The Putney Public Library's Writers Salon will host its last session on Thursday, March 3, at 7 p.m. and will feature the work of Sarah Cooper-Ellis and Sylvie Weil.
The host for the series is Putney resident Toni Ortner, the author of 26 books published by small presses. Most recent are Daybooks I and II by Deerbrook Editions and Daybooks III by Ardent Writer Press. Blue Lyrics will be published by Adelaide Books next year. She is vice president of Write Action, a nonprofit group that supports writers in southern Vermont.
Sarah Cooper-Ellis is the author of the novel Landing, a late-life love story set in the landscape and culture of a small Vermont town. She has been active in the writing community of southern Vermont and the Pioneer Valley, appearing in readings and print for Write Angles, Write Action, The Commons, and the Daily Hampshire Gazette, in addition to scientific publications.
Cooper-Ellis holds a master's in biology from Smith College and has studied writing at Smith, Sarah Lawrence, the University of Massachusetts, and Lesley College. She is working on a memoir of death and dying, provisionally entitled Letters to Dearie: The Way We Say GoodBye. She lives in Putney with her border collie, Hep.
We endorse Lynn LaTulippe King and Jason Herron for the Guilford Selectboard in the March 1 town election. Local candidates are always an asset and necessary for the farming background and history of our town. The LaTulippe family have been good neighbors and friends of ours for many years,
Guilford to hold pre-Town Meeting sessionGUILFORD - The Selectboard will hold a public, informational Pre-Town Meeting event via Zoom on Thursday, Feb. 24, at 7 p.m. This meeting is a collaboration between the Selectboard and the Broad Brook Grange to discuss the Australian Ballot articles on the 2022 Town...
The Brattleboro Music Center's Season Guest Series continues with the Sarasa Ensemble presenting “Native Realm,” a look at Poland's distinct culture and native land through the lens of Telemann, Górecki, and Schmelzer. The concert is set for Friday, March 4, at 7:30 p.m. at the BMC. Performers include Jesse Irons, Miranda Fulleylove, violins; Jason Fisher, viola; and Jennifer Morsches, cello. The program will feature Tomás Luis de Victoria's O Magnum Mysterium; Telemann's Polish Dances from the Rostock Manuscript, TWV 45;
Mt. Washington is not the highest mountain in the eastern United States. Even when Fred Harris climbed it in 1913, Mt. Washington was trumped by Mt. Mitchell in North Carolina, by 396 feet. But it's all relative. The town of Jamaica had a mile of ice over it back when global warming really started, and its land has been slowly rising ever since then. But let's not get confused by the facts - it must be true; it's in the...
The following is a letter sent to Gov. Phil Scott and copied to the newspaper.The Brattleboro Selectboard has written to ask for your signature on Brattleboro's Charter Change petition. Our years-long effort to advance the goals of the people of Brattleboro will die with the stroke of your pen should you veto the bill after all these years. In a Dillon's Rule state such as ours, few avenues are available to us to advance any change in our means and...
A 26-year resident of Williamsville in the town of Newfane, I support Ann Golub, Jeff Chevalier, and Katy Johnson-Aplin for election or re-election to the Selectboard. Currently on the Selectboard, Ann represents Newfane on the Windham Regional Planning Commission; she's the Selectboard's liaison to our town's planning commission; and she has put ample hours and effort into preparing us for the receipt of federal American Rescue Plan Act funds. She is a real asset to our town. Jeff, a small-business...
In her 2021 annual report to the St. Michael's Episcopal Church community, the Rev. Mary Lindquist writes: “seeds of new ministry started to blossom at St. Michael's. Not one, not two, but three substantive, Spirit-led initiatives presented themselves to our church with urgency and resolve.” Thus, the work of the parish for the coming months - focused on community outreach as much as on internal well-being - is set for the church at the corner of Bradley Avenue and Putney...
