Issue #519
Could new municipal district be model for rural broadband?
Rural broadband service was a hot topic in the Vermont Legislature this session, and the work of members of the Windham County delegation was key to the passage of the rural broadband bill signed into law last month by Gov. Phil Scott.
The law is designed to help communities independently determine the connectivity solutions that are most appropriate for their respective needs, and it also provides financing of programs to get local initiatives off the ground.
A variety of needs
I just spent a year counseling in a homeless shelter in Tampa, Florida. I now believe giving money to panhandlers is enabling. These folks need care for their physical and mental health; treatment for addiction; attorneys to help with disability; jobs and housing; and a lot of support!
The astronomical costs — and astronomical value — of college
One mother’s tag sale will pay forward the investment of scholarships in her daughter’s education
Twenty years ago, when my eldest daughter started college, the cost of tuition, fees, and room and board at a nonprofit private university was $31,590 per year, or $126,360 for four years. The cost of tuition and fees at a four-year public non-profit college was $5,020 per year, or...
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Brattleboro gets AARP grant for community placemaking project
Brattleboro is one of four Vermont communities to receive $3,000 in grants from AARP Vermont to jump-start placemaking demonstration projects that focus on creating public spaces and streets that are safe and accessible for everyone. Proposals from Brattleboro, Fairfax, Fair Haven, and Northfield were selected from a host of applications for the initiative. This is the second year of AARP's Placemaking Grant Program. According to a news release, AARP Vermont teamed up with the Vermont Arts Council, the Vermont Department...
Davis graduates from Snelling Center’s Vermont Leadership Institute
The Snelling Center for Government recently announced that Emily Davis of Brattleboro has graduated from the Vermont Leadership Institute with the Class of 2019. Davis is currently the Natural Resources and Water Quality Planner at Windham Regional Commission in Brattleboro. As a participant in the Vermont Leadership Institute, Davis joined 23 other leaders from around the state for eight overnight sessions totaling 19 seminar days between September 2018 and June 2019. The Vermont Leadership Institute was created in 1995 with...
BMH, CCV host open house for Accelerated Medical Assistant program
Brattleboro Memorial Hospital and Community College of Vermont are partnering again for an accelerated program to prepare qualified candidates for jobs as Certified Medical Assistants. Enrollment in the one-semester program will be limited to 20 participants. Classes will be held on the College's Brattleboro campus, and all clinical aspects of the course work will be completed at the Hospital. As part of the joint initiative, BMH is providing full scholarships for eight successful applicants. Scholarship recipients will have their CCV...
A business watch?
We here at Harmony Underground see the problem hour by hour. People are afraid to come in the parking lot, and I don't blame them. We would love to see a business watch, like a neighborhood watch. What can be done?
Windham Foundation announces its 2019 grants
Thirteen Vermont organizations were awarded a total of $63,000 in funding from The Windham Foundation in their recently concluded grants round. In a news release, Liz Bankowski, CEO of The Windham Foundation, said “we are proud to support these organizations who offer a variety of social, recreational, and educational programs that enrich their communities and benefit the state.” Local grantees included: • The Broad Brook Community Center in Guilford: a grant to continue renovation of the 120-year-old Grange building to...
Where is our humanity if we don’t do everything we can to stop family separation at the border?
I am horrified by what is happening to the immigrant children who are detained at our borders. The separation of children from their parents and or caretakers is inhumane and will haunt all of us for generations to come. These children and families will not forget and their traumas will live in them throughout their lives, physically as well as emotionally. While my story is quite different, I, too, experienced being separated from my parents - not for just a...
Poster raffle to support asylum seekers
A couple of Lower Bartonsville residents and folks from the Community Asylum Seekers Project gathered recently at the village's iconic covered bridge to kick off a fundraiser to help asylum seekers bridge the gap between their former lives and new ones in this country. On hand were Chris Langston and Marvie Campbell, who live nearby, and CASP supporters Laurel Green, Steve Crofter, John Bohannon, and Dempster Leech. Local painter Charlie Hunter has donated a poster-size framed print (13” x 22”)
For Sanders, a missed opportunity
Bernie Sanders missed a golden opportunity in the second Democratic debate when Kamala Harris was taking Joe Biden to task for his recently expressed support of segregationist Senators. The New York Times featured a picture on its front page the following morning of the three of them in the middle of this exchange, with Harris and Biden confronting each other. And Sanders was standing between them - just staring ahead, not doing what he as a white male should have...
