In his municipal manager's report during the Dec. 3 Selectboard meeting, Willis “Chip” Stearns III told the board that he was notified by the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) Highway Superintendent that the state will no longer illuminate the Arch Bridge, which spans the Connecticut River between Walpole and Rockingham.
NHDOT Systems Engineer Jim Hewett confirmed to The Commons that Liberty Utilities discontinued power to the street lights in late November.
Rockingham Highway Supervisor Mike Hindes had asked NHDOT about lights being burned out on the bridge.
In response, NHDOT District 4 Access and Utilities Engineer Frank Linnenbringer wrote, “The State of New Hampshire has been evaluating and discontinuing streetlights, based on the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Roadway Lighting Guide, and how the NHDOT has implemented that guidance.”...
According to Municipal Manager Willis “Chip”Stearns III, Green Mountain Railroad (GMRR) now owns all the property abutting Bezanson Road leading to its new propane depot facility, and railroad officials say it is willing to take over maintenance of the road. In October, the Selectboard unanimously voted to change the...
Deborah Denise Peagler, a battered woman imprisoned from 1983 to 2009 over her involvement in the murder of Oliver Wilson, the man who abused her, forced her into prostitution, and molested her daughters, was serving 25 years to life. Similar crimes, however, often came with a six-year sentence. The...
Births • In Bristol, England, (Southmead Hospital), Nov. 15, 2013, a daughter, Molly Marjorie Chant, to Chris and Meghan (Ryan) Chant of Bristol; grandson to Derek and Maggie Chant of Sidmouth, Devon, and Kevin and Sara Ryan of Dummerston. • In Burlington (Fletcher Allen Health Care) Nov. 10, 2013, a son, Colton Jordan Day, to Meagan (Bazin) and Trevor Day of Fairfax. • In Lebanon, N.H., (Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center), Oct. 23, 2013, a daughter, Willow Shelley Coombs, to Shelley and...
I take issue with Christopher Bridges essay expressing unhappiness about being incorrectly accosted for shoplifting at Hannaford's. More to the point, I take issue with The Commons featuring this feast of innuendo and cloudy reasoning. Bridges' allegation - “ask any person who doesn't have white skin […] their feelings about this place and you will get [...] an unshakable feeling that people are looking at us differently or that we're being followed,” etc. - is a gross and intellectually lazy...
The public is warmly invited to attend the beautiful service of Advent Lessons and Carols at St. Michael's Episcopal Church on Sunday, Dec. 15. The service begins at 4 p.m. and lasts slightly less than an hour. The Service of Lessons and Carols alternates readings from Scripture with hymns, anthems, and prayers. Each year's selection of music reflects a new spirit, providing a fresh look at this season of hope and waiting. In addition to seasonal Advent carols and hymns,
The Vermont Humanities Council announces its selection of R.J. Palacio's bestselling novel “Wonder” for its Vermont Reads 2014 program. Vermont Reads is VHC's statewide one-book community reading program, which began in 2003. Published to widespread acclaim in 2012, “Wonder” shows readers the world through the eyes of Auggie Pullman, a 10-year-old boy born with a craniofacial deformity. Inspired by a real event, “Wonder” traces Auggie's journey through his fifth-grade school year and his trials and successes along the way. The...
Birthday luncheon served for December's seniors BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Senior Center and the Brattleboro Senior Meals Program host their December birthday luncheon celebration on Thursday, Dec. 12, at 11:30 a.m. at the Gibson-Aiken Center, 207 Main St. Join them for appetizers and punch, with barbecued chicken, Brussels sprouts, and sweet potato wedges for lunch, and cake and ice cream for dessert. Those with birthdays in December are invited to celebrate the occasion by sitting at the birthday table; their...
The members of Brattleboro-West Arts (BWA) will hold the first of what the grassroots arts collective hopes will be a longstanding holiday art and crafts show and sale, which takes place this weekend in downtown Brattleboro at the C.F. Church Building, 80 Flat St., No. 106. The exhibition - “14 Artists, 3 Days” - is timed for holiday shopping and will offer pieces ranging from paintings, photography, and botanical drawings to pottery, textiles, and woven items. Founded in 2009, Brattleboro-West...
