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Your support powers every story we tell. We're committed to producing high-quality, fact-based news and information that gives you the facts in this community we call home. If our work has helped you stay informed, take action, or feel more connected to Windham County – please give now to help us reach our goal of raising $150,000 by December 31st.
BRATTLEBORO — The Brattleboro Recreation and Parks Senior Center is partnering with the Brattleboro Area Jewish Community to host a Mahjong Party and Tournament Monday, Aug. 24, at the Brattleboro Senior Center, 207 Main St.
The event will run from 10 a.m. to approximately 3 p.m., and is open to any players who would like to enjoy a fun day of mahjong, friendly competition, and community connection. An entry fee of $25 (paid the day of) includes lunch for all participants. In addition to a day of mahjong, players will have the opportunity to compete for prizes created by local artists.
Tournament registration is required in advance, as space is limited. Interested participants may reserve a spot by calling 802-257-7570 and leaving a message with their name and phone number, or by emailing mtibbs@brattleboro.gov. Registration for the tournament will close on Monday, Aug. 17, or when full.
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BRATTLEBORO-Applications from both new and returning vendors are now being accepted for the 21st season of the Brattleboro Winter Farmers Market. The application deadline for new vendors is Tuesday, Sept. 1. The 2026–27 season opens Saturday, Nov. 7. The market will operate from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every...
BRATTLEBORO-I am supporting Aly Richards in the Democratic primary for governor because she has demonstrated something that is often missing in politics: the ability not just to identify problems, but to bring people together to solve them. I first met Aly years ago when she served as the student...
BRATTLEBORO-Representatives from nine towns will convene the first meeting of the Law Enforcement Governance Council Friday, Aug. 7. The regional policing pilot required at least five towns to join the council before it could move into its next phase. Municipal council members — Athens, Grafton, Guilford, Jamaica, Londonderry, Marlboro, Newfane, Putney, and Vernon — will define the program’s scope of service, administration, budget, and legislative reporting for how the Windham County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) provides policing in Windham County. “This...
-The Brattleboro Little League 12U All-Stars fell just short of winning the program’s 17th state championship as Camel’s Hump — which represents Richmond, Huntington, and Bolton — won its first state title with a taut and tense 2-1 victory on Aug. 1 at Memorial Park in Stowe. The District 1 champs got a splendid pitching performance from Mickey Brown, who held Brattleboro to just two hits over 4 1/3 innings to earn the victory. Teddy McKay started the game for...
PUTNEY-Early voting has started for the Tuesday, Aug. 11 state primary. I believe the best choice for governor and lieutenant governor are Amanda Janoo and Ryan McLaren, respectively. Our next governor needs to have a political imagination that can address our most pressing issues creatively. I see Amanda Janoo as possessing this creativity. She has a plan to address our pressing healthcare needs - a primary provider in every community actually paid for by the state - and the sources...
GUILFORD-It is time for Vermonters to use our votes to send the message that the status quo is not working. Our young people are leaving and not returning, because they see no affordable path to a future in our beautiful state. The current governor, Phil Scott, has been in office for 10 years, and what we have witnessed is a man who has presided over, in Amanda Janoo’s words, “managed decline.” He has done nothing to slow the steep rise...
Rev. Dr. Scott Everett Couper is the minister of Centre Congregational Church, UCC, in Brattleboro. He notes that he "writes to his church and his community, and not on behalf of his church and community." BRATTLEBORO-The Supreme Court closed its session before the Fourth of July weekend with many rulings, one of them concerning birthright citizenship. The Declaration of Independence states, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their...
BRATTLEBORO-After nearly two hours of conversation with top leadership of Brattleboro Memorial Hospital (BMH) at a July 28 meeting, the Selectboard declined to call a Special Town Meeting to ask residents to help the hospital continue to fund its Birthing Center. Board members concluded at the special meeting that it would be premature to put the question to taxpayers, and they now await more news from the hospital in September. The Birthing Center is the maternity and birth services unit...
