Issue #376

Putney briefs

PUTNEY - After a discussion with members of the Listers' Office at the Aug. 17 Selectboard meeting about what the listers described as new state requirements, Town Manager Cynthia Stoddard received a flood of phone calls from across the state, she told the Board at their Sept. 14 regular meeting.

Lister Christopher Landin told town officials at the Aug. 17 meeting new, stringent regulations were coming down the pike.

“That's not the case,” Stoddard said at the Sept. 14 meeting.

Although Stoddard attributed Landin's actions to “trying to be proactive” and she attaches no “malicious intent” to his warning, “we may not have had absolutely accurate information.”...

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Secrest reappointed to Vermont Commission on Women

Governor Peter Shumlin has reappointed Kerry Secrest of Brattleboro to serve on the Vermont Commission on Women, according to a news release. She will serve an additional four-year term. Secrest is a leadership coach for individuals and organizations through Watershed Coaching, her Brattleboro-based firm. She leads training in the...

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Parks Place gets $75,000 from Holt Fund

Parks Place Community Resource Center recently received a three-year grant of $75,000 from The Fanny Holt Ames and Edna Louise Holt Fund for operating expenses. According to a news release, this grant will be used to support the core mission of Parks Place Community Resource Center, which is to...

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Groundworks Collaborative to hold sixth annual Hike for the Homeless

Groundworks Collaborative will hold the sixth annual Hike for the Homeless fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 1, on Mount Wantastiquet in Hinsdale, New Hampshire. There will be two start times, according to a news release: 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., each beginning at the Mountain Road trailhead in Hinsdale (an immediate left after the second bridge on Route 119 when coming from downtown Brattleboro). Registration begins at 9:30 for the 10 a.m. start, and at noon for the 12:30 p.m. start.

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Vernon Homes’ executive director receives leadership award

Bradford Ellis, executive director of senior living community Vernon Homes, was awarded the 2016 Eli Pick Facility Leadership Award by the American College of Health Care Administrators, according to a news release. This is the second year in a row that he has received the award for his leadership of Vernon Homes' nursing facility, Vernon Green. The award recognizes administrators “whose teams have achieved a level of organizational quality that few others have been able to reach,” according to the...

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Brattleboro to host eighth annual Buddy Walk

On Saturday, Oct. 1, Brattleboro will host its eighth annual Buddy Walk. The Buddy Walk was developed by the National Down Syndrome Society in 1995 to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October and to promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome, according to a news release. This year's Brattleboro Buddy Walk will be a celebration of local accomplishments and future goals for raising awareness and promoting inclusion in the community. Everyone is welcome to join this special...

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Two new Early Head Start classrooms open in Brattleboro and Westminster

Early Education Services, an arm of the Brattleboro Town School District, and provider of Head Start, Early Head Start and Parent-Child Center services throughout Windham County, opened their 2016-17 program year with two new Early Head Start classrooms for a total of 16 infants and toddlers. The classrooms will be offered at the Canal Street School in Brattleboro and at the Westminster Early Head Start site on Buck Drive, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., year-round, according to...

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The only way to slow down school-district merger process? Vote no.

I have attended study committee meetings since the beginning. The Act 46 Study Committee voted to accept the Articles of Agreement and to send them to the state Board of Education. The committee had scheduled an all-towns vote on Nov. 8, but they have since decided to postpone it to next year. I am upset about the comments that Dummerston's voting member made to the study committee. She said that the Dummerston residents are “stuck on adult issues” rather than...

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Science Foundation scholarships to be offered at Landmark College

The National Science Foundation recently awarded Landmark College $650,000 over five years for “Access to Innovative Education: STEM Opportunities for Students with Learning Disabilities.” The program launched this September with five students, each of whom will receive up to $10,000 in scholarship support. The purpose of the grant is to remove financial barriers to STEM education for qualifying students with financial need. The grant will also offer an array of supports geared toward student success, according to a news release.

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West River Valley Assisted Living recognized for outstanding resident satisfaction

The assisted living at West River Valley Senior Housing recently received the Excellence in Action award from My InnerView by the National Research Corporation, the company that conducts their annual satisfaction survey, according to a news release. This honor recognizes long-term care and senior living organizations that achieve the highest levels of satisfaction, as demonstrated by overall resident or employee satisfaction scores within the top 10 percent of the survey database. West River Valley Assisted Living received the customer satisfaction...

