RE: “No bull” [Counterpoint, July 18]:
As far as Phil Innes's source of info, dogsbite.org: I urge any any readers wanting true statistics and data to check the background of their sources. Please do a web search for the truth about this website and Colleen Lynn, its owner.
Dogsbite calls for pit-bull bans and other measures that have been discredited by many major national organizations, including the ASPCA. The fabrications and misinformation on this site have robbed many innocent dogs of their lives.
Breed-specific bans are unconstitutional and have been deemed so by several states. I hope Vermont will become one of them. We don't want to see Colorado's, Canada's and Ireland's Gestapo-like confiscation of pets here.
The Chester Crush and the Claremont Cardinals have been atop the Connecticut River Valley Baseball League standings all season, so it was fitting that they were the two teams playing on Sunday afternoon for the CRVBL championship. But it was the Cardinals that came away champions, with a 3-1...
The Shumlin administration is inching ever closer to its goal of universal broadband Internet coverage by the end of 2013. A meeting updating the efforts of the Vermont Telecommunications Authority (VTA) in the area is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 23, at 5:30 p.m., at the Municipal Center, 230 Main...
For the past decade or more, issues of school safety have been front and center in schools and communities across the country. The tragedy and injustice of bullying is finally becoming clear to educators, parents, and state leaders. Up to three-quarters of all students report being exposed to bullies in school. While new anti-bullying policies and zero-tolerance disciplinary models might be a welcome attempt to ensure that adults begin to more fully address the suffering and humiliation imposed by bullies,
RE: “A people problem, not a dog problem” [Letters, June 20]: Just because a breed of dog known to be violent can be a “wonderful family pet” doesn't mean it won't ever be violent. It seems to me that if people want to own a member of a breed that can unpredictably attack, they should take every precaution (leash, fencing, training) to keep the animal isolated. If the dog winds up mauling them or their children, so be it -
I strongly encourage the voters of the Windham-3 district, including those who live in the towns of Athens, Brookline, Grafton, Rockingham, Windham, and a portion of North Westminster, to exercise their right to vote in the primary election on Aug. 28. I humbly ask for your consideration and vote and suggest that you consider using your early voting option by contacting your town clerk. I offer my experience, leadership, caring dedication, and hard work if I am re-elected. We face...
The Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce's One and Only Brattleboro campaign will present a community dance party called “Swingin' at the Garden.” This all-dancing benefit kick-off to the Chamber's Swing into Fall campaign will take place on Saturday, Sept. 8, starting at 8 p.m. at the Robert H. Gibson River Garden, 153 Main St., and will feature the Keene Jazz Orchestra under the leadership of Scott Mullett and featuring local Brattleboro jazz players, including Eugene Uman, artistic director of the...
It is easy to be impressed with Kate O'Connor's experience, but I am also impressed by her commitment to Brattleboro and its success. She has demonstrated in conversation and in action around the district an interest in creating a healthy, thriving economy with rising wages and a growing work force. Her family has a long history of public service, as we all know. They bring passion and energy to their commitments, as does she. Kate takes these “good bones,” and...
Obituaries • Ann R. Bevis, 77, of Winchester, N.H., formerly of West Chesterfield, N.H. Died Aug. 11 at her home following a brief battle with cancer. Wife of the late Chester S. Bevis for 50 years. Mother of Brenda St. John and husband, Wayne, of Brattleboro; Stephen “Bart” Bevis of West Chesterfield; and Pamela Nadeau of Keene, N.H. Sister of Louise Hume and her husband, Bill, of Greenfield, Mass., and the late Warren “Buddy” Root. Born at the Franklin County...
From my 1990 campaign for Vermont lieutenant governor, through my 1991 ascendancy to governor, to my 2004 race for president, Kate O'Connor stood by me as one of my most loyal and longest-serving aides. I wholeheartedly endorse her in the Aug. 28 Democratic primary for Brattleboro's District 3 House seat. I'm just one of three Democratic Vermont governors (along with Madeleine Kunin and Peter Shumlin) Kate has worked for in her 25 years of public service. As her boss and...
The Vermont Agency of Transportation is planning to take down the pair of beautiful steel Interstate 91 bridges over the West River in Brattleboro and replace them with an ugly concrete bridge. State officials say there is very little time for public discussion about this plan because the federal government has set a strict deadline for funding the project. People should look at the drawings of the agency's proposed bridge (the drawings are available by calling Gov. Peter Shumlin's office),
Our community faces real challenges, and the choice of who represents us in Montpelier matters. The voters of Brattleboro District 3 have a great opportunity to elect an outstanding, dedicated, and talented citizen to represent us in Montpelier in the primary on Tuesday, Aug. 28. I believe that Tristan Toleno is the best person for the job. Tristan has the right temperament. It is not just his energy, enthusiasm, and smarts. While Tristan has all these qualities, he also has...
