• Circus Nutcracker returns: The Flying Nut: A Starry Night is not your usual Nutcracker! Join the New England Center for Circus Arts for the second annual holiday show with a night of trapezists, tumblers, jugglers, stilt walkers, and more! Performers include professional level adults, advanced youth students and guest artists in this fun for the whole family extravaganza inspired by the traditional Nutcracker.
Performances will take place at the New England Center for Circus Arts space at the Cotton Mill in Brattleboro. Show times are Saturday, Dec. 18, at 3 and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 19, 1 and 5 p.m.
Tickets are $12 for adults, $8 for kids under 12, and free for kids under 2. They are available online at www.necenterforcircusarts.org or by calling 802- 254-9780. Advance reservations are recommended.
...Below is an e-mail I just sent to President Obama about the recent vote by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights to remove Curtiss Reed Jr. as head of the commission's Vermont State Advisory Committee [The Commons, Dec. 9]. I encourage you to use this message, modify it, or...
Walking the dog, preparing a casserole, or mowing the lawn have redefined the concept of “pay it forward” for members of Brattleboro Time Trade, a two-year-old organization based on swapping time for services. Time banks operate on a simple system of members helping members. One member might spend an...
The irony of the head of a civil rights subcommittee being ousted for speaking out about a civil rights issue is stunning to behold. But that's exactly what happened to Curtiss Reed Jr. after the conservative majority sitting on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR) objected to a commentary about the racial undertones of a political slogan used by Republican candidate Brian Dubie in the recent Vermont gubernatorial election. The commission recently voted to renew the charter of Vermont...
Obituaries Editor's note: The Commons will publish brief biographical information for citizens of Windham County and others, on request, as community news, free of charge. • Winifred “Winnie” Gardner Bissell, 89, of Saxtons River. Died Dec. 9 at McGirr Nursing Home in Bellows Falls. Wife of the late Howard K. Bissell for 40 years. Mother of Douglas Bissell and his wife, Bette, of Bennington; Sylvia Liset and her husband, George, of Dover, N.H.; and Dean Bissell of Bellows Falls. Graduate...
Taxes, health care, and the cost of doing business were on the menu at the Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce's legislators breakfast last week. State Sen. Jeanette White, D-Windham, and state Reps. Ann Manwaring, D-Wilmington and John Moran, D-Wardsboro, discussed their goals for the 2011 legislative session with chamber members at a breakfast hosted by the Matterhorn Inn. Newly elected state Sen. Peter Galbraith, D-Windham, couldn't attend due to illness, said White. Patricia Moulton Powden, vice president of public...
Bellows Falls Union High School is in the process of installing a new security system. It is one of the last schools in the Windham Northeast Supervisory Union to install such a system, but school officials say the delay allowed them to take advantage of the latest technology. Soon, when students, parents, or community members step up to the doors of the high school, they will have to use an intercom to announce themselves, and will have to be buzzed...
The Brattleboro Colonels' boys hockey team opened its season at Nelson Withington Rink on Saturday with a 5-1 loss to the Rutland Raiders. Rutland forward Taylor Booth scored three goals as the Raiders dominated on offense. Rutland outshot Brattleboro, 34-14, while the Colonels struggled with their offensive attack. Defensively, Brattleboro looked solid in the first period. Freshman goalie Greg DiSilva made nine saves, but Rutland's Nico Roy deflected a slap shot from the left side by Cameron Kennedy with just...
The new bike lanes on Putney Road have caused some concern among motorists. I am passing along some information on them, current safe traffic practices of Sharing the Road, and the new Vulnerable Users Law passed in July 2010. • The use of bike lanes on Putney Road is intended to dedicate certain space on the road for bicyclists so that car drivers know where to expect them. The goal of both the Vermont Agency of Transportation and the Windham...
“There are so many different variables when it comes to ice,” said Brattleboro Assistant Fire Chief Peter Lynch. That is a bit of an understatement, considering that last week's below-freezing weather was followed by torrential rains and 50 degree temperatures on Sunday and Monday. The up-and-down roller coaster of weather that is a Vermont winter means that skaters and ice fishermen need to be wary on local ponds and lakes. “There's no good way to tell how thick the ice...
Sean Altman may be best known for writing the theme song to PBS' hugely popular children's show, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, but he's hoping to go down in history for something a little different - penning the first great Irish-style, Jewish drinking song. “I wanted to show how preposterous the Blood Libel is,” says Altman about his song Christian Baby Blood, a satirical take on the ancient myth that Jews murder Christian babies and use their blood in the...