Oak Meadow, which provides a secular homeschooling curriculum and distance-learning school for students in grades K-12, was recently named a candidate for accreditation by the New England Association of Schools & Colleges (NEASC). Oak Meadow is the first distance-learning school ever to receive such standing in NEASC's nearly 130 year history, it said in a press statement. Oak Meadow, headquartered in Brattleboro, enrolls more than 600 students from around the United States and internationally. It was founded in 1975 by...
Former Vermont Gov. Madeleine Kunin says she is tired of being the sole member of an exclusive club. She remains the only woman to be elected as governor in this state. And although Vermont has the nation's greatest number of female members in its Legislature - 41 percent - it remains one of four states that has never elected a female U.S. Senator or member of Congress. Kunin says she's “a little tired of hearing people brag about New Hampshire,”
Wednesday soup suppers in Saxtons River continue attracting more community members as organizers enter their third month of offering a free meal to anyone looking for social and physical nourishment. “We're so glad folks have found us and each other,” said organizer Wanda Salter, surveying a group of some 40 neighbors gathered on a recent evening in the dining room of Christ's Church for the Blue Door Community Suppers. Each week, four volunteers make arrangements for that week's meal, find...
Brattleboro Memorial Hospital is pleased to announce the transition of its travel clinic services to the new Tri-State Travel Clinic under the direction of Dr. George Idelkope. The BMH travel clinic was created in 2011 as part of the hospital's Occupational Health Services department, with Idelkope as the medical advisor and Jean Bristol as one of the registered nurses on staff at the clinic. Bristol has moved with the travel clinic to Idelkope's office, providing continuity of care for patients.
Tucked away in the back of the sprawling industrial building that used to house The Book Press, a story is unfolding that seems as fanciful as the Harry Potter books that once were printed there. With four full-time staffers and an army of volunteers, the Vermont Foodbank's Brattleboro warehouse distributes 2.3 million pounds of food each year to food shelves, community meal sites, shelters, senior centers, and after-school programs in Windham, Windsor, and Bennington counties. This accounts for more than...
The Brattleboro Colonels had a senior-laden hockey team last season and finished with a 17-3 record. This season, the only starter returned from that group is goaltender Greg DiSilva, and coach Eric Libardoni must build a competitive team from scratch. “Something like 11 of our 16 players are new to the team,” he said after the Colonels were throttled by the Rutland Raiders, 8-1, in the home opener at Withington Rink on Dec. 4. “We need to grow up a...
As the days grow shorter and colder, it's time to break out your dancing shoes and stoke the first evening of winter and longest night. Join friends and neighbors in celebrating the 2013 winter solstice on Saturday, Dec. 21 with Simba at an annual party: a night of drumming, dancing, music, and fun for the whole community. All ages are invited. The party, at Evening Star Grange at the intersection of East-West, Bunker, and Middle roads in Dummerston Center, is...
The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) is recommending complete replacement of a structurally deficient bridge on Route 5 over the Broad Brook in Algiers, and recommends detouring traffic onto Interstate 91. The AOT will hold a meeting to consider public comment on Thursday, Dec. 12, at 6:30 p.m., at the Guilford Volunteer Fire Department at 108 Guilford Center Rd. Town officials warn this might be the only opportunity for townspeople to weigh in on the state's plans for the project.
The Apron Theater Company is holding an open call for its 2014 season with Next Stage Arts at 15 Kimball Hill. This coming year the groups will produce four shows under the direction of Ben Stockman, Hallie Flower, Karla Baldwin, and Carrie Kidd. Auditions are Saturday, Dec. 14, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 15, from 3 to 6 p.m. Anyone interested in being considered for roles is welcome to attend. There will be a selection of...
Gayle Weitz and Nick Biddle have opened an unusual gallery and store downtown. A portmanteau of the words “art,” “rage,” and “us,” Artrageus 1 is all at the same time a gallery, bookstore, and coffee shop. As described on its still in-progress website, it is “a gallery exhibiting art that makes sense (of the madness), art that makes fun (of the madness), and art that tells a story (of the madness).” But then again, perhaps Artrageus 1 is not so...