BRATTLEBORO-I write in response to statements made by Aly Richards, candidate for governor, and Ryan McLaren, candidate for lieutenant governor, about the Vermont Defend the Guard Act, during the Vermont Public debates on July 23 and July 21, respectively. Ms. Richards said “we have to be really strategic together as we are fighting against [the] attack on democracy.” She also said this bill would put a big target on the back of the Vermont National Guard. Mr. McLaren said he’s...
BRATTLEBORO-There is no more important time for our state than now. There is a critical primary election fast approaching on Tuesday, Aug. 11, and in-person early voting is happening now at town offices around the state. I am voting for Aly Richards for governor and Molly Gray for lieutenant governor. These two candidates will deliver: • Practical solutions for stabilizing our state economically. • Governance with the future of our state as a top priority: human rights, jobs, affordability, prosperity.
-Actors Theatre Playhouse (ATP) in West Chesterfield, New Hampshire, continues its season with 26 Pebbles by Eric Ulloa for the next three weekends. A documentary of sorts, the drama, according to an ATP press release, presents an “unflinching yet ultimately hopeful portrait of Newtown, Connecticut, in the aftermath” of the 2012 mass shootings at the town’s Sandy Hook Elementary School. Using material from extensive interviews with residents — parents, teachers, first responders, and community leaders — “Ulloa’s verbatim theater piece...
BRATTLEBORO-On a blistering hot Tuesday afternoon recently, the denizens of Brattleboro’s streets found a welcome at one of the town’s lesser-known eateries. On Flat Street, in the meager shade of the Brattleboro Transportation Center’s parking garage, two people, Fiver and Less, had set up their weekly mission to the streets — a free-food table and, beside it, an array of free clothing and even camping paraphernalia for those in need to take from. For two hours, the giveaways drew a...
BRATTLEBORO-Join Director Bob Thies and Rock Voices Brattleboro, the area’s community rock choir, for an evening of choral magic. Rock Voices is backed by a full, professional rock band and features the harmonies of Tony Lechner’s arrangements sung by a 100-voice choir. The concert will be held at Epsilon Spires, 190 Main St., Friday, Aug. 7 at 7:30 p.m.. Doors will open at 7 p.m. There will also be a basket raffle to raise money for the Women’s Freedom Center.
MARLBORO-Haley Isadora presents “Both Sides of the Equator,”an evening of Brazilian bossa nova, jazz, and folk from two hemispheres at Thrush Hill Stage, 314 Upper Houghton Rd., at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8. Isadora is a singer and composer whose music explores the meeting point between jazz and Brazilian popular music. Originally from Massachusetts, she began singing professionally in Brazil where she lived between 2012 and 2018. After moving back to the States, she formed a duo with Boston-based pianist...
MARLBORO-For Week Four, the first three-concert weekend of its 75th anniversary season, Marlboro Music presents a trio of richly varied, deeply rehearsed programs spanning three centuries of chamber music, as well as free open rehearsals throughout the week in Persons Auditorium, 2472 South Rd. Co-Artistic Director Mitsuko Uchida and 27 more resident musicians will take the stage across the three programs. Performances and open rehearsals will continue through Aug. 16. The weekend opens on Friday, Aug. 7, with Marlboro’s annual...
PUTNEY-Twilight Music and Next Stage Arts Project continue the 23rd Twilight On The Tavern Lawn series of folk, world, jazz, zydeco, bluegrass, pop, and Americana music summer concerts Sunday, Aug. 9, at 6 p.m., with Planet Zydeco. Hailing from New England, Planet Zydeco brings the music of southwest Louisiana dance halls. Band members Cannon, Bonita, Alan, Michelle, Jack, and Mark are steeped in the genre. They say they “love sharing this infectious music with the planet” on accordion, rubboard, fiddle,
BRATTLEBORO-On June 24, The Root celebrated the first recipients of the Black Youth Scholarship, awarding a total of $10,000 in scholarships to five youth from Windham County. Each recipient received a $2,000 scholarship to support the education pathway of their choice. “Historically and today, education for Black folks has been denied, taken away, colonized, privatized, co-opted, and is rooted in white supremacy culture,” wrote organizers in a news release. “Access to education and the right to choose the kind of...
