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More than a newspaper

The Commons is the public face of a larger nonprofit organization, Vermont Independent Media, Inc.

We came to life from the ground up in 2004, as members of the community became increasingly concerned about the consequences of absent corporate ownership of the daily newspaper in town and the need for local people to have access to the skills to create their own grassroots media.

VIM came to life lovingly and carefully thanks to indefatigable volunteers. The first public programs of the Media Mentoring Project began in 2005, and the first issue of The Commons was published in 2006. The newspaper was published monthly until 2010, when we began a weekly schedule. We are published on Wednesdays 51 times a year.

View our bylaws here.

Our mission

Recognizing that a vigorous exchange of ideas and information allows democracy to function and is the lifeblood of a community, Vermont Independent Media:

• creates a forum for community participation,

• promotes local independent journalism,

• fosters civic engagement by building media skills

through publication of The Commons and commonsnews.org, and through the Media Mentoring Project.

Nonprofit IRS filings

By law, every 501(c)3 nonprofit organization must make its IRS filings available to the public. Here are ours.

• 2020
• 2019
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• 2016
• 2015
• 2014
• 2013
• 2012
• 2011
• 2010

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Office hours

Owing to the pandemic, our office is open by appointment only, and masks are required at all times.

Directions to the office

We're at 139 Main St., Brattleboro, Vermont (the Hooker-Dunham Building).

Office #601A: Newsroom

Office #604: Business/Advertising

Mailing address:

The Commons
P.O. Box 1212
Brattleboro, VT 05302

Phone/email

Connecting all departments: 888-511-5150

Email for general inquiries: info@commonsnews.org

Submit items for publication in the news sections (News, Arts, Milestones, Around the Towns): news@commonsnews.org

Submit items for publication in the Voices section: voices@commonsnews.org

Submit news tips and story ideas (not for publication): tips@commonsnews.org

General advertising address: ads@commonsnews.org

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Recent PDFs

These PDFs are built from the final files that were printed and represent an accurate facsimile of the issue’s content.

Please be warned: These files are very large and not at all suitable for dialup connections.

We maintain files of a limited number of back issues in our office. Please email info@commonsnews.org, and we will make them available if we can.

Issue #718

Jun 07, 2023

Issue #717

May 31, 2023

Issue #716

May 24, 2023

Issue #715

May 17, 2023

TODAY’S FEATURE/NEWS

Digging out

Power will be out for days for some after a Nor’easter slams Windham County with wet, heavy snow — snapping trees, downing utility lines, closing roads, and slowing life to a crawl

Hours after the snow stopped falling, Windham County continued to dig out from a late-winter nor’easter that dumped 3 feet of snow — or more — in many spots in higher elevations.... Continue reading story

TODAY’S FEATURE/NEWS

Digging out

Power will be out for days for some after a Nor’easter slams Windham County with wet, heavy snow — snapping trees, downing utility lines, closing roads, and slowing life to a crawl

CALENDAR

NEWS

BRATTLEBORO

‘That’s the beauty of it’

A new section of a storied Brattleboro cemetery offers families more inclusive options for a final resting place for loved ones

BRATTLEBORO

Chamber honors three area businesspeople

Giamartino, Garza, Yates get kudos for their service to the community at annual awards gathering

BRATTLEBORO

Victories and disappointments

Local lawmakers look back on the legislative session before they return to Montpelier to address loose ends — in particular, the governor’s vetoes

DUMMERSTON

The evolving portrait of a small town

Photographer Chuck Fish calls ‘Faces of Dummerston’ exhibit a ‘work in progress’

Farms slammed with loss from mid-May frost

Hard-hit Windham County farms hope for federal relief for an overnight devastating loss of fruit, berry, and vegetable cropss

BRATTLEBORO

BUHS community picks the Bears as next mascot

New ‘fiercely protective’ mascot and team name would replace controversial ‘Colonels’ moniker

BRATTLEBORO

Motel program residents return to homelessness

Organizations scramble to address a crush of need as they prepare a proposal for an emergency shelter
Browse News stories through the archives

TOWN & VILLAGE

• Plans take shape for new town park

• Around the Towns

• Jamaica environmental committee seeks volunteers to prep and plant a pollinator habitat

