Imagine driving up Route 30 through Newfane and Harmonyville into Townsend, and then, suddenly, the scenic splendor of Vermont turns into a typically ugly strip mall.
That is the danger of Dollar General putting up one of its stores where Lawrence's Smoke Shop is right now. The pattern of such stores is that one store of its kind encourages other such stores, and then, what was once a cultural asset is destroyed forever.
Corporations such as Dollar General drive local businesses out of business. Any savings for customers on products from lower prices are offset by increases in taxes to support the new infrastructure that will be needed to support the changing landscape of box stores infiltrating a once-beautiful location.
Dollar General has a business strategy of constructing 900 new stores, hoping that the increased number will enhance the company's stock portfolio and return higher profits to its shareholders.
Amherst College professor Judith Frank will explore the unique approaches taken by Edward P. Jones in writing his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Known World, in a talk at Brooks Memorial Library in Brattleboro on June 6 at 7 p.m. Frank's talk, “The Known World and the Literary Character,” is...
United Way of Windham County thanks our 224 Kids in Coats Fund donors for providing $24,613 for kids in this community. Over the past five months, we have been given opportunities to raise funds and provide information at 14 events. More than 460 kids in Windham County were able...
If Democracy could talk, Democracy would say thank you. Thank you to all who stood up for Democracy by funding the flight of the We Celebrate Democracy/Civil Rights For All banner over Main Street in April. Thank you to all who attended the '"light a candle for Democracy” candlelight vigil for Democracy at Pliny Park. Thank you to legislators Becca Balint, Mollie Burke, Emily Long, Mike Mrowicki, Jeanette White, and Valerie Stewart, who attended the vigil and spoke up for...
When a teenager picks up a gun and shoots up his school, he is acting out in his sad way what is the daily foundation of this whole civilization: military massacres, drone strikes, endless wars, police murders of unarmed Black men, Monsanto poisoning us all, the extinction of 200 species a day. And I say “he,” because this phenomenon is very much a part of the male, warrior, angry-god patriarchy. Violence from the top down of this hierarchical culture is...
College news • The following local students at the Community College of Vermont will earn associate degrees at the College's 51st commencement in Montpelier on Saturday, June 2: Andrea G. Given-Vanleeuwen, Holly N. Nolette, Jennifer J. Hyslop, and Shaylyn R. Burke of Bellows Falls; Catherine M. Weber, Elizabeth L. MacFarland, Matthew L. Delgatto, Moussoumakan A. Diallo, Penny J. Burkholder, and Timothy D. Stockwell Jr. of Brattleboro; Dimitar N. Radev of Guilford; Tanya Bernard of Jacksonville; Marissa M. Schaffer and Paige...
We thank this community for supporting the Amber Bernier scholarship at our fourth Walk for Amber StorySlam, cosponsored by Strolling of the Heifers, with thanks to Vicki Friedman. We had very entertaining stories with a wonderful audience. We look forward to seeing you next year at our fifth Amber StorySlam on April 27, 2019.
Following is an open letter to Vermont educators. I hope you are all aware of the efforts teachers around the country and especially in North Carolina are making to improve their schools. Rather than focus only on salaries, they are pushing for new floor tiles and for textbooks that were printed in the current century and for windows that open and close and for roofs that don't leak. Vermont educators don't have to march on the capitol for these things.
The Actors Theatre Playhouse begins its 2018 season on June 7 with its annual Ten-Minute Play Festival, featuring the seven winners of the theater's year-long Regional Competition. This year's selections again promise a wide range of theatrical formats from situational comedy to introspective drama, guaranteeing a little something for everyone. Ten-minute play festivals have become a popular genre throughout the theater world. Thousands of 10-minute plays have been written by well-known playwrights as well as neophytes and students of theater.
The Relay for Life of Windham County invites the community to honor all local cancer survivors, caregivers, and heroes in the annual special walking celebration, held this year on June 8 at Brattleboro Union High School. Stop in to see the Now and Then Vehicles Club of Southern Vermont Car Show starting at 6 p.m. Opening ceremonies for Relay For Life begin at 7:30 p.m. on the Freeman Track, followed by survivor and caregiver laps. The local heroes lap will...
Brattleboro Memorial Hospital (BMH) and Community College of Vermont (CCV) are now accepting applications for their accelerated program to prepare qualified candidates for jobs as Certified Medical Assistants. Enrollment in the one semester program will be limited to 20 participants. Classes will be held on the CCV Brattleboro campus, and all clinical aspects of the course work will be completed at BMH. As part of the joint initiative, BMH is providing full scholarships for eight successful applicants to the program.
