Solana Aguilar is the grand-prize winner of Brooks Memorial Library's “Spark a Reaction” teen reading contest.
Aguilar, who read for 17,233 minutes this summer, wins a $50 gift certificate from Everyone's Books in Brattleboro.
The other winners are Olivia Howe, who read 6,795 minutes; Emma Li, who read 5,461 minutes; Lucy Congleton, who read 3,592 minutes; and Grace Cunningham, who read nine books.
They also win gift certificates from Everyone's Books in Brattleboro.
Over the next several years, Meeting Waters YMCA leaders hope to train 5 percent of the adult population in its service area in the “Stewards of Children” child sexual abuse prevention workshop. The organization set off toward that goal on Wednesday, Sept. 17, in Bellows Falls. Stewards of Children...
Brattleboro Memorial Hospital is offering a free health education workshop series entitled, “Freedom to Choose: Basic Concepts and Principles,” beginning on Sept. 23. Co-sponsored by BMH, Grace Cottage, and the Brattleboro Retreat as part of Wellness in Windham, this new, interactive bimonthly health education series is designed to empower...
Award-winning Vermont author Katherine Paterson will consider the importance and many benefits of reading in a talk at Brooks Memorial Library on Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. Her talk, “Reading for the Life of the World,” part of the Vermont Humanities Council's First Wednesdays lecture series, is free and open to the public. Paterson has twice won both the Newbery Medal and the National Book Award. She received the 1998 Hans Christian Andersen Medal as well as the 2006 Astrid...
Sometime around 1950, and obviously before Scott and Helen Nearing deserted the Stratton Mountain environs before a repulsive - for them - ski area development, my mother, a former journalist, traipsed over from Landgrove to meet him. Whether the encounter was announced or not I have no memory; I suspect the latter. I (then 11 years or so of age) was in tow. I recall two episodes. Mr. Nearing encountered me leaning over a small pool he had made, within...
Youth Services is undertaking a renovation of its wall mural in Harmony Parking Lot by partnering with area artists this fall. The popular book motif will remain, rendered now as “a “visual library of artists' websites,” according to organizers. Youth Services' Karen Cribari and muralist Scot Borofsky shepherded this project through Brattleboro's approval process. Cribari explains each book in the mural will showcase the talents and website of a Windham County-based working visual artist. “Because we also want area youth...
What a defeatist piece laced with unbelievable negativity, lashing out at the very world the author claims “to live a meaningful life caring about the world [he] live[s] in.” I will agree that sometimes competition brings negative qualities in people to the front (“juicing” in baseball, for instance), but competition is a part of life. You apply for a job, you compete against other applicants for the position. Same with a promotion, trying to rent or buy a place to...
Windham Child Care Association and Vermont Birth to Three present “0-3 Brain Development, Part 1” with Scott Noyes on Saturday, Sept. 20, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at WCCA, 130 Birge St. Noyes, of Empowering Programs, is an award-winning author and educator who says he has been working, playing, writing, and talking about children for 30 years. He teaches a graduate-level course in challenging behaviors and an undergraduate course in positive discipline. Noyes' first book, “Positive Discipline – That...
Births In Brattleboro (Memorial Hospital), Aug. 29, 2014, a daughter, Athena Alivia Marshall, to Tamina and Scott Marshall of Brattleboro; granddaughter to Jennifer and Joe Muzur, and Kay and John Marshall. In Brattleboro (Memorial Hospital), Aug. 26, 2014, a son, Jacob Riley Louison Jr., to Samantha Lyn Mayer and Jacob Riley Louison of Bernardston, Mass.; grandson to Penny Weeks, John Gifford, Carol Buffum, and Raymond Squires. In Lebanon, N.H., (Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center), Aug. 24, 2014, a daughter, Alexandria Rae McAllister,
Kate Jellema, faculty chair from Marlboro College, is a panelist at the “Vermont Connected: Envisioning the Future of the Vermont Digital Economy” summit at the Vermont State House on Tuesday, Sept. 23. The event will highlight how digital tools are being used to foster community development and strengthen Vermont's economy. Speakers and attendees also will consider the role the Internet and other advances in technology can play in growing Vermont's economy. The keynote speaker is Julie Lenzer Kirk, director of...
Lions Club has new address for applications BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Area Lions Club has found it necessary to change its mailing address, effective immediately, due to the Austine School's closure. Club leaders said they were surprised to learn that mail forwarding is not available for this change, and they apologize for any inconvenience. Mail sent in the last few days regarding sight and hearing assistance or other business will likely be returned as undeliverable. Correspondence should now be mailed...