It's the scenario that every emergency responder trains for, and hopes never happens - an accident scene with dozens of people in need of immediate help. “I can barely imagine what it's like to be a patient on a scene. Must be pretty unnerving,” said Brian Richardson, assistant chief of operations at Rescue Inc. in Brattleboro. “People are moving quickly sorting it all out, triaging those hurt [using] colored tags to let other responders know the level of their patients'
What should you do if the ice breaks out from under your feet and you end up in icy cold water? Here's some advice from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: • First, try not to panic. This may be easier said than done, unless you have worked out a survival plan in advance. Read through these steps so that you can be prepared. • Don't remove your winter clothing. Heavy clothes won't drag you down, but instead can trap...
My eyes burned with shame as I read of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission's firing and excoriation of Curtiss Reed Jr. as a member of its Vermont State Advisory Commission. I read carefully his commentary in the Oct. 18 Reformer and thought it was absolutely brilliant. Every word in it is true. As he always has, Curtiss was merely taking the care to present logically and accurately the case for anti-racism in our state, portraying it as the issue of...
It was great to read Joyce Marcel's new column in The Commons. She is a world-class writer who consistently presents her thoughts like a fine piece of music, and this town is very lucky to have her. The Reformer's loss is The Commons' gain. Thank you.
Thank you for the vitally important piece that outlines the attack on Curtiss Reed's dismissal [The Commons, Dec. 9]. It seems clear to me that beyond everything else, his actions consisted of a good-faith effort to uphold his post and carry out its responsibilities. Politics all too often is a matter of mouthing meaningless platitudes meant to offend the least and placate the most. That's what's wrong with our system. Conversely, Curtiss Reed cares deeply about the issues his post...
The June 9 issue of The Commons included a commentary by Les Kozaczek expressing doubts about human-induced (anthropogenic) global warming (AGW). As a climate scientist, I took issue with his statements and tone in a commentary published on Sept. 15; Mr. Kozaczek responded in a letter published Oct. 6. The Commons has offered me the last word. I thank The Commons for this chance to end the discussion on some level of accuracy and decorum. I agree with the paper's...
In the recent article “Bringing it all home” [The Commons, Dec. 1], there were some issues that must be clarified - primarily regarding participation in CLEA. I am the Student Council president and we, the student council, are in charge of running Project Feed the Thousands at the High School (collecting food and money). I am not a member of CLEA, nor am I the student liaison to CLEA. The article correctly stated in the beginning that Sam Stevens, Ari...
When a baby is born in [my village in Bangladesh],” Sanchita says, “families desperately hope it will be a boy. It is believed that boys will contribute to the family income in a place where people are very poor.” Sanchita's words were spoken recently by actress Anne Hathaway at a meeting hosted by the World Bank to draw attention to “the girl effect” - “the powerful social and economic change brought about when girls have the opportunity to participate.”
On Tuesday, Dec. 21, Simba will celebrate the Winter Solstice at the Evening Star Grange in Dummerston Center. This annual party will offer a night of drumming, dancing, music, and fun for all ages from 7- 11 p.m. Admission is $10, with a family maximum of $25. Simba has been together 21 years, playing weddings, parties, summer concerts, and special events. In the annual Solstice Dance Party is a highlight for the band and for the dancers who attend. The...
As a 2006 graduate of Leland & Gray, I feel the proposed cuts in French will threaten the uniqueness of this school. Faith in this academic department, as well as in the school's enormously talented faculty, is second nature to me, as I have benefitted from them considerably. I was privileged enough to take upper level French (through French IV) at Leland & Gray. Always exciting, comprehensive, and challenging, Annie Suquet's classes made an indelible impression on me as a...
The Board of Directors of Brattleboro Memorial Hospital has appointed Steven R. Gordon of Newton, Mass., as its new president and chief executive officer. The appointment will be effective in early March of next year, according to Kirsten Beske, Chair of the BMH Board of Directors. Gordon will replace Barry Beeman, who announced his intention to retire from the position at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital earlier this year. Gordon brings more than 25 years of experience in health care and hospital...
The Rockingham Free Public Library on Westminster Street suffered a flood on Sunday night that caused major damage to several sections of the building. Although a final report is pending, Public Services Librarian Wendy O'Connell said Tuesday that the flood was likely caused by a ruptured internal water pipe in the original section of the library building. The library is insured under the town of Rockingham's policy, she said, but a complete estimate of the damage is still being compiled.