BRATTLEBORO - The Early Learning Center Preschool Staff at the Winston Prouty Center for Child Development have begun training in Tools of the Mind, a research and play-based curriculum. They were joined in this training by local collaborators Windham Southeast Supervisory Union's Essential Early Education program and Putney Preschool.
Prouty's two preschool classrooms are gradually implementing the curriculum, which is designed as a two-year process.
Since 1969, the Winston Prouty Center for Child Development has provided inclusive education and family support to promote the success of children and families. For more information, visit www.winstonprouty.org.
...Many adults live with at least one chronic condition, including arthritis, heart disease, or diabetes. Many of them take multiple medicines and/or herbal remedies and consult with more than one healthcare provider. This, plus age-related changes that affect the way certain drugs work in the body, can set the...
The Rice Green Knights completed an undefeated season and won their second state Division II football championship in three years on Saturday, but the Bellows Falls Terriers made them work for it. Second-seeded BF battled toe-to-toe with top-seeded Rice until the final quarter in a 23-14 loss at South...
The 17th annual fall concerts of the Brattleboro Women's Chorus will be Saturday, Nov. 17, and Sunday, Nov. 18, at the First Baptist Church in Brattleboro. Local women and girls led by the chorus' founder/director, Becky Graber, will present songs of pilgrimage - travels of spirit in a concert called So Glad I'm Here. Among the eclectic “travels of the spirit” songs to be performed are an original composition by Graber called Heaven Above, Earth Below, her arrangements of three...
I learned about chia seeds from my daughter Asia, who learned about them from Born To Run by Christopher McDougall, a book about the long-distance running ability of the Tarahumara people of Mexico. The Tarahumara use chia seeds to enhance their endurance, enabling them to run from place to place throughout their high-mountain abodes. They run in 100-mile marathons, easily finishing before all other competitors. Of course, I already knew about chia seeds from those Chia Pets that were advertised...
The Vermont Jazz Center at the Cotton Mill will present the legendary drummer Louis Hayes in concert with his New York-based quartet on Saturday, Nov. 17, at 8 p.m. Hayes will appear with Jason Curry on alto sax, Sharp Radway on piano, and Alex Claffey on bass. Hayes was the drumming pulse behind some of jazz's greatest luminaries including John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Oscar Peterson, Horace Silver, and the Cannonball Adderley Quintet. From his mentorship at an early age with...
Patti Smith of the Brattleboro Environmental Education Center (BEEC) will give pointers on wildlife tracking on Wednesday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m. at the Putney Cares Barn on Kimball Hill Road, Putney. The program is sponsored by the Putney Conservation Commission which is welcoming back last winter's trackers and inviting others to join its Wildlife Corridor Tracking Program. Smith's talk will answer questions raised by some of the more than 30 volunteers who searched for paw and hoof prints along...
Obituaries • Herminia “Minnie” Carrasquillo, 99, of Brattleboro. Died Nov. 3 at Pine Heights Nursing Home. Memorial information: Services for Mrs. Carrasquillo were private with interment in Meetinghouse Hill Cemetery. Donations to the Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund, in care of The American Red Cross Windham County Chapter, 81 High St., Brattleboro, VT 05301. • Elizabeth Liz Anne Myers, 68, of West Dover. Died Nov. 7 at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington following a courageous battle with ovarian cancer. Wife...
A teen indie-rock group, The Snaz, took first prize in Youth Services' Battle of the Bands on Nov. 2 during Brattleboro's Gallery Walk. Sponsored by The Richards Group, it was a fierce competition between five area bands that were judged on crowd appeal, musical technicality, stage performance, and originality. The Snaz consists of Sally Fletcher of Putney on bass, Mavis Eaton of Brattleboro on piano, Dharma Ramirez on guitar, and Zack James of Brattleboro on drums. In awarding them the...
Commonwealth Dairy expected to add 50 jobs in its first five years. Since starting operations in 2011, the fledgling yogurt company employs more than 80 full-time workers and additional temporary staff. “We definitely blew that one [estimate] away,” said Benjamin Johnson, chief financial officer with Commonwealth. He credits the company's quick growth to market demand and, overall, a good sense of timing. Commonwealth announced on Nov. 1 that it received $12.2 million in financing. According to Johnson, the funds are...
