Voters who are planning to mail their voted ballots back to their town or city clerk should do so as soon as possible, as clerks must receive ballots by 7 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5.
All active registered voters in Vermont were automatically mailed a ballot for the Nov. 5 General Election, a practice known as "Universal Vote by Mail" that is conducted in eight states and in Washington, D.C.
There are several ways to vote. Vermont voters can:
• Mail their ballot back to their clerk's office.
WEST TOWNSHEND-The Townshend Selectboard and Townshend Historical Society extend a cordial invitation to celebrate the completion of West Townshend Stone Arch Bridge Restoration Project and the official re-opening of the bridge on Sunday, Nov. 3. The events will start with a brief Annual Meeting of the Townshend Historical Society...
BRATTLEBORO-AARP Foundation has kicked off volunteer recruitment for its Tax Aide program, the nation's largest volunteer-based tax preparation service. Volunteers may sign up to assist taxpayers either in person or virtually, with a number of roles available. Tax-Aide will train tax preparers. They also need technical and communications assistants,
World Singing Day at Brooks Library BRATTLEBORO - On Friday, Oct. 25, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at Brooks Memorial Library, 224 Main St., everyone is invited to join in on a community sing along for World Singing Day. There will be a song list of over 100 well-known songs from many traditions (folk, golden oldies, gospel, Beatles, old pop and rock, show tunes, etc.) and the group will take turns choosing what to sing. Lyrics will also be projected...
College news • St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York welcomed Caroline D. Tarmy of South Londonderry as a member of the Class of 2028. Tarmy attended Stratton Mountain School. • The following local students were honored for academic excellence during the summer 2024 semester at Southern New Hampshire University: Sydney McHugh of West Wardsboro, Charlie Slicer of Brattleboro, and Caitlin Haumann of Brattleboro were named to the President's List, while Destinee Learned of Bellows Falls was named to the...
The Green Mountain Mummers will perform on Saturday, Oct. 26, and Sunday, Oct. 27. The group will present its symbolic death-and-resurrection "street theater" rain or shine in seven locations in Windham County. The group of 10 (mostly) Windham County residents is probably the oldest continuing sword dance and mumming troupe in the United States. Founded in 1975, the group operates in the manner of the old English morris and sword dancers from which the dances were originally collected: they meet...
BRATTLEBORO-Mitchell- Giddings Fine Arts, 183 Main St., is commemorating its 10th anniversary with "Decade: 2014 - 2024," a gallery-wide exploration of printmaking by represented and invited artists. The opening reception is 5 to 7 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 26, and a printmaking demonstration with master printer Dan Welden is scheduled for the following day, Sunday, Oct. 27, 11:30 a.m. The exhibit will run through Jan. 5, 2025. Professional artists themselves, owners Petria Mitchell and Jim Giddings carry broad knowledge and insight...
PUTNEY-Next Stage Arts presents Ize Trio, performing music from their debut album, The Global Suites, on Friday, Oct. 25. at 7:30 p.m. Members of the Trio will present a free workshop focused on Middle Eastern percussion and rhythmic cycles Friday afternoon from 3 to 4:30 p.m. "With global sounds from Palestine, Cyprus, and the U.S., this trio has been here in various iterations - every single time commanding an all-star performance and inspiring our community to ask us to book...
BRATTLEBORO-The Baker Street Readers will present three stories from their album The Poe Project on Halloween Night, Thursday, Oct. 31, at 7 p.m. at the Hooker-Dunham Theater, 139 Main St. The Baker Street Readers were founded in 2018 by James Gelter and Tony Grobe with the mission of presenting readings of various authors of the 19th and early 20th centuries, most notably Sherlock Holmes mysteries by Arthur Conan Doyle. In October 2020, the Readers released The Poe Project, an album...
