There is one fewer dead zone for cellular phone service on Route 9 this winter.
On Dec. 10, AT&T put into operation a 120-foot monopole cell phone tower on Town Hill Road in the center of town, not far from the junction of South and Ames Hill roads.
Anecdotal reports from cellphone users posting on the “Marlboro, VT Community FB Group” Facebook group say the new tower's coverage area is limited mostly to the Route 9 corridor.
The new tower is part of AT&T's five-year project called FirstNet, a federally funded effort to build a nationwide network to improve telecommunications for first responders, who “would have cell tower signal priority in the event of an emergency in the vicinity of Route 9,” according to Selectboard meeting minutes from March 28, 2019.
When I moved to Brattleboro almost six years ago, I discovered the West River Trail's lower section, one of the delights that awaited me. It's flat, wide, and mostly shaded, with places along the way where my dog can get into water (or a muddy puddle) to cool off.
In observance of the Christmas and New Year's holidays, the town has announced the following closures: • Town offices will close at noon on Thursday, Dec. 24, and will be closed all day on Friday, Dec. 25. All town offices will be open for normal business hours on Thursday,
The Last Night Committee will present a fun-filled and substance-free day of celebration for all ages on New Year's Eve, Thursday, Dec. 31. Organizers say that this year's theme is “Vermont Households Only.” “Please recreate as a family (same household) to keep our community safe,” they said in a news release. “With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, we have scaled back our activities and postponed a number of our usual events for this year out of an abundance of caution. COVID-19...
In these troubling times, we often forget to stop and thank, really thank, those who help make each day the best it can be. I have been the recipient of this gesture and would not be sitting here typing were it not for my family and community, which has provided unending support to me during my illness. In particular, I would like to give a huge shout out to Putney Mutual Aid and the members of the Putney Community for...
I am proud to have been among the first 10 Brattleboro area health care workers and first responders to receive the COVID-19 vaccination administered at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital on Dec. 16. I'm so happy to report that it was less painful than the jab of a flu shot, and oh, what a relief this jab was. We're finally on our way to vaccinating one another against this horrible threat to our health and our community's well-being. This has been a...
Grace Cottage Family Health & Hospital Food Service Manager Denise Choleva has been named the Certified Dietary Manager of the Month by the national Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals (ANFP). “My favorite part of my job is making people happy with food,” Choleva said in a questionnaire on the ANFP website. “We take pride in everything we do in our department and everything is cooked from scratch. It's fun to come up with new ideas for our salad bar.
The Putney Mountain Association (PMA) and the Vermont Land Trust recently announced the opening of a new hiking trail in Dummerston. According to a news release, the PMA said its recently completed fundraising effort “brought a hearty response which allows PMA to purchase two parcels of undeveloped land in Dummerston; we have closed on one and are targeting closing on the second by the end of the year. The new trails go through those properties.” A conservation easement protecting the...
Many thanks to Ian Diamondstone and The Commons for the fine article on Mrs. Dalem and Dalem's Chalet. Very well done!
The sigh of relief was heard resoundingly worldwide. After almost a week of nail-biting anxiety, a majority of Americans elected new leadership that we could trust to pull us back from the brink. Suddenly, it no longer felt like the Earth had rolled off its axis and was tilting dangerously to the right. As people gathered in front of the White House and in streets across the country, dancing, hooting, weeping, it became clear that individually and together we had...
College news • The following local students received academic honors for the fall 2020 semester at Plymouth (N.H.) State University: Jack Armbruster of West Dover, Michael Sawitz of West Dover, and Kathleen Hodsden were named to the President's List, and Luke Missale of Vernon, Megan Banik of Westminster, and Conor Hiner of Brattleboro were named to the Dean's List. • The following local students were honored at Clarkson University in Potsdam, N.Y., for academic achievement in the fall 2020 semester:
At the Dec. 15 Selectboard meeting, when the board discussed an ordinance to restrict how much rent can be required of new tenants, I found the thoughtful and constructive tone set by its chair, Tim Wessel, and the rest of the board very refreshing, especially as I have been so focused on the profoundly dysfunctional national political scene for so long. Some of the comments from the public, however, proved that our little town is not immune to the politics...
