PUTNEY - The Putney Public Library, in partnership with Lost River Social Justice, presents a film screening and facilitated discussion on Thursday, Oct. 27, at 6:30 p.m. The 2003 documentary, “The Letter: An American Town and the 'Somali Invasion,'” tells the story of the mill town of Lewiston, Maine, and Mayor Laurier T. Raymond's open letter to the growing Somali community, predicting negative impacts on the city's social services because of Somali resettlement. The letter sparked a number of public protests, including a white supremacist group supporting the mayor and a counter-demonstration by 4,000 people at Bates College.
The film will be followed by a facilitated discussion about refugees, immigration, and resettlement. Snacks will be served. Putney Library is located at 55 Main Street in Putney. This program is free and open to the public.
...Youth Services Workforce Development staff are seeking referrals of youth ages 14 to 17 in need of extra support and career mentoring at Brattleboro Union High School and Bellows Falls Union High School. Now in its sixth year, Youth Services' Ready-to-Achieve Mentoring Program, known as RAMP, meets once a...
The nonprofit Brattleboro Area Affordable Housing recently completed its 50th apartment in the Apartments in Homes Program. The program offers grants and technical assistance to single-family Brattleboro and Bellows Falls homeowners seeking to create modest apartments in their homes. The goal is to provide “a very economical way to...
College news • Colton Butler of Whitingham was among more than 30 students who were inducted into the Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society during a recent ceremony of Emira (N.Y.) College. School news • The Bellows Falls Envirothon Team competed in their second New Hampshire Soil Judging Competition held at Kingman Farm in Madbury, N.H., on Oct. 7. Members of each team were tested on their ability to judge the quality and usefulness of a given of soil from...
Two local fire departments were among the recipients of $1.9 million of federal funding for firefighters and EMS personnel throughout Vermont. Vermont's congressional delegation announced the awards Oct. 7. They are part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, which helps fire departments and EMS agencies train and purchase critically needed equipment, according to a news release. This year's grants will help buy a range of equipment, including turnout gear, breathing apparatus, hoses and nozzles, radios...
The Vermont Theatre Company, now in its 33rd season, recently held its annual membership meeting and elected new trustees, according to a news release. The new members of the Board of Trustees for the coming season include: • Belle Coles, who has been involved in local theater since her arrival in Brattleboro in 1978. Although her talents and passion lie in costuming, she occasionally enjoys being on stage in fun and fanciful roles. Mostly, however, she remains committed to furthering...
Lisa McCormick will lead a “Ukulele-in-a-Day” workshop on Sunday, Oct. 23. The workshop is designed for beginners and self-taught or rusty players who want to get a solid foundation of basic skills in a day-long class. Students will learn how to tune, how to use proper positioning and technique, and how to strum easy chords. McCormick will offer insider tips and tricks, and teach participants to play several songs. Ukuleles will be available to use for the class or to...
Lead Safe & Healthy Homes is offering federal lead paint safety courses for contractors, landlords, and others interested in using lead-safe renovation techniques. The federal Renovation, Repair, and Painting certification offered in 2011 is nearing expiration. Renovators who don't take the refresher course before their current certification expires will be required to retake the eight-hour initial course. The EPA refresher course is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 25, from 8 a.m. to noon, at the Brattleboro VFW. Cost is $125 per...
Windham County Prevention Coalitions and the Vermont Department of Liquor Control invite servers of alcohol to attend an upcoming Responsible Beverage Service training. Jen Fisher, DLC Educator, will conduct the next training for restaurant, bar, club, and hotel servers on Thursday, Oct. 20, 1 to 4 p.m., at the Marlboro College Graduate Center, according to a news release. Vermont law requires that employees that either sell or serve liquor be trained every two years, either by the DLC or in-house,
Dummerston Cares has reorganized and is now an incorporated nonprofit under the laws of the state of Vermont. It has bylaws, a board, officers, and tax exempt status, according to a news release. Board members are Ruth Barton (802-254-1128), Susan Daigler, secretary (802-257-4200), Akara Draper (802-258-5890), Bill Johnson, vice president (802-257-1020), Bill Schmidt, president (802-257-0233), and John Wilcox, treasurer (802-257-0674). In the reorganization, Dummerston Cares' mission has been expanded to serve all Dummerston residents by supporting those with health and...
Entries are being accepted for the Vermont Writers' Prize, an annual competition sponsored by Green Mountain Power and Vermont Magazine that provides an opportunity for Vermont writers to showcase their talent. The Vermont Writers' Prize, created in honor of Ralph Nading Hill Jr., is considered by Vermont writers to be one of the state's premier literary prizes, according to a news release. Hill, a Vermont historian and writer who published numerous books and magazine articles on the subject of Vermont,
The Nature Museum at Grafton will present a talk by wildlife biologist Ben Kilham, Ph.D., on Wednesday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m., at the NewsBank conference Center, 352 Main St.. in Chester. Highlighted by images, the presentation will focus on how the social behavior of black bears resembles that of humans, according to a news release. Years of observing black bears and rehabilitating orphan bears informs Kilham's expertise. Devoted to black bears, he has studied their habits and forged relationships...
