Stories by Thelma O'Brien

Issue of Dec 19, 2012 (#183)


• More room for the medicine in Townshend: Messenger Valley Pharmacy enjoys refurbished, expanded quarters

Issue of Nov 28, 2012 (#180)


• Andiamo and Au Revoir: Friends gather to say farewell to a woman who wanted to live %u2014 and die %u2014 on her own terms

Issue of Nov 7, 2012 (#177)


• Co-op gets ready for grand opening festivities this weekend

Issue of Oct 24, 2012 (#175)


• Spirit dance: Townshend artist offers link between music and a sacred connection

Issue of Oct 10, 2012 (#173)


• A search for balance: Diversified and organic, Lilac Ridge Farm marks 75 years and an even longer lineage of Windham County farmers

Issue of Sep 26, 2012 (#171)


• Here comes the sun: Co-op solar panels arrive

Issue of Jul 25, 2012 (#162)


• Touching history: A Brattleboro professor’s life takes him from the Holocaust to the U.S. and the Civil Rights movement
• Tenacious villages to honor spirit: Rock River Revival Parade to mark community strength, unity a year after Irene’s floods
• Explosion destroys historic Townshend home: Investigation continues, propane leak eyed as cause of blast

Issue of Jul 18, 2012 (#161)


• A stitch in time makes 1,000 quilts: Project Linus crafters celebrate milestone

Issue of Jul 11, 2012 (#160)


• Wardsboro celebrates with pies and a parade

Issue of Jul 4, 2012 (#159)


• The final cut: Townshend barber Bob Semrau retires after 67 years in the business

Issue of Jun 20, 2012 (#157)


• LGUHS offers summer educational enrichment camp

Issue of Jun 13, 2012 (#156)


• Local swimmer Emma Davis wins three gold medals at Special Olympics
• Old store, new owners: Texas couple takes helm of Newfane Market

Issue of Jun 6, 2012 (#155)


• Changing times, changing cookbook: Co-op staff, volunteers test venerable recipe book one recipe at a time to bring it up to modern expectations
• Co-op set to open in new building on June 14

Issue of Apr 18, 2012 (#148)


• Hot off the grill: Startup brings grilled pizza to a farmers’ market near you

Issue of Apr 11, 2012 (#147)


• How much culvert is too much culvert?: Townshend, FEMA at odds over repair costs

Issue of Feb 29, 2012 (#141)


• Pulling together to promote local agriculture: Meeting Waters YMCA grant funds varying efforts
• Townshend requires two Town Meetings

Issue of Feb 22, 2012 (#140)


• Voters approve $6.5 million budget for Leland & Gray: Townshend rejects spending plan, but other four towns in district support it

Issue of Feb 15, 2012 (#139)


• Can law enforcement coexist with education in schools?: Educators have mixed feelings about school resource officers
• Recent fight at Leland & Gray shows limits of program

Issue of Jan 25, 2012 (#136)


• Proposed LGUHS budget is up 3.5 percent

Issue of Jan 11, 2012 (#134)


• West River hydro project not yet a done deal: Favorable FERC report helps, but Corps approval not certain

Issue of Jan 4, 2012 (#133)


• Saying goodbye to a piece of Americana: Santa’s Land, an iconic Route 5 theme park, closes after 54 years

Issue of Dec 21, 2011 (#132)


• Bread for life: Workshop teaches breadmaking as part of ‘re-skilling’ for a changing world
• ‘We live as if we’re immortal, until we get sick’: Few have filled out advance directives to official one’s medical care wishes for later use

Issue of Dec 14, 2011 (#131)


• Dover Road gets new guard rails, and some aren’t happy about it
• Leland & Gray grateful to donors for free breakfast program: Post-storm efforts provided more than $16,000

Issue of Nov 23, 2011 (#128)


• West River Community Project picks up momentum: Thrift store, food cooperative lead activities at former West Townshend General Store
• Hidden talent: Residents at Valley Cares in Townshend rediscover their artistic gifts
• Townshend toy manufacturer to close store: Retail business dried up at Mary Meyer; family says wholesale and web sales still strong

Issue of Nov 16, 2011 (#127)


• Honoring the heroes who don’t stand by: Rescue Project stops in Brattleboro, exploring the psychology of those who step in when most others won%u2019t
• Making CONTACT: Peacebuilding program seeks to bring enemies together
• A witness to rescue: Joseph Sebarenzi's story of the Rwandan genocide

Issue of Nov 9, 2011 (#126)


• Award-winning teacher celebrates two cultures: Leland & Gray’s Tong Chen is Vermont’s Teacher of the Year

Issue of Oct 19, 2011 (#123)


• Expanding the connection: BCTV turns 35 with new energy, equipment, and goals for serving the community

Issue of Oct 12, 2011 (#122)


• Spinning a web of knowledge: Students learn about spiders through environmental education program

Issue of Oct 5, 2011 (#121)


• Liking them apples: Third-generation family farmer tends to the orchards
• Grace Cottage Auxiliary holds annual meeting

Issue of Sep 21, 2011 (#119)


• Engaging seniors with art: Artists connect with residents of Brattleboro nursing home

Issue of Sep 14, 2011 (#118)


• Despite flooding, nearly all Windham Central schools reopen on time: Wardsboro was last to reopen this week, students and staff cope with post-Irene disruptions