Tax grievance hearings now being set BRATTLEBORO - The Town of Brattleboro Abstract Grand List was filed on May 24, and change of assessment notices were mailed. The Brattleboro Listers will hold grievance hearings in the Town Offices at 230 Main St. starting Monday, June 11. Applications for a hearing are available at the Assessor's Office or online at www.Brattleboro.org on the Assessor's page. Applications should be physically received in the Assessor's office by 5 p.m. on June 11 to...
Dynamic Organics, a small business headquartered in Putney, is dedicated to the design, development, and operation of renewable energy and efficiency projects. When my business partner and I decided to expand beyond consulting and develop a software solution, we were suddenly faced with the challenges of a startup company, including raising startup costs, identifying markets, and accessing capital. So we were thrilled to be chosen as one of eight business startups to join Accel-VT, a business accelerator providing startup support,
When there's not enough supply of electricity to meet demand, an electric grid operator cuts power to one section of the grid to keep the rest of the grid from failing. After a while, the operator restores the power to the blacked-out area and moves the blackout on to another section. The New England grid operator (ISO-NE) recently completed a major study of various scenarios for the near-term future (2024–2025) of the grid, including the possibilities of rolling blackouts. In...
The Vermont Theatre Company recently presented Jason Robert Brown's musical, The Last 5 Years. Played in the round at the Dummerston Grange, stage and music director Ryan Buck brought Brown's story of love, ambition, and heartbreak to startling emotional highs and lows. Thanks to the actors, crew, musicians, and sponsors.
Foreign Film Fridays (formerly French Film Fridays) at the Hooker-Dunham Theater and Gallery, 139 Main St., pops up again Friday, June 1, at 7:30 p.m., with Federico Fellini's masterpiece 8 1/2 . Starring Marcello Mastroianni as a film director whose talents flounder in his obsessive pursuit of the “ideal woman,” 8 1/2 is a brilliant mixture of comedy and drama, surrealism and realism. According to a news release, “8 1/2 brings to life the ways the protagonist's egocentrism and machismo...
A workshop sponsored by the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation will help small businesses and nonprofits launch their own websites. This six-hour workshop, presented by Putney-based Sustainable Digital founder Bob Lawson, will be held in Brattleboro on June 5 and 12 from 5:30 to 8:30 each evening. The workshop, sponsored by the BDCC's Instg8 program, will allow participants to work on their own websites using Squarespace, an intuitive website-creation program. In addition to learning many useful tips and techniques, participants will...
A passionate and persistent coalition of landowners, biologists, farmers, hunters, wildlife enthusiasts, and others overcame opposition from paid lobbyists and Vermont's own Fish and Wildlife Department to ban coyote-killing contests for prizes. Vermont will be only the second state in the country to do so, thanks to the successful passage of H.636. These contests have occurred all throughout Vermont and often operated out of public view. They awarded prizes to those who killed the most coyotes, the biggest, the smallest,
The 17th annual Strolling of the Heifers Weekend, featuring a parade of flower-bedecked heifer calves led by future farmers up Main Street, takes place June 1, 2, and 3. Organizers promise many special surprises for the occasion. As usual, the centerpiece of the weekend is the Strolling of the Heifers Parade, which starts promptly at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 2. This year's parade theme is “May the FARMS Be With You,” so expect the heifers and other marchers to...
Forest tent caterpillars have hatched, according to forest health specialists from the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. These insects are expected to cause defoliation again this summer in maple forests in northern and southern Vermont. Forest tent caterpillars will continue feeding through June. They prefer sugar maple and ash but can feed on other tree species as well. In 2017, forest tent caterpillars defoliated 60,000 acres of forestland, affecting every county in the state. Defoliation reduces tree growth...
It's time once again for local salsa makers to let their talents shine at the fifth annual downtown salsa competition, hosted by Wilmington Works. Whether you're an aspiring chef or a seasoned pro, this competition is a way to show off your skills, win great prizes, and show your support for Twin Valley's Junior Iron Chef program. This year, the competition is being held at Memorial Hall on Saturday, June 16, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., and includes salsa music,
The Leland & Gray Players will perform Almost, Maine by John Cariani at the Dutton Gynnasium on June 1 at 7:30 p.m., June 2 at 3 and 7:30 p.m., and June 3 at 3 p.m. This production, directed by Jessa Rowan, features nine short vignettes that allow the audience to see the heartbeat between human beings as they struggle through life in the search for love. Almost, Maine feels utterly real, yet is oddly surreal. A woman's heart is broken...
