Two horseback riders were struck by a pickup truck in South Woodstock last month, leaving one horse dead.
The driver of the truck, Lawrence Allen, 64, of Bridgewater, has been cited on a charge of gross negligent operation and was issued a traffic ticket for control in the presence of animals.
Both riders were transported to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Hanover, N.H. with non-life threatening injuries. One horse was euthanized at the scene, and the other is being treated for its injuries.
“There was ample visible distance (at least a quarter of a mile) for a driver to be able to react to stop and/or slow down or at least to swerve around a pedestrian, cyclist or horse at that point of the road at the bridge,” Roxanne Winslow, the owner of the 8-year old mare who died, told the Vermont Standard. A friend was riding Winslow's horse at the time.
Births • In Brattleboro (Memorial Hospital), April 13, 2013, a daughter, Grace Lynn Cobb, to Katie Kennison-Cobb of Townshend and Larry Cobb III of Aurora, Maine; granddaughter to Carlena Lee of Townshend, Kathy Cobb of Aurora, and Larry Cobb Jr. of Orland, Maine. School news • Alexandra Miskovich, a...
The Brattleboro Union High School Class of 1963 is busily planning its 50th reunion on June 15. We are reaching out to the local community to help us locate those classmates with whom we have lost contact. If you know the whereabouts of any of the people listed below,
The Brattleboro Colonels won the state Division I softball title in 2010 and 2011, and lost in the championship game last year. The common denominator in these successes is pitcher Kayla Wood. Wood, now a senior, remains the indispensable player for the Colonels. When she's on, her teammates know they have an excellent chance of winning. Such was the case on April 17, as Brattleboro cruised to a 13-1 win over Amherst, Mass., in a five-inning game at Sawyer Field...
Vermont State Poet Laureate Sydney Lea will look at the lives and work of poets Robert Frost and William Wordsworth in a talk at Brooks Memorial Library in Brattleboro on May 1. His talk, “Frost and Wordsworth: Romantic Poetry in the Light of Common Day,” is part of the Vermont Humanities Council's First Wednesdays lecture series and takes place at 7 p.m. The poetry of Robert Frost (1874-1963) and William Wordsworth (1770-1850) depends heavily on the natural world and what...
Recently, The Commons carried a Viewpoint article [“Much worse than your woodstove,” April 10] that was directed toward the North Springfield Sustainable Energy Project (NSSEP). I am the senior technical director for this project, and live in Guilford. Because of the significant technical requirements placed on gaining approval of this 35 MW (electric output) cogeneration power plant fueled by wood chips, the public is afforded an accurate and transparent view of what constitutes this project through documents and testimony submitted...
The third Monday in April is Patriots' Day, a state holiday in Massachusetts. It marks the day in 1775 when, in the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, “By the rude bridge that arched the flood,/Their flag to April's breeze unfurled,/Here once the embattled farmers stood,/And fired the shot heard round the world.” Massachusetts, my native state, is the only state in the union with two holidays commemorating the kicking of British ass. (The other is Evacuation Day, on March 17,
Where can you learn about barred owls and bats, see a wolf and a wallaby, and enjoy a day outside along the beautiful Connecticut River? The Herricks Cove Wildlife Festival, of course. Folks have been celebrating spring and wildlife here on the first Sunday in May for the past 14 years. This year's festival, on May 5, includes nature presentations, activities, and programs featuring diverse animals, guided nature walks, crafts, tasty food, workshops, a kids' wildlife parade, birding, and more.
Toastmasters meeting on April 25 BRATTLEBORO - If shyness or inexperience with public speaking are holding you back, or is holding someone in your organization back, then Toastmasters is the answer. BrattleMasters, the Brattleboro-based chapter of Toastmasters International, meets Thursday, April 25, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Marlboro College Graduate Center, room 2E, 28 Vernon St. Now in its sixth year, BrattleMasters is welcoming past members to return and tell us what they've been up to, rekindle friendships, and...
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will be coming to Brattleboro on April 30 for its annual assessment of the Vermont Yankee nuclear reactor's performance. Over the years, many of us have prepared statements for these meetings with great attention to the many issues attendant to hosting a dangerous, aging nuclear reactor in our community. We have shared our years of self-education about the grave risks of nuclear disasters; the overfilled spent-fuel pool; the daily radioactive emissions from the reactor in...
