Please consider publishing my letter advocating Steve Pritchard to the Guilford select board.
Guilford voters, please consider a breath of fresh air to the Guilford select board when you vote on March 5th, Steven Pritchard a true Vermonter is running for the two-year seat on the select board. Stevens desire is to be a voice for the people of Guilford. Steven believes that transparency is important, Steven knows if elected he is working for the residents of Guilford, not big government agendas. Steven and his wife Barbara love Guilford, and its pastoral setting.
Steven worked and retired from the public works department in Brattleboro, primarily the recreation department, where he is fondly remembered by hockey players and skaters as the Zamboni guy.
Steven's motto will be "your agenda will be my agenda" citizen input and access to the governing body, are imperative to Steven. We are a small community, said Steven, and our farms, cottage industries and small businesses all will receive his support.
College news • The following local students were named to the Dean's List for the fall 2023 semester at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts: Freddie G. Learey of Brattleboro received first honors and Lydia Hazzard-Leal and Lucy M. Szpila, both of Brattleboro, received second honors. • Eva Ramey of...
The five candidates for the three Selectboard seats on the March 5 ballot met on Feb. 22 to discuss the issues in a forum sponsored by The Commons, the Brattleboro Reformer, and Brattleboro Community Television. Melanie Winters, managing editor of the Reformer, and Randolph T. Holhut, deputy editor of...
Residents of WSESD member towns will vote on all candidates for the Windham Southeast School District (WSESD) School Board, including those not from their specific towns, on Town Meeting Day next Tuesday, March 5. Most of the candidates in the three races for seats on met Feb. 26 in a candidates' forum. Dummerston Town Moderator Cindy Jerome moderated the exchange, sponsored by The Commons, the Brattleboro Reformer, and Brattleboro Community Television, with questions asked by Jeff Potter, editor of The...
I appreciate and endorse Peter Case for reelection to the Selectboard for a three-year term. Peter isn't your typical Selectboard member - he's not a typical anything, frankly, and we need more of that in this town. Peter is not afraid to say the things many of us are thinking, and he's been saying them for over 30 years now. He's not just a talker, either - he's a listener, a thinker, and an answerer. If you don't believe me,
The Crowell Art Gallery at Moore Free Library will presents a wildlife photography exhibition by David Y. Parker Jr. The free exhibit will run from Saturday, March 2 to Sunday, March 31. A reception will be held on March 2 from 1 to 3 p.m. Parker has been living in Brookline for the last 30 years, in a house built by his grandfather in the late 1960s. The house sits on a small bluff above a 2½-acre beaver pond. All...
The Commons spoke with several farmers who participate in the Brattleboro Winter Farmers' Market to find out more about their farms and offerings. Coming to the Brattleboro Winter Farmers' Market from Westminster, Peter Dixon and Rachael Schall of Parish Hill Creamery say that the enterprise is where they've been able to put their experience and passions into full play, making "cheese that is the ultimate expression of this place" from milk that comes from the Elm Lea Farm at the...
I'm writing to state how important I believe it is to return Aileen Chute (Tulloch) to the Putney Selectboard for another three-year term. Under Aileen's guidance as chair, the board has been more productive than I can recall in my decade of Selectboard watching. During her brief three-year tenure (two as chair), the board has expanded access to its meetings, updated and written policies and procedures, established an equitable procedure for allocating American Rescue Plan Act funds, held numerous public...
In the contested election for Putney Selectboard, I will be voting for Aileen Chute - who has been serving on the Putney Selectboard as chair. I periodically attend Selectboard meetings for my work or as a resident of Putney. I have been consistently impressed with how Aileen runs meetings. She is fair, balanced, dedicated to following process, and firm in her oversight of the meeting flow. On multiple occasions that I have witnessed, Aileen has started the meeting with a...
Please join me on March 5 in voting for Guilford's Brian Remer for Windham Southeast School District Board. He is an ideal candidate. I have known Brian for 25 years and have seen him in action countless times working with groups, both large and small, and with people of all ages. He is absolutely brilliant in pulling the best out of people and getting them to work together toward a common goal. He is knowledgeable and creative; he thinks outside...