College news • The following local residents were honored for academic achievement in the fall 2021 semester at Clark University in Worcester, Mass.: Morgan K. Brooke-deBock, Lucy M. Szpila, Freddie G. Learey, and Liam R.S. Kennedy of Brattleboro; Nicholas M. Mitchell, Andrew M. Foster, and Jack T. Langeloh of Putney; Max H. Spicer of South Newfane; and Julianne L. Liebow, of Townshend. • Ella Warner of Putney was named to the Dean's List for the fall 2021 semester at the...
The Milkhouse Heaters will play the Stage 33 Live listening room, at 33 Bridge St., on Sunday, March 6 at 6 p.m. Twice canceled by COVID-19, the band hopes the third time's the charm. Jan and Mike are transplants of the Boston music scene, where they were nominated for a Boston Music Award and shared the stage with The Black Crowes, Corey Glover, Fuel, Feeder, and Hum. Their songs are on compilations alongside the likes of G. Love and Special...
I am grateful and excited that Lana Dever has decided to run for the Brattleboro seat on the Windham Southeast School District school board. I am a parent of a child who will be entering kindergarten next year, and I am passionate about strong and wise leadership for our public schools. I wholeheartedly support Lana in this endeavor, and I believe that she is an excellent person for this position. I had the privilege of working closely with Lana on...
Athens Annual Town Meeting will be held by Australian ballot on Tuesday, March 1 when polls at the elementary school will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. • Contest for moderator: The warrant includes a race for moderator between David Bemis and Candace Damon . • Financial: Voters will be asked to approve a $578,429 General Fund. • Selectboard expansion and duties: Voters will decide whether to expand the board from 3 to 5 members and eliminate the...
Sometimes people ask the wrong things from the Selectboard - things that should be brought to Representative Town Meeting (RTM). This happens because they don't know the town charter, which is the operator's manual for town government. At a recent Selectboard candidate forum, there was a show of hands of people who had read the town charter, and hardly anyone in the audience raised a hand. The surprise was that some candidates for the Selectboard and even a current member...
The Windham World Affairs Council (WWAC)will offer a free screening of Journey to the Safest Place on Earth, Edgar Hagen's 2014 documentary (110 minutes, English with some subtitles). The event takes place Saturday, Feb. 26, at 3 p.m., at 118 Elliot, 118 Elliot St. Viewers can choose to attend the film in person or watch it online. This film focuses on the global search for places to store nuclear waste, including the abandoned Yucca Mountain project, which, despite geologic concerns...
Experienced Goods Thrift Shop, the main fundraiser for Brattleboro Area Hospice (BAH), will be moving retail operations across the street to 80 Flat St., in the CF Church Building, this spring. This move will locate the store next door to the current donation drop-off site. The shop originally opened in 1989 in one room off the Harmony Parking Lot. As sales grew during the 1990s, the store expanded twice in that building, including a storefront on Elliot Street. In 2006,
I have known Cristine White for many years in both personal and professional capacities. She is honest, independent, and fair. I know that if she is elected to the Newfane Selectboard, she will treat everyone with respect. She has extensive business management experience and knows how to understand complex budgets and regulatory documents. Newfane would be lucky to have her serving the town as a member of the Selectboard.
As a small town, Athens sometimes struggles to find enough people to fill the positions needed for our town. In the most recent past, our Selectboard chair has also worn the hat of moderator. In our opinion, this doesn't serve the town well, in that often the chair of the board is looked to for answers to voters' questions. A Handbook for Vermont Moderators, published by the Vermont Secretary of State's office in 2009, describes moderators as “the referees of...
The Vermont Theatre Company will hold auditions for its upcoming production of Rathmines Road, written by Dierdre Kinahan, Monday, Feb. 28, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Hooker Dunham Theater and Gallery (HDTG), 139 Main St., Brattleboro. The show will be performed at HDTG April 29–May 1 and May 6–8. Interested actors are asked to prepare two contrasting contemporary monologues whose total time should not exceed four minutes. Auditions will be held in four 30-minute sections. For more information...
