Make no mistake: Our beloved country is being red-zoned by an Orange Armageddon.
I'm not talking about the horrid fires out west, although I can imagine those poor souls who have faced them have nightmares of a hell with orange flames.
I'm referring to Donald J. Trump, one of the most unqualified and morally bankrupt presidents in U.S. History.
Given the ravages of his crass, thug presidency coupled with the battering effects of climate change nipping at our very survival, coronavirus deaths surpassing 200,000 (thanks in large part to Trump's treating the pandemic as a hoax), and now the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, I ask: How many more gut punches can this country endure?...
Weston Playhouse Theatre Company will present a virtual fundraising event with New York Times' national security correspondent David E. Sanger on Sunday, Oct. 18, at 7 p.m. Sanger, who speaks at the theater each year, will give a special lecture about his new HBO documentary The Perfect Weapon, based...
The Vermont Symphony Orchestra (VSO) will start its 2020-21 season with two new projects, “designed to meet you where you're at, serve the present moment, and provide some brightness for the soul,” according to a news release. Hosted by VSO New Music Advisor David Ludwig, “Music for Days Like...
College news • The following local students were honored for academic achievement during the summer 2020 semester at Community College of Vermont: Addison Worsman of Brattleboro was named to the President's List. Named to the Student Honors List were Dewanda Coull of Bellows Falls; Julia Luna, Marta McBean, Cecil McLaury, Jenna Rae, and Jason Trigg of Brattleboro; Kelly Garland of Guilford, Tysea Kurjiaka of Londonderry, Juliane Danielski of Putney, Renata Cuadrado-Santos of South Londonderry, Christopher Peck of Townshend, and Hannah...
Volunteers needed for Farmers to Families food box distribution BRATTLEBORO - The Vermont Foodbank's Farmers to Families Food Box Program will launch its third phase of distribution this month. The federally funded program is part of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). The U.S. Department of Agriculture funds distributors from around the country to source, pack, and distribute boxes full of fresh foods, including produce, dairy, and meat products. Unlike in previous distributions, the Foodbank won't have the support of...
During the week of Oct. 12, the Vermont Jazz Center (VJC) will launch its 2020 educational season. According to a news release, the VJC says that this fall's new offerings “make good use of the Jazz Center's summer faculty as instructors can now Zoom in from afar to reach students from all around the world.” VJC's expanded educational programs includes online options as well as onsite opportunities for local participants run in accordance with local and safety guidelines. New online...
Autumn is a brilliant and melancholy season in New England - what the poet Delmore Schwartz called “the annihilation of the blaze of fall.” For folks who travel up here to see the foliage, pick apples by hand, visit the country farmstands, or buy some crafts from the artists in the area, it is a wonderful sojourn, the fulfillment of summer and the harvest. For those of us accustomed to the turn of the seasons, memory may be interwoven into...
The vibe of the small crowd gathered on Oct. 3 was subdued - perhaps for many, an expression of dumbstruck disbelief that this day had actually arrived. They came - masked and distanced, of course - to observe the dedication of the Perseverance Skatepark on this brilliant autumn Saturday morning, in a quick ceremony. As the ceremony marked the opening of the long-awaited park, it also symbolized the end of a roundabout - and, for many, agonizing - journey of...
The first presidential debate brings to mind the famous quote from Macbeth: “It is a tale/Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,/signifying nothing.” Thus it was with President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden. But to call the debate a “shit show,” as many in the media have, implies that Biden equally shared with Trump the role in making it so. That obscures what really went down. The way one can well understand the debate is...
Over the past few weeks, we have seen many landlords taking a stance against the Tenants Union of Brattleboro's (TUB) recent proposal to limit tenant move-in costs to a maximum of two month's rent (first month plus security deposit). In a housing shortage that's only getting worse and an environment where more than half of Vermonters are rent burdened, this is an important and simple step toward making housing accessible and affordable for all people in town. Yet we continually...
The work is just beginning. So said Emily Megas-Russell and Shea Witzberger, who have been retained by the town to facilitate a deep examination of municipal resources, how they are spent on public safety, and whether those resources can be used more equitably to support community safety, health, and well-being. The facilitators and nine committee members shepherding the Community Safety Project held their first meeting last week, which served as an initial meet-and-greet and an opportunity for Megas-Russell and Witzberger...
Brandie Starr, a member of the Selectboard, recently wrote “Landlords, what do you want to invest in?” [Viewpoint, Sept. 16], in which she directly addresses community members and, more specifically, landlords. Her article is in reaction to, and support of, a now-notorious proposal written by the Tenants' Union of Brattleboro (TUB), which limits security deposits to an amount of one month's rent. Since the proposal was added to the Selectboard meeting agenda and since Starr has voiced her support, there...