Master stone-wall builder to speak at Historical Society meeting
Dan Snow, master stone wall builder, will present a program on Dry Stone Wall Pounds at the Dummerston Historical Society's quarterly meeting on Thursday, July 18, at 7:30 p.m. Snow is among the nation's premier dry stone wall builders, and an author who happens to be a Dummerston resident. He will talk about the history and making of the Dummerston town pound during 2008 and 2009. Snow teaches dry stone wall building and, during five workshops with 44 participants, recreated...
A conflagration of capitalism
In 1803 an Irish renegade, Ned Despard, stood on the gallows in London to be hanged for revolutionary conspiracy. His final speech, written with his Caribbean-born wife, Kate, expressed the hope that “the principles of freedom, of humanity, and of justice will triumph over falsehood, tyranny, and delusion.” The radical love between Kate and Ned serves as a cornerstone for Red Round Globe Hot Burning, a monumental history of the origins of capitalism (and, simultaneously, the U.K. and U.S.) as...
Past time for petty legislative squabbling about marijuana
Thanks for covering a forum in the West River Valley regarding taxing and regulating the pot market. I have now seen for myself what I have been told about repeatedly: the dispensaries in western Massachusetts (in Northampton, Great Barrington, and other towns) have dozens or even hundreds of people on line at all times. The last time I was in Northampton, I spent a short amount of time in the parking lot of the marijuana store and saw license plates...
Around the Towns
Town seeks to fill board, committee vacancies BRATTLEBORO - The town of Brattleboro is looking for citizens to serve on the following committees and boards: Arts Committee, Brattleboro Housing Partnerships Board of Commissioners, Cemetery Committee, Citizen Police Communications Committee, Conservation Commission, Design Review Committee (Alternate), Development Review Board (Alternate), Energy Committee, Fence Viewers, Inspector of Lumber, Shingles & Wood, Planning Commission, Recreation & Parks Board. Senior Solutions Advisory Council, and the Tree Advisory Committee. Applications and more information about various...
‘I don’t see the heartless soul of capitalism’
Allison Teague clearly has her heart in the right place when offering compassion and a hand up to anyone struggling on the street. However, I don't see the heartless soul of capitalism in the anonymous Open Letter [“A direct negative impact on our economic sustainability,” May 29] previously contributed by some downtown business owners. If a person has demonstrated the lack of ability to handle their financial responsibilities and prioritize rent or a mortgage over an addiction, whether because of...
Brattleboro police ‘so respectful’ to this African American adult
I want to reflect on my experience with the Brattleboro police. I am an African American adult. All my interactions with police on the street have been outstanding and so respectful to me. I felt compelled to write a letter because I know there are some police around the country who treat African Americans badly. I want this community to know that we are lucky to have a professional police force here.
It’s time to admit the flag thieves have won
Seven years ago, my father, Tim O'Connor, decided that the town needed a little more red, white, and blue during Brattleboro's Fourth of July festivities. So on his own, he bought 125 U.S. flags and put them in the flower buckets throughout downtown, around the traffic island across from Brattleboro Savings & Loan, and around Wells Fountain. He did so quietly, not wanting any credit for his efforts. My father passed away last year, but the flags were a tradition...
Curtain Call welcomes the Stockwell Brothers Band
On Saturday, July 20, Wardsboro Curtain Call presents contemporary bluegrass and folk quartet The Stockwell Brothers at the Wardsboro Town Hall. Bruce, Barry, Alan and Kelly Stockwell's music spans traditional and progressive styles, but their trademark acoustic sound features new singer/songwriter material recast with banjo, alternative rhythms, and three-part harmonies. They cover straight ahead bluegrass songs, finger picked acoustic guitar ballads, full tilt breakdowns and traditional mandolin tunes mixed in with more unusual fare - Americana melodies riding world beat...
