Vermont Yankee is so dangerous that no insurance company will cover it.
The hundreds of tons of nuclear waste at Vermont Yankee is the most deadly material on Earth. The waste must be protected by heavily armed guards, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for the next 1 million years. That's according to the National Academies of Science.
Vermont gets no power from Vermont Yankee.
Planning is under way for possible nonviolent civil disobedience at Vermont Yankee on Sunday, Sept. 8. If you would like to join in, please call me at 802-254-2531 or e-mail ewilliams@ValleyPost.org.
While reading Paige Martin's piece on childhood obesity [Viewpoint, June 12], I found myself considering her stance against the “big is bad and little is good” argument in a broader spectrum than just body size. Her point in its explicit application has merit; the issue, however, does not stand...
It has become apparent to me over my four years at Brattleboro Union High School that every single member of our class is good at something. Now that might seem like a pretty obvious thing to say, but it's important. I know kids in our class who can play...
The Women's Freedom Center is offering Quest Camp, a free summer camp for all girls entering grades 7-9. This five-day program is designed to empower girls through leadership development and a focus on healthy relationships. Organizers say the camp provides a fun and supportive space for girls to consider their relationships with friends, dating partners, the media, food, and nature. Campers also will develop strategies to navigate adolescence and more deliberately create positive change in their immediate lives and in...
Windham County Humane Society announces new hours BRATTLEBORO - Beginning July 7, the Windham County Humane Society will now be open to visitors on Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. “We are very pleased to be able to offer expanded hours to the public,” said Executive Director Annie Guion. “We know it can be a challenge to get here during the work week, and we hope this will make it easier for people to visit our facility and adopt an...
An exhibit by Brattleboro artist Kay Curtis graces gallery spaces at All Souls Church through July. “Say Something New!” is a collection of 21 works of art Curtis created over the past 30 years. One of her larger paintings, Diversity, which hangs permanently in the church parlor, emerged from a series based on worship service themes shared in the All Souls Covenant. “I had great fun placing new marks on earlier work, and revisiting who I used to be,” Curtis...
Meeting Waters YMCA's regional day camps offer activities aimed at helping kids learn, grow, and thrive. This summer, those camps are adding free, nutritious lunches to the menu. The offering is thanks to a Summer Food Program partnership with the Springfield Family Center. Children from more than two dozen communities in the Brattleboro, Bellows Falls, Springfield, and Fall Mountain regions attend the Y's day camps each summer, and are welcome to participate. “We're grateful for the support of Springfield Family...
Births • In Brattleboro (Memorial Hospital), June 9, 2013, a son, Odin Eli Townsend, to Dixie (Lambert) and Adrian Townsend of Brattleboro; grandson to James and Marybeth Blakeney, and Richard and Diana Lambert. • In Brattleboro (Memorial Hospital), June 6, 2013, a son, George Elliot Arnold, to Ewa (Dziewiecka) and Kyle Arnold of Newfane; grandson to Kris and Renata Dziewiecka, Randy and Linda Arnold, and Kate Shumlin; great-grandson to George and Kitty Shumlin. • In Windham (at home), June 1,
RE: “Vermont ahead of curve on marijuana reform” [Letters, June 12]: Regulate marijuana like tobacco! Marijuana is smoked and weighed, not drunk and poured. THC, the psychoactive compound in the plant, does not become more toxic with increased dosage, though more might be more potent. We do not regulate the amount of nicotine in tobacco. Tobacco is also the only drug model where a demonstrable decrease has been facilitated through a tax-and-teach model, where high taxes and information based on...
Twilight Music presents award-winning contemporary folk singer-songwriter Antje Duvekot and Vermont-based singer-songwriter Lizzy Mandell in concert at Hooker-Dunham Theater & Gallery, 139 Main St., on Friday, June 28, at 7:30 p.m. German-born, American-raised Duvekot crafts songs that have been critically praised for their hard-won wisdom, dark-eyed realism and street-smart romanticism. Vermont-based Lizzy Mandell offers a soulful voice and compelling lyrics and melodies that take listeners on a sonic tour of the American landscape, from mountain farms to desert towns to...