The Windham Southeast School District board is asking the voters to approve stipends of $7,000 for regular board directors and $9,000 for the chair of the board. The Act 46 merger - which combined four separate school districts (Putney, Guilford, Dummerston and Brattleboro), each with its own board, into one district-wide board - has impacted the breadth and depth of board responsibilities, while also increasing time commitments to an extent that few could have anticipated. We understand that stipends are...
It brings me joy and I'm happy to say that I support Lana Dever for the Brattleboro seat on the Windham Southeast School Board. As a former Brattleboro Town School Board member and as a Black single mother who supported my two children in navigating the school system, I am acutely aware of what it takes and what it means to be a parent and to be in leadership to help support, hold accountable, and improve our school district. Now...
Small-town selectboards should be apolitical. Candidates don't run as members of a political party, and the best selectboard is a diverse group of individuals who want to serve their town by managing the budget and listening to the concerns of all citizens. But in Newfane, three candidates who are allied to a political group (West River Valley Mutual Aid) are running together, like a Tammany Hall ticket. This sort of political maneuvering is contrary to the community-mindedness of individual service...
I submit this letter in endorsement of Lynn Latulippe King and Jason Herron, candidates for Selectboard in Guilford. Both candidates are relatively new to the political scene, but they both love Guilford and feel strongly that the people need better representation in the governance of their town. Neither Lynn nor Jason can possibly know now exactly what the work of the Selectboard entails, never having served in that position before, but with the courage of their convictions, their work ethic,
With a little less than a year's residency in Guilford, I do not know either of the gentlemen being challenged for their Selectboard seats, nor do I know their opponents. That said, it appears to me, as a veteran of various boards and committees, that both Zon Eastes and Michael Becker have performed well overall in addressing critical issues and in seeking to enhance the Guilford community. I am also wary of conspiracy theories, as they can be concocted so...
I met a man last year, a humble man, a man of modest means by all appearance. He called himself a “farmer” - a “tree farmer” - a “tiller of the soil.” He dressed the part and he wore a beard. His name is Jason Herron. “I don't like men with beards,” as Henry Angle once told me for those of you old enough to have known him. “Don't trust them.” But we were there, my wife Sandra and I,
While the early bird does get the worm, it's also true that, often, the second mouse gets the cheese. So, being first isn't always optimum, and taking one's time can have its own benefits. We like to think that way in the Legislature as our state constitution provides for a long, deliberate process before an idea becomes law. That can be frustrating for some, especially in our instant-gratification culture. But I liken it to the slow food movement. Good things...
Article 14 on the 2022 Putney ballot asks voters to vote yea or nay on taxing solar farm output. The Town Energy Committee has suggested voting no, after full consideration of the wording of the proposal on the ballot (which had already gone to press) - the reason being that the tax is contrary to the Town's support of alternative energy. There are several community solar farms in Putney, and, with the state already taxing them, the local panel owners...
While it's necessary to find tax revenue to cover expenses of the town of Putney, especially after last year's huge road repair bills, it's also important to consider the fairness of any new tax and its impact. This is not the time for a tax on solar production. No one is making money on solar panels beyond a very modest annual return in the form of reduced power bills. According to current regulations by the Vermont Public Utility Commission, no...
(1)I have known Zon Eastes for over 30 years, and I have always known him to be an intelligent, thoughtful and considerate person. Zon has brought a very strong work ethic to his time on the Guilford Selectboard. He does his homework and is prepared for meetings. He has dived in and studied the issues in depth, and his knowledge and experience will continue to serve our town well. Probably the most notable contribution has been his work to obtain...
Change is inevitable and can bring new ideas and innovation; however, some change can be a step backward and lead to harm. Although I appreciate his energy and enthusiasm, Jason Herron would bring to the Guilford Selectboard views that are extremely concerning. Looking at his Facebook posts and rants and his strong ties to the Convention of States (supported by Sean Hannity of Fox News and others like him) reveals the type of views that often lead to unhealthy actions,
Our local schools are facing challenges that extend far beyond the pandemic. In the past six months, students at Brattleboro Area Middle School and Brattleboro Union High School have endured hate speech, racial bullying, threats of violence, and a gun on campus. There have been allegations of sexual assault past and present. Our community needs school board members who can confront these challenges with courage and clarity and bring years of experience to the table. Lana Dever is the candidate...
