Pablo Picasso said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”
Fortunately here in Windham County, we don't have to worry about the absence of art-making for children or grown-ups. We have the River Gallery School of Art at 32 Main St., where students of all abilities are met where they are and encouraged in their creative process every step of the way.
This year's RGS Annual Benefit Auction on Saturday, May, 11, is in celebration of their students. More than 300 people, from preschoolers to teens to adults of all ages, walk in and out of the school almost daily, creating a buzz of energy and support for each other in the making of art. No one is turned away, and everyone adds to the vibrancy of our community of makers.
The auction is 5 to 8:30 p.m. at The River Garden. The price of a $25 paddle number provides you with appetizers, dessert and coffee, and the opportunity to participate in both the silent and live auction.
Community members gathered at the Saxtons River Recreation Area recently to clean up and get everything in order for the upcoming season. Volunteers raked the grounds, repaired picnic tables, and sorted through many years' accumulation of sports gear, crafts supplies and unidentified lying objects in the storage shed. Willis...
Photographer David Holzapfel believes that sometimes art comes from the mundane, random accidents of life, such as when one's DVD player fails to work properly. That is the subject of his new series of photographs, “DwarfGlitch,” which he will be displaying at A Candle in the Night on 181...
Brooks Memorial Library to close for staff training on May 2 BRATTLEBORO - On Thursday, May 2, Brooks Memorial Library will close all day in order for staff to attend training on its new ILS (integrated library system) that will come online Monday, June 3. During the day the book and video drops will be open, as well as all digital services including our full-text databases and eBook/eAudio downloading sites. These sites may also be accessed at brookslibraryvt.org. The new...
The School for International Training (SIT) Graduate Institute presents “Memoirs: Stories in Truth,” an evening of first-person storytelling, song, and poetry based on real-life events rooted in “troubles, travels, and tales.” This live event will be held on the campus of SIT in Brattleboro on Saturday, May 4, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the International Center dining hall, 1 Kipling Rd. All stories, songs, and poems will be performed by faculty, students, and local community participants. “Memoirs” is open...
What will your last impression be on Earth? If you're an eco-friendly kind of person and would like to remain eco-friendly after your death, you may want to consider a green burial. What's a green burial? It's a way of doing a funeral without elaborate caskets, embalming, or concrete burial vaults. Instead, biodegradable caskets, or a simple cloth shroud, are used. Proponents say it's the ultimate in recycling, where the body is reunited with the earth with the least environmental...
The trustees of the Pettee Memorial Library in Wilmington are looking for a person with library experience and keen sympathy with small-town interests and issues to serve as their town's librarian. Computer skills are essential, and familiarity with some standard book handling programs is an advantage. The librarian is the chief administrator of the library, overseeing its day-to-day operations. Duties include training, supervising, scheduling, and evaluating staff and volunteers, selecting and weeding books and other library materials, developing and implementing...
Transitions •William B. Gurney is the new President and CEO of the Vermont Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Austine School in Brattleboro. Gurney will be replacing Bert Carter, who will be leaving at the end of June to take the position of President and CEO at the Willie Ross School in Longmeadow. Mass. Gurney has has been in the field of education for over 30 years and holds a B.A. in History, a M.A. in Administration...
Fifteen Windham County elementary schools will open their doors this May to parents, caregivers, early-educators, children aged 5 and younger - and teddy bears. Children are invited to bring their favorite teddy bears (or other favorite stuffed animal) to their participating school for a party called a “Teddy Bear Tea.” Guests will meet staff, hear stories read by the principal or kindergarten teacher, and speak with other families. Teddy bear cookies and other snacks will be provided, thanks to volunteers...
