Ironically, what is potentially most promising about our situation today is that the same circumstances that confront us with social collapse also conspire to present us with an opportunity to finally create and live the values-informed existence we have been searching for all along, and that we now require more than ever, as a condition of our very survival.
As the Chinese ideograms for the word suggest, crisis is a time not only of great danger, but of singular opportunity, as well. The origin of “crisis” is Greek, designating a decisive moment when life is on the tip of imminent and profound change, when matters could go one way or another.
While there is no question that our situation is fraught with peril that points to the demise of our civilization in the not-too-distant future, it is because of this very condition - our lives on the line, social collapse pending, time running out - that our civilization is also pregnant with transformative possibilities.
But - and this is critical - if the latter are to be realized, they require us to be awake to their presence in our lives, and to then act on them as if our lives depended upon it. Because of course they do.
We were saddened as individuals and as a group to see that the image of a swastika was used to disrupt a recent Democratic candidates' forum for lieutenant governor. Just as we know that one Zoom-bombing will not prevent reasonable people from continuing to publicly engage in the democratic...
The United Way of Windham County, with help from the Thomas Thompson Trust and the Crosby-Gannett Fund, raised $57,000 for the COVID-19 Response Fund. According to a news release, the first grant distributions, totaling $23,300, have been allocated to the following organizations: • $10,700 to nine agencies that provide...
As we pass another International Workers' Day, we find ourselves in yet another economic crisis. Ostensibly, this crisis is different, spawned by an unseen biological agent rather than the standard dose of late-stage capitalist destruction. But one could argue that workers are now being victimized by both. As the Coronavirus spreads and the economy implodes, we are left with $1,200 (if you fit the proper categories, e.g. not homeless, not married to a migrant, etc.), military flyovers, and a few...
Andre Jaeger, who will start his job as finance director on May 20, will bring to the position experience working in the private, municipal, and higher education sectors. Town Manager Peter Elwell said that Jaeger joins the town after serving as Keene State College's budget director. According to Elwell, the college eliminated the position on May 1 as part of a staff-reduction and restructuring process. Jaeger steps into his new role during an uncertain time for the community, thanks to...
Obituaries • Mary Ida Blackstone, 82, formerly of Putney. Died April 30, 2020 at Mt. Greylock Extended Care Facility in Pittsfield, Mass. Born on April 25, 1938 in Putney, daughter of the late Guy and Gladys Vaine Stockwell, she graduated from St. Michael's High School in Brattleboro. In 1957, she married Elvin “Whitney” Blackstone. Mary was a CNA and medical receptionist who was most recently employed at Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield. She treated all her patients with dignity and...
2020 dog licenses are now due BRATTLEBORO - Dogs and wolf hybrids in town 6 months and older must be licensed for 2020, according to state statute. Renewal licenses must be processed through the mail, online at brattleboro.org, or by dropping payment (checks only) and forms into the black lock box attached to the wooden light pole in the Municipal Building parking lot. Dog owners seeking to license in town for the first time may do so in person or...
I have known Michelle Bos-Lun for well over a decade and I strongly support her upcoming run for a Windham-4 state representative seat. I met Michelle through her work with local youth who were threatened with homelessness. Michelle has decades of experience addressing issues of unequal privilege: at an individual and group level, on the streets, in classrooms, and at the level of agency board participation. She is versed in this work both locally and internationally. This varied experience has...
If Joe Biden is elected president and able to take office - something that is not assured with the armed far right in this country - it is essential that we, the people push him to enforce the law. At least dozens of Trump administration officials have blatantly broken many laws, including some sections of the Constitution. We are witnessing right now the unlawful direction of the huge bundles of cash from the stimulus program to Trump's cronies, many of...
The census, mandated by the U.S. Constitution, has been conducted nationwide every 10 years since 1790. The 2020 Census started April 1. At seven weeks into the survey, Windham County showed the second-lowest county response rate in the whole state with a return rate of only 35 percent as of May 16. The average return rate for Vermont is an anemic 50 percent, the fourth-lowest return rate in the country. For such an engaged and public-spirited state, how is it...
