• Robert Wayne “Bob” Birch, 83, of Readsboro. Died peacefully at his daughter's home, in the company of his loving family, on Sept. 28, 2021. The son of John and Stella (Day) Birch and the last of nine children, he was born in Clarksburg, Mass., on Nov. 30, 1938. He married Betty Baldwin in 1957. For 40 years, he worked for the Readsboro Public Works Department and also was a driver for many area trucking businesses. He performed electrical, water, and sewer work for the town and was a very active member of the Readsboro community. Bob was a member of the Readsboro Fire Department for more than 50 years and an active member of the area snowmobile clubs. He was a member of the Springfield Beagle Club, where he ran his dogs for sport. In later years, he enjoyed bringing his granddaughter to horse shows. In addition to his wife of 64 years; he leaves his son Robert P. Birch, daughter Kim (George) Bills, both of Readsboro, and son Mark (Wendy) Birch of Whitingham, along with seven grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was predeceased by his grandson, George J Bills Jr., in 2016. Memorial information: At Bob's request there will be no services. Donations to The Berkshire Beagle Club or Windham County Humane Society in care of the Covey Allen & Shea Funeral Home, P.O. Box 215, Wilmington, VT 05363. Condolence cards may be sent to the Birch Family, P.O. Box 86, Readsboro, VT 05252.
• Richard A. “Louie” Boucher, 68, of Bellows Falls. Died unexpectedly on Oct. 5, 2021 at home. Born Aug. 1, 1953 in Malden, Mass., to the late Jean (Barratt) and Albert Boucher, he graduated from Malden High School in 1971 and then served in the Army.
Applications now being accepted for human services funding BRATTLEBORO - The Representative Town Meeting Human Services Review Committee is accepting applications for fiscal year 2023 Human Services Funding. The application, as well as instructions and guidelines, are posted at brattleboro.org. The deadline to submit applications to the town manager's...
The local chapter of the Vietnam Veterans Association recently brought the Moving Wall to Brattleboro. The officers and members of Brattleboro American Legion Post #5 extend our most profound thanks to Lennie Derby, the president of the VVA chapter, and all of the volunteers responsible for bringing the Wall...
Vermont electric utilities are reminding their customers that help is still available for those struggling to pay bills. Vermonters financially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic can apply for funding to pay past-due utility balances. The funding is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications will be accepted until the money runs out, with final cutoff on Sunday, Oct. 24. Visit the Vermont Department of Public Service website to apply: bit.ly/634-utilitybills. If you are a renter, click “Renters, Apply Here First.”
A pair of authors reading and a Halloween book giveaway are on tap for October at Moore Free Library. Novelist and short story writer Vincent Panella will read at the library on Thursday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m. Panella's stories have appeared in several small magazines. His four published books are a memoir, The Other Side: Growing Up Italian in America; a novel about young Julius Caesar, Cutter's Island: Caeser in Captivity; a story collection, Lost Hearts; and, most recently,
Principals of the Flat Iron Cooperative, a new worker-owned venture downtown, say they are hoping to raise money to open their doors - and “hoping to enrich the community with art, music, coffee, and more.” The cooperative, which will sport a new sign by local sign artist Frank Hawkins, will be located at 51 The Square, in the historic brick building at the intersection of The Square and Westminster and Mill Streets. A crowdfunding campaign is underway to raise $45,000...
The saga of troubles that followed Marlboro College's 2019 announcement that it was closing may have reached its denouement, and a happy one at that. On Sept. 24, Democracy Builders Fund (DBF), which purchased the 533-acre campus and its 52 buildings in 2020 for a pittance in cash, conveyed the property to Potash Hill, Inc., an entity under the control of the Marlboro School of Music (MSM), which operates as Marlboro Music. “While it will create some important challenges, the...
Have questions about any of the LGBTQ+ letters? Confused about the differences between gender identity, sexual orientation, and gender expression? Want to better understand your teenager's world? The Boys & Girls Club of Brattleboro, New England Center for Circus Arts, and the New England Youth Theatre will host a panel discussion for parents, caregivers, educators, and youth age 12 and older to better understand and support LGBTQ+ youth in our community. The event will take place on Thursday, Oct. 14,
Vermont Center for Photography (VCP) will host a talk by Sebastian Meyer about his 10-year assignment as a photojournalist embedded with Kurdish forces during the Iraq war. The in-person gathering takes place on Thursday, Oct. 14, at 5:30 p.m., at VCP's new home at 10 Green St. Admission is free, though donations are welcome. Meyer is the co-founder of Metrography, the first Iraqi photo agency. His acclaimed monograph, Under Every Yard of Sky, published by Red Hook Editions, covers a...
