Stories by Joyce Marcel
Issue of Jun 7, 2023 (#718)

- 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
Issue of May 31, 2023 (#717)

- Governor, Legislature at odds over budget priorities: Most local lawmakers eye an override of Scott’s budget veto
Issue of May 24, 2023 (#716)

- Memorable moments in Montpelier: Local lawmakers look back on a hectic session in the Legislature and offer an update on the wins of the past few months
Issue of May 17, 2023 (#715)

- End of motel program will remove shelter and stability: With housing unavailable and the end of the emergency pandemic measure, advocates warn of looming crisis of homelessness in Brattleboro and all through Vermont
Issue of May 10, 2023 (#714)

- Paid family leave bill gets shelved in Senate: The House passed the measure, but the Senate does not support it in its current form, so it will wait until 2024 — barring surprises in the last days of the current session
Issue of May 3, 2023 (#713)

- N.H. artists take a field trip to Brattleboro: A group of 30 visitors hear a range of artists and arts entrepreneurs describe the successes and challenges of making a living in the creative economy — and building a creative community
Issue of Apr 26, 2023 (#712)

- State programs help towns express their character through public art: Coffey’s bill advances in the Senate, on track to get more funding for art in public buildings
Issue of Apr 19, 2023 (#711)

- A diner goes dark: Squeezed by inflation, staffing challenges, sheer exhaustion, and the wish to retire, the owners of the Chelsea Royal Diner in West Brattleboro call it quits, looking toward their new life on Cape Cod as they continue looking for a buyer
Issue of Apr 12, 2023 (#710)

- Lawmakers get ready for a busy final month: With just a few weeks left in the 2023 session in Montpelier, members of the Windham County legislative delegation look at what has been accomplished and what’s still to be done
Issue of Mar 29, 2023 (#708)

- The just-cause evictions question failed in Brattleboro. Why?: Theories range from the complexity of the charter change language to a hearts-and-minds campaign by property owners and managers. But proponents say that in a tight housing market, the need for such an ordinance is not going away.
Issue of Mar 22, 2023 (#707)

- Supreme Court changes put state school choice in flux: A new U.S. Supreme Court precedent allows public funding of religious schools. With state laws suddenly in conflict, lawmakers are also fighting those who want to keep things just as they are.
Issue of Mar 15, 2023 (#706)

- Vermonters turn fight to the financiers of climate change: A nationwide protest, including an action in Burlington, will call on major U.S. banks to end investments in fossil fuels
- In Montpelier, climate change meets public policy : Two Windham County legislators have a large influence on state transportation policy in a state where ‘we need cars to get around’
Issue of Mar 1, 2023 (#704)

- Her choice of guest spoke volumes : Balint makes her way into a divisive Congress and quietly stands firm on her principles as she looks to represent her state as part of an unhinged legislative body.
Issue of Feb 22, 2023 (#703)

- Being green versus making green: State Treasurer Michael Pieciak calls for a ‘slow and thoughtful’ transition from the state’s financial stake in companies whose activities contribute to global climate change
Issue of Feb 15, 2023 (#702)

- Unified party, unified voice: In her second term as House majority leader, Newfane’s Emily Long works to get new Democratic legislators up to speed and create consensus and unity with their party
Issue of Feb 8, 2023 (#701)

- Cause or no cause?: In this overheated rental market, Brattleboro voters will consider a measure next month to prevent tenants from being summarily removed from apartments. Meanwhile, landlords contend that the proposed charter change will complicate their removal of problem tenants.
Issue of Feb 1, 2023 (#700)

- A focus on service: Mike Mrowicki, a longtime state representative, looks at legislative priorities, from broadband to housing to guns
Issue of Jan 25, 2023 (#699)

- ‘I had nothing left’: The closing of Hotel Pharmacy marks the end of family-run drugstores in Brattleboro — thanks, its owner says, to insurance and pharmaceutical industry pricing practices that made it impossible not to lose money
- What is the government we need, and how do we pay for it?: Brattleboro representative savors new role as chair of Ways and Means, the committee that asks the big questions about state government and how to fund it
Issue of Jan 18, 2023 (#698)

- Ready to govern, but waiting for government: Balint reflects on her first days in the U.S. House of Representatives and the turbulent leadership change in the lower chamber
Issue of Jun 29, 2022 (#670)

- The despicable patriarchy is rising again: ‘I don’t want to be part of this kind of America, where the patriarchy is trying to drag us back into the Dark Ages. So what is to be done?’
Issue of May 11, 2022 (#663)

- Food as art, art as food: After four decades of cooking, retired caterer Sharon Myers returns to her first love — sculpture and textiles
Issue of Apr 27, 2022 (#661)

- An iconic market reborn: Julia Tadlock reimagines the Newfane Flea Market for a new era — and as a place to re-engage with friends and neighbors
Issue of Nov 3, 2021 (#637)

- Asking the vital questions of life: Brooks Memorial Library hosts award-winning book author Katherine Paterson for a reading at Centre Congregational Church
Issue of Sep 29, 2021 (#632)

- A Windham County life in art: Mitchell-Giddings Fine Arts gallery will present a 30-year retrospective on the photographic work of Christine Triebert
Issue of Sep 1, 2021 (#628)

- Tropical Storm Irene’s impact, one year in: The flooding from Irene catastrophically altered the economy and the ecosystems of Vermont. In our very human need to restore things to the way they were, were we making a huge error? On this 10th anniversary week, we remember what it took to get back and how we were looking to a future that is now here.
Issue of Aug 11, 2021 (#625)

- Winners and losers: Downtown Brattleboro emerges from a long period of shutdown with inevitable change and cautious optimism on the part of merchants
Issue of Aug 4, 2021 (#624)

- ‘We were still a family’: The end of a marriage turned out to be the beginning of the rest of a 60-year life together
Issue of Oct 14, 2020 (#583)

- High hopes for winter tourism: COVID-19 continues to hammer Vermont’s hospitality sector, and much is riding on a successful ski season
Issue of May 20, 2020 (#562)

- Walking the tightrope: County’s long-term care facilities are — so far — free of COVID-19 infections, but staff are taking no chances
Issue of Apr 22, 2020 (#558)

- Libraries go virtual — with a human touch: Doors may be closed at county’s libraries, but staff are working harder than ever to continue providing services
Issue of Apr 15, 2020 (#557)

- Some jobs you can’t phone in: Plumbers, mechanics, and other tradespeople are still working — carefully — through the pandemic
Issue of Apr 1, 2020 (#555)

- BF firm’s products play key role in testing: Chroma’s filter technologies let biotech firms develop tests for coronavirus
Issue of Mar 4, 2020 (#551)

- Dummerston voters consider bats, mowers, and payloaders: With much discussion and little controversy, voters approve a 12.8-percent budget increase