Issue of Sep 7, 2011 (#117)


• Stories of help, hope
• ‘Putting the river back where it was’: West River Valley towns deal with a new landscape created by Irene’s flooding

Issue of Aug 31, 2011 (#116)


• Washouts from flooding leave much of West River Valley isolated

Issue of Aug 24, 2011 (#115)


• From Chaucer and MacBeth, to multicultural cuisine: Carlton Smith leaves LGUHS after 24 years in English Department
• ‘Teaching is a calling’: After 31 years of teaching math, Margaret Carusona retires from LGUHS

Issue of Aug 10, 2011 (#113)


• Celebrating two milestones on the Common: Dover native returns to Townshend for Hospital Fair, and his wedding

Issue of Aug 3, 2011 (#112)


• Saving Vermont’s agricultural heritage: Barn Census seeks to catalog, preserve historic farm buildings

Issue of Jul 27, 2011 (#111)


• Gone, but not forgotten: The work of furniture maker and all-around genius Elden Mills is showcased at Grace Cottage Hospital Fair

Issue of Jul 20, 2011 (#110)


• What's in your water?: Volunteers who monitor local swimming holes find few contaminants in rivers
• Too many swimmers?: Towns, river group look at new measures to manage surge of visitors, traffic

Issue of Jun 29, 2011 (#107)


• DRB hears preliminary plans for reopening Maple Valley, wants more details
• ‘Roadshow’ returns to Brattleboro this week: Same company, but different subsidiary, comes in search of precious metals

Issue of Jun 15, 2011 (#105)


• Local control versus cost control: Windham Central struggles with maintaining its small schools

Issue of May 18, 2011 (#101)


• Hashing out hydro: Outcome far from certain for plan to install turbines at Townshend, Ball Mountain dams

Issue of May 11, 2011 (#100)


• Meetings scheduled on proposed hydro project for West River

Issue of Apr 27, 2011 (#98)


• How could this happen?: Bassist Dave Shapiro froze to death in his own home, and a community seeks answers

Issue of Apr 20, 2011 (#97)


• Saddened tenants relieved to be safe

Issue of Apr 13, 2011 (#96)


• Bramley reflects on his tenure as head of Windham Foundation
• Where does the Windham Foundation’s money go?

Issue of Apr 6, 2011 (#95)


• Allen hired as interim CEO of the Windham Foundation

Issue of Mar 23, 2011 (#93)


• NewBrook student finishes sixth in state spelling bee

Issue of Mar 2, 2011 (#90)


• Village Pizza West?: Owner of popular Brattleboro pizzeria to open restaurant in Townshend

Issue of Feb 9, 2011 (#87)


• Thriving on books: Linda Rood�s students learn the value of literature, organization, and plain hard work
• A teaching life
• Despite storm, voters approve LGUHS budget, 156-71

Issue of Feb 2, 2011 (#86)


• A slice of life at Exit 3: A visit with the extended family that�s been making pizza for more than 25 years

Issue of Jan 26, 2011 (#85)


• Leland & Gray budget vote set for Feb. 2

Issue of Jan 12, 2011 (#83)


• Pulling together: Husband and wife team run dog sledding business
• Seller beware?: Treasure Hunters Roadshow comes to town, and leaves disappointed patrons in its wake

Issue of Dec 29, 2010 (#81)


• Hard choices are involved in Leland & Gray budget process

Issue of Dec 1, 2010 (#78)


• Still standing, for now: Truck accident sparks fire at Calvary Chapel, knocks building off foundation
• West Townshend community center seeks nonprofit status

Issue of Nov 17, 2010 (#76)


• Grace Cottage Hospital explores expansion plan
• A reader�s best friend: Therapy dogs help schoolchildren in Townshend

Issue of Nov 10, 2010 (#75)


• Saying �thanks� with music: Wardsboro man starts charity to bring concerts to veterans

Issue of Oct 20, 2010 (#72)


• How smart do you think you are?: Mensa conducts testing in quest for new members to its society

Issue of Oct 6, 2010 (#70)


• A close call: County�s apple growers faced challenges this season, from early frost to immigration delays

Issue of Sep 22, 2010 (#68)


• Newfane petition calls for an end to zoning rules
• Burglars rob 3 Townshend businesses, church

Issue of Sep 15, 2010 (#67)


• Yellow man, hearing aid complicates opening of Bootsy's Grille

Issue of Sep 8, 2010 (#66)


• BAJC rabbi takes an unconventional path to his new job

Issue of Aug 25, 2010 (#64)


• Weaving a life: Margaret Miller Silvia closes Margie�s Muse to concentrate on her own work
• Nice summer weather brings more visitors to state parks
• Digging into history: Septic project at Jamaica State Park uncovers ancient artifacts

Issue of Aug 18, 2010 (#63)


• Process to hire principal wasn't easy, or quick
• New LGUHS principal brings a wide range of experiences to position
• Grace Cottage Fair raises more than $75,000

Issue of Aug 4, 2010 (#61)


• Not-so-wild kingdom: From antlers to bears, taxidermist�s shop in Newfane has all sorts of preserved animals

Issue of Jul 7, 2010 (#57)


• Laying it down: Paving a state highway is an intricate operation for construction crews
• Williamsville covered bridge project close to completion