BRATTLEBORO-The Brattleboro Food Co-op recently donated $19,500 to Foodworks, the food shelf program of Groundworks Collaborative, using unredeemed and proactively donated shareholder patronage dividends from this year’s distribution. The co-op returns a share of its profits to its shareholders in the form of patronage dividends in years when it is financially feasible. Shareholders who did not redeem their dividend by June 30 had it automatically directed to this donation; others chose to give their dividend to Foodworks proactively. Together, these...
The Northeast Men’s Summer Chorus, carrying on the tradition of the Yankee Male Chorus, announces its seventh annual Performance Tour at local churches in Newfane, Chester, and Acworth, New Hampshire, during the Aug. 6–8 weekend. On Thursday, August 6, the first performance will be at The First Congregational Church of Newfane, 11 Church St. Friday night will be at the United Church of Acworth, 16 Town Hall Rd., and Saturday night at the Chester Baptist Church, 162 Main St. All...
BELLOWS FALLS-Loaded with powerhouse jazz ringers, Dr. Julian’s Yes Yes — a new project of the ethnomusicologist-composer-master of drum traditions Julian Gerstin — will play the nonprofit listening room Stage 33 Live, at 33 Bridge St., Saturday, Aug. 15, at 7 p.m. The Julian Gerstin Sextet packed Stage 33 Live in 2024, and now Gerstin has a new eclectic jazz project called Dr. Julian’s Yes Yes — “a fun, affirming name for a fun, affirming music experience,” said organizers in...
PUTNEY-Next Stage Arts presents Bywater Call, the seven-piece Southern soul and roots rock band from Toronto, Friday, Aug. 14 at 6 p.m. at Putney Inn Field, 57 Putney Landing Rd. Gates open at 5 p.m. Bywater Call is fronted by vocalist Meghan Parnell. The band combines guitar, keyboards, horns, and a rhythm section. Drawing on influences from classic soul, R&B, roots rock, blues, and Americana, Bywater Call has earned a devoted international following. The band has received U.K. Blues Award...
BRATTLEBORO-The Brattleboro Rotary Club recently awarded a total of $18,000 in scholarshipsto six local high school students who will be attending college this fall. The scholarships are funded by The Gateway Foundation, an affiliate of the Brattleboro Rotary Club. This year’s recipients include Reese Croutworst of Jacksonville, who will attend Springfield College; Taylor Honeycutt of Hinsdale, New Hampshire, who will attend the University of New Hampshire; Arianna McGivney of Vernon, who will attend the University of Utah; Isabella Squiers-Restino of...
BRATTLEBORO-The town of Brattleboro says construction to replace the retaining wall on Church Street has begun. The project will be completed by a private contractor and is expected to continue for several weeks. During construction, the eastbound (downhill) lane of Church Street will be closed to all through traffic. Motorists traveling downhill will be detoured via School Street or Lower Green Street, while the westbound (uphill) lane will remain open to traffic. For the safety of pedestrians, the sidewalk within...
College news • Charles Glass of West Wardsboro recently graduated from the University at Albany (New York) with an Master of Social Work degree. • Kathleen Dole of Bellows Falls recently graduated with a degree from Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. Dole was also named to the spring 2026 Dean’s List, along with Anna Bloom of Brattleboro, Ana Hernandez-Merkle of Saxtons River, Eben Wagner of Brattleboro, and Broden Walsh of Marlboro. • The following local students graduated with the Class...
BELLOWS FALLS-Residents and visitors may notice architectural historians and surveyors walking the streets of downtown Bellows Falls over the next several months. There's no need for concern, say Rockingham Historic Preservation Commission members - those surveyors are helping document the community's rich history. The Commission has hired Hartgen Archaeological Associates to update the National Register of Historic Places documentation for downtown Bellows Falls. The project will update historic surveys completed in 1982 and 1990 and prepare a new National Register...
BRATTLEBORO-The Vermont Jazz Center (VJC) representatives are excited to announce the launch of the VJC Archive. A celebratory livestream and in-person event will be held Friday, Aug. 7, at 10 a.m., with jazz scholar and archivist Ben Young, who will provide an overview of the Archive. For nearly three decades, under the direction of Eugene Uman and Elsa Borrero, the Vermont Jazz Center archive team has documented concerts, masterclasses, interviews, and educational programs. These historically significant gems include recent events...