Guilford voters, please consider a breath of fresh air to the Guilford Selectboard when you vote on March 5. Steven Pritchard, a true Vermonter, is running for the two-year seat. Steven's desire is to be a voice for the people of Guilford. Steven believes that transparency is important. He knows if elected, he is working for the residents of Guilford, not big-government agendas. Steven and his wife Barbara love Guilford and its pastoral setting. Steven worked and retired from the...
With every Guilford Selectboard meeting that I witness, I am glad that Zon Eastes is chair of the Selectboard. If you've attended any of the meetings, you will have noticed the vast skill set that is needed for the job. Whether he is running a meeting with a contentious issue on the agenda, exploring a complex topic that requires thought and research, addressing issues that are meaningful to Guilford citizens, or guarding Guilford's interests, Zon brings a curious mind and...
In the coming weeks, we will be choosing several seats on the Windham Southeast School District board of directors. One of my choices will be to re-elect Tim Maciel. I was lucky to serve with Tim during my tenure on the board and I found him to be a fully-engaged citizen, devoted to the future of every child in the district. In particular, he's made it his personal mission to get the voices of students represented directly at the board...
It is with great enthusiasm that I support the candidacy of Pete Case for a three-year term on the Brattleboro Selectboard. Pete has demonstrated during his first term that he is a measured and thoughtful representative of the many voices of the residents of Brattleboro and their diverse concerns. I know Pete to be a critical thinker, a terrific listener, and a true champion of all things Brattleboro. I strongly believe that the town would benefit greatly from three more...
I have known Jaki Reis for about 40 years. While we share about 90% of our political views, we don't agree on every issue. But she always listens to what people have to say and has solid reasons for her views. So this is an endorsement based on her character and experience, not specific issues. Jaki has a cornucopia of skills and experience from the variety of fields she has worked in: paralegal, bookkeeper, and assistant office manager for New...
As a resident and active member of the community, I'm proud to stand behind Peter Case's candidacy for a three-year term on the Brattleboro Selectboard. Peter has shown he is dedicated to our community, thoughtful, and well-informed. We have witnessed his service and ability to address challenges head on. I have every confidence in Peter Case's ability to help the town meet the complicated and demanding issues it faces. He is committed to making Brattleboro an even better place to...
Although I knew Steve Pritchard from my childhood, I met him only recently. Steve drove the Zamboni at the Nelson Withington skating rink in Brattleboro, and I couldn't begin to number the wonderful memories I have playing hockey in that rink. I was on the Brattleboro Colonels' first high school hockey team in 1993. The teams before that, as some of you might remember, were called the Brattleboro Nighthawks. I was playing my first year of club hockey as an...
As a teacher in town, I usually eschew airing my political beliefs to the community for obvious reasons. Usually there are vested interests skewing the endorsements or, at the worst, occasions of mud-slinging against people who don't align with one's own political ideologies. I would like to purposefully put my "off the record" practices aside to proudly endorse a candidate running for a seat on the Brattleboro Selectboard: Peter "Fish" Case. I have had the pleasure of personally knowing Fish...
I am voting for Peter Case to serve another year on the Brattleboro Selectboard. He has served this town for as long as I can remember. Always a civic-minded citizen, he has served on a number of boards, most notably the Boys and Girls Club. Always an efficient organizer, Peter Case is a good listener and has always considered all sides of an issue. When faced with a difficult decision, he will, cogently and calmly, state his position. He works...
Leap Day concert in Guilford GUILFORD - A special Leap Day house concert will be presented on Thursday, Feb. 29, at Wendy's Soiree in Guilford, featuring bluegrass duo Andrew Finn McGill and Anya Hinkle, the 2019 Merlefest songwriting winner and 2023 USA Songwriting winner for "Best World Song." McGill played in the series with a Brazilian trio in mid-July, and Wendy Redlinger says that "they blew the audience away with their virtuosity and exuberant presence. Now he's back with a...
