we need to write about something being reported on in your newspaper. So I read Ms. Jackson’s article (btw, I haven’t had her yet for history).

What I want to write about is why Dunk Them Donuts was interested enough in buying Drury Bricks. I thought making donuts was their claim to fame. So what’s with their interest in bricks? I’m going to try to corner Mr. Broffman about that. He’s the GOAT of business. Side note: often see him rolling through town in his black roadster. Here’s a shot I took of him a couple of months ago! — Turbo B. Turtle, South Bricklyn, VT.

To the Editor: As a resident of Burlington, Vermont, I have to say we’ve also benefitted immensely from our brick heritage. I’m glad to hear that Drury Bricks lives on — albeit in a greatly reduced size — in Bricklyn. One problem that does plague our brick buildings is the spread of graffiti. It not only destroys the beauty of our built environment, but is often time-consuming and costly to remove. Solutions seem hard to come by. The photos in your article seem to indicate that Bricklyn is graffiti-free. Very much hope that’s actually the case. — Stanley M., Burlington, VT.

Reply from the Editor: Thank you for your comment. Yes, Bricklyn is, and has always been, graffiti-free. As far as we’re aware that’s also true of other Inland realms. It’s an interesting question why that’s the case, which may well involve deeper questions of Outlander versus Inlander psychology. Perhaps one of our reporters can address this in a future Bricklyn Eagle article.