The 18th annual Strolling of the Heifers Weekend, featuring a parade of future farmers leading flower-bedecked heifer calves through historic Main Street, takes place June 7, 8, and 9.
According to a news release, organizers promise many special surprises this weekend. A full schedule is available at www.StrollingOfTheHeifers.com.
The centerpiece of the weekend is the Strolling of the Heifers Parade, which starts promptly at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 8. The signature heifer calves lead the parade and are followed by other farm animals, tractors, bands, floats, and much more.
The crowd then follows the parade to the all-day Slow Living Expo to enjoy food, family fun, entertainment, and exhibits. The Expo will be on the Brattleboro Common and Lower Linden Street.
Gallery In the Woods, 145 Main St., presents woodcuts and fantastic animal sculpture from the artists' co-ops of Oaxaca, Mexico. According to a news release, the artists of Oaxaca have worked to organize the 16 woodcut printmaking studios in the city to work as a cooperative whole. Central Oaxaca...
The Children's Literacy Foundation has awarded its Rural Libraries grant to 12 public libraries in New Hampshire and Vermont. Moore Free Library in Newfane and Winhall Memorial Library in Bondville are local recipients of the grant, which provides two professional storytelling events for families, two new books for each...
Reading Facebook posts these days has become an exercise in masochism for many. Daily horrific posts reveal various forms of violence against the least powerful among us. Among the victims of such violence are young women and “emerging adult” females. A recent post referenced an 11-year-old girl in Ohio, pregnant by rape. Given Ohio's newly proposed anti-abortion legislation, she could be forced to carry the fetus to term. That's nothing short of state-sanctioned child abuse. State after state, the same...
Senior Center hosts picnic BRATTLEBORO - The first Brattleboro Senior Center picnic of the season will be held Thursday, June 6, at the Living Memorial Park Senior Area. The event will start at noon, with barbecued chicken, coleslaw, cornbread, baked beans, and watermelon for dessert. Suggested donation for seniors over 60 is $4, the cost for all others is $7.25. If it rains, the picnic will be held indoors at the Senior Center. Reservations requested; sign up at the front...
As I write during the last few days of the legislative session, I am reflecting on the things that feel like actual accomplishments, even if they appear to be small. I will say that “accomplishment” strikes me as being a bill that actually ends up becoming law. Of course, in any given year, some legislation is often many years in the making. We saw several important examples: raising the age to purchase tobacco products to 21 (signed into law May...
Friends of Music at Guilford presents its 53rd season finale on Sunday, June 9, an annual three-part event dubbed “A Cappella à la Carte.” Set at Guilford Community Church in the Algiers village of Guilford, just over a mile south of Exit 1 off I-91, the evening includes a short meeting, a potluck dinner, and a 7:30 p.m. concert of vocal music. Each optional segment is open to the general public; admission to the concert is by donation. Beginning at...
College news • Kyle Sewing of Brattleboro graduated with a Master of Business Administration degree from Mount St. Mary College in Newburgh, N.Y. • Two local students graduated from Colby-Sawyer College in New London, N.H., on May 11. Emma Harris of Brattleboro earned a B.A. in sociology. Harris served as a student ambassador in the Office of Admissions. Alexandra Harris of Bellows Falls graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in sociology and was a member of Alpha Chi National...
Helping you see your garden in a new way is what well-known landscape designer Gordon Hayward has in mind for his lecture, “The Intimate Garden.” His free talk will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 6, at the Westminster Institute, Route 5 in Westminster. Light refreshments will be served. The presentation is a special advance program to the Westminster Cares Garden Tour, July 20-21. Hayward, an acclaimed landscape designer, writer, and teacher from Westminster West, was...
On Sunday, June 9, at 3 p.m., at the Brattleboro Music Center, 72 Blanche Moyse Way, vocalist Peter Shea will present a free concert based on a cycle of satirical and romantic ballads published in 1844 by the great German-Jewish poet Heinrich Heine. Shea, a frequent soloist in the Brattleboro area as both tenor and baritone since 1993, will be joined by soprano Junko Watanabe and pianist Susan Dedell, both members of the faculty at the Brattleboro Music Center, as...
Organizers of Brattleboro's 46th annual Independence Day celebration are inviting the public to participate in a parade and help pay for fireworks for the town's free family event. The “By the People: Brattleboro Goes Fourth” citizens committee will mark July 4 with a morning march downtown and an afternoon and evening of sports, concerts, and fireworks at Living Memorial Park. Marching units set to include bands, veterans, and civic and youth groups will kick off at 10 a.m. with a...