American Legion Band cancels Christmas concert BRATTLEBORO - Every year at this time, the Brattleboro American Legion band gives a Christmas concert, but its members say it is “impossible this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.” In a news release, band members said they are “very sorry that [we] are unable to do this, as we know many people look forward to it and enjoy it as part of their holiday celebration.” To help fill the gap, the band said...
To members of the Newfane Selectboard: At the Dec. 7 meeting, I outlined three options for holding Town Meeting safely on March 2, 2021. 1. We can hold the budget and policy portion of our Annual Town Meeting from the floor as usual. However, according to the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, we would have to comply with mandatory health and safety requirements from the CDC, the Vermont Department of Health, the Agency of Commerce and Community Development, and...
The phone rings and, under normal circumstances, you think, “I wonder who this might be.” You glance at the number on your phone's display, and your heart either begins to race or it sinks because you just know it's not going to be a hi-Mom- how-are-you-today kind of conversation. Decision time. Do I answer the call? Do I pretend the phone isn't ringing? I can easily decline by pushing a button on my phone, or I can reluctantly answer, “Hello,
The Recreation & Parks Department shares some fun ways to stay active this winter, with or without snow. “Most winters we are thrilled and excited for the opportunity to curl up on the couch and watch a movie or read a book,” department staff said in a news release, “but this year may call for some new and fun activities suitable for the whole family.” • If there's snow: Go snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, build a snow fort or igloo, build...
After months of public input, staff investigation, and legal advice, the Selectboard has approved an ordinance that will limit the amount of money that landlords can require tenants to pay upfront. The ordinance, approved on Dec. 15, limits advance costs to rent housing to the equivalent of first month's rent and a security deposit. The security deposit must total no more than the amount of one month's rent. Proponents of the ordinance say it will increase access to rental housing...
The New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA), an internationally recognized circus school, is offering in-person and online classes in a winter session starting Jan. 4, 2021. NECCA suspended its recreational and professional trainings in the spring when COVID-19 first hit, but after implementing strict distancing and cleaning policies, including mask-wearing at all times, the school has been successfully running classes throughout the fall. Classes include online options for at home fitness and acrobatic training as well as in-person classes.
Next Stage Arts Project invites the community to a free, virtual New Year's Eve celebration on Thursday, Dec. 31, from 6 to 9 p.m., featuring performances from a variety of local musicians, puppeteers, poets, storytellers, business owners, and visual artists. A lineup of local performers will provide entertainment from 7 to 9 p.m. Guests will be connected with other diners and performers via zoom for an interactive and intimate holiday celebration. Local performers include The Stockwell Brothers, Sunny Lowdown, Bad...
Green Mountain RSVP is seeking volunteers to write short, cheerful messages on standard-size postcards that will be distributed to individuals who are isolated in their homes. The organization is calling this their “Sunshine Project,” for “spreading a little cheer to people during the heart of winter.” These cards will be delivered to people who receive Meals on Wheels, who live in nursing homes, and who are served by Senior Solutions/Council on Aging. This volunteer project can be done from the...
This has been an incredible year, a year no one will forget. Beginning in January and February, we started to live in anticipation and doubt about COVID-19. In March, the reality of the pandemic hit us hard. And, since then, life has been unusual, unexpected, unbelievable. The balance at the end of the year stands in stark contrast to what we used to consider normal - in all aspects of life. There are significant minuses to this pandemic that go...
Many wise and resonant words have been written in The Commons regarding the current state of politics. In my view, Mr. Cloutier's letter is not included in that category and epitomizes the toxic soup that dominates the Republican Party of the early 21st century. The ingredients are explosive, and it's a recipe for disaster. For those who claim to support Donald Trump's policies without supporting the man, I ask once again: Isn't condoning the man, or looking the other way...
COVID-19 - just how bad is it? “Really bad” - that tells me nothing. I need a number. And, I need to understand what the number(s) mean. Let's look at prevalence (the percentage of the population that is contagious) and growth (the ratio of new cases to active cases). So how bad is it? Well, I'll tell you. As of Dec. 12, in Windham County, based on the pattern of disease recoveries, there are estimated to be 96 residents with...
