A family favorite
French-Canadian meat pie, or “tourtière,” is a traditional dish passed down in my family, a treat that was served on Christmas Eve and other special occasions.
This is my version, as I have substituted local ground turkey and sausage for the usual beef and pork. If you eat red meat, you may use it here; there are many options for locally raised, sustainable meats.
Flight or fight?
Air travel continues to vex and exhaust passengers
The first time I flew, I was 13 years old. I traveled alone to visit my sister, a college student. The Eastern Airlines plane I was on had propellers. The stewardesses were slim, celibate, and sexy ingénues. They had their own cabin, into which I was invited. And I...
United Way of Windham County establishes Kids in Coats Fund
The United Way of Windham County (UWWC) has announced the launch of its Kids in Coats Fund to support winter gear for Windham County kids. In the spirit of the Reformer Christmas Stocking, UWWC is asking the community to support families in Windham County through this new fund. UWWC...
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Survivors help survivors
Good conversations might ease a hard day or change entire lives, and we're fortunate to witness a wide range of healing conversations - not just between advocates and women in crisis, but among survivors themselves. One example is our free and confidential Wednesday Support Group, which meets weekly from noon to 1 p.m. and is open to all women who have experienced domestic violence. Because it's a drop-in group, women are free to just come once, or come occasionally, or...
Vernon briefs
Courtemanche resigns from Selectboard VERNON - “With deep, deep regret,” the Vernon Selectboard unanimously accepted Mike Courtemanche's resignation, submitted in writing at the Nov. 2 regular board meeting. Board Chair Christiane Howe read Courtemanche's letter, in which he attributed his departure to “personal issues.” In the letter, he said he was resigning “with a heavy heart,” and wrote, “I am truly sorry for having to let everyone down” by not serving the remainder of his term. Courtemanche's departure left a...
Auditions planned for ATP’s 2016 Ten Minute Play Festival
The Actors Theatre Playhouse in West Chesterfield, N.H., announces open interviews and auditions for its eighth Ten Minute Play Festival, performing Fridays and Saturdays, June 10-25, 2016 for six performances. Auditions will be on Saturday, Dec. 5, at 10 a.m., and Thursday, Dec. 8, at 6:30 p.m. at the Brattleboro Savings & Loan Community Room, 221 Main St. Organizers ask that those interested RSVP to producer Jim Bombicino at jbombicino@svcable.net if they plan on attending, or can't make those times...
Around the Towns
Winter parking ban begins Dec. 5 BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Parking Department announced that the winter parking ban will go into effect on Saturday, Dec. 5. Overnight parking is forbidden on all streets in the town of Brattleboro. Vehicles parked for longer than one hour between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. may be ticketed and towed at the owner's expense. Brattleboro has a flashing light system in place to let citizens know when plowing will take place. A flashing amber...
Officials plan for arrival of disease fatal to poultry
“There's a really, really, really good possibility bird flu will be here next year,” Guilford Emergency Management Director Ron Lenker told The Commons. “I think it's a very real threat,” he added. Lenker recently attended the annual Emergency Preparedness Conference, hosted by the state's Department of Emergency Management & Homeland Security (DEMHS). Part of the day's events was a seminar on highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5, commonly known as “bird flu." State Veterinarian Dr. Kristin Haas of the Vermont...
Milestones
Transitions • Amanda Bolduc is the new Youth Services Librarian at the Whitingham Free Public Library. Boldic grew up in Whitingham and began volunteering at the library more than 10 years ago at the age of 12. She is a recent graduate of Johnson State College with a degree in English. She is currently working on her teaching license. Bolduc is well known to many children, teens, and parents in in the area as she also works with WINGS and...
Nonprofits scramble to fill VY void
In some ways, it's easy to measure the losses caused by Vermont Yankee's December 2014 shutdown: There are hundreds of fewer jobs in Windham County, and the nuclear plant's tax payments already have dwindled, with more reductions to come. But nonprofit organizations around Windham County are making new calculations as administrators try to figure out how to replace the firm's charitable giving and its employees' reliable volunteerism. Nearly all of the company's annual donations have ended, and far fewer plant...
