BELLOWS FALLS-Today in my mailbox I found a big, glossy, glaring postcard (6 in. × 11 in., to be exact). It was from a group calling itself Americans for Prosperity.
That sounds nice. Prosperity - who doesn't want that?
The card wasn't nice, though. It had a lot of exclamation points and warnings about the impending doom of Act 18. The card didn't really explain what Act 18 actually is, but it told me "Vermont can't afford [it]!"
"Tell your lawmaker to repeal Act 18 now!!!"...
Elayne Clift (elayne-clift.com) has written this column about women, politics, and social issues for almost 20 years. BRATTLEBORO-In his final week in office, President Biden signed important legislation that would allow a monument dedicated to American women to be placed on the National Mall. It would honor women's suffragists...
PUTNEY-The arrest and detention of Mahmoud Khalil by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is a chilling start to what will likely be more and more efforts to curtail free speech, free association, and a host of civil rights enshrined in our Constitution. Troy Edgar, deputy secretary of the...
BRATTLEBORO-On Feb. 25, the Reformer published an article describing how this administration's canceling of all federal funds for diversity, equality and inclusion programs is affecting local organizations whose mission is to to support the most vulnerable in our community. This administration sees such programs as "radical and wasteful" yet wants to give billionaires an extension of the $4.5 billion tax cut, while cutting Medicaid and other programs for the middle class! At the same time, Trump describes himself as a...
Rabies clinic in Westminster WESTMINSTER - A rabies clinic will be held on Saturday, March 29, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Town Highway Garage, 67 Town Garage Rd. Vincent Dibernardo, DVM, will be administering the vaccines. The cost of the vaccine is $15. Rabies license fees are $11 for spayed/neutered animals, and $15 for nonspayed/neutered animals. While vaccines are available to all pet owners, licenses will be provided for Westminster residents only. Contact the Westminster Town Clerk with...
BRATTLEBORO-The Brattleboro Music Center (BMC) Chamber Series spotlights works by Beethoven. "A Beethoven Celebration" featuring Joseph Lin and friends is scheduled for Saturday, March 29, at 7 p.m. at the BMC. The program will include string quartet No. 11 in F minor, Op. 95, "Serioso"; violin sonata No. 10 in G major, Op. 96; and piano trio in B-flat major, Op. 97, "Archduke." "From prayerful meditation and delicate lyricism to passionate outbursts and playful exuberance, Beethoven's three consecutive masterpieces offer...
VERNON-Aspiring photographers in Vermont can now hone their craft with a hands-on workshop series launching at the Governor Hunt House Community Center, a historic venue that offers a welcoming space for creativity and learning. Led by professional photographer Bambi Dingman, this series of classes will cover everything from mastering camera settings to creative composition, lighting, and editing techniques. The series kicks off with "The Basics of Photography" on Wednesday, April 2, designed to help participants take control of their camera...
BRATTLEBORO-On March 7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture sent notice terminating $660 million in funding for the national Local Foods for Schools and Child Care (LFSCC) program. According to a news release, this decision pulls $1.2 million in federal grant funding that was destined to purchase local foods for Vermont schools. Fourteen schools in Windham County used this grant in the 2023-24 school year to bolster school meal programs, support local farmers, and stimulate Vermont's rural economy. Food Connects, a...
BELLOWS FALLS-Vermont Adult Learning (VAL), in partnership with the Rockingham Free Public Library, is launching a free English Language Learner (ELL) class designed to empower adult learners in the community. These ongoing classes are being held Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 4 to 5:30 p.m., on the second floor of the library, located at 65 Westminster St. The multi-level ELL class is open to Vermont residents aged 16 and above, regardless of their current English proficiency. Beginners as well as those...
WEST BRATTLEBORO-The Brattleboro Area Jewish Community (BAJC) invites everyone to join them for their community Passover Seder on Sunday, April 13, from 6 to 9 p.m. at West Village Meeting House, 29 South St. Rabbi Amita Jarmon will co-lead this seder with community members and offer questions for contemplation and discussion along with plenty of singing. Dinner will be catered by Chef Gretchen Hardy from The Porch. There will be fish, chicken, beef, and vegan entrees along with vegan side...
PUTNEY-The Mike Block Trio will perform at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill, on Saturday, April 5, at 7:30 p.m. The trio, led by the cello player, singer, and composer Mike Block, will also feature Joe K. Walsh on mandolin/vocals and Zachariah Hickman on bass/vocals. Block leads the trio in "an exciting exploration of acoustic music," according to event promoters. The trio's style incorporates elements of bluegrass, classical, and Latin jazz. Block is a member of Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road...
