Stories by Virginia Ray

Issue of Jun 7, 2023 (#718)


• 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
• BUHS community picks the Bears as next mascot: New ‘fiercely protective’ mascot and team name would replace controversial ‘Colonels’ moniker

Issue of May 31, 2023 (#717)


• Brattleboro Selectboard faces rising crime stats: Residents looking for action after a knifepoint car theft in Transportation Center; cameras in the offing as police remain understaffed
• WSESD sex abuse probe moves to new phase: Board says some type of report about the outside investigation is forthcoming — at some point

Issue of May 17, 2023 (#715)


• Parker, Damkoehler to switch administrative roles at BUHS : ‘Collaborative’ leadership model now in place after unsuccessful outside search for principal

Issue of Apr 19, 2023 (#711)


• Seery earns second runner up in Miss Vermont contest : Brattleboro native is Bernie Sanders’ digital producer and has a long history of climate activism

Issue of Apr 5, 2023 (#709)


• Fired principal says he was ‘sacrificial lamb’ for past abuse: Perrin lawsuit asserts that ‘God Almighty himself’ couldn’t have swayed the board from firing him from BUHS

Issue of Mar 29, 2023 (#708)


• Brattleboro approves $20.5M budget for FY24: Town Meeting members ask for more transparency and community input to spend federal Covid funds and make EMS choices
• Ex-principal sues school system for wrongful termination : Perrin seeks jury trial in civil suit after unsuccessful appeal to get his job back
• Early Education Services earns national award : Program for educating youngsters recognized among the top in the country

Issue of Mar 22, 2023 (#707)


• Putney takes steps to a brighter future : Our Future Putney community brainstorming focuses on revitalizing downtown, creating a community center, and developing housing solutions
• WSESD sexual abuse investigation may be ‘moving into next phase’: But the school board, citing legal advice, isn’t saying what that phase might be or how long that might take

Issue of Mar 15, 2023 (#706)


• WSESD chair foreshadows an update on abuse probe: More a year has passed since the WSESD board engaged an independent investigation into decades-long sexual abuse allegations
• WSESD to take up $62,704,054 proposed operating budget March 21 : Brattleboro, Dummerston, Guilford, and Putney residents will vote on the plan
• WSESD to propose $62.7 million for next school year budget

Issue of Mar 8, 2023 (#705)


• Student survey shows slight improvement: There’s still ‘work to do,’ WSESD consultant says

Issue of Mar 1, 2023 (#704)


• Two county initiatives receive state agriculture grant money : SUSU commUNITY Farm receives $50,000; Retreat Farm’s Community Food Project gets $19,700
• BUHS principal’s firing upheld after hearing: Victim frustrated with the process but thanks WSESD board for sticking by 2022 decision to fire Steve Perrin
• Reynolds out of WSESD board race, expresses full support for her former opponent

Issue of Feb 22, 2023 (#703)


• Leland & Gray names its next school principal: Dana Aquadro, the current assistant principal, will take the reins in July
• Court denies appeal to stop housing project in Putney: WWHT gets green light — after 30-day waiting period — to proceed with 25-unit housing subdivision on Alice Holway Drive, but price will be higher

Issue of Feb 15, 2023 (#702)


• Three races and a solo bid for Windham Southeast School Board : March 7 election sees four seats to be filled in a district still grappling with post-pandemic learning challenges, removal of a principal, a new superintendent, and an ongoing investigation of decades-long alleged sexual abuse
• Seven vie for three Selectboard seats: Candidates describe problems, priorities, and potential for town’s future

Issue of Feb 8, 2023 (#701)


• Building a bridge from Brattleboro to Rwanda : The Inshuti of Rwanda project calls on Vermonters to build homes and more for those in need in Africa

Issue of Feb 1, 2023 (#700)


• Food assistance program set to end March 31 : Vermont Everyone Eats program helped diners, restaurateurs, and farmers survive difficult times during the pandemic with more than 3.5 million meals

Issue of Jan 18, 2023 (#698)


• School board ponders role of principal mentor — and if the district needs more than one : Vote to abolish the current job and reconsider tabled to next meeting
• WSESU superintendent given two-year contract : Mark Speno, midway through his current one-year contract, gets an extension with the unanimous vote of the school board

