Thank you for the wonderful and touching piece by Ian Diamondstone about Dalem's Chalet. The official write-up about the renovation of the property into housing was necessarily dry and sketchy, and it was great to have Ian's personal story of his relationship to this remarkable place and its founder and longtime proprietor.
Friends of Music at Guilford, which I managed for a number of decades, had a warm relationship with the Chalet and with Ursula Dalem. They hosted a visiting vocal recitalist, who appreciated the European proprietors and their cuisine, and for many years Dalem's supported Friends of Music through program book advertising, at a time when their budget was obviously tight.
Our organization also presented two fundraising events in the large hall above the dining room, one of the lesser-known, but most distinctive, gathering spaces in the area, and the fact that these events were, indeed, fund-raisers was due in part to Mrs. Dalem's generously low rental fee.
Among our family's favorite events was a dinner-and-play-reading group, which materialized just once a year at Dalem's - a story for another time!...
Friends of Music at Guilford (FOMAG) says it “regretfully” announces the cancellation of its annual Messiah Sing and Christmas at Christ Church concerts, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It would have marked the event's 50th anniversary. FOMAG President Jenifer Ambler says the board and performers hope to be able...
Vermont Representative Mike Mrowicki's viewpoints on the reasons that Republicans and Democrats are so divided suggests how little Democrats like him understand about what is important to Republicans here in Vermont and across the U.S.A. During one of President Trump's State of the Union addresses, he boldly stated that...
As the Peace Corps prepares to mark its 60th anniversary year, 2021will also mark the redeployment of volunteers following the difficult decision last spring to temporarily suspend its global programs due to the coronavirus pandemic. This redeployment can serve as a moment of rejuvenation for the Peace Corps and our national reconnection with the world, as well as our recommitment to building world peace and friendship. A source of frustration, and one familiar to all Peace Corps activities, is the...
This article meant only to honor Chris McAvoy for her excellent leadership of the senior meals program. In no way was it meant to imply that we are not 100 percent supported by Senior Solutions. In 2004, a group of seniors, headed by Greg Propster and supported by Chris, determined - after a great deal of reflection - that Brattleboro Senior Meals should become an independent, nonprofit 501(c)3 organization. Beyond the program goals of providing area seniors with regular meals...
We're all friends of the library, every one of us who uses it. But maybe you didn't know that you can make it official. With a donation of any amount, you can become a member of the Friends of Brooks Memorial Library (FOBML) and know that you are joining a group of people who show their love by supporting the extras that make our library special. Friends share, and FOBML provides resources to share with the entire community. In this...
A few weeks ago, we learned the truth about the child abuse that took place at Kurn Hattin over the past 80 years. I want to applaud VTDigger's thorough and unflinching investigative reporting on this matter. Kurn Hattin, no doubt, was a haven for some children, but for others, it was hell on earth and impossible to escape. One might ask: Why didn't those children tell someone who might have been able to help them? The report by VTDigger answered...
Obituaries • Charles Akley, 76, of Brattleboro. Died Nov. 24, 2020 at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. He was born on March 12, 1944 in Hartford, Conn., the son of Harold C. and Mary (Weldon) Akley, he attended schools in Vermont. After his schooling, he served in the Army. Following his service to his country, Charles worked in the area as a truck driver. Charles is predeceased by his parents, his wife, Judy, and his brother, James. Charles is survived by two...
Meeting planned to preserve community garden PUTNEY - Green Commons of Vermont was formed to preserve a 1.2-acre plot of land located in the heart of town that, for more than a decade, has been home to the Putney Community Garden and the Putney Farmers' Market. The Windham & Windsor Housing Trust (WWHT) is in the process of purchasing the parcels from Gateway Associates. This past summer, community members came together because of its importance as an agricultural and community...
The Historic Preservation Commission has announced winners of the 2020 Old House Awards, which recognize town property owners who are maintaining and restoring their historic homes and commercial and industrial buildings. Eligible properties are older homes and businesses that have been renovated, painted, or otherwise enhanced on the exterior in the past five years. Brass plaques are distributed to the winners: • Susan F. Allen and Jill A. King, owners of 24 South St., Bellows Falls. The home is a...
Artist Andy Yoder discusses “Overboard,” the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC) installation of his handmade replicas of Nike Air Jordans, on Thursday, Dec. 10, at 7 p.m. via Zoom and Facebook Live. “Overboard” was inspired by what oceanographer Curtis Ebbesmeyer, an authority on flotsam, has called “The Great Sneaker Spill of 1990.” In that incident, 21 steel shipping containers were lost at sea during a storm. Of those, five contained Nike sneakers. Four of the containers broke open, releasing...