We are three of the “ousted” members of the Guilford Planning Commission, and we are writing to help dispel the rumors that are circulating that the entire former Planning Commission has negative feelings toward the current Guilford Selectboard. We are not angry, and we understand why the decision to disband the Planning Commission was made. We were unhappy with the process by which the Selectboard made the decision, and the manner in which it was communicated. However, we also agree...
We, members of the Guilford Selectboard, wish to take this opportunity to speak directly to our community. In late October, the Selectboard made the very difficult decision to unseat Guilford's entire Planning Commission. A unanimous vote is required by state statute. This difficult decision, while legally permissible, was made with care and due consideration. We recognize that the decision has produced pain and disbelief in parts of the community. We also acknowledge that it has met with relief and understanding...
As a resident of South Newfane since 1990, I appreciate those who step up every year to serve in Newfane's town government. This year we have three candidates running for Selectboard whom I strongly support: Ann Golob, Katy Johnson-Aplin, and Jeff Chevalier. As current Selectboard members, Ann and Katy have already proven their commitment and skills. Newcomer Jeff Chevalier will add another strong voice to town governance. Running a successful home business and raising a child, Jeff understands many of...
Adults and children alike will have the opportunity to be transported to Neverland through a multimedia presentation of the silent film Peter Pan (1924), featuring a live score by Washington-based harpist Leslie McMichael and theatrical special effects by the Western Massachusetts troupe The Lovelights. The event will take place at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 26 in the sanctuary of Epsilon Spires at 190 Main St. Scottish writer J.M. Barrie created the character of Peter Pan in 1902, and since...
The Neighborhood Schoolhouse, which had announced its permanent closure, will continue operations under the management of a new board of trustees and school administration. Ten short days after the school abruptly closed, its board issued an announcement on Feb. 15, crediting the decision to “the outpouring of support from the community on behalf of the school and its mission in response to our decision to close.” One day before, “members of the community presented a written proposal to keep the...
It's that time of year again, when Sandglass celebrates the magic and warmth of puppetry for young audiences with the annual Winter Sunshine Series running throughout the month of March. “Winter Sunshine provides a lively respite from the cold; a creative interlude between snow shoveling and wood schlepping that brightens the darkness of our Vermont winter months with laughter,” theater staff said in a news release. “Headed into its 15th year, this series aims to bring cheer and entertainment to...
The regular season for girls' basketball in Vermont wrapped up last week, with none of our local teams finishing with a winning record. While Brattleboro and Bellows Falls escaped most of the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, Leland & Gray unfortunately did not. The good news is that all three teams are now reasonably healthy and ready to start the postseason this week. All face long road trips for their opening playoff games. • Leland & Gray lost a big...
Traditionally, voters in Guilford have organized a “meet the candidates” night at the Broad Brook Grange hall, where the folks running for town offices would introduce themselves to voters. COVID-19 and ongoing renovations to the Grange Hall have disrupted that tradition. Instead, a different sort of event took shape on Feb. 17 at the Vermont Marketplace, the former Outlet Center, on Canal Street. And, by design, only two of the four candidates for the Selectboard were present. Lynn Latulippe King,
The national television crew arrived at the Harris Hill Ski Jump this Presidents' Day weekend with plans to capture all the pageantry and pyrotechnics of a high-flying centennial celebration for Vermont's lone Olympic-size venue. Instead, it witnessed something more head-spinning. As historians tell it, the landmark sprung 100 years ago when local sports pioneer Fred Harris eyed an evergreen-laden hill and led workers in clearing trees, crushing rock and cobbling together a launchpad for a 1922 inaugural competition that drew...