Issue of Jan 11, 2023 (#697)


• Guilford Country Store will reopen on Feb. 1 : Two friends and food service pros — Ali West and Wayne Warwick — will take over operations of the general store, closed since the end of 2022
• Grace Cottage emergency dept. expansion underway : Hospital says the project will improve patient triage, comfort, and privacy

Issue of Jan 4, 2023 (#696)


• Holton Home gets new life as cohousing: This winter, the defunct assisted-living facility will begin serving traveling health-care workers for the Brattleboro Retreat
• BUHS recent drug woes are part of a national trend: With incidents of opioid overdoses and unintended consumption of cannabis occurring over the past few months, the school administration is focusing on finding help for students in need
• Police respond to unspecified threat at BUHS, BAMS

Issue of Dec 21, 2022 (#695)


• Out of the box: Poet and lyricist Wyn Cooper releases his first novel, ‘Way Out West,’ after a gestation of more than 30 years

Issue of Dec 14, 2022 (#694)


• ‘The community we want to be’: With Beloved Community, two mainstream Protestant denominations come together in an experiment of faith in action, following a vision of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Issue of Dec 7, 2022 (#693)


• Fire claims life of pub owner and brewer, destroys historic building: A community grieves for Ray McNeill, 62, victim of a three-alarm fire that took his life and destroyed an institution that put Brattleboro on the map for lovers of craft beer
• Remembering a Renaissance man: Ray McNeill, his family, and his employees built a business and a brewery, bit by bit, with down payments saved from the tip jar
• ‘Keep trying, don’t give up, don’t cheat, and one day you will win’: Ray McNeill’s two children paint a portrait of a man who was driven by work and building a business — instilling life lessons and values but sometimes at a great cost

Issue of Nov 30, 2022 (#692)


• Arch Bridge reconstruction completed in Newfane : New one-lane bridge replaces obsolete and unsound structure built in 1934

Issue of Nov 23, 2022 (#691)


• Best of all, the delectable taste of tradition : ‘Now, although all the cooks except for me are gone, I continue to have an inner compulsion to make it all happen again every year, just as it was when we were all together’
• Marlboro at crossroads over keeping grades 7 and 8 : Voters will make the final decision; if it is to reconfigure the school, middle-schoolers will select an accredited school of their choice

Issue of Nov 16, 2022 (#690)


• Morgan will take a seat as new WSESD board member: Board makes appointment to replace former member David Schoales as a Brattleboro representative until March election

Issue of Nov 9, 2022 (#689)


• Tenants stress over lead paint warning signs : Housing trust says that no lead paint has been uncovered at 27 Old Depot Rd. — but that regulations require the agency to behave as though it had been
• Windham Central names new leader from within : Robert Thibault, the current Leland & Gray principal, will take over in July when outgoing Superintendent William Anton leaves for new adventures
• Perrin fired as principal of BUHS: With no public discussion, WSESD board votes unanimously to oust the administrator, on paid leave for months

Issue of Nov 2, 2022 (#688)


• Putney wants community’s ideas, vision for the future: Vermont Council on Rural Development will hold three sessions to help guide townspeople through a process of developing ideas, prioritizing them, and finding expert help to make them real

Issue of Oct 26, 2022 (#687)


• Schoales resigns WSESD board after 14 years : Longtime board member cites progress that ‘stands in contradiction to the current ugly, destructive flurry of false narratives about the school district’

Issue of Oct 19, 2022 (#686)


• WSESU ousts Green as chair as tempers flare: Allegations — including misuse of executive session, talking too much, bullying, illegal meetings, and more — flew during two long meetings of WSESD, WSESU boards

Issue of Oct 5, 2022 (#684)


• Former BUHS student says principal took ‘sexual and romantic’ interest in her: Perrin remains on paid leave; lawyer confirms that district may face more lawsuits
• Federal, state cuts to local meal program cause concern : Both Senior Solutions, which doles out the money, and Brattleboro Senior Meals, which feeds thousands, are looking for money to make up shortfalls and not impact those in need

Issue of Sep 28, 2022 (#683)


• WSESD notified of impending lawsuits over abuse claims: Legal action is in the works over reported behavior of two former teachers and one spouse, all named as abusers by former students.

