I can't help but laugh at the comment about “gun shy” restaurant patrons “moving away” or not wanting to “stay in the same building” or “other consequences.”
The last time I open-carried, I had so many questions (“Manufacturer?,” “Caliber?, “How many rounds can you carry?,” “Can I hold it?”) and my gun garnered so many inquisitive and positive comments, I barely had time to break away from conversation to finish my errands.
Pamela Wagner, here's a bit of advice: This is Vermont, so just go ahead and assume that about 70 percent of the people you run into on the street are concealing a firearm.
Also, thank you for not only demonstrating your complete and utter lack of knowledge concerning Vermont law, but personal safety as well.
Obituaries • Sarah Ellen Bensenhaver, 58, of Brownington, Vt. Died Sept. 25. Born on Nov. 30, 1957, she grew up in Westminster West. She married Allen Folsom in 1985. Nurturing the land was important to her, and she pursued her talents in gardening at the farm she and Allen...
My daughter's 2018 junior class in Hinsdale is trying hard to get Project Graduation - a drug- and alcohol-free all-night party for 2018 graduating seniors and their guests - back off the ground. It has been down for years. A few of us parents have started a committee this...
You have no right to “[know] just who has a gun in public.” Your hoplophobia does not get to restrict my rights. Odds are good that you walk right by several people a day who are concealed-carrying and who are safer for it. Concealed carry makes most people more comfortable as they don't have to see the scary “death machines.” All that being said, I must say this is one of the most ignorant and unrealistic things I have ever...
Great article about Lester Dunklee, my dad! It's all true. Yes, the Whetstone flood was severe - thanks to all who helped my dad and other businesses and people who were impacted. Retirement...what's that? Is that like refurbishing your tires?
Lester Dunklee is such a wonderful, helpful man. My brother has been on crutches for 52 years from the loss of a leg. He gets the screws and nuts for his crutches from Lester because they wear so much better than the ones that come with the crutches. In fact, they outlast the crutches!
Thank you posting in on the Megabus's connections to anti-LGBT activism and giving everyone the knowledge to make an informed choice. Our local bus company, MAX Bus, which is beginning operation for Brattleboro-Boston, is pretty much the exact opposite. We are certified nationally by the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce as a LGBT Business Enterprise. We have deep commitments to social-justice efforts on a number of fronts. We're openly trans/gender-nonconforming owned and welcoming to all presentations, expressions, and...
Lester Dunklee is the best! I go in with some pretty random requests and projects. I have yet to stump him. Sometimes it takes a minute, but that light bulb above his head always lights.
As a small-business owner, I have found myself in Dunklee's numerous times and have always left a satisfied customer, for much less than I was expecting.
This fall Saxtons River Cares, after more than a year of preparation, is fully up and running. The volunteer-led effort offers programs for seniors in the area, including a monthly luncheon and speaker series, professional foot care, flu shots, Meals on Wheels, Tai Chi, computer help, and more. All classes and events, unless otherwise noted, take place at 24 Main St. in Saxtons River, the historic Christ's Church building. Donna Anderson coordinates Saxtons River Cares, and she said in a...
CERT needs volunteers BRATTLEBORO - The Windham County Community Emergency Response Team is seeking volunteers to provide support to emergency responder units such as police and firefighters by aiding in traffic control, disaster relief, communications, and medical support. Training will be provided at no charge. Contact John Borichevsky at 802-257-5526 or via email n1tox.vt@gmail.com. Next WBA Meeting on Oct. 13 at Hayes Court WEST BRATTLEBORO - The next monthly meeting of the West Brattleboro Association will be held on Thursday,
A popular performing artist and former resident is returning to Brattleboro for a most timely show. For only two performances, on Oct. 14, at 8 p.m. and Oct. 15 at 2 p.m., Seth Lepore returns to the Hooker-Dunham Theater with a new work, an adapted version of Mike Daisey's “Trump Card,” directed by Linda McInerney of Eggtooth Productions. Although Lepore usually writes and performs his own material, “Trump Card” was written and initially performed all over the country in such...