BELLOWS FALLS-The Greater Falls Family Partnership (GFFP) invites everyone to a special "Family Night Out," featuring brinner (breakfast for dinner) and a movie on Friday, March 28, beginning at 6 p.m. at the Rockingham Free Public Library. Breakfast classics- pancakes, waffles, and more - will be served. Kids are encouraged to come in their coziest pajamas and bring their favorite stuffed animal to snuggle up with during the movie. The movie, Mathilde, features a brilliant young girl with telekinetic powers...
Act 156, the Older Vermonters Act, set forth a vision in which communities thrive because Vermonters of all ages are valued, supported, and able to live their best lives. The principles of the Act promote "aging with health, choice, and dignity in order to establish and maintain an age-friendly state for all Vermonters." Senior Solutions, a nonprofit organization that serves adult and family caregivers throughout the state, is now partnering with the Windham Aging Initiative, a visionary group of well-informed...
BRATTLEBORO-Vermont-based collage artist Vanessa Compton, whose artwork is currently on view at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC), will discuss her work at the museum on Sunday, March 30, at 1 p.m. Compton's exhibition, "A Night at the Garden," is on view in the museum's large, outward-facing window bays and in the Spotlight Gallery through April 27. Raised in rural Vermont and now based in Burlington, Compton combines hand-cut papers and paint to create surreal landscapes. At BMAC, reproductions...
Obituaries • David Cregan, 86, of Rockingham. Died on Feb. 28, 2025, at his home. David was born in Flushing, New York, on May 18, 1938, the son of the late John and Camilla (Sutter) Cregan. David served his country in the Army. For many years, Dave and his wife, Nancy, operated the Whippowill Gift Shop and Cabins on Route 103 in Rockingham. Memorial information: There will be no services. • Thomas "Tom" Goldschmid, 75, of Westminster West. Died at...
BRATTLEBORO-In connection with a new exhibition on contemporary Ukrainian folk art, the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC) is offering two workshops in pysanky, the traditional Ukrainian folk art of egg decoration. Led by instructor Jenny Santa Maria, the workshops will take place at the museum on Saturday, April 5, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Santa Maria will share the history and traditions surrounding pysanky, provide instructions on how to design an egg, and allow time for an independent...
BRATTLEBORO-Health Care and Rehabilitation Services (HCRS), southeastern Vermont's nonprofit community mental-health agency, presents its sixth annual Spring Art Show, an inclusive exhibit celebrating the creative talents of its clients and staff, at 118 Elliot Gallery throughout the month of April. The community is invited to the opening reception on Friday, April 4, from 5 to 8 p.m. The evening will feature inclusive art, refreshments, and live music. The event also offers an opportunity to meet some of the artists and...
MARLBORO-The Marlboro Community Center, 524 South Rd., invites everyone to a benefit concert with Andy Davis on Friday, April 4, at 6:30 p.m. Brattleboro's Andy Davis will share his original songs and tunes, written in a traditional and participatory style. "After teaching music in the public schools of Windham County for over 30 years, I find myself drawn to songwriting," Davis said in a news release. "Each song contains a chorus or refrain. The songs are drawn from local history,
BELLOWS FALLS-The Rockingham Free Public Library (RFPL) continues its collaboration with cooperatively owned Flat Iron Coffeehouse to present poetry and music on Saturday, March 29, from 3 to 5 p.m. with poets Ryan Skrabalak of Kingston, New York, and Beverly Ketch of Northampton, Massachusetts, and acoustic music with Stella Kola, the band Ketch leads, which features members of Western Massachusetts's psychedelic-folk-experimental music scene. Skrabalak most recently released his poetry collection, National Lube (SpeCt!, 2024) and has published a host of...
WATERBURY-The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department has begun to receive reports of bears coming out of their dens. The Department urges Vermonters to remove their birdfeeders and take additional steps now to prevent conflicts with bears over the spring and summer. It's best not to not wait until after a bear visits to take down birdfeeders and bearproof yards, said Jaclyn Comeau, the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department's bear biologist in a news release. "You need to act now to...
GUILFORD-Stories, music, and desserts return to Guilford as the program, "Back Roads Stories," welcomes in spring at the Broad Brook Community Center (BBCC), 3940 Guilford Center Road, on Sunday, March 30, from 2 to 4 p.m. BBCC Manager and Program Coordinator Ada Brown described the program in a news release as "a celebration of the art of storytelling" and "an opportunity to connect with our neighbors in a deep and meaningful way." "Back Roads Stories" will be emceed by Don...