Holiday Support Program offered to bereaved families
Atamaniuk Funeral Home is sponsoring its 18th annual Holiday Support Program and A Service of Remembrance on Tuesday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m., for bereaved families and friends. The event will be held at Carl M. Dessaint VFW Post 1034, 40 Black Mountain Rd. The public is invited, free of charge. Celebrating the holidays without a loved one is one of the most strenuous events for a grieving family. Often, celebrations and special family traditions are difficult for the bereaved.
Costa Rica exchange appreciates community support
On Friday, Nov. 20, the Brattleboro Union High School Costa Rica Exchange held a fundraising dinner and cabaret. The 13 BUHS students in the exchange served gallopinto (Costa Rican rice and beans), salad, bread, flan, cookies, and drinks before several student music groups performed. The evening was hugely successful, and we would like to offer heartfelt thanks to the Brattleboro Area Middle School administration, the custodians who set up the room, and the businesses that contributed to the event -
Town makes progress collecting delinquent taxes
“You've had quite a flurry of activity in the last few weeks,” Chairperson Sheila Morse told Delinquent Tax Collector Penny Marine at the Nov. 9 Selectboard meeting. Since sending out delinquent tax bills on Nov. 1, Marine has received quite a few residents in her office seeking to make payment arrangements. Marine, who also serves as town clerk and treasurer, said that when she was appointed to handle delinquent taxes, the town was owed $512,589.12 in property taxes. Just under...
Off The Beaten Path film series returns to Latchis
The Latchis Theatre's popular Off the Beaten Path film series, which showcases recent films that may have slipped under the radar, but shouldn't have, continues in December with two more films. The series, presented in collaboration with the Brattleboro Film Festival, features films on Saturdays and Sundays at 4 p.m., through Dec. 12 and 13. Off the Beaten Path continues Dec. 5 and 6, with Jimmy's Hall. A period drama rich in sociopolitical themes, the film is set in Ireland...
State to look beyond local regs for Stiles Brook wind project
In 2012, the Vermont Public Service Department argued that meteorological-testing (MET) towers should not be installed in town because they were “wholly contrary” to town regulations. Three years later, those testing towers are in place, and a developer is making controversial plans for Vermont's biggest wind-turbine facility on the site. And when those plans are submitted for state review, it appears the department - now under the leadership of Commissioner Chris Recchia - won't be deferring so wholeheartedly to Windham's...
Putney briefs
Town is closer to a computer upgrade PUTNEY - The computer system used by town employees has gotten one step closer to an upgrade. During the last few months, Town Manager Cynthia Stoddard has warned the Selectboard that replacement was imminent, citing the need for a computer system that could handle the most recent anti-virus software, and allow for online banking. The town's current computer system, including the server, is outdated enough to pose a challenge to town employees' productivity.
SEVCA Crisis Fuel Program is now available to area residents
Southeastern Vermont Community Action's (SEVCA) Crisis Fuel Program is now available for Windham and Windsor county households that find themselves facing a home heating crisis this winter with nowhere to turn. “We're here to help,” said Pat Burke, Director of SEVCA's Family Services Program, in a news release. “Anyone facing a heating emergency should contact us. “We would also urge people who generally have difficulty paying their heating bills to apply for the Seasonal Fuel program as soon as possible,”
Newfane briefs
Road projects complete NEWFANE - The town's current major road projects are complete, Roads Foreman Todd Lawley reported at the Nov. 16 regular Selectboard meeting. Earlier that day, Renaud Brothers finished repairing the crumbling railings on the Arch Bridge, including putting sealant on the concrete to prevent water from seeping in and causing further damage. “It looks pretty good,” Lawley said, adding, “Actually, it looks nice.” The Depot Hill project was also finished that week, with Fitzpatrick Excavating & Crushing...