Several members of the Rock River Artists (RRA) collective will be joined by a few peers in a safe art/craft festival on the Newfane Common Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 10 and 11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Having had to cancel RRA's 28th annual Open Studio tour due to COVID-19, many group creators find themselves eager and ready to reconnect with the public - newcomers and regular followers alike. On Indigenous Peoples' Day weekend, 10 artists and craftspeople will...
A sheet of pastry, some apples, and a few other ingredients, and you have a super quick and delicious dessert! My mother Sylvia often used her extra pie dough to make a quick galette with whatever fruit, or even jam, she had on hand. This rustic, free-form tart is not only easier than a traditional two-crust pie, but it comes together in a flash and is lovely to look at as well. And it doesn't need to look perfect. It's...
Susanne Shapiro's nursing career toured through multiple areas of medicine, but the field of elder care has always held her professional heart. And that heart was evident as Shapiro said goodbye to Valley Cares after eight years as executive director of the organization, which provides affordable elder housing and supportive services known as West River Valley Senior Housing. In its two facilities, Valley Cares offers three types of housing options with varying degrees of support services for tenants. “It's been...
Rain fell softly and a light breeze dropped leaves to form a golden path as Jody Williams walked toward the front door of the Green Street School on the morning of Oct. 2. Her brother Mark held an umbrella to protect their mother Ruth's hair, done especially for the occasion - the unveiling of a plaque commemorating the Nobel Peace Prize her daughter received in 1997. “I'm not the crying type, but that plaque makes me kind of want to...
Stone Church Arts has ended, but a new entity, Halcyon Arts, has picked up its legacy of presenting music from around the world and close at home. According to a news release, the Vestry at Immanuel Episcopal Church in Bellows Falls voted at the end of August to discontinue the cultural center's concerts and other programming for financial reasons. “The pandemic certainly ended our income and, from a financial point of view, this makes sense. However, it is a great...
The Brattleboro Colonels football team had their home opener against the Windsor Yellowjackets at Natowich Field on Oct. 2, but there were a lot of things missing due to COVID-19. The BUHS band wasn't there. Neither were most of the fans, with attendance limited to a masked and socially-distanced 150 people. There was no long line of people waiting for hot dogs and popcorn at the Colonel's Den. There was no National Anthem. And, most especially, there was no blocking,
Next Stage Arts Project will present its eighth socially distanced, outdoor event - Bread and Puppet Theater's “The Insurrection-Resurrection Service Circus” - on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 3 p.m. on the Hickory Ridge Road soccer field in Putney. Bring lawn chairs or blankets for outdoor seating in distanced pods on the field, and face masks to wear whenever you leave your pod. Rain date for the performance is Wednesday, Oct. 14. “The Insurrection-Resurrection Service Circus” is this summer's contribution to...
Local writer Shanta Lee Gander is among the recipients of the 2020 Vermont Arts Awards recognizing outstanding individual and organizational contributions to the arts. Awards, presented by the Vermont Arts Council, honor educators, artists, performers, advocates, administrators, volunteers, and scholars and recognize Vermonters for their contributions in five categories. Gander will receive the Arthur Williams Award for Meritorious Service to the Arts. In its award announcement, the Arts Council called Gander “a multidisciplinary artist who transformed a challenging childhood into...
After reading the views written by landlords in response to the proposed ordinance regulating residential rental move-in fees, I, like Paul E. Normandeau, “have several personal reactions.” Sadness. Anger. Confusion. Betrayal. Hopelessness. Frustration. Since reading these property-owners' words, I've asked myself, “Is this community really for me? Was I mistaken when I believed my values were reflected in the culture here in the Brattleboro area?” And I've wondered if any of these landlords have ever been in a desperate situation.
There are tremendous differences between the Vermont Republican party and the Vermont Democrat Party, and those differences are evident in their platforms and in people's political activities in the state. On the Right, we see a discussion opposing policies like the Global Warming Solutions Act and a desire to reopen businesses and schools, along with truck convoys supporting political candidates. On the Left, we see attempts to drown out opposing voices by screaming into bullhorns in people's faces, burning newspapers,
This would normally be the week when the basement of the Dummerston Congregational Church would be buzzing with volunteers in the home stretch of finishing the annual task of baking 1,400 pies for the annual Apple Pie Festival. This year, the second Sunday of October will be a lot quieter. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the cancellation of the Pie Festival, the nearby Newfane Heritage Festival, the Putney School Harvest Festival, and a host of other autumn events. The pie...
One of the best things about autumn is the abundance of produce at our local farm stands and markets. This is the time of bargains: apples by the bushel, zucchini by the foot, and luscious red peppers by the basketful! They are pricey most of the year, but now is the time for bargains, and a smart cook will enjoy them now and stock up for the winter! Stuff them, sauté them with onions, and serve them atop a bed...