Too often in 21st-century political elections, we are faced with the situation of voting for the lesser of two evils from the two establishment parties.
In the 2020 general election, we have seven candidates for governor and, thankfully, a chance to break away from this voting dilemma.
A chance to choose a candidate who thinks outside the box, with fresh innovative approaches to combating society's many problems from outside of the old, failed patriarchal base.
A chance with a candidate with immense energy, integrity, and compassion who seeks neither riches or fame or power and who speaks from the heart and not from the directives of a panel of public-relations advisers.
As a Vermont citizen, I realize that we have been really lucky during the pandemic. I am grateful that Gov. Scott used science and the guidance available to keep Vermonters safe. However, in the bigger picture, I have been alarmed at our governor's unwillingness to fund our public schools.
I am writing to remind people to vote for Sara Coffey. None of us could have imagined the heartbreak our nation has faced this year. With her colleagues in the Vermont State Legislature, Sara has taken on the challenge of reaching out to residents and working to meet their...
As we approach the November general election, please make every effort to report election results responsibly. Jennifer Rubin's sobering commentary on this important function of the media, “How to minimize 2020 election chaos” [The Washington Post, July 26], is right on point. Please commit to informing the public - not just once, but regularly - that it might take several weeks to get final accurate vote counts in the 2020 election, and explicitly indicating skepticism when reporting Trump's inevitable claims...
On Tuesday, Oct. 20, Artistic Director Seth Knopp leads an open discussion of György Kurtág's Kafka Fragments, together with the Yellow Barn musicians who performed the song cycle last summer. Kurtág's work is comprised of 40 fragments, ranging from less than 20 seconds to more than four minutes, all of which are excerpts from Franz Kafka's diaries, letters, and notebooks that together express something both in themselves and as part of a larger context. Soprano Tony Arnold and violinist Mark...
I'm voting for Carolyn Partridge and Leslie Goldman for state representatives for the Windham-3 district. Carolyn Partridge is well known, while Leslie Goldman has my vote because of her support for public health, climate change, and small businesses. These three issues are central to the challenges of the next two years. I've known Leslie since our children were in middle school together; she is smart, hard working, and a careful and compassionate human being. She knows this community well -
Bellows Falls residents (and neighbors) Eileen Charbonneau and Bill Lockwood will be featured on a virtual Zoom event co-sponsored by Village Square Booksellers and the Rockingham Free Public Library on Friday, Oct. 16, at 6 p.m. Mercies of the Fallen is the second of Charbonneau's American Civil War Brides series, following Seven Aprils. In the series, plantation heiress Ursula Kingsley is content with her secluded life in a convent, until the bloodiest day of the Civil War. Charbonneau is the...
I enthusiastically support Sara Coffey as state representative for the Windham-1 seat to Montpelier. In my line of work at the School for International Training, I understand how important it is for people to talk with each other and sit together in community. Sara has done exactly that. Sara continues to come over the ridge to Vernon and meet with various community leaders to learn about the issues and concerns that face our community here. As Vernon continues to adjust...
Obituaries • Dorothy Pacheco Bostwick, 88, of Brattleboro. Died Oct. 3, 2020 at Vernon Green Nursing Home. Dorothy was born in Falmouth, Mass. on May 18, 1932, the daughter of Peter and Rose (Almeida) Ray. She was raised and educated in Falmouth, eventually moving to Stowe, Vt. Because of her love for children, she owned and operated her own day care center in Brattleboro for more than 15 years. Dorothy also worked at Appropriate Technology and Sam's Army & Navy...
Human services funding proposals due Nov. 9BRATTLEBORO - The Representative Town Meeting Human Services Review Committee is accepting applications for fiscal year 2022 human services funding. The application, as well as instructions and guidelines, are posted on the town website (brattleboro.org). The deadline to submit applications to the town manager's office via email is Monday, Nov. 9, at 5 p.m. Applicants are encouraged to attend an information session on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 5 p.m. The meeting platform will be...
SOLOs - a co-production of the the Hooker-Dunham Theater, the Rock River Players, and Brattleboro Community Television - is a series of shows consisting of sets of monologues and poetry filmed on-stage in the Hooker-Dunham. The first show in the series will be premiered on BCTV and YouTube in late October. Many of the area's most talented actors are contributing performances, ranging from Shakespeare and Chekov to Edgar Allan Poe and T.S. Eliot as well as original material developed for...
Due to the pandemic, there is no in-person early voting in Brattleboro. However, all active registered voters were automatically mailed a ballot. Voters are urged to follow the instructions included with the ballot, including signing the certificate envelope and making sure the ballot is inside that envelope. Voters are asked to use a black ballpoint pen or a no. 2 pencil to mark the ballot. “Do not use a marker, as it can bleed through to the back of your...
