With the new year and the new Legislature, will this be the year, you visit “your” House, the Vermont Statehouse ?
Vermont's Statehouse, a.k.a., the People's House, is unique in that it's one of the few historic statehouses that is also still used as a facility for legislative action.
More unique is that the Vermont Statehouse and the Legislature are as open and accessible as any in the nation.
No metal detectors, no reserved tickets - just open doors.
The art of playing piano “four hands” is the focus of an upcoming weekend workshop at the Brattleboro Music Center. Instructors Bruce Griffin and Susan Dedell will lead a dynamic, fun exploration of the great world of piano four-hand repertoire. Participants will dig into musical interpretation and technical challenges...
If Representative Town Meeting votes in the affirmative, the human services line item in the proposed Fiscal Year 2020 budget will tick upward. At the Jan. 8 special Selectboard meeting, Town Manager Peter B. Elwell presented the human services budget, which came from recommendations made by the town's Human...
I was a professional actor in New York City for 20 years. At the same theater and within a matter of months I played two very different characters. One was a white supremacist, and the other a compassionate angel. Like many other actors the bad guy was more fun to play. “Why?” you might be wondering. Bad guys don't play by the rules and tend to do more dramatic things. In the case of the white supremacist, it took courage...
Kudos to you for running the piece by Gerard Cloutier as a counterpoint to all of the irrational assumptions about Donald Trump and his supporters leveled by MacLean Gander [“From type to stereotype,” Essay, Dec. 5, 2018]. It is never OK to make wide-ranging assumptions about people you've never met, based on little more than their skin color and political affiliation. Cloutier's counterpoint essay provides a much-needed answer to that kind of divisive writing. There were many people who voted...
Winners of the Windham Orchestra Concerto Competition will perform with the Orchestra on Sunday, Feb. 3, at 3 p.m., at the Latchis Theatre. Performers include Justin Zhou, cello, performing the first movement of Dvorák's Cello Concerto; Hannah Caris, on flute, performing Henri Duparc's Lénore Symphonic Poem after Bürger and Georges Hüe's Fantaisie; and Joseph Wang on viola, presenting Bohuslav Martinu's Rhapsody Concert. Cellist Justin Zhou, 16, lives in Hanover, N.H., and attends Hanover High School. His music teacher is Emmanuel...
Brooks Memorial Library has expanded its access to the world's largest free genealogical database - FamilySearch.org. According to a news release, FamilySearch - a nonprofit family history organization that is operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - has been a global leader in record preservation and access since 1938. Its growing database has more than 2 billion records. In December, Brooks became an affiliate library, which gives access to millions of genealogical images, including locked records...
Guilford Center Stage continues into its fifth year with spring and fall productions of plays ranging from nonsense to political satire, and with connections to Vermont and Guilford, continuing its mission to present place-based theater on the stage at the renovated Broad Brook Community Center. Alice is the spring show, on the last weekend in April. The musical play, directed by Richard Epstein, is a memento of a well-known Monteverdi Players production. The 1978 production of the familiar Carroll classic,
The Marlboro College Library and the Boys & Girls Club of Brattleboro have been selected as one of 100 libraries nationwide to take part in the Great Stories Club, a reading and discussion program for underserved teens. According to a news release, this competitive grant is offered by the American Library Association with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Staff from Marlboro and the Boys & Girls Club will work with teens to read and discuss stories that...
The Windham Regional Commission and the Windham County Natural Resources Conservation District have teamed up to provide expanded outreach and services to landowners, municipalities, and the public in support of the Vermont Clean Water Act and improved tactical basin planning efforts for Basin 12, the Deerfield River Basin. According to a news release, the work is partially funded through two grants from the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation. Activities began in late 2018 and will extend through the fall of...
I just need to vent. Our country is in an utter-bullshit, ridiculous, and embarrassing state with the namby-pamby bipartisanship stranglehold of our country and its citizens over something as ridiculous and politically paralyzing as our current president's idea of keeping people out of our country. We need, if you will, people in government locally who have an understanding and compassion for all they serve. This approach should spill out to countries around the world, prompting them to come together. How...
Births • In Brattleboro, (at home), Sep. 18, 2018, a son, Augustus Everett Lovett Blood, to Katharine Manthei Audlin and Christopher Scott Blood of Brattleboro; grandson of Lisa Manthei Audlin of Brattleboro, and Joan P. Blood of West Hartford, Vt. He weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces at birth, and was 19 3/4 inches long. College news • Keltsey Rushton of Grafton was among the 65 students who graduated from Vermont Technical College in the fall of 2018. Rushton graduated from...
The Juno Orchestra will make its debut on Sunday, Feb. 10, at the Latchis Theatre. Juno Orchestra: Senza Zefiri - which means “without winds (breezes)” - will feature an expanded number of players and an arresting string quartet for orchestra. The program will include Battalia by Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber, String Quartet No. 5 arranged for string orchestra by Philip Glass, and Serenade for Strings, Op. 22, by Antonin Dvorák. “Juno continues to shine as a top-flight chamber orchestra,” Music...
