In recognition of November as National Novel Writing Month, Rockingham Library offers two writing opportunities.
On Saturday, Nov. 8, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., a “Write-in” session for adults will be held in the Third Floor Meeting Room.
Take this opportunity to work in a quiet setting for a sustained two-hour writing period with like-minded souls. Sit by a window. Bring your own cushion or yoga mat. Spread your work out on one of the large tables. Use your own laptop or the library's supply of paper and pencils. Leave your worries at the door and don't forget to bring your imagination.
Make time Nov. 10, 17, and 24, from 5 to 6 p.m., when writer Elayne Clift leads a series of writing workshops for teens aged 14 and up.
The Blanche Moyse Chorale, an affiliate of Brattleboro Music Center, is scheduling auditions for new members in all vocal sections. Auditioners should be experienced in choral singing, capable of learning music independently, and not intimidated by foreign languages. The Chorale, founded in 1978, is a chamber chorus of about...
The Brattleboro Community Thanksgiving Dinner will hold its 11th annual celebration at the Robert H. Gibson River Garden at 157 Main St. on Thursday, Nov. 27, from noon to 5 p.m. This dinner - free for the whole community - will be served buffet-style. For more than 35 years,
The University of Vermont (UVM) Extension Office in Brattleboro has relocated to the site of the former Austine School and Vermont Center for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing. The new office is at 130 Austine Dr., Suite 300, on the third floor of Holton Hall, the school's first building. The phone number is 802-257-7967 or 800-278-5480 (toll-free in Vermont). Office hours are weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The newly renovated space features state-of-the-art technology and meeting space for workshops,
A November film series sponsored by Putney Friends Meeting begins on Thursday, Nov. 6, at Next Stage, 15 Kimball Hill, to benefit the Putney Foodshelf and homeless shelter. The series begins with “A Song of Love,” a documentary about the life and work of Pete Seeger. On Nov. 13 catch “The Dhamma Brothers” (2008), a documentary about the William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility - an overcrowded, violent maximum-security prison, the end of the line in Alabama's prison system - and...
The 36th annual Putney Craft Tour slated for Thanksgiving weekend is not only an official Vermont Chamber of Commerce top-10 winter event, it's also helping to fight hunger in the community. The tour is partnering with the Putney Foodshelf by using art to help provide food for those in need. Each studio on the Putney Craft Tour will showcase an object for sale, with the proceeds going to the Foodshelf. According to Nancy Calicchio, an artist on the tour who...
Next Stage Arts Project presents the launch of Green Writers Press' newest publication, “Contemporary Vermont Fiction: An Anthology,” on Sunday, Nov. 9, at 5 p.m. at Next Stage, 15 Kimball Hill. Several of the project's contributing authors will be on hand to read: Laurie Alberts, Peter Gould, Suzanne Kingsbury, Ellen Lesser, Robin MacArthur, and Howard Frank Mosher. Also on tap: live music by Red Heart the Ticker, a book signing, and cake and other refreshments. This launch event is a...
The Leland & Gray Players have been named the sole secondary school recipient of the 2014 Moss Hart Award. Meanwhile, the Players open their current season with a 65-member cast in “The Wizard of Oz” on Nov. 13. Presented annually at the New England Theatre Conference (NETC), the Moss Hart Award honors outstanding productions in four different categories from around New England. Moss Hart (1904-1961) was a renowned dramatist and director who made major contributions to Broadway in its Golden...
House Blend, a self-led a cappella chorus dedicated to the music of many cultures and traditions, invites you to a concert on Saturday, Nov. 15, at 7:30 p.m. at Westminster West Church. The concert includes an arrangement of “Viva la Quince Brigada,” a favorite of Pete Seeger. Other pieces come from Brazil, South Africa, and New Zealand. The group, based in Saxtons River, says it is committed to sharing the joy of its music with its audience - and to...
Hospice hosts Day of the Dead celebration BRATTLEBORO - On Friday, Nov. 7, Brattleboro Area Hospice holds its annual Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration at the Latchis 4 Gallery, from 5 to 7 p.m. Dia de los Muertos is a Latin American holiday to honor loved ones who have died. Stop by to leave a photocopied picture of a loved one or write a memorial note to place on the community altar. The gallery will also...
Kevin O'Keefe well describes the all-pervasive use of video (digital technology) via the Internet to capture, instantly disseminate, and record for history any events deemed worth recording by someone, anyone. He ends the letter by adapting Descartes' famous philosophical proposition “I think, therefore I am” to “I saw the video, therefore it happened.” Well, not quite. O'Keefe also observes that “we were introduced to the idea that Big Brother (a benevolent government) was watching us” in George Orwell's prescient novel...