Supper and dance benefit Guilford farm damaged by storm
Broad Brook Grange will present a benefit supper and contradance on Saturday, Dec. 5, beginning at 5 p.m., at the Grange hall in Guilford Center. The proceeds will benefit the Clark Farm and a family member who was injured when a rare “microburst” hit the town of Guilford October 29. That day, unusually high wind gusts, brought down the roof under construction on a new dairy barn at the Clark Farm, injuring a family member and carpenter Tom Henry of...
That’s not really what I said
In my letter, the editor got the sentiment right but the context wrong. I did not state that “most people don't oppose drugs.” That is a statistic that's unknown to me. I did state, however, that “[m]ost people who use drugs do not abuse drugs.” Now that statistic I am long familiar with, and I stand firmly behind my sentiment to “leave them the hell alone.” Equating any illicit drug use with “drug abuse” is one of the many failings...
Sandglass presents an evening of Crankies, songs, and storytelling
The weekend of Dec. 4 and 5 will bring together a dynamic collection of artists to share their work, song, and magical cranking devices in the celebration of the storytelling medium. Eric and Ines Zeller Bass of Sandglass Theater, along with Coni Richards, Brendan Taaffe, Dejah Leger, Anna Patton, Annie Winker, and Claire Dolan will pair song and story with rolling pictures. Crankies are scrolling illustrations, wound inside a wooden box and then hand-cranked so that the images move across...
Heady ambitions
Christophe Gagné and Avery Schwenk, whose brewery, Hermit Thrush Brewery, turned one year old last month, are the poster children for doing what you love. Big smiles and a loyal following of beer lovers must also come with doing work they love, because Gagné and Schwenk have lots of both. They celebrated at their High Street tasting room and brewery with an open house Nov. 21, complete with 600 guests, beer, food, and tours of their 1,300-square-foot expansion. The new...
Seven Colonels named to all-State football team
The Brattleboro Colonels varsity football program is on the rise, and other coaches around the state are taking notice. Seven members of this season's squad were named to the all-State team, a direct consequence of the 4-5 Colonels reaching the Division I playoffs for the first time in a decade. Junior running back Cheick Diakite, who ran for five touchdowns against both South Burlington and St. Johnsbury, was named to the Division I first team. Senior tight end Evan Perkins,
FOMAG presents annual Messiah Sing to benefit the homeless
Friends of Music at Guilford will host the 45th annual Community Messiah Sing to benefit the homeless at 1 p.m. on Saturday, December 5. Centre Congregational Church, at 193 Main Street, has been home for the event since 1982 and for a few prior seasons as well. Terry Larsen, a resident of Southampton, Mass., returns for a ninth season to lead the singing. He brings more than 25 years of experience as a music teacher, choral singer, soloist, and conductor...
‘€˜From the River, To the River’ project launched with community clearing effort, community portrait
More than 35 volunteers showed up on Nov. 21 with clippers, loppers, ropes, and chainsaws in a team effort to create a view to the river from the grassy area by the former Archery Building (across Bridge Street from Whetstone Station). This was the inaugural event for the public art project From the River, To the River, the recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts “Our Town” grant awarded to the town of Brattleboro. From the River, To the...
Off to see the Wizard
More than 100 community members have donated their time to help bring to the stage a new production of The Wizard of Oz at the New England Youth Theatre (NEYT) from Dec. 3 to 13. “A village of artisans have come together to volunteer to build our production of The Wizard of Oz,” says Hallie Flower, NEYT's new executive director of New England Youth Theatre (NEYT), as well as the theatrical director of this year's Christmas musical, an adaptation of...
Coffee, conversations, and ice breakers
Dissolving the multilayered societal and economic causes behind homelessness can feel daunting. But photographer Liz LaVorgna and a creative team have turned to a simple, perhaps mundane, first step to foster social change: sharing a cup of coffee. “If you're able to have a conversation, if you're able to connect with somebody, all these preconceived ideas of somebody that you have or had can kind of fall away and you can actually get to know somebody - and I think...