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Around the Towns

Town taking requests for human services funding BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Human Services Review Committee is accepting applications for fiscal year 2018 Human Services Funding. The application, as well as instructions and guidelines, is posted on the Brattleboro website, www.brattleboro.org. The deadline to submit applications to the Brattleboro Town Manager's Office is Wednesday, Oct. 12 at noon. The information session regarding human services funding is scheduled on Thursday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m., in the Hanna Cosman...

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Milestones

College news • Kirsten Fox of Brattleboro, who is pursuing a B.A. in studio art, and Kazui Kusumi of South Londonderry, who is pursuing a B.S. in business administration, are members of the Class of 2020 at Colby-Sawyer College in New London, N.H. • Brennen Zolnoski of Brattleboro was welcomed into Western New England University's chapter of Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society on Aug. 26, during the University's Convocation ceremony. Zolnoski is majoring in biomedical engineering. • William Baker...

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‘The Mushroom Cure’ comes to Next Stage

Next Stage Arts Project presents “The Mushroom Cure,” with Adam Strauss, at Next Stage on Friday, Sept. 30, at 7:30 p.m. According to a news release, “The Mushroom Cure” tells the true story of how Strauss, inspired by a scientific study showing that hallucinogenic mushrooms may cure obsessive-compulsive disorder, embarked on a program of vigilante psychopharmacology in an attempt to treat his debilitating OCD with psychedelics. The show, starring Strauss and directed by Jonathan Libman, first ran in the Edinburgh...

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Vermont Symphony Orchestra returns to Latchis with world premiere

The Vermont Symphony Orchestra is hitting the road again, just in time for Vermont's famous foliage to blanket the state in a stunning sea of reds, oranges, and yellows. The orchestra will bring its 2016 Made in Vermont tour to the Latchis Theatre, 50 Main St., on Friday, Sept. 30, at 7:30 p.m., according to a news release. This year's program opens with Mozart's Divertimento No. 11, a piece he wrote for his sister, then turns to American composer Aaron...

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Vermont Virtuosi Flute Ensemble to perform in Brattleboro Oct. 1

Friends of Music at Guilford presents the Vermont Virtuosi Flute Ensemble, seven of the finest orchestral and solo flutists in New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire, on Saturday, Oct. 1, at at 7:30 p.m., in the sanctuary of St. Michael's Episcopal Church on Putney Road. “Pipe Dreams 5” is the back-by-popular-demand fifth public program by Vermont's only professional flute choir, according to a news release. Playing five different types of flute, from petite piccolo to colossal contrabass, the ensemble will...

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Harmony Place grant boosts funds toward matching challenge

Parks and Plazas, Inc., a local nonprofit organization committed to transforming in-town outdoor spaces into productive community gathering places, announced an award in the amount of $20,000 from the Thomas Thompson Trust for the reinvention of Harmony Place in downtown Brattleboro. “We are extremely grateful to the Thompson Trust for their generosity and for understanding the potential of Harmony Place,” said Parks and Plazas President Michelle Simpson-Siegel in a news release. “This is a big step toward meeting a challenge...

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Draa Hobbs brings new jazz quartet to Next Stage

Next Stage Arts Project presents renowned jazz vocalist Kendra Shank with the Draa Hobbs Quartet, featuring special guest Rich Greenblatt at Next Stage on Saturday, Oct. 1, at 7:30 pm. According to a news release, longtime regional guitarist Draa Hobbs has put together a stellar group to accompany Shank, including Greenblatt of Boston's Berklee College of Music; bassist Wayne Roberts; and drummer Claire Arenius. Hobbs has been active throughout New England for many years, performing with regional and Internationally recognized...

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Downtown Brattleboro Alliance picks ‘low-hanging fruit,’ encourages involvement

It was local beers and food all around for the members of the Downtown Brattleboro Alliance at the organization's annual meeting. Local breweries and restaurants donated the evening's beer and burgers for the Sept. 20 annual meeting held at The Lounge at Duo. “People tell me I host a good party,” joked Alliance President Michelle Simpson-Siegel. “But this is a business meeting.” The meeting opened with a quiz show. Contestants answered questions about what the Alliance had achieved over the...