On Tuesday, March 12, at 6:30 p.m., Vermont Cartoonist Laureate Tillie Walden will speak at Putney Public Library about "Comics and Queerness in Vermont and Beyond." From Charles Schulz's Peanuts to Alison Bechdel's Fun Home, say organizers, "comics have been a part of American culture since print first began." But comics are no longer relegated just to the newspaper, and "as books like Maus or Persepolis have proven," we are currently experiencing a "golden age for graphic novel storytelling." What...
Join the New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA) for an evening of "world-class entertainment" for the entire family in Brattleboro on Saturday, March 9, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 10 at 1 p.m. The Circus Spectacular is NECCA's most important annual fundraiser - a unique opportunity to see high flying aerialists, acrobats, and jugglers. In a news release, NECCA co-founder Serenity Smith Forchion marveled that "The Circus Spectacular started with one show in 2011 to help NECCA raise...
Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill, presents Biribá Union, a musical trio featuring Grammy Award-winning Mike Block (cello, vocals); Christylez Bacon (beatbox, guitar, rhymes); and Patricia Ligia (electric bass, pandeiro, vocals) Sunday, March 3, at 7 p.m. "We love presenting projects that have a one-of-a-kind feel, and Mike Block has put together something people won't forget easily," Keith Marks, executive director of Next Stage Arts, said in a news release. "Block is a member of Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble,
Sarasa Ensemble presents "Anónimo from Amazonia: Bolivian Mission Baroque," Friday, March 8, at 7 p.m. at the Brattleboro Music Center (BMC). Organizers bill it as "a sunny program of secular and sacred Baroque music from the Missions of Bolivia, with an undeniable impulse from the folk element of its indigenous people." Featured performers are Carley DeFranco, soprano; Jesse Irons, Rebecca Nelson, violins; Jennifer Morsches, cello; William Simms, Baroque guitar/theorbo; and John McKean, organ. The Sarasa Ensemble is a collective group...
Early and absentee ballots for the Presidential Primary, Brattleboro Annual Town Meeting and Windham Southeast School District School Board vote to be held March 5 are now available by request. Absentee ballots for this election must be requested. Anyone wishing to vote early and in-person may now do so at the Brattleboro Town Clerk's Office. This option is available through Monday, March 4, at 5 p.m. Anyone wishing to vote absentee may apply for an absentee ballot until 5 p.m.
The Children's Literacy Foundation (CLiF) announces the launch of its second annual Two-Sentence Writing Contest. Open to all Vermont and New Hampshire children ages 12 and younger, the contest is free to enter, and prizes will be awarded to top submissions in each of four categories. This year's contest challenges young writers to "tell a two-sentence story that takes place in the sky." Loosely tied to the upcoming total eclipse on April 8, 2024, the contest draws inspiration from the...
The Vermont River Conservancy will offer free, river-themed poetry workshops throughout Windham County this March and April. Workshops will be held at the following locations: • Wednesday, March 6: Putney Public Library, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. • Thursday, March 7: Rockingham Free Public Library, 3 to 5 p.m. • Monday, March 18: South Londonderry Free Library, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. • Tuesdays, March 26 – April 23: Brooks Memorial Library, Brattleboro, 12 to 2 p.m. • Thursday, April 11:
On Town Meeting Day, the first Tuesday in March, citizens across Vermont come together in their communities to discuss the business of their towns. For over 200 years, Town Meeting Day has been an important political event as Vermonters elect local officers and vote on budgets. It has also been a time for neighbors to discuss the civic issues of their community, state, and nation. This piece is designed to help you learn about Vermont's Town Meeting Day, its history,
During the Feb. 26 candidates' forum for the Windham Southeast School District (WSESD) board of directors, Moderator Cindy Jerome realized the Dummerston ballot includes an error. There should be direction on each town's ballot to vote for "not more than two" for the three-year seat as Brattleboro representative. It was printed as "not more than one" on the Dummerston ballot. Voters in all WSESD member towns vote on all candidates, whether they represent their specific towns. There are three candidates...
Tickets for the 2024 Marlboro Music summer season go on sale on Friday, March 1, at 9 a.m. Performances take place from July 13 to Aug. 11 in Persons Auditorium on the Potash Hill campus in Marlboro. At Marlboro, musicians "enjoy the rare and invaluable synergy of music, community, nature, freedom, and time," say organizers in a news release. For nearly two months, "exceptional young professionals - who are invited each winter following competitive auditions - " are joined by...