Summer stories and free books at the Rockingham Library
On Monday, July 15, at 5 p.m., the Rockingham Free Public Library will welcome Marv Klassen-Landis, a Children's Literacy Foundation (CLiF) storyteller, illustrator, and author who will present a fun and entertaining storytelling program for the whole family. After the program, each youth who attends will be able to select two brand new books to keep thanks to a Summer Readers grant from the Children's Literacy Foundation. The Rockingham Library is able to provide this program with support from a...
James Rousmaniere speaks about his new book ‘Water Connections’ at BMAC
New Hampshire author James Rousmaniere discusses Water Connections, his new book about what fresh water means to us and what we mean to water, at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center on Thursday, July 18, at 7:30 p.m. The event is free and open to all. After the talk, Rousmaniere will sign copies of the book, which will be available for purchase at the Museum. Published in June, Water Connections explores water-related changes in technology, pollution, economic values, and ideas...
Milestones
College news • Wynona Meyer of Guilford recently graduated summa cum laude from Bard College at Simon's Rock in Great Barrington, Mass., with a B.A. in psychology and contemporary critical theory. • The following local residents recentlyreceived degrees from the Rochester (N.Y.) Institute of Technology: James Bourque of East Dover received a B.S. in mechanical engineering technology, James Ferris of Brattleboro received a B.S. in computer science, and Cesar Augusto Rabello Borges Filho of Brattleboro received a B.S. in biomedical...
River Gallery School is finalist for Ewing Arts Award
River Gallery School is a finalist for the 2019 Ewing Arts Award for Excellence in Community Engagement. The winner is kept secret until the annual Ewing Arts Awards Ceremony. The awards are named for Ruth and James Ewing, founders of The Keene Sentinel. They are given to local artists who, through the quality of their work, demonstrate excellence and make important statements. The awards are made in 10 categories: Performing Arts, 2-D Visual Arts, 3-D Visual Arts, Literary Arts, Interdisciplinary...
BMAC offers Free Family Day on Saturday
Children and adults, seasoned museum-goers and curious newcomers alike are invited to Free Family Day at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center on Saturday, July 20, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., attendees of all ages can view the Museum's summer exhibits with artists and docents on hand to answer questions; watch huge woodblock prints being created on the giant mobile printing press of BIG INK, and take part in a variety of hands-on...
Village Stroll returns to downtown Wilmington
The summer's first Wilmington Village Strolls event will be held Saturday, July 20, from 5 to 7 p.m. The theme of the stroll is “Eat Local,” and the stroll will feature many ways to sample and celebrate local food and beverages throughout the village. Jill Sachs will perform live in Riverbank Park, and shops will be open late. Artists led by local painter Ann Coleman will be set up on the Crafts Inn lawn starting at 10 a.m. At 5...
WWAC hosts screening, discussion of ‘Within the Eye of the Storm’
The 2012 documentary “Within the Eye of the Storm” follows Bassam and Rami, a Palestinian and an Israeli who were once dedicated fighters for their nations. Faced with the tragic loss of their daughters in the conflict, they choose the unexpected, and, instead of seeking revenge, they turn from enemies into brothers. On Thursday, July 25, at 6 p.m., at 118 Elliot St. in Brattleboro, Jerusalem Peacebuilders (JPB) and the Windham World Affairs Council will present this inspiring film. To...
What can we do personally about opioid epidemic?
After leaving the June Opioid forum, I was asked in person and through several messages, “But what can I do? What can we do?” The question is a normal one to want to ask; however, unless you are going to move into the fields of human services, substance-use treatment, law enforcement, first response, legislating, or government, the “what you can do” is pretty darned limited. The usuals are there: high-level hands-off stuff, all of which are excellent: • Advocate to...
Correction
Landmark College journalism student William Epifanio contributed reporting to the July 3 Special Focus section “Flying signs.” The Commons attributed him incorrectly in the credits for that project.
Governor appoints Windham County Sheriff
Capt. Mark Anderson has been appointed Windham County Sheriff by Gov. Phil Scott. Anderson fills the vacancy left by his predecessor, Sheriff Keith Clark, who retired June 30 after 12 years as sheriff. The new sheriff brings more than 15 years of law enforcement experience to the role, including extensive expertise in budget management, drug recognition, and records management. Anderson most recently served as chief deputy of the Windham County Sheriff's Office, managing operational and internal affairs and developing strategic...
