Rotary International, along with its various clubs throughout the world, has established January as Rotary Awareness Month.
“A lot of people don't know what Rotary International does. We want to get the word out,” said Greg Worden, Brattleboro Rotary Club president.
One of the biggest focuses of the organization is working to eliminate polio. The club has worked closely with World Health Organization and the Gates Foundation in this effort.
“We pretty much have polio eliminated, except for two or three countries,” Worden said.
After hearing pleas from Vermont's congressional delegation and a citizens group, federal officials will allow more time for the public to weigh in on creation of new rules for decommissioning nuclear plants like Vermont Yankee. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has decided that an initial public comment period on its...
WWAC talk focuses on Auschwitz BRATTLEBORO - On Friday, Jan. 22, at 7:30 p.m., at the Marlboro College Graduate Center, 28 Vernon St., the Windham World Affairs Council (WWAC) presents Thomas M. White, who will give a talk entitled “The Power of Place: Encountering Auschwitz 70 Years After Liberation.”
Three states are joining Vermont's quest for a “robust” federal review of trust-fund spending at the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. In new federal filings, attorneys general for Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire voice support for Vermont's stance - outlined in a November petition - that decommissioning funds are being drained improperly. Echoing Vermont's concerns, the three states blame an “overly lenient” and “inconsistent” regulatory approach by the NRC. The three attorneys general cite concerns about cleanup at Vermont Yankee,
SeVEDS seeks funding NEWFANE - Four representatives from Brattleboro Development Credit Corp. (BDCC) visited Newfane's Selectboard on Jan. 4. The BDCC reps gave speeches and presented charts in an attempt to convince the board to collect a per-capita fee from Newfane residents to support SeVEDS (Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies). The Selectboard had questions for the BDCC, mainly around practical applications of their plans. Some board members asked how SeVEDS was specifically helping Newfane. BDCC Executive Director Adam Grinold said...
College news • Genevieve M. Darling of South Newfane, has been named to the Dean's List at Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., for the fall 2015 semester. • Molly Ann Rice of Brattleboro has been named to the Dean's List at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va., for the fall 2015 semester. • Nicole Winot, a sophomore cinema production major from Brookline, was named to the fall 2015 Dean's List at Bob Jones University in Greenville, S.C. • Hannah D.
According to Merle Tessier, Newfane's Flood Plain Administrator, Newfane's tax maps need some updating, and this could prevent some residents from getting flood insurance or interfere with the sale of their property. At the Jan. 4 Selectboard meeting, Tessier told the board that the town's maps are deficient, because of their reliance on the state of Vermont's flood plain maps. Because the state's maps are not scaled to the Newfane tax maps, sometimes it is unclear whether a home is...
Third Auditor appointed GUILFORD - After the Selectboard agreed in November to “pound the pavement” in search of a third town auditor to join Neil Quinn and Cathi Wilkin, their efforts paid off. Jim Haine expressed his interest in the position, and at the Dec. 28 regular Selectboard meeting, the board unanimously voted to appoint him as town auditor. His term will end at Town Meeting. Haine, whom board member Anne Rider described as “a long-time community member,” has also...
“Heating it up with the Ladies of the Rainbow,” a show put on by men in drag, will be held on Saturday, February 6, at 8 p.m. at the VFW on Black Mountain Road to raise money for the Windham County Heat Fund. In 2005, Daryl Pillsbury and Richard Davis decided to find a way to help people struggling to pay for home heating fuel who were not eligible for existing programs. They simply decided to raise money and then...
On Jan. 22 and 23, St. Michael's Episcopal Church will be a partner site when a group of activists, scholars, authors, artists, and experts on racial inequality come together to hold conversations on the racial issues of our time, including structural racism, mass incarceration, and policy change. The event will take place at Trinity Institute's 45th National Theological Conference, “Listen for a Change: Sacred Conversations for Racial Justice.” Conference participation is open to anyone interested in a practical, theological perspective...
Selectboard candidates announced DUMMERSTON - Hugh Worden and Terry Chapman announced their intention to run for the Selectboard at the board's Jan. 6 meeting. Worden is running for the 3-year seat, while Chapman seeks the 2-year post. Other registered Dummerston voters interested in running for the Selectboard must pick up a petition at the Town Offices and collect at least 17 signatures to be placed on the ballot. Petitions are due at 5 p.m. on Jan. 25. Call 802-257-1496 or...
