The developer of the proposed Stiles Brook Wind Project is reaffirming a commitment to stop work if a majority of voters in Windham and Grafton oppose the initiative later this year.
But Iberdrola Renewables, in a mailer sent to residents last week, also announced that such a vote cannot include part-time, nonresident property owners in either town.
“Iberdrola Renewables has pledged to honor the outcome of a vote by the registered voters from each host community,” the mailer says. “Although not legally required, we have proposed this vote in order for full-time residents to have the ability to cast a vote on the value of the project to their towns.”
Despite that pronouncement, second-home owners are continuing to lobby for more of a voice in the Stiles Brook debate. In fact, the anti-turbine group Friends of Windham is organizing a formal survey of such property owners, member Nancy Tips said.
The Landmark Trust USA recently announced the winners in the first annual Rudyard Kipling Award for Young Writers. The award was created to help celebrate The Landmark Trust USA's 25th anniversary as an inspiration for young writers in the Kipling tradition, according to Tristam Johnson, interim executive director of...
United Way of Windham County thanks all the 65 medical and non-medical volunteers who made this year's Adult Dental Care Day a huge success. More than 115 local area residents received the dental care they needed on May 7. Thank you to the Elks lodge in Brattleboro for the...
I do not live in Brattleboro, but as often as I can I visit a good friend there. She has not been well and had a serious surgery last year. I feel sure that better recovery has been hampered by her difficulty in getting to important medical appointments. I know there is a shuttle bus that can be booked, but the requirements and reservation practices are often not possible for my friend, so she has missed out on several very...
On June 7, the Halifax Selectboard threw up their collective hands in frustration about the ongoing, unresolved issue of Shilo the dog. Shilo was the subject of public meetings and public debate starting in mid-April after he bit a local man. It was the second time this year that the dog had come to the town's attention. In January, he bit a DHL driver who delivered a package to the home. During the course of that investigation, Andy Rice, the...
Fellow working Vermonters: I am a former district vice president and member-at-large of the Vermont AFL-CIO (UAW Local 1981). As such, I know there is only one candidate for lieutenant governor who has the backs of working-class Vermonters: State Senator David Zuckerman. Dave has walked picket lines with me. He, like Bernie Sanders, has fought like hell (against the Democratic and Republican establishment) for livable wages, health care for all, and for the rights of workers, union and non-union alike.
Organizers of Brattleboro's Independence Day celebration are inviting the public to participate in their parade and help pay for fireworks for the town's 43rd annual free family event. The “By the People: Brattleboro Goes Fourth” citizens committee will mark July 4 with a morning march downtown and an afternoon and evening of sports, concerts, and fireworks at Living Memorial Park. Marching units, to include bands, veterans, and civic and youth groups, will kick off July 4 at 10 a.m. with...
Main Street Arts will host an exhibit of the work of artist Sloane Dawson through July 22, with an opening reception Thursday, June 23, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Dawson has titled her show “The Hammer's Song,” and is asking viewers to “puzzle the intent, participate in the imaginative life of the artwork, and rejoice with the artist in the spirit of creativity,” according to a news release. Her works are collages of seemingly-unrelated material she assembles into objects that...
A few months ago, the Windham Regional Commission asked officials in a dozen towns what they thought of the state possibly buying TransCanada properties along the Connecticut and Deerfield rivers. Responses varied, but one concern - a potential loss of critical tax revenue from the properties due to state ownership - rose to the top of the list. Vernon's response said any tax hit would be “just plain cruel” in light of the recent closure of Vermont Yankee. So last...
Early voting for Vt. primaries begins June 24 MONTPELIER - Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos has announced that early voting in the Aug. 9 state party primary elections will officially open on Friday, June 24. Beginning Friday, any registered voter will be able to request a ballot from their town clerk by phone, mail, or online and cast their vote for the Aug. 9 election. Those who would like to request a ballot and vote early can contact their...
