In August, all the commentators of Vermont Public Radio- including myself - were shown the back door. When I heard the news, I was visibly upset.
You have to understand: I have been doing garden and farm commentaries for VPR for over 20 years. I was one of longest-serving commentators, along with Willem Lange and Madeline Kunin, our former governor.
I read the news of our firings in VTDigger before I was informed by VPR. A poor process indeed. I had submitted a commentary way back in February on the insect apocalypse but heard no word as to when it would be aired. The only response I received was every couple months, I was told that changes were taking place and I would hear soon. No updates ever came.
I believe the commentaries - the longest running series of its kind in the U.S. - were the heart and soul of the station. For 31 years, Vermont Public Radio's commentary series treated listeners to a variety of cultural and historical events, stories, and opinions from farmers and gardeners, activists, teachers, journalists, poets, novelists and ol' woodchucks. They were like a tapestry of life in the Green Mountains.
Next Stage Arts Project, 15 Kimball Hill, will present Sofia Rei & JC Maillard on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $22 in advance, $25 day of show, available online at nextstagearts.org. “A leading light of Latin Jazz” (Village Voice), Argentine singer and composer Sofia Rei ties...
Early voting begins for school merger election BRATTLEBORO - Early/absentee ballots for the Special Windham Southeast School Merger Election to be held Nov. 19 are available in the Town Clerk's office. Anyone wishing to vote prior to Nov. 19 may apply for an early/absentee ballot until 5 p.m. on...
The cafeteria at Leland & Gray Union Middle & High School has a new, back-to-school style. This summer, when students went on break, the school's Seed2Tray nutrition program team went to work. Food Service Director Chris Parker wanted to create a fun space for the school community to enjoy their meals for the 2019-20 school year. First, they gave their kitchens a deep cleaning, and several coats of paint. Then, they turned their focus to the Leland & Gray cafeteria.
Two Windham County cheese producers were among seven Vermont cheesemakers who took home 19 medals at the World Cheese Awards held in Bergamo, Italy. Parish Hill Creamery of West Westminster won two bronze awards for the farm's Humble and Idyll cheeses, respectively. Grafton Village Cheese Company of Grafton collaborated with Crown Finish Caves of Brooklyn to produce Bismark and Barnburner, both cheeses that won bronze awards. Other state cheese companies winning awards included Cellars at Jasper Hill Farm in Greensboro;
Obituaries • Karen Eve Augusta, 70, of North Westminster. Died surrounded by family and friends on Oct. 26, 2019, in the home she loved, after her body lost its long battle with endometrial cancer. She was born Dec. 24, 1948, in Norwood, Mass., the first child of esteemed portrait artist George Augusta and fashion illustrator Gertrude “Minka” Minkevitch. She spent her childhood in Massachusetts and in Kennebunkport, Maine, where her father maintained his summer portrait studio. Her early immersion in...
New England Center for Circus Arts' 24th Circus Workshop Weekend is Nov. 8-10 and promises even more than previous outings. NECCA is offering its ever-popular workshops in 2- and 3-hour discipline-specific classes as usual, but is also adding shows, seminars, and conversations with an overarching theme of “Making Circus that Matters.” “In addition to taking classes on aerials, trampoline, handstands, German wheel, and flying trapeze, visitors can see circus shows that have meaning,” said Elsie Smith, NECCA's Director of Programming,
Vermont Center for Photography's 21st annual Year End Members' Show will feature 25 artists with 50 total works. Highlighted are 10 images of Cuba by Ciri Gillespie, a Brattleboro photographer. “This vibrant show includes a truly diverse range of work from photographers of all skill levels and ages,” VCP Director Josh Farr said in a news release. Each year, VCP invites members not only to submit work to the show but to propose a larger focus on a particular body...
On Friday, Nov. 8, at 7:30 p.m., the Windham World Affairs Council presents former ambassador Peter W. Galbraith, who will present a talk entitled “The Betrayal of the Kurds: A firsthand report from Northeast Syria and an analysis of the consequences.” As he prepares to depart for a conference in Brussels, Galbraith has offered to share with the WWAC community his views on the situation of the Kurds in Northeastern Syria. The talk will take place in the sanctuary of...