RE: “In defense of knotweed” [Viewpoint, May 29]: Where I used to live, most of my yard was knotweed; I've always liked it. It's actually an attractive bush, especially when it blooms. The idea of using knotweed as biomass intrigues me. I can see a cottage industry of independent gatherers springing up to generate heat and power locally.
Leland & Gray's Project Graduation 2013 was a success! We had 35 seniors attend (70 percent of the class of 2013), most of whom brought a guest. Students gorged at PanAsian in Brattleboro, then danced and played on inflatable carnival games such as jousting, bungee run, and an obstacle course. We could not have had such a fun evening without the time volunteered by students and parents and generous donations from community businesses and independent donors. We give a special...
RE: “Childhood obesity's real problem” [Viewpoint, June 12]: In discussions about “childhood obesity,” one significant contributor to the epidemic that's rarely mentioned is psychiatric drugs, which children are taking in record numbers. Most psychiatric drugs cause metabolic changes that cause substantial weight gain. Some of these drugs cause extreme weight gain. Psychiatric drugs also cause other serious medical problems, such as high blood pressure and diabetes. All psychiatric drugs have medical complications of one kind or another. The list of...
I can only imagine this headline: Local woman killed while walking on Williams Street. And the story would go on to say: “Local resident Susan Avery, 66, of Whetstone Drive, was struck and killed on impact this morning while taking her daily early-morning walk. The driver who hit Avery was estimated to be traveling at 55 m.p.h. in a posted 25 m.p.h. zone. Charges are pending. “This was not her first brush with a moving vehicle. While walking on Canal...
Vermonters in the forestry and agriculture sectors got a helping hand from the state last week. The Working Lands Enterprise Initiative awarded 16 businesses a total of $750,000 in grant money at an event at Beaver Brook Farm in Marshfield, the last of nearly $1 million in the program's available grant money. The program provides financial and technical support for Vermont's working landscape, which includes businesses, infrastructure, and products in the agriculture and forestry sectors of the economy. “When we...
The Westminster Cares 12th annual Garden Tour will feature the gardens of Mary and Gordon Hayward, nationally known garden designers, writers, and lecturers. Three other beautiful Westminster gardens are also on the tour, which is the weekend of June 29-30 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets allow admission to all gardens all weekend. Garden Tour highlights include: • The Harward Gardens, featuring a post-and-beam gazebo, four-quadrant herb garden, a sheep topiary, a fruit tree orchard, and Dan Snow-built stone...
A cold and wet April and May turned out to be the best thing that could happen to Windham County's strawberry crop. Jack Manix of Walker Farm in Dummerston said he has had one of his best strawberry seasons in memory. “The cold nights and the rain came before the plants got ripe,” Manix said. “All those 45-degree nights in May kept them [from] ripening too fast.” Timing of the warmth and rain that makes strawberries red and ripe can...
RE: “In defense of knotweed” [Viewpoint, May 29]: I can understand how Timothy Scott, as one who makes a living in herbal medicine, can appreciate Japanese knotweed as a useful plant, since he uses it to help treat Lyme disease and he sees the hand of fate in the luck of having his preferred treatment spreading with the disease. I can also appreciate the other uses for it that he mentions, such as it being an edible plant, a potential...
The Vermont Youth In Transition State Team has bestowed its Young Adult Leadership Award on Carolyn Erikson, 21, of Brattleboro, citing her exemplary leadership and initiative in her own life and positive effect in the lives of others. Erikson was one of four to receive the award statewide at YIT's fourth Annual Young Adult Voice Movement Conference, held May 31 to June 1 at Community College of Vermont's Redstone campus. The conference gives young adults aged 16-21 the opportunity to...
The kids want me to lock them in the attic. I know I'm supposed to say no, but this strikes me as a once in a lifetime opportunity. * * * The public pool is open, if you were wondering why the liquor store shelves of the world are empty. * * * Can someone please make a mildew-resistant Barbie? It looks like a Walking Dead casting call on my shower floor. * * * I just found three of...
The Brattleboro Colonels and Leland & Gray Rebels both trekked to Legion Field at Veterans Memorial Park in Poultney on June 19, there in search of state softball championships in their respective divisions. The Colonels made their 17th trip to the Division I finals, walking away with their third state title in four years. Brattleboro pitcher Kayla Wood turned in a performance ranking with the greatest of any athlete ever to wear the purple and white. She struck out 20...