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The Root fundraiser party will mark its third birthday

The Root Social Justice Center invites the community to celebrate the Center's third anniversary on Sunday, Oct. 2, from 3 to 7 p.m., at a fundraiser party at 28 Williams St., in the Whetstone Arts Building. Along with dancing, eating, and drinking, awards will be presented and Root volunteers will share their vision for racial-justice organizing in the community - while also raising funds to keep the doors of this volunteer-run space open. The event is free and open to...

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Overflow the Opera House food drive is Sept. 29

Our Place Drop-in Center hopes to fill every seat at the Bellows Falls Opera House with a bag of groceries on Thursday, Sept. 29. Overflow the Opera House is the tagline for the event being coordinated by WKVT Radio as a way to stock the shelves at Our Place with groceries and personal-care items, filling every one of the theater's 550 seats in the process. Volunteers will be on hand from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. so donors can drive...

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Too special for the rules

The Write Action group sure seems to produce some very entitled writers with scant regard for public safety. Between Helen Neswald's “I got an unfair speeding ticket for going 19 over” [“Herd behavior on the highway,” Essay, Sept. 14] and Charlene Wakefield's “I was unjustly kicked out of Strolling of the Heifers for trespassing across a well-marked no-go zone” [“A shortcut leads to a writer's banishment,” Essay, July 6], I'd love to hear how they'll justify their unsafe actions when...

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Uncertainty, concerns linger after Retreat case ruling

After more than two years of legal battles and two rulings from a bitterly divided Vermont Supreme Court, a case involving an assault committed by a former Brattleboro Retreat patient still is far from over. That's because the Supreme Court's rulings, the latest of which came Sept. 16, have created a new legal standard - dubbed a “duty to warn” - for mental health workers who are treating potentially dangerous patients. And that standard is causing worry for health care...

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A conversation with the founders of New England Center for Circus Arts

One of the perks that come with a Chamber of Commerce gig is a front-row center seat at the pageant of players who step onto our community stage every day to show us what they've got. From service providers to shopkeepers, builders to bakers, they weave the fabric of our community - and we are enhanced by every thread. I first became aware of the Smith sisters when they brought their circus-production company, Nimble Arts, to the scene. Whether they...

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Feast of St. Francis celebrated with ‘Missa Gaia,’ blessing of the animals

The community of St. Michael's Episcopal Church invites everyone to the Feast of St. Francis, and the celebratory “Missa Gaia” of Paul Winter on Sunday, Oct. 2, at 10:15 a.m. The Missa Gaia brings together choirs, instruments, and the voices of wolf, whale, and loon, and will be directed by Susan Dedell, with special guests Steve Rice, percussion; Don Baldini, bass; and Bruce Diehl, soprano sax. The music will be the central element for this joyful service, according to a...

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Rebel girls rolling toward top soccer seed

The Leland & Gray Rebels ended last week ranked No. 2 in Division III girls' soccer with a 6-1 record, the only blemish being a 2-1 loss to Stratton Mountain School on Sept. 21. The Rebels faced winless Bellows Falls last Friday in Westminster, and cruised to a 7-0 win. Despite the lopsided result, both coaches had positive takeaways from the game. For Rebels coach Lucas Bates, the challenge for his team was not to be complacent and to adjust...

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Wind developer plans changes to Stiles Brook proposal

The controversial Stiles Brook Wind Project proposal is about to change. Developer Iberdrola Renewables has scheduled two public meetings to discuss revisions to the project's size and its economic impacts. Currently, plans call for a 28-turbine wind energy site that would be Vermont's largest. The sessions are scheduled for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 4 at Windham Elementary School, and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 5 at Grafton Elementary School. Prior to those meetings, the developer isn't detailing...

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At a glance:

New England Center for Circus Arts 74 Cotton Mill Hill #300, Brattleboro • Website: necenterforcircusarts.org • Facebook: facebook.com/NECenterforCircusArts/ • Founded: 2003, as a component of Nimble Arts LLC, the touring company under which Serenity Smith-Forchion and Elsie Smith perform. The circus school was incorporated as tax-exempt, tax-deductible nonprofit in 2007. • Employees: 30–50, varies seasonally • Annual revenue: $844,522 in 2014 • Products/services: As described on NECCA's website: “The New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA) offers people of all...

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Biker appreciates removal of railroad siding

A great shout-out of thanks to Steve Barrett at the Brattleboro Department of Public Works, Cersosimo Lumber, and New England Central Railroad for removing the dreaded railroad siding on Route 142 which has caused the downfall (literally) of many, many cyclists over the years. The tracks are gone and have been replaced with smooth asphalt. Thank you all for making Brattleboro a safer place to cycle!