Cuban percussionist William Armando Rodriguez, whom guitarist Jason Sperling has called “the greatest musician now living and performing in Southern Vermont,” is performing with his group De Lomas y Sones on Saturday, April 27, as part of a Latin Dance Party for Timson Hill Preschool's 25th anniversary celebration. The fundraiser runs from 6 to 11 p.m. at the Williamsville Grange. A silent auction runs 6 to 7:45, and the Latin dance party kicks off at 8. If Sperling's praise sounds...
In reading Stephen F. Minkin's Viewpoint [“Helping Bangladesh battle an epidemic of rickets,” March 27], one might be left with the impression that the main cause of rickets in Bangladesh can be attributed to the lack of sufficient small fish (which provide essential calcium), which in turn is due to flood-control projects funded by the Word Bank and other aid agencies and that the problem can, in part, be solved by restoring the flood plains. This is a rather distorted...
At the end of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck considers his options: stay with Aunt Sally and be “sivilized” or “light out for the territory.” Readers often see this dilemma as a choice between the status quo and a life of freedom. If Huck stays with Aunt Sally, he'll have to take baths and go to school. If he heads out for the territories, he'll get to continue his wild adventures. But that reading ignores the political conditions of...
Under Mary Westbrook-Geha's direction, the Blanche Moyse Chorale, the Strathmere Festival Orchestra and a quartet of vocal soloists will perform Bach's Mass in B-minor on Friday, April 26, at the Bellows Falls Opera House, and Saturday, April 27, at the First Baptist Church in Brattleboro. Soloists include Brattleboro Music Center's New England Bach Festival (NEBF) veterans Hyunah Yu (soprano) and Steven Paul Spears (tenor), as well as Katherine Maysek (mezzo-soprano) and David Tinervia (bass), both students of baritone Sanford Sylvan,
The Happy Valley Guitar Orchestra will make their Vermont debut at Hooker-Dunham Theater on Saturday, April 27, at 8 p.m. Founded in 2009 by musical director and Marlboro College graduate Peter Blanchette, HVGO is a true avant-garde orchestra, composed of 20 talented, enthusiastic, acoustic and electric guitarists from widely varied traditions. Like the traditional symphony orchestra, HVGO (www.hvgo.org) is an instrument unto itself for which composers can create new repertoire. To this end, Blanchette has specifically developed arrangements of both...
I have been a resident of Brattleboro for almost 10 years, and I am very concerned that the town not fall victim to commercial whimsy. The changes to Harmony Lot proposed by Kim Smith of the Conway School of Landscape Design [“Park, or parking?” News, April 17] are clearly a solution looking for a problem. From my experience in other small communities in Delaware, Massachusetts, and now Vermont, I have seen many unsolicited proposals masquerade as betterments. None of the...
Brattleboro Utilities Division crews will start spring flushing of the town water mains on Thursday, April 25, at 10 p.m. and continue through Saturday, May 11. Some daytime flushing will continue throughout the week of May 13. Water main flushing will occur during both night and day. Customers are asked to check the flushing schedule closely, as flushing causes water discoloration, low water pressure, and, in some areas, periods of no water. Night flushing will take place from 10 p.m.
Registration for the upcoming camp season has begun, with Meeting Waters YMCA offering four different camp experiences to give youth an adventurous, active and healthy summer. The programs are available for youth throughout southeastern Vermont and southwestern New Hampshire. Camp open houses will be held on Saturday, May 18, from 1 to 3 p.m.; Thursday, June 6, from 5 to 7 p.m., and Thursday, June 20, from 5 to 7 p.m. • Y Day Camp for 6-13 year-olds offers eight...
The Kurn Hattin Homes Select Choir has been chosen as one of nine regional choruses to appear on the finale of the WGBY public television choral competition series, “Together in Song” on Sunday, April 28. After reviewing the performances of 36 adult and children's choirs in various categories over four weeks, the judges announced their final selections April 16. The 40-member ensemble from Kurn Hattin was selected for its competition entry in the children's gospel category. “Together in Song,” now...