Good day to you, fine denizens of Windham County - I come with meteorological news of varying shapes, sizes, conditions, and temperatures. We've got the potential for quite a variety over the next seven days, so let's jump into the fray together, shall we? The wide view is that we're going to be saying goodbye to the anomalous warmth we've seen over the past couple of days. In its stead, we'll be firmly reminded (and to some, reprimanded) by Mother...
The Bellows Falls Moose Lodge presents a 1942 classic romantic comedy for its first “Dinner & A Movie” evening on Friday, Oct. 21, according to a news release. “I Married a Witch” stars film giants Frederic March, Veronica Lake, and Susan Hayward under the direction of Rene Clair, a notable silent film director who successfully transitioned to sound. Clair was one of France's most heralded directors and made over 30 films in France, England and the U.S. Lake plays Jennifer...
Folk artists Adhamh Roland, from Western Massachusetts, and Brenna Sahatjian, from Portland, Oregon, are joining forces for a Northeast tour this fall, and they will be in Brattleboro on Thursday, Oct. 27, with an all-ages show at the Root Social Justice Center, 28 Williams St., from 7 to 10 p.m. Roland and Sahatjian performed together for several years as part of the Riotfolk Collective, a national collective of folksinger, activists, and organizers, according to a news release. Roland hails from...
The hearty smells of chili will waft through the air Saturday, Oct. 22, as the Saxtons River Rec hosts its annual chili contest from noon to 2 p.m. in the yard at Main Street Arts on Main Street. For $5, participants are entitled to endless samples of the chili entries, cornbread to cleanse their palates, and a ballot to choose their favorites in the individual and business categories, according to a news release. Proceeds benefit the Rec and its youth...
Local First Vermont, a program of Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility, has welcomed Brattleboro to the seventh edition of its popular Buy Local Resource Guide and Coupon Book, which promotes locally owned businesses and offers coupons as an incentive for Vermonters to buy local. The six Brattleboro businesses participating in this year's book are: Brattleboro Food Co-op, Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, Dutton Berry Farmstand, Ruggles & Hunt, Everyone's Books, and Latchis Theatre and Hotel, according to a news release.
United Way of Windham County recently launched its 365 Business Circle. The 365 Business Circle provides a platform for smaller businesses to engage in community-strengthening opportunities. According to a news release, the initiative makes it easier for small companies “to support positive change in our community.” To honor local small businesses, members in the Business Circle make a contribution of $1 per day. Business Circle members receive a benefits package that includes a window decal, online recognition, and increased brand...
Renovations in progress at Town Clerk's office PUTNEY - The town clerk's office is closed on Mondays during the month of October. At the Sept. 28 regular Selectboard meeting, Town Manager Cynthia Stoddard said the office is scheduled for a carpet replacement, and Mondays were chosen as clean-up days to prepare for the project. During her report at the Sept. 28 meeting, Stoddard said the test results on the tiles beneath the current carpeting indicate the presence of asbestos. She...
The Brattleboro Retreat will present the local debut of “All of Me,” a new Kingdom County Productions documentary film on eating disorders by award-winning filmmaker Bess O'Brien, at the Latchis Theatre on Thursday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. “All of Me” centers on the lives of women, girls, and boys in Vermont who are caught in the downward spiral of eating disorders and their struggle to regain a sense of self-compassion and healing. The film also focuses on the parents...
Tucker Reed Road bridge open DUMMERSTON - Town Clerk Laurie Frechette confirmed the reopening of the Tucker Reed Road bridge. Town officials closed the bridge to all traffic May 13 after a resident reported its north abutment fell into the brook. After a bidding process, the Board awarded the project to A.S. Clark & Sons, with the requirement the work be complete by October 1. Frechette told The Commons the bridge was opened “late in the afternoon” on Sept. 30.
Public hearing scheduled on town offices bond vote NEWFANE - The Selectboard has warned a public hearing to discuss the town offices bond re-vote. At the Oct. 3 regular Board meeting, member Mike Fitzpatrick suggested Saturday, Oct. 29, explaining that the date might allow more people to attend. He cited numerous complaints from residents who said the weeknight meetings for the first town offices bond vote prevented their attendance. The Board set the time at 1 p.m. Vice-Chair Carol Hatcher...
We participated in the negotiations with Iberdrola, the developer for the possible Stiles Brook Wind Project, and we support the resulting economic partnership proposed for Windham. We chose to be involved to ensure that all views on the possible wind farm were considered and the best benefits and protections were secured. We believe the wind farm is likely to be approved, and we acted because our Selectboard refused to even discuss the possibility. The Stiles Brook site is as good...
