An investigation conducted by Vermont Department of Health scientists and released last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that transmission of the coronavirus can occur during multiple brief exposures with someone who is infected.
According to a news release, staff from the Health Department and the Department of Corrections looked into an instance in which a state correctional officer became infected after several brief interactions with incarcerated people who had COVID-19. None of the individual interactions lasted 15 minutes but over time, they exceeded that duration.
CDC officials cited the investigation findings in announcing its updated definition of what is considered to be a “close contact.” The Vermont report was published in the Oct. 21 issue of CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
The CDC definition now defines a close contact as someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period. This is a refinement of previous guidance, which defined close contact as being within 6 feet, for 15 minutes or more at a time.
This week, southern Vermont-based organizations, Lost River Racial Justice and Out in the Open, in collaboration with The Root Social Justice Center, released what they call “a toolkit on organizing for racial justice.” According to a news release, the Rural Racial Justice Study Group Toolkit “is an in-depth look...
The Selectboard has decided to pause a proposed ordinance to limit the amount of money landlords may require in advance from new tenants. At least for now, the proposal, which had reached the first-reading stage of the public process designed to codify town ordinances, will not have its second...
We are at a crossroads, or at rock bottom, or at the most important election of our lives. Trump's presidency has shown us that, as much as it is scary to push for change, when we don't do so, things change anyway. Unfairness and imbalance have a way of building until we stand together to make them stop. Or, put another way, the only way things are going to change is if we change them. We can't solve climate change...
Town government, the Brattleboro Police Department, Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, other entities in town, and Brattleboro-area residents have identified a set of individuals who have offered exceptional services to our area during this challenging COVID-19 period, but who have been inadequately recognized for their outstanding efforts. Compassionate Brattleboro has decided to recognize these people with the COVID Period Unsung Heroes award. “A common thread in submissions to Compassionate Brattleboro from town entities has been the acknowledgment that these Unsung Heroes are...
AARP Foundation Tax-Aide has kicked off volunteer recruitment for its Tax-Aide program, the nation's largest volunteer-run tax preparation service, in Vermont. The program is looking for individuals to volunteer virtually or in person in a number of roles to provide help to taxpayers. Tax-Aide offers free in-person and online tax preparation and assistance to low- and moderate-income taxpayers nationwide. Because of the complexity of the U.S. tax code, many taxpayers overpay their taxes or turn to paid tax services they...
Obituaries • Andrew Walter Brown, 29, of Newfane. Died Oct. 13, 2020 at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H., following a courageous battle against Germ Cell Carcinoma, a very rare cancer. Andrew was born in Portland, Maine, on May 25, 1991, the son of Duane and Jessica (Currier) Brown. He was raised and educated in Brattleboro, graduating from Brattleboro Union High School with the Class of 2009. He worked as a machinist at GS Precision in Brattleboro up until his...
For its sixth annual Halloween spectacular, Shoot the Moon theater company will present a live web-streamed performance of What Did I Just See? on two consecutive Fridays and Saturdays, Oct. 30 and 31 and Nov. 6 and 7, at 7:30 p.m. “What Did I Just See? is inspired by the unintended digital voyeurism that has become common due to increased reliance on videoconferencing platforms for business and social gatherings,” STM company artistic director Joshua Moyse said in a news release.
The ninth edition of the Brattleboro Film Festival (BFF) has become the latest casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic. BFF organizers Merry Elder, Cyndi Rebelo, and Jaki Reis said in a statement that “after weighing all the factors, we have decided to suspend the festival for this year while we continue to explore options to bring films to our community both virtually and in person.” “Theaters and film festivals across the country, including the Latchis Theatre and the Vermont International Film...
The Brattleboro Winter Farmers' Market opens its 15th season on Saturday, Nov. 7. It once again is in the C.F. Church Building at 80 Flat St in downtown Brattleboro. This year, with health concerns related to COVID-19, organizers said they are “putting aside our 'community gathering face' to serve as a critical outlet for local producers that is at the heart of every farmers' market.” It will be one of the few indoor Vermont farmers markets open for in-person shopping...
We, the members of the Town of Putney Equity and Inclusion Committee, came together to create a community where all residents and visitors receive equal treatment and opportunity. We are your fellow community members. We are Black, white, gay and straight, young and old, mothers, and fathers. We come from different backgrounds, have disparate incomes, and have different ability status. We love our community. We want everyone to feel a sense of belonging here, safety and joy. In response to...
In a time of pandemic, Halcyon Arts has picked up where Stone Church Arts left off. The organization will present “The World at Home,” an online streaming series of concerts featuring world music artists. The introductory cost of $5 per month gives you the password to past concerts to watch anytime and free tickets to the monthly concerts in the series. The next concert features the Jason Anick Acoustic Trio on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 7:30 p.m. Jason Anick, Max...
