Art in the Neighborhood finishes summer session
Art in the Neighborhood, a local nonprofit organization that provides tuition-free art classes to children in low-income housing communities in Brattleboro, has just finished its six-week summer session.
Classes operate year-round at Westgate Housing, Ledgewood Heights, and Moore Court. Art in the Neighborhood also brings classes to the HCRS (Health Care and Rehabilitative Services) summer program at the Guilford Fairgrounds.
Stone Church Arts presents ‘Your Rhythm, Your Life’ concert
Grammy-Award-winning master drummer Glen Velez, vocal phenomenon Loire, and acclaimed cellist Eugene Friesen will present a concert on Friday, Sept. 1, at 7:30 p.m., at Immanuel Episcopal Church, 20 Church St. A four-time Grammy Award winner, Velez is the founding father of the modern frame drum movement and is...
New film on biomass industry gets sneak preview
‘Burned,’ by local filmmakers Alan Dater and Lisa Merton, to be screened at Next Stage, 118 Elliot
Local filmmakers Alan Dater and Lisa Merton are presenting a pair of sneak preview screenings of their new documentary film, Burned: Are Trees the New Coal? On Thursday, Aug. 31, at 7 p.m., the film will be screened at Next Stage, 15 Kimball Hill, in Putney. 118 Elliot in...
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Sunrise Rotary awards $11,000 in scholarships
The Brattleboro Sunrise Rotary Club recently awarded a total of $11,000 in scholarships to local high school graduates, continuing-education students who will attend college this fall, and a student in Honduras as part of the club's International Initiative. Included in the awards were two designated scholarships, the John Penfield Memorial Scholarship and the International Scholarship. The Penfield Memorial Scholarship honors founding member and the first President of the Sunrise Rotary Club, John Penfield, who embodied the ideals of Rotary and...
A piece of Brattleboro baseball history is threatened
Over the past few months, our friends at Brattleboro Area Hospice have talked about their “A Year Well Lived” campaign, to get people thinking about what they would they would like to do if they had a chance to really do what they loved. For me, a year well lived would be incomplete without spending as many sunny afternoons as possible sitting in the grandstand at Tenney Field in Brattleboro, watching baseball and listening to the swallows chirping away as...
Master Gardeners help Parks Place’s garden grow
August may be waning, but it is a good time to visit the gardens at Parks Place Community Resource Center in Bellows Falls. Daylilies and phlox are still blooming while, later, perennials begin to take their turn. The flowers are carefully chosen to provide sustained color and interest all through the growing year. Plantings are selected to require minimal care and maintained using organic gardening methods. Established in 2000, Parks Place's gardens are designed and maintained by UVM Extension Master...
Auditions set for ‘War of the Worlds’
Shoot the Moon Theater Company will hold open auditions for The War of the Worlds on Tuesday, Aug. 29, at 7 p.m. at the Hooker-Dunham Theater & Gallery, 139 Main St. Participants don't need to prepare any material, as they will be asked to read from provided pages at the audition. Rehearsals will begin mid-September. The show will run at 7:30 p.m., each evening during the weekends of Oct. 20-21, Oct. 27-28, and Nov. 3-4. Director Joshua Moyse looks forward...
Wilmington Works offers class in business succession planning
If you own a business and you plan to retire one day, or if you think you might someday want to change gears in your life, you will eventually be faced with the task of selling or transferring ownership of your business. The Economic Development Committee of Wilmington Works is offering a free seminar, “Introduction to business succession planning,” to all local business owners on Tuesday, Sept. 12, from 4 to 6 p.m., at Historic Memorial Hall. The information in...
Local food shelves host drive for back-to-school food and supplies
Through Aug. 31, a few of the food shelves in Southeastern Vermont will be collecting healthy lunch and snack foods and school supplies for the children and families they serve in their communities. The food shelves that are participating in the Back-to-School Food and Supplies Drive are Our Place Drop-In Center in Bellows Falls (802-463-2217), Guilford Cares Food Pantry (802-257-0626), Springfield Family Center (802-885-3646), and Townshend Community Food Shelf (802-365-4348). For more information, call the food shelf closest to where...