BRATTLEBORO-Four new exhibits exploring memory and the passage of time open at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC) on Saturday, Oct. 26. All are welcome to a 5 p.m. opening party with the exhibiting artists and curators, featuring live music, free food, and a cash bar. Five different curators brought the new exhibits to life, including BMAC Director of Exhibitions Sarah Freeman and guest curators from Vermont, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. "Working with guest curators helps ensure that our...
GUILFORD-Guilford Center Stage's fall production is a Guilford collaboration in which the subjects are 30 Guilford elders recalling life in town in the early 20th century. Guilford poet Verandah Porche interviewed current and former Guilford residents, ages 69 to 91, between 2006 and 2019. The result is a play for voices, Broad Brook Anthology, which will be performed October 25–27 at Broad Brook Community Center. From the interviews, Porche crafted a narrative for each elder, then returned to have them...
WILLIAMSVILLE-Rock River Players present Jean Genet's edgy, surrealist drama The Maids, the first weekend in November (Friday, Nov. 1 and Saturday, Nov. 2) in Williamsville, and the second weekend (Friday, Nov. 8 and Saturday, Nov. 9) in Brattleboro. French dramatist Genet originally wrote The Maids in 1947, though he had changed the ending in subsequent iterations. It's since been produced widely across Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States on film, and even on Danish television, with a range...
Saturday, Oct. 26, is the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) annual National Drug Take Back Day. The Windham County Prevention Partnership, the local coordinator of this event, said in a news release that this initiative "gives communities the opportunity to prevent prescription drug abuse and theft by ridding their homes of expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs." This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines left in home cabinets are highly susceptible to misuse and abuse.
BRATTLEBORO-Enjoy some swing at the Brattleboro Music Center Saturday, October 26, when Zara Bode's Little Big Band returns. The performance is set for 7 p.m. at the BMC. Inspired by the American radio hits of the 30s and 40s, the Little Big Band features vocalist Zara Bode (of Signature Sounds artists The Sweetback Sisters) and a horn section led by clarinetist and arranger Anna Patton. Over the last four years, "the Little Big Band has become a local favorite," say...
BELLOWS FALLS-The Rockingham Arts and Museum Project (RAMP) is hosting an exhibit of watercolors created by local artist Brad Dunbar at Project Space 9 in Bellows Falls. The work captures still lifes, landscapes, and birds. The exhibit will run through Dec. 31. Dunbar, a native Vermonter, was raised in Springfield. His education in the public school system introduced him to ceramics and sketching and, in college, he was introduced to charcoal drawing. While raising a family and running a business,
BELLOWS FALLS-The Future Climate Film Festival, produced by Merlyn Climate Grants and hosted by The Nature Museum, invites the community to an afternoon celebrating the powerful voices of national and international artists. On Saturday, Nov. 2, from 2 to 5 p.m., the Bellows Falls Opera House will host this event, showcasing 10 films from four continents. "Drama, documentary, comedy, and award-winning animation address our many possible climate futures," museum staff wrote in a news release. "The films explore the multifaceted...
BRATTLEBORO-How do we know that elections are secure, given persistent and emerging threats of artificial intelligence, mis- and disinformation, outright lies, and bad actors? In a virtual discussion on Wednesday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m., Voices Live will welcome Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas, the chief statewide elected official in charge of the state's elections systems and processes, to discuss what you need to know. BCTV will broadcast and livestream the discussion. Joining Copeland will be four town...
As Election Day looms and campaigning draws to a close, next week's Commons, the issue of Oct. 30, marks the final opportunity to weigh in with candidate endorsements and other related comments. Final contributions are due by midnight on Friday, Oct. 25. Please send them to [email protected]. (A plain old email with no attachments makes it a little easier on us.) Please include your town (for publication) and contact information (not for publication). This Voices Note to readers was submitted...