College news • The following local students received associate degrees at Community College of Vermont's commencement ceremony held on June 4: Shaylyn Rose Burke and Jillian Blair Woodard of Bellows Falls; Christopher J. Ashley, Alison K. Cornellier, James R. Duca, and Stevie-Tao M. Roberts of Brattleboro; Tina Marie Bills of Brookline; Jessica L. Ostrander of Jacksonville; Katrina Marie Fleck and Evadney Taylor of Londonderry; Benjamin Bernard Boyarko and Benjamin Howe of Putney; Leigh T. Nance of South Londonderry; Rebecca Ashley...
Town awards paving bid PUTNEY - After receiving four bids for this year's paving projects, at their June 1 regular meeting, the Selectboard chose Springfield Paving to do the job. Highway Superintendent Brian Harlow and Town Manager Cynthia Stoddard recommended choosing the company, expressing satisfaction with its previous paving projects. This summer, approximately 2.5 miles of River Road South and one mile of West Hill will get paved. Although the projects may cost more than the $275,000 budgeted for the...
The Vermont Center for Photography (VCP) plans to present an artist talk with photographer and educator Magdalena Solé in conjunction with her solo exhibition “Cuba Hasta Siempre” on display at VCP through June 26. The talk will be held Friday, June 24, at 6 p.m. at VCP, 49 Flat St. It is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. Magdalena Solé is an award-winning photographer known for her sensitive expressions of culture through distinctive color artistry.
The Cemetery Committee and Selectboard held the first reading of proposed changes to the town's cemetery ordinance. Cemetery Committee Chair Marshall Wheelock provided an overview of the changes on June 7 as part of the “first reading” required by the town when changing ordinances. Selectboard Vice-Chair Kate O'Connor said she expected the ordinance's “second reading” and public hearing to happen at the board's June 21 meeting. According to the town's website, of the 11 cemeteries in Brattleboro, the town manages...
For its 27th annual production of Shakespeare in the Park, Vermont Theatre Company presents one of The Bard's great comedies, “All's Well That Ends Well,” for four performances on June 23, 24, 25, and 26 at 6 p.m. on the Rotary Stage at Living Memorial Park, according to a news release. Admission is $6; 6 years and under free. Reservations aren't necessary. “All's Well that Ends Well” is the unconventionally beautiful, complicated, and comically backward fairy-tale of Helena de Narbon.
Women's Leadership Circle to begin in Windham County BRATTLEBORO - The Windham County Women's Leadership Circle starts Sept. 15, and the deadline for applications is June 30. The Women's Leadership Circles of Vermont were developed to support accomplished women in leadership positions in the corporate, nonprofit, government, and small-business sectors. Each circle is comprised of 10 to 12 women who meet formally over six months to establish the foundation for an ongoing network of support. “Participants support one another to...
During the past year, reports have surfaced of ham radio operators providing critical communications in emergencies world-wide. On the weekend of June 25 and 26, local residents will have a chance to meet and talk with ham radio operators and see for themselves what this “radio service” really is about, according to a news release. The West River Radio Club will hold a demonstration of its emergency communications abilities in Townshend at 2099 Simpson Brook Rd., from 2 p.m. on...
Vermont's annual Green-Up Day, when scores of volunteers roam the state's roadsides picking up trash, is a longtime tradition municipal governments prepare for by hanging up posters and reserving town trucks to collect the refuse. For towns served by the Windham Solid Waste Management District (WSWMD), this year's Green-Up Day came with a surprise: a bill for services rendered. Dan Toomey, Putney's representative to the WSWMD, told town officials the organization “is running on a deficit.” Because of this, for...
Open Music Collective will offer summer classes in Jazz Vocal Repertoire and Jazz Ensemble, with the first - Vocal Jazz Repertoire - starting June 27 at 5 p.m. In that class, students will work on learning songs, writing charts, interacting with rhythm sections, counting off tunes, and improvising. There is limited space for participants, but all are encouraged to enroll. The summer class historically tends to be more relaxed, so more new students feel comfortable signing up. Jazz Ensembles will...
Mount Snow Resort administrators aren't the only ones irked by the federal government's backlogged EB-5 program. A Florida man who sank $500,000 into the Dover resort's foreign-investment-driven expansion project has filed suit against several federal officials, alleging a “continuing and inexcusable delay” in review of his associated visa application. Mount Snow's snowmaking and lodge upgrades have slowed to a crawl while the resort waits for federal approval to access $52 million in EB-5 money. But for investor Mario Kahn, the...