If you are a Putney voter, there is one extra-special person seeking re-election to the Selectboard. Anyone paying attention can tell you that Aileen Chute works really hard for our town. She is also very smart, with a thorough understanding of policies and procedures, and with the organizational skills to make things happen. But most of all, she is never afraid of taking a stand and speaking up for what she believes is best for the people of Putney. Do...
The Vermont girls' basketball playoffs began this week with road trips for three of our four local teams. • With an 11-9 record, Brattleboro ended up with the No. 9 seed in Division I and faced No. 8 Mount Mansfield (11-9) in a first-round game on Feb. 26 in Jericho. The Bears lost that game, 70-39, and we'll have the full details in next week's roundup. In their regular season finale on Feb. 24 at Fair Haven, the Bears lost,
On Tuesday, March 5, Brattleboro voters will choose among five good candidates for three Selectboard seats. I support two folks who I think will serve our town very well. Peter "Fish" Case is just now completing his first year on the board and is running for a three-year seat. In watching his work this past year, I've found him to be refreshingly straightforward and honest, and a clear thinker who weighs issues carefully. His commitment to continue volunteering for Brattleboro...
For local selectboards, I recommend that Brattleboro residents vote for Oscar Heller and Richard Davis, that Putney residents vote for Aileen Chute, that Guilford residents vote for Zon Eastes and Chip Carter, and that Vernon residents vote for Thomas Guerino and Jim Pinkerton. For WSESD school board, I recommend Brian Remer from Guilford. For the Brattleboro Selectboard, I plan to vote for Oscar Heller, who is running for a three-year seat. At age 35, he brings fresh energy and perspective...
Peter "Fish" Case, who is seeking a three-year term on the Brattleboro Selectboard, has been a strong supporter of this community for decades. He has been here for Brattleboro during celebrations and challenges. He is always willing to step up and do what is necessary, all the while maintaining his sense of humor. Peter has an eagerness to learn rarely seen in politics these days. He will change his mind when presented with evidence contrary to his initial opinions. This...
In 2020, the way Athens voted for town officials changed. Australian ballot has always been a part of our elections but not a part of electing our town officials. Since Town Meetings began, we have elected our town officials during town meeting from the floor. Covid changed that, and I believe it changed it for the better. When attending Town Meeting you don't think about those who can't attend and whose voices can't be heard. It becomes a select group...
I had not heard of Steven Pritchard until a few weeks ago when he entered the race for the two-year seat on the Guilford Selectboard. We live on opposite sides of the hill and our paths had never crossed - except for the fact that he and his wife Barbara tell me they had been frequent customers at Burton Car Wash on Canal Street when it was in operation. Since making his acquaintance recently, however, I have discovered him to...
Town Meeting Day, Tuesday, March 5, is election day for Windham Southeast School District School Board members from Brattleboro, Guilford, Dummerston, and Putney. There have been candidate profiles in both The Commons and the Reformer. It is important to be fully informed. There are a multitude of issue that the present board has been involved with and that they will continue to be addressing. I fully recommend and will be voting for Kelly Young from Guilford and Tim Maciel from...
I support Peter Case for a three-year term on the Brattleboro Selectboard. I'm not a resident, but Peter has convinced me to keep my business in Brattleboro rather than moving somewhere else in the state. How? By being an optimistic, positive influence on the town and, in particular, the downtown area, where he has recently invested his own money in a 100-year-old business. Peter has a knack for listening to all of the stories and then sorting the loud ones...
Putney Selectboard chair Aileen Chute is doing a fantastic job for our community. She has earned my vote and enthusiastic support. With the many complex needs occurring in our town, state, country, and world right now, we need her steady, thoughtful leadership at the front of the room. She has shown up in a diplomatic, intelligent, levelheaded way, done the work, and continues to do the work even when it is hard. As a former Selectperson, I can testify that...