For many of us - especially those who live at higher latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere - the seasonal onset of colder weather and waning sunlight is accompanied by negative trends in both our mood and energy. The symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which can range from irritability, negative thinking, and feelings of fatigue to full-blown depression, are experienced by nearly 5 percent of the U.S. population each year. But as we enter the winter months in the midst...
Attorney General T.J. Donovan will partner with Windham County State's Attorney Tracy Shriver, Vermont Legal Aid, and Code for BTV to host an expungement “tele-clinic” on Friday, Nov. 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Expungements wipe from your record specific convictions and dismissed charges after a certain period of time has passed. Under Vermont law, many misdemeanors, 14 felony offenses, and all dismissed charges can be expunged. The free clinic will focus on expunging criminal charges and convictions from...
The American Red Cross is urging healthy donors of all blood types to give blood or platelets to ensure a strong blood supply for patients as the U.S. braces for flu season while in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because blood can be given only by those who are feeling well, a severe flu season could create additional challenges to maintaining a sufficient blood supply for hospital patients in need. Upcoming donation opportunities in Brattleboro include: • Thursday, Oct.
Following the successful reopening of the Bellows Falls Opera House on Oct. 16, the Rockingham Arts and Museum Project (RAMP) will sponsor the 1976 classic political thriller All the President's Men on Sunday, Nov. 1, at 2 p.m. Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman, and Jason Robards star in the landmark film that chronicles how two young reporters at The Washington Post in June 1972, Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, were assigned to follow a trail of intrigue that exposed a shocking...
This year, the 13th annual Rockingham Arts & Museum Project (RAMP) Art Raffle will be held virtually. From New York to White River Junction to Bellows Falls, artists have donated their signature pieces including glasswork, painting, and weaving. Visit the RAMP website at ramp-vt.org to view more than 45 pieces of original artwork by these artists. Raffle tickets are $25 each or five for $100. Featured artists include Clare Adams, Patricia Avila, Jean Cannon, James Sturm, Wendy Copp, Nancy Fitz-Rapalje,
Strolling of the Heifers, the nonprofit organization focused on strengthening the viability of local food and farms, has confronted its own survival, suspending two major projects and laying off two of its four employees due to economic issues. The decision, which leaves the organization without its signature annual parade and the Slow Living Summit, is a consequence of the global pandemic. In an Oct. 22 press release, Interim Board Chair Roger Allbee wrote, “With a heavy heart, this action is...
As with many political discussions, things are somewhat different in Brattleboro. While voter suppression and intimidation are realities in many places, we don't have to worry about those things here. Nonetheless, we remain directly affected by elections that happen in other communities and other states. Our future is dependent on their elections and elected officials. Nowhere is this seen more clearly than in a presidential election, where a few thousand votes in another state can determine the fate of our...
There was an item on the radio a few weeks ago from the current administration about a number of ballots that were found floating in a ditch. There was no source given for this information or where these ballots were discovered. I have a completely different experience regarding my own ballot. Ballots received from the state come with large red lettering which says, “VOTE!” Inside this envelope is your blank ballot, which you sign and insert in the larger outside...
A general strike is the only appropriate response to any attempt by the Trump/Putin forces to fix the election or otherwise foment a coup. Shut the country down. This begins with the students, especially those attending colleges and high schools. (Can you imagine Brattleboro Union High School Principal Steve Perrin handing out detentions to patriots trying to save what's left of our democracy?) As they are doing with the climate and Black Lives Matter crises, young people need to continue...
As part of my role as a Selectboard member in Guilford, I represent my town in the new Deerfield Valley Communications Union District (d.b.a. DVFiber). DVFiber's goal is to secure affordable broadband to every address in our 18-town district. That prospect is challenging, to say the least, but we are hard at work. In our ongoing efforts to connect with residents throughout the district, we are launching a quarterly newsletter. I invite you to read it and subscribe: bit.ly/585_dvfiber. Additionally,
In the beginning of our history, patriots realized the necessity for the separation from Great Britain. In our Declaration of Independence, they wrote their reasons, including these self-evident facts about King George: • He refused to obey the laws. • He did not allow his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance until he gave his assent. • He has obstructed the administration of justice. • He has interfered with immigration. • He has cut off our trade...
The Vermont Voter's Oath fascinates me. Our state is one of only three in the nation, along with Alabama and Florida, that has voters take an oath at the time of registration, and our oath is unique: “You solemnly swear (or affirm) that whenever you give your vote or suffrage, touching any matter that concerns the State of Vermont, you will do it so as in your conscience you shall judge will most conduce to the best good of the...
