Windham County Humane Society's (WCHS) 21st annual Walk for Animals is coming up on Saturday, Sept. 30. Humane Society organizers will be on the Brattleboro Elks Lodge front lawn to celebrate their shared passion for protecting, caring for, and finding loving homes for animals in need. They invite everyone to join them.
This yearly event is WCHS's only fall fundraiser and its largest fundraising effort of the year.
"It's a morning filled with fun and community; a 1.3 mile walk through downtown Brattleboro, games, treats, raffles, and more," according to a news release. "Dogs who would enjoy being around people and other dogs are welcome to attend the WCHS Walk with you, so long as they remain on a leash at all times (no flexi-leads, please)."
Registration for the Walk is open and pledge sheets can be downloaded at bit.ly/731-wchs.
The next meeting of the Windham County Genealogy Interest Group (WCGIG) will focus on doing "Reasonably Exhaustive" research on Saturday, Sept. 23, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., by Zoom only. This program is free to all; register at bit.ly/WCGIGSEPT23. A Zoom link will be sent at least one...
College news • The following local students were named to Ithaca (N.Y.) College Dean's List for the spring 2023 semester: Cassidy Gallivan of West Dover, Mia Graff of Brattleboro, Robyn Jensen of Brattleboro, Alex Lier of Brattleboro, Sophia Renaud of Guilford, and Avery White of Townshend. • The following...
Bob Boemig has been creating outdoor landscape installations across New England for more than 50 years, including "Landlift" at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, and "The Fiddlehead" at Retreat Farm. A new exhibition at (1)C X Silver Gallery, 814 Western Ave., shows a collection of Boemig's interior works made over two decades. Boemig's sculptural reliefs use construction materials and debris, cardboard, house paint, wood, stone, twigs, and branches. The series Ashes to Ashes and Dust to Dust makes use...
"Trash is trash - smelly, gross, harmful to the land and plants and animals," say Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC) organizers. But re-purpose trash and transform it into art, and not only are destructive materials removed from the environment, but the potential is also created to make a powerful statement about consumerism, conservation, optimism, and creativity. On two consecutive Saturdays this month, the BMAC, along with the Connecticut River Conservancy and the River Gallery School, invite the public to...
Utilities Division crews from the Department of Public Works will start fall flushing of the town water mains on Friday, Sept. 22 at 10 p.m. and continue work through Friday, Oct. 13. Some daytime flushing will continue throughout the week of Oct. 6–13. Customers are asked to check the flushing schedule closely, as flushing causes water discoloration, low water pressure, and, in some areas, periods of no water. Water main flushing will occur during both night (10 p.m. to 6...
In recognition of World Alzheimer's Day, Thursday, Sept. 21, the Latchis Theatre will be a participating venue in the statewide premiere of the new documentary Keys Bags Names Words, a film directed by Cynthia Stone about people living with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias who share stories of heartbreak and hope in aging. Keys Bags Names Words will be screened at 7 p.m. Admission is free. The Alzheimer's Association Vermont Chapter, AARP of Vermont, Vermont Department of Health, Community of...
Big Teeth Performance Collective presents Goodbye Party the Show, an evening-length circus and physical theater show on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 7:30 p.m. at the New England School for Circus Arts (NECCA) Trapezium at 10 Town Crier Drive. Set in the offices of the going-out-of-business Earth, The Planet, LLC, as the corporation collapses, the multi-species staff congregate for a final farewell to the planet they call their office. This will be an evening of acrobatics, dance, burlesque, and dark comedy.
At sundown on Friday, Sept. 15, Jewish people in Vermont and all over the world welcomed Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year 5784. During the 10-day sacred period known as "the Days of Awe," Jewish belief says people are called to return to their highest selves and make amends to those they have wronged, work toward forgiving others and themselves, and seek atonement (At-One-ment) for the ways they have "missed the mark" during the past year. On Yom Kippur, the...