Loretta Palazzo recalls her first impressions of Re Sheppard. "All those years ago, she popped into Boomerang looking for a job," says Palazzo, the owner of the clothing store on Main Street. "I noticed right away that she is artistic, she was dressed so cool. Soft spoken, super kind. That's how we became friends." Some people know Sheppard as a talented rock star musician who plays bass guitar. Other people know her from work at New England Center for Circus...
Brian Remer is a first-rate candidate for the school board. Having demonstrated an impeccable personal and professional commitment to the welfare of young people in our community over several decades, he will bring his experience as a facilitator and problem-solver to this challenging role. Brian works tirelessly for others and has greatly improved the dynamics and procedures wherever he has served. Marguerite Serkin Guilford This letter to the editor was written for The Commons.
Voters in the four WSESD towns have some terrific choices for school directors this year. (Ballots are available now until Election Day from Town Clerks.) I hope Tim Maciel and Kelly Young will be elected to continue their work serving our children. They have done well pushing for relevant information to guide decisions while sorting through the complexities of the merged district. That complexity makes institutional memory highly valuable, and takes time to accumulate. Our school communities would lose a...
I've known Brian for decades, and believe his strong set of personal skills and professional experiences make him an ideal candidate for the WSESD School Board. Brian cares deeply about the healthy development of our children and the larger community. He has taught elementary and middle school students, coordinated Vermont's youth suicide prevention initiative, served on a Youth Services Diversion Board, and currently co-leads an interfaith youth group focusing on peer support and community service. It includes young refugees new...
In its efforts to tune in to global issues and inform and educate the public, the Windham World Affairs Council (WWAC) will draw focus to the current and rising needs of asylum seekers in southern Vermont by presenting Larry & Joe, a North Carolina–based duo who will explore and expose immigrants' experiences with asylum-seeking efforts. Supported by the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation's 'Welcoming Communities' program and Brattleboro Union High School's PeaceJam Club, the program will take place at Next Stage...
I am delighted to endorse Brian Remer for the Windham Southeast School District Board of Directors. Brian has many qualities and skills that make him an excellent candidate to serve on our local school board, and we are lucky to have the opportunity to vote for him. As the parent of a third grader at Guilford Central School, and having worked in our local school district for 15 years, I am deeply invested in making sure that the WSESD directors...
Nicki Steel (nickisteel.com) is a photographer who focuses on the details of the rural landscape close to home. For the second year in a row, the Wilmington Selectboard has put before the voters at Town Meeting a choice to do away with in-person Town Meeting and go completely to Australian ballot. What was the vote last year, you ask? In favor of cancelling town meetings? No one. In favor of keeping Town Meetings? Everyone in the room. The Board asked...
My name is Aileen Chute, and I am running for re-election to the three-year Selectboard seat in Putney. I like to joke that I am the longest-serving member of the Putney Selectboard, and that is true because Putney has a young board. I have served on the Selectboard for one entire three-year term and have been honored with the seat of chair for the last two. A graduate of Bryn Mawr College, much of my professional career has been in...
Most voters throughout the county will assemble on Town Meeting Day on Tuesday, March 5. Voters in Athens, Brattleboro, Brookline, Rockingham, Vernon, Windham, and Westminster will convene on their own respective timetables, and Marlboro voters won't meet at all, with voters making all decisions by Australian ballot. That day also marks the presidential primary election throughout the state. According to the Vermont Secretary of State's office, "Vermont law makes town meeting a holiday for employees of the state government." State...
During March and April, Brooks Memorial Library hosts "Yum!," an exhibit of watercolors that portray food by the local group Art Among Friends. Art Among Friends is a group of six local artists: Connie Evans, Alice Freeman, Kathy Greve, Laurie Klenkel, Louise Zak, and Lynn Zimmerman. This creative group met online during the pandemic to create not only art but also strong friendships. According to a news release, the 15 pieces on display in this show "celebrate edible delights -
What started 18 years ago as a way for Windham County farmers to help feed the local community with surplus food - produce that remained at the end of the summer season - is now a thriving local attraction that boasts hundreds of visitors weekly through the winter months. The Brattleboro Winter Farmers Market describes itself on its website as the only weekly winter farmers' market in Windham County and one of the oldest in the state. Opened in 2006...