Twilight Music begins its 16th annual Twilight On The Tavern Lawn series of folk rock, world beat, rock, country, pop, Celtic, blues, and bluegrass summer concerts on Sunday, June 3, with honky tonk, country soul, and early rock-n-roll band The Rear Defrosters. The seven-concert series continues every other Sunday through Aug. 26. All concerts begin at 6 p.m. in downtown Putney on the Putney Tavern lawn (bring a lawn chair or blanket), or at Next Stage at 15 Kimball Hill...
One of the longest running sagas in Windham County real estate history came to a close with the announcement on May 24 that the Maple Valley Ski Area has been sold. According to a news release from Sally Fegley and Steve Schoppmeyer of Better Homes and Gardens The Masiello Group in Brattleboro, the long-defunct ski area on Route 30 was sold for $745,000 to Sugar Mountain Holdings LLC of Weatogue, Conn., on May 23. Included in the deal is a...
I was strolling through the aisles of the local supermarket late one afternoon, when a sweet little girl, 4 or 5 years old, sitting in the front of her mother's cart yelled out in Arabic, “Hey! Grandma!” I'd never met the child, but of course I rolled right over there and said hello to her. She knew a little English, and she was thrilled to have me give her a smile and stop to talk. Her parents didn't feel that...
Kudos to Randolph T. Holhut for his excellent summary of Dr. Seyed Hossein Mousavian's masterly speech to the Windham World Affairs Council in favor of the Iran nuclear nonproliferation agreement. Noting that Israel was unmentioned, Mr. Holhut overlooked that Iran's Persian Gulf neighbors Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, also official supporters of the Trump administration's withdrawal from this agreement, also were unmentioned. Introducing Dr. Mousavian, an Iranian-American gentleman publicly insulted the president of the United States.
Groundworks Collaborative thanks all of the local businesses, sponsors, and volunteers who made this year's Camp for a Common Cause such a great success. Roughly 35 people spent the night of May 18 camping on the Brattleboro Town Common to raise funds and awareness for our work with our neighbors experiencing homelessness. Together we raised just over $23,000 for Groundworks' shelter and housing-support programs. This event is a great way for our community to come together around the issue of...
“This is the first time in nearly a century downtown Brattleboro has seen a completely new structure dedicated almost exclusively to living space.” Where do you fact check? The high-rise on Elliot Street was built exclusively for housing and was built in the '70s.
A great project, and one I am happy and honored to be involved in. Derrik Jordan has found a new way to get visionary musicians' work seen and heard. He is a consummate host who always seems to ask the right questions.
Derrik Jordan is the real deal. He is a lifelong player and full-on lover of humanity and the incredible music we create. Derrik is a visionary in everything he touches, so it's no surprise to me that he's doing the World Fusion Show and that it's turning out to go above and beyond all expectations. He has an eclectic taste, a wide-open set of possibilities, and an extraordinary circle of friends and friends of friends. And that's why this project...
Roots on the River Festival, produced by Vermont Festivals LLC, will celebrate its 19th year on Friday, June 8, at 3 p.m. when the gates open on a full weekend of music. “It's an enviable record for any all-volunteer event,” promoter Ray Massucco said. The festival has announced that this year's nonprofit beneficiary of the festival is the Bellows Falls Fire Department, members of which will also be on hand as volunteers throughout the weekend. “We are proud to recognize...
New York Times bestselling author Michael Tougias will give a free slide presentation entitled “400 Miles Down the Connecticut River” at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center on Wednesday, June 6, at 7 p.m. Tougias will present slides from his 400-mile kayak journey down the Connecticut River, which he chronicled in the book River Days: Exploring the Connecticut River from Source to Sea, and share stories of the river's rich history. Tougias has written 29 books, including Rescue of the...
New England Center for Circus Arts presents the culminating show of its second-year professional students in Out on a Limb with four shows only, June 8–10. NECCA's Performance Training Program (ProTrack) is their most selective and advanced program, with previous graduates having gone on to work with Cirque du Soleil, Big Apple Circus, 7 Fingers, Cirque Eloize, and Circa, as well as European Cabarets, cruise ships, and celebrity tours throughout the world. One year ago, NECCA moved into its beautiful,
A fast-moving spring high school sports season filled with extreme weather and extremely crowded schedules ended last week in Vermont. Now, the playoffs begin for baseball, softball, tennis, and lacrosse, and the state track meets are set for this Saturday, June 2. Baseball • The 15-1 Brattleboro Colonels finished the regular season undefeated against Vermont teams, with the lone loss coming at the hands of Keene, N.H, on May 16. That earned them the No. 2 seed in Division I...
