As a member of the Brattleboro Town School Board since 2011, I've seen firsthand the extraordinary work done by dedicated professionals. I'm running to continue to ensure that excellence, particularly as we move towards a merged entity under the state-mandated Act 46.
To comply with Act 46, I have led our board through reviewing all options, including the alternative governance plan. I could not support the alternative governance option because legal and financial experts had serious concerns of its legalities, particularly regarding sharing of staff.
I am saddened by the rancor surrounding Act 46. I am very aware that the town voted against the Study Committee's articles for how to merge. Many said they “voted against merging.”
However, a merger has always been required by the law. In fact, as of Nov. 30, 2018, Brattleboro is already considered by the state to be a merged entity, with Guilford, Dummerston, and Putney. At this point, our merger process will be stopped only by an injunction, a new law or amendment, or a determination by the courts that Act 46 is illegal.
We write in support of Elizabeth McLoughlin for one of the two one-year seats on the Brattleboro Selectboard. We first met Liz more than 10 years ago, as parents of students at Brattleboro Union High School. She shares our love for Brattleboro, and we know that she will be...
Health Care and Rehabilitation Services, southeastern Vermont's community mental-health agency, will host a multidisciplinary art show at the River Garden during the month of March. According to a news release, the artwork will come from a vast array of talented artists who are part of the HCRS community. The...
It's easy to take Town Meeting for granted. It is, on its surface, the annual gathering of small-town voters to debate small-town things. It's an endearing New England tradition wrapped in local characters and tied with a string of Robert's Rules of Order. Town Meeting, however, is We the People made local. Yes, it's easy to roll one's eyes at an hour-long debate about hiring a dog catcher, concedes Susan Clark, the town moderator for Middlesex. Town Meeting is powerful...
A three-eyed being named “Jeff” who loves cupcakes, a young water bottle who owns a taco business, and a glue stick whose mission is “to unlock eternal happiness.” These are among the wild and whimsical creatures the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center will unveil March 9 at the 2019 incarnation of Glasstastic, an exhibit of 20 works of art conceived of and drawn by children in grades K through 6 and transformed into three-dimensional pieces by glass artists from across...
College news • Four local students in Vermont Technical College's practical nursing program were named to the Dean's List for the fall 2018 semester. They are: Erin Hammond of Williamsville, Iyla MacArthur of Brattleboro, Rebecca Snow of Brattleboro, and Matthew Wright of Brattleboro. • Jacqueline Elliott of Brattleboro earned the distinction of Faculty Honors for fall 2018 at the Georgia Institute of Technology. This designation is awarded to undergraduate students who have a 4.0 academic average for the semester. Obituaries...
BrattleMasters meet at Brooks House BRATTLEBORO - The local Toastmasters club will meet at the Brooks House on Thursday, Feb. 28, at 6 p.m., in Room 245 at Vermont Technical College. The emcee for the meeting will be Amy Bovaird. Early on, the grammarian will introduce a Word of the Evening, which members will attempt to use whenever they have an opportunity. Two speeches are scheduled, as well as two evaluations, extemporaneous speaking exercises, and refreshments. The public is invited...
On Saturday, March 2, Compass School will host a Spanish-inspired dinner and a musical performance by Eugene and Julian's Latin Party Band featuring renowned musicians Eugene Uman and Julian Gerstin. All proceeds of the evening benefit the Compass junior class Global Connections trip to Spain, ensuring every 11th-grader can have this experience regardless of family economic circumstance. Events begin at 6 p.m with a multi-course dinner, along with a silent auction including gift certificates to area businesses, fine arts, furniture,
Two world-class musicians - Ali Ryerson, flute and Joe Carter, guitar - have joined forces to perform Brazilian Jazz and other jazz forms at festivals and concerts around the country and globally. And on Saturday, March 2, at 7:30 p.m., you can experience their music live in the Chapel at Immanuel Episcopal Church, 20 Church St. With a career spanning nearly five decades, jazz flutist Ali Ryerson has consistently ranked among the top flutists in the Downbeat Jazz Poll for...
Photographer Steve Hooper will present his award-winning short film on the World War I experience of Brattleboro nurse Marion McCune Rice, An American Nurse at War, for the Brattleboro Words Project's monthly Roundtable Discussion on Thursday, March 14, at 118 Elliot at 6 p.m. The event is free and refreshments will be served. Through written accounts and the many photos Rice took, the 34-minute film chronicles the Red Cross nurse's four years serving in French military hospitals during World War...
With six people running for three seats on the Selectboard and with two incumbents stepping aside, the Annual Town Election on Tuesday, March 5 is shaping up to offer a choice between activist energy and governing experience. With Chair Kate O'Connor choosing not to run for her three-year seat after six years on the board, incumbent Tim Wessel, twice elected to one-year terms, is now running for the vacated three-year slot. He is being challenged by longtime community member Ben...