Motorcycle ride benefits food pantry WEST DOVER - The second annual Deerfield Valley Food Pantry Benefit Motorcycle Ride will be held on Saturday, Aug. 25. Registration is 9-10 a.m. at the Valley View Saloon on Route 100 in West Dover. The self-guided, 110-mile ride will take riders through southern Vermont and New York. The suggested donation for the ride is $5 plus five cans of food, or $10 per motorcycle. There will be raffle tickets and event t-shirts for sale.
Picture the scene, if you will: I'm dragging my son through a medium-sized shop-up at Hannaford. We are on the home stretch, in the refrigerator/freezer section, I'm leaning in to get butter, I pop back up from the glass door just as an old lady whizzes past me with her cart. Instead of apologizing for almost clipping me, she starts shaking her head with the “There's No Accounting for Some Jerks These Days” look on her face. What? I long...
I am writing to express my support for Tristan Toleno in the race for state representative from District 3. I first came to know Tristan when he was the chef and managing partner of Riverview Café. Tristan and his partners lived out their stated values by working with local farmers and businesses and encouraging customers to do the same. Since that time, I have continued to witness his commitment to our town and the overall health of our community. Tristan...
I am writing this letter in support of Kate O'Connor, Brattleboro Statehouse Democratic representative candidate for town District 3. I have just finished reading a book that Kate has complied in her travels with past Governor Howard Dean, who attempted to run for the Democratic Presidential nominee in the 2004 election for president of the United States. I am in absolute awe of the experiences that this young woman has had the opportunity to acquire during this extremely exciting endeavor.
The United Way of Windham County recently announced that it is closing down the Brooks House Fire Fund, and redistributing the remaining donations to aid ongoing relief efforts from the after effects of Tropical Storm Irene. The Brooks House fire on April 18, 2011, left 68 people without homes and most of their possessions. Immediately after the fire, the Brooks House Fire Fund was established and the community raised more than $23,000 to aid the displaced residents. United Way of...
I'm writing to share my support for Kate O'Connor, candidate for state representative from Brattleboro, District 3. Kate's experience on the local, state, and national levels has prepared her to very ably represent Brattleboro in Montpelier. Kate and I worked together on the staff of Gov. Howard Dean, and I know how much she loves this town and this state. She is knowledgeable about issues, knows the state's agencies and boards, and understands the importance of the balance of power...
The next stage of the ongoing renovations to the Rockingham Free Public Library (RFPL) have forced the library to close through Sept. 3. But patrons need not worry about going into book withdrawal or about accumulating fines during the closure. The RFPL staff has done as much as it can to make these next two weeks as painless as possible. “Because this was announced with such short notice, there may be patrons with items due during the closing, so we...
With subjects that range from New York's Ellis Island and upstate forests, to Monet's garden in Giverny, France, 30 of Sally Apfelbaum's works made between 1987 and 2012 are on display until Sept. 2 at the Vermont Center for Photography. Apfelbaum, a photographer and painter whose work has been shown in collections internationally, has taught as a visiting artist at Middlebury College, Cooper Union, Parsons School of Design, and the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Apfelbaum primarily...
The Interractive Arts Collective presents the eighth annual Abene African Dance and Drum Festival on Aug. 24-26 at the (air-conditioned) Stone Church, 210 Main St. The word “Abene” means “place where good is encountered” and is the name of the village in southern Senegal, West Africa. The festival in Brattleboro was started to showcase Senegalese master dancer Cara Diallo, who came to the area to teach each year for six years until 2010. Diallo was not able to come this...
Thanks to Meeting Waters YMCA, hundreds of kids in southeastern Vermont can continue to learn and develop important social skills even after the bell rings at the end of the school day. Now in its 15th year of operation, the Y's After-School Program for Inspiration, Recreation and Education (ASPIRE) takes place at Brattleboro's Oak Grove, Green Street, and Academy schools; Dummerston School; at Meeting Waters YMCA's Bellows Falls facility for students that attend Saxtons River School and Rockingham Central School;
Beginning Wednesday, Aug. 29 at 7 p.m., Brooks Memorial Library will present a reading and discussion series on farms and gardens. Join the conversation with your neighbors in this four-book Vermont Humanities Council discussion series facilitated by VHC scholar Richard Wizansky. Vermonters know as well as anyone the rich metaphors inherent in farming and gardening. These authors dig deep to explore the philosophical roots, family dynamics, and personal enrichment associated with tending and growing The series begins with Michael Pollan's...
