Issue #851
Juno concert premieres new work by Nielsen
BRATTLEBORO-Juno Orchestra and its music director, Zon Eastes, present a program for string orchestra titled “This World” Sunday, Feb. 8, at 2:30 p.m. at the Brattleboro Music Center (BMC), 72 Blanche Moyse Way.
The concert premieres a new work by Vermont composer Erik Nielsen, “In the Midst of It All,” which Eastes says aligns with the program’s overall focus on recurrence. “It opens with four downward-stepping notes resting atop somber chords. The four-note cell reappears throughout the work and seems to stand as an emotional marker.”...
Latchis plans Anderson film retrospective
BRATTLEBORO-On the heels of the film, One Battle After Another, nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture, Latchis Arts presents a series about its director, entitled “The Modern Master: A Paul Thomas Anderson Retrospective.” This weekly series will feature a selection of films spanning Anderson’s 30-plus year career, curated...
Literary Festival welcomes authors in February
BRATTLEBORO-The Brattleboro Literary Festival, an annual three-day festival founded in 2002, will host Ada Calhoun and Jessica Anthony Thursday, Feb. 12, for a virtual cocktail hour at 5 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Festival organizers say they are very excited to host Anthony and...
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Milestones
College news • Thad Engstrom Keep of Guilford, Shannon Moore of Whitingham, Liz Keefe of Putney, Abby Bray of Brattleboro, and Brittany Priggen of Londonderry all graduated in December as part of Vermont State University’s Class of 2025. • The following local students at Vermont State University were honored for academic excellence during the fall 2025 semester. Named to the President’s List were Vic Augusta-Summers of West Halifax, Angela Dornburgh of Whitingham, Abigail Joslyn of Bellows Falls, Thad Engstrom Keep...
Around the Towns
‘Taking Solace’ series continues BRATTLEBORO — On Wednesday, February 4, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Brooks Memorial Library, Center for Solace will present the film Holding Our Own with a discussion to follow. This one-hour film includes the work of local artist Deidre Scherer and the music of Center for Solace chorus Hallowell. The film will be followed by a community dialogue about the unique power of the arts to help offer solace in difficult times. This event is...
Fundraiser and talk marks fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
BRATTLEBORO-In recognition of the four-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Kerry Secrest, Honorary Consul of Lithuania to Vermont, and the Windham World Affairs Council are co-hosting a talk: “Reflections at the Four-Year Mark of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine,” by Gediminas Varvuolis, Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania to the United States, Thursday, Feb. 5, from 5 to 6 p.m., at Saxtons River Distillery, 155 Chickening Drive. The event is free, and monetary donations toward care packages containing essential...
Application period begins for 2026 Brattleboro Town Arts Fund grants
BRATTLEBORO-Arts Council of Windham County (ACWC) has opened the application period for the 2026 Brattleboro Town Arts Fund (TAF). In this, its sixth, year the TAF program will offer grants between $1,000 and $3,000 for community-focused creative projects in Brattleboro. Applications are due by March 1, 2026, for projects taking place between May 2026 and April 2027. The program overview and application guidelines can be found at artswindhamcounty.org/taf. The Town Arts Fund is a program that has been fueled by...
Next Stage presents a rescheduled dance party
PUTNEY-Get ready to hit the dance floor at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill, for a high-energy “Dance Party “with DJ Bob Thies, spinning hits from the ’80s and ’90s Saturday, Feb. 7 (rescheduled from Jan. 17 due to inclement weather). This event is for those 21 and over, with doors opening at 6:45 p.m. and the show starting at 7:30 p.m. Thies “will bring the ultimate throwback experience, featuring classic pop anthems, dance tracks, and all the irresistible grooves...