The town has contracted with the Windham County Sheriff's Department for 40 hours of patrol services per week. Under the contract, the department is responsible for assigning the town a full-time deputy. Sheriff's deputy Ian Tuttle has been named to the position. The contract, effective July 1, covers fiscal year 2013-14. Tuttle is to conduct general presence patrols, targeted patrols, and answer calls for police services. He also will conduct outreach with residents and businesses on crime prevention programs.
A sunny afternoon, a hot patch of asphalt, and the Ramones blasting from a boom box on a nearby picnic table. This was the scene for the first day of summer last Friday for the fourth annual Brattleboro Go Skateboarding Day at the Crowell Lot. It was a day where about two dozen local riders, ranging in age from pre-teen to early 30s, transformed the basketball court into a skatepark – complete with rails, ramps, and boxes. Go Skateboarding Day,
Teta Hilsdon, the new executive director of In-Sight Photography Project, wants to help the art-based youth organization thrive with a more visible presence in downtown Brattleboro. “In-Sight has remained in the shadows too long,” she told The Commons. “More people need to know what a great place this is.” Marking an exciting period of transition, The In-Sight Photography Project has announced the hire of two new key staff members and the departure of three old friends. Hilsdon is taking over...
RE: “New group brings post-Newtown debate to Vermont” [News, June 19]: We do not need or want gun control in Vermont, Ann Braden. If you do not like our state's gun laws, you are welcome to return to Connecticut. And there is not a right to be free from fear. Your fears do not trump my rights. And to Rep. Linda Waite-Simpson (D-Essex Junction): We beat your attacks on our rights back once, and we stand ready to do it...
RE: “New group brings post-Newtown dialogue to Vermont” [News, June 19]: Gun laws won't stop tragedies like Newtown from happening again. And one will happen on Vermont soil someday. Just a random lightning strike - very rare, but still devastating. Hopefully, when it does happen, Vermont will have allowed concealed-carry users in schools so they can act as a lightning rod and stop the destruction, instead of becoming a victim. Violence isn't going away - Boston showed us that. We...
Panopera, a new opera company for the community in and around Southern Vermont, is providing a fresh look at an old form of musical theater. For instance, conductor and piano accompanist Hugh Keelan recently interrupted one of the company's recitals at Centre Congregational Church in Brattleboro to challenge the audience. After one of the company, Jenna Rae, sang in the original Italian, Senza Mamma from Pietro Mascagni's, “Cavalleria Rusticana,” Keelan turned to the audience and asked, “What was [Rae] singing...
It's hard to resist the charms of a kitten, and the Windham County Humane Society (WCHS) usually finds new homes for them as fast they come into the shelter. But older cats tend to wait longer at WCHS to be adopted. That's why the shelter periodically offers something almost as irresistible as a kitten – a sale. Through June 30, WCHS has its “9 Lives for $9” sale. Any cat over 6 months old is only $9 to adopt. The...
The Open Music Collective, a collection of local, regional, and national artists who come together to perform, teach, and appreciate music, is celebrating its fourth anniversary with a reception and summer jazz faculty concert at the Cotton Mill on Thursday, June 27. Featured are faculty Carl Clements on sax and reeds, Matan Rubinstein on piano, Doug Raneri on drums, and Jamie MacDonald on bass. This concert also marks OMC's fourth week-long jazz intensive. Students of the jazz camp will open...
I am honored to address the members of the class of 2013 and all of their fans - we would not be here without you, and we know it (even if sometimes we'd like to pretend otherwise). See, this is the thing about a commencement speech that puzzled me at first: Virtually anything I - or anyone, for that matter - says from this podium, you already know. You guys are a bunch of smarty pants. So I asked myself,
I watched as my friend scattered corn for the family of Canada Geese. There was Mom and Dad and five goslings already approaching their parents in size. Jokingly and flippantly, I said something like: “Fattening up the tender goslings for your Christmas dinner.” He shot me daggers! He did not think that what I said was the least bit funny. This pair of geese returned year after year to his farm pond. They were dearly loved pets, and you don't...
A flag facing Putney Road, its bands of rainbow color vivid against brown brick, hangs from the exterior of St. Michael's Episcopal Church. As part of June's PRIDE month, the church will host its first “PRIDE Sunday: Celebrating God's Diversity” on June 30. “We're saying the words, You're welcome as you are,” said parishioner and planning team member Christopher Wesolowski. The purpose of the PRIDE Sunday service is twofold, organizers say. First, the church wants to celebrate its members, many...