Saxtons River is throwing a party to celebrate its receipt of an EPA grant for its park project with an open house Thursday, Nov. 6, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Saxtons River Inn. Residents and friends will gather to recognize the awarding of $275,500 by the Environmental Protection Agency to help fund the cleanup and development of a park in the center of the village at the site of a former gas station. The inn will supply a cash...
November's exhibit in the Gallery at the Garden (Robert H. Gibson River Garden, 157 Main St.) features works by painter and set designer Clay Coyle in a show titled “Fresh Paint: Reflections of Color in Landscapes and Trees.” Concurrently, the River Garden, home of Strolling of the Heifers, will host an exhibit of historical materials from the archives of Kurn Hattin Homes for Children, the Westminster residential school for children deemed at-risk or in need. A public reception will be...
On Oct. 27 in Montpelier, 64 people were arrested for non-violent civil disobedience at Gov. Peter Shumlin's office. They were protesting his support for a fracked-gas pipeline in Vermont. The protest was organized by 350.org and other groups. These activists deserve our thanks for their work to save the natural environment on which all life depends.
“Stephen Greene's Lions of Italy,” an exhibit of black-and-white photographs by the late West Dover bookseller and publisher Stephen Greene, will be displayed this month at Dover Free Library in West Dover. Greene is fondly remembered by many in the area for having founded, with his wife, Janet, the Book Cellar bookstore in Brattleboro in the late 1950s and The Stephen Greene Press. He would have turned 100 this December. Photographing Italy's stone lions from antiquity was a passion for...
Tom Buchanan's excellent piece is a good history of recent U.S. wars that never foresees a future ending. He states, “This year alone, the United States will funnel more than $600 billion to our military.” That figure is, in actuality, what is commonly advertised and well-known as the U.S. military budget, but it is very deceptive and does not in any way reflect the true cost of U.S. war-making. Through the decades, the U.S. government has juggled categories and financial...
Windham & Windsor Housing Trust (WWHT) is bringing Mavis Staples and her band to the Bellows Falls Opera House on Nov. 7 at 7:30 p.m. At 75, this Grammy Award-winning, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame singer has been going strong for six decades. She's been described as the solid rock of American music. From the Delta-inflected gospel sound to her series of soul anthems, Staples and her band have been performing around the world, dipping into the wider world...
I personally know Jedediah Popp, and I have to say how proud I am of him for speaking out for us addicts in recovery. It is so hard for us who go to the clinic for medically-assisted treatment with the stigma that is placed on us all. I have been sober for almost three years at this time, yet I get the constant condescending looks and hurtful banter that I am not in fact sober because I go to the...
Jim Smith has an extremely good point: Why would a feloniously inclined person submit to a background check? What we need are vigilant gun owners who will not allow their guns to ever come into the possession of such a person. The way to do this - quite in keeping with the NRA's interpretation of the Second Amendment - is to make the first purchaser of a firearm responsible for its use until his or her death. He or she...
I live deep in the woods on a dead-end country road, and I have a pistol and a rifle. I grew up here, and it is still remote. Guns help ward off bears, which have actually entered my home. It also is a nice security measure, since police help is 20 minutes away at the least. I distinctly remember my father answering the door with a loaded rifle within arm's reach when two drunk men showed up one evening. They...
With hundreds of guns available at any time for easy purchase via websites like Armslist and Facebook, no check required, it's no wonder Vermont is such a desirable destination for criminals who acquire guns cheaply or in exchange for drugs. Background checks not only achieve the reductions in domestic violence fatalities, trafficking, suicide, and law-enforcement homicides, but they also enable sellers to sell their guns with the peace of mind that comes from knowing that the buyer is legally permitted...
David Holzapfel taught my daughter when she attended Marlboro Elementary School. As an African-American student among mostly white classmates, she often felt marginalized. David did an outstanding job of helping my daughter learn more about her heritage. He took her to the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem on the class's research trip to New York City so she could research her report on the Harlem Renaissance. It really meant a lot to her, and to me.
On Saturday, Nov. 8, Sounds True recording artist Yofiyah brings her Kabbalah Kirtan ensemble to the Vermont Jazz Center at the Cotton Mill. Kabbalah Kirtan is a unique fusion of Jewish, Middle Eastern, and Indian melodies with audience participation via call-and-response singing, along with instrumental accompaniment. “Kabbalah Kirtan brings a musical experience that joyously celebrates 'da'at d'vekut,' or union with the oneness of all.” explains Yofiyah. In advance materials, organizers noted that “Revered Rabbi Zalman M. Schachter-Shalomi [has] called Yofiyah...