For me, the clearest and most interesting signal in all the noise of this election - unprecedented in my lifetime - is the misogyny and sexism being exercised under the guise of moderation and progressivism. That signal - in the form of the trope “I hate Hillary Clinton, and I could never vote for her” - is difficult to detect. But once it came clear to me, it seemed very real. I didn't support Clinton in the primaries; despite the...
It's a kind of inside joke, and a not-very-funny one at that. Archer Mayor's latest police procedural novel, Presumption of Guilt, is set at Vermont Yankee. A decommissioning crew finds a body buried in a cement slab beneath a warehouse set for demolition. Tres cool, though Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee would likely argue - as company officials did with buried pipes carrying radioactive material, notably tritium - that a body is not actually “buried” if it is encased in concrete...
C.X. Silver Gallery at 814 Western Ave. will host an “Art / Life” retreat weekend of activities with performance artists Linda Mary Montano, Nye Ffarrabas, and Cai Xi, Friday evening Nov. 4 through midday Sunday, Nov. 6, at the Gallery, with a visit to the Michael S. Currier Center at The Putney School. This occasion features works by all three artists, including the preview of a new book on Montano's 14 Years of Art/Life - with an exhibition that includes...
In conjunction with the annual Saxtons River Chili Cook Off, the Saxtons River Artisans Cooperative will host a “Meet and Chat with the Artists” event on Saturday, Oct. 22. The shop is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with artists working throughout the day and demonstrating their skills from 11 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Participating in demonstrations will be B.J. Clauson doing needle felting, Jennifer Meehl designing collaged leaf cards, and Allison Ounanian, hand...
The New England Coalition on Nuclear Pollution has invited its members and the general public to join a celebration of 45 years of challenging the nuclear power industry at the NEC's annual meeting at 118 Elliot St. on Oct. 22, starting at 1 p.m. According to a news release, highlights will include a briefing by Ray Shadis on issues involved in restoring the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant site; a presentation by Maggie and Arnie Gundersen of Fairewinds Energy Education titled...
Brattleboro Savings and Loan is warning the public of a widespread “phishing” attack targeting Brattleboro-area cell phones, according to a news release. According to the bank, the texts pretend to be from Brattleboro Savings & Loan and state that the receiver's debit card has been blocked. The bank says this is a fraudulent text, and recipients should not respond and should delete the text. “The Bank will NEVER ask you for account information by text or email,” bank representatives said...
Equity crowdfunding portal Milk Money Vermont and food business hatchery Windham Grows will offer a free workshop Oct. 26 at the River Garden to share with the public their approach to facilitating local investment. The program will run from 5 to 6:30 p.m. According to a news release, Vermont now allows a new kind of crowdfunding that puts residents' money to work locally, with investments possible in amounts as small as $250. Through Milk Money, investors can become small equity...
The Brattleboro Union High School boys' soccer team split a pair of games to close out the home portion of their schedule, losing 6-2 to Rutland and beating Taconic, 3-0. Rutland came to Tenney Field Thursday night with a 5-5-1 record that belied their talent. The Raider offense, led by Jacob Godfrey and Jacob Henderson, was a clinic on passing into space. The two hooked up on Godfrey's first of four goals 15 minutes into the game when Henderson crossed...
By the end of the year, Rutland will receive 100 new residents, said Reverend Lise Sparrow, pastor at Guilford's United Church of Christ. Most of them will be women and children, and all of them will be resettled refugees from Syria. Sparrow will join representatives from other Windham and Windsor county UCC churches, and other faith communities, at a presentation at the United Church of Bellows Falls on Oct. 23 to discuss the refugees' arrival and how southern Vermont community...
Key points from “When People and Money Leave (and the Plant Stays)” include: Plan, and plan for the worstMany of the “lessons learned” preach comprehensive planning - as much of it as possible, and as early as possible. For example, though Vermont Yankee was always controversial, Windham Regional Commission stayed involved in plant proceedings over the years from a “neutral position so it could promote conversation among all sides,” officials wrote. Also, the report notes that the Windham Region's Comprehensive...
The Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce and the Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility invite the public, including members of both organizations, to a candidate showcase and networking event at the American Legion on Monday, Oct. 24 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Chamber Executive Director Kate O'Connor confirmed in a press release on Tuesday that participants will include both major-party candidates for Vermont governor, Democratic nominee Sue Minter and Republican nominee Phil Scott. Minter served in the Shumlin administration as the...
There are lots of reasons to take a drive to Brattleboro on an oddly warm and beautiful November day. The town is a charismatic throwback to another time: people know one another, speak to one another, and seem to always be willing to talk to a stranger and brighten one another's day. I think it is special because so many people there practice little acts of love. Plus there are great thrift stores for my wife Maria to browse, and...