Hunger Council works to close food-access gap
Ten percent of Vermonters don't have enough food to eat every month. Yet, in the experience of members of the Hunger Council of the Windham Region, few community members understand the extent of hunger in the state. Jenna O'Donnell, Hunger Council manager with Hunger Free Vermont, the statewide nonprofit that organizes the local group and nine other similar councils throughout the state, said that Vermonters can “work their butts off and still struggle.” The local Hunger Council, which met at...
Hottest temps of 2019 arrive this weekend, cooler next week
Hello and good day to you, southeastern Vermonters! We have changeable and impactful weather on the way to our region, with the most salient point being a low chance for a heat wave in portions of Windham County beginning on Friday and lasting through the weekend. Not only that, but the Heat Index (which is also known as the apparent temperature, and is a combination of the air temperature and dew point temperature) could push over 100 degrees in spots!
Canal Street Art Gallery hosts group show for Bellows Falls 3rd Friday
The Vermont Summer Group Show: All Mediums, All Subjects, All Art, is on view to the public through Aug. 17 at the Canal Street Art Gallery, 23 Canal St. For Bellows Falls 3rd Friday Gallery Night on July 19, from 5 to 8 p.m., there will be a “Meet the Artists” reception featuring more than 70 works of art from 19 artists working in Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York. Live music will be provided by “x 1,” an acoustic...
New work asks big questions at a critical moment
“Something here seduced me,” explained Cuban-American poet, author, and translator Pablo Medina in describing his decision to make Vermont his home. Medina, of Williamsville, has penned eight books that span poetry, fiction, memoir, and translation, including The Cuban Comedy, his new work of fiction released this month. The story of two poets who fall in love in Havana, Cuba, the work covers the range of what it means to love during difficult times as it inquires about the meaning and...
Marlboro Music features work of resident composer Widmann
Acclaimed composer and virtuoso clarinetist Jörg Widmann will be featured in both capacities on the second weekend of concerts at Marlboro Music, where he is 2019 resident composer. The Saturday, July 20, concert at 8 p.m. will offer a varied program with Widmann's Octet for strings, clarinet, bassoon, and horn, the Mozart Flute Quartet in D Major, and Tchaikovsky's “Souvenir de Florence” for String Sextet. On Sunday, July 21, at 2:30 p.m., co-Artistic Director Mitsuko Uchida will close the program...
Can a new program put cash in the pockets of those who need it most?
“The number one goal is to get cash into people's pockets,” said Emilie Kornheiser, director of workforce development for Youth Services. “It's as simple as that.” People in need can find multiple services in this town that provide a place to sleep or a meal, she said. Yet, moving from service to service also means that these community members operate in a cashless economy. People still need to buy toilet paper, said Kornheiser. whose agency recently unveiled its Work Today...
Putney town school board says goodbye
Because of school district consolidation under Act 46, the Putney Town School District's five-member school board has dissolved at the end of the day on June 30. As of July 1, the board of the merged district, the Windham Southeast School District (WSESD) has begun making policy and budget-planning decisions for Putney Central School, as well as for the nine other schools of the merged district. On June 13, the Putney Town School Board signed a letter to the Vermont...
Co-op employment descrimination
I want to talk about my experience of being discriminated against by the Brattleboro Co-op. I am disabled with mild CP and I was helping a work member with her member hours and they put me in the bulk department. The department manager really liked my work and she offered me 15 hours of paid work and I said yes. We talked to the human resource assistant and she asked me to step away so she and the HR person...
Green Mountain Care Board needs to hear from those affected by insurance rate hikes
Blue Cross Blue Shield and MVP Health Care are requesting massive premium increases this year. BCBS is asking for an average increase of 15.6 percent, and MVP is requesting a 9.4-percent average increase. This is on top of the deductibles and copays that come with these policies, which render many of us who have insurance “underinsured,” meaning that we have a policy but don't use it because of high deductibles. The Green Mountain Care Board is holding public hearings on...