Next Stage Arts, Twilight Music present Nordic folk music masters Frigg with Teho
PUTNEY-Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music proudly present an evening of Nordic folk music with Frigg, joined by special guests Teho, on Thursday, Feb. 5, at Next Stage, 15 Kimball Hill. Doors open at 6:15 p.m., with the show beginning at 7 p.m. Hailing from Finland, Frigg is an ensemble performing contemporary folk music. This Nordic sextet is made up of “true masters of the Finnish folk tradition,” organizers wrote in a news release, “delivering heart-bursting, life-affirming tunes with astonishing...
Australian ballot is a step toward equality
BRATTLEBORO-As member of Representative Town Meeting more than several years ago, I found the old boys’ club of the RTM to be very active and likewise very effective at blocking certain people and certain ideas from discussion and or consideration. A recent advocate for RTM admitted very clearly that part of the dynamic of the RTM has included flooding the meeting with friends to vote with the clique (my word). I found this to be quite true and very frustrating...
Enough!
BRATTLEBORO-When your own government begins to shoot its own citizens, this isn’t leadership, this is murder. It’s no different from the citizen on the street shooting into a crowd. Enough! This president needs to be held responsible for his unlawful actions. This president needs to be impeached. And those Republicans who don’t rise and say, “No more,” are complicit and equally responsible. I’m 90 years old, and it breaks my heart to see what this man is doing to the...
Bears do well in SVL Nordic championships
-The Southern Vermont League (SVL) Nordic championships, a four-meet event, began on Jan. 23 with a 5-kilometer freestyle race at the Marlboro Nordic Ski Club. Brattleboro, the host team for the Jan. 23 race, did not fare well collectively, but had some strong individual performances. In the girls’ race, junior Maayan Coleman finished third in 16 minutes, 45 seconds, while fellow junior Xela Nestel was ninth in 18:43. They are Brattleboro’s only two girls’ varsity skiers. Woodstock’s Kasia Sluska was...
Protestors arrested at Citizens Bank branch
BRATTLEBORO-“Today in Brattleboro, Vermont, the groundhog took a look outside and predicted six more weeks of the winter of our discontent, followed by an effervescent Peoples’ Spring.” So declared Dan DeWalt of Newfane, one of the organizers of a series of protests at the Brattleboro branch of Citizens Bank at 894 Putney Rd. The protests, which began on Jan. 26, are meant to call attention to the Rhode Island-based bank’s relationship with two major operators of private prisons in the...
Getting ready for the worst
In light of the violent and sometimes homicidal attacks in Minnesota and Maine on immigrants, protestors, and American civil liberties, Vermont is gearing up for if — or when — the same ugly things happen here. There were unofficial reports on Monday that ICE agents were staying in a Brattleboro motel. There have been other unconfirmed reports of recent activity by ICE agents at the School for International Training in Brattleboro, where several refugee families are temporarily living. In Vermont,
Democracy is not only about voting. It also requires thought.
Robert A. Oeser represents District 9 as a member of Brattleboro’s Representative Town Meeting. BRATTLEBORO-Recently, I stumbled upon some inadvertent endorsements for a town meeting–style of governance I thought I would share. In the video “I Drove To The Worst Place In Vermont. This Is What I Saw” (spoiler alert: It’s not that bad), the host raises the question about the values unique to Vermont. While acknowledging the rise in polarization in the country generally, a guest from Vermont zeroes...
‘Lamb will be on the menu’
Gemma Seymour is a District 8 member of Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting, as well as a member of the town Planning Commission. BRATTLEBORO-It’s been said that “people get the government they deserve” (Joseph de Maistre, French writer, diplomat, and lawyer). “Democracy,” it has also been said, “is two wolves and a lamb voting on what’s for dinner” (Shelby Foote, historian). You can be sure that lamb will be on the menu. Still again, it has been said that “the strain...
‘I want direct control: one person, one vote’
BRATTLEBORO-This year, Brattleboro has the opportunity to change the way we vote on important matters which often impact the budget, and by extension, our property taxes. “Representative” Town Meeting clearly had an agenda and not my interests (or the interest of many other tax-paying property owners) in their sights. It is outdated in the context of present times. Australian ballot would allow each eligible person one vote. I have been a Brattleboro resident for over 27 years and certainly know...