Grab a lunch and settle in to hear writers who are also your friends and neighbors read from their recently published books, at a Zoom Spotlight Reading on Saturday, Oct. 17, from noon until 1:15 p.m. Six local poets and writers will read a 10-minute sampling of their work and take questions. This event is hosted by Epsilon Spires and emceed by Andy Burrows, poet and co-proprietor of Prolingua Associates. Readers include Toni Ortner, reading from Daybook lll, a collection...
If you have requested and received your vote-by-mail ballot from your town clerk for the general election, you might have noticed it has far more names than the ballot for the August party primaries. With write-ins in the Republican primary and many independents who did not have to face a primary in August, the ballot for the 2020 general election is surprisingly crowded for Windham County voters. Also, under temporary changes to state election law passed this spring in response...
The Board of Trustees of Estey Organ Museum has elected Dr. Dennis Waring of Guilford as president of the board for a one-year term. Waring, author of Manufacturing the Muse: Estey Organs and Consumer Culture in Victorian America and five other books on musical instruments, is one of the foremost experts on Estey organs and the Estey Organ Company. An ethnomusicologist, educator, instrument maker, performer, and arts consultant, and founder and owner of Waring Music, Waring pursues his passion in...
I have been reading with interest the debate between landlords and tenants in The Commons about the rental ordinance. I felt compelled to offer a different viewpoint. Many who pay rent can also afford a mortgage payment on a home of their own, but it seems barriers to home ownership are down payments and property taxes that go up every year. Down payment requirements by banks are high, often 20 percent or more of the total price of the home.
The Selectboard will hold the first of two public hearings on a proposal to restrict the up-front amount landlords charge renters. If approved, the proposal would limit the deposit that landlords may require tenants pay on an apartment to no more than first month's rent and a security deposit equal to half a month's rent. Establishing a quasi-judicial Housing Board of Review to hear grievances on the part of tenants and landlords is also part of the proposal. The board...
Do you know the duties of the justices of the peace whom you vote for on Election Day? Most of us don't, and usually it doesn't matter because there are not candidates clamoring for the position. If you think about it, it is rare to have more candidates than positions. The number of JPs is based on population, and their duties are limited to five basic areas: elections, tax hearings, marriages, notary, and (when commissioned by the Vermont Supreme Court)
Voting for the 2020 general election in Vermont is underway. The Vermont Secretary of State's office recently mailed ballots to all registered voters. If you do not receive a ballot in the mail, check to see if you are a registered voter. This is easily done at mvp.vermont.gov, or you can contact the office of your town or city clerk. If you are not registered, you may do so at olvr.vermont.gov. When you receive your ballot, please take the necessary...
I am assuming that for all of us, there is no question what we'll be doing on Nov. 3. If we haven't done so already through mail-in ballots, we will be participating in what is unquestionably the most important act that we as citizens of this country have ever done. We will be electing the next president of the United States, and in so doing, deciding the fate of our threatened democracy. But what happens after Election Day? What will...
Sorry, what?! Susan Odegard, who cares for pets and gardens, says the following, and it is not clarified in her commentary whether she has now changed her mind: “A month ago, I said to hell with it and planned to forgo voting in the presidential election. In my view, both parties are corrupt and care more about maintaining the oligarchical leanings of our republic than promoting any semblance of true equality.” If she has now decided to vote for Biden,
Emilie Kornheiser, a first-time state representative this 2019-2020 legislative term from the Windham 2-1 district (i.e. West Brattleboro), very much deserves to be returned for two more years. She quickly got up to speed in her first session, including grasping the intricacies of policy on many multifaceted questions. Her capabilities were so clear to others that partway through the biennium, House leadership named her to the Ways and Means Committee, a central committee of high importance and influence. I certainly...
Westminster West resident Jessie Haas will virtually visit Village Square Booksellers on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 11 a.m., to discuss her newest horse novel The Hungry Place. In this horse adventure - described in a news release as “perfect for fans of Black Beauty” - a Connemara pony, is pampered and beloved, then abused and neglected, until a 12-year-old girl brings love to her again. The pony, Princess, lives a charmed life of brown sugar cubes, crunchy apples, sweet grass,
After the success of the Backlot Cinema, a series of distanced outdoor movies downtown this summer, Epsilon Spires at 190 Main St. will offer films on demand. Starting Oct. 16, This Is Not a Movie: Robert Fisk and The Politics of Truth (2019), will be available on demand. In an era of fake news, when journalists are dubbed “the enemies of the people,” journalist Robert Fisk's resolve to document reality has become an obsessive war to speak the truth. For...