The exhibit for the month of June at the Crowell Gallery at the Moore Free Library, 23 West St., is “Imagination” by Robert Askey. An artist reception will be held at the library on June 9, from noon to 2 p.m. According to the library, this show is called “Imagination” because everything hanging in the gallery is the product of the artist's memory and imagination. Askey is presenting a multimedia exhibit containing watercolor and oil paintings, pen & ink drawings,
Recently, in a column about mentors, I wrote about a teacher I had in middle school who helped me through a rough time just by being present and listening. I visited her every day after classes because she made me feel noticed when my classmates didn't. Her calming presence helped me know that I mattered. That kind of validation can be deeply important when you are 13-years-old. When I was in high school, I had several teachers I will never...
Seyed Hossein Mousavian was a truly compelling speaker with a wealth of knowledge and deep insights to share. It was a privilege to hear him. Many thanks to the Windham World Affairs Council for once again bringing high caliber speakers to illuminate and interact with our community. The Council is one of a network of world affairs councils nationally, but it is the only all-volunteer one. All talks are free thanks to membership fees. I have been a board member...
This I know to be true: The Israeli government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu do not represent all Jewish people, let alone all Israelis. It's baffling that anyone with the ability for reasoned thought can continue to spread this ridiculous notion. To believe this lie, one must therefore conclude that the crimes of Netanyahu, and the Israeli government, including illegal land grabs, settlement building and, most importantly, the murder by the government-sanctioned Israeli army of Palestinian men, women, and children...
Good day to you, folks that lay their heads in the windy hamlets of southeastern Vermont! At times, the atmosphere falls into periodic patterns that are hard to shake, and we are currently in just such a situation. I'm afraid we're experiencing the curse of the soggy weekends, so keep your umbrella, rain coats and footwear nearby. Luckily, we'll enjoy a couple of nice, warm and sunny days to start the upcoming 7-day period, but by Friday into Sunday, water...
Memorial Day is traditionally a time to honor those who died in service to their country. However, this year's Memorial Day service on the Common took time to focus on the living - the veterans of conflicts past, as well as their families - and to call attention to the service organizations that are there to help. That was the idea of American Legion Post 5 commander John Hagen, who organized this year's service. “If we're going to get more...
Many people are upset about the panhandlers in town these days. Some people presume this is a result of laziness on the part of these folks. Some moral defect, perhaps. I have some thoughts about this and some questions to ask. I hope you will consider these with an open mind. We are all dealt a different hand of cards in the game of life. Have you seen the other person's hand? Do you know what they have been given,
Vermont's state seal is the only one in the country that recognizes dairy. Plows appear on 13 and sheaves of wheat on nine, but Vermont stands alone in its recognition of the dairy industry. But what is happening in our dairy sector today is well-documented: the declining consumption of fluid milk, the dependence on export markets for better pricing, the westward movement of production, the consolidation of and increase in size of farms, the decline in the number of milk-product...
On Sunday, June 3, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Jamaica Community Arts Council will sponsor the second annual “Best Little Arts & Crafts Show in Vermont” in and around the historic Jamaica Town Hall, right on Routes 30 and 100 in the center of town. Admission is free; a variety of food and drink will be available for purchase at several local venues. Nearly 50 of Southern Vermont's finest artists and craftspeople will be on hand, including Jamaica's...
The Brattleboro Words Project's next monthly Roundtable Discussion will examine the history of Jacob Estey and how the famous Estey Organ Company helped shape American consumer culture and promote Brattleboro internationally. Dennis Waring, author of Manufacturing the Muse: Estey Organs and Consumer Culture in Victorian America, will lead the discussion. It will be held at the Estey Organ Museum, 108 Birge Street, on Thursday, June 14, at 6 p.m. Although there were many manufacturers of reed organs, Estey's dominance in...
Turn back the clock to 1968. Systemic inequality is seen all over the nation. To raise awareness and to advocate for change, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. announced a plan to assemble people from all across the nation struck by poverty and inequality to march on Washington for change. Now, 50 years after this original Poor People's Campaign took shape, a nationwide effort intends to raise new awareness of the same issues and achieve the same goals: better homes,
Many of the 125 people from the region making their way to the upstairs room of the Town Hall first stopped on the main floor for socializing and snacks. Among the snacks were goods from Lawrence's Smoke Shop and Country Store - the very subject of the discussion about the potential purchase of its current location, 653 Vermont Route 30. The attendees, who hailed not only from Townshend but also from Athens, Newfane, Jamaica, and other surrounding towns, came to...