I would take a moment to recognize one of your advertisers: Ray's Shoe Repair in Vernon, next to the post office. In this day of throwing out and not repairing our stuff, a cobbler is indeed a rarity. Next time you are about to discard a pair of shoes, give it a second thought. Ray does great work for a reasonable price. For me, he took a well-worn (falling apart) pair of L.L. Bean moccasins and made them almost new...
I thank Windham County constituents for their generosity and their commitment to gun violence prevention. The GunSenseVT Victory Fund is a political action committee created to support candidates who have stood up to the gun lobby. Of the 155 donors for the Victory Fund, 98 percent are Vermonters, and nearly a quarter of them are from Windham County. Together, they have raised $6,500 out of our statewide total of $25,300. It speaks volumes about our county's determination to rebalance the...
Sandy Golden's letter accused Hillary Clinton of blindly standing by her husband when he was accused of making unwelcome sexual advances. Golden also invited readers to Google “Kathleen Willey,” a woman who accused Clinton of “groping her” 28 years ago. So I did, and the results were eye-popping. According to Willey, not only did Bill Clinton “grope” her, but the Clintons also connived to murder her husband in cold blood. As if that wasn't enough, she says the Clintons also...
In response to letters critical of me stating why I refuse to support Hillary Clinton: I am not suggesting people vote for Donald Trump - frankly, both candidates fall far short of presidential material - but I question what reason there is to support Hillary. I refuse to do so. That previous presidents had extramarital affairs - so somehow it was OK for Bill Clinton to have done so - is not the issue. Hillary stood by and allowed Bill...
I have called South Windham my home for 60 years, have no intention to leave it, and want what's best for it. Contrary to popular belief, many in Windham and Grafton like me are open to developing wind power on the plateau between our two towns. Here are 10 of my reasons for supporting wind turbines here: 1. To create power for 42,000 homes. 2. To shut down a coal-burning plant somewhere. 3. To reduce greenhouse gases by being carbon...
We deeply thank Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee for the donation of a 40-foot metal storage container to the Winston Prouty Center. We are so grateful to have this storage available to handle the large amount of inventory that came with our purchase of the former Austine campus. We are now able to move forward with plans to renovate and lease space, which is a critical part of making the campus viable. This donation is making that possible, and we appreciate...
Starting Wednesday, Oct. 19, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., Brooks Memorial Library and the Women's Freedom Center will co-host a four-part discussion series open to parents, teachers, and caregivers of older youth and teens on a variety of topics surrounding gender justice, social media, and teen relationships. The discussions will be held once a month and led by Women's Freedom Center Youth Advocate, Anna Mullany. Snacks and refreshments will be served at these discussions, according to a news release. Here...
Meeting Waters YMCA will join over 10,000 other organizations nationwide in hosting Lights on Afterschool! celebrations over the next few weeks. Launched in October 2000, Lights On Afterschool is the only nationwide event celebrating afterschool programs and their important role in the lives of children, families and communities. Meeting Waters YMCA will host public celebrations at three of its six Y-ASPIRE sites - Brattleboro's Academy School, Dummerston School and Rockingham Central Elementary School. The Lights On Afterschool! event in Dummerston...
Julia Thomas, Emma-Kate Guimond and Aisha Sasha John have spent the last year watching hundreds of action movies. That is not to say these women a big fans of the genre. In fact, it is precisely because they have issues with action movies that the three are exploring these films. “I think everyone agrees at action movies are most notoriously oppressive to women of all films around,” says Thomas. “At the same time, there is something compelling about action movies.
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Union Station, the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center, Write Action, and SoBo Dance Studio will present an evening of dances set to poetry and music with the theme of trains. “Dance for Trains” is in affiliation with the Brattleboro Literary Festival. It will take place on Thursday, Oct 13, from 7 to 9 p.m., at BMAC. The evening will consist of Tracy Grissom and TraDANCE Company performing to “Observations on a Subway”
For several years, Rockingham Arts and Museum Project has hosted quarterly Artists Town Meetings. Artists, artisans, and local food growers all are encouraged to attend. The focus of the quarterly meetings is to bring creative people together in order to share ideas and a meal. “The more we know each other and can identify ourselves as a constituency the more strength and credibility we gain.” RAMP founder Robert McBride explained in a news release. “There is an ever-growing community of...