The Wellness in Windham Health Festival is set for Saturday, Sept. 20, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Brattleboro Retreat's front lawn. Visitors will enjoy health and wellness activities, fitness demonstrations, dancing, prizes, and giveaways. The festivities are free and sponsored by Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, the Brattleboro Retreat, and Grace Cottage Hospital. Demonstrations will be offered in pilates, Zumba, yoga, and boot camp. You'll learn about nutrition, mind-body techniques, and area services to help improve daily living. You can...
The Woodland Owners Association is holding its annual meeting at Jamaica State Park on Saturday, Sept. 20. All are welcome. The program features a slide show and field tour on Jamaica State Park's rich, 9,000-year history - dating to the time of Native Americans - led by University of Vermont archaeologist Geoff Mandel. Mandel notes a major dig in August 2010 unearthed a large campsite on the bank of the Salmon Hole. Registration begins at 9 a.m. Coffee, bagels, and...
Hilltop Montessori School, The Winston Prouty Center, Building Bright Futures, and Windham Childcare present an evening with parenting educator and nationally renowned author Bonnie Harris on Tuesday, Sept. 23, at 6 p.m., on the Hilltop Montessori School campus. The event is free and childcare and pizza for the children will be provided. Bonnie Harris is the director of Connective Parenting and has been a parenting specialist for 25 years. Parent educator, professional trainer, counselor, author, and international speaker, Harris is...
The West River Community Project (WRCP) in Townshend is one of 13 Vermont organizations that will share in more than $2.3 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture grants and loans aimed at creating jobs in rural Vermont. U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Krysta Harden announced the grants during a news conference at Burlington's Intervale Community Farm on Sept. 12. The funding will help small businesses, farmers, and forestry enterprises purchase essential equipment, gain access to affordable capital, and seek expert...
According to TheFix.com, a website dedicated to removing the stigma of addiction and mental-health matters, heroin's addictiveness “is the stuff of legend”: A full 23 percent of all those who try the drug become addicts. The opiate “affects opioid receptors throughout the body and mimics endorphins, reducing pain and causing pleasure,” the site says. “Areas of the brain involved in reward processing and learning are stocked with tons of these opioid receptors, so when you inject heroin, you are basically...
Still in his 50s, Billy Bragg has left an indelible mark on pop music. He unites several threads of post-war music on both sides of the Atlantic: the folk activism of Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and Bob Dylan; the anger-fueled, damn-it-all attitude of the Clash and the Jam; and the vaudevillian stylings of Lonnie Donegan, “the King of Skiffle.” And he has a big heart, one that's brought him to Bellows Falls twice before when he's performed at benefit concerts...
The Vermont Humanities Council presents “Vermont History Through Song” at Estey Organ Museum, 108 Birge St., on Sunday, Sept. 21, at 3 p.m. Singer Linda Radtke, with pianist Arthur Zorn, will bring Vermont history to life with engaging commentary on the songs found in the Vermont Historical Society's collection of sheet music. Music performed will range from the collection's earliest published song, “Green Mountain Farmer” (1798) to 1850 temperance ballads, Civil War-era songs, and songs about Vermonters Calvin Coolidge, Thomas...
Separately, Sandglass Theater in Putney and the Vermont Performance Lab (VPL) are well known for innovative productions that push the artistic envelope. So, what happens when they collaborate for the first time? The answer is bringing another artistic collaboration from New Orleans to Southern Vermont for a residency. Sandglass and VPL are teaming with a pair New Orleans theater companies, Mondo Bizarro and Artspot Productions, to present a very unusual theatrical performance, Cry You One. Originally performed in October of...
There is no pretty way to tell Jedediah Popp's story of humiliation, pain, and a shameless need, which led to his breaking the law, two brushes with death with overdoses, and incarceration before he was able to stay clean for very long. Today, Popp mentors recovering addicts at Turning Point of Windham County in Brattleboro in an medication-assisted treatment-specific support group he organized in response to the stigma drug addicts receive. He works each day on his recovery, and he...
In a one-night tour through several of pop music's historic high points, an eclectic revue of entertainment giants will take the stage at the Hooker-Dunham Theater. On Saturday, Sept. 20, beginning at 8 p.m., the beloved Main Street theater will feature a lineup offering something for every music lover: • Feelin' Groovy: Simon and Garfunkel reunited • Queen For a Day: Freddie Mercury, with a cameo by David Bowie • Miss Michael: King of Pop Michael Jackson flashing moves •
I thank everyone who took the time to vote on Primary Election Day. Whether you cast your vote for me or for one of the other strong candidates in the race, I am grateful for your engagement in the political process. Democracy only works when we fulfill our civic duties. I also want to express my gratitude to my supporters and all those who worked on my primary campaign. Running for office is a huge project. My success in the...