On Friday, June 24, Southern Vermont Young Professionals and Latchis Arts are partnering to kick off Late Night at The Latchis, according to a news release. At 9:30 p.m., Southern Vermont Young Professionals will meet at Flat Street Pub in Brattleboro to mix and mingle before the show. At 11 p.m., there will be a screening of “The Goonies” at the Latchis. Admission to the movie is by donation, and the public is welcome. A cult hit written by Steven...
The Groundworks Collaborative's vision of a homeless shelter and a suite of services at 39 Frost St. has been a hot topic, but the whole story is even hotter and has been mostly overlooked. The project is not yet final, and neighbors of the proposed site have serious concerns. There has been rare mention of the neighborhood, the flesh-and-blood people who would be living next door or nearby, nor the fact that the project depends in part on their silence,
My wife and our two young daughters went to a Pride Family Picnic organized on a recent Saturday by Green Mountain Crossroads, a regional nonprofit creating community for rural LGBTQ people. There, we spent a peaceful, misty morning eating potluck food from rainbow-colored plates and swapping stories with other queer families. We felt safe, nurtured, and proud. The next day, we learned about the Orlando massacre - the most violent hate crime to date against LGBTQ people, most of whom...
CineSLAM returns to the Latchis Theatre with a Pride Film Festival of Shorts on Friday, June 24 at 6:30 p.m. Sponsored by the Kopkind Colony, founded 18 years ago in memory of celebrated political journalist Andrew Kopkind, CineSLAM is Vermont's first LGBTQ film festival, celebrating 11 years in 2016. The intention of CineSLAM is to offer a glimpse into the diversity of life, struggles, and triumphs of LGBTQ people and their allies in short narrative, documentary, and art video formats.
My friend committed suicide several weeks ago. I need something to come out of this beyond utter devastation and sadness. It felt like there was a communal grieving process that immediately followed Jeremiah's suicide, one in which so many members of our community had something with which to grapple - from the people who averted their gaze when they'd pass him on Elliot Street to those who loved him and tried to show it, to those who were harsh (back)
The Preston Lot One area eyed for redevelopment within five years is the town-owned Preston Parking Lot on Flat Street. The lot serves as short-term metered parking. A footbridge across the Whetstone connects it to the Brattleboro Food Co-op property. According to town Planning Director Rod Francis, the town has enough parking next door in the Transportation Center. The planning consultants have suggested that the Preston Lot could better serve as a community park that doubles as a flood plain...
Summer paving plans NEWFANE - Portions of Dover Road and Auger Hole Road are scheduled for paving this summer, according to Roads Foreman Todd Lawley. Springfield Paving was one of three companies that submitted bids to the town for the projects. The Selectboard voted to accept Springfield's bid at the June 6 regular Board meeting. Springfield's bid is for $55.63 per ton in-place; the estimated costs of the projects are $116,823 for Dover Road and $79,272.75 for Auger Hole Road.
Vermont Yankee owner Entergy Nuclear won permission from the state on June 17 to build a second pad on which to store concrete-encased radioactive nuclear waste at the closed plant. The Public Service Board (PSB) allowed the second pad on the grounds that it will have “no undue adverse effects on the environment” and will promote the state's general good by hastening the transfer of spent nuclear fuel from the pools in which it now sits. Entergy expects to keep...
In celebration of their 10th anniversary, and to fete Pride Month, Vermont Performance Lab (VPL) is joining forces with Green Mountain Crossroads (GMC) to throw “A Party Under the Stars” on Saturday, June 25. For the last 10 years, VPL has worked with local organizations, “to position artists as vital and inspiring presences in community life,” according to their news release. VPL has supported over 400 artists working in dance, theater, music, and film, offering them residencies to develop new...
When Jack Boyle arrived at Vermont Yankee in December 2012 to take the engineering director's job, he believed the Vernon nuclear plant would be operating for years to come. Just nine months later, though, Entergy announced that the facility would cease producing power at the end of 2014. And now, 17 months after shutdown, Boyle has become Vermont Yankee's top administrator - the man in charge of the site's challenging decommissioning process. The 40-year industry veteran acknowledges that post-shutdown operations...