On Dec. 1, the Marlboro Alliance, the Marlboro Volunteer Fire Department, and Degrees of Freedom hosted a blood drive on the former Marlboro College campus. Our goal was to collect 26 pints of blood, and we were able to collect 27 pints! By the end of the day, we had 32 donors present and performed 21 whole blood procedures and 3 power red cell procedures. Of the 24 donors who were able to donate, 16 donated to the Red Cross...
At the end of December, the Brattleboro Retreat will officially close several programs that over the course of many years - and, in some cases, decades - have made meaningful contributions to our community and have helped make the healing mission of our hospital a reality for countless thousands of individuals. It is not without sadness that we say goodbye to the BRIDGES program, the HUB program, the Meadows School, the Mind Body Pain Management Program, the Mulberry Bush Independent...
The Commons will go on holiday break and suspend publication of next week's issue. The next issue of the newspaper will be published and appear online on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. Deadline for submissions of news and advertising is Saturday, Jan. 2. The staff of The Commons and the board of directors of Vermont Independent Media wish readers a safe and happy holiday season.
Hydroelectric power generated by the flow of rivers like the Connecticut is an excellent energy solution for New England. Hydropower is clean, renewable, and emissions-free, and it sustains local jobs, municipal tax revenues, and reinvestment in local communities. Hydropower does have some environmental impacts - vastly fewer than producing electricity from coal, natural gas, or nuclear generation - and depending on how they're constructed, fewer than wind or solar farms. But they are impacts to be mitigated. And when power...
Mitchell-Giddings Fine Arts, 183 Main St, will feature two concurrent exhibitions - Jackie Abrams' Precarious Shelters: Houses that Hold Us and Erika Radich's Deportees: A Tribute - starting Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021, from noon to 7 p.m., with both artists present from 5 to 7 p.m. These shows will continue through Sunday, Feb. 21, 2021. For those unable to attend, the complete exhibit is available for safe viewing online at mitchellgiddingsfinearts.com/current-exhibits. Deportees: A Tribute features a suite of 28 monotype...
What do climate-change deniers, election deniers, anti-vaxxers, and COVID-19 deniers have in common besides an unexplainable attraction to a world of disbelief? What personal benefit is gained from staring directly at the facts in front of you and yet acting as if the facts were false? A fact is something either known or proven to be true. Furthermore, a scientific fact is an objective and verifiable observation. On the other hand, an opinion is defined as a view or judgment...
Jadi Flynn recalls the Christmas morning four decades ago when her late grandfather Charlie Slate changed the course of family history by chauffeuring his wife to work. “He dropped my grandmother off,” Flynn says, “and then drove around and realized there was no place open to eat.” So began what's now the annual Charlie Slate Memorial Christmas Breakfast, whose third- and fourth-generation organizers - although canceling this year's event due to COVID-19 - vow to continue to serve up pancakes...
I love sending holiday cards, even though a lot of the task is rote - a bit like assembly-line work. I could do that rote part more efficiently if I'd just get organized. My problem is that I have multiple lists. I have my address book - that one is alphabetical. I print from the computer a list of everyone I'd like to send a card to, many of whom I haven't bothered to put in my address book because...
Last year, I was in Hawaii for Christmas. I couldn't find any place to pitch my tent. I had a bad infection in my leg that lasted over a month, and my leg was double its normal size. I couldn't work. It was the end of the month and I spent what food money I had left on antibiotics. I moved from beach to beach as often as I could so I wouldn't get spotted and kicked out. I slept...
The town is poised to become the site of Vermont's first train station to offer a level-boarding platform in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Members of the Development Review Board have unanimously approved preliminary plans for Amtrak's new station on Depot Street behind the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC). A level-boarding platform means that the passenger landing is level with the train's door. The design makes boarding and disembarking easier for travelers, specifically those with mobility needs,
Despite the pathetic and dangerous antics of the Sore Loser, the United States will soon have a President Biden. As the false and damaging obstacles laid in the path of this election are falling one by one, many Americans seem to be looking forward to it “just being normal.” But if “normal” means returning to pre-Trump norms and outcomes, then this is the last thing we want. It's easy to forget that four years ago, even under a relatively moral...