Everyone should be able to vote on spending
BRATTLEBORO-Around 12,000 people live in Brattleboro. Only about 140 Town Meeting representatives decide the budget of $25 million. This year, we can finally change this! On Tuesday, March 3, we can vote to eliminate Representative Town Meeting and replace it with a secret (Australian) ballot, so everyone can vote privately. Everyone should be able to vote on how we spend our collective taxes. One person. One vote. Jill Stahl Tyler Brattleboro This letter to the editor was submitted to The...
Please, no cuts to library budget
BRATTLEBORO-I ask that the Selectboard not go forward with the proposed 8% cut to the Brooks Memorial Library budget. The library is a unique institution in the town that serves all social classes, all income and education strata. It is effectively the living room of Brattleboro. And it serves many human and humane service needs of the community — heat, cooling, bathrooms, community, kindness, resources, information, culture, and education, all free to the patrons. Cutting the budget means either fewer...
Compassion need not be a zero-sum game
Rev. Dr. Scott Couper, minister and teacher at Centre Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, who writes in his private capacity, not speaking for the church he serves. BRATTLEBORO-Over the years, I have served on the Compassionate Brattleboro board, I have attended many Selectboard meetings, and I currently serve on the town’s Community Homelessness Strategy Team. I have also participated in Beloved Shelter Support Team meetings and visited the former 69A site. For these reasons, I read Laura Chapman’s Viewpoint...
Westminster will decide whether to keep dormant community house
NORTH WESTMINSTER-This spring, voters in Westminster will be asked once again to help decide the fate of one of the town’s most interesting public buildings. Article 20 states: “Shall the voters of the Town of Westminster allow the Selectboard to offer for public sale, the property known as the North Westminster Community House to be used exclusively as residential housing?” This exact article was presented to voters at the Annual Town Meeting in 2025, but resident John Ewald asked that...
In Brattleboro, a three-way race for three-year Selectboard seat
BRATTLEBORO-Current Selectboard Chair Elizabeth McLoughlin is being challenged for a three-year seat by newcomer Ken Fay and current board member Amanda Ellis-Thurber in the March 3 town election. Ellis-Thurber, who won her one-year seat in 2025, opted to challenge McLoughlin rather than run for another one-year term. McLoughlin served a one-year term in 2019 and was subsequently elected to two three-year terms. In a second race for two one-year seats on the Selectboard, incumbent board member Isaac Evans-Frantz, who is...
WSESD voters to consider a $69 million budget
The Windham Southeast School District board has approved a $69,874,600 - a 2.6% increase this year - for FY27. Board member Tim Maciel was the sole 'no' vote. Maciel said he couldn't vote for the budget due to insufficient transparency, board oversight in determining senior administrative pay, and prioritizing capital expenses for athletic facilities and bathroom refurbishment over direct academy and student support services. He also noted understaffed student support roles and the board's rejection of his proposal earlier in...
Brattleboro eyes multiple options for future of Town Meeting
BRATTLEBORO-The first of two public hearings about citizens' petitions addressing changes to the town charter related to Representative Town Meeting (RTM) and using the Australian ballot method of voting was held Jan. 27. Both sides of the issue stood their ground. The first petition was filed with the Town Clerk Aug. 4, 2025 and requests the town consider discontinuing RTM and conducting certain town business - electing town officers, approving general fund budget, approving major borrowing, and all "public questions"
Australian ballot doesn’t silence voices — it amplifies them
BRATTLEBORO-Australian ballot is about inclusion. Open Town Meeting and Representative Town Meeting are not. They automatically exclude large portions of our community — not because people don’t care, but because they simply can’t be there. I want to tell you about my aging neighbor. She watches every Selectboard meeting on Brattleboro Community Television. She is informed. She is engaged. She cares deeply about this town. But she doesn’t have transportation, and she doesn’t have the physical stamina to sit through...
