A Newfane dog breeder has been ordered by the Selectboard to control her dogs, or she could risk losing her kennel license, and pay a $500 fine.
Samantha Rivera's huskies have flown their coop three times in six months, resulting in three domestic animal deaths. At the Dec. 21 regular Selectboard meeting, Rivera told the board she had 11 adult huskies, and one was pregnant.
Animal Control Officer Michael Young told the board he had received two calls about Rivera's dogs, and there was an additional incident prior to his taking the position. On Nov. 30, Young said a person living on Blueberry Extension alerted him to the pack of dogs running around his house “all day.”
Winchester Stables had a visit from Rivera's huskies on Dec. 6. The third event occurred in July.
This town's school directors will have a little more company as they march into the uncharted territories of Act 46. After some debate, Marlboro voters on Jan. 4 agreed to expand the town's school board from three members to five. Soon after that vote, Lauren Poster and Dan MacArthur...
There aren't many economic development meetings that include talk of trapeze artists. But the New England Center for Circus Arts' high-flying expansion plan was a big part of the buzz here Monday morning as officials announced 14 high-priority economic projects for Windham County. The “vital projects” announcement comes with...
Board of Civil Authority to meet DUMMERSTON - The Board of Civil Authority will meet Wednesday, Jan. 20, at 5:30 p.m. at the Town Offices. The board will review the newest additions to the voter checklist, appointment of Assistant Election Officials, review of election procedures for the Presidential Primary/Town Meeting on March 1, and have a sign-up for working the polls. For more information, contact Town Clerk/Tax Collector Pamela McFadden at 802-257-1496. Historical Society to meet DUMMERSTON - The annual...
College news • The following area students have been named to the fall 2015 Dean's List at the University of Vermont: Isabel Stewart of Brattleboro, Megan Siggins of Brattleboro, Greer Cowan of Putney, Savannah Nesbitt of Wilmington, Cleo Rohn of Brattleboro, Linnea Jahn of Brattleboro, Jennifer Hutton of Brattleboro, Oliver Pomazi of Brattleboro, John Sawyer Shaw of Brattleboro, Isaiah Ungerleider of Brattleboro, Roxanna Daims of Brattleboro, Tilden Remerleitch of Guilford, Aliza Racine of Marlboro, Lachlan Francis of Putney, Sylvie Littledale...
The Brattleboro Development Credit Corp. (BDCC) was recently awarded $48,000 for the continued implementation of their Cooperative Internship Program from the Department of Labor. BDCC developed the internship program in consultation with the Six College Collaborative; a consortium of Higher Education Institutions in Windham County including Community College of Vermont, Vermont Technical College, Landmark College, SIT Graduate Institute, Marlboro College, and Union Institute and University. “We are excited to see the accelerating engagement and success of this program,” said BDCC...
Stratton Mountain Resort is the only Vermont organization to be recognized this year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for efforts in diverting food waste. Stratton is among the 24 organizations recognized in the EPA's annual “Food Recovery Challenge,” which collectively diverted over 38,000 tons of food to donation or composting in 2014. In efforts to reduce landfill waste and contribute to a sustainable environment, Stratton composted 19.10 tons of food in the 2014-15 winter season. According to the...
During the roads report segment of the Dec. 21 Selectboard meeting, the roads crew alerted the board to a new scourge on South Wardsboro Road: someone has been dumping used hypodermic needles in a pull-off area on the Newfane portion of the road. According to the report, read by board member Dennis Wiswall, the roads crew had to clean up the needles three times so far. The roads crew asked the Selectboard to do something about it. One suggestion was...
Brattleboro Area Hospice recently was awarded a $1,000 grant from the Crosby-Gannett Fund at the Vermont Community Foundation. The grant will support Taking Steps Brattleboro, a community-based initiative intended to achieve a significant increase in the numbers of people in the Brattleboro area who have completed the advance care planning process. Taking Steps Brattleboro reaches into the community through partnerships, community outreach and education to encourage and support all to complete and register advance directive documents in the interest of...
On Saturday, Jan. 23, at 118 Elliot Street, starting at 7:30 p.m., there will be an evening of music donated by Simba, southern Vermont's worldbeat dance band. This event will benefit Brooks Mitchell of South Newfane, who was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident on Sept. 7, 2015. His motorcycle was hit by a car that turned into oncoming traffic on Route 9 in Wilmington. Brooks' injuries are many and his recovery has been slow but steady. He has been...
Tai Chi series offered at Grace Cottage TOWNSHEND-A new series of Tai Chi/Qigong classes will be offered at Grace Cottage Hospital on Thursday afternoons, Jan. 14 and 28, and Feb 11 and 18, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Gentle, flowing movements coupled with the coordinated breathing techniques of these ancient Chinese practices are widely acclaimed as some of the most effective overall exercises for physical and mental health. This four-session series is open to people of all ages and abilities.