After a year of turmoil and trouble, the Brattleboro Food Co-op threw itself a party on Saturday, Nov. 12. Even though its new store has been open since June, and the tenants have been moving into the 24 new apartments above the store since September, the co-op held off on its grand opening celebration until the last crucial piece of the $9 million dollar project was completed - the parking lot. There is a bit more to be done on...
This is the season for giving thanks and, since 2007, Luz Elena Morey has organized an annual presentation of music, dance, visual art, poetry, and drama called Gathering in Gratitude. On Saturday, Nov. 17, at 4:45 p.m. at the Latchis 4 in Brattleboro, Mahalo Art Center will present the world premiere of the short film, Gathering in Gratitude 2012: The Source, created by filmmaker Chip Duggan with Morey. In addition to the showing of the film, there will be an...
Hugh Keelan, the Windham Orchestra's music director, is a native of England but hasn't tried putting together a concert showcasing the music of his homeland. Until now. This weekend, the Windham Orchestra opens its 2012-13 season with British Jubilee, a special concert that includes pieces from the three most beloved British composers of the twentieth century. The first half of the program consists of Frederick Delius' Irmelin Prelude and Benjamin Britten's Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, followed after intermission...
The Commons recently received a request from Lyman Orton, proprietor of the Vermont Country Store, for help identifying the people and place depicted in a painting that he has acquired for his Lost Vermont Images collection. The painting, Family Restaurant, was made by Kyra Markham, an influential painter and printmaker of her time who lived in West Halifax between 1946 and 1959. Orton would like to know who the people in the painting are, and what restaurant is depicted. Donnel...
Marriage equality. It was the first question on our ballot here. A yes vote supports my right to apply for a marriage license issued by the state, even if my intended spouse is the same sex as I. It protects the right of religious institutions to decide whether or not to perform same-sex marriage ceremonies. I voted yes. So did most of my friends and some of my family. Some of my friends worked incredibly hard to make sure I...
Vermont takes its maple syrup seriously, so one would expect that changing grading standards that have been in place for decades would meet with some resistance. A proposal is in the works by the Vermont Maple Sugarmakers Association (VMSA) to bring the state's grading system in line with the International Maple Syrup Institute's (IMSI) grading system. The letter grades now used by Vermont sugarmakers - Grade A Fancy, Grade A Medium Amber, Grade A Dark Amber, Grade B, and Grade...
Village Square Booksellers will be hosting a weekend of literary events on Nov. 16 and 17 at the bookstore on The Square in Bellows Falls. Newfane author Archer Mayor will be making his annual visit to Village Square Booksellers on Friday, Nov. 16, at 7 p.m., as part of Bellows Falls Third Fridays (BF3F), to discuss his 23rd Joe Gunther mystery book, Paradise City, this time focusing on Northampton, Mass. Joe Gunther and his team at the Vermont Bureau of...
For the next year or so, it's going to be a little harder to get around Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, but President and CEO Steve Gordon wants to assure everyone that the inconvenience is going to be well worth it. Work began on Monday on BMH's $7.5 million renovation and expansion of the hospital's Emergency Department. As part of the first phase of the project, the current main entrance to the hospital will be closed and the canopy will be taken...
Why did Mitt Romney lose the presidency? And what should Republicans do about it? I'm not seeing a whole lot from Republicans on these questions, though I'm sure many of them are chewing on it. To me, the answers are easy. Long before the election, I decided that President Barack Obama was bound to win, given that Republicans had taken positions that amounted to writing off most black, Hispanic, and gay voters. That's a total of more than 25 percent...
On Oct. 20, Halifax gathered for a wonderful evening of community spirit, sharing memories of Tropical Storm Irene and our recovery efforts thus far. Thanks were extended to the Emergency Operations Center staff; the Halifax Highway Department and temporary town staff; the Fire Department; the Selectboard; Emergency Medical Services personnel; the town clerk and treasurer; contractors; regional, state, and federal officials; and local volunteers. Special honorees were Christina Moore and Timothy Putnam. We also want thank the following people for...