We will not be bullied. We’re fighting back.
Emily Carris Duncan (they/she) represents the Windham-6 district (Wilmington, Whitingham, and Halifax) in the Vermont House of Representatives, where she serves on the Commerce and Economic Development Committee, the Joint Carbon Emissions Reduction Commission, and the County and Regional Governance Committee. Contact her via her website ecarrisduncan.com or Instagram (@ecarrisduncan). WHITINGHAM-As we sit on the precipice of our 250th anniversary in this country, the American people’s social contract is faltering. The federal government is withholding our critical funds for the...
Trust begins by listening to the voters
BRATTLEBORO-As an elected member of Brattleboro's Representative Town Meeting (RTM), I consider it my responsibility to listen closely to the residents of my district and to represent their views with integrity. I am honored that my District 7 neighbors have entrusted me to vote on their behalf. The responsibility and integrity of RTM members was put to the test during the 2025 vote on human services funding. In a general vote, the residents of Brattleboro were clear: 58% of voters...
Drug use in the White House?
GREENFIELD, MASS.-For anyone interested in Hitler, drug use, and the Nazi party, I strongly recommend reading the book Blitzed: Drugs in Nazi Germany, by Norman Ohler. The book details Hitler's attack on drug use among the general population - many who were in a state of depression and PTSD due to losing World War I - during the beginning of his rise. At that time, Germany became a pharmaceutical powerhouse, creating cocaine, opiates, and methamphetamines, wonder drugs for a depressed...
Acting CEOs: With BMH labor conflict, ‘trust depends on accuracy’
BRATTLEBORO-During a challenging period for Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, our staff members continue to demonstrate professionalism, dedication, and commitment to patient care. That work deserves respect — and it deserves accurate information. Some claims circulating publicly by the Brattleboro Federation of Nurses (BFN) are incorrect. Here are the facts. In FY2025, BMH administration received a 4% wage increase, consistent with other non-represented employees, excluding physicians. Members of the BFN union received a 7% wage increase. No bonuses were paid to current...
Australian ballot would broaden participation
The writer serves District 7 as a member of Brattleboro’s Representative Town Meeting. BRATTLEBORO-Brattleboro cares deeply about local democracy, but our current system makes it harder than it should be for many residents to take part. Last year, serving as a voting RTM representative required a minimum nine-hour commitment on a weekend day, plus an additional two hours on a weeknight. For residents who travel for work, have demanding jobs, or significant family responsibilities, that requirement makes full participation difficult.
Let every voice be heard, let every vote count equally
BRATTLEBORO-While it’s encouraging that we’re finally approaching a more inclusive way of recognizing the voices of Brattleboro residents, let’s not stop short. Let’s take this initiative all the way to the finish line — and make it truly inclusive for all. The survey that solidified the proposed Representative Town Meeting (RTM) changes made one thing clear: Many of us want a different forum — one where every voice is heard and, even more importantly, every vote counts equally. We now...
‘We cannot afford to live in Brattleboro or Vermont anymore’
BRATTLEBORO-My husband and I are lifelong residents of Brattleboro. We thought about moving out of town when we were in our early 20s. We purchased a book, The Best 100 Small Towns in America, which ranked Brattleboro at No. 5. We decided after visiting a few places in the book that Brattleboro would be a great place for us to stay and settle down to raise a family. Brattleboro is close to the city and ocean, and we have the...
Australian ballot system doesn’t eliminate our voices — it encourages them
The writer is a Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting member serving District 8. BRATTLEBORO-I am writing in support of changing the way Brattleboro residents govern our town; however, I do not agree that an open Town Meeting creates a solution. I attended one of the Charter Review Committee meetings last year and found strong support for what was referred to as a “hybrid” meeting option. There would be an informational session, much as there is now the week before Annual Representative...