BRATTLEBORO-The New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA) has announced the launching of the second annual Vermont Circus Festival, which it says will “transform Brattleboro into a vibrant celebration of circus arts” from Nov. 1–8. Advance pass tickets are on sale, offering a package of discounts on shows and workshops. The Vermont Circus Festival is a regional event with an international draw framed around circus performances, workshops, and activities in Brattleboro and expanding to Putney. “By sharing the magic of...
BELLOWS FALLS-The Rockingham Historic Preservation Commission invites residents to nominate properties for the 2026 Rockingham Old House Awards. For nearly three decades, the Old House Awards have celebrated the people who help preserve the character and history of Rockingham through the care, restoration, and improvement of older buildings. Since the program began in 1997, more than 180 historic properties throughout the town have been recognized. "Every restored porch, fresh coat of paint, repaired window, or carefully maintained storefront helps keep...
BRATTLEBORO-It’s the end of a meaningful retail era in the tri-state area. What wars, recessions, and the internet couldn’t do, the lack of a fourth generation of the business has been the final blow. Brad Borofsky is completely closing down Sam’s Outdoor Outfitters. The chain’s flagship store, the sprawling 92-year-old Brattleboro store on Main Street — “The Biggest Little Store in the World” — has been a mostly dark and empty space since it closed in April 2024. But the...
DUMMERSTON-A few corrections or clarification are in order regarding Tom Boswell‘s piece. Tom said I was a representative of NAACP. I told him only that I was a member of NAACP. I was not at the meeting as a representative of NAACP but as a private concerned citizen who has been involved since 2017 with the process of improving the Fair and Impartial Policing Policy (FIPP). I was at the Police Academy that year when the policy was watered down...
WEST BRATTLEBORO-I met Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amanda Janoo at a recent event in Guilford and was impressed by her vision and proactivity. It feels like Gov. Phil Scott has lost the will to serve or lead. His politics are mostly reactionary (aka veto-happy) and out of touch with what people actually need. I believe Ms. Janoo, with her extensive background in wellness and economics, is committed to actually solving problems of affordability, housing, and healthcare. I'm particularly grateful for her...
Peter Barus writes: "I have quite a lot of information about the nuclear power/weapons industry, and the AI industry, and a lot to say about them," which is central to his volunteer work with the Veterans for Peace Uranium Weapons Working Group. "This year we produced a the Ratcliffe Mobile Community Mass-Spectrometry Lab, which is now in New Mexico, having just visited the site of the infamous Church Rock spill. This lab provides free analysis for communities showing how much...
BRATTLEBORO-I would be on the fence about whom to vote for in this year’s Democratic primary for governor if not for the fact that our daughter, Emily Blistein, worked closely with Aly Richards, who was then the CEO of the child advocacy group Let’s Grow Kids. During that time, I heard a lot about Aly — her clear vision; her ability to organize, to lead, to grasp complex issues, and to make bold decisions; and her wide-reaching understanding of the...
BRATTLEBORO-As we fight to keep our hospitals open and our families safe, and as we face a governor who has sold out to the White House - Remember how last year he handed over Vermonters' sensitive data to the feds? - we need two leaders who will stand up for us: Amanda Janoo and Molly Gray. I invite you to join me in voting in the Democratic primary here in Vermont for Amanda Janoo for governor, and Molly Gray for...
PUTNEY-I write in support of Molly Gray, candidate for lieutenant governor. I’d like briefly to focus upon two qualities that I have seen in her: competence and compassion. I came to know Molly when I was a director of fair and impartial policing for the Vermont State Police and she was stewarding the Vermont Afghan Alliance. She had gotten in touch with the agency with the intent of presenting to the Alliance’s people a workshop concerning interactions with law enforcement.
WILLIAMSVILLE-An open letter to the editor, VTrans, Vermont state legislators: There is an obvious problem with speeders on all of our local roads. We all know that, especially in places like Williamsville, where we have a state road running straight through our sidewalk-less village in a direct line to a major mountain resort that attracts not only skiers but visitors for year-round activities and events. In conversation with other folks in our adjacent area, I'm hearing 60-80 mph drag racing.