Issue of Sep 21, 2022 (#682)


• When seconds count: National Institutes of Health awards $1.6 million to help CPR Therapeutics make ‘significant’ improvement in sudden cardiac arrest survival
• WSESU board asks chair to step aside: Community members upset at surprise move to oust WSESU Chair Michelle Luetjen-Green, who remains in role after school board tables discussion

Issue of Sep 14, 2022 (#681)


• ‘It’s as bad as it’s been’: As Windham County farmers deal with drought and dry soil, some find workarounds with irrigation

Issue of Sep 7, 2022 (#680)


• An uphill battle against toxic mold : Their home in Westminster is uninhabitable, they are feeling increasingly ill, and Linda and Don Marcille need help before snow flies
• Nonprofit for people with disabilities pivots to worldwide access: The pandemic moved the Inclusion Center’s gatherings online, where folks from around the world can develop friendships and learn from others with disabilities
• Bellows Falls health complex eyes major upgrades: Greater Rockingham Area Services gets a $800,000-plus grant to fund a new biomass system for the former hospital

Issue of Aug 24, 2022 (#678)


• In area schools, help wanted. Often, lots of help.: Superintendents cite complex causes for teacher turnover

Issue of Aug 10, 2022 (#676)


• Ceremony to honor memories of those lost to Covid: Compassionate Brattleboro to host service, tree dedication for area pandemic victims

Issue of Jul 27, 2022 (#674)


• BUHS principal’s status still a mystery : WSESD Board members, pressed for answers about Steve Perrin’s employment, maintain they have none
• School district wants to shine light on BUHS abuse probe : Board members disagree about original deadline for superintendent to address multi-pronged directive

Issue of Jul 20, 2022 (#673)


• Guilford library looks anew at adding space: Library trustees weigh options after voters reject fund for expansion — including a possibility of using the Guilford Meeting House next door
• Living Memorial Park campaign makes rain for snowmaking: Crowdsourcing effort seeks $5,000 — for starters — to upgrade snowmaking, pump house repairs
• Festival celebrates beauty, benefit of the Connecticut: Paddling races and family-friendly fun headline first-ever Riverfest Weekend in Brattleboro

Issue of Jul 13, 2022 (#672)


• Putney resident thinks big about child care : Katy Emond starts campaign to create Putney Community & Childcare Center to address the needs of families in the region, complete with swimming pools and a teen center

Issue of Jul 6, 2022 (#671)


• Guilford Country Store needs a new owner: Friends of Algiers Village seek new store proprietor to continue a 100-year tradition in the Broad Brook House
• Bus registration forms prove useful tool for WSESU

Issue of Jun 29, 2022 (#670)


• A musician raises consciousness, one concert at a time: Composer/pianist aims to combat climate change through the power of community and music, playing free concerts in all of Vermont’s municipalities over five years
• Windham Southeast announces a passel of new school district hires

Issue of Jun 22, 2022 (#669)


• School board considers options for closing schools: Facing declining enrollment and increased per-pupil spending, the West River Education District is exploring changes and seeking public input. Scenarios include closing schools, including Leland & Gray high school grades.

Issue of Jun 8, 2022 (#667)


• Speno hired as WSESU supt. — for one year : The hiring process for the previous interim superintendent, who will continue to oversee 10 schools, ‘needed to be thoughtful and thorough,’ school board chair says; he must participate in training for new superintendents

Issue of Jun 1, 2022 (#666)


• Teens to explore U.S. Constitution — through comics: In this summer’s Constitution & Comics Camp at the Putney library, young people will learn about their rights, then create stories about them in comic strip form
• ‘Back to the drawing board’ for Guilford Free Library : May 24 revote nixes proposed $1.2 million expansion by 30 votes
• Work continues apace on new bridge project: N.H. DOT: New span ‘should provide a tremendous amount of relief to that crazy intersection’

Issue of May 25, 2022 (#665)


• Municipal manager throws hat in ring for state Senate: Wendy Harrison describes herself as an advocate for processes that let disparate people work together on issues
• Work continues on Arch Bridge in Newfane: New bridge expected to be completed mid-October