On Sunday, Jan. 17, at 4 p.m., there will be a celebration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at Centre Congregational Church, 193 Main St. King's “I Have a Dream” speech will be shown, jazz pianist Franz Robert will play, an intergenerational community choir led by Andy Davis will sing, and Julie Cunningham, executive director of Families First, will be the featured speaker. New to this year's event is a tribute to the “Hidden Heroes and Heroines” of...
The Rockingham Selectboard will meet on Thursday, Jan. 14, at 5 p.m., to finalize the articles for the March Annual Town Meeting. Among them is the Rockingham citizen-requested article to ask the question: “Shall the Voters of the Town of Rockingham allow placement of a detention center within the legal boundaries of Bellows Falls?” As there are forces fighting against this article and the request to exercise our democratic rights as taxpaying Vermont citizens, it would be in the best...
As Putney's municipal election season begins, town officials are hosting an informational candidates' forum on Thursday, Jan. 14, at the Putney Public Library. Beginning at 6 p.m., potential candidates will have the opportunity to learn about the open positions in the town and school district offices. Members of the Selectboard will be available to answer the public's questions. The following positions are open for the town offices: Cemetery Commission, 3-year term; Lister, one 2- and one 3-year term; Moderator, 1-year...
Stone Church Arts and Immanuel Retreat Center in Bellows Falls hosts the Festival of Mandolin Chamber Music for the sixth time, Jan. 14 through 17. The festival welcomes participants from near and far, both Canada and the Northeastern United States. It culminates in a public concert at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 17, featuring the New England Mandolin Ensemble and Festival Participants. Directed by professor August Watters of Berklee College of Music, the ensemble presents a concert of classical music,
The Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC) presents a screening of the documentary film, Ceremony, followed by a discussion with filmmaker Sas Carey, on Thursday, Jan. 14, at 7 p.m. Admission is $5 at the door, free for BMAC members and children under 18. A project 10 years in the making, Ceremony sheds light on the mysterious spiritual life of shamans in northern Mongolia, specifically focusing on one particular ceremony that few outsiders have ever witnessed, let alone filmed. Carey,
In late 2014, it appeared that Townshend finally would get its first cell tower after the state granted approval for an AT&T project along Route 30. But AT&T recently notified Townshend that it is dropping those plans, leading one frustrated Selectboard member to declare that “every time we take one step forward, somebody seems to slap us back down.” Those two developments may be a microcosm of the cellular dilemma across Vermont. Just one new tower can make a world...
This spring, Express Fluency is offering a variety of classes in French and Spanish, including two mini-classes held before and after popular films shown at the Latchis Theatre on Sunday afternoons. On Jan. 17, the Latchis will screen The Dinner Game, a French comedy with English subtitles, at 4 p.m. The informal French class, for advanced beginners to intermediate speakers, will meet in Express Fluency's classroom at 73 Main Street at 2 p.m. and after the film. Admission to the...
Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA), the anti-poverty agency serving Windham and Windsor counties, will be holding a public election during the week of Jan. 25 to elect a Client Representative to its board from the Putney area. SEVCA needs representatives of low-income residents throughout its service area to ensure that there are board members who can speak with firsthand knowledge about what people need to cope with financial hardship and become self-reliant. It's a unique opportunity for local residents to...
A measure of a man is how he treats others. It's nice to see the attention paid to the students and the respect to the teacher. We need more of this! Go Bernie!
Next Stage Arts Project Next Stage Arts will present a special literary event on Sunday, Jan. 24, at 7 p.m., with Vermont Poet Laureate Chard deNiord, hosted by renowned poet, Verandah Porche. There is a suggested donation at the door of $10. Beyond being the current Poet Laureate of Vermont and creator of the Next Stage Speaks Poetry series, deNiord is the author of five books of poems, Interstate (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2015), The Double Truth (University of Pittsburgh...
Main Street Arts and the Saxtons River Historical Society continues its series of Fireside Chats to highlight the area's history Sunday, Jan. 17, when the topic will be turkeys. The chats take place from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. in the dining room of the Saxtons River Inn. “Gobble! Gobble! Wild Turkeys are Smart and Social” will feature Lynn Morgan of the Nature Museum at Grafton and include tales of local farmers who walked their turkeys to Boston and how the...
Next Stage Arts Project will host the final performance of Main Street Arts' production of Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris on Saturday, Jan. 16, at Next Stage's newly renovated theater in Putney. Showtime is at 7:30 p.m. While not a household name in America, Brel's “literate and incredibly emotional songs” (New York magazine) became “part of the national consciousness of post-war Europe.” His music has been recorded by more than 400 professional recording artists, from...
With the success of Pay-As-You-Throw exceeding the Selectboard's expectations, the leadership has unanimously approved a reduction in trash collection. Starting July 5, Triple T Trucking, the town's contractor, will change from weekly trash collection to every-other-week pick up. Weekly collection of recyclables and compost stays the same. The move is expected to save the town approximately $96,188 in Fiscal Year 2017. Savings are also expected for the following years. The board approved Town Manager Peter Elwell's execution of an addendum...