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BAJC celebrates high holy days

At sundown on Sunday, Oct. 2, Jewish people all over the world will welcome Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish year 5777. Rosh Hashanah begins a sacred period known as the Days of Awe that culminates 10 days later on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, observed this year on Oct. 12. Daniel Kasnitz, president of Congregation Shir Heharim, announces that the Brattleboro Area Jewish Community will offer Rosh Hashanah services beginning at 7 p.m. on Oct. 2 at the West Village...

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Bicycle rider, art teacher, and spider remover — and a state rep who cares

State Representative Mollie Burke stopped by my house today with her re-election pamphlet. I greeted her with pajamas, bedhead, and my newly acquired Barry White voice. “Oh. Hey, Mollie. I sure do wish I could invite you in, girl. But [bass riff] I've got a cold.” She smiled, opted to wave through the glass, and then helped my daughter Scarlett remove a spider from her bike handlebars before promising to come back to chat when I was feeling better. Mollie...

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Comparing ourselves to a way we never were

Creating over-simplistic, false historical comparisons doesn't help anyone. While I agree that the GOP presidential candidate is anything but civil, to claim the internet has ushered in a new era of people being rude, is super convenient and propping up a version of the past that is not there. Was it civil for Representative Duke Cunningham on May 11, 1995 on the floor of the House to call gay and lesbian folks serving as “homos in the military?” Or when...

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Judge Clinton on her merits, not on husband’s behavior

I feel compelled to reply to Sandy Golden's letter regarding my column. I would remind Ms. Golden, and our readers, that Hillary Clinton is running for president, not her husband. It is her merit we must consider, not his sexual history or their marital relationship. It is perhaps worth noting as well that a great many former presidents, including Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy had extramarital affairs while in office, and we once had the good grace to...

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A temporary poll location change in Brattleboro

Voting in the General Election has started in Vermont. As we announced, Election Day voting in Brattleboro will be at the VFW at 40 Black Mountain Rd. (off Putney Road) on Nov. 8 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. But there is no need to wait. Early voting began on Sept. 23 and extends the opportunity for voters. Early or absentee voting is easy and fast. You can visit the Town Clerk's office during regular business hours and vote. If...

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Breaking the silence about the presidential campaign

Let us speak up and break the silence! Today, my heart cracked open when speaking to an African-American friend. We had exchanged our usual greetings when he stopped, looked at me closely, and whispered, “Are you afraid?” All of a sudden, I could say what I haven't been able to speak outside my own family. “Trump? You mean, are we going to elect Trump?” He nodded in agreement. I found myself grabbing at my heart. “I don't know, I don't...

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Challenge yourself to stop driving to work

Vermonters are invited to take part in the Way to Go Challenge (waytogovt.org) between Sept. 26 and Oct. 7. The goal of the challenge is to reduce carbon pollution in the state by making responsible choices in our commuting and daily travel. Living and working in downtown Brattleboro, I'm lucky to be able to walk or cycle the mile to my job. A leisurely stroll takes about 20 minutes, and cycling gets me there in just under five. Were I...

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We’ll take the turbines

Hey, Iberdrola! If the good people of Windham and Grafton don't want the windmills, come to Weathersfield. We'll take 'em and that more-than-a-million-dollars in relief from town taxes. We even have the same power line that runs through our town. How many people think about where the energy is coming from when we recharge our computers, run our air conditioners, turn up our thermostats, open our refrigerators, turn on our stoves to cook, turn our lights on? How many of...

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A cheaper bus fare backs a poisonous and hateful agenda

It is important that people in Brattleboro and the surrounding area are aware that the Megabus company has a record of funding and promoting a homophobic political agenda in the United Kingdom, where the company originated. Brian Souter, the founder and owner of Megabus in the U.K., personally donated £1 million to uphold Section 28 (known as Clause 2A in Scotland, where Souter is from) laws, which forbade local authorities in the U.K. from “intentionally promoting homosexuality.” This clause/section was...

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Social, economic, environmental-justice issues matter the most

In this coming election, Donald Trump is only the tip of the iceberg. The bigger problem we face in this election are all the Donald Trumps, who collectively tanked the economy in 2007 by behaviors that (as the presidential candidate Trump said) represented a good way to make money. In his words, it was “good business.” It sure says something when trashing the world economy is thought of selfishly as “good business.” Similarly, it is all the Donald Trumps who...