Issue of May 18, 2022 (#664)


• Climate survey shows ‘not great’ results at BUHS: Assistant principal says that measures to improve student life have been underway since fall; administration directed to implement recommendations from the School Resource Officer Task Force

Issue of May 11, 2022 (#663)


• Brattleboro planners explain ‘cannabis retail’: Cannabis businesses must be treated like any other retail establishment, and the town can’t limit the number of shops

Issue of May 4, 2022 (#662)


• Putney voters add two to Selectboard: And now they are five: Alden, Raubicheck win special election
• NEYT shakes up its organizational underpinnings: Staff concerns with a ‘top-down’ system precipitated the action, but former board members wish the group well

Issue of Apr 27, 2022 (#661)


• For sanctuary with storied past, the future awaits : South Newfane Baptist Church property is transferred to South Newfane Community Association; community members hope future owner will retain structure’s historical integrity and find new uses for space
• WSESD board to include student members : Vote is unanimous, deemed long overdue
• Guilford set to reconsider library vote: Informational meeting takes place May 16; library will host event to see library and meet trustees

Issue of Apr 20, 2022 (#660)


• Board questioned about legal charges regarding public information requests : One colossal charge deemed ‘a mistake,’ but still no documents have been delivered
• Guilford will vote again on library renovation project: Petition garners 10 percent of town voters’ signatures to reconsider $1.013 million project
• BUHS students release report on school police officers: SRO Task Force survey finds student don’t want a police resource officer and sheds light on numerous other issues on kids’ minds

Issue of Apr 13, 2022 (#659)


• Organic dairy farmers get a hand : Dairy farmers in southern Vermont — most of them organic — are contending that milk prices are falling as their costs are exploding. But $20 million in federal funding will advance dairy in the Northeast, and Organic Valley offers contracts to organic milk producers in the multi-state region left high and dry by Horizon.
• Candidates tackle issues in Putney forum: Six contend for the two new seats on Selectboard; early voting underway now in advance of April 26 election

Issue of Apr 6, 2022 (#658)


• Putney prepares for a larger Selectboard: With an election on April 26 to name two new members after vote expands board from three to five, an online forum will introduce four candidates to the public
• WSESU board pressed on supt. search : A member of the public claims at meeting that Speno was offered job as an interim and turned it down, as new chair says the new board is correcting a process that had turned inequitable to some candidates
• Putney Food Co-op is first retailer to join initiative to support local organic dairy brands, farms

Issue of Mar 30, 2022 (#657)


• BUHS students win in Sanders’ annual essay contest: Lann gets top honors in 12th annual State of the Union contest sponsored by the Senator; Tupper named a runner-up
• Skating into the future: As the Boys and Girls Club explores the complications of giving the community more access to an underused indoor skatepark, skaters see the potential to put Brattleboro on the map as a destination for those passionate about the sport

Issue of Mar 23, 2022 (#656)


• Putney permits housing project; opponents plan to appeal: As it urges landowners not to sell for affordable housing but to a new nonprofit that pledges to keep the space open, a group of ‘residents and friends’ charges that the town did not address concerns
• Dozens push WSESD board to hire interim supt. for the duration: Board members hear mostly praise for Mark Speno, with speakers urging them to make his role permanent even amid questions about the process

Issue of Mar 16, 2022 (#655)


• Activist seeks Senate seat to give opportunity, build community: Wichie Artu, a farmer and data specialist, will compete as a Democratic hopeful
• WSESU hiring process murky after marathon executive session: Enthusiasm mounts for board to offer Speno a three-year contract, but did the interim superintendent already decline the job?
• Representative Town Meeting is virtual for second straight year : Members will go online to consider a $20 million General Fund budget

Issue of Mar 9, 2022 (#654)


• Co-op hires new general manager : Lee Bradford of California will take the role March 21
• WSESD voters elect Dever, Stanford to school board: Murphy retains his seat unopposed as a director from Guilford
• WSESU continues search for next superintendent: Having failed to reach consensus at March 1 meeting, the process now moves to the new board, which should be in place by March 16

Issue of Mar 2, 2022 (#653)