‘We deserve a direct say in how those funds are spent’
BRATTLEBORO-Brattleboro is facing a number of complex and critical votes this spring. Having attended numerous board meetings over the past year, it is clear that we are navigating significant challenges and several confusing decisions, including: • Representative Town Meeting (RTM): A vote on whether to continue this format, which will significantly impact our future governance. • Australian ballot petition: A petition to move to the Australian ballot system, which must be decided by town voters. • Open Town Meeting petition:
‘I don’t believe this system works’
BRATTLEBORO-It was a great honor to become a Representative Town Meeting (RTM) member for District 7 last year. I was looking forward to contributing to solutions instead of sitting on the sidelines doing nothing. The experience was both educational and informative, but it also left me deflated and discouraged. I don’t believe this system works for the majority of our tax-paying citizens and community members. It came to my attention late last year that on Tuesday, March 3, we can...
We cannot wait for another killing to wake us up
Adriana Negrón (hip@therootsjc.org) is a community organizer with The Root Social Justice Center in Brattleboro, where she leads the Supporting Your Neurodiverse Child (SYNC) and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Thriving Network (BTN) programs. “If you want to get involved, to show up for your neighbors in tangible ways during this moment, I invite you to reach out to us directly,” she writes. BRATTLEBORO-If you are reading this and feeling grief, rage, fear, or a restless sense that something...
The economic realities of school choice
The writer is a board member of Vermont Friends of Public Education. GROTON-In the last 30 years, Vermont has created a public school system where a small minority of towns representing 18% of the population get to choose to have their private school education publicly funded. The majority of Vermonters - 82% - do not. But the majority does support the minority's private school education, increasingly at the expense of their public schools' operational capacity. This needs to be part of...
Chief Hardy has been a force for good
PUTNEY-It was with sadness I read in The Commons today that Police Chief Hardy will be retiring. In the short time she has served as police chief in Brattleboro, she has been a force for good in our community. The positive changes she brought about will stand us in good stead for years to come. She addressed things as they are and not how we would wish them to be. The Brattleboro Resource Assistance Team, as well as the community...
[Original email subject] A Call for Australian Ballot
BRATTLEBORO-I will be voting to eliminate RTM and replace it with Australian ballot. RTM has shown a history of not being a true representation of all citizens. Australian ballot is all inclusive. It allows those who cannot attend RTM for various reasons to have a voice. It also makes sure that those who are afraid to speak for fear of being ostracized will be allowed to voice their opinion without repercussions. Join me to change Brattleboro’s ability to vote. One...
Secret ballot encourages more honest participation
BRATTLEBORO-I am writing to express my strong support for adopting the Australian ballot in Brattleboro. First, the Australian ballot ensures that every individual vote truly counts, rather than leaving major decisions to a small number of town representatives whose views may not reflect our whole community. We all carry our own biases, shaped by lifelong social and cultural conditioning, and those biases can overshadow common sense in a public setting. A private, written ballot protects each person’s independent judgment and...
Mayo, Evans-Frantz: positive energy, neighborly spirit
BRATTLEBORO-I have a strong belief in Eleanor (Nell) Mayo and Isaac Evans-Frantz as candidates for the one-year Selectboard term. What's going to differentiate them from the other candidates is that Nell and Isaac are working for the benefit of our entire community - not just the business community or property owners. They can differentiate themselves as candidates with experience serving Brattleboro who bring positive energy and a neighborly spirit in the context of disastrous policy. This is what's going to...
Churches cannot substitute for an effective social safety net
BRATTLEBORO-By 1960, much of the social welfare services offered in the U.S. was provided by religious charities (Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist, Mt. Sinai, etc.) and labor unions. These groups were tapped out and the demand was high. They joined forces to demand legislative action that led to the Great Society legislation, which began addressing health and human service needs across the nation. Over time, the GOP has tangled these services in red tape and reduced funding so that they...