Bill Clinton groped Kathleen Willey, dropped his pants for Paula Jones, raped Juanita Broaddrick, and lied about his sexual relationships with Gennifer Flowers and Monica Lewinsky (an intern young enough to be his daughter), yet you call Donald Trump mean and a misogynist? Susan Odegard: When Trump is elected president, you and your liberal friends will be in a panic. I can't wait.
Residents with burning opinions about the Police-Fire Facilities Project can file their input with the Selectboard through a new questionnaire until Monday, Jan. 18. The board has created a survey for residents that details different aspects of rehabilitation plans for the town's three emergency stations. The survey, conducted both electronically and in print, details estimated project costs and asks questions such as, “Do you believe this work should be done at this cost?” Conversations about the buildings' challenges started in...
The town might take the unusual step of halting a major construction project and calling back its bond. The project in question is the Black Mountain gravity fed sewer line. Intended to replace a pump station with a lower-cost, lower-maintenance option, the gravity feed would carry waste under Interstate 91 and into the municipal system beneath Putney Road, according to Town Manager Peter Elwell. The project was also intended to be fairly straightforward, simple, and completed by July 31, 2015.
The work of David Stern is the subject of an art show that runs through Feb. 22 at Main Street Arts (MSA). An opening reception will be held Thursday, Jan. 14, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Stern has titled his show “All Over the Map,” which refers to the paintings, which he created while traveling, and for the variety of pieces and styles. With a degree in theater from the University of Vermont and a Master of Fine Arts in...
From tying up fallen mufflers to plugging leaky pipes, baling twine, duct tape, and Yankee ingenuity have helped stretch many a household budget. The Brattleboro Police Department has also put this philosophy of making do into practice - albeit with a little less baling twine and a few more donated Simplicity pattern cabinets. The police department and the Brattleboro Fire Department are holding open houses throughout the month every Tuesday starting at 5 p.m. Anyone looking to tour Brattleboro's three...
In my first inaugural address in 2011, I spoke with affection about our last governor from Putney, George Aiken. Three-quarters of a century ago, he stood before this body and reflected on the challenges and progress of his day. He said: “During these four years, Vermont, in common with the rest of the nation, has experienced changes and put into practice new functions of government that were either unforeseen or in the visionary stage a few years ago. Our task...
The next round of job cuts at Vermont Yankee has been scheduled for May 5, when 150 employees - roughly half the remaining workforce - will be laid off. Also, around that same time, plant owner Entergy will be vacating its offices on Old Ferry Road. Administrators are “looking at [their] options,” which could include selling the property, a spokesman said. Both the job cuts and the corporate relocation are directly connected to federally approved emergency planning cutbacks at Vermont...
Ryan Stoodley is in his second year as head coach of the Bellows Falls Terriers boys' basketball and, like any good coach, he has tried to adapt his strategy to the personnel that's available. That means when you have a team that is still trying to find a groove on offense and is still learning how to close out games, you emphasize defense - especially when your team has given up an average of 66 points in its four losses.
With an up-cycled twist on basket weaving, a three-part workshop-taught by local artists Jackie Abrams, Carol Barber, and Sandie Page-will benefit the Groundworks Food Shelf. The workshop, which takes place on three Wednesday evenings (Jan. 27 and Feb. 10 and 24) at the Marlboro College Graduate Center on Vernon Street, will cover the art of making “yarn” from used plastic bags to crochet strong, colorful, and multi-purpose tote bags. “I have been offering this workshop in Brattleboro since 2011, always...
Musicians Peter and Mary Alice Amidon and Peter Siegel, will join Kim and Reggie Harris in an evening of songs and stories on Saturday, Jan. 23, at 7:30 p.m., at the Guilford Community Church. Musicians and storytellers, the Harrises combine a folk and gospel legacy with a background in classical, rock, jazz and pop music. “As socially conscious acoustic musicians and storytellers, the Harrises have been 'walking the talk' for over 30 years, performing modern and historical songs that explore...
The Vermont Jazz Center (VJC) welcomes the Bobby Broom Trio on Saturday, Jan. 23, at 8 p.m. Broom is one of Chicago's leading guitarists, according to a news release from the VJC, and rarely plays on the East Coast. He will perform with his long-standing trio of Dennis Carroll on bass and Makaya McCraven on drums. The trio will travel from Chicago to Vermont for this “one-off” concert with no other East Coast gigs listed on their itinerary. Broom stands...
The timetable for Guilford's Sweet Pond Dam reconstruction was recently released by the state, and locals are already lining up to help decide the future of the popular recreation site. The pond, located about eight miles from the town's center, was drained in the summer of 2011, after the state's Dam Safety Section deemed the structure unsafe. In response, locals formed a grassroots campaign to fix the dam and restore the pond. They raised almost $7,000 to contribute to site...
The Brattleboro Concert Choir, led by Susan Dedell, will be introducing to Southern Vermont a rising star in contemporary choral music when it performs three short works by Norwegian pianist and composer Ola Gjeilo as the centerpiece of its winter concert. On Saturday, Jan. 23, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 24, at 3 p.m., at Centre Congregational Church on Main Street, the choir will present Luminous Night, featuring the music of three extraordinary composers: Morten Lauridsen, John Tavener, and...