• Sheriff’s Office to move after nearly 200 years in Newfane : County has bought the former Entergy headquarters for $500,000; Judiciary Courthouse will also make a temporary move while Newfane building air quality issues are addressed
• Putney garage, recovering from fire, bustles again: Investigation continues into fire that destroyed Rod’s building; reward offered

Issue of Feb 16, 2022 (#651)


• Meetings offer information about Annual Town Meeting
• Back to ‘the Basics’: Local campaign kicks off to help narrow the learning gap by pre-K
• State’s mislabeled face covering solution unacceptable to some at Leland & Gray: A teacher is stumped over the state’s response to his discovery that fraudulently labelled masks were distributed to Leland & Gray as part of an emergency response to the pandemic. State officials stand by their stance that the masks, distributed in 2020, were acknowledged as deficient at the time.
• WSESD mailing raises concerns about data used: Dummerston resident questions strategy of not using municipal records for communications

Issue of Feb 9, 2022 (#650)


• Guilford to consider $1.2 million library expansion: Separate activity center for kids planned with access to outdoors; voters to address the issue at Town Meeting in March
• Guilford to consider $1.2 million library expansion: Separate activity center for kids planned with access to outdoors; voters to address the issue at Town Meeting in March

Issue of Feb 2, 2022 (#649)


• Putney house project wins architecture award: Bob Swinburne believes in collaboration from start to finish in his ‘high performance’ homes, one of which has earned accolades from the American Institute of Architects
• Brattleboro Selectboard member jumps into Senate race: With his run as an independent, Tim Wessel says he’s ready to dispense with empty rhetoric and bring ‘a strong voice’ for Windham County to Montpelier
• WSESD launches investigation into a legacy of abuse: Website/phone line set up to report abuse in Windham Southeast schools, with confidentiality assured to all who come forth

Issue of Jan 26, 2022 (#648)


• Peter Elwell named 2021 Chamber Person of the Year: Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce also honors Harris Hill Ski Jump, David Hiler, and Tim and Amy Brady
• Candidates seek seats on WSESD school board: Two women of color seek seats, marking ‘a big, first step’ in representing a diverse community; a radio personality and community volunteer also jumps into the race
• Rescue dog in the wind comes in from the cold : Rudy is rescued again after arriving here from Texas and enduring a week of harsh winter weather

Issue of Jan 19, 2022 (#647)


• Details of board shakeup end with ‘no further comment’ : Questions linger over process and timeline of new Planning Commission appointments
• On the loose, but in sight: Concerned Brattleboro-area residents keep an eye out for Rudy, a rescue dog from Texas who bolted into the January cold
• After 14 years, Putney Road project comes into focus: Construction set for 2026, and ‘in my world, that’s tomorrow,’ says the project manager of $30 million overhaul to 1.23 miles of Route 5

Issue of Jan 12, 2022 (#646)


• Townshend residents will try again to rename brook : A new group is carefully proceeding to garner local support at all levels and determine an appropriate new name
• Guilford gets a new 5-member Planning Commission: The Selectboard has rebuilt a municipal body that it dismantled suddenly last fall — but questions remain about the process

Issue of Jan 5, 2022 (#645)


• What lies beneath: Rockingham historians learn Meeting House was originally painted red after an expert conservation scholar with a microscope uncovers generations of colors
• School district hires attorney to probe legacy of sexual abuse: Aimee Goddard given the charge to look into sexual abuse allegations at Brattleboro Union High School and the school district — incidents that date to the early 1970s

Issue of Dec 22, 2021 (#644)


• Guilford Center meeting house deemed too costly a gift: Historical Society leaders had hoped the town would accept the nearly-185-year-old structure, but aren’t surprised; Selectboard hopes private sector will step up to help

Issue of Dec 15, 2021 (#643)


• WSESD board speaks up about sex abuse investigation : In a written statement, the school board outlines the district’s response but never mentions sex abuse, the crux of the matter, drawing criticism about ‘avoidance of clear naming’
• Petition to ask voters to increase Selectboard to five members : Current members are not in favor, citing potential complications, including a lack of volunteers for already-existing town posts
• Newfane voters approve land buy for gravel pit : Voters approve borrowing $600,000 to purchase and create a gravel pit for town use — a decision that town officials say makes financial sense even though the cost of the parcel has more than doubled since 2019