I wrote in June urging (a bit nervously) that it was time to get beyond Black Lives Matter protests and slogans - and suggesting 15 things we should be working on to become “a sensibler and fairer country.” It's now October, and protests and slogans still headline public efforts. What's prompted me to write again is the “BLACK LIVES MATTER” road “mural” at the Putney Central School. To start with, the inscription seems to me a wrong precedent for the...
Guilford and Vernon are extremely fortunate to have an incredibly energized and capable legislator in Sara Coffey. Two years ago, the majority of voters in both towns sent Sara to Montpelier to represent us in the Legislature. Looking back now, we can feel very good about that choice. Sara has worked tirelessly to serve our district and Vermont in a range of issues, from broadband to social equity to climate policy. Yet as busy as she is in shaping policy,
Did you know that Vermonters spend more on local foods and in the local food economy than any other state, per capita? Much of that is due to the hard work, good representation and strong leadership of Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman for over 20 years as a farmer and elected official in Montpelier. David took on big agribusiness companies and won, when he protected so many small farmers and backyard gardeners from the issue of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). He...
A thought I have not been able to shake for the past week has been the culmination of stories my Oma has told me many times, since I was very young in fact, about what it was like to live in Germany through the rise of Hitler, and the collapse that followed WWII. She was 17 in 1945 when her village of Hanau was bombed and the Americans marched through. She was 5 when Hitler came to power, and Nazi...
Across the nation and the state of Vermont, people are organizing in preparation for a possible coup or illegal nullification of the upcoming election. In response to a recent commentary published in the Brattleboro Reformer and The Commons calling for Vermonters to prepare for such a scenario, a Brattleboro resident responded to the author, saying in part: “Thank you for warning us of the 'unthinkable.' I'm age 88 and in a wheelchair, so I won't be out blocking roads and...
The Brattleboro Retreat laid off 85 workers on Oct. 23 as part of a decision to cut five outpatient programs. The Retreat cut $8 million from the annual budget in order to move the state's largest mental health facility toward financial sustainability, according to a letter to staff from CEO Louis Josephson. At the end of the year, the private psychiatric facility will close five programs: a Hub program that provides medication assisted therapy for opioid addiction, an outpatient addiction...
Every Tuesday, state Department of Financial Regulation Commissioner Michael Pieciak stands before the Vermont press corps and delivers the weekly COVID-19 modeling update. Since a state of emergency was declared by Vermont Gov. Phil Scott on March 13, the Brattleboro native has been the numbers cruncher - the person leading the task force at his agency which charts the current state of the pandemic and forecasts its trends. Since the summer months, Pieciak's briefings have been a compendium of good...
Their place in the 7-on-7 touch football playoffs secure, all that was left for the Brattleboro Colonels to do was to win the regular season finale against their Route 9 rivals, the Mount Anthony Patriots. But the Patriots didn't follow that script. Instead, senior quarterback Caleb Hay rallied his team from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to spoil Senior Night for the Colonels with a wild 34-31 victory on Oct. 23 at Natowich Field. In a normal season,
The Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC) invites creators of all ages to design and build original Lego sculptures and display them at the museum in its 13th Annual Lego Contest & Exhibit, taking place Friday, Nov. 13 through Monday, Nov. 16. “Although it's a contest, no one is really focused on the competition,” BMAC Director Danny Lichtenfeld emphasized in a news release. “This is all about celebrating creativity and having fun.” This year's event blends virtual events with a...
Print Town: Brattleboro's Legacy of Words, a vivid retelling of Brattleboro's storied printing, publishing, and literary life from its earliest days to the present, will be published in November, with more than 30 writers, many of whom were directly involved in the area's printing history, contributing to its pages. Produced over three years, through research, interviews, and personal memoir, a rich, at times amusing, story emerges. Two stories unearthed in Print Town include a local newspaper man channeling the ending...
In Vermont, 11.3 percent of farm work is accomplished by seasonal H-2A temporary visa farmworkers, a majority of whom are Jamaican - an estimated 400 individuals. Established in 1986 as part of the Immigration Reform and Control Act, the H-2A Visa Program allows agricultural businesses in the U.S. to hire temporary foreign workers for seasonal positions that they would have otherwise been unable to fill with domestic workers. The COVID-19 pandemic hasn't stopped folks from visiting their favorite farm stands...
In May 2019, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott signed into law a bill officially recognizing the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples' Day, in place of Columbus Day. At this year's celebration in Brattleboro, members of the Elnu Abenaki community announced the launch of the Atowi Project, a long-term collaboration with Retreat Farm, which hosted the gathering. Centered upon the West River's “Meadows” - known traditionally to the Abenaki as Wantastegok - the project will “enable a place-based opportunity for...