-The spring sports season in Vermont got started last week with pitchers and catchers reporting on March 17 for softball and baseball, and Unified basketball teams beginning full practices. This week, team practices began around Vermont for baseball, softball, lacrosse, tennis, track and field, and Ultimate disc. It will be a couple of weeks before the outdoor spring sports get going, so Unified basketball will be the first to begin competition. Twin Valley will travel to Bennington to face Mount...
BELLOWS FALLS-Created more than a decade ago, the Bellows Falls Community Bike Project has passed a major milestone: purchasing its longtime home at 30 Henry St. On March 17 the Bike Project bought the building from 30 Henry Street LLC. It has operated out of this space since 2016. "We have our roots right here, and can continue serving the community," said Bike Project Founder and Director Bonnie Anderson, as she was handed the keys from Alan LaCombe, the building's...
WEST BRATTLEBORO-Since October 2022, more than 600 refugees and asylum seekers have been resettled in Windham and Bennington counties. Then came Jan. 20 and, in the words of Joe Wiah of the Ethiopian Community Development Council (EDCD), "things have changed." With the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump, ECDC and nine other refugee resettlement agencies around the U.S. saw much of their funding from the U.S. State Department disappear as resettlement programs were halted. In ECDC's case, Wiah said they...
PUTNEY-Noam "Nani" Vazana, one of the few musician/songwriters in the world who writes and composes in the endangered Ladino language, has launched a tour that's landing her in venues large and small around North America and Europe. One of her stops will be Putney, as Next Stage Arts hosts her for a performance this Friday. BBC Radio 3 hails Vazana's as a powerful and soulful voice that "transports you from ancient markets to modern jazz clubs in one breath." Add...
BRATTLEBORO-On Saturday, March 29, at 7:30 p.m., the Vermont Jazz Center will present the Rhythm Future Quartet in a special concert to raise funds for the Windham County Heat Fund. According to the band's website, "the Rhythm Future Quartet has a straightforward agenda: to keep the spirit of Gypsy jazz alive and expanding in today's musical universe." The group, named from a popular Django Reinhardt tune, is influenced by the classic Hot Club of France, yet its influences embrace the...
WILLIAMSVILLE-Trump's hideous address to Congress is a reminder of how much we have to lose and how important it is to keep up our work to stop his power grab. This is hard work. There will be times when we feel let down by people who haven't yet joined us. There will be times when it seems like our task is too big, too fraught with tension and anxiety to get through. But the promise of what this country could...
BRATTLEBORO-In a marathon 10-hour session (not counting lunch and a few short breaks), Representative Town Meeting (RTM) members sent a proposed $24.7 million budget back to the drawing board in a vote of 76–57. That budget included about $19 million in property taxes and was expected to cause tax bills to rise by about $320 annually for those with median household incomes. More than 130 members started the meeting on Saturday, March 22, many newly elected. So did three new...
BRATTLEBORO-Lana Dever has spent her life fighting for others. Now she's in the fight of her life for her own physical and mental well-being, and that of her family, with the help of friends who have set up a GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign. Not only has Dever been facing severely debilitating health challenges that have already cost her her job, her pursuit of a higher education degree, and, at times, the frightening loss of her mobility. She's also losing her health...
Dave Cohen is an integrative psychotherapist (davecohencounseling.com) specializing in approaches in mind/body modalities and ecopsychology. He also works as a consultant for Go! Vermont, providing free bike consultations for all Vermonters. Cohen's transportation work has been featured in numerous podcasts and the internationally released cargo bike documentary Motherload. He is writing a book, The Biggest Blindspot: Super-Sizing Our Bodies in a More-than-Human World. BRATTLEBORO-When I'm walking around Brattleboro, people often fling a question at me: "Hey, where's your bike?" Many...
BELLOWS FALLS-Happy Spring! Shh, the snow has gone. I am saying this quietly, lest I tempt the fates and end up with a surprise blizzard. It's happened in the past if I celebrate the turning of the wheel too early. But the snowbanks finished melting over the weekend, and it's been mild ever since with temperatures hitting the low 70s recently. Not that I harbor the illusion that we're home free of snow and ice - anything can happen in...
The calendar says spring started on March 20. But tell that to the Thurber family at West Brattleboro's Lilac Ridge Farm, where the third generation of maple sugarmakers fired up the sap boiler at the beginning of the month. Or talk with lift operators at the Killington Resort some 72 miles up the map and 4,000 feet up the mountain, where the state's largest snow-sports area launched its spring pass last week. Or ask the volunteer organizers of the Joe's...