I have absolutely no doubt that certain strains of marijuana in certain dosages can successfully treat depression, anxiety, bipolar, and other mood disorders in certain people. As a guy who prides himself on having an open mind, I have no doubt. Nada. Zilch. I measure success by the same standard that we expect from prescription antidepressants: that certain formulations in certain dosages help certain people. Ditto for over-the-counter remedies such as SAM-e, St. John's Wort, 5-HTP, B-vitamins, and amino acids.
Windham County communities are marking the first anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre on Saturday, Dec. 14, with “Remember Newtown” vigils. Twenty children and six adults were murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., on Dec. 14, 2012. Vigil participants will gather to read the “Sandy Hook Promise,” a pledge for people of all political perspectives to work together to reduce the causes and incidences of gun violence in the United States; read the names of...
In my work as a nurse for the Springfield Area Parent Child Center, I visit families with young children in the Windham County area. Many of these families demonstrate severe financial hardships and/or health needs, and I am challenged daily to help them in any way that I can, even though the primary focus of my home visiting is the health and well-being of the newborn baby and the children. Within the past month, I found myself contacting Southeastern Vermont...
On Saturday, Dec. 14, the Brattleboro Music Center's Chamber Music Series features an extraordinary performance by Bulgarian violinist Bella Hristova. Acclaimed for her passionate, powerful performances, beautiful sound, and compelling command of her instrument, Hristova is a young musician with a growing international career as a soloist and recording artist. Her talent was recognized with a prestigious 2013 Avery Fisher Career Grant, given to outstanding instrumentalists and based on excellence alone. Following summer engagements at music festivals including Mainly Mozart,
A lovely relationship. A heartwarming account. Reading it, it struck me that we do grandparenting better now than when I was a child. Grandparents then were like parents then: relations with younger generations were more formal, roles and prerogatives more distinct. Parents shared life with their children less intimately. And grandparents, though generally loving and geographically closer, were more remote. Now it is different. I'm tuned in to my grandchildren's lives in a way my grandparents weren't. We relate more...
Shop locally, they say. It's the right thing to do, they say. As I sit down to write this piece, I'm battling internally - deciding which part of me wants to dominate this discussion: necessity or shame. It would be very easy to retreat into a local-shopping shame spiral. I know this because, monthly, I do feel the red-cheeked and shifty-eyed monster when I head just over state lines to give New Hampshire and Massachusetts almost 100 percent of my...
Let's pause a minute on this whole health insurance thing. This is not a story about a website that doesn't work. Or even a government. It's about gambling. Before I delve in, a few facts: I'm 55, married, and have not had health insurance for the past 20 years. Once, I was an actor with what any reasonable European socialist would call a good health plan. As I was transitioning out of that career and into another, a few years...
No mention was made of a number of email lists that serve the Upper Valley region. They perform the same function without government funding, are moderated by volunteers, and do not have paid advertising. I suggest you report on how the longstanding Norwich and Thetford Listserves work and their amazing reach into those communities. A Listserve in Woodstock, begun without any funding less than two years ago, now has more than 500 members. The point being that these are easily...
Irish harpist and singer Áine Minogue celebrates the solstice, winter, and Christmas in a concert at Immanuel Episcopal Church, 20 Church St., on Saturday, Dec. 14, at 7:30 p.m. As traditional Irish music and dance continue to enjoy phenomenal success both here and in Ireland, Minogue is an artist whose voice reflects the lyricism and richness to be found in Irish music, mythology, and poetry. She brings a diverse group of instruments which add to the traditional flavor of her...
I believe this incident was unfortunate and should never have happened. We do not know if the Hannaford employees involved in calling police were racists - we would have to be able to read their minds - but the store clearly needs to do a lot of work with its staff to establish when it is appropriate to call the police. I am sure a white, or Asian, or Hispanic person - or a person of any race - would...
On Nov. 13, in a joint meeting, the Rockingham Selectboard and the Rockingham Free Public Library Board of Trustees discussed the costs incurred in renovating the library, a project which has just been completed. First, let me say that by common consensus the town now has a beautiful library building, one of four Carnegie-endowed libraries in Vermont. It is a library the whole community can be very proud of. Of course, this comes at a price to the taxpayers. We...