Rock Voices is a community chorus that performs only rock and roll. There are no auditions, and you don't need to know how to read music, although it helps if you can carry a tune. This spring, the choir's songs will include music by Simon & Garfunkel, The Monkees, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, the Doobie Brothers, Pharrell Williams, and others. Final performances will be in late April. Brattleboro rehearsals are Monday nights, 7 to 9 p.m., at the Vermont Jazz...
The Brattleboro School of Dance, 22 High St., invites all interested dancers in the community to attend its open audition on Feb. 2 for their annual Spring Show to be held May 17 through 19 at New England Youth Theatre. According to a news release, this year's show will “explore the 'topsy turvy' world we live in through dances that experiment with irrational subject matter, illusions, magic-realism, and distortion.” They are looking “for versatile and enthusiastic dancers aged 7 (or...
During a walking tour of Porto, a spectacular city in the north of Portugal, the sunny, peaceful, spring-like day highlighted the orange clay roofs, the pastel-colored three-story apartments with the ubiquitous tiling, and the wide Douro River. I was amazed to hear from our guide, Cyril, that before 2001, neither tourists nor residents would come to Porto, unless they needed to be there on business, as it is the center of the port wine industry. As we stood at the...
Marlboro College will present a free concert by the Native American rock group Scotti Clifford & Spirit Cries on Thursday, Jan. 31. The concert will take place in Marlboro's Whittemore Theater at 7 p.m., and is open to the public. A family trio from the Badlands of South Dakota, Scotti Clifford & Spirit Cries is sonically rooted in blues and indie rock and inspired lyrically by their Oglala Lakota ancestry. The band consists of father Scotti Clifford, vocals/guitar/bass, daughter Wahpe...
The Selectboard is considering a proposal to increase and expand the town's rental-housing inspection program. With the Board expecting to make a decision at its Jan. 29 regular meeting, a few landlords and property managers appeared at the Jan. 22 special Selectboard meeting to register their reactions to the program. Some liked it, but not necessarily as it would apply to their properties. Some objected to the fees, while others were adamantly against it. Two landlords voiced their strong support...
Bingo night at Compass School WESTMINSTER - This Thursday, Jan. 31, from 6 to 8 p.m., the Compass School will host its monthly night of Bingo at the school on Route 5, just south of Bellows Falls. Great for families and serious players alike, there will be cash payouts in all games, plus extra prizes including Mount Snow ski tickets as well as a 50/50 raffle. There will also be food, desserts, and beverages available. Compass School's monthly bingo nights...
When Turner Classic Movies shut down its popular streaming service Filmstruck last December, an outcry was heard around the nation over the loss of such a great resource for classic Hollywood, foreign, and independent films, including the complete Criterion Collection library. Such a cinematic treasure trove seemed impossible to find elsewhere on the internet. Well, not quite. One of the best-kept secrets is that people can access much of the same deep reservoir of movies, including many titles from the...
Some silences can be very loud. I worked on the Navajo (Diné) Nation in Arizona from 1999 until 2006, before I moved back to Vermont. During that time, I worked as a counselor at the Little Singer Community School, which served students in preschool to eighth grade. The Diné people tend to be quiet and very understated. Observing the children, I experienced some deeply moving expressions of compassion, which led me to an understanding of how many such acts, brought...
I was shocked. Boy, am I naive. When I read Randolph T. Holhut's report about former Bennington State Rep. Kiah Morris, I could not believe it. What? So we know who the threats against Morris came from - they were not anonymous? And we allow this avowed racist to come right into the “safe space” (one would think) of the attorney general's news conference and threaten Ms. Morris with a racist T-shirt and a gun in his belt? Is this...
Suicide is a national public health issue that affects communities everywhere. That's why Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has adopted a broad public health approach with an emphasis on comprehensive, community-based engagement. All of our nation's health systems and communities must work collectively to reduce suicide rates using the best available information and practices. Coordinated effort at the federal, state, and local level is key to preventing suicide. Each community across the country plays a role in supporting veterans. The...
Dear Bernie, We're writing to you to express our grave concerns about the lack of movement shown by our government thus far on climate change. We're excited to learn that you're working on ambitious and far-reaching climate legislation to be introduced in the near future. Given the report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the time to act is now. Our country needs a Green New Deal that includes a commitment to move to a more equitable and ecologically...
Two last-minute proposals to the fiscal year 2020 municipal budget - both seeking funding from the town's 1-percent-option meals and rooms tax - were met with two opposite outcomes at the Jan. 22 special Selectboard meeting. The Board endorsed an idea to market the town, yet declined a new request to create a fund to support local arts and artists. At the Jan. 8 Board meeting, representatives from the Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Brattleboro Alliance presented...
Good day to you, my friends, and as always thanks very much for your readership! It's a dynamic weather week ahead, as we'll be experiencing a most changeable seven days to be sure. Intense snow squalls with whiteout conditions, gusty winds, a quick inch of accumulation, and even thunder are possible for Wednesday. Arctic cold subsequently invades our region Wednesday night through Thursday night. Then, after some seasonable cold into the weekend, we warm up into early next week when...