Following up on Elayne Clift's call for common-sense measures to reduce the amount of gun violence in Vermont, I urge all of us to contact our legislators to support passing a law that would expand and implement background checks when a firearm is sold in Vermont. The check would determine whether the purchaser is a dangerous felon, has a restraining order pending against him or her, or has been determined by a court to be a danger to him- or...
Burton Car Wash, with nearly 3,000 other car wash locations across the nation, will provide free, top-of-the-line car washes to veterans and current military service personnel on Tuesday, Nov. 11, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The washes - part of the Grace For Vets Free Wash Program - will be given rain or shine at both Burton locations: 201 Canal St. and 873 Putney Rd. The washes are given to honor and recognize those who have served and are...
With the drama of the 2015 budget process still ringing in many ears here, there was on Tuesday a sneak peek at the town's thinking on the 2016 general fund budget. Interim Town Manager Patrick Moreland detailed at the Selectboard meeting on Nov. 4 budgets that assume a continuation of the same level of service as with FY15 and show an overall expense at or below that of its previous year. With a bit of modification, he said, he can...
Police Chief Michael Fitzpatrick said he will seek support from the Selectboard to add three officers to his department, which is staffed with 27 sworn officers to cover three shifts, seven days a week, with a minimum staffing of three officers on at all times. Speaking at the Selectboard's request for a general personnel update at the board's Nov. 4 meeting, Fitzpatrick said routine attrition created the gap in headcount and that he was paying overtime to assure public safety.
Jeff Potter, moderator: I would like to have all four of you give us a brief overview of who you are and, essentially, where you fit into this large jigsaw puzzle of the problem that we're discussing. Mickey Wiles: Burlington Labs is a clinical toxicology drug testing lab. Our tagline is “We understand treatment.” We really understand what substance abuse is about, the compassion that's needed, that it is a disease, and that anybody can be treated and get better...
Eight members of the Brattleboro hub of the Vermont Watercolor Society (VWS) will show their work through the end of December in gallery spaces at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church. The artists are Carolyn Allbee, Maisie Crowther, Nancy DiMauro, John Dimick, Lynn Hoeft, Marlene Kramer, Molly Martin, and Cath Stockbridge. The local group meets regularly to plan exhibits and discuss and encourage individual style and mastery of this challenging medium. They also participate in statewide juried shows with other VWS...
College news • Mary Donald, an International Relations major from Grafton, has been awarded the Dean's Award for academic excellence by Colgate University for the spring 2014 semester. Transitions • Jen Ogden has been promoted to Member Service Representative at River Valley Credit Union's main office in Brattleboro. She will be responsible for signing up new members and opening specific accounts for existing members. The Brattleboro native started as a teller at the credit union in 2012 after 10 years...
Another year. Another undefeated season. Another state championship. Twin Valley kept its remarkable run of excellence going as the top-seeded Wildcats blanked previously unbeaten Sharon Academy, 2-0, to win its second straight Division IV championship last Saturday at Whitcomb High School in Bethel. It was the 34th win in a row for the Wildcats, and it was the 36th career shutout for Wildcats senior goalkeeper Sam Molner. Twin Valley kept its date with history by defeating No. 4 Craftsbury, 3-0,
Although the Vermont folk-based duo Hungrytown live in West Townshend, Rebecca Hall and Ken Anderson have been so busy touring the United States, Canada, and Europe, that they could hardly find any time to spend at home. This month, however, Hungrytown seems to be everywhere in Vermont. The band peformed only last week at the Brattleboro Film Festival for the screening of “Winding Stream,” a documentary about the American roots music dynasty, The Carter Family. And the band will join...
Five composers from the sixth grade at The Grammar School, working with their teacher, Alli Lubin, are entered in Music-COMP's Opus 29 competition. The Grammar School has participated in Music-COMP and the bi-annual Opus Competitions for the past 13 years. In that time, 31 TGS students have had their pieces selected to be played in a live concert by professional musicians. As its website explains, “The purpose of Music-COMP is to encourage and support students in composing and arranging music.
Compass School's modest plan in 2010 to erect an “art yurt” was celebrated Oct. 30 in much grander fashion: school leaders and friends have taken the wraps off a $1.1 million construction project that infuses the arts throughout the school's curriculum. According to school director Rick Gordon, the Vermont Council on the Arts had recognized Compass for its commitment to fostering the arts, and asked where they did such great work. “The arts council inspired us to develop a dedicated...
The climate news for October was most discouraging, especially coming as it did on the heels of the inspiring People's Climate March in New York City at the end of September. The month's depressing lowlights included the announcement by NASA that August was the hottest month globally since records began to be kept in 1880. This was followed shortly thereafter, moreover, with an update that September had beat that record, and that 2014 was right on track to become the...