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Ms. P. inspired son

My son had Nicole Plympton last year, and he absolutely loved her. He has had troubles with focus while in school, and she connected with him and made him enjoy education.

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Teacher loved, respected

Nicole Plympton was my daughter's teacher last year, and she was so loved and respected! I am thrilled that she is getting this recognition. Congratulations!

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See you soon, sun

Good morning, noon, or night to you, and happy autumn! Generally speaking, we've been soaking in sunshine for a very long time. The drought and dry weather has persisted thanks to dominant high pressure in the southeast U.S. But as we move deeper into autumn, there are signs we could experience more stormy weather later in October and into November. For now, fair weather is more likely to be the rule. However, over the next several days into Sunday, the...

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World-class photography featured at annual auction, exhibition

In-Sight Photography Project's 18th annual photography auction and exhibition takes place Oct. 7-30, according to a news release. Proceeds from the Auction support In-Sight Photography Project's scholarship fund. More than 200 photographers and collectors donate each year. This year's auction includes works from renowned photographers such as Jon Cone, Susan Jahoda, Mark Shaw, Judy Walgren, and many more. Subjects, mediums, sizes, and techniques vary widely, and prices appeal to all audiences, from sophisticated collectors to art-loving bargain hunters. The Auction...

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Artists help one of their own

When painter Jim Giddings lost his studio and a lifetime of work to fire on Aug. 29, it sent a ripple of sympathy through the arts community of southern Vermont. Now that ripple has grown into a wave of support, as his fellow artists are lining up to donate their work for a benefit auction to help him rebuild and get back to painting. More than 60 of the area's most renowned artists and collectors have pledged artwork, according to...

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Entergy unloading Brattleboro VY properties

Entergy is selling its Brattleboro properties, including a former office complex and training center that had supported the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant. On one hand, it's yet another sign of the end of the Vermont Yankee era. The structures were vacated this past spring, more than a year after the Vernon plant ceased producing power. On the other hand, local officials view the sale as a chance to spur economic development. In all, more than 66,000 square feet of industrial...

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Brattleboro’s Mister Fix-It

Lester Dunklee doesn't like to answer the phone at work. That doesn't mean he's antisocial, though. On the contrary - answering the phone might mean interrupting a chat with a customer. When asked what he loves most about his job, Dunklee, proprietor and sole employee of R E Dunklee & Sons machine shop, didn't miss a beat: “Helping people out. It's very, very rewarding to help people out with finding a solution to their problems." “Everybody wants something straightened or...

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Is Brooklyn in the house?

The ads in the paper started appearing months ago: “Hey, all you former Brooklynites!” Kelley Murray placed those ads. The Brattleboro resident is working on her first book, about other locals who, like Murray, once lived in New York City. Although Murray said the project's scope was originally only about Brooklynites who moved to Brattleboro, she has since expanded it to include ex-pats from all five boroughs “because I realized I was being elitist.” One need not even be a...

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Building a team

Former Vermont Gov. Madeleine Kunin says she has been talking about the need for women to assuming a greater role in governance since the 1970s. “We really need to be there when issues are talked about,” she said at a Sept. 19 fundraising event at the Catherine Dianich Gallery. Having women be there at every level of government is the mission of EmergeVT, the local chapter of Emerge America, a nonprofit that trains female Democratic Party candidates in 16 states...

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Perfect match

It starts on an August day, above Flathead Lake in Montana, just a few moments before I head to a wedding. My cell phone rings. I think of turning it off. I'm on vacation. It's a special day. My children are here, my closest friends. Who would I need to talk to? I check to see. A Vermont number. My sister. And so it starts: “Liz? It's Maggie.” “Maggie?” I ask. Her voice is lower than usual. Dark. My heart...

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Twice the art featured at annual studio tour

Poised at the confluence of a nationwide arts happening and a statewide studio event, the artists of Brattleboro again will offer a close-up look at the creative process at the height of fall foliage season. This year, however, art lovers will have twice the opportunity, as the annual event expands to include Columbus Day weekend, according to a news release. Typically the first weekend in October, the Vermont Craft Council's 2016 Fall Open Studio Weekends, Oct. 1 and 2 and...

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