The Hooker-Dunham Theater will host internationally known guitarist/composer Peter Griggs in a concert, “500 Years of Music for Guitar,” on Saturday Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. Griggs will perform music for classical guitar from the Renaissance to the Contemporary, as well as Flamenco, Brazilian music, jazz, blues and several of his own compositions, according to a news release. Griggs has presented more than 500 solo guitar concerts throughout the U.S., Germany, the U.K., France, the Low Countries, Scandinavia, and eastern...
I want to publicly thank Andy Davis and commend him for shining the light on this otherwise very low-key and somewhat secretive process of searching for a new superintendent of schools for this area. As our current superintendent has been in the position for the past 14 or so years, it makes sense to think of the long term and to use every available means to secure the right person for this most important position. It is possible that our...
Oct. 16-22 is the annual celebration of National Friends of Libraries Week, and it's the perfect time to acknowledge and thank the Friends of the Rockingham Library, whose members give generously of their time to enhance our library services. The Friends have coordinated many fundraising activities, such as pub trivia events, plant sales, and silent auctions. The library is very fortunate to have received many donations, ranging from equipment and furniture to museum passes and programming. The Rockingham Free Public...
Voters in the Windham-Bennington-1 District have a chance to return John Moran to the House of Representatives this November. Moran has worked for children by advocating local control of schools, protection of small schools, and school choice. He has worked for young people and senior citizens through his support for raising the minimum wage and expanding Social Security. Such legislation would benefit the entire community, as it would make Vermont an even more appealing place to live and work. Throughout...
Have you ever wanted to see your work celebrated publicly? Have you ever wanted to be treated seriously about a craft that you have invested in? Have you ever wanted to feel appreciated and have a little fun? Well, Philip Gilpin Jr. and the Independent Television and Film Festival made all of those things happen for our Windham County students at the opening of the ITVFest. On Oct. 5, nine local students showcased their films in the world-class screening venue...
1. Never did I mean to imply that my being ejected from the Retreat grounds during Strolling of the Heifers was “unjust” - only overkill. Nor did I put anyone but myself in any remote situation of “danger,” and I do that every time I walk into my own woodshed, mow my lawn, or walk down Main Street. 2. My actions had nothing to do with my association with Write Action. Being associated with a group of people does not...
In choosing our representatives to the Vermont Legislature, I urge Windham County voters to join me in supporting long-term representatives David Deen and Mike Mrowicki. I believe that our two most important responsibilities are caring for our planet and caring for our children. Without careful and knowledgeable attention to both these values, our future foundation is shaky indeed. In addition to their dedicated service in the Vermont Legislature, Deen's years of service as Connecticut River Steward, his very early years...
Democratic candidate Sue Minter has advanced policy initiatives that will require raising more taxes on struggling Vermonters while worsening our affordability crisis, which her Republican challenger, Phil Scott, was the first candidate to champion. Scott will eliminate annual budget deficits without raising taxes. In the last six years of the Democratic majority in the legislature, Vermont has run up deficits of $700 million and passed those costs onto Vermonters with a series of new annual taxes. Vermont simply cannot afford...
The Vermont Jazz Center welcomes legendary saxophonist Chico Freeman with an all-star quartet on Saturday, Oct. 15, at 8 p.m. Performing with Freeman will be pianist Luis Perdomo, bassist Kenny Davis, and drummer Kush Abadey. Although Freeman moved to New York from Chicago in the mid-1970s, his strong roots, family ties, and openness to a variety of musical styles continue to link him to the Windy City, according to a news release. The thread of Freeman's family-jazz connection extends directly...