On Nov. 3, a whole room full of people came out to support Brattleboro Area Hospice (BAH) at its Chair-ished Goods Auction and bid on a wide range of goods in both a silent and the live auction (ably done by Kit Martin). Adding interest to an auction with many terrific items donated by our league of Hospice friends, the evening featured a creative, artistic event with specially selected refurbished, hand-painted, and otherwise embellished chairs also available for bidding. These...
RE: “Can a bicycle replace the family car?” [News, Nov. 7]: A spot of inspiring news! If people in Vermont can ride bikes even in the winter, we certainly can here in California!
As part of its “Small and Inspiring” grant program, the Vermont Community Foundation recently awarded a $1,900 grant to the South Newfane Community Association. The association used the funds to purchase and install a new heater in the Old South Newfane Schoolhouse, a public building owned by the village's residents. The efficient Rinnai gas heater was installed in the schoolhouse on Nov. 2, replacing an aging propane heater. The new, much quieter system will allow public meetings and events to...
My son was recently hospitalized for his third suicide attempt. Contrary to the knee-jerk reaction of armchair parental authorities online, we are a tight-knit, supportive family with active aunts, uncles, and grandparents as well as an extended network of family friends. My kids do well in school, don't eat junk, and are required to show me their web browser history on surprise inspections. When asked, they say they're sure that their parents love them. (We do.) So what would drive...
Vermont Edition, VPR's daily newsmagazine program, will broadcast live from the Brattleboro Co-Op's Wellstone Café on Thursday, November 15 at noon. Jane Lindholm will host a conversation exploring some of the challenges the town has faced over the last several years, including the damage brought by Tropical Storm Irene and the downtown fire at Brooks House - as well as how the town is rebounding. The program will also focus on the influx of academic offerings in Brattleboro. The live...
A drive down the Green River Road in mid-November has become a tradition for many area folks. The reason is the annual Holiday Studio Sale at Carol Schnabel's weaving studio. This year the event will take place on Friday, Nov. 16, from 3 to 8 p.m., and on Saturday, Nov. 17, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 410 Green River Road in Guilford. Schnabel's studio is transformed into a retail space, and an assortment of area artisans will join...
The Steel Wheels return to Vermont with a show at the Bellows Falls Opera House on Thursday, Nov. 15. At this show, The Steel Wheels will support the music program at Bellows Falls' Central Elementary School. A financial contribution will be made by the band to the school based on the number of tickets sold. The show promoters are pledging to donate their share of the show's “back end” to the school program as well. Based in the Blue Ridge...
Drivers honked their horns Monday afternoon as they drove down Linden Street past the Brattleboro Retreat. Employees and members of United Nurses & Allied Professionals (UNAP), waved to the motorists, sharing a moment of agreement. The purpose of the day's rally - described as an “informational action” - was to demonstrate to the administration and community, “that the CEO can't get excellence and innovation for free,” said Jack Callaci, UNAP's director of collective bargaining and organizing, referencing Retreat CEO Robert...
Attorneys representing Vermont and Louisiana-based Entergy Corp. are getting in their last jabs before a New York City showdown in the U.S. Court of Appeals. Last month, the state submitted a written argument and Vermont Yankee Nuclear Plant's parent company followed up with a reply on Friday, Nov. 9. The case was triggered by Vermont Attorney General Bill Sorrell's February appeal of federal Judge J. Garvan Murtha's decision to allow Vermont Yankee to continue operating past its state-mandated shutdown date...
There are stories throughout American history of early settlers' children being abducted and raised among Native tribes for the rest of their lives. However, some stories are less well-known than others. Stuart Strothman's recently published historical novel Sackett tells a lesser-known story of Elizabeth Sackett, a Puritan child abducted at age 5 from Westfield, Mass., and raised among Abenaki Indians. She later married an Abenaki, and their son - known as Sackett - grew up to play a significant role...
An benefit event at the 1846 Tavern at the West Dover Inn will raise funds for the family of a student critically injured in London. According to several London news accounts, Amy Werner, daughter of Rich and Regina Werner, remains in critical but stable condition after a car left the road and careened into a sidewalk, hitting her and killing a young mother. “The Werners have flown to be with her in England, and are staying by her side as...