Issue of Dec 8, 2021 (#642)


• Newfane warns of potential email phishing: Town did not send email urging recipients to open attachment about tax bills
• Group outlines options for people who need food : One Vermonter in five needs food. At a meeting of the Windham County Hunger Council, its members describe resources and efforts to connect the people who sorely need them

Issue of Dec 1, 2021 (#641)


• Newfane voters to consider buying sand/gravel pit: In the face of supply shortages and rising prices, voters will be asked to approve the purchase of 21 acres at a Special Town Meeting on Dec. 7
• Group focuses on three initiatives to help the region become fossil-fuel free by 2025: West River Valley 100% Renewable wants to upgrade region to electric-powered school buses, help install myriad residential solar arrays, and work with businesses to invest in energy conservation

Issue of Nov 24, 2021 (#640)


• Many minds at work to help organic milk producers : For one Whitingham farmer, converting from conventional to organic was an ‘awesome’ decision. But will other milk markets for the county’s organic milk supply remain stable and exempt from the market forces that Horizon says are driving its exit from the Northeast?
• Community comes together to keep Rod’s strong : After a suspected arson fire destroyed their iconic service station, owners look at the silver lining
• Selectboard sticks to the script: Despite a Zoom audience of 50, board doesn’t budge on having let the entire 9-member Planning Commission go with a form letter

Issue of Nov 17, 2021 (#639)


• Guilford Selectboard fires entire Planning Commission : With all nine members removed by unanimous vote, the status of the new town plan is called into question amid conflicting descriptions of the commission members’ communications, meetings, and compatibility
• Rockingham Free Public Library names new director : Ian Graham aims to keep the RFPL ‘warm and welcoming and ready’ for a community emerging from the pandemic

Issue of Nov 10, 2021 (#638)


• Longtime Turning Point leader gives notice: Susan ‘Suzie’ Walker, the executive director of the recovery center, one of 12 in the state, notes the challenges of keeping peers safe from Covid while they are trying to stay safe and free from substance abuse, too
• Windham Elementary remains open, but controversy continues : Voters agree, in a second visit to the ballot box, to keep it going for at least another year; intra-union school choice under discussion
• BUHS school board pressed about abuse response: Chair says board working diligently but ‘not able to be public about it’ as former student and writer demands transparency and a new name for the auditorium

Issue of Nov 3, 2021 (#637)


• Brattleboro Walk-In Clinic will reopen Nov. 9: Purchase of Clark Avenue building ensures a permanent home
• Taking steps to secure the future : Brattleboro Area Hospice launches legacy program
• New library director begins work in Newfane: Lorena Cuevas brings a wealth of cultural, operational experience to Moore Free Library

Issue of Oct 27, 2021 (#636)


• Specialist will address the climate at BUHS : WSESD board votes to retain Dr. Christopher Overtree, with one member calling the decision ‘the first step’ in attempt to move forward honestly and transparently

Issue of Oct 20, 2021 (#635)


• Brattleboro hires town manager from N.J.: Called an ‘enthusiastic and positive student of our town,’ Octavian ‘Yoshi’ Manale, a former deputy mayor and chief of staff in Trenton, N.J., will take over from Peter Elwell
• District takes steps to address BUHS ‘climate of abuse’: As it prepares to sign a contract with a consulting psychologist next week, the WSESU school board awaits a legal green light to take ‘investigative action’ regarding sexual abuse by a former teacher as well as contemporary incidents
• Amplifying young voices : Brattleboro gets certified as Quality Youth Development Community; local all-youth steering committee selects youth-friendly businesses

Issue of Oct 13, 2021 (#634)


• In the spotlight: After 18 years in supporting roles, Greg Lesch will serve as the Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce’s executive director
• School year off to a rocky start at BUHS : Rape, fights, threats, guns, mischief have descended upon campus this fall, and many attribute the problems to social media and pandemic isolation

Issue of Oct 6, 2021 (#633)