We celebrate Vermont's dairy industry for many reasons. We know that dairy brings in $2.2 billion to the state's economy and accounts for 70 percent of agricultural sales. Jobs - 6,000 to 7,000 of them - in our state depend on dairy. In addition, New England depends on the state's milk production, with 63 percent of the region's supply coming from farms in Vermont. The commercial dairy industry in Vermont did not begin until the demise of the world-renowned Merino...
Humans are no longer the only ones who have health care options beyond the allopathic approach. A number of options exist for the four-legged set utilizing so-called “alternative” modalities such as massage and acupuncture. In the last year, two new practitioners, Dr. Amy Plavin and Megan MacArthur Littlehales, have brought their services to help dogs, cats, and farm animals in the Brattleboro area live longer and more comfortably, often in combination with Western veterinary medicine. Hemlock Ridge In mid-November, Plavin...
Bellows Falls has a long tradition in the decathlon. Russ Nauceder (1982), Fred Waryas Jr. (1985 and 1986), and Dammy Mustapha (2009) have all won the men's individual title over the four decades the event has been held in Vermont. Now you can add a new name to the list. DJ Snide won the 41st annual Jerry Jasinski Vermont State Decathlon on June 13 and 14 in Burlington. A junior who won state titles earlier this month in the high...
For kids across Windham County and beyond, the end of the school year doesn't mean it's time to put away the books, especially if librarians have any say in the matter. To prevent the “summer slide,” when some young people forgo reading and other educational pursuits, nearly every public library offers a summer reading challenge. Some libraries mostly stick to “reading contracts” and lists of recommended books. Some offer hands-on activities one may not expect to find in a library.
Yellow Barn, an international center for chamber music in Putney, is giving the idea of taking music “on the road” a fresh literal spin with its new program, Music Haul. Redefining what a concert hall can be, the Music Haul is a traveling stage that brings music “to grammar schools and conservatories, urban neighborhoods and arts districts, city lots and open fields,” explains Catherine Stephan, executive director of Yellow Barn. Last year, Yellow Barn purchased a used 17-foot U-Haul moving...
At a lieutenant governor candidate forum here June 14, an audience member submitted an index card featuring a pointed question: “With all due respect, why should we care?” The three Democrats seeking Vermont's second-in-command administrative job did their best to make their case for the office's relevance, and for their plans to personalize and transform the position. Their ideas differ in some respects. But Kesha Ram, Shap Smith and Dave Zuckerman each talked about the lieutenant governor becoming some combination...
“We've known for at least a year that this exhibit would open on June 24, but we didn't know it would coincide with the deadliest shooting in American history,” said Danny Lichtenfeld, director of the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC). This Friday, the BMAC opens five new exhibits, and the one occupying the main gallery and a smaller side-gallery is called “Up in Arms: Taking Stock of Guns.” Like many other artistic endeavors, the museum's plan for the exhibit...
The Rich Earth Institute's flagship program, the Urine Nutrient Reclamation Project, has received additional funds for research and for demonstration of urine for use as fertilizer on local hay fields. Thanks to a $25,000 summer grant from the Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF), Research Director Abe Noe-Hays will continue developing reverse osmosis as a treatment method to reduce the volume of urine for ease of transport and storage between seasons of fertilizing. Operating since 2012, the Rich Earth's pilot project...
Nearly five years ago, Tropical Storm Irene's floodwaters tore through downtown in a matter of hours. But the experience triggered a new focus on creating resilient communities, a priority that will unfold over decades. Earlier this month, the Town Planning Department unveiled some new measures for a section of the Whetstone hardest hit by the 2011 flood, opening the process for public comment. As part of its Smart Growth Implementation Assistance program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hired a...
After more than 4 1/2 hours of comment and response on Monday night, the Development Review Board (DRB) unanimously affirmed designs for the Groundworks Collaborative's shelter and office space at 39 and 45 Frost St. Groundworks is planning to establish an emergency shelter on the former automotive repair property to replace the seasonal shelter hosted at the First Baptist Church on Main Street. The emergency shelter, approved by the DRB in 2015, plans to open this winter. Over time, the...