The YMCA's Diabetes Prevention Program helps adults at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes reduce their risk for developing the disease by taking steps that will improve their overall health and well-being. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-led evidence-based program is delivered over a 12-month period in a supportive small group classroom setting. Sixteen weekly one-hour sessions are followed by eight monthly sessions. Facilitated by trained lifestyle coaches Terri Kneipp and Nancy Schaefer, the class is scheduled...
The United Way of Windham County (UWWC) is supporting Windham County families with warm winter gear through its Kids in Coats Fund, which was created after the Reformer Christmas Stocking ceased operations in the fall of 2015. UWWC has set a fundraising goal of $75,000 and all donations made will directly support the purchase of winter gear for Windham County families with children age 0 through grade 6 this fall. The number of children served will depend on the amount...
Marlboro College will present its spring semester series of weekend concerts, starting with acclaimed pianist Ieva Jokubaviciute on Saturday, Jan. 23, at 3 p.m. The series features leading performers in both classical and jazz, from violin and piano duo Andrew Eng and Tae Kim to the big sound of saxophonist David Bindman's sextet. Other than the opening concert, all performances are on Sundays at 3 p.m.; concerts all take place in Marlboro's Ragle Hall, and are free and open to...
The Selectboard has approved the work plan and budget for the next financial year of the Downtown Brattleboro Alliance (DBA). The downtown organization's items were on hold with the board while Town Manager Peter Elwell worked with DBA members to locate the origin of what turned out to be a $30,389.02 budget surplus. DBA members told the board the surplus was in part from savings on staff salaries when the organization, formerly Building a Better Brattleboro (BaBB), transitioned from a...
If you are hearing the voice of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and only bearing witness to his words and only his incredible words, you are doing it wrong. That's not the message he preached. Instead, you need to strain to hear the voices that are not being amplified. Tune out the white males who stand at the podiums, and listen for those at the margins. Listen for the voices of trans women of color who are being brutalized. Listen...
For those keeping score, Monday's public meeting at Brattleboro Union High School was a clear win for those who favor marijuana legalization. A steady stream of legalization proponents stepped to the podium, telling members of the state Senate Judiciary Committee why they believe decriminalizing pot is a good idea from a social and economic standpoint. But even among those enthusiasts, there were frequent questions and concerns about juveniles. Some spoke about the need to ensure that legalized marijuana stays out...
Given the influence of social media in politics around the world, from the Arab Spring to Bernie Sanders' grassroots presidential campaign, it's hardly surprising that Vermonters are taking to this technology to leverage their voices and opinions. In the wake of the announcement of the proposal by the Windham County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) to locate a 120-bed detention center at the south end of the Village by the confluence of the Saxtons and Connecticut rivers, social media and citizen journalism...
Not every milestone makes the news of course, but some deserve public notice. We hope that, just as many of you helped mark our 40th anniversary, you'll also come celebrate our 25th Annual Women's Film Festival in March (check out womensfilmfestival.org). This month, however, we reached a subtle but no-less-significant marker: five years ago, we changed our name from Women's Crisis Center to Women's Freedom Center, and at the start of this new year, it's worth revisiting why. * *
Now in its ninth year, the Southeastern Vermont's Northern Roots Traditional Music Festival brings together local and regional musicians representing the best of various northern musical traditions. This year's festival features more than 20 musicians and the rich traditions of Ireland, Scotland, England, Scandinavia, New England, and French Canada. On Saturday, Jan. 30, the Northern Roots Festival begins with a full slate of daytime participation and performance activities, including workshops, panels, mini-concerts, pub sessions, and a dance band workshop that...
There is a lot of confusion about solar energy's Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) program these days, especially in light of the Vermont Attorney General's recent warning that a number of solar companies might have engaged in false advertising. At issue is whether the panels that you, or your neighbor, or your business just paid for in a net metered or community solar array can be said to be generating solar power for you. They are not, at least not if...