The Actors Theatre Playhouse is eager to meet with actors, directors, designers, and production volunteers interested in learning more about the theater and its programs. The Playhouse continues to expand production and programming with the hope of creating more performance and production opportunities: Main Stage productions, the annual Ten Minute Play Festival, their new conceptual Workshop Productions, and Staged Readings are all in the planning stages for the 2020 season. Performers, directors, designers, and production volunteers who haven't yet auditioned...
On Sunday, Nov. 10, Stage 33 Live, 33 Bridge St., will host the final East Coast date of Rupert Wates before his tour heads to the Southern states. Local favorite Josh Maiocco opens. England-born and Oxford University-educated, Wates has released nine acclaimed solo CDs. Since he relocated to the U.S., two tribute albums to his material have been made by musicians in Nashville and Los Angeles, and he has won dozens of songwriting awards. He has been a full-time songwriter...
River Gallery School's benefit auction will be held in-house again this year on Saturday, Nov. 9. The art school at 32 Main St. is celebrating 44 years of supporting art-making for all and, with the new expanded Main Street Studio and Gallery 34, they say they are excited to invite the town into their studios once again for a fun-filled evening. The studios will be transformed from the usual daily function of art classes for kids, teens, and adults (easels,
Upholding a 63-year tradition, Christ's Church will hold its annual Christmas Stocking Bazaar Saturday, Nov. 9, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Since its inception in 1956, the Women's Fellowship bazaar has been a hallmark of the beginning of the holiday season in the village. Proceeds go to various missions of the fellowship and the church The bazaar takes place in the large dining room in the basement of the church, with entrance from the rear parking lot or side...
To Governor Phil Scott: I am concerned about the cost of Vermont's landfill and recycling system, and how the burden of those costs is passed on to consumers and taxpayers. My family is in the middle of a Zero Waste Challenge, where we attempt to put nothing in the trash can or recycling bin for two weeks. Saying that this is a monumental task is the understatement of the year. My family has decided to change our consumption habits and...
As October was LGBT History Month, it seems timely to think about what is happening to primarily Black transgender women across the country. It's not simply timely. It's urgent. In 2018, at least 26 murders of transgender people occurred in the U.S. The majority were Black trans women. The previous year, the number was 29. So far this year, at least 26 transgender people - again, largely Black trans women - have been killed by acquaintances, partners, and strangers. The...
I am writing to suggest some practical steps that Brattleboro could take to address the current issues of panhandling and homelessness. 1. Low-income housing should be spread evenly by population county-wide. Surrounding towns - for example, Wilmington, Townshend, Putney and Dummerston- should all have adequate housing that is available to their own residents. By building a large majority of housing in Brattleboro, we act as a magnet for this very significant issue. 2. In Rutland, the single parking meter attendant...
Haiti is in the midst of a prolonged period of political unrest, which has resulted in a humanitarian crisis throughout the country. Several groups and individuals in our community have come together to provide help to Brattleboro's sister community of Meyer, where Foyer Evangelique Orphanage (OFEU) is located. The link between Brattleboro and OFEU began after the devastating 2010 earthquake, which left thousands of Haitian children orphaned. Local resident Mariam Diallo traveled to Haiti that year and spent six weeks...
“It's a larger crowd than usual,” remarked Woody Bernhard as he surveyed the 20 audience members gathered in the Community Center. The main attraction at the Oct. 28 “Let's Talk About our Democracy” meetup was the visit by county chairs of four major parties represented in the Vermont public sphere: Spoon Agave (Progressive), Aaron Diamondstone (Liberty Union), John Hagen (Democratic), and Rick Morton (Republican). Hagen said that such gatherings allow people to see the thinking, feeling humans behind the party...
Hello and good day to you, residents of lovely Windham County, Vermont! I hope things are well with you. After a balmy, and very windy Halloween Eve, our new deeper Autumn pattern has arrived, and as can happen, a pendulum swing to the colder side is up first before any milder reprisals swing through the region. The next seven days will feature a cool but fair Wednesday followed by rain showers turning to accumulating wet snow, highest in the mountains...