So many of us are distressed about the daily piling on of terrible news, the bizarre words and actions from Donald Trump, and the complete and total moral capitulation of the Republican party. I'm a white, straight business owner, and my busy bookstore actually benefits from people being home, from so many children being educated by their families, and from the many people who need visible yard signs, pins, and stickers to express their views. I personally am actually doing...
Many Vermonters are excited to be “doing so well” as a state - so well that people are moving here in droves and real estate purchases are through the roof. One of the things that the newcomers are excited about is that Vermont is both clean and green. Recently, the Legislature passed the Global Warming Solutions Act. The act (versions of which other states have also passed) will allow us, the citizens, to hold Vermont accountable for doing all the...
I write with real enthusiasm to urge broad support for the re-election of Windham-1 Rep. Sara Coffey. I had the pleasure of working with Sara as an arts and creativity colleague from her very first days in Vermont. At Vermont Performance Lab, she shone as a visionary, diligent, and thoughtful leader. And what a remarkable collaborator. Likewise, I knew Sara as an advocacy colleague, in Montpelier and in Washington, D.C. Her clear-eyed, passionate resolve made her an effective champion for...
I know many people are saying, “I will vote for Phil Scott because he has done a good job handling coronavirus.” And he has. I am grateful to live in the state with the lowest rate of COVID-19 infection. But meanwhile, a fifth of Vermont adults are struggling to pay ordinary expenses because of the pandemic, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Wages are nearly 17 percent below the national average. Opioid addiction is ravaging our communities. Health care costs...
I am disturbed by President Trump's recent memo regarding diversity training. This memo, issued on Sept. 4 and followed by an executive order on Sept. 22, states that the executive branch agencies have spent taxpayer dollars on training government workers to believe divisive anti-American propaganda. It states that diversity trainings focusing on white privilege, critical race theory, and racist origins of the United States create “division and resentment” among federal employees. The memo states the government is “fully committed to...
As we enter the most contentious national election of our lifetimes, we must remember to focus locally as well. The crucial role of the Vermont House of Representatives was apparent in the override of the governor's veto of the Global Warming Solutions Act, H.688. It is imperative to look toward the future for our children and grandchildren. Legislators have a challenging job. They are required to understand the intricacies of policy, which can have significant implications for their constituents. Although...
At first glance, Phil Scott seems to be an obvious choice for governor, because Vermont's COVID-19 numbers look so good. But, in reality, he is doing what any responsible governor should do in this time of public health crisis. We should not compare him to the reprehensible behavior of other Republican governors with large losses of life in their states I'm not sure Vermonters would stand for that kind of leadership. Those whom I've talked with wouldn't comply with a...
The election of Emilie Kornheiser as state representative in Brattleboro's District 1 is vital to the area. She not only understands the needs of the community but is a strong advocate for change through democracy. I first met Emilie when she was invited to an open meeting of Tri-Park Cooperative Housing Corporation. The Cooperative provides housing to nearly 10 percent of the residents in Brattleboro. She shared her concerns for wages and employment in the area, for those living in...
I happily endorse Sara Coffey for Representative of Windham-1 (Guilford and Vernon). Two years ago, I was optimistic about what she would bring to the State House in her first term, and I was not disappointed - in fact, her outreach and hard work have far exceeded my expectations. I could describe the attributes that have made Sara such an effective legislator but I thought instead that I'd share two examples of her actions which illustrate her caring and willingness...
Two years ago, I wrote a letter supporting Sara Coffey. I gave her my support after riding around with her as she campaigned and listening to what she said. At that time my support for her was primarily based on the hope that she would actually do what she was promising the people of Vernon and Guilford. I am pleased to again write a letter of support - this time, based on what she's actually done. Sara's record over the...
There has never been a more important election in my lifetime than what we are in the midst of this fall. The future of our nation, our state, and our Supreme Court are all at stake. I decided to run for a seat in the Vermont House of Representatives in 2020, representing Windham-4 - Westminster, Dummerston, and Putney - to work for justice for our people and our planet. Some of our leaders are not working for the benefit of...
David Zuckerman is the better candidate for governor. He is the leading voice in the state for a living wage, green jobs, and racial and environmental justice. His opponent, Gov. Phil Scott, is a governor of vetoes. He has vetoed bills to raise the minimum wage, to provide paid family leave, and to lower carbon emissions. Gov. Scott is holding Vermont back. David Zuckerman is working for a better future. When on Sept. 15 Gov. Scott vetoed the Global Warming...
