The Brattleboro Parking Department would like to advise everyone that the winter parking ban went into effect Nov. 17.
Overnight parking is forbidden on all streets in the town of Brattleboro. Any vehicle 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 assist citizens in knowing when plowing will be done.
A flashing amber light designates the need to remove snow from off-street lots. A flashing purple light designates the need to remove snow from the streets. Snow removal starts at 11 p.m. During snowstorms, vehicles must be parked under cover in the Transportation Center.
Open enrollment in Vermont Health Connect began Nov. 1. The Office of the Health Care Advocate encourages Vermonters to act soon to enroll in a 2018 Vermont Health Connect plan. The Open Enrollment period is shorter this year; it ends on Dec. 15. You will not be able to...
Thanksgiving closings in Brattleboro BRATTLEBORO - In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, all Brattleboro Town offices will be closed on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 23 and 24, with the exception of emergency services. Brooks Memorial Library will close at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 22, and will be closed...
Church hosts Christmas Bazaar WEST BRATTLEBORO - The annual Christmas Bazaar at First Congregational Church of West Brattleboro takes place Saturday, Nov. 25, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the church, 880 Western Ave. Booths will feature Christmas greens and ornaments from balsam wreaths to berry bowls. Hand crafted gifts run the gamut from baskets to hats and from wool gloves to afghans. The general store will sell fudge, sweet and savory treats, and preserves, and there will be...
With colder weather arriving back in New England, it wasn't a surprise that Killington was the first ski resort in the Northeast to open for the season on Nov. 8. The season pass-holders got the first runs of the season, with the general public getting their chance the following day. What was more surprising is that Mount Snow and Okemo also joined the early bird club, opening for skiing on Nov. 11. Temperatures got down into the 20s during the...
Three years ago, I was looking for a new job when a former student told me she knew of positions for teachers in Iraq. I thought, “Iraq - why would anyone want to go there?” Iraq was a place I had no interest in going. It felt dangerous. As an educator who has spent most of my life providing and delivering cross-cultural learning opportunities, helping young Americans broaden their understanding and build connections with the other residents on our planet,
The Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation and the Bennington County Regional Commission's application to develop a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for the Southern Vermont Economic Development Zone has been approved and awarded short-term planning funds by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration. The project is slated to be completed by late spring 2019. “We are pleased to be updating our original, award-winning CEDS and very excited to be including our Bennington County partners going forward,” Credit Corporation Executive Director...
Arts Alive!, in partnership with the Hannah Grimes Center, will present an artist-to-artist workshop on intellectual property law on Wednesday, Nov. 29, from 4 to 5:30 p.m., at MAxT Makerspace in Peterborough. Attorney Amanda Nelson will present a brief introduction to the three major areas of intellectual property law: copyrights, patents, and trademarks. She will discuss the distinction between these three areas; what, specifically, they protect; and how artists can use intellectual property laws to protect their livelihoods. “An artist's...
The Emergency Medical Services Fund recently announced the award of their first grants, both of which are going to Deerfield Valley Rescue. The first is $45,937.33 for the purchase of state-of-the-art monitor/defibrillator and an automated CPR device. The second is $50,000 for construction of a training room at their new location. DVR requested assistance with purchasing big ticket items in order to replace some old equipment while furnishing their new ambulance with the high-end equipment so their technicians have what's...
RAMParts Presents, in partnership with Exhibition on Screen, brings the 90-minute feature film, Canaletto and the Art of Venice to the Bellows Falls Opera House on Thursday, Nov. 30, at 7:30 p.m., for an immersive journey into the life and art of Venice's famous view-painter. No artist better captures the essence and allure of Venice than Giovanni Antonio Canal, better known as Canaletto, according to a news release. And included in the ticket price for this film is a Venetian...
Town Manager Peter B. Elwell kicked off the annual budget season at the Nov. 7 regular Selectboard meeting by offering a preliminary view and highlights of the municipal Fiscal Year 2019 budget. The proposed budget for FY19 is $17.5 million. “This is where the fun begins,” noted Board member John Allen. Elwell and his staff formulated the budget proposal “within the context of the continued implementation of the action items of the Comprehensive Review of Town Operations and the updated...
It is late November, the sky is dark, the air is cold, it smells like snow, and I am in the kitchen thinking about holidays and the complicated comforts of simple food. When I was a small girl, my relatives from New Jersey would pile into their cars and drive up the newly constructed interstate highways till they reached Vermont Route 14 and then finally our house and its accompanying little grocery store, Coutant's Country Center. My great-aunt Anne always...
At the Nov. 7 regular Selectboard meeting, Town Manager Peter B. Elwell gave the Board an update on his staff's actions to support diversity, inclusion, and equity in Brattleboro. In September, the Selectboard approved Elwell's recommendations to make town government and the community a more welcoming place for all people, especially those traditionally underrepresented. Some of those suggestions, Elwell noted, are long-term projects, requiring investments of time and funding. “We're seeing some beginning movement in those longer-term investments,” he said.