Rabbi Andrea Cohen-Kiener will give a free talk on Jewish mysticism, focusing on the teachings of the Kabbalah, at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center on Thursday, June 6, at 7 p.m. The talk will take place in the Museum's Wolf Kahn & Emily Mason Gallery, which currently features “Sandy Sokoloff: Emanation,” an exhibition of large, spherical, Kabbalah-inspired paintings. Rabbi Cohen-Kiener is the spiritual leader of Temple Israel in Greenfield, Mass. She was ordained by the Alliance for Jewish Renewal,
Nye Ffarrabas will present selections from her more than 70 years of poetry and more than 60 years of visual, conceptual, and word art on Thursday, June 13, at 6 p.m. at CX Silver Gallery and Press, 814 Western Ave. Hosted by Cai Xi and Adam Silver as part of the Brattleboro Words Project's monthly Roundtable Discussions, the event is free and refreshments will be served. The discussion will focus on the intersection of poetry, event scores, and interactive word...
The House Committee on Judiciary has had quite an interesting session. Our committee covers many of the controversial issues that arise in our society. At the beginning of the session, we members came together to determine our ground rules. We established that our purpose is to uphold the rule of law, adhere to the Vermont and U.S. constitutions, and foster a judicial system that adheres to the values of democracy and our values as Vermonters. At the start of the...
The end of each legislative session is the appropriate time for increased scrutiny on what the Legislature has and has not accomplished. Given that the focus is predictably on major priority bills, I see the end of session as a time to talk about other successes that deserve attention but are often overlooked. I serve on the House Committee on General, Housing, and Military Affairs, where we worked on the paid family and medical leave legislation, as well as the...
Over the last 19 weeks, I have been immersed in parliamentary procedure, debate, and deliberation. Together, we passed legislation and a $6.1 billion budget that prioritized strengthening our economy; addressing climate change, clean water, child-care assistance, housing, and fair and impartial policing; and preserving reproductive rights. We accomplished this without raising new taxes on Vermonters. So often we hear about the issues debated on the floor of the Statehouse, but much of our work in the Legislature happens in the...
1 bunch fresh washed squeaky asparagus, woody ends snapped off 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons lemon juice grated zest of 1 lemon sea salt to taste Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Mix oil with lemon juice and peel, and spread on bottom of rimmed cookie sheet. Pat the asparagus dry or it will steam in the oven instead of roast. Roll asparagus spears in this mixture and add salt to taste. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes,
The House Energy and Technology Committee deals with matters relating to energy (including the regulation of power generation, transmission facilities, energy efficiency, natural gas facilities, and siting of energy facilities), utilities (including rates and quality of service), telecommunications (including siting of telecommunications facilities, the buildout of cellular and broadband services, and rates and quality of service), and the state's information technology systems. Tim Briglin of Thetford was named chair of the committee, and I am serving as vice chair. We...
Women's Reproductive Freedom. Ethnic studies. Fair and impartial policing. Indigenous Peoples' Day. Firearm waiting periods. Checks and balances of government. These are just a few of the headline issues from the wide array of work from 2019, the first year of this biennium of the Vermont Legislature. Each House member serves on one committee; each Senate member, on two. Our work also entails staying on top of what all 26 House and Senate committees are up to. Our committee work...
Hello and good day to you, southern Green Mountain state dwellers! If you're reading this, you're still on Planet Earth, and this alone is worthy of at least raising your eyebrows and cracking a smile for a minute. I find that doing just that, even during challenging times, can help lighten our personal loads a bit. As for our weather, while not set in stone, we could see up to four contiguous days of partly to mostly sunny, dry weather...
Using restorative practices to resolve conflict is the focus of a June 10 free community workshop at SIT Graduate Institute. The workshop is from 6:30 to 9 p.m., in the Rotch building at SIT. The event is being organized by a coalition of Windham County restorative justice organizations and will include participants from about 15 countries attending SIT's annual CONTACT Summer Peacebuilding Workshop. Restorative practices - such as communication skills, conflict resolution and learning to cultivate a deeper understanding of...
The Oscar-nominated film Wild, starring Reese Witherspoon, will be shown in the main theater of the Latchis on Sunday, June 16, at 4 p.m., in honor of Wild's author Cheryl Strayed visiting Brattleboro later in June. Watch Strayed's adventure unfold on a big screen along the striking Pacific Crest Trail before seeing her live at the Latchis on June 25. Suggested admission for the film is $10. At 26, grieving the death of her mother, Strayed hiked more than a...
Last issue's Open Letter, “A direct negative impact on our economic sustainability,” signed by 20 downtown Brattleboro businesspeople and submitted for publication on condition of anonymity, has generated more than a little bit of conversation and some significant response. That response has run the gamut - not only because of views the store owners expressed with conviction, but also because of my decision to withhold their names. I am preparing a special Voices section for next week's paper, in which...
Twin Flames Taqueria bartender Michael Kondracki ponders while thinking about how to scale the restaurant's winning Tiki Punch mocktail from event proportions to something that would work in home kitchens. “I got it!” he said after writing some ingredients on a blank service order slip. Still, there's only so far you can go - you're not going to juice a whole cantaloupe for one drink. This recipe will make about a gallon of punch for an event. Peach purée is...
It's rhubarb season. It's strawberry season. While the first thing that might come to mind is a pie or a crisp, these spring crops also combine beautifully to make a refreshing beverage that is a little sweet, a little tart, and quite pretty. This punch is perfect to bring along on a picnic or enjoy at a cookout or other gathering. It is quick to make, and you can store it in the refrigerator for a week, if it lasts...