Eclectic mix of five bands to pay tribute to Bob Dylan
On Sunday, Aug. 27, at the Jamaica Town Hall on Route 30, five well-established bands with ties to the area will play the songs of Nobel Laureate Bob Dylan. The early evening concerts bring together Gene Morrison and the Kelly Stand Band, The Andy Avery Band, Howard's End, Hungrytown, and Luminous Crush, according to a news release. Dylan's recording career spans more than five decades. In 2016, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for “having created new poetic...
New England Center for Circus Arts sets Aug. 26 open house
The New England Center for Circus Arts has been working hard to get its new space ready for expanded programming this fall. The coaches and the administrative team report that equipment has been installed, inspected, checked, and re-checked and is now ready for climbing, flipping, and training of every kind. With a new in-ground trampoline, a modular levels tramp wall, and an indoor, high flying trapeze, there are a lot of new things to see. In a news release, NECCA...
The legacy of my elders
My mother died last month at the age of 93. Active and mentally spry throughout her eighties, her 91st birthday marked a shocking physical depletion that coincided with a steady break from the world. She was letting go. First, she stopped summoning her computer guru every time a technical glitch interrupted her internet use, and then she stopped communicating with friends and family by email. Next, I noticed she was using her landline exclusively, while her iPhone sat unused in...
What test scores fail to measure
Like the unexplained monoliths in the classic movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, our standardized test scores float untethered in space - free of the very things they are supposed to measure, yet having great power. These scores claim to measure “college and career readiness.” Yet it takes no particular insight to know that being ready for the forestry program at the community college is not the same as astrophysics at MIT. Likewise, “career ready” means many different things depending upon...
Credit union expands membership to surrounding counties
The Vermont Department of Financial Regulation recently approved an expanded field of membership for Members 1st Credit Union to include surrounding counties of the Brattleboro area. The expansion will allow Members 1st to serve the financial needs of anyone who lives or works in the counties of Windsor, Rutland, Bennington and Windham in Vermont; Sullivan and Cheshire counties in New Hampshire, and Franklin County in Massachusetts. “Members 1st is ready, willing and able. We want to grow and we're here...
Tree Advisory Committee needs new members
Do you like trees? They reduce energy use, provide erosion control, and help control storm water runoff. The Brattleboro Tree Advisory Board is shorthanded and needs two new members. If you are a resident and want to help us look after the town's trees, fill out the online application at the town's website, www.brattleboro.org > Serving the Community > Boards and Committees > Application. (Don't be intimidated by the application; it's an all-purpose document. If you have questions about it,
Stratton is now part of 12-resort conglomerate
Stratton Mountain ski area is now officially part of a 12-resort company that spans four states and two countries. The acquisition of Stratton's parent company, Intrawest, by two investment firms closed at the end of July. And the deal is even bigger than initially announced earlier this year, with four additional California resorts now in the mix. The new, combined company is still organizing and doesn't even have a name yet. But a spokeswoman said the deal eventually will bring...
Kim Jong Un’s nuclear weapons
Some thoughts: • Kim Jong-un knows we are not going to initiate a nuclear war with North Korea. • And he is not going to initiate a war with us. He knows the consequences for him would be catastrophic. • In fact, the purpose of his nuclear weapons and saber-rattling is not to defend North Korea from us. It's to distract his oppressed people from their oppression. Our bellicose reaction is his script. • Even if his nuclear weapons were...