BRATTLEBORO-Three months since fully taking over local ambulance services, the town's fire department has spent 90% of its annual overtime budget as it struggles to hire enough staffers to handle calls. "Our challenges are multifaceted," department officials wrote Oct. 4 in their first quarterly report since assuming emergency medical services on July 1. A year ago, critics of the municipal takeover asked how the department could add to its responsibilities when two-thirds of its members - 16 of 23 -
Elayne Clift (elayne-clift.com) has written this column about women, politics, and social issues for almost 20 years. BRATTLEBORO-As Vice President Kamala Harris has proven since she began campaigning to become president, she is no neophyte in the world of politics, as some proclaim. Nor is she a potted plant: She has an amazing presence, a strong intellect, an impressive resume, and refreshing charm as she campaigns calmly and with dignity. Harris joins a distinguished group of accomplished women who precede...
GUILFORD-The appearance of Nancy Gassett billboards in Vernon and Guilford reminds me that it's time to vote for Zon Eastes to represent us in the Legislature. The choice between the two candidates is nearly as stark as what we're seeing in the presidential campaign. As chair, Zon has led the Guilford Selectboard in carrying out the policies endorsed by residents at Town Meeting and in elections. He's been steadfast despite the lawsuits and attempts at intimidation from opponents of those...
CHESTER-I first saw Heather Chase in action when she was a member of the Chester Selectboard, on a night when they were dealing with a very complicated issue. I was immediately impressed by the depth and breadth of her thinking, her ability to understand a variety of points of view, and her interest in doing what was best for the community. Since she has served as my state representative, I have continued to be pleased with her interest in considering...
ROCKINGHAM-There are a number of reasons I support both Michelle Bos-Lun and Leslie Goldman, our two incumbent representatives. I appreciate how they communicate through newsletters and regular public meetings, and I am grateful that they seek our input and opinions, while at the same time they show strong leadership and initiative. I see their diverse and varied backgrounds and life experiences (education, social work, youth services, international experience, and health care, including mental health and drug abuse prevention) as valuable...
WESTON-As this election cycle ramps up, the vitriol and extreme partisanship is getting out of control. We do not need to succumb to this in Vermont. We can disagree about policies, strategies, and ideas while remaining respectful and curious of our opponents' views. John F. Kennedy said, "Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for...
ATHENS-I'm a lifelong Vermonter who lives in Athens on the same land that my family has for at least six generations, and I endorse Heather Chase for our state representative. This election is deeply personal to me. So is my ability to have children and God forbid, if I miscarry, my getting needed life-saving medical care could quite literally depend upon the outcome of this election. As a first-generation college student growing up in my small town, I saw education...
BRATTLEBORO-Much of southern Vermont is remembering the impact of the life of Ann (Annie) Richards, who died unexpectedly on Oct. 11 at the age of 45. A proud Vermonter whose family roots dated back to the mid-1700s, Richards, who had a private practice as a family psychiatric nurse practitioner in child and adolescent mental health, created a life of service to others. Friends say she leveraged her desire to consistently build community and made a walloping impact that will leave...
GRAFTON-Heather Chase has been a terrific representative for Grafton. Heather is very responsive to our needs as individuals and as a town. She is committed to helping small schools survive, and she will be front and center in the fight to keep Grace Cottage Hospital open. This whole small village relies on these institutions to keep us vibrant and healthy. In addition, after the floods, it was Heather who asked Becca Balint for help with our FEMA application. She always...
-There is little joy in completing a winless football season. The pain is worse when the final game is against a rival that you long to defeat in front of your home fans. The Brattleboro Bears and Mount Anthony Patriots have played for the Elwell Trophy for decades. It's usually the last regular game and a victory in the game means bragging rights for the next 12 months. That's why the Bears' 41-21 loss to the Patriots at Natowich Field...
BRATTLEBORO-When it comes to voting, Brattleboro is as blue as the ceiling of the Latchis Theatre. So when U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and U.S. Rep. Becca Balint spoke to more than 250 people gathered there for a Democratic rally on Oct. 19, it was as if they were preaching to the choir. And this choir was enthusiastic, offering more than one standing ovation to the two progressive politicians who represent Vermont in Congress. Both are prohibitive favorites in their own...