One other thing to note, perhaps, is that there are two entryways of these products into our schools. One is via online sales that are not regulated,, but the other way is that high school students who are 18 purchase them stores, and sell them and give them to classmates. Unregulated online sales are a problem, but only part of the problem.
According to the story, “'We were surprised to learn our hauler [Triple T Trucking] didn't have any interest in this business,' said [Assistant Town Manager Patrick] Moreland, who explained, 'they're concerned for the safety of their staff.'” If I could provide a clarification: Triple T offered to provide a truck, and town employees could load our truck to pick up bulky items. We have a similar arrangement with Brattleboro Housing Authority for their properties.
What do Russians have to do with any of this? It was the Clinton campaign that smeared Bernie Sanders' supporters as “bros,” and it was the Clinton campaign that blamed their loss to Trump on Russians. Their - including Sanders' - inability to admit either of those facts does not bode well for the Democrats. To win elections, you have to operate a little more in reality.
Donald Trump crumbled, and so did his wall. It must be a difficult lesson - doubtless, unlearned. The judicial branch has apprehended another key advisor, Republicans have defected in the Senate, poll numbers have fallen. And probably most painful of all, being bested by a women Speaker of the House, the executive bully just got mugged by democracy.
Don Baldini, legendary bassist for Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, and many other musicians, will join Dan DeWalt on piano for an evening of Great American Songbook standards on Wednesday, Jan. 30, at the Four Columns Inn at 21 West St. from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. For decades, Baldini has performed, recorded, and taught throughout the U.S., from the West Coast to New England, and “is beloved for his hard swing and impeccable playing,” writes DeWalt, who plays plays in a...
Several contested races will appear on the ballot for the March 5 town election, which will result in a big change in the composition of the Selectboard. Current Selectboard Chair Kate O'Connor has decided not to seek re-election to her three-year seat. “I've been there for six years, and it's time to give someone else a chance to serve,” O'Connor said on Jan. 28, the deadline day for filing nomination papers to get on the ballot. O'Connor, also the executive...
In 2017, after 44 years of running his medical practice, Robert Tortolani, one of the town's most beloved doctors, retired quietly. His soft-spoken, modest nature would have it no other way. So the award he received on Jan. 24 - Person of the Year - from the Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce came as a total surprise to Tortolani, who said he “was in a state of shock.” Groundworks Collaborative received the Chamber's Member of the Year award for its...
Warm temperatures, heavy rain, and floating ice contributed to localized flooding along the Whetstone Brook in West Brattleboro on Jan. 24. Emergency services evacuated more than 50 people from the Mountain Home and Glen Park mobile home parks and Melrose Terrace. Brattleboro's Department of Public Works oversaw the demolition of two ice jams on Whetstone Brook. There were no reported injuries. Fire Chief Michael Bucossi received the emergency call at approximately 12:49 p.m. on Jan. 24. According to Bucossi, an...
When six of New England's finest scholastic singing groups take the stage at the Latchis Theatre on Saturday, Feb. 2, there will be more than just rich harmonies and bubbly energy in the air. Emotions will be running high, too - for five singers, in particular, and for their family members, friends, and former teachers, who will be cheering them on from the audience. That's because Brattleboro's 16th annual Collegiate A Cappella Benefit Concert, a fundraiser for the Brattleboro Museum...
Middlebury College professor Tim Spears will look at the legacy of James Agee's book, Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, in a talk at Brooks Memorial Library in Brattleboro on Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. His talk, “The Making of Let Us Now Praise Famous Men,“ is part of the Vermont Humanities Council's First Wednesdays lecture series and is free and open to the public. Published in 1941, Let Us Now Praise Famous Men depicted, in words and images, the...
I meet Emily Mason - whose mini-retrospective show, “Emily Mason: To Another Place” is winding to a close at Brattleboro Museum & Art Center - in the Vermont farmhouse where she and her husband, Wolf Kahn, have spent many summers. The grounds are enchanting, even in the mostly brown month of October, and the few spots of color that remained marked the multiple flower beds dotting the property and defining the paths to the house. Mason is a petite woman.
Think about a time when you were hit by adversity. Was it an accident, the death of a loved one, a major financial crisis, the loss of a job, or some other traumatic event? How did you respond - like the willow or oak? Although we face crises throughout life, certainly the “golden years” are no exception. One crisis for me was falling and breaking my neck. I believed a positive outlook could help my recovery. The worst part was...
Josh Davis answered questions as he prepared for a 9 a.m. meeting - a meeting that was many years, and multiple site visits, in the making. There, on Jan. 28, Groundworks Collaborative closed on 54 South Main St. as the site for its new facility, which will be capable of housing client programs, a food shelf, a day shelter, and the Seasonal Overflow Shelter (SOS), said Davis, the organization's executive director. “We're excited,” Davis said about the $3.2 million project,
Everything seemed to be stacked against the Bellows Falls Terriers boys' basketball team as they hosted the West Rutland Golden Horde in a Marble Valley League game at Holland Gymnasium on Jan. 25. The Terriers had lost four games in a row. They were still in the process of shaking the rust off from a 12-day layoff. They were facing a scrappy West Rutland squad. And they were playing second-fiddle to the BF field hockey team, who were honored during...