Local businesswoman Kelli Corbeil - daughter-in-law of the lead founder of Brattleboro's July 4 celebration - has been named grand marshal of Brattleboro's 40th annual Independence Day parade. Corbeil, owner of WTSA radio and co-chairwoman of the Project Feed the Thousands food drive, will represent the next generation of locals to participate in a day of free family activities launched in 1973 under the guidance of the late J. Wayne Corbeil. Kelli Corbeil, the mother of school-age sons Connor and...
If the seven films that the press was invited to preview last Friday are any indication, FACT TV's second No Film Film Festival will be at the least entertaining and, at the most, offer a peek at some budding filmmakers to keep an eye on. Teams were given the task of recreating a 1980s popular film into a 15-minute remake in a specific genre in one week's time, starting at 8 p.m. on May 31. Poltergeist as an action-adventure film.
Mesabi LLC, the investment group behind rehabilitating the Brooks House, anticipates closing on the project within a week. Bob Stevens, one of Mesabi's members and principal at Stevens and Associates, told the Selectboard at its June 18 meeting that the group is “on the brink of closing on this project.” Mesabi LLC is made up of Stevens, local attorney Craig Miskovich, Drew Richards, Peter Richards, and Ben Taggard, all of The Richards Group, a Brattleboro-based insurance and financial services firm.
Launching the repairs on the Nelson Withington Skating Facility at Living Memorial Park has stalled. Again. The Selectboard tabled giving the go-ahead at its June 18 meeting when the lone bid to repair the compressor came in $109,000 over the town's estimate. Recreation & Parks Director Carol Lolatte presented the bid from American Refrigeration Company, Inc., based in Andover, Mass. The company holds the contract for maintaining the rink refrigeration equipment at the facility. Lolatte said a second bid arrived...
Donna Macomber views her appointment to the Brattleboro Selectboard as an honor. “It feels right,” she said, adding that she feels excited and prepared to dive into the board's work. “There's no place I'd rather be learning,” she said. The board voted unanimously to appoint Macomber to fill the seat previously held by Ken Schneck, who resigned from the board as of June 19 to take a position at a liberal arts college in Ohio. In any community, she said,
After a tumultuous start to the year, Building a Better Brattleboro delivered a message of progress to the Selectboard on June 18. BaBB and the board disagreed on the organization's budget and work plan during the town's budgetary process, which spanned the end of 2012 and the start of 2013. Though an independent downtown organization, BaBB received a portion of its budget from a tax assessment on downtown properties within the Downtown Improvement District. The board puts the budget request...
Tropical Storm Irene flooded portions of Brattleboro damaging municipal infrastructure in August 2011. As the town continues to tally the costs, the budget is in good shape. According to Town Finance Director John O'Connor, the town incurred about $2 million in damage. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has picked up $1.8 million of the tab. After contributions from FEMA, the state, and insurance payments, he said, Irene cost the town $76,457.99. The town is still finishing up a few...
Six lanes stretch before each runner, and 10 hurdles are positioned approximately 10 meters apart for the total of a 100-meter sprint, waiting for the starter to signal: on your mark, get set, go! That exhilarating moment sets nerves wracking and fluttering, testing our patience, creating a slow progression and then he fires; we're off! We want to accomplish the task in front of us and do so in the most efficient way possible. This challenge embodies everlasting motivation through...
Three years ago, following the sudden death of her husband, and with her health not what it was, Pat Good, owner and proprietor of the iconic Guilford Country Store for nearly three decades, approached the fledgling organization The Friends of Algiers Village to take on ownership. She explained to them that she feared that if a convenience store chain should purchase her business it might tear the historic building down. The Friends agreed this was a possibility, and so bought...
Recently, my family and I were sitting down for dinner when the topic of my graduation speech came up. My sister chimed in: “Write it about me!” I jokingly agreed, and I said I would title it after her and talk about how foolish she acts sometimes and the fact that she thinks she is always right, never wrong. In the countdown to graduation, I suddenly realized, “Hey, that's not such a bad idea.” Now, here I stand before the...