The documentary series [framed] continues at Next Stage in Putney on Thursday, Nov. 30, at 7:30 p.m. with Sembene! The film is written, directed, and produced by Samba Gadjigo and Jason Silverman. In 1952, Ousmane Sembene, a Senegalese dockworker and fifth-grade dropout, began dreaming an impossible dream: to become the storyteller for a new Africa. Sembene! tells the unbelievable true story of the self-taught “father of African cinema,” who fought enormous odds to return African stories to Africa. Sembene! uses...
In the wake of the Weinstein “revelations” and the millions of #MeToo stories shared online, the national conversation about sexual harassment is rising to a fever pitch as more powerful men are called out on their misconduct. During this time I've been watching the youngest generation of males, dismayed by what I've seen. Many of my friends have sons, and they are lovely lads who treat others with decency. No, I'm talking about the boys who mouth off to girls...
Meg Donahue and Lisa Lorimer, owners of MamaSezz meal delivery service, want you to switch to a plant-based diet. But neither are strident about it. “We don't want to be that person at the dinner table who points to what you're eating and says, 'That'll give you cancer,'” Donahue said. “We're not anti-bread. We're not anti-meat,” said Lorimer, former CEO and president of the Vermont Bread Company. She referenced MamaSezz' motto: “Eat your fruits and veggies. Now go out and...
It must be an epidemic. Google “coping with holiday stress,” and you'll find enough advice from psychologists, life coaches, health clinics, etiquette mavens, and other “experts” to keep you in reading material for all the holidays of your life. My cursory research has revealed that the experts have boarded the same bus headed toward the elusive destination called sanity. Get organized. Don't overindulge in food, alcohol, or spending. Avoid shopping malls. Make time to exercise and rest. Learn to say...
The Actors Theatre Playhouse will hold auditions and interviews for its 2018 Ten Minute Play Festival at the Hooker-Dunham Theater and Gallery at 139 Main St. on Thursday, Dec. 7, at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 10, at 1 p.m. Copies of all the scripts are available as PDF files by contacting jbombicino@svcable.net. Contact either producer Jim Bombicino or Burt Tepfer at burttepfer@gmail.com to let them know your date preference, or your desire to have scripts emailed to you, or...
The winter chill is already upon us, and United Way of Windham County is again supporting families with warm winter outerwear through its Kids in Coats Fund, which was created after the Reformer Christmas Stocking ceased operations in the fall of 2015. This year, the United Way of Windham County received applications for more than 670 children through nearly 40 referral sources, such as schools, health and human service organizations, and state offices. Due to limited funds, the organization was...
Friends of Music at Guilford (FOMAG), now in its 52nd concert season, is preparing its two annual December events: the Community Messiah Sing and Christmas at Christ Church. Presented at Centre Congregational Church, 193 Main St. in Brattleboro, the 47th Community Messiah Sing - subtitled “A benefit for the homeless” - is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 2, from 1 p.m. to about 3 p.m. Between 250 and 300 residents and visitors to the region come to sing with or listen...
This time of year, Nancy Braus sells a lot of different types of calendars at Everyone's Books in Brattleboro. But she noticed one glaring omission in the selection of Vermont calendars for sale. “So many Vermont calendars focus on scenery and the village-built environment,” Braus said. “They almost always look the same, and there are no humans present.” Braus, co-owner of Everyone's Books and a longtime political activist, wanted to try something different. “We Vermonters are active, engaged people and...
Director Jay Craven is taking time out from his busy schedule teaching and filmmaking to remember his friend and collaborator, author Howard Frank Mosher, who died in January at 74. Craven directed five films based on Mosher's works. On Sunday, Dec. 3, at 1 p.m. at the Latchis Theatre in Brattleboro, and at 6:30 p.m. at the Whittemore Theater at Marlboro College, Kingdom County Productions will present a Howard Frank Mosher tribute. Each event will include 20 minutes of reflections...
Thanks to everyone who came out to vote on the school merger issue, no matter which position you were for. That the percentage of voters from all of our towns was so high is such an encouraging sign for all of our children, schools, and communities and for democracy. It is very heartwarming to know that so many people care so deeply for the education of our children and for our community schools. One person really said it all to...
As the chairs of the respective sexual-harassment panels in the Vermont House and Senate, we would like to inform the public of efforts to both prevent and address instances of sexual harassment in our state Legislature. The House of Representatives has had a sexual harassment policy on the books since 1996. Several years ago, leadership in both chambers appointed members to serve on a panel to update the policy. The panels had thoughtful discussions about how to move forward on...