• Animal shelter looks toward expansion with new leadership: Maya Richmond plans to work with outgoing Executive Director Annie Guion through the fall
• Brattleboro project gets a $577,100 boost from state: Emerson-DeWitt Block is one of 28 projects around the state to receive tax incentive dollars

Issue of Sep 29, 2021 (#632)


• Reckoning, accountability, and change: Survivors of rape and sexual grooming at Brattleboro Union High School are speaking up against former teacher Zeke Hecker and calling for wholesale changes to the school culture while many more are stepping forth with their stories of abuse
• Emerald ash borers chew through state: However, there’s time to inventory ash trees and be more proactive, UVM Extension — but how much time depends on where the invasive species has already been identified

Issue of Sep 22, 2021 (#631)


• Vermont opens its doors: State get approval to welcome up to 100 Afghan refugees as the Ethiopian Community Development Council opens resettlement center in Brattleboro
• Refugees could bring new focus on housing: With area residents concerned about welcoming newcomers amid a housing shortage, those working on the issue say that it shines a light on a problem that needs to be solved for everyone

Issue of Sep 15, 2021 (#630)


• Program helps teachers ease pandemic effects on students: Online professional development initiative seeks to re-engage students through connection-building activities
• SASH celebrates 10 years : Brattleboro Housing Partnerships was first to adopt program that helps those with disabilities live independently

Issue of Sep 8, 2021 (#629)


• Grace Cottage recognized as ‘age-friendly’ : Vermont’s smallest hospital is among the first health care systems in U.S. to commit to improve care for older adults
• For one new venture, Dover offers a $20,000 prize: Business plan contest seeks to give local economy a boost — and considerable support for a few runners-up
• What does Dover want?: A brainstorming session comes up with a list of what folks want, what they don’t want, and advice to new business owners about how to succeed

Issue of Sep 1, 2021 (#628)


• After pausing for a pandemic, Guilford Fair will return: Iconic event promises old and new traditions, from cotton candy and blue ribbons to Covid vaccines
• FOMAG Labor Day festival returns this weekend

Issue of Aug 25, 2021 (#627)


• Refugee resettlement plan awaits federal decision : Gov. Scott reaches out to welcome Afghani refugees in wake of Taliban takeover

Issue of Aug 18, 2021 (#626)


• United Way leadership shifts with bright smiles : Garza will take the helm at United Way as dental center moves to new facility in 2022
• One island, four visions: Four scenarios described at public meeting; next step is a ‘single, long-range plan’ for cleanup and redevelopment of historic industrial hub

Issue of Aug 11, 2021 (#625)


• Brattleboro sets stronger fair/impartial policing policy: State attorney general has approved changes that bolster rights of undocumented workers, preventing information sharing with federal agencies enforcing immigration
• Park to honor firefighters killed in line of duty in 1981: Community members are raising money to expand efforts to honor the memories of Terry Brown and Dana Fuller, who died in the fire that destroyed the Star Hotel
• Free online course teaches successful home sharing

Issue of Aug 4, 2021 (#624)


• Irene’s lessons curbed more damage: Though post-Tropical Storm Irene state protocols and guidelines are helping, even with July’s record rainfall and massive flooding, more can still be done, says a leader in regional planning

Issue of Jul 28, 2021 (#623)


• Going to the dogs : Wilmington Dog-Friendly Downtown Group and Wilmington Works are unleashing a plan to help build community locally, as well as encourage an economic opportunity

Issue of Jul 21, 2021 (#622)


• Preparing to depart: At the end of the year, Sabine Rhyne will leave her job as general manager of the Brattleboro Food Co-op
• Residents want to slow traffic in Newfane: Newfane Traffic Calming Committee wants more state, federal support for a lasting solution for Route 30 speeding

Issue of Jul 14, 2021 (#621)


• ‘A sensible choice’ for two restorative justice orgs: Two nonprofits dedicated to resolving conflict will combine their similar respective programs into one single entity, expanding their offerings — and eliminating some community confusion
• ‘Robin Hood’ is on the loose : Vermont Suitcase Company brings classic family fun to a lawn near you

Issue of Jul 7, 2021 (#620)


• Deer Run Nature Preserve grows to 914 acres : Through a successful community collaboration, Green Mountain Conservancy adds 627 contiguous acres to the tract that’s home to examples of almost every species of plant and wildlife in the state