We urge Vermonters in Windham-4 district to support Michelle Bos-Lun for state representative because she is a proven leader who truly cares about her fellow citizens. She is a person of deeds, not just words, and we have seen her in action advocating an end to gun violence, support for those suffering with mental/emotional illness, social justice reform, and world peace. She dedicates her time to public speaking, teaching (especially about peace building), and working to help those who are...
I am writing to announce my candidacy for trustee of the Village of Bellows Falls and ask for the support of voters at the polls on June 16. Bellows Falls is where I grew up after my family moved to the village in 1974. I have lived in many other towns and cities since that time and returned in 2006 to again make the area my home. I am passionate about our town and want to do my part to...
The Supreme Court hearings are over. What now remains to be seen is if the majority of the members of the court feel it is acceptable for the people of the United States to have (now and/or in the future) a known criminal for a president.
We are writing to the members of the Rockingham community to clarify the role of Rockingham Help and Helpers (RHH) during the COViD-19 crisis. Concerns have been raised that we may be impinging on some of our established nonprofits by providing redundant services and by receiving donations of food and money that they might otherwise get. RHH came into being immediately after our governor's stay-at-home order was issued when several of us called the town manager with offers to help...
Instead of the familiar farm education program and large community gatherings that Retreat Farm has become known for, the farm will tackle two essential challenges of the moment - feeding families and connecting them to the land. “This summer, we will use our lands, buildings, and animals to grow food for the community and provide opportunities to relax in nature, enjoy the peaceful presence of animals, and learn something new,” Advancement Director Wendy Ferris said in a news release. And...
I appreciate Byron Stookey's well-intentioned support for public higher education, but I feel the need to state the obvious: Yes, there was a recession in 1979-1980, but more importantly, Ronald Reagan was elected president. As he began implementing the Republican agenda - attacking labor unions, cutting domestic spending while increasing military budgets, and shifting the tax burden from the wealthy to the working class - funding for the states declined. This trend has continued unabated pretty much to the present,
Paul Faust slips his mask on as two customers enter Trillium Home & Garden, his store on Main Street. “Thanks for being open,” one of the customers says. “It's good to see you,” replies Faust. That purchase took place on May 18, the first day when retail businesses in Vermont could reopen, providing they follow social distancing and other public health protocols. Vermont Gov. Phil Scott is gradually lifting the restrictions that his administration placed on the state in response...
On Mother's Day, I awoke to the images of the protestors that gathered in downtown Indianapolis in response to the fatal shooting of Sean Reed. Reed was a young black man who live-streamed while police chased him, and many witnessed his death in real time. Earlier in the week, I first heard of Ahmaud Arbery's assailants being charged with murder months after he was shot while jogging outside of Brunswick, Ga., these charges coming only after a graphic video was...
It was the best kept secret in town. For those plugged into social media, or subscribers to Town Clerk Laurie Frechette's news updates, the word was out about a surprise drive-by parade on May 16 for Don Hazelton to mark his 90th birthday. Judging by the dozens of decorated cars and trucks that lined up in Dummerston Center on an overcast Saturday morning, a lot of townspeople got the word. Everybody, apparently, except for Don. Don said he celebrated his...
During pandemic times, we hear the words “fragile” and “vulnerable” most often when talking about our elders. Can you imagine if keeping a group of them safe from the coronavirus was your own responsibility? That kind of burden is almost unimaginable to me. But I don't have to try. While reporting on a story about Windham County's response to the virus for a state-wide publication, I had the opportunity to talk to the heads of several elder care institutions here.
Gov. Scott: I watched with interest and concern your COVID-19 press conference on May 1 outlining the reopening of businesses. You talked at length about the requirements you were putting in place to make workplaces safe for returning workers. Yet you then went on to say that those businesses could reopen, and their workers would be expected to return, if they had “at least in good faith attempted to acquire what they needed to do so.” You mentioned thermometers, specifically,