I'm going to talk a bit about marriage. If you haven't started rolling your eyes yet, just give me two minutes. Hang in there. My husband and I are entering our 10th year of marriage. It does not get easier. It's a little like the sand in the bottom of your shoes at the end of a beach day: persistent and sometimes annoying - and mostly, a lovely reminder of that great day at the beach. And then there's the...
At sundown on Wednesday, Sept. 24, Jewish people all over the world will welcome Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year 5775. Rosh Hashanah (translation: head of the year) begins a sacred period known as the Days of Awe, that culminates 10 days later on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, observed this year on October 4. The Days of Awe are marked by contemplation, introspection, confession, and prayer. Reflecting upon the past year, Jews around the world ask forgiveness from...
In the wee hours of Sept. 21, more than 400 Vermonters will take their seats on buses and in cars bound for New York City. Together with what's expected to be about 1,000 other Vermonters, they intend to send a unified message to world leaders at the United Nations: Climate change is here. The world needs action now. Organizers behind the People's Climate March bill the demonstration as a historic mobilization designed to deliver a definitive message that citizens want...
Our Place Drop In Center hopes to fill every seat at the Bellows Falls Opera House with a bag of groceries on Thursday, Sept. 25. Overflow the Opera House is the tagline for the event being coordinated by WKVT radio as a way to stock the shelves at Our Place with groceries and personal-care items, filling every one of the theater's 550 seats in the process. Volunteers will be on hand from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. so donors can...
As the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant prepares to enter its decommissioning phase at the end of this year, the state's advisory panel also enters a new phase. Last week, the state announced the names of those who will serve on its 19-member Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel (NDCAP). In addition to the state-level representatives, the panel also includes state delegates from Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and six citizens. The decommissioning panel replaces the seven-member Vermont State Nuclear Advisory Panel...
The Brattleboro Film Festival (BFF) and the Center for Digital Art in Brattleboro are seeking entries for the new Young Filmmakers Showcase that will premiere Nov. 7 in conjunction with the third annual Brattleboro Film Festival, which takes place Oct. 31 to Nov. 9 in downtown Brattleboro. Cash grants will be awarded to the top entrants in two categories - filmmakers under 18 and filmmakers 18-25 years of age. The free-to-the-public celebration of young talent will take place Friday, Nov.
If Philip Gilpin Jr. gets his way, filmmakers will soon brag about being invited to Windham County much as they do about the Cannes, Sundance, and Tribeca film festivals. Gilpin, executive director of the non-profit Independent Television and Film Festival (ITVFest) since 2012, has been involved from the start. Established in 2006 in Los Angeles, the annual festival celebrates its second consecutive showing in Dover, Sept. 26 to 28. Created by television producers Jenny and Adam Tesler “for and about...
After watching all of this violence in Ferguson, Mo., I have truly returned to my earlier years, when the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement were in full force. Watching the rioting reminded me of all the rioting that went on in the '60s, when I was still a child. I remember sitting in my mother's living room, in Connecticut, watching the news in disbelief as big German shepherd police dogs tried to chew up as many black folks...
Bellows Falls football coach Bob Lockerby has often said that the road to the Division II state championship always goes through Rice. The Green Knights are the defending champs and a perennial power in the division, so last Saturday's game at Hadley Field was a highly anticipated match-up between two unbeaten teams. BF played well, but Rice had too much speed for the Terriers, and the result was a 26-6 win for the Knights. Rice running back Anthony Phillip put...
To life. What a wonder to awaken each morning. Blue or gray, the sky's always around. And the sun. And whoever in whose eyes you're reflected, so you can see for yourself that yes, you're alive. And even better, that you're living. Today, as habit has it, I enjoyed my morning joe with Morning Joe. For those who aren't early-hour TV buffs, Morning Joe's a cable program that's on every weekday from 6 to 9 a.m. The hosts introduced Zosia...
For the sixth year, the 2014 Brattleboro-West Arts Open Studio Tour on Sept. 27-28 will offer the public a window on the creative process and an intimate look into the environments where art happens. New this year, BWA welcomes guest artists from outside the group to show their work on the tour. Fourteen artists will show their work and demonstrate their craft from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at 11 locations, many of them along the dirt roads...
Vermont forester, educator, and author Lynn Levine has just written a book for anyone interested in learning about nature. “Mammal Tracks and Scat: Life-Size Pocket Guide” ($14.95, Heartwood Press) is a year-round, waterproof guide with life-sized illustrations of both tracks and scat - yes, even the bear - that will fit in your pocket. Both track and scat sections are organized with original keys to help you determine the species of animal and gather evidence to discover the “story” at...