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Donate

Click here to make a one-time donation to support your not-for-profit community news source

Sponsor a Library

Every week, The Commons mails newspapers to libraries and schools throughout Windham County, and beyond. Of course we do! Part of our mission is make sure that honest, award winning reporting is available to all, regardless of ability to pay.

Now you can help further our mission. Only $75 guarantees a library or school delivery of The Commons for a full year. Join our Sponsor-a-Library program today! Click here (and select “Sponsor a Library” when asked “Apply My Donation To.”)

Order a T-shirt!

Now you can look great, and show the world your support of The Commons! Click here to visit our online store.

Help us thrive!

Make a recurring donation today.

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Click to submit your news

• Send a story idea

• Publicize your event

• Send a press release

• Send to Milestones (obituary, wedding, birth, academic achievement)

Items sent to this address are presumed to be intended for publication.

Click to submit to Voices

• Write a letter in response to a story

• Contribute a Viewpoint, Essay, or Memoir

• We would love local artists to submit work to illustrate the section.

Items sent to this address are presumed to be intended for publication.

Click to submit a news tip or story idea

Items sent to this address are presumed to be confidential communications with our editors.

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Basic deadline information

• Please book your ad space before Friday at 3:30 p.m.

• We are happy to design your ad. If you would like that, please make sure we get your copy by that time.

• If you are designing your ad, please send by Monday at noon.

Let’s talk advertising

Email us

We’d love to help you with your ads! Please let us know a little bit about your advertising and your needs, and one of our team will be in touch promptly. You can also call us at 802-246-6397 (please leave message for advertising)

Regular ad features

Help Wanted

Real Estate

Nuts ’n’ Bolts (home improvement)

Public Notices (Legal Ads)

Front Page Box

Section Cover Strip Ads

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
• 2018
• 2017
• 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

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Donate

Sponsor a Library

Order a T-shirt!

Help us thrive!

Click to submit your news

Click to submit to Voices

Click to submit a news tip or story idea

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

Stories by Arlene Distler

Issue of May 3, 2023 (#713)

Issue of Sep 28, 2022 (#683)

Issue of Mar 30, 2022 (#657)

Issue of Jan 19, 2022 (#647)

Issue of May 26, 2021 (#614)

Issue of Sep 2, 2020 (#577)

Issue of Aug 5, 2020 (#573)