The Brattleboro Colonels baseball team lost to Burr & Burton, 4-2, last Thursday for their sixth straight loss of the season. Brattleboro scored twice in the first inning, but shut down the rest of the way. Jimmy Mills gave up just five hits in a complete-game loss. Ross Meyer had a pair of hits for the Colonels, who got one hit each from Chris McAuliffe, Evan Parro, and Elliot Gragen. On a chilly day at Tenney Field on April 23,
More than 700 households have signed up for Brattleboro's upcoming curbside compost program. Distribution of curbside carts and kitchen containers will be held at the Nelson E. Withington Ice Rink at Memorial Park on Saturday, May 4, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday, May 8, from 6 to 8 p.m., and Saturday, May 11, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. There is still time to sign up and claim your containers. The program is open to those who already...
Watch the week's news get the treatment it deserves at the Latchis in Brattleboro, when the NPR news quiz show “Wait Wait … Don't Tell Me!” brings its star power to the big screen for a special live performance sent nationwide to movie theaters. The show is in the main theater on Thursday, May 2, at 8 p.m. Host Peter Sagal and official judge and scorekeeper Carl Kasell will lead the broadcast live from the New York University's Skirball Center...
Homeowners and landlords interested in saving money on their heating bills are invited to a group tour of four Brattleboro homes on Saturday, May 11, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Diverse in size, style and age, the homes have all been retrofitted to save energy. The contractors and homeowners will be on hand to talk about the energy-saving features of each home. “This is a wonderful opportunity for folks to see a wide variety of energy-efficient homes in their community, and...
Vermont Information Technology Leaders, Inc. (VITL) recently announced that Grace Cottage Hospital in Townshend is the latest hospital to connect to the state's health information network. By connecting to the network, Grace Cottage Hospital can now securely share clinical information electronically with other treating health care providers, with the goal of improving the quality of care delivery and enhancing patient safety and outcomes. According to Tony Marques, director of information technology and services at Grace Cottage Hospital, this step means...
At my home in South Newfane, spring came on April 8. There are many different ways by which people determine that spring has arrived. For some it is the first daffodil that blooms. Others hurry spring's arrival with the first blooming crocus. Ice-out in the West River might be the arrival of spring, or ice-out on the Retreat meadows. Fishermen opt for the opening of trout season; skiers the closing of a favorite ski area. Birders, of course, look for...
How does one make a living, stay creative, and have a career in the arts? What effect does commercial success have on artistic growth? What are the assets and challenges of working as an artist in Windham County? How is life different after Irene? These are some of the questions to be explored at the sixth public artist potluck and forum hosted by Brattleboro-West Arts, the Arts Council of Windham County, and the Mount Snow Chamber of Commerce. It will...
Edgar Allan Poe is coming back to life this May in Brattleboro. Portrayed by literary historian and playwright Rob Velella, the famed 19th century New England author will appear at the Hooker-Dunham Theater, 139 Main St., on Tuesday, May 14, at 7 p.m. In a theatrical performance entitled “Edgar Allan Poe: Love and Death,” Velella as Poe discusses his intertwining themes of love and death. “I portray Edgar A. Poe as if the writer/editor/critic had just risen from the dead,”
What is a woman if she is defined by women? This was what I thought the women's movement was all about. In early consciousness raising groups, we encouraged women to speak up and speak out. Implicit in such encouragement was a promise to listen. Feminist presses sprang into being. Poetry readings were held in every town. We all had subscriptions to Ms. and at least one other journal. No doubt in the sixties and seventies, feminism was my faith. I...
The Jungle Book is a tale about belonging. Mowgli, the man-cub, defies all odds in the jungles of India amongst his fellow forest-dwellers. Theatre Adventure has created an original adaptation from Kipling's nearly 120-year-old tale of adventure and belonging in the jungles of India. The writers have emphasized themes of family, home, and acceptance for their special performance. Theatre Adventure actors create theater that turns traditional roles upside down, presents a fresh take on familiar stories, and challenges audiences to...