Constitution Week is a great time to reflect on the principles our country was founded on, according to the Brattleboro Chapter Regent of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Carolyn Handy. She added that the DAR began the observance in 1955, when the service organization petitioned the U.S. Congress to dedicate September 17–23 of each year to the commemoration of Constitution Week. On Aug. 2, 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed it into public law. The DAR states that...
The Vermont Department of Labor has begun its Fall Job Fest, a collaborative effort with key partners across Vermont to provide several in-person hiring events throughout September and October. "It is crucial for the Vermont Department of Labor to help bridge the gap between job seekers and employers," said Labor Commissioner Michael Harrington in a news release. He added the hiring events "aim to empower job seekers to explore diverse career paths, engage with local employers, and find fulfilling employment...
The Marlboro Studio School is gearing up for its second term of studio classes beginning Sunday, Oct. 8, on the 500-plus–acre Potash Hill campus on South Road. Fall 2023 course offerings include residential one-week workshops and eight-week studio classes. Enrollment is open for all fall 2023 courses, and space is still available. The Marlboro Studio School is a newly developing art center with established facilities that offer hands-on instruction to all levels of students in a variety of craft and...
Wardsboro Disaster Recovery Center relocates to LudlowWILLISTON - The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Disaster Recovery Center in Wardsboro ceased operations on Sept. 18, and was relocated to the Ludlow Community Center, 37 Main St. It will reopen at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 20, and continue with regular hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. It will be closed on Sundays. The center serves Windham and Windsor counties. For...
The Fairy House Festival returns to The Nature Museum in Grafton on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 23 and 24, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The 14th annual celebration of nature, magic, creativity, and community brings together dozens of volunteers and builders to create a fairyland of small structures built from natural materials, including fairy playgrounds, castles, markets, gardens, and more. Visitors of all ages will have an opportunity to enter the Fairy House Trail Portal and explore the creations...
On Saturday, Sept. 23, Wardsboro Curtain Call presents a dance and concert with The Barnstormerz. Marvin Bentley (South Wardsboro) and Ned Phoenix (Townshend) play their original songs and tunes. Their fiddle, guitars, piano, organ, harmonica, and vocals groove in a variety of musical styles through a blues filter. They will feature Marvin's songs about Vermont and Ned's extraordinary improvised fiddling. The Barnstormerz will play two sets of music for free-form dancing. Their original dance music includes country, blues, swing, boogie-woogie,
On Friday, Sept. 22, at 8 p.m., the downtown nonprofit arts center Epsilon Spires, 190 Main St., presents Ben Model performing a live musical score on the historic Estey organ to the silent film The Man Who Laughs. Model is an organist who regularly performs musical accompaniment to silent films at MOMA and the Library of Congress. He is one of the top 20 most-celebrated silent film accompanists in the United States, and Epsilon Spires organizers say they are "honored...
Brattleboro's Charter Revision Commission will meet on Thursday, Sept. 21, at 6:15 p.m., in the Selectboard Meeting Room in the Municipal Center, 230 Main St. The meeting agenda includes a discussion with town officials, including Selectboard Chair Ian Goodnow, Vice Chair Franz Reichsman, Town Clerk Hilary Francis, Town Attorney Bob Fisher, and Assistant Town Manager Patrick Moreland. The seven-member commission was established by the Selectboard in 2022 as proscribed by the town charter itself. Members are Hannah Clarisse, Peter Elwell,
Alternative-process photographers Vaune Trachtman and Rachel Portesi will exhibit their work at the Michael S. Currier Center at The Putney School, 418 Houghton Brook Rd., through Sunday, Oct. 29. An opening reception is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 22, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Trachtman and Portesi are Vermont-based artists who each use photographic processes that meld historic and contemporary technologies. Trachtman's photogravures bring together cellphone imagery and archival negatives, while Portesi's work ranges from tintypes to Polaroids, and includes film,
Sunday, Sept. 24, marks the coming together of two local phenomena: the grand opening of the Guilford Community Park and Zara Bode's Little Big Band, playing for the grand opening. Both will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Pavilion of Guilford Community Park, 24 Church Drive. Event participants are invited to bring a picnic and dancing shoes. The park's concept grew out of a committee exploring ways to use the adjacent property acquired by the Guilford Community...