Halcyon Arts presents É.T.É. as part of its live Streaming World at Home concert series on Saturday, Dec. 12, at 7:30 p.m. The trio offers bold and refined arrangements of pieces from the traditional Québec and Acadian repertoire, as well as original compositions. Awarded the OPUS prize for “Discovery of the Year 2017-18,” among the many other accolades they've received since their first album release in 2017, É.T.É. are Élisabeth Moquin (fiddle, step-dancing, vocals), Thierry Clouette (bouzouki, podorythmie, vocals), and...
The Trump administration has brought into stark relief the true lack of morality of the Republican party. The transformation from an organization supported decades ago by members of the Moral Majority to one that acts more like the mob than a governing party has been supercharged under the leadership of the current president. This is fascinating. I think I might not be so different from many on the left: I do not believe in God, and I do not go...
Wilmington Works will use a $3,000 grant from AARP Vermont to create a winter park and provide recreation opportunities at fields and trails at the Old School Community Center Recreation Field and Buzzy Towne Park. The downtown agency will be clearing a quarter-mile walking loop and organizing pop-up seasonal activities regularly throughout the winter. Temporary warming shelters will be set up in the baseball dugouts with benches and lighting. The grant funds Winter Placemaking Demonstration Projects, which “jump-start projects that...
Regarding the Inauguration of President-Elect Biden and Vice-President-Elect Harris: Hey, Joe and Kamala, I have an idea. What would be amazing is if, instead of having a lavish and pricey and unsafe traditional inauguration, you had an understated, respectful, and dignified virtual ceremony, with plans for a special outdoor celebration once we've tackled COVID-19 and a vaccine has been distributed. Having a big crowd could be deadly for some, because of the virus, and it's - sadly - sure to...
I thought I'd be content to know that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris had been elected as president and vice president, respectively. While I am extraordinarily happy that they have done so, the Republican whining is getting tiresome - not that their guy lost, but the unfounded attacks on our system of voting. Despite loud cries of “fraud,” “dead people voted,” “the election was stolen,” etc., they have a lousy track record in court. Other than one minor procedural ruling...
This year will soon be history, but 2020 will leave an indelible mark. Though little felt normal or easy, there was no lack of courage and generosity, including in our own community. As always, we at the Women's Freedom Center are deeply grateful for your support. Alongside national trauma, personal crises unfold, too, of course, and we're here to help survivors navigate those, even in the pandemic. One recent story illustrates not just the terror some experience, but also the...
During the summer of 2019, public disorder on Elliot Street began to threaten elderly residents of the Samuel Elliot Apartments seeking to make their way to Main Street. The disorder culminated late in the summer when one of the residents, walking slowly with the aid of a walker, was confronted by a group of individuals who blocked the sidewalk, assaulted her, and destroyed her cell phone. Lorelei Morrissette, who has been serving as resident wellness and services manager for the...
Three years from now, what is the one thing about Vermont's creative economy that should be different? This was one of the questions posed to participants of last week's IdeaJam from the Vermont Creative Network, an initiative of the Vermont Arts Council which organizations, artists, and creative professionals statewide. Karen Mittelman, executive director of the Vermont Arts Council, asked the question in a breakout session focused on policy design during the online event. Members of Vermont's creative economy provided input...
Volunteers handed out 1,300 Thanksgiving meals in the parking lot of 80 Flat St. on Nov. 25. For Everyone Eats, the regional hub in a statewide system to provide meals to the community during the global pandemic, the number is one to be proud of on a holiday that traditionally marks gratitude. However, that demand also serves as a note of caution in a year upended by the economic effects of COVID-19 emergency measures. On that Wednesday night, many people...
The COVID-19 pandemic may have pushed public attention away from the opioid epidemic, but Christina E. Nolan, the U.S. attorney for Vermont, says her office has kept up the heat on the drug trade, both legal and illegal. In a Nov. 6 interview with Vermont Business Magazine, Nolan discussed two federal cases that were resolved in October that addressed both sides of the opioid trade. The biggest was an $8 billion settlement with Purdue Pharma, the makers of OxyContin, after...
What can you do on a chilly December evening after finishing a hearty winter meal? How about joining the Vermont Jazz Center community for a livestream, virtual swing dance with your sweetie? So roll up the rug, put on your dancing shoes, and prepare your favorite beverage in anticipation of a night of swinging, danceable music. On Saturday, Dec. 12, at 8 p.m., we at the Vermont Jazz Center will present our annual swing dance gala. Formerly scheduled as a...
It might be hard to imagine now in the midst of the social, medical, and economic fallout of the global COVID-19 pandemic. But allow yourself to imagine what the downtown waterfront area could look like four years from now. If everything falls into place, a gleaming new annex to the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC) will emerge at the foot of Main Street. A new Amtrak station on Depot Street will offer parking and full access for mobility-impaired train...