The New England Center for Circus Arts will present its first end-of-year production, As One, with five shows June 7 through 9 at the NECCA trapezium in Brattleboro. The 11 members of the ProTrack year 2 program will present the acts they have developed within an ensemble circus show featuring high flying aerials, daring acrobatics and theatrical interludes. The show is co-directed by Sandra Feusi (Cirque du Soleil/Circus Knie) and Jamie Hodgson (Girls on Trapeze/ProTrack Director). Levi Helton, a trampoline...
With nothing left to prove in Division III, the Bellows Falls track and field team successfully petitioned the Vermont Principals' Association to move up to Division II this season. The change of scenery had no effect on the final outcome for the Terriers, as the boys won their seventh straight state title and the girls captured their fourth straight state title in the Division II championship meet in South Burlington on June 1. The BF boys amassed 127 points to...
Shoot the Moon Theater Company opens its 2019 season as the resident theater company for Hooker-Dunham Theater & Gallery with a two-weekend run of Nixon's Nixon by Russell Lees. Show times are 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, June 7 and 8 and June 14 and 15. Lees' play is a satirical imagining of the infamous meeting between a slightly drunk President Richard Nixon and an increasingly tipsy Secretary of State Henry Kissinger on Aug. 7, 1974 - the night...
In an event honoring approximately 50 area people of all ages who signed up to take a break from drinking for its first Alcohol-Free April challenge, Brattleboro Area Prevention Coalition (BAPC) held its first annual May Day Mocktail Contest and Dance Party on May 1 at the 118 Elliot Street Gallery. Amid music and dancing, participants enjoyed a variety of mocktails, handcrafted by five Brattleboro area restaurants. By the end of the night, participants voted Twin Flames the winner of...
It has been a rainy spring, and while we haven't thought much about going on picnics, the warmth is returning, and the bonus from all that moisture is a green landscape that begs for a blanket and a basket of treats. The easiest picnic food is eaten with the fingers - sandwiches, containers of nuts or olives on which to graze, little nibbles we skewer with a toothpick. We want picnic food to be able to hold well in the...
Roots on The River Music Festival is kicking off its 20th edition this weekend in Bellows Falls and Rockingham with a total of 23 musical acts from across America. Volunteers, fans, and musicians will mingle for three days in blocks of five shows with nationally-known musicians such as Mary Gauthier, James McMurtry, and Hayes Carll, playing alongside locally-known artists. And all this is happening because, two decades ago, Charlie Hunter had an idea. Before he became known as a landscape...
According to Kurt White, more people in the United States died from opioids last year than U.S. soldiers from the Vietnam War during the entire duration of that conflict. From that perspective, the director of ambulatory services at the Brattleboro Retreat believes that opioids aren't getting enough attention. “If it was a war, it would. But it is kind of a war - but with hidden victims,” he said. This class of drugs, and their negative effects on the people...
Senate Windham District: Athens, Brattleboro, Brookline, Dover, Dummerston, Grafton, Guilford, Halifax, Jamaica, Londonderry, Marlboro, Newfane, Putney, Rockingham, Somerset, Stratton, Townshend, Vernon, Wardsboro, Westminster, Whitingham, and Windham • Sen. Becca Balint (D): [email protected]; beccabalint.com • Sen. Jeanette White (D): [email protected]; 802-387-4379 Windsor District: Includes the Windham County town of Londonderry • Sen. Allison Clarkson (D): [email protected]; 802-457-4627 • Sen. Dick McCormick (D): [email protected]; 802-793-6417 • Sen. Alice W. Nitka (D): [email protected]; 802-228-8432 House Windham-1: Guilford and Vernon • Rep. Sara Coffey...
We're eating the first delicious snap peas, last winter's carrots, Black Seeded Simpson lettuce, Red Russian kale, and amazing strawberries, all from the greenhouse. Our farm members are also enjoying bouquets of flowers from the greenhouse. Our mission is to promote a more just, joyful, and sustainable community by engaging people - primarily children and their families, but also school groups and adults - in thinking like a farmer and considering the flow of energy and cycling of nutrients as...
Voters in Brookline, Jamaica, Newfane, Townshend, and Windham have a choice to make next week: whether to include the town of Windham as a full pre-kindergarten-through-grade-12 member of the West River Education District. They will also decide whether to include that town's previously approved budget for kindergarten through grade six. Right now, Windham is a member of the West River Education District for grades seven through 12, and operates its own school, Windham Elementary, for 17 primary-age students. A “yes”
In his duties as director of ambulatory services at the Brattleboro Retreat, Kurt White works with clients in recovery. While a variety of factors influence a person's risk of developing an addiction, one factor reduces it. That measure: delaying the use of substances - tobacco, alcohol, opiates, cocaine - until adulthood. Substances affect the developing brain of a young person differently from that of an adult, he said. Cindy Hayford, coordinator of Deerfield Valley Community Partnership, agrees. DVCP is one...