VSECU, the only statewide credit union for all Vermonters, has donated $10,000 to The Wilmington Fund VT toward helping finish the final phase of a downtown Wilmington project. The gift will be used to pay for lighting in a newly constructed parking lot and green space in downtown Wilmington. It's part of a matching grant for the Vermont Department of Buildings and General Services grant to the Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce, for a total contribution of $20,000. The...
Adam Boyce of West Windsor is set to portray famed Vermont fiddler Charles Ross Taggart through the Vermont Humanities Council at 7 p.m., Monday, May 13, at the Masonic Temple Club in Bellows Falls. This program is also sponsored by the Rockingham Free Public Library, with support from the Friends of the Rockingham Library. Born in Washington, D.C. in 1871, Taggart grew up in Topsham, and lived in Newbury for many years. He was a musical humorist, and, starting in...
Twilight Music presents International Bluegrass Music Association Banjo Player of the Year Tony Trischka and his band, plus Putney-based banjoist Bruce Stockwell, at Next Stage on Saturday, May 4, at 7:30 p.m. Tony Trischka is perhaps the most influential banjo player in the roots music world. For more than 35 years, his stylings have inspired a generation of bluegrass and acoustic musicians, including Bela Fleck, one of his early students. Trischka has been a key figure in opening the banjo...
The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing at the Town Office on Wednesday, May 15, at 6 p.m., to consider proposed amendments to the Town Plan. The commission invites comments and suggestions on the proposed amendments in person at the hearing. For more information, contact Planning Commission Chair Matthew Tell at 802-254-8057.
The Brattleboro Women's Chorus, directed by Becky Graber, is set to present its annual spring concert, “On My Way.” More than 60 women and girls, including a large number of mother-daughter, grandmother-granddaughter, and aunt-niece pairs, will perform songs on the theme of pilgrimage, a continuation from the fall session. The chorus itself is set to make a pilgrimage for a performance in Grafton on May 11 for the first time since 1999, and will return to Brattleboro on May 12...
On April 25, Vermont Yankee operator Entergy Corp. brought a new lawsuit against the state, this time over a critical piece of back-up equipment. The Louisiana-based company is arguing yet again in U.S. District Court that the state is federally preempted from regulating the plant. The company wants the federal government to intervene so that it can begin construction on a back-up diesel generator for the site by June 1. To comply with federal regulations, the nuclear plant must have...
Based on the strong positive response to the first Green Room Connection event last January, Vermont Theatre Company is hosting the second Green Room Connection on Tuesday, May 7, from 5:30 to 8 p.m., at The Marina Restaurant on Putney Road in Brattleboro. The Green Room Connection is an opportunity for theater lovers from all of the area theater companies to come together and share ideas, wish lists, resources, dream projects, and to just hang out with each other in...
In a program designed to engage students in language learning, The Grammar School has started a new service-learning program that immerses students in the language and culture of a Spanish-speaking country. From April 8-15 a group of eighth grade students ranging in ages from 13-14, and their chaperones and teachers from the Grammar School, visited Ecuador to live and work on the Nahual-Kroka Sustainable Farm and School. This program was set up by Liz Jackson, The Grammar School's Spanish teacher,
State Veterinarian Robert Johnson has confirmed that a bobcat that resident Christopher Coburn shot on Valley Cemetery Road last week tested positive for rabies. Athens Town Health Officer Lisa Dufresne said the location borders approximately eight miles of trail near the Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association's Hemlock Trail. She said she was “concerned” after getting the call about a bobcat that had been under Coburn's deck and “behaving strangely all night long.” According to Game Warden Greg Eckert, this is only...
This year marks the 25th anniversary for the Timson Hill Preschool, a small, nonprofit school in the hills of Williamsville. The preschool, preserved by its owners, the Williamsville School Preservation Society (WSPS), was acquired by the town through a dispute with the landowners. That dispute went to the Vermont Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of the town. The current building that sits on Timson Hill is not the original building, many townspeople would tell you. The original building burned...