With all the outstanding efforts by young teenage leaders this year on issues like gun violence and climate change, isn't it time we finally gave them a chance to vote? The students from Parkland, Fla., are the lead organizers on gun violence in the country, and 15-year old Swede Greta Thunberg is the top voice addressing climate change in the entire world right now. We should support the efforts of our local teens to vote and to become responsible citizens.
The Brattleboro Music Center's 2018-19 Chamber Music Series continues Friday, March 1, at 7:30 p.m. with a performance by the Musicians from Marlboro. The artists include master musicians violist Kim Kashkashian and cellist Christoph Richter, former member of the Cherubini Quartet, as well as three exceptional younger professionals: pianist Zoltán Fejérvári, who won the Montreal Competition last year; and violinists Tessa Lark and Robin Scott, recently appointed first violinist of the Ying Quartet. The program includes the premiere of a...
I enthusiastically endorse my dear friend Liz McLoughlin for a seat on the Brattleboro Selectboard. She has the experience, savvy, enthusiasm, and skills to be the best candidate I can imagine for this position. I will tell you about her pragmatism, optimism, and wisdom (POW!) through a little story that depicts her more vividly than a recitation of her impressive credentials might do. It begins with a brag: recently, our team (“Liz McLoughlin for Selectboard”) won the trivia competition sponsored...
I ask your support in my campaign for a one-year term on the Brattleboro School Board. With the merger remaining unconfirmed, we sit at the crossroads of an uncertain future, of which my background in teaching, district level policymaking, and grant writing can be uniquely utilized to advocate in support of our community. Having started my career as a public school teacher of students with significant disabilities, I've had a lot of experience working with teachers, school directors, and superintendents,
I encourage all Dummerston and Putney voters to say yes on Tuesday, March 5 to articles proposing joint town purchase of the Renaud Gravel Pit. The plan addresses providing materials for the towns' current and future road repair and maintenance. Articles must be passed by both towns in order to move forward and will be decided by Australian ballot, rather than by discussion and voice vote at Town Meeting (because the purchase involves funding through a bond). After attending a...
I encourage Brattleboro voters to vote for Andy Davis for the Brattleboro Town School Board. Andy is extremely well-qualified to be on the school board because he brings the perspectives both of a teacher for 25 years and of a parent who had two children who went through the Brattleboro schools. Also, as a Town Meeting representative for many years, he has participated in numerous meetings and discussions about school programs and budgets. I have attended many public meetings at...
Upon joining the Brattleboro Town School Board two years ago, my first question was: Why do we educate children? That question needs to be asked because the education we provide our children is the most important factor, outside of the home, that determines the decisions they will make as adults. The country we have today closely reflects the education that U.S. schools have poured into children for generations. Our country today reflects what our public schools have been teaching for...
I enthusiastically support Daniel Quipp for Selectboard. I have worked closely with Daniel for several years on the leadership team of 350 Brattleboro, a local climate-action group. Throughout that time, he has demonstrated a remarkable work ethic, a commitment to equity, inclusion, and justice, and a firm belief in group decision-making and shared leadership. I have also worked alongside Daniel as a District 2 Representative Town Meeting member. He takes this responsibility seriously, doing background reading and research, asking relevant...
Even if you're not able to attend Town Meeting on Tuesday, March 5, it's important for Guilford residents to vote by Australian ballot on the Flood and Fluvial Erosion Hazard ordinance. Absentee ballots are available from the Town Clerk. A no vote lets the ordinance stand as enacted by the Selectboard last November, after nearly two years of research and deliberations. A yes vote overturns the ordinance. Although some regard the ordinance as a burdensome regulation, in fact it protects...
Mitchell-Giddings Fine Arts, 183 Main St., presents “Gene Parulis: Visions and Explorations,” with an artist's opening reception Saturday, March 2, from 5 to 7 p.m. The exhibit continues through April 14 and an Artist Talk is scheduled for March 23, 5 p.m. Parulis has been absorbed in photographing the world for 50 years, and his passion for photography is central to his teaching and traveling. He has taught in diverse places from a mountain village in Algeria to Kuwait University,
Sandglass Theater's Winter Sunshine series continues the 12th season of puppet shows with Milo the Magnificent by puppeteering duo Alex & Olmsted on Saturday, March 2, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Milo the Magnificent is a highly engaging puppet show about an aspiring magician. Using stunningly innovative puppetry, Milo presents a variety of magic tricks that don't always go as planned. According to a news release, Alex & Olmsted “unmask the tricks of magic, revealing the true magic of...
Brattleboro Selectboard candidate Daniel Quipp has my full support. As an educator, engaged community member, and champion of environmental causes, Daniel's passion, courage, and values-led leadership make him a standout choice for this position. Daniel will work tirelessly to promote more affordable housing and public transit, and he will maintain the natural beauty of our town. He connects well with people, understands the issues, and will inspire creative problem-solving towards a vibrant, equitable, and sustainable Brattleboro. If you haven't yet...