Epsilon Spires - in the spirit of its tagline, "Rewarding the Curious" - will present an evening of interesting music for interesting people on Saturday, Sept. 23, when Daniel Higgs and Chris Weisman bring their respective multidisciplinary, genre-crossing performances to the Sanctuary of 190 Main St. Perhaps best known as the singer and lyricist of the band Lungfish, Higgs, of Baltimore, has been observing and participating in various underground sub-scenes for over four decades, sharing poems, songs, and paintings. His...
The Elwell Trophy returned to Brattleboro on Sept. 15 after the Bears pulled out a 14-9 victory over the Mount Anthony Patriots in a football game that had more emotional twists and turns than perhaps any other meeting in this long rivalry. This game violated most of the conventions of football. The Brattleboro offense scored only one touchdown and played a thoroughly sloppy and undisciplined first half that saw 10 penalties and a turnover that led to a Patriots touchdown.
Joyce Marcel's thoughtful piece offers an opportunity to address some related issues that many well-meaning readers may not be aware of. It's reasonable to ask why some of our local panhandlers who appear able-bodied aren't working, when there are entry-level jobs around. One person's sign - "I need $ for work boots" - is one of the reasons. Especially if you're struggling back from a tough patch in your life (possibly including eviction and homelessness), getting ready to work requires...
For years, former Ambassador Peter Galbraith has given an annual talk to the Windham World Affairs Council (WWAC). These talks have usually focused on the various hot spots in the Middle East and the U.S. role in places such as Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria. This year's annual Galbraith Lecture, set for Wednesday, Sept. 27, at 6:30 p.m., at Centre Congregational Church, will take a wider view of U.S. foreign policy. The talk - titled "Is the American Century Over? Can...
Short-term rentals (STRs), like those listed on websites like Airbnb and VRBO, are adversely affecting the housing market. That's according to the town's "Housing Needs Assessment and Strategy" report, published in April. The report acknowledges that, while not solely responsible, STRs have contributed to rising housing prices and a decline in the availability of long-term rental housing. There are more than 300 active short-term rentals in the Londonderry area, an increase of 62% over the past three years, as reported...
I keep coming back to the question I frequently hear asked: "Why is Vermont so white?" It's often accompanied by head scratching or a shoulder shrug, as if the phenomenon of our whiteness is inherent as part of our DNA - a natural law - and not something that can be reasonably explained. Vermont has historically been among the top three U.S. states with the highest percentage of white residents. The 2022 Census lists us at 93.8% white. One very...
It's very difficult to talk about homeless people without seeming overly idealistic or fatalistic. Or, worse, to seem just clueless. Even the right phrase: homeless, houseless, homeless-by-choice, housing challenged, couch surfing, tent city-ing. To bastardize Leo Tolstoy, "every homeless person is homeless in his, her, and/or their own way." Since I live downtown, I've developed a passing relationship with several people who live downtown - on the street during the day and wherever they can at night. One of them,
The Selectboard has voted unanimously to pursue a municipal-based model to provide the town's emergency medical services (EMS), choosing it over starting a new contract with Rescue Inc. Staff members recommended the town model, saying it outperforms any other model investigated, including Rescue, by nearly $1.2 million over five years. Town Manager John Potter said before the vote on Sept. 19 that staff members recommended the municipal model knowing that "for some in our community, this will be a deep...
Rockingham and nearby residents can get free or low-cost window inserts to help keep their homes warm this winter. Window inserts are a simple, effective way to weatherize your home. The Window Dressers program returns to Rockingham and Bellows Falls for the third year, sponsored by the Rockingham Energy Committee. A grant from the New England Grassroots Environment Fund will help pay for the free inserts. All households eligible for LIHEAP or other public assistance programs qualify for up to...