Senior Solutions has entered into contractual agreements with The Dumaine House and East Creek Catering for the provision of Senior Community Meals and Meals on Wheels in the Deerfield Valley. As of Oct. 1, Terrie and David Dumaine are preparing and serving meals on Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon, at the Whitingham Municipal Center. Meals on Wheels are now prepared and brought to the Municipal Center by East Creek Catering, a long-standing partner of Senior Solutions. The Dumaines coordinate delivery...
With regard to Eli Coughlin-Galbraith's concern for Charlene Wakefield's being “too special for the rules” when Wakefield crossed the boundary line at Strolling of the Heifers, I agree. I wish Wakefield wellness and safety at all costs - not just out of gratitude for her years of service on the Write Action board, but because I am always the first at the newsstand on Wednesdays hoping there is a piece authored by Wakefield in The Commons. This heifer might have...
This letter made me chuckle - thank you for that! I am very proud to be be a family member of the Halifax Highway Department (not the “Halifax Road Club,” as the writer so affectionately calls it). Maybe we should have T-shirts made to make us stand out in town. Then, if anyone wants to ask me any questions, I can try to state the facts, not just the mindless babbling of an uninformed citizen.
Sounds like Steve Moore doesn't know what the roads are like in the winter - people like to find fault with what road crews do. But he's probably the first one to bitch when they're not plowed or sanded during a freezing rainstorm. We have to keep people safe, even with all the new state regulations that are given to us every year. So bite me if you don't agree.
Buckley resigns as Town Administrator GUILFORD - Immediately after going into and coming out of executive session for a “personnel matter” during the Sept. 26 regular Selectboard meeting, Vice-Chair Troy Revis read Town Administrator Katie Buckley's letter of resignation. In the letter, Buckley announced she was leaving the job to take a position at her children's school. Buckley thanked the Selectboard for giving her the opportunity to serve the town, noting, “it has truly been an honor.” Board member Gordon...
Maybe try walking, since you can't drive safely (so you say). And slow the hell down if you can't stop. Genius.
Whether it's morning, noon, or night when you read these words, I hope you're having a good moment or two. Sometimes that's all we need to make a good day for ourselves. As far as the weather is concerned, we've got no shortage of sunshine on the way to southern Vermont. We've also got a couple of showery periods possible, and at least another frosty morning on the way for early this weekend. For Wednesday, high pressure that built in...
A new nonprofit organization has formed in Rockingham to provide basic needs and a supportive community for families in the process of seeking asylum in the U.S. According to a news release, Community Asylum Seekers Project, Inc. is hosting its first informational presentation and meeting Sunday, Oct. 16, at 5 p.m., in Saxtons River. A potluck meal featuring dishes from Central America, especially Guatemala, will be followed by a presentation on asylum seekers and the nonprofit's plans. Discussions and opportunities...
With property taxes going up this year due to the closure of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant, the Selectboard is asking each department head to cut their Fiscal Year 2018 budget by 6 percent. The request was proposed during the July 25 regular Selectboard meeting, when Treasurer Cindy Turnley announced the 2016 property tax rate: $1.7537 per $100 of assessed value for residents; $1.6935 for non-residents. “This is approximately $185.20 more per $100,000 per assessed value for a homestead...
The Boys & Girls Club of Brattleboro has selected Ricky Davidson to be the organization's next executive director. Davidson's appointment is the culmination of a five-month national search process, according to a news release. According to the release, Davidson is well-known in southeastern Vermont for his civic service and especially his commitment to the well-being of young people. A graduate of Franklin Pierce College, Davidson began his career locally in 1995 at the Brattleboro Retreat where he managed an adolescent...
The proposed Stiles Brook Wind Project is shrinking, but the site's developer is nevertheless promising a bigger financial reward for the would-be host towns of Windham and Grafton. Iberdrola Renewables has eliminated four of the 28 turbines in the site's original design. The company says the change, which affects only the portion of the project situated in Windham, will make the wind power site less visible and will reduce its noise impacts. At the same time, Iberdrola has boosted the...
It is a story that could be called “ripped from the headlines,” a story of family, of immigration and assimilation, of community and the American dream. It is also a story of one extraordinary family and more than 150 years of striving, a story that stretches from a remote village in Greece to a small town in Vermont. It is a story both familiar and new, the story of the Latchis family and the monument to the hard work of...