Around the Towns
Ice cream treats in West Halifax WEST HALIFAX - The West Halifax Community Club invites visitors to its ice cream wagon, at 20 Brook Rd. (the intersection of Brook, Collins, Branch, and Reed Hill roads) on Sundays from 5 to 7 p.m. for the next two weekends. Enjoy Snow's Ice Cream in a cone or dish, or have a sundae, milkshake, or a root beer float. “Lots of great flavors will be scooped, including chocolate, vanilla, black raspberry, salted caramel,
New leadership program set for Leland & Gray seventh graders
Seventh graders at Leland & Gray Union Middle/High School will participate in a new leadership program this academic year. Edge of Leadership will teach young people the skills to work together to identify and provide solutions for the challenges facing them in their schools and communities. The staff of a Brattleboro-based nonprofit, High 5 Adventure Learning Center, will visit the Leland & Gray seventh-grade classrooms throughout the 2017-18 school year, and students will participate in a program combining social and...
See if your kids qualify for free/reduced lunch
Think your family doesn't qualify for free/reduced lunch? Think again! About 38,000 Vermont children qualify for free meals through the National School Lunch and Breakfast programs. Filling out the paperwork to register for free/reduced lunch is important because the more students who qualify and eat school lunch, the more money the school receives to spend on quality ingredients in the cafeteria. “With full bellies, children are better able to focus, less likely to get in trouble, and more likely to...
Physical transformations
Tucked away in a residential Brattleboro neighborhood, one small company is helping thousands of people safely change their bodies. Shapeshifters is owned by life- and business partners Eli and Krista Coughlin-Galbraith. From their dining room workshop, via their website Shapeshifters.co, they have sold over 1,500 binders. What's a binder, and who wears them? Eli explained what a binder is and what it does: “It's a piece of clothing that turns the appearance of boobs into the appearance of pecs. It's...
Robert Merfeld to talk about music making and teaching
Robert Merfeld will share a lifetime of insights into the world of music making and teaching on Friday, Sept. 1, at 6 p.m., at Everyone's Books on Elliot Street. Merfield has toured the world as a concert pianist and has taught for many years at Harvard, Boston University, and the Longy School of Music. Reflections on his career and his passion for music are revealed in his newly released book, Is it so if you think it's so? Thoughts on...
BMC hosts special ‘Singing Strong’ open house/reunion
The Brattleboro Music Center' hosts a special “Singing Strong” open house/reunion on Tuesday, Aug. 29. Singing Strong is a popular program for seniors who love to sing. Brattleboro Concert Choir Director Susan Dedell leads Singing Strong participants in songs from a variety of musical styles, mostly from the great song repertoire of the 1930s, 40s, 50s, and 60s. The Aug. 29 reunion and open house for returning and new members will be held at 1:30 p.m. at the Brattleboro Music...
VTC holds auditions for ‘A Christmas Carol’
Vermont Theatre Company announces auditions for its fourth annual production of A Christmas Carol on Monday, Aug. 28, at 6 p.m., in the auditorium at Brattleboro Union High School on Fairground Road. This production of Charles Dickens' classic story is a new adaptation written and directed by Jessica Gelter. A Christmas Carol is a ghost story about Ebenezer Scrooge, a heartless old miser, who, with the help of an old friend and some magical beings, finds love and generosity in...
NRC signs off on Vermont Yankee fuel move
While Vermont Yankee's $143 million fuel storage project still has a long way to go, federal inspectors like what they've seen so far. Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspectors have visited the Vernon plant to observe the transfer of radioactive spent fuel into more secure storage. Federal officials also have interviewed workers at the site and reviewed records. The bottom line, the NRC says in an Aug. 16 report, is that “no findings of safety significance were identified.” Entergy wants to sell...
Hiding in plain sight
It turns out there is taxi service in Brattleboro. Except it's not in Brattleboro. “We're located 7/10 of a mile outside of Brattleboro, on Broad Brook Road in Vernon,” said Terri Hendricks, who, with her husband Thomas, owns Vernon Transportation Service. Hendricks confirmed her company serves clients going to and coming from Brattleboro. It's also not a taxi; it's a car service, and that's different, Hendricks said. According to its registration, a car service can transport customers through pre-arrangement only,
It’s right around the corner...