On the weekend of Oct. 16 and 17, the Green River Watershed Alliance will host two programs on beavers. The ponds and wetlands created by these industrious animals help mitigate drought and the impact of floods. They increase the richness and diversity of wildlife habitat. They can also cause headaches for road crews and property owners. The first program will take place in Marlboro on Oct. 16. Participants will meet at the post office at 4 p.m. and will drive...
A celebration marking the end of “Luminous Bloom,” an exhibition of Brooklyn-based artist Erika Somogyi's paintings at Epsilon Spires, will take place Friday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. The closing party features a performance by the solo synthesizer musician Annie Hart, whose music Somogyi listened to while she created the watercolors featured in the show. “What I love about the music of Annie Hart are the layered, dreamlike sounds,” says Somogyi, whose pastel-hued watercolors combine figurative elements from memory with...
The Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center will present Samirah Evans and Her Handsome Devils in concert on Thursday, Oct. 14, at 7 p.m. Evans formed the group in 2009 to support the release of her second solo album, My Little Bodhisattva. The sextet's musical virtuosity and ability to blend jazz, soul, funk, and blues helped them establish a loyal following as they performed at clubs, concert halls, and festivals throughout New England. While various members of the original band...
Canal Street Art Gallery, 23 Canal St., presents “Melissa Rubin: Transitions,” which will open Wednesday, Oct. 13 and be on view to the public through Saturday, Nov. 13. Join the gallery on Third Friday Gallery Night from 5 to 8 p.m. and live at 6 p.m. on Oct. 15 to celebrate in its Outdoor Art Tent and in the gallery. Meet the artist and watch the artist talk at 6 p.m. Rubin creates what the artist refers to as “essential...
Main Street Arts is hosting the GorMatt StrangePeak project in its gallery and as workshops on Saturday, Oct. 16 and Saturday, Oct. 23. Collaborative collage artist GorMatt StrangePeak (a.k.a. Gordon Korstange and Matthew Peake) have been working together making collages for over seven years. In 2018, they introduced a writing component into their collaboration by composing labels for each collage which led to the creation of a fictitious curator in a make-believe town with imaginary denizens. Many of these collages...
Vermont's current teachers are headed for arbitration on health care, but its 10,000 retired teachers have no such mechanism to counter State Treasurer Beth Pearce's decision to abandon their traditional Medicare coverage for a Medicare Advantage plan that takes effect Jan. 1, 2022. In an Aug. 2 letter to retirees, Pearce was “pleased to announce” we'd be paying less for new plans that closely match current benefits with “significant enhancements,” plans she said were “of equal or greater value.” An...
For organizations, getting the word out about essential programs, creating compelling press materials and working with media organizations has become a critical part of the success of worthy nonprofit endeavors. As part of the Media Mentoring Project, a series of workshops produced by Vermont Independent Media, publisher of The Commons, two professionals who have experience in doing so successfully will be available to coach workshop participants in creating communications that are accurate, professional, compelling, and - most importantly - effective.
Hey, Tim Grant - one question: Do you have a uterus? No? Well, unless you think it'd be A-OK for your government to legislate your testicles and what you can and cannot do with your sperm, I think you're best off sitting this one out.
On behalf of the Windham and Windsor Housing Trust, we'd like to address some important issues raised by Great River Terrace residents JoAnne Rodriguez Heckman and Benjamin Heckman. In the past three years, WWHT has created two good-sized permanent supportive housing communities, Great River Terrace on Putney Road and the Chalet in West Brattleboro. Both projects involved placing local homeless folks in permanent supportive housing, which is to say housing with on-site professional supports designed to help residents succeed in...
The Brattleboro Words Trail is collaborating with community partners to host an official dedication of a state historic marker recognizing the achievements of Lucy Terry Prince, considered the nation's first African American poet, and her husband, Abijah Prince. The Princes, early Black landowners in Guilford and Sunderland, Vt. in the mid-1700s, eloquently advocated for civil rights. A drummer and special speakers will commemorate the placement of the marker at the Guilford Welcome Center (Exit 1 on Interstate 91) Tuesday, Oct.