Friends of Music's 41st Annual Christmas at Christ Church program is set for 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13, and 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 15. “Brightest and Best: Music to Welcome the Holy Child” is this season's theme for the program. Since mid-September, Tom Baehr has been conducting rehearsals with 16 Guilford Chamber singers. Many have sung with Friends of Music for a long time, and others are new to this annual “pick-up” group but sing with other choirs...
TubaChristmas celebrates its 40th anniversary this year with concerts in more than 250 American cities and others overseas. This year, on Sunday, Dec. 15, musicians living in and around Brattleboro who play tubas, sousaphones, and euphoniums are invited to present the third annual TubaChristmas at the First Congregational Church. Players wishing to join the ensemble are asked to register for the concert beginning at 1 p.m. Rehearsal is set for 2, and the show is at 3. The annual event...
The topic of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant and regional economic development did not stray far from Gov. Shumlin during the award ceremony for affordable housing grants on Dec. 4. A press release from the Vermont Community Development Program noted that “encouraging investments in the area's existing housing stock and expanding workforce and senior housing options has been called for by the Southeast Vermont Economic Development Strategy planning groups (SeVEDS) as one means of mitigating potential impacts from the...
The evening of Dec. 13 could be your lucky night or, if not lucky, at least lots of fun. Downtown Bellows Falls is hosting a Ladies Night with special shopping deals and fun activities at 16 participating businesses. This event is part of the Shop Local promotion to encourage patronage of local businesses for holiday shopping. Participants include Bellows Falls Pet Shoppe, Button-Knit-Up, Curves, SEVCA Good Buy Store, Halladays Harvest Barn, J&H Hardware and Sporting Goods, JoAnna's Glamorama, People's United...
Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin announced more than $1 million in development funds for housing organizations during a brief, spirited ceremony hosted at the Municipal Center on Dec. 4. The funds, from the Vermont Community Development Program (VCDP), were awarded to the towns of Brattleboro, Wilmington, and Thetford. Shumlin presented Brattleboro Selectboard Chair David Gartenstein and Windham & Windsor Housing Trust (WWHT) Executive Director Connie Snow with the $1 million award. Gartenstein said the town “jumped at the chance” to co-sponsor...
Many a town leader in charge of building a municipal budget has said that each budget item has its advocates. As the Brattleboro Selectboard wades through keeping property taxes manageable in fiscal year 2015, programs like the Farm Protection Fund are eyed as potential sources for tax relief. The board voted Dec. 3 to place the question of repurposing the Agricultural Land Protection Fund's $95,169 balance for tax relief in fiscal year 2015 before Town Meeting Members, March 2014. Discussion...
The Selectboard is asking Lane Construction why the town's recent $211,000 investment in blacktop on South Wardsboro Road is falling apart. At the Dec. 5 Selectboard meeting, Todd Lawley, who is the town's road foreman/commissioner and Selectboard vice-chair, reported that the road is “coming up where it shouldn't be.” He recalled that Fred Cheney, a paving foreman for the Northfield, Mass., company, blamed a sudden October rainstorm that “soaked all of our products” and turned paving material into a “mess.”
Selectboard member Gloria Cristelli says the work of a new committee in the businesses community, looking to develop strategies for village centers here, is on track to present its request for town recognition. Introducing the Selectboard on Dec. 5 to several of the names they'd be hearing as this work progresses, Cristelli said Newfane ANEW, which she supports, is working with Cullen Meves of the Windham Regional Commission on mapping and other legwork to position town villages to apply for...
The town urges witnesses to the hit-and-run that resulted in the death of a pedestrian on Dec. 6 to contact the police, confidentially if need be. A car struck Eugene Narratt, 64, of Maynard, Mass., at about 7 p.m. in the vicinity of Union Street and Western Avenue. “A terrible tragedy occurred Friday,” said Interim Town Manager Patrick Moreland. Narratt was injured but alive when the driver left the area. Leaving Narratt alone denied him prompt medical attention. Emergency personnel...