Last Saturday was the Brattleboro Colonels girls' hockey program's annual “Pink at the Rink” game, where the team dons pink jerseys and all game proceeds go toward Brattleboro Memorial Hospital's Comprehensive Breast Care Program. Despite have some stiff competition for fans' attention - the AFC Divisional Playoff game between New England Patriots and the Kansas City Chiefs was taking place at the same time as the hockey game - there was a strong turnout at the rink. The team raised...
For more than two years, Interstate 91 traffic has bottlenecked at the site of a $60 million bridge-replacement project. But officials say there is light at the end of the construction zone: A new, 1,036-foot-long bridge is expected to be ready for four lanes of traffic sometime later this year. Given that the traffic flow originally was supposed to be restored in late 2015, “we're not where we want to be with the schedule,” acknowledged David Hoyne, the state Agency...
The Brattleboro Music Center (BMC) welcomes the return of the award-winning Heath Quartet, as part of the BMC Chamber Music Series. The young British string quartet will appear Sunday, Jan. 31, at 4 p.m., at Centre Congregational Church on Main Street. The Quartet's Brattleboro performance will feature “String Quartet in F minor, Op. 20, No. 5” by Franz Joseph Haydn, “String Quartet in F major, Op. 135” by Ludwig von Beethoven, and “String Quartet No. 3 in E flat minor,
If the current employees of the Town Offices have their way, after Town Meeting Day, the players will remain mostly the same, but the roles will change. Think of it as a municipal version of “Musical Chairs.” Town Clerk Pamela McFadden announced she is not seeking re-election this year, but will stay on for most of the year to help with Town Meeting and November elections. Treasurer Laurie Frechette has submitted a position to run for McFadden's post. Charlotte Annis,
Area storytellers will be sharing their insights, experiences, and secrets at a special presentation of “A Night of True Stories” at Main Street Arts in Saxtons River on Jan. 22. The show will begin at 7:30. Tickets are $16 in advance, $18 at the door. In this all-new show, inspired by public radio's “The Moth,” presenters will share a short story about an event in their life that storytellers such as Rick Cowan hope will “provide excitement, insight, and laughter.”
Three local ceramic artists - Rob Cartelli, Teta Hilsdon, and Todd Wahlstrom - opened their collective show on Jan. 15 in the Michael S. Currier Center at The Putney School. Their work will be on display until March 6. Naomi Lindenfeld, the ceramics teacher at The Putney School, curates the show. Her vision led her to display the finely-crafted functional pottery on furniture rather than gallery pedestals. That way viewers can get much more of a sense of how one...
Windham County Sheriff Keith Clark isn't shying away from the controversy created by his proposed “Liberty Mill Justice Center” in Bellows Falls. But in introducing the project to a group of state lawmakers on Jan. 14, Clark also sounded like a man who believes he's gotten a raw deal. For one thing, he believes media coverage has focused too much on the detention-center aspect of the project and not enough on the many other services proposed for Liberty Mill. Clark...
Fire Chief Michael Bucossi arrived at Central Fire Station on Jan. 11 to bad news - and an eau de toilette of wet 1950s insulation mixed with mold and mildew. Bucossi described the odor of 1950s insulation that filled the second floor after heavy rains caused a portion of ceiling in the shower room and one of the bedrooms to collapse. “It stinks,” he said. Once the insurance adjuster gives the go-ahead, repairs can happen, Bucossi explained, describing the work...
The Vermont Symphony Orchestra's “Ah! Cappella” vocal quartet will visit two Windham County schools on Friday, Jan. 29, performing at Saxtons River Elementary at 10:20 a.m., and Westminster Center School at 1 p.m. Using nothing but the instruments they were born with, the four singers in “Ah! Cappella” have performed for schoolchildren across the state since 1999. The quartet performs a wide selection of music in many styles, from an early madrigal and part of a Mass to an African-American...
On Saturday, Jan. 23, at 1 and 3 p.m., Sandglass Theater kicks off its Winter Sunshine series for young audiences with shadow puppeteer Jim Napolitano and his show, “Shadows Around the World.” This show will be the first of three family performances spaced throughout the winter. The performance is geared toward young audiences, but promises an entertaining and enjoyable experience for adults as well. Napolitano calls shadow puppetry “the most magical and cinematic” form of puppetry, and considers puppetry a...