In a time when national politics are divisive and often hard to swallow, it's imperative that we Vermonters remember to focus attention and energy on state and local races. As a resident of Guilford, an early childhood teacher at Guilford Central School, and a parent of two young children, I strongly support Sara Coffey as our state representative for Guilford and Vernon. Sara has had two productive years working in the Legislature to support public schools and early childhood education.
We here in Vermont are blessed to have two decent men to choose between for governor. Phil Scott has done an exemplary job in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, and he supported and publicly signed legislation for a degree of gun legislation. There are, however, some measures he has not done or else he has actively opposed: He has opposed any increase in the minimum wage (which has had a direct effect on many people's ability to weather the pandemic);
Many of us love going to the polls on Election Day. Joining our friends, family, and neighbors in person to participate in the civic process is something I look forward to every election year. As Vermont's chief election official, it is my responsibility to ensure we can all safely exercise our sacred right to vote. My office's planning for the 2020 elections during COVID-19 has been driven by two unwavering goals: preserving every Vermont voter's right to vote, and protecting...
The year 2020 will go into the books as a memorable one. This pandemic has disrupted every aspect of our lives, including the usual rhythm of the Vermont General Assembly. We have seen how our collective actions of staying at home, social distancing, and wearing masks in public have helped to flatten the curve in our state. We continue to have a shared social responsibility to protect our neighbors and to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In mid-March, we pivoted...
Covid-19. Climate. Racial/social justice. We are facing this triple pandemic in this nation and still, we have no plan from the White House. So the lack of national leadership means state and local leaders have to step up. And in Vermont, we have. The recently concluded Overtime Session of the Vermont Legislature has passed a number of bills to address those major concerns, along with the everyday nuts-and-bolts bills that keep the government running. At a time when more Vermonters...
Since August, most town meeting members, like myself, started re-familiarizing ourselves with the town articles that still needed to be voted on. Due to COVID-19, Annual Representative Town Meeting was, for the most part, put on hold last March. When it was rescheduled on Sept. 12, its venue was on Zoom - a whole new frontier for many, a true labor of love, and a team effort. I want to thank and praise my fellow Town Meeting members who managed...
Six new exhibits open at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC) on Saturday, Oct. 24, including an important survey of mid-20th century figurative painting, solo shows featuring Andy Yoder and Rachel Portesi, an exhibit about ice shanties organized by the Vermont Folklife Center and paired with Erik Hoffner's striking photographs of ice fishing holes, and an installation by Cynthia Parker-Houghton created as part of the Brattleboro Words Project. An opening reception for the artists and a small number of...
Are you ready for action? Because action might be ready for you. President Trump may be temporarily slowed by his foolish self exposure to the coronavirus, but the Republican party's plans to disrupt, dispute, and steal the election are continuing at full speed. Stirring up fears by making false claims about mail-in voting and “crooked Democrats,” they are fabricating a crisis that they then hope to step in and “solve” with the help of the courts, including the Supreme Court,
In this season of autumnal changes, one can look back and remember some of the most challenging changes in the history of the world and modern South Korea. In September of 1950, 70 years ago, one of the most important events of the Korean conflict took place in Iuncheon with Gen. Douglas MacArthur's famous landing, which turned the tide of the battle for Korea. Following his retirement as Supreme Commander of NATO in 1952, Dwight David Eisenhower (“Ike”), a leader...
How do you build a successful high school sports program? If you look at the teams that are consistently successful, they usually have coaching continuity, a feeder system that helps younger players learn the fundamentals as they move up the ranks, and an esprit de corps that comes with being part of a winning tradition. Bellows Falls field hockey checks off all those boxes. Bethany Coursen has been the head coach for 16 years, and is a product of the...
Vermont spent the spring and summer beating down COVID-19. Because almost everyone wore their masks, washed their hands and kept their distance from one another, we might have a ski season. However, by keeping safe, Vermont also took a terrible economic hit, especially in the hospitality industry. After a lackluster summer and fall, all eyes are on the winter season. And even if you've never been on skis in your life, the ski industry is important. According to a 2017...
While the COVID-19 pandemic might have stalled the hospitality and other service jobs, the need for more drivers with a commercial driver's license (CDL) has shifted into high gear. According to a survey from the Brattleboro Development Credit Corp. (BDCC) and the Southeast Vermont Economic Development Strategies (SeVEDS), many local businesses, municipalities, and nonprofits that employ drivers with CDLs expect to fully replace their current workforce within five years. Most of this turnover is due to expected retirements. Yet despite...