To prebake the pie crust, roll out your pastry and fill your pie dish, finishing the edges any way you like. Crumple up (to make pliable) a piece of parchment paper large enough to fill the pan with some ample hang-over to make removal easy. Fill the lined dish with pie weights, dried beans, dried rice, or other similar ingredients or oven-safe objects to weigh it down and keep the pastry from buckling in the middle. Bake the crust at...
If I've come to understand anything about our home over the two decades we've lived here, it's that there is no predicting from year to year the bounty that we might expect from our various fruit trees in the backyard. Several weeks after my wife Susi and I moved in, we were buried in an avalanche of beautiful, sweet, white-fleshed peaches. A few years later - 2003, if I recall correctly - we ceremoniously harvested the apple. This fall, we...
When you talk about towns in southern Vermont with great soccer traditions, the conversation usually begins and ends with Wilmington and Arlington. Both schools have dominated high school soccer for decades and both have strong soccer cultures, thanks to the efforts of John Werner in Arlington and Buddy Hayford in Wilmington. Hayford, who passed Werner to become the winningest soccer coach in Vermont history, won seven championships with Wilmington. After the merger of Wilmington and Whitingham's high schools into Twin...
A new historical novel for children, Grafton's Medical Men, has been published by the GraftonHistorical Society and is on sale. This is the third book in author Thomas Fontaine's series on Grafton's volunteers in the Civil War and focuses on two young men, actual residents of Grafton, who faced the challenge of treating the wounded Union Army soldiers and the drama of the ugly side of war. It describes how limited the medical knowledge was at that time and how...
New England Youth Theatre's inclusive Theatre Adventure Thursday Troupe will present radiant style and a passion for performance during their annual fundraising Fashion Show. Putting On Our Finery will take place Friday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m., at the West Village Meeting House, 29 South Street, West Brattleboro. Original songs written for the troupe by Rich Nethercott will inspire toe tapping, dancing and singing. Rich, who is also a talented guitarist and singer, will be joined by Cathy Martin, an...
State forestry officials have confirmed a new emerald ash borer infestation after receiving a report in early October. The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation made that announcement in its recent update tracking the invasive beetle, whose larvae destroy the underbark of ash trees. The discovery in Londonderry makes Windham County the eighth county in Vermont where the pest has been confirmed. Barbara Schultz, the state's forest health manager, said a property owner discovered the ash borer in a...
The recent announcement that Toyota would be joining hands with General Motors, Chrysler, Subaru, and Donald Trump in taking California to court to fight the congressionally mandated ability of that state to set its own fuel-efficiency standards is seriously distressing. Not only California, but all of New England except New Hampshire; New York; New Jersey; and the West Coast rely on cleaner fuel for better air and a lower carbon footprint. And most of us living in these states support...
Cellist David Eggert of Lassus Quartett hopes his audience will be receptive to a challenging program of music that his chamber ensemble will present through Yellow Barn. “You never can tell with people,” he says. “Some want to hear what they are familiar with, and others are eager to be taken to new places.” As Yellow Barn continues its 2019-2020 residency series, Lassus Quartett will perform Tuesday, Nov. 12, at 4 p.m., at The Putney School's Currier Center, two monumental...
The scent of fresh paint and drywall dust filled the stairwell to the second floor of the Snow Block, the Windham & Windsor Housing Trust's latest housing project and the newest housing on Flat Street. As contractors in hardhats paint one of the building's apartments, community members attending the Oct. 29 open house wandered through the nearly completed apartments on the second floor. The five-story, wood structure with a brick façade will provide 23 units of housing for tenants at...
The addition of fresh herbs to a basic pastry dough makes a remarkable transformation. You will think twice about making a plain pie shell in the future! In all the cooking classes I've held, the one technique that sparked absolute fear in many was the idea of making pastry dough from scratch. It is also one of those things that, once mastered, is fulfilling. I'm not going to say it is always easy, but if you follow the basic rules,