Food pantries race to keep shelves stocked
During the annual Load the Latchis Food Drive, donors put bags of groceries and supplies into almost every seat of the 762-seat Latchis Theatre - a dramatic gesture that celebrates the generosity of the community. But looks can deceive. Those donations lasted for all of three or four days, said Rosie Gardner, food shelf coordinator at the Groundworks Drop-In Center in Brattleboro. For the past year, Gardner has managed the program, which is open four days a week. Typically, 50...
The idea guy
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Lisman likes ideas. Specifically, good ideas. It's the quality that compelled him to launch Campaign for Vermont, the political advocacy group he stepped away from since starting his campaign for governor. Good ideas drive his determination to turn Vermont in a new direction, Lisman has said. On a sunny, breezy Monday, Lisman stopped for lunch at The Marina restaurant for a discussion with local Republican movers and shakers. Speaking rapidly, Lisman - less short than he...
Trash talk
Despite the passage of the state's mandatory recycling law, “the district still runs a deficit, surprisingly,” Michelle Cherrier, the town's representative to the Windham Solid Waste Management District (WSWMD), told the Selectboard members at their Nov. 10 regular meeting. Cherrier, reporting on the district's progress in creating fiscal year 2017's budget, said that with a lot of “pencil sharpening,” including reducing labor costs through attrition and consolidating duties, the anticipated budget has been reduced by $36,873 - just over 7...
BUHS students do volunteer work for local veterans
Recently, members of Brattleboro Union High School's Students Supporting Veterans (SSV) group teamed with another local veteran's support organization to clear debris and perform landscape work at a mobile home in Tri-Park in West Brattleboro. A veteran who was homeless will be moving into the home. SSV is partnering with Home At Last (HAL), a small community organization that purchases and rehabilitates mobile homes. Working with the Veteran's Administration, HAL locates homeless veterans who would be eligible for residency in...
Two new exhibits opening at MGFA
On Thursday, Dec. 3, from 5-7 p.m., at Mitchell-Giddings Fine Arts, 183 Main St., the public is invited to an opening reception for two new solo exhibitions. Glass artist Josh Bernbaum, and painter and gallery co-owner Jim Giddings, will be showing new work in two separate solo exhibits. Both exhibits will be on display through Jan. 3. A combined artist talk is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m. Giddings' work is as much about scraping off paint as...
Family of Larry Lynch Sr. appreciates community’s support
We in our family extend our heartfelt thanks and gratitude to our wonderful community for their love and support at the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, Laurence “Larry” Lynch Sr. From the moment Larry was stricken, we were surrounded immediately with help and support. God bless the first responders and friends who were here visiting and who assisted our grandson, also a first responder, in giving immediate skilled care to Larry. They quickly summoned help,
How can a family of four with two working parents stay afloat?
When my husband and I contemplated having babies, we factored many things into our decision. But we never imagined that we would have a hard time with a two-parent-working household. Why would we? We both have good jobs that pay well, and other people do it, right? What we found out very quickly is that working and paying for child care is not that easy. With two kids enrolled, we are paying more for child care than I bring home,
Mission of mercy
On a recent chilly Sunday, a group of teens and adults gathered in the downstairs meeting room at the Guilford Community Church, United Church of Christ, to pack huge suitcases full of medical supplies, clothing, and books. These items were donated by locals, and their destination will be a small Kenyan village called Kaiguchu. In February, adults and teens who attend the church will travel to Kaiguchu to bring the supplies, and help the villagers with projects. The parishioners stressed...
Supply and demand?
Most cheese names are fairly predictable. Most are named after the place they were traditionally made or sold. But as far as I know - and I know a lot about cheese - only one cheese was named after a mythical giant. Dziugas - a firm, cows' milk cheese - takes its name from a kindly giant who, legend states, guarded Samogitia, one of the five ethnographic regions in Lithuania. Until trying Dziugas, I had never had, nor heard of,