The writer served in the state House of Representatives from 2001 to 2009. BRATTLEBORO-John Rodgers, the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor, is not well known down here in Windham County, but I have known him for over 20 years. We both served together in the House of Representatives and on the same committee (Institutions and Corrections). I got to know John very well. He holds the same values that I do. He is a dedicated family man. I was invited...
Susan MacNeil, the executive director of AIDS Services for the Monadnock Region from 2000 to 2014, was a founding board member of Keene Pride and served on the Bellows Falls Pride Committee. This piece was written to mark National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11 and LGBTQIA+ History Month in October. BELLOWS FALLS-What's your favorite color? I recall this as one of the earliest questions I ever actually had to consider. Was it blue for water and sky? Green for...
BELLOWS FALLS-Having started its zany, twisted life locally in Brattleboro in April, The Ones from the Vaults, a Vermont-style Rocky Horror Picture Show, is now rebooting at the Bellows Falls Opera House. Directed and managed by Stephanie Abrams of Kinetic Theory Theatre, a company of 12 will offer this monthly event - complete with shadow cast and all its quirky culture - at least until the end of the year. Abrams said in a recent interview with The Commons that...
Neil Senior M.D. is a psychiatrist. BRATTLEBORO-Personality is the summation of immutable emotional, cognitive, and behavioral characteristics that define how, as individuals, we interact with others. Personality disorders are problems with this structure which frequently lead to interpersonal disruptions. These problems may be internal within an individual and not clearly visible or external and lead to significant social upheavals. In psychiatry, personality disorders are grouped into clusters with Cluster B, which includes narcissistic, borderline and antisocial/psychopathic, being the most disruptive.
Nancy Gassett is the Republican Party nominee for state representative of the Windham-1 district, which encompasses Vernon and Guilford. VERNON-What are the qualifications to be a Vermont elected legislator/representative? We can all read, if we choose, the abundance of letters written about candidates that are printed in the opinion pages and letters sections of newspapers, as well as the social media posts during the months leading up to every election. This 2024 election season is no different. It seems obvious...
BRATTLEBORO-He's only been on the job one week, but Justin Johnston, the new community resource specialist, knows the Brattleboro Police Department (BPD) well. "I have quite a history with the Brattleboro police," Johnston said wryly. For years, he was engaged in criminal activity to support his substance use. "My values and morals, my ways of thinking at that time, were not based in reality as a productive citizen of our community," Johnston said in an interview with The Commons. "They...
BELLOWS FALLS-Republican, Democrat, independent: However you affiliate, I urge you to vote for Leslie Goldman, an experienced, capable representative of the people of Windham-3. Going into her third term, Leslie understands the legislative process. She maintains relationships with her constituency and colleagues in the legislature. She is brave enough to evaluate her own positions in the context of other people's opinions. I ask you to vote for a woman with the courage to change her position or to stick to...
SAXTONS RIVER-Leslie Goldman has for many years served the people of Rockingham and Windham County. During her career as a nurse practitioner, she was also a school board member and a Rockingham Selectboard member. Now she's running for her third two-year term for the Vermont House of Representatives, where she's a candidate to represent Windham-3. Her focus has alway been serving the needs of the people and solving problems. I really appreciate her continued outreach to the community with reports...
BELLOWS FALLS-Michelle Bos-Lun has been successfully serving the state as a representative for Windham-3 since 2021, focusing on the issues that closely align with her values: affordable and equitable housing, restorative justice, youth and families, mental health, and climate and environment. These are challenging times for those Vermonters who have called this amazing state home and for others, like me, who have adopted this special place and wouldn't dream of leaving it. Michelle has shown her commitment to meeting our...
BRATTLEBORO-A century after becoming the first English-language author to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, the late Rudyard Kipling has gone from being one of the world's most widely read names to, in the charitable words of his latest biographer, a "complex historical figure" tied to the exploitative era of British colonialism. But Kipling's reputation isn't the only remnant of his life facing a shifting climate. Born in India and raised in England, the Victorian-era writer was 26 when, traveling...