The Halifax Community Hall is need of major repairs, and the Community Club that takes care of it could use a few more members. That's what Joan Courser told the Selectboard at its Aug. 7 meeting. In a letter to the board, Courser wrote that the roof of the historic 1844 building is leaking, and water is coming down onto the ceiling and the walls. While Courser believes the club can get away with fixing half of the roof now...
Severe deterioration of the bridge deck has prompted the closure of the Castle Hill Bridge on South Main Street for up to three weeks. Town Manager Scott Murphy told the Selectboard last week that the deterioration was discovered when the paving coat was removed during milling work on South Main Street. Murphy said the damage had nothing to do with flooding from Tropical Storm Irene last year, since the underside of the bridge is sound. The bridge was closed to...
With an estimated bill of $733 million to repair or replace buildings and infrastructure damaged by Tropical Storm Irene, Vermont is now borrowing money at a faster pace than any other state in the country. According to a report last week by Bloomberg News, the state of Vermont and its cities and towns have sold $492 million of municipal bonds so far this year. That is up $99 million over the same period last year. Roads and infrastructure in 200...
In past years when I have canvassed door-to-door, I was taken aback by those who said, “I'm not voting; I don't want to encourage either of them.” That's clearly not a good option. This year there are a few primary decisions to be made. So, first, be informed and vote! Aug. 28 or before at the town clerk's office. This letter is about Sen. Vincent Illuzzi, whom I met in March when he chaired a State Senate hearing in Brattleboro.
The town will mark the one-year anniversary of Tropical Storm Irene and the loss of the Lower Bartonsville Covered Bridge with a ceremony and barbecue at the bridge site on Tuesday, Aug. 28. The event, which will also celebrate the next stage of work to replace the bridge, will begin at 4 p.m. If work goes as scheduled, the new bridge will be open by mid-January. The Bartonsville Covered Bridge was built in 1870 and is the main link to...
Gov. Peter Shumlin will mark the one-year anniversary of Tropical Storm Irene with a four-day, 22-town tour that will take him to the Vermont communities hardest hit by the storm. The tour begins on Saturday in southern Vermont, with scheduled stops in Brattleboro, Rockingham, Wilmington, Stratton, and Jamaica. It continues on Aug. 26, 27, and 28. Shumlin will be presenting officials in each town with “I Am Vermont Strong” license plates, which are being sold to raise money to help...
It is our pleasure to support Kate O'Connor for the District 3 House seat. We have known the O'Connor family for decades. Kate's father, Tim. represented Brattleboro in the Legislature and was elected as Vermont's first Democratic Speaker of the House. As House Speaker, Tim was respected by his colleagues for his fairness, his willingness to listen to all sides, and for his desire to do what was right for all Vermonters. We'd call Kate a chip off the old...
Less than a week before the Aug. 28 primary, the Democratic race for the attorney general's office boils down to a contest between an incumbent with 15 years experience and a newcomer with big ideas. Incumbent Attorney General Bill Sorrell describes the decision for voters as whether to stay with a long track record of accomplishments or switch to an “undefined future.” But Chittenden County State's Attorney T.J. Donovan, the challenger, says that the decision for voters is choosing between...
National Geographic photographer Jon Brack will offer his vision of Haiti in a presentation and dinner Sunday, Sept. 2 at 6 p.m. at Christ's Church. The program is jointly sponsored by Main Street Arts (MSA) and Friends of Haiti, with all proceeds evenly divided between children's programming at MSA and the What If? Foundation (WIF), which puts donations toward feeding and educating children in Haiti. Brack's photographs are the result of his work with Photo Camp Haiti, during which 17...
Steve “Corm” Cormier, a longtime fixture on the Burlington radio scene, has been hired to be the station manager and morning host at WTSA AM-FM. Cormier, along with former UVM men's basketball coach Tom Brennan, co-hosted the “Corm and The Coach” morning show for 18 years on Burlington radio. He was a close friend of the late Bill Corbeil, who purchased WTSA in 2007 with his wife, Kelli. Kelli Corbeil, the current owner and general manager of WTSA, said she...
