BELLOWS FALLS-The River Artisans Cooperative (RAC) is one of the oldest cooperative shops in Vermont, showcasing a variety of locally created art and crafts items.
This past season, RAC has seen substantial growth in both local and area visitors coming to the shop located in The Square in Bellows Falls. RAC says it welcomes new artists and craftspersons to join the cooperative and to sell their work in the shop.
In addition, they said that a benefit of membership means joining craftsmen and artists "who support one another and work together in a flourishing and creative community. Coming together from a wide level of experiences and backgrounds gives members unique opportunities to learn from one another."
Members all share in decision making, in running the shop, and in working on projects with other organizations and businesses in the Bellows Falls community.
BRATTLEBORO-Vermont Theatre Company is producing a cozy, intimate Greek tragedy for its winter production this year. The Bacchae by Euripides will be presented over two weekends, March 14–16 and 21–23, with Friday and Saturday performances at 7 p.m., and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. at 118 Elliot. This production...
WEST BRATTLEBORO-Spring in Vermont means one thing: mud season! It's also a perfect time to discover how to meaningfully contribute to science and conservation in the community. All are invited to join Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center for their Mud Season Speaker Series at Brooks Memorial Library, featuring experts and...
BRATTLEBORO-Forecasts and Findings, an interdisciplinary dance created by choreographer Michael Bodel and collaborators, will premiere at New England Youth Theatre on Flat Street on Friday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m. Additional performances will follow on Saturday, March 1, at 4 and 7 p.m. The work integrates movement, object theater, a live soundscape, and 100 pounds of grain. The project centers grain as a material, as a choreographic character, and as a metaphor for knowledge and needs. The dance creates immersive...
BRATTLEBORO-The Brattleboro Women's Chorus invites new members to sing with them this spring on Thursday mornings or evenings. Their first rehearsals on March 6 are open rehearsals for new singers to come and check out the chorus to see if it is a good fit for them. Advance registration is required via their website. Rehearsals are held Thursday mornings at the Brattleboro Music Center from 10 a.m. to noon, or Thursday evenings at First Congregational Church in West Brattleboro from...
PUTNEY-Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music present roots music trio Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards, plus singer-songwriter Emily Margaret, on Friday, Feb. 28, at 7:30 p.m. Cortese is a songwriter, vocalist, and fiddler who blends American roots music with indie, electronic grooves, and pop vocals - all the while appealing to a broad audience from millennials to seasoned folkies. Along with Cortese, Valerie Thompson and Isa Burke feature a hybrid of traditions and influences, full of interplays of string...
BRATTLEBORO-After seven months of organizing, 68% of the roughly 250 support staff, techs, business office employees, and skilled maintenance staff at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital (BMH) voted yes (123–57) on Feb. 17 to formalize their union and affiliate with AFT (American Federation of Teachers) Vermont, a union that represents more than 11,000 health care and higher education professionals. Shann Sorrenti, phlebotomy technician and union organizing committee member, said in a news release that the ancillary staff organized because they love their...
Mrowicki hosts 'Zoom Room' for constituents PUTNEY - State Rep. Mike Mrowicki, D-Putney, will host a Constituent Zoom Room on Wednesday, Feb. 26, from 7 to 8 p.m. "The 2025 Legislative session is heading towards its halfway mark and the work is starting to take form even as the politics is heating up," said Mrowicki in a news release. "Should we feed our children at school? What does quality education at a cost we can afford look like? Do we...
College news • Daisy M. Giroux of Brattleboro graduated in December 2024 cum laude with a B.S. in dental hygiene from Wichita (Kansas) State University. • Makenna Milbauer of Grafton graduated with a B.A. in psychology in December 2024 from the University of South Carolina at Beaufort. • Alex Shriver of Brattleboro, Broden Walsh of Marlboro, Will Taggard of Brattleboro, and Eben Wagner of Brattleboro were all named to the Dean's List for the fall 2024 semester at Tufts University...