Suzanne Groenewold: Christmas Eve trip to the ER right before company arrived. Boys were playing hockey on the back deck, and the big boys checked the little one into the house. Stitches to the head of the 7-year-old. * * * Nancy Gates Gauthier: My back went out on a Christmas Eve, while cleaning litter boxes! * * * Alexander B. Potter: Our tree always stood in a corner. We have a very large family, so the large number of...
Good day to you! It appears that Thanksgiving travel plans and events will be free of any substantial weather impacts, other than perhaps a few snow showers to start the day Wednesday morning and some northwest wind gusts over 20 mph. Should you be hitting the road early on Wednesday morning, some snowflakes may be flitting about, but aside from that potential and a few wind gusts, we've got clear sailing (or should I say driving) ahead! Let's jump into...
At first blush, Putney and her neighboring towns look sleepy and sweet - quintessential Vermont, replete with the charming rusticity barns and farms afford. But Putney is also home to the oldest continuing craft studio tour in North America. For 39 years, myriad artists and crafters have opened doors to visitors from the region and well beyond for the Thanksgiving weekend. It's a time to discover process and to meet some powerfully creative Vermonters. But what are these artists doing...
In the late 1970s, as I was beginning my career in women's health, one of the first feminist icons I met was a flamboyant, passionate, and deeply committed woman named Perdita Huston. She had made her mark internationally working as a journalist and a Peace Corps professional, but what put her on the feminist map was her 1979 book Third World Women Speak Out. Huston's book was remarkable because she was one of the first people to give women in...
For the fourth year in a row, the art and crafts of Brattleboro-West Arts will make their way eastward for a downtown exhibit and sale - but this year's event will feature an additional day of shopping, as well as delicious food and live music. Titled simply “17 Artists, 4 Days,” the show in the public event space at 118 Elliot St. will offer pieces ranging from paintings, photography, and pastels to encaustics, pottery, textiles, woven baskets, jewelry, and glass.
Driving from Vermont on Interstate 91 to other southern New England states, one notices that fewer homes down there are shielded from road noise and pollution by trees. The highway verges tend to be clear cut. In recent years, this absence of trees has prompted Connecticut and Massachusetts to erect pricey and unattractive walls of wood or masonry to do some of what the trees used to do. Sadly, our local transportation officials are doing all they can to make...
There are two great threats to American democracy today, and neither one is named Trump, said Vermont's lone congressman, Peter Welch. “One is [the U.S. Supreme Court decision] Citizens United and the immense amount of money in politics that's not accountable,” Welch said during an interview at his Burlington office. “And the other is gerrymandering, where you get boutique districts designed for either the extreme right or the extreme left. Those two issues have gotten worse since I've been in...
Pianist Helen von Tiesenhausen will offer a concert at Main Street Arts on Saturday, Nov. 25, at 4 p.m. Born in Odessa, Russia, von Tiesenhausen left the country in 1943 with her mother, brother, and grandparents due to World War II. Her father, an opera singer, had been taken to a Soviet forced-labor camp. The family eventually found refuge in Austria, where von Tiesenhausen continued the piano lessons she had begun at age 5 in Russia. She studied with Professor...
On Thanksgiving weekend, Sandglass Theater honors the retiring of Eric Bass's award winning solo show, Autumn Portraits. Sandglass' longest-touring piece will perform on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 24 and 25, at 7:30 p.m., for the last time. This show remains a staple of the Sandglass artistic vision and a meaningful influence in the lineage and art of puppetry globally. According to a news release, “Autumn is a metaphor for that time of life when our thoughts turn inward, when we...
When I first walked into the Cotton Mill for the inaugural Open Studio and Holiday Sale 19 years ago, I was grateful for the art of the place. My then-spouse, an architect, had walked me though years of appreciating architectural form and function, materials, and craftsmanship - the likes of which we rarely see these days. I was smitten. A decade or so later, I was soaking in the air of the noble old Cotton Mill at weekly jams hosted...
December is the final month. It begs contemplation of the year about to pass, it encompasses the darkest and longest night, and it embraces the commingling of mindless consumption and simple, lovely hope. I am far from a practicing Christian, yet I harbor a deep fondness for Christmas and its message of peace and goodwill. I love the ritual of bringing a tree into the house, yet I embrace my cynicism with a vengeance. I am drawn to the secular...
The Stone Church on Main Street - for the past few months, filled with music after extensive renovations to the building - will be filled with art of a more visual nature when it hosts its first Winter Craft Fair. Larisa Volkavichyute is organizing the event, and she promises “cool, modern” wares from 33 vendors. Attendees can expect jewelry, pottery, cosmetics, accessories, clothing, housewares, visual art, and more. “We got a great response, and we want a lot of vendors...
For weeks after Standing Rock, the smell of smoke and ash permeated my hair and skin. The early morning calls to the sacred fire pulled people from all over camp out of their beds; you could hear the low voices of women, the scampering of children, and the chopping of wood and you could watch the stars fade as the sun rose. At night, it grew so chill that blankets weren't enough to protect those sleeping on the ground from...