function load(vlat, vlng, vzoom, maptype) {

  function displayEnts(data){
      var xmlDoc = GXml.parse(data);
      // extract an array of markers
      var markers = xmlDoc.documentElement.getElementsByTagName("marker");
          
      // reset the side_bar
      side_bar_html = '';
          
      for (var i = 0; i < markers.length; i++) {
        // obtain the attribues of each marker
        var lat = parseFloat(markers[i].getAttribute("lat"));
        var lng = parseFloat(markers[i].getAttribute("lng"));
        var maxzoom = parseFloat(markers[i].getAttribute("maxzoom"));
        var minzoom = parseFloat(markers[i].getAttribute("minzoom"));
        var html = markers[i].getAttribute("html");
        var label = markers[i].getAttribute("label");
        // create the marker
        side_bar_html += "<b>" + label + "</b> Lat: " + lat + " Lng: " + lng + " Max Zoom: " + maxzoom + " Min Zoom: " + minzoom +"<br/>" + html + "<br/>";
      }
      // put the assembled side_bar_html contents into the side_bar div
      document.getElementById("side_bar").innerHTML = side_bar_html;
  }
  GDownloadUrl("listents.py", displayEnts)
}