BRATTLEBORO-Sarasa Ensemble performs music of Mozart for the program titled "Night at the Opera" at the Brattleboro Music Center (BMC) on Friday, March 7, at 7 p.m. "Mozart's ability to explore the human condition is apparent in his string quartets as well as his operas," wrote event promoters in a news release. This program features not only Mozart works, but compositions by two contemporaries who also introduced dramatic personae in their instrumental music, Hyacinthe Jadin and Carlo Monza. The concert...
BRATTLEBORO-Professional glass artists from across New England have selected 23 children's drawings of imaginary creatures to be transformed into sparkling glass sculptures for the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC)'s biennial "Glasstastic" exhibition opening Saturday, March 22. The artists made their selections from among more than 1,000 drawings submitted by children in grades K–6 from throughout the U.S. Although not every drawing will be rendered in glass, each one will be included in the exhibition - either displayed on the...
BRATTLEBORO-The Downtown Brattleboro Alliance (DBA) has an opportunity for local artists to transform electrical boxes into works of public art. DBA organizers say the Spark Street Mural Project "aims to enhance the beauty of downtown Brattleboro while celebrating artistic talent and fostering community engagement. This program is made possible with generous support from the Brattleboro Town Arts Fund." The Spark Street Mural Project invites artists to create original, small-scale murals on electrical transformers throughout downtown Brattleboro. "These mini murals will...
BRATTLEBORO-The Latchis Theatre continues its International Music Series with a concert by the Sirius Quartet on Friday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m. The quartet's members are leaders in the field of progressive chamber music. This will be their first performance in Vermont and an album release concert for their latest recording, Incantations. Internationally acclaimed veterans of contemporary music, Sirius Quartet combines exhilarating repertoire with improvisational fire. These conservatory-trained performer-composers "champion a forward-thinking, genre-defying approach," say organizers. Since their debut concert...
BRATTLEBORO-The Windham Southeast School District (WSESD) will hold its Annual District Meeting on Tuesday, March 19, at 7 p.m. at the Brattleboro Union High School gymnasium, 131 Fairground Road. Residents of WSESD member-towns of Brattleboro, Dummerston, Guilford, and Putney are encouraged to attend in-person. Child care will be provided. To secure child care with WSESD staff members, call 802-254-3730 by noon on March 19. The warrant includes five articles, including election of district officers, what to pay school board members,
NEWFANE-I abhor the terrorist attack on Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023, and I abhor the ongoing Israeli response on Palestinians living in Gaza. But Passing Article 38 at this year's Newfane Town Meeting will not change a complex conflict that predates biblical times. To do so would be yet another example of American hubris and antithetical to Newfane's 2020 pledge to condemn "acts intended to induce fear in any person based on their identity." Article 38 induces fear in me,
BRATTLEBORO-I am writing to express my strong opposition to the candidacy of Tim Wessel for Brattleboro Selectboard. His actions and statements make it clear that he is not the right person to represent a town that values justice, inclusivity, and compassion. At last year's Representative Town Meeting, Wessel opposed a resolution calling for an end to U.S. military aid to Israel, arguing that it "sends a message to Jews in this country that the one country where they should be...
BRATTLEBORO-If our town is going to resolve the deep problems that have dominated our attention for years, we will need leaders who understand the complexities we face, know the concrete realities of town governance, and have the ability to listen and find consensus among our deeply divided citizens. Oscar Heller has those qualities. Oscar has years of Representative Town Meeting membership and he has served for the last six years on its Finance Committee. He is currently the chair. This...
-Evan Wright clinched a home playoff game for the Brattleboro Bears boys' hockey team with an overtime goal to defeat the Woodstock Wasps, 2-1, at jam-packed Withington Rink on Feb. 22. Wright, one of four seniors honored before the game, scored both of Brattleboro's goals. Not resting on his laurels after scoring his 100th career goal against Stowe on Feb. 15, he gave the Bears a 1-0 lead with 5:50 left in the first period when he drove to the...
GUILFORD-On Feb. 15, I saw Hadestown at Brattleboro Union High School. Every year I am impressed by the musicals produced by BUHS. But Hadestown was so ambitious that I was a little apprehensive. I shouldn't have been. It was incredible! The pit band played throughout almost the entire show - flawlessly. The acting and singing by the students were uniformly excellent. The whole show was so professional that it was hard to believe this was produced by our local high...