Let me add to the chorus of people in town who have worked directly with Liz McLoughlin and feel compelled to let voters know just how fortunate Brattleboro would be to have her on the Selectboard. Liz served on the Empty Bowls Committee for several years while I was chair, and then quickly stepped up to co-chair the event with me for another several years. She was directly responsible for helping us generate more money for the Drop-in Center, and...
Pottery and sculpture by area high school students will be on display for the month of March at Vermont Artisan Designs to celebrate the 40th year of Student Art Month in Brattleboro. The opening will be during the March 1 Gallery Walk. Traditionally, Student Art Month has been an effort coordinated by the Arts Council of Windham County. According to a news release, the Arts Council is reorganizing this year and the new members decided they are unable to coordinate...
Our board listened with great interest to Jill Stahl Tyler's 45-minute testimony arguing against delay of forced mergers. We would be derelict in our duty if we did not correct the record. In her testimony, Tyler quoted teachers at Brattleboro Union High School who said, “Dummerston students are not as prepared as Oak Grove students [one of Brattleboro's elementary schools]” and attributed Brattleboro students' success to tutoring programs that other schools did not have. We disagree. As Tyler mentioned, our...
I strongly recommend that the good citizens of Brattleboro consider Daniel Quipp when they cast their ballots for Selectboard. Whether it' Washington, D.C., Montpelier, or our local Selectboards, we need representatives who have a good understanding of the growing climate crisis and who are not shy about speaking up about the need to take proactive steps to deal with it. Daniel has demonstrated his credentials on both counts. As a co-founder of the Brattleboro chapter of 350.org, the organization started...
We support Elizabeth McLoughlin for one of the two one-year seats on the Brattleboro Selectboard. Liz is our next-door neighbor, and we know she shares our love for Brattleboro. We think of her as the good-governance candidate, having no particular issue or special interest, and one who would strive to make every decision based upon what would be in the best interest of the town as a whole and would constitute the common good. We can not think of a...
As opponents and supporters of Act 46 await a court ruling, school boards and voters can expect to face contingencies on the Town Meeting floor. On Feb. 15, Superior Court Judge Robert Mello heard arguments for and against granting a preliminary injunction to school district mergers triggered by Act 46. On Feb. 18, attorney David F. Kelley told The Commons that the judge's ruling will determine school districts' next moves, as an injunction could cover all districts in the state,
Good day to you, hearty and heart-full New Englanders! The wind event this past Monday was widespread and very damaging, unfortunately. It was due to the combination of two low pressure systems bombing out northeast of Nova Scotia, with very strong high pressure pushing east into the north-central United States. The resulting pressure gradient produced widespread 50 to 70 mph gusts. For our upcoming week, we have accumulating snow on the way for Wednesday night into Thursday morning. After we...
With the controversial Act 46 school merger law looming as the main issue, retired teacher Andy Davis is challenging incumbent and board Chair Jill Stahl-Tyler for a three-year seat on the Town School Board. Newcomer Emily Murphy Kaur, owner of Setu Yoga, will face incumbents Spoon Agave and Robin Morgan for the two one-year seats on the board. Candidates squared off during a 1{1/2}-hour candidates' forum on Feb. 25 at Brooks Memorial Library. To view the program, visit brattleborotv.org. As...
I believe my skill in quantitative (e.g. square feet) and qualitative (e.g. condition relative to age) analysis will make a valuable contribution to the Board of Listers' process. I have been a member of Representative Town Meeting for over a decade. As the executive director of Building a Better Brattleboro, the Downtown Brattleboro Alliance's predecessor, I helped complete Pliny Park, supported downtown merchants in many successful promotions and events, and managed a process to change the town charter. If you...
There's a point in every race, be it horses or humans, where two rivals find themselves neck-and-neck as they approach the finish line. Who crosses first? Usually the one with the most stamina and heart who knows the right moment to turn it loose and pull away for the victory. In the boys' relay race at the Marble Valley League Nordic Championships at Brattleboro Country Club on Feb. 20, that moment came on the home stretch of the hilly 3-kilometer...
Athens Annual Town Meeting takes place at 10 a.m. at the elementary school. • Maintaining the Meetinghouse: Voters will consider spending $10,000 to maintain and stabilize the Athens Meetinghouse. • School funding: Voters will be asked whether to approve the Athens/Grafton joint contract budget of $1,298,313 for K-6 expenses for the 2019-20 school year, and $1,093,985 for the Athens School District ($17,906 per pupil, a 9.4 percent increase from the current year). • Town budget: Voters will consider what sum...
Paul Bowen is a sculptor, printmaker, and master of assemblage from found objects. His work is in both public and private collections, and he has exhibited worldwide in galleries and museums, including the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center. Bowen was born in Wales, lived in Provincetown, Mass., for 30 years, and now resides with his wife, Pamela Mandell, in Williamsville. From 1972 to 1974, he was a Hoffberger Fellow at the Maryland Institute in Baltimore, and from 1977 to 1979...