Green Up Day 2013 is Saturday, May 4. Vermont was the first state to designate a special day for cleaning up the entire state, 43 years ago in 1970. Anyone can help. Arrange a group or just show up at one of the Windham County locations below. Pick up bags, sign in your area of clean up, and have a complimentary coffee and doughnuts or even breakfast. For safety, wear bright colors, sturdy shoes, and gloves. Brattleboro • Elliot Street...
During this Earth Day 2013 season, let us take some time to slow down, catch our breath, and begin to believe that we can finally be sensible and caring enough to stop our civilization's stampede over the environmental cliff. I hope it's not news that all seven billion of us live on a planet that possesses limited resources. If everyone on Earth lived at the American rate of consumption, we would need four more planets. Obviously that's not going to...
It started with a simple request by Sharon Levenson, a registered nurse at the Veterans Administration's outpatient clinic at the Exit 1 Industrial Park. A few weeks ago, she read that Vermont Air National Guard Brig. Gen. Steven Cray was elected to the post of adjutant general. “I thought it would be a good idea to invite him to the clinic and have see the work we're doing,” she said. To her surprise, Cray said yes, and came to the...
On Monday April 29, at 7 p.m., in the Brooks Memorial Library meeting room, there will be a celebration to mark the publication of Ken Hebson's first book of poetry, “South from Istanbul.” Hebson will be joined by poet Wyn Cooper for a reading and book signing. Copies of Hebson's letterpress chapbook, published this month by Green River Press, will be available for purchase and signing, as will copies of Cooper's four books of poems. Hebson, who has lived in...
RE: “Bearing the brunt of the cuts” [Viewpoint, April 17]: Are we to feel sorry for Shela Linton? She laments her student loan debt. There are many women (myself included) who did not have the means to go to college and who did not qualify for any loans. She has two children, and there are so many women who are unable to have any. She laments working a job (despite her two college degrees) and earning $23,000 per year, yet...
Winter wasn't giving up. Several inches of snow fell during the night and was still falling in the morning, 24 hours before the vernal equinox. The flakes were wet and fine, glinting in the silver light of dawn. The fire in the woodstove had banished the early-morning chill. Light enveloped the east windows like a cocoon. It was a perfect day to begin spring cleaning, which, truth be told, was fall cleaning, too. Two cups of coffee had revved me...
Following the Joint Board meeting of April 16, and a “no confidence” vote, former town manager Tim Cullenen's termination was confirmed, and an interim manager appointed. Finance Director and lifetime local resident Willis David “Chip” Stearns II, was appointed interim manager on April 17, when both boards approved motions to appoint Stearns for three months at a salary of $69,000. “It's a verbal understanding of three months in the dual role of interim manager and finance director,” Stearns told The...
Vermont Yankee and other nuclear plants no longer just spin turbines and produce electricity. Nuclear plants, and the states that host them, must also acknowledge these sites as the nuclear waste storage facilities they are, said nuclear waste expert Robert Alvarez. The industry has consistently “put the disposal cart before the storage horse,” Alvarez said April 18, sitting in the lobby of the Latchis Hotel, fresh from testifying before the Vermont House and Senate Natural Resources and Energy committees in...
We recently lost a wonderful member of the community, Mary Dunham. I first met her and her husband Phil, who died in 2011, through the Brattleboro After School Ski Program, which they organized and started. The first thing on their agenda was fitting boots and skis on kids who would otherwise never get this opportunity. They stored all these skis, poles, and boots in their own barn, and we'd get down on our hands and knees, making sure each child...
“French around the world: une journée de la Francophonie” will take place at the River Garden in downtown Brattleboro on Saturday, April 27. La Francophonie refers to the conglomeration of countries, principalities, islands and other places where French is spoken. French is the official language in many countries; in others it is simply commonly spoken. La Francophonie encompasses a varied and intriguing mix of cultures, music, and foods based on a common language. The event is sponsored by The Grammar...
The Townshend Lake bridge will be closed for construction starting Monday, May 6. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the bridge is expected to be closed through Friday, May 24. State Forest Road should be used as a detour for residents and visitors. The Corps also announced that the Townshend Lake Recreation Area will open for the season on Saturday, May 18, and can be accessed by State Forest Road.