As the schools in Windham County prepare for a new academic year, we take a look at some changes that will greet students and teachers on their return to their classrooms. We've contacted the local schools to find out just what will be going on and what might be different as the kids make this transition. Here are a few updates from some school administrators who were courteous enough to return our calls and emails. Brattleboro Union High School •
Getting real
In June, my wife and I had the chance to drive my daughter's car back from where she lives out West. We decided to take the long way home. It was a great trip - 20 days and 5,000 miles on the car, Taos to Brattleboro, by way of Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minneapolis, and Detroit - and it made me realize how vast and extraordinary our nation is, not simply in landscape but also in character. Our travels caused...
Drivers’ safety tips
School zones Be particularly alert at all times for children and pedestrians in a school zone. Also watch for school buses which may be arriving and departing. Signs or flashing lights warn you that you are approaching a school or school crossing. Many school zones have lower speed limits, and the speed limit signs will have the words “when flashing” when children are present to let you know when the speed limit is in effect. Note that regular school hours...
Sweet stretch of cooler, sunnier weather this way comes
Good day to you! After a round of showers and thunderstorms earlier this week, the associated cold front responsible for such activity has swept through southern Vermont and out to sea. While the Summer of 2017 is not over yet, it is certainly taking a step down for the upcoming week - a solid reminder that the Autumnal Equinox is not too far away at this point. For once, this writer will be painting a simpler picture of our upcoming...
Artist puts face on cancer with drawings
Artist JoAnne Russo used her love of nature and artistic talent to put a face on her cancer, using drawing as an outlet for the anger the illness caused her. Some of those drawings are on display at Main Street Arts until Friday, Oct. 13, in a show she has titled “Win, Lose or Draw: My Journey through Cancer.” An opening reception for the show will be held Tuesday, Aug. 22, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., in the Windham Foundation...
Moving forward together
Lyle Holiday enters the conference room carrying the excitement of a fresh school year, new school supplies, fresh textbooks, and back-to-school clothes. “I always love the first day of school,” said Holiday, who recently assumed the role of superintendent of the Windham Southeast Supervisory Union. “It's always fun.” “I was hired as a one-year to fill-in for a one year leave of absence,” said Holiday, who started her career as a teacher in Dummerston. She went on to serve as...
Grafton Cornet Band celebrates 150th anniversary
The Grafton Cornet Band will celebrate its 150th anniversary on Sunday, Aug. 27, at 4 p.m., with a free concert on the lawn of the town library. This concert will take place rain or shine. If there is rain, the concert will take place in the White Church. Bring a chair or blanket for comfort. The historical society will also be open, displaying historical photos, magazines, and newspaper articles to celebrate 150 years of band music in Grafton. The band...
In it for the elephants
Last month, Hollis Burbank-Hammarlund left her home in Newfane to board a plane for Sri Lanka - arriving just in time for one of the country's oldest and grandest of Buddhist festivals, the Kandy Esala Perahera. But while this 10-day celebration of fire-dancing, costumed acrobats, and traditional song flooded the streets of Kandy, Burbank-Hammarlund was tasked with a less festive job. Instead of a lavish costume like many of the party goers, she wore a simple jacket. The back read:
Will Moses exhibits in Brattleboro
A special exhibit of original paintings by Will Moses, great-grandson of world-famous artist Grandma Moses, is now at Vermont Artisan Designs in Brattleboro. Fifteen original oil paintings by Moses are on display in the special exhibit, which includes books that he has illustrated and jigsaw puzzles of some of his works. Moses, who lives in the family farmstead in Eagle Bridge, N.Y., was very young when his great-grandmother died at 101. She was considered a primitive painter who began her...