Issue of Jun 30, 2021 (#619)


• With new base in Brattleboro, refugees could find new support: The Ethiopian Community Development Council is exploring opportunities here, potentially bringing 75 refugees from multiple countries to the region by 2022 — a prospect that’s far from simple and that comes with challenges, notably housing
• WCHS leader to leave after 14 years: Annie Guion’s next adventure comes as the Humane Society prepares to expand its facility to meet 21st-century needs for animal welfare

Issue of Jun 23, 2021 (#618)


• Hospital shines light on work of exceptional staff: Each year, BMH names two employees of the year — one clinical, the other non-clinical
• Newfane not united in taking voluntary anti-bias training : Selectboard members split on request, and residents hold strong, clearly opposing views

Issue of Jun 16, 2021 (#617)


• For summer programs serving Vermont kids, a big boost: Nearly $4 million from state initiative will help youth rebound from isolation
• New managers breathe life into Hooker-Dunham: Two co-managers volunteer to revitalize space in historic building, return live theater and more to the community
• Many will have to leave motel shelters after July 1 : Groundworks opens new drop-in site to ease transition; estimates 20 percent will not qualify for other housing
• Pet shortage reports are barking up the wrong tree : WCHS responded to pandemic by increasing vet care, curtailing animal intake by transport

Issue of Jun 9, 2021 (#616)


• Reclaiming a connection to the land: New initiatives incubating in Brattleboro at the Retreat Farm seek to empower people of color, connecting them ‘back with the gifts that the Earth provides for free’
• A success story: In Strafford, a Black farmer is making dairying work. ‘The thing that is different is dealing with people, mostly ignorant people, who might question why I’m here,’ says Earl Ransom, who says that ‘the worst racism I have felt is from people not from Vermont.’
• A generational wealth gap: Disparities and lack of opportunity for people of color have prevented them from owning land and other assets that can accrue value over time and be passed to heirs
• Leland & Gray gets resources for college readiness program : Initiative looks to close a gap for rural students, who attend college at lower rates than those who live in cities and suburbs

Issue of May 26, 2021 (#614)


• Emerging from our cocoons: After more than a year of Covid-induced isolation, state officials say it’s OK to take it slow while re-entering the world. People are energized — and some apprehensive — about the prospect of normalcy.

Issue of May 19, 2021 (#613)


• Creating community amid crisis — and beyond: West River Valley Mutual Aid is keeping neighbors together through the COVID-19 crisis — and designing a network to keep meeting the area’s needs long after the pandemic

Issue of May 12, 2021 (#612)


• A new page: An international-financial-software developer turned bullish local real estate investor says he sees the potential of the Brattleboro Reformer and three other southern Vermont publications to help build an area he’s come to love. As Paul Belogour prepares to become a newspaper publisher, a community wonders about the entrepreneur from Belarus.

Issue of May 5, 2021 (#611)


• Gallery Walk will return, refreshed : Brattleboro’s monthly celebration of the arts returns under new management with a plethora of new features

Issue of Apr 28, 2021 (#610)


• Next Stage plans summer of music, cultural diversity, and creativity
• Exeunt stage right : Jon Mack steps down after seven years of running the Hooker-Dunham Theater & Gallery

Issue of Mar 31, 2021 (#606)


• No crystal ball: A year into the pandemic, schools begin planning for full-time, in-person school, assessing lingering effects of the pandemic — including some that are positive

Issue of Mar 24, 2021 (#605)


• Major grant provides funds to support residents at The Chalet: Bank provides $150,000 grant for WWHT and Groundworks to help people with housing and stability
• Police pulled from Brattleboro Union High School: District administrators remove school resource officers after intense community input; community conversations will determine fate of the program

Issue of Mar 3, 2021 (#602)


• Putting a roof on it, with the help of friends: Taylor Farm is on its way to rebuilding a barn roof, thanks to a community’s rapid and generous response to a rare appeal from a farmer who usually does the giving

Issue of Feb 24, 2021 (#601)


• Finding Finnegan: When the Cases lost a beloved canine friend, a new rescue dog from deep in the heart of Texas came along to win their hearts