A homeless revolution
We in the homeless community and our allies feel that the police enforce, and threaten to enforce, the trespassing ordinances randomly - not consistently - and on public property, which, for the homeless, is like being terrorized; you never know when they will show up. Due to the recent increase in arrests, no-trespass citations, and threats of arrest toward homeless people by police, the homeless community of Brattleboro will be taking direct action in order to demand three basic concessions...
Yellow Barn concert marks moon-landing anniversary
Yellow Barn looks to the skies this week as it remembers the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. The festivities begin with concerts Thursday and Friday, plus a full day of events on Saturday including a viola masterclass, an afternoon of open rehearsals, a pre-concert discussion with Avi Loeb - professor of astronomy at Harvard University and director of Harvard's Black Hole Initiative - and a special performance of music inspired by the moon, from comic Baroque operas to Pierrot...
Westminster Garden Tour is this weekend
The 18th annual Westminster Garden Tour will be held this weekend, featuring the gardens of Gordon and Mary Hayward, Cyndy Fine of Genius Loci, and the Laughlin Family Farm in Putney. The Garden Tour is the major fundraising event for Westminster Cares and all proceeds go to supporting their healthy-aging programs and services for older adults and adults with disabilities. Featured this year are the stone sculptures of Miles Chapin. “Dwelling in Stone - A collaboration of stone sculpture and...
Exercise champion backs up claim — literally
William “Real Bill” Kathan glowed with excitement as he came to announce a new first: walking backward up Mount Wantastiquet for two miles while balancing a baseball bat on one finger. Kathan said his feat was witnessed and confirmed by Nadan Rathore, owner of the India Marsala House on Putney Road, as well as roughly six dozen students from western Massachusetts participating in the Northfield Mount Hermon Upward Bound program. He also claims superiority in the categories of fastest walk...
Brattleboro All-Stars win state Babe Ruth title
Huxley Holcombe was the winning pitcher and Zinabu McNeice had three hits as Brattleboro Babe Ruth All-Stars beat Suburban, 11-4, to win the Vermont Babe Ruth Baseball 15-year-old state tournament in St. Johnsbury on July 14. Alex Bingham drew a pair of walks and drove in three runs for Brattleboro, while Jeremy Graves drew three walks and drove in two runs. Brattleboro scored seven runs in the first inning and cruised from there to win the title. After Brattleboro lost...
Farm to Ballet returns to Retreat Farm on July 20
Farm to Ballet returns to Retreat Farm to celebrate the rich farming culture of Vermont on Saturday at 6 p.m. with dancers dressed as lettuce leaves, goats, pigs, and cows. Set on a grassy stage, the full-length production tells the story of a Vermont farm from spring to fall, and features live Vivaldi played by a string sextet. “Our goal for this summer is to raise $100,000 to support regenerative agricultural projects and farms across Vermont,” Artistic Director and Ballet...
More music, still free
Southern Vermont is a rich place for music in the summer. Along with the well-established Marlboro Music and Yellow Barn, a relatively recent festival originating in Jamaica is becoming an eagerly anticipated part of the musical scene. Pikes Falls Chamber Music Festival will celebrate its eighth season with the music of Caroline Shaw, Joan Tower, Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, and more. The Grammy-nominated and awarded musicians of PFCM, along with the Pikes Falls Baroque Ensemble and NakedEye Ensemble, will perform...
Finishing the job
The gathering of staff and press in the community room at Melrose Terrace on July 9 was small, but the news was big: the Brattleboro Housing Partnerships is reorganizing its leadership. Starting Jan 1, Christine Hart, its executive director of 23 years, will take on a new role as director of development, turning her focus to three property development projects for the nonprofit. “These are big projects, and I want to get them right and I want to get them...
Policing homeless life and the need to resist
James Douglas, 60, has been homeless for three years after he left an unhealthy relationship. “I became homeless 'cause I had no place else to go,” he says. “I get a monthly income - Social Security. But that doesn't pay rent.” Douglas, who lives in Brattleboro, was arrested on July 11, at 12:30 a.m. for sleeping in Plaza Park downtown. People who sleep there at night do so because they have no other safe place to go. Now that park...