The Friends of the Library have announced that this year's Gilfeather Turnip Festival on Saturday, Oct. 23, will be a much smaller event this year. “While Vermont has been a haven for many of us during the pandemic, the spread of the delta variant and continued outbreaks in the state make large gatherings a concern,” the Friends said in a news release. “While this popular annual event is our primary fundraising activity, your safety comes first.” Instead of the full...
Amanda Barrow will be presenting “Fire and the Alphabet,” an exhibition of two groups of monotype prints (one-of-a-kind prints, no two are alike) at Gallery 34/River Gallery School of Art, 34 Main St., through Saturday, Oct. 30. A lifelong environmental conservationist, Barrows says she has always been interested in the human effect on nature. The series of red/orange prints on view were inspired by the intense fire colors that have appeared on social media and in the news. By laying...
Six new exhibits will open at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC) on Saturday, Oct. 23, including solo exhibitions by Natalie Frank, William Ransom, B. Lynch, and Michael Abrams and group shows featuring work by members of the Guild of Vermont Furniture Makers and the Vermont Glass Guild. An opening reception, free and open to all, will take place on Saturday, Oct. 23, at 11 a.m. Refreshments will be served outdoors, with many of the exhibiting artists and curators...
From Thursday, Oct. 14 to Sunday, Oct. 17, the 20th annual Brattleboro Literary Festival will host more than 60 authors featured in 40 events and discussions - all online and free. Books presented at the 2021 festival will cover a range of topics: rebellious women and feminist cowboys, homelessness, former presidents, immigration, New York, New Orleans, political upheaval, Banksy, aging, writers and lovers, fake accounts, hurricanes, and pandemics. Scheduled events include: • Pulitzer Prize–winning author Louis Menand will present The...
After more than 45 years in health care and hospital management, Brattleboro Memorial Hospital president and CEO Steve Gordon is ready for retirement. Gordon, 66, has held the top job at BMH for 11 years and will be stepping down in April 2022, a month before his 67th birthday. Most of his professional career was spent in eastern Massachusetts and southeast New Hampshire. Before coming to BMH in February 2011, Gordon served as president and CEO of Good Samaritan Medical...
The Pandora Papers, released in early October, are the product of massive data leaks carefully analyzed by more than 600 journalists from around the world. They unmask the secretive ways by which the world's super-wealthy hide trillions of dollars and dodge taxes - not just on some sandy Caribbean island, but right here in the United States. Billionaires and crooks from around the globe now regard the United States as an offshore tax haven. They are bringing their treasure to...
He came to the Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce (BACC) between theater gigs, but for Greg Lesch, that association has become a calling. And that service has resulted in Lesch's being asked to serve as the permanent executive director after serving in an interim capacity since the resignation of Kate O'Connor in December. “In the 18 years that Greg has been at the Chamber, he has demonstrated exceptional commitment and dedication, and his great work ethic, knowledge, and experience will...
Amid allegations of fights, students accusing one another of rape, one gun found in a student's vehicle, a rumor of another, graffiti of threats to kill everyone, malicious mischief, police walking the halls, and students feeling unsafe to go to school, Brattleboro Union High School has had a rough start this fall. Some of the acutely disturbing events appear driven by social media and perhaps the long isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, but many are asking whether a culture of...
Bellows Falls is rampaging through Division II football this season, and is two wins away from an undefeated regular season. Who can stop the Purple Gang? “Right now, we are the only ones who can beat us,” said BF coach Bob Lockerby. On the field, they have dominated opponents. The latest beatdown delivered by the Terriers was a 43-14 win over the Spaulding Crimson Tide on Oct. 8 at Hadley Field. But playing a season in the shadow of a...
Boston-based early music ensemble In Stile Moderno returns to town on Friday, Oct. 22, at 7:30 p.m., for the first concert of its 2021–22 season, “Faithful and Pious Heart: Devotional Music in Seventeenth-Century Italy.” In Stile Moderno, founded in 2012, makes rarely-heard works of the 17th century accessible and relevant to modern audiences. The BMC concert features Brattleboro native Nathaniel Cox (cornetto, guitar, and theorbo), Agnes Coakley Cox (soprano), Parker Ramsay (Baroque harp), and Hideki Yamaya (guitar and theorbo), performing...
When we mention “development,” many people think of large-scale projects. Yet within Rockingham Incremental Development Working Group (RIDWG), the focus is on individual property owners or “micro-developers,” all pursuing their own individual tiny development interests and goals. The incremental approach is a conceptual alternative to typical large-scale development projects and takes a small-scale approach. Some of the questions that the working group has been addressing are: • What is the effect on those individuals and their community? • Are there...