A rollicking adventure will unfold onscreen as an eight-piece orchestra plays, sings, and dances live and in sync to the Oscar-nominated, animated feature “The Triplets of Belleville” on Friday, Oct. 28, at 7:30 p.m. at the Redfern Arts Center at Keene State College. Benoît Charest, the composer of the film soundtrack, conducts and plays with “Le Terrible Orchestre de Belleville,” a group of well-known Québecois jazz musicians, as they transport audiences to the exciting streets of 1930s Paris and Le...
VT Dinners, the locally-sourced prepared-food company, recently changed its distribution model. The company's line of ready-to-heat, vegetarian meals is now available in stores. VT Dinners, produced in the Winston Prouty School's community kitchen, uses fresh Vermont vegetables and dairy products from Harlow Farm, Old Athens Farm, Thomas Dairy, Grafton Village Cheese Company, and Maple Brook Creamery, processing them into frozen meals. The name is a rearranging of “TV dinners,” co-founder Nathaniel Brooks said. Although VT Dinners started with the CSA...
There are many ways to deal with a midlife crisis - that realization that your life is not what it could be and that you are in desperate need of a change. For Bellows Falls area native Garry Harrington, the crisis hit when he was in his early 40s, after more than two decades as a sports reporter and editor at the Brattleboro Reformer and the Keene Sentinel. His way of dealing with the crisis was to head for the...
In 2004, then–New York Senator Hillary Clinton rang the opening bell at the New York Mercantile Exchange, the world's reigning energy market. When she arrived at the trading floor, the traders unabashedly booed her. “It wasn't because they hate Democrats,” a young man who worked in the trading pits, Ben Kaufman, told me at the time. “A lot of the traders are Democrats. They just hated her. The exchange apologized and forced all the traders to do it over again...
For its annual Halloween production, Shoot the Moon Theater Company will present not one but seven horror stories. In past years, the resident company of Hooker-Dunham Theater in Brattleboro has staged such classic tales of terror as “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” and “Dracula.” This year they are offering “7 by Poe,” stagings of some of the most beloved stories and poems by 19th century American author Edgar Allan Poe. Jennifer Moyse stars in “The Masque of the Red Death”
Alan Reid and Rob van Sante will present a concert of modern and traditional Scottish folk music intertwined with anecdotes, humor, and snippets of Scottish history at Moore Free Library in Newfane on Sunday, Oct. 23, at 4 p.m. Alan was a founding and vital member of Scotland's famed traditional music group, Battlefield Band, from its inception in 1969 until his departure in 2010, according to a news release. In that time, he toured the world and made almost 30...
Early in a new report on Vermont Yankee's shutdown, officials in the Windham County region acknowledge that the closure's full impacts “have yet to be realized and may not necessarily be easy to quantify.” Nevertheless, they believe they've got a story to tell. That's the purpose of the report, framed as “lessons learned” both before and after the Vernon nuclear plant's December 2014 closure. The document - the result of a tri-state effort - serves as an advisory, a tutorial,
After many years of searching for studio space, ceramicist Natalie Blake and glass artist Randi F. Solin launched their Fulcrum Arts studio on Route 30 four years ago. Since then, the business partners' gallery has grown, with Hand of Man Artisan Builders and Saxtons River Distillery joining the collaboration. Now, the time has come for the collaboration to ignite. Fulcrum Arts is changing its name to Fire Arts Vermont. “We have grown, refined, and transformed so much that we felt...
In theory, Vermont's “all-payer” healthcare proposal should be music to Louis Josephson's ears. The Brattleboro Retreat's top administrator listened closely during a two-hour meeting on Oct. 12 as state officials described their ambitious plan to contain health care costs and improve quality. One of the plan's major goals is reducing overdose and suicide deaths - two key issues for a mental-health provider like the Retreat. But Josephson, like others who attended the Brattleboro session, wasn't ready to offer a full...
Town officials see an “amazing opportunity” in potential reuse of Vermont Yankee property, though it isn't the property some might initially have hoped for. Several Vernon officials met late last month with Vermont Yankee administrators to talk about the potential for Entergy-owned parcels to figure into the town's economic and community development plans. There were two key takeaways from that meeting: The former plant site itself is unlikely to be available for redevelopment during decommissioning, which is expected to take...
On the weekend of Oct. 21, the Broad Brook Grange will serve as the southeastern Vermont hub for the Green Mountain Crossroads' Out in the Open Summit, a conference for rural and small-town members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities in the northeast. The summit is convened by Green Mountain Crossroads, a Brattleboro-based organization with a mission to connect “rural LGBTQ people to build community, visibility, knowledge, and power through social events, support groups, political education workshops,