My sixth-grader just felt the blow of his first “Yo Mama” insult. This happened not on a playground or in a locker room but on public transit - courtesy of the bus driver. “I don't know what's wrong with their mother,” the driver said loudly to another passenger as my three kids dropped their tokens in the coin box. He then refused to let them off at the crosswalk when they pressed the buzzer, instead stopping directly across the street...
Although genocide is nearly always a historical footnote that American students learn about in class, occasionally, “we know someone” affected, as one Vermont Academy field biology student said. She explained that she knew a girl and her brother who were friends and went to school with her. They escaped Rwanda as refugees, and now live in the United States. The goal of the project is to make one million handmade bones that will be laid on the National Mall in...
Two bills that directly impact the Education Fund are moving through the Legislature - bills that, acting together, seem to cancel each other out and are therefore most troubling to me. One is “An Act Relating to Making Miscellaneous Amendments to Education Funding Laws” (H.538), which through several strategies seeks to contain spending on education, thus also constraining increases in property taxes. Among other provisions: • It extends eligibility for partial property tax rebates for household incomes over $90,000 by...
RE:“Rockingham, BF boards vote to fire municipal manager” [Town & Village, April 24]: This is in no way meant to respond negatively to the comments of Interim Municipal Manager Willis David “Chip” Stearns II. He certainly has a right to form his own opinions on our system and community. However, I feel compelled to respond. First, I would like to present some facts on his argument against working with two boards. Many school superintendents regularly deal with more than one...
Carlton, Wis. is a little town on the Lake Michigan shore, less than an hour's drive from Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers. Sounds like a pretty little corner of the world to call home. But apparently not enough people think so, because the real estate listings that I checked a few days ago are full of really nice homes selling for under $100,000. Carlton is another Midwestern town hit hard by the recession, and next month residents...
It's been dry and warm for the past couple of weeks around Windham County, and that means an increased risk of brush fires. April and May are statistically the prime months for brush fires in Vermont, especially in the “pre-green-up” period in the spring, when leaves have not come out on the trees but dead grass and fallen trees and branches from the winter still abound. Precipitation has been below normal in Windham County so far this year, according to...
RE: “Getting the area to prepare for long-term storage” [News, April 24], another comprehensive and highly informative article by Olga Peters: The Shut It Down affinity group has now been arrested 30 times trying to shut down Vermont Yankee before it shuts down New England. I would encourage others to form small groups and follow suit.
It opened with great fanfare in October 2010, a futuristic $2 million project that sought to grow vegetables, make bio-diesel from algae, and raise fish from the power and heat generated by the electric generator powered by methane gas from a closed landfill. Two and a half years later, the greenhouses are empty, the fish are gone, and the company that built and ran the facility alongside the Windham Solid Waste Management District on Old Ferry Road is bankrupt. Burlington-based...
I'm so sad about the passing of Kathy LeBlanc, who worked at Brown and Roberts Hardware as long as I've been in this area. I only knew her through the store, but her patient help and great wit were things I always looked forward to when I went in. It's people like her that make our town such a wonderful place to be, and I'm going to miss her every time I go in, which tends to be at least...
RE: “Getting the area to prepare for long-term storage” [News, April 24]: Thank you for running this lengthy, informative article on spent nuclear fuel. The price tag for moving the nation's highly radioactive spent fuel out of the pools into safer, longer term dry casks would be $7 billion, Robert Alvarez has stated elsewhere, and the nuclear industry estimates are even cheaper: $3.5 billion. This compares quite favorably with the $8.3 billion the U.S. has offered to put up to...
On Tuesday, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission held its annual open house and public question-and-answer session on the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. But unlike last year, when the meeting was disrupted by anti-nuclear protesters and ultimately cut short, this year's meeting at Brattleboro Union High School had significantly more security. Police searched the bags of all those who entered the meeting room, and no signs or banners affixed to sticks or poles were allowed in. NRC officials tried to...