The last thing you want to hear is a has-been politician telling you who to vote for in the Aug. 28 primary election; Vermonters can decide that themselves. That said, at the risk of offending you, you have a diligent and experienced Democratic team, Carolyn Partridge and Matt Trieber, representing you at the Statehouse. The team needs your support on Aug. 28. And while I have your attention, thank you very much for the privilege of representing you in Montpelier...
The struggle that is at stake in the District 3 race whittles down to a very simple picture. Kate O'Connor, if she is a Democrat at all or just cloaking herself in the name to capture votes, is well to the right. Her loyalties are quite clearly to the status quo. Her refusal to even mention issues, let alone take a position (rather inappropriate for a legislative candidate), is simply to win over conservative Democrats. Tristan Toleno leans somewhere slightly...
Nearly a year after Tropical Storm Irene's floodwaters wreaked unimaginable havoc across Windham County, hundreds of families and businesses affected by the storm are back on their feet, yet recovery is not over for many of them. They're repairing damage to their homes; cleaning debris from their properties; and discovering new problems like mold, cracked foundations, and contaminated wells. Some still have not returned to their homes, and others are experiencing symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. On Tuesday, Aug. 28,
It is not the place of local government to be the voice of negativity. Selectboard members are the public image of our town, and to hear many of them openly disparage the character of the townspeople with perpetual pessimism, as was the case in the closing minutes of Townshend's Aug. 6 Selectboard meeting, is disappointing, to say the least. Realism and realistic expectations rightly have a prominent place in public discussion, but to hear a Selectboard quibble about the value...
There's no doubt in Rep. Matt Trieber's mind that he is a Democrat. Trieber, D-Bellows Falls, is running along with fellow incumbent Rep. Carolyn Partridge. D-Windham, and Bellows Falls attorney Chris Moore, for one of two House seats in the Windham-3 district - Athens, Brookline, Grafton, Rockingham, a portion of Westminster, and Windham - in the Aug. 28 primary. Moore has attempted to raise questions about Trieber's standing as a Democrat. In an Aug. 8 article, Moore told The Commons...
RE: “Something missing in our news” [Viewpoint, Aug. 15]: There is something about sitting down with a newspaper. Pulling the sections apart and piling them in order to be read. Rustling the paper and reading about foreign affairs or local news over a cup of tea. I may have my websites in which I seek out news, but I still buy newspapers. There is just something tangible about holding the news in your hands. There is nothing like it and...
The breeding season for the birds is just about over. In my yard it has been a successful and entertaining season, with a succession of young birds being fed in the trees and bushes and around the feeders. But what I see in my yard is just a fraction of the activity, challenges, and drama of the breeding birds. As an example, let's begin with a few dry facts about the American Robin. The male and female build a cup...
Brattleboro Memorial Hospital is one of 10 Vermont hospitals taking part in a project to improve exclusive breastfeeding rates, prevent childhood obesity, and promote lifelong health. Organized by the Vermont Department of Health's division of Maternal and Child Health's Nutrition program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), the goal of the 10 Steps to Empower Mothers and Nurture Babies project is designed to help hospitals achieve World Health Organization guidelines that have been consistently associated with successful breastfeeding. As part...
Thirteen months after a truck driver, impatient to make it through a congested intersection, drove on the sidewalk and demolished the outer panels of the Latchis Theatre marquee, drive-by movie fans will again have an opportunity to check out what's playing. Work began Tuesday morning on the historic theater's new marquee fabricated by Wagner Electric Sign Co. of Elyria, Ohio, a company that specializes in restoration of old theater marquees. Local contractors GPI Construction and A.L. Tyler and Sons are...
As a Brattleboro District 3 resident, I would like to warmly encourage all eligible voters to head to the polls on Tuesday, Aug. 28 and vote for Tristan Toleno. Tristan is a passionate and active advocate for Brattleboro, and I am confident his critical thinking and steadfast commitment will represent us well in Montpelier. In particular, I support his efforts to increase access to local, healthy, and affordable food options for our community and further developing a comprehensive local and...
On Friday, Aug. 24, Roger Albee will be the featured speaker at the Historical Society of Windham County's annual meeting held at the NewBrook Fire House in Newfane at 7 p.m. Vermont has a long and very diverse agricultural history. Albee's presentation will focus on the changes in agriculture that have taken place since the French and Indian War when white settlers moved into the area from primarily Southern New England. Going from subsistence farmers in the beginning, to the...