FOMAG opens 52nd season with concerts at the Organ Barn
As it has done for over a half-century, Friends of Music at Guilford opens its annual music season with a concert in a rural barn on Saturday night of Labor Day Weekend. The famed Organ Barn is in an idyllic setting near the state line where Guilford meets Leyden, Mass. The intimate Barn seats about 100 concertgoers, and on Sunday afternoon, 200 or more people flock to the lawn outside the Barn for picnics and an orchestra concert. At 7:30...
Cars, cocktails, and conversation
“Cars, Cocktails, and Conversation” was the theme for a fundraiser for Our Place on Aug. 14 in Saxtons River. The outdoor event featured an impressive assembly of vintage cars, ranging from World War II-era Jeeps to a recreated prototype of the first Land Rover, Britain's answer to the Jeep. Jim and Jane Macri, owners of the Land Rover, hosted the vintage car-themed fundraiser at their panoramic hillside home. The event included catering by the Saxtons River Inn and featured classic...
Opioid epidemic prompts free child care
About a year and a half ago, Jessica Greene was running a maternal support group when a mother approached her with a problem: She couldn't find proper childcare while undergoing addiction treatment. “It just seemed like it was a need that nobody had been aware of,” recalled Greene, who works for Health Care & Rehabilitation Services in Brattleboro. That was the beginning of a long planning effort that has culminated in the creation of The Welcoming Place - a free,
Windham Southeast bus schedules
B-1 Brattleboro morning route (elementary) ||7:32||Route begins at Mountain Home Park (mailboxes, west side of park). Turn right onto Sunset Lake Road. ||7:35||At Gulf Road. Proceed to Marlboro Road; turn right. ||7:32||At 1215 Marlboro Rd. ||7:42||At Sherwood Circle and Tudor Lane (both ends). ||7:43||At Third Level Drive. ||7:43||At First Level Drive. Turn right onto Western Avenue (Route 9). ||7:44||At 364 Western Ave. ||7:45||At intersection of Western Avenue/Marlboro Road and Edward Heights. ||7:47||Route ends with pickup at intersection of Western Avenue...
Staring at the sun
Library Director Emily Zervas did not expect hundreds of people to show up for the Aug. 21 eclipse party held on the library's front lawn. But in the days leading up to the big celestial event, she had an inkling it might be popular. “People started calling this week, hysterically looking for eclipse-viewing glasses,” Zervas said. “I only ordered 45 pairs!” NASA's public service campaign, which implored people not to look at the solar eclipse without safety devices, seemed to...
Birds of a feather
Although raising layer hens was not in my family tradition, nor even remotely related to my life experience, when I, at age 50, along with members of my family still living at home, moved to rural Vermont, it was a role I slipped into almost by chance and adopted with both trepidation and eagerness. I later heard through the grapevine that mature women were known to have a penchant for raising hens - a somewhat demeaning characterization - but that...
A community’s beautiful holding
We plot out each day, week, year with the understanding that our well-laid plans could be unravelled in a matter of minutes. Sometimes it is a simple change, like car trouble or a variation in the weather. Other times it is an accident, illness, or unexpected death that will seem to shift time from that point onward. It is difficult to live with the acceptance that these moments of transformation will happen to all of us and the people we...
Ripple effect
In 2011, Tropical Storm Irene hit this section of Newfane hard. Some houses along Dover Road were destroyed when the Rock River jumped its banks, and many others around the village experienced damage and lengthy power outages. The Williamsville Hall, with its ample meeting space and kitchen, served as a welcoming oasis for many in the community. It was a place to go to share information and find support. Six years later, some residents find themselves missing that feeling of...
Critics question plan to move winter shelter
Is a bucolic, 177-acre hillside campus a good place for a wintertime homeless shelter? That was a recurring question at an Aug. 16 community meeting, as some residents balked at plans to move Brattleboro's seasonal overflow shelter from its longtime downtown home to the Winston Prouty campus a few miles away. The big concern is whether shelter administrators can maintain safety and security on a property that hosts several schools and other nonprofits. “There's no debate that this [shelter] is...