Two young Webelos Scouts were among those who turned out recently to help prepare the 15-acre Saxtons River Recreation Area for the summer season. Liam Mallan and Mason Walker of Pack 401 combined doing a good turn with working toward their handyman activity badge by helping repair picnic tables, rake leaves, and clean out the Rec Area's storage shed. Webelos is an acronym meaning “We'll be loyal scouts.” “We like to help the community,” said 10-year-old Liam. “In Cub Scouts,
The Brattleboro Fire Department's biennial awards ceremony on Sunday opened with honoring firefighters' families for putting family on hold during emergencies. It concluded with bestowing the Distinguished Service Award to Chief Michael Bucossi. After receiving the award, a surprised Bucossi first threatened to give the department “heck,” then said, “That award should have gone to this whole department.” The fire department honors members every other year for exemplary acts in the line of duty. Awardees are nominated by fellow firefighters.
The members of Junior Girl Scout Troop 40107 recently made a special delivery of cookies to the guests of the Greater Falls Warming Shelter. Scouts Kendra Atkin and Abby Joslyn, accompanied by co-leader Melanie Atkin, brought two boxes of each of their five famous flavors of cookies to the shelter, with each box sporting a colorful decoration and a message from the girls. According to Atkin, the troop members chose the shelter as the beneficiary of their donation after seeing...
The Green Mountain Club urges hikers to stay off muddy and high-elevation trails lacking extensive snow or ice cover. Rain and melting snow at higher elevations cause wet and muddy conditions on many of Vermont's hiking trails. When hikers tramp on saturated soils, they cause irreversible erosion and damage to the trail and surrounding vegetation. “Every step not taken on a wet hiking trail today helps assure a stable tread-way tomorrow, and reduce future costly tread repairs,” said Will Wiquist,
On April 18, Robert Alvarez spoke to the Vermont House Natural Resources and Energy Committee about spent fuel storage at Vermont Yankee. I attended a large portion of that meeting, and I also collected his handout. The legislature is considering a tax on spent fuel. At the meeting, Alvarez spoke at length about the dangers of spent fuel. He advised that, for safety, much of the spent fuel should be taken out of the fuel pool and placed in dry...
The Brattleboro Fire Department honored firefighters April 21 for their years of service to the department and community. The department awarded recently retired Fire Alarm Superintendent Dale Shipp with the department's Life Membership award. Shipp, who served the department 39 years, was the fire alarm superintendent. He maintained, organized, repaired, and upgraded the town's municipal fire alarm system, which consists of more than 25 miles of cable and 290 alarm boxes, as well as the town's traffic lights. He also...
Two shows at the Bennington Museum - “Engage” and “More Like You Than Not” - are a must-see for anyone who is interested in the areas of mental health, mental or physical disability, and the role that art can play in healing. “Engage,” curated by Greensboro-based artist Paul Gruhler, is an exhibit of artwork by 35 Vermonters with mental or physical disabilities. Much of the art on display was created under the auspices of Grass Roots Art and Community Effort.
The Windham County Sheriff's Department, working with the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and in coordination with local law enforcement agencies throughout Windham County, will offer a Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. During Drug Take-Back Day, area residents can properly dispose of unneeded, expired, or unwanted prescription pills, tablets, and capsules in a confidential, safe, and secure way. No questions are asked, no fee is charged, and no personal information is required...
With renovations to the Rockingham Free Public Library in a state of uncertainty following the bankruptcy of its contractor, its board of trustees has been at the center of some ongoing turmoil behind the scenes. Amid the practicalities of how to accommodate the public during a construction process that has been disrupted, library trustees are engaging in an overall review and revision of library policies, said Deborah Wright, vice-chair of the trustees. In the process, the board has been redefining...
In an effort to continue the employment of Newfane's Assistant Town Clerk Deidre Dunham, Town Clerk Gloria Cristelli approached the Selectboard for permission to tap a portion of unused office funds to close the difference as the fiscal year comes to a close. Dunham initially became assistant town clerk through Vermont Associates for Training and Development, (www.vermontassociates.org) an area nonprofit that provides training and jobs for older workers. During her tenure, Dunham has focused the majority of her time digitizing...