The Northeast Fiddlers Association is planning a foray into southern Vermont to hold a “fiddle meet” Sunday, Oct. 16, at the Moose Club in Bellows Falls beginning at noon. The Association is a group of fiddlers, other musicians, and folks who come to their meets to dance, socialize, and enjoy the music, according to a news release. For more than 50 years, the Association has held a monthly “fiddle meet” on the first Sunday of every month (the second Sunday...
It's been a frustrating season for the Leland & Gray Rebels boys' soccer team. Last season, the Rebels were 11-6 and made it to the Division III semifinals, where they lost to Twin Valley. After playing the Mill River Minutemen to a scoreless tie after two overtimes last Friday in Townshend, the Rebels are 2-6-2 and struggling to get it together in time for the playoffs. On Oct. 5, Green Mountain beat the Rebels, 4-2, in Chester. Mack Walton scored...
Recent acrylic paintings by Arrin Fancher will be shown during the months of October and November at the Putney Public Library at 55 Main St. The exhibit will include images from her “Water Works” series, which explores water in motion through abstracted composition, according to a news release. A native of Syracuse, New York, Fancher has lived in Vermont for more than 50 years. She lived in Putney, Enosburg Falls, and Saxtons River before moving to her home in Dummerston.
“The most important thing for a photographer is to make your subject feel comfortable in your presence,” said David Shaw, a Dummerston-based filmmaker and photographer and co-director of the Mark Shaw Archive. He said that trust and level of comfort was what led Jacqueline Kennedy to ask for Mark Shaw to be the photographer for a photo essay on her and her family for Life magazine in 1959. But David Shaw said she had another reason for asking for his...
In recognition of the 35th year of the AIDS pandemic, and to honor the work of the AIDS Project of Southern Vermont, Susan MacNeil and the Latchis Theatre will present “A Weekend to Remember & Celebrate ... Life, Loss, Love,” on Oct. 15 and 16. The event includes a viewing of portions of the AIDS Memorial Quilt and the opportunity to create and submit panels; a dance performance by Jody Sperling, founder of the New York dance company, Time Lapse...
Even if we said “no” to Columbus Day, what does that really change? This year, I am teaching early U.S. history, and I decided to check out almost all the children's books about Christopher Columbus from Rutland, Bennington, Brooks Memorial, and other Vermont libraries. My students analyzed the contents of these books. They asked questions like, “How many times do the Natives speak?,” “How many times does Columbus speak?,” “Are the Natives of Hispaniola (the Taínos) named in the books?,”
If you're working on economic development in southern Vermont, Santina Leporati wants to know about it. In fact, a big part of her job as Southern Vermont Economy Project manager is figuring out who's doing what to boost the economic well-being of Windham and Bennington counties. She's also expected to coordinate those efforts, and to help push them along via training sessions. Leporati is the first to fill the newly created post, and she started less than a month ago.
In the 2014 general election, then-state Rep. John Moran lost just one town in the Windham-Bennington House District. But that town - Dover - happens to be where Laura Sibilia resides. Sibilia, an independent, used her strong hometown support to oust Moran, a Wardsboro Democrat who had served four consecutive terms. Two years later, they are facing off again in the Nov. 8 general election. And the way they frame their candidacies says a lot about their approach to state...
Recently, we returned from the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation and the protest there against the Dakota Access Pipeline. The pipeline is being constructed to carry crude oil from North Dakota southward to Illinois. It would run the oil underneath the Missouri and Cannonball rivers, the main water source for the tribe and millions of people south of this point. The protesters want to stop the pipeline for fear of future spillage destroying both the land and water. We want to...
Susie Webster-Toleno: Like others, I'm not actually surprised that Donald Trump thinks and talks about women that way, though it was painful to me to hear how casually he talked about committing acts of sexual assault. I'm willing to bet that almost every single woman I know has been groped in exactly the way he mentioned, and hearing him brag about it filled me with rage. My secondary reaction, though - on the heels of the rage at Trump and...