• Several local groups receive grants from Vermont Women’s Fund

Browse Town & Village stories through the archives

MILESTONES

• Milestones

Browse Milestones stories through the archives

SPORTS

• Rebels, Terriers reach softball semifinals

Browse Sports stories through the archives

ARTS

• Inaugural edition of the Bellows Falls Festival set for June 10

• Eugene Uman reinvents the Convergence Project with members of ‘The Fringe’ in VJC concert

• Gregorio Uribe to perform at Cooper Field as part of Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series

• Poetry reading by Ortner, Hauptman in Putney

• Literary Cocktail Hour hosts author Robert Pinsky

• Putney Library exhibits art of Nina Salvatore

• CineSLAM Film Festival returns to Latchis Theatre on June 24

• BAJC hosts Klezmer Dance party, workshops

• In-Sight seeks entries for youth photo contest

• Arts Council announces Town Arts Fund grantees for 2023

Browse Arts stories through the archives

We love and appreciate our advertisers!

... and we hope you do, too. This week’s Commons is made possible by ad support from:

Vermont Independent Media--Fundraising
Efficiency Vermont
Dover Free Library
BCTV
Aqua Aid Systems, Inc.
WW Building Supply & Home Center
Brattleboro Music Center
The Commons advertising
Colonial Theater
Bellville Realty
Guilford Sound
Berkley & Veller
Brattleboro Tire
New England Youth Theatre
Windham & Windsor Housing Trust
Fearless Computing
Burton Car Wash
Grace Cottage Foundation
Everyones Books
Brattleboro Drawing Studio
Brattleboro Food Co-op
Goodwill Industries of the Berkshires and Southern Vermont, Inc.
Vermont Jazz Center
River Gallery School
Lawton Floor Design
Town of Putney
Town of Hinsdale
Crispe and Crispe
Houghton Sanitary Service
Cafe Services Inc.
American Legion Post 5
Peter Havens
Hub Crosswords
Members 1st Credit Union
Harrison Heating
Dicks Lock Repair
Gracie jiu-jitsu
Town of Dummerston
Allard Lumber
Twice Upon A Time
Twilight Music
Evening Star Grange
Vernon Self Storage
Steves Septic Service
Jewett Plumbing & Heating Inc.
Elizabeth Julia Stoumen
Durling Cleaning
Vermont Artisan Designs
Supreme Fitness
Buddys A Pets Store
The Shoe Tree
Windham Philharmonic/Peter Guidi
Putney Farmers Market

Check out their ads in this week’s newspaper or on this website.

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Help us thrive!

Basic deadline information

Let’s talk advertising

Regular ad features

More than a newspaper

Our mission

Nonprofit IRS filings

Office hours

Directions to the office

Mailing address:

Phone/email

Recent PDFs

Search The Commons from 2010 to present

TODAY’S FEATURE/NEWS

Digging out

Power will be out for days for some after a Nor’easter slams Windham County with wet, heavy snow — snapping trees, downing utility lines, closing roads, and slowing life to a crawl

TODAY’S FEATURE/NEWS

Digging out

Power will be out for days for some after a Nor’easter slams Windham County with wet, heavy snow — snapping trees, downing utility lines, closing roads, and slowing life to a crawl

CALENDAR

CALENDAR

NEWS

BRATTLEBORO

A new section of a storied Brattleboro cemetery offers families more inclusive options for a final resting place for loved ones

BRATTLEBORO

Giamartino, Garza, Yates get kudos for their service to the community at annual awards gathering

BRATTLEBORO

Local lawmakers look back on the legislative session before they return to Montpelier to address loose ends — in particular, the governor’s vetoes

DUMMERSTON

Photographer Chuck Fish calls ‘Faces of Dummerston’ exhibit a ‘work in progress’

Hard-hit Windham County farms hope for federal relief for an overnight devastating loss of fruit, berry, and vegetable cropss

BRATTLEBORO

New ‘fiercely protective’ mascot and team name would replace controversial ‘Colonels’ moniker

BRATTLEBORO

Organizations scramble to address a crush of need as they prepare a proposal for an emergency shelterBrowse News stories through the archives

TOWN & VILLAGE

MILESTONES

SPORTS

ARTS

We love and appreciate our advertisers!

Organizations scramble to address a crush of need as they prepare a proposal for an emergency shelter
Browse News stories through the archives