Sam Rowley's horticulture students at the Windham Regional Career Center have been doing their share to promote the production and consumption of locally grown food. And they're taking on some other notable community projects along the way. Rowley's collaboration with Food Connects has enabled his team to work in some sizable organic gardens. Food Connects' mission is to cultivate healthy farm and food connections in classrooms, cafeterias, and communities. Their gardens are at the Famolare Farm in Brattleboro, abutting the...
Many years ago, early in my cheese-writing career, I was working as the house copywriter for a specialty cheese and food shop in New York City. In addition to writing descriptions of every cheese sold at the counter, I also wrote descriptive and alluring copy for every other product on the shelves. This meant I had to eat everything in the store, especially when I had no prior knowledge of a particular food item. Life was so hard back then.
As the weather turns cold and wet, our immune system is more in demand, fending off colds and flu. Damp rains block out the sun, increasing seasonal affective disorder - aptly abbreviated SAD. A major culprit to our immune system is the holidays, which bring stress. Stress, by its simplest definition, is change in our bodies and minds. Whether good (eustress) or bad (distress), stress changes us by releasing powerful chemicals - cortisol, adrenaline, and aldosterone - that deal with...
The documentary “An American Nurse at War” will be screened on Sunday, Nov. 9, at 2:30 p.m., at the annual meeting and program of the Brattleboro Historical Society at the Brattleboro History Center. The 1997 film chronicles the experience of Marion McCune Rice of Brattleboro, who went to France 100 years ago to care for injured soldiers during World War I. Rice was born in Brattleboro in 1882 and graduated from Brattleboro High School in 1900 before attending Smith College...
My professional standing took a blow last year. I fell woefully short in my first attempt to fill The Wall, my Mug Club card at Whetstone Station Restaurant and Brewery in downtown Brattleboro. When I signed up on July 11, 2012, it seemed like it would be no effort at all to drink 99 beers there in a year's time, in 10 different categories, and then be privy to fabulous offers and discounts. Wrong. Though I was off to a...
“We make our food at Dosa Kitchen the way we want to eat,” explains Leda Scheintaub, co-owner of Brattleboro's new - and only - South Indian eatery. Scheintaub, along with her husband and business partner, Nash Patel, says they avoid “factory meat,” choosing to eat only free-range or organic meats, and adhere to the locavore culinary ethos. They opened their food truck, at the end of the alley between the Hooker-Dunham building and the River Garden on Main Street in...
In the upset of election night on Tuesday, independent Laura Sibilia of Dover defeated incumbent Democrat John Moran of Wardsboro and independent Philip Gilpin Jr. of Dover, in the Windham-Bennington District. Sibilia got 577 votes in the six-town district, while Moran had 538 and Gilpin 159. “John Moran called me 20 minutes ago, conceded, and wished me well,” Siblia posted on her Facebook page shortly after 10:30 p.m. And incumbent Democrats Carolyn Partridge of Windham and Matthew Trieber of Rockingham...
Lt. Robert Kirkpatrick steers his Ford Explorer Police Interceptor through residential streets, searching the haunts of suspected car burglars. Little does Kirkpatrick realize that this day's activities will set off a sequence of events that will end with Brattleboro Police making four arrests and seizing 2,750 bags of suspected heroin, $3,257 in cash, and stolen property. A call from dispatch comes in, informing Kirkpatrick of a smash-and-grab of a car at Living Memorial Park - the latest in a long...
“God of Carnage,” a comedy by French playwright Yasmina Reza and translated by Christopher Hampton, will be produced by Vermont Theatre Company on Nov. 7-9 and 13-16 in Dummerston's Evening Star Grange. This Tony Award-winning play and Roman Polanski-directed film questions the concept of civility in “Cobblestone,” Brooklyn: Two sets of parents sit down to discuss their sons' playground fight, and what begins as a polite conversation devolves into a childish squabble accompanied by hilarious tantrums where adults reveal their...
If any name in Brattleboro is synonymous with football, it's Andy Natowich. While he was also a successful varsity baseball coach for nearly 25 years, with championships in 1951, 1956, and 1961, and teams that reached the finals in 1957, 1958, and 1960, it was football that was Natowich's passion. In his 20-year career as football coach, from 1945 to 1965, Natowich led the Colonels to state championships in 1950, 1957, and 1965 and finished with a 113-53 record. He...
The Wardsboro Public Library's Artist of the Month exhibition for November is a dual display of sculptures by Hugh Joudry and paintings by Jeanne Joudry, residents of Stratton. Hugh Joudry uses the traditional methods of carving: mallet and chisel for wood and stone. Because of his resonance with the mountains, many of his Druid-like sculptures in wood and stone are site-specific to their natural settings: rock, field and forest. He says his wood sculpture is made of local maple, ash,