BRATTLEBORO-Following is a collection of national and local actions, initiatives, and resources aimed at preserving democracy and upholding the Constitution of the United States for readers across the political spectrum who are concerned about the federal government. Nationwide • Build Resistance describes itself as "a resource hub and movement megaphone - amplifying actions, resources, and victories that protect democracy, equality, and human rights." The organization is closely aligned with 50501, which launched nationwide protests on Feb. 5 and 17. The...
The writer served as executive director of the Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce from 2001 to 2005. BRATTLEBORO-I have known Isaac Evans-Frantz since he was in high school. I have always admired his dedication to causes. I believed in him. And I still do. I was very proud of his being the only candidate for Selectboard who spoke at the rally on Presidents' Day. We need someone who will bring the concerns of folks on the street, small businesses downtown,
BRATTLEBORO-I am supporting Jill Stahl-Tyler for Brattleboro Selectboard. I have known her for 15 years. I witnessed the excellent work she did on the Brattleboro Town School Board for eight years and now in her current role as executive director of Community House. Jill is kind, smart, and a tireless worker. She will take a balanced and centered approach to town governance to make Brattleboro a place where everyone can feel safe and welcome. Sarah Childs Gagnon Brattleboro This letter...
DUMMERSTON-Please join me on Town Meeting Day in voting for Kelly Young, of Guilford, who is running for election to the Windham Southeast School District. Even though Kelly is from Guilford, every voter in Guilford, Brattleboro, Putney and Dummerston gets to vote for her. Kelly has previously served on the Guilford School Board before the merger and then on the WSESD board as a member and then chair of the board for two years. Her tenure gives her institutional history...
BRATTLEBORO-There are a number of qualities I look for in an elected official, whether local or on the larger stage. I think it's important that those who represent me research each issue they'll deal with, to learn the history and contributing factors. They must talk to the people involved and affected and listen well to each. They need to relay comprehensive information to others clearly, in a concise, respectful way. Isaac Evans-Frantz has got this down! He truly enjoys conversing...
BRATTLEBORO-I'm pleased to vote for Jill Stahl Tyler for the three-year Selectboard seat this year. I've known Jill through our shared interest in gardening. As president of the Brattleboro Floral Arts and Garden Club, she has been organized, thoughtful, and committed to listening to what all the members would like to see and do. This year Brattleboro seems to be filled with a lot of divisiveness. I believe Jill is the right person for the Selectboard, where those same skills...
GUILFORD-I am writing in support of the write-in candidacy of Lisa Ford for the open three-year seat for town auditor in Guilford. I have known Lisa for 15 years and have been positively impressed by both her willingness to get involved locally and to assume greater responsibility within those organizations with which she gets involved. For instance, with children enrolled in the Guilford Central School, Lisa served on the school board. She is currently parent-chair of the Brattleboro Union High...
ROCKINGHAM-I am writing to request that you write my name in for the three-year seat on the Rockingham Town School Board versus Priscilla Lambert on Election Day, Tuesday, March 4. This is the seat that I currently hold, but unfortunately I was ill and missed the petition filing deadline in January. I would like to serve the town and the school district for another term in order to continue the important work that the board has embarked upon in the...
BROOKLINE-In Vermont, it seems that every generation is concerned about the future of the working land. And with good reason. The original settlers grew their own food, yet profited from the making and selling of potash. Merino sheep owners flooded the state when potash was no longer a usable commodity. Dairy farmers produced milk - sometimes too much milk - along with butter and cheese. Organic farming came about in the 20th century. From today's makers of award-winning bespoke products...
Newcomer Jocelyn Fritts and former board member Kelly Young are vying for a three-year term on the Windham Southeast School District (WSESD) board representing Guilford in the Tuesday, March 4, election. The seat has come available following longtime representative Shaun Murphy's retirement from the board. This is the only contested race for a seat at the WSESD table. Running unopposed are Matthew J. Schibley, for a three-year term representing Brattleboro; Jessica L. Everlith, who was appointed in January, for her...
BRATTLEBORO-It was a brutally cold day, just after a snowstorm and very windy under cloudy skies. With sidewalks barely cleared in Brattleboro, one might've wondered why anyone would go to town that day. No matter: We're Vermonters. In groups of two or three - sometimes more - people gathered up and down the sidewalk in front of Centre Congregational Church at noon on Monday, Feb. 17, for the National Day of Protest March. The march through downtown - part of...
BRATTLEBORO-My name is Gemma Seymour, and I am running for a three-year seat as Representative Town Meeting Member for Brattleboro District 8. I have been a resident of District 8 for over nine years, and a resident of Vermont for over 10 years. I am a mixed-race Asian American woman of color with a modest income who is partially disabled and a member of our local LGBT community. I am a renter, and I live in the downtown area, where...
BRATTLEBORO-I am running for re-election in District 7. I have been a Representative Town Meeting (RTM) member for around 10 years. I share this only to provide some context about my experience with RTM. Like many other candidates, I have deep roots in this community. I have lived here nearly my entire life, which has included being a parent and a small-business owner. I have been involved in many local organizations and was one of three people who got Brattleboro...
PUTNEY-The state is behind on its responsibility to pedestrians in Brattleboro and perhaps elsewhere. Three days after a significant, but not overwhelming, snowfall, there is still nowhere to walk except in the roadway. Sidewalks and crosswalks remain uncleared. Many people are walking between snow banks and traffic. Those on foot are in danger but they need to go to work or grocery stores. I have seen this problem for many years. What is the state's plan to assure safe pedestrian...
BRATTLEBORO-I have just finished reading the interview with Eileen Christelow - what a delight! My children and I laughed out loud as we read those books together when they were young. It was great to hear more of the story behind the stories! Thank you! Jill Stahl Tyler Brattleboro This letter to the editor was submitted to The Commons. This piece, published in print in the Voices section or as a column in the news sections, represents the opinion of...
BRATTLEBORO-Here's a statement you probably didn't think a Selectboard candidate would say: Town politics should be boring. I'm happy that we have so many people interested in forming Brattleboro's future. I'm saddened, however, by the divisiveness - especially when it shows up in personal attacks as candidates. A town is more than taxes and services. It's a community of people living together in respect and peace. It's a place where you gather with friends to catch up, work with colleagues...
LEYDEN, MASS.-The anti-Israel March 4 Brattleboro ballot question calls Israel an "apartheid regime." It defines the million Israeli Holocaust survivors and the million, dark-skinned Jews forcibly expelled from Arab countries as "settler colonizers" even though they were granted a state by the United Nations in 1947 and legally purchased their properties just the same way we do in this country. The ballot question bemoans money that the U.S. gives to Israel for self-defense, yet ignores the $600 million that the...
Most voters throughout the county will assemble on Town Meeting Day on Tuesday, March 4. Voters in Athens, Brattleboro, Brookline, Rockingham, Vernon, Windham, and Westminster will convene on their own respective timetables, and Marlboro voters won't meet at all, with voters making all decisions by Australian ballot. According to the Vermont Secretary of State's office, "Vermont law makes Town Meeting a holiday for employees of the state government." State law "also gives an employee the right to take unpaid leave...
WESTMINSTER-Friends and neighbors of Westminster: Shortly you will be asked to cast your ballot for two open Selectboard seats. This year the stakes could not be higher. Many of us have seen our most recent property tax bill increase by as much as 25%. This has placed a serious financial burden on us all. As sure as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, each year we open a property tax bill we see an increase.
VERNON-Hi, my name is Heidi Johnson-Clement, and this is why I am excited to be running for town clerk. I have lived in Vernon for 18 years since my husband and our two boys moved into my grandparents' home. My mother attended the schoolhouse right down the road! I have worked alongside our current town clerk, Tim Arsenault, for the last year and half, and I have been inspired by Tim's knowledge of the town and the care he's shown...
Elayne Clift (elayne-clift.com) has written this column about women, politics, and social issues for almost 20 years. BRATTLEBORO-Each February, National Black History Month, we remember an essential part of our national history. It's one that includes the racism that led to slavery, oppression, segregation, violence, and the marginalization that continues today. But it's also a time to recognize the gifts that Black contributions have made creatively, culturally, and scientifically to American life and beyond. From jazz, blues, gospel, and hip-hop...